BusinessMirror April 04-05, 2026

RE-ACHING FOR THE MOON?

Despite setbacks, government insists ambitious goals for renewable energy can be met

By Lenie Lectura

THE renewable energy (RE) goals of the Philippines will be achieved, possibly earlier than the targets set, despite significant, ongoing setbacks.

When the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 was passed, the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) 2011-2030 targeted an increase from 5,438 megawatts (MW) in 2010 to over 15,304 MW renewable energy (RE) by 2030. Today, the country’s installed RE capacity is at 10,533 MW and by next year, it will probably exceed the target set in 2010, according to Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Rowena Guevara.

But there are new RE goals released under the NREP 20202040, targeting an RE share of 35 percent in the power mix by 2030, which requires an additional installed capacity of roughly 15,304MW—nearly triple the 2010 level. By 2040, the goal is set at 50 percent RE. This means an estimated 52,826MW more to be built on top of the 2030 target. Guevara said this updated target is part of the country’s accelerating clean energy transition.

As of 2024, the DOE said RE accounted for about 22 percent of the mix. With four more years to go, is the 2030 target still achievable?

No specific goals in ’70s Guevara recalled that in the 1970s there were no specific RE goals set.

“To the credit of the energy sector at that time until 2008, the Philippines reached 35 percent RE in the energy mix,” driven by massive investments in geothermal and hydroelectric power to combat the oil crisis.

So why did the numbers shrink? Since fossil-fueled power

projects—mostly coal generation—were also built from 2008 to the present and were easier and cheaper to build, by 2022, RE share in the generation mix went down to 22 percent, Guevara said. That’s why the current administration formulated an energy transition that accelerates renewables. “Note that we changed the target from power in megawatts to energy in megawatt hours and based on RE projects that are coming online, we will reach our 35-percent target by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040,” Guevara said.

Other setbacks

OTHER key setbacks include connection bottlenecks, slow project deliveries, the permitting process, and the list goes on. But notably and very recently was the cancellation of multiple solar power contracts, mostly held

by Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, Inc. (SPPPHI), founded by Leandro Leviste.

Terminated and relinquished RE contracts reached 163, equivalent to about 18 gigawatts (GW) or 18,000 MW. The DOE said 64 percent of the terminated contracts are under SPPPHI and these represent more than 11 GW or 11,000 MW. The Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) said the termination paves the way for the government to closely review why the projects are failing to meet their targets. The group urged the DOE to act on the terminated contracts by awarding them to qualified developers.

This setback has prompted the DOE to craft a catch-up plan, which includes a 10-year GEA (Green Energy Auction) program designed to deliver at least 25GW of capacity. “Solar PH would have set us back if we did not start allowing 100-percent foreign investment in RE in November 2022. It [cancellations] might have been an opportunity cost, but our recent GEA (Green Energy Auction) programs prove that we can still overcome the setback,” said Guevara. The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said prioritizing RE will protect the country from the volatility of global

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‘Buy local’ a buffer vs global shocks–with conditions

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

RECENT global uncertainties are giving renewed momentum to the “buy local” push, but business leaders said that such an initiative will only succeed if it moves beyond slogans and addresses long-standing gaps in competitiveness.

For Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) president Donald Lim, volatility in foreign exchange and global supply chains should be treated as a signal to strengthen domestic industries rather than rely heavily on imports.

“Filipinos will support local not simply because it is local, but because it offers real value. Cannot be ‘buy local’ for the sake of,” Lim said in a message to BusinessMirror on Tuesday.

He said the current environment could finally give the movement stronger traction, but only if local products become more competitive in terms of quality, price, reliability, and innovation.

Last week, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) commended how Filipino products are gaining wider traction in global markets, with stronger demand across electronics, mineral goods, and agricultural exports. This came after data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that total exports reached $14.47 billion in the first two months of 2026, up 8.3 percent from the same period last year. The figure marks the highest export level recorded for January to February since 1991. Yet, regarding forex, the peso weakened to a new record low of P60.748 against the dollar on Tuesday, slipping 5 centavos from

Monday’s close of P60.69, according to the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/04/01/ bsp-expects-inflation-to-hit-3-1-3-9in-march/)

Meanwhile, Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) chairman Roberto Claudio Sr. echoed Lim’s view, saying the present supply pressures make it the right time to push for stronger local patronage.

“I call it TATAK PINOY MUNA campaign while we are experiencing supply problems, particularly on food and consumer items,” Claudio told this newspaper in a message on Tuesday.

“The Middle East crisis shortages and prices hikes give us the opportunity to patronize local products, brands & manufacturers as our contribution in stabilizing the shortages in our economy,” he added.

The trade agency formally launched the Tatak Pinoy Program on December 2 last year, as part of efforts to promote Filipino capability and strengthen long-term economic resilience.

Anchored on the Tatak Pinoy Strategy (TPS), the initiative serves as the country’s first institutionalized national industrial policy and lays out a multiyear

roadmap aimed at upgrading local industries, improving global competitiveness, and prioritizing Filipino products in government procurement.

However, Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) chairperson Elizabeth Lee said the push to “buy local” will depend heavily on structural reforms and stronger industrial capacity, warning that global shocks continue to expose weaknesses in domestic production systems.

“Without deliberate action to build resilience, their impact will continue to deepen across industries and the broader economy. These structural realities require a coordinated and equally structural response,” Lee said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Current global conditions, she said, are reinforcing the case for domestic production, noting that local spending generates wider economic benefits through jobs and supply chains.

“Persistent global uncertainty reinforces the economic case for domestic production, with local spending generating broader multiplier effects across employment and supply chains,” she said.

Lee also pointed to the Government Procurement Reform Act. While it has strengthened transparency and competition, its price-driven framework could still be better aligned with industrial markets and help stabilize power costs. “Our country’s power system was shielded in part from past fuel crises because of early government investments in RE such as geothermal and hydropower.

“With the addition of solar, wind, pumped storage hydro, and battery energy storage systems since the enactment of the RE Act in 2008, the country is in a stronger position than ever to deploy local solutions and reduce dependence on imported fuels,” it said.

While the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association Inc. (PIPPA) acknowledged the need to accelerate RE deployment even beyond the crisis, it advocates a balanced energy mix. “While we are thankful that the RE plants are increasing, the supporting technologies to counter the variability of RE generation should also be in place and incentivized,” said PIPPA president Atty. Anne Estorco Montelibano.

She also stressed the need for sufficient baseload generators for a stable power supply and flexible

policy goals, she added.

For her, existing provisions allowing margins of preference for local goods should be used more strategically to support domestic producers within existing rules.

“By more deliberately integrating domestic value creation into procurement decisions, government spending can serve as a stronger engine for resilience and growth. Procurement can help build supply chain stability, industrial capability, and long-term competitiveness,” Lee said. Takes two to tango STRENGTHENING domestic supply chains and improving the competitiveness of local industries will require coordinated action from both government and the private sector, business groups said.

Claudio said the PRA is already working with suppliers to manage inventories and delay price increases on food products amid ongoing supply pressures.

Separately, MAP’s Lim said the focus should be on building long-term resilience through investments in manufacturing, food security, logistics, technology, and supply chain capacity, alongside improved access to financing, digital tools, and markets for small and medium enterprises.

He added that the government should simplify regulations, encourage local sourcing in both pub -

generators, which can act as ancillary services. Energy storage systems (ESS) and nuclear energy, she added, will also play a major role in the years to come.

“For RE alone, programs and policies are already in place to encourage investments in the RE sector. We have our GEAP, RE Market, RPS (renewable portfolio standards), and CREZ (Competitive Renewable Energy Zones) initiatives, which are examples of how the government is constantly trying to improve our RE space,” said the PIPPA official.

Pangilinan-led Meralco PowerGen Corp. said the current energy crisis underscores the urgency of accelerating the development of RE sources to strengthen energy security and reduce external dependence.

MGEN president Emmanuel Rubio said the focus is on accelerating the build-out of local capacity, alongside the necessary grid and transmission support, enabling a balanced approach that expands renewables without compromising reliability.

lic and private procurement, and help firms build stronger domestic supply networks.

“If we act decisively, today’s global uncertainty can become an opportunity to create stronger Philippine industries and more sustainable jobs,” Lim said. Lee, for her part, said policy direction should focus on maximizing local preference mechanisms in procurement, translating the Tatak Pinoy strategy into sector-specific plans, and addressing structural cost issues such as energy and logistics.

She also called for stronger infrastructure, tighter enforcement against smuggling and unfair competition, and deeper integration of small firms into domestic supply chains.

“In an era of recurring global shocks, producing and procuring locally is no longer simply a preference—it is increasingly a strategic necessity,” Lee said.

She added that embedding local production into procurement systems can help turn external shocks into resilience, supporting jobs, stabilizing enterprises, and strengthening economic continuity.

“Each disruption, from exchange rate volatility to supply chain breakdowns, reinforces a fundamental reality: economies that build internal capacity are better positioned to withstand external pressures,” she said.

Continued from A1 strengthen energy self-reliance. MTerra Solar is a key example— demonstrating how domestic and RE sources can be delivered at scale, with early capacity already supporting the grid at a critical time of global volatility,” he said. MTerra Solar, an affiliate of MGEN, recently energized the first 250 MW of the 3,500 MWp of solar power, supported by a 4,500 MWh energy storage system. DOE’s Guevara also took note that the whole-of-government approach and the development of EVOSS are key to achieving the RE goals. “Recent developments and cooperation among DOE, ERC, IEMOP, PEMC, NGAs, NGCP and LGUs have shown that RE development can be accelerated. It is also fortunate that we entered the RE space at the right time and saw the price of technologies, like solar, go down,” she said. Energy chief Sharon Garin said that despite the setbacks the government maintains that RE goals are achievable. “That’s immovable. The RE targets for 2030, 2040, and even 2050 for us are non-negotiable.”

“At MGEN, we are advancing this through projects that directly

Zambales fishers beat fuel cost surge with ‘lambaklad’ method

By Henry Empeño

SAN NARCISO, Zambales — Lambak -

lad, a traditional fishing method introduced here two years ago as an alternative livelihood project, now proves to be a practical solution to the rising cost of fuel while delivering bigger catch for local fishermen at minimal hours at sea.

Local fisherfolk groups said lambaklad—derived from the combination of “lambat” (net) and “baklad” (fish trap)— has provided better daily harvests just within 500 meters from the shore, thus significantly cutting fuel consumption.

“Hindikamigumagastosnangmalakisa gasolina, kasi malapit lang siya. One liter lang, nakaka-harvest na kami [We don’t spend as much for gasoline because we just fish nearby. With just one liter of fuel, we can already harvest],” said Simplicio Orendain, an officer of the Deep Sea Fishing Association of La Paz (DSFALP) here.

Orendain said that they used to spend as much as P1,500 for gasoline for deep-sea fishing before lambaklad was introduced to the La Paz fishing community in 2024.

Reny Correa, president of the Alimbuhabu Fishing Association in Botolan town, meanwhile, said the lambaklad method drastically shortened their time at sea and minimized the risks of fishing so far out of shore.

Noong wala pang lambaklad, halos magdamagkamisalaot.Karamihansaamin datiumaabotng50 miles sa pagpalaot [Before lambaklad, we were out at sea almost the whole night. Most of us go as far as 50 miles out],” Correa recalled. “Pero ngayon, nasaisangkilometrolangyunglambaklad (But now we can fish just one kilometer away),” he said. Lambaklad, introduced by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) as a national program to increase fish catch and boost the income of small-scale fisherfolk, is a sustainable and environment-friendly method derived from the Japanese Otoshiami technology.

It uses an underwater net system composed of a long “leader” net that guides pelagic fish species into a holding bag or “cod-end” where they are trapped alive. The nets are placed in waters 20 to 45 meters deep, and fishermen then check the

net twice daily to lift the trap and collect the catch.

BFAR officials said that since using lambaklad, Zambales fisherfolk harvested an average of 12,000 tons of migratory fishes annually over the last two years with just two daily harvests that last from only one to two hours each.

The catch mostly consisted of tuna, mackerel, skipjack, squid, slipmouth or sapsap, anchovies, and round scad or galunggong. However, lambaklad fishers in San Felipe town reported catching blue marlin and other pelagic species.

Last February 23, members of the San Felipe Fishlanding Fisherfolks Lambaklad Association (SFFLA) reported harvesting 2.5 tons of various fishes in just one haul. The group started using the lambaklad technology in November 2025 following the launch of a livelihood project by BFAR and the provincial and local government units.

On March 26, Senator Risa Hontiveros joined a lambaklad harvest in this town with BFAR Region 3 Director Willy Cruz and San Narciso Mayor La Rainne Abad-Sarmiento, witnessing first hand the success of the project her office helped set up in 2022.

The senator also met here with lambaklad fisherfolk from the towns of San Narciso, San Felipe, Botolan, Iba, and Candelaria, and shared that some P2.8 billion in the proposed P52-billion supplemental budget will be allocated for farmers and fisherfolk to sustain production and ensure a stable food supply in the country.

Public school students file more applications for Pisay slots, ten more campuses eyed

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

DAVAO CITY Students from public schools filed more applications to enter the elite Philippine Science High Schools (PSHS) although students schooled in private high schools ultimately closed the gap among the final qualifiers, the PSHS said.

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Science High School (DOST-PSHS), commonly known as Pisay, said that among this school year’s applicants, 78.06 percent were from public schools, whereas 21.94 percent were from private schools, composed of 58.71 percent female and 41.29 percent male.

PSHS Executive Director Ronalee Orteza said ,however, that for the distribution of the principal qualifiers, “those from public schools retained as the major portion, with 58.80 percent and 41.20 percent were from the private schools, with a 4:6 ratio of female and male.”

The PSHS released the names of the qualifiers for the National Competitive Examination (NCE) 2025 on March 30. It said 27,965 applied across the country to land a slot in the PSHS system. Of that number, the PSHS named 1,738 principal qualifiers for the School Year (SY) 2026-2027.

Ed Herpert D. Briones, chief administrative officer for the PSHS system, said the national mean of

the recent NCE posted 84.50 percent, comparable to the exams during the pre-pandemic years. Those principal qualifiers scored above the national mean, and were ranked based on their scores on four sections, namely: mathematics, science, verbal ability, and abstract reasoning.

“The National Competitive Examination is not simply an entrance test to Pisay. It is a deliberate investment in the future of our nation. We identify and nurture young individuals who will one day help solve some of the country’s most pressing challenges,” DOST

Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. has announced in a press conference this week.

He said PSHS will be accommodating a total of 1,920 slots, composed of 120 new students for each of the 16 campuses within its system this school year. Therefore, the PSHS has advised the principal qualifiers to confirm their slots until April 24 and May 4 for the main and regional campuses, respectively, or alternate qualifiers to fill the remaining slots after.

The National Capital Region tallied as the region with the highest percentage of applicants who scored above the national mean, at 43.47 percent, followed by Region IV-A CALABARZON and III with rates of 39.44 and 37.23, respectively.

“PISAY,”

Saturday-Sunday, April 4-5, 2026 A3

Marcos admin to push for AI integration across Asean at upcoming National Innovation Day

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Marcos administration will push for the mainstreaming of artificial intelligence (AI) to address pressing international concerns such as food security and climate change among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the upcoming National Innovation Day (NID) this month.

The NID, to be held on April 28 and 29, 2026, with the theme “Agos [Flow] ASEAN; Artificial Intelligence for Growth, Opportunity, and Sustainability,” is part of the scheduled events for

the country’s hosting of the bloc’s summits this year.

During the said event, the government aims to recognized outstanding innovations and innovations in ASEAN and serve

as a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange among the government, industry, academe, startups, local government units, as well as intensify public support for the culture of innovation and the application of AI in industries, public service delivery.

AI-solutions are expected to help address the challenges in food and agribusiness, health and wellbeing, education, and climate change mitigation.

The NID will also promote the ethical and inclusive adoption of AI across sectors and across borders.

Last November, President Ferdinand Marcos said harnessing AI and digital technologies, as well as the commemoration and the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), will be among the highlights of the country’s hosting of the 2026 ASEAN Summit.

In his Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 115, Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto directed the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to spearhead the celebration of the NID in line with Republic Act (RA) No. 11293. RA 11293 declared every April 21 as NID to promote innovation.

“All government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporation, are hereby directed, and all LGUs and the private sector are hereby encouraged, to extend full support and cooperation in the conduct of programs and activities in the celebration of the 2026 NID,” Recto said in his two-page MC 115 dated 26 March 2026.

He maintained that AI should not replace the “human touch,” but only enhance the capacity of workers.

Biñan rolls out fuel subsidy for TODA members amid

By Trixzy Leigh C. Bonotan

MORE than 5,000 grateful tricycle operators and drivers turned up at the Biñan Football Stadium on April 1, braving the scorching heat to receive an initial fuel subsidy of P1,000 each from the City Government of Biñan. The subsidies were distributed personally by Mayor Gel Alonte, Vice Mayor Dada Reyes, and members of the city council, alongside Biñan Tricycle Franchising and Regulatory Board (BTFRB) Head Ron Roscain.

The distribution was carried out under Executive Order No. 15, s. 2026, signed by Mayor Gel Alonte, which aims to provide financial assistance to TODA (Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations) members amid the continued rise in fuel prices and other basic commodities. The measure also aligns with the national government’s

broader efforts to cushion the impact of the ongoing fuel crisis on ordinary Filipinos.

The program was formalized through Resolution No. 37 (2026) of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, authorizing Mayor Alonte to implement the subsidy. The mayor expressed gratitude to the council led by Vice Mayor Dada Reyes for acting swiftly on the resolution, calling it a sign that they collectively recognized the urgency of helping their constituents.

Reaching families, one subsidy at a time IN an interview, Mayor Alonte said the assistance was about more than just easing the financial burden it was about reaching the families behind every driver. “ Itong ibibigay nating financial assistance ay makakarating at makakatulong sa kanilang mga pamilya. Sa maliit na bagay na ganito, gumawa po tayo ng

paraan, at least kahit papaano makatulong talaga ,” he said. (The financial assistance that we will provide will reach and help their families. Through a small gesture like this, we found a way to truly help, even in the least way we can) He also noted that discussions with the City Council and Congressman Arman Dimaguila helped shape the collective push to find ways to extend help to the sector.

Mayor Alonte further pointed out that the fuel crisis is not a problem unique to Biñan it is being felt across the Philippines and around the world. He spoke particularly of the sacrifices made by tricycle drivers, especially those earning on a boundary basis, whose daily income has become increasingly stretched. “ Nakikita natin yung sakripisyo. Siyempre, lalo na yung mga namamasada, yung mga nagba-boundary lang na tinatawag natin. Sila yung mas nangangailangan. Yung kinikita nila, alam naman natin na hindi sasapat sa panahon ngayon ,” he said. (We see the sacrifice. Of course, especially those who drive for a living, those we call boundary drivers. They are the ones who are more in need. The income they earn, we all know, is not enough in these times)

For the City Government of Biñan, this first distribution is a step modest but deliberate —toward standing by the sector that keeps the city moving.

Coop Chamber urges ‘rescue mission’ for tricycle drivers, says soaring fuel costs pushed sector to brink of collapse

ACOOPERATIVE advocacy organization is urging the national government to overhaul faresetting mechanisms and ease subsidy requirements for tricycle drivers, warning that soaring fuel costs have pushed the sector to the brink of economic “collapse.”

The Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives Inc. (Coop Chamber) on Tuesday called on authorities to immediately address what it described as years of neglect that have left millions of first-and-last mile transport workers unable to survive on their daily earnings.

“We cannot speak of national progress while the very workers who connect our citizens to their doorsteps are starving in plain sight,” Coop Chamber Secretary-General Edwin A. Bustillos said. “We are witnessing an economic freefall that demands an immediate ‘Rescue Mission’.”

He said gasoline prices have breached P120 to P130 per liter in some areas, yet many tricycle operators and drivers continue to charge fares set years ago.

“In Davao City, a 6-year-old P10.00 fare in a P100.00-per-liter fuel reality is a mathematical impossibility,” Bustillos said. “A driver’s net take-home pay has plummeted below P300 per day, far beneath the national poverty threshold.”

Many tricycle federations have seen no adjustment in years, he lamented.

The Coop Chamber also flagged what it called a “franchise trap” in which drivers who cannot afford to renew their franchises are disqualified from accessing fuel subsidies under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program and the Department of Energy’s fuel subsidy scheme. Coop Chamber Chairperson Noel D.

Raboy said the valid-franchise requirement effectively penalizes the poorest drivers.

“To deny a hungry driver a fuel subsidy because they cannot afford a franchise fee is a form of administrative oppression,” he said. He called on the government to de-link permit status from eligibility for emergency aid.

On the structural side, the group endorsed the nationwide adoption of the Automatic Fare Adjustment Index (AFAI), a policy mechanism that would tie tricycle fares directly to fuel price movements. It will automatically raise fares when prices climb past set thresholds and pulling them back when prices ease.

The group said the AFAI would free fare adjustments from dependence on legislative or regulatory timelines, which it said have historically lagged behind market realities. Lorenz S. Marasigan

rising costs

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Region XII has recently brought together Civil Society Organizations (CSO) to help strengthen the implementation of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project—a program designed to help Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) finally secure their own individual land titles. For many farmers, having an individual land title is more than just a document—it means legal ownership, security, and better opportunities to improve their farms and livelihoods. With a title in their name, ARBs can more easily access government support programs, farm inputs, and financial services to help increase productivity and income.

The consultation was an open forum for dialogue and problem-solving, where CSO representatives and DAR officials discussed challenges in the parcelization and titling process. Among the concerns raised were documentation errors, discrepancies during field validation, boundary overlaps, and questions about land allocation for some ARBs.

Officials from the DAR Central Office and regional offices clarified how these concerns are being addressed under existing policies and procedures to ensure that farmers receive the land titles intended for them. An open forum also allowed CSO representatives to share their experiences and raise questions about the implementation of agrarian reform programs in their communities. The discussion covered important topics, including environmental and social safeguards, the validation process for land parcels, and concerns raised by some communities regarding land subdivision.

One issue discussed involved tribal communities that prefer to keep their ancestral lands undivided. DAR explained that while the parcelization process aims to secure individual land titles for the farmers, the agency also recognizes and respects the unique circumstances and traditions of indigenous communities. Provincial Agrarian Reform Program

DENR takes lead in push for sustainable ‘Blue Carbon’ economy

TBy Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

HE Department of Environment

and Natural Resources (DENR) has taken the helm of the National Blue Carbon Action Partnership (NBCAP) Roadmap, a strategic framework co-developed across government, academe, civil society, and the private sector, to strengthen the protection and sustainable management of the country’s blue carbon ecosystems for the benefit of 42 million coastal residents and climate resilience.

The NBCAP Roadmap was formally handed over to the DENR at the recent Philippine Mangrove Conference 2026 in Quezon City on March 26.

The milestone underscores the country’s commitment to coordinated, science - based, and accountable action for blue carbon ecosystems.

DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems, and Climate Change

Analiza Rebuelta-Teh welcomed the formal turonver

DAR. . .

Continued from A3

Officer II Oding B. Yusoph of DAR Sarangani assured participants that the agency remains committed to assisting farmers and their organizations in resolving issues related to agrarian reform implementation.

Participants welcomed the consultation, as the dialogue clarified important concerns affecting farmers and land distribution in their areas. Richard Tang Sr., an ARB from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, expressed appreciation for the activity, noting that it helped farmers better understand the programs designed to support them.

The consultation underscored the importance of close coordination between government and civil society organizations to ensure the effective implementation of agrarian reform programs and to help farmers secure the land titles intended for them.

The activity supports the directive of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III to strengthen engagement with stakeholders, address concerns at the grassroots level, and accelerate the distribution of land titles to ARBs nationwide. Jonathan L. Mayuga

Pisay. . .

Continued from A3

Pisay scholars will receive stipends as high as P8,000, categorized based on family income and in-partial systems, along with free loan of textbooks, uniform and one-way transportation allowances, and P60-worth of dormitory accommodation.

“They will have the opportunity to participate in national and international competitions. They will also have the immersive training experience during science immersion program and other opportunities,” Dir. Orteza added.

Meanwhile, the PSHS estimated that it would push through with its plan to establish ten more campuses “in lieu of the Republic Act (RA) 12310, or the Expanded PSHS System Act”, or at least two campuses for each region.

It was looking though, at the capital outlay to establish one campus, with its experience in putting up the campus in Negros which cost P300 million alone but estimated to reach a P1-billion budget in total for its teaching and non-teaching positions, operating expenses, and other allocations.

Pillars of resilience

“MANGROVES may be overlooked, but they are powerful pillars of resilience,” Teh said.

“This Roadmap reflects the Philippines’ strong commitment to advancing blue carbon accounting and delivering tangible impact for coastal communities,” she said.

“The NBCAP Roadmap will provide us with an evidence-based path forward for conserving the Philippines’ rich coastal ecosystems,” Mariglo Laririt, DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Assistant Director, added.

“By working with our partners across various sectors, we can enhance coastal resilience, support communities, and contribute to national and global climate commitments,” she said.

According to Laririt, the path forward begins with convening the Leadership Steering Committee (LSC) and Technical Working Group (TWG) in April. The NBCAP Structure and Roadmap will then be formalized through a policy instrument, either a DENR Administrative Order or an Executive Order,

while a work plan will be developed in parallel, and early actions are already underway to sustain momentum.

Critical infrastructure

“BLUE carbon ecosystems are critical natural infrastructure underpinning the Philippines’ blue economy. By aligning governance, science, livelihoods, and investment, the NBCAP Roadmap sends a strong signal to global investors and partn ers that naturebased solutions are key to a climate-resilient economy,” shared Alfredo Giron, Head of Ocean, World Economic Forum.

The Philippines is home to some of Southeast Asia’s most ecologically significant blue carbon ecosystems with about 327,000 hectares of mangroves, alongside seagrass beds and tidal marshes.

These protect coastlines, sustain livelihoods, and store vast amounts of carbon, but once degraded, they release stored greenhouse gases and threaten the biodiversity that depends on them.

“The handover of the NBCAP Roadmap

to the DENR represents a turning point in advancing blue carbon action and strengthening the Philippines’ leadership in coastal conservation in the region,” Edwina Garchitorena, Country Director of ZSL Philippines said for her part.

Four pillars of NBCAP

THE NBCAP Roadmap is anchored on four pillars—science, technology, and innovation, policy governance, communications and community engagement, and finance and sustainable livelihoods—which guide conservation practices, strengthen laws, and empower local communities for long-term resilience.

The Roadmap places coastal communities at the heart of blue carbon action. Roberto

“Ka Dodoy” Ballon, Founder and Chairman of Kapunungan sa mga Gagmay’ng Mangingisda sa Concepcion (KGMC), emphasized, “When we protect mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes, we also protect our fishing grounds—making sure our families and the next generations have an abundant, safe, and

NFA procures 420,012 MT of palay in 2025, misses target due to storage constraints

TBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

HE National Food Authority (NFA) purchased over 420,000 metric tons (MT) of palay in 2025, falling short of its procurement target due to operational constraints.

In its accomplishment report, the NFA said it procured 8.4 million 50kilo bags or 420,012 MT of palay last year, a 5.32 percent drop from the 8.87 million bags or 443,620 MT it bought in 2024.

The volume of palay that the grains agency procured in 2025 was only 77 percent of its target of purchasing 545,000 MT from local planters.

“Procurement fell short of the total target attainment due to operational limitations, particularly full warehouse capacity and limited

storage space arising from ongoing warehouse repair and rehabilitation activities,” the NFA said.

Despite this, the agency said it sustained its support to farmers by continuously implementing its support price through the PRICERS program, where the buying price ranges from P23 to P30 per kilo for clean and dry, and P17 to P23 per kilo for wet.

Under this scheme, prices are adjusted weekly to ensure that the buying price remains current and relevant across the country.

Meanwhile, the NFA said it distributed 107,229.45 MT of milled rice in 2025, a twofold surge or 173.35 percent from the 39,228 MT in the previous year.

“Rice distribution operations in CY 2025 were intensified to meet national requirements, particularly for disaster response and government

interventions,” the agency said. Broken down, 47,305.34 MT were allocated for non-relief distributions, while 41,498.41 MT were distributed for disaster, relief, or calamity response.

Under the non-relief issuances, the NFA said 665,588 bags or 33,279 MT were issued to the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) Kadiwa P29 and P20 rice programs, aimed at providing subsidized rice to vulnerable sectors.

Furthermore, the NFA said 3,054.43 MT were released under the government’s One-Time Rice Assistance, while it also released 12,455.32 MT under the public auction at a price range of P22.52 to P25.16 per kilo.The grains agency said it only distributed 2,915.95 MT under the food security emergency program, noting limited participation among local governments.

PSA: Wholesale prices rise in February as chemicals, oils, and fats lift inflation

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

WHOLESALE prices in February

inched up, driven mainly by faster increases in chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Wednesday.

Data from the General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) showed annual growth edged up to 1.7 percent in February from 1.6 percent in January, but remained lower than the 2.9 percent recorded in the same month last year.

“The uptrend in the annual growth rate of the GWPI was mainly caused by the faster annual increase in the index of chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats at 3.6 percent in February 2026 from 2.5 percent in the previous

month,” the PSA said.

The agency also flagged faster price gains in beverages and tobacco, which rose to 2.6 percent from 2.1 percent.

Crude materials, inedible except fuels, posted the sharpest increase, accelerating to 6.5 percent from 3.1 percent.

Meanwhile, mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials grew by 0.5 percent, reversing a 0.4-percent decline in January.

By region, the Visayas and Mindanao both posted growth above the national average at 3.3 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

In Visayas, the increase was driven mainly by faster gains in chemicals (9.2 percent from 8.6 percent), alongside a slight pickup in food prices (5 percent from 4.9 percent).

Mindanao, while still above the

THE reported moves by China to exploit the Middle East crisis by expanding its presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is “unacceptable and deeply concerning,” the chairman of the Senate Defense committee said on Wednesday. Multiple studies indicate that the WPS holds significant untapped oil and natural gas resources, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said in a statement. “Any attempt to exploit the situation—at a time when global attention is focused on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East—not only undermines our sovereignty, but also threatens regional security and the rules-

healthy future,” highlighting the link between ecosystem health and community well-being.

Science, community collaboration

SCIENCE and community collaboration are critical to effectively protecting and conserving mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes, according to Dr. Severino Salmo III, Professor and University Scientist at UP Diliman.

“The NBCAP Roadmap provides a clear framework to translate knowledge into action for resilient coastal ecosystems and communities,” he added. Central to this scientific foundation is the Blue Carbon Quantification Protocol (BCQP) developed by Philippine blue carbon scientists and practitioners which the Roadmap seeks to establish as the national standard for carbon assessment, reducing costs and building nationwide capacity.

national average, saw growth ease due largely to slower increases in food prices, which decelerated to 2.4 percent from 2.9 percent.

Luzon, on the other hand, retained its 1.5 percent GWPI for February.

The PSA noted slower price growth in key Luzon commodities, with food easing to 2.2 percent from 2.5 percent, while prices of manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials rose more slowly at 0.1 percent from 0.3 percent in January.

Wholesale price refers to the price of commodity transacted in bulk for further resale or processing.

The GWPI tracks price movements in the wholesale trade sector and is used as a deflator in national accounts to express real value by stripping out the effects of inflation.

based international order,” he said While the country’s immediate priority “is to ensure the welfare of our affected kababayan in the Middle East and address tightening fuel supply in the country, we must not lose sight of the need to respond with firmness and resolve to China’s provocative actions,” he warned.

“I urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to immediately file a diplomatic protest against these deliberate, illegal, and unprofessional actions. I likewise call on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to intensify patrols and continue exposing these violations,” the senator said.“ Hindi

Way forward LOOKING ahead to 2030, the Roadmap aims to expand sustainable livelihoods, enhance protection of blue carbon ecosystems, secure financing, and empower communities through coordinated conservation initiatives.

DENR calls on all stakeholders including national government agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of AgricultureBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), alongside local governments, academe, civil society, and the private sector to come together to protect these ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

The Roadmap seeks to establish a policy and legislative agenda that aligns blue carbon with the emerging national carbon policy, advances local initiatives such as coastal greenbelts, and contributes to broader efforts under the proposed Blue Economy Bill to strengthen legal protections, guide restoration, and support carbon financing and community participation.

Specialized ‘pharma-ecozones’ eyed in Clark Freeport

By Henry Empeño

LARK FREEPORT State-run Bases

CConversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has teamed up with government-owned Philippine Pharma Procurement, Inc. (PPPI) to develop new ecozones here in a bid to create a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and life sciences in the country.

A memorandum of agreement signed by BCDA President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang and PPPI President and CEO Maria Blanca Kim B. Lokin on March 25 set into motion a comprehensive collaborative study for the development of specialized ecozones for pharmaceutical manufacturing, research, and distribution, BCDA said in a statement.

The initiative is expected to leverage the world-class logistics platform of the Clark Civil Aviation Complex in Pampanga and the industrial capacity of nearby New Clark City in Tarlac for a seamless “factory-to-port” environment, it added.

The partnership also seeks to address the Philippines’ long-standing reliance on imported medicines.

Under Republic Act No. 9502, or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008, PPPI, which is an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, is mandated to establish a common facility for pooled procurement that can be accessed by government units and other entities undertaking government programs.

lamang ito usapin ng soberanyaito ay usapin din ng seguridad sa enerhiya at kinabukasan ng bawat Filipino [This isn’t only a question of sovereignty - it’s also an issue of energy security and the future of every Filipino].”

Estrada added: “Ipinaglaban at naipanalo na natin ang ating mga karapatan sa arbitral tribunal, alinsunod sa United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Kaya malinaw: atin ang West Philippine Sea, atin ang mga yaman at resources na nakapaloob dito, at hindi tayo dapat natitinag sa pakikipaglaban dito.

[We have fought for and won our rights in the arbitral

“This [agreement with BCDA] bridges the gap between logistics and manufacturing,” said Lokin. “By studying the feasibility of specialized pharma-ecozones, we are not just building warehouses; we are creating a high-tech environment where research, production, and global distribution can thrive in one place.”

Bingcang, meanwhile, asserted that by positioning Clark as an integral part of the country’s healthcare ecosystem, “we are improving access to medicines, fostering innovation, and enhancing the nation’s capacity to meet healthcare needs.”

“At the same time, this initiative supports high-value job creation, attracts investment, and stimulates inclusive and sustainable growth for the Philippines,” the BCDA chief added.

BCDA said the agreed-upon study will focus on several high-impact areas designed to attract both global and local investment. It will involve site identification for state-of-the-art manufacturing plants and R&D laboratories, address incentive frameworks for both global pharmaceutical giants and local drug manufacturers, and emphasize logistical integration to ensure rapid, temperature-controlled transit of pharmaceutical products.

Beyond healthcare, the development of specialized pharma-zones is projected to generate thousands of high-value jobs for Filipino scientists, pharmacists, and engineers, thereby further strengthening the country’s specialized workforce, the BCDA said.

tribunal, following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This it is clear: the West Philippine Sea is ours; all the wealth and resources in it are ours, and we should not be swayed from continuing to fight for these].” The Philippines’ scramble for energy supply as global oil supply is constricted by the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz has prompted it to launch a multi-pronged effort on various fronts, including opening itself to resuming talks of a possible oil and gas venture with China in, among others, the Rweed Bank . Butch Fernandez

Stripped down Jesus

WHEN I was growing up in the province, the observance of Holy Week by my family would not be complete without a visit to our town’s old church to pray the “Stations of the Cross.”

Our family would walk through 14 stations which consisted of big paintings, depicting the last hours of Jesus. The images in our old church were very realistic and vivid, and as an imaginative pre-adolescent, I could empathetically feel the excruciating pain Jesus must have endured in that ordeal.

Station 10 was especially moving for me as I gazed at the image of soldiers stripping Jesus of his garments, exposing wounds and bruises and swelling in front of a motley crowd of gawkers and mockers. The scene represents human humiliation at its most extreme.

Then in Station 12, the image shows Jesus finally and mercifully dying, “giving up the ghost” after hours of unbearable agony on the cross.

Even now, as I look at the big image of him on that cross, almost fully naked, so totally wasted and weakened, I quietly tell myself, if he willingly went through all this suffering for our sake, he really was a special human being. This person they call Jesus doesn’t have to be a God for me to believe in him.

TimeOur Silver tsunami: Urgent action for Asia’s aging population

By Jona C. Redondo

still carry meaning for millions of people even now.

Do you know that there is an old pamphlet consisting of a compilation of the teachings of Jesus that is meant for atheists? The title is “The Atheists’ Jesus.” There, one can find the messages of Jesus imparted in the gospels.

At their very core, the teachings of Jesus are about the cultivation of a good heart, which is the internal wellspring of positive action. What Jesus teaches us is that the power to do good resides within us. The focus moves from external rituals and dogmas to internal transformation.

This inner transformation is your personal foundation for fulfilling God’s one command: love your neighbor as yourself.

TENTH STATION

This is why I once asked my friend who is a Baptist: If Jesus were not God would you still be a Christian? As expected, he answered negatively.

If we strip down Jesus, shorn of his divinity, would he still matter? Would you still follow him even if you edit out the amazing miracles from his life story?

Let me frame it another way. Have you ever asked yourself why Jesus did not come in blaze and glory like a mighty super being? He was born in a simple shed for animals. His nominal parents were simple folks.

He had no majesty to attract people to him. There was nothing in his looks that people should desire and make them idolize him. Time and again, he was shunned, underestimated, despised and rejected. Most painfully, he was even betrayed by people close to him.

In fact, in the 33 years or so he spent his life on earth, Jesus downplayed his God-ness or his amazing miraculous powers. At the wedding in the town of Cana, when he was asked by his mother to perform something miraculous to save the wedding party hosts from social embarrassment, he initially expressed his reluctance to do so. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus commands people to say nothing about the miracles he performs.

Why then did Jesus underplay his God-ness? Maybe he wants to tell us not to follow him solely or mainly because he is divine, as if to say, “My message should be enough. Take my word for it. If you absorb and believe my message, it will lead you to salvation.” To borrow Marshall McLuhan’s words: the medium is the message. The deliverer and the content are one and the same: simple, humble, modest, kind and most of all, totally spiritual.

Can someone who does not believe in the existence of God still get something substantial from Jesus and even profess to live by his teachings? Why not? Note that Gautama Buddha and Lao Tzu were not gods. Yet their words

Love of neighbor converted to action is compassion. It becomes the natural overflow of the goodness we cultivate, fostering a more genuine and inclusive form of spirituality that connects people across all beliefs. No wonder, there is a certain sect of Christian deists who see no paradox in adopting the values and ideals espoused by Jesus without believing he was God. Making this basic message come alive in us already makes us Christlike. That Jesus is God makes it even more meaningful for us, a big bonus for a Christian.

Now comes the question. Would Christians be willing to believe the core message of Jesus if they were presented with it, without all the God-like magic in the gospels?

There is the crux. I’m afraid many Christians would not, cannot follow the stripped-down version of Jesus.

I can almost hear them say: Jesus, your words are alright but I like you better when you showcase your Divine power. They like Jesus better when he cures the blind and the deaf, when he raises Lazarus from the dead, when he resurrects himself after being lifeless for three days. And most preferably, an almighty Jesus who grants them the grace to amass wealth and power, so they can tell the world: God is good (to me) all the time.

Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Paul reminds us: “All that remains [for us to do] is faith working through love.” That’s the bare essential message of Jesus. The authentic followers of Jesus always reflect this message through their actions.

Though not perfect, they are not hypocritical. They truly forgive others. They love others, especially the unlovable. The most meaningful thing in their life is God, not money, not career, not sex, not status, not working out, not sports, not partying, not family, not spouse, not children, not video games, not music, and so on.

They are humble. They don’t boast. They are grateful. They are not bigoted. They are not selfish but generous. They keep their promises. They don’t cheat on their taxes.

They don’t curse. They know that this earthly life is fleeting. They have healthy spiritual life and cultivate spiritual wisdom.

Don’t be like the Pharisees in the Gospels who keep daring Jesus to show them “signs” so that they would believe. Jesus will most likely tell you, be a compassionate human being first and foremost. Be that sign.

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) released in 2024 a pivotal report that lays bare a staggering demographic reality: the number of people aged 60 and above in developing Asia and the Pacific is set to nearly double by 2050, reaching 1.2 billion—approximately a quarter of the region’s total population.

This rapid aging represents one of the most significant demographic transformations in human history, placing the region at the forefront of a global trend that will reshape economies, healthcare systems, and social structures for generations to come.

The ADB’s  Aging Well in Asia: Asian Development Policy Report, released at the bank’s 57th Annual Meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, serves as both a stark warning and a policy blueprint for a region that is, by most measures, unprepared for what lies ahead .

The demographic shift underway across Asia and the Pacific is, paradoxically, a testament to the region’s development success. Longer lifespans, declining fertility rates, and rapid urbanization have fueled economic growth for decades. However, as ADB Chief Economist Albert Park noted, this success is now fueling a profound demographic shift, and the pressure is rising. The region is aging at a pace unprecedented in human history, moving from a predominantly young population to an older one far faster than Western economies did. This compressed timeline leaves governments with a narrower window to adapt their social welfare systems, labor markets, and healthcare infrastructure.

The implications are staggering. A shrinking workforce and a swelling dependent population threaten to slow economic growth, strain public finances, and exacerbate existing inequalities. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), labor force participation in the region is projected to fall from around 61 percent in 2023 to 55 percent by 2050 as the share of people aged 65 and over rises. In many countries, aging is unfolding faster than economic and institutional systems can adapt, intensifying labor shortages and increasing pressure on productivity.

The looming crisis of insecurity

DESPITE the region’s economic dynamism, the ADB report paints a troubling picture of insecurity

IBy Jose Cielito Reganit

N line with the celebration of the 22nd Women with Disabilities Day, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) called for unified efforts to prioritize the welfare and protection of women and girls with disability.

“Filipino women and girls with disabilities often face intersectional discrimination, which is rooted in their gender, disability, and status in a developing nation. When seeking social services and opportunities, they face disproportionately higher obstacles, particularly in the lack of equal access to education, livelihood opportunities, and healthcare,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said a statement on Monday.

She said the multiple layers of discrimination experienced by women and girls with disability must be immediately addressed through a whole-of-society approach.

“The DSWD has been very vocal in

among its older populations. Perhaps most alarming is the finding that 40 percent of people over age 60 in Asia and the Pacific lack access to any form of pension. Women are disproportionately affected, as they are more likely to have engaged in unpaid domestic work throughout their lives, leaving them without formal retirement savings or social safety nets.

Consequently, many older individuals have no choice but to work well beyond retirement age simply to survive. Among those still working at age 65 or older, a staggering 94 percent are employed in the informal sector—working as street vendors, domestic helpers, or subsistence farmers—which typically provides no basic labor protections, health insurance, or pension benefits. This leaves them vulnerable to economic shocks, illness, and exploitation with no recourse.

The health outlook for the region’s elderly is equally concerning. Around 60 percent of older people in Asia and the Pacific do not attend or receive regular health checks, leaving chronic conditions undiagnosed and untreated until they become critical. Mental health is also a growing crisis, with 31 percent of older adults reporting depressive symptoms stemming from illness, social isolation, and economic insecurity. Older women in the region are particularly vulnerable, experiencing higher rates of depression, diabetes, and hypertension than their male counterparts.

The ‘silver dividend’: Turning a challenge into opportunity HOWEVER, the ADB report is not purely a catalogue of crises. It emphasizes that economies have a significant opportunity to reap what it calls a “silver dividend”—the additional productivity that can be unlocked from older people who remain healthy, active, and engaged. The ADB estimates that by implementing policies to support older workers, the region could boost GDP by an average of 0.9 percent.

Realizing this dividend, however,

calling for a unified stand to support the plight of women and girls with disabilities. We continue to urge the government and all stakeholders to prioritize policies, programs, and services where women with disabilities can fully participate in nation-building,” Dumlao said.

The DSWD, in coordination with its attached agency, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), implements programs and services to support persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Currently, the DSWD provides community-based and center-based programs to help PWDs to enhance their knowledge and capabilities to acquire income-generating opportunities so that they can support themselves and their families as productive members of the society.

The DSWD’s initiatives include the Persons with Disabilities-Electric Transportation Service (PWD-ETS); Therapy for Fee (TheraFee) Project; Developmental Assessment, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment (DARE) for Children with Disabilities Assessment, Rehabilitation,

requires a fundamental rethinking of labor market structures. ADB Vice President Scott Morris, speaking at the China Development High-Level Forum, emphasized that as societies age, economic growth must shift from relying on factor inputs—land, labor, capital—to depending more on human capital, technological innovation, and productivity gains. This means dismantling barriers to older workers’ participation. Policies should aim to make mandatory retirement ages more flexible, provide lifelong learning and skills development opportunities, and extend basic labor protections to the millions of older informal workers. By helping older people stay healthy and providing them with suitable work opportunities, economies can transform what is often viewed as a demographic burden into a productive asset.

A blueprint for policy reform

THE ADB’s report offers a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to support healthy and economically secure aging. These measures are not merely aspirational; they represent the minimum requirements for countries to navigate the coming demographic transition successfully.

First, governments must urgently expand social protection coverage. The ADB recommends governmentassisted health insurance and pension plans, with the goal of achieving universal healthcare coverage. This includes improving health infrastructure and implementing free annual check-ups and lifestyle evaluations to shift from reactive treatment to preventive care.

Second, fiscal policy must be reoriented to support lifelong well-being. Morris suggested that governments should use fiscal policy to improve labor force participation by building sufficient and sustainable pension systems, establishing healthcare and long-term care systems suited to aging societies, and introducing stronger family support policies. Such measures can improve household financial conditions and reduce future uncertainty. Complementary monetary policy should increase credit support for innovative enterprises and small-to-medium businesses, which are often engines of job creation.

Third, the broader determinants of health must be addressed. The ADB has partnered with organizations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to explore innovative financing mechanisms, such as health taxes on tobacco and alcohol, which can improve health outcomes while mobilizing additional revenue for healthcare systems. As noted in UNDP discussions, Thailand’s experience with a 2 percent surcharge on tobacco and alcohol excise taxes has funded the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, contributing to signifi-

and Empowerment Caravan (CAREvan); the Sensory Lab; and the Project Aruga. The PWD-ETS project under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) aims to provide livelihood grants to PWDs who are members of SLP associations to purchase electric vehicles that are disability-friendly.

The TheraFee Project under the Cashfor-Work Program for Persons with Disabilities (CFWP-PWD) of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) supports family and community members caring for persons with disabilities with high support needs by incentivizing their duty as care workers through cash-for-work.

The DARE CAREvan provides help to children with developmental delays and neurodevelopmental conditions and their families by offering free developmental assessment and accessible and community-based interventions.

The Sensory Lab, on the other hand, is a project that offers free sensory-friendly spaces in SM Malls to cater to the needs

cant declines in adult tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

The equity imperative AS countries across the region grapple with aging societies, declining fertility rates, and climate pressures, the health and economic implications of demographic change are coming sharply into focus. The UNDP has emphasized that equity-centered, life-course approaches are essential to strengthening health systems and improving well-being across generations. Without deliberate policy intervention, the demographic transition threatens to widen existing inequalities—particularly along gender lines. Women in the region face compounded vulnerabilities. They are more likely to work in informal, unprotected employment, less likely to have pension coverage, and more likely to serve as unpaid caregivers for both children and aging parents. As populations age, the demand for care will surge, and without investment in formal long-term care systems, this burden will fall disproportionately on women, further limiting their economic participation.

Looking ahead: From crisis to opportunity THE rapid aging of Asia and the Pacific is not a distant threat—it is already reshaping labor markets, workplaces, and social protection systems across the region. As the ILO has emphasized, how governments respond will determine whether this demographic shift becomes a driver of productivity, inclusion, and decent work, or a source of inequality, informality, and exclusion. The window for action is narrowing. With populations aging faster than any other region in the world, timely and coordinated policy responses are essential. As ADB’s Park warned, governments need to prepare now to help hundreds of millions of people age well. This requires not only increased investment but also a fundamental shift in mindset—from viewing aging as a problem to be managed to recognizing it as a natural and valuable stage of life that can contribute to society.

The ADB’s report, alongside parallel efforts from the ILO, UNDP, and other international organizations, provides a clear roadmap. The coming decades will test the resilience of Asia’s social and economic systems. But with bold policy action—including universal social protection, flexible labor markets, lifelong learning, and equity-centered health systems—the region can transform the “silver tsunami” into a “silver dividend” that benefits all generations. The choice, as the ADB makes clear, is between preparing now for an older future or facing the consequences of inaction.

of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sensory processing disorder, anxiety, or other sensory sensitivities.

Meanwhile, Project Aruga is a community-based initiative that aims to support children with disabilities and their families through financial assistance, strengthened case management, and improved access to essential services. Dumlao said the DSWD plans to expand the projects to support more families and provide holistic interventions to PWDs to align with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that vulnerable sectors will be given the necessary social protection assistance.

Fulbright Phils. marks 78 years of educ. exchanges, mutual cooperation

THE Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF) recently marked nearly eight decades of strengthening educational exchange and mutual understanding between the Philippines and the United States.

PAEF, also known as the Fulbright Commission in the Philippines, celebrated its 78th anniversary on March 24. A reception held at One Ayala’s SPACE gathered more than 300 partners, alumni, scholars, representatives from the business community, and officials from the Philippine and US governments.

First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Y. Robert Ewing of the US Embassy, Secretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Dr. Arsenio Balisacan, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis, Tourism Assistant Secretary Christine Joy Cari, and Ayala Corporation President-CEO Cezar Consing led the celebrations to highlight the Fulbright Program’s enduring impact, while recognizing the individuals and institutions that have contributed to its legacy.

“For 78 years, PAEF has supported generations of scholars and innovators—a network of more than 4,000 US and Filipino alumni—who have returned home to shape their societies,” said Ewing. “These individuals prove that enduring alliances are sustained

by people-to-people connections.”

The CDA explained that the Fulbright mission—rooted in innovation, academic freedom, and the pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of all— “reflects the enduring American ideals that we celebrate and uphold, especially this year as we mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.”

Phil. execs sound off AYALA CORP. President-CEO and PAEF board member Cezar Consing made a compelling case for deeper private sector engagement with the commission: “Fulbright represents excellence, intellectual rigor, global exposure and impactful leadership— precisely the attributes that companies look for when we hire technical specialists, middle managers or senior leaders.”

Consing added: “Businesses that want to contribute to nation-building would find alignment with Fulbright and what the scholarship stands for,” as he underscored how industry-supported knowledge exchange creates a talent pipeline that keeps the Philippines competitive on the world stage. Secretary of the Department of

Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) and fellow board member

Dr. Arsenio Balisacan delivered the closing remarks on behalf of the Philippine government, affirming the state’s deepened commitment to the Fulbright partnerships: “Academic exchange is far more than a privilege or a fleeting opportunity: It is a strategic investment in human capital, institutional strength, and the country’s long-term development.”

Balisacan noted that through the combined efforts of the DepDev and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the country has doubled its yearly contribution to PAEF’s budget, reflecting the government’s belief that merit-based opportunities are among the most effective means of building world-class institutions.

The First Lady’s presence lent special significance to the occasion, reflecting the Philippine government’s high level of support for the Fulbright Program and the broader US-Philippines partnership in education and human capital development.

Years of excellence

THE anniversary highlighted the Fulbright Philippines’ continued commitment to expanding educational opportunities, fostering academic excellence, and promoting people-topeople connections through international exchange. With its programs, Filipino and American scholars have engaged in graduate studies, research linkages, teaching, and professional development across a wide range of disciplines.

Established in 1948, PAEF administers the Fulbright Program in the Philippines in partnership with the Philippine and the US governments. Over the past 78 years, the foundation has supported thousands of Filipino and American scholars, researchers, students, and professionals in pursuing academic and cultural exchange opportunities that have contributed to leadership development, research advancement, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Fulbright Philippines operates in cooperation with the US Embassy in the Philippines, the DFA, DepDev, and CHED. Partner government agencies include the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Space Agency, and the Technical Educational and Skills Development Authority.

As the world’s longest-continuing Fulbright Commission, PAEF continues to serve as a cornerstone of bilateral educational cooperation between the two countries, honoring the past while strategically designing the future of Philippine-American excellence.

2026 marks several milestones for the US and its longstanding ties with the Philippines: the 78th anniversary of PAEF, the 80th anniversary of US-Philippine diplomatic relations, the 80th anniversary of the global Fulbright Program, and the 250th founding anniversary of the US. Together, these milestones underscored PAEF’s transition from managing scholarships to forging strategic, high-impact partnerships, according to the embassy.

Japan ambassador attends Kyushu Univ. Forum in Manila

THE James Dyson Award is now open for 2026 entries, as it invites the next generation of Filipino innovators to submit inventions tackling real-world concerns. The global design and engineering competition is open to all eligible university students and recent graduates. Shortlisted entries will be reviewed by national judging panels of design and engineering experts, including Dyson engineers. National winners will receive P398,280 and a chance to progress to the international stage. Sir James Dyson will select global winners to receive P2,390,230 and a platform to take their inventions to the next level. The award provides winners with media exposure, international recognition, and the momentum for these young inventors to accelerate their ideas toward commercialization. As the company founder, Sir James Dyson said: “I established the [award] to encourage young ‘doers’ in life who are focused on solving the problems they see in the world, not grand

AMBASSADOR Kazuya Endo of Japan attended the Kyushu University Forum: “KYUDAI NOW–Manila Edition” at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman’s Malcolm Theatre.

Also in attendance at the event were UP Vice President for Research and Innovation Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. and Prof. Shuji Shimizu, who serves as vice president of Kyushu University. Organized by Kyushu University Institute for Asian and Oceanian Studies (Q-AOS), KYUDAI NOW is an international forum that showcases the latest research conducted by the university’s faculty and alumni. The event consisted of informative sessions that focused on design, engi

neering, agriculture, medicine, and career opportunities offered by the institution.

Endo highlighted in his remarks the flourishing academic exchanges between the Philippines and Japan: “Such exchanges have woven both innovation and unity into our decadeslong friendship. With its culture of excellence, I believe Kyushu University can further expand the fabric of our nations’ shared ambitions.”

Officially endorsed by the Embassy of Japan as part of the celebrations for the 70th year of Philippines-Japan friendship, the ambassador also lauded the event for gathering members of the Kyushu University community from both countries.

Phil. ConGen-Barcelona engages Intl. Rel. students on foreign policy, Asean chairship

THE Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona hosted students from the BlanquernaRamon Llull University (URL) School of Communication and International Relations for an in-depth discussion on Philippine foreign policy, the country’s 2026 Asean Chairship, and developments in the West Philippine Sea.

First-year International Relations students under researcher and professor Jordi Urgell Garcia participated in the 2-hour session held at the Consulate’s Events Hall. The visit formed part of the students’ course on “Foreign Policy Actors and Structures” and included a guided tour of the Consulate’s facilities.

During the dialogue, the consulate underscored the Philippines’ commitment to an independent foreign policy anchored on national interest, sovereignty, and strategic autonomy. It highlighted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s guiding principle of being “a friend to all and an enemy to none,” alongside the country’s firm stance in protecting its territorial integrity and maritime entitlements.

Students expressed strong interest in Asean as the Philippines assumed the chairship this year at a pivotal time for the region. The consulate presented the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together,” which reflects Manila’s commitment to advancing unity, resilience, and people-centered progress rooted in Asean’s core values of peace, stability, and inclusive growth.

The Philippines’s chairship focuses on three strategic priorities:

strengthening peace and regional security through dialogue and adherence to international law; advancing shared prosperity through economic integration, digital transformation, and sustainable development; and empowering Asean communities through social inclusion and stronger regional identity.

The discussion also covered the West Philippine Sea issue—including the 2016 Arbitral Award, which the consulate said “invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim under international law.” It emphasized the Philippines’ ongoing use of diplomatic avenues to assert its maritime rights, while appreciating Spain and the European Union’s consistent support for the rules-based international order.

The visit marked the fourth consecutive year that the consulate has hosted Blanquerna-URL students, reflecting its sustained academic interest in Philippine foreign policy and Asia-Pacific geopolitics.

“We are deeply grateful to the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona for its warm reception and for sharing valuable insights into the Philippines’ role in global relations,” Prof. Urgell said. “The visit has inspired students to imagine themselves building meaningful careers in international relations.”

Through sustained university engagement, the consulate continues to strengthen people-to-people ties and promote a deeper understanding of the Philippines’ role in regional and global affairs.

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

MEMORIES OF BELGIUM

Captivated by the charm of Brussels and Bruges

Story &

by Joshua Berida

ISPENT a few days in Belgium, exploring Brussels and Bruges. It was part of a longer trip around Europe.

I did the usual touristy stuff; checked out the pissing statue, ate an authentic Belgian waffle, and took several photos of Brussels’ central square. It’s not always about profound life changing experiences or going to places where very few people have been (because of social media, fewer and fewer places fit this description).

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed La Grand-Palace or Grote Markt is a noteworthy spot. This cobblestone square is home to several ornate and attention-grabbing guild houses and buildings. The two standouts are the Brussels Town Hall and City Museum. Although touristy (the shops and restaurants surrounding the square are expensive), you can spend some time weaving in and out its small alleys or simply admire the architecture. Don’t be embarrassed to take several selfies and photos of the area because there have been millions who have done the same. Download an editing app to remove the dozens of arms, hands, and faces of strangers included in the frame. Like many other attractions in Europe, Brussels has a couple of churches

of note. One of which I stumbled upon was the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. This centuries old stone cathedral has imposing Gothic towers that are 64m high. The Notre-Dame du Sablon dates to the 15th century and is a famous pilgrimage site. I only found out later that Rizal also spent some time in Belgium, specifically in Brussels from January to August in 1890. He lived at 38 rue Philippe de Champagne. Our national hero has had streets and places named after him not just in the Philippines but abroad as well. Countries such as Spain, the United States of America, Canada, Japan, and Germany recognized Rizal’s exploits with landmarks.

According to Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo, Rizal spent many of his days in Brussels writing “El Filibusterismo.” He didn’t spend as much time elaborating what he saw compared to his stay in Paris and Madrid. Other than writing, he also studied French during his stay.

We’re not all going to be national heroes or have their lofty goals and ideals. However, we can at least get a glimpse of the world they saw, especially with a visit to any European city Rizal or his contemporaries have been to. The world may have changed over the centuries, but similar problems remain. At the very least, maybe a sense of adventure can give a differ -

ent perspective.

Charmed by Bruges

MY time in Belgium was short. No time to ruminate about the meaning of life or heroic endeavors. However, I did make time to visit charming Bruges. It was a convenient addition to my itinerary because it was an easy train ride away from Brussels.

It ticked off the usual things one sees with a trip to European cities and towns such as:

n A charming centuries old square flanked by beautiful buildings turned into shops, cafes, and restaurants.

n An old church.

n Flocks of tourists taking selfies

THE SPIRIT OF SAN JUAN

An underdog story

By Jose Martin Robles

Photos courtesy of Casa Amara

THE first sign was movement on the surface of the water. From a small boat off the coast of San Juan, Batangas, several meters from Casa Amara, a resort in San Juan, Batangas, divers spotted the unmistakable silhouettes of juvenile whale sharks circling slowly, joined by the graceful sweep of manta rays beneath them.

The water was thick with plankton and dulong, drawing these gentle giants close to shore. This was the first officially recorded sighting of whale sharks in Batangas, reported by many newspapers the day after.

This was a quiet, humbling encounter that confirmed what many locals have long known: the waters here are alive, and deeply worth protecting.

In fact, much of the ocean that San Juan borders is part of the Verde Island Passage, considered the center of marine biodiversity in the world.

These sightings are not just a point of interest for marine biologists; they are living proof of what San Juan has managed to preserve. Decades ago, this same stretch of coastline faced an entirely different future.

In the 1970s, a proposed copper smelting plant and fertilizer complex threatened to rise in Barangay Imelda, promising industrial progress at the cost of the sea. Had it been pushed through, the waters where whale sharks and manta rays now feed could have been irreversibly damaged. Not just that, it threatened the

livelihoods of fisherfolk and the simple rhythm of life that defined the town.

Instead of accepting it, the people of San Juan united to oppose it. Farmers, teachers, clergy, youth, and local leaders came together. They formed a grassroots movement that successfully stopped the project, a story immortalized by Barako Publishing in their book, “Barako 77: The Story of Environmental Activism.”

Their victory preserved the environment that future generations would depend on. The San Juan we know today, with its clean waters, scenic shores, and vibrant tourism, exists because an entire community chose to protect its home.

This legacy lives on in many ways, one of which is Casa Amara, a small cliffside resort that embodies the same quiet resilience and pride that shaped San Juan’s history. Casa Amara may not be the biggest or most commercial property along the coast, but like the community that surrounds it, it thrives by staying true to its identity.

Casa Amara was never meant to be a grand, flashy resort. It was built to feel personal. Here, mornings open with golden sunrises over the ocean. Evenings settle into soft conversations by the water, teeming with life of its own. Rooms feel warm and home-like. Guests are welcomed not by formality but by familiarity, many of the staff being locals who treat visitors like returning friends.

This closeness is what sets Casa Amara apart. While larger resorts boast scale and amenities, Casa Amara offers something more intimate. Families come to reconnect, company teams bond over

and photos.

n Kitschy souvenirs you’ll most likely give friends, relatives, and colleagues.

n Overpriced food, drinks and knick-knacks (the closer you are to the main square, the higher the prices).

Although I haven’t seen it myself, this charming place was a main filming location for the aptly named movie “In Bruges.” It stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes. It also earned Martin McDonagh an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. A fun fact, according to the film’s IMDB page, it also cast an Overweight Man and an Overweight Woman #2 as characters.

shared meals, couples find quiet corners overlooking the sea, and students unwind between semesters.

Guests often say the resort feels like a place where time slows down and where memories feel effortless.

In many ways, Casa Amara mirrors the underdog spirit of San Juan itself. It stands shoulder to shoulder with bigger competitors yet draws people in with sincerity rather than spectacle.

It flourishes because it knows that meaningful travel is not about volume but connection. The laughter shared during a dinner with a view of the ocean, the peace of a morning breeze, the feeling of being seen and cared for… these are moments that cannot be mass-produced.

Casa Amara also honors the spirit of San Juan through its ties to the community. The resort hires locals, celebrates San Juan’s culture, joins town festivities, and treats the place not as a business area but as a home.

Its existence is a quiet tribute to the coastline that residents fought to protect almost fifty years ago.

My praise for Casa Amara is built on multiple perspectives: those of a guest, an employee, and a son. My parents dedicated a large part of their lives to building something that mattered and honored the context in which it was situated.

A region defined by hard work, activism, and ultimately, beauty. I see that beauty being honored in how Casa Amara brings in guests from across the world to look upon and feel the stunning blue of the sea, the sea that so many poured their blood, sweat, and tears into protecting.

I see that beauty in the eyes of my coworkers, given not just employment, but a family that will stick by them no matter what, in each other, and in the guests that walk through our doors.

A walk around the Markt or Market Square will take you back in time. The Belfry of Bruges might just be the most prominent piece of architecture in the city. The city’s canals are the arteries that weave in and out of it. These create a charming backdrop for photos and selfies along with the centuries’ old buildings dotting Bruges’ different neighborhoods. I spent a few hours just wandering these little walkways and alleys. If you are so inclined, mix in sampling sweet waffles with a few (or more) bottles or glasses of beer. Whether you’re in Belgium for a few days or several months, a trip to Brussels and Bruges will give you a glimpse of what the country has to offer.

I see that beauty in the difficult times, when COVID-19 came, in some form or another, to each member of that family, and when the typhoons, so many that they blur together, ravaged the region, and the only way we were able to pull through was to pull together. Despite how much I have already come to appreciate all these aspects, I find that every time I visit Casa Amara, I find something new to love about it. Whenever I go for a walk alone on the shoreline, with no gadgets to distract me, I notice new sides to the complex ecosystem that the people of San Juan have so valiantly protected: flocks of birds that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the Philippines, groups of crabs that only make themselves visible during low tide, plants that provide shade not just for the guests, but for small colonies of macroinvertebrates that you have to make an effort to notice. And below the surface of the water exists a whole world of biodiversity on account of Casa Amara’s position right inside the Verde Island Passage. Though I had already earned an appreciation for life forms like these in earning my degree in biology, my love for them blossomed in a way that only the shores of Casa Amara could facilitate. San Juan is a town built on unity, courage, and love for its land. Casa Amara carries that legacy forward. For travelers seeking a getaway rooted in authenticity and shaped by the resilience of the people who call this town home, Casa Amara stands ready to welcome guests with open doors and a view that speaks for itself.

Every sunrise over the sea, every guest welcomed through our doors, every moment shared here is built on a foundation that others fought to protect.   Casa Amara is part of a larger story... one that reminds us that what we protect today shapes the monuments, big and small, that can rise tomorrow. For more information, visit https://www.facebook. com/casaamara.

A8 Saturday-Sunday, April 4-5, 2026

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

PLDT Home Fiber hosts ‘BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang’ watch party

IT was the evening of March 21 and hundreds of thousands of BTS fans worldwide were tuned in to Netflix for the airing of BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang. The concert was broadcast live from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea. Days before March 21, I wanted to ask my daughter, who is a BTS fan, about her plans for the evening. This was, after all, the group’s first comeback since RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook came back from mandatory military service.

But luckily, I got an invite to an exclusive watch party hosted by PLDT Home Fiber and Netflix at Myeongdong Korean Gastropub, Quezon City with around 200 BTS fans from fan community Borahae from Manila. The event was for fans, members of the media, and PLDT Home Fiber’s subscribers. Through the event, PLDT Home Fiber, in partnership with Netflix, transformed the standard home viewing experience into a vibrant, communal celebration for its most loyal subscribers.

“At PLDT Home, our goal has always been to put our subscribers at the heart of everything we do,” said PLDT Home vice president for digital services Evert Miranda.

“We recognize the significance of these moments for the community, particularly for one as passionate as BTS fans. By providing our valued subscribers with exclusive experiences, we emphasize that being a PLDT Home subscriber means having a front-row seat to the world’s biggest pop culture events that matter most.”

Guests talked about the importance of reliable home connectivity to allow those with the same interests despite their different backgrounds to share these uniquely special moments together.

“Fandom today is a deeply connected, digital-first experience. Having a partner like PLDT Home Fiber enables us to celebrate our shared passion for music

BY RIZAL RAOUL REYES

AS digital transactions surge, mobile numbers have effectively become the primary digital identity for millions of Filipinos.

Although that creates opportunity, Sylvain Chaperon, general manager of CPaaS, told BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview that it also develops vulnerability. He said traditional SMS OTP models were designed for a different era.

“Today, they introduce friction for users and exposure for businesses, particularly with the rise of SIM-swap attacks, spoofing, and social engineering,” he said. As a domestic aggregator in the Philippines, Chaperon said 8x8 sits directly in the transaction flow of enterprise communications. “We see firsthand how fraud attempts target the interaction layer—not necessarily core systems, but the authentication moments between businesses and customers,” Chaperon said.

In solving the challenge, he said it required more than incremental improvements to OTP delivery. Moreover, he also said it required a structural shift toward telco-grade, network-level authentication.

He noted that the partnership between 8X8 and PLDT Enterprise allowed them to transform authentication from a message-based event into a network-verified trust signal, raising the security baseline for enterprises operating in the Philippines.

In what ways does the integration of PLDT Enterprise’s SmartSafe SilentAccess into the 8x8 Connect platform enhance security and reduce mobile fraud risks such as SIM-swap and spoofing attacks?

He said the integration of PLDT Enterprise’s SmartSafe SilentAccess into the 8x8 Connect platform is powerful because it embeds operator-grade

and our favorite artists—wherever we may be in the Philippines—without interruption,” said PLDT’s chief legal counsel and head of regulatory and strategic affairs Joan de Venecia Fabul, also the founder and president of Borahae from Manila. “Today’s watch party proved that with PLDT Home and our partners from Netflix, we can bring that concert experience right into our homes, where we can enjoy music and enjoy unli entertainment together.”

The one-hour concert included the live premiere of eight songs from BTS’ newly released album Arirang

8x8, PLDT Enterprise partner to secure

authentication directly into the CPaaS layer.

The songs included “Body to Body,” “Aliens,” “Normal,”

April. As part of the Southeast Asia leg, BTS will perform in the Philippines on March 13 and 14, 2027.

interaction layer

Historically,  Chaperon said authentication and communications have been treated as separate domains. With SmartSafe SilentAccess integrated into 8x8 Connect, authentication becomes native to the interaction platform itself.

“This matters because fraud increasingly targets the interaction layer—SMS messages, voice calls, messaging apps—rather than core banking or backend systems. By validating users through mobile network and SIM-based signals, we reduce exposure to SIM-swap, spoofing, and OTP interception attacks before they succeed,” Chaperon explained.

“As a domestic aggregator, 8x8 is in a unique position. We provide enterprises with communication infrastructure, and now we are strengthening that infrastructure with telco-native identity verification. From my standpoint, this transforms the CPaaS layer into a proactive security control point. We’re not just delivering messages, we’re securing identity at the interaction layer which is increasingly where fraud attempts originate,” Chaperon added.

Chaperon said the benefits operate at three levels: experience, efficiency, and ecosystem resilience.

For customers, he said authentication becomes invisible. This means no codes, no waiting, no frustration. Chaperon said it directly improves satisfaction and reduces drop-offs during onboarding and transactions.

For enterprises, Chaperon said the impact is operational and financial. Unified orchestration through the 8x8 platform simplifies authentication management, while stronger fraud mitigation helps reduce downstream losses and reputational risk, according to Chaperon.

He said this is particularly important for

international companies with a strong presence in the Philippines, as robust authentication and secure messaging channels can help protect their platforms and customers from risks such as AIT (Artificially Inflated Traffic), which remains a major concern in the market.

“At a broader level, this supports the Philippines’ digital transformation agenda. As more services move online—from fintech to retail to government portals—secure, seamless authentication becomes foundational infrastructure. Our partnership with PLDT Enterprise helps provide that foundation,” Chaperon pointed out.  He believes the future of authentication is adaptive, network-aware, and largely invisible to the user.

Chaperon said authentication should not be a disruptive checkpoint, and should be an embedded trust layer within every digital interaction.

“Silent Mobile Authentication is an important step in that direction,” he said.  He added that their vision is to build a future-ready authentication framework that supports secure growth at scale.

For Philippine enterprises, Chaperon said that means they can innovate faster, digitize confidently, and protect customers without compromising experience. “That is the kind of partnership that shapes markets—not just products,” he said.

INFINIX LAUNCHES XPAD 30E: THE SMART BUDDY FOR EASY LEARNING

CONSUMER tech purveyor Infinix has launched the new XPAD 30E, an educational tablet designed to be every student’s most trusted “learning companion” in the digital era. On the learning front, the XPAD 30E comes with over 120,000 of free learning resources and an Infinix AI Tutor, providing comprehensive support for online classes and homework guidance.

On the hardware side, the XPAD 30E features an 11-inch FHD+ eye-care display and a 7,200mAh longlasting battery. With built-in 4G SIM card support, it delivers instant internet access via 4G LTE, enabling seamless learning anytime, anywhere. Combined with an excellent audio-visual setup, the XPAD 30E extends beyond learning to deliver family fun.

The XPAD 30E offers a wealth of high-quality educational resources through its built-in Infinix Learning Center app, precisely covering learning content for children aged 2 to 16, from early childhood education to middle school. With over 30 subjects and more than 30,000 carefully selected resources, it delivers a diverse mix of songs, animations, arts, K12 academic content, and engaging stories, providing comprehensive support for a child’s overall development.

To create a more focused learning environment, parents can enable the Infinix EduDesk dedicated learning interface. Replacing the native desktop, it offers a clean, distraction-free space with a simple and intuitive interface. The system covers 20+ major subjects and includes a library of 6,000+ instructional videos.

In daily use, the XPAD 30E showcases powerful AI Study Tutor. When encountering a difficult problem, simply long-press the power button for 0.5 seconds to launch Smart Search. The system instantly captures and intelligently analyzes the current screen, providing accurate answers, object recognition, translations, and cross-functional actions such as one-tap calling, navigation, note-taking, and QR code scanning.

Meanwhile, the innovative AI Enlightenment feature makes exploration intuitive: users can circle any content on the screen, and the system will recognize and perform in-depth searches, seamlessly connecting information and knowledge.

The XPAD 30E features an 11-inch FHD+ eye-care display, delivering a crisp and comfortable viewing experience for learning while also serving as a shared hub for family entertainment.

The large screen captures every detail of online classes with clarity, while creating an immersive experience for videos and media. To protect the visual health of the whole family, the display is TÜV Rheinland certified for Low Blue Light (Software Solution), effectively filtering up to 70 percent of harmful short-wave blue light. Even during extended use, it helps significantly reduce eye strain, making digital life safer and more comfortable.

The Infinix XPAD 30E is now rolling out to authorized sellers and popular online retailers, and consumers can enjoy exclusive freebies including a protective case, keyboard, VIU one-year subscription, and a Summer Coding Bootcamp subscription, making it the perfect allin-one device for study, creativity and entertainment. The XPAD 30E comes in two variants: the 8GB + 256GB model with an SRP of ₱10,999 and a promo price of ₱9,999, and the 4GB + 128GB model with an SRP of ₱8,999 and a promo price of ₱7,999. The XPAD 30E is available via ph.infinixmobility. or via Shopee, TikTok Shop, and

XPAD 30E comes in two

₱10,999 and a promo price

4GB + 128GB a promo price of ph.infinixmobility. com or via Shopee, Lazada.

BusinessMirror

A college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons

Valve

tackles pricing

disparities

updates

BY JOCELYN GECKE� The Associated Press

with

BY PATRICK VILLANUEVA

GAMES are becoming more and more expensive, especially for people in other regions with games costing 20-30 percent more than its original price. With that in mind, Steam provided a new tool for publishers that could help alleviate the pricing disparities for other regions.

In Steam’s recent blog, it revealed that it has made improvements in their pricing conversion data, helping developers who are unaware about currencies in other countries get the idea and choose the best fit pricing for their game. In this new pricing conversion method, it introduces three new conversions: 1. Exchange Rate Conversion— simple currency exchange at the time; 2. Purchasing Power Conversion—uses public data about the purchasing power of customers in specific regions and; 3. Multi-Variable Conversion—gets multiple data sources, including local purchasing power, expected cost comparable to entertainment goods, and exchange rate.

This new tool, Valve clarified, will not automatically change the price of existing games, or even games about to be published moving forward. What this will do, however, is give data to publishers to make an informed decision on how to price their goods on the platform. At the end of the day, it is still up to the publisher on how they want to price their games in lieu of regional differences.

This became a welcome change from the developer community, stating how Steam’s new approach would greatly benefit and ease pricing decisions. “I think having extra choices on pricing as a dev is great. I really enjoy Valve’s general approach of giving tools, recommendations, but leaving the ultimate decision in the hands of the dev,” a user stated.

“I’m also not going to do a macroeconomic analysis on every region Steam is available to find out what I should be charging in each currency; I’d much rather put that time into development,” the user added.

As for the Filipino market, the regional pricing is generally lower in titles from Capcom like Resident Evil and Megaman, and even triple A titles, like Tomb Raider in US Dollar, as listed in SteamDB.info. In fact, some titles like Call of Duty are priced in the same range, only getting slightly lower, compared to its USD price.

to regional pricing tool FREE GRABCAR VOUCHER WITH EVERY GLOBE PREPAID TRAVELER SIM

GLOBE is giving inbound travelers a better way to begin their journey by pairing reliable mobile connectivity with a practical GrabCar perk that makes arrival in the Philippines smoother and more convenient.

Every Globe Prepaid Traveler SIM or eSIM purchase includes a free GrabCar voucher, letting visitors stay online and ready to explore. New users can enjoy a 50% discount on Grab rides in all cities with GrabCar service.

“We want tourists to feel supported from

THE scene is right out of the 1950s with students pecking away at manual typewriters, the machines dinging at the end of each line.

Once each semester, Grit Matthias Phelps, a German language instructor at Cornell University, introduces her students to the raw feeling of typing without online assistance. No screens, online dictionaries, spellcheckers or delete keys.

The exercise started in spring 2023 as Phelps grew frustrated with the reality that students were using generative AI and online translation platforms to churn out grammatically perfect assignments.

“What’s the point of me reading it if it’s already correct anyway, and you didn’t write it yourself?

Could you produce it without your computer?” said Phelps.

She wanted students to understand what writing, thinking and classrooms were like before everything turned digital. So, she found a few dozen old manual typewriters, in thrift shops and online marketplaces, and created what her syllabus simply calls an “analog” assignment.

It might be premature to say that typewriters are making a comeback beyond Cornell’s campus. But the revival is part of a national trend toward old-school testing methods like in-class pen-and-paper exams and oral tests to prevent AI use for assignments on laptops.

TYPEWRITERS BRING ‘OLD DAYS’

TASTE OF DOING ONE THING AT A TIME

STUDENTS arrived for class on a recent analog day to find typewriters at the desks, some with German and some QWERTY keyboards.

“I was so confused. I had no idea what was happening. I’d seen typewriters in movies, but they don’t tell you how a typewriter works,” said Catherine Mong, 19, a freshman in Phelps’ Intro to German class. “I didn’t know there was a whole science to using a typewriter.”

Like a rotary phone, the manual typewriter appears simple but is not intuitive to the smartphone generation.

Phelps demonstrated how to feed the paper manually, striking the keys with force but not so hard the letters would smudge.

She explained that the dinging bell signifies the end of a line and the need to manually return the carriage to start the next line. (“Oh,” said one student, “that’s why it’s called ‘return.’”)

“Everything slows down. It’s like back in the old days when you really did one thing at a time. And there was joy in doing it,” said Phelps, who brings in her two children, aged 7 and 9, to serve as “tech support” and ensure no one has their phones out.

STUDENTS

WELCOMED HAVING FEWER DISTRACTIONS

THE assignment carries lessons beyond simply how to use a typewriter, which is the whole point.

“It dawned on me that the difference with typing on a typewriter is not just how you interact with the typewriter, but how you interact with the world around you,” said computer science major Ratchaphon Lertdamrongwong, a sophomore, whose class had to write a critique of a German movie they’d watched.

In the absence of screens, there are no notifications to distract you as you write, and without every answer readily available at his fingertips, he asked his classmates for help, which Phelps heartily encouraged.

“While writing the essay, I had to talk a lot more, socialize a lot more, which I guess was normal back then,” Lertdamrongwong said, referring to the typewriter era. “But it’s drastically different from how we interact within the classroom in modern times. People are always on a laptop, always on the phone.”

Without a delete key and the ability to correct every mistake, he paused to think more intentionally about his writing.

“This might sound bad, but I was forced to actually think about the problem on my own instead of delegating to AI or Google search,” he said.

MANUAL MACHINES WERE A WORKOUT FOR PINKY FINGERS

MOST students found their pinkies weren’t strong enough to touch-type, so they typed more slowly, pecking at the keyboard with their index fingers. Mong, the freshman, faced an added challenge with a recently broken wrist, requiring her to use just one hand.

The self-described perfectionist was initially frustrated with how messy her page looked with odd spacing between certain letters and misspellings.

(Phelps told students to backspace and type ‘X’s over errors.)

“This thing I handed in had pencil marks all over it and definitely did not look clean or finished. But it’s part of the process of learning that you’re going to make mistakes,” said Mong, who found the assignment of typing a poem “fun and challenging.”

She embraced the odd spacing and played with the visual boundaries of the page to indent and fragment lines in the style of poet E.E. Cummings. It took several sheets of paper and many mistakes, all of which Mong saved.

“I’m probably going to hang them on my wall,” Mong said. I’m kind of fascinated by typewriters. I told all my friends, I did a German test on a typewriter!”

Xiaomi Fan Festival 2026 brings big deals on exclusive festival offers

GLOBAL consumer tech brand Xiaomi is bringing its biggest annual celebration back to the Philippines with Xiaomi Fan Festival (XFF) 2026, headlined by a Super Brand Day Mega Sale happening on April 7 and 8 featuring some of its most indemand devices across smartphones, entertainment, and smart home. Anchored on this year’s theme Smart Living, Made Yours, the festival highlights how Xiaomi’s ecosystem continues to make everyday life more seamless–now made even more accessible through limited-time offers. On April 7 and 8, you can unlock major savings across select products, with Xiaomi offering up to 44-percent off and POCO slashing prices by up to ₱4,000 on select models. Among the highlights, Xiaomi

opens up the sale with the Xiaomi TV.

A 32-inch 2026 HD Google TV, now just P7,599, makes smart entertainment more accessible for everyday viewing. Power users looking for top-tier performance may look to the P99,999priced Xiaomi 17 Ultra (16GB+512GB), designed for heavy multitasking and high-performance mobile use. For only P18,999, students and professionals especially, could level up their productivity with the Xiaomi Pad 8 (8+128GB).Completing the smart home experience, AIoT devices such as the Xiaomi Smart Camera C301 and REDMI Buds 8 Active are both now only P999, giving users an easy entry point into smarter, more connected home monitoring and a rich auditory experience in a compact and comfortable design.

On the POCO side, performancedriven users can look forward to deals on the POCO X8 Pro (12GB+512GB) and POCO X8 Pro Max (12GB+512GB), with prices slashed to P19,999 and P24,999 respectively, both built for speed and all-day usage, alongside the POCO F8 Pro (12GB+512GB) for flagship-level power, now only P29,999. For those seeking a larger screen experience, the POCO Pad X1 (8GB+512GB) priced at P20,999 offers a versatile option for productivity and entertainment on the go. Get the exclusive deals on the official Xiaomi Shopee store and POCO’s Shopee store. Get Xiaomi TVs and monitors on their official Shopee Stores as well. These offers will be available across the mentioned online merchants above, and authorized Xiaomi stores nationwide during the promo period. More information can be found at tinyurl. com/34uh7mus.

NASA to build a base on the Moon by 2030s

How and why it plans to build a long-term lunar presence

THE next US trip to the Moon isn’t about planting a flag.

It’s about learning how to live and work there.

NASA has just reset its Artemis program, marking a clear strategic shift: Space exploration is moving away from a race to achieve milestones and toward a system built on repeated operations, a sustained presence and lunar infrastructure that could become part of the technology networks we rely on here on Earth.

That shift is reflected in newly announced plans to invest billions of dollars in building a long-term lunar base, with habitats, power systems and surface infrastructure designed to support ongoing human activity.

The message? Humans have already normalized travel to space. The next step is normalizing living beyond Earth.

Artemis is NASA’s plan to return people to the Moon with the goal of staying.

Unlike the short Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, it consists of increasingly complex missions: flying around the Moon, landing on its surface and eventually establishing a base near the lunar south pole.

The program aims to create a reliable way for humans to live and work there, develop technologies useful on Earth and prepare for the journey to Mars.

Rather than moving straight from the upcoming Artemis II crewed lunar flyby to a surface landing, the new road map adds an intermediate mission in 2027.

Astronauts will test docking, life-support systems and communications with commercial lunar

landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, but in low Earth orbit, the region roughly 100 to 1,200 miles (160 to 2,000 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, where rescue remains possible.

The first landing near the lunar south pole is now targeted for 2028.

This timeline may sound delayed, but in reality, it has been deliberately reset to prioritize building reliable systems that can operate long into the future over speed.

As a professor of air and space law, I’ve been watching these developments closely. The United States is still in a race—particularly with China—but it is choosing to compete on its own terms.

Rather than chasing the fastest possible landing, NASA is focused on building a system that can support repeated missions and a lasting human presence.

From sprint to system THE original Artemis plan aimed to leap quickly from test flights to a crewed landing while simultaneously developing new rockets, spacecraft and landing systems.

That approach carried risk. Artemis I, an uncrewed mission, flew successfully in 2022. After a few delays, Artemis II was set for April 1 launch. But the further jump to a safe and reliable landing remains significant.

NASA’s new road map slows the transition deliberately. Instead of stand-alone milestones, NASA is now building a sequence of repeatable steps to gain hands-on experience.

This change includes a substantial new investment, with

a multiphase plan for a lunar base with habitats, power systems and the surface infrastructure needed for a long-term human presence on the Moon.

Consistent launch cadence and repeatable operations are how teams develop the expertise needed for safe, reliable spaceflight and eventually for traveling to Mars.

This shift is reflected in the decision to pause the planned lunar Gateway station, a small space station intended to orbit the Moon, and prioritize infrastructure on the lunar surface itself, where astronauts will live, work and build over time.

The new changes also emphasize a shifting role for commercial companies. SpaceX’s and Blue Origin’s lunar landers are integrated into the mission architecture.

The 2027 test mission, for example, will practice docking between crewed spacecraft and new commercial lunar landers in low Earth orbit.

NASA is coordinating a network of public and private partners rather than running a single government-run Apollo-like program.

This method spreads risk across partners, lowers costs and speeds development, though success now depends on multiple players working reliably together.

DOST pushes PHL’s e-mobility innovations as fuel prices surge

THE unparalleled increases in fuel prices in the country owing to the war in the Middle East is hurting the lives of drivers of public utility vehicles, transport operators and commuters.

In response, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), is urging wider adoption of Filipino-made electric vehicle (EV) innovations as an accessible and practical alternative for Filipino commuters and transport operators.

Science Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr. emphasized the urgency of adopting the sustainable transport technologies.

“We made smart, long-term investments in Filipino e-mobility research. With the continuing rise of global fuel prices, these technologies offer a real, practical way for Filipinos to save on costs while contributing to cleaner communities,” he said.

The DOST’s strong portfolio of EV research projects include the following:

MB Dalaray: Local innovation serving daily commuters

THE MB Dalaray Electric Ferry project highlights the potential of locally developed transportation platforms to improve everyday mobility in communities.

Built specifically for short-distance routes and community-based transport, the electric ferry is designed to provide an efficient and practical alternative to conventional ferries.

Powered by an electric propulsion system, the MB Dalaray reduces operating costs

and minimizes noise and emissions, providing passengers with a quieter, cleaner, and more sustainable travel experience. Its design supports reliable, regular movement across local waterways, contributing to more accessible and environmentally responsible transport options for nearby communities.

s part of the ongoing public service operations, the MB Dalaray currently serves the Pasig River, providing commuters with sustainable transport option along vital urban waterway.

MB Dalaray operating schedule from Mondays to Saturdays are from 1:30 p.m., Guadalupe Station to Escolta, and 3 p.m., Escolta Station to Guadalupe

These regular runs allow the public to experience how Filipino EV technologies perform in real-world urban routes. Interested parties may contact project leader Dr. Lew Andrew Tria at lrtria@ up.edu.ph.

Other EV innovations include:

C-TRIKE —A converted electric tricycle consuming just 4.5 kWh for 56.4 km, demonstrating highly efficient mileage.

E-Trike—Already deployed in Cauayan City, Tuguegarao, Batanes, Iloilo, and Metro Manila, offering lower operational costs for drivers.

E-Jeepney—A 23-seater electric jeepney aimed at replacing aging jeepney fleets and provides low-carbon alternatives.

Hybrid Electric Train—A 20 meterper-coach pilot trainset, it was developed with Philippine National Railroad for

rail modernization and reduced diesel dependence.

Charging in minutes

DEVELOPED by researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman with support from DOST-PCIEERD, Charging in Minutes (CharM) is a fast-charging system that enables electric vehicles, particularly e-trikes and community transport units, to recharge in about 30 minutes, much faster than conventional charging methods.

CharM addresses one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption—long downtimes for charging.

Its availability offers transport cooperatives, local government units, and fleet operators a reliable way to transition to cleaner mobility systems.

CharM charging stations have already been deployed and are accessible to e-vehicle users in multiple locations nationwide.

In Quezon City, units are available at the Quezon City Hall Compound, University of the Philippines Diliman (including EEEI, NCTS, and OVCRD), the Environmental Building and Motorpool in Brgy. Payatas.

Other stations are in Megaworld facilities—such as Eastwood Mall, Arcovia City, Uptown Mall Bonifacio Global City, Venice Grand Canal Mall in McKinley Hill, and Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila.

Charging stations outside Metro Manila have been installed in Cauayan City and Tuguegarao City.

One unit is also operational along East Bank Road in Pasig City, with additional sites in Antipolo City (McDonald’s), Trese Martires (Gawad Kalinga Village),

Pasay City, and Brgy. Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City.

Moreover, charging units were turned over to the local government of Dapitan City, further expanding the reach of the technology to more communities across the country.

For inquiries, visit https://www.chrg. tech/ or contact Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Engr. Janel Tayo at janel@chrg.tech.

DOST-PCIEERD Deputy Executive Director Engr. Niñaliza H. Escorial underscored the momentum.

“These are real, working technologies—tested on the ground and developed by Filipino engineers. As fuel prices continue to fluctuate, our e-mobility solutions give Filipinos a more stable, sustainable, and homegrown option,” Escorial, also the OIC of the Office of the Executive Director, pointed out.

Explore EV options

With fuel prices showing no signs of stabilizing, DOST encourages:

n Commuters to explore EV options for daily travel

n Transport cooperatives to adopt e-trikes, e-jeeps, and CharM-supported charging systems

n LGUs to integrate EV routes into their transport modernization plans

n Businesses to transition logistics and service fleets to EV alternatives

These actions strengthen long-term resilience, reduce dependence on imported fuel, and accelerate the adoption of clean, Filipino-made technologies.

Law follows activity

NASA’s road map is not just about lowering technical risk. It is also about shaping the future environment of lunar activity.

International space law, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, sets out broad principles to guide space activities, like avoiding harmful interference with others’ activities.

But those rules only gain real meaning through repeated, coordinated activity, especially on the lunar surface, where desirable landing sites are limited.

Countries and companies that maintain a sustained presence on the Moon will shape the practical expectations everyone will share while living and working on the Moon.

One-off demonstrations, like lunar landings, don’t shape lunar activity like continued operations would.

Why this matters—even if you never go to space IT would be easy to see these changes as purely technical, but they are not. The structure of a space program shapes what technologies are developed, how industries grow and which countries influence how space is used.

Technologies developed for sustained lunar activity, including life-support systems, energy storage and advanced communications, have found applications on Earth, from medicine to disaster response.

There are economic effects as well. The Artemis program supports jobs across the United States and among its international partners. It helps build industries that

extend far beyond NASA itself. And there is a strategic dimension. As more countries and companies operate in space, the question is no longer just who arrives first, but who helps define how activity is carried out. Over time, that presence will likely become part of the infrastructure that supports daily life on Earth. Communications, navigation, supply chains and scientific data already depend on spacebased systems.

As activity expands to the Moon, facilities there, from energy systems to communications relay systems that transmit data and signals back to Earth, will become integrated into those networks. What is built on the Moon will not sit apart from life on Earth, but increasingly function as an extension of it.

The Moon is becoming a place where infrastructure, industry and rules and expectations for how humans operate there are already beginning to take shape.

NASA’s updated plan signals that the United States intends to be present there consistently. The updates to the Artemis program are a statement about how the United States intends to engage in the next phase of space exploration.

Rather than pursuing a single dramatic landing, the US is committing to the steady, repeatable work of building a lasting foothold on the Moon, and redefining humanity’s relationship with space itself.

Michelle L.D. Hanlon, University of Mississippi/The Conversation (CC) via AP

Scribbles of discontent: Graffiti, ‘banyulatin’ as works of literature

THE law often dismisses graffiti as “destruction,” “anarchy,” or as mere “dirt.” But new research from the Ateneo de Manila University’s Filipino Department reveals what laws may not: that graffiti can be seen as works of literature emerging from unequal access to space and speech.

Indeed, vandalism and bathroom graffiti—“banyulatin” in Filipino—beg us to ask why someone felt compelled to write them in the first place.

When speech is pushed out of public life, it finds refuge in the margins: spraypaint scrawls sinking into walls and corners, or words etched into bathroom stalls.

Graffiti settles into spaces where the authority’s gaze is less sharp. Although public spaces are often imagined as open and neutral, in truth, they are sites of contestation: places where power decides whose voices may linger and must fade quietly into the cracks.

Faculty researcher Harvey James G. Castillo listens closely to these voices. His work reveals that graffiti and banyulatin are far from mindless acts of vandalism; instead, they are honest attempts to be heard when power silences dissent, said Danika Geronimo of Ateneo de Manila University Research Communications.

These suppressed forms of writing ask us to read beyond policy and see literature as an instrument where repression and expression meet.

Drawing on Filipino literature, Castillo shows how graffiti is shaped by risk anchored in spatial struggle. Anger, humor, political critique, and despair surface in these markings because official forums often cannot accommodate them.

Public walls, then, become grounds for voices excluded from dominant narratives of progress and civility.

These spatial politics show how power governs not just what is said, but where it appears.

As Castillo posits, some spaces become

permissible only when the state controls the message it once condemned, even as other spaces become criminalized.

In this front-and-back politics of space, names of the wealthy are displayed in plain view, while informal markings of the marginalized are pushed to the back and hidden parts of infrastructure.

Literature often highlights bathrooms as semi-private spaces where authority loosens, and anonymity frees people to speak more openly. Here, banyulatin becomes conversations of collective tensions and anxieties.

Exposing how legal approaches to graffiti fall short, Castillo turns to Philippine literature as a site of liberation. While laws may seek to punish and paint over graffiti, literature restores context—situating these writings within specific historical moments, including dictatorship, class struggle, and social surveillance.

In this light, graffiti is not simply an offense, but a kind of testimony. It transforms into voices that persist and echo long after walls have been repainted countless times.

When one reads these walls through the lens of literature, following the stories that fill their cracks and corners, one uncovers narratives of hope, defiance, and a refusal to be erased from the social fabric.

In spaces where survival and resistance take root, these writings continue to matter: today, as questions of voice and belonging intensify, graffiti remains a vital intervention in public discourse. What was once dismissed as noise becomes something to be read, interpreted, and remembered.

Castillo published his research “Tinig-

Faith Sunday

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Jerusalem: Easter celebrations ensured at Holy Sepulchre

THE Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land say an agreement has been reached with Israeli authorities to ensure the celebration of Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Restrictions linked to the ongoing conflict, however, remain in place, and liturgies will be streamed for the faithful around the world.

when the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa and Fr. Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, were stopped by Israeli police outside the church as they were planning to hold a Mass to mark the start of Holy Week.

Cardinal Pizzaballa’s office said it was “the first time in centuries” a Latin Patriarch had been turned away from the holy site on Palm Sunday.

Celebrations to be streamed

Ongoing dialogue and hope for peace

THE ecclesiastical authorities express the hope that appropriate solutions will continue to be found “enabling prayer to take place in places of worship, particularly in the Holy Places, of all religions,” balancing security needs with the right to religious practice, which is fundamental for hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide.

“In agreement with the Israeli Police, access for representatives of the Churches has been secured in order to conduct the liturgies and ceremonies and to preserve the ancient Easter traditions at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement adds.

The agreement follows the incident that occurred on Sunday

In a joint statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land confirm that “all matters concerning the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre have been addressed and resolved in coordination with the relevant authorities.”

Bishop warns vs entitlement in priesthood at Chrism Mass

ACATHOLIC bishop in cen -

tral Luzon used a key Holy Week liturgy to caution priests against entitlement and a desire for recognition.

In a homily during the Chrism Mass on Holy Tuesday at the Malolos Cathedral, Bishop Dennis Villarojo warned that viewing priesthood as a privilege can devolve into entitlement, which in turn creates expectations and eventual disappointment.

“What is supposed to be a privilege can become a sense of entitlement. Entitlement begets expectations; failed expectations beget disappointment,” Villarojo said.

He said the pursuit of appreciation can weaken the spiritual foundation of ministry, particularly its link to the Eucharist, and turn pastoral work into a burden rather than a source of joy.

By Soo Oh

AFTER concluding my first sharing of the Bible as a Catholic priest with a Zion Christian Mission Center (ZCMC) Bible instructor, he asked if I knew about the Book of Revelation, to which I replied that I knew it well.

However, since I could not recall the details I had learned in seminary very well, I suggested that we meet a month later to discuss it. Afterward, I took out the theology books and Bible commentaries that had been gathering dust on the bookshelf since seminary and diligently studied Revelation for a month.

Then, I met that Bible instructor again.

When we met for the second time, the very first thing he asked was what kind of Book of Revelation is within the Bible.

The bishop also reminded the clergy that priestly service is not earned but given.

“We are the ones who give thanks because we have been chosen to serve,” he said, underscoring that priestly service flows from God’s grace, not from personal merit.

Villarojo also emphasized that priesthood is a participation in Christ’s mission, not simply a role of service, describing it as “the perpetuation of Christ’s work.”

Using vivid imagery, he urged priests to embody compassion in action.

“These hands are meant for blessing…for lifting those who have fallen,” he said.

Villarojo added that priests should not seek gratitude from others, saying it is sufficient that they are instruments of sharing God’s love. Norman Dequia/CBCP News

Based on the theology books and Bible commentaries I had studied in seminary, I answered that Revelation is a book of apocalyptic literature (an eschatological book of instruction). In other words, I stated that the book is intended to teach believers living today that they too must faithfully preserve their faith by looking at the lives of the martyrs who maintained their faith even amidst the persecution the early church faced under Roman rule. In response to my answer, the ZCMC instructor opened Revelation 1:3 and 22:18, showing me the passage stating that those who keep this prophetic word are blessed, as well as the warning not to add to or subtract from this prophetic word for anyone who hears it.

He explained that Revelation

THE joint statement also says that “in light of the current state of war, existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in force.”

For this reason, the Churches will provide live streaming of liturgies and prayers, allowing the faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world to participate spiritually.

The religious authorities go on to express gratitude to Isaac Herzog, President of the State of

Israel, for his timely and decisive intervention, and extend their thanks to heads of State and officials who acted promptly, many of whom personally expressed their closeness and support.

Religious freedom as a universal value

THE statement strongly empha -

sises that “religious faith constitutes a supreme human value, shared by all religions, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and others. Especially in times of hardship and conflict, such as those presently endured, safeguarding the freedom of worship remains a fundamental and shared duty.”

Thus, the Church maintains ongoing dialogue with the authorities, including the Israeli Police, while renewing its prayer for an end to the war that is deeply affecting the entire region.

“The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land reaffirm their commitment to dialogue, mutual respect, and the preservation of the status quo,” the statement concludes. Vatican News

Cardinal urges trust over control as St. Charbel relic visits Mla Cathedral

CARDINAL Jose Advincula urged Catholics to choose trust over control as the pilgrim relic of St. Charbel Makhlouf visited Manila Cathedral.

Speaking during Mass on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Advincula linked Mary’s “yes” to God with St. Charbel’s life of silent, radical surrender.

“Both Mama Mary and St. Charbel show us the same path: not control, but trust; not clarity, but faithfulness; not visibility, but hidden holiness,” he said.

Advincula said both figures followed a path marked not by certainty or recognition, but by humility, faithfulness and openness to God’s will.

The cardinal said Mary’s accep -

tance disrupted her ordinary life plans but opened the way for salvation through obedience.

Similarly, he added, St. Charbel embraced a hidden life of prayer, fasting and solitude, far from worldly acknowledgment.

The Lebanese Maronite monk and hermit, canonized in 1977, is widely venerated for his austere spirituality and reported miracles.

Advincula said the relic is more than a sacred object; it is a call to live a life fully given to God.

“The relic of St. Charbel is not just a reminder of a holy man. It is a living invitation for all of us to imitate a life totally given to God,” he said.

The cardinal also said that the visit encourages Catholics to rediscover faith expressed through

summarizes all the prophecies of the New Testament within its 22 chapters, which Jesus will fulfill when the time comes.

He further stated that because prophetic books are conveyed through parables (figurative language) through prophets, their meaning can never be fully understood until they are revealed at the appointed time. (Hosea 12:10; Revelation 5:3)

He explained that just as God prophesies and fulfills it (Isaiah 14:24), Jesus also makes a covenant through the New Testament and fulfills it; therefore, those who believe in the prophecy and its fulfillment (John 14:29) are blessed (Revelation 1:3), while those who do not know the meaning of the prophecy and its fulfillment and add to or subtract from the prophetic word based on their own thoughts are cursed

(Revelation 22:18-19).

Then, the Bible instructor asked me if I knew the meaning of the beast with seven heads and 10 horns in Revelation 17:7.

As I had learned in seminary, I answered that the beast is a symbolic expression referring to the Roman emperors who persecuted and killed the members of the early church at that time.

However, his response explained it biblically, stating that those who are foolish and ignorant of the Word are the beast before the Lord (Psalm 73:22), and those who do not understand the Lord’s Word are the beast that perishes (Psalm 49:20).

He explained that just as there are beast-like figures in every age who belong to Satan and destroy God’s chosen people, there are many false pastors today who are like beasts—dwelling in the

quiet fidelity rather than public recognition.

“In St. Charbel, we see how that same surrender can be lived out daily, quietly and faithfully,” Advincula said.

The pilgrim relic of St. Charbel Makhlouf is visiting various churches in the Philippines from March 25 to April 26, 2026, as announced by The Family of Saint Sharbel-Philippines.

The tour will conclude with a final visit at Santisima Trinidad in Malate, Manila, on April 26.

Scheduled to be visited are the following:

n Holy Family Parish (Kapitolyo, Pasig), April 7, until 8 p.m.

n Most Holy Trinity Parish

(Balic-Balic, Sampaloc, Manila), April 8

n Lay Force, San Carlos Seminary (Guadalupe Viejo, Makati), April 18; with welcome Liturgy at 9 a.m. and Mass at 11 a.m.

n Our Lady of the Assumption Parish (Leveriza St., Malate, Manila), April 22

n Christ the King Parish (Greenmeadows, Quezon City), April 23 n Parroquia de la Nuestra Señora Dela Paz y Buen Viaje (Old Balara, Quezon City), April 24

n Our Lady of the Rosary (Cardona, Rizal), April 25. CBCP News and Family of Saint SharbelPhilippines Facebook

temple and teaching the Bible (2 Thessalonians 2:4)—who preach lies by adding or subtracting from the prophecies according to their own thoughts (Proverbs 3:6), without knowing or even trying to know the covenant of God and Jesus.

He further explained that these pastors are devouring and killing many believers who are like lambs. Therefore, he explained that if this is the end times, the word of revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1) was sealed (Revelation 5:3) but is now opened (Daniel 12:4; Revelation 10:2). He stated that just as in the time of the first coming, one must seek that word of revelation to know and act upon the will of God and Jesus in order to obtain eternal salvation (John 17:3; Matthew 7:21).

In the face of the ZCMC

instructor’s incredibly logical and biblical explanation at that time, I felt an authority of the Word that cannot be found in the world.

For the first time, I bowed my head before the reverence and holiness of the Word and requested that he teach me God’s Word. And so, after being knocked out in a sparring match that was a light Bible sharing over a cup of coffee which turned out to be a serious spiritual boxing match, I began to study the Word with a good and humble heart.

Zion Christian Mission Center is the theology arm of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, and it offers a full theology course for free. You can sign up through this URL: https://lms.zcmc-edu.com/ signup?ref=202310015654. You can also download the ZCMC SPS app for free.

A12 Saturday-Sunday, April 4-5, 2026

Saving marine turtles the Cenro-Masinloc way

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

COMMUNITY Environment and Natural Resources office (Cenro) in Masinloc, trained environmental law enforcers and community conservation partners in Masinloc and Oyon Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape (MOBPLS) and the coastal towns in Zambales to strengthen the protection and conservation of the country’s endangered marine wildlife in the area.

Zambales’ lone Marine Protected Area

THE 7,558-hectare MOBPLS, which straddles the towns of Masinloc and Palauig in Zambales, is Central Luzon’s first and only Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System (E-Nipas) Act of 2018.

Established under Republic Act (RA) 11038, the MOBPLS remains as a vital and strategic marine protected area in the West Philippine Sea in Central Luzon, playing a key role in biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management.

It was established to conserve the rich mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and the marine wildlife that depend on its bounty—including endangered marine turtles.

Locally called “pawikan,” marine turtles, a migratory marine species, are known to nest in the coastal towns, including small islands in Zambales.

MOBPLS serves as a habitat for olive ridley and green sea turtles, CenroMasinloc head Donaver Guevarra told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview on March 27.

Strengthening enforcement capabilities

GUEVARRA underscored the importance of strengthening enforcement capabilities and inter-agency coordination to address environmental threats in the protected area, as well as coastal communities in the province.

“Enhancing our law enforcement efforts is crucial to protecting natural resources within MOBPLS. This training equips our partners with the legal knowledge and operational skills needed to respond

effectively to violations,” he said.

More than 50 enforcement partners participated in the activity, including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police Maritime Group, members of the Protected Area Management Board, local government’s Bantay Dagat from Masinloc and Palauig, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Protected Area Management Office.

Continuing commitment

IN a statement, DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo said the initiative reflects the agency’s continuing commitment to strengthen environmental governance under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-Nipas) Act of 2018.

“The success of environmental protection depends on strong collaboration and commitment among all stakeholders. By enhancing enforcement knowledge and coordination, we are building a more responsive and capable workforce for protected area management,” Pablo said.

Meanwhile, around 40 participants from the coastal communities of Palauig and Masinloc, including implementers involved in the management of the MOBPLS, enhanced their knowledge on the conservation, monitoring, and proper handling of marine turtles in another training.

Community support

“THE support of coastal communities is vital in sustaining marine life, especially the pawikan that nest within the marine protected area of MOBPLS,” Guevarra said.

The Cenro-Masinloc chief reported that around 300 hatchlings were released into the wild last year as part of various conservation initiatives.

Guevarra said they are operating two temporary hatcheries, and rescued four green sea and olive ridley turtles last year.

Since 2023, they have released some 1,500 hatchlings back into the wild.

Guevarra said the communities within Cenro-Masinloc—including the towns of Botolan, Iba, Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria,

and Sta. Cruz, with a combined coastline of 114.25 kilometers—are very supportive of the efforts to protect and conserve the marine turtles and their habitats.

Involving the communities, he said, places the coastal communities at the forefront of the campaign to save the pawikan from various threats, including their natural predators like domestic dogs.

“Today, whenever they [residents] learn that a turtle goes to shore to nest, they putt up fence to protect them [turtle],” he said in Filipino.

He adding that the endangered pawikan needs all the help to save it from extinction, considering the numerous threats, including habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and climate change.

Rising temperature

THE efforts of the DENR and the Cenro to conserve marine turtle populations in the Masinloc-Oyon Bay area are highly commendable and deserve continued support, with the hope that these initiatives will achieve lasting and sustainable outcomes, international biodiversity expert Theresa Mundita S. Lim told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on March 31 when asked on the matter.

At the same time, Lim, a former director of the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), pointed out that it is important to recognize that rising temperatures and other climate-related impacts may have serious implications for the long-term success of marine turtle conservation.

“A truly effective and future-ready conservation strategy must, therefore, be climate-informed and climateproofed,” said Lim, the immediate former executive director of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

One of the most critical concerns is the effect of temperature on the sex ratio of marine turtles.

Nest temperature plays a decisive role in determining sex, where warmer nest temperatures, above 30 degrees Celsius, tend to produce more females, while cooler temperatures produce more males.

“As nesting sites continue to warm, this may gradually create a serious imbalance in

sex ratios, resulting in disproportionately female populations. Over time, such an imbalance could undermine breeding viability, reduce genetic diversity, and place already vulnerable marine turtle populations at even greater risk,” Lim said.

Sea level rise

ACCORDING to Lim, sea-level rise also poses a significant threat. Marine turtles lay their eggs on sandy shorelines above the highest tide line. As sea levels rise, nesting beaches may shrink or disappear altogether, leaving fewer suitable places for turtles to nest.

Stronger storm surges further heighten this risk, as nests may be inundated, preventing eggs from developing and hatching successfully.

These threats are compounded by the broader impacts of ocean warming, including the degradation of coral reefs and seagrass beds, which serve as important feeding habitats for marine turtles.

Without healthy marine ecosystems, the survival of turtle populations becomes even more uncertain.

Monitoring and understanding the interconnected pressures that influence the onset and progression of these climaterelated pressures is therefore essential.

Doing so will allow communities, local governments, and conservation groups to integrate adaptation measures and naturebased solutions into their climate action and local development plans.

Such approach will not only help protect marine turtles but also strengthen the resilience of coastal communities as well as the marine and coastal resources they depend on.

Hunted for food, ‘medicine’

THOUGH all five pawikan or sea turtle species present in the Philippines are protected under both the Wildlife Act (RA 9147) and the Amended Fisheries Code (RA 10654), they’re still caught and killed, either deliberately or as by-catch in nets and fishing gear designed to catch commercially valuable fish.

Sea turtles obviously can’t discern whether floating bait is for them or for fish, explained Gregg Yan, founder and head of conservation group Best Alternatives.

“There has been some belief that the meat or eggs of sea turtles have medicinal or aphrodisiac properties [it can make one perform better in bed], but these have zero basis in science, in the same way that eating powdered tiger bones gives one no more benefits than eating the bones of chickens or any other animals,” he explained.

“Eating ‘bush meat’ or wild animal flesh can also give one salmonella or a bad case of food poisoning. Studies have shown that 75 percent of diseases attributed to pathogens have origins in wildlife that act as pathogen carriers,” he added.

Yan was part of a Asian Development Bank project to help curb the Illegal Wildlife Trade in the country.

Best alternatives

BUT why hunt marine turtles or other wildlife when there are safer, legal, and healthy foods that are readily available in the market?

There are many sustainable alternatives to illegal and potentially unhealthy wildlife products. Instead of buying sea turtle meat, just switch to something safer and not illegal, like fish or chicken, Yan pointed out.

“If you want something more exotic, try farmed amphibians like frogs [they actually taste good and are widely eaten across Asia] or even farmed and tagged crocodiles [they reproduce quickly and can efficiently be farmed. They’re pretty low in fat and high in protein],” he suggested.

“If you want to be ‘strong in bed,’ just eat oysters—even the ancient Romans believed that these tasty shellfish stimulate [sexual] desire. We have many alternatives to eating or keeping illegal and endangered animals. Switching to them [alternatives] means we can do our part in conserving the world’s wildlife—especially those that we consider endangered species,” he said.

Keystone species

MARINE turtles are considered keystone species and indicators of ocean and coralreef health.

By consuming seagrasses, for example, green sea turtles prevent them from becoming overgrown and keep the plants

productive and healthy, thereby, allowing them to shelter many fish and shellfish that support not only regional food and nutrition security, but also the fisheries industry and the millions who depend on it. In addition, by devouring sea sponges that may out-shade corals, hawksbill turtles open up reef patches that allow more corals to grow. Because these are charismatic species, they attract tourism and provide another source of income for coastal communities, explained ACB Executive Director Jerome Montemayor. Unfortunately, Montemayor said five of seven marine turtle species are currently vulnerable or critically endangered due to unintentional catching, plastic pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change. He agreed that the warming climate disrupts the sex ratio, leading to more females and fewer males to fertilise eggs. Such disruption, the ACB executive said, causes reproductive failures and population decline.

Asean response WITH these challenges, the ACB and its partners are implementing different flagship programs to protect these important species.

The Asean Heritage Parks network includes the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, an important nesting ground for two species of marine turtles, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). The Turtle Islands is globally recognised as one of the remaining major nesting areas of green sea turtles in Southeast Asia and the 11th major nesting area in the world. With the United Nations Development Program in Asia and the Pacific, through the funding of the Global Environment Facility, the ACB is implementing the Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in Large Marine Ecosystems in the Asean Region, a regional initiative supporting sea turtle conservation by conserving their habitats, reducing plastic pollution and bycatch, and promoting sustainable marine practices in selected large marine ecosystems in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Arctic sea ice hits lowest winter level; unmatched heat smashes Earth’s records

WASHINGTON—Vital Arctic sea ice shrank to tie its lowest measured level for the winter, the season when ice grows, as a warming Earth shattered records across the continents.

Arctic sea ice levels, especially in the summer, are crucial to Earth’s climate because without the ice reflecting sunlight, more heat energy goes into the oceans.

Ice of all kinds around the poles acts as Earth’s refrigerator. Wildlife, such as polar bears and seals, also depend on sea ice. Lack of sea ice in the Arctic creates new shipping routes and in doing so causes geopolitical disruptions, making once-ignored places, such as Greenland, more desirable.

The shrinking Arctic sea ice was announced on Thursday as temperatures broke March heat records across the United States, all over Mexico, in Australia, across Northern Africa and through parts of Northern Europe.

Climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, who tracks extreme

temperatures, called the extreme March temperatures “by far the most extreme heat event in world climatic history” and said on social media that the next few days would be “much worse.”

Sixteen states broke March temperature records in the past week or so, said weather historian Christ Burt.

Twenty-seven locations had temperatures in the past week high enough to tie or surpass the hottest April day on record, including St. Louis, meteorologists said.

Mexico has had thousands of records shattered, some of them warmer than the hottest May temperatures, but that’s nothing compared with what’s happening in Asia, where “dozens of thousands of monthly records” were smashed by 17 to 19

margins, Herrera said.

than the 1981 to 2010 winter average peak. That’s about twice the size of Texas.

“As temperatures have warmed and are continuing to warm, especially in the polar region, there is less opportunity to grow ice and it’s gonna tend to, on average, be less,” said data center senior scientist Walt Meier.

“It’s not like we are seeing a regime shift or anything. It’s more of a steady decline in the winter and at the maximum. And it also gives us a head start on the summer melt season. We’re starting from a lower number,” Meier added.

Summer sea ice is key THE summer melt season—which precedes a September measurement known as the Arctic sea ice minimum—is “really the critical time,” Meier said.

One reason is that when there’s less white ice reflecting the strong summer sun, the oceans can absorb more heat. And when that happens, the Arctic warms closer to temperatures further south and

atmospheric pressure changes. A leading theory—that is still controversial—says those Arctic changes then alter the movement and shape of the jet stream, which moves weather west to east and contributes to extreme weather bursts, he said.

Melting sea ice does not contribute to sea level rise. Winter sea ice growth season is also more variable with weather changes, so just because the Arctic hits a record small amount in March, it doesn’t mean that the summer will be record low, Meier said.

“The winter maximum is certainly interesting,” Meier said. “It is, I’d say, a climate change global warming signal.” On the other end of the planet, Antarctic sea ice is heavily affected by local weather and ocean factors. In February, Antarctica hit its annual low point and while it was smaller than the 30-year average, it was nowhere near the record low levels of the past three years, Meier said. Seth Borenstein, Ap Science Writer

Editor: Angel R. Calso

European ministers in Ukraine for Bucha atrocities anniversary as drones hammer Russian oil ports

By Lorne Cook The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—European foreign ministers visited Ukraine on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of atrocities committed in a town near Kyiv by Russia’s invading forces.

With US-led efforts to end the war on hold and Washington’s attention gripped by the conflict in the Middle East, European governments are keen to keep a spotlight on the continent’s biggest land war in decades, now in its fifth year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would hold a video call on Wednesday about ways to end Russia’s invasion, with American negotiators as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte joining in. Washington’s representatives will include Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and US Sen. Lindsey Graham, he said. The talks have yielded no breakthroughs on key issues so far.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s longrange drones hammered Russian oil facilities in the Baltic Sea Monday night for the fifth time in just over a week, as Kyiv tries to prevent Moscow from profiting off its oil exports amid an energy crisis, prompted by the Iran war, and a

temporary US waiver on Russian oil sanctions. The export income finances Moscow’s war effort, Ukraine says.

Fourth anniversary of Bucha atrocities

A GROUP of 12 European foreign ministers, as well as numerous lower-ranking officials, arrived by train in Kyiv where they were welcomed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who noted the “grim anniversary” of the atrocities in Bucha. Russian troops quickly occupied the town after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. They stayed for about a month.

When Ukrainian troops retook Bucha, they found more than 400 bodies left by Russia’s “cleansing” operation. The Russians hunted people on lists prepared by their intelligence services and went door to door to identify potential threats.

“Such a strong European presence (in Ukraine) on this day demonstrates that justice for this and other Russian atrocities is inevitable,” Sybiha said in a post on X. “Comprehensive accountability for Russian crimes is vital to restore justice in Europe.”

At the Church of St. Andrew in Bucha, after viewing dozens of graphic photographs and a video display of the massacres with his European Union counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski was grim.

“Anybody who claims that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin is not a war criminal should come and see for themselves,” Sikorski told The Associated Press.

Authorities say that many of

the victims were gunned down in the street. Some had their hands tied behind their backs, and others showed signs of torture or rape.

The United Nations has documented more than 70 summary executions.

EU seeks to hold Russia accountable PART of Tuesday’s meeting between EU officials and their Ukrainian counterparts was to focus on reassuring Kyiv of continued European efforts to hold Russia to account for its invasion.

On the way to Kyiv, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas underlined the importance of ensuring that those who gave the orders to kill in places like Bucha are held

Gulf allies urge Trump to keep pressure on Iran as war aims for major shift in Tehran leadership

By Aamer Madhani, Samy Magdy, Matthew Lee & Sam Mednick

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran hasn’t been weakened enough by the monthlong US-led bombing campaign, according to US, Gulf and Israeli officials.

After private grumbling at the start of the war that they were not given adequate advance notice of the US-Israeli attack and complaining the US had ignored their warnings that the war would have devastating consequences for the entire region, some of the regional allies are making the case to the White House that the moment offers a historic opportunity to cripple Tehran’s clerical rule once and for all.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have conveyed in private conversations that they do not want the military operation to end until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership or there’s a dramatic shift in Iranian behavior, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The push from the Gulf nations comes as Trump vacillates between claiming that Iran’s decimated leadership is ready to settle the conflict and threatening to further escalate the war if a deal is not reached soon.

All the while, Trump is struggling to rally public support at home for a war that’s left more than 3,000 dead across the Mideast and is shaking the global economy. Yet the US leader is sounding increasingly confident that he has the full support of his most important Mideast allies—including some that were hesitant about a new military

campaign in the lead-up to the war.

“Saudi Arabia’s fighting back hard. Qatar is fighting back. UAE is fighting back.

Kuwait’s fighting back. Bahrain’s fighting back,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday evening as he made his way to Washington from his home in Florida.

“They’re all fighting back.”

The Gulf countries host US forces and bases from which the US has launched strikes on Iran, but have not joined the offensive strikes.

Gulf allies support the war to varying degrees

WHILE regional leaders are broadly supportive now of the US efforts, one Gulf diplomat described some division, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading the calls for increasing military pressure on Tehran.

The UAE has emerged as perhaps the most hawkish of the Gulf countries and is pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion, the diplomat said. Kuwait and Bahrain also favor this option. The UAE, which has faced more than 2,300 missile and drone attacks from Iran, has only grown more irritated as the war grinds on and the salvos threaten to tarnish its image as the safe, pristine and monied hub for trade and tourism of the Mideast.

Oman and Qatar, which historically have played the role of intermediary between the long economically isolated Iran and the West, have favored a diplomatic solution.

The diplomat said Saudi Arabia has argued to the US that ending the war now won’t produce a “good deal,” one guaranteeing security for Iran’s Arab neighbors.

The Saudis say an eventual war settlement must neutralize Iran’s nuclear program, destroy its ballistic missile capabilities, end Tehran’s support for proxy groups, and also ensure that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be effectively shut down by the Islamic Republic in the future as it has during the conflict. About 20% of the world’s oil flowed through the waterway before the war.

Achieving those goals would require a sharp course correction by the theocracy that has been in charge of the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution or its removal.

Senior Emirati officials, meanwhile, have become more pointed in their rhetoric toward Iran.

“An Iranian regime that launches ballistic missiles at homes, weaponizes global trade and supports proxies is no longer an acceptable feature of the regional landscape,” Noura Al Kaabi, a minister of

state at the UAE’s Foreign Ministry, wrote in a column published Monday by the statelinked, English-language newspaper The National. She added: “We want a guarantee that this will never happen again.”

The White House declined to comment for this story about the deliberations with Gulf allies. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday underscored that the US and its Gulf Arab allies are in sync about Iran.

“They are religious zealots who can never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon because they have an apocalyptic vision of the future,” Rubio said of Iran in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “And all of their neighbors know that, by the way, which is why all of their neighbors have been supportive of the efforts we’re conducting.”

Saudi crown prince urges US not to let up

CROWN Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, has told White House officials that a further defanging of Iran’s military capabilities and clerical leadership serves the long-term interest of the Gulf region and beyond, according to a person who has been briefed on the conversations.

Still, the Saudis are sensitive to the fact that the longer the conflict goes on the more opportunity Iran has to carry out strikes on the kingdom’s energy infrastructure, the heartbeat of its oil-rich economy.

A Saudi government official underscored that the kingdom ultimately wants to see a political solution to the crisis, but its immediate focus remains safeguarding its people and critical infrastructure.

Iran’s foreign minister early Tuesday insisted Tehran’s attacks on the Gulf Arab states only target US forces, even after assaults have hit civilian targets.

“Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

to account, as much as those who carried out the atrocities.

“One of the things that is really necessary is accountability. Otherwise, you have revenge and retaliation,” Kallas said. “If you don’t see people doing this to your family held accountable, you will want revenge.”

The Iran war is currently a top priority for the United States and risks diverting resources that Ukraine needs, such as air defense systems.

“We can’t let it (the war in Ukraine) slip off the table,” Kallas said. “We are the ones who have to keep this up, because nobody else does.”

The EU has faced its own challenges in helping Ukraine. The 27-nation bloc failed to approve new sanctions on Russia last month, after objections from Hungary. Budapest, which has quarreled with its EU partners over support for Ukraine and Russian oil deliveries, has also blocked a 90 billion-euro ($103 billion) loan as Kyiv runs low on cash. Ukraine’s application for EU membership, meanwhile, is expected to take years.

Ukraine steps up long-range drone attacks RUSSIA , meanwhile, could reap a windfall from a surge in oil prices and the US temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions designed to ease supply shortages. Russia is one of the world’s main oil exporters, and Asian nations are

increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts.

In response, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone attacks on Russian oil facilities, which have rattled Moscow.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said that its forces carried out a series of strikes over the past week targeting Russia’s oil export infrastructure on the Baltic Sea, hitting key facilities in the northwest Leningrad region used to ship crude and petroleum products.

Ukrainian drones struck oil loading infrastructure and storage tanks at the Transneft terminal in Primorsk on March 22–23, starting a fire, the ministry said. Repeated strikes on the Novatek Ust-Luga port complex have damaged storage facilities and loading docks and ignited large fires.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has also struck Russia’s oil ports in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea with more than 2,500 drones, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told a news conference in Helsinki.

“It is likely that Ukraine’s operations will continue,” he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that “intensive work is being carried out” to strengthen air defenses at the oil port of Ust-Luga and other critical infrastructure facilities.

Illia Novikov in Kyiv, and Kostya Manenkov in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

Japan deploys first long-range missile marking major shift in defense policy

By Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press

TOKYO—Japan’s first long-range missile was deployed at a southwestern army camp, officials said Tuesday, as the country pushes to bolster its offensive capabilities.

The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles, developed and produced by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, became operational at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture.

“As Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment in the postwar era ... it is an extremely important capability to strengthen Japan’s deterrence and responsiveness,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters. “It demonstrates Japan’s firm determination and capability to defend itself.”

The upgraded Type-12 missile has a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), a significant extension from the 200-kilometer (125-mile) range of the original that would allow it to reach mainland China.

The deployment of the long-range missile gives Japan a “standoff” capability, meaning it can strike enemy missile bases from afar, marking a break from the self-

defense-only policy the country long followed under its pacifist constitution. Residents opposing the deployment near the residential area staged protests outside the Kengun camp, saying it would escalate tension and increases risks the area could be targeted by potential enemies.

Japan rolls out more weapons systems to protect southwestern islands Also Tuesday, a hypersonic glide vehicle, a new weapons system designed for island defense, was deployed to Camp Fuji in the Shizuoka prefecture, west of Tokyo. Additional deployment of the upgraded Type-12 missiles and HGVs at other locations in Japan, including Hokkaido in the north and Miyazaki in the south, are planned by March 2028. Japan also plans to deploy US-made, 1,600-kilometer (990-mile)-range Tomahawk cruise missiles on Japanese destroyer JS Chokai later this year, and eventually on seven other destroyers.

Takaichi boosts defense spending to counter China

JAPAN considers China its main regional security threat and has fortified the

Securing Iran’s enriched uranium by force would be risky and complex, experts say

By Stephanie Liechtenstein The Associated Press

VIENNA—Should the US decide to send in military forces to secure Iran’s uranium stockpile, it would be a complex, risky and lengthy operation, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers, according to experts and former government officials.

US President Donald Trump has offered shifting reasons for the war in Iran but has consistently said a primary objective is ensuring the country will “never have a nuclear weapon.” Less clear is how far he is willing to go to seize Iran’s nuclear material.

Given the risks of inserting as many as 1,000 specially trained forces into a war zone to remove the stockpile, another option would be a negotiated settlement with Iran that would allow the material to be surrendered and secured without using force.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weaponsgrade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency.

That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told The Associated Press last year. He added it doesn’t mean Iran has such a weapon.

Iran long has insisted its program is peaceful, but the IAEA and Western nations say Tehran had an organized nuclear weapons

program up until 2003.

Nuclear material is probably stored in tunnels IAEA inspectors have not been able to verify the near weapons-grade uranium since June 2025, when Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. The lack of inspections has made it difficult to know exactly where it is located.

Grossi has said that the IAEA believes a stockpile of roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) of highly enriched uranium is stored in tunnels at Iran’s nuclear complex outside of Isfahan. The site was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.

Additional quantities are believed to be at the Natanz nuclear site and lesser amounts may be stored at a facility in Fordo, he has said.

It’s unclear whether additional quantities could be elsewhere.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a House hearing March 19 that the US intelligence community has “high confidence” that it knows

the location of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles.

Radiation and chemical risks IRAN’S stockpile of highly enriched uranium fits into canisters each weighing about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) when full. The material is in the form of uranium hexafluoride gas. Estimates on the number of canisters range from 26 to about twice that number, depending on how full each cylinder is.

The canisters carrying the highly enriched uranium are “pretty robust” and are designed for storage and transport, said David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security in Washington.

But he warned that “safety issues become paramount” should the canisters be damaged—for example, due to airstrikes—allowing moisture to get inside.

In such a scenario, there would be a hazard from fluorine, a highly toxic chemical that is corrosive to skin, eyes and lungs. Anyone entering the tunnels seeking to retrieve the canisters “would have to wear hazmat suits,” Albright said.

Vance and Rubio’s differing postures on Iran war highlight their challenges ahead of 2028 election

By Michelle L. Price & Steve Peoples The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—As President Donald Trump assembled his Cabinet last week, he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance to give an update on the Iran war. Rubio, known for his hawkish views, gave an impassioned defense of the war, calling it “a favor” to the United States and the world.

Vance, who has long pushed for restraint in US military intervention overseas, was more sedate. He said that the US now has “options” it didn’t have a year ago and that it is important Iran does not get a nuclear weapon—before redirecting his remarks toward wishing the troops a happy Easter.

The exchange was a distillation of their diverging postures toward the war that their boss has launched in Iran. And it comes as some would-be Republican presidential candidates begin quietly courting officials in key states like New Hampshire in the early stages of the GOP’s next nomination fight.

With Vance and Rubio seen as the party’s strongest potential candidates in a 2028 primary, the two have to balance their roles in the Trump administration with their future political plans.

“It’s very obvious from the way that

Rubio talks about Iran and the way that Vance talks about Iran that they are of different casts of mind,” said Curt Mills, the executive director of “The American Conservative” magazine and a vocal critic of the war. The Cabinet meeting episode was telling, he said, because it seemed as though Vance, discussing Easter, was “literally trying to talk about anything else other than the war.”

Vance’s office declined to comment. The State Department declined to comment but pointed to Rubio’s remarks last year during a Fox News Channel interview where he said he hopes Vance intends to run for president and wouldn’t rule out anything for himself.

It’s too soon to forecast how Republican voters might feel about the war next spring, when the 2028 contest is expected to begin in earnest, but the risks for both Vance and Rubio are acute. Rubio’s fullthroated support for the war could come back to haunt him depending on how the conflict develops. Vance, meanwhile, would risk accusations of disloyalty if he were to stray too far from Trump, but struggles to square an appearance of support for the war with his past comments.

Vance’s restrained comments stand in contrast to Rubio’s full defense

VANCE , who served in the Iraq war, has said that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,

but he’s long been skeptical of foreign military interventions.

Trump seemed to allude that Vance may have held onto that position in private discussions about Iran, telling reporters that Vance was “philosophically a little bit different than me” at the outset of the conflict.

“I think he was maybe less enthusiastic about going, but he was quite enthusiastic,” Trump said.

Though Vance has been careful in how he speaks about the war, what he’s not saying has been conspicuous. On a March 13 trip to North Carolina, he was twice asked by reporters if he had concerns about the conflict. Each time, he said it was important that Trump could have conversations with advisers “without his team then running their mouths to the American media.”

A few days later at the White House, when Vance was again asked if he had concerns, he accused the reporter of “trying to drive a wedge between members of the administration, between me and the president.”

For Rubio, long before he became the country’s chief diplomat, he voiced support for muscular foreign policy and American intervention abroad.

Days into the war, he told reporters that it was “a wise decision” for Trump to launch the operation, that there “absolutely was See “Iran,” A15

It also would be necessary to maintain distance between the various canisters in order to avoid a self-sustaining critical nuclear reaction that would lead to “a large amount of radiation,” he said.

To avoid such a radiological accident, the canisters would have to be placed in containers that create space between them during transport, he said.

Albright said that the preferred option for dealing with the uranium would be to remove it from Iran in special military planes and then “downblend” it—mix it with lower-enriched materials to bring it to levels suitable for civilian use.

Downblending the material inside Iran probably is not feasible, given that the infrastructure needed for the process may not be intact due to the war, he added.

Darya Dolzikova, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, agreed.

Downblending the material inside Iran is “probably not the most likely option just because it’s a very complicated and long process that requires specialized equipment,” she said.

Risks for ground forces

SECURING Iran’s nuclear mate -

rial with ground troops would be a “very complex and high-risk military operation,” said Christine E. Wormuth, who was secretary of the Army under former US President Joe Biden.

That’s because the material is probably at multiple sites and the undertaking would “probably take casualties,” added Wormuth, now president and CEO of the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative.

The scale and scope of an operation at Isfahan alone would easily require 1,000 military personnel, she said.

Given that tunnel entrances are probably buried under rubble, it would be necessary for helicopters to fly in heavy equipment, such as excavators, and US forces might even have to build an airstrip nearby to land all the equipment and troops, Wormuth said.

She said special forces, including perhaps the 75th Ranger Regiment, would have to work “in tandem” with nuclear experts who would look underground for the canisters, adding that the special forces would likely set up a security perimeter in case of potential attacks.

Wormuth said the Nuclear Disablement Teams under the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command would be one possible unit that could be employed in such an operation.

“The Iranians have thought this through, I’m sure, and are going to try to make it as difficult as possible to do this in an expeditious way,” she said. “So I would imagine it will be a pretty painstaking effort to go underground, get oriented, try to discern ... which ones are the real canisters, which ones may be decoys, to try to avoid booby traps.”

A negotiated solution

THE best option would be “to have

an agreement with the (Iranian) government to remove all of that material,” said Scott Roecker, former director of the Office of Nuclear Material Removal at the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous agency within the US Department of Energy.

A similar mission occurred in 1994 when the US, in partnership with the government of Kazakhstan, secretly transported 600 kilograms (about 1,322 pounds) of weaponsgrade uranium from the former Soviet republic in an operation dubbed “Project Sapphire.” The material was left over from the USSR’s nuclear program. Roecker, now vice president for the Nuclear Materials Security Program at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, said the Department of Energy’s Mobile Packaging Unit was built from the experience in Kazakhstan. It has safely removed nuclear material from several countries, including from Georgia in 1998 and from Iraq in 2004, 2007 and 2008. The unit consists of technical experts and specialized equipment that can be deployed anywhere to safely remove nuclear material, and Roecker said it would be ideally positioned to remove the uranium under a negotiated deal with Iran. Tehran remains suspicious of Washington, which under Trump withdrew from a nuclear agreement and has twice attacked during high-level negotiations. Under a negotiated solution, IAEA inspectors also could be part of a mission. “We are considering these options, of course,” the IAEA’s Grossi said March 22 on CBS’ “Face the Nation” when asked about such a scenario. Iran has “a contractual obligation to allow inspectors in,” he added. “Of course, there’s common sense. Nothing can happen while bombs are falling.”

Lebanese displaced by strikes fill Beirut’s streets, upending city life

BBy Isabel Debre The Associated Press

EIRUT—Beirut is bursting. It’s been a month since Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel after the USIsraeli attack on its patron, Iran, triggering Israeli bombardment of Lebanon and a ground invasion. Since then, more than 1 million people from southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs have fled. Many have crammed into the ever-tighter spaces of the country’s capital where the bombs have not yet fallen. Israel’s attacks and evacuation orders—

unprecedented in scope, covering what humanitarian agencies estimate to be 15% of this tiny country—have emptied villages in south Lebanon and pushed almost the entire population of the southern suburbs into Beirut, shifting the city’s center of gravity, reshaping its geography and stirring fears about its future.

A huge tent encampment has sprouted up in the grassy field between a yacht club and nightlife venue, transforming the Beirut waterfront. Some families squat in storefronts, live in mosques and sleep in the cars they drove here, double- and tripleparking convoys on thoroughfares. Others

huddle in tents pulled together from sheets of tarp along the curving coastal corniche or around Horsh Beirut, a park of pine trees on the outskirts of an area of the southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh.

“It’s horrid because we feel this tension, that we’re not wanted here,” said Noor Hussein, who settled at the waterfront in early March after fleeing the first Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh. She watched a stream of well-to-do joggers navigate a maze of tents and soiled mattresses,

“We

“The scale and intensity of this is just unprecedented,” said Dalal Harb, the spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency in Lebanon. She said the figure of 1 million displaced is almost certainly an undercount because it misses anyone who has not formally registered as displaced with the Ministry of Social Affairs.

an imminent threat” from Iran and that the operation “needed to happen.”

Fractures are emerging in the GOP

THE apparent split between Rubio and Vance on the Iran war is emblematic of the divide starting to cleave within the Republican Party. A recent survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found some divisions within the GOP on Iran, with about half of Republicans saying the US military action has been “about right.” Relatively few Republicans, about 2 in 10, say military action has not gone far enough, while about one-quarter say it’s gone too far.

While some conservatives have described the war as a betrayal, many other Republicans have cheered on the president’s actions.

Alice Swanson, a 62-year-old who attended Vance’s event in North Carolina, said she wants Vance and Rubio to run together in 2028 but favors the vice president.

“I think he fully believes and supports exactly what his convictions are,” Swanson said.

Swanson acknowledged, nonetheless, that Vance has been an outspoken opponent of interventionist policy but has been quieter on the subject since the war. “I can see both sides,” Swanson said after expressing full support for Trump’s decisions.

Tracy Brill, a 62-year-old from Rocky Mount, spoke highly of Rubio, but declared, “I love JD Vance.”

She made it clear she sides with the president, calling the course he’s taken “spot on.” But she defended the vice president if he seems at odds with his past statements, noting politicians do it frequently. “They’ve all changed their positions at one point or another,” she said.

However, Joe Ropar, attending the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, said Rubio’s unequivocal support for the Iran war helped crystallize his preference for the secretary of state for 2028.

The government has converted hundreds of public schools into shelters and pitched tents for displaced families beneath the bleachers of the city’s main sports stadium. Charities have scrambled to help, with one refashioning an abandoned slaughterhouse destroyed in Beirut’s 2020 port explosion into a dormitory for almost 1,000 displaced people.

But urban researchers note a staggering number of people on the streets compared with past conflicts, making it difficult for ordinary residents to block out the war and the misery it has wrought.

“This is relatively new, that you have so many people spending time in these open spaces, who are very vulnerable, living in very precarious conditions,” said Mona Harb, a professor of urban studies at the American University of Beirut. “You have to confront this visually when you’re coming and going to work, to school...and there are strong, mixed feelings associated with this presence that’s unregulated.”

The World

“I’m not looking at JD Vance for president, and it’s for stuff like that,” said Ropar, a 72-year-old retired military contractor from McKinney, Texas. “I don’t 100% trust him.”

Continued from A14 Gulf.

Families say they’ve struggled to find space at government-run shelters in Beirut and would rather brave the elements than travel north to cities where they might find better accommodations but where they have no relatives or connections.

“The further away we go, the more we’ll lose hope about finding our way back,” said Hawraa Balha, 42, when asked why her family of four was squeezing into the small car they drove from the devastated southern border village of Duhaira rather than sleeping in an available shelter further north. “We don’t want to move again.” Residents of the suburbs of Dahiyeh have largely opted to remain in Beirut. That way, every so often, they can retrieve belongings and check whether their homes are still standing, albeit in furtive dashes under the threat of bombardment. Hussein said her kids grew so desperate for a shower after nearly a month without a bathroom that they

Benjamin Williams, of Austin, Texas, said at CPAC that both Trump and Vance are “tied to this war.” The 25-year-old marketing specialist for Young Americans for Liberty is looking elsewhere for a candidate.

The political risks might not be known until the field fills out WHETHER the war becomes a political problem for Vance and Rubio depends on who ultimately enters the GOP’s next presidential primary.

While Vance and Rubio are currently considered the overwhelming frontrunners, former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu expects a half dozen high-profile Republicans to enter the contest.

Sununu and former RNC Committeewoman

Juliana Bergeron told The Associated Press that multiple Republican presidential prospects have reached out to them in recent weeks to discuss the political landscape in the state that traditionally hosts the opening presidential primary; they declined to name them.

Republican strategist Jim Merrill, a top New Hampshire adviser for Rubio’s 2016 presidential bid, predicted that Iran would become a flashpoint in 2028 — just as the Iraq war was for Democrats in 2004 and 2008.

“If for some reason things don’t go as anticipated, there will be contrasts drawn,” he said.

Still, Sununu is doubtful that Iran would become a meaningful dividing line in a prospective Vance-Rubio matchup given their status as prominent members of the Trump administration. Both will likely take credit if the conflict ends well, and both would look bad if it does not, he predicted.

“They’re tied together with the success or failure of Iran. It doesn’t really separate one versus the other, at least I don’t think that’s how the electorate will see it,” Sununu said.

Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Bill Barrow in Rocky Mount, N.C., and Thomas Beaumont in Grapevine, Texas, contributed to this report.

rushed home to wash up last week despite the incessant buzz of Israeli drones.

As more tents appear, Lebanon’s sectarian balance is at risk

THE prospect of hundreds of thousands of Shiites on the move has inflamed Lebanese sensitivities about the country’s fragile sectarian balance. Ever since its bloody 15-year civil war, Lebanon has relied on a power-sharing agreement to accommodate the interests of Christians, Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims, the country’s largest religious groups, which make up roughly equal shares of the population.

“It’s generating anxieties in Beirut, where the bulk of the displacement is, that this may cause a significant transformation in the demographic balance within the country, or within certain spaces and cities,” said Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center.

Each day that passes, more tents appear at the waterfront settlement. Children have started to complain of skin rashes. Heavy rainfall recently flooded the grassy lot and seeped into tents, leaving a trail of soggy clothes and sore throats. A fight broke out last week as volunteers arrived to distribute donations.

“We’re not used to living like this—we had a house, we had normal lives,” said Lina Shamis, 51, warming herself by a fire at the foot of a billboard advertising luxury watches. She, her three adult daughters and their small children set up camp here after heeding Israeli evacuation orders for Dahiyeh in a panic, carrying almost nothing with them.

“Now the kids are out of school and hungry, and our neighborhood is gone,” she said. “All I feel is despair.”

With Israel thrusting deeper into Lebanon and threatening to seize Lebanese territory as far as the Litani, a river 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of the Israeli border, the situation of displaced people in Beirut “will be even worse than what we’re seeing now,” warned Harb, from the U.N. refugee agency.

“The needs will continue to increase,” she said. “It’s an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.”

Chavez abuse claims prompt reflection on history of Filipino farmworkers in US

By Terry Tang The Associated Press

FILIPINO and Mexican American farmworkers united in 1965 to strike against California grape growers, under the stewardship of Filipino labor leader Larry Itliong and one of the founders of the National Farm Workers Association, César Chavez. It was a pivotal moment that has been highlighted in books, monuments and even a stage musical.

In the wake of recent allegations that Chavez sexually abused young women and girls in the labor rights movement, Filipino Americans— including descendants of the striking workers— are navigating how to celebrate this historic chapter moving forward.

Filipino groups have canceled plans to march on César Chavez Day, which was Tuesday. Multiple states, cities and counties moved swiftly to rename the day Farmworkers Day. In California, the occasion is a recognized state holiday. State government offices and some local government offices were closed for the day.

Advocates want to rename the March 31 celebration to focus on Filipino and Chicano farmworkers, particularly women, while acknowledging the survivors of Chavez’s abuse.

“We really need to kind of center this trauma of women and sexual abuse,” said Dillon Delvo, executive director of Little Manila Rising, a longtime Filipino community hub in Stockton, California. “It’s definitely what the discussion needs to be.”

How Filipino immigrants came to work on US farms

WHEN the US exerted colonial rule over the Philippines from 1898 to 1946, many Filipinos studied English and were authorized to immigrate to America. From the 1920s to the ‘60s, tens of thousands of Filipinos joined the US agricultural workforce, working on farms and in factories and canneries, primarily in the West. The first wave of men—who arrived from the Philippines’Ilocano-speaking region—were

known as “manong,” an affectionate term for older brother.

Many Filipino farmworkers suffered discrimination in the form of inferior wages, shabby housing and poor working conditions, just so they could earn money to send home. They also weathered loneliness since few Filipino women immigrated and anti-miscegenation laws prohibited marrying outside their race.

By the 1960s, Filipino farmworkers had formed the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to plan labor strikes.

“It came out of necessity and desperation to protect themselves, to try to live in dignity,” said Dennis Arguelles, Southern California director for the National Parks Conservation Association. The region Arguelles, who is Filipino, monitors include monuments to Filipino farmworkers and Chavez.

Filipino organizers take strike initiative

ITLIONG and fellow organizer Philip Vera Cruz led the Committee to vote on Sept. 8, 1965, to strike against grape growers in Delano, California. They demanded to be paid at least the federal

minimum wage. Itliong, the more “fiery union leader,”called Chavez who—along with Dolores Huerta—headed the then-named National Farm Workers Association.

“Chavez was hesitant to strike,” Arguelles said. “You didn’t feel like the National Farm Workers Association was ready to take on these powerful agribusiness interests. These business structures were very effective in pitting different ethnicities against each other to break strikes.”

A week later, they officially joined forces as the United Farm Workers. The Delano grape strike lasted five years and rocked the industry, ending in collective bargaining agreements for thousands of laborers.

The popular narrative around Itliong’s leadership has almost always been attached to Chavez, as they appear together in textbooks, historical exhibits and murals around California.

The allegations against Chavez have sparked warnings against elevating—even deifying— historical figures.

“There always seems to be a need to be like a main character,” Delvo said. “But the problem is that is not what a union is about.”

It’s also revived debate about Chavez overshadowing others in the labor movement.

“Maybe this is our opportunity to tell a more accurate and comprehensive narrative of what took place, Arguelles said “I see that as being a positive thing.”

Last week, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors at a public meeting took steps to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day. Some suggested moving the holiday to Sept. 8 to honor striking Filipino workers. Itliong’s 60-yearold son, Johnny, said Chavez had tried to “erase the history” of how the Delano strike began.

“I’ve spent my whole life speaking up for my father and his generation of men and women who fed America,” Itliong said at the meeting.

Focus on the women

“LARRY the Musical: An American Journey,” a musical about the Filipino farmworkers movement, refers to Chavez only once, in a scene when Itliong calls him. The producers also made sure the story included the women in Itliong’s life. Recent events have reaffirmed the importance of that creative decision.

“From the beginning, we have always centered this musical on the women of the community as those who keep Larry and the community accountable, and the ones who pass on knowledge to the next generation,” co-producers Gayle Romasanta and Bryan Pangilinan said in a statement.

Vernadette Gonzalez, an ethnic studies professor at University of California, Berkeley, said educators should seize the chance to herald the unsung heroes of the Filipino farmworkers movement. For example, Hispanic female members of the United Farm Workers were busy raising their families and preparing food for meetings.

“Nobody’s crediting them in the minutes of the meeting,”Gonzalez said.“Who’s missing from the story? In the United Farmworkers movement, folks will say ‘It’s Larry Itliong and the Filipino farmworkers.’ But I would also say ‘Where are the women?’

The birthright citizenship case at the Supreme Court hits close to home for immigrant mother

By Mark Sherman The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—One of the first things

Wan Argentine emigre did after her son was born in Florida last year was get him a US passport.

She saw the passport as tangible evidence that he’s an American. But now people like her are in a legal fight over President Donald Trump’s executive order that would deny US citizenship to children born in the United States to people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

“It’s funny because actually booked him for his passport application appointment even before he was born,” the 28-year-old woman said, as her now 7-month-old son napped nearby. She spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, insisted upon by her lawyers, out of fear of possible retribution by the Republican administration if she were publicly identified.

“I would say that I am definitely relieved that at least he is protected,” she said.

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Wednesday over whether Trump’s order, signed on Jan. 20, 2025, his first day back in office, comports with the post-Civil War 14th Amendment and an 86-year-old federal law that has been widely understood to make citizens of everyone born in the country, with narrow exceptions for the children of foreign diplomats and invading armies. Every court to have considered the issue has found the order to be illegal and prevented it from taking effect.

The call to repeal birthright citizenship is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigrants that has included stepped-up deportations, drastic reductions in the number of refugees allowed into the US, suspension of asylum at the border and stripping temporary legal protections from people fleeing political and economic instability.

The case presents another test for a high

court that has allowed some anti-immigration efforts to continue, even after lower courts had blocked them. The case before the court comes from New Hampshire, where US District Judge Joseph N. LaPlante ruled that the order “likely violates” both the Constitution and federal law.

Constitution vs. executive order

THE first sentence of the 14th Amendment, the Citizenship Clause, makes citizens of “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” The case turns on the meaning of the final phrase about jurisdiction, which also was used in citizenship laws enacted in 1940 and 1952.

wrote on X, sharing a photo purportedly showing damage to an American aircraft at a Saudi air base. “Our operations are aimed at enemy aggressors who have no respect for Arabs or Iranians, nor can provide any security.... High time to eject US forces.”

Trump, in recent days, has sought to spotlight that most of the Gulf countries have stood in lockstep with his administration as the US prosecutes the war, noting how they’ve coalesced in the thick of crisis as he criticizes NATO allies for not joining the US in the fight.

On Friday, he heaped praise on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates for showing “bravery” as the war has unfolded.

The president, speaking at an event in Miami sponsored by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, was particularly effusive about the Saudi crown prince, hailing him as a “warrior” and a “fantastic man.”

Trump also alluded to the fact that the Gulf countries were hesitant about

his and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch the war, but have since rallied.

“They weren’t thinking this was going to happen, nobody was,” said Trump, referring to Iran launching thousands of retaliatory salvos around the Gulf. “And they turned against them and really became very powerfully aligned. And they were with us, but they weren’t with us very obliquely. They were with us.”

Will Gulf allies join the fight?

TRUMP has yet to call on Gulf nations to take part in offensive operations.

One factor may be that the administration might have calculated that it’s not worth the complications that come with crowding the skies with additional militaries beyond Israel.

Three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire in the first days of the conflict in the midst of an Iranian air assault. All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles. And six American service members were killed on March 12, when their KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq.

In that regard, Sauer likened the case to the seminal 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed segregation in public schools, and the landmark 2008 Heller case, which declared that people have a constitutional right to keep guns for self-defense.

Last year, Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the Trump administration’s effort to defend the order “an impossible task in light of the Constitution’s text, history, this Court’s precedents, federal law, and Executive Branch practice.” Sotomayor was joined by the other two liberal justices in a dissent from a decision by the court’s six conservative justices that used an earlier round of the birthright citizenship dispute to limit the use of nationwide injunctions by federal judges.

Trump’s view, asserted in the order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” and backed by some conservative legal scholars, is that people here illegally or temporarily are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore their US-born children are not entitled to citizenship. The court should use the case to set straight “long-enduring misconceptions about the Constitution’s meaning,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote.

Continued from A13 Japan.

Another factor is that only UAE and Bahrain are among the Gulf states that have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, adding a layer of complication to their calculus, notes Yasmine Farouk, the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula project director at the International Crisis Group

But Iran has warned it will attack its neighbors’ critical infrastructure, including desalination plants used to provide drinking water to the region, if Trump follows through on his threat to strike Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by April 6.

“The absence of a clear objective, the absence of the trust that the United States is really going to go until the end and finish the jobs...it’s making some of them reluctant,” Farouk said. “But if there is a consequential or mass casualty (event) in one of those countries, then it would be justified for them to become a belligerent.”

Magdy reported from Cairo and Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. AP

Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed reporting.

Continued from A13

country’s southwestern islands near the East China Sea in recent years.

in December approved a record

budget plan exceeding 9 trillion

($58 billion) for the fiscal year beginning April and aims to fortify its strike-back capability and coastal defense with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals.

Japan last June spotted two

The court as classroom

Story and photos

By Mila Molina-Lumactao

WHICH of these countries are in Asia? Which ones are in Eastern Europe, based on this year’s groupings?”

“That’s why self-discipline is important.”

“Yup, I ate the banana–with potassium for my muscles!”

“This bar graph shows the careertotal points made by Kareem AbdulJabbar versus Steph Curry versus Michael Jordan…” They hadn’t always been this detailed, the questions and discussions. With our special-needs son Enjo, we had in fact begun with something quite basic: a set of number flash cards, one through 60.

The math is not mathing, but the jerseys are rocking IT wasn’t the store-bought set: that one triggered a meltdown. Instead, we had a set of number flash cards custom-made, featuring jerseys of Enjo’s fave basketball players.

Yes, these were designed by a professional Art Director: no less than the one who had created the event logo and marketing materials for the unforgettable 2011 “Ultimate All-Star Weekend” featuring Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, et al.  No, I didn’t pay a cent; after all, the Art Director was none other than

By Rick Olivares

IT’S been 14 years since Stephen Loman fought his first mixed martial arts match that ended up with a smashing debut.

The challenges are of course normal and the odd loss once in a blue moon, but Loman has always bounced back with a win streak.

However, in the last six years, there have been hurdles that he cannot just punch or kick at inside the cage—first, there was Covid-19 and the long global lockdown that resulted in a long work stoppage and there was the dispute with One Championship where he sat on a shelf after going 3-1 including an impressive win over one of the all-time greats in Bibiano Fernandes.

“Two years—quite a long while,” Loman said after his last match in September 2023 that resulted in a loss to John Lineker in One Championship, that was contentious in terms of the result. Shockingly, One Championship kept him on the shelf prompting Loman to post on his social media “Give me a fight.”

With none forthcoming for reasons only known to One Championship, Loman left and has since returned to Brave Combat Federation where his star rose and was the promotion’s first ever bantamweight champion.

“I am lucky that they allowed me back,” said a grateful Loman.

Except now, the war in the Middle East has seen the sports calendar in the region greatly upset from mixed martial arts to Formula 1.  During the lull time, Loman opened a gym in Baguio City and got married but trains every day just to keep in shape.

“I work out two hours a day and I run. You will not know when I am suddenly called

Enjo’s Papa Edel. And it wasn’t just the NBA that captured his attention. Definitely, Enjo was very interested in PBA games and players as well–although, in keeping with the communication challenges he had, he couldn’t say a single word to either Danny Ildefonso (who gamely posed for a pic, and gently reminded Enjo, “Always practice, OK?”) or to Mark Pingris (whose children’s book Enjo loved to reread).

Then came a super treat: seeing Steph Curry at the latter’s 2018 Manila visit. However, Enjo still had a lot of fears then: he didn’t want a photo with or near Steph, he was terrified of mascots, and covered his ears when things got too loud. (However, we felt so blessed that we gladly shared his story back then: Steph Curry, My Tutor | BusinessMirror)

From little backyard hoops to legit courts

EARLY in 2020, his developmental school held a beginner’s basketball clinic, very thoughtfully designed to accommodate even learners with special needs. Enjo enjoyed the first two or three sessions–and then the pandemic was declared and the lockdowns came.

Along with his online classes, we made sure his mental health and— really physical, and not just virtual— Physical Education would continue. We had a small hoop in our backyard (with a total space of around 1/8 of an actual court). For our family’s health, we—hubby, Kuya, and I—joined

back into the cage,” he said. He looks at the good things that have since happened and acknowledges that they help with his mental health.

Loman is approaching his prime being only 26 years of age, but ring rust and the hard-fought confidence are concerns.

“You need to feel the intensity of fighting in the cage, and you don’t want to lose it,” he underscored. “Two years is a long time not to be fighting.”

There’s talk of his next fight being scheduled in Europe.

“Probably in Slovenia in June or July,” he bared. Loman has been watching videos of possible opponents in current Brave bantamweight champion, Borislav Nikolic, or even Nicholas Hwende or Hamza Kooheji.

For now, he is awaiting developments this April to know when exactly he would be back to fighting.

“They say, patience is a virtue,” he summed up. “Especially now when I need to fight.”

My Masters memories

AEnjo in daily basketball games and drills, all of which continued as we transitioned to homeschooling.

When the lockdowns eased, we found a good basketball program for homeschoolers at a community basketball court: a legit, full-sized one.

Thank God: Enjo flourished, especially with the succession of good coaches who worked closely with Enjo’s “personal coach-cum-PE-and Values-teacher,” Papa Edel.

Fears now gone; dreams come true  PBA dreams lead, of course, to that historic PBA home, Araneta Coliseum: and the Lord blessed Enjo with the opportunity to join the Batang PBA’s 2024 and 2025 editions.

The 2025 run proved to be most unforgettable, as Enjo trooped to the coliseum to join his 15U teammates–the Batang San Miguel Beermen–to receive their medals as Runner-Up.

Papa Edel would later note the other milestones: Enjo was able to join his teammates from the dugout to the centerstage without Papa Edel beside him. He didn’t mind the noise at all. (And within months, Enjo shifted from being terrified of mascots to actually trying to help a mascot whom he thought was in danger of losing balance.)

The court as classroom:

A world of learning continues MOST of all, as a homeschooled learner, these various programs, teams, weekend games, and more have all helped in many ways—being used in math, social studies and geography, values education, and health.

The Lord has graciously used hoops to reinforce our hopes that Enjo will continue to flourish and make friends with a wide diversity of people: from a 70-something shooting coach who gave

proper form, to a female player whose lightning-fast reflexes he admired, to small grade schoolers whom his Papa also helps coach, to youngsters from a cross-section of Philippine socioeconomic backgrounds.  And then, of course, there are the other “dream come true” up-close-and-personal encounters with the likes of RR Pogoy, Mark

to the unpredictability

games.

FIERCE championship showdown takes center stage once more as College of Saint Benilde and Letran face off in Game 1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 101 women’s volleyball Finals Sunday. The match is set at 12 noon at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and will air live on GTV and Heart of Asia with a simulcast available on the official social media pages of GMA Sports and NCAA Philippines. The “five-peat seeking” Lady

Blazers locked in their Finals spot earlier by sweeping the University of Perpetual System Dalta Lady Altas, 25–18, 26–24, 25–21, in their semifinal series. Zam Nolasco, Chenae Basarte and Cam Bartolome anchored the dominant run.

The Lady Knights, on the other hand, returned to the Finals after overpowering the San Beda Red Lady Spikers in a four-set semifinals victory, 25–18, 25–19, 23–25, 25–21, behind Judiel Nitura, Vanessa Sarie and Lara Mae Silva.

Saint Benilde also figures in the men’s Finals against Mapua with Game 1 of the race-to-two duel set at 3 p.m. in the same venue.

My first memory of watching the Masters was in 1991, when Ian Woosnam won. I wasn’t into golf yet, but I could relate to my dad’s and uncles’ excitement as we watched the final round. I distinctly remember being on vacation then, in San Francisco. We were staying with family friends who were also golfers. In fact our hosts, the Lilles family were our family friends since the 1950s. They were the ones who got my lolo into golf. They had a close-knit group in Wack Wack and spent a lot of time together on and off the course through the 1960s to the early 90s. That my first Masters experience, even if it was just on TV, was spent watching the action with golf family friends was nice. A year later, in 1992, it was Fred Couples’s turn to wear the green jacket, and that started my love affair with golf. Since 1991, I have so many happy memories of waking up early for four days in April. My dad and I would typically get up at 3 or 4 a.m. to catch the leaders teeing off or in their first few holes. Every year, without fail, I would watch The Masters on TV, no matter where I am. Of all the 35 tournaments I’ve watched, there are a few that are seared into my memory.

Aside from the first two won by Woosnam and Couples, an unforgettable Masters was the one in 1996, when Greg Norman lost in devastating fashion.

Of course 1997 will always be epic, the year Tiger Woods broke so many records and changed the game, and the course forever. 2003 was special for personal reasons, as my first son

like to think that it’s also a reminder of the well-rounded learning that can take place in a values-infused, parent-led, child-centered sports interest: court-as-classroom, where learning happens, and good character can be nurtured and grown.

College standouts bring act to MPBL ’26 stage

AN influx of collegiate stars and standouts has made the coming SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season more competitive with several teams beefing up their rosters. De La Salle’s Kean Baclaan (Caloocan), Ateneo’s Dom Escobar (Caloocan), University of the Philippines’s Harold Alarcon (San Juan), Adamson University’s Cedric Manzano (Quezon Province), University of Santo Tomas’ Nic Cabanero (Biñan), University of the East’s John Abate (Quezon Province) and National University’s Jolo Manansala (Quezon Province) have shown their University Athletic Association of the Philippines-honed talent during the recent MPBL Preseason Invitational.

Other equally strong players strutting their stuff in the country’s top regional league starting April 10 are Ateneo’s Kymani Ladi (Caloocan) and Joshua Lazaro (Zamboanga SIKAT), NU’s Steve Nash Enriquez (Pasay) and Mark Parks (Pasay), UST’s Kyle Paranada (Ilagan Isabela) and UP’s Terrence Fortea (San Juan), Gerry Abadiano (San Juan), Reyland Torres (San Juan), and Janjan Felicilda (Zamboanga SIKAT).

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is also wellrepresented with Mapua’s Drex Delos Reyes (Abra) and JC Recto (Mindoro), University of Perpetual Help’s Patrick Sleat (San Juan), College of Saint Benilde’s Anton Eusebio (Gensan), Lyceum of the Philippines University’s John Michael Versoza (Gensan) and Joshua Moralejo (Gensan) and San Sebastian’s Paeng Are (Quezon City) leading the pack.

Joining them are Perpetual’s Jearico Nunez (San Juan) and John Paul Boral (San Juan), Mapua’s Cyril Gonzales (Pasay) and Benilde’s Gab Cometa (Basilan).

was born on April 11 that year, and I was racing to get home from the hospital to watch Mike Weir’s win. Phil Mickelson finally getting his major at Augusta in 2004 was also memorable. Who can forget 2005, when Tiger won a playoff against Chris Di Marco with that unbelievable chip from long

GOLDEN CHOCOLATE

Why does chocolate cost so much this Easter, when cocoa’s price is at a 3‑year low?

APRIL 4-5, 2026 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

‘NEVER STOP GROWING’

Original Callalily member and songwriter Lem Belaro forms a new band

Story

and photos

by Jingo Zapata

When band members don’t see eye to eye, it’s usually about creative differences and money.

For Lem Belaro, what matters most as a musician is intellectual property or ownership of his songs. Belaro was the drummer of Callalily who also wrote some of the band’s biggest hits including “Magbalik,” “Stars,” “Hintay,” “Tulak,” “Sinayang,” “Ex,” “Pansamantala,” and “Pasan.”

Incidentally, intellectual property was likewise the reason Callalily had to be renamed Lily, because lead singer Kean Cipriano claimed he owned the rights to the name Callalily. It’s also why Belaro had to legally restrict two unnamed former bandmates from playing or using his songs.

Belaro has since left Lily and formed his own band, Route xYz, which recently

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launched its debut single, “Madama,” with a live performance and presscon at ’70s Bistro.

Curiously, Belaro recruited young members for Route xYz. It turned out that he had been mentoring Ivo Gatela and Hiro Ozaki, the band’s frontman and rhythm guitarist, respectively.

SoundStrip had an exclusive Q&A with Belaro.

You said at the presscon that forming Route xYz evolved from mentoring Ivo Gatela and Hiro Ozaki. When did this mentoring start, and why?

I started mentoring in church when I was 15. I got into management, formed my own record label, and eventually created a community for young aspiring artists. Mentoring Ivo Gatela and Hiro Ozaki became part of that journey. It has always been about genuinely helping artists grow and giving them the support they need to develop professionally.

Are there plans to record more songs after “Madama”?

Yes, have plans to record more songs after “Madama.” This year, we’re releasing a Callalily revival EP, along with three new original songs.

Tell us about your earliest days as a musician when struggle was part of your existence. How hard were those days?

Those days were really challenging. I came from two bands, and when things didn’t work out, I had to start over from scratch. The process was never easy. There were a lot of struggles, but the experiences helped shape me as a musician and made

me more determined to keep going.

You seemed to have handled Callalily’s success well, including the financial part. What did you do with the money you earned from the band?

I invested in studio equipment with my own setup so I could keep creating music independently. I also started a restaurant franchise and continued with [artist] management, which helped create more opportunities for myself and for other artists.

You have also protected the intellectual property of your compositions. Is it true that you have restricted your former band mates from using your songs? Which are these songs?

[The restrictions] apply only to two band members, not the original ones. The goal has always been to protect my intellectual property while still being fair to the people who were originally part of Callalily. The songs are “Magbalik,” “Stars,” “Hintay,” “Tulak,” “Sinayang,” “Ex,” “Pansamantala,” and “Pasan.”

Have you earned royalties from your songs? What was the biggest amount you have received so far?

Yes. So far, the biggest amount I’ve received is P1.6 million. Tell us exactly why you left Lily.

I didn’t leave the band. They [the members] let me go. One of the reasons was differences in values. I’m an artist who wants to focus on creating music, and I believe music should bring people together, not divide them.

What were some of your disagreements with Kean Cipriano during the Callalily days? Have you patched up your differences?

We haven’t talked recently, but the disagreements were mainly about protecting my rights to my songs. It was never personal; it was just a matter of ensuring my work and intellectual property were respected.

You’re now an elder figure in the music scene but still have the energy to form a new band and write new songs. What keeps you going?

What keeps me going is seeing artists grow and succeed in the industry. It makes me happy. I share my experience to guide young artists and teach them discipline, so they can navigate the music world more effectively. What have you learned as a Filipino musician who has survived the challenges of the industry?

I’ve learned to never stop growing and to always give value to your craft, to yourself, and to others. Staying committed and continuously improving is the key to surviving and thriving in the music industry.

BTS THE COMEBACK

The day the world hits play

Story and screenshots by Trixzy Leigh Bonotan

There’s something almost poetic about choosing Gwanghwamun — a gate that has withstood centuries of Korean history, now the backdrop for one of K-pop’s most anticipated comebacks. BTS came back together after nearly four years, standing before a world that never stopped waiting.

Three years, eight months, and seven members home from military service later, they returned not just to a stage, but to a square steeped in history, with ARIRANG — their fifth studio album — still fresh in everyone’s ears. And on Saturday night, over 190 countries hit play at the same time. That’s not just a concert — it’s a global phenomenon.

The show goes on

The night almost started differently. The day before, BigHit confirmed that RM had suffered an ankle injury during rehearsals — a sprain, a partial ligament tear, a talus contusion — and that his on-stage participation would be limited. The response from ARMY was immediate: concern, warmth, and the kind of unwavering support that’s become their signature.

RM performed anyway. Seated, but there.

The opening was already riveting — Korean folk music and cinematic tension building until the crowd erupted and seven silhouettes stepped into the light. From the first notes of Body to Body, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a “we’re just happy to be here” comeback. Vocals — check. Mics — definitely on. Woven into the track, a live rendition of Arirang with Korean instruments made the whole thing feel less like a concert opener and more like a statement.

Then came Hooligan — one of the album’s sharper edges, complete with those knife sounds that hit exactly as hard as they should. And by the third song, even seated, RM delivered with the kind of overflowing charisma that reminded everyone why this man commands a stage. Also: whoever dressed all seven of them deserves a raise, full stop.

But perhaps the moment that hit hardest wasn’t a song at all. It was their group greeting — seven members, together, for the first time since Busan. The roar from the crowd said everything.

A promise, kept Jin was first to speak, admitting he’d been nervous backstage — until the crowd washed it away. Jimin could barely get through his remarks without his voice cracking. J-Hope immediately checked on the fans in the back, because of course he did. Suga grounded the moment in the honor of performing at one of Korea’s most historic landmarks. V extended the sentiment to every ARMY watching on Netflix: “Wherever you are, we hope what we feel today reaches you.”

Then J-Hope switched to English: “I can’t believe the seven of us are all standing together on this stage today.” Jungkook followed, cool as ever: “We’ve prepared something special tonight.” And RM wrapped it all up with the kind of line that hits different after four years: “It’s been a long

journey. But now we’re finally here.”

Then the Butter instrumental crept in. Jimin caught it first. J-Hope noted the yellow lighting and the ARMY bombs. A little banter, a lot of knowing smiles. And then — every ARMY in the square swayed and danced alongside BTS, worries forgotten, energy electric and collective. When the MIC DROP guitar riff cut through the air, the crowd lost it. The fanchant echoed across Gwanghwamun Square, and goosebumps doesn’t even begin to cover it. I was dancing along from my screen, and I’m proud to report I still nailed every lyric.

Seven, and still finding their way Jungkook admitted the nerves of performing new songs live for the first time. Jin confessed he’d been shaking backstage before the show. Then J-Hope said the quiet part out loud — that as they worked on this album, a fear lingered: would people keep waiting, or would they be forgotten? The crowd answered before he could finish. A wave of “No” rose from Gwanghwamun Square, immediate and unanimous.

Suga reflected on the time away — figuring out what to hold onto and what needed to change. RM tied it together: the question they kept returning to wasn’t about the industry or the numbers. It was about what kind of artists they wanted to be remembered as. The answer was in sitting with their anxieties instead of hiding them, and choosing to share that honestly. That was the whole point of ARIRANG.

Jimin opened with “we’re really not that special or extraordinary,” and the crowd immediately fired back with “You are!” Cue Jimin getting flustered, a brief debate between him, Jungkook, and V about whether the fans said yes or no, and Jungkook punctuating the chaos with a light slap on Jimin’s back. Underneath the bit was something real: that just like ARMY, they get scared. They were worried while preparing for

this concert. And still, they showed up.

A night written in stars

SWIM arrived exactly as promised — graceful, deliberate, each movement flowing like water. Watching them, I couldn’t help but think of swans: five years ago, they were Black Swans on the verge of flight. Now they’re fully airborne. NORMAL hit differently. BTS laid themselves bare — the love, the hate, the disorienting gap between who they were before the world knew their names and who they are now. The vulnerability in that word, coming from them, is everything.

The members shared their personal favorites from the album — J-Hope picked NORMAL, Jungkook went with FYA, Jin chose Into the Sun, Suga picked Body to Body, V went with Aliens. And RM? He admitted his favorites were shifting like a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant — Body to Body that morning, Like Animals by showtime. Honestly, relatable.

J-Hope said what everyone was feeling: “All of these moments are thanks to you. BTS 2.0 is just getting started.”

After four years, BTS reached back for something familiar — and the moment Dynamite rang out, Gwanghwamun Square erupted. Then Mikrokosmos, always a love letter from BTS to the people who found them. Phone flashlights and ARMY Bombs blinked into the dark like a sea of stars. And in the final verse, RM quietly updated one line: not seven billion lights, but 8.48 billion — every person on Earth, counted and included.

When the song ended and to close the night of reunion, RM stepped forward: “Thank you everyone for welcoming us. We love you guys, thank you.”

After four years, a global pandemic, military service, and one sprained ankle — BTS came home. And the whole world hit play.

GOLDEN CHOCOLATE

Why does chocolate cost so much this Easter, when cocoa’s price is at a 3‑year low?

By Vinh Thai RMIT University

An Easter bunny for $10. A box of 20 hollow Easter eggs for $18. A 100g block of plain dark chocolate for $8.50.

Even last year, such high prices wouldn’t have been surprising. While cocoa prices spiked to all-time highs above US$12,000 per ton in 2024, the price of cocoa then fell through most of 2025.

It was trading at around US$3,165 per ton on March 28, back to where it was around three years ago. Why doesn’t that lower cocoa price mean cheaper chocolates on our shelves this Easter?

What’s the price of cocoa now?

COCOA prices began rising in 2023, but really took off in early 2024, surging to an all-time high. That rate of growth was even faster than the US stock market and cryptocurrency bitcoin.

There were multiple factors behind that sharp rise. These included intense rains and heat hitting harvests in West Africa–which grows around two-thirds of the world’s cocoa–as well as disease, fertilizer issues, and other supply disruptions. The United Nations Trade and Development agency said climate change contributed to those smaller harvests and rising costs.

Since then, cocoa’s price has come down significantly–though after a price bounce only last month, industry website Confectionery News warned, “For manufacturers, the latest price swing is yet another reminder that volatility is the new normal in cocoa markets.”

Is

E“ THINK about packaging alone. As a result of the Middle East war, packaging makers have already warned consumers to expect price hikes on future food, groceries and medications because of ‘unprecedented disruptions’ to resin supplies, used to make plastic.”

Cocoa-free chocolate

CONFECTIONERY makers have responded to the last few years of higher prices by reformulating more of their products to use less cocoa.

Many of the world’s biggest chocolate makers are working on lab-grown, fermented and upcycled “cocoa”–or even cocoa-free chocolate.

But that work to research and develop cocoa alternatives also comes with a cost. We’re yet to see how commercially viable those alternatives will be.

What about the price of chocolate?

IT’S understandable why consumers get frustrated with higher chocolate prices–especially at Easter, the biggest chocolate sales period of year.

And, as consumer advocates have long pointed out, Easter chocolates often come with a higher price tag. Consumer group Choice’s latest annual assessment of Easter egg prices found some chocolate eggs on sale this Easter are smaller but more expen-

sive for the second year in a row.

But this Easter, shoppers may be asking another question—given cocoa costs have plunged, why hasn’t the shelf price of all chocolates on our supermarket shelves also fallen?

The short answer is time.

While the current price of cocoa is down from its highs, even as recently as December last year, the price was about double what it is now. Especially for the biggest producers, at least some of the cocoa or cocoa products used to make chocolate being sold now would have been bought when prices were still at much higher levels.

Some key cocoa products used in chocolate making, such as cacao nibs, can last for many years if stored in the right cool, dry conditions.

When large commercial chocolate makers are calculating their profits and losses, and setting their chocolate prices, they have to factor in what they’ve already paid for ingredients–not the current prices.

In other words, it’s still too soon to expect the full savings from the recent cocoa

price drop to be passed on.

Cocoa is also not the only cost to consider in chocolate prices. While some other key ingredients such as sugar have come down in price in recent years, others such as vegetable oil (often used as a cheaper alternative to cocoa butter) have risen. Then there’s everything from labor and energy costs, to packaging and transport.

Think about packaging alone. If you buy chocolates with any kind of plastic packaging, that plastic was made from petrochemicals. Those petrochemicals are derived from oil and natural gas, and are crucial in making up more than 6,000 everyday products.

As a result of the Middle East war, packaging makers have already warned consumers to expect price hikes on future food, groceries and medications because of “unprecedented disruptions” to resin supplies, used to make plastic.

The outlook for chocolate prices THERE is some good news. The International Cocoa Organization has reported global cocoa supplies are back in surplus again, thanks to better weather. An even bigger surplus is forecast for the 2025-26 growing season. There’s also been slower demand for cocoa, which could keep the price at lower levels.

Looking ahead, it is possible we could see some slight reduction in chocolate prices towards the end of 2026 and moving into 2027.

But chocolate is also a perfect example of just how our global food systems are closely intertwined with much bigger geopolitical and logistical factors. Like so much else, what we pay for chocolate next year will depend at least partly on how long the current Middle East war and global oil crisis drags on. The Conversation

dark chocolate healthier than milk chocolate? Dietitians explain

ASTER chocolate is all over supermarket shelves. Some people reach straight for milk chocolate eggs while others pause at the darker varieties, assuming they’re healthier.

But is it? Let’s see how the evidence stacks up, according to Lauren Ball, professor of Community Health and Wellbeing at the University of Queensland, and Emily Burch, an accredited practicing dietitian and lecturer at Southern Cross University.

How do they compare?

CHOCOLATE is made from cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. Milk chocolate also contains milk powder or condensed

milk. Dark chocolate typically contains a much higher proportion of cocoa solids, usually 50–90 percent. Milk chocolate generally contains 20–30 percent cocoa solids, with the remaining bulk made up of milk ingredients and sugar.

How about nutritional benefits?

BECAUSE dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids than milk chocolate, it naturally provides slightly higher amounts of certain minerals.

Meanwhile, milk chocolate offers significantly more calcium due to its milk solids, but it generally contains more added sugar. Cocoa is naturally rich in plant compounds called polyphenols. These

act as antioxidants in the body, helping to protect the body’s cells from damage. Because dark chocolate contains more cocoa, it naturally contains higher levels of these compounds. In fact, dark chocolate contains roughly five times more flavanols (a type of polyphenol) than milk chocolate.

What to choose this Easter?

DARK chocolate has a nutritional advantage over milk chocolate. But how much depends on the cocoa percentage and how it’s been made. As a general rule, aim for 70 percent cocoa or more, and flip the packet over before you buy. In a higher-quality dark chocolate,

cocoa should appear first in the ingredients list–not sugar. A higher-quality dark chocolate might have its ingredients listed in this order: cocoa mass, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla. A lower-quality dark chocolate might look like this: sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifiers, flavor, milk solids. If sugar is listed first, it’s the largest ingredient by weight. Beyond that, choose chocolate you actually enjoy and watch your portion size. Remember that your overall diet matters far more than a few Easter eggs.

The real health benefit of Easter chocolate? The enjoyment of sharing it. The Conversation