BusinessMirror March 07, 2026

By Andrea E. San Juan

IF the price of oil shoots up to $100 per barrel and the dollar continues to strengthen, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it may consider a hike in interest rates.

BSP Governor Eli M. Remolo -

na Jr. said this in a televised interview on Friday after he underscored that the dollar strength combined with a persistent rise in the price of oil could cause concern about inflation.

While the Central Bank is closely monitoring the recent developments due to the conflict in the Middle East, Remolona said the BSP still does not see the need to raise interest rates.

“At some point, if the price of oil goes to, say $100 a barrel ,and

the dollar continues to strengthen, then we’ll have to consider a rate hike,” said Remolona. “But for now, where the price of oil is and where the dollar is, we don’t see the need for a rate hike. So for now, we’re where we want to be in terms of monetary policy,” the BSP governor underscored. In peso terms, he explained that the price of oil is 10 percent higher than before.

Remolona said 10 percent is still “very manageable.” However, he said: “If it goes up 50

percent, then that’s going to be something we have to deal with more strongly.”

Remolona called the $100 per barrel “the threshold,” saying that at this mark, the price of oil begins to have effects on the prices of many commodities.

“And that tends to be something we have to worry about when it comes to inflation,” the BSP governor said.

The Central Bank’s chief said the main effect of this $100 per barrel price would be on inflation.

Cutting excise tax on petroleum to benefit only car owners–bank

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE proposal to cut excise taxes on petroleum products is a “populist measure” which will benefit only the carowning middle- and upper-income households rather than the poor, according to Union Bank of the Philippines.

“We remain concerned that populist measures may find their way into the policy mix—most notably proposals to cut excise taxes on petroleum products,” UBP said

in its latest commentary. The bank explained that while such cuts can temporarily soften headline inflation, the benefits

“accrue largely to car-owning middle- and upper-income households rather than to the poor.”

UBP asserted that the policy deprives government of critical revenues needed to fund “targeted and far more efficient support mechanisms” for those “genuinely vulnerable” to oil price shocks: daily wage earners, transport workers, students, and agricultural households.

An excise-tax cut therefore weakens both the welfare impact and the fiscal anchor, the bank’s commentary underscored.

“Reduced revenues amid sustained spending pressures widens the budget deficit and inflates the government’s debt stock,” UBP added.

From a strategy standpoint, it noted that any movement in this direction is a “clear signal to cut duration, as the fiscal deterioration increases term-premium risk and

Amid Mideast conflict, BOC forms unit to track oil import shipments

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) is forming a task force to track oil import shipments and inspect storage facilities nationwide as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East threaten global fuel supply.

A statement issued by the BOC on Friday read that Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno is creating the Bureau of Customs Oil Inventory Level (BOC-OIL) Task Force to conduct joint inspections and supervise the monitoring of oil depots, bulk storage terminals and other petroleum storage facilities across the country.

The task force will be led by lawyer Allen Dela Cruz of the BOC, with lawyer Victor Pablo C. Trinidad of the BOC Legal Service as a member, in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Nepomuceno has also instructed all ports to closely monitor the volume of oil importations and evaluate the sufficiency of the existing fuel supply entering the country.

“Given the current geopolitical developments, it is important for the Bureau to closely track the movement of oil importations and monitor available inventory levels,” Nepomuceno said. “This will allow us to provide relevant updates to the administration and help ensure that the country remains prepared for any potential supply disruptions.”

As such, regular reports on oil imports within their respective jurisdictions must be submitted by all district ports.

PBBM to use UN appearance to call for peace in

By Samuel P. Medenilla

RESIDENT Ferdinand Mar-

cos Jr. will call for peace in the Middle East when he flies to the United States to participate in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Special Session next week, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The chief executive, however, is not expected to have separate meetings with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders as well as with the Filipino community during his working visit in New York on March 9 and 10.

Marcos is scheduled to attend the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women and the UNGA special session.

He will also be meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres to discuss the ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran. Iran retaliated by attacking its neighboring countries with US military bases.

“This trip is very important, this is the right opportunity given what is happening in the Middle East. The UN is the most appropriate place for our President

Middle East

to call for peace in the Middle East and the safety of all civilians, especially our countrymen,” DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalon said in Filipino in a press briefing in Malacañang.

Marcos earlier called for the immediate end to the armed conflict, which is now affecting the over 2 million Filipinos in the region. He will also reiterate the Philippines’ bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2027 and 2028, since it is expected to give the country greater voice in global safety and security issues.

“These issues are important for Filipinos and citizens from developing countries. It has an impact on our sovereignty, maritime security, the global economy and the safety of our overseas Filipino workers,” Escalona said.

“By joining the UN Security Council, we will be part of the solution now so that we are prepared for any challenges we face in the future,” he added. In his address at the General Assembly, the President will also push for the rule of law, multilateralism, sustainable

These reports will be consolidated and presented during the agency’s Weekly Collection Meetings to provide the commissioner with updated information on incoming shipments and prevailing supply levels.

The BOC-OIL Task Force has also been authorized to validate the submitted reports through inspection and document review to verify the accuracy and reliability of the data being reported by the district ports.

Likewise, the task force may require industry stakeholders to submit material information on a regular basis. If necessary, it may even suggest issuing summonses to enforce compliance.

The BOC has also directed its assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners to extend full cooperation and deploy the necessary personnel to support the implementation of this initiative.

These measures reflect the agency’s commitment to supporting national economic stability by ensuring transparency in the country’s oil importation and supply situation amid evolving global conditions, the BOC added.

The conflict in the Middle East has caused the temporary shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas, raising concerns over possible disruptions in global oil supply chains.

Despite this, Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin assured the public that the Philippines has enough oil, with the latest inventory at triple the minimum inventory for oil companies (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2026/03/03/despite-ample-supplydoe-says-preparing-for-worst/).

“On average, 45 days. Some even have up to 60 days of supply. This means we are way beyond what is required for businesses,” Garin said.

China’s $600-billion tech stock rout risks deepening on AI costs

By Jeanny Yu & Chongjing Li | Bloomberg

THE ongoing selloff in China’s megacap technology stocks shows little sign of easing, as investors fret over spiraling spending amid heated competition. The rally sparked by DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence breakthrough early last year has given way to some of the same concerns rattling US hyperscalers: soaring memory-chip costs, potential business disruption from AI and now the broader market malaise brought on by the Iran war.

The Hang Seng Tech Index has plunged 28% from an October high, shedding nearly $600 billion in market value. Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. have been worst hit by a selloff that seems poised to continue as rival ByteDance Ltd. and others ramp up capital outlays.

“Investors are taking some money off the table” given tech’s recent outperformance and AIrelated worries, said Lorraine Tan, director of equity research at Morningstar Asia Ltd. “AI spending in China remains reasonable,

but the market is worried about intensive competition that leads to waste and low returns.”

ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu Inc. shelled out some $1.1 billion in subsidies aimed at luring users over the Lunar New Year holidays, according to Morgan Stanley. TikTok owner ByteDance has been especially aggressive as it seeks to protect share for its market-leading chatbot Doubao, and is expected to remain so.

“Given the ad revenue scale of ByteDance, they should have ample resources to invest in AI,” said

Chelsey Tam, an analyst at Morningstar Investment Management Asia Ltd. The company could also steal talent away from its peers, she added.

The profit impact is palpable. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. slashed its price target for Alibaba shares last week, saying the company is likely to spend more than the broker originally expected through 2028 as it fights for leadership in AI.

With capex pressuring margins for China’s tech majors, investors have been chasing clearer

returns elsewhere. Shares of chipmakers in Taiwan and South Korea are seen as resilient to the worries plaguing software and internet firms, and may resume their uptrend once the Iran war-driven selloff stabilizes.

A crop of China upstarts has been less sensitive to global market volatility. AI intelligence model developers MiniMax Group Inc. and Knowledge Atlas Technology JSC Ltd., also known as Zhipu, have surged more than 280% each since their January market debuts.

There’s been “a pronounced

’see-saw’ crowding-out effect between traditional internet giants and emerging AI players/ high-growth hardware sectors,” said Bo Ning, an analyst at China Merchants Securities (HK). “Market sentiment remains cautious, awaiting clearer AI strategies from companies like Tencent and Alibaba,” he added.

Upcoming earnings will be the next key test for investor sentiment. Alibaba is expected to report a 45% decline in net income for the three months ended December, while Tencent is seen posting its slowest quarterly profit growth since 2023. JD.com Inc. and Bilibili Inc. report later Thursday. Efforts by Chinese authorities to support the nation’s tech industry will also be closely watched. The sector got a lift Thursday as policymakers vowed to accelerate AI application of AI, with MiniMax climbing as much as 13% in Hong Kong and chip designer Moore Threads Technology Co. adding 4.8% in Shanghai.

Valuations have dropped, with the Hang Seng Tech trading at less than 17 times forward estimated earnings compared with its fiveyear average of almost 22 times. China Merchants Securities’ Ning recommends buying bigger tech stocks that are oversold, on their chances for a rebound.

Others are taking more of a wait-and-see approach.

“Right now it’s really hard to call who is the winner,” said Song Zhe, an investment specialist for emerging-market equities at BNP Paribas Asset Management, a firm that’s underweight China’s internet sector. “If they stop the subsidies, whether customers would stick with their models - that’s a big question mark.”

BSP TRACKS OIL, DOLLAR AS PESO BREACHES ₧59:$1

“Unless we control it somehow, it’s a supply shock, which means we don’t really have the major tools to control it,” added Remolona.

He said that it’s possible that at $100 a barrel, the Philippines will begin to breach the BSP’s “tolerance range” or the 4-percent ceiling of the central bank’s target band of 2 to 4 percent. Should the inflation rate get past the inflation target ceiling, Remolona said: “Then we have to do something with monetary policy.”

Peso now at P59 per $1 MEANWHILE , the Philippine peso has weakened for the seventh straight trading day, bringing the local currency to P59 against the

dollar.

Data from the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (BAP) showed the peso closed at P59.00 per $1 on Friday.

The local currency plunged by 37 centavos from its previous finish of P58.63 on Thursday, March 5,2026.

This is the weakest since January 27,2026 when the peso was at P59.085 per $1. Right now, Remolona said there is “not a lot” of appetite on the part of the BSP to intervene in the foreign exchange market.

“We usually intervene when we’re worried about something we call the pass-through. The price of oil combined with the exchange rate leads to inflation. Then we intervene,” the BSP governor said.

According to Remolona, the

central bank usually intervenes by trying to “dampen the swing in the peso.”

“But otherwise, we let market forces decide the exchange rate,” added the BSP chief.

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Lead Economist Emilio S. Neri Jr. told this newspaper that, “It’s very hard to predict if we will hit 60 soon and when.”

argues for a defensive stance along the curve.”

As the government weighs granting the President the powers to rewrite fuel tax rules amid soaring oil prices due to tensions in the Middle East, economist Joey S. Salceda, chair of the Institute for Risk and Strategic Studies, said a full suspension of excise taxes on both gasoline and diesel would result in P32-billion revenue loss per month.

Since a blanket suspension may hurt the government’s finances, Salceda suggested a partial, targeted or time-bound suspension instead.

“I can imagine the economic managers must be in a bind given our own cash flow issues,” Salceda said in a commentary on Wednesday.

As a former congressman, Salceda cited a previous bill he worked on with Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin which Congress can use as a basis in reducing excise taxes on diesel, kerosene and liquified petroleum gas to zero, while taxes on premium gasoline will be retained. “That [was] intended to keep the benefits of excise tax suspension primarily to low-income users and to sectors where fuel is a major input,” Salceda noted. (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2026/03/05/ partial-fuel-excise-tax-halt-eyed-revenue-loss-at-%E2%82%B132b/)

Neri said this will depend on the

“intensity” as well as the length of the conflict in the Middle East.

“So far, circumstances point to a somewhat protracted conflict, which could mean we may see oil prices rising further,” added the BPI’s lead economist.

He said this can affect the Philippine peso further and could also lead the BSP to decide against a policy rate cut.

Continued from A1

humanitarian action and the promotion of human rights and protection of vulnerable groups in conflict situations.

Marcos will be accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos; Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro; Secretary of Migrant Workers Hans Leo Cacdac; Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity; and PCO Acting Secretary Dave Gomez in his sixth visit to the US since the

presidency.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Palace orders 4-day govt work week, energy savers

By Samuel P. Medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos

Jr. on Friday announced energysaving measures, including a four-day work week in the government and immediate release of fuel subsidies as the country braces for the surge in pump prices next week.

In a video message, Marcos ordered concerned government agencies to fast-track the release of fuel subsidies.

transportation, farmers, as well as fisherfolks, will be released once the price of Dubai crude comes between US$80 and US$90 per barrel and lasts for two months.

The Palace earlier said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has P2.5 billion under the 2025 national budget for the fuel subsidy for public transportation.

of the government to help reduce the country’s energy consumption.

basic commodities.

Aside from granting him special powers to temporarily adjust excise taxes for fuel products, Marcos also urged lawmakers to amend the Biofuels Act of 2006 to increase the use of bioethanol to bring down the price of gasoline.

“We will soon release the fuel subsidy and cash transfer for the affected sector,” Marcos said in Filipino.

It also noted that the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) each has a P25-million budget to provide fuel subsidies to farmers and fisherfolk, respectively.

Under government rules, the targeted fuel subsidies for public

Starting next Monday, he also announced that a four-day work will be implemented for some offices under the Executive Branch

“This does not include emergency or essential service providers, such as police, firefighters, and offices that provide frontline services to the public,” Marcos said He ordered all government agencies of to conserve and reduce electricity consumption and fuel costs by 10 to 20 percent and banned nonessential government travel and activities, such as study tours, teambuilding activities, or meetings.

Marcos also expanded his appeal to Congress for legislative measures to help mitigate the expected rise in petroleum products after the joint airstrikes of the United States and Israel against Iran earlier this month.

Cebu stepping up preps for Asean Summit in May

By Carmel Pedroza

CEBU CITY—Cebu is pre -

paring to welcome more than 3,000 delegates for the 48th Asean Leaders’ Summit in May, prompting authorities to recommend a temporary moratorium on permits for running events during the summit period to help manage traffic and security.

The summit and its related meetings are scheduled from May 5 to 9, and are expected to draw participants from 11 Southeast Asian nations, along with international media and other guests.

The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas has proposed suspending the issuance of permits for running events during the summit dates.

This recommendation is part of broader traffic and security measures aimed at ensuring smooth mobility for official convoys and summit activities across Metro Cebu.

Authorities are also considering asynchronous classes in schools to reduce road congestion.

Preparations for the high-level gathering were discussed during a coordination meeting on March 4 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol led by Governor Pamela Baricuatro and Tourism Assistant Secretary Maria Angela Javier of the Asean Leaders’ Summit-National

Organizing Committee.

Officials from the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu joined representatives from several national government agencies during the meeting.

Among those present were officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of National Defense, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Office of Civil Defense.

Javier said the summit will bring together more than 3,000 participants from the 11 ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

The gathering will include over a thousand official delegates, about a thousand other attendees, and more than a thousand members of the international media.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to meet with fellow Asean leaders during the summit, making security arrangements a top priority for organizers and law enforcement agencies.

Governor Baricuatro expressed confidence that Cebu can successfully host the high-profile

diplomatic event, pointing to the province’s experience in staging the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Meetings earlier this year.

“We are looking forward to hosting the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit,” Gov. Baricuatro said, adding that the Capitol is providing full support for the event, which is expected to boost the local economy, tourism, and investment opportunities.

Beyond the leaders’ summit in May, Cebu has also been chosen to host several other Asean-related meetings throughout the year.

These include the Asean SocioCultural Community meeting in July, the Asean-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Joint Committee meetings also in July, the Asean Treasury Forum in July, and the Asean Coordinating Task Force on Blue Economy and related meetings scheduled for August.

Later in the year, Cebu will host the Asean Transportation Ministers’ Meeting, the 16th Session of the Asean Community Statistical System, and the Asean-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementing Committee and related meetings in November.

Javier noted that government agencies have shown strong interest in holding regional meetings in the province.

“Cebu is very popular with the

PBBM: Empowering MSME with new tech will boost resilience

EMPOWERING micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) with new technology and a well-trained workforce will be crucial to boosting the country’s economic resilience amid global uncertainty, according to President Ferdinand Marcos.

The chief executive made the statement at the launch of the Trabaho@Negosyo event of the Go Negosyo in Pasay City on Friday.

“Today, we live in a very uncertain world. What many of us have studied and developed a decade—or even just a couple of years ago—are sometimes we find no longer relevant,” Marcos said.

“Industries are being reshaped by digital technology and artificial intelligence or AI. Traditional jobs are transforming. The skills that were once optional, now they are essential,” he added.

These, he said, are on top of the usual challenges faced by MSMEs such as lack of capital, limited market, as well as market access.

The President said he is confident the MSMEs can cope with the said changes with the support of the government and business leaders through forums such as

the Trabaho@Negosyo event.

“We know that despite the challenges, our countrymen are capable and strategic. We know how to deal [with challenges]. We do not give up on the problem no matter what we face,” he said in Filipino.

During the Trabaho@Negosyo event, participating MSMEs can attend learning and mentoring sessions with industry experts and leaders, who will share their entrepreneurship experiences, which includes the use of new technology. It also features job fairs, which offer employment opportunities to jobseekers, as well as one-stop services from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for advisory services and processing preemployment requirements.

The event complements the other programs of concerned government agencies which grant MSMEs access to capital, capacity building, and skills training to their workers.

“We hope that these programs will provide additional strength to the livelihoods of our countrymen, A sari-sari store owner can expand

his business through what is called e-commerce,” Marcos said.

DTI Secretary Cristina AldeguerRoque stressed the important role of MSMEs when it comes to generating employment and economic growth.

She noted 99.5 percent of the country’s business establishments are MSMEs, and they also provide jobs to 64 percent of the local workforce.

“We level up the MSMEs, and we grow, actually, the country. MSMEs are very important. In each and every region, we have a lot of MSMEs that we need to actually assist, and the DTI is here to assist them as best as we can,” Roque said.

Marcos hopes the growth of MSMEs will translate to more job vacancies. He said last year the government was able to conduct 2,300 job fairs nationwide, which provided employment to 74,000 applicants.

In January, the government also held 47 job fairs, which resulted in the hiring of 2,400 applicants.

“You can count on this Administration to continue developing the skills of our countrymen, strengthening programs that will help every Filipino find a job,” Marcos said.

Samuel P. Medenilla

agencies of the government. Everyone wants to hold their meetings in Cebu,” said Asec. Javier.

During the March 4 meeting, officials also reviewed traffic management strategies, proposed improvements to key venues, and other coordination measures among national and local agencies to ensure the summit proceeds smoothly and securely.

The President announced the measures with the projected increases in the prices of the following petroleum products next week: gasoline with P7.48 per liter; diesel with P17.28, and kerosene with P32.35.

Aside from interventions related to oil prices, Marcos also reiterated the government is closely monitoring the status of the over 2 million Filipinos in the Middle East, as well as, the impact of the crisis in the region to the prices of

He said concerned agencies are ready to evacuate or repatriate Filipinos in the Middle East once it becomes safe to do so.

The government, he said, is also making sure no businessmen will be able to take advantage of the Middle East crisis through hoarding or profiteering.

“We do not control the war [in the Middle East]. But we do control how we protect Filipinos,” Marcos said.

“This is not the worst oil price hike our country has ever experienced. We have been through many trials. And each time, because of our unity, faith in God, and concern for one another, we have overcome them,” he added.

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has partnered with DBP Data Center Inc. (DBP-DCI) to create a digital financial management system aimed at modernizing operations across former military bases and upcoming smart city projects. The agreement, signed on February 28, will initially focus on Camp John Hay through the John Hay Management Corporation, with future expansion planned for New Clark City and other BCDA-managed properties.

3 Filipino GenZs recruited as Chinese spies–AFP

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

WHAT began as a simple search for side hustles turned into a real-life espionage thriller for three Filipino GenZ civilian employees—one from the Department of National Defense, another from the Philippine Navy, and a third linked to a Philippine Coast Guard personnel.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the three are now in custody for allegedly working as spies for Chinese state intelligence operatives.

Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Vincent Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the suspects were recruited after posting résumés on job search platforms like LinkedIn.

At first, the job seemed legitimate: writing analyses on geopolitical issues for research firms. Payments ranged from P1,000s to P100,000s, delivered through GCash or disguised as food deliveries.

“The recruitment phase is very subtle,” Trinidad told reporters at the Stratbase ADR

Institute forum in Makati. “They were happy initially because they thought they had a job already.”

Sensitive defense data leaked FOR more than two years, the recruits answered queries that appeared academic but were actually sensitive defense and diplomatic information. Among the details sought:

n Philippine defense and foreign policy positions n Roll-on/roll-off mission schedules to Ayungin Shoal

n Names of personnel aboard BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) and other detachments

One recruit realized the

gravity of his actions only after seeing news of a Philippine Coast Guard vessel nearly sunk by a Chinese ship at Escoda Shoal. He connected the incident to intelligence he had earlier passed on.

State-sanctioned espionage

TRINIDAD said the three worked independently but followed a common modus operandi. The National Security Council believes the espionage was state-sanctioned by China, citing links to naval strategic plans and basing operations.

The Chinese Embassy strongly rejected the accusation, saying the NSC of“irresponsible” and “malicious smears.”

“We firmly oppose and strongly deplore irresponsible remarks made by certain Philippine agencies peddling so-called ‘Chinese spy’ narratives,” Chinese Embassy spokesman Ji Lingpeng said. “China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.”(https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/03/06/ chinese-embassy-denouncesespionage-allegations-warnsof-diplomatic-fallout)

A fourth suspect, a civilian employee in another government agency, is also under investigation as an “upline” handler. Meanwhile, a uniformed Navy officer narrowly avoided recruitment after recognizing the sensitive nature of the queries.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año described the operation as “alarming,” though he noted the leaked data was “sensitive but not that high.”

Trinidad conceded, however, that the information passed on may have compromised the lives and safety of AFP and PCG personnel deployed in the West Philippine Sea.

Earlier, the Chinese Embassy cited what it called a pattern of “far-fetched allegations,” referencing a recent case involving a Mongolian national allegedly affiliated with China, “only for it to be later clarified that the individual had no affiliation with China whatsoever.”

Embassy spokesman Ji warned that such premature accusations are undermine objectivity and fairness.

“Rushing to judgment before the facts are fully ascertained is fundamentally flawed,” Ji added.

The Chinese Embassy urged Philippine authorities to stop “shadow-chasing” and refrain from using espionage claims to disrupt normal people-to-people exchanges and undermine bilateral relations.

“If certain individuals or agencies in the Philippines persist in hyping up anti-China sentiments and recklessly targeting anything related to China, it will only undermine the atmosphere of cooperation and ultimately backfire,” Ji warned.

Amid ‘espionage’ report, PNP steps up counter-intel moves

PHILIPPINE National Police

(PNP) chief Gen. Jose Me -

lencio Nartatez Jr. on Friday said that they will be stepping up counterintelligence measures across all units to prevent infiltration and espionage within its ranks. This move came as a direct response to emerging national security threats involving local assets, he added.

“We are taking proactive steps to ensure that all the information that includes efforts and plans relating to peace and order and

national security are protected. We have been doing our best to insulate the PNP from any form of foreign interference or recruitment,” the PNP chief said.

Three Filipino citizens, who were arrested and detained for alleged Chinese-linked espionage, have confessed to obtaining sensitive information, the National Security Council (NSC) had said on Wednesday.

Two of the detainees worked in the Department of National Defense and Philippine Navy, while another one had close access to a

Philippine Coast Guard officer.

“The recent admission of Filipino nationals involved in foreigndirected espionage is a wake-up call for us to be extra careful and to sustain the efforts in instilling professionalism in the organization that is anchored on patriotism and loyalty to our country and its people,” Nartatez said.

The PNP chief emphasized that while the local espionage network has been neutralized, the police organization must remain proactive and vigilant.

He noted that the PNP is now

coordinating closely with the NSC and other intelligence agencies for better information sharing, as he noted that the organization has established a confidential reporting mechanism for its members.

Nartatez also expressed support for the position of the NSC and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks that protect national security amid the continuously evolving threat especially with the rapid evolution in digital technology.

Rex Anthony Naval

Cebu chamber sets course for ’26 under new leaders

CEBU CITY—The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is setting its strategic course for 2026 under the leadership of newly elected president Regan Rex King, who brings extensive industry experience and a long history of involvement in the chamber. King, the organization’s 52nd president, was elected by the newly formed Board of Trustees during the chamber’s leadership transition on March 2 at the Don Ramon Aboitiz Boardroom in the Cebu Chamber Centre.  The event formally introduced the 2026 Board of Trustees and Executive Committee while marking the turnover from outgoing president Jay Yuvallos. In his inaugural address, King

underscored the chamber’s role in shaping the region’s economic direction and strengthening Cebu’s position as a competitive business hub.

“We are not simply managing programs. We are shaping the future of Cebu,” he said, urging the business community to pursue innovation, collaboration and responsible leadership.

King outlined priorities that will guide the chamber in the coming year, including strengthening agility in responding to global economic shifts, promoting sustainable business practices and accelerating transformation within Cebu’s innovation and competitiveness landscape.

A seasoned business leader KING brings decades of leadership experience spanning several industries, including transportation, automotive, logistics, insurance and security services.

He currently serves as chief operating officer of 6R Mercantile Inc., general manager of RDAK Transport Inc. and managing director of

PNP beefs up cooperation with S. Korea counterparts

By Rex Anthony Naval

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday reiterated its commitment to enhance cooperation with its South Korean counterpart to ensure the safety and security of their citizens in the country.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez gave this pledge after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on police cooperation between the PNP and the Korean National Police Agency during the state visit of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to the Philippines on March 3.

“The PNP is committed to closely coordinating with our South Korean counterparts in ensuring the safety and security of their citizens in the country. Our good working relationship extends to information and experience sharing to effectively combat transnational crimes,” he added.

South Koreans remain among the largest foreign communities in the Philippines.

Over the years, both governments have worked together in addressing crimes involving their nationals, including fraud, cybercrime, and other cross-border offenses.

The new MOU seeks to further cement that cooperation.

“This MOU will strengthen our working relations with the police force in South Korea in our peace and order and law enforcement efforts. It also enhances the sharing of key information needed in the conduct of operation and investigation,” Nartatez added.

He said the agreement would help hasten the resolution of cases involving Filipinos and Koreans, and allow both sides to share gathered intelligence and key case information more efficiently.

Under the agreement, the PNP and the Korean police will also intensify bilateral security exchanges while joint training, capability-building initiatives, and closer operational coordination are expected to follow.

Nartatez said this will help align local police standards with global practices.

“This kind of agreement will also show that the PNP is committed to being on a par with police forces across the globe,” he said. As part of the MOU’s implementation,  Nartatez directed chiefs of police and heads of national support units to establish more dedicated help desks for Korean nationals. These desks will focus on assisting victims and expediting investigations involving Korean citizens. Rex Anthony Naval

Cebu’s whale shark watching hub boasts new clean toilets

RDAK Global Motors Inc., where he has been involved in overseeing operations, business development and strategic growth initiatives.

Within the chamber, King has been an active leader for many years. He previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees and held key positions such as vice president for business advocacy and policy and vice president for Cebu business mobilization. He also chaired Cebu Business Month 2024, one of the chamber’s flagship initiatives, and led its disaster risk reduction and coordination efforts.

His experience in governance and institution-building, along with his engagement in community and business initiatives, is expected to guide the chamber as it navigates an increasingly complex economic environment.

New executive team

ALONGSIDE King, the chamber’s 2026 Executive Committee includes leaders from various sectors of the Cebu business community.

By Carmel Pedroza

CEBU CITY—Clean, modern public restrooms—an essential facility for any major tourism destination—are now available for visitors at the Tan-awan Whale Shark Watching Briefing Center in the southern Cebu town of Oslob. Gov. Pamela Baricuatro led the blessing and inauguration on Thursday, March 5, 2026, of the newly constructed comfort rooms, which are designed to serve the steady stream of local and interna -

tional tourists visiting the whale shark watching site. The upgraded facility includes shower areas for visitors who participate in the popular activity of swimming with whale sharks, providing added convenience for guests after their time in the water. According to the governor, accessible and well-maintained basic amenities are among the first things travelers notice when they arrive at a destination.

BusinessMirror

15 senior citizens accredited as tour guides in Intramuros

TimeOur DSWD-6 releases ₧45M in social pension to 15,000 senior citizens

By Perla Lena

ILOILO CITY—The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD-6) has released around P45.29 million to 15,099 qualified senior citizens as the payout continues under the Social Pension (SocPen) Program.

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor

THE Department of Tourism

(DOT) has accredited 15 senior citizens as tour guides in Intramuros after they underwent the Tourism Legacy and Livelihood Program.

They completed a seven-day community tour guiding seminar held from September 24 to October 3, 2025, in partnership with the Intramuros Administration.

DOT, in a news release Monday, said the program, being implemented in coordination with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), is aligned with its inclusive and elderly-friendly tourism efforts by allowing senior citizens to take on active roles in community-based tourism after completing interviews and a weeklong training consisting of lectures and mock tours.

It said four of the new tour guides, as of Feb. 23, are former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), while another one, 68-year-old Edgardo Satira, known as “Tatay Ed”, is a retired broadcaster.

“When tourists enjoy your services or your company, they really go

out of their way to give you a good tip. It’s such a great feeling to know that there are still opportunities like this to make a living,” he said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has met the senior citizen tour guides to hear their experiences and gather inputs to further improve the program.

“I’m so impressed by the variety of professions and backgrounds of those that have successfully passed our senior citizens community tour guide training. But even more impressed by the overarching purpose that drives you to be here, not just for leisure, not to address boredom perhaps, but more importantly, to serve our country,” she said.

From 2022 to January 2026, some 412,640 individuals have completed the DOT’s Filipino Brand of Service Excellence training program, including 12,786 tour guides.

“By prioritizing the professional development of our tour guides, we ensure that every visitor encounter reflects the quality, warmth, and excellence of Filipino hospitality, which ultimately drives tourism growth and creates more sustainable livelihoods for our communities,” Frasco said. PNA

COMPARING ourselves to others is a completely natural human instinct. I once had a classmate in college who kept pestering me to show my grades to him and when I did, he would gleefully point out the subjects where he got a higher grade than mine. One time I got an A for my thesis and he couldn’t believe he only got a B plus. He read my paper over and over again and he kept shaking his head in disbelief; he thought he should have received an A too. He was using me as a measure of his self-worth.

Some would call this behavior obsessive comparison disorder, characterized by a compulsion to compare yourself to others to gauge one’s ability and self-worth.

That may be true in our youth. But I’m dismayed that some seniors, even at this late stage of their life, still manifest this behavioral addiction. They can’t seem to shake it off. It leads me to ask, what’s the point in doing so?

I have a friend who is in his mid 70s, like me. For some time now I thought he had already fully embraced his post retirement status.

He said he had saved enough, his egg nest was taken care of. For decades, he led a hectic life as a cog in the corporate machine to use a cliche, fiercely scrambling to move up the ladder ahead of perceived rivals. I really was convinced he had broken free from the one-upmanship instinct that had emotionally wrecked him and almost caused him to have a nervous breakdown during his pre-retirement days. I was wrong.

Lately, social media has stirred and muddied the stillness of his mind. His FB account has been bombarded with carefully photo-shopped highlights from the lives of his friends and even relatives. It has triggered a relapse of the competitive fever in him. Alas, the old aggressive self that he had already put away has re-surfaced.

DSWD-6 regional information officer Therese Fely Legaste, in an interview on Friday, said the payout, which commenced last week, covers the first quarter of this year.

“This is for the first quarter at P1,000 per month. So far, five municipalities have started their payout,” she said, citing the towns of Balete in Aklan, and Lemery, Sara, Zarraga and Passi City in Iloilo.

Legaste said they are coordinating with other local government units (LGUs) for the payout, which is being done under two schemes—through fund transfer to LGUs, and through the DSWD staff.

She urged pensioners to wait for the announcement from their local

By Liza Agoot

BAGUIO CITY—The city government is giving elderly residents some leeway during their vehicle’s coding day as a consideration for medical and work purposes, Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced.

Magalong said the exemption for senior citizens from Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay (BLISTT) area under the city’s Number Coding Ordinance applies from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for medical and work trips.

The exemption took effect in December 2025 following the approval of Ordinance No.

ing to many people, including old folks who ought to know better. You’re scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and see old friends luxuriating on cruise vacations, celebrating family milestones in lavish splendor, posting “perfect relationship” moments, giving a tour of a new home, showing off their branded leather bags, parading their big garage filled with SUVs and so on.

Immediately my friend’s old competitive instinct kicked in: “I’ll show them.” Maybe it’s just the old sin of envy. But in his mind, it’s more. He feels that he’s being taunted, teased, or challenged to do better, to top it. It’s the game of oneupmanship all over again, the need to outdo a friend, neighbor or rival, and stay one step ahead in order to prove that he is better than them. I could see he loved that kind of game

This is what social media is do -

during his time as a corporate man. Does evaluating your self-worth through comparison with others lead to satisfaction or genuine happiness? I really don’t know. But from what I’ve noted, on the contrary it triggers more feelings of insecurity

governments for the specific schedules or to ask their local social welfare officer.

“Our budget for the first quarter of 2026 is already available, so anytime, within this quarter, we will have the payout. We already have the schedule, unfortunately, we could not provide the specifics for security reasons,” she said.

The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) is a government program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide a monthly stipend—increased to P1,000 in 2024 under Republic Act No. 11916—to qualified elderly citizens, supporting their daily subsis-

tence and medical needs to protect them from neglect or hunger. The program specifically targets senior citizens aged 60 and above who are frail, sickly, or have disabilities, and eligibility is limited to those who are indigent, have no permanent income or regular support from family, and do not receive any other pension from institutions such as SSS or GSIS.

94-2025, which amended Section 6 of Ordinance 1-2003, previously amended by Ordinances 31-2004 and 107-2008.

The amendment provides coding respite to “private motor vehicles transporting senior citizen/s who are resident/s of BLISTT... either as drivers or passenger/s, to and from a medical clinic, hospital, or place of work from 9:00 o’clock in the morning to 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon.”

The ordinance aims to give elderly people easier access to medical services and mobility to and from their workplaces, translating to increased contribution to nation-building. PNA

and self-doubt.

Even when comparisons make you feel good, there’s a problem: the feeling of self-worth that comparisons create is superficial and doesn’t last because it fluctuates based on whether someone else is doing better or worse than you.

As seniors, we ought to know better. We need to draw the line. We need to stop basing our selfworth by comparing ourselves to others. We’ve been there and we know it’s puerile and fruitless. There will always be those who are better.

As I have advised my friend, first limit your social media time to avoid falling into the trap again.

Eligible seniors may apply through their local Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) or the DSWD Field Office, as mandated by the Expanded Senior Citizens’ Act of 2010 (RA 9994) to ensure social protection for the most vulnerable elderly Filipinos.

DSWD targets to complete the payout by March or April. PNA

As an example, one time I was listening to a retired lawyer who took me into his confidence and expressed his pangs of regret that he turned down opportunities to

Instead, shift your gaze from external distractions and invest more time focusing on making yourself grow more and become a person of greater value.Don’t be like the two old colleagues whom I’ve overheard comparing notes on how many cruises they have taken and how many places they’ve been to. It was useless talk. I almost wanted to butt in and tell them, just like the song: “Ooh, I’ve been to paradise, but I’ve never been to me.”

We need to start grounding our worth not by minding someone else’s highlight reel but by taking a closer look at our unique strengths and qualities. Be grateful for what we have and who you are. And that’s so important—being able to see your true value.

join his peers who made a killing through corrupt deals. With a slight tinge of envy, he said that now they have successfully opened their own law offices and seemed to be thriving. Knowing that he had writing skills, I was able to gradually convince him to turn himself into a local John Grisham, by culling from his voluminous files of past cases to use as materials for creating entertaining legal novels with social insights. I saw his eyes lit up and I guess something in his inner self had been awakened. He had a unique strength that his rich peers did not have.

When you align your life with your self-knowledge and self-awareness, you create fulfillment inde-

pendent of anyone else, no longer self-conscious how you stack up against others. Studies show people who identify and actively use their inner strengths experience significantly higher life satisfaction and achievement. When your self-worth comes from within, you can genuinely celebrate others’ successes without feeling taunted or challenged. When you know and use your strengths, you no longer need to tear others down to feel good, and you no longer feel diminished by others’ successes. Instead of commenting about others, talk about what you’ve discovered or learned. It will make you more interesting at any gathering. That’s what has happened to me. I was never a talker. Now I find myself being an interactive conversationalist. Like a wine glass that is filled to the brim, I feel myself overflowing with new knowledge and learnings when I’m with peers. I’m also amazed to note that I now have a keener conceptual vision during creative brainstorming sessions. In the end, the one true measure of your self-worth will be your own self. By focusing on growing your unique strengths day by

you will find yourself enjoying

For the

Samsung overhauls shape, design of earbuds

THE Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds4, announced by Samsung alongside the Galaxy S26 series, combines high-fidelity audio and a fit created from hundreds of millions of ear data points. Samsung had also improved active noise cancellation and added new features.

“With the Galaxy Buds4 series, our design philosophy was uncompromising, providing all-day comfort without sacrificing audio performance, because these are what consumers value most. We engineered our most powerful hi-fi audio and our most secure, ergonomic fit to enhance one another, delivering the best listening experience we’ve ever created,” said Ikhyun Cho, Corporate Vice President of Mobile Enhancement R&D Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics.  Galaxy Buds4 Pro has a canal-fit design for maximum isolation and sound quality while Galaxy Buds4 Uses an open-fit design for a more

VIDEO GAME ARCHIVING SITE MYRIENT ANNOUNCES SHUTDOWN

PLAYING classic video games today is a luxury, especially when the games or their emulators are hard to find. That’s why online archivists set it upon themselves that those games not in circulation anymore would be preserved to keep their stories alive.

However, unpaid labor would eventually come to a cost. Such is the story of the biggest video game preservation website Myrient that recently announced it will be shutting down its services on March 31, 2026.

Initially announced on its Discord channel, shared by another video game preservist Vimm’s Lair on Twitter, Myrient will be shutting down due to insufficient funding, paywalled download managers, and rising prices of RAM, SSD and HDD.

First, according to Alexey, the owner of Myrient, the traffic in the site continued to increase last year, yet the funding donation remained the same. This left him “paying more than $6,000 out of pocket every month [to maintain the website running] in order to cover the difference which is not sustainable.”

BY PATRICK VILLANUEVA

Typhlosion, and

Feraligatr were also announced to be coming soon, as well as the Electrode Volleyball world tour. Free-to-play puzzle game Pokémon Café Remix will not be left behind as they announced that all starter Pokémons from each region will get a roundup, with the players getting a hold of Kanto starters (Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander) first. New decorations, chef outfits, and new Pokémon will also be coming. The game is free to download in Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS. A little nostalgia run is coming to Nintendo Switch as Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen versions will be coming. Initially

In his second point, Alexey pointed out that specialized download managers bypassed the website, donation messages, and download protection. These download managers, ironically, locked users in a paywall, leaving the users unable to complete the “transaction” without paying. Here, Alexey emphasized that “the use of Myrient for commercial, for-profit purposes has always been strictly forbidden.”

Lastly, the rising cost of RAM, SSD and HDD because of the AI data centers caused Myrient’s hosting expenses to rise as well, according to Alexey. “Necessary upgrades to the storage and caching infrastructure only exacerbated the problem,” he pointed out.

“With a large number of servers and the aforementioned existing monthly deficit of $6,000 out of pocket, there is no way to pay for the increased hosting and hardware upgrade cost,” Alexey added.

“In short, I can no longer afford to run this site,” his message reads.

With that, interested users can now only download their needs on the site until March 31, 2026, before the website shuts down.

Online users sent their support for Myrient, continuously advocating against the AI data centers that caused the high cost of technology. “This is what AI and greed does,” Vimm’s Lair, another archivist, tweeted with the screenshot of Alexey’s Discord message.

“Devastated by Myrient’s end. Preservation is not free; also it is more expensive than everybody thinks,” user Hakan Özerdem replied. “It is infuriating that the uncontrolled AI industry is inflating server hardware costs, killing archives,” he added.

Myrient is one of the largest video game preservation services on the internet, with over 390 terabytes of collection, according to its website.

PATRICK VILLANUEVA

released for the Gameboy Advanced System, the story will follow your journey in the Kanto region to catch Pokémons, battle against gym leaders, and earn badges. Exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, Pokémon Pokopia is an upcoming life simulation game for the franchise. Build your own life with Pokémon or visit and play with others using its multiplayer mode, all to enjoy a relaxing, worldbuilding game with Pokémon. Lastly, the upcoming open-world game Pokémon Winds and Waves was announced by Nintendo. In a vast tropical setting, catch and battle with Pokémon, with its starters Browt, Pombon and Gecqua.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra official in PHL; launches with tablet, smartwatch, full AIoT ecosystem plus a scooter

MAKE YOUR PHOTOS STAND OUT WITH OPPO RENO15 SERIES’ AI MOTION PHOTO POPOUT

SOME photos capture a moment, others capture attention. The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G is designed to help more of what you shoot become the kind you’ll want to share, starting with AI Photo Popout—one of its most playful yet practical AI features. In seconds, it can transform everyday shots into layered, animated visuals that give images added depth and movement, delivering a quick, polished result without relying on third-party social media editing tools.

Using AI Photo Popout is easy. Snap a photo, tap a few options, and watch it instantly level up. With AI Motion Photo Popout, a simple still turns into a lively, layered visual, where your subject looks like it’s popping right out of the frame.

What makes it even better is that it happens right on the OPPO Reno15 Series 5G—no extra apps, no editing rabbit hole. The built-in AI is designed to create cleaner edges and smoother subject cutouts, so you get fewer weird outlines and more natural-looking results. The best part is in most cases, it’s done in about five seconds, so you can make, save, and share on the spot.

With the AI Photo Popout of the OPPO Reno15 Series 5G, sharing moments and stories, especially during travel, is now more exciting. Make group photos or even portrait shots pop out in and blend with picturesque scenic visuals.

On the OPPO Reno15 5G and the OPPO Reno15 Pro 5G, the same shot can be turned into a layered popout visual where the subject subtly moves forward, adding depth and energy to the frame. The effect works particularly well with dynamic poses like running, jumping, spinning, or movement making each content more alive. The AI identifies the subject, separates it cleanly from the background, and builds a layered composition all within seconds. The result is a more interactive and visually striking image ready for sharing.

What sets AI Motion Photo Popout apart is its refined processing. The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G leverages enhanced subject recognition and intelligent background mapping to ensure edges remain smooth even around hair, hands, and detailed outlines. The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G is now available nationwide at all authorized OPPO Stores. Customers can also purchase online via Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, and OPPO Online Store.

More information can be found at www.oppo.com/ph/ or OPPO Philippines’ official social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

WHILE the other recently launched “Ultra” smartphone boasted of its improved and proactive AI capabilities, Xiaomi took a noticeably different direction when it unveiled the Xiaomi 17 Ultra at the Mobile World Congress.

In an article published by The Verge, Xiaomi communications director Angus Ng explained that the strategy was deliberate, saying the company continues to push the limits of imaging hardware before relying heavily on software-driven photography.

That philosophy sits at the heart of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which now officially arrives in the Philippines alongside the Xiaomi 17. Filipino fans no longer need to travel abroad or rely on gray-market imports to get their hands on Xiaomi’s most advanced camera flagship.

BEST LEICA COLLABORATION YET

AT the center of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is Xiaomi’s first 1-inch LOFIC main camera sensor, known as the Light Fusion 1050L. The 50-megapixel sensor is paired with a 23mm Leica Summilux lens with an f/1.67 aperture and optical image stabilization, designed to capture more light and preserve detail in challenging scenes.

Supporting the main camera is a 50-megapixel Leica ultra-wide camera with a 14mm equivalent focal length and f/2.2 aperture, allowing expansive landscape and architectural shots while maintaining Leica color science across the entire imaging system.

But the standout here has to be the 200-megapixel

Leica APO telephoto camera, built around a periscope lens system with an f/2.6 aperture and optical image stabilization. The module supports 75mm to 100mm optical zoom and can extend to an equivalent 400mm focal length, delivering up to 17.2× zoom capability for distant subjects. Designed according to Leica APO optical standards, the telephoto system minimizes chromatic aberration, ghosting, and color fringing even at longer focal lengths. Completing the camera array is a 50-megapixel front camera.

Xiaomi also introduced the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit, which includes a two-stage shutter button, a dedicated video button, and a wrist strap, providing camera-style controls for users who want a more tactile shooting experience.

REINFORCED GUARDIAN STRUCTURE DESIGN

THE Xiaomi 17 Ultra measures 8.29mm thick and weighs 218.4 grams, housed inside a flat-frame body with ultra-thin bezels and a redesigned camera housing that sits more seamlessly on the rear panel. The phone is available in Black, White, and Starlit Green color options. Durability is reinforced through what Xiaomi

calls the Xiaomi Guardian Structure, combining Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0, a high-strength fiberglass back panel, and a reinforced aluminum alloy frame. The device also carries an IP68 rating, providing protection against dust and water.

ELITE PROCESSOR AND BATTERY

POWERING the Xiaomi 17 Series is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, built around Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU architecture, paired with the Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU to handle demanding workloads such as high-resolution photography, video processing, and gaming.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra houses a 6000mAh battery, developed using Xiaomi’s Surge battery technology, which incorporates 16 percent silicon content to increase energy density. Charging is supported by 90W wired HyperCharge and 50W wireless HyperCharge.

DISPLAY BUILT FOR BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR ACCURACY

THE Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED display capable of reaching 3,500 nits peak brightness, allowing the screen to remain visible even under direct sunlight. The panel supports an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz.

The screen is built using Xiaomi’s custom M10 OLED panel, designed to improve brightness efficiency and color accuracy while lowering power draw. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra also introduces HyperRGB display technology, which redesigns the OLED subpixel layout to enhance clarity and color reproduction.

FLIRTING WITH PREMIUM FLAGSHIP PRICING BUT beyond all those features, the other detail that immediately stands out is the price.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra carries a suggested retail price of ₱99,999, placing it just one peso shy of the six-digit territory occupied by the most expensive flagship smartphones and foldables.

For early adopters, however, Xiaomi is offering a special preorder price of ₱84,999 through the official Xiaomi Shopee store, bundled with a Xiaomi Watch 5 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra Photography Kit worth ₱8,999. As an added incentive, those who preorder will get the chance to win a Leica Q3 premium fullframe camera worth P417,000.

COMPACT FLAGSHIP ALTERNATIVE

ALONGSIDE the Ultra model, Xiaomi also introduced the base Xiaomi 17, designed as a lighter and more compact flagship option that retains the Leica imaging technology.

The Xiaomi 17 measures 8.06mm thick and weighs 191 grams, and is available in Black, Venture Green, Alpine Pink, and Ice Blue. Its camera system centers on a 50-megapixel Light Fusion 950 main camera with a 1/1.31-inch sensor, 23mm focal length, and f/1.67 aperture with optical image stabilization, using 2.4-micron 4-in-1 Super Pixel technology capable of delivering 13.5EV dynamic range. Supporting the main sensor is a 50-megapixel Leica 60mm floating telephoto camera with f/2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization, capable of 10-centimeter macro photography, as well as a 50-megapixel Leica ultra-wide camera with a 17mm focal length and a 102-degree field of view.

For selfies and video calls, the device includes a 50-megapixel front camera with autofocus.

The Xiaomi 17 also features a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display capable of reaching 3,500 nits peak brightness, with an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. The panel uses Xiaomi’s M10 OLED architecture, designed to improve brightness efficiency while reducing power consumption.

The 512GB variant will retail for an SRP of P55,999, with a special online preorder price of P53,999, while the 256GB variant will retail for an SRP of P53,599 and a special preorder price of P49,999. Preorders will come with a Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm.

XIAOMI PAD 8 SERIES

XIAOMI also introduced the Xiaomi Pad 8 Series, composed of the Xiaomi Pad 8 and Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, both positioned as productivity-focused tablets running Xiaomi HyperOS 3. Both tablets feature an 11.2-inch 3.2K display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 800 nits peak brightness. The devices measure 5.75mm thin and weigh 485 grams, yet still house a 9,200mAh battery designed for extended use.

The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, paired with the 67W HyperCharge, 50-megapixel rear camera, and 32-megapixel front camera for high-quality video calls and content creation. The tablet is priced at ₱38,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant.

The Xiaomi Pad 8 runs on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, supports 45W fast charging, and includes a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 8-megapixel front camera. The tablet will retail for ₱29,999.

EXPANDING XIAOMI’S ECOSYSTEM

COMPLETING the launch were several new ecosystem devices designed to work seamlessly with Xiaomi’s smartphones and tablets.

The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6 Ultra leads the lineup with 1200W peak motor power, 12-inch allterrain tires, and a maximum riding range of up to 75 kilometers. The scooter features dual-swing-arm suspension, disc braking with E-ABS, IPX6 water resistance, and app connectivity through Xiaomi Home. It will retail for ₱46,999. The Xiaomi Watch 5, powered by Wear OS 6 by Google, features a 1.54-inch display, Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor, and a 930mAh battery capable of up to 6 days of use in smart mode or up to 18 days in power-saving mode. The smartwatch carries a suggested retail price of ₱18,999.

For portable charging, Xiaomi introduced the UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W, measuring 6mm thin and weighing 98 grams, with 5000mAh capacity, 15W wireless charging, and USB-C wired charging support. The power bank retails for ₱3,699, while the Radiant Orange version is priced at ₱3,899. Xiaomi also launched the Xiaomi Tag, a Bluetooth tracking device weighing about 10 grams, compatible with Apple Find My and Google Android Find Hub. It offers over one year of battery life using a replaceable CR2032 battery and is priced at ₱899 for a single pack or ₱2,799 for a four-pack. Completing the lineup are the REDMI Buds 8 Pro, featuring a triple-driver audio system, Dolby Audio support, and active noise cancellation up to 55dB. The earbuds deliver up to 8 hours of playback on a

Phil. Book Fest bolsters NBDB’s pact for local publishing industry’s growth

THE National Book Development Board (NBDB) is all set for the fourth Philippine Book Festival (PBF)—the country’s marketplace exclusively for local books and published works.

According to the NBDB, this year’s PBF will also serve as a shared “third place” for publishers, writers, illustrators, readers, educators, and industry stakeholders. The festival will run from March 12 to 15, 2026 at the Megatrade Hall, 5th Floor, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

“With the continued interest…in the last few years, we are encouraged by the growing appreciation for Filipino stories and content,” said NBDB Executive Director Charisse AquinoTugade. “The strong public response affirms there is a meaningful demand for books that reflect our own culture, languages, and lived experiences.”

Building on that momentum, the NBDB sees PBF 2026 as an opportunity not only to expand visitor turnout and exhibitor participation, but also to strengthen access to locally produced books and learning materials.

As a milestone for the festival, Day 1 (March 12) will be open to the general public for the first time, welcoming all readers alongside the Department of Education (DepEd) and its book evaluators from across the country.

‘Four Realms, One Rainforest’ PBF 2026 reimagines four signature realms within a rainforest-inspired setting. “Aral Aklat ” will highlight books as tools for learning and discovery, and feature textbooks and teaching guides.

Booktopia invites visitors to explore the breadth of Filipino fiction and nonfiction. Kid Lit will nurture early readers through interactive, childfriendly experiences, while “ Komiks ” is ready to celebrate the visual richness of Filipino comics and graphic storytelling.

This year’s lineup brings together the full spectrum of Philippine literary life. National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, and prominent historian Ambeth Ocampo will be on hand for book signings alongside trade-book superstars Jonaxx and Ron Canimo, kidlit masters Eugene Evasco and Luis Gatmaitan, and komiks legends Manix Abrera and Pol Medina. GMA Network, together with PaperKat Books, will also launch

NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade

“Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre” at PBF 2026.

Beyond the realms, the festival offers a range of spaces for connection: “ Lugar Lagdaan ” for book signings and reader-author meetups; “ Bahay Ilustrador ” for a look into the world of visual storytellers; “Gubat ng Karunungan ” for workshops, talks, and masterclasses; the Fiesta Stage for major programming and performances; and “ Umpukan ” for informal community conversations.

The NBDB, in cooperation with the National Library of the Philippines, will also feature facsimiles of “Noli Me Tangere,” “ Doctrina Christiana,” and Fr. Manuel Blanco’s “Flora de Filipinas” —rare works that anchor the festival in the Philippines’ deep literary heritage.

Highlight of the four-day run is the 43rd National Book Awards on March 14 at the Fiesta Stage. It

will recognize authors, illustrators, editors, translators, and publishers whose books have helped shape the country’s literary landscape.

‘Rainforest of Knowledge’

THIS year’s festival takes its theme from the richness underfoot and overhead: the “Gubat ng Karunungan,” or “Rainforest of Knowledge.” The key visual, crafted by artist and designer Joffrey “Pepot” Atienza, follows the characters Yaz and Ye-ey as they journey through a teeming rainforest, taking in its flora, fauna, and falls.

Drawing on his daily life at the foot of Mount Banahaw in Lucban, Quezon, Atienza wove recycled paper into the artwork as a deliberate gesture: the same trees that give us paper carry the stories we tell. “Our stories, our books, and our karunungan [knowledge] all start here—in the biodiversity we need to protect.”

Aquino-Tugade said the PBF is positioned not only as a literary event, but also as a “third place” that connects key players in the publishing and education sectors: “By convening publishers, institutional buyers, educators, and readers in a single venue, the festival supports broader efforts to improve access to quality Philippine books and sustain the local publishing industry.”

She urged everyone to “make the Philippines not just a nation of readers, but a global powerhouse of authors and creators.”

Duolingo’s PvP mode now on Android with the 1st Indonesia chess activation

JAKARTA—Duolingo, the world’s leading learning app, announced the launch of its Chess’s Player-vs-Player mode (PvP) on Android.

Following the successful iOS debut in late 2025, the Android rollout of Duolingo chess course has given millions of learners access to beginner-friendly chess lessons designed to build critical thinking and strategic skills. The player-vs-player (PvP) mode allows learners to test their skills against real opponents in real time.

In a study involving Indonesian students, 75 percent of respondents said they felt more motivated and engaged when learning through gamified experiences, highlighting growing demand for playful, interactive education formats.

Built on the Duolingo Method, which emphasizes learning by doing rather than memorization, the chess course brings this gamified approach to one of the world’s most iconic strategy games, making it more accessible, especially for beginners.

“We’ve seen strong early engagement from learners exploring Chess PvP mode on iOS, and bringing the experience to Android allows us to reach even more people, especially in

INSEAD, The Business School for the World, announced a transformational €15-million gift from an alumnus and longstanding donor to accelerate the development of the Human and Machine Intelligence Institute (HUMII).

As the largest gift received to date for the HUMII, it marks a significant step in advancing INSEAD’s ambition to lead business education and research on the human-centered and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business.

“INSEAD shaped my own thinking and career. I believe in its mission and trust its leadership,” said the donor. “AI offers significant opportunities, alongside critical questions for business and society. With HUMII, I want to help ensure INSEAD stays at the forefront by providing relevant research and

mobile-first markets like Indonesia,” said Southeast Asia Regional Marketing Manager Irene Tong. “One product insight we’ve observed is that playing against another person can feel intimidating. Looking ahead, we’re working on a range of updates to make PvP feel more welcoming and enjoyable—especially for players who are just starting out.”

Tong said that at its core, “chess is about connecting with others and strengthening your critical thinking skills. We want to help make that experience more accessible and empow -

insights that help leaders navigate this transformation effectively and thoughtfully.”

Research lies at the heart of INSEAD’s mission to bring together people, cultures, and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. As AI accelerates change across industries, organizations increasingly rely on rigorous, globally informed research to understand how human and machine intelligence can work together: Humans bring context, experience and judgment; AI contributes speed, precision and analytical power. HUMII brings these strengths together to enhance decision-making and performance, ensuring that technology supports human leadership and enables teams to work smarter and create meaningful impact.

ering for our learners.”

Mainly puzzle-based WITH the Duolingo Chess course, learners start with the basics, like how each piece moves, and build their skills by solving puzzles and playing mini matches guided by Oscar, who is Duolingo’s in-game chess coach. About 75 percent of the course is puzzle-based, giving learners handson practice with core tactics. The rest features mini and full games that help them apply what they’ve learned. With personalized practice

Launched in early 2025, the institute explores how AI can enhance human capability across business and society. Built on strong foundations in research, teaching and service, HUMII reflects INSEAD’s commitment to AI across all its dimensions.

Anchored in rigorous research, INSEAD links discovery to education, shaping both what we teach and how we teach while extending into engagement with leaders and organizations and informing the way we work as a school.

“AI is reshaping how we live and work, and INSEAD has a responsibility to help leaders understand what this means for people and organizations,” said INSEAD dean Francisco Veloso.

“This gift strengthens our ability to advance AI research, attract leading scholars and translate knowledge into education and impact, guided by aca -

and lessons that gradually become more challenging, learners progress from guided moves to solving checkmates on their own—all in fun, bitesized lessons.

To access PvP mode, learners can visit the Matches tab and tap “Play a Person” to be paired with an opponent of a similar skill level, applying what they’ve learned in a more social and competitive setting.

“One thing we’re especially excited about is that bringing PvP mode to Android adds significant “liquidity” to PvP matches,” Tong shared. “In practice, that means shorter wait times globally—especially for higher ELO players.”

Duolingo is currently working on a number of meaningful updates to Chess designed to strengthen the overall learning experience. These include enabling play with friends, introducing game review features, expanding Chess to the web platform, and developing more advanced content. Together, these efforts aim to make Chess more accessible, engaging, and supportive for learners at different stages of their journey.

Duolingo’s Chess course is free to access on Android and is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

demic rigor and a global outlook. We are deeply grateful for this exceptional generosity and the trust placed in us by our donor.”

“This gift comes at a pivotal moment,” added HUMII dean of Research and Innovation, and academic leader Lily Fang “HUMII enables INSEAD to advance research at the intersection of human and AI—a space where thoughtful leadership is urgently needed. This exceptional support allows us to deepen our work, accelerate discovery, and expand the global impact of our research.”

Since its inception, HUMII has mobilized faculty expertise, alumni engagement, and global partnerships. It has convened multi-campus AI forums, launched cross-disciplinary research initiatives, and began integrating cutting-edge AI content into INSEAD’s curriculum.

Editor: Mike Policarpio

Public school students tackle green job basics in JPMorganChase’s Career Connect program

VOLUNTEERS from JPMorganChase and local partner

Junior Achievement of the Philippines (JA Philippines) recently completed two mentorship sessions for the former’s Career Connect program designed to prepare senior high school students for “green jobs.”

According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Global Green Skills Report, green skills are in high demand—even outpacing the increase in supply—and are seen to be resilient during times of economic uncertainty.

According to the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report, the green transition is one of the key factors reshaping the labor market, with “green and energy-transition roles” among the 15 fastest-growing roles. In the Philippines, the biggest driver for green jobs is the Green Jobs Act of 2016, with local demand for green jobs increasing by as much as 3.5 million in 2030, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

Career Connect is a global philanthropy program of JPMorganChase in 11 countries, launched locally in October 2025 in partnership with JA Philippines.

JPMorganChase’s global capability center started Philippine operations in 2005, and now has more than 20,000 employees in Manila and Cebu.

About 1,000 students have already completed six green modules and a communications workshop held in Metro Manila and Cebu from October 2025 to January this year. From there, 100 students are now in the process of developing sustainabilityoriented capstone projects under the mentorship of JPMorganChase volunteers. The curriculum was developed in partnership with JA Philippines and approved by the Department of Education.

Filipino educators participate in Tokyo Intl Deaf Arts Festival

FILIPINO educational practitioners from the De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde represented the country in the recent inaugural Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival (TIDAF) held at the ZaKoenji Public Theater in Suginami City, Japan.

TIDAF, organized by the Deaf Arts Society of Japan, aims to promote Deaf arts in Japan and across the global community. In addition to the Philippines, this year’s participants included Australia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Philippine delegation was composed of the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies fulltime faculty Michael Vea, together with SDEAS-Center for Partnership and Development (CPD) associates Shaquille De Guzman and Francis Ethelbert Pagaduan.

The three educators—the first and only representatives of the Philippines in TIDAF—joined the festival’s Fringe Program, which showcased independent and unique artworks in exhibitions.

They likewise shared stories in Filipino Sign Language (FSL) and delivered a lecture on the development of FSL literature in the country—a field which Benilde has actively championed through the years.

Sign Slam, originally referred to as ASL Slam, is a thrilling international sign language battle where hard of hearing artists face off against each other by showcasing their visual poetry and storytelling skills.

“I realized how exciting it was, and how much it allowed me to express my skills in FSL,” Pagaduan remarked. “It made me even more interested, and now I wish to bring something like this back home. I’m truly grateful for the chance to compete on a world stage. I hope this experience will inspire more Deaf Filipinos to join and someday, win.”

The delegation also had the chance to meet members of Japan’s imperial family: Crown Princess Kiko of Akishino and Princess Kako of Akishino. After the event, the Benilde representatives also visited partner school National Tsukuba University of Technology. They were welcomed by its president Yasushi Ishihara and Deaf educator Dr. Yoko Kobayashi, then interacted with the faculty and students to share insights from their TIDAF experiences.

Vea finished his Master’s degree in Literature at De La Salle University, and is now a doctoral candidate in anthropology at University of the Philippines-Diliman. Meanwhile, Pagaduan and De Guzman teach FSL under the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program, and are taking up Master of Learning and Teaching at DLSU.

Pagaduan became the first Deaf Filipino to compete in the festival’s “Sign Slam”—a milestone which affirmed the Philippines’ place on the global stage of sign language literature.

Tourism&Entertainment

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

BusinessMirror

HIKING WITH PURPOSE Protecting Masungi, one trail at a time

Story & photos by Angelique Cortez

IThad been six years since I last set my foot on a mountain trail. Weekends were once spent summiting peaks on mountains in neighboring provinces, but then the pandemic, and life itself, quietly reshaped my priorities. Hiking eventually slipped into the background.

So when an opportunity to hike Masungi landed in my lap, I felt a rush of excitement mingled with doubt. I wasn’t as physically active as I used to be, and the thought of hiking for six hours made me hesitate. But as the great naturalist John Muir once said, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” And sometimes, you simply have to answer.

A Day Immersed in Masungi Georeserve

MASUNGI Georeserve is set within the country’s largest mountain range, the Sierra Madre. This plays a vital role in protecting Luzon from severe weather, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting surrounding communities. Yet years of illegal logging, deforestation, and ongoing land threats have left parts of the landscape vulnerable. Protecting it demands long-term commitment, with forest restoration

extending far beyond a single visit.

In support of its sustainability, Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC), together with members of the media, took part in the geopark’s Tree Nurturing activity. This program is focused not only on planting, but most specially on the continuous care, monitoring, and protection of young trees to ensure its higher survival rates and lasting regeneration.

The day began with a conservation briefing before we set out on the beginner-friendly Legacy Trail, one of the several routes offered

at varying levels of difficulty. Our trek led us to a denuded area where saplings are being planted and nurtured. Alongside park rangers, we weeded and mulched young trees. It might be a simple activity, but it’s the critical phase in rebuilding the forest.

The trail itself combined established stone paths with occasional steep ascents, softened by cool breezes and scenic views of Rizal and Laguna de Bay. Along the way, we gained deeper insight into the reserve’s rich flora and fauna, and witnessed firsthand how sustained tree

NATIONAL ARTS MONTH Culture talk and performances in Palo, Leyte

Photos by Marky Ramone Go

AFTER a dazzling opening salvo of National Arts Month in Luneta on February first, and a series of parallel celebrations in Davao City, Butuan, and the various Art FriDates across Angono, Rizal; Bulacan; Biñan, Laguna; Quezon Province; and Muntinlupa—each organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in cooperation with local arts stakeholders—the Visayas took its turn in Palo, Leyte. There, the event matched up the energy and creativity of the other events, showcasing the town’s rich cultural talent while hosting an insightful dialogue on the ways in which local arts might be further nurtured and championed across the archipelago.

Capping February’s National Arts Month, a cultural showcase titled “Pagsalin-urog” brought together homegrown artists and performers from across Eastern Visayas, offering audiences an evening of music, dance and visual expression rooted in the region’s heritage. The program highlighted the depth of the Visayan arts scene while giving local audiences a chance to see their own cultural traditions interpreted onstage. For visitors, it offered a glimpse into the region’s artistic identity through Waray songs and dances.

Music anchored the evening, with performances by ensembles, including the Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company musicians, the Palo National High School Rondalla, LNU Dumagsa, Palo Cathedral Grand Choir, LNU Philharmonic Singers, the Palo Ambassadors Orchestra and Brass Band just to name some. Dance groups such as the Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company, the Leyte Dance Theater, Shadow Arts Theater of Palo, and the Leyte Normal University Dance Company added movement and narrative, joined by performing arts

groups and secondary schools across Region VIII. The program unfolded in four segments: Paglingi (“Looking Back”), Pagpukaw (“Awakening”), Pagtindog (“Standing Up”), and Pagpadayon (“Moving Forward”). Inspired by the experiences of communities that endured the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the performances reflected memory, resilience and renewal, a reminder of how culture sustains communities long after disaster has passed.

Insightful Art Talk

B EFORE the night’s performance, an informative talk was held, hosted by the local government of Palo and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), with participation from students of various local schools. The invited speakers included Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua, NCCA’s Head of the National Committee on Music and Dean of the UST Conservatory of Music; Jenelyn Garcia, member of Katig Writers and representative of the National Committee on Literary Arts; Dr. Dennis Montera, former Head of the National Committee on Visual Arts; and Mr. Victor Hao Cuenco, who delivered a talk titled Staging a Dance Production.

Visual Art Bridges Past and Present

ONE is struck not only by the iconic MacArthur Landing Memorial cast in bronze but by the stories it carries. “They do not simply commemorate an event,” said Dennis “Sio” Montera, a practicing visual artist and educator. “They transform history into form, gesture, and presence.”

The Philippines’ visual culture, from precolonial tattoos to Spanish-era churches, reflects a deeply ingrained sense of meaning. Tattoos, once symbols of courage and rites of passage, “were not merely decoration. Every ink or image represents a ritual passage, a lived experience,” Montera explained. Bestowed from adolescence to elderhood, these markings charted both personal and communal identity.

“Objects created in the past were not merely for decor but for purpose,” he added, pointing to early Chinese trade and ritual objects. These artifacts, now displayed in several museum in the country, connect Filipinos to centuries of cultural memory.

The colonial period introduced new forms, particularly in religious architecture. Churches across the archipelago, with cruciform designs, grand altars, and retablos, served as visual sermons. “Faith is something that cannot be seen,” Montera said, “but man needs proof. When you need proof, you build this—an edifice, a painting, a sculpture.” Art became a vehicle for belief, community, and continuity.

Montera also highlighted contemporary artists from Leyte who continue to shape the nation’s visual vocabulary. Works by Rico Palacio of Palo and Dante Enage of Tacloban, whose Patterned Paradise represented the Philippines at the 2025 Art Biennale in Beijing, show that local creativity is alive and globally recognized. “Art began as meaning, not decoration,” he concluded.

Rethinking Music in the Classroom MUSIC education in the Philippines has been steadily curtailed, folded into the broader MAPE curriculum and often limited to a single monthly session. “Music is being put as part of MAPE, wherein you meet once a month, that is a very limited level of training,” said Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua. Students rotate between music, arts, physical education, and health, leaving little room for practice, exposure, or mastery.

Yet Filipinos remain passionate listeners. A recent survey found the country leads the world in daily music-listening time, averaging 126 minutes. “Music in the Philippines serves as a rich source of cultural and creative capital, nurturing generations of musicians and performers,” Chua said. Access, however, remains unequal. Lessons in piano, violin, or voice are often reserved for those who can afford them. “Not everyone can afford piano lessons or violin lessons. Access to music should not depend on income,” Chua emphasized. Untapped talent is lost not for lack of ability, but opportunity.

Compared with neighbors like Singapore and Malaysia, where music is core to early education, Philippine students face a shortened experience. “When you remove arts, you remove music, you remove our own identity,” Chua warned. “Creation is the highest level. We must create our own music.”

nurturing powers Masungi’s long-term mission to reforestation. I was also amazed at the craftsmanship of the local community by creating low-impact rest installations along the trail which served as a beautiful reminder that sustainability, community, and purpose can come together.

To commemorate the day, we also received special caps from New Era Cap Philippines crafted with REPREVE® recycled fiber, a material made by transforming post-consumer plastics into durable textile.

Epson’s Long-term Commitment in Environmental Sustainability

THE “Legacy Trail” represents hope that every visitor carries forward the knowledge and responsibility gained from the experience. Conservation does not conclude at the end of the hike. It continues in the daily choices people make and in the communities they influence.

The principle of continuity closely aligns with Epson’s own presence in the Philippines. For five decades, the company has built longterm partnerships while advancing innovation guided by its global “Engineered for Good” campaign. The framework underscores Epson’s belief that meaningful progress is achieved through consistent, measurable action sustained over time.

Masako Kusama, President and Director of Epson Philippines, emphasized this perspective. “Tree nurturing reminds us that progress requires patience and responsibility. We believe that building a legacy means continuing the work long after the moment has passed,” Kusama said. The experience along the Legacy Trail reinforced a shared understanding between Epson and its partners that impact is not defined by scale alone, but by commitment that endures.

Answering the mountain’s call MASUNGI Georeserve stands as living proof that nature both protects and pleads. Though it has no voice, its presence is felt in the forests that shield communities from floods, in the waters it helps regulate, and in the fragile ecosystems it fights to restore. When floods surge in neighboring towns and some cities in the metro, we are reminded of how deeply connected we are to landscapes like this.

The call, then, is not only to hike, but to help. By supporting Masungi’s conservation efforts, whether through tree nurturing, guided trail experiences, or simply spreading awareness, we take part in restoring what has long been neglected.

Music is more than a subject: it is identity, culture, and imagination. Neglect it, and both talent and heritage go unheard.

Reasons to Celebrate Philippine Arts more IN a session designed to spark creativity, Jenelyn Garcia encouraged students to write freely, urging them to produce fiction that she would gladly critique. She also highlighted the works of Merlie Alunan, the Visayan writer nominated this year for National Artist for Literature, offering a tangible example of literary achievement from the region. Meanwhile, Victor Hao Cuenco presented a master class titled Staging a Dance Production, delving into the complexities of festival planning.

He emphasized the critical role of production elements and the ways choreographers and festival organizers can elevate their craft, ensuring that performances resonate authentically with the communities they represent. The talk concluded with a lively Q&A, showing that the students’ curiosity had been piqued by the speakers. To wrap up the discussion, Montera asked why many Filipinos seem to know more about artists from other countries, such as Vincent Van Gogh. He explained that it is because other countries produce more writing about their artists, while the Philippines has very few writers focusing on its own. “That should change,” he said, “as we find more reasons to celebrate our artists.”

A10 Saturday, March 7, 2026

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Intense Israeli strikes hit Iran and Lebanon as US warns the bombardment will ‘surge dramatically’

By Jon Gambrell, David Rising Russ Bynum & Sally Abou Aljoud

The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emir -

ates—Intense Israeli air -

strikes pounded the capitals of Iran and Lebanon early Friday as the US apparently struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea in its unrelenting campaign against the Islamic Republic’s fleet of warships.

Iran launched new retaliatory attacks in the Middle East at the end of a full week of bombardment, which US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned was “about to surge dramatically.”

Israel’s military said Friday morning it had begun “a broadscale wave of strikes” on Tehran, Iran’s capital. Witnesses described the Israeli airstrikes

as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area. Others reported explosions around the Iranian city of Kermanshah in an area that is home to multiple missile bases.

The Israeli military said strikes have already destroyed most of Iran’s air defenses and missile launchers.

The war has escalated to affect countries across the Middle East and beyond. Early Friday, Iran fired missile and drone attacks into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Lebanon, where the war has rekindled fighting between Israel and Iran-allied Hezbollah militants, Israel launched a series of airstrikes late Thursday into Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut and other areas.

Motorists jammed roads trying to flee or seek shelter.

The US and Israel have battered Iran with nationwide strikes, targeting their military capabilities,

leadership and nuclear program. In addition to Israel, Iran’s attacks have targeted their Arab neighbors, disrupted oil supplies and snarled global air travel.

The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 120 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six US troops have been killed.

US says it struck an Iranian drone carrier

THE US military said early Friday that it struck an Iranian drone carrier, setting it ablaze.

The US military’s Central Command released black-and-white footage of the burning carrier.

The Iranian military did not immediately acknowledge the attack.

The drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, is a converted container ship with a 180-meter-long (yard) runway for drones. The vessel can travel up to 22,000 nautical miles without needing to refuel in ports, reports said at the time of its 2025 inauguration.

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, described the carrier as “roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier.”

“And as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper told reporters.

Earlier in the week, an American submarine sank an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka as it was returning from an exercise hosted by the Indian navy that the US also joined. The sinking killed at least 87 sailors.

Under cover of darkness Friday morning, B-2 stealth bombers dropped dozens of 2,000 pound “penetrator” bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile launchers inside Iran, Cooper said.

“We’ve also struck Iran’s equivalent of Space Command, which degrades their ability to threaten Americans,” Cooper said.

‘I

couldn’t find my kids’: Iran’s missile strike kills 3 siblings in deadliest attack on Israel

By Melanie Lidman The Associated Press

JERUSALEM—Tamar

Biton was in the kitchen when an explosion rocked her home in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, shattering the windows and collapsing the ceiling with a boom louder than anything she had ever heard.

Making her way to what was left of a window, she saw fire and destruction everywhere, she said.

“I couldn’t find my kids, but I was sure they would be able to rescue them from underneath the rubble,” she said.

That was not to be. It took 24 hours to identify the bodies of three of her four children: Yaakov, about to celebrate his 17th birthday that evening; Avigail, 15; and Sarah, 13. They were among nine people killed Sunday when an Iranian missile strike demolished a synagogue and homes in Beit Shemesh. Israel’s rescue services said 65 people were hospitalized in the attack, including two seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest attack on Israel, where 11 people have died, since the war began Saturday with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The conflict has escalated each day, affecting an additional 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond.

At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran and more than 100 in Lebanon.

Tamar Biton, husband Yitzhak and their surviving daughter, 4-year-old Rachel, are observing the Jewish week of mourning in a Jerusalem hotel where they were placed after their house was destroyed.

Neighbors and friends grieve together FOR hours on end, as neighbors,

friends and strangers gathered around, stories poured from Tamar about her three children.

Yaakov, a natural-born leader and orator, studied at the Jewish seminary her husband ran and was known for bringing friends closer to Jewish observance. Avigail was smart, sensitive and thoughtful, and Sarah was a whirlwind of activity always helping around the house and the community.

As Tamar spoke, she lit up, remembering details of each of the children she had buried Monday in a late-night funeral at Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives cemetery, one of the holiest places Jews can be buried.

But when Tamar stopped speaking, she seemed to collapse in on herself, remembering what had happened.

Yitzhak Biton had taught a class in Jewish texts that deadly morning; his son had attended along with his best friend, 16-year-old Gavriel Ravach. Both were killed in the missile attack.

Other families also lost multiple members, including volunteer paramedic Ronit Elimelech, 45, and her mother, Sara Elimelech. Penina Cohen lost her husband, Yosef, and mother-in-law, Buria, in the attack. Her son was supposed to have celebrated his bar

mitzvah, the Jewish coming of age ceremony, on Monday. Instead, he buried his father and grandmother, Cohen told Israeli President Isaac Herzog when he visited her at the hospital.

Survivors recount what happened WHEN the alarms blared to warn of an incoming missile attack Sunday afternoon, Yitzhak Biton said he decided to stay in the house, but Yaakov, Avigail and Sarah went toward the shelter under the synagogue, following Israel’s

guidelines for civilians.

While Yaakov was found inside the shelter, it’s unclear whether Avigail and Sarah were able to make it in time, Tamar Biton said. The impact flattened the synagogue over the shelter and homes on several surrounding streets.

As hope for her children’s survival dimmed, Tamar Biton changed her prayers.

“I said to my husband, ‘Please let something be left of them — or do you think it’s just ash and that’s why they can’t identify them?’” she said Thursday.

Yitzhak said he tried to search for his children, despite terror at what he might find.

“They started taking out bodies, and I kept saying, ‘Where are my children? Where are my children?’ When they came and asked for a DNA sample, I knew the answer,” he said.

Both parents continue to cling to their faith, telling visitors who came to pay condolences of Yaakov’s sincerity in swearing off any kind of digital devices considered forbidden by observant Jews and their daughters’ acts of kindness.

Yitzhak Biton says he hopes to open a Jewish seminary in honor of his children, aimed at encouraging unity among Israel’s youth and countering issues driving the country apart, such as baseless hatred and negativity.

“They sanctified God’s name with their life, and also after their death, they continue sanctifying his name,” Yitzhak said, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Tamar Biton said she has been able to maintain her faith because she works to cultivate it every day.

“Faith isn’t built in a day,” she said. “Faith is a gift from God, and faith is what gives you the ability to stand in front of these challenges, these experiences, in front of these waves.”

Sri Lanka takes control of Iranian vessel off its coast after US sunk an Iranian warship

By Bharatha Mallawarachi & Sheikh Saaliq The Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore Friday after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine. Sri Lanka navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said the sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were being brought first to the port of Colombo and the ship will later be moved to an eastern port on the island.

“The disembarkation is in progress,” he said, adding the sailors would be taken to the naval base at Welisara, about 20 kilometers

toward Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh, which hosts US forces, said a spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense.

Speaking alongside Cooper, Hegseth gave few details when he promised an upcoming surge.

“It’s more fighter squadrons, it’s more capabilities, it’s more defensive capabilities,” Hegseth said. “And it’s more bomber pulses more frequently.”

Iran targets country’s hosting US forces

QATAR’S Defense Ministry reported early Friday it intercepted a drone attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the US Central Command.

Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles fired early Friday

Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, where the Interior Ministry said Iranian strikes targeted two hotels and a residential building. It said there were no casualties. In Kuwait, where the six US soldiers were killed Sunday, the Kuwaiti army said its air defenses were activated when missile and drone attacks breached Kuwait’s airspace.

Cooper said Iranian attacks had now hit a dozen countries, who would be welcome to play a more active role in the conflict.

“Those 12 countries are none too happy and look forward to working with all the partners who are willing to join us,” he said.

Trump again urges Iranians to “take back” their country IN brief remarks at the White House, US President Donald Trump again urged the Iranian people to “help take back your country.” This time he promised the US would grant them “immunity” amid the war and ongoing dangers under the current Iranian regime.

“So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity,” Trump said, without giving any details about what that meant. “Or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death.”

Cooper and Hegseth cautioned Iranians not to take to the streets while the conflict is still raging, however.

“It’s common sense, don’t go out and protest while bombs are dropping” Hegseth said.

“The best thing for them to do now is just to lay low,” Cooper added.

(12 miles) north of Colombo, after medical exams and immigration procedures.

The move by the Sri Lankan government to take over the vessel came after the US sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast Wednesday. The strike marked one of the rare instances since World War II in which a submarine sank a surface warship, and highlighted the expanding scope of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

IRIS Dena warship had participated in naval exercises hosted by India before heading into international waters on its way home. At least 74 countries had joined the events, according to India’s Defense Ministry, including the US Navy, which conducted reconnaissance aircraft and maritime patrol drills.

The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies after the attack.

In an interview with the news website Axios, Trump said he should be involved in choosing Iran’s new supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes of the war.

Trump spoke dismissively of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, being a frontrunner to replace his father, calling him “a lightweight.”

“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump said.

Iranian officials meet to discuss new leadership

IRANIAN state television reported Friday that a leadership council had started discussing how to convene the country’s Assembly of Experts, which will select the new supreme leader.

The leadership council includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called it an “atrocity at sea” and said the US would “bitterly regret” the attack.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said late Thursday that authorities decided to take control of the Iranian vessel IRIS Bushehr after discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain, after one of its engines failed.

“We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation. It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to the international treaties and conventions,” he told journalists Thursday night.

Separately on Friday, he wrote on X: “No civilian should die in wars. Our approach is that every single life is as precious as our own.”

The IRIS Bushehr had been described in

chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi and cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi.

The statement provided no timeline on the selection of the supreme leader, nor information on whether the Assembly of Experts would meet in person or remotely for the vote.

Buildings associated with the Assembly of Experts, a 88-member clerical panel, have been attacked during the Israeli-US airstrike campaign.

Israel hits Lebanon with multiple airstrikes around Beirut

ISRAEL carried out at least 11 airstrikes late Thursday and early Friday, targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut. Fires broke out near a gas station.

The Israeli army issued a warning Thursday evening, urging residents to

previous Iranian media reports as a navy logistics ship that also had a helicopter pad on it. The episode underscores how the conflict involving Iran is widening beyond the Middle East and spilling into the Indian Ocean, putting strategically located Sri Lanka in a delicate position as it tries to balance humanitarian obligations, international maritime law and its longstanding policy of non-alignment.

Dissanayake said some crew members would remain on board to help the Sri Lankan navy navigate the vessel to Trincomalee on the island’s northeast coast, about 265 kilometers (165 miles) from Colombo. The remaining sailors will be housed at a naval base, he said, adding that Sri Lanka was guided by neutrality while seeking to uphold humanitarian principles.

Saaliq reported from New Delhi.

“save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately.” Two hospitals evacuated patients and staff. No casualties were immediately reported. The Lebanese health ministry said the death toll has risen to 123 since the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which struck Israel in the opening days of the war. A spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Tilak Pokharel, said Thursday that peacekeepers had seen and heard clashes, including ground combat, in southern Lebanon as more Israeli forces have moved across the border.

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia, Rising from Bangkok and Abou AlJoud from Beirut, Lebanon. AP journalists around the world contributed.

A12 Saturday, March 7, 2026

AP sources: Gulf frustration grows over lack of notice on Iran strikes, defense aid

By Samy Magdy, Michelle L. Price & Aamer Madhani The Associated Press

CAIRO—The Trump administration is confronting mounting discontent from allies in the Persian Gulf who have complained they were not given adequate time to prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their countries in retaliation for strikes launched by the US and Israel.

Officials from two Gulf countries said their governments were disappointed in the way the US has handled the war, particularly the initial attack on Iran last Saturday. They said their countries were not given advance notice of the US-Israeli attack and complained the US had ignored their warnings that the war would have devastating consequences for the entire region.

One of the officials said that Gulf countries were frustrated and even angry that the US military has not defended them enough. He said there is belief in the region that the operation has focused on defending Israel and American troops, while leaving Gulf countries to protect themselves and said that his country’s stock of interceptors was “rapidly depleting.”

Like others in this story, the Gulf officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential

diplomatic matter. The governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain did not respond to requests for comment.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in response: “Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% because Operation Epic Fury is crushing their ability to shoot these weapons or produce more. President Trump is in close contact with all of our regional partners, and the terrorist Iranian regime’s attacks on its neighbors prove how imperative it was that President Trump eliminate this threat to our country and our allies.”

The Pentagon did not respond.

Official reactions by the Gulf Arab countries have been muted, but public figures with close ties to their governments have been openly critical of the US, suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dragged President Donald Trump into a

needless war.

“This is Netanyahu’s war,” Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief, told CNN on Wednesday. “He somehow convinced the president (Trump) to support his views.”

Pentagon officials conceded this week in closed-door briefings with lawmakers they are struggling to stop waves of drones launched by Iran, leaving some US targets in the Gulf region, including troops, vulnerable.

The Gulf countries have emerged as valuable targets for Iran, well within the range of Iran’s short-range missiles and filled with targets, including American troops, high-profile business and tourist locations and energy facilities, disrupting the world’s flow of oil.

Since the start of the war, Iran has fired at least 380 missiles and over 1,480 drones targeting the five Arab Gulf countries, according to an AP tally based on official statements. At least 13 people have been killed in those countries, according to local officials.

In addition, six US soldiers were killed in Kuwait on Sunday when an Iranian drone strike hit an operations center in a civilian port, more than 10 miles from the main Army base. The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, said the operations center was a shipping containerstyle building and had no defenses.

In briefings for members of Congress on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers that the US will not be able to intercept many of the incoming

UAVs, especially the Shaheds, according to three people familiar with the briefings.

In one of the briefings, Caine and Hegseth did not offer any details when pressed by lawmakers why the US did not seem prepared for Iran to launch waves of drones at US targets in the region, according to one of the people.

That person, a US official who is familiar with the US security posture in Gulf region, said that the US did not have widespread capabilities throughout the Gulf region to effectively counter waves of the one-way drones coming to places outside conventional targets or bases outside of Iraq and Syria.

Drone attacks this week at the embassy in Saudi Arabia caused a limited fire at the embassy in Riyadh, and another drone attack the United Arab Emirates sparked a small fire outside the US consulate in Dubai.

The US and its allies in the Middle East on Thursday even sought help

from Ukraine, which has expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. When asked about Zelenskyy’s comments, Trump told Reuters on Thursday, “Certainly, I’ll take, you know, any assistance from any country.”

Bader Mousa Al-Saif, a Kuwaitbased analyst with Chatham House, said the US appeared to have underestimated the risk to its Gulf Arab allies, believing American troops and Israel would be the primary targets of Iranian retaliation.

“I don’t think they saw that there would be as much exposure to the Gulf,” he said, saying the lack of a plan to protect the Gulf countries “speaks to US shortsightedness.”

The frustration in some of the Gulf nations is driven in part by the relative success that Israel has had knocking down drones and missiles compared to some of their neighbors, according to a person familiar with the sensitive

diplomatic matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Their air defense systems are hardly as robust as Israel’s, but according to the person, US officials have been somewhat perplexed that the Gulf countries are still not showing an appetite for delivering a counteroffensive by launching missiles at Iranian targets.

Elliott Abrams, who served as a special representative for Iran and Venezuela at the end of Trump’s first term, said that US national security officials and their Gulf allies were aware that Iran had the capability to carry out significant strikes.

“And the neighbors knew it and were afraid of it. But it was never clear that Iran would actually do it, because they have a lot to lose,” Abrams said. “These attacks will leave long-term enmity, and if they keep up, the Gulf Arabs may start attacking Iran.”

Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said that while the Gulf countries have an interest in seeing Iran weakened, they also have key concerns about the ongoing war—including the economic damage and instability it is causing and its openended nature.

Ratney, who is now a senior adviser in the Middle East program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said: “What comes next? The countries of the Gulf will have to bear the brunt of whatever that is.”

Price and Madhani reported from Washington. AP reporters Seung Min Kim, Konstantin Toropin, Ben Finley and Matt Lee in Washington, Danica Kirka and Susie Blann in London and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

HK ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai will not appeal national security conviction, legal team says

By Kanis Leung The Associated Press

HONG KONG — Hong Kong

pro-democracy ex-publisher Jimmy Lai will not appeal the national security conviction for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month, his legal team said Friday.

Lai, an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, was found guilty in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles.

His Hong Kong legal team told The Associated Press via a text message about the decision, which ends a yearslong legal battle. The lawyers would not comment on the reason for not appealing.

“We can confirm we have clear and definitive instructions not to lodge an appeal against conviction or sentence,” they said.

Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the security law in 2020. Within a year, some of Apple Daily’s senior journalists also were arrested, and the newspaper, known for its critical coverage of both the Beijing and Hong Kong governments, shut down in June 2021.

Lai is 78, and his lengthy sentence raised concerns that he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

After the sentencing, the children of Lai said a possible visit by US President Donald Trump to Beijing could be crucial in securing the release of their father, a British citizen. After Lai’s verdict, Trump, who had raised Lai’s case with China, said he felt “so badly.”

The White House has confirmed that Trump will travel to China on March 31 through April 2 to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, although there is no official confirmation

Observers say his conviction reflected the decline of press and other freedoms that has changed Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China’s control in 1997. The government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used news reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.

from Beijing so far.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said Lai was sentenced for exercising his right to freedom of expression and called on the Hong Kong authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds.

Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended Lai’s sentencing,

saying it reflected the spirit of the rule of law.

Wilson Chan, co-founder of the Pagoda Institute, a think tank focusing on public policy and the global political economy, said Beijing has previously granted medical parole to mainland prisoners but Hong Kong has no such provision,

so one potential path for Lai’s release could be a pardon from the city leader under a diplomatic solution.

Chan suggested not appealing may be a basic requirement to satisfy Beijing for any such solution, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. He predicted the chance of a diplomatic solution

from a Trump-Xi meeting would be slim, even though the two leaders are likely to discuss Lai. Chan said Beijing would not need to use Lai’s case as leverage with the US and it would have other considerations, including how to maintain the city’s judicial independence under its “one country, two systems” governing principle. Resolving Lai’s case also would not be Trump’s priority, he said.

Before the Iran war erupted, Washington and Beijing already had tensions on multiple issues, from trade and the economy to Taiwan.

“Speaking from Washington’s perspective, what can it get through a trade when Mr. Lai is released?” Chan said.

Last week, Lai won an appeal to quash his convictions and sentence in a separate fraud case, a rare victory in his legal battles. That ruling could reduce his total prison time. But the government earlier said the Department of Justice would study the judgment thoroughly and consider whether to appeal.

US cracks down on China’s influence in Latin America with sanctions and port warnings

By Didi Tang The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—The US imposed travel bans on three Chilean officials over the possible construction of a submarine fiber optic cable with China, while warning Peru against ceding control over a Chinese-built mega port.

Under pressure from President Donald Trump, who had threatened to take the Panama Canal back under US control, the Panamanian government seized two ports at either end of the canal that had been run by a Hong Kong company.

And when the US captured Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro in January, China saw its extensive interests in the oil-rich country suddenly vulnerable.

The Trump administration in recent weeks has taken forceful steps in one Latin American country after another aimed at curbing the influence and economic dominance of China. As part of his quest to restore US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, the president is hosting Latin American leaders at his golf resort near Miami this weekend for a summit dubbed the “Shield of Americas.”

Supporters of the White House

Chamber. . .

Continued from A4

Serving as vice presidents are Wendell Ganhinhin for finance and administration; Francis Dy for business advocacy and policy; Herminia Go for chamber growth; Anton Fernandez for business development; Bernard Vonn Sia for Cebu business mobilization; Segismundo Exaltacion Jr. for international affairs; and Darwin John Moises for partnerships, engagement and governance. Also elected were Shannen Keisha Tan as board secretary and Earl Christianson Ng as treasurer. The officers were inducted by Felix Taguiam, regional governor for Central Visayas of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

2026 board of trustees

THE chamber also confirmed the members of its 2026 Board

pivot say it is necessary to push back against what they see as China’s malign influence on the US doorstep, warning that it could help tip the world order in Beijing’s favor. Others question the effectiveness of such a blunt approach when China’s interests in Latin America run deep and wide.

Francisco Urdinez, an associate professor at the Political Science Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, said he worries that Latin American countries will have to pick a side.

“Trump’s approach is making hedging increasingly difficult,” he said. “The most likely outcome is a more fragmented region. Rightleaning governments will align more closely with Washington, while left-leaning governments will maintain or deepen ties with China. Countries caught in the middle will try to manage the tension case by case.”

of Trustees following its electronic elections.

According to immediate past president and election committee chair Charles Kenneth C. Co, the election drew 273 votes from 666 eligible members, reflecting continued engagement from the chamber’s membership.

Elected trustees represent several sectors of the business community, including Jay Yuvallos, Joseph Nelson Bascones and Carlo Cordaro for the industry sector; Bernard Vonn Sia and Earl Christianson Ng for the trade sector; Alice Queblatin representing sectoral associations; Lilu Aliño, John Paul Chiongbian, Segismundo Exaltacion Jr. and Shannen Keisha Tan for the service sector; and Darwin John Moises for the information and communications technology sector.

The chamber also honored trustees who completed their terms: Pedro Delantar Jr., Aldie Garcia, Christian Paro-an and Antonio Ynoc.

China moved in with loans and trade deals IN 2001, Cuba was the only country in the region doing more business with China than with the US, according to Urdinez, who tracked the movement of Chinese companies and money in his 2026 book “Economic Displacement: China and the End of US Primacy in Latin America.”

But 20 years later, all South America countries—except Paraguay and Colombia—were trading more with China than with the US, according to his research.

“China’s core advantage is its economic weight, plain and simple,” he said.

Rebecca Ray, a senior academic researcher at Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center, said China has made itself relevant, desirable and even irreplaceable in Latin America in industries where the US has been absent.

“The US did not invest in the industries that the developing world in general is eyeing to close their infrastructure gaps. The US is not investing in green energy; the US is not investing in green mobility,” Ray said. “Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, China has leapfrogged technologically into these new industries, and Chinese companies have had to develop technologies that nobody else has in order to make those industries practical.”

Between 2014 and 2023, China provided loans and grants to

In his closing message, Yuvallos reflected on the importance of principled leadership within the organization, emphasizing that the chamber’s direction must always benefit its members and the broader community.

Moving Cebu forward

Officials of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including PCCI director and vice president for MSME development Melanie Ng, attended the ceremony and encouraged the new leadership to continue strengthening business leadership and economic development initiatives in Cebu.

With its new board and executive team in place, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it will continue working with government, industry and the academe to support enterprise growth, attract investments and promote a resilient regional economy.

countries in Latin America and the Caribbean worth roughly $153 billion—the largest source of official sector financing for the region—compared with approximately $50.7 billion from the US, according to AidData, a research lab at William & Mary, a university in Virginia.

US security concerns IN its National Security Strategy released in December, the White House blamed “years of neglect” for the loss of US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere and vowed to deny “non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere.”

As China’s economic might grew, it gained diplomatic leverage. Since 2016, five countries in the region—Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras—have broken ties with Taiwan and opened embassies in Beijing in hopes of better economic prospects.

But of the 12 countries in the world that still recognize Taiwan’s statehood, seven are in Latin America, reflecting a jostling for influence between the world’s two largest economies.

Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in China-US relations. Beijing considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory and vows to annex the island by force if necessary. The

DBP. . .

Continued from A3

“This partnership strengthens our digital backbone. By modernizing our financial management systems, we are enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability across our developments,” BCDA presi -

“A clean comfort room reflects how well we care for our destination and how ready we are to welcome visitors,” she emphasized.

The improvement is part of the provincial government’s broader effort to upgrade tourism infrastructure across Cebu Province under the administration’s “Ato ang Sugbo” vision.

Baricuatro said that strengthening even the most fundamental services—such as public restrooms— plays an important role in ensuring

US is obligated by law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter any armed attack from the mainland.

Beijing sells weapons and police gear to Latin American countries and helps train police and military personnel.

The Chinese-built port in Chancay, Peru, one of the deepest in Latin America, has raised concerns in Washington that China could use it for military purposes.

“President Trump is right to focus on defending the Western Hemisphere from China,” said Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. “President Trump has made it clear we stand with our friends in the region against China’s efforts to undermine America’s interests.”

The choice for Latin America LATIN America wants to look beyond China for its economic prosperity, and the US has a lot of offers, said Enrique Millán-Mejía, senior fellow on economic development at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.

“There is some discontent about the presence of China as an investor and how the footprint and the outcome of those investments has not been significantly positive for the economy, and they are trying to align more with the US—with the promise that the US might invest in strategic sectors,” Millán-Mejía said.

dent and chief executive Joshua Bingcang said.

Under the collaboration, BCDA will assist DBP-DCI in conducting necessary studies, accessing prior assessments, and coordinating with relevant agencies and stakeholders over the next 12 months.

Once operational, the BCDA said the system is expected to

that Cebu continues to offer a highquality tourism experience.

Local officials led by Oslob town Mayor Ronald Guaren joined the activity, along with tourism stakeholders and community members who have been instrumental in maintaining the town’s whale shark attraction.

Provincial Tourism Officer Rowena Montecillo was also present at the event.

He cautioned that China maintains a big advantage because it already has invested in strategic sectors, including infrastructure, security, logistics and technology. But he expects Latin American countries to be pragmatic and take the best of a relationship with both the US and China.

“Certainly, for Latin America, it’s very important to have a very good and close relationship with the US, because the US is very near to them. But obviously, from an economic standpoint, it’s good to keep at least trade relations with China,” Millán-Mejía said.

How China sees it SUN YUN , director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank, said China was focused on doing business in Latin America.

“There’s no competition with the US for dominance from the Chinese view,” Sun said. “They will prioritize protection of their assets and will not give up facilities such as a port without a fight.” She said China expects something in return.

“What they are trying to do is to argue that Taiwan is fairly and squarely in China’s sphere of influence,” Sun said. “If the U.S. expects China to respect its own definition, then the US should also respect China’s definition of the Western Pacific, especially Taiwan, to be a core national interest for China.”

streamline transactions for locators and investors, strengthen data security, and provide accurate, real-time financial information across its properties. It added that the digital platform aims to improve processing speed, facilitate decision-making, and support the agency’s broader smart city and digital transformation initiatives.

The attraction draws thousands of visitors each year and supports the livelihoods of many residents through tourism-related activities.

Provincial officials said improvements to facilities such as the new restrooms are part of ongoing efforts to ensure that tourism growth in the area remains both visitor-friendly and sustainable.

The governor also thanked the local government and residents of Oslob for their continuing efforts to safeguard and promote the whale shark watching activity, which has become one of Cebu’s most recognized tourism draws. Located in the coastal village of Tan-awan, the whale shark watching site allows visitors to observe and swim near the giant but gentle marine animals during regulated hours.

A14 Saturday, March 7, 2026

Stocks fall as oil hits highest price since summer of 2024

By Stan Choe AP Business Writer

NEW YORK—Stocks sank on Wall Street Thursday after the price of oil spiked to its highest level since the summer of 2024 because of the war with Iran.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6% and erased what had been a small gain for the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly dropped more than 1,100 points before finishing with a loss of 784, or 1.6%. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%.

The losses came as financial markets around the world keep following the cue of oil prices. Sharp increases there are raising worries that a long-term surge could grind down the global economy, exhaust households’ ability to spend and push interest rates higher.

The price for a barrel of benchmark US crude shot up 8.5% Thursday to settle at $81.01 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 4.9% to $85.41 per barrel and is likewise near its highest price since 2024. Oil prices gave back some of

those gains later in the day, which helped stocks in the US moderate their losses at the end of trading. But worries nevertheless remain high about how long disruptions will last for oil production because of the escalating war with Iran.

Prices at US gasoline pumps have already leaped because of them. The average price for a gallon is $3.25, up 9% from $2.98 a week ago, according to auto club AAA. If oil prices spike further, like to $100 per barrel, and stay there, some analysts and investors say it could be too much for the global economy to withstand. Uncertainty about what will happen has caused frenetic swings across financial markets this week, sometimes hour by hour. Much will depend on what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast.

To be sure, the US stock market has a history of bouncing back relatively quickly following conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, as long as oil prices don’t jump too high for too long. That has many professional investors suggesting

patience and riding through the market’s swings.

“While further escalation remains a risk, we think the more likely outcome is an increase in market risk aversion that likely lasts only a short time until investors can see a winding down of hostilities,” according to Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The S&P 500 is down only 0.7% for the week so far, despite

its sharp swings, as gains for Big Tech stocks and oil producers have helped to blunt losses across the rest of the market.

Stocks of airlines fell to some of the US market’s worst losses again on Thursday. Higher oil prices are increasing their already big fuel bills, while the war has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the Middle East.

American Airlines lost 5.4%, United Airlines fell 5% and Delta

Air Lines sank 3.9%.

Stocks of smaller companies, meanwhile, took heavy hits. That’s typical when worries are growing about the strength of the economy and about interest rates rising. The Russell 2000 index of the smallest stocks fell a market-leading 1.9%.

Wall Street’s drop would have been worse if not for Broadcom.

The chip company’s stock rose 4.8% after it reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It’s one of Wall Street’s most influential stocks because it’s one of the biggest by total value, and CEO Hock Tan said it benefited from a 74% jump in revenue for AI chips.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 38.79 points to 6,830.71. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 784.67 to 47,954.74, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 58.50 to 22,748.99.

In the bond market, Treasury yields climbed as rising oil prices put more upward pressure on inflation, which could keep the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.13% from 4.09% late

Wednesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran started. The Fed could keep interest rates high to keep a lid on inflation. But high interest rates would also keep it more expensive for US households and companies to borrow money, which would grind down on the economy.

The central bank had indicated it planned to resume its cuts to interest rates later this year, in hopes of giving a boost to the job market and economy. Because of the war and higher oil prices, traders have pushed their forecasts further into the summer for when the Fed could begin cutting rates again. In stock markets abroad, indexes rebounded in Asia following historic losses the day before. South Korea’s Kospi soared 9.6% to recover much of its 12.1% plunge from Wednesday, which was its worst drop ever. But indexes fell in Europe as oil prices began to accelerate. France’s CAC 40 fell 1.5%, and Germany’s DAX lost 1.6%.

AP Writers Kim Tong-hyung and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

24 states sue Trump administration over new global tariffs following Supreme Court defeat

By Lindsay Whitehurst & Paul Wiseman

The Associated Press

ASHINGTON —Some

Wtwo dozen states challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court.

The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world.

Trump has said the tariffs are essential to reduce America’s longstanding trade deficits. He imposed duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he imposed last year under an emergency powers law.

Section 122, which has never been invoked, allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15%. They are limited to five months unless extended by Congress. The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Oregon, Arizona, California and New York.

“The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The suit comes a day after a judge ruled that companies who paid tariffs under Trump’s old framework should get refunds.

White House vows vigorous defense

THE White House said Trump is acting within his power. “The President is using his authority granted by Congress to address fundamental international pay -

ments problems and to deal with our country’s large and serious balance-of-payments deficits,” said spokesman Kush Desai. “The Administration will vigorously defend the President’s action in court.”

The new suit argues that Trump can’t pivot to Section 122 because it was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances — not for sweeping import taxes. It also contends the tariffs will drive up costs for states, businesses and consumers.

Arizona Attorney General Kris

Mayes pointed to a New York Federal Reserve Bank study that found Americans largely bear the cost of the tariffs, which has been estimated at $1,200 a year per household. “That is money out of the pockets of American families trying to buy groceries, pay rent and keep their small businesses afloat,” Mayes said.

Many of the plaintiff states also successfully sued over Trump’s tariffs imposed under a different law: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Four days after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping IEEPA tariffs Feb. 20, Trump invoked Section 122 to slap 10% tariffs on foreign goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that the administration would raise the levies to the 15% limit this week.

The Democratic states and other critics say the president can’t use Section 122 as a replacement for the defunct tariffs to combat the trade deficit.

The Section 122 provision is aimed at what it calls “fundamental international payments problems.’’ At issue is whether that wording covers trade deficits, the gap between what the US sells other countries and what it buys from them.

Section 122 arose from the financial crises that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when the US dollar was tied to gold. Other countries were dumping dollars in exchange for gold at a set rate, risking a collapse of the US currency and chaos in financial markets. But the dollar is no longer linked to gold, so critics say Section 122 is obsolete.

Awkwardly for Trump, his own Justice Department argued in a court filing last year that the president needed to invoke the emergency powers act because Section 122 did “not have any obvious application’’ in fighting trade deficits, which it called “conceptually distinct’’ from balance-ofpayment issues.

Still, some legal analysts say the Trump administration has a stronger case this time.

“The legal reality is that courts will likely provide President Trump substantially more deference regarding Section 122 than they did to his previous tariffs under IEEPA,’’ Peter Harrell, visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law, wrote in a commentary Wednesday.

The specialized Court of International Trade in New York, which will hear the states’ lawsuit, wrote last year in its own decision striking down the emergency-powers tariffs that Trump didn’t need them because Section 122 was available to combat trade deficits.

Trump does have other legal authorities he can use to impose tariffs, and some have already survived court tests. Duties that Trump imposed on Chinese imports during his first term under Section 301 of the same 1974 trade act are still in place.

Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Meet Pedro Sánchez, Europe’s most vocal critic of Trump’s attacks on Iran

By Joseph Wilson The Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain—Spain’s

Pedro Sánchez has once again emerged as Europe’s most consistently vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, drawing his ire for refusing to allow the American military to stage operations for its attacks on Iran from Spanish military bases.

Trump lashed out at the Spanish prime minister on Tuesday, saying he would “ cut off all trade with Spain “ in retaliation for the affront. The spat intensified the next day when Spain’s foreign minister contradicted a claim by the White House press secretary that Spain had heard Trump’s message “loud and clear” and was cooperating with the US military.

While denouncing the repressive government in Tehran, Sánchez said he would not back a war that he said was an unjustified assault.

“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said, using the slogan “No to the war” in a speech this week.

The tussle over the Spanish military bases is likely more a diplomatic question than one of military consequence. The US has bases across Europe and the Middle East, and other European countries have agreed to cooperate.

Madrid and Washington have had stable, friendly and mostly low-key relations for decades, starting in the 20th century when the US began sharing military bases with Spain when the latter was still under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

Sánchez, 54, first took power in 2018 and is one of Europe’s most prominent left-leaning leaders.

He has stuck by the pillars of progressive politics, defending feminism, authorized immigration, human rights, the rules-

based international order and the importance of climate change— all topics that have become punching bags of Trump’s MAGA movement and far-right politicians in many European neighbors.

Even before the Iran war, Sánchez has stood out as an ideological rival to Trump on a number of issues.

Calls for peace in Gaza

SÁNCHEZ has been among the most vocal critics of Israel’s military action in Gaza. He has consistently criticized the massive civilian causalities from Israel’s campaign following Hamas’ surprise attack on Israeli territory in 2023.

“This is not self-defense, it’s not even an attack — it’s the extermination of a defenseless people,”

he said, while touring Europe and the Middle East to try to broker a peace deal.

No to more defense spending AMONG NATO members, Spain was the only country to refuse to agree to commit to increasing military spending to 5% of gross domestic product. Sánchez secured a last-minute exemption in a NATO meeting last year, saying that Spain will only spend up to 2.1%, which he called “sufficient and realistic.”

Trump responded by floating the idea that Spain should be kicked out of the military bloc. That has so far remained a veiled threat.

Bucking the anti-immigrant trend

WHILE many European countries

raised barriers at their borders and the Trump administration broadened an immigrant crackdown in the US, Spain is in the process of granting work and residency permits to half a million foreigners already in Spain.

Sánchez has pointedly alluded to Trump as he extolled the benefits of migration for the country’s strong economy.

“MAGA-style leaders may say that our country can’t handle taking in so many migrants — that this is a suicidal move, the desperate act of a collapsing country,” he wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed. “But don’t let them fool you. Spain is booming.”

Against the Tech Bros UNDER Sánchez, Spain has joined countries like Australia and France in trying to curb the use of social media among younger teens. That’s in direct contrast to the Trump administration’s embrace of Big Tech companies and what they consider the defense of the freedom of speech on social media.

Elon Musk, X’s owner, lashed out at the Spanish leader last month, calling Sánchez “the true fascist totalitarian” after he announced a plan to prohibit under 16-year-olds from accessing social media accounts.

AP journalist Suman Naishadham contributed from Madrid.

Operation Epic Fury: The US is at war with Iran, but the White House still can’t agree on ‘why?’

By Laurie Kellman & Farnoush Amiri

The Associated Press

IRAN’S nuclear capabilities. Its ballistic missiles. Its proxies. The ruling Islamic theocracy. Israel. All of the above are part of the Trump administration’s shifting rationale for pummeling Iran and killing its leader without first seeking the buy-in of Congress and US allies. There’s more that’s unclear about the widening war launched by the president and Board of Peace leader including an exit strategy, a timeline and who President Donald Trump wants to take control of Iran from what he calls the “sick people” who run it now. What makes the latest US-Iran conflict different from a series of others is that the Trump administration’s own officials do not appear to be clear or uniform on the important questions at hand: Why and why now?

“It’s the standard practice to agree on the rationale before you start and then stick to delivering a consistent messaging,” said David Schenker, a former Trump administration official who is now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “But that’s a challenge for this administration.”

By Wednesday, the White House was describing the Republican president’s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury as a consideration of past Iranian threats to the US “and the president’s feeling, based on fact, that Iran does pose an imminent and direct threat to the United States of America.” Analysts say that’s unclear.

Here’s a curated selection of the Trump administration’s explanations over the last week as the USIsrael conflict with Iran expanded into a war.

The re-obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program

WHAT THEY SAID after the US-

Israel strikes on Iran last summer:

—“THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!” Trump in a June 24, 2025, post on Truth Social.

WHAT THEY SAID after a reported intelligence analysis suggested Iran’s nuclear program had only been set back a few months:

—“That is a false story, and it’s one that really shouldn’t be rereported.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a June 25, 2025, interview with Politico.

WHAT THEY SAID since the strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:

—“If we didn’t do what we’re doing right now, you would have had a nuclear war and they would have taken out many countries because, you know what? They’re sick people.” Trump on Tuesday at the White House.

THE BACKGROUND:

Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, but the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog and Western nations say Tehran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003.

The current state of the program remains a mystery as officials have not allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency access to the nuclear facilities that were bombed since June. That is according to a confidential report by the watchdog circulated to member states and seen Feb. 27 by The Associated Press.

For its part, Iran has said it has not enriched since June. Satellite photos analyzed by the AP have shown new activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran was trying to assess and potentially recover material. Iran is legally obliged to cooperate with the IAEA under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, but it suspended all cooperation after the war with Israel.

Iran’s ballistic missiles

WHAT THEY SAID:

—“Iran possesses a very large number of ballistic missiles, particularly short-range ballistic missiles, that threaten the United States and our bases in the region, and our partners in the region, and all of our bases in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.” Rubio to reporters on Feb. 25.

—“The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases both local and overseas and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America.” Trump during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Monday.

—Iran “was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the Monday Pentagon briefing.

THE BACKGROUND:

Iran hasn’t acknowledged that it is seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The country currently has a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program, limiting their range to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). That puts all of the Mideast and some of Eastern Europe in range.

Trump administration officials told congressional staffers in private briefings on Sunday that US intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the US. The administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat from Iran and proxy forces.

“There’s been a lot of reporting that the assessments from the intelligence and military didn’t suggest that there was going to be an Iranian first strike,” said Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the Washington-based International Crisis Group. “My sense has been that opportunity is at least as much of a significant factor as threats, certainly.”

Israel’s role

WHAT THEY SAID:

—“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after (Iran) before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.” Rubio to reporters on Monday.

—“Israel was determined to act in its own defense here, with or without American support.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters. If that happened, he added, “exquisite intelligence” by

the US indicated that Iran would retaliate against American assets. “If we had waited, the consequences of inaction on our part could have been devastating,” he said.

—“No,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, when asked if Israel had forced his hand on attacking Iran. “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand.”

THE BACKGROUND:

There is no sign that Israel was forced into cooperating with the US in the strike.

An Israeli military official, on customary condition of anonymity, on Wednesday described lockstep planning between the US and Israel. Three weeks before the strikes, Israel understood that the operation was pointing toward another confrontation with Iran and sent a team to the Pentagon, the official said. On Friday, the Israeli army deliberately suggested that the military was standing down for the weekend, releasing photos suggesting that staffers and senior commanders were heading home for Shabbat dinner.

The shared information allowed the strikes to be carried out hours later in a surprise daylight attack, people familiar with the operation told the AP over the weekend. The eventual barrage of US-Israeli attacks on Iran came so quickly that they were nearly simultaneous with three strikes in three locations hitting within a minute killing Khamenei and some 40 senior figures, another Israeli military official said Sunday.

During the strikes, the US and Israeli war rooms were synchronized in real time to allow for quick adjustments, the first Israeli military official said Wednesday.

In a televised address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel had carried out the strikes “in full cooperation”

with the US. Trump has been both for and against regime change in Iran. Now what?

WHAT THEY SAID:

—“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” Trump on Truth Social on Jan. 2.

—“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.” Trump to Iranians on Truth Social just after the first strikes.

—“This is not a so-called regime change war. But the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it.” Hegseth at the Pentagon on Monday.

THE BACKGROUND: WASHINGTON has a long, complicated history with regime change. See Vietnam, Panama, Nicaragua, Iraq and Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001, and Venezuela just weeks ago.

And in Iran, the CIA in 1953 helped engineer a coup that toppled Iran’s democratically elected leader and gave near-absolute power to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. But as with the shah, who was overthrown in Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, regime change rarely goes as planned. That’s in part because it’s fundamentally out of Trump’s complete control, as he acknowledged Tuesday.

“Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” he told reporters.

“Now we have another group. They may be dead also based on reports. So, I guess you have a third wave coming, and pretty soon we’re not going to know anybody.”

Josef Federman and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report from Jerusalem.

A16 Saturday, March 7, 2026

GREGORIO

FOR the Philippine Women’s National Football team to make it to the playoffs, it needs to finish as one of the two best third-placed teams in the group stage of the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) women’s Asian Cup in Queensland, Australia.

PSC facilities get upgrade as Pagcor remittances begin

By Josef ramos

HILIPPINE Sports Commission

P(PSC) Chairman Patrick Gregorio expressed excitement over the improvement of sports facilities across the country as remittances from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) have finally started flowing to the agency.

“It just started yesterday. It will continue every month,” Gregorio said on Thursday.

Five percent share of PAGCOR’s gross earnings will be remitted to the PSC following last month’s Supreme Court ruling enforcing Republic Act No. 6847. This month, the PSC received P340 million.

Gregorio shared the update during the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Taekwondo Center at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. He said the funding would help upgrade sports facilities in the country to international standards.

The allocation was pushed in 2016 by former Pampanga congressman Yeng Guiao, who sought the proper implementation of the law mandating PAGCOR’s share for sports development.

Five percent of PAGCOR’s gross income will go directly to the PSC budget to support sports development programs, particularly grassroots initiatives and infrastructure projects.

“I have no plans of stopping and making sure we develop Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Philsports, Baguio, and other sports facilities all over the country. The funds, the blessings we get, we now turn over right away and work with national sports associations to make sure they get world class facilities,” he added.

Gregorio also thanked PAGCOR chairman Al Tengco and revealed that the new taekwondo center-currently the site of the old bowling alley-is expected to be completed by December this year. The bowling facility, meanwhile, will be relocated to New Clark City.

“A total of 100 taekwondo athletes can train there at the same time,” he said. Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) President Rafael Alunan III said the new training center could produce future world champions, much like the old bowling alley did for legends such as Bong Coo, now a PSC commissioner, Paeng Nepomuceno, and Arianna Cerdena.

“We will faithfully continue the tradition of producing world champions,” he said.

The new taekwondo center, which will cover approximately 1,000 square meters, will also be able to host international competitions and will have a seating capacity of around 900.

LeBron breaks Jabbar record

Members of the Philippine women’s national women’s football team will keep this in mind ahead of their Sunday clash with Iran after a 0-3 loss to South Korea, 0-3, on Thursday at the Cbus Super Stadium in Robina.

The top two squads from each of the three groups will make the playoffs, with South Korea, 2-0, now sharing the Group A lead with host Australia.

Australia secured a quarterfinal spot with a 4-0 win over Iran on Thursday.

“So yes, I am disappointed that we did not get the result we wanted, but we cannot focus on that now. We have got to focus on the next game and what we need to do against Iran,” said national coach Mark Torcaso, after the Filipinas absorbed their second straight loss in Group A.

“We want to just be competitive, and we want to try and get out of the group to go to another World Cup. We know it’s going to be hard. and we’re

Filipinas fight to keep Asian Cup hopes alive Sports

just determined to try and get this team and this country back on the international stage,” added Torcaso.

North Korea has also booked a spot in Group B, with their second straight triumph off Bangladesh in Sydney, 5-0. Japan and Vietnam are in Group C in Perth.

Other teams looking to advance as third-place finishers are India and Uzbekistan.

India went down, 1-2, to Vietnam, while Uzbekistan is trying to stay alive after their 0-3 loss to North Korea.

This means that the Filipinas not only need to win against the Iranian

Surging Cool Smashers battle struggling Chameleons

SURGING Creamline squares off with a struggling Nxled side in the Premier Volleyball League AllFilipino Conference on Saturday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Cool Smashers enter the 4 p.m. showdown riding a wave of confidence after sweeping their last four matches following an opening-day stumble.

Nxled, on the other hand, try to arrest a skid.

After an impressive start that saw the Chameleons win three straight, the team suddenly lost its footing. The contrasting runs make their meeting intriguing—a Creamline side growing stronger by the match versus a

Lionesses, but hope for a better goal difference against the other contenders.

“More and more players are passionate about representing the Philippines, and I think the more that we are exposed to tournaments and competitions like this, the better that we’re going to get as players,” added Torcaso.

In the final game in the group stage, experienced midfielder Jacklyn Sawicki will be back in action from a bruised

absence.

DENVER—LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals in NBA history but his night ended with a disheartening loss and a sore left elbow.

James hit a turnaround 12-foot jumper over Zeke Nnaji with 12 seconds left in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.

“My name being mentioned with some of the greatest to ever play this game has always been humbling and pretty cool,” James said. “It’s a pretty cool thing. I grew up watching and reading, idolizing a lot of the greats. And if I ever was able to be a part of the NBA, I wanted to be in position where I could be named with some of the greats by doing something right.”

The record-breaking bucket gave James 15,838 career field goals in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season. AbdulJabbar had 15,837 baskets when the skyhook-wielding big man ended his 20-year career in 1989 as the NBA’s career scoring leader. Karl Malone is a distant third with 13,528 field goals. James finished with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting but it was his all-round

The Matildas will meet the Koreans on Sunday for the top spot in the group.

Nxled squad desperate to halt its slide.

Despite the recent losses, Nxled coach Ettore Guidetti remains optimistic his team can rediscover the chemistry that fueled its early success.

Nxled’s roster remains among the league’s deepest, anchored by consistent performers such as Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips. But the other key players and supporting cast—Myla Pablo, Jonah Sabete, Chiara Permentilla, EJ Laure, Aduke Ogunsanya, Aby Maraño and

game that kept the Lakers close after the Nuggets jumped out to a 16-3 lead in their wire-to-wire win. James had a team-high eight assists, three steals and a big block.

“He’s been a complete player for 23 years,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said. “... He’s just a phenomenal basketball player.”

Nikola Jokic concurred, saying, “He’s definitely a legendary player.”

James passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the top scorer in NBA history in February 2023. James was already the top scorer in NBA playoff history, and he surpassed 50,000 career points in the regular season and postseason combined a year ago.

James has already attempted more field goals than any NBA player—31,274 entering Thursday night, including more than 7,500 3-pointers.

Abdul-Jabbar, the low-post virtuoso who made more than 50 percent of his shots in 19 straight seasons to start his career, attempted only 28,307 field goals— and just 18 of them were 3-pointers after the shot was introduced to the league midway through his career.

James hurt his left elbow on a layup that pulled Los Angeles to 110-106 with four minutes to go and left the game. He and Jokic banged into each other as James scored and James fell to the

setter Jules Tolentino—have yet to consistently click as a unit, leaving Guidetti searching for the right mix. Creamline, in contrast, appears to have already found its groove.

After absorbing a shutout loss to the PLDT High Speed Hitters in their opener, the Cool Smashers bounced back the way champions typically do—steadily and emphatically. They defeated the Choco Mucho Flying Titans and ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles in four sets, swept the Capital1 Solar

Spikers, and then overpowered the Galerie Tower Highrisers.

So fluid has Creamline’s system become that coach Sherwin Meneses often simply watches from the sidelines as his veteran core, led by setter Jia de Guzman, dictates the flow of the game. Spearheaded by Bernadeth Pons, Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos, Pangs Panaga, Michele Gumabao and Alyssa Valdez, the Cool Smashers have displayed the poise and balance expected from a championship-tested squad.

The 6:30 p.m. clash between Akari and Capital1 also promises to be as compelling as they mix it up in a duel between two teams coming off moraleboosting victories.

Akari stunned league-leading Cignal in a dramatic five-set thriller, while Capital1 halted the surge of Farm Fresh, also in a grueling five-set battle.

The Chargers seek a third straight win behind the resurgent crew of Ivy Lacsina, Grethcel Soltones, Fifi Sharma, Ced Domingo and Eli Soyud with the bench providing steady support.

But Akari faces a daunting task in containing Capital1’s explosive offense led by league scoring leader Bella Belen, who appears poised for another 20-point outing.

Capital1 also draws confidence from the breakout performance of Sydney Niegos, who erupted for 20 points in their previous win, while Shaya Adorador, Pauline Gaston, Cherry Nunag and France Ronquillocontinue to deliver timely contributions.