BusinessMirror November 04, 2025

WHILE output and new orders recorded further declines in October, business confidence among Philippine manufacturers has improved as they continued to expand their workforce, according to the S&P Global Market Intelligence.

This developed as S&P Global noted that the country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) score slightly rose to 50.1 in October from the 49.9 in September.

“October data saw the S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing PMI post slightly above the neutral mark of 50.0, signaling

broadly stable operating conditions, and reversed the slight deterioration seen in the month prior,” S&P Global said.

Closely examining the Philippines’s PMI data, Maryam Baluch, Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, pointed out that the Philippine manufacturing sector in October revealed a “mixed picture.”

Baluch said the two largest segments, new orders and output, indicated “further declines,” adding that fresh contractions were observed in new export orders and purchasing activity, highlighting underlying demand conditions.

S&P Global explained that the recent decline in output was “closely associated” with falling new orders, which panelists linked to “adverse weather conditions and the end-of-life status for certain products.”

Nevertheless, it noted that the rate of contraction in production slowed during the month, and was only “marginal.”

Meanwhile, S&P Global said new factory orders placed with manufacturing firms in the Philippines “fell at a stronger rate” in October.

Surveyed panelists often attrib -

uted this decline to a “sluggish” demand climate, with clients often putting orders on hold.

In addition, S&P Global said new export orders fell for the first time since May and at a “solid pace,” which it said was the “most pronounced” for a year.

“Companies reported weaker demand from international clients,” S&P Global noted. On a more positive note, Baluch said: “Manufacturers grew more optimistic about their growth prospects for output in the coming year.”

‘WEAK INDUSTRY, INFRA MESS, JITTERS HURT

the Philippine economy in the third quarter of 2025, according to Department of Economy, Planning, and Development of the Philippines (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

respondents expect to maintain their lending standards for businesses, while 87.5 percent expect to keep standards for household loans unchanged. For business loans, this was up from 78.9 percent in the third quarter, while the rest are split between easing at 3.5 percent and tightening at 10.5 percent.

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

IN the coming weeks, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to implement an unprecedented “major reform measure” that could save the government around P60 billion in the 2026 national budget, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said. In a press conference on Monday, Dizon presented what he called “the biggest single piece of reform,” following the directive of President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to suppress corruption in the agency.

“Today, I’m going to announce the major reform measure that, in my opinion, will be the biggest, or one of the biggest if not, the single biggest piece of reform that we will do in the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways],” Dizon said, referring to the massive discrepancy in the cost of materials in government infrastructure projects against market prices.

The directive to peg DPWH cost-

ings to market prices was a firm order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who began the sweeping reforms in his last State of the Nation Address (Sona) by calling attention to overpriced, substandard and even nonexistent infrastructure projects, mostly in flood control.

The message of the President, Dizon said, was clear: There should be real change, lasting change. Baguhin ang DPWH. At yun ang gagawin natin...Ngayon lang ginawa

S&P Global said positive sentiment was close to the recent high observed back in August. With this, it noted that panelists are hopeful that production will bounce back, supported by strengthening demand trends.

Meanwhile, Baluch noted that companies continued increasing their workforce numbers, with the latest rise in staffing numbers the strongest in three months.

“Furthermore, cost pressures remain subdued and ebbed further, providing manufacturers with some flexibility in price setting,” said Baluch.

In response, the economist said several have opted to reduce their selling prices, in an effort to stimulate demand in a currently subdued market environment.

Baluch said the sector has now remained in “sluggish territory” for most of the second half of 2025 so far.

“Whether it can see a notable recovery in performance in the coming months will depend greatly on efforts to stimulate consumer demand,” the S&P Global Market Intelligence economist noted.

In July, the Philippines’ PMI was at 50.9, which slightly dipped to 50.8 in August then slipped into negative territory in September at 49.9. In October, the manufacturing sector slightly picked up as it posted a 50.1 PMI score.

Andrea E. San Juan

Tatak Pinoy Strategy, natl industrial roadmap, signed

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

PRESIDENT

Ferdinand R. Marcos

Jr. has approved the Tatak Pinoy Strategy (TPS), a multiyear national industrial roadmap that aims to “strengthen” key sectors, create jobs, and lift Filipino products to global standards, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Signed through Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 104 on October 24, the measure directs all government agencies to give preference to local products and services in their procurement.

In a statement on Monday, DTI explained that under the Strategy, local suppliers can be awarded contracts if their bids are within 25 percent of the lowest foreign offer.

“This measure ensures that the government’s purchasing power directly supports Filipino enterprises,” added

the Trade department.

DTI, the agency leading the program, said the TPS serves as a “national framework for industrial transformation” anchored on five pillars: people, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.

For her part, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque, who also chairs the Tatak Pinoy Council, said the Strategy opens new opportunities for local industries to scale and compete globally.

“The TPS empowers our MSMEs and industries to innovate with purpose, produce with pride, and compete globally with confidence. We thank the President for his swift approval of this landmark policy that will boost our economy and generate more jobs for Filipinos,” Roque said. According to DTI, plans and priorities are “clearly outlined”

in the TPS framework to help domestic enterprises become more globally competitive, including nine priority sectors identified for their potential to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth and industrial development.

The nine priority sectors under the Tatak Pinoy Strategy are: ITBPM; Food and Agro-processing; Cement, Steel, and Construction Materials; Semiconductors; Electronics and Electrical Devices; Automotive, E-Vehicles, and Automotive Components; Pharmaceuticals, Diagnostics, and Health Products; Defense Manufacturing; Chemicals and Industrial Inputs. According to the TPS, these sectors were selected based on their export potential, domestic value-added, employment generation, and alignment with global value chains.

BSP poll: Banks see lending standards unchanged in Q4

Continued

Similarly, for household loans, this is higher than 77.5 percent in the previous quarter, with around 10.0 percent expecting tighter standards and 2.5 percent possibly easing.

The BSP defined lending standards as the rules banks use when giving loans, such as interest rates, loan size, collateral, loan conditions and repayment terms.

Based on the SLOS, a net 7.0 percent expect to tighten, rather than loosen, standards for business loans, and a net 7.5 percent for household loans in the fourth quarter.

“This indicates that any future change in credit standards is more likely to reflect tightening than easing,” the BSP said.

Compared to the third quarter, net tightening is higher at 17.5 percent for business loans and 7.5 percent for household loans.

In terms of demand for business loans, 73.7 percent of banks anticipate that demand will remain steady, slightly lower than 75.4 percent.

Only 1.8 percent of banks anticipate a decline in loan demand, while 24.6 percent see an

increase, up from 19.3 percent in the third quarter.

Household loans also showed a similar pattern, with 65 percent of banks expecting demand to stay the same, down from 75 percent in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, 25 percent of banks anticipate a rise in household loan demand, up from 17.5 percent previously, while 10 percent foresee a decline, slightly higher than the 7.5 percent in the third quarter.

The SLOS consists of questions on loan officers’ perceptions relating to the overall credit standards of their respective banks, as well as to factors affecting the supply of and demand for loans to both enterprises and households.

The analysis of the results of the SLOS focuses on the quarteron-quarter changes in the perception of respondent banks.

The responses for the third quarter 2025 SLOS were gathered from September 11, 2025 to October 21, 2025, with a total of 58 respondent banks out of 60 surveyed banks or a 96.7 percent response rate.

recent weeks, particularly the performance of our industry,” Balisacan told reporters on the sidelines of the 2025 Presidential Filipinnovation Awards National Competition press briefing on Monday.

Asked if the country’s growth rate will still be over 5 percent, the country’s socioeconomic planning chief said he would not want to preempt the final numbers, as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will present the 2025 Third Quarter Performance of the Philippine economy on Friday, November 7. Still, Balisacan did not falter when he said: “It was a challenging quarter,” adding, “I would have expected [that], given all these scandals in the infrastructure, that you would expect [to weigh on] government spending particularly on construction, fixed capital formation.” Other areas that may have slowed down, he added, would be the industry and services.

“It’s partly, I suppose because we’re coming from global uncertainty, the effects of other factors. Of course, the typhoons and so many other things. So we’ll see if that assessment will come out,” added Balisacan. Moving forward, he said, “We are still looking at where those potential drags are and see if these are just temporary; and that we recover those grounds in the coming quarters.”

Meanwhile, the country’s socioeconomic planning chief called the country’s 6 percent GDP growth potential “quite high,” adding that reaching this would mean facing head-on headwinds which are causing uncertainty.

“Our economic fundamentals have remained strong. The potentials have remained strong. Our GDP growth potential is quite high, 6 percent and above. But reaching those potentials is another matter...and those are affected by instability, uncertainty. We’ll see,” he pointed out. In recent weeks, research institutions and think tanks have revealed their expectations regarding the country’s third quarter economic performance this year.

For one, the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in its latest Market Call report said the economy may slow down to a 5.2 percent pace in the third quarter due to “more weather disturbances and the popular uproar over the flood control corruption controversy.”

Meanwhile, ANZ Research said declining sales of passenger cars and consumer goods imports may have dragged the economy’s growth in the third quarter, adding that the ongoing corruption probe is likely to weigh on public infrastructure spending from fourth quarter onwards. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/11/03/sliding-consumer-goods-car-salesmay-slow-q3-growth/)

must change now. If we can bring this down, we can minimize corruption. Where does the money go? Obviously, in all likelihood, to thieves. We will carry out genuine and thorough reforms]

Their initial initial move, he said, is to bring down the cost of construction materials used in government projects, like cement, asphalt, steel, reinforced steel bars, sheet piles, gravel and sand, which are priced higher by as much as 75 percent.

“I know it’s been decades; I said so in Senate hearings, many DPWH Secretaries have come and gone. So much DPWH budget has come and gone, but the overpriced materials are still there,” Dizon said, speaking partly in Filipino.

He lamented that no matter the government’s efforts to put those accountable behind bars and return the stolen funds, all these will still be put to waste if the DPWH will not undergo ma-

jor reform.

“We won’t stop until those liable are charged. While we are running after the liable parties, and seeking to jail them, we will also run after their assets,” he repeatedly vowed.

Meanwhile, even if there is a change in administration, the setup started by President Marcos won’t change. “I signed this last Thursday, before the [Undas] holiday. Now, this just needs to adjust to market level,” he said.

To future DPWH secretaries, Dizon has this to say: “That can no longer be changed. Shame on those who try to reverse it. If the private sector can build roads with those prices, why can’t the government? What could be the reason? Corruption. We will not sacrifice the quality, but we will curb corruption.”

Dizon also revealed that they are studying thoroughly the potential liabilities of those behind the overpricing.

In an interview with reporters two weeks ago, Balisacan said he sees “a bit of a slowdown” in the economy in the third quarter, due to supply shocks such as typhoons and work suspensions. However, the country’s socioeconomic planning chief hopes the economy’s growth rate in the third quarter will not be slower than the 5.5 percent posted in the second quarter.

DOJ starts probe of 5 flood-control projects

TBy Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has served subpoenas directing the respondents in five alleged ghost flood-control projects in Bulacan to appear for preliminary investigation and answer the criminal complaint filed against them.

Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida confirmed the issuance of subpoenas against the respondents during Monday’s Justice Summit (Children’s Rights) held at Hilton Manila in Pasay City.

“Some of the subpoenas have already been personally served in the initial five cases wherein the DOJ has been deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman. That process will start. The respondents and charges have been identified, and soon there will be more,” Vida told reporters.

The five cases were previously referred to the Office of the Ombudsman last October 14 for evaluation but were returned to the Justice department after more than a week to avoid repetition of proceedings.

The first hearing for the preliminary investigation is scheduled on November 10, according to Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon.

The preliminary investigation would determine whether there is sufficient evidence to file cases of malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code,

Lanao congressman seeks Coast Guard modernization

DENOUNCING the mockery and attacks by a neophyte congressman against the Coast Guard (PCG), a lawmaker has filed a measure seeking to modernize the agency and reinforce its vital role as the nation’s steadfast guardian of maritime sovereignty, marine resources, and the safety of Filipino seamen—especially in the West Philippine Sea.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong filed House Bill 5552, or the Revised Philippine Coast Guard Law, after he strongly condemned the spread of online mockery and disinformation targeting PCG personnel who he said “courageously document and expose incidents of water cannoning and ramming by foreign vessels.”

“The brave men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard should be celebrated, not attacked, ridiculed, or mocked,” Adiong said.

“Those who mock the PCG for speaking out against water cannon attacks are not just insensitive— they are complicit in normalizing aggression against our sovereign

Govt

allots ₧3-B

rights. These incidents are acts of intimidation and violence. They should never be taken lightly.”

“Spreading disinformation at our Coast Guard for standing firm in the face of harassment only plays into the hands of those who wish to undermine our sovereignty,” he warned. “This is not humor—it is a dangerous narrative that weakens national resolve.”

He urged the public to remain alert against individuals or groups who echo foreign propaganda, downplay acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea, and ridicule the PCG’s lawful defense of Philippine waters.

“It is disheartening that some Filipinos allow themselves to be used to spread narratives against our brave coast guard personnel. We must fight the fake news they propagate,” Adiong said.

Under House Bill 5552, the PCG will undergo long-overdue modernization and receive stronger institutional support.

See “Coast Guard,” A4

to improve access to education in Gidcas

THE national government has allocated P3 billion to improve access to quality education in geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and conflict-affected areas (Gidcas) next year.

House of Representatives Assistant Minority Leader Christopher Sheen Gonzales said the funding will support the Last Mile Schools Program, which aims to ensure that children in remote and marginalized communities are not left behind in accessing public kindergarten, elementary, and secondary education. He noted that at least 41 barangays in his home province of Eastern Samar are classified as Gidcas. Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the P3 billion budget will cover infrastructure, facilities, and the hiring of teaching personnel for last-mile schools.

“The package includes not just structures but also internet connectivity, technical-vocational laboratories, water and sanitation facilities, and solar power systems for off-grid schools, among others,” Gonzales added.

He made the statement following President Marcos’ directive to decentralize the government’s school-building program.

“We support the President’s decision to transfer school building funds to local governments,” said Gonzales, a member of House Committees on Basic Education and on Appropriations.

“In hard-to-reach barangays, it is indeed more practical for municipal governments to take the lead in constructing school facilities, with support from the Army’s engineering brigades,” he added.

A former mayor of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Gonzales said he has firsthand experience in addressing the educational needs of isolated communities such as Homonhon Island, which is accessible only by a two-and-a-half-hour motorized boat ride from the mainland.

Gonzales is also one of the principal authors of House Bill 4745, or the proposed Last Mile Schools Act.

The measure seeks to institutionalize and make permanent the Last Mile Schools Program, which the Department of Education (DepEd) launched in 2019.

The House approved the bill on third and final reading on October 13 and transmitted it to the Senate the following day. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

falsification by public officers under Article 171 of the RPC, perjury under Article 183 of the RPC, and Section 3e of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) against the respondents.

The Ombudsman has deputized the DOJ to conduct the preliminary investigation on the five cases.

DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said the subpoenae were released last week.

“So we’ll assess the evidence, we will evaluate the evidence to see if there is enough grounds to proceed with the trial,” Martinez earlier said.

He added that the DOJ is eying to conclude the preliminary investigation proceedings within a month.

Among the respondents in the five cases are former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, Arjay Domasig, and JP Mendoza.

Probe to to go on with or without ICI

THE Office of the Ombudsman

on Monday said the case buildup and fact-finding investigation into the government’s anomalous flood control projects will continue even if the Supreme Court (SC) decides to declare the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure unconstitutional.

At a press briefing, Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic Clavano IV said the Ombudsman, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Police (PNP) and other agencies may take over to continue ICI’s functions.

Clavano made the remark in response to a petition filed before the SC questioning the constitutionality of Executive Order 94, which created the ICI.

“The way we see it, the ICI is an additional tool for fact-finding and an additional avenue for investigation. But even without the ICI, we still have many agencies we can rely on—the PNP is there, the NBI is there, and even here at the Office of the Ombudsman, we have our own fact-finding investigators,” Clavano stressed.

The petition was filed by John Barry Tayam, a senior high school

instructor, in his capacity as a taxpayer, a Filipino citizen and a registered voter.

Aside from the constitutionality of EO 94, Tayam also asked the Court to determine whether ICI’s functions and duties “are contrary to law or existing jurisprudence.”

Tayam pointed out that the creation of ICI only prolongs the investigation and creates redundancy with existing government bodies such as the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

He also noted that the Senate and the House of Representatives already have existing committees which can assist with the investigation or case build-up against those involved in the flood control scandal.

Clavano stressed that an adverse ruling from SC would not affect the recommendations that have already been submitted to the Ombudsman by the ICI in connection with its investigation into the flood control scandal.

He pointed out that the Ombudsman has the duty to act on any complaint filed before the office.

Signal 4 up in Visayas, Mindanao as Tino intensifies

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

TYPHOON Tino continues to wreak havoc in the Visayas and Mindanao as it slightly intensified as it moves towards the Eastern Visayas and Caraga area, the state weather bureau reported. In its 5:00 p.m. Tropical Cyclone Bulletin on Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said strong winds and heavy rainfall continue to threaten many areas in theVisayas and Mindanao.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 11,314 persons from Region 8 and Caraga were pre-emptively evacuated.

While there are no reported fatalities as of Monday, the NDRRMC said the inclement weather has affected a total of 6,480 families or 23,442 persons in 52 barangays of nine towns in five provinces.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 4 has been hoisted in the extreme southeastern portion of Eastern Samar (Guiuan), the southern portion of Leyte (Mahaplag, Abuyog, City of Baybay, Inopacan, Hilongos, Hindang, Bato, Matalom, Javier), Southern Leyte, Camotes Islands, and the northeastern portion of Bohol (Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Getafe, Trinidad, Ubay, Bien Unido, Talibon) in the Visayas; and Dinagat Islands, and Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands in Mindanao.

Many areas in the Visayas remain under TCWS 3 including the southern portion of Eastern Samar (Mercedes, Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos, Quinapondan, Salcedo), the southern portion of Samar (Marabut), the central portion of Leyte (Tanauan, Palo, Tabontabon, Isabel, Merida,

Palompon, Ormoc City, Dagami, Pastrana, Burauen, Albuera, Macarthur, La Paz, Mayorga, Dulag, Julita, Tolosa, Matag-Ob, Villaba, Kananga, Jaro), the northern and central portions of Cebu (Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Carmen, Danao City, Compostela, Liloan, Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova, Consolacion, Mandaue City, Cebu City, Asturias, Balamban, Tuburan, Tabuelan, Tabogon, City of Talisay, City of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin, Daanbantayan, Sibonga, City of Carcar, San Fernando, City of Naga, Minglanilla, Toledo City, Aloguinsan, Pinamungahan, Barili, Dumanjug) including Bantayan Islands, and the central and eastern portions of Bohol (San Miguel, Mabini, Buenavista, Inabanga, Danao, Dagohoy, Guindulman, Pilar, Alicia, Candijay, Anda, Jagna, Duero, Sierra Bullones, Carmen, Sagbayan, Clarin, Tubigon), the northern portion of Negros Oriental (Vallehermoso, Canlaon City, City of Guihulngan), the northern portion of Negros Occidental (Hinigaran, Moises Padilla, Isabela, La Castellana, Pontevedra, San Enrique, La Carlota City, Cadiz City, Bago City, Enrique B. Magalona, Toboso, Valladolid, Salvador Benedicto, Sagay City, Bacolod City, Murcia, City of Escalante, Calatrava, San Carlos City, Silay City, Pulupandan, City of Victorias, City of Talisay, Manapla), Guimaras, and the eastern portion of Iloilo (Concepcion, Barotac Nuevo, Ajuy, Iloilo City, Anilao, Barotac Viejo, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Banate).

In Mindanao, Signal 3 is still up in the rest of Surigao del Norte. Many areas in the Visayas, Mindanao, and Luzon remain under TCWS 2 and 1 and are expected to experience rain in the next 48 hours. Pagasa said significant to severe impacts from typhoon-force winds are possible within any of

the areas under Wind Signal 4, while moderate to significant impacts from storm-force winds are possible within any of the areas under Wind Signal 3.

PAGASA said the surge of the northeast monsoon and the shear line coinciding with the passage of Tino will also bring strong to galeforce gusts overCagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol Region today, and on Tuesday in the Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol Region.

Tino was last seen 170 km eastsoutheast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kmh near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kmh.

The typhoon is moving westward at 20 kmh.

Tino is forecasted to make landfall or pass very close to Homonhon Island or the Dinagat Islands Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

It is then expected to make landfall over Leyte or Southern Leyte by early Tuesday morning, before crossing the Visayas and northern Palawan throughout Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

The typhoon will likely emerge over the West Philippine Sea by Wednesday morning or afternoon and is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday morning.

Tino is expected to remain at typhoon category throughout its passage over the country.

Pagasa said heavy rainfall, severe winds, and storm surge may still be experienced in localities outside the landfall point and the forecast confidence cone.

Padilla lauds Lacson’s return to Blue-Ribbon panel

SEN. Robinhood Padilla on Monday said the return of Sen. Panfilo Lacson as chairman of the Senate Blue-Ribbon committee “would help restore stability and credibility to the chamber’s investigations.”

In a Facebook post, Padilla expressed gratitude that Lacson, a member of the majority bloc, agreed to once again lead the panel, saying his leadershwip would prevent the committee from being mired in partisan conflict.

“Magpasalamat na rin po tayo at siya ang muling tagapangulo ng komite ng Blue Ribbon mula sa Majority bloc, kesa po sa ibang mga senador na batid natin at lantaranangkulayngpulitika,namaaring pagmulanngmasmainitnapalitanngmga putik na mas magbabaon sa Senado sa kumunoy [Let us also be grateful that he, from the Majority bloc, is once again the chairman of the Blue-Ribbon committee, instead of other senators whose political colors are already evident and could trigger

“We have to note that all the referrals already given by the ICI to the Office of the Ombudsman are already here and pending. As you know, by law, we can act on any complaint that is filed in any manner,” Clavano stressed.

“So, for example, if hypothetically the office of the ICI is declared unconstitutional, we can still act on the pieces of information that were given or referred to us, because that is part of our mandate—to act on any complaint that is submitted to us in any form,” he added.

In his petition, Tayam also likened the ICI to the Philippine Truth Commission (PTC) formed by the late President Benigno Aquino III in 2010 by virtue of an Executive order to probe alleged corruption and other controversial cases under the Arroyo administration.

The SC, however, declared it unconstitutional for violation of the equal protection clause, which is guaranteed under the Constitution.

House panel sets probe of dolomite beach project

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE House Committee on Public Accounts will begin this month its investigation into the controversial Manila Bay Dolomite Beach Project, its chairperson announced on Monday. Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro, the panel chairman, said the first hearing, which will be done in the week of November 17, will focus on determining the necessity of the project based on the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan and the Supreme Court’s Continuing Mandamus directing government agencies to clean, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay. The inquiry will also examine the flooding impact of the project on adjacent Ermita-Malate areas, particularly the status of the Padre Faura, Remedios, and Estero de San Antonio Abad drainage outfalls. Lawmakers will review whether the project’s engineering design contributed to waterway blockages and subsequent flooding incidents in Manila. Ridon said the committee will also look at available alternative interventions and solutions to further “clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay” and improve its water quality to make it fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation—the specific requirements under the Supreme Court’s Continuing Mandamus. He added that the panel will likewise explore alternative interventions to clean and rehabilitate Manila Bay and improve its water quality to levels safe for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of recreation, as mandated by the Supreme Court. Invitations to participate in the hearing have been sent to the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), of Economy, Planning and Development DEPDev), and of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the City Government of Manila.

further mudslinging that would drag the Senate deeper into the mire],” he said. Padilla urged fellow senators and the public to trust Lacson’s leadership, adding that the senator’s return would allow the Blue-Ribbon committee to perform its oversight role with professionalism and fairness.

“Manalig po muna tayo sa magiging muling takbo ng pamumuno ni Senator

Ridon earlier filed House Resolution 56, urging the Committee on Public Accounts and other appropriate House panels to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the necessity, cost, and environmental impact of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program—particularly the Beach Nourishment and Coastal Restoration Project, more commonly known as the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach.

Solon to NTC: Stop rampant sale of pre registered SIMs

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

WAnother big time oil price increase

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

“I am calling on the NTC and DICT to use everything in their power to compel the telcos to come up with mechanisms that would identify the subscribers. You need to come up with an innovative solution. We cannot allow this to

ITH scammers expected to step up activities ahead of the holidays, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to crack down on the rampant sale of pre-registered SIM cards, warning that these are being widely used for financial crimes and online scams.

continue. The law is already there,” Gatchalian said.

“We need to put an end to this. Matagal na nating pinag-uusapan ito, lalo na ngayong magpa-Pasko na naman,” he added. During a re cent Senate hearing on the agencies’ proposed budgets for next year, Gatchalian presented photos of pre-registered SIMs being openly sold on Facebook and Shopee.

One of the authors of the SIM Registration Act, Gatchalian, pointed out that the objective of the law, which is to enable law enforcement agencies to identify unscrupulous groups or individuals involved in financial crimes and online scams, has not been achieved because of the availability of pre-registered SIMs to anyone interested.

PHL maintains position as net flower exporter

THE country’s shipments of cut flowers jumped to over $690,000 trade surplus in 2024, maintaining its position as a net exporter of the commodity, according to a unit of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P).

In its latest briefer, UA&P Center for Food and Agribusiness (CFA) Research Assistant

Cy P. Reyes said the Philippines exported cut flowers worth $705,000 last year, while imports stood at $12,000, resulting in a trade surplus of $693,000.

Cut flowers are blooms or buds that were severed from plants for decorative purposes.

“This positive trade balance indicates that the country remains a net exporter of cut flowers,” Reyes said.

“Exports reflect robust local production, while imports reveal supply gaps due to seasonal or unavailable flower varieties, indicating the industry’s competitiveness and potential.”

Reyes said the country’s cut flower output rose to 9,730 metric tons (MT) in 2024 from about 8,960 MT in 2020. However, he noted that data showed a slight dip in production in the last two years owing to weather-related shocks.

While the commodity’s shipments in terms of volume steadily declined year-onyear from 2020 to 2024 at an average rate of 9.1 percent, Reyes noted that the value of exports posted an average annual growth rate of 93.2 percent in the same period.

Thailand was the Philippines’ largest export market for cut flowers last year in terms of value, accounting for 39.2 percent of total shipments, he said. In terms of volume, he noted that Japan and the United States were the country’s top export destinations, with each accounting for 36.9 percent of the total export volume.

“These figures highlight the Philippines’ strong regional trade linkages in Asia and

its expanding presence in established global markets in Europe and North America, demonstrating both the scale and value of the country’s cut flower exports and the growing international competitiveness of the industry,” Reyes said.

Meanwhile, he noted that exports peaked in 2021 when it reached $1.89 million, before declining by 71.7 percent to $536,000 in 2022.

He added that the downtrend trend persisted in subsequent years, with export volume slipping further to $705,000 by 2024.

“This continued decline after 2021 indicates a slowdown in export activity, which can be attributed in part to the supply limitations previously identified as one of the challenges for the industry,” Reyes said.

Despite the uptrend in production, Reyes said the industry continues to face high costs of infrastructure, such as

greenhouses, irrigation systems, and postharvest facilities.

He added that the industry also deals with increasing vulnerability to the unpredictable effects of climate change.

“Extreme weather events such as storms and floods disrupt production cycles, leading to irregular supply and fluctuating prices,” Reyes said.

However, he noted that there remains growth opportunities amid these challenges.

“Cut flower exports have been growing, which indicates that the industry has the capacity to improve production, quality, and competitiveness in the global market,” Reyes said.

“Aside from this, the overall production trend suggests that domestic demand remains stable and that producers continue to respond to market opportunities both locally and abroad.” Ada Pelonia

Culture is the Glue Putting values into action

By Henry J. Schumacher

WITH the government taking anti-corruption more seriously now, I think that we have to be aware that in corruption it needs three to tango: the government official who takes and the private sector person who is ready to give, and the lawyer who is willing to protect both against a significant fee. While we always complain about the ‘corrupt government agencies and their practices’, it is time now to get the house of the private sector in order also and address the legal system.

When we, in business, talk about competitive advantages, building and maintaining an ethical culture must be part of the agenda. The private sector has to build an ethical culture in practice.

What is the difference between ethics and building a culture of trust?

Ethics are a set of principles. An ethical culture is a culture committed to pursuing those principles—and sometimes the pursuit of those principles leads employees to take actions somebody else might dislike. Perhaps the employee reports suspicions of misconduct. Either way, the employee in the

government, in the private sector or in the legal system needs to trust that his organization will support that decision to step forward. The apparatus of a corporate compliance program—the training, the internal reporting systems, the Code of Conduct, the due diligence procedures; all of it—should work toward the goal of a strong sense of trust within the organization.

When you view “building an ethical culture” from that perspective, suddenly several tasks rise to the top of the priority list.

For example, as much as we all love a strong internal reporting system, most employees report their concerns to leaders. Most employees also take their cues about how to behave from leaders. Consequently, training leaders about how to weave ethical standards into the organization’s daily routines is critical.

Formal training will always be important; employees will always need to know what the law says about bribery, or privacy, or collusion, or whatever else comes along. Culture, however, is much more than training, full of informal practices, norms, and expectations. Therefore, ethics and compliance programs must work with middle managers on what those practices, norms, and expectations are, and how to base them on the organization’s ethical principles. That’s where we win or lose this battle in corruption.

Senior leaders have a crucial role in building an ethical culture too since they send the signals about the organizational culture that people in operations translate into daily routines. Let me remind you that I am talking about organizations in the government, in the private sector and in the legal environment!

Let’s look at three ways you can build an ethical culture:

1 Develop clear ethical values— honesty, respect, fairness; whatever fits your organization. Talk with senior leaders and the board about what those values should be. Put them in the Code of Conduct, in a place of prominence so that every employee is aware of it.

2

Develop clear training materials based on those values. Create reallife scenarios that employees might encounter, where the resolution shows how ethical conduct is the higher priority than commercial success.

3 Refine your internal reporting system to assure the confidentiality of whistleblowers. Someone who does report an allegation to a hotline (or some other system that circumvents his or her manager) has a fear about doing the ethical thing. He or she needs to trust that the organization will protect their identity—that is, they need to trust the system. They need to see that the internal reporting system is trustworthy.

Those are only a few examples of what building an ethical culture entails. It’s long, painstaking work, that relies on communication and collaboration but that’s how you get to an ethical culture.

In conclusion, Culture is the Glue in creating change, putting values into action, and moving away from corruption. The culture glues government, the private sector and the legal system into the fair future we all want.

Feedback is welcome; please email me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com

Agri group asks govt to reinstate tariff on rice

percent for non-Asean countries.

ANOTHER big-time oil price hike takes effect this week, oil companies said Monday. For the fifth straight week, gasoline prices will increase anew on Tuesday morning. Oil companies said they will hike gasoline products by P1.70 per liter.

Meanwhile, the price of diesel and kerosene will shoot up by over P2 per liter. Diesel prices will increase by P2.70 per liter while kerosene will go up by P2.10 per liter. This is the second consecutive week of upward adjustments for diesel and kerosene.

This week’s steep pump price hike was brought about by the higher demand amid easing US-China tensions, and the UK, US, and EU sanctions on Russia, according to the

The resolution recalls that in January 2019, the DENR launched the “Battle for Manila Bay” rehabilitation program in compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2008 Mandamus order. Part of the initiative was a P389-million beach nourishment project along the Manila Baywalk, which involved overlaying the shoreline with crushed dolomite rock starting in September 2020.

During the 2020 budget hearings, Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones acknowledged that the dolomite beach was not part of the National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda)— approved master plan, raising concerns about its planning and approval process.

In August 2023, then Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga announced the suspension of all reclamation projects in Manila Bay—including the

The measure provides for a rank and promotion system aligned with those of the Armed Forces (AFP) and the National Police (PNP), enhanced operational commands for maritime safety, environmental protection, and law enforcement, and the deputization of Filipino fishermen as Bantay Dagat Auxiliary Patrol Officers entitled to hazard pay, insurance, and proper equipment. It also grants full scholarships to the children of PCG personnel who die in the line of duty, as well as parity in pay, allowances, and retirement benefits with the AFP.

“This bill is a tribute to the courage of our coast guard and a rebuke to those who belittle their sacrifice,” Adiong said. “We will not allow disinformation, mockery, or silence to erode our claim to what is rightfully ours.”

The lawmaker vowed to continue his fight on two fronts: legislating stronger support for the PCG and countering

Department of Energy. Oil companies adjust their prices every week to reflect movements in the world oil market.

In separate advisories, Shell, Caltex, Jetti, Seaoil, Total, Unioil, PT&T, Cleafuel said they will adjust their prices at 6 a.m. of November 4, except for Cleanfuel which will increase prices at 4:01 p.m. the same day.

“The adjustments reflect the movement on prices of refined fuel products, freight and market premiums in the international market,” Jetti said.

Last week, oil companies increased prices per liter of gasoline by P1.20, diesel by P2.00, and kerosene by P1.70. This brought year-to-date adjustments to a net increase of P16.50 per liter for gasoline, P19.15 per liter for diesel, and P6.55 per liter for kerosene as of October 28, 2025.

dolomite beach—pending review of their environmental clearances. More recently, in May 2025, fishermen and environmental groups filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to stop further dumping of crushed dolomite, alleging violations of environmental laws such as the Ecological Impact Assessment Law (Presidential Decree 1586), the Clean Water Act, and the Fisheries Code. Also, the MMDA has identified the dolomite beach project as a contributing factor to flooding along Taft Avenue and nearby areas. The agency said construction of the artificial beachfront obstructed three major drainage outfalls, forcing rainwater to be rerouted through a treatment plant that could not handle the excess flow during heavy rains. Ridon said the committee’s proceedings will determine whether such findings warrant policy reforms, including stricter environmental oversight and cost-efficiency standards for future coastal rehabilitation projects.

disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining national unity.

“I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fishermen, our coast guard, and every Filipino who refuses to be intimidated. We will modernize the PCG, defend our seas, and push back—on the water and in the war of narratives,” he said.

“The West Philippine Sea is ours. The PCG is our protector. There is no place for mocking their bravery,” Adiong declared. Earlier, Cavite Rep. Francisco Barzaga drew criticism for his social media posts that mocked the PCG—posts that have since gained significant online traction. Barzaga has labeled the PCG a “corrupt agency,” derisively calling it the “Philippine Crocodile Guard,” and even called for its abolition, claiming it was dragging the country closer to World War III. PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commo. Jay Tarriela, has strongly refuted what he described as “misleading and inflammatory” remarks made by Barzaga regarding the PCG’s operations in the West Philippine Sea. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

ABy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

GRICULTURE group Sinag on Monday urged the government to reinstate the tariffs slapped on imported rice, as government initiatives failed to prop up the farmgate prices of palay.

Sinag executive director Jayson Cainglet said the government should revert the tariffs on foreign rice to its original rate of 35 percent for Asean countries and 50

This, after President Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) 62 last year, which slashed rice tariffs to 15 percent from 35 percent until 2028.

Cainglet noted that the temporary suspension of rice shipments and subsequent issuance of EO 100 “have proven ineffective in raising the farmgate price of palay to its equitable level of P18 per kilo for fresh harvest.”

Panfilo Lacson [Let us first put our trust in the renewed leadership of Senator Panfilo Lacson],” he added.

Padilla said while some members of the minority bloc preferred Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for the post, the authority to designate a committee chairman rests with the majority bloc.

“Hindi po natin maipipilit ang kagustuhan natin dahil wala po sa mi nority ang kapangyarihan para magtalaga ngtagapangulongkomite[We cannot insist on our preference because the power to

appoint a committee chairman does not lie with the minority],” he added. Calling for calm amid disagreements on the committee leadership, Padilla reminded colleagues that political mudslinging would only damage the institution.

“Anomanangatingkulaysapulitika, batid ko na mahirap humiling ng kalma, pero hindi po makakatulong sa Senado kung tayo ay magpupukulan pa ng mga putik sa kung sino ang mamuno sa imbestigasyon [Whatever our political color, I know it’s hard to ask for calm, but it will not help the Senate if we continue throwing mud at each other over who should lead the investigation],” he said. PNA

Infra projects must be backed by feasibility studies—Chiz

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

ENATOR Francis “Chiz” Es -

Scudero wants to institutionalize budget transparency and accountability safeguards for all infrastructure projects introduced in the national budget as a way of preventing irregularities and the abuse and misuse of government funds.

To ensure that only government infrastructure projects that are technically and financially viable are included in the national budget, Escudero has filed Senate Bill Number 1461 or the proposed Infrastructure Appropriations Integrity Act.

Under the measure, all infrastructure projects will have to incorporate mechanisms such as station numbers, geotagging, geodetic coordinates, and other technology-based methodologies that will allow anyone to locate these at any time.

Ang geotagging ay isa sa pinakamahalagang mekanismo para makita natin kung ano ang estado ng isang proyekto—kung may ginagawa ba talaga o naka tengga lang ito habang tuloy-tuloy na nagpapalabas ng pondo ang gobyerno,” Escudero said.

The bill also states that no government infrastructure project should be included in the national budget and implemented unless it has gone through a thorough feasibility study.

The technical and financial bases for the projects, including the detailed unit price analyses, standard cost of materials, and quantity estimates should be properly and accurately docu -

mented for the perusal of all, particularly the public.

“This documentation is a requirement and condition sine qua non for inclusion of any infrastructure project in the National Expenditure Program [NEP] and the General Appropriations Act [GAA]. All proposed projects must be vetted otherwise it should not receive a single centavo in public funds,” Escudero said.

Budget splitting or the division of the appropriations for infrastructure projects in phases will also be prohibited for whatever reason.

“Splitting of government contracts has long been prohibited under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Law. This is to prevent the schemes that are intended to circumvent the law and budget policies in order to facilitate corruption,” the former Senate President said.

In the ongoing reviews and investigations being conducted on the government’s flood control programs, several problems were discovered including substandard construction and materials, overpriced procurement, and in some instances the nonexistence of projects or what is more commonly referred to as ghost projects.

Escudero recently wrote to Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian to adopt the transparency and accountability safeguards contained in SBN 1461 as a general provision in the 2026 national budget or as a special provision under specific agency appropriations.

Typhoon Tino: DSWD on full alert, 2.5 million food packs prepositioned

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

@joveemarie & Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

A@claudethmc3

S Typhoon Tino entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that it had prepositioned over 2.1 million family food packs (FFPs) in key areas across the country under its Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) program.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who heads the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), said preparations began as early as last week.

“Since last week, we have been monitoring this weather phenomenon and are regularly coordinating with PAGASA to understand the forecast track of Typhoon Tino,” said Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson.

Currently, more than 128,000 family food packs are ready for distribution in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), about 89,000 in Region 6 (Western Visayas), and over 81,000 in the Caraga Region.

The BBH program ensures that food and non-food relief items are ready and strategically stored in regional, provincial, and municipal warehouses—especially in areas expected to be affected by the storm.

She also assured the public that the DSWD has an efficient replenishment mechanism, particularly in the Visayas region. The Visayas

IoThings, cybertech applied to Davao farms for superior management

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

DAVAO CITY—From internet of Things to multispectral data, the farms here are expected to witness a sweeping industrial innovation in agricultural practice, focusing on quick and appropriate solutions while cutting on time, cost and labor and most importantly, minimizing negative impact on the environment.

“The farms of the future are no longer built on guesswork; they are powered by Science, Technology, and Innovation,” the Southern Mindanao Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMAARRDEC) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Davao said.

It said cybertechnology “is bringing this vision closer to reality by introducing local farmers to technologies that combine data, automation, and artificial intelligence for smarter, more sustainable agriculture.”

The SMAARRDEC featured its breakthrough application of Zappify, which it said is an Internet of Things (IoT)based pest control device that automates pest detection and management. It said Zappify uses sensors and connectivity to identify pest activity and activate control mechanisms only when needed, “reducing the use of chemical pesticides and cutting operational costs.”

This allows farmers to protect their crops more efficiently while minimizing environmental impact, it added

The SMAARRDEC will also use multispectral data for precision agriculture, a technology of imagery of captured data represented through wavelength bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.

“By capturing light beyond what the human eye can see, multispectral imaging provides detailed information on

plant health, soil condition, and moisture levels. With this data, farmers can make more informed decisions such as when and where to irrigate, fertilize, or harvest, resulting in higher yields and better resource management,” it said.

Alongside the application of artificial intelligence is the use of INDAI, or INspection of Durian using AI, which uses non-invasive imaging and AI algorithms to assess the quality of durian fruits without cutting them open.

The SMAARRDEC said this AI-aided durian inspection “showcases how artificial intelligence is transforming one of Davao’s most iconic products, ensuring consistency and quality assurance, helping durian growers meet market standards, reducing waste, and increasing income.”

“These technologies are proof that science and innovation are not abstract concepts but real, practical tools that can transform the way our farmers work,” said DOST Davao Regional Director Dr. Anthony C. Sales. “By empowering our agriculture sector with smart technologies, we are securing not only better harvests but also a more sustainable and competitive future for Mindanao.”

Meanwhile, the DOST said Davao Region’s homegrown inventors and researchers romped away with major awards at the 2025 Mindanao Cluster of the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit (RICE), organized by the DOST Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST–TAPI) at the Philippine Science High School–Central Mindanao Campus in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte.

The competition gathered some of the country’s most promising inventors, scientists, and students whose innovations address challenges in agriculture, health, and community livelihood, is said. For the Davao Region, the University of Southeastern Philippines

(USeP) and New Bataan National High School stood out among the Mindanao entries, highlighting how local creativity and applied research can lead to practical technologies that improve lives.

USeP’s team earned top honors with their Mechanical Coconut Climber, which won the Tuklas Award for Outstanding Invention, and ZAPPIFY, which received the Likha Award for Outstanding Government-Funded Creative Research. April Anne L. Viño, a high school researcher from New Bataan National High School in Davao de Oro, won the Sibol Award for Outstanding Student Creative Research (High School Category) for her study on the medicinal and livelihood potential of the hibiscus plant.

Young innovator April Anne Viño showcased how science can empower communities through her study, “Hibiscus Sabdariffa: A Bio-Chemical Activity Probing of Ethnopharmaceutical Potential.” Her research explored the antidiabetic and livelihood potential of hibiscus, a plant commonly found in local gardens, the DOST said.

The Mechanical Coconut Climber, developed by Dr. Roger Montepio with engineers Ryan Abenoja, Ruel Tuyugon, Roland Bayron, and Lourenze Karl Lanticse, introduces a safer and more efficient method for harvesting coconuts. The patented device, reduces the risks faced by coconut farmers who often climb tall trees without proper safety equipment. The team’s invention is currently being refined for commercialization through USeP’s Technology Business Incubation and Technology Transfer Units, with assistance from DOST Davao.

Winners from the Mindanao Cluster will advance to the National Invention Contest and Exhibit (NICE), where they will compete with the best inventors from other regions across the country.

Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu, produces between 18,000 and 20,000 food packs daily.

As of Monday, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 has been raised in several areas, prompting residents in coastal and lowlying communities to evacuate to safer locations. PAGASA warned of storm surges exceeding three meters in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (NDRRMOC) has also been placed under Red Alert status to strengthen coordination and monitoring among government agencies.

Dumlao reminded the public to remain vigilant and follow official advisories for their safety.

“We continue to urge everyone to listen to government officials and follow evacuation and safety instructions to avoid harm,” she said.

Despite multiple emergencies nationwide, Dumlao emphasized that the DSWD remains committed to assisting affected families, including those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).

Nutritional needs

THE DSWD also assured the public that the Family Food Packs (FFPs) and Ready-to-Eat Food (RTEF) boxes meet the nutritional standards for internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by disasters.

“These food packs meet the

nutritional requirements of our IDPs,” Dumlao said, explaining that their contents were developed in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and comply with standards set by the National Nutrition Council (NNC).

Each FFP contains 6 kilograms of rice, 10 assorted canned goods (four tuna flakes in oil, four corned beef, and two sardines), five sachets of instant coffee, and five sachets of chocolate malt drink.

Each pack is designed to feed a family of five for two to three days.

Meanwhile, the DSWD also distributes Ready-to-Eat Food (RTEF) boxes—Halal-certified meals intended for evacuees and stranded passengers. An RTEF box includes five cans of tuna paella, one can of chicken pastil, one can of giniling, two packs of arroz caldo, three packs of champorado, two protein biscuits, and one infant food item.

“There are no noodles included,” Dumlao clarified.

To complement these food packs, the DSWD deploys mobile kitchens to serve hot meals to residents in disaster-stricken areas.

“These hot meals are freshly prepared and served through our mobile kitchens to support the food boxes we provide,” she said.

Red Cross mobilizes Cebu chapters, volunteers as storm Tino approaches

In line with the directive of PRC

Chairman Richard J. Gordon, the Philippine Red Cross has placed all its Cebu Chapters on full alert as

Severe Tropical Storm Tino (Kalmaegi) continues to move westward and is expected to affect parts of the Visayas region in the coming days.

PRC said that all chapters in potentially affected areas have been instructed to undertake precautionary measures, mobilize their 143 volunteers, and ensure that all emergency response assets are on standby for immediate deployment.

Over the weekend, the PRC Lapu-Lapu/Cordova Chapter convened to discuss the chapter’s preparedness and deployment strategy, wherein rescue boats and other lifesaving equipment have been readied in anticipation of possible flooding and sea-related emergencies.

In Northern Cebu, despite the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake that affected the province, PRC personnel and volunteers have intensified their readiness efforts to support forthcoming response operations related to STS Tino. Meanwhile, the PRC Cebu Chapter in Central Cebu remains on standby, ensuring that all vehicles, rescue equipment, and emergency supplies are fully operational and ready for mobilization should the need arise.

The PRC continue to work closely with LGUs, partners, and its volunteers to ensure that timely assistance are extended to affected and at-risk communities. For emergencies and urgent assistance, the PRC advise the public to dial 143.

DAR turns over ₧1.3 million worth of mobile rice mill to ARBs in Jimenez, Misamis

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

TO boost rice production in the town of Jimenez, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over P1.3 million worth of farm machinery and equipment (FME) to the Macabayao Farmers’ Association, Inc., a group of farmers based in Barangay Macabayao, Jimenez, Misamis Oriental.

The initiative was implemented through the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) – Major Crop-Based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement Program, which

aims to boost rice production and build resilience among local farmers through essential farm and post-harvest machinery.

The FME package includes one 24-horsepower mobile rice million worth P1.3 million, two weighing scales, two sack sewing machines, and ten knapsack sprayers. These tools are expected to reduce production costs, improve milling efficiency, and increase the income of the 64-member MAFAI cooperative.

Oriental

DAR Misamis Occidental officials, led by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Rolando M. Libetario, Jr., said the government continues to empower farmers not only through land distribution but also by providing equipment that supports long-term agricultural productivity and sustainability. MAFAI President Letecia B. Cocolan said the machinery will enable farmers to process their own harvests and earn higher income from their produce. DAR officials encouraged the cooperative to properly manage and maintain the equipment to ensure sustained benefits for their community.

This project marks another milestone in DAR’s mission to enhance productivity, profitability, and climate resilience across agrarian reform communities in Misamis Occidental.

Govt peace body honors Catholic’s Oblates of Mary Immaculate for pivotal role in Mindanao peacebuilding

DAVAO CITY residential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. lauded the decades’ consistent role of the Catholic’s Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in fostering interfaith dialogue across many flashpoints of conflict in Mindanao, including the loss of lives of these religious men in pursuing peace in southern Philippines.

“I have worn a soldier’s uniform and have commanded men in battle,” Galvez said. “But the greatest lesson I’ve learned is that the most difficult battles are not won with bullets, but with humility, understanding, and dialogue.”

Galvez was a veteran military general on various assignments in critical places in Mindanao and whose valuable insights in pursu -

ing peace earned him his post as peace adviser across several administrations.

But addressing 80 members of the congregation during the OMI Annual Assembly October 21 in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, he acknowledged the Oblates’ courageous trail in many troubled places, usually mixed communities of Christian settlers and Moro inhabitants.

He said he was a “fellow traveler on the long road to peace” and had witnessed the Oblates’ key role in fostering interfaith dialogue, mutual understanding and peacebuilding in Mindanao.

“Your presence here is a long and courageous witness, a witness that has often demanded sacrifice, and always, fidelity,” Galvez said.

A legacy of peace

“IN Jolo and Tawi-Tawi, we remember missionaries like Bishop Ben de Jesus and Fr. Rey Roda,” he said, who “did not just lose their lives; they gave their lives, accompanying island communities through immense volatility.”

In Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, Galvez noted that the Oblates “became champions for our Indigenous Peoples, standing with them to preserve their culture and offering spiritual accompaniment that respected their ancestral domains.”

In North Cotabato Maguindanao, he said, their priests “refused easy answers” and “dedicated themselves to the long,

The Court held that while PTC’s intention to investigate graft and corruption was noble, it could not ignore that its mandate was focused on a single administration.

Behind bars by Christmas SOME or most of the about 6-persons implicated in the trillion peso flood-control scandal may poissibly be behind bars by Christmas, Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon said on Monday.

“I’m confident that somebody will spend Christmas in jail,”

Continued from A4

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced over the weekend that Marcos had approved extending the rice import ban until the end of 2025.

Dizon said in Filipino. Simple lang iyan ito ang budget, binayaran mo nang buo tapos walang ginawa. Sabi nga ng district engineering, [office] binayaran niya pero walang natapos ,” Dizon said in a news conference.

He added: “Very clear and confident na kulong iang mga ito. Nagsabi na rin ang DOJ [Department of Justice] at Ombudsman na maraming magpapasko.”

“Forty-eight in total from DPWH pa lang. Siyempre may mga contractor pa , definitely mahigit 50 iyan—baka mga 60 siguro ang tingin ko. Mabilis naman ang mga kaso na iyan ,” Dizon added.

Initially, the President suspended the foreign shipments of rice until October 31 to counter the sharp drop in palay prices ahead of the wet harvest season.

“The root cause of the current crisis remains the unilateral decision by the economic team to reduce the rice import tariff to 15 percent,” Cainglet said in a statement.

“This policy continues to

Asked if he thinks that there would also be politicians who would be spending Christmas in jail, Dizon said, he wouldn’t want to preempt the prosecutors “May mga politiko na kakasuhan kagaya ni former Congressman Zaldy Co at Congressman Eric Yap ng La Union. Wala pang kaso pero namention na ,” he said.

Co considered to have waived rights

THE Office of the Ombudsman yesterday said that resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co may have waived his right to disprove the criminal and administrative charges filed against him in connection with the P289.5

suppress palay prices by making cheap imports more attractive to traders and local millers, further undermining local rice producers,” he added.

Cainglet noted that EO 100 mandated the setting of a floor price only for the government procurement of palay.

Without a substantial increase in the government’s

million anomalous flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

This came after the recipient of the Ombudsman’s order for Co to file his counter-affidavit refused to accept the order when it was served at the former legislator’s last known address last week.

“If the order to file a counter-affidavit, which is an opportunity for the respondent to give his defense, was not accepted, then we consider the person in default,” Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic Clavano IV said at a press briefing.

Clavano explained that a respondent is considered in

procurement budget, he said, the state could purchase only two to four percent of the country’s total palay harvest.

“This limited coverage leaves approximately 95 percent of palay production under the control of private traders, trader-importers, and millers, who often dictate farmgate prices based on import parity

default if he or she fails to file his counter-affidavit within the required period.

Once his right to file a counter-affidavit is forfeited, the Ombudsman will have to resolve the case based on the affidavit of the complainant along with the evidence submitted.

“So, when a respondent is in default and fails to submit his defense to the allegations against him, what happens is that all the submissions, including the complaint affidavit will become the basis for the prosecutor’s resolution— whether or not there is a probable cause or prima facie case with reasonable certainty of

and market speculation rather than the true cost of local production,” Cainglet added.

conviction,” Clavano explained. Co managed to leave the country last August 8 or before the flood control scandal broke out, purportedly to undergo medical treatment in the United States.

He has reportedly been transferring from one country to another since his name was dragged into the anomalous flood control projects of the government.

Clavano said the Ombudsman still tried to serve the subpoena despite knowing that he is not in the country.

“We have to try, that is the spirit of the law, you have to try to serve it diligently,” Clavano said. With Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Thus, he noted that a stronger government presence in the palay market would be essential. He added that when the government actively competes in buying palay, private traders were compelled to offer more competitive and equitable prices to farmers.

“The institutionalization of a palay floor price is a crucial reform. However, its success depends on the government’s capacity and commitment to buy directly from farmers at scale, ensuring that state procurement truly sets a price floor rather than a symbolic benchmark,” Cainglet said.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Abu Dhabi summit: AI and aviation demand fuels oil price hopes as Opec+ adjusts output

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates—Abu Dhabi opened a major oil summit Monday with officials offering bullish optimism that power demands for artificial intelligence and global aviation will boost energy prices, just hours after Opec+ paused production increases planned for next year.

The comments at the annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference in the Emirati capital highlighted the contradictions in the market and in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producer that hosted the United Nations COP28 climate talks in 2023.

Sultan al-Jaber, the head of the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. who led COP28, described the energy market as needing “reinforcement, not replacement.” US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum applauded al-Jaber’s remarks and criticized what he described as “a set of policies that have been driven by an ideology around climate extremism.”

“The demand for power is going to go up and up and up,” Burgum said. “Today’s the day to announce that there is no energy transition. There is only energy addition.”

Opec+ halts first-quarter production hikes ON Sunday, Opec+ met and decided to increase its production by an additional 137,000 barrels of oil beginning in December. However, it said other adjustments planned in January, February and March of next year would be paused “due to seasonality.”

Opec+ includes the core members of the cartel, as well as nations outside of the group led by Russia. Benchmark Brent crude sold Monday around $65 a barrel, down from a post-Covid high of some $115 a barrel after Russia’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It had fallen to $60 a barrel in recent days over concerns that the market had too much production. “Yes, Opec+ is blinking, but it’s a calculated move,” said Jorge León, the head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy. “Sanctions on

Russian producers have injected a new layer of uncertainty into supply forecasts, and the group knows that overproducing now could backfire later. By pausing, Opec+ is protecting prices, projecting unity and buying time to see how sanctions play out on Russian barrels.”

Suhail al-Mazerouei, the Emirates’ energy and infrastructure minister, however, dismissed any idea long-term of too much oil being in the market.

“I’m not going to talk about an oversupply scenario,” he said. “I can’t see that. I can’t justify that. And I think all of what we are seeing is more demand.”

Burgum backs production, knocks Russia BURGUM , a former Republican governor of North Dakota and the chair of US President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, was on hand for the Abu Dhabi oil summit on Monday. He praised the partnership oilproducing Gulf Arab states have with America, saying: “We share a belief about energy policy.”

“People have described the climate as an existential threat. Again, to help people understand US energy policy, we are focused

on two substantial threats. One is Iran could not have a nuclear weapon,” Burgum said. “But the second thing is that the free world cannot lose the AI arms race.... You need chips, you need software models and you need more electricity.”

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the US, a key economic and political indicator in the country, stood at $3.03 on Monday. Trump also has criticized both

Opec+ and Saudi Arabia at times over the price per barrel, particularly in his first term. Meanwhile, both the United States and the United Kingdom implemented new oil sanctions targeting Russia over its war on Ukraine. Those sanctions targets

included Rosneft and the Russian oil company Lukoil, whose redand-white logo hung over the annual oil conference. The UAE has maintained close ties to Russia despite the war, but has served as a key interlocutor between Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate prisoner exchanges.

“The Russian and Ukraine war is being funded by energy sales,” Burgum said on a stage that had flashed the Lukoil logo before his remarks.

Climate change worries take a backseat THE oil conference comes after the UAE hosted COP28. Those talks ended with a call by nearly 200 countries to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels—the first time the conference made that crucial pledge. Scientists have called for drastically slashing the world’s emissions by nearly half in the coming years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times.

See “Opec+,” A11

Ukraine gets more Patriot air defense systems to counter Russian attacks

By Illia Novikov The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine has received more American-made Patriot air defense systems to help it counter Russia’s daily barrages, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian drones killed a man and injured five of his family members, including two children, in the latest nighttime attack.

Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago has killed thousands of civilians. It has also targeted the energy supply to deny civilians heat and running water in winter, as well as disrupt industrial production of Ukraine’s newly developed drones and missiles.

The sophisticated Patriot systems are the most effective weapon against Russian missiles. Zelenskyy has pleaded with Western partners to provide more of them,

but production limitations and the need to maintain stockpiles have slowed their delivery.

“More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation,” Zelenskyy said on social media late Sunday. “Of course, more systems are needed to protect key infrastructure sites and our cities across the entire territory of our state.”

He thanked Germany and its Chancellor Friedrich Merz for the Patriots. Germany said three months ago it would deliver two more Patriot air defense systems

to Ukraine. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the US will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. Patriot systems are made only in the US.

NATO is coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying much of the equipment from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine, unlike the previous Biden

administration.

Russia launched 12 missiles of various types and 138 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight from Sunday to Monday, Ukraine’s air force said. On some nights it has fired many hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine.

In Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, Russian drones hit a house where they killed a man and injured five members of his family, authorities said. Two women were also injured in a separate Sumy attack.

“The Russians cynically target -

ed people—deliberately, at night, while they were sleeping,” regional head Oleh Hryhorov wrote on Telegram in response to the attacks.

Russian missiles started a fire at a business in the central Dnipro region, injuring a man, regional head Vladyslav Haivanenko said.

Russian drones have also struck energy infrastructure in the southern Mykolaiv region.

At the same time, Ukraine has been trying to constrain Russia’s oil industry, a mainstay of its economy.

Ukrainian forces struck Russia’s Saratov oil refinery overnight and started a fire, according to Ukraine’s general staff. It was Ukraine’s fourth attack on the Saratov installation in almost seven weeks.

The refinery, located some 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the Ukrainian border, can process several million metric tons of oil a year.

Zelenskyy claimed last week that long-range strikes on Russian refineries have reduced Moscow’s oil refining capacity by 20%.

Oil exports play a key role in funding Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. While Ukrainian weapons take aim at the refineries, new sanctions from the US and the European Union are aiming to cut into Moscow’s oil and gas export earnings.

In Gaza cemeteries, some displaced Palestinians live among the dead

By Wafaa Shurafa The Associated Press

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip—

Skeletons are neighbors for some Palestinians in Gaza who found nowhere but cemeteries to shelter from the war.

Gravestones have become seats and tables for families like that of Maisa Brikah, who has lived with her children in a dusty, sun-baked cemetery in the southern city of Khan Younis for five months. Some 30 families shelter here. A blonde-haired toddler sits outside one tent, running fingers through the sand. Another peeks playfully from behind a drape of fabric.

Nighttime is another matter.

“When the sun goes down, the children get scared and don’t want to go, and I have a few children, four small ones,” Brikah said.

“They are afraid to go out because of the dogs at night, and the dead.”

The vast majority of Gaza’s population of over 2 million people has been displaced by the two years of war between Hamas and Israel. With the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10, some have returned to what remains of homes. Others are still crowded into the strip of remaining territory that Israeli forces don’t control. Here and in other cemeteries in Gaza, there is life among the dead.

See “Cemeteries,” A9

Remains of 3 Israeli soldiers returned from Gaza; former military legal chief arrested in video leak

By Julia Frankel

The Associated Press

JERUSALEM—Israel said on Monday the remains of three hostages returned from Gaza the previous night were those of soldiers who were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the war. The positive identification marked another step forward for the tenuous, USbrokered ceasefire.

Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 20 hostages, with eight remaining in Gaza.

The latest hostages’ return came as Israel was shaken by a po -

litical scandal involving the former legal chief for Israel’s military, who was arrested overnight after she admitted to leaking a video of Israeli soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee, according to media reports. A former chief military prosecutor was also arrested, the reports said. The two were to appear in court on Monday. The authorities did not immediately comment.

Slow release of bodies

THE office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the three hostages returned as Capt. Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel

and Col. Assaf Hamami. A Hamas statement earlier said their remains were found on Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he had spoken with the family of American-Israeli Omer Neutra, describing their relief and heartbreak. “They were thrilled, in one sense, but in an -

other sense, obviously, it’s not too great,” Trump said.

Militants have released one or two bodies every few days. Israel has urged faster progress, and in certain cases it has said the remains were not those of any hostage. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation.

Israel in turn has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage returned. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits.

Only 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies returned since the ceasefire began have been identified, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Ministry has posted photos of the remains online and used projectors to magnify the images onto the walls of Nasser hospital, all in the hope that families will recognize them

Arrests of 2 ex-military figures rocks Israel

TH e arrest of Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the former military legal chief, came just days after she issued a stunning admission that she was responsible for leaking a video showing Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee and resigned from office.

The arrest followed a frantic search Sunday along the Tel Aviv beach for Tomer-Yerushalmi, after her family raised concerns for her safety and police found her abandoned car along the coastline, reported Israel’s Channel 12. Police said she was found soon after the search began.

Former chief military prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh was also arrested, reported Israel’s Army Radio.

Who were the hostages returned?

THE American-Israeli, Neutra, was 21 when he died. In the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, he was abducted with the rest of his tank crew. In December 2024, the military announced Neutra had been killed in the attack that started the war.

Neutra’s parents were a regular presence at protests in the US and Israel, and addressed the Republican National Convention last year.

The militants took the body of

Daniel, 19, from his tank, along with three others. He is survived by his parents and twin sister. Hamami commanded Israel’s southern brigade in the Gaza division and died early on Oct. 7, 2023, in fighting to defend Kibbutz Nirim.

According to Israeli media, Hamami was the first person in the military to declare that Israel was at war, less than 10 minutes after the attack began. Hamami and two of his soldiers were killed and their bodies were taken to Gaza. The other two soldiers’ remains were retrieved in July 2024. Hamami is survived by his wife and three children.

Where the ceasefire stands THE exchange of hostage remains for Palestinian bodies has been the central part of the initial phase of the US-brokered ceasefire. The 20-point plan includes the formation of an international stabilization force of Arab and other partners that would work with Egypt and Jordan on securing Gaza’s borders and ensure the ceasefire is respected.

Multiple nations have shown interest in taking part in a peacekeeping force but have called for a clear UN Security Council mandate before committing troops. Other difficult questions include Hamas’ disarmament and the governance of a postwar Gaza, as well as when and how humanitarian aid will be increased.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will visit Jordan on Monday and call on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. She is expected to visit a warehouse where British aid remains stuck waiting to enter Gaza.

Ahead of the visit, Cooper said that “humanitarian support is desperately needed and the people of Gaza cannot afford to wait.”

“Following the US-led peace process and the plans for a sub -

Gaza. . .

Continued from A8

stantial increase in aid for Gaza, we need an increase in crossings, an acceleration in lifting of restrictions and more agencies able to go in with aid,” Cooper said.

Cooper also announced that Britain will provide an extra 6 million pounds ($7.9 million) of humanitarian support for Gaza, provided by the UN Population Fund.

The two-year war has been the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas. It started with the Hamas-led 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken as hostages.

Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

Israel, which has denied accusations by a UN commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed the ministry’s figures without providing a contradicting toll.

The Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel; Jill Lawless in London and Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

Trump says China’s Xi promises no Taiwan action during his presidency

By Aamer Madhani The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—

President Donald Trump says that Chinese President Xi Jinping has given him assurances that Beijing would take no action toward its long-stated goal of unifying Taiwan with mainland China while the Republican leader is in office.

Trump said that the longcontentious issue of Taiwan did not come up in his talks with Xi on Thursday in South Korea that largely focused on US-China trade tensions. But the US leader expressed certainty that China would not take action on Taiwan, while he’s in office.

“He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is

president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in an excerpt of an interview with the CBS’ program “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday.

US officials have long been concerned about the possibility of China using military force against Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed US relations

with the island, does not require the US to step in militarily if China invades but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing.

Asked if he would order US forces to defend Taiwan if China attacked, Trump demurred. The United States, both Republican

and Democratic administrations, have maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan— trying not to tip their hands on whether the US would come to the island’s aid in such a scenario.

“You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that,” Trump said of Xi.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington,

did not respond directly to a query about whether Trump has received any assurances from Xi or Chinese officials about Taiwan. He insisted in a statement that China “will never allow any person or force to separate Taiwan from China in any way.”

“The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, and it is the core of China’s core interests. How to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people ourselves, and only the Chinese people can decide it,” the statement added.

The White House also did not provide further details about when Xi or Chinese officials have conveyed to Trump that military action on Taiwan was off-the-table for the duration of the Republican’s presidency.

The “60 Minutes” interview was taped on Friday at Trump’s Mar-aLago resort in Florida. It marked Trump’s first appearance on the show since he settled a lawsuit this summer with CBS News over the newsmagazine’s interview with Kamala Harris.

The rest of the interview is scheduled to air later Sunday.

US and Vietnam reaffirm ties through war legacy cooperation amid regional concerns

By Aniruddha Ghosal

The Associated Press

HANOI,

Vietnam—US

Defense Secretary Pete

Hegseth was in Vietnam on Sunday, reaffirming a partnership built on healing the scars of the Vietnam War in a trip that will test whether Washington can reassure a vital but wary partner.

Hegseth said addressing the legacies of the war, which ended 50 years ago in April, remains the foundation and a top priority of the countries’ defense relationship. At the end of his talks with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, Hegseth handed over a leather box, a belt and a small knife—wartime artifacts once taken by US soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Cemeteries. . .

Continued from A8

A prayer rug hangs on a line. A child pushes a water jug on a wheelchair between the graves. Smoke rises from a cooking fire.

Such returns have become part of broader reconciliation efforts between the two countries, with similar relics—including letters, identification tags and photographs—handed back to the US in recent years.

“Today we will exchange artifacts and information from the war with the goal of helping family members in both countries find peace,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth’s visit also marks 30 years of diplomatic ties between the former foes and two years since they upgraded relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic status. He arrived in Hanoi from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he attended a meeting of counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Cooperation on postwar issues remains key to US-Vietnam relations. Since normalizing ties in 1995, the two countries have worked together to clear unexploded ordnance, recover remains of missing service members and clean up dioxin—the toxic chemical used in Agent Orange—from former US air bases that continue to affect communities.

There were concerns about the future of these efforts when US funding for several programs was slashed, temporarily halting some cleanup work before resuming.

The visible recommitment to these projects could help stabilize relations and “create space” for further defense cooperation, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow in the Vietnam Studies Program at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.

“War legacy cooperation is the foundation enabling deeper defense ties,” he said. “For Washing -

ton, it demonstrates long-term responsibility and goodwill to solve lingering war consequences. For Hanoi, it provides essential political cover for expanding relations with a former adversary.” Giang said the US defense chief’s visit comes at a crucial moment. Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, visited North Korea in early October—the first such trip in nearly two decades—while reports suggest Hanoi may pursue the purchase of 40 Russian Su-35 fighter jets. “Vietnam is hedging against doubts about US reliability in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. The Associated Press has previously reported that Moscow and Hanoi have explored ways to maintain financial transactions despite US sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

“Hegseth’s visit demonstrates Vietnam’s deliberate deepening of defense ties with the US, but strictly on Hanoi’s terms,” Giang said.

Other residents of this cemetery come from Gaza’s north. They are often far from the land where their own loved ones are buried.

Mohammed Shmah said he has been living here for three months. He said his house had been destroyed, too.

“I’m a grown man, but I still get

One of Brikah’s nearest neighbors is Ahmad Abu Said, who died in 1991 at the age of 18, according to the carving on his tombstone that begins with lines from the Quran. There is unease, a feeling of disrespect, at setting up camp here. But there is little choice. Brikah said her family’s home elsewhere in Khan Younis was destroyed. There is no return for now. Israeli forces occupy their neighborhood.

scared of the graves at night. I hide in my tent,” he said, perched on a broken tombstone and squinting in the sun. He said he had only 200 shekels (around $60) on him when a friend took it to help bring his family to the cemetery.

The lack of money for shelter elsewhere is one reason keeping families living among the graves, said Hanan Shmah, Mohammed’s wife. With care, she washed dishes in a soapy container the size of a pie tin, guarding precious water.

“Of course, life in the cemetery is full of fear, dread and worries, and you don’t sleep in addition to the stress we experience,” she said.

There is no guarantee of safety, even among the dead. Israeli forces have bombed cemeteries during the war, according to the United Nations and other observers. Israel has accused Hamas of using some cemeteries for cover, and has argued that the sites lose their protection when they are used for military purposes.

During the war, bodies in Gaza were buried wherever they could, including in hospital courtyards. According to custom, Palestinian families are buried near loved ones. The fighting has largely disrupted that.

Now, with the ceasefire, the search is on for the dead.

Israel presses Hamas to turn over the remains of hostages. Palestinian health officials post gruesome photos of bodies returned by Israel in the hope that families can identify them. Others search Gaza’s vast stretches of rubble for

bodies that the fighting long made unable to claim.

The death toll in Gaza from the war—now over 68,800—has jumped by hundreds since the ceasefire began from the recovery of such remains alone.

Families in this Khan Younis cemetery have watched the arrival of new additions, often buried not under slabs but under sand, marked off by stones. Recovery, reconstruction, return. All feel far away.

“After the ceasefire my life is the same inside the cemetery, meaning I gained nothing,” Mohammed Shmah said.

Trump ‘won’t be extorted’ by Democrats as shutdown threatens food aid, air travel

By Mary Clare Jalonick The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—President

Donald Trump says he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats to reopen the government, making clear that he has no plans to negotiate as the government shutdown will soon enter its sixth week.

In an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday, Trump said that Democrats who are demanding an extension in health care subsidies “have lost their way” and predicted that they will eventually capitulate to Republicans who have said they won’t negotiate until they vote to reopen the government.

“I think they have to,” Trump said. “And if they don’t vote, it’s their problem.”

Trump’s comments signal that the shutdown could continue to drag on for some time as federal workers, including air traffic controllers, are set to miss additional paychecks and as there is uncertainty over whether 42 million Americans who received federal food aid will be able to access the assistance. Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times against reopening the government, insisting that they need Trump and Republicans to negotiate with them first on an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Instead of negotiating, the president reiterated his pleas to Republican leaders to change Senate rules and scrap the filibuster. But Senate Republicans have rejected that idea, arguing that the rule requiring 60 votes to overcome any objections in the Senate is vital

to the institution and has allowed them to stop Democratic policies when they are in the minority.

“Republicans have to get tougher,” Trump said in the CBS interview. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.”

With the two parties at a standstill, the shutdown, now in its 33rd day, appears likely to become the longest in history. The previous record was set in 2019, when Trump demanded that Congress give him money for a US-Mexico border wall.

A potentially decisive week

TRUMP’S push on the filibuster could prove a distraction for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican senators who have opted instead to stay the course as the consequences of the shutdown have become more acute.

Republicans are hoping that at least some Democrats will eventually give them the votes they need as moderates have been in weekslong talks with rank-andfile Republicans about potential compromises that could guarantee votes on health care in exchange for reopening the government. Republicans need five additional Democrats to pass their bill.

“We need five with a backbone to say we care more about the lives

of the American people than about gaining some political leverage,” Thune said on the Senate floor as the Senate left Washington for the weekend on Thursday.

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that there is a group of people talking about “a path to fix the health care debacle” and a commitment from Republicans not to fire more federal workers. But it’s still unclear if those talks could produce a meaningful compromise.

Far apart on Obamacare subsidies

TRUMP said in the “60 Minutes” interview that the Affordable Care Act, often known as Obamacare because it was signed and championed by former President Barack Obama, is “terrible” and that if the Democrats vote to reopen the government, “we will work on fixing the bad health care that we have right now.”

Democrats feel differently, arguing that the marketplaces set up by the ACA are working as record numbers of Americans have signed up for the coverage. But they want to extend subsidies first enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic so that premiums won’t go up for millions of people on Jan. 1.

“We want to sit down with Thune, with (House Speaker Mike) Johnson, with Trump, and negotiate a way to address this horrible health care crisis,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said last week.

No appetite for bipartisanship

AS Democrats have pushed Trump and Republicans to negotiate, Trump has showed little interest in doing so. He immediately called for an end to the Senate filibuster after a trip to Asia while the government was shut down.

White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on “Sunday

Morning Futures” on Fox News that the president has spoken directly to both Thune and Johnson about the filibuster. But a spokesman for Thune said Friday that his position hasn’t changed, and Johnson said on Sunday that Republicans traditionally have resisted calling for an end to the filibuster because it protects them from “the worst impulses of the far-left Democrat Party.”

Trump said on “60 Minutes” that “I like John Thune, I think he’s terrific. But I disagree with him on this point.”

The president has spent much of the shutdown mocking Democrats, posting videos of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a Mexican sombrero. The White House website has a satirical “My Space” page for Democrats, a parody based on the social media site that was popular in the early 2000s. “We just love playing politics with people’s livelihoods,” the page reads.

Democrats have repeatedly said that they need Trump to get serious and weigh in. Virginia Sen.

Mark Warner said that he hopes the shutdown could end “this week” because Trump is back in Washington. Republicans “can’t move on anything without a Trump sign off,” Warner said on “Face the Nation” on CBS.

Record-breaking shutdown

THE 35-day shutdown that lasted from December 2018 to January 2019 ended when Trump retreated from his demands over a border wall. That came amid intensifying delays at the nation’s airports and multiple missed paydays for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on ABC’s “This Week” that there have already been delays at several airports as air traffic controllers aren’t getting paid “and it’s only going to get worse.”

Many of the workers are “confronted with a decision,” he said.

“Do I put food on my kids’ table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent or do I go to work and not get paid?”

As flight delays around the country increased, New York City’s emergency management department posted on Sunday that Newark Airport was under a ground delay because of “staffing shortages in the control tower” and that they were limiting arrivals to the airport.

“The average delay is about 2 hours, and some flights are more than 3 hours late,” the account posted. “FAA planning notes show a possibility of a full ground stop later if staffing shortages or demand increases.”

SNAP crisis ALSO in the crossfire are the 42 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits. The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold $8 billion needed for payments to the food program starting on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to fund it.

House Democratic leader Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Trump and Republicans of attempting to “weaponize hunger.” He said that the administration has managed to find ways for funding other priorities during the shutdown, but is slow-walking pushing out SNAP benefits despite the court orders.

“But somehow they can’t find money to make sure that Americans don’t go hungry,” Jeffries said in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in his own CNN appearance Sunday, said the administration continues to await direction from the courts.

“The best way for SNAP benefits to get paid is for Democrats—for five Democrats to cross the aisle and reopen the government,” Bessent said.

The Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

Trump’s tariff policy faces Supreme Court test with global implications

By Michelle L. Price

The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—Presi -

Wdent Donald Trump sees tariffs—or the threat of them—as a powerful tool to bend nations to his will. He has used them in an unprecedented way, not only as the underpinning of his economic agenda, but also as the cornerstone of his foreign policy in his second term. He has wielded the import taxes as a threat to secure ceasefires from countries at war. He has used them to browbeat nations into promising to do more to stop people and drugs from flowing across their borders. He has used them, in Brazil’s case, as political pressure because its judicial system prosecuted a former leader who was a Trump ally, and in a recent blowup with Canada, as punishment for a television ad.

This week, the Supreme Court hears arguments on whether the Republican president has overstepped federal law with many of his tariffs. A ruling against him could limit or even take away that swift and blunt leverage that much of his foreign policy has relied on.

Trump increasingly has expressed agitation and anxiety about the looming decision in a case he says is one of the most

important in US history. He has said it would be a “disaster” for the United States if the justices fail to overturn lower court rulings that found he went too far in using an emergency powers law to put his tariffs in place.

Trump had said he wanted to take the highly unusual step of attending the arguments in person, but on Sunday said he had ruled it out, saying he didn’t want to be a distraction. “I wanted to go so badly—I just don’t want to do anything to deflect the importance of that decision,” he told reporters on Air Force One. The Justice Department, in its defense of the tariffs, has highlighted the expansive way Trump has used them, arguing that the trade penalties are part of his power over foreign affairs, an area where the courts should not second-guess the president.

Earlier this year, two lower courts and most judges on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that Trump did not have power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to set tariffs—a power the Constitution grants to Congress. Some dissenting judges on the court, though, said the 1977 law allows the president to regulate imports during emergencies without specific limitations.

The courts left the tariffs in

place while the Supreme Court considers the issue. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to wield them as he has tried to pressure or punish other countries on matters related – and unrelated – to trade.

“The fact of the matter is that President Trump has acted lawfully by using the tariff powers granted to him by Congress in IEEPA to deal with national emergencies and to safeguard our national security and economy,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. “We look forward to ultimate victory on this matter with the Supreme Court.”

Still, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the

Trump trade team is working on contingency plans should the high court rule against the Republican administration.

“We do have backup plans,” Leavitt said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “But ultimately…we are hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule on the right side of the law and do what’s right for our country. The importance of this case cannot be overstated. The president must have the emergency authority to utilize tariffs.”

Most presidents haven’t used tariffs as a foreign policy tool MODERN presidents have used financial sanctions such as freezing

assets or blocking trade, not tariffs, for their foreign policy and national security aims, said Josh Lipsky, a former Obama White House and State Department staffer who is now the international economics chair at the Atlantic Council.

There are other laws that presidents can use to impose tariffs. But they require a monthslong process to justify the rates.

Trump, citing the IEEPA, moves faster and more dramatically. He signs executive orders imposing new rates and fires off social media posts threatening additional import taxes, as he did in late October when he was angered by an anti-tariff television ad aired by the province of Ontario.

“Presidents have typically treated tariffs as a scalpel, not a sledgehammer,” Lipsky said.

In contrast, Trump has used tariffs as the backbone of his national security and foreign policy agenda, Lipsky said. “All of it is interconnected and tariffs are at the heart of it,” he said.

“On the other hand, you would say there’s probably some backlash.”

Supreme Court decision could rattle geopolitics—and wallets TRUMP’S tariff strong-arming has rattled relationships with America’s friends and foes. Some have responded by becoming more protectionist or looking to foster relations with China, which has tried to be seen as a promoter of free trade. There also is the impact on pocketbook. Some businesses have passed on some of the costs to consumers by raising prices, while others have waited to see where tariff rates end up. Tariffs traditionally have been used just as a tool to address trade practices.

For example, earlier this year Trump had threatened a 30% tariff on European imports, a major increase from 1.2% before he took office. Seeking to secure Trump’s support for the NATO military alliance and for security guarantees for Ukraine in its war with Russia, the European Union struck a deal to settle for 15% tariffs. The EU Commission faced criticism from businesses and member states for giving away too much. But Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič argued the settlement was “not only about the trade. It’s about security. It’s about Ukraine.” Trump has been able “to use it in specific circumstances to get better deals—not just trade deals— but better deals overall than he might otherwise,” Lipsky said.

UP opens marine metals lab to probe ocean health

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

THE University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) has opened the country’s first metallomics facility, a milestone seen to strengthen research on how metals influence ocean life and ecosystems.

The laboratory, led by Dr. Irene Rodriguez, will focus on studying trace metals, macronutrients and how they interact with marine biological processes and chemical cycles.

Metallomics, a field that examines the role of metals within cells, helps explain how these elements affect microorganisms in the ocean. “The goal is to use

metals and metalloenzymes as environmental cues,” Rodriguez said in her talk during the facility’s opening last October 22.

The event also coincided with her report titled “From Concept to Capability: Navigating Metallomics in the Philippines,” which highlighted her laboratory’s latest research under the Inorganic Biogeochemistry and Biotechnology Research Laboratory. For its part, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) said the new facility lays the groundwork for long-term scientific collaboration.

“The new metallomics facility now provides the foundation for

sustained, high-impact research,” PCAARRD Institution Development Division director Fezoil Decena said.

Rodriguez began work in the laboratory in 2020, shortly after joining UP MSI through the Department of Science and Technology’s Balik Scientist Program.

She has since established research spaces at the Edgardo Gomez Hall in UP Diliman and the Bolinao Marine Laboratory in Pangasinan.

Her team is currently studying how tiny amounts of metals affect the growth of harmful algal blooms, how microalgae produce certain compounds and how corals and their partner organisms exchange nutrients. She added that cyanobacteria

play a key role in keeping the ocean productive because they can turn nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the air into nutrients that other marine life can use.

The facility’s opening also marks the fifth anniversary of Rodriguez’s laboratory, which she hopes will grow into a collaborative hub for scientists studying ocean chemistry and marine biogeochemistry.

Moreover, the scientist said she plans to continue projects with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and expand local expertise in metallomics.

The metallomics facility was funded by PCAARRD under the Department of Science and Technology.

Phivolcs issues ‘lahar’ advisory for Kanlaon amid Tino-induced heavy rains

THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned that Typhoon Tino, which is expected to bring heavy to intense rainfall over the Central Philippines, including Negros Island, can generate lahars in rivers and drainage areas on Kanlaon Volcano.

In its 11 a.m. Kanlaon Volcano Lahar Advisory, Phivolcs said volcanic sediment flows, or lahars, as well as muddy streamflows or runoff, pose a danger to communities along rivers. Kanlaon volcano is currently under Alert Level 2. Phivolcs strongly recommends increased vigilance and readiness of communities in pre-determined zones of lahar and related hazards on this volcano. According to Phivolcs, prolonged and heavy rainfall may generate channel-confined posteruption lahars and sediment-laden streamflows on major channels draining the southern and western

slopes of Kanlaon Volcano.,

These flows can be generated by intense rainfall eroding loose material from remnant pyroclastic density current (PDC) deposits of October 24, 2025, explosive eruption, and loose ashfall from this, as well as from recent ash emission events.

In particular, Phivolcs said potentially hot lahars and sediment-laden streamflows may occur along the Tamburong/Ibid Creek in Biak-na-Bato and Baji-

Wage boards okay pay hike in Ilocos, Western Visayas

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

ABOUT 389,500 minimumwage earners in Ilocos and Western Visayas will receive higher pay starting this month after the regional wage boards approved new wage orders, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Monday.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) - Region I set a daily increase of P37 to P45, bringing the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural establishments employing 10 or more workers from P468 to P505. Those employing fewer than 10 workers, including those in agriculture, will see rates rise from P435 to P480.

In Western Visayas, the regional board approved a P37 to P40 hike.

This brings the minimum wage for non-agricultural firms with more than 10 workers from P513 toP550, and for those with 10 or fewer from P485 to P525.

Agricultural workers, meanwhile, will earn between P480 and P520 per day.

The new rates for both regions will take effect on November 19.

The boards said the adjustments were made after a series of consultations with labor and employer groups.

Both regions cited the need to ease the impact of inflation while maintaining competitiveness and supporting business recovery.

In its decision, the RTWPBWestern Visayas said the increase was based on a review of the region’s socio-economic conditions, noting that the Consumer Price Index reached 126.2 in September 2025, up from 125.9 in November 2024.

The purchasing power of the peso stood at P0.79, while the poverty threshold for a family of five was pegged at P13,801 per month based on the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

The region’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) also grew by 4.3 percent between 2023 and 2024.

For Ilocos, the board cited similar considerations.

Region I posted a 4.9-percent GRDP growth from 2022 to 2023, while the regional labor market remained strong with an employment rate of 95.3 percent as of July 2025.

The 2023 poverty threshold for a family of five was estimated at P13,478.51 per month, while the average inflation rate between November 2024 and September 2025 was at 2.3 percent.

The RTWPBs said these indicators showed that the regional economies could sustain moderate wage adjustments without harming employment or business activity.

Meanwhile, domestic workers or kasambahays in both regions will also receive monthly minimum wage increases.

In Ilocos, their pay will rise from P6,000 to P6,700, while those in Western Visayas will see their wages go up from P6,000 toP6,500. A total of 258,819 domestic workers are expected to benefit from the increase.

PNP files sedition charges vs 97 anti-corruption protesters

TBaji Falls and Talaptapan Creek in Cabacungan, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, drainages that are headed on gullies covered by recent PDC deposits.

The communities along and downstream of channels on the southern and western slopes are advised to be prepared in case evacuation becomes necessary and to avoid traversing affected streams, even those farther downslope of the volcano.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

Continued from A5

patient work of peacebuilding through presence, mediation, and unwavering pastoral care.”

Several Oblates’ priests in central Mindanao have also died in the crosshairs of warring Moro armed groups, military-backed bolo-wielding fanatical groups, other scattered anti-Moro armed bands and bandits.

Galvez also mentioned the multiplier impact of the Oblates’ educational and media apostolates, which include the Notre Dame school network, DXMS Radyo Bida, and The Mindanao Cross, for shaping “generations of peacebuilders” and promoting moral dialogue.

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

HE Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Monday announced that it has filed criminal complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 97 individuals who were involved in the violent protest action last September 21 near Malacañang Palace.

CIDG Director Major Gen. Robert Morico II said the involved protesters were charged with inciting to sedition, conspiracy and proposal to commit

sedition, and sedition under the Revised Penal Code.

The charges were filed last Tuesday before the DOJ-National Prosecution Service. Morico added that another batch of a complaint against at least 40 individuals, including the instigators and financiers of the protest, would also be filed soon.

“The investigation is continuing and in the next few days, we will be filing again cases against the instigators and supposed people behind the violent incident in Recto and in Mendiola,” he said. It can be recalled that some of

sues more clean energy at home.

Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi repeated a warning to the European Union that his nation could halt their liquefied natural gas shipments—something crucial due to Russian LNG being banned—

the protesters attempted to storm Malacañang to show their outrage over the massive corruption in the government’s flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Several policemen were injured after protesters threw rocks, bottles and other objects at them while attempting to break barriers.

Protesters also burned several tires in front of a shipping container used by authorities as a blockage.

The PNP has reportedly issued subpoenas against several student leaders to appear before it for investigation in connection with the September 21 rally.

over its Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. That seeks to have companies pursue net-zero emission goals.

“I think, you know, a small part of this conference, unfortunately, changes with politics depending on when it was President Biden

He paid special tribute to “titans of peace” such as Orlando Cardinal Quevedo and the late Fr. Eliseo Mercado, “whose leadership built bridges of understanding and solidarity that still stand today as they work across the island’s most conflict-affected regions embodied courage, compassion, and solidarity.”

“Peace is the shared work of the altar and the public square, of mission and of governance,” said Fr. Gerry Gamaliel delos Reyes, provincial superior of the OMI, said, and added that “Together, let us build this nation of peace. It is the greatest legacy we can leave for our children.” Manuel T. Cayon

and President Trump and so on,” al-Kaabi said. “I think that they’re not looking at facts and realities and I think we shouldn’t be following politics when we look at the lives of people for the future and how much energy we need in the future.”

PHL’s housing crisis: 6.5 million reasons for radical action now

THE persistent housing backlog in the Philippines, now exceeding 6.5 million units, highlights a critical failure to address a pressing issue for Filipino families. Recent reports reveal a drastic reduction in government targets from 3 million to just 300,000 completions by 2028, alongside soaring construction costs of 14.2 percent year-on-year, totaling P58.66 billion. Housing prices, particularly in Metro Manila, have surged 13.9 percent over the past year. This situation represents a chronic national crisis that demands urgent and transformative action. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “Years of housing deficits leave Pinoys struggling for roofs,” November 1, 2025).

The litany of obstacles—land acquisition issues, financing gaps, compliance hurdles with programs like Balanced Housing, fiscal constraints, and supply chain disruptions—are well-rehearsed. Successive administrations, from Arroyo’s relocation projects and Aquino’s disaster rebuilds to Duterte’s institutionalization of DHSUD and Marcos’ ambitious 4PH Program, have grappled with pieces of the puzzle. Yet, the core problem remains: Affordability has been sacrificed at the altar of market forces and inadequate intervention.

As DHSUD Undersecretary Sharon Faith Paquiz rightly concedes, housing prices have consistently outpaced household income growth. The ceilings set for socialized housing—P2.5 million for “economic,” P1.8 million for vertical, P850,000 for horizontal—are increasingly detached from the economic reality of millions of Filipinos, even with proposed revisions. Surging construction costs, driven partly by non-residential projects like offices and malls, further squeeze the viability of affordable units.

The human cost is immense. Population growth, particularly in burgeoning areas like Cavite, adds relentless pressure. Families are forced into overcrowded conditions, unsafe informal settlements, or crippling debt to secure basic shelter. The dream of homeownership recedes further for the working class, while rental markets offer little solace without robust protections and supply.

Acknowledging previous limitations, the current expansion of the 4PH Program to include horizontal projects, rental options, incremental housing, and community-driven models is a welcome shift. Engaging smaller developers, streamlining licensing, and exploring secondary market financing through NHMFC are steps in the right direction.

These innovations, however, will fall short without addressing key barriers to progress. First, access to land is crucial. We need bold strategies to acquire and bank land, including mobilizing idle government-owned land and making private land available for social housing, potentially through incentives or compulsory purchases.

Second, subsidies must align with today’s economic realities. Current levels are inadequate amid rising costs and stagnant wages. Increasing direct subsidies and linking them to income levels and regional costs is essential for housing affordability. Moreover, solving the housing crisis requires a coordinated approach across departments. Housing issues are linked to infrastructure, economic policies, and disaster resilience.

Finally, we must rethink socialized housing definitions and price limits to reflect actual construction costs and household incomes, allowing for flexibility and regional variations. Supporting incremental housing development through secure land tenure and accessible financing is crucial for success.

The huge housing backlog represents millions of lives in limbo, a drag on economic productivity, and a threat to social stability. The Marcos administration has correctly emphasized scale through 4PH. Now, it must match that ambition with the political will, unprecedented financial commitment of billions annually, and radical policy shifts necessary to dismantle the deep-rooted barriers of land, cost, and coordination. Filipinos don’t just need houses; they need accessible, secure, and dignified homes. This fundamental right demands nothing less than a revolution in how the nation approaches shelter.

Opinion

The price of pretending

TJohn Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

HE irony would be funny if it were not so expensive. In August 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered a freeze on between P60 billion and P80 billion in infrastructure funds, blaming “inconsistencies” and congressional insertions that did not match the Philippine Development Plan. The same administration wrote, passed, and signed that budget—and now says it cannot trust it. You could call that accountability. Or you could call it theater.

The Department of Finance estimates that corruption in flood-control projects may have cost the economy up to P118.5 billion between 2023 and 2025. Other sources suggest the figure could be higher once climaterelated schemes are included. These are not numbers on a government chart. They are roads that crumble after one rainy season, bridges that exist only on paper, and barangays that flood because the concrete was replaced with air.

The President’s approval rating dropped to 33 percent in September from 42 percent in June. Investors pay attention to such numbers. Confidence is not a moral concept—it is money in motion. When half the country believes that people in power are stealing from them, investment stops moving.

Brazil learned this lesson in 2014.

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Lourdes M.

Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes

D. Edgard A. Cabangon

Its anti-corruption drive toppled presidents and tycoons. The economy froze. South Africa’s Zondo Commission went the other way— lots of talk, little punishment—and business merely stumbled. The Philippines now stands between those two roads: punish corruption and risk short-term pain, or pretend to fix it and let the rot spread quietly. Foreign lenders are already voting with their wallets. In September 2025, South Korea suspended a $503 million infrastructure loan to the Philippines over corruption concerns. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell for seven straight sessions, losing 1.5 percent and hitting a fivemonth low. In less than three weeks, P1.7 trillion—or around US$30 billion—in market value evaporated. That is not panic. That is investors deciding their money deserves a more

honest zip code.

Even the luxury sector will feel the hit. When China began its antigraft campaign in 2012, demand for expensive watches and liquor collapsed. Suddenly, showing off became bad form. Filipino contractors and political patrons flashing designer brands online while their towns sink may soon learn the same lesson. In a corruption scandal, Instagram becomes evidence.

The danger now is overreaction. Governments that cannot fix corruption often try to shock it out of existence. Nigeria and India both attempted demonetization to expose hidden cash. Neither succeeded. Both broke small business and consumer confidence. The Philippines, where most commerce still happens in cash, would only make the same mistake faster.

The Asian Development Bank still projects GDP growth of 5.6 percent this year and 5.7 percent in 2026. Those estimates were made before the scandal burst open. Government economists already expect slower growth in the second half of 2025, citing the freeze on public works. Contractors are delaying bids. Suppliers are holding back deliveries. It is not recession; it is hesitation. But hesitation is poison to momentum.

Thirty-four of the country’s biggest business groups have urged the President to address what they call a “historic, massive, and unprecedented corruption scandal.” When the business community starts us-

ing the language of national security briefings, something is very wrong. Public debt is still below 60 percent of GDP, giving some fiscal breathing room. But the currentaccount deficit hovers around 4 percent of GDP, and the peso remains fragile. The risk is not bankruptcy. The risk is disbelief. Once investors lose faith in credibility, spreadsheets cannot win it back. Senate inquiries suggest that up to 60 percent of flood-control funds may have disappeared into corruption. Off-the-books fees and side payments mean that real projects receive less than 40 percent of their budget. That is not inefficiency. That is organized looting with receipts. The Philippines cannot afford both massive corruption and the crackdown to cure it. The economy will bleed either way. The only choice is whether to take the pain now for long-term reform, or keep pretending that envelopes of cash delivered to politicians are “business as usual.” Progress will not be measured in GDP tables or market charts. It will be measured when the next monsoon hits—and we see whether those flood-control projects exist in concrete or only in congressional imagination. Until then, the numbers look fine on paper. But so do ghost bridges.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

The dollar, the peso, and strategic balance: Why credibility, not alignment, is the real currency of strength

By Henry Go

THE recent weakening of both the US dollar (USD) and the Philippine peso (PHP) signals more than a short-term market swing. It reflects a deeper global transformation—a shift from US-centric, debt-driven growth toward a system where fiscal discipline, governance, and credibility define economic resilience. For the Philippines, this moment exposes long-standing structural weaknesses: low productivity, a narrow export base, and heavy reliance on remittances. Strengthening fundamentals is therefore not just about defending the peso, but about building broad-based economic strength.

US fiscal strain and dollar confidence AS of October 2025, US national debt reached $37.85 trillion, or about 123 percent of GDP (US Joint Economic Committee, 2025). The ongoing government shutdown, now entering its fifth week, has highlighted political gridlock and administrative paralysis. Rising debt servicing costs limit fiscal flexibility, while partisan deadlock undermines investor confidence.

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon warned in Bloomberg (Oct.

2025): “If we continue on the current course and we don’t take the growth level up, there will be a reckoning.” Western economies’ reliance on debt-fueled growth, combined with political dysfunction, is prompting a recalibration of global trust. The Federal Reserve’s rate cuts to support domestic demand have narrowed the dollar’s yield advantage, encouraging capital to flow toward faster-growing emerging markets. This is not a collapse of confidence but a recognition that credibility, not dominance,

The challenge is not only to stabilize the peso but to reform underlying economic foundations. Priorities include modernizing agriculture, investing in logistics and digital infrastructure, and diversifying exports. Without decisive action, local producers risk losing regional competitiveness, widening trade deficits, and greater reliance on

sustains influence.

Peso pressures and governance

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reduced its policy rate to 4.75 percent on October 9, 2025 (Reuters, October 9, 2025), aligning with global easing trends to support domestic demand. Yet this narrowing of yield spreads has reduced investor appetite for peso assets. Domestic challenges amplify the currency’s vulnerability: the floodcontrol fund scandal raised questions about fiscal transparency and accountability (BusinessMirror, September

12, 2025), while persistent trade deficits, logistical bottlenecks, and slow infrastructure execution magnify exposure to external shocks. The peso’s current level, hovering around P59 to $1, reflects not just market fluctuations but structural weaknesses in production, trade, and competitiveness. Stabilizing the currency requires more than monetary policy; it demands a comprehensive strengthening of economic fundamentals. Economic fundamentals under pressure

THE US decision to grant zero-tariff access to select Asean economies— excluding the Philippines—exposes structural gaps in the local economy. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand secured trade advantages through robust manufacturing bases, efficient logistics, and strong export policies. By contrast, the Philippines, despite being a key US ally, remains subject to a 19 percent tariff because it cannot offer the same level of US market access or

Twenty

years after the

FCTC we are still fighting for the health of our youth

By Alexander Padilla & Fatima Laperal

TWENTY years ago, I found myself in a negotiation room half a world away, representing the Philippines in talks that would change the course of public health. It was the early 2000s, long before the word “vape” entered our vocabulary. It felt almost strange to be there. I wasn’t a doctor or scientist, but a lawyer serving as an Undersecretary of Health, navigating an unfamiliar but deeply consequential space where law and health converged.

We were negotiating the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), or what would become the world’s first public health treaty devoted to protecting people from tobacco. It was not a typical diplomatic exercise. It was a fight to save lives, especially those of the young. My generation grew up seeing tobacco everywhere, on television, in movies, on billboards, and on buses. The cowboy in cigarette ads, strong, rugged, free, became the image of aspiration for young men. Cycling fans remember athletes in red jerseys racing through towns around the country, cheered on by locals with banners carrying a cigarette brand. It was clever marketing with a very simple message: if you wanted to be adventurous, to be cool, to belong, you had to smoke.

Back then we didn’t yet know that behind every “cool” image was disease, addiction, and death. By the time the FCTC came along, the toll was clear. Tobacco was not just a health issue; it was a governance issue, a development issue.

The FCTC called for measures that, at the time, felt revolutionary: ban on tobacco advertising, raise taxes on tobacco products, make public places smoke-free, warn consumers with graphic health warnings. These were not mere policies, but shields for future generations.

I still remember the sense of pride when the Philippines ratified the FCTC in 2005. We became part of a global movement that declared: health must come first.

We have come far since then. Cities like Baguio, Balanga, Iloilo, and Davao have pioneered smoke-free ordinances. The Sin Tax reforms helped fund universal health care. Cigarette packs now carry graphic warnings that tell the truth about the harms they cause.

But victories in public health are never permanent.

In recent years, new forms of nicotine addiction have emerged, vapes, e-cigarettes, pouches, and other novel tobacco products, are aggressively promoted as “safer” or “cleaner.” Once again, the target market is the young.  These products come in flavors that entice the youth, sold with barely any restrictions online and in stores near schools. The same playbook is being used, only this time, the cowboy has been replaced by influencers.

The passage of Republic Act No. 11900, which transferred the regulation of vapes from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Department of Trade and Industry

large-scale purchases of American goods. This stark reality highlights the urgency for the Philippines to reform its economic fundamentals to compete regionally and negotiate from strength, not dependency. The challenge is not only to stabilize the peso but to reform underlying economic foundations. Priorities include modernizing agriculture, investing in logistics and digital infrastructure, and diversifying exports. Without decisive action, local producers risk losing regional competitiveness, widening trade deficits, and greater reliance on imports.

Multipolar financial realignment

THE weakening of the USD and PHP also occurs within a shifting global financial system. For decades, the US dollar dominated reserves and trade, granting Washington signifi-

Opinion

A review of the new fiscal regime for mining

A(DTI) and lowered the minimum age of access from 21 to 18 years old, felt like déjà vu. Once again, health was being traded for commerce.

Our youth deserve better. Lawmakers must act decisively to halt the alarming rise in smoking and vaping among the young. They must restore the regulation of vapes and all nicotine products to the FDA, where it rightfully belongs, because public health cannot be dictated by trade priorities. The  age of access should be raised back to 21, or even higher, given the scientific evidence that nicotine interferes with brain development well into early adulthood. Flavors that appeal to children and youth must be banned.

This November, the Eleventh Conference of Parties (COP11) to the WHO FCTC will convene to assess global progress and reaffirm commitments. It is critical that the Department of Health lead the COP11 Philippine delegation, not the trade or agriculture sector, not the diplomats, because the FCTC is a health treaty.

These are not radical demands, but logical next steps for a nation that once stood proud as an early champion of tobacco control.

The FCTC was not just a treaty. It was, and remains, a promise. A promise that we, as a nation, will protect our people from harm.  A promise that the next generation will be freer than the last.

Health policies are not monuments but rather living commitments that must be renewed by every generation, lest they crumble under the weight of profit and neglect. Every time I see a young person puffing on a vape, I am reminded that the work we began more than 20 years ago is far from over. Our promise to protect them lives on and so must our resolve.

Two decades ago, I helped negotiate that promise. Today, alongside countless advocates, we must continue to honor the commitment we made to defend the health of the Filipino people, so that each of us may live fully, breathe freely, and grow old in good health. And when the next 20 years have passed, I hope we can proudly say we stood our ground and kept our word.

Atty. Alexander Padilla  served as Undersecretary of the Department of Health and was part of the Philippine delegation that negotiated the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. A lawyer and long-time public health advocate, he sits on the Board of Trustees of HealthJustice and continues to champion policies that protect the health and rights of Filipinos.Fatima Laperal is the Executive Director of HealthJustice Philippines

cant leverage. Today, China, India, and the BRICS+ bloc are building alternatives. China has promoted internationalization of the yuan via Belt and Road initiatives, local-currency settlements, and digital RMB crossborder payments (State Council of the PRC, September 2025). India increasingly settles energy imports in rupees (Economic Times, September 2025). The late-October 2025 Trump–Xi summit highlighted pragmatic engagement, signaling that strategic reliability and balance now outweigh unilateral competition. For the Philippines, this demonstrates the importance of managing ties with both the US and China while deepening regional engagement. Overdependence on any single power increases vulnerability in a multipolar, economically interlinked world.

Diplomacy anchored in economic strength

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s description of his brief greeting to

Benedicta Du-Baladad

TAX LAW FOR BUSINESS

S someone who has worked closely with both the government and the private sector, I view the new fiscal regime as an important step towards aligning the mining sector with global standards of transparency, progressivity, and shared prosperity. However, the question remains: Will it truly deliver a fair, competitive, and administratively feasible tax system?

This discussion focuses on the fiscal dimension of the mining reform introduced by Republic Act No. 12253—particularly its implications on tax policy, administration, and compliance.

A complex but fair tax regime

RA 12253 introduces a mixed use of Gross and Margin-Based Taxation that may have its pros and cons. The move from gross output taxation to margin-based royalties is a rational step—it links government take to profitability, not production volume, resulting to risk and financial sharing between the government and the mining company who are, to my mind, joint venturers in this undertaking. This corrects a long-standing distortion where miners paid the same even in downturns. However, margin-based taxation complicates compliance and implementation especially so in a mixed gross and net income-based taxation. Also, under this set-up, the revenue take by the government can be erratic, not stable. The table below summarizes the new tax regime for mining companies:

to compute, but it is regressive, as it ignores profitability. By contrast, the royalty outside mining reservations ranges from 1 percent to 5 percent depending on the profit margin. This is net- or margin-based, making it progressive, fair, and rational, although it is more complex to compute.

A new Windfall Profits Tax (WPT) is imposed at 1 percent to 10 percent of net margin which is payable only during high-profit periods. On the reverse, a minimum royalty of 0.10 percent of gross output is imposed when operations are low such as when the margin is 0 percent or less.

In implementing a mixed-based taxation, there is a need to address or tackle several concerns.

First, there is concern on the Administrative and Implementation Readiness. As announced by DOF and BIR, they will start drafting the regulations and conduct public hearings by November and the regulations are to be released by December this year in compliance with the law.

But, is the BIR fully equipped to implement and monitor a marginbased royalty and WPT system— both of which demand robust audit

Under the new structure, royalties outside mining reservations and windfall profits are net-based, while royalties inside reservations, the minimum royalty, and the LGU business tax are computed on gross output. This mix presents most notable pros and cons.

The royalty inside mining reservations is set at 5 percent of gross output. This is a gross-based levy that is simple and straightforward

President Xi at the APEC turnover as “a courtesy, nothing more” reflects caution in diplomacy. While sincere, it does not convey strategic thinking or the Philippines’ ability to leverage diplomacy for economic or regional advantage. Courtesy alone cannot substitute for strategy; a more statesmanlike approach would signal respect while projecting competence, balance, and strategic intent, reinforcing the country’s credibility and regional standing. Regional engagement further highlights this need. Initiatives such as the US-Philippines “Task Force Philippines,” aimed at deterring maritime aggression, risk undermining Asean cohesion if security concerns overshadow diplomacy. As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted, overlapping territorial claims are “normal” and do not require escalation (The Star, May 2024). Asean’s consensus-driven diplomacy depends on neutrality, which is strengthened by domestic economic resilience.

RA 12253 is a milestone in balancing fiscal prudence, environmental stewardship, and community participation. The real challenge lies not in what the law says— but in how faithfully and intelligently it will be implemented.

prehensive guidelines on prices, allowable deductions, cost attribution, and timing of recognition to ensure consistency and minimize interpretive conflicts.

Equally important is aligning this new fiscal regime on mining with the existing regular tax regime. There are various items that need clarity as the new mining regime interfaces with the computation of annual corporate income tax, VAT, business taxes, among others. How will the new mining-specific levies co-exist with corporate income tax, local business taxes, and other imposts—particularly for consolidated entities with both mining and non-mining operations? How does it interface with the computation of the regular income tax which is entity-based considering the ring-fencing requirement? In the same manner, there should be clarity on the deductibility of royalties and WPT from income tax. Likewise, there is a need to align BIR forms and schedules for quarterly and annual filings.

Another key concern is the Minimum Royalty for Loss-Making Projects. The minimum 0.10 percent royalty on gross output may penalize further loss-making operations that may severely impact the sustainability of the operations. Perhaps the government can grant the same relief or means of recovery as that in Minimum Corporate Income Tax (MCIT) and NOLCO, which are allowed to be credited against future tax payments or can be carried forward as a deduction benefiting future tax liabilities.

bution; 5. clarity on the recoupment mechanisms for losses and minimum royalty payments under NOLCO and MCIT in the current tax regime; and 6. investor safeguards, policy and rules/implementation stability, and long-term consistency.

Automatic LGU revenue release is good but there is concern on weak LGU absorptive capacity. Direct and timely release of the 40 percent LGU share is an excellent provision to promote local empowerment—provided it is accompanied by fiscal discipline and absorptive capacity-building. Despite improved revenue disbursements, many local governments lack the capacity to manage large funds effectively, risking misallocation without enhanced fiscal transparency and national government support and planning.

Consider a balanced ring-fencing and anti-avoidance measures THE law’s provisions on ring-fencing, thin capitalization, and transfer pricing reflect a more mature and disciplined tax regime. Treating each mining project as a separate taxable entity promotes transparency and prevents cross-subsidization, while the related-party and thin capitalization rules safeguard the tax base from profit shifting and artificial deductions.

capacity, precise cost allocation, and real-time price validation mechanisms?

The WPT is new and is particularly complex, as it depends on fluctuating metal prices and variable operating costs. Without clear technical rules and upgraded systems, disputes on what constitutes ‘net income from metallic operations’ are inevitable. Along this line, the BIR should consider issuing com-

Asean chairmanship and strategic balance

THE Philippines’ Asean chairmanship in 2026 will test its ability to align diplomacy with development priorities. Asean’s strength lies in consensus-building and quiet negotiation—the “Asean Way.” Effective leadership requires combining credible domestic governance, investment ready infrastructure, and a diversified economy with pragmatic diplomacy.

Overemphasis on security alignment, without a strong economic foundation, risks complicating regional cohesion. Economic transformation—including infrastructure modernization, export diversification, and agricultural reform—is the core enabler of strategic balance and regional credibility.

Strategic balance as a core asset

THE weakening of both the dollar and the peso reflects a broader global realignment—from dominance-

The new mining law adopts antiavoidance measures (ring fencing, transfer pricing and thin capitalization rules) to avert shifting or sharing of revenues resulting in lower royalty payments. Of particular attention is transfer pricing. There is a need to put in place a robust mechanism and real-time price validation as well as risk identification, allocation, or data sharing for the BIR to fully implement an honest-to-goodness transfer pricing audit. For example, what tools will BIR and BOC use to validate export prices and detect transfer pricing among affiliates? Will real-time data from Mining and Geosciences Board (MGB) or customs be integrated? An inter-agency data sharing, real-time invoice tracking, are necessary.

In summary, I have the following suggested focus areas for BIR to consider: 1. implementation readiness and staff training; 2. administrative feasibility and audit capacity for the WPT; 3. transfer pricing and ring fencing; 4. clear guidelines on areas interfacing with current regular tax regime, especially on margin computation, deductibility of royalties and windfall profits, and cost attri-

driven systems to credibility-driven interdependence. The United States, through the RAND report “Stabilizing the US-China Rivalry” (2025), and China, via its 15th Five-Year Plan communiqué, acknowledge a shared responsibility: prevent their structural rivalry from escalating into conflict. Stability itself has become a strategic asset, and smaller economies must recognize that resilience underpins influence.

For the Philippines, maintaining strategic balance requires more than short-term stabilization of the peso. It demands measurable reforms: transparent governance, institutional modernization, economic diversification, and infrastructure development. Linking economic strength with diplomatic reliability ensures partnerships are built on choice, not necessity.

However, ring fencing may reduce investment flexibility which may discourage exploration and expansion and may dis-incentivize smaller and newer projects to come in as they struggle financially without group support. Strict ring-fencing results to inefficiency limiting economies of scale or underutilization of capital. Thus, the government may consider a balanced ring fencing in its application. For example, it can be on a phased or gradual implementation, or a targeted application, or allow transitional provisions. The IRR can perhaps authorize the Secretary of Finance to lay down situations or instances when ring fencing may be suspended, or applied gradually, or partially like allowing loss offsetting among projects for a limited time especially during the early stage of cost recovery. A balanced ring-fencing framework that protects public revenue without penalizing or disincentivizing legitimate business operations is encouraged.

Closing reflection RA 12253 is a milestone in balancing fiscal prudence, environmental stewardship, and community participation. The real challenge lies not in what the law says—but in how faithfully and intelligently it will be implemented.

The author is the Founding Partner and CEO of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law). The article is lifted from the presentation of the author during the Mining Summit Philippines 2025: International Conference and Exhibition on October 23, 2025 at Grand Hyatt Manila, Bonifacio Global City. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at dick.du-baladad@bdblaw.com.ph or call 84032001 local 300.

Closing statement

THE Philippines stands at a crossroads: diplomatic gestures, security arrangements, and trade negotiations alone cannot secure resilience. True strategic strength derives from a robust, modernized economy capable of withstanding external pressures while projecting credibility regionally and globally. In an era where currencies and influence follow reliability, not rhetoric, investing in structural transformation is the most decisive path toward sustainable economic and diplomatic power.

In a region defined by shifting currencies, trade dynamics, and evolving alliances, credibility and internal balance remain the nation’s most valuable currencies. Urgent action is essential—policy rhetoric must convert into tangible results across governance, productive sectors, and regional engagement. Only through such comprehensive reform can the Philippines safeguard the peso’s stability and its strategic standing amid global and regional uncertainties.

BusinessMirror

PHL embassy, consulates in China launch eVisa for Chinese nationals

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

AFTERa two-year delay, the Philippine eVisa system for Chinese nationals traveling for business or tourism was finally rolled out on Monday, November 3, with simultaneous launch ceremonies held across eight cities in China: Beijing, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and Xiamen.

The relaunch follows the abrupt suspension of the eVisa system in November 2023, just three months after its pilot. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cited system reliability and payment processing limitations as key reasons for halting the rollout. At the time, the platform only accepted cash, debit, and credit cards—excluding dominant mobile payment options in China such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. The suspension had ripple effects across the tourism sector. In a September 2025 budget hearing, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco told lawmakers that the DFA’s cancellation of the eVisa program—originally projected to issue up to 2 million visas annually—was a major factor in the country’s failure to meet its 2024 target of 7.7 million foreign arrivals. Only 5.95 million tourists visited the Philippines that year, a 28.3-percent drop from the 2019 peak. Jointly developed by the DFA and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the eVisa system is part of the Philippine government’s broader push to digitize consular services and improve the travel experience for foreign visitors.

VFS Global, a leading provider of

technological services for governments and diplomatic missions, will manage the application and payment processing.

“The Philippine Embassy is happy to announce the official launch of the eVisa, in line with the directive of the President to enhance client experience, digitize services, and further invigorate the country’s tourism sector,” said Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime A. FlorCruz in a statement.

The eVisa allows Chinese nationals to apply online 24/7 for a non-convertible, non-extendable visa valid for a 14-day stay. Designated ports of entry include the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

Ambassador FlorCruz also highlighted the Philippines’ growing reputation as a top travel destination, citing the country’s recent “Island Charm Award” at the 2025 Beijing International Diving & Resort Travel Expo. “This honor, through the efforts of the Philippine Department of Tourism in Beijing, highlights not only our remarkable dive sites but also our rich marine biodiversity,” he said.

Chinese nationals may apply for an eVisa through https://www.vf-

DA mounts package of interventions to boost PHL banana

By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

T

HE Department of Agricul-

ture (DA) launched a package of interventions to boost the local banana industry which remains to be battered by plant diseases and trade challenges.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. called for stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector to fight the spread of Panama disease and restore competitiveness in global markets.

Tiu Laurel said the spread of Fusarium wilt tropical race 4, commonly known as Panama disease, was the industry’s most urgent threat.

He added that the disease has affected around 15,500 hectares in the Davao Region, which places at risk the Cavendish variety that serves as the backbone of Philippine banana exports.

“The DA is firmly committed to supporting our banana farmers and exporters in addressing this challenge,” Tiu Laurel said at the 32nd Joint General Assembly of the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) and the Banana Export Industry Foundation (BEIF).

Under the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) for 2025, the DA said it will distribute 106,000 banana planting materials for farm expansion and rejuvenation, along with 120,000 units of organic fertilizer to improve soil health.

It added that deploying over 215,000 biological control agents such as Trichoderma to protect plant health and reduce postharvest losses.

Meanwhile, Tiu Laurel also acknowledged the growing challenges of bananas in international trade.

He noted that Vietnam has overtaken the Philippines as China’s top banana supplier, while Philippine shipments to Japan continue to face higher tariffs than those from Vietnam, Mexico, and Peru.

“Unless these inequities are addressed, our market share will remain at risk,” Tiu Laurel warned, as he urged continued negotiations in the upcoming review of the JapanPhilippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). He also stressed the need for research on disease tolerance, breeding strategies, and new technologies such as gene editing to secure the industry’s long-term viability.

“With unity, science, and sound

sglobal.com

For Chinese travelers seeking to stay longer than 14 days or enter through other airports, applications must now be filed in person—not at the embassy or consulates, but at VFS Global centers located in Beijing, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Although the Philippines has no consulate in Fuzhou, the Consulate in Xiamen will process and release visas submitted through the Fuzhou center.

The Philippine Visa Application Centers operate from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.

During the Beijing ceremony, Deputy Chief of Mission Arnel G. Talisayon and Consul General Rodillo Catalan represented the Philippine Embassy. Consuls General Ivan Frank Olea, Iric Arribas, Romulo Victor Israel Jr., Edna May Lazaro, Myca Magnolia Fischer, and Winston Dean Almeda led the launches in

the other cities.

The VFS Global sites for Philippine visa applications are located at: • Beijing: West Gate, Floor B1, Guanghua Lu SOHO II, No.9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, 100020 C hongqing: 31F, CCOOP, No. 235 Minsheng Road, Yuzhong District, 400010, Chongqing, China Fuzhou: Floor 14, Liyu Bund Centre, No. 363 Middle Jiangbin Blvd., Taijiang District, Fuzhou

Gu angzhou: 8th Floor, GAL Tower, No. 78 Pazhou Avenue, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China • Hong Kong: 7th Floor, Lee & Man Commercial Center, 169 Electric Road, North Point, Hong Kong Shanghai: 3rd Floor, Jiushi Commercial Building, 213 Sichuan Middle Road, Huangpu District, 200002, Shanghai, China.

MANILA’S HALAL TOWN TO BOOST TOURISM, LIVELIHOOD

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

THE proposed Halal Town in Quiapo, Manila, may help boost tourism and livelihood in the capital, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

On Monday, Budget Secretary Amenah

F. Pangandaman met with Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso to discuss the project, which seeks to promote the halal industry and support Muslim-friendly enterprises through the redevelopment of the city’s historic district.

The initiative is being prepared ahead of the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit next year.

“It’s good for our tourism prospects, trade,

jobs, and livelihood, among others. Rest assured that if there’s anything needed for the Halal Town, we are ready to listen and provide the necessary funding to make this project a reality,” Pangandaman said.

The DBM and the city government have yet to determine the total funding requirement for the project, but Pangandaman said possible sources include the agency’s Local Government Support Fund.

“We at the DBM will just wait for the details and the proper costing of the project,” she added.

For his part, Domagoso said the project’s benefits would extend beyond Manila once it begins attracting more visitors.

“Some of the goods sold here actually

come from Mindanao, so this is significant in such a way...what we used to call the underground economy...will now be placed in the right perspective,” he said.

He also cited the city’s previous food hub projects—such as Tondo’s Ugbo and Sampaloc’s Fusion Alley—as examples of how community-based ventures can expand once given visibility and government support.

“If you do the math, the probability of the community gaining economically is very high.

That’s the national government’s investment,” Domagoso added.

While no timeline has been finalized, he and Pangandaman said the project is envisioned to serve as a shared cultural space for both Muslim and non-Muslim visitors once completed.

“By the time—maybe when the Asean Summit takes place—since most Asean countries have significant Islamic populations...the First Lady hopes there will be places to visit. This is a perfect area for Muslims to go to, while Catholics can also visit. Then there’s exchange,” Pangandaman said. Among the Asean members with sizeable Muslim populations are Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. The Halal Town is among the 10 “legacy projects” identified by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the capital ahead of the Asean Summit 2026. Other projects involve infrastructure repairs, traffic management, and livelihood support initiatives tied to the city’s Asean Summit preparations.

DICT, CICC warn of Nov. 5 cyber threat

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has issued a public warning about the possibility of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on November 5, a date globally recognized by hacktivist groups as a symbolic moment for digital protest. These attacks could severely disrupt government websites and financial platforms, exposing vulnerabilities in public systems.

What’s at risk

IN an interview with ANC, Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso, acting Executive Director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), outlined several high-risk scenarios: · Disruption of government services, which violates the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175)

· Financial crimes, including fund siphoning and phishing

· Website defacement, especially targeting high-visibility agencies

Paraiso emphasized that small government agencies and local government units (LGUs) are particularly vulnerable due to limited cybersecurity budgets. While national agencies have made strides in compartmentalizing systems to prevent cascading breaches, gaps remain.

In a social media post, the agency said it will closely monitor possible Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) or traffic flood incidents that may cause some websites to load slowly or possibly inaccessible.

The DICT advised users to “try again later” if affected sites fail to load.

Under “Oplan Cyberdome,” the DICT said it continues to coordinate with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, National Tele-

communications Commission, law enforcement agencies, and other partners to ensure an immediate response and protection of online platforms.

The agency stressed that the DDoS is not a data breach.

Government response

THE DICT and CICC have mobilized to assist agencies in scanning and securing their systems. Free vulnerability assessments and penetration testing (VAPT) are being offered.

“We’ve seen improvement,” Paraiso said, “but there’s still a long way to go.”

Public advisory: Stay online, stay vigilant

THE CICC is not recommending internet abstinence. Instead, it urges citizens to: · Monitor for slow or inaccessible websites · Report anomalies via hotline 1326

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

CONSUNJ-LED

Semirara

Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) reported Monday that its earnings fell 37-percent to P9.9 billion at end-September this year from P15.7 billion last year, mainly due to weaker coal and electricity prices and higher production-related costs.

from P5.59 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to P3.73/kWh.

For the third quarter alone, consolidated net income declined by 53 percent to P1.5 billion, from P3.1 billion last year, as lower energy prices continued to weigh on profitability.

From January to September, coal total shipments rose 5 percent to a record high of 12.9 million metric tons (MMT), from 12.3 MMT, driven by stronger exports and higher deliveries to own power plants.

(GWh), from 3,722 GWh, on the back of improved plant performance.

Of the total energy sold, 57 percent was sold to the spot market, while the remaining 43 percent was covered by bilateral contract quantities (BCQs).

Overall average selling price for electricity declined by 10 percent to P4.46/kWh from P4.93/ kWh, reflecting wider supply margins, amid stable demand in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

St. Luke’s

breast care center

“This has been a more difficult year operationally, but we continue to adapt,” said SMPC President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer Maria Cristina C. Gotianun. “Our priority is to strengthen reliability, manage costs, and preserve our financial flexibility to navigate changing market and operating conditions.”

From January to September, the average Newcastle Index (NEWC) fell 22 percent year-on-year to $104.5, while the Indonesian Coal Index 4 (ICI4) dropped by 16 percent to $45.90. Average spot electricity prices in the Luzon-Visayas grid likewise receded by 33 percent,

Average selling price (ASP) for Semirara coal declined 19 percent to P2,325/MT from P2,864/MT, in line with market indices and a higher share of lower-grade shipments.

Coal production went up by 15 percent to 15.1 MMT from 13.1 MMT, also a record high, following improved access to coal seams at the Narra mine.

Total power sales grew 12 percent to a record 4,186 gigawatt hours

As of end-September, 40 percent of SMPC’s 860-megawatt (MW) total dependable capacity was contracted. After accounting for periodic station service, 429.60 MW was available for spot market sales.

SMPC’s two power units—SemCalaca Power Corp. and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp.— provide baseload power to the national grid through BCQ and the WESM.

Meralco: Upgrades cost ₧281.33M

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) spent P281.33 million in the third quarter to support load growth and improve service reliability in some parts of its franchise area. Of the total amount, P93.33 million financed the uprating of the 115 kilovolt (kV) circuit breakers at Gardner substation in Muntinlupa City, P161.95 million went to the expansion of Calamba delivery point substation with the installation of a third 300 megavolt ampere (MVA) power transformer and P26.05 million was utilized for the reliability

improvement of the Binangonan substation.

Meralco said this investment is part of its commitment to delivering “high-quality, stable and reliable service.” It said it will continue to invest heavily in upgrading and modernizing its electricity distribution. The additional 300-MVA capacity and the reliability improvement projects are meant to support the load growth in the following areas: Muntinlupa City, Taguig City, Paranaque City, Laguna, Batangas, and Rizal. In particular, Meralco said the

new transformer bank, as well as associated 115 kV and 230 kV Gas Circuit Breakers, and protection and control panels will support the growing power demand of key establishments including SM City Calamba, SM City Sto. Tomas, Mariwasa-Siam Ceramics Inc., Calamba Doctor’s Hospital, Philippine Manufacturing Co. of MURATA Inc., STMicroelectronics Inc., and Samsung ElectroMechanics Philippines Corp, as well as the neighboring communities in the area.

Meralco’s 12-month moving average system loss of 5.78 percent remained below the indica -

tive regulatory cap. Its customers reached 8.2 million at endSeptember this year.

Last July, Meralco said it may close the year with about P50 billion in consolidated core net income (CCNI), higher than last year’s P45.1 billion, after posting a CCNI of P25.5 billion in the first half.

Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, during a news briefing, said the full-year guidance number for this year’s CCNI is “around P50 billion.”

“We are guiding our 2025 full year CCNI to grow by low double digits over 2024 CCNI.” Lenie Lectura

PHL seeks fix for world’s worst-performing stock market

IT’S the textbook investment strategy—save consistently and let time and compound interest do its work. That’s what Carl Edison Balagtas did in 2016 when he started socking half of his monthly salary into the Philippines stock market in hopes of securing his future.

Ten years on, that strategy didn’t just fall short—it turned out to be one of the worst investment decisions the Manila-based lawyer could’ve made. “I was hoping the stock market would be the vehicle to achieve my goal but it did not turn out that way.”

Balagtas’s experience reflects a deeper malaise in the Philippine equities market, which has persistently lagged behind regional and global peers. Over the past decade, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index has tumbled 20 percent, making it the worst performer among global benchmarks tracked by Bloomberg. By contrast, a gauge of Asia Pacific stocks have jumped 72 percent while neighboring Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index has surged 82 percent.

The PSEi tumbled as much as 2.8 percent on Monday, extending the year’s decline to over 11 percent, the weakest showing in Asia. Structural challenges like limited market diversity, sluggish turnover and a dearth of new listings continue to weigh on sentiment, while a major government scandal has further eroded inves -

tor confidence. While regulators have pledged reforms to improve liquidity and boost participation, analysts say more aggressive action is needed.

“The risk is the Philippines might become so marginal, people will stop looking at us,” said Eduardo Francisco, president of investment bank BDO Capital & Investment Corp.

“Companies are making money, they are meeting their targets, but the demand is not there.”

The stakes couldn’t be higher ahead of Maynilad Water Services Inc.’s listing this week, which would mark the country’s largest IPO since Monde Nissin Corp.’s debut in 2021. The IPO raised $527 million after the company exercised an option to increase the deal size, according to terms of the deal seen by Bloomberg News. As the country’s $226 billion stock market struggles, Maynilad’s performance could serve as a key litmus test of investor appetite. A successful listing would spur muchneeded excitement into an economy grappling with currency pressures and trade restraints.

Structural challenges

UNDERLYING the persistent weakness is a lack of diversity in the market. The MSCI Philippines Index has only 11 members, with over two thirds of the gauge concentrated in financials and industrials. That compares to neighboring markets like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, which

have more balanced compositions and include bigger representation from consumer, technology and health-care sectors.

The challenges run beyond a lack of diversity. The country has only listed a fraction of the companies than its regional peers. Over the past five years, newly listed firms have seen their shares drop by about one-third on a weighted average basis, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, compared to a nearly 50 percent increase across Southeast Asia.

“There are a lot of corporates who are on the lookout to do IPOs—but the timing has to be right especially for the sizable ones,” said Pamela Victoriano, senior vice president of investment banking at Unicapital Inc.

Casino operator Hann Holdings Inc. postponed its up to 11.8 billion pesos IPO originally scheduled for September due to market conditions, while fintech giant GCash has delayed its Manila listing to the second half of 2026. Only one firm—fuel trader Top Line Business Development Corp—has braved going public this year.

For Isidro Consunji, chairman of DMCI Holdings Inc. and Semirara Mining & Power Corp, the market’s poor response to strong financial performance has been a source of frustration. Despite Semirara’s net income jumping more than 80 percent over the past decade, shares have slid. DMCI’s profits rose nearly 50 percent

By VG Cabuag @villygc

ST. Luke’s Medical Center Inc. has established a Center for Comprehensive Breast Care in its hospitals in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and in Quezon City. The center mainly houses all of St. Luke’s experts and services on breast health, from early detection of cancer, diagnosis to treatment, rehabilitation and long-term recovery.

It has a multidisciplinary team of specialists—from surgeons to radiologists—working in harmony to provide seamless, coordinated care.

Maria Cecilia M. Pagdanganan, head of St. Luke’s breast center in Quezon City said they hope to cut the delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, both of which causes anxiety to the patient.

“What we want to do is when the patient comes, the doctor is there, they can do the readings of the tests, among others. If the patient needs biopsy, we’ll do the biopsy. And then once it’s cancer...it should be managed by different specialists,” Pagdanganan said.

She said once a patient comes in for consultation, a multi-disciplinary team will come up with a plan what

in the same period, but shares have fallen more than 9 percent.

“Foreign investors don’t pay attention to the Philippine stock market,” Consunji told Bloomberg. “The Philippine economy is weak, we can’t do anything about it.”

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Francis Lim readily accepts that structural and integrity issues are plaguing the stock market. To address this, his agency is pushing for state-owned firms to go public and is rolling out new guidelines aimed at attracting foreign investors.

Those prospects coupled with continued rate cuts by the central bank and humming economic growth prospects could spur some upside, analysts say.

The Philippine Stock Exchange is also hoping to educate more retail investors and ease listing requirements and various disclosures to revive interest. “What is the most important ingredient in the stock market? Confidence. But there is none,” according to Bourse Chief Executive Officer Ramon Monzon.

For now, the Philippines is stuck in a rut, offering bargain prices to domestic and foreign investors alike. That’s forcing investors like Balagtas to look elsewhere when thinking about his future. “What I realized is when you see gains, sell it. It’s unlike the US which continues to go up. What can I say, I am so disappointed.” Bloomberg News

they think is best for the patient.

“Of course, not all recommendations will be followed, but included in the multidisciplinary team is the patient herself. She would want to decide on what needs to be done to go. Our concept is to shorten all of these things, such as laboratories, to prevent the patient from waiting for too long on the result, which is causing anxiety.”

Pagdanganan said the hospital took three years to launch the center as they have to gather institutional evidence on what’s best for the patient.

“We also have a way of auditing the doctors. All doctors who will join us are willing to answer questions regarding on (his actions on) why did you not do this (process).”

The service could be more expensive compared to the other centers, but Pagdanganan said they will do what is best and provide the right treatment, which “at the end of the day is more economical for the patient.”

She said St. Luke’s is pushing for this type of patient treatment to be included in the packages of health maintenance organizations, as there are numerous medical studies that indicated that such strategy helps patients.

Ryanair lifts passenger goal as Boeing handovers improve

RYANAIR Holdings Plc expects to exceed its passenger growth target for the full year as the airline receives aircraft early from Boeing Co. and demand for travel remains strong.

The Irish budget carrier predicted more than 3 percent growth in fiscal 2026 to 207 million passengers, up from a previous forecast of 206 million. Profit after tax rose to €1.72 billion ($2 billion) in the second quarter from €1.43 billion the previous year, the company reported on Monday.

The improved passenger goal is a sign of progress at Boeing, which has struggled to deliver planes on time, limiting growth prospects for Ryanair, its biggest customer in Europe. Ryanair was among the most vocal critics of Boeing as delivery delays forced the carrier to cut its passenger traffic goal several times in the past year.

“It’s humming along nicely, things are going well, quality is very good,” Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said of the Boeing deliveries in an interview.

More recently, Ryanair’s executives have reported progress at the planemaker, saying last month that the carrier received at a more steady tempo.

The remaining six Max 8 aircraft from its order book will be delivered “well ahead” of next summer, allowing for traffic growth to reach

215 million next year, Ryanair said. Certification of the new Max 10 is scheduled for mid-2026 and Boeing expects to meet Ryanair’s contract delivery dates for the first 15 models in spring 2027. The shares dropped as much as 3.6 percent in early Dublin trading, before recovering most of their losses. Before today, Shares of Ryanair had jumped about 37 percent so far this year in comparison with low-cost rivals EasyJet Plc and Wizz Air Holdings Plc which have declined 14 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

Ryanair would move about 10 percent of capacity out of the United Kingdom and into countries such as Sweden and Italy if the Labour government decides to increase tax this month in the upcoming budget, Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said in an interview on Bloomberg TV following results.

“More capacity, more flights, more aircraft and more jobs will move from the UK,” said the CEO, who has been a vocal critic of governments taxing the aviation industry.

While Ryanair said it’s too early to provide “meaningful” profit guidance for the fiscal full year, the company expects to recover last year’s 7-percent fare decline in its entirety and achieve “reasonable” profit growth for the year. Bloomberg News

Banking&Finance Faster inflation bets raise demand for T-bills

By Reine Juvierre Alberto @reine_alberto

INVESTOR expecting faster October inflation swamped Monday’s auction of Treasury bills (T-bills), as strong demand enabled the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) to upsize the volume of debt papers it awarded to P25 billion.

Total bids for the T-bills hit P99.095 billion, or 4.5 times oversubscribed the initial offering of P22 billion.

After seeing robust demand, the Treasury’s auction committee decided to double the accepted non-competitive bids for the 364-day T-bills.

The auction saw mixed average rates as investors brace for inflation to pick up in October, as well as expectations of a weaker peso and slower economic growth.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) projected October 2025 inflation to settle within the range of 1.4

Pagcor pins income rise on modernization focus

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) saw its net income grow to P14.32 billion in the first nine months of the year, driven by its “renewed focus” on governance and modernization initiatives.

A statement that Pagcor issued last Monday read that the net income of the state-run gaming regulator and operator jumped by 49 percent to P14.32 billion from January to September this year from the P9.63 billion in the same period last year.

This comes after Pagcor’s total revenues grew by 5.87 percent to P84.09 billion as of end-September from P79.43 billion a year ago.

Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco was quoted in the statement as saying that the corporation’s strong revenue performance shows the positive impact of its governance and modernization initiatives.

“Our financial performance is a clear reflection of Pagcor’s renewed focus on governance, digital transformation, as well as sustainable and responsible gaming,” Tengco said.

About P75.93 billion of Pagcor’s total revenues came from gaming operations, while other related services and other income contributed P8.16 billion.

With these financials, Pagcor was able to remit P54.26 billion, an 11-percent increase from the P48.88 billion the government-owned and –controlled corporation contributed to nation-building in the same period last year. As mandated by Presidential

Decree 1869, the national government received about P36.06 billion of the January-to-September 2025 remittance, which consists of half of Pagcor’s gaming revenues minus the 5-percent franchise tax. These funds also cover allocations for the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

In addition, Pagcor paid P3.79 billion in franchise taxes and P609.87 million in corporate income taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The Pagcor also earmarked P11 billion for its socio-civic projects, including contributions to the President’s Social Fund.

Likewise, the Philippine Sports Commission received its mandated 5-percent share worth P1.80 billion, up by 8.66 percent from last year. Athletes and coaches who won in international sports competitions were also granted P26.54 million under the Sports Incentives and Benefits Act.

Other mandated Pagcor beneficiaries include the Board of Claims, which received P142.42 million, and the Renewable Energy Trust Fund, which got P201.47 million. Cities hosting Casino Filipino branches were also allotted a total of P508.20 million in revenue shares.

“Every peso that Pagcor earns goes back to the people through classrooms, health facilities, disaster response programs, and other community projects,” Tengco said. “Our focus is to sustain this momentum while ensuring that the gaming industry continues to operate responsibly and contribute to national development.”

Alberto

Reine Juvierre S.

percent to 2.2 percent.

“Upward price pressures for the month may stem from higher prices of rice, fish, vegetables, and electricity, as well as the depreciation of the peso,” the BSP said.

The October 2025 inflation data will be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on November 5.

During the T-bills auction, the Treasury awarded P7 billion in 91day T-bills, P7.5 billion in 182-day government securities and P10.5 billion in 364-day tenor debt papers.

The 91-day fetched an average rate of 4.874 percent, higher by 1.6 basis points from the previous auction’s 4.858 percent. Rates ranged from a low of 4.848 percent to a high of 4.887 percent.

Tenders for the security amounted to P30.580 billion, more than four times the initial P7-billion offer.

THE Department of Finance (DOF) is backing a policy that mandates all online tobacco sellers to adopt stricter age verification systems to curb the access of minors from harmful tobacco products.

A statement issued by the DOF last Monday read that Finance department has concurred with a new resolution from the Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-Tobacco) requiring stricter age verification for online tobacco sales.

The IAC-Tobacco recently passed IAC-Tobacco Resolution 01 (series of 2025), which ensures that no person

Meanwhile, the 182-day T-bills settled at an average rate of 5.026 percent, sliding by 1.8 basis points from the prior auction’s 5.044 percent.

Demand for the tenor hit P37.255 billion, nearly five times the initial P7.5 billion offering.

For the 364-day T-bills, its average rate increased to 5.099 percent, slightly higher by 0.6 basis points from 5.093 percent previously.

Bids for the tenor amounted to P31.260 billion, four times the initial P7.5-billion offering.

Average yields of all three tenors are lower than the comparable Philippine Bloomberg Valuation (PHP BVAL) benchmarks. The PHP BVAL reference rates are 4.895 percent for the three-month tenor, 5.096 percent for the six-month tenor and 5.178 percent for the one-year tenor.

According to Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial

below 18 years old can view, access, purchase, or sell cigarettes or tobacco products online.

The resolution mandates all online business operators, including e-marketplaces, digital platforms and e-retailers to install or upgrade robust age verification systems to ensure full compliance with the law. The resolution also instructs emarketplaces and digital platforms to exercise due diligence oveer online merchants and implement necessary measures to ensure compliance with the law.

Online marketplaces and digital

Traders turn to private data as Fed path dims

TREASURIES ended their longest winning streak since March after Federal Reserve

Chairman Jerome Powell said an interest-rate cut in December is “far from” a done deal, leaving traders to focus on this week’s private economic reports for clues on the Fed’s next move.

Yields on 10-year notes rose about 8 basis points to 4.09 percent last week, after falling for four straight weeks. The move trimmed the yield decline for the month of October to 6 basis points.

While the Fed delivered a widely expected reduction in the benchmark lending rate at the policy meeting last week, Powell said another cut next month is “not a foregone conclusion.” The comments prompted traders to trim bets on further policy easing.

Interest-rate swap contracts

tied to the Fed’s December meeting showed traders saw the probability of a cut at the December 9 to December 10 gathering as only slightly better than 50 percent.

Previously, a third rate cut this year—which would match the median forecast by Fed officials at the September policy meeting—was seen as almost a done deal.

Powell’s push-back muddied the policy outlook for investors already flying blind as the government shutdown halted official economic reports.

Traders have to rely on alternative, private data this week, including ISM manufacturing and services indexes, ADP employment, and state jobless claims, to read economic tea leaves. In addition, they will also focus on the Treasury Department’s quarterly refunding for debt sales on Wednesday. Bloomberg

Citystate Savings Bank cops coveted Golden Arrows

By Jaime Valentin L. Araneta

ID-SIZED retail lender

MCitystate Savings Bank (CSBank) garnered two Golden Arrows from the prestigious Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) on October 23 at the glittering Golden Arrow Awards 2025 ceremony at the Okada Manila Hotel, Paranaque City. This is CSBank’s maiden recognition for excellence in corporate governance. The ICD is the Philippines’ Domestic Ranking Body (DRB) for the stringent Asean Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS).

There are five levels of distinction granted to publicly listed companies that demonstrate outstanding transparency, accountability and integrity. Two Golden Arrows carry an ACGS score of 85 points to 94 points.

Anchored on the ACGS framework, the ICD evaluates how effectively organizations uphold shareholder rights, engage with stakeholders, promote sustainability, ensure

nance standards. President Jaime V L Araneta

and international

with

Golden Arrows are both a reward for past performance and a prod to excel still more as a publicly listed retail bank committed to strategic and sustainable value creation for our shareholders, customers, communities and employees.”

Meanwhile, as of September 30, 2025, CSBank grew its resources to P8.057 billion, up 26 percent over the 2024 year-end level. Deposits surged by over 30 percent to P6.537 billion while net loans and receivables swelled by more than 11 percent to P4.294 billion. The lender’s total equity increased by 18 percent to P1.358 billion.

The CSBank posted an after tax net income of P151.005 million compared to the 2024 full year bottomline of barely P1 million.

The lender’s return on equity climbed to 19.30 percent, its risk based capital adequacy ratio to 17.41 percent and Common Equity Tier 1 to 16.87 percent. CSBank’s cost to income ratio further improved to 60.81 percent.

Banking Corp. (RCBC), T-bill yields corrected slightly higher after US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled caution, saying that another rate cut in December is not a “foregone conclusion” following the Fed’s 25-basis points reduction on October 29.

“Any future Fed rate decisions could be matched by the BSP to maintain healthy interest rate differentials,” Ricafort said noting that BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. gave more dovish signals and that one more rate cut is possible this year.

The RCBC executive said monetary authorities could deliver a rate cut at its next rate-setting meeting on December 11, potentially matching the Fed’s cumulative 50-basis point rate reductions for the year, provided inflation stays manageable and the peso remains stable against the dollar.

platforms are given 90 days from publication of the resolution to submit proof of compliance.

“Through this resolution, we will be able to strictly control the sale and distribution of tobacco products. The DOF is always ready to help ensure the proper management of these products, especially in protecting our youth,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto was quoted in the statement as saying.

The DOF is a member of the IACTobacco and helps oversee the implementation of Republic Act 9211 (Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003).

“Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor evolving domestic and international developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” the central bank said in its latest monthahead inflation forecast. The national government’s outstanding debt reached P17.455 trillion as of end-September, down by 0.07 percent from P17.468 trillion as of end-August. This was still higher year-on-year by 9.83 percent from P15.893 trillion.

The government, through the Treasury, will borrow a total of P2.6 trillion this year to plug its projected budget deficit of P1.561 trillion. For this month alone, the Treasury will raise a total of P158 billion from local lenders, of which P88 billion will come from T-bills and P70 billion from Treasury bonds.

According to the law, the sale and distribution of tobacco products to minors are prohibited. It further states that it shall not be an excuse for the seller or distributor to be unaware of the minor’s real age. Neither shall it be a defense that they had any reason to believe that the product was for the consumption of the minor to whom it was sold. The law also instructs retailers to verify the buyer’s age by means of any valid form of photographic identification containing the date of birth of the bearer. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

Manulife to offer gut microbiome screening

By VG Cabuag @villygc

THE Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.) Inc., the local arm of international financial services provider Manulife Financial Corp., announced it will offer gut microbiome screening in the local market through a partnership with Singaporebased Amili Pte. Ltd.,.

Microbiome testing analyzes a stool sample to reveal the types of microorganisms in a person’s gut, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. The test could be linked to one’s digestion health, immunity and overall health.

A mili, also known as “Asian Microbiome Library,” will offer sciencebacked, preventive care that supports better health outcomes and reduces long-term medical risks, the company said.

At Manulife Philippines, we are focused on delivering innovative solutions that support the evolving health needs of Filipinos,” Manulife President and CEO Rahul Hora said.

“This collaboration with AMILI allows us to offer a unique health experience that goes beyond traditional insurance, empowering our customers to take a proactive approach to their health,” Hora added.

Manulife’s customers in the Philippines will now be able to access a personalized gut-health screening designed specifically for the Asian population. The service includes tailored

nutrition recommendations and teleconsultation to help interpret results, t he company added.

“Our goal is to be a true partner in our customers’ health journey—not just by helping them prepare financially, but also by giving them access to tools, services, and support for prevention, care, and overall well-being,” Grace M. Mallabo, chief health and product officer of Manulife Philippines, said.

“By integrating personalized health insights into our offerings, we are helping Filipinos make informed decisions and improve their quality of life,” Mallabo added.

A ccording to Manulife, Amili’s screening leverages the region’s largest multi-ethnic gut microbiome database, delivering insights that support digestive health, immunity, mental wellbeing, and chronic disease prevention.

“We’re proud to support Manulife’s customers in the Philippines with actionable, science-backed health insights,” Jeremy Lim, CEO and cofounder of Amili, said. “This partnership is a step forward in making predictive, preventive care more accessible across Southeast Asia.”

This initiative in the Philippines is an expansion of the collaboration between Manulife and Amili, which was l aunched last year in Singapore. It is part of Manulife’s broader strategy to support health and longevity through value-added offerings across Asia, according to the insurer.

Art BusinessMirror

Concerned Artists of the PHL rallies creatives for anti-corruption campaign

THE Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) mounted a month-long anticorruption campaign, which called on creatives to stand up and speak out against the misappropriation of public funds, in light of the flood control projects controversy.

CAP is an organization of Filipino creatives and cultural workers “advancing people’s movement for freedom of expression, justice, and democracy.” For its anti-corruption movement last month, called “Koraptober,” the group rolled out a prompt list that invited creatives to produce “any form of art that speaks out.”

The outputs must be based on the list’s rotating set of words related to the corruption issue, such as “baha,” “luxury car,” and “sigaw,” among others.

“Remember: art has the power to expose thieves, fuel resistance, and lift our collective fight,” CAP wrote in its prompt list post. “Artista ng bayan, tuloytuloy ang laban! Korap, ibagsak!”

One of the featured artworks in CAP’s “Koraptober” was Luha ng Buhaya. Created by studentartist Don Angelou Laureta, the painting reimagines its namesake Filipino idiom about the tears of a coldhearted crocodile that feigns remorse.

In Laureta’s scene, the subject animal assumes its role as the icon of corruption and greed in Philippine politics. Her crocodile wears a barong Tagalog and is draped in the Philippine flag, its colors inverted with the red on top to symbolize a national time of war and unrest, as the country reels from the systemic and deep-rooted crimes of its leaders. The subject holds in its left hand the scales of justice, where a single peso coin outweighs the value of the common people, embodied here as a helpless farmer wearing a salakot hugging its knees.

Laureta fills the scene with other harrowing imageries. Beside the anthropomorphic crocodile are unfinished infrastructure projects, including a building made of money and a cut-out highway leading into floodwaters, and, by extension, the demise of the general public due to neglect. It’s a scene in ruins, punctuated by the dancing flames rendered with such realistic motion and intensity.

Laureta is an Architectural Drafting student at Sorsogon State University and a member of the KuritLagting Art Collective and CAP Bicol. For him, art is not only a form of self-expression but also a tool for education and social change. His works often reflect

the struggles of ordinary Filipinos, using visual storytelling as a measure of activism.

“#Koraptober amplifies voices like Laureta’s, reminding us that art remains one of the most powerful forms of protest,” CAP Bicol said in a press release. “In the end, Luha ng Buwaya is more than an indictment of corrupt leaders. It is a mirror held up to the nation, urging every viewer to ask whose tears are we shedding, and when will we stop mistaking the crocodile’s for our own. Through his art, Laureta reminds us that silence is complicity and that even in the darkest times, art can still light the way toward justice.”

Local, intl artists boost MCAD’s fundraising initiative

EMINENT local and international artists support the fundraising initiative of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Dubbed “Funding the Future,” the event celebrates the institution’s commitment to engage with contemporary art and culture, its practice and production, as well as its presentation and interpretation.

As a non-profit museum, MCAD relies on the generosity of patrons, supporters, and its closest advocates to ensure its curatorial and learning programs remain free and accessible to all. Proceeds of the affair will go toward sustaining the museum’s various cultural and art-inspired undertakings. The projects include Curatorial Conversations, the annual mentorship program for young practicing curators; MCAD Commons, a collaborative exhibition platform with regional institutions and art spaces that allows for creative development, ideas exchange, and curatorial discourse; and MCAD Publications, which promotes the generation and propagation of new ideas in contemporary art and design

through exhibition-related catalogues and artist monographs.

Art patron and planning committee member Pam Gonzales Lopez shared: “I support MCAD because I truly believe in what it stands for: a free, inclusive space for dialogue and discovery through art.”

“I love that MCAD is a non-collecting museum, which means it stays fresh and experimental, bringing world-class exhibitions to Manila while supporting living artists,” she added.

Central to the success of this fundraiser is the generosity of artists, individuals, and galleries, who donated artworks and experiences to the exhibition and auction.

The exhibit will showcase pieces from the collection of artist-supporters, including Pacita Abad, Pio Abad, Poklong Anading, Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, Martha Atienza, Victor Balanon, Nice Buenaventura, Lesley-Anne Cao, Mariano Ching, Jonathan Ching, Charlie Co, Lena Cobangbang, Kiri Dalena, Corinne De San Jose, Lourd de Veyra, Patricia Perez Eustaquio, Dex Fernandez, Michelle Lopez, and Tona Lopez.

Completing the roster are Zoraya Lua, Dominic Mangila, Lui Medina, Manny Montelibano, Wawi Navarroza, Manuel Ocampo, Kaloy Olavides, Gary-Ross Pastrana, Paul Pfeiffer, Goldie Poblador, Issay Rodriguez, Luis Antonio Santos, Elisa Tan, Maria Taniguchi, Derek Tumala, Miguel Lorenzo Uy, Veejay Villafranca, Liv Vinluan, and Costantino Zicarelli.

The artwork donations, which range from drawings and paintings, to objects, photographs, and video art will be on view to the public beginning November 9, 2025 at the MCAD. It is open from Tuesdays throughSundays, and will run until November 16, 2025.

An online catalogue will likewise be available on the website of Leon Gallery, the official auction partner of the event. The benefit dinner and auction will be held on November 15, 2025 at MCAD. Attendees will receive a limitededition work by artists Lani Maestro and Neo Maestro.

MCAD is at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB) along Dominga Street, Malate, Manila.

More information can be found at tinyurl.com/yc3w6h9b.

have more options than you realize. Exhaust your resources and put out a call for help. ★★ LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Aggressive moves will not resolve issues. Consider what’s stopping you, and adapt rather than try to change what’s heavily rooted. Opportunity begins when you clear the passage forward and allow yourself the time and space to follow your heart and soothe your soul. Let go of negative partnerships. ★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s up to you to promote what you can do. Market yourself at functions that offer a platform to share, learn and connect with people who have something to contribute in return. Stick to the truth. If you promise more than you can deliver, it will lead to unnecessary stress. ★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take the initiative and make things happen. Relying on others to do things for you will lead to disappointment. Once you initiate what you want to achieve, it will boost your energy and confidence and give you the resolve to complete your mission. Rise above negativity and walk away from whatever and whoever holds you back. ★★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Find a new direction, and give yourself the go-ahead to initiate change and balance your life. Let go of toxic or indulgent situations. Ask what you can do that will help you get back on track. Being in a stalemate situation will continue to numb you. ★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A mind reset may help you change course. Make yourself aware of what’s adaptable and what isn’t. Learn how to manipulate your happiness. A change at home or in how you react can make a significant difference in how you feel about yourself and your future. ★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Spontaneity will work against you. Don’t feel pressured to make a purchase, a choice or a move. Question everything and pay attention to investments, money management and how to improve your health and emotional wellness. Refuse to let outside influences infiltrate your decision-making. Do what’s best for you, and you will ease stress and save money.

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are adaptable, persuasive and outgoing. You are motivated and persistent.

Howie Severino tackles

how foreign powers

manipulate public opinion in special podcast series

GMA Integrated News’ podcast “Howie Severino Presents,” hosted by award-winning journalist Howie Severino, returns with a new three-part special series, titled Online Invasion: The Secret Battle for Hearts, Minds, and Headlines. The series unpacks an emerging field of research called Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), which tracks how statesponsored disinformation moves across borders and shapes what people believe.

A timely response to a growing global threat to democracy, Online Invasion features conversations with leading thinkers in the field.

The first episode, released last October 27, traces the recent history of FIMI, with insights from Dr. Rachel Khan of the University of the Philippines’ Journalism Department and the fact-checking coalition Tsek.ph. (tinyurl.com/3w6mpn78)

The next two episodes, dropping on November 3 and November 10, take deeper dives into how foreign disinformation networks have penetrated the Philippines, and explain how the public can inoculate themselves from manipulation.

“Our main goal,” Severino says, “is to help audiences think critically about the information they consume. And since podcast listeners are usually already well-informed, we hope they can help their families—their parents, titos, and titas—do the same. In short: think before you click.”

Adds Oliver Victor B. Amoroso, senior vice president and head of GMA Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy: “In an era where information can be weaponized, GMA Integrated News remains steadfast in its commitment to combat disinformation through the ‘Howie Severino Presents’ special series. Our leadership in media literacy and public trust is not just a responsibility but a cornerstone of our mission to deliver credible and responsible journalism.”  Online Invasion is produced by the GMA Integrated News Digital Strategy and Innovation Lab (DigiLab).

Episode 2 of Online Invasion: The Secret Battle for Hearts, Minds, and Headlines is available on November 3, and Episode 3 on November 10, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and GMA Integrated News’ social platforms.

More information can be found at www. gmanetwork.com.

By Lindsey Bahr The Associated Press

THE movie exhibition business is closing out one of its slowest Octobers in over 25 years with a sluggish Halloween weekend. Studios avoided opening any major new films with the holiday falling on a Friday. Instead, there were several re-releases including Back to the Future, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and the Netflix phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters.

But even with a top 10 in which no films earned more than $10 million, there was still a bit of excitement as two studios claimed the No.1 spot on Sunday. Universal’s horror sequel Black Phone 2 was largely expected to top the charts in its third weekend in theaters, and the studio reported that it was going to be in first place with an estimated $8 million. About 30 minutes later, Paramount reported that its romantic drama Regretting You had earned an estimated $8.1 million, which would place it in the top spot instead. Box office tracker Comscore went by the numbers and gave the first place title to Regretting

Andres Muhlach: The son also rises

ANDRES MUHLACH reprising the role that catapulted his dad to teenage superstar status 40 years ago is certainly an interesting case of life’s inevitable cycles.

Viva Communications has recently announced that Aga Muhlach’s unico hijo Andres will be recreating the same role in the contemporary stage adaptation of the hit movie musical Bagets, set to take local theater by storm when it opens in early 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.

“It’s both an honor and a big challenge for me to step into the shoes of Adie, the same character that my dad gave life to in 1984. I cannot aptly describe the feeling when I first learned that I was confirmed for the project because so many emotions came rushing to me. I guess it is too surreal, I mean the feeling that has engulfed me up to this very day. It’s shaping up to be a full circle experience for me,” he told us.

I asked Aga how he feels about his son reprising his role. “It’s unbelievable. Imagine my son will play the same role I did more than four decades ago.

Ang saya lang. It will be interesting how they will update the material, the mood, the music to make it relatable to their generation. I am so happy that they are doing a stage musical version of Bagets and I am confident that he and the entire cast will rise above the challenge!”

“Dad is really cool and so supportive, and he is just as thrilled as everyone else in the family. Even my parents’ longtime friends are talking about it as early as now, and they are also excited how the cast will be interpreting the five characters this time around,”

Andres said. Aside from Aga, the original movie transformed Raymond Lauchengco, Herbert Bautista, JC Bonnin and William Martinez into instant heartthrobs and matinee idols during their time. Andres continued, “I’ve watched Bagets countless times, and I really looked up to my dad growing up. He enjoyed what he was doing and he was happy working on his craft. Dad’s career took off after Bagets and I hope it will do wonders for my career as well.”

Taking it one rehearsal at a time is how Andres does it. “I want to be really focused on this project. It’s my first venture into professional theater. A few of the cast members have theater experience, and it helps that we all build a bond this early, and make the bond stronger when the show opens in January.”

The cast have started to undergo intensive workshops. “These workshops are certainly eyeopeners for the young cast. These help close the gap

between how we transition into theater actors from doing work for television and the movies. The first few days were all new to us but we are all moving forward quite well and enjoying all the activities we are part of.” Andres shared that he appreciates the experts who are all very patient and pleasant since day one—musical director Vince Lim, playwright K-Mee Katanyag and director Maribel Legarda.

Since this is a musical, Andres says he has to polish his vocals and learn the techniques and skills needed for him to sustain both his speaking and singing voice—starting from rehearsals, and throughout his assigned performances.

All the five main actors will have alternates and Andres will share his role with Mico Hendrix Chua.

You. Sunday numbers are based on estimates and projections, however, and sometimes Monday actuals tell a different story. Regretting You is the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation to open in theaters since It Ends With Us became a runaway hit in theaters. With a running domestic total of $27.5 million, this newest film is not going to match its predecessor, which made $50 million its first weekend. In three weekends, Black Phone 2 has made $61.5 million domestically and $104.7 million globally. Universal also handled the nationwide re-release of Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future which earned $4.7 million from 2,290 theaters—enough to snag a fifth-

place spot on the North American charts. The 1985 time travel classic now has a domestic total of $221.7 million. Though there were plenty of HUNTR/X costumes on the streets this weekend, KPop Demon Hunters didn’t do as well as it did when it played in theaters in August. That weekend, the streaming hit sold between $16 and $20 million in movie tickets. This weekend, it’s estimated to have earned somewhere in the $5 million range from 2,890 screens. Two distribution executives shared numbers on the condition of anonymity because Netflix has a policy of not reporting ticket sales.

Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll’s Chainsaw Man—

This early, ticket reservations have been announced and Andres is getting more and more hyped up to give his mark to the same “Adie” role that has been attached to his dad for many, many years. Bagets: The Musical aims to revive the spirit, and reimagine the essence of a film so well-loved in the past so that this new generation can embrace and appreciate it, too. Andres Muhlach takes the lead in this very tall order which I’m sure that he will do so with flying colors, at the same time capture our hearts, too—just like how his famous dad stole ours more than 40 years ago.

The Movie: Reze Arc dropped a steep 67% in its second weekend and is projected to add $6 million from 3,003 locations, bringing its total to $30.8 million. Focus Features also launched Bugonia into wide release after several weeks in limited. With an estimated $4.8 million from 2,043 theaters, it marks filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’s best wide break to date. The darkly comedic thriller stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons and is expected to be an awards season player.

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere landed in sixth place, behind Back to the Future, and down 57% in its second weekend. It earned $3.8 million, putting its domestic total at $16.3 million and its global tally at $30.6 million. “This was a truly scary weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends. “It was this imperfect storm of Halloween on a Friday and the World Series on Friday and Saturday. But the studios and theaters knew this was on the horizon and they planned for it.”

The weekend may net out to be one of the lowest grossing of the year, closing out an unusually slow October. With the exception of October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the month’s total ticket sales ($443 million) have not been this low since 1998 ($455.5 million).

The next two weekends may bring some energy back to multiplexes, however, with releases, like Predator: Badlands and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, but the industry will likely have to wait until closer to Thanksgiving for a real blockbuster when Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 enter the mix.

“This was always going to be a tough weekend. The audience was truly fragmented,” Dergarabedian said. “There are weekends where the movie theaters are the focus of the attention, and those are coming.”

PhilHealth Pushes for Early Detection to Prevent Breast Cancer

In line with Breast Cancer Awareness Month last month, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is promoting early detection and reminding members of their financial coverage for breast cancer treatment, aligning with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s priority on improving healthcare in the country.

The Philippines has extremely low breast cancer screening rates, which is linked to the country having one of the highest breast cancer mortality rates in Asia. According to a 2023 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, only one percent of Filipino women were screened for cancer, translating to only 540,000 women out of an estimated 54 million getting screened. Compounding the issue is that

a significant majority, as high as 65 percent, of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in the advanced stage, greatly reducing the five-year relative survival rate.

To address the financial barrier that often delays diagnosis and treatment, the PhilHealth Z Benefit Package for Breast Cancer has been substantially enhanced. The package has increased by 1300 percent, reaching up to P1.4 million from the previous P100,000. The benefit now covers patients with breast cancer across Stages 0 to 4, including those who are already undergoing treatment. As of September

2025, the amount paid for Z Benefit Package for Breast Cancer has reached a total of P72.03 million.

PhilHealth YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program) further reinforces this as it covers selected outpatient cancer screening tests for breast cancer including financial coverage for a mammogram (P2,610) and breast ultrasound (P1,350). By providing extensive financial protection from initial diagnostic tests to complex targeted therapy, PhilHealth aims to remove the cost as a barrier and encourage patients to seek care early, improving outcomes for a disease that is curable when detected in its initial stages.

“Through PhilHealth’s YAKAP, we have made healthcare services more accessible and affordable. We are inviting all women to look after themselves. Get your checkups, follow-ups and follow treatment process. This is your right and we are here to support you,” said PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Edwin M. Mercado.

For more details on PhilHealth YAKAP and Z Benefit Package for Breast Cancer and other benefits, members may call PhilHealth’s 24/7 touch points at (02) 866225-88 or mobile numbers (Smart) 0998857-2957, 0968-865-4670, (Globe) 09171275987 or 0917-1109812.

Discover your perfect pasta pairing with Doña Elena

COOKING at home brings joy, but it’s the shared meals with family and friends that make the experience truly incomparable. Pasta is a family favorite for a reason, it’s comforting, versatile, and perfect for both daily meals and special celebrations. And whether you’re focused on healthy cuisine or simply love cooking, there is a Doña Elena product for every cooking need, thoughtfully crafted to inspire dishes for both intimate meals and grand gatherings.

As a leading and well-loved brand of olive oil and other Mediterranean cooking ingredients, Doña Elena continues to make gourmet experiences at home accessible. And a recent addition to the brand’s wide range of high-quality products are Doña Elena Pasta Sauces, made from fresh and fine ingredients, with no preservatives. From pasta and pizza to dips, spreads, and marinades, these versatile sauces make it easy to turn everyday food into a gastronomic feast.

Featuring four flavorful options perfect for both beginners and seasoned home cooks, these pantry essentials are sure to spark creativity in the kitchen, from simple everyday meals to inventive pasta creations.

Doña Elena Pasta Sauces are incredibly versatile, crafted to perfectly pair with pasta, meats, vegetables or elevate any dish .

Doña Elena Marinara – With 100% Italian Tomatoes

Made with 100 percent Italian sun-ripened tomatoes slow-cooked to produce a hearty tomato sauce with fragrant herbs for a smooth, tangy, and savory taste.

BYD Cars Philippines, a subsidiary of ACMobility, has unveiled the all-new BYD eMAX9 DM-i at the 13th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit, redefining the mid-size MPV category and advancing the brand’s vision of sustainable luxury mobility.

The eMAX 9 DM-i embodies BYD’s most refined expression of electric innovation, merging intelligent performance, sophisticated comfort, and progressive design. It reflects the brand’s continued mission to ensure that transformative mobility is accessible to discerning Filipino families, who value prestige, safety, and the comforts of luxury,with practicality, reliability, and savings in mind.

“The BYD eMAX 9 DM-i represents the pinnacle of our electrified vehicle innovation, where technology and luxury move together in perfect harmony,” says Bob Palanca, Managing Director of BYD Cars Philippines. “It is an elegant statement of progress for Filipino families and professionals who seek sustainable mobility and value smart ownership.”

The BYD eMAX 9 DM-i showcases the brand’s Dragon Face design language, signature LED lighting, and 18-inch alloy wheels

Best paired with: Spaghetti or Linguine, lasagna, chicken Parmesan, or roasted vegetables.

Doña Elena Arrabbiata – With Italian Peppers

Nothing beats a classic Italian ingredient with a rich and tangy sauce. A fiery blend of sun-ripened tomatoes, bold chili peppers, and aromatic herbs, this sauce delivers a spicy kick and authentic Italian zest.

Best paired with: Penne Rigate, fish, shrimp, or roasted vegetables.

Doña Elena Artichokes & Walnuts Sauce

The ideal mix of creamy and nutty sauce that blends earthy artichokes with crunchy walnuts, and aromatic herbs for a gourmet twist.

Best paired with: Fettuccine or Fusilli, pizza, bruschetta, or as a dip with crackers and veggies.

Doña Elena Pesto Sauce – With Pecorino Cheese

A vibrant basil-based sauce enhanced with sunflower oil, parsley, and sharp Pecorino cheese for a creamy, robust finish.

Best paired with: Linguine or Fusilli, grilled meats, roasted potatoes, or as a spread on sandwiches.

The Doña Elena Sauces capture the flavors of Italy in a convenient format, and are perfectly complemented by the artisan quality of Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta. More than that, these sauces deserve a spot in your pantry as they make it effortless to prepare satisfying and impressively elevated dishes at home.

Made from 100 percent durum wheat semolina, this artisanquality pasta is traditionally crafted using bronze dies, giving it a unique texture that allows sauces to cling beautifully—resulting in richer, more flavorful dishes. Available in Fettuccine, Linguine, Lasagna, Penne Rigate, and Fusilli, Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta makes mastering pasta recipes easier than ever.

Doña Elena Pasta Sauces and Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta are exclusively distributed by Fly Ace Corporation in the Philippines. For more tips, recipes, and promos visit @donaelenacuisineraclub on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Christy Ng Lands in Manila; Fashion’s Best-Kept Secret Now at SM Megamall

HANDBAG lovers, get excited: Christy Ng, Southeast Asia’s cultloved brand for modern shoes and bags, has finally arrived in Manila. The brand celebrated the grand opening of its first Philippine store at SM Megamall.

From Kuala Lumpur to Manila, Christy Ng has always been more than a label: it’s a style essential. Known for sleek shoes, versatile bags, and designs that elevate any look, the brand blends craftsmanship and contemporary design to create pieces that feel both aspirational and attainable, made to walk with women through every milestone.

The launch kicked off with an exclusive store preview attended by Christy Ng herself alongside key partners, media, and style enthusiasts.

“Bringing Christy Ng to Manila was a logical step for my brand,” Ng said “We’ve always believed in creating pieces that empower women to express themselves confidently: and the Filipina embodies that spirit so effortlessly. We’re honored to finally walk with her on her journey.”

Guests explored the brand’s elegant, minimalist store, reflecting its signature aesthetic of clean lines and timeless sophistication. The celebration buzzed with Christy x Christi music sets by DJ Christi McGarry, CN Signature Mocktails, an interactive CN Lookup Photobooth, and a playful CN Charm Vending Machine that delighted guests with exclusive bag charms. Ng was also present throughout the event, warmly engaging with guests and sharing her stories.

To celebrate its official store opening last

October 28, 2025, Christy Ng also treated early shoppers to exclusive giveaways for the first 100 customers and a special First Customer Prize, a warm welcome to the brand’s growing Filipino community. With its successful Manila debut, Christy Ng cements its place as a brand for those who value enduring style and thoughtful craftsmanship. More than a store opening, it was a celebration of Southeast Asian creativity: timeless, refined, and quietly confident.

The best-kept secret in fashion has officially landed. Welcome to Christy Ng, Manila.

Christy Ng is located at Level 2 (Building A) SM Megamall. To learn more, follow the brand on Instagram and TikTok.

NUTRIASIA, makers of the Philippines’ best condiments and sauces, is proud to be one of the supporters of the Eighth CEO Golf Classic  by John Clements Consultants Inc. (JCCI) which took place last September 12, 2025, at the Manila Golf and Country Club. The annual tournament has consistently drawn Chief Executive Officers and industry executives through the years. bringing together high-level leaders from various industries for a day of camaraderie, competition, and celebration.

This year, Nutriasia added Masarap,Masaya to the event through its portfolio of iconic and proudly Philippine0-made products that were given away to participants.

“Our involvement in the tournament underscores Nutriasia’s support for meaningful initiatives that create sweet and happy moments, foster stronger connections and promote wellness through fun activities. We are very grateful to JCCI for this opportunity,” shared Wally Panganiban, Nutriasia Corporate Affairs Manager.

driving it, with support for up to 7 kW AC and 73 kW DC fast charging. Using the AC charger, the Advanced variant (20.4kWh battery capacity) reaches a full charge in about 3 hours, while the Premium variant (36.6kWh battery capacity) takes around 5 hours. For those on the go, the DC fast charger can boost the battery from 30 to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes. Beyond powering itself, the eMAX 9 DM-i comes equipped with BYD’s exclusive Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology. This smart feature transforms the vehicle into a mobile power source, capable of running everything from small appliances to essential devices

BYD Manila Bay in Pasay City, passing through Tuguegarao, Cagayan, and reaching Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. On the return trip, the convoy made its way through La Union before finally heading back to Pasay. The drive delivered results that went beyond the vehicle’s estimated range, covering an impressive total of 1,261.2 km on one full tank and one full battery charge. Charging the eMAX 9 DM-i is just as effortless as

Egypt’s new museum opening signals cultural and geopolitical strategy in a turbulent world

By Mirette Magdy and Michael Gunn

WHEN Egypt officially opened the doors of its $1 billion treasure trove of ancient artifacts on November 1, the great and the good of world politics stood in the shadow of King Ramses II.

Eleven meters tall and carved from red granite, the 3,200-yearold statue of the greatest of all pharaohs looms over the cavernous main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum—a project that seeks to supercharge the crucial tourism industry, and also delivers a statement of Egypt’s contemporary global importance.

Decades in the making, the museum’s opening couldn’t be more timely, coming just days after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Donald Trump and world leaders to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, where the US president touted his peace plan for Gaza. Aspects of that initiative may be discussed on the sidelines of El-Sisi’s reception.

Ramses is a fitting envoy, since he’s associated with the world’s first recorded international peace treaty—a deal with Egypt’s onetime foes the Hittites, the early inhabitants of what’s now Turkey.

A replica of the pact hangs at the United Nations in New York, enshrining mutual respect and the establishment of a just order.

Several millennia on, those Pharaonic-era aspirations hold a newfound resonance for Egypt, as the Middle East’s most populous nation leverages its role as partner or friend of almost everyone, from Russia to Europe, China and the Gulf. It’s a model that offers a template for middleranking countries navigating an age of heightened geopolitical turbulence.

“Around the world, nonsuperpowers are hedging, leveraging great-power competition to their advantage,” said David Schenker, a former US diplomat and fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Egypt appears to be more effective than other similarly situated states.”

That careful dance, as relayed to Bloomberg in conversations with insiders, diplomats and analysts, shows a country striving to make the most of its strategic location, timeworn ties and cultural influence, even as wealthier Gulf Arab nations have threatened to eclipse its regional sway. It’s especially important in light of Egypt’s limited natural resources, swelling population and vulnerability to the climate crisis.

But it’s a choice that’s not without risks as nation states everywhere assert themselves, with the US and China locked in an intense rivalry that will define the future global order, potentially forcing governments to pick sides down the line.

Trump lavished praise on his host in Sharm El-Sheikh as a great president and “a good man,” adding: “We’re with him all the way.” In truth, the event marked a sharp turnaround in relations with a deal-seeking, less idealistic US under its MAGA leader after months of discord sparked by Israel’s war in the Palestinian territory.

Back in February, the president suggested that Gaza should be turned into a “riviera,” with Palestinians shunted into neighboring countries including Egypt, against Cairo’s will. El-Sisi hasn’t traveled to Washington since Trump began his new term.

There was intense pressure from foreign governments, an Egyptian government official conceded, adding that Cairo did not and will not succumb. Displacement of Palestinians into the Sinai is a red line for Egypt, and we stick to our positions, the official said.

Egypt’s global engagement beyond the US has been less boisterous, but just as telling. Beijing is stepping up investment in manufacturing and green energy facilities by the Suez Canal and helping develop Egypt’s new administrative capital. On the Mediterranean coast, Russia works on the country’s first nuclear power plant. Nearby, the United Arab Emirates is crafting an entire new city after a $35 billion tourism investment.

Egypt even manages to balance ties with traditional rivals. El-Sisi speaks regularly to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, while keeping channels open to Ukraine. Egypt has rebuilt ties with Turkey and Iran, while simultaneously keeping strong relations with Greece, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This kind of friends-toall approach has helped Cairo tackle its worst economic crisis in decades. It’s also a striking example of how savvy mid-size countries are finding ways to steer through the uncertainty of a multipolar world order by using their unique selling points.

An Arabic-language page on Egypt’s Foreign Ministry website acknowledges that regional and international developments, plus changed domestic priorities, “have forced Egypt to create ‘new circles’ in foreign policy and adopt a ‘strategic balance’ in managing various international players.” It doesn’t elaborate.

A country of some 110 million people at the heart of a turbulent Middle East, Egypt has long seen its stance as achieving stability in the region and contributing to global security and peace. That in turn means major powers have an interest in maintaining close relations with Cairo, at least in the Egyptian telling. Elsewhere, it’s been called a “too big to fail” logic that Cairo leverages to its advantage.

In the government official’s words, Egypt seeks to build partnerships and maintain good relations with everyone—which includes coordinating with likeminded nations in forums like BRICS or the Group of 20—but not at the price of appeasement.

Like any nation, Egypt could yet suffer the vagaries of Trump’s shifting world stance. For all his recent praise of El-Sisi, Trump has threatened BRICS members

with additional trade tariffs, and is showing signs of losing patience with Egyptian ally Russia over its refusal to halt its war on Ukraine. Egypt’s signing of a cooperation agreement to use China’s BeiDou global navigation system, a rival to the US GPS and Europe’s Galileo systems, is another potential flashpoint down the road. The global context may be new, but striking a balance has been the aspiration of modern Egypt since at least 1952 when Gamal AbdelNasser and a group of military officers ousted the British-backed monarchy. Along with leaders from India, Yugoslavia and Indonesia, he founded the NonAligned Movement—the bloc of developing countries seeking an independent course between the US and Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

Maintaining strict neutrality proved elusive. While the 1956 Suez Crisis—wherein Israel, Britain and France invaded the canal zone—calmed after both superpowers demanded a withdrawal, Washington increasingly saw Nasser’s steps of recognizing China and buying weapons from Czechoslovakia as indicating Communist sympathies.

The US, which had been poised to give financial support to build the High Dam on the Nile River, now demurred. Instead, Moscow stepped in to fund a project seen as vital to Egypt’s economic development. Today, a vast ArabSoviet Friendship monument, shaped like a lotus flower, still stands near the almost 70-yearold megaproject in Aswan,

southern Egypt.

After wars with Israel in 1967 and 1973, in which the Soviets gave tacit backing, Egypt under President Anwar Sadat dramatically shifted to the US camp. That opened up the economy, secured regular military aid from Washington and— controversially—brought a 1979 peace deal with the Jewish state. Under Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak, US ties only increased.

Fast forward to October 2024, when Russia hosted the BRICS summit in Kazan—Egypt’s first as a full member—and Putin hailed Egypt as Moscow’s “longstanding and reliable partner.” Addressing him as “my dear friend,” Putin told El-Sisi that efforts were under way to draft a free-trade agreement between the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union and the Arab republic.

El-Sisi was back in Russia in May this year to join Putin at the Red Square military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II victory.

Then, Putin called Egypt “among Russia’s key partners in Africa,” and said bilateral trade—Egypt is the biggest buyer of Russian wheat—rose more than 30% in 2024 to a record $9 billion.

That’s still dwarfed by Egypt’s business ties to China, its No. 1 trading partner, with companies including Huawei Technologies Co. and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. among those investing.

Beijing sees in Egypt a similarly ancient civilization at a development stage China reached 10 or 20 years ago, giving them “all the reasons to collaborate,” said Henry Wang Huiyao, founder

Egypt’s global engagement beyond the US has been less boisterous, but just as telling. Beijing is stepping up investment in manufacturing and green energy facilities by the Suez Canal and helping develop Egypt’s new administrative capital. On the Mediterranean coast, Russia works on the country’s first nuclear power plant. Nearby, the United Arab Emirates is crafting an entire new city after a $35 billion tourism investment.

of the Center for China and Globalization research group in Beijing. “China is doing a lot of work there with no strings attached—not like Western countries,” he said.

For today’s Egypt, not only has the balance of world powers shifted as China has emerged, but new pressures have appeared on the domestic front.

Chief among them: an evergrowing population that’s living on a thin strip of riverside land in a country that’s more than 90% desert. Water and landpoor, Egypt relies on imports to keep people fed and—after a recent fall in gas production — keep the lights on. It’s especially vulnerable to global turmoil and has averaged a fiscal crisis roughly once a decade.

Egypt’s recent political history also plays a factor. During the 2011 Arab Spring, when protesters camped out in downtown Cairo to force Mubarak to step down after three decades in power, its then-main benefactor the US eventually sided with the demonstrators.

That taught Egypt’s rulers that “relying on a single external partner comes with a series of problems, including being unable to rely on Washington to protect you from unrest,” said Riccardo Fabiani, North Africa project director at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

The latest economic crisis was spurred when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine revealed issues with Egypt’s dependence on hot money at the expense of largescale foreign investment and its reliance on grain imports from the Black Sea.

A flurry of diplomacy and deal-making eventually saw Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer due to a bread-subsidy program designed to keep social peace, re-secure shipments from Ukraine, Russia and newer sources like India—much of it using newly agreed Gulf funding.

The engagement only increased with the outbreak of Israel’s war against Hamas and Iranian groups across the Middle East two years ago. Bordering war-torn Gaza, Egypt leveraged its role as potential mediator and a regional bellwether to bag a $57 billion bailout of loans and investments, led by the UAE and the International Monetary Fund.

It has rebuilt ties with Turkey, with whom it feuded for about

seven years over Ankara’s backing for Islamists. There’s also been re-engagement with Iran, likely partly with an eye on the Islamic Republic’s sway with Houthi rebels in Yemen, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping have caused Egypt’s Suez Canal revenue to plummet.

Even when interests diverge, Cairo has mostly avoided diplomatic bust ups. In the civil war in neighboring Sudan, the UAE is accused of backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces—an allegation it denies— while Egypt has close ties with Sudan’s army on the opposing side. Any difference there didn’t stop Abu Dhabi making the biggest direct investment in Egypt’s history with plans to develop the coastal headland of Ras El-Hekma in early 2024. There are exceptions. Egypt is engaged in a more than decadelong feud with Ethiopia over the building of Africa’s largest dam on the Nile’s main tributary, a move that poses risks to the Arab nation’s near-sole source of fresh water. Mediation efforts, including by Trump’s first administration, have failed to salve concerns, and flooding in a reas of Egypt and Sudan this fall renewed accusations of Ethiopia’s mismanagement, upping tensions that some fear may lead to war. For now, Egypt’s strategy has mainly worked—not least because the scenario of the world’s sharply competing powers all leveraging pressure on Cairo at once is extremely unlikely, says the Crisis Group’s Fabiani.

The biggest test so far has been relations with Israel, long a thorny issue among ordinary Egyptians who have little love for a peace deal that has built cooperation in security and energy but no popular goodwill. Trump’s strong backing for Israel has amplified the ramifications of any dispute, including the Israeli push for Egypt to accept the mass displacement of Palestinians. Cairo joined South Africa’s International Court of Justice case against Israel, and has openly accused the country of genocide—a potential source of friction at this month’s G-20 summit. In leaked comments, Israel suggested a new $35 billion deal for Egypt to import Israeli natural gas was in jeopardy.

Speaking in Sharm El-Sheikh in mid-October, Trump— not known for hiding his sentiments—signaled any dispute was over, heaping praise on Egypt as a strong partner.

Yet if the ceasefire holds, Egypt’s unwillingness to provide forces to reinforce the peace in Gaza “could become an irritant,” according to Schenker at the Washington Institute.

A bigger issue for Washington would be any major Egyptian arms purchase from China or Russia triggering congressional sanctions. Egypt “complains that the US doesn’t make available top shelf weapons systems,” said Schenker. “If Cairo looks to other great powers for this equipment, it will complicate the balancing act.”

Back at the new museum, the range of foreign officials set to wonder at Ramses’ statue, Tutankhamen’s death mask and hundreds of other ancient wonders suggests Cairo has no shortage of options. With assistance from Colum Murphy, Anthony Halpin and Justin Sink/Bloomberg

PSC, POC bonuses for AYG medalists

By Aldrin Quinto

Phas what it takes.

The sprint champion, along with other Filipino medalists from the Third Asian Youth Games (AYG), already has plans to invest in his development after learning about the incentives pledged by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

“I h ave potential,” the 16-year-old Wangkay, winner of the 200-meter run in the AYG at Isa Sports City in Riffa, Bahrain.

“I believe I can go beyond the SEA Games, not now but in time. I can compete at the Asian level. As for the World stage, I’m not sure yet-but we’ll work hard for it,” he said.

“The incentives will go a long way in helping me reach my goals,” he added. Each gold medal won by a Filipino individual athlete or pair in the Bahrain AYG is worth P500,000 and silver medals earn P300,000 and bronze medals P100,000, the PSC announced on Monday.

A nd there are more as POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said that the POC would give P250,000 for the gold medalists, P150,000 for the silver winners and P75,000 for the bronze medalists.

The gold medalists will also be given

17

Max units, while iPhone 17 will be given to silver and bronze medalists care of Sportsplus, the official gaming partner of the POC. With a packed schedule leading up to his Southeast Asian Games debut later this year, Wangkay is prioritizing safe and strategic preparation-focusing on nutrition, training, and equipment.

“I h ope to clock the best times while avoiding injury so we’re trimming the schedule,” the De La Salle Zobel product said. E lite-level athletics training requires specialized resistance equipment that is not cheap, and Wangkay is grateful for the support.

“I’ll use the incentives to cover the expenses of my mom and coach,” he said.

Kram Airam Carpio was first to deliver gold for the Philippines, winning in pencak silat, while Charlie Ratcliff made noise with a 63-second triumph in the girls’ 45kg modern mixed martial arts. Muay was the most productive team with three gold medals from Lyre Anie Ngina in girls’ wai kru, Zeth Gabriel Bueno in boys’ wai kru, and the mai muay pair of Jan Brix Ramiscal and Tyron Jamborillo.

The Philippines capped its campaign with a thrilling finale, with Fil-American jiujitsu fighter Isabella Butler sealing her dominant week with a submission win for the gold in the girls’ -63kg class.

Jhodie Peralta, who had earlier earned incentives from the Zamboanga sports program following her triplegold performance at the International

Wrestling Federation World Youth and Junior Championships in Peru, now has additional funds for to support her family’s plan to purchase land.

At the AYG, she bagged silver in the snatch and bronze in the clean and jerk in the 53kg class and like Wangkay is also gearing up for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December.

T he Philippines haul of seven gold, seven silver and 10 bronze was good for 12th place.

Tolentino lamented the country’s missed chances in other events such as beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball and urged sports stakeholders such as University Athletic Association of the Philippines teams to rally behind a common goal: “Put flag first.”

“There were lessons learned there, we could have sent more medal contenders,” Tolentino said.

PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio emphasized the urgent need for deeper investment in youth sports.

When I attended the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, it became clear-we can win at this level. That’s why I’m thrilled the POC is prioritizing the Asian Youth Games. These young athletes are future contenders for the Asian Games and even the Olympics. We need to keep building, because we’re on the right track.”

White belt again: Ochoa enjoying new journey as coach, not athlete

FROM the top of the competition, collecting gold medals across continents, Meggie Ochoa finds herself in unfamiliar territory.

She is still immersed in the world of jiu-jitsu, but now it’s less about chasing medals and more about shaping futures.

It’s much tougher being a coach, Ochoa admits, but she is loving it.

“I t’s much harder than I imagined,” she admitted. “As an athlete, you focus on your own game. As a coach, you think about the whole team. You can’t control everything, and sometimes you just want to jump in and fight the match yourself.”

“ You need to manage your emotions because you have to be on top of things and you also need to be more composed for the athletes, so they won’t be rattled,” said Ochoa.

ALEXANDRA EALA has officially entered the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top 50, becoming the first Filipina to reach this elite ranking.

T he 20-year-old tennis star was No. 51 before this week’s ranking was ala’s rise was fueled by standout performances, including a semifinal finish at the WTA 1000 Miami Open, a first-round win at the US Open, and a title run at the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open. e win in Mexico was the first by a Filipina in the WTA. The results helped her climb steadily through the rankings and earn recognition as one of the sport’s rising talents.

Eala’s top 50 breakthrough is a major milestone not just for her career, but for Philippine tennis.

A s a Philippine team member, Eala earned bronze medals in the singles and doubles events in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022.

The left-handed Eala, who is eyeing deeper Grand Slam runs and Olympic qualification, had three bronze medals in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

A product of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain, Eala won the girls US Open title in New York in 2022. She reached the second round of the US Open this year.

Youth Games gold medalist Isabella Butler is also one of the younger stars—from Art of Jiu-jitsu in California—that Ochoa believes will be an inspiration to their wards. Butler’s dominating performance— Gallego was on the corner having previously trained at Butler’s jiujitsu academy—has been an eye-opener for the Philippine team, Ochoa said. “Bella is a huge inspiration and a valuable lesson for us,” Ochoa said. “We want to learn from the system that’s helping her grow.

O choa worked with coach Chris Gallego in guiding the 18-member Philippine youth jiu-jitsu team at the  recentThird Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.

The Philippines wound up fifth in the jiu-jitsu medal table with one gold and one bronze medal—the United Arab Emirates topped the list with two gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

“I used to think I’d just be an athlete forever,” she said. “But when I started coaching in 2024, I found fulfillment I didn’t expect. I realized I was more willing to let go of competing than I was to give up coaching.”

Ochoa made history as the first Filipino to win gold at the JJIF World Championships in 2018. The 35-year-old Ochoa now helps oversee the development of around 50 grapplers, but

REY NAMBATAC’S starring role in the comeback win over Meralco kept TNT Tropang Giga atop the standings of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup. Knocking down big shot after big shot in getting a 100-98 overtime victory over Meralco enabled Nambatac to give the Tropang 5G their fourth win in five starts in the conference they hope to win