Manila Standard - 2026 March 7 - Saturday

TEHRAN—Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on Friday, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spi-

Brace for historic high oil price hikes next week

By Alena Mae S. Flores, Charles Dantes, Ram Superable, Vito Barcelo and Maricel Cruz

CONSUMERS face historic high increases in pump prices next week—with diesel estimated at P17.28/liter, gasoline at P7.48/l and kerosene at P32.35/l due to the volatility of world oil prices driven by the Middle East crisis, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a video message yesterday.

• Fuel subsidies, tax relief eyed to ease price hike impact

The President then ordered the temporary implementation of a four-day workweek in select executive branch offices starting Monday, March 9, as the government moves to cushion the impact of rising oil prices. In a video message, Mr.

By Charles Dantes,

Superable

Vito Barcelo

CONNECTING JOBSEEKERS WITH EMPLOYERS.

House impeach hearings likened to a ‘mini-trial’

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Katrina Manubay and Rex Espiritu

to the Senate.

THE Embassy of China in the Philippines on Thursday night rejected allegations of espionage raised by the National Security Council, describing claims of supposed Chinese spy activities in the country as “irresponsible” and “malicious smears.” In a statement, embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said the accusations were another attempt to exaggerate what he called the “China threat” narrative. “China follows the principle of noninterference in other countries’ internal Chinese embassy rejects spying, Ano stands firm on allegations

Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, committee chair, said the hearings aimed to thoroughly examine the evidence before determining whether the

‘Baligod 18’ goes underground; NBI issues subpoenas

By Rolando Ng III and

Pot

A GROUP of 18 retired Marines consisting the so-called “Baligod 18” has reportedly gone into hiding

claims of

By Charles Dantes

THE Philippines is expected to discuss developments in the Middle East during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s address next week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City as tensions in the region continue to concern the international community.

Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Angelica Escalona said Friday that while she could not preempt the President’s remarks, global and regional developments—particularly those affecting Filipinos—would likely be part of the discussions.

“I cannot preempt what the President will say but definitely pag-uusapan ang international developments, regional developments at iyong mga bagay na makakaapekto sa ating mga mamamayan,” Escalona said in a briefing. Mr. Marcos is scheduled to attend the UNGA meeting on March 9 and 10, with global attention focused on worsening tensions in the Middle East and their broader geopolitical implications. Escalona also said the President will not meet with American President

German leader defers PH, Indonesia visit

GERMAN President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has postponed a planned trip to Indonesia and the Philippines because of flight planning issues due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

Steinmeier had been due to fly to Jakarta on Sunday for the six-day trip, with an onward flight to Manila scheduled for Wednesday.

Brace...

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fuel consumption and electricity use in government operations.

“Starting Monday, March 9, we will temporarily implement a fourday work week in certain executive offices…This does not include those who provide emergency or essential services, such as police, firefighters, and offices that provide frontline services to the public,” he said.

“We will also temporarily halt non-essential government travel and activities, such as study tours, teambuilding activities, or meetings that can be conducted online,” the President said.

He added the government is preparing a series of measures, including possible tax relief and fuel subsidies, to cushion Filipinos from the expected sharp increases in fuel prices.

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AFPTV images from Beirut's southern suburbs showed mangled buildings and burned-out vehicles after heavy Israeli bombing overnight, with tens of thousands fleeing the destruction.

The war, now entering its seventh day, has dragged in global powers, upended the world's energy and transport sectors, and brought chaos to even usually peaceful areas of the volatile region.

Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran's capital Tehran early Friday as Israel said it was striking "regime infrastructure" in the city.

Internet coverage is running at about one percent, according to monitor group Netblocks, limiting information about the impact of the war on ordinary Iranians.

In Tehran, the war has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets but residents told AFP that security forces are keeping a tight grip on the population.

The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "has closed almost every main street with armed personnel and heavy machine guns to frighten people", a 30-year-old Tehran resident told AFP from Paris.

"The people are the real enemy in their eyes, not the Americans. Their extremists say first you have to deal with the enemy at home."

Friday morning's strikes on Tehran followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks, first launched on Saturday in a barrage that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"We are now moving to the next phase of the operation," Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a televised statement.

"We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose," he added.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced "firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically".

President Donald Trump said it would be a "waste of time" to send ground troops into Iran, but has insisted he would "have to be involved" in choosing Iran's next leader.

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United People’s Initiative (UPI) lead convenor Romeo Poquiz, himself a retired Air Force general, claimed that the lives of the so-called “Baligod 18” are now being allegedly threatened by authorities.

“Unfortunately, the 18 marines are not available right now 1 due to serious physical threats against them. We should understand that their lives are at stake here,” Poquiz said.

As this developed, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has issued subpoenas to the 18 former Marines who claimed they delivered bags of cash to current and former government officials. Also subpoenaed were former con-

There are currently no "sufficiently safe and feasible" flights available, his spokeswoman told AFP on Thursday.

It remains unclear when Steinmei-

“When there is unrest in that region, oil prices move, electricity prices move, and the prices of all goods move,” he said.

The President said the government is coordinating with Congress to grant him temporary authority to reduce excise taxes on petroleum products if global oil prices reach $80 per barrel as well as to amend the Biofuels Act of 2006 to allow the use of cheaper bioethanol blends that could help bring down gasoline prices.

In addition, he said the government plans to release fuel subsidies and cash transfers for sectors expected to be heavily affected by rising fuel costs.

“Government agencies and local governments will work together to ensure that aid reaches those in need promptly,” the President said.

The Department of Energy, however, has yet to announce how the expected increases will be staggered,

According to Iran's health ministry, US and Israeli strikes on the country have killed 926 people, a number AFP could not independently verify.

Iran has launched missile and drone attacks at Israel and the Gulf since the war began. In Israel, at least 10 people have been killed, according to first responders there.

The US military has reported the deaths of six of its personnel since the war began Saturday.

- 'We were humiliated' -

The conflict has drawn in Israel's neighbour Lebanon after militant group Hezbollah launched missiles in support of its backer Iran.

Israel struck several towns in the south of the country overnight, with widespread destruction in the southern Beirut suburbs, considered a Hezbollah stronghold and home to an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people.

AFPTV cameras captured a fresh strike on the area on Friday, footage showing plumes of smoke billowing from a building.

The streets were completely deserted on Friday morning, the only movement being a bulldozer working to remove debris.

AFP correspondents on the ground saw scenes of panic and terror on Thursday as residents fled en masse after an unprecedented Israeli order to evacuate immediately if they wanted to save their lives.

Hundreds of families milled around on a Beirut beach, left with nowhere to go.

"We fled from the suburbs, we were humiliated," one man told AFP, declining to give his name.

"We'll sleep on the road tonight and God alone knows what will happen to us."

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that a "humanitarian disaster is looming" from the displacement, saying the consequences could be "unprecedented."

Israel's military chief Zamir has ordered troops to expand the area under his army's control in southern Lebanon, whose health ministry said 123 had been killed in strikes.

Iran has kept up its attacks on Israel, with a volley of missiles aimed at Tel Aviv while rocket trails also lit up the sky in Netanya, further north. AFP

gressman Mike Defensor, lawyer Levito Baligod, and the unnamed lawyer who notarized the Marines’ affidavits, NBI director Melvin Matibag said on Friday.

"We are deputized by the Ombudsman to investigate the issue," Matibag told reporters.

UPI was supposed to fete the 18 so-called “marines” who gave their sworn testimony in the allegations on the flood control scandal.

Poquiz later said the affidavits were already prepared as he appealed for understanding on their presumed death threats.

“Let us also consider their anxieties over their physical safety,” Poquiz added in Filipino.

The group previously confirmed that they are among those who are providing security for these supposed witnesses on a “rotational” basis.

er's trip might be rescheduled.

US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, and Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region, mean that a number of countries have closed their airspace. Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, and high tensions between Russia and the European Union, also mean that air travel over those countries is highly restricted.

but assured that oil companies have not opposed the plan.

“We cannot dictate or direct the oil companies because of the Oil Deregulation. We can only ask them to do that for our countrymen,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

While Iran has not officially shut off the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's crude supplies and a substantial amount of gas run, shipping through the waterway has all but dried up.

At the local front, Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas said: “Asian refiners are struggling to secure prompt replacement crude cargos, with some Chinese refiners already cutting runs and suspending fuel exports, resulting in a reduced available supply in the region.”

“Expectations of more refining run cuts could tighten fuel supplies even further,” he said.

Garin said the decision of China

PBBM...

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Donald Trump during his stay in the United States.The president’s visit will center on his participation in the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women and a special session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The DFA official said Manila is closely monitoring developments in the region, especially given the large number of Filipinos working there. She was also asked about an earlier statement by Philippine Ambassador to

Chinese...

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affairs. Such accusations are malicious smears against China and yet another attempt to hype up the so-called ‘China threat’ rhetoric,” Ji said.

The statement came after the NSC confirmed that three Filipinos had been arrested for alleged espionage in favor of China and reportedly confessed to gathering sensitive information related to Philippine military operations.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, responding separately to the embassy’s denial, said the government expects to address the matter through diplomatic channels but declined to comment further.

Año said some of the information involved was sensitive but not classified as top secret, adding that current findings show no known damage to national security.

The embassy also cited a recent case involving a Mongolian national who was detained last month for suspected links to China but was later cleared by authorities of any such association.

“This fully demonstrates that rushing to judgment before the facts are fully ascertained is fundamentally flawed and runs counter to the basic principles of objectivity and fairness,” Ji added.

He said relations between China and the Philippines should be guided by mutual respect, warning that efforts by some individuals or agencies to inflame anti-China sentiment and politicize China-related issues could harm cooperation.

Ji also urged Philippine authorities

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complaints go to the next stage of the constitutional process.

“I don’t think that is possible. We can only shorten the proceedings of the Justice Committee, perhaps via a motion and vote to be raised by the Justice members themselves,” Luistro said when asked if Duterte’s camp could skip the presentation of evidence and move directly to a vote on probable cause.

She explained that the committee may move to abbreviate the proceedings once they believe the evidence presented are already sufficient.

Luistro likened the committee’s role to a prosecutor conducting a pre-

Tens of thousands of tourists remain stranded in Gulf, awaiting flights that are departing sporadically.

The war has also caused major disruptions even in far-flung parts of the world, since the Gulf is a major air hub. For example, thousands of holidaymakers have been left stuck on the popular Indonesian island destination of Bali. AFP

and the other countries to halt oil exports has drawn “a lot of concern” as they are suppliers of Philippine oil companies.

The Energy chief, however, said there are still many supply options and the government continues to talk with oil firms and check their suppliers who are willing to deliver.

“Good thing we have sufficient supply now. It will last us 60 days. We have enough time to ask our current suppliers or look for new suppliers if it's not available there,” she said.

Garin also warned those who engage in hoarding and profiteering.

“Not only is it illegal, but it's inhumane and anti-Filipino. We have asked the DILG with the PNP and the mayors that we all work together to make sure that this does not happen,” she said.

For its part, energy advisory firm Climate Smart Ventures warned that

the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez that US President Donald Trump had invited the Philippines to join a proposed “Board of Peace” initiative linked to efforts addressing the Middle East situation. Escalona said the government is still studying the proposal.

Earlier this week, Mr. Marcos expressed support for international calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, stressing the Philippines’ concern for its citizens in the region.

“We are not a party to any of this. Of course, we want the fighting to stop… if it will help, let's hope that there is a ceasefire,” the President said.

to avoid what he called “groundless accusations” and espionage claims used as a pretext to disrupt bilateral exchanges.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela on Friday pushed back against the Chinese Embassy’s denial of alleged espionage activities, dismissing its warning that the issue could “backfire” on the Philippines.

Speaking on the sidelines of a forum organized by the Stratbase Institute, Tarriela said it was expected that China would deny accusations that its agents were involved in gathering sensitive information related to Philippine operations in the West Philippine Sea.

“Of course they will not admit it. Marami naman silang dini-deny (they have denied a lot),” Tarriela said.

Tarriela said individuals allegedly involved in the espionage activities were reportedly paid to provide information about Philippine maritime patrols and supply missions in the West Philippine Sea.

He added that the Chinese Embassy should be cautious in issuing statements, given allegations that Chinese entities were behind efforts to recruit informants and obtain sensitive information on Philippine maritime operations.

Earlier, an investigative report by Rappler alleged that Chinese nationals had targeted young government employees or their associates to gain access to sensitive security and defense documents.

Meanwhile, Malacañang Palace reminded government officials and personnel to remain vigilant in protecting sensitive national security information.

liminary investigation. “Here, it’s probable cause. That is why I always compare the proceedings before the Justice committee to a preliminary investigation by a prosecutor. Having found probable cause, we file at the court—and that court is the Senate,” she explained.

She stressed that the House does not determine guilt or innocence.

“It is not the Justice committee. It is not the House of Representatives. It is the Senate which is empowered either to acquit or to convict the respondent,” Luistro said. Under the process, the committee first reviews affidavits, counter-affidavits and other documentary submissions before moving on to hearings where complainants and witnesses may testify.

off-grid areas face power outages if the Middle East crisis persists, potentially depleting fuel subsidies faster than anticipated.

CSV said the surge in global oil prices threatens about 1.2 million offgrid households with power outages. It said off-grid communities are not connected to the national power transmission network and rely primarily on diesel power plants located within the islands for their electricity requirements.

As the Philippines imports 73.3 percent of its diesel requirements, these communities now face significant power disruptions, CSV said.

“If oil prices continue to escalate and the geopolitical conflict drags on, this can deplete the fund for universal charge for missionary electrification (UCME) used to provide subsidies for fuel in off-grid areas faster,” said Matthew Carpio, CSV head of Philippine Operations. With AFP

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“Nasimulan na po ang paglikas ng mga Pilipino na nais magpa-repatriate at sa oras ligtas na ang pagbiyahe ay mailikas na natin lahat,” Marcos said. (The evacuation of Filipinos who wish to be repatriated has already begun, and as soon as travel is safe, we will be able to evacuate everyone.) He acknowledged the Philippines is feeling the economic effects of a conflict beyond its control.

“Biktima tayo ng isang giyera na hindi natin pinili o ninanais,” the President said. “Hindi natin kontrolado ang digmaan. Pero kontrolado natin kung paano natin poprotektahan ang Pilipino.”

(We are victims of a war that we did not choose or desire. We have no control over the war. But we have control over how we protect Filipinos.)

Despite the uncertainty, Marcos expressed confidence the country can weather the economic shock.

“Marami na tayong napagdaanan na pagsubok. At sa bawat pagkakataon, dahil sa ating pagkakaisa, pananampalataya sa Diyos, at malasakit sa isa’t isa, nalampasan naman natin ang mga ito,” he said.

(We have been through many trials. And in every instance, because of our unity, faith in God, and compassion for one another, we have overcome them.)

Malacañang earlier reported that the first flight carrying 299 repatriated Filipinos from Dubai arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Thursday.

The government’s response comes as the widening conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel disrupts global shipping routes.

Around 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers are stranded in the Persian Gulf after vessel movements were halted in key waterways, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the agency is coordinating with industry stakeholders to ensure the safety of affected crews.

“The IMO is ready to work with all stakeholders to help ensure the safety and well-being of the seafarers affected,” Dominguez said.

The maritime sector has designated the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and surrounding waters as a “warlike operations area,” reflecting the rapidly deteriorating security situation.

Since hostilities erupted last weekend, the IMO has recorded seven maritime incidents that left two people dead and seven injured.

Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial route through which roughly a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes — forcing several shipping companies, including Danish giant Maersk, to suspend bookings in the Gulf.

The International Transport Workers' Federation warned that hundreds of vessels remain stranded in the area following the suspension of transit operations.

DPWH to speed up Maharlika repairs in time for Lenten break

By Vito Barcelo

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is speeding up repairs on damaged sections of the Maharlika Highway so they can be fixed in time for the upcoming Holy Week travel season.

“The move is meant to make travel safer and more comfortable for motorists returning to their home provinces,” Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said yesterday.

He said workers and equipment have been sent to key parts of the highway in the CALABARZON, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga regions to finish repair work before the holiday travel rush.

The DPWH aims to complete clearing of obstacles, temporary patching, and leveling of rough road surfaces by the end of March. Long-term rehabilitation work, which requires major bidding and contracts, is expected to begin after Holy Week to further improve the highway’s overall condition.

Meanwhile, the agency is also working to improve drainage along Taft Avenue to reduce flooding that often leaves commuters and students stranded during heavy rains.

The drainage system is being widened so rainwater can flow faster to the Pasig River and eventually to Manila Bay.

Dizon said the drainage project is part of broader preparations to address flooding in Metro Manila and surrounding areas, including dredging and cleaning of waterways to prevent flood problems during the rainy season.

PURPLE DAY. Women student activists stage a Purple Day of Action protest yesterday at the University of the Philippines Diliman, as part of Women’s Month activities ahead of International Working Women’s Day. Edd Castro

AFP: Over 1K Japanese troops to join Balikatan

By Rex Espiritu

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday said that more than 1,000 Japanese military personnel will participate in this year’s Balikatan exercises with Filipino, US, and other allied troops from April to May.

AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans MGen. Rommel Cordova, during a Stratbase Institute forum, said this year’s Balikatan will be one of the largest in the history of the exercise.

“And a number of countries, Japan, for example, is going to send more than 1,000 troops in the exercise with Aus-

tralia, I think Canada, New Zealand, and I think France. And another 18 countries are going to participate in our Balikatan International Observers Program,” Cordova said.

In the 2025 iteration of the exercise, around 14,000 Filipino, American, Australian, and Japanese troops, in an ob-

server role, took part in the drills that started April 21 and ended on May 9 the same year.

The Philippines and Japan last year entered into force the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), allowing greater military cooperation between the two nations by streamlining procedures for the deployment of forces in each other’s territories for joint training and disaster response operations.

The RAA was signed in Manila on July 8, 2024, then ratified by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Nov. 5, 2024, and by the Philippine Senate on Dec. 16, 2024. The Japanese Diet approved the RAA on June 6, 2025.

Sandiganbayan bail hearings for Bong Revilla starts April 6

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Sandiganbayan Third Division has scheduled a 10-day bail hearing starting April 6 for former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. and several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office over an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. Associate Justice Karl Miranda said the hearings will run from April 6 to 10, 17, and 20 to 24 to determine whether the prosecution’s evidence is strong enough to deny bail in the malversation case.

Revilla and his co-accused— DPWH Bulacan 1st DEO assistant engineer Brice Hernandez, Engr. Emelita Juat, Engr. Arjay Domasig, Juanito Mendoza and Christina Pineda—have filed petitions for bail. Earlier, the court entered a plea of “not guilty” on behalf of Revilla after he did not personally enter a plea during his arraignment.

Revilla’s lawyers argued that the former senator was denied due process, claiming he was not given the opportunity to respond to an updated resolution from the Office of the Ombudsman that included him as a respondent in the case.

The defense also maintained that Revilla was not an accountable officer and that the allegations in the information do not constitute an offense.

DAZZLING HUES. A colorful pre-sunrise cloud formation greets tourists in Atok, Benguet. Dave Leprozo

‘Firm pushback in WPS a must’

THE “persistent pattern of coercion” in the West Philippine Sea must not be normalized or tolerated and instead confronted with “firm, coordinated, and decisive measures” from both the Philippines and other like-minded nations, Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres Manhit said on Friday.

In his opening remarks at a high-level symposium titled, “Safeguarding the Maritime Domain for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific” held in Makati City on March 6, Manhit condemned the “clear and escalating pattern of coercion” involving Chinese state and state-linked

IN BRIEF

vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

He cited Philippine Coast Guard data recording 64 illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive (ICAD) actions against Philippine missions or vessels in 2025 alone, which involved dangerous maneuvers, shadowing, water cannon attacks, collisions, radio chal-

Laoag airport resumes normal operations–CAAP

LAOAG International Airport has resumed normal operations, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said on Friday.

This followed the successful restoration of the runway lighting that had led to the temporary suspension of night operations at the airport.

Air travelers are advised to coordinate with their respective airlines for updated flight schedules.

CAAP reported on Thursday an open circuit was detected in the runway edge lights, likely caused by excavation work related to the installation of a new runway lighting system.

Two domestic Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights were affected by the suspension: PR-2198 (Manila–Laoag) with 98 passengers and PR-2199 (Laoag–Manila) with 87 passengers. Joel E. Zurbano

March 17 holiday to mark Magellan landing sought

A LAWMAKER is seeking to declare March 17 of every year as “Homonhon Landing Day” to commemorate Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival in Eastern Samar in 1521. Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales filed House Bill 122 proposing the date as a special nonworking holiday in the province to highlight the historic event and promote cultural and historical awareness.

“The observance of Homonhon Landing Day will provide an opportunity for Filipinos to reflect on our rich cultural heritage and the enduring impact of Christianity in our country,” Gonzales said.

“By commemorating this day, we are not only paying homage to our past but also reinforcing our collective identity and the values that unite us as a people,” he added. Under the proposed measure, the Eastern Samar provincial government, in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and other agencies, will organize commemorative activities such as historical reenactments, educational programs, and cultural exhibitions. Maricel V. Cruz

DOJ holds anti-corruption workshop and summit

THE Department of Justice on Thursday held its first anti-corruption workshop and summit to contribute to nation-building.

“The fight against corruption is not merely a legal mandate; it is a moral imperative. It is about restoring trust, protecting the Filipino people, and, most importantly, strengthening the very foundations of our democracy,” said Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida.

“Corruption erodes institutions, diverts resources from essential services, discourages investment, and weakens public confidence in government. It undermines the rule of law and denies justice to the most vulnerable,” he added.

Vida shared the DOJ’s five key priorities: intensifying the prosecution of corruption-related offenses, reinforcing internal integrity mechanisms, accelerating digital transformation, deepening collaboration with civil society and the private sector, and alignment with international standards. Pot Chavez

EXPRESSION OF FAITH. Devotees flock to the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno on the first Friday of the month to offer prayers and pay homage to the revered image of the Black Nazarene. Richmond Chi

lenges, and live-fire exercises.

“These are only the incidents that were reported and made public. Far from the cameras and the headlines, many more acts of intimidation occur at sea—often involving Filipino fishermen and frontline personnel who continue to operate under constant pressure and uncertainty,” Manhit said.

“The growing frequency and intensity of these incidents are deeply alarming. Such behavior, as we have stressed time and again, should not and cannot be normalized or tolerated. It must be met with firm, coordinated, and decisive measures to end this

National Security Adviser and Director General Eduardo Año said the government remained “deeply concerned” by the continuing ICAD tactics by China, including coercive activities “designed to alter facts on the water while remaining below the threshold of armed conflict.” Año stressed that the 2016 arbitral award “was clear...it invalidated China’s illegal nine now 10-dash line claim or the expansive maritime claims unsupported by UNCLOS – affirming the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its EEZ and clarifying the legal status of certain

MMDA, World Bank, LGUs work on reducing plastic waste

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is working with the World Bank Group and local government units for the implementation of the Clean Philippines project, aiming to lessen plastic waste and improve solid waste management.

The objective of Clean Philippines is to improve waste management and reduce plastic pollution not only in Metro Manila but throughout the country by reinforcing existing policies and institutions, developing essential infrastructure, and offering performance-based grants.

The project also promotes public awareness and education to encourage behavioral changes that contribute to effective waste management. Clean Philippines initiatives focus on transforming energy and environmental waste systems, aiming for 35 percent renewable energy by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

Key projects include investing in solar, wind, and geothermal, alongside Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facilities and river cleanup, such as the Pasig River rehabilitation.

On Thursday, the MMDA led by Chairman Romando Artes met with local officials and representative from the World Bank Group to discuss the project preparation mission for Clean Philippines: Vertical Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA). Artes emphasized the agency’s full commitment to implement the first

DSWD, Singapore partner on social protection programs

By Maricel V. Cruz

SOCIAL Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the Philippines and Singapore have strengthened cooperation on social protection programs for women, children, and other vulnerable sectors through a newly signed agreement.

The partnership with Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed March 4 on the sidelines of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Socio-Cultural Community meeting.

Gatchalian said the agreement will allow both

countries to exchange best practices on social protection initiatives, including programs focused on the First 1,000 Days of a Child (F1KD).

He noted that Singapore’s approach emphasizes caring for women even before pregnancy—an insight that could help enhance the Philippines’ maternal and child care initiatives.

“If I can borrow the favorite line of (Singapore) Minister Masagos (Zulkifli): ‘You take care of girls, you take care of the country,’” Gatchalian said during the ASCC press briefing in Makati City.

The DSWD chief said the agency has begun implementing the First 1,000 Days grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

(4Ps), following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Lessons from Singapore also highlight the need for early interventions to address rising teenage pregnancy and support young mothers, Gatchalian said.

He said that the MOU focuses on sharing knowledge and best practices rather than financial assistance.

Other areas of cooperation include programs for persons with disabilities, learning visits to social service facilities, and joint initiatives to strengthen capacity-building and skills development in social work.

Generative AI to affect women’s jobs more ILO

A RESEARCH brief by the International Labor Organization showed that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping the world of work and may boost productivity and job creation, but its impact is likely to fall more heavily on women.

Titled “Gen AI, occupational segregation and gender equality in the world of work,” the ILO said femaledominated occupations are nearly twice as likely to be exposed to GenAI compared with male-dominated jobs.

“Generative AI is not entering a neutral labor market,” said researcher Anam Butt, one of the study’s authors, noting that social norms, unequal care responsibilities and labor market structures continue to shape employment patterns.

The study found that about 29 percent of female-dominated occupations are exposed to GenAI, compared with 16 percent of male-dominated roles.

OPINION

Living water in war and peace

WE ARE in the third week of Lent. Jesus travels through Samaria and stops at a well. There He meets a Samaritan woman drawing water. Jews and Samaritans normally avoided one another entirely. Rabbis rarely spoke publicly with women in public. Yet Jesus initiates conversation with her. He asks her for water first. Then He speaks of a greater gift: living water.

This living water symbolizes eternal life from God. Jesus reveals knowledge of her personal life. She recognizes Him first as a prophet. Then she comes to believe He is the Messiah. The woman leaves her water jar behind. She tells her community about Jesus. Many Samaritans come to believe in Him. Salvation is offered to all people everywhere.

This story speaks to people today. Society appears materially advanced and comfortable. Yet many feel a deep interior emptiness. Technology and success cannot fully satisfy us.

Many people keep returning to empty sources. They seek money, attention, success, or pleasure. These things bring happiness for a short while. But the same emptiness always returns afterward.

War in the Middle East grows worse. Missiles, airstrikes, and civilian deaths continue. The conflict involves Iran, Israel, and neighbors. Global stability is now seriously threatened. Behind every war lies a human thirst. People thirst for security, power, and revenge. Nations also thirst for justice and survival. These drives push people toward terrible violence.

Nations keep returning to the same

wells. They seek military strength and political control. They hope these will finally bring peace. But violence never satisfies the longing for peace. The root of our troubles is clear. We pursue things we think will satisfy us. Power, lust, and wealth all deceive us. They cannot fill our heart’s deepest longing. Jesus offers something far deeper to us. He calls it living water. Our hearts long for a real relationship with God. Without God, even success feels incomplete.

Salvation is offered to all people everywhere

Jesus meets us right where we are. He finds us in our daily routines. He does not begin by judging us. Instead, He listens and invites us to change.

The Samaritan woman shows us the way. She moves from searching to understanding. Then she moves from believing to sharing. Her whole life changes after meeting Jesus.

She leaves her water jar at the well. She no longer needs what once defined her.

Filled with hope, she brings others to Jesus. This is the pattern of true conversion. We do not simply change our behavior. We discover a source that does not dry. Living water is not a reward for the perfect. It is a gift for those still searching. When Christ quenches our deepest thirst, we change. We naturally begin to share hope with others. That is the invitation of this Lenten season. Stop at the well and let Jesus speak.

Co-ownership in same-sex relationships

RECENTLY, the Supreme Court rendered a decision in the case of Josef v. Ursua, clarifying the property regime governing same-sex couples who cohabit but are legally incapacitated to marry.

The Court declared “that petitioner [Josef] and respondent [Ursua] have the same sex when they cohabited, they are not capacitated to marry each other, and thus, Article 148 governs their property relations” (G.R. No. 267469, February 5, 2025)

Josef and Ursua, both female, lived together as a couple in an apartment. A year later, they purchased a house and lot and agreed to register the said property solely in Ursua’s name to facilitate bank transactions more easily.

“When they separated, they agreed to sell the house and lot; and to divide the proceeds equally… Ursua executed an Acknowledgment of Third-Party Interest in [the] Real Property… allegedly acknowledging Josef’s co-ownership over the subject property.” (Op cit.)

The acknowledgment “expressly recognized that Josef financed and paid 50% of the expenses in the acquisition and renovation of the subject property” a fact admitted by Ursua in her Judicial Affidavit. However, she later changed her mind and refused to sell the property. As a result, Josef executed an Affidavit of Adverse Claim, which was later annotated in the title. “Josef sent a demand letter to Ursua for the partition of the… property and for her portion to be transferred to her name, or that she be paid the fair market value of her corresponding share.” (Op cit.)

Josef then filed a complaint for partition of real estate with damages against Ursua. “Partition is the separation and division of a thing held in common among the coowners or co-heirs.”

The “objective [of partition] is to designate to each party their respective shares and their portion of the property owned in common. Co-ownership exists when the ownership of an undivided thing or right belongs to different persons.”

In an action for partition, “[t]he court must initially settle the issue of ownership for the simple reason that it cannot properly issue an order to divide the property without first making a determination as to the existence of co-ownership.”

Until the issue of co-ownership is resolved, it will be premature to effect partition of the disputed property. (Op cit.)

After trial, the trial court dismissed the action for partition, explaining that “aside from the Acknowledgment, Josef did not offer any proof to establish her claim of co-ownership. Records were bereft of proof that Josef had monetary contributions in the acquisition as well as the renovations to the subject property.”

The Court of Appeals later affirmed the trial court’s ruling, which constrained Josef to file a Petition for Review on Certiorari to the Supreme Court. The central issue presented to the Court was “whether the CA erred in finding that co-ownership was not sufficiently established through [Ursua’s] signed Acknowledgment.”

Until the issue of coownership is resolved, it will be premature to effect partition of the disputed property

In applying Article 148 of the Family Code, the Supreme Court explained that “the properties acquired during cohabitation can be considered… common property… if: (1) these were acquired during their cohabitation; and (2) there is evidence that the properties were acquired through their actual joint contribution of money, property, or industry.”

The Court further stated that the “contributions and corresponding shares of the parties are prima facie presumed to be equal. However, for this presumption to arise, proof of actual contribution is required.”

Without proof of actual contribution, no presumption of equal shares arises. In the Josef case, the acknowledgment signed by Ursua showed Josef’s actual contribution, with Ursua recognizing that Josef was entitled to a 50% share of the property. Hence, the Court held that Ursua “is now estopped to question the contribution of [Josef] in the acquisition of the subject property. Having admitted the actual contribution of [Josef], their corresponding

Looking at AI-generated deepfakes

GOOD reason to be upbeat as we see the urgency in 2026 to fight fake news, clothed as reliable information by advanced Artificial Intelligence and geopolitical volatility.

This has become a “whole-of-society” priority this year involving governments, public and private media as well as tech platforms.

The widespread availability of generative AI in this digital age means high quality deep fakes that can be produced in just minutes, making it, in the eyes of many keep observers, difficult to distinguish reality from fabrication.

But we are glad private newspaper organizations, including the Manila Standard, and the government’s Presidential Communications Office have hammered out a Memorandum of Agreement to fight disinformation. misinformation and fake news.

Press Secretary Dave Gonez articulated sentiments of the media executives when he said at the signing in mid-week: “At a time when information flows like digital river – sometimes clar, sometimes muddied –we come together for a common purpose: to address the growing menace of fake news, disinformation, and misinformation, especially on social media.

“A healthy democracy depends on an informed public – not misinformed, not misled, not deceived.”

Beyond the eye range of the communications stalwarts and news executives, is the perceived truth of AI-generated deep fakes which have become cheap, easy, and near-instantaneous creations.

—“—

The true value of the Memorandum lies in the action, commitment, and impact that occurs after the dried signatures

Media observers have acknowledged and estimated that up to 90 percent of online content could be synthetically generated by 2026, making it impossible to rely on visual or audio “proof,” as even authentic footage can be dismissed as fake or what some analysts call the “liar’s dividend.” We have observed from our news-

By Jonathan Malaya

ESPIONAGE in the Philippines is not an abstract problem but a real and present danger that has exposed weaknesses in our laws, institutions, and systems.

Recent arrests — including three Filipino nationals working in the Philippine Nav, Department of National Defense and one with links to a Coast Guard officer at the behest of Chinese Intelligence — show how vulnerable we are when adversaries target our people and information.

We commend our security agencies for their swift and decisive action. The detection and termination of the spy ring has shown the sophistication of our counterintelligence services. Still, these incidents should alarm us. No government agency is immune. Espionage endangers national security and the lives of our service members.

Leaks about resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal to Chinese Intelligence show how operational data can fall into the wrong hands.

Our geography, porous borders, reliance on maritime routes, international ties, active online public sphere, and geopolitical competition make the Philippines a tempting target. We are, after all, in the 1st Island Chain. We need a focused response: better laws, stronger institutions, and broad public support.

One bright spot is the government’s Insider Threat Program, launched in 2023 which helps prevent, detect, and respond to threats by people who have access to sensitive information. It combines interagency mechanisms, confidential reporting channels, robust counter-intelligence capacities, and targeted technical monitoring.

In recent cases, tips from staff plus technical alerts helped authorities spot compromises and preserve evidence before more damage occurred. The ITP shows that people — supported by policy and tools — are our first line of defense.

We must now build on this success and act quickly in Congress. National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año has appealed to Congress to pass a modern Anti Espionage law and the pending Anti Foreign Malign Influence and Interference (FIMI) bill without delay.

Our existing law on espionage, Com-

shares are prima facie presumed equal.”

The Supreme Court further explained that “with Article 148 of the Family Code and the Acknowledgment executed by [Ursua], [Josef] is a co-owner to the extent of 50 percent share of the subject property.”

room seats how AI-driven misinformation has been, for instance, weaponized to manipulate voter perception, sway elections, and undermine trust in democratic institutions worldwide. Many well-meaning media practitioners have declared disinformation is no longer just a social nuisance but directly causing financial fraud, like different deepfake scams, and posing risks to national security as well as public safety.

Digital giants like Meta and Google are being urged to work with governments to address coordinated disinformation campaigns on their platforms. Technology is also being used to fight technology, with AI-driven security tools deployed to detect manipulated media and watermark synthetic content.

There is this buoyant feeling that police and community leaders are also being mobilized to debunk local rumors, alongside a renewed focus on media and information literacy to help the public discern truth.

We hope success will be achieved beyond the dried signatures in the Memorandum which signifies a desire for a partnership, agreement, or project to transcend mere legal formality or initial bureaucratic approval. We cannot over-emphasize the true value of the Memorandum lies in the action, commitment, and impact that occurs after the dried signatures. For the people of the Philippines.

About time we had a modern Anti-Espionage Law

monwealth Act 616, is archaic. It was passed during the American period and focuses on defense and military secrets and does not cover economic, diplomatic, or policy information. While the Revised Penal Code has provisions against revealing official secrets, it is not enough for today’s wide variety of threats.

—“—

We still need a robust legal regime beyond the provisions of the Penal Code to be able to better protect the country, our people, and our secrets

A modern Anti Espionage law should:

• Define espionage clearly, including cyber enabled theft and covert acquisition through commercial or academic channels.

• Give investigators legal tools to preserve digital evidence and work with foreign partners.

• Set proportionate penalties for negligent and willful breaches.

• Protect legitimate journalism, academic research, and ordinary foreign contacts. Legislative reform is essential to give our law enforcement and security agencies clear authority and a fighting chance. Without new legislation, our security agencies will be left to rely on the Commonwealth Act 616. Fortunately, we have the Revised Penal Code under Chapter 5 which prohibits any act of revealing any secrets known to the public officer by reason of his official capacity or wrongfully delivering papers or copies that should not be published.

But we still need a robust legal regime beyond the provisions of the Penal Code to be able to better protect the country, our people, and our secrets.

The FIMI bill, on the other hand, addresses related risks. Modern influence operations use social media, covert funding, and hidden lobbying to shape public opinion and policy.

“[T]here [being a] co-ownership between [Josef] and [Ursua], then each coowner may demand at any time the partition of the thing owned in common…” In ruling on the matter of co-ownership of same sex couples, the Court said that it “does not have the monopoly to assure the

The Philippines today has one of the most contested information spaces in the world. A focused FIMI law can require transparency for foreign funding, allow sanctions for covert actors, and create ways to quickly counter fake news and disinformation — all while protecting free speech and legitimate civic action. Expanding the ITP must go hand in hand with new laws. Practical steps include wider training for managers and supervisors and front line staff in sensitive government agencies, defense and military installations, ports, aviation schools, and research institutions; deployment of tamper resistant logs, user behavior analytics, and data loss prevention in high risk systems; and formal playbooks that turn detection into secure evidence handling and prosecution.

Agencies also need designated officials and employees who are the only ones authorized to handle classified material.

To ensure real impact, the government must pair legal change and program expansion with specific funding, timelines, and measurable goals.

The National Security Council can, again, take the lead. Clear performance indicators — such as reductions in unauthorized access incidents, faster mean time to detect and contain compromises, and increased reporting through confidential channels — will allow oversight bodies and the public to track progress.

Recent events are both a warning and an opportunity. By passing the Anti Espionage and FIMI laws, expanding the ITP, and embedding safeguards, the Philippines can turn exposure into resilience.

These steps will better protect our forces, critical infrastructure, research, and democratic institutions. The public also has a role to play. They should report suspicious actors to the NSC, PNP Intelligence Group, NICA, ISAFP and other security agencies. We must all act together — quickly and responsibly — to secure the nation’s future.

(The writer is a Special Adviser to National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año. He holds a PhD in Public Safety and Security Governance, earning the LapuLapu Leadership Award during his doctoral studies.)

freedom and rights of homosexual couples. “With the political, moral, and cultural questions that surround the issue concerning the rights of same-sex couples, political departments especially the Congress, must be involved to quest for solutions…” (Op cit.)

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2026

KATHMANDU, Nepal – Counting was underway in Nepal on Friday, after a

parliamentary election to reshape the country’s leadership following 2025 protests that toppled the government.

Nepal counts votes after polls

Key figures vying for power include Marxist leader KP Sharma Oli, the ousted four-time prime minister, rapperturned-mayor Balendra Shah, bidding for the youth vote, and the newly elected leader of the Nepali Congress party, Gagan Thapa.

In Kathmandu’s tea shops and city squares, people were glued to their phones, checking results as early trends flashed up -- suggesting Shah’s centrist

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was ahead.

Prakash Nyupane, a spokesman for the Election Commission, said that counting was ongoing “in a peaceful manner” across the Himalayan nation, from snowbound high-altitude mountain regions to the hot plains bordering India.

Voters have chosen who replaces the interim government in place since the September 2025 uprising, in which at

least 77 people were killed, and parliament and scores of government buildings were torched.

Youth-led protests under a loose Gen Z banner began as a demonstration against a brief social media ban, but were fed by wider grievances at corruption and a woeful economy.

“This is even a bigger upset than we expected -- it underscores the level of public disenchantment with the old par-

ties for under-performance, as well as anger over the events of September,” Kunda Dixit, publisher of the weekly Nepali Times, told AFP. The polls are one of the most hotly contested elections in the Himalayan republic of 30 million people since the end of a civil war in 2006.

All eyes are watching the results in the key head-to-head battleground constituency of Jhapa-5, a usually sleepy eastern district, where 35-year-old Shah challenged directly the veteran Oli, aged 74. Shah, better known as Balen, snappily dressed in a black suit and sunglasses, has cast himself as a symbol of youth-driven political change -- and early trends suggested he was in the lead.

Soldiers with armored trucks manned barbed wire barricades around the counting center in Jhapa.

“I hope this result changes the fate of the country for the better,” Bhagawati Adhikari, 38, told AFP, who was among a crowd of dozens at Jhapa gathered outside the security cordon.

“The country should be peaceful and secure, youth should get opportunities, corruption should stop -- that’s my appeal.”

More than 3,400 candidates ran for 165 seats in direct elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, with 110 more chosen via party lists. Turnout was 59 percent.

Some results are expected later Friday, but full nationwide tallies could take several days. Even then, negotiations to form a government may drag on if -- as many analysts predict -- no single party secures an outright majority. AFP

Japan OKs stem-cell treatment for Parkinson’s

TOKYO – Japan has approved ground-breaking stem-cell treatments for Parkinson’s and severe heart failure, one of the manufacturers and media reports said Friday, with the therapies expected to reach patients within months.

Pharmaceutical company Sumitomo Pharma said it received the green light for the manufacture and sale of Amchepry, its Parkinson’s disease treatment that transplants stem cells into a patient’s brain.

Japan’s health ministry also gave the go-ahead to ReHeart, heart muscle sheets developed by medical startup Cuorips that can help form new blood vessels and restore heart function, media reports said.

The treatments could be on the market and rolled out to patients as early as this summer, reports said, citing the health ministry, becoming the world’s first commercially available medical products using (iPS) cells.

Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka won the Nobel Prize in 2012 for his research into iPS, which have the potential to

develop into any cell in the body.

“I hope this will bring relief to patients not only in Japan but around the world,” health minister Kenichiro Ueno told a press conference.

“We will promptly carry out all necessary procedures to ensure it reaches all patients without fail.”

In a statement, Sumitomo Pharma said it had obtained “conditional and time-limited approval” for the manufacture and marketing of Amchepry under a system which is reportedly designed to get these products to patients as quickly as possible.

The approval is a kind of “provisional license”, the Asahi newspaper said, after the safety and efficacy of the treatment was judged based on data from fewer patients than in ordinary clinical trials for drugs.

A trial led by Kyoto University researchers indicated that the company’s treatment was safe and successful in improving symptoms.

The study involved seven Parkinson’s patients aged between 50 and 69, with each receiving a total of either five million or 10 million cells implanted on both sides of the brain.

The iPS cells from healthy donors were developed into the precursors of dopamine-producing brain cells, which are no longer present in people with Parkinson’s disease.

The patients were monitored for two years and no major adverse effects were found, the study said. Four patients showed improvements in symptoms.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects the body’s motor system, often causing shaking and other difficulties in movement.

Worldwide, about 10 million people have the illness, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Currently available therapies “improve symptoms without slowing or halting the disease progression,” the foundation says.

iPS cells are created by stimulating mature, already specialized, cells back into a juvenile state -- basically cloning without the need for an embryo.

The cells can be transformed into a range of different types of cells, and their use is a key sector of medical research. AFP

Justice Dep’t releases Epstein docus with claims vs. Trump

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Justice Department published additional FBI documents on Thursday (Friday, Manila time) describing interviews with a woman who said President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her after she was introduced to him by Jeffrey Epstein.

The documents had not been made public under previous congressionally-mandated file releases related to the late convicted sex offender because they were mistakenly marked “duplicative,” the department said.

Democrats are investigating the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

The documents released Thursday include descriptions of multiple 2019 interviews the FBI held with the woman, who alleged she was assaulted by both Epstein and Trump while she was between 13 and 15 years old.

In one interview, the woman said Epstein took her to “either

New York or New Jersey” and introduced her to Trump. She told investigators that she bit Trump as he attempted to force her to perform oral sex on him. The woman said she and people close to her received threatening calls over the years demanding she keep quiet that she believed were related to Epstein.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to the Epstein allegations, and the Justice Department previously said some of the documents it has released “contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump.” Democrats have accused the Trump administration of covering up details of the Epstein investigation that could negatively impact Trump. On Wednesday, a House committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the documents. AFP

Gunman in Parañaque mass shooting remains on the loose

By Rolando Ng III

THE gunman in a mass shooting incident in Parañaque City on Wednesday, March 4, that left two dead and four seriously injured remains on the loose, but the police are reportedly tracking him down.

The management of a condominium near the crime scene said the suspect was a unit owner, but did not disclose his identity.

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines-Los Baños mourned the death of Arjay Gonzales, an Agriculture Economics graduate, who

Ateneo to tap modern tech to build careers

MACHINE learning is one of today’s most important innovations because it allows computers to learn complex and subtle patterns that even the best human experts struggle with in a broad range of fields, from medicine to urban planning, the Ateneo school system said. Seeing the vast potential for this growing field, the Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments (ALIVE) is eager to co-develop machine learning solutions with leading experts from various disciplines, Ateneo said in a statement.

“One of the most surprising things about machine learning is that, despite how powerful computers are, they do not learn the way humans do: a toddler can easily recognize a familiar face, tell when something looks unusual, or make sense of a busy play area with very little instruction—but for a computer, those same tasks can be difficult and painstaking,” the statement read.

“Computer vision systems usually need large datasets, careful labeling, repeated training, and constant testing before they can handle changes in lighting, camera angles, weather, and realworld noise,” it added.

According to the school, this counterintuitive gap where machines can excel at perception better than a human, but require more extensive training than the latter, was a central theme of the Second Ateneo Breakthroughs lecture, held on last Feb. 26 at Escaler Hall, where computer scientist Dr. Patricia Angela Abu delivered a lecture dubbed “Smarter Sight: Building Intelligent Visual Systems for Public Good”. Abu explained why interdisciplinary partnerships matter: building a reliable machine-learning system requires bridging messy reality and mathematical models, then proving that the system holds up under real-world conditions.

was among the fatalities in the mass shooting incident.

In offering sympathies and condolences, the university reaffirmed its stance against gun violence even as it called for justice in Gonzales’ murder.

The Azure condominium officials gave assurance of full cooperation in the police investigation of the case, as well as adequate security measures for their tenants.

“The safety and security of all

residents remain our absolute priority. We are extending our full support to the victims and their families, coordinating with the appropriate channels during this difficult time,” the management bulletin stated.

Police homicide investigators have processed the crime scene at the basketball court of the condominium complex where a gunman opened fire on 10 people, killing two and injuring six.

of

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for the

a protest outside the

as political prisoners ahead

The group also seeks freedom for sickly and elderly inmates for humanitarian reasons, while demanding accountability for government corruption. Edd Castro

fire, leaves 600 homeless

By Itchie Cabayan

at P400,000. Arson probers said the fire which left about 200 families homeless broke out shortly after midnight and was tapped out by daybreak.

Barangay chairman Anthony Igus said about 100 houses were gutted down, leading about 600 of his constituents homeless.

Fire Senior Inspector Ronald Lim said the firefighters had difficulty fighting the blaze due to congestion of the structures in the neighborhood. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reminded the public that the country is currently observing the Fire Prevention Month.

“Let us all be careful with the onset of summer. Regularly check on the power connections and the cooking instruments in the kitchen, specifically our LPG (liquefied petroleum gas),” the BFP said.

Baguio villagers air gripes over road project

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO City—Concerned village

officials and affected residents of barangay Loakan Proper have asserted that the controversial multimillionpeso access road leading to Kennon Road which was earlier branded as ‘road to nowhere’ did not pass through the required consultations prior to implementation in 2017.

Earlier, the villagers met with Mayor Benjamin Magalong to tackle the issue following pronouncements by Secretary Vince Dizon of the Department of Public Works and Highways that the infrastructure will be completed considering that a substantial amount of public funds was already spent.

In last Sunday’s ocular inspection of the project, Magalong gave assurance that he would assist the affected community and look for possible solutions to their problems.

In their talk with Magalong, the barangay officials and residents belied the claims of the DPWH that they were consulted prior to the implementation of the said project.

The villagers asserted that the DPWH and the private contractor never fulfilled their commitment to provide them with the appropriate compensation for the right of way linked to the road project.

They also cited the lack of a drainage system for the project, giving rise to floodings in their community during the rainy season.

They also claimed that their vegetable farms were adversely affected, resulting in loss of family income.

IN BRIEF

MMDA forges tie-up with Rizal Medical Ctr THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has partnered with Rizal Medical Center to provide timely and quality medical services to MMDA personnel needing medical assistance while performing their duties. The partnership reinforces the agency’s

Sawicki’s return boosts PH playoff hopes vs. Iran

By Peter Atencio

GOLD COAST, Queensland — The Philippine women’s national football team will try to keep its playoff hopes alive in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 as it aims to finish among the two best third-placed teams in the group stage. The Filipinas could receive a majo r boost with the expected return of veteran midfielder Jacklyn Sawicki when they face the embattled Iran women’s national football team in their final Group A match on Sunday.

Sawicki, a 33-year-old Fil-Canadian with 39 international caps, missed the Philippines’ 0-3 defeat to South

Korea women’s national football team on Thursday at Cbus Super Stadium after suffering a bruised knee during training. Her return is expected to strengthen the Filipinas’ midfield and defensive structure as they attempt to re-

bound from consecutive losses.

“Jackie is an experienced player and very important to our group. It was more of a precaution,” said national team coach Mark Torcaso regarding the decision not to field Sawicki earlier.

Torre places 2nd in Aeroflot Open legends’ chess event in Moscow

By Randy M. Caluag

VETERAN Filipino campaigner Eugene Torre finished second in the Legends Category Standard Tournament of the Aeroflot Open after tying for the top score in the five-player event held at The Carlton Moscow in Moscow on Wednesday.

The 73-year-old Filipino chess icon scored 2.5 points on one win and three draws in the five-player event, tying for the top score but settling for runner-up honors on tiebreaks.

Tournament champion Rafael Vaganian of Armenia also finished with 2.5 points, while Russia’s Sergey Makarichev placed third with the same total.

Anatoli Vaisser finished fourth with 1.5 points,

while Russian veteran Yuri Balashov ended with one point.

Torre began the tournament with a first-round bye before drawing with eventual champion Vaganian in the second round. He scored his lone victory in the third round against Vaisser and followed it up with draws against Balashov and Makarichev to secure a share of the lead at the end of the five-round event.

The tournament also marked a return to Moscow for Torre, who last competed in the Russian capital in 1981 during the peak of his playing career.

Torre made history in 1974 when he became Asia’s first grandmaster. He remains one of the Philippines’ most respected figures in the sport and continues to represent the country in international competitions.

Eala hopes for rematch with Gau

Despite the setbacks, Torcaso stressed that the squad remains focused on its final group assignment.

Torcaso instead gave Isabella Pasion the nod in midfield during the match against Korea, while Fil-American defender Jourdyn Curran made her second appearance after debuting in the Filipinas’ opening match against the Australia women’s national soccer team.

“Yes, I’m disappointed we didn’t get the result we wanted, but we cannot focus on that now. We have to focus on the next game and what we need to do against Iran,” he said.

The top two teams from each of the three groups advance to the playoffs, with two additional spots reserved for the best third-placed finishers. South Korea currently shares the Group A lead with host Australia after both teams posted two wins. Australia secured its quarterfinal berth earlier with a dominant 4-0 victory over Iran.

JEMALYN Menor delivered a strong performance with 17 points to power the Perpetual Lady Altas to a convincing 25-17, 25-16, 25-19 victory over the San Sebastian Lady Stags in the NCAA Season 101 women’s volleyball tournament on Friday at the San Andres Sports Complex. The Pangasinan native produced 15 attack points and two aces, while also contributing eight digs to help Perpetual secure its 10th win in 12 games. Cyrille Almeniana added 14 points for the Lady Altas, built on 12 attacks and two service aces, along with three excellent receptions. Running the offense smoothly was setter Fifi Ariola, who recorded a game-high 25 excellent sets out of 107 attempts, while libero Joanna Denise Lozano anchored the defense with 23 digs and 10 receptions.

For San Sebastian, Juna Mae Gonzales paced her squad with 10 points. With the victory, Perpetual has secured a twice-to-beat edge with at least the No. 1 or No. 2 spot heading into the semifinals, with just one elimination-round game remaining against Mapua Lady Cardinals on Sunday. Dennis Abrina Santiago braces for fiery showdown in milestone

INES Santiago, back in pursuit of another endurance crown, headlines a stacked international field in the 5150 Triathlon on Sunday (March 8) – a milestone event that also marks Guimaras Island’s debut as host of an Olympic-distance race.

A four-time champion in IRONMANbranded races, Santiago remains one of the athletes to watch in the 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run across a newly mapped championship course designed to test both strategy and stamina.

The seasoned Filipina campaigner, who conquered the grueling full IRONMAN in Subic in 2022, also holds the distinction of being the first Filipina finisher in the IRONMAN World Championship.

But the path to victory promises to be anything but easy. With athletes from at least 10 countries

converging on the island, Santiago faces a deep and dangerous field eager to challenge her dominance – both for the overall Open title and her age-group crown.

Among those aiming to spoil her bid are Etta-Mai Farrell, an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship finisher in Kona, along with strong local contenders Dezza Mae Gapuzan, Karen Ignacio, April Lañas, Jennifer Pulmones, a World Championship qualifier, and Mara Saraza.

Adding international firepower are Belgium’s Lore Versyck and India’s Munmun Nath, setting the stage for a tight, spirited battle under the tropical sun.

The men’s division promises an equally intense showdown.

Mervin Santiago leads a formidable lineup of elite and age-group contenders in the event organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. and

hosted by the Province of Guimaras. A consistent Top 3 Filipino finisher in the IRONMAN World Championship, Santiago is expected to engage in a fierce duel with rivals Reujenson Lista, Carlos Adones Jr., Jude Benedict Alba, Ivan Buglosa, Jeffrey Cabrera, Joshua Camacho, Ariel Delfin, Axel Noble, James Van Ramoga, Carlo Magno Rivera, and James Ryan Usman. Also seeing action are the country’s rising generation of triathlon stars, including Erika Burgos, Joshua Ramos, Kim Remolino, and Matthew Hermosa – all members of the national elite Under-23 squad, who will vie in the Filipino Elite category backed by the Philippine Sports Commission in its drive to strengthen both grassroots and high-performance sports development.

As part of its nationwide intensified crackdown on illicit cigarettes, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), conducts a total of 76 simultaneous operations in North and Central Luzon on March 2, 2026. These resulted in the seizure of 185,233 packs of illicit cigarettes, with an estimated tax liability and administrative charges totaling P43 million.

1.2% 2.7% 77.8%

Volume of production growth Value of production growth Capacity utilization

AEV’s 2025 profit rose 1% to P18.3b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) on Friday reported a consolidated core net income of P25.5 billion in 2025, matching its performance from the previous year as the company pushes its transition into a “techglomerate.”

The company’s reported net income reached P18.3 billion, up 1 percent from P18.1 billion in 2024. This includes P7.2 billion in nonrecurring items primarily linked to a partial impairment of the GNPower Mariveles Energy Center by its subsidiary, AboitizPower.

AboitizPower remained the primary engine of the group, providing 46 percent of total earnings. The food and beverage segment contributed 33 percent, while banking and financial services accounted for 22 percent.

AboitizPower recorded a core net income of P33.1 billion, on the back of a 9-percent increase in EBITDA to P79.6 billion. The growth was attributed to new renewable energy projects in Laoag, Armenia and Calatrava, alongside contributions from Chromite Gas Holdings Inc. After impairments, the power unit’s net contribution to AEV stood at P10.4 billion.

BIR, PNP seize over 185,000 illicit cigarette packs in Luzon

By Thony Rose Lesaca

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Friday it seized 185,233 packs of illicit cigarettes in North and Central Luzon during simultaneous operations with the Philippine National Police on March 2, amounting to an estimated P43 million in tax liabilities and administrative charges.

Manufacturing growth slowed to 1.2% in January M

ANUFACTURING growth in the Philippines slowed in January 2026 as key sectors like food and transport equipment cooled, according to data released by Philippine Statistics Authority on Friday.

The volume of production index (VoPI) for the manufacturing sector recorded a year-on-year increase of 1.2 percent in January, slower than a 2.0-percent increment in December 2025 and 3.2 percent growth seen in January 2025.

The value of production index (VaPI) followed a similar trend, slowing to a 2.7 percent annual increase from 2.8 percent in the previous month.

The deceleration was led by the manufacture of food products, which

saw its volume of production drop 0.5 percent after a 14.9 percent surge in December.

Other major contributors to the slowdown included the manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products, which grew by 6.8 percent compared to 32.4 percent in December, and transport equipment, which fell 1.9 percent following a 5.8 percent gain.

Within the food sector, the downturn was sharpest in dairy products, which plummeted 10.3 percent in

volume after a 44.3-percent jump in December. Vegetable and animal oils and fats also saw a deeper contraction of 19.6 percent.

Despite the broader slowdown, 11 of the 22 industry divisions posted annual increases in January. The primary drivers of overall growth were the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, beverages and electrical equipment.

Capacity utilization for the manufacturing sector remained steady at 77.8 percent in January, a slight increase from 77.6 percent in December and 76.2 percent in the same month last year.

All industry divisions reported operating rates above 60.0 percent, led by coke and refined petroleum products at 84.5 percent.

At Aboitiz Foods, advanced robotics and efficient warehouse operations help ensure reliable production and delivery of quality animal nutrition products— supporting farmers and strengthening the food supply chain.

PEZA approved P35-b investments in first 2 months

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said Friday it approved 52 new and expansion projects worth P35.36 billion in the first two months of 2026, down 33 percent from P52.93 billion in the same period last year.

PEZA said despite the dip in project value, job creation and export potential were expected to increase. It said the projects would generate over 5,000 direct jobs, while projected exports jumped to $10.44 billion―a 3,711-percent increase year-on-year.

The approvals reflect a diverse investor base with capital coming from South Korea, Indonesia, the British

Property sector ended 2025 with strong gains

Virgin Islands, China and Japan.

PEZA cleared 34 projects totaling P22.5 billion in February, which are set to create 4,044 jobs and produce $10.38 billion in exports. Approved investments during the month dipped slightly by 1.19 percent from P22.78 billion in February 2025.

The portfolio includes 13 export manufacturing, five IT-BPM, five facilities development, two logistics, one domestic market, one tourism and seven ecozone projects. These are spread across Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Central and Western Visayas and the Ilocos Region.

Three major ventures in Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac will inject

P18.37 billion in combined investments, spanning tourism, domestic enterprises and ecozone development.

Ecozones remain the primary growth driver, accounting for 33.18 percent of cumulative PEZA investments since 1995.

PEZA director-general Tereso Panga said the agency is advancing “futureready” zones, including agro-industrial and aquamarine parks in Palawan, aerotropolis-linked hubs, and Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technology (KIST) and pharma parks.

“PEZA’s mandate goes beyond project approvals. Our mission is to transform every ecozone into a globally competitive, innovation-driven industrial hub,” Panga said.

The agencies conducted 76 operations across areas under BIR Revenue Region No. 2- Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and BIR Revenue Region No. 4-Central Luzon. Authorities confiscated 183,558 packs of assorted smuggled cigarette brands from 51 stores in CAR, which carried P41.79 million in tax liabilities and administrative penalties. Meanwhile, 1,675 packs of untaxed cigarettes were seized from nine establishments in Central Luzon, with an estimated total tax liabilities and administrative penalties of P1.36 million.

“All store owners found with illicit products are facing appropriate charges under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, and other applicable laws for violations related to excise taxes, value-added taxes, and graphic health warning compliance,” the BIR said in a statement.

The agency said the latest seizures, which followed earlier enforcement operations in February, are part of its sustained enforcement drive and will continue nationwide. These also form a part of the agency’s revenue base protection under BIR D.A.R.E.S. and align with the big, bold reforms of Finance Secretary Frederick Go.

PCC clears Lima’s stake acquisition in Tarlac Terra

THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said Friday it approved a proposed joint venture between Lima Land Inc. and House of Investments Inc. in Tarlac, following a review that found the deal would not stifle market competition. Under the agreement, Lima Land, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc, will acquire a 49-percent stake in Tarlac Terra Ventures Inc. House of Investments, which previously held 100 percent of the entity, will retain a 51-percent controlling interest.

The commission’s Mergers and Acquisitions Office, supported by its Economics Office, focused the review on the nationwide market for developing, selling and leasing industrial lots within Investment Promotion Agency-registered economic zones. Regulators concluded the transaction is unlikely to significantly reduce competition because the companies’ combined market share remains minimal. The commission said established competitors with larger market positions are expected to limit the joint venture’s ability to exercise market power.

The review team also highlighted the role of regulatory oversight and the harmonization of fiscal incentives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act. The law ensures locators receive uniform incentive packages regardless of the registering agency.

Othel V. Campos

METRO Manila’s real estate market concluded 2025 on a high note, led by a surge in office leasing, accelerating retail expansion and a robust hospitality sector, according to property research firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Philippines. Total office leasing volume jumped 71.5 percent year-on-year to nearly 1 million square meters, marking the highest level of activity since 2022. JLL Philippines head of research and strategic consulting Janlo de los Reyes said the market showed sustained positive leasing momentum through the fourth quarter, with the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector accounting for 64 percent of demand and corporate occupiers making up the remaining 36 percent. While Taguig City, led by Bonifacio Global City, recorded the highest volume of activity, Makati City emerged as the fastest-growing hub with a 92.2-percent increase. Despite the brisk take-up, vacancy rates reached 18.6 percent in the fourth quarter as new supply entered the market and vacated spaces doubled. The shift was attributed to tenants “rightsizing” their operations and migrating toward modern, greencertified buildings.

The retail sector also demonstrated renewed strength, with store openings rising 34 percent and closures dropping significantly by 60.8 percent in the final quarter. Othel V. Campos

By Jenniffer B. Austria

LOCAL shares plummeted below the 6,300 level Friday following Wall Street’s losses and a continued increase in oil prices.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index ended the week at 6,320.41, down 60.12 points, or 0.94 percent. The wider All Shares index closed at 3,494.99, lower by 31 points, or 0.88 percent.

Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to weigh on global sentiment. Limlingan said the weakening of the peso against the dollar further dampened investor confidence and pressured equities across key sectors.

The peso also slid to 59 to the US dollar Friday from 58.63 Thursday. Analysts said investors are worried the war between Iran and the United States, now in its seventh day, will push crude prices above $100 per barrel. At this level, investors are concerned inflation will rise and eventually hurt global economic growth.

Among the sub-indices, only the property sector ended in positive territory, up 0.28 percent. The mining and oil index declined the most, down 2.21 percent, followed by financials, which dropped 2.14 percent.

Value turnover amounted to P6.1 billion. The market ended with 69 gainers versus 116 losers, while 62 stocks closed unchanged. Foreign investors remained net sellers with outflows totaling P229.74 million. Despite the market’s steep decline, shares of PLDT Inc. rose 0.37 percent to P1,355. On the other hand, shares of Cebu Air Inc. dropped 5.6 percent to P32.90 on concerns about the impact of higher oil prices on business.

Asian markets mostly down Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve from the surge in oil prices after the United States looked to ease supply concerns. With AFP

ME tensions threaten power costs

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines has warned of higher electricity spot market prices due to heightened tensions in the Middle East.

IEMOP presented projections to the Energy Regulatory Commission indicating that higher global fuel prices could place upward pressure on rates in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, or WESM, particularly if supply disruptions persist.

Simulations examined scenarios involving increases in international coal, oil and liquefied natural gas prices, as well as possible supply constraints. The analysis indicated higher

fuel costs could lead to increased WESM clearing prices as generators reflect those costs in market offers.

IEMOP’s analysis showed fuel costs alone may drive up prices in the WESM, where electricity is traded in real time. These pressures may intensify if forced outages of large generating units tighten supply. When supply is constrained, more expensive generators often set the market price.

“This is part of our proactive ap-

proach,” said ERC chairperson and chief executive Francis Saturnino Juan. “We conduct stress tests to understand possible risks early and ensure that consumer protection mechanisms are in place should global fuel volatility persist.”

The ERC met with IEMOP to discuss simulations assessing the potential impacts of escalating Middle East tensions on Philippine power prices. The coordination aims to ensure agencies are aligned and prepared for shocks to the power sector.

Global fuel markets have experienced volatility amid geopolitical tensions affecting supply routes, including the Strait of Hormuz — a key maritime corridor for about one-fifth of global oil and LNG shipments. The Philippines’ energy mix relies signifi-

cantly on coal and LNG, making the sector sensitive to international commodity price movements.

The commission emphasized that existing regulatory safeguards remain operational, including the secondary price cap. This mechanism is automatically triggered if sustained price spikes breach regulatory thresholds.

The ERC also directed IEMOP and the commission’s Market Operations Service to closely monitor market activities and promptly report any unusual behavior. The directive aims to ensure no participant abuses market power during periods of volatility.

The agency added that early assessments allow the ERC to prepare mitigating measures to cushion the impact on consumers.

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippines’ rice stocks reached 2.11 million metric tons, while corn inventories climbed to 573,040 metric tons as of Feb. 1, both posting annual increases, according to government data.

Based on a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority, rice stocks rose 5.3 percent from the 2.01

IN BRIEF

To facilitate the enhancement works, a one-lane closure is being implemented on weekdays, with only one lane closed at a time. All four lanes remain open to traffic during weekend rush hours.

Additionally, one lane of the East Service Road, between Ever Memorial Park in Lawang Bato, Valenzuela, and Libtong, Meycauayan, is being used as a compensating lane for vehicles traveling north during the closure.

As northbound repairs are completed, work will shift to the southbound side. A counterflow scheme will be implemented for Manila-bound motorists while the East Service Road continues to serve northbound traffic.

Motorists can view alternate routes on NLEX Corp.’s official social media pages. Traffic marshals and directional signs will guide motorists during the project.

Darwin G. Amojelar

DTI slashes consumer complaint backlog by 50%

THE Department of Trade and Industry cut its backlog of consumer complaints by more than half after a nationwide mediation marathon to accelerate the resolution of pending cases.

basis, however, the inventory declined 9.8 percent from 2.34 million metric tons in January.

The year-on-year increase was driven by higher stocks in National Food Authority depositories and households. NFA inventories surged 45.8 percent, while household holdings grew 13.2 percent. Rice stocks held by the commercial sector, however, dropped 14.2 percent from the level recorded a year earlier.

Compared with January levels, inventories declined across all

sectors. Household stocks fell 13.8 percent, commercial stocks decreased 7.9 percent, and NFA depositories recorded a 3.9 percent drop.

Of the total rice inventory in February, households held 42.6 percent, the commercial sector held 37.5 percent, and NFA depositories held 20 percent.

Meanwhile, the country’s corn stocks rose 27 percent year-on-year from 451,190 metric tons in February 2025 to 573,040 metric tons this year.

Month-on-month, corn inventories increased 10.8 percent from 516,990

metric tons in January. The annual growth was driven by higher inventories in both the household and commercial sectors. Household corn stocks jumped 60.8 percent, while those in the commercial sector rose 23.1 percent. Relative to January levels, commercial corn stocks increased 15.1 percent, while household inventories declined 11.2 percent. The commercial sector accounted for 87 percent of the total corn stocks in February, while households held the remaining 13 percent.

while honoring its legacy,” he said. Yap highlighted the initiative’s economic impact, calling it a catalyst for investment and growth in Mactan. Pepito underscored the technical approach, aiming to transform the site into a modern development supporting marina life and commerce. Minerva Newman

NLEX : Meycauayan River Bridge repairs to begin NLEX Corp. has started a major improve-

River

and

From Feb. 23 to 27, the DTI Fair Trade Group and the Regional Operations Group mobilized mediation officers from regional offices to facilitate the resolution of consumer complaints. The exercise was supported by the Conflict Resolution Group Foundation. By the end of the exercise, pending complaints dropped to 573 from the 1,236 cases recorded as of Dec. 31, 2025. The remaining cases are currently undergoing mediation. Most resolved complaints involved consumer product services and warranties, product quality and safety, and sales promotions — issues that often affect consumers seeking refunds, product replacements or warranty claims.

To further improve the handling of digital consumer cases, the DTI also convened representatives from major e-commerce platforms Shopee, Lazada and Foodpanda to strengthen coordination in resolving complaints linked to online transactions. During the dialogue, the platforms committed to reinforcing internal teams, expanding operational capacity and expediting the settlement of pending consumer claims. Othel V. Campos

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GCASH is waiving transaction fees for users in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman to help ease their financial burden amid ongoing developments in the Middle East. The initiative allows overseas Filipinos in affected areas to stay connected with loved ones back home and receive assistance without added costs. The move supports the national government’s efforts to prioritize the safety and welfare of overseas Filipinos.

Waived transaction fees will be credited back via in-app cashback. No registration is required, and eligible fees will be automatically returned to user accounts. Users will receive

an in-app notification confirming the cashback has been successfully credited. For transactions made from March 4 to 10, the cashback will be credited to users on March 20. Transactions from March 11 to 14 will receive cashbacks on March 27.

GCash said it will continue to closely monitor developments in the region and assess the need for a possible extension of these financial relief measures.

GCash encourages overseas Filipinos requiring urgent assistance to coordinate directly with the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate, or contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers through their official hotlines.

group revenues reached $996 million for the year, with $911 million coming from its wholly owned core businesses. IMI attributed the improved performance to its multiyear transformation program, which included restructuring operations and optimizing its manufacturing footprint. During the year, the company sold its facility in the Czech Republic and transferred customer programs

In December, IMI divested VIA Optronics, a noncore subsidiary that had struggled to achieve a sustainable turnaround. The company said the move would allow it to focus resources on businesses where it has stronger competitive advantages. Jenniffer B. Austria

TECH

Australia forces porn sites to block under-18 users

SYDNEY—Australia’s online regulator warned porn websites they must block under-18s from Monday under sweeping new restrictions to protect children.

Some sites in Australia had already barred non-members on Friday and were refusing new registrations, days before being obliged to use age verification technology to keep out underage users.

The new rules expand Australia’s online child safety measures following its world-leading December 10 ban on children under 16 joining social media platforms.

The crackdown restricts child access to “age-inappropriate content” including pornography, high-impact violence, suicide and eating disorders. It covers porn websites, search engines, app stores, gaming providers and generative AI systems, including chatbots.

“Make no mistake, where we see failures or foot-dragging, we will hold companies to account,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Friday.

Failure to comply can bring penalties of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$35 million) per breach.

“Users will be asked to confirm their age when accessing age-restricted material on pornography websites and services,” eSafety said.

“Clicking a button that says ‘I am 18 years or older’ is no longer sufficient. This is consistent with similar efforts being implemented internationally,” it said.

New safeguards

Inman Grant said society had long agreed that age barriers were needed to protect children from harm.

“We don’t allow children to walk into bars or bottle shops, adult stores

or casinos, but when it comes to online spaces where they are spending a lot of their time, there are no such safeguards,” she said in a statement.

“But that changes for Australian kids.”

The regulator said industry would be obliged to apply consistent standards across their services so children are not accidentally exposed to harmful content.

Under the changes, AI companion chatbots capable of generating sexually explicit, violent or self-harm material

must confirm users’ ages.

App stores and online gaming sites are also required to block under-18s from adult-only content.

People using a search engine without logging in, for example to a Google account, will have results blurred by default for results containing pornography and high-impact violence.

For users entering searches related to suicide or eating disorders, the first results will be a referral to appropriate mental health support services.

The regulator said it would monitor and assess adherence to the rules and would take enforcement action against systemic non-compliance.

“No piece of regulation will eliminate all risks and harms all at once, but these codes create meaningful protections for children across the tech ecosystem,” Inman Grant said.

“The government’s commitment to implementing a digital duty of care will also further strengthen protections in the future.” AFP

Unified 911 cuts fire emergency response time

AS Fire Prevention Month begins this March, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) warned the public that March, April, and May remain the most fireprone months nationwide, urging Filipinos to treat fire safety as a daily responsibility.

Data show that in Metro Manila, fire incidents peak in March and April, while April consistently records the highest number of fires across the country.

Densely populated areas in the National Capital Region, particularly communities with informal settlements, continue to face the highest fire risks.

Over the past five years, 2024 recorded the highest number of fire incidents at 22,301, with April alone accounting for 3,994 cases. In comparison, 2025 logged 16,228 incidents, while 2021 recorded the lowest at 12,812. The BFP identified several barangays in Metro Manila as among the most fire-prone, including Barangay Payatas in Quezon City, Baseco Compound in Manila, Bagong Silang in Caloocan, the Maricaban area in Pasay, Barangay Western Bicutan in Taguig, and Barangay Tejeros in Makati.

“Fires don’t start big,” said the

BARCELONA—OPPO and MediaTek

showcased new on-device AI advancements at MediaTek’s “AI for Life” keynote during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026. Jason Liao, President of the OPPO Research Institute, highlighted how deep collaboration between the two companies is accelerating AI deployment on smartphones.

The event marked the rollout of new on-device AI capabilities, progress on the jointly developed Omni Model, and advances in crossecosystem connectivity — outlining a shared vision for the next generation of AI Phones.

From Chip to Experience: Advancing On-Device AI

As mobile experiences become increasingly AI-driven, OPPO is advancing its AI strategy centered on “New Computing, New Perception, and New Ecosystem.” At the core of this strategy is “On-device Compute”, enabling low-latency,

The Uni ed

emergencies

BFP. “They grow exponentially, doubling in size every 30 seconds. The first minutes of a fire are crucial, and the proper relay of complete and accurate information can make all the difference in emergency response.”

The BFP also highlighted the

privacy-preserving, and personalized AI experiences. As Jason Liao emphasized, “On-device Compute is a cornerstone of OPPO’s AI strategy, making AI a perceptible, real-time experience integrated into everyday usage.” This shared vision underpins the deep collaboration between OPPO and MediaTek on flagship chip platforms, accelerating the transition of on-device AI from technical concept to scalable deployment.

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 platform, OPPO’s self-developed on-device AI Translate and AI Portrait Glow now deliver performance comparable to cloud-based solutions. These features will soon roll out to OPPO Find X9 series through the upcoming ColorOS 16 software update.

The on-device AI Translate can run directly on the device, achieving an average 15% improvement in accuracy over

approaches

impact of the Unified 911 system, launched last September, which now allows the public to report emergencies through a single number. Fire, police, medical, and disaster incidents are routed through an integrated network linking the BFP, the Philippine National Police,

the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, medical services, and local governments.

“Before the E911 system, the public had to remember multiple numbers. Now, one call to 911 can summon help immediately,” the BFP added. “The faster the call reaches responders, the greater the chance of saving lives and property.”

To reduce fire risks during the hot summer months, the BFP urged the public to remain vigilant by closely monitoring heat sources, avoiding unattended stoves and open flames, checking electrical systems for overloaded outlets and exposed wiring, practicing safe smoking habits, addressing malfunctioning appliances promptly, and preparing clear fire escape plans at home and in workplaces.

With the support of the Unified 911 system, the BFP noted that average nationwide response time to fire emergencies has improved to approximately 3 to 4.5 minutes, made possible by centralized dispatch, GPS-based caller location, and stronger inter-agency coordination. Defense, especially as the country enters the most fire-prone months of the year.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2026

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

rieramallari@yahoo.com

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor

AI businesses paying an ‘AI Speed Tax’

FASTLY, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLY), a leader in global edge cloud platforms, today published the findings from its fourth annual Global Security Research Report. It reveals that AI-first businesses – those integrating AI into key processes and offerings from the outset rather than as a secondary enhancement – are hurtling towards a cybersecurity crisis by failing to modernise security in step with AI’s rapid expansion across IT infrastructure. These businesses report taking nearly seven months on average to fully recover from cybersecurity incidents, 80 days longer than businesses that do not identify as AI-first.

The implications of this nearly three-month delay are significant in today’s real-time economy. The financial toll of a cybersecurity incident for AI-first businesses exceeds that of non-AI-first businesses by more than 135%. This increased financial impact reflects both the longer recovery timelines and a higher rate of AIspecific compromise. In fact, roughly half (44%) of AI-first organisations claim that AI was directly exploited in their most recent security incident, compared to just 6% for non AI-first organisations. For Southeast Asian organisations, it was found that 69% of the respondents reflected that AI (or the use of AI tools or models) was a contributing factor for the most recent cybersecurity incidents. These findings highlight how AI-native systems expand the potential attack surface, introducing new layers like agentic workflows, and decentralized data flows, all of which complicate defence.

“The speed of AI adoption is reshaping security infrastructure almost overnight. For AI-first businesses, the priority isn’t to slow down innovation, it’s to modernise security at the same rate,” said Marshall Erwin, CISO at Fastly. “That means securing AI and inference infrastructure, monitoring and throttling unwanted AI crawler activity, anticipating the rise of shadow AI and shoring up your outer perimeter.”

“AI is no longer a single tool – it’s becoming an integral part of business operations. This creates new challenges for security teams, from tracking its deployment to understanding its impact during incident recovery,” said Rachel Ler, AVP of Asia at Fastly. “Companies that establish clear AI governance today will gain a decisive advantage tomorrow.” At the same time, practices such as AI scraping are adding cost and complexity to already stretched infrastructure, driving operational disruption and pushing spend into six-figure territory.

“There is a major shift happening in terms of what organisations are responsible for defending,” continued Erwin. “The challenge is no longer confined to malicious actors and isolated security incidents. Instead, it’s about managing an infrastructure footprint that is growing rapidly and, often, invisibly.”

Glow enhances portraits captured in challenging lighting environments. By intelligently analyzing and reconstructing scene illumination, it improves results in dim or backlit conditions while maintaining natural rendering — all without network reliance. Demonstrations have showcased exceptional performance in both visual realism and adaptability to various scenes.

OPPO and MediaTek also unveiled a technology preview of Omni, the industry’s first on-device full-modal AI model designed for multi-modal understanding and interaction. Supporting voice, video, and text inputs, Omni enables live scene understanding and interactive Q&A directly on a smartphone. This advancement strengthens on-device AI’s ability to perceive and interpret the physical world, laying the foundation for more proactive and natural human–computer interaction.

HONOR pushes Artificial Intelligence Vision at MWC ‘26

AT MWC 2026, HONOR advanced its Augmented Human Intelligence (AHI) vision and accelerated ALPHA PLAN through three connected pillars: Alpha Phone, Alpha Store and Alpha Lab. Building on its long-term commitment to human-centric AI, HONOR offered a preview of Robot Phone, a bold exploration of embodied intelligence and a new species of smartphone that reimagines how future AI devices could integrate motion and spatial awareness.

Alongside this futuristic innovation, HONOR unveiled Magic V6, the pinnacle of its foldable innovation, combining breakthrough silicon-carbon battery technology, advanced display engineering and AI-enhanced productivity in its most refined foldable design to date. Together with new ecosystem devices, HONOR MagicPad 4 and MagicBook Pro 14, these announcements reinforce HONOR’s roadmap to integrate intelligent hardware and software around real human needs.

James Li, CEO of HONOR, said:

“With Human-centric as our lighthouse, we navigate the growth of AI through the two beams of IQ and EQ, bringing three forms of intelligence together. We are exploring the new paradigm of AI devices with Alpha Phone; hosting the new paradigm of AI ecosystem with Alpha Store; and building the new paradigm of a silicon-carbon civilization with Alpha Lab. With three waves of the Alpha Plan, we now have all the components in place and we are driving this journey at full warp speed.”

Take a Sneak Peek at the HONOR Robot Phone:

A New Species of Smartphone Robot Phone is a new species of smartphone, combining embodied AI interaction with robot-grade motion and cinematic imaging capabilities. Rather than reacting solely through screens and voice commands, HONOR is, figuratively, giving its next generation of devices not only a brain, but also hands and feet, combining AI with more physical, expressive interaction through motion and camera movement. It goes beyond what a static smartphone can offer, bringing more human, expressive interaction into everyday technology and adjusting its perspective in real time. Multimodal perception means it can identify sounds, track motion and maintain visual awareness, creating a more natural, sensory, and intuitive interaction model. Robot Phone also introduces embodied AI interaction designed to feel more natural and expressive. It supports all-angle AI video calling that follows the user through robot-grade motion control. It also responds with emotional body language, including expressive nods and head shakes, and can even dance to the beat of music, bringing playful, lifelike interaction to the smartphone experience.

Packing a robot into a smartphone required rethinking space, strength, and weight at a microscopic level. HONOR

real time. AI SpinShot further expands creative control, supporting intelligent 90° and 180° rotational movement for fluid, cinematic transitions, even when shooting one-handed.

Built around a 200MP sensor and a stabilized gimbal camera system, Robot Phone is designed to help users move beyond capturing moments and toward capturing life stories. Through stabilization, intelligent tracking, and cinematic-style camera movement, it aims to close the gap

Robot Phone

applied high-performance materials and reliability know-how developed for foldables to Robot Phone engineering, enabling a self-developed micro motor designed for extreme compactness and strength. By significantly reducing motor size, HONOR was able to fit an ultra-compact 4DoF gimbal system into the phone, creating the hardware foundation for robot-grade embodied motion control.

This mechanical architecture supports a three-axis gimbal stabilization system, delivering smooth and precise motion even in dynamic environments. Super Steady Video mode enhances stability in high-movement scenarios, while AI Object Tracking allows Robot Phone to intelligently follow subjects in

between smartphone video and professional-looking storytelling.

Together, these capabilities demonstrate how embodied AI can unlock new forms of capture and interaction, positioning Robot Phone as a defining step in HONOR’s evolution toward more intelligent and adaptive devices. As HONOR continues to advance its ALPHA PLAN, Robot Phone offers a glimpse into how embodied intelligence may shape the next generation of mobile technology.

HONOR Magic V6: A New Foldable Benchmark

While Robot Phone explores the future of embodied intelligence, Magic V6 represents cutting-edge flagship foldable innovation. Building on HONOR’s leadership in foldable design, Magic V6 delivers a device engineered for durability, performance and intelligent productivity.

Combining an ultra-thin 8.75mm1 closed profile with reinforced structural integrity and advanced hinge architecture, Magic V6 is engineered for long-term reliability while maintaining exceptional slimness. The device is rated IP68 and IP692 for water and dust resistance, reinforcing its resilience in everyday environments. Within this ultra-thin foldable design, HONOR integrates its next-generation siliconcarbon battery technology.

BARCELONA—vivo recently offered a first look at its upcoming top-tier imaging flagship, the X300 Ultra, at MWC Barcelona 2026, showcasing its design alongside the industry-leading 400mm Equivalent vivo ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra , which serves as a key component of its professional photography kit. For the first time, vivo confirmed plans to launch this most advanced X-series model in global markets later this year, further strengthening its influence in both the professional imaging sector and the premium smartphone market. Making its global debut as the industry’s only 400mm telephoto extender, the vivo ZEISS Telephoto Extender Gen2 Ultra, showcased onsite, pushes the boundaries of mobile imaging with pro-grade optical performance. As mobile imaging shifts toward pro-grade expression, a superior telephoto extender is now defined not just by its reach, but by systemic breakthroughs across magnification, optical performance, stabilization, and structural design. To this end, the X300 Ultra features the industryleading 400mmequivalent telephoto extender, achieving an excellent balance between powerful zoom capabilities and its body structure. Co-engineered with ZEISS, the lens is designed to meet APO imaging standards and supports a full 200MP optical output, delivering pristine image quality even at a 1600mm digital crop. Furthermore, with cuttingedge gimbal-grade OIS and motiontracking focus technology, it delivers an exceptionally stable and precise telephoto experience. This flagship solution drives powerful momentum for professional creators, setting a new bar for ultra-long-range snapshots and mobile telephoto video. Following the Telephoto Extender, vivo has introduced a pro-grade Camera Cage designed to elevate the video shooting capabilities of X300 Ultra. The expandable cage

features an array of cold shoe mounts and quick-release ports for seamless accessory integration, paired with a dual-hand grip to ensure outstanding stability during demanding handheld shoots. To provide precise creative control, the cage further incorporates dedicated physical buttons for tactile shutter and zoom adjustment, while an integrated, multi-level cooling fan maintains peak performance during high-intensity recording. In addition, the External Lens Expansion Frame offers full compatibility with the X300 Ultra Telephoto Extender, rounding out a comprehensive toolkit for professionals. X300 Ultra builds on vivo’s long-standing investment in imaging technologies, spanning optics engineering, computational photography, and system-level optimization. Previous Ultra models have gained broad recognition for their advances in mobile photography and videography, establishing vivo’s

reputation in high-end mobile imaging. The decision to introduce X300 Ultra to international markets signals vivo’s more proactive and confident approach to expanding its presence in the global premium smartphone segment, while reinforcing its vision of bringing its most advanced imaging capabilities to a broader audience worldwide.

Led by the X300 Ultra, vivo’s showcase at MWC 2026 underscores its steadfast commitment to pioneering imaging innovation and delivering premium products to a global audience. Looking ahead, vivo will continue to uphold its user-oriented philosophy, deepening its expertise in core areas such as professional-grade imaging and exquisite design to propel the industry toward a new frontier.

nubia accelerates PH expansion with wider retail footprint

NUBIA is reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Philippine market through sustained retail expansion across Mega Manila, supported by a rapidly growing nationwide footprint, increased retail investment, and continued e-commerce momentum.

Following its initial retail push in 2024, which marked the opening of its first concept stores and kiosks in select SM malls, nubia accelerated its expansion in 2025 with new locations at SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Sucat, and SM City Fairview. These sites serve as strategic access points to some of the most densely populated residential and commercial corridors in Metro Manila.

This year, nubia confirmed that its retail expansion budget is 15% higher than in 2025, with additional investments planned should performance continue to exceed targets. This sustained commitment is complemented by strong e-commerce performance across TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada, reinforcing the brand’s omnichannel growth strategy.

“The Philippines remains a key growth market for nubia, and our continued retail expansion across Mega Manila reflects that commitment,” said Gavin Lian, Country Head of nubia Philippines.

On the after-sales front, nubia has established drop-off points in all MemoXpress stores nationwide, ensuring broader access to service and support as its customer base continues to grow.

Malls, Pacific Mall, NCCC Mall, BQ Mall, and KCC Mall. These moves underscore nubia’s intent to build a truly nationwide retail presence spanning Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Sustaining Momentum Across ECommerce Platforms

Over the past year, nubia has continued to strengthen its online presence across TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada, sustaining strong momentum during major campaign periods and the holiday season. The brand has also kept close ties with these platforms to bring exclusive deals, promotions, and campaign-led offers to consumers, making nubia smartphones more accessible to a wider range of Filipino shoppers.

Strong Growth from 2024 to 2025 From 2024 to 2025, nubia significantly expanded its offline retail footprint as part of its strategy to bring the brand closer to consumers through physical stores and mall-based touchpoints. The brand increased its kiosk count from five in 2024 to 32 by the end of 2025, with a target of 50 in 2026. Concept stores grew from two to six during the same period

“We are building a stronger omnichannel presence that makes nubia more accessible to Filipino consumers.”

and are projected to reach 12 this year, while two lounges were introduced in 2025 as part of its premium retail rollout. Across its physical network, nubia’s retail touchpoints expanded from 700 in 2024 to over 1,200 by end-2025, with a 2026 target of 1,500. Distribution stores likewise grew from 800 to more than 1,400, with plans to reach 1,600 by the end of this year, further strengthening the brand’s nationwide presence in key shopping destinations.

“Each new store strengthens our offline presence and allows us to serve customers more directly across Mega Manila,” Lian added. “In Sta. Mesa, we connect with students and young professionals. Our Sucat locations enable us to reach communities in the south, while Fairview anchors our presence in the north and nearby provinces. We are investing more aggressively in physical retail to meet the growing demand in the Philippines for accessible lifestyle and gaming devices. Going Beyond Mega Manila and New Partnerships Beyond Mega Manila, nubia has also lined up new and upcoming locations across the country, including a concept store at NCCC Mall Davao and another at Robinsons Place Dumaguete, as well as kiosk openings in Waltermart malls and additional Pacific Mall locations across Luzon.

nubia is working with a broader network of mall partners as part of its 2026 expansion roadmap, including SM Malls,

On TikTok Shop, nubia saw sales build steadily toward the latter part of the year, with November and December emerging as the strongest months. Shopee delivered consistently strong performance throughout 2025, while Lazada posted standout results during peak periods, with December and June marking the brand’s strongest sales months and continuing to serve as a highly effective channel for turning customer interest into purchases. With a robust omnichannel network now firmly in place, nubia is well-positioned to bring its next wave of innovations closer to Filipino consumers.

SHOWBIZ

Very Wang Nickie Wang

AFATHER who rules through fear and a son who longs for a quieter life drive the story of Pater Noster , an action drama that also offers commentary on power and family. Actors Arron Villaflor and Archi Adamos lead the film, directed by Moutaz Kotrob

Villaflor plays Peter, the son of an underworld kingpin who begins to question the life expected of him. The actor noted that the character mirrors the struggles many young people face today.

“Peter’s character, I would say, is very relatable, especially to young people today who struggle with making life decisions or with whether to obey their parents, even if their parents may mean well,” Villaflor shared with Manila Standard Entertainment. “In the end, it’s always a choice.” In the story, Peter’s father, Deo, played by Adamos, expects his son to inherit the family’s criminal empire. But Peter begins to see power in a different way.

“From Peter’s perspective, his father wants him to continue his dynasty,” Villaflor explained. “But at some point, Peter realizes that this is not the kind of world he wants to build for himself someday.”

Crime drama ‘Pater Noster’ looks at power, family and the cost of control

Rather than domination, Peter hopes for a life built around family and purpose.

“For him, power is not about killing or domination, but about building a big, happy family and creating something meaningful,” he added.

Adamos described his character as representing another side of power, one that seeks control at any cost.

Maraming powerful people today who want to control almost every aspect of life, every asset, everything that others have achieved or own,” he remarked. Deo, he noted, is a man used to controlling everything around him. But the character’s world begins to unravel.

“He is a very powerful person who controls everything. But eventually, his world begins to collapse, and when that happens, his life also starts to fall apart,” Adamos added.

The actor pointed out that the story echoes situations people continue to see in real life.

“Even in the past and even today, many powerful people accumulate so much wealth and control,” he added.

“But when they are finally confronted or when things start catching up with them, that’s when their world begins to collapse.”

Pater Noster begins after Peter survives an attempted assassination in the city of Milagros. The incident requires a full blood transfusion that alters his personality, a change that shocks his father.

Refusing to accept his son’s

YB Neet turns Metro Manila buses into moving billboards for ‘Flood The Streets’

transformation, Deo launches a violent campaign to secure a blood match from another mobster. The conflict devastates his Alpha-Agila gang and forces them to flee to a remote island.

As Peter grows more determined to pursue a peaceful life, Deo prepares to return to Milagros for revenge.

The tension between father and son intensifies when Catherine, Deo’s estranged daughter, reappears.

Catherine is played by Kayley Carrigan, a stunt performer trained in martial arts, acrobatics, parkour and fight choreography.

With competing loyalties and unresolved family ties, the film turns its focus on how blood ties can bind people together and sometimes trap them.

Pater Noster, presented by LGK Films and distributed by Viva Films, opens in cinemas on March 25.

Vice Ganda grateful for response to films at Philippines-Japan Film Festival

COMEDIAN and actor Vice Ganda expressed gratitude after his films drew sold-out screenings during the inaugural Philippines-Japan Film Festival 2026.

Vice attended the screenings in Tokyo with director Jun Robles Lana. Their films Call Me Mother and And the breadwinner is… were

METRO Manila commuters are already seeing the buzz around rapper YB Neet ’s upcoming mixtape Flood The Streets, even before the music drops.

Ahead of the March 14 Car Show Listening Party at Autocomplex, buses carrying the project’s visuals have begun circulating across major routes in the capital.

One fully wrapped bus running the Ayala Alabang–Lawton route passes through key corridors including EDSA southbound, Osmeña Highway, Gil Puyat Avenue, and Ayala Avenue.

Another side-wrapped bus runs along the EDSA Carousel between Monumento and SM Mall of Asia, while a provincial bus with a back wrap travels from Sapang Palay to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, passing through Commonwealth Avenue, España Boulevard, and Taft Avenue.

The rollout reflects the spirit of the project itself—Flood The Streets arrives like its title suggests, delivering a volume of tracks that pushes beyond the familiar direction of local hip-hop.

The mixtape will be introduced on March 14 at Autocomplex Quezon City through a Car Show Listening Party in partnership with Hardcore Manila, bringing together car culture and hip-hop in one space.

The music was created organically by YB Neet and producer NEXXFFIDAY through freestyle sessions and spontaneous studio collaborations—meaning that even before the official gathering begins, the city itself has already become part of the

among the Philippine titles selected for the festival.

Call Me Mother, which served as the opening film, sold out screenings over two days. Vice said he was pleased that audiences in Japan reacted similarly to viewers in the Philippines.

“It was a wonderful experience. Audiences here also laughed and cried at the end, the same way viewers in the Philippines reacted. It’s really heartwarming because it means we were able to hit our goal,” he said after the screenings.

Lana recalled a moment during the event when a Japanese father approached him after watching Call Me Mother and shared how the film moved him emotionally.

“We’re very happy and surprised that viewers would share their personal stories. We want to tell stories that resonate with the Filipino audience and now also globally.

I think Filipino stories are ultimately very universal,” the director shared.

And the breadwinner is… follows overseas

Filipino worker Bambi, played by Vice, who stages her own death in exchange for money to help her family through a financial crisis.

In Call Me Mother, Vice portrays a queer mother whose bond with her adoptive son is tested when the child’s biological mother seeks custody.

The festival marks Vice’s first appearance in an international film festival. The event was launched as part of the 2026 Philippines–Japan Friendship Year, highlighting cultural exchange between the two countries.

reports. The 44-year-old singer was arrested Wednesday night and booked into custody by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department on suspicion of DUI, several entertainment news outlets reported, citing police sources. DUI refers to driving while intoxicated, typically

due to alcohol or drugs. Sheriff’s records showed Spears had been released at 6:07 a.m. local time, and a court appearance had been set for May 4.

“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable. Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law,” a representative for Spears said in a statement to entertainment outlet Deadline

“Hopefully this can be the first step in long-overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.” Spears had phenomenal early music success with late 1990s hits like “…Baby One More Time” but has largely stepped back from music in recent years.

In her 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me, Spears insisted she never used hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem but admitted that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication. Following a public breakdown in 2007, Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie Spears , who controlled her money and her personal life even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts. The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021 after a groundswell of public support to “Free Britney.” AFP

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2026

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

By Nickie Wang

PASCALAIN Gianello is no ordinary hairstylist. A FrenchItalian creative director and master stylist, he has spent decades shaping hair—and trends— across the globe. Now, in the heart of Bonifacio Global City, he brings that expertise to Couture Studio Hair and Nails, celebrating the salon’s first anniversary with his signature blend of precision, artistry, and luxury.

P E O P L E

The French master stylist behind BGC’s hottest salon

“I’m basically a normal hairdresser; I started like that,” Pascalain told Manila Standard Life, recalling his early European apprenticeship. In France, he spent four years completing rigorous training, earning diplomas, and mastering technique. But it was London, and one of hairdressing’s great revolutionaries, that changed everything.

“Vidal Sassoon transformed hairstyling in the 60s, just as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were taking over. He freed women from the helmet hairstyle. Hair had to fall naturally but still have shape. The basis was geometry— creating styles that respected texture and suited the face,” Pascalain explains.

From classic bobs to contemporary cuts, this philosophy guides him today: hair should not only look perfect but also remain manageable and elegant for weeks.

His journey with Sassoon took him from junior stylist to top stylist and art director, traveling worldwide while honing his craft. So why Manila, and why Couture Studio?

“It’s destiny, really. My beautiful wife is Filipino, and she wanted to be here. I love it. I’m doing well in this country. Pinoy din ako—a French Pinoy,” he says with a smile.

At Couture Studio, Pascalain’s international expertise shows in every detail.

“It’s beautiful, clean, and full of light. Clients can relax knowing they’re in professional hands. I take my time to make sure everything is perfect—it’s not about speed. Every cut, color,

Baguio’s Panagbenga 2026 blossoms with fun, interactive floats

City turned into a playground of flowers and fun as GameZone partnered with Il Padrino Caffee + Ristorante for the 2026 Panagbenga Festival. From Feb. 27 to March 1, festival-goers enjoyed interactive games, special treats, and a vibrant float parade, blending entertainment with the city’s celebrated floral traditions. Set along the bustling Session Road, the activation

or treatment has to be done right,” he shares. The salon carries his philosophy: every service is delivered to leave clients confident, cared for, and with hair that works for their life, not just the moment. From haircuts and coloring to manicures, pedicures, lash services, waxing, and wellness drip therapies, each treatment is handled with the same precision. Guests can even bring their kids and pets. Pascalain proves

Locals wearing traditional Igorot attire participate in festivities during the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City turned Il Padrino into an interactive playground. Visitors enjoyed activities such as a Heart Card Photo Booth, Giant Flower Pachinko, and a Mini Bowling Game.

Attendees received GameZone Passports to explore each station and earn points for exclusive merchandise, such as sweatshirts, beanies, and scarves.

The experience was free, and special touches, like Il Padrino’s Flower Latte, added to the festive atmosphere. Organizers ensured every detail was carefully curated to engage both locals and tourists.

GameZone also made a splash in the Panagbenga Grand Floral Float Parade 2026 with a vibrant float featuring celebrities and social media personalities, including Awra Briguela, Christine Samson, and Yskaela Fujimoto. The float added visual spectacle to the parade and captivated crowds.

Through the activation and parade participation, GameZone highlighted its respect for local culture and the festival’s traditions, aiming to foster joy and a sense of community among attendees.

The initiative underscored GameZone’s commitment to enriching the Philippines’ cultural scene while providing accessible, fun experiences for all.

that true expertise knows no borders—from Europe to London to Manila—and that his vision of beauty is universal: precise, intentional, and effortlessly elegant.

“The goal is beautiful hair that’s perfectly cut, balanced, and tailored to the individual. It’s not about cutting by instinct or guesswork. Every style must look flawless and stay easy to manage for four to six weeks,” Pascalain explains.

During the anniversary event, professional hosts

Master stylist Pascalain Gianello shares insights from decades in the global hair industry

Baby Punch inspires campaign to raise P1 million for children and wildlife

soft toy, as well as with the patient zookeepers. Inspired by his story, from March to April, IKEA Philippines will donate up to P1 million from soft toy sales to support social and environmental causes. For every soft toy purchased during the campaign, P50 will go toward initiatives run in partnership with the Better World organization. The project aims to extend comfort beyond homes into communities, supporting the welfare of vulnerable children, mental well-being initiatives, and the preservation of tarsiers and other animal welfare programs.

IKEA Philippines encourages supporters to follow their Facebook and Instagram pages for more details.