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Two witnesses fail to link former Speaker to alleged cash deliveries By Maricel Cruz TWO prosecution witnesses in the bail hearing of former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez admitted on Thursday that they had no personal knowledge linking the former Speaker to alleged cash deliveries, while
one of them revealed discrepancies in the amounts, frequency, and timing of the alleged transactions. Walter Rosales, a personal assistant of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District Engineer Henry Alcantara, and Police Major Next page
VOL. XL • NO. 251 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026 •
OSG: Defer spending of flagged budget items Tinio: SC ruling affirms need to file impeach raps vs. PBBM
DFA rebukes Chinese Embassy’s posts; Beijing‘won’t remain silent’ By Katrina Manubay and Rex Espiritu THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday rebuked the Chinese Embassy’s “undiplomatic” social media posts, prompting Beijing’s mission to vow it would not remain silent when China’s interests and dignity are challenged. The exchange followed Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s remark that China could “easily win” against the Philippines if it used force, triggering calls in Congress to declare him persona non grata. “[T]he Embassy doesn’t accept the DFA public statements in relation to the Embassy’s pushing back against attacks and smears on China. Next page
By Charles Dantes, Pot Chavez, Maricel Cruz and Joel Zurbano
NBI launches probe into fake citizenship passport operations
HE Office of the Solicitor General has advised the Marcos administration to defer spending certain portions of the 2026 national budget which have been tagged by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
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Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe said this will be a show of “good faith” on the part of the executive branch even as the OSG is preparing to file a motion for reconsideration to challenge the SC ruling declaring certain increases and standby funds in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets unconstitutional. “Those that are clearly covered by the decision, these should be put on hold as a show of good faith and that we do not want to disobey the court ruling,” Berberabe said. Next page
By Gwyneth Nolasco and Maricel V. Cruz
NATIONAL BUDGET CYCLE. The upper infographic shows the yearly national budget cycle that begins and ends with the Office of the President. The one below shows the four main phases of the budget process. (Courtesy of Zy-za Nadine Suzara, a public budget analyst who is currently the executive director of the Institute for Leadership, Empowerment and Democracy (iLEAD), a non-stock, non-profit policy think tank that focuses on public finance and good governance.)
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has rolled out a nationwide investigation into individuals and groups involved in the fraudulent procurement of Philippine citizenship documents, NBI director Melvin Matibag said yesterday. Meanwhile, House prosecution spokesman Ace Barbers urged civilian, military and security authorities to launch a coordinated intelligence and financial investigation into reports that remnants of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are preparing to bankroll Next page
Hog producers’ group to press for gov’t action at ‘pork holiday’ By Othel V. Campos THE Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) is proceeding with its planned protest action at the DA today despite Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel's support for restoring tariffs on imported pork. AGAP announced Wednesday that participating hog raisers would
temporarily suspend deliveries of live pigs to wet markets to demonstrate the difficulties confronting them. Around 800 hog raisers from across the country are expected to gather outside the Department of Agriculture (DA) headquarters to demand immediate government intervention. Next page
AT THE DOCK. Members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) interview Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen at the start of the selection process for the successor to retiring Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo. Supreme Court PH
Judicial Bar Council Pinoy oil field worker dies in Houthi begins search for drone attack on Saudi Aramco field new Chief Justice By Vito Barcelo
THE MOA CHRISTMAS EXPRESS. SM Mall of Asia welcomes the holidays with the launch of The MOA Christmas Express, transforming the mall into a festive destination filled with dazzling Christmas displays and immersive holiday experiences. The celebration was marked by a special performance from Darren Espanto, bringing added excitement to the season's grand opening.
A FILIPINO worker was killed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday when debris from an intercepted drone fell at the Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy said. According to the ministry, the drone was attempting to strike a processing facility at the Saudi Aramco field when it was shot down by air defenses. Falling debris ignited a contractor's vehicle outside the facility's perimeter. The incident killed two
workers — a Filipino and a Nepali — and injured two others, a Pakistani and an Indian national. Oil operations were not disrupted. The ministry did not identify who launched the drone, but the incident comes amid a series of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The death adds to growing concerns for overseas Filipino workers in the region. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it is coordinating with Philippine diplomatic Next page
By Pot Chavez THE Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) began yesterday the public interviews of the candidates for the position of Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice ahead of the compulsory retirement of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo. Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa have completed their public interviews. Next page
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mst.daydesk@gmail.com
NBI... From A1
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The OSG has 15 days or until Nov. 4 to file the appeal. Berbarabe said the OSG will likely raise the issue of judicial overreach, citing the “self-correcting” measures that institutions have as well as the “Constitutional framework on separation of powers.” For his part, House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio said the High Court ruling on unconstitutional items in the past three years "affirms" the endorsement of an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. filed in January. “Makabayan's position to hold implementers accountable has been affirmed. In this case, the president is the lead implementor. And how do you hold a President accountable?
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Hermelo Dichoso, team leader of Zaldy Co's security team from January 2024 to May 2025, made the admissions during cross-examination by defense lawyer Ronald Solis before the Sandiganbayan Third Division. Rosales acknowledged that he did not know the source of the money allegedly transported in Dura boxes and suitcases, saying he merely heard from Alcantara that the purported cash came from contractors. "Naririnig ko lang po na nanggaling sa mga contractors. Hindi ko po alam kung para saan basta nakikita ko lang yung pera," he said in response to cross-examination by defense lawyer Ronald Solis. He also admitted that he did not know what the money was intended for and had no knowledge of projects in Leyte, the province represented by Romualdez in Congress. First delivery made in February 2022 Rosales said the first alleged delivery to former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co occurred in February 2022, five months before Romualdez became House Speaker in July of that year. He further admitted that he did not personally know Co and had never seen him at either Horizon Homes or Valle Verde, the locations where the cash was allegedly delivered. For his part, Dichoso testified that he only saw former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co handing a shirt to former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during a meeting with several other House members in a townhouse at the Manila Polo Club. "Hindi maleta. Damit lang po," he replied to a question from Solis.
Through impeachment,” Tinio said. “Let us just wait and see if the Makabayan bloc will file again. But what is clear is that there is an even stronger basis to do so because President Bongbong Marcos Jr. must be held accountable,” he added. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, however, insisted the Supreme Court’s decision did not mention any possible liability for the President. “If there is any, it would be at another forum, at another court,” Castro said. As for the proposed 2027 budget, Berberabe said the Marcos administration has significantly reduced unprogrammed appropriations compared to the 2026 allocation. “Unprogrammed appropriations were already relatively small in 2026, and the amount proposed for 2027 has been reduced very significantly,” she said.
She, however, noted that eliminating unprogrammed appropriations would not be straightforward because budget planning involves cash-management policies, fiscal-deficit targets and the government's available fiscal space. At the Upper House, senators are calling for necessary adjustments to the 2027 national budget to ensure compliance with the Constitution given the recent Supreme Court ruling. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian requested the Department of Budget and Management to furnish lawmakers its recommendations regarding modifications to the proposed budget as the Senate prepares to consolidate agency budgets for plenary deliberations. "We are already in the thick of the budget process. In fact, as our chairman mentioned, we are nearing the end, and we are about to consolidate
the different budgets of the various agencies before proceeding to plenary debates. What are the DBM’s recommendations in relation to the Supreme Court ruling so that we can fine-tune and adjust the proposed budget accordingly? What should we watch out for, and what aspects of the 2027 budget process do we need to examine and adjust?" Gatchalian said. Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito also sought clarification from the DBM on the implications of the SC ruling for the proposed budget and the adjustments needed to prevent constitutional infirmities. "Our responsibility does not end with determining how much the government may spend. We must also ensure that public funds are appropriated for clearly defined purposes, supported by available resources, and subject to proper safeguards and accountability," said Ejercito.
Dichoso also admitted that his knowledge of Romualdez's alleged addresses was based solely on his own deductions after seeing security personnel he recognized as detailed to the former Speaker. Dichoso further stressed that no cash deliveries took place during meetings attended by members of Congress. Under questioning, Rosales said he participated in only three alleged deliveries to Horizon Homes and eight to Valle Verde, contrary to accounts suggesting alleged deliveries occurred as frequently as three or four times a week. He testified that alleged deliveries to Horizon Homes in the first part of 2022 involved Dura boxes, while alleged deliveries to Valle Verde in 2023 used suitcases. Inconsistent account Rosales also said there were no deliveries in November 2023, an account that appeared inconsistent with earlier testimony attributed to former Marine security personnel who claimed to have transported cash from Horizon Homes to Forbes Park during that month. The witness also gave lower estimates of the amounts contained in the suitcases. According to Rosales, a large suitcase contained approximately ₱30 million, rather than ₱70 million, while a medium suitcase held about ₱20 million, instead of the ₱30 million to ₱40 million cited in other accounts. During redirect examination, Rosales said an adjustable large suitcase could accommodate an additional ₱5 million, although the additional amount was not reflected in the postit notes attached to the luggage. The witness disclosed that the receipts had been torn up and discarded upon Alcantara's instructions, leaving no surviving copies of those documents available for examination.
DFA...
thing, what is the point?” he said, arguing that Beijing must understand the limits of its conduct in the Philippines. Mr. Marcos has said he would not prevent Congress from pursuing the envoy’s removal. The Senate is considering a resolution declaring Jing persona non grata, while House lawmakers have urged Marcos to seek his removal or ask Beijing to recall him. The embassy has warned that China could reciprocate if the Philippines declares Jing unwelcome. DFA reaffirms One China Policy Amid the dispute, the DFA reaffirmed the Philippines’ One China Policy, anchored on the 1975 Philippines-China Joint Communique. It said the policy recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and respects Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of its territory. The embassy welcomed the reaffirmation, calling it necessary to prevent what it described as attempts to undermine bilateral relations by exploiting the Taiwan issue. The exchange followed the embassy’s criticism of Teodoro’s remarks about Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. Teodoro had shared a social media post listing China’s territorial disputes, including with Taiwan, which governs itself. The DFA said the One China Policy does not prevent Manila from pursuing economic, cultural and functional cooperation with Taiwan. Teodoro also said Beijing should not interfere with the Philippines’ implementation of the policy.
From A1
The Embassy is always committed to managing differences with the Philippines through diplomatic channel,” the statement read. The DFA said the embassy’s “escalatory and undiplomatic” language undermined mutual trust and efforts to stabilize bilateral relations. It reserved the right to pursue further diplomatic action while reaffirming its commitment to relations with China. The embassy rejected the criticism, saying it remained committed to managing differences through diplomatic channels but had a duty to defend China’s interests. The DFA had earlier summoned Jing to convey its “serious concern and strong objection” to his remarks, which Manila viewed as a thinly veiled threat. Gibo hits Beijing for ‘meddling’ Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. accused Beijing of meddling in Philippine domestic affairs, saying the embassy’s exchanges with Filipino officials had gone beyond diplomacy. “They are already wading into the internal affairs of the Philippines, and this should not be allowed to pass,” Teodoro said in a radio interview. He said he shared lawmakers’ sentiments on declaring Jing persona non grata but stressed that the decision rested with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Teodoro cautioned that replacing Jing might not resolve the issue if his successor behaved similarly. “Replace him, but if the person who takes his place does the same
when imports typically peak, making a temporary halt in local hog sales ineffective in addressing the oversupply. The group, together with the National Federation of Hog Farmers (NATFED), allied businesses, and backyard hog raiser associations, said it would instead direct pressure toward economic managers and Marcos who have the authority to implement the measures sought by the industry. It urged the President to issue an executive order restoring pork import tariffs to 30 percent for shipments within the minimum access volume and 40 percent for imports outside the quota, while temporarily suspending further pork imports. It said a three-day suspension of hog deliveries could threaten backyard raisers who depend on regular sales for their livelihood. Markets and supermarkets could also continue selling existing stocks even if local slaughtering stopped for 10 days, it added. SINAG further warned that a local sales suspension could benefit importers by allowing them to move excess imported pork stocks held in cold storage while domestic raisers lose sales. The group urged economic managers to act while Congress is on recess, warning that continued inaction would deepen losses among hog raisers and allied businesses. “The local hog industry needs more than promises. It needs concrete action, presidential leadership, and immediate relief,” Cainglet said.
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During the interview, Leonen stressed the value of his independence, noting that leadership gained by compromising principle is not worth it. "I give no private assurance to anyone, about any matter, at any time, to any end… I have voted, on principle, against the legal positions of the President who appointed me, and of every President who has sat since... I do not say this to my credit, it is the only assurance worth anything to the public," he said. The senior magistrate shared that he also intends to continue the judiciary's reform and modernization program spearheaded by Gesmundo. Before his appointment to the High Court in November 2012, Leonen served as dean and professor of law at the UP College of Law. Leonen is the most senior incumbent SC justice, having served for 13 years and 11 months under five chief justices and alongside 37 associate justices. In September, Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo nominated Leonen for the chief justice post, citing his "mature, effective, and collegial leadership." For his part, Caguioa emphasized the importance of leading by example at all levels of the judiciary and promoting transparency to dispel public doubts.
As chairperson of the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) Interim Board, he said the program aims to ensure that free legal services are available to everyone. Caguioa also highlighted the crucial role of High Performance Courts, a reform initiative designed to make every court a model of efficiency. He stressed that trial court judges remain the face of the judiciary. Prior to his appointment to the SC in January 2016, he served as Justice Secretary and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (CPLC) under the Aquino administration. He also had two and a half decades of experience in litigation and arbitration. At present, he chairs the SubCommittee on Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Oversight and is a member of the Sub-Committee for the Revision of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. Associate Justices Rodil V. Zalameda, Japar B. Dimaampao, and Jose Midas P. Marquez are scheduled for public interviews on October 26. The interview panel is composed of Gesmundo, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, Senator Francis Pangilinan, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, retired SC Associate Justice Jose Catral Mendoza, retired Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Erlinda Piñera Uy, lawyer Jose Mejia, and law professor Nesauro Firme. The Philippines' 27th chief justice is set to retire on November 6 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
energy security in the Gulf. On August 31, 2026, two Filipino seafarers were killed when the Saudi-flagged oil tanker M/V SIDR, operated by shipping company Bahri, was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz at 11:40 p.m. The vessel
was carrying 16 Filipinos among its crew. The two fatalities were among the first reported deaths of Filipino seafarers in the escalating tensions in the Strait. The bodies of the two seafarers were repatriated to Manila on September 11 and received at NAIA by
the DMW and OWWA. The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier reported that seven Filipinos had been wounded in separate attacks in Saudi Arabia this month, three in critical condition, and has been assisting Filipinos affected by the disruptions.
Judicial... Hog... From A1
The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), however, said it will not join this week’s "Pig Holiday" protest at the DA but is pressing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to restore import tariffs and temporarily suspend pork imports. SINAG said its monitoring showed that the transport, slaughter, and sale of locally raised hogs continued despite calls for a so-called three-day “Pig Holiday” from Oct. 22 to 24. “We’re not stopping anyone from joining the pork holiday or any protest. Our decision not to participate was a strategic choice rather than a rejection of other stakeholders’ efforts,” said SINAG executive director Jason Cainglet. SINAG welcomed Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.’s statement before the Senate that the DA supports restoring the tariffs, subject to the Tariff Commission process. It said the industry could not afford further delays as farmgate prices remained low. 170 days of pork supply Laurel affirmed that the country has 170 days of pork supply. “So we have lots of pork),” he told GMA News Online on Wednesday. In an open letter dated Oct. 22, SINAG warned that the pork surplus could increase in the fourth quarter
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posts to monitor Filipino workers and provide assistance. It is the third Filipino death in recent months related to maritime and
candidates in the 2028 presidential and local elections in exchange for political protection. Matibag said the NBI will strengthen government efforts to protect Filipino identity, public institutions, and national security. Matibag on Tuesday issued an order enjoining all regional directors, assistant directors and heads of concerned services and divisions to investigate schemes of individuals and groups who employ deceit to obtain birth certificates, passports and other documents. The crackdown also covered "falsified supporting documents, simulated or fictitious parentage, identity substitution, material misrepresentation, corruption," as well as other methods to make false claims of Philippine citizenship. It noted that using false identities, when exploited by criminal organizations, corrupt facilitators, or foreign interests, can serve as "gateways into institutions and activities that Philippine law reserves for Filipino citizens." Illegally obtained citizenship documents may be used to acquire land, control corporations for Filipinos, have government transactions, conceal the true beneficial owner, or seek and hold public position—directly affecting the interest of the Republic, he added. The investigators were directed not only to identify those who use fake documents, but also to uncover the network's operation by examining fixers, affiants, notaries, facilitators, dummies, corrupt officials and its beneficiaries. Priority for POGO scam hubs Priority will be given to cases linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) or scam hubs, organized and transnational crimes, illegal drugs and other activities that serve as threats to national security. Matibag clarified that the operation was not a campaign against any race or nationality and also called for respect for the due process and rights of every individual. The NBI, in a statement, said delayed registration of birth, foreign ancestry, surname, language, national origin, lawful foreign citizenship, or dual citizenship will not constitute a ground for investigation. It added that it must find a possible indication of fraud, falsification, identity substitution, simulated parentage, material misrepresentation, corruption, or another offense that falls within the bureau's jurisdiction. Dirty money for May 2028 polls “If these reports are true, we must act now. Trace the money, identify the financiers, expose their political contacts and build airtight cases against anyone involved in this scheme. “Do not wait for the campaign period—or for these syndicates to regain a foothold in government,” Barbers said, citing PAOCC reports that POGO operators may use “dirty money” to corrupt politicians and influence the May 2028 polls. Barbers challenged all presidential and local candidates to publicly declare their opposition to illegal POGO operations and reject campaign funding linked to criminal activity. He cited recent law enforcement operations that underscore the continuing challenge posed by suspected illegal POGO-linked and online scam operations despite the government’s nationwide ban. On Oct. 2, authorities arrested 244 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, during simultaneous raids on suspected POGO-related facilities in Siay and Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay. A composite team of government agents including the military seized large quantities of electronic equipment, including approximately 3,000 mobile phones, along with computers, laptops and SIM cards. Investigators are also examining possible human trafficking-related violations. On Oct. 12, another 76 foreign nationals—74 Chinese and two Myanmar nationals—were apprehended at a suspected illegal POGO-related facility in Barangay Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City. “These operations show why we cannot afford to be complacent. Even after the POGO ban, suspected operations are still being uncovered in different parts of the country. We must determine who finances them, who provides logistical support, who protects them and whether any of their resources are being diverted to influence our elections,” Barbers said. However, Barbers stressed that these possible links must be established through evidence, not assumptions based on nationality or association with a suspected operation.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
IN BRIEF CHR probes cop action vs. Bulatlat journalist THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is investigating allegations of excessive police force against Bulatlat journalist Aron Ernest Cruz during a farmers’ protest outside the Department of Agrarian Reform in Quezon City on Oct. 19. The CHR’s National Capital Region office conducted a quick response operation after reports that Cruz sustained bruises during an attempted arrest that was prevented by his colleagues. He subsequently underwent a medical examination. The commission has launched a motu proprio investigation, which does not depend on Cruz filing a formal complaint. CHR investigators have gathered initial accounts from witnesses and protest organizers and requested relevant operational records from the Quezon City Police District. The commission is coordinating with concerned parties to obtain formal statements and medical records and assist those affected in filing complaints. Rio N. Araja
ASF losses in Tabuk reach P211.7 million TABUK CITY, Kalinga — An African swine fever (ASF) outbreak has affected 36 barangays in Tabuk City, involving 2,247 hog raisers and causing an estimated P211.7 million in economic losses, the city veterinary office reported. Dr. Carmen Wanas, head of the City Veterinary Services Office (CVET), submitted a report to the Sangguniang Panlungsod detailing the outbreak, which intensified between September and October 2026. The report recorded 13,866 hogs affected or dead, while another 247 hogs from 28 raisers were culled as a disease-control measure. The CVET has conducted case investigations, rapid diagnostic testing, contact tracing and blood sampling for confirmatory tests. Dexter A. See
Embassy in Malaysia flags impersonations THE Philippine Embassy in Malaysia has warned the public against scams involving individuals who impersonate embassy officials or misuse their names, photographs and identities to solicit money, personal information or other assistance. In an advisory issued Wednesday night, the embassy said scammers use social media and messaging applications to contact potential victims. It urged Filipinos not to respond to messages from unverified accounts, send money or disclose personal or financial information. “The Embassy will never contact you on private messaging apps or social media to ask for money, fees, or personal information,” the advisory said. Katrina Manubay
RAINWATER PARK.
Megaworld Capital Town Rainwater Park in San Fernando, Pampanga, is being positioned as a model for public parks nationwide. The park can store up to 20,000 cubic meters of rainwater to help mitigate flooding and support water supply during droughts, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for publicprivate solutions to flooding (see story below). DPWH
P11.6b in illicit farm goods seized By Charles Dantes
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HE government seized P11.6 billion worth of smuggled agricultural products in 67 operations from February 2025 to July 2026, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to intensify the campaign against agricultural smuggling and economic sabotage.
The operations also resulted in administrative or criminal complaints against 218 individuals, with Malacañang vowing to pursue the cases until justice is served. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the seizures demonstrated the government’s resolve to protect local farmers from unfair competition and consumers from potentially unsafe food.
“Smugglers not only evade duties but also bypass food safety inspections. We should not allow substandard food intended for disposal in other countries to end up on our own tables,” Recto said. He said concerns over a possible El Niño-related dry spell in the coming months could encourage smugglers to exploit potential supply shortages.
“Crises create opportunities, and when water shortages loom, smugglers see this as a signal to flood the market with their illicit products,” he said. Recto stressed that increasing domestic production remains the government’s primary strategy for achieving food security, with imports serving only to fill supply gaps. “If there is a shortage, we should import only after careful study, in the right quantity and at the right time. We should import just enough, not more than necessary, and not during the harvest season but when supply is insufficient,” he said. “The President wants us to step up efforts on two fronts. First, we must increase production, especially since our population grows by 1.5 million every year. That is the
‘Build stormwater detention basins in new buildings’
PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH.
Devotees attend a Eucharistic celebration at Our Lady of the Atonement Cathedral in Baguio City on Thursday as part of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage. Catholic clergy concelebrate the Mass beside the pilgrim image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Conrad Rotor
By Vito Barcelo
UN IOM urges PH to boost climate resilience, prevent displacement By Rex Espiritu THE United Nations has urged the Philippines to strengthen climate adaptation and disaster preparedness to prevent climate-related shocks from escalating into humanitarian crises and forcing communities to leave their homes. During a briefing in Makati City, International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Philippines OG3 Chair
WAGE PROTEST.
Members of militant groups rally outside the Senate in Pasay City on Thursday to demand higher wages and increased funding for social services in the proposed 2027 national budget. The All Government Employees’ Unity coalition calls for salary increases, regularization of contractual workers and greater funding for education and healthcare. Norman Cruz
Tristan Burnett said the country has the scientific knowledge, forecasts, data and partnerships needed to anticipate climate risks and act before disasters strike. “Our message today is clear—climate shocks do not have to become humanitarian crises,” Burnett said. He said the UN is working with the Philippine government to strengthen anticipatory action, preparedness, adaptation and resilience across sectors
demographic reality. Second, we must curb smuggling because it discourages local production,” Recto added. Republic Act No. 12022, or the AntiAgricultural Economic Sabotage Act, signed by Marcos in September 2024, expanded the range of punishable acts and imposed higher fines and longer prison terms for violators. Under the law, a Special Team of Prosecutors was formed to pursue cases against offenders. The team recently secured the conviction of seven individuals involved in tobacco smuggling. The law also established the multisectoral Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Council to oversee a coordinated, whole-of-government campaign against smuggling.
to help communities withstand climate-related shocks. Burnett stressed the need to invest in early action, strengthen food systems and livelihoods, protect essential services, reduce displacement risks and empower local institutions to safeguard lives and development gains. The UN also called for coordinated efforts to improve food security, climate-resilient livelihoods, water secu-
rity, health and nutrition services, water, sanitation and hygiene programs, and social protection systems. “Greater investment is needed in anticipatory action, displacement prevention, local resilience-building, climate adaptation, and innovative financing mechanisms so that communities can remain safely where they choose while ensuring protection and longer-term solutions for those who are forced to move,” Burnett said.
THE Department of Public Works and Highways will propose requiring private real estate developers nationwide to build stormwater detention basins under updated building and land development codes to help reduce flooding, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said. Dizon announced the proposal after inspecting Megaworld Corp.’s 15,000-cubic-meter rainwater park in San Fernando, Pampanga, which he said helps manage flooding in the company’s Capital Town development and nearby communities. Megaworld plans to increase the facility’s storage capacity by 5,000 cubic meters through an underground detention structure, bringing its total capacity to 20,000 cubic meters. Dizon said the stored rainwater in new buildings could also be recycled for non-potable uses during prolonged dry spells. He said he had coordinated with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to develop standard guidelines requiring water-retention facilities in new commercial and residential developments.
Pasay cop charged for abusing partner A PASAY City police officer faces administrative charges after his live-in partner accused him of repeatedly beating and threatening her over nearly six years, prompting the National Police Commission to expedite its investigation. The woman, identified as alias “Kara,” filed an administrative complaint against Staff Sergeant Tyran John Miranda on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the NAPOLCOM Central Office in Quezon City. She also filed a criminal complaint under Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, in Pasay City on Oct. 21. “Repeated abuse, physically, emotionally and mentally. He repeatedly beat me,” Kara told a press briefing.
Showing home security camera footage that she had posted online, Kara said Miranda kicked her down a staircase and pursued her while she was carrying their child. She said the abuse began in December 2022, when he allegedly pointed a gun at her inside her car. Kara said she had previously complained against Miranda but did not pursue the case, hoping to keep their family together. “I fought just now. Just now,” she said. NAPOLCOM Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan said the acts shown in the videos could constitute grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer, offenses that may warrant suspension, demotion or dismissal. Vince Lopez
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
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MMDA discloses plan to ensure orderly Undas By Joel E. Zurbano
NEW RULE FOR BUS RIDERS. Passengers at
the EDSA Busway near Taft Avenue area in Pasay City are forced to take a detour to access their rides. The new arrangement comes on the heels of a Department of Transportation directive for all EDSA Busway operators to comply with the “Left-Side Door Policy” which mandates that all buses must be equipped with doors on the left panel for safety purposes. Norman Cruz
Bill frees common areas from taxes S ENATOR Francis Escudero is pushing a bill seeking to exempt common areas within residential subdivisions and condominiums from real property taxes (RPT) “to provide financial relief to millions of middle-class families.” Senate Bill No. 2569 which he filed on Oct. 21, proposes an amendment to Section 234 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, to remove a tax that is quietly passed on to residents through monthly association dues. Escudero said the current practice of taxing shared spaces such as hallways,
lobbies, parks, and other non-income generating facilities effectively increases the carrying cost of homeownership for families who already shoulder amortization, utilities, and rising living expenses. “These places do not earn but they are being taxed. In the end, it is the homeowners who shoulder the extra cost, not
IN BRIEF Torre back at MMDA after one-month leave METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Nicolas Torre III resumed his official duties on Oct. 16 after more than a month of absence, MMDA chairman Romando Artes said. Torre oversees 70 to 80 percent of the agency’s daily operations, including traffic management, flood control and public safety. Earlier this month, Artes said Torre had extended his leave until Oct. 15 due to his mother-inlaw’s passing. The leave followed a controversy involving Torre’s personal sport utility vehicle, which was modified to resemble an MMDA service vehicle. Joel E. Zurbano
SC cites BIR’s role in digital framework THE Supreme Court (SC) has recognized the contribution of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the implementation of electronic notarization (eNotarization), particularly in facilitating compliance with Documentary Stamp Tax (DST) requirements through the electronic Documentary Stamp Tax (eDST) system. BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza said the BIR is expected to issue memorandum circular (RMC) to institutionalize the eDST reforms and provide clearer implementation guidelines. Further, the issuance was expected to support integrating documentary stamp tax compliance into digital transactions, including electronic notarization. The BIR’s contribution focused on addressing the tax compliance requirements associated with electronically notarized documents. Pot Chavez
also maintaining the common facilities that serve the entire community. He asserted that the imposition of RPT on such common areas not only adds to the recurring financial burden of homeowners, but may also discourage developers from allocating land or floor space to facilities and community amenities. The senator said the measure responds to a growing sentiment among middle income families who feel they receive fewer forms of direct government assistance despite being the country’s primary tax base.
UNPLUGGING THE TERMINALS.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) starts decommissioning the servers and network infrastructure for its automated election system (AES) at the Data Center 3 in Makati City.. The facility houses the servers used by major political parties, media outlets, and citizens’ poll watchdogs to speed up the tabulation of votes during the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections last Sept. 14. Norman Cruz
Water firm exec faces graft raps on unliquidated P2.7m By Rex Espiritu THE Office of the Ombudsman has reminded government officials and employees to properly document, account for and liquidate cash advances within the prescribed period. The reminder came following the filing of a criminal case against a Bogo Water District official in Cebu for alleged failure to liquidate P2.7 million cash advances. The case was lodged against Kenneth Robert Obial Metante, designated section
head of the water district’s Human Resources Management Office, for alleged violation of Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code, or failure of an accountable officer to render accounts. The complaint was filed by Bogo Water District general manager Jose Brainard Mayol against Metante and a former general manager Houdini Ancajas Jumao-as. This was after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged more than P2.7 million in unliquidated cash advances to the water district
employees as of end-2023. The advances included more than P222,000 received by Jumao-as for overseas training and P19,822 received by Metante in 2022 for a tree-planting activity. The Ombudsman found sufficient evidence against Metante for failure to render accounts, noting that he had not liquidated the P19,822.50 despite the lapse of more than three years. The transaction also lacked a request for quotation, the agency said.
Albano says Isabela projects above board
Balanga schools boost security with CCTVs BALANGA City—Mayor Raquel Garcia and Vice Mayor Francis Garcia welcomed the donation of 150 solar-powered closed-circuit television (CCTV) units to be installed in city schools to strengthen campus security and ensure a safer learning environment. Mayor Garcia thanked TOVNET Corp., the Korea Institute of Procurement Service, and BGC-Best Global Center Inc. for the donations. She said their gesture will help enhance security in schools and protect students, teachers, and school personnel. Garcia added that the city appreciates the companies’ support and partnership in making Balanga a safer place. Butch Gunio
the developer,” he explained. Under SB 2569, all portions of a residential condominium or subdivision projects that are duly designated or recognized as common areas would be exempt from RPT, provided they are not used for commercial or income generating activities. Spaces converted for business purposes would remain taxable, ensuring that the exemption applies strictly to shared residential facilities. In his explanatory note, Escudero emphasized that homeownership involves not only acquiring a unit, but
THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has bared plans to ensure road safety and orderliness amid the traditional observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The agency aims to deploy 2,419 personnel to manage traffic and provide public assistance around major cemeteries, including Manila North Cemetery, Manila South Cemetery, Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, San Juan Public Cemetery, and Bagbag Public Cemetery in Quezon City. MMDA Traffic Discipline Office Director Vic Nuñez said the agency also prepared additional safety measures, including provision of medical assistance, traffic rerouting, and emergency response arrangements. Surprise drug testing among bus drivers and conductors will also be executed at selected bus terminals, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). “We are also coordinating with the PDEA and the PNP for surprise drug testing at selected bus terminals to ensure the safety of commuters,” Nuñez said. The MMDA’s Road Emergency Group (REG) will put ambulances and rescue vehicles on standby, while the Metro Parkways Clearing Group (MPCG) will conduct cleanup operations around cemeteries from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3. The MMDA, in close coordination with local government units, will also set up public assistance centers with tents and ambulances at the cemeteries.
WHO NEEDS AI?
In this age of super cyber technology and artificial intelligence, this man persists to conduct his trade in empty LPG tanks in the old fashioned way—pure muscle and ingenuity. Edd Castro
By Jessica M. Bacud ILAGAN City— Isabela Governor Rodolfo Albano III has given assurance that there are no ghost projects in the province, saying all P889-million worth of provincial projects were documented and fully monitored. “There is no ghost project under my watch,” Albano declared. The governor issued the assurance following social media posts about P889 million projects, triggering public discussion on the use of provincial funds. Citing transparency and accountability, Albano said the provincial government keeps complete documentation and conducts actual field inspections. “What Vice Mayor Harold Respicio showed, that’s transparent. We are not hiding anything. We have field monitoring before and after. Those are provincial projects of works,” he said.
OPINION
A5
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
EDITORIAL
Sara Duterte impeachment: Has the House done its job? A KEY question surrounding the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is whether the House of Representatives has demonstrated its ability to hold a high-ranking official accountable while respecting constitutional procedures. Equally important is whether its handling of the case has helped restore public trust in the institution. Three issues deserve attention: the decision to narrow the impeachment case, the strength of the evidence, and the extent to which the House’s performance has influenced public opinion. Under the Constitution, the House investigates and prosecutes impeachment cases, while the Senate acts as the impeachment court and decides whether an official should be removed from office. The House’s responsibility is not simply to secure a conviction but to present a credible, evidence-based case. In October 2026, the House prosecution panel withdrew three of the four impeachment articles against Duterte, choosing to pursue only the allegation of unexplained wealth. This involves questions about assets declared in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) and potentially undisclosed business interests. Prosecutors maintain that the financial evidence is strong enough to support the remaining charge. By concentrating on bank records, financial documents, SALNs and expert analysis, they argue, the trial can proceed more efficiently without requiring dozens of additional witnesses. The allegations are serious. Prosecutors claim to have found evidence of substantial unexplained wealth involving Duterte and her husband, including alleged discrepancies between bank records and official disclosures. Duterte denies wrongdoing, and these allegations remain unproven pending the Senate’s evaluation. The decision to drop three charges has drawn contrasting reactions. Supporters see it as a practical legal strategy: concentrating on the strongest evidence could produce a clearer, more convincing case. Critics, however, question why allegations involving confidential funds, bribery and grave threats, initially considered serious enough to warrant impeachment, have been abandoned. The defense has also raised concerns about fairness, while some senators have questioned aspects of the trial’s conduct. Neither the withdrawal of the charges nor the decision to pursue the remaining allegation settles the issue of guilt. A single well-supported charge can be more compelling than several weak ones. But by narrowing the case, the prosecution has placed greater responsibility on itself to establish the financial allegations convinc-
ingly. The decisive question is whether the evidence proves wrongdoing, not how many charges remain. Public opinion provides another measure of the House’s performance. Between the first and second quarters of 2026, trust in the institution reportedly rose from 36 percent to 38 percent, while distrust declined from 33 percent to 28 percent. Satisfaction also increased slightly, while dissatisfaction fell. These figures suggest a modest improvement in the House’s public standing. However, the timing matters.
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Equally important is whether its handling of the case has helped restore public trust in the institution The survey was conducted in early July, around the opening of the Senate trial, whereas the decision to withdraw three impeachment articles came in October. Consequently, the improved ratings cannot be attributed to the Octobe decision. The gains may instead reflect the House’s legislative work, leadership, public-service initiatives or willingness to investigate allegations involving powerful officials. Available data do not establish which factors were responsible. Rather than counting the charges that remain, the public should focus on four questions: Can prosecutors trace the alleged unexplained wealth through reliable financial records? Can they establish that discrepancies violate disclosure requirements rather than reflect legitimate explanations? Is Duterte being given a fair opportunity to challenge the evidence? And will the Senate judge the case independently of political considerations? The prosecution panel’s decision to concentrate on unexplained wealth may produce a more focused, evidence-driven case. Its weakness is that the impeachment effort now depends heavily on one allegation. The Senate’s assessment of the evidence will determine whether the prosecution succeeds. Meanwhile, although the House has registered modest gains in public trust, it is too early to credit those improvements to its October strategy. In the end, public confidence will depend less on one impeachment trial than on whether the House consistently fulfills its constitutional duties, passes effective legislation and applies accountability standards fairly and credibly. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
Focus turns to firms as Indonesia fire haze worsens BANGKOK – After months of fires in Indonesia that have caused thick regional haze, attention is turning to whether companies can be held accountable for the blazes and resulting air pollution. Indonesia experiences fires regularly during its dry season, and experts say years of deforestation and the draining of peatland for cultivation have rendered previously fireresistant landscapes vulnerable. Driven by a strong El Nino cycle and resulting drought, this year’s blazes have been particularly severe, burning through nearly two million hectares, according to deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas. The fires have raged across forests and peatland but also palm oil and timber plantations supplying multinational firms. Civil society groups have regularly accused companies of responsibility for the blazes, pointing to so-called “hotspots” in supplier plantations, sometimes called concessions. Environmental group WALHI says it mapped “high confidence” hotspots across Indonesia using NASA fire data and found around 50 percent were inside concessions. In a report this month the group listed 40 timber and palm oil concessions by the number of hotspots detected. “This is a structural issue... (that) happens because of the practices, the activities, of these companies,” WALHI forests and plantations campaigner Umi Ma’rufah told AFP. Pressure is also coming from governments, including Singapore, which has issued 10 companies with “preventative measure notices” under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. The notices urge them to fight fires on their land, prevent burning and submit action plans. Firms can face legal action including fines if they do not comply. “We must also be clear about where the responsibility for this lies,” Singapore Senior Minister K. Shanmugam told reporters.
“This was not simply an act of nature, but a problem driven by companies pursuing profits.” Legal liability Several companies implicated have insisted they are not behind the fires. “Fires originating outside our boundaries subsequently spread into areas under the Group’s management,” Singapore Exchangelisted palm oil company First Resources said after one of its concessions was listed in WALHI’s report.
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The notices urge them to fight fires on their land, prevent burning and submit action plan Asia Pulp and Paper, a Singapore-registered firm, also insisted that fires in supplier concessions do not “necessarily mean that land was deliberately burned or that the concession holder was responsible for starting the fire.” Satellite monitoring can sometimes show where fires started, said Nusantara Atlas founder David Gaveau. “In some cases, the satellite photos clearly show that fire starts inside, but we cannot say whether it’s by design or whether it’s accidental,” he told AFP. “In other cases it’s also clear that fire started outside and spread inside the concession.” Experts say fire has been used in the past to illegally open up land for cultivation, including in large concessions, but also by smallerscale local investors. Parts of Indonesia also previously allowed smallholders to use fire to clear plots of land, though this year the government has cracked down on that practice too.
Has China become a socialimperialist superpower?
H
OW times have really changed.
On April 10, 1974, the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping delivered a speech at the Sixth Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he emphasized that China would not become a superpower that bullied, invaded, or exploited other countries. Here’s what Deng actually said: “China is not a superpower, nor will she ever seek to be one.” He then explained what he meant by a superpower: “A superpower is an imperialist country which everywhere subjects other countries to its aggression, interference, control, subversion or plunder and strives for world hegemony.” The most striking passage came next: “If one day China should change her color and turn into a superpower, if she too should play the tyrant in the world, and everywhere subject others to her bullying, aggression and exploitation, the people of the world should identify her as social-imperialism, expose it, oppose it and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it.” Fast-forward to 2026 or 52 years later. Here’s what Chinese ambassador to Manila Jing Quan said on the issue of
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We must emphasize that a diplomat is expected to reduce tensions, not remind a smaller neighboring country that it could be defeated militarily Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Senators Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Joseph Victor Ejercito and Erwin Tulfo, and Representatives Leila de Lima and Perci Cendaña all reacted strongly against Jing’s alleged “threats” against the country.
IN MY first installment, I examined the energy sector’s numbers. They revealed deep structural barriers facing developers. Today I turn to a case that shows governance failure. That case involves Solar Para sa Bayan Corporation. Congress granted the company a legislative franchise. The franchise law gave the Department of Energy clear duties. The Department of Energy (DOE) was required to issue rules operationalizing the franchise. It also had to identify the areas to be served. The law states that DOE “SHALL promulgate the necessary rules.” It must do so in consultation with stakeholders. The law further states that DOE “SHALL determine” target areas. These include remote, unviable, unserved, and underserved areas. These are two explicit and unambiguous mandates. The word “shall” leaves no room for discretion. DOE was legally bound to act. DOE did not fulfill either duty. It issued no implementing rules for the franchise. It determined no areas for the franchise to serve. Years passed while the franchise sat frozen by inaction. The franchise holder could not lawfully operate without those rules. In fact, the franchise got automatically revoked after two years of mnon-operation, Then, seven years later, DOE took action. It filed charges against the franchise holder. The alleged offense was failing to operate the franchise. DOE itself had made operation impossible. Think carefully about what this sequence means. An agency neglects its legal obligation for seven years. Then it punishes another party for the consequences. This is a textbook case of weaponized regulatory negligence. I call it regulatory abdication masquerading as enforcement. The timing raises obvious questions about political convenience. The charges arrived exactly when politics made them useful. Investors notice patterns like this one. The damage extends well beyond one company. Every franchise holder now wonders about its own exposure. Every foreign investor questions the reliability of our regulators. Credibility, once lost, takes years to rebuild. I have worked with DOE officials for 30 years. Many are dedicated, competent, and
technically excellent professionals. That history makes these failures deeply disappointing to me. Supporting reckless, politically motivated accusations harms the institution itself. It erodes the trust built over decades. It distracts from the agency’s real mission. It signals that rules depend on political winds. No serious investor can plan around that uncertainty. Government must instead read the signals the sector sends. Project failures point to problems requiring policy attention. Contract surrenders point to barriers requiring reform. Each signal is an invitation to fix something.
Investors compare countries before committing their capital. They weigh policy stability as heavily as returns. Regulatory surprises push them toward neighboring markets. The Philippines cannot afford to lose that competition. Our renewable targets require massive private investment. Public funds alone cannot build the capacity we need. Every departing investor takes potential megawatts with them. Every delayed project prolongs our dependence on imported fuel. That is why governance quality matters so much. Rules must be clear before projects begin. Agencies must honor their own legal mandates. Enforcement must follow fairness and due process. Administrative frameworks need modernizing for today’s market. Regulatory processes need simplifying and clear timelines. Agencies need alignment so developers
face one direction. Problem-solving should guide every interaction with industry. Suspicion should give way to constructive partnership. Recent actions have done the opposite. They have introduced avoidable instability into the market. They risk slowing project timelines across the industry. They discourage the very investment our targets require. Our country urgently needs additional generation capacity. It needs clearer permitting and stronger interagency coordination. Unverified claims and political narratives deliver none of this. Responsible private participation remains indispensable to our power needs. Energy projects are long-term commitments spanning decades. They depend on predictable regulation and stable governance. Legitimate businesses must operate free from undue harassment. The sector needs regulators who actively support infrastructure builders. So where should government focus its energy? First, it must fix transmission bottlenecks that strand power. Second, it must cut permitting delays that kill projects. Third, it must align policies across all agencies. Fourth, it must pursue reforms through proposed EPIRA amendments. The Electric Power Industry Reform Act needs updating. Those amendments can address many longstanding sector problems. Fifth, we must not backslide to building coal power plants again and cementing our reliance on natural gas. These structural challenges truly affect consumers and investors. They shape electricity prices in every Filipino household. They determine whether investors commit capital here. They decide our long-term energy security. Unfounded allegations solve none of them. The choice before government is clear. It can keep chasing politically convenient targets. Or it can fix the system holding everyone back. Our energy future depends on choosing reform. Facebook/Instagram: Tonylavs Website: tonylavina.com
Even if fires begin accidentally or outside concessions, firms may have legal responsibilities, explained Azam Hawari, a lawyer with environmental law NGO ClientEarth. “An external source of ignition or extreme weather does not necessarily absolve a company of civil liability,” said Hawari. Companies are required to have sufficient fire measures, including personnel and equipment, and could also be liable “where activities pose a serious threat to the environment,” like peatland drainage, he added. International links
Indonesia has announced “administrative sanctions” against dozens of firms and criminal proceedings against 125 individuals and corporations. But campaigner Umi pointed out that some previously prosecuted firms have failed to pay fines or carry out forest restoration. “It’s about the will from the government to really do their (enforcement) task,” she said. Some implicated concessions have ties well behind Indonesia’s borders, said Holly Yang, an accounting professor at Singapore Management University who teaches sustain-
ability reporting. After WALHI’s report, she and her student Ashmit Bansal mapped concession holders, owners, creditors, investors and supply-chain partners. “The fires occur in Indonesia, but the ownership, financing and commercial relationships extend across borders,” Yang told AFP. Yang noted that a connection “does not, by itself, establish responsibility for a fire”. But mapping relationships “allows the public to ask informed questions and assess how those parties respond.” AFP
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The choice before government is clear. It can keep chasing politically convenient targets. Or it can fix the system holding everyone back
Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser
Emil P. Jurado+ Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
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MEMBER
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The Senate is seriously considering passing a resolution declaring the Chinese ambassador persona non grata. For his part, maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal said Jing’s remarks, followed by his embassy’s challenge to Filipino lawmakers to declare him persona non grata, had overshadowed his main message that Beijing favored talks to settle disputes. “This kind of ‘wolf-warrior diplomacy’ is clearly not working and not contributing to achieving the goal of improving Philippine-China relations. Instead, it is contributing to further destroying it,” he pointed out. We must emphasize that a diplomat is expected to reduce tensions, not remind a smaller neighboring country that it could be defeated militarily. In the context of an ongoing territorial dispute, the remark can reasonably be interpreted as coercive signaling: communicating superior military power in a way that seeks to discourage our country from resisting. From the looks of it, the current Beijing leadership has totally deviated from the promise made by the late Deng Xiaoping that China would not become a superpower that bullies other nations. No doubt, China appears to have already achieved superpower status. But has it also become a social-imperialist superpower whose trademark is socialism in words, but imperialism in deeds?
The reforms our energy future demands
Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno
Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandard.net
increased tensions in the West Philippine Sea: “If we want to use force, we may easily win. But, no, we will not choose force, and we love peace,” he said. He added that the region was peaceful and “fortunate” to have a neighbor like China. This unleashed a torrent of negative reactions. President Marcos Jr. said he would summon the ambassador as his remarks sounded “like a threat” and “not very diplomatic.” The Department of Foreign Affairs said Jing made a “veiled threat.”
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
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Russian overnight hits kill 7 in Ukraine K
YIV – Russia and Ukraine traded attacks overnight, with seven killed on the Ukrainian side, authorities said on Thursday, shortly after US President Donald Trump’s envoy held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.
WAITING, WAITING. In this file photo, an Air Force Patriot missile system is deployed at a park in Taipei on July 11, 2025 on the fourth day of the Han Kuang military exercise. Taiwan has been waiting months for US President Donald Trump to approve the sale of US$14 billion worth of arms, which the island democracy would use to fend off a potential Chinese attack. But Trump said in May that US arms sales to Taiwan could be a bargaining chip with China, setting off alarm bells across the world. AFP
IN BRIEF What’s holding up Washington’s $14-b arms sale? Pope won’t need therapy — doctors VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV will not need therapy following an operation last week to remove a cancerous tumour from his lung, his doctors said in a statement released by the Vatican. Test results showed the 71-year-old’s cancer “was localized” and “a subsequent oncological assessment confirmed that no further therapy is required,” the statement said. Leo, who was only elected last year as the first US pope, told followers on Oct. 11 that he would be having surgery to remove a nodule. The operation went ahead on Oct. 13 at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. Doctors later revealed the growth was cancerous and they had to remove part of his right lung. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics left hospital on Oct. 17 and on Sunday said he would resume his duties “gradually”. AFP
TAIPEI – Taiwan has been waiting months for US President Donald Trump to approve a $14 billion sale of weapons and equipment, which the island democracy would use to fend off a potential Chinese attack. Taipei’s most important security backer -- has sold many billions of dollars’ worth of arms to Taiwan, most recently in December when it approved a record $11.1 billion package. China opposes American military support for Taiwan, which Beijing claims is part of its territory and has threatened to seize with force. Trump, who last month hailed his “great friendship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, has resisted US political pressure, including from Republican lawmakers, to give the green light for the
current arms package. AFP takes a look at what’s in it and why it’s being held up: Taiwan is spending huge sums upgrading its defense capabilities and expanding its domestic weapons production capacity, but it still needs US arms to deter China. Since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, the United States has stuck to its commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide weapons to Taiwan for its defense. But Trump said in May that US arms sales to Taiwan could be a bargaining chip with China, setting off alarm bells across the world. Taipei has reminded Trump of US commitments, and US officials includ-
ing Secretary of State Marco Rubio have insisted American policy on Taiwan has not changed. The sale would signal US support for Taiwan and send a message to Beijing that if it launched an attack, it would not face “Taiwan alone,” said Wang Tingyu, a senior lawmaker in President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party. Taiwan is developing a multi-layered air defense system, known as the TDome, that it hopes could counter a potential Chinese attack. Patriot missiles, an automated command and control system and a 360-degree air defence radar system are seen as critical components of this system and are among the items in the $14 billion package. AFP
Trump sought to strike an optimistic tone after US envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Putin on Wednesday, saying negotiators were “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to ending the war. The Kremlin indicated it was “in principle” open to the resumption of trilateral talks involving the two sides and the United States. But attacks did not let up in the wake of the visit. Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people had been wounded in huge barrages of 630 drones fired towards the region, 163 of which were approaching the Russian capital. The governor of nearby Tula region said Russian air defences had destroyed 70 drones. Another man was wounded in the Lipetsk region, its governor said. In Ukraine, the attacks killed one man in Sumy and a woman in Kharkiv, both in the northeast, as well as three people in southeastern Zaporizhzhia and two in the eastern region of Donetsk, authorities said. Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said on social media strikes had wounded 15 people in the Ukrainian capital. He said the strikes had damaged metro infrastructure at the Pivdenny Bridge, which officials said had restricted traffic between parts of the city. Ukraine’s air force posted a warning in the early hours of “more ballistic missiles towards Kyiv” and instructed residents to stay in shelters. Witkoff had flown to Russia from a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday, which was aimed at smoothing over a bitter rift between Trump and the Ukrainian leader. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also took part in the talks with Putin remotely. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Russia was “in principle, ready to resume” trilateral talks in midNovember -- after the US midterm elections -- and that the Kremlin wanted them to focus on post-war security. AFP
Websites go dark as AI exposes security flaws Libya recovers kidnapped Swiss, Austrian women
TRIPOLI – Two women -- one Swiss and the other Austrian -- were released from more than a year of captivity in Niger and arrived in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, Libyan media outlets reported on Thursday. The two women -- Swiss national Eva Gretzmacher, 76, and Austrian Claudia Abbt, 69 -- were abducted in Niger in 2025. In a video released by Libya’s easternbased al-Masar TV, the women appeared emaciated and thanked the country’s eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar and his son, Saddam, for their release. Al-Masar said “two hostages, an Austrian and a Swiss national, have been freed after being held captive in Niger for a year and a half”. “My name is Eva Gretzmacher, I am 76, and I thank from the bottom of my heart Marshal Haftar and his son, Saddam, who released us,” one of the woman said in French. AFP
WASHINGTON, DC – Government agencies and companies around the world shut down websites as they raced Thursday to protect themselves from hacks after artificial intelligence uncovered critical flaws in a widely used programming language called PHP. Wiz, one of the cybersecurity firms that found the two flaws, estimated that PHP code helps run about 70 percent of the world’s websites -- from online stores and news outlets to government services. It called the flaws “among the most severe vulnerabilities discovered in PHP, and arguably in software history”. PHP programmers released a fix on Wednesday, and the US National Security Agency told organizations to patch their sites immediately or pull vulnerable systems offline. Only sites that run PHP on their own servers are exposed. Many large platforms are built on other programming languages or use operators that could install the fix quickly and were able to stay online. Rahat Masood, senior lecturer in cybersecurity at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, called the discovery “quite devastating.” It could allow “attackers to get into your servers without any authorisation, without any username or password,” she told AFP. “Once they are in the servers, they can do anything they want” -- from stealing sensitive information to modifying website content -- she added, urging institutions to “take it seriously.” AFP
‘QUITE DISCONCERTING.’ French trade union CFE-CGC president Christelle Thieffinne speaks to the press after attending a meeting with France’s Prime Minister and other trade union leaders at the Hotel de Matignon in Paris on Wednesday, as more protests centered over rising living costs are planned for the weekend, organized by the Yellow Vest movement and high school students, with another called for Nov.r 5 by labor unions. AFP
El Nino fires leave 12 dead in Peru LIMA – Forest fires fueled by El Nino have killed 12 people and left hundreds homeless in Peru since June, authorities in the Andean country said Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time). Most of the victims were farmers who died of injuries sustained trying to fight the flames, the National Emergency Operations Center, which goes by the Spanish acronym COEN, said. The worst-affected region was Cusco, where a fire broke out close to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu earlier this month. A total of 457 forest fires were recorded in Peru between June and October. Biologist Daniel Valle of the Scientific University of the South in Lima said that the flames spread quickly due to high temperatures and dry conditions caused by El Nino. “We have a huge mass of hot, dry air over the whole of Peru as a result of El Nino,” he told AFP. AFP
Seoul sees no signs of latest NoKor arms on shared border
‘SOLIDARITY’ VISIT. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman greets French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the other day. Macron landed in Riyadh in a surprise ‘solidarity’ visit, making him the first Western leader to touch down in the kingdom since Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis intensified their attacks this month. AFP
SEOUL – South Korea’s military said Thursday it had seen no signs of newly deployed North Korean weapons on their shared border, hours after Pyongyang said new “counter means” would be put on alert along its length. Pyongyang has rejected claims it was behind an explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers last month inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the heavily mined buffer area that has divided the two Koreas since their 1953 armistice, and mockingly dismissed calls for an apology. The country on Monday called the situation along the border “grave,” saying it was considering deploying additional “tactical strike means” to the area. On Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said
the North would place loudspeakers on standby along the border “within days” and had put unspecified “new counter means” on alert. The statement came less than 24 hours after Kim Yo Jong announced Pyongyang had moved new troop units into “firing position” after a visit to the border. Both countries have occasionally turned to loudspeakers blaring propaganda across their shared border and other psychological warfare methods. But Seoul’s military said Thursday that it has seen no sign of new weapons being deployed so far. “We have not observed any signs that North Korea is deploying new types of weaponry,” Jang Do-young, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. AFP
SPORTS Avaricio digs deep, edges Lee by 1 at South Pacific golf DAVAO CITY—Chanelle Avaricio silenced a crowded title chase with an early eagle, then leaned on her precision, patience and steely resolve to thwart Tiffany Lee’s blistering backside charge and capture the ICTSI South Pacific Classic by one here on Thursday. In sweltering conditions at the South Pacific Golf Club, Avaricio delivered a closing threeunder 69 for an eight-under 209 total, capping a gutsy performance in a fiercely contested 54-hole championship that demanded as much mental toughness as shot-making brilliance. What appeared headed for a runaway victory quickly turned into a nerve-wracking battle down the stretch, as Avaricio’s early four-shot cushion evaporated under the combined weight of a costly miscue and Lee’s relentless charge. The two traded blows in a gripping finish that once again underscored the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s penchant for last-hole drama. Both appeared to wilt under the mounting pressure. They each missed the green on the closing par-5 18th and settled for bogeys, allowing Avaricio to clinch a one-stroke victory worth P142,250. Lee misjudged her pitch, sending the ball past the cup, then failed to get up and down from 12 feet. That effectively eased the pressure on Avaricio, who also missed her par putt from 8 feet. After winning by two strokes over Yvon Bisera at Pueblo de Oro last week, Lee settled for runnerup honors with a 70 for a 210 total worth P102,500. The setback did little to diminish her growing reputation, instead reaffirming her status as one of the players to watch on tour. “I really played well at the front – one eagle and three birdies. But at the back, I didn’t make any birdies and instead bogeyed two of the par5s. Overall, though, I think I played well,” said Avaricio, who had trouble recovering from the bunker on her first bogey and then missed the green on the final hole, leaving her pitch shot short before missing the putt.
Quezon, Binan near title clash QUEZON Province and Binan Tatak Gel won in contrasting fashion on Wednesday and are close to a South Division crown collision in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika PIlipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the packed Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City. Showing why they’re the back-to-back reigning division champions, the Quezon Huskers trounced the Cebu Greats, 77-67, in the nightcap, while Binan banked on Nic Cabanero’s buzzer-beater jumper to nip the Rizal XentroMall Golden Coolers, 72-70, in the opener of the South semifinal playoffs. Quezon and Binan seek a repeat and a sweep of the best-of-three semifinal series at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan on Tuesday, Oct. 27. With eight Huskers, led by Mon Abundo, scoring at least seven points, Quezon stormed ahead 61-43 and never wavered, delighting over 11,000 spectators. Abundo posted 11 points, laced with three triples, and 4 rebounds to capture the Spor tsPlus best player honors over Christian Pagaran, who chalked up 11 points, including three triples, and 2 Mon Abundo of the Huskers rebounds.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
Chanelle Avaricio is playfully doused by water by her peers after winning the ICTSI South Pacific Classic byone shot. Manny Marcelo
Court told: Maradona doctor made scapegoat for his death S AN ISIDRO, Argentina—A lawyer for Leopoldo Luque, a doctor charged in the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, said in closing arguments Wednesday that his client was innocent and had been made a “scapegoat.”
Attorney Roberto Rallin rejected the prosecution’s argument that Maradona’s November 2020 death was foreseeable, while another defense attorney, Francisco Oneto, maintained that his death resulted from an “acute and unpredictable” heart attack. “There was absolutely no possibility of predicting this fatal outcome,” Oneto insisted. Prosecutors have requested a 12-year prison sentence for Luque, a neurosurgeon considered a key
A supporter of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona sits beside portraits and memorabilia honoring Maradona outside the San Isidro courthouse. AFP
decision-maker for Maradona at the time of his death. “We are here to proclaim Luque’s innocence, not with television slogans, but with the evidence that supports it,” Rallin said. “Leopoldo Luque has been the scapegoat.” Maradona died at age 60 from a cardiorespiratory crisis coupled with pulmonary edema.
Mondilla fires 64 to storm ahead, eyes redemption DAVAO CITY—Clyde Mondilla is back where he has been so many times before – on top of the leaderboard, within reach of another Philippine Golf Tour title and in control of his own destiny. This time, however, the seasoned, multi-titled campaigner is determined to change the ending. Riding a blistering start and a relentless birdie spree, Mondilla fired an eight-under 64 under preferred lies to storm from four shots down into the outright lead after the third round of the ICTSI South Pacific Classic on Thursday, putting himself in prime position to end a title drought that has lingered since 2024. “I’ve been working on my
iron and wedge play this week, making a few adjustments to fix the mistakes I made at Pueblo,” said Mondilla in Filipino, one of the winningest players on the PGT whose last victory came two years ago at Caliraya Springs, when he defeated Angelo Que by three strokes. The Bukidnon ace opened with four straight birdies, erased his deficit to catch halfway leader Lee Song at 13-under, then sustained the charge over the remaining holes to seize the solo lead at 16-under 200. It was a stirring reminder of Mondilla’s ability to take control of a tournament when his game clicks. But it also brought back memories of what happened just days ago
Consistently inconsistent
THE San Beda Red Lions won a lost match against a scrappy Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 8986 last Monday in the ongoing men’s basketball tournament of Season 102 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The defending champions appeared for an easy win, leading by as much as 11 points, 85-74 with seven minutes left in the game. The Generals, however, had other plans. A 12-0 blast in the last six minutes and 52.2 seconds enabled EAC to even grab the lead. Four consecutive free throws, however, by cold-blooded team captain RC Calimag, and a missed three-point attempt at the buzzer ended the Generals’ hope of taking the scalp of the Bedans. The win propped up the Red Lions’ win-loss slate to a 6-3 slate, while the Generals dropped to 3-6. As it stands, San Beda is tied with Mapua and the College of St. Benilde with a similar win-loss record. The Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers are towing the rest of the field with a 7-2 slate after going through a wringer just to brush aside a pesky Perpetual Help Altas last Tuesday. The Altas appeared headed to an upset win against the
He was found dead in his bed at a residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, rented for his convalescence, following surgery for a subdural hematoma. The death of Argentina’s favorite son plunged the country into mourning in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of people de-
fied social distancing rules to bid farewell to him as he lay in state at the presidential palace. A total of seven health-care professionals have been on trial since April for potential negligence leading to the star’s death during his two weeks of convalescence. Prosecutors have requested sentences ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants. In its closing arguments, the prosecution condemned Luque’s “inaction,” saying his attitude “was always to do nothing” in the face of the warning signs that Maradona was exhibiting. Contested medical history Luque’s lawyers particularly attacked the conclusions of the interdisciplinary medical commission, which had been established by the court in 2021 to provide an opinion on the star’s death. The commission, which based its findings on the autopsy and other things, said Maradona had a history of heart problems that should have been taken into account, a conclusion the prosecution emphasized. AFP
Heavy Bombers, but four missed free throws in OT doomed the Altas to their six consecutive loss. So what’s the point of this mention? The Red Lions should be on top in the group. They could have won their games against the Mapua Cardinals and the Arellano Chiefs. But then again, they could have lost their games against the Letran Knights and the Generals, too. San Beda needs to play consistent basketball, which is easier said and done considering that the Red Lions, so far, have been consistently inconsistent. Salamat my Bedan bro and classmate Atty. Bert Regino for summing up the current campaign on point! The Red Lions will next face the Heavy Bombers this afternoon, 5 p.m. at Playtime FilOil Center in San Juan. Which reminds me of an entity that has the propensity to fire people left and right but has no shame in retaining and covering for someone who has brought embarrassments, conflicts of interest and a hefty fine to the organization. Funny, this sentence can also be applied to someone I used to work for. Just ask my brothers Jay, Jon, Aries, Rico and Mike. Two words: Consistently annoying. Fresh from being named as one of football icons of Southeast Asia, the ageless Stephan Schrock is set on his next adventure. In a quick huddle with The Designated Kit Man, Schroecky revealed that he has several big plans that hopefully will materialize in the first quarter of 2027. “I’ll be working on the possible expansion of the
at Pueblo de Oro – when a spectacular third-round surge put him in command, only for a disastrous final-day 73 to send him tumbling to fourth. This time, Mondilla is hoping the lessons of that painful finish will make all the difference. Standing in his way is Song, who has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough since topping the PGT Qualifying School in 2023. The Korean, who surged into the lead with rounds of 67 and 65, remained firmly in contention despite Mondilla’s spectacular charge, carding a 69 for a 201. “It was a good round, although I made a lot of mistakes. Still, I managed to save par on a few holes,” said Song.
Azkals Development Academy (ADT) in Mindanao. There are at least two cities that we are eyeing to bring the ADT to help boost the grassroots football programs there,” Schrock revealed. If plans push through, the ADT will soon be present in General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro. The ADT is already in Davao City and at least four more cities are also being considered in the expansion plans. Proposals are now being studied on the feasibility of setting up more Azkal academies in Mindanao. Schrock believes that there are many football talents in Mindanao, and to help discover them is to give them a platform to further improve their skills. “The focus is really to help local kids in these cities to realize their dreams of playing professional football, to bring their skills to the next level and possibly be the next Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta and other players who have represented the country in international tournaments. I wish that all kids can build their own legacy,” Schrock explained. Regarding his team competing in the Philippines Football League, Schrock says his ADT Football Club is performing decently despite being the newest club in the domestic league. “We are doing our baby steps into the league, which is expected, but I’m happy with the overall development of the team,” he added. The team is currently sixth on the table with a win, a draw and three losses in five games. On his recent accolade, Schrockey said he was so humbled and honored that he was considered into the elite circle of ASEAN legends. “You know my history with the Azkals and with the Federation was a bit rocky at times, very good at times but ultimately what matters most was the legacy I left
Clyde Mondilla Manny Marcelo on the pitch,” he said. Praying that all these plans will materialize soon, I couldn’t agree more with Schrockey regarding the impact of ADT in big and traditional football communities in Mindanao. For a country that doesn’t regard football that much, it is heartening to know that there are still some people who are willing to risk it all just to promote the beautiful sport. Good luck Stephan and to your well-meaning friends and partners. Same goes to Freddy Gonzalez, whose bid to secure ownership of Finn Harps Football Club in Ireland appeared closer after a historic meeting organized by the club the other night. “First vote done. Second vote in two weeks,” an obviously elated Gonzalez told The Designated Kit Man. In a clip shared by the former team manager of the Philippine Men’s National Football Team, Gonzalez got overwhelming support from the fan-owned club. “The numbers have come in. In total, 400 people have participated tonight, which is incredible in itself. And it has been an overwhelming majority of 99% of people who have supported,” said Ian Harkin, current chair of the Cooperative Society of Finn Harps FC. With the first phase of the two-part process done, Gonzalez is confident that the same result will be the sentiment of the fans-owners of the Donegal based club which is competing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. “It’s just a formality,” Gonzalez added. Stay safe. Stay happy peeps! For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@yahoo. com or follow his account at X (formerly Twitter): @erelcabatbat
SPORTS
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor
PH medalists of Nagoya Asiad receive latest iPhones Medalists of the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games hold their new iPhone units. They are joined by POC president Abraham Tolentino and national sports association heads. POC Photo
Manginsay, Redulla bag silver, lift Team PH spirits By Randy Caluag
N
AGOYA—Lhey Manginsay and Wilfred Redulla captured a table tennis silver medal Thursday, lifting the Philippine Team’s spirits after a ruling reversal cost para-runner Cyril Cloyd Ongcoy a bronze at the 5th Asian Para Games here. The Filipino pair challenged China’s Zhao Shuai and Xiong Guiyan before yielding, 7-11, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, in the mixed doubles Class XD17 final at Sky Hall Toyota. Manginsay and Redulla leveled the match by taking the second game, but the Chinese tandem, led by Paralympic champion Zhao, asserted control over the next two to secure the gold. It was the Philippines’ first table tennis medal in the Games since the late Paralympic bronze medalist Josephine Medina secured a silver in Jakarta eight years ago. The breakthrough raised the country’s tally to two golds, two silvers and a bronze, good for 16th overall at press time. Their podium finish offered consolation to a delegation still reeling from Ongcoy’s THE Pickle Yard Conference League (PYCL) hopes to play a much bigger role in the rapidly growing sport of pickleball in the country, with the Season 2 kicking off on Saturday at The Pickle Yard SOMO in Bacoor City, Cavite. With a good mix of Filipino and international players bannering the rosters of the eight participating teams, the league is aiming to provide local talents with regular competition and consistent exposure to different playing styles as the sport continues to gain a strong following in the country. PYCL commissioner John Regison Talusan said the second season will focus on raising the level of competition while giving Filipino players opportunities to learn from their international counterparts. “Season 2 is about raising the level of competition. We want our Filipino players to be tested by international athletes, different playing styles and different competitive backgrounds, while giving overseas players a chance to experience the energy and talent of Philippine pickleball,” said Talusan. Season 2 runs until Nov. 27, with matches scheduled on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
overnight slide from third to fourth in the men’s 1,500-meter T12/T13. The 23-year-old, who clocked a personal-best four minutes and 23.19 seconds Wednesday night, lost his bronze-medal position after Uzbekistan’s Fakhriddin Khamraev was reinstated following an initial disqualification. Khamraev took gold in 4:07.47, while Jordan’s Nabeel Maqableh and India’s Sharath Makanahalli dropped to silver and bronze in 4:07.97 and 4:11.01, respectively. Ongcoy nevertheless drew encouragement from his debut against a seasoned field. “Proud pa rin ako kasi first time kong maglaro sa Asian Para Games dahil mga kalaban ko, beterano na,” he said. At the Rainbow Pool of the Nagoya City General
Lhey Manginsay and Wilfred Redulla PSC-PPC Media Pool
Gymnasium, Arjay Alegarbes missed a second gold after finishing fifth in the men’s 100-meter butterfly S14 in 58.93 seconds. Fellow champion Ernie Gawilan was among the Filipinos seeking further medals, competing in the men’s 100-meter backstroke S7. Swimming accounted for the country’s two golds, one silver and one bronze before the table tennis silver.
PYCL stages Season 2 at The Pickle Yard SOMO
John Regison Talusan
Bien Zoleta-Manalac
The league also hopes to strengthen the exchange between local and foreign players, allowing both sides to gain experience in a competitive environment like the PYCL. Among the featured players for the new season are Filipino-British Mikar Fisher and Filipina-Australian Crystal Mildwaters, who will join international
Crystal Mildwaters
players Amore Cook, Cody Temple and Nico Almeida in the tournament. Also worth watching is local ace Bien Zoleta-Manalac, who just a month ago helped power PH soft tennis to historic bronze medal finish in the women’s event at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The eight franchises that will be
competing for the Season 2 title are the Thrifty Drivers, Dentacare Pearly Whites, Cartivo Movers, Konjac Zero Phoenix Force, GFOXX Paragon, Black Mamba Aces, Cebuana Lhuillier Gems and DreamSkin Radiants. Talusan expressed confidence that Season 2 will generate more interest from both the young and old enthusiasts of the sport. Given the kind of preparations all teams have undertaken, it is also expected also surpass the success of the inaugural staging. Backing the event are NEXXGEN, BT Sports Apparel, UET International Corp., Healthy & Pure Brand, Million Glow by Kimsdiary, Immuni, Salonpas, Filmore Apartments, Fortun & Santos Law Offices, Les Alajeras Jewelry, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Magnolia, Dear Self Aesthetic and Wellness Center, GrabKa Sports Center, i-fern, Luigi Reyes, Red Planet Hotels and Robinsons Movieworld. PYCL Season 2 media partners include GMA News TV, SPOTV, Prime TV, Nudge Sports, DZMM Radyo Patrol 630, Favorite Music Radio and TrillerTV.
Cabalo, Antolin top overall winners at Salomon Gravel Lobo 12K By Nathaniel dela Cruz LOBO, Batangas – Angelie Cabalo and Kyle Antolin emerged as the women’s and men’s top overall winners in the Salomon Gravel Lobo 12K, held in Malabrigo, Lobo, Batangas. Cabalo clocked 1 hour, 22 minutes and 45 seconds to lead the women’s field, while Antolin claimed the men’s title in 1:22:44, finishing just a second faster than Cabalo’s winning time. Erica Lachica took second place in the women’s division in 1:52:14, followed by Angelica Villarante in 1:53:25. In the men’s division, Napoleon Tolentino finished runner-up in 1:29:24, while Jomari Aguisanda completed the podium in 1:31:55. “Congratulations to all who finished the Gravel Lobo run. The sun did not exactly cooperate with us, but the extra challenge from the heat made it more fun as we got to know ourselves more out there,” said Cristelle Corpuz, Salomon Marketing Manager. The 12-kilometer race challenged participants with a combination of beach shoreline, gravel roads and paved sections, offering runners a
A runner navigates the trail at the Salomon Gravel Lobo.
varied course through the coastal community of Malabrigo. “A few years ago, Salomon realized that runners do not just really run on one type of surface. This realization is applicable to Filipino runners who
enjoy different surfaces,” Corpuz said. “We have started gravel running in the Philippines last year and would like to introduce it through a larger scale. We want more people to experience the thrill of gravel running.” In the age-group competitions, Neil Patrick Untalan led the men’s 29-and-below category in 1:33:41, ahead of Jasper Jo Loberes (1:37:33) and John Joseph Taneo (1:42:46). Victoria Echavez topped the women’s division in 2:00:17, followed by Martine Corpus (2:01:36) and Kate Manondon (2:01:52). Binz Angeles claimed the men’s 30-39 title in 1:33:26, with Jun Kevin Dalangin (1:34:16) and Alaric Lopez De Leon (1:35:49) completing the top three. Kimberly Alia Bacaron led the women’s division in 1:58:29, narrowly beating Charisse Faye Tibe, who finished in 1:58:51. Istin Ganda placed third in 2:13:21. In the 40-49 category, Mac Azanes won the men’s race in 1:53:13, ahead of Fernando III Serra (1:53:55) and Patrick Aquino (1:58:09). Abigail Tud secured the women’s title in 2:15:17, followed by Jennifer Pagaduan (2:21:05) and Ma Glaiza Edejer (2:25:47).
THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) honored the medalists in last month’s Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games by rewarding them with the latest iPhone 18 models during its fourth General Assembly of the year on Thursday at the East Ocean Palace in Parañaque City. POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino thanked SportsPlus for providing a total of 49 of the 53 iPhone 18 (512GB)—three iPhone Duo for the three gold medalists, 11 iPhone Pro Max for the silver winners and 35 iPhone Pro for bronze medalists—as reward for their valuable effort. “All the athletes who won a medal here are so happy to get a new iPhone 18 model through the help of SportsPlus, and we are all thankful for their generosity,” Tolentino said. “That is a total of P7 million because even all members of team sports that won a medal have an iPhone each.” The Philippine delegation harvested a total of 29 medals—two golds from Paris Olympics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo of gymnastics and one gold each from EJ Obiena in pole vault and Jeus Yape in taekwondo, and nine silvers and 16 bronze medals in Nagoya. Except for Yulo and younger brother Karl Eldrew, who are presently competing in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in the Netherlands, and Obiena, who’s back training in Athens, and Alex Eala, who’s competing in the WTA500 Ningbo Open in China, all medalists got their iPhones. “Very thankful I have a new iPhone that I can use, but I will keep my old phone,” Yape said. The gold medalists will also receive P2 million cash incentives each from the government through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). The nine silver winners will have P1 million each, while the bronze medalists will get P400,000 each. “I will give this iPhone Pro Max to my wife when I come home to Kalinga,” MMA’s Jean Claude Saclag, said referring to his nurse wife Rochelle.
Ongcoy vows to move on with new personal best NAGOYA—The bronze medal slipped away overnight, but Cyril Cloyd Ongcoy is taking something from his Asian Para Games debut that no ruling can overturn -- a new personal best and the resolve to come back stronger. The 23-year-old Filipino runner is looking toward next year’s ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur after finishing fourth in the men’s 1,500-meter T12/T13 final at the AichiNagoya Games. “Opo, sir, ayos lang po. Babawi na lang po ako sa next game ko,” Ongcoy said. His time of four minutes and 23.19 seconds marked a personal best, giving him reason to celebrate despite the disappointment of losing an apparent podium finish. “Masakit man dahil fourth place tayo at hindi pinalad na makuha ang bronze medal, masaya pa rin ako dahil ibinigay ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya para sa ating bansa,” he said. Ongcoy was elevated to third in Wednesday evening’s results following the disqualification of Uzbekistan’s Fakhriddin Khamraev. By Thursday morning, however, a jury had overturned that ruling, restoring the Uzbek as champion and returning the Filipino to fourth. The reversal ended what the Philippine delegation had briefly celebrated as its first athletics medal of the Games.
Cyril Ongcoy (right) with running guide Ritchie Velez Estampador. Cyril Ongcoy
BUSINESS WHAT’S INSIDE?
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BSP raises key interest rate by 50 bps to 5.50% T
By Thony Rose Lesaca
PSE plans Shariah index
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Hydro development to cost P5t
he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday raised its overnight borrowing rate by 50 basis points to 5.50 percent, saying a strong policy response is needed to counter broadening price pressures and further upside risks to inflation. This marked the fourth consecutive rate hike since the Middle East conflict began in February and reflects the BSP’s persistent concerns about strengthening second-round effects and rising inflation expectations, according to Oxford Economics. The Monetary Board, the policymaking body of the BSP, also raised the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities to 5.0 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively. Data showed that the headline inflation surged to 7.2 percent in September, after easing for four
consecutive months to 6.1 percent in August. Core inflation also rose to 4.7 percent, reflecting higher domestic pump prices and monsoon-related disruptions to agricultural production. The BSP said it expects inflation to accelerate further in the coming months. It sees average headline inflation staying high in 2027 and approaching its 3.0 percent target in 2028. Core inflation is also projected to keep rising, which points to underlying price pressures. Renewed tensions in the Middle East have pushed global oil prices
higher, and the recent increase in transportation fares has brought upside risks to inflation to bear, the BSP said. It said El Niño conditions also continue to threaten agricultural production and prices. The BSP said it expects domestic economic activity to recover, supported by fiscal measures. The Monetary Board said the move makes monetary policy appropriately restrictive, which will contain secondround effects and firmly anchor inflation expectations. The BSP said it stands ready to take further monetary policy action as necessary to return inflation to target in a timely manner, in keeping with its price stability mandate. Oxford Economics said despite the weak growth outlook, the BSP is expected to prioritized containing inflation. “We therefore forecast another 25 bps hike at the BSP’s December meeting, followed by a hold through 2027,” it said.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor
5.50% Overnight borrowing rate
5.0%
Overnight deposit rate
6.0% Overnight lending rate SOCIAL PROTECTION.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Robert Joseph De Claro (second from left) and Social Security System (SSS) president and chief executive Victor Alfonso Limlingan Jr. (third from left) sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and data sharing agreement (DSA) to connect more Filipino freelancers, virtual assistants and digital professionals with relevant opportunities, accessible social protection and sustainable livelihoods.
P11-b Diliman lot auction fails
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Peso dips to new record low of 63.52 per dollar PEZA investment approvals jumped 76% to P309.6b in 10 months By Thony Rose Lesaca and Jenniffer B. Austria
By Othel V. Campos
THE peso closed at 63.52 against the US dollar Thursday as the local currency searched for a new bottom following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) big interest rate hike. The peso opened at 63.31 and fell to as low as 63.54 before finishing the day at 63.52. A trader attributed the peso’s continued depreciation to growing inflationary concerns. “The peso reached another intraday low on growing domestic inflationary concerns which are seen to potentially exacerbate the local currency’s weakness. A 50-bp(s) hike can greatly support the peso, but market forces from US fundamentals might dilute its effect,” the trader said. The BSP’s Monetary Board raised the overnight borrowing rate by 50 basis points to 5.5 percent, the highest since February 2025. It also raised the overnight deposit and lending facility rates to 5 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The move was the BSP’s fourth consecutive rate hike and brought total monetary tightening since April to 125 basis points. The BSP said a strong policy response was needed to counter broadening price pressures and further upside risks to inflation. Oxford Economics said the peso’s depreciation to a record low in October strengthens the case for continued policy support against imported inflation. Gross international reserves fell 8.8 percent year-on-year in September to their lowest level in 3 years, it said.
THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) expects investment approvals to rise further next year after they surged 76.56 percent to P309.629 billion in the first 10 months of 2026, topping its P300-billion fullyear target and putting the agency on track for a record year. The January-October approvals, up from P175.365 billion a year ago, leave PEZA within reach of its record P311.9 billion, set in 2012 under the
Aquino administration. “This is a significant milestone for PEZA and our country. Surpassing our P300-billion investment target ahead of year-end reflects the confidence investors continue to place in the Philippines,” said PEZA directorgeneral Tereso Panga. The PEZA board, chaired by Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, approved 240 new and expansion projects during the period. The projects are expected to generate $9.124 billion in exports and 38,815 direct jobs.
Big-ticket projects accounted for P271.325 billion of the total, with investments spread across manufacturing, IT-BPM, ecozone development, facilities, logistics, domestic-market enterprises, tourism and utilities. Manufacturing led with 92 approved projects, followed by ITBPM with 40, ecozone development with 38, facilities with 25, logistics with 21, domestic-market enterprises with 17, tourism with 4 and utilities with 3. Taiwanese investors led the top for-
eign nationalities, followed by Dutch, South Korean, Singaporean and Indonesian investors. “These results show that the Philippines can capture a larger share of global investment as companies look for competitive production and export locations,” Panga said. In October alone, the PEZA Board approved 18 new and expansion projects worth P12.48 billion. The projects are expected to generate $178.2 million in exports and 5,484 direct jobs.
Weak peso strengthens PH exports
RAINWATER PARK. The Megaworld Capital Town Rainwater Park in San Fernando, Pampanga will serve as a model for public parks and open spaces across the Philippines, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways. Besides adding public space, the park can store up to 20,000 cubic meters of rainwater, which is seen as helping control flooding and ensure adequate water supply, especially during dry spells. The move follows an order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to work with the private sector on various solutions to ease flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
9-month budget deficit hit P1.3t as public spending increased 7.9%
JAPAN EXPO. The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, together with the Department of Tourism (DOT), leads the Philippine delegation at Tourism Expo Japan (TEJ) 2026, strengthening the country’s presence in the Japanese market at Tokyo Big Sight. From Sept. 24 to 27, the Philippine delegation generated P404 million in sales leads from 408 business-to-business (B2B) meetings, with 12 tourism stakeholders representing accommodations, airlines, travel agencies and tour operators.
THE government’s budget deficit widened to P1.3 trillion in the first nine months of 2026 from P1.12 trillion a year ago as spending outpaced revenue growth, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed Thursday. The year-to-date gap was 16.64 percent (P186 billion) wider than a year ago and 8.08 percent (P97.4 billion) above the P1.21 trillion nine-month program. It represented 78.56 percent of the P1.66 trillion full-year target. Data showed that in September alone, the deficit rose 0.33 percent to P248.9 billion from P248.1 billion a year ago. Expenditures grew by P37.3 billion (7.04 percent) year-on-year, nearly offset by a P36.5-billion (12.95
percent) rise in revenue. The national government collected P318.2 billion in September, up 12.95 percent from P281.7 billion a year ago, as tax revenue grew 12.11 percent and non-tax revenue 27.22 percent. Cumulative collections reached P3.53 trillion, up 4.99 percent (P168.1 billion) from P3.37 trillion and equal to 73.54 percent of the P4.81 trillion full-year target. It was 0.95 percent (P33.9 billion) below the P3.57 trillion nine-month program. January-September tax revenue totaled P3.22 trillion, up 5.64 percent from P3.05 trillion and accounting for 91.23 percent of total collections. Thony Rose Lesaca
THE Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) said the weak peso has helped strengthen exports this year. SEIPI said while the peso depreciation poses serious challenges for the broader economy, particularly by raising the peso cost of imported goods, it has benefited electronics exports. “For exporters, the effect can be different. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that goods-export growth in the first half of 2026 was largely volume-driven and further supported by peso depreciation, specifically identifying electronics among the key export commodities supported by global AI and datacenter demand,” the group said. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president and SEIPI board member Perry Ferrer said a weaker peso is challenging for the economy as a whole, “and we should not minimize that.” “But dollar-earning export industries such as electronics can receive an additional competitiveness benefit. The important thing is to convert any exchange-rate advantage into something lasting: more investment, higher productivity and greater technological capability,” Ferrer said. The peso closed at a record low of 63.52 against the US dollar on Thursday, raising the cost of petroleum products and other imported goods. Othel V. Campos
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PSE plans Shariah index to expand market T the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum. Refran said establishing a dedicated benchmark would stimulate retail and institutional demand by providing a clear reference for investors seeking ethical and faith-based options. “That is where we feel that the demand will also be incentivized when you have that representative index,” Refran said. “To come up with an index, a criteria in the universe of potential companies to be included in the index, is what we’re getting.”
By Jenniffer B. Austria
HE Philippine Stock Exchange is working to develop a Shariah-compliant stock index to attract Muslim Filipino investors and broaden the range of financial products in the local equities market. The local bourse is partnering with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos to establish screening standards that determine whether listed
companies comply with Islamic principles, PSE chief operating officer and executive vice president Roel Refran said Thursday during a roundtable at
Maynilad completes P200-m pipeline replacement project
Career CareerOpportunity Opportunityin in Position PositionTitle: Title:
BANH BANHMI MIVIET VIETFOOD FOODCORP CORP VIETNAMESE VIETNAMESECUISINE CUISINEANALYST ANALYST- 2- 2Vacancies Vacancies
JobÊDescription:ÊÊÊÊ JobÊDescription:ÊÊÊÊ
Analyzing AnalyzingVietnamese Vietnamesefood foodrecipes, recipes,ingredients, ingredients,preparation preparationmethods, methods,and andpresentation. presentation. Evaluating Evaluatingfood foodquality, quality,flavor flavorconsistency, consistency,and andauthenticity. authenticity.Assisting Assistingininmenu menudevelopment developmentand andrecipe recipestandardization standardization Providing Providingrecommendations recommendationsforforfood foodpreparation, preparation,ingredient ingredientselection, selection,and andkitchen kitchenprocedures. procedures. Qualifications:Ê Qualifications:Ê Strong Strongknowledge knowledgeofofVietnamese Vietnamesecuisine, cuisine,ingredients ingredientsregional regionalculinary culinarytraditions. traditions.Strong Stronganalytical, analytical,research, research,&&report-writing report-writingskills. skills. Experience Experienceininculinary culinaryresearch, research,menu menudevelopment, development,food foodanalysis, analysis,ororrestaurant restaurantoperations operationsis isananadvantage. advantage. Understanding Understandingofoffood foodcosting, costing,menu menuengineering, engineering,consumer consumerfood foodtrends. trends. Application Application may may bebe sent sent to:to:
BANH BANHMIMIVIET VIETFOOD FOODCORP CORP Cherey Cherey C.C. Nillas Nillas mibanhviet@gmail.com mibanhviet@gmail.com
Company/ Company/Employer Employer
Name Nameofofforeign foreignnational nationalIntending Intendingtotoapply applyfor forthe theposition position
BANH BANHMIMIVIET VIETFOOD FOODCORP. CORP.
Principal PrincipalAddress: Address: Iloilo IloiloCentral CentralMarket Marketcor corRizal-Iznart Rizal-IznartSt.St.Nonoy NonoyIloilo Iloilo Branch BranchOffice: Office: Lots Lots1&2 1&2Blk Blk4646Fil-am Fil-amF-ship F-shipHi-way Hi-wayCutcut CutcutAngeles AngelesCiy Ciy NATURE NATURE OFOF BUSINESS: BUSINESS:
ToTomanage manageand andoperate operate food food services servicesininrestaurant restaurant
Position PositionTitle: Title:
Name: Name: NGUYEN NGUYENHO HOHAN HANTHUYEN THUYEN Address: Address: Iloilo IloiloCentral CentralMarket MarketRizal-Iznart Rizal-IznartStStNonoy NonoyIloilo Iloilo Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Vietnamese Intended Intendedperiod periodofofEmployment: Employment:Three Three(3) (3)years years Name: Name: NHAN NHANTUYET TUYETYEN YEN Address: Address: Fil-am Fil-amF-ship F-shipHi-way Hi-wayCutcut CutcutAngeles AngelesCity City Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Vietnamese Intended Intendedperiod periodofofEmployment: Employment:Three Three(3) (3)years years
VIETNAMESE VIETNAMESEFOOD FOODMARKET MARKETSPECIALIST SPECIALIST- 2- 2Vacancies Vacancies
JobÊDescription:ÊÊÊÊ JobÊDescription:ÊÊÊÊ
Conduct Conductmarket marketresearch researchononVietnamese Vietnamesecuisine, cuisine,food foodproducts, products,restaurants, restaurants,dining diningtrend. trend.and andpotential potentialbusiness businessopportunities. opportunities. Analyze Analyzemarket marketdemand demandforfortraditional traditionalVietnamese Vietnamesedishes, dishes,regional regionalspecialties, specialties,packaged packagedfoods, foods,and andready-to-eat ready-to-eatproducts. products. Research Researchthe theVietnamese Vietnamesefood foodmarket marketininlocal localand andinternational internationalmarkets marketsand andpotential potentialbusiness businessopportunities.. opportunities.. Qualifications:Ê Qualifications:Ê Knowledge KnowledgeofofVietnamese Vietnamesecuisine, cuisine,food foodculture, culture,and andindustry industrytrends. trends.Strong Stronganalytical, analytical,research, research,and anddata datainterpretation interpretationskills. skills. Strong Strongwritten writtenand andverbal verbalcommunication communicationskills. skills.Ability Abilitytotoprepare preparereports reportsand andpresent presentfindings findingstotomanagement. management. Vietnamese Vietnameselanguage languageproficiency proficiencyis isananadvantage advantagewhen whenresearching researchingVietnamese-language Vietnamese-languagesources sourcesand andlocal localmarket marketinformation. information. BANH BANHMIMIVIET VIETFOOD FOODCORP. CORP.
Principal PrincipalAddress: Address: Iloilo IloiloCentral CentralMarket Marketcor corRizal-Iznart Rizal-IznartSt.St.Nonoy NonoyIloilo Iloilo Branch BranchOffice: Office: Lots Lots1&2 1&2Blk Blk4646Fil-am Fil-amF-ship F-shipHi-way Hi-wayCutcut CutcutAngeles AngelesCiy Ciy NATURE NATURE OFOF BUSINESS: BUSINESS:
ToTomanage manageand andoperate operate food food services servicesininrestaurant restaurant
Position PositionTitle: Title:
Name: Name: HUYNH HUYNHNGOC NGOCTHU THU Address: Address: Iloilo IloiloCentral CentralMarket MarketRizal-Iznart Rizal-IznartStStNonoy NonoyIloilo Iloilo Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Vietnamese Intended Intendedperiod periodofofEmployment: Employment:Three Three(3) (3)years years Name: Name: VAN VANLINH LINHMA MA Address: Address: Fil-am Fil-amF-ship F-shipHi-way Hi-wayCutcut CutcutAngeles AngelesCity City Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Vietnamese Intended Intendedperiod periodofofEmployment: Employment:Three Three(3) (3)years years
VIETNAMESE VIETNAMESEMENU MENUANALYST ANALYST- 1- 1Vacancy Vacancy
JobÊDescription:ÊÊÊÊ JobÊDescription:ÊÊÊÊ Review Reviewand andevaluate evaluateexisting existingVietnamese Vietnamesemenus menusfor forvariety, variety,authenticity, authenticity,balance, balance,and andcustomer customerappeal. appeal. Assess Assessthe thebalance balanceofofappetizers, appetizers,soups, soups,noodle noodledishes, dishes,rice ricemeals, meals,main maincourses, courses,beverages, beverages,and anddesserts. desserts. .. Evaluate Evaluatemenu menudescriptions, descriptions,ingredient ingredientinformation, information,food foodpresentation, presentation,and andportion portionsizes. sizes.
Qualifications:Ê Qualifications:Ê Strong Stronganalytical, analytical,numerical, numerical,organizational, organizational,and andproblem-solving problem-solvingskills. skills. Ability Abilitytotointerpret interpretsales salesreports, reports,food foodcost costdata, data,and andcustomer customerfeedback. feedback. Excellent Excellentcommunication communicationskills skillsand andthe theability abilitytotocollaborate collaboratewith withchefs, chefs,purchasing purchasingteams, teams,and andmanagement. management. BANH BANHMIMIVIET VIETFOOD FOODCORP. CORP.
Principal PrincipalAddress: Address: Iloilo IloiloCentral CentralMarket Marketcor corRizal-Iznart Rizal-IznartSt.St.Nonoy NonoyIloilo Iloilo NATURE NATURE OFOF BUSINESS: BUSINESS:
ToTomanage manageand andoperate operatefood food services servicesininrestaurant restaurant
Name: Name: VO, VO,THI THIANH ANHHONG HONG Address: Address: Iloilo IloiloCentral CentralMarket MarketRizal-Iznart Rizal-IznartStStNonoy NonoyIloilo Iloilo Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Vietnamese Intended Intendedperiod periodofofEmployment: Employment:Three Three(3) (3)years years
BANH BANH MIMI VIET VIET FOOD FOOD CORP., CORP., hereby hereby declares declaresthat that the the above-names above-names foreign foreign nationals, nationals,NGUYEN NGUYEN HO HO HAN HAN THUYEN, THUYEN,HUYNH HUYNH NGOC NGOC THU, THU,NHAN NHAN TUYET TUYET
YEN YEN, VAN , VANLINH LINHMA MAand andVO VOTHI THIANH ANHHONG HONGare areable ablewilling willing and andqualified qualifiedtotoperform performthe theservices servicesand andjob jobdescription descriptionforforthis thispositions, positions,Engineering Engineering Specialist, Specialist,Construction ConstructionSpecialist SpecialistChinese ChineseProcurement. Procurement.The Thecompany companyhas hasthe theintention intentiontotoemploy employthe thesaid saidforeign foreignnationals nationalsand andapply applyforforananAlien Alien Employment EmploymentPermit Permit-DOLE -DOLECentral CentralOffice OfficeDepartment DepartmentofofLabor Laborand andEmployment Employment(DOLE) (DOLE)Building, Building,Muralla MurallaWing Wingcor. cor.General GeneralLuna LunaSt., St.,Intramuros, Intramuros, Manila, Manila,1002, 1002, If Ifthere thereare areany anyobjections objectionsororinquiries, inquiries,please pleasecontact contactthe theconcerned concernedDOLE DOLERegional RegionalOffice. Office.
Any Any Filipino Filipino jobseeker jobseeker who who is is competent, competent, able able and and willing willing toto perform perform thethe services services forfor which which the the foreign foreign national national is is intended intended toto bebe hired hired for, for, may may filefile anan objection objection atat thethe Department Department ofof labor labor and and Employment Employment - DOLE - DOLE Central Central Office Office Department Department of of Labor Labor and and Employment Employment (DOLE) (DOLE) Building, Building, Muralla Muralla Wing Wing cor. cor. General General Luna Luna St., St., Intramuros, Intramuros, Manila, Manila, 1002, 1002, after after this this publication. publication. Please Please inform inform Department Department ofofLabor Labor and and EmploymentEmploymentDole Dole Central Central Office, Office, If you If you have have any any information information onon criminal criminal offenses offenses committed committed byby the the foreigh foreigh national national
ingly seeking products aligned with specific values, including religious principles, sustainability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. A dedicated Shariah index could cater to the country’s nearly 7 million Muslim Filipinos seeking investment avenues consistent with their faith. Depending on market demand and regulatory adoption, the initiative could eventually expand to include Islamic debt instruments such as sukuk bonds.
GCash IPO introduces ordinary investors to PH stock market —“—
By Othel V. Campos MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. has completed a P200-million pipeline replacement project in Las Piñas City, recovering 3.73 million liters of water daily and boosting service pressure for approximately 50,000 customers. The West Zone concessionaire replaced 23.11 kilometers of aging, leaking, and undersized pipes—ranging from 75 millimeters to 300 millimeters in diameter—to optimize water distribution and curb system losses. The network upgrades raised water pressure in the coverage areas from about 4 pounds per square inch to 16 psi, enabling water flow to reach up to the third floor of buildings without booster pumps, depending on elevation and internal plumbing. The project benefits residents across barangays Manuyo Dos, Talon Singko, Talon Uno, Talon Tres, and Pulang Lupa Dos. Completed in 2025, the initiative forms part of Maynilad’s Non-Revenue Water Management Program designed to reduce physical supply losses and improve overall grid efficiency. The NRW program encompasses district metered area establishment, active leak detection and repair, pipe replacements, network diagnostics, and meter management.
He noted, however, that building a credible and unified framework is critical, as differing interpretations of Shariah law could affect company eligibility and potentially erode market confidence. The PSE currently identifies Shariah-compliant equities based on screening conducted by the Bahrainbased Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions. “Coming up with that structure should be the first [step],” Refran said. He added that investors are increas-
The listing gave Filipinos an opportunity to grow their wealth …
FILIPINOS who have become familiar with electronic transactions can now dip into their savings to invest in the stock market. The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) now sees big a opportunity to bring the stock market closer to ordinary investors. The GCash initial public offering (IPO) through GStocks in the GCash app will encourage greater participation among retail investors. This means that Filipinos who already use GCash to pay bills, transfer money, save, borrow, or access other financial services could also gain a more familiar gateway into stock-market investing. Shares of Gcash, through parent company Mynt Inc., were listed early this week at an IPO price of P6.60 per share. The listing gave Filipinos an opportunity to grow their wealth and take another step toward achieving financial freedom. For many Filipinos, financial freedom remains an aspiration rather than a present reality. The 2025 Consumer Finance and Inclusion Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) presents an interesting contradiction. Around 60 percent of Filipino adults consider themselves financially literate, while 74 percent were able to correctly answer at least half of six questions measuring basic financial knowledge. Yet, only 43 percent said they were satisfied with their current financial situation, suggesting that knowing how to manage money does not necessarily mean having enough cash to manage. Filipinos may understand the importance of budgeting, saving and investing but
still struggle to build sufficient financial buffers after paying for food, utilities, transportation, education, debt and other everyday expenses. The same BSP survey provides a glimpse into what Filipinos do when they have money left over. When asked what they would do with extra funds, 44 percent said they would keep the money in a piggy bank or vault, 21 percent would help family members, and 17 percent would deposit it in a bank. Only 15 percent said they would put the money into or invest it in a business. The same financial insecurity is reflected in the investment attitudes of Filipinos. According to the OECD’s Capital Market Review of the Philippines 2024, insufficient money was identified as a barrier to investing by 63 percent of respondents. In comparison, only 11 percent cited insufficient financial knowledge, while another 11 percent said they had difficulty finding an appropriate investment product. Yet, participation in the Philippine stock market remains limited. According to the BSP’s 2021 Financial Inclusion Survey, only 1 percent of respondents with investments reported owning stocks, while participation in investments outside government pension schemes remained relatively low. Stock-market participation, however, has been expanding. The number of stock market accounts increased from around 870,000 in 2017 to 1.9 million by the end of 2023, with online accounts accounting for 80 percent of all stock-market accounts. The GCash IPO could further bring this development even closer to millions of
Filipinos. It also presents an opportunity to learn about investing and participate in the potential growth of a company already deeply embedded in the country’s rapidly digitalizing economy. Financial institutions continue to see significant value and growth potential in Mynt. Prior to the announcement of the final offering price, AB Capital Securities estimated Mynt’s equity value at between P531 billion and P834 billion and argues that the fintech company deserves a premium valuation—a valuation higher than what may normally be assigned to comparable companies. It attributes that premium to Mynt’s structural growth, established profitability and substantial room to further monetize its customer base. Morgan Stanley has likewise highlighted Mynt’s profitability at scale. The company generated P17.2 billion in net income in 2025 on P79.7 billion in adjusted revenue, equivalent to a 21.6 percent net margin and 32.1 percent return on equity. Its net margin further strengthened to 25.2 percent during the first half of 2026. Morgan Stanley estimates that Mynt could generate P21.2 billion in net income in 2026. These figures provide a better context for understanding the opportunity presented by the GCash IPO. For Filipinos seeking ways to put their disposable income to productive use, the GCash IPO provides another avenue toward building wealth and, ultimately, achieving greater financial freedom. E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com
ÊÊ
ÊÊ ÊÊ
Ê Ê Career Career Opportunity Opportunity in Amazon in Amazon Operation Operation Services Services Philippines Philippines IncInc (AOSPI) (AOSPI)
Career Career Opportunity Opportunity in in AmAm azon azon Operation Operation Services Services Philippines Philippines IncInc (AOSPI) (AOSPI) Position Position title: title: Investigation Investigation Specialist I I Position Position title: title: Seller Seller Support Support Associate Associate Sr.Sr.Specialist Vacancy Vacancy (1)(1)
Vacancy Vacancy (1)(1)
Job Job Description: Description:
Job Job Description: Description: ➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê
➢ ➢Provides Provides prompt prompt andand efficient efficient service service to Amazon to Amazon Sellers, Sellers, including including thethe appropriate appropriate escalation escalation of Sellers’ of Sellers’ issues issues in aincontact a contact center center environment. environment. ➢ ➢Maintains Maintains a positive a positive andand professional professional demeanor, demeanor, always always portraying portraying thethe company company in ainpositive a positive light light while while effectively effectively managing managing sensitive sensitive issues. issues.
➢ ➢ Demonstrates Demonstrates excellent excellent time-management time-management skills skills andand the the ability ability to work to work independently independently while while using using departmental departmental resources, resources, policies policies , and , and procedures. procedures. Acts Acts asas thethe primary primary interface interface between between Amazon Amazon and and our our business business partners. partners. ➢ ➢Maintains Maintains acceptable acceptable performance performance metrics metrics such such as as quality, quality, productivity, productivity, firstfirst contact contact resolution, resolution, andand attendance attendance . . Responsible Responsible forfor providing providing timely timely and and accurate accurate operational operational support support to to Merchants Merchants selling selling on on the the Amazon Amazon platform. platform. ➢ ➢Actively Actively seeks seeks solutions solutions through through logical logical reasoning reasoning andand data data interpretation interpretation skills skills , and , and identifies identifies trends trends to the to the appropriate appropriate channel, channel, including including improvement improvement Distinct Distinct effect effect onon thethe experience experience of of customers customers of of Amazon, Amazon, making making a strong a strong record record of of customer customer focus focus a high a high standard standard forfor thethe role. role. suggestions suggestions Addresses Addresses chronic chronic system system issues, issues, provide provide process process improvements improvements Qualification Qualification (Education, (Education, Experience, Experience, Professional Professional License, License, Skills Skills Certification, Specialized Specialized Training): Training): Develops Develops internal internal documentation, documentation, and and contributes contributes to to a team a team environment, environment, allCertification, all while while adhering adhering to to service service level level agreements agreements forfor phone phone and/or and/or email email cases. cases. ➢ ➢Interpersonal Interpersonal skills, skills, with with thethe ability ability to communicate to communicate complex complex transactional transactional issues issues correctly correctly and and clearly clearly to both to both internal internal andand external external customers. customers.
Qualification Qualification(Education, (Education, Professional Professional License, License, Skills Certification, Certification, Specialized Specialized Training): ➢Experience, ➢Experience, Clear, Clear, crisp, crisp, and and proactive proactive documentation documentation ofSkills operational of operational procedures procedures required required to tackle toTraining): tackle known known risk-related risk-related patterns. patterns.
➢ ➢Problem-solving Problem-solving skills, skills, having having demonstrated demonstrated ability ability to recognize to recognize non-obvious non-obvious patterns patterns andand analyze analyze problems problems logically. logically.
➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê
Republic Republicof ofthe thePhilippines Philippines COMMISSION COMMISSIONON ONAUDIT AUDIT Commonwealth CommonwealthAvenue, Avenue,Quezon QuezonCity City
➢Ê➢Ê ➢Ê➢Ê
➢ ➢Self-disciplined, Self-disciplined, diligent, proactive, proactive, and and detail-oriented, detail-oriented, impacting time time management management and and organizational organizational skills. Bilingual Bilingual (English/VN) (English/VN) skills skills and and is diligent, is proficient proficient in in written written English English toimpacting to liaise liaise with with our our overseas overseas VN VN sellers sellers skills. ➢ ➢Proven Proven ability ability work to work fast-paced, in BPO fast-paced, dynamic dynamic environments environments where where decisions decisions areare made made without without compromising compromising on on customer customer experience experience and and financial financial High High School School graduate graduate with with 3 years 3toyears ofinof BPO experience experience or or College College graduate graduate losses. losses. Excellent Excellent written/spoken written/spoken English English skills skills with with anan ability ability to to compose compose grammatically grammatically correct, correct, concise concise and and accurate accurate written written responses responses · Excellent · Excellent interpersonal interpersonal skills, skills, with with thethe ability ability to to communicate communicate complex complex issues issues correctly correctly and and clearly clearly to to both both internal internal and and external external customers customers · Demonstrated · Demonstrated ability ability to to work work independently independently and and Applications Applications may may bebe sent sent to:to: make make complex complex decisions decisions with with little little to to nono guidance guidance Name Name of Company of Company HR: HR: Ivanka Ivanka Patricia Patricia Quinial Quinial Excellent Excellent organizational organizational and and problem-solving problem-solving skills skills Email Email address: address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Exceptionally Exceptionally strong strong customer customer handling handling and and conflict conflict resolution resolution skills skills with with a keen a keen focus focus onon quality quality and and customer customer experience. experience. Company/ Company/ Employer Employer
Name Name of of foreign foreign national national intending intending to to apply apply forfor thethe position position
Applications Applications may may bebe sent sent to:to:Name Name of of Com Com pany pany HR: HR: Ivanka Ivanka Patricia Patricia Quinial Quinial Name: Name: Anupit Anupit Punsiri Punsiri Email Email address: address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Amazon Amazon Operation Operation Services Services Philippines Philippines IncInc (AOSPI) (AOSPI) Address: Address: Pasay Pasay City City Company Company Name: Name:
Nationality: Nationality: Thai Thai
Complete Complete address: address:
9th9th to 14th to 14th Floor, Floor, Four Four E-Com E-Com Center, Center, Blk. Blk. No.No. 22,22, Harbor Harbor Drive, Drive, Mall Mall of of Asia Asia Intended Intended period period of of employment: employment: two two (2)(2) years years
Com Com pany/ pany/ EmEm ployer ployer Complex Complex St.,St., District District 1, Barangay 1, Barangay 076, 076, Pasay Pasay City, City, Metro Metro Manila, Manila, 1300 1300
RESOLUTION RESOLUTION No.: No.:2026-009 2026-009 Date: Date:JUNE JUNE17, 17,2026 2026 SUBJECT SUBJECT : :
Adoption AdoptionofofSenate Senateofofthe thePhilippines PhilippinesCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular Circular No. No.2025-001 2025-001on onthe theGuidelines Guidelineson onthe theBudgetary BudgetaryAllocation Allocationofofthe the Senate Senateofofthe thePhilippines Philippinesfor forthe theOffice Officeofofthe theSenate SenateOfficers, Officers,Office Office ofofthe theSenators, Senators,Senators’ Senators’Offices OfficesofofCommittees CommitteesAAand andB,B,Including Including the theGrant, Grant,Utilization, Utilization,and andLiquidation LiquidationofofCash CashAdvances Advances
WHEREAS, WHEREAS,ininthe theexercise exerciseofofitsitslegislative legislativefunctions functionsand andinvestigatory investigatoryauthority authorityininaid aidofoflegislation, legislation, the theSenate Senateofofthe thePhilippines Philippines(Senate) (Senate)conducts conductspublic publichearings hearingsand andconsultations consultationson onmatters mattersofofnational national security, security,political, political,economic, economic,and andsocial socialsignificance significancewith withthe theproper propergovernment governmentoffices, offices,asaswell wellasasthe thevarious various sectors sectorsand andspecial specialinterest interestgroups groupsaffected affectedthereby; thereby; WHEREAS, WHEREAS,ininthe theperformance performanceofofitsitsfunctions, functions,the theSenate Senateengages engagesininactivities activitiesand andtransactions transactions that thatare areunique uniqueand anddistinct distinctfrom fromordinary ordinarygovernmental governmentalprocesses, processes,particularly particularlythose thosetransactions transactionsinvolving involving the theexpenditure expenditureofofpublic publicfunds; funds; WHEREAS, WHEREAS,totoeffectively effectivelyand andefficiently efficientlycarry carryout outitsitsfunctions, functions,the theSenate Senateofofthe thePhilippines Philippines promulgated promulgatedCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular CircularNo. No.2025-001, 2025-001,which whichprovides providesguidelines guidelineson onthe thebudgetary budgetary allocation allocationofofthe theSenate Senatefor forthe theOffice Officeofofthe theSenate SenateOfficers, Officers,Office Officeofofthe theSenators, Senators,Senators’ Senators’Office Officeofof Committees CommitteesAAand andB,B,including includingthe thegrant, grant,utilization, utilization,and andliquidation liquidationofofcash cashadvances; advances; WHEREAS, WHEREAS,ininaaletter letterdated datedFebruary February3,3,2026, 2026,Senate SenatePresident PresidentVicente VicenteC.C.Sotto SottoIIIIIIsubmitted submittedthe the said saidCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular CircularNo. No.2025,001, 2025,001,totothe theCommission Commissionon onAudit Audit(COA) (COA)for forconsideration considerationasasaa guide guideininthe theaudit auditofoftransactions transactionsofofthe theSenate; Senate; WHEREAS, WHEREAS,ininaaMemorandum Memorandumdated datedMarch March10, 10,2026, 2026,the theCluster Cluster33(Legislative, (Legislative,Judiciary Judiciaryand and Constitutional ConstitutionalOffices), Offices),National NationalGovernment GovernmentAudit AuditSector, Sector,this thisCommission, Commission,interposes interposesno noobjection objectionon onthe the adoption adoptionofofCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular CircularNo. No.2025-001 2025-001bybythe theCOA, COA,since sinceit itisissubstantially substantiallysimilar similartotothe the th th Congress, Congress, previous previousguidelines guidelinesunder underCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular CircularNo. No.2022-001 2022-001issued issuedduring duringthe the19 19 which whichwas wassubsequently subsequentlyadopted adoptedbybythe theCOA, COA,through throughCOA COAResolution ResolutionNo. No.2022-014 2022-014dated datedNovember November11, 11, 2022; 2022; WHEREAS, WHEREAS,under underSection Section2(2), 2(2),Section SectionIX-D IX-Dofofthe the1987 1987Philippine PhilippineConstitution, Constitution,the theCOA COAhas has the theexclusive exclusiveauthority authoritytotodefine definethe thescope scopeofofitsitsaudit auditand andexamination, examination,establish establishthe thetechniques techniquesand and methods methodsrequired requiredtherefor, therefor,and andpromulgate promulgateaccounting accountingand andauditing auditingrules rulesand andregulations, regulations,including includingthose those for forthe theprevention preventionand anddisallowance disallowanceofofirregular, irregular,unnecessary, unnecessary,excessive, excessive,extravagant extravagantororunconscionable unconscionable expenditures, expenditures,ororuses usesofofgovernment governmentfunds fundsand andproperties; properties; NOW, NOW,THEREFORE, THEREFORE,the theCommission CommissionProper ProperRESOLVES, RESOLVES,asasit itdoes doeshereby herebyRESOLVE, RESOLVE,totoadopt adopt the theguidelines guidelinesunder underSenate SenateCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular CircularNo. No.2025-001 2025-001ininthe theaudit auditofofthe theBudgetary Budgetary Allocation Allocationand andUtilization Utilizationofofthe theSenate Senatefor forthe theOffice OfficeofofSenate SenateOfficers, Officers,Office OfficeofofSenators, Senators,Senators’ Senators’Offices Offices ofofCommittees CommitteesAAand andB,B,including includingthe theGrant, Grant,Utilization, Utilization,and andLiquidation LiquidationofofCash CashAdvances. Advances. RESOLVED RESOLVEDFURTHER, FURTHER,that thatSenate SenateCommittee Committeeon onAccounts AccountsCircular CircularNo. No.2025-001 2025-001shall shallapply applyonly only th th Congress; Congress;and and totothe thetransactions transactionsofofthe thecurrent current20 20 RESOLVED RESOLVEDFINALLY, FINALLY,that thatthe theCOA COAreserves reservesthe theright righttotoconduct conductaaperiodic periodicreview reviewand andtotoamend amendoror repeal repealthe theguidelines, guidelines,with withprior priornotice noticetotothe theSenate. Senate. This ThisResolution Resolutionshall shalltake takeeffect effectafter afterfifteen fifteen(15) (15)days daysfrom frompublication publicationininaanewspaper newspaperofofgeneral general circulation. circulation. th th day dayofofJune June2026, 2026,ininQuezon QuezonCity, City,Philippines. Philippines. Done Donethis this17 17
GAMALIEL GAMALIELA.A.CORDOBA CORDOBA Chairperson Chairperson
MARIO MARIOG.G.LIPANA LIPANA Commissioner Commissioner
DOUGLAS DOUGLASMICHAEL MICHAELN.N.MALLILLIN MALLILLIN Commissioner Commissioner
Nam Nam e of e of foreign foreign national national intending intending to to apply apply forfor thethe position position
Nature Nature of of business: business: AOSPI AOSPI is is a corporation a corporation organized organized under under Philippine Philippine Com Com pany pany Name: Name: laws. laws. It is It is registered registered with with thethe Securities Securities and and Exchange Exchange Commission Commission (SEC) (SEC)Name: Name: ThiThi Thuy Thuy Hang Hang LeLe under under SEC SEC Certificate Certificate of of Registration Registration No.No. CS201722700. CS201722700. It is It is authorized authorized to to Amazon Amazon Operation OperationServices Services Philippines Philippines Inc Inc (AOSPI) (AOSPI) provide provide support support services, services, including including butbut notnot limited limited to to remote remote technical technical support support Address: Address: Pasay Pasay City City services, services,IT ITdevelopment, development,customer customersupport, support,customer customercare careservices, services, business process process outsourcing, outsourcing, back-office back-office support support (including (including butbut notnot limited limited Com Com plete plete address: address:business Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Vietnamese to to systems, systems, hardware, hardware, software, software, financial financial operations, operations, vendor vendor management, management, and and human human resources resources relating relating to to theDrive, theback-office), back-office), and and other otheractivities activitiesIntended Unit Unit No. No. 2C, 2C, Flr.Flr. no.no. 4th, 4th, One One E-Com E-Com Bldg., Bldg., Ocean Ocean Drive, Mall Mall of of Asia Asia Complex Complex Intended period period of of emem ployment: ployment: two two (2)(2) years years necessary necessary or or useful useful thereto, thereto, as as well well as as marketing marketing support support activities, activities, without without St.,St., Zone Zone 10,10, Barangay Barangay 076, 076, District 1,trade, 1, Pasay Pasay City, City, Metro Manila, Manila, NCR, NCR, 1300 1300 engaging engaging in District in retail retail trade, thethe practice practice ofMetro of a profession, a profession, or or acting acting as as anan Internet Internet Service Service Provider. Provider.
Nature Nature of ofbusiness: business:AOSPI AOSPIis isa acorporation corporationorganized organizedunder underPhilippine Philippine Amazon Amazon Operation Operation Services Services Philippines Philippines IncInc (AOSPI). (AOSPI). hereby hereby declares declares that thethe above-named above-named foreign foreign national national is able, is able, willing, willing, and and qualified qualified to perform to perform thethe laws. laws. It It is is registered registered with with the the Securities Securities and and Exchange Exchange Commission Commission (SEC) (SEC)that under under services services and and jobjob description description forfor thisthis position. position. The The company company has has thethe intention intention to employ to employ thethe said said foreign foreign national national and and apply apply forfor anan Alien Alien Employment Employment Permit Permit SEC SECCertificate Certificateofwith ofRegistration Registration No. No. CS201722700. CS201722700. ItisFirst isauthorized authorized to toCondominium, provide provide Solana with thethe Bureau Bureau of of Local Local Employment, Employment, 6FIt6F First Intramuros Intramuros BF BF Condominium, Solana St.St. cor. cor. A. A. Soriano Soriano Ave., Ave., Intramuros, Intramuros, Manila Manila support supportservices, services, including including but butnot notlimited limited toto remote remote technical technicalsupport supportservices, services, Any Any Filipino Filipino jobseeker jobseeker who who is customer competent, is customer competent, able able and and willing willing to to perform perform thethe services services forfor which which thethe foreign foreign national national is intended is intended to to bebe hired hired may may filefile anan objection objection IT IT development, development, customer customer support, support, care care services, services, business business at at Bureau Bureau of of Local Local Employment, Employment, 6F6F First First Intramuros Intramuros BFBF Condominium, Condominium, Solana Solana St.St. cor. cor. A. A. Soriano Soriano Ave., Ave., Intramuros, Intramuros, Manila, Manila, after after thisthis publication. publication. process process outsourcing, outsourcing, back-office back-office support support (including (including but but not not limited limited to to Please Please inform inform thethe Department Department of Labor of Labor and and Employment Employment – NCR, – NCR, if you if you have have any any information information onon criminal criminal offenses offenses committed committed by by thethe foreign foreign national national systems, systems,hardware, hardware,software, software,financial financialoperations, operations,vendor vendormanagement, management,and and human humanresources resourcesrelating relatingtotothe theback-office), back-office),and andother otheractivities activitiesnecessary necessaryor or useful useful thereto, thereto, asas well well asas marketing marketing support supportactivities, activities, without withoutengaging engagingin inretail retail trade, trade, the thepractice practiceof ofa a profession, profession, or or acting actingasasananInternet Internet Service Service Provider. Provider. Amazon Amazon Operation OperationServices Services Philippines Philippines IncInc(AOSPI). (AOSPI). hereby hereby declares declaresthat that the the above-named above-named foreign foreign national national is is able, able, willing, willing, and and qualified qualified totoperform perform the theservices services and and jobjob description description forfor this this position. position. The The company company has has the the intention intention toto employ employ the the said said foreign foreign national national and and apply apply forfor anan Alien Alien Employment EmploymentPermit Permit with with thethe DepartmentÊofÊLaborÊandÊEmploymentÊ(DOLE)ÊCentralÊOffice,ÊDOLEÊBuilding,ÊMurallaÊWingÊcorner,ÊGeneralÊLunaÊStreet,ÊIntramuros,Ê DepartmentÊofÊLaborÊandÊEmploymentÊ(DOLE)ÊCentralÊOffice,ÊDOLEÊBuilding,ÊMurallaÊWingÊcorner,ÊGeneralÊLunaÊStreet,ÊIntramuros,Ê
Manila Manila
Standard Standard Manila,Ê1002,ÊPhilippines Manila,Ê1002,ÊPhilippines
TODAY TODAY
Any AnyFilipino Filipinojobseeker jobseekerwho whois iscompetent, competent,able ableand andwilling willingtotoperform performthetheservices servicesforforwhich whichthe theforeign foreignnational nationalis isintended intendedto tobebehired hiredfor,for,may mayfilefileanan objection objectionat at DepartmentÊofÊLaborÊandÊEmploymentÊ(DOLE)ÊCentralÊOffice,ÊDOLEÊBuilding,ÊMurallaÊWingÊcorner,ÊGeneralÊLunaÊStreet,ÊIntramuros,Ê DepartmentÊofÊLaborÊandÊEmploymentÊ(DOLE)ÊCentralÊOffice,ÊDOLEÊBuilding,ÊMurallaÊWingÊcorner,ÊGeneralÊLunaÊStreet,ÊIntramuros,Ê afterthis thispublication. publication. Please Please inform inform Department Department of of Labor Labor and and Employment Employment – –NCR, NCR, if you if you have have any any information information onon criminal criminal offenses offenses Manila,Ê1002,ÊPhilippines Manila,Ê1002,ÊPhilippinesafter committed committed byby the the foreign foreign national. national.
Career CareerOpportunity OpportunityininTECHNICARE TECHNICARESOFTWARE SOFTWAREINC. INC. 565430658-v1\AP_DMS 565430658-v1\AP_DMS
1 1
SOFTWARE SOFTWAREDEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENTTEAM TEAMLEADER LEADER (1Ê (1Ê Vacancy) Vacancy) Job JobDescription: Description: -Ê-Ê Team TeamLeadership: Leadership:Lead, Lead,guide, guide,and andmotivate motivatesoftware softwaredevelopers developerstotoachieve achieveproject projectgoals. goals. -Ê-Ê Task TaskManagement: Management:Assign AssignProgramming ProgrammingTasks, Tasks,set setpriorities, priorities,and andmonitor monitorteam teammembers’ members’progress. progress. -Ê-Ê Software SoftwareDevelopment: Development:Oversee Overseethe thedesign, design,coding, coding,testing, testing,debugging debuggingand andmaintenance maintenanceofofapplications. applications. -Ê-Ê Project ProjectCoordination: Coordination:Coordinate Coordinatewith withproject projectmanagers, managers,business businessanalysts, analysts,QA QAengineers, engineers,and andstakeholders. stakeholders. -Ê-Ê Code CodeReview: Review:Review Reviewsource sourcecode codetotoensure ensurequality, quality,security, security,performance, performance,and andcompliance compliancewith withcoding coding standards. standards. -Ê-Ê Problem ProblemSolving: Solving:Identify Identifyand andresolve resolvetechnical technicalissues, issues,software softwarebugs, bugs,and anddevelopment developmentchallenges. challenges. -Ê-Ê Reporting: Reporting:Prepare PrepareProgress Progressreports reportsand andcommunicate communicateproject projectupdate updatetotomanagement. management. Qualification Qualification(Education, (Education,Experience, Experience,Professional ProfessionalLicense, License,Skills SkillsCertification, Certification,Specialized SpecializedTraining): Training): -ÊCertification -ÊCertificationororDiploma DiplomaininSoftware SoftwareTechnology, Technology,Information InformationTechnology Technology(IT), (IT),Computer ComputerScience Scienceororrelated relatedfield. field. -ÊAt -ÊAtleast least3 3years yearsofofexperience experienceininsoftware softwaredevelopment developmentororaaaarelated relatedfields. fields. -ÊExperience -ÊExperiencemanaging managingsoftware softwareprojects projectsfrom fromplanning planningthrough throughdevelopment development -ÊKnowledge -ÊKnowledgeofofsoftware softwaredevelopment developmentprinciples, principles,programming programmingand anddatabase databasemanagement management Applications Applicationsmay maybebesent sentto: to: 1504, 1504,15th 15thFloor, Floor,Eco EcoTower, Tower,32nd 32ndSt., St.,Corner Corner9th 9thAve., Ave.,Bonifacio BonifacioGlobal GlobalCity, City,Fort FortBonifacio, Bonifacio,Taguig TaguigCity City Email EmailAddress: Address:personnel@bhgglobal.net personnel@bhgglobal.net Company/ Company/Employer Employer
Name Nameofofforeign foreignnational nationalintending intendingtotoapply applyfor forthe theposition position
TECHNICARE TECHNICARESOFTWARE SOFTWAREINC. INC. Complete CompleteAddress: Address:1504, 1504,15th 15thFloor, Floor, Eco EcoTower, Tower,32nd 32ndSt., St.,Corner Corner9th 9thAve., Ave., Bonifacio BonifacioGlobal GlobalCity, City,Fort FortBonifacio, Bonifacio, Taguig TaguigCity City Nature Natureofofbusiness: business:Other OtherComputer Computer Programming ProgrammingActivities Activities
Name: Name:LI,LI,CHUNYANG CHUNYANG Address: Address:Unit Unit20-I, 20-I,Forbeswood ForbeswoodParklane ParklaneResidences, Residences,Taguig TaguigCity, City,Metro Metro Manila, Manila,Philippines Philippines Nationality: Nationality:Chinese Chinese Intended Intendedperiod periodofofemployment: employment:Two Two(2) (2)years years
Technicare TechnicareSoftware SoftwareInc. Inc.hereby herebydeclares declaresthat thatthe theabove-named above-namedforeign foreignnational nationalisisable, able,willing, willing,and andqualified qualified totoperform performthe theservices servicesand andjob jobdescription descriptionfor forthis thisposition. position.The Thecompany companyhas hasthe theintention intentiontotoemploy employthe thesaid said foreign foreignnational nationaland andapply applyfor forananAlien AlienEmployment EmploymentPermit Permitwith withthe theDepartment DepartmentofofLabor Laborand andEmployment Employment- National NationalCapital CapitalRegion Regionlocated locatedatat967 967Maligaya MaligayaStreet, Street,Malate, Malate,Manila. Manila.
CYAN CYANMAGENTA MAGENTAYELLOW YELLOWBLACK BLACK
BUSINESS
B3 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com
DOE: Full hydro development to cost P5 trillion By Alena Mae S. Flores
C
AVINTI, Laguna — The Philippines holds an estimated 25,000 megawatts of undeveloped hydropower potential across Luzon and Mindanao, representing an investment pipeline of up to P5 trillion, according to the Department of Energy.
Representatives from Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., export suppliers, and zone locators meet with Philippine Economic Zone Authority officials during the 27th Toyota Special Economic Zone Update Meeting. Exporters called for stronger domestic supply chains to maintain the country’s competitive edge as an automotive production hub.
Building hydroelectric projects typically costs around P200 million per megawatt, DOE Hydropower and Ocean Energy Management Division Chief Ariel Fronda said on the sidelines of Aboitiz Power Corp.’s Hydro 101 briefing at the Kalayaan pumped storage facility. The Kalayaan plant forms part of the 796.64-megawatt Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan hydroelectric power complex, which AboitizPower operates after acquiring the asset from state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. for P36.266 billion. “As the country’s established operating pumped storage facility, Kalayaan provides a practical example of how this technology can support the power system through peaking capability, energy storage, and ancillary services,” Fronda said. “The lessons from Kalayaan should inform the development and operation of the next generation of pumped storage projects in the country.” Fronda emphasized that pumped storage hydropower provides critical infrastructure to maintain grid reliability while integrating variable renewable energy, providing peaking supply, improving operational effi-
Toyota auto part exports seen dipping on weak demand By Othel V. Campos TOYOTA Group export suppliers in the Philippines expect shipment revenues to dip to $1.06 billion in 2026 from $1.09 billion in 2025 as softer global demand and trade uncertainties weigh on the automotive sector. Despite the projected 2.8 percent decline, suppliers continue operating their domestic manufacturing and export facilities while calling for the timely execution of automotive industry development programs to sustain production and bolster supplier capabilities. During the 27th Toyota Special Economic Zone Update Meeting with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, representatives from Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., export suppliers, and zone locators urged government officials to strengthen local supply chains to maintain the country’s competitiveness as an automotive production hub.
TMP president Masando Hashimoto presented updates on domestic manufacturing and export operations, highlighting the importance of stateindustry collaboration in navigating changing market conditions. TMP welcomed the government’s dual strategy of reinforcing conventional vehicle manufacturing while building capabilities in electric vehicle and parts production. The company reiterated its readiness to participate in the Revitalizing the Automotive Industry for Competitiveness Enhancement (RACE) program and register its locally produced Tamaraw model once implementing guidelines are finalized. Suppliers noted that the government’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS) could also help local firms develop capabilities to participate in electrified vehicle supply chains. Expansion of the domestic supplier base remains critical to enhancing
global competitiveness, TMP noted, stressing the need for targeted supplier matching and capability development to meet strict cost, quality, and delivery standards. Toyota Group companies also raised operational concerns involving customs processing, electricity costs, regulatory requirements, and tax assessments, seeking PEZA’s assistance to preserve a competitive manufacturing environment. TMP emphasized that fulfilling government commitments under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program remains vital for a smooth transition toward the government’s dual-track auto strategy. According to PEZA, Toyota’s 13 export suppliers have generated over P34 billion in cumulative investments and created more than 45,000 direct jobs. Five companies operating within the TSEZ employ more than 7,000 workers.
1st PH international truck show focuses on local engineering TRUCK manufacturers and Philippine vehicle body builders emphasized the importance of local engineering, industry collaboration, and specialized vehicle manufacturing as the inaugural Philippine International Truck Show opened Thursday at the SMX Convention Center Manila. Organized by theTruck Manufacturers Association Inc. in partnership with the Automotive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc., the Oct. 22-24 exhibition highlights the complementary roles of vehicle assemblers, chassis suppliers, and local body builders in delivering transport solutions for logistics, public transit, construction, cold-chain distribution, and government services. Beyond showcasing new models, PITS highlights how partnerships between vehicle manufacturers and Philippine body-building firms expand the applications of commercial vehicle platforms, create opportunities for domestic manufacturing and engineering, and enable businesses to source purpose-built vehicles tailored to operational needs. The exhibition also covers emerging electric vehicle technologies, aftersales services, and fleet management solutions. TMA President Robert Carlos said the event marks a milestone for an industry whose products underpin the movement of goods and people across the country. He stressed the need for manufacturers, body builders, technology providers, and industry partners to collaborate in supporting business growth and evolving transport requirements. Isuzu Philippines Corp. displayed its N-Series EV Concept Truck, the TRAVIZ Silver Utility Van developed with Almazora Motors Corp., and an NLR85 refrigerated van fitted with a specialized body capable of maintaining temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius. Hino Motors Philippines Corp. featured its 200 Series Utility Van, Customized Rescue Truck, 500 Series Tractor Head, and PUV Class II Wide. Othel V. Campos
DOE Hydropower and Ocean Energy Management Division Chief Ariel Fronda
ciency, and bolstering system resiliency. Recognizing these benefits, the DOE included pumped storage hydropower in the third round of its Green Energy Auction Program in February 2025, offering 4,250 MW for private sector development across three delivery periods. By June 2025, seven pumped storage bids representing a combined capacity of 6,350 MW qualified for consideration. “These figures demonstrate substantial private sector interest in developing pumped storage hydro facilities in the Philippines,” Fronda said.
Manila
StandardONE COOPERATIVE BANK (One CB)
045346 (Bank Code)
TODAY IDC Centre Zapote Street cor Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Makati City BALANCE SHEET As of SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 ASSETS
Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas Due from Other Central Banks and Banks - Net Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit of Loss (FVPL) 1/ Financial Assets at Fair Value Through Other Comprehensive Income (FVOCI)-Net Debt Securities at Amortized Cost - Net Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables- Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB Total Loan Portfolio (TLP)-Gross Allowance for Credit Losses 2/ Total Loan Portfolio-Net Equity Investment in Subsidiaries,Associates and Joint Ventures-Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Sales Contract Receivables - Net Non-Current Assets Held for Sale Other Assets-Net Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank)
Calcutta Medical Center president Roselle Marie Azucena (center) receives the Renewable Energy Wall Badge from First Gen Corp. chief customer engagement officer Carlo Vega (second from left), certifying the hospital’s switch to 100 percent renewable electricity under a power supply agreement. Joining them are (from left) First Gen lead customer progress partner Eri Castelo, MTCMC chief operating officer Paul Lawrence Simon, and MTCMC chief finance officer Michael Lansangan.
PH exports 32,000 fresh young coconuts to Liberia THE Philippines shipped 32,000 fresh young coconuts valued at $22,400 to Liberia in a two-container consignment by Davao Citybased Abante Agri-Products Philippines Inc., opening a potential export market in West Africa. The trial shipment comprised about 50 metric tons of whole green coconuts sent to Monrovia in two 40-foot refrigerated containers. Each container carried 16,000 coconuts packed in 800 sacks. Liberia’s Ministry of Agriculture is coordinating the distribution, while global shipping line CMA CGM transported the cargo under controlled refrigeration to preserve quality. Liberia plans to donate the coconuts to rural communities for local feeding programs and household consumption. The Department of Agriculture said the initiative could help diversify Philippine coconut exports beyond traditional markets and connect local producers to new trade destinations. “Expanding into new international markets creates opportunities for our coconut farmers and exporters. The challenge is to turn these initial shipments into sustained demand that delivers better returns to our farmers and strengthens the Philippine coconut industry,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. DA Regional Field Office 11 noted that long-term commercial benefits will depend on securing repeat orders, maintaining consistent supply volumes, keeping shipping costs competitive, and ensuring export demand translates into higher farm-gate prices for local growers Othel V. Campos
4,048,564,905.88 621,761,939.10 3,426,802,966.78 0.00 90,552,460.00 300,557,740.57 86,339,668.38 125,900,797.14 175,189,448.62
AMOUNT PREVIOUS QUARTER 22,804,318.66 152,398,548.00 935,640,529.93 0.00 91,000.00 10,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 4,051,530,640.41 4,051,530,640.41 554,407,550.38 3,497,123,090.03 0.00 89,778,861.78 305,538,935.84 84,282,175.28 127,444,399.49 162,706,463.51
BOARD OF DIRECTORS FR. ANTONIO CECILIO T. PASCUAL Chairman ROY S. MICLAT Vice-Chairman RUTH O. AGRIPO SALVADOR S. COLLANTES, JR. ZENAIDA A. ALCANTARA CORAZON C. ANTONIO SEGUNDO R. LANUZA, JR. ATTY. MICKEL M. BORIGAS BENIGNO P. ANDRES ABITO E. SALCEDO III MILBERT P. DIALOGO
0.00
0.00
5,286,635,271.40
5,387,808,322.52
BOARD SECRETARY ATTY. SIMEON T. ASIA, JR.
Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) Interbank Loans Payable Others Borrowings, including Deposit Substitutes Bonds Payable-Net Unsecured Soubordinated Debt-Net Redeemable Preferred Shares Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies/(Philippine branch of a foreign bank)
0.00 4,001,343,458.39 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3,992,000.00 99,800,915.73
0.00 4,071,153,185.48 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3,992,000.00 92,357,987.46
EXECUTIVE OFFICER JORGE G. LUMASAG, JR. President & CEO
0.00
0.00
TOTAL LIABILITIES
4,105,136,374.12
4,167,503,172.94
1,146,363,005.89 1,665,636.41 -134,787,087.93 165,996,180.08 2,261,162.83 0.00
1,144,323,033.94 1,665,636.41 -96,000,581.45 168,055,897.85 2,261,162.83 0.00
TOTAL ASSETS
RENEWABLE ENERGY PARTNERSHIP. Mother Teresa of
CURRENT QUARTER 22,643,906.24 55,682,277.90 992,875,005.77 0.00 91,000.00 10,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 4,048,564,905.88
LIABILITIES
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Undivided Profits Retained Earnings Other Capital Accounts Assigned Capital TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
1,181,498,897.28
1,220,305,149.58
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
5,286,635,271.40
5,387,808,322.52
Guarantees Issued Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Securiites Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper Trust Department Accounts Derivatives Others
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,961,664.88
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,796,708.75
TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS
2,961,664.88
2,796,708.75
19.45 6.33 78.94 72.52 13.51 -
18.08 6.26 75.70 65.92 13.19 -
26.80
27.30
-14.48 -3.73 4.48
-15.13 -3.43 -4.32
19.63 20.99 21.91 -
20.46 21.82 22.74 -
CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS
FINANCIAL INDICATORS (in %) ASSET QUALITY Gross Non-Performing (NPL) Ratio Net NPL Ratio Gross NPL Coverage Ratio Net NPL Coverage Ratio RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Ratio of Loans to Related Parties to gross TLP Ratio of Non-Performing Loans to Related Parties to Total Loans to Related Parties Ratio of DOSRl Loans to gross TLP Ratio of Non-Performing DOSRI Loans to Total Loans to DOSRI LIQUIDITY Liquidity Coverage Ratio 4/ Net Stable Funding Ratio 4/ Minimum Liquidity Ratio 5/ PROFITABILITY Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Assets Net Interest Margin CAPITAL ADEQUACY Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio Tier 1 Capital Ratio CAR LEVERAGE Basel III Leverage Ratio 4/ Deferred Charges not yet Written Down Republic of the Philippines ) Makati City ) s.s.
We, SILVERIO S. PEREGRINO II and JORGE G. LUMASAG, JR of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.
SILVERIO S. PEREGRINO II Chief Operating Officer
JORGE G. LUMASAG, JR. President & CEO
BUSINESS
B4
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor
P11-b Diliman lot auction fails By Alena Mae S. Flores
S
TATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) declared a failed bidding for its P11.09-billion property in Diliman, Quezon City, after no prospective buyers submitted bids, company president Dennis Dela Serna said. PSALM declared the auction a failure on Oct. 20 after the three firms that initially expressed interest did not show up for the bid submission. Dela Serna said the agency plans to hold a second round of bidding next year. PSALM had extended the bid submission deadline to Oct. 20 from Oct. 8, which itself had been moved from an original Sept. 24 target, to give interested parties more time to prepare
their proposals. Only a prospective bidder attended the pre-bid conference on Sept. 3. “We had to move the schedule to give more time to interested bidders,” Dela Serna said, adding that the three prospective buyers ultimately did not submit offers. PSALM is offering the 51,948-square-meter property, at the corner of Quezon Ave. and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago Ave.
(formerly BIR Road), on an “as-is, where-is” basis through a straight sale. It will use the proceeds to liquidate its remaining financial obligations. The sale covers a net area of 39,698 square meters, along with existing structures and site improvements. PSALM is retaining 5,000 square meters for its own use and excluding from the bid package about 7,250 square meters that house National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) transmission facilities. Under a concession agreement executed in February 2008, NGCP retains exclusive operational rights over the system operator and national control center facilities, as well as NPC Building 2, through Jan. 15, 2034. The winning bidder should respect NGCP’s occupancy until the
concession term expires, according to the terms. The bidding was open to individuals, corporations, joint ventures and government entities authorized to acquire real estate in the Philippines. Private entries required at least 60 percent Filipino ownership and a bid security equal to 10 percent of the minimum price. The buyer will shoulder all taxes, fees and expenses for title transfer, including capital gains tax, documentary stamp tax and registration fees. The acquiring entity should also comply with national heritage laws covering site structures, which the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines govern.
CBS honors educators on Teachers Day CHINA Bank Savings awarded an SUV, two sedans, 14 motorcycles, 10 large-screen televisions, 14 laptops and 20 savings accounts worth P50,000 each as raffle prizes during the 2026 National Teachers’ Day celebration, as the bank renewed its partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd). The raffle winners gathered at the CBS head office in Makati City on Oct. 9, 2026 to receive their prizes. Bayuin National High School teacher Ivan Hernandez, 29, won the grand prize SUV. He represented his school at the national celebration held Oct. 5 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Metro Manila. Hernandez, who has taught at the school in Socorro, Oriental Mindoro for eight years, usually leads the student body and faculty in organizing the annual National Teachers’ Day festivities on campus. He said he was thrilled to witness the national celebration and impressed by its scale, including the giveaways and raffle prizes donated by private sponsors. “What we do at our school, they are also doing on a larger scale for the whole Philippines. So as I listen to the programs they carry out every year, I can relate,” Hernandez said. He credited his win to the prayers of his colleagues and students. “Among so many teachers who sacrifice more, so many who struggle more and are more in need, I was the one chosen. Perhaps the prayers of my colleagues at Bayuin National High School, of those we made happy through all our programs, and of all the students who were inspired at our school helped. Perhaps that was the Lord’s gift, which is why this blessing from CBS was granted to us,” he said. Hernandez hopes private sector donors such as CBS will continue to support National Teachers’ Day celebrations.
China Bank Savings joins the Department of Education in the 2026 National Teachers’ Day celebration. CBS awarded an SUV, two sedans, 14 motorcycles, 10 large-screen televisions, 14 laptops and 20 savings accounts worth P50,000 each as raffle prizes during the 2026 National Teachers’ Day celebration. Shown re the raffle winners at the CBS head office in Makati City on Oct. 9 to receive their prizes.
BPI names lady executive as next CEO By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) board has approved a succession plan where executive vice president and head of consumer banking Maria Cristina Go will succeed president and chief executive Jose Teodoro Limcaoco effective April 26, 2027. Go, a 23-year BPI veteran, previously served as BPI Family Savings Bank president, where she led the institution’s transformation and integration into BPI. Under Go, BPI’s consumer banking business strengthened its market position across key products, expanded its customer base, enhanced customer experience, modernized its nationwide distribution network and accelerated digital innovation. Before joining BPI, Go held leadership positions at Citibank, Ayala Land and Procter & Gamble. A certified public accountant, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman, placed first in the 1991 CPA licensure examination and earned her master’s in business administration with honors from Harvard Business School. She sits on the boards of Ayala Foundation, TransUnion Philippines, BPI Direct BanKo and BPI MS Insurance Corp. Limcaoco will remain a member of the BPI board and will take on senior governance roles in other major operating companies of the Ayala Group, the bank said. BPI said the transition reflects the board’s confidence in the bank’s next generation of leadership. “I believe that leadership transitions provide us with rare opportunities to both look at what has come before, while also embracing the things that have yet to come. As a company with a history of reinvention and longevity, we have always encouraged transitions as a central principle of building enduring institutions. Constant renewal has always enabled us to be relevant to the stakeholders that we serve,” BPI chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said.
Young Filipinos see the need for long-term financial planning—PhilPlans study PHILPLANS, the pre-need arm of Philippines First Insurance Group, said young Filipinos now see longterm financial planning as a way to build emotional resilience and manage life’s challenges, not only to build wealth, based on its “PhilLife Meter: Feeling the Insurance Pulse of Pinoy Gen Y and Z” study. The study found that 65 percent of respondents seek peace of mind from their protection plans, while 64 percent consider financial stability a nonnegotiable benefit. Another 78 percent of young Filipinos named themselves as their top protection priority for the next three years. “We are seeing a generation that is more self-aware and financially intentional,” PhilPlans president and chief executive Monico Jacob said. “They are not only seeking protection from risk but also looking for structures that help them stay financially steady through life’s transitions — from career
Visayas grid on red alert for third time this week THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Visayas grid on red and yellow alerts for the third time this week and put the Mindanao grid on yellow alert as plant outages further tightened electricity reserves. NGCP declared a red alert in the Visayas from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, and yellow alerts from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Available capacity fell to 2,420 megawatts (MW), short of the projected peak demand of 2,586 MW. Forced outages at 24 power generation facilities and derated operations at 17 other units took 609.4 MW offline across the Visayas. Eight plants went offline this month, while several others have been out of service since as early as 2021. NGCP blamed the Visayas supply shortage on forced outages at the coal-fired Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3 (PEDC 3) and KEPCO-SPC Power Corp. Unit 1 (KSPC 1). Limited imports from Mindanao worsened the deficit. Planned maintenance at GNPower Kauswagan Unit 4 and Therma South Inc. Unit 2, and unplanned outages at Therma South Inc. Unit 1 and Pulangi 4 Hydroelectric Plant Unit 2, constrained transmission transfers. Alena Mae S. Flores
NTC tests mobile network quality in University Belt THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Thursday conducted mobile network performance tests in Manila’s University Belt (U-Belt) to assess the quality and reliability of mobile connectivity for students and other users. NTC commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez told reporters the tests aimed to determine whether mobile network operators (MNOs) are meeting the agency’s quality of service (QoS) standards, particularly in areas where students rely on mobile connectivity to access online learning resources, conduct research and attend virtual classes. The assessment covers the three telecommunications providers including DITO Telecommunity, Globe Telecom
changes and family responsibilities to retirement,” said Jacob. PhilPlans said it has strengthened its pension offerings to match these priorities. PhilPlans Futura pays a yearly cash benefit from the 10th to the 24th year and returns the planholder’s payments in the 25th year, giving both steady income and a substantial retirement fund. Ingat Yaman Kaban offers a more basic savings approach, with steady yearly cash benefits and a guaranteed lump sum by the 15th year. PhilPlans said the plan suits those building financial discipline while securing future liquidity. PhilPlans said it designed the plans to be simple and flexible for first-time planners, freelancers, young entrepreneurs and corporate employees. The company said the plans offer high protection without the complexity often associated with retirement planning.
IN BRIEF and Smart Communications. The results will allow the NTC to compare the performance of each network under similar testing conditions. The tests were conducted under stationary and moving conditions to assess network performance at designated sites and along routes between testing locations. The stationary testing sites are the University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, University of the East, San Sebastian CollegeRecoletos, San Beda University, Centro Escolar University, La Consolacion College, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Lyceum of the Philippines. Darwin G. Amojelar
Electric ferries to test Iloilo-Bacolod route THE Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), will pilot-test electric and hybrid ferries, with the Iloilo-Bacolod route eyed for pure electric vessels and the Batangas-Calapan route for hybrids. DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push for cleaner and more sustainable public transportation, the agency is looking at how the technologies can be adapted to Philippine routes. “What we want here is to see how we can use this technology in the Philippines and how passengers, ship owners, and even our environment and health can benefit. It can reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and the operating costs of vessels. Ultimately, the ones who will benefit are our passengers,” Lopez said. The DOTr and MARINA will convene government agencies, development partners, shipowners and other industry stakeholders on Nov. 4, 2026 in Iloilo for a stakeholder consultation on the Interisland Ferry Decarbonization Pilot Project. They will discuss requirements for pilot operations, including vessel technology, charging infrastructure, financing and possible retrofitting. Darwin G. Amojelar
PhilPlans says young Filipinos now see financial planning as a path to peace of mind and resilience, not just savings, based on its PhilLife Meter study.
SGV tax head urges gov’t to review bank secrecy law, join CRS framework By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine economy’s sluggish 2.6-percent growth in the first half of 2026 underscores the need for stronger tax transparency, tighter enforcement against evasion and reforms to improve revenue collection, SGV & Co. tax head Jules Riego said. Riego, speaking at the 5th SGV Tax Symposium on Monday, urged the government to review the country’s bank deposit secrecy law and consider joining the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), which facilitates the automatic exchange of financial account information among participating jurisdictions. “None of our ASEAN neighbors has such a law, only the Philippines has it,” Riego said, referring to the bank deposit secrecy law. He said the Philippines could learn from neighboring economies, citing Vietnam’s tax refund-first, audit-later system, Malaysia’s electronic invoicing program and Indonesia’s tax amnesty a decade ago, which collected $12 billion and surfaced more than
$350 billion in assets. “We do not have to reinvent the wheel. I do not mean we should copy, I am just saying we can study their experience and develop our own,” he said, calling for closer ASEAN cooperation to combat smuggling and improve tax administration. Riego also urged Filipinos to demand accountability in public spending, citing the estimated $39 billion lost to the flood control corruption scandal. He said the controversy had contributed to weaker infrastructure spending and household consumption, compounding the impact of geopolitical tensions, high world oil prices and climate risks. “Good citizenship should not become spectatorship. We need to continue to be vigilant in guarding where our taxes go, how they are spent,” Riego said. The symposium, aligned with the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairship, brought together government officials and business leaders to discuss tax policy, digitalization, corporate tax governance and compliance reforms.
TRANSPORT
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
extrastory2000@gmail.com Darwin G. Amojelar, Issue Editor
Gov’t eyes Busway system along Quezon Ave., Ortigas T HE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is seeking to replicate the EDSA Busway system along other major roads in Metro Manila as part of its efforts to prioritize a commuter-centric transport policy.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the department plans to expand the dedicated busway concept to corridors such as Quezon Avenue and Ortigas Avenue and to be renamed the NCR Busway from the EDSA Busway. “If you notice, this time, what we proposed as the name of the project is no longer EDSA Busway, but rather it’s called NCR Busway. So that we can do it in Quezon Avenue, we can do it in Ortigas,” Lopez said. Lopez said the expansion reflects the DOTr’s commuter-centric transport policy, which prioritizes public transportation and aims to give commuters an advantage over private motorists on major roads. He cited the EDSA Busway’s ridership, saying the system served around 67 million passengers last year. Since its launch in 2020 through
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez (right) inspects operations inside a bus along the dedicated busway line. The DOTr aims to extend the highcapacity busway model across key corridors in Metro Manila.
August 2026, it has served more than 367 million passengers, according to the DOTr. The transport chief also noted that buses can carry at least 50 passengers, or up to 70 with standing passengers, compared with private vehicles that typically carry far fewer people. “That is why we cannot overemphasize the importance of the budget. And—at the risk of being redundant—the EDSA Busway is the only land transport system in Metro Manila, excluding rail lines, where
commuters significantly outnumber private motorists,” Lopez said. However, the EDSA Busway received no funding allocation under the Department of Budget and Management’s proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), prompting the DOTr to seek the restoration of its P1.756-billion budget. Lopez warned that a lack of funding could compromise the busway’s operations, including the payment of security personnel,
station maintenance and the repair of elevators and escalators. “In the very remote possibility that our busway does not receive funding, what will happen to our EDSA Busway project next year? The operations of the EDSA Busway will be compromised—which means we won’t have the funds to pay our security personnel,” he said. “The quality of government service will decline; our elevators will break down, and we won’t be able to have them repaired,” he added. Lopez said the department was hopeful that funding would be provided to sustain ongoing modernization efforts and planned improvements. The DOTr is currently rehabilitating EDSA Busway stations in Bagong Barrio in Caloocan, Balintawak in Quezon City and Guadalupe in Makati. New stations are also planned in Cubao, Magallanes and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX). Three additional stations in Balintawak, Monumento and Guadalupe were also nearing completion, with work reported to be 99% complete and expected to finish within October, Lopez said.
Lopez said expanding the busway system would help the government maximize road capacity by moving more people efficiently and reducing the time commuters spend in traffic. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has previously expressed support for the EDSA Busway, which the government has credited with significantly reducing travel time for millions of passengers. Since its launch in 2020, the EDSA Busway has served more than 367 million passengers as of August 2026. Other projects include the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, Davao Public Transportation Modernization Project and active transport initiatives, alongside airport modernization and port development projects. “The DOTr has many projects—a great number of them—and these bigticket projects have long gestation periods. However, we are working to address this and implement our projects one day at a time,” Lopez said. “Our primary goal is to help you save time and money, ensuring that these resources aren’t wasted simply due to traffic,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar
LRTA upgrades LRT-2 lighting to cut energy consumption THE Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has upgraded lighting fixtures in various areas of the LRT Line 2 revenue line and depot facilities to improve illumination and reduce electricity consumption as part of its energy conservation efforts. The LED Lighting Upgrade Project was implemented under the LRTA’s Energy Conservation Measures Program, involving the replacement and installation of energy-efficient lightemitting diode (LED) fixtures across selected station platforms and operational areas. LRTA said its Maintenance Transition Team and Engineering personnel carried out the installation and upgrading works to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards. By shifting from conventional lighting systems to LED technology, the LRTA aims to reduce power consumption while providing brighter and more consistent illumination across its facilities. LRTA said the upgraded fixtures also offer long-term operational benefits, including longer service life and less frequent maintenance, which could improve the reliability of sta-
tion lighting systems and optimize maintenance resources. The initiative supports the objectives of the Unified Committee for Energy, Water, and Fuel Consumption Conservation (UCEWFCC), which promotes responsible resource management within the organization. The project also forms part of the LRTA’s broader efforts to modernize
its facilities and align its operations with government energy conservation initiatives. The LRTA said it would continue pursuing practical infrastructure improvements to promote energy efficiency and support the delivery of safe, reliable and environmentally responsible rail services to commuters.
Kids in creative Halloween costumes—along with Jollibee and event organizers—pose on stage during PITX’s first-ever Halloween event, transforming the terminal into a lively, family-friendly destination.
PITX turns terminal into Halloween spot for families
NLEX undertakes pavement repairs along NLEX, SCTEX NLEX Corporation is undertaking pavement repairs and maintenance along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to improve road conditions and ensure safer, smoother travel for motorists. The company said pavement repairs have been completed in Marilao, Sta. Rita, Balintawak and Tabang, while work remains ongoing in Bocaue. Similar maintenance activities
Visayas biz chambers urged to lead tourism promotion
are also being carried out in other sections of its expressway network. The works include milling and paving, which involves removing worn-out portions of the existing pavement and replacing them with new asphalt to restore the road surface. NLEX said the maintenance activities are being managed to minimize disruptions to motorists. “Regular pavement maintenance is an important part of preserving the quality and durability of our expressways. By addressing pavement wear and tear and carrying out the necessary repairs, we help maintain reliable road conditions and support safer travel for our motorists,” Luis S. Reñon, NLEX president and general manager said. The company reminded motorists to observe traffic signs, follow speed limits and exercise caution when passing through work zones. It also said it would continue issuing advisories through its official social media channels to inform motorists of ongoing maintenance activities and help them plan their trips.
BUSINESS chambers across the Visayas are being urged to take a more active role in promoting their destinations and developing tourism packages as industry stakeholders seek to boost regional connectivity through Cebu. The Visayas Island-Chambers Tourism Alliance (VITA) and its tourism partners presented an action plan to help local business groups package tourism products, link island destinations and convert passenger arrivals through Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) into economic opportunities for communities across the region. The plan was presented during a breakout session titled “Connecting Destinations, Creating Opportunities: A Collaborative Discussion on Tourism Growth Through
Regional Connectivity” at the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Exposition (PBC&E) at The Manila Hotel on Oct. 14. VITA Chairman and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) LapuLapu President Anthony Noel said business chambers could benefit from the initiative through increased visitor arrivals, greater participation in tourism circuits and stronger support for their members. “VITA gives value on two levels. Level one is for your members: more visitors, a spot in packaged circuits, more footfall. Level two is for your chamber itself: stronger member retention, real data to talk to your LGUs, and training and toolkits for your team. Both matter,” Noel said.
THE Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) held its first-ever Halloween celebration on Oct. 17, 2026, turning the transport hub into a festive destination for families and children. Dubbed “PITX Halloween: A Spooktacular Journey,” the event featured costume competitions, games, trick-or-treat activities and family-friendly entertainment, highlighting the terminal’s efforts to expand its role beyond transportation services. The celebration welcomed families and young trick-or-treaters for an afternoon of activities, including a special performance by Jollibee and Friends, a Best Costume competition, interactive games and a Trick-orTreat Trail. During the activity, participating retail establishments and terminal partners distributed treats to children dressed in Halloween costumes, while showcasing the range of retail and lifestyle offerings available at PITX. “At PITX, we believe that our role goes beyond providing safe, efficient, and convenient transportation. We also want to create meaningful experiences that bring people together,” said Jason Salvador, PITX corporate affairs and government
relations director. “Through our first-ever Halloween celebration, we hope to show that PITX is not only a place where journeys begin and end, but also a destination where families can create lasting memories,” he added. The event was supported by Jollibee as its major sponsor and San Agustin Transport Services as an event sponsor, along with participating brands and establishments within the terminal. Salvador said initiatives such as the Halloween celebration help strengthen PITX’s connection with the communities it serves while providing opportunities for retail partners to engage with passengers. “Every day, thousands of passengers pass through PITX for work, school, business, and leisure. Events like this allow us to engage with them in a different way, while also supporting our retail partners and creating a more welcoming terminal environment for everyone,” he said. PITX continues to pursue initiatives aimed at enhancing the passenger experience through community engagement, familyoriented activities, retail partnerships and programs that encourage public participation. From left: Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI) Boracay President Djila Winebrenner, PCCI Area Vice President for Visayas Atty. Jobert A. Peñaflorida, Visayas Island-Chambers Tourism Alliance (VITA) Chairman and PCCI Lapu-Lapu President Anthony Noel, Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) First Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs Christopher M. Camba, AIC Airports Head of Tourism and Destination Marketing Blessie Cruz, and AIC Corporate Communications & Branding Manager Franz de la Fuente.
SHOWBIZ
C2 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
Kris Aquino’s much-awaited TV comeback set for Boy Abunda’s birthday week
By Nickie Wang AFTER years away from regular television, Kris Aquino is reuniting with longtime friend Boy Abunda for a much-awaited TV appearance on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda from Oct. 26 to 30. The Queen of All Media will sit down with the King of Talk for a special birthday-week interview, which is their first television reunion in 11 years. The conversation, according to a statement from GMA Network, is expected to touch on family, love, politics, and showbiz, bringing together two familiar faces whose candid exchanges have long drawn viewers. The reunion is also expected to revisit their friendship and the
B
Kris Aquino (left) reunites with longtime friend Boy Abunda on-screen after 11 years
personal experiences that have shaped their lives over the years. “With their shared history, candid personalities, and unmistakable chemistry, Boy and Kris are set to deliver the kind of conversation that only they can have, one that audiences have long been waiting to witness once again,” the statement said. “More than a birthday treat, this
By Jasper Valdez
EING swallowed by a sperm whale is an unlikely way to confront unresolved family issues, but that is exactly what happens in Whalefall, a survival thriller that uses an extraordinary predicament to explore the complicated relationship between a father and his son.
reunion brings together two of Philippine entertainment’s most iconic personalities for a television moment that celebrates their enduring connection and the magic of an unforgettable conversation,” the statement added. Fast Talk with Boy Abunda airs Mondays to Fridays, from 4:05 to 4:30 p.m. on GMA Network.
The interview will cover various topics and celebrate their enduring friendship
‘Whalefall’ finds meaning in unlikely survival story
‘Whalefall’ follows Jay Gardiner, played by Austin Abrams, as his fight for survival brings him face to face with unresolved feelings about his late father
FRONTROW Directed by Brian Duffield and based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus, the film follows Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams), a young man who dives into the ocean in search of his late father’s remains. His mission takes a disastrous turn when a sperm whale swallows him, leaving him trapped inside the animal. Trapped inside a living creature, Jay must contend with his limited oxygen supply, the whale’s internal environment, and the physical demands of finding an escape. Something is unsettling about watching a person struggle to survive inside an animal that ordinarily exists beyond human reach. The film makes effective use of the confined space, particularly when Jay’s attempts to escape are complicated by the movements of the whale itself. Yet the situation also raises questions about the relationship between humans and nature. The whale is an immediate threat to Jay’s survival, but it is also an animal acting within its natural environment. Jay’s predicament places him in a world where human knowledge and determination offer no guarantee of control. The film explores this uneasy relationship between conflict and coexistence without presenting nature as something inherently cruel or hostile. Humans depend on the natural world, even as they struggle against the forces within it. A similar contradiction defines Jay’s relationship with his father, Mitt Gardiner (Josh Brolin). Through flashbacks, the film examines their troubled history, revealing a relationship shaped by affection, resentment, and expectations that Jay struggles to reconcile.
Brolin and Abrams handle these conflicting emotions particularly well. Brolin gives Mitt a stern personality without reducing him to a one-dimensional father figure. His character can be both caring and harsh, often making it difficult to separate his intentions from the effect his behavior has on his son. Abrams delivers a convincing performance as Jay, capturing both the physical strain of his ordeal and the frustration he carries toward his father. His quieter scenes are particularly effective in showing the conflict beneath his determination to survive. Their scenes together are among the film’s strongest, making the troubled relationship easier to understand even when the survival narrative becomes difficult to believe. For all its inventive ideas, however, Whalefall occasionally asks too much of the audience’s willingness to suspend disbelief. As Jay’s ordeal continues, the events become increasingly improbable, making it difficult to remain fully invested in the story as a straightforward survival thriller. Its more spiritual elements further distance the film from realism. The premise arguably works better as a metaphor for Jay’s unresolved feelings toward his father. His struggle inside the whale can be read as a physical representation of the emotional burden he carries. His desperate search for an escape mirrors his attempt to confront a relationship that continues to shape his life even after Mitt’s death. The film does not always balance its increasingly unlikely survival scenarios with these deeper concerns. However, its exploration of family relationships, supported by the performances of Brolin and Abrams, gives the story a stronger reason to hold the audience’s attention. Whalefall is ultimately easier to appreciate for what its unusual predicament represents than for how convincingly that predicament unfolds.
Woody Allen shoots new movie in Madrid SEASONED Hollywood director Woody Allen is shooting his latest film on the streets of Madrid as the Spanish capital seeks to strengthen its reputation as a global cinema hub. The 90-year-old US director-screenwriter-actor began filming his 51st movie earlier this month, drawing curious onlookers as crews closed roads in central Madrid. The four-time Oscar winner, known for Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), and Midnight in Paris (2011), said the city was ideal for his latest project. “I’d always thought of Madrid as a very elegant and beautiful city and perfect for the kind of diplomatic atmosphere that I wanted for the story,” he said at a press conference. Allen described the film as “a comedy with romance, with intrigue, with infidelity,” adding that European cities offered an exotic backdrop with their historic architecture and tree-lined streets. Much of his recent work has been filmed in Europe, as scandals have largely ostracized him in Hollywood, although he has never been convicted of a crime. His adopted daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of molesting her in 1992, when she was seven. Allen has denied the allegations. He also faced criticism in 1997 after marrying Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow. Meanwhile, Madrid hopes the production will attract tourists and investors as the city expands its cultural and sporting events calendar. City hall estimates the unnamed film, whose title will include the word Madrid, will generate nearly 1,200 direct jobs and about 2,300 indirect jobs. Both the city and regional governments have contributed financially to the project. The audiovisual industry accounts for 2.2 percent of Madrid’s annual economic output, with 2,100 productions filmed in the region in 2025, according to authorities. AFP Woody Allen is filming his 51st movie in Madrid, describing the city as ideal for his project’s diplomatic atmosphere
Eugene Domingo (left) and Kaladkaren are among the stars who deliver memorable cameos in the much-talked-about queer romantic comedy
‘Multwoh’ packs stars, viral creators, drag performers into one ghostly romance A GHOST, an unspoken confession of love, and a cast of familiar faces from Philippine showbiz and social media converge in Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo), the queer romantic comedy that opened nationwide on Oct. 21. Directed by Rodina Singh, the Puregold CinePanalo film follows Marcel (Sassa Gurl), a college student who returns as a ghost after dying before confessing her feelings to her best friend, Miguel (Joao Constancia). As Marcel tries to settle unfinished business, she encounters a colorful cast in a story mixing romance, comedy, and supernatural twists. The film’s sprawling lineup brings together veterans of film and television, online comedians, celebrity impersonators, beauty queens, and drag performers. Among the established names joining the leads are John Lapus, Iyah Mina, Phi Palmos, Mae Paner,
Buboy Villar, Migs Almendras, Lui Manansala, Eric Fructuoso, Tart Carlos, and Kalad Karen. Online personalities Inah Evans and Christian Antolin also appear. The digital creator contingent includes Pipay, Gaia Poly, Yani Villarosa, and Arman Salon, known for their comedic skits and character-driven videos. Chino Liu, who performs as Krissy Achino, and AC Soriano bring their celebrity impersonations to the big screen. Sophie Prime, Abby Salle, and Stella Salle are also in the cast, alongside beauty queen Dia Mate, Denzel Chang, Red Dilla, Casey Puo, Alfy Bara, Ice Neo, and Sesable. Drag performers Sofia Trazona, Pura Luka Vega, Shewarma, Russia Fox, Tiny Deluxe, and Matiduh complete the eclectic ensemble. According to Singh, the film’s ambitions extend beyond assembling an unusually diverse cast. She wants to tell queer stories that can be funny
and romantic without losing their emotional depth. “Queer stories don’t have to be tragic to be taken seriously. And they don’t have to be serious to matter,” the director said. Singh also questioned why queer lives are often remembered through tragedy rather than the love, friendships, and joy that defined them. The film earned four awards at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival: Panalo sa mga Manonood (Audience Award), Panalo sa Production Design, Panalo sa Brand Intrusion, and Puregold Always Panalo. Multwoh opens at 13 Ayala Cinemas nationwide, including Glorietta, TriNoma, Market! Market!, Fairview Terraces, and Ayala Malls Manila Bay, as well as cinemas in Cebu and Bacolod. Tickets cost P250, with a discounted P200 rate for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Advance bookings are available online.
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LIFE & SHOWBIZ
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
PEOPLE
S
By Nickie Wang
EVENTEEN graduates have turned a training opportunity into employment through a partnership between SM Foundation and SM Retail Inc., becoming the first batch of participants to join the SM Retail workforce under the Upskill-to-Work Scholarship Program.
JK Rowling stands firm on gender views despite backlash
Most of the graduates are senior high school completers from economically disadvantaged families who cannot afford a four-year college degree. The program also welcomes out-of-school youth and college undergraduates seeking opportunities to enter the workforce.
Sarah Michelle M. San Miguel of Taguig City, now employed as a sales associate at SM, hopes to secure a regular position and help support her family
Jommel Garcia of Quezon City joins the Upskill-to-Work Scholarship Program to gain employment and help provide for his family
Young Filipinos find hope and jobs through SM Foundation The participants underwent two months of training, including onthe-job experience at SM Stores, before taking up positions as sales associates. The program also places emphasis on personal development. Life coach Jerome Paul G. Arino, who handled this aspect of the training, said the sessions covered physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. The physical component focused on appearance, poise, and communication skills to prepare trainees to interact with customers on the sales floor. The sessions also encouraged participants to build a supportive environment where they could share personal struggles and difficult experiences. This, Arino said, helped them develop greater selfawareness and identify areas for
improvement. The program likewise encourages participants to remain Godcentered, a principle that aligns with the foundation’s values. “Dala-dala nila ang lahat ng aral para ma-fulfill nila ang dreams nila,” Arino said. The initiative supports SM Foundation’s goal of helping beneficiaries become productive members of their families and the country by providing opportunities for personal growth and employment. The selection process begins with an online application. Qualified applicants undergo individual interviews with mentors before proceeding to training, where they acquire the skills needed to enter the workforce. Among the first graduates is Sarah Michelle M. San Miguel of Taguig
Pageant Concept Eton Concepcion
Mrs. Universe Philippines Fatima Figueroa Alvarez brings experience in tourism, humanitarian service and community development to the international competition
A FEW weeks before heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the 75th Miss Universe pageant, Miss Universe Philippines Beatrice MillanWindorski made a public appearance at the 50th founding anniversary celebration of Perpetual Help Medical Center–Las Piñas (PHMC-LP) on Saturday. Held at Cove Manila, Okada Manila, in Parañaque, the event honored the medical center’s five decades of quality healthcare service. Radiant in a strapless golden dress, Windorski delivered a message during the gala, which featured PHMC-LP’s upcoming projects and underscored its commitment to addressing the evolving needs of the communities it serves. She was joined by guest of honor Health Secretary Edwin M. Mercado and Dr./BGen. Antonio L. Tamayo, founder and CEO/chairman of Dalta & Co., which helped shape the Perpetual Help legacy. Other beauty queens who attended the anniversary gala were actor and Bb. PilipinasInternational 1986 Alice Dixson, Mrs. Universe Pacific-Philippines 2026 Scarlet Chua, and Mrs. Tourism-Universe 2021 Hemilyn Escudero-
City, who completed senior high school at Arellano University Juan Sumulong Campus. Now working as a sales associate at SM, she hopes to secure a regular position and help support her family. Jommel Garcia, a senior high school graduate from Barangay Old Balara, Quezon City, also joined the program while looking for work. The eldest of five siblings, Garcia discovered the Upskill-to-Work Program through an application post on Facebook. He applied immediately, hoping that the training and subsequent employment would allow him to help his parents financially. For these graduates, the program has opened a path to employment while giving them the chance to contribute to their families’ needs and work toward their personal aspirations.
HARRY Potter author JK Rowling vowed to continue opposing “trans activism” and financially supporting women pursuing legal action over their rights in a new essay published Wednesday. Rowling, 61, has faced years of controversy over her belief that biological sex is immutable, drawing criticism from transgender rights activists and some Harry Potter film stars. She denies being transphobic, arguing that her concerns center on the impact of transgender activism on women’s rights and single-sex spaces. “I’ll continue to speak out, continue to use my money to help women who otherwise couldn’t afford to go to court,” she wrote on her website. “If a man can be a woman, there is no such thing as a woman,” she added, saying she remains on the side of women who believe biological sex matters. Rowling’s gender-critical views have earned support from some feminists and fueled debates about free speech and so-called “cancel culture,” but have also drawn fierce backlash.
JK Rowling believes biological sex is immutable and continues to advocate for women’s rights and single-sex spaces
Bea Windorski graces PHMC–Las Piñas’ 50th anniversary celebration Tamayo. Windorski recently unveiled her Miss Universe headshot on Instagram, wearing a strapless white top and sporting sleek, shiny dark hair. She also appealed for fan support as the Miss Universe 2026 Fan Vote officially opened. PH bet aims for victory at 49th Mrs. Universe in Sri Lanka Fatima Figueroa Alvarez is vying for the Mrs. Universe title at the 49th edition of the pageant in Colombo, Sri Lanka. More than 130 delegates are competing, with the grand coronation scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24. No Filipina has won the title, currently held by India’s Sherry Singh. The 58-year-old Alvarez, from Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, brings experience in entrepreneurship, tourism, leadership, humanitarian service, and community development. She also serves as ambassador of the House of Musa, which supports initiatives promoting Filipino heritage, sustainable fashion, women’s livelihood, Indigenous communities, and humanitarian causes. “With a grateful heart, unwavering faith, and a purpose beyond the crown, I carry not only my dreams but also the pride of our nation. This is Mrs. Tourism 2026 ‘The Queen Mother’ Rea-Fel Aganon Bautista advocates women’s empowerment and equality while promoting beauty, wellness and tourism
She detailed her position in a 2020 essay that prompted widespread criticism. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the film franchise, was among those who publicly distanced himself from her. Rowling described her latest essay as an update, saying her views had not changed, but her involvement had become “practical as well as theoretical.” In April 2025, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act is based on biological sex, a decision welcomed by gender-critical campaigners but criticized by those concerned about discrimination against transgender people. The Labour government subsequently issued guidance on single-sex spaces, confirming that services must be based on biological sex to qualify as single-sex under the 2010 Equality Act. Public bodies have gradually adopted the guidelines. England’s National Health Service revealed last week that transgender women would no longer be placed on female-only wards. AFP
more than a competition. It is a journey of purpose, empowerment, and legacy,” Alvarez said. She was accompanied to the airport by Charo Laude, national director of Mrs. UniversePhilippines. Aeta mother crowned Mrs. Tourism 2026 Marjorie Joy Movilla of the Philippines was crowned Mrs. Tourism 2026 during the pageant’s grand coronation at the VS Hotel and Convention Center in Quezon City. She was also named Mrs. Tourism 2026 Ambassador for Heritage & Culture. Her victory highlighted cultural integrity, community solidarity, and family resilience, giving her Aeta Hungey community and other Indigenous peoples a platform to share their culture, stories, and aspirations. The 34-year-old mother of six, a native of Mabalacat, Pampanga, grew up in an Aeta community and faced poverty early in life. At seven, she began selling camote and flutes in Clark to help support her family and four siblings. Despite these hardships, Movilla pursued her education while supporting herself. She studied at Saint Anthony College of Technology and earned a degree in Culinary Arts from Philippine Women’s University. She also joined local beauty competitions and shared her prize winnings with members of the Aeta community. Movilla later became active in community leadership, serving as secretary-general of 100 Tribes and advocating for the rights and recognition of Indigenous Cultural Communities. “Today, when I look back, I do not see poverty as something that defines me. I see the seven-yearold girl walking through Clark, carrying what she could sell and dreaming of a better tomorrow. I see a student who refused to let financial hardship take away her education,” Movilla said. Marjorie Joy Movilla of the Philippines wins the Mrs. Tourism 2026 crown and the title of Mrs. Tourism 2026 Ambassador for Heritage & Culture
Miss Universe Philippines Beatrice MillanWindorski prepares to represent the country at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Single mom named Mrs. Tourism 2026 ‘The Queen Mother’ Rea-Fel Aganon Bautista, representing FILCom-UK, was named Mrs. Tourism 2026 “The Queen Mother” during the coronation night at the VS Hotel and Convention Center in Quezon City. The single mother of three, a native of Gerona, Tarlac, is a businesswoman in the spa, beauty, and wellness industry. An advocate for women’s empowerment and equality, she uses her platform to promote women’s rights and welfare. She has also volunteered in charitable activities, including distributing relief goods to indigent families in Paniqui, Tarlac. Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, Bautista is passionate about empowering others through beauty, confidence, and wellness while building a brighter future for her children. “I celebrate not only the title, but the woman I have become throughout this journey. I will wear this crown with humility, represent with purpose, and continue to celebrate the beauty, culture, and spirit of tourism wherever this journey takes me,” Bautista said. Mrs. Tourism 2026 promotes tourism in participating countries. Candidates showcase their countries’ tourism, culture, heritage, and destinations, while the organization provides winners and delegates with a platform to promote cultural appreciation and encourage international interest in their home destinations.
LIFE
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2026
lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
Random Talk
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Kate Adajar
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kei Rebolledo champions a distinct approach to skin care from TikTok to television as host of ‘Kutis Reveal’
Sammy Cairo undergoes a dermatological procedure as part of his treatment
OME television shows entertain us, while others make us feel seen. Kutis Reveal, the new program featuring board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kei Rebolledo, CEO of Kutis by Kei Clinics, manages to do both. It offers viewers practical lessons about skin health while telling a personal story that goes beyond impressive before-and-after photos. Having premiered on Saturday, Oct. 17, the show made an impact with its thoughtful approach, wellpaced storytelling, and clear script. Doc Kei has a gift for explaining dermatology without overwhelming viewers with medical jargon. Being good at dermatology is one thing, and explaining it clearly to people who are not doctors is another. Hosting also calls for warmth, timing, and the ability to communicate without talking down to viewers. Doc Kei brings these skills together. In the pilot episode, his energy felt natural, his explanations were easy to follow, and the emotional moments came across as genuine. That ability matters because medical information can be confusing when people are anxious about their appearance. A host does more than present procedures. He helps viewers understand their options and see the person behind each case. Doc Kei does this with a reassuring, conversational style. I first grew fond of Doc Kei through his TikTok videos at the height of the pandemic. His approachable way of discussing skin concerns caught my attention. His videos made
Doctor Is In: New reality show heals more than just skin
Dermatologist Dr. Kei Rebolledo guides delivery rider Sammy Cairo through his skin treatment journey on ‘Kutis Reveal’
‘Kutis Reveal’ aims to make dermatological information more accessible while highlighting the personal challenges behind skin conditions
dermatology feel less intimidating and more accessible. I remember being interested enough to add the KBK soap to my cart, too, the product his clinic had become known for. That moment showed how effectively he connected with viewers and sparked curiosity about skin care. Having watched foreign transformation programs, including those in Korea, I am familiar with formats built around dramatic beforeand-after results. What I appreciated about Kutis Reveal was that it did not make transformation the whole
persistent breakouts and recurring cyst. The treatment plan included Agnes, a radiofrequency-based procedure that targets oil glands; subcision to help release depressed acne scars; oral isotretinoin; and specialized skin care. Sammy’s story hit close to home. I struggled with cystic acne in my late teens and during the stressful years of college, so I know a skin condition can affect much more than appearance. It can chip away at confidence. I skipped an audition and a job application because I felt self-conscious about my skin. I once attended a job interview with a red, peeling face after trying a treatment I desperately hoped would work. That experience showed me how desperate a skin problem can make someone feel. That personal history is part of why I found the episode meaningful. I had never heard of rolling scars before, and the program reminded me how much there is to learn about skin health and the treatments available. More importantly, the episode reminded me to be more compassionate toward people dealing with skin problems. We do not know how deeply a condition affects someone’s self-esteem, how many treatments they have tried, or whether
story. It also took time to understand the personal struggles behind a skin condition. The pilot episode featured Sammy Cairo, a 35-year-old delivery rider and breadwinner known as the “Mahiyaing Mananayaw,” or “Shy Dancer.” He had struggled with acne and scarring since his school years. He became so self-conscious that he concealed his face behind mascot costumes at work. During his consultation, Doc Kei explained the role genetics can play in acne and discussed Sammy’s
Four decades of making a home in Filipino households Hanabishi executives discuss the appliance maker’s response to changing consumer preferences and its continued focus on affordable home appliances
By Angelica Villanueva “HANABISHI rice cooker with birth certificate” This phrase has become a familiar punchline among viewers of Eat Bulaga!, turning an ordinary household appliance into a running joke on the noontime show. The meme speaks to how deeply the Filipino appliance brand has worked its way into popular culture, much like its products have found a place in households across the country over the past 40 years. Behind the humor is a company that began in 1986 with the simple goal of making household appliances more accessible to Filipino families. Hanabishi has since expanded from flat irons to rice cookers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other kitchen appliances while adapting to changing consumer preferences. “For 40 years, actually, when we started, what we wanted was to provide something practical for the Filipino family. To use something that’s useful for each of the people,” said Cherish OngChua, Hanabishi vice president for finance and marketing. The company now faces consumers who are more discerning about their purchases, researching products, comparing prices, and reading online reviews before deciding what to buy. “Consumers now are very intelligent. We get to research online na, kukumpara natin prices. We see the different brands. We hear stories from friends. Tumitingin tayong
reviews, kung okay ba yung review, five star ba ito or hindi,” explained Hanabishi president Jasper Ong As consumer habits change, Hanabishi has been studying what buyers need and looking for ways to meet those demands. The company has introduced appliances that serve more than one purpose, including an air fryer oven and toaster, as more consumers look for healthier ways to cook and products that take up less space at home. While other appliance brands are adding artificial intelligence and digital features to their products, Hanabishi has yet to venture into smart appliances. The company explained that the technology remains expensive and does not yet fit its goal of offering affordable products to Filipino households. The company also faces rising import costs as peso depreciation and higher fuel prices affect its operations. Hanabishi sources its products from
China, specifies product requirements and oversees production. Its imported appliances undergo local testing to meet government safety and certification requirements. “We are very cautious when we try to increase the price,” Ong said, explaining the company’s efforts to limit price increases while managing higher costs. Hanabishi continues to work with dealers in provinces and smaller cities to make its products available to more Filipino families. The company also gives back to communities through its 14year partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation. Through this partnership, Hanabishi has provided appliances to schools and helped communities recover from disasters. For its 40th anniversary, the company also recognized customers who have kept their appliances for many years. One customer still owned a flat iron bought in 1987, showing how some of its products have remained in use for decades. After 40 years in the business, Hanabishi continues to offer practical and affordable appliances for Filipino households. The company also plans to keep up with changing consumer needs and develop products for younger buyers and the next generation of Filipino families.
Hanabishi is studying changingconsumer habits and introducing appliances that serve multiple purposes
professional care is financially within reach. Behind every skin concern is a person with a story that deserves understanding, not judgment. Sammy’s renewed confidence was a welcome reminder that self-care should not always take a back seat to our responsibilities to others. As a breadwinner, he had spent much of his life providing for other people. Through the program, Doc Kei also reminded him that he deserved care and attention himself. For someone who has struggled for years, skin care can be part of reclaiming confidence. What makes Kutis Reveal worthwhile is its combination of dermatological education and a deeply human story. It shows how professional care can help people feel more comfortable in their own skin. Kutis Reveal airs every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on Bilyonaryo News Channel, with 12 participants set to be chosen for the program. For anyone who has struggled with a skin condition, the premiere offers an important reminder to look beyond what we see in the mirror. There lies the true transformation. For your random thoughts, e-mail the author at randomrepublika@ gmail.com.
Santé International brand ambassador ‘Kuya’ Kim Atienza (left) and CEO Joey Marcelo
A milestone years in the making SANTÉ International was inducted as a regular member of the Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP) during the association’s third general membership meeting in September at Discovery Suites in Ortigas. The company, known for its Santé Barley products, operates in the wellness and direct selling sectors, with a network of business owners in the Philippines and international markets. Santé International CEO Joey Marcelo said the membership recognizes the company’s efforts to maintain business credibility and integrity. “Being part of DSAP is both an honor and a responsibility. It reinforces the standards we believe in and the trust that our business owners and customers place in us,” Marcelo said. The membership also provides Santé’s business owners with an additional credential when presenting the company’s products and business opportunities to prospective customers and partners. DSAP promotes ethical and responsible direct selling in the Philippines through its Code of Ethics, which sets standards for professionalism, accountability, and consumer protection. Marcelo said the company’s business owners played an important role in its development. “This achievement belongs to them as much as it does to the company,” he said. Santé International said it plans to participate in industry collaboration and exchange of best practices through its DSAP membership.