Vthe growing threat of climate change, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for enhancing global food cooperation and supply chains, which serves as a crucial lifeline for vulnerable countries.
In his intervention during the 27th Asean Plus Three Summit on Thursday, the chief executive underscored the importance of preserving such international ties, especially with the worsening impact of climate change “that could severely affect Philippine agriculture and Filipinos’ accessibility to proper nutrition.”
Citing the 2024 World Risk Index, he said the Philippines is among the countries with the highest risk of facing extreme natural events and the negative impacts of climate change.
Marcos said the Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Agreement is an important mechanism to countries which face similar risks.
Broken down, the BIR’s revenue take amounted to P2.08 trillion as of end-September 2024, or 12.13 percent higher than the P1.85-trillion tax revenues generated in the same period a year ago.
However, this is lower by 7.84 percent than the P2.257-trillion goal for the period.
Customs take up 4.61%
MEANWHILE , the BOC’s January to September 2024 tax collection stood at P690.84 billion, up by 4.61 percent from the P660.39 billion recorded in January-September 2023.
For September 2024 alone, tax revenue collection declined by 8.29 percent year-on-year to P212 billion from P233.532 billion. Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto on DOF Revenue Office ISO Certification: “
[The public can expect that we will further improve services and bring the government closer to the people].”
By Cai U. Ordinario
change and other potentially disruptive events. In a statement, the Washington-based lender said its Board ap
proved a $287.24-million loan for the Philippines Digital Infrastructure Project envisioned to benefit over 20 million Filipinos.
This project will invest in the government’s national fiber-optic backbone, middle-mile, and last-mile connectivity infrastructure, while ensuring these facilities are secure against cybersecurity threats and climate risks.
“A robust broadband connectivity infrastructure is not just a technological necessity; it’s an essential cornerstone for the Philippines to boost growth and attain its goal of becoming an upper middle-income country in the next couple of years,” said Manuela V. Ferro, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and Pacific.
“Bringing greater internet access to the grassroots can bridge the digital divide, empower communities, and unlock the full potential of the digital economy,” she added.
The World Bank said the “national fiber-optic backbone” refers to a network of high-capacity fiber-optic cables that interconnect different regions of the country. This network serves as the principal data highway for intra-country communications, carrying large amounts of data at high speeds.
This project, the Washington-based lender said, will complete the remaining parts of the national fiber backbone, connecting the two main international landing stations in Baler (Luzon) and Davao City (Mindanao).
The project is a “middle-mile” infrastructure that can help extend connectivity to locally underserved areas in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Easter Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and Caraga.
The project will also involve the installation of underground fiberoptic cables, which promise to make the network more resilient against disruptions from climate and extreme weather events.
The World Bank also said the project will create infrastructure foundations that will connect public institutions, schools and hospitals
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (second left) and his wife Louise Marcos (left) pose with Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his wife Vandara
Federal Reserve official’s comments shake bond market expectations for Nov. rate cut
By Liz Capo McCormick Bloomberg
BOND investors pared expectations for an interest-rate reduction in November after a Federal Reserve official opened the door to skipping a cut.
Traders, who boosted their expectations for a quarter-point cut at the Fed’s next meeting after an uptick in jobless claims earlier on Thursday, are already tearing up those bets. They are now pricing in about a 75% chance—versus as much as over 80% earlier in the session—of a November rate reduction after Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic told The Wall Street Journal he would consider a pause in rate cuts. For all of 2024, traders currently see a total of 43 basis points of rate
cuts, slightly more than prior to Thursday’s round of economic data.
Treasuries slipped directly after Bostic’s comments. Two-year Treasury yields, more closely tied to Fed rate decisions than longer tenors, are off sessions lows to just under 4%. That helped diminish the degree of steepening in the yield curve from extremes of earlier in the day. Also on Thursday, the sale of 30year bonds at auction saw a strong reception, which included a record allotment to indirect bidders. The long-
end out the curve outperformed after the latest auction results, causing some re-flattening of the yield curve.
The so-called core consumer price index—which excludes food and energy costs—increased 0.3% for a second month, disrupting a string of lower readings. A separate report showed that applications for US unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest in over a year—reflecting large increases in Michigan, as well as states affected by Hurricane Helene.
Leading into the economic data, de-leveraging of long positions in futures and the build-up this week of fresh bets on US bond losses left the Treasuries market more open to covering demand, a potential factor behind the front-end led rally in the aftermath of a weak weekly jobless claims read. On Monday, short-term rates had briefly dipped back below long-term, putting the curve temporarily back into an inverted position.
“The September CPI report came in stronger than expected, with core CPI in particular surprising to the upside,” said Whitney Watson, global co-head of fixed income and liquidity solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. “Labor market data, however, remains in the driving seat for the Fed and we see next month’s payrolls release as the more important data point in determining the pace and extent of Fed easing.”
Following the prints, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee reaffirmed that the central bank has moved beyond its singular focus of inflation.
‘I
nflation is still last year’s story. Yeah, there was an upside surprise there, but at the end of the day, it’s about labor, labor, and labor."
—Greg
Peters, cochief investment officer at PGIM Fixed Income
“The Treasury market has been a bit all over the shop this morning, albeit with a pretty steady bias towards steepening,” said Bloomberg strategist Cameron Crise.
“What has continued to be really important is the labor market,” Greg Peters, co-chief investment officer at PGIM Fixed Income, said on Bloomberg Television. “Inflation is still last year’s story. Yeah, there was an upside surprise there, but at the end of the day, it’s about labor, labor and labor.”
Fed minutes released Wednesday reinforced exceptions that the central bank’s half-point reduction at their meeting last month was more of a one-off event than a trend for the rest of the year.
The minutes showed Fed Chair Jerome Powell got some push back on the half point reduction with a preference among some officials to cut rates at a more gradual pace.
The latest inflation
in Eastern Mindanao, along with freeWi-Fi access points in these facilities. These facilities will pave the way for commercial operators to offer lastmile internet services for households.
“Improved internet access will help all Filipinos, especially those in remote areas of Mindanao, gain better education, healthcare, social protection, and government services,” said Zafer Mustafaoğlu, World Bank Country Director for the Philippines,
Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam.
“This project fosters a brighter future for lagging regions by connecting everyone and ensuring that the poorest and most vulnerable Filipinos can benefit from the power of technology,” he added.
Earlier, the Word Bank said the Philippine economy is now expected to perform better until 2026 amid “turbulent times” faced by the East Asia and the Pacific region. In its East Asia Pacific report, the World Bank said the country is ex-
pected to post a growth of 6 percent this year and 6.1 percent next year. These are upgrades from the bank’s April forecasts of 5.8 percent in 2024 and 5.9 percent in 2025. In the Washington-based lender’s Macro Poverty Outlook (MPO) for the Philippines released this month, growth is expected to average 6 percent until 2026 (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2024/10/09/ amid-turbulent-times-world-bank-seesbetter-gdp-data-in-phl/).
Global food cooperation, supply chains a lifeline for at-risk nations–Marcos Jr.
“Thus, I continue to urge APTERR Working Groups to seek ways to strengthen its mechanisms as well as to boost its rice and other staple food reserves to better prepare for emergencies that threaten food security in the region,” he said.
He called for the extension of the Tier 1 APTERR program for another three-year term from 2024 to 2027 to help ensure food security for vulnerable countries like the Philippines.
Under the Tier 1 program, Asean members, China, Japan and South Korea can enter into a forward contract for the transfer of contribution of a supplying country to the APTERR with a recipient country during emergencies.
The Philippines entered into such an agreement with Japan in 2021. The pact is set to expire this year.
Such successful cooperation among Asean Plus Three members, he said, can be extended in other fields, including trade through increased utilization of the Asean Plus One FTAs with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Marcos said he is looking forward to expanding such partnerships in other sectors under the
Asean Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan 2023-2027, like sustainable tourism and people-to-people connectivity; energy security under the Asean Centre for Energy and the work programs on Asean energy cooperation and integration; sustainable development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); science, technology and innovation (STI) and digital economy through the sustained implementation of the Consolidated Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for Asean, and the Asean Digital Integration Framework Action Plan (20192025), as well as the Asean Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM2025).
Environmental sustainability HE backed a similar partnership between Australia and Asean for environmental protection from the effects of climate change.
“We look forward to Australia continuing its support for the Asean Centres of Excellence, specifically, the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Asean Centre for Climate Change (ACCC),” Marcos said in his intervention during the 4th Asean-Australia Summit on Thursday.
The cooperation, he said, is expected to be enhanced once the Asean-Australia Plan of Action 2025-2029 is completed, which
will facilitate the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by setting the goals and targets on biodiversity conservation, climate action, ecosystems, and ecosystems restoration and their management.
Likewise, he encouraged Australia to continue developing technologies and building initiatives for mitigating marine pollution, particularly plastic waste, and the promotion of sustainable fisheries management.
“Pursuing these initiatives is deemed essential to safeguard marine environments shared by the Asean region and by Australia,” Marcos said.
The President also recognized Australia’s support for the Philippines’ call for the respect for the rule of law, for the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award as China intensifies its encroachment in the West Philippine Sea.
On trade, he thanked Australia for establishing the Australian Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) Facility, which provides support to Asean member states to effectively participate in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the AseanAustralia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).
tion in the same month in 2023. Revenues generated by the BOC, meanwhile, dropped by 41.70 percent year-on-year to P46 billion from P78.897 billion. The BIR and BOC aim to collect P2.848 trillion and P939.694 billion, respectively, in 2024. GOVT 9-MONTH REVENUE TAKE UP 10.4% AT ₱2.77T
Marcos Jr. backs US-Asean initiative on trade-investment metrics, AI rules
By Samuel P. Medenilla
VIENTIANE,
Laos—President
Ferdinand Marcos backed the joint initiative of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the United States (US) to enhance trade and investment standards and regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI).
During his intervention at the 12th Asean-US Summit (AUS) on Friday, the chief executive disclosed there are ongoing ef -
No more sleeping on sidewalks for hospital watchers–Bong Go
FAMILIES waiting in hos -
pital corridors will no longer have to endure the discomfort of makeshift accommodations, if Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s “Bahay Pasilungan” initiative is implemented.
At the recent public hearing on the proposed 2025 Department of Health (DOH) budget on Tuesday, Go called for the expansion of this initiative, designed to offer patient watchers a safe and comfortable space to rest while their loved ones are confined in hospitals.
“We are advocating for halfway houses, called Watcher’s Hall or Bahay Pasilungan for watchers of hospital patients,” Go said, partly in Filipino.
He said many watchers of patients in public hospitals often wait or sleep “on sidewalks, the gutter...They deserve comfortable resting place at least.”
Go reported that several hospitals will benefit from this initiative, including the Philippine General Hospital, the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, the Philippine Heart Center and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. He cited the near completion of the Watchers’ Hall in PGH as a significant step forward. These projects were funded through Go’s initiative as Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
forts for the completion of the 2024-2025 Asean-US Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement and Expanded Economic
Engagement Initiatives Work Plan for enhancing standards.
“We are pleased to see the US interest to cooperate on competition and consumer protection, as these are important areas as we jointly promote digital trade,” Marcos said.
In his opening speech during the 12th AUS, US Secretary Anthony Blinken recognized the important role the US can play when it comes to setting business standards in Asean as one of the regional bloc’s largest trade partners.
“The United States remains the number one source of foreign direct investment in Asean countries. This is a meaningful measure of trust, confidence in the future. It’s also a powerful generator of jobs and opportunity,”
Blinken said.
Marcos has been supporting the review of Asean’s existing trade agreements with its international partners like India to simplify their provisions and make them more accessible for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“We hope that the review of the AITIGA [ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement] will effectively lessen restrictions to trade and that India will continue to support its agreed provisions,” Marcos said.
AI regulation
ON AI, Marcos said he supports international efforts to regulate the new technology such as the pending Asean-US statement on Promoting Safe, Secure and
Villars prods DA to fast-track work on first-border facilities
SEN. Cynthia A. Villar on Friday called the attention of the Department of Agriculture on the deadline for the construction of first- border facilities in the country which, she has observed, is not moving.
Presiding over the Finance Subcommittee B briefing on the proposed 2025 budgets of the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies and corporations, Villar said the hog farmers have been suffering a lot every time the African swine fever (ASF) hits the country and the first-border facility is the only way to stop the ASF from entering the country. The senator also reminded DA officials that there should be no exemption from the border facilities.
“Everybody should go to firstborder facility. No exemption. Because when we put an exemption, that’s another source of corruption,” Villar said, noting that those who are not exempted would be forced to bribe authorities to be exempted from passing through the border facilities.
“That defeats the purpose of controlling ASF. I want to be clear with that,” she added. The DA is targeting to start the operations of first border control facilities for imported animal and plant products by early 2025. The first of five CEFAs or Cold Examination Facility for Agriculture is being constructed in Angat, Bulacan. A CEFA is a sanitary/ phytosanitary inspection facility for imported animal, fish, plant, and other agricultural products.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. attended the continuation of the discussion
on the proposed 2025 budgets of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies and corporations.
Laurel expressed gratitude to the Senate for supporting its budget. For 2025, the DA will receive P200.19-billion, a 19.5-percent increase in its budget under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Budget for ASF
AT the Senate’s earlier deliberations on the DA budget on Tuesday, Senator Nancy Binay sought the inclusion of a line item specific to ASF-related expenses under the DA budget for 2025.
“I think we should have a line item that’s specific for ASF because it seems it will be an ongoing concern,” Binay said, partly in Filipino.
Binay issued the statement after Agriculture Assistant Secretary Constante Palabrica said the indemnification for diseased pigs surrendered for culling was being taken from the Quick Response Fund (QRF).
The QRF is a standby fund that various government agencies can tap to assist areas affected by calamities or crises. Government documents showed that P1 billion has been appropriated under the DA’s 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for its QRF.
“With that item, the procurement of vaccine for ASF and anything related to ASF can be included,” Binay said.
The DA recently increased indemnification for diseased pigs surrendered for culling, raising the compensation ceiling to
EDCA sites ‘help’ in ongoing HADR
ENHANCED Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites are playing a vital role in ongoing relief operations for Batanes Island communities that have been severely affected by Super Typhoon “Julian” last week, a military spokesperson said Thursday.
“Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Batanes are being conducted with collaboration between US forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] and its reserve forces,”
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a message to reporters. EDCA sites, Padilla said, serve as vital coordination hubs, enabling effective joint efforts and efficient deployment. “The coordination and execution of these operations are facilitated by the experience gained from previous training exercises, such as ‘Balikatan’ and ‘Salaknib,’” she added. Padilla said the AFP remains committed to assisting affected
P12,000 for breeders, P8,000 for medium-sized hogs, and P4,000 for piglets. Previously, the maximum indemnification was P5,000 per head.
Meanwhile, Palabrica said the department has vaccinated less than 1,000 pigs since it started its inoculation in Lobo, Batangas to curb the spread of the deadly hog disease.
He cited some reasons for the slowdown of the vaccination process, such as the absence of the department’s staff in the field. He noted they were depending on local government units (LGUs) in taking blood samples to check if the hogs were negative for ASF.
Agriculture Secretary Tiu Laurel Jr. also said certain issues like farmers’ reluctance to participate in the voluntary vaccination for their pigs.
However, the agriculture chief stressed that the 10,000 doses of ASF vaccine procured through emergency purchase should be used within the month.
Palabrica said he is seeking over a P300 million budget to continue with the vaccination in 2025.
“We are asking for, hopefully, P324 million for next year so we can continue vaccinations next year,” he said.
The government has allocated P300 million for the procurement of approximately 600,000 doses of the ASF vaccine developed in Vietnam, and an additional P50 million for related inoculation costs.
Figures from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed that 534 barangays have active ASF cases as of October 2.
Ada Pelonia
Butch Fernandez,
ops for Batanes–AFP
communities and ensuring the safety of the Filipino people during times of crisis.
Earlier, the AFP said relief operations being conducted by the US military have proven the effectiveness of the Philippine and US alliance.
This was after the United States conducted a relief operation for Batanes on October 8.
“Two US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft transported Foreign Disaster Relief [FDR] supplies, provided by the US Agency
for International Development (USAID), from Laoag Airport to Batanes in the morning. Additionally, a US Air Force Dornier 328 aircraft delivered further relief items from Manila to the island. Earlier, on Sunday, the Philippine Air Force deployed a C-130 aircraft from Villamor Air Base, Pasay City, to deliver vital goods directly to Batanes,” the AFP said.
It added that the EDCA between
Trustworthy AI.
“This highlights the importance of AI governance and interoperability between governance frameworks through further cooperation to support the completion of a meaningful and substantive Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement [DEFA] that advances an open, secure, interoperable, competitive, and inclusive digital economy,” Marcos said.
Blinken said the US is committed to ensuring a safe digital space in Asean.
“We’re upgrading the region’s power grids. We’re fighting cyber crime and online scams. We’re promoting safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence,” he said.
The senior US official said he is optimistic the US and Asean can forge more partnerships through their comprehensive strategic partnership.
“Every day, our cooperation is helping to better the lives of our combined 1 billion people, creating economic opportunity, fostering technological innovation, advancing a shared vision of an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, with Asean at its center,” Blinken said.
Aside from the trade and AI documents, Marcos said he will also back the adoption of the Plan of Action to Implement the Asean-United States (US) Strategic Partnership (2021-2025) which will strengthen the cooperation between the two parties.
PBBM explains why he didn’t name VP Sara caretaker during his Laos trip
By Samuel P. Medenilla
RESIDENT Ferdinand Mar -
Pcos said he felt “deceived” by Vice President Sara Duterte after she said she never considered him as a friend.
“I’m a little dismayed to hear that she doesn’t think that we are friends. I always thought that we were, but maybe I was deceived,” the chief executive said in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR).
Marcos said he is unsure how he will treat the Vice President after she publicly disclosed she did not consider the President as a friend last September.
Marcos and Duterte were running mates during the 2022 elections under the UniTeam alliance. They maintained a friendly relationship during the early years of the Marcos administration.
Duterte, however, started to distance herself from Marcos when she
DBy Manuel T. Cayon
AVAO CITY—The once most-troubled spot in the country continues to ring a bell among investors, with the fresh batch of four investors this week helping to exceed the annual investment target in a span of only three quarters.
The Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI) approved Tuesday the four new investments worth P390,763,596, increasing further the total investments as of October to P4.7 billion. The BBOI said it achieved a historic milestone to surpass the board’s annual target by 181 percent. It projected P2.6- billion investments for the entire year.
The BBOI said the new investments came from DALG Agro-Industrial Corp. and DALG Oil Palm Corp. in Wao, Lanao del Sur, both focusing on agricultural and agribusiness initiatives; Bihing Tahik Corp. in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, centered on tourism development; and AK Global Connect BPO OPC in Cotabato City, contributing to industrial services.
resigned as an education secretary and vice chairperson of the government’s anti-communist task force in June.
Marcos made the remark about Duterte after he was asked why he opted not to designate the Vice President as government caretaker, while he attended the Asean Summit in Lao PDR, as he traditionally did in his previous overseas trips.
Instead, he designated Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III to oversee the government while is away.
Marcos said he made the decision for practical reasons since Duterte is no longer part of his Cabinet.
“It would be unfair to ask her... to impose that duty on her since that’s not part of her work now,” he said.
“If you notice, the members of the Executive Committee are all members of the Cabinet up to now. So that would seem to be the obvious way to handle it,” he added.
“These investments are essential to the region’s development objectives, marking a major step forward in its economic progress. They will support agricultural productivity, enhance food security, and stimulate rural economies through agribusiness initiatives,” Pasigan said. The industrial services project and tourism development will help fill infrastructure needs and promote BARMM’s unique natural and cultural assets, contributing to long-term regional growth, he said.
DALG Agro-Industrial Corp. Secretary Gladys Lowry said that “as a new player in the BARMM, we intend to register our company to avail of the various incentives and benefits provided by the BBOI, including
“Our success in exceeding our target by over 180 percent highlights BARMM’s potential as a business-friendly region that creates significant economic growth. This accomplishment reflects the positive outcomes of collaborative efforts across BARMM,” said BBOI Chairman Mohamad Pasigan. The four investors created 382 new jobs across Bangsamoro region and represented key sectors for the Bangsamoro region’s economic growth, such as agriculture, agribusiness, industrial service facilities, and tourism.
So-called ‘POGO Godfather’ arrested in Laguna operations
By Rex Anthony Naval
THE so-called “POGO Godfather” of the Philippines was arrested in Biñan, Laguna, in law enforcement operations conducted by the Presidential AntiOrganized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Bureau of Immigration (BI) and members of the Philippine National Police on Friday.
POGO is short for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
The arrest of Lyu Dong, who went by numerous aliases, drew swift commendation from Senator Risa Hontiveros, whose Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality had earlier identified Lyu Dong and his connection to other key figures behind the establishment of scam hubs in the Philippines. She, however, stressed the work is far from done.
complacent or reckless. With the many POGO hubs under Lyu Dong, he could not have done it without help from some people in government. Ihope that we can also identify the Filipino associates of Lyu Dong.
South 99 in Porac, Pampanga in June and he is believed to have a heavy involvement in human smuggling and other scams.
Cruz also revealed that Dong had been named operator of the Lucky South 99.
‘Asean’s been waiting for a long time’ for Asean-China COC, says Marcos Jr.
VIENTIANE, Laos—Frustrated over the slow pace in the negotiations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-China Code of Conduct (COC), President Ferdinand Marcos said he is now using every international forum to raise awareness on the issue and get support from more countries and encourage China to push through with completing the document.
In an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the concluded Asean Summit in Laos, Marcos explained the COC is still pending due to China’s inaction on the matter.
gotiations as the risks of miscalculation and escalation of tension continue to increase,” Marcos said during the summit.
He lamented that until now, the inclusion of the word “self-restraint” in the text for the COC remains pending.
“It is time that we tackle these milestone issues so that we can make substantive progress moving forward,” Marcos said.
Stabilize the situation
“His arrest brings us much closer to our goal of seeking justice for the victims of crimes related to POGOs and scam hubs, and accountability from public officials who enabled and tolerated these crimes,” said the deputy minority leader. While commending the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the Bureau of Immigration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Joint Special Operations Group, and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines “who worked hard and made sure that Dong will not escape the long arm of the law,” the senator said the work is not yet done while other “big bosses of POGO and scam hubs, like nDuanren Wu, Zhang Jie, at Huang Zhiyang,” remain scotfree.
“There are bigger bosses out there. We should have them arrested and accountable for their crimes against so many innocent people,” Hontiveros stressed Kingpin in four regions at least PAOCC executive director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, in an interview with GMA News “Unang Balita,” identified the alleged godfather as Lyu Dong who is also known in various aliases as “Boss Boga,” “Xiaolong,” “A Pao,” and Hao Hao” which means “Boss of all Bosses.”
He added the suspect was nabbed at Arsobispo Street, Southwoods Biñan, Laguna based on a “warrant of arrest and a mission order.”
Cruz said that Dong can also be tagged as the “Kingpin of POGOs” as he started setting up POGOs in Regions 3, 1, and Region 4 and even in Metro Manila shortly after his arrival in 2016.
“He established a lot of POGOs and we are still looking at his involvement [in others],” the PAOCC chief said in Filipino.
“While Lyu Dong’s arrest is a major win, we should not be
Dong’s name surfaced in the course of the investigation following the raid on the Lucky
Go said other hospitals, such as the Philippine Heart Center and Quirino Memorial Medical Center, are being considered for the implementation of the Bahay Pasilungan project.
hay Pasilungan program aligns with his long-standing advocacy for accessible health care, underscoring his commitment to providing comfort not just to patients, but also to their families and caregivers.
He said they have been searching for the suspect for the past eight months.
According to the PAOCC chief, Dong has POGO establishments in Biñan and proved difficult to track as the suspect has the habit of frequently changing his locations.
Cruz said they are still determining whether all POGO establishments set up by Dong are still operating.
This, as initial investigations revealed some are still operating as of this time.
Aside from Dong, 13 foreign nationals and six Filipinos were also arrested during the operations and believed to be linked to the POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga.
Cruz said foreign companions will be asked to provide proper documentation and be investigated by the BI if they failed to give proof they are legally staying in the Philippines.
He also said the Chinese among the foreigners will have their identities checked with the Chinese Embassy to determine if they have committed crimes in their motherland.
With Butch Fernandez
Continued from A3
“I think the onus is now on China to accelerate those talks. Asean has been waiting for a long time,” Marcos said.
He said the Philippines has put a team of negotiators to determine how to convince China to finalize the document.
Every opportunity
THE President made the remark after he stressed in his intervention at the 19th East Asia Summit at the National Convention Center in Lao People’s Democratic People’s Democratic Republic last Friday that the risk of a flash point erupting in the South China Sea remains high due to the “slow pace” in the negotiations of the COC.
“Well, we take every opportunity that we can, again, to make the Philippine position clear,” Marcos said.
“I’d rather be talking than watching conflict. So if the talking is keeping conflict away, then Asean will have achieved at least one of its most important purposes,” he added.
The President admitted his immense frustration with how China would issue a statement of its supposed restraint of the ships it deploys in the WPS, when in reality its ships harass Philippine vessels in the said area.
Hasten the process
DURING the 19th East Asia Summit at the National Convention Center in Lao People’s Democratic People’s Democratic Republic on Friday, he reiterated his call for the swift passage of the COC, which has been pending since 2017.
Continued from A3 BARMM. . .
The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has consistently pushed for healthcare reforms and the enhancement of hospital facilities across the country, particularly in providing assistance to vulnerable sectors.
Go reiterated that the Ba-
He concluded by urging the DOH to continue supporting the initiative and ensuring that more hospitals across the country can benefit from it, saying that the well-being of patient watchers should be part of the holistic approach to health-care services in the Philippines.
the Philippines and the United States, in times of natural calamities, improves the capability to respond swiftly by providing strategic access to facilities and resources.
“This close cooperation enables rapid deployment of personnel and relief aid, ensuring timely response to communities in need, such as those affected by Typhoon Julian in Batanes,” the AFP said.
The COC provides the guidelines to prevent disputes in the South China Sea and promote maritime cooperation.
“We need to hasten the process of ne -
Continued from A3
tax exemptions and the promotion of our business in the region.”
PENDING the COC, the President said Philippines ships within the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea inside the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, continue to be subjected to harassment from Chinese ships.
“These actions resulted in damage to our assets, as they were conducting normal and routine maritime activities,” Marcos said. The East Asia Summit comprises 18 participating countries, including 10 Asean Member States, and Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America.
Marcos also raised the issue during the 27th Asean-China Summit in Laos last Thursday as well as in his interventions in the 44th and the 45th Asean Summit and related summits.
“I’m sure that will come if and when we have that COC. Then it will lay down the rules for everyone to follow and it will stabilize the situation [in the WPS],” he said.
International support BY raising the issue of China’s incursion within the WPS, he said the Philippines can secure support and aid from more countries.
“For the most part, our neighbors and all the interested parties, which include the European Union, certainly the United States, have all come to talk to us and say that there’s much that we can still do, and let’s explore this or let’s explore that,” Marcos said. He said more than half of Asean member states have offered their support to the country in the WPS issue with China.
“These are things that perhaps might not be expressed in open session, but are expressed on the sidelines. Much of the work actually that gets done here is on the sidelines, where you talk to one leader or a group, a small group, over a cup of coffee,” Marcos said. Samuel P. Medenilla
“To start our business, we need to explore all possible engagements, especially with government services, to help us avail of any benefits that may lessen our burden in spending too much capital,” said Al-Jubair Kamid, chief executive officer of AK Global Connect.
“BBOI could help us promote our beach resort as a tourism spot not only in the province of Tawi-Tawi but also within and outside the Bangsamoro region, and eventually, it could boost our entire economy,” Judith Micabalo, representative of Bihing Tahik Corp Resort in Bongao, said.
Time BusinessMirror Our
Fast-aging Korea sees money in luxury retirement homes
By Heejin Kim
ArK JONG-CHUL , an
P85-year-old in Seoul, recently decided it was time to move to a retirement home to secure the help he and his wife are starting to need. After viewing a presentation for VL Le West, a high-end apartment for seniors being developed by the conglomerate Lotte, he’s ready to sign up for one of the few remaining rooms.
“This kind of senior home provides three meals a day,” he said, adding that it wasn’t too expensive considering what it costs to hire a housekeeper.
He joins a growing number of Korean retirees looking to spend their twilight years in self-paid retirement homes. In one of the world’s fastest-aging countries, these residences are emerging in popularity with the likes of Lotte and Hyundai investing billions of dollars on new projects.
Unlike nursing homes and assisted living facilities, such homes cater to people who can still go about their day activities independently but want services like meals and cleaning, as well as the company of other retirees. Few such properties existed in Korea until a few years ago because of traditional expectations that children should look after their aging parents.
As such homes don’t cater with people with medical conditions like dementia and aren’t subsidized by public insurance, they’re mainly for a rich minority—but a growing one. The wealth of Korea’s new retirees is at an all-time high, thanks to careers that overlapped with the country’s economic boom years.
At least nine major projects for private retirement homes have been announced in the country this year. That may not sound like much, but it’s the most of any year over the past decade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. They’re also part of what analysts expect will be a 168 trillion won ($121 billion) “silver industry” by 2030 as a falling birthrate, urbanization and surging personal wealth spawn new products and services aimed at older Koreans.
“There’s definitely demand for this new type of senior housing,” said Choi Younghak, a director at Igis Asset Management, a Seoulbased real estate fund with 65 trillion won ($47 billion) in assets under management. He cited strong interest among wealthier retirees who can’t, or don’t want to, live with their adult children.
Igis is currently planning a private, senior residence in Seoul, and is also in talks with multiple overseas investors for other projects. The asset manager will have a 20 percent stake in the project, which has raised 63 billion won as a bridge loan from investors including 33.5 billion won guaranteed by Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Hyundai, which has a 30
Negros Occidental extends medical support to seniors
By Nanette Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY—The Negros Occidental provincial government is extending wellness and medical support to senior citizens in need to mark the observance of the Elderly Filipino Week from October 1 to 7.
percent stake, will be in charge of construction. Local developer MGrV Inc., which holds a 30 percent stake, will be responsible for operating it.
One of the early examples of these high-end residences was Classic 500, built in 2009 and run by the Konkuk University Foundation, a fund connected to one of the country’s top private universities. The twin high-rise building includes a spacious gym, spa and pool as well as a shuttle bus service to a golf course.
For years, few followed, partly because of the cost: couples pay a 1 billion won deposit and a monthly rent of around 4 million won, in addition to other expenses including meals. But it’s become a model for high-end retirement homes that developers say are increasingly in demand.
The Signum Haus, which runs a luxury, 230-unit facility in upscale Gangnam, plans to open a similar facility in Cheongna International City in the next few months. The rooms will have hardwood floors and those on upper levels will overlook the city, while common facilities are set to include indoor golf practice ranges, a movie theater, meditation room and a restaurant.
Marketing material for the 15-story VL Le West show it will look nothing like traditional nursing homes in the country. rooms will have floor-to-ceiling windows and the plan includes a cinema and concierge services. Despite the $1 million deposit and $1,500 average monthly rent, most of its 810 rooms have already been sold, according to Lotte. Lhour, a luxury senior home to be built by Hanwha Engineering & Construction Corp and operated by Hotel Lotte in the coastal city of Busan, quickly sold out last year.
Targeting the wealthy, however, comes with risks. If real estate prices fall as some economists predict, fewer people will be able to finance a move into luxury retirement homes by selling their current homes. Some analysts also warn that developers may be overestimating the wealth of the soonto-retire generation while underestimating running costs including rising labor costs—a major problem affecting retirement and care home businesses in Japan, another fast-aging society.
“Due to low birth rates, South Korea will suffer from a lack of workers at nursing homes more seriously than in Japan,” said Hyeri Shin, an associate professor for gerontology at Kyunghee University.
Park is hoping to sell his home in Seoul before moving in. Construction hasn’t yet started, and he’s been told it will take a few years before it’s ready for buyers to live there.
“We heard it might take two or three years,” he said, then laughed.
“I might die while I wait .” With assistance from Sam Kim, Eddy Duan and Kevin Dharmawan /Bloomberg
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who led the program held at the Capitol Lagoon and Park here on Friday, said such a meaningful occasion not only honors the elderly but also highlights and acknowledges their continued and lasting contributions to society.
“Your life, exemplified with dedication, strength, and perseverance, has played an integral part in the development of both Negros Occidental and our country,” he said.
During the program, Lacson, with the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office, turned over wheel-
chairs for identified beneficiaries in each of the 31 local government units (LGUs) in the province.
Through the Provincial Health Office, the province also provides flu and pneumonia vaccinations and holds medical consultations for the elderly.
“These are vital initiatives that aim to safeguard your health and well-being,” the governor said.
Part of the activity was the “Walk for Life” joined by members of the Federation of Senior Citizens’ Association of the Philippines and social welfare personnel from vari-
By Nick Tayag
OUr long-suffering people are hungry for a better life, or anything that is less than what we are enduring now.
Every time there are elections, our electorates are promised to be given meat-filled “siopao.” Instead, the promise turns out to be “ampao,” hollow or puffed rice crispies.
Watching the pitches of candidates now running for public office, it’s as if they are the long-expected saviors, the solution to our country’s problems, when on the contrary they are all part of the problem.
So many things are wrong with our country’s political system and the quality of our leadership. I thought I was alone in my dismay but the other day, one political analyst pointed out the remarkable decline of the quality of individuals serving in the Senate, and yearned for the halcyon days when honorable statesmen ruled that chamber.
When I share this feeling with my senior colleagues, they are quick affirming it. But while my friends are arguing what’s wrong with our politics, the better question in my mind is “why do things always go wrong?”
When I ask myself that question I suddenly feel an ache in my memory. I’ve encountered this question before. Then a painful realization kicks in. This is what happens when three eponymous universal laws come together to create a perfect storm, a recipe for disaster. It’s The Peter Principle combined with the Durning Kruger Effect equals Murphy’s Law
Indulge me as I briefly revisit these three harbingers of trouble. First is The Peter Principle. Back in 1969, Lawrence J. Peter published a book with the title “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong.”
The meat of his theory runs like this: everyone eventually rises to the level of his own incompetence. His words and theories are as true today as they were then. They are being proven day after day in our current political affairs. Consider the case of a former city executive who suddenly rises to a top political office at the national level for which she is poorly equipped and inexperienced. She doesn’t seem to know how to govern at this elevated level. She often lets her underlings speak for her office because she appears to have no complete grasp of what’s happening in the two big offices she oversees. No wonder she avoids being scrutinized about her activities. There’s a local saying that seems to fit her: “Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang” (You’ve been weighed and found wanting).
Consider the legislators who don’t even know how to legislate. They can’t even respond properly to interpellation because they don’t even understand the question. I know a senator who, after getting elected, never gets near the podium for his lack of communication skills. Others are more voluble but their hollow superficial pronouncements become the viral butts of jokey memes on social media. One or two may be good performers on the silver screen but they’re proven to be grossly poor performers on the political stage.
ous LGUs.
“To all the senior citizens present, this ‘Walk For Life’ is a powerful reminder that life is a continuous journey full of purpose, regardless of age. Let us walk together, not just in celebration of today, but in the spirit of unity and respect for all that you
As if we don’t have enough people in positions of power who have been promoted to their level of incompetence, consider the gallery of characters who are filing their COCs or Certificate of Candidacies at the Commission on Elections. A friend cynically describes them as akin to a police lineup of the usual, the has-beens, the weird, creepy and eccentric, the unemployed, as well as delusional suspects all mixed up together with the very few who are good and honorable. As my favorite line in the movie “Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid” goes: Who are these guys? What gives every nobody the gall to overestimate his abilities? As a lucrative source of income? What drives the scions and spawns of political dynasties to self-promote themselves to their level of incompetence? To perpetuate their hold on power?
But it gets worse.
When Peter is present in the room, the second law is never far behind. Enter The Durning-Kruger Effect. It says that an individual with limited knowledge or competence has the tendency to greatly overestimate his own knowledge or competence. In simple terms, he doesn’t know that he doesn’t know!
The term was first coined in 1999 by David Dunning and Justin Kruger, both psychologists at Cornell University. Someone with this condition doesn’t know that he is inadequate or unfit. It’s a blind spot that can occur to anyone, from an entry-level employee to a CEO or the highest government official. It can lead to shoddy performance, poor decision making or policy making, which can hurt or harm many people.
The Peter Principle plus DurningKruger Effect in our local and national politics is a toxic combination, deadly to our progress as a nation. By electing incompetent and mediocre people again and again, we are putting them in charge of big responsibilities that they are unfit and unqualified to handle. It is like promoting the lunatics to take over the asylum, as the saying goes.
This paves the way for the wellknown Murphy’s Law, which states that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”. And the list of what’s going wrong is endless: our students end up at the bottom in reading comprehension and critical thinking, foreigners get to be elected as mayors, our police accused of being the “biggest crime group,” billions of pesos being spent in 11 days, gambling becomes legitimized as a source of income for our national coffers, government money being used to incentivized extra judicial killings. Need I go on?
At this point, is there an antidote to Peter, Durning and Murphy?
have done and continue to do,” Lacson said.
He added that this year’s theme, “Senior Citizens: Building the Nation, Inspiring Generations,” reflects the vital role of the Filipino elderly in shaping the nation and passing on values and wisdom. PNA
On a personal level, aiming to have a higher level of self-awareness is the best antidote. As David Dunning says: “Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition. The problem with it is we see it in other people, and we don’t see it in ourselves.” Understanding The Peter Principle and Dunning-Kruger Effect and how it might show up in our work and our life will help us build our collective self-awareness. More urgently, let’s acknowledge that incompetence is running rampant through our society, our workplace and our world. Admit that we are partly to blame for our incompetence in promoting idiots or fools to be in charge of doing important or complicated things that impact our lives and our future. It’s time to wake up or we will end up like the fabled frog that is being slowly boiled alive, clueless and oblivious to the danger that we are being cooked to death. Instead of wallowing in buyer’s remorse, feeling regretful for our bad choices, let’s instead be consistently vocal in calling out incompetence in our incumbent government officials until they are shamed enough to cease from running ever again and make space for those who are truly competent and deserving. While we uphold our democracy, let’s have an aristocratic attitude towards our system of governance, the rule of the best as envisioned by the Greek philosopher Plato. He reasoned that leaders need to be wise and trained in how to run a state, just as captains of ships are trained in how to run a ship. This means setting up a better system of vetting those who run for elections. This means establishing a more rigid set of criteria for leadership and a mechanism that separates candidates who are of high quality or ability from those who are not.
Why should we make it easy for incompetent people to get elected? When I was briefly in government as a staff of a Japan-assisted project, I was made to take the Civil Service Exams. Even in olden times, China had an imperial examination system, which was administered at every level of the Chinese administrative hierarchy for the purpose of selecting only meritorious candidates. The bottom line is those who think they know never do. The truth is those who really know underestimate their own abilities. In the end, it’s best to
Editor: Mike Policarpio
DepEd, BJMP cooperation to yield education opportunities for PDLs
THE Department of Education (DepEd) is partnering with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to make more learning opportunities for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) available.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara lauded the “Tagapangalaga Ko, Guro Ko” program with the BJMP, which helps in the rehabilitation and reintegration of PDLs—particularly those enrolled in the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
“Through this MOA [memorandum of agreement], we are reinforcing our commitment to leave no one behind,” said Angara. “With your
‘BUSINESS School for the World” INSEAD recently made a strong entry into the Financial Times’ (FT) Master in Management (MIM) Ranking, as it secured the Top 3 global position out of 100 ranked institutions in 2024.
According to a statement, this “remarkable debut in the rankings underscores the strength of the INSEAD MIM program and the school’s commitment to providing world-class education to aspiring young professionals.”
Started in 2020, the program spans 14 to 16 months and provides young career-starters with unparalleled global career opportunities through cutting-edge managerial knowledge, international exposure and practical experience. With a curriculum that blends academic rigor with hands-on learning, it has become a premier program for early-career professionals looking to make a global impact.
Dean Francisco Veloso of INSEAD said: “We are proud of our MIM program’s outstanding debut in the FT ranking. This recognition [testifies] to the excellence of our faculty, the ambition of our students, and the strength of our global community. As we continue to foster innovative and impactful learning experiences, we are confident that INSEAD will be at the forefront of business education worldwide.”
The unique value of the INSEAD MIM program has been recognized, in particular, for the strong career progression of its graduates and the international learning environment the school offers: from the diversity of its faculty and students, to international mobility. After graduation, they will join an unparalleled global network of more than 70,000 influential alumni across 179 countries.
INSEAD’s dean of Degree Programs
Mark Stabile commented: “The MIM’s success in this global ranking reflects the transformative education we offer to early-career professionals. By fostering critical thinking, leadership skills, and a truly international outlook, we prepare our graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing global business environment.”
help, we reaffirm that every Filipino, no matter their circumstances, deserves a chance to learn and grow.”
For the Education chief, the program not only provides education but also “hope and dignity” for PDLs.
On the part of BJMP, Chief Ruel Rivera thanked the DepEd for its efforts to ensure the welfare of individuals who are behind bars.
In Filipino, Rivera stated that the
initiative shows the joint effort of the BJMP and the DepEd under the same goal to create a just and humane society by upholding the value of education.
Under the Tagapangalaga Ko… program, 5,596 PDLs were enrolled in elementary, 9,286 in
junior high school, and 5,983 in senior high school for Academic Year 2023-2024.
For the past three years, the DepEd recorded an average of 20,000 ALS enrollments among PDLs, according to Rivera. Stephanie Sevillano/PNA
UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas’ (UST) College of Education-Department of Elementary Education recently conducted the online seminar: “Transforming the Future through Holistic, Inclusive and Integrated Early Childhood and Elementary Education” through its official Facebook page. The virtual seminar served as the fifth Nenita Caralipio D. Honorary Lecture, in celebration of the 98th foundation anniversary of the College of Education.
Asst. Prof. Rose Marie M. Cordura MA, who is the Bachelor in Early Childhood Education supervising teacher, explained that Caralipio inspired teachers and would-be-teachers “with her significant contribution in the university’s research initiatives, and as principal of the UST Grade School for 25 years.”
Assoc. Prof. Carmina S. Vicente PhD, who chairs the UST Elementary Education Department, delivered the opening remarks.
Dr. Diosdado San Antonio, who manages the Educational Research and Innovation Office of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Center for Educational Innovation
and Technology or SEAMEO INNOTECH, discussed the topic: “Transforming the Future through Holistic & Integrated Early-Childhood & Elementary Education.” He discoursed on a future-focused leadership paradigm after enumerating 21st-Century realities in basic education, and the main features of “Key Stage 1” in the “MATATAG” Curriculum.
Meanwhile, Jaime Bunga MA, Ed., who is the supervising Education Program specialist of the Department of Education-Central Office’s Bureau of Learning Delivery-Teaching and Learning Division, tackled the subject of “Improving Equality and Inclusivity in Education through Holistic, Inclusive and Integrated Programs.” Reactors included reputable academics: Assoc. Prof. Celina Cerda MA, who is the dean of University of Rizal System-Angono Campus and a UST graduate of Bachelor of Elementary Education (Batch 1990); Asst. Prof. Louie B. Dasas PhD, who is the assistant dean; and Maria Theresa Abesamis MA, who is an instructor and an alumna of BEEd-Major in Special Education (Batch 2019)—both from the UST College of Education.
WITH the inauguration of its newly completed football field, De La Salle Santiago Zobel (DLSZ) is currently the first privately owned primary and secondary school to operate a Fifa-certified training venue in its campus. Now known as the “DLSZ Julius K. Quiambao Football Field,” the pitch has been awarded the Fifa Quality Certificate after undergoing months of rehabilitation by E-Sports Intl. Inc.—a leading expert in sports architecture and recreational solutions.
“Fixing the old football field was definitely a must; but to have it Fifa-certified was more than what we expected. We are both proud and happy that we have this facility,” remarked Bro. Bernard Oca, who is DLSZ’s president.
SM Advantage Card (SMAC), the loyalty program of SM Retail, turned over P14 million to the SM Foundation’s education program on October 1.
The donation, raised through the sale of SMAC cards and point donations from members, will fund 35 scholars for School Year (SY) 2025-2026, with 15 from Luzon, 10 in the Visayas, and 10 from Mindanao.
“This achievement highlights the power of collaboration and the tremendous impact we can create when businesses and customers come together for a shared purpose,” SM Foundation executive director for Education Programs Linda Atayde said.
“For our student-athletes, they can be sure they will be safe during training and games, and have a facility that is of international standards. It is part of what we strive for: that we are a world-class school not only in teaching and learning, but also in extra-curricular activities like sports that our students are passionate about.”
Arduous process
“We wanted to go above and beyond what [the school] envisioned for their field. It was only fitting that we deliver a Fifa Quality-certified field so that DLSZ—an academic institution with a strong football legacy—can better nurture the sporting goals of its students,” said Audris Romualdez, who is the managing director of ESports Intl. “This project is a testament to our commitment to build top-quality venues that give athletes the best playing experience: whether it’s a practice match, or a championship final.” The football pitch in DLSZ was equipped with the Limonta Duo Shape 50mm—a premium-quality artificial turf that has passed the rigid laboratory test procedures for Fifa Certification. This artificial system is developed by renowned Italian manufacturer Limonta Sport, which is exclusively partnered with ESports Intl. in the Philippines.
A place to be the best E-SPORTS Intl. will also be providing maintenance services to ensure that the DLSZ Julius K. Quiambao Football Field will continue to be gameready for the school’s young football enthusiasts.
This latest achievement builds on a strong year of rankings success for INSEAD. In addition to the MIM’s FT debut at #3, the INSEAD MBA program was ranked second, and its Executive Education Custom Programs landed on top of their respective 2024 FT rankings. These accolades reaffirm INSEAD’s position among the very best business schools in the world.
“SM Advantage has shown how partnerships can drive meaningful change. [Engaging SMAC members] have transformed daily transactions into opportunities for social good.”
“We are very proud of the products of our football program, some of whom were part of the Fifa World Cup-winning Philippines’s National Women’s Football team,” said Bro. Oca. “We are continuing the La Sallian tradition of excellence in football. With this facility, we can further strengthen the reputation of our football program, and produce more excellent players who will not only play for La Salle but hopefully, for the country.” Global
This is the second donation from SMAC to the SM Foundation, after last year’s P5.5 million
contribution, which funded 13 scholars for SY 2024-2025. Atayde highlighted the value of SMAC members’ contribution, as she noted that their generosity will positively impact the lives of deserving youth from vulnerable areas: “To our SMAC members, your kindness and support have made a lasting difference.
By choosing to give, you have opened doors of opportunity for these scholars and helped shape a brighter future for them and their communities.”
With its social-good partners, SM Foundation’s scholarship program now supports more than 2,500 scholars, and has assisted over 4,200 college graduates.
AS a Fifa Quality-certified field, E-Sports International had to meticulously conduct corrective measures in compliance with the requirements to qualify for certification.
These include replacing the football field’s previous artificial turf, restructuring and repairing the base of the field to ensure longevity and better performance, properly leveling the entire slope, and making the drainage more efficient.
Kapitan Tomas Monteverde
Central Elementary School in Davao City on October 7. Grades 1 and 7 students received vaccines against measles, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria, while Grade 4 female students were administered the human papillomavirus vaccine versus cervical cancer. PNA/ROBINSON NIÑAL JR.
THE linkage will provide learning for persons deprived of liberty. DEPED/PNA
Tourism Entertainment
Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan
SABAIDEE VIENTIANE
Why it’s worth the trip to visit this year’s ASEAN Summits host
VIENTIANE is Laos’ biggest city. One of two main gateways to the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia, travelers, especially those on an extended Indo-China adventure, have mixed views on stopping in Vientianne. Some say there’s nothing much to see or do; others say it’s worth exploring for a day or two.
There are two must-see attractions in Vientiane: the Patuxay
Monument and That Luang.
The Victory Monument: Built to veer away from war IN the 1950s, the Americans donated funds to the Laotian government to construct an airport during the Vietnam War. But there was no clear agreement, so the Laotians decided to build a monument dedicated to those who fought for Lao independence from France. Completed in 1968, the Patuxay Monument is in the middle of Vientiane’s major road arteries. Resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, its exterior features hand-carved Buddhist symbols and Hindu deities, with five towers in ornate Laotian design. It’s a must to visit both day and night.
From my hotel, it was a 30-minute leisurely walk to Patuxay Monument, along tree-lined streets with French colonial buildings and newer ones in Laotian design. En route, a small, ripening mango fell on me—which instinctively caught, and it was just too good not to eat (of course I washed it first!) while gazing at the intricate monument and enjoying the green space and water features that surround it. At night, the monument came alive with lights and music set against a dancing fountain. It was a delight even for locals to stop and watch the musical show.
That Luang: the most important cultural and religious monument of Laos
THAT Luang is also Laos’ most iconic landmark as it’s featured in the national seal and currency.
Tracing its roots to the 3rd century, the temple was originally built to house a relic of Buddha. The entire buildings—from the small stupas to the main temple is painted in bright gold; the pinnacle covered in real gold. Centuries ago, four temples used to surround the gold stupa, of which two remain. Day or night, That Luang is a sight to behold, though it shines best in bright sunlight. There’s plenty to see in this area, though given it’s a religious site actively used for worship, the monks ask visitors to dress conservatively (meaning don’t wear shorts or show your shoulders); and remove your shoes in some areas.
Temple run VISITING temples in Vientiane is optional, especially if you have visited or are making
your way to Luang Prabang. But if you do have the time, visit the oldest surviving monastery, Wat Sisaket, which was built in 1819. More than just a place of worship, its long history draws artists and history buffs with thousands of Buddha statues and other artifacts within its walls.
Wat Si Muang, built on top of an old Khmer Hindu temple, is named after a woman who, according to local folklore, was said to have sacrificed herself to appease angry spirits. Today, the temple still serves the local Buddhist community who want good luck.
Hor Lak Meuang, is a fairly new temple built in 2012. But it was built on a site found by archaeologists that dates back to the 4th century. I found this temple by accident—getting lost on foot. Inside, there are stones and pottery shards found at the site, as well as a gold pillar believed by locals to bring good fortune.
That Dam or the Black Stupa is shrouded in mystery. The exact date or provenance of the stupa is uncertain, and no one knows what’s buried in it.
But local legend say that a seven-headed serpent lies dormant underneath it that will awaken when the city is in crisis.
Laos: the world’s most bombed country LAND mines, technically known as UXOs (unexploded ordnance), have been banned from being used for many years but decades after the wars were over, Laos still has the problem of unexploded land mines and bombs across the country.
The COPE Visitor Center is small, but well worth the visit as it tells gripping and heartbreaking stories about how ordinary Laotians have been affected by these UXOs. It also shows visitors what the on-going efforts are to help those injured by UXOs and the tedious effort to remove these. (TIP: There’s also a similar center in Luang Prabang, so don’t fret in case you are short on time)
By Benjamin Locsin Layug
cotton are just so beautiful—made with vibrant weaves and designs are oh so comfortable. There are several shops that can custom-fit clothes for you in two hours or so! Tops, skirts and dresses made of indigenous Lao fabric are quite cheap— a
River and the diverse flavors of locally-crafted Laodi Run. Along this area, there are many other hidden bars, watering holes and street food carts where you can take your fill of local liquor and delicacies.
Laotian silk: a must buy FINALLY, while I try to avoid shopping, Laotian fabrics such as hemp, silk and
hours and, come nighttime, for the chilled-out wine bar experience. The peaceful Madeleine High Tea, on the ground floor of the Ballroom lobby, is just the place to be with friends, from Friday to Sunday (2 to 5 PM), as you
a perfectly brewed coffee , during daylight
BusinessMirror
Home appliance meets AI and so�tware in this Samsung washing machine
ASTUDY showed that consumers are becoming more interested in gaining control over connected appliances to simplify day-to-day chores, said Darren Tay, vice president and regional head of digital appliances for Southeast Asia and Oceania, Samsung Electronics.
And if there is one thing that Samsung is good at, it’s listening to its customers. For instance, people complained about the time consumed by separate washing and drying functions of washing machines. To solve this, Samsung developed a machine that would have an equal washing and drying performance. The result of the extensive research and development process was first launched in the South Korean market early this year. Three days after its release in February, the product sold over 1,000 units. This is important to note because this product is not inexpensive.
At the Samsung AI Laundry Combo Tech Forum 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, the Korean tech giant finally launched its all-in-one washer dryer, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo which makes use of the brand’s expertise in AI to help people wash and dry their clothes better and more efficiently in more ways than one.
The Southeast Asia Bespoke AI Laundry Combo Tech Forum 2024 brought together journalists and press from across the region to Bangkok, Thailand,
LONDON—Google escalated a feud with Microsoft over cloud computing on Wednesday with a European Union antitrust complaint accusing its tech rival of anticompetitive practices.
In a blog post, Google alleged that Microsoft’s licensing practices lock business customers into using its Azure cloud computing platform. It said Microsoft is the only cloud provider that uses such tactics, which stifles competition, costs
where they got to listen to talks by experts from Samsung who also demonstrated the different features of Bespoke AI Laundry Combo.
The Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo has a big washing capacity (25kg) that meets the needs of large families and those who are very busy and cannot to their laundry a number of times in the week but have one big load maybe once or twice a month.
The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo spent three years in research and development before its unveiling and the result answers many of people’s concerns about washing machines. Its heat pump technology, which uses heat from the air to dry clothes instead of conventional methods, helps to reduce energy consumption and offers more efficient drying.
The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo consumes up to 55 percent less energy than the minimum energy efficiency requirements for a Class A rating.
At the core of the advanced technologies used for the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo is the Bubble Shot, which pulls soapy water through the circulation pump and sprays it on top of the laundry inside the drum. This makes washing more effective by drenching the laundry more easily and allowing the detergent to penetrate clothing evenly. It combines with Ecobubble and algorithms to enhance extra energy efficiency.
The AI Wash & Dry function is integrated with artificial intelligence. How so? This function automatically adjusts washing and drying parameters based on sensors that monitor the weight, dirt and type of fabric of the clothes. The goal is for each wash-and-dry cycle to ensure optimum results and also promote water and energy savings. This feature helps take the guesswork out of adding detergent or choosing the wash setting, by sensing your laundry’s weight to dispense the right amount of water and detergent. The Flex Auto Dispense System adds the right amount of detergent and fabric softener for each load so you no longer need to worry about guessing measurements. This system holds enough for up to 17
bloc’s executive branch and top antitrust enforcer. Microsoft said that it already amicably settled similar concerns raised by European cloud providers, “even after Google hoped they would keep litigating.”
Those providers, part of the trade group Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe, said in July that they withdrew their own complaint after signing a deal with Microsoft.
“Having failed to persuade European companies, we expect Google
loads of washing, but if you are only using detergent without softener, it can hold enough detergent for up to 32 loads.
For delicate fabrics, AI Wash & Dry also adjusts the drying process according to the type of fabrics detected. It also detects fabric and soil levels to adjust settings and deliver a better wash and dry.
We are used to clothes coming out of the dryer almost dry but not quite. The Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo changes that. Imagine getting your clothes washed and dried in less than two hours. You can wash and dry large loads of laundry in just 98 minutes. By this, Samsung means the clothes are completely dry and not moist or damp! The Super Speed Cycle washes a large load in just 28 minutes and dries in 70 minutes, thanks to the cutting-edge Speed Spray and Swirl+ Drum technologies.
After the washing and drying, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo provides laundry information and also a report on energy and water consumption.
The 7” LCD Display Touchscreen is simple to use and control. By the way, we were shown how to use it during the launch and one of the things you can do on a touchscreen is to take a call. Voice Control is achieved with the Samsung Bixby voice recognition assistant. The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo works with the Samsung SmartThings app, allowing you to seamlessly integrate it with other Samsung appliances for a truly connected experience.
Samsung SmartThings is an interconnected ecosystem of various home appliances and IoT devices. The screens on Samsung’s AI home appliances combine the latest hardware and software to orchestrate a multi-device experience that lets users easily control appliances in their homes.
This means that if you’re washing clothes on the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo, you can use the control panel to turn on the air-conditioner in your room or “ask” the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the house.
Thermo Fisher aims to beef up country’s
BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES
WALTHAM, Massachusetts, United States-based
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. recently said it would also be developing artificial intelligence (AI) and AI/ML (machine learning)-based technologies in its Philippine site to beef up the country’s biotech ecosystem.
Konrad Bauer, senior vice president, global business services, Thermo Fisher Scientific, told BUSINESSMIRRO� in an e-mail interview that the Manila hub is part of the company’s broader Global Business Services network, which is positioned as the main transformative backbone of the company’s financial, accounting and customer care activities.
He said the Manila center will beef up their existing presence in the Philippines, where it has 1,400 colleagues working on clinical trials and commercial activities.
“Working as one team, we combine our scale and depth of expertise to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer,” Bauer noted.
“Our operations in the Philippines are deeply rooted in supporting our mission—enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We see our role in the Philippines as a crucial part of a larger strategy to advance scientific research and innovation on a global scale,” he added
Moreover, Bauer said Thermo Fisher is excited to build the foundations of a vibrant culture within its new office located in Bridgetown Destination Estate. He said Thermo Fisher is also determined to establish a culture that values diversity and inclusion, where the staff feel they belong and are empowered to contribute, collaborate and innovate.
“Through professional development opportunities, employee well-being programs and other employee-focused initiatives, we always strive to invest in our people and communities to ensure we drive innovation and achieve longterm success. Generative AI has been disrupting industries,” Bauer said.
Being a strong believer in the power of cooperation, Bauer said Thermo Fisher will also form a collaboration with the stakeholders such as the academe to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to foster innovation that will empower the next generation of scientists and engineers.
“We believe that collaboration drives success and that no one succeeds in isolation. We are committed to partnering with local government bodies, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to cultivate a thriving biotech ecosystem in the Philippines,” Bauer pointed out.
To jumpstart the program. Thermo Fisher plans to establish partnerships with local universities on STEM education, engage with the government to support national science goals, and participate in community initiatives that promote science and technology
Thermo Fisher, a science and clinical research company, is a global supplier of analytical instruments, clinical development solutions, specialty diagnostics, laboratory, pharmaceutical and biotechnology services.
FROM left: Jongwon Park (left), head of Washing
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users in Europe get forum to challenge social media content decisions
LONDON—Social-media users in the European Union will soon have a new forum to challenge decisions by platforms to remove posts and videos for breaking their rules or leave up others that may violate them.
An “out of court dispute settlement body” named the Appeals Center Europe said on Tuesday it has been certified by Irish regulators to act as a referee on content moderation disputes across the 27-nation EU, starting with cases involving Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
The center is similar to Meta’s Oversight Board, a quasi-independent body set up in 2020 that acts like a supreme court for thorny decisions about content moderation issues on Facebook, Instagram and Threads submitted by users around the world.
Under the EU’s digital rulebook known as the Digital Services Act, or DSA, tech companies and social media platforms are required to work with dispute settlement bodies and comply with any decisions they make. EU officials in Brussels wanted to give EU citizens a way to challenge any decisions made by Big Tech companies as they sought to balance the right to free speech against the goal of curbing online risks.
The center will hear appeals from users or groups located in the EU about “everything from violence and incitement to hate speech to bullying and harassment,” CEO Thomas Hughes said.
“It could be everything from a case that relates to a head of state all the way through to a neighborly dispute,” Hughes said.
The Digital Services Act is a sweeping set of regulations that requires tech and social media companies operating in Europe to clean up their platforms under threat of hefty fines.
The Appeals Center, based in Dublin, where many Silicon Valley companies have their European headquarters, will start hearing cases from users before the end of the year. It’s initially dealing with Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users because it wanted to start with the biggest platforms, with plans to add others later.
Unlike the Oversight Board, which can cherry pick the biggest and most important cases, the center will have to rule on every case it gets. And decisions won’t be publicly available, unlike Oversight Board judgments that are posted online.
The Appeals Center will fund its ongoing operations by charging tech companies 95 euros for every case it hears, as well as a 5 euro fee from users who raise disputes. This “nominal” fee is intended to stop people from “gaming or abusing” the system and will be refunded if a user wins, Hughes said. Even though decisions aren’t binding, users will still get their money back if the center rules in favor of their disputes, regardless of whether or not the platform takes any action.
There’s a 90-day deadline for decisions, but in most cases they will be made much more quickly, he said. AP
BusinessMirror
Using Instagram’s new teen account settings to supervise young users
BY KELVIN CHAN | The Associated Press
LONDON—Worried about your teen’s Instagram use? Faced with growing pressure to do more to stop online harm, the social media platform has rolled out a major new update to protect young people and give parents more control. With many teens spending almost all of their time online, parents are concerned that social media is exposing them to harmful content like cyberbullying, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. Prominent profile figures including US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Prince Harry have warned about the risks.
Critics say Instagram’s changes are a step in the right direction but they still put the onus on parents and children instead of the company to deal with the problem.
Here’s a guide to Instagram’s new teen accounts:
■ WHAT LIMITS WILL YOUNG USERS HAVE? Instagram already prohibits anyone under 13 from signing up. Now, teen accounts will automatically be set to private. That means they’ll have to accept or reject requests from new followers. Other users won’t be able to see a teen user’s posts and videos, or tag the account. Teens will also face messaging restrictions. They can only receive direct messages from people they’re following or who follow them. But they can still send messages to other accounts.And they’ll be subject to the strictest content settings, and won’t be shown content involving sensitive topics like fighting videos and posts about cosmetic procedures. Instagram’s anti-bullying feature will be set to the highest level to screen out offensive words and phrases in comments and direct message requests.
To cut down their screen time, teens will get a notification to stop using the app after it’s been open for more than an hour—which they can ignore.
Sleep mode will kick in from 10 pm to 7 am, which mutes notifications and sends auto-replies to direct messages at a time when they’re supposed to be sleeping. However, they can still scroll through Instagram and even respond to messages if they want to.
■ ARE THERE WORKAROUNDS? These limits will be turned on automatically for all teens, but 16 and 17-year-olds will have the authority to turn them off. Kids under 16 will need permission to do so and parents can make changes and approve or deny any requests in the family center.
Teens might lie about their age, but it’s getting harder to fool the platform. Instagram has previously started requiring users to verify their ages—by uploading an ID or doing a video selfie—if they try to change their birthdates to show they’re over 18.
Now, Instagram says it will start testing artificial intelligence technology early next year to detect if a user is a teen even if the account lists an adult birthday. Of course, teens don’t have to agree to be supervised in the first place. Instagram says they and their parents both have to opt in. And either side can revoke supervision at any time.
What if the parent isn’t on Instagram? If you want to use the teen controls, you’ll need an account even if you don’t want it. A spokesman said it’s important for parents to be familiar with the platform so they can effectively supervise their teens.
■ NEW CONTROLS FOR PARENTS. If you don’t think the limits on your teen’s account are strict enough, you can add supervisory controls.
This feature allows parents to see who their teen has traded messages with within the past seven days, but not what’s in those messages.
Not happy that your teen can ignore reminders to stop using the app? There are controls to let parents limit the amount of time their teen spends on Instagram each day. Once the limit is hit, they are cut off. You can also block your teen from using Instagram during specific times of the day, and monitor the topics of content that they’re seeing.
■ HOW TO SET UP PARENTAL CONTROLS. First, you’ll need your teen to set up family supervision on his or her account. On the mobile app, go to settings and scroll down to the family center to activate this feature. Next, the teen account will have to invite a parent. It will be in the form of a link the teen can send by text message to the parent.
After accepting the invite, the teen user has 48 hours to review and confirm the parent’s response.
■ CAN I USE THE TEEN SETTINGS RIGHT AWAY? Anyone under 18 who now signs up for Instagram in the US, UK, Canada and Australia will be automatically enrolled into a restricted teen account. Existing accounts will be transferred by mid-November. Teens in the European Union’s 27 countries will be migrated later this year. The rest of the world will get teen accounts in January and they will roll out to other Meta services like Facebook next year. ■
DITO launches groundbreaking DITO Home WOWFi
THE fastest growing telco provider in the country, DITO Telecommunity introduces DITO Home WOWFi—the first 5G RedCap technology Wi-Fi in the world for home usage, powered by DITO’s Standalone, “true 5G” network. In partnership with Huawei Technologies, one of the global leaders in 5G deployment, DITO brings its newest product to the market, unlocking the full potential of 5G, bringing fast internet speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to allow more Filipinos to enjoy the true 5G experience at an affordable cost.
Evelyn Jimenez, DITO chief revenue officer for consumer business, claims that DITO’s newest home WOWFi is changing the norm and disrupting the market, enriching the lives of Filipino households with better internet options that suit their needs. “In reality, the current internet options of Filipino households are quite limiting. You can get fast and unlimited Wi-Fi, but it won’t be cheap; you can get fast and affordable but not unlimited, and you can get affordable and unlimited but it won’t be fast—this is the reality we live in. As the third telco committed to enhancing the lives of the Filipino people, we want to change the norm and disrupt the market by giving Filipinos the home internet they deserve—fast,
unlimited, and affordable,” Jimenez said.
“With DITO Home WOWFi, we want to jolt Filipinos out of their old ways of dealing with their internet at home; our goal is to give them a life-changing home Wi-Fi that lets them live big and never lets them down, especially in this age of digitalization and technological advancements,” Jimenez added.
5G REDCAP TECHNOLOGY: THE FUTURE OF IOT APPLICATION
5G REDCAP is a new 5G standard and critical evolution of 5G originally called NR-Light, an important part of lightweight 5G. This kind of technology only operates on 5G Standalone (SA) networks, the “true 5G,” offering high capacity, maximum quality, and lower latency compared to 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) networks that rely on existing 4G infrastructures.
“5G RedCap is a new addition to the 5G family, offering the right balance of 5G capabilities. It is the kind of technology that provides all the benefits of 5G, such as low latency, high peak data rate, maximum capacity, without the need for high bandwidth,” said Huawei Technologies.
Globally, 5G RedCap is only being utilized for industrial use, but this time here in the Philippines DITO is bringing this technology straight to Filipino homes, allowing them to enjoy the full potential of 5G. DITO is the sole telco operator in the country with a true 5G or 5G SA network to date; hence, it can deliver this emerging technology. DITO’s newest Home WOWFi is also the first in the world for home, driving the future for Internet of Things (IoT) or smart home applications and supporting the growth of the digital economy.
ENJOY GREATER CONVENIENCE, JUST PLUG AND PLAY ONE of the standout features of the DITO Home WOWFi is the ease of installation. Filipino households can enjoy its wireless broadband advantage, which is a big step up from wired connections, offering greater reliability and convenience versus fiber—there is no need for messy wires, just plug-andplay! Whether gearing up for remote work, online learning, or simply staying connected with family and friends, this device gets you online in no time. This home Wi-Fi is also suitable for underserved
CONTINUED FROM A8
As Samsung has unveiled a Voice ID feature that recognizes the voices of each family member and offers tailored solutions based on personal characteristics such as schedules, interests and health conditions, the possibilities are endless.
The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo looks sleek and not bulky. If you live in an apartment or condo, eliminating the need for a separate dryer is a big relief.
Tay goes as far as to claim that for a combo, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo’s dryer “performs better than a dedicated one.” There is a 20-year warranty on the product, which will be available in the Philippines starting the first week of December. The price will be P177,995, said Reema Magasca, Samsung Philippines Product Manager for Home Appliances.
“We will be doing packages across categories with Samsung Bespoke AI products maybe next year. We’re already eyeing tie-ups with major credit card companies. We are just working out the discounts, freebies, and cash back,” she said.
Samsung will install the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo for free to consumers who purchase it.
Magasca said that surprisingly, there is a market for big capacity washers and dryers in the Philippines even for regular households who want less frequent washing days to save on time and effort. ■
PHOTO BY JAKOB
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Sports stars pay tribute as Rafa bids farewell
REACTIONS to 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal announcing Thursday that he will retire from tennis after next month’s Davis Cup finals:
“What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor!”—Roger Federer.
“Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever ... Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player.”—Novak Djokovic on Instagram
“14 thanks for the millions of memories.”—the X account of Roland Garros, where Nadal won his record 14 French Opens.
“I was very lucky to get to know him also as a person, and he’s an unbelievable person.... The lessons he taught us young players…how to behave on court, how to handle situations on the court… to stay humble, not changing with the success.”—top-ranked Jannik Sinner.
“One last dance.”—the X account of the Davis Cup, at which Nadal will end his career next month.
“As I child I watched you on television and dreamed that I would one day be the tennis player who had the immense pleasure of playing by your side at Roland Garros representing Spain in the Olympics! Many thanks for being an example at every level. Your legacy won’t be matched.”—Carlos Alcaraz on X
“Rafa, what an amazing career
Rafael Nadal: Adiós...
contributed to a series of injuries over the years (even his Roland Garros debut as a teen was delayed 12 months, and his last triumph there came thanks only to painkilling injections).
Perhaps not surprisingly, it was his health that eventually forced Nadal to announce his retirement on Thursday after competing only sparingly the past two seasons.
If anything, it is remarkable that he lasted as long as he did—the 38-year-old Nadal said his farewell will come next month when he represents Spain in the Davis Cup finals.
By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press
RAFAEL NADAL’S tennis career will be remembered because of the numbers, yes—the 14 French Open trophies, 22 Grand Slam titles overall, nearly two decades in the top 10 and so on—and, without a doubt, because of his riveting rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Also, indelibly, because of the all-out effort and energy Nadal brought to the court every time. So long, that is, as his body allowed. His style of play was so rigorous and unforgiving that it
“Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true,” Nadal said in a video posted on social media that included a montage of clips from his career, including handshakes at the net after matches against Federer and Djokovic, the other members of the so-called Big Three of men’s tennis. “I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best.”
Before Nadal begins speaking in the video, he takes a deep breath and exhales, as if signifying just how difficult it was for him to make this inevitable decision public and real.
His exit follows that of Federer, who left the game at age 41 in 2022 after 20 Grand Slam titles and plenty of remarkable on-court contests against Nadal, none more noteworthy than their 2008 Wimbledon final. Nadal won that one, 9-7 in the fifth set amidst the dying evening light, part of the left-hander’s supremacy head-to-head. Nadal and Djokovic, who is 37 and still on tour with 24 major championships, met more times than any other two men in the Open era (60; Djokovic went 31-29), and their lung-searing, court-covering, mirror-image relentlessness was something to behold.
“Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever. Only you know what you had to endure to become an icon of tennis and sport in general,” Djokovic wrote on social
ZANIEBOY GIALON turned what was expected to be a tightly-contested final round at the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Iloilo Golf Challenge into a display of dominance as he cruised to a six-stroke victory over Angelo Que and Ira Alido with a clinical two-under 68 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club on Friday.
Holding a narrow two-shot lead over Jhonnel Ababa after 54 holes, Gialon seized his opportunity as Ababa faltered with a double bogey on the opening hole.
you had! Your dedication, passion and incredible talent have inspired millions of people all over the world. It has been an honor to bear witness to your career and to be able to call you a friend. Congratulations on an amazing career! Enjoy your retirement!”—Soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Another tough one. Retirement is inevitable but I’m going to miss watching this bloke fighting for every point like no other. A truly remarkable human, best wishes Rafael Nadal.”— tennis great Rod Laver on X
“I didn’t cry, but I had tears in my eyes. What he achieved in this sport, it’s incredible. He’s inspiration for all of us, for the next generation, for current players. He’s a legend.”—tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.
“Thank you for everything Rafa, it’s been nothing short of incredible.”—the Assotiaton of Tennis Professionals Tour on X
“Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest male tennis players of all time and as sad as it is to hear this news, I would like to congratulate him on his phenomenal career. Of course his individual record speaks for itself, but it was when he had his nation’s flag on his chest that we saw him at his absolute best.”—International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty.
“Rafa, I would like to say you are an example to everyone because of your hard work and perseverance.”
—Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi in comments translated from Spanish in his video tribute to Nadal.
“Nope, I/we refuse this application to retire.”—British tennis player Katie Boulter on X
“Congratulations on your spectacular career and the legacy you leave behind.”—Spain great Andrés Iniesta, who announced his retirement from soccer on Tuesday. AP
media, aptly capturing Nadal’s essence. “Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player.”
Djokovic promised to be in Malaga, Spain, to see Nadal’s “adios” in Davis Cup.
Wouldn’t be surprising if Federer is there, too, as a spectator. After all, Nadal was there for Federer’s last match: They teamed together in doubles at the Laver Cup, and who could forget the image of the two of them sitting side-by-side afterward, holding hands while tears flowed for both.
“What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come,” Federer posted Thursday.
“Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honor!”
A few months after that Laver Cup, Nadal hurt his hip and eventually would have surgery in June 2023. He kept trying to come back, seeking the form that once made him as feared by opponents as any player, particularly on red clay. Others respected, and admired, his heavy topspin forehand, his returns of serve, his two-handed backhand and, above all, his indefatigable nature. They also found his humility inspiring.
“Your legacy,” Alcaraz told Nadal on social media, “won’t be matched.”
Nothing about Nadal, of course, stands out as much as his unparalleled French Open resume—which is why a larger-than-life steel statue of him was erected outside Court Philippe Chatrier in 2021. He went 112-4 in the Slam held at Roland Garros, with titles arriving in 2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-20 and 2022.
During a news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain, in May 2023, Nadal said he would miss that year’s trip to Paris, the first time he sat out the tournament since entering it for the first time—and, naturally, claiming the championship—in 2005.
“You can´t keep demanding more and more from your body, because there comes a moment when your body raises a white flag,” Nadal said in Manacor. “Even though your head wants to keep going, your body says this is as far it goes.”
He reached that point Thursday.
Gialon cruises to 6-shot victory in Iloilo
The Davaoeño ace quickly capitalized and doubled his advantage while maintaining firm control throughout the sweltering final day.
With his closest rivals unable to mount any serious threat, Gialon didn’t need to replicate the brilliance of his earlier rounds to stay ahead in the final stretch.
His blistering 64-66 performance in the middle rounds already positioned him atop the leaderboard
NU whips EAC for second
EFENDING champion National University (NU) crushed Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) with ease, 25-15, 25-7, 25-13, for its second straight win and a share of the Pool
A lead in the Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The Lady Bulldogs picked up from where they left off a week ago following a four-set win over Ateneo to climb to the top tied with idle Arellano University (2-0). NU barely broke a sweat in disposing of the Lady Generals in 77 minutes to boost its chances of securing
straight win
a playoffs seat in the tournament. Arah Panique led the Lady Bulldogs with 10 points on eight attacks, while Bella Belen and reigning tournament Most Valuable Player Alyssa Solomon added seven points each. NU rained down 41 kills compared to only 11 by EAC, tallied 10 kill blocks and took advantage of the Lady Generals’ spotty reception to land 10 aces capped by Panique’s back-to-back service winners to seal the victory. Although it was a lopsided win, the Lady Bulldogs still
Bacolod City beach volley tilt features 91 teams
in two years with a 13-under 267 total worth the P450,000 top prize.
“I worked hard for this, preparing and training seriously after missing the cut by one stroke at Splendido Taal and Forest Hills. It’s great to see that effort pay off,” Gialon. “I focused on my long game since I knew this course was incredibly tight.” He also leaned heavily on his putting to complete his dominant performance against a stellar field.
“My putting was really on point. For instance, on the last hole, I sank a 20foot putt,” he said.
“It may have seemed like an easy win, but it was actually tough and very exciting. I saw Ira [Alido] closing in when we reached No. 13, and that’s when I really pushed myself.”
Starting with a 2-up lead, Gialon further strengthened his advantage by carding birdies on two of the first five holes, widening the gap to four strokes ahead of Fidel Concepcion and Ababa. Even a bogey on the eighth hole couldn’t disrupt his commanding hold on the title, as his rivals failed to capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap.
ZANIEBOY GIALON gets doused in the traditional champion’s bath by Russel Bautista (left) and Jeffrey Puto-On. NONIE REYES
• Editor: Angel R. Calso
Israel airstrikes rock central Beirut, killing 22 and escalating conflict with Hezbollah
By Bilal Hussein, Wafaa Shurafa & Samy Magdy The Associated Press
BEIRUT—Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut on Thursday left two neighborhoods smoldering, killed 22 people and wounded dozens, Lebanon’s health ministry said, as well as further escalating Israel’s bloody conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
The air raid on central Beirut—the deadliest in over a year of war—apparently targeted two residential buildings in separate neighborhoods simultaneously, according to an AP photographer at the scene. It brought down one apartment building and wiped out the lower floors of the other.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the reported strikes. Israeli airstrikes have been far more common in Beirut’s tightly packed southern suburbs, where Hezbollah bases many of its operations.
After the strikes, Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside of either of the targeted buildings.
Thursday’s strikes followed a year of tit-for-tat exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel that boiled over into all-out war in recent weeks, with Israel carrying out waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and launching a ground invasion. Hezbollah has expanded its rocket fire to more populated areas deeper inside Israel, causing few casualties but disrupting daily life.
The attack came the same day Israeli forces fired on United Na -
tions peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and wounded two of them, drawing widespread condemnation and prompting Italy’s Defense Ministry to summon Israel’s ambassador in protest.
Israeli strikes hit central Beirut Witnesses reported a large number of ambulances and people gathering in the rubble of two Beirut sites that were hit, in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood and Burj Abi Haidar area.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said 22 people were killed and 117 others wounded, without elaborating on their identities. Recent Israeli airstrikes in neighborhoods adjoining Beirut, in particular the densely populated southern suburbs, have killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and other senior commanders.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas and the Palestinians, drawing Israeli airstrikes in retaliation.
Hezbollah kept up rocket fire into Israel on Thursday, setting off air raid sirens in parts of northern Israel. Several drones heading toward Israel were intercepted, the military said.
Iran—which supports Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed groups
across the region—launched some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel last week in retaliation for the killing of top Hamas and Hezbollah militants.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that its response to the Iranian missile attack will be “lethal” and “surprising,” without providing further details, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with President Joe Biden.
Asked about the latest airstrikes in Lebanon, US Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters in Las Vegas, “We have got to reach a cease-fire, both as it relates to what’s happening in Lebanon, and of course Gaza. We are working around the clock in that regard, but we need these wars to end and we’ve got to definitely de-escalate what is happening in the region.”
Before the latest strikes, Lebanon’s crisis response unit said Israeli attacks over the past day had killed 28 people, bringing the total to 2,169 killed in Lebanon since the war erupted last October.
Hezbollah attacks have killed 28 civilians as well as 39 Israeli soldiers, both in northern Israel since October 2023 and southern
Lebanon since Israel launched its ground invasion on Sept. 30. Israel says the invasion, so far focused on a narrow strip along the border, aims to push militants back so that tens of thousands of Israelis can return to their homes in the north.
UN peacekeepers caught in intensified fighting in Lebanon
THE UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said in a statement that its headquarters and positions “have been repeatedly hit” by Israeli forces.
It said an Israeli tank “directly” fired on an observation tower at the force’s headquarters in the town of Naqoura, Lebanon, and that soldiers had attacked a bunker near where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system. It said an Israeli drone was seen flying to the bunker’s entrance.
The two UNIFIL troops wounded in the attacks and hospitalized are Indonesian, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
The Israeli military acknowledged opening fire at a UN base in southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it had ordered the peacekeepers to “remain in protected spaces.”
Later Thursday, the UN peacekeeping chief said 300 peacekeepers in frontline positions on southern Lebanon’s border have been temporarily moved to larger bases, and plans to move another 200 will depend on security conditions as the conflict escalates. Jean-Pierre Lacroix told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that peacekeepers with UNIFIL are staying in their positions, but because of air and ground attacks they cannot conduct patrols.
UNIFIL, which has more than 10,000 peacekeepers from dozens of countries, was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. The United Nations expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to patrol a buffer zone set up along the border.
Israel accuses Hezbollah of establishing militant infrastructure along the border in violation of the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, sharply condemned Israeli strikes that hit UNIFIL positions as “an inadmissible act, for which there is no justification.”
From Italy, which has about 1,000 soldiers deployed as part of UNIFIL, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto went further, claimed Israel deliberately targeted the UNIFIL base in southern Lebanon in strikes that “could constitute war crimes.”
Several other countries, including France, Spain and Jordan, also denounced the Israeli attacks.
Aid group says staff killed in strike on school EVEN as attention has shifted to Israel’s close combat with Hezbollah in Lebanon and rising tensions with Iran, Israel has continued to strike at what it says are Palestinian militant targets across the
Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Thursday, an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in central Gaza killed at least 27 people, Palestinian medical officials said. The Israeli military said it targeted Palestinian militants, but people sheltering there said the strike hit a meeting of aid workers.
The dead included a child and seven women, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the bodies were brought. An Associated Press reporter saw ambulances streaming into the hospital and counted the bodies, many of which arrived in pieces.
The Israeli military said it targeted a militant center inside the school, without providing evidence. Israel has repeatedly attacked schools that were turned into shelters in Gaza, accusing militants of taking cover in them.
“There were no militants. There was no Hamas,” said Iftikhar Hamouda, who had fled from northern Gaza earlier in the war.
“We headed to tents. They bombed the tents...In the streets, they bombed us. In the markets, they bombed us. In the schools, they bombed us,” she said. “Where should we go?”
Israel’s offensive in Gaza started after Hamas’ October 7 attack, when militants stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 others.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not specify between militants and civilians. The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population of 2.3 million people, often multiple times.
Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Magdy reported from Cairo. Edith Lederer contributed from New York and Darlene Superville from Las Vegas.
Gunmen kill 20 miners in Pakistan ahead of an Asian security summit
By Abdul Sattar The Associated Press
QUETTA, Pakistan—Gunmen
killed 20 miners and wounded seven others in Pakistan’s southwest, a police official said Friday, drawing condemnation from authorities as a search was launched for the assailants. The latest attack in restive Balochistan province came days ahead of a major security summit being hosted in the capital.
The gunmen stormed the accommodation at a coal mine in Duki district late Thursday night, rounded up the men and opened fire, police official Hamayun
Khan Nasir said. He said the attackers also fired rockets and lobbed grenades at the mine and damaged the machinery before fleeing.
Most of the casualties were from Pashtun-speaking areas of Balochistan. Three of the dead and four of the wounded were Afghan. Angered over the violence, local shop owners pulled their shutters down to observe a daylong strike against the killings.
No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which targets civilians and security forces.
The group launched multiple attacks
in August that killed more than 50. They included 23 people, mostly from eastern Punjab province, who were fatally shot after being taken from buses, vehicles and trucks in Musakhail district in Balochistan. Authorities responded by killing 21 insurgents in the province.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep sorrow over the coalmine killings and vowed to eliminate terrorism.
Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister in Balochistan, said “terrorists have once again targeted poor laborers.” He said the attackers were cruel and had an agenda to destabilize Pakistan. “The killing of these innocent laborers will be avenged,” he said in a statement.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said those who killed the laborers would not be able to escape from the grip of the law.
The province is home to several separatist groups who want independence. They accuse the federal government in Islamabad of unfairly exploiting oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan at the expense of locals.
On Monday, the BLA said it carried out an attack on Chinese nationals outside Pakistan’s biggest airport. The bodies of the two slain Chinese engineers were sent to Beijing by a plane Thursday night, according to security officials.
There are thousands of Chinese working in the country, most of them involved in Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.
Two suspects linked to a 2021 bombing
that killed nine Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis working on a dam in the northwest were killed Friday in eastern Pakistan, counterterrorism police said.
Police said the suspects died when armed men attacked a van transporting the suspects to a prison in Sahiwal, a district in Punjab province. No officer was harmed in the shootout, the statement from counterterrorism police said.
Sunday’s airport explosion, which the BLA said was the work of a suicide bomber, has
raised questions about the ability of Pakistani forces to protect high-profile events or foreigners in the country.
Islamabad is hosting a summit next week of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a grouping founded by China and Russia to counter Western alliances.
Authorities have increased security in the capital by deploying troops.
The Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
INJURED men receive treatment at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan on Friday, October 11, 2024, following Thursday’s attack by gunmen in Balochistan province. AP/ARSHAD BUTT
Hurricane Milton leaves widespread damage; at least 8 dead and millions without electricity
By Julio Cortez, Kate Payne & Haven Daley
The Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Rescue teams plucked Florida residents from the flotsam of Hurricane Milton on Thursday after the storm smashed through coastal communities where it tore homes into pieces, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least eight people were dead.
Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene, the system also knocked out power to more than 3 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane.
Among the most dramatic rescues, Hillsborough County officers found a 14-year-old boy floating on a piece of fence and pulled him onto a boat. A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man who was left clinging to an ice chest in the Gulf of Mexico after his fishing boat was stranded in waters roiled by Hurricane Milton. The agency
estimated the man had survived winds of 75 to 90 mph (121 to 145 kph) and waves up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high during his night on the water.
“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady said. Despite the destruction, many people expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.
The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall late Wednesday as a Category 3
hurricane in Siesta Key, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. Damage was widespread, and water levels may continue to rise for days, but Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was not “the worst-case scenario.”
“You face two hurricanes in a couple of weeks—not easy to go through—but I’ve seen a lot of resilience throughout this state,” the governor told a briefing in Sarasota. He said he was “very confident that this area is going to bounce back very, very quickly.”
Five people were killed in tornadoes in the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, where homes were destroyed, authorities said. Police also found a woman dead under a fallen tree branch in Tampa.
In Volusia County, authorities said two people, a 79-year-old woman in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old woman in Port Orange, were also killed when trees fell on homes.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there were reports of as many as 10 fatalities from tornadoes, but he cautioned that the number was tentative.
At least 340 people and 49 pets have been rescued in ongoing efforts, DeSantis said
Thursday afternoon.
South of Tampa, Natasha Shannon and her husband, Terry, felt lucky to be alive after the hurricane peeled the tin roof off their cinder block home in Palmetto. They spent the night in a shelter with their three children and two grandchildren after she pushed them to leave.
“I said, ‘Baby, we got to go. Because we’re not going to survive this,’” she said.
They returned to find the roof torn into sheets across the street, shredded insulation hanging from exposed ceiling beams and their belongings soaked.
“It ain’t much but it was ours,” she said. “What little bit we did have is gone.”
The worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3 meters)— lower than in the worst place during Helene. The storm also dumped up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) of rain in some areas.
Officials in the hard-hit Florida counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.
Among the dozens of tornadoes was a twister that hit the tiny barrier island of Matlacha, just off Fort Myers. The fishing-
and-tourism village also endured a surge, with many of the colorful buildings sustaining serious damage. Tom Reynolds, 90, spent the morning sweeping out 4 feet (1.2 meters) of mud and water and collecting chunks of aluminum siding torn off by a twister that also picked up a car and threw it across the road.
Elsewhere on the island, a house was blown into a street, temporarily blocking it. Some structures caught fire. Reynolds said he planned to repair the home he built three decades ago.
“What else am I going to do?” he said.
In contrast, city workers on Anna Maria Island were grateful not to be wading through floodwaters as they picked up debris Thursday morning, two weeks after Helene battered buildings and blew in piles of sand up to 6 feet (1.8 m) high. Those piles may have helped shield homes from further damage, said Jeremi Roberts of the State Emergency Response Team.
“I’m shocked it’s not more,” city worker Kati Sands said as she cleared the streets of siding and broken lights. “We lost so much with Helene, there wasn’t much left.”
Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton’s winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.
Power was knocked out across much of the state. More than 3.4 million homes and businesses were without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
The fabric that serves as the roof of Tropicana Field—home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg—was ripped to shreds by fierce winds. Debris littered the field.
About 80,000 people spent the night in shelters, and thousands of others fled after authorities
issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people. In Punta Gorda, a 10-foot (3-meter) surge from the Peace River swept into the historic district, damaging homes and depositing six boats along one riverside street. It was the third surge to hit the neighborhood in three months.
Josh Baldwin said he was leaning toward scrapping his 38-foot (11.6-meter) boat rather than pay $100,000 to fix it. He couldn’t get insurance because it was moored in Punta Gorda.
“They don’t like to pay out, and this place always gets ruined in hurricanes,” he said.
A half-block away, information technology workers Kent and Cathy Taylor and their son were using an SUV attached to a chain to pull waterlogged drywall out of the bottom floor of their threestory home, which they bought in July. The lower level is gutted, but the upper floors are still structurally sound.
“It will be beautiful again—it’s just a nick,” Cathy Taylor said. By Thursday afternoon, Milton was headed into the Atlantic Ocean as a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 75 mph (120 kph)—just barely hurricane force.
Crossing the bridge from the mainland to Anna Maria Island early Thursday, Police Chief John Cosby breathed a sigh of relief. Nearly all residents had evacuated. There were no injuries or deaths, and the projected storm surge never happened. After fearing that his police department would be underwater, it remained dry.
“It’s nice to have a place to come back to,” he said.
Payne and Daley reported from Palmetto, Florida. Associated Press journalists Holly Ramer and Kathy McCormack in New Hampshire; Terry Spencer in Matlacha, Florida; Stephany Matat in Fort Pierce, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis; Joshua Boak in Washington; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and Adam Geller in New York contributed to this report.
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo for anti-nuclear activism amid global conflicts
By Mike Corder & Elena Becatoros
TTne Associated Press
HE Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for its activism against nuclear weapons.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the award was made as the “taboo against the use of nuclear weapon is under pressure.”
He said the Nobel committee “wishes to honor all survivors who, despite physical suffering and painful memories, have chosen to use their costly experience to cultivate hope and engagement for peace.”
Efforts to eradicate nuclear weapons have been honored in the past by the Nobel committee.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the Peace Prize in 2017 and in 1995 Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs won for “their ef -
forts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms.”
This year’s prize was awarded against a backdrop of devastating conflicts raging in the world, notably in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.
Alfred Nobel stated in his will that the prize should be awarded
for “the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
Last year’s prize went to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for her advocacy of women’s rights and democracy, and against the death penalty. The Nobel committee said it also was
a recognition of “the hundreds of thousands of people” who demonstrated against “Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women.”
In a year of conflict, there had been some speculation before the announcement that the Norwegian Nobel Committee that decides on the winner would opt not to award a prize at all this year. The Nobel prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). Unlike the other Nobel prizes that are selected and announced in Stockholm, founder Alfred Nobel decreed the peace prize be decided and awarded in Oslo by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel season ends Monday with the announcement of the winner of the economics prize, formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Becatoros from Athens, Greece. Lori Hinnant in Paris and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, contributed.
THE head of the Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, announces at a press conference that the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 at the Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway on Friday, October 11, 2024.
Description: Reviews, inspects, and documents all construction projects during the construction period of the current Bond Program.
Brief
Basic Qualification: Skilled in identifying local construction technologies and construction material sources. Able to carry out and monitor testing and inspection of products and materials to ensure the finished product meets quality standards.
Salary Range:
Brief
39.
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EXPOLANKA FREIGHT (PHILIPPINES) INC. 4/f 5ecpo04o04, Five Ecom Center Bldg., Mall Of Asia Complex St., Barangay 76, Pasay City
40. WIJESINGHE, VENURA YUVIN
General Manager
Brief Job Description: Responsible
FIXST MOBILE PHONE SERVICE CORP. Gf02b G/f Good Earth Plaza, 447 Rizal Ave Cor Bustos St, Barangay 303, Santa Cruz, City Of Manila
41. CHEN, JUNQI Technician
Brief Job Description: Trouble shoot issues in cellphones and replace parts of software.
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC.
Formulate
Present solutions and introduce products to potential customers. Basic
44. RIVKIN, SERGEY Consultant
Brief Job Description: A Consultant is responsible for providing the industry expertise to corporations and individuals. Their duties include researching their client and their client’s position within an industry, meeting with company executives or professionals to make suggestions and develop improvement plans based on their needs and maintaining a professional relationship with their clients over time.
45. NEGAHDAR, ASHKAN Project Manager
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JEJUAIR CO. LTD. 704 Pablo Ocampo St, G/f Alcantara Bldg., Barangay 719, Malate, City
70.
Brief
71. ZUO, ZHUANG Chef
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72. LIN, XIAOJUN Operations Manager
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TELEPHILIPPINES INCORPORATED Edsa Central It Center 2, United Street Corner Edsa, Greenfield District, City Of Mandaluyong
73. BHARADIA, PRATIK KISHOR Center Manager
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Range: Php 150,000 - Php
THE PENBROTHERS INTERNATIONAL INC. 6/f Opl Bldg., 100 C. Palanca St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati
74. MAROGY, DANIEL YOUSIF EDWARD Chief Executive Officer
Brief Job Description: Build and lead an effective management team, ensuring the professional development and performance management of team members.
Basic Qualification: Possesses a strategic planning operations management and effective team leader. Bachelor’s degree holder. Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above
THE TECHRISE STANDARD SERVICES INC. L13 B33 Orange Suites Bldg., Jasmin St., Ts Cruz Subd., Almanza Dos, City Of Las Piñas
75. LIU, JIN-KAI Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research. Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in Mandarin and
76. YAO, YUXIANG Marketing Consultant
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Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in Mandarin and
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77. LI, FEN Sales Consultant
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Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in Mandarin and English languages
THREE STAR FASHION BOUTIQUE INC. E-05 G/f Baclaran Lrt Terminal Center 2 Bldg., Taft Ave. St., Zone 10,
78. SIAM, MD Marketing Manager
Brief Job Description: Managing all marketing for the company and activities within the marketing department.
