HE Philippines’s retail rice prices remained elevated in August due to El Niño and high world prices, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
This, despite the international agency recording a slight decline in retail prices of regular and wellmilled rice in the reference period.
“In the Philippines, retail prices of regular and well-milled rice declined slightly in August, reflecting improved precipitation amounts that boosted production prospects for the 2024 main paddy crop, which is expected be harvested from September,” the
FAO said in its latest report.
“However, prices remain at about 16 percent higher year-onyear, following sharp increases registered between February 2023 and April 2024, in the context of increases in international prices and concerns over the effect of dry weather conditions on the 2023/24 paddy crop.”
The FAO said wholesale rice prices increased for the second consecutive month in August in Vietnam.
“[This is] mostly due to strong international demand and an increase in gasoline prices which increased transport costs,” it said.
The FAO also noted that wholesale rice prices in Thailand declined in the
reference period, “reflecting aboveaverage supplies from the 2023/24 harvest and favorable prospects for the 2024 main season, which will be harvested from October onwards.”
According to the international agency, India also recorded a reduction in its national average retail price of rice in August, though prices were slightly higher year-on-year.
For Myanmar, the FAO said retail prices of the “widely consumed” Emata rice rose sharply in the reference period and reached near-record levels.
It added that this reflected tightening seasonal availability ahead of the 2024 main harvest that is expected to start in October.
“High production and transport costs exacerbated price increases [in Myanmar],” the FAO said. Meanwhile, the international agency noted that export rice prices increased in Vietnam in the reference period.
“Prices increased in Vietnam, as strong sales to Indonesia and the Philippines offset downward pressure exerted by harvest progress,” it said.
“On the other hand, lackluster demand kept quotations of Thai 100 percent B white rice prices close to their July level, despite an appreciation of the baht against the United States dollar.”
BusinessMirror
See “Rice,” A2
REMITTANCES BREACH
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
RSentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Total cash remittances sent by Filipinos abroad reached $3.08 billion in July 2024, the highest since the $3.28 billion posted in December 2023.
OFW cash remittances grew 3.1 percent from the $2.992 billion posted in July 2023 and was 7.04 percent higher than the $2.882 billion recorded in June 2024.
“The continued growth is still a good signal/bright spot for the overall economy as an important growth driver, especially in terms of consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the Philippine economy,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.
On a year-to-date basis, BSP
See “Remittance,” A2
ORT congestion is holding up rice shipments, and because of such delay, local consumers may have to wait longer for cheaper rice prices, agriculture officials indicated on Monday. Rice arrivals in August reached 361,724.20 metric tons (MT), based on figures from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
Imports started to pick up after shipments in July slowed to 167,403.84 MT following the implementation of Executive Order (EO) 62, which lowered the tariffs to 15 percent and took effect on July 7.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. explained that the country’s monthly consumption of imported rice was 320,000 metric tons (MT). With average shipments
from the first semester at nearly 400,000 MT, he noted that there would be excess of about 80,000 MT.
“We still have old stocks [bought] at [higher] price to sell. I would expect that price should go down by mid-October based on the shipments that have arrived,” Laurel told reporters at a press conference organized by the Makati Business Club on Monday.
However, the agriculture chief noted that only 60,000 MT of imported rice have arrived as of writing.
“That’s a problem. There’s no shortage, but it might drive prices of rice not to go down that soon,” he added, partly in Filipino.
Port… Paris…
He noted that there were a lot of factors accounting for why it was only at that level, including overwhelmed ports that could not keep up with the shipments.
“There’s port congestion. Then there’s delays. Unloading is slow,” Laurel said.
“Every day that a ship of, let’s say, 8,000 to 10,000 tons capacity [faces delay], the [demurrage] for that is a minimum $7,000 a day.”
Despite this, Laurel maintained that with the expected price decline of P5 to P7, a decrease of at least P5 “should be achievable.”
The prevailing price of imported well-milled rice in selected Metro Manila markets reached P45 per kilogram, while regular milled stood at P42 per kg as of September 16, based on the DA’s price monitoring. For local well-milled rice, the DA’s monitoring showed that the prevailing price was P50 per kilogram, while regular milled reached P45 per kg. Ada Pelonia
Closing global protection gaps needs 49 yrs–ILO
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
WHILE more than half of the world’s population now has access to social protection, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that at such a current rate, it can take another 49 years to cover everyone. In its recent World Social Protection Report, ILO said that around 52.4 percent of people worldwide are covered by at least one social protection in 2023. This is a 9.6-percent jump from the 42.8-percent social protection rate in 2015.
“If progress were to continue at this rate, it would take until 2073….
Remittance…
Continued from A1
data showed cash remittances grew by 2.9 percent to $19.33 billion from $18.79 billion registered in January-July 2023.
The BSP said the growth in cash remittances from the United States (US), Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates contributed
This pace to close protection gaps is too slow,” the organization added.
Social protection, by definition, provides benefits to individuals on the basis of risks faced across one’s life cycle. It is a set of policies that ensure people have access to benefits in employment, unemployment, sickness, old age and health, among others.
It also helps in reducing vulnerability and economic insecurity for people from all walks of life.
However, the gap between high- and low-income countries in terms of social protection remains significant.
The ILO reported that highincome nations like Belgium and China are nearing universal coverage, with an impressive
mainly to the increase in remittances in January-July 2024.
In terms of country sources, the US also posted the highest share of overall remittances in JanuaryJuly 2024, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
“The latest month-on-month increase came after some seasonal
85.9-percent protection rate last year. In contrast, low-income countries like Congo and Yemen have made minimal progress, with their coverage only increasing slightly from 7.69 percent in 2015 to 9.73 percent in 2023.
Meanwhile, upper-middleincome countries have a coverage rate of 71.2 percent, while lowermiddle-income nations stand at 32.4 percent.
ILO said that such a disparity highlights the urgent need for more targeted efforts to improve social protection in lower-income regions.
On average, countries allocate about 12.9 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to social protection, excluding health.
Low-income countries—which in-
increase in remittances and conversion to pesos to partly finance some holiday-related spending during the school vacation season amid better weather conditions,” Ricafort said.
“More importantly, [these will] finance some tuition payments and other school opening-related expenses that could last until early August 2024, as these expenditures are compulsory in nature,” he added.
Meanwhile, personal remittances—which includes both sent as cash and in kind—rose 3.2 percent to $3.43 billion in July 2024 from $3.32 billion registered in July 2023.
Remittances sent in JanuaryJuly 2024 grew 3 percent to $21.53 billion from $20.91 billion recorded in January-July 2023.
“The increase in personal remittances in July 2024 was due to higher remittances from 1) landbased workers with work contracts of one year or more and 2) sea- and landbased workers with work contracts of less than one year,” BSP said.
Five years
OVERSEAS Filipinos sent in cash and in kind, as well as brought home to their families over a billon pesos worth of remittances in the past five years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Data based on the Survey on Overseas Filipinos (OF) between 2018 and 2023 showed total remittances in cash and in kind, as well as cash brought home to OF families, amounted to around P1.17 billion.
This is composed of P899.13 million in cash remitted mostly through banks; P40.12 million remittances in kind; and P229.18 million worth of cash brought home when they arrived in the country.
The largest cash amount sent home by OFs was recorded in 2023 at P187.11 million while the largest remittance sent in kind was P11.23 million in 2018. In terms of cash brought home, the largest at P55.23 million was also recorded in 2018.
Based on the data, remittances sent in cash and kind as well as cash brought home contracted 10.79 percent in 2019 and as much as 35.95 percent in 2020.
The pandemic began in December 2019 while lockdowns in Metro Manila began in March 2020. BusinessMirror first reported on the impact of Covid-19 on January 28, 2020. (See: https://businessmirror.com.
clude states at high risk from climate change—need an extra $308.5 billion each year or about 52.3 percent of their GDP to provide basic social protection for their citizens.
According to ILO DirectorGeneral Gilbert F. Houngbo, these gaps must be addressed quickly, given that social protection can be a valuable tool in softening the impact of climate change and help people adapt to a new climate-volatile society.
“Many of the countries experiencing the most brutal consequences of this crisis are particularly illequipped to handle its environmental and livelihood consequences. We must recognize that what happens to impacted communities will affect us all,” he said.
However, growth in remittances sent as cash and kind as well as that brought home posted a growth of 12.27 percent in 2021; 30.52 percent in 2022; and 20.84 percent in 2023. 2023 SOF
THE PSA’s data for 2023 also showed total remittances sent as cash and in kind as well as brought home to families breached the P200-billion mark.
The total reached P238.62 million in 2023 and is composed of P187.11 worth of cash remittances; P6.81 million worth of remittances in kind; and P44.7 million as cash brought home by Overseas Filipinos.
Of the estimated 2.16 million OFWs included in the 2023 SOF, some 37.3 percent sent cash remittances amounting to P40,000 to less than P100,000.
PSA said 30.9 percent remitted at least P100,000 while 12.4 percent of OFWs did not provide cash remittances during the period.
The average remittance sent by every OFW from April to September 2023 was placed at P123,000 higher than the average remittance sent during the same period in 2022, which was valued at P111,000.
Of the P187.11-billion cash remittance of the OFWs sent to the country, P129.2 billion or 69.1 percent of the cash remittances were from OFWs working in Asian countries.
Among modes of remittances, banks had the highest share at 62.2 percent, amounting to P116.47 billion of the total cash remittances sent by the OFWs.
This was followed by money transfer services at 36.5 percent, accounting for P68.3 billion of all cash remittances.
A collective share of 1.3 percent or P2.34 billion of the cash remittances sent by Filipinos working in other countries were through agency and/or local office of the OFW, friends/co-worker, door to door, etc.
PSA explained that the data for the SOF was obtained through a rider questionnaire administered with the October 2023 Labor Force Survey between October 9 and 31.
The survey covered 44,913 eligible sample households. Of this number, a total of 4,280 households had Overseas Filipino Workers.
very seldom for us to have clients that used KLM when they were the only European carrier left flying into the Philippines.” KLM, which merged with Air France in 2004, currently flies a thrice-weekly service between Amsterdam and Manila via Taipei. While the source recognized that Air France could also be relying on a growing Filipino outbound market to France and Europe, he noted, “Filipinos like Middle Eastern carriers, too, which connect to major European cities. It will boil down to airfares.” DOT data showed 16,130 Filipinos traveled to France from January to July this year, but this also includes overseas Filipino workers. An estimated 200,000 Filipinos live and work in France, many of them reportedly undocumented aliens.
Cheaper fares
FRANCE’S Ambassador to the Philippines and Micronesia Marie Fontanel said the direct flights will commence on December 7, 2024, with Air France using a 400-seat Airbus 350-900, that will fly three times a week. Separately, an airline representative said they will be “offering competitive fares for the Filipino community to travel to Paris.” (See “Air France to fly direct Manila-Paris route this December,” in the BusinessMirror, September 10, 2024.)
A search on KLM-Air France’s booking site showed an economy trip between Manila and Paris will cost US$1,438 (roughly P82,000) per person, round trip (December 1420), while the cheapest fare for the route for the same dates is P62,000 with one stopover in a Gulf state, via a Middle Eastern carrier. The DOT has always considered France an opportunity market, described as countries from which arrivals grow by at least 20 percent annually. Most French tourists go to El Nido, Bohol, Dumaguete, and Banaue. In 2019, there were 88,577 inbound tourists from France, but last year 2023, there were just 51,601 arrivals. Total arrivals from EU in 2019, sans the United Kingdom, reached roughly 431,000, with Germany topping the market at 103,756.
PAL awaits more planes AS of September 5 this year, the Philippines received 43,271 tourists from France, accounting for 1.06 percent of the total 4.08 million in international visitors. The market ranked second after arrivals from Germany (54,257), as total arrivals from the EU reached 262,934. For his part, Philippine Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer Capt. Stanley Ng said if they do offer a Manila-Paris route, it won’t be any time soon. “Of course that’s still in the pipeline, however, due to supply chain issues and pending delivery of the planes, we’re still figuring out when’s the right time to do that,” he told an aviation forum recently. PAL operated so-called “Milk Run” flights between Manila and Paris in the 1980s, stopping over in several countries before the eventual destination. It was considered “nonstop” because PAL used the same plane for all the stops. Services to Europe were halted, however, due to PAL’s financial difficulties in 1998. The Manila-Paris route was relaunched on a code-share agreement, but was suspended with the merger of Air France and KLM. PAL currently code-shares with Singapore Airlines on flights to Paris via the city state.
Tolentino raises fiscal problem for Sulu after SC rules it’s not part of BARMM
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
SENATE Majority Leader Francis Tolen -
tino on Monday raised a serious fiscal problem arising from Sulu province’s being politically orphaned by its opting out during the vote for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Supreme Court recently ruled, in upholding the validity of the BARMM organic law, to exclude Sulu from the region.
However, Tolentino said the national government did not anticipate the Court’s ruling that the province of Sulu is not part of the BARMM, thus “the difficulty of funding the operations of BARMM offices in the detached province.”
He was also reacting to Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan’s announcement that employees of the BARMM offices in his province have been informed that they will be paid their salaries only until September 10.
Moreover, Tan also reported that the BARMM offices in their province “lack funds
to sustain operations, including rentals and utilities, which the Sulu provincial government cannot shoulder.”
Still, Tolentino assured the governor of his continuing quest to resolve the issue while budget hearings on national agencies are ongoing in Congress. He said he has always asked the departments during the budget hearing how they could help the province of Sulu, whose funding from the BARMM, where it once belonged, would be stopped.
However, Tolentino lamented that the affected offices also conveyed their situation to the Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and of Science and Technology (DOST) but the two agencies were unable to answer how to assist Sulu province in the previous budget hearings.
He recalled that during the DILG budget hearing, he asked to which region the National Police in Sulu now belongs after the province was rendered without a region with the high court’s ruling.
See “Sulu,” A4
Marcos orders ‘strategic presence’ at Escoda Shoal
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
FOLLOWING the return of BRP Teresa Magbanuato its home port to undergo repairs, President Marcos has ordered concerned government agencies to maintain a “strategic presence” at the Escoda Shoal, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said.
In a chance interview with Palace reporters on Monday, NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez disclosed that the Chief Executive wants the Escoda Shoal and other parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to be under constant surveillance.
He stressed the country will not withdraw its presence in the Escoda Shoal as demanded by China.
“The directive of the President is to maintain our presence [in Escoda Shoal]. When we say presence, that is strategic presence and not just physical presence. So, we will just send one ship since the [WPS] area is very wide,” Lopez said.
The PCG deployed a new ship to replace BRP Teresa Magbanua, but as of Monday morning, Lopez said he has yet to receive confirmation if the vessel has reached
Escoda Shoal.
“It [ship] is unable to immediately arrive [at the Escoda Shoal] due to the large waves there,” he said.
The NMC official said the ship will also be complemented by the aircraft deployment by the Air Force to regularly check the activities of Chinese ships at the Escoda Shoal. China continues to claim Escoda Shoal even if it is located within the WPS, the parts of the South China Sea within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Lopez said they are also consulting the United States, Japan and the country’s other allies on how to secure the WPS in line with the instructions of the President.
‘We have not given up Escoda Shoal’
DESPITE the withdrawal of BRP TeresaMagbanua(MRRV-9701) from Escoda Shoal (also known as Sabina Shoal) over the weekend, the country has not lost anything in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a ranking Coast Guard officer said on Monday.
In an interview, the PCG spokesmasn for the WPS, Commo. Jay Tarriela, said that the PCG will “continuously to deploy” ships
to Escoda Shoal.
“As far as the PCG is concerned, we have not lost anything. Escoda Shoal, no matter how many instances we want to go there, we can patrol and deploy our vessels,” he said.
He reiterated it is “almost impossible” for China to block the Philippines’s intent to patrol the entire vicinity of Escoda Shoal.
Tarriela emphasized that the Philippines “can still patrol and maintain our presence in Escoda Shoal.”
“One thing I can report to the public is that the PCG will continuously deploy our vessels in Escoda Shoal,” he added.
And when asked on the instances on why Philippine resupply vessels were unable to go to BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was lying at anchor in Escoda Shoal, Tarriela said this is because the Chinese know precisely where these craft are heading.
“That’s why they can block the Coast Guard vessels. But right now, there is no reason for us to be blocked. We can go to Escoda Shoal, and it’s almost impossible for the Chinese government to block our intent to patrol the entire vicinity of Escoda Shoal,” he added.
To give the public an idea on the size of
Escoda Shoal, the PCG official said the feature has a total area of 137 square kilometers.
“For you to visualize how big this area is, it a combination of cities from Manila, Caloocan, Navotas, and Malabon,” he added. Also, unlike Scarborough Shoal (also known as Bajo de Masinloc) which only has one entrance, Escoda Shoal has two, he added.
“Bajo de Masinloc only has one single entrance, and that is the southeast entrance of the lagoon. Escoda Shoal is composed of two lagoons on the western side and eastern side and each lagoon has different areas where you can pass through,” Tarriela noted. He also maintained that the recent Philippine-China Bilateral Consultative Mechanism (BCM) had nothing to do with BRP Teresa Magbanua’s departure from Escoda Shoal, adding that bad weather is the factor given utmost consideration in ordering the ship’s withdrawal.
“The decision of the PCG to direct Teresa Magbanua to go back to the port is not related whatsoever to the meeting that the Department of Foreign Affairs had
See “Escoda Shoal,” A4
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
‘Economic indicators show PHL on right path’
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
AN economist at the House of Representatives on Monday affirmed that economic indicators demonstrate the Philippines is on the “right path.”
In her sponsorship speech during the opening of plenary debates on the proposed P6.352 trillion national government budget for 2025, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, House appropriations committee senior vice chairperson, said that the national budget is not just a collection of numbers—it is a comprehensive plan to address the challenges faced by Filipino families every day.
Quimbo, a professor of economics before she was elected to the House, highlighted the alignment of the budget with the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework adopted by the Congress in 2022, which focuses on sustained and inclusive growth while prioritizing fiscal consolidation.
Quimbo pointed to the positive economic growth the country has achieved, noting a 6.3 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first half of 2024, driven by sound fiscal management.
She further cited the 3.3 percent inflation rate in August, significantly lower than last year’s figures, and the
with the [Chinese] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we don’t have any, you know guidance from the Department of Foreign Affairs for this
declining unemployment rate, which dropped to 4.7 percent, with more Filipinos securing higher-quality jobs.
“The numbers show that we are on the right path. Through our collective efforts, we have brought inflation down to 3.3 percent as of August 2024. However, the work is far from over.
Year-to-date, the inflation rate stands at 3.6 percent, which is 32 percent lower than the 5.3 percent year-to-date inflation rate from last year,” she said.
“On employment, the numbers tell a hopeful story. The unemployment rate has dropped to 4.7 percent in July from 4.9 percent last year. In 2024, wage and salaried workers increased by 907,000. Just in July, we saw an additional 221,000 compared to the same month last year. This is a clear sign that more Filipinos are finding higher quality jobs, and that our efforts to create meaningful employment are making a real difference,” she added.
The government has set key economic assumptions for the formulation of the 2025 national budget, emphasizing targets that will promote fiscal sustainability and economic stability.
One of the primary drivers behind the 2025 budget formulation is the projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, which is targeted to range between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent.
kind of operational details. The decision of the Commandant of the PCG, Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan to pull out Teresa Magbanua is a decision that he made because of the welfare of the vessel...the seaworthiness of the vessel. and again, the most compelling factor is obviously the bad weather condition,” he added
The government also expects inflation to remain manageable, projecting a rate between 2 percent and 4 percent in 2025.
Quimbo also noted that the country has surpassed Vietnam as the fastestgrowing economy in Southeast Asia, as recognized by international financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank.
She said that inflation has started to ease, the country’s fiscal management has shown significant improvement, and the decrease in the deficitto-GDP ratio, as well as the increase in government collections, are proof of the sound economic policies of the Marcos administration.
The economist-lawmaker said the revised deficit trajectory will decline in a more realistic and sustainable manner, from 5.6 percent of GDP in 2024 to 3.7 percent by 2028 or by the end of the administration.
She said this adjustment will provide adequate fiscal space for the government to invest in infrastructure development and other programs and projects that promote growth.
Moreover, Quimbo said the 2025 GAB is designed to continue the country’s growth trajectory while ensuring
Earlier, Executive Secretary and National Maritime Council chairman Lucas Bersamin said the BRP Teresa Magbanua returned to port after carrying out sentinel duties “against overwhelming odds” in the area. Bersamin said the “repositioning” will allow the vessel’s crew to address the medical
Tolentino shared that the PNP told him that the PNP in Sulu would be placed under Region IX, or the Zamboanga Peninsula, which Tan said was the regional unit in command before the BARMM.
that the benefits reach the most vulnerable sectors of society.
“We are here not to point fingers, but to ensure that the budget we are discussing will serve as a guide toward a brighter future,” Quimbo said. “A budget that will give every Filipino the confidence that the government is genuinely working for their welfare.”
The 2025 General Appropriations Bill, which Quimbo presented, outlines a budget of P6.352 trillion. This budget reflects a commitment to tackling various national issues and supporting growth. Key allocations include P977.6 billion for education, aimed at equipping the youth with necessary skills; P297.6 billion for healthcare to ensure access to quality medical services; and P211.3 billion for agriculture to guarantee food security. Additionally, P253.378 billion is designated for social welfare programs to support families facing significant hardships.
Quimbo described the budget as a “book of solutions” designed to uplift the lives of Filipinos by addressing these critical issues.
“This budget that we are proposing is a piece of the roadmap for growth, sustainable, and inclusive development. It contains the various programs of government created to address problems that have emerged over time,” she said.
needs of some members, and the vessel to undergo needed repairs.
“After she has been resupplied and repaired, and her crew recharged, she will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission, along with other PCG and Armed Forces assets, as defenders of our sovereignty,” he said.
He also recalled that in 2019, Sulu rejected the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which seeks to expand the autonomous region in Mindanao, despite most of the provinces in the previous Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) voting in favor of the law.
Despite voting against it, Sulu was still included in the BARMM, prompting it to file a petition before the SC assailing the constitutionality of the organic law.
In turn, the Court declared “unconstitutional” the provision in the law that directed ARMM provinces and cities to vote as a single geographical unit, including provinces that rejected the law.
According to the Supreme Court, this interpretation violated Article X, Section 18 of the Constitution, which mandates that only regions voting favorably in the referendum should be included in the autonomous region.
Given Sulu’s rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the high court ruled that including the province in BARMM was improper.
Why is it so important to teach our kids critical thinking?
By Henry J. Schumacher
IWAS sorry to read in a recent OECD study, that the 15-year-old students in the Philippines ranked 63rd out of 64 countries in producing and evaluating original ideas that would translate into effective solutions.
As I have said in previous columns, without critical thinking we cannot thoughtfully process information and make reasoned decisions. We lose the ability to thoroughly analyze issues, understand different perspectives, spot logical fallacies, and weigh evidence.
Critical thinking is the very foundations of a healthy democracy and an educated populace. It is also essential that young people are directed to critical thinking.
How can we help our kids grasp complex real-world problems?
What Is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to:
n Evaluate evidence
n Make reasoned judgments
n Analyze information *objectively*
n Solve problems through logical and reflective thinking.
It involves questioning assumptions, recognizing biases, and considering alternative perspectives before drawing conclusions.
Critical thinking isn’t just about thinking deeply—it’s about thinking in a structured and disciplined way. It requires continuous questioning and reflection. And it leads to meaningful understanding.
Teaching critical thinking to kids means they learn how to:
n Test hypotheses,
n Assess the validity of ideas, and n Apply knowledge to real-world situations.
This is an essential life skill.
Why?
Because it encourages independent thought and innovation and enables learners to grasp complex real-world issues.
When kids are taught to use critical thinking skills, they can apply them to every subject—history, language arts, math, science, art—and across subjects.
Helping kids learn how to think critically is a process that helps them develop:
n Resilience, n Problem-solving,
n Independent thought, and an ability to handle complex challenges and narratives.
Takeaways
ENCOURAGING critical thinking in your kids is more than just helping them ace their next test. It is about giving them a lifelong set of skills.
Critical thinking might look different in each subject, but the skills are interrelated and have the power to impact your child’s ability to understand the world.
Teaching your kids critical thinking skills helps them become more adaptable, curious, and better able to tackle real-world problems.
You can teach your child critical thinking by:
n Using open-ended questions
n Encouraging their innate curiosity
n Using project based learning and experiential learning
n Using discussions and debates that encourage them to see things from a different point of view.
When we teach our kids to question, analyze, and understand the world around them, we’re setting them up to handle challenges—with curiosity and confidence, and with humility and deep reflection.
How Is Critical Thinking Developed at School?
MUCH of this important skill must be practiced at school, and rightfully so! The youth must learn to think critically! When a teacher asks a question in class, students must be given the chance to answer for themselves and think critically about what they learned and what they believe to be accurate. When students work in groups and are forced to engage in discussion, this is a great chance to expand their thinking and use their critical thinking skills. Once they have finished school and enter the workforce, their critical thinking journey only expands and grows from here! Minds design, build, regulate, and use technology for good or ill. Minds make ethical judgments with global consequences. No algorithm can replace human wisdom and analysis and critical reading and thinking skills.
I look forward to receiving your comments; please contact me at hjschumacher59@ gmail.com.
Escola Shoal. .
Sin tax collection hit ₧161B from Jan to July, says DOF
THE national government has collected P161 billion in sin taxes, or half of the P306- billion target, from January to July 2024, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).
Rep. Horacio Suansing of Sultan Kudarat, sponsor of House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), said sin tax collections amounted to P161 billion as of July 31, 2024.
Sin tax is an excise tax imposed on so-called sin products such as alcohol, tobacco products, vape products and sweetened beverages.
The government aims to generate P331 billion in 2025, P358 billion in 2026, P388 billion in 2027 and P420 billion until 2028 from sin tax collections, according to the DOF.
“For every sin tax, there’s indexation prices. Every year, the rate goes up, causing the increase in collection of sin taxes,” Suansing said.
Sin tax collections from tobacco products will be split among the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (50 percent), Universal Health Care or UHC (30 percent) and Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP) program (10 percent).
Shares from taxes on heated tobacco products and vape products will be allocated to UHC (60 percent), MAIP (20 percent) and
for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (20 percent).
Taxes from alcohol products will be divided among UHC (60 percent), MAIP (20 percent) and SDGs (20 percent).
Half of tax revenues from sugary drinks will be designated to PhilHealth and MAIP at 80 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
Suansing said tax collections from sin products will be automatically distributed to these agencies and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) certifies the amount correspondingly remitted at the end of the year.
However, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto told the BusinessMirror before that sin tax collections will decline in 2024 due to illicit trade and vape smuggling. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/05/16/ revenue-take-may-dip-on-slower-spending)
Lower sin tax collections could dampen the earmarked funding for government programs, mainly for public health.
“Tax increases do not necessarily equate to revenue increase,” Recto said on the mandated 5-percent increase in tax rate every year for tobacco products to cover the possible shortfall in tax collections. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
SC asked to void Comelec resolution on party-list bets
the questioned resolution.
EQuinto,” Macalintal said.
By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
LECTION lawyer
Romulo
Macalintal on Monday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare as unconstitutional a resolution issued by the Commission on Elections allowing public appointive officials to hold office while running as candidates of partylist groups.
In a 29-page petition, Macalintal also asked the Court to immediately issue a status quo ante order (SQA), temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction or all, directing the respondent Comelec to cease and desist from implementing Section 11, Rule II of Comelec Resolution 11045 dated August 28, 2024.
The said provision states that “public officials who accept a nomination as a party-list representative may continue to hold
SC affirms delisting of An
THE Supreme Court, voting 14-1, has affirmed the resolutions of the Commission on Elections nullifying An Waray’s registration as a party-list organization.
The Court’s decision stemmed from the petition for cancellation of An Waray’s registration filed by Danilo Pornias and Jude Acidre before the Comelec) for alleged violation of Republic Act 7941 or the Party-List System Act.
In 2023, the Comelec granted the petition and ordered the cancellation of An Waray’s registration over the illegal assumption of seat of one of its nominees in the House of Representatives in 2013.
The Comelec found An Waray of violating Section 6 (5) of Republic Act 7941 when “it arrogated unto itself the authority to have its second nominee, Victoria Noel, take her oath and assume office in the House despite that it was only entitled to one seat for the
2013 national and local elections and that there was no certificate of proclamation issued to Noel.”
An Waray elevated the issue before the SC primarily questioning Comelec’s jurisdiction in ordering the cancellation of its registration, insisting that it is the House that has jurisdiction over cases involving the qualification of its members.
In affirming the poll body’s decision, the Court pointed out that under the Constitution and the Party-List System Act, it is the Comelec that has exclusive jurisdiction to rule on the cancellation of party-list registrations.
It noted that the jurisdiction of the HRET is limited only to contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of incumbent HOR members.
The SC said in determining whether HRET must assume jurisdiction over a case, it has laid down a two-tiered test: first, whether the nature of the case is one of a
office even after acceptance of their nomination.”
Macalintal argued that the resolution violates Section (4), Article IX-B of the Constitution and existing jurisprudence that “no official or employee in the civil service shall engage directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political activity.”
In a 28-page petition, Macalintal argued that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it promulgated
Waray party list
contest relating to the election, returns and qualifications of respondent, and second, whether the respondent is a “member” of the House.
“Applying the test, the Court concluded that the nature of the petition to cancel An Waray’s party-list registration is not one which falls under the cases cognizable by the HRET,” the SC declared.
The Court also held that, although it is An Waray which is voted for in the ballots during elections, it does not become a “member” of the House.
Rather, it is An Waray’s nominee who assumes as a member of the House and “who must have the qualifications and none of the disqualifications.”
The Court also found that the Comelec did not gravely abuse its discretion when it cancelled An Waray’s registration.
The SC stressed that by allowing Noel to remain in her seat in the 16th Congress, An
Waray violated the resolution of National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) which declared that An Waray was entitled to only one seat in the final distribution of the party-list seats. An Waray was allotted only one seat in light of the then pending petitions for review before the Court of the cancellation by Comelec of some party-list group’s registrations.
It can be recalled that in 2013, An Waray was one of the 14 partylist groups proclaimed as initial winners, guaranteed with one seat each.
Subsequently, the NBOC issued a resolution cancelling the registration of some party-list groups, which resulted in the adjustment of the seat allocations, so that An Waray’s number increased to two.
The resolution, however, came with the caveat that the new allocation was without prejudice to the possible proclamation of other parties later. Joel R. San Juan
PSA reports minimal increase in prices of building materials
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
THE increase in the price of construction material prices in Metro Manila slowed in August, the latest report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. Based on the Construction Materials Retail Price Index (CMRPI), construction material prices in the metropolis slowed to 1.1 percent in August 2024 from the 1.4 percent posted in the same period last year.
The data also showed the rate in August was the same rate posted in July 2024. Between January and August 2024, construction material prices averaged 1.1 percent.
PSA said miscellaneous construction materials posted slower price increases in August 2024 of 1.3 percent from 2.1 percent in 2024. The government also said the indices of carpentry materials, and plumbing materials retained their previous month’s annual rates of 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
Kidney disease victim gets help
F OR many young people, life is a canvas waiting to be filled with the vibrant colors of dreams and aspirations. But for 24-year-old Kenneth Roger Arguillon, that canvas was abruptly interrupted by a cruel reality—one that turned his vibrant, youthful dreams into a struggle for survival. Diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage
5 (CKD 5) three years ago, Kenneth’s life took an unexpected turn that tested not only his resilience but also the strength of his spirit. Kenneth, a resident of Quezon City, was like many young people, full of hope for the
future. In 2018, as a high school student, he developed a simple UTI, which he thought was easily treated with medication. The symptoms disappeared, and he moved on, unaware of the serious health issues brewing. By 2021, during the pandemic, Kenneth was living in Laguna, far from home, trying to navigate adulthood. But things started to go wrong. He developed headaches, and his vision blurred. Thinking it was his eyesight, he got glasses, but soon after, a new symptom appeared. “Maylumabasponamgarashes sa buong katawan ko, ‘yung parang
Meanwhile, several commodity groups posted higher rates in August compared to the previous month. These were led by electrical materials whose prices increased 1.8 percent from 1.6 percent in July 2024.
Other commodities were painting materials and related compounds which posted a 1.9 percent price increase in August 2024 from 1.4 percent in July 2024. This was followed by tinsmithry materials which posted a 1.7 percent increase in
pantal-pantal,” he recalled.
His health rapidly declined, forcing him to quit his job and return to Quezon City. By then, his appetite had disappeared, and a doctor’s visit revealed devastating news: only 3 percent of his kidney function remained, and dialysis was urgently needed. Hoping to avoid it, Kenneth delayed treatment and tried herbal remedies, but his condition worsened.
Finally, he and his family decided to go to the hospital for dialysis.
Kenneth’s family took him to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, where doctors recommended peritoneal dialysis. This lifesaving treatment brought immense financial
August 2024 from 1.6 percent in July 2024.
The CMRPI is a variant of the General Retail Price Index (GRPI), which measures the changes in the prices used by retailers to sell their goods to consumers and end-users relative to a base year.
The market basket of the CMRPI is composed of 102 commodities and classified into seven major groups—carpentry, electrical, masonry, painting and related compounds, plumbing, tinsmithry, and miscellaneous materials.
strain, and they worried about managing the hospital bills, dialysis, and medications Kenneth would need for life.
Then, they found hope in the Malasakit Center program.
“Malaki ‘yung tulong po talaga ng Malasakit Center kasi simula pa lang sa bayad ng hospital bill, sila na rin po ‘yung nag-shoulder, pati‘yunggamotdinponamin sa dialysis,” Kenneth shared with gratitude.
For Kenneth, this support was more than a relief—it was a second chance at life.
Malasakit Centers initiated by Sen. Christopher Go aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount.
He argued that the resolution will allow public appointive officials to engage in partisan political activities and even facilitate the misuse of public funds to support partisan political activities.
Macalintal added that it will also give undue favor and unwarranted advantage to public appointive officials who will be allowed to seek elective offices without relinquishing their appointive posts, thus, violating the equal protection of the laws guaranteed under the Constitution.
The Comelec resolution, according to Macalintal, contradicts the Court’s resolution issued on February 22, 2010 in Quinto v Comelec which held that any person holding a public appointive office, including active members of the Armed Forces and employees in government-owned and -controlled corporations, would be considered ipso facto resigned upon filing of their certificate of candidacy.
“Yet, Section 11 of the assailed resolution departed from the clear spirit of the Constitution and its implementing laws, as interpreted in the February 2010 resolution in
“Such departure is however unwarranted and may not stand in light of the prohibition under Section 2 (4), Article IX-B of the Constitution,” he added.
Macalintal noted that “in previous elections, such as in the 2022 national and local elections, the Comelec has been very consistent in its rule that ‘public appointive officials shall be considered ipso facto resigned from office and must vacate the same upon the filing of Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance of Nomination’ in party-list elections as provided in its August 2021 Resolution 10717.
“It is unbelievable that the Comelec would suddenly make a change of heart in the 2025 elections,” he stressed.
Macalintal warned that if the said provision were not enjoined by the Court, resolution, it will allow a number of high-ranking government officials to seek nomination as nominees of party-list groups, giving them full advantage in the political field “to the damage and prejudice of candidates not connected with the government.”
Motorists to enjoy oil price rollback for second week
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
FOR the second consecutive week, motorists will enjoy a price rollback for all petroleum products.
Oil firms announced Monday they will slash gasoline by P1 per liter. The price of diesel will be P1.30 per liter less while kerosene prices will go down by P1.65 per liter.
The new pump prices will take effect at 6a.m. of September 17 for Petron, Shell, Caltex, Total, Unioil, PTT, Phoenix, Jetti, and Seaoil. Cleanfuel will also slash
prices at 12:01 a.m. Rodela Romero, Department of Energy Oil Industry Management Bureau assistant director, said weakening global demand accounted for the latest oil price adjustment.
“Weakening global demand prospects and expectations of oil oversupply are the main factors for the said rollbacks,” she said. Oil firms adjust their prices weekly to reflect movements in the world oil market. Romero said Opec has cut its demand forecast for the year and 2025. Likewise, China’s crude demand remains seasonally weak.
House leader warns vs ‘hypocrisy, evasion, misuse of public funds’
Continued from A16
The largest portion, P977.6 billion, is earmarked for education, aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of schooling, thus making it the top priority.
Public works and highways will receive P900 billion to address infrastructure needs, including improvements to roads, bridges, and flood control systems. Healthcare is allocated P297.6 billion to bolster health services and ensure universal coverage. Additionally, significant funding is designated for defense and social welfare, with P256.1 billion and P230.1 billion, respectively, to support peace and order efforts and protect the welfare of marginalized communities.
Co also highlighted the goal of reducing poverty to a single-digit rate of 9 percent by 2028.
The 2023 poverty incidence data showed a decrease to 15.5 percent from 18.1 percent in 2021, a notable achievement that lifted 2.45 million Filipinos out of poverty.
However, Co emphasized that sustained investment in education, healthcare, job creation, and social protection is essential
to achieving the long-term goal.
The Philippine economy is projected to grow by 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent in 2025, a positive outlook signaling continued recovery and progress.
Co reiterated the importance of ensuring that this growth translates into tangible benefits for all Filipinos.
“The challenge before us is to ensure that the growth we achieve leads to real, positive transformation in the lives of every Filipino,” Co said.
Co urged his fellow lawmakers to prioritize the swift passage of the General Appropriations bill, stressing its critical importance for the efficient implementation of government programs. He called for unity in ensuring that the budget supports poverty eradication and benefits the most vulnerable Filipinos.
“As one Congress, let us join hands in ensuring that this budget reflects the aspirations of our people, aligns with our vision for equitable progress, and fosters sustainable growth,” Co added.
The House is eyeing the passage of the General Appropriation bill on September 25.
ZHUANG, WEIHUANG Project Coordinator
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ABBOTT LABORATORIES 8th & 9th Floor Venice Corporate Center,, Turin Street, Mckinley Town Center, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig
11. PARIHAR, SHANTANU SURESH Marketing Director
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12. AKIKO CHARMIO SINAGA Finops Specialist
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Competent in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook. Knowledge of file management, transcription, and other administrative procedures or a related field. With good communication and interpersonal skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
BRUZON, LUIS Country Manager
Brief Job Description: Lead, develop, and align corporate strategies in the Philippines, considering the requirements and specifications for this country, to ensure the achievement of business goals and promote coordination and alignment with strategic and market priorities.
Basic Qualification: Advanced accounting knowledge, regulatory issues, and tax planning. Team management. Proficient in Office, SAP, and financial management tools.
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16. SALLIE AEROWEN IT Technical Consultant
Brief Job Description: Design, evaluate and recommend technical solutions and appropriate technologies to meet client’s requirements in IT consulting projects.
Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree with experience in business management, product and research development, computer/ software training, marketing/sales, or related field. Fluent in both written and verbal English and Mandarin languages.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree with experience in business management, product and research development, computer/ software training, marketing/sales, or related field. Fluent in both written and verbal English and Mandarin languages.
55. HARIS MUNANDAR LUBIS Indonesian Account Specialist
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56. HELLEN ANGELICA Indonesian Account Specialist
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60. MADICKY SAPUTRA Indonesian Account Specialist
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98. FU, RONGSHUN Bilingual Quality Control Officer
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JRMK INCORPORATED (SHINJU, ROMANTICO, PREMIER SHINJU, PRINCESS SHINJU, EDOYA AND CHOTTO MATCHA) G/f R.v. Bryan Bldg., 808 A. Arnaiz Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati 99. INAGAKI, HITOSHI Japanese Cuisine Chef Brief Job Description: Responsible for preparing and cooking a
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141. YANG, TIAN Senior Sales Consultant
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145. NIRMAL DASS Hindi Account Manager
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147. AJAY KUMAR Hindi Sales Specialist
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149. HEER, SARVAN LAL Hindi Sales Specialist
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Bahasa Indonesia & English languages.
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Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
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Israel defense minister says time is running out for Israel-Hezbollah border deal to stop fighting
By The Associated Press
JERUSALEM—Israel’s defense
minister has told his US counterpart that time is running out for an agreement with Hezbollah to halt the fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Yoav Gallant told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that “the possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas.”
“The trajectory is clear,” Gallant added, according to a statement released from his office on Monday.
Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into northern Israel after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which was ignited by Hamas’ October 7 attack. Both armed groups
are allied with Iran, and Hezbollah says it is acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Israel has responded to the attacks with airstrikes and the targeted killing of Hezbollah commanders. It has threatened a wider operation, raising fears of another all-out war.
Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza, but months of talks brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled.
Hamas has demanded a lasting cease-fire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as part of any agreement to release the scores of hostages it still holds from the October 7 attack.
Gallant told Austin that “in any possible scenario, Israel’s defense establishment will continue to operate with the aim of dismantling Hamas and ensuring the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza— by any means.”
Israeli airstrikes kill 16 in Gaza, including 4 children
PALESTINIAN officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including five women and four children.
A strike early Monday flattened a home in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including four women and two children.
The Awda Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the toll and said another 13 people were wounded. Hospital records
2 people die in Ukraine’s Odesa after Moscow and Kyiv exchange drone and missile attacks
KYIV, Ukraine—Two people died in a missile attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, local officials said, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged drone and missile attacks.
The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down 10 of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles Russia launched overnight.
Oleh Kiper, Odesa’s regional governor, said the two who died in the suburbs of Odesa on Saturday night were a married couple, and that another person was wounded in the attack.
At least 41 people were wounded Sunday afternoon when a Russian aerial bomb struck a multistory residential building in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said, adding that the guided bomb hit the 10th floor of the building, with the fire spreading across four stories. Twelve other buildings were also damaged, he said.
show that the dead included a mother, her child and her five siblings.
Another strike on a home in Gaza City killed six people, including a woman and two children, ac -
cording to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government.
Israel says it only targets militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas. The military rarely comments on individual strikes, which often kill women and children.
The Gaza Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since Hamas’ October 7 attack triggered the war nearly a year ago. It does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The latest attacks came after Ukraine made a new call Saturday on the West to allow it to use the long-range missiles they have provided to strike targets deep inside Russia, as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.
So far, the US has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Kyiv officials argue the weapons are vital to weaken Russia’s ability to strike Ukraine and force
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday over western and southwestern regions, with no damage caused by the falling debris. It also said another Ukrainian drone was shot down Sunday morning over the western Ryazan region. While Ukraine and Russia regularly launch overnight drone raids on each other’s territory, Ukrainian officials generally don’t confirm or deny attacks within Russia’s borders.
US-China military leaders hold talks to discuss South China Sea tensions
By Huizhong Wu The Associated Press
BANGKOK—Military leaders from the US and China met in Beijing for routine talks that only resumed in January after being suspended for two years as ties between the two countries soured. The meetings ended on Sunday and officials discussed ongoing issues such as Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war and clashes in the South China Sea. Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia led a delegation to engage in the bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, which were last held in January. While the talks weren’t expected to resolve long-standing differences in stances over issues ranging from South China Sea claims to Taiwan, the US has continued to push for the discussions as a way to avoid conflict. The meetings were held after Chase attended the Xiangshan forum in Beijing, a defense forum that is China’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue. Communication between the two militaries broke off in 2021, as US-China tensions ratcheted up over widening differences on issues such as Taiwan’s sovereignty, the origin of Covid-19 and economic issues. Beijing has ignored US requests to engage in the past, especially over intercepts between US and Chinese aircraft and ships. While communications resumed after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in San Francisco last November, it is unclear whether the talks could continue
it to move its strike capabilities further from the border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media on Sunday to again appeal for a shift in the West’s policy on the use of long-range weapons, noting that Russia had launched “around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine” this week.
“Ukraine needs strong support from our partners to defend lives against Russian terror—air defense, long-range capabilities, and support for our warriors. Everything that will help force Russia to end this war,” Zelenskyy posted on X. AP
as the US is poised for a presidential election. In the bilateral talks, the two sides discussed China’s support for Russia during the ongoing Ukraine war, as well as China’s actions in the South China Sea, said a US senior defense official briefing reporters on the meetings. On Sunday, the Philippine ship at a disputed shoal, BRP Teresa Magbanua, had left in order to resupply and provide medical care to its crewmembers. The defense official said that they were “watching further developments there very closely.”
China’s claims over the South China Sea have become increasingly assertive, with increasing clashes with the Philippine coast guard. In August, both sides accused each other over a collision between their ships, which left gaping holes in the Philippine ships.
The maritime claims have meant clashes at sea, such as at the Sabina Shoal, which both China and the Philippines claim. China had blocked attempts to resupply the BRP Teresa Magbanua, in August, with a force of 40 ships.
ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attend a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 28, 2023. ABIR SULTAN/POOL PHOTO VIA AP
FLAMES rise after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Sunday, September 15, 2024. UKRAINIAN
Powerful typhoon pummels Shanghai, flooding streets and disrupting travel
By Simina Mistreanu The Associated Press
TAIPEI, Taiwan—The strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since at least 1949 flooded roads with water and broken tree branches, knocked out power to some homes and injured at least one person as it swept over the financial hub Monday.
More than 414,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the powerful winds and torrential rain. Schools were closed and people were advised to stay indoors.
One elderly man was injured by a falling tree on Shanghai’s Chongming Island, according to state media. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Typhoon Bebinca made landfall around 7:30 a.m. in the sprawling Pudong business district with winds of 151 kph (94 mph) near its center.
Torrential rains flooded roads in the district, according to images broadcast by state media. Elsewhere in Shanghai, uprooted trees and fallen branches blanketed some roads and sidewalks. As the typhoon eased, responders cleared branches and other objects blown around by the storm. More than 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters were at hand to lend aid in Shanghai. Authorities said winds uprooted or damaged more than 10,000 trees and knocked out power for
at least 380 households, damaging four houses.
At least 53 hectares (132 acres) of farmland were flooded.
The typhoon weakened as it
moved inland, dousing parts of Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. Flights, ferries and train services have been suspended in the
megacity and in neighboring provinces, disrupting travel during China’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival. Shanghai’s airports canceled more than 1,400 flights,
while in Hangzhou, about 170 kilometers (106 miles) southwest of Shanghai, authorities also canceled more than 180 flights.
Weather authorities expected Shanghai and parts of neighboring provinces to receive up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of rainfall between Monday and Wednesday. Shanghai, which has 25 million people, is rarely hit by strong typhoons, which usually make landfall further south in China.
Typhoon Yagi hit China’s southern Hainan island earlier this month and has caused devastation in Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, Yagi caused at least 74 deaths with dozens missing. Four deaths were reported in Hainan, at least 10 have died in Thailand and 20 in the Philippines.
Vietnam has reported more than 230 people killed in the typhoon and subsequent flooding and landslides, with dozens more still missing.
The Associated Press researcher Henry Hou in Beijing contributed to this report.
Death toll rises as torrential rain and severe flooding force evacuations in Central Europe
By Karel Janicek
The Associated Press
PRAGUE—The death toll was rising in Central European countries on Sunday after days of heavy rains caused widespread flooding and forced evacuations.
Several Central European nations have already been hit by severe flooding, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania. Slovakia and Hungary might come next as a result of a low-pressure system from northern Italy dumping record rainfall in the region since Thursday.
The floods have claimed six lives in Romania and one each in Austria and Poland. In the Czech Republic, four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said.
It’s not over yet
MOST parts of the Czech Republic have been affected as authorities declared the highest flood warnings at around 100 places across the country. But the situation was worst in two northeastern regions that recorded the biggest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.
In the city of Opava, up to 10,000 people out of a population of around 56,000 have been asked to move to higher ground. Rescuers used boats to transport people to safety in a neighborhood flooded by the raging Opava River.
“There’s no reason to wait,” Mayor Tomáš
Navrátil told Czech public radio. He said that the situation was worse than during the last devastating floods in 1997, known as the “flood of the century.”
“We have to focus on saving lives,”
Prime Minister Petr Fiala told Czech public television on Sunday. His government was set to meet Monday to assess the damages.
The worst “is not behind us yet,” the prime minister warned.
President Petr Pavel sounded more optimistic, saying “it’s obvious we’ve learned a lesson from the previous crisis.”
At least 4 missing and villages cut off
THOUSANDS of others also were evacuated in the towns of Krnov, which was almost completely flooded, and Cesky Tesin. The Oder River that flows to Poland was reaching extreme levels in the city of Ostrava and in Bohumin, prompting evacuations. Ostrava, the regional capital, is the third-largest Czech city. Mayor Jan Dohnal said the city will face major traffic disruptions in the days to come. Almost no trains were operating in the region.
Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains, including the local center of Jesenik, were inundated and isolated by raging waters that turned roads into rivers. The military sent a helicopter to help with evacuations.
Jesenik Mayor Zdenka Blistanova told Czech public television that several houses
in her and other nearby towns have been destroyed by the floods. A number of bridges and roads have been badly damaged.
About 260,000 households were without power Sunday morning in the entire country, while traffic was halted on many roads, including the major D1 highway.
Firefighter dies as Lower Austria declared a disaster zone
A FIREFIGHTER died after “slipping on stairs” while pumping out a flooded basement in the town of Tulln, the head of the fire department of Lower Austria, Dietmar Fahrafellner, told reporters on Sunday.
Authorities declared the entire state of Lower Austria in the northeastern part of
the country a disaster zone, while 10,000 relief forces have so far evacuated 1,100 houses there. Emergency personnel have started setting up accommodation for residents who had to flee their homes due to the flooding.
The municipality of Lilienfeld with about 25,000 residents is cut off from the outside world. Residents were told to boil tap water as a precaution.
The situation is particularly dangerous along the Kamp River, which flows into the Danube. The Ottenstein reservoir on the river functions as a buffer, but exceeding its limits could cause more flooding, experts say.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer
said the situation “continues to worsen.”
He said 2,400 soldiers were ready to support the relief effort in Austria. Of those, 1,000 soldiers will deploy to the disaster zone in Lower Austria, where dams were beginning to burst.
“We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria. For many people in Lower Austria these will probably be the most difficult hours of their lives,” said Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria.
In Vienna, the Wien River overflowed its banks, flooding homes and forcing first evacuations of nearby houses.
Romania reports 2 more flooding victims
ROMANIAN authorities said Sunday that another two people had died in the hardhit eastern county of Galati after four were reported dead there a day earlier, following unprecedented rain.
Dramatic flooding in Poland
IN Poland, one person was presumed dead in floods in the southwest, Prime Minister
Donald Tusk said Sunday.
Tusk said the situation was “dramatic” around the town of Klodzko, with about 25,000 residents, located in a valley in the Sudetes mountains near the border with the Czech Republic. Helicopters were used to pick up people from roofs in a few cases.
In Glucholazy, rising waters overflowed
a river embankment and flooded streets and houses. Mayor Paweł Szymkowicz said, “we are drowning,” and appealed to residents to evacuate to high ground.
A bridge in the town collapsed under the flood pressure and a police station building was knocked down in Stronie Śląskie, after floodwaters burst through a dam. Submerged cars could be seen in many places in the Kłodzko Valley region bordering the Czech Republic, while a new flood wave was expected there. In the city of Jelenia Gora, which has 75,000 residents, downtown streets were flooded after one of the embankments burst on the Bobr River. City authorities have warned residents they may need to evacuate as more flooding was moving toward the city.
Energy supplies and communications were cut off in some flooded areas, and regions may resort to using the satellitebased Starlink service, Tusk said. The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region. Scientists have documented Earth’s hottest summer, breaking a record set just a year ago. A hotter atmosphere, driven by humancaused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall.
Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, Philipp-Moritz Jenne and Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, and Stephen McGrath in Sibiu, Romania, contributed to this report.
Assassination attempt targets Trump at Florida Golf Club; suspect nabbed
By Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long, Eric Tucker, Zeke Miller & Stephany Matat The Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Donald Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody.
US Secret Service agents stationed a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away.
An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later stopped by law enforcement in a neighboring county.
It was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. On July 13, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Eight days later, Democratic President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, giving way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party’s nominee. And it spawned new questions about Secret Service protective operations after the agency’s admitted failures in preventing the assassination attempt this summer.
The man who was detained had a calm, flat demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped, according Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.
In an e-mail to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
He returned to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach where he lives, according to a person familiar with Trump’s movements who was not authorized to discuss them publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was not immediately clear how the development would affect his schedule or campaign dynamics. Trump was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency live on Monday night on the social media site X and had stops planned Tuesday and Wednesday in Michigan and on New York’s Long Island.
An e-mail to Trump campaign staffers obtained by AP said, “We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings.”
“As we enter the last 50 days of President Trump’s campaign, we must remember that we will only be able save America from those who seek to destroy it by working together as one team.”
Biden and Harris were briefed on the matter and each issued a statement condemning political violence. Harris’ added that she was “deeply disturbed” by the day’s events and that “we all must do our
part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.”
Biden said he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service “has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”
In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spent several hours with Trump and called him “unstoppable.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity recounted on air his conversation with the former president’s golf partner, Steve Witkoff.
They had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.”
Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced” on Trump and “covered him” to protect him.
Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not announced any public plans for Trump on Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf.
Trump has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he is at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind bulletproof glass.
The Florida golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, but there are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump. Agents also usually bring an armored vehicle onto the course to shelter Trump quickly should a threat arise.
The Palm Beach County sheriff said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the president, but because he is not, “security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
“I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter,” Bradshaw said. “But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done.”
Late Sunday, Trump posted a message on social media thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe, calling them “brave and dedicated Patriots,” adding that it was “certainly an interesting day!”
He was to be briefed in person Monday by acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe about the investigation into the assassination attempt, according to a person familiar with the plan for the briefing who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security around former presidents varies according to threat levels and exposure, with the toughest measures typically being taken in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.
Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some other former presidents because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again.
The man in custody was Ryan Routh, three law enforcement officials told the AP. The officials who identified the suspect spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to
discuss the ongoing investigation.
Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018. In 2020, he made a social media post backing Trump’s reelection, but in more recent years his posts have expressed support for Biden and Harris.
Routh tried to recruit Afghan soldiers fleeing the Taliban to fight in Ukraine, and spent several months in the country, according to an interview with The New York Times last year.
The FBI was leading the investigation and working to determine any motive. Attorney General Merrick Garland was receiving regular updates. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping investigate.
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the bureau said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said the state would do its own investigation, posting on X that, “The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.” News reporters were not with Trump on Sunday. Bucking tradition, Trump’s campaign has not arranged to have a protective pool of reporters travel with him, as is standard for major party nominees and for the president. Harris does not have a protective pool at all times, but does allow reporters to travel with her for public events. Snyder, the Martin County sheriff, said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent BOLO”—or “be on the lookout” alert.
Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95 and “we pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”
Richer, Long, Tucker and Miller reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Michael Biesecker in Washington, Michael Balsamo, Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Michael R. Sisak in New York, and Meg Kinnard in Houston contributed to this report.
UK and Italy seen joining forces to curb migrant crisis: Starmer seeks lessons from Meloni’s tough approach
By Jill Lawless The Associated Press
OME—UK Prime Minister Keir
RStarmer is meeting Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday, as the two very different politicians, from left and right, seek common cause to curb migrants reaching their shores by boat. The visit comes after at least eight seaborne migrants died off the French coast over the weekend. Support for Ukraine is also on the agenda for the trip, part of Starmer’s effort to reset relations with European neighbors after Britain’s acrimonious 2020 departure from the European Union.
The center-left Labour Party prime minister isn’t a natural ally of Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party. But migration has climbed the UK political agenda, and Starmer hopes Italy’s tough approach can help him stop people fleeing war and poverty trying to cross the English Channel in flimsy, overcrowded boats.
More than 22,000 migrants have made the perilous crossing from France so far this year, a slight increase compared to the same
period in 2023.
Several dozen people have perished in attempts, including the eight killed when a boat carrying some 60 people ran aground on rocks late Saturday. The same day, 14 boats carrying 801 migrants reached Britain.
Starmer promised “a new era of international enforcement to dismantle these networks, protect our shores and bring order to the asylum system.”
“No more gimmicks,” he said before his trip to Rome—a reference to the previous Conservative government’s scuttled plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
from landing in Italy when he was interior minister in 2019.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the government’s decision to seek advice from Italy’s right-wing administration, saying “we’ve always had a history of working with governments that have different political parties that are not aligned.”
She said the UK was interested in Italy’s experience in fighting organized crime, as well as its deals with countries such as Tunisia to stop migrants’ journeys before they reach the sea, and its deal with Albania.
Soon after being elected in July, Starmer scrapped the Conservatives’ contentious plan to send asylum-seekers who cross the Channel to Rwanda, about 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) away, with no chance of returning to the UK even if their refugee claims were successful.
The Conservatives said the deportation plan would act as a deterrent, but refugee and human rights groups called it unethical, judges ruled it illegal and Starmer dismissed it as an expensive gimmick. He has, though, expressed an interest in striking agreements like the one Italy has with Albania that would see asylum-seekers sent temporarily to another country.
The number of migrants arriving in Italy by boat in the first half of this year was down 60% from 2023, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
Starmer wants to learn from Italy’s mix of tough enforcement and international cooperation, though Italy’s approach has
Meloni pledged a crackdown on migration after taking office in 2022, aiming to deter would-be refugees from paying smugglers to make the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Italy. Her nationalist conservative government has signed deals with individual African countries to block departures, imposed limits on the work of humanitarian rescue ships, cracked down on traffickers and taken measures to deter people from setting off. Italy also has signed a deal with Albania under which some adult male migrants rescued at sea while trying to reach Italy would be taken instead to Albania while their asylum claims are processed.
been criticized by refugee groups and others alarmed by Europe’s increasingly strict asylum rules, growing xenophobia and hostile treatment of migrants.
The leader of Italy’s right-wing League, Matteo Salvini, who is deputy prime minister in Meloni’s government, has been accused by prosecutors of alleged kidnapping for his decision to prevent a rescue ship carrying more than 100 migrants
“I don’t think it’s immoral to go after the criminal gangs,” Cooper told the BBC. “Quite the opposite. I think it’s actually a moral imperative to make sure that we are pursuing the criminal gangs who are putting lives at risk.”
Starmer toured Italy’s National Coordination Center for Immigration in Rome with newly appointed UK Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt. The government says Hewitt, a former head of Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council, will work with law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the UK and across Europe to tackle-people smuggling networks.
The Rome trip follows visits to Paris, Berlin and Dublin during Starmer’s first weeks in office—all part of efforts to restore ties with EU neighbors that have been frayed by Brexit. Starmer has ruled out rejoining the now 27-nation bloc, but is keen for a closer relationship on security and other issues.
Ukraine will also feature in his talks with the Italian government, which holds the presidency of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations this year.
BRITISH Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, visits Italy’s national immigration crime coordination center, on the occasion of his visit to Rome on Monday, September 16, 2024. PHIL NOBLE/POOL PHOTO VIA AP
Vote of confidence: ADB’s $12.4 billion commitment to PHL
The Marcos administration has secured a $12.4 billion six-year Country partnership strategy (Cps) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support the country’s development agenda. This significant support reflects the ADB’s confidence in the philippines’ growth potential and its commitment to help the nation overcome the challenges it faces in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive development. (Read the BusinessMirror story: PHL, ADB launch $12.4-billion Country Partnership Strategy to push development plan, September 13, 2024).
The CPS, dubbed “Building Strong Foundations for a Prosperous, Inclusive, and Climate-Resilient Future,” prioritizes three main areas: strengthening human development, boosting economic competitiveness and quality infrastructure, and scaling up nature-based development and disaster resilience. By focusing on these areas, the ADB and the Philippine government aim to achieve a sustained, inclusive growth rate of over 6 percent annually, while advancing digital transformation, governance, and gender equality.
The partnership will support flagship infrastructure projects, such as the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and the North-South Commuter Railway, which will improve regional integration and stimulate economic growth in the Greater Manila Bay area. Furthermore, priority investments will be made in enhancing access to quality education, healthcare services, and social assistance programs, particularly for marginalized and low-income communities. This will help safeguard the vulnerable population against economic shocks and promote a more equitable society.
The ADB’s commitment also includes support for renewable energy, climate solutions, and private sector innovation. These areas are crucial in addressing the challenges of climate change and promoting sustainable development. President Marcos emphasized the importance of turning “lofty goals into tangible improvements in the daily lives of Filipinos.” The ADB’s contributions have already made a significant difference in the lives of many Filipinos, and this new partnership will undoubtedly build on those successes.
The ADB’s support over the years has been invaluable, making it the country’s leading multilateral development partner and the second-largest source of ODA. The approval of the CPS by the ADB Board of Directors signifies a strong and continued partnership between the Philippines and the ADB in the pursuit of a prosperous, inclusive, and climate-resilient future for all Filipinos.
As the nation moves forward with this ambitious agenda, it is crucial for the government to ensure that these funds are utilized effectively and efficiently. Transparent and accountable governance combined with robust implementation and monitoring mechanisms, will be essential in ensuring that the benefits of this partnership reach the intended beneficiaries and contribute to the nation’s overall development goals.
The $12.4 billion commitment from the ADB is a testament to the international community’s faith in the Philippines’ growth potential. It is now up to the national government to seize this opportunity and deliver on the promise of a brighter, more prosperous future for all Filipinos.
Kamala versus Donald
FOUTSIDE THE BOX
ilipinos enjoy beauty contests of all types and there is none bigger than the Us presidential election.
Once upon a time that election was to choose the “Leader of the Free World”. That phrase has lost significance considering that it would be difficult to define both “Leader” and “Free world” today. Theoretically, leaders are followed because of a strong general acceptance of what the Leader thinks should be done and “free” should probably mean the ability to act in one’s own interest without outside interference. The US genuinely despises any country taking its own path without the approval of Washington’s Great Father.
Nonetheless, the US still has the largest economy and number of consumers and supplies the globe with weapons of war. Those factors must count for something.
One prominent local commentator said last week that “What is clear from the debate is that under a Harris admin, US will maintain
its role as global cop. Trump emphasized peace in building the US economy.” That assessment may be accurate but simplistic to the extent that, if true, it is impossible to know how it will play out in real life.
A local stock market analyst said, “From everything I’ve seen and heard, Trump doesn’t seem prepared to be any less chaotic should he find a way to win a second term”. His point was that the Philippines needs to attempt to create lasting value in the resulting chaos.
I will not argue the point but regarding chaos, I wonder if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the battle between Israel and Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran (2023) and increased tensions in the South China Sea qualify as chaos? Further, under the Biden administration, the US and the world
US trade practices have been increasingly protectionist and political under both Trump and Biden. The economic bottom line: As of March 2024, the trade war tariffs have generated more than $233 billion of higher taxes collected for the US government from US consumers. Of that total, $89 billion, or about 38 percent, was collected during the Trump administration, while the remaining $144 billion, or about 62 percent, has been collected during the Biden administration.
has lost safe transit in the Red Sea, the Black Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The US military is short thousands of troops, and their merchant marine fleet is idling ships.
It is in the economic arena that is most important for this US election.
The US Federal Reserve has yet to lower its benchmark interest rate while many smaller economies have already done so.
Now the European Central Bank has lowered for the second time since June. Little attention here has been paid in the Philippines to that development because for all the babbling about the “deathof-the-dollar,” the overwhelming percentage of total global 315 trillion dollar-equivalent sovereign and corporate debt is denomi -
Russia sharing nuclear secrets with Iran
By Alex Wickham
HE US and UK are increas -
Tingly concerned that Russia is sharing with Iran secret information and technology that could bring it closer to being able to build nuclear weapons, in exchange for Tehran providing Moscow with ballistic missiles for its war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has increased its cooperation with Iran over its ambitions to obtain atomic weapons in recent months, according to Western officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss assessments that haven’t been made public.
The development was discussed by US and UK officials in Washington this week, the people added, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Joe Biden at the White House for a strategic meeting on foreign policy. They described it as
worrying, and an escalation of Russia and Iran’s military ties.
Biden’s administration remains deeply concerned with Iran’s nuclear activities, according to a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council. Biden has made it clear that the US is ready to use all elements of national power to prevent any nuclear escalation by Iran, the spokesperson said Saturday.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry and Iran’s embassy at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Group of Seven foreign ministers condemned “Iran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles” in a joint statement on Saturday, calling it a further escalation of Iranian military support to Russia’s war in Ukraine and demanding that it cease immediately. US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken suggested during a recent visit to London that Russia was exchanging nuclear technology with Tehran, saying Moscow had received a shipment of Iran’s Fath-360 ballistic missiles.
“For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks—this is a two-way street—including on nuclear issues, as well as some space information,” Blinken said.
Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy agreed during talks in London that “Iran’s nuclear program had never been more advanced,” the US State Department said in a joint statement Saturday. Starmer will meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday to discuss Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, among other topics. Italy has traditionally sought to project itself as a mediator in the Middle East, maintaining relations with Iran.
nated in USD. The greatest fear on the global macroeconomic scene is that if Trump is elected, he may put in place trade measures that will reduce China’s economic growth. I think that is a “Red herring”, an analysis that is, or is intended to be, misleading or distracting. China’s economy is going negative without Trump’s help. And Trump’s proposed sanctions on China to boost the US economy is about as realistic and feasible as Kamala Harris’s proposal of price controls on food to reduce inflation.
Harris will most likely maintain the status quo of the Biden-Harris administration with more talk on Chinese trade sanctions. President Biden reprioritized critical economic partnerships to boost trade and deepen alliances. Yet this “reprioritization” has not resulted in any substantial export-to-the-US increases. US trade practices have been increasingly protectionist and political under both Trump and Biden. The economic bottom line: As of March 2024, the trade war tariffs have generated more than $233 billion of higher taxes collected for the US government from US consumers. Of that total, $89 billion, or about 38 percent, was collected during the Trump administration, while the remaining $144 billion, or about 62 percent, has been collected during the Biden administration.
Iran insists it isn’t looking to produce nuclear weapons, although there’s concern it could build them in response to escalating tensions with Israel.
In April, a senior Iranian general said the Islamic Republic could revise its nuclear doctrine if Israel targeted its atomic facilities, remarks that were seen as a warning that it could seek to produce a warhead, having long said its atomic capabilities were only for civil purposes. IAEA, the United Nations watchdog, said Iran’s nuclear-fuel levels rose between June and August, enough to fuel a handful of warheads should Iran make a political decision to pursue weapons. At a conference in London last weekend, US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said Russia and Iran were deepening their military relations. w ith assistance from Jenny Leonard / b loomberg
Chua
John Mangun
China’s deepening slowdown tests Xi’s tolerance for growth miss
By Bloomberg News
BAck in January, Premier Li Qiang trumpeted china’s success in exceeding its 2023 growth goal without resorting to “massive stimulus.” Repeating the same feat this year now looks less likely.
Pressure is growing on Chinese authorities to quickly ramp up fiscal and monetary stimulus to hit this year’s growth target of around 5%.
Data published Saturday showed industrial output marking its longest slowing streak since 2021 last month, while consumption and investment weakened more than expected.
Hours before the release, the People’s Bank of China signaled in a rare statement alongside disappointing credit data that fighting deflation would become a higher priority, and indicated more monetary easing ahead.
“This set of data calls for aggressive fiscal expansion to change expectations and to rejuvenate confidence in the economy,” Hao Hong, chief economist at Grow Investment Group, wrote on social media platform X. “Otherwise we would be sleepwalking to a deepening gloom.”
The deterioration is testing President Xi Jinping’s tolerance for missing a high-profile target, as he balances growth with avoiding the big stimulus that fueled previous boomand-bust cycles. Failure to achieve the goal could further undermine confidence in the world’s No. 2 economy, with foreign investors already pulling a record amount of money from China in the second quarter.
August’s data bolstered evidence that the Chinese economy has weakened since growth in gross domestic product slowed to 4.7 percent in the three months ending June. That was the worst pace in five quarters, and— crucially—below Beijing’s annual target of around 5 percent.
The focus is now on October’s third quarter reading. Data so far suggests GDP will expand at 4.6 percent-4.7 percent for the period, BNP Paribas SA’s chief China economist Jacqueline Rong estimates.
Analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd. including Larry Hu expect full-year growth to come in at that level if the current momentum continues into the December period, “missing the target of around 5 percent.” Economists at Wall Street banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut their full-year GDP forecasts in the wake of the miserable data, all to below the official goal. That would mark the second time in three years that China failed to hit its target. Covid lockdowns in 2022 led to the biggest miss since the government began setting GDP targets in the early 1990s.
President Xi last week appeared to signal tolerance for a rate slightly lower than 5 percent, when he urged officials to implement existing policies to “strive to achieve” the fullyear goals. That language seemed less forceful than a July call to “resolutely” meet the objectives.
“He was avoiding putting too much pressure on the officials to hit 5% growth,” said Ding Shuang, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Plc. “As long as they implement policies faithfully, a growth rate eventually slightly lower than 5 percent would be acceptable, I think.”
Xi made the remarks at a gathering of some Communist Party chiefs held in the country’s northwestern
Registration requirements for online sellers
TAX
The deterioration is testing President Xi Jinping’s tolerance for missing a high-profile target, as he balances growth with avoiding the big stimulus that fueled previous boom-and-bust cycles. Failure to achieve the goal could further undermine confidence in the world’s No. 2 economy, with foreign investors already pulling a record amount of money from China in the second quarter.
Gansu, which is among the 12 provinces deemed by the central government to have an alarmingly high amount of debt.
Once a key driver of growth, provinces have turned more reluctant to spend. Their issuance of new special bonds in the first eight months of the year was at the slowest pace since 2021. That left local officials with about 1.4 trillion yuan ($197 billion) in this year’s quota still to tap, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
While the central government could step in and repeat last year’s rare ad hoc budget revision to unleash more spending, time is running out to rescue the 2024 target. Analysts are forecasting further rate cuts and a reduction to the amount of cash lenders must keep in reserve, with September seen as a window.
“Even if additional stimulus is introduced today, the impact on the full year growth may be limited,” Ding added. “My take is that leaders may be coming to terms with the reality that there’s only about one quarter left for this year.”
Part of the problem is the ongoing property slump that Barclays Plc calculates has caused Chinese households to lose some $18 trillion in wealth. Real estate investment contracted in the double digits in August, according to estimates by Nomura Holdings Inc. economists including Lu Ting.
Deflation is also becoming more entrenched. Underscoring the risks, private investment fell in the first eight months of the year, as companies locked in price wars struggled to make a profit.
The PBOC on Friday echoed a pledge by Governor Pan Gongsheng in June to make “maintaining price stability and pushing for the mild rebound in prices an important consideration.” However, it did not repeat Pan’s comment of “keeping policy restraint” or avoiding drastic measures.
“The central bank may have made fighting deflation a higher priority,” said BNP’s Rong. Policies may “pivot more” toward encouraging household spending, as the PBOC also put emphasis on consumption and investment, she added.
Still, as bad as the data looks, policymakers will likely hold off aggressive stimulus while the economy broadly holds up. Exports last month hit their highest value in nearly two years, even as China faces a rising tide of tariffs from the US and European Union. Bloomberg
Under Harris or Trump, it is unlikely that there will be much significant economic impact on the Philippines, particularly in the short term. In the meantime, you could have made a 300 percent profit betting on whether or not there would be a handshake before the recent presidential debate.
Atty. Rodel C. Unciano
LAW FOR BUSINESS
Section 236 of the tax code, as amended, requires registration of every person subject to any internal revenue tax with the Bureau of internal Revenue (BiR). it is the duty of all persons engaged in business in the Philippines to comply with business registration requirements and pay taxes, where applicable. Any person who is engaged in any trade or business and fails to register the same with the BiR shall be administratively and criminally liable for fines and penalties.
With the proliferation of online selling and other online business activities throughout the country, the Department of Finance (DOF) has recently issued new guidelines in the registration of online sellers and laid down penalties, which include closure of business operations as a penalty for not being able to register with the BIR within the period prescribed by law, which should be made on or before the commencement of business or before payment of any tax due or upon the filing of a return, statement or declaration, as required under the Tax Code.
So, as a general rule, a person engaged in the sale and/or lease of goods and services through a physical store (brick-and-mortar store) shall register its head of -
fice at the BIR district office having jurisdiction over the place of business address while any branch and/or facility shall be registered with the BIR district office having jurisdiction over the place of business address or location of the branch and/or facility.
Now, under Revenue Regulations (RR) 15-2024, a person operating, maintaining, or setting up an online presence or an online store for its brick-and-mortar store shall, in addition to the registration of its physical store, likewise register its store name with the BIR as an additional “business name” attached to the head office or branch managing or operating the said online store or business. The online presence or an online store attached to the head office
To recall, the BIR’s call for the registration of taxpayers doing online business transactions is not new. There have been issuances in the past reminding online sellers to register with the BIR and issue registered invoices or receipts, either manually or electronically, for every barter, sale, or exchange of goods and services.
or a branch shall not be separately registered as a branch.
On the other hand, a person engaged in the sale and/or lease of goods and services through website, webpage, page, platform, or application who does not have a brick-and-mortar store, shall register at the BIR district office having jurisdiction over the place of residence for individuals or principal place of business registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for juridical entities.
All covered persons operating a business through a website, social media, or any digital or electronic means, shall display conspicuously a copy of the BIR Certificate of Registration (COR) on their website, webpage, account, page, platform, or application in a manner that is easily accessible and visible to buyers or customers visiting the seller’s webpage, account, page, platform or application.
To aid the BIR in seeing to it that lessees engaged in online selling are duly registered with the BIR, the lessors, sub-lessors of commercial establishments/ buildings/space, and operators of digital platform, including emarketplace platforms, are now mandated under the regulations to ensure that all their respective lessees and online sellers or merchants are duly registered with the BIR. Failure to do so shall be construed as an act of aiding or abetting in the commission of the
offense. So, under the regulations, a lessor allowing lessees or online sellers/merchants to engage in business without the required BIR registration shall be meted with fines and penalties as well. To recall, the BIR’s call for the registration of taxpayers doing online business transactions is not new. There have been issuances in the past reminding online sellers to register with the BIR and issue registered invoices or receipts, either manually or electronically, for every barter, sale, or exchange of goods and services. In fact, RR 16-23 issued towards the end of last year already required e-marketplace operators and Digital Financial Service Platforms (DFSP) to ensure that the online sellers/merchants they are transacting with are duly registered with the BIR, in addition to their obligation to withhold remittances to the merchants. And to add, under the proposed digital service law, non-resident supplier of digital services dealing with non-VAT registered taxpayers should also register with the BIR. Compliance with the BIR registration requirement is a must to avoid inconvenience in failing to do so. It is an obligation that every law-abiding taxpayer is mandated to do, in addition to paying taxes that are due.
The author is a partner of DuBaladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law) (www.bdblaw.com.ph), a member-firm of WTS Global. The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at rodel. unciano@bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 380.
One-time foes Egypt and Turkey race to solve Libya’s new crisis
By Selcan Hacaoglu, Mirette Magdy & Simon Marks
EG y PT and Turkey are using their newfound friendship to try and resolve a power struggle in Opec-member Libya, which is threatening to boil over into a civil war.
After taking opposite sides in a previous Libyan conflict five years ago, Cairo and Ankara are pressing the North African country’s two competing governments to reach a deal that would help end a crippling oil blockade, according to officials and diplomats following the issue, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.
Turkey has also held talks with Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar—a long-time Egyptian ally and Ankara’s sworn enemy in the 2019-2020 war. The breakaway eastern parliament Haftar backs is at loggerheads with the United Nations-recognized Tripoli administration run by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, in a dispute over who should run the central bank that effectively controls the nation’s vast oil wealth. While there’s no illusion about the scale of the challenge—and Egypt and Turkey are only some of the foreign powers with sway in Libya—their joint influence has significantly reduced fears of full-blown war, according to diplomats. Three Libyan officials with knowledge of political decisions agreed the improved relationship would greatly reduce the chances of another conflict in the short term.
Turkey’s defense and foreign
ministries declined to comment. Egypt’s foreign ministry couldn’t be reached for comment.
The push to tackle Libya’s split is just one of the recent common grounds for Turkey and Egypt, which had been at odds for much of the past decade over Turkish support for political Islam. They’ve adopted a shared stance against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, and found their interests align on the civil war in Sudan and an increasingly unstable relationship between Somalia and its neighbor, Ethiopia.
The “challenges confronting our region and world today demonstrably confirm the imperative of close coordination and cooperation,” Egyptian President AbdelFattah El-Sisi said earlier this month on his first visit to Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan since becoming leader of North Africa’s biggest economy in 2014.
Relations between the two countries soured after the 2013 ouster of Egypt’s Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, by the army, a move Erdogan harshly criticized for years. A thaw began in 2021, leading to a landmark El-Sisi-Erdogan handshake at the 2022 soccer World Cup.
Extended impasse
U NITED Nations-led talks aimed at resolving the Libyan feud have yet to bear fruit. The crisis erupted in mid-August, when the Tripoli government fired longstanding Central Bank Governor Sadiq Al-Kabir, who is responsible for managing the revenue from more than 1 million barrels of crude a day.
The eastern administration— which had forged ties with AlKabir—responded by suspending the production and export of Libyan oil, roiling energy markets by cutting supplies that mainly go to southern Europe.
Signs of the Egypt-Turkey rapprochement are apparent in Libya itself. More Egyptian companies and workers are returning to Tripoli and other parts of the west typically under the control of Turkey’s local allies. Meanwhile, Turkish firms are poised to take part in reconstruction projects in the Egypt-allied east, including around the city of Derna where devastating floods killed thousands a year ago.
It’s a far cry from 2019, when Haftar’s Libyan National Army marched on Tripoli in an effort to unseat a Turkish-backed government. More than 2,000 peopl— ainly combatants—are estimated to have been killed in months of fighting, in which Haftar also had the support of Russia and the United Arab Emirates. The UN brokered a peace deal in late 2020, though attempts to reunify the country under Dbeibah have faltered and promised elections haven’t happened.
Sudan, Somalia ACROSS Egypt’s southern border, Sudan—where a civil war has raged for 17 months—is another area where interests may be converging. Both Cairo and Ankara have hosted Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader, on official visits since the conflict erupted. That honor hasn’t been extended to opponent Mohamed Hamdan
Dagalo, the chief of the paramilitary force battling for control of Africa’s third-largest country. In Somalia, both countries have expanded their military footprints. Turkey has its largest overseas base in the Horn of Africa nation, and has held talks about setting up a site to test-fire missiles and space rockets. Egypt has begun supplying weapons to Somalia’s army and plans to train soldiers, according to the Somali foreign minister, amid soaring tensions with neighbor Ethiopia over the breakaway region of Somaliland. Egypt has its own long-running dispute with Addis Ababa related to the building of a giant Nile dam, which Cairo fears may affect its downstream water flow.
For Erdogan, improving ties with Egypt is part of a broader plan to repair relations with Arab powers and boost the Turkish economy through more investment and exports. Turkey has mended relations with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in the past two years.
“The Sudanese civil war, the disputes between Egypt and Ethiopia, and the increased risk of military and political conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia are structural dynamics that strategically affect Turkey-Egypt relations,” Murat yesiltas, security policy director of the Ankara-based SETA think tank, which advises Erdogan’s government, said in an article this month.
“Cooperation between Ankara and Cairo stands out as a strategic necessity.” With assistance from Kevin Dharmawan / Bloomberg
BusinessMirror
BOI investment approvals in Jan-mid Sept hit P1.35T
By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan
INVESTMENT approvals from January to mid-September this year reached P1.35 trillion, surpassing the P1.26-trillion full-year investment approvals last year, with renewable energy projects accounting for a huge chunk of the pie, according to the Board of Investments (BOI).
“As we celebrate our 57th anniversary, we are more inspired with the strong show of confidence by local and foreign investors in the Philippines, that has made it possible for BOI to hit the P1.3-trillion mark in investment approvals,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head, Ceferino S. Rodolfo said in a statement on Monday.
The P1.35-trillion investment pledges recorded in the January to September 15,2024 period means an 82-percent increase from the P741.98 billion approved in the same period last year.
According to the investment promotion agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the energy sector, or mainly projects in renewable energy continued to dominate the investment approvals at P1.29 trillion.
This was followed by Real Estate Activities (Mass Housing) at P20.28
billion; Manufacturing at P12.13 billion; Agriculture, Foresstry, and Fishing at P10.05 billion; and Administrative and Support Service Activities at P5.46 billion.
Frederick D. Go, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) for Investment and Economic Affairs, emphasized that the approved investment projects align with the Administration’s strategic priorities.
“We have identified key sectors— renewable energy, semiconductors and electronics, mining and mineral processing, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and steel—as essential drivers of the country’s growth,” Go said.
He noted that the approved investments in these sectors “illustrate our steady progress in realizing these priorities.”
Go also noted that the passage of the Create More bill “will improve ease of doing business, promote inclusive economic growth, and solidify the Philippines’ position as an attractive investment destination.”
Last week, the congressional bicameral committee approved the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (Create More) bill, which seeks to lower taxes on domestic and foreign companies to 20 percent from 25 percent. (See: https://businessmirror.com.
House leader warns vs ‘hypocrisy, evasion, misuse of public funds’
By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie
THE House of Representatives leadership on Monday issued a strong warning to public officials, saying that the Chamber will “not tolerate hypocrisy, evasion, or misuse of public funds.”
At the same time, it assured that the country’s economic growth will translate into real, tangible benefits for all Filipinos.
In his speech during the opening of plenary debates on the proposed P6.352-trillion national government budget for 2025, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that the House would take a zero-tolerance approach toward those who undermine accountability while conveniently ignoring their own malfeasance.
He also emphasized the need for accountability and transparency, calling out those who “criticize government spending while ignoring their own misdeeds.”
“We cannot ignore the reality that there are those who seek to undermine our work—critics who speak of accountability while conveniently ignoring their own misuse of public funds,” he said.
“To these individuals, I say, let us be clear: this Chamber will not tolerate hypocrisy, nor will it stand idle in the face of such blatant disregard for public trust. In front of Congress, everyone must go through the proper process, and no one will escape accountability,” he added. Romualdez underscored that public funds should be used solely for the benefit of the people, not for personal gain.
“Public funds are not for the personal gain of a few. It is our duty to ensure that every peso is used for the welfare of our fellow citizens,” Romualdez said.
The Speaker assured the public that the House would remain uncompromising in its defense of good governance, fiscal
responsibility, and the protection of taxpayers’ money. He made it clear that no individual or special interest would be given undue favor or consideration.
“This House answers to no one but the people. We will stand firm against pressure or influence, and we will guard every peso as if it were our own. The eyes of the nation are on us, and we will not fail them,” Romualdez said.
“As legislators, we are not only guardians of the national purse, but also stewards of the people’s trust. Every peso we allocate in this budget carries with it the sweat and sacrifice of millions of Filipinos, and it is our duty to ensure that these resources are spent wisely, effectively, and with absolute accountability,” he said.
Romualdez said the budget policy “is designed to achieve fiscal discipline, while addressing the urgent needs of our people.”
“It reflects the aspirations of the nation and serves as a roadmap toward stability, progress, and shared prosperity,” he said.
Critical role
AKO Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, House Committee on Appropriations chairman, emphasized the critical role of the national budget in shaping the nation’s policies and guiding the Philippines’ trajectory.
Co underscored the legislature’s “power of the purse,” stating that the budget would prioritize sectors such as education, infrastructure, healthcare, and poverty reduction.
The proposed budget, which consists of P4.405 trillion in new appropriations and P2.105 trillion in automatic appropriations, aims to drive the country’s growth and address pressing socioeconomic issues, particularly poverty alleviation.
Co said the budget allocations for 2025 focus heavily on several key sectors.
For her part, DTI Acting Secretary Cristina A. Roque said hitting the P1.35trillion mark in investment approvals by mid-September “highlights the government’s success in cultivating a stable and attractive environment for investors.”
“These approvals represent more jobs for Filipinos, opportunities for MSMEs to be part of global value chains, pathways for innovation, and significant economic progress across the nation,” said Roque.
It is worth noting that Filipino firms contributed to the larger chunk of the investment pledges pie with P1.01 trillion, while foreign firms poured in P341.78 billion in investments.
BOI said Calabarzon region remained the top recipient of local investments with P602.63 billion, followed by Central Luzon,P258.68 billion;Western Visayas,P238.88 billion; Bicol Region, P142.87 billion; and Ilocos Region, P62.68 billion.
BOI added that Switzerland led the list of sources of foreign investments, as it brought into the country P286.77 billion in investments, followed by the Netherlands with P29.58 billion, and Singapore with P6.18 billion.
The United States and Taiwan made “notable” contributions with P1.68 billion and P1.30 billion, respectively.
TRodolfo said this “accomplishment” highlights the investment promotion agency’s goal in “harnessing the country’s potential to be the prime investment destination for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services.”
“We are excited to build on this momentum to work towards industrial transformation and economic growth that benefits all Filipinos,” the BOI managing head added. Meanwhile, Rodolfo said, the focus on renewable energy and manufacturing is helping drive sustainable growth, creating thousands of jobs, and improving the quality of life for Filipinos.
“The keen investment interest from both local and foreign investors will propel long-term economic progress and position the country as a global leader in strategic investments,” he underscored.
Rodolfo said in July 2024 that the investment promotion agency expects to hit and even surpass the P1.6-trillion target in investment pledges this year.
“Looking ahead, BOI is confident in maintaining its growth trajectory. This latest achievement builds on a historic 2023. The success of the first three quarters of the year underpins the Philippines’ continuously improving investment climate, sending clear signals that we are making it happen in the Philippines.”
municipalities. Agricultural workers, on the other hand, will receive P500 in the Extended Metropolitan Area, component cities, and first-class municipalities. For those in second to sixth class municipalities, the rate is P425.
Across all areas in the retail and service sectors, the minimum wage is set at P425. Meanwhile, the RTWPB of Central Visayas retained its area-based classification for the distribution of wage increases. The new rates are P501 for Class A areas, P463 for Class B areas, and P453 for Class C areas.
The Department of Labor and Employment said that the new rates for minimum wage earners translate to about
7 to 8 percent increase from the prevailing wage matrixes in the two regions.
Persisting wage gaps DESPITE these adjustments, the issue of wage gap remains to be a pressing concern. In Caalabarzon, the wage differences now vary from P20 to P110, while in Central Visayas, the gap varies from P38 to P48.
According to University of the Philippines labor professor BenjaminVelasco, the small differences in prices of commodities do not justify the “wide differences” in wages across the two regions.
“For example, the lowest wage in Calabarzon [say upland Cavite] is P420 while the highest is P560 [say Bacoor], which is [a] 25-percent differential. Prices between upland Cavite and Bacoor are not that big. That is why the sentiment of workers is that wage regionalization is a scheme to cheapen wages,” Velasco told B usinessM irror The professor added that the minimum wage hike fell well below the workers’ demand for a P150 acrossthe-board increase.
“The last legislated across-theboard wage hike was in 1989, raising wages by P25 to P89 nationwide. If compared to the P64 base figure, that is a whopping 39-percent increase. Yet no economic crisis resulted from that ‘natural experiment,’” he said. Earlier this month, the labor department said that an across-the-board increase should be furthered study as it can “heavily impact” micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Justine Xyrah Garcia
MORE banks are expected to accept the National ID not just to open bank accounts but to undertake other financial transactions, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
In the 3rd Philippine Identity Summit on Monday, PSA Assistant National Statistician Emily R. Pagador told reporters that the PSA recently launched this at the Land Bank of the Philippines East Avenue branch in Quezon City.
Pagador said the Land Bank branch accepted the digital National IDs to encash checks and make withdrawals from their bank accounts apart from opening bank accounts.
“We are also in talks [but I just can’t give details right now] but those who are in the exhibit area, they are the relying parties right now, integrating into the national ID, and some of them will be launching soon,” Pagador said.
“[There are others who are] already in the process of completing their integration to the national ID so they can use the national ID for the authentication,” she added. Pagador also disclosed that more establishments and government agencies are accepting the National ID. This was based on the decline in the number of complaints that PSA received regarding the non-acceptance of the physical or digital National IDs.
She said since the National ID was launched in 2021, the PSA has received “hundreds” of nonacceptance complaints. But these days, complaints they receive are now in the single-digits, indicating that there are more establishments who accept the National ID.
“In fact, there was a month that we did not record or there was no report of non-acceptance. This means, the activities or information and education and communications campaign and other issuances that
we’ve done have already reached most of the establishments, even the government agencies, on the acceptance of the national ID,” Pagador said.
Meanwhile, the legal scuffle now regarding AllCard Incorporated and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) regarding the production of the physical National IDs will not be a problem for those who would like to have a National ID, Pagador said.
Pagador said Filipinos can still register for a Natioal ID and easily obtain the digital National ID through the National ID portal and the e-Gov app launched by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Nonetheless, Pagador gave assurances that those who applied for National IDs or those who already have digital National IDs can rest assured that the PSA will provide them with their printed National IDs “eventually” as this is mandated by the law.
“Because of the law, we need to comply. But we will be sending them. They will still receive their National ID, the physical card, eventually. But to enjoy the benefit, they can access it through the national-id.org.ph or through the e-gov app,” she said. As of September 7, the PSA has already registered 89.7 million Filipinos in the National ID. This is 2.3 million registrants short of the 92-million target for 2024. For 2025, the PSA aims to register the entire population in the National ID. The PSA is using the 2020 population count of 109 million as the total number of the Philippine population. The PSA has also begun the registration process for children aged 1 to 4 years old. Pagador said she does not yet have the data for these registrations, only that there has already been significant turnout since children are already allowed outside, unlike during the lockdowns. Cai U. Ordinario
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
MWSS gives nod to water tariff adjustments in Q4
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Board of Trustees has approved the recommendation of the MWSS Regulatory Office (RO) to implement the 2024 Fourth (4th) Quarter Foreign Currency Differential Adjustment (FCDA) starting October 1.
MWSS said the approval is based on its evaluation of the FCDA proposals of water concessionaires, Manila Water Company Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. This means that Manila Water customers will see a tariff increase, while customers of Maynilad will see a lower tariff. Manila Water, which provides water and wastewater services to the East Concession Area, will implement an upward FCDA of 2.03 per-
cent of its 2024 Average Basic Charge of P42.26 per cubic meter, or an additional of P0.86 per cubic meter in the fourth quarter. For Manila Water customers, the approved FCDA will result in an increase of P3.65 per month for regular customers consuming less than 10 cu. m; P8.10 per month for those consuming 20 cu. m. and P16.54 for those consuming 30. cu. m per month. Meanwhile, Maynilad, which
serves the West Concession Area, will apply a downward FCDA of -0.62 percent of its 2024 Average Basic Charge of P47.57 per cubic meter, or a decrease of P0.29 per cubic meter.
This means an 83-centavo reduction for regular residential customers consuming 10 cu.m. or less; P3.14 monthly reduction for customers consuming 20 cu.m. and P6.43 reduction in billing for customers consuming 30 cu. m. The increase or decrease will be reflected in the December billing of both Manila Water and Maynilad.
MWSS said the FCDA is a quarterly-reviewed tariff mechanism that allows concessionaires to recover losses or give back gains arising from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, as payments are made for foreign currency-denominated loans that are used to fund the expansion and improvement of water and sewerage services. It is a corrective mechanism formulated by the MWSS RO to avoid under-recovery or over-recovery caused by forex movements.
Section 9.8 of the Amended Revised Concession Agreements between MWSS and both Manila Water and Maynilad stipulates that “more detailed guidelines on the determination and application of the FCDA to the Concessionaire Loans will be issued by the Regulatory Office, as assisted by the Department of Finance and as approved by the MWSS.”
During a public consultation drive last July 30, the MWSS RO presented its draft FCDA Guidelines under the Amended RCA to customers of both concessionaires, local government units within the East and West Concession Areas, media representatives, concerned public and private institutions, and other stakeholders for review and feedback.
Last August 7, the MWSS BOT issued a resolution approving the FCDA Guidelines prepared by the MWSS RO, which became effective on August 31. On September 2, Manila Water and Maynilad submitted their respective FCDA petitions, which were subsequently validated and evaluated by the MWSS RO.
CREC projects get DOE certification
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
ITICORE Renewable En -
Cergy Corp.’s (CREC) 13 renewable energy (RE) projects—all lined up for completion this year up to 2026--have been certified as energy projects of national significance by the Department of Energy (DOE). These 13 RE projects have a combined capacity of around 800 megawatts (MW). Of which, 430MW are ground mount solar and 362MW are onshore wind developments, in eight provinces: Pangasinan, Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental. These projects are currently under development.
The DOE presented last month the Certificates of Energy Projects of National Significance (CEPNS) to CREC’s 13 projects which the company secured via the DOE’s Green Energy Auction Program 2 (GEAP-2) in July 2023. The GEA program was designed to continuously trigger the increase of RE capacity in the country. The DOE wants the GEA to be conducted on a yearly basis, in a bid to promote RE as the country’s primary source of energy.
Grab unveils safety features
GRAB Philippines said on Monday it is introducing a series of new safety features and initiatives designed to enhance protection for both passengers and drivers ahead of the holiday rush. The tech-driven safety measures, set to roll out this September, aim to ensure that every ride booked through the platform meets the highest safety standards, as Grab wants to keep its safety record of 99.99 percent. Grab is integrating the following safety features into its platform: Audio Protect and Driver Selfie Verification. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Our approach goes beyond the platform - we take an active approach in ensuring everyone has a safe ride. We have ongoing dialogues with our passengers, driver-partners and government stakeholders, taking an active role in ensuring safe rides across the industry. Everyone plays a part in maintaining safety, and by working together, we can create a safer journey for all,” Grab Philippine Head of Mobility EJ Dela Vega said.
Audio Protect is an opt-in service that records audio during rides. This data is securely stored for future
By VG Cabuag @villygc
TIME Magazine and Statista have named 13 Filipino firms, including three Sy-led companies, as among the World’s Best Companies for 2024.
Among those included in the list were SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), SM Prime Holdings Inc. and China Banking Corp.
dedication to empowering our employees, driving sustainability, and fostering innovation,” said Sabin M. Aboitiz, president and CEO of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.
“As we undergo this transformation into a ‘techglomerate,’ we are fully committed to using technology and innovation not only to enhance business efficiency but also to make a lasting positive impact on our communities, the environment, and the nation.”
reference in the event of disputes or safety concerns.
In the future, the feature will evolve to use artificial intelligence to monitor in-vehicle audio signals, detecting potential risks in real time. Meanwhile, Driver Selfie Verification, requires drivers to take random selfies throughout the day to confirm their identity, supplementing the pre-trip selfie checks already in place. This measure guarantees that only registered drivers are operating, enhancing passenger trust and safety. Dela Vega said these features will complement Grab’s existing safety tools, such as the Safety Center, which provides passengers access to an Emergency SOS button for direct law enforcement contact, real-time trip monitoring that detects unexpected stops or deviations from the route, and a “Share Your Ride” feature that allows passengers to send their trip details to family or friends for added security.
He added that Grab is focusing on cultivating a safety-first mindset among its drivers. The company has collaborated with key institutions to introduce new training modules that will form part of the GrabAcademy curriculum. Lorenz S. Marasigan
“The DOE is making great strides in the transition to renewable energy through measures like the EVOSS [Energy Virtual OneStop Shop] Law and the issuance of CEPNS. The recognition of our 17 projects underscores the importance placed by the government in the swift completion of RE projects, which are typically affected by challenges in securing permits and clearances,” CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan said.
Those awarded with CEPNS enjoy expedited processing of permits and other requirements. The project can be processed expeditiously without having to wait for the approval of other government agencies, even if such is a precondition or a requirement for processing. This minimizes waiting time and inter-agency delays, thereby speeding up project timelines.
“We thank the DOE for acknowledging the criticality of RE to the country’s energy security and urge other government agencies to support our country’s renewable energy targets,” Tan said.
CREC is targeting to add 1,000MW of additional RE portfolio every year to achieve its five gigawatts of clean energy capacity in five years.
“We are grateful to be part of the list of the world’s best companies as it reflects our group’s collective commitment to responsible and inclusive development. It also highlights our dedication to creating shared value for all stakeholders while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the enterprise,” said Frederic DyBuncio, SMIC president and CEO.
Also on the list were Ayala Corp., Security Bank Corp., San Miguel Corp., Jollibee Foods Corp., Aboitiz Group, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., Alliance Global Group Inc., PLDT Inc., Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. and Puregold Price Club Inc.
“The Aboitiz Group is deeply honored to be recognized alongside globally esteemed companies for our
The said ranking was a result of a comprehensive analysis to identify top-performing companies worldwide. The study evaluates companies across three primary dimensions— employee satisfaction, revenue growth and Sustainability. Employee satisfaction was assessed through surveys conducted in over 50 countries, with data from approximately 170,000 participants. Revenue growth was measured for companies with revenues of at least $100 million in 2023, reflecting positive growth from 2021 to 2023. Sustainability evaluations were based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) data from Statista’s ESG Database and targeted research.
Photo from www.suPermalls.com
MIDC, Stonepeak announce creation of new tower entity
By Lorenz S. Marasigan
@lorenzmarasigan
Miescor i nfrastruc -
ture Development corp.
This newly formed entity, Pylon Holdings, is also supported by a consortium of global and local investors, including Macquarie c apital and Global Network i nc.
With the transaction, Pylon now has one of the country’s largest portfolio of towers at over 3,300 operational sites.
(M i D c ), a joint venture of Meralco i ndustrial e ngineering s ervices corp. (Miescor) and s tonepeak, has partnered with Phil-Tower consortium i nc. (PhilTower) to create one of the largest independent telecommunications tower companies in the Philippines.
“This move will not only improve network coverage and ic T services but also have a broader impact in the country’s socio-economic development by fostering digital inclusion and empowerment especially in underserved areas,” said r ichard o o chava, President and ceo of Miescor.
The venture will support the mobile network operators’ efforts
to meet the growing demand for reliable 4G and 5G services. With continued investment in the nation’s digital infrastructure, Pylon aims to bridge the digital divide, according to Darren Keogh, s enior Managing Director at stonepeak.
“The joining of M i D c and PhilTower will allow for the more effective delivery of critical digital infrastructure through its combined
footprint, helping to bridge the digital divide in the Philippines.” Devid Gubiani, ceo of Pylon, added that the combined strengths of both companies would further drive the country’s digitization efforts.
“ i am confident that the combination of M i D c and PhilTower’s unique strengths and competencies will further digitization objectives in the Philippines as the country’s younger generation continues to drive exponential data consumption,” he said.
i n a disclosure last June, the Manila e lectric c o. (Meralco) said “the joint venture company will have Philippine-wide coverage and is well placed to support the growing connectivity needs of the country.”
Editor: Dennis Estopace
Fall in return of investment in bonds linked to rate cuts
By Cai U. Ordinario
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) linked the 52-basis point decline in bond yields in the Philippines to the decision of the Monetary Board to cut policy rates.
In its Asia Bond Monitor, the Manila-based multilateral development bank said the country’s total outstanding bonds—still unredeemed securities—increased 1.9 percent quarter-on-quarter to P12.5 trillion or approximately $213.8 billion.
The ADB said the national government’s bonds grew 2.8 percent from the previous quarter due to a lower volume of maturities. The data showed the bonds floated by the private sector contracted 7.7 percent during the period.
“Between 1 June and 30 August, government bond yields in the Philippines fell by an average of 52 basis points (bps) for tenors of 2 years and above. This was driven by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ monetary policy easing in August, as inflation remains consistent within the government’s target path,” the ADB, however, said.
“Rising expectations of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve also contributed to the fall in domestic yields,” the Manila-based mul-
tilateral development bank added.
The Philippines was not alone in terms of suffering declines in bond yields as other central banks in the region also entered their easing cycles amid the looming rate cuts by the United States Federal Reserve (Fed).
The ADB said other East Asian countries also suffered the same fate due to either or both the reduction in key policy rates of their respective central banks and expectations of policy rate cuts by the Fed.
The largest bond yield reduction was observed in Hong Kong, China SAR, at 86 bps, followed by Singapore at 57bps during the period.
The economies that posted the least bond yield reductions were Vietnam which saw its bond yields decline by 6bps an followed by Malaysia with bond yield declines of 14bps.
Meanwhile, the ADB said sustainable bonds in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the PRC, Japan, and the ROK—collectively known as Asean+3—reached
T-bill yields fall across all tenors on Fed bets
By Reine Juvierre Alberto
T$868.1 billion at the end of June.
The annual 17.4 percent growth of its outstanding sustainable bonds outpaced those of the European and global markets, at 16.5 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
The ADB said the sustainable bond market in the Philippines was dominated by sustainability bond instruments denominated in foreign currency.
The country’s outstanding sustainable bonds amounted to $9 billion, with roughly equal shares from the government and corporate segments.
The ADB said that within the Asean+3, economies in Southeast Asia posted the fastest quarterly growth.
In the second quarter, Asean+3 sustainable bond issuance witnessed longer tenor as size-weighted average tenor of issuance increased to 6.9 years from 5 years in the previous quarter. This was largely driven by issuance from the public sector.
Investing in Real Estate as Part of Retirement
BUILDING one’s retirement fund can be similar to the process of building a business empire: one needs to accumulate a lot of equity (assets less liabilities) to retire comfortably. Aside from having one’s income consistently exceed expenses, one should have a sizable emergency fund to cover any unforeseen expenses as well as future expenses in the event income is affected or becomes unstable. Moving on, one must also have more than enough short-term assets to cover short-term liabilities. Short-term expenses can be daily living expenses, salaries of household staff, allowances of children, etc. Short-term assets are cash, cash in bank, short-term bank deposits, treasury bills and other investments that can be quickly sold or converted into cash.
Once you have enough shortterm assets, focus on protecting these assets and income via various insurance and health policies.
By having active insurance and health policies, your hard-earned assets would be protected from financially-devastating events. In case you have a medical emergency that costs hundreds of thousands of pesos, having an active medical insurance policy can cover said medical emergency and will allow you to reimburse cash expenses.
Having adequate protection and short-term equity, you can now safely build on long-term assets. You can invest in long-term treasury bonds, in the stock market, place your funds in a mutual fund or UITF, invest in government securities such as the Pag-Ibig MP2, try new technologies such as cryptocurrencies or invest in real estate.
From the perspective of a financial planner, investing in real estate as part of a retirement fund offers several distinct benefits that can help secure long-term financial stability during retirement, to wit:
1. Asset appreciation. Real estate tends to appreciate over time, especially in well-chosen locations. While market fluctuations occur, property values generally increase, providing a solid hedge against inflation. By the time you retire, the property’s value may have significantly grown, giving you a larger nest egg.
2. Diversification. A retirement portfolio that includes real estate helps diversify risk. Diversifying across asset classes—stocks, bonds and real estate—protects your portfolio from market volatility. Real estate’s low correlation with other investment types means that even when financial markets face downturns, property values may remain steady or continue to rise.
3. Rental income. If you invest in rental properties, they can provide a steady stream of semipassive income, which can supplement your retirement funds. This is particularly valuable because it creates cash flow during retirement, potentially reducing the need to withdraw from other investments or savings early on. Plus, the lease rates can adjust upwards in order to follow inflation and market prices.
4. Tangible asset. Unlike stocks or bonds, real estate is a tangible, physical asset that provides a sense of security. Owning property allows you to maintain control over your investment, which can be especially comforting as you approach retirement
and seek stability.
5. Inflation protection. Real estate has historically acted as a strong hedge against inflation. As the cost of living rises, so do property values and rental rates. This means that the income you generate from rental properties, or the value of the property itself, could outpace inflation, protecting your purchasing power in retirement.
6. Potential for long-term growth. Real estate can offer strong long-term growth potential, making it an ideal component of a retirement fund for those looking to preserve wealth and enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle. While it is a relatively illiquid asset, the long-term nature of real estate can align well with retirement planning goals. By integrating real estate into your retirement strategy, you build a diverse and appreciating asset that can provide passive income, protect against inflation, and help contribute to a financially secure retirement.
Raymond Anthony Quisumbing is a registered financial planner at RFP Philippines. To learn more about financial planning, attend the 109th RFP program this October. Email info@rfp.ph or visit www. rfp.ph. To consult about retirement planning and explore real estate as investments, check out his website at: https://www.ohmyfinance.pro. Quisumbing’s views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror
Filipinos want passive income for next decade–poll
By VG Cabuag
RESULTS of a recent poll by the Manulife Financial Asia Ltd. revealed that establishing passive income, securing emergency savings and achieving financial security during retirement were the top financial goals of Filipinos for the next decade. Among the Filipinos surveyed, however, only 6 out of 10 individuals own investment products, such as bonds and unit trusts, according to the Manulife PHL. Most of the survey respondents prioritize life and health insurance at 71 percent for single individuals and 82 percent for married individ-
uals. They also prioritize savings products, such as fixed deposits and foreign currency savings at 64 percent for single individuals and 68 percent for married individuals.
“Typically, cash and cash equivalents are preferred for their low-risk returns. While they are suitable for immediate financial needs, such as school tuition, emergencies and medical bills, excessive reliance on cash as a placeholder investment can erode one’s purchasing power because of the continual rise of the prices of goods and services,” Manulife Investment Management and Trust Corp. President and CEO Macaria Trinidad F. Gaspar said.
“By leveraging our diverse suite of unit investment trust funds or UITFs, which include incomepaying funds, investors can build a diversified investment portfolio to earn potentially better returns while ensuring a steady income stream for their household,” Gaspar added.
The firm’s annual “Asia Care” survey, which started in 2020, explores the evolving behavior, sentiments and priorities of people from eight markets in Asia, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. This year, the survey aims to understand the 10-year outlook
of Filipinos on their physical, mental and financial well-being amid threats of inflation, rising prices and cost of living, and rising healthcare costs and how they navigate these challenges so they can meet their financial and health goals. According to the firm, it polled more than a thousand respondents from the Philippines to provide insights into where economic challenges were most felt.
“The survey results also inform our strategy so we can continue to help customers achieve their envisioned future through innovative and relevant insurance and investment solutions,” Manulife said.
HE national government raised P20 billion through the sale of Treasury bills (T-bills) on Monday’s auction as yields across all tenors fell amid expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut.
The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) fully awarded the bids for the shortterm debt papers, raising the programmed amount of P20 billion.
The Treasury said the auction was 3.9 times oversubscribed with total tenders reaching P77.9 billion. With its decision, the Committee raised the full program of P20 billion for the auction, a statement from the Treasury read.
The total bids for the 91-day T-bills reached P28.624 billion, of which the auction committee accepted P6.500 billion.
The average yield of the 91-day
debt papers slid 5.743 percent from the 5.840-percent yield the same tenor posted a week ago. Rates for the government securities ranged from a low of 5.720 percent to a high of 5.774 percent.
Meanwhile, total demands for the 182-day T-bills amounted to P24.710 billion, prompting the committee to award P6.500 billion.
The average asking yields of investors for the 182-day debt papers rose to 5.940 percent from last week’s 5.980 percent. Yields settled between 5.900 percent to 5.965 percent. Moreover, the 364-day T-bills recorded P20.305 billion in demands, of which P7 billion was raised by the state.
The 364-day government securities fetched an average yield of 5.973 percent from the 6.029 percent recorded last week. Rates were between 6.020 percent to 6.040 percent.
VAT-refund mechanism for foreign tourists opposed
By Butch Fernandez
THE Senate minority last Monday aired “strong opposition” to a measure setting up a “VAT Refund Mechanism for Non-Resident Tourists,” saying it will unjustly take away P4 billion from Filipino taxpayers without fulfilling the intended goal of drawing in more tourists or boosting that sector.
“While I recognize the value of encouraging tourism to stimulate our economy, this measure, I believe, is misguided and presents significant risks that far outweigh its projected benefits,”
Minority Leader Aquilino Martin “Koko”
dlL. Pimentel said in a turno en contra to Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who sponsored on the floor Senate Bill 2415, under Committee Report 106.
The measure allows a refund of value-added tax (VAT) to tourists— specifically, under the current version, foreign passport holders who are non-resident aliens—who purchase goods from accredited stores in our country, with a transaction value of at least P3,000.
Champions of the bill project the mechanism could lead to an average increase of 148,000 tourist arrivals from 2024 to 2028, and that an increase in tourist arrivals means increased spending by the tourists.
However, Pimentel said “these are merely projections and will come at a cost.”
“The government stands to refund over P4 billion to tourists over the next five years. I must ask, why are we so eager to give away P4 billion of our taxpayers’ money to foreigners, while millions of our own citizens continue to face hardship?” the senator quipped.
‘Fundamentally unfair’
ACCORDING to Pimentel, the amount
“could build 1,600 new classrooms, or 138 to 190 kilometers of concrete roads.”
“In terms of the ‘Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation’ (AICS) program, P4 billion could support at least 400,000 college students, or 800,000 elementary or high school students in educational assistance, or provide cash relief assistance to at least 400,000 beneficiaries,” the lawmaker added. Instead of refunding VAT to tourists, “why don’t we reduce taxes that directly benefit Filipinos—lower taxes on essential goods and services that our workers and families rely on every day?” Pimentel asked.
“The good sponsor [Gatchalian] mentioned the ‘Special Fund’ comprising of 5 percent of all VAT collections, from which these refunds for VAT would be sourced. In 2023, of the P15.85 billion allotted for VAT refunds, only P7.96 billion was utilized,” he noted.
However, Pimentel added: “this fund comes largely from Filipino taxpayers, and …was never intended to be exhausted for the benefit of foreign tourists.”
The absence of “a robust mechanism to track actual tourist expenditures and the corresponding VAT paid by them”
renders the proposal
“fundamentally unfair” to Filipinos, said the senator. VAT leakages THE risk of leakages, or of VAT refunds being claimed even by non-resident tourists, worries Pimentel. “According to recent reports, our VAT system suffers from inefficiencies and leakages amounting to billions of pesos annually.” He cited a World Bank study that the Philippines lost P539 billion in potential revenues due to VAT leakages in recent years. “Even the Department of Finance (DOF) admitted last year that our VAT collections only stand at 40 percent.”
“If we cannot prevent leakage and abuse in the current system, how can we expect that this new VAT refund program won’t suffer from similar inefficiencies? It’s not difficult to imagine how this measure could become yet another avenue for abuse, allowing unscrupulous individuals to exploit loopholes and siphon away our country’s resources. In fact, the World Bank has advised us to improve our tax system by widening the tax bases, rationalizing incentives and narrowing exemptions to improve tax collection – strategies which this chamber championed through the passage of the ‘Ease of Paying Taxes’ law and the ‘Create More’ Act.”
He described these latter two measures as “targeted approaches to clarify inconsistencies and addressing the gaps in our tax collection system.”
In contrast, implementing the VAT refund system for foreign tourists will require the DOF engaging internationally-recognized VAT refund operators.
“The question, then, is: how much more will we have to spend just to refund money to tourists? And is it worth it? My estimation is that it won’t be. It has been argued that there will be no out-of-pocket expense on the part of our government. This is hardly so.”
Improving experience
PIMENTEL pointed out that the “estimated net benefit of P3.3 billion to P5.7 billion is almost equal to the P4 billion that we are planning to refund. Not to mention the administrative costs of setting up refund booths, hiring personnel, and managing the program, all of which will be borne by the government.”
Given this, Pimentel said “the resources we intend to give back to tourists could be better allocated toward projects that directly uplift our people. We should be focusing on measures that strengthen our tax system, curb leakages, and use public funds efficiently to benefit Filipinos—our primary responsibility as legislators.”
If the goal is to attract more tourists, “we should concentrate on improving their overall experience—by upgrading our infrastructure, enhancing safety, and improving travel and transportation, as well as accommodation. Tourists will visit our country for its beauty, culture, and hospitality. By investing in the right areas, we will not need VAT refunds to make the Philippines a desirable destination,” Pimentel said.
Art BusinessMirror
‘Talaarawan’: Erwin Mallari’s visual diary in watercolor
THEY say it’s too difficult a medium—that it’s too unpredictable, too technical; that it’s nothing more than a value study that precedes the actual artwork in oil.
How most people dismiss watercolor are the very reasons that ignited the passion for the medium of visual artist Erwin Mallari. Regarded as one of the country’s foremost watercolorists, the Malabon-born now Bulacan-based artist said in a recent sit-down that the fire in him only burns more intensely with the years.
On those who regard watercolor painting as a difficult practice, he said, “Mahirap nga. Pero pag nagamay mo naman, mamahalin mo.” On those who shy away from its technicalities: “Kung hindi ka teknikal na tao, hindi mo magugustuhan. Pero kung aaralin mo, mageenjoy ka, kasi para siyang never-ending na pagaaral. Every time na nagpipinta ako, may nadidiskubre akong bago.”
AN ARCHIVIST THROUGH AND THROUGH MALLARI spoke with candor at Rojo Galerie, where his latest solo exhibition, titled Talaarawan will open this Saturday, September 21. He arrived riding a bicycle through the Ortigas Central Business District, his workplace for years before deciding to become a full-time artist in 2014.
The hours were long for Mallari as a graphic designer. Even longer and much more gruesome were
the dreaded rush-hour commute. While most people zone off during these slow crawls, exhausted from a full day’s work, Mallari perked up.
He often positioned himself in front of the bus for the best seats, intent on taking mental and actual photos of the life that still stood around him. As soon as he reached home, the artist whipped out his sketchpad and watercolor to paint the photographs (to this day, Mallari only paints scenes from photos he takes). The sessions relieved him of stress and kept him up until 3 am, before reporting to work only a few hours later to do it all over again.
Aside from the Metro Manila rush hour, Mallari’s sketchpad also contained slices of life in whatever place his bike and whim took him. There were scenes of fishermen in his hometown of Malabon, children playing in tight streets, and more. An archivist by
nature, Mallari said his words fail him as a frustrated writer. Thus, he turned to art to create a visual diary instead.
When he’s not commuting, Mallari is riding his bike, free to roam as he pleases, unrestricted by routes that public utility vehicles ply. When he’s not taking photographs, the artist carries his handy watercolor tools, plants himself wherever comfortable, and paints scenes plein air. His on-the-spot painting activities usually draw curious local kids first. Then comes the elderly who freely offer rich stories about his landscape subjects. They tell him everything about these places, from what the locations used to be, to which actor used to live there.
Unti-unti, nagkakaroon ng storya ’yung ipinipinta ko. Nagiging importante bigla itong paintings dahil sa mga istorya ng mga tao,” he said.
The affable and humble watercolorist considers these narratives as the life of his paintings, reflecting the very intention, the very essence, of his art practice. He paints primarily not to express himself, but to resonate with others. His paintings serve as the medium, and his audience’s stories, the art.
For instance, Mallari’s pieces capture when the scenery’s background was clear skies, unobstructed by utility poles, or when trees occupied a vacant lot, and not an apartment complex. These scenes awaken
CONTINUED ON B5
Spread hope and happiness with Unicef Christmas cards by Manuel Baldemor
UNICEF Philippines (www.unicef.ph) ushers in the start of the Christmas season with the joyful art of Pinoy folk artist Manuel “Manny” Baldemor, this year’s featured artist for Unicef Christmas Cards. A Filipino artist from Paete, Laguna, Manny Baldemor is renowned for his paintings, wood prints, and wood carvings featuring simplified geometric forms and folk art characters. He would often depict his hometown, its people, their daily activities, and traditions in his art. Baldemor participated in various national and international art exhibitions and received
numerous prestigious awards.
Having been a part of the Unicef Cards roster of renowned artists since the 1990s, his works have been reproduced and sold in countries around the world for almost two decades. The 2024 limited-edition Unicef Cards feature four artworks from Baldemor’s vast collection: Pasko sa Aming Bayan (1992), Christmas Lanterns Festival (2006), Graces From the Land (2008), and Pasko ng Pamilya Pilipino (2024).
“My dream is for all children to be healthy and happy because they are our hope, our future. I am happy to contribute
my time and talent to support Unicef’s programs for children and I am very proud and honored to be a Unicef artist,” says Manny Baldemor.
“It was a natural decision to have Manuel Baldemor as our contributing artist for Unicef Christmas Cards. His passion for sharing the joyful spirit of Filipino values and culture is apparent in every piece he makes. By donating through these cards, you not only get to own a piece of Baldemor’s art, but you are also supporting lifesaving programs for the most vulnerable children,” shares Carli Snyman, chief of fundraising
and partnerships, Unicef Philippines.
Get one box set of Unicef Cards for every P1,000 donation and receive 12 individual cards featuring Baldemor’s four artworks. Experience the unique joy of writing personal messages, sending Christmas cards, and making someone’s day with these limited-edition cards while helping the most vulnerable children through Unicef’s lifesaving programs in health and nutrition, education, protection, and emergency support. For the Unicef Christmas Cards, visit donate.unicef.ph.
Eugenia Last
promises. Take responsibility, verify information and only change what’s necessary. Focus more on self-improvement and personal growth and less on what others choose to do. It’s up to you to create prospects and opportunities that serve you well.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Speak up and share your thoughts and feelings, but don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Sticking to the truth and being realistic to make headway is essential. Honesty and integrity matter and will determine how others react to your requests.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Explore what’s available. It’s necessary to take the path that resonates with your soul and brings you closer to a place that offers comfort and peace of mind. Refuse to let others choose for you or manipulate your train of thought. Be true to yourself.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pay attention to detail and to what others say and do. Through observation you’ll gain insight that can help you make a decision that can improve your lifestyle and contribute to your creativity and overall attitude. Trust in yourself and your skills, and choose what you desire most. ★★★★★
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen carefully. Someone will adjust the truth to suit their needs. A proactive approach to deciphering your position will help you break down what’s necessary. An optimistic attitude will make you appear vulnerable if you don’t set boundaries. Only agree to what’s feasible. Choose your words wisely.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll get a clear picture regarding an investment or money management issue. Set a budget and plan, and you’ll look like a genius. Take the initiative and make the changes that suit you. Actions speak louder than words; do your part and take control.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Pay attention to how you feel and present yourself.
Johnson
TWIN Towers (left), Erwin Mallari, 2024, watercolor on arches 300g/m, 5.5”x5.5”; Towboat Erwin Mallari, 2024, watercolor on arches 300g/m, 5.5”x5.5”
Martin Nievera (still) reigns supreme
DUBBED as the Concert King, Martin Nievera admits that he still gets butterflies in his tummy every time thoughts and topics zero in on his forthcoming solo show on September 27 at the Araneta Coliseum.
“I guess every performance artist gets kaba and nerbyos and that is always good. Especially as we age and grow older, because we question if we still have what we had 10 or 20 or 35 years ago. But I believe that every show—big or small, solo or group—is a chance for singers and performers to sharpen our tools, to sing the songs we haven’t performed yet, to experiment and try something new and different, and to relive the high that happens onstage every time we sing for an appreciative audience,” he explained.
Nievera has been in the industry for more than 40 long years, and he still reigns supreme on the concert stage. It was his good friend and fellow artist Ogie Alcasid who brought up the idea that he wants to produce for Nievera, and that the show will remind everyone that he is still the undisputed Concert King of the Philippines.
“I have to admit that I had qualms when Ogie first broached the idea to me, and that it will be a big,
‘Talaarawan’: Erwin Mallari’s visual diary in watercolor
Continued from B4
the audience’s affinity with his landscapes, inspiring nostalgia, and transporting them to when life was much simpler, or however it was for them back then.
“Normally ang mga visual artists ang nagsasalaysay, pero dito, ang audience may mga sarili silang version ng story na masarap pakinggan,” he said. “Nagiging daan ’yung painting ko para marinig ’yung storya nila. Naeenjoy ko ’yun ng sobra.”
‘SA WATERCOLOR, UNIQUE ANG BAWAT PYESA’
IN Mallari’s upcoming show, Talaarawan, the artist presents the latest collection of his watercolor works. Looking at each piece feels like going on a bike ride with the artist, who takes us through the city, the countryside, and back.
Some pieces specify the subject’s location, like the glowing scenery of Golden Rush Hour (C-4 Letre, Malabon) and the chilly Misty Paddies (Maligcong, Bontoc, Mountain Province). In others, Mallari leaves out the specificity and focuses more on the vibe, like framing the sun with his bike in a photographic pose in Chasing Sunset, or highlighting the calmness of a docked boat in Relaxed. There’s a fun postcard feel in Immersing Through Nature’s Rhythm
Like all of Mallari’s works, the featured pieces in Talaarawan feel as much as watercolor paintings as they are photographs. They freeze moments in time, meant to draw strong emotions; and, with the peculiar granulation and effect of transparency the medium affords, even come across as a memory, detailed yet hazy in some parts.
Through practice, Mallari has come to master how watercolor behaves. Everything begins with understanding the characteristics of paper, he said, starting with how it absorbs color from the very first contact with the brush.
“Unang lapag pa lang ng kulay, kailangan makapagadjust na kamay at isip mo sa kailangang gawin,” he said. Next comes the watercolor itself, as gravity plays a major part in the process. Whereas oil is always fixed in its place, watercolor flows and dries with infinite possibilities. He added, “Sa watercolor, unique ang bawat pyesa kasi hindi mo na mauulit lahat ng nangyayari. Parang collaboration kayo ng medium. Minsan may mga aksidente na maganda ’yung outcome na hindi mo sinasadya. Hindi mo 100 percent controlled.”
While the intricacies of watercolor painting may sound daunting, Mallari enjoys every bit of the process. As one of the founding members of the Philippine Guild of Watercolorists, the artist said he’s happy with the growing community of the medium’s supporters in the country. For his part, Mallari promised to continue fulfilling his role in championing the medium.
“Kahit na ‘underrated’ pa rin ang watercolor,” he said, “patuloy ko
big show to be titled The King 4Ever. I told him and his team that it was scary for me, because I’m already okay with the title Concert King that was bestowed on me early on in my career and in all modesty, I have proven that during my peak years of performing. I had an initial feeling that this new project will put a lot of pressure on me again, and at my age I feel I don’t really need that kind of pressure to constantly prove myself, especially that the audience has become more discriminating and their expectations have soared very high, given that there are new and much better performing artists, not to mention that the concert and music landscape has evolved tremendously.”
Over the years, Nievera has learned one truth,
“There is always someone who will replace you because you don’t stay where you are forever, especially when you’re on top, because someone out there is always better, fresher, more sellable than you.
That can be a harsh reality to anyone who has been accorded royalty status in his or her chosen field.”
He added, “I don’t want to be on top—it can be lonely up there, and if you are on top, the only other way is down. I want to be happy, I mean truly happy, wherever I am, and If I’d strive to be on top, I will do it without having to step on anyone, and without having to worry about what people will think or say, because that should not matter anymore for someone like me who have stayed this long in the business that I am so thankful for.”
Nievera and his well-loved manager Joy Alonzo were both surprised that many artist-friends volunteered to be part of the concert. Alcasid will be both producer and guest, his wife Regine Velasquez has also said yes, and so did Gary Valenciano, whose son Paolo is tasked to direct the big show. Nievera’s
TAYLOR SWIFT WINS BIG AT MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS, TIES BEYONCÉ’S RECORD AND THANKS TRAVIS KELCE
NEW YORK—Taylor Swift ‘s dominance continued at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she took home seven awards—including the night’s biggest, the trophy for video of the year. In her speech on Wednesday night, Swift thanked her “boyfriend, Travis” for being on set of the “Fortnight” music video and cheering her on. Fans rewarded the mention of NFL star Travis Kelce with loud screams.
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,” she said, before shifting gears to the 2024 presidential election and instructing her fans who are over 18 to register to vote. Swift did, however, avoid discussing Kamala Harris’ presidential bid onstage. On Tuesday night, Swift endorsed the vice president, moments after Harris’ debate with former president Donald Trump ended.
Swift’s awards haul brings her to a career total of 30, tying her and Beyoncé for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history. Eminem is now the male artist with the most
VMAs, at 15. Swift and Post Malone also took home the first televised award of the VMAs for best collaboration, for “Fortnight,” handed to them by Flavor Flav and Olympian Jordan Chiles. Swift started that speech by giving remembrance to everyone who lost their lives and loved ones during 9/11, 23 years ago. “I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago, everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost and that is the most important thing about today,” she said. “And everything that happens tonight falls behind that.” She then turned to discussing Malone.
“There is a reason Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with,” she shifted her attention to him. “It has taken forever for me to get him to stop calling me ma’am.” Chappell Roan won the MTV Video Music Award for best new artist. “I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me,” she said in her speech, while wearing chain mail,
BROADCAST media giant GMA Network (www.gmanetwork.com) earned top honors for the Philippines at the ContentAsia Awards 2024, taking home four awards, including a Gold medal for Secret Slaves: The Jessica Soho Special Report on Human Trafficking Secret Slaves: The Jessica Soho Special Report on Human Trafficking won the Gold Award in the Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia for Regional Asia and/or International Markets category. Produced by GMA Public Affairs, the documentary examined the global issue of human trafficking through survivor testimonies and investigative reporting. The program was presented by the country’s most awarded broadcast journalist Jessica Soho. The critically acclaimed film Firefly added another win to its growing list of accolades with a Silver Award in the Best Asian Feature Film/Telemovie category. Produced by GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs, the film is about a
reading from a written speech in her diary. “And I dedicate this to queer and trans people who run pop.... Thank you for listening.” Women dominated the award show, no example greater than an imaginative, medieval set from Roan. Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award, performing an eight-song medley spanning her career: “Roar,” “E.T.,” “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “I Kissed a Girl,” “Firework,” and “Lifetimes.”
“I did that all on the first day of my period, can you believe it?” she joked after accepting the honor from her partner, Orlando Bloom. “There are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade long accidents.” The 40th VMAs were held at the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island.
The night was stacked with celebrities and featured plenty of Swift, who arrived at the award show wearing a green tartan corset with a matching train and long black leather gloves. AP
Lilybeth G. Reasonable and GMA Public Affairs senior program manager, and creative producer of Firefly Kristian Julao proudly accepted the awards on behalf of GMA Network. Also winning at the ContentAsia Awards 2004 is The Betrayal. The Thai drama series,
SECRET Slaves: The Jessica Soho Special Report on Human Trafficking won the Gold Award in the Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia for Regional Asia and/or International Markets category.
FIREFLY won the Silver Award in the Best Asian Feature Film/Telemovie category.
Bell Kenz Pharma Launches ‘Real Talk with Dok’ Facebook Series
THE dream became a reality as Bell Kenz Pharma announced it has finally launched its new health online series, “Real Talk with Dok,” last August 31, 2024. The information channel on Facebook is committed to providing insightful health information and expert medical knowledge to the public. The first episode was about leptospirosis and featured specialist doctors talking about the dangers of this flood-borne disease and gave practical advice on how to avoid and treat it.
Hosted in the official Facebook page of Bell Kenz Pharma, “Real Talk with Dok” was envisioned as a dynamic and interactive platform where viewers could learn more about different health issues directly from healthcare professionals. To discuss a well-focused health topic, the show involved the participation of experts in every health topic being discussed. They also provided current and relevant information. Questions were also entertained, and solutions and advice were shared to promote healthy living and safety.
The launch of the series was part of Bell Kenz Pharma’s commitment
THE latest episode of Barangay BK’s “Real Talk with Dok” featured specialist doctors who gave insights on leptospirosis.
to community health enhancement by education and awareness-building. The premier episode, for example, was on leptospirosis at a time when the onset of rainy season has made it more possible to be exposed to this potentially serious disease. Specialist physicians explained how leptospirosis is transmitted and focused on warning signs to watch out for, which included effective preventive measures.
According to Dr. Daisy Tagarda, an Infectious Disease specialist, “Leptospirosis poses a significant health concern, especially during the rainy season when flooding is common.” “Through ‘Real Talk with Dok,’ our goal is to teach the public on how they can protect themselves and their family members from this and other health threats.”
This is the first, full-blown project under Barangay BK, Bell Kenz Pharma’s community health and wellness initiative. Barangay BK is committed to provide basic healthcare services, propagate health education, and establish partnership with local communities. Through its Facebook series, Bell Kenz Pharma was able to reach a wide audience.
“The launch of Barangay BK, beginning with ‘Real Talk with Dok,’ is a testament to our commitment to being a proactive partner in the health of communities,” said Dr. Luis Go, Medical Director and President of Bell-Kenz Pharma. “We were thrilled to share this invaluable content with our audience and are thrilled to enhance our activities in the coming months that will make an enduring impact on public health.”
DJI Launches NEO: A Palm Size Drone for Vlogs
DJI, the world leader in civilian drones and advanced camera technology, is excited to announce the launch of the DJI Neo, the latest innovation in its expanding range of content development tools. Designed specifically for content creators and nondrone experienced users, the DJI Neo allows them to experience the full charm of aerial photography from their very first drone.
DJI Neo introduces a truly “zerothreshold” drone with no remote controller needed, minimizing safety concerns, and is capable of automatic tracking and filming, and becoming the user’s “personal photographer.” At the same time, it offers various features, allowing users to experience the full charm of aerial photography from their very first drone.
Equipped with intelligent Follow, QuickShots, stabilized 4K video recording and more, DJI Neo empowers you to soar through breathtaking scenery, capture joyful moments with friends, and enjoy
a fresh perspective on everyday life. DJI believes that aerial photography should be accessible to everyone. The DJI Neo is a compact drone designed for easy closerange flight, perfect for capturing and sharing everyday moments, from family outings to outdoor adventures.
Weighing in at a mere 135 grams, DJI Neo is the smallest and lightest drone ever created by DJI. Its compact design and featherweight construction make it incredibly portable, perfect for travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to capture stunning aerial footage on the go.
One of the most innovative features of DJI Neo is its palm-sized launch and landing capability. Unlike traditional drones that require a dedicated launch or landing area, Neo can take off and land directly from your hand, eliminating the need for a remote controller. This userfriendly design makes it accessible to users of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned pilots. Whether you’re cycling, skateboarding,
Hilton Honors Rolls Out Exclusive Dining Offers Across the Philippines
HILTON Honors, the recognized guest loyalty program for the hospitality company’s 24 brands, is pleased to introduce an exclusive 25 percent discount at select food and beverage outlets across Hilton properties in the Philippines. Until October 31, 2024, Hilton Honors members can experience curated culinary offerings at exceptional value, with the added benefit of earning Bonus Points across a range of dining venues, regardless of their membership status. From savoring refined delicacies crafted by awardwinning chefs to exploring innovative modern gastronomy, guests can immerse themselves in Hilton’s diverse culinary portfolio. Some of these distinguished restaurants include: China Blue by Jereme Leung, Conrad Manila CHINA Blue by Jereme Leung at Conrad Manila offers a modern interpretation of traditional Chinese cuisine. Set against a sophisticated backdrop with panoramic views of Manila Bay,
or hiking, Neo keeps pace as your personal photographer and ensures you are always in the spotlight. Equipped with AI algorithms, Neo can follow the subject within the frame, so you can setup captivating follow shots with ease.
With just a flick of your finger, let DJI Neo automatically film for you. DJI Neo offers six intelligent shooting modes, providing a dynamic range of angles to elevate your creative footage. Six modes including Dronie, Circle, Spotlight, Rocket, Helix, and Boomerang; with no remote controller needed, the drone can complete the filming automatically.
Compact yet capable, DJI Neo flies with style. It not only supports controller-free aerial filming but can also be paired with the DJI Fly app, remote controllers, RC Motion, DJI Goggles, and more for increased flight and camera control.
“Hey Fly”- Wake the DJI Fly App with these words to enable voice control and pilot DJI Neo with spoken flight directives.
DJI Neo supports Wi-Fi connection to smartphones, eliminating the need for an additional remote controller. Control Neo using virtual joysticks on the DJI Fly app interface, with a control range of up to 50 meters. The app also allows you to set the tracking angle and distance, giving you the freedom to shoot from afar or up close as you please.
The DJI Neo is available at all DJI authorized retail stores at DJI Experience Stores across key locations including SM Aura, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Seaside Cebu, SM Palawan, One Ayala, and Abreeza Davao (opening soon). It can also be purchased online via TikTok Shop (@djiphilippines), Shopee (https://shopee.ph/djiphilippines/) and Lazada (https://www.lazada.com.ph/ shop/dji-official-store/). It is priced at P18,999.00 for the Fly More Combo and P10,799.00 for the unit only in the Philippines. For more information, visit our website at https://www.dji.com/.
Luminisce Launches Teoxane’s Glowing Lift: Radiance and Lift Without Surgery
A GLIMPSE of Teoxane’s advanced dermal filler range
LUMINISCE, the leader in skin care and wellness, proudly introduces the Teoxane Glowing Lift to its array of advanced aesthetic treatments. This revolutionary dermal filler, developed by the renowned Teoxane Laboratories, offers a non-surgical solution for facelift and contour enhancement, restoring youthful radiance and lifting facial contours with cutting-edge hyaluronic acid technology. At the heart of Luminisce’s approach is the multilayering technique, a breakthrough in HA filler application. Unlike traditional filler methods, which inject filler into a single skin layer, this advanced technique places small amounts of filler into multiple layers of the skin. This ensures more balanced and natural results.
“Our multilayering technique allows us to achieve a more precise and natural outcome for our patients. By placing the filler in different layers of the skin, we can better enhance facial dynamics and deliver long-lasting, radiant results,” said Dr. Kaycee Reyes, founder and medical director of Luminisce.
Teoxane’s Glowing Lift is powered by revolutionary RHA Technology. Unlike traditional fillers, Teoxane’s formula is designed to naturally adapt to facial movements, such as smiling, talking, and eating. This dynamic flexibility allows
Tthe filler to resist deformations and pressures, providing longlasting, natural-looking results. Imagine the possibilities for your journey towards radiant, youthful skin.
Teoxane is the first dermal filler company to place facial movement at the core of its product design. Utilizing a unique manufacturing technique called Preserved Network Technology, Teoxane preserves the long chains of hyaluronic acid (HA) naturally found in the skin. This minimizes the need for excessive cross-linking, allowing the filler to adapt to facial movements while maintaining the natural properties of HA. This innovation ensures that the treatment mimics the natural behavior of the skin, creating smooth and subtle enhancements that align with your facial expressions.
The Teoxane Glowing Lift offers a non-invasive alternative to traditional facelift surgery. By restoring volume and enhancing contours, it rejuvenates the skin and delivers a youthful, radiant glow—all without the need for extensive downtime or recovery. With Teoxane’s breakthrough technology and Luminisce’s advanced multilayering technique, small acts of self-care can lead to natural-looking, radiant results that transform your look and boost your confidence.
Teoxane Glowing Lift is now available at Luminisce. Discover the magic of dermal fillers and experience the future of aesthetic treatments.
Book a consultation with a Luminisce dermatologist today by calling 0285118500 or 0977-804-4601 to get your own bespoke customized treatment. Luminisce provides a wide range of skincare solutions through its BGC, The Podium, Ortigas and Molito Alabang branches. To know more, visit Luminisce’s website at https://luminisce.com/ or follow https://www.instagram.com/luminisce_official/
City Ultra 7 Flick Pick:
HIS month of September, moviegoers and cinephiles are in for a spooky treat at Eastwood City’s Ultra 7 Cinema with the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The highly anticipated sequel to the 1988 horror comedy classic released in theaters last September 4, 2024, and fans can now enjoy Tim Burton’s macabre masterpiece at the premier cinema in Quezon City’s entertainment capital. Fans of the original cult favorite are thrilled to see the return of Michael Keaton as the mischievous titular character, alongside Winona Ryder reprising her role as Lydia Deetz. Joining the iconic duo are Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe. This nostalgic revival promises to deliver both a trip down memory lane and a fresh, entertaining experience for new generations. The Ultra 7 cinema, pioneer of the Ultra Cinema concept in the Philippines, features the iconic plush reclining
Israel’s crackdown in West Bank claims lives of Palestinian teens amid escalating tensions
By Adam Geller & Jalal Bwaitel
The Associated Press
JENIN, West Bank—In the web of battered, sunbaked streets winding up the hillside, bloodshed is as unrelenting as the heat. So it is not hard to see why, when raid sirens and gunfire erupted yet again on a morning in late May, 15-year-old Mahmoud Hamadneh turned his bike down an alley that held the promise of refuge.
The narrow lane, a few hundred yards from his school, looks like an urban oasis, shaded by olive branches that reach across walls on either side. On a recent afternoon the cooing of doves and whine of cicadas amplified its stillness. Only the faded stain of Mahmoud’s blood in the pavement and a stone, hand-lettered with his name, betrayed the illusion.
“He didn’t do anything. He didn’t make a single mistake,” says Amjad Hamadneh, whose son, a buzz-cut devotee of computer games, was one of two teens killed that morning in the opening minutes of a raid by Israeli forces.
“If he’d been a freedom fighter or was carrying a weapon, I would not be so emotional,” says his father, an unemployed construction worker. “But he was taken just as easily as water going down your throat. He only had his books and a pencil case.”
Jenin’s refugee camp has long been notorious as a hotbed of Palestinian militancy, raided repeatedly by Israeli forces that have occupied the West Bank since seizing control in their 1967 war with neighboring Arab states. During the twoday raid that began the morning of May 21, Israeli troops traded fire with Palestinian gunmen. Militant groups said eight of the 12 Palestinians killed were their fighters.
But the casualties that day, and many others in recent months, went beyond armed men engaged in the region’s seemingly endless conflict. As the world’s attention focuses on the far more deadly war in Gaza less than 80 miles away, scores of Palestinian teens have been killed, shot and arrested in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has waged a monthslong crackdown.
More than 150 teens and children 17 or younger have been killed in the embattled territory since Hamas’ brutal attack on communities in southern Israel set off the war last October. Most died in nearly daily raids by the Israeli army that Amnesty International says have used disproportionate and unlawful force.
Youths represent almost a quarter of the nearly 700 Palestinians slain in the West Bank since the war began, the most since the violent uprising known as the Second Intifada in the early 2000s. More than 20 Israeli civilians and soldiers have been killed in the territory since October.
At the same time, Israel, which has long jailed Palestinians from the West Bank without charge, has extended that practice to many more teens. After October, food deprivation, overcrowding of cells and other mistreatment escalated sharply, the recently released and advocates say.
It is clear from statements by the Israeli military, insurgents and families in the West Bank that a number of the Palestinian teens killed in recent months were members of militant groups.
Many others were killed during protests or when they or someone nearby threw rocks or homemade explosives at military vehicles. Still others appear to have been random targets. Taken together, the killings raise troubling questions about the devaluation of young lives in pursuit of security and autonomy.
Grief over those deaths has been shadowed by trepidation. Israeli raids won’t eliminate militant groups, survivors say. Instead, some fear, the pain of losing so many youths risks the opposite—pulling siblings, friends and classmates left behind into the region’s vortex of vengeance.
An intense crackdown
AFTER Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel
last October and took 250 others hostage, long-smoldering tensions exploded.
Israel responded with a sweeping
military campaign in Gaza that Palestinian authorities say has killed more than 40,000 people. That has fueled anger and insurgency in the West Bank, where Israeli forces police about 3 million Palestinians while assigned to protect 500,000 Jewish settlers.
The embattled territory was already seeing deadly clashes before the war began. But Israel’s military has significantly stepped up raids in the months since, characterized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of the larger battle in Gaza and along the border with Lebanon to permanently disable militant groups that have long threatened his country’s security.
“I can assure you one thing: What has been is not what will be,” he told commanders during a June meeting in the West Bank. “We will change this reality.”
A military spokesman said the Israeli army makes great efforts to avoid harming civilians during raids and “does not target civilians, period.” He said human rights groups focus on a few outlier cases.
Military operations in the West Bank are fraught because forces are pursuing militants, many in their teens, who often hide among the civilian population, said the spokesman, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani.
“In many cases many of them are 15, 16 years old who are not wearing uniforms and might surprise you with a gun, with a knife,” he said.
But critics say the crackdown is shaped by retribution, not only military strategy.
“The pressure is similar to post-Second Intifada, but there’s something different. And that something different is October 7th,” says Nadav Weiman, a former Israeli army sniper who leads Breaking the Silence, an anti-occupation veterans’ group that gathers testimony from soldiers assigned to the West Bank and Gaza.
Throughout the military ranks “there is a feeling of revenge,” he says. Many soldiers view Palestinians “as an entity. They are not individuals. So you unleash your anger everywhere.”
The crackdown extends to the military’s treatment of jailed teens, says Ayed Abu Eqtaish of Defense for Children International-Palestine, an advocacy group. Israeli authorities have declared it a terrorist organization, alleging ties to a Palestinian nationalist faction.
With the military holding more teens without charge in grim conditions, while restricting communication, families are increasingly uncertain of their wellbeing, Eqtaish says.
“After October 7,” he says, “everything deteriorated.”
War in an instant
EVEN before Israel launched a major military operation in the West Bank in late August, its troops had raided Jenin dozens of times since the war began.
Yet throughout the city’s urbanized refugee camp, where concrete homes wedge against one another on streets ripped up by military bulldozers, there are many indicators that militants remain entrenched.
Signs at the perimeter of the camp, opened in 1953 to house Palestinians who fled or were driven from what is now Israel in the war following its establishment, mark the territory of the Jenin Brigades, an umbrella organization of militant groups. Guards stop cars they don’t recognize, especially those with Israeli plates. Posters of smiling young men armed with assault rifles—tributes to militants killed in clashes—decorate walls and utility poles.
For years, Amjad Hamadneh and wife Kholoud planned for the day they would take their children away from all this. In the meantime, their home in the uppermost reaches of the camp—with a grandfather clock presiding over the living room and bedrooms filled with children’s toys and son Mahmoud’s beloved computer—kept them on the fringes of conflict.
Most days Amjad, 46, left home around 3:30 a.m. to reach a construction job in northern Israel. That income was lost when Israel suspended work permits for Palestinians last October. By then, though, he’d begun building a home on a plot near the city of Nablus.
The couple envisioned a place that would last for decades, with apartments for their twin sons and daughter when they eventually married. To help pay for it, they moved the boys from a private academy to the public Al Karamah school at the base of the hill.
“All of my work, all of my life was for them,” Amjad says.
On the morning of May 21, a Tuesday, the Hamadneh brothers rushed off to make a scheduled final exam. Down the hillside, Osama Hajir, a former classmate who had dropped out of school to work, left home on his motorcycle to begin a day of deliveries. It was just after 7:30 a.m.
In Jenin, though, any hour can see the camp morph into a war zone.
It might start like it did one recent afternoon, when a guard outside the camp’s Ottoman Era train depot mentioned that unmarked military vehicles had been spotted on the outskirts.
A minute or two later sirens began screaming, warning that Special Forces were already in the camp. Shopkeepers yanked down their gates. Fleeing residents drove against one-way traffic. Many were still seeking shelter when the sound of gunfire sliced through the summer air.
When the sirens erupted that morning in May, Amjad Hamadneh says, he called Mahmoud on his cellphone and was relieved to hear that the brothers had reached their school, behind walls painted with student murals.
Then son Ahmed called back to say that the principal had dismissed classes. As students poured into the street, the brothers were separated in the chaos.
Rushing for their electric bikes, classmate Karam Miazneh saw Mahmoud ahead of him. Both were still within a few hundred yards of the school when witnesses say a sniper in an upper floor window of a recently completed apartment building began firing at people and cars below.
Karam veered into an alley, raising
from his school killed in a raid since the war began.
A few blocks away, his former classmate, Osama, lay fatally wounded on the pavement. The dead that morning also included a teacher from the primary school next to Mahmoud’s and a doctor from the hospital down the street.
“Now when I hear the sound of sirens I go to my room and stay there,” says Karam, showing the shrapnel and bone fragments doctors removed from his shoulder. “I’m still in fear that they will come to shoot me and kill me.”
The Israeli army said in a statement to the AP that it has stepped up raids since October 7 to apprehend militants suspected of carrying out attacks in the West Bank and that “the absolute majority of those killed during this period were armed or involved in terrorist activities at the time of the incident.”
Immediately after the May raid, a spokesman for the army said it had carried out the operation with Israeli border police and the country’s internal security agency, destroying an explosive device laboratory and other structures used by militants. But police recently declined to comment, and three weeks after the AP asked the military to answer questions about the May raid, an army spokesman said he was unable to comment until he could confer with police.
When Amjad Hamadneh heard his son had been wounded, he sped through Jenin’s twisting streets, drawing gunfire as he neared the hospital. But Mahmoud was already gone. The grief was so intense, his father says, that he couldn’t bear to remain in the building.
“God has given and God has taken away,” he told his wife as he ushered her away.
Nearby, Osama’s father, Muhamad, broke down as he leaned over his son’s body.
Months earlier he’d snapped a photo of the smiling teen beside graffiti touting Jenin as “the factory of men,” tirelessly cranking out fighters in the resistance against Israel. Now, he pressed that same, still-smooth face between his hands.
“Oh, my son. Oh, my son,” he sobbed.
“My beautiful son.”
Punishing conditions
IN a village a half-hour’s drive from Jenin, Qasam Masarweh recounts an odyssey that began months before the war. On that night, he lost his right hand to an Israeli stun grenade. But in the weeks after October 7, the soft-spoken teen says, his encounter with the military turned even more punishing.
“Before October 7 there were six of us in the cell. Afterwards, there were 12,” says Masarweh, who was held for months without charge in Israel’s Megiddo Prison. “There were beatings. There was no food. Our clothes were taken from us. There were
so many ways of humiliation.”
Since its war with Hamas began, Israel has more than doubled the number of Palestinians jailed without charge, known as administrative detention. The vast majority are men.
But the number of teens in administrative detention has also increased sharply. Of more than 200 Palestinian youths 17 or younger in military prisons in June, 75 were in administrative detention, the most since watchdog groups began collecting figures.
Last year at the same time, 18 youths were being held without charge.
Like their adult counterparts, teens released recently report severe mistreatment following the October attack.
“The big change is definitely in detention conditions. The gloves have really come off,” said Gerard Horton, co-founder of Military Court Watch, which gathers testimony from Palestinian prisoners.
“We never used to document that much violence in relation to children. There was some, but it wasn’t commonplace,” he says.
Israeli officials have acknowledged toughening treatment of Palestinian prisoners since October, while still abiding by international law. A spokesperson for far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose ministry oversees prisons, said that policy, intended to deter terrorism, does not provide any special conditions for prisoners 17 and under.
“They are terrorists just like any other terrorists, there’s no difference,” said the spokesman, Yedidya Grossman.
Masarweh, who turned 18 late last year, says his odyssey began in June 2023, the night before his last high school exam. As he walked home from meeting friends, military vehicles entered his village of Rumannah, firing an object that landed at his feet. Assuming it contained tear gas, he reached down to throw it away.
When the grenade exploded, it blew off most of his right hand. Discharged after nine days in a Jenin hospital, he stopped to visit an aunt in the refugee camp. When a raid began, soldiers stormed the house, beating the teen before taking him into custody.
Masarweh, who says he hoped to become a veterinarian before losing his hand, was ordered held for four months without charge. After October 7, treatment turned even harsher. Authorities immediately reduced food and took away blankets and soap. They packed his cell with prisoners, all 17 or younger, requiring half to sleep on the floor.
A 17-year-old arrested in a raid on the Qalquilya refugee camp told Horton’s group that after October 7 guards confiscated all personal belongings from prisoners, denying them time outside or showers.
Another said guards removed window panels, making cells uncomfortably chilly for prisoners left only with what they’d been wearing at the time of their arrest.
The mistreatment, Masarweh says, continued until late November when guards cuffed his remaining hand and took him from the cell for questioning. After telling an investigator he did not know why he had been arrested, he was transferred to another prison without explanation.
Finally, after midnight, Red Cross officials entered to tell him he would be released in a deal trading Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.
Back at home, Masarweh says he still worries about the new arrivals that more seasoned prisoners called “cubs,” who he left behind. With the stump at the base of his arm wrapped in gauze, he is uncertain about how he will earn a living.
“It’s already hard enough to take care of yourself with two hands,” he says. “Imagine doing it with one.”
Boys of war
ON the June afternoon that 17-year-old Issa Jallad was killed, video from a neighbor’s security camera shows, he was on a friend’s motorbike with an Israeli armored vehicle in close pursuit.
Was the teen—declared a holy warrior on a poster outside his family’s Jenin home showing him cradling an assault rifle— armed that day? Exactly what happened in the moments before he was shot?
The grainy tape, reviewed by The Associated Press days after the June 6 raid, and others from nearby cameras, raise but do not fully answer difficult questions about where he fit in a conflict with no clear boundaries.
“We were going to have one celebration and now we will have two,” says his sister, Rania, 24, whose marriage had long been planned for three days after the raid. “My wedding and the martyrdom of my brother.” It’s clear that a number of Palestinian youths killed in recent months belonged to militant groups. Many others died in countless scenarios where lines between civilian and combatant are blurred. Some threw rocks or homemade explosives at military vehicles. Others served as lookouts. Some hung near militants, aspiring to one day join their ranks.
“All of this generation, not only my son, if you ask them what they want to be, they will say ‘I want to be a militant and defend my country’,” says Mawaheb Morei, the mother of a 15-year-old killed in an October drone attack. The family says he was hanging out in a cemetery where several militants were present. Two years before her son was killed, Morei says, she confiscated and dismantled a plastic rifle he used to play fighter. But that did nothing to dissuade him. The Israeli army, responding to questions from the AP about the killing of Jallad in the June raid, said that its soldiers had spotted two militants handling a powerful explosive device. When the pair tried to flee, troops opened fire and “neutralized them.” It said the circumstances of the incident are under review.
But an Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, says its review of multiple security camera videos showed Jallad and his friend were well-removed from where troops and militants clashed, and that the pair posed no threat.
Jallad’s brother, Mousa, says the teen had gone out to move a car so it wouldn’t be hit by a military vehicle. His sister said the family is proud of him and that when she has children they will carry on the resistance.
“We all expected to be in this situation,” Mousa Jallad said as neighbors came to pay condolences. “I knew this could happen. It could happen to any of us.”
Burying the young THE old cemetery, with a water dispenser under shade trees for weary mourners, had run out of space. So last year residents cleared a lot across the road from an elementary school, turning it into a graveyard for Jenin’s most recent casualties. It is filling fast.
A row back from where the Hamadnehs buried their son in May rests a 14-year-old classmate who died in a November raid. Two graves over, a stone plastered with the photo of a smiling boy in a bowtie memorializes an 8-year-old killed days later while accompanying youths who threw rocks at military vehicles.
Just beyond, banners picturing dead men and boys, many holding assault rifles, line a wall. One honors a 17-year-old militant. Another mourns 15-year-old Eid Morei, who told his mother he wanted to become one.
Since Mahmoud Hamadneh was killed, his siblings ask frequently to visit his grave. His younger sister now sleeps in his bed so her surviving brother, Ahmed, will not be in the room alone. But there is no filling the emptiness of Mahmoud’s absence.
“I feel like I cannot breathe. We used to do everything together,” Ahmed says. His father listens closely, despairing later that such grief could drive the teen into militancy. If the risk is so clear to a Palestinian father, he says, why don’t Israeli soldiers see it?
“They think that if they kill us that people will be afraid and not do anything,” he says. “But when the Israelis kill someone, 10 fighters will be created in his place.”
a textbook overhead to show he was a student, as four bullets ripped past him. Then a fifth exploded into his shoulder and he dropped to the ground.
At the mouth of the next block, four bullets hit Mahmoud as he raced toward the alley walls, before another pierced his skull. He was the third student
FAMILY members sit next to the grave of Odei, 22, in Jenin, West Bank on June 8, 2024. Odei was killed by Israeli forces during a raid inside the Jenin refugee camp. AP/BRAM JANSSEN
Sadorra slays Slovenian Super GM
Big night of volleyball at Malacañang Palace
Sports transform, unite countries –Senator Alan
SPORTS have the power to transform a nation not only by fostering unity among supporters but also by driving growth in tourism, according to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
Let’s not take sports for granted, especially when hosting a major event. Sports unite us,” Cayetano told media during the Drawing of Lots for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Philippines 2025 at the Sofitel Resort in Paranaque City on Saturday night.
“We need events like this because it’s win-win [situation],” said Cayetano, who co-chairs the Local Organizing Committee for the world championship the country is solo hosting from September 12 to 28, 2025, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Sports is something that we can really use for transformation,” added Cayetano, also the Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
“Volleyball is a community, it’s growing, and it’s a good seed,” he said.
“We honor God because there are communities that support all of these competitions all around the world, and support not only the athletes but the people behind the athletes.”
He also highlighted the advantages of hosting international events, particularly the world championship, which presents significant opportunities for the Philippines.
“We’re hoping that this will give so much opportunities for the country because there are 800 million fans worldwide and how many percent of that would watch the matches live,” he said. “So even in tourism, from all angles, it’s win-win [situation].” Cayetano urged international fans to visit the Philippines and expressed his gratitude for their support of the sport.
“On behalf of the Filipinos, you’re welcome to the Philippines, and thank you very much,” he said.
IT was volleyball world at Malacañang’s grounds on Sunday as the Drawing of Lots the night before extended to a “Concierto sa Palacio” that marked a weekend of celebration for the country’s solo hosting of the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship next year.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and William Vincent Araneta Marcos, co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the world championship, entertained more than 300 guests with a two-hour concert filled with fun and enthusiasm.
“It’s really unbelievable, I didn’t expect this concert for the world championship, we never expect this,” said Ramon “Tats” Suzara, president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation and now also the Asian Volleyball Confederation.
The entourage from the PNVF and FIVB with national athletes in
volleyball and sitting volleyball started arriving at the Palace at 5 p.m. and to their surprise, a billboard-type tarp wall saying “PH to Serve” greeted them.
Did the Palace prepare a big Sunday night as the wall was a comprehensive gist on a brief history of the sport to the 32 nations competing in the worlds and a collage of action photos of the men’s national team.
“The commitment and effort of the government is extraordinary and we would like to thank thee President, First Lady and Vinnie,” Suzara added.
The atmosphere was relaxed and party-like all night long as the guests were entertained by a lively number from the group that won at the World Championships of Performing Arts or more popularly known as the “Talent Olympics,” in Hollywood.
“It was fantastic to see how committed the President [Marcos] is in promoting volleyball,” FIVB general director Fabio Azevedo said.
“It’s fantastic to see the volleyball
euphoria in the Philippines.”
Fabio presented President Marcos a painting by Slaven Dizdarevic, an Olympian decathlete from Slovakia, who created a masterpiece on a 100 cm by 150 cm canvass depicting the glory of sports.
PNVF Chairman Emeritus Alan Peter Cayetano and fellow LOC cochair Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and member Senator Pia Cayetano, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sherwin Gatchalian, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman joined the fun-filled night that helped kick off the year-long countdown to the world championship the Philippines is hosting from September 12 to 28, 2025, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum.
GRANDMASTER (GM) Julio Catalino Sadorra pulled off his biggest victory so far after slaying super GM Vladimir Fedoseev as the Philippines shocked world No. 26 Slovenia, 2.5-1.5, to pierce the top 10 after five rounds of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall in Budapest on Sunday. The 38-year-old Sadorra fought his way out of a cramped position and pounced on Fedoseev’s blunders as the Texas-based Filipino eked out a 53-move victory of a Queen’s Gambit Declined to lift the country, seeded 51st out of 197 nations, to the stunning win.
The Philippines is now in a 22-country logjam at No. 7 with 8.0 points.
It was an impressive triumph for Sadorra, whose kingside sacrificial attack left a trail of devastation on Fedoseev, a 29-year-old Russian émigré who was forced to give up his queen to fend off a furious mating threat.
Sadorra was left with a queen and a bishop while Fedoseev had two rooks and a knight at endgame.
Completing the Filipinos’ earthshaking win were fighting draws by newly-minted GM Daniel Quizon—who will be rewarded P100,000 by National Chess Federation of the Philippines head Prospero “Butch” Pichay for claiming his GM title on top of the P1 million he will receive from Dasmarinas City government—and International Masters Paulo Bersamina and Jan Emmanuel Garcia in the lower boards.
Super Marcio: 3-point King! Marcio Lassiter sets a new Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) three-point shooting record during San Miguel Beer’s 13182 rout of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Lassiter, 37 and playing in his 18th PBA season, broke the record then Meralco player Jimmy Alapag set in 2016, with 1,254 threepointers made in the 49-point blowout, also the biggest winning margin in San Miguel Beer franchise history.
Holt leads All-Rookie team, Quinto Mr. Quality Minutes
TEPHEN HOLT and Kier John
S“Bong” Quinto get their share of the center stage in the Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps (PBAPC) Awards Night for the first time in the 30th edition of the event set next week at the Novotel Manila Araneta City.
The Barangay Ginebra sophomore Holt leads members of the All-Rookie selection, while the Meralco guard Quinto will be honored with the Mr. Quality Minutes award by the press corps headed by its president, Vladi Eduarte of the Abante Group of Publishing.
Presented by Cignal TV, the event is set September 24 starting at 7:30 p.m. Holt, 32, and the unanimous
CHLOE ISLETA and Xiandi Chua lead the women’s roster while Joshua Gabriel Ang and Miguel Barreto banners the men’s lineup of
winner of the Rookie of the Year Award in Season 48, is joined in the All-Rookie Team by Cade Flores of Northport, Adrian Nocum of Rain or Shine, Ken Tuffin of Phoenix and Kemark Carino of Terrafirma.
The 6-foot-4 Filipinio-American, a product of St. Mary’s College in California, was the No. 1 overall pick of Terrafirma last season and guided the team to its first playoffs appearance in eight years during the Philippine Cup.
His impressive season saw him contend for the Most Valuable Player plum and led to his inclusion in the season’s Second Mythical Team. Quinto, 29, will hoist his first Mr. Quality Minutes trophy, the PBAPC’s version of the Sixth Man of the Year.
The point guard out of Letran College edged last year’s winner Jericho Cruz of San Miguel Beer for the honor, whose first ever recipient was Barangay Ginebra deputy coach Olsen Racela in 1993.
Quinto averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists while playing an average of 26 minutes in 39 games for the team last year.
A second round pick of Meralco in the 2018 draft, he played a key role in helping the Bolts win their first ever championship in PBA franchise history when they stunned heavily-favored San Miguel Beer in six games of the seasonending Philippine Cup.
Swimmers target World Cup, Asian tilt
championships from December 10 to 15 in Budapest. Ang has 749 points and Barreto 743 points as the national swimmers also gear up for the 46th Southeast Asia Age Group Championships and 11th Asian Open Water Swimming Championships, according to Batangas First District Rep. Eric Buhain, secretary-general of the Philippine Aquatics Inc. Arizona State University mainstay Kyle Gerard Valdez (715), Rian Marco Tirol ((747), Metin Junior Mahmutoglu (726), Rafael Barreto (723), Jerard Dominic Jacinto (733), Nathan Jao (722), Lucio Cuyong II, (664), Raymund Paloma (681), Albert Jose Amaro II (682) and Filipino-Canadian Robin Christopher Domingo (665) complete the men’s squad.
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saw him overcome seasoned Philippine Golf Tour stalwarts like Reymon Jaraula and Tony Lascuña. Now, as he enters the 72hole championship, he will once again face the same formidable oppionents in the seventh leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
and Clyde Mondilla (Caliraya Springs) are also primed for the title chase.
Defending champion Mondilla remains the prohibitive favorite, having dominated last year’s event with a record-setting 11-under 60 in the opening round.
He led wire-to-wire, eventually securing a commanding five-stroke victory over Dino Villanueva and Que. Other notable competitors include defending Order of Merit champion Guido van der Valk, Ira Alido, Michael Bibat and Keanu Jahns, alongside talented young guns like Hyun Ho Rho, Aidric Chan, Kristoffer
Alagang PBA Blood
Philippine Red Cross Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon (in red jacket) and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial talk to a blood donor who participated in the Alagang PBA Blood Donation Project at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. The two officials made the round to thank donors to
Arevalo, Ryan Monsalve, Ivan Monsalve, Josh Jorge and Lanz Uy.
SEAN RAMOS aims to follow up on his breakthrough triumph at Lakewood last June.
BUHAIN
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) and (from left) William Vincent Araneta Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos receive an autographed volleyball from the FIVB through its general director Fabio Azevedo (fourth from left) and Asian and Philippine volleyball federation head Ramon “Tats” Suzara. NONIE REYES
