BusinessMirror February 01, 2025

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

(BSP) is considering a rate cut in its first meeting for the year as the economy continues to underperform.

BSP Governor and Chairman of the Monetary Board Eli M. Remolona Jr. told reporters on Friday that the performance of the Philippine economy remains a major consideration in the Monetary Board’s decision on monetary policy. It’s on the table,” Remolona said when asked if the BSP would cut its key policy rates at the Monetary Board meeting on February 13. The economy only posted a growth of 5.2 percent in the last quarter of 2024, leaving full-year growth to an average of 5.6 percent, the second consecutive year that the country failed to meet its minimum GDP growth target. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2025/01/30/q4-gdp-growth-at5-2-as-typhoon-battered-farm-sector-shrinks/).

“ We’re growing at a little bit below capacity, and whether that number widens that gap between our capacity and how much we’re really growing” is something that must be reckoned with, Remolona said. The governor is referring to the output gap—the difference between actual and potential ecoMonth-ahead

FILIPINOS entered the new year with high commodity prices as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects inflation to remain elevated in January. In its month-ahead inflation forecast, the BSP projects inflation to average between 2.5 and 3.3 percent in January.

Th is comes after the Philippines posted an inflation rate of 2.9 percent in December 2024 and 2.8 percent in January 2024. Meanwhile, full-year inflation was at 3.2 percent in 2024. The rise in petroleum prices and higher costs of major food items due to lingering effects of recent weather disturbances caused the upward price pressures, the BSP said. The annual adjustments in water rates and sin taxes also increased commodity prices during the month, it added. Nonetheless, the BSP said prices of rice and electricity rates are expected to offset the upward

nomic output—widening, which could warrant the BSP’s move for more policy easing. If the output gap is widening, if it becomes more negative, then it would call for more easing,” Remolona said.

Despite the United States Federal Reserve pausing its interest rate cuts in its first meeting this

year, Remolona said the Philippines does not automatically trail the steps of the Fed.

We don’t copy them. We don’t follow them,” Remolona said, although the Fed’s moves still affect what the BSP will do, what happens to the US economy and their inflation rates.

of the Monetary Board Eli M. Remolona Jr. said the Central Bank will maintain an easing posture this year, but a 100-basis-point reduction in key policy rates “may be a bit much.” (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/12/20/bsp-unlikely-to-cut-key-rates-by-100-bps/).

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, who also sits as a member of the Monetary Board, said a 50to 75-bps reduction in key policy rates could be delivered through a 25-bps cut per semester this year.

L ast year, the Monetary Board reduced policy rates thrice by 75 bps, bringing down the prevailing interest rates to 5.75 percent.

Meanwhile, the United States Federal Reserve kept its key policy rates unchanged at the 4.25 to 4.50 percent range after cutting it three times in a row in 2024.

The Monetary Board will hold its first policy rate-setting meeting on February 13, 2025. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

LANDBANK opened its first “phygital” branch in Metro Manila as part of the bank’s nationwide rollout of modernized branches to provide Filipinos more accessible and innovative financial services.

The LandBank Makati Business Center – Ayala Avenue Phygital Branch, located in Robinsons Summit Center on Ayala Avenue in Makati City, combines physical and digital services for a more streamlined, seamless, and delightful customer experience.

L andBank President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz and Deputy Treasurer of the Philippines Ma. Nanette C. Diaz led the inauguration rites for the LandBank Makati Business Center – Ayala Avenue Phygital Branch.

Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) Chair Atty. Marius P. Corpus and Commissioners Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka and Atty. Geraldine Marie Berberabe-Martinez, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) President and CEO Robert B. Tan, and Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) President and CEO Oliver B. Butalid also graced the event.

“Our phygital branches represent a bold and timely step forward in bridging traditional banking with digital innovation. This reflects LandBank’s commitment to empower Filipinos by delivering accessible, customer-focused, and inclusive financial services,” said Ortiz.

Th is latest upgraded branch is LandBank’s eighth phygital branch, as the bank plans to inaugurate at least 30 more phygital branches nationwide by the end of the year.

Transforming branch experience

LANDBANK phygital branches feature a refreshed look with selfservice machines, new queuing and tellering

World’s largest banks lagging in efforts to combat climate change, study finds

By Tim Quinson Bloomberg

THE world’s largest banks are showing little progress when it comes to their promise of helping the world avoid the worst consequences of global warming.

A ccording to researchers at BloombergNEF, the ratio of spending on low-carbon infrastructure relative to fossil fuels needs to reach 4 to 1 by 2030 to limit climate change. At the end of 2023, the so-called energysupply banking ratio, which includes debt and equity underwriting, was 0.89 to 1, up from 0.74 in 2022 and 0.78 in 2021.

It is promising to see this metric move in the right direction,” said Trina White, a sustainable-finance analyst at BNEF. “However, we didn’t see either the absolute low-carbon financing volume, or the ratio itself, increase in line with what would be required to limit warming to 1.5°C.”

BNEF’s report comes as banks back away from the industry’s largest climate-finance alliance, raising new questions about their longterm commitment to addressing climate change. All the banks, in-

cluding JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc., have said they will continue to help clients transition their businesses toward a lowercarbon future.

The latest BNEF data has some promising signs. It shows that investment in low-carbon energy surpassed capital flows into oil, gas and coal projects for the first time and bank financing for fossil fuels actually fell in 2023. However, part of the reason for the decline in financing was China, where more companies switched to loans from bonds—and data on loans is harder to nail down.

“Bank financing reflects underlying real economy and wider market conditions,” White said. “If low-carbon solutions continue improving profitability, this will be the primary factor to unlock financing and investment.”

To measure the amount of capital spending on energy infra-

structure, BNEF uses what it calls the low carbon to fossil-fuel “energy supply investment ratio.” The ESIR ratio was 1.11 to 1 at the end of 2023, up from 1 to 1 in the prior year.

O verall, BNEF’s research adds to reports that say any headway made to date by banks isn’t nearly enough for the planet to reach the crucial goal of net zero emissions by mid-century. Earth’s warming exceeded 1.5°C on an annual basis for the first time last year, according to three major climate science agencies. It’s the most potent evidence yet that countries are failing to meet a Paris Agreement goal of limiting global heating to that level as a decades-long average.

Since the Paris deal was clinched at the end of 2015, almost $6 trillion of bonds and loans have been committed to businesses focused on hydrocarbons, compared with the $3.8 trillion arranged for renewable projects and other climate-friendly ventures, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

JPMorgan, the world’s largest underwriter of energy deals, had an energy-supply banking ratio (ESBR) of 0.80 in 2023. That’s worse than BNP Paribas SA and Bank of America Corp., but better than Wells Fargo & Co.’s 0.52 and Citigroup’s 0.75. BNP Paribas had the highest ESBR of the 10 largest banks, at 3.18, BNEF reported. Banks have faced considerable

criticism for continuing to profit handsomely from their partnership with Big Oil in the face of a planetary climate crisis. Industry executives have sought to defend themselves by saying they want to assist in the transition to a lowcarbon economy by staying engaged with their oil, gas and coal clients.

The BNEF data provide one of the few yardsticks for measuring progress, since hardly any major banks and asset managers provide estimates for the emissions connected with their stock and bond underwriting.

The study examines the loans, bonds, equity and project financing underwritten for the energy sector and other relevant issuers. The researchers include tax equity, which represents a growing share of renewables-project finance, particularly in the US.

BNEF then applies what it calls an adjustment factor to estimate the amount of funding raised for low-carbon energy relative to fossil fuels. It looked at roughly 1,000 banks engaged in some form of supply underwriting.

The analysis found that bank financing for fossil fuel and low carbon energy supplies totaled $1.6 trillion in 2023, down from $1.8 trillion the prior year. From the 2023 figures, BNEF came up with the energy-supply banking ratio of 0.89 for the industry.

Of the largest banks, BNP Paribas had an ESBR that’s closest to 4.0. NatWest Group Plc ranked second, at 2.24. Royal Bank of Canada’s was the lowest of the world’s biggest lenders, at 0.47. Regionally, banks in North America accounted for the largest share of energy-supply financing. Their average ESBR was roughly 0.7 at the end of 2023, compared with 1.5 for European-based banks. C hinese banks continue to dominate the market for coal financing, underwriting about 66% of the $94 billion that went to the sector in 2023, BNEF reported. The US was a distant second, followed by Pakistan and Singapore.

Landbank opens first NCR ‘phygital’ branch

suitable to their needs, ensuring personalized support.

Over-the-counter transactions in LandBank phygital branches are also simplified through the LandBank Easy Access (LEA) system, which eliminates the need to fill out forms. Account opening is initiated through the Digital Online Banking System (DOBS), accessible via the DOBS Corners in the branch or via the LandBank website for added convenience.

Meanwhile, the Explore Zone offers clients the opportunity to

learn more about LandBank’s wide range of financial products and services designed to help them achieve their financial goals. The meeting pods are specifically designed for consultations with LandBank marketing officers, providing clients with personalized guidance on how to maximize the benefits of the bank’s offerings.

The phygital branches are likewise equipped with automated teller machines (ATMs) and cash deposit machines (CDMs) that offer card and cardless transaction options.

Soon, LandBank phygital branches will introduce additional

features, including self-service passbook updating and ATM card issuance and updating, ATM withdrawal via quick response (QR) code, and access to DOBS via mobile and web with automatic scheduling for account opening. Customers can also open a savings account online through the straight-through account opening feature of the LandBank Mobile Banking App (MBA), without visiting a branch. The LandBank MBA is a free application that offers seamless and convenient online fund transfers, bills payments, and balance inquiries, among others.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Philippine headquarters in Bonifacio Global City. MICHAEL EDWARDS/DREAMSTIME

Marcos Jr treads slowly on bid to certify wage hike bill

By Samuel P. Medenilla & Butch Fernandez

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos

Pon Friday applied the brakes on efforts by lawmakers to fast-track the passage of a bill which will raise the minimum wage rates by over P100.

The chief executive said that while he is open to such a wage increase, the proposal still “deserves a great deal of study” to determine its benefits for workers, who are struggling with rising costs of living, as well as its impact on businesses.

“We will try to resolve that because as you know, it’s very clear that the prices of goods are rising, and inflation is also there. We have not completely eliminated it. So, it’s

certainly something that we have to think about to assist the ordinary people,” Marcos told Palace reporters at the Development Academy of the Philippines graduation at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City last Friday.

As he signaled caution, lawmakers continued to press the Palace to certify the pending bills as urgent.

For the side of the employers, Marcos said the government must determine if the wage hike will cause mass labor displacement especially among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME).

“The employers, especially those with small [operations] like those with sari-sari store and beauty parlor, are worried that if there is an increase in minimum wage, they would have

Yamaha Motor commits to help government fight counterfeiting

YAMAHA Motor Co. Ltd. recently joined the e-commerce initiative of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to better protect consumers from the surge of counterfeit products.

“Through ongoing countermeasures for combatting unauthorized usage of group intellectual property and counterfeit products, issues that are on the rise across the globe, the Yamaha Group continues to take action against these problems in order to eliminate the economic disadvantage for consumers while ensuring safety and maintaining trust in the Yamaha brand,” Yamaha Motor Philippines President Katsuya Iida said.

In a statement on Thursday, IPOPHL said Yamaha Motor signed its agreement to join the E-Commerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to maintain consumer trust in its brand.

The landmark MOU was signed by IPOPHL in March 2021. IPOPHL collaborated with the British Embassy under the UK Prosperity Fund ASEAN Economic Reform Programme in the creation of the MOU.

“This MOU aims to establish a code of practice for protecting IP rights online through the development of an efficient notice and takedown procedure and preventive measures,” IPOPHL said in a statement.

The Yamaha Motor executive said joining the E-Commerce MOU is “a great way” to combat counterfeits online as major ecommerce platforms TikTok Shop, Shopee, Lazada and Zalora also signed the pact.

With Yamaha’s “proactive” acquisition and use of intellectual property (IP) assets, he said the company understands the need for robust protection of IP rights “for accelerating innovation, inspiring creativity and making social development faster and healthier.”

IPOPHL Officer-in-Charge Nathaniel S. Arevalo said the rise in motorcycle use and online transactions has led to an increase in counterfeit products.

“Today, motorcycles have become an essential part of daily life and play a key role in the country’s economic development. They provide an affordable mode of transportation and serve as a source of income through motorcycle taxi services and delivery operations for online purchases. The manufacturing of motorcycles and their parts also creates jobs and attracts investments, contributing to industrial growth,” Arevalo said.

“As such, this effort from Yamaha demonstrates how companies can step up to ensure public safety and work with government, industry and consumers to address the global issue of counterfeits.”

Meanwhile, IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) Supervising Director Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan said Yamaha could also benefit from the IEO’s efforts to conduct basic IP training for employees to further strengthen its culture of IP respect.

Founded in 1955, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. manufactures products under the categories of land mobility, marine use, robotics, financial services, and others, such as golf cars and generators, among others. Its local arm, Yamaha Motor Philippines, manufactures and sells motorcycles, bicycles and similar equipment, IPOPHL noted.

In 2023, nearly 40 percent of Yamaha’s sales were derived from Asia, making it its largest market, followed by North America.

A document obtained by the BusinessMirror from IPOPHL showed that as of January 30, the MOU has 46 signatories including 4 online platforms, 34 brand owners, and 8 Chambers of Commerce/ Industry Associations.

The online platform signatories are Lazada E-Services Philippines, Inc., Shopee Philippines Inc., BF Jade E-Services Philippines Inc. (Zalora), TikTok Shop. Meanwhile some of the known brand owners in the country which signed the e-commerce deal are Unilever Philippines Inc., Globe Telecom Inc., P&G, Nestlé Philippines Inc., and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., among others.

Business groups that signed the pact include the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Philippine Retailers Association, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSISingapore), Alcoholic Beverages Alliance of the Philippines, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines and Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association Inc. are the signatories of the said deal.

According to IPOPHL, since its launch in 2021, the E-Commerce MOU has “yielded positive results” that show how signatories have been taking “more active” efforts and introducing streamlined processes to take down or request the take down of IP infringing posts. Andrea E. San Juan

Bong Go sends immediate aid to fire victims in Davao City

SEN. Christopher “Bong” Go, through his Malasakit Team, extended immediate support to fire victims in Barangay Dumoy, Toril, Davao City on Thursday, January 30. In a video message, Go reminded the victims of the importance of prioritizing and valuing life more than other material things, saying “Sa mga apektadong pamilya, huwag ho kayong mag-alala. Sabi ko nga sa inyo noon, ang gamit ay nabibili, ang pera ay kikitain, subalit ‘yung perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Pangalagaan at ingatan po natin ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat isa.”

to reduce their employees since their profit remain the same,” Marcos said.

He said they must also consider the effects of such wage adjustment on the country’s inflation.

“But I think there is a way to increase that but we have to resolve the legal issues, we have to resolve the economic issues. So, it still deserves a great deal of study,” Marcos said.

With only a few months left before the end of the 19th Congress in June, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have called on the President to certify pending bills raising minimum wage rates.

Last Thursday, the House Committee on Labor and Employment approved a bill for P200 daily acrossthe-board wage increase for the private sector.

The Senate also has a counterpart bill for the legislated wage hike, which will grant private sector workers a P100 daily minimum wage increase.

According to the latest data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), the National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest daily minimum wage rate at P645, while the lowest daily minimum wage is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at P316. Labor groups said the current minimum wage rates are no long sufficient to allow workers to cope with the rising cost of living.

Villanueva to Palace: Certify bill

SEN . Joel Villanueva is calling on the Marcos administration to certify the legislated wage hike bill as urgent,

emphasizing the need to improve the standard of living for Filipino workers.

Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, underscored that while the Philippine economy grew by 5.6 percent in 2024, this growth must be reflected in the well-being of the country’s workforce.

“The window for the 19th Congress is slowly closing, which is why we need to speed up discussions and ensure the bill’s enactment before we adjourn,” Villanueva pointed out, adding, “With the high prices of goods, we need to ensure that our people can still afford to live decently,” he added in Filipino, highlighting the impact of rising costs on Filipino

families.

Senate Bill No. 2534, also known as the P100 Minimum Wage Hike Increase bill which Villanueva coauthored, was approved on third reading in the Senate on February 19, 2024. The senator also welcomed the ongoing discussions on the counterpart measure in the House of Representatives stressing the urgency of aligning wages with the cost of living.

“At the end of the day, what is important is that we can match our workers’ wages to the living wage,” he said.

Villanueva filed Senate Bill No. 2140, which seeks to establish a standard for a living wage to ensure that Filipino workers earn enough to support their families and improve their quality of life.

Peza links up with Aussie biz group in bid for regional biotech hub status

TBy Andrea E. San Juan

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority

(Peza) has entered into a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Australia Philippines Incorporated (CCIAP) to help position the Philippines as a regional biotechnology hub in Asean.

Peza said CCIAP has outlined “promising” collaborations and investment opportunities, particularly in the area of sustainable circular economy.

“Key initiatives include integrating

research and development (R&D) through partnerships with academic institutions and laboratories, attracting multinational biotech firms for manufacturing and commercialization.”

The Philippine investment promotion agency tasked to promote and establish economic zones said the Australian business group will also help in ensuring “steady” foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows through strategic partnerships with Asean governments and industry organizations.

Peza said the agreement represents

a “pivotal step” toward attracting global biotech players, establishing a “robust” value chain, and strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Australia.

“This also aligns with Peza’s vision of not only promoting the Philippines as a prime investment destination but also positioning the country as a regional biotechnology hub within Asean.”

Peza Director General Tereso O. Panga expressed the hope that the partnership will help expand the presence of Australian

businesses in the Philippines.

“The partnership between Peza and CCIAP is a testament to the strengthening trade ties between Australia and the Philippines. Hopefully, in the near future, these close partnerships that we are engaging in expand the presence of Australian businesses in the Philippines.”

To date, the investment promotion agency said Peza locators with Australian equity have generated more than P11 billion in investments, around $750 million in exports, and have created over 47,000 direct jobs.

Havitas to launch ₧2.1-B leisure projects in Batangas, La Union

By VG Cabuag

NICHE real estate developer Havitas Properties Inc. said it will launch two leisure projects in Batangas and La Union costing some P2.1 billion, as it lays the groundwork for its entry into the economic housing segment.

The company, established by industry veteran and tycoon Michael Tan, said Havitas is turning its attention to opportunities outside Metro Manila rather than focusing on crowded urban centers.

“We’re targeting established tourist destinations like Batangas, La Union, and, possibly, Palawan,” Tan said.

“They’re not only breathtaking, but also aligned to the growing demand for unique and experimental or experiential accommodations...The local tourism industry is driven by a young, vibrant demographic that values experience over material possessions. They’re looking for places where they can align, connect with nature and create lasting memories with families and friends.”

By focusing on short-term rental opportunities in these highdemand locations, Tan said the company will deliver properties that are not just vacation homes, but also income-generating assets.

“With platforms like Airbnb booming, particularly in tourist hotspots, our properties are positioned to deliver value to both end users and investors alike.”

Havitas recently launched in Talisay, Batangas its latest project dubbed Aya Hills, an exclusive collection of modern vacation villas that

DOLE, NCMB ’24 case resolution yields ₧2.9-B benefits for workers

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Offices, and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), successfully facilitated a total of P2,903,714,020.87 in monetary benefits for 58,212 workers across the Philippines in 2024.

The financial benefits of resolving labor issues provided critical support to thousands of families, underscoring the importance of the Single-Entry Approach (SEnA) Program in fostering industrial peace and ensuring equitable treatment in employer-employee relations, the Labor department said.

As the principal author and cosponsor of the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act, the senator also advocates for enhanced firefighting capabilities. The law aims to strengthen the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) by modernizing its equipment, hiring more personnel, and offering specialized training programs to ensure prompt and efficient responses to fire emergencies. Go’s Malasakit team facilitated the aid distribution held at the Farland Extension Court in Brgy. Dumoy, giving financial assistance, food packs, water containers,

The SEnA Program is a 30-day mandatory conciliationmediation initiative designed to provide a speedy, impartial, inexpensive, and accessible settlement procedure of all labor issues or conflicts to prevent them from ripening into full-blown disputes or actual labor cases.

Institutionalized in 2013 through the enactment of Republic Act 10396, the program strengthens conciliation-mediation as a voluntary mode of dispute resolution for all labor-related cases.

For the year 2024, DOLE ROs and NCMB collectively processed a total of 53,519 Requests for Assistance (RFAs) through the SEnA program. Notably, they achieved combined disposition and settlement rates of 99.63 percent and 90.35 percent, respectively.

Among the 64,376 companies with validated employment size data, 36.88 percent (23,741 RFAs) came from small enterprises, while 26.24 percent (16,892 RFAs) were from micro-enterprises. Additionally, 12.88 percent (8,291 RFAs)

combine breathtaking views of Taal Lake with “exceptional income-generating potential.”

The first phase of the project consists of 76 units of townhouses on a two-hectare lot with potential for expansion by another six hectares. The firm is initially offering 43 units with prices ranging from about P8 million to almost P10 million depending on the model and size.

Designed with both leisure and investment in mind, Aya Hills offers a fresh approach to vacation home ownership in the Philippines.

“Every detail of Aya Hills was crafted with care, from the private pools or whirlpool baths to the expansive decks and wide windows that frame the stunning views of Taal Lake. It’s a retreat designed to offer comfort, relaxation, and financial rewards for its owners,” Havitas Chairman Alejandro Mañalac said.

Havitas President and CEO Jonathan F. Caro said the company is also preparing to launch a seaside develop -

ment in San Juan, La Union, the surfing area in the northern part of the Philippines.

Set to be launched in the third quarter of the year, the La Union project will be operated as a resort with 75 upscale villas for sale, which the owners can use privately or have the company include it for lease as part of the resort.

Caro said the price will range from P13 million to P20 million per villa, depending on its floor area and lot size. Like Aya Hills, each unit will have its own swimming pool aside from access to the beach.

He said Havitas Properties also plans to enter the affordable housing segment, offering high-quality, well-designed homes to cater to a broader market.

Caro said the company is keen on a property in the Calabarzon area for their first project which will be priced at P2 million to P3 million per unit. Target launch will be sometime in 2026.

PBBM wants full story behind ops of 5 nabbed Chinese ‘spies’

By Samuel P. Medenilla

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos

PJr. wants to uncover the full extent of the operations of the five Chinese nationals arrested by authorities for allegedly conducting spying activities, which compromised the country’s response in the West Philippines Sea (WPS).

In an interview with Palace reporters in Pasay City on Friday, the chief executive said he was disturbed by the latest reported spying incidents and is now closely monitoring developments in its investigation.

“That’s why we arrested them because of course we are very disturbed by anyone conducting such espionage operations against our military and our— and just the services that we are trying to provide the people,” Marcos said.

Last Wednesday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced the arrest of the five Chinese nationals for supposedly setting up closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Palawan

to monitor the movement of Philippine Coast Guard ships (PCG) which were deployed in the WPS.

The PCG ships were deployed to monitor the Chinese Coast Guards (CCG) vessels, which continue to be spotted within the WPS—parts of the South China Sea within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.

The National Security Council (NSC) is determining if the suspected Chinese spies are linked to another Chinese national, also arrested last week for allegedly engaging in espionage activities on police and military bases.

“We are still—the investigative services are still developing more information to see exactly what these five have been—what operations they have been doing while they have been here in the Philippines,” Marcos said.

“Because some of them have already stayed in the country for a long time and have married Filipinas. They are sleeper [agents]...And maybe once we talk to them, they can tell us, who we can approach explain what they were

doing,” he added in Filipino.

AFP, intel units commended

THE NSC on Friday commended military and various intelligence units for their quick action that led to the immediate arrest of five Chinese nationals reportedly engaged in espionage and intelligence gathering activities.

Cited were the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Intelligence Service of the AFP , the National Intelligence and Security Force, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Immigration.

“These foreign nationals, who were placed under surveillance following the earlier another Chinese national and his local accomplices, were found to be conducting aerial reconnaissance and collecting imagery intelligence on Philippine naval assets.” NSC chief, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said.

According to Ano, the activities of the suspects near Ulugan Bay and Naval Detachment Oyster Bay in Palawan,

as well as their surveillance of Coast Guard stations and naval docks, are serious concerns that warrant a firm and coordinated response.

“The swift and coordinated efforts of our intelligence and law enforcement tracking, apprehending, agencies in and investigating these individuals demonstrate our commitment to prevent any activity that could compromise our national security. This operation also underscores the need for continued vigilance and proactive counterintelligence measures to detect and disrupt any attempts at espionage within our borders,” Año noted.

He also said the government remains committed to enforcing the law and ensuring that those found engaging in espionage and intelligence operations are held accountable.

“We assure the public that our security and intelligence units will continue to strengthen counterintelligence and monitoring efforts to strengthen our national security,” Año said. With Rex Anthony Naval

Lacson says balance of power crucial, cites PBBM reply to China on WPS, Typhon issue

TOUGH and reassuring. This was how former Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson described the reply of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to China’s callout to the Philippines to return the Typhon missile system to the United States.

According to Lacson, President Marcos’s stance to return the Typhon missiles if China stopped harassing Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea at least left some space for possible talks between the two countries. However, Lacson also reiterated his call for the Philippines and its allies to maintain a “balance of power” in the West Philippine Sea to deter aggressive actions from China.

“Having come from the security sector in my previous life—I refer to my previous careers as an intelligence officer and law enforcer, as well as a senator and chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security—hearing some toughness from the President’s statement in upholding our sovereignty over the territorial waters in the WPS while leaving some space for possible talks with China is reassuring, to say the least,” said Lacson. He is seeking to return to the Senate in the May 2025 elections.

Earlier, Marcos proposed a “deal” with China where the Philippines would

accommodate its call to return the Typhon missiles to the US—if China stopped harassing Filipino fishermen, ramming Philippine boats, and other aggressive and coercive behavior.

The President was quoted as saying that if China stops its harassment, he will send the missiles back.

Lacson also said he does not see the need to convene the National Security Council over the matter at least for now, “because the situation does not call for it.”

“This is simply an exchange of words that expresses PBBM’s sentiment over an issue that has not developed into a diplomatic crisis between the Philippines and China,”

Lacson said.

But while he saw little chance of war brewing in the region for now, Lacson thinks the Philippines must maintain a balance of power in the West Philippine Sea area, in alliance with its more militarily powerful allies.

“We should project and actually rely on maintaining the “balance of power” in the WPS in alliance with the more militarily powerful countries like the US, Japan, Australia and other western countries whose interests in preserving the sea lanes for commercial and other purposes are aligned with our own national interest,” he said.

Butch Fernandez

Where there’s a school, there must be a principal–Angara

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

TO address the problem of almost 25,000 public schools lacking school heads, the Department of Education(DepEd) said that it plans to prioritize the promotion and reclassification of qualified Head Teachers and Teachers-in-Charge into formal principal positions.

DepEd said the plan is in line with the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s commitment to strengthen the education sector and that they are currently working to implement a 1:1 principal-to-school policy and assessing the distribution of qualified principals across regions.

“We will create and deploy School Principal items in the schools that lack them. Under current policy, it’s not automatic that we observe a 1 school head per 1 school ratio. We will change this. If there’s a school, there must be a principal,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said, partly in Filipino. This initiative is in response to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) Year 2 report, which found that 24,916 public schools currently lack school heads.

The Department will also assess regions

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were attributed to medium enterprises, while 24 percent (15,452 RFAs) were from large enterprises.

Mean while, DOLE ROs and NCMB showcased remarkable efficiency in resolving RFAs, averaging a resolution time of five to nine (5-9) days, with DOLE RO III leading the way by settling cases in an average of one day.

In terms of process cycle time (PCT), 69,244 (90.52 percent) RFAs were disposed of within the prescribed 30-day period, 2,784 (3.64 percent) within 31-45 days, and 4,472 (5.85 percent) beyond 46 days.

with an oversupply of qualified principal applicants and develop strategies to fairly reallocate them to areas experiencing shortages.

“We also have to see the overall distribution. Where are the regions with an oversupply of qualified principals? How can we distribute these while being fair to the principal applicant?” Angara noted.

Meanwhile, DepEd is also setting up a plan to decentralize the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) while maintaining a uniform standard across all divisions and regions to improve accessibility for aspiring school leaders.

The Department is likewise in the exploratory stage of offering NQESH at more frequent intervals and expanding targeted training programs under the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) to support teachers aspiring for principalship.

In the Philippine education system, school heads play a crucial role in providing instructional leadership, managing school operations, ensuring the effective implementation of policies, and fostering a supportive learning environment that enhances both teacher performance and student outcomes.

Similarly, 53,753 (94.82 percent) RFAs were settled within 30 days, while 1,554 (2.74 percent) were resolved within the allowable extension period of 31-45 days, and 1,381 (2.44%) took longer than 46 days to settle. By the end of December 2024, 2,250 (2.68 percent) of the 83,836 RFAs handled by DOLE ROs and NCMB were still undergoing conciliation-mediation proceedings, reflecting the continued commitment to providing thorough attention to unresolved cases.

snacks, vitamins, shirts, basketballs, and volleyballs to 12 beneficiaries. Select recipients also received shoes.

The relief distribution was also attended by Barangay Kagawad Jingo Adlawan.

Aside from the SEnA, the Labor Department fosters industrial peace through the DOLE Grievance Machinery, which resolves disputes arising from collective bargaining agreements and company policies. It also promotes Voluntary Arbitration, where parties select an impartial arbitrator to resolve labor disputes, with their decision being final and binding. DOLE’s Workplace Relations Enhancement Program, on the other hand, empowers employees with communication, grievance resolution, and conflict-navigation skills through plant-level training and seminars.

Senator Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and a health reforms crusader, extended additional support to residents in need of medical care. He encouraged them to utilize the services of the Malasakit Center in the city, located at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC). First established in 2018, the Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop designed to streamline medical assistance programs from various government agencies, ensuring that Filipinos can access medical assistance to overcome the financial burden of healthcare costs.

Time BusinessMirror Our

Thailand’s $890 million senior citizen cash handouts seen boosting economy

By Suttinee Yuvejwattana

ThAILAND transferred about 30 billion baht ($890 million) to its senior citizens on Monday, part of a government program to tackle the high cost of living and stimulate the nation’s sluggish economy.

More than 3 million senior citizens were given 10,000 baht each ($297), and the dole out will boost the country’s $500 billion economy, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said. The government will continue the cash stimulus program, she said without elaborating.

The handout was a flagship election promise of the ruling Pheu Thai party led by Paetongtarn but its rollout was delayed due to legal risks and lack of readiness of a digital application. In the first phase, the government extended the cash gift to 14.45 million welfare cardholders and disabled.

Thailand’s economic growth has lagged its regional peers in the past decade, and Paetongtarn’s administration has unveiled a raft of measures including debt moratoriums,

higher state spending and cash stimulus to lift growth this year to about 3 percent.

Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said Monday he’s confident the growth will exceed 3% this year because of the stimulus measures and inflow of foreign investments in the second half. The latest cash handout may add 0.1 percentage point to the gross domestic product, according to Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul.

A digital payment system for transfer of money to the remaining eligible applicants for the dole out will be ready within the second quarter, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said. More than 30 million people had registered for the handout last year.

The government will consider whether to set aside more money for the program if the 160 billion baht allotted in this year’s budget is inadequate, Julapun said. “The government will ensure that the ongoing economic growth momentum is sustained during the high and low seasons,” he said. Bloomberg

Ágnes Keleti, Holocaust survivor and oldest living Olympic medal winner, dies at age 103

By Bálint Dömötör

The Associated Press

UDAPEST, hungary—Ágnes

BKeleti, a holocaust survivor and the oldest living Olympic medal winner, has died. She was 103. Keleti died on January 2 in Budapest, the hungarian state news agency reported. She was hospitalized in critical condition with pneumonia in December.

She won a total of 10 Olympic medals in gymnastics, including five golds, for hu ngary at the 1952 he lsinki Games and the 1956 Melbourne Games. She overcame the loss of her father and several relatives in the holocaust to become one of the most successful Jewish Olympic athletes.

“These 100 years felt to me like 60,” Keleti told The Associated Press on the eve of her 100th birthday. “I live well. And I love life. It’s great that I’m still healthy.”

Born Ágnes Klein in 1921 in Budapest, her career was interrupted by World War II and the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics. Forced off her gymnastics team in 1941 because of her Jewish ancestry, Keleti went into hiding in the hungarian countryside, where she survived the holocaust by assuming a false identity and working as a maid. her mother and sister survived the war with the help of famed Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, but her father and other relatives perished at Auschwitz, among the more

Over 1K centenarians receive cash gifts in Central Visayas

By John Rey Saavedra

CEBU CITY—Over 1,000 centenarians in Central Visayas have received cash gifts from 2016 to 2024, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the region on Friday.

The DSWD said it disbursed P102.3 million for 792 female and 231 male centenarians, or a total of 1,023 recipients.

DSWD-7 Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said starting this year, Republic Act (RA) 10868 or the Centenarian Act of 2016 will now be implemented through the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC).

The law provides that any centenarian will get a cash gift of P100,000 and a Presidential Letter of Felicitation.

RA 11982 amends RA 10868 to provide financial grants to centenarians, octogenarians and nonagenar-

ians on their milestone birthdays.

Under the expanded law, individuals celebrating their 80th, 85th, 90th, and 95th birthdays will receive a cash gift of P10,000.

The transfer of implementing agency is through RA 11350, which mandates the transfer of functions, programs, projects, and activities related to the welfare of senior citizens from DSWD to the NCSC.

Lucero said DSWD continues to implement the social pension program through direct payouts or fund transfers to local government units.

“There is no update yet on when

DSWD will transfer the implementation of the social pension program to the National Commission of Senior Citizens. For now, we will continue to be stewards of this program for the elderly,” she said. In 2024, all 299,737 social pension beneficiaries received the increased monthly stipend of P1,000, or a total of P12,000 to help them in their basic needs. The NCSC earlier called on senior citizens nationwide to apply for the benefits of the Expanded Centenarian law, which would grant P10,000 cash gift for octogenarians and nonagenarians. It explained that senior citizens need to apply with local units to be able to receive the cash gift from the national government. PNA

than half a million hungarian Jews killed in Nazi death camps and by hungarian Nazi collaborators.

Resuming her career after the war, Keleti was set to compete at the 1948 London Olympics, but a last-minute ankle injury dashed her hopes.

Four years later, she made her Olympic debut at the 1952 he lsinki Games at the age of 31, winning a gold medal in the floor exercise as well as a silver and two bronzes. In 1956, she became the most successful athlete at the Melbourne Olympics, winning four gold and two silver medals.

While she was becoming the oldest gold medalist in gymnastics history at age 35 in Melbourne, the Soviet Union invaded hungary following an unsuccessful anti-Soviet uprising. Keleti remained in Australia and sought political asylum. She then immigrated to Israel the following year and worked as a trainer and coached the Israeli Olympic gymnastics team until the 1990s.

By Nick Tayag

Be very afraid: Panopticon knows our every move my sixty-zen’s WORtH

WhILE we are being razzle-dazzled by amazing developments in the world of digital and AI technology, there, unnoticed in the shadows, is a burgeoning dark side of the same technology that increasingly poses an insidious threat to the way we live and work.

Last year at the hR Technology Conference & Exposition held in Las Vegas, hundreds of exhibitors showcased the latest in AI-backed digital worker surveillance and security technology. One highly impressed hR executive who attended the event gushed: “The sheer number of different technologies on display demonstrates just how sophisticated the corporate panopticon has become.”

Each year, new commercial surveillance tools are being added to the arsenal of corporate power. Now hR executives can purchase and install applicant tracking systems and software for everything that comes after them: video interviews, background checks, drug tests, time tracking, payment processing, wellness programs, trainings, performance evaluations, surveys, chatbots, and the data mining that goes along with all of it.

If these systems can be used to probe the private life of a company’s new hiree, what would stop establishments and institutions, including government, to employ them against employees and performers who “underperform” or perhaps are not toeing the line.

As someone warns us, they are “a whole other game, a whole other level of sophistication.” It should be chilling news to all of us because our private personal space is clearly being invaded whether we like it or not and we can’t do much about it.

If we thought the scenario in George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” was just a fantastic figment of the writer’s fertile imagination, then we need to wake up. Corpo-

rate and government “Big Brothers” around the world now have the power to watch us day after day.

This is only a limited sample of the power of Panopticon technology that will become even more pervasive, intrusive, and invasive as our future gets inevitably taken over by Artificial Intelligence.

The word Panopticon comes from the Greek word “panoptes”, which means “all seeing.” The term was initially used to describe a circular prison design with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed.

Broached as early as 1791, the Panopticon theory holds that people can be controlled when they believe themselves to be under constant surveillance even if no one is watching. The theory stems from the intended effect of having a central guard tower in a prison that all the prisoners could see, even though they could not see the guards.

congested alleys are examples of the application of Panopticon technology. Presumably, the cameras have a deterrent effect even if the cameras are not operative.

I remember that as early as five years ago, in Japan, a working mother could monitor her child at the day care center remotely from her office. There are now all types of “spying” apps that enable executives to watch what’s happening in their offices from time to time even while attending an event outside the country through CCTV cameras connected to his laptop or smart phone. homeowners can also do the same. In mainland China, public security watchdogs have even gone one step further. The cameras they have installed all over have been

cyber technology to spy on people. he spent two years investigating how invasive surveillance software is being used in 45 countries. he reveals: “The most advanced spyware can turn your smartphone into a spy in your pocket.”

Consider the so-called spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group. It can monitor calls, capture text messages, track a user’s location, and collect passwords, photos, and other data. From his interviews with technicians, Farrow has discovered that it is being employed by governments, companies, and individuals to extract data from smartphones including calls, messages, e-mails, and whatever the phone’s camera and microphone have access to.

equipped with face recognition capabilities.

There are just a few Panopticon prisons built, such as the Twin Towers Jail in Los Angeles, USA. Although originally designed for managing prisons, the said concept has spawned a technology that is now seeing more and more useful and beneficial applications in our lives: homes, day care centers, hospitals, schools, workplaces, entertainment places and other public spaces.

In our country, the CCTV cameras placed in our homes, office buildings, shopping outlets, and

And we’re not even including tiny audio and tracking equipment that can easily be installed in your bag, desk or car, without you knowing it. In real life crime stories I watch occasionally, married couples have been found to use these tools to monitor the movements of their respective spouses, suspected of being unfaithful. These secretly recorded images can oftentimes be used for blackmail and intimidation.

In a frightening documentary entitled “Surveilled,” Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Ronan Farrow investigates the increasing use of

And this is not just a tool of terrorists or criminals. Ron Feibert of the Citizen Lab in Toronto, who investigated this technology, notes: “Authoritarian practices are spreading worldwide. I firmly believe the surveillance industry, unchecked as it is, is one of the major contributing factors to those trends.” What will they think of next? Maybe a micro camera built in every TV screen or computer monitor that can capture your face and what you’re doing and saying every time you press the on button. Or even embedded in the body. The movies

“Truman” and TV show

“Big Brother” are fast becoming a reality. Soon, we will all be inmates inside the all-seeing digital Panopticon matrix. Even the “precog” surveillance concept of Spielberg’s “Minority Report” seems no longer farfetched. We can’t put this genie back in the bottle, and it is getting more powerful by the moment. Should we be scared? The answer: Definitely yes.

With the age of AI now in the horizon, is it still possible to preserve our human values and find our way toward a less pessimistic technology-driven future? Your guess is as good as mine.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

A ThAi elderly, one of the more than 3 million senior citizens that were given 10,000 baht each to boost the economy. BloomBerg Photo

Agnes KeleTi, former olympic gold medal winning gymnast, smiles at her apartment in Budapest, hungary on January 8, 2020. AP Photo/lAszlo BAlogh

Editor: Mike Policarpio

INT’L DAY OF EDUCATION

DepEd vows to infuse AI, tech integration in local learning

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

THE Department of Education

(DepEd) has boosted its commitment to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in local education by collaborating with tech-based firms.

At this year’s celebration of International Day of Education (IDE) with the theme “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation,” the department also called for the responsible and ethical use of AI.

Aligned with Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of harnessing the potential of Filipinos, Education undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Fatima Lipp Panontongan exhorted everyone to use AI as “a tool for empowerment— not replacement. Let us equip our youth with the wisdom to use it responsibly.”

“Together, let us create a future where technology amplifies human potential, rather than diminishes it,” the DepEd official said. “We are heading in the right direction by embracing the power of ed-tech [or educational technology] to address common learning delivery challenges.”

At the event, the Education Department highlighted its partnership with Khan Academy through Khanmigo: an AI-powered educational assistant.

Observed annually on January 24, the IDE aims to gather support for education, encourag -

YOUTH representatives discuss ways to harness AI in their learning

ing individuals, civil society and policymakers in taking decisive steps toward ensuring access to primary and secondary education for all children and enhancing youth engagement in education.

“It is our duty to ensure that the next [generations—be it Gen Z, Alpha, Beta, and beyond—are] nurtured, informed and inspired,” she noted.

The IDE 2025 celebration was

attended by representatives from the Department of Science and Technology; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Office, SEAMEO INNOTECH, UNICEF Philippines and UNESCO Jakarta. The event also featured exhibits on AI and education from partners such as FELTA Multimedia, Center for Integrated STEM Education, Inc., STI, Samsung, United Laboratories and iAcademy.

Century of trailblazing excellence: Mapua U. honors inspiring alums

MARKING its 100th founding anniversary, Mapua University is celebrating a century of excellence, innovation and leadership as it has nurtured countless individuals who have achieved greatness in the past century.

For Mapua, these six exceptional alumni stand as shining examples of dedication, perseverance and visionary thinking:

‘Father of Philippine Internet’

WILLIAM TOR RES i s recognized for his pivotal role in bringing the Internet to the country. He negotiated with the United States’ National Science Foundation and led the formulation of the “National Information Technology Plan” that transformed the way Filipinos connect and communicate. Known as the “Father of the Internet in the Philippines,” Torres’ efforts have paved the way for the Internet’s widespread use in the Philippines, leaving a lasting impact on the country’s communication landscape. His vision and leadership remind everyone that one person’s dedication can pave the way for an entire nation’s progress, said Mapua. His feats have been cited with several awards that include his being a 1966 Fulbright-Hays grantee in, as well as awards for “Excellence in IT” in 1990 and “Outstanding Mapuan” in 1987 for his contributions to computer science.

Tech visionary

DIOSDADO “DA DO ” B AN ATAO i s a Filipino entrepreneur and engineer who has made groundbreaking contributions to the technology sector.

Known for developing the first 10-megabit Ethernet Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor or CMOS with silicon coupler data-link control and transceiver chip, Banatao has also been credited with creating the first system-logic chipset for IBM’s PC-XT and PC-AT. His innovations have been integral to the development of personal computers and the tech industry as a whole. Banatao’s journey from a humble barrio in Cagayan to Silicon Valley, according to Mapua, is nothing short of inspirational. As a tech entrepreneur and innovator, he developed critical components that revolutionized the personal computing industry. His story is a testament to the power of determination, education and the unyielding belief that one can change the world. Banatao has several awards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, including the “IEEE W.R.G. Baker Prize Paper

Award” and the “IEEE Neural Networks Pioneer Award.”

‘Father of Nonlinear Circuit Theory’

LE ON O. C H Ua i s a renowned electrical engineer and computer scientist widely recognized as the “Father of Nonlinear Circuit Theory” and cellular neural networks.

He is best known for inventing the eponymous “Chua’s circuit”—one of the first to exhibit chaotic behavior, and for postulating the existence of the “memristor:” a fundamental component in electronic circuits. A revered figure in electrical engineering, Chua has left an indelible mark through his pioneering work: His relentless pursuit of knowledge and innovation exemplifies the heights that can be reached through curiosity and intellectual rigor, profoundly impacting the fields of electronics and communication engineering.

Chua has likewise received numerous IEEE awards, including the “IEEE Neural Networks Pioneer Award” and the “IEEE Gustav Robert Kirchhoff Award.” He was also awarded the prestigious “Guggenheim Fellowship” in 2010 and has received 17 honorary doctorates from major universities in Europe and Japan.

Banking luminary

ANTONIO A B ACAN J R .’s career in banking is marked by excellence and integrity. The former president of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Monetary Board member was pivotal in shaping the local financial sector. Abacan’s journey highlights the impact of ethical leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence. For his outstanding contributions to the banking industry, he was lauded as one of “The Outstanding Filipino

[TOFIL] Laureate”—considered the “Nobel Prize of the Philippines.”

Honored with the “Outstanding Mapuan Award” and the “FEU Outstanding Alumnus Award,” Abacan’s dedication to fostering financial stability and growth has made him a respected figure in the banking community. His commitment to financial literacy and inclusion has strengthened the banking sector and positively impacted the lives of many Filipinos. His story serves as an inspiration, demonstrating that ethical leadership and a commitment to excellence can drive meaningful change.

Visionary leader

A PROMINENT businessman and politician, Manuel Villar has made significant contributions to Philippine development.

As former Senate president and a successful entrepreneur, Villar has been instrumental in promoting infrastructure projects and advocating for economic growth. From humble beginnings in Tondo to becoming one of the most influential business and political figures in the Philippines, his journey is a testament to resilience and ambition.

For Mapua, his leadership and vision have helped shape the country’s political and economic landscape, encouraging everyone to dream big, work hard and give back to their communities.

Recognized by Forbes Asia as one of the “Heroes of Philanthropy” in 2024 and 2020 for his significant contributions, particularly his donations to educational institutions and the Catholic Church, Villar holds the spot as the wealthiest Filipino according to Forbes ’ “World’s Billionaires List” published on April 4 with an estimated net worth of $8.6 billion. His story is a monumen -

Sec. Angara advocates for teachers’ upskilling reforms

TO address learning loss and prepare educators for the demands of 21st-Century classrooms, Sec. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara emphasized the importance of reforming teacher education.

Speaking at the “Teacher Education Council [TEC] Symposium on Pre-service Teacher Education Curriculum Reframing” at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila on January 20, Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) is committed to upskilling and reskilling teachers to ensure a better future for Filipino learners.

“Education is a long game—a series of investments that will pay dividends toward a more prosperous nation,” Angara explained, then said in Filipino that superb teachers yield positive results for the youth and the nation.

Parallel with Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to sustain gains in human-capital

tal example of using success to uplift others and foster national progress, the university said.

‘Guru of Sustainability,’ ‘Father of Asian Science Diplomacy’ GLENN B A NAGUAS i s a world-renowned science diplomat and multiawarded scientist. Through his “Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service” program, Banaguas addresses climate change and disaster risks by leveraging science, technology and innovation. The initiative provides essential tools to stakeholders at all levels—particularly the poorest and those in off-grid areas, empowering communities to build resilience and reduce their carbon-footprint emissions.

He founded the “Asian Science Diplomacy” that trains scientists and engineers in communicating scientific knowledge for policymaking and decision-making. The approach brings peace to conflict-prone areas, demonstrating the transformative power of science diplomacy in creating a sustainable, equitable and peaceful future for all.

His exceptional work has earned him numerous esteemed awards that include the United Nations’ “Sasakawa Laureate for Disaster Risk Reduction,” the “Asia Leaders Award for Sustainability Leadership,” recognition as one of the “Top 100 Asian Scientists,” and TOFIL laureate. He has also been honored with prestigious inclusions in the United States State Department’s “US-Asean Science and Technology Fellowship,” “The Royal Society of Arts,” the “Geneva Center for Security Policy,” and the “Lee Kuan Yew Senior Fellowship in Public Service,” among other eminent international awards and recognitions.

Celebrating a milestone of its founding, Mapua University reminds every one of its remarkable alumni who embody the spirit of innovation, leadership and dedication that has defined the institution for a century. Their contributions have not only advanced their respective fields, but have also inspired future generations to strive for excellence and make a positive impact on the world.

Their stories remind us that “no dream is too big, and no challenge insurmountable” through hard work, perseverance and a commitment to making a positive impact. Looking back on the past 100 years, Mapua said it is “filled with pride and hope for the future,” with the knowledge that it will continue to nurture the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

development, Angara added that improving teacher education is key to addressing systemic learning issues and creating futureready classrooms. Angara pointed to the 2024 pact with the Philippine Normal University as a significant step toward enhancing the quality of teacher training, aligning curricula with global standards and equipping educators with modern teaching strategies.

He claimed that curriculum reform is not just a policy shift, but “a moral imperative. Teachers are central to our national interest, and their excellence sets off a chain reaction that propels other reforms.”

The TEC Symposium gathered education leaders and stakeholders, as they tackled modernizing teacher education and improving impact on student outcomes. Angara called on Filipinos to support DepEd’s initiatives: “Together, we can ensure that teacher education evolves to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

Spearheaded by the TEC Secretariat led by Exec. Dir. Jennie V. Jocson, the symposium was attended by Director General Jose Francisco Benitez of the Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority or TESDA, education stakeholders, and officials of colleges of education from teacher education institutions all over the country. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Taiwan’s education expo set to empower the future

THE 2025 Taiwan OCAC Education Expo, hosted by Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) and organized by the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines, took place on January 18 and 19 at the Fil-Chi Cultural and Economic Association.

Aimed at guiding overseas compatriot students toward Taiwan’s educational opportunities, the OCAC said the expo received enthusiastic participation, which drew more than 650 students and parents.

Rep. Wallace Minn-Gan Chow of TECO reaffirmed Taiwan’s dedication to cultivating overseas compatriot talent, as he urged students to pursue high-income careers in Taiwan or contribute to their communities upon their homecoming. T he representative spotlighted OCAC’s education programs’ transformative impact, particularly the “3+4 Vocational Education Program” and the four-year “Overseas Youth Vocational Training Program’s” (OYVTP) Bachelor degree, as he emphasized their role in arming students with skills and opportunities to succeed.

He also addressed the importance of safeguarding student rights, highlighting OCAC’s strict prohibition of employment agency involvement in recruitment processes.

Dir. Reynaldo Catapang of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office

applauded the expo for strengthening cultural and educational ties between Taiwan and the Philippines. Meanwhile, Executive Director Jasper Huang of the Fil-Chi Cultural and Economic Association cited the presence of 19 Taiwanese institutions which showcased Taiwan’s innovative and high-quality education system. OCAC explained that the 3+4 Vocational Education Program combines three years of vocational high school and four years at a university of technology. It offers professional training and a university diploma, with more than 6,300 global enrollees in 2024 that included 600 plus from the Philippines. On the other hand, the OYVTP merges academic learning with practical training. It provides scholarships, tuition subsidies and internship allowances which starts at the second year of university.

For his part, Exec. Dir. Steve Wong of the Federation of Fil-Chi Schools illustrated Taiwan’s quality education, innovative environment, cultural exposure and robust scholarship programs as key benefits for overseas compatriot students. The 2025 Taiwan OCAC Education Expo showcased Taiwan’s unwavering commitment to fostering global educational collaboration and empowering overseas compatriot students to achieve their dreams. For more information, visit https://admission. taiwan-world.net/.

ANGARA at the TEC Symposium

REP. Wallace Minn-Gan Chow speaks to the expo’s attendees

FROM top left, clockwise: Torres, Banatao, Leon Chua, Abacan Jr., Villar and Banaguas

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

STEEPED IN TRADITION

Exploring Binondo’s Chinatown community experience

Story & photos by Bea Rollo

It’s another lunar year to celebrate life, and what a fun way to start the year of the wooden snake is to immerse yourself in the world’s oldest Chinatown, housed in the busy and bustling street of Binondo, Manila. We have explored the rich culture and story of the community behind traditional and modern-day Binondo.

You better hop at Polland Hopia

Under the scorching heat of the crowd that starts to jam and pack the streets of e s colta and d i visoria, one of the best first orders of business is to stop and take the perfect bite of Chinese pastries at the oldest Hopia Houses in Chinatown—Polland. For over six decades, Polland, which was built from scratch by Go So Po, has become well known for its pastry delicacy.

If you are in for the challenge of not just getting a taste of the alreadymade hopia, Polland now offers a hopia-making class with Mrs. Abigail Tin, the owners’ daughter-in-law. It is a good bonding activity for friends and family, or if the stars align, you can also do it as a date for the coming Valentine’s d ay

More than a treat of getting the labor of love for creating your own hopia, Polland just has every Chinese pastry you could think of like the infamous tikoy and especially hopia of

wide variety and flavors—gold bars, hand-painted koi fish tikoy, choco fudge hopia, and cheesecake hopia.

The art of Chinese calligraphy

One way of learning about the community is witnessing a master calligrapher in their nature. With a delightful art experience, the media crew has also witnessed d e wey Tan’s work. He was able to carry out the tradition of the Chinese calligraphy art. Gifting everyone banners of well-wishes like “Xin nian kuai le”(a happy new year) or “Xiao Kou Chang Kai”(May you always have a smile).

Coffee please: We gotcha, Escolta M O re than the first thing that’ll pop into our minds for Chinese afternoon drink would be the traditional tea. But, brewing in e s colta now resides in a coffee exploration like no other. e sc olta Coffee—founded by Gabriel Villegas, a CQI Q Arabica grader, brings in coffee cupping in Chinatown.

What not to miss in India’s Golden Triangle

After 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and the Philippines, direct flights between the two countries are likely to start this year. While this isn’t exactly an entirely new air connection—with previous Manila-Delhi offerings suspended due to lack of viability, it will be the first time that an Indian airline—in this case, either flag carrier Air India or budget carrier IndiGo, that are likely to cater the non-stop flight. So, what will make this iteration different? At the reception for India’s r e public Day earlier this week, Indian and Philippine government officials point to changing times. India has become a booming outbound travel market and the Philippines has the potential to attract Indian travelers, many of whom have ventured to other Southeast Asian countries. Second, a growing Indian diaspora in the Philippines boosts chances of the route’s viability.

But for a direct flight connection to really be viable, it’s got to go both ways. t h is means that just as the Philippines makes efforts to attract Indian tourists, f i lipino tourists must also make their way to the Indian subcontinent. Like other more seasoned travel writers, bloggers and influencers, I too am enamored with India. It’s a country you can keep coming back to and each visit brings an entirely new set of experiences, sights and culture. I for sure won’t be the only f ilipino traveler who will be rooting for the continued viability of

direct flights to India.

Many f ilipinos though are iffy about visiting India. Like other nationalities, the hesitation to visit India stems from concerns over getting sick (the so-called Delhi Belly), safety, cultural unfamiliarity, and an aversion that comes from common misconceptions about India and Indians.

Of the 9.5 million foreign tourist arrivals in India, about 0.3% hailed from the Philippines, majority are seafarers who board their vessels from there.

But, with an open mind, the country can live up to its “Incredible India” slogan for any f ilipino traveler. And I’ve listed below some experiences you shouldn’t miss—at least in India’s “Golden tr iangle”—comprised of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur—the most popular destination for tourists. It’s an easy road trip getting to and from each city, home to some of the world’s most iconic landmarks like the ta j Mahal in Agra and Hawa Mahal in Jaipur.

Explore Old Delhi

tH e o ldest areas of Delhi are utter mayhem—but this is India at the core. Wandering along Chandi Chowk, there are all sorts of food carts and alleys bursting with shops selling incense, spices, sarees, fabric and everything else you can imagine. In some ways, Old Delhi is similar to the markets such as Divisoria or Baclaran.

One of the more efficient but very local way to take in the sights is to take an ‘autorick’ (basically a tricycle) and ask the driver to take you around. Indians are generally friendly

and helpful. Of course, it goes without saying that you do have to be careful of tourist traps. Do your research before venturing out.

Try the OG Butter Chicken

If you find your way in the older part of Delhi, grab a meal at the historic Moti Mahal. f o unded in 1947, the restaurant is said to have developed Butter Chicken to save Chicken tan doori that had dried-up from being on the grill for too long. t h e overgrilled chicken was soaked and simmered in a thick tomato gravy, tenderizing the meat while giving it an earthy flavor, creating the popular dish that’s become a global staple when it comes to Indian cuisine.

Over the decades, Moti Mahal has become an icon, serving personalities such as Jawaharlal Nehru, the late US President r i chard Nixon, and even Gordon r am say.

Have fun with Paan and other treats

I N DIA ha s so many different kinds of sweets—from Gulab Jamun (which you can find in some Indian restaurants in the Philippines), Kulfi (basically ice cream), to r a sgulla. It is a must to indulge your sweet tooth when in India. t h e sugary flavors are mixed with spices such as cardamom, which we don’t typically use in our desserts. But one of the more unique treats is Paan, or Betel nut leaves (Nganga in f i lipino), which is prepared as an after-dinner sweetmeat filled with herbs, spices and dried fruits. t her e are hundreds of varieties of Paan leaves. My favorite one is Pandey’s Paan, located across Connaught Place in Delhi, which is the go-to place for political personalities such as Barack Obama and Bollywood celebrities.

Other must-try sweet shops include LMB (short for Laxmi Misthan Bhandar) in Jaipur, with thousands of varieties of Laddu, Halwa and other North Indian delicacies; and Panchhi Petha in Agra. f o unded in 1926, this shop makes what is considered one of the purest sweets in the world, comprised only of fruit, sugar and water cooked only over coal fire.

Spice up your wardrobe I N an e pisode of “And Just Like t hat ,” Carrie Bradshaw went to an Indian celebration with new B f f Seema wearing a traditional Lehenga dress. She called it ‘cultural appreciation.’ And indeed, buying clothes and accessories in India can be an adventure. f r om soft cotton fabrics and unique prints, Indian clothing can add some spark to your OO t D s. t h ere aren’t a lot of global brands in India—most are homegrown clothing brands, or products made by local artisans and sold in bazaars and markets. I particularly like the clothes of Global Desi, especially tops made from recycled

in India,

to pick up bangles, earrings and other accessories as well. Jaipur boasts of a community of jewelry artisans that create unique designs using gold and semi-precious stones. But I strongly recommend buying jewelry accompanied by a local for ease of communication and haggling.

Watch artisans

Photos by Charo Logarta

Filipinos still prefer to buy their appliances of�line, says Beko

TPhilippines.

“Filipinos mainly go out and buy their appliances. It is not easy to ship products, especially the bulky ones that we have.”

Yıldırım said Beko’s objective is to have products for every segment of the market, whether it is entrylevel or premium, and one of the solutions is to have different portfolios. Beko is the top appliance brand in Europe. It also recently acquired the Whirlpool business in Europe and Africa, a bold move that propelled Beko to be one of the top appliance brands in the world in terms of size.

The Philippines is not a country that is wholly unknown to Yıldırım. He joined Arçelik in 2005 as international sales executive for Southeast Asia. At that time, Arçelik was growing rapidly in Europe, Middle East and Africa, but Asia was a new territory for the company.

GoTyme Bank

urges public to be vigilant against spoofing scams

“We were trying to understand consumer behavior, the products, the retail environment, our competition. My task was to analyze this and to understand to get Beko ready for the expansion in these parts. I started going to the Philippines in 2006. I was here almost every six months. I was meeting with potential distributors, going to stores and outlets, and trying to learn before we entered the market,” said Yıldırım.

In his new role, Yıldırım will spearhead Beko’s strategic initiatives in the country, aiming to elevate the brand’s position in the market. Before his appointment, Yıldırım was the country director for Beko Vietnam since 2022. He reports directly to Zafer Üstüner, the CCO-Asia Pacific/CEO-Arcelik Hitachi.

What Yıldırım has learned is that when your brand is successful in one country, it does not translate to success in another by sticking to the same formula.

“It does not work like that. Once you cross the border, everything changes. Product types change depending on government regulations. Consumer behavior and retail outlets are also factors. In Beko, we make sure we really learn as much as we can before we enter a new country.

Beko has been exporting its home appliances to over 100 countries for the last 20 years. These countries include the Philippines. Beko opened in the Philippines in 2020 and it was a challenge for the brand. “They did a fantastic job. They opened the office. They distributed the products. During that

time [I was in Russia], I was watching the region. I was always planning to come back to East Asia and Southeast Asia because the region has always fascinated me. It is full of energy, culture, heritage. There is also huge potential for growth. Things are changing. So I asked Beko to send me once again to the region,” said Yıldırım. Before coming to the Philippines, Yıldırım was in Vietnam for two years handling two Arçelik subsidiaries, Beko and Hitachi.

“As a company, our goal is to supply all the people in the world with energy-efficient products, products that are sustainable that will help in their daily lives.

I think the Philippines is such a special country in that we are seeing here the effect of the climate crisis. Plastic waste in the ocean is also a big problem. We are focused on sustainability and what we can contribute as a company to help the people in the Philippines,” he said.

Early in the year, Beko announced its ranking as first on Real Leaders’ 2025 Top Impact Companies List, highlighting the company’s dedication to “embedding sustainability into its business practices and its mission of inspiring sustainable lives in every home.” In comparing the two markets—Vietnam and the Philippines—Yıldırım said they are actually very different. In Vietnam, people purchase their appliances in stores beside the streets. These stores are smaller. Vietnam is focused on appliance manufacturing so that creates a more challenging environment. In terms of washing machines, for example, it is a frontload country. People in Vietnam

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do not buy single tubs.

“Even though they have similar challenges that we have in the Filipino market, Vietnam has evolved differently. They have retail chains but the rest are standalone shops that are very traditional. In the Philippines, retail is more organized. There is regional retail and then there is nationwide retail. But from a consumer perspective, there are many similarities. People are looking for energy-efficient products. The supply chain is also a challenge for both Vietnam and the Philippines. Transporting products in both countries is a challenge.”

Yıldırım brings a track record of driving operational growth, leveraging his 19-year tenure at Arcelik A.S., Beko’s parent company. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey.

Throughout his career, Yıldırım has transitioned into different roles across various parts of the world, allowing him to experience diverse cultures, products, and retail systems. After 15 years, he returned to Southeast Asia and had the opportunity to launch several brands of the Arçelik Group in different countries. In these roles, he provided essential information to help develop products tailored to each market he engaged with.

“Our plans for Beko in the Philippines are to focus on driving growth, introducing innovative products, and strengthening the brand’s position in the market. By understanding local consumer needs, we aim to provide high-quality home solutions that enhance everyday living,” said Yıldırım. ■

delivering customized advertisements based on viewer behavior. It also provides analysis reports on the expected effectiveness of these ads.

LG Business Cloud also introduces LG Pro:Centric Stay, a new solution created specifically for short-term rental businesses. LG Pro:Centric Stay complements the existing lineup of software solutions available on the platform, including the LG SuperSign Cloud digital signage content management system, LG Pro:Centric Cloud for hotel TVs, and LG ConnectedCare. Tailored for diverse B2B environments, these innovative tools help to ensure greater efficiency and flexibility in signage management.

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BY RIZAL RAOUL REYES

GOTYME Bank recently urged the public to be extra vigilant to protect themselves against spoofing scams.

GoTyme Bank co-CEO Albert Tinio also warned the public against scam-proofing of their resources and early reporting of scam incidents.

Spoofing is defined as the collective term for scams in which scammers text (smishing), email (phishing), or call (vishing) from a person pretending to be working with a bank or any trusted individual or organization to deceive the person into revealing personal information. Spoofing often comes in the form of an urgent request meant to deceive a person into taking immediate action. Tinio cited an example of spoofing through a text message: “We have detected unusual activity on your account. Please click on the link to complete verification. Otherwise, your account will be locked.”

Tinio said scammers can be very creative and here’s another example of a spoofing message to prove this point: “You’ve earned 530 points which are expiring soon. Use them before 31 January 2025. You can withdraw them directly to enjoy cash rebates for top-ups, bill payments and online shopping. Click on the link to claim your points.”

Tinio explained that a scammer’s method for executing spoofing modus operandi is through the scammers’ use of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers. These devices broadcast a stronger signal than nearby legitimate cellular towers, deceiving mobile phones within a certain geographical area into connecting with the scammers through the IMSI catchers instead of the legitimate network.

Nevertheless, Tinio said Philippine law enforcement agencies have stepped up in stopping the illegal activities of the criminals. Law enforcement agencies Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, Bureau of Immigration and National Telecommunications Commission have arrested a Malaysian supplier of IMSI catchers used in text scams.

“GoTyme Bank recognizes that security of its customers’ hard-earned money is paramount, and we keep abreast with the ever-evolving security landscape and the challenges it presents,” Tinio said. To address this scamming issue, he explained to the public how it started and is perpetuated. Starting mid-December 2024, Tinio recalled that GoTyme Bank customers became the subject of spoofing attacks, mostly smishing through text messages.

He said the digital bank started receiving reports from customers around December 18 after they noticed unauthorized outward transfers of their funds after clicking a link from an SMS or text message that came from “GoTyme Bank.”

“After investigating the text messages from screenshots sent by customers, it was determined that these messages did not come from GoTyme Bank and that the sender IDs have been crafted to look like they came from GoTyme Bank,” he said.

After interviewing the customers and co-relating their stories with internal transaction logs, GoTyme noted that the customers go through the following journey: (1) user clicks on the URL link from SMS, (2) goes into a website where they enter their username, passcode and OTP sent to their phone, (3) perpetrator uses customer revealed credentials to take over the user account and links a new device, (4) perpetrator performs immediate outward fund transfers to another financial institution. With the abovementioned confirmed journey, Tinio concluded that the root cause of unauthorized transfers can be traced to a successful smishing attempt from a scammer.

Moreover GoTyme Bank personal bankers or customer service representatives listen intently and immediately log all customer complaints. According to the bank, if the victims’ accounts are with GoTyme Bank, they temporarily hold or freeze the account to prevent any further outward fund transfers. This also prompts them to immediately conduct an internal investigation and collect pertinent details that the authorities would require.

In cases of smishing scams, where the scammers’ accounts are with other financial institutions, Tinio urged the victims to also file a report to the receiving bank and to local law enforcement agencies. He

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DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI’s energy needs and the climate?

Samsung aims to turn its next generation of Galaxy smartphones into AI companions

SAN JOSE, California—Samsung is injecting another dose of artificial intelligence into its next lineup of Galaxy smartphones, escalating an effort to simplify people’s lives while deepening their dependence on a device that accompanies them almost everywhere.

The three Galaxy S25 models unveiled recently in San Jose, California, are the second generation to be designed for the AI age—a craze that market-leading Apple joined last September with the release of the iPhone 16. Most of the hardware on the Galaxy S25 is mostly the same as last year’s model, except for a faster chip and a more powerful ultrawide lens on the camera.

In its next phase, Samsung is positioning the Galaxy S25 as an “AI companion” capable of pulling more requests out of conversations, learning people’s routines, anticipating people’s needs and performing more technological tricks, such as being able to remove unwanted sounds from videos or identifying the name of a song upon request.

The AI on the new Galaxy phones has been designed to toggle from one app to another to fetch, summarize and manage information, entertainment and other content stored on the devices. In an attempt to make the technology even more indispensable, the AI on Galaxy S25 will be able to create customized digital dossiers on users’ behavior patterns and other unique characteristics that Samsung is calling a “personal data engine.”

“Everything you see here is the beginning of a new reality,” said TM Roh, the Samsung executive who oversees its smartphones. “Things that you thought you could never do, but now you can.”

As Apple has been doing with its AI features, Samsung is promising that its technology will shield users’ privacy while also peering into their lives. Samsung is providing the protection primarily by keeping all the knowledge accrued by its AI technology on the Galaxy devices—within a digital fortress the company nicknamed after Fort Knox, the Kentucky Army base seated next to the US government’s depository for gold.

After raising prices last year, Samsung is standing pat with the Galaxy S25 phones, with the standard model starting at $800, the Plus model at $1,000 and the Ultra model at $1,300. The phones are scheduled to be in stores starting February 7.

Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson thinks the Galaxy S25 models “will offer a more intuitive user experience with more integrated vocal and cross-app experiences, but AI is not yet a key reason to buy a new smartphone.”

Samsung is doubling down on its AI bet after getting a sales bump from the past year’s emphasis on the technology. The South Korean company sold 32 million of its Galaxy S24 models from January through September last year, a 25 percent increase from the same time in the previous year, according to the research group Canalys. But Samsung didn’t fare as well in the lower end of the smartphone market, where it was hurt by cheaper devices made by Chinese competitors. That’s one of the reasons Samsung’s total smartphone shipments fell by 1 percent last year, leaving it slightly behind Apple in the worldwide market, according to the research firm International Data Crop.

As was the case with last year’s models, the Galaxy S25 will draw heavily on AI technology made by Google, the maker of the free operating system Android that Samsung has long used for its smartphones. Some of the new AI tricks, such as the ability to deploy Google’s “circle to search” technology to quickly identify the song title of music playing in a video, will debut on the Galaxy S25 before coming to other Android phones later this year. AP

BY  JENNIFE� MCDERMOTT & MATT O’BRIEN

The Associated Press

CHINESE artificial intelligence startup company

DeepSeek stunned markets and AI experts with its claim that it built its immensely popular chatbot at a fraction of the cost of those made by American tech titans.

That immediately called into question the billions of dollars US tech companies are spending on a massive expansion of energy-hungry data centers they say are needed to unlock the next wave of artificial intelligence.

Could this new AI mean the world needs significantly less electricity for the technology than everyone thinks? The answer has profound implications for the overheating climate . AI uses vast amounts of energy, much of which comes from burning fossil fuels which causes climate change. Tech companies have said their electricity use is going up, when it was supposed to be ramping down, ruining their carefully-laid plans to address climate change.

“There has been a very gung ho, go ahead at all costs mentality in this space, pushing toward investment in fossil fuels,” said Eric Gimon, senior fellow at Energy Innovation. “This is an opportunity to tap the brakes.”

Making AI more efficient could be less taxing on the environment, experts say, even if its huge electricity needs are not going away.

PEOPLE FLOCK TO NEW DEEPSEEK ASSISTANT

DEEPSEEK’S claims of building its impressive chatbot on a budget drew curiosity that helped make its AI assistant the No. 1 downloaded free app on Apple’s iPhone this week, ahead of US-made chatbots ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

“All of a sudden we wake up Monday morning and we see a new player number one on the App Store, and all of a sudden it could be a potential gamechanger overnight,” said Jay Woods, chief global strategist at Freedom Capital Markets. “ It caused a bit of a panic. These were the hottest stocks in the world.”

DeepSeek’s app competes well with other leading AI models. It can compose software code, solve math problems and address other questions that take multiple steps of planning. It’s attracted attention for its ability to explain its reasoning in the process of answering questions.

Leading analysts have been poring through the startup’s public research papers about its new model, R1, and its precursors. Among the details that stood out was DeepSeek’s assertion that the cost to train the flagship v3 model behind its AI assistant was only $5.6 million, a stunningly low number compared to the multiple billions of dollars spent to build ChatGPT and other well-known systems. DeepSeek hasn’t responded to requests for comment.

The $5.6 million number only included actually training the chatbot, not the costs of earlier-stage research and experiments, the paper said. DeepSeek was also working under some constraints: US export controls on the most powerful AI chips. It said it

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relied on a relatively low-performing AI chip from California chipmaker Nvidia that the US hasn’t banned for sale in China.

The energy use of data centers in the United States is projected to double or triple by 2028

Data centers consumed about 4.4 percent of all US electricity in 2023 and that’s expected to increase to 6.7 percent to 12 percent of total US electricity by 2028, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

It’s been axiomatic that US tech giants must spend much more on building out data centers and other infrastructure to train and run their AI systems. Meta Platforms, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, says it plans to spend up to $65 billion this year, including on a massive data center complex coming to Louisiana.

Microsoft said it plans to spend $80 billion this year. And Trump last week joined the CEOs of OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank to announce a joint venture that hopes to invest up to $500 billion on data centers and the electricity generation needed for AI development, starting with a project already under construction in Texas.

Experts think that if AI is more efficient, it will be used more, so energy demand will still grow.

When there’s an innovative technology that’s useful to the general population and it’s affordable, people will use it, said Vic Shao, founder of DC Grid, which delivers off-grid, direct current power to data centers and electric vehicle charging stations.

That means data centers will still be built, though they may be able to operate more efficiently, said Travis Miller, an energy and utilities strategist at Morningstar Securities Research.

“We think that the growth in electricity demand will end up at the lower end of most of the ranges out there,” he said.

If DeepSeek’s claims hold true, some routine AI queries might not need a data center and could be shifted to phones, said Rahul Sandil, vice president and general manager for global marketing and communications at MediaTek, a semiconductor company. That would ease the computing need and give more time to scale up renewable energy sources for data centers.

Bloom Energy is one of the AI-related stocks that took a hit Monday. KR Sridhar, founder and CEO, said it’s imperative that the US leads in AI because it can power data centers with clean energy, unlike other countries that still primarily rely on coal.

“We can continue to make it better and we will continue to make it better,” he said.

Rick Villars, an analyst for market research group IDC, said the DeepSeek news could influence how AI researchers advance their models, but they’ll still need plenty of data centers and electricity.

“We think this actually could boost and accelerate the time frame for when AI becomes much more embedded into our lives, in the work sense, the living sense and in health care,” Villars said. “So we still think the capacity is required.” ■

added that the police reports can give the bank the authority to put a longer hold on the account. “Our Customer Service team provides case updates to the victims,” he said.

“It is important to understand that investigations take time. While ongoing, many of the victims demand the return of the money they lost and this is totally understandable. However, as with other banks, there is no definitive time or guarantee that the lost money can be recovered,” Tinio explained.

A9 Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • Saturday, February 1,

A10 Saturday, February 1, 2025

Teen figure skaters among victims of DC midair crash

ORWOOD, Massachusettes—

NTwo teenage figure skaters, their mothers, and two former world champions who were coaching at a historic Boston club were among the 14 members of the skating community killed when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River. Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday that skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane and their mothers were among those killed, along with 1994 pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia.

I n all, 14 of the victims were coming back from a national development camp for promising young skaters following the US Championships in Wichita, Kansas, Zeghibe said. Clubs in Philadelphia and the Washington area also expressed condolences for members of their community. We came here because we needed to be together,” 1956 Olympic champion Tenley Albright said while standing in a rink outside Boston that is named for her. “We’re family, and it’s a community and the skaters—the people who were

on that plane—they’re our family, too.

“ I certainly don’t have any answers.

I really can’t believe that it happened, because I picture them right here,” Albright said, breaking into tears. “It’s just terrible, and it’s sad. And we just feel we need to be together. And that’s why you see so many hugs today.” The Kremlin also confirmed that Shishkova and Naumov were aboard.

Among their students was their 23-yearold son, Maxim, a former US junior champion who has finished fourth at senior nationals the past three years and narrowly missed the podium again on Sunday while his parents watched at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita.

Maxim Naumov flew home Monday.

“He had no reason to stay at the national development camp,” Zeghibe said.

“Both of his parents were with him while he was competing. It’s well-known Mom was always too nervous to watch him skate,” the club official said, pausing to contain his emotions. “But his dad was with him, and Dad was in the ‘kiss-andcry’ sharing his great performance.”

Sixty passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines plane and three soldiers aboard a training flight on the Black Hawk helicopter are

Karl Yulo dismisses ‘sibling rivalry’ with superstar bro Carlos

By Josef Ramos

ANYONE with an awful plot to widen the crack within the Yulo family forget it.

K arl Eldrew Yulo stressed there won’t be any sibling rivalry nor a healthy competition between him and his elder brother, Paris Olympics gymnastics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo.

“ I think no, but it’s something like I want to learn some new techniques—learning from my mistakes…and I am on my own,” said Karl Eldrew, 16, last year’s vault gold medalist at the Tashkent Asian junior championships. “That’s how my big brother taught me, how to be on my own.” The gap between Carlos Yulo, 24, and his mother Angelita, is nothing between cordial and harmonious with the elder Yulo and the Paris Olympian’s partner, Chloe San Jose, openly expressing their dislike of each other. But Karl Eldrew, like Carlos, is focused on gymnastics.

Each time we see each other in training, we talk seriously about gymnastics and train together,” he said. “It’s just the usual day for both of us. There are no expectations, but we always prepare with our trainers.”

T he Yulo brothers were swarmed for interviews and photos in last Monday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night where Carlos received the Athlete of the Year trophy and Karl Eldrew got a Special Citation.

C arlos Yulo also acknowledged that his brother would potentially follow his footsteps with the way he’s been training and focusing on their chosen sport.

T he younger Yulo, like Carlos, is looking unbeatable in domestic competitions, including in the Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa where he’s been dominant in the individual all-around, floor exercise, vault, rings, parallel bars, pommel horse and high bar.  K arl Eldrew Yulo, however, will have to wait two more years to bring his act to the Southeast Asian Games which Thailand is hosting this December because of the 18-yearold age regulation. But

presumed dead after the collision in Washington on Wednesday night. There was no immediate cause identified, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.

Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly said officials do not believe anyone survived.

“ We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” US Figure Skating said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”

Figure skating is more than a sport—it’s a close-knit family—and we stand together.”

O ne of the most prestigious training grounds in figure skating, the Skating Club of Boston produced Olympic and world champions  Dick Button—who died Thursday at age 95—and Albright, Olympic medalists Nancy Kerrigan and Paul Wylie and scores of US champions— including Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, who won the pairs in Wichita last week.

host this spring’s world championships, sent 18 skaters to nationals in all. “We’ve been through tragedies before— as Americans, as people—and we are strong. And I guess it’s how we respond to it,” said Kerrigan, a two-time Olympic medalist and Skating Club of Boston alum. “And so my response is to be with people I care about, I love and need. I needed support, so that’s why I’m here.”

Massachusetts flags were lowered to half-staff outside the century-old club’s newly built rink on Thursday. Flower deliveries arrived at the reception desk, while visitors were greeted with long and tearful hugs.

O n the club’s two practice rinks, young skaters practiced their routines in silence.

Skaters are resilient, and they want to skate,” Zeghibe said. “I think also they come to the club and will come to the club as an opportunity to come together and to grieve together.”

A t able that had been filled with

messages wishing all of the skaters luck in Wichita was replaced midday by one with framed pictures of Lane, Han and the coaches. In front of the photos were lit candles; behind them, six white roses stood in six simple vases. I’m heartbroken by the tragic

Gwon claims dramatic maiden pro win at TCC

Sloss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident,” said reigning world champion Ilia Malinin, who won his third consecutive national title in Wichita. “The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words.” AP

By Aldrin Quinto

TA. ROSA, Laguna—Minwook Gwon exhibited poise beyond his years, bagging the title in his first appearance in The Country Club Invitational with a playoff victory as Guido van der Valk uncharacteristically stumbled into a web of errors on Friday.

Gwon, who joined the professional ranks last year and turned 23 only two weeks ago, stumbled with bogey on the 18th hole but wound up with the day’s best round of 69.

The young Korean pro got his chance to redeem himself when the veteran Dutchman, eyeing his third TCC title, faced a series of mishaps down the stretch and also ended up at three-over 291, which led to a playoff.

O n their return to No. 18, Gwon, who honed his skills as an eight-year-old at Riviera Golf Club in Silang, hit the center of the green in the playoff on his second shot.

Two putts were enough to seal the win for Gwon after Van der Valk caught a flyer on his 5-wood approach and found the water on the back of the green, needing to take a penalty drop on the fringe and ending up with a five.

“ It was a nervous finish. But I really wanted to win my first professional tournament and I feel really good that I won it in the biggest tournament on the Philippine Golf Tour,”

Gwon said.

The P6 million tournament featured an elite 30-player field featuring PGT winners and top finishers on the Order of Merit.

Gw on, who played five events on the

Philippine Golf Tour last season with a best finish of fifth at Caliraya Springs, earned P2 million.

I wanted to win this year after turning pro last year, but I didn’t expect to win it this early, and at this very difficult course,” Gwon said.

Van der Valk received P1 million. Reymon Jaraula carded an even-par 72 and wound up in third place at 293 for P540,000.

L loyd Jefferson Go bagged P408,000 after shooting a 76 for a 295 total, while Kakeru Ozeki of Japan wound up at 296 after a 72 for P288,000.

A idric Chan shot a 76 for a 297 total and joint sixth place with Clyde Mondilla, who shot a closing 77.

Sean Jean Ramos, who recently earned his Asian Tour card, had the day’s only other under-par round at 71 for a 299 total and eighth place at P132,000.

Jay Bayron had an 80 and finished in ninth spot at 302 for P120,000 as Keanu Jahns rounded out the top 10, carding 79 for a 303 total and P108,000.

It was a sorry finish for Van der Valk, who bravely played on even as he grieved the passing of his father Wouter, 72, just two weeks ago. I was hoping to win this for him. Hopefully I get another chance,” Van der Valk said. The Manila-based Dutchman looked set for a strong finish as he found the heart of the green on No. 17 but misjudged the speed on his first putt and admittedly just hit a bad return putt.

O n 18th, Van der Valk hit his drive into the right side fairway bunker and dumped his second into the other side. A spectator found the ball in the bushes and Van der Valk had to take a

penalty drop on the way to a double-bogey. “ I felt a little bit shocked in a way. I though I made every right decision, but it just didn’t work out the way I planned.”

I’m thrilled with how I played, but it’s a shame, I though I pretty much had it. But as I said before, you know that on this golf course, anything can happen at any point.

Saly for me it waited until the 72nd hole then it happened.”

MINWOOK, who turned pro just last season, starts the year with a P2 million win. NONIE REYES

the tournament because of a heated—yet camaraderie-filled—rivalry that dates back to the PAL Interclub’s early years.  T he Sugar Barons are the winningest Men’s titlists with 17 PAL Interclub victories and the first club to win it five (2006 to 2010) and four straight years (2000 to 2003), with their Seniors team earning its place in the Hall for winning it 11 times highlighted by a streak of four straight from 2006 to 2009. Luisita, meanwhile, owns the most wins by any Senior team in history, winning it a total of 18 times while owning an eye-popping streak of six wins from 2000 to 2005.

The regular Luisita team, meanwhile, is an eight-time winner and has a “three-peat” to its record carved out from 1991 to 1993.

T he other clubs who made the Hall of Fame in the Regular Men’s championship are Bacolod Gold and Country Club, Camp Aguinaldo and the recent power of the Interclub, Manila Southwoods. Southwoods has dominated men’s play in the recent past, with seven of its nine titles coming from 2015, where it won four straight, and then three consecutive from 2020 to 2024, not counting the two years the event was shelved because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

B acolod is a 10-time winner and was the first team to rule the event three straight years, doing it from 1963 to 1965; Aguinaldo, meanwhile, won all of its three titles in a string starting with the 1988 edition. PAL Interclub Seniors play kicks off hostilities this year in Bacolod from February 10 with Del Monte as the defending champion, while Men’s action starts on February 18 with Southwoods looking for a third straight title.

Silay beats Lingayen in five to reach PNVF U-21 semis

FORMER Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan pauses while addressing the media at The Skating Club of Boston where six members of the club’s community—including athletes, coaches and family—killed in the collision on Wednesday. AP

CARLOS YULO is handed the 2024 Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Year award as brother Karl Eldrew Yulo receives a special citation.

Israeli doctors say 5 released Thai hostages in ‘fair’ health after 15 months of captivity

By Melanie Lidman The Associated Press

BEER YAAKOV, Israel—When the mother of one of the Thai hostages held in the Gaza Strip for over a year caught sight of her son on a Facebook livestream after his release Thursday, he had changed so much that she didn’t recognize him at first.

Surasak Rumnao, 32, who was kidnapped from the southern Israeli town of Yesha on October 7, 2023, looked pale and puffy, said his mother, Khammee Lamnao.

“I was so happy that I could not eat anything. His father brought some food to me but I did not want to eat at all,” Khammee said on a video call with The Associated Press after the release of her son.

Dozens of Israeli doctors, nurses and representatives from Israel and Thailand waved flags, sang and cheered Thursday as the five Thai hostages stepped off a military helicopter and entered a hospital outside Tel Aviv, where they will spend a few days undergoing medical tests and recuperating.

Three Israelis were also released on Thursday, and Israel released

110 Palestinian prisoners in the exchange.

Besides Sarusak, Watchara Sriaoun, 33, Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Pongsak Thaenna, 36, and Bannawat Saethao, 27, were released in Thursday’s exchange. Hamas militants kidnapped 31 Thai nationals during the assault on southern Israel, making them the largest group of foreigners held captive. Many of the Thai agricultural workers lived in compounds on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, and Hamas militants overran those places first.

During an earlier ceasefire in November 2023, 23 Thai nationals were released in a deal negotiated between Thailand and Hamas, with assistance from Qatar and Iran.

According to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 46 Thais have been killed during the conflict, including two Thai citizens who were killed on October 7, 2023 and their bodies taken into Gaza.

Dr. Osnat Levzion-Korach, the director of Shamir Medical Center outside Tel Aviv where the five were taken, said they were in “fair” health, though most were held underground and were not exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time. She said they did not appear to be malnourished and credited their young age with helping them survive captivity in fairly good physical shape.

Thailand’s ambassador to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya, said she facilitated video calls between the hostages and their families after they arrived at the hospital, describing them as incredibly emotional, with shouts of joy and tears. She said it was “one of the happiest days of her life,” to see their release just a week before she ends her five-year term.

Pannabha said there was no immediate information available about the last Thai hostage left in Gaza, Nattapong Pingsa, nor the two Thai workers whose bodies were taken into Gaza.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra thanked Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, the United States, Israel, and the Red Cross, for helping to negotiate the Thais’ release in a separate deal from the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. She said Thailand’s minister of foreign

affairs would travel to Israel this weekend.

Ambassador Pannabha said the Thai government may bring some relatives of the released hostages to Israel, though many don’t have passports, and that the government would help those released return home as soon as they are medically cleared to travel.

Israel will recognize the released Thai hostages as terror victims, a designation that entitles them to financial benefits and

health care, said Alex Gandler, the deputy spokesperson of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said Israel’s ambassador in Thailand visited some of the hostages released in the previous ceasefire deal on Thursday and that the Israeli government maintains contact with them. Gandler added that since the released Thais did not have family in Israel to greet them upon their release, some of their former employers came to meet

them at the hospital. Gandler said Israel is committed to releasing all the hostages, regardless of nationality. There are still one Thai, one Nepali and one Tanzanian hostage, as well as the bodies of a Tanzanian and the two Thais being held in Gaza, according to the prime minister’s office. Israel hopes all the international hostages will be released, both living and dead, Gandler said, which Israel and Hamas will begin discussing next week.

Midair collision kills 67 people in deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century

By Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Adriana Gomez Licon & Lea Skene

The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va.—A midair collision between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines regional jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, and three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

President Donald Trump told a White House news conference that no one survived.

“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital.

The crash occurred before 9 p.m. in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles (about 4.8 kilometers) south of the White House and the Capitol.

Air crash investigations can take months, and federal investigators told reporters they would not speculate on the cause.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane, agency spokesperson Peter Knudson said. They were at the agency’s labs for evaluation.

The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, and first responders were searching miles of the Potomac, Donnelly said. The helicopter wreckage was also found. Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said

the plane was making a normal approach when “the military aircraft came into the path” of the jet.

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press. Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 p.m., once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report said. A person familiar with the matter, however, said the tower staffing that night was at a normal level.

The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, during shift changes or when air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

The Federal Aviation Administration has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

A top Army aviation official said the crew of the helicopter, a Black Hawk, was “very experienced” and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around the city.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

The helicopter’s maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet (about 60 meters), Koziol said. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.

Koziol said investigators need to analyze the flight data before making conclusions about altitude.

Trump opened the news conference with

a moment of silence honoring the crash victims, calling it an “hour of anguish” for the country.

But he spent most of his time casting political blame, lashing out at former President Joe Biden’s administration and diversity efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration, saying they had led to slipping standards—even as he acknowledged that the cause of the crash was unknown.

Without evidence, Trump blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies. He claimed that the FAA was “actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.”

Inside Reagan National, the mood was somber Thursday as stranded passengers waited for flights to resume, sidestepping camera crews and staring out the windows at the Potomac, where recovery efforts were barely visible in the distance.

Aster Andemicael had been there since the previous evening with her older adult father, who was flying to Indiana to visit relatives. She spent much of the long night thinking about the victims and their families.

“I’ve been crying since yesterday,” Andemicael said, her voice cracking. “This is

devastating.”

Flights resumed around midday.

The deadliest plane crash since November 2001

WEDNESDAY’S crash was the deadliest in the US since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight slammed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people aboard and five people on the ground.

The last major fatal crash involving a US commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, along with one person on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 50.

Experts often highlight that plane travel is overwhelmingly safe, however.

The National Safety Council estimates that Americans have a 1-in-93 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash, while deaths on airplanes are too rare to calculate the odds. Figures from the Department of Transportation tell a similar story.

But the airspace around Reagan National can challenge even the most experienced pilots no matter how ideal the conditions. They must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites.

Just over 24 hours before the fatal collision, a different regional jet had to go around for a second chance at landing at Reagan National after it was advised about a military helicopter nearby, according to flight tracking sites and control logs. It landed safely minutes later.

Tragedy stuns Wichita

THE crash devastated the Kansas city, which prides itself on being in America’s heartland. Wichita hosted the US Figure Skating Championships this year for the first time, along with training camps for top young skaters.

The city has been a major hub for the aircraft industry since the early days of commercial flight, and it is home to the US headquarters for Bombardier, which manufactured the jetliner. So many regional workers have jobs tied to the industry that the area’s economy slumps when sales dip. Several hundred people gathered in the city council chambers for a prayer vigil.

“We will get through this, but the only way we will get through this is together,” said the Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason of St. Paul AME Church.

Collision happened in tightly controlled airspace

FLIGHT 5342 was inbound to Reagan

National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-700 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers. A few minutes before the crash, air traffic controllers directed the jet to a shorter runway, and flight-tracking sites showed that it adjusted its approach. Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight.

A crewmember said the aircraft was in sight and requested “visual separation”—allowing it to fly closer than otherwise might be allowed if pilots did not see the plane. Controllers approved the request. Seconds later, the two aircraft collided. Gomez Licon reported from Miami. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Meg Kinnard, Chris Megerian, Michael Biesecker in Washington; Claudia Lauer in Arlington, Virginia; Brian Melley in London; John Hanna in Wichita, Kansas; and Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, contributed.

THAI hostages who were freed from Gaza Strip, left to right, Surasak Rumnao, Sathian Suwannakham, Bannawat Saethao, Watchara Sriaoun, and Pongsak Thaenna hold the Thailand flag in Israel, Thursday, January 30, 2025.

Trump’s aid freeze triggers USAID exodus, leaving humanitarian programs in jeopardy

By Matthew Lee & Ellen Knickmeyer The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Trump administration changes have upended the US agency charged with providing humanitarian aid to countries overseas, with dozens of senior officials put on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and a sweeping freeze imposed on billions of dollars in foreign assistance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the pause on foreign assistance Thursday, saying “the US government is not a charity.”

Aid organizations say the funding freeze—and deep confusion over what US-funded programs must stop work as a result—has left them agonizing over whether they could continue operating programs such as those providing round-the-clock nutritional support to extremely malnourished infants and children, knowing that closing the doors means that many of those children would die.

Current and former officials at the State Department and the US Agency for International Development say staffers were invited to submit requests to exempt certain

programs from the foreign aid freeze, which President Donald Trump imposed January 20 and the State Department detailed how to execute on January 24.

Three days later, at least 56 senior career USAID staffers were abruptly placed on administrative leave.

Three officials said many of those put on leave were lawyers involved in determining what programs might qualify for waivers, helping write proposals and submitting those waiver requests as they believed they had been invited to do.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

A Trump administration directive that aid organizations interpret as a gag order has left them unwill -

ing to speak publicly for fear of permanently losing US funding.

In an internal memo Monday about the staffing changes, new acting USAID administrator Jason Gray said the agency had identified “several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.”

“As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions,” Gray wrote.

A former senior USAID official said those put on leave had been helping aid organizations navigate the “confusing process” to seek waivers from the aid pause for specific life-saving projects, such as continuing clean water supplies for displaced people in war zones. Others were identified as having been involved in diversity, equity and inclusion programming, which the administration has banned.

On Thursday, a USAID human resources official who tried to reverse the action, saying there was no justification for it, was himself placed on leave, according to two of the officials who had viewed internal e-mails and verified them as authentic. Reporters from ProPublica and Vox first reported the e-mails on X.

The State Department and White House didn’t respond to messages seeking comment about

Russian drone strikes an apartment building in Ukraine, killing at least 6

By Illia Novikov The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—A Russian drone blasted a hole in an apartment building in northeastern Ukraine during a nighttime attack, killing at least six people and wounding nine others, officials said Thursday.

The Shahed drone blew out a wall and surrounding windows in the building in Sumy, a major city, just after 1 a.m., the Sumy regional administration said. Four people were rescued from the rubble, and a child was among the wounded, it said, adding that 120 people were evacuated.

The dead were three older mar -

ried couples, Sumy Regional Prosecutors’ Office said. The regional administration announced two days of mourning in the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it “a terrible tragedy, a terrible Russian crime.”

The full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine, which began nearly three years ago and shows no signs of ending, has killed more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.

Civilians have also endured hardship caused by Russian attacks on the power grid that have denied them heating and running water. Many have been evacuated from areas along the

roughly 1,000-kilometer (600mile) front line where Ukrainian defenses are straining to hold the bigger Russian army at bay.

Russian forces have started using Shahed drones with an increased payload of 90 kilograms (200 pounds) of explosives and metal shrapnel to “increase the number of casualties,” the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andrii Yermak, said on Telegram.

Yermak published photographs of what he claimed were the Shahed warheads, with one photo showing what appeared to be small pieces of metal inside a metal cylinder casing.

The battlefield fighting has been especially fierce in recent times in the eastern Donetsk region, which Russian forces partly occupy and appear bent on capturing completely in coming months.

A Russian artillery strike on the Donetsk city of Kramatorsk wounded 13 people, including two young children, Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin wrote on his Telegram channel Thursday.

“Anyone who still remains in the Donetsk region is putting themselves in mortal danger,” Filashkin said. “Take care of yourself! Evacuate.”

the staffing changes.

The new leaders at USAID also abruptly laid off contractors who made up about half the workforce in the agency’s humanitarian bureau Tuesday, knocking them out of systems so that some vanished in the middle of videoconferences, the former senior official said. The targeted institutional service contractors do everything from administrative and travel support to grant processing and data analytics.

The staffing changes came three days after the State Department issued guidelines last Friday for implementing Trump’s executive order freezing foreign assistance for 90 days. The department says it’s reviewing the money the United States is spending to en -

sure it adheres to administration policy.

The guidelines initially exempted only military aid to Israel and Egypt and emergency food programs but also said program administrators and implementors could apply for waivers for programs that they believe would meet administration standards.

On Tuesday, Rubio issued a broader waiver for programs that provide other “life-saving” assistance, including medicine, medical services, food and shelter, and again pointed to the possibility of waivers. Rubio pointed to the broadened exemptions in an interview Thursday with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly.

“We don’t want to see people die and the like,” he said.

Experts, advocates warn of nickel mining’s risk to precious marine region of Indonesia

By Victoria Milko The Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia—One of Earth’s most biodiverse marine regions is threatened by the expansion of nickel mining projects in Indonesia, according to a new report.

Satellite analysis and on-the-ground visits found a rapid increase in land given over to mining pits in Raja Ampat Regency, a group of tropical islands near West Papua, according to the report from Auriga Nusantara, an environmental and conservation organization in Indonesia.

A few degrees south of the equator, the islands are home to 75% of the world’s coral species and over 1,600 fish species, including critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles and vulnerable reef manta rays. The regency has at least nine marine protected areas spread over nearly 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres), and was named a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2023, recognizing the international value of its geological heritage.

Much of the materials mined in Indonesia fuel the international supply chain for stainless steel, electric vehicle

batteries and more. Experts fear that continued expansion of mining—which more than tripled in the area the past five years—will lead to further deforestation, water pollution and disruption of the area’s precious ecosystem.

Auriga Nusantara’s report found that land used for mining in Raja Ampat grew by about 494 hectares (about 1,220 acres) from 2020 through 2024. That was about three times the rate of expansion from the previous five years. The total permit area for mining in Raja Ampat—all for nickel—is more than 22,420 hectares, or about 55,400 acres.

Felled trees and open pits of orangebrown gravel and earth scar the islands where mining has started, according to Auriga Nusantara. Sediment from the mines could also be seen along the islands’ coasts as it was carried away by the ocean’s current.

“As long as the nickel mining continues to operate, the sediment will destroy coral and its surrounding ocean ecosystem,” said Timer Manurung, the director of Auriga Nusantara. “It’s really a threat for Raja Ampat, as the archipelago is known for ocean biodiversity and richness that makes

Rubio said there would be a program-by-program review of which projects make “America safer, stronger or more prosperous.”

The step of shutting down US-funded programs during the 90-day review meant the US was “getting a lot more cooperation” from recipients of humanitarian, development and security assistance, Rubio said. “Because otherwise you don’t get your money.”

The State Department said that since the aid freeze went into effect, it has approved dozens of waivers, although many were returned because they did not include enough detail. It said waiver requests for programs costing “billions of dollars” have been received and are being reviewed.

The department did not specify how many waiver requests had been denied but said thus far its actions had stopped more than $1 billion from being spent on programs and projects that are “not aligned with an America First agenda.”

Even with the broadening of exemptions for life-saving care, uncertainty surrounds what USfunded programs legally can continue. Hundreds of thousands of people globally are going without access to medicine and humanitarian supplies and clinics are not getting medicine in time because of the funding freeze, aid organizations warn.

AP reporter Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed.

it an international tourism destination.”

With the world’s largest known nickel reserves and rich deposits of cobalt, bauxite and other materials, Indonesia has been experiencing a mining boom on demand for stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries and more that are needed for the global energy transition. The island nation has sought to expand its mining and processing capabilities while facing backlash from international and local watchdogs for various environmental concerns. New mining pits were located on at least four islands in the regency, according to the report. One island where mining has occurred is located within the UNESCO Global Geopark area.

Experts fear the expansion of mining in Raja Ampat could have a disastrous impact on the rich marine ecosystem.

“Sedimentation, or the waste runoff generated from the mining on land that flows into the water, devastates downstream marine ecosystems,” said Victor Nikijuluw, a program advisor for Indonesia-based environmental organization Konservasi Indonesia, in recent written responses to questions from The Associated Press.

“This muddy flow from mining clouds, waters, smothers coral reefs, displaces the animals that can leave the area, and generally endangers the nature that local biodiversity and communities depend on.”

The diverse natural landscape and world-class diving destination has become a growing tourism draw for Indonesia: In 2023 the area drew over 19,800 tourists, more than three times the number that visited in 2022, according to Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

Local communities who rely on the area for their local livelihoods—including subsistence fishing for food and tourismrelated activities for income—have said they’ve noticed decreased water quality since mining began, said marine ecologist Edy Setyawan, who works in Raja Ampat.

“They’ve seen the water get murkier and murkier,” he told AP.

The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association expressed concerns about the expansion of nickel mining in Raja Ampat last year.

SECRETARY of State Marco Rubio speaks after being sworn in by Vice President JD Vance in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in Washington. AP/EVAN VUCCI

IN this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, rescuers search for civilians who were killed when a Russian drone hit an apartment building in Sumy, Ukraine on Thursday, January 30, 2025. UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE VIA AP

IN this photo provided by Auriga Nusantara, deforestation is visible on Gag Island, Indonesia, in the nickel mining area of PT Gag Nikel on December 22, 2024. AURIGA NUSANTARA VIA AP

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LONG, XIAO

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ZHANG, JINQING

Booth Fabrication Specialist Consultant

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Basic Qualification: Able to coordinate and interface between fabrication/installation and pre-fabrication activities. Able to speak and communicate using Mandarin language is an advantage. Willing to work on field.

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46. XU, ZHENXIANG Freight Forwarding

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LUCKY PIYAO TRAVEL AND CONSULTANCY INC. 2nd Floor Avr Bldg., 5410 Beaterio St., Barangay 655, Intramuros, City

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SEAGULL-WORLD INC. 24/f Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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