HIGHERprincipal and interest payments pushed the country’s external debt service burden to post a doubledigit increase in 2024, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
OPE Francis has appointed
PArchbishop Bernardito C. Auza as the new apostolic nuncio to the European Union, the Vatican announced on Saturday. Auza, 65, will replace Archbishop Noël Treanor, who died in August 2024. He currently serves as the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio to Spain, a position he has held since 2019. Prior to this, he was the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations (UN) from 2014 to 2019 where he represented the Vatican in key international negotiations.
During his tenure at the UN,
Auza participated in high-level discussions on global issues, including human rights, migration, climate change, and nuclear disarmament.
The Vatican News said Auza played a role in negotiations leading to the adoption of major agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Treaty on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
The Boholano archbishop also served as apostolic nuncio to Haiti from 2008 to 2014. He was also posted at the Apostolic Nunciatures in Madagascar, Bulgaria, and Albania and worked at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) welcomed the Filipino prelate’s appointment, citing his diplomatic experience and commitment to the Church’s mission.
“Archbishop Auza brings with him a remarkable legacy of diplomatic engagement and ecclesial service,” COMECE President Bishop Mariano Crociata said.
“I am confident that our collaboration will be both fruitful and impactful in advancing the common good in the European Union,” he added.
A native of Talibon, Bohol, Auza was ordained a priest in
Ratings said. US President Donald Trump has imposed 20-percent additional tariffs on China from the 10 percent tariffs in February, as well as 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump also reinstated a 25-percent tariff on imports from Mexico, 10-percent tariffs on energy and related products and
cent on other imports from Canada. The executive memorandum on reciprocal trade and tariffs could be imposed on April 1, widening the criteria for evaluating US bilateral trade relationships.
“This broadening increases complexity, reduces transparency and raises the likelihood of imposing tariffs on more economies,” Moody’s Ratings said. Regardless of how the reciprocal tariffs take shape, Moody’s Ratings said the US has consistently raised concerns about foreign trade practices.
This includes excessive bilateral trade surpluses and applied imported tariffs being far in excess of comparable US levels.
Moody’s Ratings warned that countries with consistent trade surpluses with the US or higher tariffs on US imports are at risk of facing increased reciprocal tariffs.
‘More support’
PHILIPPINE exporters, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), need more financial and technical support to boost their chances of success in global markets amid the need to adopt global sustainability standards, according to experts.
Jonas Marie Dumdum, a senior consultant at the Industry Solutions Consulting (ISC) of Nomura Research Institute Singapore Pte. Ltd. Manila branch, said MSMEs can join the ESG agenda in a bid to also find alternatives for existing products or services, and create something that can have environmental and social impact, as well as economic value.
“So, the smaller you are, the more likely that you are doing this because you really wanted to enter the new markets. And particularly as exporters, you want to have that edge if you are going to go with doing sustainability disclosures,” Dumdum said at the General Membership Meeting of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport).
However, Dumdum said MSMEs would have to work with big companies, adopting the “small brother-big brother approach” as well as collaborating with other government or international agencies and industry associations to secure grants and loans to attain the objectives of penetrating new markets.
Reine Juvierre S. Alberto and Andrea E. San Juan
Govt gross borrowings hit P213.14B in January—BTr
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
THEnational government started the year with P213.141 billion in gross borrowings from the domestic and external debt market to finance the Marcos administration’s programs and projects.
Data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed gross borrowings in January were 4.91 percent higher than the P203.151 billion recorded in the same month a year ago.
The Philippines could see higher borrowings this year due to higher United States tariffs and interest rates, according to Leonardo A. Lanzona, an economist from Ateneo de Manila University.
While the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold policy rates could keep global key policy rates elevated, Lanzona said that if the Philippines lowers its interest rates, investors may shift to countries offering higher returns.
The impact of US tariffs could also further weaken the peso by reducing
demand for Philippine exports, he added.
“The combined high tariffs and the high interest rates in the US make borrowings highly likely as the peso depreciation will require more pesos to buy the same amount of imports,” Lanzona said.
“The planned easing of the interest rate of the BSP will no longer be feasible even if it can raise consumption to spur growth. Lowering interest rates only reinforce the depreciation pressures,” he added. Broken down, bulk or 71.4 percent of the government’s borrowings in January 2025 were sourced domestically. This amounted to P152.200 billion, a 7.55-percent increase from the P141.505 billion in January 2024.
Domestic borrowings consisted of P140 billion generated from the issuance of fixed-rate Treasury bonds, 7.14 percent higher than last year’s P140 billion. The sale of Treasury bills also raised P12.200 billion for the government, 6.06 percent higher than the P11.505 billion recorded in January 2024. Meanwhile, the government incurred lower external borrowings in January 2025, amounting to P60.941 billion. This is 1.14 percent loewr than the P61.646 billion it borrowed in January 2024.
Bulk of the government’s external borrowings were program loans worth P56.289 billion followed by P4.652 billion in project loan. These are lower than the P56.298 billion and P5.348 billion in program loans and project loan, respectively, recorded last year. The government’s debt could only be reduced through raising taxes to finance the budget deficit, according to Lanzona.
“Reducing investments, especially in infrastructure is not recommended. The only option left is raising taxes,” Lanzona said.
Taxing the rich is the only feasible alternative instead of imposing excise taxes, which disproportionately places the burden on the lower and middle-income classes, he added.
“Excise taxes are unlikely to increase because high GDP growth is not predicted. In which case, we need to raise higher income taxes, especially for the rich,” he said.
The government will borrow P2.545 trillion in 2025, lower than the P2.57-trillion target in 2024. About P2.037 trillion will be raised domestically while P507.408 billion will come from external sources.
The government’s outstanding debt reached a new record-high of P16.312 trillion as of the end of January 2025. This is 10.29 percent higher than last year’s 7P14.790 trillion.
Filipino archbishop is new…
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the Diocese of Tagbilaran and became part of the newly created Diocese of Talibon a year later. He holds a Doctorate in Sacred Theology and has been involved in
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approved under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources [BFAR] Management Committee,” said Dr. AA Yaptinchay, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines. He added that they strongly urge the BFAR, as the country’s fisheries regulatory body and their partner in Philippine shark conservation efforts, to immediately investigate this matter and hold accountable those responsible for this unlawful act.
Yaptinchay pointed out that the blue shark is classified as a protected species under the recently passed Fisheries Administrative Order No. 208-1 Series of 2024, where Section 4b states that “the Department shall penalize the offender with a fine equivalent to three [3] times the value of the species or Three Hundred Thousand Pesos [P300,000.00] to Three Million Pesos [P3,000,000.00], whichever is higher, and forfeiture of the species. Upon conviction by a court of law, the offender shall be punished by imprisonment of five to eight years and a fine equivalent to twice the administrative fine and forfeiture of the species.”
“We respectfully request that the BFAR take the necessary actions to identify and penalize the fishermen involved in this incident. We trust that your office will enforce the provisions of the abovementioned laws and ensure that justice is served for the illegal killing of this protected species,” said Yaptinchay.
Yaptinchay explained that sharks are essential for the health of marine ecosystems due to their different feeding roles.
“The whale shark feeds on plankton as a primary consumer, while reef sharks, like blacktip reef sharks, act as meso-predators, controlling fish and invertebrate populations and maintaining species diversity. As top predators, blue sharks help keep prey populations healthy by targeting weaker individuals and influencing their movement and foraging behavior. Without sharks, the balance
billion last year from $7.095 billion recorded in 2023. The rise in external debt service burden is due to past borrowings incurred during the pandemic and global interest rates that have been relatively high since 2022, according to Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation.
While the government diversifies its borrowings other than largely depending on the local debt market, Ricafort warned foreign debts entail foreign exchange risks that needed to be hedged and provide liquid benchmarks in the international bond market.
“However, most of the country’s external debts are mostly medium- to longterm, thereby making debt payments/ servicing more manageable,” he added. BSP data showed the outstanding external debt rose by 9.75 percent to $137.628 billion in 2024 from $125.394 billion in 2023. Of the current level, $85.340 billion consisted of public sector external debt while the remaining $52.288 billion accounted for private sector debt. This resulted in an external debt-toGDP ratio of 29.8 percent in 2024, higher than the 28.7 percent posted in 2023. Meanwhile, external debt service burden as a share of GDP settled at 3.7 percent, up from 3.4 percent in the previous year.
Vatican diplomatic work for over three decades. The Filipino prelate is expected to assume his new role in Brussels in the coming weeks.
of ecosystems would collapse, leading to an overpopulation of unwanted species, resource depletion, and loss of biodiversity. This, in turn, has negative effects on climate change and food security,” explained Yaptinchay.
Anna Oposa, Executive Director and “Chief Mermaid” of Save Philippine Seas, esaid that the incident presents an opportunity for the government to enforce the law, given that these are protected species, action needs to be taken to send a message that this cannot happen again.
Oposa added that the relevant national government agencies and local government units have to work together to increase awareness of protected species and enforce fines and penalties when there are violations.
“There is already some data on sites where sharks are landed, so they can start strengthening campaigns there. We still have a lot of work to do to change people’s perceptions of sharks into a more positive one,” said Oposa.
Oposa revealed that when they do workshops in coastal communities, the majority of their participants would still describe sharks using words like “kumakain ng tao,” “nakakatakot,” and “nakakamatay” [They eat people, they are scary, and they kill].
“This kind of reputation can make people feel like it’s okay for all species of sharks, and that they’re doing something good by killing sharks. The response would not be the same for other charismatic species, like killing a panda or whale. The words we choose to describe sharks shape how we think of them and how we treat them,” she explained.
Andy T. Ordoña, Aquaculturist II/Officer-In-Charge Information Unit of DA-BFAR Caraga stated that the shark identified in the video is protected and listed under Appendix 2 of CITES, and their law enforcement is currently exploring what legal case can be brought against the perpetrators, as the tracing of the individuals involved is being made on the ground. In a statement, the DA-BFAR
“Going forward, future external borrowings/debt would be a function of budget deficit performance in the coming months amid tax and other fiscal reform measures to help narrow the budget deficit,” Ricafort said. Future monetary policy easing of the US Federal Reserve and the BSP would also help lower borrowing costs and debt servicing, he added. BSP data excludes prepayments on future years’ maturities of foreign loans and principal payments on fixed and revolving short-term liabilities of banks and non-banks.
Caraga posted on social media that they strongly condemn the recent killing of a pregnant blue shark, reminding the public of the important role that sharks play in maintaining the health of our ocean ecosystems. They added that as an agency committed to the conservation and sustainable management of our fisheries and aquatic resources.
“Sharks serve as apex predators, regulating the balance of marine life by keeping populations of prey species in check. Their presence ensures the stability of marine biodiversity, which in turn supports the productivity of our local fisheries and the overall health of our coastal waters. The loss of these key species, especially a pregnant female, disrupts the ecological balance and may negatively impact our marine resources and affect the livelihoods of the coastal communities.”
According to DA-BFAR Caraga, “Based on our initial investigation, the blue shark, measuring 2.76 meters in length and 0.53 meters in width, was mistakenly identified as a large tuna or marlin.
“Due to fear and misunderstanding, beachgoers attacked and captured the weakened shark, which was found with a hook in its mouth and injuries on its head and tail,” added the statement.
While further investigation of the alleged perpetrators is ongoing, DA-BFAR Caraga reiterated to the public that under the Philippine Fisheries Code, Republic Act (RA 8550), as amended by RA 10654, it is illegal to fish, harm, or trade protected shark species and other marine wildlife such as manta rays, dolphins, whales, dugongs, and sea turtles. Anyone found responsible for harming or killing protected shark species and other marine wildlife may face an administrative fine equivalent to as high as five times the value of the species or P500,000 or even up to P5 million. If convicted in court, the offender shall be punished by imprisonment of 12 years and one day to 20 years and a fine equivalent to twice the administrative fine.
Congressman warns social media personalities: Attend hearings or...
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
ALEADER
of
the House of Representatives on Sunday issued a stern warning to social media vloggers and influencers who failed to attend the recent House hearing on fake news and online disinformation, urging them to cooperate or risk being cited in contempt.
The House Committee on Public Accounts chairman, Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano warned: “Do not test the patience of the TriCommittee.”
nications Technology, lawmakers confirmed that subpoenas will be issued to 24 individuals who failed to appear despite receiving show-cause orders.
Among those facing subpoenas are prominent pro-Duterte influencers and bloggers Lorraine Marie Tablang Badoy-Partosa, Jeffrey Almendras Celiz, and Allan Troy “Sass” Rogando Sasot.
mittee that “Ms. Rogando Sasot is in China, and she attempted to join today [Friday] as discussed earlier via Zoom; she cannot return to the country.”
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, who presided over the hearing, clarified that the Zoom link is exclusively for House members joining the hearing.
Sara’s confi fund beneficiaries now include ‘Team Amoy Asim’
THE list of individuals who allegedly benefited from Vice President Sara Duterte’s P612.5 million confidential funds continues to grow, with the emergence of a new group dubbed “Team Amoy Asim.”
House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V revealed this on Sunday, as he emphasized the ongoing congressional review of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) confidential fund recipients.
Audit (COA), raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of the fund disbursements.
“Just to remind everyone…resource persons, and that include all those resource personnel who are present in today’s [Friday] hearing, and maybe they’re monitoring this hearing, let me remind everyone that please don’t force us to cite you in contempt,” Paduano, the nominee of the Abang Lingkod party-list group, said in a statement.
The committee also approved subpoenas for Alex Distor, Alven L. Mortero, Claire Eden Contreras, Claro Ganac, Cyrus Priglo, Darwin Salceda, Edwin Jamora, Elmer Jugalbot, Ernesto S. Abines Jr., Atty. Glen Chong, Jeffrey G. Cruz, Joe Smith Medina, Jonathan Morales, Julius Melanosi Maui, Kester Ramon John Balibalos Tan, Lord Byron Cristobal, Ma. Florinda Espenilla-Duque, Maricar Serrano, Suzanne Batalla, Mary Catherine Binag, and Vivian Zapata Rodriguez.
The next hearing is tentatively set for April 8. During the joint hearing of the Committees on Public Information, on Public Order and Safety, and on Information and Commu -
Out of 11 individuals previously issued subpoenas, only eight attended the hearing, while Badoy, Celiz, and Sasot were absent.
Former Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles informed the com -
Paduano emphasized the need for proper documentation to justify absences.
Pimentel then reiterated the final warning: “If those personalities that already received subpoenas will not attend in the next hearing, this committee would be compelled to issue a contempt order.”
Paduano also cautioned against any post-hearing attacks on the committee.
“Just to remind you—Section 11 of our internal rules, Paragraph F—we will not allow discussions or attacks or insults at this committee hearing after the suspension of this hearing because you will be in violation [of the rules]…we will be forced to cite you in contempt [for undue interference],” he said.
Marcos reiterates call for unity within admin’s Senate ticket
AS the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas prepares to step up its efforts and intensify grassroots activities, President Marcos reiterated his call for unity within the coalition, amid speculations that Sen. Imee Marcos is no longer part of the group.
Alyansa campaign manager and Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco said the coalition is finalizing strategies to synchronize national campaign sorties with local schedules, particularly in areas where they have allied candidates.
“Since the local campaign is about to begin [on March 28], we have been discussing with our candidates the numerous invitations they have received for local rallies. Naturally, if these are from Alyansa allies, they will need to adjust their schedules accordingly,” Tiangco said.
He said the coalition will meet again before March 28 to balance national sorties with local engagements.
Recognizing the importance of local outreach, Tiangco said that the grassroots nature of local campaigns is crucial to
communicating each candidate’s platform. In the midst of rumors that Senator Marcos is no longer with the group, the President underlined the strength of Alyansa during the campaign event in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, and urged Filipinos to come together in support of the coalition’s agenda for national advancement.
Marcos emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the country’s most pressing issues, urging the public to stand together regardless of political speculations.
“Let us unite. Let us unite in our alliance. And let us not make this alliance only about these ten people [present]... the eleven senatorial candidates running under this alliance. Join us, stand with us, let us also form an alliance together, stand hand in hand, and work together to improve the lives of every Filipino,” he added.
“Let us come together, help one another, and unite once again to fight poverty, to fight crime, and to fight the drug lords entering the Philippines. Here, I present to you our Alliance—an Alliance that will work hard
to restore peace in our beloved Philippines,” he added.
The Alyansa ticket is composed of former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla, Sen. Pia Cayetano, former senator Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Lito Lapid, Sen. Imee Marcos, former senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Sen. Francis Tolentino, ACT-CIS Rep. and former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, who represents Las Piñas City in the 19th Congress.
No OJT
IN addition, Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates made a strong case in one of the country’s most vote-rich provinces, vowing to bring experienced, resultsoriented leadership to help President Marcos fulfill his remaining three years in office.
“Track record, experience. In Alyansa’s lineup, there are no rookies, no learners, no on-the-job training—we guarantee that,” Sotto said.
Lacson injected humor into the discussion, referencing rapper Andrew E., who performs at every Alyansa sortie before the President’s speeches.
“Tatak Alyansa? Every rally, we hear it from Andrew: ‘para sa kaunlaran,’” Lacson quipped, eliciting laughter and applause from the crowd.
Tolentino pointed to the recent inspection of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) extension by Marcos as an example of the type of infrastructure projects that define the Alyansa brand.
“Calax will connect not only Cavite and Laguna but also Metro Manila and parts of Batangas. If you’re looking for a mark of Alyansa, this is certainly one of them,” Tolentino said.
As Senate Majority Leader, Tolentino emphasized Alyansa’s commitment to sustain Laguna’s crucial role in the national economy—which contributes nearly 5 percent to GDP—while addressing flood control, agricultural preservation, urban planning, and tourism development.
Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
Palace vows to help commuters to be affected by jeepney strike
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
MALACAÑANG said the government will provide aid to commuters who will be affected by the three-day strike this week of a transport group that opposes the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP). Citing a report from the Department of Transportation (DOTr),
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said additional buses will be deployed in the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) busway and trains for the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit Lines 1
and 2 to mitigate the impact of the transport strike, which will start on Monday.
She said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will also provide free bus rides in areas affected by the transportation strike. Castro made the announcement
“As Congress continues its scrutiny of DepEd’s list of confidential fund recipients, we have discovered yet another group—what we now call ‘Team Amoy Asim,’ ” Ortega said.
The latest names that surfaced include “Amoy Liu,” “Fernan Amuy,” and “Joug De Asim,” adding to the growing roster of suspicious names allegedly used to justify millions in fund allocations under DepEd’s confidential expenditures.
These new additions follow previous names, including “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Renan Piatos,” “Pia Piatos-Lim,” “Xiaome Ocho,” “Jay Kamote,” “Miggy Mango,” and five individuals all named “Dodong,” who were listed as beneficiaries of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds.
Ortega said Liu, Amuy, and De Asim have no birth, marriage, or death records in the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) database.
He further revealed that these names were submitted by the OVP and DepEd to the Commission on
“First, we had snacks, then mobile phones, and even fruits. Next came the ‘Dodong Gang.’ Now, we have ‘Team Amoy Asim.’ If the list itself already stinks with fake names, imagine the transactions behind it,” Ortega remarked. Out of 1,992 supposed recipients of confidential funds at OVP, Ortega said 1,322 had no birth records, 1,456 had no marriage records, and 1,593 had no death records.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability (blue-ribbon), also disclosed that 405 out of the 677 names listed as DepEd’s confidential fund beneficiaries under Vice President Duterte had no birth records, indicating that these identities were likely fabricated.
Lawmakers said despite repeated requests for an explanation, the vice president has not provided a clear answer.
Ortega dismissed this as another attempt to evade accountability.
“If the system was in order, how did the funds magically end up under names that do not exist? Where are the documents? Where are the answers?” he questioned.
“The increasing number of fabricated names suggests a deliberate scheme to justify the misuse of public funds,” Ortega said.
“This is not just negligence. These fake names appear in the liquidation reports. Where is the accountability?” he demanded.
Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
Overseas voting pre-enrollment open until May 7– Comelec
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is urging more than a million qualified overseas voters to pre-enroll for the coming midterm elections.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia announced that the enrollment period for the firstever Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) began on March 20 and will continue until May 7.
“You need to enroll through our website...in just two to three minutes, you can complete the process. We only need to capture your biometrics and verify your identity,” Garcia said, partly in Filipino.
He assured that the process is straightforward, requiring only a government-issued ID for verification. Accepted documents include an expired or renewed passport, a seaman’s book, a driver’s license, or a national ID.
However, Garcia clarified that being a registered overseas voter does not automatically grant eligibility for online voting.
“We need to confirm your identity before providing you with a
password to access the system,” he added.
Comelec data indicate more than 1.24 million Filipinos abroad are registered to vote in the May 12 elections.
Of these, 805,358 are women. The poll body initially adjusted the start of the OVCS enrollment period to allow for “proper preparation,” citing that many overseas Filipinos were still unaware they could vote as early as April. To address this, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and various Philippine posts abroad have pledged to intensify information campaigns, ensuring overseas Filipinos are well-informed about the coming election. Meanwhile, the Comelec has also assured the public that the OVCS is secure.
Garcia emphasized that the system’s hash code—a unique digital fingerprint ensuring data integrity—remains “hack-free.” Observers from international certifying bodies and local citizen groups have also not reported any security issues.
“We have strong security guarantees in place. But we will remain vigilant, alert, and proactive because, as you know, there are always bad actors who may try to interfere,” Garcia said.
The 2025 midterm elections will mark the first time the Philippines will implement an internetbased voting system.
A total of 76 Philippine posts, including those in the United States, Australia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, will offer this voting method.
The remaining 17 posts, such as those in Russia and China, will use automated counting machines, as these countries did not permit the use of their internet services for online voting.
www.businessmirror.com.ph
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during the weekend after the Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportation (Manibela) announced they will stage a strike from March 24 to 26.
Manibela is protesting what it called the “lies” of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that 86 percent of the passenger vehicles with franchises are already consolidated in compliance to the PTMP.
It noted the PTMP has led to those who refused to join the consolidation of the LTFRB-issued franchises “to be treated as criminals.”
The announced transportation strike has prompted several universities and colleges in the greater Metro Manila to suspend classes this week.
Castro urged Manibela not to push through with the transportation strike since it will have a negative effect on commuters.
“Our call [to Manibela] is for our citizens who are already having a hard time commuting daily. We hope they will no longer hold a strike and instead they should talk with the new leadership of DOTr to raise their concerns [on the PTMP],” Castro said in a statement issued during the weekend.
Shortly after his appointment last month, DOTr Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said he is willing to listen to the concerns of the groups, who are still against the PTMP.
Administration Senate bets vow passage of land use act
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
VOWING to safeguard the Philippines’ agricultural lands, senatorial candidates of the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas have vowed to push for the long-overdue passage of the National Land Use Act in the 20th Congress should they win in the 2025 midterm elections.
ACT Teachers Rep. Erwin Tulfo underscored the urgent need for the measure to prevent further depletion of the country’s agricultural lands due to unregulated land conversion.
“We must pass the National Land Use Act because land conversion is being abused. This law is for the people, not just a select few. We need to put an end to this issue,” Tulfo emphasized.
“As long as the National Land Use Act remains unpassed, we can expect our agricultural lands to shrink further. Farmers, due to financial struggles and lack of government subsidies, have no choice but to sell their lands to developers for industrial and residential use,” he added, warning
that continued conversion could jeopardize food security.
He warned that continued land conversion would ultimately affect food security.
Senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay for her part called for the strict implementation of Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) by local governments to safeguard food security while managing urbanization.
Speaking at the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas press conference in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, on Saturday, Binay addressed concerns on how urban projects, particularly housing developments, can be pursued without compromising food security.
“Coming from the perspective
of a mayor, what we really need is the strict implementation of the comprehensive land use plan,” Binay said.
She said the CLUP is good for ten years, and it is a product of an intensive study of the conditions and needs of a locality.
“The problem is, the plans are good, but implementation usually fails,” Binay said, as she underscored the importance of properly implementing the CLUP to achieve balanced and sustainable development.
“If we do not follow the CLUP, then what’s the point? The CLUP is supposed to be the guiding framework to achieve food security and sustainable urban growth,” she said.
Binay added that responsible urban planning is critical to sustaining growth without compromising the agricultural stability and overall food security.
As a long-time mayor, Binay recognizes the challenges local governments face in striking a balance between development and food security. She has been an advocate of evidence-based policymaking and governance reforms to ensure that urban planning remains sustainable and responsive to the needs of communities.
The proposed National Land Use Act aims to establish a comprehensive framework for the sustainable and equitable utilization of land resources, ensuring a bal -
ance between agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial purposes while maintaining environmental protection.
President Marcos has previously highlighted the urgency of enacting this policy, stressing its vital role in national development.
Former Senate President Vicente Sotto III recalled that while the Senate passed the bill during the 15th Congress, it failed to secure approval in the House of Representatives. In subsequent Congresses, the situation was reversed.
“If we win in the 2025 elections and return to the Senate, we will ensure the passage of the National Land Use Act. This is the solution to land mismanagement issues not just in Laguna, but across the country,” Sotto vowed.
Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson noted the drastic reduction of Laguna’s agricultural sector owing to rapid industrialization, with agriculture now comprising only 1.5 percent of the province’s land use.
However, he pointed out that approximately 90,000 hectares of alienable and disposable agricultural land still exist and could be revitalized through local government intervention.
“Local governments should explore ways to rehabilitate these lands and promote agricultural activities. While industrialization has boosted Laguna’s economy, we must also ensure the preservation of agricultural
lands,” Lacson added. Lacson also said that while the rise of industries has boosted Laguna’s economy, the province must ensure that agricultural lands are preserved.
Former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos echoed concerns about food security, noting that rapid urbanization has led to the disappearance of farmlands nationwide. He suggested that local governments provide incentives to discourage landowners from selling their agricultural lands for non-agricultural purposes.
“One way to address this is by offering property tax incentives to landowners, making them think twice before selling their farms. Strengthening agricultural infrastructure, providing financial support, and offering affordable loans and crop insurance are also critical,” Abalos proposed.
Senate Majority Leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino expressed strong support for reviving the bill, emphasizing that it has been stalled for too long.
“I support the call to bring this measure back to life and ensure its passage in the 20th Congress. This legislation has been pending for far too long,” Tolentino said. He also proposed linking the National Land Use Act with the One Town, One Product law, which promotes local industries, to ensure that agricultural lands remain protected and productive.
Israel strikes in Lebanon kill 6 in heaviest exchange since the truce with Hezbollah
By Bassem Mroue & Wafaa Shurafa
The Associated Press
BEIRUT, Lebanon—Israel launched airstrikes on several locations in Lebanon on Saturday in retaliation for a rocket attack, killing six people in the heaviest exchange of fire since its ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah began nearly four months ago.
The exchange sparked concern about whether the ceasefire would hold, days after Israel relaunched its war with another Iran-backed militant group, Hamas, in Gaza. In a statement, Hezbollah denied being responsible for the attack, saying it was committed to the truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it instructed the army to respond forcefully against dozens of targets in Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah is based. Israel’s army said six rockets were fired toward Metula, a town along the border with Lebanon. Three crossed into Israel and were intercepted.
The army said it “cannot confirm the identity of the organization that fired the rockets.” It said it struck Hezbollah command centers and dozens of rocket launchers.
An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Touline killed five people, including a child, and wounded 10 others, including two children, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
Another Israeli strike Saturday night hit a garage in the coastal city of Tyre, the NNA reported, with one person killed and seven wounded. It was the first attack on the city since the ceasefire took effect November 27. And a strike on Hawsh al-Sayed Ali village along the border with Syria wounded five people, according to the NNA.
In a statement, Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, asked the country’s military to take all necessary measures in the south, but said the country does not want to return to war.
Hezbollah began launching rock-
ets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict boiled over into all-out war in September as Israel carried out waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant group’s senior leaders. The fighting killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 60,000 Israelis.
Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January under the ceasefire deal. The deadline was extended to February 18, but Israel has remained in five locations in Lebanon across from communities in northern Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, saying it attacked Hezbollah, while continuing drone attacks that have killed several members of the militant group.
Lebanon has appealed to the UN to pressure Israel to fully withdraw. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said it was alarmed at the possible escalation of violence and urged all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made.
Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza THE strikes came a day after Israel said it would carry out operations in Gaza “with increasing intensity” until Hamas frees the 59 hostages it holds—24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Israeli strikes on Friday night killed at least nine people, including three children, in a house in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies.
“Rubble and glass started falling on us,” said Sameh al-Mashharawi,
who lost his brother in the attack. He mourned with his young nephew Samir al-Mashharawi, whose parents and siblings were killed. The 12-year-old, his head and wrists bandaged, sat in the back of a truck and cried.
Israel’s military said Friday that its forces were planning fresh assaults into three neighborhoods west of Gaza City and issued warnings on social media for Palestinians to evacuate the areas.
“Hamas, unfortunately, understands military pressure,” Netanyahu’s foreign policy advisor Ophir Falk told The Associated Press.
Around 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel relaunched the war on Tuesday. Israel had already cut off the supply of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, aiming to pressure Hamas over ceasefire negotiations.
The international community has condemned the resumed attacks.
The initial 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Most of the hostages have been freed in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 49,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not say how many were militants but says more than
half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Uproar over Shin Bet chief TENS of thousands of Israelis on Saturday again protested the government’s failure to negotiate a hostage deal and its move to fire the head of the country’s Shin Bet internal security service. They called for new elections.
The Supreme Court has ordered a temporary halt to Ronen Bar’s dismissal until an appeal is heard. Israel’s attorney general has ruled that the Cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss him.
Netanyahu said in a statement late Saturday that Bar “will not remain the head of the Shin Bet” and “Israel will remain a democratic state.” He argued that his loss of confidence in Bar long predates the Shin Bet investigation into illicit ties between several of his aides and Qatar.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a tax rebellion and general strike if the government defies the court ruling, saying: “If this happens, the entire country needs to grind to a halt.”
Shurafa reported from Deir AlBalah, Gaza. Associated Press writers Ibrahim Hazboun in Kfar Haoranim, West Bank; Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel; Samy Magdy in Cairo and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
Limited ceasefire tested as Russian drone attack kills three in Ukraine
By Samya Kullab The Associated Press
KYIV, Ukrain—ussia launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing three people and wounded 14, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, despite agreeing to a limited ceasefire.
Zaporizhzhia was hit by 12 drones, police said. Regional head Ivan Fedorov said that residential buildings, cars and communal buildings were set on fire in the Friday night attack. Photos showed emergency services scouring the rubble for survivors.
Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders, though it remains to be seen what possible targets would be off-limits to attack.
The three sides appeared to hold starkly different views about what the deal covered. While the White House said “energy and infrastructure” would be part of the agreement, the Kremlin declared that the agreement referred more narrowly to “energy infrastructure.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would also like railways and ports to be protected.
The dead in Zaporizhzhia were three members of one family. The bodies of the daughter and father were pulled out from under the rubble while doctors unsuccessfully fought for the mother’s life for more than 10 hours, Fedorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia fired a total of 179 drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 100 were intercepted and a further 63 lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
Officials in the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions also reported fires breaking out due to the falling debris from intercepted drones. Russia’s Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down 47 Ukrainian drones. Local authorities said two people were injured and there was damage to six apartments when a Ukrainian drone hit a high-rise apartment block in the southern Russian city of Rostovon-Don on Friday night.
Zelenskyy told reporters after Wednesday’s call with Trump that Ukraine and US negotiators will discuss technical details related to the partial ceasefire during a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Russian negotiators are also set to hold separate talks with US officials there.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is open to a full, 30-day ceasefire that Trump has proposed, saying: “We will not be against any format, any steps toward unconditional ceasefire.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a complete ceasefire conditional on a halt of arms supplies to Kyiv and a suspension of Ukraine’s military mobilization—demands rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Saturday that Ukraine was continuing with “treacherous attacks” on energy infrastructure facilities, and that Russia reserved the right to a “symmetrical” response. Her comments came after Russia accused Ukrainian forces Friday of blowing up a gas metering station near the town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukraine’s military General Staff rejected Moscow’s accusations and blamed the Russian military for shelling the station as part of Russia’s “discrediting campaign.”
Pope Francis to be released from hospital Sunday after 5 weeks fighting life-threatening pneumonia
me, Dr. Carbone and the rest of the team.”
By Nicole Winfield, Trisha Thomas & Giada Zampano
RThe Associated Press
OME—Pope Francis will be released from the hospital on Sunday after 38 days battling a severe case of pneumonia in both lungs that threatened his life on two occasions and raised the prospect— for now put to rest—of a papal resignation or funeral.
The 88-year-old pontiff will require at least two months of rest, rehabilitation and convalescence back at the Vatican during which time he has been discouraged from meeting in big groups or exerting himself, said Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who coordinated Francis’ medical team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
But Francis’ personal doctor, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said if he continues his steady improvements and rehabilitation, he should eventually be able to resume all his normal activities.
The doctors spoke at a hastily called press conference Saturday evening in the Gemelli hospital atrium, their first in-person update on the pontiff’s condition in a month. They
said they were discharging Francis after he registered two weeks of stability and increasing progress in his recovery.
“The Holy Father would have wanted to go home a few days ago, as even he realized he was improving, breathing better, and that he could work longer. But I have to say he was an exemplary patient,” Alfieri said. “He listened to the suggestions from
The doctors confirmed he would be released Sunday, after first offering a blessing to the faithful from his hospital suite, the first time he will have been seen by the public since he was admitted February 14. They provided details on the severity of the infection, which he is still being treated for, and Alfieri noted that not all patients who develop such a severe case of double pneumonia survive, much less be released from the hospital.
“When he was in really bad shape, it was difficult that he was in good spirits,” Alfieri said. “But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humor back.”
Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and the time he spent on supplemental oxygen and ventilation. But he said such problems were normal and predicted his voice would return.
“When you have a bilateral pneumonia, your lungs get damaged and the respiratory muscles are in difficulty. You lose your voice a bit, like when you speak too high,” Alfieri said. “As for all patients, young or old but especially older ones, you need time for it to come back as it was.”
Always alert and cooperative
THE Argentine pope, who has chronic lung
disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions. The most serious setbacks began on February 28, when Francis experienced an acute coughing fit and inhaled vomit, requiring he use a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two more respiratory crises a few days later, which required doctors manually aspirate “copious” amounts of mucus, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids. At no point did he lose consciousness, and doctors reported he always remained alert and cooperative. Over the past two weeks, he has stabilized and registered slight improvements. He no longer needs to wear the ventilation mask at night, and is cutting back his reliance on high flows of supplemental oxygen during the day. Doctors said the pope,
a
who uses
wheelchair, had probably lost some weight during his hospital stay.
Colleen Barry contributed from Venice.
SMOKE billows from a building that was struck by the Israeli army, after evacuation orders were issued for residents, in Gaza City Saturday, March 22, 2025. AP PHOTO/JEHAD ALSHRAFI
POLICE officers carry the body of a person killed by a Russian drone strike in a residential neighborhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Friday, March 21, 2025. AP PHOTO/KATERYNA KLOCHKO
Sudan’s army takes control of key buildings in Khartoum, expels RSF
By Samy Magdy | The Associated Press
CAIRO—Sudan
‘s military on Saturday consolidated its grip on the capital, retaking more key government buildings a day after it gained control of the Republican Palace from a notorious paramilitary group.
Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Sudanese military, said troops expelled the Rapid Support Forces from the headquarters of the National Intelligence Service and Corinthia Hotel in central Khartoum.
The army also retook the headquarters of the Central Bank of Sudan and other government and educational buildings in the area, Abdullah said. Hundreds of RSF fighters were killed while trying to flee the capital city, he said. There was no immediate comment from the RSF.
The army’s gain came as a Sudanese pro-democracy activist group said RSF fighters had killed at least 45 people in a city in the western region of Darfur.
On Friday, the military retook the Republican Palace, the prewar seat of the government, in a major symbolic victory for the Sudanese military in its nearly two years of war against the RSF.
A drone attack on the palace Friday believed to have been launched by the RSF killed two journalists and a driver with Sudanese state television, according to the ministry of information. Lt. Col. Hassan Ibrahim, from the military’s media office, was also killed in the attack, the military said.
Volker Perthes, former UN envoy for Sudan, the latest military advances will force the RSF to withdraw to its stronghold in the western region of Darfur.
“The army has gained an important and significant victory in Khartoum militarily and politically,” Perthes told The Associated Press, adding that the military will soon clear the capital and its surrounding areas from the RSF.
But the advances don’t mean the end of the war as the RSF holds territory in the western Darfur region and elsewhere. Perthes argued that the war will likely turn into an insurgency between the Darfur-based RSF and the militaryled government in the capital.
“The RSF will be largely restricted to Darfur...We will return to the early 2000s,” he said, in reference to the conflict between rebel groups and the Khartoum government, then led by former President Omar al-Bashir.
At the start of the war in April 2023, the RSF took over multiple government and military buildings in the capital including the Republican Palace, the headquarters of the state television and the besieged military’s headquarters, known as the General Command. It also occupied people’s houses and turned it into bases for their attacks against troops.
In recent months, the military took the lead in the fighting. It reclaimed much of Khartoum and its sister cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North, along with other cities elsewhere in the country. In late January, troops lifted the RSF siege on the General Command, paving the way to retake the palace less than two months later.
The military is now likely to try to retake the Khartoum International Airport, only some 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) southeast of the palace, which has been held by the RSF since the start of the war. Videos posted on social media Saturday purportedly showed soldiers on a road leading to the airport.
The RSF was accused on Saturday of being responsible for the deaths of at least 45 people in the Darfur city of al-Maliha.
The pro-democracy Resistance Committees, a network of youth groups tracking the war, said the RSF entered the city on Thursday and carried out attacks. The dead included at least a dozen women, according to a partial casualty list published by the group.
Al-Maliha, a strategic desert city in North Darfur near the borders with Chad and Libya, is around 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the city of elFasher, which remains held by the Sudanese military despite near-daily strikes by besieging RSF.
The war, which has wrecked the capital and other urban cities, has claimed the lives of more than 28,000 people, forced millions more to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country. Other estimates suggest a far higher death toll.
The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western region of Darfur, according to the United Nations and international rights groups.
Japan, China and South Korea discuss trilateral cooperation
By Mari Yamaguchi | The Associated Press
TOKYO—Foreign ministers from Japan, China and South Korea sought trilateral cooperation on common ground in areas like aging, declining births, natural disasters and the green economy at a meeting that took place at a time of growing tensions.
At a joint news conference after the talks, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said he, his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and South Korea’s Cho Tae-yul agreed to promote mutual understanding and trust, while tackling shared and multi-generational concerns to gain wider support for trilateral cooperation.
Iwaya emphasized his concerns about North Korea’ s nuclear and missile development and cooperation with Russia as threats, and stressed the need to pursue the North’s full denuclearization under the UN Security Council resolutions.
Iwaya reiterated Japan’s condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine. He said there is no place in the world for unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, a subtle message about China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Wang said China supports the formation of a mutual regional economy and proposed resuming talks on an economic framework for the three countries and promoting an expansion of the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.
Wang said trilateral cooperation in areas including technology and climate exchange will “serve as key driving force for East Asian cooperation.”
Saturday’s meeting focused on plans for a trilateral leaders’ summit later this year amid growing political and economic uncertainty at home and challenges from US President Donald Trump.
The three-way meetings are an accomplishment for Japan, which has historical and territorial disputes with both China and South Korea. Iwaya said he will accelerate efforts toward achieving a leaders’ summit in Japan later this year.
Separately, delegations from Japan and China later Saturday held their first high-level economic dialogue since April 2019, attended by dozens of officials from finance, economy, transportation, environment, health and labor ministries.
Expanding cooperation into new areas and strengthening of communication are key to promoting comprehensive and mutually strategic relations between Japan and China, Wang said.
Associated Press writers Kanis Leung in Hong Kong and Kim Tonghyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.
UK probes Heathrow closure after electrical fire leaves thousands of travelers stranded
By Jill Lawless
The Associated Press
LONDON—The
British government on Saturday ordered an investigation into the country’s “energy resilience” after an electrical substation fire shut Heathrow Airport for almost a day and raised concerns about the UK’s ability to withstand disasters or attacks on critical infrastructure.
While Heathrow Airport said it was now “fully operational,” thousands of passengers remained stuck, and airlines warned that severe disruption will last for days as they scramble to relocate planes and crews and get travelers to their destinations.
Inconvenienced passengers, angry airlines and concerned politicians all want answers about how one seemingly accidental fire could shut down Europe’s busiest air hub.
“This is a huge embarrassment for Heathrow airport. It’s a huge embarrassment for the country that a fire in one electricity substation can have such a devastating effect,” said Toby Harris, a Labour Party politician who heads the National Preparedness Commission, a group that campaigns to improve resilience.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said he’d asked the National Energy System Operator, which oversees UK gas and electricity networks, to “urgently investigate” the fire, “to understand any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure.”
It is expected to report initial findings within six weeks.
“The government is determined to do everything it can to prevent a repeat of what happened at Heathrow,” Miliband said.
Heathrow announced its own review, to be led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, a member of the airport’s board.
Heathrow Chairman Paul Deighton said Kelly will look at “the robustness and execution of Heathrow’s crisis management plans, the airport’s response during the incident and how the airport recovered.”
More than 1,300 flights were canceled and some 200,000 people stranded Friday after an overnight fire at a substation 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away cut power to Heathrow, and to more than 60,000 properties.
Heathrow said Saturday it had “added flights to today’s schedule to facilitate an extra 10,000 passengers.” British Airways,
Heathrow’s biggest airline, said it expected to operate about 85 percent of its 600 scheduled flights at the airport Saturday.
While many passengers managed to resume stalled journeys, others remained in limbo.
Laura Fritschie from Kansas City was on vacation with her family in Ireland when she learned that her father had died. On Saturday she was stranded at Heathrow after her BA flight to Chicago was canceled at the last minute.
“I’m very frustrated,” she said. “This was my first big vacation with my kids since my husband died, and ... now this. So I just want to go home.”
Shutdown points to a broader problem
RESIDENTS in west London described hearing a large explosion and then seeing a fireball and clouds of smoke when the blaze ripped through the substation. The fire was brought under control after seven hours, but the airport was shut for almost 18 hours. A handful of flights took off and landed late Friday.
Police said they do not consider the fire suspicious, and the London Fire Brigade said its investigation would focus on the substation’s electrical distribution equipment.
Still, the huge impact of the fire left authorities facing questions about Britain’s creaking infrastructure, much of which has been privatized since the 1980s. The center-left Labour government has vowed to improve the UK’s delay-plagued railways, its aged water system and its energy network, promising to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy independence through investment in wind and other renewable power sources.
“The last 40, 50 years we’ve tried to make services more efficient,” said Harris. “We’ve stripped out redundancy, we’ve simplified processes. We’ve moved towards a sort of ‘just in time’ economy. There is an element where you have to make sure you’re available for ‘just in case.’ You have to plan for things going wrong.”
‘Clear planning failure’
HEATHROW is one of the world’s busiest
airports for international travel, and saw 83.9 million passengers last year.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said he was “proud” of the way airport and airline staff had responded.
“The airport didn’t shut for days. We shut for hours,” he told the BBC.
Woldbye said Heathrow’s backup power supply, designed for emergencies, worked as expected, but it wasn’t enough to run the whole airport, which uses as much energy as a small city.
“That’s how most airports operate,” said Woldbye, who insisted “the same would happen in other airports” faced with a similar blaze.
But Willie Walsh, who heads aviation trade organization IATA, said the episode “begs some serious questions.”
“How is it that critical infrastructure —of national and global importance—is totally dependent on a single power source without an alternative? If that is the case, as it seems, then it is a clear planning failure by the airport,” he said.
Walsh said “Heathrow has very little incentive to improve” because airlines, not the airport, have to pay the cost of looking after disrupted passengers.
‘No back-up plan’
FRIDAY’S disruption was one of the most serious since the 2010 eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which shut Europe’s airspace for days.
Passengers on about 120 flights were in the air when Friday’s closure was announced and found themselves landing in different cities, and even different countries.
Mark Doherty and his wife were halfway across the Atlantic when the inflight map showed their flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to Heathrow was returning to New York.
“I was like, you’re joking,” Doherty said.
He called the situation “typical England—got no back-up plan for something happens like this. There’s no contingency plan.”
Associated Press journalist Kwiyeon Ha at Heathrow Airport contributed to this report.
ISTANBUL—A court formally arrested the mayor of Istanbul and key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday and ordered him jailed pending the outcome of a trial on corruption charges.
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained following a raid on his residence earlier this week, sparking the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade. It also deepened concerns over democracy and rule of law in Turkey.
His imprisonment is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major contender from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028.
Government officials reject accusations that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated and insist that Turkey’s courts operate independently.
The formal arrest came as his opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, began holding a primary presidential election to endorse Imamoglu as its presidential candidate despite the arrest.
The party has also set up symbolic ballot boxes nationwide—called “solidarity boxes”—to allow people who are not party members to express their support to the mayor.
“Honestly, we are embarrassed in the name of our legal system,” Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, a fellow
member of Imamoglu’s CHP, told reporters, criticizing the lack of confidentiality in the proceedings.
“We learned from television pundits about the allegations that even lawyers did not have access to, showing how politically motivated this whole ordeal has been,” he said. The Council of Europe, a Europewide body that focuses on promoting human rights and democracy slammed the decision to imprison the mayor.
“We deplore the decision to place Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu in detention, and demand his immediate release,” said Marc Cools who heads the grouping’s congress of local authorities.
Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and an author of a biography of Erdogan, said with Imamoglu’s arrest, Erdogan was taking an extreme measure against his key opponent.
“Erdogan is determined to do whatever it takes to end Imamoglu’s career,” he said. “(Imamoglu) beats Erdogan in every imaginable presidential poll.”
Cagaptay said the international environment— where the European Union appears keen to maintain Turkey’s favor amid security threats from Russia, and the United States is unconcerned by other countries’ internal affairs—allows Erdogan to proceed without
Trump orders a plan to dismantle the Education Department while keeping some core functions
By Collin Binkley & Chris Megerian The Associated Press
ASHINGTON—President Donald
WTrump signed an executive order
Thursday calling for the dismantling of the US Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.
Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea.
The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”
It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.
Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its “core necessities,” preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants and money for children with disabilities.
The White House said earlier Thursday the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It says the Education Department doesn’t have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students.”
At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.
“It’s doing us no good,” he said.
Already, Trump’s Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half, and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools. But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress “to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”
Part of her job will be exploring which agencies can take on the Education Department’s various roles, she said.
fear of international scrutiny.
The EU is compliant and the United States is facing inwards,” Cagaptay said.
Before his detention, Imamoglu had already faced multiple criminal cases that could result in prison sentences and a political ban. He was also appealing a 2022 conviction for insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council.
Earlier in the week, a university nullified his diploma, citing alleged irregularities in his transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus some 30 years ago. The decision effectively bars him from running for president, since the position requires candidates to be university graduates. Imamoglu had vowed to challenge the decision.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019, in a major blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. Erdogan’s party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won.
The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which the CHP made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party. AP
“The Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there,” McMahon told reporters after the signing.
The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department.
“For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system— one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind,” said Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.
Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in a fundamentally unequal education system.
“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.
Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,
called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.” Margaret Spellings, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.
“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?” she asked.
Spellings said schools have always been run by local and state officials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and federal government have been holding them back.
Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money—both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing civil rights enforcement.
The Trump administration has not addressed the fate of other department operations, like its support for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs, and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with financial need.
States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.
Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of children with disabilities have despaired over what could come of the federal department’s work protecting their rights.
Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets— roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for lowincome schools.
Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.
In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.
Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump’s claim that he’s returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”
Even some of Trump’s allies have questioned his power to close the agency without action from Congress, and there are doubts about its political popularity. The House considered an amendment to close the agency in 2023, but 60 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it.
Associated Press writer Seung
tributed to this report.
WORKERS are seen as smoke rises from the North Hyde electrical substation, which caught fire last night, leading to the closure of the Heathrow Airport, in London, Friday March 21, 2025. AP PHOTO/KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH
PRESIDENT Donald Trump signs an executive order in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 20, 2025. AP PHOTO/BEN CURTIS
PHL seen importing more US soybean meal
SBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
HIPMENTS of US soybean meal to the Philippines are expected to grow in the next 5 years as demand for the feed ingredient will remain strong despite the threat of animal diseases like African swine fever (ASF).
The US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) expressed confidence that the Philippines would continue to be a major market for its soybean meal, a key ingredient in animal feeds due to its high protein content.
“For soybean meal [exports to the Philippines] in the five-year period, I think we have the potential to probably grow on average of between 5 percent and 8 percent every year in terms of volumes,” USSEC Regional Director for Southeast Asia Timothy Loh told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of a recent food summit in Pasay City.
“It’s in line with the production growth and the consumption growth for poultry and pork and all of these sorts of things that utilize soy to be produced,” USSEC CEO Jim Sutter told this newspaper. Figures from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed that the US exported 2.6 million metric tons (MMT) of soybean meal to the Philippines in marketing year 2023/24, which ended on September 30, 2024. This was higher than the 2.14 MMT recorded in the previous year. However, Loh noted that the Philippines’ swine sector is currently grappling with African
swine fever (ASF), which crimped hog output since its detection in 2019.
Despite this, he said his group remains “positive” about the sector’s recovery, citing the government’s repopulation efforts, including the bid to expand ASF vaccination for hog raisers, which remains under controlled trial.
“Once that is resolved and people start to see the results that they want to see, we should see a good recovery to the swine sector in the Philippines,” Loh said, stressing the need to get hog raisers’ confidence in adopting the vaccine.
“If we get the repopulation of the swine sector and [return] to pre-ASF times, certainly we will see a big bump to the importation of US soybean meal into the market.”
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that hog output shrank by 5 percent to 1.7 MMT last year from 1.79 MMT in the previous year.
ASF threat
FOR Benito Oliveros, USSEC Country Representative, the Philippines’ battle with the deadly hog disease eroded demand for the feedstuff.
This could prompt the country’s US soybean meal imports to dip below the recorded shipments in the previous year, he added.
“Problema natin ngayon sa Pilipinas, ‘yung swine industry natin is devastated by ASF. So, bumaba ang demand ng swine feeds,” Oliveros said.
While this could be offset by growth in the poultry sector, particularly the broiler and layer industries that picked up the slack, he said hogs still consume more feedstuff than fowls, thus denting animal feed demand.
“But mas maraming kinakain
DA: Cheap rice program beneficiaries may buy 30 kilos
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has increased the monthly allocation for the beneficiaries of its cheaper rice program to 30 kilos.
The DA said vulnerable sectors under its program could now purchase up to 30 kilos of rice every month from the previous allocation of 10 kilos.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the new policy would be implemented nationwide immediately. The P29 rice is sold at Kadiwa stores and centers.
“We urge you to take advantage of this new policy, which responds to the calls from our
financially-challenged fellow citizens for greater access to more affordable food, especially rice,” Laurel said in a statement.
The DA said vulnerable sectors, such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and indigents, account for several million Filipinos covered by the government’s P29 program.
It added that rice supplies sold under this initiative are sourced from the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buffer stocks.
The DA launched the P29 program in July 2024 as part of efforts to provide affordable rice options for vulnerable sectors.
Furthermore, the agency widened Filipinos’ rice options by implementing its Rice-for-All (RFA) program, which allows consumers to purchase rice at reduced prices.
Currently, prices under the RFA stand at P43 per kilo for rice with 5 percent broken grains, P35 per kilo for rice with 25 percent broken grains, and P33 per kilo for 100 percent broken grains.
More Kadiwa stores
MEANWHILE , the DA and the National Housing Authority (NHA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would establish Kadiwa stores across
NHA projects.
The DA will assist in identifying and establishing Kadiwa stores or centers at NHA-designated locations and will provide logistical and technical support to ensure the program’s implementation.
“This memorandum of understanding between the Department of Agriculture and the NHA represents a crucial step in integrating food security into housing communities,” Laurel said.
“Providing homes is essential, but true community development goes beyond shelter. It must also include sustainable food systems, livelihood opportunities, and economic stability.” Ada Pelonia
US sounds out Italy egg producers amid shortages in Easter runup
UNITED STATES officials have asked Italian producers if they can help secure egg supplies amid shortages and upcoming holidays, including Easter and Passover.
Gian Luca Bagnara, head of the Assoavi Italian association of egg producers, said he was surprised to hear in recent days from a US embassy representative, who asked how many eggs Italian farmers could ship to the US in the next six months.
“I thought I was on Candid Camera,” Bagnara told Bloomberg News on Friday. Once he was assured the call was real, the tone changed.
“I felt really proud and started making inquiries. This could be an opportunity for building new international relations and we are eager to help,” Bagnara said. But the headroom for exports is very limited, he admitted, as only about 10 percent of Italian production is sold abroad.
With about 13 billion eggs a year, Italy is Europe’s fourth biggest producer, according to Unaitalia, a local association of meat and egg producers. Roughly a quarter of production comes from the northern Veneto region, according to daily Corriere della Sera, which first reported the contact between the US and the Italian association Assoavi.
The request comes as the US has experienced its worst-ever
bird flu outbreak, which has killed millions of hens and sent retail prices skyrocketing. US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday that egg prices are now “WAY DOWN from the Biden-inspired prices of just a few weeks ago.”
Industry groups in countries from Poland to Indonesia have reported inquiries from US embassies and the US Department of Agriculture about eggs for export.
Canola tariffs
CHINA’S tariffs on canola are the “most immediate threat” to western Canada’s economy, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said, even as the US threatens
to raise import taxes against a wide range of Canadian goods.
China announced a 100 percent tariff on rapeseed oil and meal from Canada, where the crop is known as canola, along with a smaller duty on pork and seafood earlier this month in response to Canadian tariffs on Chinesemade electric vehicles, steel and aluminum.
The Canada-China spat is happening at the same time as US President Donald Trump is preparing to broaden a global trade war with a plan to bring in so-called “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2. He has already imposed tariffs on billions of dollars of goods from Canada and Mexico, the two coun -
tries with whom he signed a trade agreement during his first term as president.
Moe urged Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to contact the Chinese government and “at least commit to finding a path, a path to removing these tariffs should he win the next election.”
Saskatchewan has about 60 percent of Canada’s canola refining capacity and employs 55,000 people in the province, according to an industry group in the province of more than 1.2 million.
Moe, who has made repeated trips to the US in recent months as part of Canada’s efforts to try to avert tariffs, said he’s “confident” the US and Canada will find a resolution. “It won’t be without some choppy water, but I am confident that we’ll find a path through because of what it means to each of us, as North Americans, in adding value to these products,” he said in Calgary.
Carney was sworn in as prime minister a week ago and is on the verge of calling an election. Currently, polls suggest it’s a tight race between his Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre.
After the election, the “window is going to open to some degree” for Canada’s oil and gas industry to get new projects approved after years of tighter environmental measures by
yung baboy kesa sa manok. So, I’m still expecting a little bit lower volume of soybean meal coming in (this year).” Oliveros noted that US soybean meal exports to the Philippines in the current marketing year are lower by 9 percent year-on-year.
Tariff war
MEANWHILE , Oliveros said the Philippines could benefit from China’s retaliatory tariffs on US soybeans, as this could lead to lower the prices of soybean meal. He noted that the US would have to search for other markets
if the retaliatory tariffs would push through. The East Asian nation is the world’s leading soybean importer.
“China is getting 70 percent of their soybeans from Brazil. Since Brazil prioritizes China, the US would enter markets left behind by Brazil,” Oliveros said.
“There’s also a lot of production in Brazil, so the US will really offer [soybean meal] at a lower price.”
Sutter said soybean meal is currently cheaper due to a bumper crop from the US and Brazil, the world’s leading soybean producers.
“As long as there is this uncertainty in the market and people wondering about tariffs and trade, that’s not very bullish for prices. So, prices could possibly go lower [if the tariffs push through].”
World Bank figures showed that global soybean meal quotations dropped by 21.66 percent to $358 per metric ton (MT) in February from $457 per MT a year ago. The recent figure is also lower than the average price of $442 per MT in 2024. Currently, the local retail price of soybean meal stands at around P27 to P28 per kilo, lower than the P30 per kilo recorded last year, Oliveros said.
Nations must improve response to bird flu outbreaks–FAO
COUNTRIES must enhance surveillance and reporting and strengthen outbreak response to address the global spread of avian influenza or bird flu, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Apart from these measures, FAO also called on countries to improve laboratory capacity, foster regional and international cooperation and develop and implement preparedness plans and plan for business continuity.
The UN agency urged nations to consider vaccination to mitigate risk and promote risk management through biosecurity.
In a briefing by the FAO to member countries last week, it noted that the spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza has resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide with increased spillover into mammals.
The UN agency said this highlights the urgent need for strengthened biosecurity, monitoring and surveillance, rapid-response mechanisms, and risk communication to safeguard the poultry sector and protect livelihoods and economies.
FAO Deputy DirectorGeneral Godfrey Magwenzi described the spread of the disease as unprecedented, “leading to serious impacts on food security and food supply in countries, including loss of valuable nutrition, rural jobs and income, shocks to local economies, and of course increasing costs to consumers.”
Among the complex challenges avian influenza poses are how to protect poultry production systems to ensure food security and
the nutrition of the millions who rely on poultry for meat and eggs. Additional challenges revolve around safeguarding biodiversity, livelihoods and safe trade, and preventing social impacts, most often borne by poultry farmers, Magwenzi said.
FAO Deputy DirectorGeneral Beth Bechdol said bird flu is a transboundary issue requiring a global, coordinated response.
“FAO has been on the front lines of tackling this virus for over 20 years— supporting governments in detecting, preventing, and responding to outbreaks.”
To strengthen these efforts, FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have launched a 10-year Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza.
Bechdol highlighted FAO’s role in combating avian influenza and other potential pandemic threats, underscoring the importance of strong veterinary and animal health system capacity in every country.
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. By working together, we can reduce the impact of avian influenza and protect both animal and human health-locally and globally.”
The last four years have seen a major shift in avian influenza in terms of geographical spread, with increased spillover to mammals and massive losses in domestic birds, impacting food security and driving up prices for poultry products, FAO told its members.
Large numbers of wild birds have succumbed to the disease, harming biodiversity with at least 300 newly affected wild bird species since 2021
A COMBINE harvester in a field of soybeans during a harvest in Waynesfield, Ohio. MATTHEW HATCHER/BLOOMBERG
Health investments: A vital catalyst for PHL economic growth
THE adage “health is wealth” underscores the intrinsic link between the well-being of a nation’s citizens and its overall economic prosperity. A healthier population tends to be more productive, exhibiting higher levels of energy, focus, and efficiency in the workforce. When citizens are free from chronic illnesses and have access to quality healthcare, they are better equipped to contribute to the economy, thereby driving growth and innovation.
The recent pronouncements by National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan underscore a fundamental truth often overlooked in the pursuit of economic progress: sustainable economic growth is inextricably linked to the health and well-being of the population. His emphasis on the vital role of robust health outcomes as the bedrock of long-term progress is both timely and crucial for the Philippines. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “Economy grows with healthier Pinoys—Neda,” March 21, 2025).
A productive economy, as Balisacan notes, is a powerful engine for innovation, job creation, and poverty reduction. However, this engine sputters and stalls when the workforce is burdened by ill health and limited access to quality healthcare. Research clearly demonstrates the positive correlation between public health spending and increased labor productivity. The examples from Asean members further reinforce this connection, highlighting the strong relationship between GDP per capita, investments in health, and improved life expectancy.
The Philippines, however, faces significant hurdles. The alarming statistics on childhood stunting and literacy, as revealed in a PIDS report, paint a concerning picture of the challenges ahead. Furthermore, the high percentage of out-of-pocket health expenses borne by Pinoy families—44.4 percent in 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority—highlights the urgent need to alleviate the financial burden of healthcare and expand access to affordable, quality services. Families should not be forced to choose between essential needs and seeking medical attention.
The Marcos administration’s commitment to health reforms through the Eight-Point Action Agenda and the continued implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act is a step in the right direction. These initiatives should be pursued energetically, with an emphasis on achieving tangible results.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has made a positive step by establishing the Health Economics and Finance Program (HEFP). This program has the potential to play a pivotal role in generating evidence-based research to guide policymakers in making informed decisions about healthcare financing and delivery. By providing technical assistance to the Department of Health and PhilHealth, the HEFP can contribute to refining strategies for expanding benefits, improving access to healthcare, and enhancing financial risk protection for all Filipinos.
The challenges in the health sector are substantial, demanding urgent and evidence-based reforms. The HEFP represents a crucial step forward in addressing these challenges and underscores the commitment to data-driven policymaking. Ultimately, investing in the health of Filipinos is not merely a social imperative but also a sound economic strategy.
A healthy population is a productive population, and a productive population is the foundation for sustained and inclusive economic growth. We should place health at the forefront of our development agenda to fully realize our economic potential and ensure a prosperous future for all Pinoys.
The role of EdTech in transforming learning
TRISING SUN
HE Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) recently released its Year Two Report, “Fixing the Foundations,” shedding light on the urgent need for systemic reforms in Philippine education. The findings are sobering: the education system is grappling with challenges that begin in early childhood and extend through higher education and lifelong learning. These issues are not merely academic—they touch the lives of millions of Filipino learners and have far-reaching implications for the nation’s future. Amid this crisis, educational technology (EdTech) emerges as a ray of hope, offering transformative solutions to improve access, equity, and learning outcomes.
The report underscores foundational gaps that hinder the development of Filipino students. Only 25 percent of children receive adequate nutrition during their first 1,000 days, leading to stunting and cognitive deficits that impair their ability to learn. By Grade 3, most students perform below curriculum expectations in reading and math, lagging by one or two grade levels. The situation is compounded by logistical inefficiencies—many public schools lack basic resources like textbooks. For a decade, learners from Kindergarten to Grade 10 had incomplete or no textbooks, with only Grades 5 and 6 receiving adequate materials since the introduction of the K-12 curriculum. These failures reflect
deeper administrative challenges within the Department of Education (DepEd), as noted by EDCOM Executive Director Karol Mark Yee. EdTech offers innovative solutions to these systemic problems. Over the past two decades, digital tools have increasingly supplemented traditional classroom methods, a trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. EdTech encompasses a wide range of technologies—online and offline learning platforms, adaptive learning systems, and virtual classrooms—that can help bridge educational inequities. For rural areas where infrastructure remains limited, these tools provide opportunities to overcome geographical barriers.
One of EdTech’s most promising
Despite its potential, EdTech faces significant hurdles in the country. The digital divide remains a persistent challenge—many schools lack reliable Internet connectivity and access to computers or digital devices. Teacher training is another critical issue; educators must be equipped with the skills to effectively integrate EdTech into their teaching practices. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration between government agencies and the private sector.
features is its capacity for personalized learning. Adaptive technologies can tailor educational content to individual students’ needs, allowing them to progress at their own pace while addressing specific knowledge gaps. This approach has been shown to significantly improve engagement and learning outcomes. Remote education platforms further expand access to quality resources for underserved communities, mitigating disparities in educational opportunities. Despite its potential, EdTech faces significant hurdles in the country. The digital divide remains a persistent challenge—many schools lack reliable Internet connectivity and access to computers or digital devices. Teacher training is another critical issue; educators must be equipped with the skills to effec-
tively integrate EdTech into their teaching practices. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration between government agencies and the private sector.
One solution is deploying hybrid learning models that incorporate offline-first technologies. Platforms like the National Education Portal—highlighted in EDCOM 2’s MATATAG Agenda—can preload tablets or Learning Management Systems (LMS) with digital textbooks and video lessons for core subjects. In partnership with local government units (LGUs), solarpowered charging stations can be set up for schools without stable electricity or internet. This approach ensures that even last-mile schools can benefit from technological advancements.
Teacher training must also be prioritized through modular programs accessible via DepEd’s LMS. Partnerships with telecommunications companies can provide zero-rated access to training portals in rural areas, ensuring that educators have the tools they need to succeed. Public-private partnerships can further address device shortages by distributing refurbished laptops or tablets to schools while piloting advanced tools like AI tutors in urban areas. Finally, leveraging data is crucial for targeting resources effectively. Mapping unelectrified schools and deploying solar kits before introducing computerization ensures infrastructure gaps are systematically addressed.
See “Rojas,” A11
Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua enshrined at the NPC
LAST week, the hallowed halls of the National Press Club of the Philippines echoed with a tribute, a posthumous accolade honoring Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua. He now stands enshrined among the titans of Philippine journalism—Graciano Lopez Jaena, Chino Roces, Jose G. Burgos Jr.—a testament to a life woven into the very fabric of the nation’s literary and journalistic soul. Among his confidantes were the likes of Nick Joaquin, Blas Ople, Teddyboy Locsin, Adrian Cristobal and Pete Lacaba. Such friendships were not mere acquaintances, but a constellation of luminaries, a gathering of the greats, drawn to his incandescent spirit.
Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua’s story, at its heart, is a saga of filial devotion. A devotion to his mother that became the crucible in which his ambition was forged. A devotion that propelled him to his first million before the dawn of his 30th year. This was not merely an ac-
cumulation of wealth, but a powerful testament to a son’s selfless sacrifice to uplift his mother’s life. His entrepreneurial ventures— pawnshops, hotels, media, and beyond—were not disparate pursuits, but a symphony of diverse skills, a harmonious blend, a testament to
a man who refused the confines of a single discipline. An accountant, a master of Gregg shorthand, a trained car mechanic—he was the embodiment of modern “upskilling,” a polymath whose “Midas touch” transformed every enterprise he touched. He was a man fueled by a singular mission: to provide his mother with the comforts and luxuries that life had withheld from her during his youth. From childhood movie outings to owning the very cinemas that once captivated them, his life was a narrative of turning dreams into tangible realities. From humble beginnings, he built an empire. From simple aspirations, he created a legacy. Even venturing into filmmaking, he commanded box office success with the King of Movies, Fernando Poe Jr. But his wealth was not an end, but a means. A means to be a patron of the sacred, a benefactor to aspiring priests and nuns. His friendship with the Cardinals was a testament to his deep-seated faith, a faith that shone through in everything he did. When he turned 80, the eight princes of the Church themselves graced his celebration, a rare honor, a rare distinction, a testament to his profound connection to the spiritual realm.
His business acumen was legendary. He revolutionized the pawnshop industry, opening earlier and closing later than his competitors. A simple yet profound strategy, it revealed his keen understanding of the market. This was not mere business; this was innovation. This was a disruption. This was a reimagining of what was possible. His commitment transcended borders. As the Philippine envoy to Laos, he emitted rays of hope, addressing the needs of Filipino workers and providing scholarships to Laotian officials’ children. He was transforming them into pillars of their nation. By nurturing his friendship with the powers-that-be in Laos, he opined to me, he was assured that the Filipino workers in Laos— part of the Filipino diaspora—need
Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II
Fake then, fake now! Government learning academies
AJoel L. Tan-Torres
DEBIT CREDIT
S a training and learning institution, the Philippine Tax Academy should have a robust research program and agenda. It is not enough that the PTA pursues its chief mandate of providing training courses to the different tax collecting offices of the country including the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and the local government units’ treasurers, under the auspices of the Burea of Local Government Finance (BLGF).
In pursuing its research agenda, the PTA can collaborate with research bodies in the government that are involved in fiscal and taxation matters. These include the National Tax Research Center (NTRC).
The beginning of tax research in the Philippines was laid with the enactment of Republic Act 2211 on May 15, 1959, which established the Joint Legislative-Executive Tax Commission. This body provided support in tax policy formulation to the government, including the Department of Finance (DOF) and Congress. Presidential Decree No. 74 on December 6, 1972 transformed the JLETC into the NTRC under the administrative supervision of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). In 1987, Executive Order No. 127 reassigned the NTRC as an attached agency of the DOF.
The NTRC continues to conduct in-depth studies on various tax-related matters to give input for policy decisions. The NTRC is headed by an Executive Director assisted by five Deputy Executive Directors. The current Executive Director is Atty. Mark Lester Aure.
The Deputy Executive Directors supervise the five groups in the NTRC, as follows: Fiscal Incentives Management Group, Monitoring and Evaluation Group, Legal Group, Tax Research Group, and Financial and Administrative Services Group. The NTRC is structured into several specialized branches and units, each focusing on distinct areas of tax research and policy analysis.
From 1994 to 2003, the NTRC was the Secretariat of the Study Group on Asian Tax Administration and Research (SGATAR) where member jurisdictions were established. The SGATAR was established in 1970 to foster cooperation and knowledge-sharing among tax administrations in the Asia-Pacific region. During the time that NTRC was the Secretariat, it published several comparative studies of the tax systems of the region’s countries. These publications were a source of information for government policymakers, tax administrators, academia, and the private sector to familiarize themselves with the tax systems and developments in taxation in the region. The research publications of the NTRC included, among others, Innovations in Tax Administration in Selected Countries in Asia and the Pacific, 1993, and Tax Reforms in Selected Countries in Asia and the Pacific, 1990. ( https://sgatar.org/public/projects-publications/ )
. . Continued from A10
not worry: their plaints just within earshot of the Philippine embassy, their voices heard, their concerns acted upon.
His generosity, particularly towards the journalistic community, was the stuff of legend. Hence, the National Press Club’s decision, on March 14, 2025, to enshrine him in their Hall of Fame—a rare honor, a rare distinction, a testament to a man who, though not a journalist by profession, understood the power of
The PTA should also collaborate with the principal tax research offices in Congress. The Senate Tax Study and Research Office (STSRO) and the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) are specialized research bodies in Congress, providing tax research support to the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.
The STSRO was established through Senate Resolution No. 52 in 1989. The STSRO serves as the Senate’s permanent technical arm on taxation matters and provides technical assistance to the Chairperson and Members of the Committee on Ways and Means, as well as other Senators, on tax proposals.
The STSRO has three branches, the Direct Taxes Branch, the Indirect Taxes Branch, and the Legal and Tariff Branch. It is presently headed by Director General Rodelio T. Dascil.
The CPBRD operates under the House of Representatives, providing a broader mandate compared to the STSRO. It conducts comprehensive research on economic, fiscal, and social issues to assist legislators in policy formulation and decisionmaking.
The CPBRD has several divisions, each focusing on specific policy areas such as Economic Policy, Fiscal Policy Social Policy, and Budget Review. This is presently headed by Deputy Secretary General Romulo Miral, Jr.
Both the STSRO and CPBRD play vital roles in supporting the legislative process in the Philippines by ensuring that policy decisions are informed by thorough research and analysis.
With the PTA fostering structured collaboration between the NTRC and the two research bodies of Congress, the study and research of the country’s tax system and future legislation will be in competent hands. This can bring about evidence-based tax policies, datadriven tax system enhancements, and international tax competitiveness meeting global standards.
To be continued
Joel L. Tan-Torres was the former Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and Tax partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979. He has his own tax and consultancy practice and can be contacted at joeltantorress@yahoo.com and his firm JL2T Consultancy.
the press.
Board Secretary Ma. Kristina Maralit, in her eloquent tribute, captured the essence of his life: “To be remembered for the love of a child for his mother.” This love was the engine of his success. This love was the guiding star that led him to create opportunities for others.
His ALC Media Group, encompassing DWIZ 882 AM, 97.9 Home Radio FM, BusinessMirror , Pilipino Mirror and Philippines Graphic, was his legacy to the nation—a testament to his belief in the power of an informed citizenry. His recent dream of Aliw Channel 23, now un-
Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.
THE PATRIOT
IN a hearing where certain bloggers were invited as resource speakers, the constitutional freedom of speech was again brought in the limelight. On one hand, opinions, as opposed to facts, should be protected and subject only to very limited exceptions. After all, even an opinion, no matter how baseless, remains as a personal judgment. Furthermore, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the freedom of opinion without interference as well as to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media. But when it comes to so-called facts when reported as news, more restrictions are in place given that people base their opinions on facts. So, when news becomes false, opinions based on such false news are erroneous if not deeply flawed. As my pastor friend said, false information can lead to wrong interpretation, which ultimately results to mistaken application.
Broadcast media outlets are therefore given greater responsibility and require greater government regulation inasmuch as their reach is significantly far and wide. In this age of social media, fake news, usually with sensational headlines to generate interest, are disseminated under the guise of news reporting. Since it is less regulated, there have been a deluge of false stories to influence political views. On social media, some fabricated stories can be amusing. Over time, these stories have been commercially viable since views, likes, and comments can translate to dollars or pesos.
Freedom of expression includes “the right to speak, to be heard, and to participate in political, artistic, and social life.” Incorporated in this freedom is the right of the people to know, seek, receive, and share any type of information through various platforms. But when this right gets unbridled and abused, the dialogue it seeks to create becomes chaotic!
And that is how some bloggers have made a mess in our society today. The purpose of this right of expression
to build understanding and increase public knowledge has caused so much divisive dissent!
Recognized as a fundamental human right, the exercise of the right to freedom of expression is not absolute as in the case of respecting the rights and reputations of others, as well as in the interest of national security, public order, health or morals. The US Supreme Court has recognized certain exceptions to the exercise of the right to freedom of expression such as libelous or defamatory statements. So, when bloggers hurl insulting comments or invectives to government officials exercising this freedom of expression, it is no longer protected under our laws. Even when labeled as “fighting words” or “passionate opinions,” bloggers can be penalized or punished when such utterances are not essential in any intelligent discourse. Sadly, some of the posts seen and exposed during this latest congressional hearing have little social value that deserve scant protection. In one Philippine case, the Court held that the difference
in the treatment of various kinds of speeches vary depending on the underlying interests for making the same. From what I have seen, these social media posts coming from a few resource persons summoned to Congress have little value in determining truth. These bloggers have little accountability and some have rudimentary appreciation of this freedom of expression. Yet, they have lots of followers due to their sensationalist style of presenting information with little regard for fact checking and validating their sources.
In Biblical history, false prophets were not in scarcity. Believers have been warned both in the Old and New Testament: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” ( Jeremiah 23:16 ) and “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” ( Matthew 7:15 ). “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24) Whether false prophets of old or fake news peddlers in this day and age, they appear credible at first, but they are adept in deceitful ways to convince followers to believe them. In relation to credibility of news, congratulations are in order to Radio Veritas, which has recently garnered the top two spot when it comes to listeners and followers among the many radio stations in Metro Manila. Led by Father Anton CT Pascual and Station Manager Riza Mendoza, Radio Veritas PH (DZRV 846 MHz) has phenomenally improved over a one-year span owing to its set of radio hosts and block timers whose “pious” credentials remain as the likely reason of getting 16 percent of the market share from a paltry one percent last year. With priests, nuns, ministers, and even a pastor hosting some worthy programs
with varying topics, one would hardly expect fake news to come from this “Radyo ng Simbahan.” Nonetheless, to minimize being victimized by fake news, one good friend in the broadcast industry advised me to check the source, first and foremost, and do some cross checking in other channels before reading and believing reports on social media. And to add to this preventive measure, let’s be reminded that when it’s too good to be true, it must not be true, with the exception of the Holy Book, which is the one True Source of truth. Again, God’s Word condemns the presentation of falsehood as if it were the truth: In Zechariah 8:16-17, the Lord says, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this.” Ephesians 4:25 tells believers, “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” The best antidote for fake news is God’s Word. Everyone should learn to evaluate the news with discernment. We would do well to check any viewpoint in light of Scripture and ask how the reporters’ opinion might slant the report. For apart from the truth, humility is essential, for those who carry the news are vulnerable to sounding better than the facts warrant. Enough of the fake then and now! Spread God’s Truth more than ever!
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission. For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.
Heathrow blackout shows weak spot in airport power supplies
By Kate Duffy
LONDON Heathrow’s unprecedented blackout on Friday has put the airport’s reliance on potentially vulnerable infrastructure into focus, at a time when the biggest UK hub is lobbying for an ambitious expansion plan.
A fire late Thursday at a nearby electrical substation cut off the power supply to Heathrow, bringing flights to a standstill for almost all of Friday. While backup systems kicked in, they only allow the hub to land some aircraft and evacuate passengers, but not to support full operations. Only by late Friday did a few flights resume, mainly to repatriate dislocated passengers.
The public blowback to the outage was swift, with Willie Walsh, the former chief executive officer of British Airways parent IAG SA and now IATA director, saying it’s “yet another case of Heathrow letting down both travelers and airlines.” Walsh said it’s a “clear planning failure by the airport” if critical national infrastructure relies on one energy source without an alternative.
At the same time, given that Europe’s busiest airport uses as much energy as a small city, keeping enough power capacity in reserve to
der the passionate zeal of D. Edgard A. Cabangon, further cements his commitment to the media, his commitment to the truth.
His friendships with journalistic giants were not mere alliances, but deep bonds forged in mutual respect. He understood the media’s role as a societal mirror, a guardian of truth, a herald of transparency. He understood that the press was not just a tool but a moral responsibility, one that he chose to uphold with every decision he made.
His religious devotion, his patronage of the arts, his diplomatic service—all were threads in the
meet such demand is complicated. Heathrow hasn’t suffered an outage on that scale in at least two decades, with previous disruptions typically caused by strikes, weather, or airtraffic control computer glitches.
“Lots of people would say it seems like a greater level of redundancy could have been built in, but ultimately you have to pay for that,” said Robin Preece, a lecturer in future power systems at the University of Manchester. “It’s a question of how much you’re willing to pay for situations which are unlikely to arise.”
On Saturday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband commissioned the country’s National Energy System Operator to investigate the power loss at the airport. The aim is to help build a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the incident and the UK’s energy resilience more broadly so that it’s prevented from ever happening again, the Department for
rich tapestry of his life. Each thread, each act, woven together into a life of profound impact. And when his portrait was unveiled, his children and grandson, in their gratitude, pledged to uphold his legacy, ensuring that his institutions continue to serve with integrity and dedication. In Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua, we see not just a businessman, but a visionary. Not just a philanthropist, but a diplomat. Not just a man of means, but a son whose love illuminated a nation, whose love transcended time, whose love built an enduring legacy.
The incident comes at a time when Heathrow is trying to position itself for expansion and remain competitive against other international hubs like Dubai and Paris. Heathrow recently got the go-ahead from the UK government to build a third runway, a concept that has been considered for decades, in a bid to increase passenger numbers.
Energy Security and Net Zero said in a statement.
Airports around the UK are connected to substations in a similar way to Heathrow, and it’s not unusual for some to be dependent on a single source, Preece said. What’s different this time is the fire and catastrophic failure that ensued, Preece said in an interview.
While infrequent, such fires can be caused by various factors, said John Loughhead, an electrical engineering expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Some equipment in the substations, such as oil and circuit breakers, are flammable or can trigger explosions.
“It is surprising that, as a part of our national critical infrastructure,
Rojas.
. . Continued from A10
Redirecting funds from programs like the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) could subsidize EdTech access for low-income households in underperforming regions.
As Senator Pia Cayetano aptly noted during EDCOM 2’s presentation: “No EdTech can thrive without foundational infrastructure.” A phased approach—addressing basic infrastructure first while scaling context-aware technologies—offers
Heathrow does not have an alternative supply point in case of accidents like this,” he said in an e-mail. The incident comes at a time when Heathrow is trying to position itself for expansion and remain competitive against other international hubs like Dubai and Paris. Heathrow recently got the go-ahead from the UK government to build a third runway, a concept that has been considered for decades, in a bid to increase passenger numbers.
Heathrow is also installing nextgeneration luggage scanners across the security lanes in all of its terminals. The airport is set to miss the government deadline in June which was already extended by a year, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month.
The fallout from Friday’s blackout would have been worse still had Heathrow already had a third runway, said Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University. There’s currently little spare capacity across UK airports to help accommodate disrupted passengers from Heathrow’s shutdown, he said.
“Heathrow runs at near 100percent saturation,” Gratton said. With assistance from Priscila Azevedo Rocha/Bloomberg
a pragmatic roadmap for reform. Anchoring these efforts in EDCOM’s equity-focused vision and DepEd’s digitalization initiatives creates an opportunity to transform Philippine education for the better. Integrating EdTech into national strategies is not merely an option but a necessity if the Philippines is to overcome its learning crisis and prepare its students for an increasingly complex world. By addressing foundational issues while leveraging technology’s potential, the country can build a more inclusive education system that can empower future generations.
Gagni.
Monday, March 24, 2025
PHL growers urge Japan to cut banana tariffs next year
By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
LOCAL
banana growers and exporters are pushing for 13-percentage point cut in the tariffs imposed by Japan on Philippine bananas by next year.
The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) is also calling for a uniform tariff scheme for Philippine bananas in Japan, veering away from the current two-tiered duties levied on one of the country’s leading export crops.
PBGEA Executive Director Stephen Antig said this would put the Philippines on a “level playing field” with other banana exporters such as Vietnam, which will ship bananas to Japan at zero tariffs by 2028.
“By 2028, tariff on banana from Vietnam will go down to zero. Vietnam is our biggest competitor right now from Southeast Asia,” Antig told the BusinessMirror
“What we’re asking is to reduce the 26-percent tariff by 13 [percentage points] next year, then another 13 [percentage points] by 2027 so that the tariff on banana is zero by 2028,” he added.
Currently, Philippine bananas in Japan are slapped a tariff of 8 percent during summer and 18 percent during winter.
Antig said this scheme should also be tweaked as a uniform tariff will make it “faster and easier” to impose the proposed change in the tariff structure.
“Breaking down tariffs during winter and summer would make [the implementation of the proposed changes] more complicated,” he said.
The group has been lobbying for cuts in tariffs for Philippine bananas exported to Japan, where it is now seeing its market shrink due to the entry of other competitors from Asia.
“Production woes in the Philippines affected the steady quantities demanded by the market thus prompting other suppliers to fill the gap created,” PBGEA said.
“With lower or zero tariffs imposed on other suppliers, Philippine bananas will continue to lose its competitiveness,” it added.
PBGEA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. is finding “non-traditional but innovative avenues” in pursuing the tariff concern with the support of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.
Revitalization program
MEANWHILE , Antig said the PBGEA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are crafting a program for the revitalization of the banana industry. They are working on a bill akin to the salt industry development plan, he added.
He said part of the program is constructing a research facility that would cater not only to banana
growers but also to planters of various high-value crops.
“Once it is established, other commodities like durian, pineapple, and mango will also benefit because growers of these fruits may avail of the services of the research facility,” he said.
The facility will be particularly critical for smallhold farmers, which account for about 40 percent of the country’s banana growers.
“We need the research facility to be able to develop varieties that are resistant to various pests and diseases,” he said.
The DA chief earlier noted that the spread of Banana Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) disease and black sigatoka caused local smallholder farms, pegged at 90,000 hectares, to shrink by 50 percent.
Antig noted that the bill would formalize the program if enacted into law, which will mandate the allocation of funds for revitalization efforts.
“Farmers don’t have the funds to put up a research facility on their own and then run it,” he said.
ADVOCATES OUTRAGED BY NEEDLESS KILLING OF A BLUE SHARK, PUPS IN AGUSAN NORTE
By Erwin M. Mascariñas
UTUAN CITY—Marine
Bwildlife advocates condemned the recent killing of a blue shark (Prionace glauca), and its pups, and called on the authorities to take action against the perpetrators as the Department of Agriculture (DABFAR) Caraga opened its own investigation into the incident.
A viral video circulated on social media taken in Barangay Cabayawa, Tubay town, Agusan del Norte, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, showed a group of individuals capturing a shark by hand and dragging the fish towards the rough rocky coast. One man hit the head of the shark several times with a dead branch of a coconut palm.
The group surrounding the shark slowly pulled out 30 pups, from the belly of the dying fish, as it was suffocating and dying from the wounds it sustained.
According to DA-BFAR, 29 pups were released back to sea, but marine biologists said their chances of survival were very dim, having been prematurely and forcefully extracted from their mother.
There have been no reports of any incident in the area involving an attack by the shark on humans; hence, the outrage of environmentalists.
“The killing of this blue shark and its pups is not only a violation of the law but also a severe blow to the ongoing conservation efforts to conserve marine biodiversity in the Philippines and the goals of the Shark Conservation and Fisheries Management Framework recently
PHOTO of the dead blue shark courtesy of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Tubay Station, Tubay, Agusan del Norte. FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES-CARAGA
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
Companies
Meralco’s nuclear power plan hits regulatory, finance snags
By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan
THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has terminated its partnership with American nuclear firm Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) following a series of regulatory and financial setbacks that derailed the progress of their planned micro-modular reactor (MMR) project.
Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho confirmed the development to reporters last week, saying USNC failed to obtain a key regulatory permit and continued to face financial difficulties, ultimately forcing the company to withdraw from the collaboration.
“[The USNC] did not get the regulatory permit, which is very important; and they faced financial issues, causing even more delays,” Aperocho said.
In October last year, the Seattle, Washington-headquartered firm is -
sued a statement announcing that “it is seeking to run a sale process pursuant to Section 363 of Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code.”
“The filing will consist of USNC and its subsidiaries, Ultra Safe Nuclear-Technologies, USNC-Power, and Global First Power Ltd. During these proceedings, USNC will maintain full operational continuity across its projects, including the deployment of its [MMR] systems in the US, Canada, largescale production” of fuels “and the fulfillment of space and defense projects for multiple US govern -
ment agencies,” read a statement on USNC’s website.
The USNC and Meralco had earlier teamed up to explore the potential deployment of MMRs—small-scale nuclear reactors capable of generating up to 10 megawatts (MW)—as part of Meralco’s long-term energy diversification plans.
In April 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. “hailed the advancements in the planned investment in nuclear energy in the country” by USNC, “hoping that the necessary legal requirements could be completed soon to commence the project.”
With the cancellation of the partnership, Meralco is now redirecting its efforts toward the development of larger-capacity Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which can generate up to 300 MW.
According to Aperocho, Meralco is currently in talks with “several” prospective partners—both American and non-American—and hopes to finalize a new partnership within the year.
The pivot to SMRs also comes with a revised timeline. Originally targeting a nuclear power source by
2028, Meralco has now pushed its goal to the end of 2030.
Aperocho cited developments in Romania, where the world’s first SMR is expected to go online by then, as a benchmark for Meralco’s own nuclear ambitions.
“[Having nuclear power source by] 2028 seems unlikely now, but the good news for SMR is that in Romania, it might be ready by the end of 2030. At least that one will be tested, and it will be the first-ofa-kind SMR. Based on that, Meralco can decide how to move forward,” Aperocho said.
He stressed that the timeline remains dependent on the passage of the proposed nuclear energy bill, which remains pending in Congress.
“We’re still optimistic, but we need that bill to push things forward,” he added.
Meralco has completed a pre-feasibility study pinpointing potential sites for its nuclear project, but the company must still conduct detailed geological assessments and secure regulatory clearances from the Department of Energy to ensure full compliance with safety and environmental standards.
Lazada moves to increase share in local retail market
Andrea E. San Juan
EXECUTIVES of e-commerce platform Lazada E-Services Philippines Inc. said they are working on acquiring more brands to sell online as it works toward capturing a larger share of the local retail market.
“I always say that the main competitor is not other platforms, but offline. Because we are still less than 10 percent of total retail, right? Which means, that’s still 90 percent where the sales all go offline,” Alvin Michael L. Ching, Head of Seller Operations, Lazada Philippines told reporters in a recent interview.
“So,it’s more of, how can we get more of that share? And for a lot of brands, and actually a lot of retailers, they already have presence on Lazada as well because they recognize that this is complimentary,” Ching added. “But, regardless, I think [there’s still a huge] opportunity in bringing in the business; moving them towards online.”
The Lazada Philippines official said this as it is one of his tasks to oversee the brand acquisition aspect of the platform.
“We’re trying to convince brands
who are not yet online to sell on Lazada because this is part of completing the assortment,” Ching added.
He explained that the traditional brick-and-mortar stores are “very, very strong” in the country given malls’ promotion strategies coupled with Filipinos’ preference for shopping at malls.
“You see the promotions in the department stores, the shops [are] very strong. And people, Filipinos, love to go out still, right?” Ching said. Meanwhile, he said online shopping is for consumers who look for specific items like costumes.
“For those who don’t have the time or who want to find things that are actually hard to find, let’s say, look for costumes of children, you can’t keep on going to every single mall to try to find the right costumes but if you do online, it’s so easy,” Ching said. With this, he underscored the importance for Lazada to “plug the assortment gap,” meaning to offer wider variety of products to online shoppers with the use of artificial intelligence to sustain its growth momentum.
“So if we have that better strategy of pushing the right deals and the most relevant and smarter recommenda -
tions, we expect that that would help us sustain. Because it’s hard to sustain that growth if it’s just about discounts and promotions. At some point, it’s just going to be a price war, right? And at some point, it’s not going to be sustainable,” Ching said.
Instead of focusing on providing discounts to consumers, he said the e-commerce platform is heading towards a path of improving how it responds to the needs of customers.
“So I think our bets this time would be really more of an internal way of operating, influencing the algorithm to respond better to the user. So again, it’s quite invisible, but it will, over time, start giving us returns and that will translate basically for us into more sales and more buyers,” Ching added.
As such, he said Lazada aims to be more “deliberate” in terms of bringing in products to its platform, adding, “So we want to have sellers who bring in things that we don’t have in the platform.”
Apart from assortment, Ching highlighted the importance of AI in Lazada’s business. “So the investment in AI really goes into how we are able to recommend the items to the buyers, whether it’s via search,
which is the most used way of looking for products on the platform or via LazzieChat,” the AI-powered chat tool which gives recommendations of items on the platform.
“So those two, we are betting on it. So there’s a lot of resources that’s going into it,” he said.
Explaining the assortment gap on the platform, Ching said that when he talks about “leaf” categories, he refers to general merchandise.
“Then we go into home and lifestyle; and then we go into more specific categories. At the very end, we have tens of thousands of leaf categories,” he explained. “So each one of those we’re looking at, for example, even down to dangling earrings, for example, for fashion accessories. Do we have that assortment? Do we have enough of it? It goes down that specific, because then if we see that we have a gap in this particular category, then we go hunting for the sellers who have it.”
Ching said they also ask sellers.
March 24, 2025
Cebu Landmasters’s capex may hit P15B
REGIONAL property developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. expects capital expenditures this year to reach P15 billion, which will be used to fund on-going projects as well as for landbanking.
“So we’re building up all the projects we’ve launched in the recent past, potential land acquisitions and as well as projects that we are newly launching like the one in Cagayan de Oro,” CLI CFO Beauregard Grant L. Cheng said adding that “a lot of projects has been lined up.” The expected capex is slightly higher from the previous year’s P14.5 billion.
“That includes capex for ongoing projects, those that are launched. So we’re building up all the projects we’ve launched in the recent past, potential land acquisitions and as well as projects that we are newly launching like the one in Cagayan de Oro,” Cheng said.
In January, the company announced its plan to jumpstart developments, which include two condominium towers and a horizontal project. One is planned in Manila and one in the areas around Batangas and Cavite.
In Cagayan de Oro, CLI is working on the 14-hectare Manresa Town, which will be an integrated residential, commercial and lifestyle spaces north of Mindanao.
Manresa is on its first residential condominium named “One Manresa Place,” which will feature three residential towers with 940 units and launched late last year.
In the first nine months of last year, CLI launched P8.2-billion worth of projects with 1,664 residential units, a balanced mix of 57 percent targeted for the midmarket segment while 32 percent is for the economic segment. The company said new project launches are already 89 percent sold-out indicating high demand for the company’s products.
On Friday, CLI has listed its P5-billion sustainability-linked bonds at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. This issuance marks the second tranche of CLI’s P15 billion shelf-registration program, leaving P5 billion available for future issuances. The newly listed Series D and E bonds, due in 2028 and 2030 respectively, received strong market reception. The series D bonds, totaling P2.86 billion, carry an interest rate of 6.6348 percent, while Series E bonds, worth P2.14 billion, have a yield of 6.9157 percent.
“With this sustainabilitylinked bond, we are strengthening that commitment by holding ourselves accountable to a measurable target—building 16,000 more affordable homes by 2028. In just five years, we will more than double what we have achieved over the past two decades,” CLI chairman and CEO Jose R. Soberano III said. The said paper s a unique financial instrument tied to an environmental, social and governance objective. If the issuer fails to meet its sustainability targets within a specified period, the interest rate increases.
CLI is the first real estate developer in the Philippines to use affordable housing as the key success metric for the sustainabilitylinked bonds.
The company has already built over 14,000 affordable housing units, a number that will exceed 30,000 by the bond’s maturity.
Soberano said the paper was oversubscribed by three times.
CHEMICAL manufacturer
D and L Industries Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Chemrez Technologies Inc., revealed plans to build a second biodiesel plant to support government’s plan to further increase biodiesel blend by October.
The government is set to increase the biodiesel blend from the current 3 percent (B3) to 4 percent (B4) by October 1 this year and to 5 percent (B5) by October 1 next year.
ing to its pre announced one to two rate cuts before year-end and slowing quantitative tightening by April,” it said.
At home, the central bank revised its economic outlook for 2025-2026 growth to settle near the lower of the 6- to 8 percent target.
“For example, if you’re into jewelry, can you offer this so that you can complete a certain gap? That’s what I mean in terms of trying to complete it.” Last week SHARE prices fell for the second straight session last week mainly on profit-taking as tensions continued to rise on US President Trump’s tariff policies and news on interest rates. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index fell 27.36 points to close at 6,266.75 points. Trading was lackluster almost throughout the week, except on Friday when trading value surged at P11.01 billion.
The top losers, meanwhile, were National Reinsurance Corp. of the Philippines, Lodestar Investment Holdings Corp., Uniholdings Inc., EEI Corp., LBC Express Holdings Inc., Coal Asia Holdings Inc. and Swift Foods Inc.
This week
SHARE prices may gain this week though not as big as many had hoped.
“Continue to expect sideways to down between 5,800- 6,300 levels in the nearterm,” Jonathan L. Ravelas of eManagement for Business and Marketing Services said. Broker 2TradeAsia said markets may gain confidence as the US Federal Reserve unanimously voted to keep rates unchanged at 4.5 percent for the second-straight meeting of 2025, citing short-run inflationary pressures and broader economic uncertainty.
“But was quick to assure markets of stick-
3,727.12 points, the Financials index was down 6.66 to 2,428.24, the Industrial index rose 90.88 to 8,844.54, the Holding Firms index fell 54.38 to 5,156.50, the Property index was up 1.17 to 2,230.63, the Services index declined 7.55 to 2,044.94 and the Mining and Oil index surged 555.13 to 9,496.16. For the week, losers marginally outnumbered gainers 116 to 112 and 26 shares were unchanged. The top gainers were Premiere Horizon Alliance Corp., SOCResources Inc., Philippine Infradev Holdings Inc., Manila Mining Corp. A and B shares, Jackstones Inc., Ionics Inc. and Philweb Corp.
“We maintain that this growth remains above average regionally, but it does signal some form of reality check amid heightened uncertainties. A potential early April cut is being floated, making March inflation even more important as a potential indicator,” it said.
“We caution that preemptive pricing re: April cut can be immature as interim data can still alter the BSP’s (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) stance; additionally, an early cut will put parity pressure on the peso,” it said. Immediate support for the main index is seen at 6,000 points, and resistance is at 6,400 points.
JFC) as its income last year may be slightly behind its estimates but were almost in line with consensus targets.
“Post-earnings, we cut our 2025 earnings by 6 percent, but raise our 2026 net income by 2 percent from better international segment profitability; which, in turn, leads to an uplift in our target price to P330 per share,” according to Maybank Securities.
JFC closed last week at P238 apiece. Maybank Securities also maintained its buy rating on RL Commercial REIT Inc. (PSE: RCR) as its income beat its consensus estimates.
“The beat was due to higher-thanexpected operating income from asset infusions accrued in second quarter coupled with distributable income adjustments in the fourth quarter,” Maybank Securities said. “We thus raise our target price by 9 percent to P7.10 mainly incorporating the 2024 performance and roll-forward our to 2025. Buy as
apiece. VG Cabuag
With DNL’s Batangas plant now completed and no other major capital expenditures in the pipeline, the company said it has the financial flexibility to potentially undertake the construction of a new biodiesel facility, which would require much smaller capex compared to the amount spent on the Batangas plant.
“While the company is cognizant of the risks, DNL believes that the essential nature of biodiesel alongside a favorable regulatory environment ensures consistent and growing demand, mitigating risks associated with economic fluctuations,” a statement read.
According to the company, its executives are currently in the final stages of evaluating the risks and returns of building a new biodiesel plant, with the decision largely contingent on how well it aligns with the company’s strategic growth objectives and the goal of maximizing long-term shareholder value.
Any expansion plan requiring substantial capital expenditure will also need to be approved by shareholders, the company disclosed.
From 2002-2006, Chemrez said it funded the many technical research data on the fuel features of biodiesel from both local and foreign laboratories. In 2006, it built Asia’s first continuous coconut biodiesel plant, boosting the feasibility of the Philippines developing its own local biodiesel industry.
Chemrez is the largest biodiesel manufacturer in the country, cornering about 30 percent of the market.
According to a study by the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, coco-biodiesel had 78 percent less emissions versus petroleum diesel. An increase in biodiesel blend from B2 to B5 is estimated to yield an estimated 10 percent mileage increase, which directly translates to consumer savings.
“The positive regulatory developments coupled with a greater recognition of the economic and environmental benefits of a higher biodiesel blend presents an opportune time to invest and capitalize on the industry’s potential,” DNL disclosed.
“(We) see this as a critical juncture in reinforcing and expanding its leadership in the industry,” according to the company.
VG Cabuag
Banking&Finance
Pagcor orders licensee to stop ads in TV show
THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. today said it has ordered one of its licensees to pull out its advertising sponsorship for an online TV program that features bra-less women to ensure the integrity of the local gaming industry.
Pagcor Assistant Vice President for the Electronic Gaming and Licensing Department Jeremy B. Luglug was quoted in a statement as saying that he immediately called the concerned licensee after an online podcast informed Pagcor about the sponsorship for the controversial TV show hosted by a popular actor.
“We will not tolerate such advertising support by any of our licensees for such very demeaning and sex-oriented show,” Luglug said.
The lawyer clarified that the licensee does not own the said show featuring nearly naked women as claimed by the online podcast, adding that the licensee is in fact
a Filipino and not a foreigner as alleged.
Likewise, Luglug belied claims that young people are getting addicted to gambling because only adults have access to gaming sites as well as to electronic wallets that are being used to place bets.
“Our licensees have very strict ‘Know Your Customer’ or KYC protocols to ensure that only those who are 21 years old and above can play,” he said. “And the same is true with our e-wallet providers.”
However, Luglug said it could be possible that minors can play through unlicensed and illegal online gaming sites which are not registered with the Pagcor.
“That is why we urge the public, especially our parents, to ensure that young people are not able to access sites that are intended only for adults. We also urge gamers and players to patronize only Pagcorlicensed gaming operators to preserve the integrity of the gaming industry,” Luglug added.
SEC receives Level-3 ‘Quality Management Mastery’
THE Securities and Exchange Commission announced having received its Level-3 certification for Philippine Quality Award (PQA) for “Mastery in Quality Management.”
The SEC is the first national government agency to receive such a milestone, excluding government-owned and -controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, and state hospitals.
“The recognition for mastery in quality Management is not the end of our journey—it is the beginning of an even greater legacy, one of sustained excellence, organizational agility and operational performance,” SEC Chairman Emilio B. Aquino said through a statement.
“We are focused, determined and ready to reach for the highest level of the Philippine Quality Award. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries, inspire change, and set new standards of excellence,” Aquino added.
Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige Framework of the United States, the PQA is the highest national recognition for
‘Best time’ to review every element in HMO sector–IC
By Reine Juvierre Alberto @reine_alberto
THE Insurance Commission (IC) renewed its push to reassess the oversight of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to clarify its regulatory role in the sector.
Insurance Commissioner Reynaldo A. Regalado told reporters that “now is the ‘best time’” to review everything in the HMO sector, specifically on which agency will handle oversight on HMOs.
Regalado said on the sidelines of the IC’s 76th anniversary celebration that he “first wants to establish a clear direction where exactly we should be involved because PhilHealth is the primary entity here.”
exemplary organizational performance, established through Executive Order 448 in 1997 and institutionalized by Republic Act 9013 (Philippine Quality Award Act) in 2001.
The PQA gives four levels of recognition, with the Level 3 Award conferred to organizations showing “superior results clearly linked to robust management system,” while the Level 4 PQA is awarded to institutions demonstrating “management excellence to improve and build outstanding results and excellent system.”
The PQA program assesses organizations for their practices and achievements in leadership, strategy, customer measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce and operations.
Trade Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, who also serves as chairman of the PQA Committee, highlighted that the agency’s achievement and said it “aligns perfectly with the administration’s vision of a Philippines, characterized by efficient, effective, and world-class public service.” VG Cabuag
Manulife prepares 1,000 native tree seedlings for June planting in Tanay, Rizal
EMPLOYEES of the Manufacturers Life Insurance
Co. Philippines Inc. (Manulife PHL) have prepared a thousand native tree seedlings in Santo Niño Integrated School, Tanay, Rizal. Volunteers from Manulife Philippines, Haribon Foundation Inc. and residents from the local village will plant the seedlings from June to November, a statement from the insurer read.
To date, Manulife has planted 21,250 seedlings across 17 hectares of land in the provinces of Rizal, Zambales, and Quezon.
This is part of conservation efforts to protect the Sierra Madre mountain range, one of the most biodiverse-rich areas in the country and is known to be a natural barrier against typhoons that may hit Luzon.
“The impact agenda supports our commitment to environmental and financial stewardship, which helps us contribute
to a better world. Through our partnership with the Haribon Foundation, we can actively put in the effort to restore forests in key areas like the Sierra Madre Mountain Range to improve soil nutrition and reduce the climate risks faced by our communities,” Rahul Hora, president and CEO of Manulife Philippines, was quoted in the statement as saying.
“Our partnership with Manulife Philippines highlights the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility to drive concrete action. Forest conservation requires a sustained, holistic effort from the private sector, non-government, and local communities to plant and tend to native trees, and propagate nurseries in the right places. We thank Manulife for the collaboration, which helps us protect and restore our country’s diverse ecosystems,” Arlie Jo B. Endonila, COO of Haribon Foundation, said. VG Cabuag
But before making any moves, the transfer of oversight should be discussed first with PhilHealth and the Department of Health (DOH), the IC chief added.
Regalado explained that PhilHealth operates similarly to HMOs: without any competition, has a structured system and voluntary memberships.
“My point here is that we really need to regulate [HMOs] properly.
We can’t just say that we’re not handling them anymore, which is why we are putting these rules in place,” the Insurance Commissioner said.
Regalado also pressed the need to assess oversight of HMOs as the government will soon provide HMO coverage to all government employees amounting to P7,000 per employee annually.
The IC chief said the regulator remains open for discussion on which agency will regulate HMOs.
“There are many issues and concerns, so we need to be open-minded about how to handle this,” Regalado said. “What matters is our technical aspect—how we can utilize our expertise. Is it better for us to handle it directly, or should we serve as a link to another agency if a new structure is established.”
Still, he maintained that the IC is open to any arrangement that ensures such a transition will not
compromise policyholder protection.
“We need to understand our role as a group. I’m open to any arrangement that ultimately benefits policyholders,” the IC official added.
Last year, Regalado said HMOs could be removed from its regulatory and supervisory mandates if other organizations were more capable of handling them.
HMOs were transferred under the IC’s jurisdiction from the DOH in November 2015, to regulate and supervise the establishment, operations and financial activities of the sector.
This enabled the IC to issue rules and guidelines on the establishment of HMO minimum capitalization, net worth, reserve funds and security deposit requirements.
The Commission also has the authority to approve, amend, renew, decline, suspend, or revoke any license, registration, or certificate of authority issued in favor of HMOs.
Sticky US inflation, tariffs keeping the Fed sidelined
US inflation remains at a disquieting level for Federal Reserve officials, just as the Trump administration moves forward with tariffs that risk keeping price pressures elevated.
The personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy—the Fed’s preferred measure of underlying inflation— probably rose 0.3 percent in February for a second month, based on a Bloomberg survey. The so-called core gauge is estimated to have accelerated to a 2.7 percent annual pace.
The government’s report on Friday is also expected to show consumer spending firmed after a tepid start to 2025, while income growth moderated after rising a month earlier by the most in a year. Consumer outlays, unadjusted for price changes, are forecast to have climbed 0.5 percent after the biggest weatherdriven retreat in nearly four years. Personal income is seen rising 0.4 percent.
The latest inflation and spending numbers provide a snapshot of price pressures and economic activity leading up to President Donald Trump’s planned April 2 announcement on reciprocal tariffs—which Trump has dubbed “Liberation Day in America.” General uncertainty about the impact of the duties help explain why Fed officials kept interest rates unchanged last week.
After the meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers have scope to stand pat on rates to get a better handle on how the administration’s policies will impact the economy and inflation. Fed Governor Adriana Kugler and St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem are among the US central bankers speaking in the coming week, while Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic will ap -
THE WeFund Lending Corp., the company behind the “JuanHand” online lending platform, touted the results of a study it commissioned a market research firm showing it is “one of the most trusted and hassle-free online lending apps in the country, reinforcing its reputation as a go-to choice for borrowers seeking seamless and secure financial solutions.”
In a statement it issued on March 20, WeFund said the study by Agile Data Solutions Inc. revealed that “JuanHand” is among the top brands with the most significant increases in awareness, trial, and brand preference among online lending platforms (OLPs).
“In a landscape where trust is a critical factor due to concerns
pear on Bloomberg TV on Monday. Other economic data on the agenda include February durable goods orders, which may offer a sense of whether companies are becoming more cautious about their capital spending plans. Economists will also use a report on February merchandise trade to help shape estimates of first-quarter gross domestic product. The imports data, however, will probable be skewed once again by a surge in inbound gold that won’t be included in the government’s GDP estimate.
On Friday, the University of Michigan will issue its final March consumer sentiment survey, including year-ahead and long-term inflation expectations.
In Canada, investors await Prime Minister Mark Carney’s likely call for an election. Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada will release a summary of deliberations that led to its seventh straight rate cut, as officials weighed a pickup in core inflation against the economic impact of Trump’s
over unethical and illegal digital lenders, JuanHand sets itself apart by prioritizing security, transparency, and customer-first services,” read the statement issued by WeFund.
It added that 56 percent of respondents rated JuanHand as trustworthy and reliable, while 53 percent recognized it as a safe and secure lending option. Additionally, 46 percent of respondents who currently use a different primary lending app agreed that JuanHand provides a more user-friendly experience than their current provider, highlighting its dedication to making digital lending more accessible and convenient for Filipinos.
The study also found a shift in consumer borrowing habits: Filipi-
trade threats.
Also due in Canada are gross domestic product data, including a flash estimate for February, which may reflect a surge in exports as US importers scrambled to front-run higher tariffs.
Asia
THE week is looking fairly light for major economic data and central banks.
First on the docket is an early look at manufacturing activity in March, with preliminary purchasing managers index readings from Australia, Japan, and India. Factory activity has been relatively anemic in recent months, barring a few exceptions, as tariffs loom and domestic and international demand cools.
Wednesday is also likely to see Sri Lanka’s central bank keep rates unchanged.
As the world veers closer to April 2 and expected reciprocal tariffs from Trump, there’ll be a closer look at trade data. That comes in the form of import and export figures from Hong Kong on Tuesday, then Sri Lanka and the Philippines on Friday. Tokyo department store sales are reported on Tuesday, as is March consumer confidence in South Korea that’s expected to show lingering pessimism amid economic and political challenges. The following day, a composite survey of manufacturers provides another look at sentiment.
Taiwan’s industrial production activity in February comes Tuesday, and will provide a gauge of demand for chips and other technology as tariffs loom. That’s followed a day later by Singapore industrial production numbers, expected to show a drop in monthly activity.
Other signals on the regional economy come in the form of February Macao hotel occupancy data on Thursday—the prior month showed a 90 percent rate—and Pakistan GDP figures on Wednesday that are set to show a growth pickup in the fourth quarter. Figures on February car sales in Thailand are released some time during the week.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Sunday that the country is prepared for “shocks that exceed expectations” as the world braces for Trump to announce more tariffs. Bloomberg News
There’s also a series of inflation readings for February, starting with Singapore consumer price data on Monday set to show a slight slowdown. Australian CPI is out on Wednesday, as price increases likely held around 2.5 percent—above the central bank’s comfort level. Japan producer prices for services, also reported on Wednesday, are expected to show inflation continuing to pick up in line with the government’s goal.
nos now primarily use online loans for daily expenses and bill payments rather than debt consolidation. This evolution signals the growing role of lending apps in supporting financial flexibility and short-term cash flow management.
Six years ago, over 85 percent of JuanHand users borrowed for financial assistance, commonly known as “Pantawid hanggang sweldo.” Now, over 30 percent of borrowers use loans for business-related purposes, such as e-commerce and online selling. This trend illustrates how Filipinos are leveraging lending as a tool for financial growth— using borrowed funds to generate income rather than merely covering immediate expenses. JuanHand continues to adapt to these evolving needs by offering tailored solutions that empower Filipinos to take control of their finances.
Social media continues to be a powerful driver in financial education and consumer engagement. Facebook remains the most widely used platform among OLP users, while TikTok has emerged as a crucial tool in increasing app downloads and strengthening brand trust. By leveraging these digital platforms strategically, JuanHand enhances financial literacy and raises customer awareness, helping Filipinos make smarter financial choices. According to WeFund, Agile Data surveyed 3,544 respondents who are Philippine residents aged above 18 years old from December 2024 to
CLICK, SCROLL, BELIEVE? Decoding social-media health trends
By Haleluya Hadero The Associated Press
IN the corners of social media dominated by wellness content, influencers recommend an assortment of treatments and products to support weight loss, fight exhaustion or promote other desired health outcomes.
Some of the endorsed approaches may be helpful. Many play into fads with scant evidence to back up enthusiasts’ claims, medical experts say.
Some influencers encourage their followers to avoid specific food items, such as seed oils, while others advocate going all in on certain foods, such as the meat-heavy carnivore diet. There are video pitches for berberine, a chemical compound that’s been touted online as “nature’s Ozempic,” and for non-medical IV vitamin therapy, which businesses popularly known as drip bars market as cures for hangovers or fatigue.
To be sure, alternative health practices and cures that lacked the medical establishment’s backing were a part of popular culture long before the internet age. But the plethora of advice shared online has both prompted calls for safeguards and found a measure of mainstream acceptance.
The new US health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had his Instagram account suspended in 2021 for posting misinformation about vaccine safety and Covid-19, but many of the ideas he champions have a widespread following. Critics of Dr. Mehmet Oz accused him of sometimes making misleading assertions on the talk show he used to host; Oz now is President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
A Netflix series released last month explored the story of Belle Gibson, a popular Australian wellness influencer who amassed a following talking about curing her terminal brain cancer with a healthy lifestyle and alternative medicine. In 2015, Gibson admitted to lying about having a cancer diagnosis. Australia’s federal court later fined her for failing to donate money she said would go to charity through sales of her
cookbook and app.
With personal wellness remaining a hot topic, here are some tips health experts have for evaluating the material you see online:
Be cautious when an influencer promotes products
MOST influencers have or want business relationships with companies that allow them to earn income by promoting products. The arrangements don’t necessarily mean content creators don’t believe in what they’re marketing, but they do have a vested interest in publicizing products that may or may not work.
Creators can get paid for pictures or videos that hype up a product and also earn commissions on sales through features such as affiliate links. Experts note it’s therefore better to proceed with caution when someone inspires you to hit the “buy” button, whether it’s for natural supplements, teas with purported weight loss benefits or any other wellness products that show up in your social media feed.
Research published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a sizable amount of Instagram and TikTok posts that discussed five popular medical tests mostly came from account holders with “some form of financial interest” in promoting the screenings.
After analyzing roughly 980 posts on the two platforms, researchers said most of the posts
they found were misleading and failed to “mention important harms, including overdiagnosis” resulting from health people having full-body MRIs or tests to detect early signs of cancer, evaluate microorganisms in the gut or measure hormone levels.
Promoting dietary supplements has been a particularly lucrative exercise for many influencers, said Timothy Caulfield, a health policy and law professor at the University of Alberta. He views the supplements industry as “the backbone” of health misinformation aimed at consumers and designed to fuel billions of dollars in revenue.
“It’s gotten to the point where if someone is selling a supplement, it’s a red flag,” he said. “I don’t think it was always like that, but it certainly is now.”
Check for expertise
IN general, consumers should take all bold claims with a degree of skepticism, said Cedric Bryant, chief executive officer at the nonprofit American Council on Exercise. The goal of creators is to increase engagement with their content, and some influencers may be tempted to make unproven assertions to draw in more viewers.
“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” Bryant said. Some health and wellness influencers have medical training, but many do not. Before taking health tips from someone on social media, it’s a good idea to make sure they have the proper expertise or at least able to
share the data that led them to recommend certain products or lifestyle choices.
In the fitness area, Bryant recommends checking to see if a creator holds certification from an accreditation organization and then confirming the information through the US Registry of Exercise Professionals database.
The American Medical Association and The American Board of Medical Specialties maintain searchable databases for medical doctors, which may help verify the qualifications of creators who share their legal names and general locations. States also operate databases that allow users to check if someone is licensed to practice medicine or has been disciplined for misconduct.
If an influencer holding the appropriate credentials pushes certain products, consumers still may want to consider if a brand partnership or other factors are shaping their recommendations. Federal Trade Commission guidelines that reflected the agency’s interpretation of federal law directed influencers featuring specific products or services to prominently disclose any endorsements. Yet sponsorships and potential conflicts of interest are not always revealed.
Compare to the prevailing medical consensus IF a creator cites studies to support health and diet claims, it’s best to check and see if what they’re saying aligns with the latest evidence-based medical consensus.
“Just because somebody has an ‘M.D.’ after their name doesn’t make them entirely trustworthy,” said Elias Aboujaoude, a psychiatrist and Stanford University professor who studies the intersection of psychology and technology. Aboujaoude suggests doublechecking health claims with traditionally reputable sources, such as major academic institutions or government health agencies. He also advised looking at studies cited by creators and assessing whether they’ve been published in reputable journals and subjected to peer review. In some cases, it might be too soon to know if promising results should be trusted or not, said Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. For example, a study might show the benefits of a specific type of herb. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the findings have been replicated in other research, a requirement for treatment methods to be considered proven effective, she said.
In 2023, the year the guidelines were issued, the FTC issued warnings to a dozen online influencers for failing to adequately disclose paid social media posts that promoted “sugarcontaining products” and aspartame, a sweetener found in diet soda, ice cream and other foods. Some of the influencers were registered dieticians.
Ode to the Waling-Waling: Odelon
Simpao’s wedding ensembles
ECO JARDIN BRINGS SEOUL’S AWARD-WINNING HAIR AND SCALP TREATMENT
FILIPINOS no longer need to book a flight to Seoul to experience the viral Korean head spa that has taken social media by storm. Eco Jardin, the luxury K-beauty brand, is making its highly anticipated debut in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), introducing Seoul’s most sought-after 15-step and 18-step scalp treatments to the Philippines for the very first time.
Eco Jardin Philippines (www.ecojardin.com.ph) promises a premium scalp care and relaxation experience that fuses Korean expertise with holistic wellness. As the brand takes its first step in global expansion, its arrival in the Philippines speaks to its reputation as a beauty and wellness mainstay in Korea.
This journey began with six friends, united by their shared love for travel and wellness. Always on the lookout for the best beauty experiences, their adventures led them back to Seoul—an undisputed beauty capital where they discovered Eco Jardin. Blown away by the level of service and meticulous attention to detail, they found themselves returning to Eco Jardin with every trip to Korea.
“We couldn’t stop thinking about it,” shared Eco Jardin Philippines managing director Mary Jane Yu. “After trying it once, we found ourselves booking appointments every time we went back. That’s when we knew this was something special.”
Eco Jardin has set the bar high in Korea’s hair industry, pioneering innovative scalp care treatments for over five decades. Beauty enthusiasts from around the world—even as far as Saudi Arabia—have traveled to Seoul just to experience the salon’s signature scalp treatments.
The Eco Jardin 15-step treatment focuses on cleansing and nourishing the scalp, ideal for those looking for regular maintenance and relaxation. Meanwhile, the 18-step treatment is tailored for individuals experiencing scalp issues such as dryness, dandruff, or thinning hair, providing intensive care through targeted serums and massage techniques.
Eco Jardin Philippines will offer the same premium treatments, expert professionals, and high-quality products that have made it a household name in Korea. Filipino customers can look forward to meticulous attention to detail, from personalized consultations to expert techniques that minimize heat damage and enhance scalp health.
Eco Jardin Philippines is located at the Second Floor of High Street South Corporate Plaza, 26th Street, BGC, Taguig City.
FOR his latest foray into fashionable bridalwear, called Odelon Simpao Weddings, the young designer swooned over the majesty of the queen of Philippine orchids—the waling-waling.
“The flower is a symbol of beauty and elegance in Filipino culture. My goal is to incorporate elements of Filipino heritage in the collection while maintaining modern and sophisticated forms,” Simpao shared.
Mentored by the internationally awarded designer Frederick Peralta early in his career, Simpao has since carved a name for himself in the cutthroat world of local fashion, all the while winning championships as an accomplished crossfit athlete.
A PROMISE FULFILLED
HAVING honed his design sensibilities in his hometown of Cagayan de Oro, with mentors, such as the late Benjie S. Manuel and Melvin Lachica, Simpao quit nursing school and ventured to Manila to sharpen his skills and love for fashion under Frederick Peralta.
“Manila is where the fashion is. It’s the place to experience, train and breathe fashion. It’s where most of the best designers are, and where I can witness and follow the local trends. This is where I can update my style and use the same materials that most of the Manila designers have access to. It was actually an awakening for me once I experienced fashion here. This is where I’m comfortable practicing my craft,” a then-23-year-old design neophyte said back in 2009.
“I studied pattern-making under Jojie Lloren while at the same time working as a head designer for suits and barong Tagalog for Onesimus. Working in a company or in a designer shop is something that a designer should do. Frederick Peralta made me understand all the possible techniques, systems, style and, more importantly, the business aspect and the financial management of a successful career in fashion,” a grateful Simpao shared.
His menswear, which he specialized in at the onset of his career, harken back to the playful days of the Kennedy boys during their summers in Hyannisport, or of preppy Ivy League lads strolling in the Hamptons. More Michael Bastian than Ralph Lauren, or more Thom Browne than Tommy Hilfiger, Simpao’s designs are for the males bored with uniformity. He has transformed the otherwise ho-hum style of Dennis Trillo, JC de Vera and Jay-r. His lady muses— Marian Rivera, Cindy ObeNita and Rhian Ramos— are just as radiantly dressed.
“I’d come to realize what my aesthetic was going to be by pure pragmatism. It’s because my style is very classic yet detailed. I don’t do too much avant-garde on my designs because I want my clothes to be very wearable. I know I am ready to create a collection when I have conceptualized a theme or a look,” he explained.
be a situation, a thing, or anything that conspires with art. In the future, I can see my business expand in different areas, as fashion is a lifestyle process. It’s an art so everything that you consider art can be related or interpreted into fashion,” Simpao said.
ODELON’S ODE TO A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER HE may be known as someone who has dressed celebrities for the silver screen and the red carpet, but this year Simpao will focus on producing a collection centered around the most important dress a woman will wear in her lifetime—her wedding gown.
“My upcoming collection marks a significant chapter in my design career, setting the tone for what my fashion house will be presenting this year. For my latest bridal couture line, I drew inspiration from the waling-waling,” said Simpao.
“I worked with French lace, tulle, and Swarovski crystals and other luxurious materials. The result is a collection that is romantic, ultra-feminine, and
Scents and stars at SM Beauty’s fragrance festival
FRAGRANCE is a personal choice and what you pick reflects your identity and personality. Perfume is also a means of self-expression.
Your astrological sign could also play a part in your choice of scent. For example, a Gemini’s playful and youthful vibe would be perfectly matched with a fruity floral, while an introverted and loving Cancer could be drawn to a scent that’s dark and sexy. Meanwhile, a perfectionist Virgo would like a floral with woody notes.
As a Scorpio, I like notes of patchouli and vetiver. An empathetic Libra usually prefers luxurious fragrances while an ambitious Aries enjoys vanilla and rose scents. A loyal Taurus, likes aquatic and fresh scents. The confident Leo goes for scents with bold
accords. The compassionate Sagittarius usually picks playful scents. A goal-driven Capricorn enjoys intense scents with fruity notes. The creative Aquarius likes modern skin scents while Pisces, kind and nurturing, goes for sensual scents.
For Scentsorium Fragrance Fest from March 12 to 16 at SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Beauty brought together the biggest names in luxury, designer and affordable fragrances and so much more.
The brands showcased during the five-day event were Tom Ford, Estée Lauder, Clinique, Coach, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Monotheme, Maison Margiela, Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Viktor & Rolf, Azzaro, Alchemy, Fresh, Luxe Organix, Avon, Body Fantasies, and Signature Parfums.
The SM Beauty fragrance festival made it personal so that shoppers could choose their scents based on their personalities and lifestyles. For five days, shoppers delighted in the displays and experiences at Scentsorium Fragrance Fest.
A highlight of the festival was the interactive Tarot Reading Station, where guests discovered their fragrance destiny with guidance from Tiktok-famous “tarot girl” TheBlessedBhie.
Shoppers also availed of personalized bottle customization, including engraving services to add their name or a special message to their bottles. Those
showcase various forms and techniques,” he added.
Each piece, as worn in a special pictorial with supermodels Jasmine Maierhofer-Patrimonio, Yaofa de la Cruz and Ann Umali, has intricate floral embroideries, 3D floral appliqués, and thousands of crystals in voluminous ball gowns to sleek column dresses with detachable trains.
“The collection features different silhouettes because it’s all about the woman’s body. I want to accentuate her form and curves. The silhouettes aren’t avant-garde or experimental. They are classic and timeless—designed not to overshadow the bride’s beauty, but to elevate her innate charm,” the jetsetting designer explained.
“Brides want to see their most beautiful selves on their special day,” he added. “They have their own fantasy they want to fulfill.”
To know more about Odelon Simpao Weddings, visit @odelonsimpaocouture on Instagram, or e-mail odelonsimpao@gmail.com. n
spent P5,000 on fragrances and
How do I make corrections in an AI world?
ONE of the greatest challenges of communicators is to ask for a correction. As a former newspaper reporter, Sean O’ Leary is “keenly aware that 99.9 percent of all errors are not intentional.”
It could be a simple as a name spelled wrong, or an incorrect or missed word or two from a quote. It happens. In the past, it used to be pretty simple asking a human being for a correction. But in the world of AI where we have to ask robots for correction, it’s not going well.
Here, O’Leary, who’s now Senior Vice President at Susan Davis International, shares with us his personal experience in his article, The PR Struggle to Fix AI- Generated News Errors, as published in prnewsnline.com.
It all began when in late 2024, one of his publicly traded clients issued an important press release that had a material effect on their business. Meant to be very, very good news, the AI-generated article from a Wall Street news site read completely wrong, and had a negative impact.
Within minutes, the client found themselves in a defensive position. “A human edi -
n ISLAND CREDIT SOLUTION, CREDIT INFORMATION CORPORATION PARTNER TO REVOLUTIONIZE CREDIT ACCESS IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH AIPOWERED ANALYTICS
MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Island
Credit Solution, Inc. has officially entered the Philippine credit landscape as the newest credit bureau after being accredited as a Special Accessing Entity (SAE) by the state-owned Credit Information Corporation (CIC). This milestone partnership aims to transform the country’s credit risk assessment system by making credit data more accessible, reliable, and technology driven.
With this accreditation, Island Credit Solution is set to redefine financial inclusion by offering a suite of ready-to-use analytics tools designed for agile and scalable financial applications. By integrating AI-driven analytics and alternative data sources, the company provides deeper credit insights not only for banks and fintech lenders but also for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and rural banks—sectors that often struggle to access credit.
A Next-Generation Credit Bureau Island Credit Solution differentiates itself from tradi -
tional credit bureaus by leveraging advanced analytics and non-traditional data sources to create a comprehensive risk profile of borrowers. Instead of relying solely on bank transaction histories, the company incorporates telecom usage, e-commerce activity, and digital transactions to assess creditworthiness more accurately.
At the core of this innovation is “PhilScore,” a credit rating system designed to provide every Filipino with a unique and accessible credit profile using the CIC credit reports. This empowers individuals—especially those new to credit—to build and improve their financial standing while enabling lenders to make more informed decisions.
“Our goal is to bridge the gap between financial institutions and borrowers, particularly those who have been underserved or unbanked,” said Hongcheng (Steven) Zhou, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Island Credit Solution. “We offer fully digital services that cater not only to existing bank customers but also to those new to credit. By helping them start from zero, we contribute to a more inclusive financial system.”
Breaking Barriers in Credit Risk Assessment FOR years, the Philippine credit industry has faced challenges such as data fragmentation, outdated risk assessment models, and limited technological integration. Many financial institu -
tor did not mess it up—it was an AI bot,” says O’Leary. “And due to the creation speed of the automated story; it was one of the first stories that made it to Google News, about the announcement, adding to the client’s displeasure.”
And “the role of a PR professional in this situation was not that simple.”
To begin with, the byline author was not a real name or person. A disclaimer at the end of the story said “every article is reviewed by a human being,” however, there was no editor to contact and no editor listed.
Regardless, “the story needed to be corrected. Outreach to general emails and phone numbers lead to nowhere except automated replies and voice mails.”
With the client rightfully upset, they called the site’s Help section for paid members. For the first time, the automated response included a human being’s name.
Of course, “this human being’s email promptly returned an ‘out of office’ response.”
The next morning, a full 18 hours after a completely false story had been published, the outlet finally responded and said, “The story was under review”. But there was nothing to
tions struggle to maximize credit data due to technological constraints, often resulting in inefficient lending processes.
Island Credit Solution addresses these issues with its agile, SaaS-based plug-and-play solution, which allows banks, fintech lenders, and MSMEs to integrate advanced credit analytics into their decision-making processes without requiring extensive technical expertise.
In addition to credit scoring, the company operates on a Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Business-to-Customers (B2B2C) model, enabling loan applicants to be matched with alternative lenders with the correct risk appetite and best interest rate. This improves the efficiency for lenders while increasing financial accessibility for borrowers.
“Our approach goes beyond standard credit reporting. By integrating financial and alternative data, we provide lenders with deeper insights while empowering individuals with greater financial opportunities,” Steven added.
CIC’s Vision for Expanding Credit Access
THE Credit Information Corporation, the state-owned public credit registry, plays a crucial role in this transformation. Under Republic Act No. 9510, also known as the Credit Information System Act (CISA), CIC ensures that lending decisions are based on accurate and reliable data,
review in a completely wrong story, which needed to be taken down immediately.
O’Leary’s saga continued and after several outbound emails (with some colorful language included), the site finally removed the incorrect story 24 hours after it originally posted.
Whew, it was what O’Leary describes as a powerless and frustrating experience! As the proliferation of AI- generated articles continue, “the PR industry must be prepared for a future where combating bad AI in journalism becomes part of the job description.”
Here, he shares three pieces of advice from his company’s experience:
fostering responsible borrowing and risk management.
The CIC is committed to its mandate of increasing the overall availability of credit and enabling Filipinos’ broader access to finance. To achieve this, the CIC continuously seeks innovative solutions and partnerships that can enhance the credit ecosystem.
CIC President and CEO Ben Baltazar emphasized the need for more players in the market to improve credit access. “Many credit decisions in the Philippines are still not based on actual credit data. By accrediting new SAEs like Island Credit Solution, we are working to change that. The market is underserved, and we need innovative players to help expand access to credit,” he said.
CIC’s partnership with Island Credit Solution is expected to accelerate the adoption of credit reports nationwide. PCEO Ben noted that in 2024, CIC generated 10 million credit reports, up from 5 million the previous year. However, with over 70 million borrowers and 300 million outstanding loan contracts, the potential for growth remains vast.
“I think it is not out of bounds to expect generating roughly around 20 million credit reports this year, if not more. But right now, we’re confident that the credit market in the Philippines is actually a 100 million credit report market. That is something we can definitely achieve in the coming years. But we won’t be
n Make sure headlines—particularly for publicly traded companies—are written in a clear, concise manner that does not confuse AI.
n Pay close attention to media monitoring, especially after a press release goes out. That is when the majority of AI bots do their work, because their competitive advantage is speed.
n Most importantly, level with executives about AI-generated articles and what it means for business in advance.
While “some AI-generated articles can have a positive, amplifying effect on your news and brand” that is not always the case. That is why “it’s vital to let executives known what to
able to do that unless we work together and support the mass adoption of credit data for use in credit and even in valid cases of credit applications,” Ben added.
Ben also highlighted that newly accredited SAEs like Island Credit Solution possess a unique advantage in the industry. “These companies are, at their core, financial technology firms with specialized expertise in credit analysis, data processing, and the development of innovative financial products and services,” he explained.
He emphasized that CIC thoroughly assesses entities with the technology, knowledge, and talent to navigate the complexities of the credit landscape. “We have identified them as strong players capable of addressing these challenges head-on. As their regulator, CIC is committed to providing them with reliable, accurate, and representative borrower data to support their operations,” Ben said.
He also underscored CIC’s active engagement in industry initiatives, such as Island Credit Solution’s launch, to raise awareness of the value these credit bureaus bring. “By working together, we can help lenders and consumers make informed financial decisions, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and data-driven credit ecosystem,” he added.
AI-Powered Analytics for Smarter Lending EMERGING technologies like artificial intelligence are trans -
expect from AI-generated news, and how you’re preparing for it.”
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdombased International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chair.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
forming the way lenders assess credit risk, and Island Credit Solution is leading the charge with AI-driven analytics tools that provide real-time, databacked insights. These tools allow financial institutions to evaluate risk profiles faster and more accurately, improving loan approval processes and minimizing defaults. The company’s analytics platform is designed for agility and scalability, making it an ideal solution for lenders of all sizes. Whether a large bank or an MSME, financial institutions can customize credit scoring models to fit their specific needs, ensuring more precise and fair lending decisions. Island Credit Solution also focuses on consumer empowerment, offering direct access to credit scores and financial education to help individuals manage and improve their credit standing. By making credit data more transparent and userfriendly, the company enables Filipinos to take control of their financial future. As part of its consumer-focused initiatives, the company is exploring partnerships beyond traditional lending. One potential application is in the hospitality industry, where a good credit score could allow customers to book hotel stays without requiring a security deposit. This encourages the broader use of credit scores in everyday transactions while enhancing customer convenience.
By Josef Ramos
OLYMPIC double gold
Carlos Yulo and bronze medalist boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas were warmly greeted in cool Tagaytay City on Sunday morning by brand-new homes as rewards for their historic achievements in Paris.
For Yulo, winner of the men’s floor exercise and vault in gymnastics, it’s a two-storey home that sits on a 500-square meter lot inside the Prime Peak Town House Subdivision in Barangay Silang Crossing West.
For his now neighbors Petecio and Villegas, it’s also a two-storey house on a 200-square meter lot in the same village.
“They deserve these homes, they’re not only our Olympic heroes, all of them are national treasures,” said Tolentino, who turned over the keys to the Olympic medalists after their houses were blessed by Fr. Eugenio Lopez, Parish Priest of the Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Tagaytay City.
“This is what we’ve been doing since I became POC president—to keep the athletes inspired to win more medals for our country,” said Tolentino, whose city has been diligently transforming into an all-in sports hub and will soon boast of the country’s first indoor and wood UCI-standard velodrome.
“I’m very grateful and feeling blessed to receive this house-andlot and I’m on thankful how the POC
Caloy, Aira and, again, Nesthy: They’ll call Tagaytay City home
helped us in our Olympic preparations in Paris,” Yulo told reporters who witnessed the turnover.
The house-and-lot—according to POC secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan is worth P15 million—also came as a belated birthday gift from Tolentino, Tagaytay City and the POC for Yulo who turned 25 last February 16.
Petecio, who clinched back-to-back Olympic medals—she bagged silver in Tokyo 2020—now has two homes in Tagaytay where Tolentino is mayor.
She decided to settle in her brand new home.
“I will be living here in this house with my brother and family and we’ll rent out our first house here to,” said Petecio, now 32 but still in hot pursuit of a gold medal in Los Angeles 2028. Villegas, on the other hand, said she’ll surely be in Tagaytay City during breaks from her training in Baguio City and when going home to
her native Tacloban City isn’t viable.
Tolentino gifted weightlifter
Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo a two-storey house-and-lot in Isabel Heights in Barangay Kaybagal Central after she won the country’s first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020.
Boxers Carlo Paalam and Eumir
Felix Marcial, silver and bronze medalists, respectively, in Tokyo, were also rewarded with their houses in Barangay San Jose in 2021.
Petecio and Villegas expressed their love for Tagaytay City.
“It is the place to be. My family loves it here,” said Petecio, a native of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur. “In fact, I asked permission from Mayor [Tolentino] to tweak the interior of the house and he agreed.”
Villegas feels the same way about the city.
“It’s cold and very peaceful,” said. “No distraction,” said Villegas, a pride of the Philippine Navy.
Family bonding in cycling event at Vermosa Hub
Participants can choose from individual ride options covering 30 kms and 45 kms, while the corporate challenge extends up to 60 kms, also open to individual riders. The event also features the kids’ ride for ages 6 to 15, a 30-minute family ride where children can bike alongside an adult,
Piolo Pascual and Matteo Guidicelli will join the peloton alongside beginners and experienced cyclists. Imus City Mayor Alex Advincula, along with Sun Life Philippines Brand Strategy and Management head Don Aaron Peji and Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub general manager Lani Tan, will also grace the occasion that lured 1,500 participants.
To complement the cycling festivities, the Sun Life Cycle Philippines Expo will kick off on Wednesday at Seda Hotel in Bonifacio Global City. The main ride on Sunday will start at 5:25 a.m. with the 60-km category. Since its launch in 2016 by Sun Life in partnership with Sunrise Events Philippines, the event has gained immense popularity, attracting large turnouts, including cycling legend and three-time Tour de France winner Robbie McEwen in its second year, along with various celebrities and sports figures.
Abdons, Siycha, Samson lead Southwoods Invitational list of winners
R
YAN AND JOHN KIER ABDON flourished with 88 points at the Masters to claim the overall gross crown by a commanding fivepoint margin, while Manuel Siycha and Kenrick Samson secured net honors in the Southwoods Invitational in Carmona, Cavite, over the weekend.
But Bobby Iñigo and Aldrich del Rosario emerged as the biggest winners in the raffle as they drove home brandnew Mitsubishi XForce GLS and a 2025 Toyota Raize 1.2 M/T, respectively.
The other lucky winners were John Cope (Alaska cruise), Juan Paolo Caboboy (MF Electric Golf Cart), Noe Wong (Ogawa massage chair) and Abigail Lapid (three-night stay at Hamp
Court Palace in Taiwan).
The Abdons’ sterling show under the Best Ball format more than made up for their 69 points in Aggregate play at Legends, netting them a 157 total in the 36-hole tournament spread over four days in the host club’s premier memberguest tournament which drew a record 400 teams, totaling 800 players.
Manfred Guangko and Ronnie Littaua pooled 152 Stableford points, including 78 at Legends and 74 at Masters to finish second in the gross division, while Marvin Caparros and Benjie Sumulong placed third with 69 (Legends) and 82 (Masters) for a 151.
Siycha and Samson also banked on their superb team-up in Best Ball,
producing 96 points on their way to a winning 177 total, including 81 points at Legends, for the net title.
Romeo Chong and Ralph Chong came in second in net play, pooling a 172 (82-90), while Lapid and Sarah Cruz combined for a 168 (76-92), nipping three other teams for third place honors via tiebreak.
Guangko and Littaua took the Division I trophy with a 160 from a pair of 80s, foiling the Rusty Bayani-Gary Sales (159), while Abigail Lapid and Sarah Cruz rode on a clutch 76-point output at Legends to clinch a two-point victory over Ian Arceo and Michael Ong in Division II.
Aurelio Gomez and Reynaldo
Martinez also pulled off a two-point win in Division III, combining for a 168 (78-90) and nipping Jeffrey Co and Mark Gruba, who scored a 166 (74-92), while Romeo Chong and Ralph Chong stamped their class in Division IV, pooling a 172 (82-90), for a seven-point romp over Felix Chua and Dennis de Guzman, who scored a 165 (69-96).
In a fierce battle for Division V title, Steve Tycangco and Emir Tubayan pulled through over Juanco Las and Roland Lallana after the tiebreak. The two pairs posted identical scores of 72 at Legends and 96 at Masters for 168s. But Tycangco and Tubayan wound up with superior tiebreak score to clinch the crown.
TFIVB
“The
adoration of
was
in our
of the VNL [Volleyball
added Suzara, also president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation and executive vice president of the FIVB or International Volleyball Federation. Honda is the latest major partner for the FIVB MWCH 2025 after the MVP Group of sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan and PLDT, the county’s largest telecommunications network which is the Official Broadband Internet Partner and Meralco, Smart and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.
“This is more than just a partnership. It’s a celebration of movement, passion for action and the relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Arai, who was joined by
George Foreman, fearsome heavyweight and beloved champion, dies at 76
By Greg Beacham The Associated Press
GEORGE FOREMAN became the heavyweight champion of the world in his 20s, only to lose his belt to Muhammad Ali in perhaps the most memorable fight in boxing history.
A full 20 years later in 1994, the 45-year-old Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship, throwing one perfect combination to steal Michael Moorer’s title in an epic upset. Few fighters ever had more big moments than Big George Foreman— and even after he finally left the ring, he was only getting started.
The fearsome heavyweight, who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Ali before his inspiring second act as a
surprising champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. Foreman was 76. Foreman’s family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died.
“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote. “A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name—for his family.”
A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear and awe as he
climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt.
Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening. The middle-aged fighter then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history, flooring Moorer—19 years his junior—with a surgical right hand and claiming Moorer’s
PHILIPPINE National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara strikes a pose on a Honda Winner X with Alas Pilipinas team captain Bryan Bagunas (left) and Honda Philippines president Sayaka Arai.
PARIS 2024 Olympics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo (fourth from left) with (from left) Aira Villegas,
B8
Monday, March 24, 2025
A COLLABORATOR AND TEAM PLAYER
By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz
IN November 2024, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, a world-class healthcare institution, announced the appointment of Dr. Maria Carmen B. Nievera, a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist, as the hospital’s new Chief Medical Officer. She replaces Dr. Jose Acuin who will be heading The Learning Institute by Asian Hospital.
She is the first woman to hold the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) position at Asian Hospital, a position that probably came to Dr. Nievera at the right place and at the right time. In an interview with BusinessMirror, Dr. Nievera related that her main area of practice was in Asian Hospital and this started way back 2002.
“Since the time this hospital opened, I’ve been here but as a practicing physician. I held various positions here. I was the Section Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Chair of the Infection and Prevention Control Committee and Co-Chair of the Credentialing and Privileging Committee,” she said.
Dr. Nievera is currently the VicePresident of the Board of Trustees of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of the Philippines and Chair of the Immunization Committee, and Co-Chair of its Hospital Accreditation Board.
Extensive corporate background
WHILE continuing her practice, Dr. Nievera also had extensive corporate/ business background and experience having held strategic positions in multinational pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Pasteur, and Janssen, Johnson & Johnson. She also served as Clinical Consultant Reviewer for Pediatric Drugs of the Food and Drug Administration.
All this changed in 2024 when she and her family transferred homes and downsized from a house to a condo unit. It also meant moving from Alabang to Bonifacio Global City.
As she was still fixing her new home, Dr. Nievera was looking for something else to do. Then came the opportunity to become the Medical Director of Centre Medicale Internationale (CMI), a comprehensive clinic that offers consultation, wellness, prevention, diagnostics, treatments and procedures for various medical specialties.
“Since this was a part time thing, I said, okay, I can do that on the side while fixing my new home. Basically, we moved from a house to a condo to downsize and simplify our lives,” Dr. Nievera said.
Considers home AFTER a while, she started rethinking why she joined the clinic instead of spending her time and efforts on the hospital she considers her home.
“Basically, I was new at CMI and I just joined the roster to become their CMO. I wasn’t really part of the group of doctors so I asked myself what I was doing there. Why was I working for another place when
I can better serve my home base, Asian Hospital?” Dr. Nievera related.
She pointed out that she was only a newcomer to the clinic and that she was not part of the group that started it. Instead, Dr. Nievera said she wanted to do more for the hospital she had grown to love. She later found out that the Asian Hospital was looking for a CMO.
“I was doing medical operations in the other institution already and it looked like everything was falling into place, at least for me. Maybe this is my calling,” Dr. Nievera said, adding that she decided to accept her colleague's offer to nominate her as CMO.
She did get the job and prior to officially assuming the CMO position on January 1, 2025, Dr. Nievera underwent several weeks of orientation where she met with the leadership team and was exposed to the current and future directions of Asian Hospital and its services and operations.
In addition to launching the Learning Institute, Asian Hospital is also preparing for JCI reaccreditation, the opening of Asian Health and Medical Clinic, the atherosclerosis campaign and the launch of CyberKnife Technology. With the launch of this equipment, Asian Hospital will be the only one in the country that will have this new lifechanging technology for cancer patients.
“We have to make sure that we have the right team in place. We have the right doctors who are properly trained with all these innovative machines. And it’s not just one doctor, one machine, it’s a team,” Dr. Nievera said, pointing out that this would also involve the radiation oncologist, internist, surgeon, anesthesiologist, and other specialists.
“So my role is to be able to ensure that we have top performing, highly qualified teams of doctors, medical staff who will be able to bring innovative solutions and world-class service to our patients,” she added.
Core services
WHILE it is important to to launch these new services, Dr. Nievera said Asian Hospital will continue to look for ways to improve their core services, making sure that they listen to the patients and doctors.
“We are always talking about ‘Alangang Deserve, Alagang Sulit,’ and this is all about patients getting world class clinical care in a cost efficient way. Our core values include fairness and equity for all patients, no matter their background in life. They will get the best care driven by evidence-based
and global medical standards. Patients deserve no less no matter where they come from, so that, for me is my mantra,” she explained.
Asian Hospital has been known to be a hospital for the elite because of their reportedly costly medical services. However, Dr. Nievera pointed out that this was in the past, because today the hospital provides “sulit” packages that are cost efficient.
“We are trying to minimize our inefficiencies, you know, all these things that you can do without in terms of providing services. Healthcare is expensive but to minimize that, we have to be more efficient in the use of resources,” she explained.
Typical day FOR Dr. Nievera, a typical day for her starts by getting up early so that she can bring her daughter to school in Makati. After that she proceeds to Asian Hospital where she starts her day with meetings.
“I do the rounds of the hospital.I inspect different areas and then I have meetings. I work closely with the rest of the Leadership Team and we are gearing up for our next JCI reaccreditation later this year,” she said.
Since she is the CMO, Dr. Nievera has to make sure that the doctors are exposed to current medical information and that they are willing to adopt digital transformation.
“The doctors should know how to make all these information revolution work for you. Doctors now have the opportunity to use big data and apply evidence-based guidelines in their clinical practice so that local and global data on disease trends are used and guide doctors in their decision making.” she said.
Management style
AS for her management style, Dr. Nievera said she is big on collaboration and teamwork but is turned off by dictatorship.
“I am big on collaboration, and I always like to keep the end in mind. I try to focus on our goals and together with our teams, develop a strategy to get us there. Our projects and activities are guided by our objectives, and ultimately, our patients are our North Star.” she said.
However, since somebody has to lead the team towards the goal, that is where Dr. Nievera steps in.
“The bottom line is that my role here is not to be the boss. Like any director, you direct towards something. The focus is towards what we want to achieve and the people who are actually helping us achieve that goal,” she said.
“As medical director, my focus is on the medical staff, foremost of which are the doctors. I remind my team that if the doctors shine, then we shine. If the doctors perform, then we, as a hospital, perform. If the doctors excel in what they do, then we excel. My leadership is to focus on our doctors and let them thrive and be their best in delivering excellent medical care to patients.” Dr. Nievera added.
As to where she would be five years from now, Dr. Nievera said "it is all about finding my niche where I will be able to make a difference with my particular experiences, skills, and network towards a goal that is consistent with my values. That, and taking care of my family and continuing with my oil painting hobby" she says with a smile.
www.businessmirror.com.ph
It is all about finding my niche where I will be able to make a difference with my particular experiences, skills, and network towards a goal that is consistent with my values.”
DR. CARMEN NIEVERA, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, ASIAN HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER
