Author: Nouman Ali

As of last week, according to the latest reports from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), 6,532 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their dependents have been repatriated from the Middle East, due to the region-wide turmoil caused by the United States and Israel’s war against Iran.

That may seem like a small drop in the total number of Middle East-based OFWs-an estimated 2 million-plus-but the Owwa and DMW expect that many more Filipino workers will seek repatriation in the coming weeks and months as the region continues to simmer.

The returning OFWs mostly come from countries such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar, and Bahrain, as well as Israel. With Iran attacking neighboring countries in retaliation for what it perceives as their support for the US and Israel’s aggression, the entire region has been dragged into the conflict, with the effects on the global economy projected to linger for years to come.

Whatever happens in the Middle East has particularly stark implications for the Philippines. Not only has the war’s disruptions on oil and commodity shipments triggered painful spikes in the prices of fuel and goods in the local market, but if the conflict stays unresolved or, worse, escalates, the potential displacement of hundreds of thousands of OFWs presents a vastly more consequential problem.

Critical lifeline

The war has been an ‘unprecedented shock’ for the region’s economies, as the International Monetary Fund put it, with five of the Gulf’s eight oil- and gas-producing countries-Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar-headed for a contraction in their gross domestic product this year. The three major producers in the group-Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman-will be able to stay above water but with markedly slower growth.

Those five most affected countries alone host approximately 500,000 to over 600,000 Filipino workers. They now face the prospect of being sent home, if not because of the direct destruction of their workplaces and accommodations, then from potential widespread job layoffs as their host countries’ economies reel from the conflict.

In the immediate term, the Philippines stands to lose, or at least receive much less of, some $6.5 billion in remittances-about 18 percent of the country’s total remittance earnings-sent by OFWs from the region. These funds primarily drive household consumption, keeping Filipino families afloat by giving them cash for daily needs, education, health care, and other immediate concerns. One shudders at the idea of millions of Filipino homes suddenly losing this critical lifeline.

Reintegration program

The United Nations Development Programme has warned that up to 32.5 million additional people worldwide could be pushed into poverty because of the war. In the Asia-Pacific region, that would be some 8.8 million people. In the Philippines specifically, due to the cascading effects of higher fuel prices alone, around 1.34 million Filipinos are at risk of falling into poverty, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

Against this urgent backdrop, the administration now has its hands full squeezing and reprioritizing the budget to address the immediate needs of those hardest hit by the fuel shock, such as transport drivers and delivery workers.

Displaced OFWs are another sector that requires quick assistance, and the Owwa has requested an additional P12-billion budget for the repatriation and reintegration of these workers.

Owwa said its initial emergency repatriation funding amounted to only around P1.286 billion, of which over P700 million has been spent. About P9 billion of the requested P12 billion in extra funding will pay for more emergency repatriations, including immediate financial assistance to affected OFWs. The remaining P3 billion will be for their reintegration program covering livelihood assistance, skills training, business loans for start-up ventures, counseling, and financial literacy training.

Monumental challenge

The agency has estimated that, should the war not ease up, some 60,000 OFWs may end up being forcibly uprooted from the Middle East. That is a staggering number that the country has to prepare for-not only in terms of quick funding, such as the additional allocation that should be given Owwa posthaste, but also in the work of resettling these Filipino workers in their homeland with dignity, and eventually harnessing, or upgrading if need be, their skills and know-how.

The Marcos administration has a monumental challenge in its hands in making sure such reintegration efforts do go somewhere. Are conditions in the country becoming viable enough for returning OFWs to decide to stay for good-to build a business, or work in a local firm, and generally take their chances on the home front? Or would they feel that the country, after all this time, has yet to get its act together-that better prospects remain abroad, even in the face of war and uncertainty?

Philippines-Alexandria Luz Enriquez struck gold for the Philippines in the jiu-jitsu women’s ne-waza 63kg division of the 2026 Asian Beach Games, scoring a dominant 5-0 victory over Yeonni Lee of South Korea.

Her triumph handed the Philippine delegation its first gold medal of the Sanya Games.

‘I feel so much pride and joy. I was born in the Philippines. We immigrated to the States when I was a very young child-six years old-and to be able to come back and experience it as an adult and be a part of something much larger than I am is such a great honor,’ Enriquez said.

Enriquez controlled the final with technical precision, capping a strong run through her bracket against a tough field. She then won via advantage in the semifinal against Shamma Alkalbani to nab her spot in the gold medal match.

The gold also marked the country’s sixth all-time gold medal in Asian Beach Games history.

The victory came after Kaila Napolis earlier secured a bronze, boosting the Philippines’ campaign in the jiu-jitsu competitions.

‘Alexandria showed the heart of a true Filipino warrior today. To win gold here in Sanya, against the best in the continent, sets a high standard for our hosting in 2028. This is a proud moment for the entire nation,’ said chef de mission Don Z. Caringal.

With the jiu-jitsu events still ongoing, the Philippines looks to add more medals as it continues its campaign in Sanya.

The police have filed a criminal complaint against seven cadets and two police officers of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in Silang, Cavite, over the alleged hazing of 22 plebes (first-year cadets) on April 3, Good Friday.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed the complaint for violation of Republic Act No. 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 with the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Imus, Cavite.

Among those charged were third-year PNPA cadets Harold Locop Heje, Lance Elroy Guinitaran Gayramon, Mhicco Legarda Escalante, Renz Matthew Abuhan Cutab and Renald Perfecto Brunio, as well as second-year cadets James Baldazan Bandao and Christopher Fernandez Dayag.

Also named in the complaint were the duty officers for the day, Maj. Mark Anthony Cailing and Senior Master Sgt. Silverio Dolorfino Jr.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, PNPA director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said that under the antihazing law, on-duty supervisors in training institutions tasked to directly oversee cadets or trainees may also be held criminally liable when such incidents occur.

Administrative liability

He added that the PNP Internal Affairs Service is also conducting an investigation into the police officers’ possible administrative liability under the principle of command responsibility.

Maranan said that based on their investigation, the on-duty officers who were supposed to supervise the activities of PNPA cadets were not on campus when the hazing occurred.

Following the incident, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered tighter anti-hazing measures across all systems within the PNPA, which is composed of two main branches: the Tactics Group and the Academics Group.

Maranan said that because the hazing occurred under the Tactics Group, it will be prioritized for reforms.

According to him, cadets have been segregated by class and assigned to separate barracks to ensure all interactions are supervised by tactical and assistant tactical officers.

Maranan said that closed circuit TV cameras will be installed in and around barracks, classrooms and other areas where cadets conduct various activities.

Tactical officers will also be required to use body-worn cameras so their actions can be properly documented and reviewed.

In a separate statement, Nartatez said the filing of cases against those involved in the alleged hazing ‘shows that the PNP’s system of discipline and accountability is working.’

‘Regardless of the people and the ranks involved, there will always be a certainty of facing the consequences of violating our rules and regulations, and the rule of law,’ he said.

Ayala-backed Globe Telecom Inc. has tapped First Gen Corp. to supply renewable energy to key facilities in Mindanao and Caloocan, shifting part of its power requirements away from imported fuel.

Three Globe facilities in Mindanao will receive electricity from geothermal energy while a site in Caloocan City will get supply from hydropower.

Both sources are ‘not dependent on imported fuel, helping reduce exposure to global fuel price volatility,’ the telecommunications firm said.

‘As demand for connectivity grows, how we power our network matters just as much as how we build it,’ said Yoly Crisanto, Globe’s chief sustainability and corporate communications officer.

‘Shifting to local renewable energy allows us to operate more responsibly while ensuring we remain reliable for the people and communities we serve,’ Crisanto said.

Globe said the transition was enabled by the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access and the Green Energy Option Program. These enable large electricity users to source power directly from renewable energy providers.

Globe has been partnering with First Gen since 2020 to expand its renewable-powered facilities, targeting more than 70 sites by 2026.

In 2024, the telco also signed a power purchase agreement with First Gen.

Data center arm

To advance its shift to renewables, Globe’s data center arm, STT GDC Philippines, recently tapped Meralco supplier MPower to power its Quezon City and Cavite facilities with renewable energy under a 10-year supply deal.

This agreement covers 40.5 megawatts of clean energy for its STT Fairview 1 and STT Cavite data center campuses.

Apart from shifting to renewables, Globe said it is also implementing fuel-efficiency measures for facilities that still rely on nonrenewable sources, particularly remote sites and backup systems powered by generator sets.

These include dynamic load management systems designed to optimize fuel use. ‘As Globe continues to expand its digital infrastructure, it remains focused on powering connectivity in a way that balances performance, sustainability and long-term value for the communities it serves,’ it said.

Ukay-ukay has always been a great part of everyday life. For a long time, it has simply been a game of finding treasure: going into stores to find and buy clothes that were definitely more affordable than something you’d pick out at a mall. You go in to find racks and racks of clothes and pieces that were new to you, with price tags that weren’t so painful to look at.

This system hasn’t changed for a long time. But somewhere down the road, the appeal of ukay-ukay or thrifting expanded to more than just a lower price. It reached a newer, bigger demographic of creative and eco-conscious youth.

Unpredictability is part of the appeal

Now, people don’t only go to ukay out of necessity-they go because they want to. There’s something about it that feels therapeutic and feels different from regular shopping. It’s not predictable, it’s a little less polished, and a lot more personal.

What sets ukay-ukay apart is the way you move through everything. There’s no clear system, no guarantee of finding something specific. Sometimes the clothes are all packed tightly together, the styles overlap, and the sizing is iffy at best. It’s the kind of place where you have to be patient and go through everything thoroughly.

That unpredictability is part of the appeal, though. Finding something good looks completely different to everyone. So, it isn’t given that you’ll find something to your taste-but when you do, it feels more considered and intentional. A

‘tsamba’

comes down to the right place and the right time. And because of that, the pieces people end up with feel more personal.

A ‘tsamba’ comes down to the right place and the right time. And because of that, the pieces people end up with feel more personal

People aren’t dressing the same way anymore

This shift has also happened with what the rise in ukay-ukay means socially. It has changed the way people think about style and experimenting with new types of fashion. Because the pieces are affordable, there’s much less pressure to get them ‘right.’ You can always try something different, pick up something you won’t usually go for, and see how well it works for you.

Because the pieces are affordable, there’s much less pressure to get them ‘right.’ You can always try something different

It also means that people aren’t dressing the same way. Unlike mall brands and fast fashion companies, where trends are repeated across racks, ukay offers a mix of everything. You’ll see more personal styles and outfits that are put together in a way that reflects individual taste rather than what the current norm is.

At the same time, with the growing awareness of current eco-crises and environmental concerns, people are now more aware of how much they consume. Ukay fits into this shift perfectly, making being eco-conscious feel effortless. Buying secondhand and pre-loved clothes and extending their lives has become part of how people approach fashion-not in an overly conscious way, but as something that just makes sense.

Thrifting now also works as a kind of social space. It’s common to go with friends, looking through the racks together, asking for opinions, and doing a try-on haul at the changing rooms. In a way, it fills a gap. Nowadays, there aren’t many casual, low-cost places to just spend time in, especially for the younger people, and ukay doesn’t ask for much. You walk in, you browse, you chat, and spend your time creatively. It makes it easy to treat it as less of an errand and more of a fun pastime.

What makes it work is how low-pressure it is. There’s no expectation to buy anything, no rush to decide. That alone feels like the best part. It feels like slowing down and pausing in a world where hustle culture is extremely present.

What makes it work is how low-pressure it is. There’s no expectation to buy anything

READ MORE: The local creatives championing thrift shopping and sustainable fashion

Ukay is forever relevant

Ukay-ukay has even found its way to creating small businesses. Many online clothing shops now start the same way with pieces sourced from ukay, then resold with a bit more creativity. It’s less about changing the clothes and more about presenting them differently-making do with what you’re given, and building a style around it.

In that sense, the concept of ukay doesn’t just shape personal wardrobes. It feeds into how people approach the selling and styling of the clothes as well.

What people also look for tends to shift-one week it’s oversized jackets, the next it’s baby tees or cargos. And because of this cycle, ukay also follows this process. But instead of getting them directly from the store, people look for versions of them in ukay.

All of this happens without much structure. There’s no fixed way to approach it, no single reason people keep going back. Some go for practicality, some for style, some just to see what’s there. And that’s really what keeps ukay-ukay relevant. It works in different ways for different people, and it doesn’t try too hard to be anything more than that.

Two Philippine beach volleyball pairs will be facing formidable opponents in group play at the start on Thursday of the sixth Asian Beach Games at Sanya Bay here.

The ninth-seeded women’s pair of Sunny Villapando and Grydelle Joanice Matibag will be campaigning in Pool H alongside Mongolia, Macau and Kazakhstan, while the 10th-ranked Khylem Progella-Sofia Pagara pair plays in Pool G against Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Macau.

Team PH will not be represented in the men’s division, even as 1,790 athletes from 45 member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia are competing in the Games, which officially opened on Wednesday at Sanya International Sports Park.

The beach volleyball tournament features eight pools each in the men’s and women’s divisions, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.

China parades formidable tandems, including Beach Pro Tour Haikou champions Dong Jie and Jiang Kaiyue in Pool A, while Japan’s Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto headline Pool B. China’s Zhou Mingli and Kadeliye Halaiti, runners-up in Haikou, are drawn in Pool C.

Also competing in the women’s field are teams from Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Maldives, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

The local government of Calanasan in Apayao province was placed under a state of calamity on Wednesday due to the worsening socioeconomic effects of the ongoing energy crisis.In a statement, the local government said the town council has passed a resolution on the calamity declaration, and Mayor Shamir Bulut approved it.The resolution came as an offshoot of the recommendation from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), which found that the current situation has ‘significantly disrupted local livelihoods, transportation, and the delivery of basic goods and services.’The crisis, driven by global oil supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East, has caused fuel prices to surge to unprecedented levels, the statement added.

Community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma was among 19 people killed in a clash between government soldiers and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Negros Occidental province on Sunday, Altermidya Network confirmed on Wednesday.

The Philippine Army earlier reported that Sunday’s series of armed encounters with supposed NPA remnants resulted in 19 rebels slain, but it has yet to release the full list of fatalities.

Altermidya, in a statement on Wednesday, said it mourns the killing of Ledesma, writer and editor of Paghimutad Negros Island Alternative Media and its coordinator in the region, from Sunday’s incident.

Ledesma, 30, was killed in a supposed military operation at Barangay Salamanca in Toboso town, but he was in the area doing community work and immersion, reporting on the effects of renewable energy projects on farming communities, Altermidya said.

It identified Ledesma as a community journalist, editor and poet, a career path he chose after his stint as student leader and campus writer.

He served as editor in chief of Spectrum, the student publication of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, where he graduated with a degree in psychology. Since 2020, he led Paghimutad Negros, an alternative media outfit focused on human rights reporting and grassroots storytelling.

He later joined Altermidya as coordinator for the Negros Island Region.

‘Highest honor’

Ledesma’s recent work documented the struggles of communities facing displacement due to large-scale renewable energy projects, including the expansion of solar farms, windmill installations, and hydropower ventures, Altermidya said.

He also reported on reclamation projects in Bacolod City, the expansion of a palm oil plantation in Candoni, and the conditions of ‘sakada’ (farm laborers) and sugar farmworkers, it added.

Paghimutad Negros, the community media outfit that Ledesma led, had long been subjected to Red-tagging and vilification, the group said.

Human Rights Advocates Negros said Ledesma was not in the initial clash site at Sitio Sinugmawan in Barangay Salamanca. He was attacked in a separate community at Sitio Plariding during a pursuit operation by government troops also on Sunday.

‘We give the highest honor to our colleague RJ, who until his last breath served marginalized communities by immersing and reporting on their stories. Together with his family and colleagues, we demand justice for RJ Ledesma,’ Altermidya said.

Ledesma was the seventh nominee of the Kabataan party list in the 2022 elections.

The Inquirer on Wednesday reached out to the Army but had yet to receive a response.

In October 2022, the Facebook page of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Brigade called one of Paghimutad’s human rights reports as ‘propaganda’ and linked it to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. The post circulated across police and military platforms, including the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Western Visayas, Altermidya said.

Paghimutad also reported on coordinated attacks against the radio program ‘Kaling Kag Tugda,’ as well as cases of journalists in Negros being profiled or followed by suspected government intelligence agents. It stressed that these efforts aimed to hide from the public the worsening human rights violations in their communities, it added.

After weeks of silence, Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday denied that there were billions of pesos’ worth of transactions in her bank accounts and blasted not just former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for these allegations, but also the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for now being part of a ‘machinery.’

In a lengthy statement issued hours after she responded to the ‘last-minute’ travel authority for her, Duterte said Trillanes, one of her fiercest critics, has been ‘peddling the same incredible story about alleged billions in bank accounts.’

‘From 2016 to 2026, nothing in his narrative has changed,’ Duterte said. ‘What has changed, however, is the machinery now backing him.’

The embattled vice president alleged that Trillanes is now being backed by the ‘machinery,’ which she said included her former political ally and now nemesis, President Marcos, whom she said ‘must be compelled to submit to a simple drug test,’ referring to the repeated calls for a hair-follicle test.

She also claimed that the House lawmakers have also been a part of the so-called ‘machinery’ backing Trillanes, accusing them of receiving ‘maletas and having repeatedly disregarded constitutional limits on her impeachment.

This time, however, Duterte included the COA, supposedly ‘backing’ Trillanes, questioning the timing of the state audit agency’s issuance of its findings on the use of her confidential funds ‘in a manner that conveniently aligns with political attacks.’

Lastly, she also criticized the newly-installed AMLC officials ‘who remain silent and refuse to clarify that there have been no findings of violations of anti-money laundering laws, and the billions of peso in bank accounts are untrue.’

Amid all the accusations against her, Duterte said she has one ‘simple’ response to the ‘attacks’ against her: her service record is ‘clean.’

‘[H]indi ako kailanman nagkaroon ng kaso sa paggamit ng pondo ng bayan. Lahat ng aking ari-arian at pera ay idineklara ko sa aking SALN (Not once have I been charged for using public funds. All of my properties and money are declared on my statement of assets, liabilities and net worth),’ she said.

An unexpected power interruption affected parts of Olongapo City on Thursday after a snake came into contact with electrical equipment at a local substation.

In an advisory, Olongapo Electricity Distribution Company (OEDC) reported that the reptile had climbed onto a gantry structure within one of its substations.

The animal’s contact with energized components caused a line-to-ground fault, prompting protective systems to activate and automatically shut down the affected power feeders, the OEDC explained.

The shutdown, while disruptive to residents and businesses, was a safety measure designed to prevent further damage to the electrical network and ensure public safety, it added.

Utility personnel immediately responded to the incident, clearing the obstruction and conducting necessary inspections before restoring power to the affected areas.

OEDC confirmed that electricity service has since been fully restored.

The company apologized for the inconvenience caused by the sudden outage and expressed appreciation for the public’s patience and understanding.