Author: Nouman Ali

Angge Poyos admitted that blowing a two-set lead hurt for the University of Santo Tomas as they missed the outright chance to clinch a berth to the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball stepladder semifinals.

But the Tigresses have no time to dwell on the loss, shifting their focus to their Playoff for No.4 against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

‘The loss hurts, but we have to move on right away. We’ll come in more confident on Saturday because our fate is in our hands. That’s what we’ll hold on to, giving our best no matter what,’ said Poyos after pouring in 24 points, 15 receptions, and nine digs.

Poyos kept UST afloat in the decider, but her attack error sent NU to match point before Vange Alinsug nailed the game-winning kill to clinch the No.2 spot with a come-from-behind 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-13 win on Wednesday.

‘One factor was miscommunication, especially in crucial moments like when it was tied 13-all. There was a miscommunication with Ate Cassie (Carballo), so communication really played a big role,’ she said. ‘We struggled to close out the game. We were up 2-0 but couldn’t finish it in the third or fourth set.’

Poyos urged her teammates to keep their heads up with their final chance to keep their semifinal streak going.

‘It’s frustrating because we were already close, but still couldn’t get it. For now, our focus is recovery, rest tomorrow, then prepare for Saturday since that’s the most important game for us to make the semis,’ said the former league Rookie of the Year. ‘We just have to stay patient and move on quickly from what happened. We played well, but it still wasn’t enough to get the win.’

Although UST swept FEU in the elimination round, Poyos has no room for complacency in a do-or-die game for the right to face Adamson in the stepladder semis.

‘We just have to give everything, our 101%, and not doubt ourselves. It’s a do-or-die game this Saturday, and we know FEU will come back strong. We won’t just let this slip. We really want to make the Final Four. We’ll stay patient and just perform at our best,’ said Poyos.

Across industries, logistics is undergoing a fundamental shift. The growing complexity of supply chains, coupled with rising customer expectations for speed and transparency, is pushing companies to rethink how goods move from origin to destination. At the center of this transformation is Artificial Intelligence (AI), enabling businesses to operate with greater precision, efficiency, and foresight.

K-Logistikus

Against this backdrop, K-Logistikus Philippines, a joint venture between Logistikus, Inc. and Asia’s logistics powerhouse KLN, is taking a decisive step forward-placing AI at the core of its modernization strategy. Known for its strengths in integrated logistics, freight forwarding, warehousing, and last-mile delivery, the company continues to evolve alongside the changing demands of the market.

‘Logistics plays a critical role in unlocking business potential. Through K-Logistikus Philippines, we aim to provide solutions that not only move goods efficiently but also help enterprises scale, compete, and succeed,’ said Sulficio O. Tagud, Jr., CEO and President of K-Logistikus Philippines.

For K-Logistikus, AI adoption goes beyond incremental upgrades. The company is building a fully data-driven organization by embedding intelligence across its core business units, including Demand Driven Logistics, Cross-Dock, Integrated Contract Logistics, Domestic Freight, and Point-to-Point (P2P).

This transformation is reshaping day-to-day operations. AI-powered tools are being used to forecast demand, optimize delivery routes, and improve ETA accuracy. In warehouses, intelligent slotting and predictive analytics enhance inventory placement and resource allocation, reducing inefficiencies across the supply chain.

At the systems level, K-Logistikus is integrating AI into its Warehouse Management System (WMS), Transport Management System (TMS), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). These enhancements enable smarter planning, faster decision-making, and greater operational visibility. A centralized data platform with real-time dashboards is also being developed, allowing teams to monitor performance and respond proactively to disruptions.

K-Logistikus

Customer experience is also evolving. AI-driven tracking, automated notifications, and more responsive support are improving transparency and reliability-key factors for businesses operating in time-sensitive industries.

This modernization aligns with KLN’s 2025 global rebrand, which emphasizes innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence. By optimizing routes and improving efficiency, K-Logistikus also supports ESG goals, particularly in reducing fuel consumption and enabling more sustainable logistics practices.

The impact is clear: streamlined operations, lower costs, accessible operations information and improved service delivery. More importantly, K-Logistikus is helping bridge the gap between local logistics needs and global standards, enabling businesses-from retail to FMCG to pharmaceuticals-to operate with more resilient and intelligent supply chains.

K-Logistikus’ transformation reflects a broader industry shift. Logistics is no longer defined solely by physical movement, but by the intelligence that powers it. By embedding AI into its operations, the company is not just modernizing-it is helping shape the future of logistics in the Philippines.

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said that she will ask for a new travel request as her plans have changed due to uncertainty whether she would be allowed to travel abroad.

‘Thank you for the last-minute issuance of the travel authority,’ Duterte said in a statement addressed to the Office of the President (OP).

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Wednesday said that the OP granted the travel authority, allowing Duterte to travel to the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom from April 23 to May 15.

Screenshot of the letter of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Screenshot of the letter of Vice President Sara Duterte to the Office of the President.

‘I regret to inform you that the plans have changed due to uncertainty as to whether I will be permitted to depart,’ Duterte said.

With this, she said that the OP will receive a new request ‘soon.’

She then asked the OP to ensure prompt processing and issuance of necessary documents ‘allowing sufficient time for travel preparations rather than only a few hours before the intended departure.’

‘Additionally, ensuring the confidentiality and proper handling of sensitive documents would greatly contribute to maintaining effective security arrangements,’ Duterte added.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) threw its support behind the possible lifting of the moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, which it said could be an ‘essential bridge’ to keep businesses running amid the energy crisis.

‘Our economy cannot run on uncertainty,’ PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘While the transition to renewable energy remains our long-term goal, our immediate priority must be the stability and affordability of our power grid.’

This comes after Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Department of Energy is open to revisiting the 2020 ban, particularly amid surging fuel prices amid tensions in the Middle East, which had prompted the Philippines to declare an energy emergency.

‘Pragmatic solution’

PCCI, the country’s largest business group, said the move could serve as a ‘temporary and pragmatic’ step to stabilize supply, even as the country continues to scale up renewable energy capacity.

Any policy shift, it added, should not derail long-term clean energy goals but instead act as a bridge to address immediate needs.

‘This is not about choosing between coal and renewables, it is about ensuring the lights stay on, businesses remain competitive and households are protected from rising costs,’ said David Chua, director for energy at PCCI.

Call for ‘policy flexibility’

PCCI cited three key pressures behind the need for policy flexibility: the need for steady baseload power as manufacturing expands; persistently high electricity rates that blunt competitiveness; and exposure to swings in global oil and gas prices.

As such, the group said any new coal capacity should use high-efficiency technologies and form part of a broader transition plan.

It also urged the government to expand natural gas and liquefied natural gas, while accelerating renewables, energy storage and grid modernization.

‘We must be flexible enough to adapt our policies to the realities of 2026,’ Ferrer said. ‘Lifting this moratorium provides the essential bridge we need to keep the lights on and the factories running while we continue to build our renewable capacity.’

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is proposing to significantly ease listing rules for preferred shares offerings, aiming to draw more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into the capital market.

In a consultation paper, the PSE said it plans to slash the minimum public offering size for preferred shares offerings to P100 million from P1 billion, a tenfold reduction meant to ‘democratize access’ to the market.

The exchange said the move would align the requirement with small-cap initial public offering (IPO) thresholds and provide an alternative to crowdfunding, which SMEs often tap for funding.

Alongside this, the PSE is proposing to lower the minimum number of stockholders upon listing to 100 from 1,000, reflecting the smaller offer size.

The exchange also plans to revise public float rules, shifting from a fixed 20 percent minimum to a range of 15 percent to 20 percent, in line with SEC Memorandum Circular No. 11-2026.

In some cases, the PSE may allow a lower public float, but not below 12 percent, based on a company’s market capitalization at listing.

Easier disclosure requirements

To further encourage listings, the PSE is seeking to streamline disclosure requirements for ‘preferred shares-only’ issuers, focusing on information that affects dividend payments.

This will reduce the number of reportable events requiring prompt disclosure to 29 from 42, removing items not tied to an issuer’s ability to pay dividends.

Certain disclosures-such as reports on top shareholders and some corporate changes-will no longer be required, while sector-specific certifications will be added for mining and energy firms.

The PSE is also proposing a modified penalty framework, retaining fines for structured disclosures but simplifying penalties for unstructured violations to a single level.

Higher penalties will apply to violations affecting preferred shareholders’ rights, including dividend declarations, redemption terms and changes in shareholdings of key officers.

The exchange is inviting comments from market participants until May 5, 2026, after which the final rules may be refined from the draft.

Proponents

Investment banker Eduardo Francisco, president of BDO Capital and Investment Corp., earlier urged the PSE to lower the minimum offering size to P500 million, saying listing-even via preferred shares-could help smaller firms build credibility and attract investors.

‘If they are not yet listed, preferred [shares offering] is a safer way to introduce them,’ Francisco said.

He added that once listed, companies would also have an easier path to conduct follow-on offerings, whether of common or preferred shares.

‘At least, they have a seal of good housekeeping,’ he said.

Police anti-narcotics operatives arrested two alleged street drug pushers, and seized P142,000 worth of shabu (crystal meth) in a buy-bust operation early Wednesday, April 22, in Rodriguez town in Rizal province.

The Rizal police reported that a team of operatives held ‘Vonvon,’ 33, and ‘Cristi,’ 36, after they sold P500 worth of shabu to a poseur buyer in Barangay San Jose at dawn.

The suspects yielded seven heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected meth weighing 21 grams, worth P142,000, and a digital weighing scale.

The Rodriguez police are still investigating the source of the illegal drugs.

The report tagged the suspects as street-level pushers on the police watch list.

‘The arrest of these individuals is proof of our relentless campaign against illegal drugs. We will continue to intensify our operations to maintain the safety and order of our community, Colonel Eleazar Barber Jr., Rizal police director, said.

The suspects were detained and are facing charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Rising fuel costs amid the Middle East conflict forced the Department of Agriculture (DA) to delay by about one month the implementation of nationwide farm-to-market road (FMR) projects.

The agency originally targeted to begin construction of FMR projects in April. It received a budget allocation of P33 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, covering 1,605 projects.

However, the DA plans to start the bidding process next month as it recalibrates construction costs.

‘We expect that by May, we will begin the procurement process for all these bidding activities,’ Agriculture Undersecretary Arrey Perez said in an interview.

Standardizing budget

Perez said the DA is closely coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to standardize the price per kilometer of FMR in the pipeline.

‘Our challenge now is that because fuel prices are rising, we cannot finalize the costing per kilometer of our road projects,’ he told reporters.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, also the DA’s spokesperson, said: ‘If we insist on using the previous costing, the bidding will likely fail. We need to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that our procurement and implementation are successful.’

Despite these delays, Perez assured that the ongoing FMR projects being undertaken by other agencies would continue.

Takeover

The DA assumed responsibility for constructing FMR projects from the DPWH, effective this year, following corruption concerns over the government’s infrastructure projects.

Although the DA is the lead implementing agency, it is allowed to partner with government agencies, local government units or private entities to complete these projects.

The agency has adopted various measures to ensure transparency and proper implementation, such as auditing FMR projects and launching the FMR transparency portal, where stakeholders can monitor projects or report any issues.

Based on the DA’s digital portal, the government had invested P109.53 billion to develop FMR projects between 2021 and 2026 covering 6,428 projects.

Of these, 3,135 projects have been completed with a total length of 2,399.85 kilometers.

The United States and Israel’s attacks on Iran have now embroiled the entire Middle East in a war characterized by the use of large quantities of missiles and drones.

Like Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the United States and Israel are using naked force to push ahead with their own political agendas. The law-of-the-jungle aphorism of ‘might makes right’ seems to be sweeping across the world. Does this mean that the world has entered an era in which military power alone holds sway?

I don’t think so. When observing the two wars, doubts arise about whether military power is actually helping to achieve the goals. Both wars were launched to attain political objectives in a short period of time, but things are not going as desired by those countries.

The US and Israel seem to have established air superiority over Iran just a few days into their offensive. Nonetheless, Iran has not surrendered and is instead continuously staging counterattacks on other Middle Eastern countries that host US military bases.

Moreover, Iran has declared a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, taking bold steps to choke off supplies from the Gulf area to the rest of the world, and the United States has been unable to take any effective countermeasures against this.

In other words, these two wars show that no matter how overwhelming the difference in military power between the two sides is, it is not so easy to force an opposing country that resolutely resists to accept political demands in a short period of time, let alone force it to ‘unconditionally surrender.’

There are several factors that make it difficult to accomplish political objectives through destructive physical force or threats.

The first factor is the opposing country’s firm resolve not to yield. Ukraine, for instance, has maintained its resolute stance not to capitulate to Russia’s unjustifiable demands, in spite of the US’ calls for a ceasefire. In Iran, the Israeli intelligence agency apparently expected to see moves to topple its leadership from within emerge right after the beginning of the US-Israeli attacks, but no such thing has happened, even after the killing of many leaders.

Second, international norms regarding military action during conflicts are still in effect to a certain degree, although they have been weakened. Nevertheless, no countries have publicly declared their intention to kill civilians in large numbers, and situations like the indiscriminate air raids in World War II have been avoided so far.

Third, the asymmetry of the weapons and tactics used in modern warfare is also significant. Even if a country cannot defeat an attacker using the same types of weapons or tactics, it may still be able to counter them by employing different types of weapons or tactics. If Iran says it will lay inexpensive mines to block the Strait of Hormuz, ship operators will inevitably hesitate to travel through the waterway even if there are not a large number of mines.

Fourth, global economic interdependence reduces the use of destructive force and mitigates the impact of intimidation. The interdependence of the global economy is complex. Even if there are no deep economic ties with a hostile nation, a country that takes military action will face various economic repercussions.

The US itself is hardly dependent on Middle Eastern crude oil, but Iran’s counterattacks on other Gulf nations and the Islamic Republic’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sent Middle Eastern crude oil prices soaring.

A spike in energy prices leads to spiraling prices for other products and supply constraints. Stock markets react to concerns about these situations, fluctuating wildly as people get excited or discouraged regarding the course of the war. If the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is prolonged, the situation could bring about a crisis far more serious for the global economy than the oil crises of the 1970s.

The outbreak of the war in Ukraine and that in the Middle East has worsened the circumstances of all the countries involved. In short, military power doesn’t help achieve political objectives.

Needless to say, it isn’t easy to end a war once it starts, since nations, too, don’t always act rationally. However, the continuation of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East will bring nothing but harm to not only the countries directly involved but also the entire world.

The most rational choice in both wars is first and foremost to achieve a ceasefire. It is crucial to persuade the countries directly involved of this. The Japan News/Asia News Network

Akihiko Tanaka is president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, a post he took up in April 2022 for the second time after his first stint from 2012 to 2015. He also served as vice president of the University of Tokyo from 2009 to 2012. He was president of the Tokyo-based National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies from 2017 to March 2022.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer is a member of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 22 media titles in the region.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) released funds amounting to at least P92.8 million for a flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, linked to former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. and several others, despite alleged irregularities in billing documents, an official told the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division on Wednesday.

Testifying at the hearing for the malversation case against Revilla and his coaccused, DPWH finance director Genevieve Cuaresma confirmed alleged irregularities in the monthly certificate of payment and Statement of Work Accomplished (Sowa) for the project.

Cuaresma said the documents were not signed by former DPWH assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez and district engineer Henry Alcantara.

Hernandez is among the coaccused in the case, while Alcantara is a state witness.

The lack of signatures, according to Cuaresma, made the documents ‘incomplete, illegal,’ adding that the payments should not have been released as a result.

The Sowa also declared the project ‘95.17 percent’ complete but when Third Division chair Associate Justice Karl Miranda inspected the site last week, there were no visible structures aside from several steel sheet piles.

Police arrested four men allegedly involved in fuel pilfering, locally known as ‘paihi,’ during a late-night operation on Wednesday in Alaminos, Laguna.

The Police Regional Office 4A said local police, assisted by barangay tanods (village watchmen), were conducting a routine patrol when they caught the suspects in the act of siphoning fuel from two tanker trucks along the Alaminos-Lipa City bypass road in Barangay San Miguel at around 11 p.m.

The suspects were identified by their aliases as ‘Roberto,’ 34; ‘Fernan,’ 33; and ‘Mark Paolo,’ 28 – all drivers – and a helper, ‘Jericho.’

Authorities said about 400 liters of petroleum products, valued at P40,000, had already been siphoned and transferred into a drum inside a Mitsubishi L300 van driven by Mark Paolo.

The theft is called ‘paihi,’ a Filipino term that refers to the act of urinating and now means siphoning fuel from a tank or depot.

The suspects were taken into custody and are set to face criminal charges.

The two tanker trucks and the van used in the operation were impounded.