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Hiraya Water aims service upgrade by December

Hiraya Water Corporation, formerly PrimeWater, said it aims to improve water service reliability in Angeles City by December through new deep wells, pipe replacements and upgrades to its treatment facilities, following consumer complaints over recurring water interruptions, weak pressure and water quality.

The company responded to questions from this reporter who sought it comment after residents raised concerns over inconsistent water supply and billing, prompting the Angeles City Council to consider a legislative inquiry.

Angeles City Water District general manager Guy Lopez said Hiraya Water has operated under its new corporate name since May.

Branch manager Lodee Guanlao attributed some service issues to infrastructure challenges, including service lines extending 50 to 100 meters from main pipelines in some communities and illegal connections that affect water distribution.

Guanlao said the company investigates reported complaints that are found to be valid and continues to coordinate with local government agencies while informing consumers of scheduled interruptions and maintenance through its official social media pages.

To improve supply, Guanlao said Hiraya Water is developing four new deep wells to inaugurate this year. Guanlao said they target a total of six new water sources by yearend. The company is also rehabilitating water treatment facilities, installing additional filtration systems, and replacing aging pipelines to reduce water losses, costs that he said are being absorbed by the company.

‘We target December this year. The deep wells will boost additional water supply, and together with total pipe replacements, consumers should begin seeing improvements,’ Guanlao said in an interview on Wednesday.

On water quality, Guanlao said the utility conducts daily and monthly monitoring of chlorine residuals and physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters through its own laboratory and monitoring team. He added that the company issues certificates of water potability and said the Angeles City Health Office has also posted potability certifications.

He acknowledged elevated iron and manganese levels remain a challenge in some areas beyond the Abacan Bridge but said the company is addressing the issue through new treatment and filtration projects, routine flushing and other mitigation measures.

Guanlao said the utility estimates about 1 percent of its roughly over 60,000 consumers are affected by persistent service issues.

‘Even if it’s only around 600 consumers, we will still fix those problems,’ she said.

Hiraya Water is one of several water service providers operating in Angeles City. The ten other water utility companies each serving different areas within the city include: Balibago Waterworks System Inc.

Teresa Waterworks Inc.

Calsons Waterworks

Villages Water

BP Waterworks

Taguete Waterworks

Trilan Waterworks

Lago Waterworks

Leoncia Waterworks

Neplum Waterworks

Asked about complaints from residents who said they continue receiving water bills despite prolonged interruptions or weak water pressure, company officials said billing practices continue to follow the Angeles City Water District’s Citizens Charter.

Lopez said the company remains committed to improve service.

‘We are aware of the challenges and we are doing our best to improve these services,’ Lopez said. ‘We will continue to drill more wells if needed to make sure people benefit from these developments.’

Meanwhile, the Angeles City Council is considering additional consumer protection measures for utility customers.

During a committee hearing Wednesday, Councilor Maricel Morales proposed an ordinance that would require utility providers, including the Angeles Electric Corp., to provide at least 30 days’ notice before implementing rate increases or tariff adjustments.

The proposal would also require monthly water quality reports, independent water sampling by the City Health Office, prohibit ‘air billing,’ require immediate inspection of disputed water meters, and bar utility disconnections on Fridays, weekends and holidays or while billing disputes are pending.

Under the proposed measure, water concessionaires would also be required to provide free water tanker services if interruptions last more than 12 hours. The ordinance also seeks to establish a Utility Consumer Welfare Trust Fund to support water quality testing, engineering audits and emergency water distribution, while imposing administrative penalties on violators.

Gombe Commissioner of sports pledges to build on predecessors’ achievements

The newly appointed Gombe State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Yusuf Abdu Kwadon, has pledged to consolidate on the achievements of his predecessors and work with staff to reposition the ministry for improved service delivery.

Kwadon made the pledge while taking over the affairs of the ministry after receiving handover notes from the Permanent Secretary, Adamu Mohammed Kala.

He described his appointment by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as a privilege and expressed gratitude to the governor for the confidence reposed in him.

The Commissioner said he would leverage the experience and commitment of the ministry’s workforce to advance youth and sports development across the state.

‘The ministry is blessed with experienced and dedicated personnel. With teamwork and commitment, we will build on existing successes and take the ministry to greater heights,’ he said.

He also commended former commissioners for laying a solid foundation, assuring that ongoing programmes would be sustained while new initiatives would be introduced to enhance the ministry’s performance.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Kala, formally presented the ministry’s handover documents to the Commissioner and assured him of the full cooperation and support of the management and staff in achieving the ministry’s mandate.

Data silos stall growth

Thailand’s ambition to become a data-and-technology-driven economy faces structural hurdles, says a senior researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

Fragmented government and private-sector databases are preventing the country from fully harnessing the value of data, the TDRI noted.

The warning comes as the government is promoting digital transformation as a cornerstone of its strategy to escape the middle-income trap and build a knowledge-based economy.

Authorities have pledged to make data-driven policymaking a key pillar of economic modernisation, arguing that better use of big data and digital technologies will improve public services, boost productivity, and attract more investment.

However, Nonarit Bisonyabut, senior research fellow at TDRI, said Thailand remains only at the “baby stage” of working its way up to the status of a truly data-driven country.

“The first prerequisite is having data, and Thailand does collect a great deal of it,” he said. “The problem is that the data is stored in silos.”

Government agencies, including the Department of Land Transport and the Public Health Ministry, each maintain their own databases, while banks, mobile network operators and hospitals also hold extensive customer information.

But these databases rarely communicate with one another, limiting their usefulness beyond individual organisations.

“As a result, each organisation can only develop services based on the data it already possesses,” Mr Nonarit said.

Banks, for example, can analyse customer behaviour to tailor financial products or insurance offers, but broader innovation remains constrained because datasets cannot be integrated.

Practical challenges

Mr Nonarit said the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) also presents practical challenges, requiring organisations to obtain users’ consent before using personal data for new purposes. While the law safeguards privacy, it also limits the ability to maximise the economic value of data.

Government agencies face different challenges. Although they have the legal authority to collect certain types of information, officials often hesitate to share data for fear of legal liability or public scrutiny.

“There has long been a culture of not sharing data — even among government agencies themselves,” Mr Nonarit said.

While recent legislation encourages greater information sharing, implementation remains limited, with agencies typically responding only to specific requests rather than making interoperable datasets broadly available.

Mr Nonarit cited the Department of Business Development as an example. Instead of publishing company director information in an accessible format, the agency only allows users to ask whether a specific individual serves as a director of a particular company.

“That approach doesn’t create an ecosystem where innovation can flourish because the data isn’t connected,” he said.

By contrast, countries such as China have built highly integrated data systems, enabling authorities to use artificial intelligence to improve traffic management, enhance public safety and streamline urban administration, albeit with far less emphasis on personal privacy.

Thailand lacks the ability to connect an individual’s records across different databases through a single digital identity, Mr Nonarit said. If linked securely, data associated with a citizen’s 13-digit national identification number — including their driving history, accident records and health information — could support more accurate insurance pricing, better public policy and more personalised services.

Mr Nonarit said democratic countries have also demonstrated successful models.

European nations, he said, have developed trusted regulatory frameworks that protect personal privacy while enabling consumers to voluntarily share data for financial services, insurance and other innovations. Such systems allow lenders, for instance, to assess borrowers more efficiently based on verified risk profiles.

Thailand has made limited progress through smaller initiatives, including the Bank of Thailand’s “Your Data” project, which seeks to broaden access to financing by allowing customers to share financial information more easily. While such projects can generate incremental economic gains, Mr Nonarit said they fall short of the comprehensive data ecosystem required for a genuinely data-driven economy.

Data exchange platform

Mr Nonarit advocated creating a nationwide “data exchange” platform built around secure digital identities. Under such a system, individuals would control access to their personal information — including health records, financial history and other verified data — and selectively authorise organisations to use it.

Such a framework could transform industries ranging from insurance to healthcare, he said. Insurers could offer customised premiums based on verified health data or information collected through wearable devices, encouraging preventive healthcare while reducing costs.

Healthcare is another area where fragmented systems continue to impede efficiency. Patients transferring between hospitals often still need to physically obtain and carry their medical records, despite advances in digital technology.

“Medical records should already be transferable electronically so patients can receive treatment more quickly,” Mr Nonarit said.

He also warned that while Thailand struggles to integrate its own data, foreign digital platforms have become highly effective at collecting and monetising information from Thai users.

Most users, he said, routinely accept lengthy terms and conditions without understanding what rights they are surrendering in exchange for access to online services. Once companies accumulate massive datasets, they can deploy AI to strengthen their businesses and influence consumer behaviour.

“There is a real question over whether users fully understand what they have consented to,” he said.

He pointed to cases involving social media algorithms that encourage excessive consumption or influence children’s behaviour. Mr Nonarit also noted that seeking legal remedies against overseas technology firms remains difficult because they operate outside Thailand’s jurisdiction.

Although the Consumer Council has pursued legal action in some cases, enforcing consumer protections against multinational technology companies remains a significant challenge, he added.

Tanzania shares learning gains in Malawi summit

Tanzania has highlighted significant progress in foundational learning, attributing improved pupil performance and higher enrolment to innovative early childhood education programmes.

The country presented its experience alongside South Africa, Ghana and Zambia at the third Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX) conference in Malawi, where participants shared successful approaches to improving the quality of early learning.

Tanzania’s National Coordinator for Pre-Primary Education and Foundational Learning at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Julius Swila, said enrolment in pre-primary education had risen to about 77 percent from 47 percent a decade ago, reflecting improvements in teaching and learning. He said the government had invested in innovation, including the rollout of digital learning resources and the implementation of the Quality Early Learning Package (QELP), a learner-centred programme supported by the World Bank.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Swila said the programme encourages children to learn at their own pace through play-based teaching, helping them build literacy and numeracy skills.

“Play-based learning allows children to explore, imagine and develop essential skills naturally,” he said. He said the approach integrates local and modern games, stories, songs and dances to create an engaging learning environment, while teachers receive continuous training to strengthen play-based teaching methods and move away from rote learning.

The government has also supplied schools with teaching manuals, storybooks in Kiswahili and English, educational toys and visual learning materials to support classroom instruction and children’s cognitive development.

According to Mr Swila, the initiative has improved children’s readiness for primary school and strengthened the foundation for better performance throughout their education. However, he said sustained progress would require increased investment in foundational learning to ensure more children enrol, remain in school and achieve better learning outcomes.

The three-day conference, organised by the Government of Malawi in collaboration with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), brought together education ministers, senior government officials, researchers, development partners and other stakeholders.

It is supported by the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, the Hempel Foundation, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Human Capital Africa.

Govt agencies sparingly used cash OK’d by DBM

THE cash utilization rate of state agencies slipped in the first half of 2026 despite higher allocations released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Government agencies posted a 96.9-percent cash utilization rate as of end-June, lower than the 99-percent utilization rate recorded in the same period last year.

This came after the DBM released a total of P2.489 trillion in notices of cash allocation (NCA) in the first six months of 2026, of which P2.645 trillion was utilized by line departments, state-run corporations and local government units (LGUs).

NCAs released in the first half were higher by 10.04 percent than the P2.489 trillion disbursed a year ago.

In the same period last year, P2.463 trillion worth of NCAs were spent out of the P2.489 trillion in NCAs released.

NCAs are disbursement authorities issued by the DBM to cover the cash requirements of the operations, programs and projects of government agencies.

A higher NCA utilization rate reflects the capacity of state agencies to timely disburse their allocated funds and implement their programs and projects.

Line departments received the bulk of the releases, utilizing P1.751 trillion of the P1.835 trillion allocated to them, equivalent to a 95.4-percent utilization rate.

Several agencies have posted a 100 percent utilization rate, including the Office of the Vice President, Department of Education, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Tourism.

The Judiciary, the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Audit, the Commission on Elections and the Office of the Ombudsman, likewise, recorded 100-percent utilization rates.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology, however, registered the lowest utilization rate among line departments at 76 percent, having used P3.482 billion of the P4.606 billion allocated to it.

Meanwhile, NCAs released as budgetary support to government-owned and -controlled corporations reached P183.486 billion, of which P183.453 billion was used, translating to a 100 percent utilization rate.

LGUs similarly utilized nearly all of their allocations. Of the P719.762 billion released, P719.681 billon was spent, also equivalent to a 100 percent utilization rate.

Allocations to LGUs include the national tax allotment, special shares for LGUs, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and other transfers to LGUs.

The DBM earlier said that it expects the utilization rate to accelerate in the coming months, as completion of projects, activities and other programs is forthcoming.

Yanga target Sundowns striker Shalulile to strengthen attack

Mainland Tanzania Premier League defending champions Young Africans (Yanga) are planning a move for experienced Namibian striker Peter Shalulile as they seek to strengthen their striking force ahead of the 2026/2027 season.

Sources within the club have revealed that Yanga’s top management has already initiated early negotiations with both Shalulile and his South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns, in an effort to secure the services of the prolific forward.

The move comes at a crucial time for Yanga, who are looking to bolster their squad for both domestic competitions and the Caf Champions League campaign. At present, the Jangwani-based side has only two available strikers in its senior squad: Laurindo ‘Depu’ Aurélio and newly signed Hussein Mihambo, who joined the club from Mashujaa FC during the current transfer window. Yanga’s striking department has been significantly weakened following the departure of dependable Zimbabwean striker Prince Dube, who recently left the club to join Hardrock FC of Zimbabwe. Dube was an important figure in Yanga’s attack and played a key role in the team’s success over the past seasons. The situation has been further complicated by the injury setback suffered by young forward Clement Mzize. Reports indicate that Mzize is yet to make a full recovery and is expected to regain match fitness only in November, leaving Yanga with limited options in the attacking department for the opening months of the new season.

A source close to the club confirmed that Yanga are actively searching for a striker capable of leading the line in both local and continental competitions.

‘Top management is working on the matter. Soon we will give what is going on. But we are searching for a striker ahead of both local competitions and the CAF Champions League,’ said the source.

Shalulile, one of Africa’s most experienced and decorated strikers, has built an impressive reputation during his time at Mamelodi Sundowns.

The Namibian international has been instrumental in Sundowns’ dominance of South African football, helping the club win multiple Premier Soccer League titles and competing regularly in the CAF Champions League.

Known for his pace, movement, and clinical finishing, Shalulile would bring a wealth of experience to Yanga’s attack if the deal materialises. His arrival would also provide coach Manqoba Mngqithi with a proven goalscorer capable of handling the demands of both the Mainland Premier League and the high-pressure environment of continental football.

Cheaper electricity and system reliability key goals, Energy Minister says

The goal of providing cheaper electricity for consumers and ensuring the safe operation of the electricity system, as the foundations of the country’s green and competitive development, remains the common denominator of all efforts, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michael Damianos noted on Thursday, adding that energy storage is a key pillar of the Government’s energy strategy.

In his address at the presentation of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) 2025 annual achievements, held at the Authority’s headquarters in Nicosia, Damianos stated that “the EAC continues to be a strategic pillar of the state’s energy policy and a key partner in the transition towards a secure, competitive, and climate-neutral energy system.” He added that the EAC’s contribution is crucial both to achieving the country’s national energy objectives and to safeguarding energy security and the quality of services provided to citizens.

Referring to the challenges ahead, the Minister said these include upgrading the electricity grid and installing energy storage systems to increase the penetration of renewable energy and reduce renewable energy curtailments, implementing the EAC’s production development programme, with particular emphasis on upgrading the EAC power station at Dhekelia, expanding the Authority’s renewable energy portfolio, and ensuring the smooth operation of the competitive electricity market.

He noted that the EAC has embraced its modernization programme with commitment, saying that “we recognize and greatly appreciate this.” He added that upgrading and digitalizing the transmission and distribution networks, based on their ten-year development plans and supported by approximately pound 120 million in European funding, is helping to gradually remove the technical barriers to the further integration of distributed renewable energy generation while reducing the curtailment of green energy.

The Minister stated that by 2030, Cyprus will require at least 600 MW of energy storage capacity to reduce renewable energy curtailments to acceptable levels. He added that the Transmission System Operator is implementing a distributed energy storage system with a total capacity of 120 MW, which will operate with full transparency.

Jubilee taps embedded insurance to widen health cover access

Jubilee Health Insurance has partnered with Singapore-headquartered insurtech bolttech to expand access to health insurance by embedding its products into digital platforms that consumers already use.

The partnership, announced on Thursday, will enable Jubilee to distribute health policies through partner platforms such as banks, petrol stations, retailers and digital marketplaces, allowing customers to buy insurance as part of everyday transactions rather than through traditional channels.

Embedded insurance integrates cover directly into the purchase of a product or service. For example, a customer taking a digital loan or buying goods on credit could add a daily hospital cash policy before completing the transaction, while online shoppers could purchase health cover with a single click.

Jubilee Health chief executive Njeri Jomo said the model reflects changing consumer behaviour as more Kenyans access financial and commercial services through digital platforms.

‘Healthcare protection should be available where people already live, work and transact. Embedding insurance into trusted platforms allows us to scale faster and extend cover to underserved communities,’ she said.

Jubilee, Kenya’s largest health insurer with a 14.08 percent market share in the first quarter of 2026, said it is already engaging telcos, petrol stations and buy-now-pay-later providers to expand distribution.

Under the partnership, bolttech will provide an API-driven platform enabling businesses to integrate Jubilee’s insurance products into their systems, supporting customer onboarding, policy administration and claims processing.

The rollout will begin with Jubilee’s Hospicash product, which provides daily cash benefits during hospitalisation, before expanding to other health insurance products.

US Congress approves $1.15 trillion military budget for 2027

The US House of Representatives has approved a bill providing $1.15 trillion for US military needs in 2027.

According to AzerNEWS, the vote was broadcast by C-SPAN.

A total of 216 members of the House voted in favor of the bill, while 212 lawmakers voted against it. The bill will now be sent to the US Senate for consideration. If approved by the upper chamber, it will be submitted to US President Donald Trump for signature.

Additionally, the House approved another bill providing $95 billion in funding, of which $73 billion is proposed for military operations against Iran. This measure will also be reviewed by the Senate.

The US defense budget for the current year stands at approximately $1 trillion, including $150 billion in one-time funding approved by Congress last year for a number of priority objectives, ranging from the development of advanced weapons systems to supporting the US defense industry. For 2027, the Trump administration requested $1.5 trillion.

The US military campaign against Iran cost $37.5 billion, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a congressional hearing. In June, Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the war had cost approximately $30 billion.

The Rise of Smartious Homeschool Global

In the dynamic landscape of global education, certain institutions emerge not just as providers of learning, but as pioneers reshaping how we perceive and access quality schooling. Smartious Homeschool Global stands as a testament to this evolution – a remarkable journey that began in the heart of East Africa and has since expanded its reach across continents.

This article traces the rise of Smartious, from its foundational vision through its strategic growth to its present-day commitment to delivering elite, personalised education to a global student body. The story of Smartious Homeschool Global is rooted in the personal observations of its founder, Alfred Ouko, a dedicated Mathematics and Physics teacher. In 2018, while still an undergraduate at the University of Nairobi, Alfred recognised a significant gap in the educational system.

He watched capable students fall behind in classrooms that couldn’t move at their pace – held back by rigid structures, location constraints, or scheduling conflicts.

What began as one-on-one home visits in Nairobi’s Parklands neighbourhood quickly evolved into a more structured approach. Alfred’s model focused on building genuine subject confidence rather than mere exam memorisation.

As demand grew, he recruited subject specialists, insisting every teacher hold a degree in their field – a standard that laid the groundwork for Smartious’s reputation for academic rigour.

Scaling the Vision: The Edtech Transformation

As the tutoring base grew through Alfred’s undergraduate years, Smartious recognised the potential of technology to widen access to quality education. The institution built its own Learning Management System – the virtual backbone that today enables live interactive sessions, recorded lesson libraries for flexible review, and adaptive tools like the Mshauri AI tutor, available to students 24/7.

This technological leap let Smartious significantly expand its curriculum offerings. Beyond its original tutoring focus, the school began delivering full programmes for internationally recognised qualifications: Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, Pearson Edexcel, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and the American High School Curriculum with Advanced Placement. Crucially, it also integrated the Kenya Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), serving both local and diaspora Kenyan families.

Global Expansion: Crossing Borders and Continents

Smartious’s growth trajectory soon transcended national borders. Its flexible, high-quality offering resonated with Kenyan and African diaspora families in the UAE, UK, USA, and Canada – families seeking curriculum continuity for their children through international relocations. This organic demand fuelled rapid global expansion, establishing Smartious as a genuinely international player.

Today, Smartious serves families across more than a dozen countries on five continents, with a strong presence in high-visibility hubs – from Nairobi (Kenya) and Dubai (UAE) to Johannesburg (South Africa), Seoul (South Korea), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). This widespread footprint reflects Smartious’s ability to deliver consistent educational standards globally.

Smartious at a Glance

A few verifiable figures from the school’s own reporting help put its growth into perspective:

The story of Smartious Homeschool Global is rooted in the personal observations of its founder, Alfred Ouko, a dedicated Mathematics and Physics teacher. In 2018, while still an undergraduate at the University of Nairobi, Alfred recognised a significant gap in the educational system.