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Suchai upbeat despite uphill trek in Japan

Tennis chief Suchai Pornchaisakudom believes that the Asian Games competition will be challenging but remains confident that Thai athletes can pull off a strong showing in Aichi-Nagoya.

He pointed to impressive performances by both Lanlana Tararudee and Mananchaya Sawangkaew at the last two Grand Slam events this year while Kasidit Samrej and Prachya Isaro also had a fine season.

Lanlana and Mananchaya, who are both ranked in the world’s top 100, reached the main draw of both Wimbledon and US Open.

Women’s world No.94 Mananchaya made it to the third round at the All England Club while No.76 Lanlana reached the second round. Both players reached the second round at Flushing Meadows.

The country’s men’s No.1 player Kasidit also had a breakthrough last week after reaching his first-ever ATP Challenger 75 final at the International Challenger Zhangjiagang in China.

Doubles specialist Prachya, who is ranked 95th in the world, has also secured championship and runner-up titles in men’s doubles across various professional tournaments this year.

“Winning a tennis medal in the Asian Games is difficult, given the presence of top-tier competitors. However, considering the recent performances of Thai players — which serve as a warm-up for the Asian Games in Japan — along with their physical and mental readiness, that could also put us in contention for a medal,” said Suchai, president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand (LTAT).

At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou three years ago, Prachya and Maximus Parapol Jones won a bronze medal in the men’s doubles event for Thailand.

The team for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is coached by former national players Patcharapol Kumsamarn and Thanakorn Srichaphan.

The tennis competition will take place from Sept 27-Oct 3.

Tinubu is timid, not who he thinks he is – Aisha Yesufu

Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a timid leader who, despite his public bravado, is not the person he portrays himself to be.

Yesufu made the assertion on Thursday while responding to questions during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, monitored by TRIBUNE ONLINE.

She also said the 2023 presidential election had taught opposition forces important lessons, insisting that votes would be closely tracked at every stage of the 2027 electoral process to prevent manipulation.

‘We are going to follow the votes from polling units, to the ward collation centre, to LG, to the state, and all the way to Abuja.

‘There is no time that any ballot paper, ballot box, result sheet, or individual will be out of our sight.

‘We will follow them using bikes, boats, or by air. If they’re coming on a private jet, we will use an alternative private jet to go with them,’ she said.

Asked whether the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was a match for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, Aisha Yesufu questioned the president’s public image and suggested that he was driven by fear.

‘Who is Bola Tinubu? Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not who he thinks he is, and he knows it.

‘You see that bravado na Cho Cho. If you have the opportunity to interview Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu, look into his eyes, and I tell you, what you see is fear.’

Yesufu’s comments come as political parties and opposition figures intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with vote protection and collation emerging as key issues in the opposition’s electoral strategy.

Kogi group tackles Ajaka over INEC protest claim

The socio-political group, Igala Vanguard, has challenged the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Kogi, Muritala Ajaka, to clarify his alleged connection with the organisers of a recent protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

The group’s reaction followed comments by Ajaka in which he reportedly described Igala Vanguard as a ‘faceless’ organisation.

In a statement issued by its convener, Engr. Lawrence Ankpa, the group said it was disappointed by Ajaka’s remarks, describing them as ill-conceived.

Ankpa recalled that members of the group had previously supported Ajaka’s 2023 governorship ambition, including hosting him in Lagos and sending representatives who made financial contributions at his campaign fundraising event at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

‘It is unfortunate that a man whom the Igala people laboured for is now calling them faceless,’ Ankpa said.

The group challenged Ajaka to publicly clarify his alleged involvement in the recent protest at the INEC headquarters, insisting that the organisers were known to him.

Igala Vanguard alleged that Ajaka distanced himself from the protest after the action failed to gain the expected political support, particularly in Kogi West.

The group also criticised Ajaka’s political record, arguing that his past actions had weakened his claim to political leadership in Kogi East.

Ankpa further accused the SDP candidate of betraying the interests of the Igala people by allegedly apologising to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello after contesting the 2023 governorship election against Bello’s preferred candidate.

‘By begging and apologising for standing against the former governor’s choice, Ajaka demonstrated a lack of political conviction. That act alone renders him unqualified to lay claim to the political leadership of Kogi East,’ the statement said.

Our e-invoicing platform is built to handle high transaction volumes, even when large numbers of invoices are generated within a short period-Okoh

As corporate entities digitize their financial workflows, securing data movement between internal systems and external services has become paramount. In this interview with BusinessDay, Jeremiah Osagie Okoh, Founder and CEO of Jeme Technologies Limited, discusses how the firm’s architecture leverages secure data transmission, end-to-end encryption, role-based access controls, and continuous monitoring to safeguard sensitive enterprise information.Excerpts:

Who We Are

Jeme Technologies is a Systems Integrator company specializing in delivering business critical solutions that help organizations improve productivity, performance and profitability.

We provide OEM-led technology solutions, including software, cybersecurity and network infrastructure, as well as bespoke software solutions designed and developed by our team. We serve organizations of all sizes across multiple sectors in Nigeria, Ghana and English speaking West African countries, helping them transform their operations while keeping their technology secure throughout its lifecycle.

As a certified NRS System Integrator and Access Point Provider, accredited by NITDA, we provide end-to-end e-invoicing services, from onboarding and integration to training and ongoing support.

Our key certifications and accreditations include:

Information moving between enterprise systems, the Jeme platform and external services is protected through secure communication mechanisms, while access to sensitive information is controlled according to defined roles and privileges.

We also recognize that data privacy is not simply an IT issue. It is an organizational responsibility. Our approach therefore incorporates data protection principles, access governance, audit trails and controls designed to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of business information.

For us, the objective is straightforward: organizations should be able to participate in the digital tax ecosystem without compromising the security or confidentiality of their commercial information.

Scalable by Design to handle large volumes

Our e-invoicing platform is built to handle high transaction volumes, even when large numbers of invoices are generated within a short period.

We separate the organization’s core business processes from the e-invoicing communication layer, allowing invoices to be processed, validated and transmitted to NRS without slowing down existing operations.

Our platform uses transaction queuing, controlled processing, monitoring and error handling to ensure that temporary system or communication issues do not disrupt business operations. We also simulate high-volume scenarios during live demonstrations so clients can see how the platform performs before deployment.

Our goal is simple: e-invoicing should support your business, not become a bottleneck.

Error Handling and Data Validation

API integration alone is not enough. The data sent to NRS must also be accurate, complete and compliant.

Our platform validates invoice data before it is submitted to NRS, checking required fields, data formats, and invoice structure and classification information.

This allows errors to be identified and corrected before submission, reducing failed invoices and avoiding unnecessary rework. For businesses processing large volumes of invoices, this improves data quality, reliability and visibility. Our principle is simple: validate first, transmit correctly.

Why should you?

E-invoicing should not be viewed only as a regulatory compliance requirement. Companies should see it as an opportunity to transform how they manage financial transactions, data and business processes.

Beyond compliance, e-invoicing can deliver significant business benefits:

Less manual processing: reduce paperwork and repetitive invoice entry.

Better data accuracy: improve the quality and consistency of financial and transaction data.

Stronger audit trails: have a clear digital record of transactions from creation to completion

. Faster access to information: make relevant financial information readily available across business units.

Automated workflows: streamline invoice processing, especially for businesses with high transaction volumes.

Better use of time: allow finance and operational teams to focus on higher-value activities.

Greater visibility and control: provide a clearer view of transactions, receivables and financial exposure.

Improved cash flow management: support faster invoice processing, reconciliation and collection. Better decision-making: provide reliable, timely data for management reporting and business decisions.

The opportunity goes beyond compliance. E-invoicing represents a major shift in how businesses manage financial processes and information. Companies that embrace it as part of their digital transformation journey can gain significant operational and financial advantages.

Onboarding: People, Process and Technology

From our implementation experience, successful e-invoicing requires three things to work together: People, Process and Technology.

Every organization is different. They may have multiple departments generating invoices, different approval processes, and different ERP systems, and varying levels of understanding of the NRS requirements.

Our approach is therefore more than just installing software.. We treat every implementation as a business transformation exercise.

. Fit the solution to the business – We identify where e-invoicing should fit and determine the right

integration or operational model. Engage the people – We involve Finance, IT and operational teams throughout the implementation.

Train users – We provide practical, hands-on training until users are comfortable with the new process.

Support the transition – We work closely with the organization to minimize disruption and ensuresmooth adoption.

Our goal is simple: make the transition to e-invoicing seamless, practical and sustainable for the organization.

Built for Africa.

We have designed our platform with interoperability and regional expansion in mind, rather than building only for one country.

API-driven architecture – Our platform can easily connect with different ERP and business systems.

Flexible by design – It can accommodate different tax rules, classifications, currencies and regulatory requirements without rebuilding the entire platform.

Ready to scale – Our experience working with businesses across different industries and technology levels provides a strong foundation for regional expansion.

Jeme Technologies is more than an e-invoicing provider. We are a digital infrastructure and integration partner, helping businesses adapt to the growing digital economy and evolving fiscal requirements across Africa. Our direction is clear: businesses are becoming more digital, governments are becoming more data driven, and Jeme Technologies sits in the middle, building the infrastructure that connects both.

Jeme Technologies your trusted partner on business automation: Assess. Integrate. Comply. Manage

ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management

ISO 27001:2022 – Information Security Management

NITDA accreditation

NDPR compliance

And other relevant certifications

Today, Jeme Technologies delivers digital infrastructure, enterprise software, cybersecurity and other technology solutions to organizations across the corporate sector.

We help businesses use technology to work better, grow faster and operate more securely.

At Jeme Technologies, our first approach is API integration. We integrate businesses that already have ERP systems, rather than asking them to replace critical ERP or business applications. Whether it is SAP, Oracle, or a bespoke ERP, we provide a secure integration layer that connects the existing system to the NRS e-invoicing platform in real time. This means businesses can continue creating invoices exactly as they do today, from the same ERP screens, while our platform handles the validation and transmission of the required data to NRS in the background. Simply put: we make your existing ERP NRS-compliant without disrupting your business processes

Other compliance options are Jeme Technologies is a business process automation company, and we understand that businesses have different levels of technology maturity. We have three solutions designed to give corporates compliance as defined by NRS, for SMEs and the like we have NRS READY: this is a compliant platform that is built-in and plug-and play. While for companies with other forms of ERP we have NRS CONNECT, we connect you securely via API, and the third solution is a managed services solution called NRS MANAGED, this is where we manage the entire value chain for you including whether its manual or ERP associated, For all services, we offer full and comprehensive support.

Our goal is simple: to provide ease and peace of mind to all categories of businesses while addressing all your e-invoicing needs.

Security first approach

Security is fundamental to the design of any system that processes financial and taxpayer information. We therefore approach e-invoicing security as a combination of technology, processes, governance and people rather than relying on a single security control.

Our architecture is designed around secure data transmission, controlled access, authentication, encryption, auditability and monitoring.

FG assures students of conducive learning environment on campus

The Federal Government has assured students across the country that it has put measures in place to ensure a conducive learning environment on campuses.

The assurance was given by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Comrade Sunday Asefon, while speaking in Gombe on Thursday at the donation of 25 laptops to outstanding students studying Computer Science and Computer Engineering across tertiary institutions in the North-East subregion.

The donation was made under the Renewed Hope Student Leaders Engagement and Digital Acceleration Programme for the North-East Zone.

He said, ‘No Nigerian student should abandon tertiary education because of financial hardship,’ stressing that the Federal Government was creating opportunities to ease the burden on students.

Asefon said the laptop initiative was designed to reward academic excellence while giving deserving students access to digital tools needed to excel in their studies.

‘Any student who has distinguished himself or herself in the course of study needs to be celebrated and encouraged,’ Asefon said.

He explained that his office had written to tertiary institutions across the North-East subregion, requesting nominations of outstanding students in Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

According to him, ‘What we are doing is for a student in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. I discovered that the majority of them do not even have a laptop. But yet, they still distinguish themselves by leading in their departments.’

He said the initiative targeted students who had demonstrated academic excellence but lacked the resources to acquire personal computers.

‘So, if such a student without a laptop is leading in a department of Computer Science or Computer Engineering, if such a student has access to his own personal laptop, I can assure you that in the next few years, we will have a Bill Gates among them,’ he said.

Asefon said the 25 beneficiaries were selected through their institutions to ensure that the laptops reached students who genuinely needed them and would put them to productive use.

‘We are giving them, like I have said, based on selection. We wrote to the management of their schools, asking the management to send an outstanding student in Computer Engineering and Computer Science,’ he said.

He added that the Federal Government was deliberately linking the intervention to academic excellence and innovation rather than simply distributing computers without considering their impact.

‘We don’t want to just empower students who do not need that empowerment. We are celebrating academic excellence and supporting students who have distinguished themselves in the course of their study,’ he said.

The presidential aide said students who were leading their departments despite lacking laptops often depended on smartphones to carry out academic tasks.

‘Some of them who are best students, who are outstanding students in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, do not even have their own personal laptop. Most of the work they do, they do it on their phones,’ he said.

Asefon expressed confidence that the beneficiaries would appreciate the value of the laptops and use them to advance their education.

‘Having access to a laptop, I’m sure such students will not sell because they know the value of what we are giving to them. And I’m sure they will put it to use, 100 per cent,’ he said.

He linked the initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the administration was focused on creating an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop their potential.

‘The President has said he will make sure that he renews the hope of every common man. He said he will create an enabling environment for every young person in this country to grow,’ Asefon said.

He also said the Federal Government had introduced interventions aimed at reducing financial barriers to tertiary education, particularly through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

‘The Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has increased access to education through NELFUND. The Federal Government has taken a historic step toward removing financial barriers to tertiary education,’ he said.

He added that students who previously struggled to pay tuition and other approved institutional charges could now access government loans without interest, while eligible beneficiaries could also receive monthly upkeep.

‘The objective is clear. No Nigerian should be forced to abandon education simply because their family cannot afford the cost,’ Asefon stated.

The presidential aide also urged students to embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training, digital skills, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, saying education should prepare young people for economic independence.

‘Education is not only about certificates. It is also about skills, innovation, entrepreneurship and the ability to earn a decent livelihood,’ he said.

Asefon challenged students in the North-East to take advantage of technology to overcome geographical limitations and compete with their peers across the country and globally.

‘Your location must never determine your destiny. Being a student in the North-East should not limit your dreams,’ he said.

He urged them to use their smartphones and the internet to discover opportunities, learn digital skills, build businesses and develop solutions to problems in their communities.

The presidential aide also charged student leaders to serve as a bridge between the government and students, urging them to keep their colleagues informed about scholarships, NELFUND opportunities, skills programmes and other interventions.

‘Leadership is not about holding a position. Leadership is about service, responsibility and impact,’ he said.

Asefon assured the students that his office would continue to engage with them and ensure that their concerns formed part of government discussions.

‘What we are doing is bringing governance down to the level of the student. We are interacting with them with what we want them to know. So, if they have any issue, they can easily complain to us and we can also find a way of resolving their issues,’ he said.

Representatives of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, NELFUND and other government agencies delivered goodwill messages at the occasion.

Workers’ group protests P60 wage increase before NWPC meeting

Protesters from the National Wage Coalition and other labor groups have demanded to be included in a National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) meeting on the P60 wage increase under Wage Order (WO) No. 28, so that workers can voice concerns over the issue.

Kamanggagawa Partylist Rep. Elijah ‘Eli’ San Fernando said during the protest in front of the Manila Hotel on Friday, Sept. 10 that workers should have a voice in discussions on wage increases.

‘Tungkol ‘to sa dagdag sahod, so dapat kasama ang manggagawa,’ Rep. Eli said.

(This is about the wage increase, so the workers should be included.)

Representatives from various labor groups planned to enter the closed-door meeting to confront Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials and formally submit the National Wage Coalition’s position paper, which called for the full implementation of WO No. 27 and the immediate revocation of WO No. 28.

San Fernando said the presence of labor representatives was integral to the meeting, particularly because it concerned workers’ wages and should be conducted with full transparency.

‘We are inviting ourselves, we are representing ourselves because what they are talking about is about wages of workers,’ he asserts.

The NWPC introduced the new wage order following the delay in the implementation of WO 27, which was suspended after contractors Readycon Training and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Corp. filed a petition before a Pasig court.

Under Wage Order No. 27, workers in Metro Manila are set to receive an additional P85 in minimum wage through two tranches: P60 starting July 25 and another P25 starting January 2027.

However, with WO 27 still suspended by the Pasig court, the NWPC introduced Wage Order No. 28, which provides for a P60 wage increase.

‘Historic wage decrease’

San Fernando described Wage Order No. 28 as a ‘historic wage decrease,’ arguing that the new order effectively reduces the previously approved P85 increase under WO 27 to P60.

‘Kauna-unahan, sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, nagkaroon ng rollback sa dagdag sahod ng mga manggagawa, from 85 to 60 pesos.’

(First time in the history of the Philippines, there has been a rollback in the wage increase for workers, from P85 to P60.)

He added that the introduction of the new wage order has created more confusion and raised more questions instead of providing answers for workers.

Atty. Luke Espiritu also stressed that because the petitioners did not post the bond required as a condition for the preliminary injunction, there should be no further delay in the implementation of WO 27.

‘… Conditioned yung preliminary injunction, yun yung terms nung injunctive writ na framed ng Pasig … na it is conditioned upon the posting of a bond. Hindi ginawa yung condition, hindi nagpost ng bond, ergo walang preliminary injunction.’

(The preliminary injunction was conditional. Those were the terms of the injunctive writ framed by Pasig … that it is conditioned upon the posting of a bond. The condition was not met, there was no bond, ergo no preliminary injunction.)

The NWC also urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to release the almost P3,000 in backpay it said was owed to the workers, based on the P60 daily wage increase that was supposed to take effect on July 25 under Wage Order No. 27. The labor groups’ representatives stayed at the venue until around 4 p.m. to submit their position paper and assert their presence in the proceedings. The NWPC meeting, however, did not push through despite being scheduled for 1 p.m.

Gov Sani approves implementation of 2025 agreement for Kaduna varsity lecturers

Kaduna Governor, Uba Sani, has approved the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-Academic Staff Union of Universities (FGN-ASUU) Salary Agreement for academic staff of Kaduna State University (KASU), with effect from October 2026, and urged lecturers to suspend their ongoing strike.

The Commissioner for Education, Prof Abubakar Sani Sambo, disclosed this at a press briefing in Kaduna on Friday, saying the approval followed the recommendations of the nine-member Government-KASU/ASUU Negotiation Committee constituted by the governor to address the union’s demands.

According to Sambo, the approved package provides for the implementation of the provisions of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, including the revised Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS), Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and other applicable salary adjustments and allowances.

He said the government had taken the decision after considering the report of the committee, headed by the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Muazu Meyere.

The commissioner recalled that the KASU branch of ASUU had earlier embarked on a two-week warning strike, prompting the state government to constitute the negotiation committee.

He also disclosed that Governor Sani had approved a one-off payment of N300 million for Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) to address part of a backlog of more than N800 million in accumulated entitlements and allowances dating back to 2016.

Despite the interventions, the KASU ASUU branch commenced an indefinite strike on Wednesday while negotiations were still ongoing.

Sambo said the decision to implement the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement demonstrated the governor’s commitment to education and human capital development.

He said the state government had allocated at least 25 per cent of its annual budget to education since the governor assumed office, while several interventions had been carried out across the sector.

He listed some of the interventions as the construction and renovation of 3,267 classrooms, provision of 1,194 toilets and 90 boreholes, and supply of 57,777 units of furniture for learners and teachers.

The commissioner also noted that the administration had approved a 50 per cent reduction in tertiary education fees and extended the retirement age of school teachers from 60 to 65 years.

Sambo urged ASUU and other university-based unions, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), to reciprocate the government’s interventions by returning to dialogue.

He said improved staff welfare should translate into better teaching, research, innovation and student outcomes at KASU.

The commissioner further challenged the university to improve its academic performance and visibility in global rankings, including the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, said the Uba Sani administration had made significant interventions in the welfare of academic and non-academic staff.

Musa said the government had released more than N800 million in withheld salaries over the last three years, in addition to N146 million used to clear outstanding Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) allowances inherited from previous administrations.

He added that the state government had disbursed more than N200 million in overhead funding to KASU in 2026 alone to support laboratory chemicals and reagents, students’ field trips, examinations and other academic activities.

According to him, more than N300 million had also been invested in the accreditation of over 57 academic programmes and resource verification exercises for 60 postgraduate programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The Chairman of the KASU Governing Council, Dr Ibrahim Umar, said the state government had also made progress in addressing the challenge of out-of-school children.

Umar said more than 300,000 children had been returned to school out of an estimated population of over 500,000 out-of-school children inherited by the administration in 2023.

He added that the government had also transformed the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (KSSQAA) into a more technology-driven and data-based institution.

The government called on all parties to embrace the salary agreement and return to dialogue, describing the approval as an investment in the university and a renewed commitment to improving academic standards.

Shipyard ecozone in Cebu pushed to keep maritime billions onshore

Cebu should consider developing a dedicated shipyard economic zone to capture a larger share of the billions of pesos in maritime business now being carried out overseas, the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association has said.

Cesar Acosta Licudine, officer-in-charge administrator of the Philippines Coastwise Shipping Association, said Cebu’s position as the country’s main domestic shipping hub makes it a natural location for an integrated maritime industrial zone covering shipbuilding, dry-docking, repairs, shipbreaking and other related services.

The proposal comes as the Philippines’ domestic shipping industry faces a basic capacity problem- the country has more than 20,000 active ships but only about 130 shipyards, according to 2025 data from the Maritime Industry Authority. Many of those facilities require rehabilitation and a large proportion can handle only smaller vessels.

As a result, roughly 90 percent of shipbuilding for Philippine operators is carried out overseas, particularly in other Asian markets, Licudine said.

That dependence represents both a vulnerability and an investment opportunity for Cebu.

‘A shipyard economic zone in Cebu will have a huge impact on Cebu’s economy,’ Licudine said, arguing that it could attract capital, create skilled jobs and provide stronger domestic support for the country’s growing shipping industry.

Licudine, who was one of the participants at the Cebu Economic Forum hosted by the Cebu Provincial Government, said potential sites are already being considered in northern and southern Cebu, including areas on the eastern side of the province. He added that representatives from major business groups had also begun exploring the prospect.

The proposal would effectively seek to turn Cebu from a consumer and operating hub for maritime services into a production and maintenance center.

Such a shift could have implications beyond the shipping industry. Developing local capacity for vessel construction and repair would reduce the need for Philippine operators to send vessels overseas, retaining more maritime spending within the domestic economy while creating demand for engineering, fabrication, logistics and other specialized services, he said.

Licudine also called for a north-to-south accessway linking Cebu’s major ports, arguing that better connections between maritime gateways and the province’s industrial and commercial centers would reduce the cost of moving people and goods.

The two proposals – expanded maritime infrastructure and improved land connectivity – should be viewed as part of the same economic strategy, he added.

Lower transport and logistics costs could improve supply-chain efficiency, reduce losses and help moderate inflationary pressures by allowing savings to move through the supply chain to consumers.

‘Better ships, better ports and better roads mean lower logistics costs,’ Licudine said. ‘And finally, lower logistics costs can help keep prices under control.’

For Cebu, the opportunity extends beyond building another industrial facility. A competitive maritime cluster could connect the province’s established strengths in shipping, manufacturing, engineering and education, while giving investors a platform to serve a domestic fleet that currently relies heavily on foreign shipyards.

The challenge will be turning the proposal into bankable projects, with suitable land, infrastructure, environmental safeguards, financing and a regulatory framework capable of attracting long-term private investment.

If those pieces can be assembled, Cebu could begin capturing a larger share of a maritime value chain that it currently helps operate but does not fully own

Marcos sets up EduPhil to attract foreign higher education students

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has established the Education Philippines (EduPhil) Program to promote the country as a preferred destination for international students seeking higher education, research, and training.

Executive Order No. 124, signed by Marcos on Sept. 8 and posted on Friday at the Official Gazette, states that the Philippine higher education system will strengthen academic cooperation, research collaboration, innovation partnerships, and facilitate the entry, stay, and education of foreign students.

It establishes an EduPhil Task Force, which shall serve as the principal inter-agency coordinating body to promote, facilitate, and develop the program.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) will serve as the lead implementing agency of the EduPhil Program, with the Department of Foreign Affairs as vice-chair.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Tourism, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and the Professional Regulation Commission will be its members.

The responsibilities of the EduPhil Task Force are as follows:

Formulate policies and provide strategic direction for the implementation of the EduPhil Program

Develop and oversee the implementation of a five-year international education promotion strategy

Develop and oversee the implementation of the EduPhil Portal, which shall serve as a single-window, interoperable digital platform to facilitate documentation, endorsement tracking, referral, reporting, information-sharing, and the delivery of government services relating to the education of international students

Recommend legislative, administrative, and other measures to streamline visa processing and related government services for international students and other types of support

Recommend policies and initiatives to facilitate the reciprocal recognition of academic degrees, qualifications, and credentials between the Philippines and foreign jurisdictions

Constitute sub-committees and working groups, as may be necessary, to support the effective implementation of the order

Submit an annual report to the President, through the CHEd Chairperson, on the implementation of the EduPhil Program

Perform such other functions as may be directed by the President

Senate impeachment court claims impartiality in amici curiae selection

The Senate impeachment court has maintained that it was impartial in picking the four retired Supreme Court (SC) justices that would serve as legal advisers on the issue of whether the voting threshold needed to convict or acquit Vice President Sara Duterte should be changed.

In an online press conference on Friday, impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol stressed that retired Chief Justices Artemio Panganiban, Reynato Puno and Hilario Davide, Jr., as well as retired Associate Justice Rodolfo Azcuna, were picked as amici curiae, or friends of the court, based on their credentials and known expertise on constitutional issues.

Puno served as chair of the Consultative Committee that reviewed the 1987 Constitution during the Duterte administration, while Davide and Azcuna were part of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution.

‘That’s why they were chosen [because of their expertise], and also their known impartiality in their stance,’ Tongol said.

These legal luminaries have also not yet publicly shared or discussed in media interviews or social media their respective positions on the issue, he added.

Both the defense and the prosecution were also consulted on the process and whether the parties have any questions by Presiding Officer Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, said Tongol.

He, however, said that the impeachment court is considering adding more legal experts as it took into consideration public sentiments, including that only male legal experts, and no female justices, were invited.

‘That is an ongoing process. Maybe this weekend, if ever there are developments on that, maybe more would be added (as amici curiae),’ said Tongol.

The four retired justices are expected to provide their insights on Sept. 16 on the highly contentious voting issue as current rules require at least 16 votes from the 24 senator-judges to be able to secure a conviction of Duterte.

But four senators are unable to attend the trial: Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, who is in hiding amid a standing arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court; Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, who are detained on the nonbailable charge of plunder before the Sandiganbayan; and Loren Legarda, who is abroad on an extended medical leave.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo’s appeal to review Escudero’s ruling on the voting threshold triggered the appointment of the amici curiae. At the start of the impeachment trial, Escudero maintained that the impeachment court would stick to the 16-vote baseline to convict impeachable officials. On September 23, the prosecution and defense panels will be given 15 minutes each to make their oral arguments on the same matter. After which, the Senator-judges will vote on whether or not the 16 vote requirement will be overturned.