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Gatchalian blasts ‘attempt to sow fear,’ orders tighter security measure

The Senate will tighten its security measures following the recovery of a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) just outside its premises on Monday morning.

According to Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Alfred Corpus, personnel of a towing truck found a suspicious package 150 meters from the chamber’s gate around 8 a.m., or two hours before the Senate convened the second regular session of the 20th Congress.

‘When they found it, they opened what looked like a SkyFlakes box. Inside, they saw what appeared to be a package with wires and batteries. Initially they were just playing with it. And then when some of our police officers, who were patrolling the area, saw it… and reported it to their superiors,’ Corpus told reporters.

He said the package contained a battery, a clock, a commercial blasting cap and brown powder.

The incident prompted the Senate leadership to further intensify security measures in the chamber despite already being on heightened alert for the opening of Congress and president’s annual State of the Nation Address.

‘The Senate president (Sherwin Gatchalian) directed the Osaa (Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms) to intensify security operations at the Senate. So we will intensify the security operations here at the Senate,’ Corpus said.

This means, he said, adding more security personnel on the grounds and intensifying security inspections at the Senate.

Gatchalian condemned in the strongest terms what he viewed as an ‘apparent attempt to sow fear near the Senate on the very day our institutions gather for the State of the Nation Address.’

‘No such act of intimidation will distract the Senate from its work for the Filipino people,’ he said in a statement.

The Senate chief `called on the police and all concerned agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial investigation into the incident ‘to determine who is responsible and what they intended to achieve.’

‘The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable under the law,’ Gatchalian stressed.

‘We appeal to the public to remain calm and vigilant, and to report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities,’ he added.

As he thanked the police for their swift response, Gatchalian also expressed relief that no one was hurt.

2027: Aiyedatiwa committed to Tinubu’s re-election; Ondo will deliver one million votes – Ajanaku

The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has expressed full commitment to the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, and with many success stories of his Renewed Hope Agenda in the state, assuring that Ondo will deliver over one million votes

Speaking during an interview with journalists, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Idowu Ajanaku, stated that the present administration considers President Tinubu’s second term bid a priority because of the enormous developmental benefits Ondo State has continued to receive from the Federal Government, expressing confidence that the state would be number one in the South-West with massive votes.

Ajanaku said the confidence of the state government in President Tinubu’s leadership is reflected in the numerous federal infrastructure projects currently transforming Ondo State.

He highlighted the reconstruction of the Owo-Benin Expressway, which passes through Owo and Ose Local Government Areas, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with about 71 kilometres traversing Ese-Odo and Ilaje Local Government Areas, and the ongoing rehabilitation of the Ore-Akure Expressway linking Odigbo, Ondo West and Ondo East Local Government Areas.

According to him, the projects are improving connectivity, facilitating trade and stimulating socio-economic growth across the state.

The commissioner described President Tinubu’s economic reforms as bold and necessary measures aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s economy for sustainable growth. While acknowledging that some of the policies have created temporary challenges, he maintained that they are already laying a solid foundation for long-term economic stability, increased investment, and national prosperity.

He further reaffirmed that the Aiyedatiwa administration enjoys a cordial and seamless working relationship with the Federal Government, dismissing claims of any disagreement between the state and the presidency. He urged residents of Ondo State to disregard fake news and politically motivated insinuations capable of creating unnecessary tension or undermining the existing partnership.

Ajanaku also called on APC members and supporters across the state to remain united and intensify grassroots mobilisation in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid. He expressed optimism that sustained collaboration between the federal government and Ondo State would accelerate development, expand infrastructure, and ensure that more dividends of democracy reach the people.

UNIDO selects Ogun for OGREE waste management project

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has selected Ogun State as one of the pilot states for the Used Off-Grid Renewable Energy Equipment (OGREE) Waste Management Project aimed at promoting a circular economy and sustainable environmental management in Nigeria.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, disclosed this while declaring open a UNIDO workshop on the State Implementation Plan and Guidelines for Data Collection and Management under the OGREE Waste Management Project in Abeokuta.

Oresanya said the state’s selection reflects the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its readiness to champion innovative approaches that promote resource efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, resource recovery and green economic growth.

According to him, Ogun was selected as one of the core states under UNIDO’s Project 220145, Component 2, which is designed to advance Nigeria’s green and just transition to net-zero emissions through the adoption of circular economy initiatives.

He attributed the nomination to the state’s consistent implementation of circular economy programmes and environmental sustainability initiatives.

The commissioner noted that the recognition would further strengthen Ogun’s achievements in climate change mitigation and circular economy projects.

He also highlighted the state’s recent collaboration with the federal government on the distribution of more than 3,000 biomass smokeless stoves to residents as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and ease the economic burden associated with rising cooking gas prices.

‘Aside from this, the state government was one of the first in the country to adopt and launch thousands of electric bikes and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, providing environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel-powered vehicles and reducing carbon emissions in line with the state’s Energy Transition Roadmap for a cleaner and healthier environment,’ he said.

Oresanya added that the government has also implemented several initiatives, including the Blue Box Initiative for household waste segregation, the Plastic for Cash programme, community recycling projects, cement industry decarbonisation projects and senatorial material recovery programmes.

He urged participants drawn from government agencies, technical partners, the private sector, academia and non-governmental organisations to actively participate in the workshop by sharing ideas and experiences that would contribute to the successful implementation of the project.

The commissioner also expressed appreciation to UNIDO for its technical support and partnership in implementing the OGREE Waste Management Project in the state.

Speaking at the event, the National Field Coordinator of the UNIDO Nigeria Office, Ms Emem Umana, commended the Ogun State Government for its commitment to circular economy initiatives and environmental sustainability.

She encouraged the state to sustain its socio-economic and environmental reforms, noting that the efforts had earned Ogun recognition as a leading state in the promotion of green growth and sustainable development.

Culiat Bridge II in QC reopens to light vehicles after 2-week repair

The Culiat Bridge II on Congressional Avenue in Quezon City was reopened to light vehicles on Monday, July 27.

Temporarily closed on July 11 because of the fire that broke out below the structure, the bridge eventually underwent repairs.

After an inspection by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, the bridge’s westbound and eastbound lanes were reopened.

However, the local government said buses and trucks remain temporarily prohibited from using the structure as authorities continue assessments to ensure the safety of motorists.

As it said, it continues to coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that the bridge can be used safely and properly.

The local government asked motorists to follow existing traffic advisories and regulations while authorities conduct the necessary assessments and rehabilitation work on the bridge.

Dy optimistic on passage of remaining Palace bills

SPEAKER Faustino G. Dy III on Sunday expressed confidence that the Congress can fast-track the remaining priority measures of the administration before the end of the year, even as the Senate carries out its role as an Impeachment Court.

In a video statement, Dy said the House of Representatives is optimistic that the Senate-under the leadership of Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian-can balance its constitutional responsibilities while continuing to pass key legislation.

‘We are confident that the Senate has the capacity to balance its constitutional duty as an impeachment court with its role as legislators,’ Dy said.

The Speaker stressed that legislative work need not slow down, noting that both chambers can continue refining bills through bicameral conference committees and technical working groups.

‘The House is ready to work closely with the Senate so we can pass timely laws that respond to the needs of our people,’ he added.

Dy emphasized that many of the remaining priority measures are already in advanced stages, making their approval before yearend achievable.

‘Many of the remaining priority bills are already in the advanced stages of our legislative process,’ he said.

Among these is the proposed Cybersecurity Act, which is up for second reading, while at least eight other measures are pending action before the Committee on Appropriations or the Committee on Ways and Means.

Dy appealed to senators to help ensure the swift passage of these measures.

‘We are appealing to our counterparts in the Senate to help ensure that these bills are enacted before the year ends,’ he said.

Dy also expressed optimism that the House of Representatives can pass more of the administration’s priority measures before the end of the year, noting that many are already in advanced stages of the legislative process.

The Speaker said the House will continue to prioritize legislation that directly benefits ordinary Filipinos, while ensuring thorough and timely deliberations.

‘We will continue to prioritize measures that directly help our people and ensure that these are carefully and promptly acted upon,’ he said.

Dy also underscored the importance of close coordination with the Executive branch, particularly the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), noting that prompt feedback from agencies and early submission of executive versions of bills help accelerate the legislative process.

‘Our goal is to pass laws that bring real and tangible benefits to every Filipino,’ he said.

Marcos admin’s borrowings more than doubled in June

BORROWINGS by the Marcos Jr. administration more than doubled in June from a year earlier in the state’s scramble to meet government financing needs despite rising interest rates.

The government’s gross borrowings surged by 119.54 percent to P579.569 billion in June from P263.991 billion in the same month last year, latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) revealed.

The government ramped up its domestic borrowings as it doubled year-on-year to P342.979 billion from P167.579 billion.

Domestic debt issuances for the month consisted of P182.540 billion in net Treasury bills and P160.439 billion in fixed-rate Treasury bonds.

Meanwhile, offshore borrowings jumped by 145.39 percent to P236.590 billion in June from P96.412 billion a year ago.

The Philippines issued its second US dollar bond offering last June, shortly after the interim deal between Washington and Tehran to end the war, and raised a total of $2.5 billion from the triple-tranche global bonds.

About P22.221 billion in project loans and P61.284 billion in program loans were also secured by the government during the month.

Those brought the total gross borrowings for the first half of the year to P1.821 trillion, 14.45 percent higher than the P1.591 trillion in the same period a year ago.

Peso-denominated borrowings grew by 7.31 percent to P1.276 trillion in the six-month period from P1.189 trillion a year earlier.

On the other hand, financing from foreign sources amounted to P544.802 billion as of end-June, up by 35.40 percent from P402.351 billion in the prior-year period.

Government bond yields have climbed as investors took into account geopolitical risk premium since the escalation of the Middle War conflict, with the 10-year yield rising by a cumulative 110 basis points and the 5-year by 104.5 basis points after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas resumed tightening last April.

‘Markets continue to reprice for higher oil-driven inflation and another BSP hike,’ UnionBank said in a note. ‘Our measure of cumulative yield increases since the BSP’s April tightening pivot indicates the adjustment process is rather advanced, even at the front end.’

Borrowing mix

ACCORDING to National Treasury Sharon P. Almanza, the government has revised its borrowing mix in response to market conditions and the Middle East conflict.

‘Given the current scenario and also we’ve been monitoring the liquidity, [and] how the rates have changed, we’ve slightly shifted our financing,’ Almanza said in a televised news program last week.

From the original 75:25 financing mix, the government will now source 70 percent of its borrowings from domestic sources, while 30 percent will be borrowed externally, Almanza said.

‘Raising funds for the government is not an easy task,’ she said. ‘We don’t want to put more pressure on the rates.’

Almanza added that interest rates remain her primary concern as Treasury seeks to fund government operations while keeping the budget deficit on a fiscal consolidation path.

The government plans to raise a total of P2.682 trillion this year, higher by 3.15 percent than last year’s P2.6-trillion financing target.

Shakey’s Invitationals crown fuels Golden Tigresses

Winning the Shakey’s Collegiate National Invitationals is just the beginning for University of Santo Tomas.

Even after the Golden Tigresses’ perfect campaign to rule the first-ever foreign-spiced Shakey’s tourney, there are still stones to turn and rooms of improvement to fill in order to contend in future tournaments – none bigger than the UAAP.

‘Siyempre, sobrang happy dahil ‘yun nga nakuha namin ‘yung championship. Sabi ko nga medyo short ‘yung preparation namin but good thing, nandoon ‘yung response ng players and coaches sa sistema na ina-adjust namin,’ said UST mentor Shaq Delos Santos.

‘I think ‘yun ang malaking bagay. Good thing dito, nakita rin namin kung ano pa ‘yung mga kailangan naming i-improve. Sobrang dami pa naming kailangan na ayusin.’

Yielding only two sets for the entire run, UST swept the six-team field highlighted by a 22-25, 25-8, 25-12, 25-22 win over NCAA runner-up College of St. Benilde in the one-game finale behind Regina Jurado and MVP Angge Poyos with 21 and 20 points, respectively.

Rookie Kim Rubin, the Shakey’s Juniors MVP, was also solid in her collegiate jump with 12 points, while middle blocker Blessing Unekwe had 10 points on seven blocks, with setter Arlene Waje (22 sets) making a good impression for injured ace playmaker Cassie Carballo.

Included in the Golden Tigresses’ romp were wins against Australia’s Southern Storm Melbourne and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Volleyball Cup as part of Shakey’s development featuring overseas teams.

It’s the first Shakey’s title for UST after a lone podium finish in 2023 but third overall for the school volleyball program this year alone after ruling the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League Rising Stars Cup and the Shakey’s Juniors National Invitationals, which also included foreign bets from the United States.

But UST is far from satisfied.

‘Laking tulong nito, laking impact. And mas magiging inspired kami para trabahuhin pa namin ‘yung mga susunod na tournament, (lalo na sa UAAP),’ vowed Delos Santos.

I Have Always Loved Burna Boy-Shakira

Colombian singer, Shakira, has explained why she featured Nigerian artiste, Burna Boy, on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, Dai Dai.

Speaking on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, Shakira said she wanted a strong male voice for the song and believed Burna Boy was the right person for the collaboration.

She said she had always wanted to work with the Grammy-winning singer.

‘I have always loved Burna. I was obsessed with getting him on the track, so I called him,’ she said.

Shakira added that she could not imagine anyone else performing Burna Boy’s part on the song.

Since its release, Dai Dai has topped Spotify’s Global Music Video Chart. The song also made Burna Boy the first African artiste to reach number one on Apple Music’s Global Top Songs chart and the first African artiste to perform at the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show.

1986 ‘Transformers’ movie still the ultimate giant robot masterpiece at 40

Four decades ago, an entire generation of wide-eyed kids stepped into movie theaters expecting nothing more than a harmless, toy-driven afternoon escape. Instead, they walked out completely shell-shocked. Today, ‘The Transformers: The Movie’ celebrates its monumental 40th anniversary, standing firm not just as a mere nostalgia trip for the Gen X and elder millennial crowds, but as an absolute masterclass in risk-taking animation, storytelling grit, and pure, unadulterated cinematic heart.

The Day the childhood innocence died

Let us be completely honest here: absolutely no one was prepared for the sheer narrative violence that transpired in the opening twenty minutes of this animated masterpiece. By making the shocking creative decision to ruthlessly eliminate iconic, beloved characters like Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet, Brawn, and eventually the legendary Autobot leader Optimus Prime himself, Hasbro and the filmmakers did something today’s heavily sanitized, multi-billion-dollar blockbusters would never dare to attempt: they gave the story real, unyielding stakes.

A heavy metal space opera

Beyond its traumatic script choices, the film delivers a beautifully aggressive audio-visual assault. The legendary, hair-metal-soaked soundtrack-anchored by Stan Bush’s ‘The Touch’ and ‘Dare’ alongside Vince DiCola’s blistering score-infuses every frame with urgent, pulse-pounding momentum. This pairs with fluid, staggering hand-drawn animation that far outpaces the television series, making the Cybertronian war feel genuinely cosmic, chaotic, and grand.

Why it has more heart than modern transformers movies

When you look at today’s live-action CGI Transformers movies, they often feel devoid of actual artistic danger. ‘The Transformers: The Movie’ succeeded because it didn’t talk down to its demographic. It featured a legendary voice cast-including the late Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, Eric Idle as Wreck-Gar, and the final, haunting performance of cinema titan Orson Welles as the planet-eating Unicron. It was a perfect lightning-in-a-bottle moment where commercial toy-line promotion accidentally morphed into an avant-garde, heavy metal space opera masterpiece. Forty years later, nothing else even comes close.

Ralph Recto says Marcos’ Sona ‘substantial, not empty rhetoric’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday is just the right blend of a report that raises awareness and delivers surprises, according to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.

‘The right blend. Substantial, not just empty rhetoric. That is the Sona. It reports. It opens eyes. It even delivers surprises,’ Recto said in a statement.

He added, ‘It is a fair rendition of what has been done, but I dare say incomplete, due to time constraints, because a Sona should never be Wikipedia-broad and telenovela-long.’

For Recto, Marcos was able to spell out and itemize properly the administration’s goals in the remaining years of the latter’s term.

‘His call is for everyone to dial down divisive politicking and ramp up work that will bring peace and progress to the entire nation,’ he added.

Marcos began his Sona by stressing that he is not the president of the nation and not of his family, as he noted the Office of the Ombudsman’s announcement that cases will soon be filed against his cousin, former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

He also called for the removal of electricity system loss charges passed on to consumers and the amendment of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

‘It’s time to stop passing the burden of systems loss to consumers. This is being passed on to consumers and even imposed a value-added tax. Systems loss is not the consumers’ fault,’ he said in Filipino.

‘Therefore, we, their people, request – no, we demand the immediate amendment of the Epira [Electric Power Industry Reform Act] and to prohibit charging systems loss against consumers, including the value-added tax thereon,’ Marcos said.