Author: user user

Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has warned of emerging high-tech scams that exploit both hardware and artificial intelligence, revealing that criminal groups are now using international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers to target digital banking customers in the country.

In a recent cybersecurity briefing, BPI enterprise information security officer Jon Paz said these methods have only started emerging this year, marking a dangerous escalation in the sophistication of digital scams targeting bank clients.

‘We’re seeing new types of fraud that didn’t exist before 2025,’ Paz said. ‘They use technology that can imitate our systems and even fool the user’s device into thinking a signal or app is legitimate.’

Among the most alarming discoveries are IMSI catchers, or portable devices that masquerade as legitimate cell towers to send text messages appearing to come from official numbers such as BPI, other financial institutions or even government hotlines.

‘The telcos do not have an effective antidote here,’ Paz said. ‘The traffic between the IMSI catchers and the mobile device are local, meaning they don’t go through the telco networks.’

Because the fake signals never reach the telecom system, these messages could not be traced or filtered, making them especially dangerous.

Paz said the devices are small enough to be carried in backpacks or vehicles and have been found in the possession of foreign nationals, including Chinese individuals allegedly involved in the illegal operations.

BPI said it supports the National Telecommunications Commission’s planned phaseout of 2G and 3G networks, which are vulnerable to these signal interception devices.

‘One of the effective controls currently that we can bring to bear is the deactivation of 2G,’ Paz said, emphasizing that newer 4G and 5G technologies have stronger encryption and authentication layers.

The listed bank also warned of a new wave of mobile scams that use fake eGov or other government app update notifications to trick users into installing malicious software.

The economic impact of digital fraud is significant.

Citing data from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Paz said Filipinos collectively lost P460 billion to scams in 2024, equivalent to 1.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

‘If those losses were prevented, GDP could have been higher by roughly a third,’ he said, underscoring how online fraud now affects not only consumers but also the broader economy.

Producing a triple-double is becoming a habit for Converge rookie sensation Juan Gomez de Liaño in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.

Barely 11 days after his history-making ‘3-D’ freshman debut, Gomez de Liaño stuffed the stats sheets anew to help the FiberXers to a 125-108 romp over the Terrafirma Dyip last night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

In an encore of his milestone 15-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist game in the team’s opening 129-92 rout of Titan last Oct. 11, Gomez de Liaño delivered a brilliant 17-10-12 as he joined forces with Twin Towers Justin Arana and Justin Baltazar and Alec Stockton in stalling the Dyip and bringing Converge back on track after their 103-110 loss to TNT last time.

Arana (13-12) and Baltazar (12-11) dished out a double-double each while Stockton fired a game-high 22 as the FiberXers climbed to 2-1 for a share of the lead with idle TNT and Magnolia.

‘We were all on the same page. Coming from the tough loss to TNT, our mindset is pretty much on bringing a lot of energy and effort and that’s what we did collectively,’ said Gomez de Liaño.

Truly, it was collective with off-the-bench players MJ Garcia (15), Schonny Winston (14), and tournament debutants Larry Muyang (10) and John Lloyd Clemente (10) providing a lot of support.

‘Ni-remind ko po sila everyone coming from the bench needs to step up. Everytime mag-pull out ako sa bench, they need to contribute. Good thing, most of them nag-contribute,’ said Converge coach Delta Pineda.

A murder suspect was killed while a police officer was wounded in an alleged shootout that occurred during an anti-crime operation in this city on Tuesday night.

The fatality, identified only as alias Papalu, died at the scene of the shootout that occurred in Barangay Parian at past 8:30 p.m.

M/Sgt. Christopher John Chupeco of the city police intelligence unit was rushed to the Calamba Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound in the arm.

Reports reaching Lt. Col. Dennis de Guzman, Calamba City police chief, showed that prior to the shootout, Papalu shot dead a certain Roland, 44, in nearby Barangay Uno at past 2 a.m.

Roland’s partner told police that the suspect killed the victim without provocation before fleeing toward Barangay Parian.

Police conducted a follow-up operation after receiving information that the suspect was spotted in the village.

Instead of surrendering, the suspect allegedly drew a gun, triggering a shootout that resulted in his death.

It was once upon a time a troubled company with negative equity, which means it owed its banks and lenders more than its assets were worth.

Now, Maynilad Water Services Inc., the erstwhile debt-saddled water services provider, is IPO-bound, among the biggest listings in the local bourse’s history and may yet be the catalyst that could resuscitate our anemic stock market.

Maynilad will debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange at P15 per share, potentially raising up to P34.3 billion.

The market is excited, I heard, just as excited as Maynilad’s principal shareholders – Metro Pacific Investments Corp., DMCI Holdings and Marubeni Corp. – and its competent management led by the brilliant and indefatigable Ramoncito Fernandez, its president and CEO.

Maynilad’s journey is quite a storied one. It started as a promise – a litmus test of privatization under the Ramos administration when it was formed in 1997. Birth pains led to a mountain of debt, leaving its original owners, led by Lopez-owned Benpres Holdings, with little choice but to exit the firm. A Manuel V. Pangilinan-led consortium took over. Then came supply and regulatory concerns and later, a president named Rody Duterte who threatened to rescind the concession.

But that’s now water under the bridge and here they are on their way to the stock market.

Says DMCI Holdings chairman Sid Consunji, as quoted by our capital markets reporter Richmond Mercurio in his Notes on the Beat titled ‘Sid Consunji’s quest to transform more firms into gold:’

‘I had figured out that, like Maynilad for instance, when we acquired it, it was negative equity. And then (we thought), what an opportunity. They have the access to Ipo Dam, they have access to 5,000 kilometers of pipeline and they have access to La Mesa Dam. The only thing that you have to do is make sure that it’s managed properly. So of a small equity, but you can manage a very big amount of assets, (it’s) dramatic.’

‘If the initial public offering (IPO) pushes through, we we’re just computing a few days ago, a market value of P120 billion. It’s P120 billion from negative equity 19 years ago,’ Consunji also said at the recent meeting of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines.

Considering its challenging journey, Maynilad, for sure, is already quite a success story, whether or not its market value goes up to P120 billion, a P100 billion or just about.

Success

We don’t know what will happen on the listing date but early indications are positive.

InsiderPH’s Miguel Camus called it a breakout success, especially given the prevailing turbulent market conditions.

The offer is already nearly two times subscribed at the institutional level, which accounts for the largest portion of the offer, according to Miguel’s report.

‘At that price, and assuming the full take-up of the offer, Maynilad is valued at about P113 billion, larger than tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.’s Manila Water Co. Inc., which is worth P90.4 billion.’

Maynilad will ring the bell on Nov. 7.

I share the optimism it will be a success, based on the buzz we’re hearing.

The question perhaps in the mind of Ramon Monzon, the tireless PSE president and CEO, is whether or not it would be enough to perk up the market.

That, we’ll have to wait and see.

Politics and pension

It’s quite a turbulent time at the state-owned pension fund now, at least based on the issues we’re hearing against Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president and general manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso.

There was also the prior suspension of Veloso by the Office of the Ombudsman, based on alleged questionable transactions.

I worry for GSIS beneficiaries. I hope the politics hounding the agency will be resolved soon. I hope the issues don’t affect the hard-earned pension of state workers.

I also hope that Veloso, or whoever will eventually succeed him, will ensure the safety of the pension fund of government workers.

As we know by now, some members of the GSIS Board of Trustees have since left. They have been calling for the resignation of Veloso.

New appointments were announced – Gilbert Tan Sadsad, the president of the Philippine Public School Teachers Association. Also appointed were Enrico Gregorio Molina Trinidad and Cenon Cruz Audencial Jr., representing the banking, finance and insurance sectors.

Prior to this, several members of the GSIS board called for the resignation of Veloso, citing ‘poor investment decisions’ that allegedly resulted in an P8.8-billion loss.

The call for immediate resignation was signed by Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez, Emmanuel de Leon Samson, Rita Riddle and Evelina Escudero. It was also signed by former GSIS board members such as Jocelyn Cabreza and Alan Luga.

They said that Veloso’s actions and endorsement of risky transactions compelled them to act, asserting that such initiatives were not only questionable but also constituted a direct violation of the GSIS’s fiduciary duties.

The group cited several transactions involving companies such as Monde Nissin Corp., Nickel Asia Corp., Bloomberry Resorts Corp., DigiPlus Interactive Corp., Alternergy Holdings Corp. and Figaro Culinary Group Inc., among others.

However, Veloso clarified that all GSIS investments were made with the collective approval of both the board and management.

He also noted that GSIS’s total assets have risen to P1.92 trillion, with a net income of P100.02 billion as of August 2025.

Will Manny Pacquiao mark a return to the boxing video game scene?

That appears to be the case after the lone mainstream boxing game for current-generation consoles and PC has teased players about the Filipino icon’s inclusion in its roster of playable boxers.

Undisputed posted on X a pixelated photo of a boxer along with the text ‘Guess the fighter!’ – one that could be easily identified as Pacquiao.

The video game title was released on October 24 last year to ‘mixed or average’ reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. It didn’t include the former eight-division world champion in its initial fighter lineup.

Undisputed has since made available other boxers, including Pacquiao’s former rivals Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, via downloadable content or DLC.

Meanwhile, no date has been mentioned about the availability of the DLC containing Pacquiao’s character.

If ever, this won’t be Pacquiao’s first rodeo in the boxing video game arena, as the Filipino legend had been part of the ‘Fight Night’ series in the early 2000s.

The 46-year-old Pacquiao remains active in boxing, coming out of retirement last July and holding World Boxing Champion Mario Barrios to a draw in Las Vegas.

He is set to fight again in January next year.

Barring any hitches, the country may host the maiden WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open in Manila early next year. Hopefully it happens. It brings the sport closer to the country of basketball and lately, volleyball. Closer, but not user friendly.

Tennis is a pricey sport. Dominic Thiem, thought to be the next big thing after he won the US Open attests. The Austrian resents the prize money may appear exponential, but the tax cuts almost half the amount in and out of his country. But at least he know where his taxes go in his country. Although this country knows too, it does not mind.

Exciting, it gives Alex Eala the platform to showcase her game right in her turf and home crowd. Although she feels at home anywhere she goes with Filipinos loudly cheering her on. Not because they follow the Filipina ace, but because they are already at the place, forced to leave their country for a better life elsewhere.

Top ten players are not expected to play though. It is a low-tier level tournament. Travel advisory of some countries do not speak highly of the archipelago. Conversely, Alex Eala is reported to have some difficulty entering in some countries to play because of her entry card, otherwise known as the Philippine passport.

The prize money is lower expected of a struggling country. Among many others, it struggles against corruption and how it impoverishes the nation. It is not poor, it is just plundered.

Even if the paycheck is lucrative, many top players demand appearance money, their mere presence will popularize the tournament and spark viewership and sponsorship. Unless it is the Six Kings Slam organized by a middle east country with combined prize money and participation fee bigger than a grand slam. An exhibition event, it does not even count points for ranking, but it sure does account for money.

But really, the Philippine Open could revolutionize tennis landscape in the country. Literally and figuratively. It might reverse the alarming trend of outdoor tennis courts converted to real estate. Where there is a basketball court and a billiards table in every street and corner, tennis courts are disappearing, although much slower than public funds stolen.

The Special Stockholders’ Meeting of ETON PROPERTIES PHILIPPINES INC. (the “Company”) which will be held virtually via the web conferencing application Zoom on Nov. 14, 2025, Friday, at 10 a.m.

Members of the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament has elected a new speaker who replaces Pangalian Balindong, who died earlier this month.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua yesterday confirmed that Mohammad Yacob was elected speaker of the autonomous region on Tuesday.

Yacob studied Sharia jurisprudence at the International Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia. He also obtained a master’s degree in public administration at the Cotabato City State University.

Macacua and Yacob are senior officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, whose 2012 and 2014 peace agreements with the government led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The parliament, which includes members of the Moro National Liberation Front, committed to support Yacob’s peace and development agenda.

The partnership between Brazil and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) exemplifies how a future of peace, stability and sustainable growth can be built. With complementary and dynamic economies and a shared vision of a fair and inclusive international order, we demonstrate how dialogue and cooperation within the Global South can bridge distances and generate mutual benefits.

Over 25 years, trade between Brazil and ASEAN has increased more than 16 times. In 2000, our trade flow was $2.3 billion. In 2024, it reached $37.2 billion. We have much to offer and much to gain in the region, and our trade ties can grow even stronger. To further strengthen these ties, I will attend the ASEAN Summit next Sunday in Malaysia. It will be the first time a Brazilian president participates in the event.

Our business relationship is just one part of a much broader partnership. The adoption, in 2023, of the Practical Cooperation Areas (2024-2028) demonstrates the breadth of our shared agenda. Together, we offer ways to address climate change, provide food security and promote energy transition and digital transformation.

In the field of energy, in addition to having one of the world’s cleanest energy mixes, Brazil has a history of five decades of development and use of ethanol as fuel. We have successfully tested public policy models and can share our technical, technological and financial expertise in the sector.

Brazil is also a key strategic partner in ensuring food security for ASEAN’s 672 million people. As one of the largest global exporters of animal protein and grains, Brazil is perfectly positioned to meet the growth of the bloc’s imports.

Additionally, Brazil offers ASEAN decades of experience in public policies and technical expertise to support local food production. Brazilian programs linking family farming with markets and public institutions provide adaptable models, such as our National School Meals Program.

Together, we also helped establish the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which already counts eight ASEAN countries among its members. All this is based on the conviction that there is no real progress without social justice.

In the high-tech and innovation sectors, cooperation holds immense potential. While ASEAN is home to some of the most dynamic digital economies in the world and hosts innovation hubs in sectors such as semiconductors, Brazil brings together a vibrant ecosystem of startups and technological solutions focused on social inclusion, the digitization of public services and financial transformation.

PIX – an instant payment system that revolutionized financial transactions in Brazil – and the GOV.BR platform – which unifies government services – exemplify how technology can democratize access to essential services. Recognized worldwide for their scale and effectiveness, these Brazilian innovations offer models that can benefit communities from other regions.

In parallel with economic and technological cooperation, Brazil and ASEAN share a worldview that is rooted in peace, stability and universalism as the foundations of a fairer international order. The common commitment to disarmament, exemplified by our status as nuclear-weapon-free zones, demonstrates the conviction that collective security should be based on cooperation and not on the rule of might over right.

At the same time, we recognize that the multilateral system is facing an unprecedented crisis. The paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Security Council underscores the urgent need for reforms that reinforce multilateralism and make global governance more inclusive, legitimate and representative. This is one of our priorities in the BRICS presidency this year, just as it was in 2024 when we were at the head of the G20.

In the environmental field, Brazil is the country with the world’s greatest biodiversity, while ASEAN is home to about 25 percent of its fauna and flora species. Next month, we will host COP30 in the heart of the Amazon. This choice reflects the urgency of putting people at the center of climate discussions. We are convinced that there are no effective solutions for tropical rainforests without the leadership of those who live there.

At COP30, we will launch the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), an innovative tool for rainforest preservation. The TFFF recognizes that forests provide ecosystem services that are essential to climate regulation. The fund’s model establishes a compensation system of up to $4 per preserved hectare for countries that keep their forests standing. The TFFF is not based on donations – it is an investment in humanity and in the preservation of life on Earth.

Through cooperation and friendship, Brazil and ASEAN show that it is possible for everyone to benefit in international relations, in a true win-win relationship. Together, we have the chance to repair injustices and build a prosperous, sustainable and peaceful future for all.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has apologized to members of the LGBTQIA+ community who felt offended by her recent Facebook post that used the term ‘yuts,’ a shortened form of the Cebuano word ‘bayot’ which means gay.

In her social media post that has since gone viral, Baricuatro wrote: ‘Kahilas nimo yuts! Who do you think you are??? Tatay Digong Forever!’

The statement quickly drew criticism on some of the netizens who found the remark derogatory and disrespectful.

The governor clarified that her post was not meant to insult or single out anyone from the LGBTQIA+ community.

‘It wasn’t an attack on the LGBT. I truly love the LGBT community. In fact, I’m surrounded by them,’ said Baricuatro.

Baricuatro explained that her message was a reaction to recent online discussions involving former President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she continues to admire and support.

‘The only thing I wanted was for Tatay Digong what he has done to our country to be remembered,’ she said.

She admitted that the term she used may have been misinterpreted, stressing that it was not directed toward the community as a whole.

‘I’m sorry if I offended anyone. That was never my intention. It was not meant to hurt you,’ Baricuatro said.

The controversy stemmed from an earlier online exchange involving lawyer Regal Oliva, who had discussed Duterte’s ongoing case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in her ‘Regal’s POV’ online segment.

Oliva, a lawyer and advocate, had explained the legal implications of the ICC’s jurisdiction over Duterte, noting that the alleged crimes occurred while the Philippines was still a member of the court.

Her analysis, however, angered several Duterte supporters who accused her of disloyalty.

Baricuatro’s post, though it did not mention any names, was widely interpreted as being directed at Oliva, who later admitted she felt personally hurt by the remarks.

‘Even the governor of Cebu has joined the fray. Reducing me to name-calling – that is painful and derogatory,’ Oliva said.

She emphasized that the insult cut deeper because it came from someone outside her community.

‘But I won’t respond with anger. I won’t exchange insult for insult,’ she added.

Oliva also clarified that her commentary on Duterte’s ICC case was purely a legal interpretation and not a political statement.

She said her reference to Duterte as defiant was based on the ICC’s wording and not her personal opinion, explaining that she meant the term as ‘resilient.’

Despite the backlash, Oliva maintained her support for the former president.