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REYMON JARAULA and Sarah Ababa head into this week’s International Container Terminal Services Inc. Apo Golf and Country Club Classic with momentum on their side, but under starkly different circumstances.

Their recent victories at the Del Monte Championship couldn’t have been more contrasting-Jaraula authored a near-flawless performance to clinch the men’s title in emphatic fashion, while Ababa staged a dramatic late rally before emerging victorious in a pressure-packed playoff.

For Jaraula, his Del Monte triumph was nothing short of a statement.

Playing on his home turf in Bukidnon, the soft-spoken pro closed out the tournament with a blistering, bogey-free nine-under-par 63-punctuated by a last-hole eagle-to set a new course record and dismantle a strong field.

He didn’t just win, he dominated as he finished nine shots ahead of Rupert Zaragosa that ended the Negros Occidental leg winner’s bid for back-to-back titles.

The performance was a culmination of confidence, familiarity and pure execution, but at Apo, the narrative shifts.

‘This will be a different challenge,’ Jaraula said. ‘Del Monte and Apo are two different courses,’ he said. ‘I can’t set high expectations, but I’ll just try to enjoy the game, play pressure-free and see where it takes me.’

Jaraula will remain one of the men to beat in the P3.5 million eighth leg of the Philippine Golf Tour.

Ababa, on the other hand, pulled off one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent Ladies PGT memory.

Trailing by five strokes with just nine holes to play at Del Monte, the Davao native mounted a ferocious back-nine charge.

A composed final stretch and a cold-blooded finish in the second playoff hole stunned Chanelle Avaricio, who had appeared headed for a comfortable win.

‘I didn’t expect to win,’ said Ababa. ‘Chanelle looked unreachable, but I got the chance so I grabbed it.’

Now, she returns to a course that holds both sentimental and competitive value-Apo Golf is not only her home course, it’s where she honed her game growing up and where she clinched her third career title last year by holding off Mafy Singson.

While Jaraula prepares to conquer unfamiliar territory, Ababa looks to reassert her dominance at home. Both, however, share the same objective – a second straight title to solidify their standing in this crucial stretch of the PGT and LPGT.

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But standing in their way is a hungry field of contenders.

Avaricio is expected to go all out for redemption, while top players like Daniella Uy, Harmie Constantino, Tiffany Lee, Mafy Singson and Martina Miñoza are all poised to challenge. Miñoza, in particular, is coming off a strong third-place finish at Del Monte, signaling her potential breakthrough.

Princess Superal, who edged out Ababa in a sudden-death thriller at Caliraya Springs, is also returning in pursuit of more glory.

In the men’s side, Japanese ace Atsushi Ueda, who posted a career-best third-place finish at Del Monte, will be one to watch. Korean Jaehyun Jung, Russell Bautista, Arnold Villacencio, American Collin Wheeler, and Dutch veteran Guido van der Valk are also primed to make a run at the title.

Japan Developmental Tour campaigner Lloyd Go has also committed to the Apo event, further strengthening an already formidable field that includes a host of homegrown talents, led by Tony Lascuña and Jhonnel Ababa.

Following Apo, the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized tour swings to South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates before heading to Valley Golf in Antipolo next month for the season finale – making every shot and every point critical.

About 15 million deaths could be avoided each year and agricultural emissions could drop by 15 percent if people worldwide shift to healthier, predominantly plant-based diets, according to the EAT-Lancet Commission, which brought together scientists worldwide to review the latest data on food’s role in human health, climate change, biodiversity and people’s working and living conditions.

Their conclusion: Without substantial changes to the food system, the worst effects of climate change will be unavoidable, even if humans successfully switch to cleaner energy.

‘If we do not transition away from the unsustainable food path we’re on today, we will fail on the climate agenda. We will fail on the biodiversity agenda. We will fail on food security. We’ll fail on so many pathways,’ said study co-author Johan Rockström, who leads the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

The commission’s first report in 2019 was regarded as a ‘really monumental landmark study’ for its willingness to take food system reform seriously while factoring in human and environmental health, said Adam Shriver, director of wellness and nutrition at the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement.

Key points from the latest report:

A ‘planetary health diet’ could avert 15 million deaths every year

The first EAT-Lancet report proposed a ‘planetary health diet’ centered on grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.

The update maintains that to improve their health while also reducing global warming, it’s a good idea for people to eat one serving each of animal protein and dairy per day while limiting red meat to about once a week.

This particularly applies to people in developed nations who disproportionately contribute to climate change and have more choices about the foods they eat.

The dietary recommendations were based on data about risks of preventable diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, not environmental criteria.

Human and planetary health happen to be in alignment, the researchers said.

Rockström said it may seem ‘boring’ for an analysis to reach the same conclusion six years later, but he finds this reassuring because food science is a rapidly moving field with many big studies and improving analytics.

Food is one of the most deeply personal choices a person can make, and ‘the health component touches everyone’s heart,’ Rockström said.

While tackling global challenges is complicated, what individuals can do is relatively straightforward, like reducing meat consumption without eliminating it altogether.

‘People associate what they eat with identity’ and strict diets can scare people off, but even small changes help, said Emily Cassidy, a research associate with climate science nonprofit Project Drawdown. She wasn’t involved with the research.

Our food choices could push the planet past a tipping point

The researchers looked beyond climate change and greenhouse gas emissions to factors including biodiversity, land use, water quality and agricultural pollution-and concluded that food systems are the biggest culprit in pushing Earth to the brink of thresholds for a livable planet.

The report is ‘super comprehensive’ in its scope, said Kathleen Merrigan, a professor of food systems at Arizona State University who also wasn’t involved with the research.

It goes deep enough to show how farming and labor practices, consumption habits and other aspects of food production are interconnected-and could be changed, she said.

‘It’s like we’ve had this slow awakening to the role of food’ in discussions about planetary existence, Merrigan said.

Changing worldwide diets alone could lead to a 15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, because the production of meat, particularly red meat, requires releasing a lot of planet-warming gases, researchers concluded.

Increased crop productivity, reductions in food waste and other improvements could bump that to 20 percent, the report said.

Cassidy said that if the populations of high- and middle-income countries were to limit beef and lamb consumption to about one serving a week, as recommended in this latest EAT-Lancet report, they could reduce emissions equal to Russia’s annual emissions total.

Incorporating justice in an unequal world

Meanwhile, the report concludes that nearly half the world’s population is being denied adequate food, a healthy environment or decent work in the food system.

Ethnic minorities, Indigenous peoples, women and children and people in conflict zones all face specific risks to their human rights and access to food.

With United Nations climate talks around the corner in November, Rockström and other researchers hope leaders in countries around the world will incorporate scientific perspectives about the food system into their national policies.

To do otherwise ‘takes us in a direction that makes us more and more fragile,’ he said.

‘I mean both in terms of supply of food, but also in terms of health and in terms of stability of our environments,’ Rockström said. ‘And this is a recipe to make societies weaker and weaker.’

Countries worldwide has been celebrating World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) holidays since its launching in 2006 to encourage the worldwide conservation of migratory birds and their environments.

The Philippines is among the countries that as been observing the WMBD. This year, the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-BMB) spearheaded the country’s celebration on October 11.

With the theme ‘Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,’ the event held at the Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) was highlighted by the inauguration of a new Bird Hide donated by the Megawide Foundation PH.

The Bird Hide gives bird watchers, photographers and researchers a perfect spot to quietly appreciate the park’s ‘visitors’ during the migration season.

The LPPWP along Roxas Boulevard is a protected area and one of the country’s Ramsar Sites, or wetland of international importance.

It hosts hundreds of thousands of migratory birds that frequent the Philippines through the East Asia-Australasia Flyway, a major route for over 50 million migratory waterbirds travelling between the Arctic Circle, and Australia and New Zealand.

It is considered a vital ecosystem supporting a vast number of species and benefiting millions of people through its wetlands, crucial for agriculture, fisheries, and ecotourism.

Wetlands along the flyway, including those of the Philippines, provide critical ecosystem services to nearly 200 million people and support livelihoods.

Urgent need for action

This year’s WMBD theme underscores the importance of designing and managing urban environments that support both birds and people, a global campaign organized by the United Nations and international partners. The campaign kicked off with this year’s first migratory birds’ peak day on May 10.

The campaign urges collective efforts to secure the future of migratory birds in and around urban environments amid alarming bird population declines because of various threats-including bird collisions, light pollution, and bird mortality caused by free-roaming pets.

Other mentioned threats are unbridled development that cause habitat loss and fragmentation, and household pesticides and invasive species.

According to BirdLife International, 49 percent of all bird species-including migratory birds-are declining globally, and about one in eight species is threatened with extinction.

A 2024 study published in Global Ecology and Biogeography reported that four in five of the world’s bird species are unable to thrive in human-dominated environments.

Toward bird-friendly cities and communities

Governments, businesses, and individuals need to create bird-friendly cities and communities, including support for bird-friendly urban planning, by minimizing the destruction of important bird habitats in urban development.

Planting native plants provides food and shelter for birds, and supports pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are essential to biodiversity.

To prevent collisions, window films or patterned glass should be used to reduce bird-window collisions, and reduction of artificial light at night to protect migrating birds.

The global campaign also promotes organic farming methods to control pests, and help protect insects and clean water that birds rely on.

‘Millions of migratory birds around the world spend a key part of their life cycles within cities and other built communities-whether for breeding, feeding or as a stop along their migratory pathways,’ said Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

‘Nature does not end at the city limit; we share our urban and community spaces with a hugely diverse range of wild species of birds. Ensuring that our cities and communities are developed and maintained in a manner that supports migratory birds is not only vital for their survival, but also benefits people in countless ways,’ Fraenkel said.

For her part, Jennifer George, chief executive of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, said: ‘World Migratory Bird Day underscores the critical concept of ‘Shared Spaces’-the interconnected habitats within our communities and across the globe. Places that both people and migratory birds rely on for survival, development, recreation, and agriculture. A delicate balance.’

‘Witnessing the recent loss of vital roosting trees in my own community served as a stark reminder of our capacity to disrupt these essential ecosystems. This raises a fundamental question: where will these birds now find refuge? Let us raise awareness of these shared spaces,’ George said.

The Philippines’ programs

The Philippines protects migratory birds and their habitats through various programs. There are several laws that protect the environment- friendly visitors.

Besides the LPPWP, there are 10 other Ramsar Sites in various parts of the country, which are supposed to provide a haven for migratory birds.

These are Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu, Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan, Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan, Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area, Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands in Pampanga, Sibugay Weland Nature Reserve in in Zamboanga Sibugay, and Del Carmen Mangrove Reserve in Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape.

The country’s over 240 protected areas also provide a haven for these visiting birds.

Hunting, illegal wildlife trade

Unfortunately, legal protections remain ‘only on paper,’ said Emerson Sy, a conservation advocate.

Hunting, trapping, and harvesting birds for trophy and illegal wildlife trade persist.

‘Winter visitors such as the Japanese sparrowhawk, Chinese sparrowhawk, and grey-faced buzzard are commonly poached and trafficked in the Philippines,’ Sy said.

Alex Tiongco of Raptorwatch Network Philippines said the ecosystem function of raptors that migrate to the Philippines to escape the cold winter in October and November is threatened by hunting.

‘There are a total of 13 raptors that frequent the country between October and November,’ Tiangco told the Business Mirror in a phone interview on October 16.

He said there are six endemic raptors in the country, 12 residents, 13 migratory raptors, and four mixed migrants and residents.

These raptors, he said, face various threats along their way to the various migratory bird sites all over the country.

Raptor species, with the smallest the size of a pigeon, play an important ecosystem function during their migration.

‘They eat insects, rats, and snakes, and are very helpful. Little do farmers know that these raptors are helping their farms,’ he said partly in Filipino.

Tiangco pointed out the need to raise awareness on the importance of the raptors so the farmers could continue to benefit from their existence.

Born to travel

‘Some birds were born to travel. Around a fifth-some 2,000 of 11,000 described species-are migratory species,’ said Gregg Yan, executive director of Best Alternatives.

‘Like people, some birds take ‘international flights’ to find greener pastures for feeding and breeding areas-especially when their home countries get colder,’ Yan told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on October 15.

Yan said migration comes with inherent risks.

‘Imagine traveling thousands of kilometers only to find that the vast swamp that once readily offered food and shelter has been drained and turned into a subdivision. It’s like knocking out a gas station along a long-distance route. The best thing to do is to ensure that these ‘gas stations’ and ‘pit stops’ are properly protected.’ he said.

Besides the Ramsar sites, Yan added Candaba swamp in Pampanga among migratory birds’ pit stops in the country.

‘These birds help keep pests like insects under control, while pollinating plants and helping disperse tree seeds worldwide,’ Yan said.

Protecting habitats

International biodiversity expert Theresa Mundita S. Lim underscored that the Philippines, situated along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, hosts numerous wetlands that serve as vital stopover and wintering habitats for migratory waterbirds traveling between their breeding and non-breeding grounds.

‘Recognizing its ecological significance, the country has long been at the forefront of international efforts to protect these habitats,’ Lim, a former DENR-BMB director and executive director of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity, told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on October 16.

She noted that in 2017, the Philippines hosted the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP 12) in Manila, the first CMS COP ever held in Asia.

Championing habitat conservation

During the meeting, the Philippines introduced and successfully championed a resolution on the conservation of coastal habitats as key ecosystems supporting migratory species.

‘The resolution was based on the urgent need to address the rapid degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems-such as mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal flats-that serve as critical feeding and resting sites for migratory birds. These habitats not only sustain biodiversity but also provide essential ecosystem services, such as protection from storm surges and support for fisheries,’ she explained.

Lim pointed out that the adoption of the resolution paved the way for the creation of the World Coastal Forum, a global platform designed to foster dialogue, coordination, and cooperative action for the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.

‘It underscored the Philippines’ leadership at that time in advocating nature-based, ecosystem-level approaches that integrate biodiversity conservation with climate resilience, food security, and human well-being,’ she said.

At a dinner in Miami back in August, across the street from the arena where the Heat play their games, USA Basketball men’s national team managing director Grant Hill had a question for Erik Spoelstra.

Hill wasn’t even done asking before Spoelstra gave his answer.

‘I’m in,’ Spoelstra said.

With that, USA Basketball had its next Olympic coach. Hill didn’t have to finish asking the question. Everybody knew the deal was done.

And now, the process of getting ready for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics can officially begin. Spoelstra-who was announced as coach earlier this week-and Hill sat side-by-side on Thursday, USA Basketball pins on the left lapel of their blue suit jackets, starting to lay out the plan toward what they hope is more gold for the US

‘We got our guy,’ Hill said.

Spoelstra had some of his family-his sister and his three children-at the news conference, along with USA Basketball executives Jim Tooley and Sean Ford, Heat President Pat Riley, Heat CEO Nick Arison and virtually the entire Heat coaching staff.

‘I understand the expectations and the responsibility of this position,’ Spoelstra said.

If he didn’t understand, Heat players crashed the news conference to make sure he understood. Heat captain Bam Adebayo has been part of the last two Olympic gold medal wins for the US, and he and many other teammates were waving small American flags and chanted ‘U-S-A!’ much to Spoelstra›s delight.

Adebayo has said he wants to play in the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics as well.

‘Spo’s a genius,’ Adebayo said.

Spoelstra worked his way through the USA Basketball ranks, first as the coach of the select team that helped the Olympic team that Gregg Popovich coached to gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021, then as an assistant under Steve Kerr for the World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Games in 2024.

His ties to USA Basketball extend even beyond that; Spoelstra went to multiple camps with Olympic teams when Heat players like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh were part of US rosters.

‘Coach Spoelstra represents everything we strive to be,’ Hill said.

Spoelstra decided to take the job only after seeing how much USA Basketball welcomes family; he had his kids with him in Paris. Making commitments for both the summer of 2027 and summer of 2028-always busy times for kids-wouldn’t have happened if his family couldn’t be along for the ride.

‘The culture of family within USAB is simply remarkable,’ Spoelstra said. ‘The experience that we had as a family at the Olympics will be memories that we’ll have for the rest of our lives. So, I couldn’t be more thrilled about this opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.’

Also not lost on Spoelstra: He’s the first Filipino-American who will have this role.

‘That’s America, right?’ Spoelstra said.

Spoelstra has been with the Heat for more than 30 years now, starting in the video room-he actually was hired shortly before the franchise brought Riley in to lead the basketball operations in September 1995-on his way to becoming head coach. He›s been with the Heat for all three of their NBA titles, the last two coming with him as head coach, and is generally considered a lock for enshrinement one day in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

‘I’m so grateful for the opportunity of these 30 years to work for the Heat,’ Spoelstra said.

Spoelstra will become the 17th different coach to take the US men into an Olympics.

Of the previous 16, 14 led the team to at least one gold medal.

Spoelstra was believed to be under consideration when Hill-in what was his first major decision as managing director of the men’s national team, the position he took after Jerry Colangelo helped the Americans win four consecutive Olympic gold medals in that role-hired Kerr in December 2021 for that World Cup and Olympic cycle.

Hill made that decision with Spoelstra in mind for this Olympic cycle, even orchestrating that he spend some time with Popovich after the Tokyo Games to plant some seeds.

‘It worked out,’ Hill said.

Spoelstra knew shortly after Kerr’s hiring that he was going to be part of the coaching staff for the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. He indicated that USA Basketball might take a little time before finalizing his group of assistants, and Hill said it may go into next year.

‘We’ve just talked loosely about it, but really no specifics yet,’ Spoelstra said. ‘We’ll start with the initial conversations about the pool of candidates and then also the staff, then start to talk loosely about the logistics of the World Cup.’

A LOCALLY designed battery electric ferry will begin operations along the Pasig River in November this year as part of efforts to expand sustainable transport options and enhance disaster mobility in Metro Manila.

Developed by researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman, the M/B Dalaray, or ‘flow of current,’ was recently introduced at Plaza Mexico in Intramuros, Manila.

It is designed to carry up to 40 passengers and three crew members, with a five-ton capacity, and can travel up to 45 kilometers at 8 knots on a single charge.

The ferry, which is powered by solar-assisted battery technology, can be fully recharged within two to three hours and is capable of continuous three-hour trips, making it suitable for short daily routes across the Pasig River network.

The project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).

Since 2014, DOST has invested over P962.6 million in electric vehicle research and related technologies.

Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the ferry aligns with the agency’s Smart and Sustainable Communities Program, which helps local governments apply science-based tools for resilience and inclusive urban planning.

Solidum added that the vessel can also support emergency transport in case of major earthquakes, noting that the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study recommends developing alternative routes along the Pasig River and Laguna Lake to ensure mobility if major roads become impassable.

The Pasig River corridor connects Pasig, Makati, Mandaluyong, Taguig and Manila, as well as nearby communities in Marikina, Rizal and Laguna.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) disclosed its plan to continue supporting the Department of Science and Technology’s Balik Scientist Program (DOST-BSP), which seeks to enhance the country’s higher education and research initiatives.

‘We in CHED are committed to sustaining this momentum,’ said CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis during the 11th BSP Convention with the theme ”Balik Scientists in Action: Real-world Impact, Powered by Filipino Minds’ in Pasay City on October 3. ‘Balik’ is a Filipino word for returning.

Agrupis underscored that the impact of the BSP should ‘ripple across all higher education institutions [HEIs],’ ensuring that the advantages of global expertise are shared nationwide rather than limited to a few institutions.

‘To do this, CHED is working hand in hand with the DOST, and our partner institutions, to ensure that returning scientists are fully integrated into teaching, mentoring, and research programs that directly address our country’s most urgent challenges,’ she emphasized.

The CHED chief said the initiative is part of Commission’s Achieve Agenda, which prioritizes human capital development, research, and innovation.

‘It is very vital that we give priority to the centralized, one nation human capital development plan. We cannot close the STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] gap unless we align education with national priorities,’ Agrupis said.

‘Filipino expertise can be harnessed’

‘The achievements of our Balik Scientists-in fields as diverse as vaccine development, coastal engineering, aquaculture, renewable energy, and biotechnology-show how Filipino expertise can be harnessed to solve our most urgent challenges,’ Science Secretary Reneto U. Solidum Jr said during the convention.

Balik Scientists presented their works during the event.

Dr. Angelo Bañares, who is engaged with the University of Mindanao (UM) and Pampanga State Agricultural University, specializes in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, with key research focused on microbial engineering for the production of high-value chemicals and the development of biosensors for dynamic regulation of engineered metabolic pathways.

His work in UM deals with metabolic engineering of microbes for the conversion of used plastic to glycolic acid that is used for cosmetics like exfoliating agents.

Meanwhile, Balik Scientist Rev. Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, OP, PhD, currently hosted by the University of Santo Tomas, is involved in local vaccine and biotech research ecosystem, including the development of a Covid-19 oral vaccine from probiotic yeast.

He is currently a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council-Healthcare that is directly advising President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on drug or vaccine pipelines, Balik Nurse Program, and Universal Healthcare reforms.

For his part, Balik Scientist Dr. Joemel Quisumbing is engaged in Modeling Framework for Sustainable Cage Aquaculture and Coastal Pollution Control. It is a comprehensive tool that integrates social, environmental, and technological aspects to promote sustainable cage aquaculture and coastal pollution control, addressing research gaps for ecosystem-based aquaculture decision-making.

Bridging the science gap

According to DOST Undersecretary Dr. Leah J. Buendia, for Research and Development, the country continues to face challenges in strengthening its science, technology, and human resource capacity.

Citing the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2024, Buendia said the Philippines has fewer than 174 researchers per million population, ranking 84th out of 132 countries.

Buendia noted that this gap highlights the need for programs that expand the pool and improve the capabilities of human resources in science, technology, and innovation, as these strengthen knowledge creation within the country’s innovation ecosystem.

As of September 2025, the BSP has engaged 697 Filipino scientists, with a total of 933 completed engagements nationwide.

Buendia said the program recorded a significant increase in Balik Scientists’ participation in 2019, but declined during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.

However, she added that the program has since regained momentum, with the number rising in 2022 and peaking again in 2023.

From January to September this year, 44 BSP engagements have been approved with more applications still being processed through DOST’s three sectoral councils: the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, and the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

Buendia said the Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technologies sector accounts for the largest share of engagements at 43.3 percent, followed by Agriculture at 29.2 percent, and Health at 27.5 percent.

These collaborations, she added, support key areas-such as food security, public health, biomedical research, and medical technologies-reflecting the program’s responsiveness to national priorities.

Since its inception in 2007, the BSP has built a network of over 164 host institutions across the country.

‘The academe remains the largest partner group, with universities and higher education institutions hosting the majority of our engagements,’ Buendia said, noting that this underscores the vital role of universities in research, training, and mentoring the next generation of scientists.

She added that the program also partners with DOST agencies, other government offices, and private industries to bridge research and practical applications, bringing innovations closer to communities and markets.

The BSP has established a nationwide presence, with 109 host institutions and 555 engagements in Luzon, 31 host institutions and 96 engagements in the Visayas, and 24 host institutions with 80 engagements in Mindanao. The National Capital Region recorded the highest number of engagements at 387, followed by Region 4A with 73 and Region 6 with 48.

Buendia said efforts are ongoing to strengthen the BSP’s reach in regions with fewer engagements through orientations and needs assessment activities.

These, she added, would allow scientists and host institutions to build connections not only within the country but also with international partners.

‘To our Balik scientists, thank you very much. Your passion, your dedication embody the spirit of balik puso [heart], balik Pilipinas, balik scientists,’ Buendia said partly in Filipino, noting that they have proven that no long distance can weaken a Filipino heart for service, and no challenge is too great when powered by collaboration.

Building scientists

Agrupis pointed out that CHED is working with DOST, industry, and universities ‘to produce the right number of scientists, right number of engineers, and researchers to meet our urgent needs in food security, renewable energy, health, and digital innovation.’

She cited the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program, which encourages top graduates to pursue priority programs, and CHED’s Harmonized Sustainable Development Goals-based Research and Innovation Agenda, which directs research toward solving real-world problems.

‘Under our Achieve Agenda, CHED is committing to strengthening the research ecosystem in all our universities, so that innovation serves both local communities and the nation,’ she said.

To attract more young Filipinos to STEM, Agrupis said CHED is creating pathways that make science ‘attractive and accessible’-from scholarships and flexible learning options to specialized programs that address regional needs.

‘This is where the Balik Scientist Program proves the value of global linkages. They bring home expertise, networks, and opportunities. CHED has the funding to espouse the way forward of the DOST Balik Scientist Program,’ she said.

She noted that CHED is expanding partnerships with universities and research centers abroad to strengthen international collaboration while maintaining strong ties with local institutions.

‘These priorities on human capital development, research for national progress, lifelong learning, and internationalization are not abstract,’ Agrupis said. ‘They are the levers that will allow us to build a critical mass of scientists, empower our universities, and ensure that the brilliance of Filipino minds is not only recognized abroad but fully realized at home.’

‘We cannot delay,’ she pointed out. ‘The future of Philippine higher education and research depends on how boldly we act today to nurture talent and empower scientists to lead.’

THE start of earnings season is exposing a potential crack in the stock market’s frothy foundation: risky lending by some regional banks.

Shares of Zions Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorp plunged Thursday after the companies said they were victims of fraud on loans to funds that invest in distressed commercial mortgages. The disclosures sent the KBW Bank Index to its worst day since April’s tariff tantrum.

They followed a warning from JPMorgan Chase and Co. CEO Jamie Dimon about ‘cockroaches’ in the credit market during the bank’s earnings conference call on Tuesday. He was referring to the implosions of auto lender Tricolor Holdings and car-parts supplier First Brands Group.

With Wall Street already on edge, the chatter about troubled borrowers hitting banks is tapping into fears that a credit crisis could be the pin that pops the three-year bull market in stocks. ‘The market kind of freaked out,’ said Sadiq Adatia, chief investment officer at BMO Global Asset Management, which has $221 billion in assets under management.

From one angle things look great in the financial industry after the first full week of the third-quarter earnings season featured a string of beats from financial giants like Bank of America Corp., Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. But next week will offer a different view, as regional lenders such as Zions, Western Alliance and East West Bancorp Inc. are scheduled to report.

‘People are just a little bit spooked and kind of selling first and asking questions later,’ said Zachary Hill, head of portfolio management at Horizon Investments.

In many ways, the finance world is being divided in two. Big banks and Wall Street giants are racing ahead with strong trading and investment banking operations, and their size insulates them from a few bad loans. Smaller firms, however, don’t have that cushion, so the risks are more acute.

Investors are already seeing the difference. The KBW Regional Banking Index plunged the most since April on Thursday, wiping out its gain for the year, while the KBW Bank Index, which includes major national lenders and Wall Street titans, is up 14 percent in 2025.

‘If we’re going to get some continued uncertainty in the banking sector and questions around credit quality, then the large banks are definitely a safer refuge than the regionals,’ Hill said.

The risk, of course, is that problems at a few regional lenders can spread to big banks and, from there, into the broader economy. Even ‘mild’ credit concerns are ‘not good for an expensive stock market,’ said Matt Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak + Co. The tech sector is worth watching ‘very closely,’ he added.

During the first half of the year, there was a ‘huge move’ in lower quality companies and everything related to artificial intelligence, said Adam Parker, founder of Trivariate Research. But now investors are trying to find some ‘ballast’ in their portfolios with stocks that aren’t exposed to these risks, ‘whether it’s higher quality financials, whether it’s health care, whether it’s metals,’ he said.

Still, sentiment remains strong for the big financial names and the sector as a whole.

‘As long as the vast majority of banks, particularly the systematically important ones, are doing OK, the sector will shrug off problems at certain institutions if they appear to be idiosyncratic rather than systemic,’ said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.

Friday’s batch of earnings reports helped allay some concerns, as Truist Financial Corp., Regions Financial Corp. and Fifth Third Bancorp all reported lower provisions for credit losses than analysts expected.

In general, Wall Street is bullish on third-quarter bank earnings, as the larger lenders are ‘hitting the ball out of the park,’ said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. Analysts now expect financials to post 13.4 percent earnings growth in the third quarter versus the previous forecast of 8.9 percent, he wrote in a note to clients on October 15.

More broadly, banks have also provided ‘a welcome optimistic look at the macroeconomy,’ Peter Williams, economist at 22V Research, wrote in a note to clients on October 15. At a time when data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other US agencies isn’t available due to the government shutdown, Williams noted that the bank earnings show ‘consumer spending trends continued to look solid.’

Wall Street will get a closer view of consumer health later this month when Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. report. Given the rising concerns about credit, those will be closely watched and have the ability to ‘spook the rally,’ Trivariate’s Parker said.

That being said, bullish investors are likely to view any drop as temporary and a chance to buy into the growth in financials at a lower price.

‘If we have further pullbacks from here, that’ll create a buying opportunity for us,’ BMO’s Adatia said, adding that he’s encouraged by the big banks’ results.