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PARIS-In preparation for the upcoming Business Mission to the Philippines on November 3 to 5, Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) International-a non-profit association of more than 170,000 firms in the French private business sector, held the France-Philippines Business Council Meeting last October 10 to register more French companies interested in joining next month’s business mission to the Philippines.

MEDEF International’s Deputy CEO Geraldine Lemble chaired the meeting, as she shared that the association’s interest lies in four major areas: infrastructure, energy diversification, agrifood and food security, as well as security and defense. All these sectors align with the Philippines’ priority industries outlined under the national government’s ‘Build Better More’ program.

Recognizing the invaluable French expertise in the following sectors, the Philippines presented investment opportunities available to French investors categorized under high-value services, smart and sustainable manufacturing, sustainability-related investments, flagship infrastructure projects, shipbuilding and ship repair.

Deputy Head of Southeast Asia for the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry Jérémy Mulate is in charge of improving the Philippines-France business environment by facilitating exchanges of goods and increasing French investments in the country-particularly in the sectors of transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture and public works.

Eager to witness the wrap-up of the Philippine-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement’s (FTA) ongoing negotiations, Mulate pledged the French Ministry’s support toward resolving market-access issues.

In his keynote, Ambassador Eduardo José de Vega stated that the Philippines is the right partner for MEDEF’s commercial interests, with the country’s implementation of key structural reform policies and better incentive regime for foreign investors.

De Vega emphasized that the CREATE MORE Act, Constituting Green Lanes for Strategic Investments and Investors’ Lease Act are examples of improvements which aim to attract investors and facilitate business processes.

Capitalizing on the momentum generated by the Philippines-EU FTA’s fourth round of negotiations, the country’s ambassador to France called on MEDEF to seize the opportunity of being a prime investor and entering the Philippine market, ahead of and in anticipation of the agreement’s wider benefits that will come after it takes effect.

The last MEDEF Business Mission to the Philippines was in 2022. For the November mission, the French participants will be joined by the embassy’s Philippine Trade and Investment Center Representative.

MAYA is extending its partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) through its support for Batang Pinoy 2025 in General Santos City.

Building on its earlier collaboration with PSC to modernize sports governance and promote financial access, Maya will support the event by helping participants easily onboard to their own financial accounts, introducing them to simple and secure digital banking tools that can support their everyday needs.

‘Supporting PSC’s grassroots programs allows us to engage with the sports community in a meaningful way,’ said Shailesh Baidwan, Maya Group President and Maya Bank Co-Founder.

‘Batang Pinoy gives us a great opportunity to connect with young athletes and help them take their first steps toward digital financial access.’

Maya is the country’s leading all-in-one fintech platform and No. 1 digital bank.

The partnership builds on PSC and Maya’s earlier collaboration to digitalize allowance distribution for national athletes-a significant upgrade from traditional manual disbursements. By moving to digital platforms, athletes no longer have to line up for their allowances, making the process faster, more secure, and laying the groundwork for future integrations to channel more athlete support.

It also gives athletes a guided introduction to managing their own financial accounts, supporting PSC’s vision of strengthening athlete welfare both on and off the field.

This kind of digital foundation is crucial for enabling future programs that make financial literacy and access a core part of athlete development.

‘We’re grateful for Maya’s continued support for Batang Pinoy,’ PSC chairman John Patrick Gregorio said. ‘By enabling the electronic distribution of allowances, Maya helps us provide our athletes and delegates with a faster, safer and more convenient experience-so they can focus on what matters most: competing and growing.’

Launched in 1998, this year’s edition of the Batang Pinoy in General Santos City is set from October 25 to 30 and brings together more than 15,000 athletes aged 17 and under competing in 27 sports.

LOCAL tobacco farmers stand to lose almost P980 million in income this year owing to smuggled cigarettes flooding the market, the Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA) said.

PTGA President Saturnino Distor noted that for 2025, around 11.8 billion sticks of illegal cigarettes would be sold in the Philippines. This volume translates to some 9.4 million kilos of tobacco that could have come from local farms, he said.

At an average farmgate price of P104.09 per kilo, Distor said the Philippine tobacco farmers would likely lose P978.44 million in income this year alone.

‘This is not just about breaking the law. This is about breaking the hearts of hardworking farmers,’ he said in a statement.

Distor noted that the government also loses around P40 billion annually because of illegal cigarette sales.

Citing industry data, he said illegal cigarettes are sold for as low as P2 per stick while legal ones are sold at PP7 per stick. Smuggling, he said, makes cigarettes cheaper and easily accessible, particularly to minors.

‘Every illegal product sold in the market is a peso taken away from hardworking Filipino farmers. These illegal products enter our markets unchecked, undermining the value of our harvest and the integrity of our work,’ Distor said.

He noted that the country’s tobacco industry supports around 2.2 million Filipinos, including farmers and workers in factories, transport, trading, and small stores.

‘When smuggled cigarettes take over the market, everyone in this chain suffers,’ Distor said.

Distor said the problem brought by smuggled tobacco also extends to the danger it poses to public health, since these could contain synthetic drugs that cause seizures.

Illegal cigarettes have been found with lead, insect parts, rat droppings, and even human waste, he added.

‘In some places, these illegal cigarettes are easier to find than clean water. They are sold cheaply, without any safety checks. They are not just illegal-they are deadly,’ Distor said.

He also lamented that no tobacco smuggler has been arrested under Republic Act 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, which passed into law last year.

‘The PTGA is asking the government to act now. Farmers are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for protection, for fairness, and for a chance to keep farming and feeding our families,’ Distor said.

THE Philippines and Timor-Leste strengthened their diplomatic and regional partnership today, as Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas met in Manila ahead of Timor-Leste’s formal accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Timor-Leste is set to become ASEAN’s 11th and newest member within days-a milestone that both ministers described as historic and transformative.

‘This is a very historic moment for me to be here today with the Madame Secretary of the Philippines,’ Freitas said. ‘We appreciate very much the role of the Philippines in the whole process of providing us support and guidance towards our full membership.’

Shared Commitment to UNCLOS and Peaceful Dispute Resolution

At the heart of the discussions was a shared commitment to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both countries have used UNCLOS mechanisms to resolve maritime disputes-Timor-Leste through conciliation with Australia, and the Philippines through arbitration against China.

‘They have the conciliation. We have the arbitration,’ Lazaro said. ‘We can exchange resources, as well as best practices.’

Freitas also voiced strong support for the early conclusion of a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

‘Timor-Leste supports all efforts to promote peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the region,’ he said. ‘We renew our commitment to UNCLOS as the legal foundation for resolving maritime disputes.’

Reviving Bilateral Consultations and Expanding Cooperation

The two ministers agreed to revive bilateral policy consultations-last held over a decade ago-with plans to reconvene early next year. They also identified priority areas for cooperation, including education, health, agriculture, human resource development, and tourism.

‘We want to reinforce our bilateral relations more clearly and specifically,’ Freitas said.

On economic development, Freitas highlighted the importance of supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Lazaro responded that MSMEs are ‘a very important foundation of Philippine business,’ and confirmed that the Department of Trade and Industry is ready to assist Timor-Leste in strengthening its MSME ecosystem.

Growing People-to-People Ties

Beyond policy, the ministers celebrated the growing people-to-people ties between the two nations.

As of June 2025, more than 1,500 Overseas Filipinos live in Timor-Leste, mostly in the capital Dili, working in education, administration, entrepreneurship, and engineering.

‘I express my appreciation to the government for always ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the Filipino nationals,’ Lazaro said.

Last year, the Philippines welcomed over 700 visitors from Timor-Leste.

In 2024, Timor-Leste ranked as the Philippines’ 152nd largest trading partner and 141st export destination, with total bilateral trade amounting to USD 582,670-entirely composed of Philippine exports.

ATENEO de Manila University reclaimed the throne as queen of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 Badminton tournament, sweeping first-time finalist National University, 3-0, on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Malate, Manila.

Graduating captain Mika De Guzman capped her UAAP career with a rousing performance, leading the Blue Eagles to their eighth UAAP title in her fifth and sixth years-making her swan song a true coronation.

Ateneo completed the badminton golden double as its men’s team earlier secured victory over the University of the Philippines, 3-0.

A standout from St. Paul College in Pasig, De Guzman ensured her return was one of redemption, sweeping the two events she played-the first singles match and the first doubles match.

De Guzman, a Smash Pilipinas standout, displayed both consistency and dominance, needing just 20 minutes in her final singles match to topple Hailene Diaz, 21-8, 21-8. Diaz tried to match De Guzman at the start of both games, but the Ateneo star quickly took control and never looked back.

Her teammate and sophomore, Althea Ocampo, overcame a first-game setback to defeat NU’s top player, Ysabel Amora, 17-21, 21-12, 21-13, in the second singles rubber.

Ocampo showed flashes of brilliance in the opener against Amora, but her rally wasn’t enough to take down the Lady Bulldog.

The Season 87 Rookie of the Year, however, carried that momentum into the second and third games, putting Ateneo on the verge of the championship.

With Ateneo up 2-0, De Guzman and co-captain Jochelle Alvarez wasted no time reclaiming the throne for the Blue Eagles in the lone doubles match.

After the mandatory break for Amora, who also played doubles, De Guzman and Alvarez dominated the first game and turned the second set into a statement of their championship credentials.

The Ateneo captains patiently waited for the right moments to attack, and despite taking 34 minutes to close the match, they claimed a decisive 21-6, 21-10 victory over Amora and Gwyneth Desacola, securing both the tie and the championship.

‘Of course, I am very happy and proud of the team, that we were able to bring the double gold back to Ateneo. So just really happy and proud of everyone,’ De Guzman said.

With this triumph, Ateneo claimed its sixth men’s title and ninth women’s crown, marking a third double crown and a second twin victory in three years.

With eventual MVPs De Guzman and Lyrden Laborte leading the way, longtime head coach Kennie Asuncion-Robles credited the team’s hunger after last year’s losses.

‘Definitely, there were many learnings from what happened last year, so they’re really hungry to take it back,’ said the concurrent program director of the Philippine Badminton Association.

University of the Philippines continued its post-pandemic podium streak with a third-place finish, sweeping University of Santo Tomas, 3-0.

Susmita Ramos and Anthea Gonzalez gave the Fighting Maroons a 2-0 lead following contrasting victories in the singles matches.

Ramos, a former Smash Pilipinas standout, ended her fourth year with a 21-19, 22-20 win over Reshane Nicor, while last year’s MVP, Gonzalez, needed 36 minutes to dominate eventual co-Rookie of the Year Hanie De Jesus, 21-15, 21-8.

Newcomers Krissa De Leon and Trisha Postrano then secured the bronze with a 21-18, 21-18 win over UST seniors Jennifer Saladaga and Rhafi Anne Santos.

The Fighting Maroons also had another reason to celebrate, as Brys Fuggan shared the top rookie award with De Jesus.

On the men’s side, 18-year-olds Lovic Javier of De La Salle University and JR Pandi of Ateneo were named Rookies of the Year.

AMID concerns that it may be vulnerable to political patronage, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is studying the possible extension of the working period for beneficiaries of its emergency employment program, Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma confirmed on Wednesday.

Laguesma said the assessment followed initial findings of the agency’s impact study showing that most Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) beneficiaries consider the duration of the program too short.

‘The study is ongoing.Under TUPAD, the issue raised is that the program duration is too short.We are considering extending it, but that would mean fewer beneficiaries since the funds would have to be spread across longer employment periods,’ Laguesma said during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing.

TUPAD provides emergency employment lasting from 10 to 90 days for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers.

Beneficiaries are typically deployed to community-based activities such as clean-up drives, debris clearing, and minor repairs of public facilities, and are paid based on the region’s prevailing minimum wage.

Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also supported the review, saying the department must base its decision on a proper impact study.

‘The initiative might look good.but we also need a science-based approach to determine whether the program truly creates impact, even if short term,’ he said.

Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), P12.24 billion has been allocated for the Government Internship Program (GIP) and TUPAD, of which P11 billion is intended for the latter.

The amount is lower than this year’s P18 billion combined budget for both programs.

In the House of Representatives, the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations has approved the realignment of a portion of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ 2025 budget to increase TUPAD’s funding to P26.96 billion.

The realignment, however, remains at the House level and will still be subject to bicameral deliberations before a final amount is adopted.

DOLE Assistant Secretary Amuerfina Reyes said the proposed cut under the NEP could affect not only the number of workers assisted but also the quality of interventions.

‘If financial support is reduced, it will definitely have a domino effect-not just on the number of beneficiaries but also on the quality of assistance for people who need it most during emergencies and calamities,’ Reyes said, noting that TUPAD serves as a stopgap measure for displaced workers.

‘TUPAD should be productive’

For Ateneo de Manila University labor economist Leonardo A. Lanzona, the effectiveness of extending TUPAD would depend on whether the work under the program becomes more productive.

‘The number of days paid under TUPAD should lead to productive output. Otherwise, it will remain a doleout,’ Lanzona told BusinessMirror.

He said the government could turn TUPAD into a training platform where beneficiaries acquire new or firm-specific skills during their short employment period.

‘With the help of firms, firm-specific skills can be provided, making the worker employable. The idea is the program becomes a human capital investment, not just welfare. The improved worker productivity makes the program sustainable and results in better employment outcomes,’ he said, adding that such an approach would require collaboration among DOLE, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

De La Salle University economist Ma. Ella Oplas, meanwhile, said DOLE must also clarify who should qualify for the program.

She explained that TUPAD should prioritize workers who are part of the labor force but are temporarily unemployed-those in transition between jobs-rather than individuals outside the labor force.

She added that extending the program could help sustain the needs of beneficiaries while they search for permanent work.

‘I think it should be lengthened to make sure that while they are looking for work, they get to sustain their needs. They should also rethink the amount that they are giving out.It takes time to scientifically compute it but what I can say is that it should be more than 5k,’ she said in a text message.

In 2024, TUPAD assisted more than 4.45 million individuals, triple its original target of 1.35 million, with about half coming from calamity-stricken areas.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban it imposed on birds and poultry shipments from three countries previously affected by bird flu outbreaks.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Orders (MOs), which allowed the entry of poultry imports, including birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from Argentina, Turkey, and Romania.

The DA lifted the ban after veterinary authorities in the said countries reported zero new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

In particular, MO 63 and MO 65 indicated that the reported case of HPAI ended with a resolved status and no additional outbreaks.

‘Based on the evaluation of the DA, the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen is negligible,’ the orders read.

‘Nonetheless, all import transactions of the above commodities slaughtered/produced after the issuance of this order may commence again in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the DA.’

Meanwhile, MO 64 specifically lifted the temporary ban slapped on the importation of domestic and wild birds from Romania.

‘Based on the evaluation of the DA, the risk of contamination from importing live birds [domestic and wild, specifically for the purpose of pet, zoo, etc.] is negligible,’ the agency said.

The DA then noted that every import transaction of live birds from Romania should be in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the agency.

Temporary ban

Meanwhile, the DA slapped a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle and water buffalo, along with their embryos, semen, and raw hides from Spain due to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in the region of Cataluña.

The DA chief said the move is a precautionary measure to prevent the entry of the virus into the country and ‘to protect the health of the local cattle and water buffalo population.’

The DA said it decided to impose the ban following an official report from Spanish veterinary authorities to WOAH, which confirmed the outbreak in domestic cattle on October 1.

Despite this, the agency specified that low-risk commodities, like processed products, would still be allowed, provided that these were supported with veterinary certification.

Such products include milk and dairy products, skeletal muscle meat, gelatin, collagen, tallow, casings, hooves, horns, processed hides, and blood-derived meat products.

LSD is a contagious viral disease that mainly affects cattle. Infected animals may suffer from skin lesions, reduced weight and milk production, infertility, and damaged hides.

Though the disease has a relatively low mortality rate, severe cases can still result in death.

HIGHLIGHTING the crucial role of the mining sector in fueling the country’s economic development and the global green transition, President Marcos said the government will further cut red tape to attract more companies to engage in responsible mining.

He said the government is now simplifying the procedures in the processing of mining applications to attract more companies.

‘There is still much to be done. And to fully attain the aspiration of this sector, we must continue to attract investors who share our values-those who respect our laws, those who respect our people, and those that respect our environment,’ the Chief Executive said in his speech during the opening of the Mining Philippines 2025 International Conference and Exhibition in Taguig City on Wednesday.

Mining are required to comply with the country’s international environment commitments including the Paris Agreement and the Philippine Energy Plan, to be allowed to operate locally, the President said.

‘We must power the future without endangering the earth that sustains us,’ Marcos said.

‘We will strictly enforce the laws against practices that destroy forests, that poison rivers, that endanger lives. Mining should build communities, not burden them,’ he added.

He lauded the initiative of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines to raise the environmental protection standards of its members through their voluntary compliance on the Towards Sustainable Mining Program-a global benchmark for environmental, social, and governance standards.

‘The Philippines stands proud as the first in Asia to implement this program, joining countries like Canada and Australia [in] upholding ethical practice,’ Marcos said.

The passage of new laws, Marcos said, such as the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act and the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System Act, will ensure that revenues from mining activities will be transparent, benefit the affected communities, and be sustainable.

He said mining operators are now also required to align their Social Development and Management Programs with national and global development frameworks, to ensure they contribute to the country’s implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

‘The wealth from our soil should translate into schools for our children, hospitals for families, and roads that link people to opportunities,’ Marcos said.

‘Sustainability, after all, is measured by how many lives we uplift and how faithfully we guard the blessings of our land for the generations to come,’ he added.

Marcos said the government will make sure mining operators will generate decent jobs and the minerals used for the emerging green industry such as the production of electric vehicles, batteries, and new clean energy technologies.

‘To be given this much potential is both a blessing and a responsibility. We are offered the chance to help power the global green transition, and to ensure that this progress uplifts every Filipino, especially those who live closest to the mines themselves,’ Marcos said.