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Marco Penge beat fellow Englishman Daniel Brown in a playoff to win the Spanish Open on Sunday and secure a spot in next year’s Masters and British Open.

Penge relinquished a four-shot lead but came out on top with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win his third European tour title this year.

‘Dan and Joel (Girrbach) played great today, they were holing putts and I just couldn’t really get it in the hole, it felt like I was really up against it,’ Penge said. ‘But I felt like I managed myself really well and I actually think tee to green, I feel like I played really solid. It doesn’t matter the putts, I think I used them all yesterday, but obviously holing that one there was worth the wait.’

It was the first time the national tournament offered the winner an automatic spot for the Masters and the British Open.

‘It’s crazy,’ Penge said about playing in the Masters. ‘It’s a golf course that I’ve always wanted to play, because I feel like my game sets up really good for it.’

Penge, who shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday, finished tied with Brown at 15 under for the tournament.

Brown, whose 31st birthday was on Saturday, started five shots back but he made a run after shooting a 4-under 67 in the final round. That was despite dealing with a right shoulder ailment that required treatment during the back nine. He forced a playoff with a birdie on the final hole.

The 27-year-old Penge also won at the Danish Golf Championship and the Hainan Classic.

Girrbach (69) was four shots back to start the day. The Swiss player finished third at 14 under for the tournament.

Home-crowd favorite Jon Rahm, who was seeking a record fourth Spanish Open title, wasn’t really in contention at the start of the final round, but he closed with a 6-under 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.

Shane Lowry, who like Rahm was back in action after helping Europe win the Ryder Cup in New York last month, didn’t make the cut at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the Spanish capital.

AS the nation honors its elderly during National Senior Citizens’ Week, a lawmaker shines a light on a group often left in the shadows-widowed Filipinos, especially senior citizens, struggling to start over after the loss of their life partners.

Through his newly filed House Bill 5395, or the proposed Widowed Persons Assistance Act, Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas hopes to create a safety net for those who have lost their spouses, offering them temporary financial assistance, psychosocial counseling, livelihood support, and priority access to social services.

For many widowed individuals-especially senior citizens-the loss of a spouse means not only emotional pain but also financial hardship. Some are left without a steady income, while others face the loneliness of living alone in their twilight years, said the lawmaker.

‘Widowed persons form a special sector among our senior citizens who need to be recognized and cared for,’ Vargas said. ‘We will not let them grieve in isolation; instead, we will prepare them to face the challenges that come with losing their life partner.’

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that widowed persons make up 4.5 percent of the country’s total household population, and women account for about 76 percent of this group-a figure that underscores the vulnerability of older women who outlive their spouses.

While the proposed measure covers all widowed individuals regardless of age or sex, Vargas said it will benefit the elderly the most, given their limited capacity to find new jobs or start anew.

‘Our goal is to help elderly widows and widowers get back on their feet and rebuild their lives,’ he explained.

The lawmaker emphasized that this initiative builds on existing laws such as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the Universal Health Care Act, ensuring that widowed persons receive targeted support and attention.

‘If passed into law, this measure will not only give new hope to our senior citizens,’ Vargas said. ‘It will also be a testament to our government’s compassion-showing that we see them, we value them, and we will stand by them in their remaining years.’

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) announced it continues to strengthen its support for farmers and other players in the agricultural value chain with the regional rollout of the ‘Agrisenso Plus’ lending program in this province, bringing low-interest financing and capacity-building support closer to more agricultural communities nationwide.

Over 1,400 farmers from the municipalities of Aborlan, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, and Sofronio Española gathered for the event, reflecting the strong interest of Palawan’s agri communities for accessible and affordable credit assistance, the state-run lender’s statement read.

LandBank President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Director Mynard Bryan R. Mojica led the launch on October 10 at Brooke’s Point Event Center.

They were joined by Brooke’s Point Mayor Cesareo R. Benedito Jr., Narra Mayor Gerandy B. Danao, and national and local partners from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) and Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).

‘With the continued rollout of the ‘Agrisenso Plus’ nationwide, we are deepening our commitment to empower farmers and other agri stakeholders, including those in far-flung provinces like Palawan. We aim to provide them with the financing, tools, and partnerships needed to strengthen agricultural productivity and build resilient livelihoods,’ Ortiz was quoted as saying in the statement.

Agri financing

DEVELOPED in partnership with the DA, the DAR, the ACPC, the NIA and other private sector partners, the Agrisenso Plus is Landbank’s enhanced value chain-based financing initiative to provide holistic support to agricultural players.

The program offers a fixed interest rate of 4.0 percent per annum for small farmers, fishers, and ARBs, with competitive rates for their associations and organizations, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large enterprises, anchor firms, and agriculture graduates.

Borrowers benefit from simplified documentary requirements, free life and credit life insurance, and expanded access to technical and market support to help boost productivity and profitability.

The Agrisenso Plus is complemented by the Landbank’s Ascend (‘Agri-Fishery Support through Capability Enhancement for Nationwide Development’) initiative, a capacity-building component that provides farmers and fishers with training on digital financial literacy, sustainable agriculture, and enterprise development.

As of August 2025, LandBank has released P1.78 billion in loans under the Agrisenso Plus, supporting over 12,000 borrowers nationwide. The Palawan rollout follows successful launches in Pampanga, Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes, Bukidnon, and Iloilo, with the next rollout scheduled in Negros Occidental later this month.

Strengthening partnerships

THE Agrisenso Plus also connects farmers and fishers to market opportunities through partnerships with anchor firms, such as Kita Agritech Corp., Sarisuki Stores Inc., TAO Foods Co. Inc., Yovel East Research and Development Inc., and Unified Tillers Agriculture Cooperative.

Santeh Feeds Corp. recently joined the roster of the program anchor firms following the signing of a memorandum of agreement with Landbank on October 7.

The partnership will broaden the Program’s reach to aqua farmers nationwide who use Santeh Feeds’ products and services. It aims to boost productivity and strengthen the economic resilience of aqua farmers, while advancing sustainable aquaculture practices across the country.

LandBank remains steadfast in its mission to advance countryside development and ensure food security by scaling up inclusive and sustainable financing for the agriculture sector-empowering rural communities and cultivating growth from countryside to countrywide.

The national budget should be a testament to our aspirations-a financial blueprint for progress, health, education, and shared prosperity. Yet, the recent revelations emerging from Congress paint a different picture. The 2026 budget, it appears, is not just a plan for development, but a meticulously crafted blueprint for plunder.

What the ongoing budget deliberations for 2026 reveal is a well-oiled machine designed to siphon public funds with alarming efficiency. The mechanism is deceptively simple and tragically effective. It begins with budgetary sleights of hand, such as the massive P243.22 billion in ‘unprogrammed appropriations.’ As Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno rightly argued, if these projects were genuine national priorities, they would be transparently programmed into departmental budgets. Instead, they exist in a shadowy fiscal realm, lump-sum funds that lack specificity and are notoriously difficult to track, making them ripe for manipulation by politically connected individuals. The swift rejection of the proposal to eliminate these funds speaks volumes about the political will to maintain this opaque system.

The corruption cascades through a complex and insidious web of inter-agency collusion. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) may be the primary implementing body, but the funds are strategically lodged in various other departments-the Department of Agriculture (DA) for farm-to-market roads (FMRs), the Department of National Defense for security structures, and the Department of Education for school buildings. This diffusion of responsibility creates a bureaucratic maze where accountability is easily lost. As Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. admitted, billions in FMR projects were being implemented by the DPWH without his agency’s concurrence, effectively making the DA a bystander in the use of its own allocated funds.

Political patronage fuels this system. It is no coincidence, as Senator Sherwin Gatchalian pointed out, that the Bicol region and Leyte-hometowns of the former House Appropriations chairman and the former Speaker, respectively-received the lion’s share of funding for questionable FMRs, while the nation’s actual rice granaries were left behind. The same contractors flagged for ‘ghost’ flood-control projects magically reappear as top awardees for FMR contracts.

The consequences for the people are devastating. When a farm-to-market road is priced at an astronomical P348,432 per meter-a 96 percent markup from the standard cost-it is a direct theft from the public treasury. When a planned 10-kilometer road is truncated to just 2 kilometers to accommodate kickbacks, it is the farmer who is robbed of the opportunity to bring his produce to market. Every peso stolen for a ‘ghost’ project is a peso not spent on textbooks, hospital beds, or social aid.

To their credit, lawmakers like Senator Gatchalian and cabinet members like Secretary Laurel are sounding the alarm. The Senate’s forensic budget review, and the proposal to return project implementation to the originating agencies are commendable first steps.

However, we must not be naive. This is not a problem that can be solved by simply transferring funds or auditing a few projects. The corruption is systemic, and the roots run deep. As Senator Gatchalian himself fears, a few months of cleanup at the DPWH may not be enough to purge an agency where such practices have become institutionalized.

Tackling this menace requires more than just investigations; it demands fundamental structural reform. It requires a radical commitment to budget transparency, starting with the complete abolition of opaque lump-sum and unprogrammed funds.

The battle over the national budget is a battle for the nation’s future. The people deserve infrastructure that connects communities, not enriches cronies. The question now is whether the country’s leaders have the political courage to dismantle this blueprint for systematic plunder.

Lawmakers should avoid abusing public trust by misappropriating the P243.22 billion in unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget. The world has seen how public outrage against corrupt officials can lead to severe consequences, including civil unrest. Corruption weakens democratic institutions, stunts economic development, and deepens social inequality.

‘We have to discover solutions together, so let the suggestions come,’ said Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and Chief Executive Officer Agnes VST Devanadera, addressing stakeholders from the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) and aviation industries during a focus group discussion (FGD) held at the Clark Visitors Center last week.

The dialogue formed part of CDC’s continuing efforts to engage locators in shaping responsive policies for the Freeport Zone.

Among the updates shared was the rollout of the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul-Facilitated Access for Services and Trade (MRO-FAST) System-a streamlined mechanism jointly developed by CDC and the Bureau of Customs-Port of Clark to support aviation-related businesses operating within the zone.

Metrojet Engineering (Clark) Ltd. Finance Manager Javy Mandap presented the implications of recent Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issuances, citing Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 005-2024, which classifies services performed abroad but enjoyed in the Philippines as Philippine-sourced. The measure subjects payments to foreign providers to withholding tax and a 12 percent value-added tax.

Mandap also noted RMC 081-2025, which places restrictions on expense deductibility. Taken together, the issuances could result in higher costs when availing of foreign consultancy or training services, potentially affecting the cost competitiveness of incentivized industries such as MROs.

SIA Engineering (Philippines) General Manager Bruno Bousquet acknowledged CDC’s proactive stance.

‘CDC has been very helpful and proactive. It listens to locators’ concerns and acts on them promptly,’ he said.

Joining Devanadera were CDC Vice President for Business Development and Business Enhancement Group (BDBEG) Atty. Noelle Meneses, Vice President for Legal Affairs Group Atty. Gloria Victoria Taruc, Assistant Vice President for Business Enhancement Department Rodem Perez, Atty. Bonifacio Tarenio Jr., Assistant Vice President for Administration, and other officers from BDBEG.

The FGD forms part of CDC’s broader commitment to participatory governance and sectoral collaboration.

GOVERNMENT relief operations for quake-affected communities are now in full swing across Mindanao following successive strong earthquakes that struck the island, including a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked Surigao on Saturday.

The earthquake’s epicenter, 22 kilometers north-east of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, occurred at 10:48 p.m. generating Intensity IV in Davao City, Cagwait and Carmen.

Instrumental intensities IV were also recorded in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, Nabunturan,Davao de Oro; Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, and City of Tandag in Surigao del Sur.

Authorities were still assessing structural damage in affected towns, including Tago, Surigao del Sur, where access to the Tago-Lapaz Bridge remained limited to light vehicles.

In an advisory issued Sunday by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the bridge remained passable, but at one-at-a-time passage for all vehicles and with observance of no stopping while passing.

‘Heavy six-wheeler trucks are allowed only if unloaded, while 10-wheeler trucks are advised to take alternate routes or wait for clearance,’ the advisory read.

The earthquake occurred just two days after a twin earthquake with magnitudes of 7.4 and 6.8 rocked Manay, Davao Oriental, on October 10.

8 dead, 146 injured in Davao Oriental

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its 6:00 a.m. Situation Report on Sunday on the effect of the doublet earthquake that the casualty has climbed to 8 dead, and 146 others injured.

The NDRRMC said a total of 74,649 families or 91,224 persons were affected, of which 1,600 families or 2,400 persons were served inside 17 evacuation centers, and 72 families or 267 persons were served outside evacuation centers.

The earthquakes damaged 13 road sections and 3 bridges, and also affected the operation of at least seven seaports.

The estimated cost of damage to infrastructure amounting to P600,000 was reported in Southern Mindanao. A total of 1,149 houses, all in the Caraga Region, were also damaged.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, meanwhile, reported that it has recorded a total of 1,111 aftershocks, of which 511 were plotted and 14 were felt. The aftershocks’ magnitude range from 1.2 to 5.8.

Phivolcs said Davao Oriental has experienced strong and major earthquakes before.

At least six significant earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from M7.1 to M8.3 affected Davao Oriental and nearby provinces between 1885 and 2023, based on historical records.

Phivolcs said the most recent damaging earthquakes were the Magnitude 7.1 and Magnitude 7.5 earthquakes in Manay, Davao Oriental, on May 17, 1992.

In both earthquakes, several buildings and infrastructure were damaged in Davao Oriental. A tsunami hit the eastern coast of Mindanao as well.

Phivolcs said Davao Oriental and neighboring provinces are situated in one of the seismically active regions in the country.

Among the earthquake sources are the Philippine Trench and the Philippine Fault’s East Compostela Valley, West Compostela Valley, Central Compostela Valley, Nabunturan, Caraga River, and Mati Segments. There are also local inland and offshore faults, some concealed by recent deposits, capable of generating earthquakes ranging from minor to strong magnitudes.

The Davao Oriental doublet earthquakes happened 10 days after a 6.9 earthquake hit Bogo City, Cebu, which killed 74 people and injured 559 others. The earthquake, which generated Intensity VII, affected 201,686 families or 724,843 persons in 18 cities and municipalities in Cebu. The earthquake damaged 774 public and private infrastructure,

DSWD response

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public that relief assistance will remain uninterrupted to help families recover.

DSWD-Caraga Region (DSWD-13) reported that more than 70,000 families or 253,938 individuals from 199 barangays across Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands were affected by the series of tremors.

‘As of 4 a.m. on Oct. 12, all 2,933 families [11,317 individuals] who sought refuge in 58 evacuation centers have returned home, while nearly 7,000 families continue to stay with relatives and friends,’ the DSWD said in its latest update.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara meanwhile said that the Department of Education (DepEd) has frontloaded and accelerated the release of the agency’s Quick Response Funds (QRF)-a process that previously took up to two years-to provide faster assistance to schools hit by recent calamities in Masbate, Cebu, and, most recently, quake-hit Davao Oriental.

Angara joined national government officials in Davao Oriental on Saturday to assess the impact of the 7.6-magnitude and 6.8-magnitude twin earthquakes, and to oversee DepEd rapid response operations for affected schools.

As of 9:00 a.m. on October 11, DepEd reported that 1,006 schools have been affected by the doublet earthquakes near Manay, Davao Oriental, affecting around 100,000 learners and 10,000 teachers in different regions.

Among those affected, 139 learners and 50 teachers sustained injuries. To ensure safety, 97 percent of the affected schools suspended classes on Friday to allow structural inspections.

Initial visual assessments found 575 schools with varying degrees of damage, with estimated repair costs reaching P2.23 billion.

DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), engineers, and DRR coordinators are conducting rapid site inspections in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local governments.

US aid for victims

THE United States government has prepositioned 137,000 food packs and shelter kits for the victims of the ‘doublet’ earthquake that struck Davao Oriental on Friday.

US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson announced the humanitarian aid on Saturday through a post on X, tagging it with ‘#EDCAinAction,’ referring to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.

‘My heart goes out to all those affected by the Mindanao earthquake and recent natural disasters,’ she said.

‘The US has provided 137K+ family food packs and 500 emergency shelter kits as we coordinate with DSWD to assess additional needs in Davao Oriental,’ she added.

Messages of solidarity and support for the families affected by the tremors continue to pour in from foreign missions and ambassadors based in the Philippines, including Japan, Australia, China, and the European Union.

In a post on X, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya conveyed hopes for the speedy recovery of communities in the region.

‘In this moment of uncertainty, Japan stands with the Philippines people with hope, strength, and solidarity. Praying for the safety and quick recovery of communities across the region,’ he said.

In a separate statement, the Japanese Embassy in Manila on Saturday announced that it will provide emergency relief to the victims of the recent earthquake that devastated northern Cebu.

‘On October 10, upon the request of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, the Government of Japan has decided to provide emergency relief goods through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) to the Philippines in response to the damages caused by the earthquake,’ it said.

‘We hope that this emergency assistance serves to support the people affected by the earthquake,’ it added.

The donation includes tents, blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping pads, portable jerry cans, and portable water purifiers.

Stable security

THE security situation in quake-battered areas of Davao Oriental remains manageable, the acting National Police (PNP) Chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., said on Sunday.

Nartatez added that this is due to the prompt deployment of police units for rescue, evacuation, and relief operations.

Nartatez said this action is in line with the directive of President Marcos who earlier directed all concerned government agencies to mobilize resources for the safety and welfare of affected communities following the magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 doublet earthquakes that rocked the province on October 10.

‘The situation is now under control and remains manageable. The quick response of our police personnel, in coordination with local authorities and government agencies, has helped prevent panic and maintain public order,’ Nartatez said.

‘Our personnel on the ground are securing the residents while supporting ongoing humanitarian and recovery operations,’ he said.

Initial assessments showed minor structural damage in police stations and public buildings such as cathedrals, schools, bridges, and road networks.

Despite power and signal interruptions in several towns, Nartatez said police units have maintained communication through phone patches and coordinated efforts with local disaster offices and engineering teams to assess damaged roads and bridges, particularly in Manay town, the epicenter of the doublet quakes, where a cracked bridge remains under inspection.

Nartatez commended the swift action of local police who were among the first responders in affected areas, assisting in hospital evacuations, conducting rescue operations, and facilitating the safe movement of residents to higher ground following the issuance of temporary tsunami warnings.

Nartatez also thanked the public for their cooperation and solidarity during the emergency as he assured that the PNP remains on full alert and continues to monitor the situation on the ground.

‘We thank our communities in Davao Oriental for their cooperation and trust. Rest assured that your police are on the ground, managing the situation and ensuring everyone’s safety,’ he said.

October 22, 2025 | Tower One and Exchange Plaza, Ayala Triangle Gardens. Bang Pineda has always been a disruptor in the Philippine fashion scene – a designer unafraid to push boundaries, blur lines, and question the very rules of style. This October 22, 2025, he returns with his much-anticipated fashion show, State of Bang, staged at the iconic Tower One and Exchange Plaza, Ayala Triangle Gardens.

This new collection is not just about clothes. It’s a trilogy of thought, movement, and rebellion. Three narratives – White Noise, In the Gray, and Off Grid – each capturing a state of being, a question of identity, and a challenge to convention.

White Noise: The Shape of Curiosity

Pineda opens with purity – but not the fragile kind. His all-white series asks: what does it mean to wonder?

The silhouettes sculpt armor out of innocence, while draped fabrics become visual metaphors for questions taking shape. White becomes less about absence and more about potential – a blank canvas for discovery. Sheer layers expose the bravery of vulnerability, while cutouts symbolize gaps in knowledge waiting to be filled.

It’s not silence, and it’s not chaos. It’s curiosity, raw and awake.

In the Gray: The Art of Becoming

The second act is a meditation on limbo – that uncomfortable, unresolved middle ground between what was and what will be.

Here, shades of gray dominate: from soft ash to deep charcoal. The garments are intentionally imperfect, with raw seams, asymmetry, and unfinished drapes. These choices reflect the beauty of transition, the strength of uncertainty, and the elegance of being ‘in progress.’

This is fashion that doesn’t demand answers – it simply honors the tension of becoming.

Off Grid: Rules Rewritten in Denim

The finale is loud, rebellious, and unapologetic. Streetwear at its most evolved, Off Grid reimagines denim not as tradition, but as a manifesto. Distressed, patched, oversized, and splashed with unexpected colors, denim here becomes the uniform of refusal – a refusal to be boxed in or defined.

Silhouettes are broken and rebuilt. Jackets move like questions. Pants twist with perspective. Hoodies carry unexpected structures. The language is clear: freedom, disruption, and unapologetic individuality.

It’s streetwear not as nostalgia, but as mindset: unboxed, unbothered, and unapologetic.

The State of Bang

Together, the three narratives form a conversation: the spark of curiosity, the tension of transition, and the rebellion of self-definition. State of Bang is less a fashion collection and more an exploration of the human condition – how we ask, how we change, and how we claim space.

On October 22, Pineda isn’t just showing clothes. He’s showing states of being. And true to his form, he’s showing us that fashion is not just about what we wear – it’s about how we move through the world.

FOLLOWING the awarding of eight petroleum service contracts (PSCs) in Malacañang last week, three more are being evaluated by the Palace for approval.

A Department of Energy (DOE) official said there are another three contracts that are being evaluated by the Office of the President. Moreover, DOE Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said, the agency itself is also reviewing similar applications. ‘There are another three that are under application and evaluation in the department,’ he said.

The eight PSCs worth around $207 million covers exploration areas at the Sulu Sea, Cagayan, Cebu, Northwest Palawan, East Palawan, and Central Luzon. The service contractors are expected to discover native hydrogen reservoirs and new petroleum fields during the seven-year exploration period.

The eight PSCs that were unveiled by President Marcos are:

PSC 80 and 81 were awarded to a consortium composed of Triangle Energy (Global) Limited, an Australian company; Sunda Energy Plc, registered in the United Kingdom; and the Philippine-based firms PXP Energy Corp. and the Philodrill Corp.

These are co-managed by the DOE and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM-MENRE). SC80 covers approximately 780,000 hectares while SC 81 spans about 532,000 hectares.

PSC 82, located in Cagayan Basin and has an area of 480,000 hectares, was awarded to Triangle Energy (Global) Limited.

PSC 83 and 84, both for native hydrogen exploration in Central Luzon, were awarded to US-based Koloma, Inc.. SC 83 covers 126,645 hectares while SC 84 covers 85,082 hectares.

PSC 85, covering 127,475 hectares in onshore Cebu, was awarded to Gas 2 Grid Pte. Ltd.

PSC 86, awarded to consortium of Filipino companies composed of The Philodrill, Anglo Philippine Holdings Corp., PXP Energy Corporation, and Forum Energy Philippines Corp., covers 132,000 hectares in the Northwest Palawan Basin.

PSC 87, located in the East Palawan Basin, was awarded to Ratio Petroleum Ltd. of Israel. This marks the company’s second PSC, following PSC 78, also situated in the East Palawan Basin, where Ratio successfully conducted a 3D seismic survey last year.

The next steps to be undertaken by the service contractors include permitting with local governments and other government agencies, information campaign, geological and geophysical studies, seismic survey, sand drilling activities, among others.

These work programs are designed to assess the petroleum and hydrogen potential of the contract areas while ensuring strict adherence to environmental and safety standards.

Beyond exploration, service contractors will fund and undertake educational scholarships, capacity building, and community development programs even during the early exploration phase. Once production begins, host communities will further benefit through infrastructure development, social programs, and local employment opportunities generated by these projects.

AT least 20 spray paint brands have been found to contain lead, making the products illegal for import, sale, and distribution in light of a nationwide ban being implemented in the Philippines.

This was disclosed by EcoWaste Coalition, which submitted samples it aquired to a private laboratory for confirmatory tests recently.

The disclosure was made ahead of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) on October 19 to 25 to emphasize the obvious need to fix enforcement gaps that have allowed lead paints from abroad to penetrate the local market.

Lead paints refer to paints and other similar surface coatings containing lead compounds greater than 90 parts per million (ppm), which have been added to give the product its color, make it dry faster or inhibit rusting, or which may be present as a contaminant in the ingredients used in making it.

The 20 paints, mostly marked made in China or Thailand, were all found laden with lead above 90 ppm of which 12 contained lead higher than 10,000 ppm. A counterfeit yellow Bosny Spray that claims to be made in Thailand topped the list with 116,000 ppm of lead.

Also found with extremely high concentrations of lead were Easyman Spray Paint All Purpose Enamel with 78,600 ppm (green), 87,700 ppm (orange) and 95,500 ppm (yellow); JM Spray Paint with 89,900 ppm (medium yellow); Standard JR Spray Paint with 79,800 ppm; and JMJAFA Spray Paint with 67,900 ppm (Jialing red) of lead.

Of the 20 analyzed paints with lead, 13 paints representing three brands (counterfeit Bosny Spray Paint, Easyman Spray Paint All Purpose Enamel and Standard JR Spray Paint) carried the ‘No Pb’ pictogram.

Contrary to expectation, the 13 paints marked ‘No Pb’ (Pb is the chemical symbol for lead from the Latin word plumbum) contained outrageous levels of lead, including five with lead in excess of 50,000 ppm.

In August 2025, the EcoWaste Coalition also announced the detection of violative levels of lead in 27 imported spray paints as per laboratory analyses.

The non-compliant paints were not produced, imported or distributed by companies belonging to the Philippine Paint and Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI), a partner of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, together with the Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc., Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and the EcoWaste Coalition.

DENR Administrative Order 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, established a 90 ppm limit for lead in all paints and provided for a three-year phase-out period for lead-containing decorative paints and a longer six-year phase-out period for lead-containing industrial paints, which ended on December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

During the ILPPW, the EcoWaste Coalition will release the latest version of the Public Notice on Lead-Containing Paints that it has co-published with PPCAI and IPEN to alert and guide consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.

The theme for this year’s ILPPW ‘No safe level: Act now to end lead exposure’ is a reminder of the unacceptable risks of lead exposure and the need for action to protect the vulnerable populations, the children in particular.

Terrafirma upset NLEX, 97-91, for its first victory of Season 50 behind a well-balanced production by unfamiliar players who were grabbing the opportunity to make a name for themselves on Sunday in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Despite the threatening comeback by NLEX from 62-78 to 91-93 with 59 ticks to go, former Magnolia guard Jerrick Ahanmisi rescued the Dyip after making a layup with 37 seconds left before John Matthew Bravo sealed the deal with another layup.

It was Terrafirma’s first victory and rookie coach Ronald Tubid’s first ever triumph in his head coaching career after two games – a good bounce back win from an 87-107 loss to Blackwater last week.

Phoenix Super LPG, meanwhile, completed the Sunday upset at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City with an unlikely 109-103 win over reigning champion San Miguel Beer, 109-103, behind Ricci Rivero’s scoring prowess.

‘Everybody knows that this is a very young team. We fast track its preparations for almost a month. We relied on what we have and used our strong advantages . As long as we compete and fight, there is a chance to win,’ Tubid said.

Bravo, a 56th overall pick in this year’s draft, powered the Dyip with 18 points while Ahanmisi added 14 points with Paolo Hernandez and Didat Hanapi contributing 13 points each also for Terrafirma.

Louie Sangalang made 11 points and Mark Nonoy dished out 13 assists for Terrafirma.

The Road Warriors, after their close 85-84 victory over San Miguel Beer last week, fell to first defeat after two games.

Rivero, on the other hand, posted 16 points and seven rebounds while Tyler Tio and Kai Ballungay racked up 14 points apiece, and Jason Perkins had 13 points for the Fuel Masters, who improved their win-loss record to 1-1 after losing to TNT Tropang Giga, 78-93, last week.

SMB (0-2) dropped its first two games of the season conference.