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Talk about not giving anyone a chance.

Reymon Jaraula put the pedal to the metal and never let up on Friday in Bukidnon, shooting a course record nine-under-par 63 to turn what was a tight start to the final round of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship into a nine-shot victory over Rupert Zaragosa.

‘I didn’t expect it to be this convincing,’ Jaraula said in Filipino, almost in disbelief at how he gunned down seven birdies in 17 holes before putting the finishing touches on his fourth PGT win with an eagle 3 on the 72nd. ‘Everything just clicked for me today. Everything.’

After shooting a couple of 68s that sandwiched a second-round 66, Jaraula tallied an eye-popping 265 over the tree-lined layout, with Zaragosa not able to do anything about it after a second straight 71 had him salvaging second by a shot over Japan’s Atsushi Ueda, who fired a 68.

But more than the score, Jaraula, who started the day just one shot up on Zaragosa, is happiest about another thing.

‘It’s nice to win where it (love for golf and career) started,’ he said as a big gallery followed the final flight and cheered every shot of the homegrown bet. ‘This could go down as the best win of my career.’

Jaraula’s fourth win came after he opened the round with the bitter loss in 2023 to Clyde Mondilla in mind.

‘I just told myself not to be reckless out there,’ he said as he now erased the course standard Mondilla established two years ago in beating him by a shot. ‘Even if I had the lead, I really had to stay focused.’

Russell Bautista closed out with a 69 to finish fourth, 11 shots off, with Mondilla winding up another shot back, also after a 69 to be tied with Korean Jung Jae-hyun (69) and Arnold Villacencio (67).

‘This is definitely something nice that I hope I can take all the way to Davao,’ said the 33-year-old.

The final countdown has begun as the deadline for Samsung Philippines’ Solve for Tomorrow is fast approaching!

For over 15 years, Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow has empowered over 2.8 million students across 68 countries to innovate with purpose, generating over 400,000 ideas and championing real-world change through science and technology.

The nationwide innovation challenge is once again rallying young minds to transform big ideas into tangible solutions that can change communities – and possibly, the world. With more than ?2 million worth of prizes at stake, Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition continues to inspire students to use science, technology, and creativity as tools for real-world impact.

The competition is open to students from Grades 8 to 10 enrolled in government-managed science high schools across the country. Participants are encouraged to form teams of up to four (4) members, guided by one (1) teacher adviser. Together, they must identify pressing issues within their communities and propose science and tech-driven solutions that address them.

Whether it’s championing environmental sustainability, driving social change through sports and technology, or tackling local challenges with the help of artificial intelligence, the goal is to create an innovation that makes an impact, not only on the country, but on the world.

Entries must be submitted on or before October 26, 2025, marking the final opportunity for aspiring young heroes to take part in this year’s challenge.

While the journey of innovation is a victory in itself, Samsung has ensured that the rewards are just as extraordinary. The grand champion will receive ?500,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, along with ?250,000 worth of gadgets for the team and adviser. They will also take home ?100,000 in cash, with an additional ?30,000 for the teacher adviser.

The second-place winners will receive ?300,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, ?250,000 worth of gadgets for the team, ?70,000 in cash for the members, and ?25,000 for their adviser. Third-place winners will bring home ?200,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, ?250,000 worth of gadgets for the team, ?50,000 in cash for the members, and ?15,000 for their adviser.

Even those who make it to the Top 10 will not leave empty-handed. Each finalist team will be awarded ?15,000 in cash, while their dedicated teacher advisers will receive ?5,000 each – a fitting tribute to their mentorship and support throughout the competition.

Together for Tomorrow across the region

Across Southeast Asia, the Solve for Tomorrow program has already sparked waves of innovation.

In Singapore, last year’s champions, Team redbluegold from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), designed smart glasses called ‘SilentGuide’ that used artificial intelligence or AI to transcribe speech into subtitles, empowering the hearing impaired to connect with the world more easily.

Back in 2024, Solve for Tomorrow Malaysia crowned Team TerraInovators, from SMK Sultan Ismail, who created ‘Eco Pulse,’ an AI-driven image recognition app designed to streamline the recycling process. Powered by advanced data science and algorithms, it estimates the value and weight of recyclable items with precision, driving the public to recycle waste.

These inspiring stories prove that when young minds are given a platform, creativity can transcend classrooms and transform lives.

Don’t miss your shot to change the future – win big while making a difference through Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow! Interested participants can learn more about the program by visiting www.samsung.com/ph/solve-for-tomorrow or following Samsung Philippines on social media via Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Corruption allegations surrounding the government’s flood mitigation projects might have affected some of the programs of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

At a Senate hearing on Thursday, Sen. JV Ejercito noted the ‘unfunded items’ under the MMDA’s P5.8-billion budget proposal for 2026.

‘MMDA submitted a total proposal of P13.576 billion, but only P5.884 billion was recommended by the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) in the 2026 National Expenditure Program, representing a reduction of P7.692, or 56.66 percent,’ Ejercito, who was presiding over the meeting, said.

Some of these unfunded projects, according to Ejercito, include a P300 million rehabilitation improvement along Manggahan floodwater channel (Phase 2), and another P300 million for the rehabilitation improvement along lower Marikina River (Phase 20).

Ejercito asked then why the DBM did not fund those projects. ‘Allergic’

‘Maybe because these are connected to flood control projects, your honor,’ MMDA Chair Romando Artes answered.

‘We realize that people are a little ‘allergic’ to (antiflood projects), even DBM and the national government. That’s why we did not pursue it,’ he added.

The alleged collusion of some politicians, government officials and private contractors to defraud the government of billions of pesos has prompted the scrapping of the P250 billion budget for flood control projects for 2026 under the Department of Public Works and Highways.

‘But again, projects like that can help a lot, especially like here in Marikina. They have really hastened the drainage of floodwater from out streets,’ Artes went on.

Still, the MMDA retains at least P1 billion budget for flood control projects or P32 million per city, as noted by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on finance. ‘We have to remember that the flood control of the DPWH were all removed. The MMDA now has over P1B plus for flood control projects. Maybe it’s not the same as DPWH, but it’s the same philosophy,’ Gatchalian pointed out.

Artes assured the senator that the decision and determination of these projects lie ‘solely’ with the MMDA.

Gatchalian said that while the DPWH’s initial P275-billion request for 2026 flood control projects was scrapped due to corruption concerns, funding would still be available from previously unspent budgets for projects.

Gatchalian has also pointed to a pattern linking contractors involved in flood control scandals to overpriced farm-to-market road projects, suggesting systemic issues across infrastructure spending.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to stay dovish for longer, with Nomura warning that a widening flood control corruption scandal could cast a shadow over the country’s growth prospects.

In a note to clients, economists Euben Paracuelles and Nabila Amani of Nomura said the BSP would likely extend its easing cycle into next year, with a possible rate cut in December and in the first quarter of 2026 that would bring the benchmark rate down to 4.25 percent.

The economists said the central bank may be forced to act as the corruption probe deepens, potentially curbing government spending and delaying public projects.

‘Based on patterns from past episodes, our scenario analysis shows that even under a mild case-where public capital disbursements slow only modestly as agencies grow more cautious-the impact on growth could still be significant in the near term,’ Paracuelles and Amani wrote.

They warned that the fallout could be ‘quite severe’ under more adverse scenarios, particularly if the scandal disrupts fiscal planning or delays passage of the 2026 national budget, now under deliberation in Congress.

Nomura’s caution added to growing concerns that the unfolding probe, centered on alleged misuse of funds in flood control projects, could drag confidence and complicate the Marcos administration’s infrastructure push.

Infra spending

The government aims to keep infrastructure investment at 5 to 6 percent of gross domestic product-spending seen as crucial to meeting the Marcos administration’s 5.5- to 6.5-percent growth target this year.

At its meeting this month, the Monetary Board voted to cut the benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to 4.75 percent, citing the need to shore up business confidence bruised by a deepening investigation into dubious flood control projects.

Governor Eli Remolona Jr. had said the ‘sweet spot’ for the policy rate was now between 4 and 5 percent, adding that the central bank still had room to ease further-possibly as soon as December.

Remolona also previously said that the economic slowdown expected from the fallout of the flood control corruption scandal may prove to be ‘short-lived,’ lasting only two to three quarters. The economy may ‘more than catch up’ with lost momentum by 2027, he added.

Nomura expected the economy to grow by 5.3 percent this year and 5.6 percent in 2026, well below the official targets. ‘A sharper global growth slowdown and a slower resolution of the corruption controversy that prolongs weak public sector spending pose downside risks to growth,’ Paracuelles and Amani said. INQ

Packaging maker Tetra Pak is not closing its doors on expanding its services in the Philippines to include food containers, according to a company official.

Larry Tobias Jr., business development director at Tetra Pak, on Friday told reporters the entry of the company’s packaging for solid food products was ‘a work in progress.’

Tobias added that they wanted to bring ‘as many sustainable solutions into the Philippine market’ as possible.

The company has been operating in the Philippines for nearly four decades. It currently provides packaging for juice, water and dairy products in the country.

The company has yet to penetrate the food segment, Tobias said, as they still need to gauge overall demand.

The Philippines currently makes up only a small share of Tetra Pak’s client base, which mostly seeks its services for dairy products.

A total of 55 percent of its products go to Vietnam. Meanwhile, 29 percent collectively go to Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Despite the small market share, the Philippines is still a ‘very strategic market,’ according to Tobias.

‘We have a very young population compared to other [Southeast Asian] countries . We can see that the market is developing,’ he added.

Segmenting

For now, Tobias said they were focusing on segmenting their categories even further. While the firm has been packaging milk products in the Philippines, Tobias said they have already expanded to include all-purpose cream products.

‘That’s a proof of growth for the market . we can see a lot of innovations and some of the products are fairly unique in the Philippine market,’ he said.

This potential expansion in the Philippines comes as part of Tetra Pak’s massive sustainability agenda.

Based on its 2024 sustainability report, Tetra Pak has cut its greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 54 percent. This keeps the firm on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, Tetra Pak Asean sustainability director Terrynz Tan said during a press conference.

Last year, Tetra Pak spent 100 million euros in sustainability research and development, specifically for the improvement of its packaging products.

‘It’s a continuous investment,’ Tan added.

A fire gutted a commercial area in Barangay Santiago on Friday night, damaging three buildings and causing an initial estimated loss of P16 million.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Pagadian City Central Fire Station said the blaze started at 8:20 p.m. in one of the establishments before spreading to nearby structures.

The fire reached the third alarm and was responded to by BFP teams from various municipal fire stations in Zamboanga del Sur, along with provincial and city fire trucks, water tankers, a backhoe, and ambulances.

The structure identified as Alvin Bazaar, owned by Alvin Uy Ang, was totally damaged, while another of his properties, Alvin Home Depot, sustained partial damage.

The main store of Mercury Drug pharmacy was spared by its firewall, but its warehouse was partially damaged.

BFP investigators are still determining the origin of the fire.

No casualties were reported. The fire was declared out after three hours. /mcm

Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen) intensified slightly as it approached the waters off Northern Samar, while Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was raised over eight areas in Luzon and the Visayas, the weather bureau said.

In its 11 a.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that Ramil was last spotted over the coastal waters of Palapag, Northern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts up to 90 kph.

The storm was moving west-southwest at 20 kph.

Pagasa added that Ramil is forecast to move generally west-northwest or northwest, ‘following a brief west-southwest movement.’

The agency also noted that Ramil ‘may make landfall or pass close to Northern Samar around noon or early afternoon on Saturday, then over Catanduanes in the afternoon or evening.’

Meanwhile, Pagasa said TCWS No. 2, with winds of 62 to 88 kph, was raised over the following areas:

Luzon

Northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan)

Polillo Islands

Camarines Norte

Catanduanes

Northern portion of Camarines Sur (Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Presentacion)

Extreme portion of Albay (Rapu-Rapu)

Northeastern portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz)

Visayas

Northeastern portion of Northern Samar (Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Pambujan, San Roque, Mondragon, Gamay)

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1, with winds of 39 to 61 kph, was raised in the following areas:

Luzon

Cagayan including Babuyan Islands

Isabela

Quirino

Nueva Vizcaya

Apayao

Abra

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Ifugao

Benguet

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Pangasinan

Aurora

Nueva Ecija

Eastern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Angat)

Eastern portion of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Paniqui, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Ramos, Pura, Victoria, Tarlac City, La Paz, Concepcion, Gerona)

Eastern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba)

Northern and eastern portions of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Agdangan, Pagbilao, Mauban, Calauag, Guinayangan, Lopez, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, San Narciso, Buenavista, San Francisco, San Andres, Mulanay, General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Sampaloc)

Rest of Camarines Sur

Rest of Albay

Rest of Sorsogon

Burias Island

Ticao Island

Visayas

Northern Samar

Northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Arteche, Oras, Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Taft, Can-Avid)

Northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Calbayog City, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Tagapul-An, Almagro, Santo Niño, Tarangnan, Paranas, Catbalogan City, Jiabong, Motiong)

Pagasa also warned that areas outside the landfall point may still experience heavy rainfall, strong winds, and storm surges.

The agency added that the trough and outer rainbands of the tropical storm, along with easterly winds from the Pacific Ocean, will bring strong to gale-force gusts to areas not covered by any wind signals:

Saturday: Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, Caluya Islands, Eastern Samar, and Biliran

Sunday: Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes

Megawide Construction Corp. has acquired a minority stake in affiliate company Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC). This enables the engineering and infrastructure firm to beef up its balance sheet.

In a statement on Friday, Megawide said this happened through a P4.9-billion deal with Citicore Power Inc. (CPI) via a block sale.

The transaction involved the transfer of share ownership rather than the issuance of new shares. Thus, shareholders will not suffer a dilution of their equity.

‘For Megawide, this asset injection will strengthen the company’s balance sheet and overall equity position,’ said Edgar Saavedra, chair and CEO of Megawide.

‘From a valuation standpoint, the infusion represents an additional boost to our existing market capitalization and immediate upside to shareholders and investors,’ Saavedra added.

According to Megawide, the block share sale represents the bulk of the settlement of advances it had agreed upon with the Citicore Group.

CPI and sister company Citicore Holdings Investment Inc. currently owe Megawide P9.4 billion in advances. Of that amount, P4.69 billion is due from Citicore Holdings while P4.73 billion will come from CPI.

Settlement deal

In 2016, Megawide extended financial advances to CPI to support the launch of the latter’s renewable energy company.

Under their settlement deal, the debts will be settled via the issuance of CREC shares.

‘The assistance extended by Megawide way back in 2016 was crucial in incubating our renewable energy platform and enabling Citicore to power up to where it is now,’ said Oliver Tan, president and CEO of CPI.

The deal also comes amid expectations that Megawide would triple its profit by 2027 on robust prospects for its construction, land port and real estate businesses.

Analysts see the government’s aggressive anticorruption drive favoring large contractors like Megawide. Its major infrastructure projects include public-private partnerships. As of the first semester this year, Megawide’s net income was flat at P436 million. This is 81 percent of its 2024 full-year net income of P538 million.

Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen) is set to bring heavy rainfall to Catanduanes and nine other areas on Saturday, the state weather bureau said.

In its 5 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the following areas could experience heavy to intense rainfall, with 100-200 millimeters (mm) of rain:

Catanduanes

Sorsogon

Northern Samar

Eastern Samar

Pagasa warned that ‘numerous flooding events are likely, especially in urbanized, low-lying areas or near rivers.’ Landslides are also expected in ‘moderate to highly susceptible areas.’

Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rainfall (50-100 millimeters) is forecast for the following areas:

Quezon

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Albay

Masbate

Samar

Pagasa said ‘localized flooding is possible mainly in areas that are urbanized, low-lying, or near rivers’ while landslides are possible in highly susceptible areas.

The agency also said the following areas will experience heavy rainfall on Sunday:

Intense to heavy

Isabela

Aurora

Quezon

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Moderate to heavy

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Apayao

Abra

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Ifugao

Benguet

Cagayan

Quirino

Nueva Vizcaya

Nueva Ecija

Bulacan

Metro Manila

Rizal Laguna

Marinduque

Romblon

Catanduanes

Albay

Sorsogon

Ramil intensified into a tropical storm on Saturday morning. It was located 305 kilometers east of Juban, Sorsogon, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 80 kph and moving west at 20 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 was hoisted over Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, and the northern portion of Camarines Sur (Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Presentacion). /mcm

The Supreme Court (SC) has institutionalized electronic and regionalized bar examinations as the standard mode of admission into legal practice.

In a statement on Friday, the high court said the SC en banc approved the 2025 Proposed Amendments to Rule 138 of the Rules of Court, or Amended Rules, in a resolution dated August 12, 2025.

The SC noted that the Amended Rules are the product of an ‘extensive study’ done by the Subcommittee on the Admission to the Bar, chaired by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando.

‘Under the Amended Rules, the bar examinations will be conducted electronically through a secure and reliable assessment platform. The examinations will be administered in English and will be uniform for all examinees,’ the SC said.

The SC added that the bar examinees must answer the questions personally, while separate guidelines may be issued by the Bar Chairperson for those with special needs.

The high court emphasized that the ‘Amended Rules promote a policy of inclusiveness, fairness, and non-discrimination, and ensure integrity, efficiency, and the technology-driven administration of the bar examinations.’

It also noted that the examinations will be held for three days in September at designated local testing centers across the country. The examinations will be covered by the following subjects:

First Day

Morning: Political and Public International Law

Afternoon: Commercial and Taxation Law

Second Day

Morning: Civil Law and Land Titles and Deeds

Afternoon: Labor Law and Social Legislation

Third Day:

Morning: Criminal Law

Afternoon: Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics, with Practical Exercises

The SC, through Bar Bulletin No. 1 dated October 16, has scheduled next year’s examinations on September 6,9, and 13. It noted that the examinations will have 20-essay type questions, with each question numbered separately, and answers will be graded zero percent to one hundred percent or five percent per question.

The SC previously said that the 2025 Bar examinations, held last September 7, 10, and 14, made history for recording the largest number of test finishers with 11,425 examinees.

It added that out of 13,193 admitted applicants, this year’s exams also saw the highest first-day turnout of 11,437 examinees.