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Naomi Osaka pulled out of the Japan Open ahead of her quarterfinal on Friday after the four-time Grand Slam champion failed to recover from a leg injury.

The former world No. 1 was tearful after struggling through her Last 16 match against defending champion Suzan Lamens in Osaka on Wednesday.

Top seed Osaka, who turned 28 this week, was supposed to face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in the Last 8.

According to a report in this newspaper, the Supreme Court has approved the conceptual design for the new Cebu City Hall of Justice, with actual construction set to begin as early as next year.

Once completed, it will house the Court of Appeals-Visayas Station as well as the first-and second-level trial courts here.

Judiciary authorities are now busy working out getting consultancy services for the architectural and engineering design of the new building.

To that we say: it’s about time. A premier city like Cebu should have its own Hall of Justice and not be renting from a structure that was designed and built for another purpose entirely. Not to mention a building that also saw damage during the recent earthquake centered in Bogo City.

As one of this newspaper’s columnists, who happens to be a lawyer, opined: “The physical environment of a court building is not merely incidental; it is a key part of the justice system itself… The principles are the same: space influences behavior, productivity, and efficiency. If this matters in corporate spaces, it matters even more in the halls of justice.”

A building intentionally designed for the administration of justice would be more suitable for the administration of justice than any other type of building. After years of being a tenant, finally having a new Hall of Justice would do the people of the legal profession here a justice

We cannot talk about the new Hall of Justice without talking about the old one. What do we do with that old building behind the Capitol?

If there is any way it can be saved then it should be. Not only is it a beautiful building in its own right, it has a lot of history behind it. Perhaps it can be turned into a museum, along the line of that discarded plan to turn the Capitol building itself into one.

But then again we might be putting our cart before the horse here. Of course, the building has to be strengthened, reinforced, and certified safe again for public use before we can even think of doing that. Then there is always the chance that that building can never be used again.

The Department of Trade and Industry has just announced the impending imposition of definitive safeguard duties on cement imports in a bid to ensure a level playing field and protect the local cement industry.

According to the DTI, imported cement will be levied a safeguard duty of P14 per 40-kilo bag of Ordinary Portland Cement 1 and Blended Cement, equivalent to P349 per metric ton and to be in place for three years, basically adopting the recommendation of the Tariff Commission which conducted a formal investigation on the imposition of these duties on importations of these two types of cement.

This is on top of the definitive anti-dumping duties imposed by the DTI on specific Vietnamese exports of Type 1 and Type 1P cement for a period of five years beginning in March 2023.

The Tariff Commission (TC) on Sept. 30 recommended the application of the appropriate definitive general safeguard measures in the form of a duty on importations of cement for a period of three years to redress the serious injury directly attributed to the importation of cement into the Philippines in increased quantities, by providing temporary relief and giving the local cement industry a reasonable period to adjust to increased import competition.

The commission further recommended a specific duty of P349 per metric ton (MT) or P14 per 40-kilo bag, corresponding to the difference between the weighted average on ex-importers’ store price of imported cement and the weighted average domestic ex-plant selling price of the local cement industry for 2024.

It clarified that although the proposed specific duty shall be applied equally on all cement imports regardless of source, the equivalent ad valorem rate will vary depending on the value of the shipment so that the safeguard measure will have a greater impact on lower-priced cement imports.

In October last year, the DTI initiated a motu proprio preliminary safeguard investigation on the importation of cement from various countries to determine if there is evidence that increased imports of cement are a substantial cause of, or are threatening to substantially cause serious injury to the domestic industry. The period of investigation (POI) was 2019 to June 2024.

Last February, the DTI, in a report, said that it has established the existence of a causal link between the increased cement imports and serious injury to the domestic industry and that the imposition of a provisional measure to prevent further injury to the local industry is justified. It then imposed a provisional safeguard measure in the form of a cash bond of P400 per MT or P16 per 40-kilo bag on importations of cement. The provisional measure was effective for 200 days.

The DTI subsequently endorsed the case to the TC and requested the conduct of a formal investigation to determine the merits of imposing a definitive safeguard measure.

In a position paper submitted to the TC, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) noted the consistent increasing trend of cement imports since 2014. From a mere 4,000 tons in 2014, traders’ imports are now at an all-time high of 7.637 million tons and this is expected to continue increasing in the coming years. On the other hand, there is a significant decline in the market share of the domestic cement industry with imports consuming more than seven percentage points of the domestic industry’s market share by the end of the POI.

It emphasized that as a result of the import surge, domestic manufacturers currently suffer from serious injury as shown by the declines in their market share, sales, production, profits and employment.

Meanwhile, cement importers, including Cohaco Merchandising, Fortem Cement Corp., NGC Land Corp., Pabaza Import and Export, Lemery Cement Silo Tank Corp. and Philcement Corp., opposed the imposition of safeguard measures on cement imports. They said the rise in imports is primarily driven by the reduction in domestic production combined with the need to satisfy that ongoing market demand.

They said that in terms of market supply deficit, the local cement industry produced around 27 million metric tons annually, falling short of the estimated demand of 32 million tons, adding that the growth rate of imports remained at an annual average of less than five percent, hardly to be considered as a surge necessitating an imposition of safeguard measures under WTO standards.

They added that the domestic industry continues to dominate market share and that the four major industry players namely Lafarge Holcim, Republic Cement, Cemex and Eagle Cement, all domestic manufacturers, collectively control 85 to 90 percent of the country’s total cement capacity.

Vietnam Trading Services, for its part, said that local supply cannot meet the huge Philippine demand for cement due to infrastructure projects and that this could lead to postponed projects and high prices.

The TC, in its final report, said that around 81 percent of the country’s total cement supply during the POI came from domestic local production and that the remaining 19 percent came from imports. The primary user of cement is the construction industry.

From 28.58 million metric tons in 2019, the volume of domestic cement production increased to 32.7 million tons in 2023 but dropped to 26.69 million tons last year. CeMAP members accounted for 66 percent of local output.

Imports by traders, meanwhile, increased by an average of eight percent yearly, growing from 5.18 million tons in 2019 to 7.55 million tons in 2024. Traders accounted for 95 percent of imports.

The bulk of imports came from Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Japan. Philcement Corp. accounted for 24 percent of total imports followed by Fortem Cement with 19 percent and Dvao Trading with nine percent. Last year, Philcement imported 1.82 million tons while Fortem, Zaenna Trading and NGC Marketing brought in around a million tons each, the TC revealed.

From 2019 to 2024, Philcement brought in 9.359 million tons of cement from Vietnam and Japan while Fortem imported 7.45 million tons from China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Others in the top ten are Dvao Trading, NGC Marketing, NGC Land, Newgate Import Export, Marlusa Construction Supply, Davao Multibuild Corp., Saygin Construction, all of which sources their imports from Vietnam, and Zaenna Trading which brought in cement from Pakistan and Vietnam.

The TC found that OPC Type 1 and blended cement are being imported to the Philippines in increased quantities starting 2023 and that the increase in volume of imports was recent, sudden, sharp and significant.

Vietnam accounted for 92 percent of imports from 2019 to 2024 followed by China with three percent, and Indonesia and Japan both with two percent share.

Imported cement sellers have found an ally in the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters Inc. led by RJ Ledesma, which said that cement users should not be on the losing end by paying the brunt of this battle between local manufacturers and cement importers and that small importers are facing overwhelming pressure from dominant local manufacturers.

Unfortunately, it is not a David vs Goliath fight. It is about fighting fairly and on equal footing.

The domestic cement industry should take this five-year reprieve period as a time to improve efficiency, boost production, find ways to bring down costs and prices and give us the best quality products in order to compete head-on with cheap imports mostly coming from Vietnam.

Actress Bea Alonzo celebrated her 38th birthday by subtly debunking rumors she is expecting a child.

Talks that Bea was pregnant with boyfriend Vincent Co’s, a Puregold executive, emerged after a photo of the couple circulated online and Bea appeared to be hiding what looked like a baby bump with a bouquet of flowers.

Bea however denied that was the case, explaining that the photo wasn’t taken well.

“For anyone curious about ‘the picture’ – just caught at a bad angle after an amazing dinner. Glowing, not expecting,” Bea said.

The actress thanked also everyone who sent her birthday greetings, “Feeling so grateful for another year of laughter, growth, and the people who keep me grounded.”

Among those who sent her well wishes were Kris Aquino, Anne Curtis, Heart Evangelista, Sarah Lahbati, Cassy Legaspi, Loisa Andalio, and Rodjun Cruz.

Contractor Curlee Discaya will remain in Senate custody after a Pasay court junked his habeas corpus petition.

Discaya’s lawyer, Cornelio Samaniego III, confirmed this development to The STAR yesterday, with Judge Melvin Cydrick Bughao of Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 498 dismissing the petition for ‘misjoined cause of action.’

‘It is evident that while petitioner seeks to question the legality of his detention via the instant habeas corpus petition, he likewise seeks to question the legality of his contempt citation. which is a matter proper under a petition for certiorari,’ the court ruled.

In an interview with ‘Balitanghali’ on GTV, Samaniego said he respects the decision of the court.

‘But we have other legal options to make so that our client’s rights won’t be neglected,’ he added.

Discaya filed a writ of habeas corpus to free him from Senate detention after the Blue Ribbon committee cited him in contempt last month due to inconsistent testimony.

Also cited in contempt by the panel were dismissed Bulacan engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza.

Bughao wrote in the 15-page ruling that Discaya failed to justify why the contempt order lacked legal basis.

‘Petitioner’s protestations that the contempt order was issued without due process are belied by the fact that he was afforded the opportunity to explain why he should not be cited in contempt,’ the judge said.

Discaya recently appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) with his wife, Sarah, where they ceased cooperation after hopes of obtaining a favorable recommendation to become state witnesses were dashed.

ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka confirmed Samaniego’s statement that the Discayas requested a seven-day furlough to gather all documents that the commission requested.

Hosaka said it’s up to the controversial couple if they still want to disclose the names of politicians they were supposed to meet.

‘Like any other individual in this room or in the country, any information, as long as it’s verified, it’s the truth, meaning it’s reliable, then we will take it, and we will appreciate any information with regard to these projects so that we’ll be able to see what the truth is,’ he said.

Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Arrey Perez resigned from his post yesterday hours after Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste accused him of having ties with contractors.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed Perez’s irrevocable resignation in a press conference in Clark, Pampanga.

‘He does not want to be a burden and a distraction because he knows how heavy our work is, so he tendered his irrevocable resignation I accepted it,’ Dizon said.

Dizon clarified they will still investigate Perez despite the latter’s resignation.

Perez was among those Dizon brought to the DPWH as his undersecretaries, alongside Rico Bernabe, Nicasio Conti, lawyer Raffy Turgano and retired police generals Arthur Bisnar and Charles Calima.

Dizon lamented that based on rumors, they lost an honest and hardworking official in Perez, who once served as chief regulatory officer of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

While he welcomed Leviste’s initiative, Dizon maintained that allegations of wrongdoing should be based on facts and not mere gossip.

‘We cannot hold anyone accountable if the basis of our actions are rumors,’ Dizon said.

The public works chief said Perez was doing well in the private sector but did not hesitate when he asked him to join his team in reforming the DPWH.

‘He sacrificed when he joined the government. His salary was already high in the MVP Group, but that’s life,’ Dizon said.

Dizon is not discounting the possibility that he would be the next target of baseless rumors but stressed it will not stop him from putting an end to corrupt practices in the DPWH.

He said there is nothing irregular if DPWH officials would talk to contractors as it is part of functions in the department.

‘If there are DPWH personnel asking kickbacks from contractors, then I’m sorry but they will be made accountable,’ he said.

Internal probe

Leviste, also the vice chairman of the House appropriations committee, earlier urged Dizon to require all members of his team, including himself, to reveal the names of contractors that they know and met to attain transparency in infrastructure projects of the DPWH.

While maintaining that his purpose is to come up with policy solutions to eradicate corruption in DPWH and not resort to personalities, Leviste said he is compelled to name, as challenged by Dizon on Thursday, one DPWH official which Dizon may do a background check on.

‘First of all, my agenda in my press briefing yesterday is to call on Secretary Dizon to revise the 2026 DPWH budget. It is not my intention to make the criticism personal to the members of his team in DPWH,’ Leviste told radio dzMM.

Leviste also mentioned that during his press conference, he said that some members of Dizon’s team have connections with the contractors and not necessarily contractors themselves.

‘That is why my request to Secretary Dizon is to let all of them disclose their connections with the contractors. I urged Secretary Dizon to lower the prices of the projects of DPWH to eradicate kickbacks,’ Leviste said.

Leviste said that there are contractors, connected with DPWH officials, who are themselves taking part in the writing of the national budget.

He said the DPWH has a plan to conduct the bidding of projects in the DPWH central office instead of in district engineering offices, and will be headed by Perez.

The United Nations has designated Oct. 16 each year as World Food Day. On this day, the global community is urged to raise awareness and take action for those suffering from hunger and to emphasize the importance of ensuring healthy diets for everyone.

President Bongbong Marcos has promised to help the poorest of the poor, saying that no Filipino should go to bed hungry and that no community will be overlooked in our fight against poverty.

He directed all government agencies and local government units to strengthen efforts toward zero hunger, food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture.

Who are the poor and where are they located?

But who are the poorest of the poor, and what is the government doing to help them?

Among the nation’s basic sectors, the fisherfolk are the poorest of the poor. The Philippine Statistics Authority states that the poverty incidence among fisherfolk has always been higher than the national average. The number of impoverished fisherfolk rose from 287,070 to 353,190 from 2018 to 2023.

Fisherfolk produce our food, but despite being food producers, they cannot afford enough food to remain economically and socially productive. The number of food-poor fisherfolk has worsened over time, increasing in 2021 (11,966,000) and 2023 (9,303,000) compared to 2018 (9,055,000).

The COVID-19 pandemic finally recognized the small-scale fishers as the nation’s food frontliners. As economic activities ground to a halt and food supplies were disrupted, the activities of small-scale fisheries became the primary source of nutritious food for communities.

But a pandemic should not be the best way to recognize the importance of small-scale fisheries in this country.

Since 2010, total fisheries production has declined, and the decline has continued over the past years. In 2025, the production of marine municipal fisheries of 212,000 metric tons was 5.5 percent lower compared to the same quarter in 2024, accounting for 21.3 percent share of the total fisheries production. Commercial fisheries production also fell by 10.5 percent, from 294.95 thousand metric tons in the second quarter of 2024 to 263.91 thousand metric tons in 2025.

The trend of declining fisheries production is both frightening and concerning. The small fisherfolk sector is already threatened by habitat degradation, overfishing, climate change, pollution and illegal and unregulated fishing. The problem is worsened by the legalization of commercial fishing within municipal waters, which will take away municipal fishers’ priority access to these areas. As a result, the livelihoods of millions of fisherfolk are at risk, along with the country’s food security.

What government services are needed?

The country has 2.7 million fisherfolk living in communities where government services are often unavailable or unsatisfactory.

Most fisherfolk are poor and lack education. They depend on the sea for their livelihood, which is risky, uncertain and unpredictable. Fisherfolk want their children to escape poverty through education. Studies show that over 75 percent of young fishers want to return to school or pursue higher degrees. As strong typhoons hit the country, we see heartbreaking stories of fisherfolk losing their children to the sea as they go out fishing to earn money for their other children’s school expenses.

The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Law (RA 10931) provides free tuition and miscellaneous fees in more than 200 public universities. Additional subsidy is provided through the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and the Tulong-Dunong Program (TDP) to cover students’ daily expenses.

But like most marginalized sectors, fisherfolk families in far-flung areas often fall between the cracks. They are unable to access the services provided by agencies such as the DOH and DSWD. I noticed during my ground visits to the countryside that very few students in remote areas are in the DSWD Listahanan and 4Ps list.

Other government agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, provide fisheries scholarship programs to students whose parents are registered municipal fisherfolk. CHED uses proceeds from the Agricultural Competitive Enhancement Fund for scholarships to students who enroll in agriculture and fisheries programs.

Sadly, the commodity and land-oriented structure and programs of the DA often place fisherfolk at the bottom of its priority list.

Role of public universities

We need to go beyond providing scholarships to address the poverty situation of fisherfolk. Understanding the root causes of fisherfolk marginalization requires research and analysis from our higher education institutions. HEIs must also convert the work of researchers on fisheries and aquatic sciences into tangible products. These will help our fisherfolk understand their situation and empower them to rise above poverty.

Our state universities and colleges (SUCs) should function as public entities with a public role. Besides their duty to educate marginalized groups, such as our small-scale fishers, SUCs are also tasked with research and extension activities that address local problems.

The University of the Philippines Visayas, as the national university, must play a major role in addressing social inequity and poverty in this country by promoting the welfare of small-scale fishers. UP will earn its status as ‘national university’ and justify its billion-peso budget only if it makes a difference in the lives of the poorest of the poor.

This call applies to other SUCs across the country with fisheries programs such as ISUFST, MSU-Naawan, Palawan State University, Zamboanga City Marine Science State College and Central Luzon State University.

The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) backed the Department of Education (DepEd) after it cautioned local government units against prolonged suspension of face-to-face classes.

The CEAP issued the statement following the controversial decision of Laguna Gov. Sol Aragones ordering the suspension of in-person classes in all levels, both public and private, in the province from Oct. 14 to 31 due to the possibility of a strong earthquake.

‘The CEAP appeals to all local government units to exercise sound judgment and prudence in suspending classes. While the safety of our learners and educators is of utmost importance, we must also safeguard their right to continuous and meaningful learning,’ CEAP said.

Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations legal counsel Joseph Noel Estrada earlier said DepEd must reassert its authority over governance of basic education amid announcements of extended suspension of classes.

Teacher mismatch

In an effort to address teacher mismatch, the DepEd, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Professional Regulation Commission launched the Teacher Education Roadmap at University of Santo Tomas.

A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies revealed that 43 percent of teachers are assigned to subjects for which they lack formal training or credentials.

Based on the study, at least 32 percent are partially matched (handling both specialized and non-specialized subjects) while only 25 percent are teaching in full alignment with their academic background.

Mismatch refers to the practice of assigning teachers to disciplines for which they lack specialized credentials.

Teacher Education Council (TEC) executive director Jene Focson said that the roadmap will include an alternative pathway to meet the needs of the teachers and aims to produce the right teachers who will teach in the early childhood and elementary.

Focson added that one of the priorities is to address the lack of teachers who graduate with values education.

The Philippines and the European Union (EU) are set to hold the next round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations next week.

Speaking at the European-Philippine Business Dialogue, EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro said the next round of talks for the Philippines-EU FTA will be held in Cebu next week.

‘I am very confident that it will be a successful round of discussion, following already three successful rounds of discussions,’ he said.

Since the announcement of the resumption of FTA talks in March 2024, the Philippines and the EU have conducted FTA negotiations in October last year, as well as in February and June.

Negotiations for the Philippines-EU FTA first took place in 2016, followed by a second round in 2017, but the talks were put on hold amid the EU’s concerns about the Philippines’ war on drugs under the previous administration.

Board of Investments Promotion Services executive director Evariste Cagatan said in the same event that the Philippines and the EU aim to conclude the FTA talks ahead of the expiration of the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, which currently provides duty-free access to more than 6,000 Philippine products to the bloc.

‘The Philippines and the EU are actively pursuing negotiations for a comprehensive FTA that is expected to strengthen economic and investment linkages between both parties,’ she said.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Chile are looking to hold the next round of FTA negotiations in December, aiming to conclude talks within the year.

‘We are considering another negotiation round in December,’ Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty told The STAR.

He said the Philippines and Chile conducted a successful round of negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement earlier this week.

The Philippine saga of comedian Conan O’Brien isn’t over after he appeared on the set of “Sanggang-Dikit FR” with celebrity couple Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado.

Conan was in the country shooting segments of his travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” but took a small detour for a cameo role in the police drama.

Television writer Jose Arroyo, who accompanied Conan’s team, shared that the comedian will have a cameo role on “Sanggang-Dikit FR” as “an evil creep with an evil moustache.”

Behind-the-scenes photos shared by Dennis show him and Jennylyn’s characters apprehending Conan’s character in a corner fight, resulting in an arrest.

“Hindi po AI, hindi din panaginip, never naimagine na mangyayare.welcome to the party Conan,” Dennis wrote on his social media posts.

Jennylyn reposted the photo she, Dennis, and Conan had together, simply writing in her caption “May Bisita kami.”

During his Manila visit, Conan also went to Bonifacio Global City, Rizal Park, Quiapo, Philip Candies, Manila Hotel and Fort Santiago.