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Former socioeconomic planning secretary Cielito Habito warned that the Philippine economy is being weighed down by both internal weaknesses and external shocks stemming from US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Speaking at the Security Bank Economic Forum, Habito said that while inflation and unemployment remain relatively stable, deeper structural issues from job quality and governance to weak productivity and protectionist trade policies continue to hold the country back.

‘Our inflation rate is down to 1.7 percent, unemployment is at record lows of around 3.1 percent, but the quality of jobs and the mismatch in skills are our real challenges,’ Habito said.

‘The biggest chunk of our jobless now are college graduates, people who have studied all the way to find out they don’t fit in the workplace,’ he said.

The former National Economic and Development Authority chief noted that the Philippines grew by 5.4 percent in the first half, slower than last year’s 5.6 percent, with agriculture surprisingly becoming the fastest-growing sector at seven percent in the second quarter.

Government spending, particularly on consumption rather than infrastructure, has kept the economy afloat amid slowing private investments and exports. This is at a time when Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) peers are grappling with similar global headwinds but showing stronger investment and export momentum.

‘The good news is we’re still the second fastest-growing economy in ASEAN. The bad news is that private investments and exports are slowing down,’ Habito said. ‘And we all know why – persistent hurdles in doing business, bureaucratic constraints, corruption scandals and weak governance.’

According to Habito, foreign direct investments in the Philippines remain among the lowest in the region, with the country being ‘second to the worst’ in ASEAN.

Goods exports, at around $70 billion annually, pale in comparison to Indonesia’s $201 billion, he said.

‘Our country is too inward-looking,’ Habito stressed. ‘We have been too defensive in our trade stance, trying to protect domestic producers but ending up uncompetitive and missing huge opportunities in global markets.’

Turning to global risks, Habito warned that Trump’s renewed tariff measures could once again disrupt global supply chains and hurt ASEAN economies.

‘Trump’s mode of economic policy is to raise import tariffs, reduce income taxes and rely on import duties to fund the government,’ he said. ‘That will lead to higher inflation in the US, wider inequality and a slowdown in global trade that will ripple across Asia.’

He said that while the Philippines may only have ‘moderate exposure’ to Trump’s trade wars, the resulting flood of cheap Chinese goods into Asia could threaten domestic manufacturers.

‘If Chinese goods can’t enter the US, they will flood Southeast Asia,’ he said. ‘That’s already happening. In Thailand, about a hundred factories have been closing every month over the past two years because of cheap Chinese imports.’

Claiming that the charges of murder, illegal detention, kidnapping, direct bribery and tampering of passport filed by the families of the missing cockfight enthusiasts did not undergo proper case build-up, businessman Atong Ang yesterday asked the Department of Justice to remand the case to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Accompanied by lawyer Gabriel Villareal, Ang filed his counter-affidavit and asked the panel of prosecutors to remand the cases ‘for proper and impartial investigation.’

‘Because as I said, if the case would just be dismissed at Mr. Ang’s request, that would make him happy, that would be fine for him. However, there would still be doubt and suspicion in people’s minds about who is truly responsible for the missing cockfighting enthusiasts and where they truly are,’ Villareal said.

‘We are asking for a proper case build-up, a fair, impartial investigation. Otherwise, it will always be the talk of the town that Mr. Ang is behind this. So it’s better that it is properly investigated so that once and for all, it can be shown who is really responsible for these missing sabungeros,’ Villareal said.

He added there are universal serial bus or USBs, which contain the ‘strongest evidence’ against whistleblower Julie ‘Don-Don’ Patidongan.

‘One of the USBs submitted by CIDG shows Don-Don undeniably – although he was denying it – manhandling one of the missing sabungeros, who was handcuffed. It was caught on video by the media,’ Villareal said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez is now a mother to a healthy baby girl, less than a month after winning the 20th season of “America’s Got Talent.”

The “American Idol” Season 11 runner-up made headlines for her “America’s Got Talent” journey, dating back to competing on the inaugural season as a 10-year-old up to a redemption win while expecting throughout the competition.

Her second “America’s Got Talent” stint was marked by a golden buzzer from Sofia Vergara because of Jessica’s powerful audition song Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” sending her to the live quarterfinals, where she gave an equally passionate cover of Alex Warren’s “Ordinary.”

In the semifinals, Jessica performed a cover of JVKE’s “Golden Hour” while her finale song was a solo version of “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and fellow Fil-Am artist Bruno Mars.

Throughout the competition, Sofia and her fellow judges quipped that Jessica should hold off giving birth until her eventual win.

Jessica confirmed on social media that she and husband Rickie Gallardo welcomed their baby girl Eliana Mae last October 13.

“From one dream season to the next. This time, the most precious one yet,” Jessica said. “We are grateful beyond words for our baby girl, for the gift of motherhood, and for the love that grows deeper every day.”

The singer told People magazine they nameed her Eliana as it means “God has answered” and their daughter symbolized that for the couple.

“These first few days have been emotional, sleepless, beautiful…everything I dreamed of and more… I’m healing, learning and soaking in every second with her. My heart has never been this full,” Jessica added.

Three more names have been added to Gilas Pilipinas’ SEA Games roster, head coach Norman Black said.

Black, in an interview aired over Noli Eala’s Power and Play program on Saturday, said that guard Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo forward Kymani Ladi and La Salle big man Mike Phillips have committed to play for the Philippines for this year’s Thailand games.

‘Actually, we have 11 guys who have actually committed. Actually, we have 12, but I’m leaving the last slot open because I’m trying to recruit another big guy. Because it’s exactly what you just said, the fact that Thailand does have big guys that play well, they’re good players. So we have to have a lineup where we can match up,’ the coach said.

‘We have a pretty decent team. It’s not a team to sneeze at,’ he added.

Ravena is currently playing for Dubai Basketball in the Euroleague.

Ladi is one of the top players in the UAAP now. The one-and-done forward is

averaging 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for the 4-2 Blue Eagles.

Phillips, of course, is arguably the best local center in the league right now. He is norming 13.5 points, 15.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and a block per contest for the 3-3 Green Archers.

The initial eight players who have committed for Gilas were Ray Parks, Matthew Wright, Remy Martin, Ange Kouame, Justin Brownlee, Dave Ildefonso, Jason Brickman and Veejay Pre.

Black, though, voiced hope that the eligibility rules will not change anymore. If so, the Philippines will be down to five or six players.

‘If we take away some of the guys who did not get their passports before age 16, they’ll also be out. We’ll be down to six players already. We’re down to five, six players,’ he said.

The Philippines is defending its championship in Thailand. In the 2023 edition of the biennial meet, it regained the gold medal after an 80-69 win over Cambodia.

Filipino-American Broadway star and Tony Award-nominee Conrad Ricamora will lead the cast of the upcoming Manila run of “A Chorus Line” for his Philippine stage debut.

Fresh off the heels of a star-studded “Into the Woods,” Theatre Group Asia is beginning the cast roll-out of its next production to be directed and choreographed by Fil-Am Karla Puno Garcia.

Karla is the first Filipino cast member and dance captain for “Hamilton,” performed three different “West Side Story” characters on Broadway, and toured the United States for “Wicked” and “The Addams Family.”

She made history as the first woman of color to choreograph the opening number of the Tony Awards back in 2023, winning her the Emmy for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming.

“A Chorus Line” depicts the trials and triumphs of Broadway’s unsung heroes as it follows 17 performers enduring a grueling audition for eight coveted spots in a Broadway chorus, highlighting their personal stories of ambition, disappointment and perseverance.

Theatre Group Asia and Karla previously announced that only artists with Filipino heritage will be accepted for the “A Chorus Line” ensemble, and it starts with Conrad as Zach, the director and choreographer of the story auditions being held.

“Performing in the Philippines for the first time is incredibly meaningful for me because it’s my father’s homeland,” Conrad said. “To bring my work here feels like a kind of homecoming – a chance to connect with a part of my heritage that I’ve always carried in my heart.”

Conrad commended “A Chorus Line” for celebrating the “raw, vulnerable truth of being a performer,” and that playing Zach as the production turns fifty years old is another full-circle moment.

The actor pointed out how its story still speaks directly to the hunger, heartbreak, and needs of artists to be seen, “It’s thrilling to return to that sense of community and truth that only the stage can offer.”

The Fil-Am artist received Grammy nominations for his performances in “The King and I” and “Soft Power,” starred as Ninoy Aquino “Here Lies Love” on Broadway after numerous runs elsewhere and recently received a Tony nomination for his role as Abraham Lincoln in “Oh, Mary!”

Onscreen Conrad is best known as Oliver Hampton on “How to Get Away With Murder,” Jake Wong on “The Resident,” “How to Die Alone” with Natasha Rothwell and will next appear in the “The Devil Wears Prada” sequel.

“A Chorus Line” will run in March 2026 in Makati’s Samsung Performing Arts Theater.

The trillion-peso pipeline of private-public partnership (PPP) projects can help offset funding cuts for the Department of Public Works and Highways, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

DBM Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew Balanquit noted that the country can afford a slowdown in infrastructure spending, as the government’s P6-trillion PPP projects provide sufficient room for human development and education.

‘I just had the number. Like there was a 67-percent increase in the number of PPPs since 2023. Those existing PPPs right now are around 281 projects, while those in the pipeline are around 251 projects in the future,’ he told The STAR.

‘I think for next year, you can say that, but that’s to the tune of something like P6 trillion,’ he added.

In terms of the economic drag due to infrastructure budget cuts, Balanquit said economic managers have yet to meet to adjust economic growth targets, as they are still awaiting the release of the country’s third-quarter economic growth data.

‘It’s very difficult to say that the gross domestic product (GDP) will go down because of the P255 billion that is pulled out from the infrastructure project, because we are relying so much now on PPPs,’ he said.

He noted that while public construction recorded negative growth in the second quarter, this was offset by the strong performance of private construction, allowing the economy to grow by 5.5 percent.

The Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) lowered this year’s economic growth target to between 5.5 and 6.5 percent from the earlier projection of six to eight percent.

‘We’re expecting that this good performance coming from the private sector would continue in the third quarter, but that remains to be seen. That’s why, we, the DBCC right now, we don’t have any plans yet of changing the target for 2025, so we will see it,’ Balanquit said.

The DBM official added that more concrete steps will be taken after the third-quarter GDP growth is released.

Data from the DBM showed that from January to July, infrastructure spending remained 3.2 percent behind at P713.5 billion, compared to P736.7 billion in the same period last year.

Several factors came into play, which the budget department primarily attributed to the election spending ban from March to May, delays in procurement activities and contractors’ incomplete submissions and billings in July.

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto earlier admitted that an economic slowdown this year is likely due to subdued spending, which could affect overall economic activity. He said lower revenue collection and dampened government spending continue to weigh on the country’s growth prospects.

Vote count machine provider Smartmatic has been formally charged in the United States over a bribery and money laundering case that also involves former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista.

The US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida on Thursday confirmed that a federal grand jury in Miami returned a superseding indictment to the alleged bribery scheme in relation to the 2016 general elections in the Philippines.

The superseding indictment charged SGO Corp. Ltd., commonly known as Smartmatic Group, with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments.

The initial 2024 indictment charged Bautista and former Smartmatic officials Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez, Jorge Miguel Vasquez and Elie Moreno with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments.

Piñate and Vasquez were also charged with one count of violating the FCPA.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Piñate and Vasquez were accused of paying at least $1 million in bribes to Bautista between 2015 and 2018.

‘The bribes were allegedly paid to obtain and retain business from Comelec, including the release of favorable value added tax reimbursements and other contractual payments for the benefit of SGO Corp. Ltd. and its affiliates,’ it said.

‘To finance the bribes, the co-conspirators allegedly created a slush fund by over-invoicing the cost per voting machine supplied for the 2016 Philippine elections. To conceal the corrupt payments, they used coded language, created fraudulent contracts and sham loan agreements, and routed transactions through bank accounts in Asia, Europe and the US, including within the Southern District of Florida,’ it added.

Piñate and Vasquez have earlier surrendered to authorities and were released after paying a bond. Bautista and Moreno remain at large and were described as ‘fugitives’ by US authorities.

A representative from the United States embassy took time yesterday for a closed-door meeting with members of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to discuss the committee’s crucial work.

Michael Keheller, the embassy’s acting deputy chief of mission, was personally welcomed by ICI chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. and member Rogelio Singson. Keheller is the first diplomat to visit the ICI since its formation last month.

ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said the visit was an opportunity to discuss the inner workings of the fact-finding body, which is tasked to probe the multibillion-peso corruption in infrastructure projects.

‘As one of the countries of great interest in the Philippines, [the US] was very much interested in what the ICI would do to address the problem of the flood control projects and other anomalous infrastructure projects,’ Hosaka said.

‘Basically, he wanted to know what we have done, what we will be doing, and what we expect from the ICI,’ he added.

Hosaka said the US embassy has not offered any assistance, for now. ‘They haven’t reached that kind of offering yet,’ he said.

The US State Department recently flagged the Bureau of Customs as ‘one of the most corrupt agencies in the country’ after some firms reported being asked for bribes.

The report on investment climate, published on Sept. 26, has not yet factored in the billions of pesos lost on anomalous flood works and other infrastructure projects.

Filipino Olympic double gold medalist Carlos Yulo will not be participating in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion said.

In a message to Philstar.com, Carrion confirmed reports that Yulo will be sitting out the Thailand games.

The news came after organizers ruled that gymnasts could only compete in one apparatus.

‘The competitions of SEA Games is not for the athletes but for the country and how many medals they can get. It should be a festive occasion for us,’ she told Philstar.com.

‘Carlos wants to give his teammates [a] chance to win in as much as only one apparatus they can win,’ she added.

Yulo, who ruled the floor exercise and vault in the Paris Olympics, has won nine gold medals and nine silver medals in the biennial meet.

After he bagged five gold medals in the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, he copped two golds in the all-around and parallel bars events, as well as two silvers for team and still rings, in the 2023 edition in Cambodia.

Carrion also said the ‘saddest part’ is that there is no team competition this time around.

‘[It] is the most exciting and we have a big chance to win like we did in Vietnam,’ she said.

The Philippines won seven gold, four silver and three bronze medals in Hanoi in 2022.

The following year in Phnom Penh, the country once again finished second in the medal count with four gold, two silver and two silver medals.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla says his office is now looking into the possible links of contractor spouses Curlee and Sarah Discaya with Sen. Mark Villar and his mother, former senator Cynthia Villar.

In an interview aired on GMA News’ 24 Oras on Thursday night, Remulla said that while his office has yet to gather evidence, he believes that the Discaya spouses could be protecting not just Sen. Bong Go but also the Villars.

‘That’s just a possibility,’ Remulla said.

He pointed out that the construction business of the Discayas grew exponentially during the previous administration when the younger Villar was the secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from 2016 to 2021.

‘When Mark was the secretary, that was the time that their business grew, that was the time that they bagged so many project contracts.They really raked it in when Mark was the secretary,’ Remulla said in Filipino.

Asked about Cynthia Villar’s possible links with the Discayas, Remulla said his office does not have direct evidence yet, but it could be possible that the Discayas rubbed elbows or made ‘extra effort’ to seek favor in connection with their construction business.

‘I don’t have direct evidence there yet, but because of Mark’s stay (in the DPWH) and knowing that the Discayas became very big during that time, they sought favor with these people. They really wanted to be ‘in.’ They wouldn’t be ‘in’ if they didn’t make an extra effort,’ he said.

Remulla said the Ombudsman is also looking into several infrastructure projects in Cavite bagged by Princess Revilla, sister of former senator Bong Revilla.

‘Because his sibling is their contractor. His sister, Princess Revilla, a.k.a. Rebecca B. Ocampo, Rebecca Bautista Ocampo, that’s Princess Revilla. She is the contractor for all of their projects,’ he said.

‘You’re talking about Bong, Lani and the children. They are all included. This is serious, this is serious,’ Remulla said, referring to Revilla’s wife, Cavite 2nd District Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla.

Remulla had earlier said his office will investigate the alleged links of the Discayas with Davao-based contractor CLTG Builders owned by the father of Sen. Bong Go.

Remulla said the Discayas were evasive when asked by investigators of the Department of Justice (DOJ) about their firm St. Gerrard Construction’s previous joint venture dealings with CLTG, supposedly to protect the senator.

DOJ: Martin not eyed as state witness

The justice department has denied speculations that former House speaker, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez is currently being considered as a state witness in the probe into the flood control project anomalies.

‘There is no factual or legal basis to this misinformation,’ the DOJ said in a press statement yesterday.

The DOJ explained that to be considered as a state witness, an application must be formally filed through the Witness Protection, Security and Benefits Program, after which, the application will undergo evaluation ‘to ascertain whether or not the applicant qualifies as state witness.’

‘As of date, former Speaker Martin Romualdez has not filed an application for state witness with the DOJ,’ the agency said.

‘The DOJ cautions everyone to not fall for false, misleading facts or political propaganda that twists or misuses legal terms to confuse the public,’ it added.

The DOJ, nonetheless, assured the public that ‘all investigations will be done swiftly and fairly.’

‘No one will be spared if the evidence so warrants. The Department will go where the evidence leads us,’ the DOJ said.

‘The Department of Justice remains firm and steadfast in our commitment to uphold the rule of law, guided by facts – not politics,’ it added.

Tiangco at ICI anew

Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco appeared anew before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to answer more questions about the corruption ‘modus operandi’ in public works.

‘It’s mostly about the process so they can understand what the possible gaps are, where corruption is possible, how to cover it all up,’ Tiangco said on Friday.

The Navotas lawmaker, who has been outspoken on anomalies surrounding budget insertions, said that he received an invitation from the ICI two days ago.

Amid criticisms that the commission is toothless and secretive in prosecuting culprits of the flood control mess, Tiangco commended the fact-finding body for its integrity.

‘I don’t know how they conduct it with other resource persons, but they are very professional,’ he said. ‘My impression is they’re building the evidence to make it strong when it’s presented to the court.’

Tiangco warned, however, that public anger would erupt if the government fails to bring home resigned Ako Bicol party-list lawmaker Zaldy Co, the former chair of the appropriations panel at the center of questionable budget insertions.

‘The people’s sentiment is that they will not accept that Zaldy Co will not be returned; it should be understood by those who have the power to do so,’ he said.

‘Let’s not try the patience of the people. In my opinion, that’s where the people will really get angry, and maybe that’s where they will doubt the sincerity of the investigation,’ he added.

Tiangco is puzzled why the Department of Foreign Affairs has not yet canceled Co’s passport. He noted that under the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, the DFA secretary or consular officers can cancel a passport ‘in the interest of national security, public safety and public health.’

‘People are very angry. There are mass movements. These mass movements can be taken advantage of by bad elements to destabilize the government. Isn’t that a national security issue?’ Tiangco said.

Speaker Faustino Dy III had disclosed that he had already coordinated with the DOJ to swiftly cancel the passport of Co, whose whereabouts remain a mystery.