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Several groups marched through the streets of Metro Manila on Sunday, September 20, on the eve of the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

Youth and student groups marched from La Salle Green Hills in Mandaluyong to the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City, while the August Twenty One Movement (ATOM) held a separate march in front of the Supreme Court in Manila.

The protesters called for government transparency, accountability over corruption, and the passage of legislation against political dynasties.

The march also called for the conviction of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Senate impeachment trial.

The protest was spearheaded by Akbayan Youth, the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, Youth Against Kurakot and various university student leaders.

Meanwhile, ATOM marched to the Supreme Court to protest the high court’s ruling that reverse the conviction former First Lady Imelda Marcos. The group called for accountability for what it alleged the Marcos family had stolen. The group, along with Tindig Pilipinas and Partido Manggagawa, also marched toward the EDSA Shrine.

Monday, September 21, marks the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines.

The proclamation placing the country under martial law was signed by then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. on Sept. 21, 1972, but it was only announced on national television on September 23.

Martial Law was lifted on Jan. 17, 1981. Human rights groups estimate that the regime resulted in 70,000 arrests, 34,000 cases of torture and 3,240 deaths.

Volunteer divers took to the waters off Lapu-Lapu City yesterday to retrieve and document marine debris as the city marked International Coastal Cleanup 2026 through its annual Scubasurero marine cleanup.

The activity, dubbed ‘Scubasurero 2026: Diving for Clean Seas, Building Resilient Communities’, brought together city officials, environmental groups, private-sector partners and volunteer divers who conducted an underwater cleanup along the Hilutungan Channel.

Led by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia ‘Cindi’ King Chan, the activity focused not only on removing submerged waste but also on documenting the types of debris found in the city’s coastal waters.

The initiative forms part of the city’s Adopt-a-Reef advocacy and its ‘Atong Dagat, Atong Ugma’ campaign.

Chan said protecting the city’s marine ecosystems is closely linked to the livelihood of fisherfolk, coastal communities and tourism workers, as well as the city’s marine biodiversity.

She also urged residents to prevent household waste from reaching canals, waterways, and the sea.

‘Kung kita mismo magmatngon sa atong basura ug dili nato kini itugyan ngadto sa atong mga kanal, sapa, baybayon, ug dagat, dako kaayo ang atong ikatabang sa pagpanalipod sa atong kadagatan,’ she said.

The Scubasurero activity concluded with a ceremonial pledge board signing, reaffirming the participating groups’ commitment to continued ocean conservation efforts.

Among those present were Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 Regional Executive Director Laudemir Salac, CENRO head Jocelyn Abayan, representatives of the Philippine Coast Guard, environmental groups, diving organizations, hotels, and other private-sector partners.

The city also joined the simultaneous cleanup organized by the DENR-7 in partnership with CENRO.

Fifteen designated coastal cleanup areas across mainland and island barangays were mobilized for the activity, drawing participation from national government agencies, city and barangay officials, schools, environmental organizations, private companies, and volunteers.

The 2026 cleanup carries the theme ‘Clean Seas for Resilient Communities.’

During the activity at Bridge Park in Barangay Pajo, Chan said the city’s coastal protection efforts extend beyond annual cleanup drives and include waste management, mangrove rehabilitation, marine conservation, and environmental monitoring.

Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative Junard ‘Ahong’ Chan, meanwhile, called for sustained coastal protection efforts, particularly among young people.

‘This is something we need to do regularly. Let us also teach our children and young people the importance of caring for our environment,’ he said.

Salac also stressed that coastal cleanup should be accompanied by proper waste management, from waste segregation and collection to recycling, resource recovery and environmentally-sound disposal.

He said the cleanup should serve as a reminder to prevent waste from becoming pollution rather than treating cleanup as a one-day activity.

The simultaneous cleanup was also attended by representatives of the Environmental Management Bureau-7, Philippine Coast Guard Central Visayas District, Department of Social Welfare and Development-7, Department of Health-7, Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Economy, Planning and Development, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Office of Civil Defense, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other government agencies

Jeff Manday of Caloocan Batang Kankaloo displayed his shooting prowess on Sunday’s MPBL 3-Point Shootout, but not after repulsing the challenge of four other solid gunners who posed a big threat to the former PBA player in this exciting showdown used as part of the league’s All-Star spectacle at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal.

The athletic, six-foot pride of Bacolod emerged as the new 3-point king, scoring 26 points in both the elimination round and the final shootout to pocket the P25,000 top purse.

Manday bested Rizal XentroMall’s Jolo Mendoza, who tallied 18 points, and Quezon Huskers sniper Judel Fuentes, who carded 17, in the 3-man final.

Also ended up tied for fourth are Migs Pascual of Sarangani and Mark Cruz, both ending up with 18 points.

Pascual was ahead in the early goings of the event, being the first shooter to take a crack of becoming the league’s newest long-distance sensation and for awhile, he was holding on to the lead before Cruz tied him up and other shooters like Fuentes (24) and Mendoza (25) caught up.

Since only three players will advance to the next round, Pascual and Cruz failed to make the cut, but nevertheless, the pride of Cainta was pleased with his performance and hope to do better next time around.

Other 3-point shootout participants who failed to advance in the final were Shawn Argente (10), Alfrancis Tamsi (12), Benedict Benedictos (11), Ino Comboy (11), Mike Ayonayon (14), Robby Darang (16), Pat Buena (14), JP Cauilan (16), Brandon Wilson (11) and former winner Orlan Wamar (16).

A policeman was sacked from his post after he was caught driving a motorcycle without a license plate in Quezon City.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Olazo, Quezon City Police District director, said he relieved the police corporal from his post and ordered him to explain the traffic violation.

‘Being a police officer does not exempt him from following the law,’ Olazo said in a statement.

He did not reveal the policeman’s identity.

The violation was noticed after a netizen posted a picture of the officer driving a motorcycle without a visible license plate at the corner of P. Tuazon Boulevard and EDSA in Barangay Socorro.

The unnamed policeman was issued a traffic citation ticket and his motorcycle was impounded.

Olazo reminded police officers that they are always mandated to comply with traffic laws, rules and regulations.

The Philippine Army welcomed 293 soldiers to its ranks on Friday, boosting the military’s pool of highly trained and dedicated troops ready for combat and other operations.

Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said the batch, belonging to Class 806-2026, completed four months of basic military training capped by a closing ceremony at Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.

‘Your training was designed to test your limits, teach how to endure discomfort, overcome challenges, work with others and remain focused even when circumstances are difficult,’ Brig. Gen. Adolfo Espuelas Jr. said in his keynote remarks.

Espuelas challenged the soldiers to carry the uniform with pride and firm commitment to service.

‘The uniform will mean more than what you see in the mirror, it will carry the name of the Philippine Army, the confidence put into you, the expectations of your fellow soldiers and, above all, the trust of the Filipino people. Never take that trust for granted,’ Espuelas stressed.

When Victor Lee took over as president and chief executive officer of Security Bank Corp. in January, one thing about Philippine banking puzzled him: why were banks still opening branches when more customers were increasingly doing transactions through their phones?

Eight months into the job, Lee said he has come to see the branch less as a place for routine transactions and more as a venue for advice, relationships and more consequential financial decisions.

‘I joined the bank in January and I kept scratching my head, why are we still opening branches?’ Lee said during a recent media roundtable. ‘Banks still open branches and I think that’s something very unique in this market.’

Security Bank expects to end the year with around 400 branches nationwide, up from 290 in 2016, even as it continues to invest heavily in digital banking for both retail and business customers.

For Lee, the continued relevance of physical branches does not necessarily contradict the shift toward digital banking.

‘Retail transactions over the counter at the branches have reduced substantially,’ he said. ‘But, you know, customers still love the face to face relationship, that homeliness we bring them in.’

Lee said branches remain important for financial advisory and customer engagement, even as simple transactions migrate online.

He added that Security Bank might no longer expand its physical network as quickly as it did in recent years, with close to 400 branches already giving the lender broad coverage nationwide. The bank’s strategy reflects a broader shift in how lenders think about digital banking. Instead of simply replacing physical channels, Security Bank is trying to determine which interactions are better handled online and which still benefit from human advice.

Its retail digital platform currently has 1.71 million customers, about 65 percent of which are active users. The app allows clients to open accounts, transfer funds, save, invest and manage card security.

But Security Bank chief financial officer John David Yap said the objective goes beyond simply migrating customers to digital channels.

‘Scale alone is not the objective. The real opportunity for us is to turn a frequent digital interaction into a deeper financial relationship,’ Yap said. ‘An app completes a transaction. A great digital bank earns the next financial decision.’

The same approach is shaping Security Bank’s business banking strategy.

Around 40 percent of its business clients currently use the bank’s cash management services, which allow companies to manage collections, payments and other day-to-day financial transactions.

According to Yap, clients using these services maintain deposit balances that are around 150 percent higher than those that do not. Customers using more advanced cash management products show a further 32-percent improvement in deposit balances.

For banks, that matters because transaction banking can deepen a customer relationship while also bringing in more operating deposits. These are funds that naturally flow through a company’s accounts as it collects from customers, pays suppliers and manages payroll.

‘This is not simply a channel migration. When the bank becomes part of the client’s daily operating activity, the relationship changes,’ Yap said. ‘Deposit deepens, product use broadens.’

Security Bank received approval from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in June to launch an upgraded digital banking platform for corporate and micro, small and medium enterprise clients. The bank has started migrating customers to the platform and is targeting completion by year-end.

The lender also sees a continuing role for human interaction in wealth management, one of three priority businesses under its three-year strategy alongside entrepreneurial banking and corporate and institutional banking.

Lee said financial advice is becoming more personal as more Filipino households accumulate wealth and face increasingly complex investment and succession decisions.

For wealth clients, Security Bank wants digital channels to handle simple and recurring transactions while relationship managers step in when customers face bigger financial decisions.

‘A routine transaction should take seconds. A consequential decision should come with trusted advice,’ Lee said. ‘The winning wealth model will not be digital or human. It will know precisely when the customer needs each one.’

The same thinking applies to entrepreneurs.

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines administration has committed to allow the use of lived names for this year’s commencement exercise following calls from PUP students.

Lived names are self-chosen names that a person goes by in daily life, instead of their official name on legal documents.

PUP vice president for student affairs and services Tomas Testor have announced the approval of its use, according to student regent JP Azusano.

‘I already raised this matter to the PUP administration, noting that this approval should have a legal and official document. But they said there is no need for that,’ Azusano told The STAR.

He said the use of lived names in graduation rites is a huge step toward recognizing equality in education.

‘Beyond the university’s commitment to upholding its diversity and inclusion policy, being recognized by our lived names is also a student’s democratic right. When an institution fails to acknowledge the students’ true identities, it undermines the dignity and respect we deserve,’ Azusano said.

‘This recognition is crucial for students, as it is vital for the university to respect a student’s decision not to use their deadname. These initial steps of recognizing a student’s lived name must be followed by the creation of genuinely safe spaces within the university,’ he added.

A deadname refers to the birth name that a person no longer uses.

The University of the Philippines, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Philippine Normal University, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University have adopted policies to use lived names in their graduation rites.

Azusano said PUP is crafting a resolution to streamline the use of lived names in future graduation rites.