Category: Auto Guid

MANILA, Philippines — When we think of transporting agricultural goods to a separate island, we think of ships. But in many cases, barges are far better in our archipelago, says Danilo Fausto, president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. (PCAFI).

Fausto is a finance expert, a very successful grower of livestock and crops, and has shown exceptional leadership. He led PCAFI so well that it now has 52 different agriculture subsectors. When asked to explain why barges are critical to agriculture, Fausto said the following:

Our terrain

“The fundamental problem of Philippine agriculture is geography. While economists call for trade liberalization and increased competitiveness for our agriculture sector, they seem to fail to consider that we don’t have a level playing field in order to compete effectively.

“Our Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors and trading partners have contiguous land areas, except Indonesia. The Philippines is a nation separated by 7,641 islands, with 2,000 islands that are inhabited and 5,000 islands more to be named.

READ: Razon’s ICTSI boosts Cavite Gateway operations

“To be competitive, we submit that we need to connect these islands together to reduce costs and solve logistics and supply chain problems, not by the costly roll-on roll-off ship (ro-ro) that can accommodate around 10 to 15 delivery trucks as the supply vehicle between islands.

We should use container barges, which can load up to 100 containers, relieving our ro-ro ships of 200 trucks back and forth per day and long lines of waiting between ports.”

Access to logistics

“The common denominator among agriculture export powerhouses like Thailand and Vietnam is easy access to container logistics that reach all the way to the farms. In the Philippines, this capability is also partly present in Davao and Cagayan de Oro, where the export farms are served well by nearby container ports,” Fausto said.

“We, therefore, recommend the government invest in container barge terminals to facilitate a more seamless flow of commodities, which could  lower food prices. The project is ideal for underutilized ports situated among the country’s key food-producing islands

“Out of the 15 major islands, 10 could be identified for having limited access to modern container logistics. These are the islands of Basilan, Bohol, Busuanga, Catanduanes, Leyte, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro, Palawan and Samar.  They represent almost 20 percent of the Philippine land mass.

“These islands often face challenges in accessing critical inputs such as animal feeds, fertilizers and chemicals, as well as transporting their produce that could serve as raw materials. Also, the modern container logistics are essential not only for production inputs, but also for export markets.”

Pilot

“We can pilot the project in Samar to address the supply bottlenecks caused by the ongoing rehabilitation of the San Juanico bridge, which connects the province to Leyte. Estimated to cost  P100 million, the government can opt to overhaul the underutilized San Isidro Ferry Port in Northern Samar for the project. The port will be equipped with a combination of forklifts and reach stackers that could move 20-foot containers to and from landing craft tanks. At a throughput of 100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in and 100 TEUs out per day, the container logistics project will take out up to 200 truck movements per day from the congested Matnog and Amandayehan sea crossings.

READ: Duterte opens new port seen to reduce need for trucks

“San Isidro port is 130 nautical miles away from Cebu and 150 nautical miles from Iloilo, which need additional supplies of food. They also serve as transshipment points for food exports. The project will facilitate easier inbound movement of key items like rice, canned goods and animal feed and fertilizer to Samar. This will allow better outbound movement of raw materials like fresh or dehusked coconut for processing, banana, coffee and ube.

“Apart from easier inbound and outbound of key commodities, this will also benefit nearby ports in Cebu and Iloilo, which serve as transshipment points for exports. In addition,  the government can also pilot the container logistics project in Palawan by expanding Brooke’s Point port and Mindoro through Calapan and Abra de Ilog ports, with investments of P250 million and P50 million, respectively. This mode of logistics is like the extensive river barge trade in the US and in Europe,  but these are adapted to open water.”

With Fausto’s valuable insights, area feasibility studies should immediately be made. This strategic move may be a true game-changer for our delayed agricultural development.

The author is Agriwatch chair, former secretary of presidential flagship programs and projects,  and former undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry. Contact is  [email protected]

MANILA, Philippines — The Figaro Culinary Group, Inc. (FGC) is creating a separate entity to operate its Angel’s Pizza business independently.

In a disclosure on Friday, FGC said its board “unanimously approved” a plan to implement a corporate restructuring that involves the well-known pizza brand.

Under this plan, Angel’s Pizza’s related assets of its subsidiary, Figaro Coffee Systems Inc., will be transferred to Angel’s Pizza Inc. (API) in exchange for shares in the latter.

READ: Figaro bets on ‘pizza’ amid crunch from smaller cafes

The listed firm created API for this particular purpose.

“Following the completion of the planned corporate restructuring, API will own and operate the Angel’s Pizza business while [Figaro Coffee] will wholly own API,” FGC said.

FGC said the corporate restructuring is expected to happen in 2026, subject to the necessary corporate and regulatory approvals.

As part of this effort, the FGC board authorized the chair or president “to vote on the shares of the company in FCSI, to approve the planned corporate restructuring and such related transactions…”

Incorporated in 2018, FCG is primarily engaged in the processing, manufacturing and packaging all kinds of food products. It is also into establishing, investing, developing, operating and maintaining restaurants, coffee shops and refreshments parlors, among others.

READ: Figaro forges strategic partnerships to promote sustainable food security

As of this month, the Figaro Group operates 56 Figaro coffee shops and 157 Angel’s Pizza outlets. It also has eight Tien Ma’s Taiwanese cuisine restaurants and one Koobideh Kebabs.

FGC reported a net income of P101.06 million in the three months ending September, down 2 percent year-on-year.

Revenues rose by 9 percent to P1.52 billion, mainly on account of Angel’s Pizza operations. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine health maintenance organizations (HMOs) tripled their aggregate profit in the third quarter of 2025. This was attributed to stronger premium collections that offset the impact of higher health-care claims and payouts.

Data from the Insurance Commission (IC) showed that the HMO industry’s net income for the January-September period surged by 204.8 percent to P2.44 billion. This came from P800.9 million in the same period last year.

READ: HMO profitability boosted by entry of gov’t workers

Total revenues for the sector jumped 22.5 percent to P73.12 billion. This was largely driven by P71.13 billion in membership fee collections.

Expenses rose 20 percent to P70.63 billion, mostly due to claims and health-care benefits totaling P54.96 billion. However, revenue growth outpaced the rise in costs, boosting net income.

READ: Marikina lawmaker suggests using HMOs to serve PhilHealth beneficiaries

“The HMO industry delivered a commendable performance this quarter, as the majority of the companies demonstrated stronger profitability and wider market reach,” IC Commissioner Reynaldo Regalado said in a statement.

“These developments reflect the sustained growth and strengthened financial position of the HMO industry, providing a promising foundation for further innovation, more effective regulation and improved delivery of accessible and reliable health care,” Regalado said. INQ

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine is at a pivotal point in its four-year fight to defeat Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation Friday, with Ukrainians potentially facing a choice between standing up for their sovereign rights or losing American support as leaders negotiate a U.S. peace proposal.

The U.S. plan contains many of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s longstanding demands while offering limited security guarantees to Ukraine. It foresees Ukraine handing over territory to Russia, something Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out, reduces the size of its army and blocks its coveted path to NATO membership.

Zelenskyy pledged to hold constructive discussions with Washington at what he called “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.” Zelenskyy said he spoke for almost an hour Friday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll about the peace proposal.

READ:  Ukraine capital under ‘massive’ attack – Kyiv mayor

U.S. President Donald Trump in a radio interview on Friday said that he wants an answer from Zelenskyy on his 28-point plan by Thursday, but says an extension is possible to finalize terms.

“I’ve had a lot of deadlines, but if things are working well, you tend to extend the deadlines,” Trump said in an interview on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio. “But Thursday is it — we think an appropriate time.”

While Zelenskyy has offered to negotiate with the U.S. and Russia, he signaled Ukraine may not get everything it wants and has to confront the possibility of losing American support if it makes a stand.

“Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest,” Zelenskyy said in a recorded speech. “Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”

“We will work calmly with America and all partners,” he said, but insisted on fair treatment.

He urged Ukrainians to “stop fighting” each other, in a possible reference to a major corruption scandal that has brought fierce criticism of the government, and said peace talks next week “will be very difficult.”

Europe says it will keep supporting Ukraine

Zelenskyy spoke earlier by phone with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, who assured him of their continued support, as European officials scrambled to respond to the U.S. proposals that apparently caught them unawares.

Wary of antagonizing Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American peace efforts.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelenskyy of “their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine, Merz’s office said.

The four leaders welcomed U.S. efforts to end the war. “In particular, they welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees,” the statement added.

The line of contact must be the departure point for an agreement, they said, and “the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively.”

Starmer said the right of Ukraine to “determine its future under its sovereignty is a fundamental principle.”

Existential threat to Europe

European countries see their own futures at stake in Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion and have insisted on being consulted in peace efforts.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine is an existential threat to Europe. We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels. “Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded. Ultimately, the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide.”

Trump in his radio interview pushed back against the notion that the settlement, which offers plentiful concessions to Russia, would embolden Putin to carry out further malign action on his European neighbors.

“He’s not thinking of more war,” Trump said of Putin. “He’s thinking punishment. Say what you want. I mean, this was supposed to be a one-day war that has been four years now.”

A European government official said that the U.S. plans weren’t officially presented to Ukraine’s European backers.

Many of the proposals are “quite concerning,” the official said, adding that a bad deal for Ukraine would also be a threat to broader European security.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly.

European Council President Antonio Costa in Johannesburg said of the U.S. proposals: “The European Union has not been communicated (about) any plans in (an) official manner.”

Ukraine examines the proposals

Ukrainian officials said they were weighing the U.S. proposals, and Zelenskyy said he expected to talk to Trump about it in coming days.

The Kremlin offered a reserved reaction, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that Moscow has not officially received the U.S. proposal.

“We’re seeing some innovations. But officially, we haven’t received anything. And there hasn’t been a substantive discussion of these points,” Peskov told reporters without elaborating further.

He claimed U.S.-Russian diplomatic contacts are “ongoing,” but “nothing substantive is currently being discussed.”

A U.S. team began drawing up the plan soon after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, according to a senior Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The official added that Umerov agreed to most of the plan, after making several modifications, and then presented it to Zelenskyy.

However, Umerov on Friday denied that version of events. He said he only organized meetings and prepared the talks.

He said technical talks between the U.S. and Ukraine were continuing in Kyiv.

“We are thoughtfully processing the partners’ proposals within the framework of Ukraine’s unchanging principles — sovereignty, people’s security, and a just peace,” he said.

Russian glide bomb hits Ukraine homes

Meanwhile, a Russian glide bomb slammed into a residential district in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing five people, officials said Friday, as Moscow’s forces continued to hammer civilian areas of Ukraine. The overnight attack also injured 10 people, including a teenage girl.

The powerful glide bomb damaged some high-rise apartment blocks for the third time since the war began and also wrecked a local market, according to the head of the regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov.

A Russian drone assault on the southern city of Odesa also struck a residential area during the night, injuring five people, including a 16-year-old boy.

Check this page for more Miss Universe 2025 news updates and features

Ahtisa Manalo, who chose to put the spotlight on education and leadership development for her advocacy, brought home the third spot in Miss Universe 2025’s “Beyond the Crown” competition.

Manalo’s third place win was announced in the post pageant party on Friday, Nov. 21, shortly after the global tilt’s coronation ceremony at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nothaburi, Thailand.

“Ahtisa continues to shine. She proudly takes 3rd place in Beyond the Crown, proving that her heart, purpose, and impact speak just as powerfully as her performance,” the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPh) organization announced on its Instagram page.

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In Manalo’s advocacy video, she chose to showcase the non-profit organization Alon Akademie to push for education as a way to promote leadership training and youth empowerment.

“We prepare workers, but rarely leaders. We train minds, but not always hearts,” she said in her advocacy video. “Today, more than 2.1 million young Filipinos are not in school, not employed, and not trained — not because they lack potential, but because no one showed them how to use it.”

Paraguay’s Yanina Ojeda and Netherlands’ Nathalie Yasmin Mogbelzada were named the “Beyond the Crown” winner and ambassador, respectively.

On the other hand, MUPh — led by president and CEO Jonas Gaffud — bagged the Best Pageant award.

“From Best Host Country to Best Pageant — back-to-back global recognition for Sir Jonas A. Gaffud, President and CEO of Miss Universe Philippines. His guidance and forward-thinking vision keep elevating the country on the world’s pageant stage,” its post read.

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Continental queens, other special awards announced

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) also announced the next batch of Continental Queens joining reigning titleholder Fatima Bosch in fulfilling her duties in different parts of the globe.

The continental queens are the following:

• Miss Universe Asia 2025: China’s Zhao Na
• Miss Universe Africa and Oceania 2025: Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yace
• Miss Universe Europe 2025: Malta’s Julia Cluett
• Miss Universe Americas 2025: Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali

Turkiye’s Ceren Arslan walked home with the Miss Congeniality title, while Costa Rica’s Mahyla Roth was named Miss Photogenic.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Sanly Liu and Paraguay’s Yanina Gomez brought home the Miss Most Beautiful Skin and People’s Choice awards, respectively.

Fatima Bosch is the fourth Mexican to win the Miss Universe crown after Lupita Jones, Ximena Navarrete, and Andrea Meza. She succeeded Victoria Khaer Theilvig of Denmark.

MANILA, Philippines — Resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co was last seen in Japan, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Co left the country last July and reportedly sought medical treatment in the United States.

The former lawmaker then went somewhere in Europe, then Singapore, then Portugal, Remulla noted in an interview on DZBB on Friday.

“His last known location, a few days ago, was in Japan, but he has since left. We do not have information yet as to where he came from before Japan,” said Remulla in Filipino.

Where is Co now? Remulla said, “We will know as soon as the immigration authorities inform us… He won’t trick us. As long as we have the legal authority, we will get him.”

Late Friday afternoon, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that arrest warrants had been issued against Co and 17 others in the Department of Public Works and Highways and construction firm Sunwest Corporation in connection with allegedly anomalous infrastructure projects in Oriental Mindoro.

According to the DILG chief, the Philippine government already sought an International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) blue notice two months ago.

An Interpol blue notice aims to “collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.”

Remulla said the court has yet to seek an Interpol red notice and to cancel Co’s passport.

An Interpol red notice aims to “seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”

Meanwhile, back at home, the DILG chief said security forces were still monitoring Co’s possible whereabouts.

“We don’t know where he is, but he might enter here. So, we’re going to his home to see if he could really be there,” Remulla explained.

“We’re looking at the video surveillance of his office. We’re seeing if he has been here in the last five months, six months,” he added.

Remulla also said the DILG had already deployed police tracker teams to go after Co and his co-accused.

Co is linked to Sunwest Corporation and was formerly the House appropriations committee chair who oversaw the congressional deliberations of the 2025 national budget.

Last Tuesday, the first set of charges against Co and 17 others over an alleged anomalous P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro was raffled off by the Sandiganbayan.

Co has since denied the accusations against him and instead pointed to Marcos as the mastermind behind the alleged corruption.

The PNP previously said it was ready to enforce arrest warrants against personalities allegedly involved in corruption of flood control and other infrastructure projects. /mr