Category: Business Mirror

Notice is hereby given that CONCEPCION INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION (formerly Concepcion Airconditioning Corporation) (the ‘Corporation’) will conduct its Annual Stockholders’ Meeting virtually via Zoom Call to Order;

Certification of Existence of Quorum;

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders held on July 24, 2025;

Report of the Chairman;

Approval of the Audited Financial Statements as of December 31, 2025;

Election of Directors;

Appointment of External Auditor;

Amendment of Articles of Incorporation;

Ratification of All Actions taken by the Board and Management;

Other Matters; and

Adjournment

The record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the said meeting is fixed at the close of business hours on June 24, 2026.

Stockholders may attend the meeting by remote communication and/or vote in absentia or through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. Stockholders who wish to participate by remote communication or vote in absentia or by proxy should notify the Corporate Secretary by email to cic.secretary@romulo.com from July 3, 2026 to July 14, 2026.

Successful registrants will receive an electronic invitation via email with a complete guide on how to join the meeting. For any registration concerns, please get in touch with the Corporation through cic.secretary@romulo.com.

All stockholders who wish to vote through a proxy or in absentia shall submit the duly signed proxies or ballots, as the case may be, to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at the 21st Floor, AIA Tower, 8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City and/or by email to cic.secretary@romulo.com not later than July 14, 2025. The proxies and ballots submitted shall be validated on July 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. We are not soliciting proxies.

The meeting shall be recorded in audio and video format and copies thereof shall be retained by the Corporation.

Uncertainty is the oldest alibi in human affairs. Generals have used it to explain retreats, merchants to explain empty shelves, and priests to explain unanswered prayers. It has never once been wrong, and it has never once been useful.

Every corporate earnings miss and most economic data has been preceded by a warning about uncertain conditions. The conditions were always uncertain. The miss was always a surprise. At some point in the past decade, ‘uncertain’ became the most expensive word in business language. It costs nothing to say and has never once been accompanied by a plan.

Charlie Munger, the late vice chairman and Warren Buffett’s partner at Berkshire Hathaway, was one of the more rigorous minds American investing produced. He kept a mental basket labeled ‘too tough.’

Into it went any investment where the executives involved described the future as uncertain. Not because uncertainty is abnormal-it is the permanent condition of all markets-but because the word, spoken by someone in authority, is a confession not to be ignored. It means they have stopped thinking about a problem and have started hoping no one notices ‘The Problem.’

The distinction Munger drew, borrowed from economist Richard Zeckhauser, is precise. Risk is calculable: you know the outcomes, you know the odds, and then you pay your money and you take your chances.

Uncertainty is harder: outcomes are visible, but probabilities are not. Ignorance is the condition below that: you cannot even map the possible outcomes. Munger’s argument was that honest people give a name to which condition they are actually in. Executives who reach for ‘uncertainty’ as a general-purpose explanation are usually operating in ignorance and calling it something more respectable.

Philippine public life is well-stocked with this particular euphemism. Listen to any BSP press conference where the forward guidance is being softened, any NEDA briefing where infrastructure timelines are slipping, any listed company disclosing why its earnings fell short. The word appears with the regularity of a legal disclaimer. It protects the speaker without informing the listener.

The Philippine peso has spent much of the past three years trading from the mid to high 50s to the dollar, and the official explanation for its weakness has consistently invoked external uncertainty: the Federal Reserve, the Middle East, China’s slowdown, global supply chains.

Every one of those factors is real. None of them is unknowable. The Fed publishes its dot plots. Freight rates have indices. China’s PMI prints monthly. Probabilistic thinking – Munger’s preferred alternative to uncertainty-as-excuse – would have fund managers and policymakers working with scenarios and probabilities. What gets called uncertainty is often the decision not to do the analysis.

The PSEi tells a similar story. Foreign portfolio outflows have been attributed to global uncertainty in virtually every quarterly report issued by any Philippine brokerage for the past decade. The implication is that the selling is external in origin and therefore beyond local control. The listed universe, however, is thin, illiquid at the second and third tiers, and dominated by holding companies whose earnings visibility is structurally poor.

That is not global uncertainty. That is a market architecture problem that nobody wants to own because owning it requires fixing it.

Munger’s prescription was not optimism. It was margin of safety- holding enough reserves, maintaining enough options, that when the truly unpredictable arrives, the institution survives it. The Bangko Sentral’s gross international reserves, running around $104 billion as of the latest reporting, represent that kind of institutional thinking. The BSP does not claim to know where the dollar/peso rate is going. It builds a buffer large enough to survive being wrong. That is probabilistic thinking applied at the sovereign level, and it is the exception rather than the rule in how Philippine institutions handle the unknown.

The ‘too-tough basket’ was not a blueprint for paralysis. It was a filter. Investments that could not be reasoned about with rigor went in that basket. If a department secretary or a CEO cannot specify which of Zeckhauser’s three conditions- risk, uncertainty, ignorance-they are actually operating under, they are not managing the situation. They are managing the audience.

The next time a Philippine official describes the investment climate as uncertain, the useful follow-up question is the one Munger would have asked: uncertain relative to what baseline, with what probability distribution, and what margin of safety is built into the plan? Those are not technical questions. They are the minimum threshold for knowing whether the person speaking is managing a situation or an audience.

Words have consequences in markets. Vagueness is not neutral. It is a position, and usually a losing one.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

SOME 10,000 disadvantaged workers in Metro Manila will be hired under a P220-million emergency employment program aimed at clearing waterways and drainage systems before heavy rains intensify this year.

The initiative, funded through the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad), combines flood mitigation with short-term employment as the government ramps up preparations for the rainy season.

The program was launched following the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Dole and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday.

Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino said the cleanup drive seeks to reduce flood risks while protecting communities from diseases commonly associated with stagnant floodwaters.

‘It is timely that we are signing this memorandum of agreement as the rainy season approaches. Cleaning esteros, canals and drainage systems is not only about protecting communities from flooding but also preventing diseases such as dengue and leptospirosis,’ Tolentino said.

The P220-million allocation will fund workers tasked with declogging drainage systems, cleaning esteros and waterways, and carrying out waste segregation in flood-prone communities across the metropolis.

An initial 500 beneficiaries were deployed on July 1, while another 3,600 workers are being profiled by Dole’s National Capital Region Office, the MMDA and participating local governments.

The MMDA will provide training on waste segregation and material recovery to support the cleanup operations.

Tolentino said the Bayanihan sa Estero program under Tupad is expected to strengthen flood prevention efforts while providing temporary income opportunities for vulnerable workers.

‘I am confident that the massive cleanup drive and the Bayanihan sa Estero program under Tupad will greatly benefit our communities,’ he said.

The government expects the program to help improve the flow of waterways and drainage systems, which are often clogged by solid waste and contribute to flooding during heavy downpours.

The cleanup drive also reflects the government’s continued use of emergency employment programs to address both seasonal risks and short-term livelihood needs.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday said the Office of the Ombudsman will proceed with the filing of plunder charges against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta despite protests staged by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), of which the senator is a member.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Development of the Philippine National Anti-Corruption Strategy at the Government Service Insurance System headquarters, Remulla also dismissed allegations that the Ombudsman was engaging in selective justice by prioritizing cases against opposition senators while supposedly sparing administration allies implicated in the flood control controversy.

‘There is no selective justice in this country when it comes to the Ombudsman,’ Remulla said.

Asked whether the Ombudsman would still pursue the case against Marcoleta, Remulla replied: ‘Nothing has changed. We will file.’

The Ombudsman earlier said the charges are expected to be filed within the week.

Marcoleta is expected to face charges of plunder, indirect bribery and violation of Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officials from directly or indirectly receiving gifts or other valuable consideration in connection with their official functions.

Also expected to be named as respondents are former party-list lawmaker Michael Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray.

The case stems from Marcoleta’s admission that he received campaign contributions amounting to P30 million from Defensor, P25 million from Espiritu and P20 million from Viray on various dates in January 2025.

According to the Ombudsman, Marcoleta failed to declare the amounts in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) filed with the Commission on Elections and in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) submitted after he was elected to the Senate. The anti-graft body said the omission constituted unjust enrichment.

Marcoleta has denied the allegations, insisting that the complaint is legally insufficient because it allegedly fails to establish the elements of the offenses charged.

Earlier in the day, Remulla told participants in the Field Investigation Course that no public official, regardless of rank or position, would be spared from investigation and prosecution when evidence of wrongdoing exists.

He urged Ombudsman investigators to remain steadfast in carrying out their duties, emphasizing their role in correcting misconduct and preserving integrity in government service. ‘If someone has gone astray, it is our responsibility to show them the right path and straighten the path that has become crooked,’ Remulla said.

He added that the Ombudsman has the responsibility not only to investigate erring public officials but also to reinforce the values of integrity, accountability and honor in public service.

BEYOND the shock-and-awe impact of the June 22 school shooting in Leyte that left three students dead, the stories of the survivors are just as compelling for attention. But they also raise troubling questions.

One of the victims of the Tacloban school shooting was shot by a person he had considered sharing the closest bond with, according to the victim’s sister.

At Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, Janica Bituin told senators she is still in disbelief that alias Nash, the best friend of her brother Gerric, would shoot him in the back. Gerric was critically injured and is now recuperating at ACE Medical Center.

According to Janica, her younger brother and ‘Nash’ were close friends since they were classmates in Grade 8.

Bright to gloomy

‘Masayahin na kaibigan si Nash [Nash is a jovial friend],’ Janica recalled during the hearing, presided over by committee chair Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

However, Janica recalled that prior to the tragic incident, during the flag ceremony, Nash’s mood was a little different. This was narrated to her by her brother, she said.

Citing her brother’s recollection, Janica said that Gerric’s teacher had asked him to get a sketch pad just before they heard gunshots. Then they realized the chilling sound was ringing out dangerously close to their location.

Later, Janica said that a concerned woman came to their house and informed them that Gerric was severely wounded. The same woman had earlier brought Gerric to the hospital.

Meanwhile, there is much hand-wringing over what could account for Nash’s capacity for violence, when, besides shooting his close friend Gerric, his aunt, who owned the gun he had used, kept telling senators he was a good boy.

Police Staff Sgt. Arla Ray Paciencia admitted, though, that she had brought Nash to the firing range – ‘only once’ – because head expressed a wish to be like her, a cop. When pressed by Sen. Raffy Tulfo if she knew that bringing minors to a firing range is illegal, Paciencia claimed she ‘had no personal knowledge’ of this subject.

What transformed Nash – from being a ‘good’ young man to one who shoots his own close friend twice – may perhaps be partly explained by a confirmation by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) that the two minors behind the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City were groomed by 764, a notorious international online network of violent extremists.

CICC Undersecretary Renato Paraiso, speaking to BusinessMirror by phone, said authorities recovered chat logs that established the two teenage perpetrators were active members of 764 and were deliberately recruited and manipulated by the group.

According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 764 is a nihilistic violent extremist and cybercriminal network that specifically targets minors and vulnerable individuals online.

The group operates through social media platforms and gaming apps, using sextortion, blackmail, and physical coercion to force victims into self-harm, animal cruelty, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) production, and other acts of violence.

Its operations are secretive and invitation-based, making it difficult to monitor and infiltrate, Paraiso said.

Brave survivor

Another student who is still in the hospital is Kaye Lapidario.

Senator Hontiveros, who chairs the Committee, lauded the bravery of Kaye in protecting her classmates from the two suspects who were then walking near their classroom, firing indiscriminately. Kaye rushed to close the door when she was shot.

Unfortunately, according to her father, Rolando, Kaye sustained a gunshot wound on her right hip, and the bullet exited her left leg.

Despite her situation, Rolando said that his daughter was able to send him a text message about the situation and her injuries.

From their farm, Rolando rushed to the school to look for his daughter.

Justice

Jenica, meanwhile, is asking that justice be served for all the victims who died and were injured.

‘Mabigyan ng hustisya [ang] mga na-biktima lalo na sa mga namatayan.

She also condemned content creators who even used AI to create fake news, claiming that her brother was one of the fatalities.

Both Jenica and Rolando have expressed hope that even though the suspects are minors – aged 14 and 15, they should not be excused from facing accountability.

‘[Sana’y] hindi maging hadlang ang pagiging menor de edad para di makulong,’ Janica stressed.

Meanwhile, Rolando is hoping that the minimum age of criminal responsibility would be lowered from 15 to 12.

‘Para di na pamarisan ang pagawa ng krimen. Kasi kung di ibaba, mamimihasa dahil hindi sila makukulong [So that no one will follow their example in committing crime. Because if it’s not lowered, they will be emboldened further as they know they won’t be jailed],’ Rolando lamented. With earlier report by Lorenz Marasigan

As misinformation on social media continues to influence health decisions, patient organizations in the Philippines are stepping up efforts to provide credible information and encourage Filipinos to consult healthcare professionals, particularly as cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) diseases continue to rise.

From misleading claims about PhilHealth benefits to fad diets and disease myths, inaccurate health information has become increasingly common online. In response, patient groups are producing expert-led podcasts, livestreaming educational forums, and organizing community discussions that give patients direct access to doctors and health experts.

Marimel Lamsin of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO) said their organization makes it a point to address misinformation by providing information straight from reliable sources.

‘When there are issues involving PhilHealth that need clarification, we invite PhilHealth officials to our podcast so they can explain them directly,’ she said. ‘That way, people hear verified information instead of relying on rumors or myths.’

Battleground vs misinformation

For the Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines (KITAP), social media has also become a battleground against misinformation, particularly on nutrition and kidney health.

Abraham B. Mirandilla Jr., KITAP president, said patients frequently encounter conflicting advice online about diets and lifestyle practices.

‘Sa Facebook kasi maraming information like diet after 6 p.m. or kakain ka dapat ng ganito [There is so much information on Facebook about dieting after 6 p.m. or what people should eat],’ he said. ‘Our advice is simple: go back to your doctor and ask.’

Lamsin and Mirandilla were among the patient advocates who participated in ‘Kapihan at Ugnayan: Usapang Kidneys, Puso at Metabolismo,’ a dialogue that brought together patient organizations, members of the media, and representatives of Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines Inc. (BIPHI).

The discussions underscored the growing burden of CRM diseases in the country and highlighted the importance of early detection, regular screening, healthier lifestyles, and improved access to integrated, patient-centered care.

The growing burden of CRM diseases

Cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) diseases refer to interconnected conditions affecting the heart, kidneys, and metabolic system, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. Because these conditions share common risk factors, experts say they often develop together and can accelerate one another’s progression if left unmanaged.

Globally, CRM diseases affect more than one billion people and are responsible for up to 20 million deaths annually, making them among the leading causes of death worldwide.

In the Philippines, these diseases continue to pose a growing public health challenge, driven by gaps in early detection, health literacy, and access to integrated, patient-centered care. Health advocates stressed that improving awareness and encouraging regular screening remain critical to reducing preventable complications.

C Recognizing the important role of patient organizations in improving health literacy, Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines launched ‘IMPACT at Kapihan,’ a capacity-building program designed to strengthen the communication and media engagement skills of patient advocates.

The initiative equips participants with the tools to tell their stories responsibly and effectively while helping the public better understand the connection between heart, kidney, and metabolic diseases.

Jackielyn Cortez, Head of Market Access and Healthcare Affairs at BIPHI, said the program was designed to empower advocates who already possess compelling personal experiences but need support in communicating them to wider audiences.

‘The goal is to help them put their stories together and empower them to share these experiences in a way that resonates with the public while remaining true to the advocacy of their organizations,’ she said.

Participants also learned from seasoned patient advocates with experience engaging policymakers, healthcare professionals, and fellow patient organizations to advance patient-centered care.

Patients at the center of care

Dr. Greta Cortez, Head of Medicine at BIPHI, said patient voices have become increasingly important as CRM diseases continue to affect more Filipinos.

‘They are the core of everything we do,’ she said. ‘For a long time, patients have not had the opportunity to tell their stories. Now is the time to let their voices be heard.’

She added that listening to the experiences of people living with CRM diseases provides valuable insights that can strengthen awareness campaigns and encourage others to seek medical attention before complications develop.

For Lamsin, however, improving health outcomes requires more than patient advocacy alone. She emphasized the need for collaboration among patients, healthcare providers, government agencies, and the private sector to build stronger and more effective health education programs.

‘No single sector can do this alone,’ she said, noting that a unified voice carries greater influence in promoting healthier communities.

‘Know your numbers’

Lamsin’s message to the public was straightforward: ‘Know your numbers.’

She said regularly monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, and kidney function allows diseases to be detected early, when treatment is often more effective and complications can still be prevented.

Patient advocates also encouraged Filipinos to take advantage of free screening programs offered by government agencies and private organizations. Simple laboratory tests, including the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR), can detect early signs of kidney damage even before symptoms appear, allowing patients to receive timely intervention and improve long-term health outcomes.

The country’s largest employers’ group maintained that the newly approved P85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila is ‘excessive,’ arguing that the wage board relied on inflation figures ‘distorted’ by temporary economic shocks rather than longer-term conditions.

Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. told BusinessMirror that the employer sector opposed the increase during deliberations before the National Capital Region wage board. The group said, however, that its members would respect and comply with the final decision.

‘For the first time, the employer sector dissented from the wage board. We will respect the decision and comply with it, but we felt the increase was too high,’ Ortiz-Luis said in an exclusive phone interview on Wednesday morning.

He clarified that employers did not object to the wage board’s formula, which considers inflation and other economic indicators, but argued that the current environment is ‘far from normal.’

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed inflation slowed to 6.8 percent in May from a three-year high of 7.2 percent in April, while unemployment stood at 2.41 million in April, higher than a year earlier but lower than the level recorded in January.

‘We agree with the formula they use, but these are abnormal times. Inflation reached unusually high levels because of temporary factors. Those conditions should have been taken into consideration,’ he said.

Ortiz-Luis pointed to the spike in fuel prices caused by geopolitical tensions, noting that oil prices and inflation have started easing as global conditions stabilize.

Several energy reports showed that fuel prices are expected to post mixed movements as global oil prices cool, driven by easing tensions in the Middle East.

‘It’s similar to how fuel companies adjust prices based on replacement cost. The war is easing, fuel prices are coming down, and inflation is easing. Those developments should also have been considered,’ he said.

‘The problem is that once wages are increased, they cannot simply be reduced when conditions normalize. That was the reason for our dissent.’

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday approved an P85 daily wage increase for workers in Metro Manila, the largest adjustment granted by the regional wage board in recent years.

The increase will be implemented in two tranches, with P60 taking effect on July 19 and the remaining P25 on Jan. 1, 2027.

Ortiz-Luis said employer representatives had proposed a lower adjustment of P50 to P60, which they believed would have balanced workers’ welfare with businesses’ capacity to absorb higher labor costs.

‘If you consider the current abnormal conditions, we believe P50-or at most P60-would have been a more realistic adjustment,’ he said.

He also warned that the increase could place additional pressure on micro and small enterprises, which comprise the overwhelming majority of businesses in the country.

‘About 90 percent of businesses are micro enterprises, while another 8 percent are small businesses. Many of them are already struggling, and many are already closing,’ Ortiz-Luis said.

He noted that only around 16 percent of workers are directly covered by the minimum wage, while the employers bearing the adjustment are largely micro and small enterprises.

‘Additional pressure’

The country’s business organizations said they would comply with the new wage order but cautioned that the increase comes as manufacturers and employers continue to face rising operating costs and global uncertainty.

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) noted that even though the country’s manufacturing remained in expansion for a second straight month in June, business confidence weakened as firms continued to grapple with higher costs and external risks.

‘Businesses are weighing the cumulative toll of recent cost pressures,’ FPI Chairperson Elizabeth Lee said in a statement.

While the group acknowledged that higher living costs justified a wage adjustment, Lee said the increase adds to existing pressures from elevated energy and logistics expenses, tighter financing conditions and global trade uncertainty.

‘June’s PMI [Purchasing Managers’ Index] uptick shows Philippine manufacturing can still grow under pressure. However, sustaining that growth means supporting workers while preserving businesses’ ability to invest, employ and compete. We cannot treat one factor in isolation,’ she said.

For its part, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) urged the government to pursue policies that improve enterprise productivity and reduce business costs.

In a statement, PCCI President Perry Ferrer said wage adjustments should also consider the capacity of enterprises, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises, to absorb higher labor costs while preserving jobs and investments.

‘More than wage increases, we hope that our government will address the growing inflation – lowering the cost of basic commodities, transportation, gasoline, and other necessities- so that gains will benefit all Filipinos and not only selected sectors,’ the PCCI head said.

Meanwhile, PCCI Director for Labor and Employment Butch Guerrero warned that firms operating on thin margins may respond by delaying expansion, renegotiating supplier contracts or accelerating automation, with possible spillover effects on employment.

‘These adjustments, while necessary, may ripple across the formal and informal sectors of the economy, ultimately affecting the livelihoods of the country’s nearly 50-million workforce,’ Guerrero said.

Exemption

Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino said on Wednesday that small businesses can apply for an exemption from complying with the order to raise the minimum wage by P85 under existing rules.

The labor chief said Wage Order No. NCR-27 allows certain establishments to seek exemption from the wage increase.

‘There is a provision in Wage Order No. [NCR-]27 on exemptions. Businesses with 15 employees or fewer may apply for exemption. This also covers those qualified under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises law,’ Tolentino said.

He did not immediately say how many firms could qualify but stressed that the exemption process is provided under the wage order.

Tolentino also defended the amount of the wage increase, saying the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board considered the conditions required under the law before approving the adjustment.

‘The workers’ purchasing power, inflationary pressures and other economic conditions were all taken into consideration. The consultations were very extensive,’ he said.

He said the wage board received petitions from workers across different sectors, including manufacturing, hospitals, ports and business process outsourcing firms, before issuing the wage order.

The labor chief said the board’s decision was based on the standards set under Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, which requires regular reviews of regional wage levels.

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday announced the arrest of a South Korean fugitive in Angeles City, Pampanga, who is involved in a sophisticated telecommunications fraud scheme which has victimized numerous individuals.

The Korean, identified as 44-year-old Park Junhyeon, was arrested by agents of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in coordination with the National Police (PNP) and South Korean authorities on the evening of June 28 along MacArthur Highway in barangay Balibago, Angeles City.

Park’s arrest stemmed from an Interpol Red Notice issued against him on May 7, 2026 following the issuance of a warrant for his arrest by the Busan District Court in South Korea for fraud.

The foreigner is being accused of operating a fraudulent ‘no-show’ scam with several accomplices, posing as a businessman who promised to reimburse victims for goods purchased on his behalf.

Investigators said the scheme deceived seven victims through 24 fraudulent transactions, resulting in losses amounting to approximately KRW170 million or almost P7 million.

‘This arrest sends a clear message to foreign fugitives: the Philippines will never be a sanctuary for criminals fleeing justice,’ Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

‘Individuals who prey on innocent victims through deception and organized fraud have no place in our country. We will continue working closely with our international law enforcement partners to track them down and ensure they are held accountable,’ he added.

Based on the BI records, Park last entered the Philippines on December 12, 2025 as a temporary visitor and has since remained in the country despite the expiration of his authorized stay on June 9, 2026.

The Bureau also disclosed that Park’s passport had earlier come into the custody of its Angeles Field Office after a representative filed an application to extend his stay.

Authorities noted that Park did not personally appear during the processing of the application.

The BI confirmed that Park had already been placed on its watchlist as an undesirable alien owing to his status as a fugitive from justice.

The BI said the Korean will be detained at the BI’s Warden Facility pending deportation proceedings against him.

Enchanted Kingdom, the first and only world-class theme park in the Philippines, continues to strengthen its forever enchanted ties with the travel and tourism sector as it honored industry partners at its 21st Tour Operators and Partners Appreciation Party.

Keeping the momentum of its 30th anniversary celebration alive, the Laguna-based theme park took its annual gathering for both new and longtime affiliated tour operators and travel agencies to greater heights with a grand Flores de Mayo-themed event that showcased the beauty and richness of Filipino culture and tradition last May 29.

EK set the festive mood with a colorful Sagala parade around the Park, featuring representatives from select tour operators dressed in vibrant gowns and accompanied by the lively tunes of the Muntinlupa Black Diamond marching band. Miss Universe Philippines Laguna titleholders Eloisa Jauod and Ysabel Prats were also present, adding even more enchantment and elegance to the festivities.

The event proper was held at the Enchanting Events Place, where EK recognized its longtime partners, as well as the top-performing contributors whose efforts helped expand the park’s reach to more Filipino travelers across the country from 2025 to 2026.

‘It is only fitting that we recognize each and every one of our partners for their valuable contributions in helping us attain our objectives over the past year, especially in bringing groups and schools to Enchanted Kingdom. We are grateful for the continued partnership throughout the years, and we look forward to an even stronger and more successful 2026,’ said EK Chairman and President Cesar Mario O. Mamon.

Further underscoring its commitment of expanding tourism and leisure opportunities for both domestic and international travelers, EK also shared its full-year lineup of upcoming events, park developments, and offerings to the attending partners.

The celebration featured musical performances from EK’s homegrown talents SMS and Kingsmen, alongside special guests such as multi-talented OPM artist Ronnie Liang and The Voice Kids Philippines Season 1 grand champion Lyca Gairanod.

Attendees also had the chance to win exciting freebies and major prizes through raffle giveaways, with a giant pabitin serving as the event’s surprise finale.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said authorities have received information that individuals may attempt to infiltrate the ongoing Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) demonstrations to provoke violence.

Marcos made the statement before departing from Villamor Air Base for his four-day official visit to Canada.

The President said he remains confident that the INC rallies, organized to protest the impending filing of plunder charges against Sen. Rodante D. Marcoleta, will remain peaceful, citing the religious group’s track record of orderly mass gatherings.

‘Our only problem is that there is information that there are those who will infiltrate and agitate the demonstration. That is what we are concerned about,’ Marcos said in Filipino.

‘The most important thing for us is that no one gets hurt-whether they are members of Iglesia ni Cristo or anyone else who intends to create trouble,’ he added.

The INC has announced that its demonstrations will continue until July 3.

Despite the President’s confidence that the rallies will remain peaceful, security around Malacañang was tightened beginning Tuesday as thousands of INC members gathered in Quezon City.

Authorities further enhanced security on Wednesday by deploying additional personnel and installing barbed wire barriers and container vans along roads leading to Mendiola.

Marcos appealed to all parties to help ensure that the demonstrations remain peaceful and orderly.

‘So I thank everybody involved for keeping it safe for everyone,’ he said.

The INC, known for its practice of bloc voting during elections, endorsed the presidential bid of Marcos and his running mate, Vice President Sara Duterte, in the 2022 elections.

Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro urged INC members not to allow themselves to be used by individuals seeking to destabilize the government.