Category: Business Mirror

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said the New Manila International Airport’s (NMIA) first runway will be available by the second quarter of 2028.

SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang also said during the company’s stockholders’ meeting that its logistics center may be completed by the end of the year.

‘The logistics center, which requires about 7 million (cubic meters) of sand, which was supposed to be finished by 2025, but now I think we’ll be able to finish it by the end of 2026,’ Ang said. ‘But at least the first runway can operate in 2028.’

NMIA in Bulakan, Bulacan sits on a 2,500-hectare of coastal site and is aimed at decongesting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, still the country’s main gateway despite its state.

San Miguel also won the bid to rehabilitate the airport.

The Bulacan airport, worth about P735 billion, is slated to begin phase 1 operations in late 2028.

The phase 1 of the project will handle up to 35 million passengers annually. Once fully completed, it is designed to scale up to 100 million passengers per year.

The airport will feature four parallel runways allowing for simultaneous aircraft operations. It includes a passenger terminal with over 1.2 million square meters, and a dedicated cargo terminal.

‘For more than 135 years, generations of San Miguel employees have worked hard and kept their faith in what this company and our country can achieve. We have seen difficult years before, and still we keep building, because San Miguel was built for times like these,’ Ang said.

THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced on Tuesday the creation of a multi-stakeholder body to look into the drowning of two young Ateneo de Manila basketball players as Aurora police was quick to dismiss the tragic incident as an accident.

PSC chairman Patrick ‘Pató’ Gregorio said that the body will be composed of representatives from the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, University Athletic Association of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education and the National Youth Commission.

They will meet at the PSC offices at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

‘The goal is not only to understand what happened, but to ensure that lessons learned lead to safer, more responsive systems that protect athletes while sustaining high-performance sport,’ Gregorio said.

Gregorio said that the panel will ‘examine existing policies, protocols and training practices toward resolutions to strengthen safeguards in athletic training environments.’

‘Excellence in sport requires environments that push human potential, but never at the expense of safety,’ he added.

Rene Baterbonia, 19, of Agusan del Sur, and Divine Adili, 21, of Nigeria, drowned during the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ training camp activities off Dipaculao beach in Aurora province.

Reports say the training camp under head coach Tab Baldwin resembles a military boot camp-as recalled by former Ateneo de Manila players in various social media posts.

Aurora Provincial Police Office Chief Col. Percival Pineda told a press conference on Tuesday that the incident was ‘purely an accident and no foul play happened.’

‘This incident was purely accident. It was a natural accident, and it was not expected. As of now, we do not see any foul play in this accident,’ Pineda said. ‘We are saddened about the tragedy occurred in our province. We extend condolences to the family, friends, and associates of the players.’

Members of the Ateneo coaching staff didn’t answer calls or messages from the BusinessMirror.

Baterbonia, a 6-foot-4 forward, was the 2025 Palarong Pambansa’s Most Valuable Player in Laoag City playing for champion Davao Region and also collected various individual awards in the ASEAN School Games in Brunei and NBTC finals.

The 6-foot-10 Adili is considered a prize catch for the Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 88.

In a joint statement from the House of Representatives, Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega V and Jefferson Khonghun and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the incident warrants a full congressional inquiry to determine possible lapses in safety protocols, supervision and emergency preparedness.

While expressing condolences to the bereaved families and the Ateneo community, the lawmakers said that accountability and fact-finding must take priority to ensure justice and prevent similar tragedies.

‘We mourn the untimely loss of these two promising young athletes whose lives were cut short while participating in what should have been a safe and enriching activity,’ they said in the statement.

They said they will file a House resolution seeking a congressional investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding the drowning, including risk assessment procedures and compliance with safety standards for school and sports-related activities.

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte should move forward, as her response to the articles of impeachment failed to directly address the evidence and instead focused on seeking the case’s dismissal through procedural, technical, and constitutional objections, the House prosecution panel said on Tuesday.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of the House prosecution panel, said on Tuesday that the prosecution sees no need to file an additional pleading, noting that the vice president’s submission was aimed at dismissal rather than a substantive contest of the charges.

‘There’s no need for the House prosecution to submit its pleading because technically, what they have been saying all along is questioning the procedure, the constitutionality of the entire process. So, we’ve heard that since last year, and we’ve been hearing that during the press conference of the defense team,’ Adiong said.

According to the prosecution, this approach shifts the focus of the case to the Senate impeachment court, where both parties are expected to present their arguments under formal trial rules.

‘So, there are no substantive arguments or counterarguments that they have actually supplied in their answers to the articles of impeachment. It was purely procedural and constitutional objections,’ Adiong said.

Adiong said the defense strategy appears aimed at securing an outright dismissal of the case before the evidence can be fully presented.

‘There is no point for the House prosecution team to respond to the Vice President’s answer. What her legal team is seeking is the outright dismissal of the case based on procedural, technical, and constitutional grounds,’ he added.

He also noted that the prosecution anticipates the defense will rely heavily on technical objections once the trial formally begins.

‘It’s basically because of the non-answer, and so I would expect, and we would expect, that once the trial comes to a full-blown scenario, the House prosecution or the court itself would be hounded by a lot of objections, technical objections, since they don’t have anything to offer to counter the evidence of the prosecution. So, we would expect a lot of objections, motions to strike, et cetera,’ Adiong said.

The prosecution is now preparing for the pre-trial conference, where the Senate impeachment court is expected to establish the rules governing the presentation of evidence, witnesses, and other proceedings.

‘The next process would be the pre-trial conference. And I believe that the Senate has already indicated the dates for the pre-trial conference and for the actual impeachment trial, which would be on July 6, if I’m not mistaken,’ Adiong noted.

He explained that the pre-trial conference will allow the prosecution to formally submit its evidence and identify potential witnesses.

‘So, come next week; we are hoping, and we’re expecting, that the court will convene for the pre-trial conference so that the House Prosecution team will be able also to submit the evidence and also to submit the list of the names of our potential witnesses. So, basically, the pre-trial conference is laying down the ground rules for the people to know what the flow of the trial would be,’ Adiong added.

Procedural step

The Senate impeachment court has scheduled the pre-trial conference in the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte on June 18, 2026, marking a key procedural step ahead of the formal presentation of evidence and witnesses, House prosecutor Terry L. Ridon of the Bicol Saro Party-list said on Tuesday.

Ridon said a notice of a pre-trial conference issued on June 9 and signed by acting Senate President and Presiding Officer Sherwin Gatchalian directed Duterte and the House prosecution panel to appear before the impeachment court at 9 a.m. on June 18 at the Sen. C.M. Recto Room in the Senate.

The notice stated that both parties may appear personally or through counsel and are expected to tackle major pre-trial matters, including stipulation of facts, simplification of issues, marking of documentary and object evidence, identification of witnesses, scheduling of trial dates, and the order of presentation of evidence, among others to ensure an orderly and expeditious trial.

Ridon said the impeachment court also required both sides to submit their pre-trial briefs not later than June 15, which must include a summary of admitted facts, proposed stipulations, issues for resolution, and a list of available documents, exhibits, and witnesses.

The notice further requires parties intending to reserve evidence or witnesses to disclose their identities or describe the evidence and its purpose at least three days before presentation before the court.

For security considerations, the impeachment court allowed limited withholding of witness identities until actual presentation, provided they are included in the total number of witnesses and reflected in the trial schedule.

It also stated that the pre-trial conference will not be open to the media or the public in order to encourage candid discussions and facilitate the proceedings.

‘The pre-trial conference proceedings shall not be open to the media or public,’ the notice stated.

Ridon warned that failure to file the required pre-trial brief on time or absence without valid justification may result in the waiver of the right to present certain evidence or witnesses. He added that the court may proceed to issue a pre-trial order based on available records should any party fail to comply.

Ridon said the June 18 conference is expected to define the framework of the impeachment trial by narrowing issues, organizing evidence, and setting the timetable for the proceedings.

AS a proud Pinoy glued to my screen late into the night, I witnessed history unfold once again for Philippine tennis. Our very own Alexandra Eala, the pride of the Philippines, captured the WTA 125 Lexus Birmingham Open title in 2026. What a journey it was-watching her battle through the grass courts of England, showing that unbeatable Filipino spirit, resilience, and class that makes us all beam with pride from thousands of miles away.

From the very first round, Alex dominated. She kicked things off with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 win over Priscilla Hon. Then came the comeback queen moment against Alina Charaeva, where she rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the second set to win 6-2, 7-5. Quarterfinals? Straight sets over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-3, 6-2. Semifinals brought drama with rain delays and a tough three-setter against Rebeka Masarova (6-2, 4-6, 6-3), but our girl powered through with a bandaged leg and all. And in the final against Nikola Bartunkova, she found a way to win in a dramatic match that had us all on the edge of our seats.

This isn’t just another title for Alex-it’s her second WTA 125 crown, a massive boost heading into Wimbledon, and another milestone that cements her as the Philippines’ brightest tennis star.

We’ve always dreamed of moments like this. Seeing a kababayan lift that trophy on international soil fills the heart with so much joy and hope for the future of Philippine sports. Alex is not only talented; she’s a fighter who represents the bayanihan spirit-lifting herself and inspiring an entire nation.

What made it even more special was tuning in online, joining fellow Pinoys in live chats, flooding social media with #GoAlexEala and #ProudlyFilipino. Every point she won felt like a collective victory. Even with the time difference, the community was alive-cheering, praying, and celebrating every ace and winner. That’s the beauty of being Filipino; we rally behind our own no matter where they are.

During the awarding ceremony, Alex was her usual humble and gracious self in the on-court interview. She shared heartfelt thoughts that perfectly captured her journey: ‘I’m really happy with the win today… This means so much, especially on grass. I’m just grateful to everyone who’s supported me-the team, my family back home, and all the Filipinos cheering from afar. It wasn’t easy with the rain and everything, but I told myself to keep fighting. This one’s for the Philippines!’

She also touched on her growth: ‘I feel like I’ve improved a lot since last year. Grass is tricky, but I’m really starting to enjoy it. To all the young players out there, keep working hard. Dreams do come true if you believe and put in the work.’

Her words brought some tennis fans to tears. In a sport where individual excellence shines, Alex always remembers her roots. She’s paving the way for the next generation of Filipino athletes, showing that with dedication, we can compete-and win-at the highest levels.

To Alex: Maraming salamat for making us proud once more! Your victories are ours too. The Philippines is behind you all the way as you take on Wimbledon and beyond.

THE Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) is preparing to expand its eMarketplace catalog to include laptops, fire trucks and ambulances in its bid to help government agencies generate savings amid the energy crisis.

PS-DBM Executive Director Genmaries Entredicho-Caong told reporters that the government’s central purchasing agent will onboard more common-use supplies and equipment (CSE) and motor vehicles to its online procurement platform.

Specialized vehicles, such as fire trucks and ambulances, are being considered for inclusion in the lineup of multi-purpose vehicles, passenger and utility vans and mini buses available in the eMarketplace, Entredicho-Caong said.

Fire trucks are already part of PS-DBM’s market study following a request from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Entredicho-Caong said the PS-DBM seeks to onboard fire trucks within the year, while ambulances are expected to follow due to growing demand from local government units.

The PS-DBM is also preparing to relaunch laptops on the eMarketplace after suspending procurement of the items following the Department of Education’s procurement of overpriced laptops, added the PS-DBM official.

She said the agency has reviewed its specifications and pricing guidelines to ensure that future procurements offer better value for money. Laptops could return to the platform as early as June.

Due to the energy crisis, PS-DBM is also targeting to onboard more alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), such as electric, hybrid and battery-operated vehicles, Entredicho-Caong said.

The agency has included electric vehicles from Cross Country Motors Inc., Foton, and Mobility Access Philippines Ventures Inc., the distributor of BYD vehicles in the country, last May. Offerings from Kia and VinFast are still under evaluation for inclusion in the eMarketplace.

‘If more green products are available in the PS-DBM catalog, agencies will see them as viable options and may purchase them instead of conducting separate procurement,’ Entredicho-Caong said.

Centralized procurement enables the government to secure lower prices through bulk purchasing.

‘Our prices are typically 32 percent to 40 percent lower than market prices,’ Entredicho-Caong said, noting that the government saved around P711 million in 2020. ‘This demonstrates the benefits of bulk procurement.’

Armscor Global Defense Inc., a local maker of guns, firearms and ammunition, said the company is scouting for a site in Luzon for its new facility as it aims to expand its operations.

Gina Angangco, the company’s new president and CEO, said the company’s initial plan to put up a facility in Baras, Rizal is no longer feasible as the area now has more residents.

‘We have plans of really setting up a different location. We’re very crowded here (in Marikina) right now, and there’s no more space for expansion, so we have been eyeing different areas. We’ve looked at it and studied it, and we’ve talked to the owners, and we’re looking at different sites for our expansion program for us may not be possible anymore,’ she said.

Its 7-hectare facility in Marikina houses advanced automated and robotic production lines capable of manufacturing about 250,000 firearms and over 420 million to 560 million rounds of ammunition annually.

Angangco also said current geopolitical tensions have created uncertainties for businesses like Armscor.

‘So many of our projects we have to study very carefully for the appropriate timing,’ she said.

‘Many of the raw materials are difficult to come by because of all the shipping challenges, logistics, and of course many countries want to have their own stockpile to defend their own countries. So, it is really important that we, the Filipinos, start really seriously going on that path to become self-reliant in (firearms).’

Angangco said 2026 is a recovery year for the company which had to lay off some 500 its workers in 2025 due to the uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

She said most of the fired employees have been re-hired and have beefed up its workforce to about 1,000. The company has also received refund for the excess tariffs imposed on the company.

‘Last year, there was the six-month gun ban (because of the elections). Right after the gun ban came the 19-percent tariff rates (on the Philippine exports) to the US.’

That affected the company as more than half of its production are all for export. Today, she said, exports are picking up. She also said the company is not directly affected by the war in the Middle East.

Angangco also said the company was able to secure the Tatak Pinoy seal.

‘With the Tatak Pinoy, nine strategic industries were chosen as priorities of the government, and one of them was the defense manufacturing, which we are part of.’

With the seal, the government will assist the company to scale its operations on a global level.

‘They help us in preparing the venues for expos. They now require government procuring entities to give preference to domestic industries in the past under the Republic Act 9104 the Procurement Act, procuring entities may honor domestic preference,’ she said.

‘So that’s a good thing, because you know when our economy thrives, then everyone benefits from the economic multiplier effect of more funds into our economy.’

PLDT Inc. expects to raise around $400 million from the initial tranche of its planned Vitro Inc. real estate investment trust (REIT) listing, which would cover eight mature data centers with a combined capacity of 27 megawatts (MW).

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the company’s Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (ASM) on Tuesday, PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said the eight data centers would form the core assets to be injected into the REIT, with a fourth-quarter launch targeted this year.

Proceeds from the listing would go primarily toward reducing PLDT’s debt load.

A second, larger tranche is already being contemplated. Pangilinan said the company’s data center in Santa Rosa, Laguna-significantly larger than the initial portfolio at 50 megawatts-could be injected into the REIT at a later stage, potentially adding at least $1 billion in value.

‘Santa Rosa will be about, at least, a billion (dollars),’ Pangilinan said.

The decision to pursue a REIT listing over a direct sale to strategic investors came down to valuation. Pangilinan said potential buyers were not offering the prices PLDT believed the assets warranted.

‘We’re not getting the kind of values we think we ought to get for the data centers.’

Pangilinan said a 49-percent economic stake priced at $300 million-based on certain dividend yield assumptions – implies a total valuation of roughly $600 million for the 27-MW portfolio. Raising the offer to $400 million for a comparable stake pushes the implied total to around $800 million, a figure Pangilinan said more accurately reflects what the assets are worth.

‘If you get $300 million, it’s only for 49-percent economic interest-then you look at $600 million or so for 100 percent,’ Pangilinan said. ‘You get $400 million, then it’s $800 million. Just for the 27 megawatts.’

PLDT’s board on Tuesday approved the pursuit of a Vitro REIT.

The approval follows the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) issuance of Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026, which revised the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 9856, or the Real Estate Investment Trust Act of 2009.

The amended rules broadened the REIT framework to include digital infrastructure assets such as information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and data centers-a regulatory change that effectively unlocked the listing path PLDT had been waiting on.

The decision ends years of deliberation over how best to monetize what has been valued at around $1 billion in data center assets.

PLDT had previously weighed a REIT listing at least twice – first in 2024, when Pangilinan floated it as a contingency should equity talks with Japan’s NTT Data collapse, and again in 2025 as the company sought to reduce debt and build liquidity. Those NTT negotiations eventually broke down.

UBS AG and BPI Capital are advising ePLDT Inc. on the proposed Vitro REIT listing.

ARGENTINA can now resume exporting poultry products to the Philippines following its bird flu-free status, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Department Circular (DC) 29, which allowed the entry of poultry products, including meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen from the South American nation.

The DA decided to lift the ban after veterinary officers from Argentina reported zero new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the World Health Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

‘The official report […] has reflected that the reported case of HPAI has ended with resolved status and no additional outbreaks,’ the circular read, adding that Argenina is now free from bird flu.

Citing the agency’s evaluation, the DA noted that the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen is negligible.

‘Nonetheless, all import transactions of the above commodities slaughtered- produced after the issuance of this circular may commence again in accordance with existing regulations of the Department of Agriculture.’

The DA issues temporary country-wide import ban as a precautionary measure against transboundary animal diseases such as bird flu and African swine fever (ASF) to shield the country’s livestock and poultry industries.

Both industries are critical to the country’s farm sector, which the DA said drives rural empoloyment and investments while also contributing to food security.

Under the rules, only DA-accredited countries that have secured a regionalization agreement with the Philippines can continue to export animals and their byproducts amid cases of bird flu, subject to certain conditions.

A regionalization agreement means that the Philippines will restrict shipments of the commodity only from certain areas with confirmed bird flu cases instead of imposing a country-wide ban.

The measure ensures a sustained trade of poultry goods, since imposing a temporary ban for the entire country curbs sources of raw materials that could potentially place pressure on prices.

Currently, the Philippines has a regionalization agreement for bird flu with Belgium, United Kingdom, France, the United States, the Netherlands, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Poland. Ada Pelonia

THE Board of Investments (BOI) has approved nearly P2 billion worth of housing and industrial development projects in Central Luzon, paving the way for the construction of more than 1,700 mass housing units and a new industrial park.

In a statement, the BOI said it approved the registration of two mass housing projects in Nueva Ecija and a domestic industrial park project in Pampanga with a combined investment value of P1.98 billion.

The largest share of the investment will come from the housing developments of Borland Development Corporation, which are expected to deliver more than 1,700 economic housing units for Filipino families seeking affordable homeownership options.

The projects, with a combined cost of about P1.35 billion, are scheduled to begin commercial operations in June 2026. Further, the BOI said the projects are expected to generate jobs during both the construction and operational phases.

Meanwhile, Fortunetown Properties Corp. received approval for the development of a 24-hectare domestic industrial park in Mexico, Pampanga.

The industrial park will provide serviced industrial land and facilities intended for manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and other business activities. The project is also expected to reinforce Central Luzon’s position as a major manufacturing and logistics hub outside Metro Manila.

Commercial operations for the industrial park are, likewise, targeted to begin this month.

For Trade Secretary and BOI Chairman Ma. Cristina Roque, the approved projects address multiple development needs, including housing accessibility, employment generation and regional economic growth.

For her part, BOI Infrastructure and Services Industry Service Director Mary Ann Raganit said the approvals demonstrate how investments can be translated into tangible projects that benefit communities and businesses.

THE two starlets are considered rivals. Of course in front of the public, they greet each other and say hello. They aren’t really enemies, but they’re not friends either. What differentiates the first starlet from the second is it the first may be more popular and have more endorsements, but the second is known to be kind and authentic. The first starlet is someone who will say what people expect her to say. Meanwhile, the second starlet, who is not perfect, is more likable simply because she is genuine with her interactions.

JUST A FLING

THE young actress has always liked the actor, who had a girlfriend, also an actress. That didn’t stop the actor from having a fling with the young actress, who is beautiful and talented. He thought that was the end of it. Well, the young actress, who turned out to be very immature, had other ideas. She went to the actor’s girlfriend and told her everything. To the actor, it was a one-time thing. To the young actress, it was serious. Of course, at this point the girlfriend was fed up with her boyfriend and just wanted a peaceful life. And that is how they broke up. The actor and his ex are already happily involved with other people. The young actress seems to be in a loving relationship, too.

SHE’S DONE

AFTER she was fired from her job, the female executive was thought to replace a bigwig at a sister company. Months later, that has not happened despite the persistent rumors. The rumors have now stopped and according to the grapevine, it was a female executive who spread the rumors. No one wanted her at any of the conglomerate’s companies. Her rash and bad decisions while she was in position and the financial losses that resulted from these decisions have finally been exposed. And for now, she is done.

FO

It’s so strange that these two starlets, once the best of friends, are no longer talking to each other. Is it because of a man? Well, in a way it is. Starlet 1 thought Starlet 2 was her friend. She was shocked to learn that the latter had hooked up with her former suitor. It’s not that she still liked the guy. She already has a boyfriend. She was just surprised that her supposed good friend didn’t tell her and she had to learn about it from social media. These days, the two starlets just ignore each other. As for the guy, he says he has always liked Starlet 2 and Starlet 1 was just a good friend