Category: Business Mirror

Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong will get a 2.2-percent increase in their monthly allowable wage in the special administrative region of China, according to Department of the Migrant Workers (DMW).

The Hong Kong government decided to raise the monthly salary of foreign domestic workers from HK$4,990 (equivalent to P37,329.64) to HK$5,100 (equivalent to P38,152.64).

The new salary adjustment will apply to employment contracts, which were signed starting September 30, 2025. However, contracts, which were signed under the previous wage level will still be accepted by the Hong Kong Immigration Department until October 27, 2025.

DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac lauded the development since it exceeded DMW’s proposed new monthly minimum wage for domestic workers.

‘The wage increase surpasses the Philippines’ US$500 [equivalent to P29,098.75] z minimum wage standard for domestic workers as outlined in DMW Advisory No. 25, Series of 2025,’ he said in a statement.

The new wage adjustment will cover majority of the over 190,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Hong Kong, who are mostly domestic workers.

DMW said its Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Hong Kong will assist OFWs in enforcing contracts and reporting any cases of non-compliance.

It said it will continue to push for better benefits for Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong such as raising their food allowance, which remained at HK$1,236 (equivalent to P9,246.40).

‘The DMW stressed the importance of ongoing discussions to address additional issues, like the unchanged food allowance despite rising living costs,’ the agency said.

The majority owners of Coal Asia Holdings Inc. has signed a share purchase agreement with Pure Energy Holdings Corp. to sell as much as 71.68 percent of the company.

In its disclosure, Coal Asia’s majority stockholders Dexter Y. Tiu, Eric Peter Y. Roxas, Gertim G. Chuahiong, Alexander Y. Tiu, and John L. Capinpin have agreed to sell their ownership to Pure Energy, Pure Water Corp. and Quadwater Corp.

The deal involved some 28.67 billion common shares of Coal Asia. The total transaction value is P220.91 million.

Under the agreement, Pure Energy acquired 4.99 billion common shares, representing 12.48 percent of the company’s issued and outstanding capital stock. Pure Water and Quad each acquired 11.84 billion shares, representing 29.6 percent.

‘The selling shareholders currently expect to finalize this transaction before year-end 2025, subject to the satisfaction of various pre-completion conditions, including, but not limited to, the fulfillment of any mandatory tender offer requirement by the buyers to the shareholders of COAL,’ the company said.

Pure Energy is a holding company, and its first tier subsidiary, Pure Water, together with Quad Water, has an equity participation in Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc.

Pure Water is a unit of Pure Energy, while Quad is not affiliated with either of the two companies.

Pure Energy and Pure Water and Coal Asia have interlocking directors, such as Tiu, Roxas and Chuahiong.

Coal Asia’s shares closed at P0.026 apiece on Monday.

Coal Asia was incorporated on June 11, 2012, primarily to be the holding company of Titan Mining and Energy Corp., a company engaged in the operations of coal mining and energy-related business.

Titan Mining owns coal operating contracts (COC) in Davao Oriental and Zamboanga Sibugay. In 2016, preliminary mine development activities commenced at the Davao Oriental project, although Titan Mining is still awaiting the conversion of the COC from exploration to development and production.

It submitted a five-year work program with a feasibility study for the Zamboanga Sibugay project to the Department of Energy (DOE) in August 2016.

Last January 22, the DOE terminated Titan Mining’s COC No. 166 for failing to submit complete requirements for conversion from exploration to development and production phase, requiring Titan Mining to vacate and restore the contract area.

The company received DOE approval to convert COC No. 159 to development and production phase, subject to obtaining either a certificate of precondition or certificate of non-overlap from the National Commission on Indigenous People.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to jointly address the persistent mismatch between graduates’ skills and labor market demands.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma and CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis formalized the, which seeks to ensure that higher education programs respond more closely to evolving industry needs.

The MOA outlines mechanisms for better labor market information, curriculum alignment with emerging skills, and bolstered youth employment initiatives, including the Government Internship Program (GIP) and the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).

Under the agreement, DOLE regional offices will deliver labor market data and career guidance, while CHED will support in raising awareness of employment services and share monthly reports on its own job placement efforts.

The partnership comes as the country faces a sudden spike in joblessness.

In July 2025, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the national unemployment rate climbed to 5.3 percent, or 2.59 million Filipinos without work.

This was 1.6 percentage points higher than the 3.7 percent (or 2.38 million individuals) recorded in the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed Filipinos aged 15 to 24 rose to 1.08 million in July 2025 from 1.02 million a year earlier.

This pushed the youth unemployment rate to 18.1 percent, up from 14.8 percent in July 2024.

The proportion of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) also rose to 15.9 percent from 13.9 percent, while labor force participation among young people dropped to 29.5 percent from 34.2 percent year-on-year.

DOLE Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres said the agreement with CHED is meant to directly confront the country’s employment challenges by aligning education with labor market needs.

‘This partnership turns the policy goals initiated by the President into concrete actions for stronger employment and workforce readiness with the adverse effects of climate change, rapid technological developments, and the persistent challenges posed by job skills mismatches,’ Torres said.

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said the Department of Justice will seek the cancellation of the passport of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma following the issuance of an arrest warrant against in relation to the killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020.

At a press briefing, Remulla also said he would be meeting with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago on the possibility of requesting a red notice from the Interpol to hasten Garma’s return to the country.

He said Garma and her co-accused will be considered as fugitives if they will not surrender to authorities despite the issuance of the arrest warrant against them.

‘Well, if you don’t surrender, that’s what will happen,’ Remulla said when asked if the respondents can now be considered as fugitives.

The DOJ chief added that the Philippine National Police (ONP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) should already implement the arrest warrant against the accused.

Remulla also the DOJ will file a petition for the cancellation of Garma’s passport to force her to return to the country.

However, Remulla said Garma would likely return to the country since she has no other place to go following her deportation from the US.

‘I think she will come home, she has no nowhere else to go. She was refused asylum already in the US’ Remulla said.

It can be recalled that Garma was allowed to leave for Malaysia a day after returning to the country from Los Angeles, California, last September 6 following the denial of her application for political asylum.

Garma left as a tourist for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to the Bureau of Immigration, on September 7.

Garma was allowed to leave the country after the BI was able to verify that there was no hold departure order (HDO) or warrant of arrest issued against her.

Remulla later on disclosed that Garma has agreed to testify for the prosecution in connection with the crimes against humanity filed in the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for his bloody anti-illegal drug war.

The DOJ secretary said that the denial of Garma’s bid for political asylum in the United States prompted her to agree to become one of the ICC prosecution’s witnesses against Duterte.

Remulla pointed to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV as the one who facilitated Garma’s inclusion as a prosecution witness against Duterte, who is currently detained at the ICC headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, awaiting proceedings in connection with his case.

He said Garma left for Malaysia to meet with ICC representatives to prepare for her testimony in Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.

Aside from Garma, the arrest warrant issued by the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 279 also covers former National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and police officials Jeremy Causapin, Santie Mendoza, and Nelson Mariano,

They are facing trial for murder and frustrated murder charges.

Barayuga was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding man shortly while on his way home from the PCSO central office in Mandaluyong City on July 30, 2020.

His driver survived the incident, thus filing of frustrated murder complaint against the respondents.

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized P34.725 billion worth of various goods, natural resources, cigarettes and illegal drugs smuggled into the country as of end-August.

In his presentation of the BOC’s accomplishment report on Tuesday, Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip C. Maronilla said the bureau carried out 653 seizure operations from January to August this year, confiscating P34.725 billion worth of illicit items.

Confiscated various goods, such as general merchandise, topped the list of the highest-valued commodities, totaling P20.156 billion as of end-August.

This was followed by wildlife and natural resources amounting to P4.784 billion and illegal drugs valued at P4.562 billion.

The BOC also intercepted smuggled cigarettes, tobacco, e-cigarettes and vape products worth P2.104 billion.

Counterfeit goods, such as fake branded apparel and accessories, pegged at P1.041 billion, were also apprehended.

Maronilla also reported the BOC’s ‘record-breaking’ seizures during the month of July to August, conducting 128 seizure operations of smuggled products amounting to P2.390 billion.

The seizure of illicit cigarettes valued at P605.29 million in Plaridel, Bulacan, on August 2 was highlighted, which marked the largest cigarette seizure for this year.

According to the Department of Finance, the government could suffer a revenue loss of about P150 billion this year due to smuggling.

This estimated figure refers to potential revenue losses on the part of the BOC, covering foregone collections from general merchandise and oil.

Maronilla told BusinessMirror earlier that the BOC is strengthening its anti-smuggling measures to offset possible losses from illicit trade.

Maronilla said a new team at the BOC has already come up with a comprehensive anti-smuggling program focused on possible misdeclarations and technical smuggling.

The BOC is also working on revising a cooperation agreement with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy to effectively guard the country’s borders against smugglers.

To further plug expected losses, Maronilla said the BOC is also banking on its Fuel Marking Program as one of the agency’s main revenue drivers, as well as other revenue sources, such as cars, steel and chemicals.

The BOC has collected a total of P622.468 billion from January to August this year, higher by 1.3 percent than the P614.395 billion raised during the same period last year.

In the first seven months, the BOC collected P1.520 billion from non-traditional revenue sources through the Post Clearance Audit Group and P43.267 million from Public Auctions.

This year, the BOC will collect P958.7 billion, which makes up 21.20 percent of the government’s full-year revenue target of P4.520 trillion.

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday debunked accusations that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is being shielded by the government from the ongoing investigation into the multibillion corruption in flood control projects.

At a press briefing, Remulla stressed that the Justice department is now looking into the possible culpabilities of Romualdez over questionable budget insertions and kickbacks from flood control projects.

‘We are already studying everything, liability-wise because [resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Representative] Zaldy Co, as the chairman of appropriations, is well-known as the Speaker’s choice. We all know that.He’s the one the Speaker trusted, and he was the one placed there,’ Remulla explained.

‘So, even from the start, you already know that something was not right with what’s now coming to light,’ he added.

Remulla made the statement after Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero accused Romualdez of providing the script to implicate senators in the flood-control project anomalies in order to divert the public’s outrage away from him.

The DOJ secretary assured the public that no one will be spared from its ongoing investigation.

‘We’re not protecting anyone here. This is really for the country. There is nothing personal here. This is beyond friendships. It’s beyond school connections or fraternal ties. It’s already beyond all that because what’s at stake here is the Filipino people-our country is what’s at stake. ‘We cannot allow this to be neglected,’ Remulla stressed.

‘He is among those we are seriously looking into as someone who may have liability here,’ he added, referring to Romualdez.

Building on the higher volumes of milk and meat collected in the last five years, the Philippines is now aiming to scale up its carabao population to boost rural incomes, according to the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC).

DA-PCC said this in a statement on Tuesday after it revealed that the government national program on genetically improving the Philippine carabao has made ‘headway’ as it recorded 145,181 genetically improved calves in the last five years.

This represents a 31.1 percent increase from 2019 to 2024 and translates to an estimated 12 million kilograms of milk and 114,380 jobs supported by the carabao supply chain.

The attached agency of the country’s Agriculture department said 90 percent of these calves are meant for milk and meat purposes while the remaining 10 percent is for draft power.

In the recent year alone, the DA-PCC said 36,618 superior-breed calves were produced out of the organized crossbreeding program.

‘Building on these gains, the program now aims to scale up the adoption of genetically superior carabaos across the DA-PCC network of service areas,’ the attached agency of DA said in its statement.

Liza G. Battad, Executive Director III of DA-PCC, explained that the ‘accelerated shift toward a more productive carabao population is expected to strengthen farmer cooperatives due to higher volumes of milk and meat handled collectively, enhance market linkages, significantly increase farmers’ incomes, and improve household nutrition through greater milk availability.’

DA-PCC said the carabao topped the list of the national dairy animal inventory, with 82,908 carabaos, followed by goats with 36,022, and cattle with 35,322.

‘With 99 percent of the carabao population owned by smallholder farmers, efforts to improve its productivity directly translate to better incomes and livelihoods for rural households,’ the attached agency of DA noted.

This ‘buildup,’ DA-PCC said, supports the livelihood of 227 assisted cooperative-led enterprises, comprising some 14,000 cooperative members and their families.

The DA-PCC also note the ‘steady increase’ in price per liter of raw carabao’s milk signals the ‘economic viability’ and competitiveness of the industry, underscoring the importance and timeliness of these advancements for the industry.

‘From P63.27 in 2020, a liter of raw carabao milk is now at P84.87,’ the attached agency of DA noted.

To match the increase in production, the DA-PCC assisted cooperatives are ‘actively’ supplying toned pasteurized milk for the national School-based Feeding Program (SBFP) of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

‘This market channel alone has generated for these cooperatives P2.4 billion from 2019 to 2024 for the SBFP and P504 million from 2020 to 2024 for the SFP,’ DA-PCC said.

Under the Sagip Saka Act or Republic Act No. 11321, community-based organizations such as the assisted carabao cooperatives of the DA-PCC are prioritized as suppliers under the guided procurement.

DA-PCC also noted that other market development interventions are now underway, including the establishment of 80 Dairy Boxes nationwide, 18 of which are positioned as Kadiwa ng Pangulo Dairy Box.

The Dairy Box is a business model by DA-PCC developed to absorb the produce of carabao dairy cooperatives.

The Milka Krem, an advocacy dairy outlet and café managed by the DA-PCC, showcases quality carabao milk and carabao-based products, serving as another market support for dairy farmers.

The Department of Tourism-accredited outlet can be found in Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija and at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños Laguna.

Meanwhile, DA-PCC said there is also a ‘significant’ growing appreciation of carabao meat and consistent increase in meat production with 76,046 metric tons in 2024 from 70,572 in 2020.

‘The demand for carabao meat has also influenced the prevailing liveweight price per kilogram at P164.61 from P110.28 in 2020,’ the attached agency of DA also noted.

DA-PCC said another ’emerging subsector’ alongside the dairy sector is the leather production industry, which taps into carabao by-products and creates additional income streams for farmers.

‘This Cara Cuero brand, a market development initiative by the DA-PCC at Central Luzon State University, seeks to enhance the value of carabao hide by creating high-quality leather products, positioning them in the high-end,’ it also noted.

Mreit Inc., the real estate investment trust of Megaworld Corp., on Monday said Andrew Tan’s mall and retail assets will expand its portfolio, which it plans to double to 1 million square meters of gross leasable area (GLA) by 2027.

The infusion of additional assets aims to capture the continued growth in consumer spending and the strong momentum in mall leasing, complementing Mreit’s established base of high-occupancy office assets.

‘Our goal is to diversify our portfolio and expand our revenue base. So while the country is experiencing an impressive growth in consumer activities, we want to tap into these opportunities. This will enable us to deliver both growth and diversification, keeping our portfolio resilient and relevant for the years ahead,’ Kevin Andrew L. Tan, Mreit chairman, said.

Megaworld continues to hold a substantial portfolio of income-generating assets, including around 1 million square meters of office GLA and 500,000 square meters of retail GLA that may still be infused into Mreit over time. This deep pipeline provides flexibility and underscores the long-term growth runway as Mreit accelerates toward its one-million square meter target.

Across the country, foot traffic and sales in Megaworld’s shopping malls have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with strong leasing activities from both global and homegrown brands.

Mall occupancy has also reached a record 93 percent as of end-June 2025. This favorable environment underpins Mreit’s strategy to bring in more retail assets in the future, ensuring that its portfolio captures both the growth of business process outsourcing and the resurgence of Philippine consumer spending.

Mreit’s current portfolio spans across Megaworld’s key townships, particularly in Eastwood City, McKinley Hill, McKinley West, Iloilo Business Park, and Davao Park District, with occupancy consistently among the highest in the industry.

The company remains focused on expanding its portfolio through accretive acquisitions while maintaining strong dividend payouts to investors.

Last August, Megaworld reported that its net income in the first half expanded by 23 percent to P12.08 billion from the previous year’s P9.81 billion.

Revenues went up by 10 percent to P43.08 billion from the previous year’s P39.09 billion.

For the second quarter alone, its income grew 30 percent to P6.25 billion from the previous year’s P4.79 billion, while revenues grew at a slower pace at 9 percent to P22.15 billion from the previous P20.22 billion.

Everyone talks about leadership qualities like ‘vision’ and ‘charisma.’ But those are vague, and frankly, not what you really need. You need to develop real, tangible, high-leverage skills.

Why does this matters more than ever: technology is moving fast. AI, as we all know by now (unless you’re living in a cave), is already taking over tasks once thought to be safe, from writing reports to analyzing data to summarizing meetings. If AI can handle large parts of ‘management,’ what’s left for human leaders?

The answer: the deeply human skills that no algorithm can replicate.

That’s why if you want to be future-proof, the kind of leader who’s not just valuable but irreplaceable, you need to focus on building on high-value skills.

I will walk will outline some high-value leadership skills that will make you irreplaceable.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

1. Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking is the ability to zoom out, see patterns, and connect the dots others miss. It makes you valuable not just for execution, but for shaping the future.

2. Influence Without Authority

Influence without authority is the difference between compliance and commitment. It’s how you get things done in matrixed, global organizations.

3. Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

Weighing scenarios and rallying the team to move.

This is what makes decisive leaders irreplaceable: they create clarity when others are paralyzed.

4. Coaching and Talent Development

Coaching is an ultimate multiplier. Leaders who grow others extend their influence far beyond their own capacity.

5. Conflict Navigation and Resolution

Conflict in the workplace and in leadership is inevitable. The question is whether it breaks trust or builds it. The answer is: it helps the team to walk away stronger.

Leaders who can navigate it productively become invaluable.

6. Delegation and Leverage

Leaders who master delegation multiply output and free themselves for strategic work, while giving space to their team to grow and lead.

7. Time Prioritization and Focus

Focus is what separates leaders who make progress from those who stay stuck in motion. They schedule thinking time and consistently drive 2-3 priorities that make a difference.

8. Communication That Lands

Communication is about speaking so people understand, remember, and most importantly, act. It tells a clear, simple story with data and examples, ending with a decisive task.

9. Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness

We all have bad days, but what matters most is how we react to them.

Think of emotional intelligence as the skill that holds every other leadership skill together. Without it, everything else falls apart.

Final Thoughts

Technology will continue to advance, but no matter how advanced it becomes, it can’t replace the deeply human side of leadership – the skills that inspire trust, build resilience, and move people forward.

That’s why your edge as a leader isn’t in being the smartest person in the room, or the one who can crank out the most output. It’s in mastering the skills that no algorithm can do better: thinking strategically, coaching others, and creating clarity in chaos.

You don’t need to build all nine skills at once. Pick one or two, practice them deliberately, and watch how your influence grows.

Tudor Cycling Team rider Arvid de Kleijn won Stage 2 of the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi 2025 (PLTdL25) from Padang Besar, Perlis, to Kepala Batas, Penang in a bunch sprint finish today.

After finishing third in Stage 1 in Langkawi yesterday, de Kleijn skillfully navigated the middle lane to pass Stage 1 winner, Matteo Malucelli of XDS-Astana while VF Group Bardiani CSF-Faizane rider, Enrico Zanoncello, took third place.

However, Malucelli still retains the PETRONAS Green Jersey for the overall General Classification (GC) leader with an accumulated time of 5 hours 30 minutes 50 seconds, just 2 seconds ahead of de Kleijn.

The gap for the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) Orange Jersey for the Sprint King is even tighter, at only 3 points.

The Best Local Rider for Stage 2 was Wan Abdul Rahman Hamdan of Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG) who finished in sixth place, improving on his 12th place finish in Stage1. His teammate, Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli, successfully defended the Rakan Muda White Jersey for the Best Asian Rider.

With no climbing zones today, St George Continental Cycling Team rider, Ben Carman, still holds the BubblesO2 Polka Dot Jersey as the King of the Mountains.

Meanwhile, Cedric Bakke Christophersen of Unibet Tietema Rocket, who attempted a solo breakaway before the finish line, was awarded the Most Combative Rider.

The healthy rivalry between the two Sprint Kings of 2024 (Malucelli) and 2023 (De Kleijn) promises a more intense battle on the remaining flat stages, with both determined to add to their collection of PLTdL stage wins.

‘It’s a great feeling. My teammates, Changizi (Sebastian), did a great job – making sure we were in the middle of the front group, and I’m happy everything worked out for us. PLTdL is a special race in my heart, but personally, I hope the weather is better for the next stages,’ said De Kleijn.

This victory marks his personal fifth stage win, following victories in Stage 1 and 6 in 2023, and Stage 4 and 5 last year.

Regarding the expected tougher rivalry with Malucelli, he said that personally, they have no issues. They are professional and they challenge each other to increase their stage-win tally.

The Swiss rider explained that although the race started in heavy rain and with slick roads, which added an almost 3km neutral zone, his team remained calm and relaxed despite attempts by some riders to break away.

He noted that Tudor only began their work at the front of the peloton in the final few kilometers before entering Kepala Batas town under blazing heat, which then culminated in a bunch sprint.

‘It was actually a tough race and I hope the weather changes for the better after this,’ said De Kleijn.

Meanwhile, Malucelli was clearly disappointed with his tactical execution in the final sprint. ‘My teammates (Astana) worked hard to pull us to the front and find a comfortable space, but perhaps I made a small mistake by sprinting too early and ran out of energy at the last moment,’ said Malucelli who won 3 stages last year with the Japanese Continental team, JCL UKYO.

Regarding the leader’s and Sprint King’s jerseys, which he has worn for two consecutive stages, the Italian rider stated he will try to defend them, even though he is aware that Stage 3 from Gerik to Pasir Puteh involves some challenging climbs.

‘I know this route because I raced it in 2018 (with Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec). We will see how the situation is tomorrow. But we will try to control the race, although we know it will be difficult since we only have six riders,’said Malucelli who has collected four PLTdL stage victories so far. Stage 3 from Gerik,Perak to Pasir Puteh, Kelantan tomorrow with a distance of 198.2km, featuring three climbing zones – Gerik (Category 3), Sri Banding (Category 2) and Puncak Titiwangsa (Category 1).

Riders will then face a flat route with three sprint zones in Jeli (km117.3), Bukit Bunga (km134.1) and Machang (km179.1) before finishing in front of the Pasir Puteh Land and District Office.