Category: Business Mirror

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI) on Wednesday said it has strengthened its presence in Central Visayas with the recent opening of its first Robinsons Supermarket branch in Panglao, Bohol-one of the country’s most sought-after tourism and leisure destinations.

Located at the Bellemar Lifestyle Center along Anos Fonacier Road in Tawala, Panglao, the new store underscores Robinsons Supermarket’s continued expansion into high-growth communities and strategic destinations across the Philippines.

Known for its world-renowned beaches, thriving hospitality sector and expanding tourism infrastructure, Panglao has emerged as a key driver of economic activity in Bohol.

By establishing a presence in Panglao, Robinsons Supermarket aims to address the growing demand for convenient access to quality grocery products among local households, tourism workers, entrepreneurs, hospitality operators, and visitors.

The new store offers a comprehensive assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, quality meats and seafood, dairy and frozen products, pantry staples, household essentials, health and wellness products, and trusted local and international brands, providing a one-stop shopping destination for the community.

‘As we continue to expand our footprint nationwide, our goal remains unchanged: to bring Everyday Goodness and Everyday Value closer to more Filipino communities. We want to make fresh products, trusted quality, and meaningful savings more accessible to every customer we serve,’ Kerwin L. Legarde, group general manage for Robinsons Supermarket, said.

Beyond everyday grocery needs, RRHI said the store is also well-positioned to support nearby hotels, resorts, restaurants, transient accommodations and other tourism-related businesses that depend on consistent access to food ingredients and supplies.

‘The supermarket also contributes to local economic activity through job generation and business opportunities for suppliers and partners within the community.’

THE Ombudsman on Wednesday said it would oppose the bid of former speaker and incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to be placed under hospital confinement while his P7.4 billion plunder case is being heard by the Sandiganbayan.

The Ombudsman made known its position as the Sandiganbayan is scheduled to hear on Thursday the manifestation and urgent motion filed by Romualdez asking the anti-graft court to allow him to remain at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) in San Juan City, following its issuance of an arrest warrant against him on Monday.

The arrest warrant was served by policemen on Romualdez on the same day at the CSMC where he has been confined owing to alleged various illnesses.

‘The prosecutors will strongly oppose the motion. In fact, the prosecutors will ask that not just one doctor but a team of government doctors assess whether or not the illnesses declared need confinement or can be managed outside of the hospital,’ Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic Clavano IV said.

‘If his illnesses can be managed from outside of the hospital, the prosecutors will move that he be immediately transferred to the regular detention facility as all other accused in non-bailable cases,’ Clavano added.

In his manifestation and urgent motion, Romualdez claimed that he is suffering from several heart and brain circulatory diseases, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypothyroidism.

He also informed the Third Division that he previously underwent angioplasty surgery owing to coronary artery disease and has since required continuing monitoring and treatment.

He also claimed to have been previously confined where irregularities found in his magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

Court summons docs

THE Sandiganbayan has summoned Romualdez’s four attending physicians-Drs. Rody Sy, Rogelio Libarnes, Kurt Allen V. Sibayan, and Rosalio P. Torres-in Thursday’s hearing that would determine whether the his motion should be granted or denied.

Romualdez was also ordered to appear before the anti-graft court should his condition permit.

The arrest warrant stemmed from the complaint filed by the Ombudsman accusing Romualdez and several others of pocketing and receiving kickbacks amounting to P7.4 billion from infrastructure and flood control projects of the government.

The Ombudsman has also named former Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co of Ako Bicol, Romualdez’s personal aide Joselyn Tragua Serenio, and the president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation, Felicito Guevarra, as co-respondents in the plunder case.

The Sandiganbayan has also issued arrest orders against Co, Serenio and Guevarra.

Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla meanwhile said the National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group will ask Sandiganbayan to transfer Romualdez from the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City to the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

‘The PNP General Hospital is capable of attending to Romualdez’s medical condition. At the same time, arrangements may be made for his attending physicians to continue providing necessary care, subject to the approval of the court,’ Remulla said in a statement.

‘We will file a motion for custody of Martin Romualdez, for him to be brought to the Camp Crame Hospital. That motion will be filed later or tomorrow to make it clear that we are not allowing him to stay at Cardinal Santos. We can do it at Camp Crame,’ he said.

Remulla added that PNP medical personnel have coordinated with Romualdez’s attending physicians and were informed that his current cardiovascular condition makes him medically unstable to appear before the court or be transferred to a regular detention facility.

24/7 guard

PENDING further medical assessment and court action, Remulla assured that Romualdez will remain in government custody and guarded around the clock.

Meanwhile, Remulla said authorities are intensifying efforts to locate and arrest his co-accused, including former Party-list Rep. Rizaldy Co of Ako Bicol.

Remulla said the government is preparing another request for an International Police Organization Red Notice against Co following the filing of a P7.44-billion plunder case against him, Romualdez, Sereño and Guevarra.

Remulla is scheduled to travel to Lyon, France, to personally follow up with Interpol on efforts to locate and apprehend Co.

‘We will file the Red Notice for Zaldy Co again. Coincidentally, I’ll visit Lyon, France, to follow up the Interpol red notice,’ he explained.

Remulla said his brother, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla will go with him to France to coordinate through diplomatic channels on efforts to secure Co’s arrest and return to the Philippines.

‘I will work with Interpol; he will work on the diplomatic efforts para makuha si Co.’

Law enforcement authorities are continuing efforts to locate Sereño and Guevarra and serve their respective warrants of arrest.

The DILG assured that authorities will continue pursuing all available legal and law enforcement mechanisms, including international coordination when necessary, to ensure that those facing warrants are brought before the proper courts.

PNP to coordinate with counterparts

THE National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said that it will conduct more coordination with its international law enforcement partners to locate Co to ensure his return so that he can face the plunder charges filed against him.

‘The PNP is prepared to coordinate with French authorities through Interpol should former Congressman Zaldy Co be located abroad. We will provide full support to ensure that due process is observed and justice is pursued,’ the PNP Chief, Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, said in a statement.

‘If Co is arrested abroad, the process will follow international protocols through Interpol and diplomatic channels. The PNP will assist in the lawful transfer of custody once the court issues its directive,’ Nartatez added.

Malacañang defended the decision of authorities to allow Romualdez to remain at the CSMC saying it was based on the recommendation of the lawmaker’s doctor.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the statement in response to criticisms that the DILG gave special treatment to Romualdez by allowing him to be confined in a medical facility.

She said they will give the benefit of the doubt on the decision of Romualdez’s physicians, who they consider neutral.

‘We cannot stop doctors from determining the health condition of an accused individual. Neither the PNP nor the DILG leadership can force the immediate transfer of an accused person whom doctors have certified as not yet fit to be discharged or removed from the hospital,’ Castro said in a press briefing Wednesday. With Rex Anthony Naval and Samuel Medenilla

THE country’s foreign reserves, its buffer against external shocks, rose to $104.8 billion as of end-August 2026, the highest level in five months or since March 2026, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Preliminary data from the central bank showed that the latest gross international reserves (GIR) figure is 1.43 percent higher than the $103.32 billion recorded in end-July 2026.

Year-on-year, however, foreign reserves declined by 2.15 percent from the $107.098 billion as of end-August 2025.

According to the central bank, the increase in reserves was mainly driven by the upward valuation adjustments in the BSP’s gold holdings due to the increase in the price of gold in the international market.

The BSP’s net income from its investments abroad also contributed to the increase in reserves.

These were partly offset, however, by the national government’s (NG) drawdowns on its foreign currency deposits with the central bank for external debt service.

Explaining the central bank’s net income from its investments abroad, Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist at Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) said: ‘Part of the BSP’s reserves is invested in safe foreign assets that generate interest and investment income, which can help support reserve growth over time.’

On a month-on-month basis, data from the BSP showed gold holdings climbed by 9.26 percent to $19.11 billion as of end-August 2026 compared to the $17.49 billion as of end-July 2026.

Gold holdings also inched up compared to the same period a year ago, by 31.61 percent from $14.52 billion as of end-August 2025.

In contrast, securities, which BSP said refer to highly liquid and marketable debt securities, declined by 4.68 percent to $64.02 billion as of end-August 2026 compared to the $67.16 billion as of end-July 2026.

Securities exclude investments under the Asian Bond Fund (ABF) and Bank of International Settlements Investment Pool (BISIP).

In the same vein, BSP data showed currency and deposits plunged to $1.55 billion as of end-August 2026, or 17.55 percent lower than the $1.88 billion recorded as of end-July 2026.

Currency and deposits include time deposits, demand deposits, and cash holdings.

According to the central bank, the $104.8-billion level of foreign reserves as of end-August 2026 ‘provide sufficient foreign currency to meet the country’s import needs, service its external debt obligations, and serve as a buffer against external economic shocks.’

Jonathan L. Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong and Co., said the headline annual decline ‘may grab attention,’ but he pointed out: ‘The bigger story is that the Philippines continues to maintain a strong external liquidity buffer.’

‘The GIR remains a key source of resilience amid ongoing global economic and geopolitical uncertainties,’ added Ravelas.

Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), pointed out that for the coming months: ‘GIR would be a function of world gold prices for valuation of gold holdings, structural inflows of US dollars into the country such as OFW remittances, BPO revenues, foreign tourism receipts and foreign investments.’

However, Ricafort explained further that these are offset by the country’s trade deficit, payment of foreign debt/obligations, investments abroad, and any intervention or smoothening of volatility in the local currency market.

The government will ramp up support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and enhance worker employability to curb the soaring unemployment rate, which hit 6 percent last July amid a surge of new workforce entrants and the ongoing Middle East crisis, according to Malacañang.

Citing the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), Palace Press Officer Claire Castro attributed the spike to inability of the labor force to absorb the large number of available workers.

Last July, she said the country’s labor force expanded to 52.36 million while total employment only grew to 49.21 million.

The Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), who were displaced in the Middle East conflict, also contributed to the unemployment, which reached 3.14 million last month.

To address the issue, Castro said the Marcos administration will improve ease of doing business and give more tax breaks to the private sector so the country can generate more jobs.

‘Because when investors can secure requirements more quickly, it is easier for them to enter the market and hire our fellow Filipinos for their businesses,’ Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing last Wednesday.

Tax breaks, she said, can also allow companies to expand their businesses so they employ more people.

Castro said the government also continues to reform the National Education and Workforce Development Plan for 2026 to 2035 based on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Mutual Recognition Arrangements for Qualification and Skills Certification to strengthen the capacity of workers.

She said the effects of the changes in education can already be seen in the outcome of the country’s 2025 Programme For International Student Assessment (PISA) results.

Based on results of the 2025 PISA organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the country scored 373 in science, 371 in mathematics, and 367 in reading.

‘Because of this, the Philippines surpassed 14 countries in Science, 16 in Mathematics, and 18 in Reading,’ Castro said.

‘A 10-year trend analysis by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development also showed that the Philippines is the fastest-improving country in terms of reading performance, with significant improvement in mathematics and continued progress in science,’ she added.

The government also continues its jobs facilitation initiatives, by holding nationwide monthly job fairs and improving the services of the Public Employment Service Offices (PESO).

‘Right now, we see the government’s efforts to alleviate the unemployment issue,’ Castro said.

DEPDev projected the country’s unemployment rate this year will be between 5.3 percent and 5.8 percent due to the existing economic headwinds.

FOR the first time, Swedish literature has a dedicated home at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF).

The Embassy of Sweden and Fully Booked Philippines are hosting the ‘Read Sweden’ booth until September 13 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Home of the Nobel Prize and inventions like Spotify, Sweden is a global leader in innovation. Its culture of collaboration and strong investments in education have made it a fertile environment for creative industries: from music and gaming to design and literature. Robust state support keeps art, theatre, and literature accessible to the entire population, strengthening both creative diversity and freedom of expression.

‘I’m happy that we can make Swedish books more available for Filipino readers,’ said Ambassador Anna Ferry. ‘At the Embassy, my colleagues and I had a fun time choosing the books. These novels are well-liked in Sweden and in other countries, and we made sure that there’s a title that will cater to every reader.’

The Read Sweden booth features titles spanning literary fiction, contemporary fiction, Nordic Noir and thrillers, plus children’s books. This year’s featured authors are Fredrik Backman, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, David Lagercrantz, and Astrid Lindgren-celebrated voices in Sweden and bestselling authors globally.

All titles are available at 20 percent off the regular retail price, with exclusive freebies offered with every purchase. The booth, located on the second floor of MIBF (2-119), will also host cultural activities bringing Swedish storytelling to life for Filipino fairgoers, including a Swedish literature exhibit and language lessons.

Featured books include A Man Called Ove, Anxious People, My Friends and Beartown by Fredrik Backman; The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri; The Millennium Series, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, and The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz; as well as Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, and Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren.

WHOLESALE Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices in the Visayas and Mindanao shot up by 65 percent and 88 percent, respectively, last month. Rates are likely to remain elevated next month as long as the generating units remain offline and new supply is unavailable.

The WESM operator-Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (Iemop)-reported on Wednesday that electricity spot market in Visayas reached P18.59 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the period July 26 to August 25. In Mindanao, WESM prices surged to P19.56 per kWh during the same period.

Iemop Vice President for Trading Operations Isidro Cacho Jr. said the WESM rates for Visayas and Mindanao are so far the highest ‘I have seen since I joined Iemop in 2006.’

Iemop said the supply margin of the Visayas and Mindanao declined by 190 megawatts (MW) and 253 MW, respectively, influenced by outage levels, supply constraints relative to demand, and grid alert conditions.

The tight supply situation owing to forced outages in the Visayas was compounded by constraints affecting the Luzon-Visayas High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnection.

The record highs are expected to persist for the period August 26 to September 25 still due to thin power margins. ‘Definitely, as long there is an advisory of yellow and red alerts then there is a very thin margin, particularly the Visayas, and that will result to higher prices in our electricity markets,’ Cacho said during a news briefing.

On Wednesday, Visayas was again placed on red and yellow alerts by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

The red alert takes effect from 1:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. while the yellow alert is from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

A red alert status is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

Visayas’ available capacity stood at 2,124MW as against a peak demand of 2,555MW.

There are 11 plants on forced outage since the state of the month, four plants since August 2026, one plant since July, two plants since June, seven plants since May, three plants since 2025, two plants since 2024, two plants since 2023, and one plant since 2021, while 13 plants are running on derated capacities, for a total of 982.6MW unavailable to the grid.

The NGCP cited the unavailability of Visayas’ large coal plants TVI 1 and PEDC 3; outage of TVI 2 on Wednesday; and the limited power import from the Mindanao grid as the factors that contributed to the red alert.

In Mindanao, the yellow alert took effect from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Its available capacity was at 2,731MW while its peak demand reached 2,600MW.

There are 13 plants on forced outage in September, seven plants since August, four since July, one since June, two since January, one since 2025, and one since 2024, while six plants are running on derated capacities, for a total of 769.7MW unavailable to the grid.

The factors that contributed to the yellow alert declaration is the unavailability of Mindanao’s large coal plants GNPK 2 and 3.

The sustained high prices in Visayas and Mindanao also resulted in the application of the Secondary Price Cap (SPC)-a WESM price-mitigation mechanism designed to limit prolonged exposure to high spot market prices once the prescribed cumulative price threshold is reached.

In contrast, the average price in Luzon declined to P4.80 per kWh from P7.30 per kWh as demand decreased substantially and sufficient generation remained available despite several generating-unit outages and records a 632 MW increase in the supply margin.

At the system-wide level, average supply declined by 4.1 percent to 19,739 MW, while average demand fell by a larger 6.7 percent to 13,939 MW. As demand declined faster than supply, the average system-wide supply margin increased to 3,779 MW from 3,590 MW in July. Despite the relatively comfortable national supply margin, conditions differed significantly across the three grids.

‘August showed how regional conditions can differ significantly from the national supply picture. While Luzon maintained adequate supply margins, the Visayas experienced generation deficiencies due to forced outages, tighter supply margins, and transmission constraints that limited access to additional lower-cost power.

These conditions increased reliance on higher-cost oil-based plants and battery resources to meet demand, pushing market prices significantly higher,’ Iemop said.

CHANELLE AVARICIO turned a shaky start into a brilliant second-round charge, firing a bogey-free 69 Wednesday to seize a one-stroke lead over Apple Fudolin in the ICTSI Summit Point Championship and set up a thrilling final-round scramble at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club.

Avaricio, who opened with a 75 on Tuesday, stayed patient through the first 11 holes before a birdie on No. 12 ignited a late surge. She followed with another birdie on the 13th and birdied the par-five No. 16 for the second straight day, closing with a 36-33 and a two-day total of 144.

‘I hit more greens in regulation today compared to yesterday, so it was easier to make par today,’ said Avaricio, who credited her improved iron play and putting for the turnaround.

Her late burst proved decisive as overnight co-leaders Sarah Ababa and Tiffany Lee faltered down the stretch, allowing Avaricio to move alone on top after 36 holes.

Ababa, who held a two-shot lead after a 71 in the opening round, suffered a costly double bogey on the 18th and settled for a 75. Lee, meanwhile, forced a three-way tie at the top with Avaricio and Ababa after playing the first 15 holes at one under for the day, only to bogey Nos. 16 and 17 and finish with a second straight 73.

Both dropped to joint third at 146 with Seoyun Kim, who fought back with a 71.

Fudolin emerged as Avaricio’s closest challenger after a gritty 71 put her at 143, just one stroke behind. Long in search of a breakthrough, Fudolin made an aggressive start, birdieing two of her first three holes, then steadied herself after a bogey-bogey skid from No. 9 with a birdie on No. 13 to salvage a 35-36.

For the first time, Fudolin finds herself within striking distance of an elusive title.

Yvon Bisera, meanwhile, matched par 72 for a 147 and in a tie with Gretchen Villacencio, who carded a 74, while Harmie Constantino, just one behind Ababa after 18 holes, also slipped with a 75 for a 148. But the deficit remains manageable in a final round where momentum can change in a matter of holes.

Avaricio, however, heads into Thursday’s finale with momentum on her side after producing the day’s best score and negotiating a demanding layout without a single bogey.

‘I didn’t really think about going bogey-free. I was really focusing on every shot,’ Avaricio said. ‘It was more like I just wanted to reach the fairway, then hit the green so I could two-putt for par. That was it-that was all I had in mind.’

ANGELO QUE came out smoking from a spirited and chaotic battle in the second round on Wednesday to break away from a tightly-bunched field with a solid 66 for a four-stroke lead halfway through the ICTSI Summit Point Championship in Lipa City.

At 47, the reigning Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) Order of Merit champion Que emerged from the crowded leaderboard by birdieing the first three holes at the turn, seizing solo control before leaning on a string of gutsy pars to protect his advantage.

The result was a second straight six-under card and a 12-under 132 total, putting him in prime position to chase a second PGT victory of the season after outdueling Tony Lascuña in a thrilling finish at Caliraya Springs.

‘Winning is a motivation for me, especially at this age,’ Que said. ‘If you can keep winning, then that’s a good sign.’

The P2.5-million championship has produced a scoring bonanza with the stellar field taking full advantage of favorable scoring conditions under winter rules.

But Que faced a strong group of challengers led by Carl Corpus and cousin Aidric Chan, veteran Reymon Jaraula and first-round leader Justin Quiban.

Corpus, 25, emerged as Que’s closest pursuer after matching Que’s 66 in spectacular fashion.

Seeking a second PGT title following his breakthrough at Valley Golf last year, Corpus also used a blazing frontside finish to surge into solo second at 136.

He came alive after a birdie-bogey start on the backside, birdieing the first two holes before gunning down an eagle on the par-five No. 3 and adding birdies on the next two.

After a par, Corpus birdied the seventh for a sizzling 29 and a 66 and Chan stayed within striking distance at 137 after a 69.

Jaraula also made a significant move, firing seven birdies against two bogeys for a 67 to join Chan and Quiban at 137 with Quiban settling for a 72 to remain tied for third at seven-under overall.

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will allow export-oriented enterprises (EOEs) to claim refunds on value-added tax (VAT) passed on to them while awaiting the issuance of their VAT zero-rating certifications from the Department of Trade and Industry -Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB).

Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 096-2026 amending the VAT refund guidelines to cover VAT paid on local purchases and imports used for qualified zero-rated sales beginning November 28, 2024, up to the date their certification was issued.

The certification, however, must be issued within the prescribed transition period ending December 31, 2025, the BIR noted.

The clarification covers exporters that were already qualified for zero-rating but had yet to receive their DTI-EMB certifications when they incurred VAT on their purchases and imports.

‘Export-oriented enterprises received their VAT zero-rating certifications on different dates during the transition period,’ Mendoza said. ‘We are clarifying how VAT incurred while these certifications were being processed should be treated so qualified export-oriented enterprises will have a clear basis for their refund claims.’

To qualify for a refund, EOEs must submit the necessary documents and show that the VAT they are claiming is directly related to their qualified zero-rated sales.

VAT that has already been reimbursed, credited, adjusted, recovered from suppliers or otherwise utilized may not be the subject of a VAT refund claim, the BIR said.

EOEs that met the 70-percent export threshold in the preceding taxable year but failed to secure the required DTI-EMB certification are likewise not entitled to a VAT refund for the immediately succeeding year, the bureau added.

Any unused input VAT may instead be carried forward to succeeding taxable quarters and used against future VAT liabilities, subject to existing tax rules.

‘Our objective is to ensure fair and consistent tax treatment for qualified export-oriented enterprises during the transition to the new zero-rating certification system,’ Mendoza said.

‘If they complied with the requirements and their certification was issued within the prescribed period, the VAT they properly incurred while waiting may be refunded in accordance with the law,’ he added.

The DTI issued Administrative Order No. 25-03 last March 2025, setting the certification guidelines for EOEs under the Create More Act. The BIR followed with RMC No. 37-2025 last April 2025, which laid out the procedures for claiming VAT refunds.

Under the earlier guidelines, EOEs could seek refunds for VAT incurred on local purchases and imports starting November 28, 2024, until the DTI-EMB began processing their zero-rating certifications.

However, the validity dates of the certifications varied during the transition period, ranging from May 14 to December 26, 2025, according to the BIR.

A trip to the Holy Land is set to become more accessible for Filipinos after Israeli carrier Arkia Airlines announced plans to launch direct flights between Tel Aviv and Manila starting January 3, 2027.

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh announced this on Facebook Tuesday night.

Arkia Airlines will become the first Israel carrier to operate a direct route to the capital Manila in many years.

Filipinos can enter Israel without visas for stays of up to 90 days for tourism and similar short-term visits such as religious pilgrimage.

In a social media post, Kursh said the new service is expected to boost tourism, business, investment and cultural exchanges between the two countries while making travel more convenient for Israelis and Filipinos.

The route will initially operate once a week, departing on Sundays, with a flight time of about 11 hours between Tel Aviv and Manila.

The route will be operated using a wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft. One-way ticket prices will start at $750 for economy class seats and $1,800 for business class seats.

Kursh expressed optimism that the direct connection would encourage more Israeli visitors to the Philippines and more Filipinos to travel to Israel.

‘The distance between us is about to become a little shorter, but the friendship between our peoples has always been close,’ she said.