Category: Business Mirror

Manila, Philippines – Last August 16 at The Fifth at Rockwell, the awarding for the 2025 Modern Parenting’s Parents’ Choice Awards happened and two of the awarded establishments were Kinetix Lab and Kinetix Kids.

In less than a year since it opened, Kinetix Kids, the premier play-gym, activity, and specialized training center has been recognized by the award giving body as the Best Recreational Venue for Kids under the Toys, Play, and Learning. Kinetix Kids believes in the power of play. It is the ultimate teacher, offering a vibrant avenue for children to acquire new knowledge and skills, foster social interactions, and grasp foundational concepts in various subjects. Assistant Branch Manager Aki Carino and Events Director Albee Barretto were there to represent the play-gym and to receive the award.

As the premier strength and conditioning training gym in the country, Kinetix Lab consistently finds ways to ensure that its members achieve holistic health. The gym has been recognized by this year’s Parents’ Choice Awards as having the Best Fitness Program for Parents under the Health, Safety, and Wellness category.

Last year, Kinetix Lab launched its Strong is Beautiful campaign to show women that overall strength is beautiful. This campaign offers several training programs, each designed to help women achieve their specific fitness goals. One of the founders / COO / Head Coach of Kinetix Lab Marlon Lugue was there at the event to receive the award.

Currently in its fourth year, the Modern Parenting’s Parents’ Choice Awards recognizes brands, products, and services that have a significant impact on Filipino families. This year, Editor-in-Chief Marga Tupaz led the careful evaluation of hundreds of entries. With the invaluable insights of a select panel of discerning mothers, the team identified the brands that consistently go above and beyond for both parents and children.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña recently visited the Isla Mactan Desalination Plant in Cordova, a facility that aims to help the city’s growing water security challenges.

Codeveloped by global experts in water technology and Vivant Water, the water arm of Cebu-based and publicly listed conglomerate Vivant Corporation, the plant is the country’s first utility-scale seawater desalination facility. More than an engineering milestone, it represents a promise of resilience for thousands of Cebuano families who depend on safe and reliable water every day.

The facility uses globally recognized seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology with energy-efficient operations powered by Energy Recovery Devices (ERDs). Designed to deliver 20 million liters of potable water daily, enough to serve nearly 29,000 Cebuano households, the project is now in its final stages of testing and commissioning, before supplying the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) by end-2025. It reflects Vivant Water’s commitment to practical, sustainable innovations that address today’s needs while anticipating tomorrow’s demands, in line with the Cebu City Administration’s pursuit of scalable and sustainable solutions.

The newly renovated 50-year-old Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) is now ready to accommodate the international delegate of the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings, which will be hosted by the country.

President Ferdinand Marcos was personally accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos when he led the reopening ceremony last Tuesday of the iconic building designed by the National Artist Leandro V. Locsin .

In his speech during the reopening ceremony, the chief executive recognized how Asia’s first international convention center became the venue of not only many historic events such as the Miss Universe pageant in 1994 and ASEAN Summit in 2017, but also numerous public events such as graduations and oath-taking ceremonies of board passers.

‘As we look ahead, we recognize the PICC as a symbol of Filipino resilience and creativity. And that is why, with the PICC’s Golden Anniversary in 2026 and, coincidentally, our hosting of the ASEAN Summit, we reaffirmed our commitment to preserving and modernizing the PICC for many generations yet to come,’ Marcos said.

The renovated facility now features state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, energy-efficient lighting, complex-wide high-speed Wi-Fi to enhance security.

It now also features a newly curated art collection, with priceless works from Filipino masters from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Marcos has vowed to preserve the PICC, which he said will continue to serve as ‘testament to the artistry, ingenuity, and passion of the Filipino people’ for the next generation.

‘As we reopen the doors of the PICC, let us also open ourselves to a greater challenge: to create, to imagine, and to contribute,’ Marcos said.

‘So, together, let us ensure that the PICC will remain as a testament to the artistry, ingenuity, and passion of the Filipino people,’ he added.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has expanded its internal anti-corruption probe to now include not only flood control projects, but also farm-to-market roads, according to Malacañang.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the pronouncement after the Department of Agriculture (DA) ordered on Monday an audit of ghost or non-existent farm-to-market roads, which were built from 2021 to 2025.

She said DPWH Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ B. Dizon has also initiated their separate probe on this type of public works.

‘I also spoke with Secretary Vince this morning, and he said that they are also looking into this because a solution [to this issue] should be found as soon as possible,’ the Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said in Filipino in a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.

The anomalous flood control projects are also being investigated by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

Marcos created the ICI through Executive Order (EO) No. 94 to investigate sub-standard and non-existent public works then recommend to concerned government agencies the prosecution of the involved individuals or parties.

Less than a month since the ICI was formed, its special adviser, Baguio Mayor City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong resigned due to possible conflict of interest between his role in the fact-finding panel and his duty as a local chief executive.

On Monday, Castro announced the designation by the President of retired Philippine National Police Chief, Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as the new Special Adviser and Investigator of the ICI.

Castro said Azurin was picked for the said position despite his involvement in a drug-related issue during his stint as PNP chief based on his experience and skills as an investigator, as well as ‘not being a politician.’

She also noted no case was filed against Azurin related to his alleged involvement in the cover-up in the arrest of a police sergeant, who yielded 990 kilos of shabu or methamphetamine in 2022. Azurin denied any involvement in the issue.

THE country’s latest external debt service data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) sends a warning to policymakers regarding taking in more foreign debts, according to local economists.

The data showed the country’s external debt service already reached $148.87 billion in the January to June period this year. This showed that in the six-month period, external debt service already breached the total of $137.63 billion posted in the whole of 2024.

The external debt service data showed the government accounted for the bulk of the amount at $94.8 billion in the six-month period. This was 18.76 percent higher than the $79.825 billion posted in the same period last year.

‘This is a warning signal, though not necessarily a fatal one. It underscores the growing burden of foreign liabilities, higher amortization schedules, and interest cost pressures,’ Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Fellow John Paolo Rivera told BusinessMirror.

‘The concern is that this could strain forex reserves, tighten fiscal space, and heighten rollover risk especially if global rates stay elevated or the PHP [Philippine peso] weakens further,’ he added.

However, Union Bank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion told this newspaper that the latest data ‘is not alarming’ given the country’s external debt to GDP ratio stands at 31.2 percent.

He added that the country’s dollar reserves or the Gross International Reserves (GIR) stood at $105.3 billion and could still ‘provide strong cover’ for the country’s debts and import receipts.

‘The increase reflects valuation effects and planned borrowings, not distress,’ Asuncion told this newspaper on Monday.

Meanwhile, private external debt service data showed a 7.38-percent growth to $54.07 billion in the January to June period this year, compared to the $50.36 billion posted in the same period last year.

Moving forward, Rivera said the national government must implement stronger debt management strategies which includes lengthening debt maturities and favoring concessional or low-cost borrowing.

Rivera said these strategies also include debt swaps and buybacks, as well as keeping a ‘prudent’ debt mix between domestic and external sources.

Asuncion added that the government should endeavor to maintain the 80-20 borrowing strategy that favors domestic over external sources.

‘Importantly, improving revenue mobilization and ensuring efficient public spending are key to sustaining the country’s ability to service external obligations without compromising development goals. The degree of corruption in the country also makes managing this more challenging,’ Rivera told BusinessMirror.

Earlier, the government’s retail treasury bond (RTB) drove the surge in borrowings in August, pushing total gross borrowings in eight months to P2.266 trillion.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed the government’s gross borrowings for August surged by 192.19 percent to P508.526 billion from last year’s P174.034 billion.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday opened the price bids for Contract Package 1 (CP1) of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project, a P7.25-billion undertaking that will build the land approach and major structures on the Bataan side of what is set to become the country’s longest water-spanning bridge.

During proceedings live streamed on Tuesday, eight local and international firms formally submitted their offers for CP1.

The bidders are Beijing Urban Construction Group Co. Ltd., D.M. Consunji Inc., China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd., Sino Road and Bridge Group Co. Ltd., EEI-PMI Joint Venture, POSCO E and C-Sta. Clara Joint Venture, China Wu Yi Co. Ltd./Fujian Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. Consortium, and the joint venture of Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd. and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp.

The lowest bid came from China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. at P4.87 billion, followed closely by the joint venture of Hunan Road and Bridge and China Civil Engineering at a discounted P5.60 billion.

D.M. Consunji Inc. tendered P7.83 billion, while Beijing Urban Construction Group submitted a combined peso-dollar bid equivalent to P5.87 billion. Other bids include P6.00 billion from Sino Road and Bridge, P7.20 billion from EEI-PMI, P7.05 billion from POSCO E and C-Sta. Clara, and P5.87 billion from the China Wu Yi/Fujian consortium.

CP1 includes the construction of the Roman Highway trumpet interchange, Roman Interchange Bridge, Alas-Asin Main and Overpass Bridges, Mt. View Overpass and Waterway Bridges, and the Bataan Land Viaduct. These works will connect the 32.15-kilometer BCIB to the provincial road network in Bataan.

The project is funded through Loan No. 4432-PHI and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Loan No. L0724A. Once completed, it is expected to reduce travel time between Bataan and Cavite from several hours to about 40 minutes.

The opening of price bids follows the technical bid submissions held on May 20, 2025. DPWH said evaluation of the offers is now underway, with contract award targeted in the coming months.

The agency live-streamed the proceedings on Tuesday, as recently required by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, as part of transparency measures in the corruption-scandal-struck agency.

The Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) announced that the nomination deadline to the 6th Bank Marketing Awards (BMA) has been extended until October 10 upon request of its member banks and due to recent inclement weather conditions. The BMA is a biennial awards program open to banks operating in the Philippines, and in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Financial Sector Forum.

The BMA aims to recognize outstanding marketing and communication initiatives undertaken by financial institutions to further elevate local bank marketing practices and encourage professionals to strive for excellence by highlighting best industry programs.

This year’s BMA will have seven (7) categories – Best Product Program, Best Brand Program, Best Electronic Channel Program, Best Digital Marketing Program, Best Financial Inclusion Program, Best Customer-Centric Product or Service, and Best Sustainability Drive. The distinguished panel of judges comprised of marketing and communication experts and leaders namely former BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier, Grupo Agatep Chairman and CEO Norman Agatep, Hungry Workhorse Consultancy CEO Rey Lugtu and Forest Foundation Philippines Board Member Ma. Aurora Tolentino. Winners of the 6th Bank Marketing Awards will be announced in November.

Over the years, the Bank Marketing Awards program has become synonymous with recognizing banks that demonstrated commitment to advancing innovation, creative execution, raising awareness on consumer education and protection, creating positive customer experience and value, and making banking affordable and accessible to Filipinos. The BMA not only celebrates past achievements but also encourages banks to step forward and showcase their brand, marketing and customer-centric programs and initiatives.

Restoration of damaged power lines in affected areas in Masbate due to typhoon ‘Opong’ and the Southwest Monsoon will cost roughly P400 million, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

With the scale of destruction, DOE Secretary Sharon Garin said that an estimated budget of around P400 million will be needed to repair affected power lines. Garin visited Masbate on Tuesday to inspect and assess the damage to energy infrastructure. She was joined by National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, National Power Corporation (NPC) President Jericho Jonas B. Nograles.

‘This is more than an inspection, this is a commitment. We came here to see and assess the extent of the damage and to personally assure the Provincial Government of Masbate, its local electric cooperatives, and the people of Masbate that the energy sector will do everything it can to restore electricity as quickly and safely as possible,’ she said.

Meanwhile, NEA said the cost of damage to critical facilities affected by typhoons Nando, Opong, and the southwest monsoon are estimated at P52.1 million spread across 17 electric cooperatives (ECs) nationwide.

This covers the areas of ABRECO (Abra), BATANELCO (Batanes), BENECO (Benguet), BISELCO (Busuanga Island), CAGELCO 2 (Cagayan), CAPELCO (Capiz), KAELCO (Kalinga Apayao), LEYECO 5 (Leyte), LUBELCO (Lubang Island), MARELCO (Marinduque), MOPRECO (Mountain Province), NORSAMELCO (Northern Samar), OMECO, (Occidental Mindoro), ORMECO (Oriental Mindoro), ROMELCO (Romblon), SAMELCO 2 (Samar), and TIELCO (Tablas Island).

The DOE chief commended line workers from various ECs nationwide who, under Task Force Kapatid, have been arriving in Masbate since Sunday to support the Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MASELCO).

‘We are moving with urgency, but also with care. Safety remains our top priority for both workers on the ground and the public. Together, we will restore power and restore hope,’ Garin added.

Opong, which recently battered the Bicol Region, caused widespread damage to energy infrastructure, leaving many parts of Masbate without power.

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. has officially commissioned its Cupang Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) in Muntinlupa City, which is now treating wastewater from Barangays Alabang, Cupang, and Bayanan.

Located in Brgy. Cupang, the facility has a treatment capacity of 46 million liters per day (MLD), supporting Maynilad’s long-term strategy to expand sewerage coverage and protect local waterways by removing harmful pollutants from wastewater prior to safe discharge.

To ensure full alignment with evolving environmental regulations, Maynilad has also initiated the upgrading of the facility to comply with the stricter effluent standards set under Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2016-08, as amended by DAO 2021-19 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). These standards prescribe limits on key wastewater parameters to safeguard public health and the environment.

‘We are not only expanding our wastewater treatment capacity-we’re also future-proofing our facilities to comply with the latest environmental standards,’ said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez. ‘These investments reflect our commitment to sustainability and regulatory compliance as our communities continue to grow.’

The upgrade reflects Maynilad’s proactive approach to building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. The company has kept the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) informed throughout the process. While DAO compliance was not part of the facility’s original scope, it is now being integrated to ensure long-term regulatory alignment.

The Cupang WRF is one of two major wastewater treatment facilities recently completed in Muntinlupa. Along with the nearby Tunasan WRF, it significantly increases the city’s sewerage treatment capacity, contributing to Maynilad’s broader mission of improving sanitation conditions and promoting environmental protection across the West Zone.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.