Category: Business Mirror

SUBSIDIES provided to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) more than doubled to P114.576 billion in the first half of the year compared to a year earlier.

Financial support to state-run corporations rose by 118.24 percent to P114.576 billion from January to June this year from P52.498 billion in the same period in 2025, according to the latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury.

The national government regularly grants subsidies to GOCCs to cover operational expenses not supported by revenues, as well as payments for deficits and losses.

Of the total subsidies in the six-month period, P1 billion went to government financial institutions, P22.727 billion to major non-financial government corporations and P90.849 billion to other government corporations.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) received the largest subsidy at P60 billion, following the return of ‘excess’ funds it had remitted to the Treasury to finance unprogrammed appropriations under the 2024 national budget.

It was followed by Food Terminal Inc. with P10 billion, the National Irrigation Administration with P8.959 billion, the National Food Authority with P8.708 billion and the National Electrification Administration with P3.022 billion.

In June alone, subsidies to GOCCs surged by 122.33 percent to P16.562 billion from P7.449 billion in the same month last year.

FTI obtained the highest subsidy during the month at P10 billion, trailed by the Philippine Postal Corp. with P1.025 billion and the NFA and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority with P758 million each.

For the full year, GOCC subsidies are programmed at P159.560 billion, 9.22 percent lower than the P175.777 billion allocated in 2025, as state-run corporations become more self-sufficient.

In fact, the government expects to collect P147.15 billion in dividends from 50 GOCCs this year, 28.34 percent higher than the P114.65 billion remitted in 2025.

Actual dividend collection reached P140 billion as of July, of which P62.39 billion was contributed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Under Republic Act No. 7656, or the Dividend Law, all GOCCs, with some exemptions, are required to declare and remit at least 50 percent of their annual net earnings as dividends to the national government.

The Department of Finance has requested GOCCs to increase their remittances to 75 percent to maximize non-tax revenues.

For 2027, GOCC subsidies are projected to rise to P191.8 billion, up by 20.20 percent from this year’s allocation.

HOUSE of Representatives impeachment prosecutors are planning to request that personnel from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) who previously reported to Vice President Sara Z. Duterte be treated as hostile witnesses as they continue presenting evidence regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

One of the officials being considered is former DepEd Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Edward Fajarda, whom House prosecutor Terry Ridon said may be given the same treatment as former OVP SDO Gina Acosta.

‘I think all of the OVP and the DepEd personnel that reported to the Vice President, I think we will seek to qualify them as hostile witnesses,’ Ridon said during a news forum.

When asked whether Fajarda would indeed be presented as a hostile witness, Ridon confirmed, ‘That is correct.’

He explained that Fajarda and Acosta are similarly situated because their interests are closely connected, particularly regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Fajarda previously withdrew three cash advances amounting to P37.5 million each, or a total of P112.5 million in DepEd confidential funds in 2023, when Duterte was serving as Education secretary.

Ridon said prosecutors expect Fajarda to confirm his earlier testimony before the House that Duterte allegedly instructed him to transfer the confidential funds to Col. Dennis Nolasco, then a DepEd security officer who was not the department’s officially designated SDO.

‘Prosecutors expect Mr. Fajarda to confirm what he previously stated during the House committee hearings – that the Vice President gave instructions to release DepEd’s confidential funds to non-regular DepEd personnel,’ Ridon said.

Ridon said the alleged transaction was similar to the arrangement described by Acosta regarding the OVP’s confidential funds.

During her testimony before the Senate Impeachment Court, Acosta said Duterte instructed her to hand over P125 million in OVP confidential funds to then-OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica after withdrawing the money in December 2022.

The P125 million was the first of four cash advances made by Acosta from December 2022 to July 2023. The remaining three withdrawals, totaling P375 million, covered the OVP’s confidential fund expenses for the first three quarters of 2023. Overall, the OVP received P500 million in confidential funds during that period.

For the DepEd funds, prosecutors expect Fajarda to testify that Duterte similarly directed him to transfer the department’s confidential funds to Nolasco.

The prosecution considers this significant because the designated SDOs who were responsible for handling confidential funds allegedly surrendered control of the money to security officers upon Duterte’s instructions.

Acosta remains on the witness stand after the impeachment court allowed prosecutors to treat her as a hostile witness. Her direct examination is scheduled to continue on Monday, August 24.

Ridon described Acosta’s testimony as a ‘smoking gun,’ saying it established what prosecutors believe was the beginning of the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Another Duterte subordinate whom prosecutors intend to request as a hostile witness is OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio.

Ridon explained that treating these individuals as hostile witnesses would allow prosecutors more flexibility in questioning them and could help speed up the proceedings.

‘They should be recognized as hostile witnesses so the questioning process can be more efficient and the proceedings can move faster,’ he said.

Prosecutors are also considering presenting Lachica as a hostile witness, although Ridon said no final decision has been made.

The House prosecution panel is still presenting evidence related to the confidential funds article, which involves allegations that Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential funds released to the OVP and DepEd from December 2022 to 2023.

Of this amount, P500 million was allocated to the OVP – P125 million released in December 2022 and P375 million during the first three quarters of 2023. Meanwhile, P112.5 million was provided to DepEd through three separate P37.5-million releases in 2023.

The prosecution has already completed presenting evidence for the article concerning Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his family. The articles involving alleged bribery and unexplained wealth have not yet been discussed.

MORE unusual names surfaced on Monday in the acknowledgement receipts for the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds, as the House of Representatives impeachment prosecution team questioned whether former special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta could personally verify that the purported recipients actually received the money.

Among those named in receipts presented during Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial were ‘Antonio Pagong,’ ‘Timon Andrew Pusa,’ ‘Don Piang,’ ‘Shane Ngitngit,’ and ‘Xuniso P. Belat.’

The receipts reflected payments ranging from P100,000 to P250,000 for expenses such as the purchase of information and rental of vehicles.

House prosecution counsel Amando Virgil Ligutan first confronted Acosta, testifying as a hostile witness, with an acknowledgment receipt bearing the name Antonio Pagong.

The document indicated that Pagong received P100,000 for the purchase of information.

Asked whether she personally saw Col. Raymund Dante Lachica give the money to Pagong, Acosta said she did not.

‘I didn’t see him, Your Honor, because I wasn’t on the ground. He was the one who implemented it, Your Honor,’ Acosta testified.

Another receipt named Timon Andrew Pusa as having received P100,000 for the rental of a transport vehicle, while Don Piang was listed as receiving P250,000 for transport rental.

A receipt under Shane Ngitngit’s name reflected P150,000, while another bearing the name Xuniso P. Belat indicated a P100,000 confidential fund payment.

Acosta repeatedly said she did not witness Lachica make the payments.

‘I didn’t see it, Your Honor, because I wasn’t on the ground,’ Acosta said when asked about the payment bearing Ngitngit’s name.

The names add to the scrutiny surrounding purported recipients of the OVP’s confidential funds, most notably Mary Grace Piattos, whose name appeared on acknowledgment receipts submitted to support the office’s expenditures.

Piattos became a central figure in the earlier House investigation after lawmakers questioned her identity and even offered a P1-million reward for information that could lead them to her. Her name appeared on multiple acknowledgment receipts covering OVP confidential fund expenditures.

Monday’s testimony did not establish whether Pagong, Pusa, Piang, Ngitngit, and Belat are real or fictitious individuals.

It established, however, that Acosta, the accountable SDO, had no personal knowledge that Lachica actually handed the amounts reflected in the receipts to the people named in them.

Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero put the issue directly to Acosta.

‘You have no personal knowledge that the money was actually given to those people or actually spent on supplies?’ Escudero asked.

‘None, Your Honor,’ Acosta replied.

Acosta said she instead relied on Lachica, whom Duterte had designated to implement the OVP’s confidential activities, and on the documents he provided to account for the expenditures.

She also admitted that she sought verification from Lachica himself.

‘I verified it with him, Your Honor. I asked him, Your Honor,’ Acosta said.

Ligutan then asked whether, among all the people she could have consulted to verify Lachica’s representations, Acosta turned to the same person who supplied the documents.

‘Yes, Your Honor,’ she replied.

Acosta said Lachica told her the documents he provided were proof that the confidential funds had been spent and that the underlying operations were sensitive and confidential.

The receipts were among the documents used to account for confidential funds that Acosta had released to Lachica.

Acosta testified on Monday that she released four P125-million cash tranches totaling P500 million to Lachica from December 2022 through the third quarter of 2023.

She also confirmed that Lachica was not fidelity-bonded, while she remained the accountable officer for the funds.

The testimony forms part of the House prosecution’s presentation on the first article of impeachment involving Duterte’s alleged misuse and irregular liquidation of confidential funds.

Carlos Yulo is focused on adding to his medal collection when he competes in the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games men’s artistic gymnastics from September 20 to 25 at the Nagoya Civic General Gymnasium in Japan.

The 26-year-old three-time world champion is determined to secure gold in the Asiad after a podium-less debut in the Palembang 2018 Games and missing the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games in China.

‘I have no Asian Games gold and I want to get one or maybe more,’ Yulo told the BusinessMirror.

‘I was world champion many times, then won World Cup titles, Southeast Asian Games crowns, and two gold medals in the Olympics. But I am missing Asian Games gold.

Personal trainer Aldrin Castañeda expects the entire continent to focus on Yulo.

‘They are all watching Carlos…the entire Asian opposition. So, we must prepare for all routines in all the apparatuses. Our execution in the floor exercise, vault, individual all-around events,’ Castañeda said.

Yulo is targeting the Asian Games men’s individual all-around gold medal, floor exercise, and vault gold medals.

The field features 44 other nations.

‘I am eyeing an individual all-around title, floor exercise, and vault, but I must prepare wisely and hopefully safe. So far, despite disruptions in training due to the heavy rains here in Manila, I make sure to be in good condition,’ Yulo added.

Yulo, double Olympics gold medalist in Paris, returned to training alongside younger brother Karl Eldrew who are both bound for the Asiad on Tuesday at the Intramuros gym, and strength and conditioning with Bethel Solano on Wednesday at Mandaluyong City gym.

The final training day in Manila is set September 1 before leaving for Japan on September 2 for two weeks training camp in Tukushikai gymnastics in Tokyo before going to Nagoya just a few days before the opening ceremonies take places.

Other Filipino gymnasts Juancho Miguel Besana, Justin Ace de Leon, and Zachary Nunez will train in Sohgoh gymnastics club.

Asiatel Outsourcing Inc. is expanding beyond its existing business process outsourcing (BPO) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) operations, adding enterprise AI implementation and market-entry services to its portfolio.

The Philippine outsourcing firm has activated its partnership with fileAI LLC to offer businesses in the country an enterprise AI platform for processing documents and other unstructured information, while separately launching managed go-to-market services for foreign software companies seeking to establish a presence in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

The fileAI partnership allows Asiatel to offer services that automate document-heavy processes such as lending applications, insurance claims intake, customer onboarding and finance operations.

Under the arrangement, fileAI provides the AI platform, while Asiatel handles workflow assessment, solution design, implementation, systems integration and continuing support.

‘In a lending workflow, for example, fileAI can classify an application pack, extract and validate the required information, flag missing or inconsistent items, and route complete cases and exceptions into the existing approval process,’ Asiatel CEO Jasjit Singh Anand said.

The system is designed to retain links to the underlying source documents, allowing users to trace information processed by the AI system back to the original files.

For his part, Asiatel Chairman Shafi Aboobaker said the partnership forms part of the company’s expansion into technology-enabled services. ‘Our alliance with fileAI enables us to support organizations throughout their digital transformation journeys.’

The company is also targeting international software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies through its new managed go-to-market services, initially focusing on Canadian growth-stage and mid-market firms.

The service covers local market knowledge, business development, demand generation, sales enablement and commercial execution. It is intended to allow foreign companies to establish a presence in Southeast Asia without immediately setting up their own local operations.

‘Our managed GTM services enable Canadian companies to expand into Southeast Asia while leveraging Asiatel’s established delivery platform,’ Anand said.

Asiatel said about 15 percent of its existing client programs are already established in the Canadian market.

The Canada focus comes as bilateral economic ties deepen. In July, Canada and the Philippines agreed to launch negotiations for a new action plan under their Strategic Partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing free trade agreements.

The two countries elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Canada last July 2.

THE EB Coquette girlies have a full weekend planned this month. First up, a TikTok Live with Bea Borres on August 27, giving everyone a first look at the collection before it hits retail shelves. Then, on August 29, Ever Bilena is taking over Ladrée BGC for one day only. Because if there’s one place that gets the whole soft, pink, a-little-indulgent vibe of EB Coquette, it’s a French patisserie.

And since a coquette girl’s hair era matters just as much as her makeup, the TikTok Live is also where Ever Bilena is unveiling its first-ever collaboration with Monday Hair. From August 27 to 29, anyone who shops EB Coquette on TikTok Shop gets a free Monday Hair mini thrown in (while stocks last), so don’t sleep on it.

Additionally, anyone who grabs the EB x Ladrée Latte + Macaron Set at the pop-up on August 29 gets a free EB Coquette Bisou Juicy Tint thrown in. You can pre-order your slot exclusively through Ever Bilena’s TikTok Shop by searching the ‘EB Bisou Juicy Tint Ladrée Set.’

And it’s not just shopping. The whole day is set up as an experience, with a photobooth, a bloom bar in collaboration with Petalier, on-the-spot product customization, and first dibs on exclusive EB Coquette merch you won’t find anywhere else.

‘We want people to be able to step into EB Coquette, not just scroll past it. Ladrée feels like the perfect match-soft, luxe, and romantic in exactly the way our new collection is. We can’t wait to see everyone there in person,’ said Denice Sy, chief sales and marketing officer of Ever Bilena Cosmetics Inc.

Slots for the Ladrée BGC pop-up are limited and open for pre-order now on TikTok Shop.

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said the 39 Filipino crew members of two ships, attacked by drones in the Black Sea last week, are safe and are closely being monitored by the government.

Among those affected were the 17 Filipino crew members of M/V Anna S, which burned up after being hit by drones on August 17.

They were rescued by the M/V Elina B, which was also subjected to drone attacks, but was able to reach Turkey with its 22 Filipino crew members.

Citing the reports of their licensing manning agencies, the DMW all of the said Filipino sailors were unharmed from their ordeal in the Black Sea amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

One of the Filipino members of M/V Anna S, however, was hospitalized in Turkey due to a kidney ailment.

‘He remains in stable condition and is undergoing diagnostic procedures under the supervision of a nephrologist and medical team,’ DMW said in a statement on Sunday.

The principal or shipowner of M/V Anna S has provided help to her 17 Filipino crew members, including US$300 in cash assistance, a mobile phone to enable communication with their families, clothing, footwear, toiletries, medications, and other essential supplies.

It is also working with the Philippine Embassy in Turkey and Turkish authorities for the processing of travel documents and immigration clearances to facilitate the crew’s safe disembarkation from M/V Elina B and their repatriation.

Migrant Worker Secretary Hans J. Cacdac gave assurances they will help ensure the swift processing of the mariners.

‘We are closely coordinating with the concerned agencies, our Migrant Workers Office, the Philippine Embassy, the shipowner, and the manning agencies, to ensure their safety, provide needed assistance, and facilitate their safe disembarkation and repatriation. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and support the affected seafarers and their families,’ he said.

Earlier this month, DMW reported that ongoing conflict in the Black Sea has resulted in three Filipino fatalities and affected 230 Filipino seafarers onboard 17 ships.

The agency noted that the family members of the affected OFWs in such crisis or distress situations may seek assistance at DMW Central Office, DMW Regional Office, or Migrant Workers Office (MWO).

To strengthen primary health care of its residents, the Pasig City Government and Unilab Foundation Inc. (ULF) have joined forces by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will also improve local health financing and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) processes, and expand mental health support for students and communities.

Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto and ULF Executive Director Atty. Jose Maria ‘Joey’ A. Ochave, signed the MOU that states the partnership seeks to ‘strengthen Pasig City’s primary healthcare system, enhance fiscal efficiency in local health financing, provide technical support for the implementation of school mental health program, and support systemic improvements in PhilHealth utilization and claims performance.’

Under the agreement, the two parties will work to improve how residents access and navigate health services, with particular attention to primary care, PhilHealth utilization, claims processing, and school-based mental health.

The collaboration supports the implementation of Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act, which automatically includes all Filipinos in the National Health Insurance Program and places greater emphasis on primary and preventive care.

While the law provides the national framework, much of its implementation takes place at the local level, where city governments must link facilities, health workers, referrals, financing, patient information and PhilHealth processes.

Local financing

The initiative will be implemented through the Pasig Local Health Board together with ULF’s Sustainable Healthcare and Heads Up PH programs. The Pasig-ULF partnership will focus on three major areas.

The first is local health financing. The partners will review how health expenditures are managed, assess PhilHealth benefit utilization and examine the accuracy and timeliness of claims filing and reimbursement.

The review is expected to identify ways for Pasig to maximize available PhilHealth revenues, reduce delays in reimbursements and improve the financial sustainability of local health services.

UHC-related processes

The second area involves the operation of UHC-related processes across Pasig health facilities.

The partners will identify bottlenecks in PhilHealth YAKAP registration, documentation, claims submission, facility accreditation and related procedures. They will also explore simplified workflows and possible digital solutions aimed at reducing administrative burdens and making health services easier for residents to use.

Mental Health

A third major component is school-based mental health.

Through Heads Up PH, ULF will provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help school personnel recognize early signs of mental health concerns, promote supportive environments and establish appropriate referral pathways to qualified professionals.

The program will also identify gaps in coordination among schools, families, communities and health service providers.

The objective is not to turn teachers into mental health practitioners, but to equip them with the knowledge and systems needed to recognize concerns early and connect students to appropriate support.

The MOU emphasizes that effective mental health care requires integration with a broader health system that provides continuity across preventive, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative services.

The need for such support remains significant. The World Health Organization estimates that one in seven adolescents worldwide experiences a mental health condition, with anxiety and depression among the leading causes of illness and disability among young people.

The Pasig-ULF initiative will use measurable indicators to track progress in referral efficiency, PhilHealth utilization, claims performance, patient navigation, and school mental health programs. Quarterly reviews will be used to assess results and adjust implementation where necessary.

ULF has been involved in several initiatives supporting Universal Health Care and local health-system reforms.

Likewise, the foundation has partnered with the Ateneo School of Government on research into how local governments can optimize health spending under the UHC Law, with technical collaboration from the Department of Budget and Management. It has also worked with Ormoc City to strengthen health delivery in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities and has partnered with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines to help accelerate local UHC implementation.

In Pasig, these experiences will be adapted to the city’s specific needs.

Pasig City Government will provide local leadership, health personnel, facilities, and operational knowledge, while ULF will contribute research, technical expertise, and program-development support.

THE recent flooding from serial typhoons and the southwest monsoon, which raised alarm anew over stolen flood-control funds, warrant urgent passage of a bill adopting blockchain in the budget process, in order to ensure transparency and cut avenues for corruption.

That’s according to Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ A. Aquino, who at the weekend renewed his call for the passage of his ‘Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability,’ or ‘Cadena’ (chain) Act, also known as the ‘Blockchain the Budget’ Bill.

Aquino underscored the urgent need for greater transparency in government spending as the country was battered by heavy rains that caused severe flooding.

The proposed Cadena Act, approved by the Senate in December 2025 with a 17-0 vote, has been pending in the House of Representatives for seven months despite support from several members of the Lower House, noted Aquino.

Senate Bill (SB) 1506 requires all government agencies to upload and regularly maintain detailed budget-related documents-including contracts, project costs, bills of materials, and procurement records-on a Digital Budget Platform.

The system is designed to ensure that all files are publicly accessible, tamper-resistant, traceable, open-source, and verifiable. Government officials who fail to disclose required documents or upload fraudulent information may face administrative and criminal penalties.

‘This has been pending for seven months. A number of colleagues in Congress are pushing it also. But for some reason, it has not been passed in the House,’ said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

He noted that the proposed bill was previously ranked third among the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) priority measures but is now ranked 41st.

‘I have a commitment from our leadership that going down in rank from 3 to 41 means it’s no longer on the list. It’s still listed as priority. So I’m happy it’s still in the Ledac list, [but] I’m hoping more [lawmakers] can be with me in pushing the House to pass it,’ he said.

Aquino said passage of the bill has become more urgent amid renewed flooding and public attention on the alleged misuse of government funds, particularly in flood control projects.

‘Now that destructive floods are here again, we are drawn anew to the issue of budget misuse in the past year. The best way to address corruption is to have full transparency and to push for this. It’s a technological solution to our corruption problems,’ he said.

By making the budget fully transparent, the measure would allow the public to track not only where funds are allocated but also how their taxes are actually spent.

‘One possible means to fight corruption is to made the use of money fully transparent. If we have the system up and it’s fully transparent, I think this is one of the best weapons against corruption,’ Aquino said.

For Aquino, passing the bill would form part of the broader effort to address the public’s demands amid the flood control controversy-holding those responsible accountable, recovering public funds, and reforming the system to prevent similar problems from recurring.

‘The task of the Senate and House is to reform the system. And we have a chance to actually change the system, make it stronger against corruption, make it more transparent and hopefully safeguard the people’s money,’ he said.

Tito Genova Valiente, film scholar, anthropologist, educator, and long-time BusinessMirror columnist, passed away on August 22 at age 71.

His death was confirmed through a social media post by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which paid tribute to his life and works. A member of the NCCA National Committee on Cinema, he has assumed various roles, with Vice Head as his last post.

Valiente was a long-time member and former chair of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the country’s oldest film critics’ group and presenter of the Gawad Urian.

Fellow Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino member, Dr. Rolando Tolentino, told BusinessMirror:

‘Tito was an astute intellectual grounded in social awareness, involvement and practice. He knows what he is talking about and is straightforward and kindhearted even if what he says maybe unkind to others.

‘His columns, personal essays, and other writings reflect this critical stance, fluidly drawing from various sources, including personal memory, without being intrusive, and written with the finest literary style.

‘His personal thoughts in his latest writings become a shared collective experience, testament and vision. He leaves this body of works, generations of students and younger colleagues open to the path of thought less travelled, a supportive peer, a dear friend, and fellow flaneur I will dearly miss.

Valiente was born in San Fernando on Ticao Island, Masbate, on December 11, 1955, and was raised in Naga City,

While he remained rooted in the cultures of the Bicol Region, especially Masbate, he also believed that understanding the nation’s cultural life is deeper when taking a broader look at the regions, the diversity of people, customs, and languages.

For friends and colleagues, Valiente was a gentle person who never failed to reach out to warmly greet or check in on them-this writer included-often leading to humorous exchanges, as he was known for his acerbic though good-natured wit.

A devoted cultural worker, he was known to diligently take long bus rides between Bicol and Manila to fulfill his commitments to NCCA and the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, or to deliver lectures in conferences.

Valiente authored ‘The Last Sacristan Mayor and the Most Expensive Mass for the Dead: Tales from Ticao’ (2017), published by the Ateneo de Naga University Press. He also co-authored ‘Kabansayan: Contemporary Arts from the Regions, Bikol, Philippines’ (2017) with Dennis Bascuña Gonzaga. He co-edited with Hiroko Nagai ‘Transnationalizing Culture of Japan in Asia: Dramas, Musics, Arts and Agencies* (2009), and ‘War Memories, Monuments and Media: Representations of Conflicts and Creation of Histories of World War II’ (2011).

Decentralizing Manila

Through his work with the NCCA, he made cinema accessible to a broader audience by advocating regional film development. He worked towards expanding the audience by leading community screenings, regional film festivals, and symposiums.

‘Stuck in the big cities of Metro Manila, it could not be denied that short as well as full-length feature films were not only having a limited audience; they were not representations of the ‘worlds’ out there,’ he wrote in his March 6 ‘Reeling’ column.

On the power of films, he declared in the same column, ‘Shifting or decentralized, cinema will always remain a potent social force.’

Mentor and educator

Valiente graduated from the Ateneo de Naga University and pursued postgraduate studies in anthropology at Rikkyo University in Japan under a scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education.

He became a research fellow under a Japan Foundation grant. His scholarly interests range from Philippine myths and folklore to the Filipino diaspora, and the social and cultural connections between the Philippines and Japan.

Valiente taught in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and in the Japanese Studies Program of Ateneo de Manila University.

Valiente also served as director of the Institute of Bikol History and Culture at Ateneo de Naga University and actively helped advance Bicol arts and literature through forums and workshops.

He helped develop a new generation of film critics as a founder of the Film Criticism Collective and as a mentor in the Yamagata Film Criticism Workshop.

Multi-awarded film critic

The mild-mannered Valiente remained humble despite his many leadership roles and serious advocacy work. This didn’t go unnoticed, and he was given the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas in 2016 for his lifetime achievement in the English essay.

He also received the Naga City Mayoral Award for outstanding achievement in cultural anthropology. He has also been recognized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines for his contributions to film criticism and his advocacy for regional cinema.

On his Facebook page, fellow Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino Dr. Rolando Tolentino posted that the group is preparing for the 49th Gawad Urian.

Tolentino wrote: ‘Missing the valiant exchange with Tito Valiente. Beginning this reiteration of Gawad Urian. He will sorely be missed.’