Category: Business Mirror

2GO, the Philippines’ largest and most integrated end-to-end transportation and logistics solutions provider, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Mindanao’s economic growth by strengthening connectivity by helping businesses access markets and travelers reach their destinations across the country.

Speaking at the 35th Mindanao Business Conference on August 12, 2GO Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer William Howell highlighted connectivity as a critical enabler of a more future-proof and inclusive Mindanao economy. The conference, held in Cagayan de Oro City from August 11 to 13, carries the theme ‘Accelerating Inclusive Growth through Innovation and Sustainability: Bridging the Gap, Scaling the Future.’

‘When we talk about the future of the Philippine economy, Mindanao is not a peripheral story,’ Howell said, noting the region’s vital role in agriculture and fisheries, energy, manufacturing, mining, exports, and tourism. Howell emphasized that the region’s economic potential can be further unlocked by strengthening the connections that allow goods, people, and opportunities to move efficiently across markets.

Connecting Mindanao’s industries to wider markets, Howell outlined four strategic pillars underpinning Mindanao’s economic advantage: industry, growth engines, connectivity, and tourism. While the region continues to produce globally competitive agricultural and manufactured products and attract investments across industries, he emphasized that connectivity ties these growth drivers together by linking farmers to markets, manufacturers to customers, exporters to gateways, and communities to new economic opportunities.

‘Connectivity is not merely about moving goods and passengers. It is about enabling commerce, expanding access, attracting investments, and strengthening communities,’ Howell said.

As Mindanao’s industries expand, 2GO is supporting businesses through an integrated network of freight, logistics, and travel solutions. The company’s Forwarding network includes 93 distribution hubs and warehouses nationwide, with 18 located in Mindanao. In the region, 2GO Forwarding handles approximately 1.5 million packages, or 150,000 transactions, annually.

Through 2GO Sea Solutions, the company connects Mindanao to key commercial hubs across the Philippines. 2GO serves ports located in Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Butuan, Dipolog, Davao, General Santos, and Zamboanga, as part of its 20-port network nationally, while transporting 2.5 million metric tons of cargo to, from, and within Mindanao in 2025.

Beyond regular sea freight, 2GO provides specialized logistics solutions designed to address the evolving requirements of Mindanao’s industries, including project logistics for large-scale developments, cold chain for agricultural and food products, e-commerce logistics, and cross-docking solutions that support faster movement of goods.

Connectivity also extends beyond the movement of cargo. Through 2GO Travel, the company supports the mobility of entrepreneurs, workers, tourists, and communities, helping connect Mindanao with key destinations across Luzon and the Visayas.

2GO Travel currently operates 36 active passenger routes nationwide, including 18 with a Mindanao connection. The network supports 37 weekly voyages connecting Mindanao to Luzon and the Visayas, strengthening access to markets, employment, tourism, and other economic opportunities.

These integrated services reinforce 2GO’s role beyond that of a transportation provider. By combining sea freight, forwarding, specialized logistics, and passenger travel, the company helps businesses move products from production sites to markets while connecting people and communities across the archipelago.

The company’s participation in the 35th Mindanao Business Conference builds on its continued engagement with government, chambers, and business stakeholders in the region. Earlier this year, 2GO, the Mindanao Development Authority, and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. convened regional industry leaders to discuss logistics challenges and opportunities for strengthening supply chain connectivity across Mindanao. The conference program likewise placed connectivity at the center of discussions on Mindanao’s economic future, with sessions covering the region’s economic strategic foresight, connectivity and resilience, smart industrial development, energy transition, digital infrastructure, trade, climate-smart business, tourism, and MSME financing.

Through its integrated network of sea freight, forwarding, and passenger travel, 2GO continues to support the next chapter of Mindanao’s growth by connecting people, markets, and opportunities across the Philippines.

For more information about 2GO’s end-to-end logistics and transportation solutions, visit www.2GO.com.ph.

Catholic leaders should step up voter formation ahead of the 2028 presidential election without dictating political choices, as Filipinos prepare to choose the country’s next leaders, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

With less than two years before the polls, CBCP President and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said the Church should help voters form their consciences around faith, truth and ‘authentic human values.’

‘As we prepare for the coming presidential election, we are called to accompany our people in forming consciences that are guided by faith, truth, and authentic human values,’ Garcera said.

‘A truly missionary Church does not impose political choices, but it helps the faithful discern wisely, participate responsibly, and promote the common good with a heart shaped by the Gospel,’ he added.

Garcera made the call during the 70th annual national assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies-Philippines in Tacloban City on Aug. 19.

His remarks put voter education within the Church’s broader push to engage social realities rather than limit its work to activities within parishes.

Garcera called for a more outward-looking Church that reaches the poor, young people, marginalized communities and Catholics who have drifted away from the faith.

He warned that parishes risk becoming inward-looking when routine programs take priority over engagement with communities.

‘Mission begins wherever we live, work, study, and serve,’ Garcera said, stressing that responsibility for the Church’s mission extends to all baptized Catholics.

The archbishop also tied the Church’s role in voter formation to efforts to implement the Synod on Synodality in dioceses across the country.

He said synodality should not be treated as a temporary program or a series of consultations, but as a continuing process of listening, discernment, participation and mission.

‘The work of the Synod did not end with the publication of its Final Document,’ Garcera said. ‘The question before us is no longer simply, ‘What is synodality?’ but rather, ‘How shall we live it?”

For the Philippine Church, he said this means turning its strong religious traditions, active communities and young population into greater participation in both Church life and wider society.

Garcera also pointed to millions of Filipino migrant workers and volunteers as examples of how Filipino Catholics already carry their faith into communities beyond the country.

He said the challenge is no longer simply to preserve inherited traditions, but to translate them into greater service, responsible participation and a stronger commitment to the common good.

JDC One Acacia Corp., operator of JEG Tower in Cebu City, will source electricity from Vivant Energy subsidiary COREnergy for two years.

The parties recently signed a retail electricity supply (RES) contract, which allows a qualified contestable customer to buy commercial electricity directly from a licensed RES under Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program of the government.

By transitioning to the RCOA framework, JEG Tower contracted 0.6 megawatt of energy capacity, while securing a fixed rate for the next two years and price stability for its commercial office building.

‘Electricity is fundamental to how we operate our building and serve our tenants,’ said Marivic Sembrano, JDC president. ‘By taking a more strategic approach to energy procurement, we’re able to better manage one of our major operating costs while continuing to provide a reliable, comfortable, and productive environment for the businesses that have chosen JEG Tower as their workplace.’

The agreement enables JEG Tower to secure predictable generation costs while gaining access to COREnergy’s customer portal, which provides daily and hourly load profiles, billing history, load factor, and historical generation charges. These insights allow building management to monitor energy consumption more effectively, make informed operational decisions, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency over time.

‘This partnership is particularly meaningful because it brings together organizations that share a longstanding commitment to serving Cebu’s business community,’ said Marko Sarmiento, COREnergy vice president and head of operations.

Through the RCOA framework, property owners are gaining greater flexibility to optimize electricity costs while improving how their buildings operate. JEG Tower’s partnership with COREnergy reflects this growing shift toward viewing energy not simply as a utility expense, but as a strategic investment that enhances building performance, supports tenant satisfaction, and strengthens long-term business competitiveness.

Vivant recently reported that its core profit fell by 19 percent year-on-year to P784 million due to market volatility in the first half.

Non-core losses, including subsidiary downtime, dragged the parent company’s net income down by 21 percent year-on-year to P757 million, despite offsetting foreign exchange gains and insurance payouts.

Consolidated revenues reached P7.6 billion at end-June this year, compared with P5.4 billion in the same period a year ago. Power generation sales, which remained the primary revenue source, jumped 53 percent to P6.3 billion, driven by six subsidiaries.

Cartographic Cinema, a collection of motion pictures which probe films as a lens through space, identity and emotion, will be screened for free at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).

Part of the MCADxMoving Image program, it views culture, society and politics through the media of the moving image-from filmed performances and narrative experiments, to hybrid documentaries, video essays, and archival audiovisions.

Curated by professor and geographer Joseph Palis, the selection investigates films and maps as ‘powerful ideological tools that work in consort with one another,’ as Tom Conley, American scholar of literature, cartography, and film, stated in his book Cartographic Cinema (2007).

‘Whether maps are actually shown in films, or when films function as maps that situate the spectator to a landscape or space, films can be seen as an atlas that contains stories which clue the audience to the place, identity and emotion,’ Palis shared.

The lineup includes Central Station (1998), a road odyssey by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles; Good Bye, Lenin! (2003), a comedy-drama by German film director and screenwriter Wolfgang Becker; and Joint Security Area (2000), a thriller-mystery by Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook.

The roster comprises films situated in the war trenches and demilitarized zones, post-socialist Berlin and the hinterlands of northeastern Brazil.

‘Each story contains the myriad lives that survive within these borders, as it interrogates how real or humanly constructed these borders are, and shows how a place can have meaning even in landscapes of despair or desolation,’ Palis added.

Palis teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of the Philippines Diliman Department of Geography.

In addition to his research interests, which include countercartographies, geonarratives, island and archipelagic geographies, and cultural geography, he has likewise taught courses, such as cinematic geography and cartographic cinema. He currently serves as a co-editor of Palgrave Macmillan Pivot Series, which is devoted to media geographies.

Cartographic Cinema is free and open to the public.

It will be held at The Loop, 12th Floor of the Benilde Design + Arts Campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila.

The event will run from August 26 to 28, at 12 noon each day.

Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR) will be welcoming two new managing directors to further drive the company’s growth strategy.

Industry sources told the BusinessMirror that the two managing directors are seasoned hotelier Socrates ‘Sonny’ S. Alvaro, who starts in September, and 31-year-old Marriott International veteran Anna Liza Vergara, who begins her stint in October.

The appointments were announced in a town hall meeting on August 13 and were confirmed by Alvaro and Vergara in separate messages to the BusinessMirror.

Asked if there could be any confusion on her co-management position with Alvaro, Vergara said: ‘No naman. We’ll have our own areas,’ without elaborating.

The two leaders have been brought in from within the Megaworld Corp./Travellers International group – both owned by the Andrew L. Tan-led Alliance Global Group Inc. – in place of Cleofe C. Albiso, who leaves her post at the end of August. She has been MD since September 2022.

Alvaro is currently the general manager of Belmont Hotel Manila, while Vergara is the GM of Sheraton Manila at the Newport City.

Also leaving at month’s end is Arturo P. Boncato Jr., MHR Group General Manager since April 2024. Aside from his stints in the private sector, Boncato is well-known for his posts in government, the last being Tourism Undersecretary from 2018 to 2020.

Announced as well, sources added, was the change in the name of MHR to Megaworld Global Hotels and Resorts.

The name change, scheduled for October, reflects the hospitality firm’s continued growth and expansion, as well as assertive moves in franchising global hotel brands, the sources added. The company currently has franchise agreements with the Accor Group and Marriott.

MHR recently opened Belmont Hotel Iloilo (405 keys) and Chancellor Hotel Boracay (554 keys), raising the number of its total rooms to some 8,700. It has seven brands across 15 properties in the National Capital Region, Batangas, Mactan in Cebu, Iloilo, and Boracay in Aklan.

Its homegrown brands also include Richmonde Hotel, Savoy, Kingsford, Hotel Lucky Chinatown, and Twin Lakes in Tagaytay, along with franchised brands Movenpick Mactan, Movenpick Westside (currently Grand Westside Manila Bay), and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo.

In its recent investors briefing, Megaworld Corp. disclosed an 11 percent increase in MHR revenues to P3.1 billion, making the unit the fastest-growing recurring income segment for the parent firm in the first half of the year. These revenues helped lift Megaworld’s net income by 5 percent to P12.7 billion.

In celebration of History Month, Museo del Galeón at the SM Mall of Asia Complex will be open daily for 11 straight days from August 21 to 31, with 11% off regular Adult and Child admission.

Guests can journey through centuries of Philippine maritime history, explore the country’s rich seafaring identity, and discover the cultural exchanges shaped by the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. At the heart of the museum is the Galeón Espíritu Santo, a full-scale representation of the historic vessel built in Cavite in 1603. Guests are welcome to board the vessel, walk its decks, and interact with immersive exhibits.

Located within the SM Mall of Asia Complex, Museo del Galeón adds to the destination’s diverse lineup of cultural, leisure, and lifestyle experiences. Your most loved mall, SM Mall of Asia continues to bring together attractions and experiences that give guests more reasons to visit, discover, and spend time at the complex, with Museo del Galeón offering a unique opportunity to explore the Philippines’ maritime heritage.

The offer applies to regular-priced Adult and Child admission tickets. The Child rate is available to guests under 18. The offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at bit.ly/MuseodelGaleon. Walk-ins are also welcome.

The camp of Marikina Rep. Marcy Teodoro is ready to face the charges filed against him in court and will not seek to delay the proceedings, his legal counsel said.

Atty. Alma Mallonga said Teodoro’s defense team is confident in its case and is prepared to confront the accusations through the judicial process, where evidence can be examined and witnesses can be questioned.

‘We will face it,’ Mallonga said, adding that the defense looks forward to a court process that could finally bring an end to the controversy surrounding the congressman.

Meanwhile, Marikina residents have cried foul over the continuing cases filed against Teodoro, saying the complaints have become a source of frustration among families who believe politics is being used to damage the lawmaker’s reputation.

The Samahan ng mga Angkan sa Marikina, composed of 50 clans representing around 10,000 individuals, expressed dismay over what it described as repeated attempts to bring Teodoro down through accusations it considered baseless.

‘The cases against Cong. Marcy Teodoro are bogus and without sufficient basis, and it is disheartening that they are being used to pull down someone whom we have worked with and known for a long time in Marikina,’ the group said in a statement.

They said the repeated accusations have affected communities and families who have known Teodoro through his years in public service and who believe that a single allegation should not automatically erase that history.

The residents also appealed for an end to what they described as political mudslinging, arguing that such attacks run contrary to the values they associate with Marikina.

Teodoro’s legal team questioned the process surrounding a Department of Justice resolution involving the criminal complaints against him.

Mallonga said the defense found it unusual that the resolution was not prepared or signed by the DOJ panel that conducted the preliminary investigation.

Despite these concerns, Mallonga said Teodoro’s camp does not intend to cause delays and is prepared to answer the allegations before the courts.

‘We will not be the cause of delay,’ she said, stressing that the defense intends to follow the trial schedule and challenge the accusations through the judicial process.

The Department of Justice confirmed that five criminal cases have been filed against Teodoro, consisting of four counts of sexual assault and one count of acts of lasciviousness involving two female police officers who previously served as his security personnel.

Manila Water continues to ensure reliable and uninterrupted water services across its East Zone concession area through proactive measures designed to strengthen operational resilience during the habagat season, its official said.

In a statement, Manila Water, the private water concessionaire for the East Zone, said that while the country is experiencing the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, which may result in fewer rainfall events, periods of intense rainfall remain possible and can pose operational challenges brought about by flooding, power interruptions, and severe weather conditions.

Anticipating these risks, Manila Water has put in place a comprehensive preparedness program to help safeguard its facilities, personnel, and essential services.

As part of its rainy season readiness initiatives, Manila Water has completed preparedness activities at its three major water treatment facilities in Quezon City, namely Balara Treatment Plant 1, Balara Treatment Plant 2, and East La Mesa Treatment Plant. Each facility is equipped with backup generators to support continuous operations during power outages and other weather-related disruptions.

The East Zone concessionaire has likewise completed inspections and readiness checks of its 33 water reservoirs. Flood mitigation measures, including the placement of sandbags and dewatering pumps, have been implemented in key facilities to address potential flooding incidents.

Personnel across Manila Water’s critical facilities also adhere to established emergency preparedness protocols, ensuring the availability of system backups, fuel reserves, batteries, medical and first-aid kits, food provisions, and other essential emergency supplies needed to sustain operations during severe weather events.

To further enhance disaster response capabilities, Manila Water has strategically positioned emergency assets and equipment across its concession area to support rapid deployment when needed.

The company’s emergency fleet includes six mobile treatment plants, a mobile command center, a mobile stage, a mobile toilet, a mobile sleeping quarter, an amphibious vehicle, a tractor head, six 4×4 rescue vehicles, an ambulance, an all-terrain vehicle, a jet ski, three speed boats, 38 water tankers, and two folding boats. These assets provide additional operational support and enable immediate response to communities and employees affected by emergencies and extreme weather conditions.

Manila Water also has 64 desludging trucks that may be utilized to siphon floodwater in support of local government units’ disaster response and recovery efforts.

‘As weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, Manila Water has been maintaining resilient operations and ensuring uninterrupted service for our customers, even during the most challenging conditions,’ said Manila Water Corporate Communications Head Dittie Galang.

Through careful planning, proactive infrastructure protection, and sustained operational preparedness, Manila Water remains ready to address the challenges of the Habagat season while continuing to deliver essential water services to the communities it serves.

AS disaster threats intensify during the monsoon season, a House of Reprsentatives deputy majority leader urged the Congress to pass a measure that would provide stronger financial, medical, and employment protection for public disaster responders who put their lives at risk during emergencies.

Filed by Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas, House Bill 2269, or the proposed Magna Carta for Public Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Workers, seeks to grant qualified DRRM personnel hazard pay of up to 25 percent of their daily basic salary, 50 percent standby or on-call compensation, and fully subsidized hospitalization and medical treatment for work-related injuries and illnesses.

Vargas renewed his call for the bill’s swift passage as heavy monsoon rains continue to expose communities across Luzon to flooding, landslides, and other disaster risks.

‘During our visits to affected communities, we witnessed firsthand the tremendous sacrifice and dedication of our DRRM workers in making sure residents are safe and evacuation centers are properly prepared,’ Vargas said.

‘They are putting their lives on the line to protect Filipino families. It is time that the government give them the protection, compensation, and recognition they deserve,’ he added.

The measure seeks to institutionalize comprehensive socioeconomic safeguards and employment benefits for public disaster personnel, including permanent employees, contract of service workers, and job order personnel.

Under HB 2269, responders assigned to high-risk search, rescue, and retrieval operations may receive a hazard allowance equivalent to up to 25 percent of their daily basic salary.

Personnel placed on standby during emergencies would also be entitled to on-call compensation equivalent to 50 percent of their regular wages.

Field personnel would receive full subsistence allowances, monthly laundry allowances, and a five-percent longevity pay increase for every five years of service. Those deployed away from their permanent residence may also be provided free living quarters or a corresponding housing allowance.

Beyond financial benefits, the proposed Magna Carta places strong emphasis on the physical and mental well-being of disaster responders.

The bill mandates free annual medical, mental health, and psychosocial examinations, as well as full government coverage of hospitalization, treatment, and medicines for injuries or illnesses acquired in the line of duty.

Responders would also be provided complete personal protective equipment, free vaccinations, and necessary medical prophylaxis against contagious diseases that they may encounter in disaster and emergency zones.

HB 2269 also seeks to strengthen long-term employment security by ensuring appropriate social protection coverage under the Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, PhilHealth, and the Universal Health Care Act.

The measure includes safeguards against arbitrary dismissal and politically motivated reassignment while giving DRRM workers priority access to professional training, scholarships, and postgraduate programs related to disaster risk reduction and management.

TEAM North fought for every point down the stretch to escape with a crucial 7-5 victory over South in Foursomes in Day 2 of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. North vs South Elite Junior Philippine Golf Tour Championship at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday.

North surged to an imposing 8-4 lead midway through the alternate-shot format, but South refused to fold and pulled within striking distance at 4-6 and needed only to win the final two matches to salvage a dramatic overall draw for the day.

But North held its nerve when the pressure peaked.

Jakob Taruc and Nathan Belandres battled from three holes down in the stretch and forced Clement Ordeneza and Sebastian Sajuela to an all-square finish, while Mona Sarines and Kendra Garingalao also halved their match against Tashanah Balanguan and Precious Zaragosa-both matches ending level in the 15-18 division.

Those two halves proved decisive.

Instead of completing the comeback, South was forced to settle for a split of the day’s final two points, leaving North with a 7-5 victory to preserve its advantage heading into the remaining singles matches.

North consequently stretched its overnight three-point cushion to five points, 14 1/2-9 1/2, putting itself in a strong position heading into the deciding singles matches of the North-South duel on Thursday.

North team captain Joey Anciano said his side’s comeback in the boys’ 15-18 category was crucial in salvaging a draw and making for an exciting day of matches.

‘We came from 3-down in the boys’ 15-18 to force a draw,’ Anciano said. ‘So definitely, the matches today were very, very exciting. Kudos to the other team also, which put up the lineup well.’

The result underscored the competitive nature of the North-South showdown, with neither side willing to give ground despite North’s early control and South repeatedly staring at a widening gap.

Like in Day One, North came out firing, winning four of the first five matches, including a sweep of the boys’ 11-14 division.

But South showed its resilience in the boys’ 7-10 class, where Stephen Clementer and Ethan Lago produced a dramatic late comeback to edge Zach Guico and Kingston Ching, 1-up, on No. 18.

Lago blasted brilliantly from the greenside bunker to within pin length, and Clementer calmly converted the putt to snatch the victory, drawing loud cheers from the home gallery.

Zoji Edoc and Kenzo Tan answered for North in the other boys’ 7-10 match, repulsing Lucas Revilleza and Darren Ong, 3and1, while Javie Bautista and Jacob Casuga rebounded strongly from their Four-ball setback with a 5and4 rout of Jared Saban and Ken Guillermo; and Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines routed Ralph Batican and Mico Woo, 6and4, in boys’ 11-14.

North also continued to flex its strength in the girls’ divisions-Jaicee Cervantes and Andrea Dee made it two straight wins with a 2and1 decision over Vanya Go and Soleil Molde.

South, however, responded with another clutch performance as Akeisha Yocte and Blake Aguilar pulled ahead late to stun Winter Serapio and Jehanne Mendoza, 2and1, in a finish that drew another round of applause from the gallery.

The visitors also strengthened their advantage in boys’ 15-18, where Shin Suzuki and Santi Asuncion remained perfect as a partnership after a 4and3 romp over Alexis Nailga and Roman Tiongko. Cailey Gonzales and Georgina Handog added another North point in girls’ 11-14, edging Brittany Tamayo and Rafella Batican, 1-up, in another thriller.

Zuri Bacaloyos and Marqaela Dy hacked out a hard-fought 2-up victory over Mavis Espedido and Quincy Pilac in girls’ 11-14, preserving their perfect 2-0 record in the series, while Apple Gotiong and Lois Lane Go capped the South rally with a convincing 5and3 triumph over Lisa Sarines and Rafa Anciano, bouncing back from their Four-ball loss.