Category: Business Mirror

ZUS Coffee roared back with purpose and resumed its charge for the top seed in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference quarterfinals with a 25-13, 25-21, 25-21 sweep of Nxled at the Ynares Center-Montalban in Rizal on Tuesday.

Needing just 78 minutes of controlled dominance, the Thunderbelles not only strengthened their bid for a more favorable knockout matchup but also sent a clear, emphatic message-to be counted among the league’s true title contenders.

Anna DeBeer finished with 16 points, while AC Miner delivered 15 points and Chinnie Arroyo and Kate Santiago added 10 and nine points, respectively.

‘It was a good win for us-just to get some confidence back after our last game,’ DeBeer said. ‘We came in, worked hard, and we’re getting ready for the quarterfinals.’

Miner called the bounce-back victory ‘great.’

‘I’m very happy for the team,’ she said. ‘It’s really great. Now we’re heading into the quarterfinals with a lot more confidence.’

The Thunderbelles outclassed the Chameleons in all scoring fronts-49 attack points to 36, six blocks to four, and three aces to two.

It was a performance sharp enough to restore their rhythm, rebuild momentum and regain confidence ahead of what promises to be a chaotic, four-game knockout quarterfinal round on Monday.

Setter Cloanne Mondonedo also tuned up for the bigger battles ahead with 23 excellent sets-nearly doubling the output of her counterpart Jaja Maraguinot, who tallied 13.

Santiago also held her own defensively with nine excellent digs and eight receptions, while DeBeer anchored the floor with 11 excellent digs, allowing Mondonedo to orchestrate the offense smoothly throughout the abbreviated contest.

Nxled, meanwhile, wrapped up its forgettable campaign with an 0-8 record, winning just five sets all tournament long.

Paola Martinez led the Chameleons with 15 points, Lyann de Guzman added 10 and Chiara Permentilla chipped in nine points.

De Guzman also impressed on defense with 11 excellent digs and 11 receptions, while Martinez and Permentilla tallied eight digs and 12 receptions, respectively.

HOLIDAY shoppers and gift-givers should stay vigilant as cybercriminals intensify fraudulent schemes during the Christmas season, exploiting Filipinos’ generosity and yearend spending.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Scam Watch Pilipinas, and anti-scam technology firm Gogolook have identified 12 prevalent fraud schemes that pose heightened risks to consumers during the holidays.

‘The list is ongoing, these are the modus we see all year round, it’s just that their prevalence is different by season,’ said CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso. ‘Every Filipino should now be aware about these types of scams, that’s why we are intensifying our education campaign.’

The top 12 scams are Online Shopping Scam, Fake Delivery Scam, Call Scam, Task/Job Scam, Investment Scam, Love Scam, Loan Scam, Impersonation Scam, Travel Scam, Charity Scam, Middleman Scam, and Online Gambling Scam.

Season of shopping

According to Scam Watch Pilipinas Convenor Jocel de Guzman, the number 1 scam to watch out for this holiday season is the online shopping scam. This type of scam now has ‘two phases’-fraudsters operating a fake Facebook account or page that mimic legitimate stores and cases of deceiving, wrong, or fake items.

Fake Delivery Scams no longer rely solely on phishing links. Fraudsters are now exploiting cash-on-delivery services, with some using ‘pabili’ services to victimize delivery riders, while other dishonest riders perpetrate scams themselves.

Unsolicited calls, messages

Call Scams are expected to surge, driven by ‘remnants’ of illegal online gambling operations dismantled in 2023. These well-trained groups of seven to 10 people typically offer unsolicited credit card updates or other financial services.

Task and Job Scams continue circulating on Viber and WhatsApp, offering easy money for simple tasks but ultimately stealing personal information or upfront payments from job seekers.

Holiday romance

Consumers seeking companionship online face particular risks. Love Scams have become the entry point for investment fraud, with scammers building romantic relationships before requesting financial help or pitching bogus investment opportunities.

Victims are typically aged 45 and older, especially those who are widowed or separated. The red flags include requests for money and appeals to pity, with scammers often posing as foreigners.

Investment Scams have evolved from directly offering unlicensed cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, and gold trading platforms. Now, fraudsters use romance as a gateway, then target victims’ relatives, classmates, and social circles.

Financial traps

Loan Scams have graduated beyond simple processing fee schemes. Illegal online lending apps, often unavailable on legitimate app stores, now request access to borrowers’ contact lists and charge excessive interest rates.

These operations primarily target lower-income groups and online gambling addicts, often resorting to harassment for collection.

Impersonation Scams through Facebook account hijacking have created what De Guzman called a ‘scamdemic.’ Fraudsters contact victims’ Messenger friends, mimicking their writing style to request money.

Online Gambling Scams involve illegal gambling websites, which target those that want to make ‘easy’ money from placing bets. This has ‘declined by 93 percent’ but is still very much present.

Holiday-themed scams

The last few schemes are designed to specifically target the Filipino spirit of generosity.

Travel Scams lure bargain-hunters with fake promotional offers for holiday trips or fraudulent ticket sellers.

Charity Scams exploit Filipinos’ spirit of giving, with criminals posing as legitimate foundations or charitable organizations collecting donations.

Middleman Scams involve fraudsters pretending to be trusted intermediaries in legitimate transactions, typically stealing money from both buyers and sellers.

Be stingy, skeptical

Authorities are urging Filipinos to adopt the 4Ms of the #KontraScamAttitude this holiday season: be stingy with personal information and money (magdamot); be skeptical of offers (magduda); ignore and block suspicious messages (mang-isnab); and report scams to the CICC hotline at 1326 (magsumbong sa 1326).

Paraiso emphasized a whole-of-government approach to combat these threats, with partnerships between CICC, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, and the National Bureau of Investigation making it easier to apprehend perpetrators.

GMA Public Affairs’ The Atom Araullo Specials: PogoLand has been named Best Documentary under Domestic Affairs at the 2025 Association for International Broadcasting or AIB Awards held in London last November 14. This marks another global victory for the program, following its Gold Medal win at the 2025 New York Festivals TV and Film Awards earlier this year.

The multi-awarded documentary, hosted by Atom Araullo, investigated the underworld of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or Pogos that were used as scam hubs and human trafficking dens. The documentary exposed the horrifying realities behind the glossy façades of online gaming, where victims are lured by promises of legitimate work but end up trapped, tortured, and forced into scamming activity.

The episode also followed law enforcement operations that uncovered chilling evidence of torture, forced labor, and organized crime hidden in plain sight. PogoLand gave voice to victims who endured abuse and violence inside the tightly secured compounds before escaping to tell their stories. Offshore gaming was eventually banned in the Philippines.

Atom Araullo, who renewed his exclusive contract with GMA this November, shared his insights from his past seven years with the network: ‘As my contract renews, I’m reminded that this work is a privilege. The AIB recognition belongs to our entire team and the communities who trust us with their stories. We’ll keep pushing for journalism that is rigorous, compassionate, and fearless.’

This latest recognition from London underscores GMA Public Affairs’ commitment to truth-telling: mga kwentong tumatatak sa buong mundo.

SALES of vehicles powered by fuel continued to slightly decline in the last 10 months as electric vehicles continued to surge, driven by strong hybrid sales. This is according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).

According to the Campi-TMA report, the auto industry sold 383,424 units of vehicles in the January to October 2025 period, a 0.2-percent decline from the 384,310 units sold in the 10-month period in 2024.

In a statement on Monday, the auto industry group said ‘Electrified vehicles surged, with 24,265 units sold year-to-date-9 percent of October’s market-driven by strong hybrid sales.’

In October 2025 alone, 40,014 units of traditional vehicles, or those powered by fuel, were sold. This is almost the same level as the volume in October 2024, when the auto industry sold 40,003 units.

However, the 40,014 units sold in October this year is 5.2 percent higher than the 38,029 vehicles sold in September 2025.

In terms of vehicle segments, the number of sold passenger cars continued to plummet, contracting by 23.2 percent, with this segment selling only 77,461 units compared to the 100,809 units sold in the ten-month period in 2024.

In the January to October 2025 period, passenger cars accounted for 20.20 percent share of the auto sales pie while commercial vehicles continued to dominate, cornering 79.80 percent of the cars sold in the 10-month period this year.

Under the commercial vehicle segment, Light Commercial Vehicles continued to occupy the larger chunk sales in the 10-month period with 305,963 units sold or 79.80 percent; followed by Asian Utility Vehicles with 70,544 units or 23.06 percent; Light-Duty Trucks and Buses with 5,753 units or 1.88 percent; Medium-Duty Trucks and Buses with 3,021 units sold or 0.99 percent, and Heavy-Duty Trucks and Buses with 825 units sold or 0.27 percent.

Across brands, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the dominant market player, selling 185,201 units of cars in the 10-month period or a share of 48.30 percent; followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation with 72,734 units sold (18.97- percent share); Ford Group Philippines with 18,631 cars sold (4.86 percent); Suzuki Philippines, Inc. with 18,295 cars sold (4.77 percent) and Nissan Philippines, Inc. with 18,125 units sold (4.73 percent).

The Campi-TMA sales report showed that 24,265 units of electric vehicles were sold from January to October 2025. This can be translated to 6.33 percent of the total auto sales pie.

Of total EVs sold in the 10-month period, 19,379 units are Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV); 3,941 units are Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), and 945 are Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

Across Hybrid EV brands, Toyota led the sales with 14,794 units sold ; followed by Honda Cars Philippines Inc., with 1,527 units; KP Motors Corp., with 711 units.

As to the brands leading the sales of Battery EVs, Tesla Motors Philippines, Inc., led the pack with 2,165 units sold; followed by Nissan Philippines, Inc, with 832 units sold; Omoda and Jaecoo Motor Philippines, Inc. with 292 units sold.

For Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (Chery) led with 501 units sold; followed by Changan Auto (IC Automotive) with 158 units sold; and SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. (BMW) with 78 units sold.

FORMER Mayor of the Municipality of Mendez-Nuñez in Cavite Fredderick A. Vida formally assumed office as acting head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday.

This, after he took his oath of office before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang earlier that day.

He replaced former DOH Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla who was appointed Ombudsman in October.

Prior to his new designation, Vida served as assistant secretary of the DOJ since January 2023.

He also served as Mayor in Cavite from 2013 to 2022, President of the Mayor’s League of Cavite from 2019 to 2022.

Vida earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines and Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo School of Law. He passed the 1996 Philippine Bar Exam.

He is the latest government official, who was given a new designation by the President.

Last week, Marcos also named Finance Undersecretary Charlito Martin R. Mendoza as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

SinagLawaran celebrated yet again the creative eye and technical prowess of Filipino photographers this year, featuring an awarding ceremony and exhibition of the photo contest’s winning entries. The Isa sa Isla Photo Exhibit ran from November 7 to 9 on the third floor, East Wing of Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons in Pasig City.

The SinagLarawan Photo Contest is an annual program now in its third year, mounted by JTI Philippines Community Investment, which supports three focus areas: people, environment, and arts and culture. This year’s contest was themed ‘Isa sa Isla,’ or ‘a visual exploration of how our lives in the islands are linked by water in profound and complex ways,’ which help shape Filipino culture and identity.

‘[This year], we saw a significant increase in the number of photographers joining the contest, as well as good representation from photo clubs and communities from all over the country,’ said Guilherme Silva, JTI Philippines general manager, who also served as a judge in the photo contest.

SinagLarawan 2025 welcomed almost 500 entries from around the country. In the end, the Grand Prize or the SinagLarawan of the Year title was bestowed on the poetic photograph Patron Saint of the Mariners by Kurt Austin Garcia, also a member of the photo club Raw and Untitled PH. Meanwhile, Jessie Eno’s Harvest from the Crown Jewel was awarded first runner up, receiving P120,000 and a trophy, with P25,000 and a certificate for the photo club Putowalkers. Completing the podium was The Current’s Common Ground by Missy Keith Acbang, which also won a P100,000 cash prize and trophy, with the photo club Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal receiving P20,000 and a certificate.

Aside from the top 3, SinagLarawan 2025 also recognized eight outstanding photos for its Circle of Excellence, each awarded a cash prize of P80,000 and a trophy, while their respective clubs received P10,000 and a certificate each. The Circle of Excellence winners included Mark Kevin Badayos and Salvador Toong III of the Photographers Club of Cebu Inc., Nathaniel Carampatana of Putowalkers, Reu Dawner Flores of the Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal, John Kimwell Laluma and Alfred Immanuel Sa-onoy of the Camera Club of Negros, Brian Roldan of Raw and Untitled PH, and Lord Aeron Salem of the Philippine Society for Photography.

There were also 13 winners of SinagLarawan 2025 Special Awards, who each received P50,000 and a certificate. Arturo De Vera Jr. bagged the JTI Employee Choice Award, while the Rehiyon Awards featured three winners per region. These were Jose Revoli Cortez, Sean Jhayzeith Cortez, and Fionna Pelayo for Metro Manila; Arnold Mark Ian Cacanindin, Michael Angelo Luna, and Zarah Jane Ngo for Luzon; Catherine Angeles, Redante Auxilian, and Carlito So for Visayas; and Gale David Davad, Glenn Magallano, and Wyndell ‘Dell’ Supremo for Mindanao.

Moreover, SinagLarawan 2025 named 76 finalists as part of its top 100 roster, each receiving P10,000 in cash and a certificate. This year, the photo contest awarded over P2.5 million in total cash prizes. All 100 winning photographs will be featured in a coffee table book. SinagLarawan is also featuring the Top 24 photos in its special edition JTI Philippines calendar for 2026. Aside from the recognition and prizes, the winning images were also featured in the Isa sa Isla Photo Exhibit at Estancia Mall. The photographs further underlined how the Filipino’s connection with water in all aspects has given rise to communal aspects of our culture.

‘SinagLarawan’ is derived from the Filipino words ‘sinag’ which means ray of light, and ‘larawan,’ which means image. The SinagLarawan Photo Contest aims to highlight the values, traits, culture, and traditions that shape the Filipino identity through evocative photographs. The mission is to allow these photographs ‘to drive and inspire us to be better, do better, and take pride in all that it means to be Filipino.’

Campos-led Del Monte Pacific Ltd. on Monday said its income for its fiscal second quarter ending October 31 jumped sevenfold to $16.8 million from the previous year’s $2.3 million, on strong operational efficiency and market demand.

Total sales expanded by 10 percent to $234.9 million driven by both the Philippines and international businesses, particularly by fresh pineapple exports.

The performance drove sales for its fiscal first half to rise by 11 percent to $438.6 million on the back of a 16-percent surge in fresh pineapple sales and a 10-percent growth in the Philippines.

Net profit jumped to $22.3 million from $2.7 million last year as a result of higher sales and strong margin expansion.

Sales in the Philippines in the second quarter alone rose 9 percent in peso terms to $121.7 million on higher volume and better pricing. Strong demand for packaged pineapple and the expanded year-round use of mixed fruits led the Philippine growth.

‘Nutrition-led initiatives positioning pineapple as an everyday superfruit further strengthened consumer preference for natural, immunity-building options,’ the company said.

International sales in the second quarter went up by 7 percent to $90.6 million with increased volume of fresh pineapple, juice and frozen pineapple.

The fresh fruit business fueled growth with a 23-percent expansion from continued higher sales of the deluxe variety improving sales mix, coupled with strong pricing.

The juice segment grew by 49 percent primarily due to higher sales in China and Europe.

Frozen pineapple sales rose 21 percent from favorable product mix and strong pricing.

The company said it launched the Del Monte Halo-Halo Mix in Australia last September.

It said Del Monte increased market share in North Asia to 51 percent for imported pineapples, cementing its leading position as the preferred fresh pineapple supplier.

Last July, Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI), the local unit of Campos-led Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL), said its sales for its fiscal year ending on April 30 rose by 14 percent to P44.2 billion from the previous year’s P36.23 billion on strong demand for its key products.

The company said it had positive cash flow from its operations amounting to $226 million.

AT a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, how can today’s world-and our region in particular-foster greater certainty and momentum for development? Asean and China have jointly provided an answer.

On October 28, 2025, the two sides signed the Asean-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 Upgrade Protocol in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-a new milestone in Asean-China cooperation, and more importantly, a strong reaffirmation of their shared commitment to an open and inclusive world economy at a moment when solidarity and collaboration are most needed.

The ACFTA represents both a hard-earned achievement and a milestone of great significance for Asean-China trade relations. Negotiations for the ACFTA began in 2002, and its Version 1.0 was fully implemented in 2010. The subsequent Version 2.0, launched in 2015, enabled the free trade area to realize zero tariffs on over 90 percent of traded goods, reducing China’s average tariff on Asean products from 9.8 percent to just 0.1 percent. Benefiting from these policy dividends, China has remained Asean’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, and the Philippines’ largest trading partner and source of imports for nine consecutive years. In the first three quarters of 2025, Asean-China trade reached RMB 5.57 trillion (approximately US$785 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 9.6 percent and accounting for 16.6 percent of China’s total foreign trade. Despite global uncertainties, Asean continues to stand as China’s top trading partner, underscoring the resilience and vitality of their economic partnership.

Negotiations for the Version 3.0 upgrade commenced in November 2022 and were successfully concluded in May 2025. The newly signed Protocol encompasses nine major areas aimed at fostering broader, deeper, and more forward-looking cooperation. Notably, the upgraded FTA extends beyond traditional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, addressing a wide range of emerging fields such as the digital economy, the green economy, and industrial and supply chains. By further removing institutional barriers, the Protocol establishes higher-level frameworks that will advance regional cooperation from the flow of production factors toward institutional integration. It also places greater emphasis on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), thereby contributing to a more resilient Asean-China industrial and supply chain and further deepening regional economic integration. ACFTA Protocol will be seen as a ‘stabilizer’ for global free trade. At a time when the world is facing significant uncertainties, the signing of the Protocol carries profound importance:

First, the signing of the Protocol demonstrates concrete action in support of multilateralism and free trade at a time when certain unilateral tariff measures have disrupted the international economic and trade system, adversely affecting many economies, including the Philippines and other Asean member states. It represents the shared commitment of Asean and China to promoting stability and certainty in regional and global economic development.

Second, the Protocol marks a new milestone in deepening regional economic integration. It signifies that Asean-China FTA cooperation will extend from traditional areas to a broader range of emerging fields. China, which accounts for around 30 percent of global manufacturing value added and has served as the world’s largest manufacturing base for 15 consecutive years, will join hands with Asean-an increasingly dynamic manufacturing hub-to further strengthen and complement regional industrial and supply chains. This cooperation will help the region respond effectively to attempts at decoupling and supply chain disruptions.

Third, the Protocol will also give strong impetus to the building of an Asean-China community with a shared future. China and Asean are close neighbors with a combined population of over two billion. In 2024, their collective GDP exceeded $22 trillion, representing about one-fifth of the global total. The more turbulent the world becomes, the more precious Asean-China unity proves to be. By working together, the two sides are building an Asean-China community with a shared future-one that will ensure the region remains a sea of stability, a land of opportunity, and a home of harmony.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is strengthening its enforcement efforts through a whistleblower protection program that safeguards individuals who report against investment scams, predatory lending practices, money laundering, terrorist financing, market abuse, disclosure violations and other illegal acts.

The agency issued for public comment the draft memorandum circular providing guidelines on whistleblower protection.

‘Financial consumers, investors and corporate insiders all play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity of our financial and corporate sectors. Their willingness to expose wrongdoings forms part of our defense against fraud, market abuse, failures in disclosure, and other illegal acts,’ SEC Chairman Francis E. Lim said.

‘Through the issuance of these whistleblower protection guidelines, we seek to empower victims, market participants, and concerned citizens to come forward without fear, report violations of corporate and securities laws, from scams to complex misconduct such as insider trading and failures to disclose beneficial ownership, and join us in our fight against illicit activities that harm financial consumers and erode confidence in our markets.’

A whistleblower is any person who provides truthful information relating to a reportable act or omission to the SEC.

Reportable acts or omissions cover any offense or violation under Republic Act 11232, or the Revised Corporation Code, including the unauthorized use of corporate name; violation of the disqualification provision for directors; willful certification of incomplete, false, or misleading statements or reports; and fraudulent conduct of business, among others.

Whistleblowers can report not only obvious scams, but also highly sophisticated violations such as insider trading, market manipulation and failure to disclose accurate beneficial ownership information.

The draft guidelines ensure that whistleblowers are protected from retaliation, while providing clear and accessible ways to file reports with the commission.

A whistleblower may lodge a report through designated channels, including the Whistleblowing Portal that will be created on the SEC website.

The portal will collect the relevant information to generate a comprehensive report, which will include a description of the suspected wrongdoing; timing of the wrongdoing; impact or potential impact on the public interest; specific location where the wrongdoing has occurred; names of individuals involved; knowledge of others regarding the wrongdoing; prior reporting attempts and their outcomes; and any attempt to cover up the wrongdoing.

Reports may also be filed through the chatbot on the SEC website, by email, by phone, or through the SEC Check App, the commission’s official mobile app.

The public may also file such reports by mail or in person at the SEC Headquarters in Makati City or at any of the 15 extension offices across the country.

The SEC will process anonymous reports or complaints only if the information provided pertains to verifiable leads through other means like checking of corporate records, in which case, the subject of such reports or complaints may be required to provide a comment.

Anonymous reports should clearly identify the respondents by disclosing the corporation’s corporate name and address. Furthermore, the alleged violations, actions and/or omissions must be clearly identified, together with the law, rule and regulations allegedly violated.

A whistleblower who files a report anonymously may choose to provide a manner by which he or she can be contacted, which the SEC shall keep confidential in accordance with the law.

The draft guidelines provide the designation of a Whistleblowing Office, which shall take charge of receiving and managing whistleblowing reports and overseeing the implementation of whistleblower protection measures.

Razon-led Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. and Lopez-led First Gen Corp. have reached financial close for the acquisition of the latter’s gas assets worth P50 billion.

With the financial close on Monday, Prime Infra now owns a 60-percent controlling stake in the 1,000-megawatt (MW) Santa Rita Power Plant, the 500-MW San Lorenzo Power Plant, the 450-MW San Gabriel Power Plant, the 97-MW Avion Power Plant, and the proposed 1200-MW Santa Maria Power Plant. First Gen retains 40-percent ownership of these gas assets.

Moreover, Prime Infra now controls 60 percent of the offshore liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal, with 20 percent owned by First Gen, and 20 percent by Japan’s Tokyo Gas.

Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume Lucci said the strategic partnership with First Gen will support energy security and the growth of sustainable energy in the Philippines.

‘These gas-fired power plants have played a critical role in supporting the Philippine economy and advancing the decarbonization of our energy mix. Our goal is to continue growing this platform together with First Gen to accelerate the country’s transition away from a power system that is still coal-dependent,’ Lucci said.

Lucci also highlighted the synergy of the gas assets with Prime Infra subsidiary Prime Energy Resources Development B.V., operator of the Malampaya deep-water gas-to-power project, the country’s only indigenous gas field. Together with the Malampaya consortium, Prime Energy is undertaking Phase 4 drilling and exploration to maximize the country’s indigenous gas resources.

‘With this transaction, our Prime Infra assets are now fully connected across the energy value chain, from upstream to midstream to downstream,’ Lucci said.

First Gen President and Chief Operating Officer Francis Giles Puno expressed optimism for the strategic partnership and highlighted its push towards a decarbonized and regenerative future.

‘This partnership marks not just a new chapter, but a renewed commitment to the work that powers this nation every day, to grow our gas platform responsibly, to strengthen our country’s energy security, and to help ensure that the Philippines transitions to clean energy,’ Puno said.

Lucci and Puno led a joint Prime Infra-First Gen town hall for gas plant employees, outlining the strategic vision for the gas assets and emphasizing their commitment to operational excellence and safety.

Prime Infra is the infrastructure arm of the Razon Group, investing in, developing, and operating critical assets in essential sectors such as sustainable energy, water, and waste management. Among its assets are Manila Water Co. Inc., a listed water utility that supplies water to over 7.7 million Filipinos; Prime Energy, the operator of the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project, and Prime Waste Solutions, a company focused on turning waste into value.

First Gen is the listed power generation company of the Lopez Group. Aside from its newly established partnership with Prime Infra in natural gas, First Gen operates the country’s largest portfolio of renewable energy which includes geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar power. Through its geothermal power unit Energy Development Corporation, it is also developing geothermal prospects in Indonesia in partnership with PT DSSR Daya Mas Sakti, a subsidiary of Sinar Mas Group of Indonesia.