Category: Business Mirror

Calling out a diplomat for undiplomatic conduct toward senior elected officials of the host country and politely asking his government to recall him is not a failure of diplomacy but a dignified way to preserve bilateral ties, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson directed this message to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) amid the Chinese Embassy in Manila’s social media posts criticizing Philippine officials who had taken issue with Ambassador Jing Quan’s recent remarks.

On Monday, the DFA summoned Jing to formally protest his ‘provocative and unacceptable’ remark that China could ‘easily win’ a confrontation with the Philippines.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teresa Lazaro told Jing that such language ‘aggravates an already sensitive bilateral atmosphere and undermines the shared efforts of both countries to build mutual understanding and cooperation.’

She added that it is ‘not the place of a foreign mission to publicly criticize or taunt Philippine officials and legislators who are acting within their mandates,’ adding that sensitive issues are best addressed ‘through established diplomatic channels and bilateral mechanisms.’

The controversy arose after Jing was asked to respond to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s assertion that China is a ‘troublemaker’ in the region.

Jing said that if China had wanted to use force, it could ‘easily win.’ Following criticism from several Philippine officials, he later claimed his remarks were taken out of context, insisting that China ‘does not have the intention to use force.’

The Chinese Embassy in Manila subsequently published several social media messages criticizing Philippine officials who have openly questioned Jing’s remarks.

For years, Subanen families of a remote barangay in Bacungan, Zamboanga del Norte, had to travel to fetch water, requiring long walks every day to the nearest spring that would usually take 30 to 45 minutes.

A 50-cubic-meter Small Water Impounding System (SWIS) established by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region IX in barangay Sipakon, Bacungan town, last year changed that.

The project now directly benefits 80 households, providing water for domestic and agricultural needs.

With the ongoing El Niño, President Marcos directed government agencies to expedite water projects across the country and prioritize areas that may be severely affected by this weather pattern.

DENR Secretary Juan Miguel ‘Mitch’ T. Cruz emphasized the need for practical water interventions that help communities become more resilient. In Sipakon, this approach is evident in a simple yet important way, storing water closer to where people live and protecting the watershed that supplies it.

For Barangay Kagawad Ramon Dampalaya, the difference is simple: the water source is now nearby.

‘Before, we had to go far just to fetch water. Now, we have a water source nearby,’ he said.

With water now more accessible, the daily burden of fetching it has also eased. What once required a long trip can now be done closer to home, giving families more time and energy for other needs.

SK Chairman Danilo Anticamara Jr. said the project has given young people one less hardship to carry.

‘Before the SWIS, they had to walk long distances for drinking water because the streams near their homes were not considered safe for consumption. Now, water is more accessible, while the resource can also support household activities and farming,’ he said.

For resident Iskofela Belhot, the project means something deeper: the community does not have to depend as heavily on distant springs in the forest.

‘If this project were discontinued, we would really have to go back to our previous water source in the forest,’ she said.

The project is part of the watershed management efforts of DENR in an isolated area within the Palandok River Watershed in Zamboanga del Norte. Its continued benefits depend on the health of the forests, streams and water sources that sustain the community.

DENR IX OIC Regional Executive Director Maria Angelique C. Go emphasized that watershed management must ultimately serve the people who depend on its resources.

‘Watershed management is not only about protecting the forest or managing water. It is about ensuring that the watershed’s resources continue to serve the people who depend on them. Projects like this make that connection clear. When we manage water wisely and protect its source, we also strengthen the community’s ability to sustain its livelihood,’ she said.

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The DENR, together with the community and local government, hopes that interventions like SWIS will be sustained, not simply as completed projects, but as resources that continue serving families and farms for years to come.

VOLLEYBALL’S love affair began with its first seduction from Brazil, the land of samba and carnival. At the dawn of the millennium, Brazilian Leila Barros arrived in Manila with the beauty of a queen, the brains of a champion, and the charm of a star.

The gorgeous and elegantly alluring Brazilian hitter and attacker came to play top caliber volleyball. She instantly became a timeless icon for her Filipino fans and when she went home, she left a nation that had fallen in love with her in tears.

Barros made volleyball hard to ignore. She brought world class pedigree, feminine allure, and magnetic presence that turned the game into an event. Leila Mania was more than a passing fascination.

Seduction can open the door; but only substance can keep it wide open. Philippine volleyball needed its own heroes, rivalries, and unforgettable moments to transform curiosity into devotion.

The defunct Philippine Super Liga and now the Premier Volleyball League helped deliver the next two emphatic acts.

Corporate-backed teams like Foton, Petron, Creamline, PLDT and F2 Logistics gave the sport stronger identities and a more competitive stage. Foreign imports brought power and experience, challenging local players to raise the bar of their game.

Then the Filipinas took command of the spotlight. Michele Gumabao, Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado, Jaja Santiago, Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos, Myla Pablo, Mylene Paat and Vanie Gandler became part of a constellation of stars who gave the game its own heroines.

Gandler brought her own brand of allure to a sport already rich in talent and personality. But they were more than pretty faces and crowd favorites. They delivered thunderous spikes, deft sets, towering blocks, and the courage to seize a match.

They didn’t merely win points. They won hearts-and helped turn volleyball into a national obsession.

Soon, women’s volleyball was filling the Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena with a roar that rivaled the excitement of other big events. The spectacle was irresistible: booming serves, thunderous spikes, improbable saves, ingenious setters and hitters.

The crowd came for the athleticism, and stayed for the stories. Club rivalries became personal. Players became household names. Every match offered a fresh contest of nerve, talent, and temperament. Volleyball had become a sporting culture to belong to.

Yet popularity brings obligations. Sponsors invest, fans spend and athletes sacrifice because they believe in the game and the promise it holds. But those governing the game must be worthy of the trust placed in them.

That is the troubling turn in volleyball’s otherwise exhilarating story. Last May, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball suspended the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) amid serious governance issues and alleged ethical violations.

An ad hoc committee was appointed as the international body sought to address the situation.

The PNVF subsequently underwent a leadership transition, with Frank Lao elected president in August. A new name at the top. But what matters now is whether the PNVF can establish transparent governance and a credible plan.

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The urgency became painfully clear during the recent Asian Games, when men’s national team captain Bryan Bagunas spoke publicly about unpaid allowances and teammates borrowing money to sustain their training.

The federation apologized, explaining that the new leadership had inherited substantial liabilities and was reviewing the organization’s financial records.

This is no minor administrative quarrel. It concerns the dignity of the athletes who give the sport its value. Players cannot be expected to prepare when basic support is uncertain. Nor can sponsors be asked to sustain their enthusiasm indefinitely without accountability.

The way forward is not to diminish the women’s success or pit it against the men’s difficulties. Both deserve competent leadership, dependable support, stronger grassroots development.

The popularity of the professional leagues must become a foundation for lasting progress-not a glittering distraction from the work still undone. Leila Barros helped spark the romance.

And Filipino players, ambitious clubs, and a generation of passionate fans turned that first seduction into a national sporting spectacle.

The next chapter must be written by more than fearless spikers, inventive setters, and booming servers. It must also be written by sports officials who understand that public affection is earned, never owned.

Philippine volleyball has found its voice, its stars, and its crowd. The game has given the country every reason to fall in love. Now its leaders must prove themselves worthy of that love.

Employers need to look beyond recruitment and pay to retain workers, as 38 percent of Filipino employees reported chronic burnout, with workload stress and work-life balance among the key factors affecting workplace happiness, according to Jobstreet by SEEK.

The company’s Workplace Happiness Index: Philippines 2025 report found that one in four employed respondents felt neutral or unhappy with their jobs, highlighting challenges employers may need to address beyond filling vacancies.

Only 57 percent of respondents said they were happy with their current workload, while 42 percent said better work-life balance would improve their happiness at work.

Higher compensation ranked first among the factors workers cited, pointing to the importance of both pay and working conditions in employee satisfaction.

Jobstreet by SEEK said workers experiencing stress may hesitate to raise their concerns, allowing fatigue and disengagement to persist even as they continue fulfilling their responsibilities.

These issues may not immediately lead to resignations but can contribute to absenteeism, poor mental health outcomes and declining motivation, the report said.

For employers, addressing these concerns requires clear job expectations, consistent mentorship and career development opportunities, rather than focusing solely on recruitment.

The company also urged employers to foster open communication, conduct regular employee check-ins and provide support for mental well-being and work-life balance.

‘This report serves as the voice of our Filipino talent experiencing ‘silent struggles’ in their workplace,’ Jobstreet by SEEK’s managing director in the Philippines Dannah Majarocon said.

She said a more compassionate, people-centered approach could help employers strengthen employee morale and retention.

Jobstreet by SEEK also recommended workplace recognition programs and peer-support initiatives to help employees feel valued and connected to their teams.

China said on Tuesday it deployed naval forces to track and monitor a US warship that sailed on the waters off Sabina Shoal, that is within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, claiming that the ship allegedly entered waters adjacent to the feature without Beijing’s approval.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said the US littoral combat ship USS Charleston ‘illegally intruded’ into waters near Sabina Shoal, known in China as Xianbin Jiao, prompting Chinese forces to respond.

The PLA said it dispatched forces to track and monitor the US vessel ‘in accordance with laws and regulations’ and accused Washington of ‘infringing on China’s sovereignty and undermining regional stability.’

China further urged the United States to cease such operations, saying its forces remain on high alert to safeguard what Beijing describes as its sovereignty and maritime interests.

The US military had not immediately issued a public response to the Chinese statement.

Sabina Shoal, also known as Escoda Shoal, lies approximately 75 nautical miles west of Palawan and within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The maritime feature has become one of the most contentious flashpoints in the South China Sea amid recurring confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.

Its strategic value stems from its location near major sea lanes and its proximity to Second Thomas or Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a military outpost aboard the grounded BRP Sierra Madre. Analysts say control of the area enhances maritime surveillance and influence over vessel movements across the central portion of the South China Sea.

In an article published Tuesday, Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times said Sabina Shoal occupies a strategically important position because of its location along international shipping routes. The report also argued that the US operation reflected continued strategic competition between Washington and Beijing in the disputed waterway.

The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea, where the Philippines, China and several other countries have overlapping territorial and maritime claims. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a position rejected by a 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

CALLS to declare China’s ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata deserve more than a shouting match-rather, a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC).

The row began when Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro called Beijing a ‘regional troublemaker.’ Jing hit back a day later, saying China could ‘easily win’ if it chose to use force, but that it chooses peace. The latter also described relations between the two countries as ‘extremely sensitive.’

Many lawmakers heard a threat veiled in a reassurance. Senator Risa Hontiveros said the Chinese envoy should be declared persona non grata unless he clarified, and by the weekend other legislators were demanding his expulsion.

Whether that reading is fair hardly matters. What does is whether the government has measured what a further slide in relations with Beijing would cost.

We have been here before. Earlier this year, when similar calls surfaced, Malacañang said the President’s answer was ‘no.’ The Department of Foreign Affairs described expulsion as a last resort with ‘tremendous implications,’ and reciprocal action. Beijing has already signaled its own response: Its embassy said Jing would leave if Marcos asked, and that other Chinese diplomats would leave with him.

The legal authority is clear. Article 9 of the Vienna Convention lets a host state expel any diplomat at any time without explaining itself. What follows is less clear. Manila should expect Beijing to expel our ambassador in return. Embassies would stay open, and relations would formally survive, but the channels between the two governments would narrow just when they are most needed. In a crisis, less direct contact means more room for misreading and escalation.

Possible aftereffects

THE diplomatic fallout may be the lesser problem. The bigger exposure is economic, and it sits on the import side. In 2025, the Philippines bought $38.22 billion worth of goods from China-28.6 percent of its total imports-and that share has climbed in recent years.

Our country sold China about $9.3 billion-roughly 11 percent of its exports. That left a bilateral gap of nearly $29 billion, more than half of the country’s entire $49.72 billion trade deficit. In this relationship, Manila needs Chinese supply far more than Beijing needs Philippine goods.

Chinese capital is a thinner thread, but not a negligible one. Foreign investment approvals fell by half last year to P272.38 billion, with Singapore leading at P92.78 billion. Yet 189 Chinese firms operate inside the Philippine Economic Zone Authority areas, with cumulative investments of P47.3 billion and more than 46,000 jobs, according to the agency’s figures. Those are Filipino workers whose employers sit on the other side of this dispute.

So the vulnerability is not mainly lost sales or lost capital. It is the factories, builders and retailers that depend on Chinese components, materials and goods, and the jobs tied to Chinese-owned plants. Trade would not stop overnight, and the economy is more diversified than many assume. But a prolonged chill could delay orders, raise input costs, spook investors, and reduce Chinese tourism.

The NSC should ask which supply lines have no ready substitute, how quickly options could be found, and how much disruption key sectors can absorb before jobs and growth suffer. These are national-security questions, as much as economic ones.

Rivalry ripples

SAME goes for Filipinos living and working in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau-among them professionals, teachers, domestic workers and business executives. No one is saying Beijing would target them, but responsible governments plan for contingencies, not just certainties. If the dispute drags on, will our consular posts have the people and resources to help a Filipino facing a legal, labor, or immigration problem?

Then, there is critical infrastructure. Rivalry between states now reaches the systems that keep a country running: power grids, telecommunications, Internet networks, banks and government databases. Do utilities, telcos, banks and agencies work from a common contingency framework? Could the country ride out a serious disruption to electricity or communications? A failure in either would quickly spread to banking, transport, emergency services, and government.

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The information front deserves attention as well. Influence operations do not always try to persuade. Often the aim is simply to confuse, deepen divisions, and erode trust in institutions.

None of this may happen. The NSC’s task is not to forecast Beijing’s next move. Its task is to find the weak points, quantify the risks, and have responses ready before events dictate the pace.

The Philippines may well decide that defending its interests is worth the price. That is a legitimate choice. But statecraft takes more than resolve. If calls to expel Jing keep gaining ground, Filipinos are entitled to know the consequences to trade and investment, the exposure of our power and telecommunications networks, and the safety of our kababayans in China.

That’s what the NSC is for. Not after Beijing makes its next move, but before it does.

When I last covered the United States Grand Prix in Austin in 2023, Max Verstappen arrived with his third championship already secured in Qatar. This time, Kimi Antonelli comes to Texas with the title still open-and Mercedes with work to do before it can expect to win the race.

Madrid was my most recent stop with Formula One. Returning to the Circuit of the Americas will show how these cars respond to different demands: from the sustained banking of Madring’s La Monumental to the repeated changes of direction through Austin’s opening esses. Holding a balance through one long corner is one task. Settling the car quickly enough to commit to the next change of direction is another.

Mercedes has a particular reason to study the difference. The team judged its latest upgrade faster in Singapore, but acknowledged that finding the correct setup had become more difficult. Antonelli finished third, more than 24 seconds behind Verstappen. His championship lead grew, but Mercedes had not challenged for victory.

The United States Grand Prix, October 23-25, presents two separate questions: whether Antonelli can secure the championship, and whether Mercedes can give him the speed to do it with a victory.

Madring and COTA are close in length: 5.414 kilometres in Madrid against 5.513 in Austin. Their demands are less alike. Madrid combines street and permanent sections across 22 corners, including La Monumental’s 550 metres of sustained banking. Austin’s 20-turn layout moves from the uphill braking zone at Turn 1 into rapid direction changes, then through slower sections requiring traction and careful positioning.

Neither circuit is adequately described by its signature corner. Through COTA’s opening sequence, a correction can compromise the approach to the next turn. Later, a car that was responsive through the esses must provide enough rear grip to accelerate cleanly from the slower corners. Finding the best compromise matters more than producing one exceptional sector.

That compromise extends to the tyres.

For the Austin weekend, Formula One’s official tyre supplier Pirelli has selected the C2 hard, C3 medium and C4 soft compounds. The selection marks a return to a more conventional combination after the 2025 experiment that introduced an extra compound step between the hard and medium tyres.

Last year’s hardest C1 compound was not used in the race, with teams favouring one-stop strategies built around the softer C3 and C4 tyres. Pirelli’s return to the C2 as the hard compound could again make a single stop attractive, although the heat typically associated with the Texas weekend may introduce greater degradation and encourage alternative strategies.

According to Pirelli’s pre-race technical assessment, COTA places substantial demands on both tyre axles. The fast corners and rapid direction changes in the first sector place the front tyres under particular stress. Later in the lap, repeated acceleration out of slower corners generates thermal degradation, primarily affecting the rears.

The circuit’s asphalt is not especially abrasive, but the ageing surface presents another complication. A section between Turns 9 and 11 was resurfaced earlier this year. Elsewhere, Pirelli warns that tyre wear rather than graining could become an important consideration, particularly after several tyres reached high wear levels during last year’s race.

For Mercedes, this adds another layer to the question surrounding its upgraded car. Finding additional aerodynamic performance is only part of the job. The drivers must also be able to use that performance without placing excessive stress on the tyres over a full stint

Austin’s conventional weekend format gives engineers time to investigate. With no Sprint, Mercedes has three practice sessions to compare settings rather than the single session available before competitive running begins on a Sprint weekend.

After Singapore, trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said Antonelli’s updated package was clearly faster than the previous specification by Sunday. Toto Wolff acknowledged that accessing its performance was more difficult. Antonelli believed further improvement remained available through setup work.

The question is how much of that gain Mercedes can make available throughout a stint. A qualifying simulation offers an initial indication, but the longer runs must show whether the drivers can sustain the pace as fuel burns off and the tyres accumulate laps. A faster car is of limited benefit if keeping its balance manageable requires surrendering the improvement.

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Pirelli’s compound selection gives Mercedes another variable to study. A car that performs well on the soft tyre over one qualifying lap may not respond in the same way on the medium or hard during the race. The relationship between car balance, tyre temperature and degradation could prove decisive, particularly if the expected one-stop strategy becomes marginal in higher temperatures.

Antonelli and George Russell approach that work from very different positions. Antonelli leads his teammate by 102 points. Based on the scheduled remaining races, he can clinch in Austin by winning, with Russell ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton fifth or lower. Victory alone would not settle the championship.

Russell needs an immediate reversal. Ninth in Singapore followed a start from 19th after power-unit penalties. He recovered ground but could not pass Nico Hlkenberg’s Audi late in the race. Another afternoon spent limiting losses would do little to revive his title prospects.

For Antonelli, Singapore showed the value of recovering what the car could deliver. Fresh tyres helped him take third as Hamilton’s older tyres faded. Four track-limits incidents attracted scrutiny, but the stewards did not impose a time penalty. He could not match Verstappen or Charles Leclerc, yet still extended his championship lead.

Turn 12 is one of COTA’s principal passing opportunities, but the preparation begins at Turn 11. The hairpin feeds onto the long back straight. An attacker needs a clean exit to remain close enough to challenge under braking; gaining ground on entry is of limited value if it costs acceleration. A competitive lap in clean air will not reveal whether a driver can stay close through the hairpin and still apply power early enough to attack.

Nor does arriving ahead at Turn 12 necessarily complete the pass. The slower sequence that follows can sustain side-by-side racing. A driver who brakes later but leaves the car poorly positioned may have gained little by the next corner.

Turn 1 offers a different opening. Its broad entry and steep uphill approach accommodate several lines, particularly at the start. Defending the inside does not remove every outside option. For Antonelli, it is a place where retaining a position must be weighed against the consequences of contact.

A driver who loses ground through the esses must recover it before the next major braking opportunity. The preparation often determines whether a pass is available at all. That connects the setup work to Sunday’s racing: responsiveness keeps a rival within reach; traction and braking provide the opportunity to attack.

Verstappen won both the Sprint and Grand Prix in Singapore. On Sunday, he resisted Leclerc at the start, managed a radio problem and finished 7.335 seconds ahead of the Ferrari. Mercedes never mounted a comparable challenge.

That makes Red Bull a serious Austin prospect, not an automatic favourite. Verstappen acknowledged the change of demands after Singapore, noting COTA’s different character and bumpy surface. The question is whether the car’s recent improvement remains effective through a faster, more varied lap.

Singapore’s winning margin cannot simply be transferred to Texas. Red Bull must establish its advantage again, under different loads and across a different range of corners. Mercedes’ additional practice time also gives its engineers a better chance to respond.

Starts remain a concern. Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged that launches needed improvement after Leclerc challenged Verstappen off the line in Singapore. At COTA, the width of the approach to Turn 1 gives a rival space to exploit even a modest advantage. Pole would help without eliminating that vulnerability.

Verstappen also has less reason to settle for second. He has no comparable championship lead to preserve. If he and Antonelli meet on track, the same position can carry a different value for each driver.

Leclerc’s second place in Singapore demonstrated Ferrari’s competitiveness. Hamilton’s sixth showed how quickly a promising afternoon could deteriorate. He qualified third, missed the pit entry when called in under the Virtual Safety Car and subsequently chose to defend track position on ageing tyres. Antonelli, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri all passed him.

Hamilton accepted responsibility. His finish should not be mistaken for proof that Ferrari lacked podium pace: Leclerc supplied the contrary evidence. The immediate task is to reproduce that competitiveness at a different circuit and convert it into two strong results.

More practice should improve Ferrari’s tyre assessment. Fred Vasseur said Singapore’s limited running had left uncertainty, with the soft compound proving stronger relative to the medium than expected. Austin requires fresh evidence, not assumptions carried from the previous race.

Pirelli’s analysis of the 2025 United States Grand Prix offers a useful reference. Thirteen drivers adopted the medium-soft combination, the most popular strategy of the race. Charles Leclerc was the exception among the podium finishers, starting on the soft compound to gain an early grip advantage.

That history may influence Ferrari’s preparations, but the 2026 tyres and conditions will require a fresh assessment. A softer starting compound could provide an advantage off the line, particularly on the uphill approach to Turn 1, while exposing the driver to greater degradation later in the stint.

Hamilton remains nine points behind Russell and eight ahead of Verstappen. Ferrari holds second in the constructors’ standings, with 444 points against Mercedes’ 578. Hamilton’s position and Ferrari’s constructors’ standing leave little room for another missed opportunity.

Norris described McLaren as fourth-fastest in Singapore and said upgrades were needed. Piastri was similarly restrained. Fourth and fifth recovered points, but neither driver suggested the team had solved its deficit to the leaders.

Ferrari needs to convert its pace into results from both cars. McLaren first needs to show that more speed is available.

It also needs both drivers contributing. McLaren leads Red Bull by seven points in the constructors’ standings, 339 to 332. Norris and Piastri’s Singapore Sprint collision prompted Andrea Stella to reiterate that the team’s interests must come first. Another internal incident would be costly while Verstappen is winning.

Haas returns to its home Grand Prix seventh in the constructors’ standings, seven points ahead of Audi. Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon finished 12th and 13th in Singapore, while Hlkenberg scored eighth.

Bearman felt another couple of tenths per lap could have brought points. Ocon reported insufficient grip and excessive sliding. Additional practice gives Haas time to investigate Ocon’s complaints while building on Bearman’s greater confidence in the car.

Further ahead, Racing Bulls has 100 points against Alpine’s 68. Liam Lawson’s seventh strengthened that advantage in Singapore. Pierre Gasly described rear-tyre and traction difficulties that prevented Alpine from converting qualifying speed into race points-a weakness COTA’s slower exits will examine again.

Pirelli expects track grip to be generally good, helped by the supporting categories, including Porsche Carrera Cup North America. But the choice between preserving tyre life and extracting maximum performance remains an important calculation for every team.

For Mercedes, the longer runs will show whether Antonelli can use the upgrade’s extra performance consistently while keeping the tyres within their operating window. Verstappen and Leclerc have already demonstrated what happens when Mercedes falls short.

Antonelli has enough of a championship advantage to accept a result short of victory. His team’s task is to give him a genuine choice.

In Austin, the stopwatch will measure the speed. The tyres may determine how long that speed can last.

BLACKWATER is no longer seeking a miracle to enter the playoff round when it battles Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Friday-the last day of eliminations of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup-at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

But for Bossing head coach Pat Aquino, a victory is more than enough in their 7:30 p.m. game against Ginebra-whether it’s by one point or more.

‘We need a miracle to make it happen, not just a miracle but an extraordinary phenomenon,’ Aquino told BusinessMirror on Thursday, referring to their inferior -37 quotient heading to the game where they need to win by 44 points against the Gin Kings to miraculously bag a quarterfinal berth.

Sitting at the bottom with a 3-6 win-loss record in Group B, Blackwater is just satisfied to finish the season on a high note.

‘We are not closing the door for such a possibility or such miracle, but a win is already huge for us even by one point.’

Ginebra, on the other hand, is enjoying a +30 quotient with their 4-5 record.

A victory over Blackwater will give them the third spot, but Ginebra must not lose by less than 24 points as Meralco (4-6) will automatically snatch the fourth spot with +7 quotient.

Ginebra will face the No. 2 team in Group A which might be San Miguel Beer (9-3).

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine (5-4) aims for No. 2 spot in Group B as it clashes against Phoenix Super LPG (5-4) at 5:15 pm. The loser of this match will slide to No. 4 facing the No. 1 team in Group A NLEX in best-of-five quarterfinals.

The No. 2 team in Group B will face No. 3 Converge team in Group A while Group B solo leader Magnolia is set to face Group A No. 4 finisher reigning champion TNT Tropang 5G in the best-of-five quarterfinals playoff.

More than a third of the world’s population now uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools every month, while social media has reached nearly 70 percent of people worldwide, shifting online activity away from the traditional web, according to the latest global digital trends report.

The Digital 2027 report, released on Wednesday by creative agency We Are Social and media intelligence firm Meltwater, estimated that active users of generative AI tools have climbed to 3.24 billion, or 38.9 percent of the global population. That is an increase of 57.2 percent in the past 12 months, or 1.2 billion new users.

ChatGPT remains the leader in the generative AI market, with twice as many monthly active users as its nearest rival.

However, the report said rivals, such as Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, are gaining ground. Active users of Gemini’s mobile app quadrupled over the past year, and its web user base is now more than 60 percent the size of ChatGPT’s.

Social media user interest will continue to grow. Statistics showed the addition of 151 million new identities, equivalent to 6.9 percent of the global population.

People are also spending more time on these platforms. The typical internet user increased time spent on social media and online video platforms by 3.8 percent over the past year, to an average of 19 hours and 18 minutes per week.

YouTube captured the largest share of total global social media time, followed closely by WhatsApp and Instagram. TikTok, however, led in average time spent per active user, at 1 hour and 55 minutes per day.

The report found that social platforms remain central to shopping decisions among young consumers, with 46.9 percent of internet users aged 16 to 24 relying on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook as their primary source of information when researching brands and potential purchases.

The report also found that the growth of AI and native mobile apps is cutting into traditional web use. Across the world’s top 10,000 web domains, total monthly traffic has declined by more than 10 percent since ChatGPT’s public launch, and total time spent on the web has fallen 11.2 percent in just the past 24 months.

Search engines, however, still hold an edge in brand discovery. Online adults remain 74 percent more likely to say they turn to search engines when researching brands than to an AI platform. The report noted that AI is not the only factor reshaping web behavior.

‘AI is changing how people discover brands, but social remains central to where people spend their time and form preferences. The conversations, recommendations and opinions people make, share online are increasingly informing the answers AI gives and the decisions people make,’ said Suzie Shaw, CEO of We Are Social Asia-Pacific (APAC).

‘For brands, that changes the game. You can optimize what you publish, but you don’t control what people say about you,’ Shaw added. ‘The brands that win won’t just be the ones that appear in AI-generated answers, but the ones people are genuinely interested in, talking about and recommending in the first place.’

Internet users globally now total 5.61 billion, or 73.9 percent of the world’s population. The typical online adult uses an average of 5.8 different channels to discover new brands.

Given this, advertisers are following audiences online. Digital ad spending rose 8.7 percent over the past year, with spending on social media advertising up 18 percent and influencer advertising up 15 percent.

Mimrah Mahmood, Meltwater’s APAC VP of enterprise sales, said brands in the region can no longer depend on a single platform given how widely digital habits differ across markets.

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‘With generative AI adoption surging nearly 60 percent in the last year, the customer journey is being rewritten in real time, changing how people discover information and evaluate brands,’ Mahmood said.

He said marketers and communicators must move away from tracking channels in isolation and instead understand their total brand presence across news, social media, search and AI-powered platforms.

‘Because cultural context and language heavily shape how APAC audiences perceive brands, bringing together media, social, and AI intelligence is now essential for teams to spot emerging shifts and focus their efforts where it actually moves the needle,’ he said.

The 900-page report draws on data from GWI, Similarweb and Statista, among other sources.

In a lighter finding, it noted that cats continue to edge out dogs online, with Google searches returning 4.15 billion results for cats against 4.02 billion for dogs at the end of 2026.

THE House prosecution panel has formally submitted its evidence on Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth ahead of the October 23 deadline, seeking to prevent procedural disputes from delaying the resumption of her impeachment trial on November 9.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said the panel deliberately filed its formal offer of evidence on Tuesday to give the defense time to submit comments and objections and allow the Senate Impeachment Court to resolve evidentiary issues before the next hearing.

The formal offer identifies the documentary and testimonial evidence the prosecution wants the senator-judges to admit, including financial records and testimony concerning assets, corporate interests and transactions allegedly involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

‘It has not been a break for us, really, because, as everybody knows, we have a 10-day deadline to file our formal offer on the remaining article, which is unexplained wealth. And we filed it [Tuesday],’ Kapunan said in a TV interview.

She explained that the defense’s 10-day period for filing objections begins upon receipt of the prosecution’s submission, making an early filing crucial to keeping the trial on schedule.

‘Our deadline is supposed to be the day after tomorrow [October 23], but we filed it today only because the reckoning period for the defense starts from the time they receive it,’ Kapunan said.

Kapunan said the presiding officer must rule on the defense’s objections before the proceedings resume. She added that Duterte’s lawyers are required to identify their witnesses five days before the trial, allowing time for subpoenas to be issued and for the prosecution to prepare for cross-examination.

‘Five days before the trial, they have to name their witnesses. Five days before the trial,’ she stressed.