Category: Business Mirror

Consumers looking to upgrade to a smartphone built for photography, content creation, and extended everyday use can get the vivo V70 FE through vivo Philippines’ 9.9 sale on Lazada, with 0% interest installment, free shipping, and vouchers available. The vivo 9.9 Lucky Bigger Savings campaign runs from 8 pm on September 8 through September 11, giving shoppers more flexible ways to purchase the V70 FE.

The vivo V70 FE is featured in the Lazada campaign alongside offers that include 0% interest for three months via LazPayLater, free shipping, and vouchers of up to 10% off. These options make it easier for consumers who have been considering an upgrade to get a V Series smartphone without having to pay the full cost upfront.

The vivo V70 FE has a 200MP OIS Ultra-Clear Camera, which is designed to capture detailed images for both everyday photography and mobile content creation. The high-resolution camera also allows users to crop photos or zoom in while retaining clarity, giving them more flexibility when framing and editing their shots.

The vivo V70 FE is also equipped with a 7,000mAh BlueVolt Battery, the largest battery capacity in the V Series, built to support extended periods of shooting, streaming and scrolling. Its 90W FlashCharge provides faster charging when users need to get back to using their device.

For consumers looking for a more practical everyday phone, the vivo Y11d is also featured in the Lazada sale. Meanwhile, the newest vivo Y05e rounds out the featured lineup as an option for users who prioritize essential smartphone functions and durability.

‘Upgrading to a new smartphone is a significant purchase, and consumers naturally look for opportunities that make the decision easier,’ said Liu Lu, Brand Marketing Director of vivo Philippines. ‘With the V70 FE featured in our 9.9 Lazada campaign, shoppers can take advantage of flexible payment options and savings while getting a smartphone that is equipped for the way they capture, create, and stay connected every day.’

The 9.9 campaign also extends to Shopee, where vivo’s 9.9 Mega Upgrade Sale runs from 8 pm on September 8 through September 10. The campaign offers 0% interest for three months via SPayLater, free shipping and vouchers of up to Php 1,500 off on vivo smartphones like the vivo Y11d, Y05e, and Y05.

The vivo 9.9 promotions are available through vivo’s official stores on Lazada and Shopee. Offers, vouchers, and installment availability are subject to each platform’s terms and conditions and applicable redemption limits.

From September 4 to 13, 2026, Berlin will become the center of the basketball world. The German capital will host the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, the long-awaited global championship in women’s basketball.

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Can anyone stop USA?

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Kim Fajardo puts an exclamation point for PLDT as three Creamline aces-Jema Galanza, Kyle Negrito and Bea de Leon-hit the floor during the Premier Volleyball League Invitational the reigning champion High Speed Hitters won, 25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12, in a gripping two-hour and 23-minute battle on Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

PLDT and Creamline meet again Tuesday in the battle for third place behind the championship match between EST Cola and Nxled.

FORMER House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to remain under custody at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, citing his cardiac history and continuing medical treatment, as he faces a P7.4-billion plunder case.

In a Manifestation of Hospital Confinement and Urgent Motion Ad Cautelam for Continued Hospital Confinement Under Custody filed with the anti-graft court’s Third Division, Romualdez said he was confined at Cardinal Santos and asked that any warrant of arrest against him be served at the hospital.

He also asked the court to allow him to remain under ‘continuous lawful custody’ at the hospital instead of being immediately transferred to a detention facility, pending his medical recovery.

According to the filing, Romualdez has a documented cardiac history and remains under continuing medical care at Cardinal Santos. A medical certificate was attached to the pleading.

The defense made the request ad cautelam, or as a precaution, amid the pending plunder case filed against Romualdez before the Sandiganbayan.

The motion specifically asked the court to recognize his existing hospital confinement and allow him to remain under custody there should a warrant be issued.

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed a P7.4-billion plunder case against Romualdez, former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co, Romualdez aide Joselyn Tragua Serenio and businessman Felicito Cristobal Guevarra.

The Ombudsman alleged that Romualdez and Co repeatedly received commissions, percentages, kickbacks and other pecuniary benefits amounting to at least P7.4 billion in connection with their public positions and government projects funded under the national budgets from 2022 to 2025.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division subsequently issued warrants of arrest against the accused after finding probable cause to proceed with the case. The court stressed that the issuance of the warrants did not constitute a finding of guilt.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Romualdez was read his rights in the presence of his lawyer and underwent booking procedures at the hospital.

Romualdez’s lawyer, Ade Fajardo, said the former speaker would face the allegations in accordance with law, stressing that criminal liability should ultimately be determined based on the evidence presented in court and the safeguards provided by the justice system.

FOR many executives, compliance is something they know is important but do not deeply understand. Compliance is often viewed as a necessary evil that hinders business, rather than understanding that compliance is essential to your business’s success. Having strong compliance officers on staff to make sure regulations are followed is critical, but that does not mean the C-level executives can totally check out.

There are five essential things that top tech leaders must understand when it comes to compliance. What’s more, tech leaders can play an integral role in helping safeguard against misconduct at the top-often working alongside compliance officers to ensure the business has a strong regulatory structure with executive buy-in.

Five compliance essentials

1. Compliance is much more than just something that facilitates your business

Rather than being viewed merely as a cost center, the compliance department provides real value by offering the business a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis that incorporates compliance-related costs.

2. A lack of compliance can cost you millions in fines and brand damage

Fees and fines can cost a company a lot of money if it is found to be noncompliant. The Data Privacy Law (DPA) levies criminal penalties and other government agencies hand down civil penalties for bribery, competition, labor, environment and accounting violations.

Customers want to believe their information is protected and that they are doing business with companies practicing legally and ethically. Compliance violations can turn customers away. That makes it hard for a company to recover its reputation, as there are few to no new customers to vouch for the trustworthiness of your business. The damage to brand reputation can often cost even more than those fines.

3. Strong compliance can make your business more competitive

In today’s activist, social media-fueled culture, one ethical misstep can lead to ruin for your business. The flip side of that is compliance with regulations and ethics can serve as a differentiator from your competitors. Companies need to ensure that the third parties they work with aren’t going to get them in trouble. And as a third party, being able to demonstrate compliance can help land that deal.

In addition, strong compliance slashes business risk due to unvetted partners and can empower new revenue streams in new markets as that risk is reduced. This is an advantage over competitors who lack the ability to vet third parties well.

4. Not having an organized and systematic approach to compliance will cost you more in the long run

The upfront expenditures for an integrated compliance approach using advanced technology will end up costing less than the fines, fees and damage to brand reputation that can result from violations. Compliance is often very complicated, especially when grappling with regulations set by multiple countries. This is why having an organized and systematic approach is essential. It will ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and that there is total visibility at all times, freeing compliance professionals to work on high-impact projects that protect the business.

This systematic technology approach includes supporting compliance monitoring activity as well as communication and training activities. Compliance professionals can take advantage of the ubiquity of mobile devices to deliver ongoing training, alerts and reminders.

In addition, data analytics can be a tremendous boon to the compliance department. This analysis can, among other things, help predict future compliance issues, improve the efficiency of compliance testing and conduct real-time monitoring of high-risk areas.

5. Having Compliance Officers (and a DPO) on staff is essential

Compliance is a highly specialized arena within the organization. It requires time, effort, investment and a thorough programmatic approach. A professional compliance officer understands the various nuances that can ultimately protect your company from the problems described above and save your company’s bottom line and reputation.

To take full advantage of this expertise, your head of compliance needs to be involved in strategic business decisions. This individual will need to understand and speak the language of business so that other leaders are willing to hear what needs to be said about the business value of compliance. Then they will be able to embrace the critical nature of compliance and provide the buy-in that then trickles down through all levels of the business.

Working together

In the fast-paced age of digital business, compliance is often thought of as a burden and a cost center. Yet with the right approach, it can be revealed for the cost- and reputation-saving function that it is. Compliance can provide the ethical center of gravity that influences the entire organization. Rather than merely enforcing policy, today’s compliance officers can help accelerate business by providing the information that lets business leaders make more informed decisions regarding the risk and expense of working with third parties. In this way, business and compliance need to converge rather than being at odds, and jointly they can create a firm foundation for success.

You may have noticed that I kept AI out of this compliance discussion. But allow me to highlight a few AI compliance topics:

1. AI Risk Management – Preparing for the EU AI Act – Compliance while driving innovation.

2. Building the Foundation for an AI Compliant and Scalable Risk Management Program.

3. Scaling Enterprise AI with Enforceable Governance.

THE recently released P1 billion will further expand Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), focusing on strengthening flood management, hazard monitoring, and disaster risk reduction systems as the country confronts the effects of climate change, according to UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) Executive Director Mahar Lagmay.

In various interviews with PCO-Integrated State Media and private media outlets, Lagmay, a UP geology professor, said he hopes that the government’s funding for UPRI ‘will continue to transform scientific knowledge into practical action that protects lives and helps build safer, more resilient, and sustainable communities.’

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order to infuse a fresh P1 billion into Project NOAH, which UPRI manages, will boost impact-based forecasting developed by Project NOAH researchers using years of historical information, satellite images, rainfall data, and other datasets.

The President’s directive to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is described as another critical move in his data-driven governance, which appreciates the vital role of hard science in statecraft, notably the national infrastructure spending of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) being guided by scientific data from UPRI’s NOAH.

Founded in 2012, NOAH seeks to assist the country in disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, and related activities through research, development, and extension services.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has begun laying the technical foundation for future, science-backed flood management infrastructure to strengthen long-term disaster preparedness and climate change risk response nationwide.

At President Marcos’s directive to enhance nationwide flood resiliency, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the updating of all flood management master plans to protect Filipinos from massive flooding year after year.

To ensure these master plans reflect current climate realities, the agency is collaborating with UPRI’s Project NOAH, local government units, and key partner agencies to integrate detailed hazard mapping and scientific data before their implementation.

On September 2, the President said the government is now implementing a flood control master plan that has been in place for decades.

‘We already have a masterplan. It’s just never been executed. We are only executing it now,’ President Marcos told reporters after inspecting repair works at a collapsed bridge in Tarlac.

‘We have had a master plan for decades pero walang ginawa. Ngayon lang natin sinisimulan. [but nothing was done. We are only starting it now],’ the President said.

The President’s remarks come as Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and other parts of Luzon grapple with widespread flooding brought by heavy monsoon rains.

The administration has repeatedly called on national government agencies to implement long-term flood control measures, including de-clogging and dredging waterways, improving drainage systems, and proper land-use planning, as the government responds to increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change.

NOAH aims for faster, more accurate forecasting

Lagmay said NOAH’s impact-based forecasting system is projected to forecast, one day in advance, where flooding may occur and its impact on roads, homes, buildings, and vehicular flow.

‘The P1-billion allocation for UPRI will be measured by better information, transparency, evidence-based governance and decision-making, effective flood management, and reduced disaster risks and losses,’ Lagmay said.

Of the total allocation, P935 million will support research services, while P65 million will fund general management and supervision of NOAH’s implementation. The allocation is part of the UP System’s built-in appropriation under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

Lagmay said UPRI’s budget will fund high-resolution mapping of major river basins, hazard assessments, land-use planning, and Oplan Kontra Baha initiatives, in coordination with the DPWH, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, local government units, and private-sector partners.

The allocation will also support Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) drone topographic surveys, capacity-building programs with state universities and colleges, native tree mapping, sediment erosion assessments, mapping of hidden waterways, nature-based solutions, and the use of artificial intelligence and analytics for disaster risk management.

UP President Angelo Jimenez said the Marcos administration’s funding for UPRI is ‘an investment in the power of research and innovation to serve the nation.’

‘We do research because knowledge matters, and knowledge matters most when it can help us make better decisions, solve real problems, and improve the lives of our people,’ Jimenez said.

THE central bank said it is set to establish, implement, and maintain a centralized National QR Code Merchant Database that will store all merchant information to ensure reliability of QR-enabled payment services in the country.

In a proposed circular, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) indicated that the Monetary Board is set to approve amendments to the ‘Manual of Regulations for Payment Systems’ (Morps) ‘consistent with the objectives of ensuring the safety, efficiency, security and reliability, and integrity of the national payment system.’

‘BSP-supervised institutions (BSIs), including operators of payment systems (OPS) and payment service providers (PSPs), and other relevant participants in the national payment system shall establish and maintain risk-based controls that provide sufficient, accurate, current, and timely visibility over the persons, merchants, intermediaries, accounts, payment channels, transactions, and settlement flows involved in payment activity, commensurate with their respective roles,’ the central bank said in the draft circular.

Among the amendments to the Morps is the creation of the National QR Code Merchant Database, ‘containing information on merchants that accept payments through the National QR Code Standard.’

‘As warranted, the functions of establishing, implementing, and maintaining a centralized National QR Code Merchant Database may be delegated to the payment system management body (PSMB),’ the central bank also noted.

The proposed circular noted that the BSP or the PSMB may engage or designate a ‘qualified’ third party to perform, in whole or in part, the operational, technical, and administrative functions relating to the database.

Trusted repository

THE central bank explained that the database shall serve as a ‘trusted repository’ of merchant information to support merchant identification and verification, strengthen fraud prevention and detection measures, facilitate interoperability among participating PSPs, and promote the safety, efficiency, and reliability of QR-enabled payment services.

With this, the BSP said payment service providers that onboard, sponsor, or maintain merchant accounts for participation in the National QR Code ecosystem shall submit, maintain, and update merchant information in accordance with standards, procedures, and timelines prescribed by the central bank.

‘PSPs shall ensure that merchant information submitted to the database is accurate, complete, and kept current at all times,’ the BSP said.

Database info

THE central bank revealed that at least 14 nodes of information are required to be stored in the National QR Code Merchant Database.

These nodes include unique merchant identifier assigned in accordance with the National QR Code Standard, registered business name and trade name, where applicable; merchant category code (MCC) or business classification and business registration details, among others.

The BSP shaid it shall approve the governance framework, data dictionary, access categories, update deadlines, retention period, correction and dispute process, cybersecurity standards, business continuity requirements, and supervisory-access arrangements of the database.

THE National Police (PNP) on Monday stressed its commitment to lawful and impartial operations following Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims that the service’s knowledge of her location supported her allegations of harassment and surveillance.

In a statement, the PNP Chief, Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said they respect the Vice President’s sentiments and assured her that there was neither an order, nor an effort to harass and conduct surveillance on her.

‘We understand the Vice President’s concerns but I assure her that the PNP remains committed to lawful, professional, and impartial police operations. Our focus is always in maintaining peace and order and police actions are always guided by our duty to protect,’ he said.

The Vice President made the remark that she does not trust the courts or the police and does not feel safe as she posted bail for a case she is facing before the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City.

Nartatez said she made the statement ‘under a situation that needs patience and understanding.’

But he stressed that there were numerous stories of hard work and dedication, including some policemen making an ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, that could speak for the dedication and professionalism of the police.

Nartatez also directed all units to continue monitoring potential threats against the Vice President and her family, while reminding personnel that any security or threat-monitoring activity must be lawful, properly authorized, and professionally conducted. He also ordered that reported threats be assessed separately from law-enforcement actions related to the Vice President’s criminal case.

THE Philippines could face a slight increase in borrowing costs for very long-term loans after three years under its new upper-middle-income country (UMIC) status, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ADB Philippines Country Director Andrew Jeffries said the change would only take effect after the Philippines maintains its UMIC status for three consecutive years and would apply if the government chooses to take out very long-term loans from the multilateral lender.

The increase would be around 0.1 percent, which Jeffries described as ‘very slight.’

‘If the government chooses to borrow very long term, there’s an increase in the cost slightly. The government, when they borrow from [the] ADB, the repayment period can vary. It’s up to them to choose that,’ Jeffries told reporters on the sidelines of a media briefing the ADB organized last Monday.

The Philippines was upgraded to UMIC status by the World in July after the country purportedly reached a gross national income of $4,850 last year.

The reclassification marks a development milestone but also puts the country on a transition toward greater reliance on market-based financing as it gradually loses access to some concessional financing from multilateral development institutions.

Earlier, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) confirmed that the Marcos administration is seeking to fast-track the approval of 20 to 30 additional infrastructure and social-sector projects eligible for concessional financing. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/07/06/phl-rushes-20-infra-projects-to-draw-from-cheap-loans/)

Jeffries, however, said the potential increase in ADB borrowing costs could be more than offset by other cost advantages associated with being a larger, higher-income economy.

‘Becoming a UMIC and being a bigger economy would probably lower some costs across the board. Borrowing-wise, generally, that would more than offset that tiny thing,’ he added.

As the Philippines transitions toward greater reliance on market-based financing, ADB President Masato Kanda said the lender is also looking to deepen its role in mobilizing private capital for the country.

‘We believe the Philippines has a huge potential, including the demographic dividend and the good infrastructure we are building up,’ Kanda said during the briefing.

Kanda said ADB has ambitions to expand its private-sector operations in the Philippines but declined to provide a specific financing target, noting that the size of the pipeline could be influenced by major projects, particularly in utilities and power.

He said ADB wants to play a more active role in private-sector development, but the country needs to improve its investment environment by strengthening productivity, credibility, and regulation.

‘I think one of the things we have to focus on is creating an enabling environment by good regulatory reform and cultivating the domestic capital market,’ Kanda said.

The ADB committed $143.3 million for private-sector operations in the Philippines last year, while another $109.4 million was mobilized alongside its financing.

THE electric vehicle (EV) industry is hoping the government will keep fiscal and non-fiscal incentives in place through 2040, arguing that sustained policy support will be needed to keep the country’s shift to electric mobility on track.

Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) Vice President and AC Mobility Holdings Inc. Mobility Infrastructure Head Carla Buencamino said last Friday that the industry welcomed a bill filed by Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian seeking to extend existing incentives for electric vehicles and introduce additional benefits for EV users.

‘We really need to keep these incentives there. Because our targets go as high as the DOE’s (Department of Energy) targets extend until 2040,’ Buencamino told reporters at an event in Makati City.

Senate Bill 2270 proposes longer incentives and lower import costs for the electric vehicle industry. The measure seeks to extend the validity of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under Republic Act 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida), to 12 years from the current eight, while removing import duties on electric vehicles and related equipment and infrastructure.

‘For the industry, we hope that the incentives will last until 2040 so that people can continue to grow and adapt to electric vehicles,’ Buencamino said.

The Marcos administration aims for EVs to account for 50 percent of new vehicle sales by 2040.

According to Buencamino, support should cover the wider EV ecosystem, not just vehicle ownership, including charging infrastructure and power generation.

‘So it’s also the charge; it’s not just the cars, right?’ she said. ‘We have the charging stations, we have our power generation, and all of the ecosystem for the EVs.’

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Also, Buencamino said, the ideal scenario for the industry is extending the tariff-free treatment, which continues to engage government agencies on policies affecting EV adoption.

Now, the government is urged to lead the EV transition by increasing its adoption of electric vehicles, given its role as a major vehicle procurer.

‘The government needs to do its share,’ she said. ‘For the government to be the first to do the adoption itself, because even the government, they are a large procurement body.’

Government adoption, Buencamino said, could demonstrate the viability of the technology and encourage greater uptake by the private sector.

WHILE policy support remains a key concern, EV infrastructure providers are also dealing with practical hurdles that can slow the expansion of charging networks.

ACMobility had more than 500 public charging points as of July, while its charge points accounted for more than 45 percent of the DOE’s registered charging stations nationwide after excluding battery-swapping systems, which do not apply to cars.

Buencamino said differences in permitting requirements among local government units remain one of the challenges to faster deployment. ‘At this point, as with anything new, there are still some challenges with the processes,’ she said.

Some LGUs require documentation that may not be requested elsewhere, adding time to the process of securing permits and opening charging stations to the public, she explained.

‘It just lengthens our overall process to be able to complete a charging station and to open it up to the public,’ Buencamino said.

A more streamlined permitting system would allow providers to expand faster and help build a broader charging network.

‘If we want to go for high numbers, we’re really hoping to have this streamlined process,’ she added.