Category: Business Mirror

State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is undertaking an aggressive deposit generation campaign to widen its funding base to support its various lending activities, a top official said.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said the Bank has launched a ‘Save 2 Win’ promotion to generate fresh deposits from both individual and institutional depositors to expand in financing activities geared towards high-impact developmental projects.

‘We believe every deposit entrusted to DBP will help strengthen its capacity to finance transformative projects that will support economic growth, create jobs, and improve the lives of communities across the country,’ de Jesus said.

DBP is the tenth largest bank in the country with total assets of P1.036 trillion and provides credit support to four priority sectors of the economy – infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; the environment; and social services and community development.

De Jesus said the campaign is expected to widen DBP’s deposit base, which grew by 15.51% to P413.41 billion in the second quarter of the year from P357.91 billion for the same period last year.

He said that the campaign offers cash prizes of up to P250,000 to winning individual depositors and gift certificates to winning institutional depositors, which also aims to promote greater financial inclusion, especially among underbanked and unbanked segments of the population.

‘We hope to inspire more Filipinos to save not only for achieving their personal financial goals but also for contributing to nation-building and achieving sustainable progress,’ he added.

The ‘Save 2 Win’ promo is open to eligible depositors in all DBP branches nationwide and will run until December 31, 2026. Mechanics of the promotion can be accessed through the DBP website (www.dbp.ph).

EMPLOYERS are likely to factor in the P85 increase in Metro Manila’s minimum wage into their compensation budgets while seeking higher employee productivity and output to offset the added labor costs, online job portal JobStreet Philippines said.

JobStreet Philippines Managing Director Dannah Majarocon said the mandatory increase will directly affect companies’ financials, requiring employers to assess their overall salary and operating budgets for the year.

‘The very practical answer to that is the minimum wage increase will definitely have an impact to the financials of employers,’ Majarocon said during the JobStreet by SEEK Salary Pulse press conference in Taguig City on Friday.

She said companies would likely look at whether higher productivity and improved employee output can help their businesses absorb the additional cost.

‘One is an expectation on an increase in output,’ Majarocon said. ”Are my employees effective?’ ‘Are my employees productive?’ ‘How can I be more productive?’ How can my employees be more productive?”

‘So that the growth of the business is able to financially accommodate the increase in costs,’ she added.

For Majarocon, the wage increase would be only one component of companies’ compensation decisions, as employers also need to consider benefits, workplace flexibility and career progression in retaining workers.

‘Employers will deal with the increase in minimum wage. Employers will also have an expectation on productivity and improvement in outcomes,’ she said.

‘But they will also continue to have conversations around improvements on benefits, improvements on flexibility, improvements on career progression, to make this a very holistic situation,’ she added.

In JobStreet’s 2026 Salary Pulse report, there is a gap between how Filipino workers view the fairness of their pay and how satisfied they are with their salaries.

The Philippines ranked second in the Asia-Pacific region for perceived pay fairness, with 80 percent of Filipino workers saying they feel fairly or well paid.

Yet, only 59 percent said they were happy with their salaries, while 45 percent said their earnings remained below what they need to cover their cost of living.

Among workers who considered their pay ‘fair,’ only 44 percent were actually satisfied with their compensation, leaving 56 percent dissatisfied.

Millennials also reported greater financial pressure than younger and older groups. Among millennials who said they were happy with their pay, 54 percent still said their salaries fell below their standard-of-living needs, compared with 61 percent for Gen Z and 60 percent for Gen X.

By industry, technology workers recorded the highest salary happiness at 54 percent, followed by construction at 50 percent. Industrial workers reported the weakest position, with 58 percent saying their earnings fell below their cost-of-living requirements.

Majarocon said the findings reinforce the need for employers to look beyond salary alone when deciding how to retain workers.

‘The meat of the conversation that we have with employers now is about how do we keep employees. And that is a very holistic conversation,’ she said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on journalists to help provide the public with accurate information amid the prevalence of online misinformation, while stressing that the media should not compromise its role of holding those in power accountable.

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) Presidential Luncheon in Manila on Friday, Marcos acknowledged that journalists should not be beholden to the government and that disagreements between the two are part of a functioning democracy.

‘The government and the media may not always agree, nor should they. But our shared interest remains the same: the pursuit of truth,’ Marcos said in his opening remarks.

‘I enjoin you in sustaining a Bagong Pilipinas where democracy is strengthened by citizens who are informed, discerning, and free,’ he told FOCAP members and other journalists attending the event.

Marcos said journalists remain invaluable allies in combating fake news and disinformation, which he warned could fuel polarization and weaken public discourse.

The President also expressed particular concern over children’s exposure to misinformation and harmful content through social media.

‘Technology is now integrated into our daily lives, yet it has also exposed young people to harmful content and distorted realities at an age when critical judgment is still developing,’ Marcos said.

He stressed the need to create a safe environment ‘where children can learn and grow without compromising their well-being.’

Marcos said his administration is pursuing digital literacy initiatives, modernizing cybersecurity systems and promoting the holistic well-being of Filipinos as part of efforts to address the problem.

The government has also launched Oplan Contra Fake News.

‘We launched Oplan Contra Fake News to protect the public from disinformation and hold its purveyors accountable,’ Marcos said.

UNTIL the horrific shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban, Leyte, last June 22, when three students were killed and 20 injured from gunfire allegedly inflicted by two students aged 14 and 15, few people had heard of the name GoreBox.

Described as a ‘chaotic, physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction,’ the online game was said to be a favorite pastime of the 14-year-old perpetrator.

As the investigation continues, the 14-year-old has been placed under a mandatory intervention program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and his 15-year-old companion has been criminally charged. As for GoreBox? It was temporarily banned by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.

Does taking away GoreBox and other similar online games mean the end of gaming-related violence? Not quite, says Paul Lawrence Filomeno, MD, a board-certified Pediatrician from the Philippines’ top hospital Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed, www.makatimed.net.ph) and a Specialist in Addiction and Recovery Medicine with a focus on screen gaming and digital behavioral addictions in children and adolescents.

MULTISYSTEMIC, COMPLEX ISSUE

‘GAMING violence is a violent behavior that can be triggered by some factors,’ explains Filomeno. ‘That is partly because the game has different dynamics and dimensions that push the child toward violence. But violence can only be done or committed by an accumulation of multiple risk factors. We look at their environment at home, at school, social pressures, history of bullying, and cultural and familiar norms about violence. If they live in an environment where violence is also normalized, then it is easier for them to be influenced, to be violent as well in real life.’

‘To blame the game itself would be lacking,’ he declares. ‘It is multisystemic, and a very complex issue.’

Indeed. While it is easy to assume a child has a gaming addiction and violent tendencies because he spends most of his waking hours immersed in combat and hack-and-slash games, it is not always the case. ‘There are those who game for five hours, but can bounce back to real life,’ says the MakatiMed doctor. ‘Then there are gamers who only play for two hours, but the stimulating game has a huge effect on their behavior. They cannot stop thinking about the game, and there are sacrifices involved in terms of their academic and social relationships.’

RED FLAGS

WHAT then are the signs of a child with a gaming disorder? Filomeno, the first Filipino pediatrician to complete a formal Subspecialty in Addiction Medicine from the University of the Philippines’ Philippine General Hospital, enumerates three red flags:

Loss of control. They attempt to play for one hour. Five hours later, they are still at it. And it is not only that they can’t stop, but they also prioritize playing over real-world commitments like doing their homework, turning in a project, or keeping their room clean.

Functional impairment. This is when gaming reaches a point where it interferes with eating, sleeping, school, hygiene, hobbies, and relationships with family and friends.

Difficulty in stopping. Failing grades, cutting class, and giving up their allowance and personal belongings just so they can play is truly troubling behavior.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

GAMING disorder is treated through a multidisciplinary approach that involves the expertise of Guidance Counselors, Pediatricians, Child Psychologists, and Addiction Specialists. Still, Filomeno believes that family is the first component of the healthcare team. ‘Ninety percent of the effort is delegated to the family,’ he highlights.

In fact, it is family that can help steer a youngster with a gaming disorder back on track. ‘No intervention is effective if the parents aren’t modeling [good behavior],’ Filomeno says. ‘So, if you want your child to sleep early, they need to see an adult who sleeps early as well.’ The same rule applies to gadgets. Do you want your child to stop gaming? Put down your phone or tablet.

6S

FOR parents to observe how gaming is impacting their kids, Filomeno cites the six S: ‘The first S that they need to monitor is ‘sleep’. Sleep is a marker of a possibility that you need to protect the child if his gaming is affecting his sleep. Second, as a parent, you need to protect their ‘safety’. Do you have measures to verify that your child is not talking to strangers when he games? The third S is ‘self-regulation’. Does my child turn to gaming when he is sad? What behavior does he manifest when I ask him to reduce his screen time?’

In the fourth S or ‘school’, academic performance can be a gauge of gaming’s influence. Have their grades dropped or improved since your intervention? The fifth S is ‘social connection’. ‘A very important milestone in childhood,’ reminds Filomeno. ‘Does your child know how to interact with people?’ The sixth and most important S is ‘security’.

Are you on top of things when your child is online?

Remember, change does not happen overnight. It will occur in increments and may even fall back to old patterns. But with your patience, participation and love, you can regulate your youngster’s gaming habits to a safe and satisfying level.

‘The outcomes of gaming disorder are measured by small steps,’ avers Filomeno. ‘If he reduces his gaming from 8 hours to 7 hours, that’s already a big win. Small steps are still better than setting impossible expectations.’

FITNESS competitions are often judged by what is immediately visible-the physique, the discipline, the stage presence.

But as the Century Tuna Superbods competition moves toward its final night, the people behind the bodies are being asked to show something harder to measure: what they stand for.

That was the focus of the Century Tuna Superbods VIP Night in Makati City on August 6, where the Top 40 finalists took the spotlight ahead of the competition’s grand finale.

Rather than simply presenting the finalists as polished fitness figures, the evening gave them a platform to talk about their personal journeys and the health and wellness advocacies they have developed along the way.

The stories ranged from accessible nutrition and physical training to mental wellness, reflecting the different circumstances that shaped each finalist’s approach to health.

Century Pacific Food Inc. Vice President and Group Business Unit Head Carlo Endaya said the broader goal was to make health feel less like an exclusive ideal and more like something people can work toward in their everyday lives.

‘So what do I mean when I say health? So that means everyone needs to have access to proper nutrition. Right level of activity. Useful information. And last but not least, motivation,’ Endaya said during the event.

‘Imagine a world where you, your loved ones, the people you work with, your family, your friends, everyone. Imagine a world where everyone is the strongest, healthiest, most vibrant version of themselves. So that’s not just a dream,’ he added.

The journey

BY the time they reached the VIP Night, the finalists had already gone through more than the usual rounds of posing and competition.

Since the callback stage, they have taken part in a series of activities, workshops and wellness challenges intended to prepare them for the responsibilities attached to the Superbod title.

The process has also pushed them to look beyond physical fitness and consider how their own experiences could translate into something meaningful for others.

During the event, the finalists presented their personal health and wellness advocacies, turning the stage into a platform for stories about the realities behind their fitness journeys.

For some, that meant making nutrition more accessible. For others, it meant encouraging physical activity, addressing mental wellness or sharing lessons from their own struggles.

The emphasis on individual purpose also reflects how the competition has evolved since its launch two decades ago.aya said the response to the original concept eventually showed that the competition could become more than a search for the next fit face of the brand.

‘And 20 years on, Superbod has become the defining asset of the brand, a symbol of fitness, health, and self-improvement,’ he said.

Real people, real stories

THAT distinction was also underscored by Century Tuna brand ambassador Anne Curtis, who has been associated with the competition for years.

Curtis said she has seen the platform develop from a fitness-focused competition into one where participants are increasingly given space to tell their own stories.

‘Having been with Century Tuna for so many years, I’ve had a front-row seat to how this brand and this platform have grown,’ Curtis said.

‘What makes Superbods so special is how it brings real human stories to the center stage. Seeing these finalists step up with heart and genuine passion for their health advocacies is truly inspiring for everyone,’ she added.

What makes a Superbod?

WITH the grand finals approaching, the competition’s judging criteria also offer a glimpse into what the organizers are looking for beyond physical appearance.aya said the finalists will be assessed according to two broad categories: presence and essence.

‘So presence, let’s call it aura. Let’s call it aura. So can the person make people turn their heads? Can that person stop you from scrolling? Can the person captivate and grab your attention? So that is presence,’ he said.

But presence alone will not determine the winners. ‘Second, essence. So what does that mean? Can they inspire people to be healthier? Can they inspire people to eat better?’ Endaya said.

He added that the finalists should also reflect the values of continuous improvement, respect for the individual, and kindness.

Final stretch

NOW, with Finals Night nearing, the competition enters its most consequential stage.

The Male and Female Grand Winners will each receive ?1 million, while the runners-up will take home ?250,000 each.

But before the final announcement, the remaining finalists still have to make the case that they represent more than a particular physical ideal.

We Hope Medical group is preparing to open its first Free Chemotherapy Center in Valenzuela City, a landmark initiative aimed at expanding access to life-saving cancer treatment for residents. Mayor Wes Gatchalian visited the facility this week to inspect ongoing preparations and meet with the We Hope Medical Group leadership.

Located within the city’s growing health services hub, We Hope Valenzuela Chemotherapy Center is designed to provide free chemotherapy sessions, medical consultations, and patient support services for Valenzuela residents diagnosed with cancer. This private initiative is aligned with the city’s commitment to strengthening public health programs and reducing the financial burden faced by families undergoing long-term treatment.

During his visit, Mayor Gatchalian met with the medical team, staff, and clinic manager overseeing the final stages of setup. He emphasized the city’s goal of making cancer care accessible, compassionate, and community-centered. ‘Cancer treatment should never be out of reach for any Valenzuelano. This center is a promise that the city will stand with every patient and every family fighting this battle,’ Mayor Gatchalian said during the inspection.

The facility is currently undergoing final compliance requirements, staff training, and safety checks. Once operational, it will offer:

Free chemotherapy sessions for eligible residents

On-site oncologists and specialized nurses

Patient navigation and counseling services

Laboratory and Diagnostics

Despite the passage of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA), many patients continue to struggle with late diagnosis, limited access to specialized care, and high out-of-pocket expenses. Chemotherapy alone can cost up to ?120,000 per cycle, with total treatment reaching ?5 million or more, pushing families into debt, asset liquidation, or treatment abandonment. With thousands of patients delaying or abandoning treatment due to cost, We Hope Medical Group is here to operate specialized medical facilities and programs that make treatments accessible, affordable, and sustainable. Through strong partnerships with LGU’s, National Government, and communities.

‘ Our mission is simple but powerful. No Filipino should ever have to choose between financial survival and life-saving cancer treatment,’ Dr. John Paul Aclan DBA. We Hope Medical Group proudly highlights the visionary leadership of the Chairman and CEO, whose bold vision and unwavering commitment to accessible healthcare have redefined cancer care for Filipino families. We Hope Medical Group believes that every Filipino deserves access to quality healthcare.

The organization’s rapid growth reflects a deep commitment to public health innovation, community partnership, and sustainable healthcare delivery. By targeting 100 operational centers by year-end, We Hope Medical Group is setting a new national standard-one where compassion meets innovation, and where healthcare systems are built around the needs of the people.

BOTOLAN, Zambales-Zambales officials are closely monitoring major river systems still containing massive lahar deposits following week-long heavy rains that swelled waterways and inundated floodplains in several towns in the province.

Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. on Monday ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents in barangay San Juan, this town, after inspecting a collapsed portion of a dike that shields at least six barangays from the lahar-filled Bucao River.

‘As of now, we are dropping armor rocks into the scoured portion and doing sandbagging to strengthen the dike foundation and prevent a total breach,’ Ebdane said.

‘We’re doing all we can to prevent a dire situation like that in 2009 when the earth dike along Bucao gave way and caused a major disaster in Botolan. We don’t want that to happen again,’ Ebdane said.

Domingo Mariano, the provincial consultant on infrastructure development, the barangays of San Juan, Paudpod, Carael, Bangan, Capayawan, and Batonlapoc could be flooded should the Bucao River Dike burst owing to prolonged pressure from the swollen river.

These villages are directly on the path of the Bucao River and bore the brunt of the massive flooding in 2009, Mariano pointed out.

Aside from Bucao River, Mariano said all eyes are now onto the Sto. Tomas River bordering San Marcelino, San Felipe and San Narciso towns in southern Zambales, after strong current washed out a bridge in barangay Sta. Fe, San Marcelino, on Sunday, and isolated the upland barangay.

At least 15 barangays in the three adjoining towns are located along the Sto. Tomas River, which drains directly from the foothills of Mount Pinatubo.

Ebdane said the lahar from the 1991 volcanic eruption continues to be a major threat to Zambales communities during the rainy season when heavy downpour dislodges massive deposits upstream and send them cascading downriver.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Central Luzon estimated that 6.7 billion cubic meters of volcanic debris remain on the Zambales side of Pinatubo, with three billion cubic meters, or 63.8 percent of river-bound lahar, in the Bucao River basin, and 1.6 billion cubic meters in the Sto. Tomas River basin.

Mariano said the provincial government has been actively undertaking dredging of the Bucao and Sto. Tomas rivers under the Zambales River Restoration Program since 2023, but had so far only cleared the river deltas due to the huge volume of lahar sand in the waterways.

Heavy rains from habagat or the southwest monsoon and the recent typhoons that entered the country also brought more lahar downriver and temporarily stopped dredging operations, Mariano added.

Meanwhile, the Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said in an initial report that six infrastructure facilities in the province were damaged during heavy habagat rains induced by the Typhoons Luis and Maymay starting last week.

The Sta. Fe Bridge in San Marcelino town, which was swept away by strong river current, and a Small Water Impounding Project in barangay Amungan, Iba, which was buildt at a cost of P700,000, were totally destroyed, it said.

The PDRRMO also listed four partially damaged structures: a multi-purpose hall in San Miguel, San Antonio; the Tanguay Slope Protection in Sto. Niño, Cabangan; another slope protection project in Bayto, Sta. Cruz; and the San Juan Dike in Botolan town.

PDRRMO head Rolex Estella also said that as of 5:00 p.m. on Monday, a total of 7,044 individuals, or 2,441 families, have evacuated their homes due to rising floodwaters across the province.

Of these, a total of 4,706 persons, or 1,621 families, remained in evacuation centers while 102 families composed of 285 individuals sought shelter with relatives, Estella said.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) is accelerating the future of banking by expanding its Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), API, and ecosystem banking capabilities, enabling financial services to become seamlessly embedded into the digital platforms where people live, work, shop, travel, and transact.

As embedded finance reshapes the global financial services landscape, RCBC continues to pioneer innovations that remove friction from banking, strengthen financial inclusion, and create new opportunities for businesses, fintechs, merchants, and consumers to participate in the rapidly evolving digital economy.

This vision was highlighted by RCBC Executive Vice President and Chief Innovations and Inclusion Officer Lito Villanueva during the LEAP East Conference in Hong Kong, where he joined global industry leaders from Thunes, HSBC, and Global Payments to discuss how embedded finance is redefining customer relationships, digital commerce, and the future of financial services.

The panel underscored that banking is increasingly becoming invisible, embedded directly into digital experiences rather than confined within traditional banking channels. The conversation explored how value is shifting from simply enabling payments to creating trusted ecosystems that connect banks, fintechs, merchants, governments, and consumers through seamless digital experiences.

‘Banking is no longer a destination. It is becoming an embedded capability that enables commerce wherever customers are,’ said Villanueva. ‘The future belongs to ecosystem banking, where financial services are integrated seamlessly into everyday digital experiences through secure APIs, strategic partnerships, and interoperable digital infrastructure.’

RCBC has been at the forefront of this transformation through its Banking-as-a-Service platform, enabling fintechs, digital platforms, enterprises, and ecosystem partners to integrate banking capabilities directly into their customer journeys. Through secure APIs, partners can embed account opening, digital payments, collections, fund transfers, virtual accounts, lending, identity verification, and other financial services without having to build banking infrastructure from the ground up.

The Bank’s growing API ecosystem powers collaborations across digital commerce, mobility, government services, remittances, transport, and financial inclusion, allowing organizations to accelerate innovation while delivering frictionless customer experiences.

RCBC’s embedded finance initiatives likewise include its U.S. Virtual Account solution, which allows customers and businesses to receive U.S. dollar payments through dedicated U.S.-based accounts without maintaining a physical bank account in the United States. The Bank has also expanded the use of payment tokenization, replacing sensitive card credentials with secure digital tokens that enhance security while enabling seamless online, mobile, and contactless payment experiences.

Further demonstrating its commitment to customer-centric digital innovation, RCBC is among the first banks in the Philippines to offer unlimited free person-to-person fund transfers through both InstaPay and PESONet via its RCBC Pulz and RCBC DiskarTech mobile banking platforms. Through this pioneering FREEmium proposition, millions of loyal customers can transfer funds digitally without paying transaction fees, making everyday banking more affordable while accelerating the country’s transition toward a cash-lite economy. The initiative reflects RCBC’s belief that digital financial services should not only be secure and convenient but also accessible and inclusive for every Filipino.

These innovations complement RCBC’s flagship digital platforms, including RCBC Pulz, DiskarTech, and ATM Go, which collectively demonstrate how digital banking, financial inclusion, agency banking, and embedded financial services can work together within a unified ecosystem. Together with its Banking-as-a-Service platform and expanding API capabilities, RCBC is enabling financial services to become an integral part of commerce, mobility, government services, digital marketplaces, and everyday life.

According to Villanueva, embedded finance represents far more than a technological evolution. It fundamentally changes how financial institutions create value in a platform-driven economy. ‘The next generation of banking will not be defined by standalone banking applications, but by trusted ecosystems where financial services are embedded into platforms that millions already use every day,’ Villanueva said. ‘Institutions that embrace openness, interoperability, and collaboration while maintaining the highest standards of security, compliance, and customer trust will lead the future of financial services,’ Villanueva added.

RCBC continues to deepen strategic partnerships with global payment networks, fintech companies, technology providers, merchants, and public sector institutions to accelerate innovation across payments, digital identity, embedded lending, open finance, and cross-border financial services. These initiatives reinforce the Bank’s vision of creating a connected, inclusive, and borderless financial ecosystem that empowers consumers, businesses, and communities alike. As digital commerce continues to evolve, RCBC remains committed to building the financial infrastructure that powers the next generation of digital experiences while strengthening the Philippines’ position as one of Asia’s leading digital banking and fintech innovation hubs.

‘Embedded finance is not about banks disappearing,’ Villanueva concluded. ‘It is about banks becoming more relevant than ever by powering the ecosystems that will define tomorrow’s digital economy. At RCBC, we are committed to making banking invisible where it should be, accessible where it matters most, and valuable to every Filipino.’

‘Global platforms such as LEAP provide valuable opportunities to exchange ideas, learn from other markets, and showcase how collaboration can accelerate financial inclusion and digital transformation,’ he added.

LEAP East marked the conference’s first edition outside Saudi Arabia, bringing together more than 25,000 participants, including over 400 exhibitors, 250 startups, and 250 investors, to discuss emerging technologies shaping the future of digital commerce, artificial intelligence, fintech, and cross-border financial services across Asia.

RCBC has continued expanding its digital banking ecosystem through innovations such as RCBC Pulz, RCBC DiskarTech, and RCBC ATM Go, supporting the country’s growing shift toward digital payments and financial inclusion.

A family living wage has moved into discussions between labor groups and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) pressed for a clearer benchmark in determining workers’ pay.

During a meeting with Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino, TUCP proposed discussing the guiding principles for determining a family living wage, alongside other long-running labor concerns.

‘We are with you in that aspect; that is part of the Constitution, the terminology of living wage,’ Tolentino said in response.

TUCP also raised freedom of association, security of tenure, certification elections, maritime voluntary arbitration and collective bargaining agreements during the talks.

Among the measures it sought support for were House bills that would strengthen union formation and rationalize government intervention in labor disputes.

Other proposals would remove dismissal and imprisonment as penalties for workers who participate in strikes.

Labor representatives also brought up legislation needed to implement International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 190, which addresses violence and harassment in the world of work.

Talks, likewise, covered ILO Convention No. 188 on work in fishing and Convention No. 193 on decent work in the platform economy, both of which Tolentino supported.

Concerns involving workers in the electric cooperative and sugar industries were also discussed, with labor officials providing updates on issues raised by TUCP.

Tolentino told the group that the department would remain open to criticism and concerns from workers.

‘If we make mistakes, criticize us. I’ve been trying to be very transparent. If you have any concerns, just let me know,’ he said.

THE National Student Athletes Championship (NSAC) World Invitational presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will bring together eight teams from the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan and Australia for a three-day competition beginning Friday at the PhilSports Arena.

University of Santo Tomas (UST), San Beda, Jose Rizal University (JRU) and Far Eastern University (FEU) will vie against the Fighting Eagles Nagoya and Tenri University from Japan, National Formosa University from Taiwan and Elite Stacks AUS from Australia in the tournament organized by Asiabasket.

PSC chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio welcomed the staging of the international tournament and the opportunities it creates for Filipino student-athletes.

‘The NSAC World Invitational gives our student-athletes an opportunity to compete against international opposition here at home and gain valuable experience that can contribute to their development,’ Gregorio said.’ The PSC is pleased to support initiatives that create more meaningful competitive opportunities for Filipino athletes.’

Asiabasket Founder and CEO Jai Reyes said the tournament reflects the organization’s goal of creating more opportunities for Philippine basketball to engage with international competition.

‘The NSAC World Invitational is a reflection of our vision to elevate Philippine collegiate basketball beyond our borders,’ Reyes said. ‘We want to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete against quality international programs while showcasing the talent, passion, and competitiveness of Philippine basketball on a larger stage.’

The eight-team tournament will follow a knockout format with classification games, ensuring each participating team plays three games.

JRU faces Elite Stacks AUS, San Beda takes on National Formosa University, UST meets Tenri University,and FEU battles Fighting Eagles Nagoya on opening day.