Category: Business Mirror

Kathlyn Bugna swept her three events, including two singles, in the Bagong Pilipinas Juniors Age Group Tennis Championships recently at the Capitol indoor and outdoor courts in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

The Batang Onay/RSB standout from La Carlota dropped just four games in four matches in the girls’ 16-and-under division before routing Justine Gumbao, 6-0, 6-2, in the final. She was just as dominant in the premier 18-and-under category, yielding only five games in four matches and capping her run with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Princess Obaniana.

Bugna made it three titles by teaming up with Ashley Garcia to capture the 18-and-under doubles crown over Dyan Placa and Marxian Sira. Her latest sweep also earned her another MVP trophy in the Philta and Universal Tennis Ranking-sanctioned circuit.

The tournament is part of the Bagong Pilipinas sports agenda and held under the long-running Palawan Pawnshop talent search, which seeks to widen opportunities for young athletes through grassroots programs, public training facilities and youth sports initiatives nationwide, while private supporters continue to put up tournaments for rising players.

Krelz Gecosala shone in the boys’ side, ruling both the 16- and 18-and-under divisions.

Gecosala dropped just four games in four matches in the 16-and-under category, defeating Rein Hayana in the final, 6-0, 6-1. He captured the centerpiece division with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kurt Alcantara in the event sponsored by Gov. Pax Ali Mangudadatu and supported by A.C. Garcia Corp., Gareco Garcia Refinery Corp., A.C. Garcia Group of Companies and A.C. Garcia Palm Oil Mill Corp.

Other winners in the second leg of the circuit’s Mindanao swing were Kresthan Belacas and Gumbao in the 14-and-U division, and Liam Harrow and Athena Guarde in the 12-and-U category.

Belacas defeated Rafael Pascua, 6-3, 6-4, while Gumbao bounced back from her 16-and-U final loss by beating Teresinha Calingasan, 1-0 (ret.).

Harrow turned back Francis Dimzon, 6-2, 6-4, while unranked Guarde pulled off one of the tournament’s notable upsets, defeating top seed Arissa Macapendeg, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals before dominating Len Falconitin, 6-2, 6-1, in the final.

Strategic communications agency CommandSense, Inc. is celebrating its 20th anniversary on a high note, placing 2nd Runner-Up for Agency of the Year (AOY) at the prestigious 22nd Philippine Quill Awards organized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.

This honor marks the agency’s sixth consecutive AOY nomination since 2019.

‘To be nominated for Agency of the Year for six consecutive years is a testament to the consistency, passion, and discipline of our entire team,’ said CommandSense President Andres ‘Andy’ Saracho.

The agency emerged as an awardee in five of those years, earning 1st Runner-Up for Agency of the Year at the Quill Awards 2022 and 2nd Runner-Up for Agency of the Year at the Quill Awards 2024.

On top of the AOY honor, CommandSense won five trophies this year – four Excellence awards and one Merit award.

CommandSense Managing Director Charlotte Reyes said the achievements speak to the high quality of the work the agency consistently does. ‘These achievements are proof that our approach in strategic communication-combining rich data and meaningful insights with authentic human storytelling-continues to deliver work that turns insights into impact and generates tangible business results.’

She adds that the honors ‘belong to our hardworking team and our forward-thinking client partners who trust us to take bold, insight-led approaches. From research data to campaign execution, our focus remains clear: turning meaningful insights into lasting impact.’

With two decades of industry leadership, CommandSense continues to raise the benchmark for strategic communications in the Philippines, driven by data-backed strategies, creative execution, and purposeful storytelling.

The agency’s officials are also deeply involved in organizations committed to maintaining professional standards in the industry. Saracho is a two-term President of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines and an Accredited in Public Relations (APR) professional under the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), while Reyes currently serves as a Board Trustee in IABC Philippines. Both Reyes and Saracho, and two other CommandSense executives, were among the dozens of practitioners from several agencies who served as official evaluators for this year’s Quill Awards.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Municipality of Sta. Cruz with the support of the Provincial Government of Laguna are partnering to strengthen maternal health and contribute to efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths in the Philippines through WomenX, an integrated maternal health model that connects women to facility-based care, telemedicine, and community support.

The municipality of Sta. Cruz serves as an important referral hub for pregnant women in Laguna. Its public hospital, Laguna Medical Center, receives referrals of high-risk and complicated maternal cases from municipalities across the province. By strengthening services and referral pathways in Sta. Cruz, WomenX aims to help ensure that women, including those referred from surrounding communities, can access timely and appropriate maternal health care to reduce maternal mortality in the Philippines.

WomenX brings together a stronger maternal health service delivery network through enhanced facility and system readiness, telemedicine consultations with obstetrician-gynecologists and midwives, and the Buntis Partner Initiative for community-based pregnancy identification. A facility readiness assessment has also been conducted with public and private health facilities in Sta. Cruz to map out opportunities for collaboration to strengthen the delivery of maternal health services in the municipality.

‘Every pregnancy should be supported, and every childbirth should be safe. Knowing about a pregnancy early and ensuring timely access to quality care can make a life-saving difference. Through WomenX, we are connecting women to communities, health workers, specialists, and health facilities so they can get the care and support they need, especially when they need it most,’ said Neus Bernabeu, UNFPA Philippines Country Representative.

Mayor Joseph Kris Benjamin Agarao emphasized the impact of maternal mortality in the municipality: ‘Behind every number is a mother, a family, a community. When we save a life of a mother, we help protect an entire family and we provide children an opportunity to grow up with their mother by their side.’ Emphasizing the importance of the municipality›s collaboration with UNFPA.

Through the partnership, UNFPA will provide technical assistance and support evidence and learning, working with the Municipality of Sta. Cruz, provincial government of Laguna, local health workers, and communities.

By bringing together community-based support, digital health, referral networks, and facility readiness, WomenX aims to strengthen the continuum of maternal health care and help more women receive the right care at the right time.

SECRETARY Juan Miguel T. Cuna of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Wednesday called on the international community to reform global environmental governance by reducing institutional fragmentation and ensuring developing nations receive adequate resources to fulfill international commitments.

In a statement released following Cuna’s speaking engagement at the High-Level Political Dialogue on ‘Renewing Environmental Multilateralism’ during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, Cuna emphasized that global treaties must move beyond abstract pledges to deliver practical outcomes. The dialogue, hosted by the governments of Panama and Vanuatu, aimed to adapt international cooperation amid growing geopolitical complexity and institutional pressures.

Addressing delegates at UN Headquarters, Cuna highlighted that expanding international mandates across climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution place heavy operational burdens on developing countries. He stressed that these demands are rarely matched by equitable access to climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building.

‘Renewal should focus not only on new commitments, but on making the existing system easier to implement: reducing duplication, improving coordination, and directing more resources to delivery at the national level,’ Cuna said.

Focusing on global negotiations for a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, the environment chief underscored that an effective treaty must cover the full life cycle of plastics -including product design, chemicals of concern, waste management, and financing. He advocated for a framework that is ambitious yet implementable, taking into account the national capabilities of frontline states.

Cuna also emphasized the role of international law, referencing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on climate change obligations. While noting that the opinion provides needed legal clarity, he argued that legal principles must be paired with actual financing and institutional capacity to protect climate-vulnerable communities.

He also urged improved cross-sectoral collaboration against transboundary harm and organized crime to address environmental degradation.

Cuna called for closer ties between environmental agencies, customs, law enforcement, prosecutors, and financial intelligence authorities under frameworks like the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Untoc) to combat illegal logging, illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, and illegal waste dumping.

The high-level dialogue forms part of broader institutional reform efforts within the UN system aligned with the Pact for the Future and the United Nations 80 Initiative. These initiatives seek to modernize UN operations, streamline overlapping reporting systems, and explore complementary plurilateral agreements among coalitions of willing nations to maintain momentum on urgent ecological challenges.

For the Philippines, active participation at UNGA 81 provides a vital platform to ensure global treaties reflect national realities, secure international cross-border enforcement partnerships, and mobilize resources to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems and frontline communities.

Maya Inc. is pressing for payroll portability and Open Finance to give Filipino employees more control over where their salaries land and how their financial data can be used, as it works with the country’s outsourcing industry to extend savings and credit access to nearly 1.9 million digital workers.

Kristoffer Rada, Maya head of corporate affairs, said digital payroll can serve as an entry point to broader financial health as Open Finance, artificial intelligence (AI), and interoperable payment infrastructure develop.

‘The future of work should also mean better financial tools for workers. Reliable digital salary disbursement is the starting point,’ Rada said. ‘When payroll connects people to saving, payments and responsible credit, it can support financial health well beyond payday.’

Maya is working with business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to expand financial access for digital workers and to modernize payroll, disbursement, and reimbursement workflows.

The partnership with IBPAP also seeks to widen access to savings and responsibly underwritten credit cards for qualified digital workers.

Through Maya Business, employers can send salaries and other employee payouts digitally and at scale, which the company said can cut manual processes and administrative work, particularly for large employers operating across multiple sites and around the clock.

Workers, in turn, can receive and manage their pay in the Maya app, using it for everyday transactions, setting funds aside in savings, and building a financial footprint.

As that footprint grows, Rada said, data and AI can help financial institutions better understand customer needs and make more informed credit decisions, including for customers with limited traditional credit histories.

‘Payroll should not end with the disbursement of a salary,’ Rada said. ‘Done well, it can connect workers to financial tools that help them manage everyday needs, prepare for emergencies and build toward longer-term goals.’

Maya also supports allowing employees to choose where their salaries are deposited. Backing the Digital Bank Association of the Philippines (DiBA PH), the company has advocated payroll portability, which would require bank-agnostic disbursement through interoperable payment infrastructure.

Open Finance could complement this by letting workers, with their consent, securely share financial information to access services better suited to their needs.

‘Digital payroll is the starting point. Payroll portability can eventually give workers more choice over where their salaries go, while Open Finance can help them use their own data to access more relevant services,’ Rada said.

On AI, Rada said the debate over the future of work should move past whether technology will automate particular tasks and focus instead on how businesses can use it to improve productivity and competitiveness without losing trust.

‘AI is going to change how work gets done, but the bigger question for businesses is how to capture that value responsibly,’ he said. ‘That means knowing where AI creates real value, where people still need to make the call and keeping clear accountability for the outcome.’

Maya already uses AI in digital onboarding, credit assessment, fraud detection, personalization, customer service, and operations. It began building a formal AI governance framework in 2024, followed by a Board-approved policy and controls covering risk classification, testing, monitoring, security, and human accountability.

Rada said wider AI adoption will take more than sophisticated technology. Businesses need people across functions who understand how AI can be applied responsibly, while government and industry need to keep investing in digital infrastructure, workforce capability, and responsible AI adoption.

‘The opportunity is bigger than adopting new technology,’ Rada said. ‘It is about giving workers more choice, giving businesses better tools and building the infrastructure and trust that allow both to participate more fully in a digital economy.’

From around P30 billion in 2022, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that direct funding for public schools nationwide has more than doubled to a proposed P61.02 billion under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The increase in school-level Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) is included in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed P975.96-billion budget for 2027 under the NEP, which recently passed plenary deliberations in the House of Representatives.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara emphasized that direct school funding through the MOOE remains a cornerstone of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to revitalize basic education.

‘Malinaw ang bilin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos: siguraduhing ramdam at napapakinabangan ng ating mga guro at mag-aaral sa bawat paaralan ang bawat piso ng ating pondo…By simplifying our funding formulas and steadily expanding per-learner operational support, we are removing unnecessary bottlenecks so our school administrators and teachers can focus on teaching rather than worrying about basic school upkeep,’ Angara said.

This trajectory is reflected in steady multi-year increases in per-learner MOOE allocations across all grade levels.

Under the proposed 2027 DepEd budget, per learner MOOE allocations for elementary schools (Kindergarten to Grade 6) will reach P2,982, up from P2,792 in 2026, P2,140 in 2025, and P1,389 in 2024.

Junior High Schools (Grades 7 to 10) will receive P2,744 per learner under the proposed 2027 budget, up from P2,631 in 2026, P2,201 in 2025, and P1,844 in 2024.

Meanwhile, Senior High Schools (Grades 11 to 12) will see per-learner operational support rise to PHP 3,558 under the proposed 2027 budget, compared to P3,264 in 2026, P2,784 in 2025, and P2,306 in 2024.

In total, school operating budgets under the proposed FY 2027 NEP reach P61.02 billion, up from P60.89 billion allocated under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

To make budget distribution faster and more equitable, DepEd is fully implementing the Simplified Normative Funding Formula (SNFF). The new system replaces the former rigid allocation formula which relied on fixed allocations based on multiple parameters that made computations detailed yet overly complex.

Rather than focusing purely on fixed per capita unit costs, the normative approach uses enrollment and baseline school data to ensure every school receives the operational funding needed to maintain basic service standards.

DepEd reiterated that the sustained increase in school-level MOOE, alongside the adoption of the SNFF, underscores its long-term commitment to keeping all public schools safe, functional, and well-resourced.

Communications failures that snarled hundreds of flights across the Northeast on Monday have put the spotlight back on the aging systems that air traffic controllers rely on in the US.

Congress already handed the Federal Aviation Administration $12.5 billion last year to overhaul technology after the deadliest US plane crash in more than two decades killed 67 people when an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River and a series of radar outages later that spring led to widespread cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The same Philadelphia facility that had the radar outages in the spring of 2025 lost both its primary and backup data lines at the same time on Monday. But that regional air traffic control center isn’t alone; similar communications outages have also disrupted flights in Minneapolis and Dallas over the past year.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy quickly turned Monday’s disruption that hit every major airport in the New York area into the latest example of why he’s asking Congress for $20 billion more to pay for the next phase of the air traffic control overhaul. Airlines were working to recover from the outage on Tuesday, but FlightAware.com showed nearly 100 flights had been canceled by midday because a number of planes and crews were out of position after Monday’s cancellations.

‘I have money for some of the telecom replacing old copper wires. Bringing in new fiber so it’s faster. The problem is this is a 40-year-old architecture or design,’ Duffy said on Fox News Tuesday. ‘I need new money to do a whole new design-a new architecture of telecom so it will never go down.’

The aviation industry’s Modern Skies Coalition backed Duffy’s plan again and urged Congress to approve the money because the latest disruptions ‘demonstrate how critical it is to replace the antiquated technology and outdated systems that underpin our nation’s air traffic control infrastructure.’

Both the primary and backup lines failed on Monday

A switch on the primary communications line at the regional FAA air traffic control facility in Philadelphia failed Monday morning, but when it turned to the backup fiber optic line authorities discovered that it had been inadvertently severed by railroad construction workers. The failures left controllers without radar or communications for hours. The switch is part of the equipment scheduled to be replaced.

The outage brought commercial air traffic to a near-standstill at Newark for much of the day, with no commercial flights landing at the airport from about 9:40 a.m. to just after 5:20 p.m. local time, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.

More than 200 flights into and out of Philadelphia International Airport were also canceled, while disruptions hit LaGuardia and Kennedy airports in New York. Flights had resumed by Monday evening.

Technical problems that affect Newark Liberty Airport tend to get outsized attention because it’s a key hub for United Airlines. During the spring of 2025, controllers in Philadelphia briefly lost radar several times and then staffing shortages at the facility prompted the FAA to restrict traffic. The Dallas outage last September disrupted American Airlines’ key hub, and last month’s communications failure at a regional air traffic control facility in Minneapolis halted flights across several Midwestern states and led to numerous diversions and delays.

Problems at key regional control facilities affect flights nationwide

Sheldon Jacobson, whose research contributed to the design of the TSA PreCheck system, said the FAA needs to make sure that its backup systems are independent of the primary line to reduce the chance that both will fail at the same time. And he said maybe the agency should look at adding a third line to have an additional backup system.

‘When any one of these systems goes down, it doesn’t just affect that airport. Because these are major hubs, it affects literally dozens of other airports and literally thousands of passengers,’ said Jacobson, who is an engineering professor at the University of Illinois.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said the controllers who were on duty Monday did an exceptional job making sure everyone remained safe even when they lost their radios and radar.

‘No controller starts their shift with the expectation that the equipment will fail them, but when it does, they display professionalism and skill,’ the union said in a statement.

Ongoing upgrades can help make the system more reliable

The FAA says it has already replaced 3,346 communications lines and 190 voice switches across the country since the agency received what Duffy called a $12.5 billion down payment on the overhaul. But the plan also calls for redesigning the computer system that air traffic controllers rely on, shifting computing online to the cloud and adding a new AI-based system to help predict problems. Duffy says he doesn’t have enough money for those projects yet.

Robert Poole, who leads transportation research at the Reason Foundation think tank he founded in the late 1970s, said the FAA needs reliable long-term funding to complete all the needed upgrades, and that is hard to get from Congress. He has long argued for spinning off air traffic control from the FAA and creating an independent agency that would be funded by ticket fees the airlines charge.

‘We know what kind of technology is really needed to do that, but you can’t do that on drips and drabs of annual appropriations,’ Poole said.

SOMETHING is revealing about trying on clothes outside the usual rush of a shopping trip.

Without the pressure to pick a size, line up at the cashier, or move on to the next rack, the question becomes less about what looks good on the hanger and more about what actually works when worn.

That was the idea behind UNIQLO Philippines’ exclusive early try-on experience for the latest UNIQLO U Collection, held September 10 at its BGC High Street store. This marked the 10th anniversary of UNIQLO U, the line shaped by artistic director Christophe Lemaire and designer Sarah-Linh Tran.

Rather than treating the anniversary as simply a milestone, the setup gave guests time to interact with the clothes-trying on pieces, examining their materials and details, and seeing how the silhouettes translated from display to actual wear.

The selection available during the event was relatively small, occupying only part of the store, but the presentation was organized. Dedicated fitting rooms also allowed guests to try the new pieces without the usual feel of squeezing a collection into a regular shopping run.

Designed for more than one season

THE collection itself stays close to the visual language UNIQLO U has developed over the years: understated silhouettes, muted tones and functional pieces that can be mixed and matched.

At first glance, some of the designs can feel familiar, especially for shoppers already acquainted with UNIQLO’s other collections. The differences become more apparent in the materials and construction of individual pieces rather than in radically new shapes.

That makes the Fall/Winter 2026 collection easier to place in everyday wardrobes. The heavier fabrics and layered pieces suit colder destinations, but they can also work for Filipinos heading to cooler places such as Baguio-or simply navigating rainy days when a little extra layering makes sense.

Many of the pieces are unisex, reinforcing the collection’s emphasis on versatility.

One of the more noticeable pieces was the coated cotton shoulder bag. Compared with the more familiar UNIQLO bag styles, its finish gave it a different texture and made it an easy contrast against knitted clothing.

The overall appeal, then, is less about having a completely new wardrobe and more about having pieces that can move between different settings and seasons.

The price of familiar

THAT versatility, however, comes with a price.

For shoppers who already own several UNIQLO pieces, some of the collection may feel expensive relative to how familiar the designs look.

The materials and construction provide part of the justification, but whether they are worth the premium ultimately depends on how often a piece will be used.

For a Philippine buyer, that distinction matters. A Fall/Winter collection is not necessarily an everyday necessity in a tropical climate, so the more practical purchases are arguably the ones that can be worn beyond cold-weather trips.

The collection also leaves room for improvement. Smaller sizes could make some pieces more accessible to petite shoppers, even if those sizes were offered only in limited quantities.

Additional color choices would likewise give buyers more room to personalize otherwise restrained silhouettes.

Bringing LifeWear closer

THE event also came as UNIQLO expanded its Philippine footprint for Fall/Winter 2026, with new stores planned in Zamboanga, NAIA Terminal 3 and Nuvali, alongside expanded or refreshed locations in Marikina, Cabanatuan, Cebu and General Santos.

The rollout includes the introduction of Modest Wear in Zamboanga and forms part of the brand’s activities marking the 70th anniversary of Philippines-Japan friendship. With reports from Julian Michael Gulles

First Gen Corp. is adding 13.5 megawatts (MW) to the capacity of its more than four-decade-old Palinpinon-1 geothermal power plant in Negros Oriental as it moves to modernize its renewable-energy portfolio and extract more electricity from its existing geothermal resource.

The company’s geothermal arm, Energy Development Corp. (EDC), is replacing the plant’s three 37.5-MW turbine-generators with three new 42-MW units, raising Palinpinon-1’s installed capacity to 126 MW from 112.5 MW.

This upgrade will allow the plant to generate more power using the same volume of geothermal steam, according to EDC, effectively increasing generation without requiring additional steam extraction.

The project is also expected to extend the operating life of the facility, which supplies renewable electricity to the Visayas grid.

‘This modernization project reflects our commitment to continuous innovation and environmental stewardship,’ Noel Tan, head of EDC’s Southern Negros Geothermal Project (SNGP), said in a statement.

‘By upgrading our existing infrastructure to generate more electricity without needing additional steam extraction, we are maximizing our natural resources while helping accelerate the Philippines’ transition toward a decarbonized energy future,’ he added.

The Palinpinon-1 rehabilitation is part of First Gen’s broader effort to modernize its renewable-energy assets and maintain dependable low-carbon generation.

EDC said the sustainable operation of the Southern Negros geothermal steamfield has enabled it to operate well beyond the average 25-year lifespan typically associated with geothermal steamfields.

The SNGP has a combined capacity of 222.5 MW.

In 2025, its generation avoided more than 1.035 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions, according to the company.

EDC said the figure represents emissions that would have been associated with supplying an equivalent amount of electricity from carbon-intensive coal-fired power plants.

The Palinpinon-1 upgrade will allow First Gen to increase renewable generation from an existing facility rather than relying on additional steam extraction, while extending the useful life of the plant.

For the Visayas grid, the additional 13.5 MW represents incremental renewable capacity from an established geothermal facility, supporting the availability of round-the-clock power as the country works to expand its renewable-energy base.

Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate students’ access to behavioral, psychological, and psychiatric care. The ceremonial signing marks a step toward strengthening mental health support within the academic community.

Through the agreement, MakatiMed will facilitate access to mental health services through its Mind Wellness and Holistic Care Center at the WellnessHub. These services include mental health assessments and therapy, as well as referrals to the Hospital’s Neuropsychiatry Department for further specialized evaluation and care, when needed.

MakatiMed will implement a streamlined referral system designed to simplify the process for DLS-CSB and help students receive professional care in a timely manner. Once a student is referred, MakatiMed will manage the care coordination process, including appointment scheduling and follow-through. Referred students will also be prioritized for scheduling whenever possible, supporting timely assessment, appropriate intervention, and continuity of care.

For DLS-CSB, the partnership provides an opportunity to further strengthen its support for student well-being. El Anelio R. Barnachea, RGC, DLS-CSB’s Benilde Well-Being Center’s Director, shared the College’s perspective on the partnership: ‘ While our Benilde Well-Being Center provides primary counseling, and initial support, this timely collaboration [with MakatiMed] bridges the gap between campus care and immediate specialized professional intervention. Ultimately, it strengthens our holistic safety net, giving our community the reassurance that comprehensive medical and mental health support is readily accessible when needed most.’

The initiative reflects MakatiMed’s commitment to accessible, patient-centered mental health services, and its role in supporting individuals through different stages of life. By providing a coordinated pathway to professional care, the Hospital aims to help students access the support they need to navigate personal and academic challenges.

The collaboration also underscores the importance of integrating mental health care into student support systems, helping foster an environment where well-being is recognized as an essential part of student development.