Category: Business Mirror

Joanie Delgaco poured everything she got from her Olympic experience but could only finish sixth in the final of women’s singles sculls of rowing at the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games on Thursday at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Kaizu.

Delgaco clocked 8:01.63, 40 seconds after China’s Zhang Xinyu crossed for the gold medal. Uzbekistan’s Anna Prakaten claimed silver and Iran’s Fatemeh Mojallal Topraghhale took bronze.

Delgaco was thankful to have completed in the games adding she’s satisfied that she had given her best.

‘No podium, but still thankful for finishing the race,’ she said. ‘I did my best and no regrets, I gave it my best.’

The Filipina rower recalled thinking about the sacrifices and preparations that brought her to the Asian Games, including a two-and-a-half-month training camp in Germany following their initial preparations in the Philippines.

Delgaco admitted that she became emotional after the race, knowing she had given her best but still fell short of a medal, but said she believes there is a reason behind the result and hopes to bounce back in her next competition.

She also credited the support of her family, particularly her parents and siblings, for encouraging her to keep going and believe in herself.

Delgaco is now setting her sights on the next challenge: the Olympic qualification campaign next year.

‘My goal is to go for Olympic qualification,’ said the two-time SEA Games gold medalist and a Paris Olympian.

Alternergy Holdings Corp. on Thursday reported stable net income in fiscal year 2026, which ended last June 30, at P168.2 million compared with the P165 million in the previous year.

Consolidated revenues increased to P471.8 million and earnings before interest and taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) rose to P553.8 million, driven by contributions from its renewable energy portfolio, including the newly commissioned 28-megawatt peak (MWp) Balsik solar project.

The Balsik solar project in Bataan generated P96.4 million in revenues, accounting for approximately 20 percent of consolidated revenues. The company’s two other solar assets-Kirahon and Palau continued to provide a substantial portion of revenues while the Pililla Wind Project recorded improved performance, supported by an increased tariff under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) program.

‘FY2026 marks an important stage in Alternergy’s growth. We are beginning to realize the returns on our portfolio investments as we build the financial and operational foundation for the next phase of our development.

The growth in revenues and Ebitda demonstrates the progress in our portfolio, while the substantial increase in our asset base shows the investments being made to bring our next wave of projects into operation,’ said Gerry Magbanua, president of Alternergy.

To date, the company has 119 MW of operating portfolio across the Philippines and the Republic of Palau. The company anticipates its operating capacity to increase to approximately 311 MW by end-2026, as its 128-MW Tanay Wind and 64-MW Alabat Wind projects advance toward commercial operations. Both projects were awarded under the DOE’s Green Energy Auction (GEA 2).

The 128-MW Tanay Wind and the 64-MW Alabat Wind are 90 percent and 85 percent complete, respectively. ‘As both projects are nearing commercial operations in a matter of months, we are approaching an important inflection point when these investments will begin contributing substantially to our operating revenues.

Our focus is on executing well, bringing these projects into commercial operation, and translating our development pipeline into long term operating assets that deliver sustainable value for the company and our stakeholders,’ Magbanua added.

The company also has a committed development pipeline with projects awarded under GEA4, including Liberty Solar, Kalandagan Solar, Alegria Wind and Tayabas North Wind, with a combined potential capacity of approximately 762 MW.

DAVAO CITY-Some 1,670 former mujahideen warriors-turned students, or their family members, received P80,000 in financial assistance for the two semesters this year, the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education’s (MBHTE) has disclosed.

The college student scholars were former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a peace agreement with government in 2014 and who took the scholarship examination under the MBHTE’s Access to Higher and Modern Education Scholarship Program (AHME-SP).

The qualified scholars have been either decommissioned combatants or their children, orphans, or surviving spouses, whose education was to be aligned with post-conflict rehabilitation and development efforts of the regional government.

Jawlah Lakman Kanapia, a 19-year-old Bachelor of Science in Nursing student-grantee at Notre Dame Hospital Siena College of Cotabato, said the scholarship opened doors in pursuing her education.

‘For many of us, this scholarship is not just a financial help; it is a chance to continue chasing our dreams and to build a better future for ourselves and our families. We are very grateful to be chosen as beneficiaries,’ said Kanapia, who is part of the regionwide continuing rollout of the program’s 7th Cohort, covering the Academic Year 2026-2027.

The scholarship for the decommissioned combatants started in 2020.

Of the 698 scholars who took their oath in Cotabato City this week, 224 are from Maguindanao del Sur, 224 from Maguindanao del Norte, 125 from the Special Geographic Area (SGA), and 125 from Cotabato City. Each scholar will receive P40,000 per semester, totaling P80,000 for two semesters.

Dayang Akirah Sansarona, chief of the Legal Research, Legal and Legislative Liaison Division, said she was delighted to confirm that the AHME-SP ‘is indeed inclusive.’

‘That proves that all had equal chances because you were all on equal footing when you applied,’ Sansaronas said.

‘When the demands of your education become heavy, remember why you started, remember that there are people who believe that your education is worth investing in,’ said Marjuni Maddi, the MBHTE Director-General for Higher Education.

In Cotabato City, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) expanded access to science and technology education by deploying offline digital libraries to the schools in the city, to address persistent internet connectivity gaps.

At the KCC Mall Convention Hall in Cotabato City on August 27, the MOST turned over Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated KioskS (Starbooks) units to six schools during the Bangsamoro Science and Technology Week (BSTW).

The recipient schools were Kilangan National High School, Bai Monera Abas-Asim High School, Dar Al-Uloom Wal-Hikmah Institute, Inc., Simuay Junction Central Elementary School, St. Benedict College of Cotabato, and Cotabato City Institute, Inc.

The distribution brought to 12 the number of schools in BARMM that have received Starbook units from MOST this year.

Six other schools received the units during a turnover ceremony on May 20 at the Cotabato City Division Gymnasium. These were Bangsamoro Science High School, Mindanao Capitol College Inc., Datu Siang National High School, Kutawato Institute of Technology Foundation Inc., Datu Sema Kalantungan High School, and Cotabato City National High School (CCNHS) Annex-Diocolano.

The initiative responds to challenges in internet access, which can affect students’ ability to obtain reliable information for their studies and research.

A 2025 study by Mamalampac et al. found that only 15.75 percent of households had internet access, highlighting the limited connectivity available to learners in the region, the Bangsamoro Information Office said.

Through Starbooks, students and teachers can access science and technology references, research materials, educational videos, journals, and interactive learning resources without an internet connection, the information office said.

‘Through these projects, we are bringing science and technology closer to our people, especially our learners, who continue to face limited access to information,’ MOST Director General Engineer Abdulrakman Asim said

Dr. Julius Clarete, vice president for Academic Affairs of St. Benedict College of Cotabato, said her students often struggle to find reliable and updated resources when internet access is limited.

‘Our students face challenges in accessing reliable science resources due to limited internet connectivity, the high cost of mobile data, outdated library books, unreliable online sources, and the expense of subscription-based research materials. However, with the introduction of Starbooks, these challenges have become opportunities for improvement, as students can now access thousands of trusted science and technology resources offline and free of internet costs. This will support their lessons, projects, and research while encouraging greater interest in science,’ he said.

Rayanna-Snow Mocsin, a Grade 11 STEM student from Cotabato City Institute, Inc., said Starbooks will be a big help for students, ‘especially now that we have it in our school. Some of us only have limited resources so this is a great opportunity for us to learn more.’.

ASUS gathered leading Filipino creatives for ProArt Creator Connect at The Premier in Ortigas, Pasig City, showcasing how professional-grade displays anchor production workflows from concept to final output. The event featured hands-on demonstrations and workflow sessions with industry leaders Jay Tablante, Dan Villegas, Toni Gozum, and Abi Miguel, spanning photography, filmmaking, color grading, and fine art.

Jay Tablante – Cosplay, Fashion and Portrait Photographer

A pioneer of Philippine cosplay photography with more than two decades in the craft, Jay Tablante combines technical precision and artistic expression across fashion, portraiture, and commercial work. He is widely recognized for bringing comic book and pop culture characters to life through detailed visual storytelling.

Dan Villegas – Award Winning director, cinematographer, and producer

Award-winning director, cinematographer, and producer Dan Villegas is known for his compelling visual narratives and mastery of cinematic language. At ProArt Creator Connect, he demonstrated how composition and visual storytelling bring complex emotions and characters to life on screen.

Toni Gozum – Colorist and Certified DaVinci Resolve Trainer

An independent colorist with over a decade of industry experience, Toni Gozum is a Blackmagic Design Certified DaVinci Resolve Trainer and an instructor at the International Colorist Academy. Her portfolio includes the award-winning 2018 film Quezon’s Game, underscoring the critical role color accuracy plays in professional post-production.

Abi Miguel – Fine Arts Photographer

Founder of I Am Abi Fine Art Photography, Abi Miguel is an internationally awarded photographer known for transforming portraits into gallery-quality art. At the event, she showcased how creative vision, technical precision, and display technology unite to produce emotionally resonant imagery.

Empowering Creators Through Technology

Through ProArt Creator Connect, ASUS continues to highlight the evolving needs of today’s creative professionals and the importance of tools that can keep pace with their demanding workflows. From photography and filmmaking to color grading and fine art, the event demonstrated how creators across different disciplines rely on precision, color accuracy, and dependable performance to bring their ideas to life.

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Engineered for compact workstations and multi-expansion-slot builds, the card marks the first 2.5-slot RTX 5090 from ASUS. It pairs a vapor chamber and liquid metal thermal compound on the GPU die with enlarged 115 mm Axial-tech fans and a double-vented backplate, achieving roughly 11% greater cooling efficiency in a 27% smaller footprint than single-flow designs. An integrated USB Type-C port enables single-cable connectivity for portable monitors or display daisy-chaining to simplify desktop setups.

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To streamline studio data pipelines, the board provides multi-gigabit networking through an onboard Marvell AQtion 10-gigabit Ethernet port, an Intel 2.5-gigabit Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. External device support includes two onboard USB4 ports and a front-panel USB 20 Gbps header capable of 30-watt Power Delivery 3.0 and Quick Charge 4+, all framed within a minimalist, subdued aesthetic tailored to professional creative environments.

No. 1 Creator Laptop Choice for Professionals

ProArt P16 (H7606WW) – Studio Power for Video, 3D, and AI Creation

The ultimate creator laptop designed to empower video professionals both in the studio and on the go. Purpose-built for pro-grade video editing, it supports the 10-bit 4:2:2 color format for fluid multi-track 4K/8K playback, faster exports, and enhanced stability for complex, high-resolution projects. The ASUS Lumina Pro OLED display is tailored for professional creators, delivering stunning color accuracy, vibrant colors, deep contrast, and advanced eye care. The ASUS Lumina Pro OLED display is tailored for professional creators, delivering stunning color accuracy, vibrant colors, deep contrast, and advanced eye care.

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Born from a groundbreaking partnership with GoPro, a convertible laptop built for creators who shoot and edit in any environment. It features GoPro-inspired rugged styling with ProArt refinement, and a matching protective sleeve, The chassis and sleeve are designed to balance durability with everyday portability, protecting gear in transit without adding bulk. Inspired by GoPro’s design insights, the packaging uses cube-cut cushioning foam that can be customized for cameras, mounts, and accessories. This 2-in-1 laptop also streamlines the capture-to-edit path with StoryCube – the first Windows app with integrated GoPro 360° video support. An exclusive GoPro Hotkey launches GoPro Player in one tap, while StoryCube uses AI recognition to automate cloud sync, sorting, and tagging.

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Ask a casual fan to name a University Athletic Association of the Philippines basketball rivalry and you’ll most probably get: Ateneo-La Salle. The Battle of Katipunan. The Battle of the East. The Battle of the Birds. Maybe De La Salle U vs. State U – the trilogy still unfolding into a possible tetralogy.

But there’s another rivalry flying under the radar that’s driven by intense and cutthroat competition. It involves both basketball and volleyball teams and runs strong in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Far Eastern U versus National U. Tamaraws versus Bulldogs. It’s not loud. It’s not always on primetime. But it’s the rivalry that never really goes away.

In basketball, it has history that still stings. In volleyball, meetings seem fated and destiny-arranged.

October 15, 2014. Smart Araneta Coliseum. Game 3. The National University Bulldogs defeated the Far Eastern University Tamaraws 75-59 to win the UAAP men’s basketball championship. It was only NU’s second title, its first in 60 years since the days of its iconic Bulldog, Narciso Bernardo, who won them their first UAAP crown in 1954.

That winner-take-all game in ’54 was played at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. FEU, already considered basketball royalty at that time had four UAAP championships to its name (1938, 1939, 1947 and 1950). It was NU’s very first UAAP Men’s basketball title since the league was founded in 1938. That year they beat FEU in the finals too.

In 2014, FEU was supposed to have claimed its 20th title. Instead, NU ended a 60-year drought – again on FEU’s watch. Ray Parks, Troy Rosario, Gelo Alolino didn’t just win a championship. They closed a chapter FEU thought it owned.

Since then, every FEU-NU game in basketball has had that undercurrent humming underneath the floorboards. NU beat FEU 85-79 in the first round of UAAP Season 82, finally getting their first win after successive losses – again at the expense of FEU.

In the second round, NU embarrassed FEU with a lopsided 61-39 win. But come Season 84, FEU stole a win in the most painful way for NU. Xyrus Torres hurled a slightly off-balanced shot with 2.2 seconds to go. The shot fell through and shook the Bulldogs to their very core. 57, NU; 59, FEU.

So now, when Bulldogs and Tamaraws trade blows at Araneta and the Mall Of Asia Arena, it’s never just about standings. It’s about who remembers 2014 better. It’s a never ending story.

In volleyball, the rivalry is even more personal.

NU and FEU squared off for UAAP men’s volleyball supremacy in Seasons 87 and 88. In ’87, FEU was top dog following an impressive 13-1 finish in the eliminations. Their lone defeat came at the hands of a team chasing a historic five-peat – NU.

FEU swept NU 27-25, 25-14, 25-23 in the first round. NU answered back 17-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-14, 15-9 in the second round, dealing FEU its only loss that denied them an outright finals berth.

After FEU and NU battled it out in the men’s volleyball finals in Season 87, they faced off with each other again in Season 88. FEU could have won its 26th men’s volleyball crown that season – a title long overdue since 2012. But the Buds Buddin, Leo Ordiales, Leo Aringo and Jade Disquitado-led Bulldogs frustrated the Dryx Saavedra and Miko Espartero-led Tamaraws. They were so close.

The following year, FEU’s most dominant season yet, they were again defeated by the hardworking Bulldogs in the men’s championship series. NU got to complete its six-peat while the Tams stayed silver for another year.

On the women’s side, it’s just as tight. National University avenged a stunning loss to Far Eastern University and came out with a dominating 25-13, 27-25, 25-15 victory in Season 86, forging a Finals duel. In Season 88, NU completed a reverse sweep 17-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-12, then FEU outlasted NU in a five-set thriller 25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 21-25, 22-20 – the longest five-setter of the season. It was De La Salle Lady Spikers though who were crowned women’s volleyball champs last year.

To summarize, FEU is the old empire – 20 basketball titles, 25 volleyball titles, the Morayta factory that has produced gladiators since the 1930s. NU is the new dynasty – the school that waited 60 years for one basketball title and then decided it didn’t want to wait anymore for anything.

The UAAP is so big on rivalries, you can actually choose your flavor. A word of advice, however. Don’t just go for the strawberry, chocolate or vanilla flavors. Try this chili-flavored rivalry for the ages. For a change.

Fourteen years after turning professional, Art Arbole finally claimed his first Philippine Golf Tour title, surviving a disastrous hole and a late scare to win the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Negros Occidental Classic at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

Arbole fired a closing 70 to finish at 10-under 270, one shot ahead of Jeffren Lumbo, who closed with a 67 for 271. Jhonnel Ababa was third at 272 after a 71, followed by Zanieboy Gialon (273) and two-time champion Rupert Zaragosa (275).

Arbole appeared in danger of losing control after driving out-of-bounds on No. 4 and making a 7, turning a one-shot lead into a two-shot deficit to Ababa. He fell three shots back after a bogey on No. 8 but responded with birdies on Nos. 9, 10, 12 and 14 to regain the lead.

‘I just hung in there and stayed focused. I never let those early setbacks shake my mindset,’ said Arbole, who turns 36 next week.

He survived another scare on the par-5 18th after pulling his drive. Arbole reached the green in four and sank a 21-foot par putt to preserve his one-shot lead.

The victory ended a 14-year wait that began with his professional debut at Splendido Taal in 2012. His previous best PGT finish was a top-five result at the 2024 Lakewood Championship.

‘At the start, I really didn’t expect to win, but I felt like I could do it,’ Arbole said.

Zanieboy Gialon made a move with a 33 on the front nine, only to see his challenge fade into a string of backside pars for a 68.

Zaragosa threatened to turn the finish into a four-man shootout after three straight birdies from No. 7 put him within one shot of the lead at eight-under. But a bogey on No. 13 sent him four shots back, and bogeys on the final two holes dropped him to fifth.

THE Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has retracted the extension it granted Discord to comply with its directive to set up a local office in the Philippines, saying the platform merely offered a briefing on its existing safeguards instead of addressing the government’s demands.

However, the extension given to Reddit, which the agency earlier said was ‘indefinite,’ stands. This, after the platform committed to establish an office in the country and a team that would coordinate with the CICC.

‘We thought they were proposing a meeting. Unlike Reddit that had concrete plans of complying, they just provided us a list of their existing safeguards,’ CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato Paraiso said of Discord in a phone interview.

‘They just wanted to have a briefing and not address our demands.’

Paraiso said he wanted Discord to take the kind of steps Reddit had committed to.

The CICC initially extended the deadline for both platforms after officials of the two companies reached out and committed to work with the government on online child safety. Reddit responded within the original 24-hour ultimatum and met with CICC officials online on Wednesday, while Discord separately wrote to the agency.

‘We decided to grant them an extension since they responded within the 24 hours and we want to give them the opportunity to work with us because what we want is accountability and a clear mechanism for government to coordinate with the platforms,’ Paraiso said.

He stressed then that the agency expects concrete results.

‘While we welcome their commitment to work with us, we will not settle for anything less. This commitment must translate into concrete action, genuine accountability, faster response mechanisms and stronger protections for our Filipino children online,’ Paraiso said.

Reddit’s commitments

During the Wednesday meeting, Reddit Vice President of Policy Jessica Ashooh, Deputy General Counsel Leslie Liu and Policy and Regulatory Affairs Manager Vijay Pamarathi discussed setting up ‘green lanes,’ or direct channels where Philippine authorities can flag potentially harmful content for expedited review and possible takedown.

These channels would cover content involving online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (Osaec), child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (Csaem), scams, misinformation, harmful content, and materials associated with Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE).

Reddit, however, did not provide a specific timeline for putting its office, coordination team and other mechanisms in place.

In return, the CICC will provide Reddit with information and literature, including Philippine laws and regulations, to help the platform better understand the local framework governing online safety and cybercrime.

In its letter to Paraiso, Discord expressed concern over recent incidents in the country and said it was willing to work directly with the CICC to protect minors from exploitation, grooming and exposure to violent content.

Amid scrutiny over the use of Discord in communities associated with NVE, the platform said it was prepared to brief the CICC on its newly rolled out Global Teen Experience, which includes age-assurance measures designed to place teenage users in an age-appropriate experience by default.

Discord Senior Public Policy Advisor Vasundhara Singh said that under the new system, users who cannot be confidently placed into an age group through account-level signals may confirm their age through privacy-preserving methods, including on-device facial age estimation, with biometric data neither shared with nor stored by Discord.

Discord also offered to brief the agency on its Family Center tools and its Kodex system, which allows law enforcement agencies to submit lawful takedown and data requests and receive fast-tracked responses.

For Paraiso, these were ‘not enough’ noting ‘if I wanted to know what they were doing, then I would have just read their policy page.’

The CICC had earlier given both platforms 24 hours to designate a resident agent or local representative who could facilitate Philippine jurisdiction and improve coordination with authorities.

The order came as law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies raised alarms over the use of private, invitation-only digital communities to groom, radicalize and recruit minors into real-world violence.

Carlos Yulo delivered another golden performance on Thursday afternoon at the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games to further cement his name as one of the best gymnasts ever in this generation.

‘It felt like Paris,’ said Yulo, who won the men’s floor exercise gold medal that will forever glitter as one of the most precious for the Philippines in the Asian Games.

Not only was the gold Yulo’s first on the continental stage, but it was also the country’s first in gymnastics in the 80-year history of the Asian Games.

‘I am truly overwhelmed and overjoyed by the experience,’ Yulo said. ‘It is a great honor to receive this blessing from God, and I will truly cherish it.’

Cherish he and the entire delegation will as the Philippines finally got into the gold medal column five days into the games where disappointments in swimming and mixed martial arts stunted the country’s campaign to match the four mints won in Hangzhou three years ago.

Drama and suspense marked Yulo’s journey on the floor exercise mat of the Rainbow Hall of the Nagoya City General Gymnasium. He was fourth to perform behind two South Koreans and his younger Eldrew and ahead of a Chinese and two Japanese and a Kazakh-all three are his podium nemesis for at least the past four years.

Eldrew Yulo didn’t get the scores good enough for a podium finish-he’s the youngest among the eight finalists at 18-but big brother was up next to bail the Philippine campaign that teetered on glass after MMA bets Jean Claude Saclag and Carlos Alvarez and swimmer Kayla Sanchez fell short of bagging gold medals.

Yulo pulled off a near flawless performance for a front-running 14.666 score on a 5.7 difficulty, but had to sit on the edge as he awaited his dreaded opponents to get their cts on the floor.

In the end, it was Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi who got the silver with 14.600 points on the same difficulty as Yulo and Japan’s Shoma Tsukiyama claiming bronze with 14.566 points on a slightly less difficulty.

Yulo admitted he had to make crucial adjustments after his first pass although his landings were the steadiest among the finalists.

‘I knew after the first pass that I had to adjust, otherwise I won’t perform the way I did,’ said Yulo, who was awarded the gold by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino during the medal ceremony.

Yulo has two more opportunities to win gold, in the vault and parallel bars that are set Friday.

‘Hopefully, this will spark a streak,’ Tolentino told the POC Media Pool with Yulo by his side. ‘One down, seven to go.’

Tolentino predicted at least eight gold medals in Nagoya to double the output in Hangzhou, although he lamented the lost opportunities in MMA and swimming.

‘Those should have been gold medals,’ said Tolentino referring to MMA’s Alvarez and Saclag, who settled for silver. ‘And Kayla was disheartened by her loss in the 100 meters [freestyle] and couldn’t get going in the 50.’

Sanchez again finished just outside the podium in the 100 free at 24.75 seconds-China’s Wu Qingfeng (23.98), Hong Kong-China’s Siobhan Haughey (24.32) and China’s Cheng Yujie (24.46) occupied the podium.

The men’s basketball 3×3 team of Nic Cabañero, Luis Pablo, Doy Dungo and Koji Buenaflor, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals following a 21-19 victory over Chinese-Taipei, but will have their hands full reaching the gold medal match as they take on South Korea-22-13 winner over China-next.

The women’s 3×3 squad composed of Kennan Ka, Maria Pasilang, Amyah Espanol and Quinn de la Rosa-also reached the semifinals at Singapore’s expense, 22-12, but they’ll take on Thailand in Friday’s semifinals-the Thais beat the Iranians, 12-11.

In skateboarding, Mazel Paris and Jericho Francisco advanced to the final round of their respective events at the 20th Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo also on Thursday.

Paris, 12, finished fourth in the women’s park preliminaries with 73.93 points, while Francisco had 80-64 points to also progress to the medal round.

Boxer Norlan Petecio exited from his Asian Games debut after losing to Japan’s Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa, 0-5, in a men’s 70 kgs round of 16 bout.

Art Arbole recovered from back-to-back bogeys with birdie on No. 15, submitting a four-under 68 on Wednesday to stay in the lead after three rounds of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Negros Occidental Classic in Bacolod.

Arbole moved to 10-under 200, one stroke ahead of Jhonnel Ababa, who also carded a 68.

Arbole, yet to win on the Philippine Golf Tour, suffered bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 but hit birdie on the 15th, where Ababa stumbled to a bogey after struggling with his approach.

‘I was a little pressured because it’s my first time leading a tournament,’ Arbole, who turned professional in 2012, said. ‘But I just stayed focused on my game.’

Arbole hooked his drive into the water hazard on the par-4 12th, then missed a 10-foot par putt from the bunker on the next hole, but quickly regained his groove.

‘Good tee shot, good second shot, good putt. Lucky birdie,’ he said about No. 15.

Ababa, meanwhile, struggled on his approach and needed extra work around the green and wound up with bogey.

‘I’m just going to enjoy it tang take it shot by shot,’ Arbole said.

The winner bags P448,750 from the pot of P2.5 million in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Jeffren Lumbo remained in third at six-under 204 after a 69, just four shots off the pace.

Rupert Zaragosa, seeking a third straight title at Marapara, carded a 67 to tie Zanieboy Gialon, who fired the day’s best round of 65, at 205.

Clyde Mondilla and Randy Garalde matched 69s for joint sixth at 207.

Aidric Chan shot a 67 to join Josh Jorge, who carded a 70, and Guido van der Valk, who slipped to a 73, at 208.

Angelo Que, the recent Summit Point leg winner and reigning Order of Merit champion, faltered with a double-bogey on No. 7 and struggled to recover on the back nine, closing with two bogeys against a lone birdie for a 71. The stumble left him tied for 21st at 213, 13 strokes off Arbole, effectively ending his title hopes.

THE national government’s budget deficit swelled by 90 percent in August from a year ago as slower economic activity weakened revenue collections while spending climbed.

The Bureau of the Treasury reported last Thursday that the shortfall between revenues collected and the amount spent by the government widened to P161.3 billion in August from P84.8 billion in the same month last year.

The gap comes after revenues waned by 1.85 percent to P346 billion from P352.5 billion, as non-tax collections dropped and tax revenue growth slowed.

Non-tax revenues fell by 35.59 percent year-on-year to P13.7 billion from P21.3 billion due to lower Treasury income and collections from other offices.

Collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the main tax-collecting agency, inched down by 0.70 percent to P248.4 billion from P250.1 billion a year earlier due to higher tax refunds paid during the month.

Revenue take of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), meanwhile, grew by 4.15 percent year-on-year to P80.7 billion from P77.4 billion.

John Paolo R. Rivera, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, told the BusinessMirror that weaker revenue collection ‘may reflect subdued economic activity, which affects income and consumption-related tax collections, alongside possible timing differences in tax and non-tax receipts.’

On the spending side, expenditures rose by 16 percent to P507.3 billion from last year’s spending of P437.3 billion.

The Treasury attributed the increase partly to the P58.6-billion budgetary support to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for the health insurance premiums of those enrolled under the National Health Insurance Program.

Higher national tax allotment shares for local government units also contributed to the increase in August disbursements.

Interest payments, likewise, increased by 3.98 percent to P65.6 billion from P63.1 billion.

Jonathan A. Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong and Co., told the BusinessMirror that the higher spending suggests that the government remains focused on supporting growth through public spending.

‘While this has resulted in a wider fiscal deficit, the more important issue is whether the spending translates into stronger economic activity, job creation, and improved revenue generation over the medium term,’ Ravelas added. ‘Fiscal discipline remains important, but growth-enhancing expenditures can ultimately strengthen the government’s fiscal position if executed effectively.’

Budget hole

FROM January to August this year, the budget hole expanded by 21.30 percent to P1.054 trillion from P869.2 billion in last year’s comparable period.

Revenues reached P3.216 trillion during the eight-month period, up 4.27 percent from P3.085 trillion a year earlier.

The BIR amassed P2.238 trillion, up by 4.60 percent year-on-year, while the BOC’s cumulative collection rose by 6.87 percent to P664.1 billion.

Non-tax collections, however, declined by 2.83 percent to P289.8 billion from P298.3 billion due to a high base from one-off remittances in 2025.

Government spending totaled P4.270 trillion as of end-August, 8.01 percent higher than the P3.954 trillion recorded in the same period last year.

Interest payments accounted for P686.5 billion of the total, up 17.52 percent from P584.1 billion a year earlier.

Additional pressure

TO bridge the fiscal gap, the government also borrows to raise funds.

However, higher domestic yields will further raise the government’s debt-servicing costs as it undertakes new borrowings and refinances maturing obligations, Rivera explained.

‘This will place additional pressure on future budgets, leaving less fiscal space for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other development priorities,’ he added.

‘With expenditures growing faster than revenues, priority is to strengthen revenue administration and ensure that public spending translates into productive economic activity, which can support a more sustainable revenue base,’ Rivera said.

The government has set a target budget deficit of P1.658 trillion this year, equivalent to 5.4 percent of gross domestic product.

The revenue collection goal is P4.806 trillion, while disbursements are pegged at P6.465 trillion.

Last year, the government ran a budget deficit of P1.576 trillion, wider by 4.67 percent from P1.506 trillion a year ago.