Category: Business Mirror

PARIS-Recognized as the world’s leading film market, the Marché du Film serves as a vital platform for international film exhibition, co-production, financing, and distribution, bringing together key players from the global film industry.

The platform serves as a key venue for Filipino and Singaporean filmmakers, producers, and industry representatives to hold business meetings, expand professional networks, and explore collaboration opportunities with the international film community.

This year, the Philippines is showcasing six production companies as part of the Filipino delegation, reflecting FDCP’s continued commitment to elevating local cinema on the global stage. Several Filipino films are also featured in both the festival’s exhibition and competition sections, as well as in the Marché du Film.

As part of its cultural diplomacy initiatives, the Embassy in Paris supports the FDCP delegation in engaging with French and international stakeholders both in the artistic and diplomatic fields. The embassy also discussed prospective collaborative projects with FDCP in connection with the upcoming 80th anniversary of Philippines-France diplomatic relations in 2027.

Through these initiatives, the Philippine Embassy in Paris joins FDCP in expressing optimism that sustained international engagement and collaboration will further strengthen the global presence and recognition of Philippine cinema.

The Lind Hotels is set to open The Lind Coron in 2027, marking the homegrown Filipino hospitality brand’s expansion into Palawan and a return to the destination where its story first began.

More than a decade ago, Coron was the company’s first property acquisition and the place where the idea for The Lind Hotels began to take shape. The company later chose Boracay, then a more established tourism destination, to introduce the brand before returning to its original plans for Coron.

The decision gave The Lind Hotels a strong foundation for growth. Over the past decade, The Lind Boracay has become an internationally recognized hotel, earning several accolades and becoming the first hotel in Boracay to be included in the MICHELIN Guide. The opening of The Lind Coron now brings the brand back to where its journey started.

‘We have always believed in pioneering rather than following,’ said Pierre Henrichs, Chief Operating Officer of The Lind Hotels. ‘Coron offers a rare combination of natural beauty and untapped potential. Our goal is not only to be part of its growth, but to help shape its future by bringing a new standard of hospitality to the destination.’

Surrounded by limestone formations, clear turquoise waters, hidden lagoons and rich marine life, The Lind Coron will give guests the freedom to experience the destination at their own pace, whether exploring the islands or spending a quiet day at the resort.

The resort will feature 91 rooms and villas designed for privacy, comfort and time together. Private villas will have their own dipping pools for slow afternoons, along with a dedicated Villa Host providing thoughtful, personalized service throughout the stay.

The Lind Coron will also be a culinary destination, with Yím, its signature modern Thai restaurant, and Crust, set at the heart of the Main House by the infinity pool. With sweeping sea views and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, Crust will be a natural gathering place throughout the day, serving Mediterranean flavors alongside a selection of locally crafted beverages.

For time away from the day’s adventures, The Lind Coron brings the Philippines’ premier name in relaxation to Palawan with the opening of The Spa Wellness Coron. As the country’s first spa brand to earn Superbrand status, it offers guests a serene retreat to recharge through award-winning holistic care in one of the nation’s most breathtaking destinations.

The resort will also have its own dive center, operated by one of the Philippines’ diving pioneers, with experience working with some of the country’s leading hospitality brands. Guests can spend their days island-hopping, discovering hidden lagoons or diving among vibrant reefs. World War II shipwrecks just in front of the property bring one of Coron’s most distinctive underwater experiences within easy reach.

Indoor and outdoor spaces will make the most of the natural surroundings for celebrations, events and meetings. The Gallery, an indoor venue for up to 200 guests, will offer panoramic sea views, while The Cove brings gatherings outdoors. At the resort’s highest point, the Roof Deck opens to 360-degree views of the sea, mountains and lush greenery, creating a memorable setting for wedding ceremonies, proposals and special occasions.

‘We aim to create a resort that belongs in its setting rather than competes with it,’ added Henrichs. ‘We want guests to experience the beauty, authenticity and adventure of Coron while enjoying the hospitality and service they have come to associate with The Lind Hotels.’

Ahead of its 2027 opening, The Lind Hotels will join the Philippine Travel Mart from September 4 to 6, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

For The Lind Hotels, the opening of The Lind Coron brings a vision more than a decade in the making full circle. Coron was where the idea for the brand first took shape, and in 2027, it will finally become home to The Lind, continuing its journey of Crafting Experiences, Creating Memories in a destination that has always been part of its story.

Preserving our heritage is every Filipino’s responsibility. Our old stone churches, wooden ancestral homes and quiet historic towns have stood the test of time, and protecting them means safeguarding the identity we will pass on to future generations.

That’s why I am pushing for a bill to preserve our historical landmarks. These landmarks tell the story of who we are-and we owe it to the next generation to keep that story alive.

I see the renovation of the Coconut Palace as a prime example of how we honor our culture and heritage. The Coconut Palace reopened to the public on August 25, 2026, giving Filipinos and foreign tourists the opportunity to experience one of the country’s best-known cultural and architectural landmarks.

The Coconut Palace reopened after a P200-million renovation, just months before the country hosts a major ASEAN meeting.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the reopening ceremony. The palace, officially called Tahanang Pilipino, will serve as one of the venues when the Philippines hosts the 49th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit on November 13 to 15, according to Malacañang.

The building is located inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex in Pasay City and overlooks the Manila Bay. The Coconut Palace was built almost entirely from coconut trees and other materials found in the Philippines, instead of the concrete, steel and glass used in most modern buildings.

The President lauded the restoration work that returned the palace to its original condition. He said the palace was first built as a place for the government to host important foreign visitors, and that he would be happy to bring guests to stay there again.

President Marcos commended the Government Service Insurance System, the state pension fund known as GSIS, for leading the renovation project. The Coconut Palace is a property owned by the GSIS.

Per GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso, the reopening was an important step in protecting and promoting Filipino culture. This would make one of the country’s most famous landmarks easier for the public to visit, while keeping its role as a place for cultural events and national pride. The GSIS hopes to reopen the building to the general public by early 2027, after the ASEAN event.

I agree with Mr. Veloso when he said the reopening of the building provides a chance for both Filipinos and foreign visitors to reconnect with the country’s history, celebrate Filipino creativity and appreciate a style of architecture that continues to inspire people today.

I hope that all visitors will be given an opportunity to walk through the palace and see its unique design, detailed interior work and cultural displays that reflect different Filipino traditions. The building will also host cultural shows, official government events, school programs, tourism activities and other events that highlight Filipino art and identity.

I agree that the reopening of the palace fits into its broader effort to protect historic sites across the country while giving the public more chances to visit and learn about them.

The Coconut Palace was built in 1978 on the orders of former First Lady Imelda Marcos to show off Filipino skill and craftsmanship, while proving that coconut trees could be used as a serious building material.

It was designed by renowned architect Francisco ‘Bobby’ Mañosa, who was later given the title of National Artist for his work. It was originally meant to host important foreign guests, including Pope John Paul II when he visited the Philippines in 1981.

Almost every part of the coconut tree was used somewhere in the building, including its wood, shells, roots and fibers. Other Filipino materials were also utilized such as capiz shells, a type of woven material called solihiya, and Narra wood.

The palace once served as the official residence and Office of the Vice President. On June 23, 2023, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the building an important cultural property, recognizing its historical and architectural value.

The recent renovations preserved the palace’s heritage features while improving its facilities and functionality ahead of the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit.

I believe the reopening of the Coconut Palace underscores the government’s commitment to showcasing our cultural heritage and Filipino craftsmanship as we prepare to welcome ASEAN leaders and delegates.

I hope that the private sector will also join hands in protecting and preserving more cultural landmarks that reflect our Filipino identity. Through a stronger law and support from the private sector, we should protect our history for the next generation to appreciate.

THE Surigao Doctors’ Hospital Inc. has transitioned to 100-percent renewable energy (RE) through a power supply deal with First Gen Corp.

The Lopez-led firm will source electricity from the 108-megawatt Mount Apo geothermal facility in Kidapawan, North Cotabato.

The contract was signed under the government’s Green Energy Option Program (GEOP), which allows consumers with a peak demand of at least 50 kilowatts to choose renewable energy suppliers.

The shift lowers electricity expenses, ensures reliable 24/7 power for critical life-saving equipment, and reduces the hospital’s carbon footprint.

‘Our primary concern is to lower the cost of our electricity expenses while maintaining reliable power supply to ensure the optimum functionality of life saving equipment critical in-patient care,’ said Dr. Roy N. Ycong, the chairman of the board of Surigao Doctors. ‘[The] second important thing is that we will be able to contribute to the decarbonization of the environment by sourcing cleaner and more sustainable electricity for our daily operations.’

First Gen is the country’s largest renewable energy producer and partners with multiple medical facilities nationwide using geothermal power.

‘The ability to power RE 24/7 is a game-changer in ensuring operations remain stable and reliable, while reducing carbon footprints. It is a privilege for us to support our partners in achieving sustainability and cost management goals,’ said Carlos Lorenzo L. Vega, First Gen chief customer engagement officer.

The 50-bed Surigao Doctors offers a wide range of medical services and community outreach services.

Meanwhile, First Gen is the leading renewable energy producer in the Philippines with 1.76 gigawatts of generating capacity from 31 wind, solar, hydro and geothermal facilities.

The Bangsamoro region is pressing for stronger earthquake and tsunami preparedness as the country marks 50 years of the deadly Moro Gulf disaster which flattened swats of land and habitation in a midnight sweep of tsunami waters after a violent earthquake in the gulf.

The call was raised during the first Bangsamoro Science and Technology Week on August 26 at the KCC Mall Convention Hall in Cotabato City, where the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) discussed earthquake and tsunami hazards and the importance of science-based disaster preparedness.

In his opening message, Ibrahim Panalangin, MOST Chief Science Research Specialist-Designate of the Advanced Science and Technology Division (ASTD), emphasized the need for government agencies and communities to work together to reduce disaster risks.

‘May this discussion make us more informed, vigilant, and prepared. Through science, collaboration, and collective action, together we can build safer and more resilient communities throughout the Bangsamoro,’ he said.

Panalangin urged participants to apply what they learned in improving programs, plans and services aimed at protecting communities from disasters and as science officials called on for resilient infrastructure, informed communities and coordinated disaster response.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said earthquake preparedness should go beyond knowing safety procedures such as ‘Duck, Cover, and Hold,’ saying that areas closer to an earthquake’s epicenter generally experience stronger shaking, although local ground conditions and other factors can also influence the observed intensity.

‘Since we experience earthquakes, we need to understand why they happen. Knowing how to ‘Duck, Cover, and Hold’ is not enough if the building itself does not comply with safety standards. All buildings must be earthquake-resilient,’ he said.

He also discussed the Philippine Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS), noting that shaking at Intensity VI can cause damage, particularly to vulnerable or poorly built structures, while Intensity VII and higher can produce destructive to severe effects.

He urged coastal communities to prepare for these hazards by knowing their evacuation routes and designated safe areas, particularly those in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi l, and Sulu.

For locally generated tsunamis, Bacolcol reminded residents to recognize natural warning signs, including strong or prolonged ground shaking, a sudden recession of the sea that exposes normally submerged areas, and an unusual roaring sound from the sea.

The discussion heightened in the observance of the 50th anniversary of the Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami, which struck at 11 minutes past midnight of August 17, 1976, killing as many as 8,000 residents and devastating coastal communities across 700 kilometers of coastline ravaged by the tsunami triggered by the earthquake estimated to measure at magnitude 8 in the current magnitude measurement.

The tsunami accounted for 85 percent of the deaths, 65 percent of the injuries, and 95 percent of the missing persons recorded in the disaster, according to a 1977 study by Stratta, James L., et al.

‘Five decades later, the disaster remains a reminder of the risks faced by coastal communities in the Bangsamoro and neighboring areas, particularly those exposed to earthquakes and tsunamis,’ Bacolcol said. ‘The lessons from the disaster should continue to guide preparedness efforts in communities vulnerable to these hazards.’

‘Preparedness is really a shared responsibility. It is not only the responsibility of PHIVOLCS. It’s not just the responsibility of the Office of Civil Defense or the LGUs. It is everyone’s collective duty to prepare,’ he said.

The MOST-PHIVOLCS activity formed part of the inaugural Bangsamoro Science and Technology Week, which seeks to bring science and technology closer to communities and promote their practical use in addressing challenges in the Bangsamoro Region.

It is Pacquiao fight day. It might as well be a holiday. Family and friends have gathered around the television. Food is on the table. You hope Mommy Dionisia’s prayers, perhaps even her barang, are working. You add your own private hex on the opponent.

The bell rings. There are only two sides: ours and his. We know what we want. Find the opening. Land the punch. Put the other fellow on the canvas.

Congress sometimes seems to approach electricity prices with the same ambition.

Knock out system loss. Defeat VAT. Make the utility absorb the cost. Declare the consumer the winner.

If only electricity costs stayed down when you knocked them down.

A cost removed from one corner of the bill can get up in another.

The last installment followed taxes, subsidies and discounts to the people who ultimately pay them. Its conclusion carries into this one: the electricity bill is, in part, a statute book printed in pesos.

Many charges appear because law or regulation permits them and decides who bears them. Change the rule and the peso may move from consumer to utility, utility to taxpayer, or one group of consumers to another. Sometimes the cost disappears. Sometimes only its address changes.

This installment opens that statute book while Congress is still writing it.

Dozens of bills touch system loss, its taxation, recovery or enforcement. Some would abolish or reduce it, preserve only technical loss, distinguish private utilities from cooperatives, remove VAT, prevent cost migration, or go after the thief rather than the tariff.

This is economics conducted in statutes. The useful way to read the pile is not by sponsor or bill number. Follow the peso.

Does a proposal reduce the underlying cost? Put the incentive on whoever controls it? Preserve efficient investment? Or merely move the peso somewhere less visible?

The cleanest political punch is obvious: take system loss off the consumer’s bill.

The stronger House proposals prohibit direct and indirect recovery, make utilities bear technical and non-technical losses, and bar the cost from returning under another name.

That can sharpen incentives to improve metering, conductors and transformers and to find illegal connections. But physics complicates the slogan: what if removing the last percentage point of technical loss costs more than it saves?

HB 10572 makes lost electricity unrecoverable while preserving prudent modernization spending. HB 10357 adds five-year efficiency plans, independent audits, public scorecards and targeted assistance to electric cooperatives.

A utility should bear avoidable loss, not be punished for efficient investment that prevents tomorrow’s loss. Nor can a network modernize overnight merely because a statute can.

Then comes the Ice Seller’s distinction: melting is not chipping. Some proposals retain verified technical loss while excluding non-technical loss; others give rural cooperatives higher or transitional ceilings.

Electricity dissipates regardless of ownership. But unavoidable loss varies with distance, load density, voltage, network configuration and terrain.

EPIRA recognized those differences. Senate Bill 2131 instead proposes a one-percent cap for private distribution utilities and rural cooperatives while excluding non-technical loss from recovery.

One percent is wonderfully simple. Copper is not. A dense city utility and a mountain cooperative serving scattered communities do not operate the same network. If Congress imposes one ceiling, it should consciously decide who absorbs geography.

Congress can set the distributive rule without becoming an engineering bureau. The ERC can calculate transparent technical benchmarks as networks and technology change.

But rules do not enforce themselves. Bills promising ERC independence, deadlines, fiscal autonomy and technical capacity matter; a deadline imposed on an understaffed regulator may simply produce bad decisions faster.

SBN 1477 would allow summary treatment for DOE-certified contracts within ERC benchmark ranges. Scrutiny therefore moves into the benchmark. It should distinguish technology, grid and load profile, use competitive price discovery where possible, publish its method and updates, and face ex-post audit.

Faster regulation is valuable. Faster error is not.

SB 2124 takes another route: exempt residential system loss from VAT and prevent the saving from being clawed back through other pass-through charges. The tax disappears; the physical loss remains. Only one of those changes the incentive to lose less electricity.

HB 9106 illustrates cost migration. It removes system loss as a separate bill item but allows it into operating expenses, subject to ERC efficiency standards. The name can disappear while the peso survives.

House Bill 750 asks why government should argue only about who pays for stolen electricity instead of stopping the theft. It strengthens inspection, disconnection, evidence and penalties while preserving recovery against the offender.

Utilities can meter, detect anomalies and preserve evidence. Law enforcement can investigate and prosecute. Those responsibilities should meet before one side is left holding an ice pick and the other a complaint form.

There is also a lawyer’s problem inside the economist’s one. These terms already live in the Codes and ERC rules. Careless definitions can turn intended bill relief into years of rate litigation.

The argument is wider than system loss. Other EPIRA proposals would change cross-ownership rules, divide PCC-ERC competition responsibilities, alter public-offering requirements, reopen government generation-and revise the market those generators enter.

WESM itself belongs among Congress’s questions. It is a designed market around which has accumulated special government fiscal support to preferred institutions, non-market price safeguards, preferential dispatch regimes, settlement mechanisms and administrative interventions. Each may be defensible alone. Together, have they altered price formation, dispatch, investment incentives, competition and who pays? Is it time to revisit WESM’s rationale and mechanics?

PEMC has begun reviewing enhancements introduced in 2021. Congress should ask whether the whole architecture still delivers transparent price discovery, efficient dispatch and genuine competition.

Nor can WESM be assessed apart from transmission. Transmission is a regulated natural monopoly, not a competitive segment, but it is not economically outside the market. As Part Four showed, connections, losses, congestion and reserves shape who competes, which plants dispatch and the prices WESM produces.

Ownership rules should likewise reach actual control, not paper percentages. And Part Three recalled the earlier experiment with government as generator, purchaser and ultimate risk-bearer: blackouts, NPC debt approaching P900 billion and obligations consumers spent decades retiring. Any bill reopening that door should confront that history.

Congress does not lack ideas. It lacks assembly.

One bill supplies accountability, another modernization, another regulatory capacity, another tax relief, another enforcement. Good legislation can combine them while protecting against cost migration.

Electricity reform is not winner-take-all.

The better questions are these: Does responsibility follow control? Does the law distinguish physics from failure? Does it attack a cost’s cause as well as allocate it? Does relief identify who pays? Does reform preserve efficient investment? Can the enforcing institution do the job?

A reform can make one line cheaper while making investment harder, or protect today’s consumer while raising tomorrow’s cost. The consumer deserves relief. But the cheapest-looking statute is not necessarily the cheapest electricity policy.

Congress has many fragments of an electricity policy. What it does not yet have is the package.

That is where the final installment begins.

Atty. Laurence R. Rogero is an infrastructure lawyer with three decades of experience in the Philippine and international power and water sectors, advising project sponsors, lenders, and investors. He is lead independent director of a publicly listed infrastructure holding company with interests in energy and water. He is pursuing postgraduate studies in economics at Ateneo de Manila University, where he also lectures in the School of Management. He graduated magna cum laude from the UP School of Economics, earned his law degree from UP, and obtained an LL.M. with Distinction from Georgetown University as a Fulbright Fellow. The views expressed are his own and should not be attributed to any institution, organization, client, company, or other entity with which he is affiliated.

The Cebu Provincial Government poured P4.8 billion into healthcare infrastructure, equipment and services in its first year under Governor Pamela Baricuatro, as the administration simultaneously moved to tighten public financial management and build an investment pipeline around energy, water, waste management and other long-term infrastructure needs.

In her State of the Province Address, Baricuatro said the healthcare outlay was among the administration’s biggest investments during its first year, reflecting a strategy of directing more public resources toward essential services while addressing deficiencies in the province’s 16-hospital network.

The province also allocated close to P600 million for medicines, expanded its complement of doctors, nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, and support personnel, and opened medical scholarships and residency programs to help build a longer-term pipeline of healthcare professionals.

One of the administration’s most significant operational gains, according to the governor, was the expansion of 24-hour laboratory services to all 16 provincial hospitals, from only four previously.

The provincial hospitals are also now accredited under PhilHealth’s YAKAP program, while the province has expanded medicine access through its Gamot Pharmacies, piloted longer outpatient hours and improved compliance with PhilHealth requirements across its hospital system.

‘For a patient whose emergency happens at midnight, that difference is not administrative. That difference can be life or death,’ Baricuatro said of the expansion in round-the-clock laboratory services.

Beyond healthcare, Baricuatro framed the first year of her administration as a rebuilding period for the province’s financial and operating systems.

The provincial government adopted a public financial management improvement plan, sought to improve the utilization of development funds, and mobilized resources so that priority programs would not be dependent on locally generated funds alone.

It also settled P63 million in obligations that had remained unpaid since 2018, with the governor noting that these liabilities also represented payments due to businesses that had fulfilled contracts and delivered services to the provincial government.

The administration also moved to improve procurement and project execution by taking bid openings online, streamlining procurement and contractor payments, and establishing an infrastructure project and management monitoring system.

Nearly P1 billion was likewise released directly to barangays and local government units during the year, while the province passed a Freedom of Information Ordinance and expanded digital options for frontline transactions.

For the governor, however, the broader objective is to use improved public-sector management as a platform for attracting and facilitating investments.

The provincial government has been engaging investors and development partners through energy projects, trade missions, tourism planning and business support initiatives, while promoting Cebu as an economic center for a wider and more diversified pool of investors.

The province has also facilitated private-sector investments in renewable energy, including solar and wind projects, and is pursuing long-term infrastructure solutions for water security, flood control and waste management.

A proposed integrated waste management facility for northern, central and southern Cebu is being supported by a feasibility study backed by Japan’s Ministry of Environment. ‘Cebu is open for business, and we welcome investment,’ Baricuatro said.

But she said the province’s investment policy would emphasize the quality and local impact of projects, calling on investors to create jobs for Cebuanos, help develop Cebuano-owned industries, use local resources responsibly, and comply with laws and environmental standards.

‘An economy is not inclusive because wealth enters Cebu. It is inclusive when opportunity reaches every Cebuano,’ she said.

The administration is also formulating Cebu’s Tourism Development Plan for 2027 to 2036, as it seeks to spread economic opportunities beyond established destinations while incorporating environmental protection and community interests into future tourism growth.

For the rest of 2026 and into next year, the province is targeting further healthcare and infrastructure investments, including the planned upgrade of the Argao and Malabuyoc district hospitals to Level 1 facilities.

It is also pursuing additional water supply capacity under its 10-year water security plan, with a target of 29 million liters per day from existing water treatment projects and another 15 million liters per day for Dalaguete, Pinamungajan and Alcantara by next year.

Baricuatro said the province would continue facilitating renewable energy investments and evaluating new infrastructure projects not only for their immediate benefits but also for their resilience against future disasters.

The challenge, she said, is to convert public spending, investment commitments and institutional reforms into a more durable growth model for Cebu-one that strengthens basic services while making the province more prepared for future economic and environmental pressures.

‘Our direction is clear,’ Baricuatro said.

‘From repair to readiness. From emergency response to prevention. From assistance to lasting opportunities,’ she added.

Inhaling haze from air pollution or smoke can cause immediate irritation and worsen existing medical conditions, the Department of Health (DOH) warned.

The DOH issued the warning following reports of haze affecting several areas in the country.

Based on the latest report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) issued Tuesday, air quality is being monitored in areas affected by haze in the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA.

The DENR-EMB said the haze is associated with smoke from ongoing forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, which is being transported toward the Philippines by prevailing southwest monsoon winds or habagat. The agency said the haze may continue to affect parts of the country for several days while the fires remain active.

Fine particulate matter

The haze contains fine particulate matter, including PM2.5, which can be inhaled deep into the lungs and may trigger or worsen respiratory problems.

On Tuesday, several air-quality monitoring stations in Metro Manila recorded ‘very unhealthy’ to ‘acutely unhealthy’ air quality levels amid elevated PM2.5 concentrations. Areas with ‘acutely unhealthy’ readings included Las Piñas, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela.

The DOH said haze may cause difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, eye irritation or watery eyes, and may worsen existing lung conditions such as asthma.

Children, older adults, and people with existing lung or heart conditions are advised to take extra precautions and limit their exposure to the haze.

To minimize exposure, the DOH reminded the public to:

Stay indoors as much as possible and ensure proper ventilation;

Close doors and windows and seal gaps where smoke may enter;

Wear an N95 mask when going outdoors;

Limit prolonged outdoor activities, particularly strenuous exercise, in areas affected by haze;

Regularly monitor air-quality advisories in their area;

Exercise extreme caution when traveling, particularly in areas with poor visibility;

Use headlights or fog lights when driving;

Follow the required minimum speed and exercise extreme caution on the road; and

Ensure that vehicles are in good running condition.

The DOH said that if an N95 mask is unavailable, the public may temporarily use a damp handkerchief or cloth. Double-masking or folding the cloth twice may also provide an alternative form of protection against inhaling particles, although an N95 mask remains the preferred option when outdoors.

Cover food, drinking water

The public is also advised to keep food and drinking water covered and protect the eyes from irritation while haze persists.

The DOH further advised individuals experiencing difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, increased tearing of the eyes, or nose and throat irritation to proceed to the nearest health center or hospital for appropriate medical attention.

The DOH reminded the public to regularly check official advisories and air-quality conditions in their respective areas and to prioritize their health and safety while the haze persists.

THE law of averages caught Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena as the two-time Olympian settled for a silver medal at the Domspringen Wesel International Pole Vault Meeting in Germany, barely three days after winning gold in Berlin.

‘It was a rough day and [tiredness],’ said the Asian Games-bound Obiena, whose 5.75-meter effort landed him behind France’s Robin Emig (5.80m) and just enough over the US’s Cole Walsh (5.70m) on the podium.

He went for 5.85m but the environment at the Grober Mrkt in Wesel make him fail thrice.

‘Eventually caught up after six competitions this last 14 days [since August 17],’ the reigning Asian and Asian Games champion said. ‘So many mistakes at the earlier bars and paid the price.’

Obiena has nine gold medals from his indoor and outdoor campaign this season with his silver in Wesel his third since moving camp from Formia to Athens under a new coach and trainer.

But his most significant accomplishment was clearing 5.90m that didn’t merit a podium finish at the Zurich Wanda Diamond League last August 27, but a berth to next year’s world championships in Beijing.

Gautam Kaji, former Vice President of the World Bank for East Asia and the Pacific, was more than one of the world’s respected development leaders. He was a close adviser and a true friend of Subic and the Philippines at a time when we were trying to prove that Filipinos could transform a former American naval base into a world-class economic center.

He gave Subic his full support. At a time when we had to convince the world that this new experiment could work, Gautam and the World Bank gave us something equally valuable: credibility. He understood what we were trying to build and believed that, given the right conditions, Subic could become a catalyst for investment and growth far beyond its gates.

With his passing, I remembered a remarkable letter he wrote to President Fidel V. Ramos more than three decades ago (33 years ago), when he was serving as the World Bank’s Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific. It was unsolicited and remarkably frank, but never insulting. It was the advice of a man who knew the Philippines intimately and cared enough about our country to say what needed to be said.

Gautam offered President Ramos five essential prescriptions: maintain macroeconomic discipline; provide a stable, consistent and predictable environment for investment; ensure the success of Subic; reverse the stagnation of Philippine agriculture; and use the government’s political capital decisively while the opportunity for reform remained open.

His warning on Subic was particularly telling. Gautam saw its infrastructure, its skilled and dedicated workforce and, in his words, its ‘dynamic and charismatic Chairman.’ He urged the President to ‘pull out all stops’ to make Subic succeed, while warning that ‘political jealousies and bureaucratic hurdles’ could easily thwart otherwise solid efforts.

He understood that Subic was never meant to succeed in isolation. Its development was supposed to radiate throughout Central Luzon, creating infrastructure, investment and jobs. Two decades later, I continued to pursue that vision through the Regional Investment and Infrastructure Coordinating Hub (RICH) bill, which passed both Houses of Congress, only to be vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte. Decades later, we are again talking about integrating Subic, Clark and the surrounding areas through the Luzon Economic Corridor.

The names may have changed. The idea has not. And look at Gautam’s other warnings. He warned us more than 30 years ago that countries like Vietnam were competing for the same investments we wanted. Look at the region today. Vietnam has surged ahead. Indonesia and Malaysia have strengthened their industrial and investment bases. Singapore remains a regional economic powerhouse. Meanwhile, we are still talking about red tape, bureaucracy, policy uncertainty and many of the same obstacles Gautam warned us about decades ago.

He warned against bureaucratic red tape, uncertainty and the constant flip-flopping of economic policy. More than three decades later, businesses still complain about the same things.

He warned about agricultural stagnation. Agriculture continues to struggle, while too many of our people in the countryside remain dependent on dole-outs instead of being empowered through productivity, infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods.

The same failure to sustain long-term thinking can be seen elsewhere. We have talked for decades about flood control and preparing communities for disasters, yet every rainy season many of the same places are flooded again. We spend enormous amounts responding to problems we have long known about instead of addressing their causes with foresight, discipline and continuity.

That is what makes Gautam’s letter so striking today.

It does not read like an old document. It reads like something that could have been written this morning. This was not a man lecturing the Philippines from afar. Gautam knew us. He worked with us. He supported Subic when that support mattered, and his confidence helped give us credibility before the international community.

More importantly, he cared enough to tell us the truth.

His letter was written not because he had to, but out of a sense of duty and friendship to a country whose potential he had seen firsthand. He warned us about the dangers of bureaucracy, political interference, inconsistent policy and lost opportunities. He told us what needed to be done while there was still time to do it.

More than 30 years have passed, yet much of Gautam’s advice could have been written yesterday.

That should trouble us.

Gautam wrote not to criticize the Philippines, but because he believed we could do better. He had seen our potential. He wanted us to succeed. That is why his words deserve to be remembered today-not merely as a historical letter from a World Bank official to a Philippine President, but as advice from a friend who cared enough to tell us the truth.

We should have listened more carefully then. We should listen now.

Because after more than three decades, we must ask ourselves a difficult question: Have we really learned?

We have had the warnings. We have had the plans. We have had the opportunities. The problem has never been that we did not know what needed to be done.

The question is whether we have learned to do it-and to stay the course.

When will we ever learn?

The author is a former senator of the Republic of the Philippines, and Founding Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.