Category: Business Mirror

Petron Corp. is proposing to expand the capacity of its storage tanks in Limay, Bataan to accommodate the increasing demand for jet fuel.

In a filing, Petron said it wants to increase the fuel storage capacity from 20,746 kilo liters (KL) to 32,785 KL. The Petron Limay Terminal is situated within the Petron Bataan Refinery complex.

‘The demand for jet fuel in the service area of the Limay Terminal has significantly increased in recent years. As a result, the current fuel inventory can now support operations for only about 3.4 days, which is considered below the preferred level for maintaining a stable and uninterrupted fuel supply.

Because the terminal serves as a key distribution hub for jet fuel supplied to other terminals and airports, maintaining adequate storage capacity is essential to prevent fuel shortages that could disrupt aviation operations and related economic activities,’ Petron said.

As such, the oil firm has proposed the installation of additional fuel storage tanks to allow the terminal to maintain a more reliable fuel reserve, thereby ensuring continuous availability of jet fuel even during periods of high demand or possible supply delivery delays.

The proposed tanks will also serve as ‘swing’ tanks to temporarily hold fuel while existing tanks are undergoing out-of-service inspection, scheduled maintenance, or emergency repairs. Petron said this operational flexibility is important for maintaining safety standards while avoiding interruptions in fuel distribution.

Also, Petron wants to put up a new above-ground storage tank for coconut methyl ester (CME). This component of the project supports the compliance with the Department of Energy (DOE) mandate requiring biodiesel blending, currently set at 3 percent CME in diesel fuel under the National Biofuels Program.

By increasing CME storage capacity, the terminal will be better able to maintain a consistent supply of biodiesel for blending, ensuring regulatory compliance while supporting the government’s goal of promoting renewable energy use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and energy security.

Petron’s proposals are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2028.

YOUR alarm rings late, traffic refuses to move, your inbox grows faster than your patience, and someone asks for one more favor when you already feel stretched thin. Everyday stress rarely arrives as one dramatic event. More often, it appears in small moments that slowly drain your energy and shorten your temper. Emotional regulation is not about pretending that stress does not exist. It is about learning how to respond without allowing stress to control your mood, decisions, or relationships.

Many people believe emotional regulation means staying calm at all times. That idea creates even more pressure. You are human, and difficult emotions are part of daily life. You will feel frustrated, disappointed, anxious, and exhausted from time to time. The goal is not perfection but awareness and recovery. When you understand your emotional patterns, you become less likely to react in ways that create regret later.

One helpful strategy is to pause before responding. Stress often pushes you toward immediate reactions. You may snap at a family member after a difficult meeting or send a harsh message that you later wish you had deleted. A short pause gives your mind an opportunity to catch up with your emotions. Before responding, take one slow breath and ask yourself whether your reaction will improve the situation or worsen it. That brief moment can prevent unnecessary conflict.

Your body also plays a big role in emotional regulation than many people realize. Stress lives not only in your thoughts but also in your muscles, breathing, and sleep habits. When your shoulders tighten and your breathing becomes shallow, your brain interprets those signals as danger. One practical way to break that cycle is through controlled breathing. During a stressful moment, inhale slowly for four counts and exhale for six counts. A longer exhale tells your nervous system that you are safe. You can practice this while waiting in traffic, sitting at your desk, or standing in a grocery line.

Another effective strategy involves naming your emotions clearly. Many people say they feel ‘stressed’ when they actually feel disappointed, embarrassed, overwhelmed, or lonely. Specific language creates clarity. For example, if you recognize that you feel overlooked rather than angry, you may choose a more honest conversation instead of a defensive argument. Emotional awareness often reduces emotional intensity because you understand what truly needs attention.

Daily routines also shape emotional resilience. When stress becomes constant, basic habits are

usually the first to disappear. You may skip meals, sleep less, and spend hours scrolling through upsetting news or social media. Those choices quietly increase emotional exhaustion. Small routines create stability during chaotic periods. Drinking enough water, taking a short walk, or stepping away from a screen for 10 minutes may seem simple, but those actions help your mind recover. Emotional regulation is often built through ordinary habits rather than dramatic breakthroughs.

You can also benefit from adjusting your inner dialogue. During stressful situations, many people become harsher toward themselves than they would ever be toward another person. A single mistake becomes proof of failure. One difficult day becomes evidence that life is falling apart. Instead of asking, ‘Why can I never handle anything properly?’ try asking, ‘What would help me manage this situation better?’ The second question encourages problem-solving rather than self-punishment.

Boundaries are another important form of emotional regulation. Constant availability can leave you emotionally depleted. You do not need to answer every message immediately or accept every request that comes your way. Protecting your time and energy is not selfish. It is necessary. For example, if work messages continue late into the evening, consider setting a specific hour during which you stop checking notifications. That boundary allows your mind an opportunity for rest.

Connection also matters more than many people admit. Stress often convinces you to isolate yourself, especially when you feel emotionally exhausted. Yet a brief conversation with someone trustworthy can provide perspective and comfort. You do not always need advice. Sometimes you simply need someone who listens without judgment. Human connection reminds you that you are not carrying every burden alone.

There will also be days during which your emotions feel heavier than usual despite your best efforts. During those moments, give yourself permission to slow down instead of criticizing yourself for struggling. Emotional regulation does not mean suppressing emotions until they disappear. It means responding to yourself with patience while choosing actions that support your wellbeing.

Life will continue to bring deadlines, disappointments, and unexpected frustrations. Stress cannot always be avoided, but your response can be strengthened. Every calm breath, thoughtful pause, healthy boundary, and honest conversation help you build emotional steadiness over time. Progress may feel gradual, but small consistent choices often create the greatest emotional change. When everyday stress no longer controls your reactions, you create more space for clarity, connection, and peace within your daily life.

Senator Mark A. Villar expressed solidarity with the people of Mindanao following the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Southern Philippines.

The senator also extended his sympathies to the families who suffered loss, displacement, and hardship as a result of the devastation brought by the earthquake and its aftermath.

‘Taos-puso po akong nakiramay at nanalangin para sa mga nawalan ng mahal sa buhay, nasugatan, at sa mga pamilyang napilitang lumikas dahil sa sakunang ito. Sa ganitong panahon ng pagsubok, mahalagang maramdaman ng ating mga kababayan na hindi sila nag-iisa at handa nating silang tulungan’ Villar said.

He emphasized that assisting affected communities and addressing their immediate needs remained a priority as relief and assessment efforts continued in the affected areas.

‘Habang nagpapatuloy ang mga response at assessment efforts sa mga apektadong lugar, mahalagang maipaabot agad ang kinakailangang tulong sa ating mga kababayan upang makatulong sa kanilang pagbangon,’ he added.

As part of his relief efforts, Senator Villar sent sacks of rice and drinking water for distribution to affected families through the General Santos City Local Government Unit. The senator also assured affected residents that his office remained ready to provide additional assistance as needed.

‘Nais kong tiyakin sa ating mga kababayan sa Mindanao na narito tayo upang tumulong. Patuloy tayong makikipag-ugnayan sa mga lokal na pamahalaan at iba pang kinauukulang ahensya upang masuportahan ang relief at recovery efforts sa mga apektadong komunidad,’ he said.

Villar likewise expressed confidence in the resilience and unity of the Filipino people as communities worked toward recovery and rehabilitation.

‘Sa pamamagitan ng bayanihan, malasakit, at pagtutulungan, naniniwala akong makakabangon ang ating mga kababayan mula sa pagsubok na ito. Kasama ninyo kami sa bawat hakbang ng inyong pagbangon,’ Villar concluded.

Land and human rights are spotlighted in ST (Southern Tagalog) to SF (San Francisco), a free screening of documentaries, short-form works, and music videos, part of MCADxMoving Image, a program of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).

The event looks at culture, society and politics through the media of the moving image-from hybrid documentaries and video essays to narrative experiments, filmed performances, and archival audiovisions.

Meticulously selected by Con Cabrera, a visual artist and independent curator, the lineup gathers works from multimedia collective and organization Southern Tagalog Exposure from Laguna, Philippines, and housing advocates People Power Media from California, USA.

The roster includes documentations of narratives on displacement, oppression, and state violence which are resisted by various manifestations of activism.

The lineup is headlined by 43, a short docu on health workers who were arrested and accused of being members of the New People’s Army during their medical training in Morong, Rizal; and WWIII, an animated music video of a song by Dong Abay, renowned Filipino singer-songwriter, which communicates the collective consciousness of those who question the unjust war perpetrated by those in power.

Likewise included in the series is Red Saga. Produced by Mowelfund Film Institute (MFI), it is a vivid landscape of metaphors on contemporary Philippine politics and a poetic take on the peasant struggle and the protracted people’s war in the Philippine countryside. Oyayi sa Kanlungan ng Digma depicts how militarization drove the Mangyans, Dumagats, and peasants from their homes.

Sa Amin: Our Place narrates the untold story of Filipino activists, artists, and intergenerational families in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood in their fight against displacement caused by urban renewal, real estate speculation, and tech booms. Rights is a one-hour pioneering compilation of independently produced human rights-themed short films and public service announcements (PSAs) which exposes the incessant human rights hostilities in the Philippines and serves as an open and continuing call for filmmakers to participate in the growing movement to defend and uphold human rights.

ST (Southern Tagalog) to SF (San Francisco) is free and open to the public. It will run from June 17 to June 19, 2026, from 12 noon to 2 pm.

A talkback with the former members of ST Exposure will be held on June 17. It will be moderated by Mary Ann Pernia, MCAD Learning and Special Projects head.

It will be held at the M302 Case Room of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Taft Campus in Malate, Manila.

Joyce Tan, a Wais Home Credit customer since 2020, bought her iPhone 13 in 2021 with the added peace of mind of HOME CREDIT PROTECT. A Gen Z professional living independently in Taguig, Joyce balanced her work, rent, bills, and daily expenses while finding practical ways to manage lifestyle purchases with Home Credit products and services. This one move of buying her phone with Home Credit Protect, unexpectedly guarded her from an unforeseen medical emergency that surfaced in her life with sudden changes in her blood pressure, eventually needing her to be hospitalized for Stage 2 hypertension.

‘Noong bumili ako ng iPhone 13, in-offer sa akin ‘yong Home Credit Protect. Nung na-explain sa akin kung ano yung benefits nya, hindi talaga ako nagdalawang- isip kumuha.’

Amid rising financial pressures from hospital bills, medication, rent, utilities, and other daily expenses, the Home Credit Protect coverage linked to her iPhone 13 gave Joyce the much-needed relief, enabling her to take care of other expenses better. After submitting the necessary documents, she was able to access product benefits, including waived installments for two months.

‘Nabawasan talaga ‘yong stress ko pagdating monthly payments ko kay Home Credit. Syempre ayokong mag-miss ng payment kasi may penalties yun. Hindi ko talaga in-expect na ‘yong phone na binili ko would eventually help me during my health emergency. Dahil sa Home Credit Protect, nagkaroon ako ng peace of mind at mas nakapag-focus ako sa pagpapagaling ko.’ Joyce said

A reliable, caring lifestyle partner  Joyce is just one example of how Home Credit Philippines has supported over 13 million Filipinos through products and services designed to help make everyday life easier and more manageable since last 13 years.

‘Behind Home Credit’s 13 million customers are millions of unique journeys, all driven by the goal of building a better and more secure future. Joyce’s story shows how simple decisions today can make a meaningful difference in unexpected moments. Through products and services designed around our customers’ evolving needs, we remain committed to supporting Filipinos in both everyday purchases and life’s important moments,’ said Jana Pechouckova, Senior Executive Vice President of Home Credit Philippines. 

Watch Joyce’s Kwentong HC here and discover how making wais moves today can help bring peace of mind for tomorrow.

Malacañang said the government remains optimistic about sustaining the slowdown in the unemployment rate, which fell to 4.7 percent equivalent to 2.41 million people last April, by continuing efforts to cushion the impact of the Middle East crisis and by attracting more investors.

This was lower compared to 5 percent unemployment rate last March, which is equivalent to 2.58 million people, during the onset of the war in the Middle East based on the latest Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as the government rolled out its interventions for those affected by the conflict.

However, the latest unemployment rate figures were still higher compared to the 4.1 percent in April 2025, which is equivalent to 2.06 million.

Under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) initiatives, the Marcos administration provided fuel and rice subsidies, service contracting, emergency employment and cash aid to workers, which were affected by the Middle East crisis.

The efforts also include reintegration services for displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFW), which includes livelihood, upskilling, as well as local or overseas placement.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the government also continues to generate quality and productive employment and enhance the skills of workers

‘Government interventions continue such as creating quality and productive jobs, encouraging investments, providing livelihoods to repatriated OFWs who have lost their jobs and those who have returned to OFWs. The results [in the labor force survey] have been good, but we will not rest on our laurels,’ Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing last Tuesday quoting the position of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) on the matter.

The Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said she is optimistic they can sustain the said gains in the coming months.

Quoting DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, she said the thrust of the government ‘is to grow the economy while creating high quality jobs, investing skills and other productivity enhancing measures addressing gaps in social protection systems and building national and local state capacity toward accessible, resilient public services.’

‘We must always be positive [when it comes to projections] because the government never stops working, especially since the President is always working, and it is absolutely necessary to give our countrymen and people what they [deserve],’ she said.

A moment early on in Disclosure Day will instinctively feel familiar to anyone who grew up with Steven Spielberg films. A TV weather report predicts hail. The camera pans downward, from television set to kitchen table. Plinking sounds begin. Cereal falls into a bowl.

‘Those were Froot Loops,’ Spielberg says, smiling. ‘My favorite.’

Spielberg’s latest, like some of his earliest and most beloved films, again concerns what might fall from above. Disclosure Day, which Universal Pictures releases June 11, returns Hollywood’s preeminent big-screen craftsman to one of his most abiding questions: Are we alone?

Coming nearly half a century after Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Disclosure Day is a grand bookend for one of the most cosmically-minded moviemakers of our time, whose dreams of extraterrestrial life have shaped all of ours. It’s a distant answer to the final notes of Close Encounters. But while Spielberg grants his 1977 film was ‘speculative,’ Disclosure Day, he insists, is the real deal.

‘It’s my first film that will be considered science fiction that I do not consider to be science fiction,’ Spielberg said in a recent interview. ‘It’s much more reflective of the world as it is evolving and discoveries that are being made as we speak.’

Spielberg, at 79, is trying to revive and reconsider the alien wonder that’s long lingered in his mind, from E.T. to War of the Worlds. Disclosure Day, Spielberg’s first summer movie in a decade, is already being hailed as one of his best in years. But this time, Spielberg is testing whether he can conjure some of his trademark movie magic less with imagination than with conviction. ‘I’ve been a believer since I made Close Encounters 50 years ago,’ Spielberg says. ‘But I would always say: Until I’ve seen a UAP or a UFO with my own eyes, I’m not going to categorically state that life from out there has come here.

‘But I’ve changed that,’ he adds. ‘I’m now willing to change my mind because of the circumstantial evidence which is overwhelming.’

Aliens again, but different

Disclosure Day stars Josh O’Connor as a cybersecurity whistleblower with government evidence, long suppressed, chronicling a history of alien encounters. Guiding him in his escape from a corporate executive (Colin Firth) trying to keep it all under wraps is the disclosure movement’s leader (Colman Domingo). Meanwhile, a meteorologist named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) begins having a mysterious epiphany.

When he first began thinking about the movie, Spielberg called up the screenwriter David Koepp, a longtime collaborator who wrote Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds.

‘I said, ‘Sure, what’s it about?” recalls Koepp. ‘And he said, ‘Oh, you know, aliens again. But different this time.”

Spielberg was coming off an unusually long break by his breakneck standards. His 2022 film The Fabelmans pulled from his own childhood, dramatizing his parents’ painful divorce and his own origins as a filmmaker. Spielberg’s first gut-wrenchingly autobiographical movie left him unsure of what was next.

‘It was the hardest question I ever had to ask myself because there was such completion in resolving so many personal issues that I had never aired in public before The Fabelmans,’ Spielberg says.

‘I didn’t care whether people thought The Fabelmans was just a tale, a yarn, or if they cared that it was all true. I didn’t care about that. It was something I did for myself. I always used to say it was $40 million of therapy that I didn’t have to pay for. Universal did,’ he says, laughing.

But Spielberg, having long followed reports of alleged alien encounters, was inspired by the 2023 House Subcommittee on National Security hearing on UAPs: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Among the witnesses was whistleblower and former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch, who testified that the government concealed a program investigating UAPs.

The Pentagon then denied it. Yet in April, President Donald Trump said the Pentagon is preparing to release some ‘very interesting’ UFO files.

Those 2023 testimonies and others so fueled Spielberg that he produced a 50-page treatment on what would become ‘Disclosure Day.’ During the writing process with Koepp, he texted him more notes, he says, ‘than I’ve ever sent to anyone in my life.’

‘There was a period in there where I believe he re-read the script every single day for a year,’ Koepp says. ‘We’d be in different time zones and I would wake up to 30 or 35 texts from his most current reading of the script. When the leader of the project has that level of commitment, it tends to bring along everyone. You up your game.’

Extraterrestrial empathy

Spielberg has long considered his filmography split in two, between the filmmaker who made Jaws and E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the one who, after 1985’s The Color Purple, was increasingly drawn to darker and more serious material with films, like Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan and Munich.

Disclosure Day is a kind of bridge between both modes of Spielberg-a thrilling chase movie filled with wonderment that’s nevertheless grounded in reality and recent history.

And its most ardent message is quite earthbound. Blunt’s character’s clarity comes from looking people in the eye. As much as it’s about aliens, Disclosure Day is about empathy.

‘I think every movie should have a great emphasis on empathy because empathy sometimes feels like it’s in short supply,’ Spielberg says. ‘We have it, sometimes we can’t use it. Sometimes it’s not allowed to be used if you want to stay aligned with your friends and your belief systems. But I think empathy is there for all of us.’

Disclosure Day opens in a much different movie world than Spielberg’s earlier alien adventures. It’s one of few big, original studio movies this summer-a moviegoing season that the Jaws filmmaker pioneered. But neither franchise domination, AI nor streaming make Spielberg fret for the future of movies.

‘The audience gives me faith in the movies,’ says Spielberg. ‘Even though the numbers are still not pre-Covid level numbers for any films being released now, it’s more robust than it has been for many years. The audience gives me belief that people still want to congregate in a dark space in the company of strangers to share an experience of a film made by storytellers. And that gives me faith to continue making films.’

Spielberg will turn 80 this December. Around the same age, Martin Scorsese began to frankly ponder how many movies he had left. Spielberg doesn’t think the same way.

‘I never think about how many more I have,’ he says. ‘I’m just hopeful that I will be inspired when something comes along, as I was with Disclosure Day, as I was with Fabelmans, as I was with West Side Story.’

More inspiration is already on the way. Spielberg hopes that his next movie will be a Western. Despite his deep fondness for the genre and an indelible encounter with John Ford, it’s one genre that’s eluded him.

‘I always feel like parts of the Raiders adventure movies are like Westerns,’ he says.

‘Whenever Harrison [Ford] was on a horse, it made me wistful for wanting to direct a full Western, a real Western.’

Margaret Fairchild in Disclosure Day has some echoes with another Spielberg protagonist: Richard Dreyfuss’ Roy Neary in Close Encounters. Both are compelled by a strange force beyond their control. It’s a character type that Spielberg, a compulsive moviemaker, grants he connects with. Disclosure Day is his 35th feature film.

‘I identify with characters who aren’t afraid of mysterious things happening to them,’ Spielberg says, ‘and who are fighting for their survival by trying to discover what they don’t know.’

Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ M. Lacson on Tuesday appealed to members of the armed services to remain vigilant and discerning against unscrupulous groups that may exploit their concerns and sentiments to destabilize the government by posing as their allies.

The senator, a former National Police chief, made the call as reports swirled of intelligence indicating ‘grave threat’ to the Senate security. The Senate building, which it leases from the GSIS, has been in tension since May 11, when a Senate coup installed Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President, replacing Sen. Vicente Sotto III. The vote was dramatic because fugitive Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, in hiding since November from an arrest warrant by the Intenational Criminal Court (ICC), showed up to cast the swing vote for Cayetano. The NBI tried but failed to arrest him, as Cayetano et al placed him on so-called ‘protective custody.’

On May 13, however, shooting broke out and Cayetano cried out on FB live, ‘The Senate is under attack!’ even though it was learnmed that the Sergeant at Arms, Mao Aplasca, had fired the first shots at apparent NBI men on the other side of a connecting door to the GSIS.

A few hours after the shooting, at dawn of May 14, Dela Rosa escaped from the Senate building and remains missing.

A subsequent attempt by the Cayetano majority to change Senate rules to allow online voting – apparently to favor dela Rosa – sparked a walkout by Sotto’s allies.

The next session day, tension again reigned when the CIDG came to arrest Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, for plunder in the flood-fund scandal, and Cayetano refused to convene the session. The Cayetano majority boycott entered its third day on June 3, when the Senate was scheduled to adjourn sine die until July 28, forcing the Sotto group to convene the session-this time as a majority of 12 senators, joined by Sen. Chiz Escudero.

The Sotto camp then declared all positions vacant and installed Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Senate President.

Tensions flared anew when the Cayetano bloc, refusing to acknowledge defeat, insisted on holding a Blue Ribbon hearing led by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who invited 18 ex-soldiers who were bodyguards/aides of former Rep. Zaldy Co to ‘testify’ on alleged ‘maletas full of cash they delivered to notable politicians.

Lacson said he is not discounting the possibility that 18 ex-soldiers who were brought into the Senate on Monday could be used as part of a broader effort to sow chaos and trigger destabilization.

‘This is a call to our Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police to be discerning. Unscrupulous, power-hungry groups and destabilizers are out to take advantage of the confusion or the situation, and may seek to mislead some of our uniformed personnel,’ he said in English and Filipino in a radio interview.

‘I am not saying our uniformed services are unprofessional. But in the middle of confusion, they may mistake unscrupulous groups for their allies,’ he added.

Earlier, Lacson warned that growing frustration within the armed services could pose a risk if it is exploited by unscrupulous and power-hungry destabilizers exploiting national concerns such as the flood control anomalies, inflation and fuel price hikes.

Lacson also noted the 18 ex-soldiers, who initially claimed to deliver suitcases of cash from flood control project kickbacks to certain personalities, wore fatigue uniforms when they entered the Senate Monday.

He cited intelligence information shared by National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag that the 18 could be used to generate support from members of the uniformed services, especially since there are anti-government protesters holding rallies daily outside the Senate.

‘For example, the 18 would appear and be cited in contempt and ordered arrested. It is possible that armed elements not from the uniformed services could create confusion and sow chaos – including a possible shooting. You can just imagine the chaos and anarchy, and this can trigger a destabilizing event,’ he said.

For now, he said the 18 could not generate sympathy from the armed forces, especially the Marines, because at least 12 of them were dishonorably discharged. He noted retired Marine Col. Ariel Querubin had virtually disowned them because they considered them a disgrace.

Lacson said such a potential threat prompted Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian to place the Senate security under heightened alert, restricting the entry and exit of senators and barring visitors.

Senate employees will work from home on Wednesday, an indication that the ‘threats’ were being taken seriously.

‘There is a time for commercial volleyball and there is a time for the national team. When it comes to Alas Pilipinas, we should always be united,’ Gregorio said. ‘Wearing the Philippine jersey is the best gift you can give yourself and the nation.’

‘Nothing compares to the national team, no commercial league is bigger than the national team. So please, with all your heart, we trust you, we know you can do it, I’m here to motivate you…to help you embrace the plan we have for Philippine volleyball.’

It was not until recently that a national pool was formed for the AVC Women’s Cup. And just before the AVC Women’s Cup opener, the PNVF was suspended by the FIVB over governance concerns and alleged violation of its code of ethics. Over the weekend, nine board members announced their withdrawal of support for its president Tony Boy Liao.

Alas Pilipinas, meanwhile, will continue to compete with the support of the PSC.

‘We want all of you to stay focused. Forget about the politics in your federation,’ Gregorio said.

Chinese Taipei and Korea are unbeaten in three matches, as Alas Pilipinas at 2-2 scrambles to catch up.

The top two from each pool advance to the round of four, with Kazakhstan and titleholder Vietnam having the inside track in Pool B of the event presented by the PSC and the City of Candon.

Slim chances for Alas

South Korea and Chinese Taipei continued their rampage, while Alas Pilipinas took another hit in its bid to advance to the knockout round.

The Koreans overpowered the Philippines, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22, yet to drop a set in three matches in Pool A preliminaries.

Chinese Taipei also scored its third win in as many matches, routing Uzbekistan, 25-17, 25-13, 25-19.

That put them 1-2 on the Pool A standings, with the Philippines third with two wins and two losses.

Australia, which dealt Alas Pilipinas its first loss, looks to improve its 1-1 record when it takes on winless Kyrgyzstan.

As the tournament takes a break on Wednesday, Alas Pilipinas gears up for the match against Chinese-Taipei, needing a convincing win even as its semifinal hopes now also hinge on the results of Korea and Australia.

Valdez said the team will fight to the end.

‘We will give our best. We have learned a lot and we will face the fight with all our heart,’ Valdez said.

Against Korea, the Philippines managed to pull off some impressive plays but was unable to put together a sustained run and mount pressure.

No Filipina scored in double digits, with Thea Gagate registering nine points on five attacks, three blocks and a service ace.

Nina Ytang had eight points on seven attacks and a block, while skipper Alyssa Valdez and Alyssa Solomon had seven points each.

Sohwi Kang led Korea with 19 points, 15 coming on attacks, three from the service line and one block.

Juah Lee tallied five of Korea’s seven blocks, finishing with 12 points, while Hyunsoo Na also scored 12, with 10 from attacks and two aces.

Iran earlier beat Lebanon, 25-9, 25-8, 25-15, for a 1-2 record in Pool B. Lebanon is winless in three matches.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Meralco will be conducted at the Meralco Theater, Lopez Building, Ortigas Ave., Barangay Ugong, Pasig City and via https://company.meralco.com.ph/corporate-governance/voting-in-absentia on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. with the following agenda:

Call to Order

Certification of Notice and Quorum

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on May 27, 2025

Report of the Chief Executive Officer

Approval of the 2025 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements

Ratification of Acts of the Board and Management

Election of Directors for the ensuing year

Appointment of External Auditors

Other business that may properly be brought before the meeting

Adjournment

The Board has fixed the close of business on April 10, 2026 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting. The stock and transfer books of Meralco will not be closed.

Nominations for regular and independent directors to the Company shall be filed with the Office of the Corporate Secretary c/o Corporate Governance and Compliance Office, Ground Floor, Lopez Bldg., Meralco Center, Ortigas Avenue, Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City. The deadline for submission of nominations shall also be on April 10, 2026.

In accordance with Article I, Section 3 of the Company’s Amended By-Laws, any instrument authorizing a proxy to act shall be submitted to and received at the principal office of Meralco on or before June 2, 2026, 5:00 p.m.,addressed to the attention of the Corporate Secretary c/o Corporate Governance and Compliance Office at the address indicated above. Soft copies of the proxies can be emailed in advance to stockholder.affairs@meralco.com.ph. Validation of proxies is set on June 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m. at Meralco Compound, Ortigas Avenue, Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City.

The conduct of the annual stockholders’ meeting will also be streamed live, and stockholders may attend and participate via remote communication and vote in absentia, using the online portal https://company.meralco.com.ph/corporate-governance/voting-in-absentia. The guidelines for online voting and participation is set forth in Annex ‘C’ of the Definitive Information Statement (‘Definitive 20-IS’) downloadable at the Company’s and Philippine Stock Exchange EDGE’s respective websites.

The Company provided stockholders as of record date with a QR Code on May 28, 2026, enabling them to view and download the Definitive 20-IS. On June 1, 2026, the Company submitted an Amended Definitive Information Statement (‘Amended Definitive 20-IS’) which was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 2026. The Amended Definitive 20-IS containing the Proxy Form, and the 2025 Management Report may be viewed and downloaded by scanning the QR Code below:

The Amended Definitive 20-IS, Proxy Form, 2025 Management Report/Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2025 in SEC Form 17-A, Quarterly Report for the first quarter of 2026 in SEC Form 17-Q and other pertinent documents may also be downloaded, without charge from the Company’s and the Philippine Stock Exchange EDGE’s respective websites.