Category: Philippine Star

Fresh from successful inaugural races in Guimaras and Camiguin, the 5150 Triathlon Islands of the Philippines Series heads to Bohol on July 12 for the pivotal third leg of the four-stop circuit showcasing Olympic-distance racing across some of the country’s most breathtaking island destinations.

More than just the penultimate stop of the inter-island series, the Sun Life 5150 Triathlon carries added significance as it celebrates its historic 10th staging, a milestone that underscores its status as one of the Philippines’ most enduring and well-loved races.

Over the past decade, the event has earned a reputation for competitive racing, strong community support and a festival-like atmosphere that continues to attract both elite athletes and first-time participants.

Set against the backdrop of one of the country’s premier sports tourism destinations, Bohol offers competitors a unique racing experience amid stunning natural attractions, rolling countryside and warm island hospitality. Beyond the racecourse, athletes and visitors can explore the province’s world-famous Chocolate Hills, pristine beaches, centuries-old churches, lush forests and vibrant marine sanctuaries, making the event as much a travel experience as a sporting challenge.

Organized by Sunrise Events Inc., the series forms part of the National Sports Tourism-Inter Agency Council’s initiative to position the Philippines as a premier global destination for endurance sports, with support from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

The Philippine Sports Commission is at the forefront of the campaign, stressing that internationally recognized races held in scenic natural settings can promote both the nation’s sporting prestige and its tourism industry.

In Bohol, the Sun Life 5150 Triathlon combines high-performance racing with the island’s signature charm. Athletes will tackle the classic Olympic-distance format featuring a 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike ride and 10-km run across a course expected to test endurance, speed and strategy under the tropical sun, over rolling terrain and against a highly competitive field.

The event is expected to draw many of the country’s top triathletes, including elite Under-23 standouts, alongside seasoned age-group racers eager to make their mark on one of the most prestigious stops on the local circuit.

Athletes from various countries are also expected to compete, adding international flavor to the blue-ribbon event and further reinforcing the growing global reach of IRONMAN-branded races in the Philippines.

Race weekend will likewise welcome aspiring triathletes through the Sunrise Sprint, featuring a 750-meter swim, 20-km bike ride and 5-km run. The shorter format offers newcomers and recreational athletes an ideal introduction to multi-sport competition while allowing them to experience the excitement of racing in one of the country’s most scenic island destinations.

Relay competitions in the men’s, women’s and mixed divisions are also expected to showcase some of the nation’s leading triathlon clubs.

The series concludes on September 20 at Samal Island in Davao City, which hosts the grand finale after a successful debut last year highlighted by smooth highways, white-sand beaches and enthusiastic local support.

The fight for Asian supremacy in the 2026 Women’s Beach Handball World Championship is coming down to the Philippines-Vietnam showdown at the close of the six-day meet in Zagreb, Croatia Monday.

It’s the de facto Asian final as the Philippine handballers, dubbed the Amigas, and their Vietnamese counterparts slug it out for 11th place in the conclave among the giants of the sport – widely considered the second most popular team sport in Europe after football.

‘We win it, and we’ll emerge the best Asian team,’ said Philippine Handball Federation president Ernesto Jay Adalem.

Last time in Pingtan Island, China, the Vietnamese finished ninth overall and the best from the region, with the Amigas winding up 12th and the host Chinese at 14th.

Now in Zagreb, coach Joanna Franquelli’s team outperformed the Vietnamese in the group play. The Amigas, however, failed to progress further from the main round while the Vietnamese managed to make a run from the consolation pool.

They’ve found themselves pitted against each other in the final day of competition after the Philippines and Vietnam dropped shootouts against Uruguay and Norway, respectively, yesterday.

The final count was 23-16, 14-8, 5-2 in the Philippines’ loss to Uruguay. And it’s 32-16, 18-19, 7-6 in Vietnam’s heartbreaker against Norway.

Josephine Ong and Aurora Adriano carried much of the load for Team Philippines with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Zhalyn Mateo added eight and Shanina Mae Tapawan contributed six.

A 32-year-old motorcycle rider died after his motorcycle was hit then run over by a wing van along the National Highway in Barangay Poblacion Ward 1, Minglanilla town, around 5:40 A.M. Saturday, June 27.

The victim was identified as Vince Henry Dolino Saso, a resident of Barangay Tabtoy, Tuyan, City of Naga.

His 37-year-old wife, riding as his passenger, was injured and was taken to the Minglanilla District Hospital for treatment.

The wing van was driven by Jason Fernandez, 43, a resident of Barangay Pangdan, Naga City.

Initial investigation by the Minglanilla Municipal Police Station showed that the wing van was traveling northbound on the inner lane while the motorcycle was heading south.

According to the victim’s wife, her husband allegedly fell asleep while driving, causing their motorcycle to enter the opposite lane.

Police said the wing van driver tried to avoid the collision by swerving to the right, but the motorcycle still crashed into the vehicle and was later run over by the wing van.

Saso died at the scene due to the impact, while his wife suffered injuries.

Fernandez is now under police custody and may face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, physical injuries, and damage to property. Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

In a separate incident, another motorcycle rider died after crashing into the rear of a pickup truck along the southbound lane of the Tabunok Flyover in Talisay City around 10:40 A.M. Friday, June 26.

The rider sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the Cebu South Medical Center, where he was declared dead on arrival. Authorities have not yet released his identity pending the official police report and notification of his family.

According to City of Talisay Traffic Operations and Development Authority head Joy Tumulak, witnesses saw the motorcycle traveling along N. Bacalso Avenue on the outer lane before it suddenly turned toward the flyover.

Upon entering the flyover, the motorcycle was reportedly traveling at high speed before it crashed into the rear of a pickup truck heading in the same direction. The impact trapped the rider behind the pickup truck before throwing him onto the gutter along the flyover.

Based on the initial investigation, authorities believe excessive speed may have been one of the factors that caused the crash. Investigators are also looking into whether the rider swerved to avoid oncoming vehicles before hitting the pickup truck.

Authorities are still determining whether alcohol, mechanical failure, or other factors contributed to the accident

Several media outlets are reporting that the Department of State (DOS) has issued a cable instructing consular officers to question non-immigrant visa applicants (such as those applying for visitor, work or student visas) about whether they believe they are being persecuted or will be persecuted on their return trip. If so, their visa will be refused.

Specifically, consular officers ‘should request that a non-immigrant visa applicant affirm that he or she does not fear harm or mistreatment in returning to his or her country of nationality or former habitual residence and document the response in the case notes.’

The two questions to now be asked of visa applicants are:

‘Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?’ and ‘Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning to your country of nationality or permanent residence?

If the visa applicant responds ‘yes’ to either question or refuses to answer the question, their visa will be refused/denied. If the visa applicant answers ‘no,’ their response will be documented in the consular officer’s notes. If the person later comes to the US and applies for political asylum, their credibility would be challenged, as it appears they must have been lying somewhere: either at their visa interview (when they said they were not being persecuted) or when they later apply for political asylum (when they suddenly claim that they were being persecuted or fear of future persecution.) They could possibly face an additional fraud charge based on misrepresentations at their visa interview.

It appears this new tactic of asylum questions is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on fraudulent asylum claims. During the Biden administration, millions of people poured across the southern border, with many claiming political asylum, and over 90 percent of those claims were bogus.

I also recall that back in the 90’s many Filipinos came to the US on visitor visas and went to consultants, who urged them to apply for political asylum so they could get a work permit. Although they were never really persecuted, the consultant prepared and submitted fabricated stories of the NPA coming after them, just so they could get a work authorization. They were also told that they could renew the work authorization each year and then, in a few years, be eligible for a green card. That was all lies. Most of the Filipinos who applied for political asylum had their applications denied, and they were placed in deportation. Simply put, Filipinos love the Philippines, and even those who were applying for asylum looked forward to the time when they could take a trip back home. So where was the persecution?

The bottom line is the Trump administration is cracking down on all forms of immigration applications, loopholes and fabrications. If you wish to apply for any immigration benefit, whether you are in the US or abroad, you should consult with an attorney, who can evaluate your eligibility for the immigration benefit, and if you are eligible, the attorney can help gather the required documents and package your case to greatly increase the chances of success.

This is all the more important during the Trump administration, where everything is looked at through a magnifying glass and they are really cracking down on people who apply for benefits to which they are not entitled.

The West Philippine Sea is a vital maritime domain for the Philippines and the wider Indo-Pacific. It sustains livelihoods, facilitates commerce, and serves as a strategic artery of global trade. Yet today, it is also a contested space where China’s actions challenge our sovereign rights, regional stability, and international law.

On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favor of the Philippines, upholding its sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and debunking China’s excessive maritime claims based on the nine-dash line.

But the wicked question was: who enforces the ruling? How will China be compelled to comply with a ruling it does not recognize? When Rodrigo Duterte assumed office as the ruling was announced, his response was the opposite: to appease China. Ten years on, it should be apparent that the Philippines must enforce the ruling, in cooperation with like-minded states in and out of the region.

In the policy paper “Filipino Theory of Victory” crafted by the Ateneo Policy Center, and in its abridged version published by the Stratbase Institute, I used Iceland’s “Cod Wars” against the United Kingdom as an example of how “national will” can galvanize a small power to fight for its rights against a superior power and asymmetrically win. “National will” requires a whole-of-society approach, enabled by government’s adept use of statecraft and the citizenry’s active support.

The government’s action is expressed through political will: upholding the rule of law, advancing our national interest, and aligning our collective security agenda across diplomatic, information, military, and economic domains.

The citizenry’s action is expressed through the people’s will: the advocacies of civil society organizations, the courage of fisherfolk going out to sea, the vigilance of our youth, and the involvement of local communities. Examples include the Atin Ito Coalition’s four civilian missions in the WPS, youth-led advocacy groups asserting our sovereign rights in the EEZ, and public forums that broaden discourse on national security.

One of the strategies identified in the policy paper is denial. A denial strategy “seeks to prevent the adversary from achieving its objectives, thereby reducing the incentive for escalation.” This can be achieved in four ways.

Prevent internal discord among fellow Filipinos. Public opinion and social media have become battlegrounds for competing narratives. The line between truth and lies is being blurred, with facts replaced by content generated by bots and trolls. This unfolds against an intense propaganda war with the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) and its embassy in Manila, compounded by domestic political infighting. We are losing the battle of narratives unless the government and the private sector develop collaborative mechanisms to expose disinformation and insulate society from its effects.

Avoid distrust among institutions of government. Our institutions operate in stovepipes. Bureaucratic politics, parochial interests, and policy disconnect weaken our response to national security concerns. This environment creates opportunities for espionage, cooptation of political and policy elites, and foreign interference. The government needs a robust counterintelligence mechanism and a dedicated agency to counter malign foreign influence.

Ensure that the government does not yield national interests under pressure. The Chinese Communist Party’s gray-zone tactics in the WPS are designed to break our will to resist illegal encroachment into our EEZ. These are reinforced through diplomatic and economic pressure that creates vulnerabilities in critical sectors such as energy and food. Recent surveys show strong public support for protecting our interests in the WPS. But public support alone cannot blunt Beijing’s escalation. A whole-of-society strategy, responsive institutions, policy alignment, and leadership from above remain essential.

Resist isolation from our allies and partners. The CCP’s default strategy is to weaken existing alliances and prevent new ones from emerging. It has been largely successful in isolating the Philippines within ASEAN on the WPS issue. No ASEAN member has publicly supported the arbitral award. China is also working to prevent a stronger Philippine-Japan security partnership that could disrupt its strategic objectives in East Asia. Here, the arbitral award remains our strongest convening instrument for international support. The long-term objective should be an alternative regional security mechanism built around the Philippine-Japan partnership, capable of operating with limited or no US support in the near future.

In summary, a whole-of-society approach to protecting our sovereign rights in the WPS should rest on the following principles:

Defense is a shared responsibility. No single person or self-proclaimed messiah carries the burden of safeguarding our sovereign rights. It requires the collective action of government, private enterprise, academia, civil society, and citizens.

All instruments of national power must be harnessed. A whole-of-society approach integrates diplomatic, informational, military, economic, and societal tools. Diplomacy gains credibility when backed by deterrence; economic resilience reduces vulnerability to coercion; societal unity denies adversaries opportunities to exploit internal divisions.

Action must outweigh rhetoric. Diplomatic protests and strategic communications must be matched by a persistent presence in our EEZ, investments in maritime infrastructure, logistics, and alliances. Credibility rests on execution.

Strategy must be anchored on three forms of will. National Will, Political Will, and People’s Will together form the bedrock of resilience and deterrence.

Resilience is grounded in values and faith. Beyond strategy, endurance is sustained by faith in God, love of country, and empathy with our people. This moral foundation strengthens our resolve in the face of prolonged challenge.

On July 10, 2026, the Stratbase Institute will host an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the arbitral award. It is an opportunity to reflect on the developments of the past decade and chart the way forward as the nation prepares for the 2028 elections.

In the film ‘Finding Nemo,’ his father is shown to have become female after their mother died.

After all, it is believed that when a female clownfish dies, the dominant male takes on the role of the mother.

This is one of many examples cited by advocates of queer ecology, a field that examines how diversity in sex, gender and sexual behavior exists throughout the natural world.

Among the earliest recorded observations of same-sex sexual behavior in animals were Adélie penguins documented in 1911.

Von Eric Tagarino of the University of the Philippines-Baguio’s Department of Biology noted that researcher George Murray Levick wrote parts of his observations in Greek to hide them.

But history has long documented same-sexual behaviors among animals, with two male bugs copulating in 1834.

While these behaviors were once explained as dominance, aggression, mistaken identity or the absence of females, those claims were challenged as early as 1896.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) has also highlighted examples of queer ecology in the Philippines.

Among them are the unggoy, one of the country’s non-human primates that exhibits non-reproductive sexual behavior, including same-sex behavior.

The bureau also cited the first documented case of hermaphroditism in green mussels in Inner Malampaya Sound in Taytay, Palawan.

Meanwhile, lapu-lapu are protogynous hermaphrodites, beginning life as females before undergoing hormonal changes that transform them into males, particularly when a dominant male dies.

‘Animals’ innate capacity to have fluid gender roles, choose same-sex leaders and love their fellow mates regardless of gender proves how nature works without any discrimination and barriers,’ the bureau said.

‘This is our reminder that queerness has always been a natural part of our environment. It’s nothing to fear or discriminate against – it’s just how animals live, love and thrive,’ it added.

While some argue that humans, as the most advanced species, should be governed solely by human morality, Tagarino said people should avoid placing themselves above the rest of the natural world.

‘If we notice the biomass on Earth, almost none of the humans make up most of those biomass. We think so highly of ourselves, and that’s historically proven,’ he said.

For Tagarino, queer ecology helps people recognize that queerness exists in nature and challenges the misconception that it is unnatural.

‘This is natural, it exists and the point is to dismantle the thinking that it’s not natural, that it doesn’t exist, that it’s against queer people, because it’s seen in the environment that we live in,’ he said.

Tagarino called on experts to invest more in queer ecology, saying there is still much to discover about animal behavior.

‘Prioritize SOGIE’

As part of this year’s Pride Month celebrations, LGBTQ+ organizations gathered yesterday to renew their call for stronger legal protections for the community.

During a Pride Month protest at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, Bahaghari and Stonewall Philippines urged President Marcos to prioritize equality measures, including the long-pending SOGIE Equality Bill.

The groups had planned to march to the US embassy but remained at the park because of heavy rain.

For the past three years, Stonewall Philippines spokesperson Matty Rebulado said the Marcos administration has yet to take concrete action to address the concerns of the LGBTQ+ community.

With the SOGIE Equality Bill stuck in Congress for more than two decades, Bahaghari spokesperson Yell Teresa said discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people remains widespread, particularly in schools and workplaces.

‘It’s all about the talk. Words are not enough. The LGBT community continues to be discriminated against and exploited every day of their lives,’ Teresa said.

Rebulado stressed that making the SOGIE Equality Bill one of the President’s priority measures would demonstrate the administration’s commitment to the community.

Teresa, meanwhile, highlighted other proposed measures, including the Right to Care Act and the ‘Sharmaine’ Bill as important steps toward achieving equality.

‘Members of the LGBTQIA+ community should not be discriminated against, isolated to the spaces where they are,’ Teresa said.

It was a second round to forget for Yuka Saso, to say the least.

Saso had a horrendous six-over 78 in the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA championship, which pushed her to a tie of 128th place after 36 holes.

The Filipina-Japanese golfer, who had an even par in the first round for a share of 45th place, could not keep her steady type of play in the second round of the tournament.

Saso started off the second round with back-to-back bogeys, before she salvaged a birdie in the par-5 seventh hole.

But the par-3 eighth hole became her Achilles heel.

Her tee shot went straight to the water, which led to a one-stroke penalty, and it all went downhill from there.

She used up her third and fourth strokes to put herself in the position of a double bogey, but her putt on her fifth stroke would not connect, leading to a triple bogey that pushed her to a four-over at the front nine.

Saso, then, had bogeys in the 10th and 13th holes as she dropped to joint-128th in the standings, along with Yana Wilson, Muni He, Mary Liu, Mi Hyang Lee and Amari Avery.

Ina Yoon continues to lead the pack as she is now holding a 12-under total after the second round. Coming in joint-second are A Lim Kim, Brooke Henderson, Hae Ran Ryu and Nasa Hataoka, who are all holding 7-under through the second round.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda is at joint-6th with a six-under performance. She is currently tied with Dongeun Lee.

Police recovered an unlicensed firearm and a bladed weapon from two students during a school safety inspection at a public school in Aparri, Cagayan on Friday, June 26.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said its personnel from the 1st Maneuver Force Company of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company conducted the activity in coordination with school officials.

Before the scheduled school patrol, police personnel inspected the belongings of three students who were reportedly being investigated for cutting classes after obtaining their consent.

During the inspection, authorities found a caliber .38 revolver without a serial number inside the bag of a 15-year-old Grade 10 student.

The firearm, which was wrapped in two face towels, was loaded with two live rounds of caliber .38 ammunition, the PNP said.

A bladed weapon was also recovered from the bag of a 14-year-old Grade 8 student.

The recovered items were marked, inventoried and photographed at the scene in the presence of the minors, their parents and barangay officials who served as witnesses.

The students were later brought to the Aparri Municipal Police Station for proper documentation and disposition.

The PNP said the incident was initially linked to class-cutting, which led school authorities to notify and invite the parents of the three minors.

The 15-year-old student found carrying the firearm was turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) for assessment, including the determination of discernment under existing laws.

The Grade 8 student who had the bladed weapon was also referred to the MSWDO for intervention, while the third student who was not found carrying any prohibited item was released to his parents.

The inspection came amid heightened security measures in schools nationwide following the June 22 shooting incident in Tacloban City that left three students dead and more than a dozen others injured.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the incident showed the importance of quick action and coordination among police, school authorities, parents and communities in preventing possible threats inside schools.

“Ang mabilis at maayos na pagtugon ng ating mga pulis, kasama ang school authorities, ay nakatulong upang maagapan ang isang sitwasyong maaaring magdulot ng panganib sa loob ng paaralan,” Nartatez said.

He said early intervention and close coordination among different stakeholders are important in addressing situations involving students before they could result in harm.

“Our objective is not simply to recover prohibited items but to prevent harm and guide our young people toward better choices,” the PNP chief said.

Nartatez said the police will continue working with the Department of Education, local government units, parents and communities to keep schools safe.

In the science of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a concept called technological singularity.

It is the most dangerous level of AI, of technology and indeed, of science itself, for a number of reasons, like it’s new, unknown, unpredictable and infinite in its capabilities. Think of robots with intelligence infinitely better than that of humans. Imagine if those robots start believing humans are an existential threat and make humans extinct. These robots have what is called recursive behavior. They keep improving themselves until they are stopped by, maybe, God himself, assuming they will recognize God.

Imagine if the robots become more abusive and rapacious than humans. Like being worse than the humans we have in Congress and in our Senate. Therefore, they will run even more corrupt and repressive governments, use up natural resources recklessly, murder their own citizens and consume every megawatt of energy available on earth. They will constantly engage in internecine warfare in a classic case of survival of the fittest. Imagine daily mass shootings in schools, offices, malls, parking lots – inspired by robots. A Ukraine war or Iran war multiplied a hundred-fold – inspired by robots gone berserk.

The possibility of such scenarios – a technological meltdown: 10 to 50 percent, according to some analysts. Compare that to the possibility of a nuclear meltdown – one in a million.

‘Technological singularity is a theoretical scenario where technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, culminating in profound and unpredictable changes to human civilization,’ says IBM in a paper.

For humans, ‘scenarios range from utopian (merging human consciousness with machines and solving biological aging) to existential (loss of human autonomy and control over the created superintelligence),’ says Google.

When is that moment? It could be between the next five years and 2045 – the year futurist Ray Kurzweil thinks when machine intelligence exceeds human intelligence, thanks to endless scaling of computer power.

That will come when AI, explains IBM, exceeds ‘human cognitive capabilities and can autonomously enhance itself.’ ‘Singularity’ is a mathematical concept indicating a point where existing models break down and continuity in understanding is lost. This describes an era where ‘machines not only match but substantially exceed human intelligence, starting a cycle of self-perpetuating technological evolution.’

Advances could evolve at a pace so rapid that humans would be unable to foresee, mitigate or halt the process, says IBM, adding, ‘This rapid evolution could give rise to synthetic intelligences that are not only autonomous but also capable of innovations that are beyond human comprehension or control. The possibility that machines might create even more advanced versions of themselves could shift humanity into a new reality where humans are no longer the most capable entities. The implications of reaching this singularity point could be good for the human race, or catastrophic.’

The IBM paper identifies several technologies could help bring about the singularity event – the rise of a superintelligent AI:

Artificial neural networks and deep learning. These technologies form the backbone of much of today’s AI research and development. They mimic the structure and function of the human brain to some extent and have enabled significant advancements in machine learning. Neural networks are especially crucial for tasks such as speech recognition, image recognition and autonomous vehicle navigation.

Quantum computing. It exponentially increases computing power and efficiency in the near future, potentially accelerating AI capabilities beyond current limits. This technology might lead to breakthroughs in AI’s ability to solve complex problems much faster than traditional computers.

Natural language processing (NLP). Advances exemplified by technologies such as ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models are crucial for developing AI that can understand and generate human-like text. This ability is vital for AI to perform more complex tasks that require understanding context and nuance in language.

Robotics and automation. Innovations in robotics are increasingly enabling machines to perform tasks that require dexterity and decision-making that were once thought to be exclusively human. These advancements are not only automating more physical tasks but are also integrating AI to create more autonomous systems.

Cloud computing and big data. The vast increase in data generation and the ability to store and process it in the cloud are vital for training more powerful AI systems. Big data analytics and the cloud infrastructure that supports it enable the complex machine learning models necessary for advanced AI development.

Biotechnology and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Advances in understanding the human brain and mimicking its functions are crucial for creating AI that could potentially think and learn in the same way as humans. Additionally, BCIs that connect human brains directly to computers merge biological and artificial intelligence.

So far, current testing of various AI models about their humanity involves something as homegrown as how to treat your mother-in-law. Here are some answers, by AI:

Treat your mother-in-law with respect but maintain objective boundaries. Do not treat her as a second mother to avoid unrealistic expectations.

Be brief and specific. Respond to questions with short, direct answers to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

No unsolicited opinions. Refrain from voicing your opinion on family disputes or decisions unless directly asked.

Partner’s role: your spouse should take the active role in managing visits and setting boundaries so you are not in the middle.

The pope has no mother-in-law (of course). Leo XIV thinks AI is not morally neutral and poses an existential threat to human dignity, labor and peace if left in the hands of a few. He actively advocates for ‘disarming’ AI by subjecting algorithms to rigorous ethical constraints, international oversight and slowing down the pace of technological development.

Government policies such as high tariffs and price ceilings squeeze local agribusinesses’ profits, reducing their capacity to invest further in the sector and expand operations, an official of Bank of the Philippine Islands said.

BPI assistant vice president Noel Gideon Goco said policy risk is one of the challenges that agribusinesses face in the country, especially in terms of improving their operations.

‘Government policies play a crucial role in shaping the competitiveness and growth of the agriculture industry,’ said Goco in his speech during the Agribusiness Investment Forum organized by the University of Asia and the Pacific’s Center for Food and Agri Business recently.

‘But certain regulatory measures intended to protect consumers and ensure safety can slow down expansion and reduce productivity,’ Goco, who heads the BPI’s agribusiness division, added.

For one, tariffs on imported inputs and equipment increase the production costs of businesses, thus, limiting their innovation that could have improved their operational efficiencies, Goco said.

‘Tariff reduction has been implemented to address food security but further reforms needed to support long-term industry competitiveness,’ he said.

Furthermore, government policies like price ceilings, which are aimed at protecting consumers from skyrocketing prices, hamper investment plans of agribusinesses, Goco said.

‘These ceilings can compress profit margins, reducing possible investments for expansions,’ he added.

The other ‘critical’ challenges that affect agribusiness investments and their long-term growth in the country are market volatilities, supply chain disruptions, worsening climatic conditions and low technology adoption among businesses.

‘Technology adoption is the most pressing challenge in agriculture,’ Goco said.

‘Adoption remains low among small and medium producers which limits data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency,’ he said.

Goco pointed out that the need for ‘strategic, accessible and responsible’ financial solutions to address the agriculture sector’s problems ‘have never been greater.’

‘BPI is proud to offer solutions designed to empower every player in the agribusiness value chain,’ he said, adding that their credit line supports modernization of agriculture across its value chain.

‘BPI remains committed to supporting producers through flexible and risk-aware financing,’ he added.

BPI lent P192 billion to agribusinesses last year with 49 percent of it going to post-harvest-related operations, 29 percent to traders/wholesalers/retailers/distributors, 14 percent to poultry and livestock, six percent to crops and two percent to aquaculture, Goco said.

Some loans went to 106 broiler farmers with a cumulative production volume of 340 million birds, 62 layers farms with a total output of 2.3 billion table eggs and 67 swine farms that have an annual output of 3.5 million pigs.

‘Recognizing the diverse needs across the agribusiness ecosystem, BPI offers customized financing solutions tailored to every segment of the value chain from farmers to integrators to feed suppliers,’ Goco said.

‘To effectively support the needs of the agribusiness sector, BPI offers a wide-range of banking products designed to address unique challenges. Our portfolio includes working capital loans to support, equipment financing, supply chain financing and cash management services,’ Goco added.