Category: Philippine Star

California-based public safety technology company Next Generation Advanced 911 (NGA 911) has been awarded the Community Impact and Service Award by the International Asian American Business Expo (IAABE) in California for bringing a world-class emergency response system to the Philippines.

NGA 911 is a global emergency communications technology company that develops systems connecting people in critical moments to police, fire and emergency medical responders.

The company’s cloud-based emergency communications and public safety solutions modernize traditional dispatch infrastructure through IP-based systems that transmit voice, text and video during critical incidents.

The award was presented to NGA 911 at the IAABE Legacy Gala at the Torrance Marriott last month. The event was hosted by the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce, a national alliance of more than 61 Filipino American chambers of commerce spanning more than 20 US states.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles nominated NGA 911 for the award.

‘We recognize the company’s efforts to bring a unified emergency response system modeled after the U.S. 911 system to the Philippines. Its full implementation will benefit a huge number of our Filipino population,’ Los Angeles Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz said.

Ishka Villacisneros-Tusjakova, chief financial officer of NGA 911 in the United States and president of Next Generation Advanced 911 Philippines, received the award on behalf of the company.

‘This recognition is an opportunity to put the Philippines on an international stage as an example of what can happen when American innovation meets Filipino leadership and public service. As a Filipina, I am proud that the work we are doing can become a model for other ASEAN countries – and inspire us to keep building technology that reaches more people and ultimately saves more lives,’ Villacisneros-Tusjakova said.

The Philippines became the first country in Southeast Asia to adopt the US-grade emergency system and is the only ASEAN country where, according to NGA 911, next-generation technology is fully implemented and actively used.

Neighboring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are also looking to the Philippines as a template for upgrading their legacy infrastructure, according to the company.

There has been a third fatal school shooting incident. This time it happened at the Banga National High School in Banga, South Cotabato, around 2 P.M. yesterday, where a shooter opened fire at fellow students, hurting six of them and killing two.

The shooter was allegedly a Grade 9 student who shot himself dead after committing the act.

Details were still scant as of this writing, although South Cotabato Governor Reynald Tamayo has confirmed that the shooting had indeed happened, and the Philippine Red Cross South Cotabato chapter posted mobilizing to provide critical life-saving assistance to six individuals hurt in the incident.

Another report by the Philippine News Agency described the fatalities as one female and two male students, and that the gun used by the shooter was a Glock 9mm pistol owned by his father, allegedly a member of a local gun club.

Graphic footage of the incident has also made its way to social media, showing one of the bloodied victims being carried to the hospital via tricycle.

This is the third school shooting to occur this year. Last June 22, two students opened fire at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing at least three schoolmates and wounding about 20 others.

Last August 18, a student shot dead a schoolmate at the junior high school building of Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

This again raises several issues involving mental health and gun ownership and responsibility, among others.

What led the assailant to commit this crime? How was he able to get his hands on the gun? Were there no red flags to indicate that the suspect was going to do what he did? Is this an isolated incident or was this a copycat killing inspired by the Tacloban incident, or was this inspired by something else entirely?

These are questions we are bound to ask again, and again, and again if no sufficient and solutions are answers are found.

Sadly, this tragedy will have a more consequential impact beyond dead children; students will once again not feel safe in their schools, parents will once again feel dread when they hear that something happened in school, schools and local government units will again be scrambling for solutions to keep kids safe.

As the Philippines grapples with the twin pressures of the raging Middle East war and persistent power supply constraints, additional support may lie just across the sea – in neighboring Malaysia.

Malaysian state-owned energy giant Petronas has reaffirmed its interest in supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Philippines, eyeing an opportunity in the latter’s growing demand for reliable fuel.

‘We are engaging ourselves directly with some of the players in the Philippines with regard to how we can work together and support LNG requirements for the Philippines,’ Petronas LNG Ltd. CEO Rosdi Ab Rahman said on the sidelines of Gastech 2026 here in Thailand’s capital.

Ab Rahman did not identify the companies involved, but said ‘a lot of discussion is ongoing now’ as talks over potential LNG contracting strategies continue.

Petronas has previously delivered spot LNG cargoes to the Philippines from its massive LNG complex in Bintulu, Sarawak in Malaysia.

Ab Rahman said LNG cargoes from Malaysia could reach the Philippines in around two days. That proximity could prove valuable as buyers seek greater flexibility amid heightened volatility in global energy markets.

Petronas is banking on its geographic advantage to position itself as a reliable LNG supplier to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian markets.

While Petronas could not meet the region’s entire LNG demand amid ongoing supply disruptions in the Middle East, Ab Rahman said the company is doing everything it can to help fill part of the gap.

This includes accelerating upstream production to strengthen gas supply and investing in a modern fleet capable of delivering LNG safely and reliably to partners.

‘These are the things that we are really focusing on to make sure that we are always ready to provide the necessary support to all of our friends in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines,’ he said.

Since 2017, Petronas has delivered more than 200 LNG cargoes across the region, building a growing network of 34 existing buyers and 87 active contracts.

In the Philippines, LNG is viewed as a transition fuel, helping reduce its heavy dependence on coal while providing a more flexible pathway toward cleaner power sources.

In the central and southern parts of the country, the simultaneous shutdown of several large, aging coal-fired power plants has triggered rotating brownouts and driven electricity prices higher.

The plan of the Philippine National Police to deploy at least 15,000 PNP officers during the 54th anniversary of the declaration of martial law on Monday is an overkill, according to the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman committee on the protection of academic freedom and human rights.

‘The deployment of 15,000 police forces on Monday is nothing but an overkill, a show of force to stifle the rights of our people to protest against the repressive policies of the government,’ the committee said in a statement.

The group criticized the PNP for the use of excessive force during protests and peaceful assemblies, saying activists are ‘armed only with placards and their voices.’

‘This massive response of the state is unjustified as it serves to intimidate protesters and stifle free expression,’ the UP committee said, noting the ‘irony of the state using an aggressive security framework on a day meant to remember the victims of state overreach.’

According to the goup, placing the protest areas on full alert status ‘mimics historical suppression tactics used to silence critics, while corruption and impunity continue unabated among the high-ranking officials of our country.’

The National Capital Region Police Office said no group has secured a rally permit for Monday. The NCRPO urged protesters to get one to ensure peace and order.

‘The permit is not just to ensure that the protests will be orderly, it allows local government units to prepare for those who will not join,’ NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Hazel Asilo told True FM.

Some groups have already scheduled their protests in freedom parks, including the Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot coalition that will hold a program at Liwasang Bonifacio on Monday at 3 p.m. to call for accountability in the flood control scandal.

Before the program, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza will hold a ‘mass of hope’ at San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

The NCRPO said it would deploy 15,700 personnel, with full alert status activated starting at 12 a.m. today.

UP Diliman walkout

Students from UP Diliman held a walkout yesterday to mark the anniversary of the imposition of martial law in the country, with chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II endorsing the mass action.

‘UP Diliman never forgets,’ the university said on social media.

In a separate statement, the university student council said the mass action would serve ‘as a collective manifestation of our condemnation of the rampant corruption, systemic impunity and state neglect continuing to afflict our nation.’

‘Compounding this national crisis, our own university faces a daunting P2.95-billion budget deficit in the 2027 budget, due to state-imposed budget cuts. These severe funding gaps compromise the UP system’s capacity to deliver quality education, support research and fulfill its mandate as the university of the people,’ the student council said.

UP Los Baños chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. expressed support for the walkout, saying participation in the activity ‘allows them to reflect, express their views and contribute to public discourse.’

Aznar Shipping Corp. president and CEO Kyle Alexander Aznar said in June that the company had no immediate plan to go public yet, although he emphasized that it aimed to be IPO-ready.

Three months later, the company announced that it is ready to sail with a P737-million initial public offering targeted by December.

‘We decided over the time period that this is the time to expand, especially when our first half 2026 figures came out. We saw that the revenue was very promising. We did better than last year despite the economic uncertainty,’ Aznar said when asked by The STAR what changed during that time frame that made them decide to pursue a maiden public offering.

‘That’s when we realized that for our sector, the market is there, the demand is there. So that is when we decided that OK, it’s time to expand,’ he added.

Aznar Shipping, which aims to list on the small, medium and emerging board of the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. under the trading symbol ‘ALX,’ is eyeing to debut in the market despite a challenging environment.

Aznar acknowledged that even if current market conditions are uncertain, he is confident in the company’s good story, fundamentals and business model.

‘For me, market conditions, they’re out of our control. They’re just like the sea. You can’t always hope for calm waters. What you can do is really learn to sail in rough conditions,’ he said.

‘What is in our control is really how we operate, how we run the company. And for me, I believe in our business model. I believe in our market. I believe that the fundamentals are there to help us grow. And right now, I think it’s the right time,’ Aznar said.

Aznar Shipping’s potential IPO by the end of the year will also come on the heels of what could be the biggest IPO in the country, which is Mynt Inc.’s blockbuster listing in October.

Asked if he is confident that there will still be enough investor appetite in the market following the GCash IPO, Aznar said: ‘I’m not concerned because it’s a different industry. It’s so far from us. GCash is fintech, we’re a logistics company.’

Aznar Shipping operates a short-haul, high-frequency shipping model with nine operating vessels focused on four major inter-island routes with regular port calls at eight ports across the Visayas.

The Cebu-based shipping operator’s expansion strategy is anchored on increasing vessel capacity, developing additional viable routes and strengthening the supporting capabilities needed to operate a larger regional shipping platform.

For the first half, the company reported a 155-percent surge in net income to P53.19 million. Its revenues soared by 110 percent year-on-year to P210.99 million on the back of additional vessel capacity and higher cargo and passenger revenues.

For its IPO, Aznar Shipping plans to offer of up to nine billion primary common shares, with an over-allotment option of up to 100 million secondary shares, at an indicative offer price of up to P0.67 per share, subject to a bookbuilding process.

At the maximum indicative offer price, the primary offer may generate up to P670 million in gross proceeds for the company, while secondary shares under the over-allotment option may add up to approximately P67 million.

‘I know it’s a capital-raising activity, right? But on top of that, that’s not the only reason. It’s really for long-term sustainability,’ Aznar said.

‘We’re a third-generation family business, and for me, I would want our family business to outlast me,’ he said, noting that being a public company serves as the gold standard of corporate governance.

‘That’s what really encouraged me and inspired me to undertake that endeavor, and I believe doing so would help sustain our business over many generations more to come,’ Aznar said.

Domestic shipping company Montenegro Shipping Lines Inc. has banned the loading of electric and hybrid vehicles aboard its vessels following recent findings on the ferry MV June Aster, which caught fire off Coron, Palawan last week.

In a memorandum, Montenegro Shipping Lines cited that the initial investigation on the passenger ferry indicated that the explosion and fire may have originated from an electric vehicle.

The probe also showed that the fire originated from the cargo hold while witnesses said they first heard an explosion, followed by smoke and then fire.

‘Effective immediately, all masters are hereby instructed not to allow any electric vehicle (EV) or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) to be boarded or carried onboard our vessels whether for passenger or cargo carriage,’ the memorandum said.

It added that the measure is being implemented as a preventive safety precaution to minimize the risk of fire, explosion, thermal runaway and other potential hazards associated with electric and hybrid vehicle batteries during vessel operations.

MV June Aster was reportedly carrying five motorcycles, one electric car, one forklift, one pickup van and essential goods such as rice and eggs.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported 77 fatalities, 43 survivors and eight missing passengers.

The PCG reactivated the Maritime Safety Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation to determine those who are liable for the tragedy.

Government subsidies to state-owned corporations fell by 30.5 percent in July, largely reflecting lower support for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

The Bureau of the Treasury showed subsidies to government-owned and-controlled corporations (GOCCs) totaled P6.76 billion in July, down from P9.74 billion a year earlier.

The government grants subsidies to GOCCs to cover operational expenses not supported by their own revenues.

The decline was partly due to the non-recurrence of the P4.43 billion subsidy extended to the PRA in July 2025.

The NIA still received the largest subsidy among GOCCs during the month at P2.23 billion, although this was 33.8 percent lower than the P3.38 billion it received last year.

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. followed with P880 million in subsidies in July from zero last year.

The National Dairy Authority came in third with P564 million in July, a large increase from P28 million it received in July 2025.

Among the top subsidy recipients during the month were the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, National Food Authority, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Coconut Authority, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. or IBC-13, Philippine National Railways, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

The Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority received P4 million, the smallest subsidy during the month.

By categories, subsidies for other government corporations declined by 29.7 percent year-on-year to P3.86 billion in July, accounting for 57 percent of the total subsidies during the month.

Budgetary support for major non-financial government corporations also went down by 31.5 percent to P2.91 billion during the period.

From January to July, total subsidies surged by 95 percent to P121.34 billion from P62.23 billion in the same period in 2025, driven by the P60 billion injected to restore the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. fund.

Singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik, best known for his hit song “Barely Breathing” and composing the music of “Spring Awakening,” has passed away due to heart failure leading to cardiac arrest. He was 56 years old.

The artist’s family announced his passing on social media a day after he was hospitalized in a “critical but stable condition.”

“The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater,” the family said about Sheik who was “surrounded by love” at the time of his death. “Duncan’s artistry touched many and leaves an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.”

His family said Sheik would “be remembered for his sensitivity, wit, inteligence, and depth of spirit he brought to those who knew and loved him” and expressed gratitude to love from fans, friends, collaborators, and fellow musicians.

“His musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” the family’s statement ended, with condolences and tributes coming in from Lea Michele, Lizzo, Mark Ronson, Melissa Barrera, Alyssa Milano and Minnie Driver.

Sheik released more than 10 albums across his career, debuting hot with his self-titled album, which carried “Barely Breathing” and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (losing to Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997”).

He composed music for numerous stage works and movie soundtracks, the most popular among them being the coming-of-age rock musical “Spring Awakening.”

The musical’s original Broadway run from 2006 won eight of its 11 Tony nominations, including Best Musical, with Sheik winning for Best Orchestrations and Best Original Score (shared with playwright Steven Slater). “Spring Awakening” also won Sheik the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian urged his fellow lawmakers yesterday to try commuting to work, inspired by a Department of Transportation policy requiring key DOTr officials to experience the daily troubles of the riding public firsthand.

During the Senate finance subcommittee hearing yesterday on the DOTr’s proposed P300.96-billion budget for 2027, Gatchalian praised Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez for maintaining a memorandum order from last year that mandates transport officials to commute at least once a week.

Lopez confirmed he still adheres to the directive without posting his commutes on social media, though he admitted he cannot vouch for his subordinates.

‘To be honest, I don’t know if my subordinates are doing the same. That’s something I cannot check anymore,’ he said.

Gatchalian commended Lopez for keeping the practice low-profile and suggested that members of the upper chamber – citing Sen. JV Ejercito, who regularly bikes to the Senate – should follow suit.

‘In fact, us senators should also do this, to be honest about it,’ Gatchalian said.

Railway update

The DOTr is projecting that up to one million vehicles will be removed from the roads once the country’s major railway projects are fully operational.?

During the subcommittee hearing, Lopez said combining the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), Metro Manila Subway, MRT-3 and MRT-7 would eventually serve around five million daily commuters.?

He was responding to Sen. Erwin Tulfo’s frustrations that the Philippine transport system is lagging behind its ASEAN neighbors.?

‘When all that combines and is operational, we see it benefiting up to five million passengers every day using that railway system,’ Lopez said, noting that dividing this volume by an average of five passengers per car equates to one million fewer vehicles on the road.?

Meanwhile, Gatchalian flagged P295 million in commitment fees paid to foreign lenders for long-delayed transport projects.?

He pointed out that the South Commuter Railway Project incurred P91 million in fees for undisbursed loans, while the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project racked up P85 million, primarily due to years-long right-of-way disputes.?

‘Whether the project is on time or not, that is our obligation for them making the loan available to us. This P295 million, these are commitment fees that were incurred because of delayed projects,’ Gatchalian stressed, urging the DOTr to cancel unnecessary Official Development Assistance loans to avoid mounting penalties.

Recah Trinidad was one of the first people I met in sports media in the 1980s. Back then, there was a bit of a rift between the print and broadcast sportswriters. Some of the elders from the broadsheets and tabloids thought we in television were overpaid and lazy. Not Recah. He started off as welcoming and warm in his traditional gruff manner, with that ever-present twinkle in his eye, as if he had a secret he couldn’t wait to share. It was refreshing, and a relief for a newcomer like this writer.

I’m old enough to remember when Recah occasionally joined us youngsters in games of basketball. He was open to anything, spoke his truth regardless of the consequences, and kept it real. All these, of course, with the ever-present companionship of a friendly contained of alcohol. I started to think that the expression ‘hold my beer’ was created for him.

He had been a witness to so much in sports history, from his start at a powerhouse team at DZHP that was run by Larry J. Cruz and made up of giants like Joe Cantada, Ed Tipton and Ronnie Nathanielsz, among others; to his growth as a pillar of print. That trailblazing group won the equivalent of the Catholic Mass Media Awards five out of six years running. They covered the Tour of Luzon Live. On radio.

But it was in the dailies where he would forge his legend, as a reporter (which he called himself even to the end of his career), editor, writer and columnist. But he was much, much more than that. Recah had a poet’s soul, and wrote novels that reflected his love and loyalty to people and places that we seem to just pass by. I was fortunate to receive signed copies of his work, which sit proudly on my shelf.

Recah always cut through the excrement and plasticity of society, speaking his mind. When we covered boxing matches for our ABS-CBN program ‘Knockout’ in the late 1990s, he called everything as he saw it. There was no fluff, no sugar coating. He knew patsies and tomato cans when he saw them, and never minced words. You had to swallow the hard facts whole and unmarinated.

But his greatest gift to me was his family. His wife, Tita Fe, always welcomed me warmly and smiling. Of course, Chino was my brutally frank brother-in-arms, single-minded and bare bone honest, like his father, and I miss him dearly. Paolo, meanwhile, has made it his mission to release the trauma of our countrymen by pioneering laughter yoga. And Baste soothes souls as lead trainer and conductor of Mandaluyong Children’s Chorus. Every single one of them has contributed mightily to the betterment of society. Recah was his own man, and the magnificence of his family’s character ensures his legacy.

Two-time Mr. Universe Master Dondon Cortuna will be the subject of today’s episode of ‘Masters of the Game’ on IBC 13 and DWAN 1206 AM at 5:15 pm. Catch it.