Category: Philippine Star

Suspected stolen petroleum products valued at P2.39 million were seized during a police operation that also resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Tarlac City on Thursday.

The raid on an unauthorized fuel distribution site in Barangay San Rafael resulted in the recovery of 8,200 liters of diesel, a fuel tanker, a tractor head, fuel pumps, hoses and other equipment.

Police said the suspects failed to show documents authorizing them to sell petroleum products.

‘Sale of petroleum products is governed by rules. The raid was not all about seizure, but also about protecting legitimate businesses, consumers and the public,’ Philippine National Police chief. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

The fire returned to where the dream was fulfilled.

Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the mighty mite from Zamboanga City – all 4-foot-11 of pure heart and steel – found herself back on familiar ground Thursday as one of the torchbearers for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya.

And sweet memories came flooding back.

It was five years ago over in Tokyo – 342 kilometers by Shinkansen, 384 by car from Nagoya – where Diaz-Naranjo, now 35, made history as the first Filipino to win Olympic gold, ending almost a century of drought for the country since it first joined the Games in 1924.

The Covid-delayed triumph in Tokyo was barrier-shattering. It was epic. It was the lift heard around the world.

Thursday, after completing her leg of the relay, the country’s weightlifting queen was greeted by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino – two pillars of Philippine sports sharing pleasantries on foreign soil, both beaming with pride.

The symbolism was not lost on anyone. From Olympic champion to torchbearer – a fitting reward for the woman who showed all that nothing is impossible.

Diaz-Naranjo knows the Asian Games well as she struck gold in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, then fell short of a repeat in Hangzhou in 2023 as she moved up in weight class.

Now she is praying for Team Philippines to keep the fire burning.

‘Keep the fire burning,’ was her simple but powerful message.

Carrying that fire for the country in the relay are no less than the new generation of Filipino greats – tennis sensation Alex Eala, double Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo, jiu-jitsu ace Annie Ramirez, pole vault star EJ Obiena and the loaded esports squad.

From Tokyo gold to Nagoya flame. The journey continues.

The quality of air in Mindanao has returned to unhealthy levels due to the continuous forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

As of noon yesterday, the quality of air in Soccsksargen was described as ‘very unhealthy,’ while most parts of Northern Mindanao were at ‘acutely unhealthy’ levels, according to the air quality index.

Zamboanga peninsula and Davao region experienced ‘unhealthy to sensitive groups’ air levels.

The rest of the country registered ‘good’ levels except in Central Luzon and parts of Bicol region, which were at ‘unhealthy to sensitive groups’ levels.

People sensitive to air pollution including children, the elderly and those suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular conditions have been advised to remain indoors and take necessary precautions like wearing of face masks to protect themselves.

The National Development Co. (NDC) has welcomed Robert James Samson as its new general manager.

The announcement was made by the NDC following Samson’s formal oath-taking before Trade Secretary Cristina Roque.

Samson is stepping into the role with over a decade of international business development and investment management experience.

He has worked with major international companies, institutions, creators, innovators and investors across various fields.

Under Samson’s leadership, NDC aims to strengthen and diversify its investment portfolio.

As part of this goal, NDC will mobilize strategic partnerships.

It will also focus on emerging investment opportunities, as well as those providing long-term value to the economy.

Samson earned his degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

NDC serves as the investment arm of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Under its Revised Charter, NDC, on its own or in partnership with the private sector, may undertake vital projects when necessary or when the private sector is not willing or unable to do so due to high risks or lack of funds.

The state-owned enterprise is investing in diverse industries to help achieve inclusive economic growth.

Political humor and jokes just deemed legal take center stage in the upcoming “Laugh Control” comedy show of lawyer and stand-up comedian Edward “Ed” Chico.

The pre-Christmas show happening on December 17 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater will feature “unimpeachable” from the attorney’s line of work spanning politics and current affairs, all in his own self-depcrating manner.

Chico has made a name for himself in the comedy blending his legal background with the stand-up scene, often digging at the absurd realities of Philippine society and governance and reflecting at his upbringing and experience in the courtoom.

“Sa comedy in general, pag gusto mo magpatawa, madali,” the lawyer-comedian previously said. “Pero if you want to make a statement, you want to get across certain points, mahirap siya i-combine. Kailangan mo ng discipline para gawing nakakatawa.”

Chico had graduated valedictorian in elementary and high school before obtaining his journalism degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

He worked while in college and in Ateneo Law school, finishing the latter’s Juris Doctor program in four years while being the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s Chief Legislative Officer, assistant editor for the central bank, and a radio anchor.

The attorney continues to host radio shows alongside his practice as law firm partner, bar reviewer, consultant to government agencies and private corporations, and professor of civil and commercial law review.

Tickets to Chico’s “Laugh Control” will be available beginning September 30 at noon via the Ticket2Me website.

As Ariana Grande herself sang, “God is a woman.”

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig has confirmed that veteran actress Meryl Streep will be the voice of the lion Aslan in her Netflix movie adaptations of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” the popular book series by C.S. Lewis.

Speculations regarding Streep’s involvement have been circulating for a year but Gerwig made the casting official in an interview with Empire magazine which shared a first look image of deity-like animal.

Gerwig’s take on Aslan sees the talking lion with visible colors on his coat and whiskers, but standing out are the feline’s heterochromic eyes. The creative design, according to the director, is inspired by the late rock star David Bowie.

“I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness. Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight,” Gerwig said about tapping Streep for a second time after 2019’s “Little Women.”

“I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one,” she also said.

Bowie isn’t the only inspiration for the film as Gerwig also credited the music of Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant for assuring her.

“Narnia is literally a world made out of music. It is a world sung to life by Aslan, and rock ‘n roll to me felt like a world made out of music,” the director added.

Gerwig will begin her adaptations of “Narnia” with “The Magician’s Nephew,” the penultimate one penned by Lewis but the first one chronologically.

It will follow the adventure of two children, Digory and Polly (relative newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell), discovering Narnia after the latter’s uncle Andrew gives them a magical ring.

Also in the film are Carey Mullihan, Ciarán Hinds, Denise Gough, Susan Wokoma, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Samantha Spiro and Emma Mackey as Jadis, the future White Witch.

“Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” will be the first Netflix film to get a wide theatrical release, coming out this February, before moving to the streaming platform in April.

job with a strict dress code-and a boss who lives inside your bathroom mirror. Every morning, I face this boss, sighing at my thin, sparse hair and darker complexion-parting gifts from treatments and medication. I used to devote so much time and effort to dressing up, accessorizing and applying makeup-a dramatic production with me as director, star and harshest critic.

And then cancer renegotiated my priorities.

Nothing humbles this habit quite like serious illness. When your body decides to lose most of its hair, its glow or even the ability to stand upright, your inner diva quietly packs her bags and leaves. You realize that obsessing over a pore was a luxury reserved for the perfectly well, and surviving becomes much easier when you stop worrying about audience reviews.

In the past, mirrors were a battlefield. I didn’t just look. I audited. I tilted my chin to inspect every blemish. I applied three different serums before bedtime, hoping to reverse ‘the environment.’ Clothes shopping was my sport: fashion, my creative outlet. My hair was like a moody celebrity client. If one strand refused to cooperate, out came the gels and accessories to tame the rebellious traitor. After retiring from the corporate world, I gave away tons of clothes, shoes and accessories. The unexpected lightness I felt after decluttering was a quiet acceptance and affirmation of who I am now.

After most of my hair started to fall, I decided to wear a wig to feel normal. I’m not bald, but have lost much of my hair. At first, every fallen strand felt like another sad goodbye. I would throw the hair into a trash bag, disposing of evidence that made the loss feel less real. Eventually, I stopped caring. Peace arrived the day I realized I was spending more energy grieving my hair than celebrating the fact that I was still alive.

Sunblock, a light dusting of face powder, hair clips to style my wig, and a face mask to help protect me from infection are my new essentials. Light makeup is reserved for lunch dates with friends and nights out.

Illness has a remarkable way of stripping away the superficial. When your hair starts thinning, your skin darkens and your energy often runs out, the vanity factory simply goes out of business.

Your relationship with the mirror changes completely. You catch a glimpse of your nearly bare head and, instead of panicking, feel a sense of relief. The woman looking back no longer resembles the one you remember, yet she looks braver. You cannot fight illness and a bad hair day at the same time.

When survival becomes the goal, you discover that your worth was never tied to a full head of hair or flawless skin. Perhaps that is what God had been gently teaching me-that our value is never found in the mirror but lovingly placed within us long before we worried about wrinkles or appearances. Hardly-there hair and a tired face, it turns out, can be an exceptionally practical look. It requires almost no maintenance and lets you nap at a moment’s notice.

The true sign that life is returning to normal isn’t simply the return of your appetite. It is the unexpected desire to check whether your eyebrows look okay.

Vanity has returned like an old friend who disappeared during a crisis, then suddenly texts you when the drama is over. I find myself reaching for lipstick or styling my hair with colorful clips and I can’t help but giggle. Wanting to look good is a deeply human way of saying I’m ready to participate in the world again.

Today, I welcome vanity back-but as a pleasant visitor rather than a demanding supervisor. The mirror still greets me every morning, but it no longer gets the

On September 7, the Department of Trade and Industry through the ASEAN Committee on Business and Investment Promotion hosted the second ASEAN Business Media Exchange in Makati City. The forum coincided with the Philippines’ chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Present at the forum were Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim. The discussions revolved around the country’s priorities as leader of the regional bloc. The chairship has three pillars: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.

During the forum, government and industry leaders discussed the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), a deal that seeks to provide a roadmap to empower businesses and stakeholders across the region. This will be done ‘through accelerating trade growth, enhancing interoperability, creating a safe online environment, and increasing the participation of MSMEs.’

The DEFA aims to create an integrated digital market that would unlock some P2.3 trillion worth of trade by the year 2030. It signals that ASEAN is moving from broad commitments toward an integrated digital market. This will increase demand for cloud computing, digital payments, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cross-border data services.

Data centers are front and center in this regard. They are the modern equivalent of roads, ports, and airports. Physical transport corridors were responsible for powering the earlier stages of regional trade integration. In this day and age, data centers are seen to power the next phase of ASEAN’s digital expansion. They form the fundamental backbone for financial services, government systems, telecommunications, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and the emerging AI economy.

This sector represents a significant source of big-ticket, long-term investment.

Meanwhile, the ‘cloud’ is never an abstract concept. Instead, it is grounded on heavy industrial assets. Digital services, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, and real-time payments do not exist in a vacuum; they operate through data centers backed by reliable electricity, redundant connectivity, secure facilities, and specialized technical talent.

It was only fitting that the discussions during the ASEAN Business Media Exchange 2026 revolved around how the DEFA could translate regional integration into practical economic opportunities.

A fundamental fact is that the DEFA’s promise hinges entirely on backend infrastructure. The trade goals sound good and are lofty, but achieving them will depend on whether we could have adequate physical facilities on the ground.

Data-center developments require substantial capital and can generate wider demand for energy, construction, engineering, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and professional services. Absence or inadequacy in these aspects will prevent the Philippines, and the region, from realizing the objectives that ASEAN had set out.

**

There are several aspects of data centers that need closer attention.

For instance, data centers are usually associated with bigger corporations. But while building a data center requires massive capital investment beyond the reach of individual small businesses, this shared infrastructure underpins scalable digital platforms that could enable true regional inclusion for MSMEs.

Micro, small, and medium enterprises represent 97% of Southeast Asian businesses and 85% of regional employment. Proper data infrastructure ensures that a local entrepreneur in Davao can sell to a buyer in provincial Thailand and receive instant local currency settlement safely and reliably.

Data sovereignty and cybersecurity must also be addressed clearly. The Philippines needs policies that protect national and consumer interests without unnecessarily restricting trusted cross-border data flows or discouraging investment.

Finally, there are valid concerns on energy consumption that are inseparable from data-center policy. Data centers require continuous, high-capacity electrical power at competitive rates; moreover, global operators increasingly require access to renewable energy to fulfill corporate sustainability mandates.

As such, the pursuit of a stronger digital economy must necessarily go hand in hand with building up the country’s energy security.

**

Regional competition is intensifying. Other ASEAN economies are actively positioning themselves as data-center hubs, so the Philippines must move decisively if it wants to capture a meaningful share of future investment.

In order to stay competitive amid this regional dynamism, the Philippines needs to have decisive national coordination. Rival ASEAN economies are already aggressively positioning themselves as digital and data center hubs. The Philippines must move rapidly to align energy policy, telecommunications, land-use planning, workforce development, and investment incentives into a unified national strategy.

The Philippines already has several distinct advantages to be competitive on the regional and even global stage: a large and digitally engaged population, growing demand for cloud services, strong business-process and technology sectors, strategic regional positioning, and an expanding digital economy.

But these advantages will only translate to concrete economic gains if the country takes on a strategic perspective to attracting and sustaining investments. This is where political will and consistency play a pivotal role. Investors need reliable and competitively priced power, sufficient transmission capacity, redundant connectivity, efficient permitting, available industrial sites, regulatory consistency, and confidence in the country’s data-governance framework.

Specifically, the government should develop a coordinated national strategy that aligns digital infrastructure, energy, connectivity, investment promotion, workforce development, cybersecurity, and land-use planning.

As this year’s chair of the ASEAN, the Philippines is in a good position to lead the bloc in the charge toward digitally powered economies. Data centers are a significant part of this. However, simply uttering that we would like them to drive economic activity is never enough. We have to invest in the infrastructure that would support them. We have to work toward a level of energy security that would support this requirement while also responding to the current energy requirements of the country.

Indeed, data centers must be treated as strategic economic infrastructure-alongside energy, transport, telecommunications, and logistics-and incorporated into the country’s long-term investment strategy. Only then could we lay claim to being the leaders in the region, and to leading the region, in this economic priority.

With several Philippine companies still pursuing plans for their respective initial public offerings (IPOs), one can’t help but wonder what they are seeing that many of us do not?

After all, the Philippine economy is facing headwinds on various fronts. The peso closed at P62.73 to the dollar on Sept. 17. Headline or overall inflation reached 6.1 percent last month. Foreign direct investment net inflows into the country plunged to its lowest monthly level in more than 11 years.

These headwinds are also reflected in the Philippine stock market. The PSE index closed at 5,958.64 also last Sept. 17, with higher oil prices and the peso’s weakness expected to weigh further on investor sentiment.

But despite these economic troubles, potential entrants to the Philippine stock exchange remain interested. Two are already underway, that of Mynt Inc. (GCash’s parent company) and VITRO REIT of PLDT, with at least five other companies considering their own IPOs next year.

The presence of several potential IPOs in the PSE pipeline appears counterintuitive. But companies do not decide to pursue an IPO just based on how an economy is performing at a given time. Their decisions also reflect expectations about future business and market conditions.

Likewise, difficult macroeconomic conditions do not necessarily prevent companies with strong fundamentals and long-term growth prospects from entering the public market.

Take the case of Mynt. AB Capital Securities estimates its equity value at P531 billion to P834 billion, citing its structural growth, established profitability and substantial room to further monetize its customer base. It says that this fintech company deserves a premium valuation due to these factors. Morgan Stanley also highlighted Mynt’s profitability, with the company generating P17.2 billion in net income in 2025, a net margin of 21.6 percent and a return on equity of 32.1 percent. Mynt’s net margin during the first half of 2026 strengthened to 25.2 percent and it estimates that the firm could generate P21.2 billion in net income in 2026.

Mynt’s premium valuation is a claim about the future, analysts say. Investors are not being asked to value the company solely on what it makes today but on what its market position, large customer base and expanding financial ecosystem could generate in the years ahead.

These current economic headwinds have buried more optimistic expectations about our economic recovery. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr. has said that the economy could fully recover in 2027. Multilateral institutions and credit rating agencies also expect the economy to rebound.

The current IPO pipeline may reflect a similar expectation. Companies preparing to list today are not making decisions based on the economy’s state now but are making a bet on 2027 and beyond.

While IPO activity should not be treated as the sole proof of economic recovery, it deserves greater attention alongside other forward-looking indicators of business and investor confidence. Large IPOs may attract foreign portfolio investors and generate capital inflows, providing some support to the peso. The public too should also look forward to these offerings since they provide additional investment opportunities in productive domestic assets.

Impartial justice

The Supreme Court recently overturned the 2018 conviction by the Sandiganbayan of former First Lady Imelda Marcos for violations of the anti-graft law, saying the prosecution failed to establish her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The case filed against Marcos accused her as a member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa (IBP) then of having financial or pecuniary interest in a number of entities that were used to hold and transfer at least $200 million abroad through foreign bank accounts. The Sandiganbayan said that she participated in the management of these foundations which is a financial or pecuniary interest prohibited by the 1973 Constitution and is therefore guilty of violating Section 3h of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in seven criminal cases.

Marcos was convicted of violating a constitutional prohibition applicable to Cabinet members. No similar prohibition however was imposed on members of the IBP. However, the information in the criminal cases charged her in her capacity as a member of the IBP.

According to the High Tribunal, public interest could not substitute for the evidentiary standards required in criminal proceedings.

The SC noted that there was a fatal disparity between the allegations in the information and the legal basis for her conviction by the Sandiganbayan.

‘The accused may only be convicted of the crime charged. Since she was charged in her capacity as a member of the IBP and for violating the constitutional proscriptions applicable to such position, she cannot be convicted of violating the prohibition applicable to Cabinet members. Her right to due process was violated when the Sandiganbayan convicted her of an offense which she had not been legally informed of, warranting acquittal,’ it said.

It added that evidence used by the prosecution were inadmissible and lack probative value. ‘Relevant Swiss documents were not properly authenticated and prosecution failed to present credible witnesses who could have attested to the genuineness and due execution of the documents. Thus, they are inadmissible as evidence. And being hearsay evidence, the documents cannot be given credence, for these do not have probative value,’ the Court held.

And since Section 3h prohibits Cabinet members from having financial or pecuniary interest in any business and the prosecution failed to establish that the foundations were engaged in business, the prosecution likewise could not establish another element of the offense, it added.

This most recent decision of the High Court dated June 10 but made public only recently serves as a reminder that even the most controversial public figures remain entitled to the protection of the rules that govern everyone, including those many have already judged. As emphasized by the SC, the rules on the sufficiency of allegations in the information and the admissibility and probative weight of evidence, in so far as they may cause injury to the rights of the accused to due process of law, cannot be casually brushed aside by the invocation of substantial justice and public interest.

‘When the Court dons its robe, inclinations and personal beliefs are set aside. It is the constitutionally mandated duty of the Court to dispense justice in an impartial manner,’ the SC emphasized.

By yearend, two of the most powerful political personalities and dynasties in the Philippines would have fallen, from the dizzying height of a breathtaking pinnacle of power to the ravine of ignominy and disgrace – Sara Zimmerman Duterte and former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. They will be defanged, financially and politically.

The nation’s second-highest official, Sara Duterte, will be convicted (by 16 of all 24 senators), ousted as Vice President and won’t be allowed to run for president in 2028. In fact, she won’t be allowed to hold any public office ever.

The evidence and testimonies against Sara before the impeachment court have been damning and convincing; only the most stupid or disconnected of the senators will think she is not guilty. The majority already has 13 votes. It needs only three senators more to get the magic 16 votes of conviction. The three could include Bong Go, one of the Cayetano siblings, one of the Villar siblings and Loren Legarda.

Before a local Quezon City court, VP Sara is accused of grave threats. Before the Senate impeachment court, she is accused of four crimes: 1) misusing or pocketing P612.5 million of taxpayers’ money (that’s plunder); 2) unexplained wealth to the tune of P6.77 billion despite earning only P24 million in salaries as a public official; 3) bribery; and 4) grave threats. She threatened to kill President Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and then speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke.

The evidence and testimonies against Sara are indisputable and indefensible. To account for the P612.5 million she pocketed, she produced 5,000 fake receipts, including two named after a vagina. For grave threats, she has two videos of making the threats. For unexplained wealth, there is a money trail compiled by the Anti-Money Laundering Council – P6.77 billion passed through her bank accounts while earning only P24 million in years as a public official. Her own net worth increased from P7 million in 2007 to P98 million in 2025, double/triple the average annual rate of increase in wealth by an average greedy public official.

An examination of Sara’s net worth, assets and properties shows two things, according to the Articles of Impeachment: 1) the growth in her wealth is grossly disproportionate to her income and 2) vast amounts of hidden and unexplained wealth, including P2 billion transacted from 2006 to 2025 alone. Under the law, property is unlawfully acquired whenever its value is ‘manifestly out of proportion to his salary as a public officer.’

Once the nation’s fourth-highest official, former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez will rot in the Payatas jail for quite some time while his case is being tried. He is accused of four crimes: plunder, to the tune of P7.4 billion; direct bribery; indirect bribery and money laundering.

The evidence and testimonies curated by Ombudsman Boying Remulla and detailed in his 113-page resolution before the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court are compelling and hard to disprove.

The ombudsman attacks or proves plunder at both ends – how the billions (P55 billion to P56 billion minimum initial estimate that went to Romualdez) were extracted and spirited away from the national treasury while Romualdez was speaker from July 25, 2022 (when a monthly bribe quota of P2 billion began) to Sept. 7, 2025 (that’s a total of P78 billion in nine months) and where the monies were spent.

With the loot, Romualdez bought at least two mansions – 30 Tamarind Road, South Forbes Park, bought from Doris Magsaysay Ho for P1.396 billion in March 2023, and 14 Narra Avenue, Forbes Park, for P1.6 billion in January 2023. Mansion 30 Tamarind was designated as ‘bagsakan at imbakan ng pera’ to facilitate the handling of funds from SOPs, collections and cash deliveries associated with government projects.

In December 2024 alone, co-accused Zaldy Co personally delivered P1 billion in cash to 30 Tamarind. Deliveries to Romualdez totaled P55 billion to P56 billion, according to the ombudsman resolution. From 2022-2025, cash deliveries to Romualdez were about 25-30 times (at three to five times a week); ‘each delivery amounted to P1.2 billion, more or less.’

Jose Raulito E. Paras is the controlling shareholder of money-losing Gold Pheasant Holdings Corp., the alleged owner of 30 Tamarind. Yet Paras did not file any income tax return in 2019 and 2022. In 2023, he declared a gross income of only P2.75 million; in 2024, P12.9 million.

Another Romualdez dummy company, Brightnews, became the owner of 14 Narra Mansion, using Veterans Bank managers’ checks. Relatedly, 37.44 percent of Veterans Bank was acquired by Romualdez, using RYM Business Management Corp.

In 2023, a Romualdez company, Clearspring, acquired 330.6 million shares of Digiplus Interactive Corp. worth P886 million, which was financed through a loan from U Finance Limited of Hong Kong. Part of the Clearspring money, P300 million, came from managers’ checks purchased by a money changer, Samchan, in January 2023.

Braavos, a member of a Singapore Cecil Property, bought Villa Kabila in Sotogrande, Cadiz, Spain on Jan. 30, 2023, for P471.8 million. Martin’s son Marty is a polo player who frequents Sotogrande. In October 2025, Romualdez transferred P174 million and $2.8 million to Braavos.

Martin also donated $2 million to Harvard College, using Paras’ BDO account, and another $5 million to Cornell University, through a remittance by Paras. Romualdez and Paras are fraternity brothers in Upsilon Sigma Phi. Paras is also a director of Benguet Corp., a Romualdez mining company.

Romualdez declared assets of P122.28 million in 2023, P307 million in 2024 and P1.185 billion in June 2025, including P293 million in cash.