Category: Philippine Star

Cebuano firm Aznar Shipping Corp. is turning to the Philippine capital markets to finance an expansion of its fleet and maritime infrastructure, confident that the growing role of shipping in domestic trade will sustain demand for inter-island services.

The shipping operator has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of up to 1 billion primary common shares, with an over-allotment option of up to 100 million secondary shares, subject to regulatory approval.

At an indicative maximum price of P0.67 a share, the primary offering could raise as much as P670 million in gross proceeds. The secondary shares could generate a further P67 million if the over-allotment option is fully exercised.

The final offer price will be determined through book-building.

Aznar Shipping intends to deploy most of the proceeds towards fleet expansion and shipyard facility development, while allocating the remainder for general corporate purposes. The planned investment reflects the company’s effort to build a larger regional shipping platform at a time when trade and passenger flows across the Visayas are expanding.

‘As economic activity across the Visayas continues to grow, we want Aznar Shipping to grow with the region,’ Kyle Alexander C. Aznar, president and chief executive, said.

The company sees additional vessels and infrastructure as critical to connecting more of the region’s emerging economic centers and increasing its capacity to carry passengers, vehicles and cargo.

The investment case rests partly on the scale of maritime activity already concentrated in the Visayas.

A study by the Center for Research and Communication estimates that Visayas ports accounted for about 35 per cent of national cargo throughput, 60 per cent of passenger traffic and 49 per cent of roll-on/roll-off vehicle movements between 2022 and 2025. More than half of the country’s ship calls were also recorded in the region.

RoRo traffic – a key market for Aznar Shipping because its vessels carry vehicles as well as passengers and cargo – is expected to provide further momentum. The CRC study projects Visayas RoRo traffic to grow at an average annual rate of 12.9 per cent through 2028, compared with 10.7 per cent nationally.

That differential points to a potentially attractive regional growth market, but also underscores the capital intensity of competing for it.

Aznar Shipping currently operates nine vessels on four major inter-island routes, with regular port calls at eight ports across Cebu, Leyte, Panay and Negros Occidental.

Its customer base spans shippers, trucking and logistics companies, bus operators, construction companies, freight forwarders and passengers, giving the company exposure to both commercial and consumer demand.

The company plans to increase vessel capacity, add viable routes and develop the operational infrastructure needed to support a broader network.

The IPO will therefore provide Aznar Shipping with capital to pursue growth without relying solely on internally generated funds or conventional borrowing. For investors, however, the expansion also puts greater emphasis on the company’s ability to convert regional economic growth into higher vessel utilization, revenue and returns on capital.

Aznar Shipping has appointed Investment and Capital Corporation of the Philippines and PNB Capital and Investment Corporation as joint issue managers, joint lead underwriters and joint bookrunners.

Subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions, the IPO is scheduled to run from December 1 to December 8, 2026, with listing targeted for December 18 on the Philippine Stock Exchange’s Small, Medium and Emerging Board under the ticker ALX.

The company is enrolled in the PSE’s Listing Engagement and Assistance Program, which provides prospective issuers with guidance and support through the listing process.

For Aznar Shipping, the offering is more than a fund-raising exercise. It is a test of whether a regional shipping company can scale alongside an increasingly integrated Visayas economy – and whether investors will see enough value in that growth to back its next phase of expansion.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cannot verify the asylum status of former congressman Zaldy Co and former presidential spokesman Harry Roque in Europe due to the region’s strict privacy regulations.

During the DFA’s budget hearing yesterday, Senate foreign affairs committee chairman Sen. Erwin Tulfo pressed Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro on whether countries like France notify the Philippine government when a citizen applies for asylum.

‘Mr. Chair, the European Union, France included, has very strict privacy issues. So if he has filed for asylum, we will not be given information because this is their law,’ Lazaro explained.

She noted that the Philippine embassies are denied this information upon inquiry, adding that the same restrictions apply to Austria regarding Roque’s status.

The DFA only learned of Co’s whereabouts through a tip from another European official.

‘I think in the past, we only learned that Mr. Co is in France because it was mentioned to me by the minister of… Czech Republic,’ Lazaro told the panel.

‘The foreign minister told me, he was taken and was already in France. That was the only information,’ she added.

When Tulfo asked if the DFA could confirm reports that Roque’s asylum bid in Austria was denied, Lazaro reiterated that the Philippine embassy in Vienna has ‘no information at all’ due to the host country’s basic tenets of strict privacy.

To address these legal barriers, Lazaro stated that the DFA consistently requests three key agreements during bilateral political consultations: extradition, transfer of sentenced persons and mutual legal assistance.

However, she admitted that the Philippines currently lacks these specific treaties with the European countries involved.

The student who opened fire at Banga National High School in South Cotabato had been heavily involved in activities on the ‘deep dark web,’ the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators also found notes on the 14-year-old student’s cellphone detailing his depression, as well as evidence of his heavy social media and internet activity involving violent content.

‘Upon investigation, he was heavily into the deep dark web. He was into the deep dark web, which influenced him,’ the DILG chief said in a press briefing on Saturday, September 19.

‘According to his phone, he left several notes detailing his depression at tuloy-tuloy ito,’ he added.

(According to his phone, he left several notes detailing his depression and this went on.)

Remulla said the student’s parents had noticed signs as early as April 2026 and tried to intervene.

Parents urged to watch for warning signs

The DILG chief urged parents to pay attention to their children’s online activities and watch for signs of depression, saying families should seek professional help when needed.

‘Depression is real. Depression among kids is real. And we must give the warning signs and we must give access to proper psychiatric health care,’ Remulla said.

Remulla said parents can approach local government officials so children can receive psychiatric assessment at municipal or provincial hospitals.

‘It starts [at] home,’ he said.

The DILG chief also warned parents about the type of content their children can access online, including violent material and online communities that could encourage criminal behavior.

‘Tingnan ninyo. It is not a privacy issue. Anak n’yo ‘yan… Nalulublob sila sa malalalim at madidilim na websites,’ he said.

(Look at what they are doing. It is not a privacy issue. They are your children… They are immersing themselves in deep and dark websites.)

Three killed, several injured

The shooting happened at around 1 p.m. Friday, September 18.

Three people were killed in the incident, including the shooter, while the number of those injured was reported at six to eight as authorities provided updates. Most of the casualties were students.

Authorities cordoned off the classrooms where the shooting took place as investigators processed the scene.

The firearm used in the attack belonged to the student’s father, a Department of Education disaster risk reduction officer, according to Remulla.

The father had three licensed firearms that were not properly secured, allowing the student to access and take one of them, he said.

‘Mayroon siyang tatlong licensed firearms na hindi secured enough na nabuksan ng bata at kinuha ‘yung baril,’ Remulla said.

(He had three licensed firearms that were not secured well enough, allowing the child to open them and take one of the guns.)

Remulla said the incident was the third case he had encountered in which an improperly secured firearm was used.

Police examine student’s gadgets

In the same press briefing, Philippine National Police chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators were examining the student’s actions and personal belongings to determine what led to the shooting.

‘For one thing, hindi natin mabasa ang pag-iisip ng isang tao but we can investigate or look into the actions before these incidents,’ Nartatez said.

(For one thing, we cannot read a person’s mind, but we can investigate or look into their actions before these incidents.)

Police are examining the student’s notes, cellphone, gadgets and other personal effects for possible forensic evidence.

‘Record shows that he’s into heavy activities with the social media as well as internet activities showing violent activities,’ Nartatez said.

Authorities earlier said the Grade 9 student allegedly warned classmates before the attack.

He reportedly told them to go home after lunch because he would do something that could put them in danger. His classmates, however, thought he was joking. The student later left his classroom and opened fire in an adjacent classroom.

The South Cotabato shooting happened less than three months after a June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two students allegedly opened fire, killing at least three schoolmates and injuring around 20 others.

On August 18, another school shooting was reported at the junior high school building of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, where a student armed with two pistols allegedly shot and killed a schoolmate.

Filipino information and communication technology talents are opting to work for private firms, if not for foreign employers, leaving the government short of ICT specialists.

This has prompted lawmakers to urge the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to find ways to retain ICT talents in the Philippines.

At the DICT’s budget hearing, legislators raised the continuing struggle to recruit and retain ICT talents who could help in developing the country’s anti-cybercrime and digital policies.

Right now, Filipino ICT workers are lured to work for private and overseas employers. They are discouraged from joining government service due to the disparity in compensation.

The DICT reported that government developers and programmers are given an entry-level pay of Salary Grade 20 to 22, ranging from P66,000 to P90,300 monthly. In a year, they can make P1.08 million at the maximum.

This is far from what entry-level ICT employees in the United States earn, averaging $50,354 or P3.16 million, in a year.

The DICT is therefore pushing for the passage of the Magna Carta for ICT Workers, a proposal that could hike the minimum pay of Filipino talents to make staying in the country attractive.

Under House Bill 4382, or the Magna Carta for ICT Professionals in the Government, the DICT will establish minimum compensation standards on a par with industry rates.

There will also be a structured career progression for ICT workers in the government to provide them with a professional pathway. Further training and scholarships must also be extended by the state agency employing them to support their skills development.

As it stands, the DICT is leaning heavily on job orders and contracts of service for its personnel. It is estimated that at least 1,700 workers of the DICT are employed on contractual terms.

Recently, the agency has been asking the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to grant the DICT more plantilla posts to scale up its labor force.

The DBM approved 115 plantillas out of the 500 requested by the DICT from its Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern.

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

A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel ‘intentionally rammed’ a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said the CCG vessel struck the BRP Datu Magat Salamat at around 11 a.m. while the Philippine vessel was conducting a fisherfolk assistance mission.

‘It was not a collision. It was an intentional ramming done by the CCG-21585,’ Tarriela said.

Tarriela said the BFAR vessel was carrying out a mission to provide fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fishermen in the Kalayaan Island Group following weeks of monsoon rains.

‘The objective of the BFAR deployment is purely humanitarian. It is not conducting operations that provoked anybody or any state,’ he said.

The contact damaged the main railings on the starboard side, metal stanchions and support structures as well as deck fixtures and equipment. No injuries were reported.

‘Even after the collision, CCG-21585 conducted yet another dangerous maneuver, passing dead astern at a distance of only about five meters,’ Tarriela said.

‘This kind of behavior of the Chinese government is an outright violation of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the collision regulations,’ Tarriela added.

The Chinese embassy, however, disputed the Philippine account, saying the incident was a collision caused by the BRP Datu Magat Salamat after it ignored warnings from the CCG vessel and accelerated after altering its course.

The BRP Datu Magat Salamat was refloated Thursday after running aground at Hasa-Hasa Shoal during its operations.

Tarriela said it would be docked at Coron Port for an assessment of its seaworthiness.

He said the CCG’s 215 series consists of smaller, faster and more agile vessels capable of intercepting ships in the West Philippine Sea.

The decision on whether to file a diplomatic protest will be left to the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the PCG would continue supporting the remaining BFAR vessels in their supply missions to Filipino fisherfolk.

In 1998, I was so new in the coffee industry and did not know where to start connecting with farmers. I was only exposed to Silang, Cavite then, so I joined the Coffee Foundation of the Philippines on their trips with the agency most concerned about coffee, Dept. of Trade and Industry-International Coffee Organization Certifying Agency or DTI-ICOCA. We paid our way to find farms and meet farmers; with my business partner we traveled to Benguet and Bukidnon with this motley group of coffee advocates.

Almost 30 years later, today we find Bukidnon to be more accessible as you can drive from Davao or fly to Cagayan de Oro’s Laguindingan airport. The roads are good, long and winding, taking you to the famous Kitanglad and its neighbor Kalatungan. In between these two majestic mountains are coffee areas, one near Lake Napalit and one closer to Kitanglad.

Many years ago, Sumilao town had a processing area for exportable coffee. That has since stopped operations but Bukidnon still became a destination for coffee because of Monk’s Blend, a famed coffee brand popularized by the Benedictine monks in Malaybalay. The brand reached supermarkets and I saw they had a professional roasting machine, at least to make assorted beans taste better than what the market had then. Today, we have many micro roasters preparing coffee to your taste – medium or dark roast, and of different varieties.

Bukidnon has always remained special to me – as this was where I first met Father Colombano who asked me to stay for vespers, where you hear a pin drop as everyone kneels in silent prayer at the Monastery of the Transfiguration. On first Sundays, they have a community breakfast where you get to meet the priests and monks on their monthly socials with visitors from far and wide.

I got the chance to see their coffee facility many years back – a German-made Probat roaster when the coffee trade was not yet as exposed to better equipment. Think circa 2000s, which was a long time ago. This is why Monk’s Blend became such a revered brand – with a story and good coffee to boot.

Today, as road networks improved, we found ourselves visiting Bukidnon more frequently, sometimes as tourists, sometimes as trainers and most of the time as friends of many village elders and IP communities. We have also started a partnership with Xavier Science Foundation to plant coffee in the lands reachable only by foot and cared for by local cultural communities.

What is the secret to Bukidnon’s appeal as a tourist destination and as a place for relaxed community work and advocacy? The weather is wonderfully cool and balanced – with some rain in the afternoons but sunshiny mornings. The restaurants and hotels have kept pace with development of local tourism. We keep discovering new cafés and food joints, we like to shop at roadside stalls for fruits, corn and other native products. Traveling back to Davao, you can find a Michelin-featured restaurant called Pilgrim. Traveling to Misamis Oriental (about an hour’s drive) you can find Don Narciso Café. And traveling in and around Valencia and Malaybalay, there are many places to stay overnight and then continue on with your road trip the next day. Bukidnon is also famous for the Del Monte farm where steaks have a pineapple hint of flavor, they say.

In 2003, we found a school that needed help in the Miarayon area. Lately, I found out that the schoolchildren we once supported are now either in college or are taking their master and doctorate degrees already. That wonderful news was sent by Gina Alfonso of Cartwheel Foundation who we worked with 20 years ago in Miarayon, way before today’s coffee fame. The secret’s out – coffee from these parts tastes very good, especially if farmers are trained in post-harvest processing.

This is why a sustainability plan for Bukidnon or for each coffee-growing province is key. Sometimes a national program is just too far to reach so a localized plan works for these coffee origins that are far from each other.

Bukidnon is also known for dairy as they pride themselves in having livestock and good grass that cattle feed on. There also are organic farms in and around as we visited Down To Earth farms as well as discover new sources of adlai, the grain that diabetics prefer for its lower glycemic index. Many years back adlai was sold at just P6/kilo and sold as food for hogs. Not anymore. Health conscious diners and progressive chefs started using the grain in risotto, arroz caldo and now many provinces have started to grow adlai or Job’s tears. Farmers found a premium market for what was once hog feed.

Bukidnon is known as the food basket of Mindanao and was the largest contributor to the gross value added to agriculture forestry and fishery (AFF) in 2024. Its contributions to the AFF has been going up, surpassing that of 81 provinces and 33 highly urbanized cities, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Can you imagine what a rich province can contribute to sustainability of coffee, among other crops? It also does not experience as much weather changes like typhoons as it is a landlocked area.

You may want to explore what Bukidnon has to offer, other than coffee, pineapples and sugarcane. For me, I treasure all the memories and hope to make more trips for the sustainability of not just the coffee but every sector of agriculture.

University of the Philippines remained unblemished in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament after grounding the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 94-75, Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

This is UP’s seventh straight win in the Battle of Katipunan, stretching back to UAAP Season 86.

Former NCAA Finals Most Valuable Player James Payosing powered UP with 16 points, three rebounds and two assists. Veejay Pre and Rey Remogat had 14 markers apiece, while Francis Nnoruka finished wirth 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Ateneo was able to build a substantial lead in the first half, going up 37-30 after a triple by Travis Roberts.

But an 11-0 run, capped by a split from the line by Rainer Maga, pushed UP ahead 41-37.

Ateneo still took the lead in the third quarter, going up 47-46, but from that point on, it was all Fighting Maroons.

A 12-2 run capped by a Rey Remogat layup helped UP take a 58-49 lead.

An and-one play by Jared Bahay made it a 52-58 deficit, but UP found a higher gear.

A Roberts jumper made it a 61-73 deficit for Ateneo, before a 22-4 run capped by a slam by Russel Ogana, made it a 90-65 lead as UP tightened up on defense while getting their way on anything they wanted.

Gani Stevens had nine points for UP. Ogana added seven off the bench.

Jared Bahay carried the Blue Eagles with 17 points, three assists and two rebounds. Kieffer Alas, who had 10 points in the first half, had 13 after almost 25 minutes of play.

The Fighting Maroons are now holding a 2-0 win-loss record, while Ateneo dropped to 1-1.

Mastercard has launched a new suite of payment services to help digital wallets expand across borders and connect to more merchants, with GCash among the participating providers through its partnership with Alipay+.

The Mastercard Wallet Pay portfolio supports online, QR code and contactless payments, while helping wallet operators offer cards and facilitate money transfers without major changes to their existing infrastructure.

The initiative aims to improve interoperability, or the ability of different wallets and payment networks to work together, so consumers can use their payment apps across more merchants and markets.

Joyce Bo, Mastercard executive vice president for core payments in Asia-Pacific, said the next stage of digital wallet growth would depend on expanding their usefulness across payment systems and markets.

‘The first chapter of digital wallets was adoption. The next chapter is interoperability at scale. As wallet ecosystems mature, the challenge is extending their reach across more merchants, use cases and borders,’ Bo said.

‘Mastercard Wallet Pay helps wallet providers expand what they can offer, from cross-border payments to card issuing, without having to build all of that connectivity themselves.’

For wallet providers, the portfolio offers access to Mastercard’s network of merchants and digital payment channels. It also supports the launch of credit, debit or prepaid card programs.

Mastercard said the services would allow more than 3.7 billion Mastercard credentials, the payment details associated with its cards, to connect to digital wallets.

Its money movement capabilities facilitate transfers between cards, wallets or accounts across more than 200 countries and territories and in 150 currencies.

The announcement did not specify a Philippine rollout date or identify which Wallet Pay features would be available to GCash users.

‘GCash has always aimed to uplift the lives of Filipinos through accessible financial tools,’ said Ren-Ren Reyes, president and CEO of G-Xchange, the mobile wallet operator of GCash.

‘Through the Alipay+ and Mastercard partnership, we can extend secure global acceptance and new digital experiences to our users, reinforcing our leadership in payments.’

Alipay+ connects more than 50 e-wallets and banking apps as well as over 10 national payment schemes worldwide. Apart from GCash, its partner wallets involved in the initiative include AlipayHK, Clip, KakaoPay, TNG eWallet and TrueMoney.

Other participating payment providers include Axian, CRED, DaviPlata, Mercado Pago, MTN and TenPay Global.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cannot verify the asylum status of former congressman Zaldy Co and former presidential spokesman Harry Roque in Europe due to the region’s strict privacy regulations.

During the DFA’s budget hearing yesterday, Senate foreign affairs committee chairman Sen. Erwin Tulfo pressed Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro on whether countries like France notify the Philippine government when a citizen applies for asylum.

‘Mr. Chair, the European Union, France included, has very strict privacy issues. So if he has filed for asylum, we will not be given information because this is their law,’ Lazaro explained.

She noted that the Philippine embassies are denied this information upon inquiry, adding that the same restrictions apply to Austria regarding Roque’s status.

The DFA only learned of Co’s whereabouts through a tip from another European official.

‘I think in the past, we only learned that Mr. Co is in France because it was mentioned to me by the minister of… Czech Republic,’ Lazaro told the panel.

‘The foreign minister told me, he was taken and was already in France. That was the only information,’ she added.

When Tulfo asked if the DFA could confirm reports that Roque’s asylum bid in Austria was denied, Lazaro reiterated that the Philippine embassy in Vienna has ‘no information at all’ due to the host country’s basic tenets of strict privacy.

To address these legal barriers, Lazaro stated that the DFA consistently requests three key agreements during bilateral political consultations: extradition, transfer of sentenced persons and mutual legal assistance.

However, she admitted that the Philippines currently lacks these specific treaties with the European countries involved.