Category: Philippine Star

The student who killed two schoolmates with a pistol and wounded six others in a shooting incident inside a school campus in Banga, South Cotabato, on Friday, September 18, had long planned the attack, and his friends knew about it.

The attacker attacked schoolmates at Banga National High School (BNHS) in Banga town, South Cotabato, not too distant from the provincial capital, Koronadal City.

Banga Mayor Albert Palencia and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. separately told reporters on Saturday that the attacker’s phone had a Messenger group chat where he had told classmates that he planned to attack schoolmates at their campus, possibly agitated by family and personal problems.

Tamayo said the BNHS campus is guarded by 11 security guards. He and Palencia had separately told reporters that the student who perpetrated the attack was an intelligent student whose father is an employee of the Department of Education 12, which has jurisdiction over schools in South Cotabato and the three other provinces and four cities in Region 12.

‘According to one of the Messenger group chats with his friends, he planned the atrocity in August. He had told his friends then he was to execute his plan on September 3, but did not push it through,’ Palencia said.

The attacker had told his friends, in his last chat with them, not to attend classes on Friday, for he was to proceed with his plan to attack schoolmates with a gun, according to Palencia.

Barangay officials and teachers had told reporters that he entered the campus during the noon break Friday, barged into classrooms and fired at students eating packed food.

Palencia said the attacker, armed with his father’s 9-millimeter pistol, reportedly got a low grade in one of his subjects during their most recent grading period.

One student died at the school, while another died later at a hospital. Six other students were injured and are receiving treatment at different hospitals.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara was at the BNHS campus on Saturday and, while there, told reporters that there is a need to tighten security in schools to prevent such incidents and that security guards guarding campuses ought to have metal detectors to prevent the entry of students carrying guns.

Angara said they need to wait for the police to disclose the findings of investigators on the real circumstances of the incident.

The DepEd chief said the attacker had left a letter stating he knew what he was about to do was wrong, but still perpetrated the attack.

Tamayo, now in his third term as governor, has tasked the chief of the South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, nurse Rolly Aquino, to extend essential relief supplies to the wounded students now undergoing treatment in hospitals.

Tamayo, presiding chairperson of the multi-sector Regional Peace and Order Council 12, said local executives in Banga, officials of the Banga Municipal Police Station and the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office, and their superiors in the Police Regional Office 12 are cooperating in bringing closure to the incident.

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.

As over 26 million students returned to school for the 2026-2027 year, attention has again been drawn to the persistent ‘learning crisis’ affecting education. Experts argue that this crisis will persist unless the classroom shortage is addressed, teachers are properly supported and the lack of textbooks and learning materials is resolved.

Why do our students perform poorly in international assessments? One possible cause is a basic issue – they struggle with accurate reading, which may be due to vision problems that hinder clear sight.

It is estimated that over 28 million Filipinos struggle with near vision, mostly due to poverty that prevents them from affording eye exams or glasses.

In my discussion with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s leading optometrist Dr. Rokiah Omar, I learned that children are the most vulnerable because they seldom complain about poor vision. They don’t know what ‘normal’ vision should be, so a blurry world feels natural to them.

The brain and eyes actively learn to work together, a process that continues until a child is about seven or eight years old. If a child has a vision problem during these formative years, the brain may permanently ignore blurry signals from the affected eye.

International medical guidelines recommend starting formal vision screenings around age three, with yearly tests until age six. Delaying early detection of vision problems raises the risk of amblyopia, or ‘lazy eye,’ when one or both eyes don’t develop normal vision during childhood. The brain often favors the stronger eye, gradually ignoring signals from the weaker eye.

If a corrective lens or eye patch isn’t used before age seven, the brain’s neural pathways solidify, leading to permanent visual impairment in that eye – something that glasses or surgery can’t correct later.

Early childhood is therefore a critical window for visual development, and providing a child with eyeglasses is one of the most powerful educational and economic interventions. Experts say that a child with uncorrected vision learns about half as much in a year as a classmate with good vision.

A child’s ability to see the blackboard clearly directly affects their learning, graduation and ability to find skilled jobs. When a child can’t see the board or focus on a book, going to school becomes a frustrating experience. Because young children often don’t recognize their vision issues, teachers and parents may mistakenly think they are slow learners, have ADHD or lack intelligence.

But we cannot help these students because of the ongoing crisis in the country’s optometry profession. While there are more than 12,000 registered optometrists, only about half are actively practicing. This leaves us well below the WHO-recommended 1:10,000 optometrist-to-population ratio.

This small number is compounded by our archipelagic character and in many places, Filipinos never have their vision checked.

All higher education institutions that offer a Doctor of Optometry are private, lengthy and costly programs. They typically require five-six years and cost between P600,000 to P750,000 for the entire duration. These expenses do not include the cost of ophthalmic instruments such as retinoscopes and ophthalmoscopes, clinical fees, internships or board review classes.

This means there are fewer graduates, and many of those who graduate practice their profession abroad, open clinics or remain in urban areas.

The government has been fond of enacting policies that appear to address the problem. The National Vision Screening Act (RA 11358), enacted in 2019, mandates a National Vision Screening Program (NVSP) under DepEd to screen kindergarten pupils’ vision.

The NVSP requires teachers and health personnel to conduct basic vision screenings for kindergarten students. This helps identify potential visual issues early, provide immediate support to visually impaired children, establish a referral system for specialist examinations and treatments and compile a database of vision screening outcomes for all kindergarteners.

While these goals are admirable, how can they be realized amid the country’s optometry crisis? Who will train the thousands of teachers in vision screening? Who will offer immediate assistance to visually impaired kindergarten students? Who will perform follow-up diagnoses at regional or local levels? How can you persuade or mandate that optometry students complete their internships by screening children, or that graduates join this effort?

This is most likely a dead law.

Dr. Charlie Ho, a four-term national president of the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO) and the founding president of the Vision Science Institute, provides a practical solution.

We need to open optometry programs at state universities and colleges (SUCs) to expand access by lowering costs (through ongoing free tuition and waived miscellaneous fees) and to require a return-service agreement so that students can serve in far-flung areas. These students (or graduates) can be the backbone of DepEd’s implementation of RA 11358. Similar to the successful Doktor Para sa Bayan law, CHED can provide grants to participating SUCs for equipment purchases and additional stipends to cover students’ other educational costs.

So far, only UP Manila Chancellor Mike Tee has risen to the challenge of developing a Doctor of Optometry program in response to the optometry crisis to help young Filipinos.

When will other SUCs follow suit, and when will CHED step in to address the issue?

Retirement promised quiet mornings and unhurried afternoons, but life rewrote my script with the arrival of my grandson into my care. Raising him is no gentle pastime –it is full immersion into fragile years where speech, social skills, and identity begin to take root, a role heavier than any lecture I once delivered yet laced with joys no accolade could equal. In his laughter and tears, I find myself enrolled in a new course without textbooks, where lessons are lived and surrender is never an option.

The first challenge is always emotional. Financial stability cushions many practical concerns –school fees, nutritious meals, medical checkups, even the occasional indulgence in toys or books. But money cannot buy the resilience needed when a child cries inconsolably at night or struggles to form his first words. Speech development, for instance, is not just about vocabulary; it is about patience, repetition, and the quiet art of listening. I have found myself repeating syllables, exaggerating sounds, and celebrating the smallest utterance as though it were a grand achievement. The joy is undeniable, but the worry lingers: will he catch up, will he thrive, will he find his voice in a world that demands so much articulation?

Then comes the social sphere. A child’s early encounters with peers are a rehearsal for the larger theater of society. I watch him stumble through play, sometimes hesitant, sometimes bold, and I realize how fragile these interactions are. One wrong word, one rejection, can echo longer than we imagine. As a grandmother, I hover –not too close, lest I stifle, but not too far, lest I miss the moment when guidance is needed. It is a delicate dance, one that requires intuition more than instruction.

The paradox of raising a grandson lies in the blend of joy and exhaustion. There are mornings when his laughter fills the house with a kind of music I never knew I needed. Yet there are nights when fatigue presses heavily, when I wonder if my aging body can keep pace with his boundless energy. Still, surrender is not an option. The bond between grandparent and grandchild is not contractual; it is covenantal, sealed by love and necessity.

What makes the journey bearable is the unexpected wisdom that children bring. In his innocence, my grandson teaches me patience anew. In his curiosity, he reminds me of the wonder I once carried as a young professor, eager to explore ideas. And in his vulnerability, he calls forth a strength I did not know remained in me. Raising him is not merely about ensuring his milestones are met –it is about rediscovering my own capacity to nurture, to endure, and to hope.

There are days when the responsibility of shaping a young life weighs heavier than any lecture I once delivered or column I have written, and the fear of failing him is never far. Yet the joy of watching my grandson grow, hearing him call my name, and seeing his hesitant steps toward independence eclipses the fatigue.

Raising a grandson is both burden and blessing, demanding sacrifice but offering a fulfillment no retirement plan could ever promise. Though I may have left the classroom, life has enrolled me in a new course –one without textbooks, where lessons are lived rather than taught. And in his laughter and tears, I discover not only the future of my family but also the enduring purpose of my own life, a purpose that insists there can be no surrender, only love.

The European Union (EU) has donated 150,000 euros, approximately P10.9 million, to help victims of severe flooding caused by monsoon rains in Luzon.

The humanitarian assistance is expected to benefit more than 32,000 people in areas severely hit by flooding including Ilocos region, Central Luzon and Metro Manila.

The funding will help the Philippine Red Cross provide essential household items including sleeping kits, water containers and hygiene kits to displaced families.

‘The aid will also be used to provide hot meals and safe drinking water to people in evacuation centers and affected communities. Mobile health teams will offer medical consultations, medicine, health information and mental health support,’ the EU said.

It said hygiene activities and disease monitoring will be conducted to mitigate the risk of water- and vector-borne diseases that are prevalent after flooding.

The assistance is the EU’s contribution to the disaster response emergency fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The fund is on top of the over two million euros earlier allocated to humanitarian partners in the Philippines.

‘Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human sufferings, and safeguard the integrity and dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises,’ the EU said.

The Philippines smashed Syria, 3.5-.5, to remain undefeated and keep its chances of finishing in the top 10 afloat after two rounds of the 46th World Chess Olympiad at the Silk Road International Exhibition Centre in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Mhage Sebastian, trusted upon to man the top board despite being an Olympiad rookie, continued her strong showing, winning her second straight match, this time over Woman FIDE Master Roula Mahmoud.

Also coming through were WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda and WFM Shania Mae Mendoza on boards three and four, respectively, while WIM Ruelle Canino was held to a draw by WFM Manar Khalil on second board.

The win kept the Filipinas, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission, in a heavy 44-nation logjam at No. 1, which included defending champion India, with four match points apiece.

The Filipinos, in contrast, ran into seventh seed Azerbaijan and fell, 1-3, with IMs Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia the only players who escaped with draws on boards two and four.

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.

The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) handed coach Roger Yap his first win as the Jaguars pummeled the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM), 75-46, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 26 basketball tournament Thursday night, September 17, at the Cebu Coliseum.

Alcher Obra unloaded 23 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Chan Bennedict Brigoli added 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block to help the Jaguars snap a two-game losing skid.

After a hot 20-10 start, the Jaguars held UCLM to just four points in the second period while pouring in 23 to build a huge 43-14 advantage at halftime.

The Jaguars kept up their relentless offensive attack in the second half, stretching their lead to as many as 32 points late in the lopsided contest.

USJ-R shot an efficient 27-of-51 from the field, while UCLM struggled from the floor, making just 13 of 65 attempts.

Marty Louisse Sotto finished with 12 points and five rebounds for UCLM, which suffered its third loss in four games.

In the juniors division, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Junior Wildcats caught fire in the second quarter and sustained their momentum the rest of the way to trounce the PAREF Springdale School Titans, 88-61.

The Junior Wildcats trailed by a hairline, 18-19, after the first 10 minutes of play but staged a scorching 16-3 rally midway through the second frame to seize control, 43-30, at the break.

The Junior Wildcats padded their lead to 63-41 after three quarters before it snowballed to 32 points in the closing minutes.

Geoffe Vhon Partosa exploded for 29 points for CIT-U on a dazzling 11-of-15 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds, four assists, and a steal.

Vincent Zamora chipped in 13 points, nine rebounds, an assist, and two steals, while Skeril Miez Basilisco contributed 2 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks as the Junior Wildcats improved to 2-1.

Riche Sarmiento II delivered an explosive 30-point performance for Springdale laced with two rebounds and two steals, while Anton Lorenzo Gratones scattered 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. But their efforts went for naught as the Titans suffered their third consecutive defeat.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said there was no justification for a China Coast Guard vessel to ram a Philippine civilian vessel conducting a humanitarian mission in the West Philippine Sea.

The DFA condemned the incident involving the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ BRP Datu Magat Salamat, which sustained damage after being struck by China Coast Guard vessel CCG-21585.

‘There is no justification for the CCG vessel to undertake aggressive actions against a Philippine civilian law enforcement vessel, and cause damage to the ship and endanger the safety of the civilian crew,’ the DFA said in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday night, September 18.

“The Philippines emphasizes that the BFAR vessel was merely conducting routine and lawful humanitarian activities to support Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea,” it added.

BFAR vessel damaged

The Philippine Coast Guard said the incident happened at around 11 a.m., about 54 nautical miles off Palawan, while the BFAR vessel was carrying out a mission to assist Filipino fishermen in the Kalayaan Island Group.

The vessel was delivering fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fisherfolk following weeks of monsoon rains, according to the PCG.

PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said the Chinese vessel intentionally rammed the BFAR ship.

‘To call this unprofessional or bullying would be an understatement. What we are seeing here is pure evil,’ Tarriela wrote on Facebook with a video of the incident.

The impact damaged the BRP Datu Magat Salamat’s main railings on the starboard side, metal stanchions and support structures, as well as deck fixtures and equipment. No injuries were reported.

Tarriela said the CCG vessel later made another dangerous maneuver, passing behind the BFAR vessel at a distance of about five meters.

The BRP Datu Magat Salamat was refloated Thursday after running aground at Hasa-Hasa Shoal while approaching Filipino fishing boats to distribute fuel.

Tarriela said the vessel would be brought to Coron Port for an assessment of its seaworthiness.

DFA cites international law

The DFA said the Philippine vessel was conducting routine and lawful humanitarian activities to support Filipino fisherfolk.

‘The CCG vessel’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous acts are inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law,’ it said.

The department noted that the Chinese vessel’s actions were inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Award, the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention.

‘The Philippines calls on China to respect Philippine sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone in accordance with UNCLOS as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award, exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions in the region,’ it added.

Beijing blames Philippine vessel

The Chinese embassy in the Philippines disputed the Philippine account of the incident in a statement posted on Facebook.

Jiang Lue, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said the Chinese vessel Sanzhou’ao was conducting what Beijing described as rights-protection and law-enforcement operations near Xianbin Jiao in China’s Nansha Qundao on September 18.

According to the statement, the Philippine vessel No. 3015 ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately altered course and suddenly accelerated before cutting across the bow of the China Coast Guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

‘The Philippine side’s actions seriously violate international law and the basic norms of international relations and threaten the safety of China Coast Guard vessels and personnel,’ the statement said.

The Chinese Coast Guard said its vessel operated ‘in a professional and standardized manner, reasonably and lawfully’ and placed full responsibility for the collision on the Philippine side.

It also demanded that the Philippines stop what it described as ‘infringing and provocative acts,’ warning that consequences arising from such actions would be borne by the Philippine side.

“The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights-protection and law-enforcement operations in waters under China’s jurisdiction to safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” it added.

Retirement promised quiet mornings and unhurried afternoons, but life rewrote my script with the arrival of my grandson into my care. Raising him is no gentle pastime –it is full immersion into fragile years where speech, social skills, and identity begin to take root, a role heavier than any lecture I once delivered yet laced with joys no accolade could equal. In his laughter and tears, I find myself enrolled in a new course without textbooks, where lessons are lived and surrender is never an option.

The first challenge is always emotional. Financial stability cushions many practical concerns –school fees, nutritious meals, medical checkups, even the occasional indulgence in toys or books. But money cannot buy the resilience needed when a child cries inconsolably at night or struggles to form his first words. Speech development, for instance, is not just about vocabulary; it is about patience, repetition, and the quiet art of listening. I have found myself repeating syllables, exaggerating sounds, and celebrating the smallest utterance as though it were a grand achievement. The joy is undeniable, but the worry lingers: will he catch up, will he thrive, will he find his voice in a world that demands so much articulation?

Then comes the social sphere. A child’s early encounters with peers are a rehearsal for the larger theater of society. I watch him stumble through play, sometimes hesitant, sometimes bold, and I realize how fragile these interactions are. One wrong word, one rejection, can echo longer than we imagine. As a grandmother, I hover –not too close, lest I stifle, but not too far, lest I miss the moment when guidance is needed. It is a delicate dance, one that requires intuition more than instruction.

The paradox of raising a grandson lies in the blend of joy and exhaustion. There are mornings when his laughter fills the house with a kind of music I never knew I needed. Yet there are nights when fatigue presses heavily, when I wonder if my aging body can keep pace with his boundless energy. Still, surrender is not an option. The bond between grandparent and grandchild is not contractual; it is covenantal, sealed by love and necessity.

What makes the journey bearable is the unexpected wisdom that children bring. In his innocence, my grandson teaches me patience anew. In his curiosity, he reminds me of the wonder I once carried as a young professor, eager to explore ideas. And in his vulnerability, he calls forth a strength I did not know remained in me. Raising him is not merely about ensuring his milestones are met –it is about rediscovering my own capacity to nurture, to endure, and to hope.

There are days when the responsibility of shaping a young life weighs heavier than any lecture I once delivered or column I have written, and the fear of failing him is never far. Yet the joy of watching my grandson grow, hearing him call my name, and seeing his hesitant steps toward independence eclipses the fatigue.

Raising a grandson is both burden and blessing, demanding sacrifice but offering a fulfillment no retirement plan could ever promise. Though I may have left the classroom, life has enrolled me in a new course –one without textbooks, where lessons are lived rather than taught. And in his laughter and tears, I discover not only the future of my family but also the enduring purpose of my own life, a purpose that insists there can be no surrender, only love.