Category: Philippine Star

Smuggled cigarettes valued at P15 million were seized during a police operation in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental on Wednesday.

The contraband was found in a truck that arrived on board a roll-on roll-off vessel at a port in Barangay Looc.

Negros Island Region police director Brig. Gen. Roman Cardiño said three men – identified as Jear Masayon, Joanie Meria and Alfad Asari – were arrested during the operation.

The suspects are residents of Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, from where the contraband reportedly originated.

Cardiño said the suspects failed to show documents for the transport of the cigarettes, which were concealed under boxes of dried fish.

Among the items found in the truck were 263 master cases of cigarettes bearing the brands Walter Premium and Busqu.

The packs of cigarettes reportedly bore no graphic health warnings.

SEDA Law (Salazar Enrile Defensor and De Mata Law Offices) recently presented its prestigious Silver Coin Tribute to Bryan Ang Chua, vice president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), during the law firm’s silver anniversary celebrations.

The firm specifically cited Ang Chua’s ‘standout leadership in the Philippine business community where he consistently lends his voice to policy advocacies supporting small and medium-scale Filipino businesses and inclusive economic growth, thereby championing the causes of job creation, enterprise expansion and national development.’

Ang Chua, a prominent businessman and honorary consul of Peru for Region IV-A, has played an active role in the PCCI. He currently serves in key leadership positions, including vice president for trade facilitation and roles focused on industry, manufacturing, transport, logistics and infrastructure.

SEDA Law founding partner Jose Vicente Salazar said Ang Chua’s work ‘reflects his solid commitment to public service, enterprise growth and inclusive progress that aligns with the law firm’s own values of excellence, integrity and nation-building.’

Established in 2001, SEDA Law has built a strong reputation in the Philippine legal sector for specialized, client-focused services across corporate, litigation, intellectual property, labor, taxation and related practice areas.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo will speak as the guest of honor as the Manila Overseas Press Club holds the ‘MOPC Judiciary Night” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 7, at the grand ballroom of Fairmont Raffles Makati Hotel.

Prominent lawyers, professionals and businessmen have pre-paid reservations to attend the event.

Gesmundo, the country’s 27th chief justice, will retire on Nov. 6.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has postponed the number coding scheme due to the inclement weather.

The agency cited the effects of Tropical Storm Maymay (international name: Kujira) as the reason for the suspension.

‘Paalala ng MMDA: planuhin ang biyahe, mag-ingat sa pagmamaneho, at manatiling nakatutok sa mahahalagang impormasyon kaugnay sa lagay ng panahon,’ the MMDA said.

(MMDA Reminder: plan your trip, drive carefully, and stay tuned for important information regarding the weather conditions.)

As of 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Maymay is in the vicinity of Bangued, Abra.

It has winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 110 kph, moving eastward at 10 kph.

Due to this, Signal Nos 1 and 2 were raised in the northern and central parts of Luzon.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country may expect rains due to the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat.

Watsons, the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson, today announced the launch of Watsons Evergreen, as part of the Group’s 185th anniversary celebrations.

To elevate its significance and create a consistent and credible expression across markets, Watsons partnered with the Pantone Color Institute, the world’s leading authority on color.

Combining Watsons’ rich heritage with Pantone’s expertise, the collaboration helped define and articulate a global brand asset that captures the essence of Watsons and its vision for the future.

A colour that brings the brand to life

Watsons Evergreen is a vibrant blue-green hue that symbolises everyday vitality, care and reassurance, reflecting Watsons’ purpose of helping customers LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day.

As a distinctive visual identity, it creates a shared language that connects Watsons markets worldwide.

From Watsons’ logo and store design to merchandising displays, digital channels and Own Brand products, Watsons Evergreen has long been a familiar presence across customer touchpoints.

The Watsons Evergreen campaign will roll out across 16 markets, including Asia, Europe and the Middle-East, through a series of customer and community activations, as well as a curated range of products, reinforcing the brand’s long-standing connection with customers and communities around the world.

Celebrating a heritage of trusted care

At the heart of the initiative is a simple belief: Watsons has always been there for customers and will continue to be for generations to come.

For 185 years, Watsons has supported customers in their everyday health needs, beauty routines and wellbeing moments, whether in-store or online. Watsons Evergreen reflects this enduring relationship, serving as a symbol of consistency, trust and care in an ever-evolving world.

Jared De Guzman, Customer Director of Watsons International, said, ‘For 185 years, Watsons has helped customers feel healthier, happier and more confident in their daily lives. Watsons Evergreen captures that role in a simple yet powerful way. By partnering with Pantone, we’ve transformed our iconic brand color into a global symbol of vitality, care and wellbeing that will connect customers across every Watsons market.’

Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, added, ‘Watsons Evergreen captures the essence of a brand that has stood the test of time while continuing to grow and evolve. It is a color that speaks of vitality and longevity, and of a deep, lasting connection to the customers and communities Watsons has served for generations.’

As Watsons marks this milestone anniversary, Watsons Evergreen stands as both a reflection of its rich heritage and a symbol of its forward-looking vision-uniting past and future in one distinctive expression of the brand.

Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa is hiding somewhere in Mindanao, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla as he denied rumors circulating in social media that the fugitive senator was arrested on Tuesday.

‘There has been no arrest for Sen. Bato. There has been a lot of speculations that he has been apprehended and he is being whisked away to The Hague, those aren’t true,’ he told reporters yesterday.

He also denied speculations of some netizens that the government kept Dela Rosa’s arrest under wraps to prevent his supporters from holding demonstrations.

Once Dela Rosa is apprehended, Remulla said they will strictly observe all legal procedures and established protocols in accordance with the rule of law.

‘He will be booked, he will be made to appear in court and then for extradition,’ he said.

Philippine Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco also clarified yesterday that Dela Rosa has not been brought to the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, contrary to circulating reports.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida and National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said their offices have also not received information on the senator being arrested.

Dela Rosa’s lawyer Israelito Torreon dismissed the speculation over radio dzRH last Tuesday, saying ‘we have no news.’

Malacañang yesterday linked the allies of Vice President Sara Duterte to the rumor, saying it is an attempt to divert attention from the questionable transactions discussed during her impeachment trial.

Palace press officer Claire Castro yesterday pointed out that the posts of former presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Dela Rosa’s lawyer Jimmy Bondoc have no context after the two published cryptic posts on social media that were widely seen as related to the legal troubles of Dela Rosa.

The Senate will cast its final vote next week to ratify defense pacts setting ground rules for Canadian and New Zealand troops to conduct joint military training in the Philippines.

At yesterday’s session, the Senate approved on second reading – with no interpel- lations and amendments – twin resolutions sponsored by Sen. Erwin Tulfo for the chamber’s concurrence on the Status of Visiting Forces Agreements with Canada and New Zealand.

The treaties provide the legal framework for foreign soldiers temporarily entering the country for military exercises or humanitarian missions.

The smooth plenary ap- proval follows earlier com mittee hearings, wherein Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. assured lawmakers that environmental safeguards and indigenous peoples’ rights are heavily embedded in the pacts.

You rarely think about customer support until you need it. A simple request can be resolved in moments, while others take longer because more information is needed. Either way, people usually want the same thing: they want to know what is happening.

To mark Customer Support Day, Olymptrade spoke with members of its customer support team about what happens after a user reaches out for assistance. Their experiences offer a closer look at how human expertise, technology and clear communication work together to assist Olymptrade’s more than 100 million registered users across 130 countries.

This global community represents a highly diverse audience, ranging from experienced traders to complete beginners. Some users come from highly digitalized markets, while others live in regions where digital adoption is still developing.

Because each group comes with different expectations and levels of familiarity with financial products, maintaining standardized, clear processes and transparent communication is just as vital as resolving inquiries themselves.

How does Olymptrade support keep users informed?

During the interviews with members of the support team, one message came through clearly. For users, good support means timely updates, clear explanations and practical guidance on what comes next.

One member of the customer support team highlighted how this works in practice. The team’s main focus is ensuring users always know where their request stands. Whether it’s a quick question or a more detailed inquiry, specialists guide users through the next steps and clearly communicate if any additional information is needed.

Another team member noticed something similar. “What they really want is reassurance that we are actively working on their case and doing everything we can to help.”

Even when an inquiry takes time to resolve, the team’s primary goal is to ensure users understand what is happening, where their request stands, and what to expect next.

Specialists look at transaction details, clarify steps, and keep communication completely transparent to maintain trust and confidence. What users are looking for is reassurance that a real professional is actively working on their case and doing everything possible to help.

As another specialist explained: “We keep the user informed about the status of the case, make the process transparent and provide the user with realistic expectations so that their trust and confidence is maintained.”

Those interviews offered a simple reminder: good customer support is measured not only by how fast someone replies, but also by whether people understand what is happening while their request is being handled.

Olymptrade continues to heavily invest in expanding and improving this area of its operations. This progress stands out in markets where the traditional industry standard is often limited to overloaded phone lines available only Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m.

By delivering 24/7 localized support, these operational efforts have earned external recognition, including the Excellence in Customer Support Middle East 2026 award from International Business Magazine.

Why AI and real human support work better together

When serving a large global user base, technology is necessary to keep up with incoming requests.

Olymptrade uses automated chat systems as the first point of contact to answer common questions and direct traffic efficiently. If a user simply needs help finding a platform feature or understanding a standard process, automated support delivers the answer instantly.

However, automation is built for routine tasks. When an inquiry requires additional context or extra information, human specialists step in to provide personalized guidance and coordinate with internal departments.

This layered system ensures that technology handles speed at scale, while human professionals focus their time on cases that need a personalized touch.

How do support conversations improve the platform?

Some questions come up more often than others.

When different users ask about the same feature or need help with the same step, those conversations begin to reveal patterns.

The support team pays close attention to those patterns and shares them with the teams responsible for the platform.

The result is not always a major update. Sometimes it is clearer wording, and sometimes it is a simpler screen or a more intuitive user flow.

Changes like these rarely begin in a meeting room. In some cases, they begin with a question from a user.

That is another role of customer support. Every conversation offers a chance to make the platform a little accessible for the next person.

What do Olymptrade support reviews reveal?

Search results can tell you only so much.

To understand the full context, it helps to look at how the support process works in practice.

The Customer Support Day interviews offered that kind of perspective.

They showed that customer support is built around more than quick replies. Helping users understand what’s happening, explaining the next step, and making communication clear all came up repeatedly during the conversations.

The interviews also showed where AI fits into the picture. Routine questions can often be handled straight away, while requests that need more context are passed to real human support.

Another point stood out.

Those interactions do not disappear once a case has been closed. Questions that appear again and again help highlight areas where instructions, navigation, or the overall user experience can become easier for everyone.

That is the picture these conversations leave behind. They are less about individual cases and more about how the support system works every day.

Most as asked questions

How quickly does Olymptrade respond to support requests?

Olymptrade reports an average first response time of under 20 seconds, with an overall average response and resolution update window kept under 50 seconds.

Is support available globally?

Yes. Olymptrade provides around-the-clock, 24/7 support across 130 countries. To ensure clear and transparent communication, assistance is fully localized and provided in 14 languages, including English, Arabic, Hindi, Bahasa Indonesia, and Spanish.

Does user feedback actually change the platform?

Olymptrade does not treat support interactions as isolated tickets. Recurring queries or navigation patterns are systematically categorized and escalated to product development teams to streamline layouts, clarify wording, and improve user interface elements.

What do Olymptrade support reviews usually talk about?

Many Olymptrade support reviews focus on response time, accessibility, and clarity of communication. Users exploring these evaluations typically want to verify how fast the team responds, who handles their inquiries, and whether the process remains transparent during more detailed reviews.

Conclusion

Millions of questions reach Olymptrade every year. Some take only a few moments to answer. Others need more time, more context, or input from different teams.

Behind each one is the same goal: helping users understand what is happening and what comes next.

That is what the Customer Support Day interviews revealed. It is also the core idea behind Olymptrade’s “Care that counts” initiative: meaningful service is measured not only by finding answers, but also by keeping people updated throughout the process.

Converge ICT Solutions Inc., through its residential broadband service Converge FiberX, revealed Converge XCLSV, a new milestone loyalty program designed to recognize subscribers through benefits, special moments and customer experiences beyond their everyday broadband service.

Converge unveiled the program on July 29 during an exclusive advance screening of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” at the ScreenX Cinema in SM Mall of Asia. Select FiberX subscribers, each accompanied by one guest, were the first to experience the XCLSV treat.

Built around the idea that every connection has a story, Converge XCLSV gives FiberX a dedicated platform for recognizing the relationships it has built with subscribers over time. Converge plans to hold more XCLSV events and introduce additional subscriber-focused activities, recognition moments and special experiences as the loyalty program expands.

‘Converge XCLSV gives us a more deliberate way to recognize the customers who continue to choose and trust FiberX,’ said Orange Ramirez, vice president and head of Brand and Marketing at Converge ICT Solutions Inc.

Ramizer continued, ‘Our new Milestone Loyalty Program is one way we’d like to give back, to celebrate your continued trust with meaningful rewards. Your trust is what inspires us to keep improving, innovating, and finding better ways to serve you. We want subscribers to know that their continued relationship with us matters and that there will be more value and experiences for them to look forward to.’

The launch also served as a subscriber appreciation event, featuring trivia activities, official Converge FiberX merchandise and opportunities to win e-gift certificates, electronic gadgets and a gaming console.

‘We wanted to reveal XCLSV with the people it was created for,’ said Jaemee Anne Pino, AVP and head of Marketing – Usage and Loyalty at Converge ICT Solutions Inc. ‘The Spider-Man screening sets the tone for how we want subscribers to experience the program through moments that feel relevant, rewarding and centered on them. This is only the beginning.’

Converge FiberX will release further details on XCLSV and its program benefits through its official channels. More subscriber events and XCLSV experiences are also planned as the loyalty program rolls out.

Aboitiz Power Corp. is now looking at nuclear energy generation as a potential strategic opportunity after entering into a partnership with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. (KHNP).

The country’s leading power producer recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean firm to explore nuclear energy technologies and assess their potential viability in the Philippines.

Under the MOU, the two companies will undertake joint pre-feasibility studies, share information and pursue capacity-building initiatives related to nuclear technologies. The exploratory and non-exclusive agreement does not impose binding obligations on either party.

‘This MOU marks a meaningful step in AboitizPower’s efforts to understand nuclear energy’s potential contribution to the Philippines’ energy security and reliable baseload capacity,’ AboitizPower chief corporate services officer Carlos Ramon Aboitiz said.

Given the complexity of the technology and the stringent requirements involved, Aboitiz said nuclear energy generation must be grounded in rigorous technical assessments and strong regulatory oversight.

‘We see significant value in learning from KHNP’s decades of experience and we look forward to working alongside the Department of Energy (DOE) to responsibly assess nuclear energy’s role in the country’s energy future,’ he added.

For his part, KHNP senior executive vice president Il-kyung Choi said the South Korean firm is committed to working closely with AboitizPower in supporting the Philippines’ energy transition.

KHNP is South Korea’s largest electric power generation company, accounting for around 32.76 percent of the East Asian country’s total electricity.

South Korea currently operates a nuclear plant that is an exact twin of the Philippines’ Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which was completed in 1984 but was never activated due to safety and political issues.

In the Philippines, the government initially targeted the deployment of at least 1,200 megawatts of commercially operational nuclear capacity by 2032. The DOE, however, noted that the timeline could be delayed until 2035.

For Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, the country’s transition toward a secure, clean and reliable energy future cannot be achieved through government efforts alone.

‘It requires strong public-private coordination and the exchange of best practices across borders with experienced industry leaders such as KHNP,’ added Garin, who was present at the MOU signing between AboitizPower and KHNP.