Category: Philippine Star

The road to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will make a stop in South Korea as Gilas leaves Manila for Seoul this afternoon to play two exhibition games in Suwon on Friday and Sunday before departing for Japan. The players include Robert Bolick, Adrian Nocum, Don Trollano, Brandon Bates, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, RJ Abarrientos, Justin Arana, Justine Baltazar, Sedrick Barefield, Jerrick Ahanmisi and Zavier Lucero.

Coach Tim Cone said Justin Brownlee is a possibility to join the squad but it’s nothing definite. He ruled out Jason Perkins, named in the initial 30-man pool, due to injury. Among the players who were on the 14-man pool for the fourth FIBA World Cup Asia qualifying window, only Baltazar, Arana and Abarrientos were retained. Caelan Tiongson would’ve been on the roster but lacks documents to comply with eligibility requirements.

The team started practice at the San Miguel Corp. facility in Pasig two weeks ago with Gilas assistant coaches Richard del Rosario, Jong Uichico and Josh Reyes supervising the workouts while Cone focused on the FIBA window. The Asian Games team had two scrimmages with the FIBA team, splitting the outcomes.

Missing in Cone’s staff for the Asian Games will be Sean Chambers who was on the bench for the FIBA window. ‘I believe our team will do really well in Japan,’ said Chambers. ‘I was impressed with Nocum in the two scrimmages. I was honored that Coach Tim gave me a chance to design a play right before halftime in the Iran game. It’s impressive that Coach Tim is empowering his coaching staff to have an impact.’ Cone’s trust in his staff was also reflected in designating Del Rosario, Uichico and Reyes to work with the Asian Games pool during the FIBA window.

Gilas takes Korean Air flight KE622 at 12:20 p.m. today to arrive in Seoul at 5:25 p.m. The tuneup games with the South Korean national team are set in Suwon, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The arena is the Suwon KT Sonicboom homecourt.

Gilas is in Group C with China, Bahrain and Kazakhstan in the Asian Games. First game will be against Bahrain on Sept. 11 then it will be Kazakhstan on Sept. 12 and China on Sept. 14. The other teams are Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in Group A and Iran, Jordan, Chinese-Taipei and Qatar in Group B.

House prosecutors are considering skipping one of the four articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte for the Senate trial and moving from the current confidential-funds charge directly to the unexplained wealth article.

Saying the panel is aiming to finish presenting their case by October, Rep. Joel Chua admitted the bribery charge may take a back seat for the body to proceed instead to the larger allegations on Duterte’s supposed wealth.

“Well, that is possible,” Chua said in a TV5 interview on Wednesday, September 2.

Chua pointed to the previous grave threats and the ongoing confidential fund debates as already substantial.

“We are looking at the strong arguments on our two articles. So, we would just add another article that we think we really can’t skip-that is, the unexplained wealth, which everyone is looking forward to,” Chua said in Filipino.

Where the trial is at now

The prosecution first presented Article IV, involving Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.

It is now presenting Article I, which accuses Duterte of misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, when Duterte was secretary.

Former DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson Michael Wesley Poa is currently on the witness stand as prosecutors examine the department’s use and liquidation of confidential funds.

If prosecutors finish Article I and move directly to Article II on unexplained wealth, Article III, which accuses Duterte of bribery and graft involving alleged cash payments to DepEd officials, could be left out of the prosecution’s presentation.

The unexplained wealth article accuses Duterte of amassing assets disproportionate to her and hur husband’s lawful income, failing to fully disclose assets and financial interests in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, and continuing business interests while serving as vice president.

Avoiding a prolonged trial

Chua said prosecutors expect to finish presenting evidence on the confidential-funds article in the next few trial days before moving on to another charge.

“We expect that by next week, we’re done,” he said in the same interview.

The prosecution does not want proceedings to stretch into 2027, he said, particularly because Duterte’s defense team will still have to present its own evidence after the House rests its case.

“We also don’t want a protracted hearing. We don’t want that stretch this out to next year,” Chua said.

He floated a timeline under which the prosecution could finish by October and the defense by November, noting that the two sides may call some of the same witnesses.

“So, we hope by December, we already have a decision from the impeachment court,” Chua said, referring to the body of senator-judges. The panel needs 16 votes to oust Duterte from office and ban her from future public posts she might pursue.

The four articles approved by the House accuse Duterte of offenses involving confidential funds, unexplained wealth, alleged bribery of DepEd officials and alleged threats against Marcos and others.

The Philippines, among other countries affected by the still unresolved conflict in the Middle East, continues to face various economic challenges mainly driven by the global energy crisis, and vulnerable sectors, including working students, are feeling the heat.

Since the country imports 98% of its oil from the Middle East, the supply disruption causes not only transportation cost hikes but has also pushed up prices of electricity, food, and basic goods, and in effect, weakened the purchasing power of regular Filipinos.

For working students who are already facing immense financial pressure to fund their own schooling and take responsibility for other expenses that go with it, the rising cost of living is constantly threatening to force them to put their studies on hold. Apart from being working students, some of them even double up as breadwinners or partial providers of the family, thus the even bigger financial struggle. Is it time for them to give up their studies and concentrate on making a living then?

There is still a choice, as some institutions or establishments, such as Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC), have decided to help working students continue their studies. A strong advocate for working students, the school champions their needs by designing solutions for their most pressing problems, believing that quality education should remain accessible to all. Its students typically spend only P12,000 to P14,000 each term for a light load covering three subjects.

The digital college has further strengthened its financial aid programs through the Pangarap Support initiative. The initiative streamlines access to the institution’s financial aid portfolio, allowing enrollees to leverage specific programs that best cater to their needs and situation.

Working students who are planning to enroll in BS Information and Business courses, for example, can get up to 36% tuition discount, with the Asenso Scholarship providing 20% upfront discount and the Needs-based Scholarship accounting for the additional 16% discount for those who qualify.

Meanwhile, solo parents, children of solo parents, and working youth aged 18 to 25 can get the financial support they need to pursue higher education through the NextGen Discount Program, where they can receive a 30% discount for one term. Families who enroll together in the same academic term can also get financial relief through the Family Scholarship Program, which offers tiered tuition fee discounts of up to 60% off for up to four immediate family members.

For working students who are on a tight budget, the institution also partnered with GCash through its Study Now, Pay Laer program that allows enrollees to pay their tuition and other school fees through the app’s installment loan service GGives, providing them the flexibility to repay the amount within six to 18 months.

The college also offers Certification Programs for only P990 per month. This program is specifically designed to help non-graduate professionals and career shifters upskill or reskill to stay relevant, attain better employment, or overcome a career rut in this ever-changing global labor landscape.

Delivered through the global online platform Coursera, the program can help them earn micro-credentials in high-demand industries, such as virtual assistance, digital marketing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and English language training. These self-paced courses are offered fully online, enabling enrollees to obtain a professional certification in two to three months.

The Cebu Greats banked on the explosive performance of Mark Meneses and the endgame heroics of Kint Ariar to stun the defending champions Abra Solid North Weavers, 74-70, in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season on Monday night, August 31, at the Ynares Center Montalban in Rizal.

Meneses delivered a solid double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds with four assists, two steals and two blocks as the Greats rolled to their fifth straight victory after losing back-to-back home games to grab the solo lead in the South Division with a 19-5 win-loss record.

With the score tied at 68-all, Ariar came to the rescue of Cebu by hitting the go-ahead basket in the final 42 seconds and then nailing the insurance free throws with 7.5 ticks left in the game clock.

Ariar finished with eight points and two rebounds while Dhon Reverente unloaded 16 points and four rebounds as Cebu snapped Abra’s 19-game winning streak in a massive upset.

Dave Ildefonso chalked up 20 points, 11 rebounds and two assists while DJ Fenner added 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals for Abra, which suffered its only second defeat in 23 matches.

With a 21-2 slate, the Weavers are still on top of the North Division.

The police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) has intensified its monitoring against scammers as the so-called ‘ber’ months started yesterday.

ACG director Maj. Gen. Wilson Asueta ordered cybercrime investigators to patrol online platforms, which scammers are using to dupe people.

The start of the ber months ushered in the unofficial countdown to Christmas.

Data from the ACG showed there were 323 operations against the illegal sale of financial accounts and online swindling from Jan. 1 to July 31 this year.

The country’s foreign debt payments increased by 4.8 percent to $6.21 billion from January to May as higher principal repayments outweighed a decline in interest payments, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

The debt service burden, which represents principal and interest paid on covered foreign obligations, was $283 million higher than the $5.93 billion DSB recorded in the same period last year.

Principal repayments went up by 13.6 percent to $3.01 billion from $2.65 billion. In contrast, interest payments, or the cost of borrowing, declined by 2.3 percent to $3.2 billion from $3.28 billion.

Interest accounted for 51.5 percent of the five-month debt service bill, while principal made up the remaining 48.5 percent.

Under the BSP’s internationally accepted measure, the DSB covers principal and interest payments on fixed medium- and long-term foreign loans. It also includes interest paid on certain short-term obligations of banks and non-banks.

The measure excludes advance payments on foreign loans due in future years and principal repayments on short-term liabilities. This means the DSB does not capture every foreign debt transaction during the period.

Economists said the increase largely reflected scheduled debt maturities, rather than a deterioration in the country’s ability to meet its foreign obligations.

SM Investments Corp. group economist Robert Dan Roces said more debt matured during the period, driving principal repayments higher even as interest payments declined.

‘With ample reserves and steady foreign currency inflows, the country remains well-positioned to meet its external obligations,’ Roces said.

Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong and Co., likewise said the figures indicated responsible debt repayment rather than financial stress.

‘The key challenge is ensuring that the economy continues to generate sufficient dollar earnings to comfortably meet future debt obligations while preserving fiscal flexibility,’ Ravelas said.

Debt service was equivalent to 21.6 percent of export shipments from January to May, lower than the 22.4 percent recorded a year earlier. Put simply, the debt service bill was equivalent to about 21.6 cents for every dollar of merchandise exports.

Meanwhile, the ratio of debt service to exports of goods and receipts from services and primary income was unchanged at 9.3 percent. The DSB-to-current account receipts ratio also remained at 8.9 percent.

The DSB is a flow of payments over a period and should not be confused with external debt, which is the total amount still owed to foreign creditors at a particular date.

The country’s outstanding external debt edged up by 0.4 percent to $147.35 billion as of end-March from $146.74 billion a year earlier. Public sector external debt increased by 4.5 percent to $95.66 billion, while private sector debt declined by 6.4 percent to $51.7 billion.

Those morsels of flavored sticky rice wrapped around ebi (shrimp), kani (crabstick), tamago (egg), mango, lettuce, cucumber, and a whole lot of other ingredients are versatile mouthfuls.

You’ve had sushi with nori outside, nori inside, shaped into triangles, served in cones, with and without toppings and dollops of Japanese mayonnaise or delicious sauces, plain or torched, with tobiko (fish roe) or sesame seeds. Some even with segments of tempura as filling for that added crunch, and they go perfectly together.

If you like the crunch, the soft texture of rice, and the savory filling within, you might want to try fried sushi and, chances are, fall in love with it. This recipe of Fried Potato Sushi from Potatoes USA just may be the perfect treat for you.

Fried Potato Sushi

Ingredients:

1 cup instant mashed potatoes, prepared

2 sheets nori (seaweed paper)

2 bars surimi*

1 egg, slightly whisked

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Salt to taste

Oil, as needed, for pan-frying

For the dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 pcs. Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

2 tsps. lime juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to package directions. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and let cool.

2. Spread out nori sheet and distribute mashed potatoes evenly on it. Place surimi in the center, roll up, and dip into slightly whisked egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. (*Surimi is a ready-to-eat base for imitation seafood fish paste made from minced white fish. It also goes by the name crabstick.)

3. Fry in hot oil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, one roll at a time. Cut each roll into 8 pieces.

4. Make the dressing by blending all ingredients together until well mixed. Decorate the cut sushis with the dressing.

The impeachment court on Wednesday, September 2, heard from its latest hostile witness, defense counsel and former DepEd spokesperson and chief of staff Michael Poa.

Poa, who is also part of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, was DepEd’s chief of staff and later concurrently officer-in-charge undersecretary for finance under then-Secretary Duterte.

He signed the department’s official reply to a Commission on Audit inquiry into the department’s P112.5 million in confidential funds.

Prosecution offered him as a witness specifically because, in counsel to the prosecution Benjamin Tolosa Jr.’s words, Poa was made to answer for the use and liquidation of those funds “despite knowing nothing” about how it was actually spent on the ground, and because, in the prosecution’s view, “every road leads to the vice president.”

Duterte’s trial entered its 21st day today with hours of testimony chipping at DepEd’s paper trail justifying P15.54 million in confidential fund rewards, repeated procedural clashes between prosecution and defense over how far Tolosa could go in confronting Poa with his own past testimonies at the House of Representatives, and a new stretch of trial dates set for October and November.

Here are the highlights from today’s proceedings:

1. Poa didn’t know DepEd had a security officer until House hearings

Poa testified he was not aware DepEd had a designated security officer handling confidential funds, Col. Dennis Nolasco, until it surfaced in House hearings, well after he had already signed off on DepEd’s response to COA.

Under questioning from Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Poa said the special disbursing officer he consulted while preparing that response, DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda, never told him he personally handed rewards to informants.

Whenever he asked for details, Poa said the officer pointed only to “the field.” Poa confirmed he never spoke with Nolasco and didn’t know he existed at the time: “Hindi ko po alam na may security officer at hindi ko po nakita or nakilala si Colonel Nolasco nung panahon ko po sa DepEd.”

Asked why he didn’t approach the security officer directly, Poa said he would have, had he known one existed.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros pressed further on when and how Poa learned this. Poa said he only found out during the 2024 House hearings, realizing then that “the field” the SDO kept referring to was actually Nolasco.

Hontiveros’ expressed disbelief, saying: “Para katulad ‘yun ng hindi alam ng chief of staff ko sa office ko dito sa Senado na may chief security ako at hindi kilala ng chief of staff ko ‘yung chief security. Impossible para sa akin.”

Poa agreed it struck him as unusual too, but added that by the time he learned of Nolasco’s role, impeachment complaints against Duterte were already being filed and he had become her legal counsel, limiting what he can now discuss under attorney-client privilege.

Meanwhile, Sen. Imee Marcos pressed Poa on how, as DepEd chief of staff, he could have had no role in confidential funds at all.

Throughout the direct and cross examination, Poa repeatedly testified to having no personal knowledge of operations on the ground.

Poa described Duterte’s office as “highly compartmentalized” where different units would be confined to knowing only what was within their mandate. Poa said Duterte instructed him to primarily keep DepEd’s undersecretaries from feuding, and achieving the targets under DepEd’s “Matatag” agenda, the post-pandemic education reform DepEd launched under Duterte.

Asked by Hontiveros whether OVP and DepEd staff who assisted Duterte could face legal liability if she’s convicted, and whether he himself could be included, Poa answered: “Possible naman po… Posible po. Sana po hindi, pero posible po.”

2. Prosecution, defense clash repeatedly over video playback and past testimony

Lead defense counsel Sheila Sison objected repeatedly as Tolosa tried to confront Poa with his October 2024 House testimonies, at several points successfully blocking playback of video clips of Poa’s exchanges with House members.

At one point, Tolosa hit back at the objections, saying: “This is not an opportunity that should be used by the Defense to pontificate [or] argue their position… Just state your objection, no need to pontificate and explain your theory of the case.”

At this, presiding officer Sen. Chiz Escudero has quipped: “The prosecution has had its fair share of pontificating. I think you’re still ahead by a couple.”

He ultimately sided with the defense on the issue, limiting Tolosa to reading Poa’s own prior answers into the record rather than replaying footage, after Sison argued that showing a lawmaker’s side of the exchange amounted to using a third party’s statements against the witness.

Earlier in the day, Escudero also ordered a remark by Tolosa describing Poa as “abugadong walang alam,” a lawyer who knows nothing, stricken from the record for being discourteous.

Tolosa had explained his use of the phrase was in the context of Poa claiming no personal knowledge of how confidential funds were spent during actual activities.

3. New witnesses, and a packed trial calendar through November

Before adjourning, the court issued subpoenas for five more witnesses to testify September 7 to 9: Fajarda himself, Philippine Statistics Authority official Marizza Grande, and three others.

The prosecution also floated a number of possible stipulations to spare Fajardo, reportedly in poor health, from testifying in person.

Escudero also outlined a tentative schedule of full-day sessions running October 1-2 and October 5-9, pausing for the Senate’s budget hearings, then resuming for two Mondays only in November.

Senators JV Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri warned of the strain of running the trial alongside plenary sessions and the 2027 national budget deliberations. Ejercito said the Senate risks passing a reenacted budget without adjustments to its schedule. A caucus has been set where senators will discuss their options.

The peso weakened to another record low yesterday, closing at 62.40 against the dollar as expectations of rising treasury yields in the United States, tighter Federal Reserve policy and elevated oil prices continued to favor the greenback.

Data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed the peso depreciated by 13.5 centavos from its previous record-low close of 62.265 per dollar on Aug. 28, the last trading session.

The local currency opened at 62.25, which was also its strongest level of the day, before weakening to as much as 62.40. It ended the session at its weakest intraday level, setting both a new closing and intraday record low.

Total trading volume stood at $1.31 billion.

UnionBank chief economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion said the peso’s continued depreciation was being driven mainly by developments overseas, particularly a stronger dollar and higher global borrowing costs.

‘The peso’s depreciation to a fresh record low reflects a stronger dollar environment driven by rising US Treasury yields, growing expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike and higher oil prices amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East,’ Asuncion said.

He said these developments have encouraged investors to move toward dollar-denominated assets while intensifying concerns over inflation and import costs for oil-dependent economies such as the Philippines.

RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort said that the 10-year US Treasury yield had climbed to around 4.78 percent, among its highest levels in more than a year, increasing the appeal of dollar-denominated assets.

Ricafort also cited Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s warning that US inflation had yet to slow meaningfully, reinforcing expectations that US monetary policy could remain tight.

Looking ahead, Asuncion said the peso could remain under pressure as investors await US economic data and further clues on the Federal Reserve’s policy direction.

‘Sustained strength in the dollar, elevated global yields and higher energy prices could keep the currency on the defensive,’ he said.

Still, Asuncion said dollar inflows from overseas Filipino remittances, business process outsourcing revenues, tourism receipts and foreign investments could help cushion the peso against excessive swings.

‘Overall, global factors are likely to remain the primary drivers of the peso’s movement in the coming months,’ he added.

The Cebu City Traffic Management Coordination Board (TMC) is now seeking a comprehensive list of roadside carwash businesses after it was found that they contribute to traffic congestion, with many establishments obstructing both vehicular and pedestrian flow along major roads.

The TMC, via Resolution No. 028-006-2026, stressed that these operations have become recurring sources of bottlenecks.

This comes as several concerns were raised over whether these establishments are compliant with the engineering and infrastructure standards required for roadside businesses.

In light of this, the Business Processing and Licensing Office (BPLO) is requested to provide a list of registered carwash businesses and related documents.

The request aims to confirm whether these establishments underwent proper site inspection and assessment by the Cebu City Transportation Office’s (CCTO) Transportation Planning Division.

The measure is anchored on several ordinances that define the Board’s authority.

City Ordinance No. 1264, enacted in 1987, created the Cebu City Traffic Management Coordination Committee.

This was later amended by City Ordinance No. 2696 in 2023, which renamed the body as the TMC Board, expanded its membership, and strengthened inter-agency coordination.

City Ordinance No. 2239, passed in 2010, established the CCTO and mandated it to enforce traffic management schemes and policies approved by the Board.

Copies of the resolution will be furnished to the Office of the Mayor, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Transportation, BPLO, CTO, and CCTO for guidance.

City Councilor Winston C. Pepito endorsed the measure to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, stressing its urgency in tackling congestion linked to roadside carwash operations