Category: Philippine Star

For ambitious professionals across Asia, modern life is increasingly fast-paced, dynamic and sophisticated. As lifestyles evolve, living spaces are being thoughtfully designed to support greater comfort, wellness and ease in everyday routines.

Among these spaces, the bathroom plays a uniquely important role-a place to prepare for the day ahead and to unwind reset and recharge at day’s end.

The Acacia Supasleek Collection by American Standard is designed with this purpose in mind.

At first glance, its architectural lines and slim, refined silhouette create an impression of understated sophistication. Clean forms and balanced proportions bring a sense of calm and order to the space, transforming the bathroom into a modern sanctuary.

Yet the collection’s beauty goes beyond aesthetics. Every subtle curve, tapered edge and softly pillowed surface has been carefully considered to create intuitive experiences that elevate everyday rituals.

The result is a design language that feels both contemporary and welcoming-one that seamlessly combines visual elegance with trusted functionality.

Viewed from every angle, the Acacia Supasleek Collection reveals a thoughtful balance between minimalist design, exceptional comfort and purposeful innovation, delivering a bathroom experience that inspires confidence and peace of mind everyday.

Purposeful innovation for everyday living

The best designs are those that work effortlessly in the background, making everyday interactions more intuitive and enjoyable.

The Acacia Supasleek Collection features precision-engineered fittings that bring together tactile comfort, ergonomic control and lasting performance.

Equipped with ComfortMove, the basin faucets and mixers provide exceptionally smooth lever movement, allowing precise control of water flow and temperature while ensuring reliable operation for years to come.

Supporting a more sustainable lifestyle, EcoStart technology delivers cold water when the lever is first lifted, helping reduce unnecessary water heater activation.

This simple yet effective innovation can contribute to energy savings of up to 30%, seamlessly integrating sustainability into daily routines without requiring any change in user behavior.

Designed for modern aesthetics and superior hygiene

Complementing the collection’s refined fittings are advanced ceramic innovations designed to enhance both aesthetics and cleanliness.

The ThinEdge basin features an ultra-slim 5mm rim that creates a sleek, contemporary profile while maximizing usable basin space within a compact footprint. Thoughtfully designed raised edges help contain splashes, ensuring a cleaner and more comfortable user experience.

Beneath the elegant appearance of the toilet lies the power of the HygieneClean System.

Combining a rimless Power Rim design, Double Vortex flushing technology, Aqua Ceramic’s super-hydrophilic surface that resists stains, and ComfortClean antibacterial glaze that inhibits bacterial growth. The result is a bathroom that stays cleaner for longer while reducing the effort required for maintenance.

A collection designed to elevate everyday

A truly beautiful space should not only look exceptional-it should be effortless to live in.

The Acacia Supasleek Collection brings together sophisticated design, enduring durability, sustainable innovation and advanced hygiene technologies to create a bathroom environment that supports modern lifestyles with ease.

Discover how the Acacia Supasleek Collection can elevate your everyday living.

Kapuso star Alden Richards takes on one of the country’s most pressing issues as he shines a spotlight on the worsening state of education in the Philippines in a new GMA Public Affairs documentary.

Airing on Saturday, August 8, “Rebuilding Broken Rooms: A GMA Public Affairs Education Special” follows Alden as he travels to different parts of the country to witness firsthand the challenges faced by students, teachers, and communities struggling with inadequate learning facilities and literacy gaps.

For Alden, the documentary goes beyond storytelling – it is an opportunity to inspire action and raise public awareness about the country’s education crisis.

‘Gusto kong magamit ‘yung boses na meron ako para maipalaganap ‘yung mensahe na kailangan marinig ng sambayanan,’ Alden said in the documentary’s teaser.

‘Gusto ko maging part nung advocacy para mamulat natin ‘yung mga tao sa kung ano ba talaga ‘yung sitwasyon ngayon,’ he added.

Alden’s journey begins at Tinungkaan Elementary School in Alabel, Sarangani, which the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) identified as having the highest number of low-emerging readers in the country.

There, he meets Teacher Gerwin and his students, who brave river crossings and mountain trails every day just to reach their temporary classrooms-a daily reminder of the obstacles many Filipino children face in pursuit of education.

The documentary also visits Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila, where seven out of every 10 students struggle with reading comprehension, the highest recorded number of low-emerging readers in Metro Manila.

Among them is Grade 2 pupil Jannah Will, who still cannot read a complete sentence. Some days, the child is unable to attend classes because there is no money for transportation. Although another school stands near their home, it has remained closed since it was damaged by a fire two years ago.

In Ciudad Nuevo Elementary School in Naic, Cavite, Alden witnesses how makeshift classrooms have become a necessity due to severe classroom shortages.

Meanwhile, at Calubcob Elementary School, vacant housing units from a residential project have been converted into classrooms, forcing students to learn in spaces plagued by extreme heat, noise and conditions not designed for education.

From isolated mountain villages to densely populated urban communities, “Rebuilding Broken Rooms” seeks to uncover the realities behind the country’s education crisis while paying tribute to the resilience of Filipino students determined to pursue their dreams and teachers who continue to serve despite limited resources and inadequate facilities.

“Rebuilding Broken Rooms: A GMA Public Affairs Education Special” premieres on Saturday, August 8, at 9:30 p.m. on GMA Network.

A court froze Metro Manila’s latest minimum-wage increase, but Republic Gas Corp. will keep paying its workers the P60-a-day raise anyway.

Regasco President Arnel Ty, a former lawmaker, announced Wednesday, August 5, that the Manila-based gas company would voluntarily preserve the first tranche of the suspended P85 wage increase.

“Regasco remains fully committed to supporting our employees. Proceeding with the wage increase is the right thing to do for our workforce and their families,” Ty said.

The P60 first tranche took effect July 25, with the remaining P25 scheduled for Jan. 20, 2027. The full increase would bring daily minimum wages to P780 for nonagricultural workers and P743 for agricultural workers and employees of covered small establishments.

Its implementation was halted after the Pasig Regional Trial Court issued a status quo ante order and a 20-day temporary restraining order upon the request of Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc.

Regasco’s decision preserves the increase for its own workers but does not affect the court-ordered suspension covering other employers.

The legal fight has drawn labor groups, unions and workers’ parties, which have asked the court to lift the suspension. A resolution urging the same has also been filed in the Senate.

They cited Article 126 of the Labor Code, which states that “no preliminary or permanent injunction or temporary restraining order may be issued by any court, tribunal or other entity against any proceedings before the Commission or the Regional Boards.”

You birthed and raised nine children but lost four of them. You have seen and felt how they treated you. In your eyes there were differences, huge and small and many more in between, but in your heart they were all your same children. A mother does not choose one child over the other, but children only have one mother they choose to either leave or live with. You became a widow for almost two decades, but you did not feel his absence in the presence of your children and grandchildren.

You said it was easy for you to give birth to any of your children, but you never said it was hard to raise them, even if it was harder in reality. None of the difficult part was however written on your face, you must have kept them deep inside your heart. You never worried about anything, you just wanted to look fresh and beautiful, even if life turned ugly, and the people around you uglier.

You too were not perfect, but you perfected the art of being funny. How, by not trying to be, by not even knowing it. Although some of your unwitting jokes were mean, you did not mean them. Even if you did, you didn’t know it was cutting. Regardless, you brought laughter to those who sense your accidental humor, you even wondered why. You had the most stinging retorts. When your children complained about their physical imperfections, you told them they can’t blame you for their complexion.

You survived the world war but only had fond memories of it. You did not recall fearing the enemies, you only remember outsmarting them. You survived the crowned virus but did not even know you had it. You saw several presidents but you focused on who was the prettiest first lady. You did not worry about the darkest hours of the country’s democracy, you only compared the ostentatious lady and the woman of simplicity.

You lived long enough, up to 99 years and two months to be exact. But in the last five months, your health suddenly went downhill, you suffered discomfort and pain. You were too weak to even complain, but too strong to last that long. Even when you were about to be pronounced dead, you still held on for a few more minutes. Too short a time to say goodbye, but too long a time to watch you die. Thank you mama, for the joy and privilege of being your son. I was your baby in the beginning, you became mine in the end.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has brushed off what he described as Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s attempt to deflect brewing investigations against him.

Instead of a probe into questionable projects in his political stronghold of Taguig, Cayetano suggested that Lacson should be the one facing an inquiry for using his position to target critics.

Flagging illegal reclamation activities in portions of Laguna de Bay and infrastructure projects in Taguig, Lacson asserted that the pushback is a result of his efforts to expose corrupt public officials.

Lacson earlier proposed the forfeiture of illegally reclaimed areas.

When you combine prolonged sun exposure, city pollution, late nights and daily stress, the skin can become dull and lose its smooth healthy bounce-regardless of the preferred skincare-and it’s not just the surface.

‘When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol,’ verifies Dr. Vanika Viardo-Enriquez, who explains how the hormone affects the skin’s internal mechanisms. ‘This leads your skin to have an inflammatory response that strips your skin of natural moisturizing factors, leading to dry skin and collagen breakdown. That’s how your skin is producing more fine lines and visible wrinkles.’

With skincare becoming more intentional, serums have emerged to be essential-delivering targeted results from brightening to repair. For sensitive skin, however, the same high-performance ingredients that promise visible transformation can lead to irritation, discomfort or imbalance.

The next-gen antioxidant serum for sensitive skin

As the no.1 dermatologist-recommended skincare brand for sensitive skin, Cetaphil understands this balance better than anyone. It’s not just about efficacy-it’s about creating solutions that work with the skin, not against it. The new Cetaphil Advance Defense Serum and Cetaphil Repair and Renew Serum are derm-certified formulations with Gallic-AOX PowerS, Cetaphil’s advanced antioxidant complex.

By combining gallic acid and Vitamin E, these serums are designed to help sensitive skin defend against daily stressors while supporting its natural repair process.

What makes this combination of ingredients so effective, says Dr. Bea Chan, is that it compliments other ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. ‘If you only had Gallic-AOX by itself, you are just protecting a broken system. These three are the ultimate shields in skin care,’ she adds.

By day, the Cetaphil Advanced Defense Serum acts as an invisible shield-helping skin feel hydrated, resilient and better prepared to face environmental stressors throughout the day.

By night, the Cetaphil Repair and Renew Serum supports recovery by restoring what’s been depleted as-improving texture, enhancing radiance and bringing skin back to a more balanced, healthy state while you rest.

Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas adds that it is important to use the products together, and at the time marked specifically for each product type.

‘Your daytime products should be focused on protection, and your nighttime products should be on repair and renewal. If you don’t use them when you should, it won’t do anything for your skin. Focus on what your skin needs at the time of the day,’ she clarifies.

With Gallic-AOX PowerS, Cetaphil ushers in a new era of antioxidant care-where sensitive skin no longer has to choose between performance and comfort, but finally experiences both.

The Social Security System (SSS) has raised its stake in Century Properties Group. Inc. (CPG) of the Antonio family to nearly 10 percent with the acquisition of additional common shares.

Following its initial acquisition of 740.74 million common shares in July 2025, SSS’ ownership interest in CPG has now increased to about 9.9 percent from 6.4 percent.

The latest transaction was completed through a block sale executed via the Philippine Stock Exchange, in compliance with applicable regulatory and disclosure requirements.

CPG said the increased investment of SSS represents a strong vote of confidence in the company’s fundamentals, governance, growth strategy and shareholder return profile.

The company said it also affirms continued conviction in its Twin Engine Strategy, which combines PHirst’s affordable first-home platform with CPG’s premium residential portfolio.

‘We are deeply honored by SSS’s continued confidence in Century Properties Group. This additional investment recognizes the strength of our fundamentals, our long-term strategy and our commitment to deliver sustainable value to shareholders,’ CPG president and CEO Marco Antonio said.

‘We will continue to focus on catering to the end-user market, thereby allowing us to pay a steady and healthy stream of dividends to our shareholders, while keeping our debt profile at moderate levels,’ he said.

From a capital markets perspective, CPG chief financial officer and head of investor relations Rodel Marqueses said SSS’ additional investment is a clear endorsement of CPG’s fundamentals, governance standards, financial discipline and shareholder return profile.

The Cebu provincial government has expanded its medical scholarship program to 72 beneficiaries, extending financial assistance to more students whose previous scholarship grants had been discontinued.

Governor Pamela Baricuatro announced the expansion on Monday during the opening of the month-long celebration of Cebu Province’s 457th Founding Anniversary, where the Capitol formally welcomed the medical scholars from the Cebu Normal University-Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (CNU-VSMMC).

The expanded program now covers 42 first-year students, 22 second-year students and eight third-year students.

The additional beneficiaries include continuing medical students who earlier lost scholarship support.

According to Capitol’s Public Health Consultant Dr. Nikki Catalan, the province initially committed to supporting 40 out of the first 50 medical students admitted under the program.

“So the initial commitment was 40 out of 50 nila ka students. And then pag agi ani na mga months, we found out pud nga naa silay eight ka third year and 22 ka second year nga nawad-an og scholarship,” Catalan said.

She said the provincial government later decided to include the affected students after determining that the arrangement would also benefit the province through an earlier return of service.

“In this conversation we found nga mas beneficial pud sa province kay mas dali man sila mabalik pud as return of service nila. So nikuha nalang pud mi nila so from 40 the total commitment is 72 na medical scholars,” she added.

Addressing the scholars, Baricuatro assured them of the provincial government’s continued support as they pursue their medical education.

“I wish you well in your studies. The Cebu Province has your back,” the governor said.

The scholarship program traces its roots to the tripartite agreement signed in February between the Cebu Provincial Government, Cebu Normal University (CNU) and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

The agreement was created to provide financial assistance to qualified medical students from Cebu Province who were not covered by the Commission on Higher Education’s Medical Scholarship and Return Service (MSRS) Program.

Under the scholarship, every year of financial assistance corresponds to one year of return service after the scholars obtain their medical degree and physician’s license.

The scholars will eventually serve in the province’s 16 Capitol-run hospitals, helping address the demand for doctors in government health facilities.

Catalan said the provincial government intends to institutionalize the scholarship beginning next year. She added, the scholarship program will be funded this year through the Office of the Governor since no ordinance has yet been enacted for the initiative.

She added that the Capitol is working with Board Member Stanley Caminero, chairman of the Provincial Board’s committee on health, to establish a separate budget line item beginning next year to ensure the program’s continuity.

Each scholar will receive approximately P150,000 worth of assistance annually, including an allowance.

Catalan also described the initiative as the first time the Cebu Provincial Government has directly invested in a medical school scholarship program.

“It’s really planting the seeds, it’s long term atong gitan-aw nga way beyond Gov Pam’s time nga naa jud tay long term nga pipeline nga doctors,” she said.

She noted that the province’s pool of doctors has already increased from 177 to around 382 under the current administration, with the scholarship expected to further strengthen the healthcare workforce in the coming years.

Catalan said scholars who complete their medical education and pass the physician licensure examination will no longer need to apply for positions in provincial hospitals, as they will automatically be given slots under their return service obligation.

“And then while they’re serving with us, they can avail of the practice-based residency programs that we have. That’s about two to three years. So while they’re serving with us, they can potentially also get a residency program out of it,” she said.

The tournament favorites lived up to expectations, turning in commanding performances to book their places in the quarterfinals of the NGAP Match Play Championship Thursday at the demanding Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.

Stroke play qualifying champion Rolando Bregente and runner-up Shinichi Suzuki led the charge, each posting convincing victories as the championship shifted from medal play to the pressure-packed knockout format.

Bregente, who topped the 36-hole stroke play elims to earn medal honors, disposed of Ronel Taga-an, 3and2, to arrange a quarterfinal showdown with Bobe Salahog, who survived one of the day’s closest contests, edging Mhark Fernando III, 1-up, after a tense back-and-forth duel.

Suzuki, who finished second to Bregente in qualifying, was equally impressive, defeating Geoffrey Tan, 3and1, to advance against Jed Dy, who likewise weathered a tight battle before eliminating Singapore’s Lukeshvarunaa Elangkovan, 2and1, on the softened Luisita layout.

Third seed Jet Hernandez also stayed on track in his bid for a rare sweep of the NGAP’s premier men’s titles. Fresh from his dominant victory in last week’s Stroke Play Championship at Pradera Verde, Hernandez overwhelmed Alexis Nailga, 5and4, to earn a Last-Eight clash with rising talent Ralph Batican.

The young Del Monte standout matched Hernandez’s dominant form, dispatching Jacob Casuga, 5and3, to complete one of the marquee quarterfinal pairings.

The remaining quarterfinal berths went to Emilio Hernandez and Jacob Rolida. Hernandez defeated Edison Tabalin, 3and1, while Rolida turned back Patrick Tambalque, 3and2.

Quarterfinal matches were being played at press time.

In the women’s division, Lisa Sarines emerged victorious in the much-anticipated sibling showdown, defeating twin sister and ICTSI teammate Mona Sarines, 3and2, to advance to the semifinals. Awaiting her is Precious Zaragosa, who turned in one of the day’s most decisive performances with a 4and3 rout of Ally Gaccion.

Tashanah Balangauan also secured a semifinal berth after grinding out a 2and1 victory over Nicole Gan. She will face top seed Grace Quintanilla, who needed 19 holes to finally put away the gritty Brittany Tamayo in the tournament’s lone extra-hole match.

Local executives in Basilan belonging to the Bangsamoro Federalist Party and their vice governor have pledged support to police and military efforts to ensure orderly September 14 Bangsamoro regional polls to disprove notions that their province is an election hotspot.

Basilan is one of the provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, whose territory also encompasses Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato, where its regional capitol is located.

Radio reports on Thursday, August 6, stated the local officials, the mayors Roderick Furigay of Lamitan City, Kaiser Hataman of Maluso, Jaydeefar Lajid of Al-Barka, Moner Manisan of Tabuan Lasa, Arsina Kahing Nano of Hadji Muhtamad, Arcam Istarul of Tipo-Tipo, Talib Pawaki of Mohammad Ajul, Jomar Maturan of Ungkaya Pukan, Nasser Abubakar of Lantawan, Vice Mayor Super Kalang of Tuburan and Vice Gov. Hadjiman Salliman, agreed, during a meeting in Isabela City, Basilan on Tuesday, to cooperate in ensuring safe and clean elections in their province on September 14.

The vice president of the Basilan chapter of the Philippine Councilors League, Alfarouck Alfad, a town councilor in Tabuan Lasa, and Suraija Reina Hataman, a candidate of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party for one of the parliamentary seats in the province, were also present in the peace dialogue.

They reportedly agreed then to fuse ranks and help push forward the election security missions in their province of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, the Basilan Provincial Police Office and the Commission on Elections.

Bangsamoro Parliament Member Naguib Sinarimbo, regional spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party, told reporters on Thursday that their party mates in other BARMM provinces and in its three cities shall also assure, via public statements, of their commitment to abide by election laws during the September 14 first-ever regional polls in the autonomous region.

The Bangsamoro Federalist Party, which has chapters in all of the provinces and cities in BARMM, is one of the political parties that the Comelec has allowed to field candidates for the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament.

“We in our party want the September 14 regional elections to be peaceful and clean,” the lawyer Sinarimbo, Cotabato City chapter president of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party, said.

Officials of two other equally well-organized parties, the Bangsamoro Party of the Moro National Liberation Front, most known as the Bapa Party, and the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo, separately told reporters on Thursday that their candidates for the region’s lawmaking body are ready to sign peace covenants, along with rivals in other partisan blocs, manifesting their desire for safe and credible September 14 elections in BARMM.

‘All of our members and supporters across the autonomous region want the first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro region to be written in history as one held peacefully and cleanly,’ said the president of the Bapa Party, Regional Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema, chairman of the MNLF.

The MNLF forged a final peace pact with the government on September 2, 1996, brokered by the influential Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a bloc of more than 50 Muslim countries, including wealthy petroleum-exporting states in the Middle East and North Africa.

Presently, the MNLF has appointed representatives to the 80-member BARMM parliament and is also helping oversee the public service thrusts of several ministries and support agencies under the autonomous regional government, whose operations center is in Cotabato City.