Category: Philippine Star

Defending champion Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas and perennial contender Centro Escolar University have been tagged as the early teams to watch when the Universities and Colleges Athletic League (UCAL) opens its ninth season with its streetdance competition on Saturday, September 19, at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.

The ninth-season opening ceremony is set to begin at 2 p.m., with OPM rock band Lola Amour and artist Matthaios adding a concert-like atmosphere to the festivities as the league kicks off another year of competition.

But the spotlight will ultimately fall on the athletes and performers from the league’s nine member schools, led by host Manila Central University (MCU), along with CEU, LPU-B, Diliman College, Immaculada Concepcion College (ICC), Olivarez College, Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, Philippine Women’s University and University of Batangas.

Tournament Director Horacio Lim and league officials Col. Bong Nebrija, Bernard Yang and Carmelo Navarro are expected to lead the opening ceremonies together with MCU strategic adviser for sports Javier Lopez-Sanz Chulvi and representatives from the participating schools.

‘We are excited and we hope it’s gonna be one to remember and we believe it’s gonna be a good start for the season that is to come,’ said Lopez-Sanz Chulvi.

LPU-B enters the streetdance competition with the confidence of a defending champion after edging CEU by just three points for last season’s crown.

The Batangas-based school will be looking to put together another high-energy routine capable of impressing both the judges and the crowd as it seeks to make it two straight titles.

CEU, meanwhile, will be out to reclaim the crown after settling for second place last season, while PCU-D, UB and ICC are also expected to contend after finishing in the Top 5 a year ago.

PWU, Olivarez, Diliman and host MCU are likewise hoping to shake up the field and spring a surprise when the dancers take center stage.

With the streetdance competition setting the tone for the ninth season, the UCAL is looking to open its sporting calendar with a showcase of talent, energy and school pride before the volleyball, esports and badminton tournaments get underway for the first semester.

The Department of Energy (DOE) welcomed a new regional electricity price cap that could cut Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices in the Visayas and Mindanao by more than half during periods of tight supply.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) began applying the Secondary Price Cap (SPC) separately to the two grids starting with the August 2026 billing period, preventing lower electricity prices in Luzon from masking supply tightness in the regions.

Based on an ERC simulation, the regional SPC could have reduced the average August WESM price in the Visayas from ?18.59 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to ?8.47/kWh, or by 54 percent. In Mindanao, the average could have fallen from ?19.56/kWh to ?8.69/kWh, or by 56 percent.

‘Consumers in the Visayas and Mindanao should not have to bear extraordinary electricity prices when supply becomes tight. The regional price cap gives them immediate protection,’ Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in a statement.

Garin said the DOE was also working to strengthen power supply by bringing unavailable power plants back online, building up battery reserves and addressing recurring and prolonged outages.

The DOE clarified that the impact on individual electricity bills would vary depending on each distribution utility’s exposure to the spot market and overall power supply mix.

The ERC directed distribution utilities to promptly and accurately reflect the recalculated SPC-based charges in consumers’ electricity bills.

The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) was also ordered to recalculate the August 2026 market settlements and issue revised Final Statement Bills on or before Sept. 20, 2026.

The regional computation will also apply to succeeding billing periods.

The DOE also supported the ERC’s directive for the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation, through its Market Surveillance Committee, to examine the bidding, offer and dispatch behavior of generators during periods of unusually high electricity prices.

The DOE said it would continue coordinating with the ERC and other power-sector agencies and stakeholders to stabilize electricity supply, monitor market conduct and ensure that recalculated charges are properly reflected in consumer bills.

Before the 2026 Asian Games could formally open, Team Philippines already has a medal.

Women power delivered it.

Bannered by Bien Zoleta and Christy Sanosa, the women’s soft tennis squad assured Team Philippines a podium finish in the Aichi-Nagoya Asiad, barging into the semifinals Friday at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.

It is a breakthrough, long years in the making.

Never since soft tennis became a medal sport in the 1998 Bangkok Asiad had the Philippines won a medal. On the eve of the Nagoya Games opening ceremonies, the drought ended.

The Nationals made the semis by punching a 2-1 win-loss record in the group play.

They opened with a statement against Mongolia, with Zoleta and Princess Catindig winning their doubles match to set the tone. Inspired by the doubles pair, Sanosa blasted her singles rival to complete the 3-0 sweep.

They followed it up with a gritty 2-1 win over Thailand before being stopped by powerhouse Chinese-Taipei, 0-3.

The 2-1 card put the Philippines at second in Group B behind Chinese-Taipei and into the semis – and with it, an automatic bronze as there is no playoff for third in soft tennis.

The men’s team couldn’t keep up with the women and bowed to fancied Korea in the quarterfinals.

For Zoleta and her teammates, waiting in the semifinals is world champion and reigning Asian Games champion Japan, which topped Group A.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is stepping up enforcement against illicit vape and tobacco products as demand typically peaks ahead of the Christmas season.

The tax agency has ordered its regional and enforcement offices to intensify monitoring of suspected production sites, warehouses, distribution channels and retail outlets.

BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said there would be no holiday for operations against illicit vapes, putting its enforcement teams on high alert.

‘We are receiving intelligence and market information on the increased risk of illicit vape and tobacco products entering the market as holiday demand picks up,’ Mendoza said.

The heightened monitoring comes as the BIR continues nationwide operations against illicit tobacco and vape products, including seizure and destruction of illegal goods, assessment of tax liabilities and the filing of cases against violators.

The government lost around P141 billion in revenues to illicit tobacco trade over the past two years, according to a study by the European Union-ASEAN Business Council and Euromonitor International.

A double-digit price hike on local diesel prices is expected to take effect by next week, marking the third major increase in pump prices within a month.

Domestic diesel prices are seen to further surge by P10 to P10.50 per liter next week, while gasoline prices could go up by P4.50 to P5 per liter, according to a report by The STAR.

Department of Energy (DOE) Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad said this big-time oil price hike is already highly expected to take effect as movements of global prices in the world market continue to go up.

‘Napakataas ho ang tyansa na masundan ho ang ating increase. Mataas ho ang magiging increase next week at ito naman ay consistent din sa napakataas na naging diperensya o naging increase din sa ating international benchmark prices,’ Abad said on Friday, September 18, in an interview with dzMM.

(There is a very high chance that the price increase will continue. We expect a significant increase next week, and this is consistent with the very large difference, or increase, in our international benchmark prices.)

Abad said as of the fourth day of trading in the world market, diesel prices increased by almost P10 per liter, gasoline by more than P5 per liter, and kerosene by P7 per liter.

Due to Saudi’s petroline damage

According to Abad, the recent upward trend on local prices is brought about by the damage on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline (Petroline) after being attacked by drones.

The damage has added to the effects of the disrupted operations in the Strait of Hormuz on the global oil supply.

International reports said the Saudi government has shut down the pipeline and could take more than a month to repair.

In the Philippines, Abad said high prices of local oil and fuel products will remain even after Saudi Arabia restores the pipeline’s operations.

‘Ang effect lang siguro n’yan kapag na-restore ‘yan, balik lang siguro tayo doon sa P80 to P90 range, kumpara sa P50 to P60 range before the war,’ Abad said.

(It’s only effect, perhaps, if that was restored, we would only go back to P80 to P90 range, compared to the P50 to P60 range before the war.)

Appeal for staggered increase

The energy department said they will appeal to oil companies in the country to implement a staggered price increase, given the large amount of the expected hike.

‘Palagi na ho nating ginagawa kapag ganitong kalakihan, humihingi ho tayo ng pakiusap doon sa mga oil companies na kung pwedeng i-stagger ang implementation kahit within next week,’ Abad said.

Earlier this week, the DOE certified that global oil prices have gone beyond the $80 per barrel benchmark set by the Philippine laws, which now allows the government to suspend the excise tax on fuels.

On September 14, the DOE announced a P5.68 per liter increase on gasoline, P4.31 per liter on diesel, and P4.62 per liter on kerosene.

Abad said the current highest range on diesel prices are P114 to P115 per liter.

Malacañang agrees with the Supreme Court on the need to pass a bill banning political dynasties, saying the measure remains a priority of the Marcos administration.

The high court has granted the consolidated petitions for certiorari and mandamus questioning the legislature’s failure to approve a law against political dynasties for 39 years, stressing that the failure constitutes ‘grave abuse of discretion.’

The SC unanimously ruled that Congress is required to enact a law barring political dynasties under Article 2, Section 26 of the Constitution. It regarded Congress’ failure to enact the law as a ‘refusal to perform a mandatory constitutional duty.’

‘Even before the Supreme Court issued the decision, we all know that it (anti-dynasty bill) is one of the priority bills of the President. He really wants it fast-tracked and he wants the anti-political dynasty passed under his term if possible,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said yesterday.

‘The President agrees with the decision of the Supreme Court that there should be a law on political dynasties,’ she added.

Although President Marcos wants the measure enacted soon, the administration is leaving it up to Congress to determine the timeline for the passage of the bill. Castro acknowledged that lawmakers have a heavy workload and cannot be blamed for the status of the anti-dynasty bill.

‘The timeline of Congress is in their hands. The President merely wants them to know that he wants it passed,’ Castro said.

The 1987 Constitution explicitly seeks the prohibition of political dynasties as may be defined by law.

Marcos added the anti-dynasty bill in the list of his legislative wish list last December, a move that Malacañang said was spurred by the ‘abuses’ committed by some politicians and calls for a ‘fairer system.’

‘The political landscape is changing. Many are committing abuses. The President is right. The power to vote lies in the hands of the people, but abuses are being committed. The President wants the people to know that they have a choice – a choice that is based on merit, not just because the surnames are the same,’ Castro added.

Congressional priority

Speaker Faustino Dy III assured the public that the enactment of a constitutional anti-political dynasty law is a congressional priority, saying the House of Representatives has already passed its version.

Dy issued the statement after the SC directed Congress to immediately comply with its constitutional duty to enact the law.

‘It’s our priority in Congress,’ he said.

Dy said that ‘Congress has a historic opportunity to give fuller legislative effect to a constitutional policy that has long awaited comprehensive implementation.’

He also noted that the implementation of the constitutional policy requires a ‘fair, definite and principled legal framework’ to promote equal access and opportunities to holding public office.

Last June, the House passed House Bill No. 8389, or the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act, on third and final reading.

The Senate has also advanced its version – Senate Bill No. 1901 – which is pending on second reading.

Carpio lauds Supreme Court ruling, guidelines

Retired associate justice Antonio Carpio said the SC has issued non-binding guidelines to Congress on what the anti-dynasty law should contain, which he said, is ‘unprecedented’ and a ‘huge endorsement.’

Carpio said the high court, in its recent ‘landmark’ decision, proposed that a political dynasty can include relatives up to the fourth civil degree.

‘This is a huge endorsement from a unanimous Supreme Court. This is also unprecedented because in its decision the SC said it can only compel Congress to pass a law, and not what the law should be. Nevertheless, the SC did not hesitate to give guidelines to Congress. We could not ask for more from the SC,’ he told The STAR.

Among the guidelines which the SC had set, Carpio said, is that covered persons can be prohibited from running for an elective office both simultaneously and successively for the same or any other covered position.

Relatives can also be prohibited from occupying both local and/or national elective positions, and the prohibition can optimally extend to all covered persons residing within the same administrative region.

Carpio said they will seek recourse from the SC if Congress passes the controversial bill principally authored by Dy and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.

Carpio said the bill, which bans relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from running for or occupying a post in the same constituency or jurisdiction, only legitimizes political dynasties.

‘We don’t concur with that bill. We will go to the SC and say, ‘This is not an anti-political dynasty law. This is a political dynasty legitimization and entrenchment law,” he said in an interview over dzBB.

Two straight wins for the Letran Knights.

The Knights blasted off against the hapless San Sebastian College- Recoletos, 99-62, to remain unscathed in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Knights banked on suffocating defense through all four quarters to grab the dominant win.

Denzil Sison-Walker stood tall for Letran with 25 points, three rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal, while Chaed Gammad had 19 markers, five steals, four boards and three dimes.

San Sebastian trailed by just six, 15-21, late in the first quarter before Froilan Reyes ended the frame with a triple.

This triggered the 11-0 run capped by a split from the line by Kevin Santos that pushed Letran’s lead to 32-15 at the 5:42 mark of the second quarter.

And while the Stags finally broke the run with a triple by Khit Barroga, 18-32, the Knights kept on coming.

Letran kept its foot on the gas, as they kept the pressure on defensively, forcing San Sebastian to numerous turnovers.

And toward the end of the game, the lead grew to 39 points, 99-60, after a Walker layup.

Titing Manalili had 14 points, nine assists and five steals, but had eight turnovers. Reyes chipped in eight for the 2-0 Letran, which made 43.8% of their field goal attempts.

Barroga powered the Stags with 15 points and three rebounds, while Matt Acosta had 10 of San Sebastian, who shot 24-of-69 from the field and committed 34 turnovers.

This is the second straight game that San Sebastian lost by more than 26 points. They absorbed a 98-72 loss against Arellano on Monday.

Coloring one’s hair continues to be a popular trend, so don’t be surprised when one finds themselves in a crowd of caramel crowns.

Katharine Crew and Vicki Borley, co-managing directors of British-based hair dye Tints of Nature, met with fellow beauty industry leaders and members of the media to discuss conscious choices for hair care.

The brand has been in the Philippines for around two decades now through local organic product retailer Healthy Options.

The latter’s category manager confirmed to Philstar.com that consumers are buying hair dye products more than retailers, but it is becoming a more common practice for consumers to bring the dye they have bought to salons for professional application.

Borley touted how Tints of Nature stands out as a longtime vegan brand that is both cruelty- and ammonia-free.

Other prominent features of its Permanent Color line compared to conventional brands are the sustainable packaging, use of the lowest possible pigment and pH levels for gentler coloring, and absence of harmful chemicals. The latter chemicals are:

resorcinol

parabens

phthalates

gluten

sodium lauryl sulfate

sodium laureth sulfate

silicone

salts

genetically modified organisms

Borley, also the brand’s professional sales head, stressed how crucial it is to saturate the hair when coloring and how lighteners give the same but safer effects of bleaching.

She also debunked the misconception on lower-chemical hair color sytems.

“Our hair coloring doesn’t damage the hair’s condition because of the use of natural chemicals,” she said, comparing hair to a canvas to be painted with beautiful colors that need to shine.

The executive shared that currently its 7D selection or Medium Golden Blonde is the popular hair color of 2026. She added that the trend is leaning toward lighter, caramel colors as months pass by.

Borley particularly used the term “edible colors,” where the hair color looks so appealing that one imagines eating them.

We often talk about poverty in the Philippines through statistics, inflation rates and growth targets. But for millions of Filipinos, daily life isn’t about numbers – it’s about living in a system where being vulnerable costs the most. This reality is as old as history itself.

In the Bible, the story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21) shows how the powerful can misuse the system to take from ordinary people. Naboth owned a small piece of land passed down through his family. When King Ahab wanted it for himself, Queen Jezebel set up a fake trial using corrupt local officials to execute Naboth and take his land. Yet, the story of King Ahab does not end with his stolen vineyard. It carries a crucial second half that corrupt elites often ignore: the high price that corrupt individuals eventually pay.

Ahab thought he had won by acquiring the land, but the prophet Elijah confronted him with divine judgment. Ultimately, Ahab met a tragic downfall, losing his kingdom, his honor and his life, while Jezebel met an equally gruesome end. Corruption may deliver short-term wealth and power, but history and divine justice demonstrate that unearned gains build a fragile house. For corrupt leaders, the true cost comes in the form of institutional decay, social unrest, ruined legacies and eventual reckoning.

Naboth’s story isn’t just ancient history; it happens every day in different ways. When public funds are lost to corruption, the wealthy barely notice. It is low-income families who pay the immediate price through broken public roads, poorly equipped health centers and failing schools. Small bribes or unfair local fees act as an extra tax on those who can least afford it, keeping them from ever saving enough to build a better life.

Living under this constant pressure changes how people survive. When jobs pay too little and formal safety nets don’t exist, turning to local politicians or asking for help becomes a practical way to get through a crisis. What looks like a ‘culture of dependence’ is often just a daily survival strategy in an economy where a single bad week can leave a family with nothing.

But what is just as troubling is how fragile life has become for the middle class. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), nearly a third of Filipino households live in economic uncertainty. For those in the lower-middle class, financial stability is often just an illusion. These families fall into a trap; why? Because they earn too much to qualify for government aid like 4Ps, but they don’t have enough savings or private insurance to handle a real emergency. One major medical emergency, a job loss or a severe typhoon can wipe out a family’s savings overnight, pulling them straight into poverty.

Yet, as elections approach, this cycle of hardship directly influences how people vote, giving rise to a deeply entrenched ‘mendicant mentality.’ When survival is an everyday struggle, voters are weaponized by their own poverty. Instead of viewing a ballot as a tool to demand structural reform, many feel forced to treat it as a short-term transaction. Elections become less about long-term vision and more about immediate relief – whether through political patronage, medical assistance doles or direct vote buying.

Politicians intentionally cultivate this dependency, keeping constituents reliant on cash aid and personal favors so that basic survival remains tied to political loyalty. This dynamic, combined with emotional decision-making, creates a dangerous trap for the electorate. When we vote based on anger, personal sympathy, entertaining campaigns, long-standing family loyalties or immediate handouts, we allow leaders to bypass true accountability. Charisma, dramatic promises and temporary financial relief easily cloud our judgment, leading us to elect individuals who exploit public trust rather than fix broken systems.

Therefore, to build a stronger country, we need to break this cycle at the ballot box. Voting better means stepping back from political drama and immediate handouts to examine track records, integrity and concrete policy proposals. We need leaders who understand that corruption carries a steep price for both the nation and the leader, and who will work to build merit-based systems, fix the unfair barriers that drain resources from low-income families, improve public health care and create safety nets that keep middle-class families from falling through the cracks.

But in order for us to break this endless loop, we must address the root structural cause: the consolidation of power. The Anti-Political Dynasty provision of our Constitution must finally be enforced once and for all – not as a political tool, but with the genuine objective of opening public service to principled, capable leaders beyond elite families.

Furthermore, we must unite as a people to end internal political squabbles and regional divisions. Let this be a firm warning to us all – a nation fractured by internal strife can never stand firm against external threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

What the Philippines needs is a strong decisive figure – a visionary leader unconcerned with vain adoration or political popularity, focused purely on the genuine progress of the nation while never forgetting that real lasting progress requires building unshakeable institutions, enforcing the rule of law and fostering an enlightened electorate.

Many Filipinos are just one shock away from a tragic crisis, but no darkness of corruption is so absolute that a united, awakened people cannot overcome it.

President Marcos wants the updated guidelines on class suspensions during weather disturbances and calamities fast-tracked to prevent confusion among parents and students, Malacañang said yesterday.

The proposed guidelines for the suspension and resumption of classes and onsite work was among the issues discussed during the 11th Economy and Development Council Meeting (EDCOM) last Wednesday.

The council also tackled learning continuity, which was affected by recent class suspensions caused by monsoon-induced rains and floods.

‘There should be harmonization so that announcements will not be confusing, whether it will be announced locally, by the mayor, by the governor or by DepEd (Department of Education). The President wants it expedited,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a media briefing.

For its part, DepEd yesterday also asked local government units (LGUs) to be specific when suspending classes.

In a statement, the DepEd explained that LGUs should be specific in its directive on class suspensions to help protect learning time, particularly when conditions vary across municipalities, barangays or schools.

DepEd’s appeal was part of the proposed Executive Order on the Suspension and Resumption of Classes and Work in Educational Institutions and Other Related Matters, which seeks to establish a more responsive framework for suspension and resumption decisions while keeping the safety of learners, teachers, and school personnel as the foremost consideration.

Under the proposed EO, suspension and resumption decisions may be automatic, localized, or granular depending on the nature and extent of the risk.

For localized suspensions,

DepEd urged the LGUs to identify the specific areas actually affected by a hazard. In situations that conditions allow, a province may specify the affected municipalities, while a city or municipality may identify the affected barangays or schools.

‘Our request is simple: be specific when you suspend. If the risk is limited to certain areas, identifying those areas can help schools in unaffected areas continue learning,’ DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said.

He gave assurance that the proposed EO would not remove or diminish the authority of local chief executives to suspend classes. It would only encourage them to coordinate with the local disaster risk reduction and management office and the affected education authorities, such as the schools division superintendent, to help arrive at an informed decision based on the conditions on the ground.

Citing data, DepEd said that as of Sept. 11, divisions had lost an average of four learning days nationwide.

But the impact varied significantly across areas such as in Region 3, where the average was nine lost learning days, while Pampanga had already recorded 26. In the National Capital Region the average was 8.2 days, while Caloocan had recorded 25.

Out of the 47,000 DepEd schools in the country, a total of 34,775 schools or 72.49 percent experienced class suspensions from the day classes opened until Sept. 10.

The proposed order also allows granular suspension and resumption when conditions on the ground differ within an area covered by a broader suspension. It also requires coordination or concurrence with the concerned LGU to avoid conflicting announcements and confusion among learners, parents, teachers and the community.

Granular resumption may only be considered when there has already been a broader or blanket suspension and a school, based on a documented site-specific assessment, determines that conditions are safe for the resumption of in-person classes.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration yesterday said that a low-pressure area will bring rains in the southern part of the country.

Based on today’s forecast, cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will be felt in Visayas, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, BARMM, Northern Mindanao, Batangas and Quezon.

However, the LPA is still ‘unlikely’ to develop into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours and was last located 160 kilometers east of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Meanwhile, the weather disturbance outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) has developed into a tropical storm and was given the international name Dujuan.

It was last located at 2,910 km east of extreme Northern Luzon packing winds at 95 kms per hour and gusts at 115 kph.

It is still unlikely to enter PAR as it moves northward at 50 kph.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

Railway projects

Also discussed during the EDCOM meeting were the North-South Commuter Railway operations and maintenance public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

Castro said the administration has adopted changes in the timelines of some projects because of right-of-way issues and efforts to safeguard public funds, which affected the procurement process.

She said the first partial operation of the Valenzuela to Malolos segment is expected to start in December next year while the second partial operation of the Malolos to Clark segment is projected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2028.

The third partial operation of the Clark-Solis-Alabang to Calamba segment is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2031 while full operation of the Clark to Calamba segment is projected to start in the third quarter of 2033. Previously, the transportation department said the commuter railway is seen to be fully operational by January 2032.

The EDCOM also tackled the Mactan-Cebu International Airport PPP project, the Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education, the Training System Project and Road Network Development Project in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao and the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers or REFUEL Project.