Category: Philippine Star

Expect another massive crowd as Filipina tennis star Alex Eala clashes with fellow giant-slayer Caty McNally of the United States in the third round of the WTA 1000 National Bank Open.

The match is set at 8:10 a.m. today (Saturday, August 8 Philippine time) at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Canada.

Eala, fresh from making history as the first Filipina to win a WTA title at the Mubadala DC Open last week, ousted American Alycia Parks 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to punch a ticket to the Round of 32.

The 21-year-old Eala, ranked No.20 in the world, received a first-round bye as the 25th seed in the tournament.

On the other hand, the world No.70 McNally advanced after knocking out reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6 (7/5), 6-1

The Internal Affairs Service of the Philippine National Police (IAS-PNP) has started summary dismissal proceedings against the two policemen arrested in Caloocan on Thursday for allegedly selling loose firearms.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said a thorough background check on S/Sgt. Nino Paguirigan and M/Sgt. Arjay Terrado is also being conducted to determine if they are involved in other illegal activities.

‘Our internal cleansing program will continue without fear or favor, and we will hold every erring police officer fully accountable. In this particular case, we are checking if these arrested personnel are part of a larger criminal group,’ Nartatez said in a statement.

The policemen, who are assigned with the Caloocan police station, were arrested in a sting in Barangay 5 at 5:30 a.m., after a civilian posed as a buyer of loose firearms. One of the officers was in uniform during the arrest.

The suspects were caught with a .38-caliber handgun, a 9mm handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun.

They were charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.

IAS inspector general Brigido Dulay said Paguirigan and Terrado face dismissal for moonlighting as gunrunners, a grave offense based on PNP regulations.

‘When a police officer sells his service firearm, he does not merely violate a regulation. He arms the very threat he swore to protect the public from,’ Dulay said in a statement.

Nartatez vowed to dismiss the police officers from service for tainting the reputation of the police force.

‘There is no place in the PNP for personnel who abuse their authority or violate the law. If you choose to engage in criminal acts, you will be investigated, arrested and prosecuted,’ he said.

The tennis world is still getting used to having consistently loud capacity crowds thronging venues for Mubadala DC Open champion Alex Eala. They’ve never experienced a player who brings the home court with her. The socio-economic impact is not only palpable, it is substantial. Schedules are changed, tickets sell out like concert, menu items like adobo added, and yet, somehow, everybody wins.

The Filipino diaspora started after the first two world wars, when American soldiers would come home to wives who had been working in factories, running businesses and being bosses. They didn’t want to go back to being homemakers, nurses or secretaries. The solution lay thousands of miles away. Filipinos saw an opportunity, first in America, which opened their eyes to the rest of the world. Then came Martial Law and the political upheaval of the mid-1980’s, which spurred even bigger waves of migration. It has since ebbed and flowed, but never waned. To date there are anywhere from 10 million to 30 million legal and illegal Filipinos overseas.

One other thing changed. Succeeding generations of Filipinos had access to more money than before. They were getting compensated for work that could not earn them anywhere near that much back home, in dollars, Euro and other currencies more powerful than the Philippine peso. But there was one thing missing. What Filipino thing was there to spend their money on? In 2005, Manny Pacquiao came along when the economy was low and desperation high. He gave the country a hero, every so often lifting spirits and lowering crime in the country and abroad.

This is the distinct advantage of tennis. You can play every day. And as we have seen, pros play weekly in the WTA. Filipinos, who have been weaned from their impatience by football’s Azkals and rugby’s Volcanoes, now have a rallying point. It is a weekly event, like Sundays at Lola’s. They can take the day off, make a week of it, even. For many, the only challenge is getting permission to take off from work.

Significantly, Filipinos are very visible when they watch sporting events. We’re loud, raised on basketball and boxing. We’ve even learned to cheer during billiards matches (sharking). We buy the merchandise, the food, and bring flags. Now, every Alex Eala match is a party, like the Brazilians invaded tennis. Nobody is used to it. The staid, stiff tradition of obedient silence during serves and points is being challenged and strained, everywhere.

There is no written rule against cheering. It’s tradition that was imposed on other classes by the Europeans, like wearing all white, which Andre Agassi and his cohorts forced to change with their electric, luminous colors. Maybe it’s time to change that tradition, too. In fact, we already see it in how raucously they introduce the young Filipina every time, as if it were the walk-on to a boxing world title fight. In a way, we can say that they started it.

At the end of the day, as Eala continues to succeed, we will wear down the stiff upper-lipped traditionalists who try to quiet us down. We are not just fans, we are an economic force that tennis has never seen, and wants to harness. Let the other players complain. Let the officials reprimand. They will tire, and we will win that point, too. We have the numbers to force change. And we’re not going anywhere, because we’re already everywhere. You can’t shush Pinoy pride.

Rianne Malixi’s bid for a second US Women’s Amateur crown ended in heartbreaking fashion Friday (Saturday Manila time) as China’s Yujie Liu held her nerve on the extra hole to eliminate the Filipina ace and advance to the Last 16 of the prestigious championship at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee.

Malixi appeared headed for another stirring comeback after erasing a two-hole deficit late in their Round-of-32 match, but Liu kept her composure when it mattered most, making a gutsy par on the 19th hole to deny the former champion.

The two returned to the par-4 No. 1 for the playoff after Malixi forced the match to extra holes by matching Liu’s par with a clutch chip for a four-foot par putt on No. 18.

Both players had previously parred the opening hole, but Liu produced another steady finish in the playoff, while Malixi failed to get up-and-down, allowing the 26th-seeded Chinese to escape with the victory and a place in the third round.

It was a particularly tough setback for Malixi, who had fought her way into the match-play stage by barely making the cut in the stroke-play elims at No. 58. She then announced her presence in emphatic fashion by routing seventh-seeded Jasmine Koo, 6and5, in the opening round of head-to-head play.

Against Liu, however, Malixi was forced to chase from the outset.

The Chinese won holes No. 4 and 5 to seize an early advantage, but Malixi quickly settled down and answered with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 to pull the match back to all square.

Liu refused to buckle.

She reclaimed the lead on the eighth hole despite making bogey, taking advantage of Malixi’s costly double bogey on the par-3. Liu then moved two holes ahead again with a par on No. 10 after Malixi dropped another shot with a double bogey.

Malixi continued to fight, though, producing a birdie on No. 13 to cut into the deficit. Liu responded immediately with a clutch birdie of her own on the par-3 14th to restore her two-hole cushion.

The match then turned into a tense exchange down the stretch.

After the two traded birdies on No. 15, Malixi finally made her move, winning the 16th with a par before birdieing the par-5 next to pull level for the first time since the early stages of the match.

With momentum firmly on her side, Malixi reached the 18th needing another solid finish to complete the comeback. Liu matched her with par, but Malixi’s clutch chip set up the par-saving effort that sent the match into an extra hole.

The drama continued on the return to No. 1, where Liu delivered the decisive blow with another composed par.

Malixi’s failure to convert her up-and-down opportunity ended a spirited fightback and sent her out of the championship, while Liu advanced to a Last 16 meeting with No. 23 seed Bailey Shoemaker.

Shoemaker also produced an upset Friday, edging 10th-seeded Korean Soomin Oh, 1-up.

Top seed Anna Iwanaga of Japan likewise survived a close contest, defeating Natalie Blonien, 1-up, to set up a Last 16 clash with Canada’s Michelle Xing, who held off Molly Smith, 2and1.

For Malixi, the defeat brings an end to another run at the championship she conquered in 2024, when the Duke University freshman capped a remarkable season by winning the US Women’s Amateur and earlier capturing the US Girls’ Junior title.

Her latest campaign ends earlier than she had hoped, but not without another display of the resilience and fighting spirit that have marked her rise on the international amateur golf stage.

This time, though, Liu had the final answer.

The local stock market managed to finish in the positive territory despite the country’s disappointing economic growth in the second quarter.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange (PSEi) advanced by 0.2 percent or 12.4 points, snapping a three-day losing streak to end the week at 6,290.35.

The broader All Shares index also improved by 0.15 percent or 4.95 points to close at 3,418.40.

‘The PSEi closed at its high despite second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) slowing to 2.3 percent, suggesting investors had already turned cautious ahead of its release,’ AB Capital Securities said.

First Metro Securities said Philip pine equities staged a late-session recovery after shrugging off early weakness tied to a disappointing second quarter GDP print.

It said a strong surge in Ayala Land, which gained by 6.14 percent, anchored the rebound, complement ed by solid performance in Universal Robina Corp. and DigiPlus, which grew by 2.74 percent and 6.11 percent, respectively.

Total value turnover stood at P6.23 billion, slightly higher than Thursday’s P6.18 billion. First Metro Securities said foreign participation cornered 55.07 percent of the activity, recording P339.35 mil lion in net foreign selling.

Sectors were mixed, with those in the green with the slight advantage. Property posted the biggest increase at 0.99 percent, while financials incurred the largest drop at 0.54 percent.

Market breadth was negative as decliners edged out advancers, 90 to 86, while 68 issues were unchanged. ICTSI was the top traded stock, finishing unchanged at P1,000 per share. It was followed by banking gi ants BPI, which was also unchanged at P101, and BDO Unibank, which declined by 0.97 percent to P122.

Nine counts of graft charges have been filed against Tarlac Rep. Noel Rivera in connection with infrastructure projects in his district, the Office of the Ombudsman said yesterday.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said that one count each of the charges went to the first, second and fourth divisions of the Sandiganbayan.

Two cases each went to the fifth, sixth and seventh divisions of the anti-graft court.

At a press conference, Remulla called Rivera a ‘congtractor.’

The term ‘congtractor’ refers to members of the House of Representatives who own companies that engage in government contracts.

Rivera and his wife, Concepcion town Vice Mayor Evelyn Rivera, reportedly own the Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corp.

Section 3(h) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act prohibits public officials from having direct or indirect financial or pecuniary interest in any government contract or transaction.

The charges against the Riveras stemmed from complaints filed by Pyra Lucas, founder of the United Pilipino Against Crime and Corruption.

Lucas alleged that the Rivera couple conspired to channel around P600 million in government contracts to their company.

Lucas said Rivera has signed around 30 government contracts awarded to his company since 2018.

Rivera has denied any involvement in corruption. He said he is ready to face the complaints filed against him.

Harmie Constantino mounted a spirited comeback with a birdie-filled back nine but failed to sustain the momentum after making the turn. She settled for a one-under 71 and a tie for 24th in the Chonburi Ladies Championship at Treasure Hill Golf Club in Chonburi, Thailand, on Friday.

Looking to salvage a respectable finish in the 54-hole tournament after slipping to a share of 34th with a second-round 74, the multi-titled Ladies Philippine Golf Tour standout came out firing on the inward nine. Starting from No. 10, Constantino birdied three holes to quickly move up the leaderboard and position herself for a strong closing round.

However, the rally fizzled on the front side. After opening with two pars, she bogeyed the next two holes, surrendering the gains she had worked hard to build.

Despite creating opportunities down the stretch, Constantino couldn’t produce another birdie and settled for six straight pars coming home, carding a 38 on her final nine for a 71.

She finished with a three-round aggregate of one-over 217, sharing 24th place with Thailand’s Pimpisa Sisutham, who closed with a 73.

While Constantino’s final-round charge came up short, fellow LPGT campaigner Tiffany Lee produced one of the day’s better recoveries. Lee fired a 70 to vault from a tie for 61st to a share of 45th at 221, ending the week on a positive note after struggling through the first two rounds.

At the top of the leaderboard, Thailand’s Pattarat Rattanawan completed a dominant wire-to-wire triumph with a closing four-under 68 for an 11-under total of 205. She finished three shots clear of veteran compatriot Onkanok Soisuwan, who shot a 70 to secure solo second at 208.

Rattanawan’s consistent play throughout the tournament left the rest of the field chasing, while Constantino and Lee continued to gain valuable experience against a strong regional field as they prepare for their upcoming campaigns.

What happens when a local college with limited funding and ambitious programs cannot meet quality assurance standards?

The ongoing Libacao College of Science and Technology (LCST) case highlights how local government ambitions clashed with quality-assurance standards, resulting in the college’s failure to obtain compliance certificates and causing hardship for students and families caught in the controversy.

LCST was established in 2003 by a municipal ordinance of the municipality of Libacao, Aklan, pursuant to the wide-ranging autonomy granted under the Local Government Code.

Since its first graduation in the 2007-2008 academic year, LCST has offered degree programs and graduates students annually. Despite efforts to deliver affordable, quality education to local residents, the institution has yet to achieve Institutional Recognition (IR) from CHED.

So what happened?

The UAQTE law was enacted in 2017, requiring CHED to assess local universities and colleges (LUCs) and identify those qualified for national government tuition and fee reimbursement.

The Duterte administration actively worked to guarantee free, high-quality higher education by mandating all public universities to secure a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) for each degree program. Congress supported this by including specific provisions in the General Appropriations Act (GAA), which obliged CHED to review all public university degree programs and shut down those that did not meet standards. The Marcos administration continued this policy.

A COPC is issued for each degree program offered by a higher education institution, attesting to the presence of qualified faculty, mandatory plantilla positions, academic officials, laboratories and a curriculum that meets minimum CHED standards.

In 2021, the enforcement of strict standards led to 19 LUCs being delisted from receiving free higher education benefits from UNIFAST. Despite intense political pressure, UNIFAST and CHED remained firm in their decision, forcing these LUCs to seek alternative funding to compensate for the loss of the national subsidy.

The reasoning was simple: it is wrong to provide free education to Filipinos if the government cannot guarantee quality education.

LCST applied for the COPC for its degree programs starting in 2022 but failed to obtain it. Without a COPC, its CHED Institutional Recognition (IR) could not be granted. It reapplied for COPCs in 2023 and 2024, and its application was again disapproved for failure to comply with minimum standards.

By 2024, CHEDRO VI recommended delisting the affected programs and enforcing the prohibition on admitting new students.

By that time, LCST had graduated 674 students from Academic Year 2007-2008 to 2025-2026 and had 645 continuing students in the affected programs.

Under the guidance of regional director Raul Alvarez Jr., the CHED regional office conducted various technical assistance activities to support the college. However, the college leadership and local government still failed to recruit qualified program heads and faculty or to improve facilities and laboratories. Despite regular discussions between CHEDRO VI and college officials, which often ended with promises to fix issues, these conversations did not generate specific, time-bound plans for achieving compliance.

As expected, the proposed closure of noncompliant academic programs at LCST sparked a firestorm among students, parents, alumni and local leaders. For many residents of Libacao, Aklan – an area classified as geographically isolated and disadvantaged (GIDA) – LCST has been the only accessible route to higher education.

Interestingly, this happened in a region recognized for maintaining quality-assurance standards. Region VI was the first to attain 100 percent Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) for all SUCs offering degree programs, with LUCs like Iloilo City Community College, Passi City College, Vicente Javier Memorial College, and Altavas College also earning their IR.

Clearly, the problem is not with CHED.

The new mayor, Tim Teodocio, has acknowledged the previous administration’s failure to comply with the Commission’s directives and committed to full compliance with all existing CHED laws, policies, standards and regulations.

LCST is voluntarily phasing out its BS Hospitality Management, BS Industrial Technology and BS Special Needs Education programs and will not admit new students starting in Academic Year 2026-2027.

But the damage is already done. Many students, especially those from IP communities and low-income households, cannot access private or public schools because of distance and cost. Other colleges in the region are reluctant to accept or credit courses completed by transfer students because of the COPC issue.

For humanitarian reasons, CHED may permit existing LCST students to finish their degrees via an organized phase-out. However, issuing Special Orders (SOs), Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV), diplomas, transcripts and other academic documents to former graduates involves complex legal issues and places a substantial administrative load on CHED staff.

The tale of LCST serves as a warning for LGUs to carefully reconsider before establishing their own local colleges. While offering free education can earn voter support, it is only effective if the college provides accessible, high-quality education.

Since the passage of the Free Higher Education Law, CHED has enforced non-negotiable quality-assurance standards in collaboration with UNIFAST, PRC, DBM and the CSC.

CHED must remain firm in its mandate to guarantee access to quality education by shutting down all degree programs that do not meet compliance across all higher education institutions.

Quality without access leads to inequality, while access without quality offers false hope. CHED must uphold both, as this is not only good governance but also a constitutional duty and a fundamental promise of higher education to all Filipinos.

A majority of Filipinos continue to have much trust in the United States and Japan, according to a recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Results of the June 20 to 29 survey showed that 60 percent of the respondents had ‘much trust’ in the US, up from 56 percent obtained in previous poll in March.

Those who had ‘little trust’ in the US slightly increased from 16 percent to 18 percent, while undecided respondents dropped from 26 percent to 19 percent.

This resulted in a ‘good’ net trust rating of +42, up from +32 in March.

The net trust rating is obtained by subtracting those who had ‘little trust’ from those who said they had ‘much trust’ in a country.

Like the US, Japan also obtained ‘good’ net trust rating, improving from +34 in March to +36 in June.

Based on the survey results, 55 percent of the respondents had ‘much trust’ in Japan, 19 percent had ‘little trust,’ and 23 percent undecided.

As in previous polls, only a small percentage of Filipinos had ‘much trust’ in China, although it slightly improved from 22 percent to 25 percent.

Those who had ‘little trust’ in China remained at 41 percent, while undecided respondents fell from 35 percent to 30 percent. Its net trust rating fell from -19 to ‘poor’ -16.

Other countries included in the survey were Australia (48 percent ‘much trust,’ 20 percent ‘little trust’), Israel (30 percent ‘much trust,’ 34 percent ‘little trust’), Russia (28 percent ‘much trust,’ 36 percent ‘little trust’), Palestine (18 percent ‘much trust,’ 37 percent ‘little trust’) and Iran (19 percent ‘much trust,’ 43 percent ‘little trust’).

The TNT Tropang 5G are back in the win column after exacting revenge against the Titan Ultra Giant Risers by 34 points, 114-80, Saturday evening at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

The Tropang 5G finally avenged the 103-87 defeat they absorbed against the Giant Risers last month with a complete obliteration of Titan.

The former also returned to their winning ways after a defeat against the NLEX Road Warriors in their previous game.

Jordan Heading provided the spark off the bench with 23 points, five assists and two rebounds for TNT. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 19 markers apiece in the win, which gave the squad its fourth victory in seven contests.

Starting off hot, TNT kept on pressing and completely broke the game wide open, leading by 28, 77-49, in the third quarter.

But Titan tried to storm back, slicing the deficit in half, 72-86, after a Bryan Sajonia deuce with 8:09 still on the clock.

However, a 28-8 finishing kick gave the Tropang 5G their biggest lead of the night – 34 points – at the end of the game.

Rey Nambatac and Kim Aurin added 14 and 12 points, respectively, for TNT.

Tirrell Brown II was kept to a quiet 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting, along with 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks, for the Giant Risers. Sajonia and Jerrick Balanza chipped 13 points each.

Titan slipped to a 2-6 win-loss slate, dropping to last place in Group A play.