Category: Philippine Star

Rising Filipino endurance stars James Earl Ting, Edgie Arances and Anisha Eunice Caluya take center stage in a frenetic battle for the Filipino Elite crowns as the Damosa Land 5150 unwraps Sunday, September 20, in Samal Island, Davao del Norte.

Ting and Arances are expected to engage in a fierce men’s duel, while Caluya headlines the women’s side as the country’s emerging elite triathletes vie for top honors on the Olympic-distance course featuring a 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run.

Beyond the medals, however, the Filipino Elite Category provides a vital platform for the country’s next generation of endurance racing stars. The specialized division gives top-tier local athletes and national team members an opportunity to test themselves in championship conditions while sharpening the speed, race strategy and competitive experience needed for bigger domestic and international battles.

The Elite Category, featured in major Philippine triathlon events such as the 5150 Triathlon and IRONMAN 70.3 series, is designed for qualified high-performance athletes, including past and current national team members. Its emphasis on high-level racing provides a bridge between emerging local talent and the demands of international competition.

Ting of BE Tritans comes into the race with considerable momentum after winning the Subic International Triathlon and placing third in the Bohol 5150 last July. Arances, meanwhile, has built valuable experience through campaigns in various local and international endurance events, setting the stage for an intriguing showdown between two of the country’s rising male triathletes.

Caluya likewise brings strong credentials to the women’s Elite field. She is a gold medalist in the Sprint Junior Elite Women’s category of the 2026 national age group aquathlon and will look to translate that success into a strong showing over the longer Olympic-distance format.

The Filipino Elite Category is part of the Philippine Sports Commission’s continuing effort to strengthen the country’s high-performance sports program while using major competitions to promote national pride and sports tourism.

The Damosa Land 5150 is also the final stop of the four-leg 5150 Triathlon Islands of the Philippines Series, which puts elite-level competition against some of the country’s most scenic sporting venues.

Organized by Sunrise Events, Inc., the second staging features another strong field from across the Philippines, providing an even bigger test for the country’s emerging elite athletes and established race contenders.

The inaugural Damosa Land 5150 established the event as a significant fixture on the Philippine triathlon calendar, combining scenic surroundings with demanding racing and breakthrough performances. This year’s edition promises another showcase of elite endurance talent – and another opportunity for the Philippines’ rising stars to prove they are ready for the next level.

The series highlights the Philippines’ potential as a destination for world-class endurance events, with courses that showcase pristine coastlines, rolling hills and scenic highways while giving Filipino athletes a demanding stage on which to compete against strong domestic and international fields.

Meanwhile, defending overall champions Eryk Omandam and Natasha Doromal-Lim return, seeking back-to-back titles after ruling the inaugural Damosa Land 5150 last year.

Omandam and Doromal-Lim conquered the challenging Olympic-distance course through determined and strategic racing, emerging on top against a strong international field. With both athletes having continued to sharpen their skills through regular training, they are expected to face a stiffer challenge this year while chasing another overall championship.

State-run lender Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) yesterday said about P4.1 billion in debts remain unpaid by jeepney operators who availed themselves of modern units under the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).

Based on DBP data, up to P4.1 billion in loans have yet to be paid to the bank by public utility vehicle (PUV) cooperatives even when they are already past the deadline.

The DBP said the bad loans make up 55 percent of the P7.5 billion in loans issued by the bank to jeepney operators who shifted to e-jeepney units.

The loans covered the purchase of at least 3,249 units deployed for road transport. From this, the DBP said the past-due loans affect up to 2,753 units.

The Land Bank of the Philippines also declared P2 billion in past-due loans to PUV cooperatives. The loans cover 51 borrowers, indicating how difficult it is for some jeepney operators to pay monthly amortization.

Recently, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued a notice of cash allocation worth P1.5 billion to help PUV cooperatives pay outstanding amortization.

The DOTr is shifting to equity subsidies under PTMP to prevent jeepney operators from foreclosing their modern units.

However, it could become tougher for the DOTr to issue subsidies and halt foreclosures, having been granted just P177 million for the PTMP in the proposed budget for 2027.

Originally, the DOTr proposed a budget of P2.17 billion for the PTMP to cover subsidies for the program. However, the Department of Budget and Management approved only P177 million.

The PTMP, originally the PUV Modernization Program, aims to replace old jeepneys with newer ones for environmental and safety purposes. However, jeepney operators and drivers struggle to adapt because of the cost of shifting to modern units.

Currently, it could cost as much as P3 million to purchase a single unit of modern jeepney, so the government stepped in by opening a loan program with its state-run banks.

As a whole, the DOTr is at risk of entering 2027 with reduced, if not zeroed, budget in several of its priority projects, including the EDSA busway, allocated with no funds.

The Commission on Elections in Central Visayas-7 will continue its preparations for the November 2, 2026, Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), even as Congress considers a measure that could postpone the polls.

Comelec-7 Regional Director Atty. Francisco Pobe said during a Kapihan sa PIA forum on Wednesday that, unless a new law is enacted to cancel or postpone the elections, the commission will proceed with preparations based on the existing law setting the polls on November 2.

Pobe said the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) is scheduled from September 28 to October 5. The official Comelec calendar also places the campaign period from September 28 to October 21.

He said Comelec-7 has already started manpower pooling, including preparations for the deployment of teachers as members of electoral boards, coordination with the Joint Security Council, and coordination with national agencies that will serve as deputized agencies.

Comelec is also posting lists of voters in the barangays based on the Certified Lists of Voters and conducting information dissemination through barangays and local election bodies.

For the 2026 BSKE, Central Visayas consists of Cebu and Bohol, with a total of 2,312 barangays, 1,203 in Cebu and 1,109 in Bohol.

Pobe said the region has 5,662 clustered precincts for the regular barangay elections based on Comelec’s clustering system.

The region has about 4.39 million registered voters for the regular barangay elections, while SK voters number 1,542,717.

The SK voter population increased by 32,620, or about 2.38 percent, while regular voters increased by 40,124, or about 0.91 percent.

Pobe attributed the relatively modest increase partly to the timing of the 2025 elections and the limited period for new voters to reach voting age.

For the SK elections, the region has 12,502 clustered precincts, 3,069 in Bohol and 9,443 in Cebu.

Pobe, however, clarified that Comelec-7 is aware that the House of Representatives has acted on a measure involving the postponement or extension of the barangay and SK elections, while the Senate is still considering the matter.

Despite this, Comelec will continue its preparations until Congress passes a law changing the schedule.

Pobe said they are hopeful that Congress could make a decision before the September 28 start of the COC filing period. He stressed that Comelec has already incurred substantial expenses for preparations.

Ballots and other accountable election forms have already been printed, while various supplies needed for the manual elections have also been procured or prepared.

Pobe said some election materials could be reused if the elections are postponed, as Comelec had done during a previous postponement by adjusting the dates on certain forms and ballots.

However, perishable supplies could expire and would have to be replaced. Election paraphernalia would also have to be stored and preserved, potentially resulting in additional storage and preparation costs.

Pobe also said electoral board members will receive an increase in honoraria of P2,000 across the board, along with changes in the coverage of service credits.

He said service credits that previously expired will no longer lapse and may be used throughout a person’s service, including after retirement.

The period covered by the honorarium has also been increased from five days to 10 days.

The Comelec regional director said the changes are intended to recognize the additional responsibilities carried by electoral board members during the elections.

Retired chief justice Artemio Panganiban drew some uncomfortable laughter in the plenary yesterday after teasing Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

At Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Hontiveros asked for Panganiban’s thoughts on her questions to the other retired justices.

‘Can I also reply in our private conversation?’ the widower said.

Confusing Hontiveros with what he meant, Panganiban quipped: ‘Dalaga naman po kayo (You are single).’

Going along with the joke, presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero asked Hontiveros: ‘Can you confirm?’

‘Binata rin ako (I am also single),’ Panganiban told Hontiveros, a widow.

Some people on social media were not amused with Panganiban’s joke.

It seemed strange that Gilas head coach Tim Cone didn’t call the shots against China at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games last Monday. Instead, assistant coach Richard del Rosario was at the helm. Not that Cone shirked away from the responsibility. He faced the music in the end and felt the pain of the 105-61 loss like everyone else on the embattled brigade.

‘We were running a system that we believed fit the team but one in which I personally didn’t fully understand all the nuances of,’ said Cone. ‘I knew the optics wouldn’t look great for me but we, as a staff, felt it was better if I gave up the lead. If you remember, I wasn’t with the team at the start because of the FIBA window. I joined them only in Korea. Coach Richard validated that decision against Kazakhstan when the team responded and played great. I coached the loss against Bahrain but honestly, as it turned out, it really didn’t matter who coached against China. We were overmatched. That was plain to see.’

Leading Gilas to Nagoya was a decision that Cone made while sacrificing family time. His son Kevin got married in the US during the Asian Games group stage. And after Gilas was eliminated, Cone didn’t rush out to visit the newly-married couple. ‘PBA is right around the corner and Ginebra is already practicing so no time to visit,’ said Cone. The Governors’ Cup will resume on Oct. 7 and Ginebra will mark its return against Rain or Shine at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Oct. 9. Whether or not Justin Brownlee will play for Ginebra is uncertain. ‘Not sure about Justin,’ noted Cone. ‘He may be mulling retirement. Our import status is still a question mark.’

Del Rosario, who also assists Cone with Ginebra, said the pain of losing when representing the country hits differently because aside from the sting of defeat, knowing that you let your countrymen down makes it worse. ‘We just didn’t have the size to match up with China and the Bahrain imports,’ he said. ‘Maybe, in the next few days, all of the problems we encountered leading to Nagoya will be addressed.’

Even the journey to the Asian Games from Korea where Gilas played two tune-up games was compromised. Del Rosario, assistant coach Josh Reyes and team official Yvette Ruiz were stranded in Korea without Asian Games IDs, which serve as visas, while the rest of the team flew out. Assistant coach Patrick Partosa had to fly from Nagoya back to Korea to personally hand their IDs. While the team settled in early on the Nagoya trip, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial volunteered to do the players laundry. Then, Calvin Oftana joined the team as a late entry days before the first game.

Manulife Philippines has named Erica Jurilla Santos as its new chief operations officer and member of the insurer’s executive committee.

Santos will lead Manulife’s operations strategy, with a focus on strengthening service excellence, operational performance, digital adoption and customer-focused innovation, the insurance firm announced in a statement.

‘Erica is a highly experienced operations leader with a strong track record in transformation, operational resilience, process efficiency and talent development,’ Manulife Philippines president and CEO Rahul Hora said.

‘Her deep understanding of service delivery and customer experience will help us further strengthen our operations, improve how we serve customers and distribution partners and support our growth ambitions in the Philippines,’ he said.

Santos has more than two decades of experience in insurance, contact center and back-office operations.

Her expertise includes service delivery, workforce strategy, financial governance, vendor management, customer experience and operational transformation.

She joined Manulife Business Processing Services in 2022. Most recently, the official led a 600-full-time-equivalent organization supporting Manulife’s US insurance business across new business, policy administration and life and health claims.

‘I’m honored to take on this role and to work with the talented teams across Manulife Philippines,’ Santos said.

Local palay or unmilled rice production is projected to decrease by 15 percent in the third quarter due to a drop in harvest area, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Latest PSA data showed that palay harvest may decline to 3.19 million metric tons (MT) in the July to September period from 3.75 million MT last year.

Its latest projection as of Aug. 1 is also 2.2 percent lower than the 3.26 million MT estimate a month ago.

The PSA reported that the palay harvest area, based on standing crop from July to September, may decrease by 15.8 percent to 771,790 hectares from 916,770 hectares in the actual harvested area last year.

Despite the decline in harvest area, the yield per hectare for palay could slightly increase to 4.13 MT per hectare from 4.09 MT per hectare.

As of Aug. 1, an estimated 113,790 hectares, or 14.7 percent of the 771,790 hectares of the updated harvest area of standing crop, have been harvested. This translates to a palay output of 455,250 MT.

The PSA added that of the 1.55 million hectares of standing palay, 60.1 percent were at the vegetative stage, 26.1 percent were at the reproductive stage and 13.8 percent were at the maturing stage.

Meanwhile, the country’s corn production may also decline to 2.08 million MT in the third quarter, a 14.4-percent decrease from the 2.43 million in the same period last year.

Corn harvest area is also projected to drop to 688,030 hectares, 12.8 percent lower than the 789,240 hectares last year.

Similarly, yield per hectare may decline to 3.02 MT per hectare, a 1.6 percent decline from the 3.07 MT per hectare the same period in 2025.

About 129,950 hectares of corn area have already been harvested as of Aug. 1, representing about 18.9 percent of the 688,030 hectares of harvest area for standing corn. This translated to about 366,790 MT of corn production.

Of the remaining unharvested corn, 39.2 percent were at the reproductive stage, 31.2 percent were at the maturing stage and 29.6 percent were at the vegetative stage.

The opening-day loss of University of Santo Tomas against the University of the Philippines was a good wake-up call, Growling Tigers head coach Pido Jarencio said, as they bounced back in a major way against La Salle on Wednesday.

UST grinded out an 80-75 victory over defending champion La Salle to notch its first win in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.

The victory came after a 92-85 defeat against UP last Sunday, where the Growling Tigers led by nine points and saw their lead dissipate, before getting blasted in the fourth quarter.

On Wednesday, UST led by nine points at around the halfway point of the fourth quarter, but held on thanks to clutch free throws by Amiel Acido and a layup by Collins Akowe.

After the game, Jarencio said that their opening-day loss taught the team an important lesson on working as one.

‘Kami, if we work as a team, as a one unit, malakas kami. Pero pag naging individualistic kami, kanya-kanya, walang mangyayari sa team namin,’ the coach told reporters after the win.

‘Lesson learned yan na natalo kami against UP. Wake up call ka agad yan. That’s a good wake up call for us. Kasi first game talo kaagad para magising na lahat,’ he added.

Acido provided the spark off the bench with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 24 minutes and 28 seconds of action. Akowe, for his part, had 18 markers and 10 boards, as well as three dimes.

‘Collins got his number tonight and then Amiel stepping up, okay na kami roon. Siguro sa ibang pagkakataon naman, ibang players naman ang mag-step up,’ Jarencio said.

‘As long as we work together, we improve each game, ako masaya na ako roon. And then para masaya rin ang UST community. This is for the community na bumabalik, tinitingnan kami at nanonood.’

Acido seconded Jarencio, saying the loss shook the Tigers, seen by many as a title contender this season, awake.

‘Sabi nga po ni Coach Pido, it’s a good wake up call po para sa amin. Matagal na rin po namin itong pinaghandaan. Very thankful din po agad kasi nakuha namin yung panalo this game. Hindi po mangyayari yun kung hindi kami nagtulong-tulong.’

UST will have a lengthy break and will return to action on September 30 against University of the East.

La Salle will likewise return on the same date and will face Far Eastern University.

The Parañaque Titans stormed onto the scene and rolled out its full 10-athlete roster that will see action and represent their city on the national stage in the inaugural Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT).

Leander Paez Lazaro and Sarah Jane Restauro Lim headline a stacked lineup that also features Ruben Antonio Gonzales Jr., Nik Alessandro Isagan, Fatima Ayesha Amirul, Jessica Marie Agra, Christian Josua “CJ” Luna, Matt Daniel Navarro, Danica Calma Bautista, and Mikhyla Julianne Cruz.

Founded by boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, the five-leg MPPT tour tips off October 3-4 in Angeles City, Pampanga, with the winning squad on each leg taking home P1 million.

Parañaque is set on making its case as a contender from Leg 1.

Assembled from the very best the Philippine pickleball scene has to offer – national team mainstays, international medalists, and hungry up-and-comers alike – the Titans were built to tower over the competition from day one.

The Titans are backed by team owners Tina Mariano, Jeff Tin, Long Kuan, and Atty. Albert Agra, with the team powered by Polland Hopia, the Filipino-Chinese pastry brand, alongside Tela Athletics and Tela Park – founding partners putting their name and their courts behind Parañaque’s newest sports franchise.

“Today isn’t just a contract signing – it’s the moment ten athletes became one team,” team management said during the contract signing of the 10 players and press briefing at Tela Park in Paranaque City.

Lazaro is one of the Philippines’ most decorated pickleball players and a mainstay of the national team. Lazaro has won gold at the Pickleball Viet Open and is consistently ranked among the country’s top men’s doubles and mixed doubles players. He anchors the Titans’ leader-ship on and off the court.

Lim has been widely acknowledged as the Philippines’ top female pickleball player and one of the sport’s most recognized advocates in the country. A former competitive tennis player with nearly two decades on court, she brings championship composure and leadership to the Titans’ women’s lineup.

For his part, Gonzales is a former Davis Cup tennis representative and two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist. He is one of the Philippines’ top-ranked men’s singles pickleball player. His big-match experience makes him one of the most dangerous competitors on the roster.

Agra is the Philippines’ No. 1-ranked padel player and an international pickleball medalist with podium finishes in Hanoi and Macau. Her consistency and tournament composure make her a trusted anchor across the Titans’ doubles pairings.

Isagan was part of the Philippine squad that swept Vietnam 3-0 to capture the inaugural Pickleball Champions League Asia title in Shenzhen, while Amirul was Pickleball Champions League Asia champion and joint MVP of the 2025 Shenzhen finals.

Luna is also tournament champion and recognized trailblazer in the local pickleball community and Navarro is the youngest in the league and a rising force in Manila’s competitive Open division.

A familiar name across Luzon’s regional pickleball circuit, Bautista’s tenacity and sharp court awareness have made her a fixture in competitive play, while Cruz

is the Titans’ breakout talent who will represent the next generation of Filipino pickleball players – fast-improving, fearless and ready to make her mark on the big stage.

“We didn’t just want good players. We went after the best of the best, because that’s what wearing the Titans name demands. This is a group that competes for each other, point after point, match after match,’ the team management said during the launch.

The MPPT was organized to capitalize on the rapid growth of pickleball across the country, providing a high-level, professional team platform for elite Filipino athletes.

The Philippines’ pursuit of Oscars glory begins anew after selecting “Filipiñana” as the country’s International Feature Film submission to the 2027 Academy Awards.

A National Selection Committee chose Rafael Manuel’s debut feature from a shortlist of eight films, believing it to be the Philippines’ best chance attracting Oscars voters.

In the history of the Academy Awards, no Filipino films has been nominated or even made the shortlist of the Best International Feature Film category.

Those who follow the awards circuit will know that Oscar campaigning is a journey that requires a lot of marketing and financing, something that past Philippine entries lacked to particular degrees.

Last year’s entry “Magellan” by Lav Diaz starring Gael Garcia Bernal was arguably the closest the country got to being shortlisted, and the movie was backed by a heavy marketing campaign.

The Film Academy of the Philippines learned heavily from the experience, which is why its revamped Pinoy Oscars Pursuit grants program will help “Filipiñana” and future entries get the funding it needs for marketing and promotional efforts.

How much exactly?

The maximum amount of grant money from the Pinoy Oscars Pursuit for a country’s entry is P25 million, and the Academy confirmed to Philstar.com that “Filipiñana” qualifies for the full amount.

As the Philippines’ official seletion, “Filipiñana” will instantly receive P8 million as an incentive for its campaign to be shortlisted at the Oscars. Because the film made its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the largest festival in the United States for independent films and therefore an A-list festival, it will receive another P3 million.

“Filipiñana” won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Creative Vision in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, ensuring it another P3 million as incentive.

The movie also won Best Feature Film and Youth Jury Award at the Festival Internacional de Cine de Valencia, the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the Independent Film Festival Boston, and the Golden Gate Award for New Directors Competition at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Any film that wins three main awards before its selection by a country – like what “Filipiñana” has done – makes it eligible for an extra P3 million in funding.

Ahead of its European premiere in Berlinale last February, the film was picked up for North American distribution by Kino Lorber, which gives it yet another P3 million.

Kino Lorber is responsible for distributing the most recent Best Documentary Oscar winner “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” which according to the grant program, entitles “Filipiñana” to P5 million.

Industry experts predict that up to $20 million (P1.25 billion) in marketing is needed for a successful Best International Feature Film campaign.

“Filipiñana” will have to make do with the P25 million or $400,000 from the Philippine government plus any funding it will get from producers, distributors, and donors.