Category: Philippine Star

The captain of MV June Aster, which caught fire off Coron, Palawan, said that the vessel’s communication system failed due to a blackout, preventing him from alerting the passengers about the tragedy.

The captain, identified as Roel Sarmiento, recalled the series of events before and after the fire incident on September 9 in a sworn statement he submitted to authorities.

In a copy obtained by ABS-CBN News, Sarmiento said he immediately went to the ferry’s very high frequency (VHF) radio and public-address system to warn the passengers after he noticed that the fire was quickly spreading on the right side of the ship, but was not able to do so because the power went out.

‘Sumilip ako sa starboard wing, nakita ko buong kanan na bahagi ng barko ay napakalakas ng apoy, pati sa kaliwa tanaw ko. Dali-dali akong pumunta sa Very High Frequency (VHF) at sa Public Address (PA) para makapag-inform kaso biglang nagka-black out na,’ Sarmiento said.

(I looked out from the starboard wing, I saw that the whole right side of the ship was engulfed in flames, and I could see it even on the left side. I immediately went to the Very High Frequency and Public Address to inform, but there was suddenly a blackout.)

On September 12, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recovered 41 charred remains from the ship.

Authorities said 77 people died, 43 survived and 12 remain missing. A total of 128 passengers were aboard the ship.

‘Jump, captain’

Sarmiento said in his statement that he boarded the ship on September 8 at 9:32 a.m. at Baseco, Manila. The loading of rolling cargo began at 7:15 p.m., and the ship sailed at 8:14 p.m.

They experienced subasko, or a squall, while approaching Hamilo Point near Corregidor Traffic Separation Scheme. The seas improved as they got closer to Fortune Island.

The whole day of September 9 was fine until 6:29 p.m., when one of his crew members informed him that a fire had broken out.

‘Ang naisagot ko ay ‘saan’, at direkta kong sinabi na papasukin ang mga pasahero sa bridge at buksan ang pinto. Tapos sinabi ko sa AB (able seaman) na prepare ang hose ng tubig at fire extinguisher,’ Sarmiento said.

(I answered, ‘where’, and I directly told them to get the passengers inside the bridge and open the door. Then I told the AB to prepare the water hose and fire extinguisher.)

When he looked from the starboard wing, he saw that the fire was quickly spreading on the right side of the vessel. The fire was also visible on the left side. That was when he tried to warn the passengers through the public-address system, but failed.

Sarmiento said that he then ordered the crew to deploy the life rafts since they no longer had any choice but to abandon the ship.

After two life rafts were deployed, he instructed some of the passengers to jump out of the ship. He said they even helped a mother who could not climb over the railings out of fear.

When the passengers and crew got out of the ship, Sarmiento said he removed his shirt, soaked it, and used it to cover his face as he attempted to open the air-conditioned room to check if there were any passengers trapped inside.

But the heat became unbearable, and when he looked out from the right side of the ship’s wing, the passengers and crew told him to jump out of the burning ship.

‘Tinawag nila ako na ‘talon na Kap, talon na” he said. (They called me, and said ‘just jump Captain, jump.’)

‘Things happened quickly’

Sarmiento said he had no choice but to wear his shirt and jump out of the ship, even without a life jacket, because of the unbearable heat.

‘About 30 meters ang layo ko sa isang AB at nasambit ko na pahawak sa lifejacket n’ya at ako ay nahihirapan na,’ he recalled.

(I am about 30 meters away from an AB, and I asked him if I could hold on to his life jacket because I was already having difficulty.’)

The seaman then took off the life jacket he was wearing and gave it to Sarmiento, who then swam toward a life raft.

Sarmiento was then able to get on the raft, together with three crew members and two passengers. They paddled until they were rescued by fishermen who brought them to shore.

He said he was in tears when they reached the shore, thinking that he was not able to do anything to stop the fire.

‘Sa sobrang trauma ko ay naglakad lang po ako nang naglakad sa kalsada hanggang sa makarating ako kung saan man. Hanggang ngayon, isip pa din ako nang isip kung paano naging sobrang bilis ng pangyayari,’ Sarmiento said.

(I was so traumatized that I just walked and walked along the road until I reached somewhere. Until now, I’m still thinking how quickly things happened.)

Sarmiento went missing after the incident and turned up after five days.

Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua died on Tuesday at the age of 48.

The provincial government has yet to release details about the cause of Cua’s death.

Born on Nov. 4, 1977, Cua began his political career when he was 23 years old, serving as vice governor from 2001 to 2007 before completing his first term as governor from 2007 to 2010.

He returned to the provincial capitol in 2019, serving continuously until his death.

Prior to his second gubernatorial stint, Cua represented the lone congressional district of Quirino in the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2019.

He authored the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law and Republic Act 230, which established the Quirino State University. He co-authored the Rice Tariffication Law and the Ease of Doing Business Act.

Cua, eldest son of former governor Junie Cua and Maria Angela Enriquez-Cua, is survived by his wife, incumbent Quirino Rep. Midy Cua, and their three children.

Flags at municipal halls and public offices across the province have been lowered to half-mast to honor Cua.

The House of Representatives has expressed sadness over the passing of Cua, concurrent chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.

‘For those of us who knew and worked with Dax, we mourn more than the loss of a leader. We mourn a colleague whose commitment to public service has touched so many lives,’ Speaker Faustino Dy III said yesterday.

‘We remember Gov. Dax for his years of dedicated public service and his commitment to the people of Quirino, and to strengthening local governance in the Philippines and across the Asia-Pacific region,’ the House posted on social media yesterday.

Sen. JV Ejercito, a colleague of Cua in the House from 2010 to 2013, expressed sadness over the loss of a ‘very good friend.’

‘Rest in peace, Dax – one of the nicest, gentlest and most unassuming public officials,’ Ejercito said.

The United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific, which Cua headed, described him as a steadfast leader and a passionate advocate for local governance.

In a rare interjection at the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday, Sen. Lito Lapid raised two issues about the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN that all public officials are required to file every year.

One is that ordinary people don’t know what the SALN is so they don’t care, he said, about the issue.

People may now start caring after prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte showed that based on her SALNs, her net worth surged from P7.25 million in 2007 when she first joined the government, to P98.66 million in 2025.

The second issue that Lapid raised was whether SALNs contain accurate and honestly declared information. He cited an interview wherein a lawyer wondered whether it was true that all politicians are dishonest in filing their SALNs.

Prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Duterte are presenting her SALNs for comparison with her income tax returns as well as to determine if her bank deposits held with her husband Manases Carpio were included in her official declarations of assets.

These issues still have to be threshed out in the impeachment trial. But the interjection of Lapid as scrutiny of the Vice President’s SALN got underway highlighted the weakness of authorities in verifying the accuracy of official asset statements.

Combined with tax filings, the SALN can serve as a gauge for the accumulation of unexplained or ill-gotten wealth. Annual submission of the SALN is required under Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

RA 6713 also provides for public access to the SALNs – something that has been resisted by top officials starting with members of the Supreme Court.

Jesus Crispin Remulla, upon appointment as ombudsman, restored this public access to the SALNs of government officials and employees whose statements are submitted to his office, among them the president, vice president and the heads of constitutional bodies.

But the ombudsman is not the repository of the SALNs of members of Congress and the Supreme Court, who submit their asset statements to the secretary-general and the SC clerk of court, respectively.

The asset statements can be scrutinized in criminal investigations and in an impeachment trial, or by the Anti-Money Laundering Council. Unless a complaint is filed or an investigation is launched motu proprio, however, the accuracy of the SALN is not verified.

Making the SALNs public, as provided under RA 6713, allows monitoring for accuracy and unusual increases in assets.

The top officials of all three branches of government must lead by example in releasing their SALNs, and showing that there is such a thing as honest declaration of assets.

De La Salle University (DLSU) and GCash are partnering to strengthen tech talent development through the NextGen Tech Builders Program, an industry-designed fintech engineering elective that brings real-world technology practices into the university classroom.

As DLSU’s Term 1 classes start on September 7, DLSU undergraduate students will gain hands-on experience with the technologies and development practices used to build and operate large-scale digital platforms.

The elective is part of a deeper collaboration between DLSU and GCash, giving students the opportunity to develop fintech engineering skills while still in university. The program combines classroom learning with practical work, including a fintech capstone project where students can apply what they learn to real-world challenges.

DLSU students also joined a forum introducing the new elective and its fintech track. Ding, a DLSU alumnus and member of the GCash Cadetship Program Batch 2023, shared their career journey and experience in fintech, giving students a firsthand look at opportunities in the industry.

Through the program, students will learn technologies commonly used in modern fintech development, including Java, Spring Boot, cloud computing, and microservices. GCash will provide course materials and cloud-based laboratory environments to give students hands-on fintech industry-wide experiences, practices, and systems.

The initiative builds on the GCash technology cadetship model by bringing industry training into the university curriculum. This gives students earlier exposure to the skills and practices they can expect to use in their future technology careers. ‘DLSU is committed to preparing our students not only with strong academic foundations but also with the practical skills and industry exposure they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. Through this collaboration with GCash, we are creating opportunities for our students to learn directly from industry practices and better prepare for meaningful careers in fintech and technology,’ said DLSU College of Computer Studies Dean Dr. Ethel Ong.

Students who complete the GCash elective will also have access to fast-tracked pathways into technical roles at GCash, creating a direct link between their academic experience and potential career opportunities.

For GCash, the partnership reflects its broader commitment to developing the talent needed to support the country’s growing digital economy. By working closely with universities, GCash is helping strengthen the pipeline of Filipino technology professionals while bringing industry experience closer to the classroom.

‘Technology talent is critical to the continued growth of the digital economy, and we believe that developing that talent should begin well before students enter the workforce. Through the NextGen Tech Builders Program, we are bringing our industry experience into the classroom to help students build practical, relevant skills and create a stronger pipeline of locally trained fintech engineers,’ shared Mynt Chief People Officer, Robert Gonzales.

The NextGen Tech Builders Program represents a closer connection between university education and industry practice, giving DLSU students an opportunity to develop specialized fintech engineering skills while still in school. Through the collaboration, DLSU and GCash aim to contribute to a stronger pipeline of locally trained technology talent prepared for the demands of the digital economy.

In one of the most weather-disturbed months of the year, it is normal for air travel to decline, but low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific pulled a two-percent traffic growth instead in August.

Based on its August traffic performance report, Cebu Pacific hiked its passenger volume by two percent to 2.14 million, from 2.1 million a year ago, lifted by domestic travel.

Further, Cebu Pacific’s load factor, measured as seats booked against available capacity, climbed to 84.8 percent, from 83.7 percent, as Filipinos braved the bad weather to pursue their journeys.

Domestic passenger count went up by four percent to 1.62 million, as Filipinos started to adjust to the fare environment with elevated fuel surcharges. International passenger volume dipped by three percent to 523,000.

Still, Cebu Pacific CEO Michael Szucs said international traffic is beginning to pick up in select routes. Nearer markets, particularly Bali and Seoul, are drawing more interest.

‘International load factor continued to strengthen, reflecting healthy passenger demand, although overall international traffic remains below the prior levels due to the capacity reductions that we implemented,’ Szucs said.

To date, Cebu Pacific’s passenger volume has gone up by four percent to 18.86 million, putting it on track to beat its record 26.88 million in 2025.

The airline owned by the Gokongweis needs to fly at least eight million passengers in the remaining months of the year, which is traditionally the peak season for air travel.

Between January and August, Cebu Pacific flew 14.22 million passengers domestically, a growth of five percent, and 4.64 million guests overseas, a one-percent uptick. It plans to raise capacity in the fourth quarter for the holiday demand.

Cebu Pacific is mounting Cebu flights to Shanghai and Nagoya and resuming Manila services to Xiamen starting November. The carrier will also reinstate overseas flights from Davao and Iloilo.

Challenging the capacity boost is the increasing fuel surcharge, which has gone up to Level 14 in the second half of September, because of rising petroleum prices.

‘As we approach the yearend travel season, we will remain disciplined in managing our capacity, balancing our growth opportunities with the evolving fuel cost environment,’ Szucs said.

The Cebu City Council has returned the Technical Infrastructure Committee’s (TIC) report on the Monterrazas de Cebu development in Barangay Guadalupe for further technical scrutiny after the body raised doubts about its recommendations to allow the project to continue despite unresolved flood risks.

During the regular session last Tuesday, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña challenged the TIC’s assessment of detention pond capacity, warning that runoff from the 118-hectare estate could reach over 300,000 cubic meters in extreme rainfall events similar to Typhoon Ruping (1990).

The TIC report, however, stated that current detention capacity stands at 62,710.5 cubic meters, projected to increase to 76,230.5 cubic meters once additional ponds are completed.

Councilors Dave Tumulak, Paul Labra, and Sisinio Andales also questioned why the committee recommended continuation of the project despite admitting that further technical investigation was necessary.

The TIC’s official resolution (No. 2026-008) detailed its fact-finding inspection of Monterrazas, which spans 14 catchment areas.

The committee noted that runoff is managed through detention ponds discharging into creeks such as Kinalumsan and Linao, with culverts ranging from 1500 mm to 450 mm in diameter.

For example, Catchment 01 (Montelago) had seven ponds with a combined capacity of 27,483 cubic meters, exceeding the required 8,220 cubic meters.

Similarly, Catchment 06 (Monterrazas Prime 2) had nine ponds totaling 20,267.5 cubic meters, discharging through a 1200 mm culvert into a flood-prone creek near White Hills and Forest Hill subdivisions.

The committee emphasized that its findings were fact-finding only, not a definitive conclusion on the causes of flooding in Guadalupe.

It acknowledged that other subdivisions, such as Grand Legacy and areas near Bethany Christian School, lacked detention ponds, contributing runoff to the same drainage systems.

The TIC recommended allowing Monterrazas’ ongoing projects to continue, citing engineering measures already in place, but stressed that further hydrological studies were needed.

Flooding in Guadalupe has long been a contentious issue.

While Monterrazas’ ponds exceed mandated standards, downstream flooding is aggravated by undersized city drainage pipes, altered waterways, and older subdivisions without retention facilities.

In November 2025, Typhoon Tino caused widespread devastation in Cebu, with critics pointing to upland developments as exacerbating factors.

Joint inspections in 2026, however, verified that Monterrazas’ detention ponds held more than three times the required volume, suggesting compliance with safety standards.

The issue has also taken on a political tone with Mayor Nestor Archival ‘resisting’ calls for a cease-and-desist order against Monterrazas, prompting accusations of conflict of interest due to his family’s property holdings within the development.

A complaint has been filed before the Ombudsman alleging grave misconduct and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Archival.

Councilor Mikel Rama moved to send the report back to the TIC to address unresolved issues and provide clearer recommendations.

The council then pushed for a cease-and-desist order until detention pond capacity and drainage impacts are fully validated.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has revoked the driver’s license of actor Niño Muhlach after he was involved in a multi-establishment crash along Marcos Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal.

In a statement on Wednesday, September 17, the LTO said that it imposed a two-year license revocation after determining that the actor lost control of his vehicle due to severe fatigue, crashing into three commercial establishments along the highway.

The LTO found the actor liable for reckless driving and officially declared him an Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle.

In addition to the license revocation, the agency placed the actor’s vehicle on alarm status to enforce the penalty and prevent any related transactions while the resolution remains in effect.

“Seryoso ang LTO sa pagpapatupad ng batas-trapiko, lalo na sa mga paglabag na maaaring magdulot ng panganib sa ibang gumagamit ng kalsada,’ LTO Chief Markus Lacanilao said.

(The LTO is serious about enforcing traffic laws, especially violations that could endanger other road users.)

‘Ipatutupad natin ang kaukulang kaparusahan batay sa resulta ng imbestigasyon at pagdinig, anuman ang katayuan ng sangkot,’ he added.

(We will impose the appropriate penalty based on the results of the investigation and hearing, regardless of the status of those involved.)

The road accident involving the actor occurred on August 23.

According to Muhlach, he fell asleep behind the wheel due to extreme fatigue, causing his vehicle to veer off, cross lanes, and hit a parked motorcycle, a pedestrian and three roadside shops.

The Marcos administration has released roughly 94.1 percent of the P6.793-trillion national budget as of end-August, a slightly slower pace than the previous year’s, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

Data from the Status of Allotment Releases report showed that the DBM released P6.39 trillion in the first eight months of the year, representing 94.1 percent of the total allocation.

This leaves about P401.38 billion still to be released in the remaining four months.

The releases are behind the 95.5 percent allotment release rate posted in the same period under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Of the total released under the 2026 GAA, P3.47 trillion went to government departments, with a release rate of 94.5 percent of the adjusted P3.67-trillion programmed budget.

Among major agencies that had relatively lower release rates of their programs are the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Tourism (DOT), which received below 90 percent of their program as of end-August.

The DA had only 68.8 percent of its P163.26-billion budget, slower than the 96.7 percent release rate posted a year ago.

Meanwhile, the DOT had P4.05 billion, or 87.4 percent, of its P4.64-billion adjusted program released.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received 99.5 percent of its P530.12-billion budget as of end-August.

The Department of Education, which has the highest allocation in the national budget, received 92.5 percent of its record-high P961.14-billion budget, below last year’s 95.9-percent pace.

In terms of special purpose funds, the government has already released P518.52 billion, which is 72.1 percent of the adjusted P719.07-billion budget.

Automatic appropriations are at 89.9 percent or P2.16 trillion of the P2.4-trillion aggregate funding.

On the other hand, P120.11 billion was released for unprogrammed appropriations, particularly to support foreign-assisted projects.

Unprogrammed appropriations provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceeds targets or when additional grants or foreign funds are generated.

The bulk of the unprogrammed appropriations, worth P80.15 billion, went to the Department of Transportation, P25.55 billion to DPWH, P13.88 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, P511.03 million to Philippine Competition Commission and P23.79 million to the Department of Health.

PhilHealth budget

The government is proposing P74.45 billion for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in 2027, including P19 billion for improvements to benefit packages and other priority health interventions, according to the DBM.

The P19-billion funding is intended to support improvements in health benefits covering priority concerns such as mental health and severe malnutrition, as well as assistance involving hospitals operated by local government units (LGUs).

It will also cover the national government’s premium subsidies for qualified beneficiaries. About 11.09 million beneficiaries are targeted to receive the subsidies in 2027, up from around 10.65 million in 2026.

The proposed funding comes as the government implements measures intended to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket expenses for hospitalization.

In September, the DBM approved P10.377 billion for the implementation of the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) program, including P9.377 billion for DOH hospitals nationwide and P1 billion for six pilot LGU hospitals in Benguet, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Aklan and Sarangani.

The DBM also released an additional P800 million to the Philippine General Hospital, specifically for ZBB.

DBM acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said government spending on health should result in direct assistance to patients.

‘Every peso we release for health must ultimately reach the patient,’ De Leon said in August.

He reiterated the point following the approval of the P10.377-billion ZBB funding.

‘No Filipino should have to choose between obtaining the medical care they need and protecting their family from a hospital bill they cannot afford. This P10.377-billion release is intended to ensure that when our people become ill, the government is there to help shoulder the financial burden,’ De Leon said.

The proposed PhilHealth allocation is part of the P353.8-billion health sector budget proposed for 2027. It also includes P107.29 billion for the operations of 72 DOH regional hospitals and other health facilities, P25.39 billion for the National Health Workforce Support System and P3.75 billion for the Cancer Assistance Fund.

PhilHealth received a total of P129.8 billion in government funding in 2026, following an initial P53.13-billion subsidy that was supplemented by P60 billion in funding recovery support and an additional P16.52 billion from the bicameral conference committee.

Leyte representative and former speaker Martin Romualdez has pleaded not guilty to plunder charges over his alleged P7.4-billion kickbacks from flood control projects.

Romualdez, in a wheelchair, entered his plea yesterday at the New Quezon City Jail after the Sandiganbayan Third Division allowed his arraignment via video conferencing.

The anti-graft court, however, denied for lack of merit his request for waiving of the reading of the formal charges against him.

It also denied his plea to be transferred to a tertiary hospital in Quezon City, emphasizing that the lawmaker is well enough to stay at the New Quezon City Jail.

Third Division chairman Associate Justice Karl Miranda cited the findings of the Philippine General Hospital, which stated that Romualdez is clinically stable and does not require further hospital confinement.

‘The mere invocation of ill health is not sufficient for an accused’s continued confinement in a hospital,’ Miranda said. ‘There are many more PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) that have worse medical conditions compared to congressman Romualdez.’

With Romualdez during his arraignment was lawyer Jose Roy III.

Since the lawmaker pleaded not guilty, the case was automatically submitted for trial. The court has set pre-marking of evidence on Sept. 18, 21, 22, 23 and 24.

Martin to seek bail

Romualdez’s camp said he would file a petition for bail.

The anti-graft court gave Romualdez 10 days to explain why he should not be preventively suspended while on trial for plunder.

Another Romualdez lawyer, Ade Fajardo, said they requested for video conferencing to avoid ‘contracting an emergency situation’ as the lawmaker’s condition is still fragile.

He also said they had requested for a waiver of the reading of the formal charges because Romualdez – himself a lawyer – is aware of the charges against him. Moreover, Fajardo said, the reading of charges was ‘additional stress’ to Romualdez.

‘He is maintaining his innocence and we’re in pre-trial proceedings wherein we laid down the evidence, and we have to have all these marked for orderly trial proceedings,’ he said.

‘If the evidence is strong, the Sandiganbayan can deny the petition for bail. That’s why we are proceeding to the petition for bail so that the prosecution can finally present to the court what their evidence is,’ Fajardo said.

He said they would also discuss requesting the court’s permission to allow Romualdez not to physically appear at his trial.

Romualdez, tagged as the ‘central figure’ by the Office of the Ombudsman in the multibillion-peso flood control kickback scheme, was charged with plunder on Sept. 7.

When an arrest warrant was issued, the lawmaker was already confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center for cardiovascular event and a supposed panic attack.

Authorities then served the warrant and conducted booking procedures in the hospital. They released photos of Romualdez, showing him lying in a hospital bed, with a detainee shirt draped over his hospital gown.

Romualdez’s co-accused in the plunder charges are former lawmaker and fugitive Zaldy Co and private individuals Joselyn Serenio and Felicito Guevarra.

His detention at the infirmary ward of the New Quezon City Jail was not a form of special treatment, as it was made upon the recommendations of doctors of the PGH where the legislator stayed over the weekend, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized.

‘While you might think that the way he was treated was over and above – well just check the commitment orders and recommendation from PGH,’ Remulla said.

Wait-and-see

But the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte said it is not yet convinced of the sincerity of the administration in holding corrupt officials accountable despite the filing of plunder case against Romualdez.

‘We can’t make a judgment early because we haven’t seen the specific accusations against Martin Romualdez and the specific evidence. Isn’t it easy to file a case? They’ve already filed a lot with the VP, I hope there is no basis,’ Duterte’s spokesman and lawyer Paolo Panelo said in a chance interview.

‘Whether the correct basis was used to file this complaint against Martin Romualdez, if our government is really serious, let’s wait and see,’ Panelo said

Princess Superal staged a late rally to post a one-under 71 on Thursday, keeping herself firmly in contention after the opening round of the Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Masters at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

The 30-year-old initially seemed bound for a tough outing after derailing an early one-under start with a double-bogey on the ninth and another bogey on the 10th. However, she quickly flipped the script on the back nine. Birdies on Nos. 11, 15 and 17 propelled her to a closing 34, salvaging her round and securing a solid position near the top of the leaderboard.

She and three other local bets stood just two shots behind leader Budsabakorn Sukapan, who birdied her first two holes to fire a 69. That gave her a slim, one-stroke cushion over a crowded group that included compatriots Parinda Phokan, Kusuma Meechai, Wannasiri Sirisampant, and amateur Korrawan Bennukul, who matched 70s

While the ICTSI-backed Superal rebounded into contention, fellow Filipinas Mafy Singson and Harmie Constantino struggled. Both shot 78s to drop into a tie for 78th place in the THB 4-million, 54-hole season finale of the 11-leg Thai LPGA Tour.

Last year, Davaoeña star Yvon Bisera ruled this event wire-to-wire to secure her breakthrough overseas victory. However, she opted not to defend her crown this week.

However, she opted not to defend her crown, choosing instead to focus on next week’s Kenda Tire Open – a co-sanctioned Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) and Taiwan LPGA (TLPGA) event teeing off next Wednesday, September 23, in Taichung.

Superal, Singson and Constantino are also heading to Taiwan alongside other LPGT standouts as the Filipina contingent aims to end a prolonged title drought on the TLPGA circuit.

Pauline del Rosario was the first Filipina to conquer the TLPGA back in 2017, capping a breakout rookie season for the former Asian Games standout.