Category: Philippine Star

For some teams, having a lengthy break is a good time to recharge amid a very tiring conference.

For the Magnolia Hotshots, though, it is a double-edged sword.

Following a slow start in the import-laden conference, Magnolia has won three straight games in the PBA Governors’ Cup, the latest of which was a 115-101 victory over the Phoenix Fuel Masters Wednesday evening at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

But after this week, the PBA will have a few months’ break in time for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Games.

‘Too bad, magkaka-break kami ng nine weeks, no. Sayang yung momentum na nandoon na sana,’ Hotshots head coach LA Tenorio said after the game.

‘But again, we really focused on this game. We really needed this game, especially before the long break. Napakalaking bagay sa amin ito,’ he added.

At the start of the conference, Magnolia lost three of its first four games, including their first two contests.

And from that point on, the Hotshots have won by huge margins against Barangay Ginebra, the Meralco Bolts and Phoenix.

The squad is currently second in the standings in Group B.

Tenorio, though, stressed that he will let his players rest during the break.

‘But I told the players na part of being a professional is hindi kayo mawala sa kundisyon kasi mahaba. Ang sinabi ko sa kanila, kung sinong pinaka-smart dito sa break na ito sa mga teams, yun yung team na malaking chance to go to the playoffs,’ Tenorio said.

‘Because maraming pwedeng mangyari with this break. Ako, personally, I have to do my Gilas duties as an assistant coach this window and then Asian Games. But I know my players,’ he added.

‘Some of them will not go home, siguro mga one week or two weeks lang then they will start working already. Kasi they know the importance of this break and this conference for us.’

Magnolia is currently trailing Rain or Shine in Group B. The Elasto Painters are holding a 4-2 win-loss record.

The Hotshots are tied with Phoenix, with a 4-3 slate, while Blackwater Bossing is at 3-3.

Ginebra is currently fifth in group play with a 2-3 card, while Meralco is at the bottom with a 2-5 record.

The PBA will take a break from August 15 to October 6.

The next game day will be on October 7, and the Hotshots’ next game will be against Blackwater on October 9.

First, it was UAAP that lowered the boom on resigned Ateneo men’s basketball team coach Tab Baldwin. Then came DOLE that slapped a P4.9 million fine on Baldwin for Alien Employment Permit violations and another P4.9 million fine for failure to secure a certificate of exemption related to his foreigner status and receiving a salary for unauthorized work.

UAAP also meted a permanent ban on Baldwin from participating in and attending any league activity. Since it’s been established that Baldwin was ineligible to coach Ateneo, what are the repercussions on his record? Of course, this doesn’t disallow any other league from hiring Baldwin but who will want to employ him after an allegation of reckless imprudence leading to double homicide in the Aurora tragedy last June? Besides, he holds no employment permit and under the circumstances, wouldn’t be able to get clearance from DOLE because of his involvement in the deaths of two Ateneo players and alleged moral ineptitude.

Several team officials and coaches were named by UAAP as under suspension and banned from attending any league event or game. UAAP, however, didn’t suspend Ateneo from competing this season, sparing student-athletes who would’ve had to sit out the year. In 1994, UAAP suspended Adamson for a year after fielding an academically ineligible player Marlou Aquino. In 2006, UAAP suspended La Salle for a year due to the use of ineligible players, forcing student-athletes in all sports at both the junior and senior levels to take a hiatus. La Salle was never accused and brought up the matter on its own after reviewing the school’s academic files.

Unlike the merciless attitude towards Adamson and La Salle, UAAP held back on Ateneo. UAAP must have realized how heartless it was in the past and wouldn’t want that dark history repeated. In DOLE’s view, Ateneo wasn’t spared a P4.9 million fine for employing Baldwin without permits.

CIDG has recommended filing of criminal charges against Baldwin and eight Ateneo team officials. NBI has likewise pushed for the filing of homicide charges against Baldwin and 11 others. If convicted, Baldwin will face a long stretch in prison and pay a hefty fine. DOJ will now conduct its own investigation to determine probable cause to file charges.

While different agencies have issued statements on how they’re dealing with this tragedy, CHED has yet to announce its course of action. CHED had ordered a swift, impartial investigation of the incident and said it will ‘pursue the truth without exception, ensure that accountability is imposed where warranted and require corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.’ Will CHED issue sanctions or stay silent? Will the sanctions, if any, be far-reaching?

Several properties were damaged after a truck driver fell asleep, causing his vehicle to swerve into the opposite lane and crash into a sari-sari store, several vehicles, and a house in Sitio Dasuna, Barangay DAS, Toledo City, early Wednesday morning, Aug. 12, 2026.

The Toledo City Police Station identified the dump truck as a Howo dump truck driven by 30-year-old Peter Capampangan Obsioma, a resident of Barangay Cambang-ug, Toledo City.

Police said the truck was coming from Barangay Magdugo and was heading toward Naga City when the incident occurred.

Based on the initial investigation, Obsioma allegedly fell asleep while driving, causing the dump truck to swerve and enter the opposite lane.

The truck first sideswiped a sari-sari store before hitting a Yamaha motorcycle and a multicab, both of which were parked along the roadside.

The dump truck continued moving and eventually crashed into a house where several vehicles were parked in the garage.

Four motorcycles and a Toyota Fortuner were among those involved in the collision.

Police have yet to determine the total amount of damage sustained by the sari-sari store, house, and vehicles.

Obsioma also sustained injuries in the incident and was taken by the Barangay DAS Ambulance to the Toledo City General Hospital for medical examination.

Following the incident, police took the driver into custody while awaiting the filing of the appropriate charges.

The police investigation is ongoing to determine the complete circumstances surrounding the incident and the driver’s possible liability.

The House of Representatives under Speaker Faustino Dy III will soon start deliberations on the executive department’s proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, chairperson of the House appropriations committee, told reporters on Tuesday that budget hearings in her committee will start on Aug. 17 and end Oct. 9 when Congress takes a month-long Undas break.

Shortly after the Department of Budget and Management, led by Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, submitted the 2027 National Expenditure Program, Dy vowed that House officials will go over the proposed 2027 national budget with a fine-tooth comb.

Dy said they will use the safeguards the chamber adopted in 2025 to prevent a repeat of alleged questionable insertions and purported leakages, where the creation of a small committee was dispensed with.

‘Last year, we began implementing reforms such as the Budget Amendments and Review Subcommittee, or BARSC, and introduced the live-streaming of our bicameral meetings,’ the congressman from the 6th District of Isabela province said, referring to the House’s ‘open and transparent’ hearings.

The Speaker echoed President Marcos’ call against waste, improper spending and corruption, noting that every peso saved can be redirected toward classrooms, hospitals, food, jobs, agriculture and other services directly needed by Filipinos.

Suansing, from Nueva Ecija, said once again, there will be a ‘people’s budget review’ where non-government organizations and other concerned stakeholders meet lawmakers and raise questions about the budget process.

Meanwhile, Rep. Migz Villafuerte of the 5th District of Camarines Sur called on his colleagues for the swift approval of the official digital budget or ‘CADENA portal,’ which is crucial during this stage of the budget process, where proposed allocations of agencies will undergo scrutiny by legislators.

CADENA stands for Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability – a digital transparency platform designed to publish and track Philippine government budget transactions.

The Commission on Higher Education will draw P56 million from the Higher Education Development Fund to keep hundreds of medical technology and pharmacy scholars on financial aid through the first semester of the next school year.

The commission announced Thursday, August 13, it will use the funding to cover the schooling of 238 scholars for the second semester of Academic Year 2025-2026, and 300 for the first semester of AY 2026-2027. This is under CHED’s “Scholarship Program for Future Medical Technologists and Pharmacists.”

CHED said in its news release that it turned to the HEDF after it “maximized available program funds” to prioritize 71 scholars from the poorest households. The rest, with financial requirements totaling P56.66 million, will be paid out of the HEDF.

This scholarship program by CHED gives financial assistance to qualified Filipino students taking BS Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science and BS Pharmacy at participating colleges and universities.

Under the program, scholars owe one year of government service for every year of scholarship they received, to be served after they pass their licensure exams and in line with Department of Health guidelines.

CHED said the arrangement helps augment the supply of licensed medical technologists and pharmacists in the public health sector.

Thirteen MTP-SP scholars are expected to graduate this academic year, specifically four from medical technology or medical laboratory science, nine from pharmacy.

A 2020 study by the i-Price Group found that medical technologists in the Philippines have the lowest compensation among ASEAN countries, earning around P29,444 monthly or P170 per hour.

The court order temporarily suspending the implementation of the daily minimum wage hike in Metro Manila is set to expire on Thursday, August 13.

Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said it is waiting to see if the Pasig City Regional Trial Court will grant the writ of preliminary injunction sought by construction companies Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc.

TUCP spokesperson Carlos Miguel Oñate told dzMM on Thursday that if the local court grants the injunction, the implementation of the wage hike will remain suspended indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Francis Tolentino explained on Wednesday, August 12, that only the court has the power to issue a clarificatory order, dismiss the case, or let the suspension lapse.

‘May mga clarificatory order siyang dapat gawin…’yung hakbangin kung ano ‘yung susunod ay magmumula sa Branch 152,’ Tolentino said.

(She has a clarificatory order to do…the next steps would come from Branch 152)

Tolentino said the labor agency does not have the power to simply order the implementation of the wage hike after the suspension expires.

‘Nakadepende sa kanya, pwede niyang i-dismiss ‘yon kung sasabihin niyang wala siyang jurisdiction,’ the labor secretary said.

This week, several labor groups have already filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the lower court’s suspension order.

TUCP said it is also considering taking the same action, depending on the Pasig court’s decision.

‘Hindi po ma-a-afford ng ating mga manggagawa na ma-indefinitely suspended po ‘yung kanilang P60 na wage increase,’ Oñate said.

(Our workers cannot afford to have their P60 wage increase suspended indefinitely.)

The property arm of Megawide Construction Corp. boosted its sales to P3.15 billion in the first half, backed by strong take-up for recently launched projects to overcome a challenging period.

PH1 World Developers Inc. said its sales have doubled in the six months to June, from P1.38 billion a year ago, due to higher demand for its residential projects outside central business districts.

PH1 said 63 percent of the sales are bookings in One Lancaster Place, My Enso Lofts and Lykke Kondo.

One Lancaster Place is the first and only condominium in Lancaster New City in Imus, Cavite. My Enso Lofts, on the other hand, is located in Timog Avenue in Quezon City, while Lykke sits at Amang Rodriguez Avenue in Pasig City.

PH1 president Gigi Alcantara said the developer has also increased its unbooked revenues to P11 billion as of June. These revenues are expected to be recognized over the next few months.

‘The strong take-up of our recently-launched projects reinforces our view that end-user demand outside key business centers remains buoyant and resilient,’ Alcantara said.

Likewise, PH1 is working with the government in a mass housing program Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH), the first of which Avesta Residences would be completed by October.

‘As we roll out our expanded 4PH pipeline, starting with our maiden offering Avesta Residences in Imus, Cavite, we are confident of sustaining an even stronger performance for the long term,’ Alcantara said.

Recently, PH1 has topped the first tower of the five-tower Avesta Residences. The developer will complete the project in about 12 months since it has started construction.

The project employs Megawide’s engineering expertise and precast technology, allowing PH1 to construct the towers quickly. Other 4PH projects to be launched this year are located in Caloocan City and new sites in Dasmariñas and Imus, Cavite.

PH1 has committed to build an initial portfolio of 25,000 units for 4PH in Luzon, with the homes to be delivered over the next two to three years.

Given its growing portfolio, PH1 was supposed to file an initial public offering this year, but had to hold off to consider selling some stake to private investors.

The Visayas Grid was placed under red alert status for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, August 12, amid tight power supply caused by the unavailability of several large power plants and reduced power imports from the Mindanao Grid.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), in its 1:30 p.m. update, said the red alert was extended from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., while yellow alert was declared from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Available capacity stood at 2,191 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand forecast of 2,420 MW.

NGCP earlier announced a red alert from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and a yellow alert from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., based on its 7 a.m. update. At that time, available capacity was 2,153 MW against a peak demand of 2,394 MW.

NGCP said seven plants were on forced outage as of August, while 14 other plants were operating at derated capacities. These resulted in a total of 932.4 MW of unavailable capacity.

The grid operator identified the unavailability of Visayas’ large coal plants TVI 1, TVI 2 and CEDC 1 as among the factors behind the alerts.

It also cited limited power imports from Mindanao due to the maintenance outage of GNPK 2, the emergency shutdown of GNPK 1 because of a boiler tube leak, and high forecasted system demand.

The extension of the red alert was also attributed to an increase in the demand forecast and the unavailability of PDPP3-C and PDPP3-G.

NGCP said a red alert is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement. A yellow alert, meanwhile, is declared when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

NGCP also warned that Manual Load Dropping (MLD) may be implemented in parts of the Visayas from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., including areas served by Visayan Electric, Mactan Electric Company (MECO), and Cebu Electric Cooperative I, II and III.

The possible MLD is due to the non-availability of imported power from the Mindanao Grid. NGCP said the schedule may be cancelled if system conditions improve, such as when actual demand falls below projections.

Meanwhile, Visayan Electric said limited generation across the Visayas Grid continues because of the non-availability of imported power from Mindanao.

The distribution utility said a scheduled one-hour rotational brownout was being implemented to balance available power supply with current demand and maintain grid stability.

Among the Cebu areas included in the rotational brownout schedules released by Visayan Electric were portions of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla, Consolacion, Liloan and Naga City.

The scheduled outages cover different areas on a one-hour rotation from 1 p.m. through 8 p.m., with affected areas varying by schedule.

Visayan Electric said it continues to monitor the situation and coordinate with NGCP, adding that any changes to the rotational brownout schedule will be announced through its official communication channels.

NGCP urged consumers to exercise prudence in using electricity as the Visayas Grid remains under tight supply conditions.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered the immediate initiation of dismissal proceedings against a police officer implicated in a deadly shootout at a resort in Maragondon, Cavite, which left a fellow police officer and a civilian dead.

In a statement on Thursday, August 24, the PNP said the confrontation unfolded at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, following a birthday celebration for the newly installed Maragondon police chief.

‘Law enforcers carry the heavy burden of public trust, and throwing caution to the wind through reckless behavior and alcohol abuse is completely unacceptable. Those sworn to protect lives chose instead to endanger them in a senseless, drunken altercation,’ Nartatez said.

An off-duty altercation involving alcohol escalated into gunfire between officers. According to the PNP, the chaotic exchange resulted in two fatalities, while another officer sustained injuries and remains in stable condition.

Responding authorities arrested an officer assigned to the Trece Martires Component City Police Station at the scene.

In addition to ordering dismissal proceedings, General Nartatez instructed the Cavite Police Provincial Office to conduct an impartial investigation and preserve all physical evidence to determine full criminal liability.

The Maragondon police chief was immediately relieved of his command and reassigned to the Cavite Police Holding and Administrative Support pending the outcome of the probe.

‘I remind all our personnel to exercise discipline, responsibility, and restraint at all times. We will not tolerate misconduct, regardless of rank or status. Being off duty does not exempt any police officer from following the law and PNP rules,’ Nartatez said.

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