Category: Philippine Star

Officials on Saturday, August 8, urged the non-Moro indigenous groups in the Bangsamoro region to choose only the most qualified representatives, as nominees, for their 80-member parliament, during an inter-tribal selection process prior to the September 14 regional parliamentary polls.

Councils of at least six non-Muslim indigenous tribes in the Bangsamoro region are to converge for the activity, shortly before the September 14 regional elections, during which they are to choose two representatives from their communities to the regional lawmaking body.

The identities of their favored representatives to the parliament, chosen via nomination and not through a regular election process administered by the Commission on Elections, shall be made public on the election day, according to BARMM regional officials.

There are two seats in the 80-member parliament intended for representatives of the indigenous peoples, or IPs, in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Three members of the Bangsamoro parliament, Ishak Mastura of Maguindanao del Norte, Naguib Sinarimbo of Cotabato City, who are both lawyers, and the physician ophthalmologist, Kadil Sinolinding Jr., who is also functioning as regional health minister, had separately called on leaders of the IPs in BARMM to carefully choose whom they would want to represent them in the region’s law-making body.

The three lawmakers separately told reporters on Saturday that the BARMM parliament is the proper forum where the region’s IP communities can best present recommendations and propose plans on how the regional government can best serve their constituents in their ancestral domains.

The Comelec, the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and the military’s Western Mindanao Command are now all set for the first-ever September 14 parliamentary polls in BARMM’s five provinces, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, and in its three cities, Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.

Cotabato City is the regional capital of BARMM, where there are non-Moro ethnic Teduray residents.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., a senior official of the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo Party, was quoted in radio reports on Saturday as saying that the non-Muslim IPs ought to have a strong representation in the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament, which is essential in the crafting of laws needed to foster peace and sustainable development in their ancestral domains.

‘There would be no Muslim communities in the Bangsamoro region to talk about today if not for the non-Muslim indigenous communities in Mindanao that existed long before Islamic missionaries from what are now independent states in Asia and in the Middle East came in, many centuries ago, to spread Islam in what is now the Bangsamoro region,’ Adiong said

Lanao del Sur, covering 39 towns and 101 barangays in its capital, Marawi City, has an indigenous non-Muslim Higaonon community.

Leaders of Lanao del Sur’s Higaonon tribe held a tribal assembly last June 27 in Wao, a highland town in the province and there discussed who from among their tribe can be nominated to represent the IPs in the region to the regional parliament.

Leaders of the Higaonon tribe are to participate in the BARMM inter-tribal conclave before the September 14 elections for them and counterparts in other IP groups to choose potential representatives who can best represent them in the 80-member parliament.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warned 9,085 barangays across the country of possible landslides and flooding as the southwest monsoon or habagat continues to bring rains.

As of 8 a.m. on Friday, August 7, state weather bureau PAGASA said low pressure area Maymay had dissipated but issued a heavy rainfall outlook for the next three days in several areas.

Due to this, the environment agency, through its Mines and Geosciences Bureau, urged thousands of barangays to check if their areas are vulnerable to landslides and floods.

The full list of barangays with potential flood and landslide risks has been provided.

The agency said the warning is valid until 8 p.m. on August 9.

They also urged the public to consistently check flood levels, immediately report signs of landslides, and inform authorities should they notice any cracks in their houses, especially those who live near the sea or in sloping areas.

They also advised people to check the hazards in their areas through the MGB Geohazard Portal and Hazard Hunter.

A first for Philippine golf and a boost to sports tourism.

That, in a nutshell, is Golaman, the official online booking platform that covers 79 golf courses spread over the country, including Manila, Tagaytay, Clark and Subic, Batangas, Cebu and Davao.

After almost a year of development by the Korean-led company PGRR (Philippine Golf Resort Reservations), the breakthrough app is downloadable on the Google Play Store.

It is expected to be fully online by September 15, according to PGRR CEO Aaron Kim, who graced the app’s well-attended media launch Friday at the swanky Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) House.

Kim filled the air with optimism that the online booking app will help install the Philippines as another major golfing destination in Asia and in the ranks of Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

The launch gathered major stakeholders led by PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio, National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) President Al Panlilio and Secretary-General Bones Floro, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Arrey Perez and Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga Nograles.

‘I think this program will click. We’ve been talking about this for the last 12 months and now it’s here. It’s a perfect collaboration,’ said Gregorio, confident that more golf courses, among the 120-plus in the country, will step forward.

‘I’m sure they will,’ added the PSC chief, who is leading the way as chairman of the Philippine Sports Tourism-Inter Agency Committee.

‘If we push sports tourism, we push sports development,’ he said.

Also in attendance were representatives of golf courses Lakewood, Pradera, Subic International, Mimosa Plus, South Pacific, Philippine Navy, Villamor and Mt, Malarayat; and Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Sunlight Air, Jeju Air, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air and Hana Tour.

‘Golaman is not simply a booking platform but a launch of the national golf tourism initiative,’ said Panlilio.

‘And this will reposition our country as a premiere golf destination. This is a national effort that is designed to showcase the Philippines to the rest of the world. Golf tourism creates jobs and creates business. This will attract more tourists to our country,’ he said.

Panlilio added that the project will also boost Philippine golf and the development of local players.

‘We have a lot of (tennis superstar) Alex Ealas in golf,’ he said.

On the tourism aspect, Nograles said ‘golf is more than just a sport but a gateway for people to discover our culture and our world-class golf courses.’

‘This is a milestone initiative.’

PGRR, for its part, pledged a share of the revenue to PSC and NGAP for grassroots golf.

The inaugural Reina Filipinas Grand International showed that pageantry is back in top shape again – from production and staging to choreography.

The actual competition started promptly on time at 7 p.m. and the entire show just clocked close to four hours.

At the culmination of the competition, Palawan delegate Angelica Lopez bested 20 other aspirants to be crowned the inaugural title winner.

Angelica – who won Best in Swimsuit, Miss Urban Smile, and Reina Pasarela awards – was crowned by reigning Miss Grand International (MGI) Emma Mary Tiglao, together with country license holder Jojo Bragais and MGI president and founder Nawat Itsaragrisil.

Iloilo delegate Alexie Caimoso Brooks won one of the two Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars titles and was crowned by reigning MGI All Stars titleholder Vanessa Pulgarin of Colombia.

Alexie, who last year became the Philippines’ third-ever Miss Eco International, also won the Best in Evening Gown and Best Seller Award for Dandy Glow and Jojo Bragais.

Lone transgender delegate Anne Patricia Lorenzo of Manila was the other recipient of the Reina Filipinas MGI All Stars crown. She was crowned by MGI All Stars runner-up Huong Giang Nguyen of Vietnam.

Related: Miss Supranational 2026: Katrina Llegado wins the Philippines’ 2nd crown

Miss Phitogenic Cleopatra Barrera (Zambales), Isabella Ortega (Camarines Sur), Zeah Nestle Pala (Mandaluyong), and Luisa Lorin Buenavides (Caloocan) were declared runners-up in descending order.

Buenavides did not qualify for the Top 11, however she won the Popular Vote and was brought back to the competition for winning an automatic placement in the final round.

The other lucky delegates who made it to the semifinal round (Top 11) were:

Bianca Mae Bautista (Bulacan Province), fast tracked as Best Seller of Dandy Glow

Jesiree Aguilar (Nueva Ecija)

Jade Isabel Candilado (Rizal)

Hannah Michaela Amistad (San Mateo, Rizal)

Scarlett de Mesa (Muntinlupa), Miss Beauty Vault

This year’s selection committee was comprised of Nguyen, Pulgarin, MGI first runner-up Sarunrat “Gotchabelle” Puagpipa, MGI 2024 CJ Opiaza, Michael Cinco, and Dr. Ralph delas Alas.

Hosted by Joy “Jusa” Barcoma and Sean Kyle Ortega, the Reina Filipinas 2026 coronation night unfolded at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.

Fresh hopes for a US-Iran deal could bring relief to motorists next week, with pump prices expected to go down by as much as P5 per liter.

After four trading days in the Mean of Platts Singapore, industry estimates point to a rollback of P4.50 to P5 per liter for gasoline and diesel prices on Aug. 11.

With one trading day remaining, the final adjustment could still change.

Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas told reporters yesterday that oil prices pulled back this week as renewed optimism over a possible breakthrough in US-Iran talks helped ease market concerns.

The development brought down the risk premium in the oil market, although concerns over ongoing uncertainty and Red Sea shipping disruptions remain.

‘The stronger peso this week against the US dollar helped put more downward pressure on domestic prices,’ Bellas said.

Still, oil prices remain supported by strong demand and tighter supply, with ongoing disruptions to Middle East exports limiting crude availability for Asian refiners.

‘Continued supply disruptions and conflicting political statements from the US and Iran are keeping prices volatile, with increasing upside risk,’ Bellas said.

The Philippines primarily imports refined petroleum products from other Asian countries. However, refineries in these markets also rely on crude oil supplies from various producing countries, including those in the Middle East.

This week, the Department of Energy announced minimum price cuts of P0.60, P0.73 and P2.09 per liter for diesel, gasoline and kerosene, respectively.

While the rollback was modest compared with previous price hikes, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the positive takeaway was that fuel prices were still moving downward.

‘Until we see a more permanent agreement among the parties concerned, specifically the US, Iran and Israel, we cannot be complacent yet, and we still have to remain vigilant,’ Garin said.

The Philippine Navy clarified yesterday that the sailor being investigated for alleged drug use ‘is not and was not’ assigned to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal at the time the offense was reported.

‘At this stage, the Philippine Navy is conducting a thorough and impartial investigation to establish all relevant facts and circumstances,’ Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez told reporters yesterday.

Martinez said the sailor cited in a report by the South China Morning Post ‘was, in fact, assigned to a different unit during that period.’

‘We are committed to ensuring that the process is completed in accordance with existing laws, military regulations and due process. We are still establishing the facts and it would be inappropriate to confirm the allegations while the investigation is ongoing,’ she added.

If the investigation would show that the sailor committed a violation, the Navy would file the proper administrative and legal actions, Martinez said.

‘The Navy maintains a zero-tolerance policy against the use, possession and distribution of illegal drugs, in adherence with our national laws. It is a grave violation of military discipline,’ Martinez said.

From protecting forests and waterways to preserving languages, traditions, and systems of governance, Indigenous Peoples have been shaping societies and building communities for as long as history can remember.’ Observed every year on 9 August, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is a timely moment to recognize these contributions and renew a broader commitment to recognizing, respecting, and empowering Indigenous Peoples as full partners in nation-building.

Globally, Indigenous Peoples make up less than 6 percent of the world’s population, yet account for at least 15 percent of the world’s poorest people. This imbalance reflects a long history of exclusion, discrimination, and dispossession, with many Indigenous communities continuing to face barriers to education, healthcare, decent work, sustainable livelihoods, and meaningful participation in public life.

At the same time, Indigenous Peoples safeguard cultural and linguistic diversity and remain important stewards of the natural resources that our societies depend on. Safeguarding nature has become more important than ever, and more challenging, as climate change accelerates and pressure grows on ancestral domains and natural resources. Indigenous Peoples have contributed least to the climate crisis, but many are among those most exposed to its consequences.

The Philippines is home to approximately 110 Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples, each with distinct languages, traditions, governance systems, and relationships with their ancestral domains. Long before the establishment of the modern Philippine state, these communities had developed ways of governing territories, managing natural resources, resolving conflicts, and sustaining livelihoods. Their knowledge and institutions remain deeply relevant to the country’s development today.

The Philippines has taken important steps to recognize the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples. The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 affirms their rights to ancestral domains, cultural integrity, self-governance, social justice, and full participation in services and decisions that affect their communities. It also created the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to protect and promote their rights and well-being.

Recognition in law is essential, and it gains its fullest meaning when reflected in empowerment in everyday life. Empowerment helps Indigenous communities expand livelihood opportunities, improve access to services, and contribute to decisions that shape their lands and communities. Indigenous women and girls often face additional barriers, while also serving as leaders, knowledge holders, caregivers, entrepreneurs, and agents of change within their families and communities.

This is why recognition goes hand in hand with investment, empowerment, and participation.

It is in this spirit that the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, New Zealand, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working together through the Indigenous Women and Girls-Leadership and Empowerment in Ancestral Domains (I-LEAD) project. With New Zealand’s financial contribution of nearly US$4.6 million, I-LEAD is New Zealand’s largest project in the Philippines and a flagship partnership supporting Indigenous women and girls in Mindanao. The partnership reflects a shared understanding that sustainable development is inclusive, rights-based, and shaped by the people and communities whose lives and futures it affects.

I-LEAD will work in four Indigenous communities in Regions 11 and 12 in Mindanao, strengthening the leadership and economic capacity of at least 1,600 Indigenous women and girls by 2030 and supporting wider benefits in their ancestral domains. The project focuses on three areas: inclusive ancestral domain governance; culturally grounded, sustainable, market-linked livelihoods; and stronger institutional capacity to deliver culturally appropriate, rights-based services aligned with community priorities.

A distinctive feature of I-LEAD is the Indigenous-to-Indigenous exchange it seeks to foster between Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines and M?ori communities in New Zealand. This can create space for practical learning on leadership, enterprise development, cultural revitalization, and stewardship of ancestral lands and resources. For UNDP, it reflects a broader commitment to work alongside Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities across Asia and the Pacific to support self-determined development, local governance, sustainable livelihoods, and ecosystem protection.

The M?ori experience in New Zealand offers one example of how Indigenous leadership, institutions, and economic participation can drive progress. Between 2018 and 2023, the M?ori economic contribution to New Zealand grew from $17 billion to $32 billion, while the M?ori asset base grew from $69 billion to $126 billion.

Every Indigenous community has its own history, identity, and aspirations. But it does show that recognition and empowerment are not only matters of justice. They are also foundations for stronger social cohesion, more resilient institutions, and more inclusive economic growth.

Across the Philippines, Indigenous communities show that ancestral knowledge and modern development are not opposing forces, but complementary. Traditional ecological knowledge supports the care of lands, ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources. Customary governance can strengthen participation and accountability. Indigenous entrepreneurship can support sustainable livelihoods, broaden economic participation, and protect cultural identity. Indigenous women and girls are central to these efforts, helping sustain families, lead communities, and shape local economies. Together, these contributions form a practical development agenda: one that strengthens local governance, improves access to services, and helps ensure that decisions reflect the knowledge and priorities of the communities most directly concerned.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is therefore not only a day of commemoration. It is a reminder that sustainable development is strongest when Indigenous Peoples are fully included and recognized as leaders, partners, innovators, and custodians of knowledge.

The Philippines is strongest when every community contributes its knowledge, leadership, and aspirations to the national story. By recognizing and empowering Indigenous Peoples-especially women and girls-we help build a future that is more just, more inclusive, more prosperous, and more resilient for generations to come.

Sa dili pa motiyabaw si Bise Presidente Sara Duterte nga politikanhong pagpanggukod ang ilang nahiagoman, angay niyang ilhon nga-lahi sa gipasangil nga pagpapatay, pagpapriso ug pagbinastos sa ilang pamilya sa ilang mga kaatbang sa nangaging katuigan-dunay abundang mga sukaranan ang nagpadayon nga mga pagpaningil batok nila:

Mahimong naka-benepisyo ang administrasyon ni Presidente Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa pagkapriso ni kanhi Presidente Rodrigo Duterte sa The Hague (kay naibanan ang mga nagsige og awhag sa mga sundawo ug mga polis sa pagbakwi sa ilang suporta sa commander in chief), pero angay siyang patubagon sa kapin sa 35,000 ka laktod nga pinatyanay sa binuang niyang drug war;

Mahimong makabentaha ang administrasyon sa 2028 kon makonbikto si VP Sara sa impeachment trial (nga mo-disqualify niya sa pagka presidente), pero angay siyang patubagon sa mga pasangil sa pagbolsa sa confidential funds ug pagtago og binilyon ka pesos nga ilegal nga katigayonan;

Nasakmit sa mga alyado sa administrasyon ang liderato sa Senado tungod sa mga kaso sa pipila ka senador, pero angayng paatubangon si Senador Bato dela Rosa sa kasong crimes against humanity sa International Criminal Court ug angayng prisuhon silang Senador Jinggoy Estrada ug Senador Rodante Marcoleta kay dili kapiyansahan ang ilang mga kasong plunder;

Mahimong mosamot paghiyos ang mga alyado ni VP Sara sa Senado kon madayon ang mga kasong plunder batok nilang Senador Alan Peter Cayetano ug Senador Loren Legarda, pero kinahanglang patubagon si Cayetano sa pasangil sa mga anomaliya sa binilyon ka pesos nga gasto sa Southeast Asian Games sa 2019 ug sa minilyon ka pesos nga mga proyekto sa Taguig City ug paatubangon si Legarda ug iyang anak sa pasangil sa pagpa-ginansiya, hinikalimtan ang pagserbisyo sa publiko, sa prangkisa ug balor og binilyon ka pesos nga mga kontrata sa solar power; ug

Mahimong maapektohan ang lehitimong kampanya batok sa flood control scandal, apil nang kaso batok ni kanhi House Speaker Martin Romualdez, pero angayng susihon ang pangangkon sa pipila sa 18 ka kanhi-marines nga gipugos sila pagpirma og affidavit ug pag-apil sa kampanya sa pagkuha sa simpatiya sa kasundalohan aron mapalagpot si Marcos Jr. ug makapuli dayon si VP Sara sa Malakanyang.

Where did the name Pateros come from? It may have come from being the land of pato (duck) or sapatero for being shoe and slipper makers. Atto Bade, our tour guide cum artist and museum curator, told us both accounts are said to be true. Pateros, the area, was known as a place for shoe and slipper making. The alfombra, slippers made from carpet material, is another iconic symbol of Pateros. I saw these footwear being used by my aunt decades ago and for the first time saw its provenance. I just knew it was called corcho. We saw these Pateros icons on display at the Museo de Pateros, a modest three-story tribute to this tiny town just four kilometers from Makati’s center.

The easiest clue to Pateros’ fame is the balut, a fertilized duck egg with a developing embryo that is boiled and eaten right from the shell. Yes, it is an item for extreme cuisine or exotic food, which is a challenge given to tourists unfamiliar with this delicacy. Some Filipinos do not care to eat it while those who do have their minute preferences: 18 days or younger. More than 18 days will give you a different texture and more features some do not agree with. The cut off is 18 days. If you get the chance to try this egg, check out the various options. Balut sa puti (younger and more white than yolk and small bird), penoy (undeveloped embryo and is all yolk) and abnoy, better taken in a rice cake or bibingka-like baked product.

Telling one from the other while still fresh or not yet boiled is a skill that is learned only in Pateros. In the days when electric incubators were not yet in fashion, thousands of eggs were ‘seen’ manually by experts who could even put as many as five eggs in their hand at a time. With a proper twist and turn in front of a light box, they could separate the balut from the penoy – which had an embryo growing, which had none. Maninilaw is the term used to identify these expert light show selectors. The process is captured at the museum with displays of the panyo or net bag used for a bundle of eggs. I guess they were paid by the volume each panyo held. I would say one bundle could contain about 30 eggs or what would now go into a square egg tray which we commonly use in transport of these delicate products.

Another product from duck eggs without embryos is the salted egg or sometimes called itlog na pula or itlog na maalat. These red-colored (painted with food coloring which we hope is food safe) eggs are preserved in salt and is a popular accompaniment to tomato and other local salads. Today, Pateros duck farms have decreased in number but what they have kept alive is the traditional process of salting, boiling and baking (the abnoy). Even if duck eggs come from farther south of Luzon, this process is still done in Pateros. The duck farms in Pateros have given way to urbanization, but the tradition of balut making has stayed.

We paid a courtesy call to the young mayor, Mayor Gerald German, who told us of their efforts to promote local tourism through street food fairs. Our very own Department of Tourism in the National Capital Region (DOT-NCR) headed by regional director Cathie Agustin accompanied us (from Slow Food Manila) to discuss possible tourist products like food crawls and food discovery events. Pateros is so accessible from our airports and can be a day trip for tourists in transit for a few hours. Just like in Singapore or Dubai, if you have a layover of 12 hours, a local tour is offered and shuttles from the airport can be available. All you bring is your carry on bag and a curious appetite.

For those of us who can drive, you can head to the Museo de Pateros and traverse the cross streets, each with its own balutan or balut producer and seller. Right in front of the museum, sellers of their famous products, balut and slippers (alfombra), are given two weeks each to sell their wares with no rent at all. Small producers take turns occupying the prime space, giving many the chance to sell at this prime retail spot.

I saw the many stages of balut – raw, boiled, salted egg, penoy and the unique bibingka abnoy at this stall. On the opposite side of the entrance, displayed were many designs and styles of the alfombra selling for less than P500, depending on how intricate or simple the footwear is. Apparently the entrada or instep portion is made by embroiderers elsewhere and just assembled in Pateros. These prized footwear are also standard for those who attend cockfights (sabungeros) and were today’s sneakers.

Along with DOT-NCR we at Slow Food Manila are going around the towns close to the metro to discover possible local tours in support of our new secretary of the Dept. of Tourism (DOT)’s mandate to promote domestic tourism. Truly, just a stone’s throw away from the Makati business district is this gem of a destination. Pateros is an interesting place to learn more about our history, and the history of its shoe and duck egg industries.

For an interesting morning or a layover idea for transit tourists, Pateros can be your destination. Even if you do not eat the exotic boiled duck egg, you may find interest in the collection curated by Atto Bade at the Museo de Pateros. You may even find photos of people you know, who originally hailed from this town. I saw the photo of Cora dela Paz Bernardo, formerly SSS president and a most sought after independent board director, along with the famous lawyer, Rene ‘Compañero’ Cayetano as just two of the more famous Pateros natives.

Do you know the difference between an 16-day and an 18-day old balut? Come to Pateros and find out. I personally like it 16 days one. So next time you are served balut, do ask its age and be an expert – or at least act like one.

Two people were injured in a fire that struck a warehouse in Marilao town in this province before dawn yesterday.

The victims, identified as John Que and Jiar Carmona, suffered burns in the arms, according to Manuel Lukban Jr., chief of the Bulacan disaster risk reduction and management office.

Reports said the fire broke out at around 12:30 a.m. in Barangay Loma de Gato, destroying the 700-square-meter warehouse.

Firefighters declared the fire under control at 2:38 a.m. Fire out was declared at 4:30 a.m.

Probers have yet to determine the cause of the blaze.

Damage to property was placed at P24.5 million.