Category: Philippine Star

Police have obtained leads on the people who dumped empty caskets with anti-communist and anti-China slogans across Metro Manila on Friday.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) got a breakthrough in its probe after one of the people who unloaded a coffin at Welcome Rotonda in Barangay Sta. Teresita came forward and is cooperating with police investigators.

Brig. Gen. Randy Glenn Silvio, QCPD director, said the person, driver of the Toyota Hi-Ace van which transported the coffin, revealed that different vehicles were used for the delivery of the caskets.

Four other coffins were discovered in Barangay South Triangle in Quezon City, Barangay 54 in Caloocan, Sta. Cruz, Manila and along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati.

According to Silvio, the drivers were paid P8,000 each while their helpers got P1,000 each for unloading the caskets.

He did not comment when asked if they have already identified the group responsible for the stunt which angered the Chinese embassy.

‘The QCPD assures the public that all leads are being thoroughly pursued and that appropriate criminal charges will be filed against those found responsible for this incident,’ Silvio said.

A video obtained by GMA News showed a woman involved in the dumping of the caskets admitting it was part of their protest against China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

‘For us Filipinos and the fisherfolk of WPS – look at who we are fighting for,’ she said.

Based on the video taken by a resident from one of the areas, the woman was accidentally left by her companions who were in a van after they placed the coffin on the road.

While explaining her side, the woman said they belong to a party-list group and a Chinese community.

‘We are only showing how we feel inside; there is nothing wrong with that,’ she said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to displace far more jobs than it creates, making rapid workforce retraining imperative if the Philippines wants to minimize the technology’s disruptive impact, according to an expert.

Taiwanese AI expert Kai-Fu Lee said the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is not the only sector vulnerable to AI, as many digital and cognitive roles across various fields are also at risk.

‘Anything digital, anything in a closed environment, AI can do better than people. There’s not even room for humans in the loop because that human in the loop creates the inefficiency,’ Lee told The STAR.

Beyond BPO, he said rapid AI adoption would also affect industries such as banking, insurance, entertainment, software engineering, content creation and even news production.

‘On one hand, we can be encouraging people that there are opportunities here and there,’ Lee stressed. ‘The reality is AI is getting so good, basically anything digital is going to be taken over by AI.’

The accelerated adoption of AI has prompted the country’s information technology and business process management industry to lower its 2028 growth targets.

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) now expects the industry to generate between $43.3 billion and $50.5 billion in revenues and employ between 1.85 million and 2.14 million full-time workers by 2028.

The revised outlook is significantly lower than IBPAP’s previous roadmap, which projected $59 billion in revenues and 2.5 million full-time employees over the same period.

While industries prepare for an AI-driven shift, Lee said the Philippines remains well positioned to adapt and capture new opportunities in the AI era.

He stressed that workers do not need advanced programming skills to thrive. Instead, they need to learn how to effectively direct AI systems, ask the right questions and oversee their outputs.

‘People hear about programming AI and they get scared. They think it requires an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) degree. It does not. It’s no different than talking to a chatbot,’ Lee said.

He said retraining would enable more Filipinos to build businesses, develop digital products and manage AI systems, creating opportunities for companies and small enterprises.

Lee, however, warned that AI-related jobs are still unlikely to match the scale of those displaced by the technology.

For Singapore-based private equity growth platform Ikhlas Capital, the rise of AI has changed how it identifies companies with the potential to scale and adapt.

‘I think one of the roles we see ourselves is potentially to invest in who drives AI transformation,’ Ikhlas chairman and founding partner Nazir Razak told The STAR.

‘There’s no limit to businesses that can be transformed by AI. Every business has the opportunity,’ he added. ‘It’s about identifying companies where this is the biggest.’

Ikhlas, which invests in companies across Southeast Asia and counts former finance secretary Cesar Purisima as a founding partner, is exploring more investment opportunities in the Philippines, including AI-driven businesses.

Grace Christian College hopes to kick off its title-retention bid in style when it faces Philippine Chen Kuang Huang High School in the 45 and above division of the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. (FCAAI) starting on Monday, August 10, at the Tanduay Gym in Quiapo, Manila.

Coming off a successful staging of the premier age category – the 40-above – league chairman Wilbert Loa sees another spirited race for the title, which the Graceans won via a two-game sweep of St. Stephen’s High School in the inaugural staging of the event last year.

‘We are praying that we’ll have a good weather tomorrow,’ said Loa, who is looking forward to another round of exciting games just like the previous divisions.

With the number of participating schools rising to 14, Loa said the teams will be divided into two groups and play a single-round, with the top two placers advancing outright to the quarters.

Game time is set at 6 p.m., with the Graceans determined to start strong in hopes of striking fear into the opposition.

Other games scheduled for the night are St. Peter the Apostle School and Philippine Cultural College at 7:45 p.m. and the 9:30 p.m. duel between Uno High School and San Lorenzo Ruiz Academy.

The league earlier held the 35-39 and 50 years above divisions with Hope Christian High School winning both categories.

Backstopped by former PBA MVP James Yap and ex-UAAP MVP Ken Bono, Iloilo’s Hua Siong College retained its 40-44 years crown at the expense of Xavier School.

Backing the league are Smart Sports, Tanduay Athletics, Genius Hardware, Ultraforce Tires, Cellboy, PGFlex Linoleum, Boysen, Lamtex Pipes, Jiang Nan, Hangry Pares, Powerhouse Tools, L.F. Fireworks, BYD Valenzuela, BAIC, Jetour, Yong Kee Roasting House, 1118 Autospa and TCL.

The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday dubbed as fake news the posts circulating on social media that the subjects Araling Panlipunan and the Music and Arts, PE and Health or MAPEH will be merged into one.

According to DepEd, the circulating posts were about an April 2023 discussion on a proposal to combine the two subjects into one and call it as SIKAP.

The DepEd stressed that the discussion is outdated and does not represent current policy.

‘Under the revised K to 10 (Matatag) curriculum, Makabansa is a distinct and foundational learning area for Key Stage 1 (Grades 1 to 3). It is not a combination or merger of Araling Panlipunan and MAPEH. Rather, it uses a holistic, transdisciplinary approach to foster self-awareness, cultural appreciation and civic understanding in young learners,’ DepEd said.

The department added that starting in Grade 4, Social Studies and MAPEH continue to be taught as separate and distinct learning areas.

‘We urge the public to practice critical thinking, check context and verify release dates before sharing content online,’ DepEd said.

An old video of TV host-turned-vlogger Mariel Padilla defending her husband, Sen. Robin Padilla, has resurfaced online, drawing renewed attention to her claims about his qualifications as a lawmaker.

In the 2022 video, Mariel came to the defense of her controversial husband, who was then serving as a senator.

She asserted that Robin had completed a degree in criminology and even claimed that he was able to craft a law while incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison.

The video has made the rounds online over the rainy weekend, prompting renewed discussion among social media users and political commentators.

Mariel also defended Robin’s qualifications to serve as a lawmaker, pointing to his educational background and experience.

‘Next, si Robin, nung nasa Bilibid nakapagpasa na ng batas. Without even being a senator,” Mariel claimed.

‘Sa tingin niyo ba ang Philippine Army bibigyan siya ng ganun kalaking role… responsibility sa Philippine Army na siya ang in charge sa communications at strategic planning kung sa tingin niyo hindi siya qualified? So, sa mga nagsasabing hindi siya qualified, I beg to disagree. He is more than qualified,’ she stressed in her 2022 vlog.

Robin, an action movie star who was granted an absolute pardon in 2016 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte over his 1994 illegal possession of firearms case, topped the senatorial race in the 2022 national elections with 26 million votes. He is currently serving as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter.

The actor-turned-senator has drawn criticism over his conduct as a senator-judge, particularly his line of questioning and treatment of witnesses.

Gunmen shot dead two Moro men on Saturday morning, August 8, in Barangay San Jose, President Quirino town, Sultan Kudarat.

Local executives and officials of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office separately told reporters on Sunday, August 9, that Mohammad Akmad Utap and Rohamin Mangansaken Bombolen both died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds sustained in the attack.

The two men were walking along a thoroughfare in Purok Islam in Barangay San Jose, a residential area in President Quirino, when they were approached by unidentified gunmen who repeatedly shot them with pistols.

Barangay officials and investigators from the President Quirino Municipal Police Station who responded to the incident said the assailants had fled before volunteer community watchmen could reach the scene.

Municipal and barangay officials, along with police investigators, are working together to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) yesterday suspended for 30 days a taxi operator and the unit driver For charging a foreigner P2,000 for a five-minute trip last week.

In a separate move, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) confiscated the driver’s license and impounded the taxi cab.

The 30-day suspension stemmed from the foreigner’s vlog that showed the driver making the excessive charge for a short trip from the airport.

‘The worst part is that the driver also allowed another person to ride on the vehicle,’ LTFRB Chairman Vigor Mendoza said. ‘No passenger, much more foreign tourists whom we should welcome to the country, deserves this kind of treatment.’

Mendoza stressed that the act constitutes a gross violation of franchise rules and regulations.

Aside from impounding the taxi unit, the LTFRB ordered the operator to surrender the vehicle’s license plate and to subject the driver to a drug test.

According to LTO chief Markus Lacanilao, the taxi unit and operator had other violations that include a defective headlight, unregistered motor vehicle and breach of franchise.

Mendoza said the driver is set to attend a hearing on Aug. 19 and to explain in writing why he should not be held liable for the glaring violations.

He emphasized that the LTFRB will not hesitate to suspend and revoke the franchises of erring taxi operators and drivers, as he urged the public to report abuses promptly.

In any ballgame, they say the ball is round – anything can happen.

Them with the brave hearts make things happen. The Gilas Girls did it, pulling the rug from under their Mexican counterparts, 25-19, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, in the FIVB Volleyball Girls U17 World Championship in Santiago, Chile.

The milestone win bolstered the Filipinas’ hope of crashing into the Round-of-16 as it jumped from last to a share of second with Venezuela and Peru on 1-1 records in the six-nation Pool B.

To crash the next round, the Nationals would need to finish in the top four in their group.

Leading the bracket was defending champion China, which dealt Alas a straight-set spanking the day before.

Caera Celis spearheaded the attack with 24 points on 22 attacks, a block and an ace, while Xyz Rayco scattered 15 hits, including 12 off kills, and Jhaynna Bulandres chipped in 10 for Alas Girls, who are being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and ASICS.

A master switch by Alas coach Edwin Leyva, transforming Nadeth Harbon from wing spiker to libero spelled the biggest difference as it helped solidify the squad’s floor defense after a lethargic effort in the stinging loss to the Chinese.

Over at the women’s SEA V Cup Leg 2 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Alas also eked out massive 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 upset of Vietnam to improve to 1-1.

A Gilas stint remains to be the dream for Remy Martin.

The Filipino-American guard Martin, who will be representing Philippine-based Strong Group Athletics in the Jones Cup, said that it will be a dream come true for him if he plays for Gilas Pilipinas.

Speaking to reporters during the SGA open practice on Friday, the 6-foot guard Martin said that he hopes that he will be able to put on a Gilas jersey in the future.

‘I look at it as if I’m another player just trying to play for their country. I hope that one day, Gilas gives me the opportunity because that is my dream come true. That is bigger than making it to the NBA for me,’ he said.

‘I’ve been watching [Gilas] since I was young and always wanted to be on that type of platform,’ he added.

A big hurdle for Martin, however, is he was unable to get a Philippine passport before turning 16, which is a major FIBA requirement.

‘I hope the country and FIBA sees that I’ve been dual since… I just didn’t get my passport. I’ve just been dual. If I’m dual before 16, then we have a strong case for it,’ he said.

‘I think it’s just going through the right people and having people help me push it because there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be in a Gilas uniform. That is my dream.’

Another chance Martin could play for Gilas is in the Asian Games, where only a Philippine passport is required.

‘Like I said, everything about basketball, I think I’m good enough. I think I’m able to play at the highest level, but everything is system. If coach may feel like I don’t fit the team, then that’s on him. I understand it’s basketball and everybody wants us to win, but I think I’m one of the guys to help the Philippines win,’ he said.

‘I think that if I have the opportunity and it was up to me, I would have been playing in the Philippines for years now. If I have the opportunity, I will always take it.’

But for now, Martin will be representing the Philippines in the Jones Cup, with SGA aiming to win three straight championships in the tournament.

‘I think it was just perfect timing. I think like Coach Charles and SGA, we talked at a perfect time in my career. I just thought there hasn’t been too many people that’s won three-peats in the Jones Cup. I wanted to be one of the first to do that, especially in a Filipino uniform,’ he said.

‘I think we have a good team. I’m just here to show people that I care and I love playing and I love representing. I’ve been representing the Philippines since I was young, that’s all I know. I’m happy that I’m here and getting to do that.’

The last time a team won three straight championships in the tournament was Iran from 2009 to 2011.

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala survived an injury scare in the second set to oust American Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 and reach the Round of 16 of the WTA 1000 National Bank Open on Saturday, August 8, at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Canada.

Eala was leading in the second set, 3-2, when she had her right ankle taped by a trainer during a medical timeout.

The world No.20 Eala was still on top 5-4 but McNally, who knocked out reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the second round, won three straight games to force a deciding third set, 7-5.

Eala opened the rubber match with a 2-0 advantage and managed to protect it the rest of the way to finish off McNally after two hours and 39 minutes.

‘I’m okay. I think I survived that one, it was so tough,’ said Eala, who has now won 10 of her past 11 matches since Wimbledon including against world No.3 Jessica Pegula of the United States to win her first WTA title at the Mubadala DC Open last week at the US capital.

‘I want to thank Caty for a great match, and for being a great sport. It’s one of those matches that really could’ve gone either way. I think it was really down to details and a little bit of luck, so give her her flowers, guys. It was a really great match,’ she added.

The 21-year-old pride of Quezon City next faces Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic, who fended off McNally’s fellow countryman Taylor Townsend 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in a grueling battle that lasted three hours and 24 minutes. They will clash on Monday, August 10, for a place in the quarterfinals.