Category: Philippine Star

It was a second round to forget for Yuka Saso, to say the least.

Saso had a horrendous six-over 78 in the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA championship, which pushed her to a tie of 128th place after 36 holes.

The Filipina-Japanese golfer, who had an even par in the first round for a share of 45th place, could not keep her steady type of play in the second round of the tournament.

Saso started off the second round with back-to-back bogeys, before she salvaged a birdie in the par-5 seventh hole.

But the par-3 eighth hole became her Achilles heel.

Her tee shot went straight to the water, which led to a one-stroke penalty, and it all went downhill from there.

She used up her third and fourth strokes to put herself in the position of a double bogey, but her putt on her fifth stroke would not connect, leading to a triple bogey that pushed her to a four-over at the front nine.

Saso, then, had bogeys in the 10th and 13th holes as she dropped to joint-128th in the standings, along with Yana Wilson, Muni He, Mary Liu, Mi Hyang Lee and Amari Avery.

Ina Yoon continues to lead the pack as she is now holding a 12-under total after the second round. Coming in joint-second are A Lim Kim, Brooke Henderson, Hae Ran Ryu and Nasa Hataoka, who are all holding 7-under through the second round.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda is at joint-6th with a six-under performance. She is currently tied with Dongeun Lee.

Police recovered an unlicensed firearm and a bladed weapon from two students during a school safety inspection at a public school in Aparri, Cagayan on Friday, June 26.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said its personnel from the 1st Maneuver Force Company of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company conducted the activity in coordination with school officials.

Before the scheduled school patrol, police personnel inspected the belongings of three students who were reportedly being investigated for cutting classes after obtaining their consent.

During the inspection, authorities found a caliber .38 revolver without a serial number inside the bag of a 15-year-old Grade 10 student.

The firearm, which was wrapped in two face towels, was loaded with two live rounds of caliber .38 ammunition, the PNP said.

A bladed weapon was also recovered from the bag of a 14-year-old Grade 8 student.

The recovered items were marked, inventoried and photographed at the scene in the presence of the minors, their parents and barangay officials who served as witnesses.

The students were later brought to the Aparri Municipal Police Station for proper documentation and disposition.

The PNP said the incident was initially linked to class-cutting, which led school authorities to notify and invite the parents of the three minors.

The 15-year-old student found carrying the firearm was turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) for assessment, including the determination of discernment under existing laws.

The Grade 8 student who had the bladed weapon was also referred to the MSWDO for intervention, while the third student who was not found carrying any prohibited item was released to his parents.

The inspection came amid heightened security measures in schools nationwide following the June 22 shooting incident in Tacloban City that left three students dead and more than a dozen others injured.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the incident showed the importance of quick action and coordination among police, school authorities, parents and communities in preventing possible threats inside schools.

“Ang mabilis at maayos na pagtugon ng ating mga pulis, kasama ang school authorities, ay nakatulong upang maagapan ang isang sitwasyong maaaring magdulot ng panganib sa loob ng paaralan,” Nartatez said.

He said early intervention and close coordination among different stakeholders are important in addressing situations involving students before they could result in harm.

“Our objective is not simply to recover prohibited items but to prevent harm and guide our young people toward better choices,” the PNP chief said.

Nartatez said the police will continue working with the Department of Education, local government units, parents and communities to keep schools safe.

In the science of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a concept called technological singularity.

It is the most dangerous level of AI, of technology and indeed, of science itself, for a number of reasons, like it’s new, unknown, unpredictable and infinite in its capabilities. Think of robots with intelligence infinitely better than that of humans. Imagine if those robots start believing humans are an existential threat and make humans extinct. These robots have what is called recursive behavior. They keep improving themselves until they are stopped by, maybe, God himself, assuming they will recognize God.

Imagine if the robots become more abusive and rapacious than humans. Like being worse than the humans we have in Congress and in our Senate. Therefore, they will run even more corrupt and repressive governments, use up natural resources recklessly, murder their own citizens and consume every megawatt of energy available on earth. They will constantly engage in internecine warfare in a classic case of survival of the fittest. Imagine daily mass shootings in schools, offices, malls, parking lots – inspired by robots. A Ukraine war or Iran war multiplied a hundred-fold – inspired by robots gone berserk.

The possibility of such scenarios – a technological meltdown: 10 to 50 percent, according to some analysts. Compare that to the possibility of a nuclear meltdown – one in a million.

‘Technological singularity is a theoretical scenario where technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, culminating in profound and unpredictable changes to human civilization,’ says IBM in a paper.

For humans, ‘scenarios range from utopian (merging human consciousness with machines and solving biological aging) to existential (loss of human autonomy and control over the created superintelligence),’ says Google.

When is that moment? It could be between the next five years and 2045 – the year futurist Ray Kurzweil thinks when machine intelligence exceeds human intelligence, thanks to endless scaling of computer power.

That will come when AI, explains IBM, exceeds ‘human cognitive capabilities and can autonomously enhance itself.’ ‘Singularity’ is a mathematical concept indicating a point where existing models break down and continuity in understanding is lost. This describes an era where ‘machines not only match but substantially exceed human intelligence, starting a cycle of self-perpetuating technological evolution.’

Advances could evolve at a pace so rapid that humans would be unable to foresee, mitigate or halt the process, says IBM, adding, ‘This rapid evolution could give rise to synthetic intelligences that are not only autonomous but also capable of innovations that are beyond human comprehension or control. The possibility that machines might create even more advanced versions of themselves could shift humanity into a new reality where humans are no longer the most capable entities. The implications of reaching this singularity point could be good for the human race, or catastrophic.’

The IBM paper identifies several technologies could help bring about the singularity event – the rise of a superintelligent AI:

Artificial neural networks and deep learning. These technologies form the backbone of much of today’s AI research and development. They mimic the structure and function of the human brain to some extent and have enabled significant advancements in machine learning. Neural networks are especially crucial for tasks such as speech recognition, image recognition and autonomous vehicle navigation.

Quantum computing. It exponentially increases computing power and efficiency in the near future, potentially accelerating AI capabilities beyond current limits. This technology might lead to breakthroughs in AI’s ability to solve complex problems much faster than traditional computers.

Natural language processing (NLP). Advances exemplified by technologies such as ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models are crucial for developing AI that can understand and generate human-like text. This ability is vital for AI to perform more complex tasks that require understanding context and nuance in language.

Robotics and automation. Innovations in robotics are increasingly enabling machines to perform tasks that require dexterity and decision-making that were once thought to be exclusively human. These advancements are not only automating more physical tasks but are also integrating AI to create more autonomous systems.

Cloud computing and big data. The vast increase in data generation and the ability to store and process it in the cloud are vital for training more powerful AI systems. Big data analytics and the cloud infrastructure that supports it enable the complex machine learning models necessary for advanced AI development.

Biotechnology and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Advances in understanding the human brain and mimicking its functions are crucial for creating AI that could potentially think and learn in the same way as humans. Additionally, BCIs that connect human brains directly to computers merge biological and artificial intelligence.

So far, current testing of various AI models about their humanity involves something as homegrown as how to treat your mother-in-law. Here are some answers, by AI:

Treat your mother-in-law with respect but maintain objective boundaries. Do not treat her as a second mother to avoid unrealistic expectations.

Be brief and specific. Respond to questions with short, direct answers to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

No unsolicited opinions. Refrain from voicing your opinion on family disputes or decisions unless directly asked.

Partner’s role: your spouse should take the active role in managing visits and setting boundaries so you are not in the middle.

The pope has no mother-in-law (of course). Leo XIV thinks AI is not morally neutral and poses an existential threat to human dignity, labor and peace if left in the hands of a few. He actively advocates for ‘disarming’ AI by subjecting algorithms to rigorous ethical constraints, international oversight and slowing down the pace of technological development.

Following what can be considered as our country’s first school shooting –on par with what happens now and then in the U.S. with students as actual perpetrators– many people are now looking for answers.

One of these is what influenced the two offenders, one aged 14 and the other 15, to act violently. Focus quickly shifted to an online game called GoreBox where online players kill each other’s characters. Despite the boxy look of the game meant to appeal to young people, online deaths were described as particularly gory, hence the name.

Now people are calling to ban youths from playing violent online games.

Will this actually help? It might, but then again, it might not.

GoreBox isn’t the first shooting game to come along and introduce youths to violence, nor will it be the last.

Just a generation ago, youths were first introduced to PvP (Player versus Player) games like Counter-Strike, Delta Force, and Half-Life, among others. Students playing against friends or even against total strangers in internet cafés became a common pastime.

Those games were just as violent. However, we didn’t see any student in that generation become a mass shooter.

That’s why we think that games, even the violent ones, by themselves don’t really push their players to become killers or fantasize about killing others. If this was the case then we would have already been seeing an epidemic of school shootings which, fortunately, has not been the case.

For those two students in particular it wasn’t just GoreBox that drove their need to kill. We have to be wary of what else led to their actions.

We should be careful in pointing to just one thing that set those two off. This may seem tempting because it simplifies the problem and narrows down the things we have to be careful of and look out for. It also makes it easier for many of us to blame someone else for what happened.

But if we ignore the other factors that influenced those two young killers to do what they did then we run the risk of more kids picking up guns and killing fellow schoolmates.

Gilas Pilipinas will bank on the Filipino community in New Zealand when it tries to steal a W from powerhouse Tall Blacks in their FIBA World Cup Qualifiers duel in Auckland on Friday.

The Nationals expect their ‘kababayans’ to show up in droves and fuel their drive in their WCQ third-window showdown with the Kiwis at the Spark Arena.

‘It was a great crowd the last time we were there (New Zealand),’ said coach Tim Cone.

He was referring to the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers match in the same venue in February 2025 in front of 8,345 fans that unfortunately witnessed a 70-87 loss for Gilas.

‘When we were there, we didn’t play as well as we’d hoped, but it was a great crowd. I thought there were more cheers for us than there was for the national team. And that’s always amazing. We hope it’s the same or even better this time around. It’s always a pleasure to go on the road and see so many kababayans there really helping out and pushing us,’ said Cone.

NZ counterpart Judd Flavell and his troops are ready for the loud Pinoy section in their turf.

‘The atmosphere at Spark is going to be electric. Knowing the Filipino fans, we know it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be a party atmosphere,’ he said on the Tall Blacks’ website. ‘It’s not a new experience for us, but it’s always a great experience.’

The Kiwis have won their last three matches with Gilas head to head, a streak they started after absorbing an 89-93 upset in the opening round of the

Every so often, an IPO bigger than the company itself comes along. Not because of the amount of money it raises or valuation, but because it changes the narrative. I believe the forthcoming GCash IPO could be one of those moments.

Over the past decade, Southeast Asia has witnessed several landmark technology listings. We saw Singapore-based Grab go public through one of the world’s largest SPAC transactions. We saw Indonesia’s GoTo make headlines with one of the biggest IPOs in the country’s history. We watched Sea Limited emerge as one of the region’s most valuable technology companies.

Each of these companies reshaped industries and became symbols of ASEAN’s digital transformation. But GCash may be different. Not bigger. Different. And that distinction matters.

For GCash, financial services are the ecosystem. That is a very different story. At its core, GCash was born to solve a uniquely Filipino problem. How do you provide financial access to millions of people spread across more than 7,600 islands? How do you make financial services available to people who may never have walked into a traditional bank? Those are not merely technology challenges. Those are nation-building challenges.

And that is why the upcoming IPO deserves attention not only from investors, but also from policymakers, regulators, academics and development leaders across ASEAN. When Grab listed, investors saw the rise of the super app. When GoTo listed, investors saw that Indonesia’s digital economy had come of age. When Sea exploded onto global markets, investors saw Southeast Asia’s technology ambitions become reality. When GCash lists, investors may see something entirely different: The monetization of financial inclusion.

For decades, financial inclusion was viewed largely as a social objective. Governments pursued it. Development institutions funded it. Banks supported it. But few believed it could become one of the most valuable technology businesses in the region. GCash is proving otherwise.

Because unlike ride-hailing, food delivery, gaming or e-commerce, financial services require something deeper than convenience. They require confidence.

People trust platforms with their money differently than they trust platforms with their transportation or shopping. You can tolerate a delayed food order. You can forgive a late ride. You cannot forgive a failed remittance sent to your family.

Finance operates on a higher standard. And trust is its currency.

GCash has grown from a payments platform into a financial ecosystem serving tens of millions of Filipinos through savings, lending, investments, insurance and digital commerce. It has become part of the country’s financial infrastructure.

That brings us to the bigger question. Why should ASEAN care? Because successful IPOs do more than create shareholder value. They create belief. The greatest contribution of a successful listing is often psychological rather than financial. Suddenly, entrepreneurs think bigger. Investors become more willing to deploy capital. Governments become more supportive of innovation. Ecosystems mature faster. Success becomes contagious.

But there is another reason this IPO matters. It arrives at a pivotal moment for the region. ASEAN is moving toward deeper digital integration through initiatives such as the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement or DEFA. By the end of this decade, ASEAN’s digital economy could exceed $2 trillion. The region is beginning to think not as ten separate digital economies, but as one interconnected digital marketplace. In that environment, financial infrastructure becomes even more important.

Money must move seamlessly. Identity must be trusted. Data must be secure. Access must be inclusive. And fintech companies increasingly sit at the center of that transformation. This is where the comparison to SpaceX becomes relevant.

SpaceX did not become important simply because it launched rockets. It became important because it changed assumptions. It proved that a private company could accomplish what many thought only governments could do.

The GCash IPO has the potential to do something similar for ASEAN. For years, Southeast Asia has been viewed as a market where global technology companies come to acquire customers. Now the region is producing companies that create the future themselves.

The Philippines, in particular, has often been underestimated in technology conversations. Yet one of the region’s largest digital financial platforms emerged from Manila.

That should tell us something. Innovation does not belong to geography. It belongs to those willing to solve meaningful problems. And few problems are more meaningful than giving millions of people access to the financial system.

The real significance of this IPO will not be measured by how much capital it raises. Nor will it be measured solely by its valuation. Its true significance will be measured by what happens next. Will it inspire the next generation of founders?

Will it encourage more technology listings across ASEAN? Will it attract greater investment into digital infrastructure? Will it accelerate financial inclusion across the region? Those are the questions that matter.

The biggest IPOs in history are not remembered simply because they raised money, but because they marked the beginning of something bigger. A new industry. A new era. A new belief system.

ASEAN is entering a new chapter. A chapter where we are no longer just consumers of innovation. We are creators of it. Where we are no longer merely importing technology. We are exporting ideas. And where financial inclusion is no longer viewed as charity or compliance. It is recognized for what it truly is: One of the greatest economic opportunities of our time.

The true measure of this IPO will be the millions of lives it proves can be transformed through technology. That is why this IPO is different. And that is why years from now, we may look back on it as more than a listing. We may look back on it as ASEAN’s SpaceX moment.

Interesting economic briefing and fireside chat organized by the UP College of Business Administration Alumni Association (UPCBAA).

Held during the general membership meeting of the Virata School of Business alumni group last Wednesday, UPCBAA president and BDO Capital and Investment Corp. president Eduardo Francisco discussed the country’s soft 2.8 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth, marking the third straight quarter of sequentially slower growth for the economy. BDO Capital expects the economy to grow by 2.2 percent by the end of the year, or still below pre-pandemic level and 3.2 percent next year. The economy expanded by 4.4 percent in 2025.

He noted that broader inflationary pressures stemming from the energy supply shock triggered by the US-Iran conflict dragged down overall consumption spending, particularly for essentials. Meanwhile, private construction and capital expenditure were dampened by weak risk sentiment, interest rate and foreign exchange volatility and a slow post-pandemic real estate recovery.

Household consumption growth is forecast to reach two percent this year (compared to three percent during the first quarter and 4.5 percent last year), private fixed capital investments growth at three percent (against 2.3 percent in the first quarter and 6.9 percent in 2025) and government expenditures growth for this year at 4.5 percent compared to negative 1.3 percent in the first quarter and 0.9 percent last year.

Meanwhile, export growth is expected to be sluggish at 3.5 percent this year compared to 7.8 percent in the first quarter and 8.2 percent in 2025. Francisco pointed out that growth in exports of goods, led by semiconductors, which registered a 13.3-percent expansion in the first quarter, continues despite trade uncertainties. The relatively resilient IT-BPM sector continues to support services exports, which grew by three percent in the first quarter.

Import growth, he said, remained stable despite weak domestic demand, at 6.1 percent in the first quarter, and is forecast to drop to 4.2 percent for the year. But Francisco warned that stable imports amid a weak external environment may lead to a wider trade deficit.

Francisco emphasized that the Middle East conflict is still evolving, but at least so far, financial stress indicators suggest that the country’s growth slowdown is unlikely to evolve into a systemic shock.

Fellow UP CBA alumni and Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella, who joined Francisco in the fireside chat, urged Filipinos who can afford it to switch to electric vehicles to save on foreign exchange spent on imported fuel. He also said the country is on track to achieving a 50-percent renewable energy share in the power mix by 2040.

Lilian Selda of Palawan Group, likewise a fellow alumna, traced the company’s growth from a single loss-making pawnshop in Palawan – acquired by her father – into a diversified enterprise spanning lending, insurance, remittance and foreign exchange, with over 3,600 branches nationwide, addressing the lack of access to formal credit among Filipinos.

Irthym Philippines country manager Daniel Rupinta also joined the fireside chat and discussed the company’s digital health care solutions, which are available abroad but not in the Philippines, leaving Filipinos without access to these technologies due to gaps in local health insurance coverage.

The UPCBAA also elected a new set of trustees and officers. Former senator Manuel Villar was named chairman emeritus, with Toyota Albay chairman Francis Laurel as chairman. Francisco was elected president; KPMG chair and CEO Sharon Dayoan, vice president; lawyer Anthony Parungao, secretary; Palawan Group of Companies vice chairman and CFO Lilian Castro-Selda, treasurer; KPMG partner Michael Guarin, auditor; lawyer Jose Antonio Santos, assistant corporate secretary and lawyer Mary Ann Reyes, PRO. They are joined on the board by Unilab president and CEO Sebastian Baquiran, GCash president and CEO Martha Sazon, The French Baker CEO Johnlu Kua, architect Armin Sarthou, MedGrocer associate director David Gozali, Maharlika Investment Corp. AVP Winchell Wong and Times Paint president and CEO Reginald Yu.

Still no end in sight

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission ordered ABS-CBN Corp. and its top executives to answer a complaint filed by board director Federico ‘Piki’ Lopez, who accused them of violating corporate and securities laws.

Piki asked the regulators to investigate what he described as a pattern of corporate asset dissipation, excessive executive compensation, questionable related-party transactions and alleged misstatements in financial reports.

He also sought the appointment of an interim management committee to oversee ABS-CBN, conduct a forensic audit and investigate the respondents.

For its part, ABS-CBN said its board of directors and committees have consistently exercised proper oversight of executive compensation, capex and financial reporting in accordance with applicable laws.

The complaint was filed by Piki against ABS-CBN, The Big Dipper Digital Content and Design Inc, chairman Martin Lopez, president Carlo Katigbak and treasurer and group CFO Ricardo Tan Jr.

Meanwhile, the Lopez family majority continues to challenge Piki and the First Gen Corp. board’s hydropower partnership deal with Prime Infrastructure Capital – particularly the alleged P42-billion premium that First Gen agreed to pay for a 33-percent stake in Prime Infra’s hydropower business, and the alleged ‘poison pill’ provision that will allow Prime Infra to buy out First Gen’s 33-percent stake at a 25-percent discount if Piki and his designates are removed from the company for any reason.

However, First Gen has clarified that the inclusion of ‘change-of-management-control’ (CMC) provision was requested by Prime Infra, not by Piki.

The company has further explained that there is nothing unusual or ‘scandalous’ about the CMC provision, also known as a ‘key man clause.’ It said that such provisions are commonly found in large-scale energy and infrastructure projects where investors place significant value on the experience and continuity of a management team responsible for executing complex, multibillion-peso developments.

First Gen has stated that the inclusion of the CMC provision reflects Prime Infra’s confidence in Piki and his management team and underscores the importance of management continuity to the success of the projects.

The South Cotabato Schools Division had awarded a private firm a citation for supporting the programs of the education department in ancestral lands of indigenous tribes and in enclaves of settler communities in the province.

Radio reports on Thursday, June 25, stated that two representatives of the Sagittarius Mines Incorporated (SMI), Jocelyn Maria Hectin and Lerita Malayon, together received the award during the 2026 Stakeholders’ Convergence event of the South Cotabato Schools Division in a function facility in Koronadal City on Thursday last week.

Hectin and Malayon are SMI’s community relations senior superintendent and community development supervisor, respectively. They are both directly involved in the company’s community service projects in the municipalities of Tampakan in South Cotabato, in Columbio in Sultan Kudarat and in Malungon in Sarangani, all in Region 12, and in Kiblawan in Davao del Sur in Region 11.

The citation plaque for SMI that Hectin and Malayon received from provincial education officials, recognizing the mining firm as their ‘Dreamweaver Partner,’ was signed by the superintendent of schools in South Cotabato, Leonardo Balala, the top official in the province of the Department of Education 12.

Balala and his subordinate-education officials in South Cotabato were quoted in Thursday’s radio reports in Central Mindanao as saying that the SMI deserved the citation, as their tacit appreciation of its extensive programs benefiting schools in far-flung areas as part of its corporate social responsibility thrusts.

Local executives, among them the vice mayors Joel Calma and Maria Theresa Constantino of Kiblawan and Malungon, respectively, had separately confirmed to reporters that SMI had produced 939 professionals in the past eight years, mostly from marginalized ethnic Blaan families, via its company college scholarship program.

They are now employed as teachers, serving as elected barangay and municipal officials, as veterinarians of local government units and private companies, nurses in hospitals in Central Mindanao and abroad and as engineers in construction companies and in government agencies, according to the two vice mayors and officials of DepEd 12.

The SMI is expected to start operating, possibly before 2028, the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project in the mineral-rich Tampakan town in South Cotabato, as contracted by the national government, with separate written consents from the Blaan tribal leaders in the municipality and the central office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. and the chief of their Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the nurse Rolly Aquino, separately said on Thursday that the SMI also has ongoing feeding and health support initiatives for malnourished school children and pregnant women in villages around campuses in Tampakan and in nearby towns.

‘That is despite its not not even having started yet its state-permitted copper and gold extraction in Tampakan,’ Aquino said.

Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza, chairperson of the multi-sector Regional Development Council 12, said she is aware of SMI’s capacity-building projects aiming to improve the productivity of barangay folks engaged commercial food production, livestock raising and other income-generating livelihood projects in remote areas in Region 12’s Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato provinces.

“We appreciate the company’s pro-education and community empowerment projects in Sultan Kudarat and in South Cotabato,” Taliño-Mendoza said.

Travelers may pay lower airfares in July after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) reduced the fuel surcharge collected by airlines to its lowest level since oil prices surged amid tensions in the Middle East.

In an advisory dated June 26, the CAB said it lowered the surcharge to Level 9 for July 1 to 15, down from Level 12 in the second half of June.

The latest reduction was the second consecutive cut in the surcharge level after the CAB lowered it from Level 13 to Level 12 for the second half of June.

Under Level 9, passengers may pay an additional P287 to P839 for domestic flights, lower than the previous range of P389 to P1,137 under Level 12.

For international flights, the allowable surcharge was reduced to P947.30 to P7,044.27, from P1,284.40 to P9,550.13.

Passengers flying short-haul international routes to destinations such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam will pay a minimum additional fee of P947.30, while long-haul flights to destinations including North America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands will have higher surcharges.

The latest adjustment is the lowest surcharge level approved by the CAB since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, which triggered a sharp increase in global oil prices.

At the height of the price surge, the surcharge reached Level 19 in the second half of April. Passengers then paid as much as P1,834 for domestic routes and up to P15,397.15 for international flights.

Before fuel prices spiked, the CAB had imposed Level 4, which allowed fuel surcharges of P117 to P342 for domestic flights and P385.70 to P2,867.82 for international routes.

The International Air Transport Association said the average global jet fuel price dropped to $119.17 per barrel as of June 19, from $138.86 a week earlier. Fuel prices in the Asia and Oceania region, which includes the Philippines, were lower at $115.72 per barrel.

The fuel surcharge is reviewed by the CAB every 15 days based on prevailing jet fuel prices. Before the policy change, adjustments were made on a monthly basis.

For the first half of July, the regulator set the exchange rate at P60.99 per US dollar for airlines collecting surcharges in foreign currencies.

The latest reduction came as global jet fuel prices eased following signs of improving conditions in the Middle East.

The United States and Iran reached a preliminary agreement on June 17 that included efforts to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries a significant portion of the world’s oil supply.

The news that shocked us last Monday was heartbreaking. Two minors were involved in a shooting incident that claimed at least three lives and left several others injured. Many theories have since surfaced regarding why they resorted to such violence. Even their alleged conversation about how they planned the entire incident made its way online, puzzling many child psychology experts while self-proclaimed experts also joined the discussion. There is really a lot to unpack after what happened.

One theory that emerged pointed to the constant playing of the mobile game Gorebox, which heavily features violent content. There are now moves to ban the game, as well as to strictly enforce the minimum age for using social media. While we welcome these developments because they seem ideal, we may be forgetting one core element that could have led to the incident: their upbringing. Growing up, we were always taught that parents play a significant role in shaping who we become. As it turns out, there is truth to that.

Regardless of how strict the guidelines on social media use and digital platforms become, children’s ability to access them will always depend largely on their parents. If a parent does not closely monitor a child, reaching explicit or disturbing content can happen in a matter of seconds. The real question, then, is who watches over them and how that responsibility is carried out. Now is the time to rethink what it means to be an absent parent. A screen or any other digital device can never substitute for the guidance that only a real human being can provide.

The issue has instilled fear in my generation. I particularly fear the day when I will have my own child. There are now doubts about the effectiveness of school security and how far educational institutions should go to ensure that innocent lives are protected. No student deserves to die at the hands of someone carrying an illegal firearm or become a victim of a senseless shooting. Schools can strengthen their policies, governments can impose stricter regulations, and technology companies can tighten age restrictions. Perhaps parents can take this opportunity to rethink and reassess how raising a child should be done in today’s world. At least from what I remember, we were watched like hawks by our parents, often forced to live up to their standards.

The scope of this issue is far too wide to discuss. There is also the question of how the minors gained access to a firearm and why it was so easily within their reach. It also raises concerns about the responsible ownership and handling of firearms by those granted the privilege of carrying them. This tragedy exposes many gaps in our system, both in government and in the most basic unit of society –the family. I hope this becomes more than just another lesson learned by different sectors. More importantly, I hope it becomes an eye-opener to how we are raising the next generation before another tragedy forces us to ask the same questions all over again.