Category: Philippine Star

Almost one year ago, Vice Consul Mark Ponce of the Philippine embassy in Beirut came bringing me Lebanese wine, chocolates and roasted coffee. Like a true diplomat he started our conversation with pleasantries over a cup of coffee (of course) at a café serving only Philippine coffee in Makati called Commune. He broached the idea of taking Philippine coffee to Beirut. Like a true marketer, he did not leave without bringing some bags of Philippine coffee back to his place of work.

Then came his colleague Attaché Jerome Abeleda who got into the granular and asked for specific varieties – Liberica, Excelsa, Robusta and Arabica from different origins in the country. Jerome took them back raw or in green form so their local roaster contact named Rana could roast it. Maybe in Saudi Arabia, maybe in Lebanon, but she was open and cooperative to try these coffees they have never heard of before. Rana Ibrahim is a coffee expert and along with Us Coffee (yes it is not US but Us like we or tayo) cooperated with the Philippine embassy in mounting this all-Filipino merienda.

Last Sept. 18 at 10 a.m., Us Coffee hosted not a few visitors who were treated to an array of Fiipino specialties like puto, piaya, pandesal and other merienda fare that goes well with coffee. The varieties of coffee from Sulu, Davao, Cavite and Benguet took center stage, with appropriate labels all prepared by Rana and company. Some were taken as espresso, some were brewed as filter coffee and some used the pour-over method. This is how you know that they know how to roast and drink their coffee. The Philippine Coffee Board (www.philcoffeeboard.com) simply followed the wishes of Mark and Jerome to prepare the coffee samples, label them and send them videos of our farms and farmers.

This is the trending way to approach diplomacy. We share what we can be proud of in terms of good quality products, done the right way. There is no faster way to make friends than over a cup of coffee (or tea) after all. While alcohol sales are globally going south, coffee drinking is going up. So why not make friends using coffee and its partners like puto and bibingka?

The key is in the interest to bring the product. Coffee is an easy sell. With global coffee prices on the rise, roasters look for unique origins they can offer to discerning palates regardless of price. This is where we explain, Philippine coffee is not to be promoted commercially as a commodity raw material for instant coffee mixes, but a specialty product to be enjoyed one cup at a time. Because when you see coffee, it may all look the same – a green bean until it is roasted looks like most other green or raw coffee beans. It is in the roasting that most of the magic happens. And professional coffee roasters know their favorites or what coffee can pass their stringent standards. We had to make sure the moisture level was correct or within range, the beans were free of defects and broken pieces and could be roasted and tasted by coffee experts like Rana.

Next came the labeling. We gave information on the elevation of the farm, the name of farmer or farm, the process it went through after harvest and the town or barangay it came from. One of the samples is from our Tausug Princess Kumalah Sug-Elardo, who they featured in the video presentation as a Muslim princess from Panamao, Sulu.

I was overjoyed when I saw the ‘at the moment’ stories on Instagram showing the event where our Philippine Ambassador Marlowe Miranda graced the event and Lebanese media had a party interviewing the people behind the successful coffee tasting. Our ambassadors on the ground in Lebanon and the Middle East are actually our baristas who are employed in the many bars and cafes in the Gulf area. These Filipino baristas introduce us as a coffee drinking people and the coming of our very own Philippine-grown coffee would be a welcome addition to their bars and cafes.

When I saw the tasting notes of Rana on the coffee labels, I knew she knew where we were coming from. She identified the very flavors we wanted to communicate to the coffee drinkers of today. If they want a fruit flavor, they choose Liberica or Barako. If they want hints of chocolate, they choose Benguet Arabica. And so the flavor hunting continues because our four varieties each have a different flavor note and much more when the Arabica comes from different places – one was from Benguet and one was from Davao. So the possibilities of tasting notes is virtually endless as you offer different terroir, just like wine.

As we write, the Philippine embassy in Paris also asked for samples for an October coffee event to be done at the embassy. We also spoke with the embassy in nearby Brunei who has put us in touch with some roasters via Zoom and a coffee farm owner who we will visit soon.

In Tel Aviv, Philippine Ambassador Aileen Mendiola has started rounding up coffee, chocolates and liquor suppliers for a different tasting event sometime at the start of January 2027. We have had several meetings to zero in on the taste profile of the local market, and she has come back with samples of what they drink in their cafés. And that is the first step in any diplomatic discussion – tell us what they eat and drink, and we can show you what coffee to bring them.

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste is in France taking care of his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, who is undergoing treatment for a lung and autoimmune condition.

‘She is with Leandro, who is the one assisting her with her medical needs in the family. As you know, Leandro is her main family now, and that’s what he is doing now,’ Legarda’s spokesperson Tony La Viña told reporters during the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City.

La Viña did not give further details about the status of Legarda’s health, noting that the Senate knows about her condition.

‘It’s not just now. It’s been like this for a long time, but it’s aggravated when there’s stress, when there’s tension,’ he said.

As the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte comes to a close in November, La Viña is not ruling out that Legarda will be back as she took her oath as senator-judge.

La Viña noted that Leviste will also return to the country once his mother gets better: ‘After all, he’s just there with his mother. What reason would there be (not to come home)?’

The mother and son are facing probes over their solar franchises.

First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH) of the Lopez Group is ready to buy back more shares to boost its stock price, which the company believes is currently undervalued.

During the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting yesterday, FPH president and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno said the company has been actively buying back its own shares since the share buyback program began in 2010.

He said FPH has purchased a total of 185 million shares to date, representing 31 percent of its pre-buyback outstanding shares, and has paid P13.1 billion to its shareholders.

‘Given the undervaluation of FPH shares, we believe that the best way forward is to continue the buyback program. This will benefit loyal shareholders who choose to remain with the company as they will own a larger share of a valuable company,’ Puno said.

‘For shareholders who wish to sell their shares, FPH through the share buyback program serves as a ready buyer, providing them with an immediate opportunity to realize the value of their investment at fair market value,’ he said.

Puno said the program also distributes cash to shareholders, with FPH paying P3.4 billion to its shareholders under the share buyback initiative in 2025.

FPH shares closed at P87.50 yesterday, down by 2.29 percent from P89.55 the previous day. Its 52-week low is at P70.10, while its 52-week high is P120.

The company held its annual stockholders’ meeting yesterday following previous postponements due to issues relating to the legal dispute between FPH chairman and CEO Federico ‘Piki’ Lopez and Lopez Inc.

FPH is part of Lopez Group of companies, with Lopez Inc. serving as its ultimate parent firm.

In his report, Piki discussed the group’s theme, which is compounding good choices, as FPH turns 65 years old this year.

‘Milestones like this naturally invite us to look back. But perhaps their greater value is that they make us look forward. What will it take for FPH to remain relevant and purposeful for the next 65 years?’ Piki said.

FPH is a holding company with investments in power generation, energy solutions, residential and commercial real estate, industrial real estate as well as construction and energy services.

Piki said that for 65 years, FPH has been shaped by choices across many generations.

‘We inherited businesses and assets. But we also inherited capabilities, partnerships, values and trust accumulated across decades,’ Piki said.

When Ferdinand Magellan’s Spanish expedition reached the Philippines in 1521 in search of the Spice Islands, his chronicler Antonio Pigafetta recorded the seafaring, navigation, and boat-building skills of the islands’ inhabitants. Magellan called the islands they encountered Las Islas de San Lazaro (Islands of Saint Lazarus), before Ruy López de Villalobos later gave the name Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Prince Philip, later King Philip II of Spain.

The islands officially became Spain’s colony in Asia in 1565, from which a sustained trans-Pacific commercial trade was established, linking Asia, the Americas, and Europe. This was the Manila Galleon Trade between Manila and Acapulco in Mexico, a forerunner of modern trade globalization.

The huge galleons, many of which were built in Philippine shipyards from the early 1600s onward, were the ocean liners of that era that crossed the vast expanse of the Pacific. They carried silver, goods, and people from Europe and the Americas to Manila, and Asian goods and Philippine sailors back to Acapulco.

That galleon trade lasted for 250 years, from 1565 to 1815. The Manila Galleon trade made Manila the international hub of trade in Asia. This history illustrates how the Philippines has long occupied an important position at the crossroads of interregional commerce.

Many developments changed the course of history between then and the 21st century.

On Sept. 22, 2026, the European Union (EU) and the Philippines announced that they had reached ‘substantial agreement’ for a free trade agreement (FTA), which will liberalize over 94% of tariff lines, covering more than 97% of bilateral trade. The agreement is expected to deepen trade and investment ties, create new opportunities, and help both sides build more diversified and resilient supply chains.

This progress comes at a very important moment. For the Philippines and Europe, closer cooperation can provide the foundation for expanding opportunities for businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), manufacturers, and services providers, while giving consumers access to more choices.

Being like-minded partners, the Philippines and the EU share an interest in open, rules-based trade and deeper economic cooperation. The FTA can therefore become more than a trade instrument: it can form part of a partnership built on trust, predictability, and long-term investment.

Interestingly, that connectivity has taken new forms. The Philippines is increasingly integrated into ASEAN and Indo-Pacific supply chains, while its economic relationship with Europe is gaining greater momentum.

The timing of the FTA announcement was particularly notable as it coincided with the 12thASEAN-EU Business Summit in Manila, the annual flagship forum of the EU-ASEAN Business Council for high-level dialogue on trade, investment, and regional economic cooperation.

Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, delivering the ASEAN Chair 2026 Address, underscored the importance of trust in strengthening partnerships. ‘Trust has become one of the world’s most valuable strategic assets,’ he said, linking it to investment, innovation, and long-term growth.

He also emphasized that the FTA matters not just for the Philippines and Europe, but for ASEAN: stronger links between an ASEAN member state and the EU can contribute to a stronger bridge between the two regions.

Business sentiment reinforces this opportunity. The 2026 EU-ASEAN Business Sentiment Survey found that 61% of European business leaders regard ASEAN as the region offering the strongest economic opportunities, while 78% expect trade and investment in ASEAN to increase over the next five years. At the same time, 73% said that there are many barriers to efficient supply chain use, with regulatory fragmentation remaining a significant challenge.

These findings point to both optimism and a clear agenda for action through reduced unnecessary friction, strengthened connectivity, and easier linkages for businesses to operate across borders.

The Philippines is already taking steps in this direction. Earlier, the EU and Spain officially joined the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) partnership, bringing the grouping to 13 partners. The EU is aligning its Global Gateway initiative with LEC priorities, including green and circular development, renewable energy, energy efficiency, secure digital connectivity, innovation, and skills development.

Launched by the Philippines, the United States and Japan in 2024, the LEC aims to connect Subic Bay, Clark, Metro Manila, and Batangas while accelerating strategic infrastructure investment and strengthening supply chains. European participation can bring additional capital, expertise, and technology while creating opportunities for Philippine firms and workers.

The Philippines has inherent strengths to build on. Its geostrategic location in the Indo-Pacific, abundant natural resources, and a large, young population provide a strong platform for investment.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Census of Population, the country recorded a population of 112.7 million, with a median age of 27.7 years and 66.7% of the household population classified as working age.

Turning this demographic advantage into sustained growth, however, will require continued investment in education, skills, infrastructure, and productive employment.

During the ASEAN-EU Business Summit, Department of Finance Undersecretary Ma. Angela Ignacio highlighted the Philippines’ resource base and its potential to play a greater role in ASEAN’s green metals and energy transition through responsible resource extraction and higher-value processing.

She also pointed to enacted reforms aimed at creating a more open and investment-friendly environment, including the new Public-Private Partnership Code, the CREATE MORE Act, and the green lanes for strategic investments.

These reforms can help attract more European and other foreign investors to the Philippines and support job-generating, investment-led growth. However, productive investment and greater market access alone will not guarantee results. This is where trade policy and domestic economic policy meet: an FTA can open doors, but businesses must be able to walk through them.

Competitive logistics, reliable energy, efficient ports, digital infrastructure, skilled workers, transparent regulations, and effective institutions will determine how fully Philippine enterprises can benefit from greater market access and investment flows.

The EU-Philippines FTA offers a promising foundation for that next chapter. Its successful conclusion and implementation will require sustained trust, continued reform, and close cooperation among governments and businesses.

Indeed, while the geography remains, the connections have expanded: from maritime trade routes to modern supply chains, digital networks, strategic investment partnerships, and knowledge and culture exchange.

Thus, the story that shaped the concept of globalization now shifts to a new page that interestingly redefines the meaning of connectivity and enduring collective partnerships amid some of the most important turning points in modern times.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Flores Tumulak, chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance, has called on fellow public servants to ensure that Cebu City’s 2027 budget reflects discipline, accountability, and tangible benefits for citizens.

In a statement ahead of the budget deliberations, Tumulak stressed that the budget is more than a financial document.

‘This budget is not just a financial plan-it is a statement of who we are as public servants, how we serve the public with integrity, and how seriously we take our obligations to citizens,’ he said.

He emphasized that the process must be collaborative and transparent, with consultations and feedback mechanisms to include the voices of the people.

‘Engage stakeholders and consider the voices of the people through consultations, feedback mechanisms, and meaningful listening. Ensure inter-departmental alignment so our proposals support shared national and sector goals-not isolated activities,’ Tumulak noted.

The councilor also stressed the need for alignment with executive priorities.

‘Every proposal must clearly connect to the Executive’s stated priorities and legally or strategically committed actions. Avoid general intentions and instead specify what will be delivered and how it supports national direction,’ he said.

Tumulak urged clarity in outcomes, saying, ‘Public clients must be able to see what we are trying to achieve, not just that improvements will be made. Replace vague language with specific deliverables-services to be provided, facilities to be completed, programs to be rolled out, targets to be reached.’

He further highlighted the importance of realistic timelines and measurable results.

‘Provide implementation timelines that match available capacity, procurement realities, and reporting cycles. Include measurable outcomes and expected impact by quarter or semester where possible,’ he explained.

On fiscal discipline, Tumulak reminded colleagues that the budget must be grounded in actual collections.

‘The annual budget must be realistic and grounded in what we can collect, not wishful projections. Where funding gaps exist, proposals must show credible options such as reprioritization, sequencing, or phased delivery,’ he said.

He urged that the budget inspire confidence by demonstrating its impact on daily life.

‘Let our plans demonstrate tangible benefits-especially in areas that touch daily life: health, education, water, sanitation, infrastructure, jobs, safety, and social protection. The budget should reflect not only what government will spend, but what citizens will experience because of that spending,’ Tumulak declared.

‘No matter the size of the budget, we must ensure it reflects the values of public service: discipline, accountability, and results. When we submit budgets that are specific, achievable, and grounded in reality, we earn trust and strengthen confidence in government,’ he concluded.

The city’s annual budget preparation begins with the executive branch setting ceilings and priorities, followed by departmental proposals reviewed by the Budget and Finance Committee.

The consolidated executive budget is then submitted to the City Council for deliberation and approval.

Another bronze medal for the Philippines in the 20th Asian Games.

Ian delos Santos bagged a bronze medal in the Asian Games’ men’s 70 kilogram weightlifting competition Saturday at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center.

Delos Santos tallied 141 kilograms in snatch and 183 kilograms in clean and jerk, for a total of 324 kilograms.

The Philippine flag-bearer reached the mark before North Korea’s Won Ju Ri and Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto started off their clean and jerk attempts.

When the dust settled, Ri nabbed the gold medal, tallying 151 kilograms in snatch and 198 kilograms in clean and jerk for a total of 348 kilograms.

Miyamoto finished with 342 kilograms total, off of 154 kilograms in snatch and 188 kilograms in clean and jerk.

Aside from the bronze-medal finish, the 20-year-old delos Santos also set the Junior Asian Record and the Junior World Record.

The Philippines now has two golds, two silvers and six bronzes.

For the Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball, the road got a little bumpier, but the destination is still very much in sight.

Cherry Ann ‘Sisi’ Rondina and Bernadeth Pons are through to the Round of 16 in the Asiad competition at Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court, despite absorbing a tough three-set loss to Kazakhstan.

Rondina and Pons bowed to the towering Kazakh pair of Merey Kozhakhmet and Laura Kabulbekova, 17-21, 21-10, 10-15, but their earlier wins were enough to secure a knockout round berth – keeping alive the Philippines’ bid for a breakthrough podium.

‘We missed the opportunity (for a higher spot), ‘yan lang masasabi ko. Sayang pero bright side pa rin kami,’ Rondina said.

‘Positive pa rin kami sa mga upcoming days and games namin. Nakakalungkot but at the same time nakaka-excite kung ano pa yung susunod na mangyari,’ she added.

They are not alone.

Fellow Filipinas Sofiah Shanine Pagara and Khylem Progella also advanced, and will play for top spot in Pool G today at 9 a.m. against Hong Kong. Both Philippine tandems entered the day with perfect 2-0 cards.

Two pairs in the Last 16 means the Philippines is now just one win away from the medal rounds – uncharted territory for the country.

Since beach volleyball was included in the Asian Games program in 1998, the Philippines has never cracked the podium.

The best finish remains the fifth-place run of Dij Rodriguez and Gen Eslapor in Hangzhou in 2023. In that edition, the Philippines actually sent three pairs to the knockout stage – Rodriguez/Eslapor to the quarterfinals, while Progella/Grydelle Matibag and Jude Garcia/James Buytrago reached the Round of 16.

Now, Rondina and Pons – fresh off their historic SEA Games gold that ended Thailand’s eight-year reign – have a chance to surpass that mark.

On the men’s side, the fight continues tomorrow.

James Buytrago and Ronniel Rosales face a virtual knockout against Vietnam’s Lam Toi Nguyen and Van Viet Tran.

An official of the defunct New People’s Army shot and wounded by a companion after she sent surrender feelers to local executives, the military and police, is now in a hospital, protected by soldiers and policemen.

Officials of the 6th ID and its component unit, the 603rd Infantry Brigade, the Police Regional Office 12 and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., separately told reporters on Saturday, September 26, that they shall cooperate in facilitating the return to mainstream society of Arnida Cuaton Manguinguilid.

She had served as a political instructor in the NPA’s now virtually inactive Regional Operations Command-Far South Mindanao Region, whose remaining officials are wanted for high-profile criminal cases pending in different courts in Regions 10, 11 and 12.

One of Manguinguilid’s companions attempted to kill her with a pistol last week when they learned she had separately contacted members of the multi-sector South Cotabato Provincial Peace and Order Council, whose presiding chairperson is Tamayo, officials of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, who is acting commander of the 6th ID and asked them to usher her back to their community in one of the towns in Central Mindanao.

Despite her gunshot wound, she managed to run away and relocate to a safe area with the help of Tamayo’s office, the 603rd Infantry Brigade and the 6th ID, whose officials cooperated in having her confined to one of the hospitals in South Cotabato, one of the four provinces in Region 12, which also has four component cities.

Provincial governors and mayors in the region, units of the 6th ID and the 10th Infantry Division, which is presently under Major Gen. Alvin Luzon, had worked out the surrender in batches in the past five years of 609 NPAs from across Region 12’s Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces.

Manguinguilid had told reporters that she decided to avail of the government’s reconciliation program for communist insurgents after she had confirmed that her former companions who had availed of it with the help of Tamayo, Cotabato Gov Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza and officials of the 6th and 10th IDs had been reunited with their families, now thriving as farmers, livestock raisers, construction workers, vendors and laborers in public markets and as driver of passenger vehicles.

Severe Tropical Storm Queenie (international name: Surigae) maintained its strength as it decelerated while moving over the Philippine Sea, PAGASA said Saturday morning.

In its 5 a.m. bulletin on Saturday, September 26, the state weather bureau said Queenie was carrying maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts of up to 115 kph.

It is moving northwestward at 15 kph.

The center of Queenie was estimated at 600 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes.

PAGASA said strong to storm-force winds extend outward up to 280 kilometers from Queenie’s center.

Queenie is unlikely to directly affect the country’s land areas throughout the forecast period.

Sea conditions

PAGASA said moderate seas of up to 2 meters are expected over the northern seaboard of Batanes in the next 24 hours.

Mariners of motorbancas and similarly sized vessels were advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigation under these conditions.

Other coastal waters are expected to have wave heights of less than 2 meters.

Track, intensity

Queenie will continue decelerating while moving north northwestward in the next 12 hours before turning north northeastward by Sunday morning, September 27.

On the forecast track, the center of Queenie is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility between Sunday afternoon and evening.

Outside the PAR, Queenie will accelerate northeastward toward the sea east of mainland Japan.

PAGASA said Queenie will likely intensify into a typhoon by Saturday evening or Sunday and strengthen further while moving over the sea south of the Okinawa Islands.

After reaching peak intensity, Queenie is expected to weaken by Monday, September 28.

Actress Glaiza de Castro is selling her family’s holiday home in Baler, Aurora after indicating a shift in plans and priorities.

Glaiza confirmed the house was on the market by posting photos of the property on her social media accounts, recalling how she bought it in eight years as place to “escape, slow down, and spend time together.”

Over time her family would head over to the house for birthdays, celebrations, and long weekends as well as regular days where key memories were formed.

During the pandemic Glaiza and her family frequented their stays in Baler which allowed the actress for moments of reflection.

“I discovered a deeper appreciation for the province – the slower pace, the beautiful surroundings, the warmth of the community, and the simple joy of being together,” she shared.”

It was around this time that Glaiza got engaged to and married Irish businessman David Rainey. The house itself saw structural developments and was placed on Airbnb for other guests to rent.

“Now, life is changing again. Our priorities have shifted and new plans for the future are taking shape,” said Glaiza, who is expecting her first child with Rainey. “And after much thought, we feel that it is time to let this special place begin a new chapter with another family.”

The actress is hoping the next buyer will see the house just as her family did, one filled with warmth, character, and abundant potential.

She described the holiday home as “a place where families can gather, where friends can celebrate, where children can grow up making memories, where someone can wake up, breathe a little deeper, and appreciate the beauty of life.”

“We have made so many memories here, and now we are ready to pass the keys-and the opportunity to create many more-to someone new,” Glaiza ended. “Maybe the next chapter of this home is meant to be yours.”