Category: Philippine Star

Handheld metal detectors will be made mandatory in schools while anti-bullying measures will be strengthened, as part of a comprehensive nationwide school safety campaign.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara launched the campaign yesterday following the deadly shooting at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.

The initiative aims to unite schools, parents, local government units, law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders to reinforce prevention, reporting, response and intervention mechanisms to curb bullying, improve campus safety and ensure timely support for learners and school personnel.

‘We are moving with urgency because protecting our children is our absolute priority, and as President Bongbong Marcos always emphasizes, our schools must strictly remain safe zones for learning,’ Angara said.

‘We will not let our students be put at risk,’ he added.

Under the multi-layered school safety strategy, all schools will be equipped with handheld metal detectors, establish strict visitor management systems, conduct regular bag inspections, install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) and strategically deploy security personnel.

Public schools are likewise undergoing safety audits to assess perimeter fencing, visitor access points, lighting and emergency exits to identify and strengthen high-risk campuses.

Angara also ordered the systematic reorientation of school administrators on the guidelines on ensuring a safe and motivating learning environment, the Anti-Bullying Act and existing child protection policies, along with a review of school-level reporting, investigation, referral and intervention procedures.

Schools Division Offices are working closely with local police, parents and barangay officials while aligning response protocols with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Liga ng mga Barangay, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Health.

They were directed to convene leaders of Supreme Learner Governments and school governing parent-teacher associations to gather real-time information on bullying incidents, cyberbullying concerns and barriers to reporting threats; establish confidential reporting channels for learner protection concerns and roll out age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs.

Meanwhile, the Tacloban City government has begun implementing measures to help San Jose National High School recover from the tragedy.

On Thursday, Mayor Alfred Romualdez met with school head Liezel Pulga, teachers, school staff, DepEd officials, PNP commanders and city officials to discuss immediate interventions before classes resume.

Among the city’s immediate initiatives is the repainting of classrooms and selected school facilities to provide students and teachers with a refreshed learning environment.

The city government is also strengthening campus security by installing additional CCTV cameras, improving perimeter fences, setting up panic buttons linked directly to the nearest police station, deploying guards and assigning one male and one female police officer to inspect bags and monitor school entrances.

They also plan to fund additional school guards across the division.

Trial judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have granted the prosecution’s request to freeze the money seized from former president Rodrigo Duterte when he was arrested and turned over to the international tribunal in March 2025.

Defense filings made public on Friday confirmed that ICC Trial Chamber III granted the prosecution’s request to freeze ‘any money that had been seized’ from Duterte following his arrest.

Duterte’s lawyers earlier described the request as unnecessary, saying it ‘will have no practical impact upon the existing state of affairs’ because the money is already in the custody of the ICC Registry.

It remains unclear how much money Duterte had with him when he was arrested.

Meanwhile, public filings also showed that the prosecution is seeking access to other items seized from the former president.

While the defense does not oppose the prosecution’s request to inspect some of the seized items, defense counsel Peter Haynes urged the judges not to allow access to the keys currently in the custody of the ICC Registry.

‘The request is, in substance, a fishing expedition. The prosecution advances no evidential basis connecting the keys either to the commission or furtherance of the alleged crimes or to any assets that may be relevant to the investigation,’ the defense said in its submission originally filed on June 16.

‘The basis of such a request must exist before the investigation is undertaken, not emerge as a result thereof. The prosecution cannot be permitted to examine the keys in order to articulate, post facto, the evidential foundation required to justify that examination in the first place,’ it added.

As for the other seized items, the defense asked the prosecution to take appropriate measures to limit access to personal information belonging to Duterte and his family that is not relevant to the investigation.

‘Such information should also be destroyed or permanently deleted at the earliest possible opportunity,’ it added.

I have been searching for some topic that would be good news for the Philippines instead of the current spate of bad news. It is enough to make one feel that this nation’s future can only be viewed as full of pessimism. Our government institutions are in disarray, especially with the current struggle in the Senate. An impeachment trial for the Vice President is already bogged down by accusations from both sides, the prosecution and the defense. Our economic news is highlighted with inflation figures that are seemingly on the rise and the peso-dollar rate at an all-time low. The looming 2028 election should provide some hope for the future. However, at this point, it does not look like this is going to happen. Finally, there are the endless corruption scandals where it seems we know who is at fault but most of them are still freely walking around. As if all these were not enough, I just heard the announcement that criminal cases might be filed against the officials of the Ateneo de Manila University under the Anti-Hazing Law for the deaths of two basketball players.

I have been looking for some good news that will promise employment and economic growth for our country. Under President Noynoy Aquino, who was president from 2010-2016, the Philippines was being written about by economists all over the world as an economic ‘rising tiger.’ Economists and geopolitical observers around the world had stopped calling us the ‘sick man of Asia.’

I thought that we were on the verge of the golden age of the Philippine economy. Then in 2016, a new president came in and we were back to being again the ‘sick man of Asia.’

However, a few weeks ago, I read two interrelated stories that could be the impetus that the Philippines needs to become again the rising tiger. These are the Luzon Economic Corridor and Pax Silica, a multinational initiative that aims to establish trusted supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electronics manufacturing and critical minerals among allied nations.

In April 2026, the Philippines formally became a member of the Pax Silica Coalition.

The name Pax Silica comes from the Latin ‘Pax’ meaning peace or stability and ‘Silica’ referring to silicon, the primary material used in semiconductor chips. This coalition seeks to create a stable international network capable of producing and transporting advance technologies without relying heavily on a single country. Although the coalition did not specifically name that country, it is obvious to most geopolitical observers that the country being referred to is China. The good thing about this initiative for the Philippines is that the member-countries will encourage governments and private companies to invest in facilities that can manufacture, process and transport technologies essential for the future global economy.

The Philippines was welcomed to join Pax Silica because of its strategic geographical location on the South China Sea. Our other assets are that we already have an electronic manufacturing sector, a skilled English speaking workforce and abundant mineral resources. We have significant reserves of nickel, copper, chomite and cobalt. These are minerals essential for AI hardware, batteries and advanced electronics.

One development accompanying the Philippines’ membership in Pax Silica is the establishment of the first ‘AI-native industrial acceleration hub’ within the Luzon Economic Corridor. This project will cover approximately 4,000 acres or around 1,619 hectares and will operate an Economic Security Zone designed specifically for industries supporting artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, logistics and critical mineral processing.

Rather than being a single industrial park, the Luzon Economic Corridor is a network connecting Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas through upgraded transportation infrastructure, ports, airports, railways, digital connectivity and industrial zones. The Pax Silica Industrial Hub will be located within this corridor.

These two mammoth projects could provide substantial benefits to the Philippines if properly implemented. Pax Silica is expected to attract billions of pesos in foreign direct investments as multinational companies establish manufacturing plants, research facilities, logistics centers and data infrastructure. These foreign investments will stimulate local businesses, improve infrastructure and generate additional tax revenues that can support education, health care and public services.

Employment generation will be another substantial benefit. This AI industrial hub is expected to create tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs over several years. Employment opportunities that will be generated will be quality jobs like engineers, software developers, AI specialists, semiconductor technicians, construction workers, logistics personnel, researchers, cyber security experts, manufacturing operators, equipment maintenance specialists and administrative professionals.

According to Philippine government officials, more than 20 companies have already expressed interest in investing. Undersecretary of State Helberg says that more than a dozen American companies have expressed interest. One company has publicly stated their plan to participate. This is Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer. This Taiwan-based company has hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide.

Many people say these plans are too good to be true. I sincerely hope that the government will focus on this development plan instead of paying more attention to political maneuvering. This is what our people need badly and deserve – good paying jobs.

After teaming up with Venus Williams, Alex Eala this time may cross paths against another legend in Serena Williams at Wimbledon starting on Monday in London.

The road to an elusive Grand Slam breakthrough for Eala could possibly go through a loaded bracket of greats, current stars and rising ones, including the former world No. 1 and 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams in Round 2.

Williams, coming out of retirement at 44 to play in a Grand Slam for the first time since her US Open stint in 2022, is in for a tall order against rising star Maya Joint of Australia.

The 20-year-old Joint, WTA No. 53, is the tormentor of Eala in 2025.

The trek to the summit then gets steeper from there with world No. 3 Iga Swiatek, No. 14 Jasmine Paolini, No. 8 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine projected to stand in the way of Eala from the third round to the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, fourth seed Karolina Muchova won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Bad Homburg, Germany after Naomi Osaka withdrew with an ankle injury.

In the first grass court final of her career, the four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka was troubled by the injury and lost the opening set 6-1, having taken a short break for treatment after losing the first three games.

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines has posthumously awarded its highest honor for bravery to one of its own.

Scout Chris Lorenz Fabian was conferred the Gold Gallantry and Heroism Award after he lost his life protecting his classmates during the shooting incident at San Jose National High School on June 22.

According to the BSP, the 15-year-old Grade 10 scout showed extraordinary courage in the final moments of the attack. Witness accounts said Chris rushed to close and block the classroom door to keep the shooter from entering.

‘With unwavering courage and definitive resolve, he placed his own body directly in harm’s way, physically blocking the attackers to prevent their entry, and his split-second decision and resolute stand successfully shielded his teacher and classmates, absorbing the fatal assault,’ the award citation read.

His action bought critical time for his classmates to hide and stay safe. Because of him, 30 students inside that room survived.

‘He acted not as a boy afraid, but as a scout who lived by the Scout Law: A scout is brave, loyal and helpful to others at all times,’ BSP officials said during the awarding.

BSP leaders personally visited the Fabian family in Tacloban to present the medal and certificate and to offer condolences.

The Gold Gallantry and Heroism Award is the BSP’s highest recognition for a scout who risks or sacrifices his life in the service of others.

For his parents and fellow scouts, the medal is both a source of pride and pain.

Erbea Fabian and her husband thanked everyone who reached out and prayed for their son, whose heroism resulted in a family’s sorrow being carried by a whole community.

‘Chris always said a scout must be ready to help,’ a family member said. ‘We never thought his readiness would cost his life. But he died doing what a true scout should do.’

The BSP said Chris’ story will be included in its values and leadership training for scouts nationwide, a reminder that courage is not about age, but about character and choice in critical moments.

His name joins the roll of Filipino youth who chose others over self, in the scout’s creed: ‘Once a scout, always a hero.’

Fabian was among three students killed in the incident, which left 20 others injured after two Grade 9 students opened fire inside the school. The other fatalities were 15-year-old Joyancee Separa, Grade 10 and 14-year-old Ayessa Nicole Dazo, Grade 9.

Meanwhile, the Pampanga Sangguniang Panlalawigan in a resolution declared Fabian as the ‘Pride of Pampanga.’?Fabian’s parents are originally from Barangay Lourdes, Minalin and Brgy. Dau, Mabalacat City.

Resolution 10319 of the provincial council cited Fabian’s ‘extraordinary courage, selflessness and noble sacrifice in protecting his classmates and teachers during the tragic shooting incident.’

Dottie Ardina produced one of the tournament’s most explosive starts, threatening to run away with the opening round before cooling off over the closing stretch and settling for a five-under 67 in the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Ardina came out firing from the back nine, opening with a spectacular eagle-birdie salvo from No. 10 before adding birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 to race into early contention. She kept the momentum going after the turn with another birdie on the par-3 third, reaching six-under and appearing poised to seize control of the 54-hole Epson Tour event.

But just as it seemed the ICTSI-backed campaigner had unlocked the par-72 layout, the course finally pushed back. A bogey on the fourth stalled her charge, and despite creating several more birdie opportunities, Ardina couldn’t convert down the stretch. Her 67 eventually dropped her into a share of 19th as the rest of the field mounted an all-out assault on a Sweetgrass layout that offered little resistance.

Scoring conditions proved nearly ideal, and the leaderboard reflected it.

American Megan Schofill highlighted the scoring spectacle with a flawless eight-under 64 punctuated by a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 12. The ace capped a breathtaking opening stretch of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie from No. 10, and she added three more birdies coming home to grab a share of the lead.

Kelly Xu matched Schofill’s 64 with a bogey-free round built on matching front- and backnine 32s, while China’s Liqi Zeng overcame a slow start before erupting over her final 11 holes. After breaking a string of pars with a birdie on the eighth, Zeng caught fire with an eagle on the par-5 11th and birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 for a blistering back-nine 29 that completed the three-way tie atop the leaderboard.

The leading trio stood one shot clear of American Kaleiya Romero and Canada’s Megan Osland, who matched 65s, while another 13 players signed for 66s in a remarkable scoring frenzy.

Romero’s round was among the most spectacular. After an early bogey on No. 2, she bounced back with a birdie on the fourth, then holed out for eagle on the par-4 fifth. She wasn’t done. Consecutive birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 set the stage for another magical moment – a hole-in-one, also on the 12th – before she capped her round with a birdie on No. 17.

Osland also rode the favorable conditions, stringing together three straight birdies from No. 10 to anchor her seven-under effort.

Despite slipping down the leaderboard, Ardina remained well within striking distance. Trailing by just three shots in a tournament where birdies have come in bunches, another hot start could quickly propel the Filipina back into the title picture.

Bianca Pagdanganan likewise positioned herself for a weekend charge. After an early bogey on No. 3, she responded with five birdies to salvage a four-under 68, leaving her tied for 29th and only four strokes behind the co-leaders.

Given her length off the tee and ability to produce low rounds, Pagdanganan, whose campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, remained a legitimate contender if she can string together another aggressive performance over the final 36 holes.

Tomi Arejola also stayed within range after firing a bogey-free 69 to share 41st.

Clariss Guce looked headed for an even better start after birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 and another pair on Nos. 17 and 18 highlighted a four-birdie backside start. However, a costly double bogey on the eighth denied her a place alongside Pagdanganan, leaving her with a two-under 70 and a share of 64th – right on the projected cut line.

Sam Bruce, meanwhile, saw a promising round unravel. After turning in a roller-coaster 34 on the back nine, she bogeyed three of her last five holes to finish with a 73, dropping into a tie for 108th and facing an uphill battle to survive the cut. Pauline del Rosario also struggled, limping to a 76.

Twenty barangays in Baguio City have lost their drug-free status after authorities confirmed the presence of suspected drug traffickers, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said yesterday.

Magalong, who heads the city’s peace and order council as well as the city anti-drug abuse council, said the regional oversight committee on the barangay drug clearing program revoked the status of the villages following validation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Of the 58 barangays that applied to have their drug-free status retained, only 20 qualified. Twenty others obtained the drug-free status for the first time.

The applications of 18 barangays were deferred for further evaluation.

Among those that lost their drug-free status were the villages of Asin Road, Baguio Gold Compound, City Camp Proper, Country Club Village, Dominican Hill-Mirador, Irisan, Loakan Proper, Pacdal and Sto. Niño Village as well as 11 others where authorities detected the presence of active drug suspects.

The PDEA confirmed the sale of marijuana-laced vape products in some of these villages after two confiscated vape devices tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

Police and the PDEA are tracking the vape supplier who reportedly uses online platforms and courier services to sell the illegal item.

Anti-drug operations and school awareness campaigns have been stepped up to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs among students, the PDEA said.

There are places in the world where survival is not merely about subsistence but about creativity, resilience, and the quiet dignity of making do. Boracay, that famed island of powdery white sand and turquoise waters, is one such place. A few weeks ago, during my own visit, I was struck not only by the beauty of its beaches but by the ingenuity of its people –their art of living, carved out of necessity and imagination.

Children, with mobile cameras from the tourists, offer to take snapshots of tourists for a small fee. Their eyes gleam with both innocence and enterprise, knowing that each click of the shutter is a chance to earn a few pesos. Along the beachfront, tattoo artists sketch intricate designs on sunburned skin, their craft a fusion of tradition and modern expression. Vendors sell t-shirts emblazoned with ‘I ? Boracay,’ each shirt a piece of memory carried home by travelers. Sandcastle makers sculpt elaborate fortresses, inviting tourists to pose beside them for a fee –ephemeral art that disappears with the tide but sustains a family for another day.

And then there are those who walk the shoreline with metal detectors, searching for lost coins, jewelry, or even gold. Their pursuit may seem quixotic, but it is a testament to hope: the belief that fortune can be found in the sand, that persistence may yet yield treasure. These vignettes, seemingly ordinary, reveal the extraordinary ways people adapt to the rhythms of tourism.

The art of living in Boracay is not about luxury resorts or curated experiences. It is about the small acts of survival that, when pieced together, form a mosaic of human resilience. Each child photographer, each tattoo artist, each sand sculptor embodies a philosophy: that life, however precarious, can be sustained through creativity.

Tourism, of course, is a double-edged sword. It brings opportunity, but it also commodifies culture and strains the environment. Yet the people of Boracay remind us that even within this paradox, there is agency. They do not wait passively for opportunity; they create it. They transform the beach into a marketplace, the sand into a canvas, the fleeting presence of tourists into livelihood.

During my recent walk along Station 2, I paused to watch a young boy carefully etching a sandcastle. His hands moved with precision, his eyes focused, his body bent low against the sun. When he finished, he looked up and smiled, hopeful that a tourist would stop, pose, and pay. In that moment, I saw not just a child at work but an artist, a dreamer, and a survivor.

This, I believe, is the essence of the art of living: the ability to find meaning and sustenance in the everyday, to transform scarcity into opportunity, and to embrace life with both grit and grace. Boracay’s people teach us that living is not merely existing –it is creating, adapting, and persevering.

As I left the island, the image that lingered was not of the postcard-perfect sunset but of those small acts of survival that make Boracay truly alive. The art of living is not confined to galleries or theaters; it is written in the sand, etched on skin, captured in photographs, and carried in the quiet determination of its people.

The next time you walk Boracay’s shores, look beyond the waves and the resorts. See the children with their mobile cameras, the artists with their tattoos, the sculptors with their castles, the seekers with their detectors. In their hands lie the true art of living –an art that is humble, resilient, and profoundly human.

Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Teia Salvino is back representing the Philippines and is craving for more – a shot at Asian Games glory.

The 20-year-old University of Alabama stalwart splashed her way to eclipsing the qualifying standard of one minute and 2.60 seconds in the women’s 100-meter backstroke to the quadrennial games set this September in Japan by clocking 1:02.34 during the recent National Tryouts at the Rizal Memorial Pool.

Salvino thus joined Olympic medalist Kayla Sanchez, Xiandi Chua, Chloe Isleta and Heather White in the team wading into the Asiad waters, scheduled September 20-25 in Tokyo.

‘Teia’s experience and exposure in international competitions will be a big boost to our Asian Games campaign,’ said national swimming secretary-general Eric Buhain.

In Salvino’s last national team tour of duty, Salvin delivered one of the two golds by Team Philippines in the sport in 100m back while picking up a couple of silvers in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay and a pair bronzes in the 50m back and 4x200m freestyle relay in the 2023 Phnom Penh Games.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is rolling out a nationwide School Safety Campaign that includes deploying handheld metal detectors in public schools, conducting security audits and strengthening anti-bullying measures following the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced the campaign on Friday, June 26, saying the department is moving quickly to reinforce school safety through stronger security protocols and closer coordination with local governments, law enforcement agencies, parents and communities.

‘We are moving with urgency because protecting our children is our absolute priority, and as President Bongbong Marcos always emphasizes, our schools must strictly remain safe zones for learning,’ Angara said.

‘Hindi natin hahayaang malagay sa panganib ang ating mga mag-aaral. Kaya lalo nating hihigpitan ang koordinasyon sa ating mga partner at stakeholder upang masigurong hindi na mauulit ang ganitong trahedya,’ he added.

(We will not allow our students to be put at risk. That is why we will further strengthen our coordination with our partners and stakeholders to ensure that a tragedy like this will never happen again.)

The initiative comes after the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City involving two students. The incident left three students dead and injured more than a dozen others.

Angara visited Tacloban on June 23 to extend condolences to the victims’ families and check on the condition of the injured students and affected teachers. During the visit, he ordered the immediate implementation of stricter security protocols in schools.

On Friday, Angara also convened all DepEd regional directors to ensure the immediate and uniform implementation of the new security measures nationwide.

Under the campaign, all public schools will be equipped with handheld metal detectors. DepEd will also enforce stricter visitor management systems, regular bag inspections, the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and the strategic deployment of security personnel.

The department said school officials will undergo reorientation on the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment, the Anti-Bullying Act and existing child protection policies. Schools will also review their reporting, investigation, referral and intervention procedures.

Schools Division Offices have been directed to work closely with local police, parents and barangay officials, while DepEd is coordinating with the Philippine National Police, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Liga ng mga Barangay, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Health to align response protocols.

The campaign also includes expanding confidential reporting channels for bullying and violence, updating emergency response protocols for lockdowns and evacuations, rolling out age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs, and providing psychological first aid, counseling and psychosocial support to victims, perpetrators and witnesses of violence.

To encourage reporting, DepEd said schools will establish accessible and confidential channels for students to report bullying, violence and other protection concerns. Schools will also update their emergency response protocols for incidents involving active violence, lockdowns and evacuations.

The department is also set to introduce age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs for students, parents and school personnel to address risks in the digital space.

Meanwhile, DepEd said victims, perpetrators and witnesses of violence will be provided with psychological first aid, counseling and psychosocial support as part of its comprehensive intervention program.

The rollout of the School Safety Campaign comes as the government moves to address a recent string of violent incidents involving minors.

On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered concerned government agencies to determine the root causes of the recent cases of school-related violence after expressing alarm over the incidents.

Aside from the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three students dead and more than a dozen others injured, authorities also reported several stabbing incidents involving students in Cavite and Negros Occidental this month.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government likewise said it had thwarted another potential school shooting in Tolosa, Leyte, following a tip received by authorities.