Category: Philippine Star

Pink Ventures officially introduced Italian medical aesthetics leader Promoitalia Medical Aesthetics to the Philippine market through an exclusive launch event that gathered leading dermatologists, aesthetic physicians and clinic owners at Shangri-La The Fort in Bonifacio Global City.

The launch marked Promoitalia’s official Philippine debut and underscored Pink Ventures’ commitment to bringing globally recognized, science-driven innovations to the country’s growing medical aesthetics industry.

More than a product launch, the event served as a platform for physician education, highlighting the importance of evidence-based practice and continuous learning in delivering safe and effective aesthetic treatments.

Headlining the scientific program was Dr. Pasquale Ruggiero, Promoitalia’s Italian key opinion leader, who shared the latest developments in regenerative and injectable aesthetic medicine.

His presentations covered skin biostimulation, skin quality optimization and physician-led intimate care, reinforcing Promoitalia’s philosophy that clinical excellence begins with science, education and responsible practice.

Founded in Italy, Promoitalia has built an international reputation for combining scientific research, advanced technology and medical innovation to develop aesthetic solutions that promote skin health while delivering natural-looking results.

Driven by a commitment to excellence and continuous research, the company has become a trusted name in modern aesthetic medicine. “At Pink Ventures, we believe Filipino physicians deserve access to the same world-class innovations that are transforming aesthetic medicine around the world,” said Mary Grace Juliano, CEO of Pink Ventures.

“Our partnership with Promoitalia is about more than introducing exceptional products. It’s about bringing science, education and internationally recognized clinical expertise closer to our local medical community. We are proud to help shape the future of regenerative aesthetic medicine in the Philippines,” Juliano said.

The partnership reflects Pink Ventures’ vision of equipping Filipino physicians with internationally developed treatment platforms while fostering a culture of continuous learning and responsible aesthetic practice.

Throughout the launch, guests explored Promoitalia’s portfolio of regenerative aesthetic solutions and engaged with international experts and product specialists in discussions on emerging trends, clinical protocols and best practices.

The launch also showcased Promoitalia’s Pink Intimate Series, a physician-directed platform for intimate wellness that offers professional treatment protocols focused on hydration, tissue quality and overall intimate rejuvenation.

A highlight of the event was the announcement of an exclusive physician training workshop, allowing participants to further deepen their understanding of Promoitalia’s treatment protocols, patient selection and clinical applications. The initiative reflects the company’s commitment to ensuring that innovation is supported by proper education and responsible practice.

By bringing Promoitalia to the Philippines, Pink Ventures is expanding access to internationally developed regenerative aesthetic technologies while helping elevate standards in physician education and patient care.

Finally, the true benefit of the Konektadong Pinoy Act is materializing with the entry of Velox Networks, a Singapore-based cloud telephony provider that can provide at a much lower cost voice, messaging and communications to Filipino companies using the Internet.

The Konektadong Pinoy measure removed the roadblocks to the entry of foreign telco providers by streamlining the licensing process, promoting infrastructure sharing and allowing new and smaller players to invest in data transmission infrastructure without requiring a legislative franchise – an outdated requirement unique to the Philippines.

Velox Networks has entered the Philippine market with an initial staff of 18 employees. It offers a telephony system that relies on the Internet, lowering the cost for both the company and its employees that rely on private telephone networks, such as a PBX or PABX system for internal and external communication.

A PBX/PABX phone system connects multiple extensions within an office to each other, consolidating multiple phone lines into one, as well as to a small number of outside lines. However, such systems require physical cable networks.

In an interview with Martin Nygate, founder and CEO of Velox Networks, he explained that the use PBX/PABX enables companies to do call recording, call monitoring, call reporting, transferring calls and allows calls between extensions free of charge.

In the Philippines, 90 to 95 percent of companies have some form of a PBX/PABX system in their office. The problem, he said, is that the manufacturers of these equipment no longer manufacture such devices and have also discontinued supporting them for many years ‘simply because people have moved on from analog technology to digital technology.’ As such, he said, ‘PBXs, are no longer supported and have reached the end of their life. Yet 90 to 95 percent of companies in the Philippines still have these telephony PABXs in their office.’

Nygate noted that the PBX and PABX systems are now hardly ever used. He cited that the telephony infrastructure in the country ‘ is very bad indeed and very expensive. So often these systems fall out of usage because they simply don’t work properly, and the reason they don’t work properly is that the voice networks of Globe and PLDT over the years have lacked or have suffered from a lack of investment, and they’re just falling apart.’ This is evident, he said from ‘all those black spaghetti wires’ that we see along our streets. ‘That’s all part of the problem,’ he stressed.

‘What actually happens in the Philippines,’ Nygate said, ‘is that people are always using their personal cellphones…. 90 to 95 percent of all companies will be using their personal cellphones for business calls, and the reason they do this is, number one, the telephone system in the office doesn’t work, and number two, often people work from home or in a hybrid situation…and they can’t be tied down to a physical phone on the desk. They need to be working from home, and that’s why a lot of people use their personal cell phone for business calls.’

The Velox founder noted that the issue with that is ‘First of all, if you are a company and your staff are using their personal cellphones to make business calls, at the end of the day, when one of your staff member resigns, he takes all that data with him because, of course, he can still receive phone calls on his personal phone from his customers from his previous company. So, there is a huge commercial and operational risk with companies or with individuals using their personal cellphones for business purposes.’

Some companies, he continued, recognize these problems and opt to provide their staff members with a second phone, a business phone, so that when they leave the company, they have to return the office phone.’The cost of this is very high and also results in an operational and financial risk, as well as a security risk as people use their personal cellphones for business purposes,’ he argues.

‘With cloud technology like Velox on your cell phone,’ Nygate explained, ‘you can have an app that will allow you to make and receive business calls. So, in the same way that you’ve got WhatsApp on your cell phone, you can have an app, Velox Prime, which you can download from the App store, and once you install it and you put in the user ID and password, you can immediately start making and receiving calls from anywhere in the world.’

Geography, he said, would no longer be an issue. ‘You can work from home. You can work from anywhere in the world, and you can make and receive business calls using your cellphone…So, what this means is that with this technology, what you can do is you can now have a business line on your personal cellphone. If you leave the company within two seconds, I can, or you can …the customer can disengage the app so you can’t take all the information with you, and they can give the app to someone else in the company.’

Velox, thus, Nygate said, ‘provides a cloud telephony platform that replaces conventional telephony system like PBXs, replacing such system with a cloud platform that allows users to make and receive calls with all the business features that you need, including call recording, call reporting, including transfer calls, everything you’ve got, at a far, far, far cheaper rate than what you’re using right now.’

The cost, he said, would depend on the number of users, ‘but it can be as low as $18 to $20 a month. You get all the functionality that you need, and there are no other costs involved. There are no set up fees. There are no installation charges.’

The hypothetical tandem of Naga Mayor Leni Robredo and Sen. Raffy Tulfo is tied with the supposed alliance of Vice President Sara Duterte and Sen. Imee Marcos in a hypothetical 2028 presidential-vice presidential race.

Polling firm OCTA Research’s survey results found that 45% of Filipinos would vote for Robredo as president and Tulfo as vice president, while 42% said they would vote for Duterte and Marcos for the same posts.

Those who rejected both assumed tandems were at 8%, while 4% were undecided and 1% refused to answer.

The survey stressed that both hypothetical tandems were tied within the survey’s margin of error.

‘Because the margin of error on a head-to-head comparison is wider than the margin of error on either tandem’s number taken alone, this three-point gap is not a reliable signal of who is actually ahead: the race is statistically a toss-up,’ OCTA’s ‘Tugon ng Masa’ survey read.

The survey was conducted from July 4 to 11 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 male and female Filipinos aged 18 and above across the country. The study has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.

OCTA said the survey only reflects hypothetical preferences that may change through candidate positioning, alliances, national issues and campaign dynamics.

‘Generational divide’

The survey said the gap between the two hypothetical camps reveals a generational divide.

Within the 18 to 64 years old age bracket, the supposed Duterte-Marcos tandem was more preferred by the working-age group, while the assumed Robredo-Tulfo alliance gained more support from youth and elders.

Duterte-Marcos became the choice of 50% of Filipinos aged 25 to 34, also 50% of those 35 to 44, and 48% of those aged 45 to 54.

In the respective age brackets, Robredo-Tulfo only garnered 33%, 35% and 43%.

Meanwhile, Robredo-Tulfo was backed by 52% of youth aged 18 to 24 and 48% of adults aged 55 to 64.

Duterte-Marcos gained only 32% of support from the youngest age bracket and 40% from the older range.

The supposed Robredo-Tulfo tandem was also supported by 60% of those aged 65 to 74 and 76% of Filipinos 75 years old and above. Those who favored Duterte-Marcos declined in these older age brackets, only garnering 29% and 23% support, respectively.

By class, education

Based on socio-economic class, the survey found that the Robredo-Tulfo duo was preferred more by upper-to-upper-middle-class and lower-middle-class Filipinos.

The assumed tandem was supported by 41% of those who belonged to Class ABC and 48% of those in Class D.

This was higher than the support for Duterte-Marcos, which stood at 37% and 41% in the respective classes.

On the other hand, the Duterte-Marcos tandem garnered more support from Class E, or the lowest socioeconomic class, with 53%, compared to Robredo-Tulfo’s 33%.

Meanwhile, in terms of educational background, support for Duterte-Marcos was higher among those who had college and postgraduate degrees, at 40%, compared to 36% who favored Robredo-Tulfo.

The Robredo-Tulfo tandem was more preferred by those with vocational education, with 54% support compared to Duterte-Marcos’ 30%; those with high school education, with 47% against 45%; and those with no formal education or elementary schooling, with 46% against 40%.

OCTA noted that the survey is a reflection of current public sentiment and not a prediction for the May 2028 elections.

More than 20,000 housing loan borrowers of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC) who are affected by Tropical Storm Maymay and the southwest monsoon were given a one-month moratorium in the payment of their monthly amortizations effective Aug. 5.

The moratorium is part of NHMFC’s efforts to provide immediate financial relief to borrowers affected by calamities and severe weather conditions in the provinces of Benguet, Bataan, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, La Union, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Rizal, Tarlac and Zambales.

NHMFC president Renato Tobias said the measure intends to give affected families temporary relief as they recover and address their immediate needs.

‘Through this moratorium, NHMFC is providing our affected borrowers with immediate financial relief while assuring them that we remain ready to support them as they rebuild and recover,’ Tobias said.

Under the moratorium, payment of monthly amortizations will be deferred for one month, with no penalties or surcharges imposed on the deferred amortization during the period.

Borrowers covered by the moratorium who still wish to continue their monthly payment may do so voluntarily.

For borrowers whose accounts are updated, any payment made during the moratorium period will be considered as advance payments.

Tobias said that through these relief measures, NHMFC continues to uphold its commitment to responsive public service and to supporting Filipino homeowners during times of calamity and financial difficulty.

The Danao City Police identified a 14-year-old minor who allegedly made online threats against schools in Danao City and subsequently turned the minor over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO)-Danao for appropriate intervention.

Police received the report after threatening messages were sent to the social media account of an educational institution on August 5, 2026.

The messages threatened students and warned of a possible attack inside a school, while also mentioning other educational institutions in the area.

Following the formal report on August 9, the Danao City Police immediately launched verification and investigation during the early hours of August 10.

Through social media investigation, information validation, and coordination with barangay officials, investigators established leads that led to the identification and location of the minor allegedly behind the account.

The minor was brought to the Women and Children Protection Desk for inquiry, accompanied by a guardian and a relative.

During the inquiry, the minor admitted making the posts and reportedly said they were made ‘just for fun.’

The minor also disclosed experiencing frustrations related to school, family concerns, and bullying.

Following the inquiry, the minor was turned over to the CSWDO-Danao for assessment, intervention, and rehabilitation.

Cebu Police Provincial Office Provincial Director PCOL Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr. commended the Danao City Police for the prompt action and stressed that all threats against schools must be taken seriously, even when allegedly made as a prank or joke.

Mangelen said school threats can cause fear and place students and school personnel at risk, emphasizing that police will continue to respond to every report while ensuring that minors are provided appropriate protection and intervention under the law.

Meanwhile, police continue to coordinate with school authorities and local officials, including efforts to strengthen police visibility and security monitoring in affected areas.

The CPPO reminded the public to report suspicious or threatening online activities to authorities immediately and to use social media responsibly.

Amid ongoing corruption investigations, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is poised to get P107.4 billion in flood control funding under the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

This is the lowest allocation for flood control since 2019.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted yesterday the proposed 2027 budget to the House of Representatives, which also seeks P3.41 billion for the flood control program of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

In a message to lawmakers, President Marcos said the outlay strengthens the government’s capacity to invest in strategic infrastructure, human capital, food and energy security and social protection, while reinforcing transparency, accountability and the efficient use of public resources.

‘Amid continuing global uncertainties – including geopolitical tensions, persistent inflationary pressures and volatile energy prices – we remain steadfast in pursuing growth that is both resilient and fiscally responsible,’ the President said.

Meanwhile, the DBM also lowered unprogrammed appropriations (UA) to its lowest level at the National Expenditure Program (NEP) since 2019, at P111.98 billion.

The six percent increase from the P6.793-trillion national budget in 2026 to the NEP is largely driven by funding requirements the government is obligated to provide, acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said in the budget submission ceremony.

‘It takes into account anticipated mandatory allocations, including higher national tax allotments for our local government units, the fourth tranche of the salary adjustments for civilian government employees, salary adjustments for military and uniformed personnel and other existing fiscal obligations of the government,’ he said.

About P316 billion, or nearly four-fifths of the total increase, comes from these mandatory obligations alone, he added.

Education gets less

The education sector continues to receive the largest share of the budget at P1.314 trillion, consistent with the Constitution’s mandate, though slightly lower than the P1.345 trillion this year.

‘Our total education spending here in NEP accounts to about 3.96 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product),’ De Leon said.

The proposed 2027 education budget includes P975.96 billion for the Department of Education and P176.5 billion for higher education, including state universities, colleges and the Commission on Higher Education.

DPWH gets more

Meanwhile, DPWH will receive P644 billion, rising from the P530 billion allocated for 2026.

Aside from the P107.4-billion flood control budget to finance the maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and improvement of existing infrastructure facilities, there is also P19.6 billion in capital outlay for ongoing foreign-assisted projects.

De Leon defended the decision to allocate around P110 billion in funds for flood mitigation projects despite irregularities revealed last year, saying it was to maintain existing flood control works and construct unfinished projects.

‘We cannot simply neglect the flood control projects that have already been started, as leaving them unfinished would undermine their intended impact,’ the DBM chief said.

De Leon said the proposed flood control projects would undergo a rigorous vetting process to ensure that projects are properly identified and tagged and to prevent the inclusion of so-called ‘ghost flood control’ projects in the budget approved by Congress.

‘Also included in what we will scrutinize and examine is the implementation of these flood control projects, from appropriations to release,’ he added.

Infrastructure investment under the Build Better More program is proposed at P1.467 trillion, equivalent to 4.4 percent of GDP and P178 billion higher than this year.

Cumulative health sector funding, including the Department of Health, specialty hospitals and PhilHealth, stood at P353.8 billion.

Other major allocations include the P332.5-billion budget for the Interior and Local Government, P328.8 billion for national defense and P302.2 billion for transportation.

Social welfare is proposed to receive P241.6 billion, primarily for social protection and assistance programs.

P111.98 billion for UA

The DBM said the proposed spending program sharply reduces UA, which it described as part of its effort to promote more predictable and transparent government spending.

The proposed P111.98-billion UA represents just 1.6 percent of the total expenditure program, the lowest UA-to-total expenditure program ratio since 1991.

‘More importantly, the proposed UA is limited to clearly defined and necessary purposes: primarily to restore the fund balance remitted by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) in 2024 and to provide funding cover for foreign-assisted projects, subject to the stringent conditions prescribed by law,’ De Leon said.

P10.77 billion for CIF

He noted that confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) remain subject to government budgeting and auditing rules, with P10.77 billion allocated for such purposes in the proposed budget.

Of this amount, P6.4 billion is earmarked for law enforcement agencies, while P4.37 billion is allocated as confidential funds for civilian offices.

De Leon stressed that only agencies with law enforcement and/or military mandate will get CIFs.

To prevent questionable insertions, Speaker Faustino Dy III vowed House officials will go over the proposed 2027 budget with a fine-tooth comb.

During plenary session yesterday, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also confirmed receipt of the 2027 NEP.

With impeachment proceedings ongoing, Gatchalian said the budget hearings will start after the Aug. 27 briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee.

The budget hearings on Thursday and Fridays will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Double standard

Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday accused Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong of having double standards after he claimed that some House prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have budget insertions.

Magalong claimed in a recent interview with News 5 that the budget insertions have returned and that the legislators tied to the flood control scam had regained their pork barrel.

Asked to react to Magalong’s claim, Palace press officer Claire Castro said the city mayor merely invoked his right to remain silent when he was asked about Duterte’s impeachment trial.

After streets were declared clear of flooding, water again hit parts of Metro Manila after continuous monsoon rains on Wednesday, August 12.

At 2 p.m, state weather bureau PAGASA places Metro Manila under Yellow Rainfall Warning, indicating heavy rainfall within the next one to two hours.

As of 6 p.m, the Metro Manila Development Authority and local government units reported flooding in these areas:

Impassable to all types of vehicles

Quezon City

NS Amoranto corner Don Jose St., Barangay Sienna: 26 inches, tire deep

Passable, with caution

Valenzuela City

G. Lazaro MAH cor. T.Santiago: 8 inches, gutter deep

A. Santos Pasolo: 6 inches, gutter deep

F. Santos Pasolo: 4-5 inches, surface water

Martinville Pasolo: 6 inches, gutter deep

I Fernando Malanday: 1-2 inches, surface water

Bartolome St. Malanday 2-3 inches, surface water

Pasay City

DSA Roxas Blvd. NB: 8 inches, gutter deep

Andrews Avenue corner Aurora Boulevard: 8 inches, gutter deep

Quezon City

EDSA Muñoz NB: 8 inches, gutter deep

EDSA North Ave.: 8 inches, gutter deep

Biak na Bato Corner Dagot and Mauban, Barangay Manresa: 8 inches, gutter deep

North Ave. cor. Mindanao Ave. WB: 8 inches, gutter deep

Aurora Araneta SB: 8 inches, gutter deep

Mandaluyong City

Boni. Avenue cor. F. Ortigas St.: 8 inches, gutter deep

Areas where floodwaters subsided

Quezon City

Mauban St. going to G. Araneta, Barangay Manresa: 19 inches, knee level

Valenzuela City

Lingunan Bridge: 19-25 inches, knee level

The Supreme Court has ruled that illegally dismissed employees are entitled not only to full backwages but also to the remittance of their Social Security System (SSS) contributions for the entire duration of their unlawful termination.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh dated Feb. 5, 2026, the high tribunal’s Third Division affirmed that an employer’s legal duty to remit SSS contributions does not cease during the period covered by an illegal dismissal.

The case stemmed from a labor dispute involving four illegally dismissed workers of Lopez Sugar Corporation (LSC).

Although the Labor Arbiter previously ordered LSC to reinstate the employees and pay their full backwages, the company refused their subsequent request to remit their accrued SSS contributions.

LSC argued that under the Social Security Act of 1997, its obligation to pay SSS contributions terminated upon the employees’ separation from the company, regardless of whether the dismissal was lawful or illegal.

The Social Security Commission (SSC) rejected LSC’s argument, ruling that because the dismissals were illegal, the employer-employee relationship was legally deemed to have continued throughout the period the workers were prevented from performing their duties. The Court of Appeals subsequently affirmed the SSC’s ruling.

This prompted LSC to file a petition for review on certiorari before the Supreme Court.

Ruling

Upholding the lower rulings, the Supreme Court cited Article 294 of the Labor Code, which guarantees full backwages and accrued benefits to workers who are unjustly dismissed.

The High Court explained that illegally dismissed employees are considered to have remained continuously employed during the period covered by their backwages.

As a result, they remain fully entitled to all rights, privileges, and benefits that would have naturally accrued during that period-including SSS contributions necessary for retirement eligibility.

‘Here, there is no dispute that Perrin et al. were illegally dismissed, as ruled by the NLRC and affirmed by the CA and the Court. Thus, they are deemed to have never left their employment. Consequently, LSC’s obligation to remit Perrin et al.’ s social security contributions did not cease with respect to the period during which Perrin et al. were illegally dismissed,’ the Supreme Court said.

‘Since LSC failed to remit Perrin et al. ‘s social security contributions, LSC is liable to pay a penalty thereon of three percent (3%) per month from the date the contribution falls due until paid, pursuant to Section 22 of the Social Security Act of 1997,’ it added.

Former lawmaker Jacinto Paras and Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste did not appear again yesterday at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

They instead sent their lawyers to respond to subpoenas issued in connection with an alleged plot to discredit Executive Secretary Ralph Recto through a supposed honey trap.

Paras’ lawyers, Mark Tolentino and Ferdinand Topacio, appeared at the NBI-National Capital Region office in Pasay and submitted a notarized affidavit refuting allegations linking the former congressman to the alleged plot.

Tolentino also denied that Paras hired women to hurl false accusations against Recto.

Asked to respond to NBI Director Melvin Matibag’s remark that the evidence against Paras was as strong as ‘Superman,’ Tolentino said: ‘For me, it is even stronger than Batman.’

Paras remains in the Philippines, Tolentino said.

Gabrielle Rondain-Kapunan, lawyer for Leviste, submitted an affidavit on behalf of the lawmaker.

She denied Leviste’s involvement in the alleged plot against Recto.

Leviste and his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, are reportedly in France.

Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya hosted on Monday a reception to congratulate former trade and finance secretary Cesar Purisima on his conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

As trade secretary from 2003 to 2005, Purisima’s office played a significant role during negotiations for the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, the Philippines’ first bilateral free trade agreement.

During his tenure as finance secretary from 2010 to 2016, Purisima supported the amendment of the Foreign Bank Liberalization Act, which facilitated the entry of Japanese banks into the Philippine financial market.

In recognition of his contributions, the medal and certificate were presented to Purisima.

During the ceremony, Endo lauded Purisima for his contributions to strengthening the economic partnership between Japan and the Philippines.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan delivered his congratulatory remarks and led the toast.

Attendees include former Senate president Franklin Drilon, Office of the President of the Philippines deputy executive secretary Danielle Marie Rieza-Culangen, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., Bureau of the Treasury National Treasurer Sharon Almanza and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Francis Lim.

Business executives also graced the ceremony: Philippine Stock Exchange chairman Jose Pardo, Jollibee Foods Corp. CEO Tony Tan Caktiong, JG Summit Holdings president Lance Gokongwei, Bank of the Philippine Islands president Jose Limcaoco, SM Investments chairman Amando Tetangco Jr. and Ayala Corp. president Cezar Consing.