Category: Philippine Star

Numerous flash deals and travel freebies will be up for grabs at this year’s Klook Travel Fest taking place this month.

The three-day event by the travel services and experiences platform will be from October 10 to 12 in Pasay’s Mall of Asia Main Atrium.

Klook Philippines’ associate director for marketing Ulla Roqueza shared during a media conference for the event that many of the promos in store are patterned after the results of Klook’s Travel Pulse surveys from earlier this year.

Last year’s Travel Fest was centered on hotel bookings as the company saw a demand for such deals, but this year, the theme is going back to destinations.

Though survey results show that do-it-yourself tours and theme parks remain popular, there is a growing interest for emerging destinations. This trend influenced the multitude of deals for destinations, such as Vietnam and Taiwan, as there are for the traditional favorites Hong Kong and Singapore.

Vietnam deals include Buy 1 Get 1 Attraction Tickets to Sun World Vietnam, a theme park with a cable car ride and water park, among others.

The launch of the Disney Adventure Cruise Line and the many nature locations in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve highlight promos for Singapore, while old deals for Hong Kong Disney Land and Ocean Park Hong Kong are again available.

The platform is also keeping an eye on long-haul destinations, prompting deals and promos for Australia and Europe, on top of other event-exclusive promos.

During the media conference, Roqueza also shared that the travel platform has around a half a million experiences available for users and listed some 2025 highlights like campaigns for Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, and even a collaboration with Marie Kondo.

Other highlights are a partnership with the Department of Tourism for the digitization of tourism efforts, a push for hotel bookings, and the Klook Kreator Program.

The collapse of several government-owned buildings and public structures in the Cebu earthquake will most likely add more fire to the ongoing investigations into various graft-tainted infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Parallel investigations are taking place at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee and the newly created Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI). Being grilled in these investigations were unscrupulous private contractors in cahoots with errant DPWH district engineers allegedly involved in the ghost flood control projects funded under the annual government budget.

The initial investigations have so far unmasked ‘proponents’ of the questioned 2025 budget ‘insertions,’ including senators and House members of the 19th and 20th Congresses who were namedropped by these contractors and DPWH district engineers in their sworn testimonies at these public hearings.

One of those named was former Senate president Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, who was first implicated at the House infra committee hearing. Before he was ousted as Senate chief, Escudero was directly linked to one of the 15 contractors identified by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM) as having cornered P545 billion worth of flood control projects of the DPWH for the past three years.

Lawrence Lubiano, owner of Centerways Construction and Development Corp., admitted at the House public hearing that he contributed to the election campaign of his ‘good friend’ Escudero during the May 2022 national and local elections.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Wednesday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia announced the seven-man poll body has ‘invited’ Escudero to face investigation into allegations he might have violated the country’s election law on the limits of campaign contributions.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates must submit their individual statement of contributions and expenses (SOCE) whether they won or lost in the elections. Garcia strongly took exception to the accusation that the Comelec ‘singled out’ Escudero in their probe of candidates who accepted donations from contractors with business interests or projects with the government.

Garcia explained Escudero was summoned first because the contractor already admitted giving P30 million to the senator’s campaign fund. Subsequently, Escudero himself confirmed this in media interviews. Thus, the Comelec looked into Escudero’s SOCE submission, Garcia cited.

According to Garcia, Lubiano already appeared before them at the Comelec. Lubiano explained his ‘campaign donation’ to Escudero was done in his ‘private capacity’ and that the money came from his personal account and not from his company’s finances, the Comelec chief added. Garcia disclosed they asked Escudero to appear next week at the Comelec.

‘Ngayong linggo na ito, yung kandidato na nabigyan ng contractor ay may sulat na po siya para mag appear sa susunod na linggo. Senador po yun. Umamin naman po siya,’ Garcia cited.

‘Hihintayin na lang po natin ang sasabihin ng kandidato dahil sa batas parehong liable ang nagbigay at tumanggap,’ he pointed out. If proven liable, Garcia added, the donor and the candidate will both face imprisonment of one year to six years and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

At the outset, Garcia announced that he has already ‘inhibited’ himself from any activities related to the Comelec investigation into Escudero’s case. Formerly one of the most sought-after election lawyers, Garcia represented Escudero’s runningmate, ex-senator Grace Poe, who ran but lost in the May 2016 presidential elections.

Also during our news forum, Garcia confirmed 54 other presidential, vice presidential, senatorial, governor and mayoral candidates who ran in the May 12, 2022 elections are also facing Comelec investigation for the same accusation. Included in the Comelec list were those named in the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report. Based on the PCIJ report, both PBBM and Vice President Sara Duterte allegedly received donations from some of the 15 contractors being grilled at the Senate and the ICI.

While the PCIJ reported having based their list on Comelec records, Garcia noted stark differences in the names of particular contributor-companies from the SOCE list of the Comelec’s political and finance affairs department. Garcia instructed the poll body’s 38-man political and finance affairs department to set aside for the meantime the SOCE evaluation of the May 2025 mid-term elections. The Comelec chief directed their SOCE investigators to focus instead on the 2022 national and local elections.

‘Anyway, there is enough time for our SOCE investigations before the next national and local elections in May 2028,’ Garcia pointed out. Under our country’s election laws, Garcia pointed to the five-year prescriptive period within which the Comelec can run after violations. If not filed within this time frame, an election offense can no longer be prosecuted, he stressed.

This is the reason why, Garcia added, he has been asking the Department of Budget and Management to allow the Comelec to beef up its political and finance affairs department, given the three-year cycle of elections in our country.

So for now, it will do well for PBBM, Vice President and other May 2025 candidates named in the PCIJ report to go over their respective records of campaign donations.

They better come out clean as a whistle on their SOCEs. That’s all that Comelec could ask from the candidates.

Meanwhile, the paths of PBBM and Vice President Sara did not cross yesterday when they separately visited the sites hardest hit by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake. The powerful tremor rocked Cebu and several other Central Visayas provinces. It struck around 9:59 Tuesday evening or after office hours, when most people were already in their homes. As of yesterday, government authorities reported at least 72 individuals were declared quake casualties.

The previous day, PBBM flew to Masbate, devastated in the latest Typhoon Opong that visited us this year. As of latest count, 40 people perished directly related to the ‘tri-phoon’ Mirasol-Nando-Opong. One of the country’s most active volcanos, Taal in Batangas, threatens to erupt anew while building up steam.

Sadly, the string of natural calamities demands a ‘disaster-in-chief’ in full command over the chaotic situation usually arising in such life-or-death emergencies.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is putting in place extra screws to tighten the cybersecurity requirements of the Konektadong Pinoy Act ahead of the entry of new players.

The draft implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Konektadong Pinoy Act showed that new data transmission industry participants (DTIPs) would have to undergo more scrutiny upon entry.

For one, the DICT will come up with guidelines detailing the risk profile per DTIP segment, with considerations for factors like market share, network coverage, among others.

Once a DTIP enters the market, it will be asked to comply with the cybersecurity requirements of the DICT to prevent unauthorized access and protect national security. They have to conform to principles of National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028 and its future iterations.

In particular, the DICT will mandate DTIPs to set up a computer emergency response team. They will also be tasked to adopt a secure software development life cycle and zero-trust framework.

DTIPs also have to subscribe to global standards, particularly the International Organization for Standardization, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Center for Internet Security.

On top of this, DTIPs will be mandated to develop and roll out a risk management plan covering business continuity, data classification and supply security.

Likewise, they will be required to submit to the DICT a vulnerability assessment and penetration testing and a material report for every cybersecurity incident encountered.

Afterward, DTIPs have to secure a cybersecurity certification from a third-party organization in two years from registration. They also have to obtain a certificate of compliance from the DICT to proceed with their operations in the Philippines.

Failure to comply with these certifications will lead to the suspension of their operations. If they fail to be certified in six months, the DICT will revoke all of their licenses, and they will forever be prohibited from setting up data transmission in the country.

Prior to its enactment into law, the Konektadong Pinoy Act was flagged by telco providers for its alleged neglect of cybersecurity protocols by giving new DTIPs two years to get certified.

Information Secretary Henry Aguda, in response, said the IRR would reinforce the cybersecurity aspect of the law that seeks to entice more telcos to offer connectivity to Filipinos.

Petron Corp. has secured accreditation from the Department of Energy as an official liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) training center, becoming the first oil company to earn this distinction.

The DOE’s Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) awarded the certification last week to Petron through its vice president for industrial sales Virgilio Centeno.

‘We are honored to be recognized as a center of safety and excellence in the LPG sector, an industry we are proud to lead through our trusted flagship brands, Petron Gasul and Fiesta Gas,’ Centeno said.

The accreditation, he added, underscored the company’s commitment to championing the ‘highest standards of safety and quality in every aspect of our LPG business.’

According to Petron, the certification is expected to boost its ability to train and certify qualified service persons from its refinery, terminals, haulers, dealers and retail outlets.

The company currently operates the Bataan refinery, the country’s remaining oil refinery that is capable of producing around 180,000 barrels of oil per day.

‘As more LPG personnel undergo proper training from qualified institutions, consumers can be more confident in the quality and reliability of the LPG products they receive,’ DOE-OIMB director Rino Abad said.

Petron has started scheduling its training sessions, kicking off with dealers and retailers in Ormoc, Leyte. All LPG personnel trained by Petron will receive a DOE certificate, which is essential for meeting licensing requirements.

The LPG Industry Regulation Act, mandates businesses engaged in the production, distribution or sale of LPG to secure the necessary licenses, permits and certifications from the DOE and other relevant agencies.

The DOE has called on all LPG players to strictly follow regulations to ensure public safety, warning that failure to comply could result in business shutdowns, permanent disqualification and fines of up to P100,000 for each violation.

Violators may also face imprisonment for up to 12 years, the DOE said.

A bipartisan group of United States senators has filed a resolution recognizing the 74th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines and condemning China’s recent actions in the West Philippine Sea, including its repeated harassment of Coast Guard vessels.

Senate Resolution 409, introduced on September 18 by Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska with 11 co-sponsors from both parties, condemned what it called Beijing’s ‘unprovoked aggression and political lawfare’ and reaffirmed that the MDT covers attacks against Philippine forces, vessels, and aircraft ‘anywhere in the South China Sea.’

The resolution points to a string of incidents in 2024 and 2025 that show China’s increasing assertiveness. This includes the incident in April this year where the Chinese Coast Guard temporarily deployed on Sandy Cay – an unoccupied reef just two miles from Pag-asa Island, the Philippines’ largest outpost in the Spratlys – and planted a Chinese flag.

Mentioned as well in the resolution is the August 11 incident near Scarborough Shoal where a China Coast Guard ship executed a dangerous maneuver and collided with a Chinese Navy vessel as both moved to block and harass a Philippine Coast Guard ship on a humanitarian mission.

In its text, the Senate measure also condemned China’s repeated use of water cannons, blockades and ‘military-grade lasers’ to obstruct Philippine resupply missions at Ayungin Shoal – a familiar tactic in 2023 before both sides signed a deal to de-escalate – and rejected Beijing’s proposed ‘national nature reserve’ at Scarborough Reef as coercive and destabilizing.

The resolution urges the White House to ‘take appropriate and necessary actions’ to counter Chinese escalation and commits the United States to expand joint patrols, training, cyber operations and support for Philippine defense modernization.

It also calls for greater cooperation with Japan, South Korea, and Australia to strengthen deterrence and uphold freedom of navigation in the region.

The Philippines and the US signed the MDT in 1951, establishing that both countries would consult and act in case of external armed attack in the Pacific.

It serves as the foundation for subsequent defense agreements, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which Manila expanded in 2023 to allow the creation of four new sites.

The Senate resolution follows a year of close cooperation between the Philippines and the US on security and defense. In May, Balikatan 2025 featured the first deployment of the US Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) in the Philippines. In March, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Manila on his first Indo-Pacific trip and pledged stronger support for the Philippines’ defense industry.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Friday, October 3, announced the cancellation of several domestic flights due to Severe Tropical Storm Paolo affecting northern Luzon.

In its 5 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said that ten areas in northern Luzon have been placed under Signal No. 3 as the storm further intensified while moving closer to northern Aurora and southern Isabela.

At least 16 flights have been canceled so far.

Here is a list of canceled flights for October 3, according to the CAAP:

Cebu Pacific

5J 504 Manila – Tuguegarao

5J 505 Tuguegarao – Manila

5J 506 Manila – Tuguegarao

5J 507 Tuguegarao – Manila

5J 508 Manila – Tuguegarao

5J 509 Tuguegarao – Manila

5J 196 Manila – Cauayan

5J 197 Cauayan – Manila

Philippine Airlines

PR 2014 Manila – Tuguegarao

PR 2015 Tuguegarao – Manila

PR 2018 Manila – Cauayan

PR 2019 Cauayan – Manila

PR 2196 Manila – Laoag

PR 2197 Laoag – Manila

PR 2198 Manila – Laoag

PR 2199 Laoag – Manila

CAAP advised affected passengers to coordinate with their respective airlines for rebooking and to monitor updates on flight schedules.

The cancellations come as northern Luzon remains under severe wind and rain warnings due to Severe Tropical Storm Paolo.

Team Jotun swept Boysen in their best-of-three finals series with a 95-86 victory in Game 2 to successfully defend their crown in the Cebu Architects Basketball Club (CABC) 7th Corporate Cup at the Game Changer Sports Facility along Hernan Cortes Street in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City recently.

Chester Hinagdanan sizzled with 23 points, two rebounds, five assists, and three steals to power Jotun to back-to-back titles.

Not to be outdone, Philip Alegado tossed in 19 points and six rebounds while Dex Caadan tallied 14 markers with seven rebounds and four assists for Jotun, which finished the tournament with a perfect 12-0 record.

Jotun actually suffered an offensive meltdown after establishing a huge 22-point lead, 69-47, late in the third quarter, enabling Boysen to pull within just four points, 71-75, early in the final period.

But Jotun held their ground against a tough endgame challenge by Boysen to breeze through a rousing nine-point triumph.

Kim Rebosura paced Boysen with 25 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Carlos Baltar and Alfredo Sanchez combined for 29 points while Joseph Cabigas scored 11 in a losing effort.

The country’s exports of electronic products may hit $110 billion by 2030 amid growing demand from new technologies and products, according to the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI).

‘It’s possible (to reach $110 billion). There are a lot of external factors,’ SEIPI president Dan Lachica told reporters yesterday.

Of the $110 billion electronics exports projected by 2030, he said that semiconductors would account for $70 billion, while other electronic products would cover $40 billion.

These are also the 2030 targets set under the roadmap for the country’s semiconductor and electronics industry announced by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs earlier this year.

While the SEIPI’s official projection is a flat growth for the industry for this year, Lachica said electronics exports could post modest growth, citing encouraging developments.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s electronics exports from January to August rose by seven percent to $29.48 billion from $27.45 billion in the same period last year.

‘If we are on track to continue with our pattern that we’re seeing, the year-to-date numbers, we may even reach if not exceed the 2023 numbers,’ Lachica said.

Last year, electronics exports declined by six percent to $42.74 billion from $45.65 billion in 2023.

Lachica said the growth in electronics exports would be driven by demand for electronics components from new technologies like artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0, as well as from vehicles and devices.

‘The overall demand in the world is increasing,’ Lachica said.

He said risks to the outlook include natural disasters, geopolitical uncertainties, as well as the United States’ plan to impose tariffs on its semiconductor imports.

Earlier, US president Donald Trump threatened to slap tariffs of up to 300 percent on semiconductor imports, with exemptions for companies that commit to invest in manufacturing in the US.

At present, semiconductor exports are not covered by the 19-percent tariff imposed by the US on Philippine goods.

Despite risks, Lachica said SEIPI members are being advised to operate and produce based on existing demand.

He also said two firms engaged in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing in the country are planning to expand operations.

In line with efforts to promote the country’s semiconductor and electronics industry, the SEIPI is set to hold the Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Convention and Exhibition 2025 from Oct. 28 to 30 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay.

The first batch of the 141-athlete Team Philippines will fly to Manama on Oct. 17, five days ahead of the opening ceremony of the second Asian Youth Games (AYG), according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino.

The mission, Tolentino said, is to match or surpass the two gold medals Pauline Lopez (taekwondo) and Mia Legaspi (golf) won in the last edition in Nanjing, China, in 2013.

‘We have strong chances at the gold medals in the combat sports, but we’re not discounting production in other fronts,’ said Tolentino, adding that the AYG is the second largest multi-sport competition in the continent after the Asian Games.

The Filipino athletes are competing in 19 of the 26 sports programmed by host Bahrain for the AYG, which started in 2009 in Singapore but were shelved twice in 2017 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

Jiu-jitsu has the most number of athletes with 17, followed by taekwondo with 16 and wrestling with 13 in the AYG where Bahrain included its domestic sport of camel racing as well as beach wrestling. The Philippines is also competing in volleyball (12), teqball (6), golf (6), triathlon (2), MMA (5), muay (12), athletics (8), boxing (6), cycling (6), weightlifting (6), table tennis (6), badminton (8), beach wrestling (3), aquatics (3), kurash (4) and pencak silat (2).

The hosts have announced that 4,250 athletes are competing and will be joined by 900 team and technical officials.

In response to the devastating earthquake on September 30 that struck northern Cebu, The Freeman Foundation has made an urgent appeal for donations—cash and in-kind—to support affected families.

The donations will go to affected families in Bogo City, and in the towns of Medellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, Daanbantayan, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Sogod, Bordon, and other towns that may have also been affected.

The Freeman general manager Melandro Mendoza emphasized that relief efforts will focus on communities that have not yet received aid.

‘We are prioritizing areas that remain unreached. Our first batch of donations is scheduled for dispatch this Sunday (Oct. 5) in Tabogon,’ Mendoza said.

With homes destroyed and communities still reeling from destruction, The Freeman Foundation is calling for essential relief items: bottled water, canned goods, medicines, baby food, infant formula, and diapers. Used clothing is not needed at this time, it said.

In-kind donations may be delivered to The Freeman Newspaper Office, corner of D. Jakosalem and V. Gullas Streets, Cebu City, while cash donations may be deposited to The Freeman’s BPI Colon Branch account number: 9071005477.

Founded as the civic arm of The Freeman, Cebu’s longest-running newspaper, The Freeman Foundation has consistently mobilized support for disaster-stricken communities across Cebu and the Visayas.

Over the years, it has extended assistance during typhoons, fires, and health emergencies-often reaching underserved barangays and indigent patients.

The Freeman Foundation’s work is rooted in the newspaper’s century-old commitment to public service, truth, and community empowerment.

Whether through medical outreach, food drives, or emergency response, The Freeman Foundation stands as a trusted conduit between donors and those most in need.

As northern Cebu begins the long road to recovery, The Freeman Foundation invites Cebuanos and compassionate donors to join hands in solidarity.

Every bottle of water, every can of food, and every peso donated brings hope to families who lost everything.