Category: Philippine Star

The Cebu City Council recently approved a resolution honoring a homeless woman who was known for feeding stray animals but who was killed in a vehicular accident in Barangay Labangon earlier this month.

Those who are familiar with Cebu City’s streets may have seen an old woman always walking steadily despite her back bent with age, always dragging a trolley behind her with a sack full of cat or dog kibble to feed any stray animal she comes across.

She was Ana Garcia, 94, known by her acquaintances as ‘Nanay Ana’. And while she was homeless, she wasn’t helpless or idle; she was always up and about to carry out what she considered her work.

That ended after she was struck by a driver in Sitio Lower Bonbonan, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, around 1:20 A.M. last June 12. She was hit by the vehicle and dragged several meters.

The driver said he mistook her for a cat; something which can be considered ironic, tragic, yet somehow fitting all at the same time.

Now the tributes are pouring in, including this resolution from Councilor Pablo Labra.

“Her life stands as a powerful reminder that compassion knows no social status and that even those with the least resources can make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of others, whether human or animal,’ part of the resolution read.

However, some netizens also said she should have been honored while she was still alive and doing her work.

Yes, they are right. We should have recognized her work while she was still alive. But we are all human and prone to mistakes, and one mistake that too many of us make too often is not valuing or recognizing those who deserve it until they are gone.

Indeed, not all heroes wear capes, or rush into burning buildings to pull people out, or make sure those involved in accidents get to the hospital immediately, or fight against the worst criminals society has to offer. Some heroes quietly walk around the city, feeding animals that have been abandoned, lost, or have never known how it feels to be taken care of.

Last week, I was invited to speak on leadership challenges in institutions and legacy building at the PRAISE (Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence) event at West Visayas State University.

This commendable Civil Service Commission PRAISE awards recognize government personnel for their creativity, innovation, efficiency, integrity and productivity that contribute to improving government operations.

The invitation was tempting amid the recent string of bad news I’ve covered in my columns, including the deaths of ADMU basketball players, the General Education fiasco and the many challenges facing ordinary Filipinos. These include widespread poverty; political mudslinging that impedes government effectiveness; pervasive graft and corruption and ineffective governance marked by poor leadership and low public trust.

So I focused on the challenges of leadership in higher education institutions (HEI).

HEIs are unique entities in which leadership engages a diverse array of education stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, regulatory bodies, local governments, industry partners, courts and the academic community, especially during crises. The recent tragic deaths of ADMU basketball players illustrate the ongoing challenge university officials face in managing these often conflicting demands.

There is a saying that leaders come and go, but institutions and people remain.

This quote has been understood and applied in different ways. It may suggest that the civil service system can withstand poor and ineffective leaders, as they will eventually be replaced. Conversely, capable civil servants are likely to persist and continue providing public services.

But for the lazy, ineffective and corrupt people in government, they can also say, ‘Si Chairman Popoy de Vera isang term lang yan, papalitan din. Pag-alis niya, nandito pa rin tayo. We can outlast him; we don’t need to change. We don’t need to become better. Hintay-hintay lang, tapos sumipsip na lang tayo sa papalit.’ (Chairman Popoy de Vera will only last one term and will be replaced. We will still be here after he leaves. We can outlast him; we don’t need to change. We don’t need to become better. Let’s wait and cozy up to whoever will replace him.)

Clearly, our leaders’ qualities and how we perceive them can either bolster or undermine our institutions, affect service delivery and ultimately shape their legacy.

While it is true that institutions outlast leaders, leaders can weaken, even destroy, institutions by the way they lead.

These are leaders who do nothing but criticize and point fingers at their predecessors. Leaders who shout and curse at staff and employees. Leaders who create a toxic workplace environment. Leaders who centralize all decision-making thereby create inertia. Leaders who engage in corruption.

So I told the WVSU community that the ‘Taga WEST legacy’ – marked by strong service, dedication and excellence – can be achieved only if there are good leaders, strong institutions and a continuation of the good initiatives of earlier leaders.

The common advice to ‘lead by example’ is frequently seen as crucial, even vital, for organizational success. Although we often hear it, we rarely take it seriously or put it into practice.

Leaders who lead by example foster institutional values such as excellence in daily practice, build strong institutions that endure periods of uncertainty and ensure those institutions deliver services effectively.

Many organizations repeatedly see leaders who excel in management, foster a positive employee culture and achieve results, all by leading through example.

Leading by example is a leadership style where leaders’ actions set the tone for employees. By consistently showing the preferred values and behaviors in their daily tasks, they shape the organization’s culture.

Leading by example isn’t micromanaging. It means embodying key organizational values and demonstrating to employees the leaders’ commitment to their success.

Leadership by example is especially helpful in times of crisis; it is also critical for helping organizations navigate change.

The PRAISE awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated loyalty, service, excellence and outstanding achievement. The awardees are the good leaders essential to institution- and legacy-building.

At WVSU, president Bebong Villaruz leads, and I proudly supported his presidential run. His exemplary leadership continues to uphold WVSU’s reputation as one of the country’s top universities.

The group includes CHED regional director Raul Alvarez, who led all state colleges in Region VI to university status. He also advanced educational quality by ensuring 100 percent COPC compliance across all SUCs in the region. Additionally, Regent Jerome Millan advocated for students’ interests during Board of Regents meetings.

The ceremony also recognized administrators, faculty and staff who have dedicated 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years of diligent, outstanding service.

These are the men and women who practice excellence, discipline and innovation and are committed to quality in their work every day, every week and every year.

They have all demonstrated leadership by example.

The awards recognize their outstanding service and encourage everyone at the university to emulate them as role models.

Many problems beset our nation, but there is hope. Amid the despair of our national malaise, there are pockets of excellence in HEIs across the country, including WVSU. There is hope as long as we continue to recognize outstanding administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni who work together to build institutions.

During my recent participation in Geneva Science Diplomacy Week, organized by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), I was reminded that one of the greatest challenges facing governments today is not responding to change, but anticipating it. Scientific discovery is advancing at a pace that is transforming societies faster than our institutions can adapt. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, biotechnology is redefining medicine, autonomous systems are changing warfare and breakthroughs in robotics, neurotechnology and quantum computing promise to alter every aspect of human life. Yet while innovation accelerates exponentially, public policy often moves incrementally.

This growing gap is precisely why science diplomacy has become one of the defining responsibilities of modern government.

Science diplomacy recognizes that many of today’s greatest opportunities and risks extend beyond national borders. Artificial intelligence, pandemics, cybersecurity, biotechnology, climate science and autonomous weapons cannot be governed by any one country acting alone. Scientific breakthroughs developed in one laboratory may affect billions of people around the world. As technology becomes increasingly global, policymaking must become more collaborative, bringing together scientists, legislators, diplomats, industry and civil society to ensure that innovation advances the common good.

Equally important is the principle of anticipatory policymaking. Throughout history, governments have largely legislated after technologies had already transformed society. The automobile came before traffic laws. The internet preceded privacy legislation. Social media reached billions before governments began addressing online misinformation and digital safety. While reactive governance may have worked in the past, it is no longer sufficient for technologies that evolve at unprecedented speed.

Artificial intelligence already assists doctors in diagnosing disease, accelerates scientific research and automates complex decision-making. Advances in biotechnology and gene editing hold extraordinary promise for curing inherited illnesses while raising profound ethical questions about the limits of human intervention. Neurotechnology is creating brain-computer interfaces capable of restoring mobility and communication, but also introducing new concerns over mental privacy and cognitive liberty. Robotics is reshaping manufacturing and health care, while autonomous weapons challenge long-standing principles of international humanitarian law. Quantum computing may eventually redefine cybersecurity by rendering today’s encryption methods obsolete.

None of these developments are inherently good or bad. Their impact will ultimately depend on the rules, institutions and values that govern them.

Anticipatory policymaking asks governments to prepare for emerging technologies before they become sources of crisis. Rather than attempting to predict the future with certainty, it identifies plausible scientific trajectories and begins building ethical standards, legal frameworks and international cooperation while these technologies are still taking shape. It is a philosophy of governance that seeks to reduce surprise rather than merely respond to it.

This was the central lesson of GESDA’s Science Breakthrough Radar, which examines scientific developments over five-, 10- and 25-year horizons. The objective is not to forecast a single future, but to help policymakers understand what may be coming so decisions made today remain relevant tomorrow. Good governance should not merely solve today’s problems; it should anticipate tomorrow’s realities.

For the Philippines, this approach is not an academic exercise. It is a national imperative.

The Philippines should not view itself merely as a consumer of technology. We must become an active participant in shaping the global norms that will govern its development and use. Science diplomacy gives developing countries a voice in conversations that will define the future of health care, agriculture, cybersecurity, education, national defense and economic competitiveness. If we are absent from those discussions, the rules will be written by others, reflecting priorities that may not always align with our own national interests or values.

This conviction has guided many of the legislative initiatives I have pursued in Congress. Recognizing the growing influence of artificial intelligence, I have advocated for a comprehensive national framework on AI governance that promotes innovation while ensuring transparency, accountability, human oversight and ethical safeguards. I have likewise filed legislation promoting blockchain technology in government, recognizing its potential to strengthen transparency, improve public trust and modernize the delivery of public services.

Yet legislation alone will never be enough.

The challenges posed by artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing and autonomous weapons demand a new generation of policymakers who are as comfortable discussing ethics and scientific evidence as they are debating law. Legislators can no longer afford to become experts only in legislation. We must also become students of science. Likewise, scientists must engage more actively with public policy so that innovation is guided not only by technical possibility but also by democratic values and the public interest.

Science diplomacy creates the bridge between these worlds. It enables scientific knowledge to inform policy, allows diplomacy to foster international scientific cooperation and helps nations develop common rules for technologies whose consequences do not stop at national borders. In an increasingly interconnected world, it has become an essential instrument of both foreign policy and national development.

The question before us is no longer whether transformative technologies will change our lives. They already have. The real question is whether we will have the foresight to govern them wisely. Science diplomacy and anticipatory policymaking offer us that opportunity. We should seize it not as observers of the future, but as active participants in shaping it.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) announced that the implementation of the second phase of toll rate increases for both the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) will begin on July 1.

In an announcement on Friday, June 26, the TRB said the second tranche of toll rate increases will be implemented following the first tranche in January.

For SLEX motorists, those traveling end-to-end from Alabang to Sto. Tomas will see a total increase of P14 for Class 1, P27 for Class 2, and P41 for Class 3 vehicles.

The following rate adjustments will be implemented for SLEX:

Alabang to Calamba

Class 1 – P137

Class 2 – P274

Class 3 – P411

Calamba to Sto. Tomas

Class 1 – P37

Class 2 – P74

Class 3 – P111

For STAR Tollway motorists, the total toll will increase by P8 for Class 1, P17 for Class 2 and P26 for Class 3 vehicles.

The following rate adjustments will be implemented for STAR Tollway:

Sto. Tomas to Lipa (Section 1)

Class 1 – P64

Class 2 – P128

Class 3 – P192

Lipa to Batangas City (Section 2)

Class 1 – P57

Class 2 – P114

Class 3 – P171

Sto. Tomas to Batangas City (end-to-end)

Class 1 – P121

Class 2 – P242

Class 3 – P363

The SLEX is a 36-kilometer expressway running between Muntinlupa City and Santo Tomas, Batangas, serving as a primary link from Metro Manila to Laguna and Batangas.

Meanwhile, the STAR Tollway is a 42-kilometer route connecting Santo Tomas and Batangas City, helping shorten travel times to southern Batangas and its major port areas.

Sean Ramos lost steam when it mattered most, closing with a 74 to finish in a tie for 26th at the Bangkok Classic won by local favorite Sarit Suwannarut in wire-to-wire fashion at the Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok course in Thailand on Sunday.

Ramos, a Philippine Golf Tour standout, had surged into a tie for ninth after a stellar third-round 68. He was hunting for another strong finish to replicate his recent success on the Asian Development Tour, including a joint-second finish at the ADT Players Championship in Malaysia and a tie for fifth at last week’s inaugural Philippine ADT Open at Luisita.

Starting his final round on the par-5 No. 10, Ramos delivered a birdie. However, instead of sparking a charge toward the Top 5, his momentum sputtered. He bogeyed the 13th after struggling with his long game and iron play, missing crucial birdie opportunities on the two other long holes (Nos. 15 and 18) before dropping another stroke on the first hole.

Unable to arrest the slide, Ramos fought to set up solid birdie looks. He carded five consecutive pars before failing to save par on the seventh, ultimately finishing the day with a 38-36 card.

It was his worst score of the week, following a steady opening 70 and brilliant rounds of 66 and 68 that had put him in contention.

With a 10-under-par 278 total, Ramos dropped to a share of 26th. It is a developmental setback likely to further steel the rising Filipino star as he prepares to resume his campaign at the Ever Glory ADT Open in Taiwan from July 8-11.

At the top of the leaderboard, Suwannarut secured his commanding victory in style. He holed out for an eagle-2 on the first hole en route to a final-round 68, finishing with a stunning 24-under 264 total.

The Thai star cruised to a six-stroke victory over England’s Matt Killen and Hong Kong’s Shunyat Hak, who matched 270s after a 66 and 68, respectively.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has intensified reforms in the private express and messengerial delivery service (PEMEDES) sector.

In January, the DICT launched Oplan Bantay Padala alongside the rollout of the PEMEDES Licensing Portal, establishing a centralized system for complaints monitoring, rider registration and compliance tracking.

These initiatives strengthened oversight, improved transparency and reinforced accountability across the delivery ecosystem.

Since their rollout, courier complaints have steadily declined.

Data from the DICT show a sustained drop in PEMEDES-related complaints: from 1,210 in January to 692 in February, 350 in March, 182 in April, 167 in May and 151 as of June 23, a decline of nearly 88 percent in six months.

The downward trend highlights the impact of Oplan Bantay Padala and PEMEDES digital reforms in making complaint handling more accessible, improving regulatory visibility and strengthening accountability among delivery service providers.

To further sustain these gains, the DICT launched Phase 2 of the PEMEDES Licensing Portal on June 23, 2026, enhancing digital identity verification, automation and regulatory monitoring for riders and operators.

‘Because of our digitization efforts, we make it easy for our couriers to comply with legal requirements. This in turn enhances the trust of the people in the industry as we promote a reliable and effective ecosystem,’ DICT Undersecretary Faye Condez-de Sagon said.

Consumers now benefit from faster resolution of complaints involving delayed, lost, or mishandled parcels, along with stronger protection in everyday digital transactions.

More than 260 sacks of subsidized rice were distributed across three sites in Lapu-Lapu City as the city government continued its P20 per kilo Rice Program for qualified residents.

The distribution was conducted on Thursday, June 25, at the Sports Complex in City Hall, Court 1 of the Lapu-Lapu City Auditorium, and Barangay Talima in Olango.

A total of 117 sacks were allocated for distribution at the Sports Complex, while 100 sacks were allotted to Barangay Talima. Meanwhile, Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) facilitated the distribution of more than 50 sacks at the City Auditorium.

The city government said priority was given to vulnerable sectors, displaced or retrenched workers, and indigent residents. Qualified beneficiaries were allowed to purchase up to 10 kilograms of rice each to enable more residents to benefit from the program.

The P20 Rice Program is available from Monday to Friday at Court 1 of the Lapu-Lapu City Auditorium and is also brought to different barangays across the city.

Following the June 25 distribution, the program was scheduled to continue in Barangay Baring on June 26, Barangay Bankal on June 28, and Barangay San Vicente on June 30. City officials said the July schedule is still being finalized, with daily distributions expected to continue.

‘Kini nga programa usa ka tinuod ug sinsero nga paningkamot sa atong administrasyon aron masiguro nga ang mga yanong Oponganon adunay mapalit nga dekalidad ug baratong bugas,’ Mayor Cindi King-Chan said.

The P20 Rice Program is subsidized by the Lapu-Lapu City Government in partnership with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), helping ensure a steady supply of affordable rice for residents.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has once again deferred the arraignment of former Department of Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi and several other former DOE officials facing graft charges over the Malampaya stake sale.

During a hearing yesterday, Third Division chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda reset the proceedings to July 10 to give the defense time to contest the bill of particulars submitted by state prosecutors.

Two of the accused filed a comment arguing that the prosecution’s bill contained conclusions based on assumptions and hypothetical scenarios – a stance subsequently adopted by their co-accused.

Cusi himself initially avoided entering a plea, choosing not to join the move to oppose the bill that would have subjected him to an arraignment. But his legal team made a belated manifestation to adopt the comment just as his turn came up.

In response, Miranda directed the accused to formally file their respective motions for reconsideration by July 1.

The prosecution will then have five days from receipt, or until July 6, to submit its comment.

The graft case stemmed from the DOE approval of the $545-million buyout of Chevron Philippines’ 45-percent stake in the Malampaya deep-water gas-to-power project by UC Malampaya, a subsidiary of Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corp.

The Office of the Ombudsman launched its investigation in 2022 following a Senate committee on energy report, which alleged that the DOE rushed the transaction despite Udenna Corp. failing the financial capability test and lacking audited financial statements.

While the Ombudsman initially dismissed the complaint in 2022 for lack of evidence, it reversed its ruling in 2024 after finding sufficient probable cause to pursue an indictment.

The case was formally filed before the Sandiganbayan on Aug. 28, 2024.

The news from Tacloban City cuts through the ordinary clutter of daily headlines because it violates the most fundamental trust a society can have: that a school is a sanctuary.

On June 22, two individuals opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three students and wounding 20 others. The attack occurred around 9 a.m. while classes were in session. Early details suggest the gunmen, who were 15 and 14 years old, simply walked onto the premises and began firing inside a classroom. One suspect, a 15-year-old student at the school, had reportedly been subjected to constant bullying. Both suspects were arrested, and handguns were recovered.

This tragedy did not occur in isolation. Just days earlier, two separate stabbing incidents rocked Cavite province during the first week of classes. On June 16, a 14-year-old Grade 8 student entered a Grade 5 classroom at Bethel Academy in General Trias City and attacked younger pupils with a kitchen knife. Seven Grade 5 students were injured, with two later transferred to a larger medical facility for surgery due to the severity of their wounds. Teachers were attending a meeting at the time, leaving the classroom temporarily unattended.

Three days later, on June 19, an 18-year-old Grade 11 student was stabbed by a fellow schoolmate inside Cavite National High School in Cavite City. What began as a heated argument escalated into a fistfight, then into a stabbing. The victim sustained serious injuries and remained confined in a hospital. The 18-year-old suspect was arrested and placed under police custody.

Three school violence incidents in a single week-seven children were stabbed in a classroom, a senior high student was wounded by a classmate and three died in a school shooting. This is not a string of isolated misfortunes; it is an exposure of a structural void causing disruptions in the academic development and causing serious trauma and alarm among the learners and teachers.

The absence of professional guards at the gates of many Philippine public schools is not an oversight born of ignorance; it is a prolonged policy choice masquerading as a resource constraint. A janitor armed with a logbook and a whistle, however well-meaning, cannot physically deter or neutralize a determined individual carrying a concealed firearm.

The Tacloban shooting-where suspects entered a classroom and opened fire-is the bitter fruit of a system that has normalized the absence of a security layer that every private institution and government office takes for granted.

The legal infrastructure already exists. Republic Act No. 10591 explicitly states in Section 28 that it is “unlawful for any person to carry a firearm, even if licensed, within the premises of a school.” Yet a law that bans weapons from school grounds is rendered decorative if there is no one at the entry point with the training and authority to enforce it. A sign reading “Gun-Free Zone” cannot stop a bullet.

The same reasoning flows from the 1987 Constitution and the special protection mandate for children. Article XV, Section 3 directs the State to defend the right of children to “special protection from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development.” The Child Protection Policy embodied in DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 obliges every school to ensure a safe environment. Yet a policy that stops at filing incident reports after bodies have fallen is a policy that has failed its protective mandate.

RA 9184, or the procurement law, expressly permits schools to procure security services from accredited agencies, subject to the availability of funds. That last phrase is where the entire system collapses.

In practice, the “availability of funds” is left largely to the meager Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of individual schools, many of which are already insufficient to cover electricity, water, and basic learning materials. A school principal forced to choose between buying chalk and hiring a guard will always choose chalk. The safety of the learners in the school vicinity is shrugged off when funds are thin.

The remedy is to create a distinct, protected line item in the national General Appropriations Act, administered by DepEd, exclusively for contracting trained and licensed security guards for every public school. Licensed private security guards under Republic Act No. 5487 receive training in firearms handling, first aid, crowd control and emergency response.

In a school setting, their primary role would be to conduct bag inspections, verify visitor identities, control vehicle entry, and serve as the first line of communication with police during an emergency. A trained guard’s ability to challenge a gunman at the gate, even for a few seconds, can be the difference between a body count and a lockdown.

The fiscal argument collapses under scrutiny. Assuming a competitive rate of P18,000 per month per guard and a deployment of two guards per school, the annual cost per school would be approximately P432,000. Multiplying that by roughly 47,000 public schools nationwide yields an annual bill of around P20.3 billion. This represents less than three percent of the Department’s 2024 budget of P748 billion. When weighed against the cost of a single child’s life, the investment is embarrassingly overdue.

DepEd and Congress must act before the next tragedy rewrites the same editorial. The doctrine of parens patriae demands that the State act as the guardian of minors. If the government compels children to sit inside its classrooms for mandatory education, it is constitutionally and morally obliged to ensure they return home alive. A national allocation for trained, licensed school security personnel transforms hollow sympathy into enforceable state duty. Anything less is an admission that we have accepted the periodic slaughter of schoolchildren as a tolerable overhead of public education.

President Marcos yesterday inspected projects and programs aimed at assisting farmers and ensuring food security in Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato.

During the visit, Marcos inaugurated the Antong Dam and Irrigation System Project in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat, which can irrigate more than 1,500 hectares of farms.

The project is expected to benefit up to 350 farmers by allowing them to plant twice a year.

The President led the launch of the Bawat Bayan Makinabang program in Koronadal, South Cotabato, where he turned over P136 million in financial assistance to two local government units.

He handed over P40 million in assistance to South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, the president of the provincial association of barangay captains, and to a scholar-representative.

Cotabato Vice Gov. Rochella Marie Taray, the president of the association of barangay captains and a scholar-representative received P96 million in assistance from Marcos.

The aid was sourced from the socio-civic projects fund.

Marcos said the assistance may be increased next year if the national and local governments continue to work for the good of the country.