Category: Philippine Star

Classes at the Jose Abad Santos High School (JASHS) in Binondo, Manila were disrupted yesterday due to a bomb threat.

Police said a Facebook user named ‘Louise Florence’ sent a message that ‘five bombs were planted in the school buildings.’

The message was sent to chat groups of both JASHS students and alumni at 10:55 a.m.

The school administration suspended classes.

Police conducted a sweep of the school premises, but found no bomb.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) yesterday emphasized the need for urgent government action to address massive corruption in flood control projects, even as it expressed confidence in President Marcos’ leadership in tackling the problem.

PCCI president Enunina Mangio told reporters during the Philippine Business Conference and Expo yesterday that the business sector wants to see more action being taken on the alleged irregularities in the government’s flood control projects.

While the government has taken steps to look into corruption issues, she said current efforts are not enough.

‘We feel that we need more. And we need decisive actions and decisions,’ she said.

‘We don’t want cover-ups. We don’t want railroading. We really want those responsible to be punished and to be identified,’ Mangio said.

The country’s largest business organization is also pushing for the use of technology in the government’s fight against corruption.

She said the PCCI and 33 other business organizations issued a joint statement over the weekend to bring the issue to the President’s attention.

The business groups also called on Marcos to immediately adopt measures, including providing full legal authority and independence to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, so that the body could carry out its task of conducting a swift probe that is free from political influence.

The groups also urged Marcos to ensure the recovery of government funds and provide regular updates on the ongoing probe into corruption issues.

While there are calls for the President to step down amid the corruption issues, Mangio said the business sector does not see the need for this.

‘We released that statement so that we don’t have to reach that point. We’re trying to prevent aggressive actions from taking place,’ she said.

Mangio also floated the use of technology in addressing corruption issues.

She said blockchain technology, in particular, could be used to monitor projects and the use of the budget.

‘So we hope the technology available will be used,’ Mangio said.

Global Dominion Financing Inc. (GDFI) has been officially approved as a Participating Institution in the Credit Risk Database Philippines (CRDPh)-a pioneering project jointly launched by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The CRDPh is a web-based credit scoring system designed to enhance the financial inclusion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by providing financial institutions with a data-driven tool to assess creditworthiness. Using anonymized financial and non-financial data, the platform generates statistical credit scores and default probabilities, enabling lenders to make faster, more objective and risk-based lending decisions.

As one of the 33 pioneering financial institutions, GDFI is proud to be the first Non-bank Financial Institution (NBFI) to join this initiative, contributing to the creation of a more inclusive and resilient financial ecosystem. This milestone aligns with GDFI’s commitment to empowering Filipino entrepreneurs and supporting the growth of MSMEs, which make up over 99% of registered businesses in the Philippines.

The CRDPh platform addresses the long-standing challenge of information asymmetry in SME lending. By reducing reliance on collateral and offering a standardized credit evaluation model, it opens new opportunities for businesses that are often underserved by traditional banking systems.

GDFI’s participation in the CRDPh not only strengthens its risk management capabilities but also reinforces its role in advancing financial inclusion and economic development in the country.

A private citizen has submitted a ‘letter of sentiment’ to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), urging it to investigate First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos’ ties to former Special Envoy to China for Trade Maynard Ngu, the alleged bagman of Sen. Chiz Escudero.

ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said on Tuesday, October 21, that the commission will review the private citizen’s letter to see whether sufficient grounds exist to summon Maynard Ngu and the First Lady to the probe.

‘Well, it’s up to the commission to decide on that if there’s any reliable and competent basis for the commission to invite any personality that would lead to finding the truth,’ he said at a press conference.

John Santander, who identifies as a cultural and peace advocate, told reporters he was concerned that allegations against tech billionaire Ngu surfaced two months ago. Yet, there has been no action from the ICI.

He attached media reports to his letter of sentiment, including photos of Marcos and Ngu attending several events together – one during a Cherry Mobile function, which Ngu owns, and another showing them dining with Escudero and his wife, Heart Evangelista, at Cork Wine Bar, which is reportedly also owned by Ngu.

“I wish to impress upon the Commission a lead that has not been explored – the possibility that First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos benefited as well from Maynard Ngy and/or vice-versa,”

What happened to Ngu?

Ngu resigned from a property firm shortly after former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo accused him of receiving P160 million on behalf of Sen. Chiz Escudero during the Senate probe on flood control projects.

Bernardo said he met Escudero and the tech billionaire, reportedly a close friend and campaign donor of the senator, over wine to talk about the DPWH’s alleged kickback operations.

After Bernardo testified, Ngu resigned as an independent director of Altus Property Ventures Inc., an Ilocos Norte-based firm chaired by Faraday Go, the brother of Presidential Economic and Investment Adviser Frederick Go. Although he said he stepped down due to ‘personal reasons.’

The alleged kickbacks to lawmakers are among the key issues in the corruption scandal involving publicly funded infrastructure projects.

Santander, however, also pointed to reports suggesting Ngu’s role in lobbying for Bernardo’s DPWH appointment and the First Lady’s possible influence over Palace postings.

While he sought action from the commission, he clarified that his appeal to the ICI was not politically motivated, saying he is neither a Duterte, Marcos or Robredo supporter.

At the commission’s discretion

Should the ICI find any basis for such leads, Hosaka said they will be invited at the commission’s discretion.

He also explained that such letters of sentiment, while accepted, must also be validated to ensure the integrity of the fact-finding body’s investigation.

‘We will carefully look into that because we want to make sure the commission is not being used for any political agenda,’ Hosaka said in Filipino.

Still, he assured that the commission will look into the leads that Santander mentioned while the investigation is ongoing.

‘We will investigate and we will make sure to call these people who will be responsible or who might be responsible to these anomalous flood control projects and other infrastructure projects,’ Hosaka added.

The Senate may soon have a Blue Ribbon Committee chair once more-in the form of its old one.

Senate President Pro Tempore is mulling a return as the committee chair, according to Senate President Tito Sotto.

Lacson resigned as the Blue Ribbon Committee chair during the Senate’s probe into the flood control corruption mess. The probe became heated as more and more senators were tagged by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in corruption schemes.

The Senate president previously said that his longtime ally was likely frustrated with how the investigations were going in the Senate, with their own colleagues interrupting the proceedings. Lacson said that he resigned after some of his colleagues in the majority disagreed with how he was handling the probe.

In an interview on One PH’s One Balita Pilipinas on Tuesday, Sotto said that there was a high chance that Lacson would now return as the Blue Ribbon chair.

‘I think it’s very positive at this point,’ said Sotto in the media interview.

Later asked by reporters to further confirm this, Sotto did not give an explicit yes, saying that it was a ‘long story.’

‘In the course of our many conversations, it has come to his (Sen Ping) attention [regarding the] clamor of some of our colleagues and the public that he retake the [commission],’ Sotto told the media.

In the course of Lacson’s probe, several senators were tagged in the flood control corruption mess, namely former Senate President Chiz Escudero, Sen. Joel Villanueva and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

Former senators Bong Revilla and current Mankato Mayor Nancy Binay were also tagged in kickback schemes by retired DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo. Many of the senators have already denied the allegations.

It was also during Lacson’s stint as Blue Ribbon Committee chair that sacked DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez admitted to inflating the prices of materials to get kickback money.

Billions of pesos are suspected to have been stolen in the flood control corruption schemes as activists and civil society groups continue to call for corruption.

Claudine Barretto’s mother, Inday, accused Raymart Santiago of physically and emotionally hurting her daughter. In an interview with Ogie Diaz on his YouTube channel, Inday revealed that the Barretto family wholeheartedly accepted Raymart when he married Claudine.

‘.kinuha mo na lahat ng properties na pinaghirapan niya para sa mga anak niya, mga anak n’yo which is supposed to be your job! Wala kang property at all,’ she said. ‘You married my daughter because she was Claudine Barretto, you dropped her when she stop being a Claudine Barretto.’

The interview followed Claudine’s revelation that she is struggling with anxiety and depression. Inday also shared that she once saw Claudine kneeling in front of Raymart to get his attention. She also recalled an incident when she was at a mall and received a call from a frightened Claudine, who claimed Raymart was hurting her.

‘Pagdating ko doon (sa bahay ng mag-asawa), alam ko may gulo. Mga anak ko kasi, alam ko kung may sakit sila. Alam ko kung may kagalit sila. Alam ko kung sinaktan mo sila. In fact one of them, kung may away with anyone sa partners nila, I can hear them cry, aswang ata ako.sana!’ she said. ‘Tapos bumaba si Raymart, normal naman, mamayang konti bumaba si Claudine hindi naman siya nagwawala, na-injectionan na pala and that’s the start of that famous injection thing.’

It was previously rumored that Claudine was injecting illegal drugs, but Inday clarified that this was not true. ‘Hindi naman siya (Claudine) adik, eh. Alam mo kapag may kasalanan, (Raymart) you make up stories, people will believe lalo na celebrities,’ she said.

Claudine later called Inday again, asking for help. ‘Ibang klaseng iyak ‘yun. Parang kinakatay na yata ito, it was so bad! Pagdating, ayan na naman si Raymart baba sa stairs. After a while, bumaba si Claudine, parang zombie na hindi normal parang may pinagdaanan.’

‘This one panindigan ko talaga ito, kita ko pagbaba ni Claudine sa ilalim ng stairs usually tumatakbo pag (nakita) ang parents, she just collapsed in the arms of daddy, hug siya ni daddy, kinuha ko ‘yung paa niya nilagay ko dito malamig pa sa yelo,’ Inday continued. ‘Alam mo daddy looked at me, I looked at daddy, we knew it was more than anything else lalo na instinct ng parents.’

Asked how she knew Raymart was abusing Claudine, she said, ‘Later on, nobody needs to tell me. Nagtitinginan lang kami ni Claudine hindi niya masabi sa hiya o sa takot. Iniisip niya kung anong gagawin ko o anong gagawin ng mga kapatid niya, o baka ikamatay ni daddy,’ Inday said.

‘Kinaladkad niya si Claudine parang kinatay na baboy. Malaki ang garahe nila marami silang kotse. Hindi ko nakita pero narinig ko nagsisigawan kasi marami ng tao sa street. Maririnig mo ‘yung (sigaw ng mga tao), ‘Tama na uy, tama na, tulungan n’yo (si Claudine).’ Walang magawa (ang lahat),’ she said.

Claudine and Raymart tied the knot in March 2006, had four children, and filed for annulment in 2013.

The University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors are aiming to stretch their hot streak to four games.

But it would be a tall order for the Warriors as they clash with the three-time defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers at the start of the second round of elimination in college division of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament today (Tuesday, October 21) at the Cebu Coliseum.

Game time is set at 6:45 p.m.

The Warriors are coming off their best winning roll at three games that towed them to a joint third and fourth spots with the Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs on identical 4-2 win-loss records.

The Carolinians though are expected to face an uphill battle against the Visayanians, who clobbered them, 61-75, in their first meeting last September 23.

The Lancers themselves are itching to bounce back after being denied of a six-game sweep in the first round by the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters in their previous match nine days ago.

Before the UV-USC duel, the Baby Warriors hope to snap their four-game jinx as they go up against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguar Cubs in the 5:15 p.m. opener.

The Baby Warriors are still listless in four starts while the Jaguar Cubs have only victory to show against four defeats.

Thai star Prin Suparat, better known as Mark Prin, is coming back to the Philippines for a fan meeting before the year ends.

The “A Moment with Mark Prin” fan meeting is set for December 7 at the Samsung Hall of Taguig’s SM Aura.

“Get ready to fall in love all over again!” teased show promoter 3’nBox Studios. “He’s here to once again fill your hearts with love.”

The actor last visited the Philippines in March 2023, also for a fan meeting alongside his now-wife Kimberley Anne Woltemas.

Tickets for Mark’s upcoming event are already available online via the SM Tickets website, divided into four sections:

General Admission – P4,550

Silver – P7,500

VIP – P9,700

MVIP – P12,500All ticket holders will take part in a Hi-Bye session with Mark. General Admission and Silver ticket holders will take home an official poster (for claiming after the show) while individuals in either VIP section can have a photo with the actor in groups of six.

All MVIP ticket holders can also join a 15-minute sound check session before the show, joined by 50 people each from the VIP and Silver sections.

100 MVIP and 50 VIP ticket holders have the chance at an individual photo with Mark, and 50 people from either VIP sections will join a fan sign and talk session.

Finally, 50 MVIP, 20 VIP and 10 Silver ticket holders will get signed posters. Lucky winners will be announced online via 3’nBox Studios social media channels.

A 15-year veteran of Thailand’s Channel 3, Mark is best known for starring in “My Forever Sunshine,” “Game of Outlaws” and “Waves of Life.”

McDo-loving Pinoys, rejoice! CIMB Bank Philippines and McDonald’s Philippines are extending their successful cashback promo via CIMB Pay due to insistent public demand!

On October 1, the duo began offering an irresistible deal for both their customers: CIMB Bank PH customers get an instant P30 cashback when they use CIMB Pay at any McDonald’s branch nationwide for purchases of at least P200 in a single receipt. This offer is available for all food items and is capped at three redemptions per month.

In a media conference, CIMB announced that the promo will be extended until the end of 2025 to give more time for customers to enjoy their favorite McDo treats with the cashback using CIMB Pay.

CIMB Pay is the QR Ph-powered feature found in the CIMB Bank PH mobile app that makes cashless payments safer and easier. Customers only need to scan any QR Ph code to transfer funds, pay merchants and even settle their bills with zero fees. CIMB Pay can be used at over 1 million merchants in the country, giving CIMB customers unparalleled convenience.

‘At CIMB, we always strive to go beyond the usual banking products and services. While we continue to strengthen our deposit and lending offerings, we’re also focused on enhancing our payment solutions to make everyday transactions more seamless and rewarding for our 10 million customers,’ said Vijay Manoharan, CEO of CIMB Bank PH.

‘This is why we are grateful that our partnership with McDonald’s, a brand well-loved by Filipinos, was met with such enthusiasm. It quickly has become one of our most successful CIMB Pay offers, accounting for 8% of our total CIMB Pay transactions in just two weeks,’ Manoharan added.

‘At McDonald’s Philippines, we are driven by our commitment to provide unmatched value and rewarding experiences to our customers. MyMcDonald’s Rewards-the country’s first fully digital QSR loyalty program-brings this to life by making every peso spent more rewarding,’ said Ada Almendras-Lazaro, vice president and chief marketing officer of McDonald’s Philippines.

“Through our partnership with CIMB, we’re taking that commitment even further, giving customers the chance to earn both points and cashback with every order,’ Almendras-Lazaro added.

McDonald’s is the latest addition to CIMB Bank PH’s growing number of merchant partners. With CIMB Pay, customers get exclusive access to special deals from popular brands while enjoying safe and convenient cashless transactions.

These merchant partnerships also underscore CIMB Bank PH’s commitment to contributing to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Digital Transformation Roadmap, with products and features that are designed to address Filipinos’ everyday financial needs.

Customers who use CIMB Pay as their payment option at any McDonald’s branch until December 31 can enjoy the ongoing cashback promo for up to three times per calendar month. This offer is available exclusively for dine-in, take-out and drive-thru transactions at McDonald’s.

K-pop group Enhypen will meet fans worldwide in a whole new way through its first-ever virtual reality (VR) concert.

The “ENHYPEN VR Concert: Immersion” will be shown in Manila exclusively at Gateway Cineplex from November 20 to December 6.

The experience begins with a mysterious invitation from the boy band to its fans, Engenes. As whispers from the members echo through an unfamiliar hallway, the line between reality and fantasy starts to blur.

Audiences are then transported into ever-changing spaces: a vast office, an abandoned factory, and a rooftop where a pink moon and red moon coexist coming face-to-face with a whole new side of Enhypen never seen before.

This VR concert was produced using AMAZE’s cutting-edge technology, featuring innovative interactive elements such as a heart effect appearing on screen when the viewer makes a hand-heart gesture, and a branching scene that allows fans to choose one of the seven members and watch from their favorite’s point of view.

It also brings together AMAZE’s proprietary technologies including ultra-high-definition 12K live-action filming, Unreal Engine-based VFX, and AI super-resolution to deliver a level of immersion and emotion beyond that of any previous VR concert.

Viewers will feel as if they are standing right in front of a real stage, fully experiencing Enhypen’s performance and emotional depth in the most vivid way possible.

“Immersion” is additionally the first-ever VR concert project to simultaneously announce and confirm its release in advance across about 40 major cities worldwide, including Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

Tickets for the “ENHYPEN VR Concert: Immersion” will be available starting November 8.

Enhypen last visited the Philippines in person earlier this year for the group’s “Walk the Line” world tour, performing at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.