Category: Philippine Star

University of Batangas and Immaculada Concepcion College launched their title-retention bids in grand fashion after blasting their rivals at the start of the volleyball competitions in the 2025 PG Flex-UCAL Season 8 on Tuesday, October 14, at the UB Millennium Gym in Batangas City.

The UB Brahmans banked on the deadly duo of Christian Briones and Prince Ramirez to beat the Centro Escolar University Scorpions, 25-18, 25-20, 25-17, while the ICC Lady Blue Hawks demolished Philippine Christian University-Dasmarinas Lady Dolphins, 25-16, 25-17, 25-16.

The power-hitting Ramirez scattered 13 points on 12 attacks and a service ace, but it was Briones who emerged as the Player of the Game with his creative plays and timely attacks. Briones tallied 13 excellent sets apart from logging in five points on three attacks, one block and an ace.

For the Lady Blue Hawks, it was Jehiel Moraga who stood out by firing 12 points highlighted by three blocks and an ace.

But the day belonged to ICC’s Gio Devosora, who exploded for 28 points on 24 attacks, two blocks and the same number of services aces in the team’s remarkable reverse sweep win over Philippine Christian University-Dasmarinas, 21-25, 16-25, 25-20, 26-14, 15-10.

Other opening-day winners in the distaff side were Centro Escolar University, Olivarez College and Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas, while in the men’s side were Manila Central University and LPU-Batangas.

The CEU Lady Scorpions drew 19 points from Lourdes Cinco to outlast UB Lady Brahmans, 16-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-23, while Lovelee Hernandez delivered 14 points in LPU-B’s 25-9, 23-25, 28-26, 25-17 win over Philippine Women’s University.

Devosora was ably aided by Mark Nacor, who scattered 12 points in the league backed by Akari, Smart Sports, Spalding, Hapee Toothpaste, Mighty Bond, Quintana Sports, Vital Purified Drinking Water, Topflite, Crane and Maruyama, CafeFrance and RC1 Lubricating Spray.

The Dasmariñas City Monarchs moved closer to a first-round sweep by fending off the San Juan Lady Knights, 25-17, 25-19, 20-25, 25-10, in Week 4 of the 2025 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) on Monday night at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Samantha Catanda, former UAAP juniors MVP and incoming rookie in UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament, sizzled with 18 points to spearhead the barrage as the Monarchs extended their unbeaten run to five games.

Natasha Kaye Bombita added 13 points while Abegail Pono and Denesse Daylisan had nine and seven points, respectively, for the Monarchs backed by back-to-back UAAP and three-time SSL champion National U Lady Bulldogs.

San Beda imposed its full might on Emilio Aguinaldo College, fashioning out a savage 81-64 victory yesterday that propelled the Red Lions to the top of Group B in NCAA Season 101 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Sensational rookie Agjanti Miller continued his magnificent season, leading the Lions to their third win in four starts with 14 points and nine rebounds despite playing off the bench.

With the win, San Beda jumped back at the helm of the second bracket with St. Benilde.

The victory also erased the stigma of a stunning 67-66 defeat to Jose Rizal U last Friday that sent San Beda to its first defeat.

The Generals stumbled to 1-3.

Earlier, T-mc Ongotan unleashed a triple-double effort of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Arellano U smashed Lyceum of the Philippines U, 92-65, to improve to 2-2. The Pirates sank to 0-4.

Underscoring the lively and vivid dynamism of the Olympic sport, ‘Leap High, Flip Strong!’ was chosen by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines as the slogan for the 3rd Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships opening at the Manila Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom in Pasay City next month.

”Leap High, Flip Strong!’ is more than just a campaign slogan. It’s a rallying cry of our 24-million Filipino youth to mount a leap of faith especially in these challenging times, and to explore and soar high in search for growth and development,’ stressed GAP president Cynthia Carrion.

‘The slogan cultivates a positive mindset, encouraging people to believe in themselves and their abilities,’ said the gymnastics chief, who has taken the sports to unprecedented heights since taking over the local gymnastics body more than a decade ago.

Sen. Francis Escudero, through his counsel, defended the P30-million donation he received from a top flood control contractor for his 2022 Senate comeback bid.

Escudero submitted his response to the show-cause order issued against him by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) investigating the propriety of receiving a contractor’s money for his campaign.

‘We’re filing our submission early to respect the Comelec process. Our position is clear: the donation was legal, fully declared and follows long-standing practice,’ Escudero’s legal counsel Ramon Esguerra said.

‘The law is on our side, and we are confident the Comelec will find no fault,’ he added.

Escudero and his campaign donor Lawrence Lubiano of Centerways Construction and Development Inc. were summoned by the Comelec to explain their side for alleged violation of the election code.

The Omnibus Election Code prohibits government contractors from joining political partisan activities and donating money to candidates.

Escudero’s campaign donation was also the subject of an ethics complaint filed against him at the Senate by lawyer Eldrige Marvin Aceron.

Aceron alleged that Lubiano’s Centerways bagged 112 contracts worth P16.67 billion in Escudero’s turf Sorsogon from 2021 to 2025 as a result of the campaign donation. Escudero served as Sorsogon governor from 2019 to 2022.

Aceron also alleged that Centerways secured only 12 contracts worth P720 million in 2021, but this ‘escalated dramatically’ to P15.9 billion worth of contracts from 2022 to 2025, or after the P30-million donation to Escudero.

Escudero denied impropriety in accepting a personal donation given by a friend. Lubiano for his part said he donated the money in a personal capacity.

Swedish home furnishing giant IKEA is opening its second official branch in the Philippines in partnership with the Ayala Group.

IKEA will open its first Plan and Order Shop in the Philippines at TriNoma Mall on Oct. 23, bringing its affordable and sustainable design closer to northern Metro Manila residents.

‘We are now getting closer to the many more Filipinos, especially in the north of Manila. This partnership between IKEA and Ayala Malls allow us to create spaces that are accessible, convenient and inspiring,’ IKEA Philippines country retail manager Ricardo Pinheiro said.

‘IKEA Plan and Order Shop is one of the most recent formats we have. It’s actually a shop where customers can order the full IKEA range. It is also a shop where customers can plan their home solutions. It’s also a shop where customers can actually collect their online orders’ he said.

Pinheiro said the Plan and Order Shop format is currently available in other IKEA sites globally like London, Paris, Stockholm, Spain and Portugal.

‘We are opening more and more, but they are not very old. So it’s quite a recent format that we are still testing,’ he said.

The first IKEA Plan and Order Shop in the Philippines will be a 500-square meter store located at the ground level of TriNoma Mall.

Pinheiro said that total investment for the store ranges from P30 million to P35 million.

The shop features small scale store with room vignettes and products that shoppers can purchase in-store and also functions as a free collection point for online orders.

It is also a space for customers to plan their dream kitchens, wardrobe and storage cabinet with the same expert guidance as offered from IKEA’s store in Pasay City.

The IKEA Plan and Order Shop aims to make affordable home furnishing even more accessible to shoppers from every corner of Metro Manila.

‘For now, we are very committed to make this one a success. Based on the success of this one, we will decide if we will open more in different locations or not,’ Pinheiro said.

Ayala Malls chief operating officer Paul Birkett said the opening of the IKEA Plan and Order Shop matches the ongoing refresh being undertaken at TriNoma.

‘It’s really critically important that this first ever Plan and Order point in the Philippines, it’s the new retail format that brings the IKEA brand closer to consumers. It combines the convenience, the access, the innovation, but more importantly, the exceptional products. We give people another reason to visit TriNoma,’ Birkettt said.

Pinheiro said the plan for IKEA Philippines for expansion moving forward is to explore both large store as well as the small scale Plan and Order Shop formats.

‘For IKEA, it’s not one or the other. It’s one and the other. So we are looking to both formats as a way to get closer to the many Filipinos. Our country is so big and its so scattered around so many different islands and cities that we believe we need to explore both options of bigger store like Pasay and smaller Plan and Order shops like in Quezon City,’ he said.

Asked about plans to open an IKEA store in SM Megamall, Pinheiro said: ‘It’s not part of our plans in the near future.’

IKEA opened its first store in the country in 2021 at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay, which is currently the biggest IKEA store in the world.

Companies in the Philippines are projecting only modest pay increases next year despite facing the steepest employee turnover rates in Southeast Asia.

The 2025 Salary Increase and Turnover Study by British-American consulting firm Aon projects an average 5.3% salary increase across Southeast Asia in 2026, signaling a stable but cautious compensation outlook as firms confirm a region-wide retention crisis and widening skills gaps.

‘The 5.3% regional average reflects stable growth but underscores that competitive pay alone is no longer enough to retain skilled employees,’ Aon said in its analysis.

The study analyzed data from more than 700 companies across six Southeast Asian markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The study shows that while most countries in Southeast Asia are keeping pay hikes moderate, Vietnam leads the region with a projected 7.1% salary increase next year, followed by Indonesia at 5.9%.

By contrast, Singapore and Thailand are among those keeping a tighter rein on compensation growth, with average increases of 4.3% and 4.7%, respectively.

Philippine companies’ dilemma

In the Philippines, salaries are expected to rise moderately by 5.2% in 2026, which is slightly lower than this year’s 5.3% increase. The rate just sits below the regional average.

The country, however, is seen to have highest attrition rates in the region entering 2026, as one in five employees is expected to voluntarily leave their companies.

This projected 20% attrition rate in the Philippines surpasses Singapore’s 19.3% and Malaysia’s 18.2%, underscoring a growing challenge among Philippine employers to hold on to skilled staff amid rising job mobility across industries.

Sectors most affected include information technology, sales, engineering, and cybersecurity, where global demand for digital talent continues to pull Filipino workers toward better-paying opportunities abroad and in multinational firms.

Caloocan City Mayor Along Malapitan suspended classes on Wednesday, October 17, due to continuous bomb threats in schools and even the city hall.

Malapitan suspended classes in both private and public classes, saying that schools in both North and South Caloocan have been getting bomb threats.

Even Caloocan City Hall got bomb threats, Malapitan said.

‘Inatasan na po natin ang ating Caloocan City Police na tiyakin ang kaligtasan ng lahat at ang masusing imbestigasyon at ang pagpapanagot sa mga nanggugulo sa ating siyudad,’ Malapitan said in a Facebook post.

‘We have dispatched our Caloocan City Police to ensure the safety of everyone and to investigate and hold accountable those who are causing trouble in our city.)

Malapitan did not disclose where the bomb threats were received or how many were recorded.

Deloitte Philippines has appointed Ramon Chito Ramos as its new country leader, as the firm broadens its advisory services and digital capabilities.

Ramos succeeds Eric Landicho, who led the firm for eight years.

Ramos previously led Deloitte Philippines’ Technology and Transformation practice, overseeing large-scale technology projects in digital strategy, enterprise modernization and artificial intelligence (AI) integration across the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Ramos joined Deloitte in 2000 as a consultant and grew the team to over 200 professionals.

‘I look forward to working with our talented teams to further strengthen our market position and leverage our multidisciplinary model to deliver end-to-end services that help our clients remain agile in a transforming landscape,’ Ramos said.

Landicho guided the firm by strengthening industry specialization and expanding audit, tax, consulting, legal and risk advisory services.

‘It was a fulfilling eight years as the country leader of Deloitte Philippines, and I am grateful for the privilege to work alongside my fellow partners who are among the most driven and passionate individuals in the industry. Chito brings a sharp strategic lens and deep expertise in advisory and transformation, with over 20 years of experience in our consulting business,’ Landicho said.

Landicho will now focus on client engagement and mentoring emerging leaders.

Deloitte Philippines will continue expanding its advisory portfolio using the Advice, Implement and Operate framework, ERP systems, data analytics and AI to deliver solutions across sectors.

The company has over 1,000 professionals, including nearly 30 partners, and is part of the global Deloitte network in Asia-Pacific.

The Philippine government is hopeful it can conclude ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States by next year, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

During the Senate committee on finance hearing on the DTI’s proposed budget, Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty said the government hopes to conclude the ongoing negotiations with the US in relation to the 19 percent tariff being imposed on Philippine exports by next year.

‘Based on our last discussion, we’re looking at by next year, this will be completed. As to when next year, of course I could not give a definite period,’ he said.

The 19-percent tariff took effect on Aug. 7.

Earlier, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the Philippines is seeking an exemption for coconut exports from the 19 percent tariff imposed by the US.

The Philippines is also seeking to be exempted from the US’ planned imposition of tariffs on its semiconductor imports.

If the US decides to impose a levy on its semiconductor imports, Gepty said around $2.5 billion to $3 billion worth of Philippine exports would be affected.

Philippine semiconductor exports to the US are currently not covered by the 19 percent tariff.

In the same event, Roque said the Philippine government expects to sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November.

She said the signing of the FTA has been tentatively set on Nov. 24.

Once signed, the CEPA with the UAE will be the Philippines’ first free trade deal with the Middle East.

Gepty said the CEPA would cover the Philippines’ products of interest such as banana, pineapple, other tropical fruits, electronics and machineries, as well as transport equipment.

He said the Philippines has also applied for accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The multilateral trade agreement sets high standards for its member countries.

Currently, the CPTPP is composed of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.

The Philippines is also working on other FTAs.

Gepty said there are ongoing negotiations for an FTA with the European Union, as well as with Chile.

There are also ongoing talks for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Canada FTA.

Gepty said the Philippines is also working on a bilateral FTA with Canada and Israel.