Category: Philippine Star

PNR general manager Deovanni Miranda is asking Congress for an additional budget so that his agency could revive Lucena-Naga trips, spanning more than 250 kilometers, by the end of 2026.

For 2026, the Department of Budget and Management is proposing to give the PNR an allocation of P351.62 million, far from the original request of P9.19 billion.

Right now, the PNR is repairing the bridges and tracks to the north of Sipocot, Camarines Sur. It is aiming to reconnect the line to Lucena to provide commuters with rail transit when traveling in Southern Tagalog and Bicol.

Without the requested capital, Miranda said it would be challenging to sustain train services.

The PNR will use the funding to procure maintenance equipment and new locomotives to ensure that trips are comfortable and reliable.

‘The PNR still does not have good maintenance equipment and a train workshop in our southern operations. We still use the same old style of manual maintenance. We don’t have a new fleet of trains which can provide comfortable and reliable long-haul travel,’ Miranda told The STAR.

Fortunately, the PNR is receiving offers from rail operators in Japan and Taiwan for the donation of narrow-gauge locomotives to boost its fleet for Lucena-Naga trips.

The PNR is also ready to spend as much as P143.84 million to migrate its old trainsets in Manila and Caloocan to serve the Lucena and Camarines Sur lines.

A new, improved railway is waiting to be built in the Bicol Region, called the South Long Haul Project. The SLH was supposed to be funded by a loan from China, but Manila withdrew its request in 2023 due to Beijing’s inaction.

The SLH will build a 557-kilometer line between Sucat, Muntinlupa and Matnog, Sorsogon, parallel to the old Bicol Express. Since the SLH will deploy high-speed trains, it will slash travel time from Manila to Bicol to just four hours.

Economist and former Albay lawmaker Joey Salceda is hoping France will take the project as conveyed by French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad Laurent Saint-Martin during his April visit.

Salceda recognizes the funding issue faced by the SLH, especially as it would cost P175 billion to build, making it one of the most expensive projects in the government’s rail pipeline.

For comparison, the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 is estimated to cost P68.2 billion, while the Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension Project requires less at P64.9 billion.

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon is asking the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to find the SLH a new financier immediately.

Given the scale of the SLH, it is banked on to bolster the economic prospects of Bicol, one of the country’s poorest regions.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, poverty incidence in Bicol remains one of the highest at 20.3 percent as of 2023. This is nearly double the national average of 10.9 percent.

‘It (SLH) can provide more impactful outcomes for the regional corridors of Bicol and Southern Tagalog on economic growth, poverty reduction and reduced travel times,’ Ridon told The STAR.

President Marcos has framed his administration as a period for rail renaissance, initially eyeing to partially operate within his term the country’s largest rail projects: the North-South Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway Project.

Instead, the DOTr was burdened with troubles in right of way acquisition, delaying the timelines of ongoing projects, while proposed ones like SLH lost potential funders.

The battle for mall supremacy in the country heats up as Gokongwei-led property giant Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) gears up to unleash its own massive makeover of its shopping centers.

RLC president and CEO Mybelle Aragon-GoBio said the company is preparing to undertake a major mall redevelopment program, which is expected to be announced within the year.

‘We’re just finalizing the costings. Certainly, the more mature ones or flagship malls will be undergoing redevelopment. Watch out for it. It will be big,’ Aragon-GoBio said.

‘This will be the first of such a scale that we will be announcing. First, we intend to do one that’s of a significant scale, and then, in line with the premiumization, it will be a continuous one,’ she said.

Aragon-GoBio said the plan may entail expansion as well as a refresh of existing malls.

‘Where there is an opportunity to increase gross leasable area (GLA), then we do so. So that’s an expansion,’ Aragon-GoBio said.

‘Otherwise, it’s a redevelopment so that we’re able to command better rates. It’s also because consumer preferences are evolving. So they’re becoming more discriminating. They’re looking for more experiential offerings. So that’s what we’re trying to address through premiumization,’ she said.

RLC, the country’s second-largest mall operator, expanded its retail footprint in Mindanao with the opening last April of Robinsons Pagadian, its 56th shopping mall in the country.

Under its Vision 5-25-50 roadmap, which aims to deliver P25 billion in net income by its 50th anniversary in 2030, RLC targets bringing its mall network to 69 and increasing mall GLA by 50 percent.

Aragon-GoBio said that RLC is also keen on putting up more upscale malls following the success of Opus in Bridgetowne estate.

Since its launch in July 2024, Opus has quickly emerged as Metro Manila’s premier destination for luxury, leisure and lifestyle.

The mall features over 148,000 square meters of curated spaces across five levels.

International dining icons like St. Ali, Il Lupino Prime and Dave and Buster’s have chosen Opus for their Philippine debut.

‘We will be upgrading our existing commercial offerings. So be it new-the new malls will have better deliverables, better specifications, better tenant mixes as well. But then also, we’ll be redeveloping certain flagship malls,’ Aragon-GoBio said.

Other major developers are also aggressively renovating their existing malls.

In 2024, Ayala Land of the Zobel family decided to embark on a massive P13-billion redevelopment of its flagship malls. This initiative will see its four iconic shopping centers – Glorietta, Greenbelt, TriNoma and Ayala Center Cebu – reinvented to cater to evolving consumer preferences.

The company also announced that it is spending an additional P4.5 billion to redevelop four more malls – Ayala Malls Abreeza, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Ayala Malls Fairview Terraces and MarQuee Mall.

The redevelopment is expected to unleash the full potential of Ayala Malls’ retail space as well as enhance areas for convergence and create spaces that challenge retailers to bring their best to the Filipino consumer.

SM Supermalls of the Sy family, for its part, aims to maintain its position as the country’s largest mall developer by implementing an aggressive expansion and redevelopment program over the next five years.

SM is investing over P150 billion in 16 major redevelopments and 12 new lifestyle malls to ensure that its entire portfolio evolves into greener, smarter and more people-centered destinations by 2030.

Megaworld Corp. is also growing its leasing business by bringing its signature lifestyle mall concept to more locations, while introducing new experiences that resonate with today’s consumers.

Megaworld Lifestyle Malls will open malls and commercial projects this year at McKinley West in Taguig, Makati, Alabang West in Las Piñas and Boracay Newcoast in Aklan.

As if there were still doubts on Ateneo’s re-emergence as power, the wards of coach Tab Baldwin flushed all those with an emphatic performance versus their archrivals.

The Blue Eagles snapped a two-year losing spell against the La Salle Green Archers, 81-74, and stayed perfect in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament before more than 17,000 fans last night at the MOA Arena.

Ateneo erected a lead as big as 33 points that proved more than enough separation to hold off La Salle’s furious fourth-quarter avalanche that included a 22-0 run.

And the Eagles scored a fourth straight win ahead of another gigantic clash against title holder UP (2-2) on Wednesday.

Earlier, Far Eastern U doused cold water on Adamson’s last-ditch rally to escape with a breakthrough 64-58 win.

Janrey Pasaol drilled in the dagger trey in the final minute as the Tamaraws averted a meltdown from an 11-point lead in the payoff period to enter the winner’s circle at 1-3.

The coming Mindanao leg of the IP Games and the World Wushu Championships headline the topics to be discussed in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, October 7, at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Philippine Sports Commissioner Fritz Gaston talks about his program that will be going to the Province of Agusan Del Norte and Municipality of Buenavista from October 11-12, featuring indigenous people vying in different games and sports.

Wushu Federation of the Philippines Secretary-General Julian Camacho, meanwhile, will be appearing in the Forum for the first time in a long while and is set to discuss the country’s hosting and preparation for the world biennial meet set here in 2027.

Presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus, the session starts at 10:30 a.m.

The public sports program is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which shares it on its official Facebook page Radyo Pilipinas 2 Sports.

Actress Angel Aquino said her life is an ‘open book’ and shared that she also falls in love with women, clarifying her earlier ‘I like girls’ statement in a recent interview.

‘My life’s an open book’

In an interview on Bilyonaryo’s “The Daily Dish,” Aquino was asked if there was anything about her that the public did not yet know.

‘Oh, I don’t know, my life’s an open book. I like girls? There. Well, a lot of people are in denial – sila talaga ‘yung in denial,’ she said.

Aquino then clarified her remark, acknowledging how it might be perceived out of context.

‘Wait, can I just correct that because I said I like girls. You know that might sound – especially with social media – it might sound weird,’ she said.

‘I’m saying I fall in love also with girls and women. They might think it, you know, it can sound weird kasi if you just take it as is,’ she added.

On her dream project and giving back

Aquino was also asked what she would do if she had a billion pesos to spend.

‘I’d be so happy. I will build my pet hotel and make sure that there’s space for my beautiful pets to run around. I will help people with education because I think that education is very important,’ she said.

The actress, who owns six dogs, shared that she initially saw caring for them as a chore before learning to love them, including one dog that belonged to her sister.

‘I was sent through school by Tulong-Dunong, which is an Ateneo scholarship program, and I want to help that. I want to be able to give back,’ she added.

Five Visayan lawmakers joined an initiative of House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan for the creation of a new Samar Island Region – seen as key to unlocking the island’s long-stalled growth and development.

Libanan, in filing House Bill 4218, seeks to carve out Samar Island as a distinct administrative region, separating it from Eastern Visayas.

His initiative is co-authored by Reps. Christopher Sheen Gonzales (Eastern Samar), Stephen James Tan (Samar, First District), Reynolds Michael Tan (Samar, Second District), Niko Raul Daza (Northern Samar, First District) and Edwin Marino Ongchuan (Northern Samar, Second District).

‘This is not just an administrative measure, this is a matter of justice. For centuries, Samar has been left behind despite its enormous potential. The Samar Island Region will finally allow Samar residents to oversee their own development, with government truly within reach of our people,’ said Libanan, who represents the 4Ps party-list in the House of Representatives.

The country’s fourth-largest island, Samar is composed of the provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar (formerly Western Samar).

The lawmakers said that despite its rich natural resources, vast coastlines and proud history, Samar has suffered from neglect, with residents needing to travel to Tacloban City in neighboring Leyte to access basic national government services.

The bill’s authors stressed that establishing the Samar Island Region would bring the government closer to the people, enable faster delivery of services and provide the institutional focus needed to spur rapid infrastructure development, economic growth and jobs creation.

If enacted, the Samar Island Region will become the country’s 19th administrative region, bringing national government presence directly to Samar’s more than 1.9 million residents.

As I reflect on the 20 years since founding Go Negosyo, I am reminded of the journey that has empowered micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to rise to their role of becoming a cornerstone of the Philippine economy. Since 2005 and until now, it is clear that to champion entrepreneurship, I needed to build essential partnerships with the government and rally support from the private sector.

The success of Go Negosyo has always hinged on collaboration. From its inception, the partnership between government and the private sector has been pivotal. When I was appointed as the Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the same year I founded Go Negosyo, it marked the beginning of a harmonious alliance aimed at creating an enabling environment for MSMEs. This partnership inspired the launch of nationwide entrepreneurship caravans and sectoral dialogues that have empowered countless entrepreneurs throughout the Philippines.

Through these initiatives, I saw how effective collaboration can lead to significant results. For instance, the entrepreneurship mentoring caravans not only provided access to resources but also facilitated networking opportunities among the entrepreneurs themselves. This exchange of ideas and experiences has proven invaluable for the MSMEs that participated in our activities.

Moreover, the role of the government in this partnership cannot be overstated. Policies that support entrepreneurship, such as access to funding and training, have been critical in helping MSMEs thrive. The government’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment has encouraged many aspiring entrepreneurs to take the leap and start their own ventures. This collaboration has not only provided the necessary resources and support for MSMEs but has also fostered a culture of entrepreneurship that is vital for economic growth and resilience. The lessons learned from our experiences with past administrations underscore the need for continued cooperation and innovation.

During the tenure of former president Rodrigo Duterte, our advocacy evolved in response to emerging challenges. The introduction of the KMME (Kapatid Mentor Me Program) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry proved that collaborating with government agencies can amplify the efforts of private sector. And when we scaled up KMME into the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network, it showed how a Filipino original can transform our neighboring countries’ MSMEs.

Furthermore, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our A Dose of Hope initiative exemplified the power of private-public partnerships in crisis management. Recognizing the devastating impact of the pandemic on businesses, Go Negosyo mobilized resources and collaborated with various stakeholders to support MSMEs. Initiatives included providing access to vaccines for employees and launching digital platforms to help businesses pivot to online operations.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Go Negosyo broadened its reach, focusing on untapped entrepreneur groups such as women, youth and overseas Filipinos. The First Lady’s LAB for All social and medical services caravan enabled us to take our entrepreneurship to more communities. The President’s prioritization of agriculture and food security dovetailed and fueled our drive to create agripreneurs of our farmers and expand what we began with Kapatid Agri Mentor ME Program, and allowed us to evolve it to Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri Program and to the region-wide ASEAN Food Security Alliance.

Our experience affirms that we need to rally even more support from the private sector to ensure that our initiatives are sustainable and impactful. The private sector has a vital role to play in this ongoing narrative. By investing in MSMEs and providing mentorship, resources and market access, big-brother corporations can help cultivate a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. This partnership is an investment in the future of our economy. When large corporations invest in MSMEs, they create a ripple effect that benefits the entire community, leading to job creation and competitiveness in the region.

An essential aspect of supporting MSMEs is providing access to education and training, most especially the future generation of entrepreneurs. We set up programs dedicated to working with the education sector and introduced public school students to the entrepreneurial mindset and financial literacy. There is so much potential in this collaboration between the private sector, government and educational institutions to create the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The success of Go Negosyo is a collective achievement. It is a reminder of what can be accomplished when we unite for our hardworking small entrepreneurs. We must continue to advocate for them and ensure that they have access to financing, training and markets.

Moving forward beyond our second decade, several key actions must be prioritized. We must continue to strengthen public-private partnerships and collaborations with the government. We must invest in education and training programs to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to adapt to a changing business environment. The private sector must continue to actively support MSMEs through mentorship, funding and access to markets to build a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. Inclusivity is also crucial; empowering groups such as women and the youth with the right tools and resources is vital for their success. Finally, embracing innovation by encouraging MSMEs to adopt digital tools will enhance their competitiveness in an evolving market.

Even as I look back at the milestone that is the 20th year of Go Negosyo, I never fail to remind myself that there is much more work to be done. The difference between now and 2005 is that I am reassured that there are so many Filipinos in the private sector who are willing to help our entrepreneurs, and that our business and government leaders appreciate the role of MSMEs in achieving a more inclusive and prosperous economy for generations of Filipinos to come.

While I’m a huge fan of stock option plans and feel they’re an underused compensation tool, I also recognize the signal risk they introduce when insiders exercise those rights and the subsequent disclosures trigger negative-leaning stories on social media. PLUS shareholders are once bitten (and therefore twice shy), but these sales happened months ago, and the impact was basically unnoticeable through all of the insane noise coming from Senators Villanueva and Gatchalian. Well, at least until Villanueva got sat down by allegations of grotesque corruption, and Gatchalian couldn’t squeal above the volume of the public’s rage for what the ruling class had done with our money. Timing is key.

The government’s decision to realign infrastructure budget to social aid programs risks politicization and fosters dependency among beneficiaries, former Department of Finance secretary Gary Teves said.

While supporting the reallocation of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood control budget, Teves urged the government to channel the funds toward programs that support children and development.

‘We disagree with the decision to realign funds to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s social aid programs or ayuda. These programs often become politicized at the local level and make people overly dependent on government aid,’ he said.

The former finance chief said sufficient learning and health care interventions during a child’s early years are vital to ensuring lifelong cognitive development, improved learning outcomes, and overall well-being.

‘Instead of ayuda, we suggest allocating these funds to interventions related to the first 2,000 days of a child such as immunization, supplementary feeding and nutrient programs in schools and communities,’ Teves added.

Among those social aid programs that received additional funding is the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations at P32 billion, still lower than what the DSWD requested at P37 billion. Meanwhile, the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program received a total of P3 billion.

Teves also recommended reducing allocations for foreign travel expenses, as well as confidential and intelligence funds, by redirecting them to more essential sectors such as tourism and skills development.

Two foreign student-athletes rose above everyone else in exciting Week 2 of the UAAP Season 88 basketball tournaments.

After starting its campaign winless in three games, Far Eastern University finally cracked the win column, sending a timely message to the rest of the league that it is still here to contend, thanks to the heroics of the towering Mo Konateh, who dominated inside the shaded area.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas remained unharmed in its two-game run for the week, as Oma Onianwa made wonders on both ends for coach Haydee Ong and company, improving their record to 3-0.

Owing to their stellar performances for their respective schools, Konateh and Onianwa were named the Collegiate Press Corps’ UAAP Players of the Week presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the period of October 1-5.

Konateh helped the Tamaraws avoid a 0-4 hole with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting inside the arc, a sizeable 21-rebound output, three assists, and two blocks in their 64-58 triumph over Adamson University on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

While he grabbed the much-needed boards all game long, Konateh found a crucial block on Emmanuel Anabo while the Soaring Falcons were trying to claw their way back late in the game, 1:26 left in regulation, to keep the gritty Adamson side at bay.

“That’s what we expect from him [Mo Konateh] and I was glad that he really stepped up today,” FEU coach Sean Chambers said, praising the 6-foot-10 Gambian.

He averaged 16.0 points, 15.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block to win a highly contested vote among the scribes covering the collegiate beat.

Konateh, last season’s Mythical Team member, bested Ateneo de Manila University’s Dom Escobar and Shawn Tuano, La Salle’s Mike Phillips, UST’s Nic Cabañero, and UP’s Harold Alarcon for the citation that has Discovery Suites and Buffalo’s Wild Wings N’ Things as sponsors.

As Chambers coined it, the Tamaraws “had their moments” against their past opponents, including De La Salle University, to which they lost by a slim margin, 72-74, on Wednesday at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

By then, Konateh still put up big numbers of 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Onianwa, on the other hand, was unstoppable as she fueled the Growling Tigresses with an 18-point, 15-rebound showing en route to a 76-62 victory over defending women’s hoops champion National University – a much-anticipated Finals rematch that ultimately became a lopsided encounter in their favor on Wednesday right inside their España campus.

During that game, the Onianwa-led UST overpowered the boards with a whopping 78 rebounds – a staggering 43 from the offensive glass, compared to NU’s 37 boards in total and six offensive.

The Nigerian center then again had a fine performance of 17 points and six rebounds in just 19 minutes of play as the Tigresses overwhelmed University of the East with a 57-point shellacking, 99-42, on Saturday to defend home turf anew.

As they currently ride on an unbeaten run, Ong is already looking forward to Onianwa matching up against Ateneo’s back-to-back MVP and Gilas Pilipinas Women standout Kacey Dela Rosa, as well as FSA Sarah Makanjoula.

“Of course, very important si Oma. At least ngayon, we’re not undersized na against kina Kacey [dela Rosa] tsaka [Sarah] Makanjoula,” said Ong.

“With the help of Oma, at least we can do one-on-one defense against Kacey or meron pa rin kaming itu-tweak sa depensa, but Oma will be a big help against Kacey sa Saturday.” the UST tactician added.

Onianwa, who had averages of 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in just over 22 minutes per game, garnered a unanimous nod over Cheska Apag of Adamson, Dela Rosa of Ateneo, Amyah Español of FEU and Tin Cayabyab of NU.