Category: Philippine Star

Bills amending old laws, as well as those pushing for artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and more, are being prioritized for the 20th Congress, according to the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) on Wednesday, October 1.

The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), a joint effort between Congressional leaders and the President to align priority laws, has unveiled 44 bills it wishes to prioritize.

This was the first LEDAC meeting with newly installed leaders Senate President Tito Sotto and House Speaker Bojie Dy. The DEPDev initially proposed 33 measures from executive agencies, to which Congress added 11 more bills.

Two of these measures were proposed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., namely the Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act and the Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act.

‘We aim to sustain the strong momentum we established during the 19th Congress. With continued collaboration between the Senate and the House of Representatives, we are confident in our ability to push forward a legislative agenda that delivers meaningful change and a brighter future for all Filipinos,’ DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

The DEPDev listed the 44 LEDAC bills as follows:

Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act

Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act

Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bill

Waste-to-Energy Bill

EPIRA Amendments: Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Strengthening Bill

National Land Use Act

Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics

Blue Economy Act

Amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law

Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance Act

Right to Information Act

Amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act

Philippine Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act

Amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act

National Center for Geriatric Health

Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Act

Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act

Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act

Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act

Amendments to the Teachers Professionalization Act

Amendments to the Local Government Code

General Tax Amnesty

Extension of Estate Tax Amnesty

Amendments to the Fisheries Code

Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law

Amendments to the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Law

Amendments to the Biofuels Act

Cybersecurity Act

Amendments to the National Building Code

Amendments to the Magna Carta for MSMEs

National Reintegration Bill

Reprogramming of Seal of Good Local Governance

Digital Payments Act

Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development

Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act

Requiring Civil Servants to Waive Bank Secrecy

Law on Online Gambling

Disaster Risk Financing Insurance

Strengthening the Bases Conversion and Development Authority

Presidential Merit Scholarship Program

Disqualifying Relatives of Officials (4th degree) in Government Contracts

Fair Use of Social Media, AI and Internet Technology in Elections

Modernizing the Bureau of Immigration

Magna Carta for Barangays

Several bills on the LEDAC list appear to address recent corruption scandals involving government officials.

The flood control kickback scheme in the Department of Public Works and Highways exposed several weaknesses in government mechanisms against corruption and money laundering. Several lawmakers have been implicated in the Bulacan flood control mess, while several government contractors have been accused of executing ghost control projects.

Mapua delivered a fitting tribute to the golden anniversary of the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ via a 90-89 triple overtime cliffhanger over Lyceum of the Philippines University Wednesday in the 101sth NCAA basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It was a victory that set in motion the Cardinals’ title defense that came on the very same day and venue where one of the best, if not the best, sporting moments – which featured an unforgettable boxing duel between greats Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier – was staged exactly 50 years ago.

Jc Recto paced his team with 16 points that came with nine rebounds, three assists and a game-high five steals while Marc Cuenco scattered 14 points, including that one free throw with 12 seconds remaining that eventually turned out the dagger.

It launched Mapua’s campaign for a back-to-back crown, or just a season after ending a long championship wait that spanned 33 years.

Yam Concepcion likewise came through with a double-double effort of 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Clint Escamis, the 2023 MVP who decided to skip turning pro to suit up one final time for his alma mater, had an opening day mishap where he missed all his five 3-point attempts and finished with only eight points after fouling out late in regulation.

Good thing the others stepped up.

It was a heartbreaking finish for the Pirates, who appeared to have taken control in the second OT when it led by as much as five points early in that period only to disintegrate in the end.

LPU had one final chance to steal the win in the dying seconds but Lyon Pallingayan’s short jumper was fangless and off the mark.

Concepcion plucked the rebound to seal the deal.

The scores:

Mapua 90 – Recto 16, Sapasap 16, Cuenco 14, Concepcion 13, Gonzales 11, Escamis 8, Igliane 8, Ryan 2, Gulapa 2, Nitura 0, Lazarte 0, Delos Reyes 0, Reyes 0, Abdulla 0.

LPU 89 – Villegas 23, Versoza 14, Daileg 13, Barba 8, Pallingayan 7, Gordon 5, Aurige 5, Aviles 5, Matienzo 4, Moralejo 3, Montaño 2, Peñafiel 0.

Quarterscores: 19-21; 34-44, 63-55; 74-74 (reg.); 80-80 (OT); 90-89 (2OT)

The Archdiocese of Cebu has formally installed Archbishop Alberto ‘Abet’ Uy as its new shepherd during a Solemn Canonical Possession and Installation Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Tuesday, September 30.

Led into the cathedral by Msgr. Vicente Rey Penagunda, Vicar General and Cathedral Rector, Archbishop Uy took his place at the ‘cathedra’, the bishop’s throne symbolizing his authority as the 25th Bishop and fifth Metropolitan Archbishop of Cebu. He succeeds Archbishop Jose Palma, who retired after nearly 15 years as the province’s chief pastor.

In his Words of Thanks, Archbishop Uy declared: ‘My good people in Cebu, I am here, reporting for duty. The Archdiocese of Cebu is so big and my capacity is so little. Please be good to me. I promise to give you my best, so we can walk closer to Christ, our true shepherd.’

The new prelate expressed gratitude to his family, clergy, religious, lay faithful, and those who joined the celebration both onsite and online. He described his family as his ‘first home, first teachers, first good friends, and constant source of support.’

‘I come to you as your unworthy servant, fully aware that I cannot complete this mission alone. I will always need God’s unfailing help and yours as well,’ he said, vowing to work with priests, consecrated men and women, lay faithful, government officials, and other faith leaders in building ‘bridges, not walls, for the good of every Cebuano.’

Archbishop Uy also acknowledged the people’s yearning for authentic leadership.

‘In our country today, people long for leaders who are transparent, accountable, and faithful to their mission. I want to embrace that call as your shepherd, and I ask my brother priests to walk with me in this same spirit of integrity,’ he said.

Reflecting on his new responsibility, he quoted an Irish sailor’s prayer: ‘Lord, the ocean is so big, and my boat is so small. Have mercy on me.’

He ended with a humble promise: ‘I do not dream of being a great Archbishop. I may not be the best Archbishop. But I promise you this, I will give you my very best, so that together we may walk closer to Christ, our true Shepherd.’

Messages of support

Palma, Archbishop-Emeritus, urged the faithful to welcome Uy with openness and unity.

‘With the installation of our new Archbishop of Cebu, His Excellency, Most Rev. Alberto Uy, I invite all of you to embrace this moment of synodality, this wonderful opportunity for unity and growth within our community,’ Palma said.

He assured his successor of continued support: ‘To Archbishop Abet, I assure you, in my own little way, I am just a text away. Expect our love and support in any way possible.’

Papal Nuncio Most Rev. Charles John Brown also called on Cebuanos to ‘love, pray, respect, and help’ the new shepherd, while Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle reminded the faithful that ministry must be rooted in service, not worldly recognition.

‘Jesus was not seeking celebrity status, nor marching bands, nor millions of likes and views. He was seeking to do God’s will no matter what the cost,’ Tagle stressed.

CIVIC Welcome

A day prior to his formal installation, a civic reception was held at the Cebu Capitol in honor of the new archbishop. Among those present were Governor Pamela Baricuatro, Vice Governor Glenn Soco, Cebu mayors, church leaders, and civic figures including former Chief Justice Hilario Davide III.

Baricuatro hailed Cebu as ‘the cradle of faith and birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines,’ noting that Uy’s appointment by Pope Francis last July marked ‘another chapter in the faith journey of the Cebuanos.’

‘We are deeply grateful for Archbishop Palma’s years of faithful service and spiritual guidance,’ she said.

‘We are filled with hope as we welcome Archbishop Uy, who has been known for his simplicity, compassion, and genuine love for the poor,’ the governor added.

Uy, in his Capitol address, highlighted that Cebu now has ‘four new leaders’ – a new archbishop, a new governor, a new vice governor, and a new Cebu City mayor.

‘Four new leaders mean four new beginnings, four fresh opportunities to dream together, to build together, and to hope together,’ he said, emphasizing that true leadership is about service, not power.

The Cebu Provincial Board also passed a resolution formally welcoming Uy and extending the felicitations of the August Body and the people of the province.

Embassies in Manila have expressed condolences and pledged support to the Philippines after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu on Tuesday night, September 30.

Latest information shows the quake has killed as many as 60 people, with numbers still expected to rise.

At least seven embassies have expressed sympathy for those affected by the earthquake as of Wednesday noon (October 1).

The United States and Canada said they were ready to assist the Philippine government’s response to the earthquake.

“We stand ready to support the government’s response as #FriendsPartnersAllies,” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson posted on social media, adding that the embassy was monitoring updates from PHIVOLCS.

The Canadian Embassy conveyed sympathy to affected communities, saying it ‘mourns the loss of lives’ and is prepared to work with Philippine agencies, humanitarian partners, and the international community ‘to help meet urgent needs.’

The European Union, Germany, India, Slovenia, and Australia issued similar statements. EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro said the bloc ‘stands in solidarity’ with the Philippines, while German Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the tragedy.

India’s mission in Manila, the Embassy of Slovenia, and Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown likewise extended their condolences to the victims and their families.

The embassy messages came as authorities continued search and rescue efforts in Cebu, where the death toll has climbed past 60, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Wednesday at a press conference.

The numbers are still expected to rise as the OCD said it is still “receiving additional numbers of reported casualties.”

The quake’s epicenter was 19 kilometers northeast of the city of Bogo, which has an estimated population of 90,000.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered agencies to swiftly provide aid to affected residents.

More than 300 aftershocks were recorded after the quake.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the Philippines at 5.6 percent this year, but trimmed its projection for 2026 amid heightened uncertainties from global trade policy changes.

In a report, the ADB said it expects the Philippine economy to grow by 5.6 percent this year, unchanged from its July forecast.

If realized, Philippine economic growth would fall within the government’s 5.5 to 6.5 percent growth target for the year.

The ADB also expects the Philippines to remain a bright spot in Southeast Asia this year, posting the second-fastest growth in the region, next to Vietnam’s 6.7 percent.

In the first semester, the Philippine economy posted an average growth of 5.4 percent.

For 2026, the ADB’s new growth projection is 5.7 percent, slightly lower than the previous forecast of 5.8 percent.

The forecast is also below the government’s target of six to seven percent growth for 2026.

The ADB adjusted the 2026 forecast due to a more challenging external environment, heightened uncertainty, shifting trade and investment policies, as well as a lower growth forecast in major advanced economies, which could weigh on trade and investment prospects.

Despite the risks, ADB country director for the Philippines Andrew Jeffries said the country’s growth outlook remains resilient.

‘Though these uncertainties pose increased risk, we see strong domestic demand anchoring growth, with sustained investments and an accommodative monetary policy supporting the economy’s expansion,’ he said.

The report also showed that the ADB expects inflation to ease further this year to 1.8 percent, slower than the 2.2 percent forecast it provided in July.

Inflation averaged 1.7 percent from January to August.

For next year, the ADB expects inflation to rise to three percent and return to the government’s target range of two to four percent.

Inflation is expected to remain low due to slower global commodity prices and muted food prices, as well as improvements in the local rice supply.

The ADB noted, however, that adverse weather conditions and climate shocks could put pressure on commodity prices.

Corruption issues in the government’s flood control projects also pose risks to the economic projections.

‘Corruption has broad impacts on economic growth in general and investment sentiment. So we’re monitoring that and how that may be affected going forward,’ Jeffries said.

With the economy driven mainly by domestic consumption, he said the ADB did not reduce the GDP forecasts due to the recently exposed corruption issues.

‘But it’s certainly a heightened risk. Between now and our December update, there may be more quantifiable data available that may alter our projections,’ he said.

Despite the corruption issues, he reiterated the ADB’s continued support for projects in the country.

‘We don’t anticipate backing off if the government requests more of our assistance,’ he said.

He emphasized that the ADB has strict oversight measures in place to ensure that loan disbursements are used for their intended purpose.

The ADB also has strict technical and financial qualifications in the procurement of projects.

While the government has flagged contractors that cornered a significant amount of flood control projects, the ADB said an officially sanctioned government blacklist would be needed to debar firms from its projects.

The 50th season of the PBA will be kicking off with a bang.

Manila Clasico will come early, as Barangay Ginebra takes on the Magnolia Hotshots in the season opener this Sunday, September 5.

Magnolia, now coached by former Ginebra point guard LA Tenorio, will take on his former team at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Their matchup will follow the Leo Awards, wherein last season’s awardees will be crowned. It will be the lone game on opening day.

Tenorio, who played 12 seasons with the Gin Kings, is listed as a playing coach for the Hotshots. Now, he will be facing off against his longtime mentor Tim Cone.

Magnolia will be led by Zav Lucero, Mark Barroca and Paul Lee, while Ginebra will continue to be spearheaded by Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar.

Eyes will also be on Ginebra rookie Sonny Estil, an unheralded player who boosted his draft stock after stellar showings in the PBA Draft combine.

According to the league, 27 game days will be played outside Metro Manila, including one in Dubai and two in Bahrain.

The season will also have almost a few weeks off, from November 17 to December 4, to make way for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers window.

The opening week of the season will also see the debut of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, which were formerly the NorthPort Batang Pier. The Giant Risers will take on the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday, October 8, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The same day, defending All-Filipino champions San Miguel Beermen will face off against the NLEX Road Warriors.

In the All-Filipino conference, the 12 participating teams will play a single elimination round, with each team having 11 games.

The eliminations are set to run until December 19, followed by the playoffs.

Abra Solid North extended its winning streak to a record 26, while Caloocan clinched the last outright playoff berth on Tuesday at the close of the Manny Pacquiao Presents MPBL 2025 Season round-robin elimination phase at the Robert Estrella Sr. Memorial Gymnasium in Rosales, Pangasinan.

The Weavers battered undermanned Mindoro, 104-82, in the opener to surpass the 25 straight victories it shared with Nueva Ecija and rise to 28-1 – also an all-time league best – in the North Division of the 30-team tournament.

Caloocan banked on Jeff Manday to nip Pangasinan, 77-74, in the second game and improve to 21-8, good for the sixth spot in the North and a best-of-three playoff tussle with No. 3 San Juan.

Pangasinan skidded to 20-9 and the seventh spot, relegating the Heatwaves to a play-in encounter with No. 8 Ilagan Isabela at the same venue on Thursday.

Manday scored six of Caloocan’s last 8 points as the Batang Kankaloo overturned a 69-71 deficit following a triple by Pangasinan’s JP Maguliano.

The Batang Kankaloo got 12 points plus three rebounds from Rommel Calahat; 11 points, six rebounds and three assists from Cris Bitoon; and 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals from Manday.

The Pangasinan Heatwaves drew 11 points from Allyn Bulanadi, whose buzzer-beating triple attempt went short, and 10 points plus eight rebounds from Maguliano.

Encho Serrano, John Uduba and Dave Ildefonso delivered the most as the Weavers gifted their head coach, Yong Garcia, with another easy victory.

Serrano posted 29 points, 11 rebounds and four assists; Uduba 21 points and 10 rebounds; and Ildefonso 21 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Weavers, who clustered 15 points to seal the outcome, 96-71.

The Tamaraws fell to 15-14, but kept the eighth spot in the South Division.

Mindoro got 17 points from RJ Ramirez; 15 from Ethan Galang; 14 from Marion Magat; and 12 from homegrown Hanz Philip Maycong.

Opting to conserve its strength for the play-in against Zamboanga Sikat on October 4., Mindoro did not field starters Ino Comboy, Bam Gamalinda and Joseph Sedurifa, role player Jeco Bancale and veteran Ken Bono.

The league returns to the Estrella Gymnasium on Thursday, October 2, with play-in games pitting Pasig against Bataan at 4 p.m. and Pangasinan against Ilagan, Isabela, at 6 p.m.

Playoff qualifiers San Juan and Rizal Province closed their elimination round campaign with victories over also-ran Marikina and Bacolod on Monday in the Manny Pacquiao MPBL 2025 Season at the Marikina Sports Center.

The San Juan Knights trounced the Marikina Shoemasters, 78-61, to improve to 26-3 and finish No. 3 in the North Division behind the Abra Weavers (27-1) and the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (27-2) in the round-robin elimination phase.

The first batch of criminal and administrative charges was finally filed against resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and 17 others over a reported anomalous flood control project found in Oriental Mindoro. Less than three weeks after it was organized, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) initiated the filing of these cases before the Office of the Ombudsman last Monday.

The three-man ICI headed by retired Supreme Court (SC) associate justice Andres Reyes Jr. acted on the findings of the team led by Department of Public Works and Highways acting Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ Dizon, accompanied by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who was then the ‘special adviser’ to the ICI, that conducted the ocular inspection of the project site pointed out to them by Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor.

After Malacañang spokesperson Claire Castro seemingly cast doubt on his impartiality, Magalong resigned. He was replaced by retired police chief Rodolfo Azurin as ICI investigator and ‘special adviser.’

The ICI’s first ever interim report was personally delivered by Reyes to the Office of the Ombudsman. The criminal charges included violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019), malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents by a public officer (Article 217 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code) and violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184). Co’s co-accused included DPWH district engineers and the private contractor of the project.

According to the ICI report, Co has been recommended to be charged for receiving ‘unwarranted benefits’ in relation to the construction projects of Sunwest Inc., one of the 15 contractors that have cornered P545 billion worth of flood control projects of the DPWH budget for the past three years.

‘While Cong. Co claims to have divested his interests, reports suggest he may potentially retain beneficial ownership. The Commission underscores that additional evidence is needed to establish any definitive connection,’ the ICI noted.

After submission of the ICI interim report, Reyes immediately left the Office of the Ombudsman and declined media interviews. But speaking for the ICI, its executive director Brian Keith Hosaka told reporters the ICI chairman is merely trying to ‘prudently’ and ‘carefully’ work quietly to ferret out the truth on the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. Hosaka further sought to assuage public concern over the ICI proceedings being conducted behind closed doors. He stressed the Commission is striving to shield itself from political interference, saying: ‘We cannot allow the ICI to be used by any political agenda or leverage.’

In Executive Order (EO) No. 94 signed on Sept.11, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM) created the ICI as a fact-finding body. Among other things, PBBM empowered the ICI to investigate the alleged ‘ghost’ flood control and other infra projects for the past 10 years. The President subsequently named Reyes to chair the ICI after he earlier appointed former DPWH secretary Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson and SGV and Co. country managing partner Rossana A. Fajardo as Commission members.

Yesterday, Reyes signed in behalf of the ICI a memorandum of agreement with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in its effort to facilitate freezing of bank deposits and other assets of Co and other individuals implicated in various alleged ‘ghost’ flood control and substandard infra projects.

The current ICI is well-intentioned but is not good enough. It lacks subpoena and prosecutorial powers. As stated in EO 94, the ICI can be assisted by the ombudsman, Department of Justice (DOJ) and its attached agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and some other government agencies that it may call upon for assistance.

While the ICI doing its own work, the Senate decided to continue with its on-going ‘inquiry in aid of legislation’ into the alleged ‘ghost’ flood control projects of the DPWH. However, its parallel congressional investigation being done by the House infra committee headed by Bicol Saro party-list Rep.Terry Ridon has been called off upon the imprimatur of newly installed Speaker, Isabela Rep. Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III.

Before it closed down its public hearings, dismissed DPWH district engineers of Bulacan Brice Hernandez tagged former Senate Senate pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada and majority leader Joel Villanueva. At the last House hearing, Hernandez pointed to Estrada and Villanueva as ‘proponents’ who downloaded their flood control projects in the province in the 2025 budget. On the other hand, one of the 15 DPWH contractors admitted he was an election campaign donor of ex-Senate president Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.

Conducting its own motu proprio investigation, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, currently headed by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson, has conducted six public hearings so far as of last Monday. On that day, a ‘surprise witness,’ retired Marine Sgt. Orly Guteza, testified under oath that the alleged kickbacks from these DPWH projects were delivered to the Valle Verde residence of Co and that of former speaker Martin Romualdez. Earlier that day, retired DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo testified that a businessman-friend of Escudero acted as the alleged go-between of the ex-Senate chief in securing funds for projects in the DPWH budget.

With these very serious accusations, how can we expect an impartial conduct of congressional investigations when ‘almost all senators’ – as Lacson admitted – are involved in the budget mess? In the same way, as Lacson cited, there were many House members who got the bulk of budget ‘insertions.’ So how can the House investigate itself when many of their 316 or so colleagues in the present 20th Congress were re-elected from the 19th Congress that was behind the mangled 2025 budget?

Summing up, the first-best solution is to have a strong, unbiased, fearless ombudsman in the mold of the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, whose ninth death anniversary was observed last Monday. There are 17 candidates being vetted by the Judicial and Bar Council in the search for the new ombudsman.

The solution is to prosecute corrupt politicians, government executives and corrupt contractors; jail them – and make them pay.

Jake Figueroa showed why he is the top dog of National University.

Figueroa scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to tow the Bulldogs past the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 76-69, in their UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament matchup Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

The small forward shot 6-of-12 from the floor, including the dagger triple, while hauling down nine rebounds and dishing out two assists.

NU thus remained spotless through three games, joining the Ateneo Blue Eagles on top of the standings.

After Gelo Crisostomo’s short stab gave UST a 65-62 lead with 7:22 remaining, NU’s Gelo Santiago and Figueroa teamed up and scored four straight points to push the Bulldogs 66-65.

Mark Llemit then put UST up front anew, 67-66, before the two squads went on a dry spell.

Santiago and Figueroa broke the drought with back-to-back shots to give NU a 70-67 lead.

Nic Cabanero hit a jumper to inch the Tigers, playing in their own stomping grounds, closer.

But on the other end, Figueroa sized up Collins Akowe and hit the dagger 3-pointer to push NU ahead for good, 73-69.

In the next possession, UST point guard Forthsky Padrigao hoisted up an off-balanced triple that missed everything.

Free throws by Paul Francisco and Steve Nash Enriquez iced the game.

Omar John and PJ Palacielo chipped in 10 markers for the Bulldogs.

Cabanero paced UST with 19 points, six rebounds and an assist, but shot 8-of-19 from the floor. Amiel Acido backstopped with 18 points while Mark Llemit had 12.

Collins Akowe, a product of the NU Bullpups program where he won the UAAP Most Valuable Player and Best Foreign Student-Athlete awards, was held to just five points and eight rebounds after dominating in his first two collegiate games.

Before the contest, Akowe averaged 24.5 points and 18 rebounds per game.

UST now dropped to 2-1 this season. It will try to bounce back as it takes on still-winless University of the East Red, while NU will aim to keep its streak against defending champion University of the Philippines.

Both games will be held this Saturday, October 4, at the same venue.