Category: Philippine Star

While riveted by the events unfolding at the Senate, let’s not forget the threat faced by millions of young people in our schools.

This week, security was tightened at a school in Biliran while classes were suspended yesterday at the Hua Siong College of Iloilo over a ‘reported security concern’ and at Far Eastern University-Alabang because of a bomb threat.

Even if such threats are foiled or are merely pranks, they surely affect the mental health of students and school staff alike.

You can’t go to a learning institution fearing that it might be your last day on Earth because some troubled teen has a death wish and wants to take others with him.

The deadly attacks carried out by students could inspire copycats. Unless nipped early and decisively, serious mental health problems could reach epidemic proportions in our schools, threatening not only learning but, as we have tragically seen, lives.

There are no quick fixes to the deadly violence perpetrated by minors against minors, now occurring with increasing frequency in both public and private high schools.

Obviously, multifaceted responses are called for, with everyone helping to deal with mental health issues and prevent violence.

One way of being part of the solution: you or someone you know might want to work as a mental health counselor in schools.

The shooter at the Banga National High School in South Cotabato had been exhibiting troubling behavior and psychological problems for several months now, according to his bereaved mother, who reportedly planned to take him to a psychiatrist.

She probably couldn’t find a psychiatrist. Data from the Professional Regulation Commission showed that as of July this year, the country had only 548 medical doctors specializing in mental health.

The country has 2,873 licensed psychologists and 50,048 licensed psychometricians who assist psychologists. Whether they would be interested in working in schools is another story.

The country has 5,000 registered guidance counselors, but only about 1,000 work as RGCs in a system of over 45,000 public schools. The recommended ratio is one RGC per 250 students.

Recruiting RGCs can be a problem. Not only because of the modest pay compared with the needed qualifications (starting salary is P40,000 a month), but also because only a few higher education institutions offer the required master’s degree in guidance counseling or psychology.

These include the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, National Teachers’ College and Miriam College.

An RGC needs a professional license and civil service eligibility to work in public schools.

Since 2024, the Department of Education (DepEd) has been asking for the scrapping of the requirement for a master’s degree for RGCs. But this will require an amendment of Republic Act (RA) 9258, the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004.

While waiting for such an amendment, DepEd is creating this year about 10,000 positions for school counselor associates, where the starting salary is P31,000 a month plus P2,000 personal economic relief allowance.

The requirements for counselor associates are less rigorous: a bachelor’s degree in psychology, guidance and counseling or related course, with at least 18 units in behavioral science and supervised internship of at least 200 hours.

Last July, the Civil Service Commission approved the qualification standards for the school counselors. The CSC said this was in support of RA 12080, the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act passed in December 2024.

RA 12080 requires all public elementary and high schools to set up a Care Center to provide mental health counseling, screening and crisis response, with focus on stress management, suicide prevention and referral systems for students and teachers alike.

The law also requires the establishment of a Mental Health and Well-Being Office in every Schools Division Office to supervise local programs. It creates plantilla positions for DepEd schools division counselors, school counselors and school counselor associates.

In August 2024, executive director Karol Mark Yee of the Second Congressional Commission on Education had said that every year, the country has only 300 graduates of guidance counseling nationwide. At that rate, Yee said it would take 14 years to fill the needed vacancies.

For Nesthy Petecio, there is almost nothing left to win.

She’s got not just one Olympic medal but two. She’s been a top podium finisher in the Worlds. And she’s dominated the Southeast Asian Games.

The Davao del Sur southpaw has built one of the most decorated resumes in Philippine boxing history. But one line in that resume has stayed stubbornly blank: the Asian Games.

The 34-year-old has been to the Asiad before and left without a medal. Now in Aichi-Nagoya, she gets one more shot at it – one that could finally complete her collection.

With her longtime division, the 57kg featherweight class, removed from the 2026 Asian Games program, Petecio moves up to 60kg lightweight and thus has to face heavier opponents and heavier punches.

Nonetheless, she’s locked in on the mission.

She starts her campaign tomorrow in the Round of 16 against Mays Alreem Abukhadijah of Jordan.

On paper, it’s a kind of light opening assignment for a two-time Olympic medalist. Abukhadijah is a young fighter from a federation still finding its feet in women’s boxing, without major international hardware to her name.

But Nesthy knows so well that at the Asian Games, nothing comes light.

Beyond Saturday, the draw gets brutal as giants await. To win that elusive medal, Petecio will have to go through the best in Asia, at a heavier weight, at 34 years old.

The list includes Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva (World Championships bronze and back-to-back golds at the World Boxing Cups), Chinese Taipei’s reigning Olympic champion Lin Yu-ting, Vietnam Olympian Ha Thi Linh, Japan home favorite Ayaka Taguchi, Mongolia’s 2026 Asian Championship bronze medalist Namuun Monkhor, plus India’s rising Priya Ghanghas and Korea’s seasoned Yeonji Oh.

But it matters so much to Petecio, and that could well fuel her drive.

For years she carried Philippine boxing on her shoulders. A world title already proved she can beat anyone. Two Olympic medals proved she can do it when the lights are brightest.

An Asian Games medal would prove something else: that she finished everything she set out to do.

In Nagoya this week, she isn’t just fighting for a podium. She’s fighting for one more medal – the only one missing.

ACEN Corp. of the Zobel family has completed the sale of a portion of its stake in a large-scale solar project in India to Netherlands-based Diamond India Renewables One B.V. (DIRO).

In a stock exchange filing yesterday, ACEN said the deal closed on Sept. 23, giving DIRO an initial 10-percent voting interest in Tejorupa Renewables India Project Pte. Ltd.

The transaction follows ACEN’s earlier disclosure of plans to divest up to a 49-percent stake in Tejorupa. Financial details were not immediately disclosed.

To facilitate the deal, ACEN units Unlimited Renewables Holdings B.V. and Amsa Solar Holdco Pte. Ltd. entered into a securities subscription and purchase agreement, as well as a shareholders’ agreement, with DIRO.

Unlimited Renewables is a subsidiary of ACEN, while Amsa Solar is an entity under ACEN’s joint venture with Singapore-based UPC Renewables for power projects in India.

Through the investment, DIRO gains an interest in Tejorupa, which is developing a 250-megawatt (MW) alternating-current solar farm in Rajasthan, India.

As of June, India projects accounted for around 20 percent of ACEN’s total attributable renewables capacity, latest company data showed.

In recent months, the Ayala Group’s listed energy platform has moved to reduce its equity interests in select renewable power projects under construction in India.

Earlier this year, ACEN also disclosed plans to sell up to 49-percent interests in two India wind projects totaling 120 MW to DIRO.

These include the 100-MW Diyos Renewables project and the 20-MW Avana Renewables facility. Both projects will rise in Karnataka, India.

The budget for public schools has doubled in five years, from P30 billion in 2022 to P61.02 billion in the proposed 2027 budget, the Department of Education said yesterday.

Included in the DepEd’s P975.96-billion budget for 2027 is the increase in school-level maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).

Per-learner MOOE allocations for elementary schools will reach P2,982; junior high school, P2,744 and senior high school, P3,558. This year’s school operating funds are at P60.89 billion.

‘By simplifying funding formulas and steadily expanding per-learner operational support, we are removing unnecessary bottlenecks so school administrators and teachers can focus on teaching rather than worrying about basic school upkeep,’ Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

Critics have slammed the lower budget for education in the 2027 national outlay compared to this year.

The Carmen behind Carmen’s Best is now in the United States, and the brand’s founder is no longer part of its management team.

Yet the homegrown ice cream brand continues to enjoy sweet success, thanks to a solid foundation and owners who have a sweet tooth.

‘It has grown a lot more than when I was handling it,’ Carmen’s Best founder Francisco ‘Paco’ Magsaysay told The STAR in an interview.

‘Because with a group like Metro Pacific, their network is quite vast and when it comes to negotiations, their leverage is on a different level and they’re working with bigger companies,’ he added.

Carmen’s Best, which started in 2007 from a small farm in Laguna, was named after Paco’s only daughter.

Paco said the ‘Carmen of Carmen’s Best’ studied abroad and is now based in the US.

Through Paco’s resilience and passion to make the best-tasting ice cream, Carmen’s Best developed into a formidable ice cream brand in the Philippines.

In 2022, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures, the agricultural arm of Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Group, acquired a controlling 51 percent stake of Carmen’s Best ice cream and the rest of its dairy group.

Paco said Pangilinan’s sweet tooth and liking for ice cream were perhaps one of the reasons why the business titan decided to pursue Carmen’s Best.

‘I remember there was one time I visited him (Pangilinan) and I brought him a new flavor, it was my Kakigori flavor. And I thought he was just going to eat one or two spoons, but when our meeting ended, he finished the whole thing,’ he said.

Since the entry of the Metro Pacific Group, Paco said Carmen’s Best sales have increased by more than 100 percent.

‘So it’s a different company now. It’s not the same company I started. Even like our kids, they all evolve. They become teens, then they reach their 20s, 30s. Things evolve. Companies evolve. People evolve,’ said Paco, the son of former senator Ramon ‘Jun’ Magsaysay

Beyond the Scoop

Paco decided to share lessons in his journey in building up the business in his new book titled ‘Beyond the Scoop: The Carmen’s Best Story.’ He said the book is targeted for aspiring entrepreneurs, people in business and people thinking of getting into business.

In the book, he described selling Carmen’s Best to the MVP Group as both a blessing and a challenge.

‘On one hand, it was an opportunity to grow even further, to reach heights that would have been difficult to achieve on our own. It validated everything we had worked so hard to build,’ he said.

On the other hand, he also acknowledged that it wasn’t easy to let go, comparing it to watching one’s child leave home for college.

‘You’re proud. You’re excited for what’s ahead. But at the same time, you know things will never quite be the same again,’ he said.

In the end, Paco shared that even if he is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the ice cream brand, the way he used to be, he will always be connected to Carmen’s Best.

E-wallet giant GCash is expected to book an immediate P36.5 billion in proceeds prior to listing, as large-scale funders take position, buying in as cornerstone investors. Based on its preliminary red herring prospectus, GCash’s parent Mynt Inc. said it has secured commitments from local and global investors to take part in its initial public offering (IPO).

Mynt’s cornerstone investors will purchase up to 59.8 percent of the shares, assuming the overallotment option is exercised, that the company would be selling in the IPO. These investors would inject around P36.5 billion, or $581.3 million, into the company, which would cover 40 percent of Mynt’s P92.3-billion target proceeds in the IPO.

One of the cornerstone investors is multinational investor and New York Stock Exchange-listed BlackRock Inc., which manages a $15.3-trillion portfolio composed of holdings in some of the world’s biggest tech brands such as Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia.

Los Angeles-based investor Capital Research and Management Co. is also buying into Mynt, as well as the World Bank’s private sector financing arm International Finance Corp.

Locally, the investment units of the country’s largest banks committed to Mynt’s IPO, including BPI Asset Management and Trust Co., China Bank Capital Corp. and Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co.’s Trust Banking Group.

Mynt said cornerstone investors have agreed to participate in the offer at a price of no more than P6.60 per share, lower than the indicative range of P7 to P10.

Next to watch out for in the IPO is the setting of the final offer price on Oct. 1. The IPO will be held from Oct. 6 to 12, and listing of the shares on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange set on Oct. 20.

Mynt president and CEO Martha Sazon said the commitments from large-scale investors such as BlackRock shows the strength of GCash in financial technology. She also views the interest as a vote of confidence in GCash’s long-term viability.

‘We believe this reflects confidence in our position as the nation’s number one finance superapp, our track record of profitable growth and a significant market opportunity that lies ahead of us,’ Sazon said.

GCash is aiming to raise from its IPO as much as P92.3 billion, set to become the largest listing in Philippine history.

No additional medal for Carlos Yulo this time.

Yulo finished fourth in the parallel bars event of the Asian Games Friday afternoon at the Nagoya General Gymnasium in Japan.

After back-to-back gold medals in the floor exercise and vault events, Yulo could not replicate his finishes in his final competition in the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Yulo scored 5.6 in the difficulty and 8.7 in execution, good for 14.300.

China’s Jingyuan Zou, who came first in the start list, set the tone early with an excellent routine, as judges gave him 9.400 points for execution and 6.000 for difficulty, to go with 0.1 bonus, for a total of 15.500.

Zou would get the gold.

Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka finished second with a score of 14.500, while Uzbekistan’s Rasuljon Abdurakhimov ended up with the bronze medal.

As it stands, the Philippines has two gold medals, one silver medal and four bronze medals thus far in the Asiad. Both golds came from Yulo.

Yulo’s brother, Eldrew, will see action in the men’s horizontal bar final.

The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of a former city mayor in Camarines Sur in connection with a malversation case involving P30 million in public funds.

Former Iriga City mayor Madelaine Alfelor surrendered to authorities after learning that the anti-graft court had issued a warrant for her arrest.

Alfelor has been charged with malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents and violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

No bail was recommended for Alfelor’s temporary liberty.

Aside from Alfelor, the Sandiganbayan also ordered the arrest of former city officials Ruben delos Santos and Jean Bongon.

Alfelor has been committed to the Quezon City Jail female dormitory at Camp Karingal, while Delos Santos is being held at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, the Sandiganbayan Security and Sheriff Services Division said.

Bongon has yet to be arrested.

In a complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, Alfelor and her co-defendants were accused of defrauding the city government by allegedly mishandling the funds intended for beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations or AICS program.

Investigation showed the list of the AICS beneficiaries included dead people and fake names.

From jeepneys and long commutes to students balancing school and work, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) looked to the everyday experiences of its Southeast Asian players in celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Titled ‘From Tales to Legends’, the10th Anniversary Animated Trailer celebrates a decade of MLBB by bringing the game’s heroes into settings familiar to the communities that have grown alongside it.

Rather than simply looking back at milestones from the game’s first 10 years, Moonton Games sought to reflect the players behind them.

‘Looking back on MLBB’s 10-year journey, many players have grown from students into working adults, while their friendships, communities, and connection to the game have evolved alongside them,’ Xueying Yang, Live Operation Specialist for Hero and Mode Media Content at Moonton Games, told Philstar.com in an email interview.

For the animation, the team gathered stories and insights from gaming and esports communities, looking beyond competition to experiences with school, work and friendships that have unfolded alongside the game.

Philippine elements are among those featured in the trailer, with jeepneys appearing alongside other familiar Southeast Asian settings such as neighborhood football fields and beaches in Indonesia.

‘With support from our user operations team, we listened to player stories from the Philippines and Indonesia, including students balancing study, part-time work, and long commutes. These insights helped inspire scenes such as students traveling to school and working at a takoyaki stand. The film does not recreate any one player’s story exactly. Instead, it brings together shared emotions and familiar moments from across the community, reimagined through the world of MLBB,’ said Yang.

The real-world scenes were also paired with heroes that reflected similar traits. Bruno is shown alongside athletes to represent competitive spirit and sportsmanship, while Masha’s scenes draw inspiration from students and working professionals.

For Filipino players, Paquito is featured alongside esports players and jeepney drivers, with their shared connection rooted in the determination to pursue their respective goals.

According to Yang, the parallels were not intended to define what each hero represents but to explore how players could see their own ambitions, challenges and strengths in the characters they play.

Creating the film also meant finding a balance between celebrating the game’s history for longtime players without leaving those who had only recently entered the Land of Dawn out of the anniversary.

‘The biggest challenge was finding a story that could honour 10 years of memories without making newer players feel like they were outside the celebration,’ said Yang.

The script underwent several rounds of refinement over six weeks, with the team also working with an illustrator experienced in depicting everyday Southeast Asian life.

While the settings were deliberately specific to the region, Yang said the team focused on experiences that could resonate beyond them, including friendship, perseverance, ambition and teamwork.

‘We did not want the film to rely only on familiar heroes or past milestones. Instead, we focused on emotions and experiences that can resonate with anyone, such as finding your squad, overcoming setbacks, pursuing a goal, or seeing part of yourself in a hero. Long-time players may recognise their own journey with MLBB, while newer players can still connect with the film through the everyday moments and values it portrays,’ she said.

The approach culminates in the animation’s final sequence, which brings its different players, heroes and everyday moments together. Player IDs written in different languages also appear toward the end, reflecting the different communities that have become part of MLBB over the past decade.

With MLBB marking 10 years, Yang hopes the anniversary gives players an opportunity to look back not only on the game, but also on their own journeys during that time.

‘We hope players remember who they are and everything they have experienced over the past 10 years. A decade can pass in the blink of an eye. Our cultures and languages may differ, but we share the same passion. Remember every moment spent with MLBB, whether it brought sadness or joy, inspiration or disappointment. Like life, every game has its wins and losses. But never forget the person who kept going,’ said Yang.

Four Filipino creators will share what they saw, ate and filmed in Taiwan when the Taiwan Tourism Administration hosts ‘Taiwan Talks: Travel Taiwan, Film Your Way’ in Manila on Oct. 3. The afternoon will bring together travel stories, short-video tips and local travel partners offering practical information for a Taiwan trip.

The Poor Traveler will take on culture, Eat Well Pinas will focus on food, while Jen Barangan-David and Asia Yoona will explore the transit stopover. All four traveled to Taiwan this year as part of ‘Taiwan 100 Ways: Find Your Wave, Discover Your Way,’ the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s annual campaign in the Philippine market.

The event follows ‘Taiwan Day 2026,’ held in Manila in August around four official travel themes: Waves of Flavor, Waves of Culture, Waves of Vitality and Waves of Stopover. The two-day event drew more than 1,000 Filipino visitors and launched the nearly yearlong ‘Taiwan 100 Ways – Film Your Way’ short-video contest. Taiwan Talks builds on that momentum with a more focused, creator-led format shaped by what the creators experienced and filmed on the road.

Culture, food and the transit stopover

The Poor Traveler will share Taiwan through a culture-focused lens, while Eat Well Pinas will approach the trip through food, showing how culture and cuisine naturally come together along the way.

Jen Barangan-David and Asia Yoona will focus on Waves of Stopover, sharing how travelers can make the most of a long layover or short stay by heading into the city, trying local food and experiencing everyday life in Taiwan. A live ‘Kahoot! Taiwan Challenge’ will test what the audience picks up along the way.

The talks also connect directly with ‘Taiwan 100 Ways – Film Your Way,’ the short-video contest organized by the Taiwan Tourism Administration in partnership with the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines (CICP), with support from China Airlines and STARLUX Airlines.

Rather than run through a list of places to visit, the four creators will draw on their filming trips to explain how they spot a moment worth shooting, frame it and turn a real travel experience into a short video worth sharing.

The contest is open to Filipinos whether or not they have visited Taiwan. An entry can come from a real trip, a creative concept or simply how the entrant imagines Taiwan. Videos must be 30 to 60 seconds long and shot vertically, with submissions open through Jan. 15, 2027.

The idea is to make filming a trip something anyone can do. The Taiwan Tourism Administration hopes more Filipinos will move from audience to creator: visiting Taiwan, filming the experience and showing Taiwan as they see it.

Travel partners on site

Local travel partners will have booths at the venue offering Taiwan itineraries, tour packages and travel information, giving attendees a chance to ask questions directly and learn more about planning a visit.

Through ‘Taiwan Talks,” the Taiwan Tourism Administration aims to connect the Taiwan stories people see online with real travel opportunities, helping more Filipino travelers discover the side of Taiwan that fits them, turn inspiration into actual journeys, and record and share their experiences through images, further expanding the appeal of Taiwan tourism in the Philippine market.

The Taiwan Talks: Travel Taiwan, Film Your Way event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Ruby A and B, 4F of Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. Pre-registration is required for attendees.