Category: Philippine Star

At the little gathering we had last week for the people who comprised the Go Negosyo team over the last 20 years, we were fortunate enough to have Fr. Benigno Beltran, SVD to officiate the invocation. Later that week, Fr. Beltran shared with me the good news about the Department of Education (DepEd) greenlighting the Sandiwaan Center for Learning’s use of AI in the department’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) program.

The Sandiwaan Center is located in Smokey Mountain, a sprawling community in Tondo, Manila built around an informal landfill which grew over the years as waste pickers came to make a living from other people’s refuse. It was made (in)famous by a tragic landslide of trash many years back. This community of scavengers became the symbol of poverty in the Philippines; now it is among those at the forefront of using cutting-edge technology to help the least fortunate.

Sandiwaan was established in 1982 in Smokey Mountain as a values-based non-profit organization. It provides learning opportunities for disadvantaged children, underachievers and out-of-school youth in poor communities. Here, they use AI-powered apps in creating learning materials and, more recently, for use in the DepEd’s ALS program to aid teachers in creating things like learning modules and avatars to help teach out-of-school Filipinos basic skills like reading and writing. Fr Beltran has worked with the communities of Smokey Mountain for more than three decades now, and he is the driving force behind this transformative school.

Using technology, they are trying to bridge the learning gap that often leaves behind people who have no access to technology or access to education about technology. In today’s world, merely learning to read, write and perform arithmetic is not sufficient; digital literacy is essential.

The seeds of AI application in DepEd’s ALS program actually started about five years ago. And now with DepEd Sec. Sonny Angara fully behind the good work of Sandiwaan, and with Sandiwaan going full speed ahead with its project to train ALS teachers in using the technology in their work, things are looking up for the estimated 11 million Filipino school dropouts who stand to benefit from Sandiwaan’s pioneering work to help bridge the digital literacy gap among the country’s poorest.

As an example of what is possible, Fr. Beltran shared how ALS learners in the elementary level at the Sandiwaan Center were able to edit their reports on their cellphones using Canva, and then presented them in class on the school’s 3D Interactive Board. This is, of course, on top of the training being given to ALS teachers who are being upskilled by the project as they use AI in their work.

Sandiwaan took the ALS program several notches higher and made it relevant to the digital native young Filipinos. This is important because more than a quarter of our population was born with social media already in place (they are 15 years and younger), and half of our population (25 years and younger) was born with the internet already a reality.

To them, becoming content creators, web page designers or influencers comes easily, and they live their lives on social media. They communicate via apps like Viber, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and many more. The more enterprising set up shops on these platforms.

This is the next step in the ALS education, where Gen Z and Gen Alpha Filipinos who come from poor families have a chance at a better life through this radical transformation of education, enabled by DepEd’s ALS program and amplified by the power of technology.

ALS itself is a transformative program. It is a parallel learning system that provides a practical option for those who were unable to complete their formal education. While the formal education system is structured around classroom settings and overseen by qualified teachers, ALS’s non-formal education, in contrast, takes place outside traditional classrooms, often in community learning centers, barangay multi-purpose halls, libraries or even at home. It is facilitated by ALS learning staff, such as mobile teachers and district ALS coordinators, following a schedule and location agreed upon by both learners and facilitators. ALS programs are modular and flexible, meaning learning can take place anytime and anywhere, depending on the convenience and availability of the learners.

Speaking as a college dropout myself, the idea of being able to have a second chance at education resonates with me. I was fortunate to have had mentors in my immediate circle to guide me in my work in business, and to have had the resources to make it through life even without that college diploma. But I can imagine how difficult it must be for those who are without those privileges. The simple act of writing one’s name to apply for a job or even a government ID can be daunting. For many poor Filipinos in the countryside who had to forego a formal education because they had to work at an early age, or because schools were inaccessible (as is the case for some indigenous peoples), a chance to learn to read and write is a giant leap toward a better life.

Consider the stark contrast in our world: on one end, children have access to schools with abundant resources, while others lack basic necessities like electricity, internet access and educational tools. Digital literacy is just one crucial step, but it is a step worth taking. With hope, we can look forward to having more good people in government and the private sector addressing the broader aspects of the digital divide, investing in the infrastructure and systems necessary for digital technology to fulfill its promise as a tool for inclusive prosperity.

PLDT got what it needed from Russian Anastasiia Bavykina as it smothered Capital1, 25-22, 25-20, 25-23, Monday to set in motion its bid for a three-peat bid in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Savi Davison carried most of the fight and fired a match-high 22 points, 15 on kills and seven blocks, while Bavykina plugged in some of the remaining holes by chipping in 15 hits on her debut.

It was a win that launched the Manny V.Pangilinan-owned franchise’s aspiration for a treble after seizing its breakthrough crown in the PVL on Tour and following that up with another one in the Invitational early this year.

It was also PLDT’s 14th straight win, including victories in the last two conferences.

While it wasn’t as meteoric as what the other imports that played early in this conference, the 33-year-old Moscow native did just enough to impress the High Speed Hitters.

‘We chose Anastasiia for a major support role, she is aligned with the team and she fills the gaps we needed,’ said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort. ‘Hopefully, with the chemistry, we could mesh even more.’

Davison agreed.

‘I think the biggest thing we can do right now is support her,’ said Davison. ‘It’s her first game and obviously, she’s really good and knows what to do.’

For Bavykina, she admitted it was a tough start for her.

‘It was a little difficult first game for me and I think we will be better and better in the next games,’ she said.

The result sent the Solar Spikers to their first setback while spoiling the debut of super rookie Bella Belen, who had 13 points.

Making it worse was the possible rib injury suffered by libero Roma Doromal, who was stretchered out of the court.

A proposed one-month tax holiday may offer short-term relief, but will not help address concerns about corruption and governance, which are necessary to restore public trust, according to business groups.

‘We appreciate Sen. (Erwin) Tulfo’s intention to provide temporary relief to the public amid ongoing concerns on corruption and governance. However, lasting confidence comes from fighting corruption and ensuring transparency, not just temporary tax breaks,’ Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Enunina Mangio told The STAR.

‘A tax holiday may boost spending briefly, but stable governance and accountability are what truly sustain business and investment confidence,’ she also said.

Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said in a telephone interview that in his personal view, implementing a tax holiday is not suitable at this time.

‘Everybody would like exemption from tax, but I don’t think it’s appropriate. I don’t think it will help the corruption issue,’ he said.

While the bill was filed to provide direct financial relief to workers, Ortiz-Luis said he does not see any advantage in it for Filipinos angered by corruption in flood control projects.

‘We’ll have to leave it to the executive department,’ he said.

Earlier, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go said the proposed month-long income tax holiday needs to be studied thoroughly.

‘This is quite a big matter and I think it’s best to give the DOF (Department of Finance) and the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) time to carefully study this proposal,’ he said.

Senate Bill 1446 or the One-Month Tax Holiday of 2025 seeks to provide a one-month income tax exemption to individual taxpayers receiving compensation income.

Under the proposed measure, the tax holiday would take effect on the first payroll month immediately after the bill’s approval.

Newly appointed Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao has unveiled a seven-point reform agenda aimed at improving the agency’s operations and restoring public trust through transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

In his first address to division heads, Lacanilao underscored the importance of unity and integrity in public service, saying his leadership will focus on eliminating corruption and streamlining LTO services.

His priority framework includes: Strict implementation of a ‘Zero Corruption’ and ‘Non-Appearance’ policy; Upholding the principle of ‘Totoong Serbisyo, ‘Wag Negosyo’; Eliminating unnecessary processes that cause delays; Removing unwarranted expenses to ease the financial burden on citizens; Fully digitalizing LTO systems and integrating them with other agencies; Enforcing the ‘Walang Areglo’ or non-settlement policy; and Mainstreaming road safety measures across all relevant sectors.

‘We will work as one LTO-united, accountable, and committed to efficient public service,’ Lacanilao said, calling on division heads to enforce regulations and uphold professionalism.

The meeting set the tone for his administration’s policy direction and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ‘clean and efficient service’ in line with President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas vision.

The Philippine curling team went unbeaten in a pre-Olympic qualification event at the Curl Aberdeen in Scotland over the weekend to move tantalizingly close to qualifying for the 2026 Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics in February.

The 2025 Asian Winter Games gold medal-winning team of heritage athletes Marc Pfister, Christian Haller, Enrico Pfister, Brayden Carpenter and alternate Alan Frei automatically advanced to the Olympic Qualification 2025 event in Kelowna, British Columbia, in Canada from Dec. 6 to 19.

The top two teams in Kelowna will qualify to the Winter Olympics set Feb. 4 to 22.

‘We’re so happy to announce that our Philippine men’s curling team is just a door step away from making it to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo,’ Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino said.

Actor Paolo Contis thanked his ex-wife Lian Paz and her current partner John Cabahug for letting him spend time with his daughters.

The “Bubble Gang” star revealed that he spent his vacation with Lian, John and his two daughers with Lian, Xonia and Xalene.

“My heart is full.. Thank you for a wonderful day!” Paolo wrote on Instagram, tagging the couple.

“Being with your whole family was the best! Thank you for being such a wonderful host! I am speechless! God is great!” he added.

Lian also commented on Paolo’s post.

“Maraming kwento pero ang pinaka-magandang kwento ay ang pagpapatawad. Only by the grace of God! Not of our own efforts and time, it is by God’s Grace alone,” she commented.

Lian and Paolo married in 2009 and separated in 2012. Lian revealed that she withdrew her annulment case, which was filed in 2021, in March last year.

Lian and John wed in a civil ceremony last September.

The printing of over 90 million official ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) next year is set to begin today, the Commission on Elections said.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the National Printing Office (NPO) would start the printing of about 69 million official ballots for the barangay polls and another 23 million for the youth elections.

‘It is the first time in the history of Comelec and NPO that we will print more than 90 million ballots. It is the first time we are printing this many ballots,’ Garcia said, adding that the needed ballots could even reach 95 million as the poll body will conduct voter registration starting this month until next year.

Garcia said the Comelec and NPO agreed to start the printing this early because of the huge number of ballots and other accountable forms that need to be printed.

Unless stopped by the Supreme Court, the BSKE will be held in November 2026.

The PhilCycling National Championships for Road 2026 will be held from February 17-20, 2026, the International Cycling Union – the sport’s international federation known by its acronym UCI – announced on its website recently.

The national road championships will again be staged in and around a technical course with Tagaytay City as the main hub and the municipalities of the Eighth District of Cavite and First District in Batangas Province as the other major routes.

PhilCycling president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, also the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said the 2026 nationals will also showcase the brand new Tagaytay CT Velodrome, which will host the 2026 Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) – headed by Malaysian Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill – Track Championships from March 25-31.

This marks the first time in 31 years that the Philippines is hosting the Asian track championships – the last time was in 1995 when the country hosted both the Asian Road and Track Championships at the Amoranto Velodrome – which was demolished to give way to a football pitch – in Quezon City and Subic.

The 2026 nationals will actually begin with the Criterium races on February 16, followed by the Individual Time Trial on February 17 and the Road Races from February 18-20.

Categories will be in the Elite, Under 23, Juniors and Youth both for men and women.

A Masters category will be incorporated in the nationals’ program to determine the country’s representatives to the Asian Road Championships in Saudi Arabia – the ACC has yet to announce the dates.

And as usual, the top performers in the Juniors races will be included on the national team to the Asian championships as incentive.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology yesterday reported heightened seismic activity in Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon, as Phivolcs data showed 72 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

In its 9 a.m. advisory, Phivolcs said the earthquakes, classified as volcano-tectonic events, were caused by rock fracturing beneath the northern sector of the volcano at depths of less than 10 kilometers.

Degassing activity in the active vents was described as ‘very weak to weak,’ while sulfur dioxide emissions averaged 31 tons per day on Oct. 9, which is below the baseline level of 200 tons per day.

‘These parameters indicate shallow hydrothermal activity beneath the volcano,’ Phivolcs said.

Despite the uptick in activity, Phivolcs raised only Alert Level 1 or low-level unrest over Bulusan Volcano – an alert that means ‘abnormal condition but no eruption is imminent.’

Authorities reiterated the strict prohibition of entry into the four-kilometer permanent danger zone, and urged vigilance within the two-kilometer extended danger zone on the volcano’s southeast sector due to possible hazards such as pyroclastic density currents, rockfall, ashfall and ballistic projectiles.

‘Communities that experience ashfall must take all necessary precautions and use protective masks or wet cloth to prevent ash inhalation, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, expecting mothers and infants,’ Phivolcs said.

The agency also advised civil aviation authorities to warn pilots against flying close to the summit due to potential ash hazards. It urged residents living near rivers and streams on the western slopes to be alert for possible lahars if heavy rainfall occurs following a phreatic eruption.

The history of Philippine cinema is scattered with classic narratives and gems of a golden age that still resonate deeply in the present day.

Sari Dalena’s “Cinemartyrs” tackles one lesser-known chapter of this history, as alternative filmmaking began to decline before a new millenium began, and the integral part female filmmakers played in getting Philippine cinema to where it is now.

The film stars Nour Hooshmand as a young director who decides the shoot on the site of where hundreds were slaughtered, after being tested by a committee belittling her skills.

“As soon as the camera starts rolling, angry spirits are awakened, and the lives of her team and the villagers are put in peril. The brutal traumas of history echoing to the present day,” the movie’s synopsis goes.

“Cinemartyrs” went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the 21st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, winning also Best Director for Dalena and Best Original Musical Score for veteran composer Teresa Barrozo.

It tied with “Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan” and “Child No. 82 (Anak ni Boy Kana)” for the most awards, ahead of Best Feature Film winner “Bloom Where You Are Planted” – a documentary about three land activists from Cagayan.

Philstar.com spoke with Hooshmand and co-star Bong Cabrera about the messages of “Cinemartyrs,” both about the difficulty of filmmaking and the difference it makes with women at the helm.

Cabrera reflected on a speech that deputy festival director Tess Rances gave when the 21st Cinemalaya officially opened, taking a dig at lawmakers recently tagged in corruption.

“While millions of taxpayers are skimmed by politicians who are supposed to be in service of them, artists scrape the bottom of the pot to bring their ideas to life,” Rances said at the time, urging the government to allocate funds for the arts, particularly for programs dedicated to film.

The actor, a resident artist of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, stressed how difficult it was to make movies without government support, amplified further by rampant corruption.

Hooshmand chipped in that financial constraint is a big challenge in filmmaking, and it pushes artists to be more creative with the resources they have.

“Also tackled in ‘Cinemartyrs’ [ay] yung process of filmmaking, the joys and rewards, and how hard it is to actually bring a film to life,” Hooshmand added, comparing it to giving birth.

The actress also said the film showcases how female directors work, which is very different fromt the way men do art.

“Merong inequality ‘to na I think the film addresses in such an interesting way,” said Hooshmand to which Cabrera added, “It is a different layer as well because it’s a film about women making films.”

Hooshmand had supporting roles in the Cinemalaya films “When This Is All Over” and “Blue Room” (both with Juan Karlos Labajo), the latter by 2022 Best Director winner Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan, but this is her first time leading a cast.

She dedicated her role to family and peers but noted that much collaboration was involved. Cabrera even pointed out to Philstar.com that it took Dalena two decades to work on the project.

Intercut into “Cinemartyrs” are guerilla filmmaking-inspired clips from Dalena’s documentary “Memories of a Forgotten War” and many archival footage from pre-war LVN Pictures.

The studio was considered the leader in Philippine film production prior to its 2005 closure after almost 70 years, and Dalena was allowed to such clips with the approval of fellow director Mike de Leon before he passed away last August.

Speaking of women in Philippine cinema, veteran filmmaker Raquel Villavicencio appears in “Cinemartyrs,” as do revered director Lav Diaz and National Artist Kidlat Tahimik.

Cabrera humorously referenced seeing a post comparing “Cinemartyrs” to the Marvel movie “Avengers: Endgame” because of how it puts together legends of alternative cinema.

Also in the extensive cast are Cedrick Juan, Angel Aquino, Iana Bernardez, Nor Domingo, Ligaya Amilbangsa, Soliman Cruz, Shane Bernabe, Roven Alejandro, Dexter Macaraeg, Emmanuel Dela Cruz, and Rolando Inocencio, among many others.

“Lucky kami actually, I consider myself lucky na kasama ako sa pelikulang ‘to with all these legends,” Cabrera said.

Hooshmand added it was inspiring to see giants of Philippine cinema supporting Dalena, and it stems from their friendship beyond the film’s story, “Hearing them, seeing them, feeling their energy on set is really a big push for us to do better.”

Tahimik, who plays himself, shared invaluable thoughts about his filmmaking process which makes Hooshmand more grateful to hear first-hand as both a character and artist.

The two actors clarified to Philstar.com that Villavicencio, Diaz, and Tahimik are only actors in the film and did not have any direct input in the production.

Cabrera recently starred in Diaz’s “Magellan” and he described the director as being very chill, collaborative, and having lots of respect.

“That’s the thing about making film. You have to work with people you love working with and consider friends and family so that yung pelikula na magagawa ninyo ay maganda kakalabasan,” said Cabrera.

“And you trust them that alam na nila yung ginagawa nila, alam na yung ginagawa nila,” Hooshmand ended. “You play your own parts.”