Category: Philippine Star

Despite the halt on rice imports to the country, the Bureau of Customs (BOC)’s revenue collection remained unfazed, earning over P80 billion for the month of September.

Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Maronilla said that preliminary revenue data from the BOC indicated an increase of nearly eight percent in collections compared to the same month last year.

‘Our September was very challenging, and we are shocked by the decline in volume. Well, for the last day we are up by 7.73 percent,’ he told reporters. ‘The highest margin year-over-year for the entire 2025.’

In September 2024, the BOC collected P76.28 billion. This means that the BOC collected P82.18 billion for the month of September this year, reflecting an increase in revenue despite challenges brought by the importation halt.

‘We’re struggling because the volume has been down since late last week. And really, we’re a little bit struggling in that particular area. But the rate of assessment is up, and collections year over year are up. So, maybe we’re looking at just certain adjustments,’ Maronilla said.

For the nine-month period, the BOC has collected around P703.57 billion. This is still higher by nearly two percent from January to September last year, which only stood at P690.68 billion in revenue collection.

In terms of revenue leakage due to smuggling, Maronilla said it is hard to estimate because they cannot tell how many are being smuggled out of the country.

‘But given the relative closeness of our collection and our target despite the really substantial reduction in volume, I think it’s not that high. (It) could be, in terms of certain items in the southern part of the Philippines,’ he said.

The Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee reduced the BOC’s revenue target for this year to P990 billion from P1.06 trillion, citing lower tariffs and anticipated sluggish import growth.

Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto earlier mentioned that the BOC is expected to fall short of its 2025 revenue target by around P100 billion.

There will be a new feature in announcing the decision on a coach’s challenge in the PBA’s Golden Anniversary season that reels off at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. The previous practice was the public address barker would simply announce the verdict without explaining why. This time, the calling referee will take to the microphone, announce the decision and explain why. While the announcement is being made, the large-screen video monitor in the venue will replay the contested action to show why the decision was made. The audio-visual connection may not be perfect at first but both PBA and broadcast coverer TV5/CignalTV will work closely to deliver the best possible synch for fans to appreciate the justification of the decision.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said it’ll be a challenge for referees to polish their communication skills. They’re not trained to be public speakers but with this innovation, they’ll get used to not just explaining a decision to the crowd but also communicating it to be understood. PBA head of operations Eric Castro said 23 referees are on the roster this season, one less from the starting lineup previously. Of the 23, three are rookies.

Marcial noted that another change is players on the court will now be allowed to huddle with their coach ‘on the bench area’ but will remain standing during a challenge review. The challengeable calls are act of shooting or sideline throw-in, traveling, flopping, eight-second violation, backcourt violation, 24-second shot clock remaining, blocking or charging, blocking or flopping and charging or flopping.

Still another innovation related to a challenge is in the course of a review, a violation is spotted and will be called ‘provided it took place in the same play phase.’ The situations where this will apply are third party contact, blocking or charging, foul on out-of-bounds or last touch call or all kinds of fouls, including charging and blocking. This follows the NBA practice. As an example, if a challenge is made on a last touch call and the review will spot a foul on the play, it will be called even without a challenge on the contact.

Marcial said in the last two minutes of the game, the referees may review a conversion, whether a two, three or four-pointer or free throw, on the immediate deadball. If the shot isn’t reviewed at that point, it may no longer be reviewed. This eliminates the controversy that happened during Game 1 of the Philippine Cup Finals last season where Mo Tautuaa’s shot with 56 seconds left was nullified on a table officials’ review with 6.2 ticks to go, creating confusion as it impacted the outcome.

University of Perpetual Help was in desperate need of a burst of energy that it thoroughly lacked in last year’s NCAA season.

Enter Patrick Sleat.

The former Far Eastern University standout was the shot in the arm the Altas craved for, helping them carve out a 67-54 victory over the San Sebastian Stags Friday that jumpstarted their NCAA Season 101 campaign at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

The 6-0 forward debuted with 10 points – including a triple, four rebounds, five assists and a steal without committing a single turnover – before fouling out late in the fourth and final quarter.

It was Sleat’s eight points and superb facilitation in the opening period that sparked the breakaway run and set the tone for the one-sided win.

‘Patrick was big for us,’ said UPHSD coach Olsen Racela, referring to his former player when he was still with the Tams in the UAAP. ‘He is a one player who can create, unselfish and looks for his open teammates and has experience.’

‘We expect a lot of things from him and our players look up to him,’ he added.

Mark Gojo Cruz led the scoring for the Las Pinas-based dribblers with 15 points, including three booming treys, while John Abis and John Boral, the team’s elder statesmen, chipped in 10 points apiece while combining for 13 rebounds while teaming up with Sleat in presiding over their rock-solid interior defense.

‘I like our defensive effort in this game, that was our battle cry before the game,’ said Racela.

It was a result that spoiled the coaching debut of Rob Labagala at SSC-R.

The scores:

UPHSD 67 – Gojo Cruz 15, Sleat 10, Boral 10, Abis 10, Orgo 8, Tulabut 6, Maglupay 2, Casinillo 2, Nunez 2, Duremdes 2, Alcantara 0, Gelsano 0, Pagulayan 0.

SSC-R 54 – Felebrico 12, Dela Rama 8, Gabat 7, Ricio 7, Are 6, Cuajao 6, Dimaunahan 3, Castor 2, Velasco 2, Nepacena 1, Lumanag 0.

Quarterscores: 22-12; 30-19; 43-34; 67-54

In the One Direction song “Don’t Forget Where You Belong,” members Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson sing the bridge which culminates in “Don’t matter how far I’ve gone, I’m always free to run home.”

It appears like fate then that Zayn and Louis are reuniting to shoot a roadtrip documentary series for streaming platform Netflix.

The show will offer “a rare look inside the world of two of the most famous – and most private – men on the planet opening up about life, love, loss and fatherhood.”

Filming on the project has already begun as the two singers journey across the United States talking about their lives and possibly even discuss the passing of their colleague Liam Payne.

Nicola Marsh will helm the series with Campfire Studios with producing, and the latter’s Ross Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans board as executive producers.

The other remaining members of One Direction, Harry Styles and Niall Horan, are not expected to make an appearance in three-part series.

Zayn will start a Las Vegas residency in January 2026. That same month Louis will release his third album “How Did I Get Here?” and promote it with a world tour.

One Direction debuted in 2010 after forming on “The X Factor” and to this day remain one of the most popular boy bands with a huge fanbase.

Zayn departed the group in 2015 after One Direction had released its fourth album. The boy band released one more album before going on an hiatus the following year.

Liam died last year after falling from a window in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 years old. His funeral brought Louis, Zayn, Harry and Niall together for the first time since going their separate ways.

Navy and police officers have foiled attempts to smuggle cigarettes with a combined value of P23.5 million in separate operations in Maguindanao del Norte and in this city.

The Navy on Wednesday night intercepted a motorized boat carrying P14 million worth of cigarettes in the waters off Barangay Talisayan, Zamboanga City.

The boat and its two crewmembers were escorted to the Naval Station Romulo Espaldon for the inventory of 40 master cases of cigarettes.

The crewmembers said the cargo came from Basilan.

Meanwhile, police officers yesterday intercepted a vehicle carrying suspected smuggled cigarettes valued at P9.5 million in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte.

The vehicle, which was pulled over at a checkpoint in Barangay Poblacion, was found to be carrying 266 master cases of cigaretes with no tax stamps.

The driver and his helper were taken to the police station for questioning after they failed to present documents for their cargo.

A. Soriano Corp. (Anscor) is exiting The Bistro Group nearly a year after investing in the operator of full-service restaurants Italianni’s, TGI Fridays and Texas Roadhouse.

Anscor has sold its entire 22 percent stake in TBG Food Holdings Inc. to Inoza Business Holdings Inc. for P1.91 billion.

The listed holding company said the transaction represents value realization of its investment in TBG, getting gross annualized returns greater than 25 percent on its investment through a combination of distributions and capital gains.

Anscor in November last year acquired a minority stake in TBG for P1.61 billion, expanding its portfolio in the consumer sector.

‘Anscor extends its best wishes to the Bistro and Inoza teams. We are confident they will continue delighting Filipino consumers with their quality dining experiences for many years to come, and we look forward to seeing their continued success,’ the company said.

TBG, also known as The Bistro Group, is a premium casual restaurant operator in the Philippines, owning and operating over 200 full-service restaurants across 23 brands, including iconic names such as Italianni’s, TGI Friday’s and Texas Roadhouse.

Inoza recently took a majority stake in TBG, securing the Philippine Competition Commission’s approval in August.

Inoza is a newly formed holding company affiliated with Progeny Global Holdings Inc., which is engaged in agribusiness, food manufacturing and limited-service restaurants.

Progeny operates the Bounty Fresh brand, as well as limited service restaurants Chooks-to-Go and Uling Roasters.

Ayala-led ACEN Corp. has extended a P900-million loan to its subsidiary, which is developing a 553-megawatt (MW) onshore wind farm across Laguna and Quezon.

In a regulatory filing yesterday, ACEN said it executed a short-term loan agreement with its wholly owned unit, Giga Ace 6 Inc. (GA6), the company behind the P70-billion Quezon North Wind Power Project.

GA6 is developing the wind facility in phases, with Phase 1 targeted for completion by the fourth quarter of 2026 and Phase 2 expected to follow by the end of 2027 or early 2028.

Quezon North Wind, straddling Mauban and Real in Quezon and Paete and Kalayaan in Laguna, is expected to generate about 1,730 gigawatt-hours of clean power annually upon completion.

Earlier this year, the ACEN Group signed a P34.41-billion senior green term loan facility with Bank of the Philippine Islands, BDO Unibank Inc. and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. to partially finance the wind project.

ACEN and ACEN Global Development Group acted as sponsors, share security grantors and guarantors, while GA6 served as the borrower, mortgagor and grantor.

Apart from Quezon North Wind, ACEN, through subsidiary Gigawind4 Inc., also plans to develop the 247-MW Banahaw Wind Power Project in Tayabas, Quezon.

With a project area of 4,536 hectares, the wind facility consists of 38 wind turbine generators with a standard rated power of 6.5 MW each.

Currently, ACEN’s portfolio in the Philippines includes close to 1,000 MW of wind capacity, spanning operational and under-construction projects.

As the Ayala Group’s listed energy platform, the company is one of the country’s leading power producers, accounting for 5.2 percent of the market or around 1.48 million kilowatts in capacity.

Who fed Justice Marvic Leonen non-existent news? Is there a rogue lawyer in the Supreme Court? Did the culprit act with malice? Were there accomplices? Are the other magistrates even investigating?

Leonen penned the trashing of VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment last July 25. He misstated that the House of Reps didn’t hold a plenary on Feb. 5. He then misjudged that 215 of 306 congressmen broke the constitutional limit of one impeachment rap per official per year. Twelve colleagues affirmed him.

Leonen’s basis was a Feb. 5 ABS-CBN news bit, which he footnoted. Supposedly, the network reported that no House plenary was held. He was wrong.

The report in fact twice stated the holding of a plenary. A video of the session accompanied it. Another ABS-CBN item, which Leonen also footnoted, likewise mentioned the plenary.

Leonen thus wrote his ponencia from fictitious news. It wasn’t even distorted. It was simply a ghost. But the rest concurred.

All these come to mind when deposed Senate president Chiz Escudero took to the floor on Monday. He blamed congressmen for linking him to the flood works scandal. Supposedly the latter resent his shelving of VP Sara’s trial since February.

VP Sara rooted from the gallery. She raised both hands high as Escudero lambasted their common enemy, resigned speaker Martin Romualdez. She was at the Senate to cheer, not to be tried.

Leonen is ruined. That’s the inference of public statements by three constitutional framers, two former Chief Justices, retired magistrates, law deans and professors.

It’s been two months since the uproar against Leonen’s unanimous but unfounded ruling. The House is seeking reconsideration. So are three civil society groups.

What are Leonen’s options to save face? If he reaffirms a decision based on nothing, he faces further public wrath. It won’t be any better if he reverses himself.

Should Leonen resign as ponente? Should he resign from SC? If so, a new ponente will be one of Rodrigo Duterte’s 11 appointees who voted for Leonen’s baseless ruling.

To date, Leonen hasn’t called for oral arguments. It’s what he should have done in the first place before July 25.

Last Feb. 14, Atty. Catalino Generillo wrote SC to compel the Senate to try VP Sara forthwith. On Feb. 19 VP Sara asked SC to declare her impeachment unconstitutional. No SC action for four months. In late June, the Senate voted 19-4-1 to shelve trial.

Suddenly on July 8 Leonen gave the House two weeks to submit certain documents. The House met the July 21 deadline. Storms cancelled SC’s regular Tuesday en banc on July 22, and the next two days. Meantime, Congress was set to reopen Monday, July 28.

As if racing against time, Leonen and 12 justices held special en banc on Friday, July 25. Amid floods mid-afternoon, they announced their signing of a 97-page ruling.

Aside from citing the non-existent news, they imposed seven new rules for impeachment, which only Congress has authority to do. They also inserted a rider that impeachable officials, like SC justices, are exempt if the complaint is based on collegial discussion.

SC’s reputation has been more than tarnished. What is it doing to redeem itself? Is it scrutinizing whoever fed Leonen to the lions?

Is SC crafting ways to prevent a repeat? Is it doing anything at all?

If the decision stays, can other crimes now be dismissed using non-existent alibis? Wouldn’t Philippine jurisprudence be made impure?

Senior Associate Justice Leonen was appointed by President Noynoy Aquino. Eleven who concurred are Duterte appointees: Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Justices Paul Hernando, Amy Lazaro-Javier, Henri Inting, Rodil Zalameda, Samuel Gaerlan, Ricardo Rosario, Jhosep Lopez, Japar Dimaampao, Midas Marquez and Antonio Kho Jr.

Also concurring was Bongbong Marcos’ only appointee, Justice Raul Villanueva.

Justice Alfredo Caguioa, an Aquino nominee, inhibited. Justice Filomena Singh, a Duterte nominee, was on leave.

There are more questions but these will have to squeeze news space from the hot issue of fake and faulty flood control projects. Still, the SC impropriety cannot be swept under the rug.

Mindanao-based real estate and agro-industrial developer Damosa Land has become the first securities issuer to successfully register under the streamlined guidelines for selling or offering investment contracts through rental pool agreements.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it has approved Damosa Land’s rental pool program, making it the first securities issuer to successfully register under the streamlined guidelines for Securing and Expanding Capital in Real Estate Non-Traditional Securities (SEC RENT).

Rental pool agreements are defined by the SEC as investment contracts, where a property developer sells or offers units in real estate projects, such as condominiums, hotels, or resorts, to the public.

Under these arrangements, buyers contribute their units to a rental pool, which is managed and operated by the company or a third-party operator.

The buyers, in turn, are entitled to receive a share in profits earned by renting out the units to third parties.

The SEC RENT was implemented through SEC Memorandum Circular 12, Series of 2024. It streamlines the registration process for securities of real estate firms involved in selling or offering investment contracts through rental pool agreements.

The SEC en banc, in a meeting on Sept. 26, resolved to render effective Damosa Land’s registration statement covering 100 certificates of participation in the condotel project of TRYP by Wyndham Samal, subject to its compliance with remaining requirements.

The certificates, which are valid for 20 years starting from the date of the operation, cover 94 standard class condotel units with an offer price of P50,000 each, four deluxe class units worth P75,000 each and two suite class units with an offer price of P100,000 each.

All units in TRYP by Wyndham Samal will be enrolled under a mandatory condotel rental pool program.

The SEC said that each unit will automatically be included in the rental pool upon purchase, allowing it to be marketed, rented and managed as hotel accommodation for hotel guests without transferring ownership.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is accelerating the review process for proposed power projects and contracts to support the government’s total household electrification program.

The ERC has issued a resolution authorizing the use of summary proceedings for applications critical to ensuring energy reliability and affordability across the country.

This includes applications for constructing dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facilities, capital expenditure projects, confirmation of over- and under-recoveries, and approval of power supply contracts.

The commission, however, clarified that summary proceedings would only apply to uncontested applications or those without intervenors.

For cases with intervenors, summary proceedings may be used only if all parties agree to this process.

ERC chairman and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan said the move affirmed the agency’s dedication to delivering faster and more efficient regulation.

‘We will do everything we can to accelerate the resolution of applications filed before the ERC. Streamlining our processes is key to fulfilling our commitment to a more responsive and revitalized ERC,’ Juan said.

According to the ERC, adopting summary proceedings in several cases aligns with the Marcos administration’s target of lighting up every household nationwide.

Based on the latest Department of Energy data, around 5.25 percent of households across the country still has no access to electricity, most of which were in Mindanao.

The electrification rate in Mindanao lagged at 83.45 percent, well below the 98.84 percent for Luzon and 95.23 percent for Visayas.

In his State of the Nation Address in July, President Marcos said about 200 power plants were expected to be completed within the next three years to energize four million households and over 2,000 factories.