Category: Philippine Star

Saying the gloves are off, the government has put up a P50-million bounty for any information that will lead to the capture of Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, and gave him a week to surrender. In announcing the reward, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the senator, who is considered ‘armed and dangerous,’ has been given all the courtesy to voluntarily surrender following an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest issued in November 2025.

Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, has been tagged a co-conspirator of former president Rodrigo Duterte in the crimes against humanity case before the ICC.

Instead of showing up and taking responsibility for his actions, Remulla said Dela Rosa is a coward by remaining in hiding.

‘Senator Bato mistook my gesture of negotiation as a sign of weakness. It’s time for the gloves to come off. It’s time to bring justice to his victims,’ Remulla told a news briefing at Camp Crame yesterday.

‘As of today, Senator Bato will be considered armed and dangerous. We are placing a bounty of P50 million for his capture,’ Remulla said.

With the reward, Dela Rosa is now the No. 1 most wanted fugitive in the country, followed by gambling tycoon Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang, who has a P20-million bounty for his arrest in connection with the alleged kidnapping and killing of cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros.

The bounty for Dela Rosa was sourced from the intelligence funds of the DILG and the PNP, Remulla said.

Remulla has designated PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Wilson Lopez as the head of a special task force to arrest Dela Rosa.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Dela Rosa has one week to surrender but maintained law enforcement operations to arrest the senator are ongoing.

Apart from intelligence operatives, Nartatez said they are also utilizing tactical teams and other resources to locate and arrest Dela Rosa.

‘With or without ultimatum, with or without reward, the PNP is ready to implement whatever (needs) to be implemented. That is our commitment,’ he said.

Dela Rosa is allegedly being protected by a powerful armed group in a secluded area in Mindanao, the reason why Remulla is cautious about launching an operation to arrest the senator by force.

The DILG chief said a bloodbath similar to the siege of Marawi in 2017 could ensue.

For Nartatez, the possibility of casualties is always there but maintained they have contingency measures in place to ensure the lawmaker is caught.

‘For example, the coddlers are 10 (people), then we will need a hundred (operatives). It will be a calibrated one,’ Nartatez said.

The PNP has searched several areas in Mindanao and Luzon, including Metro Manila, where there have been reported sightings of Dela Rosa but all turned out negative. Nartatez said they could not see a pattern on Dela Rosa’s movements.

Nartatez warned Dela Rosa’s coddlers to stop protecting Dela Rosa and hand him over to authorities or face criminal cases.

Dela Rosa’s last public appearance was on May 14, when he was seen exiting the Senate premises alongside Sen. Robinhood Padilla, his colleague in the minority.

Local warrant first

Dela Rosa’s counsel Israelito Torreon rejected the DILG’s bounty for his client, saying a local warrant must first exist.

Torreon’s law firm made a lengthy post on social media yesterday, after the lawyer initially said ‘no comment’ on the matter.

‘A reward system built on Philippine warrants cannot be used for a person who has no Philippine warrant,’ the law firm of Torreon and Partners posted on Facebook.

‘The only document the government has is a warrant from the International Criminal Court. That is a foreign tribunal under a treaty the Philippines withdrew from effective March 17, 2019. No Philippine judge has examined that warrant, adopted it or issued one of his own,’ Torreon claimed.

Aldous Torculas continued to lead the charge for San Beda University, powering the Red Lions to a share of the Group A lead as the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament enters its crucial stretch.

The versatile forward delivered in back-to-back close wins over Jose Rizal University and Emilio Aguinaldo College, earning him the Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) Player of the Week nod for October 19 to 23.

Torculas stuffed the stat sheet against JRU on Friday with 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal as San Beda held off a late Heavy Bombers rally, 75-71, to improve to 7-3.

He also came through in another tight contest on Monday, leading the Red Lions past EAC, 89-86, with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

While his shots were not consistently falling, Torculas continued to shoulder the scoring load for San Beda, shooting 4-of-12 from the field against EAC and 6-of-14 against JRU.

His impact also went beyond scoring as he averaged 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks across the two games, helping the Red Lions secure consecutive wins and strengthen their bid for a top-two finish.

Torculas downplayed his individual contributions, instead emphasizing the importance of teamwork as San Beda pressed on with its title-retention bid.

‘Our goal is to finish number one,’ Torculas said, with San Beda seeking a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals with only three games left in the group stage. ‘I’m really happy because we worked hard for this.’

‘We showed that we can make the winning plays. In important games like these, we have to stick together despite the challenges,’ said Torculas, who edged Letran’s Aaron Buensalida, Mapúa’s Cyrus Cuenco and Lyceum’s Matt Rubico for the weekly honor.

Grace Christian College used a well-balanced attack and demolished St. Peter the Apostle School, 89-52, to move on the threshold of joining an elite club of back-to-back champions in the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. (FCAAI) Basketball Tournament on Friday, October 23, at the Tanduay Gym in Quiapo, Manila.

With eight of the 16 players fielded by coach Danny Ching scoring eight points or more, the Graceans turned what was expected to be a tight 45-and-above division final series into a rout as they started like a well-oiled machine by racing to an 25-14 lead.

Backed by Metro Asia and Manila Bulletin, SPAS fought valiantly, but GCC refused to give an inch, as it event intensified its onslaught in the next two quarters to post a commanding 70- 39 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.

That was enough for the Graceans to take fight out of the SPAS cagers in the opener of their best-of-three title series.

Another win on Monday, October 26, will enable GCC to retain its title and join the James Yap-led Hua Siong College of Iloilo as the league’s first back-to-back champion schools.

Meantime, Xavier School, backed by A Prime Corp. and AcroCity, clinched third place by downing St. Jude Catholic School, 49-36.

Allan Anson Tan and Patrick Jason Lim shared the scoring honors for the Mintex and Fullercon-sponsored GCC with 14 points each with Jeffrey Vincent Chua adding 11, while Johannes Kevin Go, Cloyd Anthony Ong, and Alexander Lao combined for 25 points.

Hua Siong earlier kept its 40-and-above title by beating Xavier School, while Hope Christian High School made history by winning the inaugural 35-and-above and 50-and-above division titles.

The Graceans played inspired basketball as they shot well from afar, banging in nine triples, with Go and Ong contributing three apiece. Only Adornado Lim failed to score for GCC, but distinguished himself by making five beautiful assists and grabbing a rebound in nine minutes of play.

Kerby Chua paced SPAS with 14. while Nestor Ng and Adjong Wong finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

National University mauled the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 79-43, to take a share of the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball lead Saturday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

The Bulldogs unleashed a 43-15 run in the middle quarters to ravage Adamson and win their fourth straight game.

NU led by just one, 20-19, at the end of the first quarter.

But a massive 20-5 second frame broke the game wide open, 40-24, which set the tone the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs were just too insatiable, pouring it on on the offensive end while clamping everything down on defense.

NU continued on with its onslaught, leading by 34 points, 68-34, early on in the fourth quarter following a Tebol Garcia jumper.

And while Adamson tried to nip the lead away, the Bulldogs’ 36-point advantage was the biggest the lead they had.

The Sampaloc-based squad rose to a 6-2 win-loss record, tied with the league-leading University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.

Adamson dropped to a 4-4 slate, tied with Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, La Salle and Ateneo.

CWC Interiors president and CEO Fred Yuson hosted a convivial birthday celebration for Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philippines leaders Raymond Rufino and Delfin Angelo ‘Buds’ Wenceslao at the elegant penthouse of the CWC Design Center, the 12-story standout destination at Arnaiz Ave. in Makati City, with its Mondrian-inspired façade giving the historic old Pasay Road corridor a contemporary design landmark.

The event brought together more than 100 guests from the worlds of real estate, architecture, design and urban development, including ULI Philippines founding chair and NEO president Charlie Rufino and ULI Philippines National Council chair Eric Manuel. Both celebrants, who have served as ULI Philippines chairs and now sit on its advisory board, were warmly feted for their significant contributions to sustainable real estate and urban development, underscoring the fruitful ties between ULI and CWC Interiors and their shared commitment to creating thoughtful, resilient and vibrant communities.

In addition, the relationship between the two continues to deepen as CWC International is currently listed among ULI Philippines’ Gold Corporate Partners, while CWC Interiors VP for products Shaun Yuson joined the ULI Philippines Young Leaders Group Board for FY27. As the leading provider of premium contract furniture, workplace solutions, and architectural products and with an international portfolio that includes MillerKnoll, Herman Miller, Vitra, Walter Knoll, Muuto, HAY, and other globally-recognized design houses, CWC has worked with architects, developers, corporations, and designers for more than three decades in creating efficient, elegant and resilient workplace, residential, and commercial environments that will surely withstand the test of time.

The company continues to soar high with its recently concluded 2026 Charity Gala at Fairmont Makati and the opening of the CWC Corporate Center at 830 Arnaiz Ave., Makati City, while ULI looks forward to the upcoming Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific in January 2027.

Timeless moments with Tessie

The well-loved Tessie Amparo welcomed cherished friends to her delightful birthday celebration at her residence, where warmth, laughter and camaraderie made the occasion truly special.

Adding distinction to the event were esteemed guests, lawyers Lorna Kapunan and Virgil Ligutan, who joined in the festivities. Everyone enjoyed delectable food, while Marcy David provided lively musical entertainment that enhanced the festive atmosphere.

Before bidding farewell, everyone received thoughtful giveaways from the gracious celebrant, a lovely gesture that reflected her generosity and appreciation for friendship.

Let’s face it. No matter how hard you try to manage your finances and keep your expenditure well within your regular income, there are times when you need some extra money for a good reason.

Bridge an income gap perhaps, finance a small business you’ve been planning to put up for years, help pay for the medical procedure that your mom needs to undergo, or simply keep your household moving like a well-oiled machine when it has been chugging and stalling for a while now.

With the rise of digital lending in the country, regulated platforms have brought formal credit closer to underserved Filipinos long excluded from traditional finance, yet abusive collection practices by rogue lenders continue to weaken trust in the system.

Some digital lending companies present themselves very impressively and make their terms seem like the easiest to comply with for those who need the extra money fast, so quite a number of people end up dealing with them.

That is to find out later on that there are hidden charges needed to be paid, unreasonably high interest rates, and, should they be remiss with even one payment due.

They are harassed with constant threats, text messages, and calls, even acts of public shaming with no let-up until they pay. There seems to be no way out once you’re trapped in their system. This is why it is important to choose the right digital lending company to partner with and not be lured into a shady deal by sweet promises and attractive terms. If a deal feels like it is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true and you better beware.

So how do you land with a legitimate digital lending company that will honor the terms of your deal and treat you – and your debt – with dignity and respect?

Do your research. Make sure you look up the company and find out everything you need to know about them.

Find out if it is a legitimate digital lending company, duly registered so that they will be legally bound to fulfill the terms written on the legal document you will sign up for, and check people’s reviews on the company’s performance.

Deal only with a legitimate company that offers good loan packages, has received glowing reviews, and comes highly recommended

Find out all the terms involved in the loan that you are planning to secure. The terms should be clear and upfront, fees and payments should be transparent, and there should be a fair collection scheme. There must be no hidden terms, charges, or collection schedules and practices.

The Department of Transportation said yesterday that 100 local and international companies are eyeing to invest in the Metro Rail Transit 3, following the DOTr confirmation on the privatization of MRT-3.

DOTr said the agency was able to garner potential investors for the government-run MRT-3 after it conducted a year-long market-sounding activity with the Asian Development Bank in Singapore and Japan.

‘Through public-private partnership (PPP), we bring in the expertise and investment this line needs. What we need is an investor that has a long experience of managing railway systems for the benefit of our commuters,’ DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.

While a private firm would be handling the management of MRT-3, Lopez said the DOTr would retain its authority over the train fares. The DOTr would pay the private operator depending on its delivery of train services and compliance with prescribed performance standards.

‘Performance standards will cover train availability and reliability, on-time performance, and the cleanliness and proper maintenance of trains and facilities, ensuring that the private operator is held accountable for the quality of service delivered to commuters,’ Lopez said.

MRT-3 is currently implementing an across-the-board half-price fare discount in all 13 stations along EDSA, serving more than 388,000 passengers daily.

The DOTr said the PPP would support the MRT-3 modernization through fleet replacements and system resignaling to improve its capacity, reliability and operational efficiency.

Lopez said the concessionaire would be chosen by the second quarter of 2027 after the P103.6-billion MRT-3 is opened for bidding this year.

Clyde Mondilla is back in the winner’s circle, and he intends to make the most of his return.

Fresh from ending a two-year title drought with a hard-earned victory at South Pacific Golf Club, Mondilla heads to the final leg of the Philippine Golf Tour at Apo Golf and Country Club starting Tuesday, October 27, with renewed confidence, a sharper game and ambitions that extend well beyond the local circuit.

His South Pacific triumph was more than just a long-awaited return to the winner’s column. It was a test of nerve against a five-man chase, a demonstration of his ability to deliver under pressure and, perhaps most importantly, a timely reminder that he remains a force to reckon with as he sets his sights on bigger international challenges.

For Mondilla, the victory has already delivered its biggest immediate reward: the confidence to compete and win again.

‘Winning this tournament means a lot to me because I’m back in the winner’s circle, and my confidence has gone up,’ said Mondilla in Filipino, who ended his title drought the hard way, holding off a crowded field of challengers in a gripping final-round battle on Friday.

The 32-year-old Del Monte ace showed precisely why the breakthrough could prove pivotal. With Sean Ramos matching him shot for shot and Angelo Que, Keanu Jahns and Korean Lee Song lurking in the chase, Mondilla kept his composure when the pressure peaked.

He then birdied two of the final four holes to break away from Ramos and seal a two-shot victory, turning a tense, tightly contested finish into a statement win.

It was the kind of closing stretch that could serve him well at Apo, where the Tour’s season-ending test will demand both precision and sound decision-making.

Having survived the pressure cooker at South Pacific, Mondilla believes he is ready for another demanding week.

Reflecting on how he handled the closing stretch, he said he was pleased with his composure and was eager to carry that momentum into the next event.

‘I handled the pressure pretty well, so I think I’m ready for another tournament next week at Apo,’ he said.

Mondilla missed last year’s Apo Golf Classic, where Fidel Concepcion broke through for his maiden PGT victory in a playoff against Korean Jaehyun Jung. But the Apo layout is hardly unfamiliar territory for the former Philippine Open champion, who has played the course several times throughout his career.

His previous campaign there, however, yielded little to celebrate, as he finished tied for 25th in the 2024 edition.

This time, he arrives with a different mindset and a timely boost in form after rediscovering the winning touch that once made him one of the Tour’s most formidable players.

Mondilla dominated four legs of the PGT in 2017 to claim the Order of Merit crown and captured the Philippine Open title in 2019. His latest victory suggests that the seasoned campaigner, long regarded as one of the Tour’s longest hitters, may once again be ready to contend consistently.

The turnaround, he explained, has come through hard work and a renewed commitment to the finer points of his game.

After stepping away from the rigors of competition for a period and spending time tending to farm work at home, Mondilla buckled down to serious practice, making key adjustments to his iron and wedge play. Those refinements have helped him complement his length off the tee with the precision needed to close out tournaments.

But his comeback has not been a solo effort. Behind the renewed focus and improved form is a family that has continued to push him forward, along with a close friend who helped him rediscover his passion for the game.

Mondilla was quick to acknowledge the people who stood by him and encouraged him to work his way back.

‘May has been pushing me to practice and make up for lost ground. My two daughters are my inspiration, as are my mother and father,’ he said, referring to his wife, May, and their children. ‘I also have my friend PJ Dela Torre, with whom I share a deep bond. He was one of the people who helped bring me back to the game.’

The challenge at Apo, however, is unlikely to offer much breathing room. Ramos, Jahns, Que and Song are expected to remain among the leading threats, eager to make amends after coming up short at South Pacific and prevent Mondilla from building further momentum.

The course itself presents another formidable obstacle. Apo’s risk-and-reward character places a premium on disciplined course management, accurate iron play, a dependable short game and steady putting. Power can create opportunities, but poor decisions can quickly erase any advantage.

For Mondilla, the formula for sustaining his resurgence is straightforward: keep practicing, but never lose sight of the enjoyment that makes the game worthwhile.

He stressed that relentless effort alone is not enough if a player loses the pleasure of competing.

‘Just keep practicing, and, most importantly, enjoy the game,’ he said. ‘You can keep trying and working hard, but if you’re not enjoying golf, it won’t do you any good. You have to enjoy being out on the course, enjoy playing and appreciate the game. That’s what matters. When you do that, winning becomes easier.’

And while another title at Apo would be a fitting follow-up to his South Pacific breakthrough, Mondilla is looking beyond the immediate prize. He hopes to use his renewed form as a springboard toward the country’s premier championship and, eventually, a shot at establishing himself on the Asian Tour.

Looking ahead to the bigger tests on his calendar, he said the victory had given his preparations a significant lift.

‘This win is a big boost to my preparations for the Philippine Open in November, and eventually, I want to compete in the Asian Tour Q-School,’ he said.

For now, though, the focus is firmly on Apo.

The three most expensive words at a government counter are ‘still being processed.’

Anyone who has tried to open a small business in this country has heard them. Picture a young owner opening a coffee shop. The lease is signed. The espresso machine is paid for. Every requirement has been submitted. But the permit is still being processed. One week passes, then three. A fixer mentions there is a faster way.

An inspector finds a violation that was not there yesterday and offers to make it go away. A shipment sits at the port until the right envelope moves it.

The country has spent more than a year learning what wholesale corruption looks like: budget insertions, billions vanishing into flood control projects that exist only on paper. It makes headlines, fills Senate hearings and ends up before the Sandiganbayan. Ordinary Filipinos feel it when the water rises.

What happens at the counter is retail corruption. Small amounts, paid quietly, every day, by people who only want to get to work. None of it ever makes the news.

It is easy to treat this as petty. It is not.

Micro, small and medium enterprises make up 99.6 percent of all registered businesses in the Philippines and account for about two-thirds of the jobs those businesses provide. These are the businesses that meet the counter most often, and the ones least able to afford what it charges.

For a conglomerate, a P20,000 ‘facilitation fee’ is a rounding error. For a café that has not sold its first cup, it is a months rent. And every week a permit sits on a desk is a week of rent paid, wages owed and revenue that never comes.

Call it lagay or padulas. It is a tax in everything but name. No one voted for it. No one gets a receipt. Nothing public is ever built with it.

The cost does not stay at the counter. Investors notice.

Last year, a record $244 billion in foreign direct investment flowed into Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations. The Philippines, home to the region’s second-largest population, drew $9 billion of it.

Less than four cents of every dollar.

The region’s total grew. Ours shrank. Vietnam and Indonesia each drew more than twice as much.

Corruption is not the only reason. But investors price risk, and few risks are harder to price than not knowing what a permit will really cost, or how long it will take.

Retail corruption runs on two things: discretion and delay.

Discretion is the power to say yes, no or not yet. Delay is what turns ‘not yet’ into leverage. An official does not need to demand anything out loud. It is enough to sit on a file until someone understands what will move it.

Then there is silence. A business owner asked for a bribe has few good options. Pay, and the problem goes away. This time. Complain, and the complaint may land with the same office, sometimes the same desk, that will process the next permit, and the one after that.

Most people do the math. They pay, or they give up. Some never open the business at all.

Little of it is ever reported. Not because it does not happen, but because reporting it has always cost more than paying it.

The good news is that this is one of the most solvable problems an economy can have. Fixing it does not take a decade, the way a new port or power grid does. Lift that tax off the counter, and the money stays with the people building something.

So why has it lasted? Partly because it hides so well. Wholesale cases are big enough to see and follow. Retail corruption is scattered across thousands of counters, in amounts too small to make a headline.

The Office of the Ombudsman is now setting up something built for retail: an Investment Ombudsman. Anyone with money in a business, from a sari-sari store to a foreign-owned factory, will have one place to report an official who demands a bribe, sits on a permit or abuses regulatory power. And they can expect someone to act.

Acting is the part that matters. Other agencies can shorten a deadline or cut a requirement, and that work is valuable. The ombudsman can go after the official: investigate, prosecute, suspend, dismiss. A complaint that can end a career changes the math at the counter.

Catching people is only half the job. Every bribe needs a point where one person’s say-so decides the outcome: a duplicate requirement, an overlapping clearance, a step that exists mainly so someone can stand in the middle of it. Remove those points, and there is nothing left to sell. A regulatory summit planned for early 2027 is meant to find them.

Regulators will not find them all on their own. The people who know where the counter hurts are the ones standing in front of it. So the Investment Ombudsman will be shaped with the business sector, not just for it. That conversation will reach past the big chambers to the micro and small enterprises rarely invited to these tables. They know where the toll gates are. The job is to build something they trust enough to use.

It can work. South Korea set up an investment ombudsman in 1999, the same year the Philippines first tried, and still runs it today as a model other countries study.

Somewhere today, a coffee shop is still waiting on its permit. The lease is signed. The machine is paid for. The owner has not walked away.

This country has never been short of people willing to build. The work now is to stop charging them for it.

Amid a grim economic environment, the Philippines’ oldest conglomerate, Ayala Corp. (AC), still manages to create excitement across significant sectors of business.

Ayala’s partner for more than half a century, giant Mitsubishi of Japan, is pouring $700 million in equity into the conglomerate. That’s P44 billion of almost free cash. Ayala’s payments app, Mynt’s GCash, has just raised about P61 billion for the stock market following the biggest-ever Philippine IPO.

The Mitsubishi and GCash initiatives, which instantly raised over P100 billion in just a few days, are a colossal vote of confidence by investors, local and foreign, in Ayala, in its businesses, in the country and in the Filipino. There is more.

Ayala has quietly and slowly invested heavily in sectors and businesses that will define the life and lifestyle of the Filipino, brighten his future and strengthen his country for the balance of the 21st century.

The businesses have a name – social infrastructure. It’s caring for people. Alagang Ayala.

Social infra encompasses anything and everything that will uplift the Filipino spirit – education, health, sustainability, building communities. These are also the ingredients of why countries prosper.

AC chair Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (JAZA) explains ‘Alagang Ayala:’ ‘If you look at how countries move forward, there are three basic pillars. No. 1 is education for the future. No. 2 is making sure citizens are healthy. No. 3 is ensuring that they earn an income.’ Three basic things make the Filipino complete – quality education, strong health, a decent income. They are also the ingredients that make a democracy like the Philippines vibrant, dynamic, sustainable and future-proof.

An educated Filipino chooses the right leaders (no corrupt, dynastic tradpols). He chooses good over evil. He has moral mooring. A healthy Filipino makes himself productive and extends his life expectancy. A decent income ensures access to both good education and good health. Such people make a solid foundation for a nation’s social infrastructure.

When a conglomerate like Ayala focuses on social infrastructure, it makes itself a nation builder. It makes itself last longer. No wonder Ayala is the oldest conglomerate. Its heritage and track record of 192 years are unrivaled.

The best capital of a corporate colossus like Ayala is not money. It is people. Good people. Professional people. Ayala has lasted for nearly 200 years mainly because of two things – one, the good genes of its founders, transmitted through more than six generations; and two, the unmatched, enviable professionalism of its management team, many of whose key players are non-relatives. Strong professionals make for good governance.

‘Investors do not invest merely in balance sheets,’ said Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Francis Lim when he addressed the Ayala Group Sept. 10, 2026. ‘Capital flows where investors have confidence that information is reliable, boards are accountable, minority shareholders are treated fairly and management acts in the long-term interests of the company – not simply in the interest of a few,’ Lim added. ‘This is why good governance is not an administrative burden.’

JAZA invited Wharton-educated whiz kid Paolo Borromeo, 49, in 2012 to join Ayala as head of corporate strategy and development. Paolo started in professional management and consulting fresh out of UPenn.

JAZA gave Paolo a platform on which he could execute his vision and where the conglomerate’s reach and resources could help fill the gap in the country’s social infrastructure – starting with health care, a womb-to-tomb business. At the same time, Paolo moved into education.

‘I looked at the Ayala businesses,’ recalls Borromeo. ‘You can grow land. You can grow banking. You can grow telecoms. But it is far different when you invest in health and education. You are able to help a lot more people. You are investing in people.’

It so happens that investing in people is also a basic philosophy of JAZA. The Harvard-educated Ayala chair is also strong on innovation.

In less than a decade, with Borromeo’s firm stewardship, Ayala has invested over P20 billion in health care and education. ‘Social infrastructure is the infrastructure that builds people and that, in turn, leads to a stronger and more prosperous nation,’ stresses the CEO of the Ayala Group’s social infra business.

Ayala’s AC Health has touched or helped or healed 6.5 million Filipinos through its seven hospitals, 18 multi-specialty centers, more than 350 clinics and nearly 900 drug stores under the Generika Drugstore and St. Joseph Drug brands. The group also has a line of pharmaceuticals.

Ayala’s education thrust is carried out through its iPeople – a joint venture with the Yuchengco group. The education network includes quality colleges and universities like Mapua University, Mapua Malayan Colleges, National Teachers College, APEC Schools and the University of Nueva Caceres.

Ayala’s Centex programs enhance quality basic education. The pilot Zambales Centex Digital Education has improved the quality of education of 1,600 pupils in Grades 4 to 6 in nine public elementary schools. After three months of tutoring, the average math scores of pupils leaped to 56 percent, from 27 percent, a doubling. DepEd is so enthused with the program it is being expanded to cover 22,500 pupils in 60 schools in Zambales alone.

‘Centex really is about training teachers, investing in their own up-skilling, investing in, you know, the classrooms and the learning laboratories, technology, laptops, you know, some of the basic things,’ Paolo relates, ‘but it’s working with the DepEd and it’s working with the local government units to try to upgrade those systems.’

In San Marcelino, Zambales, Paolo says, ‘we’ve been very, very encouraged about the results, a real uptick in the learning capability of students, especially in those schools where we’ve deployed Centex.’

Ayala Foundation helps communities create jobs and livelihoods.

Ayala has become No. 1 in electric vehicle mobility. It gave up its Honda franchise in favor of BYD, the world’s largest EV maker.

Ayala is expanding its renewable energy footprint. It has now seven gigawatts of RE.