Category: Philippine Star

Mike Phillips and Kent Pastrana will take center stage in the 2026 Collegiate Press Corps Awards presented by Strong Group Athletics after being named the Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Basketball Players of the Year.

The big man from De La Salle University earned the distinction following another stellar campaign, leading the Green Archers to their second UAAP championship in three seasons against University of the Philippines and further cementing his status as one of the country’s top players entering the pros and the national team with Gilas Pilipinas.

Pastrana, also a Gilas campaigner, continued her rise in the women’s ranks after steering University of Santo Tomas back to the top of the UAAP at the expense of the dynastic National University program.

Phillips registered a double-double average of 13.3 points and 13.7 rebounds, while Pastrana tallied 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.8 steals en route to UAAP Season 88 Finals MVP citations for their respective squads.

The two headline the Mythical Teams of both divisions for the annual awarding rites, also backed by Converge FiberX, San Miguel Corporation, the Philippine Sports Commission, Go For Gold, D’ Generals and Buffalo’s Wings ‘N Things, with Discovery Suites Manila as the official venue partner.

Joining Phillips in the men’s elite team are UST’s Collins Akowe, Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s Jonathan Manalili, San Beda University’s Janti Miller and Far Eastern University’s Janrey Pasaol.

Pastrana then will have NU’s Tin Cayabyab and Season MVP Ann Pingol, Ateneo de Manila University’s Kacey Dela Rosa and fellow UST standout Brigette Santos to complete the women’s dream team.

Phillips and Pastrana spearhead a total of 26 awardees in the annual awarding ceremony by the national print and online media covering the collegiate beat in recognition of the country’s finest student-athletes on Monday at Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas, Pasig.

‘Malayo pa, pero malayo na (Still a long way to go, but we’ve come a long way).’

This phrase has become a powerful reminder of progress, showing that while the finish line may still be far, every step forward is proof of how far the journey has already come.

The same could be said for the country’s retail competition and open access (RCOA) program.

For years, only large electricity users had the privilege to directly negotiate their power supply.

Now, the doors to the retail electricity market are gradually opening wider, bringing more consumers closer to exercising their ‘power of choice.’

That shift reached a major milestone yesterday, when the RCOA contestability threshold officially dropped to 100 kiloWatts from 500 kW.

The same threshold also took effect for the retail aggregation program (RAP), which enables smaller electricity users to pool their demand and secure deals from their preferred supplier.

With the lower thresholds, more consumers now have the option to break free from being tied to rates charged by power utilities and gain access to more competitive electricity pricing.

For the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), this is more than a regulatory milestone; it is a meaningful step forward for Filipino consumers.

‘For the first time, residential communities are participating in the competitive retail market through aggregation, extending the power of choice beyond large corporations and industrial customers to ordinary households,’ ERC chairman and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan said yesterday.

The initial implementation of the lower threshold has already attracted new entrants, with 77 contestable customers – 58 in Luzon and 19 in the Visayas – scheduled for their initial RCOA switch, bringing the total to 96.

Similarly, 11 retail aggregated groups in Luzon, including household consumers, are preparing to enter under RAP, pushing the total number to 40.

Juan expects the expansion of the competitive market to spur stronger innovation and attract more investments across the sector while strengthening consumer welfare.

‘This is the direction envisioned under EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) – an electricity sector that is transparent, competitive and ultimately driven by the interests of the Filipino people,’ he added.

RCOA was first implemented in 2013 for large consumers with a minimum monthly consumption of one megawatt. The threshold was later lowered to 750 kW in 2016 and further reduced to 500 kW in 2020.

ERC director for market operations service Sharon Montañer said the energy regulator is set to release a roadmap this year for the lowering of the RCOA threshold toward the household level.

‘There are challenges that need to be addressed before we can go lower, such as technical challenges, particularly on metering,’ Montañer told The STAR.

Indeed, much still needs to be done before the ‘power of choice’ finally reaches every Filipino home.

The direction is clear, but turning promise into reality will require sustained action, consistency and real follow-through beyond plans on paper.

Port giant International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is proceeding with the 26-year extension of its contract to operate and maintain one of the world’s most technologically advanced terminals.

In a stock exchange filing, ICTSI said all conditions precedent and required regulatory approvals for the extension of the Victoria International Container Terminal Ltd. (VICT) terminal operating agreement have been satisfied as of June 25.

‘Accordingly, the 26-year extension of VICT’s concession to operate and manage the Webb Dock East terminal at the Port of Melbourne is now effective, extending the contract term from 2040 to 2066,’ the company said.

ICTSI early this year said that its wholly owned subsidiary, VICT and Port of Melbourne Operations Pty Ltd. signed an extension of its contract to operate and manage the Webb Dock East terminal located in the Port of Melbourne for another 26 years.

The contract extension increases the remaining life of its contract to a total of 40 years. According to ICTSI, an ongoing investment program due for completion in late 2026 will increase estimated capacity to 1.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units.

It said that no significant capital expenditure for further capacity expansion is anticipated under the terms of the extended contract.

‘As Australia’s first fully automated container terminal and one of the most technologically advanced in the world, coupled with the ability to accommodate larger container ships, VICT remains positioned as the premier gateway to Melbourne and the state of Victoria,’ ICTSI said.

ICTSI began operating in Australia in 2014, when the original lease was signed, and has since invested in upgrading Webb Dock East to ensure capacity meets demand.

The Mandaue City Government is eyeing a bigger budget for 2027, with city officials proposing to increase the city’s annual allocation from the current ?4.5 billion to between ?4.8 billion and ?5 billion.

Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano said the city will continue to adopt what he described as a “more realistic” budget while increasing spending to address the growing needs of residents.

According to Ouano, Mandaue maintained the same ?4.5-billion budget in both 2025 and 2026. The proposed increase for next year is anchored on projected growth in collections from business taxes, real property taxes (RPT), and the National Tax Allocation (NTA).

“By next year mu-increase to ?4.8 up to ?5 billion,” said Ouano.

The mayor, however, clarified that the proposed budget is still subject to final approval following the city’s budget deliberations.

The city government recently held its 2027 Budget Forum to discuss proposed appropriations and funding priorities.

Among the city’s top priorities for next year are education and healthcare. The proposed budget will also provide funding for flood mitigation projects, public safety initiatives, and housing programs.

“As always… mao man gyud na ang atong mga priorities,” said Ouano.

Ouano said that aside from flooding and traffic congestion, one of Mandaue City’s biggest challenges remains providing adequate housing, particularly for families displaced by disasters such as fires.

He expressed hope that the city would eventually be able to address the housing shortage.

“Kapila ko gipangutana unsa kunoy nakit-an nako nga pinaka dakong challenge sa city, muingon gyud ko og permi na besides sa flooding and traffic, naa man gyud na di man na mawagtang, kini gyung housing,” said Ouano.

The mayor acknowledged that Mandaue continues to attract people because of employment opportunities, but the influx has also increased the demand for housing.

“So mao na ang atong challenge. Sa akong giingon dili man sad ta ganahan magpabalhin kung walay tay relocation,” said Ouano.

To help address the housing backlog, the city is constructing Tipolo Residences Buildings 3 and 4 in Barangay Tipolo.

However, Ouano admitted that the project will accommodate only a fraction of the families needing permanent homes. The new building can house only about 100 families, while around 700 families are still waiting for permanent relocation.

At present, these families are temporarily staying at Pasilong sa Paradise, Paglaum Village, and Bayanihan Village in Barangay Guizo.

“Challenging para nato sa city pero nangita ta og pamaagi ana,” said Ouano.

For the health sector, Ouano said the city’s free medicines program covering all 27 barangays will continue.

“Ato na siyang ipadayon,” said Ouano.

Meanwhile, the mayor said two of his major campaign commitments-the construction of a modern Mandaue City Hospital and a dedicated building for Mandaue City College-have already entered the bidding stage.

While awaiting the start of construction, the city government is preparing for the procurement of equipment and the hiring of additional personnel needed to operate the facilities once completed.

“Mao sad na ang atong pangandaman sad, kinahanglan ta og additional revenue,” said Ouano.

As of June, the city has nearly reached its revenue collection target for the year, according to the mayor.

“Hapit na pero layo-layo pa man sad ta sa December,” said Ouano, adding that the city’s revenue goal remains attainable because its target is realistic.

The water level in Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela has continued to decline and is nearing its critical level, according to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

As of 2 p.m. yesterday, Magat’s elevation was 166.51 meters, or higher by only 6.51 than its minimum operating level of 160 meters.

The dam is one of the country’s major sources of power and irrigation supply.

The NIA-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System said the drop in the water level has resulted in fish kill incidents, particularly in Aguinaldo, Ifugao; Cordon, Isabela and Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya.

To prevent further losses, fish cage owners and operators were compelled to sell the remaining live fish at a lower price. They are asking financial assistance from the government.

Magat Dam’s power plant, which is owned and operated by a Norwegian-Filipino consortium, committed to continue providing power even as the elevation is dropping.

Magat generates 350 megawatts of power for the Luzon grid as well as provides irrigation water to 96,000 hectares of palay farms in Isabela, Cagayan and Quirino.

The Yuchengco Group remains on track toward the commercial operation of its three renewable energy (RE) projects in Luzon and the Visayas.

Yuchengco-led PetroWind Energy Inc. has secured approval from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) to begin commercial power delivery from its 13.56-megawatt (MW) Nabas-2 wind farm in Aklan.

This effectively allows the project to sell its generation output in the country’s spot market, the centralized venue for electricity trading.

A winner of the government’s first green energy auction (GEA-1), Nabas-2 received provisional authority to operate from the Energy Regulatory Commission last month.

Similarly, the ERC has issued a certificate of compliance for another Yuchengco project, the 33.8-MWp Limbauan-2 Solar in Isabela, confirming its readiness to deliver power to the grid.

The solar farm is now awaiting IEMOP’s go-signal to participate in the spot market.

Also moving toward commerciality is the 25-MWp Bugallon Solar in Pangasinan, which recently secured clearance for its point-to-point grid connection.

The facility has been undergoing grid compliance testing with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines since its commissioning on April 18.

Developed by PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), both solar projects secured wins in the GEA-2 round, locking in long-term revenue certainty.

‘These approvals over the past two months bring these three projects of PetroGreen subsidiaries closer to full commercial operations, further strengthening our company,’ said Dave Gadiano, PGEC assistant vice president for power markets.

‘Their full operation will add capacity to our RE portfolio, increase PGEC’s revenue stream and deepen our reliability for meeting service contracts and GEA commitments to the Department of Energy,’ he added.

In the first quarter, RE assets remained the Yuchengco Group’s primary revenue driver for the power business, with electricity sales rising on the back of additional wind and solar capacity.

However, the planned maintenance shutdown at its geothermal plants in March tempered gains from other facilities.

The mayor of Cotabato City warned on Sunday, June 28, that any subordinate maliciously maligning any candidate or political party now gearing up for the September 14 Bangsamoro parliamentary polls could be suspended or, if evidence warrants, terminated from service.

Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao told reporters on Sunday that he shall immediately censure employees under his office if they are proven to have openly engaged in rude partisan talk and cast insults on political parties and aspirants for seats in the parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The local government unit of Cotabato City, the regional capital of BARMM, which has 37 barangays, is home to mixed Muslim, Christian and indigenous non-Moro communities.

The Commission on Elections had permitted at least 16 regional parties to participate in the September 14 BARMM elections.

Matabalao, now in his second term as mayor, is the chairperson of the multi-sector Cotabato City Peace and Order Council, which has extensive programs promoting cultural and interfaith solidarity among constituent communities.

Matabalao told reporters on Sunday that while he firmly respects, in keeping with his neutrality, the right of employees under him to freely choose what parties to support and whom to vote for among candidates for the BARMM parliament, he shall, at the same time, do his best to prevent any possible outbreak of intense misunderstandings among them and the supporters and anointed bets of partisan groups that they are not in favor of.

He said he is against the possible unrestrained use of Facebook or any other media platforms by his subordinates in the city government to malign candidates opposing their favored bets of the 80-member BARMM parliament, as well as against absurd loose talk during gatherings or while at work.

‘We just have to wait for the actual polling day to vote for chosen candidates. We, in the meantime, must avoid causing disunity among the local communities by talking badly about the candidates we do not support and the parties where they belong. We should not use Facebook to besmirch any party or candidate for that matter. Sportsmanship, respect and amity are so essential in local politics,’ Matabalao said.

Two ranking BARMM officials, Regional Labor and Employment Minister Muslim Sema and the lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, a member of the regional parliament, separately told reporters on Sunday that they are in favor of Matabalao’s policy, which, for both of them, is a tacit move to forestall any deep-seated political tension among employees of the city’s local government and the local communities with political preferences.

Sema, president of the Bangsamoro Party of the Moro National Liberation Front, and Sinarimbo, deputy floor leader in the parliament and spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party, had earlier announced that their respective blocs have stringent policies against the use by members and supporters of Facebook or the mainstream media to put candidates of other parties for the parliament in a bad light.

Sema, who is chairman of the MNLF’s central committee, and Sinarimbo, figurehead of the Cotabato City chapter of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party, had earlier assured reporters of their willingness to sign a common manifesto, along with officials of other regional political parties, pledging support for the joint efforts of the Commission on Elections, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces to ensure safe and fraud-free September 14 polls in the autonomous region.

“We want this upcoming first ever Bangsamoro regional elections to be peaceful, orderly and clean,” Sinarimbo said.

Philippine banks remain capable of absorbing potential shocks even as Fitch Ratings warned that slower economic growth, high energy prices and rapid expansion in unsecured consumer lending could raise asset quality risks and weigh on bank earnings, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

In a statement, the central bank said it ‘notes Fitch’s assessment and continues to closely monitor risks to credit quality, profitability, liquidity and capital adequacy.’

‘Philippine banks remain well positioned to withstand potential shocks, supported by ample liquidity, adequate capital buffers and manageable asset quality,’ the BSP said.

‘While some pressure may emerge in specific borrower segments, risks remain contained, with no evidence of broad-based deterioration,’ it added.

The statement came after Fitch said recent economic challenges in the Philippines are likely to drive higher credit impairments and lower bank profitability in the near term.

The debt watcher earlier revised its outlook for the Philippine banking sector this year to ‘deteriorating’ from ‘neutral,’ citing the impact of weaker economic momentum and the Middle East conflict-driven energy shock.

Fitch said the buildup in unsecured consumer loans could test banks’ asset quality, especially as households contend with slower income growth and still-elevated inflation.

Rather than a sharp jump in reported non-performing loans, the pressure is expected to show up mainly in higher write-offs and credit costs.

Fitch said this partly reflects regulatory relief measures, which may delay the recognition of some problem loans.

The debt watcher also trimmed its loan growth forecast to nine percent this year from 12 percent previously, slower than the 12-percent expansion recorded in 2025.

Fitch expects major banks to build up general provisions before the relief measures expire, backed by their strong pre-provision earnings.

The expected rise in provisions would weigh on profits, but Fitch said the impact should be manageable for large banks given their adequate loan-loss coverage and the anticipated recovery in net interest margins in 2027.

It also expects margins of the three biggest private banks to stay broadly stable over the next two years, supported by the BSP’s shift to rate hikes and the rise in government bond yields.

The BSP said it expects banks to maintain prudent credit standards, adequate provisioning, strong governance and sufficient capital and liquidity buffers.

‘The BSP stands ready to take appropriate supervisory action, as needed, to preserve financial stability and protect the public,’ the central bank said.

Jeremiah “Nuki” Rosales, the younger brother of actor Jericho Rosales, has been located after going into hiding.

Earlier this week Jeremiah’s wife Jhen Go sought help from the public to look for her husband who had departed a Rizal barangay last week on his motorcycle but hasn’t been seen since.

A report by news outlet Bandera mentioned Jhen noting Jeremiah returning to “old habits” involving drugs and the family, including Jericho, had planned to admit him into a rehabilitation center.

The day institutional staff were supposed to pick Jeremiah up was the day he was last seen.

Jericho’s official Facebook page posted last June 26 a statement from the actor indicating that his brother wasn’t missing anymore.

“Hello everyone. Thank you for your concern. Jeremiah, my brother, is not missing. He is safe and is with our family in the province. God bless you all,” the statement read.

Jhen – who has since locked her Facebook profile – also spoke with Pep.ph confirming that the brothers had communicated and Jeremiah had gone to Bicol in order to avoid rehabilitation.

Apparently Jeremiah had been admitted before in a private center in Pasig City, with Jericho paying the monthly fee. However, Jeremiah was let out before completing the one-year program after convincing the family he’d recovered.

“Parang nadismaya rin si Kuya Jing (Jericho) kasi makuha o hindi si Jeremiah, bayad ang rehab staff dahil galing pa sila sa Batangas. Nadismaya siya kasi puwedeng-puwedeng habulin ng rehab staff dito sa loob ng subdivision,” Jhen said, though she recalled her husband being physical when he was admitted before.

“Para sa kanya rin naman yung mga ginagawa namin. Para matigil na yung bisyo niya, umayos ang behavior niya,” she ended. “Huwag niyang isipin na pinagtutulungan namin siya ng pamilya niya, ng mga anak niya.”

Jeremiah is a former actor who starred with his older brother in the films “Baler” and “Alagwa.” Two of Jeremiah and Jhen’s children are also actors, including VMX actress Liana Rosales.

The P-Pop Kings SB19 maintained their dominance in the PMPC Star Awards for Music after winning the most trophies of the ceremony’s 17th edition.

Organized by the Philippine Movie Press Club, the latest edition honors the best music released after Oct. 27, 2024.

Some releases from 2025 were not eligible as two ceremonies were held in 2024, so several hits from the latter part of last year did not make the nominations list.

SB19 won three awards as the boy band’s “Kalakal” with Gloc-9 took home Music Video of the Year, while the Manila show of its sprawling “Pagtatag!” world tour won Duo/Group Concert of the Year and Concert of the Year.

That is one less win from last time out, unless one includes the special Playtime Fan Favorite Award, which SB19 also received.

Singer-songwriter TJ Monterde led all nominees with nine but finished behind SB19 by jointly registering two wins with another pop singer Maki and girl group BINI.

Monterde won Male Concert Performer of the Year and Male Recording Artist of the Year while Maki won Male Pop Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Dilaw.”

The Nation’s Girl Group’s debut extended play “Talaarawan” meanwhile won Pop Album of the Year and popular track “Salamin Salamin” shared the inaugural Dance Recording of the Year award with Bilib’s “Say Whatcha Wanna Say.”

The four other new awards New Male Group Artist of the Year, New Female Group Artist of the Year, Christmas Song of the Year, and Revival Recording of the Year went to Five Fingers, PIX!E, Vice Ganda’s “Rainbow Christmas,” and Khel Pangilinan’s version of VST and Company’s “Ipagpatawad Mo” respectively.

Monterde’s collaboration with his wife KZ Tandingan “Palagi” shared the Collaboration of the Year award with Jos Garcia and Nolo Lopez’s “Hanggang Dulo.”

The competitive Album of the Year and Duo/Group Artist of the Year races went to James Reid’s “jgh” and Ben and Ben, respectively, as Moira dela Torre won Female Recording Artist of the Year.

Gendered awards went to Juan Karlos and Angela Ken (Acoustic Artist of the Year), Kris Lawrence and Zela (RnB Artist of the Year), Dwayne Garcia and Debbie Lopez (New Recording Artist of the Year), and Regine Velasquez for the female counterpart of Concert Performer of the Year.

Other notable wins include Sponge Cola as Rock Artist of the Year, Illest Morena as Rap Artist of the Year, and ceremony co-host Jayda Avanzado as Female Pop Artist of the Year.

Celeste Legaspi and Andrew E were both honored with Pilita Corrales Lifetime Achievement Awards, Mon del Rosario received the Gawad Parangal Levi Celerio, and The Rainmakers was distinguised as the Mga Natatanging Alagad ng Musikang Pilipino award winner.

The two Novelty categories and Albums of the Year for Rock, Dance, and Revival were either suspended or discontinued this year.