Category: Philippine Star

Before she ever stepped into the local coffee scene, Gina Ellorango-Ableitinger was strictly a tea drinker. Raised in a farming family from Davao del Norte, she spent her youth favoring sweet milk teas over coffee.

That changed in 2012 when she met her Austrian husband, Markus Ableitinger, in a Hong Kong coffee shop. He handed her a cappuccino-a bitter introduction that sparked an unexpected journey. Today, Gina is a dual-licensed Arabica and Robusta Q Grader, a certified roaster, and a pioneering advocate driving Mindanao’s specialty coffee movement.

In March 2015, after Markus completed his training in Hong Kong under the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, the couple moved to Davao City to establish FrogKaffee café on Torres Street. The name ‘FROG KAFFEE’ combines the German-Austrian word for coffee with the phrase ‘Fresh Roast of Great Coffee.’ Thus, FROG Kaffee and Coffee Roastery was founded in December 2015.

It was Davao’s first specialty coffee shop, introducing Mindanao consumers to “third wave coffee”-a movement treating coffee as an artisanal food rather than a commodity, prioritizing bean origin, roast profile and brewing precision.

“Public response was a mix of curiosity and overwhelm,” Gina said. “Specialty coffee was new in Davao and imported beans made it expensive. Educating consumers through experience was our biggest challenge.”

To bridge the gap, the couple offered European pastries alongside carefully crafted drinks, while baristas walked customers through the origin and sensory notes of each cup. But as shipping costs and delivery delays for imported beans mounted, Gina shifted her focus to a pressing issue closer to home: the plight of local coffee growers.

Through the Kapwa Upliftment Foundation Inc., she connected with the Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association (BACOFA) in Mt. Apo, Davao del Sur. Despite farming in optimal volcanic soil at high altitudes, the growers struggled with post-harvest processing. Sacks of unselected beans sat unsold, fetching a meager 80 pesos per kilogram.

“I realized we can compete with global quality, but not in yield,” Gina said.

Working alongside initial initiatives like the ACDI/VOCA’s MinPACT Project, she selected and trained local farmers, including women growers, in selective harvesting, proper sorting and cherry drying.

She offered a premium purchase price of 180 pesos per kilogram for beans that met strict specialty standards. The intervention paid off. Farmers under the program improved their yields dramatically, with BACOFA members later winning top honors at the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) and placing Philippine Arabica on the international stage.

The MinPACT Project, or Mindanao Productivity in Agricultural Commerce and Trade, was implemented by ACDI/VOCA and funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress program. This development initiative focused on increasing the incomes and productivity of smallholder farmers-particularly those in the cocoa, coconut and coffee sectors across Mindanao.

To deepen her technical authority, Gina earned her Q Arabica Grader license in 2017 as part of a pioneering Philippine cohort, followed by her Q Robusta Grader certification in 2018. She also served four consecutive years as a PCQC judge, witnessing firsthand the surge in local coffee quality, particularly the rapid rise of fine Robusta.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of their café, the couple pivoted. They relocated operations to Ma-a, Davao City, transforming FrogKaffee into a specialty roastery, equipment distribution hub and specialized training school.

As a scholar of the MinPACT project, Gina structured the Frogkaffee Academy around affordable, continuous mentorship. Her curriculum covers the entire supply chain-from post-harvest processing to sensory analysis and barista skills.

Through collaborations with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, and local cooperatives, she frequently offers free training to marginalized farmers who lack access to formal coffee education.

“I was a scholar myself, so I pay it forward,” she said. “Farmers struggle to sell because of quality gaps. If we bridge those gaps, I don’t need to import coffee.”

Now a business-to-business consultancy and education hub, Frogkaffee continues to mentor entrepreneurs, baristas and growers across Mindanao.

“Coffee connects people,” Gina said. “If you are a good teacher and your student excels, you feel proud. The more people exposed to specialty coffee, the more the entire community benefits.”

This was the bounty offered this week by Jonvic Remulla, Interior secretary. After conflicting pronouncements of what the government (well, his department) was doing (or not doing) about Dela Rosa’s continued absence from civil society, Remulla’s latest brainwave triggered conflicting reactions.

Some expressed puzzlement. Does this mean that the government doesn’t have enough resources, men, equipment, tanks, planes, and guns to cuff him themselves?

Or does this mean some internal resistance from the police, who used to be led by Dela Rosa? Is Remulla not able to identify loyal men within the police corps who would die for him? Or does he not have the wherewithal to command these police officers? Not enough leadership skills? Is he afraid of a mutiny amongst his men?

That would be the unkind interpretation. Perhaps he already ran a logistics study about how to implement the arrest, studied the terrain, crunched numbers and stats, and come to a neat report submitted to the president’s that he’s unable to effect the arrest himself. Pat on the head for the good boy?

Other naysayers expressed relief. Finally, Remulla has admitted he’s in above his head, and now realizes he needs private citizens to do his job for him. Hopefully, the million dollars is enough to persuade people to devise their own strategy to rope in the fugitive senator. Correction: Given current exchange rates of this mismanaged economy, the ?50 million is no longer worth $1 million. Try three quarters by end of the year.

But what am I talking about. Didn’t Remulla just say something last week about Dela Rosa being armed and dangerous? Some media talking point about how arresting Bato might cause a bloodbath? Well, thanks for priming the citizenry that way, Remulla. Now they might not necessarily bite the million-dollar carrot you just offered given how dramatically you’ve prejudiced our minds.

Next time, before offering a measly reward, color our thinking first by putting out press releases about how Bato is now a softie, that he’s diminished, that no one supports him anymore. Condition us with some bull about how his fangs have been pulled. That way, foolhardy citizens can be enticed to taking the risk. Then, just follow the blood! The failed attempts at arresting him will surely attract your attention. With bodies left and right, you can just follow the trail and make the arrest yourself. How’s that for strategy? And you can even keep the fifty mil. Promise.

Remulla tells us the senator is hiding in Mindanao. What then is he trying to accomplish with this reward? Does he think the Mindanaons aren’t solid enough to come together and shield Dela Rosa? Does he think someone desperate enough or poor enough in that island will salivate at the reward, and betray the senator? Does he think that backstabbers and traitors are amongst the senator’s coterie? Could he be right on this one?

Prof. Teddy Te had called for Remulla to be fired over his many missteps. Remulla admitted to making a mistake by thinking that a gentlemen’s agreement reached with rattled senators that he could come back to the Senate building and arrest Bato the next day would be binding. How about the mistake of not cutting off all the escape routes? How about the mistake of not inspecting the departing vehicles rigorously? How about the mistake of going home that night instead of personally staking out the premises?

But firing Remulla might just lead to more delays in arresting Bato and handing him over to the International Criminal Court so he can stand trial with Rodrigo Duterte. By the way, where is Senator Bong Go?

Perhaps, it would be a better option if we wait for whoever arrests Dela Rosa to be successful, sit pretty while he or she hauls him in, and when the fifty mil cash is handed over to the bounty hunter, use that moment to simultaneously fire Jonvic, strip him of the title of Interior Secretary, and drape that title on the shoulders of the bounty hunter. What a fantastic reward!

Better incentive to finally get Bato? That person would have earned the role, for sure.

Come on bounty hunters! Do you want to be the next Interior secretary? This would be the chance to head the police! To make arrests left and right! To rid the force of bad apples, and collar all those corrupt politicians! To make a difference!

Call this an audition.

Recently there was a word war between the Philippines and China which continues on. It started when China’s Ambassador to the Philippines was quoted as saying ‘that China may easily win in a confrontation against the Philippines.’ In the unlikely event that such a conflict will arise, the question is what will the nature of this conflict be and how will the Philippines react.

This possibility has given rise to the question of what the wars of the future will be like. One conclusion that has become more and more acceptable among geopolitical strategists is the growing belief that there is very little threat of a nuclear war. In the last few decades, we have seen conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq and, more recently, in Ukraine, between the superpowers and their proxies. In all these conflicts, although the parties involved possess nuclear weapons, none of the countries used this type of weapons. Even India and Pakistan which possess nuclear weapons and were attacking across each other’s borders in May 2025, nuclear weapons were not used at all.

In this new era of warfare, there are emerging technologies that will favor countries like the Philippines. Early this year, for example, the United States started an air war across Iranian targets. The US dominated the skies, using its massive air power. During a five-week period, the US conducted over 13,000 air strikes against Iran. Over the same period, however, Iran was able to retaliate by launching 2,200 missiles and 4,400 drones against countries in the region.

Until now, the Iranian regime remains in control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not been forced to surrender and has not given up control of Hormuz. The United States has not therefore achieved its objective in the war, even though it is far more powerful than Iran.

The conflict between Iran and the United States is being viewed as the first example of a new era in warfare. Emerging technologies are levelling the playing field between the superpowers and its adversaries.

Another clear example of this new warfare is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At the beginning of this conflict, most experts believed that Ukraine would be easily invaded and surrender a few weeks after the invasion.

After several years, Ukraine is still fighting and the most recent reports indicate that Ukraine is now successfully pushing back the Russian invaders.

The main reason for the unexpected resilience of small countries against superpowers is the existence of affordable drone technology, which is allowing smaller states to successfully retaliate against superior invading forces.

Drones have transformed not just the dynamics of warfare but also its economics. Both Ukraine and Iran have used low-cost air and naval drones to destroy far more expensive assets. For example, Ukraine used kamikaze drone boats and anti-ship missiles to obliterate Russia’s Black Sea fleet, sinking 13 ships after two years of war and damaging dozens more.

A $300,000 drone boat can cripple a Navy warship that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. The superpowers have no advantage in these emerging drone technologies. Iran, for example, has become a major producer of cheap drones. Ukraine produces four million drones every year.

Ukraine is producing long-range strike drones that can travel up to 600 miles. More countries will soon possess similar drones. It is expected that these advances in drone technology will change warfare in profound ways. Even the Pentagon has announced plans to expand the production of low-cost drones and has budgeted $1 billion to produce 340,000 drones by 2027. The US Army has set a goal of producing at least a million drones by 2028.

It is notable to observe that Ukraine’s production of four million drones a year makes it a bigger drone producer than any of the superpowers.

A drone which originally used to refer to a stingless male bee, a continuous hum, a bagpipe’s pipe tone or to speak in a boring, monotonous tone has today acquired another meaning. In the context of warfare, it is defined as an unscrewed aircraft or ship guided by remote control or by onboard computers known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It is an aircraft that operates without a human pilot onboard, controlled remotely by an operator or flying autonomously via GPS and sensors.

Its common uses are for aerial photography, filmmaking, surveillance, package delivery, agriculture and military operations.

Today, the superpowers, including China, are still using military strength in terms of the traditional method. For example, the Navy counts the number of ships and the Air Force, the number of aircraft. Even the Army counts the number of soldiers as its matrix to measure its military power.

The Philippines can learn the lessons from Iran and Ukraine in dealing with a superpower.

Union Bank of the Philippines is moving to absorb the businesses of its digital banking and financial technology subsidiaries into its parent operations, as the Aboitiz-led lender seeks to streamline its operations and strengthen its digital banking services.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, UnionBank said its board of directors approved the planned integration of UnionDigital Bank and fintech subsidiary UBX into the parent bank, subject to regulatory approvals from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and other authorities.

The move is part of the bank’s broader strategy to focus on its core businesses, improve operational efficiency and consolidate its digital capabilities under a single banking platform.

UnionDigital operates as the group’s digital banking arm, while UBX focuses on fintech solutions aimed at expanding access to financial services beyond traditional bank branches.

UnionBank president and CEO Ana Delgado said the integration would allow the bank to serve more customers while maximizing the capabilities developed by its subsidiaries.

‘By integrating UnionDigital and UBX with UnionBank, we are strengthening our digital proposition, creating greater efficiencies and accelerating our ability to serve more Filipinos at scale,’ Delgado said.

She said the planned consolidation would also give customers access to a broader range of banking products and financial solutions through UnionBank’s existing digital platforms.

The bank assured customers that services would remain available while the proposed integration undergoes regulatory review.

‘During the transition process, we are committed to ensure the least amount of disruption for our customers,’ Delgado said. ‘We will carefully guide their transition into UnionBank at the appropriate time.’

The bank has not disclosed a timetable for completing the integration, which remains subject to the necessary regulatory clearances.

The consolidation plan comes as UnionBank reported a 53-percent increase in net income to P9.9 billion in the first nine months, supported by stronger interest earnings, higher fee income and improved operating efficiency.

Net revenues increased by eight percent to P65.5 billion, reflecting wider lending margins and higher transaction income from its expanding retail customer base, which exceeded 19.5 million.

Net interest income rose by nine percent to P51.9 billion. The bank’s net interest margin improved by 34 basis points to 6.9 percent.

UnionBank attributed the improvement partly to a five-percent increase in current account and savings account deposits, a relatively low-cost source of funding for banks.

Consumer loans accounted for 62 percent of its total loan portfolio, nearly three times the industry average, reflecting the bank’s strong concentration in retail lending.

Meanwhile, non-interest income grew by five percent to P13.6 billion, with fees and commissions climbing by the same rate to P11.9 billion.

Income from wealth management and bancassurance surged by 52 percent and accounted for 18 percent of total fee income.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 5.50%.

In a statement on Thursday, October 22, the Monetary Board announced that the target Reverse Repurchase rate would increase to 5.50%.

This marks the BSP’s first 50-basis-point rate hike since February 2023, bringing cumulative rate increases to 125 basis points since the BSP began its tightening cycle in April.

This move also brings interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities to 5.00% and 6.00%, respectively.

The central bank cited persistent inflation risks as the primary reason for the rate hike.

Average headline inflation is projected to accelerate in the coming months and remain elevated through 2027 before gradually moving toward the BSP’s 3% target in 2028.

Core inflation is also expected to continue rising, signaling broader cost pressures across the economy.

The Monetary Board said elevated global oil prices amid tensions in the Middle East, higher transport fares and lingering El Niño risks to agriculture have heightened inflation pressures.

While fiscal measures are expected to support domestic economic recovery, the Board stressed the need for a decisive and restrictive monetary policy stance was necessary to contain second-round effects and anchor inflation expectations.

While fiscal measures are expected to support domestic economic recovery, the Board emphasized the need for a decisive and restrictive monetary policy stance to contain second-round effects and keep inflation expectations anchored.

‘This will contain second-round effects and firmly anchor inflation expectations,’ the BSP said.

‘The BSP stands ready to take further monetary policy action as necessary to ensure the timely return of inflation to the target, in keeping with our price stability mandate,’ it added.

Various sectors welcomed the wish of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari for Abdulraof Macacua to remain as chief minister of the Bangsamoro regional government.

‘That is something so touching for us,’ lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Federalist party, who was elected to represent a parliamentary district in Cotabato City during the September 14 elections in the autonomous region, said.

The 80 elected members of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will convene for the inaugural session on October 30, following the region’s first-ever parliamentary elections on September 14.

Macacua was also elected to represent a parliamentary district covering neighboring barangays in Cotabato City and parts of the nearby province Maguindanao del Norte during last month’s polls.

Up to 46 newly elected members of the BARMM parliament, including Macacua, formed a bloc during a dialogue in Davao City last week to promote inclusive regional governance that involves Muslim, Christian and indigenous non-Moro communities in the autonomous region.

Macacua, whose tenure as interim chief minister is set to end when the elected regional lawmakers convene for their first session on October 30, visited Misuari at his residence in Davao City on Thursday, October 22, along with BARMM’s local government minister Jordan Bayam. They discussed various issues, including governance in autonomous region.

During their conversation, Misuari first congratulated Macacua on his election to the BARMM parliament in the September 14 regional polls. Their meeting, which was also attended by Bayam, was captured on video. Copies of the footage circulated among members of BARMM’s media community on Friday, October 23.

‘You have my support, my full support,’ Misuari told Macacua, after saying that he wants him to stay as BARMM’s chief minister.

Macacua would need at least 41 votes from the 80 newly elected BARMM lawmakers to become chief minister if nominated for the post during their first session on October 30.

Misuari served as governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao after the MNLF and the national government signed a peace agreement on September 2, 1996. The agreement was brokered by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bloc of more than 50 Muslim-majority countries, including oil-exporting nations in the Middle East and North Africa.

‘We need good people like you at the helm,’ Misuari told Macacua while he and Bayam were in his residence in Davao City.

All five BARMM governors, Ali Midtimbang of Maguindanao del Sur, Tucao Mastura of Maguindanao del Norte, Mamintal Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, Mujiv Hataman of Basilan and Ysmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi, had assured, pledged their support for the 46-member bloc of newly elected lawmakers during a meeting in Davao City last week.

The bloc members are expected to support Macacua if he is nominated for chief minister during the parliament’s first session on October 30.

‘Carry on, I hope you will stay long in your administration, In Shaa Allah,’ Misuari told Macacua as they ended their talk with a handshake.

Officials of the Bangsamoro Initiative for Peace, Progress and Solidarity (BIPPS), a multisectoral peace advocacy entity with members across BARMM’s provinces and cities, separately told reporters on Sunday that they appreciated Misuari’s vote of confidence in Macacua.

Traders in BARMM, including members of the influential Bangsamoro Business Council, which has groups across the region’s five provinces and three cities, said they did not oppose efforts by various sectors to keep Macacua as chief minister of the autonomous region.

‘We don’t have a problem with Chief Minister Macacua remaining as chief minister in the Bangsamoro region,” Adiong, the now second term governor of Lanao del Sur, said.

Adiong said officials and members of their regional party, the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo, are thankful to Misuari for his desire for Macacua to remain as BARMM chief minister.

Over five years ago, on a Friday morning in the early fall in New York City, Philippine Airlines (PAL) filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York. After more than a year of grinding negotiations and paperwork with creditors while trying to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, PAL was finally getting its day in court.

Today, after almost 20 quarters that have likely been the most profitable in its history, PAL has just placed a confident bet on its future, having issued $350 million in bonds and confirmed orders for 15 new Boeing 787 Dreamliners and nine Airbus A350-1000s, in addition to the 10 already being delivered.

This is the human story of how Asia’s oldest airline, now 85 years old, not only survived but thrived when the world almost shut down air travel during the pandemic.

Asia’s oldest airline

PAL was founded in late February 1941, after Andres Soriano and other wealthy businessmen purchased the franchise of the defunct Philippine Island Aerial Taxi Company and incorporated PAL.

The Iloilo-Negros Air Express Co. (INAEC) founded in 1935 by wealthy sugar barons, already flew to more destinations and had a larger fleet. From its infancy as an air-taxi company serving wealthy Spanish and American businessmen in Manila, PAL was never inevitable.

Within months of its founding, PAL was at war, flying supply and evacuation missions to and from the front lines as the US Armed Forces in the Far East retreated to Bataan. Its Beechcraft 18s and pilots continued these missions until Japanese aircraft finally caught up with them in late February 1942. INAEC’s entire fleet was caught on the ground in Iloilo three days after the war began.

After the war, PAL was reconstituted by Andres Soriano with surplus US military aircraft and veteran pilots.

By mid-1946, it was flying American G.I.s home, becoming the first non-US airline to fly across the Pacific.

From the beginning, PAL had been sheltered, but languishing, in the shadow of politics.

The 1970s brought Martial Law, and PAL again fell under direct government control. Its domestic operations entered the jet age with the BAC-111, while its international routes began filling with a new type of traveler: the overseas Filipino worker.

Kapitan

Corazon Aquino became the president of the Philippines in 1986, and in 1992, her administration sold 67 percent of PAL to PR Holdings, enabling Dr. Lucio ‘Kapitan’ Tan, a self-made billionaire with interests in tobacco, liquor and banking, to take control.

He became chairman and CEO of PAL in 1995 and led a multibillion-dollar fleet renewal.

Just in time for the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997.

Following the catastrophic effects of the Asian Financial Crisis and labor disputes that led to a complete 14-day shutdown, PAL submitted a ‘standalone’ rehabilitation plan to the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission in late 1998.

The plan required receivership or external oversight of the company’s assets and operations, which lasted nine years.

PAL was released from receivership in October 2007, but further challenges – including domestic competition from Cebu Pacific, the downgrade of the Philippines’ aviation safety rating by the FAA and EASA, another labor strike in 2011 and continuing financial difficulties – meant continued instability.

In 2012, Kapitan sold 49 percent of PAL to San Miguel Corp. and let it manage the airline. He took back control two years later.

By 2019, PAL had experienced two consecutive years of losses, faced an increasingly tenuous debt position and further losses, and had sold 9.5 percent of its holding company to All Nippon Airways to raise capital.

Kapitan had sunk billions of dollars into PAL and would put in even more to keep it aloft.

I learned later that, despite the scale and breadth of his commercial empire, he carried only one business card.

It read: Chairman and CEO of Philippine Airlines.

The challenge

In the spring of 2019, Kapitan asked me to lead the turnaround of a perennially troubled enterprise. In late July, the Board confirmed me as its president and COO.

So I left my home and family in Los Angeles and returned to the Philippines to lead PAL.

I had no idea what I was getting into.

I discovered both daunting challenges and great potential.

PAL was an inefficient enterprise with a long history of losses; massive debt; obsolete business processes; four-star service standards operating out of one of the world’s worst airports; capable flight and cabin crews administered by a sclerotic bureaucracy; a proud but demoralized workforce with a history of difficult labor relations; opaque and erratic governance and large, agile and tough competitors.

But in 2019, PAL was a then-79-year-old airline whose legacy and history remained inseparable from the Filipino experience after World War II.

It was the flag carrier of a fast-growing Southeast Asian nation; a bridge across the Philippine archipelago to the world and the link between millions of overseas Filipinos and their homes and families.

PAL carried the Philippine flag.

And in its planes flew the hopes and dreams of millions of Filipinos on their journeys to meet the future.

2020

As 2019 ended, PAL had assembled a new team and made progress tackling its challenges. Kapitan had invested another $225 million in the company while committing a further $375 million.

Then, in January 2020, just south of Manila, Taal Volcano erupted.

Volcanic ash from the massive eruption shut down Ninoy Aquino International Airport for more than 14 hours, cancelling hundreds of flights and essentially dismantling PAL’s biggest hub and base. We had to thread it all back together, flight

by flight, while caring for more than 30,000 displaced passengers.

The year had started with a ‘bang.’

Taal turned out to be just the opening act.

Editor’s note: In this special series, former Philippine Airlines president and COO Gilbert Santa Maria takes us inside the flag carrier’s fight for survival during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when nearly every airline across the globe grappled with the worst turbulence. This is the story of PAL’s remarkable turnaround, told by one who was at the helm when the airline faced one of the toughest periods in its 85-year history. A similar version appeared on Yale Insights.

Protecting its turf, Ateneo eked out a 75-72 squeaker over Far Eastern U to snap a three-game skid in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball yesterday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Kieffer Alas sank the dagger charities in the last two seconds to rescue the Blue Eagles from a near collapse after leading by as many as 18 points, including 11 inside the last two minutes.

Alas finished with 21 points, four rebounds and two steals as the Blue Eagles drew inspiration from home fans and improved to 4-4 to rejoin a crowded middle pack of the standings.

The super rookie drew solid coverage from Jared Bahay with 15 points while reinforcement Sultan Baruwa collared a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double laced by two assists. Ian Espinosa and Travis Roberts chipped in eight points each.

Later, National U joined UP atop the leaderboard at 6-2 after smothering Adamson, 79-43, in the most lopsided game of the season so far.

The Falcons slid to 4-4.

When dear friends Rose Anne and Lyra recently became ‘glammas,’ I found myself wondering what it would feel like to hold a grandchild of my own. In this sometimes crazy world, welcoming a new life is one of the most hopeful expressions of love.

For decades, my husband and I have been our children’s anchors, guiding them through sleepless nights, feverish mornings, and the turbulent waves of adolescence. Looking through their scribbled notes and crayon-bright cards still brings a smile to my face and takes me back to the days when they clung to me and held my hand as we walked. Someday, I hope to experience the next chapter: holding a newborn in my arms and, in time, hearing a little voice call me ‘Grammy’ for the first time.

When that day comes, my husband and I will discover the joys of becoming Lolo and Lola.

A new role, a different kind of love

In our culture, becoming a grandparent is often seen as passing the torch. We pass on family values, traditions, and faith, but grandparenting is much more than stepping back from parenting. It is an invitation to love in a different way-with greater patience, perspective, and freedom.

After years of balancing responsibility, discipline, and the demands of daily life, we may no longer carry the full weight of raising children. Instead, we gain the privilege of being present: looking into a newborn’s eyes, breathing in that sweet baby scent, and marveling at our family’s continuing story.

Grandchildren are also a reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness. Scripture tells us that ‘children’s children are a crown to the aged’ (Proverbs 17:6). The thought of holding a grandchild fills me with wonder at how the love we’ve poured into our children can blossom into another generation.

Being a blessing without overstepping

Yet this new role calls for humility. Moving from being the one in charge to becoming a supportive guide can be challenging. The temptation to say, ‘In my day, we did it this way,’ may be hard to resist.

Our adult children may choose different feeding methods, sleep routines, or parenting approaches. While we have years of experience to share, I hope to give them the freedom to find their own way.

After all, we spent years teaching them to stand on their own. Perhaps one of the final acts of parental love is trusting them to do just that.

Sometimes, being supportive means offering help without taking over. It means listening before giving advice, asking how we can help rather than questioning their decisions, and respecting the foundation they’re building for their own families.

And when it comes to passing on our faith, perhaps the most powerful example is the life we lead. A Lolo or Lola who radiates kindness, patience, forgiveness, and unconditional love can offer a glimpse of God’s love without needing to preach.

A legacy of love

To be a grandparent is to hold history in your heart and the future in your arms. It is the joy of sharing stories about when Mom or Dad was little, spoiling them a little now and then, and offering a peaceful haven when life overwhelms them.

We don’t become grandparents only when a baby arrives. In a way, we begin preparing for that role as we watch our own children grow into independent adults.

That realization is beautiful and a little bittersweet. Someday, the babies I once carried may build families of their own and place a tiny new life into my waiting hands.

That is the grace of becoming.

I hope that, when the time comes, my husband and I will be safe havens of prayer, wisdom, laughter, and affection. More than toys or treats, may we give our future grandchildren the assurance that they will always be cherished and unconditionally loved.

Our hands may wrinkle and our bodies may slow, but the love we have left to give can continue to grow. Perhaps that is one of grandparenting’s sweetest blessings: discovering that while the way we love may change, our hearts never stop making room for more.

If plans don’t miscarry, Filipino para athletes will have a training center they can call their own.

This after the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Paralympic Committee sought the guidance of the Asian Paralympic Committee for the possibility of constructing a first of its kind training center for athletes with disability back home.

‘One of the reasons I flew here was to talk to the APC president,’ said PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio referring to Majid Rashed. ‘Gusto nating tumulong pagdevelop ng gaming center for our para athletes in 2027 pareho ng ginawa natin sa taekwondo, football and baseball.’

‘It’s about time we support the Philippine para team,’ he added.

If it pushes through, PPC president Mike Barredo said it will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Philippine para movement’s creation.

‘If that happens, I can now retire and rest easy knowing I will leave a legacy to the Philippine para movement,’ he said.

Both Gregorio and Barredo lauded the Filipino athletes for finishing with a 2-2-3 (gold-silver-bronze) haul, which was good for 17th overall in the 5th Asian Para Games that concluded yesterday at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium here.

This came three years after Team Philippines wound up ninth overall in Hangzhou, China where it had a 10-4-5 harvest, 8-3-2 of which came from chess.

So the effort here is an improvement from Hangzhou minus chess, which was scrapped from the games’ calendar by the host nation.

‘More or less with what we did last para minus chess, of course, we did well and it was a job well done,’ said Barredo.