Category: Philippine Star

Nano and microentrepreneurs are a familiar part of everyday Filipino life. They are the sari-sari store owners, home-based food sellers, online entrepreneurs and freelancers who turn their skills and passions into a source of livelihood.

For many Filipinos, entrepreneurship begins out of necessity-a way to provide for their families during difficult times. For others, it starts with a passion they hope to grow into a sustainable business.

Whatever the reason, these small businesses are built on resilience, determination, and the Filipino spirit of diskarte. But while hard work can open doors, sustaining a business requires easy access to a working capital.

From housewife to breadwinner: Ailyn For Ailyn, a housewife from Misamis Oriental, earning an income meant finding a way to support her family while continuing to care for her children at home.

When her husband became seriously ill and could no longer work, Ailyn began selling home-cooked meals and snacks to help cover their daily expenses and medical bills. As her business slowly gained regular customers, another family emergency arose when her mother also needed financial support.

Looking for additional capital, she turned to Tala, allowing her to continue growing her business and eventually open a sari-sari store.

“I used the loan wisely to keep the capital rolling. Even if I’m a housewife taking care of my children, I still want to have my own income,” Ailyn shared.

Today, her sari-sari store provides a steadier source of income for the family while allowing her to remain present for her children. She has also begun saving for their education-something she once thought would be difficult to achieve.

Brewing success: Kenniel

Kenniel’s entrepreneurial journey started with the desire to build a better future. Although he had a stable career in the banking industry, he realized he was still living paycheck to paycheck and wanted to create something of his own.

While working as a food delivery rider after office hours, he noticed that many BPO employees were looking for convenient, quality coffee during long shifts. That simple observation inspired him to start selling cold brew coffee from a small cart-a venture that would eventually grow into Timpla Dough.

Like many entrepreneurs, Kenniel also experienced setbacks that depleted much of his business capital. Looking for a way to recover, he turned to Tala for additional funding, allowing him to restart operations and continue investing in his growing business.

“Tala earned my trust because it became like a friend to me. It has been there through everything I’ve gone through and witnessed every step of my journey,” Kenniel shared.

Today, Timpla Dough continues to grow, serving as a reminder that determination, paired with timely financial support, can help entrepreneurs overcome setbacks and pursue their goals.

Ailyn’s and Kenniel’s journeys reflect the experiences of many Filipino nano and microentrepreneurs who have the drive to succeed but often lack access to the financial support needed to take the next step.

Today, a quarter of Tala’s five million customers in the Philippines use their loans for business purposes.

Beyond providing access to credit, Tala continues to help customers build financial confidence through Grow with Tala, a new in-app feature that allows users to monitor their financial progress, view upcoming milestones, and preview future guaranteed credit limit increases.

The feature complements Tala’s Debt with Dignity advocacy, which promotes transparency and respect-based lending practices.

‘Nano and microentrepreneurs are unseen economic engines that drive growth at the grassroots level. We aim to back their growth by providing access to convenient and flexible credit that they can use as capital to sustain or even scale their businesses, and ultimately, achieve their financial goals,’ said Moritz Gastl, president and general manager of Tala Philippines.

For countless Filipinos, entrepreneurship begins with a simple idea and the determination to make it work. Stories of Tala customers Ailyn and Kenniel show that with resilience, hard work, and the right support, small beginnings can grow into sustainable livelihoods that benefit not only their families but also the communities they serve.

Tycoon Ramon Ang is buying the 25.68% stake in Lopez Inc. held by the family branch of former ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, bringing an outsider into the private parent of the Lopez Group amid a months-long family feud.

Crème Investment Corp., the holding company representing Gabby’s branch of the Lopez family, sold its entire stake in Lopez Inc. to Ang, according to disclosures and statements released Monday, August 10.

The price and other financial terms were not disclosed.

Ang is making the investment in his personal capacity through a wholly owned holding company, rather than through conglomerate San Miguel Corp, where he is CEO and chairman.

SMC said Ang is expected to brief its board on the transaction at its next meeting on August 13.

‘Family peace.’ Gabby said the sale was partly intended to help end a dispute that has spilled across the family’s companies and into the courts.

“This dispute has not been good for any of us, or for the people who work in our companies. This allows us to take a step towards the restoration of family peace,” Gabby said, as quoted in several media reports.

He said the transaction would also allow his branch of the family to redirect its resources toward businesses aligned with its own priorities.

The sale gives Ang a major stake in the private holding company sitting above businesses that include investment firm First Philippine Holdings, energy provider First Gen, real estate company Rockwell Land and media giant ABS-CBN.

The remaining Lopez family branches will continue to hold the controlling majority of Lopez Inc.

The Lopez feud. The family’s internal dispute erupted publicly in February after a majority of the Lopez Inc. board moved to remove Federico “Piki” Lopez as president and CEO in a 5-2 vote, citing cause and loss of trust.

Piki challenged the move in court. The majority later withdrew the resolution seeking his removal in May, but disputes over the group’s governance and major energy transactions continued.

Among the flashpoints were First Gen’s transactions with Enrique Razon Jr.’s Prime Infrastructure, including the P50-billion sale of a controlling stake in First Gen’s gas business and agreements involving its hydropower assets.

The majority bloc questioned provisions in those deals that it said could expose First Gen to substantial losses if Piki were removed from key management posts. First Gen disputed allegations of wrongdoing and said the provisions were requested by Prime Infra as protection for its investments.

Piki has also said the attempt to remove him was linked to his refusal to support a proposed P2-billion capital infusion into financially struggling ABS-CBN. The majority maintained that his removal was based on cause and loss of trust.

Gross domestic product growth continues to decelerate, slowing to just 2.3 percent year-on-year, the lowest outside the pandemic years since 2009.

Meanwhile, the national debt as of end-June hit a record high of P19 trillion, for a debt-to-GDP ratio of 66 percent – a 33-year high last seen in 1993.

Since the go-to response of the Marcos administration is to throw ayuda at every problem, that debt is likely to balloon further.

Business confidence is down, inflation has dampened consumption while the peso is at its weakest ever.

External factors aren’t entirely to blame. Economic experts and multilateral lenders have pointed to the paralysis in public spending due to the corruption scandal as a major factor in the lower-than-expected GDP growth in the second quarter.

With the problem identified, they also offer solutions: the long-running call to strengthen the rule of law and regulatory framework, plus the new call to show genuine resolve in dealing with the corruption scandal involving flood control and other infrastructure projects, facilitated by creative budgeting.

In all the suggested solutions, the government has been faltering.

Even in the biggest message of President Marcos’ recent State of the Nation Address – the prosecution of his once-favorite cousin, with relatives and friends not spared – the message has been suffering a succession of blows.

First, administration Senate bet Bong Revilla was allowed to post bail for the normally non-bailable malversation of public funds.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had said that malversation, besides being non-bailable and warranting life in prison, is easier to prove than plunder. Perhaps it’s also easier to fix – something that Remulla implied when he said in public that someone had worked to secure Revilla’s bail, ‘mukhang trinabaho.’

The reaction of the two Sandiganbayan justices who approved the bail – Fritz Bryn Anthony delos Santos and Ronald Moreno (outvoting Third Division chair Karl Miranda) – boiled down to, sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt us.

* * *

Revilla isn’t the only one who has slipped out of the ombudsman’s grasp. Remulla’s bid to get former public works chief Manuel Bonoan to turn state witness was also rejected by the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division. Remulla had said he planned to use Bonoan as a witness against former House speaker Martin Romualdez.

As the stormy workweek drew to a close, the ombudsman suffered yet another blow: four of the 18 self-proclaimed bagmen of former Ako Bicol ‘congtractor’ Zaldy Co, whose testimony Remulla had also hoped to use against Romualdez, retracted their statements.

The four claimed they were given prepared statements by the ombudsman, which they signed in exchange for financial compensation. Remulla denied this and openly expressed suspicion that Romualdez was behind the recantation. There are video recordings showing that the four freely cooperated in the presence of assistant ombudsmen, Remulla added.

Why the four would need to be forced to sign affidavits that merely affirmed their original accusations against Romualdez is a mystery. Those allegations of delivering cash-filled suitcases totaling P805 billion to lucky folks led by Romualdez, BBM and his son Sandro were hurled by the 18 way back in February.

On Friday, one of the 18 bagmen, George Villanon Jr., said they were offered P20 million to P25 million each to retract their statements.

Villanon did not say who offered those amounts, which I hesitate to describe as huge, considering the billions alleged to have been pocketed by the looters.

The National Bureau of Investigation vowed to investigate the matter. It was unclear though whose accusation the NBI would pursue – that of the four bagmen or Remulla’s. The NBI, after all, is part of the executive branch, whose head and appointing power is BBM.

But at the rate the statements of the 18, together or individually, have been shifting, their stories have become so polluted the probative value has been reduced to zero. As Pinoys like to say, it’s just storytelling a lie. They should just be slapped with charges of perjury.

* * *

Romualdez did promise a spirited fight to prove his avowed innocence. He had ominously warned: ‘I’m telling everyone now, I will not go quietly and I will not go alone. I will not be the fall guy for other people’s corruption.’ Who the ‘other people’ are, he has yet to say.

He has denied receiving kickbacks, and has maintained that he had nothing to do with the institutionalized looting of the national budget.

Zaldy Co could be the best witness on this and against Romualdez. But we all know that Co has impressively eluded being forced to return to the Philippines, and is instead cooling his heels in Paris.

Another accuser of Romualdez who has gone missing is retired Marine sergeant Orly Guteza. Remember him? He was the original storyteller of the cash-filled suitcase deliveries. This was way back in September last year. The notary public whose signature was on Guteza’s affidavit later claimed her signature was forged, but Sen. Panfilo Lacson said it didn’t matter because Guteza had sworn to his testimony in person before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee.

We’re waiting for Remulla’s next step in going after Romualdez, and fulfilling BBM’s SONA promise.

It must be stressed though that BBM did not explicitly promise to put his cousin behind bars or even secure conviction. All he said was that the ombudsman was set to file piles of cases against ‘the former speaker’ whose name he could not even mention. BBM also admitted that it pained him, although ‘kailangan nating gawin ang tama’ – we have to do what’s right.

At this point, doing what’s right is starting to sound like the fairy tale about the big fish not having a merry Christmas 2025. Or the original OPM, oh promise me: rice (not subsidized) at P20 a kilo.

At least 28 families affected by a fire in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, benefited from financial aid and relief goods distributed by the Malasakit team of Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go.

The assistance was distributed at the Tisa Barangay Hall on Tuesday, August 4, in coordination with local officials.

The affected families received financial aid, grocery packs, water containers, snacks, shirts, vitamins, bags, basketballs, and volleyballs. Some beneficiaries also received shoes.

The national government also conducted an assessment for possible housing assistance for families whose homes were affected by the fire.

Go addressed the affected families through a video call and urged them not to lose hope, stressing the importance of helping one another during difficult times.

‘Huwag po kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Magtulungan lang po tayo, sino ba naman ang magtutulungan kundi tayong kapwa Pilipino. Siguraduhin lang po natin na nag-iingat po tayo,’ Go said.

He said responding to the immediate needs of communities affected by disasters should remain a priority regardless of the prevailing political climate.

Go also highlighted measures aimed at strengthening the country’s preparedness and response to fires and other disasters.

He recently authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11589, or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021, which provides for a 10-year modernization program for the BFP, including improved equipment, enhanced training, additional firefighters, and intensified fire prevention campaigns in coordination with local government units.

He also principally authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which requires the establishment of permanent and disaster-resilient evacuation centers in every city and municipality.

The law provides that these evacuation centers should be equipped with basic health, sanitation, and safety facilities and designed to withstand disasters.

Go’s assistance to the Tisa fire victims is also in line with his previous relief efforts for families affected by fires and other calamities across the country.

His office has also coordinated with local officials and national government agencies in assessing the needs of affected families and facilitating possible additional assistance, including medical, financial, and housing support.

Go said government assistance must reach disaster victims as soon as possible, particularly during the first days following a calamity, when families are most in need of food, water, and other basic necessities.

He acknowledged the support of Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Tisa Barangay Captain Bernardo Lapiña Jr., and Barangay Kagawad Sonia Cal.

‘Patuloy po akong magseserbisyo para sa inyo dahil bisyo ko po ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos,’ Go said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has completed the printing of 447,387 official ballots for the Aug. 29 special election for the fourth legislative district of Dasmariñas City in Cavite.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia informed reporters over the weekend that the printing had reached 100 percent completion.

The special election will be held to fill the congressional seat vacated by Francisco Barzaga Jr., who was expelled from the House of Representatives in June for disorderly behavior, conduct unbecoming of a member and violations of the House Code of Conduct.

Garcia earlier said the Comelec expects to proclaim the winner early on Aug. 30.

The special election has a budget of P198 million, with P50 million to be shouldered by the Dasmariñas City government.

South Korean coffee brand Compose Coffee has officially entered the Philippine market as the Jollibee Group opened the brand’s first store in the country.

The opening of Compose Coffee at Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig marks the start of a five-year nationwide growth plan for the Jollibee Group’s majority-owned coffee brand.

Over the next five years, the Jollibee Group aims to build in the Philippines the biggest Compose Coffee network outside South Korea.

Jollibee Group said Compose Coffee’s nationwide growth would be driven by franchising through a capital-light model that enables faster expansion while opening the door to entrepreneurs looking to be part of the brand’s journey.

‘Our confidence in Compose Coffee’s future in the Philippines is not based on projection alone. It is grounded in experience. We have seen the brand scale successfully in South Korea, stay closely attuned to what customers value, and build a resilient business that can deliver sustainable long-term growth,’ said Joseph Tanbuntiong, chief executive officer of Jollibee Group Philippines and head of Jollibee Brand Global.

In South Korea, Compose Coffee has grown to over 3,000 stores, including 1,000 added in just under 18 months.

Jollibee Group’s approach to the Philippine market draws on early learnings from its successful entry into Taiwan.

‘By combining that experience with the Jollibee Group’s deep understanding of the Philippine market and proven operating capabilities, our goal is to build an enduring brand by earning the trust of Filipino consumers as we expand Compose Coffee across the Philippines with discipline and purpose,’ Tanbuntiong said.

Compose Coffee was acquired by the Jollibee Group in 2024 to further fortify its coffee and tea business.

The brand originated in South Korea, where it first opened in 2014 with a focus on making quality coffee more accessible for everyone.

Farmers and the Aeta community in Capas, Tarlac have launched a petition to stop Pax Silica, saying the project would affect their livelihoods and homes.

The petition has gathered nearly 400,000 verified signatures.

Under the US-led international initiative, a 1,600-hectare high-tech industrial hub will be built at New Clark City in Capas. The project aims to support artificial intelligence infrastructure, data centers and advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Farmer Miriam Ventura said during a press conference that about 500 families in Barangay Sta. Lucia alone would be affected by the project, as she raised concern over its environmental impact and effects on their farm output.

‘In our area, we have good quality water – it’s clear. If they build Pax Silica, what will happen to the water in our area? That’s the only place where we get drinking water for us to live,’ Ventura said.

Petroniza Capriz-Muñoz, Aeta chieftain of Sapang Kawayan, said the community members would stand their ground and stay in their lands, as they raised concern that the project would displace them.

‘The land serves as our lives as indigenous people, it serves as our home. What about our future generations? We are doing our best to plant and have a living for our families,’ Muñoz said.

Aside from Sta. Lucia, Barangays O’Donnel and Aranguren were identified as among the areas that would be affected by the project.

According to data from the Capas town government, over 30 percent of its land area is considered productive agricultural land.

Across two continents, two Alas Pilipinas teams made impacts for the world to see.

In San Felipe, Chile, the Filipinas preyed on the Tunisians, 27-25, 25-19, 25-16, Saturday to claim a second win in a row in the FIVB Volleyball Girls U17 World Championship and close in on a historic Round-of-16 seat.

Over in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the Nationals downed the Indonesians, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, 33-31, yesterday to snatch silver in the SEA V.League Leg 2 – the Philippines’ best finish in the annual event.

‘They did it,’ said Alas Women coach Taka Minowa moments after the feat.

The Alas Women will finish second to the Thais regardless of the result of the latter’s duel with the Vietnamese.

It was redemption of sorts for the Filipinas, who wound up winless and fourth and last in Leg 1 in Hanoi, Vietnam, a week ago.

But Minowa knows they will face more challenges as they gear up for next month’s Asian Games in Aichi, Japan.

‘We only trained for 15 days, we’re just starting the program. Lots of space to improve this team,’ he said.

For their part, the Alas Girls shed their underdog tag, running wild with a second straight win after preying on the Tunisians, who are ranked higher at No. 20 against the former’s No. 25.

The Filipinas relied on the old connection of spiker Xyz Rayco and setter Resty Olaguir and Caera Celis’ team-leading 15 points in leaping to a share of second with the Peruvians on 2-1 records, just a shade behind the powerhouse Chinese, the reigning titlists who are unbeaten in three matches in Pool B.

It came a day after Alas’ four-set win over No. 8 Mexico, which happened to be its first win in this biennial meet now on its second edition after the inaugural event in Lima, Peru.

The P5-billion Manila terminal for cruise vessels is close to breaking ground, with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) eyeing to firm up a lease agreement before the year ends.

The PPA is close to signing with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) the 25-year lease, extendable by 25 years, for the property where it plans to build the cruise terminal.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said his agency is negotiating the terms of the lease with the PRA, but the objective is to reach an agreement within the year.

‘We have ongoing discussions on the terms of the lease with the PRA. We will definitely pursue the project, but have yet to sign the lease contract,’ Santiago told The STAR.

‘It will be partly usufruct, partly commercial lease, with a lease term of 25 years and renewable for another 25 years. We intend to sign the lease and, hopefully, break ground before the end of the year,’ he added.

The project, costing P5 billion, seeks to make Manila a home port for cruise vessels, as the PPA wants to contribute to increasing tourist arrivals.

The terminal will be situated at the end of Aseana Avenue in Entertainment City, only 10 minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In this location, tourists will find it convenient to book their cruise trips from the Philippines, as the terminal is located near NAIA, making flying in and out easier.

The terminal will also sit beside Solaire Resort Entertainment City and SMDC Festival Grounds, and will be adjacent to hotel-and-casino giants City of Dreams Manila and Okada Manila. It will also be encircled by condominiums that used to house employees of Philippine offshore gaming operators.

Based on preliminary designs, the terminal can handle up to four vessels at the same time. Ships will also be given a navigational channel of as wide as one kilometer and as far as 15 kilometers for safety compliance.

The PRA, for its part, is expected to limit approvals for future reclamation activities with respect to the navigational requirements of cruise vessels.

The terminal draws inspiration from Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal, housing an all-in-one complex for dining, rest and recreation and shopping.

The Philippines, in general, is working on building up its name as a cruise destination, following wins as Asia’s Best Cruise Destination in 2023 and Best Port of Call in 2024.

Based on PPA data, the country welcomed 226,247 visitors from cruise trips in 2025, up by half from 2024’s 150,903. For 2026, the Philippines has so far docked arrivals from cruise giants such as Adora Cruises, Astro Ocean Cruises, Crystal Cruises and MSC Cruises.

The PPA is building a cruise terminal in Manila to improve travel experience. Cruise guests are presently received through Pier 15, where the Philippine Coast Guard also parks its assets.

In Luzon, the agency manages other projects capable of handling cruise arrivals such as the Ports of Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Salomague in Ilocos Sur and Coron and Puerto Princesa.

The PPA is also developing new cruise terminals to support future demand, including the Port of Alegria in Aklan, Port of Catagbacan in Bohol and Port of Balbagon in Camiguin.

In March, the Department of Tourism convened the first high-level meeting for cruise travel, as it outlined efforts to boost arrivals, such as infrastructure buildup and visa waivers.

Cebu City Councilor Francis Esparis has formally introduced an ordinance prohibiting the use of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash cards as collateral for loans, gambling debts, and other financial obligations.

The ordinance responds to reports from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas that beneficiaries have been pawning their cash cards to informal lenders.

Once surrendered, these cards allow loan sharks to confiscate monthly subsidies intended for food, schooling, and medical needs.

Several beneficiaries have been caught engaging in this ‘Sangla ATM’ scheme, according to DSWD-7 monitoring.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has also warned that pawning ATM cards exposes borrowers to unauthorized withdrawals and deepens their debt cycles.

The 4Ps program, institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11310 in 2019, provides conditional cash transfers to poor households to break the cycle of poverty.

In Central Visayas, more than 310,000 families are enrolled, with a household of three children receiving about P1,400 monthly, or P15,000 annually, for up to seven years. These funds are strictly designated for health, nutrition, and education.

Esparis emphasized in his explanatory note that pawning cash cards ‘fundamentally subverts, weakens, and sabotages the very heart of the state’s poverty alleviation goals.’

While DSWD guidelines penalize beneficiaries caught pawning their cards, they do not hold lenders accountable.

The ordinance seeks to close this gap by targeting both sides of the transaction and offering financial literacy interventions to guide erring beneficiaries back to compliance.

During the latest regular session, the body referred the proposed measure to the Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Styling, the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, and the Committee on Social Services.

The proposed ordinance imposes penalties ranging from fines of P2,000 to P5,000 and imprisonment of up to one year, with repeat offenders facing harsher sanctions.

Business establishments found guilty may also have their permits suspended or revoked.

The City Legal Office, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare Services, is mandated to draft implementing rules within sixty days of the ordinance’s effectivity.