Category: Philippine Star

Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines turned in the best on-time performance among the world’s budget airlines in July, extending its run as one of the most punctual globally.

For July, aviation analyst OAG named AirAsia Philippines as the most punctual low-cost airline in the world, topping some of the toughest in the field like Peach Aviation and Jeju Air.

AirAsia Philippines posted an on-time rate of 94.42 percent across 2,248 flights in July, with no cancellations.

AirAsia Philippines president and CEO Anna Victoria Lu said the carrier is beginning to reap the benefits of its fleet adjustment to cope with elevated flying costs.

The airline rearranged its flight network to weather the impact of higher jet fuel prices caused by the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.

Lu said the fleet revamp has allowed AirAsia Philippines to maximize every flight and trim fuel consumption.

It also enabled the airline to manage flight arrivals, leading to the improvement in on-time scores.

‘These measures help minimize disruptions while ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operations across the network,’ Lu said.

Prior to this, AirAsia Philippines posted a punctuality rate of 92.96 percent in June to rank fourth globally on OAG’s on-time list.

The OAG on-time index is different from the monthly list of punctual airlines issued by aviation expert Cirium, which frequently includes flag carrier Philippine Airlines.

Meanwhile, budget carrier Cebu Pacific is expanding its overseas network in the fourth quarter in anticipation of higher demand for air travel for the Undas and Christmas seasons.

Cebu Pacific will restore weekly flights between Cebu and Ho Chi Minh by Oct. 26.

The airline will also launch new services from Cebu, namely, to Shanghai, starting Nov. 17, and to Nagoya, beginning Nov. 19. This will make Cebu Pacific the only domestic carrier to connect Cebu to the two cities.

Cebu Pacific will also proceed with the restoration of weekly flights between Clark and Hanoi, a service that had to be suspended as part of the airline’s fuel management.

Likewise, Cebu Pacific is resuming weekly flights between Manila and Xiamen by Nov. 23 to bolster its existing Chinese network of direct flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai.

Food assistance came not simply as handouts for 2,032 residents of Isabela, but as a reward for helping rebuild and improve their communities.

Residents from this city as well as the towns of Delfin Albano and Echague participated in the food for work component of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s Project Lawa at Binhi, by joining community rehabilitation and development efforts.

Each participant brought home two family food packs after working for five days, according to Lucia Alan, chief of the DSWD office in Cagayan Valley.

A total of 4,064 food packs were distributed to the beneficiaries after completing the five-day food for work program, which encouraged residents to help improve community facilities and resources.

For the participants, the program presented not just food on the table, but an opportunity to contribute to projects that directly benefit their own communities while receiving much-needed support for their families.

Lamb is healthy, easy to cook and easily melds into Filipino cuisine. Unfortunately, at the moment, lamb is still considered as premium meat and not as readily accessible as pork or beef. Likewise, the general public, who did not grow up eating lamb, still has some misconceptions and biases against it.

But things are going to change now that renowned Filipino chef J Gamboa has been officially named as the Philippines’ new ‘Lambassador,’ a role that is dedicated to championing the quality, versatility and growing appeal of Australian lamb among Filipino chefs and culinary connoisseurs and, soon, regular consumers.

Filipino food lovers usually get introduced to lamb during their travels abroad and, once back in the Philippines, get a good taste of it when dining in mostly chef-driven restaurants. After all, professional chefs are most knowledgeable about the meat, and they know how to choose good quality meat and how to cook it properly. In the ‘new’ lamb category, Australian lamb reigns supreme and is the top choice among professional chefs.

‘I’ve been a big fan of Australian Lamb since we opened Cirkulo in 1995. Through the years, Australian lamb has always been guest favorites on our menu: Garlic and Pepper Crusted Slow Roasted Australian Lamb Ribs, Cordero Lechal Asado (Roasted Australian Suckling Lamb with Chimichurri Sauce), to name a couple,’ said Chef J, who has been enjoying lamb since he was a child.

‘I remember that when I was a child, my mom, Julie Gamboa, would buy ‘Glen-Joe T-bone lamb chops at the Cash and Carry PX and serve them for Sunday dinners – crispy, golden brown, and smothered in garlic and her favorite Maggi seasoning. We all enjoyed this special treat growing up,” he recalled.

The chef is honored to be a “Lambassador,” whose other credits include working under the Michelin Select Spanish restaurant of the family-owned Milky Way group of restaurants that includes Milky Way Café, AzuThai, and Tsukiji Japanese restaurant. The latter he runs with his sister Malu Gamboa Lindo.

‘Australian lamb is versatile, lends to a lot of cooking styles and cuisines, and, I think, is under-utilized. It’s fun to discover new ingredients and rediscover classic dishes using lamb instead of chicken, pork, or beef,” he addedIt was via an intimate lunch attended by key media and industry partners that Chef J was officially named Lambassador by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), a service provider to the Australian red meat industry that supports producers through marketing, research and development initiatives. In international markets such as the Philippines, MLA works closely with industry partners to promote the quality, safety, and enjoyment of Australian beef and lamb.

As the new Lambassador, therefore, Chef J will lead initiatives focused on inspiring menu innovation, strengthening chef engagement and making lamb more accessible in the local market. This is because the Lambassador program forms part of ongoing efforts to build greater awareness and appreciation for Australian lamb in the Philippines through chef-led advocacy and consumer engagement.

During the press lunch, Chef J showcased how lamb fits the Filipino palate and how good and versatile it is by presenting a curated menu with Australian lamb as the main meat, complemented by premium Australian beef.

Guests got to taste Slow Roasted Australian Lamb Shortribs (with garlic, pepper, sea salt, olive oil, fresh lemon); Cordero Lechal Asado (oven roasted Australian suckling lamb with rosemary, garlic, Chimichurri Sauce); and Lamb Shank Osso Bucco (red wine braised Australian lamb shanks, lemon gremolata).

The supporting menu of Australian beef dishes included Tartar de Buey (Australian beef tenderloin, capers, shallots, roasted bone marrow, toasted brioche); and Chuleta de Lomo Alto con Hueso (charcoal grilled bone-in Stanbroke Farms Australian ribeye, roasted vegetables, thyme salt, cooked in Cirkulo’s custom Josper oven).

In the coming weeks, Chef J will lead a series of engagements, including chef collaborations, menu development initiatives, and consumer-facing activities designed to make lamb more accessible and relevant in the local market.

Baked Cheesecake and No-bake Cheesecake are both delicious cream cheese-based desserts, but they are totally different in form, taste and mouthfeel.

Baked Cheesecake, which makes use of eggs, is dense, rich and custard-like in texture, which is the result of it getting baked in the oven for a good amount of time. No-bake Cheesecake, on the other hand, is light, airy and mousse-like in consistency, as it owes its structure and form to gelatin and whipped cream and gets molded and set in the refrigerator.

Everyone’s favorite New York Cheesecake is a baked cheesecake, which is what pastry chefs usually sweat it out when doing some serious baking because it requires long hours not just of baking but of cooling down and chilling.

A No-bake Cheesecake, which most baking hobbyists indulge in, especially when still in the experimental stage, does not use eggs. It relies on gelatin, whipped cream and chilled cream cheese for its form and needs to be chilled in the refrigerator to set.

For his Caramel-Langka Cheesecake, Chef Eugene Raymundo, who is a food stylist and recipe developer for several food manufacturing companies and restaurants in the country, turns to the no-bake type of cheesecake, as he takes advantage of the season’s bountiful harvest of Langka (jackfruit).

He shares how he turns a simple no-bake cheesecake recipe (You can use your favorite chilled or no-bake cheesecake recipe), into a delightful Caramel Langka Cheesecake.

Caramel Langka Cheesecake

Procedure:

1. For the crust, use butter cookie crumbs instead of the usual Graham crackers. Pound it finely. Mix with melted butter until of coarse cornmeal consistency. Use to layer the bottom of round cake pan evenly. Tap down so it forms a solid crust.

2. Caramelize some sugar in a pan over low to medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt on its own and turn bubbly and golden. Then stir.

3. Add butter and cream. Toss in chopped langka. Cook for just a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.

4. Prepare your favorite chilled or no-bake cheesecake recipe. Fold into the caramelized langka mixture.

5. Pour cheesecake mixture over the crust in the round cake pan.

6. Chill in the refrigerator until fully set.

7. When ready to serve, top with more caramelized langka and chopped toasted cashew nuts if desired. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Of the 1,436 who passed the entrance examination given by the Philippine Military Academy last year, only 342 made it to the PMA Class of 2030.

The fourth-class cadets of the PMA Class of 2030 were formally incorporated to the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippine (CCAFP) following a ceremony at the Fort General Gregorio H. del Pilar in this city yesterday.

The new cadets including 76 women are among 365 candidates admitted to the PMA in May 23 after undergoing psychological, physical, medical and neuropsychiatric screening.

Their incorporation to the CCAFP came after completing a two-month training for the New Cadet Battalion.

They will carry the class name ‘MASIKLAB LAHI’ or Mandirigmang Simbolo ng Katapangan at Lakas para sa Bayan ng Lahing Hinirang.

In a speech, PMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Logico told the cadets that joining the corps is not the end of their ordeal, but the start of a greater responsibility.

‘You will no longer be judged solely by what you can endure, but by the standards you uphold, the example you set and the honor with which you wear this uniform,’ Logico said.

The cadets underwent training in military discipline, physical conditioning, character development, military values and basic combat skills in preparation for the rigors of cadet life.

Logico reminded the cadets that someday, lives would depend on their judgment and courage.

He urged them to become officers whom the nation can trust and welcomed them to a lifetime of service to the country and the people.

Police have obtained leads on the people who dumped empty caskets with anti-communist and anti-China slogans across Metro Manila on Friday.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) got a breakthrough in its probe after one of the people who unloaded a coffin at Welcome Rotonda in Barangay Sta. Teresita came forward and is cooperating with police investigators.

Brig. Gen. Randy Glenn Silvio, QCPD director, said the person, driver of the Toyota Hi-Ace van which transported the coffin, revealed that different vehicles were used for the delivery of the caskets.

Four other coffins were discovered in Barangay South Triangle in Quezon City, Barangay 54 in Caloocan, Sta. Cruz, Manila and along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati.

According to Silvio, the drivers were paid P8,000 each while their helpers got P1,000 each for unloading the caskets.

He did not comment when asked if they have already identified the group responsible for the stunt which angered the Chinese embassy.

‘The QCPD assures the public that all leads are being thoroughly pursued and that appropriate criminal charges will be filed against those found responsible for this incident,’ Silvio said.

A video obtained by GMA News showed a woman involved in the dumping of the caskets admitting it was part of their protest against China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

‘For us Filipinos and the fisherfolk of WPS – look at who we are fighting for,’ she said.

Based on the video taken by a resident from one of the areas, the woman was accidentally left by her companions who were in a van after they placed the coffin on the road.

While explaining her side, the woman said they belong to a party-list group and a Chinese community.

‘We are only showing how we feel inside; there is nothing wrong with that,’ she said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to displace far more jobs than it creates, making rapid workforce retraining imperative if the Philippines wants to minimize the technology’s disruptive impact, according to an expert.

Taiwanese AI expert Kai-Fu Lee said the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is not the only sector vulnerable to AI, as many digital and cognitive roles across various fields are also at risk.

‘Anything digital, anything in a closed environment, AI can do better than people. There’s not even room for humans in the loop because that human in the loop creates the inefficiency,’ Lee told The STAR.

Beyond BPO, he said rapid AI adoption would also affect industries such as banking, insurance, entertainment, software engineering, content creation and even news production.

‘On one hand, we can be encouraging people that there are opportunities here and there,’ Lee stressed. ‘The reality is AI is getting so good, basically anything digital is going to be taken over by AI.’

The accelerated adoption of AI has prompted the country’s information technology and business process management industry to lower its 2028 growth targets.

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) now expects the industry to generate between $43.3 billion and $50.5 billion in revenues and employ between 1.85 million and 2.14 million full-time workers by 2028.

The revised outlook is significantly lower than IBPAP’s previous roadmap, which projected $59 billion in revenues and 2.5 million full-time employees over the same period.

While industries prepare for an AI-driven shift, Lee said the Philippines remains well positioned to adapt and capture new opportunities in the AI era.

He stressed that workers do not need advanced programming skills to thrive. Instead, they need to learn how to effectively direct AI systems, ask the right questions and oversee their outputs.

‘People hear about programming AI and they get scared. They think it requires an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) degree. It does not. It’s no different than talking to a chatbot,’ Lee said.

He said retraining would enable more Filipinos to build businesses, develop digital products and manage AI systems, creating opportunities for companies and small enterprises.

Lee, however, warned that AI-related jobs are still unlikely to match the scale of those displaced by the technology.

For Singapore-based private equity growth platform Ikhlas Capital, the rise of AI has changed how it identifies companies with the potential to scale and adapt.

‘I think one of the roles we see ourselves is potentially to invest in who drives AI transformation,’ Ikhlas chairman and founding partner Nazir Razak told The STAR.

‘There’s no limit to businesses that can be transformed by AI. Every business has the opportunity,’ he added. ‘It’s about identifying companies where this is the biggest.’

Ikhlas, which invests in companies across Southeast Asia and counts former finance secretary Cesar Purisima as a founding partner, is exploring more investment opportunities in the Philippines, including AI-driven businesses.

Grace Christian College hopes to kick off its title-retention bid in style when it faces Philippine Chen Kuang Huang High School in the 45 and above division of the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. (FCAAI) starting on Monday, August 10, at the Tanduay Gym in Quiapo, Manila.

Coming off a successful staging of the premier age category – the 40-above – league chairman Wilbert Loa sees another spirited race for the title, which the Graceans won via a two-game sweep of St. Stephen’s High School in the inaugural staging of the event last year.

‘We are praying that we’ll have a good weather tomorrow,’ said Loa, who is looking forward to another round of exciting games just like the previous divisions.

With the number of participating schools rising to 14, Loa said the teams will be divided into two groups and play a single-round, with the top two placers advancing outright to the quarters.

Game time is set at 6 p.m., with the Graceans determined to start strong in hopes of striking fear into the opposition.

Other games scheduled for the night are St. Peter the Apostle School and Philippine Cultural College at 7:45 p.m. and the 9:30 p.m. duel between Uno High School and San Lorenzo Ruiz Academy.

The league earlier held the 35-39 and 50 years above divisions with Hope Christian High School winning both categories.

Backstopped by former PBA MVP James Yap and ex-UAAP MVP Ken Bono, Iloilo’s Hua Siong College retained its 40-44 years crown at the expense of Xavier School.

Backing the league are Smart Sports, Tanduay Athletics, Genius Hardware, Ultraforce Tires, Cellboy, PGFlex Linoleum, Boysen, Lamtex Pipes, Jiang Nan, Hangry Pares, Powerhouse Tools, L.F. Fireworks, BYD Valenzuela, BAIC, Jetour, Yong Kee Roasting House, 1118 Autospa and TCL.

The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday dubbed as fake news the posts circulating on social media that the subjects Araling Panlipunan and the Music and Arts, PE and Health or MAPEH will be merged into one.

According to DepEd, the circulating posts were about an April 2023 discussion on a proposal to combine the two subjects into one and call it as SIKAP.

The DepEd stressed that the discussion is outdated and does not represent current policy.

‘Under the revised K to 10 (Matatag) curriculum, Makabansa is a distinct and foundational learning area for Key Stage 1 (Grades 1 to 3). It is not a combination or merger of Araling Panlipunan and MAPEH. Rather, it uses a holistic, transdisciplinary approach to foster self-awareness, cultural appreciation and civic understanding in young learners,’ DepEd said.

The department added that starting in Grade 4, Social Studies and MAPEH continue to be taught as separate and distinct learning areas.

‘We urge the public to practice critical thinking, check context and verify release dates before sharing content online,’ DepEd said.

An old video of TV host-turned-vlogger Mariel Padilla defending her husband, Sen. Robin Padilla, has resurfaced online, drawing renewed attention to her claims about his qualifications as a lawmaker.

In the 2022 video, Mariel came to the defense of her controversial husband, who was then serving as a senator.

She asserted that Robin had completed a degree in criminology and even claimed that he was able to craft a law while incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison.

The video has made the rounds online over the rainy weekend, prompting renewed discussion among social media users and political commentators.

Mariel also defended Robin’s qualifications to serve as a lawmaker, pointing to his educational background and experience.

‘Next, si Robin, nung nasa Bilibid nakapagpasa na ng batas. Without even being a senator,” Mariel claimed.

‘Sa tingin niyo ba ang Philippine Army bibigyan siya ng ganun kalaking role… responsibility sa Philippine Army na siya ang in charge sa communications at strategic planning kung sa tingin niyo hindi siya qualified? So, sa mga nagsasabing hindi siya qualified, I beg to disagree. He is more than qualified,’ she stressed in her 2022 vlog.

Robin, an action movie star who was granted an absolute pardon in 2016 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte over his 1994 illegal possession of firearms case, topped the senatorial race in the 2022 national elections with 26 million votes. He is currently serving as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter.

The actor-turned-senator has drawn criticism over his conduct as a senator-judge, particularly his line of questioning and treatment of witnesses.