Category: Philippine Star

Six people have reportedly died as tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon or habagat brought days of heavy rains, flooding and landslides across parts of Luzon, the Office of Civil Defense said.

The reported deaths are still being validated, with two in Rodriguez, Rizal, two in Benguet and two in La Union, OCD Deputy Administrator and Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in an interview with Dobol B TV on Saturday, August 8.

Seven injuries in Benguet are also being validated, Alejandro said.

The weather systems have affected around 74,800 families or 261,000 people as of Saturday morning, according to the OCD.

Around 2,500 families are staying in 83 evacuation centers, while about 2,200 individuals are being assisted outside evacuation centers.

“Tuloy-tuloy pa rin nating nararanasan ang southwest monsoon lalo na sa norte, sa Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Benguet and parts of Region 3, even hanggang Mindoro,” Alejandro said.

(We are still experiencing the southwest monsoon, particularly in the north, including Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Benguet and parts of Region 3, extending as far south as Mindoro.)

Flooding, landslides

At least 63 areas have been reported flooded, most of them in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon and parts of Calabarzon.

Some roads remained impassable due to flooding, while landslides were reported in Ilocos Region and the Cordillera.

Alejandro advised those planning to travel to Baguio and other parts of the Cordillera to postpone their trips for now, particularly in Benguet.

“Hindi pa advisable na umakyat kasi may mga landslide at rockslide sa Benguet, he said.

(It is not advisable to travel up at this time because there are landslides and rockslides in Benguet.)

The recent rains have already caused deadly landslides in parts of Luzon.

The OCD said it would continue monitoring affected areas and providing assistance to communities at risk.

Rains to continue

Rain will continue to affect Luzon and Visayas over the next 24 hours due to habagat, PAGASA said, with monsoon rains expected to persist until next week.

Maymay made landfall in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, before dawn on Thursday, August 6. It exited the Philippine landmass that afternoon before weakening into a low pressure area on Friday.

Despite Maymay’s weakening, the threat of flooding and landslides remains as the southwest monsoon continues to affect parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Luis dissipated on August 4.

The Philippines is among the first major landmasses exposed to the Pacific cyclone belt and is hit by an average of 20 tropical cyclones each year, leaving millions of people vulnerable to weather-related disasters.

Scientists have also warned that human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent, prolonged and intense.

There’s a giant Filipino party in Toronto now.

Local news say Pinoy groups are driving in from outside the city and holding potlucks in the parks. The main idea is to throw support behind Alex Eala.

Not wanting to disappoint them, Eala is bent on extending her hot streak from Washington, going for a Round-of-16 berth in the WTA1000 National Bank Open in a battle of giant-slayers against American Caty McNally at Sobeys Stadium.

They slug it out at 8:10 a.m. today, Manila time – primetime in Toronto as the final match of the four-game Center Court bill.

Eala will bring lessons from a legend – another doubles partnership with Venus Williams yesterday although it ended in a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Ludmilla Samsonova and Miyu Kato,

‘We fell short but I always learn a lot when I’m on court with Venus,’ said Eala.

Now it’s all singles, with Eala’s eyes on a seventh straight win.

First, it’s Round-of-32 business against fellow giant-slayer McNally – WTA No. 70 in singles, No. 38 in doubles, 24, a two-time Grand Slam doubles finalist.

McNally opened with a 4-6, 7-6, 6-1 win over WTA No. 80 Tatjana Maria of Germany, the oldest WTA champion in history, then erased a 1-5 deficit to shock world No. 7 and reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 – blowing up the projected Eala-Noskova third-round clash.

‘It’s incredible, what Eala has been doing for tennis is unreal. She’s been playing some really good tennis so I’m just excited for the great crowd and atmosphere,’ said McNally. ‘My game brings a lot of variety so I hope I can bring that against Eala. I want to play my game on my own terms.’

With a potluck party roaring for Eala in the parks of Toronto, she looks to do it again today.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is tapping local government units (LGUs) and the private sector to invest in Filipino-made electric vehicles (EVs) to scale up production and reach more public utility drivers wanting to save on fuel costs.

Since the Middle East conflict broke, EVs have become an attractive alternative to avoid paying expensive fuel.

The DOST has developed prototypes of EVs such as electric tricycles and converted tricycles that they are pitching to LGUs – a campaign that has begun even before the war to promote sustainable technologies.

‘We’ve been talking to local government leaders and we have various modalities of engagement just to provide a proof of concept to convince our drivers to transition,’ DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said this week during the 2nd Sustainability Expo, the agency’s program in partnership with SM Prime and ARISE Philippines.

Electric vehicle research projects originate from Tuguegarao City, where Cagayan State University (CSU) hosts the country’s sole dedicated hub focusing on green transport innovation – the Electromobility Research and Development Center.

The center’s very first project is developing an electric tricycle capable of carrying seven passengers.

Electric tricycles are now deployed in Tuguegarao City, Cauayan City, Batanes, Iloilo and parts of Metro Manila, according to the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).

Solidum said three companies, including an agricultural firm from Isabela, are already lining up to mass-produce electric tricycles.

Elmer Francisco, chairman of Francisco Motors, the 79-year-old homegrown jeepney brand that recently launched the first Filipino-made electric sport utility vehicle, is appealing for more government support for the local EV industry.

‘We haven’t had any support from our government for decades,’ Francisco told ‘The Big Story’ on One News on Thursday. ‘Actually, the last time we had real support from the government was from the father of President Marcos and the former first lady, wherein what we call government support is government procurement.’

Always committed to delivering only the best when it comes to nutrition, Nestlé Philippines Inc. reached out to its community once again at its exclusive media event last July 22, 2026, at the Nestlé Makati Administrative Office.

The event served as the official launch of Tambalang Big Sustansya Sa Barangay-a nutritional education caravan by Cerelac, coming this August to different barangays in Metro Manila and Cagayan de Oro.

The caravan aims to help address the nutritional gap among Filipino babies by empowering parents with nutrition education. It also reinforces Cerelac’s brand commitment to be a trusted partner parents can rely on throughout their babies’ feeding journey. The first 2000 days of a baby’s growth is the most crucial, so guaranteeing they get the right nutritional requirements is a must for their growth and development.

In line with this, the caravan launch featured opening remarks by Arlene Tan-Bantoto, Nestlé Nutrition and Health business executive officer. Tan-Bantoto shares, ‘Parents today have access to more information than ever before. They have Google, social media, and parenting forums. They’re very thoughtful about the decisions they make for their children. But let’s be honest – it can also be a lot to keep up with. That’s why we believe parents deserve trusted guidance and support along the way. Because helping children receive the right nutrition is something we all care about.’

The program also presented a special audio-visual presentation highlighting Cerelac’s heritage. From a response to malnutrition over 160 years ago, Cerelac continues its commitment and promise to be a partner to parents in providing science-backed nutrition to support healthy growth.

Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology Dr. Imelda Agdeppa and Dr. Katrina Florcruz-Dacanay, pediatrician of the Diliman Doctors Hospital and The Medical City then enlightened the audience about micronutrient deficiencies in the Philippines.

Both experts discussed the importance of complementary feeding from 6 months onwards in helping bridge nutrient gaps during babies’ critical stage of development

‘For Cerelac, our role is simple: to be that trusted nutrition partner of parents as their babies start their feeding journey. That’s why, for 160 years, we have continued to develop products designed to help address nutrition gaps. Today, Cerelac is tested and proven for Filipino babies, giving parents science-backed nutrition they can trust. We remain committed to making nutrition education accessible,’ shares Nikki Constantino, vice president for Nestle Baby Food and Mainstream Milk.

Cerelac is going on the road this August with Tambalang Big Sustansya sa Barangay. The interactive caravan will visit four barangays in Metro Manila and Cagayan De Oro to bring nutrition education closer to Filipino families. Follow Cerelac Philippines on Facebook to get the latest updates on when and where you can catch the Tambalang Big Sustansya sa Barangay.

Backed by 160 years of nutrition expertise and as Nestlé’s very first product, Cerelac is the trusted brand when it comes to delicious and nutritious food for babies as they start to explore solid food.

Cerelac’s infant cereals come in a variety of flavors, including Mixed Fruits and Soya, Mixed Veggies, Rice and Soya, and Wheat Banana and Milk for babies aged 6 months and above. Their Homestyle Meals for babies 8 months and up include Rice and Chicken and Rice and Veggies options. Cerelac also offers variants with No Added Table Sugar. For on-the-go snacking, Cerelac brings you Nutripuffs in Banana and Orange and Banana and Strawberry.

Cerelac is now tested and proven to support age-appropriate growth and provide higher energy and micronutrient intake for Filipino babies. Packed with BIG Sustansya, Cerelac delivers 20 vitamins and minerals, DHA, and B. lactis Probiotic in every serving.

Tambalang Cerelac + Homemade for BIG SUSTANSYA combines the goodness of homemade meals with science-backed nutrition to help bridge nutritional gaps among Filipino babies.

Philippine weightlifting continues to produce potential Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo successors, and Althea Bacaro could be one of them.

This, after Bacaro scooped up a couple of gold medals in the 2026 Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan Saturday.

The 15-year-old University of Cebu ninth-grader seized the clean and jerk gold with a 183-kilogram lift and then added another one in total where she had a 146kg, making up for a fourth-place finish in snatch where she tallied 63kg in the youth women’s 45kg class.

It came just a month after Bacaro raked in a silver and a bronze in the World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, and a year after she copped a silver and a bronze also in the worlds in Lima, Peru.

Interestingly, Bacaro has trained under the guidance of Christopher Bureros – coach of two-time Olympian and Southeast Asian Games gold winner Elreen Ando, who is preparing for next month’s Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Jay-R Colonia, who comes from the same Zamboanga City stable where Diaz-Naranjo is from, chipped in two silvers in the clean and jerk (135kg) and total (243kg) and a bronze in snatch (108kg) in the youth men’s 55kg division.

More medals are expected to come in for the lean but mean 13-strong national squad as Aleksandra Ann Diaz (Youth and Junior W45kg), Angeline Colonia (Junior W49kg), Jhodie Peralta (Youth and Junior W53kg), Rosalinda Faustino (Junior W57kg), Kirby Kent Alas-as (Youth M60kg) and Prince Keil delos Santos (Junior M60kg) are among those scheduled to see action.

Also seeking medals are Mango Prince David Tarro (Junior M65kg), Jea Mae Palagtiw (Youth W69kg), Rhianne Cabalida (Youth W77kg) and Jerick Icon Castro (Youth M60kg).

Ricofer Sordilla and Maverick Eligoyo combined for 64 points during an explosive performance that powered the University of the Cebu (UC) Webmasters to a stunning 89-85 upset of the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors in the Cebu City Collegiate Invitational Basketball Tournament 2026 on Thursday night, August 6, at the Cebu City Sports Institute in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Sordilla exploded for 35 points laced with four rebounds, six assists, and a steal while Eligoyo fired 29 points on top of six boards, one assist, one steal, and two blocks to help the Webmasters get off to a flying start in the six-day cage wars that offers P130,000 to the champion.

The Webmasters of coach Kernn Sesante actually trailed by 13 points, 14-27, after the first period but flipped the script against the visiting UAAP squad with a scintillating second-half show.

Still down 41-50 at halftime, the Webmasters dropped 27 points in the third quarter while limiting the Red Warriors to only 13 to seize command of the match, 68-63, going into the last 10 minutes.

The Webmasters padded their lead to seven, 70-63, early in the final stretch and then hung tough when the game was on the line to eke out the win.

The Webmasters shoot for a second straight victory as they take on the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers at 4 p.m. today (Saturday, August 8).

The Heavy Bombers opened their campaign with a 78-65 thrashing of the Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs.

Cebuano guard Lawrence Mangubat paced JRU with 19 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Christopher Hubilla added 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal while Allan Laurenaria chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and one block in the wire-to-triumph that saw the Heavy Bombers leading by as many as 20 points, 52-32, early in the third frame.

Pax Silica has an image problem. Before I explain why, let me tell you what it is about.

Pax Silica is a flagship effort of the U.S. government on AI and supply chain security, ‘advancing new economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners.’ It has already 24 signatory-countries including the Philippines. Taiwan, meanwhile is considered a non-signatory participant.

The Pax Silica Declaration commits participating countries to building a trusted, secure, and integrated AI-centered economic order spanning semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, data networks, and software. It seeks to reduce dependence on unreliable suppliers, counter unfair market practices, protect sensitive technologies, and mobilize private investment among strategic partners.

The Philippines joined Pax Silica on April 16, 2026. No construction crew is on site yet, but the Philippine and U.S. governments have announced plans for a 4,000-acre economic-security and industrial zone in New Clark City, intended to host mineral processing, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, AI-related facilities, logistics, and supporting infrastructure.

It is too early to pass judgment on Pax Silica as a project, particularly when no ground has yet been broken and its actual benefits and costs remain uncertain. Yet it already suffers from an image problem.

The word ‘pax’ is Latin for peace and, by extension, a stable international order. But the same word is historically associated with the Pax Romana. Do you remember that from world history class?

Pax, in the tradition of the Pax Romana, does not evoke peace in the ordinary sense of harmony among equals founded on justice. The historical problem with ‘pax’ lies precisely in what historian Toni Naco del Hoyo describes in his work, ‘War, peace and Rome’s empire-building ideology in the making,’ (2020) as its gradual incorporation into an empire-building ideology, in which stability went hand in hand with the permanent subjection and integration of provincial peoples into a world order centered on Rome. In other words, the word pax (peace) became part of the ideology by which the Roman Empire justified itself.

That is where I got the sense that there was something about the name Pax Silica that does not quite sound right. That does not mean Pax Silica is today’s version of the Roman Empire, nor is it fair, this early, to judge what the initiative will eventually become.

In its Roman historical context, pax connoted military and territorial dominance. In the emerging AI economy, that dominance may instead be technological, which means control over chips, critical minerals, energy, data infrastructure, supply chains, and the rules governing access to them – all of which sounds like a recipe for intense competition, if not war.

Pax gives one that niggling feeling that we are being unnecessarily drawn into the orbit of a dominant power, and possibly into troubles that are not necessarily our own. And it does not help that the current U.S. president is Donald Trump, a leader whose instinct for conflict and disruption hardly inspires confidence that this new ‘pax’ is principally about shared prosperity and peace but more like a plan to organize the emerging technological oder around technological dominance, exclusion, and control.

This is not a call to junk the initiative altogether. With an increasingly dominant and aggressive China that does not share the democratic values of the free world, there is indeed a need for cooperation among freedom-loving nations to construct a secure technological order based on shared benefits and capabilities.

Pax Silica has sensible elements – secure semiconductor supply chains, critical-mineral processing, AI infrastructure, reliable telecommunications, energy security, and protection against coercive economic practices – but it remains to be seen what principles does it operate under

Is it going to be partnership rather than alignment or loyalty to one dominant power? Will it allow technology transfer, not merely investment, leading developing countries like the Philippines to acquire engineering capability, intellectual know-how, and research capacity?

Will the Philippines, a mineral-rich country, be allowed to position itself higher in the value chain rather than remain merely a source of raw minerals? Will our partners respect our sovereignty over strategic resources and our environmental standards?

A foreign semiconductor plant, data center, mineral-processing facility, or AI campus built on Philippine soil may appear like a reason to celebrate. But will Filipinos know how to design, manufacture, own, improve and export in the future that we are not capable of producing today?

Shared access, resilient supply chains, technological capability, and equitable prosperity. Could somebody find a better name that captures all of these?

Illegal cigarettes with a combined value of P9.8 million were seized in separate anti-smuggling operations in this city on Thursday.

Members of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company were conducting maritime patrol around Layag-Layag Island in Barangay Talon-Talon when they spotted a suspicious motorized boat.

The team intercepted the boat and found it loaded with 2,182 reams of assorted cigarette brands with an estimated value of P6.5 million.

Crewmembers Omar Abdullah and Ismar Hussin were arrested after they failed to show documents for the transport of their cargo.

Meanwhile, another shipment of illegal cigarettes valued at P3.3 million was seized by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) from a commercial ferry docked at a wharf in this city yesterday.

The PCG said the ferry, which came from Jolo, Sulu, was carrying more than 1,000 reams of smuggled cigarettes concealed in several pieces of luggage.

No one claimed ownership of the cigarettes, prompting the PCG to coordinate with other authorities to investigate the matter.

Before the world’s elite battle for IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu glory tomorrow here, the spotlight first belongs to the sport’s young stars.

A record-breaking 657 participants will converge at the Beachfront of Dusit Thani Mactan today, making RLC Residences IRONKIDS Lapu-Lapu the largest IRONKIDS event ever staged in the Philippines.

The milestone event officially opens the IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu race weekend, transforming Mactan into a celebration of triathlon that spans every generation – from aspiring six-year-olds taking their first race steps to world-class professionals chasing championship honors.

Young athletes aged six to 15 will compete in both the aquathlon (swim-run) and kids run races, with participants coming from Lapu-Lapu City and neighboring cities and provinces. The record field reflects IRONKIDS’ continuing success.

Veteran actress Lorna Tolentino is now a member of the Philippine Navy Reserve Command, just like her late husband Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez.

Lorna attended her Basic Citizen Military Course Class’ graduation last August 7, Friday, at the Navy’s headquarters in Taguig, sharing photos of the event on her social media accounts.

“Discipline is choosing to finish, even when it’s hard. Just finished,” the actress wrote on her caption. “Lorna Tolentino Fernandez, at your service. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!”

Lorna was given the rank of Seaman First Class assigned to the Navy’s medical and media responsibilities, according to Pang-masa writer Gorgy Rula.

The 64-year-old actress recounted to the showbiz journalist days of sea training her class had to go through in Cavite and how she was inspired to enlist because of Daboy.

The late actor was a Navy reservist and adopted member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1972, receiving full military honors when he passed away in 2008 from cancer. He was 56 years old when he died.

Lorna did not know what rank Daboy had in the Navy, as he largely kept that part of his life private but still noted how that inspired other celebrities, including herself.

“Maraming celebrities ang nagpa-enlist after nung death ni Daboy, di ba?” she said. “Iyon yung nag-pave ng way para makita ng ibang artista, lalo na ng mga action star at iba pa, ‘Ay, maganda pala sumali dito sa Philippine Navy.”

Local celebrities who are also military reservists include Christopher de Leon, Dingdong Dantes, Julia Barretto, Gerald Anderson, Michelle Dee, Winwyn Marquez, Bea Luigi Gomez, Arci Muñoz, Matteo Guidecelli, Geneva Cruz, Enzo Pineda, JM de Guzman, Rocco Nacino, Ronnie Liang and Karina Bautista.