Category: Philippine Star

From the sea to the range, the halls and the hardcourts, Team Philippines launches its drive for glory as full action begins at the 2026 Asian Games here.

The morning after the opening ceremony, Filipino bets with strong podium chances take center stage, led by wushu artist Agatha Wong, triathletes Fernando Casares, Iñaki Lorbes, Kim Mangrobang and Raven Alcoseba, shooters Jayson Valdez and Franchette Shayne Quiroz, and modern pentathletes Samuel German and Michael Ver Anton Comaling.

The women’s soft tennis team will go for broke in its bid to upset host Japan in the semifinals at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center; Prince Agustin, who battled back through the repechage, fights for bronze in teqball; while the Gilas Pilipinas Women seek a follow-up to their rousing debut against Kazakhstan as they go for win No. 2 versus Hong Kong in their 9 a.m. (Manila time) face-off at the Aichi International Arena.

While hopes are high for aces like Carlos Yulo, Alex Eala, EJ Obiena and Kayla Sanchez, Philippine Olympic Committee President Bambol Tolentino said there are many others across various fronts who can deliver.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Pato Gregorio expressed the country’s full support.

‘As the Asian Games officially begin in Nagoya, the whole nation rallies behind our athletes as they carry the flag and the dreams of our country,’ he said.

‘You have worked hard and sacrificed much to be here. Focus your mind and remember your purpose – para sa sarili, para sa pamilya, para sa bayan. Sa bawat laban, ipakita ninyo ang puso ng atletang Pilipino.Lahat kami ay nakaabang at nakasuporta. Laban, Pilipinas!’

There is Wong, a six-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist aiming for her first Asian Games gold. Not to be counted out are the triathletes and the shooters.

Triathlon chief Tom Carrasco described Casares, Lorbes, Mangrobang and Alcoseba as ‘sharp and battle-ready.’

Shooting secretary general Iryne Garcia is optimistic about podium finishes, mentioning Quiroz as one of their top bets along with shotgun entries Hagen Topacio (trap) and Enrique Leandro Enriquez (skeet).

‘I think we have a chance,’ said Garcia, pointing out that the shooters were primed for the Games with the help of foreign coaches – an Italian for skeet, a Kazakh for rifle, and an Uzbek for pistol.

The team suffered setbacks before the Games. Young triathlon star Kira Ellis, a double-gold winner in the last SEA Games, was forced to withdraw after injuries in a freak training accident in August. Olympian shooter Paul Brian Rosario also had to skip the Games after a spill during a bike ride weeks ago.

But hopes are high that their teammates will carry the fight.

Much of the focus on Day 1 will be on Wong in Taijiquan and Taijijian in wushu and the combo of Princess Catindig, Noelle Manalac, Christy Sañosa, Shyryn Salazar and Hilary Paas as they pursue ambition against Japan in the soft tennis women’s team semifinals.

They have already made history with a guaranteed medal – a feat the team has been chasing since its first Asian Games participation in 1998 in Bangkok.

Wong wages her own chase.

‘I’m giving it my all, all my effort, all the amount of discipline that I can muster and courage,’ said Wong, entered in a field of 13 in a discipline where a participant performs bare-hand tai chi and tai chi straight sword.

She’s good for bronze in 2018 then skidded to fifth in 2023.

All eyes will be on two rings today – one in Temecula and one here.

The boxing draw for the 2026 Asian Games will be held today in Aichi-Nagoya, interestingly just hours after Eumir Marcial’s crucial pro bout against American Omar Huerta in California.

And from there, the big question: Will Marcial make it here?

The condition of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist after the Huerta fight will determine whether he will be good to fly in and carry the fight for Team Philippines in the 80kg class starting Sept. 23.

‘Mahirap umasa. Very stressful umasa,’ admitted Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines president Marcus Manalo.

‘I think malabo na. Mabigat din ang kalaban niya. If he wins, ano ang condition niya? Kung makahabol siya, may jetlag pa siyang haharapin,’ he added.

Huerta is no pushover, with the 30-year-old Mexican-American knockout artist toting a solid 15-1-1 card built on 13 KOs.

Marcial, unbeaten in seven pro outings, has his own concerns to deal with – his brittle hands.

‘Laging na-i-injure, at matagal ang recovery,’ said Manalo.

In the end, it’s all up to Marcial. If he can catch up with the team here, his name goes into the draw for what would be his third Asiad stint, following a bronze in 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and a silver in 2023 Hangzhou.

With or without Marcial, though, ABAP is confident of finally ending the long gold drought.

Team Philippines is bringing a crack crew bannered by Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and Carlo Paalam – all aching to deliver.

Their routes to glory will be known today.

A 58-year-old businesswoman was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Lapu-Lapu City Field Unit in an entrapment operation in sitio Libo, Barangay Tayod, Consolacion, Cebu after allegedly offering a property in Carcar to a buyer for P40 million without authority to sell.

The CIDG identified the suspect as alias ‘Fannie,’ a widow and resident of Barangay Palanas, Ronda, Cebu.

The operation is in line with the CIDG’s flagship project, “OLEA,” an entrapment operation targeting alleged estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code.

According to authorities, the operation was initiated after a prospective buyer named Vange complained about an alleged fake or fraudulent land transaction in Proper Bonsai, Barangay Bolinawan, Carcar City, Cebu.

CIDG said the suspect allegedly offered the land for P40 million and has already received a large amount as a down payment from the buyer.

However, the CIDG said it received information that the property may have already been sold or transferred to another person.

Fannie, meanwhile, presented documents as proof that the land was still in her name and that she could still sell it.

The CIDG coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) to verify the ownership and status of the property, including the authenticity of the documents presented.

Based on certification from DENR-Argao CENRO, the said land is covered by Free Patent Application No. 072214-217 in the name of Fannie.

However, the certification also stated that no patent had been issued for that property at the time of verification.

The arrested individual said that she did not sell land that did not belong to her and that she had already spent a lot of money to get it registered.

“Nangita ko og paagi para maka-transfer or maka-process ko ug maka-register nangita ko og kwarta, nangutang para makakuha ko anang yutaa,” Fannie said.

She added that the title to the property is still pending.

During the entrapment operation, a P1,000 bill used as dusted money, a bundle of paper representing P1 million, a Starbucks paper bag, a PSBank check, two types of ID, a Tecno smartphone, and a Contract to Sell were recovered from the suspect.

The authorities added that Fannie was previously arrested through a warrant of arrest for alleged estafa under Article 315, Paragraph 2(D) of the Revised Penal Code and was listed as a Regional Most Wanted Person Level 6.

The police have prepared the documents for the submission of the appropriate criminal complaint to the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for inquest proceedings. Meanwhile, the arrested person is currently detained at the Custodial Facility of CIDG-7.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla is delaying his trip to France to block the asylum bid of former lawmaker Zaldy Co.

Remulla cited two reasons for the slight delay, another deadly shooting in a school in Banga, South Cotabato that left the shooter, a Grade 9 student, and two other students dead and eight others injured.

Another factor are documentary requirements from the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol, but Remulla did not provide further details on these documents.

‘I would have to delay my trip to France by two weeks or three weeks to finish this,’ Remulla said at a news briefing in Camp Crame yesterday.

Remulla earlier said he will meet with Interpol officials in Lyon to follow through on the government’s request for a red notice alert on Co, who is facing warrants of arrest for plunder, graft and malversation before the Sandiganbayan.

Remulla will report to President Marcos on Monday about the guidelines he is crafting with the Department of Education on school safety measures.

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines administration has committed to allow the use of lived names for this year’s commencement exercise following calls from PUP students.

Lived names are self-chosen names that a person goes by in daily life, instead of their official name on legal documents.

PUP vice president for student affairs and services Tomas Testor have announced the approval of its use, according to student regent JP Azusano.

‘I already raised this matter to the PUP administration, noting that this approval should have a legal and official document. But they said there is no need for that,’ Azusano told The STAR.

He said the use of lived names in graduation rites is a huge step toward recognizing equality in education.

‘Beyond the university’s commitment to upholding its diversity and inclusion policy, being recognized by our lived names is also a student’s democratic right. When an institution fails to acknowledge the students’ true identities, it undermines the dignity and respect we deserve,’ Azusano said.

‘This recognition is crucial for students, as it is vital for the university to respect a student’s decision not to use their deadname. These initial steps of recognizing a student’s lived name must be followed by the creation of genuinely safe spaces within the university,’ he added.

A deadname refers to the birth name that a person no longer uses.

The University of the Philippines, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Philippine Normal University, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University have adopted policies to use lived names in their graduation rites.

Azusano said PUP is crafting a resolution to streamline the use of lived names in future graduation rites.

For the second consecutive year, Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) has been recognized among the Best Airports in Asia-Pacific in the 5-15 million passengers category under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program.

The recognition comes as the airport operator, Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC), continues to invest in infrastructure, technology, connectivity, sustainability, and customer experience since taking over operations in 2024.

The ACI ASQ recognition is based on standardized passenger feedback covering more than 50 airport touchpoints, providing an independent measure of travelers’ experiences at the airport.

MCIA also advanced from Level 2 to Level 3 of ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation, reflecting its shift from customer experience planning to active implementation across airport operations and service delivery.

Level 3 recognizes an advanced customer experience strategy involving passengers, airport team members, and customer experience professionals.

‘Our focus has been on making investments and improvements that create a better airport experience-from infrastructure and technology to operations and connectivity,’ said Rafael M. Aboitiz, Aboitiz InfraCapital vice president and head of Airports in a statement.

‘The goal is to translate these efforts into a safer, more efficient, and more connected journey for every passenger who passes through MCIA,’ he added.

ACAC General Manager Ricia Montejo said the recognitions show that the improvements made at the airport are being experienced by passengers and measured against global standards.

‘These recognitions affirm that the improvements ACAC has made are being felt by our passengers and recognized against global standards. They also reinforce our responsibility to keep improving,’ Montejo said.

She credited the continued support of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the airport community in the continuing development of MCIA.

Among the major improvements at MCIA is CEB Connects, which began operations in April 2025 to streamline air-to-air transfers and improve passenger flow.

The initiative introduced dedicated transfer facilities and streamlined processes, reducing the minimum connection time for domestic-to-domestic transfers from 60 minutes to 35 minutes.

Domestic-to-international, international-to-domestic, and international-to-international connections were reduced to 60 minutes.

MCIA was subsequently named Airport of the Year – Asia at the 2025 TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards, with the recognition highlighting its transfer improvements.

Since its launch, CEB Connects has facilitated more than 500,000 passenger transfers.

MCIA was also ranked the seventh Most Improved Airport in the World by Skytrax in 2025, based on improvements in passenger services and airport experience.

In 2026, MCIA became the first Philippine airport to join ACI’s Regional Operational Safety Committee, expanding its participation in regional discussions on aviation safety and operational standards.

The airport also achieved Level 2 Airport Carbon Accreditation in August 2026, recognizing its established carbon management approach and efforts to reduce emissions.

These include a 1.64-megawatt-peak rooftop solar installation, energy-efficiency measures, smart sensors, LED lighting, and improved monitoring of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems and vehicle fuel consumption.

The airport’s development is being pursued through the public-private partnership between MCIAA and ACAC, with the support and oversight of DOTr, CAAP, and other government and industry stakeholders.

The partnership combines government stewardship with private-sector investment and operational expertise to develop MCIA as a safe, efficient, competitive, and passenger-focused gateway for Cebu and the Philippines.

The Gilas women stamped their ticket to the quarterfinal round of the Asian Games women’s basketball division after blasting Hong Kong, 90-73, Sunday morning at the Aichi International Arena in Japan.

Gilas remained unscathed through two games after back-to-back huge wins. The squad first defeated Kazakhstan, 86-58, before the huge win over Hong Kong.

Stefanie Berberabe paced the Filipina dribblers with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. Afril Bernardino added 17 markers, 11 boards and four dimes, while Jhaz Joson had 15 points.

The two teams were kept in a close game through the midway point of the third quarter, with a triple by Tsz Kwan Li making it a 59-57 lead by the Philippines.

But Gilas stepped on the gas and left Hong Kong on the rear-view mirror with a backbreaking 16-3 run capped by a deuce by Afril Bernardino to push the Philippines ahead, 76-60, with 7:37 remaining.

Li and Tong tried to rally Hong Kong back into the game, but Bernardino, Joson, Camille Malagar and Berberabe put the finishing touches in the dominant win.

Malagar tallied 14 points for the winning team, while Elizabeth Means chipped in 11.

Li carried the offense for Hong Kong with 30 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Tan Fung Ma had 15 markers.

The Philippines will take on Japan in their final Group B play on Tuesday. The home team is also holding a 1-0 record thus far, before facing Kazakhstan Sunday afternoon.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) bagged two awards at The Asian Banker Global Transaction Finance Awards 2026, reinforcing its position as one of the Philippines’ leading banks for corporate financial services.

The awards – Best Cash Management Bank (Philippines) and Best Supply Chain Finance Bank (Philippines) – were conferred at the TAB Philippines Awards Ceremony held on Aug. 13.

The Best Cash Management Bank recognition reflects RCBC’s sustained push to modernize how corporate clients manage their liquidity and collections. A key driver of this performance is the rapid adoption of RCBC’s cash management solutions, which bridge the traditional and digital banking requirements of customers.

‘At RCBC, our goal is to make financial operations simpler and more efficient. We have worked hard to instill innovation with reliability across our digital platforms, and are also proud to support our clients through these solutions,’ RCBC Transaction Banking Group head Martin Tirol said.

The Best Supply Chain Finance Bank award, on the other hand, recognizes RCBC’s breakthrough growth in supply chain finance, which posted 349 percent volume growth year-on-year in 2025. Central to this performance was the bank’s Supply Chain Finance program, which leverages the credit strength of corporate anchor buyers enabling them to extend their payables term while allowing their SME suppliers access to early payment on a without-recourse basis building a mutually beneficial ecosystem solution.

‘Looking ahead, we aim to deliver more value and elevate our commitment by introducing an all in one platform for trade and supply chain transactions. Paired with our cash management solutions, we are proud to continuously empower businesses to thrive and succeed,’ Tirol said.

How would you like your chicken? Is it filleted, crispy and golden, or served with a drizzling of sweet and spicy sauce on top?

Achieve this delightfully refreshing fried chicken goodness with The Maya Kitchen’s Hawaiian Chicken, which also answers to the name Mochiko Chicken.

Hawaiian Chicken is a popular chicken dish where the chicken is cooked and served with a tropical-inspired sweet and savory glaze. It usually has pineapple juice as an ingredient, which is why it is called Hawaiian Chicken. But sometimes it can so without pineapple juice so that it turns out a slightly different natural flavor.

Without pineapple juice and with sweet rice flour (achieved through a combination of glutinous rice flour and sugar) made even deeper in flavor with Japanese ingredients, such as mirin and Japanese soy sauce, it crosses over to become a version of Mochiko Chicken.

“Mochiko” refers to sweet rice flour, and classic Mochiko Chicken is Hawaiian-style deep-fried chicken with a light, crunchy bite. It is best enjoyed over a bowl of freshly cooked rice to absorb all that lovely glazed sauce.

The Maya Kitchen shows how to prepare the dish and add toppings that will add more touches of Japanese flavors for a full appreciation of the dish.

Hawaiian Chicken or Mochiko Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 kg. chicken thigh fillet or breast fillet

1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce

3 tbsps. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. mirin*

1 tbsp. grated garlic

1 tsp. fresh ginger juice (squeezed from 1 tbsp. grated ginger)

1/3 cup glutinous rice flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup Maya Cornstarch

Cooking oil, for deep-frying

Furikake (Japanese rice seasoning flakes), for topping

Japanese mayonnaise, for topping

Chili sauce, for topping

Procedure:

1. Cut chicken fillet into chunks. Set aside.

2. Prepare the marinade. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, salt, beaten egg, mirin, garlic, ginger juice, glutinous rice flour, baking powder, and Maya Cornstarch. Mix together.

3. Add chicken pieces to the marinade and mix to fully cover chicken with the marinade. Cover and allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4. To cook, heat cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Deep-fry chicken pieces, one at a time, until golden and crisp. Remove chicken and set on a paper towel or colander to drain off excess oil.

5. To serve, scoop rice into a bowl. Top with Hawaiian fried chicken. Drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and chili sauce, if desired. Finally, sprinkle with furikake. Serve hot!

Four suspected terrorists were killed in an encounter in Tugunan, Cotabato yesterday morning, according to the military.

The fatalities were reportedly connected to a local terror group, Dawlah Islamiya.

Reports said the fatalities and their companions opened fire at policemen and soldiers who were responding to a complaint regarding the presence of armed men in Barangay Manaulanan.

The lawmen retaliated, triggering a firefight that resulted in the death of the four suspects.

A Philippine Air Force helicopter provided aerial support to police officers and soldiers who pursued the fleeing terrorists.

Village officials said the slain suspects had been regularly collecting ‘protection money’ and rice from the residents.

The remains of the suspects were recovered at the scene of the encounter.