Category: Philippine Star

The Department of Foreign Affairs said there was no justification for a China Coast Guard vessel to ram a Philippine civilian vessel conducting a humanitarian mission in the West Philippine Sea.

The DFA condemned the incident involving the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ BRP Datu Magat Salamat, which sustained damage after being struck by China Coast Guard vessel CCG-21585.

‘There is no justification for the CCG vessel to undertake aggressive actions against a Philippine civilian law enforcement vessel, and cause damage to the ship and endanger the safety of the civilian crew,’ the DFA said in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday night, September 18.

“The Philippines emphasizes that the BFAR vessel was merely conducting routine and lawful humanitarian activities to support Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea,” it added.

BFAR vessel damaged

The Philippine Coast Guard said the incident happened at around 11 a.m., about 54 nautical miles off Palawan, while the BFAR vessel was carrying out a mission to assist Filipino fishermen in the Kalayaan Island Group.

The vessel was delivering fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fisherfolk following weeks of monsoon rains, according to the PCG.

PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said the Chinese vessel intentionally rammed the BFAR ship.

‘To call this unprofessional or bullying would be an understatement. What we are seeing here is pure evil,’ Tarriela wrote on Facebook with a video of the incident.

The impact damaged the BRP Datu Magat Salamat’s main railings on the starboard side, metal stanchions and support structures, as well as deck fixtures and equipment. No injuries were reported.

Tarriela said the CCG vessel later made another dangerous maneuver, passing behind the BFAR vessel at a distance of about five meters.

The BRP Datu Magat Salamat was refloated Thursday after running aground at Hasa-Hasa Shoal while approaching Filipino fishing boats to distribute fuel.

Tarriela said the vessel would be brought to Coron Port for an assessment of its seaworthiness.

DFA cites international law

The DFA said the Philippine vessel was conducting routine and lawful humanitarian activities to support Filipino fisherfolk.

‘The CCG vessel’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous acts are inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law,’ it said.

The department noted that the Chinese vessel’s actions were inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Award, the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention.

‘The Philippines calls on China to respect Philippine sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone in accordance with UNCLOS as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award, exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions in the region,’ it added.

Beijing blames Philippine vessel

The Chinese embassy in the Philippines disputed the Philippine account of the incident in a statement posted on Facebook.

Jiang Lue, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said the Chinese vessel Sanzhou’ao was conducting what Beijing described as rights-protection and law-enforcement operations near Xianbin Jiao in China’s Nansha Qundao on September 18.

According to the statement, the Philippine vessel No. 3015 ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately altered course and suddenly accelerated before cutting across the bow of the China Coast Guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

‘The Philippine side’s actions seriously violate international law and the basic norms of international relations and threaten the safety of China Coast Guard vessels and personnel,’ the statement said.

The Chinese Coast Guard said its vessel operated ‘in a professional and standardized manner, reasonably and lawfully’ and placed full responsibility for the collision on the Philippine side.

It also demanded that the Philippines stop what it described as ‘infringing and provocative acts,’ warning that consequences arising from such actions would be borne by the Philippine side.

“The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights-protection and law-enforcement operations in waters under China’s jurisdiction to safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” it added.

Retirement promised quiet mornings and unhurried afternoons, but life rewrote my script with the arrival of my grandson into my care. Raising him is no gentle pastime –it is full immersion into fragile years where speech, social skills, and identity begin to take root, a role heavier than any lecture I once delivered yet laced with joys no accolade could equal. In his laughter and tears, I find myself enrolled in a new course without textbooks, where lessons are lived and surrender is never an option.

The first challenge is always emotional. Financial stability cushions many practical concerns –school fees, nutritious meals, medical checkups, even the occasional indulgence in toys or books. But money cannot buy the resilience needed when a child cries inconsolably at night or struggles to form his first words. Speech development, for instance, is not just about vocabulary; it is about patience, repetition, and the quiet art of listening. I have found myself repeating syllables, exaggerating sounds, and celebrating the smallest utterance as though it were a grand achievement. The joy is undeniable, but the worry lingers: will he catch up, will he thrive, will he find his voice in a world that demands so much articulation?

Then comes the social sphere. A child’s early encounters with peers are a rehearsal for the larger theater of society. I watch him stumble through play, sometimes hesitant, sometimes bold, and I realize how fragile these interactions are. One wrong word, one rejection, can echo longer than we imagine. As a grandmother, I hover –not too close, lest I stifle, but not too far, lest I miss the moment when guidance is needed. It is a delicate dance, one that requires intuition more than instruction.

The paradox of raising a grandson lies in the blend of joy and exhaustion. There are mornings when his laughter fills the house with a kind of music I never knew I needed. Yet there are nights when fatigue presses heavily, when I wonder if my aging body can keep pace with his boundless energy. Still, surrender is not an option. The bond between grandparent and grandchild is not contractual; it is covenantal, sealed by love and necessity.

What makes the journey bearable is the unexpected wisdom that children bring. In his innocence, my grandson teaches me patience anew. In his curiosity, he reminds me of the wonder I once carried as a young professor, eager to explore ideas. And in his vulnerability, he calls forth a strength I did not know remained in me. Raising him is not merely about ensuring his milestones are met –it is about rediscovering my own capacity to nurture, to endure, and to hope.

There are days when the responsibility of shaping a young life weighs heavier than any lecture I once delivered or column I have written, and the fear of failing him is never far. Yet the joy of watching my grandson grow, hearing him call my name, and seeing his hesitant steps toward independence eclipses the fatigue.

Raising a grandson is both burden and blessing, demanding sacrifice but offering a fulfillment no retirement plan could ever promise. Though I may have left the classroom, life has enrolled me in a new course –one without textbooks, where lessons are lived rather than taught. And in his laughter and tears, I discover not only the future of my family but also the enduring purpose of my own life, a purpose that insists there can be no surrender, only love.

Rising Filipino endurance stars James Earl Ting, Edgie Arances and Anisha Eunice Caluya take center stage in a frenetic battle for the Filipino Elite crowns as the Damosa Land 5150 unwraps Sunday in Samal Island, Davao del Norte.

Ting and Arances are expected to engage in a fierce men’s duel, while Caluya headlines the women’s side as the country’s emerging elite triathletes vie for top honors on the Olympic-distance course featuring a 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run.

Beyond the medals, however, the Filipino Elite Category provides a vital platform for the country’s next generation of endurance racing stars. The specialized division gives top-tier local athletes and national team members an opportunity to test themselves in championship conditions while sharpening the speed, race strategy and competitive experience needed for bigger domestic and international battles.

The Philippine women’s football team is in a good position to make the quarterfinals for a second consecutive time, downing Hong Kong, 2-0, in their Matchday 2 clash of the 20th Asian Games on Thursday, September 17, at the Nagaragawa Stadium in Gifu, Japan.

The win moved the Filipinas to second place in Group G ahead of their showdown against 2022 bronze medalist China and with four points, the Filipinas have earned a high possibility to advance to the next round.

PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez hailed the result as a timely confidence boost for the team.

‘The girls have earned every bit of this. What I love most is seeing our veterans and rising stars feed off each other’s energy – the fighting spirit of Natalie Collins in her game saving goal against Uzbekistan and the steady leadership of Hali Long, Jaclyn Sawicki, and Carleigh Frilles-that’s the kind of team spirit we’ll need against China and, hopefully, in the quarterfinals,’ Gutierrez said.

Forward Skye Leach opened the scoring in the 12th minute, converting off Tsang Pak Tung’s block of winger Inday Tolentin’s header strike. It was the first international goal for Leach, a recruit from the June 2026 San Diego talent identification camp, coming on just her second cap.

Forward Mallie Ramirez doubled the lead in the 63rd minute, finishing off substitute winger

Megan Murray’s cross from a tight angle for her third international goal.

‘Any goal I get to score for this national team, it’s special every time. Being able to score in

such a crucial game is a cool experience for me,’ said nRamirez, who scored two goals in the 2025

Southeast Asian Games.

The Filipinas face China on September 21 at 3 p.m. Philippine time to close the group stage.

There has been a third fatal school shooting incident. This time it happened at the Banga National High School in Banga, South Cotabato, around 2 P.M. yesterday, where a shooter opened fire at fellow students, hurting six of them and killing two.

The shooter was allegedly a Grade 9 student who shot himself dead after committing the act.

Details were still scant as of this writing, although South Cotabato Governor Reynald Tamayo has confirmed that the shooting had indeed happened, and the Philippine Red Cross South Cotabato chapter posted mobilizing to provide critical life-saving assistance to six individuals hurt in the incident.

Another report by the Philippine News Agency described the fatalities as one female and two male students, and that the gun used by the shooter was a Glock 9mm pistol owned by his father, allegedly a member of a local gun club.

Graphic footage of the incident has also made its way to social media, showing one of the bloodied victims being carried to the hospital via tricycle.

This is the third school shooting to occur this year. Last June 22, two students opened fire at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing at least three schoolmates and wounding about 20 others.

Last August 18, a student shot dead a schoolmate at the junior high school building of Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

This again raises several issues involving mental health and gun ownership and responsibility, among others.

What led the assailant to commit this crime? How was he able to get his hands on the gun? Were there no red flags to indicate that the suspect was going to do what he did? Is this an isolated incident or was this a copycat killing inspired by the Tacloban incident, or was this inspired by something else entirely?

These are questions we are bound to ask again, and again, and again if no sufficient and solutions are answers are found.

Sadly, this tragedy will have a more consequential impact beyond dead children; students will once again not feel safe in their schools, parents will once again feel dread when they hear that something happened in school, schools and local government units will again be scrambling for solutions to keep kids safe.

By this time of year, many of us in the Philippines are accustomed to seeing alerts on our phones warning of heavy rains and the risks of flooding and landslides. Such warnings have become part of life during the typhoon season. But however familiar they may be, the risks they signal remain very real.

In response to severe flooding across Luzon, the EU is providing 150,000 euros (approximately P10.87 million) to help more than 32,000 people in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon and Metro Manila. Through the Philippine Red Cross, this funding will provide essential household items, meals, safe drinking water and health services, including mental health support and disease prevention. It forms part of the EU’s contribution to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Response Emergency Fund.

These floods are a reminder of the recurring risks facing the Philippines, from tropical cyclones and landslides to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Responding to immediate needs and preparing for future emergencies are both essential to protecting lives and livelihoods.

For three decades, the European Union has stood with vulnerable communities in the Philippines through humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness. Since 1996, EU humanitarian assistance to the country has amounted to around 176 million euros (approximately P12.8 billion at today’s exchange rate), providing food, water and sanitation, health care and other essential support to people affected by disasters and conflict. The new flood response funding comes on top of 2.097 million euros, or approximately P152 million, allocated at the start of this year. Delivered through humanitarian partners, this assistance prioritizes the most vulnerable, including communities affected by conflict in Mindanao with limited access to assistance. This support reflects the EU’s broader approach of combining life-saving humanitarian assistance with efforts that help communities become more resilient to future shocks.

On June 8, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani, affecting communities across parts of Mindanao. EU humanitarian partners provided shelter, food and cash assistance, alongside water, sanitation and hygiene services. The response also included protection and psychosocial support. Through the ACCESS consortium, 4,804 households, or more than 22,700 people, were reached across seven municipalities in Sarangani, Davao Occidental, South Cotabato and Agusan del Sur. I have personally witnessed the positive, even though necessarily partial, effects of this type of assistance and cooperation for Filipino families and people affected by natural disasters during my visits to several affected areas in the Philippines.

The Philippines has well-developed crisis management capacities, but repeated disasters can strain local resources. Alongside emergency assistance, the EU supports efforts to help authorities and communities prepare. In parts of Mindanao, this includes helping communities reduce risks and act on early warnings, as well as supporting a swift response when disasters strike or people are forced to leave their homes. In this way, EU support links immediate emergency response with longer-term work to reduce vulnerability, strengthen local capacities and support recovery over time.

Building resilience also means addressing underlying environmental and structural factors that can increase the impact of disasters on communities. During the rainy season, waste blocking drains and waterways can worsen flooding. Our broader cooperation with the Philippines can support efforts to address these concerns.

Through the Green Economy Partnership between the EU and the Philippines, we are working with communities, 60 local governments and businesses to turn environmental challenges into opportunities.

In Bacolod, the Circular Biohubs Project is exploring ways to process organic waste locally, using black soldier fly larvae to turn food scraps into biomass that could be used in animal feed and earthworms to produce soil enhancers. The project draws on the practical knowledge of waste collectors, barangay workers and market vendors. It also aims to provide training in compost production and garden maintenance, alongside opportunities to develop small enterprises.

Earlier this year, Iligan City, the Island Garden City of Samal and Zamboanga City were also awarded support under the Green Economy Partnership to prepare circular economy projects involving the public and private sectors. The support covers technical assistance, feasibility studies and training in managing these partnerships. The planned projects aim to address local infrastructure and environmental needs, with measures to include informal waste workers. Together, these efforts show how EU humanitarian engagement and broader technical cooperation can complement one another in supporting preparedness, adaptation and sustainable resilience in the Philippines.

In July, the European Union and the Philippines elevated their relationship to an Enhanced Partnership. Both sides agreed to help communities adapt to climate change, improve waste management and prepare for disasters. This includes sharing experience in humanitarian assistance and emergency protection, improving early warning systems and using forecasts and risk information to act before disasters strike.

The joint statement also highlights Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth Observation Program. Its satellite data can help authorities identify hazards, anticipate damage to homes and infrastructure and prepare communities. After disasters, it can help responders assess damage, identify urgent needs and guide assistance and recovery.

These priorities also shaped our engagement at the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience, hosted by the Philippines on Sept. 15-16 under its ASEAN Chairship. The EU also supports ASEAN’s disaster management center, the AHA Center, in monitoring disasters, strengthening preparedness and coordinating responses. This cooperation includes training and exchanges of expertise to help strengthen the region’s ability to respond to emergencies.

The European Union will continue to stand with the Philippines when disaster strikes. Our cooperation will build on the experience of Philippine institutions and communities, supporting their ongoing efforts to prepare for emergencies. The next warning on our phones will remind us why this cooperation matters and why preparing together remains a shared priority.

Filipino information and communication technology talents are opting to work for private firms, if not for foreign employers, leaving the government short of ICT specialists.

This has prompted lawmakers to urge the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to find ways to retain ICT talents in the Philippines.

At the DICT’s budget hearing, legislators raised the continuing struggle to recruit and retain ICT talents who could help in developing the country’s anti-cybercrime and digital policies.

Right now, Filipino ICT workers are lured to work for private and overseas employers. They are discouraged from joining government service due to the disparity in compensation.

The DICT reported that government developers and programmers are given an entry-level pay of Salary Grade 20 to 22, ranging from P66,000 to P90,300 monthly. In a year, they can make P1.08 million at the maximum.

This is far from what entry-level ICT employees in the United States earn, averaging $50,354 or P3.16 million, in a year.

The DICT is therefore pushing for the passage of the Magna Carta for ICT Workers, a proposal that could hike the minimum pay of Filipino talents to make staying in the country attractive.

Under House Bill 4382, or the Magna Carta for ICT Professionals in the Government, the DICT will establish minimum compensation standards on a par with industry rates.

There will also be a structured career progression for ICT workers in the government to provide them with a professional pathway. Further training and scholarships must also be extended by the state agency employing them to support their skills development.

As it stands, the DICT is leaning heavily on job orders and contracts of service for its personnel. It is estimated that at least 1,700 workers of the DICT are employed on contractual terms.

Recently, the agency has been asking the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to grant the DICT more plantilla posts to scale up its labor force.

The DBM approved 115 plantillas out of the 500 requested by the DICT from its Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern.

In the next two days, many institutions will turn to remembering the atrocities of the martial law period. Often dubbed by historical revisionists as the ‘golden era’ in Philippine history, it was an overlooked period in time, marred by multiple offenses against humanity. Not all of us were born during that time; all we hear are stories that resonate so deeply in the present. With a president having the same surname as the dictator, it seems like we are confused about what will happen next.

That time was filled with military rule. My grandmother would say that they could not just leave the house at any time they wanted. They were forced to adhere to the soldiers’ commands, often getting scared to death. Others speak of extortion and torture, especially when they did not get what they wanted. Detractors would tell us to just forget and move on. The most difficult part is the latter, but it is always a choice not to forget. It is in remembering that we learn, supposedly, not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

We are seeing a repeat of those events in different forms: the silencing and threatening of the press, abuse of power, and many more. We are masked in a concept of freedom that we cannot even fully grasp. It is as if we are fooling ourselves while enjoying the liberty that we have now. I wish there was just someone who could cut across those who are dazed by that era. I wonder what it takes for them to believe that everything was real. Even the families of those who were victims live to tell the tale, but they, too, are often disregarded.

What happens next is still a blur. We are finding ourselves in a political turmoil, caught between two big political families. Both find themselves with a fanbase almost close to a cult. Their narratives are the same, including their spiels and convictions. It is as if they have been brainwashed with information only they want to believe. I feel sad that the truth is devalued unless more institutions stand up and teach what is supposed to be true.

I don’t know how many of us will still remember or if we still want to. It is indeed a choice, a hard one, but it just makes perfect sense. Remembering is not about being trapped in the past. It is about carrying its lessons into the present, especially when the same language of fear, power, and silence begins to sound familiar. Perhaps that is why memory matters most when it becomes uncomfortable.

We owe it to those who lived through that period to listen and to those who never came home to remember. Perhaps, we also owe it to ourselves to ask whether the freedoms we enjoy are being protected, or slowly being taken for granted. Forgetting may be easier but keep in mind that remembering requires courage. If history is meant to teach us anything, it is that forgetting has consequences.

Four outlaws, all linked to remnants of the now-defunct Dawlah Islamiya terror group, were killed in gunfights while pursuing soldiers and policemen in Barangay Manaulanan in Tugunan town in the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area on Saturday morning, September 19.

Local executives, traditional Moro community leaders, officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and the Army’s 6th Infantry Division separately told reporters on Saturday afternoon that the hostilities in Sitio Gawang in Barangay Manaulanan in Tugunan erupted when heavily armed men opened fire at soldiers dispatched to check on reports by villagers about their presence in the area.

Barangay officials and members of the Islamic religious community in Tugunan had confirmed that four gunmen, from a group forcibly collecting ‘protection money’ and rice from villagers on a periodic basis, were killed in the ensuing encounters.

Tugunan is one of the eight towns in the Bangsamoro Special Geographic, under the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, but is inside the territory of Cotabato province in Region 12.

Tugunan Mayor Abdulbayan Abas, chairperson of their multi-sector municipal peace and order council, was quoted in radio reports as saying that the anti-terror operation in Barangay Manaulanan of the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion of the 602nd Infantry Brigade under 6th ID and units of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous was a legitimate law-enforcement activity, meant to clear the area from lawless groups.

Barangay and municipal officials said four bandits were killed one after another by pursuing soldiers and policemen in the ensuing gunfights.

A Philippine Air Force attack helicopter fired machine guns at the armed group while exchanging shots with soldiers and policemen, forcing them to scamper away, leaving their dead companions.

Villagers in Barangay Manaulanan had evacuated to safe areas, according to local executives.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is expanding its investigation into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games beyond the P55-million cauldron, with investigators now examining supplies, events, ticket sales and other financial transactions.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said yesterday that 30 more people are being summoned and asked to submit documents, as the agency builds possible cases.

The NBI issued summonses to former Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee board members and incorporators who have yet to personally appear before investigators.

‘When we first summoned them, they sent a lawyer. When we asked for the lawyer’s engagement agreement and special power to represent them, the lawyer said he would return. He never came back,’ Matibag said.

He stressed that the NBI is no longer limiting the probe to the cauldron, noting that the other transactions that surfaced need to be examined.

‘We are also looking into the events themselves, the supplies and the purchase of tickets,’ Matibag said.

Investigators found that the committee continued operating after the SEA Games and subsequently sponsored other international sporting events, with money continuing to flow into the organization.

The NBI has obtained information from officials of various sports organizations, including reports that some associations were pressured to sign documents involving supplies purchased for their respective events.

Matibag said the accounts of sports officials are helping investigators piece together the transactions.