Category: Philippine Star

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.

Asia and the Pacific, including the Philippines, is on track to increase spending on generative artificial intelligence (AI) to over $555 billion by 2030, led by software and information services.

In its latest spending guide, the International Data Corp. (IDC) said Asia and the Pacific is poised to grow investments on generative AI by 36 percent yearly until 2030.

In turn, spending on generative AI will balloon to $555.2 billion by 2030 from $121.5 billion in 2025, in a region headed by automation giants China and Japan.

By industry, software and information services will contribute the largest share to the spending at 43 percent. AI investments in the market will fund largely the development of software platforms and support technologies.

Banking and financial services will chip in the second largest share at 10 percent. Banks will be forced to spend more on AI adoption to automate some of their customer-facing applications.

The government ranks third at eight percent, while telcos place fourth with six percent, rounding up the industries that would lead the AI buildup in Asia and the Pacific.

IDC senior market analyst for Asia and the Pacific Vinayaka Venkatesh said the AI battleground would be determined by how firms move up from exploration to deployment.

‘The next phase of AI adoption in Asia-Pacific will be defined by how effectively organizations can move from experimentation to scaled, operational deployments,’ Venkatesh said.

Venkatesh warned that being left behind in the AI race may cost opportunities and revenues.

The region, he added, is marked by the adoption of agentic AI, which could assess, plan and execute tasks like how a human would.

What could throw off the growth of the AI industry in Asia and the Pacific is the development of rules and regulations to curb automation’s risks. Venkatesh said the lack of energy infrastructure could be a threat, given how demanding AI computing is on power.

On the ground, IDC said 32 percent of AI spending in the region is still at the entry level, such as subscription to cloud services and expansion of data centers.

The world has seen an increase since the pandemic in demand for generative AI, used to produce in an instant new content like text and video from existing materials on the web.

If you were to look at the game tape of Letran guard Jonathan Manalili, the one word you would describe his type of play would be flashy.

A floor general in his own right, the reigning NCAA Rookie of the Year is known for the kind of passes that would make his teammates – and himself – look good, but it could also make his coach scratch his head.

Against the San Sebastian Stags on Friday evening, Manalili’s court vision was on full display, with the court general throwing out pinpoint outlet passes with deadly accuracy, pocket passes, and at one point, a no-look dime right to Chad Gammad for the layup.

Offensively, Manalili also had a couple of highlight plays, where he walked on the air, absorbed the harm and hit the layup.

In the runaway 99-62 win, Manalili finished with 14 points, nine assists and five steals, but committed a game-high eight turnovers.

After the game, Knights head coach Allen Ricardo said that trust is the name of the game between him and his star guard.

While there are times that the between-the-leg, no-look passes lead to turnovers, he knows Manalili will be able to make up for it.

‘Hindi exactly talaga hinahayaan [ang risky plays], pero alam ko, alam ni Jonathan how he plays the game. And minsan, may mga pagkakataon, siyempre too fancy, prone sa turnover. I give it to him. Kilala ko naman siya eh. I mean, kaya niyang bawiin yun,’ Ricardo told Philstar.com.

‘So, we both trust each other. But hindi naman parang gawing issue natin yung eight turnovers. But, yun lang, manageable yun. Kaya niyang i-improve yun.’

Still, Ricardo said that sometimes, he tells Manalili to be more in control, especially when the game goes to deep waters.

‘But siyempre, what I’m trying to say is, hindi pepwedeng ganoon, especially with the crucial moments. What if ang ganda nga ng game niya but because of that fancy pass na na-lay-up ng kalaban, like dikitan. So, sa akin, more of our relationship, yun din yung pinanghahawakan ko sa kanya, siya din,’ he added.

He joked that sometimes, when the turnovers pile up, he just closes his eyes.

And while he had eight turnovers on Friday, in Letran’s first game in the season against the Perpetual Help Altas, Manalili had eight assists against two turnovers.

Amid the high-risk, high-reward assists, Ricardo emphasized that this is just the second year of Manalili, and he still has a lot to improve on.

‘Ano naman, siyempre, constant reminder. Alam mo, second year pa lang ni Jonathan. So, siyempre, bata pa rin yan at the end of the day. So, just keep on guiding him,’ he said.

‘Minsan niya, dahil nga sa bilis ng laro. siyempre, meron kaming sa transition. Meron na kaming ito na yung gagawin namin. So, may mga pagkakataon na yun yung mga decision making niya. It affects how he decides. So, it causes turnovers to us. But, again, katulad ng sinabi ko, hindi big deal sa akin yun, sa ngayon,’ he added.

‘But I know he knows. Kasi unang titignan niya ilan yung assist niya at turnover yun. Lagi siya. So, manageable naman yun. Maaayos pa namin.’

After the San Sebastian game, Manalili himself said that he was not satisfied of his performance due to the turnovers.

‘Pero yun, part of the game. Move on ako and syempre pagbutihan ko pa sa next game kumbaga para maiwasan. Sabi ko nga, tao lang ako, nagkakamali. Pero yun, challenge ko sa sarili ko kung paano ako malagpasan yun. Hindi na maulit yun, syempre,’ the 22-year-old guard said in a separate interview.

He bared that while sometimes, he gets scolded by Ricardo whenever he commits a turnover, but the trust remains between the two.

‘Yun naman talaga yun. Kumbaga, yun din ang iniisip ko, yung tiwala na binibigay sa akin ng coach Allen. Kumbaga, feel ko, wala na makakatumbas nun. Hindi naman sa ibang coaches. Yung isang team,’ he said.

‘So grabe talaga confidence binibigay sa akin ng Coach Allen, tiwala.’

With Manalili steering the Letran offense, the Knights are currently holding a 2-0 win-loss record. They will face the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals next on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s leading players face another stern international test as they join a formidable Taiwan LPGA Tour field in the Kenda Tire Cup, which fires off Wednesday, September 23, at the Taichung International Country Club in Taichung, Taiwan.

Seven of the top 10 players in the current TLPGA Order of Merit headline the NT$4-million championship, underscoring the depth of the field in the 54-hole event co-sanctioned by the LPGT and TLPGA.

The tournament marks another chapter in the two tours’ continuing partnership aimed at strengthening women’s golf in the region and providing players from both circuits with greater opportunities to compete at a higher level. It is also the first time the two organizations will co-sanction the Kenda Tire Cup after several seasons of collaboration through the Party Golfers Ladies Open.

Yvon Bisera spearheads the LPGT contingent, which includes a mix of seasoned campaigners and emerging talents determined to make an impact against some of the region’s established winners.

The Filipinas, however, will have to contend with an unfamiliar venue and one of the strongest fields they have encountered in the Taiwan series.

The Taichung International Country Club, located near the Dakang Walking Trails, features rolling and undulating fairways set amid secluded valleys, tree-lined corridors and views of the surrounding mountains. The East (out) and Central (in) nines will be used for the championship, placing a premium on course management and adaptation.

With none of the LPGT players having competed on the layout before, Monday’s official practice round and Tuesday’s pro-am will provide valuable opportunities to study the course, assess its playing conditions and prepare for the tournament proper.

The challenge is further heightened by the presence of seven players ranked inside the TLPGA’s current top 10. No. 3 Min Jou Chen leads the group, followed by Han Hsuan Yu, Ching Huang, Hsin Lee, Shih Cheng Hsuan, Jessica Peng and Ya Chun Chang.

Several of the circuit’s recent winners are also in the field, adding further depth to the championship.

Thailand’s Nook Sukapan comes in fresh from her victory in last week’s Straits Cup Ladies Classic, while Japan’s Harumi Yoshikuwa captured the YTS and Suncity Futures events in August. Han Hsuan Yu also carries winning form, having topped the Taiwan Prosperity Ladies Open in June.

Other notable winners in the lineup include Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, who dominated the CTBC Ladies Open in May; Cheng Hsuan Shih, champion of the KGI Bank TLPGA Futures; and Japan’s Yuria Sonoda, winner of the Nan-Tou Golf and Country Club Futures last April.

The visiting LPGT players, however, are set to embrace the challenge.

Princess Superal, Marvi Monsalve, Sarah Ababa, Harmie Constantino, Kayla Nocum, Lois Kaye Go, Mafy Singson, Chihiro Ikeda, Velinda Castil, Kristine Fleetwood and Rev Alcantara are all in the mix, bringing a blend of experience, competitive form and international exposure to the Philippine side.

Jiwon Lee, Seo Yun Kim, Monica Mandario, Gretchen Villacencio and Eunhua Nam complete the LPGT professional contingent, while ICTSI-backed amateurs Lisa Sarines, Mona Sarines and Isabella Taganas will also see action in the championship.

The Philippines has yet to claim a victory in the LPGT-TLPGA co-sanctioned events since 2018. However, Pauline del Rosario won the TLPGA and Royal Open in 2017, becoming the first Filipina to win on one of the region’s premier circuits.

Meanwhile, Daniella Uy’s fourth-place finish in 2019 stands as the best performance by a visiting Filipina during the joint tour.

That record provides added motivation for the LPGT players as they take on a field packed with proven winners and highly ranked TLPGA stars.

The San Lazaro Hospital in Manila has reported an increase in deaths due to leptospirosis, with 31 fatalities recorded this year.

From the 24 deaths reported on Sept. 10, the fatalities went up to 27 on Sept. 14, and further increased to 31 four days after.

According to the hospital, 15 new leptospirosis cases were recorded for admission yesterday. It also recorded an overall admission of 747 patients.

Of the new cases, one is in the intensive care unit and six are undergoing hemodialysis.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante earlier said the most common cause of death is pulmonary hemorrhage.

Solante, head of San Lazaro’s adult infectious diseases and tropical medicine department, said pulmonary hemorrhage occurs when there is bleeding in the lungs.

The Department of Health said 8,317 leptospirosis cases were recorded nationwide, a 14-percent increase from last year’s 7,280 cases.

The plan of the Philippine National Police to deploy at least 15,000 PNP officers during the 54th anniversary of the declaration of martial law on Monday is an overkill, according to the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman committee on the protection of academic freedom and human rights.

‘The deployment of 15,000 police forces on Monday is nothing but an overkill, a show of force to stifle the rights of our people to protest against the repressive policies of the government,’ the committee said in a statement.

The group criticized the PNP for the use of excessive force during protests and peaceful assemblies, saying activists are ‘armed only with placards and their voices.’

‘This massive response of the state is unjustified as it serves to intimidate protesters and stifle free expression,’ the UP committee said, noting the ‘irony of the state using an aggressive security framework on a day meant to remember the victims of state overreach.’

According to the goup, placing the protest areas on full alert status ‘mimics historical suppression tactics used to silence critics, while corruption and impunity continue unabated among the high-ranking officials of our country.’

The National Capital Region Police Office said no group has secured a rally permit for Monday. The NCRPO urged protesters to get one to ensure peace and order.

‘The permit is not just to ensure that the protests will be orderly, it allows local government units to prepare for those who will not join,’ NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Hazel Asilo told True FM.

Some groups have already scheduled their protests in freedom parks, including the Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot coalition that will hold a program at Liwasang Bonifacio on Monday at 3 p.m. to call for accountability in the flood control scandal.

Before the program, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza will hold a ‘mass of hope’ at San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

The NCRPO said it would deploy 15,700 personnel, with full alert status activated starting at 12 a.m. today.

UP Diliman walkout

Students from UP Diliman held a walkout yesterday to mark the anniversary of the imposition of martial law in the country, with chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II endorsing the mass action.

‘UP Diliman never forgets,’ the university said on social media.

In a separate statement, the university student council said the mass action would serve ‘as a collective manifestation of our condemnation of the rampant corruption, systemic impunity and state neglect continuing to afflict our nation.’

‘Compounding this national crisis, our own university faces a daunting P2.95-billion budget deficit in the 2027 budget, due to state-imposed budget cuts. These severe funding gaps compromise the UP system’s capacity to deliver quality education, support research and fulfill its mandate as the university of the people,’ the student council said.

UP Los Baños chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. expressed support for the walkout, saying participation in the activity ‘allows them to reflect, express their views and contribute to public discourse.’

After 32 long years, the Asian Games is back in Japan, with the city of Nagoya formally welcoming today over 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 nations – the Philippines’ best and brightest in the middle of it, geared to sustain Philippine sports’ hot charge.

Lady pug Aira Villegas and weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos will carry the national flag in the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium, and the two are expected to be among those ready to rise and ignite Team Philippines’ bid to surpass its similar four-gold harvests in 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2023 Hangzhou.

In the 20th edition of the continental conclave, the Philippines is bringing in what could well be its strongest delegation in years – originally 464-strong, now slightly adjusted after last-minute pullouts but remaining a potent cast bannered by two-time Olympic gymnastics gold winner Carlos Yulo, WTA World No. 18 Alex Eala, defending pole-vault champ EJ Obiena and Olympic boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Villegas.

Jiu-jitsu world titlist Annie Ramirez, Olympian swimmer Kayla Sanchez and the country’s world-beater e-gamers are also in the fancied list that has given sports officials confidence Team Philippines is set for further breakthrough, riding the crest of a steady climb in the Olympics – from a silver in Rio 2016 to a 1-2-1 gold-silver-bronze haul in Tokyo 2021 to a 2-0-2 in Paris 2024.

For Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, a bold but realistic target is eight golds.

Hit the target and the Philippines will match its rich eight-gold haul the first time Japan hosted the Asian Games in 1958 in Tokyo. The Nationals then won three golds in athletics, reigned supreme in basketball with a team led by the great Caloy Loyzaga, snared a gold each in shooting and swimming, and struck a double in tennis courtesy of singles winner Raymundo Deyro and the Deyro-Felicisimo Ampon pair.

It was the turn of the boxers to deliver in the second Asiad held in Japan in 1994 in Hiroshima, with Mansueto ‘Onyok’ Velasco, Elias Recaido and Reynaldo Galido all punching their way to glory.

Three decades later, the conclave is back in the Land of the Rising Sun, particularly in the capital of Aichi Prefecture – proud of its samurai roots and of being an industrial powerhouse housing the headquarters of Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, among many. It’s often called the Heart of Japan, with its fertile plains, mountains, rivers and sea. The city of 2.3 million rolls out the red carpet for a massive meet staking 469 gold medals in 43 sports – bigger than the Paris Olympics – spread far beyond Nagoya.

The Philippines’ own Eala, China’s 13-year-old swimming prodigy Yu Zidi and India’s 15-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are considered by the hosts as the biggest attractions, although the race to the top of the medal tally is a foregone conclusion. China will lord it over, with Japan and South Korea fighting for runner-up honors.

But Japan – like any host – could have designed the 2026 calendar to have a show of force in the initial blast.

A total of 31 golds will be disputed on Day 1, the day after the opening ceremony, in swimming (7), basketball (1), road cycling (2), karate (4), modern pentathlon (4), shooting (2), soft tennis (2), teqball (5), triathlon (2) and wushu (2).

The Philippines entered Michael Ver Anton Comaling, Samuel German, Joseph Anthony Godbout, Gilbert Andrino, Shyra Mae Aranzado, Princess Honey Arbilon and Juliana Shane Sevilla in modern pentathlon and Prince Agustin, Dailan Christoffe Montenegro, Anel Pacis and Jhoana Abulencia in teqball.

Teqball is among the debuting events along with padel, mixed martial arts, virtual taekwondo, surfing and BMX freestyle.

The Philippines unleashes its big guns in the next few days, with Carlos Yulo the first to see action along with brother Karl Eldrew in artistic gymnastics all-around on Monday. Eala starts her campaign on the 27th while Obiena defends his crown on the 29th.

Also commencing Sunday are hostilities in water polo, badminton, mixed martial arts, field hockey, handball, sepak takraw, table tennis and beach volleyball.

The Philippines was named as the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders for the 13th consecutive year, climate justice watchdog Global Witness reported.

In the 2025 report of the investigative and campaigning organization, the Philippines tied with Honduras with 12 defenders’ deaths, the highest record outside Latin America.

Six of the recorded killings in the Philippines were indigenous peoples, three were small-scale farmers, a journalist and two others.

Joan Carling, executive director of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International, attributed the killings to the government’s counter-insurgency programs and extractive projects.

Global Witness said the militarization of rural communities enabled the military to impose repressive measures, including red-tagging to portray defenders as communists or terrorists.

The watchdog cited the case of Veronico Anterio, a 65-year-old farmer who was allegedly shot for voicing opposition to the growing military presence in Samar.

‘Global Witness linked five of those killings to the armed forces, showing how, when attempts to criminalize defenders fail, the military reverts to more direct attacks,’ said Carling.

Cases with suspected links to organized crime were also recorded in the Philippines, along with five other Latin American countries.

Environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment asked the government for genuine accountability for the attacks, calling it to ‘end the use of state forces and criminal proceedings to suppress peaceful opposition.’

From 2012 to 2025, the Philippines ranked third in the Global Witness statistics, with 318 recorded killings and disappearances of environmental defenders.

The Philippines is joined by Colombia, Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Tanzania in the 2025 report.

President Marcos has no plans of stepping down, Malacañang said yesterday, after the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte said she is ready to replace him in case he resigns.

‘First of all, no one is going to resign,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro told GMA News.

Castro was responding to Duterte’s spokesman, Paolo Panelo, who defended the Vice President amid criticisms that her call for Marcos to resign was self-serving as she would benefit from it.

‘That’s just their wish, because the President is fulfilling his duties and working for the country, the nation and the people. So, if they wish for the President to resign, I’m sorry,’ Castro said.?

She also denied the Duterte camp’s allegations that the administration is controlling senators, the police and other government officials in connection with the Vice President’s impeachment case.

Castro said government agencies are simply carrying out their respective mandates.

Panelo earlier said Duterte was elected as the Vice President ‘so, she was actually the one the people voted for to replace the President if he would resign. So, I don’t think this is self-serving or, as some might say, a conflict of interest.’

‘Because for her and for many Filipinos, it’s not really good for the country for the President to remain in office,’ he said.

Duterte has declared her candidacy for the 2028 presidential elections.

The Vice President earlier branded Marcos as the ‘problem of the nation,’ accusing his administration of corruption, abuse and political harassment amid the cases filed against her and members of her family.

‘Let’s continue the clamor for our nation’s problem to leave, whose name is Bongbong Marcos. Resign! Leave!’ Duterte told her supporters at a recent rally at Quezon City Hall.

Marcos responded to Duterte’s attacks against him during an interview in New Delhi, India last week after attending the 18th BRICS Summit.

‘If she feels very angry, I suppose, with what’s happening to her, and I am the target of that anger, or the main target of that anger, what can I do? You cannot force anyone to love you,’ the President said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is leaning on banks, cooperatives and other institutions across the Visayas to broaden digital payments and financial access as economic activity accelerates outside the country’s traditional growth centers.

Nine institutions were recognized by the central bank on Sept. 14 for helping strengthen financial stability, expand access to financial services and promote digital payments and financial literacy across the region.

The push comes as the Visayas assumes a larger role in the Philippine economy. Western Visayas was the country’s fastest-growing region in 2025, while Central Visayas remained the largest regional economy outside Luzon, BSP Monetary Board Member Walter Wassmer said.

Eastern Visayas is also attracting new investment, including about P60 billion in energy projects, while a new international airport is expected to open in the region, he said.

The developments are increasing the need for financial infrastructure that can support businesses and households beyond major urban centers.

BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said maintaining confidence in the financial system requires cooperation with institutions that deliver banking, payments and cash services directly to communities.

‘When I think about what makes a financial system work well, I think about trust,’ Puyat said at the 2026 Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony in Cebu City.

BSP needs partners to ensure that cash is available where it is needed, protect the currency from counterfeiting and keep financial services operating during emergencies, she said.

The institutions recognized this year have also helped bring digital payments closer to consumers through QR Ph Plus, while supporting the distribution of fit and genuine Philippine currency.

Financial literacy programs are another part of the effort, with the BSP seeking to improve consumers’ ability to manage money, make informed financial decisions and participate in the formal economy.

The awardees included eight BSP-supervised institutions: Land Bank of the Philippines-Cebu Osmeña Branch, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co.-Cebu CMSU, LandBank Cash Operations Unit-Bacolod, LandBank-Dumaguete Branch, LandBank Cash Operations Unit-Iloilo, LandBank-Roxas Branch, LandBank-Tacloban Branch and BDO Network Bank-Iloilo Robinsons Branch.

Perpetual Help Community Cooperative was recognized under the private institutions and organizations category.

Wassmer said the partnerships allow the BSP’s mandates to reach communities and businesses more directly, particularly as the region’s economies expand.

‘With your support, we can better protect consumers, combat financial fraud, and strengthen public trust in our financial system,’ he said.

The Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony has recognized institutions supporting the central bank’s mandates and advocacies since 2004.

The Cebu event followed earlier ceremonies covering Metro Manila, North Luzon and South Luzon. A similar recognition program for BSP partners in Mindanao is scheduled later this month.

Puyat said continued cooperation would be needed as financial services become more digital and the central bank seeks to build a system that is more inclusive and resilient.

‘More importantly, you are helping prepare Filipinos to navigate the future with greater knowledge and confidence,’ she said.