Category: Philippine Star

Philippine Stock Exchange director Ma. Vivian Yuchengco maintains that she and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairperson Francis Lim remain friends despite their ongoing legal battle.

The two officials shared a conversation with tycoon Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala yesterday during the listing ceremony of GCash parent Mynt Inc. at the PSE.

‘I said, don’t worry, Jaime Augusto. We’re friends, even if I’m suing him, right, Francis? Then he (Lim) said, yeah, mahal ko ito,’ Yuchengco said.

Yuchengco said the lawsuit is ‘nothing personal,’ which is why she can talk about it.

Yuchengco and another longtime PSE broker-director, Eddie Gobing, have brought their opposition to the SEC’s 10-year term limit for broker directors to court.

Yuchengco and Gobing have asked the court to stop enforcing SEC Memorandum Circular 17, Series of 2026, issued in May.

The petition filed before the Court of Appeals seeks to declare the circular unconstitutional for violating the petitioners’ rights to due process and equal protection, and void for being contrary to the Securities Regulation Code and the Revised Corporation Code.

Yuchengco said she had earlier warned Lim that she would sue if the SEC pursued its policy on broker-director term limits.

‘I told him I would sue him. I told him, do not pass that rule of yours because I’ll have to sue you,’ Yuchengco said.

‘You cannot deprive a shareholder of sitting on his own board. I am not an independent director. I am a founding member of the stock market, and my shares are original,’ she added.

Yuchengco continued: ‘Can you deprive me of that? Can you deprive Jaime Augusto from sitting in Ayala? You cannot deprive the Sy’s from sitting in their board. You cannot. That’s a shareholder’s right.’

Lim earlier expressed disappointment that, despite the SEC providing a reasonable two-year transition period to implement the reform following extensive consultations, it now has to defend it in court.

Under the circular, a broker-director may be elected for a one-year term, subject to a maximum cumulative period of 10 years, whether consecutive or intermittent, in the same exchange.

After serving a cumulative term of five years, whether consecutive or intermittent, the broker-director will observe a one-year cooling-off period before being eligible for reelection.

To ease the transition, the SEC is providing incumbent broker-directors a two-year transition period.

As such, incumbent broker-directors who would have been otherwise disqualified or required to undergo cooling-off by reason of the cumulative years of service as such, at the time of the circular’s effectivity will be allowed to complete their current term.

‘He thought the two years were good enough. But it’s not the two years. It’s the principle of being a shareholder. When you’re a shareholder, it’s forever; you can sit at the board,’ Yuchengco said.

‘I’m protecting everybody. I’m protecting all the shareholders. My lawsuit is for everybody, not for me alone,’ she said.

Malacañang on Wednesday, October 21, urged Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa to surrender and face the cases against him, saying this would help prevent bloodshed.

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said it would be better for Dela Rosa to surrender rather than risk a violent confrontation.

Castro also warned those allegedly sheltering the senator against helping him evade authorities.

Her appeal came after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla warned on Monday, October 19, that any attempt to arrest Dela Rosa could result in heavy casualties among police personnel.

Dela Rosa has been in hiding since leaving the Senate in May, when authorities sought to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is eyeing to expand its data center network to Cavite and Laguna, committing to spend at least P5 billion for the two projects.

Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said the company is preparing four years ahead in anticipation of higher demand for data centers, where digital records are stored.

He said Converge is planning to build two data centers in Cavite and Laguna, with one of them housing an 80-megawatt capacity, which would be the company’s largest.

Based on Converge’s estimate, a data center costs a minimum of $10 million per megawatt to build. As such, the provider expects to spend at least $80 million, or around P5 billion, for the expansion.

Uy said they are looking ahead into the future with the plan to expand to Southern Tagalog, projecting that the demand for artificial intelligence computing would only go up. When a task is prompted on an AI tool, its computing is done inside servers of a data center.

Converge currently operates data centers in Angeles City, Caloocan, Clark and Pasig.

The 80-MW project, once pursued, will become one of the country’s largest data centers, matching two-thirds of the 124-MW capacity of STT Fairview in Quezon City.

Uy said Converge is establishing itself in the data center business to pair with its investments in cloud computing, which is managed by Converge Cloud.

On connectivity, Uy said Converge is developing a new product that could change the game on the broadband front. The product will allow consumers to connect to fiber broadband for as low as P500 a month, as Converge targets the low-cost segment again.

The product is different from its prepaid internet Surf2Sawa, which is already a game-changer for cutting monthly cost to P700. Uy wants to go lower to capture unserved consumers in third- and fourth-class municipalities, especially in Mindanao.

The product will be piloted this quarter, with the commercial launch set for 2027.

Uy said the broadband penetration in the Philippines is still low, and this is backed by data from Opensignal that said only 29 percent of Filipinos have fiber-to-the-home coverage.

Vehicle sales declined by six percent in September, but electrified vehicles (xEVs) continued to move against the current as sales quadrupled year-on-year.

A joint report from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed that their combined sales declined to 35,722 units in September from 37,915 units in the same month last year.

However, CAMPI and TMA’s September sales rose by 21 percent compared to the 29,612 units sold in August.

Both the passenger car (PC) and commercial vehicle (CV) segments declined year-on-year in September.

In particular, PC sales dipped by two percent to 7,799 units in from 7,948 units, while CV sales slid by seven percent to 27,923 units from 30,081 units.

As for xEVs, total sales quadrupled to 8,959 units in September from 2,237 units in the same month a year ago. The figure does not include BYD vehicles.

Leading the charge within the xEV segment was hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), with sales surging by 123 percent year-on-year to 3,933 units in September.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for the second biggest share with 3,075 units sold in September, increasing by 711 percent year-on-year.

Plug-in HEV (PHEV) sales jumped by 1,976 percent year-on-year to 1,951 units in September.

Including sales of non-CAMPI and TMA members, the country’s total vehicle sales surpassed 40,240 units in September, making it the third-highest monthly sales performance of the year.

From January to September, CAMPI and TMA’s sales declined by 10 percent to 307,060 units from 341,753 units in the same period last year.

PC sales went down by nine percent to 62,829 units as of end-September from the previous year’s 69,306 units.

Likewise, the CV segment posted an 11-percent drop to 244,231 units in the nine-month period from 274,104 units a year ago.

Sales of the xEV segment from January to September period zoomed by 163 percent to 54,372 units from 20,676 units last year.

HEV sales reached 27,694 units in the nine-month period, 69 percent higher than the 16,349 units sold in the same period of 2025.

BEV sales jumped by 338 percent to 16,006 units, while PHEV sales surged by 1,493 percent to 10,672 units.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the leading automotive firm with a 49.32-percent share from January to September.

This was followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with a 16.32-percent share and Suzuki Philippines Inc. with a 4.48-percent share.

Completing the top five are Ford Motor Co. Philippines Inc. with 3.49 percent and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. with 3.29 percent.

‘Based on annual sales trends heading into the final months of the year, we believe the industry is well-positioned to sustain its momentum and deliver a strong overall performance in 2026,’ CAMPI president Jose Maria Atienza said.

Last year, total vehicle sales hit a record-high of 491,395 units.

Getting your favorite Chowking meals just got easier and more rewarding.

The new Chowking mobile app gives customers a more convenient way to enjoy their favorite Chinese-inspired dishes while unlocking exclusive offers and benefits.

More value with app-exclusive offers

One of the biggest reasons to order through the Chowking app is getting access to offers available only through the platform. From exclusive promos to welcome treats for new users, customers can get more value from their Chowking orders simply by ordering directly through the app. A simpler way to order

The new Chowking app is designed to make the journey from craving to check out faster and easier. Customers can now order in less steps thanks to improvements in menu navigation and delivery address selection.

The app also gives customers more flexibility. Users can schedule orders in advance for delivery or pick-up, place pick-up orders at participating stores, and use QR-based ordering for dine-in and take-out.

More affordable delivery

For customers ordering Chowking for delivery, the app also offers lower delivery fees-giving them another reason to order directly through Chowking while enjoying the convenience of having their favorites brought to their doorstep.

Together, these features make the Chowking app a direct connection to the brand, combining value, flexibility and convenience in one platform.

‘We wanted to create a digital experience that makes getting Chowking even easier for our customers’, Jia Du, vice president for Marketing, said. ‘The new app is designed around the things that matter most when you’re craving your Chowking favorites, convenience, value, and a great experience.’

The launch of the new app is another step in Chowking’s continuing digital transformation, building on the brand’s efforts to make its products and services more accessible through technology.

Whether ordering from home, picking up a meal on the way, or dining in at a Chowking store, customers now have more ways to enjoy their favorites through one connected digital experience.

President Marcos has committed to make judicial services more accessible to every Filipino as he and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo inaugurated and turned over the Sulu Hall of Justice in Patikul town yesterday.

Marcos assured residents that Sulu would not be left behind in the delivery of government services.

He said the new hall of justice would address longstanding challenges in the delivery of justice, which had been hampered by limited facilities.

‘Justice must be accessible to every Filipino, so that our institutions must uphold the rule of law, protect people’s rights and bring the government closer to those that it serves,’ Marcos said.

The President cited the government’s efforts in improving access to justice including legal assistance programs, digitalization of court processes and making judicial services more efficient.

Meanwhile, Gesmundo urged judges and court personnel to uphold integrity, independence and fairness.

‘The worth of a hall of justice lies not on its physical structure but in the quality of justice it gives to the people,’ Gesmundo said.

He thanked the provincial government and Sulu Rep. Samier Tan for helping realize a vision laid out during a groundbreaking ceremony in September.

The provincial government donated 68,810 square meters of land for the construction of the Sulu Hall of Justice.

Prime Oil and Gas Inc. of businessman Enrique Razon is looking to acquire a 30-percent stake in a natural gas operation in the West Philippine Sea, as the tycoon seeks to consolidate his group’s energy portfolio.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, Apex Mining Co. Inc. said its wholly owned subsidiary, Monte Oro Resources and Energy Inc. (MOREI), has received an offer from Prime Oil to acquire its 30 percent participating interest in Service Contract 72 (SC 72).

The company added that the proposed deal remains subject to a valuation exercise that will determine the value of SC 72 and the consideration of the proposed transaction.

It noted that the results of due diligence as well as a mutually acceptable definitive agreement will also be considered before moving forward with the potential acquisition.

‘The proposed transaction will also be subject to the approval of the Department of Energy (DOE),’ Apex Mining said.

It noted that MOREI has also hired an accredited third-party professional valuer to assist in determining the value of its 30 percent participating interest in SC 72.

Razon-led Prime Strategic Holdings Inc., the parent company of Apex Mining, is also Prime Oil’s indirect parent company.

SC 72 is operated indirectly by Manuel V. Pangilinan’s upstream oil and gas company PXP Energy Corp. through Forum (GSEC 101) Ltd., which owns 70 percent of the service contract.

It currently covers the exploration, development and exploitation of petroleum resources within an 8,800-square-kilometer area in the West Philippine Sea.

The Sampaguita Gas Field in Recto Bank, also included in SC 72, is said to hold about 2.6 to 5.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and petroleum resources.

The area remains under force majeure due to the escalating geopolitical tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Exploration work in the area has remained suspended by the DOE since April 2022.

Batanes has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 as Super Typhoon Rosal (international name: Champi) maintained its strength while moving west-northwestward over the sea east of Northern Luzon, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the center of Rosal’s eye was 845 kilometers east of Northern Luzon as of 10 a.m.

The super typhoon is currently at its peak intensity, packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 265 kph, with a central pressure of 900 hPa.

Rosal is moving west-northwestward at 25 kph while its winds extend outward up to 780 kilometers from its center.

PAGASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 over Batanes, warning residents of possible gale-force winds of 62 to 88 kph within 24 hours that pose minor to moderate threats to life and property.

Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains in effect over the following areas in Luzon, where strong winds (39 to 61 kph) are expected within 36 hours:

Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands)

Isabela: Eastern portion (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, Santa Maria, Cabagan, Delfin Albano, Santo Tomas, Tumauini, San Pablo, Ilagan City, San Mariano, Dinapigue)

Ilocos Norte

Apayao

Catanduanes: Northeastern portion (Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto)

Super Typhoon Rosal is forecast to continue moving west-northwestward on Wednesday before shifting northwestward on Thursday, October 22.

It will make its closest approach to Extreme Northern Luzon between Thursday and Friday afternoon, October 23.

The cyclone is expected to turn north-northwestward by Friday before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday evening or early Saturday morning, October 24. It will then recurve northeastward by Sunday, October 25.

The state weather bureau expects Rosal to begin a gradual weakening trend on Wednesday afternoon or evening, weakening into a typhoon by Thursday and further weakening into a severe tropical storm by Sunday.

An interesting aspect of genealogy is multiple births, which old records can help us uncover. To continue our Family History Month series, we look at some cases of multiple births recorded in old church records. Twins, triplets, and other multiple births have long been part of Philippine family life, although their stories sometimes survive only in a few handwritten lines. One Philippine medical paper states that approximately 7.2 twin gestations per 1,000 births. A separate Philippine General Hospital study recorded 17.5 multiple pregnancies per 1,000 deliveries between September 2000 and August 2002. These figures come from different sources, and cannot be combined into a national range or used to assign the Philippines a world ranking.

International research shows relatively low twin rates in parts of Southeast Asia. But for genealogists, the more interesting question is what individual records reveal about the children themselves. During the Spanish period, priests frequently identified twins through the word mellizos, written beside or within a baptismal entry. These small notes can explain why siblings shared a birthday, appeared together in a register, or were baptized separately only days apart.

A single baptismal record in 1738 in Bulacan shows several pairs, including Blas and Maria de la Peña, Agustin and Matheo Aguirre, and Manuela and Maria Samson, each pair identified as mellizos. Within one surviving page, three households acquire details that a list of names alone would miss. An especially striking entry comes from Bauang, dated October 14, 1790. It names Maria Baptista, Ana Maria Baptista, and Agustina Baptista together, yet records them mellizos. But this was not a mistake. A linguistic study by the Instituto Cervantes explains that older Spanish used expressions such as tresmellizos and tresgemelos before trillizo only became established in the twentieth century. We therefore have to read the whole entry rather than assume the margin tells us the number.

Other records distinguish twins more explicitly. In Gasan, Marinduque, Alejo and Marcelino Celestino were baptized on July 20, 1879. Their entries identify them as the first and second twins. In Cavite Viejo, now Kawit, Manuel and Victor Simenes were baptized on December 16, 1875. Sometimes even names fail to separate siblings. Two Santa Rosa, Laguna, entries dated March 1, 1893, both identify a three-day old boy as Juan Hernandez, son of Leoncio Hernandez and Elena Castro. Both carry the notation mellizos. Different godfathers help distinguish the entries, reminding us how easily a researcher could mistake them for duplicates.

In 1902, in Argao, triplets were recorded for the first time. On June 11 that year, Felix, Bernabe, and Fortunato Geverola were born to Laureano Geverola and Jacinta Lanutan. Interestingly, all three survived at least for the next few days. Their mother died the next day, whose cause of death was ‘de mal parto’, or from a bad birth, while Felix died four days later due to ‘inflamacion’, or severe localized infection.

In 1923, physician Rebecca Parish reported two Filipino triplet deliveries at Manila’s Mary Johnston Hospital in April 1919 and July 1923. Later, a 1967 study using birth records from the Philippine General Hospital and Maternity and Children’s Hospital between 1959 and 1965 found twins in 1.17% of its sample. In 2009, The Philippine STAR reported Lorita Barrera’s delivery of quintuplets in Manila. A subsequent report recorded the death of one daughter, Melody Frances. Earlier cases of quintuplets include Cotabato in 1995, where quintuplets were born but all five reportedly died within hours. In Tagum City in 2007, the five Molino sisters also died shortly after birth.

These remind us that multiple births are more than an unusual number. Each child has a separate story. Genealogy helps recover those distinctions through baptismal entries, birth certificates, hospital reports, and later family records. For this month, such discoveries bring us closer to the households behind our family trees. A brief notation can reveal siblings forgotten in family memory, explain an apparent duplicate, or preserve a child who died young. Reading carefully allows every child a place in the family’s history.

They may be the defending champions, but Grace Christian College is wary of the St. Peter the Apostle School squad that will try to take the Fil-Chi Athletic Association Inc. (FCAAI) 45-and-above title from them.

Grace Christian and St. Peter the Apostle will figure in a best-of-three championship series for the 45-and-above crown starting Friday, October 23, at the Tanduay Gym in Manila.

Grace Christian’s Allan Anson Tan, during a press conference in Quezon City Wednesday, said St. Peter the Apostle’s hunger makes them dangerous.

‘I think maganda iyong matchup namin, kahit nung last game. Actually, starting last game na nakaharap namin sila, it was a close game,’ Tan said.

‘Umabot sa na-frustrate kami. Pero buti, naka-recover naman. This time, two games namin silang haharapin,’ he added.

‘Hindi natin malalaman ang mangyayari, pero both teams are hungry at gusto naming manalo.’

St. Peter, coached by Mac Tan, stressed that their team is bent on making noise in their first-ever shot at a FCAAI championship in the division.

‘We have the momentum… but it’s our first time. Magandang matchup ito,’ he said.

St. Peter brought down Xavier, 62-49, while Grace Christian drubbed St. Jude Catholic School, 66-43, in their respective semifinal matchups.

Grace Christian head coach Danilo Ching, for his part, underscored that aside from their opponents’ momentum, their depth will also spell problems for their team.

‘But, we will work hard sa practice. And, yun ang [pinu-push namin] sa practice, yung hard work. You can see sa defense namin,’ he said.

‘Pero sa akin kasi, mas tiwala ako sa players ko na magpe-perform sila. Mas maraming gustong ipakita yung players ko.’

FCAAI Chairman Wilbert Loa and Commissioner Junel Baculi, for their part, assured that the finals will have good officiating. They said they have placed lapel mics on their referees to assure that communications between the referees and coaches will be clear.