Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Roger Federer is actually nervous about his tennis.

The man who won five straight US Open championships during the height of his dominance of the sport is set to play again in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night for the first time since 2019. And he’s not quite sure how the game that perhaps nobody ever made look more elegant will appear now.

‘I haven’t played a singles set in, I don’t know, (Hubert) Hurkacz at Wimbledon maybe, so it’s been five years,’ Federer said Monday, referring to his 2021 quarterfinal loss in his last Grand Slam match. ‘I don’t know how it’s going to go tomorrow. So there is a lot of uncertainty but a lot of happiness that I can return to Arthur Ashe, a place where I have had so many beautiful moments.’

It’s only one set of singles in an exhibition against Andy Roddick and one set of doubles with John McEnroe against Roddick and Andre Agassi. The winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles should be fine for those.

But a return to tennis beyond that, competing in major tennis tournaments in his mid-40s like Venus and Serena Williams?

‘No, no, no, no. No, not at all,’ Federer said during a news conference. ‘Thanks for asking. I wasn’t sure if the question was going to get asked, but I’m happy you did so I can clarify in case anybody thought.’

At 45, Federer still looks fit, and said he enjoys working out in the gym. But he said he goes through long stretches where he is rarely on the court.

His lengthy absence from the U.S. Open has done little to dampen his popularity, based on the amount of people around the grounds who were mentioning his name. The appearance of ‘Roger Federer’ up on the big board for all to see again, ahead of his afternoon practice on Ashe, where Federer collected the trophy every year from 2004-08, was a welcome sight for his fans.

The trip to New York is a stop for Federer on his way to Newport, Rhode Island, where he will be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Federer never really had the chance to say goodbye to New York as a player, because there was no way to know his loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the 2019 quarterfinals would be his last match. He had reached the French Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final earlier that year, falling to Rafael Nadal in Paris and then Novak Djokovic in a fifth-set tiebreaker at the All England Club.

It was easy to imagine him returning to the U.S. Open the next year and making another deep run. But after falling to Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open to begin 2020, he had knee surgery that February, then another procedure in May.

He returned to play in the French Open in 2021 but had to withdraw before his fourth-round match. After the loss to Hurkacz – where he appeared struggling and lost 6-0 in the third set – Federer had another knee surgery that August and knew there would be no more comebacks.

‘The knee can’t do it anymore. It’s tired,’ he recalled thinking. ‘The mind can’t be patient even more and wait for another couple years and see what happens.’

Federer knows Tuesday night won’t be real tennis, joking that he and Roddick hopefully would be respectful and not try to drop shot each other. But it will be different from when he did return to Ashe a couple of years back to watch.

‘They gave me an ovation because they saw me on the big screen, but I just feel, like, tomorrow and I guess today, as well, and Monday next week, it really gives me a true opportunity to say thank you and goodbye, which I think is important for some,’ Federer said. ‘It’s a nice thing to do, for sure.’

Asia Rose Simpson, the Philippines’ delegate to the 2026 Miss World pageant, has officially entered the contest’s Top 40 more than a week ahead of the final competition.

The 18-year-old contestant topped the ‘Head-to-Head’ challenge for the Asia and Oceania group at the preliminary event held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Monday, Aug. 24.

Three other delegates also earned guaranteed slots in the Top 40 for dominating their respective groups-South Africa’s Romanda Hombir for Africa, Georgia-Lee Gill from Trinidad and Tobago for the Americas and Caribbean, and Germany’s Julia Kuhnle for Europe.

During the first round of the competition, Simpson discussed her SED (Sports and Dance) Initiatives, a program that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health among the youth through sports and dance.

Her initial performance merited her entry into the Top 5 of the Asia and Oceania group, together with host delegate B?o Ng?c Lê Nguy?n from Vietnam, Tiare Henry-Anguna from the Cook Islands, Min-seo Cha from South Korea, and Mariyam Eema Mohamed, Maldives’ first-ever Miss World participant.

For the second round with the continental Top 5, the finalists were asked to speak as though they were tourism ambassadors of Vietnam using their experience in the pageant.

Simpson shared about and her first trip last year for her advocacy work, and her visit to different places in Vietnam as a candidate this year. ‘Miss World has shown me that I have barely scratched the diversity that this country holds. I never realized how big Vietnam was until me and my sister queens were traveling city to city to city,’ she said.

‘Whether you want to come to Vietnam to learn about its history, or to have a relaxing vacation, or to have a good adrenaline-inducing time, Vietnam has a timeless charm, and Vietnam is waiting for you, cam on (thank you),’ she continued.

She sealed her placement in the Top 40 with an impressive response to the final question: ‘Asia and Oceania includes some of the world’s oldest traditions and some of its fastest-changing societies. How can a new generation embrace progress without losing what makes its culture unique?’

Simpson opened her answer with the quotation, ‘A people who do not know their history, origin, or culture is like a tree without roots,’ and said the best way to preserve cultural heritage is by passing it down to the next generation.

She also delved into the Filipino concepts of ‘kapwa’ which she framed as interconnectedness, and the ‘bayanihan’ spirit, which she explained as neighbors helping one another.

‘In a fast-paced, modernized digital world, things like ‘kapwa’ or the ‘bayanihan’ spirit will not be lost. In fact, they will be the things that ground us fully, because that is what roots are for. And every generation learns from the last and the next,’ Simpson said.

She had earlier advanced to the Top 24 of the Sports Challenge. She had also moved on to the final round of both the Top Model and Talent Challenges.

The Philippines’ first, and so far only, Miss World victory was courtesy of Megan Young, who won the title at the pageant’s 63rd edition held in Indonesia in 2013.

Filipinos can still help Simpson get closer to the crown even after she has already earned a guaranteed entry into the Top 40. An automatic spot in the final round with the Top 6 is reserved for the delegate who will top the ‘People’s Choice’ poll. To vote for Simpson, visit the missworld.1voting.com site. Voting will close on Sept. 4 at 11 p.m.

The Miss World pageant is holding its 73rd edition this year, which marks its 75th anniversary. Reigning queen Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand will crown her successor on Sept. 5.

The Senate joint panels on local government and finance on Tuesday sought the schedule of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to be moved from the first Monday of November 2026 to the second week of November 2028.

Members of the panels jointly submitted on Tuesday Committee Report no. 77 also recommending the approval of the bill fixing the term of office of barangay and SK officials to five years.

They also took into consideration the measure seeking to postpone the 2026 BSKE polls.

The committees, through their joint report, proposed that the date of the BSKE be postponed to the second Monday of November 2028, instead of the first Monday of 2026.

It also amended that the elections be held every five years thereafter, and not every four years.

Should the proposed measure be approved, the incumbent barangay and SK officials will, thereby, extend their term by another two years.

Moreover, incumbent officials already serving their third consecutive term will be ineligible for vying for the same position in the 2028 BSKE polls.

Head of the committee on local government Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero sponsored the measure at the plenary, urging the Senate to expedite the passing of the bill or otherwise.

‘I ask that the body act on this bill with urgency, for or against it, given that the barangay elections are scheduled to be conducted this November, and where the filing of certificates of candidacy are slated already in the coming month,’ Escudero said.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is strengthening an early-warning system that would track upcoming harvests, weather disturbances and market conditions in hopes of preventing vegetable gluts from leaving farmers with spoiled or unsold produce.

In a statement on Monday, the DA said it plans to use regular harvest projections and farm-gate price monitoring to identify potential supply disruptions and connect farmers with buyers before markets become saturated.

‘We want to move from reacting to problems to anticipating them,’ Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said.

‘The monitoring system will give us alerts on upcoming harvests, weather disturbances and other developments that could affect the supply chain to help us trigger assistance earlier,’ Guevarra added.

According to the DA, the system could trigger logistics and other government assistance when potential disruptions are detected, while complementing regional help desks that respond to farmers facing difficulties moving their produce.

It also plans to strengthen coordination with other government agencies that could serve as institutional buyers.

This renewed early-warning initiative would build on emergency procurement measures used during the Middle East conflict, when a surge in logistics costs threatened the movement of agricultural products to markets.

It also comes after about 5.8 metric tons of Chinese cabbage and carrots were dumped in Benguet earlier this month after continuous rains, congested trading centers and poor road conditions prevented farmers from selling the produce before it deteriorated.

In one case, a truck carrying 2.5 tons of Chinese cabbage spent two days and two nights waiting to enter a La Trinidad trading center. Another farmer sold only 700 kilograms of a four-ton carrot harvest, eventually dumping about 3.1 tons along a road.

The DA said better monitoring could also help address recurring oversupply, which can drive farm-gate prices low enough that farmers opt to discard vegetables rather than incur additional transport costs.

But the agency stressed that the early-warning system is only an interim measure that will remain in place while the government pursues longer-term infrastructure to absorb excess harvests.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA is seeking funding in 2027 for mega cold storage and vegetable processing facilities beside the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center.

‘Our long-term solution is mega cold storage and vegetable processing facilities,’ Tiu Laurel said.

The employees’ union of the Angeles City government has defended Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II against online criticism over his supposedly delayed order to suspend classes on Tuesday due to inclement weather.

The mayor suspended classes at around 6:30 a.m., but parents and guardians criticized the timing, saying their children were already in school or on their way there when the announcement was made.

The Association of Government Employees for a New Dynamic Angeles City (AGENDA) defended Lazatin’s decision, saying it was unfair to judge the mayor ‘solely on a single decision while overlooking the many responsibilities he carries as the city’s chief executive.’

The group said the suspension of classes was only one of the mayor’s many concerns.

‘Maagang dumarating si Mayor sa City Hall at gabi na kung minsan ay nandito pa rin siya, sinusubukang matapos ang mga kailangang tugunan para sa araw na iyon. Hindi po makatarungan na basta na lamang husgahan at i-bash ang isang lider na araw-araw ay nagsisikap para sa maayos na pamamahala,’ AGENDA president Aiza Zapanta said in a statement sent through the city information office.

(The mayor goes to work early at City Hall and sometimes leaves late to resolve the day’s problems. It is not right to judge a leader who spends each day toiling for good governance)

AGENDA said the decision to suspend classes should also consider other sectors whose livelihoods could be affected by the cancellation of face-to-face classes.

It said transport workers, including jeepney and tricycle drivers, as well as small and medium enterprises and other businesses near schools, would lose income when classes are suspended.

‘Marami rin ang umaasang may pasok dahil nakasalalay dito ang kanilang arawang kita. Kaya bawat desisyon ay kailangang pag-isipang mabuti,’ the group said.

(Many livelihoods rely on schools remaining open. so every decision needs a thorough review of its consequences).

AGENDA urged the public to exercise restraint and responsibility online, saying constructive criticism was welcome but personal attacks and online bashing should be avoided.

The suspension order, posted on the city government’s and Lazatin’s Facebook pages, drew about 3,000 comments, with hundreds of netizens criticizing the late suspension.

Several parents said their children, particularly preschool and elementary pupils, were already in school or on their way when the suspension was announced.

Some netizens said classes start at either 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., making the late announcement inconvenient and potentially risky, particularly amid heavy rains and flooding in some areas.

‘Sana po pakiagahan po ang announcement, mga 2 oras bago ang oras ng pasukan,’ a netizen commented on the mayor’s and the city government’s posts.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday unveiled a hybrid security model for public schools that will deploy security guards alongside village watchmen, police patrols, and upgraded surveillance systems to address manpower shortages.

In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said the framework seeks to address security guard shortages by allocating guards according to a school’s enrollment and security requirements.

Earlier, DepEd Undersecretary for Governance and Operations Malcolm Garma shared the data before the Senate basic education committee, saying only three in 10 schools have security guards.

‘We are aware of the limitations of our funds, so we cannot rely solely on a few security personnel for the security of the entire campus,’ Angara said in Filipino.

‘Through our hybrid security model, we are partnering with our communities and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and orderly environment for every school,’ he added.

Under the proposed framework, DepEd will prioritize assigning security guards to campuses with larger student populations while relying on community support mechanisms for smaller schools.

DepEd said schools with fewer than 500 learners and those with 501 to 1,000 learners would each be assigned one security guard, with village watchmen providing support during arrival and dismissal periods.

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers may also assist with gate duties.

Campuses with 1,001 to 3,300 learners would receive two security guards, supplemented by the local government and village watchmen for perimeter security and PTA teams for crowd and traffic management.

Large schools with 3,301 to 8,500 learners and larger campuses with at least 8,501 learners would be assigned four security guards, with support from Philippine National Police mobile patrols and LGU security officers.

DepEd plans to implement the framework in two phases, beginning with large campuses before expanding the program to small and medium schools.

The department will also boost physical security through investments in surveillance and access-control systems, including CCTV cameras, improved lighting, access control equipment, and scanners.

On Monday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government may need at least P20 billion to equip schools nationwide with world-class closed-circuit television systems.

The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday reminded the House prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial not to use inflammatory terms such as ‘scam’ and ‘mastermind’ during direct and cross-examinations.

The reminder stemmed from private prosecutor Atty. Mae Divinagracia’s direct examination of Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, during which she used terms such as ‘scam’ and ‘mastermind.’

Divinagracia used the term ‘scam’ to describe the OVP’s use of confidential funds after Ortonio confirmed that they submitted four separate explanations to the Commission on Audit to justify their use.

‘In short, you will also agree with me na kapag paiba-iba ang rason, maaaring nagsisinungaling lang or talaga namang ito ay isa lamang scam?’ her exact words were during the direct examination.

(In short, you will also agree with me that if the reason keeps changing, they might be lying or it could really be just a scam?)

She then asked Ortonio to confirm whether Duterte was the ‘mastermind’ behind the OVP’s confidential funds issue, after the aide confirmed that the Vice President herself had requested the funds and ordered their release, encashment, use, and liquidation.

‘In short you will agree with me that this whole confidential funds matter, ang arkitekto at mastermind nito ay si Sara Duterte (In short, you will agree with me that, in this whole confidential funds matter, Sara Duterte is the architect and mastermind behind it),’ she said.

Defense counsel Atty. Kristine Ferrer objected to both questions and even moved to strike them from record-motions which were also sustained by Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.

‘I will have to strike, kindly replace it with words that are more acceptable such as: ‘that everything was approved by, or with the consent or the full knowledge of’ it’s up to you,’ said Escudero.

Ferrer then made a manifestation calling on the court to remind the prosecution not to use ‘inappropriate words’ like ‘scam, mastermind, nagsisinungaling.’

‘This is a solemn proceeding, this is a court of law, this is a court of procedure and actually a court of decorum. We are not supposed to make insinuations, accusations or conclusions your honor, so we request the court to kindly remind the prosecution,’ she said.

Escudero agreed with Ferrer, noting that this would not be the first time the court would issue such a reminder for the prosecution panel.

‘It does seem that it’s becoming a… I would rather use the word habit, than pattern…for the panel of prosecutors to close their direct with such strong statements,’ he said.

Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano also shared Escudero’s sentiments, stating that such words could ‘affect the integrity, not only of the court, but of the decision.’

Divinagracia, for her part, apologized, stating that she was only carried away by the prosecution’s ‘zeal and passion.

‘We apologize, sometimes we get carried away by our zeal and our passion but to me and the prosecution, we just want to wall a spade a spade,’ she said.

‘But henceforth, to borrow the words of my colleague we will try to behave,’ she added.

More than 100 local chief executives under the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) have renewed their call against corruption, as well as public oversight in the national budget.

The M4GG had pledged to continue to push for ‘transparent, accountable, and people-centered governance through strong and empowered local governments,’ during its third anniversary summit and general assembly last August 22 at the Manila Diamond Hotel.

During the event, the coalition said it launched Report Infra, a channel for citizens and stakeholders to report suspected ghost, high-priced, or substandard infrastructure projects within their municipalities.

The group has also renewed their call for greater public access to the national budget information, amounting to P7.2-trillion under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program, as well as the P57 billion increase of the Local Government Support fund.

Members of the M4GG also met with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to discuss better and more effective implementation of social welfare programs in local communities.

‘We are grateful for the opportunity to stand with M4GG on its third anniversary. This is a room full of leaders who chose the harder, more accountable way to lead, and that work deserves every bit of support we can give it. Good governance is not an aspiration. It is a standard, and these mayors are proving it is possible,’ Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel L. Benitez said during M4GG’s d Governance third anniversary summit and general assembly

Grief continues to grip Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) a week after the Aug. 18 fatal shooting inside its Tumaga campus that claimed the lives of two high school students, including the shooter.

‘A week has passed, but grief does not follow a timetable. Some may be ready to return to familiar routines; others will need more time, more support. So let us continue to be patient with one another, especially gentle with those who are carrying the deepest grief,’ AdZU president Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal said in a statement on Monday.

The university continued its ‘accompaniment activities’ following the deadly shooting, allowing junior high school students to retrieve their belongings from the Tumaga campus in Zamboanga City on Monday.

The AdZU community also gathered for a candle-lighting and prayer service at its Salvador campus, led by student leaders from El Consejo Atenista. Faculty and staff held a ‘Kumustahan Session,’ with similar activities planned for college students in the coming days.

‘As we continue to understand what happened, we must also be clear: violence has no place in our society,’ Andal said, underscoring that preventing violence is a shared responsibility of families, schools, government, religious institutions, media and the wider community.

Appeal to public

The Jesuit-run university reiterated its appeal to the public and media organizations to exercise prudence in sharing images, recordings and information related to the incident.

‘Inaccurate information and unnecessary circulation of materials, including those AI-generated involving minors, can cause further harm to families already carrying great pain,’ Andal warned.

Andal declined to comment on the shooting incident pending the final police investigation, which the university was awaiting on Monday.

On Aug. 20, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said after visiting the AdZU Tumaga campus that the final police report on the shooting was expected by Aug. 24.

‘We had hoped to receive it [on Monday], but until it is formally provided to us, we will refrain from commenting on findings that have not yet been officially communicated,’ Andal said.

He stressed that the university continues to cooperate fully with authorities and will share verified information once it becomes available.

Andal said the university had updated Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso on its cooperation with police and its ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security and provide psychological support to affected students and families.

The mayor expressed support for the initiatives.

AdZU has begun implementing enhanced security protocols at the Tumaga campus, including purchasing more walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines. The university will make improvements to perimeter security, CCTV coverage, and live monitoring

Roxas and Company Inc. (RCI) has secured a loan facility of nearly P2 billion from China Banking Corp. to refinance existing debt and support general corporate requirements.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, RCI said it entered into an omnibus loan and security agreement with the Sy family-led bank on Aug. 20.

Under the agreement, China Bank will extend a term loan facility with an aggregate principal amount of up to P1.93 billion.

‘The proceeds will be used to refinance the company’s and its subsidiaries’ existing loan obligations and for general corporate purposes,’ the company said.

The disclosure did not provide details on the facility’s interest rate, maturity, repayment schedule or the specific loan obligations that would be refinanced.

The company has an authorized capital stock of P3.38 billion in common shares and 1 billion in preferred shares.

It reported 2.91 billion issued shares, including about 2.8 billion common shares.

The new financing comes as RCI moves to restructure its existing loan obligations while keeping additional funds available for its broader corporate needs.

The company did not disclose how much of the P1.93-billion facility would be allocated to refinancing versus general corporate purposes