Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Philippine cacao queen is Charita Puentespina. She provided a legacy for us to follow. Sadly, she passed away last Aug. 16 at 86. In 2024, Puentespina was recognized as one of the Inquirer ‘Women of Power’ awardees for her contribution to Philippine agriculture and the cacao/chocolate industry.

She was a farmer, agripreneur and founder of the Puentespina Farms and Malagos Chocolate. Her first farm was established in Davao in 1963. She started with orchid cultivation and propagation and helped save the Philippine waling-waling orchid from extinction.

In 2003, Puentespina ventured into cacao production. In 2017, her cacao beans were feted among the world’s 50 best in the Cocoa Excellence (COEX) competition in Paris, France. This is where more than 400 entries from at least 30 cacao-producing countries compete.

In 2021, Puentespina won the coveted Gold Award for ‘Best Drinking Chocolate in the World’ from the International Chocolate Meals in Hanover, Germany.

Learnings

Puentespina traveled all over Mindanao to share her learnings so that others would benefit. Her objective was ‘not only to make better products, but also to employ more farmers.’ She was the founder and first president of the Cacao Industry and Development Association of Mindanao. This formed the core of the current Philippine Cacao Industry Association, now headed by Armi Lopez-Garcia.

In partnership with Mars Inc., Puentespina put up the Mars Cocoa Development Center, teaching good agricultural practices. She was so successful that, since she won the international COEX award in 2017, a Philippine representative using her learnings has consistently won the same award in every single year.

When we asked Dante Muyco Jr., a 2021 COEX awardee, what impressed him most about Puentespina, he said: ‘She was very generous sharing all she knew about the cacao value chain, including giving us her export contacts in the United States and Asean. She truly inspired us, specially when we had difficulties. She said we should unite and help each other, so that people would know the Philippines has the best cacao and chocolate in the world.’

Cacao credit model

Puentespina’s legacy is a model for agriculture credit. Today, many small farmers have productive capacity, but are not bankable because of insufficient collateral. Puentespina emphasized that loan decisions should instead be made mainly on a cash flow-based value chain with consolidated farmers, supported by an anchor agribusiness, cooperative or processor.

The farmer retains land ownership. Consolidation is in production, technical services, financing and market. The model combines an anchor agriculture enterprise, farmer training and technology, organized smallholder suppliers, quality control, processing/value addition and access to markets. The commercial relationship between an anchor enterprise and small farmers is the main basis for the credit decision, not collateral.

How to do this? An anchor must first be identified. Individual farmers would then be organized into a production cluster or cooperative, with the unifying anchor.

The farmer should then submit a production plan with the following components: crop, area, inputs, yield, production cost, selling price and cash flow. Insurance should be provided, where our extremely limited crop insurance today is recommended to be leveraged with the massive resources of our Government Service Insurance System.

Anchor agribusiness

This anchor is critical. It can help in technology, inputs, training, aggregation, quality control, market and records for credit assessment. The bank will now lend to an agriculture production system, not to an isolated farmer. This approach is similar to Thailand’s Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). Of BAAC’s lending, 88-90 percent goes to agriculture, compared to the Land Bank of the Philippines’ 15-20 percent. However, BAAC’s 8-percent return on equity (ROE) and 5.6-percent non-performing loans (NPL) are inferior to Landbank’s 16-percent ROE and 2-percent NPL.

It is acknowledged that Landbank is also a universal bank with commercial lending responsibilities. Though agriculture credit access should be improved, the main problem today is that there are not enough qualified agriculture borrowers with financially feasible loan proposals. The Government should now devote much more attention and resources to reach out to farmers and fisherfolk. It should implement this Puentespina model for credit to grow and the agriculture sector to significantly develop. Puentespina will then become not just the queen of cacao, but also a queen for our current ailing agriculture.

Crime is not entertainment, and a child’s face should not be turned into a viral material.

So said Sen. Erwin Tulfo as he blasted social media giants on Tuesday for allowing the spread and posting content from the recent school shootings in Zamboanga City and Tacloban City despite their existing ‘community standards.’

Two minor students, including the shooter, were killed in the Zamboanga incident this month while the separate incident in Tacloban City took the lives of three other minor learners.

Photos of the alleged shooters later circulated on social media, prompting Tulfo to raise this issue in the Senate plenary.

‘I want to be very careful here: we must not prejudge anyone who has not been convicted by a court. But neither should social media companies be allowed to turn tragedy into viral content,’ he said in a privilege speech.

‘Ang krimen po ay hindi pang entertainment. Ang paghihirap ng biktima ay hindi po content. At ang mukha ng isang batang biktima man o suspek ay hindi dapat maging viral material,’ he stressed.

(Crime is not entertainment. A victim’s suffering is not content. And the face of a child, whether a victim or a suspect, should never become viral material.)

The senator questioned in particular the lack of proactive action by Meta (Facebook and Instagram), YouTube, X, and TikTok in addressing violent content related to the recent incidents, emphasizing its consequences to the users, especially children.

According to Tulfo, he was not asking these platforms to censor legitimate journalism, public-interest reporting, or lawful expression, but to ‘exercise reasonable and effective responsibility when content clearly violates their own published standards and, more importantly, when it threatens the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children.’

‘Hindi po sapat ang sabihin nilang (It is not enough for them to say,) ‘We have community standards.’ The question is: Are you actually enforcing them, Meta, Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram and Twitter?’ he asked.

‘Because a policy written on a website means very little if your algorithms and moderators allow prohibited content to be uploaded online and remain there for millions of people-including children-to see it.’

‘Let us therefore demand accountability-not to silence social media, but to make it safer. At kung patuloy ninyong pababayaan ang inyong responsibilidad, dapat kayong managot,’ added Tulfo, who heads the Senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development.

(Let us therefore demand accountability-not to silence social media, but to make it safer. And if you continue to neglect your responsibilities, you should be held accountable.)

The senator said Congress should also consider crafting a law that would impose hefty fines and penalties against social media platforms that repeatedly allow the dissemination of prohibited images or videos, especially those depicting violence against children.

His sentiments were echoed by several senators-Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, Sens. Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros and Raffy Tulfo.

NBA legend Derrick Rose kicked off his tour of Cebu with a private event held Tuesday night in this city.

Rose graced an appreciation dinner hosted by a licensed online sportsbook at Shangri-La Mactan before VIPs and reporters.

‘That’s why I retired, to be able to have these types of moments, being able to see people face-to-face, being intimate and to grow connections,’ Rose said.

It was Rose’s first trip down south after spending his last two visits as brand ambassador in Manila.

During the event, the 2011 NBA MVP got to pose for pictures with fans while a cultural performance was held in Rose’s honor.

The Chicago Bulls great even got to dance the tinikling to wrap up the event, before granting selfies and autographs to almost everyone who attended the gathering.

More fans will get a chance to see Rose in person on Wednesday when his tour concludes with a public event at SM Seaside Cebu.

Before the evening festivities, Rose was spotted touring the famed Mactan Shrine where some locals got a chance encounter with him.

‘It’s been nothing but love,’ Rose said. ‘I didn’t know if all the people were going to know me here. But I’m surprised with the way I’ve been accepted.

Local stocks slipped below 6,200 on Tuesday as investors remained cautious amid renewed concerns over the US-Iran situation.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) fell 0.98 percent, or 61.15 points, to close at 6,190.23.

Philstocks Financial Inc. said investors sold shares amid a lack of positive catalysts, while growing tensions between the US and Iran continued to dampen sentiment.

Concerns have shifted to the economic fallout from the conflict, especially the potential impact on Iran’s trading partners due to the United States’ latest campaign.

Luis Limlingan, head of sales at Regina Capital Development Corp., said the local bourse ended lower amid broad-based selling pressure, as heightened uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment.

‘Moreover, investors are expected to remain defensive ahead of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ policy meeting and await signals on its next move,’ Limlingan said.

Wait-and-see stance

Investors largely stayed on the sidelines, with net value turnover reaching only P4.01 billion.

Foreign investors also continued to pull funds out of the market, recording net outflows of P542.12 million.

All sectoral indices finished in negative territory due to broad-based selling pressure. Services suffered the steepest decline, shedding 1.65 percent.

Only five members of the PSEi managed to end the session higher.

Ayala Land Inc. bucked the downturn and emerged as the top index gainer, climbing 3.95 percent to P15.80.

RL Commercial REIT Inc., meanwhile, led the laggards after falling 4 percent to P7.20.

Analysts said the latest decline extended the market’s cautious trading as investors weighed geopolitical risks and waited for fresh catalysts that could provide direction.

Thin turnover also reflected subdued participation, with many investors opting to remain on the sidelines amid uncertainty over the external environment. /

Without the prolific Justin Brownlee to rely on, Gilas Pilipinas hopes to draw a big lift from its young guns like Carl Tamayo in the second round of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Tamayo, of course, will look to step up in the absence of the injured Brownlee. He is also fully aware that he can only do so much, and it will take a village to fill the void left by Brownlee.

‘I think it really is a challenge for us because we all know how big of a part JB (Brownlee) plays in our national team and coach Tim’s (Cone) system,’ said Tamayo.

‘That’s the challenge in front of us so everyone needs to help out. We need to work together to fill that space for this window and we’ve been practicing hard. Hopefully, we get the two wins so we have a bigger chance to play in the World Cup.’

Brownlee has long been the Philippines’ offensive anchor and best clutch performer. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the five games. Brownlee was already dealing with injuries in Gilas’ double overtime loss to New Zealand before sitting out the Nationals’ final game of the third window against Australia.

There was, however, a silver lining amid Brownlee’s woes against the Kiwis, with Tamayo and fellow youngblood Kevin Quiambao picking up the slack.

Tamayo turned in 17 points, four assists and two rebounds against New Zealand, while Quiambao fired 23.

‘This team is different. There’s a lot of talent in this team. We have to stick to our role to help the team win the next two games. It’s going to be crucial for us, especially for KQ (Kevin Quiambao) now that Justin is not here.’

‘I don’t think we can do what Justin is doing. No one in our team can be like Justin but we’ll do whatever we can to help our country.’

Gilas’ second-round campaign tips off Friday against Jordan before clashing with Iran on Sunday, with both games taking place at Mall of Asia Arena

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila has offered to accommodate patients from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City as the latter reaches full bed capacity amid a surge in leptospirosis cases.

Palace press officer Claire Castro on Tuesday said the PGH, which is operated by the University of the Philippines (UP), to receive non-leptospirosis patients from NKTI.

This would allow NKTI as a government-run speciality center to focus its capacity on leptospirosis patients requiring specialized renal care.

‘This reflects our institutions’ longstanding partnership and shared commitment to timely, appropriate care for every patient-regardless of which facility they first approach,’ the PGH said in a statement.

On Sunday, the NKTI announced that walk-in admissions will be subject to limitations ‘until further notice’ to prioritize patients requiring emergency care and admission due to the surge in leptospirosis cases and high patient volume in its emergency room.

The NKTI’s emergency room can only accommodate up to 64 patients at a time.

Patients requiring urgent and critical medical interventions will be prioritized.

It also advised patients seeking elective or non-emergency admission to coordinate with their attending physician and consider other healthcare facilities with available bed capacity to avoid prolonged waiting times.

To prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by a surge of leptospirosis cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said all hospitals facing bed capacity concerns can coordinate with the Health Emergency Management Bureau’s Operation Center for patient navigation.

At least 33 DOH hospitals in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region have also established express lanes to specifically handle cases of leptospirosis.

As of Aug. 22, the DOH has recorded a total of 4,285 cases of leptospirosis across the country, up from the 3,440 cases recorded as of Aug. 8.

‘Further increase in leptospirosis cases is expected, especially given that leptospirosis has an incubation period of five to 15 days,’ the agency warned.

The DOH urged the public to observe key health precautions against leptospirosis, urging individuals to avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, especially if they have open wounds.

If flood exposure is unavoidable, the hospital advised taking doxycycline prophylaxis as recommended by a primary care physician.

Free doxycycline capsules are provided by local government units through barangays, Rural Health Units, or through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program

Authorities also urged the public to seek immediate medical consultation should symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, or headache develop following exposure to floodwaters.

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.

A 20-year-old man went missing after he was reportedly swept away by a strong current while crossing a river in Barangay Burgos here on Tuesday.

According to an initial report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Jasper Rosales, a resident of Sitio Dinuron in Barangay Burgos, waded through the Pamatawan River in Sitio Maligaya at around 11 a.m. with his 32-year-old cousin, Darwin Milo, to gather vegetables when they were caught in the strong river current.

Milo survived, while Rosales remains missing, the report said.

The Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) San Antonio and personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of San Antonio are conducting search-and-rescue operations for Rosales as of Tuesday afternoon

The southwest monsoon or habagat will affect parts of Luzon on Tuesday and is expected to continue prevailing over these areas in the next few days, according to the state weather bureau.

In the 5 a.m. weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), weather specialist Veronica Torres said that many areas in Luzon will still experience cloudy skies with scattered rains.

‘Inaasahan natin sa may Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, sa may Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, kabilang na ang Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, makakaranas tayo ng makulimlim na panahon, posibleng may kalat-kalat na pag-ulan, pagkidlat, at pagkulog,’ Veronica said.

(We expect that Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, and Rizal will experience overcast skies with chances of scattered rains and thunderstorms.)

She also said that partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of localized thunderstorms will affect the rest of Luzon. She then noted that La Union, Benguet, and Pangasinan will experience 50 to 100 millimeters of rainfall on Monday where flooding and landslides are possible.

‘Asahan na sa mga susunod na araw, patuloy pa rin ang southwest monsoon sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon and by around August 29, mas humina na yung epekto ng habagat sa ating bansa pero since 3-5 days pa yan, maaari pa itong magbago,’ she added.

(Expect that the southwest monsoon will continue to prevail over a huge part of Luzon and by around August 29, its effects will weaken but since it’s around 3-5 days, it may still change.)

Meanwhile, the Visayas and Mindanao remain unaffected by the southwest monsoon and are likely to see partly cloudy to cloudy skies conditions with chances of thunderstorms. Torres also said that hot and humid weather conditions are possible in the morning until noon, and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.

No gale warning is still hoisted in any seaboards of the country.

Temperature forecast of the following areas:

Metro Manila: 26°C to 31°C

Laoag: 25°C to 29°C

Baguio: 17°C to 20°C

Tagaytay: 23°C to 29°C

Tuguegarao: 25°C to 32°C

Legazpi: 26°C to 33°C

Puerto Princesa: 25°C to 32°C

Kalayaan Islands: 25°C to 32°C

Cebu: 26°C to 34°C

Tacloban: 26°C to 34°C

Cagayan de Oro: 25°C to 34°C

Zamboanga: 25°C to 34°C

Davao: 26°C to 34°C

Weather disturbances outside the PAR

Torres said that Typhoon Saudel (formerly Obet) was last located 1,180 kilometers east-northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon as of 3 a.m. It exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Monday, 9:30 p.m.

Torres added that as it moved northward, it may enhance the southwest monsoon.

Meanwhile, she noted that Tropical Depression Atsani was last estimated 1,760 kilometers east of Northern Luzon. As it was seen near the boundary of the PAR, its possibility of entering the PAR is not ruled out.

Korean actors Jang Dong-yoon and Kim Seung-yoon delighted fans after the couple revealed their upcoming wedding in October.

The couple’s wedding plans were confirmed by Jang through a handwritten statement he shared on his Instagram page on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

‘I’m writing this because I have some news that I wanted to share with you personally today. This coming October, I will be marrying someone I have been with for a long time,’ he said in Korean, as per an English translation by Korean media outlet Soompi.

The actor said he and Kim will hold a ‘quiet wedding ceremony in the form of a worship service’ along with their families.

‘There were many thoughts and considerations that went into making the decision to get married. As we spent a long time together and came to know each other in many different ways, we came to understand and cherish each other even more,’ he continued.

‘Now, we have decided to be there for each other as our closest confidants and to build a fun and happy life together,’ he added.

Jang addressed fans and thanked them for their support throughout his career.

‘I know this news may come as a surprise, but I would be grateful if you could look upon us with warm hearts and continue to support us,’ he said. ‘I will continue to do my best to impress as an actor while also striving to live more maturely as a person.’

The pair’s wedding was also confirmed by Jang’s talent agency BH Entertainment.

‘Jang Dong-yoon and Kim Seung-yoon will get married in October,’ it said.

Jang and Kim first worked together in the 2019 South Korean series ‘The Tale of Nokdu,’ which marked the latter’s acting debut. The two reportedly began dating privately after the series ended