Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A man settling a debt was shot dead in front of his horrified wife on Tuesday morning in Barangay Kalanganan 2 here, police said.

Col. Jibin Bongcayao, Cotabato City police director, identified the victim as Tulon Guinta Abas, a resident of Barangay Tamontaka Mother, also in this city.

Abas and his wife went to Barangay Kalanganan 2 to settle their financial obligation with a lending firm when an unidentified suspect, armed with a .45-caliber pistol, shot him in front of his wife at 8:15 a.m.

He died on the spot, while the suspect fled on a motorcycle.

The wife told police that her husband was also subjected to a gun attack on April 8 in Barangay Tamontaka Mother but survived unharmed. She said she had no idea who was behind the attack.

Abas was immediately laid to his final resting place on Tuesday afternoon in accordance with Islamic beliefs.

He was the 14th individual killed in a gun attack in the Maguindanao provinces since the implementation of the gun ban on July 16, 2026, in line with next month’s Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections.

The local government unit (LGU) of Kidapawan City will serve free eat-all-you-can fruits and ice cream at its official booth during the Kalivungan Festival of North Cotabato, which is marking its 112th anniversary.

City Agriculturist Marisa Aton said the fruits galore will take place on Thursday, Aug. 2,7 where at least 500 kilos of various fruits will be served to visitors dropping by Kidapawan’s booth inside the capitol grounds in Barangay Amas.

Durian, lanzones, rambutan, marang, and mangosteen will be among the tropical fruits to be served at the booth.

The 16 towns and the component Kidapawan City will establish a display booth featuring their products during the weeklong Kalivungan festivities.

The Kalivungan Festival will formally commence on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and culminate on Sept. 1.

Aton said that on Sept.1, the city government will serve another free eat-all-you-can fruits and ice cream.

The ice cream flavors are derived from the tropical fruits produced in the city.

‘No limits as long as there’s enough supply of ice cream; anybody can avail even one to sawa (until full),’ Aton said.

Last Aug. 18, the city government successfully conducted a 2.2-kilometer fruits-eat-all-you-can in the streets as part of its Timpupo (Harvest) Festival.

The Kidapawan City police estimated a crowd of 50,000, with visitors coming from the neighboring provinces of Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Maguindanao del Sur.

Lea Salonga has defended her decision to unfollow BTS members RM and J-Hope following their attendance at a Chris Brown concert, saying the move was made for her own well-being and not as a punishment against the K-pop stars.

Salonga, who has been long vocal about her admiration for BTS, addressed the issue during her ‘Ask Miss Lea’ session on Threads on Tuesday, Aug. 25, after a netizen asked whether her views had changed about RM and J-Hope’s appearance at Brown’s concert.

‘First off, my being a fan can be equated to a single grain of sand on a massive beach,’ Salonga said. ‘Whatever my actions are won’t affect anyone, except maybe cause consternation in the minds of other fans, which I do expect and accept responsibility for.’

‘Yes I did unfollow, but I did it for my own sake,’ she added. ‘It’s not meant to be punitive to either of them, at all.’

Salonga explained that she decided to distance herself from the BTS members after realizing that the controversy was affecting her emotionally.

‘But I recognized that I was waking up sad and/or upset, or find myself way too affected. This was unhealthy so I took a step back, for me,’ she expressed.

The Broadway star also acknowledged that RM and J-Hope are autonomous individuals who can make their own decisions, just as she has the right to make her own.

‘As many fans have rightly pointed out, we are owed nothing really. They are autonomous human beings, but so am I, and whatever decisions I make are mine alone,’ Salonga explained.

‘If I hurt anyone in the aftermath, that isn’t my intention but I’m sorry if I hurt you nonetheless,’ she continued.

Despite unfollowing the two BTS members, Salonga made it clear that her affection for the group and the role their music played in her life remain.

‘I am still so grateful for the typhoon they created in my life when they arrived in 2020. I was navigating my marriage ending, raising a teenager, and a global pandemic (not to mention the occasional death threat due to politics). They saved my sanity when I needed saving. I’ll never forget that,’ she said.

Salonga was also asked how difficult it was for her to ‘give Joon and Hobi grace,’ referring to RM’s real name, Kim Nam-joon, and J-Hope’s real name, Jung Ho-seok.

‘Right now, it’s not about giving them grace or not, but rather giving myself the space to stop being upset,’ she replied.

‘I’m giving them as much grace as I can. As I’ve said, this isn’t punitive, I’m not doing this to punish them. This is a step to take in order for me to be able to enjoy the music again, and I will get there eventually. I hope you understand,’ concluded the Filipina actress-singer.

RM and J-Hope have faced criticism from some fans since attending Brown’s co-headlining concert with Usher at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on Aug. 12.

J-Hope later shared photos and videos from the concert on social media, while Brown posted a backstage photo of himself with RM and J-Hope.

The images prompted backlash from fans who questioned the BTS members’ decision to publicly associate with Brown, whose career has been marred by legal controversies and allegations involving violence.

Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, and has faced other allegations and legal cases involving violence.

The controversy also prompted The Pixel Project, a nonprofit organization focused on ending violence against women, to indefinitely suspend RM from its list of ’16 Male Role Models Helping to Stop Violence Against Women.’

The organization said it had waited for RM to publicly address the controversy before taking action, while noting that being a role model does not require perfection.

‘We have never expected any male role model (including RM) to be perfect. Everyone is human after all,’ The Pixel Project said in a public statement.

‘But being a decent human being also means being accountable when your choices hurt other people,’ it added.

The organization said RM and J-Hope’s decision to pose with Brown was ‘at best, careless about the wider damaging impact’ of publicly associating with him.

Some fans have defended the BTS members, arguing that attending a concert or taking a photograph with another artist does not necessarily mean endorsing that person’s past behavior. Others suggested that RM and J-Hope may have attended as fellow musicians.

Angel Reese rebounded her way into the record books not once, but twice in one night.

Reese set a WNBA record with 26 rebounds in the Atlanta Dream’s 78-71 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday, pushing her past the season record in the same game.

‘Last time I was here, I didn’t miss any shots. Tonight I couldn’t hit (anything) so I knew I was going be able to get them on the rebounding side,’ Reese told the postgame show. ‘I just want to be there for my team. Offensively, defensively, whatever it takes to win.’

Reese surpassed Chamique Holdsclaw’s record of 24 rebounds, set on May 23, 2003 for Washington. She now has 458 rebounds on the season, seven more than A’ja Wilson’s mark set in 2024.

Reese secured her WNBA-leading 27th double-double of the season on a basket with 13.9 seconds left in the game that gave her 11 points.

‘That’s a talent,’ Dream guard Allisha Gray said. ‘I’m just in awe watching her rebound.’

A three-time WNBA All-Star, Reese set a WNBA rookie record with 13.1 rebounds per game and the all-time league record with 15 straight double-doubles with Chicago in 2024.

Reese led the league in rebounding her first two seasons and is leading again this season at 12.0 per game.

Strategic investments under the government’s ‘green lane’ pipeline rose slightly in July as the Board of Investments (BOI) certified more projects for faster permit processing, driven largely by capital-intensive renewable energy ventures.

According to BOI data as of end-July, the pipeline expanded to P6.36 trillion, inching up from P6.32 trillion at the end of the first half. This represents the combined project cost of investments certified since the program was launched in February 2023.

Projects granted green-lane status are considered strategic or nationally significant investments, making them eligible for expedited government approval and registration processes. The program was established through Executive Order No. 18 in February 2023.

More than four-fifths of the pipeline or 85.8 percent, came from renewable energy, comprising 187 projects worth P5.46 trillion.

These are expected to create 276,469 jobs, up from 182 projects worth P5.42 trillion as of end-June.

According to the BOI, renewable energy projects are concentrated in the regions of Calabarzon, Ilocos and Central Luzon, highlighting ‘the sector’s critical role in advancing energy security, sustainability and regional development.’

Even with the increase, the BOI again recorded renewable energy project exits, with 10 projects worth a combined P137.47 billion dropped from the pipeline.

The BOI said developers of these projects had surrendered their service contracts to the Department of Energy.

Next to renewable energy were digital infrastructure projects, with a combined investment value of P405.12 billion across 10 projects. These are expected to generate 20,393 jobs.

Also in the green lane pipeline are six big-ticket public-private partnership, infrastructure and water projects worth P416.75 billion, with projected employment of 113,363.

Another 33 food security projects worth P19.68 billion are expected to create 7,241 jobs.

In manufacturing, seven projects worth P67.04 billion could generate 7,773 jobs, while one pharmaceutical project worth P45 million is expected to create 35 jobs.

Overall, the BOI expects projects in the green lane pipeline as of end-July to generate 425,454 jobs.

While the pipeline has expanded since the program began in 2023, only a fraction of the projects have reached the operational stage.

As of end-July, only 23 projects worth P286.17 billion were operational. These were concentrated mainly in digital infrastructure, followed by renewable energy and food security.

The largest share remained in the predevelopment stage, comprising 166 projects worth P5.52 trillion.

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio on Tuesday has called on the Department of Trade of Industry (DTI) to release related information and documents of all projects under the United States-led Pax Silica.

The statement follows plans to establish more projects in other locations, apart from the Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in New Clark City, Tarlac, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo earlier disclosed at a budget hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations.

‘During the interpellation, Undersecretary Rodolfo, himself admitted that data centers are indeed possible under Pax Silica, possibly in other locations outside Clark. That directly contradicts what the government has been telling the public,’ Tinio said.

He further slammed Finance Secretary Frederick Go’s previous remarks, claiming that there are no data centers under the Pax Silica.

‘So the fake news is the government’s own statement that there is no data center in Pax Silica. The concerns of affected communities regarding electricity, water, and environmental impact are entirely valid,’ he stressed.

The solon further raised the involvement of a former senior advisor of a major AI technology provider to the US military, insinuating on Washington’s hidden agenda.

‘In the US, Helberg (US Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg) has been very explicit: Pax Silica is about securing US supply chains for their defense industrial base. The US military depends on microchips produced in China, and they say they can no longer have the microchips for their missiles, tanks, airplanes, and warships coming from China. That’s the real purpose of Pax Silica,’ he explained.

Tinio, moreover, emphasized the concerns surrounding the 4,000-acre AI industrial hub, such as the massive power and water it requires and the modular nuclear power plants.

He then questioned whether the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and environmental regulations can accommodate the demand needed by the data centers.

‘I am also requesting the Committee on Rules to fast-track a current resolution for the discussion of Pax Silica. The Filipino people deserve full transparency on a project that entangles our country with the US war machine and potentially compromises our sovereignty, environment, and resources,’ he added

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Tuesday that the planned acquisition of advanced fighter jets remains under consideration, but stressed that support systems must come first to ensure their combat effectiveness.

At a congressional budget briefing, Teodoro said the plan to purchase multirole fighters ‘is still there,’ underscoring that radar systems, air-to-air refueling capabilities, and hangar facilities must also be included in such an acquisition.

‘A multirole fighter… is heavily dependent on ground control and domain awareness. If not, it will be an unguided pilot-controlled aircraft and its use will be marginal,’ he told lawmakers.

‘It will be useless’ if the warplanes don’t come with air fuel tankers and secured hangars for maintenance, he added. ‘So, it comes as a force package.’

The Philippines is scouting for advanced combat jets to bolster its air force amid a sea dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea, parts of the South China Sea within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

‘Knowing what we know, we have to have a lot of systems in place before any multirole fighter,’ he said, reiterating that at least 40 jets are needed to ensure a credible ‘force package.’

The defense secretary described earlier in the briefing that ‘modernizing the armed forces… is indeed a tough nut to crack,’ saying that auxiliary systems need to be in place before any big-ticket equipment acquisition.

‘The equipment we use is just the tip of the spear. But without the support systems for those pieces of hardware… everything will be just useless because they will be unsustainable,’ he said.

The Philippines’ defense modernization program is also ‘equipment heavy, but not support heavy,’ as he noted that necessary structures to house and maintain military hardware are underfunded.

Under the defense department’s proposed 2027 budget, capital outlays were allotted P32.671 billion, 86.37 percent less than P239.733 billion in requested

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said the government will support efforts to develop fully Filipino-made electric vehicles (EVs), including electric tricycles and jeepneys.

He believes these initiatives will reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

Marcos made the commitment during his visit to MD Juan Enterprises Inc. in Caloocan City, a 60-year-old Filipino company that is considered a pioneer in machine-pressed metal parts for both military and civilian jeeps.

According to the president, the national government is assessing what equipment and technology the company still needs to produce EVs locally.

‘We already know what needs to be done,’ Marcos said. ‘Together with our technical consultants, I believe that we will soon see a Filipino-made electric vehicle, an electric tricycle, and perhaps, down the road, we will also be making our own electric jeepneys.’

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and other national government agencies will help provide the technology and other support needed by the company, he noted.

According to Marcos, the shift to locally manufactured electric vehicles can help decrease the Philippines’ reliance on petroleum products imported from abroad.

‘Our goal is to reduce our dependence on petroleum products coming from other countries,’ the chief executive said.

‘In that way, we can help make the economy more stable and protect the livelihoods of public transport drivers,’ he added.

DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said MD Juan had manufactured e-tricycles in 2013 and 2014, but had since stopped due to lack of demand.

‘At that time, there was not much appetite among Filipinos to transition or convert from fossil-fuel or gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles,’ he recalled.

‘But energy prices have risen, so more people are now interested. There is a lot of demand, but the supply for locally produced, Filipino-made EVs is lacking,’ Solidum added.

The DOST wants MD Juan to partner with state universities that are developing different EV technologies to help the company increase and speed up the production of e-tricycles.

‘They already have production capabilities. What DOST is doing is helping them increase their production efficiency and expand their output,’ Solidum said.

The DOST is also working on a national charging infrastructure for EVs, including conventional electric chargers, solar-powered chargers and battery-swapping systems.

The agency is also developing EV technologies with universities and other partners, including an electric tricycle with Cagayan State University and the University of the Philippines, a solarized electric boat with Mapua University, and an electric-powered ferry by UP that is provided to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

But Solidum said the country needs more industry partners to bring these technologies to mass production.

‘What we really lack is an industry partner that can help accelerate production so that prices can come down and these vehicles can become more affordable for our fellow Filipinos,’ he added.

President Marcos in July greenlighted a P60-billion incentives package aimed at luring EV manufacturers to produce their units in the Philippines.

The move comes as the government positions the country as a regional automotive manufacturing hub.

Executive Order (EO) No. 12, signed by Marcos on July 29, puts into effect the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (Evis), the country’s largest incentives package to date for car manufacturers.

This program, which provides up to P15 billion in fiscal support for each enrolled EV model, is meant to spur the production of what will be the first Philippine-made EV.

A sequel to the hit romantic comedy ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ is being developed at Paramount, more than two decades after the original film brought Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey as one of Hollywood’s memorable rom-com pairings.

Variety reported on Tuesday, Aug. 25, that Hudson is attached to produce the sequel through her production banner, with the studio hoping to reunite her with McConaughey as Andie Anderson and Benjamin ‘Ben’ Barry, respectively.

The outlet noted that the project remains in its early stages, and the two actors’ return has yet to be finalized. Paramount is also still looking for a writer to work out the story.

Directed by Donald Petrie, the 2003 film follows Andie, played by Hudson, a women’s magazine ‘How to’ writer who decides to date a man and deliberately drive him away within 10 days as a reference for one of her articles.

And that man is advertising executive, Ben (McConaughey), who’s also on a mission to make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days to prove that he can successfully lead a major diamond advertising campaign.

The movie was a commercial success, earning about $177.5 million worldwide against a reported $50 million budget. It opened with $23.8 million in North America and ultimately earned about $105.8 million domestically.

The pair reunited onscreen five years later for the 2008 romantic adventure comedy ‘Fool’s Gold,’ in which they played a divorced couple searching for a lost treasure. The film opened at No. 1 in North America and went on to gross more than $110 million worldwide.

Before ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,’ Hudson had her breakout role as Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s ‘Almost Famous’ (2000). Her performance earned her the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

She went on to headline other popular comedies, including ‘Raising Helen,’ ‘Bride Wars’ and ‘Something Borrowed.’ More recently, she starred in the Netflix comedy series ‘Running Point,’ where she plays a reformed party girl unexpectedly placed in charge of her family’s professional basketball team. The series has since been renewed for a third season.

McConaughey, meanwhile, rose to fame after his breakout performance as David Wooderson in Richard Linklater’s ‘Dazed and Confused’ in 1993. He then starred in the 1996 legal drama ‘A Time to Kill,’ and the romantic comedies ‘The Wedding Planner’ and ‘Failure to Launch.’

He later shifted into more dramatic roles, appearing in ‘Dallas Buyers Club,’ which earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2014. After a five-year hiatus, he returned to the big screen in the 2025 crime thriller ‘The Rivals of Amziah King,’ where he plays a beekeeper and musician who reconnects with his former foster daughter.

Strategic investments under the government’s ‘green lane’ pipeline rose slightly in July as the Board of Investments (BOI) certified more projects for faster permit processing, driven largely by capital-intensive renewable energy ventures.

According to BOI data as of end-July, the pipeline expanded to P6.36 trillion, inching up from P6.32 trillion at the end of the first half. This represents the combined project cost of investments certified since the program was launched in February 2023.

Projects granted green-lane status are considered strategic or nationally significant investments, making them eligible for expedited government approval and registration processes. The program was established through Executive Order No. 18 in February 2023.

More than four-fifths of the pipeline or 85.8 percent, came from renewable energy, comprising 187 projects worth P5.46 trillion.

These are expected to create 276,469 jobs, up from 182 projects worth P5.42 trillion as of end-June.

According to the BOI, renewable energy projects are concentrated in the regions of Calabarzon, Ilocos and Central Luzon, highlighting ‘the sector’s critical role in advancing energy security, sustainability and regional development.’

Even with the increase, the BOI again recorded renewable energy project exits, with 10 projects worth a combined P137.47 billion dropped from the pipeline.

The BOI said developers of these projects had surrendered their service contracts to the Department of Energy.

Next to renewable energy were digital infrastructure projects, with a combined investment value of P405.12 billion across 10 projects. These are expected to generate 20,393 jobs.

Also in the green lane pipeline are six big-ticket public-private partnership, infrastructure and water projects worth P416.75 billion, with projected employment of 113,363.

Another 33 food security projects worth P19.68 billion are expected to create 7,241 jobs.

In manufacturing, seven projects worth P67.04 billion could generate 7,773 jobs, while one pharmaceutical project worth P45 million is expected to create 35 jobs.

Overall, the BOI expects projects in the green lane pipeline as of end-July to generate 425,454 jobs.

While the pipeline has expanded since the program began in 2023, only a fraction of the projects have reached the operational stage.

As of end-July, only 23 projects worth P286.17 billion were operational. These were concentrated mainly in digital infrastructure, followed by renewable energy and food security.

The largest share remained in the predevelopment stage, comprising 166 projects worth P5.52 trillion.