Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Meralco forward Bong Quinto knows it best-the Bolts have been here before.

Following another loss in the PBA Philippine Cup, this time at the hands of NLEx on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo, Quinto shared his thoughts on the team’s grueling schedule.

Yet, his comments didn’t come off as complaints.

‘You can say that [the schedule] is a factor, but of course, we wanted this,’ Quinto told the Inquirer after their 89-85 loss to the Road Warriors.

‘We’ve been in this kind of situation before. If you notice, our games are scheduled consecutively.’

For the third straight year, Meralco is playing in two leagues-the PBA Philippine Cup and the East Asia Super League (EASL).

So while Quinto and the Bolts are no strangers to this demanding setup, it hasn’t helped their Philippine Cup campaign, where they now stand at 3-3.

‘We’ve played these kinds of schedules before. In a span of ten days, we play a lot of games, but we always go back to the fact that we’ve been here before.’

The Bolts face TNT next on Wednesday, still in Antipolo, but the tough grind continues. On Sunday, they fly to Taiwan to take on the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots at the Taoyuan Arena in the EASL.

In that regional league, Meralco is winless in Group B after dropping its season opener to Japanese B. League powerhouse Ryukyu Golden Kings.

With their attention divided between two demanding competitions, Quinto emphasized the need to stay grounded.

‘We just prepare ourselves so we’re ready when the quarters, semis, or maybe even the finals come. But before that happens, we have to establish ourselves here in the eliminations.’ INQ

Letting your kids run free outdoors can be quite scary for younger, inexperienced parents. But in reality, a little stain never hurt anybody, especially with Breeze that can take care of any stain.

Let them play on

The Breeze LarOlympics first made its debut in the Pinoy Big Brother house with your favorite housemates having fun and getting dirty through a muddy outdoor obstacle course-in clean white shirts no less.

But after cleaning them in mere minutes with Breeze Advanced Liquid, the message is clear: Sige lang sa mantsa, tuloy ang laro. Sige lang sa mantsa, tuloy ang laro. The Breeze LarOlympics is set to roll out nationwide, encouraging kids to play outdoors as they learn the values of courage, teamwork, and resilience.

Sports, by themselves, intrinsically impart cooperation, and teamwork amongchildren. It teaches them the value of working together towards a common goal.

Not everybody becomes the best immediately after picking up a sport, and having children start from the bottom, work their way to the top, and stick to that process teaches them the value of patience, which they can bring to other aspects of their lives. After all, you can’t learn everything from within the four corners of the classroom, so why not take it outside?

Stains aren’t the enemy

Getting stained along the way is to be expected from outdoor play. And for the parents who have to deal with the aftermath of a day spent outside, Breeze Advanced Powder and Breeze Advanced Liquid are your trusty allies.

Breeze Advanced Powder not only cleans clothes but offers advanced whitening as well. It also leaves clothes with a fresh fragrance after washing.

Breeze Advanced Liquid for washing machines can remove up to 72-hour dried-in stains, such as that bothersome caked-up mud. Of course, it also leaves clothes fresh and fragrant after washing, and is recommended by washing machine brands.

Outdoor play has a lot to offer; don’t let a few stains stop you and your kids.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Western Mindanao has dispatched a shipment of relief supplies to Tipo-Tipo, Basilan for evacuees following a recent conflict between security forces and armed individuals.

DSWD-9 said up to 2,500 family food packs ere sent to Basilan, in coordination with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, to help the families displaced by the recent conflict in Tipo-Tipo.

Residents in Tipo-Tipo Proper, the town center, fled to safety after about a hundred armed men massed up around the vicinity of the local government center on Tuesday morning, to pursue an employee of the municipality whom they believed had a hand in the killing last Oct. 21 of Ustadz Nadzri Taharin.

A standoff ensued, with sporadic gunfire between the armed men and civil security personnel of the local government, said Brig. Gen. Frederick Sales, commander of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade.

At least four people were wounded in the hostilities.

DSWD-9 said they will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure that relief efforts remain sustained and responsive to the needs of the affected families.

The ‘Blue Eagles’ will land at Riverpark, dubbed the ‘Next-Gen City of the South,’ in General Trias, Cavite, by 2030.

Ty family-led conglomerate GT Capital Holdings Inc. (GT Capital) has struck a deal to develop a 15-hectare new campus for Ateneo de Manila University at Riverpark.

Riverpark is the largest township development of GT Capital’s property development arm, Federal Land Inc. and joint venture Federal Land NRE Global Inc. (FNG).

‘Ateneo’s presence in Riverpark not only strengthens the educational landscape of Cavite but also uplifts the lives of the communities we serve. Our investment in this campus reflects our long-term commitment to creating sustainable value for generations of Filipinos, anchored on the values of excellence and service,’ GT Capital vice chair Alfred Ty said in a press statement on Monday.

Next-Gen City

‘We can finally say that the eagle has landed,’ Ty added.

Designed as a ‘smart and sustainable’ community, Riverpark is envisioned to be the ‘Next-Gen City of the South.’

With Ateneo set to become part of the township, Riverpark aims to become a hub for growth, innovation and holistic living-a ‘fitting home for an institution committed to shaping leaders ready for tomorrow.’

‘The new Ateneo campus in Riverpark allows us to extend our mission and provide more families in Cavite and nearby provinces with access to quality education rooted in our Jesuit tradition,’ Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Roberto Yap, S.J. said.

Easier access

By 2026, Riverpark residents are seen to gain direct access to the Open Canal Interchange of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, significantly improving travel time to and from the township.

In May, FNG reported the 100-percent takeup of the first tranche of commercial lots at Riverpark. These are set to be developed into office, retail and other mixed-use facilities.

Riverpark currently hosts a UNIQLO Logistics Facility and will soon have SM City General Trias.

Ateneo, one of the country’s top educational institutions, has been operating since 1859. INQ

HSBC Bank on Monday revealed a financial charge of $1.1 billion linked to money sought by a European fund caught up in the late Bernard Madoff’s huge investment fraud.

The London-headquartered lender revealed the fallout amid a Luxembourg lawsuit brought by Herald Fund dating back to 2009, when Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running a pyramid-style scheme.

HSBC said it was setting aside $1.1 billion in a provision to be included in its third-quarter results due Tuesday. Its share price was down around 1 percent in early London deals following the news.

It comes after HSBC on Friday lost part of an appeal in a Luxembourg court ruling.

The bank on Monday said ‘the eventual financial impact could be significantly different’ to the money it is setting aside.

Con artist

New Yorker Madoff conned tens of thousands of people around the world by running a shell pyramid, or Ponzi, scheme – where new clients’ capital was stolen to pay off existing clients and create the illusion of returns, until it collapsed.

His fraud was revealed during the financial crisis in 2008 when he was unable to satisfy growing client demands to withdraw their investments, and many lost their savings or were unable to retire.

Madoff died in prison in 2021 following chronic kidney failure

Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan was reported to be ‘under siege,’ with the Philippine Army confirming that an ‘incident’ had occurred there.

Government troops clashed with armed men in the municipality on Tuesday morning, prompting mass evacuations as the Philippine Army worked to verify reports that the attackers were linked to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In a post on social media, the Tipo-Tipo Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said the firefight began around 7 a.m. in the town proper and that ‘heavy exchange of gunfire’ continued in residential areas as of noon.

The MDRRMO said an estimated 90 percent of residents from Tipo-Tipo Proper had fled their homes and urged evacuees to send their information for accounting and relief purposes.

‘Stay calm and contact your Barangay Officials or MDRRMO for further information and assistance,’ the post read.

All classes and government work in the town have been suspended until further notice.

‘Everyone is advised to stay safe and remain vigilant,’ the LGU said.

Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala confirmed that an incident occurred in Tipo-Tipo but said the military is still verifying the details and possible involvement of MILF elements.

‘The Philippine Army confirms that an incident occurred earlier today in the municipality of Tipo-Tipo, Basilan,’ he said.

‘We are currently verifying the details of what transpired and coordinating with concerned units on the ground to obtain a complete and accurate report,’ he added.

Dema-ala did not disclose further details regarding the nature of the incident, but he said troops are now deployed to secure the area and are in close coordination with LGUs ‘to restore normalcy’ there.

As of press time, the firefight had not yet been officially declared contained, and authorities have yet to issue a full report on casualties or damage

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday denied social media posts alleging that the Rolls-Royce vehicle seized from the Discaya contractors was seen being driven around Metro Manila.

In a statement, the BOC maintained that the Rolls-Royce vehicle confiscated from the Discayas, as well as their other luxury vehicles, remain under the official custody of the BOC-securely stored under the strict supervision of the Customs Police.

‘It must be emphasized that the plate number of the Rolls-Royce shown in the viral post, which ends in ‘949,’ is different from that of the vehicle seized in connection with the Discaya case, which ends in ‘889.’ This clearly disproves the claim circulating online,’ the BOC said.

According to the BOC, no seized property may be removed or handled without proper authority and complete documentation.

Any unauthorized release, tampering, or movement of seized items constitutes a serious violation punishable under existing customs laws and regulations, including administrative and criminal penalties.

Meanwhile, the BOC said it has no intent to file cases against the individual who posted and made the claim online.

‘We understand that it may have been shared out of frustration or confusion. We just hope this serves as a reminder for everyone to verify information before posting or sharing online,’ the BOC said.

However, the BOC reminded and urged the public to rely only on official sources for verified information.

The PLDT group will pioneer a new technology touted to eventually replace the scam-prone One-Time-Password (OTP) system commonly used by banks and other institutions.

PLDT Enterprise, the corporate business arm of PLDT Inc., is set to launch SmartSafe SilentAccess, described as a ‘ground-breaking’ alternative to OTP.

The new technology authenticates users directly and in real-time through the wireless network of Smart Communications Inc., the company said in a statement on Monday.

This is seen to enable frictionless logins and transactions without relying on text or short messaging system (SMS)-based OTP that many companies still use today.

Digital fraud

PLDT Enterprise first vice president and head of product management, Nico Alcoseba, said, ‘It is about making security effortless for end-users, while giving enterprises the strongest and safest possible defense against digital fraud.’

Meanwhile, SMS-based OTPs have become increasingly vulnerable to phishing, vishing and other scam attacks.

PLDT Enterprise’s initiative is seen aligned with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Circular No. 1213, which calls on financial institutions to move beyond SMS-based OTPs. It also supports directives from the National Telecommunications Commission and National Privacy Commission to strengthen consumer protection in the digital space.

PLDT Enterprise plans to roll out further fraud management tools against SIM swap fraud. This is while strengthening measures to verify network location, enabling safer digital access while roaming, alongside know-your-customer checks.

Solutions

‘Our broad suite of fraud management solutions will safeguard billions of digital moments-because as we provide these technologies to banks, retailers, health-care providers and government agencies, we also protect their end-users every time they log in, shop online, access records, or complete transactions,’ said Blums Pineda, senior vice president and head of enterprise business group at PLDT and Smart.

PLDT Enterprise estimated that mobile transactions continued to surge, with over 60 percent of digital transactions in the Philippines happening via mobile devices.

‘This is about more than just telco innovation: it is about ensuring the Philippines becomes one of the safest digital economies in the region,’ Pineda added.

A field of dreams is rising in the heart of Pasig.

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) took a bold step toward its future on Friday, Oct. 24, breaking ground for what will soon be its permanent home-a sprawling 8,000-seat arena set within a 1.8-hectare property along Amang Rodriguez Avenue.

UAAP partner and Akari Lighting and Technology Corporation CEO Christopher Tiu led the ceremony, joined by top league officials and representatives from the eight member schools.

‘Three years ago, when we first set foot here, it was a massive parcel of land with very tall grass,’ Tiu recalled. ‘Little did we realize that one day it would turn into a field of dreams for thousands of student-athletes.’

‘Cement and steel will build this structure, but it is the dream and hope of every athlete that will complete this and bring it to life,’ he added.

Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, UAAP Season 88 President, hailed the development as a landmark moment. ‘On behalf of all eight member schools, we are deeply grateful to our partner Akari for making this vision a reality.’

Philippine National Bank (PNB) sustained its growth momentum with its net income climbing 23 percent in the first nine months, lifted by stronger lending activity and investment securities.

In a disclosure on Monday, the firm said its consolidated earnings had reached P18.5 billion against the P15 billion booked a year ago.

Loans and investment securities rose by 9 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

‘The bank is now harvesting the benefits from focusing on the improvement in the quality of the lending portfolio through deliberate acquisition of quality customers and improvements in the credit and lending processes and policies,’ PNB chief financial officer Francis Albalate said.

Digitalization

Its president Edwin Bautista likewise showed optimism that PNB could maintain its pace, especially as the group has continued to push for its digitalization to enhance customer services.

‘We expect steady business growth with a strong plan in place to grow corporate, commercial and consumer businesses,’ Bautista said.

‘The bank’s plan for digitalization will further expand opportunities across all areas of the business as the bank prepares itself for advancing innovations that will prioritize improving service to the bank’s customers,’ he added.

The executive, who also led the digital transformation of Union Bank of the Philippines, earlier unveiled a plan to explore the use of advanced technologies, such as data science and artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, operating expenses during the period increased by 9 percent to P23.64 billion versus the previous P21.67 billion.

Total assets

The lender ended the third quarter with P1.25 trillion in total assets, while total liabilities stood at P1.02 trillion.

PNB has operations across 17 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. However, the company said last month that its board of directors had provided the go-signal to dissolve its Bahrain representative office, a move that could help PNB slash its costs as well as give more focus on its core business. INQ