Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A. Soriano Corp. (Anscor) has divested its minority stake in The Bistro Group (TBG) for P1.91 billion after less than a year, realizing high gains from its investment in the restaurant group.

In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Anscor said it had executed a deed of sale with Inoza Business Holdings Inc. for its 22-percent stake in TBG Food Holdings Inc.

Inoza is a newly established holding firm affiliated with Progeny Global Holdings Inc. The latter operates Bounty Fresh and limited-service restaurants like Chooks-to-Go and Uling Roasters.

According to Anscor, it realized gross annualized returns ‘greater than 25 percent’ on its investment in TBG.

Not too long ago

Anscor bought a minority stake in TBG in November 2024 for P1.61 billion. This entailed a profit of more than P300 million.

‘Anscor extends its best wishes to the Bistro and Inoza teams,’ the company said. ‘We are confident they will continue delighting Filipino consumers with their quality dining experiences for many years to come and we look forward to seeing their continued success.’

The Philippine Competition Commission approved Inoza’s plan to acquire a majority stake in TBG in August. This, after considering the impact of the deal on the nationwide supply of chicken meat, table eggs, pork and beef.

Multiple brands

The Bistro Group currently owns and operates over 200 full-service restaurants across 33 brands. These include Italianni’s, TGI Fridays and Texas Roadhouse, all of which have a strong presence in the Philippines.

In the first semester of 2025, Anscor’s net income plunged by 65 percent to P1.19 billion. This was attributed to the decrease in market value of its investments. The firm’s revenues likewise slipped by 17 percent to P7.9 billion.

This is the second time Anscor has sold its minority shareholding in companies it had invested in.

Being better than the last time is the bare minimum for Kevin Alas as he aims to play a bigger role for NLEX in the season-opening PBA Philippine Cup.

The 2024-25 campaign was a period of adjustment for Alas, who was coming off a third ACL injury. Now fully healthy, he is eager to do more, especially with the Road Warriors having come so close to a semifinals berth in last year’s Philippine Cup.

‘I told myself that I should not have any excuses from hereon not to play at a better level,’ Alas said.

Alas suited up in 23 games for NLEX last season, averaging 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 18 minutes per game as he gradually worked his way back.

Not only was he regaining his rhythm after breaking his left knee in 2023, but NLEX was also adjusting to its first season under nine-time champion coach Jong Uichico.

Under Uichico, the Road Warriors reached the quarterfinals of the Philippine Cup with a twice-to-beat advantage, only to lose to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

NLEX is hell bent on atoning for that quarterfinals exit, which it hopes will coincide with Alas getting his groove back.

‘I’m putting pressure on myself [in getting my form back], if not, maybe close,’ Alas said. ‘But I guess the modest goal is to be better than my last conference and be better each day.’

Almost 2,000 flood victims marched through the murky roads of Macabebe and Masantol towns on Thursday, bearing mock-up coffins, placards, and streamers demanding an end to corruption in flood-control projects.

Protesters from the boundary arch of Masantol and those from San Gabriel Chapel in Macabebe merged at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish, also in Macabebe, for a holy Mass concelebrated by 11 priests from the Vicariate of the Blessed Trinity. In solidarity, several priests born or raised in Macabebe joined the sacrament.

Fr. Ariel Limjoco said corruption begins at home when children are paid to do tasks for the family or when they are prompted to enrich themselves instead of being encouraged to help and serve people.

The corrupt, he added, experienced hell on earth, citing the Discaya couple who are being pelted and shamed in public or hide themselves.

Limjoco echoed the calls of the vicariate to ‘return the stolen public funds.’

The vicariate also called for long-term flooding solutions to protect the people from disaster.

In the program dubbed Singsong People’s Rally (Lament of the People’s Rally), Marilou Melo of San Rafael Parish in Macabebe pointed out that children suffer in many ways. She said they have lost their playgrounds or have little interest in their studies as classrooms are used as evacuation centers or classes are suspended because of floods in the towns that last for months.

Dr. Ma. Liezl Alcoy of the San Miguel Arkanghel Parish in Masantol said the flood levels have reached the first floor of homes, endangering senior citizens by slipping, increasing the cost of transportation, and entailing a longer time to deal with health emergencies.

Like them, other speakers did not specify projects, but social media posts decry the six-year delay of the Pampanga Delta River bridge project, which connects Masantol’s left bank, where some 10,000 families were displaced when the mouth of the river was widened from 250 meters to 750 meters since 1992. Touted to be a priority project of Rep. Anna York Bondoc, the unfinished bridge received nearly P700 million.

In the same program, the Archdiocesan Council of the Laity (ACL) of the Archdiocese of San Fernando ‘strongly denounces the greed, selfishness, and corruption of our key leaders and their cohorts,’ said Renato Galang, ACP president, reading from a statement.

Signed by leaders of 24 lay organizations, the council urged ‘every Kapampangan to be courageous: to stand for the Truth, to live our faoith in action, and to demand integrity and accountability in governance

Continuous rains from Typhoon Paolo caused the collapse of a portion of a riprap beside a house in Sitio Oit, Barangay Sta. Fe, San Marcelino town, on Friday.

The San Marcelino Public Information Office reported that no one was injured, but large rocks and mud spilled onto the road, rendering it impassable.

The Municipal Engineering Office immediately deployed a backhoe to assist in clearing operations.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Paolo intensified into a typhoon as it made landfall in Dinapigue, Isabela.

Since Friday morning, nonstop rains have drenched the whole of Zambales and nearby Olongapo City, prompting the issuance of an orange rainfall warning.

An orange warning is raised in areas where intense rainfall-typically 15 to 30 millimeters per hour-is observed or expected to persist for at least two hours./coa

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel on Thursday morning in northern Quezon due to rough sea conditions brought about by Tropical Storm Paolo.

The PCG station in Real town announced the temporary suspension of voyages for all vessels and watercraft bound for the Polillo group of islands and General Nakar town, citing the hoisting of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 and ‘the possible effects of the inclement weather.’

‘Further, all vessels are reminded to take precautionary measures and be extra vigilant in monitoring the movement of the typhoon if deemed to be affected by said weather disturbance,’ the PCG said in a public notice signed by Lt. Dawn Baterbonia, commander of PCG-Northern Quezon.

The PCG added that vessels ‘intending to take shelter shall be permitted, provided a written request is submitted and no passengers or cargo are on board.’

Voyages will only resume once weather and sea conditions improve, the PCG said.

The PCG Real station oversees the coastal towns of Infanta, General Nakar, and the Polillo group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, which include the municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos, Panukulan, Jomalig, and Patnanungan.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) 5 a.m. update, Paolo was located 705 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon.

Paolo was moving west-northwest at 20 km per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gusts of up to 80 kph, Pagasa said.

The idea of leaving the majority bloc had crossed Sen. JV Ejercito’s mind as he expressed dismay over how the Senate seems to be losing its focus on the real culprits behind the anomalous flood control projects.

For now, Ejercito said he stays with the majority bloc.

‘As for me, everyone knows I just focus on work. But if you’re no longer happy, then what?’ he said in a Viber message, written in Filipino, on Thursday.

But in an earlier interview posted on social media, Ejercito admitted that he almost left the majority group because he feels that they are already burning down their own house.

‘To be honest, I seriously thought about leaving the majority. Because if this is the direction we’re headed, it’s like we’re burning down our own house. We’re neglecting our colleagues, and we’re forgetting who the real culprits are,’ he said in the interview.

Former and incumbent senators have been accused of receiving kickbacks from either ‘ghost’ or substandard flood control projects of the government.

The scandal has been the subject of separate investigations by the Senate blue ribbon committee, the House of Representatives infrastructure committee, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the blue ribbon panel, recently disclosed that almost all senators in the 19th Congress inserted P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

‘We’re losing focus on the real perpetrators and those behind the chaos,’ Ejercito went on, still responding to queries on Viber.

‘It’s really sad and discouraging. Everything that’s happening is so frustrating – we can’t move forward anymore,’ he further lamented.

Worse, the senator feared that the issues hounding the Senate could ignite calls for its abolition through Charter change.

‘This might just be another People’s Initiative all over again – destroy the Senate so that through Charter change, it can be abolished entirely,’ he said.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Cebu’s major gateway, continued normal operations on Wednesday after inspections showed that its runway was not damaged after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook the province on Tuesday night, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) said.

In its latest situational report, the Caap also said other airports in the three regions in the Visayas were not damaged after the earthquake-its epicenter traced in Bogo City in northern Cebu-struck at 9:59 p.m. Tuesday.

Less than an hour after the quake, passengers were evacuated from the MCIA terminal but were later allowed to enter the building after inspection and assessment.

According to the Caap, the MCIA’s tower cab equipment and tower structure were not damaged from the quake.

The Caap, meanwhile, reported a power outage at the airport.

The aviation authority also said their initial inspection and assessment showed that there was no earthquake-related damage reported in Calbayog Airport (Samar), Hilongos Airport (Leyte), Maasin Airport (Leyte), Ormoc Airport (Leyte), and Tacloban Airport (Leyte) in the Eastern Visayas region.

Tourism advisory

Inspection of the runway of the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Negros Occidental province was done on Wednesday.

‘PAL (Philippine Airlines) and Cebu Pacific flights from Manila were temporarily held for landing while runway inspection is ongoing. Safely landed after they were given safe-to-land clearance,’ according to the Caap.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has cautioned the public against visiting tourist destinations in parts of Cebu province hit by the earthquake.

‘Tourists are advised to confirm the status of destinations before traveling. Several tourist sites in affected areas may be closed while safety inspections are ongoing,’ the DOT said in an advisory on Wednesday.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco flew to Cebu on Wednesday to assess the situation on the ground and check on the well-being of tourism workers affected by the quake.

Frasco, a former mayor of Liloan, Cebu, said she also ordered the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), the DOT’s implementing arm, to inspect historical churches in the towns of Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Tabogon and San Remigio and other tourism-heavy areas in Cebu City to guide the department on the next steps to protect the tourism industry and the visiting public.

Aside from Tieza, the tourism chief also coordinated with DOT regional directors as well as airport and port officials to find out the status of tourism gateways.

‘These assessments will guide the next steps to ensure safety and provide appropriate support,’ she said in a statement.

Cebu, a top tourist destination in the country, is home to centuries-old heritage sites, including Catholic churches built during the Spanish colonization.

According to reports, among those damaged by the earthquake were the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan and Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol on Bantayan Island.

The DOT asked earthquake-affected tourists and industry workers to reach out to the following contact information should they need assistance: Hotline 151-TOUR (8687); mobile number 09542533215; and the live webchat of the DOT on its website (www.tourism.gov.ph).

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) appealed before the Senate panel on trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship for a boost in its budget for 2026.

At a briefing in the Senate on Thursday, DTI Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan asked Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who was presiding over the meeting at that time, to help the agency achieve an increase in its funding for next year.

‘May we solicit the assistance of the chair to help us have a higher budget for 2026? The DTI’s budget is one of the lowest budgets for a department-level office. For DTI Osec, our budget is just P6.9 billion together with our attached agencies, that goes to less than P10 billion. Together with our attached Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), that’s just up to P12 billion,’ said Ablan.

According to him, the DTI initially requested a budget of ‘less than P20 billion,’ but was only given ‘about half’ of the amount.

‘So we would seek the assistance of the good chairman to help us. If funds will be realigned, may we get a little boost for some of our programs, particularly on our trade fairs as well as enforcing our fair trade laws?’ said Ablan.

Marcoleta, for his part, said the Development Budget Coordination Committee might have thought that the DTI’s GOCCs are earning well, but Ablan explained that the proceeds of the GOCCs do not revert to DTI.

‘Unfortunately, a big chunk goes to the national treasury,’ said Ablan.

The Senate has sought to modernize budget transparency and accountability through the use of ‘blockchain technology’ in a bid to make the national budget publicly available, ensure accessibility, easy to understand, and open for citizen engagement.

During Thursday’s hearing of the Committee on Science and Technology, Aquino said the proposed Senate Bill No. 1330 or the Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act will strengthen collaboration across the executive and legislative branches of the government, civil society organizations and other stakeholders who play a vital role in sustaining and deepening democracy.

‘By no means this is the only solution, but many of us here believe that this can be one of the major solutions to our problems. Putting the budget on the blockchain is a way to ensure that every peso of the people’s money is monitored,’ Aquino stressed.

‘The bill is a possible solution so that every Filipino knows how the country’s money is being spent. Blockchain was also made a priority because it is transparent, honest, and secure,’ he added.

According to Aquino’s proposed measure, blockchain technology provides a powerful tool for this transformation, and its design guarantees accountability.

‘Through blockchain, all budget transactions become transparent, immutable, auditable and accessible to citizens in real time,’ said Aquino.

While the national budget is one of the most important instruments of governance, Aquino said documents related to it have remained closed, highly technical and difficult to understand, making oversight almost impossible even for those who want to scrutinize them.

‘This ensures that every peso can be tracked by the public. No more ‘fly-by-night’ contractors. No more hidden projects unknown to local governments,’ he said, adding that prices of materials can be easily compared across contracts.

‘To put our national budget on the blockchain answers many concerns and issues with our current system, where there are insertions and ghost projects. The public can see how people’s money is spent,’ he said.

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