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THE Philippine government is pursuing diplomatic and legal remedies for hundreds of Filipino seafarers deported by US immigration authorities, with Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel ‘Babe’ Romualdez saying Manila is coordinating with both US and Philippine officials to assist affected workers.

Romualdez said the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC has been coordinating with Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who recently made a privilege speech about the increasing trend of arrested and deported Filipino seafarers by the US Customs and Border Protection.

‘We will do everything we can,’ Romualdez told BusinessMirror in a text message.

He said Hontiveros is expected to raise the issue with the representative of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the US Embassy. DHS is the agency that oversees immigration enforcement and border security, including the CBP bureau that carried out the deportations.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington will also engage US authorities, while coordinating with Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on securing legal representation in the United States for the affected seafarers.

The government’s intervention comes as migrant advocacy groups reported a growing number of Filipino seafarers being deported or subjected to visa revocations under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

According to Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy-Philippines (CMA), at least 294 Filipino seafarers have been deported by CBP since the group began documenting cases in 2025.

Sana said the figure had increased from 270 cases recorded during a forum for affected seafarers held in September, with more deportations and visa cancellations reported in recent weeks.

The crackdown has also expanded beyond arrests aboard cruise ships and detentions at US ports and airports. In several cases, Filipino seafarers already back in the Philippines received email notices informing them that their US visas had been revoked, effectively preventing them from returning to vessels that call on American ports.

She said the 294 cases may represent only a portion of those affected because the tally covers individuals who sought assistance from CMA and the Los Angeles-based migrant rights organization Pilipino Workers Center (PWC).

The documented cases span multiple US ports and airports. Data cited by Hontiveros in a privilege speech showed that PWC recorded cases involving 171 seafarers, including non-Filipino nationals, across 28 vessels, eight cruise lines, 10 ports of call and three airports. Among the locations where CBP personnel allegedly apprehended seafarers were Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Texas and Michigan.

Among those affected is Timothy John Marquez, a waiter from Antique assigned to the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

Marquez told BusinessMirror that he and four other Filipino crew members were removed from their vessel in San Diego, handcuffed and interrogated before being accused of accessing child pornography, an allegation he denied.

He said authorities refused to show evidence and denied his request to contact a lawyer or a Philippine consular representative.

‘They told us we were already illegal aliens and that CBP had the right to deport us,’ Marquez said.

The deportation has left him unemployed for months despite applying for jobs with cruise companies and land-based employers.

‘The manning agencies may still consider us, but when it reaches the principals, they no longer want us,’ he said.

In her privilege speech, Hontiveros said many of the affected seafarers reported similar experiences. Their electronic devices were allegedly confiscated and searched, they were asked to sign documents they did not understand, denied communication with their families and, in some cases, handcuffed and held for extended periods before being placed on flights back to Manila.

The senator said the workers were never formally charged despite having their visas revoked and their maritime careers disrupted.

‘So what began as a detention abroad becomes something much bigger. You lost your visa. Worse, you lost your job,’ Hontiveros said, partly in Filipino.

Sana said the consequences extend beyond losing access to the United States, as many affected seafarers struggle to secure employment even on routes that do not call on US ports.

‘Even outside the US, they are finding it difficult to board vessels again,’ she said.

The CMA and PWC have been documenting cases since April 2025 and assisting affected workers in seeking legal, financial and psychosocial support.

Hontiveros has called on the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs to provide a full accounting of the cases, determine whether Philippine consular officials were properly notified, and strengthen mechanisms for immediate assistance to Filipino seafarers detained abroad.

The Philippines is one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime labor, with thousands of Filipinos employed on cruise ships and other vessels serving international routes.

Migrant groups warned that unless the issue is addressed, more Filipino seafarers could face deportation, visa revocation and the loss of their livelihoods.

There were plenty of ways to describe Derrick Rose’s game during his NBA prime.

Explosive, unstoppable, and electrifying come to mind.

But before the noise, the speed, and the explosive drives, Rose made sure he was calm and ready for every battle.

He found peace and quiet in the music of reggae icon Bob Marley.

‘It may be weird, but I listen to Bob Marley,’ Rose said during his first visit to Cebu in August, when he returned to the Philippines with ArenaPlus, the No. 1 PAGCOR-licensed online sportsbook in the Philippines.

The visit marked Rose’s fifth trip to the Philippines and his third as an ArenaPlus ambassador in less than a year, highlighted by Rose Meets the Queen: Derrick Rose in Cebu at SM Seaside City Cebu.

The event brought Rose closer to Cebuano basketball fans as part of ArenaPlus’ continuing efforts to bring major sports personalities and experiences to communities beyond Metro Manila.

‘Calm warrior state’

To say that Rose took the league by storm with his relentless style of play would be an understatement. Yet behind that intensity was a player who valued calm, with Marley’s music helping him find the balance he needed before stepping on the court.

‘I’m a Bob Marley fan. I listen to a lot of Bob Marley,’ the ArenaPlus ambassador said. ‘I remember once I made it to the league, figuring him out, listening to his music. His music to me felt like warrior chants. You know, like put me in a warrior state.’

‘But a calm warrior state where I was able to go out there and be poised without being too amped or like too low,’ the former Most Valuable Player (MVP) added.

Rose’s career took off immediately after he was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He won Rookie of the Year before becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history three years later at just 22 years old.

His career also brought difficult stretches that tested his ability to keep going. Through those moments, Rose said Marley’s music helped him find peace and regain the mindset he needed to return to the court.

‘So, his music kind of saved my career, I would say. Because I was able to find that peace of mind while I was on the table being stretched by the trainers,’ Rose said of his pregame routine.

‘Before I step on the court, he put me in a Shambhu state before I went out there,’ he added.

‘Positive Vibration,’ in particular, was Rose’s go-to Marley song-much like the vibe he gave off to anyone who witnessed his game during his playing days.

It’s been over a month since the brouhaha between Good Good, Callaway, and the now infamous ‘funny’ video. Violence, especially against women will never be cute, nor should it be acceptable, and given a free pass. Some would of course disagree and feel that it’s a whole lot of trouble over nothing. But both Good Good and Callaway realised their mistakes, although Good Good bore most of the brunt.

Good Good and the beginning

Good Good, in case you haven’t heard of them, is a YouTube golf sensation. Founded by Gareth Clark in 2016, the channel, formerly called GM Golf, began as a backyard golf trick shot channel. After years of content and collaborations, the channel became Good Good, a common term in golf where putts are given between playing partners, signifying that the players are giving each other gimme putts. It signifies friendly competition, generosity, and prioritising camaraderie over strict rules. Good Good’s videos feature golf courses, fun competitions, creative formats, and collaborations with golf influencers, celebrities, and even professional golfers. The playful banter, mixed with decent golf games and an atmosphere of golf with friends became popular, probably since many golfers were able to relate.

Naturally, more views and subscribers meant the formerly backyard production became professional. The greater the viewership, the more lucrative it got. Eventually Good Good became corporate, with brand deals, merchandise, and more access to professional guests. It was so good, that even when members come and go, build their own channels, or pursue professional golf, the channel still thrived, Good Good became so influential, behemoth brands like Callaway took notice and struck deals.

This brings us to the video in question. The short marketing video, done by Good Good for Callaway’s Quantum driver, was supposed to be funny. It was supposed to be a joke, a spoof. What went wrong was the video involved a golfer shoving a woman when she tried to pick up his Good Good – Callaway Quantum driver. The golfer shoves the woman for touching his limited edition Quantum driver, a co-branded product from the YouTubers and Callaway Golf. Once the video went live, and reactions were mostly negative, Good Good and Callaway took the video down and issued apologies. More than that, Callaway pledged $1 million for charities fighting violence against women. As for Good Good, they promptly lost their biggest sponsor, even their partnership with the PGA Tour where they were supposed to host an actual PGA tournament. From just that single ill-advised video, CEOs resigned, mammoth deals were lost, relationships with big retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, were severed.

There’s a lesson to be learned from all this. Too bad for the guys from Good Good, they had to be the ones to swallow the most bitter of pills. We all love golf. We all crave for good humour. But like in everything else, there are lines which cannot be crossed. The golfing world has spoken – keep violence, especially towards women out of golf.

NAGOYA-Two-time Olympian Kiyomi Watanabe and medal hopeful Chino Sy Tancontian faced opponents too tough to handle in their opening fights as the Philippines bombed out of judo action in the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games.

Watanabe suffered an early exit after falling to Ekaterina Tokareva of Kazakhstan in the women’s -78kgs round of 16 at the Aichi International Arena.

Moving up to a heavier weight division, Watanabe engaged in a tight grip battle early on, with both athletes receiving a Shido penalty at the 0:46 mark.

But the Kazakh capitalized on an opening shortly after, executing a decisive throw to score an Ippon and advance to the quarterfinals.

Chino Sy Tancontian suffered a similar fate, succumbing to Japan’s Ryotaro Masuchi in the men’s -100kg round of 16 action.

Going up against a formidable Japanese rival, Sy was put on the defensive early after Masuchi registered a Yuko just 12 seconds into the bout.

The Filipino judoka continued to battle for grip and positioning, but the Japanese athlete secured back-to-back Waza-ari scores to seal the victory via Ippon in 2 minutes and 1 second.

Also out of contention is Eskelen Kedo, who bowed to the UAE’s Magomedomar Magomedomarov via Ippon in the men’s +100kg round of 16, ending the Filipino judokas’ bid in the quadrennial games.

THE Senate Impeachment Court on Thursday granted the House of Representatives prosecution panel’s request to subpoena representatives of seven banks and seven insurance and financial companies for Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV will no longer testify for the prosecution in the impeachment trial.

Bank records and testimony will support the prosecution’s presentation under Article II, involving allegations of unexplained wealth and incomplete or inaccurate financial disclosures.

The seven banks are Land Bank of the Philippines, Asia United Bank, Philippine Savings Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Philippine National Bank, and BDO Unibank. The insurance and financial companies are Prudential Life, Allianz, Manufacturers Life, FWD Life, BPI-AIA Life, BDO Securities, and BDO Life.

House lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas also told the impeachment court that the prosecution had reached a final decision not to present Trillanes as a witness. She also asked for the court’s understanding over the delay in communicating its position.

She did not explain why Trillanes was removed from the witness list.

Meanwhile, the bank representatives are scheduled to appear on Tuesday, October 6, following the presentation of a Bureau of Internal Revenue witness on Monday.

Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero approved subpoenas requiring the witnesses to appear, testify, and bring the specified records. The orders cover the BIR and the identified banks, insurance companies, and financial institutions.

The defense requested advance copies of summaries and other documents that the witnesses intend to identify during their testimony. Escudero granted the request and instructed the prosecution to provide the materials before their appearances.

The prosecution previously announced that it would establish the subpoenaed bank records individually after the court rejected its request to compel Duterte to respond to a Request for Admission concerning those records.

Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura presented his testimony on Thursday afternoon. His appearance could continue on Friday if necessary.

Prosecutors also presented official land records for two properties associated with Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio. Their combined acquisition prices amounted to approximately P9.45 million, raising questions about whether they were properly reflected in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, or SALNs.

Davao City Register of Deeds Kathy Florence Baldonado testified that a 379-square-meter property in Matina, Davao City, was purchased on July 2, 2024, for P6 million. The title identifies Carpio as the registered owner and records his marriage to Duterte.

An annotation on the title showed that Carpio and Duterte executed a real estate mortgage in favor of Philippine Savings Bank for P8 million. The mortgage was dated August 27, 2024, less than two months after the property’s purchase.

House prosecutor Jonathan Keith Flores of Bukidnon highlighted the sequence of the transactions. Baldonado confirmed that the documents showed a P6-million purchase in July followed by an P8-million mortgage in August of the same year.

When the records were compared with Duterte’s 2025 SALN, Baldonado said she could not identify an entry matching the property’s price and other documented details. Escudero noted that the SALN descriptions were insufficiently detailed to establish a direct correspondence with individual property titles.

Defense counsel Lindon Miguel Bacquel maintained that the Matina property could correspond to an asset already listed in Duterte’s SALN. He explained that Matina Crossing is also known as Barangay 74A, and Escudero allowed the defense to pursue this explanation during cross-examination.

The prosecution presented a second property in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, purchased in 2018 for P3,453,849. Acting Register of Deeds Marco Pineda testified that its title remained active and uncancelled and that the property was still registered to Carpio.

After comparing the 2018 Deed of Absolute Sale with Duterte’s 2019 SALN using the acquisition year, location, and value, Pineda said he could not find a corresponding entry that perfectly matched the property.

Flores emphasized that the amounts involved were substantial to ordinary citizens. Referring to the Matina property, he said ‘Some may say this is only a few million pesos, but for an ordinary Filipino, P6 million is already a substantial amount.’

House prosecution adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said the records should be examined alongside the relevant sworn declarations. ‘The P3.45 million is one story. The oath is the bigger story,’ he said, emphasizing that the prosecution’s concern involved the completeness of the SALNs.

House trial spokesperson Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia-ur Rahman Alonto Adiong similarly stressed the significance of signing a financial declaration under oath.

‘The SALN is an affirmation of your wealth under oath. When you sign it, you swear that your financial declaration is complete and truthful,’ he said, in English translation.

He argued that registration in a spouse’s name does not automatically remove a property from the disclosure issue.

Prosecution spokespersons said proven discrepancies could support the allegations under Article II, while any separate criminal allegation, including perjury, would require proof of its own statutory elements.

ECONOMIC managers warned that the upcoming 2028 national elections could pressure lawmakers to approve tax breaks and higher spending-a move that would weaken the government’s revenue base.

‘There is a strong likelihood that populist revenue-eroding and expansionary spending measures, which include tax breaks, tax exemptions or deductions, will be passed,’ said the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) in its latest fiscal risk statement.

The ‘piecemeal’ passage of the Department of Finance’s (DOF) proposed Progress Bill, specifically its income tax relief component, and the possible delay, non-passage or ‘watered-down’ version of the revenue-generating measures will further erode the tax base, the DBCC said.

The tax relief proposes to exempt wage earners with annual income of P350,000 and below and micro and small businesses from personal income tax and minimum corporate income tax. The tax relief, however, would result in an average revenue loss of P81.73 billion.

To make up for the foregone revenues, the DOF is pushing to expand excise and wealth taxes, which are expected to raise an average of P129.68 billion. These include higher tax rates on sweetened beverages, distilled alcohol, e-cigarettes and automobiles, as well as a proposed tax on plastic products.

Topping these risks is the protracted impact of the Middle East conflict, which could have an enduring effect on the broader economy and exert additional pressure to enact measures that could undermine the tax base, the DBCC said.

‘Disruptions in remittances also reduce economic activity, which may impact tax collection, particularly consumption taxes given that the country is a consumption-led economy,’ it added.

The government’s revenue projections for the medium term are expected to reach P4.81 trillion in 2026, P5.21 trillion in 2027, P5.52 trillion in 2028, P5.99 trillion in 2029 and reach P6.52 trillion in 2030.

The DBCC said this would be driven by the full implementation of tax policy reforms, alongside continued strengthening of tax administration, digitalization and enforcement.

At the same time, the government faces spending pressures from external shocks, as higher oil and food prices have increased the need for subsidies and social protection programs.

This comes against a backdrop of weaker economic growth prospects, with the DBCC’s growth assumptions trimmed by 1.5 percentage points (pp) for 2026, 0.5 pp for 2027 and 1 pp for 2028 to 2030.

The targets were revised to account for the adverse impact of geopolitical conflict as its local implications were ‘far-reaching,’ and the government’s responses to cushion the impact by providing subsidies and other forms of support.

‘The domestic economic growth outlook is fragile in 2026 due to a slowdown in public infrastructure spending, a spillover of the corruption scandal in 2025,’ the economic managers said. ‘This economic outlook is further exacerbated by heightened global uncertainty with the ongoing US/Israel-Iran conflict that began in February.’

Nevertheless, the DBCC expects the enactment and implementation of the DOF’s priority measures to strengthen government revenues and help the state’s coffers better withstand and respond to shocks brought about by global uncertainties.

These include the value-added tax on digital service providers, expected to raise P26.47 billion annually; the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act, P4.90 billion; and the new Mining Fiscal Regime, P6.42 billion.

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is strengthening water access, food production and heat protection measures to help vulnerable communities prepare for the possible effects of a super El Niño.

The preparations extend from community reservoirs and vegetable gardens to temperature monitoring in relief warehouses and planned heat insulation in evacuation centers, the DSWD spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, said during the agency’s media forum on Thursday.

Dumlao said the agency is implementing its Risk Resiliency Program-Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (RRP-CCAM), including Project Local Adaptation to Water Access (Lawa) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (Binhi).

The initiatives aim to strengthen communities’ access to water and food before climate hazards disrupt their daily needs and livelihoods, she said.

‘We are focused on water access and sufficiency, and food security is also one of the concerns we are addressing. We do not act only when disasters occur. We also ensure that vulnerable sectors have the capacity to prepare and meet their needs when climate hazards affect their communities,’ Dumlao said.

Project Lawa and Binhi combine technology with community-based initiatives to help beneficiaries adapt to changing climate conditions and build long-term self-sufficiency.

As of Thursday, the DSWD had established 5,311 Lawa sites consisting of farm reservoirs, irrigation facilities and rehabilitated waterways. Another 8,671 Binhi sites, including communal vegetable gardens and root crop farms, had been established nationwide.

The agency is also introducing technologies to address water shortages in vulnerable areas.

On Monday, Social Welfare Secretary Rexor Gatchalian inaugurated the first Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) system with a hybrid power source under the Linking Arms Against Poverty-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) program.

The system extracts moisture from humid air and converts it into potable water, providing a sustainable response to persistent water shortages in barangay Gilotongan, Cawayan, Masbate.

Dumlao said the agency is also deploying water filtration trucks to help ensure access to safe drinking water in areas vulnerable to El Niño.

‘We are deploying water filtration trucks and introducing other technologies to ensure that safe drinking water is available in areas prone to the effects of El Niño,’ she said.

Alongside community preparedness, the DSWD official said the agency is taking steps to protect prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) from spoilage as temperatures rise.

Dumlao said the agency monitors warehouse temperatures against established parameters and is installing industrial ceiling fans to help manage heat inside its storage facilities.

‘We monitor temperatures in our warehouses and follow established parameters to ensure that our goods do not spoil while in storage. We are also installing industrial ceiling fans to help manage warehouse temperatures,’ she said.

She added that the department is coordinating with local government units (LGUs) on heat insulation in evacuation centers to protect internally displaced persons (IDPs) from soaring temperatures.

‘Recently, we have also been working on installing heat-insulated areas, particularly in evacuation centers. Our Joint Memorandum Circular, which incorporates these measures for evacuation centers, is currently being routed,’ Dumlao said.

PHILIPPINE manufacturers faced a renewed contraction in September as weak demand and international competition weighed on production, even as rising oil prices translated into a relatively softer increase in overall input costs, Standard and Poor’s (SandP) Global Market Intelligence said.

The Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 49.6 in September from 54.9 in August, marking the first deterioration in operating conditions in the goods-producing sector since April.

The downturn was partly driven by a renewed contraction in production, which fell for the first time in nine months and at the fastest pace since November 2025, according to the report.

‘Output, new orders and employment all dropped into contractionary territory. Firms also signaled moves into retrenchment mode via a fresh decline in input buying and a running down of inventories,’ SandP Global Market Intelligence principal economist SiSn Jones said.

SandP Global said manufacturers reported weaker demand and intensified international competition during the month, while high oil prices added to operating pressures.

New orders declined marginally at the end of the third quarter, reversing four consecutive months of growth. New export orders also fell, with surveyed firms citing higher prices and competition as factors discouraging purchases.

The weaker demand also prompted manufacturers to scale back input buying for the first time since May and reduce inventories, the firm said. Backlogs also fell at their fastest pace since April as lower orders eased pressure on production capacity.

The slowdown spilled into employment, with manufacturers recording a fresh round of job cuts, although the decline in staffing was slight.

Despite the increase in oil prices, input cost inflation eased in September.

‘Greater operating expenses were linked to unfavorable exchange rate movements against the US dollar and higher oil prices. The rate of input price inflation was historically muted and the slowest for three months,’ SandP Global said.

Manufacturers, however, raised selling prices at a faster pace as they sought to pass higher costs on to customers. SandP said the increase remained below the survey’s long-run average. It also added that efforts to protect margins contributed to the sharper rise in selling prices.

Higher oil prices were also cited as a factor behind worsening supplier performance, with transportation and logistics disruptions lengthening input delivery times sharply. The delays were among the most significant recorded in nearly two years, according to the report.

For SandP, the combination of weaker demand and limited pricing power also weighed on manufacturers’ outlook. They remained optimistic on output increase over the next 12 months, but confidence dropped sharply from August’s 21-month high to its weakest since January.

Manufacturers, per Jones, were becoming less certain about their ability to maintain margins while competing in international markets.

‘The viability of continuing to absorb hikes in costs will be an important consideration in the coming months in bids to drive customer demand.’

State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) called on the public to invest in the latest tranche of the Retail Treasury Bond (RTB) program, which provides shorter tenor and higher interest rate, while supporting the national government’s efforts to fund its priority projects, a top official said.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said the latest RTB issuance (RTB 32) allows investors to purchase the bonds for a minimum amount of P5,000, and earn as much as 6.875 percent gross per annum, payable quarterly for 2.5 years.

‘This latest issuance of RTB32 offers a viable opportunity for Filipinos to access an affordable and low-risk investment, while also enjoying higher interest rates over a shorter period,’ de Jesus said.

DBP is the 10th largest bank in the country in terms of assets and provides credit support to four priority sectors of the economy – infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; the environment; and social services and community development.

De Jesus said the initiative forms part of the Bureau of Treasury’s (BTr) 25th anniversary celebration of the RTB program, with DBP as one of the Joint Lead Issue Managers, adding, ‘…issuance and settlement of the bonds are scheduled for October 12, 2026, with a maturity date of April 12, 2029…’

He said the BTr will also conduct a Switch Program, allowing holders of eligible bonds to exchange their existing holdings for RTB 32, while also receiving accrued interest until the issuance date.

‘Interested investors may purchase the bonds through any of the 153 DBP branches nationwide, with public offer period ending on October 7 this year,’ de Jesus said.

This initiative should also enable many Filipinos to become active participants in the country’s financial system and help advance the socio-economic agenda of the Marcos, Jr. Administration, he added.

SENATOR Erwin Tulfo raised valid points at a recent hearing on the budget of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

He asked Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay if it was time to create a law so the branding slogan or tagline to promote the Philippines should be kept in perpetuity.

‘We keep changing it. There’s ‘Wow Philippines,’ then ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines,’ now ‘Love the Philippines.’ Want to bet in the next administration it will be ‘Come to the Philippines’? We don’t have a unique, unchanging brand like ‘Malaysia Truly Asia,” said Tulfo in a mix of English and Filipino.

The lawmaker has been tasked to defend the DOT budget in the upcoming Senate Plenary discussion on the proposed National Expenditure Program for 2027, and was preparing to do so by recently hearing the agency’s budget presentation.

The good DOT Secretary agreed that perhaps it was time to legislate and keep the current tourism branding slogan. ‘Anyway, maganda naman ang ‘Love the Philippines’. The people are our best asset…our hospitality is unmatched. So if we can legislate and we use ‘Love the Philippines’, I’m all for it,’ said Angara-Mathay.

I must respectfully disagree with Secretary Angara-Mathay. ‘Love the Philippines’ (LVP) is not, and has never been, a good slogan. She even had to tweak it to ‘Discover More to Love [about the Philippines],’ to send a clearer message on the many other destinations tourists can explore, and the myriad activities they could enjoy in the country.

But it was an admirable move, as the Secretary showed she could work with whatever limitations had been put in place by her predecessor.

Unfortunately, Tulfo has already filed Senate Bill No. 2511 preventing the changing of tourism slogans. I thought it was hastily drawn up without the senator studying the facts around the slogan changes and consulting affected stakeholders.

Frankly, Mr. Senator, if we must legislate such a move, then government should go back to the successful and award-winning, ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines.’ To this day, foreigners remember it, and it encapsulates the lengths Filipinos go to welcome visitors and make sure the latter enjoy their stay in the country.

Even our own local tourism stakeholders believe it’s a far better branding tagline than LVP. They had initially tried to convince the former Tourism Secretary, Christina Garcia Frasco, to keep ‘It’s More Fun’, to which she initially agreed because even lawmakers supported that.

But it quickly became evident that she was deadset on changing the slogan, such that Frasco had convinced President Marcos Jr. to veto a proviso in the General Appropriations Act of 2023 that the agency should not use its budget to change the tourism branding slogan. (I guess she was trying to replicate her Cebu district’s ‘Live Love Liloan’ tag, to see if it worked better on a national scale.)

To his credit. even former President

Duterte kept the ‘fun’ slogan, despite it being a creation of the Aquino administration. The Tourism Secretary then, Berna Romulo-Puyat, had said Duterte didn’t mind that his administration continued using it, as this was what the tourism stakeholders wanted.

LVP has got to be the weakest branding slogan the DOT has ever created. It received so much flak as soon as it was announced because it sounds like a command. And would you force anyone to love you, without spending some time with you first?

Besides, as many marketing analysts earlier averred, ‘Love’ isn’t a unique proposition to the Philippines. For instance, personally, ‘I love London.’ I also love Singapore, New York, and Tokyo. ‘Love the Philippines’ doesn’t really say anything about our country and our people.

So when a tourist asks, ‘Why should I visit the Philippines?’ Are we to respond, ‘Because-Love the Philippines’? But replace that reply with ‘Because it’s more fun in the Philippines’, and you get a conversation going, with the tourist wanting to know more about the country.

Perhaps that’s what a good tourism slogan should be-not tell people what to feel, but make them curious enough to come and experience it for themselves.

So the DOT folks and lawmakers should keep this in mind before legislating a tourism slogan that will last forever, or in the case of Tulfo’s bill, at least 15 years.

My Masajiro Burger fix

NOW, I love cheeseburgers. (There’s that word ‘love’ again.) And there are only a few restaurants from which I regularly order this heart-plugging dish.

After I got a taste of Masajiro Burger in Glorietta Makati last year, I was pleased that its owners decided to open a kiosk near the cinemas at The Podium.

While still quite a distance from where I live, The Podium branch welcomed me with the hypnotizing aromas of burgers gently sizzling on the grill, julliened potatoes gurgling in the deep fat fryer, and beads of rice slowly expanding and fluffing up in the cooker.

A franchise of Masajiro Burger in Fukuoka, Japan, the burger patties in Manila are made from pure wagyu beef, an offshoot of the Joson Family’s main business of importing wagyu beef under its J-Gyu Corp. (The company supplies authentic Japanese wagyu beef to hotels and restaurants, and, lately, sells cuts online or through retail outlets like SandR.)

The wagyu beef patties taste better as these are served in Masajiro’s trademark golden buns. These buns are kneaded by hand daily, using a unique flour mixture, which develops into a soft, pillowy, and chewy bite.

Personally I enjoy the Classic Burger, with the golden bun schmeared with a honey mustard mayo. It holds a juicy patty, sitting on a bed of crisp lettuce and tomato. This time around I had the Cheesy Beast Fries, which was heaving under a slather of melted cheddar cheese with a plop of what seemed like a curry sauce. So it’s definitely a tasty treat with the salty-sweet flavors slowly giving in to a light spice.

And of course, complementing my cheeseburger was the sweet and creamy Matcha Milkshake that was quite refreshing. The vanilla ice cream balances out the earthy and often bitter taste of the matcha powder, creating a more nuanced and pleasantly satisfying drink.

Aside from the burgers (which diners can order stacked, fiery, or in fish and chicken varieties), Masajiro also offers delicious rice meals. (I am told that even the owner of the Fukuoka original is rethinking his menu and will likely add rice meals, too. I mean, come on, how can you beat hambagu with rice? Add a little gravy and you’re all set!)

It turns out that my favorite among the rice meals is the Menchi Star Rice, which consists of a juicy breaded pork cutlet sitting on a bed of folded egg, and served on steaming gohan rice. It was filling and comforting, like I’ve been having it in my family home’s dining table for ages.

And take heart, Quezon City folks! Masajiro Burger will open at SM North Edsa hopefully by December, just in time for the Christmas season.

This just means my love affair with cheeseburgers is about to get a whole lot more convenient. For us who live in Quezon City, that’s probably the best kind of holiday news-although my cardiologist may feel differently.

The second branch of Masajiro Burger is at Level 4, The Podium, 12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City