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The Palawan Group of Companies, the country’s most trusted pawnshop and remittance provider, has formalized a strategic partnership with BDO Unibank Inc., one of the Philippines’ largest banks, to expand access to faster, more convenient, and more efficient financial services nationwide.

The collaboration leverages Palawan Group’s extensive physical network alongside its digital wallet, PalawanPay, positioning the group as a key nationwide channel for BDO’s payment and collection services.

Through this partnership, BDO’s corporate billers, its employees and customers can leverage Palawan Group’s extensive nationwide network of branches to accept over-the-counter and PalawanPay e-wallet as an alternative payment transaction.

As BDO billers are integrated into the Palawan Group ecosystem, it enables customers to complete bill payments, remittances and other essential transactions beyond traditional bank branches.

By combining BDO’s banking expertise and cash management capabilities with Palawan Group’s nationwide reach and digital capabilities, the collaboration helps streamline corporate partners’ collection remittances, reduce transaction bottlenecks, and support more efficient service delivery for businesses, partner billers and customers.

As BDO’s first partner onboarded for this initiative, Palawan Group reinforces its commitment to bridging financial services gaps and enabling broader financial inclusion across communities. Karlo Castro, president and CEO of Palawan Group, said, ‘This is especially helpful for cash-based customers and those in provincial and underserved areas, which the Palawan Group has always endeavored to serve. Many of our kababayans still rely on physical touchpoints for their daily transactions, and this partnership ensures they are not left behind as financial services continue to evolve.’

Beyond convenience, the partnership also strengthens financial infrastructure in communities with limited access to traditional banking facilities.

With more than 3,500 Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala branches nationwide, many of which operate on weekends and holidays, and over 23 million PalawanPay users, the Palawan Group provides reliable access points where customers already transact with confidence.

This expanded reach helps reduce travel time, lower transaction costs, and ensure more consistent financial services, particularly in provincial and predominantly cash-based markets. Third Librea, president and CEO of PalawanPay, shared, ‘By combining BDO’s scale with Palawan’s reach, and with PalawanPay serving as the digital bridge, this collaboration enables faster, more convenient, and more inclusive payment solutions. It allows us to extend financial services to the last mile by seamlessly integrating physical access with digital capability.’

Carlo Nazareno, senior vice president and head, TBG – Cash Management Services of BDO Unibank Inc. added, ‘BDO brings comprehensive pillars representing a diverse portfolio across sectors such as utilities, telecommunications, government agencies, education and more. Through this partnership, Palawan Group customers will have access to a broader range of bills payment options, making everyday transactions easier and more seamless.’ For Palawan Group, the partnership underscores its continued leadership in inclusive financial services. By aligning its nationwide footprint with digital innovation and strategic collaborations, the company strengthens its role in delivering secure, accessible, and practical financial solutions that meet the everyday needs of Filipinos nationwide.

The country’s retail sector is already feeling the impact of the Middle East conflict as consumers continue to tighten their budgets and cut back on spending, the Philippine Retailers Association said.

PRA president Alice Liu said most retailers experienced weaker traffic in the first half of April, reflecting consumers’ ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to high fuel prices and broader market uncertainty.

‘They (consumers) look for ways to save. When people are uncertain, the tendency is they hold back on spending until they have more clarity,’ Liu said in an interview, noting that the Holy Week break in early April also weighed on retail activity.

Liu is the president and CEO of Golden ABC Inc. (GABC), the company behind popular fashion brands Penshoppe, Oxygen, Regatta, Memo, ForMe and Bocu.

As geopolitical tensions persist for nearly two months, Liu said businesses have taken a wait-and-see approach while preparing contingency measures in case the conflict drags on.

‘I think retailers who are smart are also trying to ensure that they prepare their inventory, that they reduce it so that you don’t have too much stuff. You minimize your overhead,’ she stressed.

For PRA chairman and Toby’s Sports founder Roberto Claudio Sr., the ‘worst international crisis’ has also prompted heightened caution among retailers and consumers.

Against this backdrop, Claudio expects retailers to scale back their expansion plans this year.

For Toby’s Sports and GABC in particular, both companies have trimmed their planned store openings amid ongoing uncertainty.

‘It (expansion) is dependent on consumer confidence. We have plans for bigger numbers of store openings, but consumer appetite is reduced simply because of fear,’ Claudio said.

Despite recent rollbacks, domestic fuel prices remain elevated, continuing to ripple across fuel-dependent industries such as transportation, agriculture and energy.

This has led businesses to absorb significantly higher operating costs and, in some cases, raise prices.

‘The cost is primarily driven by the fuel prices,’ said Steve Benitez, president of the Philippine Franchise Association.

Benitez, also chairman and CEO of Filipino coffee chain Bo’s Coffee, said businesses are putting measures in place to cushion the impact of the crisis, including reducing operating hours.

The Mandaue City Council is urging both public and private sectors to help address the worsening water shortage as the city grapples with the effects of the dry season.

Councilor Jesus Arcilla Jr., in an interview, said that government-owned deep wells should be maximized and shared with communities, especially during the ongoing heat and water crisis.

‘Daghan gyud nag kuwang og tubig karon,’ Arcilla said. He noted that some areas have already resorted to rationing water due to limited supply.

The councilor called on barangays with operational deep wells to make them accessible to residents, particularly constituents who have little to no access to potable water. He added that these facilities could provide significant relief to affected households.

To further address the situation, Arcilla said the city is currently conducting an inventory of all deep wells and has instructed barangays to report units that require repair.

Arcilla stressed that deep wells serve as a crucial support system to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District, especially in areas where regular supply remains insufficient.

The City Council has approved a resolution, which urges private establishments and business enterprises operating deep wells to share water with affected communities during water crises brought about by El Niño.

The resolution frames the initiative as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR), encouraging businesses to contribute to community resilience during periods of extreme water scarcity.

Arcilla expressed hope that with collective effort from both the government and private sector, the impact of the water crisis on residents can be mitigated.

In Cebu City, the much-awaited distribution of aid under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) program finally pushed through on April 25 at the City Resource Management and Development Center (CREMDEC) in Barangay Taptap.

The release was met with relief among the 1,489 beneficiaries, who received P2,325 each-many of whom had expressed frustration over the earlier postponement. They expressed gratitude that the government had followed through.

Farmers from 27 upland barangays, including Adlaon, Agsungot, Binaliw, Bonbon, Busay, Budlaan, Buhisan, Babag, Cambinocot, Buot, Guba, Kalunasan, Lusaran, Malubog, Mabini, Pamutan, Paril, Pung-ol Sibugay, Sapangdaku, Sinsin, Sudlon I, Sudlon II, Toong, Tabunan, Taptap, and Sirao, lined up to claim their assistance.

The Department of Agriculture Region VII supervised the release, while the Cebu City Agriculture Department (CAD) verified beneficiary lists to ensure order.

Mayor Nestor Archival stressed the importance of seeing the program through.

‘Our farmers rise before sunrise. They work through heat, rain, and uncertainty. Their hard work matters, their sacrifice matters, and they deserve to be honored,’ Archival said.

Archival also thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘for the continued assistance and for recognizing the importance of the men and women who feed our city.’

Beyond the cash aid, CAD reminded farmers that support continues through free crop and livestock insurance under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, seedling distribution, and other assistance designed to strengthen agricultural resilience.

Defending champion National University Nazareth School booked a quarterfinals seat after sweeping California Academy, 25-22, 25-13, in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup Division 1 yesterday at the La Salle Greenhills Gym.

The Lady Bullpups plucked their third straight victory in as many starts and kept their tight grip on the top spot in Pool A of the event backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea.

Xyz Rayco led NUNS’ balanced scoring with seven points. Ysabella Cruz had six markers while the trio of Jhayna Bulandres, Raine Alonzo and Jaila Adrao added four each as the Lady Bullpups handed Season 1 titlists Cal Babies their first loss in two outings.

Likewise, last year’s runner-up Bacolod Tay Tung earned a spot in the knockout round with a 25-17, 25-18 drubbing of listless Holy Rosary College in Pool B for a 3-0 slate.

Job numbers from the Philippine Statistics Authority show our country at an economic crossroads. Working-age Filipinos (15 and older) now make up more than half of the total, while the number of those working to support younger Filipinos continues its marked decline to less than 50 percent from more than 90 percent back in the 1960s. This demographic sweet spot, often termed the ‘demographic dividend,’ presents a rare opportunity to accelerate national development.

However, the same data reveals a parallel challenge: underemployment persists at around 12 percent, and the critical labor force participation rate for women, though improved, still trails that of men by 18 percentage points. Although this can be viewed as an automatic credit, it is also a potential that must be actively claimed through strategic, inclusive and decentralized human capital investment.

This is aligned with an objective of this year’s ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) chairship to foster inclusive prosperity through coordinated human capital development and entrepreneurship, ultimately contributing to regional economic integration. Sustainable growth is no longer measured by GDP alone, but by the equitable distribution of opportunity across all regions and demographics.

It is within this framework that the significant expansion of our newest program at Go Negosyo, Trabaho at Negosyo, from a pilot initiative into a nationwide movement is important. This expansion into major provincial hubs (in Cebu this coming May 9) is our contribution to convert our national human capital into broad-based, resilient prosperity. Helping us reach out to the provinces are malls like SM, whose nationwide footprint helps us reach out to communities across the Philippines.

The concentration of opportunity in Metro Manila and other urban centers has long been a problem because it is economically inefficient and unsustainable. Internal migration, mostly to congested urban areas like the National Capital Region (NCR), exacerbates urban congestion, stunts local economies and perpetuates regional inequality.

Trabaho at Negosyo’s nationwide expansion brings the tools of prosperity to where people already live. This strategy recognizes the unique economic identities of each region – the agri-business potential of Central Luzon, the IT-BPM readiness of Cebu, the agro-industrial strength of Davao and the tourism and creative industries of Palawan and Bohol. It will not only match hires with companies but also cultivate job creators, helping them scale so they can build enterprises that employ locals.

The program’s power lies in its integrated, two-pronged approach, which moves beyond isolated solutions. In partnership with national agencies and local governments, Trabaho at Negosyo will be a skills-matching activity alongside the free mentoring of MSMEs from the community.

Trabaho at Negosyo adds the critical layer of entrepreneurship: this means proposing to job seekers that they can become not just the ones looking for employment but eventually be the people who can create jobs. It is the ‘People’ pillar of our ASEAN-BAC chairship, where MSMEs, youth, women and human capital complement the three other pillars of Planet, Platform and Productivity.

Trabaho at Negosyo was a natural fit for our very successful 3M on Wheels program, which by now already has a nationwide footprint. It expanded the role of 3M on Wheels and highlighted the importance of MSMEs as a major source of employment, accounting for more than half of all jobs. Through our interactions with successful MSMEs, we also observed that higher-value employment (such as that of OFWs and accomplished professionals) often inspires employees to start their own businesses.

As Go Negosyo has emphasized over the two decades that it has been an advocate of the Filipino MSME, there needs to be mentoring, access to markets and access to financing to ensure that entrepreneurship dreams become a reality. To the brave entrepreneurs out there, there are ways to raise your chances of success: get a good mentor who can help guide you through your business plan. As I tell the hundreds of eager entrepreneurs I’ve mentored over the years, a good business plan will not only serve as your roadmap when things are uncertain or when the temptation to take shortcuts becomes too much – it will also help your chances of getting financing for your business.

Mentorship is not just generic advice but tailored, ongoing guidance. Case studies of MSMEs found that with structured mentorship, small enterprises are more likely to survive beyond three years and are more likely to scale. Our veteran Go Negosyo pool of mentors volunteer to mentor MSMEs for free through 3M on Wheels and now, with Trabaho at Negosyo.

Access to markets is one of the greatest hurdles for MSMEs. For years now, Go Negosyo has cultivated relationships with the public and private sectors to make it easier for MSMEs to reach out to their markets. In recent years, digital marketplaces and platforms have become part of the initiatives that we regularly organize for MSMEs. Similar efforts have also been made to pave access to money, or financing, thanks also to our partners in the public and private sectors, as well as mentoring aimed specifically at raising the financial and digital literacy of Filipino MSMEs.

And now that the pandemic-induced shift to digital technology is with us to stay, we will continue to onboard both jobseekers and MSMEs into the digital economy by helping prepare the workforce for the effects of AI on the job landscape, and training MSMEs in digital payments, social media marketing, e-commerce logistics and even basic data analytics.

With hope, we can increase the survival rate of MSMEs and see a reduction in the rate of underemployment, especially outside the urban centers.

The demographic dividend will not always be our advantage. There may come a time when we, too, will have a graying population. But by investing in our people’s capabilities and entrepreneurial spirit where they live, through programs like Trabaho at Negosyo and now its expansion to the provinces, we can build resilient local economies and move closer to inclusive prosperity by converting our human potential into lasting national progress.

Telco-to-tech giant Globe Telecom Inc. plans to take the lead in the Philippines in advancing the next level of wireless technology called 6G, the successor of 5G.

At the GSMA’s Digital Nation Summit in Tokyo, Globe president and CEO Carl Raymond Cruz said the telco is preparing its infrastructure backbone ahead of 6G’s entry into play.

6G, expected to be launched in the early years of the next decade, is designed to provide connectivity speeds that are twice faster than its predecessor.

‘Connectivity today carries far more than data, (as) it carries trust, livelihoods and the ability of people to stay connected in moments that matter the most. As we look toward 6G, the priority is clear: We have to build networks that are resilient, secure and dependable in every life, especially when conditions are most challenging,’ Cruz said.

Globe wants to see how 6G could hold up in serving an archipelagic country like the Philippines. Cruz said although speed is important, it is also crucial to prioritize resilience.

Right now, Globe is deploying a hybrid strategy of putting up terrestrial assets and connecting to satellite constellations to beam internet to more than 7,000 islands.

‘Resilience is no longer optional. It is the standard people expect. A stable connection that holds under pressure is far more valuable than speed that cannot be sustained,’ Cruz said.

Cruz said Globe wants an early engagement with 6G to see how the technology would shake up the telco industry and its best uses in the country.

Apart from this, Cruz participated in a discussion on online security, reporting the wins made by Globe in taking down digital threats.

Last year the telco blocked over 967 million scam texts and at least 17,000 malicious domains linked to online scams.

However, Cruz said more work lies ahead for Philippine telcos.

Based on Globe’s monitor, local fraud rates have increased by 13 percent, more than double the global average of five percent.

Likewise, Cruz said 34 percent of Filipinos have suffered from online scams, contributing to the estimated $1 trillion in losses globally.

‘If people do not feel safe, they disengage, (and) that is why security, privacy and accountability must be built into the network from the start,’ Cruz said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Cordillera has reported Baguio City as the country’s top regional city economy in per capita terms, posting the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita among regional cities in 2025.

According to the PSA-Cordillera, Baguio leads all cities in the country with a GDP per capita of P485,400, signaling the city’s strong consumer-driven economy and resilience amid economic challenges.

Trailing Baguio were Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao with P389,500 and Iloilo City in Western Visayas with P362,200.

The PSA report noted that the Cordillera region posted a 4.4-percent economic growth in 2025, slightly slower than the 4.9-percent expansion recorded in 2024.

Government economists largely attribute the high per capita output in leading regional cities to robust household consumption, supported in part by steady remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

Other cities in the top tier are Lapu-Lapu City (P354,300), Cebu City (P346,500), Mandaue City (P345,900), Davao City (P320,800), Angeles City (P313,300), Bacolod City (P253,900), Iligan City (P240,400), Tacloban City (P229,700), Olongapo City (P223,500), and Puerto Princesa City (P203,800).

‘Documents don’t lie, people do.’

This was how a senior administration lawmaker described Vice President Sara Duterte’s attempts to ‘spin’ the narrative around her alleged unexplained wealth, following the mismatch in her bank account transactions and her declared statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

‘No matter what spin you want to show the world, the billions of pesos in transactions of VP Duterte clearly showed one thing: None of these were declared in her SALN,’ House committee on good government and public accountability and Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua said.

‘They are just fooling the people with these alibis that small transactions reach billions through time. But the bottom line question here remains: Why did she not declare this in her SALNs?’ the House justice committee member asked.

For Chua, the Vice President’s camp is again resorting to diversion and narrative fog to distract from the central contradiction raised in the justice committee hearings.

‘This is a classic case of obfuscation. They’re claiming it (figures) is bloated, they’re diverting the issues,’ Chua said.

The glaring disparity between Duterte’s hidden assets that reached P6.7 billion and the P88 million declared in her SALN is the ‘smoking gun’ in her eventual impeachment, an opposition lawmaker said last week.

‘For me, this is a smoking gun, at least insofar as probable cause is concerned,’ Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno told reporters in a chance interview. ‘The VP has to explain what came out in the Anti-Money Laundering Council report compared to the SALNs she submitted.’

‘There is a very stark contrast or difference, the discrepancy of the two amounts are just so enormous that either here in our (justice) committee or in the Senate – whichever forum she prefers – she really has to make an explanation,’ the human rights lawyer added.

Diokno pointed out that records from the Office of the Ombudsman show Duterte declared a net worth of only P88.5 million in her latest SALN for 2024, where in previous years she declared between P7.5 million in 2007 up to P55.6 million in 2019, when she was Davao City mayor.

Citing the need for more funding amid the ongoing oil crisis, Sen. Imee Marcos has filed a bill postponing the November 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October 2027.

Since the BSKE schedule conflicts with All Souls’ Day when millions of Filipinos travel to their home provinces, Marcos also said pushing through with the original timeline could lead to massive voter disenfranchisement due to soaring transportation costs.

‘All Souls’ Day is important for Filipinos to pay their respects to the dead, but because of increasing travel expenses, it may discourage others to go home, let alone to vote,’ she said.

‘The oil crisis has triggered significant increases in transportation fares, creating a serious risk of disenfranchisement, especially for voters registered outside their residence and marginalized sectors already struggling with the cost of living,’ Marcos added.

A one-year postponement, she noted, would provide ample time for voters to legally transfer their electoral registrations to their current localities, eliminating the need for expensive trips just to cast a ballot.

Instead of spending on the polls, Marcos proposed realigning the multibillion-peso budget to mitigate the effects of inflation.

She said delaying the elections would ensure continuity in local governance, allowing incumbent barangay officials to concentrate on community interventions and crisis management rather than campaigning.

‘Let us honor the departed and allow Filipinos to focus on prayer and remembrance in November, without the added strain of voting and local politicking,’ she said.

Lawmakers are split on postponing the BSKE. Senate finance committee chair Sherwin Gatchalian enumerated several reasons why another suspension should be discouraged.

‘First of all, that is unconstitutional. Second, because it’s the second suspension and third, many people are hoping to choose their local leader,’ Gatchalian said.

Sen. JV Ejercito stressed that any move to defer the polls must align with the strict parameters established by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said politics is behind calls to postpone the BSKE.

‘I know that it is politics, and they are making promises so that they will create a good impression to our barangay officials because the 2028 elections is coming up,’ he said.

Reports of human waste being dumped along a roadside on busy Magallanes Street near Carbon Public Market in Cebu City have raised concerns over sanitation and labor conditions, as the Cebu City Council approved amendments to the city’s waste management ordinance.

The issue surfaced after netizen Arra Shaine Mondejar Estrera posted on social media on April 25, 2026, recounting a disturbing incident that drew public attention to worker welfare, public health, and urban cleanliness.

Estrera said she and a companion were waiting for a ride when a male employee of a nearby drugstore politely asked them to move aside because he was about to dispose of something. Assuming it was wastewater, they complied.

Moments later, the employee allegedly poured two large buckets of liquid onto the roadside, which Estrera later identified by its strong odor as urine.

‘Like ihi, super mapanghi. Imagine two buckets-kanang dagkong bucket sa pintal. Almost full ang usa, then ang usa kay half-full,’ she said.

Estrera said the incident disturbed her not only because of the unsanitary act, but also because of what she claimed were abusive workplace practices in some establishments in the area. She alleged that some workers are prohibited from using available restroom facilities.

‘Take note, naay CR sa sulod pero ang owner ra ang pwede mogamit. Ang staff kay mangihi sa balde sa pintal, iyabo inig afternoon, then the next day, repeat,’ she added.

She claimed workers are instead forced to relieve themselves in containers, which are later emptied in public areas.

Estrera also said the practice may have persisted for years, recalling similar observations during her college days and visits to the area from 2013 to 2019.

The incident has raised concerns over sanitation risks to commuters and pedestrians, the dignity and humane treatment of workers, and the cleanliness of public spaces in Cebu City’s downtown district.

Estrera said she has started filing complaints before the Department of Labor and Employment, the City Health Office, and the National Wages and Productivity Commission, hoping authorities would conduct an investigation and impose sanctions if warranted.

While the establishment involved has not been publicly identified, Estrera stressed that the issue extends beyond a single business.

‘This is not just about sanitation-it’s about basic human decency,’ she said.

The Office of the Mayor has directed the City Health Department to conduct an investigation, sanitary survey, and submit recommendations on the reported improper human waste dumping.

The mayor also ordered a complete inventory of all public and private comfort rooms within the area, including public toilets under City Government management, comfort rooms located in business establishments, and facilities in commercial buildings and markets.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Council has approved amendments to Ordinance No. 2031, strengthening the city’s waste management law first enacted in 2004.

The original measure introduced the ‘No Segregation, No Collection’ policy, requiring households to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste before collection. However, enforcement had been weak and compliance uneven.

Under the amended ordinance, violators who fail to segregate garbage face a fine of P1,000 or one month imprisonment for a first offense, P2,000 or two months imprisonment for a second offense, and P5,000 or six months imprisonment for succeeding violations.

First-time offenders may settle through a P500 compromise fee, but repeat violators will no longer be given that option. Those unable to pay may be required to render one to 15 days of community service.

The revised law also introduces a reward system, with compromise fees to be placed in a special city fund for barangays and deputized enforcers who apprehend violators.

Waste segregation has also been expanded into five categories: biodegradable, non-biodegradable, recyclable, hazardous or special waste, and bulky or white goods. Barangays are required to establish Material Recovery Facilities.

The ordinance likewise incorporates the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, requiring enterprises to adopt waste recovery measures such as reusable packaging, refill systems, buyback schemes, and partnerships with waste pickers.

The amendments come in the wake of Cebu City’s garbage crisis, highlighted earlier this year by the collapse of the Binaliw landfill that claimed lives and forced the city to spend millions transporting waste to Aloguinsan.

City officials said the overhaul underscores that waste management is no longer merely about collection, but about accountability shared by households, barangays, and businesses alike.