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The road to Asian Games glory began the moment the Alas Pilipinas women’s pool was announced barely a month ago.

After weeks of training together, it’s now time for the Nationals to show how much they’ve progressed.

The Filipinas left for Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday to compete in the first leg of the two-leg SEA V.League, where they will face a baptism of fire against the dangerous hosts tomorrow at the Dong Anh Gymnasium.

The squad will be mentored by Japanese coach Taka Minowa, husband of Jaja Santiago, and bannered mostly by players from the Premier Volleyball League led by Capital1’s power trio of Bella Belen, Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos.

Also suiting up from the PVL are ZUS Coffee’s Thea Gagate, Choco Mucho’s Eya Laure and Dawn Catindig, PLDT’s Dell Palomata, Akari’s Mars Alba, Jasmine Jazareno and Fifi Sharma, Galeries Tower’s Lams Lamina, and Creamline’s Jia de Guzman.

Completing the pool from outside the PVL are Nina Ytang, Alyssa Solomon, Arah Panique, Shaira Jardio, Celine Marsh, Vange Alinsug, Angel Canino and Amie Provido.

Alas is hoping to spring a surprise in the quadrennial Asian Games set this September in Aichi, Japan.

Alex Eala courageously bounced back after losing the first set to beat reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, and reach the second round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2026 on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, July 29 Philippine time) at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, DC.

‘Just being patient and being brave, waiting for my opportunities,’ Eala said in a report by Agence France Presse.

‘It was a very difficult match. I was at some difficult points but I’m happy with how I was able to turn it,’ the World No.28 Eala added after vanquishing the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng in a grueling duel that lasted two hours and 26 minutes.

Eala thus completed her conquest of all three women’s singles medalists from the Paris Games. She achieved the feat in a span of just five weeks.

The 21-year-old pride of Quezon City first outlasted silver medalist Donna Vekic of Croatia at the Berlin Open on June 17 and then shocked bronze medalist Iga Swiatek of Poland at Wimbledon last July 4.

As of this writing, Eala was still battling it out with the seventh-seeded defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada for a place in the quarterfinals.

Eala seeks payback against Fernandez, who defeated her at the Stuttgart Open back in April.

Sixty-two people have been rescued after a motor launch developed engine trouble in the waters off Tawi-Tawi.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) dispatched a search and rescue team after receiving a distress call on Monday from the M/L Trisha Mae.

The team located the Trisha Mae and towed it toward the Port of Bongao.

On Tuesday night, the PCG reported that the 62 people including 10 crewmembers were in good physical condition.

PCG chief Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan commended the members of the rescue team, saying that a swift, coordinated and timely maritime response is vital in protecting lives at sea.

The anti-political dynasty bill remains one of the Marcos administration’s priority measures even though President Marcos did not mention it in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Malacañang said yesterday.

‘That remains the President’s wish – to have this anti-political dynasty bill passed during his term and under his administration,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a media briefing.

‘So, let’s just wait for the bicameral (conference) and how long it will take. It is my understanding that the Senate still has some work to finish regarding this matter,’ she noted.

Several business groups and civil society organizations earlier called for a genuine law against political dynasties, with tougher safeguards to fight corruption.

They said House Bill 6771, filed by Speaker Faustino Dy III and Marcos’ son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, falls short of what can be considered a genuine law to stamp out political dynasties.

Meanwhile, Castro said the government is also likely to certify as urgent bills seeking to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act or EPIRA as well as extend the coverage of the annual income tax exemption.

In his fifth and penultimate SONA on Monday, Marcos urged Congress to amend the EPIRA to remove the charging of system loss to consumers, including the corresponding value-added tax.

‘It is only fair that Filipino families pay only for the electricity they use – not for inefficiencies beyond their control,’ Marcos said.

The President also called on lawmakers to pass a package of tax relief measures aimed at easing the financial burden on workers, particularly the middle class, and supporting small businesses amid the lingering effects of recent economic crises.

Under the proposed tax package, the government will expand the income tax exemption by increasing the threshold for tax-free annual income from the current P250,000 to P350,000, allowing more Filipino workers to keep a larger portion of their earnings.

Education reforms

Meanwhile, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pledged the Senate’s continued support for education and economic reforms outlined by President Marcos in his SONA, saying the administration’s commitments must translate into lasting improvements for Filipino families.

Gatchalian said the Senate would ensure the effective implementation of programs funded under the record P1.35-trillion education budget for 2026 to address long-standing challenges in the sector.

Marcos highlighted the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program and the hiring of 10,000 School Counselor Associates I to strengthen the government’s School-Based Mental Health Program.

The 2026 national budget earmarks P25.7 billion for the expanded feeding program, which will now cover all kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils while continuing assistance for stunted and wasted learners from Grades 2 to 6.

The program also extends feeding days to 200 from 120 and is expected to benefit nearly 4.5 million students.

Meanwhile, another P2 billion has been allocated for the recruitment of 10,000 School Counselor Associates to provide timely psychosocial support to students.

Gatchalian also welcomed the President’s focus on lowering the cost of living and strengthening the country’s competitiveness but stressed that the administration’s economic agenda should result in concrete reforms.

He backed the President’s call to amend the EPIRA by removing system loss charges from electricity bills, a proposal he said would provide immediate relief to households and businesses.

Gatchalian also expressed support for the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act, which seeks to expand the use of rooftop solar systems and battery storage to improve the country’s energy security.

Twin farm bills passed

The Senate has approved on third and final reading two measures authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan aimed at strengthening support for farmers and fisherfolk, a move the lawmaker said would boost food security and help reduce rural poverty.

Approved on Tuesday were Senate Bill 1991, or the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act, and SB 1990, the Agricultural Cooperatives Act.

‘This is a big step toward food security and providing better support for our farmers and fisherfolk, helping them rise above poverty,’ Pangilinan said.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act seeks to establish a more responsive and coordinated national extension system that would provide farmers and fisherfolk with technical assistance, research-based technologies, climate-smart farming practices and continuous training.

The Agricultural Cooperatives Act, meanwhile, seeks to reestablish the Bureau of Agriculture Cooperatives to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and improve farmers’ and fisherfolk’s access to financing, equipment and markets

Alyssa Solomon, Thea Gagate and Niña Ytang have shown they’re not backing down from any challenge just to carry the country’s flag.

And the troika – remnants of the national team that saw action in the AVC Women’s Cup in Candon City, Ilocos Sur more than a month ago – will wear that Philippine colors again when Alas clash with host Vietnam in Friday’s start of the SEA V Cup Leg 1 in Hanoi.

Bella Belen and Vanie Gandler of Capital1, Choco Mucho’s Eya Laure and Dawn Catindig, PLDT’s Dell Palomata, Akari’s Justine Jazareno and Fifi Sharma, and Creamline’s Jen Nierva and Jia de Guzman are returning to Alas after backing out from joining the Candon squad.

Also part of the team are Akari’s Mars Alba, Capital1’s Erika Santos, Galeries Tower’s Lams Lamina, Vangie Alinsug and Celine Marsh.

Surprisingly absent on this one were La Salle’s Angel Canino and Amie Provido.

Alas tackles Asian powerhouse Thailand on Saturday and Indonesia on Sunday.

Only 14 of the 16 who travelled to the Vietnamese capital would get to plunge into action.

The Filipinas, mentored by Japanese Taka Minowa, is also penned to battle in Leg 2 slated August 7-9 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Alas is using these trips to prepare for this September’s Asian Games in Aichi, Japan.

The Philippine gaming industry is expected to contract this year as regulatory tightening, weaker consumer spending and restrictions on e-wallet access weigh on the online gambling segment, according to SandP Global Ratings.

In a report, the debt watcher projected gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the Philippines to decline by seven percent in 2026, reversing the six-percent growth recorded last year.

Growth is expected to return in 2027, although at a modest two percent.

SandP classified the Philippines alongside Australia and New Zealand as ‘headwind markets,’ which face regulatory tightening and softer consumer spending.

It said the Philippines’ relatively more permissive approach to online gambling could pose challenges for traditional casino operators, potentially reducing the returns and feasibility of large-scale physical casino investments.

The outlook contrasts with other major gaming markets in the region. SandP expects Singapore’s GGR to expand by seven percent this year and five percent in 2027, while Macao is projected to grow by three to five percent annually over the same period.

Malaysia and Cambodia are also expected to post growth this year at four percent and five percent, respectively. Australia and New Zealand, meanwhile, are projected to contract by three percent and nine percent.

‘The Philippines is a case in point,’ SandP said. ‘A 20-fold growth in online gaming between 2022 and 2025 ignited concerns over addiction, prompting sudden restrictions on e-wallet linkages in August 2025.’

The rating agency said such abrupt policy changes could result in ‘severe revenue erosion,’ citing the impact on dominant online gaming operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp.

According to SandP, the Philippines and New Zealand stand out in Asia-Pacific because most markets in the region maintain restrictive policies toward online casino games, poker and sports betting.

The challenges facing the Philippine market are also weighing on the credit quality of some operators.

SandP downgraded Universal Entertainment Corp., the Japanese operator behind Okada Manila, to B- with a negative outlook in May, citing its heavy debt burden and the poor performance of its Philippine gaming business.

‘The downturn in the integrated resort business is likely to continue due to tough macro conditions and competition in the Philippines gaming market,’ SandP said.

The rating agency expects these pressures to suppress groupwide earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. It could also push Universal Entertainment’s debt-to-EBITDA ratio to about 10 times over the next 12 months.

SandP is also monitoring the risk of deteriorating liquidity, although it does not expect major cash flow problems over the next few quarters.

More broadly, SandP expects Asia-Pacific gaming revenue to expand by three to five percent annually over the next two to three years, supported by rising household wealth and tourism.

However, the rating agency said demand alone is becoming a weaker indicator of credit quality as policy decisions, capital allocation and market-specific risks increasingly determine operator performance.

A male villager was killed while two others were wounded as two groups, armed with combat rifles, clashed in Barangay Estado in Matalam town in Cotabato on Wednesday, July 29, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate to safe areas.

Officials of the Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion, securing the municipality separately, told reporters on Thursday that the two groups are squabbling for control of strategic patches of arable lands in interior areas in Barangay Estado.

Both groups, one of which is identified with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, had figured in deadly gunfights in the area repeatedly in recent months, exacting more than 10 fatalities on each side.

Local executives in Matalam said the fatality in Wednesday’s incident in Barangay Estado, Elmer Viajante, an Ilonggo farmer, died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds sustained in the crossfire.

Municipal and barangay officials said Viajante was on his way home from his farm when armed men, speaking to each other in Maguindanaon vernacular, opened fire at Ilonggo gunmen behind his location.

Barangay officials said two other residents of Barangay Estado were wounded in the gunfight, which triggered panic among villagers, forcing them to relocate to neutral grounds. The wounded villagers were immediately brought to a hospital by barangay officials for treatment.

Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, commander of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, said they have deployed peacekeeping troops in Barangay Estado, from the 40th Infantry Battalion, to prevent a repeat of the incident.

The displaced villagers, many of them children and elderly folks, are now in makeshift evacuation sites in Barangay San Roque in Matalam and in nearby areas, being watched over by relief workers from their government unit, according to Bunayog.

A ‘fair, thorough investigation’ is underway on the viral video circulating online of a male teacher being beaten up by students in Maco, Davao de Oro, the Department of Education (DepEd) said yesterday.

The video showed a teacher and a male student arguing before the student attacked the teacher.

The incident reportedly occurred inside the Elizalde National High School gymnasium.

Police said the teacher reprimanded the student for violating a school policy prohibiting them from wearing earrings.

The student reportedly became furious and tried to punch the teacher, but he was stopped by his schoolmates. However, his brother, who is also a student, hit the teacher from behind.

Together, the siblings continued to hit the teacher before other students could stop them.

The teacher suffered injuries and filed a complaint before the police. The students were placed under the custody of the local social welfare office.

‘DepEd remains firm in its commitment to protecting the welfare of our educators while guiding our learners with compassion and accountability,’ DepEd said.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers said the incident showed the lack of adequate protection and authority for teachers to enforce discipline in schools.

Bomb threats

Meanwhile, 47 schools in Central Luzon have received bomb threats since May 1.

The Police Regional Office 3 has stepped up its efforts against the recent wave of bomb threat hoaxes, warning that those behind these malicious acts will be identified, arrested and prosecuted.

Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez said, ‘Every one of those reports disrupted classes, caused fear among students, parents and teachers and diverted police resources from genuine emergencies. Enough is enough. Bomb threats are not pranks; they are criminal acts.’

The sustained investigations have already led to the arrest of two 18-year-old suspects – one in Bulacan and another in Nueva Ecija – both of whom are now facing appropriate criminal charges.

Weak leadership

The increase in the incidents of violence in schools is a manifestation of a weak leadership of President Marcos, Vice President Sara Duterte said yesterday.

‘That’s what happens when there is no visible leadership, people are doing their own thing. If you see it among government employees today, that’s the same mentality, they are doing their own thing. Because the moral ascendancy of the highest, those at the top, is disappearing,’ she said.

She was referring to the surge of online threats in schools following the incident in Tacloban City where three learners were killed after students aged 15 and 14 entered two classrooms and opened fire.

Criminal cases have been filed against three men allegedly caught tampering with electric meters in General Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite.

Charges for violating Republic Act 7832, the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act, were filed against the suspects who were arrested in Barangay Kabulusan over the weekend.

Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the arrest was based on a complaint filed by power distributor Meralco that the suspects were convincing residents to have their power meters recalibrated to reduce their monthly electricity bill.

One of the suspects is an electrician who handled the tampering. The other served as a negotiator and the third as the driver of the group, Morico said.

The suspects reportedly charged P15,000 for every power meter they calibrated.

The arresting team seized from the suspects a resistor device and other tools.

Morico warned the public that unauthorized alterations to power meters can result in short circuits as well as trigger fires.

He urged residents to report illegal tapping of power lines and unauthorized use of submeters.

Filipino steakhouse House of Wagyu Stonegrill is keeping its commitment to signature experiences following the opening of a flagship branch in Parañaque’s Okada Manila.

The flagship location is the restaurant’s fourth opening across nearly two decades after establishments in Shangri-La Plaza, Eastwood, and Viridian in Greenhills.

The setting overlooking Manila Bay was an invitation by the Parañaque resort-hotel, restaurant founder Corinne Castañeda told Philstar.com in an interview, which her team viewed as a chance to create a “most complete expression” after years of service.

Castañeda added that the location “provided a remarkable setting that inspired the restaurant’s design,” which allowed them to introduce new dining experiences that were not possible elsewhere. These include table dining rituals, the Onyx whisky lounge, private dining spaces, and a charcoal-fired Pira oven, though the titular stonegrill remains a signature of the restaurant.

“We never wanted the flagship to redefine House of Wagyu, we wanted it to showcase the best of what we’ve always believed in,” said the executive, pointing out all four restaurants are built on “exceptional Wagyu, signature Stonegrill experience, warm hospitality, and genuine care for guests.”

Castañeda reiterated that each location is its own personality and serves its own community, and the flagship branch allows the team to expand this vision.

“It doesn’t replace what our existing restaurants offer, it complements them,” she ended. “I want them to leave feeling they experienced the same House of Wagyu heart, expressed a little differently in each home.”