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The data center arm of PLDT Group has sealed a pact with two global technology leaders to give key sectors access to artificial intelligence’s (AI) full potential without hefty infrastructure investments.

ePLDT said on Monday that it teamed up with Dell Technologies and Katonic AI. They are launching the Philippines’ ‘first sovereign AI solutions stack’ dubbed Pilipinas AI.

Introducing this in the local market will help local businesses to break through challenges in deploying AI, such as complex integration requirements and the lack of AI specialists, according to the firm.

The group also said the service is hosted at its Vitro Sta. Rosa, the first AI-ready hyperscale data center in the Philippines.

The firm hopes to reach sectors, like banking and finance, business process outsourcing, health care, public services and academia. It said that the Pilipinas AI has the capability to detect fraud, provide AI-driven weather forecasting and AI-assisted medical diagnostics, boost customer experience and others.

‘By working with trusted, world-class tech partners, we are putting the right foundation in place for Philippine enterprises to embrace AI with confidence. Pilipinas AI gives them access to computing power and advanced tools that help accelerate adoption, streamline operations and drive innovation at scale,’ Victor Genuino, president and CEO of ePLDT and Vitro Inc., said in a statement.

Not if, but when

‘AI adoption is no longer a question of if, but when. With Pilipinas AI, we are making sure that when Philippine enterprises take that leap, they do so on solid ground,’ Genuino said.

ePLDT currently operates 11 data centers across the Philippines. These are in Makati, Taguig, Pasig, Parañaque, Subic, Clark, Cebu and Davao.

In the first six months of 2025, PLDT’s core income inched up by 1 percent to P17.6 billion from P17.3 billion a year ago. Consolidated service revenues also reached P97.1 billion, with data and broadband accounting for 85 percent. INQ

The proposed safeguard duty on cement imports is unlikely to raise prices but instead help safeguard the local industry against unfair competition, an industry group said.

‘The measure is needed to give local manufacturers a fair chance to compete against foreign suppliers that enjoy government support,’ the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc. (CeMAP) said in a statement on Monday.

The group said this safeguard measure would keep the domestic cement manufacturing viable and protect local jobs.

‘It is of national interest to promote and protect the local cement industry against unfair competition from other countries. The Philippines’ [cement industry] is not subsidized,’ CeMAP executive director Rey Baja said.

Other groups, including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Philippine Industries, have signified their strong support for imposing the safeguard duty.

To recall, in February, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) slapped a provisional safeguard duty of P400 per metric ton (MT), or P16 per 40-kilogram bag, on imported cement. This is good for 200 days from the date of issuance of the relevant Bureau of Customs order.

The cash bond was enforced after the DTI’s preliminary investigation discovered a ‘casual link’ between the increased imports of these cement types and serious injury to the local industry.

‘The increased volume of imports, both in absolute terms and relative to domestic production, was found to be the substantial cause of the overall impairment in the local industry,’ the DTI said in its Department Administrative Order No. 25-01 issued in February.

The Tariff Commission subsequently initiated an inquiry into the merits of imposing a definitive safeguard duty against importations of Ordinary Portland Cement and Blended Cement from various countries.

On top of existing tariffs

Under the Safeguard Measures Act, the state may impose safeguard measures on top of current tariffs in case increased imports cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the sector.

‘Since then, cement prices have stayed stable, with many local manufacturers keeping the market competitive,’ CeMAP said.

The group pointed out that the industry incurred P5 billion in losses as well as experienced slower operations and job cuts due to the entry of imported cement.

Cement imports stood at 7.6 million MT in 2024, mostly from Vietnam, even as the local industry has a total capacity of 51 million tons.

However, demand was only 35 million tons while actual production dropped to 27 million tons, meaning only 53 percent of the overall output capacity was used.

‘Industry leaders say the situation is unfair. Some Vietnamese cement companies are state-owned or receive government incentives that Filipino manufacturers do not get,’ CeMAP said.

‘This allows them to sell cement at very low prices, even when the Philippines already has enough supply,’ it added.

According to CeMAP, cement manufacturing contributes at least one percent to the country’s gross domestic product and supports about 130,000 direct and indirect jobs. INQ

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday urged government officials to strengthen integrity and credibility in public service.

Speaking to newly elected and appointed officials of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines in a ceremony in Malacañan Palace, Marcos stressed that ‘unscrupulous abuse of power and greed must come to an end.’

‘Many Filipinos are frustrated by the layer upon layer of issues that plague them every day,’ Marcos said in Filipino.

‘Our people are exhausted, they are disappointed, and they are angry. And as I have said before, their rage is valid. It is born from years of frustration at a government characterized by systemic dysfunction and unfulfilled promises,’ he added.

The President also called on leaders to ‘confront’ the anger of the public and be humbled enough to provide concrete solutions to the nation’s problems.

‘Let us not dismiss their anger. Let us confront it. Let us be humbled and provide concrete solutions. Alam naman natin ang mga mali, kaya dapat nating itama,’ President Marcos said.

Marcos also underscored his administration’s commitment to eradicating entrenched corruption, implementing useful reforms, and delivering an honest and accountable government.

Amid her battle with several autoimmune diseases, Kris Aquino looked well and radiant during her and her children Josh and Bimby’s recent visit to a friend who celebrated his birthday.

The Queen of All Media, albeit wearing a face mask, appeared smiling while bonding over a meal with hair and makeup artist Jonathan Velasco at the latter’s intimate birthday celebration.

Aside from the Aquinos and Velasco, a few other companions, including those who appeared to be Kris’ medical staff, were present at the gathering, as seen in the photos shared by the makeup artist on his Instagram page.

‘A huge thank you to the Aquino family for making my birthday so special,’ Velasco captioned his post. ‘Love you po, Madam Kris, Josh and Bimb.’

Velasco’s comments section was then flooded with messages from Kris’ supporters who thanked the makeup artist for sharing his recent moment with the actress-TV host.

Just earlier this month, Kris underwent two surgical procedures. She also previously had surgical procedures last August as she began a ‘more aggressive treatment’ for her 11 autoimmune diseases

Apart from naked greed and selfish political agendas, a faulty understanding of national budgeting principles may have led our legislators to feel little guilt or shame over their unprecedented self-serving national budget realignments. Massive amounts reallocated in the 2025 budget to spurious flood control projects came prominently from the defunding of nearly P300 billion in official development assistance (ODA) or foreign loan-funded projects and from relegating them to the unprogrammed budget. This part of the budget, which has ballooned after 2022, is, in effect, a ‘waiting list’ of expenditure items that can only push through if unexpected additional funds become available. By implication, these are lower-priority expenditures that the country can afford to set aside in favor of those in the main or programmed budget.

The problem is, ODA projects are nothing like that. They are by nature priority projects, having passed rigid scrutiny by the interagency Investment Coordination Committee and rigorous technical analysis by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (formerly National Economic and Development Authority). They form part of the Public Investment Program accompanying the Philippine Development Plan and are essential to the fulfillment of our PDP goals and targets. For our ODA partners, PIP projects are the ‘shopping list’ of priority projects from which they can choose what to fund with their soft loans (loans with lower interest rates and longer grace periods and repayment terms) to be truly responsive to our development goals. These are most certainly not low-priority projects we can set aside in favor of budget insertions by legislators, many of which have turned out to be ‘ghost’ projects that put fabulous sums in the pockets of conniving lawmakers, government officials, and contractors-as is now being exposed in full view.

Why the seeming lack of hesitation to shove aside ‘counterpart funding’ for ODA projects despite these having high priority? Most lawmakers don’t seem to understand what these ‘counterpart funds’ really are, a misunderstanding I’ve found to be common since my days in the government in the 1990s. The term ‘counterpart’ misleads many, including lawmakers, to think of it simply as the government’s equity share in the funding for ODA projects, and that the foreign lender’s ‘counterpart’ will still be there to spend even without the government’s share. But that is not the case.

‘Appropriations cover’ is the better term rather than ‘counterpart funds’ for the budget allocation needed to release ODA loan proceeds. Every peso of ODA loan proceeds needs to be appropriated in the budget to be spent. In the national fiscal accounts, ODA loan proceeds are treated as ‘deficit financing,’ not additional funds to the government’s budgetary resources from taxes, fees, and other revenues. That is, ODA project loans, which must be paid back, count as part of the total government borrowing to finance the deficit, or the gap between its revenues and expenditures, which now cumulatively totals P17 trillion. (On the other hand, foreign grants that need no repayment are automatically appropriated, hence need no budget line. Here, the term ‘counterpart’ is correctly used as it’s widely understood and is indeed the government’s equity shares to supplement the donor’s grant.)

This is why shifting some P300 billion of ODA ‘counterpart funds’ to the unprogrammed budget is such a serious matter. It means none of the shifted ODA project’s loan funds will get released at all, unless the government manages to raise more revenues than were projected for the year. It’s an outright breach of loan agreements signed with our foreign partners, who have been scratching their heads over our seemingly irrational repudiation of assistance they have so kindly offered us, as this is what defunding the ODA programs amounts to. And because these soft loans are dispensed through financial institutions, customary commitment fees apply, meaning, if we don’t spend the funds, we pay the lender a penalty for keeping the money idle.

But the bigger cost our irresponsible lawmakers have brought upon our country is the chilling signal it has sent to the financial markets and investment community that our government is not to be trusted. The signs are already evident. The peso has been depreciating much faster than it should, even as the United States Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate easing should have moved it in the opposite direction (like our neighbors’ currencies have in fact done). While our peso declines in value, our neighbors’ currencies are moving the other way. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas won’t say it publicly, but they see the problem.

The insatiable greed in high places, now being exposed to all, is pulling the entire economy and country down. This time, we shouldn’t let them get away with it.

Former BigBang member T.O.P is set to return as a solo artist in the fourth quarter with a full-length album, industry sources said Tuesday.

It will be his first solo music release since his digital single ‘Doom Dada’ 12 years ago.

The star will be bringing in help for the video with a creative virtuoso he worked with while acting in Netflix series ‘Squid Game 2.’

‘T.O.P’s studio album is scheduled for release sometime in or after October. He has completed recording and plans to shoot several music videos. An art director of ‘Squid Game’ will oversee the production,’ an industry source told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.

The art director and production designer for Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ is Chae Kyoung-sun, who won Art Directors Guild Awards in 2022 and 2025 for her work on the series, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022 for outstanding production design.

Hints of a T.O.P solo comeback surfaced before. Last November, he replied ‘2025’ to a fan asking about his solo activity on his Instagram account. In June, he revealed plans to return as a solo artist this year during an international interview promoting ‘Squid Game 2.’

After parting ways with YG Entertainment and leaving Big Bang in 2021, T.O.P has remained without an agency. Another industry insider said he is in talks to sign with Kakao Entertainment, a local entertainment giant, but the company has denied the claim.

T.O.P faced controversy in 2016 when he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for using marijuana while serving as a conscripted police officer.

His mandatory military duty was later converted to an alternative social service. Following the incident, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry but reversed course by appearing in ‘Squid Game 2.’

In an interview with local media in January, the rapper reflected on his past.

‘In my 20s, I was fortunate to receive so much love, but I made huge mistakes and collapsed mentally. I still feel ashamed and believe I must always reflect on those mistakes,’ T.O.P said.

‘Whenever I’m in the studio, I feel alive. I’ve been working constantly and created a lot of music, and I believe the time has come to share it with the world,’ he added.

Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island remained under Alert Level 2 on Tuesday, September 30, as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported heightened activity over the past 24 hours.

In its latest summary observation report, Phivolcs said that Kanlaon continues to log increased unrest, with 31 volcanic earthquakes recorded from only seven quakes in the previous monitoring period.

Sulfur dioxide emissions – a colorless gas from magma releasing dissolved gases – also rose to 1,141 tons per day from 1,027 tons. Plumes reached 150 meters from the summit before drifting southwest.

Ground deformation is still inflated, which means that the ground around the volcano is swelling or bulging outward.

Alert level 2 remains raised on Kanlaon. This signifies moderate unrest with evidence of magma involvement.

Phivolcs warned of potential hazards, including sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions and possible magmatic activity.

Authorities reiterated that entry into the four-kilometer permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited, and flying any aircraft near the volcano should not be allowed. /das

Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) on Monday opened its new office building in Quezon City as part of its modernization plans. It features ‘touchless’ and facial recognition technology.

RLC business unit general manager Jericho Go told reporters GBF Center 2 at the Bridgetowne estate would be the first to use these new features.

‘We have a full destination control system,’ Go said.

According to him, the GBF 2 lobby features facial recognition-enabled turnstiles and ‘state-of-the-art filtration systems.’

An employee’s face is recognized at the entrance after registering their biometrics via the Go Work mobile application. Then, their assigned floor is identified and they are assigned a specific elevator in the lobby. This ensures efficient operations and electricity savings, Go explained.

The 30-story GBF 2 follows the 2023 launch of GBF Center 1, which has already leased out 60 percent of its available space.

‘Premiumization’

According to Go, they were looking to also upgrade the lobbies of their other office buildings as part of RLC’s ‘premiumization’ strategy.

Earlier this month, RLC announced it would develop a new office tower in Davao City to expand its footprint across the country’s second-largest island group. The nine-story building is slated for completion in the first half of 2027.

Once completed, this will add to the developer’s Mindanao portfolio. This consists of eight shopping malls, three GoHotels, one Grand Summit Hotel and two office buildings.

This expansion and upgrade of its office portfolio forms part of RLC’s plan to double its net income to P25 billion by 2030.

Apart from office buildings, this includes the expansion of RLC’s portfolio of upscale condominiums and introduction of luxury and ultra-luxury hotels.

RLC also recently launched The Jewel. It will have a mall, four office towers and a five-floor basement parking area.

The Jewel will have a projected gross leasable area of around 320,000 square meters. This would make it RLC’s biggest project in a single location. INQ

Just days after Typhoon Opong exited the country, a new low-pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) is now being monitored, the state weather agency said Tuesday.

As of 8 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the LPA is 1,360 east of Southeastern Luzon. It has a medium potential of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours.

Pagasa said earlier that the cloud clusters could develop into an LPA that might affect northern Luzon. Once it becomes an LPA, it has a possibility of turning into a tropical cyclone from Sept. 29 to early October.

Meanwhile, Pagasa warned that Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon are expected to experience cloudy skies with scattered showers and thunderstorms due to easterlies.

Easterlies refer to winds that blow from the eastward direction, carrying warm and moist air from the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines. /das/abc

Mayor Abundio ‘JP’ Punsalan Jr. of San Simon town in Pampanga is set to be arraigned before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division this Wednesday, two months after his Aug. 5 entrapment for alleged extortion of a Filipino-Chinese businessman.

The Division’s Presiding Judge Geraldine Faith Econg also set the pre-trial of Punsalan on the same date, a copy of her Sept. 9 order showed.

The arraignment and pre-trial followed after the mayor surrendered and posted cash bonds of P90,000 for a case of violations of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and for Article 293 of the Revised Penal Code (robbery by means of extortion), the order showed.

The San Simon-based Real Steel Corporation filed the complaint that accused the mayor of demanding P80 million in exchange for not overturning Municipal Ordinance No. 24-0025 that granted tax incentives to the company.

The demand was allegedly accompanied by threats that Real Steel’s incentives would be revoked if payment was not made.

The National Bureau of Investigation entrapped Punsalan last Aug. 5 at a restaurant in Clark Freeport just as he was taking a bag containing cash amounting to more or less P30 million.

Real Steel’s lawyer Philip Advent said conviction under these charges ‘carries penalties of imprisonment, dismissal from service, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.’

Punsalan returned to work last September 3 after the Regional Trial Court Branch 206 in Muntinlupa granted his petition for habeas corpus on the ground of ‘unlawful detention’ in the NBI custodial center at the New Bilibid Prison.

Also released were Ed Ryan Dimla, as well as his security personnel, Domingo Ramones, and Rodolfo Dagdag Jr., Philip Ronnie Jimenez Sr., Rufino Cruz, and Erwin Calma.

Also pending in the Office of the Ombudsman is Real Steel’s urgent motion to suspend Punsalan in an administrative case for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.

Real Steel also filed an administrative case against the mayor before the provincial board of Pampanga./coa