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The BCDA signed three memoranda of understanding with Japanese institutions to open up collaboration opportunities in waste management, renewable energy, telecommunications and sustainable development.

Signed during an official mission to Tokyo, the first MOU is with Japanese industrial and engineering firm Kanadevia Corp. It involves a feasibility study on building a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

‘This project aligns with the BCDA’s goal of transforming New Clark City into a green and resilient metropolis by introducing sustainable solutions and fostering a circular economy,’ the BCDA said in a statement on Wednesday. Connectivity

The second MOU, this time with Japanese telecommunications firms IPS Inc. and InfiniVAN Inc., explores potential collaborative projects to optimize use of BCDA’s information and communications technology assets in the Poro Point Freeport Zone in La Union and other administered zones. This aims to boost the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure Program by ensuring high-speed internet connectivity in local communities.

The last MOU was signed with the Japan Bank for International Corp. (JBIC). It involves projects that support energy transition as well as environmental and social sustainability.

Aside from encouraging Japanese companies to invest in green and sustainable initiatives, JBIC will consider strategic funding options to support such projects.

Green initiatives

‘With our Japanese partners, we are advancing projects that tackle waste management through renewable energy, strengthen digital connectivity for communities, and promote sustainable development in our economic zones,’ BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said. ‘These agreements are more than just documents; they represent a shared commitment to collaboration, innovation and sustainable growth,’ Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene de Joya Garcia-Albano said.

The BCDA delegation to Tokyo is also scheduled to meet with the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development to align strategies for developing New Clark City.

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo attended Wednesday, October 1, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) hearing on alleged flood-control irregularities.

Bernardo arrived at the ICI office about 10 a.m. Wednesday to testify as a resource person but declined to comment to the media.

Last week, in his testimony before the Senate blue ribbon committee, Bernardo alleged that Senator Francis Escudero and former Senators Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay received kickbacks from allocations for public works projects.

He also named Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, whose P4.7-billion in air assets were recently ordered frozen by the government.

Co resigned as a member of the House of Representatives on Sept. 30./cb

Authorities say at least 69 individuals reportedly died due to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that jolted Cebu on Tuesday evening, Sept. 30.

The quake damaged several heritage churches, houses and schools, while causing widespread power outages in the region.

ICI to subpoena Romualdez, Co, Villar as it probes into flood control scams

Former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and Senator Mark Villar are set to be subpoenaed by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to attend its investigation on the flood control anomalies.

ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said this in an ambush interview on Wednesday.

NBI to Interpol: Help us bring back Garma

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday said it would seek the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to compel former Police Col. Royina Garma to return to the country and face charges of murder and frustrated murder over the 2020 killing of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Wesley Barayuga.

According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, the investigating team has already reached out to Interpol agents in the country, who would relay the matter to counterparts in Malaysia, where Garma is presumed to have been staying since leaving the Philippines on Sept. 7.

Lacson: Photo with Discayas taken during midterm poll campaign

‘I did not know the Discayas and that was the first and only time outside of the blue ribbon committee hearings that I met them.’

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson issued the statement Wednesday, addressing the circulating image of him with the controversial contractor couple Cezarah ‘Sarah’ and Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya.

The recent debut of an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated ‘actress’ dubbed Tilly Norwood, and its producer’s boasts of interest from studio executives, sparked a backlash on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from the SAG-Aftra actors union, condemning the replacement of human performers with ‘synthetics.’

The Hollywood buzz around Norwood, introduced on Sept. 27 at a film industry conference in Zurich, and the union’s scathing reaction to it reflected the dread many in the creative community feel about the intersection of AI and show business.

The official Norwood launch consisted of a 20-second appearance of the photo-real character – a 20-something fictional ingenue bearing no particular resemblance to any real celebrity – in a brief video parody about making an AI-generated television show.

Dutch actor-producer Eline Van der Velden, whose London-based AI production studio Particle6 created Norwood, said during her presentation at the Zurich Summit the project was starting to turn heads.

After months of facing boardroom scepticism, talent agents were starting to tell her: ‘We need to do something with you guys,’ Hollywood trade paper Variety quoted Van der Velden as saying. She said an announcement of a first-of-its-kind talent agency deal was a few months away, Variety reported.

Concerns about Hollywood actors and writers being exploited, and even supplanted, by AI-generated scripts and performers was a major issue in SAG-Aftra’s most recent round of contract talks with studios and streaming services.

Computer-generated imagery is nothing new to the film and TV industry, and AI-enhanced software has more recently emerged in various effects such as ‘de-aging’ technology allowing actors to portray younger versions of themselves.

The ability to convincingly replicate a feature-length human film performance with AI stand-ins is still seen as far off.

‘Very real emotions’

Nevertheless, the prospect of talent agents suddenly showing interest in AI-created figures stirred a swift denunciation from SAG-Aftra, representing 160,000 actors, announcers, recording artistes, stunt performers and other talent.

Creativity is, and should remain, human-centered,’ the union said in a statement. ‘The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.’

The parody video, which first appeared in July, actually comprises 16 AI-generated characters in all. But Norwood – a winsome figure with shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes, a British accent and her own social media profile – was the star.

A separate Facebook post attributed to the character exclaims: ‘I may be AI-generated, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now. I am so excited for what’s coming next!’

SAG-Aftra officials were not amused.

‘To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor,’ the union said in its statement. ‘It’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers – without permission or compensation.’

Van der Velden sought to assuage such concerns in an Instagram message, saying Norwood ‘is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art. Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.’

Van der Velden was more provocative in an interview in July with the publication Broadcast International, which quoted her as saying: ‘We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, that’s the aim of what we’re doing.’

Not everyone is convinced Norwood packs such potential. Yves Bergquist, director of AI in media at the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center, called the hoopla ‘nonsense.’

‘There is a lot of very understandable nervousness and fear out there about talent being replaced,’ he said.

But judging from his own daily interactions with Hollywood executives, Bergquist said there was zero interest from ‘serious people’ in developing entirely synthetic characters.

‘Scarlett Johansson has a fan base. Scarlett Johansson is a person,’ he said. /ra

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for flights near Taal Volcano after it erupted early Wednesday. In its advisory, Caap said the NOTAM will cover flights near Taal with vertical limits from the surface up to 11,000 feet.

The notice will be in effect from 9:12 a.m. this Wednesday until 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 2.

‘Flight operators are advised to avoid flying close to the volcano,’ Caap said.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, a minor phreatomagmatic eruption from the main crater of Taal occurred on Wednesday at 2:02 a.m. to 2:15 a.m.

Three Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel died following the collapse of the San Remigio Sports Complex in Cebu amidst the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Tuesday evening.

The PCG identified the fatalities as Seaman Second Class Lawrence Palomo PCG, Apprentice Seaman Jujay Mahusay PCG, and Apprentice Seaman Ert Cart Dacunes, PCG.

According to the PCG, the three were brought to the Bogo General Hospital, but were declared dead despite efforts to revive them.

‘We extend our sincere condolences to the families of our fallen personnel. Their dedication to the service and camaraderie with our fellow uniformed men and women will always be remembered. The PCG stands in full solidarity with their loved ones and will ensure that they receive the utmost support,’ PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said. ‘Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez likewise extended his condolences to the officers’ families.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Seaman Second Class Palomo, Apprentice Seaman Mahusay at Apprentice Seaman Dacunes. The entire DOTr family commiserates with their families and the PCG family, losing 3 promising personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard.We join you in our sincere prayers,’ Lopez said.

He also recognized the service of the coast guard officers.

‘We are grateful for their faithful service to the people and their duty. [Their families] can be assured of continued support and assistance,’ Lopez added.

Zsa Zsa Padilla donated ready-to-eat food packs to victims of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu which struck on Tuesday night, Sept. 30.

Photos of Padilla at the provincial relief center were shared on Cebu Province’s Facebook page on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

‘Zsa Zsa Padilla dropped by the Capitol command center this afternoon to turn over ready-to-eat food packs and bottled water for families affected by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake,’ read the caption.

The province’s local government added that the veteran actress’ donation shows ‘solidarity with the Cebuano people during difficult times and hardships.’

It was not immediately known if Padilla was already in Cebu when the earthquake happened or if she flew in to offer help.

However, in the comments section of her posts, netizens are reminding the actress-singer to take care during her taping amid the incident.

Padilla also took to her Instagram page to ask for more donations, including food, water and tents, for the affected individuals.

‘Please help Cebu. Let’s pray for Cebu,’ read her post alongside the art cards about the donation.

As of this writing, the death toll in Cebu has climbed to 61. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing. The Cebu provincial government has also called for medical volunteers.

Meanwhile, Slater Young, Manilyn Reynes and Ellen Adarna expressed concern for their fellow Cebuanos affected by the earthquake.

Heart Evangelista also extended her prayers for the Cebu victims as well as for those in surrounding areas. /ra

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide financial assistance and cover the burial expenses of families of the victims killed during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu on Tuesday.

‘The DSWD’s Field Office Central Visayas is now accounting the number of casualties and their location. Our social workers will also talk to the concerned families to inform them that the DSWD will shoulder the burial expenses of their loved ones,’ the agency’s spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a statement on Wednesday.

Dumlao also shared that the DSWD’s Central Visayas office will give P10,000 in cash assistance to the families of the deceased. On Wednesday morning, at least 61 individuals were confirmed dead while at least 147 individuals were injured during the quake, prompting the Cebu provincial government to place the entire province under a state of calamity.

The earthquake struck Central Visayas on Tuesday evening, but the number of casualties continues to rise, the Cebu Provincial Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Management Office said. The provincial government reported that a commercial building and a school collapsed, and several village roads were damaged.

Some power lines were also tripped, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned of aftershocks and earthquake-induced mass movements, such as landslides.

Furthermore, Phivolcs said the earthquake was caused by the movement of an offshore active fault northeast of Cebu Island.

Many people go to Iceland to chase the breathtaking but elusive Aurora Borealis.

Or they go to New Zealand for the stunning landscapes, maybe visit Hobbiton, the famous movie set of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’

Not the technical people from Energy Development Corp., whose parent firm First Gen Corp. is awash with P50 billion in cash from the sale of its gas business to tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.

If they are traveling to Iceland, New Zealand or even the United States, they are on the prowl for opportunities in geothermal energy.

EDC recently firmed up its debut in Indonesia. But the Lopez group’s investment horizon goes far beyond Southeast Asia.

‘Aside from Indonesia, there are very, very early stages of research. I don’t call it exploration. It’s research [first]-technical, commercial, legal, in the US, Iceland, New Zealand,’ Allan Barcena, EDC assistant vice president and head of corporate support group, told Biz Buzz on the sidelines of an energy forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines.

These countries have vast geothermal areas harnessed for energy production, not just to showcase geysers and hot springs.

At the very least, EDC would like to bring home new technologies.

‘It’s not only the resource itself but sometimes the technology,’ Barcena said.

‘Also, we’ll go to other countries to explore carbon storage technologies. Even if we are very low in emission in geothermal (operations), we’d like to really bring it down by capturing our CO2 (carbon) emissions in our power plants.’

EDC is exploring these technologies because they are not yet available in the Philippines, he added.

‘The technology is still new but we’d like to pilot these in EDC.’ -Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

Security Bank’s Vohra passes the torch

One pandemic and a flood control crisis later, Security Bank Corp. is welcoming a new chief as part of its succession plan, and he’s another veteran banker.

Security Bank on Tuesday announced its appointment of Victor Lee Meng Teck as the company’s new president and CEO, effective in early January 2026.

The former CEO of CIMB Singapore succeeds Sanjiv Vohra after more than six years. Although leaving his post, Vohra will remain the bank’s senior advisor to the board.

‘We’re grateful to Sanjiv for his steady leadership during one of the most challenging periods in recent history,’ Security Bank chair Cirilo Noel said in a statement.

Vohra’s appointment in 2019 came just months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which paralyzed economies across the globe and certainly was a challenge even for banks.

‘His vision and dedication have left the bank stronger, more resilient and well-prepared for the future,’ Noel added.

For his part, Lee was lauded for spearheading the growth of CIMB Singapore and doubling the bank’s revenue and raising return on equity to nearly 20 percent.

‘As we welcome Victor, we’re confident this seamless transition will allow us to sustain momentum and capture new opportunities,’ Noel noted.

This is a timely development, especially since former Security Bank chief financial officer Eduardo Olbes just retired. He’s also staying on board as senior advisor to the president and CEO.

Is this a new era for Security Bank? Abangan! -Meg J. Adonis INQ

The Department of Health (DOH) is seeking to expand the implementation of its zero balance billing program as it seeks to address the inadequate number of beds and provincial government hospitals in the country.

‘The DOH is proposing for a new line item in the GAA (General Appropriations Act), which we will call ‘Zero Balance Billing support for Level 2 and Level 3 LGU (local government unit) hospitals,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said on Wednesday.

Herbosa said during the hearing of the Senate committee on finance regarding the 2026 proposed budget of the DOH that he had sent a letter to finance committee chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian regarding the proposal.

‘This is so [the zero balance billing policy] will not just be for DOH hospitals. It would be very helpful if this is funded,’ Herbosa explained.

According to him, the fund will be used to support local government units that currently have no DOH hospital in their area, as well as lower-class municipalities that may not have a lot of budget to implement the zero balance billing policy.

He also explained that the DOH is focusing on Level 2 and Level 3 LGU hospitals as these handle more serious cases compared to Level 1 facilities. Under the zero balance billing policy of the government, patients no longer have to pay any fees when admitted to the basic or ward accommodation of the 83 DOH-run hospitals in the country.

Herbosa, however, said in the same hearing that these DOH hospitals are currently located in only 42 provinces, with 40 others lacking such a facility.

This means that some Filipinos would have to travel to another city or municipality just to avail of the zero balance billing.

Herbosa also pointed out in an earlier hearing that the country’s bed-to-population ratio as of 2024 was at 1.005 beds per population of 1,000, which was lower than the ideal 1.5 per 1,000.

Gatchalian noted during the hearing on Wednesday that ‘because of the zero balance billing, we have had unintended consequences, one of which is the bed occupancy rate.’

In his presentation, Gatchalian pointed out that based on 2024 data from the DOH, the average annual bed occupancy rate of hospitals in Metro Manila was at 96.83 percent, while for regional hospitals and other health facilities, the bed occupancy rate was at 151.29 percent.

This was higher than the recorded rates in 2023, which was 78.47 percent for Metro Manila hospitals and 115.68 percent for regional hospitals and other health facilities. ‘We can see that we have a lot of hospitals that are overcapacity. The same with regional hospitals,’ Gatchalian said.

‘In other words, with the zero balance billing, we will see this type of scenario moving forward.’

Based on his presentation, several Metro Manila hospitals had an average bed occupancy rate higher than 100 percent in 2024. This includes Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Santa Cruz, Manila, which was at 169.74 percent; Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, with 150.17 percent; and Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, also in Santa Cruz, with 120.34 percent.