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THE Special Program for Employment of Students (Spes) should contribute to senior high schools’ job-readiness.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian made the call at the weekend, urging the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to ensure that the Spes is worth investing in, after receiving a report showing that the program has had little impact on the academic and job readiness of youths.

He cited a report by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, which found that the Spes does not positively affect academic outcomes or work readiness in the medium term. The Dole, alongside local governments (LGUs), implement the Spes to give the youth temporary employment during school breaks. For 2026, P800 million is allotted for the program.

‘If we can link the Spes to our senior high school students, we can give them work and help them gain experience,’ said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

Labor Undersecretary Carmela Torres said the department is working to ensure that students’ work assignments give them practical work experience, life skills, and exposure to real-world work environments.

Gatchalian also pointed out that helping senior high school students through the SPES can help address Filipinos’ dissatisfaction with senior high school.

In 2024, the Dole assisted 84,745 beneficiaries of the Spes.

GT Capital Holdings Inc. on Monday said it signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Ateneo de Manila University for the establishment of a new Ateneo campus in the company’s property in General Trias in Cavite.

The new campus will rise in a 15-hectare parcel of land at Riverpark, the largest township development of GT Capital’s wholly-owned property subsidiary Federal Land Inc. and Federal Land NRE Global Inc. (FNG).

It is the latest addition to a growing number of strategic developments in the township, which currently include a Uniqlo logistics facility and the upcoming SM City General Trias.

By 2026, Riverpark residents will gain direct access to the Open Canal Interchange of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), which is expected to improving travel time to and from the township.

Last May, FNG-the joint venture between Federal Land and Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd.-reported the 100 percent sell-out of the first tranche of commercial lots in Riverpark, which are set to be developed into office, retail, and other mixed-use facilities.

‘Ateneo’s presence in Riverpark not only strengthens the educational landscape of Cavite but also uplifts the lives of the communities we serve. Our investment in this campus reflects our long-term commitment to creating sustainable value for generations of Filipinos, anchored on the values of excellence and service.,’ GT Capital Vice Chairman Alfred V. Ty said.

Ateneo’s Cavite campus is expected to bring holistic and world-class education closer to learners residing south of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The school is targeted to open by 2030.

‘The new Ateneo campus in Riverpark allows us to extend our mission and provide more families in Cavite and nearby provinces with access to quality education rooted in our Jesuit tradition,’ Ateneo de Manila University President Roberto Yap said.

Riverpark, a Federal Land Community, is envisioned to be ‘The Next-Gen City of the South,’ designed as a sustainable development that promotes smart and holistic living.

The inclusion of an Ateneo campus further elevates the township and reinforces its position as a catalyst for growth and innovation in the South.

Theme park Enchanted Kingdom (EK) is optimistic that its offerings will continue to entice Filipinos despite the availability of other entertainment sources and the rapid advancement of technology.

‘We try to always strike a balance. There are those who are saying that there are now various indoor immersive experiences but I guess the experience of actually riding a roller coaster is very different from doing it virtually. That is why there is still demand for (EK),’ Cesar Mario O. Mamon, president of Enchanted Kingdom, told the BusinessMirror in an interview.

‘I think our existence, or being open for the last 30 years, is a testament to how we’ve been able to create a multi-generational business.’

Mamon said the theme park is ‘attuned’ to the preferences of the different age groups.

Aside from the rides and other attractions, the EK chief said the theme park is currently exploring other revenue streams.

‘We look forward to having more dining experiences and other experiences that can entertain different age groups.’

The theme park in Sta. Rosa, Laguna is looking forward to welcome as many as 1.8 million visitors this year.

‘We’ve gone as high as 1.8 million but the important this is to retain per capita consumption or even increase it because of the different revenue streams we have inside the park.’

Mamon said the theme park’s revenues this year may be flat compared to last year. The availability of more retail options, he said, could allow the park to grow slightly.

‘Conservatively I would say that it may be a bit flat but it will be as good as last year or even better. Drivers of growth are: how we’re able to continue to answer the needs and wants of our guests and then to expand or revenue streams beyond just admission, food and merchandise into other things like having a hotel or having more retail options around the park.’ He said bad weather and the renovation of its existing facilities could pose obstacles to the theme park’s business goals this year.

‘The number one threat is weather-related because we don’t have control over that. Second, we limited our number of days of operation during the third quarter because we did some upgrades and renovation of existing facilities.’

Aside from these hurdles, Mamon said the theme park has attracted fewer visitors, particularly from public schools, in recent years.

Despite this, he said the theme park remains optimistic about its business prospects. For next year, it is targeting to attract 2 million visitors.

‘We’re thinking positive and we hope that we will attain that number in 2026. Bullish naman tayo, basta lang talagang maayos natin lahat.’

TWO labor unions at the Opus Dei-run University of Asia and the Pacific (UA and P) have filed their strike-vote reports before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), moving a step closer to a work stoppage after months of unresolved collective bargaining talks.

The UA and P Union of Faculty Members (UA and PUFM) and the UA and P Union of Allied Employees (UA and PUAE) submitted their reports on October 24 after the management again failed to make a new counteroffer during mediation.

The filing begins the seven-day waiting period before a legal strike can proceed under the Labor Code.

In a statement on Sunday, UA and PUFM President Ferdinand D. delos Reyes said the strike vote was prompted by management’s continued refusal to address long-standing issues on pay and benefits.

‘As teachers and employees, we’ve taught and learned of the social teachings of the Church which our institution holds true and dear. We enjoin management to act on the spirit contained in those social teachings, giving priority to people, to persons and their welfare,’ delos Reyes said.

Not enough

THE unions have been pushing for seven economic provisions in the new collective bargaining agreement, including reforms in the salary and promotion structure, health insurgance coverage for dependents, medicine reimbursement, educational and food allowances, and a signing bonus.

Talks reached a deadlock on June 25, leading both unions to enter preventive mediation in July.

They later filed separate notices of strike in August, citing alleged unfair labor practices and management’s refusal to grant non-negotiable concessions needed for conciliation.

By September, delos Reyes told the BusinessMirror that management’s only new proposal was a funeral-loan program, while other offers-such as the P150,000 HMO limit, seed money for a child-minding center, and free lunches-had already been in place.

‘Only the funeral loan is really new,’ he said then.

A document obtained by this newspaper showed that the university’s latest counterproposal, dated October 16, offered modest adjustments tied to financial performance and student enrollment growth.

The proposal included inflationary adjustments for 2025 and conditional salary increases of 1 to 2 percent in the following two years, depending on the increase in the number of paying students.

The HMO limit would remain at P150,000 next year and increase to P175,000 by August 2027 only if enrollment rises by 20 percent.

The document also stated that union representatives would be included in the salary and promotion review committee but without voting rights, giving them a limited, non-decision-making role.

The medical and educational allowance would be reviewed after three years, and a P20,000 lump sum would be given to both unions in lieu of the P10,000 signing bonus per employee that the unions are seeking.

The same employee, when asked how a strike might affect classes, said disruptions could be significant since union members come from both academic and non-academic departments.

‘[The] management said in one email to employees that they are ready so I guess they dont think that a strike would have much effect. We think otherwise,’ he said.

The employee added that many workers are under financial strain, with some struggling to cover daily expenses or send their children for medical checkups.

‘They claim that they don’t have any money but they seem to have the funds to have a Christmas party at a [hotel],’ he also said.

Almost 90 percent of union members voted in favor of the strike during elections held on September 24 and 25.

UA and P management, however, has maintained that its pay and benefits remain ‘above industry standards’ and that the university’s current finances limit further adjustments.

Delegation co-flag bearer Leo Mhar Lobrido is proving he’s not just a symbolic leader but a genuine contender for the Philippine team in the Asian Youth Games.

The cheerful fighter from Bago City overcame a brief scare from Sri Lanka’s Binul Dulnada Dewasiri Narayana in the third round of their light flyweight quarterfinal bout in the boxing competition at the Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB) on Sunday.

The Sri Lankan turned up the pressure in the third round after being dominated in the first two, briefly trapping the young Filipino near the ropes and limiting his movement against a flurry of wild attacks.

Lobrido, who turned 16 earlier this month, managed to recover, thanks to cheers from the small Filipino contingent at the stands, and went on to win, 5-0, and assure the Philippines of at least another bronze.

Lobrido is considered the best bet among the Filipino pugs, having ruled the Fourth Greater Area Bay Youth Boxing Challenge in Shenzhen, China, last year.

Back in contention

EMMANUEL PACULBA and Jacob Quindo recovered from early setbacks in the table tennis competition, also at EWB.

Paculba defeated Ali Alhawai of the United Arab Emirates, 11-7, 8-11, 11-13, 11-4, 11-5, to even his mark.

The 16-year-old Paculba couldn’t sustain momentum in his opening match against Iran’s Mobin Amiri, 11-5, 8-11, 12-14, 9-11.

Quindo bounced back in boys’ singles table tennis, holding off Syria’s Ammar Alkassab, 14-12, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7, after a losing to China’s Tang Yiren, 6-11, 4-11, 5-11, in his opener.

John Marin suffered a second straight loss in the boys’ singles, dropping his match against Sarthak Arya of India, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 7-11.

The 14-year-old Marin earlier bowed to Man William of Hong Kong, 10-12, 9-11, 11-13.

Marin and Jannaj Alarcon were stopped in the mixed doubles Round of 32 by Kazakhstan’s Bakdaulet Saurbay and Darya Fu in the Round of 32. The Philippine pair swept Mongolia’s Turmunkh Dugersuren and Enkhjin Tuvshinbayar, 11-7, 12-10, 11-3.

CJ Cabreros wound up 10th in the Individual Time Trial in road cycling, finishing the 16.6 kilometer race in 23 minutes and 6.39 seconds.

The 16-year-old Filipino averaged 43.105 kilometers per hour but still finished one minute an 20.74 seconds off the pace in the 22-rider field.

China’s Zhang Qiaochu bagged the gold with a time of 21:45.65, Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Chih-hsiang was 1.99 seconds behind for silver and Thailand’s Kittaphat Homkajorn bagged bronze, 4.74 seconds behind.

Weightlifting

bronze medals

PRINCESS JAY ANN DIAZ earned the bronze in the clean and jerk of the girls’ 44-kg class.

Niece of Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, the 17-year-old Princess Jay Ann made it to the podium with a 78kg lift on Sunday.

India’s Bhoi Priteesmita bagged gold with a world youth record 92kg lift, while China’s Wu Jihong lifted 88kg for silver.

Jay-r Colonia bagged bronze in the boys’ 56kg clean and jerk with a 137kg lift. Jiang Jinfu of China topped the event with a new Asian Youth record of 141kg, while Al Ojaian M Mohammed Nawaf of Saudi Arabia claimed silver with 138kg.

Boxer Shairylle Pores bowed out at the quarterfinal stage, however, as Chen Fang-yu of Chinese Taipei scored a 5-0 victory in the girls’ 46kg class.

Alas Pilipinas in semis

ALAS PILIPINAS is gearing up for a podium finish.

The Philippine girls’ volleyball team secured a Final Four berth by eliminating Chinese Taipei, 25-16, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18, in front of a huge Sunday crowd at Isa Sports City.

They face unbeaten Iran in the semifinals, but Rihanna Cris Navarro said the team is determined to win.

‘If we rate it from 1 to 10, we say it’s 10. It’s because we believe we can and we’re doing this for the country,’ Navarro said. ‘We worked hard for this especially it was a knockout match . we really need to get to the top four to get the gold.’

BusinessMirror reporters Lenie Lectura and Lorenz Marasigan won individual awards for excellence in this year’s 34th Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines’ (EJAP) Business Journalism Awards Friday night in Makati.

Lectura was named Energy Reporter of the Year while Marasigan won the Best Transportation and Telecommunications Reporter award.

Both reporters have won multiple awards in the past for excellence in coverage in various beats.

The annual EJAP Business Journalism Awards recognizes the best in Philippine business journalism.

The event was held in partnership with the Ayala Group.

The other winners are: Jasper Arcalas of Philippine Star (agri-mining), Luisa Jocson of BusinessWorld (banking), Bea Cruz of BusinessWorld (finance), Darwin Amojelar of Manila Standard (macroeconomy), Meg Adonis of Inquirer (capital markets), and Louella Desiderio of Philippine Star (trade).

Tens of thousands of people once again thronged MacArthur Highway in Balibago as the Tigtigan Terakan Keng Dalan (TTKD) celebrated its 33rd year with nearly 100,000 revelers over two nights of music, dancing, and cultural festivities on October 24 and 25.

What began three decades ago as a daring initiative to lift a city from despair has grown into one of Central Luzon’s most anticipated cultural events that symbolized the resilience, pride, and unity of Angeles City. According to former TTKD organizer Wing Pingol, the festival has maintained its appeal year after year.

‘TTKD has been celebrated annually with the same energy and excitement since it began. It is more than just a street party; it is a celebration of who we are as Angeleños because it tells our story of survival and community,’ Pingol said, former chair of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Angeles City Culiat.

JCI Culiat have been the main organizers of the festival since its inception. For 33 years, the civic organization has overseen every detail from logistics and stage management to security and medical preparedness.

‘The Culiat Jaycees have always been committed to this project,’ Pingol said. ‘We ensure that every aspect is carefully executed, and we have learned from experience how to maintain both safety and order.’

Pingol recalled the challenges of the festival’s early years where temporary jails were assembled for partygoers involved in fights. He said bar brawls and fraternity disputes were common during large gatherings.

‘But those days are gone. Our security measures and medical teams are now well-coordinated, and people have learned to celebrate responsibly,’ Pingol said.

‘TTKD is one of our major projects in Jaycee Culiat. We are proud to be part of something that has lasted over three decades. Every year we are reminded of how far we have come,’ he added.

This year’s TTKD featured six major performance stages strategically positioned along the 500-meter stretch of MacArthur Highway that showcased local and Manila-based artists, including Spongecola, Orange and Lemons, Hale, Gabbi Garcia, Silent Sanctuary, as it also highlighted local businesses in the area.

The TTKD was first held in October 1992, barely a year after Mount Pinatubo’s eruption and the withdrawal of US forces from Clark Air Base which left Angeles City devastated. Lahar flows had destroyed homes and infrastructure, businesses closed, and thousands of families were displaced. Balibago, once a thriving commercial district, was among the hardest hit.

Amid the devastation, Alexander Cauguiran, then chief of staff to Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, proposed a street festival of singing (tigtigan) and dancing (terakan) to show that Angeles City was alive and determined to recover. Beyond uplifting morale, the festival was intended to revive local commerce and support businesses struggling in the aftermath of the disaster.

Pamintuan was initially cautious due to safety concerns and logistical challenges as the city’s infrastructure was still recovering. Cauguiran, however, emphasized the event’s potential to unify the community and stimulate economic recovery. After careful deliberation, Pamintuan approved the plan and incorporated TTKD into the city’s official Fiestang Kuliat.

Born from the ashes of Mount Pinatubo, the first TTKD marked a turning point for the city. Over the years, the festival has evolved into a major cultural event which served as both a tourist attraction and a source of civic pride.

THE government should bank on science to prop up local coffee yield amid price swings in the international market, according to the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI).

With this, PCBI Chairperson Chit Juan urged the government to establish a Philippine Coffee Research Institute that would help farmers test soil quality and provide varieties suitable for their specific soil types.

‘In other towns famous for coffee, farmers have access to an institute where they can have their intercrops and soil analyzed to help them scientifically. We lack science,’ Juan told reporters on the sidelines of the 1st Philippine Coffee Sustainability Congress held last week.

‘Other countries are already studying what kind of coffee a farmer should plant if the environment warms up by another 5 degrees. Will this robusta variety still thrive in this soil? So, we need the institute for plant varieties and soil quality.’

Juan said establishing the institute would cost a modest P40 to P50 million, since the land would already be owned by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

She pins her hopes on the funding being included in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) budget for 2026, which should be coursed through the BPI.

‘The BPI’s facilities already exist. It just needs to be expanded and staffed to have more personnel so that someone can really focus on the research,’ Juan said.

If the DA’s budget for 2026 allocates funding for the research institute, she said it would be operational by next year.

With volatile coffee quotations in the world market, Juan noted that the domestic coffee sector should capitalize on producing high-quality beans.

‘We do have sporadic exports. So, our farmers get to experience high prices right now,’ she said. ‘But to take advantage of [volatile prices abroad] is to give the best of our coffees. High-quality beans should be the standard.’

Data from the World Bank showed that the average price of the arabica coffee variety surged by 44 percent to $8.83 per kilo in September from $6.12 in the same period last year.

While the robusta variety dropped by 13 percent to $4.66 per kilo in the reference month from $5.33 per kilo last year, World Bank figures indicated that it had been steadily increasing over the past three months.

In 2024, local coffee output reached an eight-year high of nearly 32,000 metric tons (MT) from the average 30,000 MT yield, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

Juan raised concerns, however, about the current government support for the domestic coffee sector, which mostly leans toward post-harvest machinery.

‘It seems as if every bean should be roasted, which on our end shouldn’t be all there is because it’s just a temporary happiness for the farmer to be able to roast and sell,’ she said.

Juan noted that roasting would be a ‘short-term’ solution, since it wouldn’t enhance bean quality and would not address the country’s lack of coffee trees.

‘This is not to say that the plans to provide post-harvest facilities are wrong. But we need to concentrate on research, climate resilience, and the sustainability of the entire industry, not just the processing,’ she said.

Ormoc City’s Lauren Lee Tan claimed her second gold medal in the individual time trial race of cycling’s girls’ 12-13 category of the 2025 Batang Pinoy National Championships at the Albert Morrow Boulevard Diversion Road.

After securing the criterium girls’ 12-13 gold medal on Sunday,

The 13-year-old daughter of a triathlete clocked eight minutes and three seconds over the 5-km route for her second gold medal after the criterium races that were staged Monday.

‘It was a little bit tiring today but I managed to win,’ Tan said. ‘I want to keep pushing myself and hope to be a part of national team in years to come.’

Alandria Venice Delantar of Pasig City settled for silver with a six-second deficit while Micheya Kate Abad of General Santos City got the bronze medal 14 seconds behind the champion.

In the boys’ 12-13 event, Tarlac’s Ronjie Salcedo bagged his first gold medal in 11:51, pushing Cebu City’s Jhanzhoe Canasa to the silver five seconds behind and Baguio City’s Lee Orpilla to the bronze eight seconds further.

‘I came back strong today after missing the gold in yesterday’s criterium. I am glad that I made it not only a podium finish but also the gold,’ Salcedo said.

Zamboanga City, meanwhile, had two two golds and two silvers and Rizal Province a gold and a bronze in weightlifting being conducted at the Barangay Labangal Gym.

A member of the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy, Rizal’s Stephanie Mandigma dominated the girls’ 40-kg category (13-17 years old) after lifting a total of 113 kgs-52 in snatch and 61 in clean and jerk.

Zamboanga City’s Darine Krist Gaña finished eight kilos behind with a total of 105 kg (46 kg + 59 kg), while Mandigma’s teammate Mary Joy Beralde tallied 104 kg (46 kg + 58 kg).

Cousins Kyle Nathan Cue and Al-Fhadzrhey Sabban of Zamboanga City completed a 1-2 finish in the boys’ 12-year-old category, lifting totals of 150 kg (65 kg + 85 kg) and 140 kg (60 kg + 80 kg), respectively.

Manila led the tally with 14 medals-six golds, five silvers, and three bronzes-after the first two days of competition, followed by defending champion Pasig City with 12 medals (4-5-3), and Quezon City with nine (4-2-3).

Host General Santos City placed fourth with eight medals (4-1-3), while Iloilo City rounded out the top five with four golds and a bronze.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is cutting red tape and giving tower companies a longer runway to build faster-supporting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push to fast-track digital connectivity.

Through Department Circular No. 6, Series of 2025, the validity of tower licenses is now extended from 5 years to 15 years.

The Tower License Term Extension was jointly launched by the DICT and the Information Tower Companies Association of the Philippines (ITCAP) at the PhilTower site in Meralco Kamuning Substation, Quezon City.

The ceremony was led by DICT Secretary Henry Aguda and PhilTower MIDC President and ITCAP representative Mr. Devid H. Gubiani, together with executives from Alliance Towers, American Tower, EdgePoint, EDOTCO, Frontier Tower Associates, Ison Tower, LDIC, PhilTower MIDC, and Unity Digital Infrastructure.