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THE 10th Anniversary STY International Gymnastics Cup got going on Friday at the Alonte Sports Center in Binan with more than 800 athletes seeing action.

Athletes from the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam and India are competing in the uneven bars, balance beam, vault and floor exercise in this year’s edition that gathered the most number of participants.

The competition will usher in the Third FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships which the country is hosting in November.

‘Reaching our 10th anniversary represents a significant milestone and reflects the development of gymnastics in the country, as the Philippines gains international recognition in the gymnastics arena with the upcoming Junior World Championships,’ Gymnastics Center founder and head coach Normita ‘Boots’ Ty said.

‘Last year, we were honored to host over 700 delegates and this year, I anticipate an even greater turnout of talented athletes, as we expect the highest number of participating gymnasts to date,’ Ty added.

The center’s branch in Carmona (Cavite) is a testament to the club’s dedication, providing accessible and high-quality training to aspiring athletes south of Metro Manila.

‘With the valuable support of the Biñan Local Government, led by Mayor Angelo ‘Gel’ Alonte, we are pleased to collaborate with Binan in advancing sports development and increasing exposure in the southern region,’ Ty said.

‘The club is committed to developing gymnasts nationwide and this competition helps us identify potential talent for the GAP [Gymnastics Association of the Philippines] to nurture future athletes like Carlos Yulo,’ she said.

IF a proposed US law takes effect, it could unleash a ‘massacre of jobs’ in the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) has warned, as it urged the Marcos administration to prepare for this.

In a statement late Wednesday, the group said the government must be ready to protect Filipino call center workers who could be hit hard by the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025.

‘If the projected massacre of jobs pushes through, the government should ensure that employers follow a fair and proper process in removing employees from work. Workers must be given sufficient notice and proper compensation. The US bill and [artificial intelligence] must not be invoked to justify unjust terminations,’ CTUHR said.

The bill, filed by US Senators Ruben Gallego and Jim Justice, seeks to discourage outsourcing by creating a public list of call center firms that move at least 30 percent of their operations abroad.

Those companies could lose access to federal grants and loans, face penalties if they continue outsourcing while holding federal contracts, and lose priority in government bidding.

One year after its passage, US customers will also have the right to know whether the agent they are speaking to is based abroad-and to ask to be transferred to someone within the US.

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) earlier warned that the measure could lead to massive job cuts in the Philippines, home to one of the world’s largest call center workforces.

CTUHR said the government cannot afford to take a wait-and-see stance.

Instead, it urged policymakers to start building alternatives for workers who could be affected.

‘For starters, it should engage labor, business, and experts in serious dialogue on how to revive industry and agriculture, which have shrunk badly in recent decades. It should pursue a program of national industrialization to create decent jobs at home,’ it said.

The group also cautioned the government against using the US bill as an excuse to turn a blind eye to labor rights violations in the BPO sector.

Data from the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) show the industry ended 2024 with 1.82 million direct employees and $38 billion in revenues.

IBPAP expects the sector to continue growing, with projections of 2.5 million workers and $59 billion in revenues by 2028.

PUBLIC Works Undersecretary Arrey Perez resigned on Friday, hours after a neophyte congressman identified him as having links to contractors.

Although Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste did not offer any proof to back his allegation, Perez resigned out of delicadeza.

Leviste on Friday morning identified Perez as one of the officials allegedly linked to contractors amid ongoing corruption issues within the agency.

While he admitted that he has yet to present concrete evidence, Leviste said he would leave it to DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to lead an investigation into the matter.

Hours after Perez resigned, however, Leviste practically soft-pedalled on his accusations.

Leviste clarified in a separate media interview that he was not claiming Perez personally met with three contractors, but maintained that the DPWH official still had alleged connections with several contractors.

The lawmaker noted that Perez’s previous record at the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), where Dizon also served, raised questions about their handling of bidding and procurement processes.

‘Among the appointees of Secretary Dizon, we can look at the record of the bidding and procurement of Secretary Dizon and Usec. Perez in the BCDA,’ Leviste added.

He further claimed that contractor influence in the DPWH remains widespread, with many officials allegedly being approached by private bidders.

Dizon said Perez submitted his irrevocable resignation to give way to the investigation and to prevent being a ‘distraction’ to the DPWH which is in the thick of investigation of allegedly anomalous flood control projects.

‘As of today [Friday], Undersecretary Perez is no longer part of the DPWH. He voluntarily resigned, and we respect his decision,’ Dizon said in a news conference.

‘But of course, the investigation will still continue,’ he added.

The investigation within the DPWH, Dizon said, ‘will not be affected by personalities, political affiliations or past associations. The cleansing process will spare no one and show no favoritism, whether they’ve been here before, have already resigned, are from the previous administration, or are people I personally brought in.’

‘No one will be exempt, and that’s what we need to do,’ he said.

Saying that merely replacing people is not enough and that the entire system must change, House Committee on Approriations Vice Chairman Leviste urged Dizon to implement sweeping reforms within the agency to end what he described as a deeply entrenched culture of corruption and collusion between certain officials and contractors.

‘I heard that he was being considered to oversee the procurement or bidding of major projects at the DPWH central office. My point is that we should reform the system itself-replacing the people handling project biddings won’t eliminate corruption,’ Leviste said.

Aside from Perez, Leviste claimed that there are other officials within the DPWH who may also have ties to contractors. ‘I am calling on them to voluntarily disclose the contractors they have met with since the start of their term-whether these meetings happened inside or outside the office-and to reveal any connections they might have,’ Leviste stated.

‘The solution is not just changing the personalities involved. If we fail to fix the system, corruption might simply shift from the district engineering offices to the DPWH central office,’ he added.

Instead, Leviste called for broad policy reforms within the DPWH. ‘What I’m asking for is a reform in the DPWH’s policies-such as lowering project costs and disclosing budget details. If we do this, even if officials meet with contractors outside the DPWH, it will be clear that there’s no intent to profit illicitly because prices have already been reduced and the budget allocations have become transparent,’ Leviste said.

THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Thursday denied allegations of a ‘ghost’ irrigation project by the slain whistleblower.

This, following the death of former NIA legal researcher Niruh Kyle Antatico, who posted accusations against the agency’s project and reportedly received death threats before his murder.

During a Senate hearing on the agency’s proposed 2026 budget, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen clarified that the alleged ‘ghost’ project of the agency, the Maguing Communal Irrigation Project (CIP), was completed during the previous administration.

‘I want to reiterate that the projects he is referring to are projects of the previous administration. They funded, bidded, and completed it during that time,’ Guillen said.

He noted, however, that the CIP in Lanao del Sur sustained damage in 2023 due to torrential downpours, but it was repaired the following year.

For her part, Mindanao Island Projects Coordinator (MIPC) Salome Layasan explained that a recent ocular visit showed the CIP was being used by the farmers and therefore operational.

‘From there, at the dam, we can see water upstream of the dam flowing toward the intake, which goes toward the main canal in full capacity. We can also see that the physical structure of the dam is in place,’ Layasan said.

‘We didn’t see the pictures on social media that raised questions about the project’s integrity. In fact, we have farmers who are using water to plant. So, it’s operational.’

‘Moral crisis’

The social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) recently condemned the killing of Antatico, calling it a ‘moral crisis’ that lays bare how corruption and impunity continue to undermine public trust in institutions meant to serve the people.

In a statement, Caritas Philippines said the death of Antatico shows the worsening danger faced by Filipinos who expose wrongdoing in government.

‘When truth-tellers are silenced and no one is held responsible, a culture of impunity thrives. It sends a chilling message that to speak truth to power is dangerous, and that those in authority can act without consequence,’ said Caritas Philippines President and Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo. ‘This is not only a tragedy-it is a moral crisis that demands action.’

Bagaforo said Antatico’s killing should not be seen as an isolated crime but as part of a broader failure to protect those who stand up against corruption.

The bishop also urged the NIA, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure that justice is served not just by arresting the perpetrators but also by holding accountable those implicated in the irregularities Antatico had exposed.

‘The farmers of our nation deserve irrigation systems that give life, not corruption that drains it away,’ he said.

AJ LIM and Eric Jed Olivarez remained on a collision course in their long-running title rivalry after booking commanding victories to reach the semifinals of the Gentry National Tennis Open Championships at the Colegio San Agustin courts in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, late Thursday.

Both former national team stalwarts barely broke a sweat as they moved a step closer to a potential finals rematch in the record P2 million tournament, presented by Great Wall Motor Philippines and backed by Gentry Timepieces through Hayb Anzures.

Lim, the top seed and recent Philippine Columbian Association Open champion, barely flinched in his back-to-back victories-routing Alexis Acabo, 6-0, 6-1, in the round of 16, before dismantling Thailand’s Tanakorn Srirat, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

He now braces for a semifinals showdown with No. 9 seed Charles Kinaadman.

Kinaadman, the 2023 Dagitab Festival Open champion, also had an impressive run, halting giant-killer Jarell Edangga, 6-1, 6-2, and then edging veteran PJ Tierro in a tight second-set tiebreaker, 6-1, 7-6(6), to earn his shot at Lim and a spot in the championship round.

On the lower half of the draw, Olivarez is eyeing revenge and redemption, powering past Evan Bacalso, 6-0, 6-1, and then outclassing Eric Jay Tangub, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the Final Four. Standing in his way is unseeded Arthur Pantino, who has emerged as the tournament’s surprise package.

Pantino upset No. 7 seed Nilo Ledama with a composed 6-4, 6-1 win after breezing past RJ Dela Fuente, 6-0, 6-1, in the Round of 16, joining the elite men’s singles semis cast in the blue-ribbon event that attracted the country’s top players and rising stars.

In the women’s singles Open, Rachel Velez pulled off the biggest shocker of the tournament so far, ousting top seed Mikaela Vicencio in a thrilling 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) comeback win to secure a semis berth against Tennielle Madis, who earlier dominated Joanna Pena, 6-1, 6-2.

Second seed Tiffany Nocos stayed on track for the women’s crown and the top P100,000 prize, defeating Paula Uy, 6-3, 6-3. She will next face Stefi Aludo, who cruised past Elizabeth Abarquez, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarters.

In men’s doubles, Acabo and Ronard Joven pulled off a massive upset, toppling the top-seeded tandem of Lim and Noel Damian in a thrilling 7-5, 5-7, 10-8 finish to advance to the finals. They will face the formidable pair of Olivarez and Kinaadman for the crown.

In women’s doubles, Elizabeth Abarquez and Rovie Baulete overpowered Erynne Ong and Vicencio, 6-0, 6-2, to arrange a championship clash with the duo of Aludo and Madis, who routed Aileen Rogan and Uy, 6-1, 6-1.