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TROPICAL Storm Ramil maintained its strength and continued to batter Metro Manila and parts of Northern and Southern Luzon with strong winds and heavy rains on Sunday afternoon.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said two persons were reported killed.

As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 24,412 persons from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), and the Bicol Region were pre-emptively evacuated.

In its 2:00 p.m. Sunday Tropical Cyclone Bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Ramil will be exiting the Luzon mass on on the same day.

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has restored a transmission line affected by Tropical Storm Ramil.

The Pitogo-Mulanay 69 kiloVolt (kV) line went back on line on Sunday morning while the Gumaca-Atimonan 69kV line remains unavailable as of press time.

NGCP said it has mobilized its line crews and is currently conducting patrols to inspect and assess the impact of the tropical storm to its operations and facilities. ‘Loss of power may be caused by affected transmission facilities of NGCP or distribution facilities of local distribution utilities or electric cooperatives. Specific cities and municipalities affected by the power interruptions are determined by concerned distribution utilities, unless the outage affects the entire franchise area,’ it said.

Meanwhile, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) assured its customers that its crews are fully prepared to respond to any possible electricity service concern as the tropical storm continues to affect parts of Luzon.

‘Our crews and personnel are strategically positioned and remain on standby 24/7 to address any power-related issues. We urge our customers to prioritize safety and stay alert, especially in areas prone to flooding,’ said Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications.

As of Sunday afternoon, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 2 is up in the whole of Metro Metro Manila, the central and southern portions of Benguet (Itogon, Bokod, Atok, Kapangan, Tublay, La Trinidad, Baguio City, Tuba, Sablan), the central and southern portions of La Union (Rosario, Pugo, Tubao, Santo Tomas, Agoo, Aringay, Caba, Naguilian, Burgos, Bagulin, Bauang, City of San Fernando, San Juan, San Gabriel, Bacnotan, Santol, Balaoan, Luna), Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, the northern portion of Bataan (Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Morong, Pilar, City of Balanga), the northern and central portions of ), and the northern and western portions of Rizal (Rodriguez, Teresa, City of Antipolo, San Mateo, Taytay, Cainta, Angono).

TCWS 1 is hoisted in Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the rest of Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, the rest of La Union, Aurora, the rest of Bataan, the rest of Metro Manila, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, the rest of Rizal, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Camarines Norte, the western portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, Pasacao, Pamplona), and Burias Island.

‘The wind signals warn the public of the general wind threat over an area due to the tropical cyclone. Local winds may be slightly stronger/enhanced in coastal and upland-mountainous areas exposed to winds. Winds are less strong in areas sheltered from the prevailing wind direction,’ Pagasa said.

The weather bureau said that minor to moderate impacts from gale-force winds are possible within any of the localities where Wind Signal 2 is hoisted.

Pagasa said heavy rainfall, severe winds, and storm surge may still be experienced in localities outside the landfall point and the forecast confidence cone.

As of 2 p.m. the center of Tropical Storm Ramil was spotted within the vicinity of Olongapo City, Zambales. It is moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour, and packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kmh near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kmh.

Ramil will continue moving west-northwestward or west-northwestward as it traverses the Central Luzon landmass before emerging over the coastal waters of Zambales this afternoon. It is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday morning.

Advocacy group Universal Healthcare (UHC) Watch welcomed the progress of Senate Bill No. 1213 or the Wastong Nutrisyon sa Ospital Act, which was read on First Reading and referred to the Committees on Health and Demography and Finance last September 15, 2025.

The measure seeks to institutionalize the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) as part of medical care in the Philippines.

‘Poor nutrition leads to longer hospital stays, bigger expenses for families, hospital congestion, and in the worst cases, death. This is a reality already happening across the country,’ the group emphasized.

In a forum organized by the think tank Stratbase Institute, health advocates from public and private sectors underscored the need for enhanced nutrition care in hospitals nationwide. The think tank’s policy paper on the NCP emphasized that the successful implementation of the NCP in the Philippines is crucial to improving the nutritional status and health outcomes of the population.

It also noted that addressing the various challenges requires multi-faceted approaches that span institutional preparation, inter-professional collaboration, resource allocation, and patient centered care.

With this, UHC Watch hailed the filing of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1213 by Senator JV Ejercito and

House Bill No. (HBN) 3806 by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao

Party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr., calling the move a potential game-changer in making Philippine healthcare more people-centered.

The proposed measures seek to institutionalize the NCP as an essential part of medical treatment, ensuring that patients receive not only medicine but also the proper nutrition needed to recover and live healthier lives.

Senator Ejercito, in his explanatory note, emphasized the alignment of the measure with global development priorities.

‘The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), a framework gearing toward the growth and sustainability of developing and developed countries, includes the objective to ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’ among their seventeen (17) overall goals. This direction recognizes that proper nutrition is a critical part of physical health and overall well-being,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Reps. Rufus Rodriguez and Maximo Rodriguez Jr. echoed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) stance on the crucial role of nutrition in health outcomes.

‘This bill aims to enhance current laws by mandating the implementation of the Nutrition Care Process, an internationally recognized standard approach for practitioners in nutrition and dietetics. With this measure, Filipinos will gain access to effective tools for recovering from illnesses and significantly improving their quality of life, all in a cost-efficient manner.’

Also known as the ‘Wastong Nutrisyon sa Ospital Act,’ the proposed measure introduces a standardized, evidence-based approach to nutrition care, covering assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and follow-up. It mandates hospitals to screen all admitted patients using a Department of Health (DOH)-approved tool to identify those who are ‘nutritionally at risk.’

For the UHC Watch, the stakes are high if the measure is not passed.

‘Good nutrition is often overlooked, yet it plays a critical role in preventing complications and reducing the burden on our healthcare system,’ UHC Watch said. ‘You need proper nutrients to recover. When a patient has proper nutrition, hospital stays are shorter, families spend less, and hospitals can serve more patients.’

Beyond hospital care, UHC Watch emphasized that the measure also supports the advocacy for healthy aging in the Philippines.

‘By incorporating proper nutrition into healthcare, children can reach their full growth potential, adults can maintain their productivity, and older adults can experience a higher quality of life as they age. Promoting healthy aging begins with early attention to nutrition. This bill empowers healthcare providers to promote wellness across all life stages, not just when people are sick.’

Composed of patients and civil society organizations, UHC Watch underscored that nutrition care is an issue of equity, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and patients with chronic illnesses.

‘When nutrition is neglected, the most vulnerable suffer the most. By passing this bill, Congress is sending a message that every Filipino’s health matters. More than a healthcare reform, the NCP bill is a promise of better lives for millions of Filipinos.’

The country’s self-sufficiency in onions rose to its highest level in a decade owing to technological advancements and enhanced farm productivity.

The country’s onion self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) jumped to 92.4 percent in 2024, the highest in 10 years, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

PSA data showed that this is the highest onion SSR since 2014, when it settled at 96.1 percent.

On an annual basis, the onion SSR of 92.4 percent last year was 8.4 percentage points higher than the 84 percent recorded level in 2023, PSA data showed.

‘SSR shows the magnitude of production in relation to domestic utilization. It indicates the extent to which a country relies on its own production resources,’ the PSA said.

Industry groups and agriculture officials attributed this hike to government interventions that bolstered productivity and investments in cold storage facilities that prolonged the shelf life of the crop.

‘Onion farmers are making money, encouraging them to expand their planting area and to plant more,’ Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) President Danilo Fausto told the BusinessMirror.

‘Cold storage facilities are being made available, lowering the possibility of spoilage.’

For Agriculture Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, the decade-long increase in onion SSR was due to ‘strong partnership’ between farmers and the Department of Agriculture (DA), along with the support from its high-value crops program.

‘(Also,) operationalization of cold storage funded by DA, including those from PRDP [Philippine Rural Development Project],’ Caballero told this newspaper.

Last year, all of the country’s red onion stocks were locally produced owing to a bumper harvest, which prompted the agency to withhold any importation order for the crop.

In August, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said the government may authorize the importation of some 50,000 metric tons (MT) of red onions and 35,000 MT of yellow onions to plug the projected supply shortfall of the crop.

The DA had authorized the importation of 4,000 MT of red and yellow onions in February as stocks thinned out.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he ‘silently’ allowed around 3,000 MT of red onion imports during the end of September following the spike in retail prices of the crop to P140 to P160 per kilo.

Despite this, he assured stakeholders that the government would halt shipments of the onion varieties a month before harvest, which would be in February next year.

Government price monitoring data shows that the retail price of local red onions in Metro Manila markets ranges from P120 to P190 per kilo, while imported red onions stand between P100 and P140 per kilo.

The price of imported white onions ranged from P80 to P170 per kilo, based on the latest government price monitoring data.

A LEGISLATOR on Monday filed a resolution urging the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take immediate diplomatic and trade action in response to the proposed ‘Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025,’ bill in the US Congress that could endanger the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and the jobs of over 1.7 million Filipinos.

In House Resolution 386, Cebu Rep. Duke Frasco called on the DTI and DFA-working with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), the Board of Investments (BOI), and the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (Ibpap)-to undertake immediate diplomatic consultations with US officials to protect the continued operation of US-affiliated BPO companies in the Philippines.

The US bill, filed in Congress as Senate Bill 2495 and House Bill 4954, would require US employers to notify the US Secretary of Labor 120 days before relocating call center operations abroad. It would also publicly name companies that outsource jobs, bar them from receiving federal grants or loans for five years, and allow customers to demand that their service calls be handled only by US-based agents.

Frasco warned that such provisions could significantly disrupt the Philippine outsourcing industry, which employs around 1.7 million Filipinos and generates approximately US$35 billion annually, a large portion of which comes from US clients.

Frasco said that despite the potential economic fallout, the DTI fell short in taking proactive diplomatic or policy steps to defend the Philippines’ interests.

‘While the DTI has expressed readiness to assist the BPO sector, to date, it has not initiated formal talks with U.S. counterparts, convened a unified strategy with Ibpap, Peza, and BOI, or issued a clear and time-bound action plan to protect our BPO workers,’ Frasco added. ‘Given our dependence on the US market, a wait-and-see approach is unacceptable. The livelihoods of millions of Filipino families hang in the balance.’

The Philippine BPO industry is a vital economic driver, generating around US$35 billion annually, with roughly 70 percent of clients coming from the US Cebu, in particular, stands as one of the country’s largest outsourcing hubs outside Metro Manila, hosting major BPO operations in Cebu City, Mandaue, and nearby municipalities. The sector provides stable, high-value employment for tens of thousands of Cebuanos, supporting families and stimulating local businesses across the province.

‘Cebu has become a cornerstone of the country’s outsourcing success,’ Frasco said. ‘Our local communities benefit greatly from the jobs, skills development, and opportunities created by the BPO sector. Any disruption caused by this US legislation would have a direct and painful impact on Cebuano workers and families.’

The resolution noted that many BPO firms in the Philippines operate under the PEZA and the BOI-both of which are under the supervision of the DTI-and have been major contributors to employment, export services, and digital upskilling efforts in the country.

The resolution further emphasized that the Philippines remains an indispensable, reliable, and strategic partner of the United States in the global services sector, providing a secure and skilled workforce for American companies.

‘The urgency of the situation demands proactive diplomatic action,’ the resolution added. ‘The government must act to protect millions of Filipino jobs and preserve the longstanding economic partnership between the Philippines and the United States.’

‘The DTI must act with urgency and clarity,’ Frasco said. ‘The Philippines has long been a trusted and strategic partner of U.S. companies. It is the responsibility of our government to defend that partnership, protect our workers, and safeguard an industry that sustains the livelihood of countless Filipino families.’

Visitors take selfies at the historic Red Beach in Palo, Leyte, on Sunday, October 19, 2025, where General Douglas MacArthur and the Allied forces landed in 1944 to begin the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation.

The site, now marked by statues of MacArthur and his men, draws crowds each year as the nation commemorates the 81st anniversary of the Leyte Landing-an event that turned the tide of World War II in the Pacific.

NONIE REYES

IN the scheme of things in a global scale, there are inconvenient truths that small nations like us have to go through-a labyrinth of challenges, especially on the buzzwords today on climate change and RE or renewable energy and the need to raise the consciousness of citizens to the huge impact of carbon dioxide emissions.

And somehow, along the way, as the country tries to play the role of ‘good citizen’ on the matter of the need to curb our CO2 emissions, there is an apparent disconnect on what we are being asked to accomplish vis-a-vis other polluters of the planet, those countries that emit a sizeable chunk of CO2. It is a troubling paradox.

According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), the Philippines contributes less than 0.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the inconvenient truth is this: despite such a negligible share, we rank among the most vulnerable to the brutal manifestations of climate change.

By global standards, our footprint is small. But the irony is that many small footprints combined leave a heavy mark on the planet. Every nation’s effort counts-though strategies must also reckon with the disproportionately larger role of major emitters.

Here lies another inconvenient truth: smaller nations face the same global targets and timelines, even when their share of emissions is a mere fraction of the problem. For countries like ours, lowering or neutralizing this tiny contribution barely nudges the global scale. The arithmetic of justice, it seems, is skewed.

The World Inequality Database reveals that the wealthiest 10 percent of the global population is responsible for nearly half of all CO2 emissions, averaging 31 tons per person yearly. In contrast, the bottom 50 percent produces only 12 percent-about 1.6 tons per person.

Meanwhile, data from the Global Carbon Project shows that China and the United States alone account for roughly 45 percent of global emissions, with India, Russia, and Japan following close behind. This imbalance has fueled global pressure to cut emissions and accelerate the shift to renewables. The 2015 Paris Agreement set the course: phase down coal, scale up renewables, achieve net zero.

But here’s another sobering fact: even if the world reaches net-zero CO2 by 2050, the reduction in warming is estimated at only 0.07-0.28 °C. Of course, net-zero still delivers cleaner air, better health, energy security, and jobs-but its impact on global temperature depends on the scale of the reduction, not just the symbolism.

As the world races toward net-zero, one fact remains immutable: carbon footprints are not distributed equally. Individual actions are laudable, but the largest impact comes from the largest emitters. The Philippine government has long maintained that any net-zero commitment must be anchored on national priorities and backed by international support-financing, technology transfer, and capacity-building.

Ultimately, progress depends on resources, not rhetoric. For the Philippines, the journey to net zero will hinge on how fast and how affordably we can transition our energy systems.

Could it be that some of the champions of renewable energy-without malice but with market motives-are muting the fact of our near-zero contribution to global emissions? Could it be that acknowledging this truth might weaken their narrative -and, by extension, their sales pitch for solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and other RE technologies?

Another inconvenient truth: renewable energy remains costly- to build, to operate, and to maintain. Take offshore wind turbines: clean in concept, but at present, staggeringly expensive and, in several global cases, environmentally and economically problematic.

Yet despite the mounting evidence of financial distress among offshore wind projects abroad, the technology is still being proposed for our own energy mix.

Can we afford this gamble? Or would prudence dictate we wait- until the technology becomes truly viable for an economy like ours?

Let’s be honest: our energy transition must match our means. Because the ‘business’ of saving the planet does not always align with the rhetoric of fairness.

And until that contradiction is resolved, nations like the Philippines will continue to bear a burden far heavier than their share of the blame-an inconvenient truth of injustice. We are among those who contribute the least to climate change -yet we suffer among the most.

We are told to comply with immediate net-zero demands, even if our compliance would barely move the global needle. Worse, these demands come at a time when renewable alternatives remain financially out of reach for millions of Filipino families.

In plain terms, we’re being asked to act like the world’s biggest polluters-when in truth, we are among its smallest contributors.

THE joint venture between Hong Kong construction giant Leighton Asia and the Lopez Group’s engineering arm First Balfour has started erecting the diaphragm-wall for a crucial underground train station of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, the Philippines’ largest railway venture designed to cut travel time and carry more commuters.

The reinforced concrete diaphragm-wall, which the Leighton-First Balfour Joint Venture (LFBJV) is constructing, will play a critical role in providing support and foundational stability for the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) train station underneath Bicutan in Taguig City.

To mark the milestone, representatives from the Department of Transportation-Project Management Office (DOTr-PMO), the Greater Capital Railway Consortium-Project Management Office (GCR-PMO) and the LFBJV project management team held a simple ceremony recently.

The DOTR-PMO oversees the NSCR project by directing policy, allocating resources, and ensuring the project’s efficient implementation. The GCR-PMO, on the other hand, monitors construction progress, ensures technical compliance, and coordinates with the contractors involved in the segment.

The 147-kilometer (km) NSCR is an urban rail system that will run from Clark Field, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, once completed. The trains in the NSCR will have the capacity to carry 800,000 daily commuters and run at speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour.

Constructing the FTI station is part of the contract under the NSCR project segment, labelled NSCR 03-B, which the DOTR awarded to the LFBJV in 2023. The multi-billion-peso project segment for LFBJV covers civil engineering, tunnel construction, and building works for a 6.1-km railway segment that consist of 4.7 kms of twin tube tunnels with cross passages and 1.4 kms of cut and cover and ground-level structures.

The underground FTI station will serve as an intermodal transfer hub connecting the ground-level and elevated sections of the NSCR with the underground Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP). Now also undergoing construction, the 33-km MMSP is another railway project designed likewise to decongest and ease commuting between Valenzuela City in Metro Manila’s northern end and Bicutan to the south.

First Balfour, a subsidiary of Lopez-led First Philippine Holdings Corporation, has participated in constructing some of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects. These included the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, the North Luzon Expressway, and the Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension, to name a few.

Leighton Asia, a leading international construction company, has participated in a wide range of infrastructure projects, including complex tunnels, rail networks, roads, and buildings. It operates in the Philippines and other countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India.

Ambassador-at-Large and the Phillipine’s Special Envoy for Trade Jose E.B. Antonio said the Philippines should focus on attracting investments from the world, particularly to grow the country’ IT-BPM (Information Technology- Business Process Management) industry, given its position as one of the country’s strongest growth sectors.

‘We should not center it towards America. We should center it to the whole world,’ Antonio said, stressing that ‘we should address our communications to the whole world who want to establish businesses.’

Antonio’s call for market diversification follows recent news on looming United States legislation that seeks to keep call centers in their territory. Antonio said his strategy is to promote the

Philippines to diverse international markets beyond the US. Regional investment opportunities.

‘The Philippines has proven itself as a global leader in BPO and IT-BPM. With a highly skilled, adaptable, and service-oriented workforce, this industry represents one of our greatest advantages and assures investors of sustainable growth,’ Antonio said.

Ambassador Antonio’s focus is on the promotion of the Philippines as a premier investment destination to the global business community.

Beyond call centers: A diverse and evolving industry

Antonio highlighted that the IT-BPM sector has evolved far beyond its early image of contact centers. ‘Today, our IT-BPM professionals are not just handling customer service, they are engineers, illustrators, animators, game developers, financial analysts, and healthcare information specialists. This diversity reflects the depth of Filipino talent and the industry’s ability to move up the value chain,’ he said.

Guided by IBPAP’s Accelerate PH Roadmap 2028, the industry is now expanding into higher-value services such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, software and web development, animation and game design, healthcare information management, as well as financial and HR solutions. This broad spectrum of expertise demonstrates the Philippines’ ability to move with global digital trends and reinforces its reputation as a trusted partner for enterprises worldwide.

A pillar of the Philippine economy

For over 20 years, the IT-BPM industry has been a cornerstone of the Philippine economy. According to the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the sector contributes around 7.5% of the country’s GDP and employs over 1.7 million professionals nationwide. Industry projections show the sector reaching $42 billion in revenues and employing

1.97 million Filipinos by 2026.

In 2023 alone, the industry generated more than $35 billion in revenues, making it one of the top sources of foreign exchange for the country.

According to the Oxford Business Group, the Philippines has been the global leader in voice and call center services since 2010, surpassing other countries in this sector with leading global firms choosing to establish large-scale operations in cities such as Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Davao.

The rise of global capability centers

Antonio points to the rapid growth of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) as a testament to the Philippines’ evolving role in the global services landscape. Global Capability Centers are strategic offshore hubs established by multinational corporations to handle core business operations, advanced analytics, research and development, and specialized services beyond traditional outsourcing.

‘The establishment and expansion of GCCs in our country demonstrates that multinational corporations see the Philippines not just as an outsourcing destination, but as a strategic hub for their core business operations,’ Antonio emphasized.

The numbers support this optimism. The Philippines currently hosts approximately 170 GCCs or offshore hubs of multinational corporations, up from 150 less than two years ago. These centers are attracting continued interest from markets including the United States, Australia, and Europe, particularly from banks and the healthcare sector.

‘What’s particularly encouraging is how these GCCs are expanding beyond Metro Manila, recognizing the exceptional talent we have throughout the country,’ Antonio noted. This geographic expansion reflects the depth of skilled professionals available across the Philippines, with GCCs now exploring provincial locations for their operations.

With the global GCC market projected to reach $155 billion by 2027, Antonio sees immense potential for the Philippines. Major firms like JPMorgan Chase exemplify this growth trajectory, increasing their workforce by thousands annually with another 10% increase projected for 2026.

Preparing for the future: Upskilling and innovation

As technology rapidly evolves and artificial intelligence continues to transform the global business landscape, the Philippine IT-BPM industry is positioning itself for the future through strategic upskilling and talent development. IBPAP, together with universities, training centers, and government agencies, is shaping educational programs to meet the evolving needs of the industry, ensuring a steady pipeline of highly skilled, globally competitive professionals ready to drive innovation and deliver world-class services.

‘The strength of the Filipino workforce lies not only in its skills but also in its adaptability,’ Antonio noted. ‘Our IT-BPM professionals are continuously upgrading their capabilities, which gives global investors confidence in the resilience and sustainability of this sector.’

Antonio emphasized that sustaining this momentum requires continued collaboration among industry, academe, and government, along with the establishment of regional hubs and equipping the workforce with digital fluency.

A clear advantage for investors

The IT-BPM industry embodies the qualities that make the Philippines an attractive investment destination: resilience, innovation, a young and educated workforce, and a strong partnership between government and industry stakeholders.

‘Investing in the Philippines means tapping into a sector that continues to expand, diversify, and deliver value to the world. We can be both: a world-class outsourcing hub and a GCC hub powering enterprise transformation,’ Antonio stated. ‘The IT-BPM industry is a backbone of our economy and a foundation for future growth.’

Antonio concluded with a vision for the sector: ‘The future of IT-BPM is not just an industry agenda, it is a national priority. Together, we can keep the Philippines at the heart of global services and continue attracting the world’s leading companies to invest in our remarkable talent and capabilities.’

NEW Naia Infra Corp. said on Sunday the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) has met International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) standards for emergency response after its teams reached a simulated crash site in under three minutes during a major drill over the weekend.

According to the San Miguel Corp.-led company, the response time meets Icao’s requirements for aircraft rescue and firefighting services, which mandate that airport emergency teams reach the midpoint of the farthest runway within three minutes under optimal conditions.

NNIC conducted the Crash Rescue Exercise (CREX) 2025 on October 17 to test coordination and emergency response capabilities across airport units and partner agencies.

More than 600 participants took part in the 51-minute drill.

The exercise simulated an aircraft carrying 120 passengers and six crew members that ingested foreign object debris on the runway, causing engine damage, a fuel leak, and fire.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) and the Airline Operators Council (AOC) supervised and evaluated the simulation, assessing how responders communicated, coordinated, and established command structures under pressure in accordance with global aviation safety protocols.

NNIC’s Rescue and Firefighting Service led the operation, supported by the airport’s Medical Services, Operations, Security Group, and Aerodrome Safety and Wildlife Hazard Management Office. The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa), the Police, and Bureau of Fire Protection units from nearby cities also participated.

Medical and disaster response teams from the Philippine Red Cross, Metro Manila Development Authority, and several hospitals joined the drill, while Philippine Airlines activated its CARE team and Survivor Reception Area to assist in passenger management.

PRESIDENT Marcos is expected to release the new order on the proposed extension of the suspension of rice importation by the first week of November.

The Cabinet-level Tariff and Related Matters Committee of the Economy and Development (ED) Council met last week to discuss its position on the extension of the rice import suspension as well as the proposal to set a farmgate price for palay or unmilled rice.

‘They will give their recommendations [on these matters] to the ED Council. Let us see what their recommendation will be,’ Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Monday.

In August, Marcos issued Executive Order 93 imposing a 60-day suspension on rice imporation upon the recommendation of the DA to help stabilize the domestic price of rice during the harvest season.

The suspension took effect in September and will end on November 2.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier said it is pushing to extend the suspension until the end of the year to keep the price of the local food staple stable.

However, this was before the country was hit by recent typhoons and the southwest monsoon, which has now resulted in P7-billion worth of damages to agriculture, according to DA.

As of Sunday, DA’s price monitoring in select markets in Metro Manila showed that the price of well milled imported commercial rice was at P42 per kilogram (kg) and regular milled was at P38.29 per kg. Local well milled at P43.15 per kg and regular milled P37.08 per kg.

Marcos also earlier said that he is considering coming out with a new EO to set a floor price for the buying of palay or unmilled rice to protect farmers from unscrupulous traders.

Based on the latest data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the farmgate price for paddy rice was at P12.79 per kilogram (kg), which is 38.2 percent lower compared to the P17.06 per kg in the same period in 2024.