Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

From the earliest city-states of Mesopotamia to the global conflicts of the 21st century, organized violence between political entities has been a recurring feature of civilization. Virtually every society that endured long enough to develop a state structure has, at some point, lost a war, suffering a decisive defeat resulting in surrender, territorial loss, or subjugation by an external power.

Yet a few countries and civilizations stand out for never having clearly lost a war by that definition. Some owe their unbroken records to geography-mountain isolation in Bhutan and Nepal; others to diplomacy-balancing rival empires as Siam (Thailand) did; and a few to overwhelming military strength, such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

Today, the balance of power looks nothing like it once did. In 2025, the world’s tiniest technology shapes a large geopolitical tension and flashpoint. Taiwan, especially TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), produces over 90 percent of the world’s most advanced logic chips, the components that drive everything from smartphones and AI systems to missile guidance and supercomputers.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Taiwan’s fabrication plants-‘fabs’-for advanced semiconductor chips might be a more effective deterrent against war than half the naval fleets in the Pacific. Peace now depends not on firepower, but on the ‘fragility of dependence.’

These chips are so vital that their uninterrupted production acts as a deterrent stronger than any fleet. Analysts call this dynamic Taiwan’s ‘Silicon Shield’-the idea that any Chinese attack would wreck the global tech supply chain, triggering economic chaos instead of victory. As long as the world needs Taiwan’s chips, everyone has a reason to keep the island safe.

In practice, the shield is beginning to look less like armor and more like a bargaining chip that is showing cracks. The United States, alarmed that nearly all advanced chip production sits 9,000 miles away and within range of Chinese missiles, is racing to rebuild capacity at home. Washington’s CHIPS and Science Act pledged $52 billion in subsidies, and TSMC committed around $100 billion to new fabs in Arizona.

Yet recreating Taiwan’s Hsinchu ecosystem-built over decades with thousands of suppliers-is far slower. Some analysts’ optimistic estimates suggest that the US can cover only 30 to 50 percent of domestic demand by 2030, while the crown jewels-the 2 and 3 nanometer lines-stay in Taiwan, which has no intention of moving them. To Taiwan’s leaders, exporting its most advanced production is not diversification-it is disarmament. President Tsai Ing-wen calls for ‘democracy chips’ jointly produced with allies but insists Taiwan must remain the heart of production.

Beijing dismisses all of this as a smokescreen. Despite billions poured into its own chipmakers, China still trails several generations behind. Even Huawei, the symbol of Chinese tech pride, relies on limited or smuggled equipment to stay afloat.

Business leaders hope economic logic will hold Beijing back. But wars rarely obey economics. Once fighting begins, rational calculations give way to emotion and survival. Taiwan has quietly planned for targeted sabotage-damaging key lithography tools to render its fabs useless if seized.

The Philippines watches uneasily. Electronics make up over half its exports-about $40 billion in 2023-and much of that depends on inputs from Taiwan. A single disruption to TSMC would not just rattle Silicon Valley; it would reverberate through every Southeast Asian factory plugged into the same chain. Manila dreams of building its own semiconductor base, but replacing Taiwan’s ecosystem is nearly impossible.

Whether they like it or not, the Philippines and much of Asia are bound to Taiwan’s Silicon Shield. The US will keep pushing for diversification; China will keep threatening reunification; Taiwan will cling to the leverage that keeps it safe.

For Manila, the lesson is clear: diversify, align with allies, but never let one foreign industry define national security. Taiwan can gamble on its shield because the world needs it. The Philippines cannot. Its future lies in balance-part partner, part observer, always aware that when giants fight, the small are first to be crushed.

For now, the Silicon Shield still holds. But shields crack and if this one breaks, the shock will not stop at the Taiwan Strait. It will ripple from Silicon Valley to Cavite.

For many years, American and Chinese scholars worked shoulder to shoulder on cutting-edge technologies through open research, where findings are freely shared and accessible to all. But that openness, a long-standing practice celebrated for advancing knowledge, is raising alarms among some US lawmakers.

They are worried that China-now considered the most formidable challenger to American military dominance-is taking advantage of open research to catch up with the US on military technology and even gain an edge. And they are calling for action.

‘For far too long, our adversaries have exploited American colleges and universities to advance their interests, while risking our national security and innovation,’ said Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has introduced legislation to put new restrictions on federally funded research collaboration with academics at several Chinese institutions that work with the Chinese military, as well as institutions in other countries deemed adversarial to US interests.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party makes it a priority to protect American research, having accused Beijing of weaponizing open research by converting it into a ‘pipeline of foreign talent and military modernization.’

The rising concerns on Capitol Hill threaten to unravel deep, two-generations-old academic ties between the countries even as the world’s two largest economies are moving away from each other through tariffs and trade barriers. The relationship has shifted from engagement to competition, if not outright enmity.

‘Foreign adversaries are increasingly exploiting the open and collaborative environment of US academic institutions for their own gain,’ said James Cangialosi, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, which in August issued a bulletin urging universities to do more to protect research from foreign meddling.

The House committee released three reports in September alone. They targeted, respectively, Pentagon-funded research involving military-linked Chinese scholars; joint US-China institutes that train STEM talent for China; and visa policies that have brought military-linked Chinese students to Ph.D. programs at American universities. The reports recommend more legislation to protect US research, tighter visa policies to vet Chinese students and scholars and an end to academic partnerships that could be exploited to boost China’s military powers.

Deep ties between Chinese and US research

More than 500 US universities and institutes have collaborated with Chinese military researchers in recent years, helping Beijing develop advanced technologies with military applications, such as anti-jamming communications and hypersonic vehicles, according to a report by the private US intelligence group Strider Technologies.

Despite efforts in recent years by the US government to set up guardrails to prevent such collaboration from boosting China’s military capabilities, the practice is still prevalent, according to Strider, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The report identified nearly 2,500 publications produced in collaboration between US entities and Chinese military-affiliated research institutes in 2024 on STEM research, which includes physics, engineering, material science, computer science, biology, medicine and geology. While the number peaked at more than 3,500 in 2019, before some new restrictive measures came into effect, the level of collaboration remains high, the report said.

This collaboration not only facilitates ‘potential illicit knowledge transfer,’ but supports China’s ‘state-directed efforts to recruit top international talent, often to the detriment of US national interests,’ the report said.

Foreign countries can exploit American research by stealing secrets for use in military and commercial settings, by poaching talented researchers for foreign companies and universities and by recruiting students and researchers as potential spies, authorities say.

Fostering a climate of robust academic research takes funding and long-term support. Stealing the fruits of that labor, however, can be as easy as hacking into a university network, hiring away researchers or coopting the research itself. That’s why, authorities say, it’s so tempting for American adversaries looking to take advantage of US institutions and research.

The most recent threat assessment report from the Department of Homeland Security highlights concerns that American adversaries-and China specifically-seek to illicitly acquire US technology. Authorities say China aims to steal military and computing technology that might give the US an advantage, as well as the latest commercial innovations.

Industry seeks a balance

Abigail Coplin, assistant professor of sociology and science, technology and society at Vassar College, said there are already guardrails for federally funded research to protect classified information and anything deemed sensitive.

She also said open research goes both ways, benefiting the US as well, and restrictions could be counterproductive by driving away talents.

‘American national security interests and economic competitiveness would be better served by continuing-if not increasing-research funding than they are by implementing costly research restrictions,’ Coplin said.

Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor, also said efforts to protect US research risk stifling progress if they go too far and prevent US colleges or startups from sharing information about new and emerging technology. Keeping up with China will also require big investments in efforts to protect innovation, said Bellini, who recently donated $40 million to establish a new cybersecurity and AI research college at the University of South Florida.

Bellini said it’s imperative to encourage research and development without giving secrets away to America’s enemies. ‘In the US, it is a reality now that our digital borders are under siege-and businesses of every size are right to be concerned,’ Bellini said.

According to Department of Justice figures, about 80% of all economic espionage cases prosecuted in the US involve alleged acts that would benefit China.

Some members of Congress have pushed to reinstate a Department of Justice program created during the first Trump administration that sought to investigate Chinese intellectual espionage. The so-called ‘China Initiative’ ended in 2022 after critics said it failed to address the problem even as it perpetrated racist stereotypes about Asian American academics.

THE country’s longest-running annual visual arts fair, ManilART returns tomorrow for its 17th year, featuring an expansion into and intersection between various art forms.

This year’s fair carries the theme Across Forms, Beyond Borders. Set to run from October 15 to 19 at the SMX Aura Convention Center, Taguig City, ManilART 2025 highlights how creativity transcends categories, from fashion to functional design, from digital media to cuisine. The theme also ‘reflects the way ideas evolve and resurface, reinterpreted across time and form, weaving connections between the visual arts and other creative expressions.’

‘ManilART 2025 celebrates the cyclical nature of inspiration, and how creative themes across disciplines and generations constantly reinterpret themselves in new forms,’ said Amy Loste, ManilART founder president, during last week’s press conference. ‘[The fair] becomes not only a showcase of art but also a dialogue between forms where every piece, medium, and discipline reflects a shared, ever-evolving cultural story in the Philippines.’

ManilART 2025 presents several notable collaborations with prominent practitioners in other artistic fields. The fair’s project with Coco Kusina Philippine Coconut Kitchen, for instance, explores the interplay between visual art and heritage cuisine, featuring local and artisanal flavors and ingredients. The partnership showcases how culture itself is a shared canvas, with food, art and tradition enriching the Filipino experience.

What’s more, there are exhibits featuring fashion collections born from paintings, sculptures that echo textile design, and digital works that reinterpret physical media. This year’s roster of exhibitors includes the Annual Sculpture Review, Araw Gallery, Art Corner PH, Art For Space Gallery PH, Art Toys PH, Artalyer, Artes Orientes, AT Art Gallery, Daloy Likha Art Gallery, Drybrush Gallery, Florentino Gallery, Galleria Nicolas, Galerie Bañez, Galerie Du Soleil, Galerie Jose, Galerie Raphael, Gallery Nine, Historia Art, La Galeria De Maria, Legacy Art Gallery, Life ‘n Arts Gallery, M Galerie, NAMI Art Gallery, OMVI Art Gallery, Pugad Ni Art, Renaissance Art Gallery, Rojo Galerie, The Artologist Gallery, VAM International Art Gallery, and Village Art Gallery.

Beyond the exhibitions, ManilART 25 strengthens its commitment to education and cultural discourse through talks, panels and workshops. Features include a discussion with global Filipinos from across cultural sectors, including cuisine, literature, and the visual arts, expanding conversations on how Filipino creativity resonates worldwide.

The five-day fair also coincides with satellite shows across the country, extending its reach to regional audiences. For this year’s edition, ManilART partners with the inaugural San Pablo Art Circuit (SaPAC), an initiative of artistic and cultural venues in and around San Pablo City in Laguna. The showcase will take over 10 venues to feature visual artists and local traditions in a month-long ‘Artstravaganza’ this October. Participants include the Art Barn at Casa San Pablo, Art Corridor, Color Commune at Sining Labuyo, Fule-Malvar Heritage Mansion, the Lake House, Paraiso de Avedad Gallery, Studio 88, Sulyap Cafe Gallery and Museum, Verbena Gallery of Patis Tesoro, and Villa Escudero Museum.

Aside from being the longest-running project of its kind in the Philippines, ManilART is also positioned as the country’s national art fair, being the banner project of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts’ annual celebration of Museums and Galleries Month every October.

The idea of meditating can be intimidating. Beginners may imagine sitting uncomfortably in silence while breathing deeply and scrubbing all thoughts from their minds. The prospect of trying those techniques at work may feel embarrassing.

But there are ways to bring short, inconspicuous sessions into the workday if you want to see if meditation can help you deal with challenging customers or reduce anxiety while preparing for a presentation. And experienced practitioners say there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

‘Meditation is quite easy, as a matter of fact. I think there’s a stigma around it, that you have to be in complete silence, and you have to have some room setup, or do some chanting, or some serious breathing,’ said Michelle Beyer, a wellness coach who owns the Brooklyn women’s gym Alana Life and Fitness. ‘There’s one-minute meditations you can do to make yourself feel great. Nobody will even know you’re doing them.’

While there are different meditation techniques, many traditions encourage focusing on breathing to help calm the mind. When thoughts pop up, imagine letting them go. Practitioners say meditating before or at work helps them maintain focus, sit still and reduce stress.

‘There is a calm that I am definitely missing when I have forgotten to do it for a few days,’ said Brianna Healy, who meditates for 10 minutes daily before starting her job as assistant director of strategic initiatives and data solutions at Naropa University, a college in Boulder, Colorado, that is inspired by Buddhist principles. ‘I can always tell the difference in my demeanor.’

If you feel pressed for time, try fitting meditation sessions into breaks. You can set a timer and focus on breathing while sitting at a desk, in a restroom, inside a vehicle or outside, Beyer said.

Here are some easy mini-meditations to try out on the job:

A pre-work pause. Commuters can consider getting to work a little early and taking a pause in their cars or a quiet location to decompress from getting out the door and to your destination, said Kathryn Remati, a meditation teacher and author of Befriend Yourself. If you only have a minute or two, that’s still enough time to try Remati’s instructions for a quick reset.

Close your eyes and take a long, slow, deep breath to fill your tummy and lungs with air, she said. Hold the breath for a second, and then slowly breathe out like you’re blowing out a candle. ‘You’ll immediately feel a shift and you’ll feel like a human again,’ Remati said.

While repeating that process, consider setting a positive intention, or goal, for the day. Instead of focusing on a to-do list, think about how you want behave towards others, she said.

Picture your bliss. Visualization is another technique that experienced meditators use. Picture yourself succeeding at the challenges you’ll encounter that day. If there’s an upcoming deadline, envision yourself finishing the task 10 minutes early. Jumping for joy. Get specific like a movie director and imagine the colors in the room or the feeling of wind on your face, Remati said.

Body scan. Another short meditation that can be done almost anywhere involves breathing deeply and mentally scanning your body for sensations, a technique popularized in the US by mindfulness practitioner Jon Kabat-Zinn. Depending on your location and comfort level, you can keep your eyes open or closed.

Inhale through the nose and out through the mouth. Start with your feet and work your way up, noticing any areas with pain, tightness, tingling, warmth or other sensations. Think about relaxing the muscles of any spots where there’s tension.

Finger and thumb. Another discreet meditation technique is breathing deeply and joining your pointer finger to your thumb to form a circle. You can do this if you feel your stress level rising. ‘Say to yourself, whenever I put my finger and thumb together, I will be able to be peaceful and open-minded,’ Remati said.

If you’re in a meeting and start to feel resentful or left out, you can do it under the table, and no one will know, she added.

Inhaling in and humming out. One of Beyer’s favorite techniques is best done when there aren’t a lot of people nearby. Truck drivers can do it in traffic. You inhale, and then when you’re breathing out, you hum with your lips closed, she said.

‘It’s going to immediately take down stress levels in the body and even in the mind,’ Beyer said. ‘When you inhale and you focus on humming, then your brain is focused on that, not the ‘what ifs’ or the worries that like to take over when we feel stressed.’

Shoulder and jaw release. The shoulder and jaw release technique also may help relax the bodies of train passengers or drivers or stuck in traffic, Beyer said. To start, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Repeat that, and then on the third exhale, roll your shoulders back. Inhale a fourth time and then on the next exhale relax your tongue and jaw, Beyer said. Finally, inhale again, bring your attention to your hands and just let them hang heavy, she said. Then breathe in and out a sixth time.

Smart Home WiFi is making it easier for Filipinos to get fast, reliable home internet with the launch of new postpaid plans.

Designed to bring next-level 5G connectivity to families, small businesses, and renters, Smart Home WiFi’s new postpaid plans are a great choice for anyone who prefers the convenience and quick setup of wireless internet. With fiber-fast 5G wireless speeds, these new plans give you a powerful, plug-and-play solution that gets you connected without the need for complex, wired installations.

Choose the Perfect Plan for Your Needs

Smart Home WiFi’s postpaid options start at Plan 999, which is perfect for households that want a lot of data at a budget-friendly price. It includes 200 GB of 5G data with data rollover and an additional 2 GB of bonus data daily when you consume your data allocation before your billing cycle ends. The device requires a one-time cashout of only P995. For Plan 999 subscribers, convenient 30-day BOOSTER+ options are available, ranging from P99 for 1 GB to P399 for 12 GB.

Customers who need unlimited connectivity may opt for Plan 1499, which is designed for those who require consistent, high-speed internet for their household or business. It comes with unlimited 5G connectivity and a free 5G modem, making it an ideal all-in-one solution.

More than just a connection

Both postpaid plans offer speeds up to 600 Mbps and can connect up to 40 devices. They also come with a 24-month contract and a 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee, which allows customers who are not completely satisfied with their 5G signal to return the device to any Smart Store within the guarantee period without any pre-termination fees, plus a full refund of their device cashout (for Plan 999).

Subscribers can also take advantage of exclusive Postpaid Perks and earn GigaPoints through the Smart App. Postpaid customers who pay their bill in full and on time each month can earn 5% cashback in GigaPoints, which can be redeemed for various rewards and promos.

‘Our commitment goes beyond just providing a service; we are dedicated to bridging the digital divide and serving every Filipino,’ says Marjorie Garrovillo, First Vice President at Smart Communications. ‘These new postpaid plans are a result of that mission, enabling us to bring powerful, reliable connectivity to underserved homes. We are proud to be putting greater digital control and convenience in the hands of our customers, all supported by our superior 5G network.’

Trusted by over 450,000 subscribers nationwide, Smart Home WiFi leads the fixed wireless access segment as of Q2 2025 and is poised for even greater expansion.

The Philippines is stepping up efforts to establish itself as a ‘vital investment hub’ for big ticket transportation projects, with a Cabinet official courting European investors to help bankroll the country’s infrastructure drive.

Speaking before members of the European Union-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (EU-Asean) Business Council, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is expediting the rollout of major infrastructure projects.

‘We are filled with optimism that the EU-Asean Business Council sees the boundless opportunities in the Philippines that will drive our economic growth and address the social needs of our people,’ he said.

Lopez said the government is committed to partnering with foreign investors across all transport sectors-aviation, railways, maritime, and road.

During the meeting, Lopez outlined several areas where the Philippines hopes to collaborate with European investors, including coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on railway infrastructure projects, stricter implementation of air, seaport, and road transport regulations, and the Public Transport Modernization Program.

The government is also promoting Public-Private Partnership schemes for transport projects and advancing road safety measures as part of its comprehensive strategy to address the social and economic needs of commuters.

‘From across our transportation sectors-aviation, railways, maritime and road-the DOTr is a committed partner of the EU-Asean Business Council to help us achieve President Marcos’ goal of improving the lives of commuters,’ Lopez said.

Ticket sales for 21st Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival more than doubled compared to last year’s figures, according to festival officials.

According to Cinemalaya festival director Chris Millado, box office data showed that ticket sales climbed from P5.8 million last year to P13.4 million this year during the festival’s run from October 3 to 12 across Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, Ayala Malls Cinemas, and Gateway Cinemas.

‘This marks more than a 100 percent increase in ticket sales,’ he said, noting that audience reach also grew slightly-from 30,000 last year to 32,000 this year.

Millado added that the surge in sales signals the continued expansion of Cinemalaya’s footprint beyond the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) where the festival was originally held.

He noted that if this upward trend continues, the festival’s revenues could surpass pre-pandemic levels by next year.

‘Patuloy ito sa karampot na budget at sa matinding pagpupunyagi na ikuwento ng ating filmmakers ang buhay, kamatayan, pinagsaluhan, at pinagtagumpayan ng ating buhay-buhay bilang Pilipino,’ Millado said.

[Despite working with limited budgets, our filmmakers continue to persevere in telling stories about the life, death, struggles, and triumphs of the Filipino people.]

He added, ‘Habang iningungudngod tayo sa burak ng mga sakim, binabago naman natin ang reputasyon at kamalayang Pilipino sa paraan ng ating patuloy na makasining paglikha, pagkukuwento, at pagdadalumat.’

[While we are being dragged through the mud by the greedy, we are, at the same time, reshaping the Filipino’s reputation and consciousness through our continuous artistic creation, storytelling, and reflection.]

AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III has called on lawmakers and government agencies to rally behind farmers amid the steep drop in the farmgate price of palay.

Estrella pitched the proposal for the government to directly buy palay from the farmers at a reasonable price for them to cope with the economic hardship.

‘Our palay farmers are the backbone of our food security. This caucus is not just a meeting-it is a call to action. We are appealing to all national government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations [GOCCs], to rally behind our farmers and directly procure their produced rice,’ Estrella said in a statement.

Estrella issued the same appeal when he addressed participants of a Special Caucus initiated by the agency to provide support to rice farmers.

The Special Caucus held recently at the DAR Central Office brought together top national leaders and key stakeholders to safeguard the livelihoods of palay farmers.

Among those in attendance were Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Speaker Faustino Dy III, National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson, House Committee on Agriculture chairman Rep. Mark Enverga, House Agrarian Reform Committee Chairperson Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform chairman Sen. Francis Pangilinan, and other members of the House of Representatives, and local government executives from rice-producing provinces.

During the caucus, Estrella emphasized the critical need for solidarity across all sectors.

The caucus follows an initial meeting last week with President Marcos during which the group raised the plight of palay farmers and discussed potential interventions. Following a series of dialogues with other concerned officials, the caucus announced that it will formally submit a recommendation to the chief executive urging him to issue a policy statement requiring all government institutions, including GOCCs, to procure locally produced rice.

This proposed directive aims to create immediate demand for local palay harvests, offer price stability, and ensure government-led support for the agricultural sector.

Dy expressed full legislative support for emergency interventions to ensure fair farmgate prices.

‘We must protect the dignity of our farmers. We will continue to push for policies and budget support that ensure fair farmgate prices and national food security,’ Dy said.

For his part, Pangilinan emphasized ‘the caucus is geared towards policy announcement for the national government agencies (NGAs), GOCCs, and LGUs to only purchase rice that is locally produced.

The DAR said the initiative underlines the government’s commitment to upholding the welfare of farmers’ communities and ensuring that no farmer is left behind during the peak of harvest. The caucus also identified immediate measures to stabilize palay prices, including bulk procurement by government agencies and institutional buyers, mobilization of post-harvest facilities, and coordination with the NFA to boost buying capacity.

Also present during the meeting were Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua of Quirino province and president of the Governors League of the Philippines, Gov. Rodito Albano of Isabela, and Mayor Inno Dy of Echague, Isabela, and president of the Mayors League of the Philippines.

Philippine screen icon Hilda Koronel makes her much-anticipated return to cinema with the world premiere of Jun Robles Lana’s SISA, selected for the Official Competition of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF, Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival) this November.

Renowned for her roles in Lino Brocka’s masterpieces Insiang and Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Koronel has become one of the Philippines’ most celebrated actresses for over 4 decades, then she went on hiatus and moved to Los Angeles in 2012. After over a decade, she returns with acclaimed director Jun Robles Lana, a recognized name in the international festival circuit with award-winning films like Bwakaw, Barber’s Tales, and Die Beautiful.

Tallinn Black Nights is Northern Europe’s largest film event and recognized as one of the FIAPF-accredited ‘A-list’ festivals alongside Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. SISA’s selection in its Official Competition affirms both the film’s artistic strength and the continuing global resonance of Filipino storytelling.

‘Returning to Tallinn after his acclaimed About Us But Not About Us, Jun Robles Lana shifts from the intimate to the epic. With his signature emotional precision and a searing performance by Hilda Koronel, SISA is both a historical thriller and an urgent elegy,’ wrote Film Programmer Milani Perera.

For international audiences familiar with Philippine cinema, Koronel represents a living connection to the golden age of Filipino social realism, an actress whose performances have become essential to world cinema history. SISA promises to introduce her timeless artistry to new generations, in a story that bridges the local and the universal.

SISA’s world premiere will be on November 20 in the Official Competition of the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Both Jun Robles Lana and Hilda Koronel are scheduled to attend both the premiere and the awards ceremony of the festival.

SISA was supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Film Philippines Office, produced by The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films, Quantum Films, Cineko Productions, CMB Films, YayWati International, in association with Kidlat Entertainment.

Full quote from Milani Perera, Film Programmer:

Her silence was survival. Her madness, a weapon. Her mission: revenge.

The Philippines, 1902. The land is raw, wounded, occupied. Smoke clings to the trees. Blood soaks the soil. The war is over – but the violence lingers. Widows fill the villages. Mothers vanish into silence. Among them walks Sisa (Hilda Koronel), barefoot and broken, dismissed as mad by those who fear what they don’t understand. But madness is only the surface.

Beneath the rags and ramblings, Sisa hides a secret: she is a spy. A survivor. A mother robbed of everything but rage. Haunted by visions she cannot silence, she begins to lead a quiet revolt – gathering women who, like her, have been pushed to the margins. As betrayal coils around her, Sisa walks the line between memory and madness, asking what it takes to rise when the world has already buried you.

Returning to Tallinn after his acclaimed ‘About Us But Not About Us’, Jun Robles Lana shifts from the intimate to the epic. With his signature emotional precision and a searing performance by Hilda Koronel, ‘Sisa’ is both a historical thriller and an urgent elegy.

The Commission on Audit (COA) has announced sweeping reforms to strengthen transparency and accountability in response to the flood control project anomalies that recently rocked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

During the Senate Finance Committee hearing on Monday, October 13, COA Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba said the Commission is now investigating its own ranks for possible negligence or complicity in the irregularities, while rolling out new safeguards such as mandatory geotagging for all infrastructure projects nationwide.

‘Fraud auditors also look into the possible negligence or complicity of our resident auditors on the ground,’ Cordoba told senators, confirming that an internal probe is underway.

He said findings from these audits are being submitted to COA’s Internal Affairs Office for possible sanctions, while those elevated to the Office of the Ombudsman have already resulted in the suspension of DPWH engineers implicated in ghost or non-existent projects.

Cordoba explained that the investigation covers the DPWH-Bulacan First District Engineering Office, where resident auditors handled 11 municipalities and three cities, a workload that may have contributed to oversight lapses.

‘We are looking at every layer of accountability. Those who failed to act or allowed wrongdoing to happen will be held responsible,’ Cordoba said.

Cordoba also addressed questions about COA Commissioner Mario Lipana, who was mentioned during the Senate investigation into the flood control anomalies.

He said Lipana has been on medical leave abroad since August 1 and has extended his leave until October 30, while the Ombudsman’s office continues its investigation.

‘While COA has no disciplinary authority over an impeachable official, we are fully coordinating with the Office of the Ombudsman,’ Cordoba said.

To prevent conflicts of interest, Cordoba said COA will now require all officials and personnel to declare any possible personal or financial interest related to their assignments.

At the same time, Cordoba told senators that resident auditors will now be periodically reshuffled to avoid familiarity with their assigned agencies or local offices, while fraud auditors will conduct surprise inspections to monitor compliance and detect anomalies early.

‘We recognize the limitations in manpower, but we are instituting stronger oversight systems. Our fraud auditors will conduct random checks to ensure resident auditors are doing their jobs,’ he said.

COA Commissioner Douglas Michael Mallillin also revealed that the audit body is drafting a memorandum circular requiring geotagging for all infrastructure projects, not only those under DPWH but also those implemented by other agencies such as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Health (DOH), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), and local government units (LGUs).

‘Alam natin na ang DPWH, NIA, DOH, and not only national agencies pati mga GOCC, pati mga LGU po ay may infrastructure projects,’ Mallillin said.

He explained that geotagging falsification has occurred in the past, where contractors take photos of projects but use incorrect location data.

Mallillin added that satellite-based geotagging will be used moving forward to enhance accuracy and prevent falsification.

‘We will pursue criminal charges against anyone found tampering with geotags or falsifying documentation,’ he told the committee.

Mallillin also said COA is reviewing proposals to reintroduce pre-audit procedures for agencies with weak internal controls.

‘If an agency has weak internal controls, we are studying the resources required to conduct a pre-audit, especially in terms of manpower and facilities, and we will balance this with the agency’s operational speed,’ Mallillin said.