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Neymar has confirmed his international retirement, tearfully declaring he was done playing for the Brazil national team following their World Cup defeat by Norway.

‘My time with the national team is over. I made history, I was very happy, I gave my blood and my life… but now I don’t want it anymore,’ Neymar told journalists after his club Santos defeated Venezuela’s UCV 4-2 in the Copa Sudamericana on Tuesday.

Brazil’s record goalscorer was included in the World Cup squad almost three years after he last played for the national team, and played only 37 minutes across two matches.

His only goal – a penalty – was not enough to prevent an early exit for Brazil after a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the last 16 and he tearfully declared: ‘It ends here.’

Neymar, 34, remains under contract with Santos – fighting to avoid relegation – until the end of the year.

He scored twice in his first match upon his return, responding to his critics with a tongue-in-cheek goal celebration.

Neymar celebrated with a card-dealing gesture – after facing criticism for taking part in a poker tournament while his team-mates were playing a Copa Sudamericana match in Venezuela.

He started on the bench Tuesday for the return game against the same team, as Santos comfortably sealed a spot in the last 16.

Several bills seeking to remove system loss charges on electric bills have been filed before the House of Representatives, days after President Marcos’ fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona), where he asked Congress to pursue a bill on this matter.

In a statement on Thursday, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said he has refiled House Bill (HB) No. 10273 or the proposed System Loss Charges Abolition Act of 2026, in response to Marcos’ Sona speech where he said that households must not be made to shoulder costs stemming from inefficiencies in the power distribution system.

‘Natutuwa ako na ang panukalang ito ay malinaw nang bahagi ng legislative agenda ng Pangulo. Matagal na nating sinasabi na hindi makatarungan na ang ordinaryong konsyumer ang pinagbabayad sa mga nananakaw ng kuryente at inefficiencies na wala naman silang kinalaman,’ Tiangco said.

(I am happy that this proposal is now clearly part of the President’s legislative agenda. We have long been saying that it is not just for ordinary consumers to shoulder the costs brought by electric theft and inefficiencies that they are not responsible for.)

‘Magmula taong 2010, hindi ito umusad. Ngayon, malinaw na kinikilala na mismo ng Pangulo na dapat nang itigil ang pagpapasa ng systems loss sa mga konsyumer. Umaasa ako na sa Kongresong ito ay magkakaroon na tayo ng sapat na political will upang maisabatas ang repormang ito,’ he added.

(Since 2010, this proposal has not moved forward. Now, we can clearly see that the President himself acknowledges that the passing of system loss charges to the consumer should be stopped. I hope that in this Congress, we will have enough political will to enact this reform.)

Under HB No. 10273, distribution utilities-from private distribution utilities and electric cooperatives-are allowed to ‘pass on, recover, collect, or otherwise charge to consumers, directly or indirectly, any cost attributable to system losses.’

DOE in charge

The Department of Energy and its attached agencies will be in charge of implementing the bill, should it be enacted into law.

Aside from Tiangco, Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Robert Nazal also filed his own version, contained in HB No. 10357.

Like HB No. 10273, the proposed measure seeks to ban any direct or indirect recovery of the distribution system loss charges. HB No. 10357, however, also removes the value-added tax component imposed on system loss.

Both measures will amend different laws, including Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) of 2001.

‘Ang consumer ay dapat magbayad para sa kuryenteng aktuwal na naihatid sa kaniya-hindi para sa kuryenteng nawala dahil sa pagnanakaw, kakulangan sa pagpapanatili, o kahinaan ng Sistema. The entities that control the system must bear the responsibility for improving it,’ Nazal said.

(Consumers should only pay for the actual electricity provided to them – not for the power lost due to theft, shortcomings, or the weakness of a system. The entities that control the system must bear the responsibility for improving it.)

‘Ang panawagan natin sa ating mga kasamahan sa Kamara ay simulan na ang pagdinig sa panukalang pag amyenda sa EPIRA. At kung talagang seryoso ang Pangulo sa sinabi niya sa kanyang Sona dapat i-certify niya as urgent ang panukalang ito pagdating nito sa plenaryo,’ he added.

(Our call to our colleagues in Congress is to start hearing the bills seeking to amend Epira. And if the President is really serious in his Sona, he should certify this proposal as urgent once it reaches the plenary.)

Inquiry first

But before these amendments are addressed by the House, Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez – chairperson of the House committee on energy – asked for an inquiry on system loss charges to check whether such a policy is fair, transparent, and protective of consumers.

According to Alvarez, many consumers are still confused about the system loss charge, which should prompt the House to address the matter so that people will be clarified.

‘Bago natin amyendahan o alisin ang system loss charges, kailangan munang marinig ang lahat ng panig at maipaliwanag nang malinaw sa publiko kung ano ba talaga ito at bakit ito bahagi ng electric bill,’ Alvarez said.

(Before we amend or remove the system loss charges, we need to listen first to all sides and have them clearly explain to the public what this is and why it is part of the electric bill.)

‘Ang gusto lang natin ay malinaw ang lahat. Kapag kumpleto ang impormasyon, mas makakagawa ang Kongreso ng tamang desisyon-isang desisyong makakabuti sa consumers habang tinitiyak din ang maayos at tuloy-tuloy na serbisyo ng kuryente,’ he added.

(What we want is for everything to be clear. If the information is complete, Congress will be able to craft the right decisions-a decision that will be good for consumers while ensuring that electric service will continue to be efficient.)

System loss is the difference between the power delivered to a distribution system and the actual electricity billed to consumers, driven by technical inefficiencies and electricity theft.

Since Marcos’ Sona speech on Monday, several lawmakers have called on Congress to review not only system loss charges, but Epira itself, to protect households from ‘bill shock,’ or consumers being surprised by a sudden jump in their electric bills.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno even challenged electric utility companies to immediately stop collecting system loss charges instead of waiting for Epira to be amended.

Epira is a landmark 2001 law that privatized and restructured the Philippine power sector into four main segments: generation, transmission, distribution, and supply.

Under this, distribution utilities are allowed to charge a portion of system losses from consumers through a systems loss charge reflected in monthly electricity bills.

But Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s biggest power distributor, said that some system losses are an ‘inherent’ part of delivering electricity.

Meralco executive vice president and COO Ronnie Aperocho said they respect President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s policy direction and will join discussions on proposed amendments to the Epira. However, he said that there is a ‘a certain level of technical losses’ which remain ‘inherent in operating an electric distribution system.’

Systems loss charges account for about 5 percent of Meralco bills and cover electricity lost to technical and non-technical factors. Electricity pilferage, including illegal tapping and jumper wires, usually causes non-technical losses.

‘We believe it is important to recognize that system loss is not unique to any distribution utility but is a common operational aspect of the delivery of electricity – which affects the entire power industry,’ Aperocho said.

On Wednesday, Meralco chairperson and businessman Manuel Pangilinan questioned Marcos’ proposal to scrap the system loss charge, saying the removal will entail costs ‘too big’ for power industry players to shoulder.

‘When you push electricity through the copper wires, there will be a resistance. The longer the lines are, the more the losses will be,’ Pangilinan said.

‘It is not a question of inefficiency. It is just the way it is, and there’s a cost to it. So the real question is, who bears the cost?’ he added.

A dead rare oarfish was washed ashore along the coast of Barangay Tabayon in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, on Wednesday, raising concern among some residents because of the fish’s ‘long-standing association with earthquakes.’Facebook user Dorz Kie, a resident who found the fish, said it was about six feet long and was discovered at around 2:27 p.m.

11-foot-long oarfish washed ashore in Quezon townHe said they initially thought it was just an ordinary fish but later noticed its unusual features, including a small tail, small eyes, and a long, protruding structure on top of its head.He noted the fish appeared to have died only recently because its gills were still red and its eyes remained clear. No wounds or signs of injury were noticed on its body.He said it was the first time they encountered such a fish. And since they did not know what kind of fish it was and had no intention of eating it, they returned the dead fish to the sea.The discovery sparked fear among some residents after they learned on social media that the fish was an oarfish, a deep-sea species long been linked by folklore to impending earthquakes.

The Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Jose Abad Santos later confirmed that the fish was an oarfish, a deep-sea species that people seldom see.

The oarfish is a rare deep-sea species that lives hundreds of meters below the ocean’s surface and is considered one of the longest bony fish in the world.

Although many believe that the appearance of an oarfish signals an approaching earthquake, scientists say there is no solid evidence proving a connection between oarfish sightings and earthquake activity, even if the species had occasionally been observed before or after earthquakes.Authorities reminded the public not to eat dead or stranded fish because they may pose health risks

A man reported missing in Concepcion town in Romblon was found alive on Wednesday, July 29, after an eight-day search and rescue operation involving police, emergency responders, local government units, and volunteers, authorities said.

The Romblon Police Provincial Office (RPPO) said Ivan Clem Atillano was found beneath a bridge in Sitio Hulo (Gaylang), Barangay Calabasahan.

Atillano was discovered by a resident, Jayson Fontanoza, who checked underneath the bridge. He was safely reunited with his family.

Police said Atillano was carrying only a Bible when he was found. His bag, which he had reportedly been carrying before his disappearance, was no longer in his possession.

Authorities said they are continuing to coordinate with concerned agencies to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Police said the Concepcion Municipal Police Station had immediately joined search efforts after Atillano was reported missing.

The operation involved the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, local government personnel, barangay officials from San Pedro and Calabasahan, volunteers, and concerned residents.

Nearly seven in 10 public schools nationwide stand on land that has yet to be titled in the name of the Department of Education (DepEd), a longstanding ownership issue that could hamper the government’s efforts to accelerate classroom construction, according to data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2).

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27, that the government had mobilized several agencies to help increase DepEd’s annual classroom construction output.

The agencies include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and local governments, which Marcos said would serve as additional ‘production arms’ in addressing the country’s classroom shortage.

The president also announced that the private sector would begin constructing more than 16,000 classrooms in Luzon through public-private partnerships (PPPs). He said more PPPs with higher production targets would soon follow in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Beyond the classroom shortage, however, another structural problem threatens to slow the government’s infrastructure drive.

Edcom 2 data showed that about 69% of public schools nationwide, or 32,424, are located on land that has not been titled in DepEd’s name. That figure far exceeds the 7,075 public schools, or 16%, whose land has already been transferred to the agency.

Another 7,373 schools are undergoing the land titling process. Of the 32,424 schools that still lack land titles, about 19%, or 6,045, are classified as ‘congested,’ underscoring the urgency of expanding school infrastructure.

Edcom 2 warned that unresolved land ownership remained a critical bottleneck to delivering much-needed education facilities.

‘Without land titling, even funded school infrastructure projects to address congestion face delays or cannot proceed,’ Edcom 2 said.

To address the longstanding issue, Edcom 2 is seeking the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 1877, which would strengthen and protect the land tenure security of public school sites by requiring the expedited titling of all properties being used by DepEd.

A similar measure has been introduced in the House of Representatives.

Parañaque Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan has filed House Bill No. 9477, which seeks to place all untitled land occupied by public schools under DepEd’s permanent ownership to protect campuses from potential ownership disputes.

Although the measure does not directly address classroom construction, Yamsuan said securing government ownership of school sites would remove a major legal hurdle that has long complicated infrastructure development.

While not an engineering safeguard, our proposal to secure government ownership of land housing public schools would greatly contribute to the unhampered implementation of long-term safety measures for these structures, such as earthquake retrofitting, rehabilitation, and other improvements which often require clear legal rights over the land they stand on,’ he said

Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who won an Academy Award for the 2007 film ‘Once,’ died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, July 29, his management said. He was 56.

ATC Management told broadcaster RTE Hansard’s family was ‘deeply shocked and heartbroken.’

News of his death brought tributes from fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen, who said on Instagram he was ‘heartbroken’ at the loss of ‘a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.’

Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the western outskirts of the Irish capital, before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.

Hansard combined acting and a musical career. He played a member of a Dublin soul band in the hit 1991 movie ‘The Commitments’ and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song ‘Falling Slowly,’ which he co-wrote for the indie musical ‘Once’ with co-star Markéta Irglová.

‘Once,’ a love story about two struggling musicians, was later adapted for Broadway, again with songs by Hansard and Irglová. It won eight Tony Awards in 2012, including best musical.

Hansard was long-serving front man for rock band The Frames, half of rock duo The Swell Season with Irglová and released solo albums including ‘Didn’t He Ramble,’ which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.

Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly said he was one of Ireland’s great singer-songwriters.

‘Glen was one of the vital driving influences of the Irish music world, bringing people together in the sharing of live music,’ Connolly said. ‘He will be sorely missed by all who knew him or experienced his work.’

Actor-comedian Chris O’Dowd said Hansard’s ‘energizing melodies and soulful, searching voice made the tough times more manageable, the stagnant times more beautiful, and the joyful times even more memorable.’

Hansard started out as a busker on the streets of Dublin. He became famous for leading the Christmas Eve busk outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre, where members of the public gathered to see famous Irish musicians perform in aid of a homelessness charity.

Former Irish president Michael D. Higgins said Hansard was a ‘wonderful musician and performer’ who also ‘placed great emphasis throughout his life to the importance of tackling the problems of society.’

At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed a rousing version of The Pogues’ song ‘Fairytale Of New York’ with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill that had the congregation dancing in the aisles of the church.

Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their 3-year-old son, Christy.

A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker’s ties to a company that produces hyper-realistic sex bots.

The Salamanca City Central School District’s board approved the nearly $60,000 purchase from Realbotix with visions that ‘Sally,’ as the stationary robot with long dark hair has already been nicknamed, would enhance the education of high school students studying robotics and technology fields.

‘Having a difficult time programming an Arduino board? Don’t even know what an Arduino board is? Ask Sally, and she can explain it,’ Superintendent Mark Beehler said on Tuesday. ‘The robot also provides opportunities for students to learn how the robot is maintained, how it is updated with new approved content, and how to troubleshoot issues.’

But as news spread in the small community located on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation, parents and teachers worried about how students’ personal information would be used. Unionized teachers took aim at Realbotix’s sex doll sister company, even as district officials and the company itself stressed the two manufacturers operate independently.

‘No business’ in classrooms

‘A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms,’ said Melinda Person, president of the labor union New York State United Teachers.

For now, the robot pilot remains on hold as the district works through ‘enhanced student data privacy agreements’ with the state education officials and continues outreach to the community, according to a statement the district posted on Friday on its Facebook page.

State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said she remained concerned about the robot’s role in the classroom even after her staff met with district officials.

‘Although you confirmed that the robot would not have any role delivering classroom instruction, a recent presentation to the board characterized the robot as a ‘tutoring platform,” Rosa wrote in a letter to the district on Friday.

‘Caring adults,’ not robots

She also echoed residents’ concerns about what data privacy and security protections would be in place.

Unionized teachers, meanwhile, suggested the effort was a first step toward replacing, flesh-and-bone educators. ‘Sally’ will be able to move her arms and hands but have nonworking legs.

‘Our students don’t need robots,’ Person said. ‘They need real relationships with caring adults.’

Beehler stressed the pilot, which also includes rollout of a virtual, AI-powered teacher’s assistant and at-home tutoring program, is not about replacing staff.

‘There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school,’ he said on Tuesday. ‘Even if it were possible, it would in no way be in the best interest of students. Teaching is a human-to-human process.’

No sex, violence, gambling

Beehler, who was connected to Realbotix through a former colleague, said the Las Vegas-based company was a natural fit because its robots are already programmed with WozEd, a curriculum from Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak that the district uses.

Last year, a San Diego charter school rolled out two AI-powered robots purchased from Engineered Arts, a robotics company based in the United Kingdom, for $500,000.

Salamanca Schools, in social media posts, stressed that ‘Sally’ won’t be collecting students’ personal information, recording audio or video of its interactions or sending data back to Realbotix.

The robot also has been programmed to steer clear of inappropriate topics such as sex, violence and gambling, and it won’t be able to search the public internet or draw answers from unvetted generative AI services.

Instead, all information on ‘Sally’ will be stored locally, with the life-sized robot consuming roughly the same amount of energy as a laptop, according to the district.

Not a repurposed sex doll

Realbotix added on Tuesday that student authentication would be handled through the district’s existing systems, and any student-linked information would remain encrypted and under the district’s control.

The company also pushed back at suggestions that ‘Sally’ was simply a repurposed sex doll, saying it was a ‘newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit’ with no modified hardware.

The school’s robot comes from Realbotix LLC, which focuses on healthcare, education and other nonadult commercial applications. A sister company, Intima LLC, holds an ownership stake in RealDoll, a longtime maker of sex dolls, including a line of AI-powered models billed as the ‘world’s most advanced sex robot.’

‘Realbotix LLC and Intima LLC have different product offerings with no crossover,’ the company said in a statement last week. ‘The two subsidiaries maintain their own management, personnel, payroll, facilities, manufacturing operations, product development, and market strategies.’

Residents unconvinced

Beehler argued that it is crucial for isolated districts like Salamanca, which is located along the Allegheny River near the Pennsylvania state line, to find new ways to introduce cutting-edge products into classrooms.

‘In most cases, our students need to travel 1-2 hours to have opportunities to see emergent technology,’ he said on Tuesday. ‘One of the intents of the robot is to help level the playing field and motivate students to continue studying robotics, AI, and STEAM related career pathways.’

Some Salamanca residents, though, remain unconvinced.

Joplin Ficek, who graduated from Salamanca High School in 2024 and now works at a daycare, said she doesn’t see any reason to have robots or AI take such a prominent role at her alma mater at all.

‘They just need to hire more people who are willing to put in the effort for the children,’ Ficek said. ‘They need more interaction with the children than having some robot raise our kids.’

Businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan on Wednesday balked at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s proposal to scrap the system loss charge from electricity bills, saying the removal will entail costs ‘too big’ for power industry players to shoulder.

‘When you push electricity through the copper wires, there will be a resistance. The longer the lines are, the more the losses will be,’ Pangilinan, chair of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), told reporters in a media briefing.

‘It is not a question of inefficiency. It is just the way it is, and there’s a cost to it. So the real question is, who bears the cost?’ he added.

The costs are ‘too big for the industry to absorb all of it,’ said the chief executive of the country’s biggest power distributor, which counts about 8.3 million consumers. ‘So, who’s going to pay for that? The industry? It’s going to cost tens of billions of pesos. Will you not survive?’

Pangilinan’s remarks were the strongest pushback from the private sector so far on the president’s call on Congress to drop the system loss charge from electricity bills, one of the most applauded parts of his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered on Monday.

On Tuesday, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin also admitted that it might take a year to accomplish what Marcos wanted, but said discussions could begin with the concerned agencies.

10-percent drop in bill

Once the charge is removed, the Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that electricity bills could fall by 5 to 10 percent, depending on the distribution utility.

System loss is the difference between electricity entering a distribution network and the amount eventually billed to customers.

It covers technical losses caused by resistance in power lines, transformers and aging equipment, and nontechnical losses from electricity theft, illegal connections, defective meters and billing errors.

For Meralco customers, system loss charges account for about 5 percent of monthly bills. Meralco said its system loss rate stood at 5.72 percent in the first quarter of 2026, below the 6.5-percent cap set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Some electric cooperatives in the provinces, however, post system losses as high as 16 percent.

In his last Sona, the president urged Congress to immediately amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) to stop distribution utilities from charging consumers for system losses and the value-added tax (VAT) imposed on those charges.

‘It is not the consumer’s fault that a system loss occurred,’ the president said, arguing that households should not pay for electricity that never reaches them.

Consumer groups welcomed the proposal but pointed out that generation charges – which account for 45 to 65 percent of Meralco bills – remain the biggest contributor to high electricity prices.

‘Spanner in the works’

Pangilinan said Meralco was not yet ready to disclose the company’s full-year financial outlook amid regulatory delays on its rate reset request, coupled with Marcos’ recent call to remove unavoidable system loss charges.

‘The statement of the president at the Sona has just thrown a spanner in the works,’ he said.

For the January-June 2026 period, Meralco still managed to record modest income growth despite the flattish performance of its power distribution unit. It ended the first half with P26.5 billion in consolidated core net income, up 3.8 percent from P25.5 billion last year.

Still, Pangilinan said Meralco would continue to cooperate with the government, especially on the proposed changes in the 25-year-old Epira law.

No subsidies for co-ops

Also on Wednesday, Garin said the government would need about a year to drop the system loss charges as the DOE and ERC have to assess the capital outlay or infrastructure planning of more than 100 electric cooperatives, including private distribution utilities.

This is necessary since power cooperatives would have to purchase new equipment to upgrade their lines and systems, Garin said.

The DOE official earlier said sweeping infrastructure upgrades, regulatory changes and tougher measures against electricity theft must first be completed before the policy can take effect.

Meanwhile, Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said the DOE would ask the National Electrification Administration to extend loans to electric cooperatives, and also approach other financial institutions.

Malacañang said it was ruling out subsidies for electric cooperatives for now.

‘What the president wants is to remove this extra cost from our people – not to shift the burden either to consumers or to utility companies,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Wednesday.

Instead of giving subsidies, the government expects power distributors and cooperatives to streamline their operations by minimizing electricity losses from illegal connections, power theft, jumper lines, and other forms of unauthorized consumption, she said.

Subsidies for utility companies instead of the removal or cut in collected system loss charges are ‘not being discussed,’ Castro said.

‘What utility companies need to study is how they can prevent these losses from occurring. The president also does not want it to have a negative impact on utility companies,’ she added.

Unavoidable cost

The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (Philreca) expressed support for the removal of VAT on system loss charges. However, it warned that scrapping the fee altogether without a direct government subsidy could put electric cooperatives at risk of bankruptcy.

The group said technical system loss is an inherent and unavoidable cost of transmitting electricity, particularly in remote communities typically served by electric cooperatives.

Philreca urged Congress and tax authorities to adopt zero-rating or tax exemption mechanisms across the entire power supply chain for electricity lost in transit, saying the VAT cut must be ‘real tax relief, not a hidden cost transfer

The country’s largest information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) group welcomed the reopening of Metro Manila to new IT parks, saying the move gives investors greater confidence to expand in the capital region.

In a statement, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said Administrative Order No. 45, which supersedes the Duterte-era moratorium under AO 18, positions the capital as a key base for the industry’s growth.

‘Administrative Order No. 45 gives investors greater confidence that the Philippines can respond to evolving business requirements while preserving our long-term commitment to countryside development,’ IBPAP president and CEO Jack Madrid said.

‘It strengthens our ability to attract new investments, support business expansion and create more high-quality jobs for Filipinos.’

According to Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, there are already five locators that have lined up with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) following the lifting of the moratorium.

These are Arca South 1 of Ayala Land, Parqal of Aseana Holdings, The Yuchengco Center of San Lorenzo Ruiz Investment Holdings and Services, Altaire of MJ Landtrade Development Corp. and One Trium Tower of Triumvariate Development Corp.

‘It’s a big win for IT-BPM and also real estate,’ Roque said.

Under AO 45 signed by President Marcos, only applications for new IT parks and IT centers may again be processed by the Peza. The moratorium on other ecozone types, including manufacturing zones, remains in place.

For IBPAP, the policy strikes a balance between reopening Metro Manila to new investments and sustaining AO 18’s objective of encouraging more investments in the provinces.

‘By reopening applications specifically for IT parks and IT centers while maintaining the moratorium on other economic zone categories, AO No. 45 achieves a practical balance between enabling investment and supporting regional development,’ the group said.

IBPAP also emphasized that Metro Manila remains the country’s primary hub for digital talent and global delivery operations.

According to property consultancy Colliers Philippines, about 70 percent of IT-BPM office transactions in the first quarter of 2026 were recorded in Metro Manila, with the remaining 30 percent taking place in the provinces.

As of end-2025, the Philippine IT-BPM industry employed about 1.9 million workers and generated $40 billion in revenues.

Under a recalibrated industry road map, IBPAP expects the sector to generate $42.3 billion in revenues and employ 1.96 million workers by the end of 2026. For 2028, however, it has lowered its targets to $43.3 billion to $50.5 billion in revenues and 1.85 million to 2.14 million workers.

The revised targets reflect the advancement of artificial intelligence, slower investment decisions and intensifying competition from other outsourcing destinations, including South Africa, Egypt, Poland, Colombia, Costa Rica and Vietnam.

The Supreme Court en banc has affirmed the proclamation of Susan Yap as mayor of this city by granting her petition to annul the Commission on Elections resolution canceling her certificate of candidacy.

In its decision promulgated June 3, the court ruled that Comelec gravely abused its discretion when it canceled Yap’s candidacy over questions concerning her residency, according to a statement from Yap’s office.

The court found that the evidence presented against Yap-Sulit, her married surname, failed to prove that she had abandoned her domicile in Tarlac or made a false representation in her COC.

The decision cited her longstanding ties to Tarlac, including her voter registration, government records, property interests, public service, and continuing personal and community connections.

The court also reiterated that residence for election purposes refers to domicile, and that temporary or intermittent absence does not automatically constitute abandonment.

Most importantly, the court upheld the choice made by Tarlac City voters.

‘The Court respects and indeed upholds the will of the electorate,’ the decision stated.

The ruling annulled the Comelec en banc resolution dated Oct. 22, 2025, and declared Yap-Sulit eligible to serve as mayor and upheld her proclamation following her victory in the 2025 elections.

Victory for Tarlac City voters

Yap welcomed the judgment as a victory not only for her administration but, more importantly, for the people who placed their trust in her leadership.

In her statement, she said:

‘This is a victory for every Tarlaqueño who stood by the truth and defended the sanctity of the people’s vote. The journey has been long and difficult, but we never lost faith in our institutions and in the justice of our cause. From the beginning, we maintained that I met the legal qualifications to serve and that the people of Tarlac City had freely expressed their choice.

‘Today, the Supreme Court has affirmed that mandate. I am deeply grateful to the justices for their careful and impartial review of the evidence and the law. The people have spoken, the law has prevailed, and our work continues.’

The Yap administration said it would intensify its work to improve public services, strengthen local economic opportunities, and support the welfare of Tarlac City residents.

Renewed public service

The residency challenge began after private respondents sought Yap’s disqualification from the 2025 mayoral race.

The Comelec Second Division initially dismissed the petition, but the Comelec en banc later reversed the ruling, canceled her certificate of candidacy and declared her ineligible to run.

Yap elevated the case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Comelec disregarded substantial evidence of her domicile and longstanding ties to Tarlac City.

On Nov. 4, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order allowing her to continue performing her duties while the case was being resolved.

After reviewing the records and arguments, the court ruled that the evidence was insufficient to establish that Yap had abandoned her domicile

It also noted her three consecutive terms as governor of Tarlac and her deep personal, political, and community ties to the province.