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Immigration bureau deports 84 Chinese nationals in clampdown vs POGOs

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE PHILIPPINE government deported 84 Chinese nationals on April 11 as part of a crackdown against Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), the Bureau of Immigration  said on Monday.

In a statement, the bureau said they were flown aboard a Philippine Airlines flight to Beijing. The Chinese citizens were overstaying and undocumented, it added.

They were apprehended in separate operations in Tarlac, Cebu and Parañaque.

“This is a stern warning to all illegal foreign operators,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said. “We are watching and we will act decisively.”

The bureau reaffirmed its commitment to support law enforcement agencies in securing the country’s borders and rooting out foreign-linked criminal activities.

The deportation was coordinated with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, National Bureau of Investigation and Chinese Embassy as part of a multi-agency effort to shut down POGOs.

The Philippines banned POGOs last year on the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., amid mounting reports linking some operations to criminal syndicates.

At its peak, the POGO industry employed more than 100,000 foreign nationals who were mostly Chinese, but thousands have since had their work visas downgraded or canceled.

The bureau earlier said more than 2,000 POGO workers had their visas downgraded to tourist status. While many have left, about 8,000 foreign POGO workers remain in the country illegally. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Comelec says 93 overseas voting posts successfully opened for midterm polls

The Commission on Elections conducted a test voting period for Registered Overseas Voters, who enrolled to vote online for the 2025 midterm elections. The test voting closed on April 13, the first day of the official overseas voting period.

ALL OVERSEAS voting posts for the 2025 midterm elections have successfully opened, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday.

Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters in a Viber chat that all 93 diplomatic posts have opened voting for their respective jurisdictions with the last Online Voting and Counting System post, located at the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating at around 2 a.m. Manila time (8 a.m. Honolulu time).

The 2025 elections mark the first time internet voting is implemented for overseas Filipinos, launching in 77 diplomatic posts. The remaining 16 posts utilized automated counting machines.

The remaining 16 posts, which utilized automated counting machines, completed the opening procedures for overseas voting early Monday, Mr. Garcia said.

He added that the total number of enrolled voters as of Monday, 5 a.m. stood at 54,575.

There are more than 1.6 million Filipinos registered to vote overseas.

The overseas voting window will remain open until May 12, 7 p.m. Manila time, aligning with the election day in the Philippines, when 68 million Filipinos will cast their votes.

Filipinos will elect members of the House of Representatives, 12 of the 24-member Senate, and thousands of local government officials. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Toll operators gear up for Holy Week

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

EXPRESSWAY OPERATORS are now preparing for the expected traffic surge at major toll roads this Holy Week.

“Our instruction to our operations personnel is to make sure that our traffic management plans are in sync with the different towns and cities so that traffic flows smoothly along public roads. When public roads are congested, motorists along our carriageways are also affected as traffic can extend to the exits and onto the main line,” San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Chairman Ramon S. Ang said in a media release on Monday.

SMC, through SMC Infrastructure, said traffic management plans are in place for its tollways including Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

SMC said it expects heavy traffic at interchanges linking its tollways to national highways and other expressways.

Further, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), said it is anticipating up to 10% increase in traffic volume for the April 16-21 period.

“MPTC’s role during Holy Week goes beyond traffic management by taking measures towards ensuring a travel experience that’s safe, seamless, and reassuring,” MPTC President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim said in a media release last week.

MPTC has developed a strategy for providing assistance services and will increase the efficiency at its toll plaza.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

PHL aid team back from Myanmar

Members of the Philippine humanitarian aid team arrived from Myanmar on April 13, 2025, at Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base, Pasay City. — PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE

A TEAM of Filipino soldiers and government doctors deployed to assist earthquake victims in Myanmar returned to the Philippines on Sunday, the Philippine Air Force said on Monday.

The 89-member humanitarian aid team, comprising military personnel and representatives from various government agencies, arrived at Villamor Airbase on Sunday evening and was welcomed by top Philippine officials, such as Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., military chief Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., and Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa.

A 7.7-magnitude quake struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand on March 28, crippling major infrastructure like airports, bridges and highways and killing more than 3,000 people. The recent quake is considered to be one of the biggest in the last century.

“This mission underscores the Philippines’ readiness to extend humanitarian assistance beyond its borders and strengthens regional cooperation through unified, inter-agency efforts,” the Air Force said in a statement.

The earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city with over a million residents, has claimed 3,649 lives and injured 5,018 as of Friday last week, according to a spokesman of the Myanmar government.

The Philippine Foreign Affairs department last week said the remains of two of four Filipinos killed in the quake had been found and identified. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

CHR flags proposed IP law changes

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday sounded the alarms on a bill that would amend the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Acts (IPRA), warning the move could undermine the autonomy of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).

In a statement, the CHR said the NCIP was established as an independent body to protect the interests of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous people (IP), free from external influence.

It was reacting to House Bill No. 9608, which seeks to transfer NCIP’s Ancestral Domains Office to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a shift the CHR warned could weaken the NCIP’s mandate to safeguard indigenous rights.

“(This) move could undermine the NCIP’s core mandate and weaken its institutional capacity to protect the rights of indigenous peoples,” it added.

On Jan. 17, the CHR released a position paper outlining its recommendations to reinforce the protection and fulfillment of indigenous peoples’ rights, while maintaining their autonomy and dignity.

It urged lawmakers to preserve the spirit of the IPRA and ensure the independence of the NCIP through inclusive and empowering initiatives. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

DSWD sees decline in poor Filipinos

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL ANTONIO DE GUZMAN

THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said it expects the number of hungry and poor Filipinos to decrease in the coming months through its employment, social welfare, and conditional-cash transfer programs this year.

This comes after the Social Welfare Stations (SWS) published a March poll showing at 52% increase to self-rated poverty and hunger among Filipino families.

“We are optimistic that conditions will improve further in terms of reducing poverty and hunger incidence in our country,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene B. Dumlao told a Palace briefing.

“We capacitate beneficiaries to either engage in thriving livelihood activities or find employment. This proves that the government’s initiatives are effective.”

Based on the SWS survey, conducted on March 15- 30, about 14.4 million Filipinos rated themselves as poor, while 27.2% said they experience involuntary hunger during the period.

“The DSWD is committed to contributing towards achieving President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s goal of reducing poverty incidence to single digits by 2028,” Ms. Dumlao said.

The official added that the agency is studying an increase in the current P3,000 monthly food credits given to beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program anti-hunger program, citing the need to determine whether this is still enough for Filipino households.

“This is one of the aspects being examined to determine whether the amount they receive is still appropriate in addressing family gaps,” the DSWD official said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Ginebra San Miguel to remove plastic pourers from all products

Ginebra San Miguel is eliminating plastic pourers from all its products.

ANG-LED liquor producer Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI) will eliminate all plastic pourers from its product portfolio as part of the company’s sustainability initiatives.

The company completed its transition to pourer-free bottles for all its products last month, with the roll-out of the new packaging of its Primera Light Brandy, GSMI said in an e-mail statement on Monday.

GSMI previously eliminated plastic pourers from its GSM Blue product line. It also launched new products that did not use plastic pourers such as the GSM Premium Gin and Freedom Island Light Rum.

“At GSMI, we are seriously committed to creating a more environmentally responsible future. This significant reduction in our plastic footprint is a crucial step in that direction,” GSMI Officer-In-Charge General Manager Cynthia M. Baroy said.

“But we are not stopping here. We will continue to explore innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste and promote responsible packaging across our product lines,” she added.

GSMI has rolled out improvements in its product packaging since 2021. The company transitioned its Ginebra San Miguel Hari to aluminum caps from plastic caps and strengthened its nationwide bottle retrieval program.

Last year, the company also reduced the length and thickness of the plastic seal-o-band used in its Vino Kulafu Chinese wine brand.

GSMI has lowered its total plastic footprint by 111.5 metric tons for 2024 after its sustainability initiatives.

On Monday, GSMI shares were unchanged at P290 per share. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Uphold 60-kph limit, enforcers told

PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUSSEL PALMA

A SENATOR on Monday urged traffic authorities to strictly enforce a 60-kilometer-per-hour (kph) speed limit on all major roads in Metro Manila, which was imposed a decade ago.

In a statement, Senator Francis N. Tolentino said that local authorities must uphold the 2011 speed limit order by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to curb vehicular accidents, especially in accident-prone roads such as Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

“Commonwealth Avenue has been called the ‘killer highway’ due to the high number of accidents and fatalities there. To address this, we imposed the 60-kph speed limit during my term as MMDA Chairman,” he said.

“Rules exist to ensure traffic order and public safety. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of drivers and motorists to observe discipline and road courtesy,” he added.

A jeepney plying Commonwealth Avenue collided with a minibus on Sunday morning, resulting in the deaths of two passengers and injuries to 16 others. About 12,000 Filipinos die in road mishaps, like car accidents and pedestrian collisions yearly, according to the Health department last year. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DoTr to sanction shipping line for overloading

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon on Monday asked the public to be vigilant as the agency investigates a bullet-planting scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is set to investigate and impose sanctions on a ship bound for Romblon for violating overloading policy, the Transportation chief said.

“The investigation is ongoing, [the shipping line is] bound for Romblon from Batangas. They were discovered by the coast guard,” Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said on Monday.

The DoTr will not yet identify the shipping line involved pending investigation, Mr. Dizon said, adding that the agency will impose sanctions on those shipping lines that will violate anti-overloading policy.

“[The shipping line] oversold tickets way beyond their capacity limit,” he said.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is projecting to see higher passenger volume at the country’s seaports this Holy Week at 1.73 million expected passengers.

Last month alone, the port regulator said it had logged a passenger count of 3.03 million for the first three weeks of March or an average of 1.01 million passengers per week.

For the April 14 to 20 period, PPA is projecting passengers at seaports to rise by 3.5% to 1.73 million from the 1.67 million passengers reported in the same period last year.

PPA said the DoTr is preparing for the expected surge with the deployment of additional personnel.  For this year, PPA has set its 2025 passenger volume target at 85.41 million, exceeding by 9.5% the target set in 2024.

At the country’s main gateway, the DoTr earlier projected between 155,000 to 157,000 passengers per day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) during the Holy Week.

The project number of passengers this year is 6.8% higher than the recorded 145,000 passengers per day last year.

In a statement, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said it is expecting to see a total of 1.18 million passengers this week, 14.23% higher than the 1.04 million last year.

The private operator of NAIA is also expecting to see an increase in flight movements to 6,724 this year from the recorded 6,537 last year. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

4 dead in tragic artesian well electrocution in Zamboanga Sibugay

COTABATO CITY — Four individuals died from electrocution in a tragic accident in Barangay Tiayon in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay at about dusk on Friday.

Local executives and personnel of the Ipil Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) identified the fatalities as Norben D. Cañete, Sr., his son, Norben F. Cañete, Jr., Jayson M. Gandawan, and Renjear S. Velez.

Officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the municipality and personnel of the Ipil MDRRMO told reporters on Monday that Mr. Cañete was retrieving a set of tools left at the bottom of the deep artesian well that they partly drained using an electric submersible pump that malfunctioned, causing a power surge that resulted in his electrocution.

Mr. Gandawan went down into the 28-foot well to help Mr. Cañete but got electrocuted too. Mr. Cañete’s son, Mr. Norben, Jr., and Renjear Velez, did the same and were electrocuted.

Witnesses said Mr. Norben, Jr. and Mr. Velez only stopped from jerking violently, while at the bottom of the well, after the older Mr. Cañete’s live-in partner, Annie Joy D. Sambalod, unplugged the power cord connecting the submersible pump to an electrical convenient outlet in a house nearby.

BFP personnel from its provincial office and fire stations in Ipil and nearby towns who responded to the incident had retrieved the remains of the four victims about two hours after the incident. — John Felix M. Unson

McIlroy wins Masters in dramatic fashion, completes career Slam

IT WAS FINALLY Rory McIlroy’s time, even if it took a little longer than perhaps was necessary.

McIlroy birdied the first playoff hole with a short putt after missing a chance to win in regulation, capturing the Masters and completing the career Grand Slam on Sunday in Augusta, Georgia.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” the Northern Irishman said. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that -— yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

McIlroy’s 1-over-par 73 left him tied with England’s Justin Rose, who posted 66 and waited for McIlroy to finish. They both shot 11-under 277 for the week.

Replaying the 18th hole at Augusta National Golf Club, McIlroy’s approach shot rolled back toward the hole and inside Rose’s ball. After Rose missed a birdie attempt and notched a par, McIlroy didn’t flub another chance for a victory.

He dropped his putter, put his hands on his head and fell prostrate on the green, sobbing.

“There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green,” McIlroy said. “A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”

It marked the fifth major championship for McIlroy, and his first since capturing the PGA Championship for the second time in 2014.

McIlroy needed par at No. 18 to win in regulation, but after blasting from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole he rolled a 5-foot par putt too far to the left.

It was a starkly different reaction from when he departed the 18th green following Thursday’s first round, which included a pair of backside double bogeys and dodging the media on the way to the practice area.

Rose spoke briefly to McIlroy after the playoff and later added perspective to what just happened.

“This is a historic moment in golf, isn’t it — someone who achieves the career Grand Slam,” Rose said. “I just said it was pretty cool to be able to share that moment with him. Obviously, I wanted to be the bad guy today, but still, it’s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.”

The new champion — who gave away his two-shot lead through 54 holes with a double bogey at No. 1 — also recovered from a disastrous stretch on the back nine to birdie the 17th hole for a brief one-stroke lead. McIlroy’s bogey on No. 11, double bogey on No. 13 and bogey on No. 14 appeared to send him on track for another final-round collapse at a major.

McIlroy said sending his ball into the creek on a wedge shot on the par-5 13th could have doomed his chances.

“I did a really good job of bouncing back from that,” he said.

McIlroy recovered for a birdie on the par-5 15th hole by drawing a tremendous second shot around a tree, over a water hazard and to 6 feet of the pin, where he two-putted for birdie.

Then he stuck his approach on No. 17 and sank the putt to take the lead.

Rose, seeking his first Masters title, had six birdies and two bogeys across the last eight holes, finishing with a 20-foot birdie putt.

“To make the putt on 18, the one you dream about as a kid, to obviously give myself an opportunity and a chance was an unbelievable feeling,” Rose said.

Rose was the leader after the first and second rounds, and after a tough 75 on Saturday he made a major final-round push. He had only four pars on his card — countering four bogeys with 10 birdies.

Patrick Reed (69 on Sunday) was third at 9 under. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (69) placed fourth at 8 under, giving him four consecutive top-10 finishes at the Masters.

“I was just proud of the way we hung in there and put up a good fight,” Scheffler said.

Bryson DeChambeau, who figured to be McIlroy’s biggest threat and in the final pairing, took the lead after the second hole before stalling with back-to-back bogeys and a string of pars to skid off the path. By the time he double-bogeyed No. 11, he was tied for ninth and seventh strokes back.

DeChambeau’s 75 left him at 7 under, tied for fifth place with South Korea’s Sungjae Im (69).

DeChambeau said his troubles began with a putt on the third hole that scooted well beyond the cup.

“There’s no way that putt goes that far by,” he said. “I just didn’t realize how firm and fast it could get out here. It’s great experience. Won’t let that happen again.” — Reuters

Tropang 5G braces for golden treble sans Hollis-Jefferson

RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON — EASL

AS THEY GEAR UP for their PBA grand slam bid, the TNT Tropang 5G are drawing extra motivation from the need to prove their worth.

Their big challenge — capture the final piece of a coveted golden treble in the Philippine Cup without Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the heart and soul of their back-to-back triumphs in the Season 49 Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup.

“People are saying that, you know, the only reason why we’re winning all these championships is because of Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson). Yes, that’s true, but all this talk has to stop and that these guys are still capable of winning without Rondae,” team manager Jojo Lastimosa said.

“And this is something that they have to prove. They need to come together and talk about it like ‘hey, you know we have to show that we can win without Rondae’ and this is the biggest opportunity for them to show (that).”

One more big shoe to fill is that of ace playmaker Jayson Castro, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in the Commissioner’s Cup semis.

For that, the team is relying anew on Rey Nambatac, who has risen to the occasion and even delivered a Finals MVP-winning performance to help TNT beat Ginebra in seven games.

“If Rey was just a ‘mediocre Rey,’ no way we can win that series,” said Mr. Lastimosa.

Ahead of their All-Filipino campaign, the Tropang 5G signed up free agent Simon Enciso to boost their backcourt.

“Simon’s a hard worker and we know that he can make threes which is really important in our system,” he said.

The Chot Reyes-coached squad opened its training camp on Monday at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna, where they will hold six practices over three days.

After a break on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Tropang 5G go back to work to get themselves ready for their Philippine Cup debut on April 23 against NLEX.

Notes: Larry Muyang accepted the indefinite suspension the PBA slapped on him but intends to exercise his right to appeal it before the board of governors. Mr. Muyang was banned for violation of the Uniform Players’ Contract after joining Pampanga in the MPBL amid a live contract with Phoenix until May. According to Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, who accompanied Mr. Muyang in his meeting with commissioner Willie Marcial last Sunday, the 6-foot-5 player will try to mend fences with Phoenix and ask the PBA board to reconsider. — Olmin Leyba

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