PAGCOR warns fake website is issuing gaming licenses

February 25, 2025 | 8:27 pm

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) warned that a fake website is taking in applications for gaming licenses.

“We urge the public not to download anything or transact through the said fake website that uses the domain name www.pagcorphilippines.com because it is definitely not from PAGCOR and all its contents are spurious,” PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Alejandro H. Tengco said in a statement on Feb. 24.

Mr. Tengco said the legitimate and only PAGCOR website is www.pagcor.ph.

“We have reported this incident to the Department of Information and Communications Technology,” Mr. Tengco said.

He said the fake website went live on Saturday, Feb. 22 when PAGCOR’s head office was closed.

On Feb. 2, PAGCOR also warned of supposed official letters and text messages falsely claiming that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators will reopen.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered the ban of all offshore gaming operations during his State of the Nation Address in July last year. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Exporters to France urged to maximize use of trade deals

February 25, 2025 | 8:26 pm

EXPORTERS are being encouraged to further explore market opportunities in France by making use of free trade and bilateral agreements, the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) said.

“France is a significant trading partner of the Philippines. The trade relationship has shown growth over the years, with efforts to enhance trade ties continuing through business collaborations and economic engagements between the two countries,” WTCMM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pamela D. Pascual said.

WTCMM recently organized an information workshop with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau to tackle the untapped potential of Philippine products in France and how to maximize trade deals.

Goods traded between the Philippines and France include machinery, electronics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and agri-food products, the WTCMM said.

The WTCMM said the untapped opportunities outside these industries “include business process outsourcing and information technology services, furniture and home decor, and textiles and apparel.”

The Philippines currently participates in the European Union’s (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which gives its products preferential access to the EU.

Under the GSP+ scheme, zero duties are collected on 6,274 Philippine-made products.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and the EU have resumed negotiations for a free trade agreement after talks were suspended in 2017.

The second round of negotiations took place in the second week of February in Manila, while the third round is expected to take place in June in Belgium.

The WTCMM also said that the 55^th World Trade Centers Association Global Business Forum is expected to take place on April 6-9 in Marseille.

“This year, it provides a doorway to France, an economically refined nation with a large, diverse, and sophisticated consumer base, as well as the greater Mediterranean region with access to Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East,” it said.

“It will focus on aeronautics, agriculture and food processing, consumer goods, cosmetics, food and beverage, fashion and retail, freight and shipping, logistics and transportation, luxury goods, maritime and energy services, and tourism, among others,” it added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

NEA, DPWH to agree on rules for relocating displaced power lines

February 25, 2025 | 8:26 pm

THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will establish a procedure for the removal and relocation of power distribution facilities to be affected by DPWH projects.

According to a joint circular issued by the Department of Energy and DPWH dated Jan. 31, the joint guidelines will cover distribution facilities that are “likely or at risk of becoming an obstruction to future DPWH projects within the national road.”

The guidelines will include an agreed formula for compensating electric cooperatives (ECs), as well as procedures for payment, which may be made by the NEA to the ECs in advance, for reimbursement by the DPWH later.

The rules will call for joint monitoring of the relocation process in line with the memorandum of understanding signed by DPWH’s implementing office and the ECs.

The NEA will also “assist the ECs in seeking regulatory support for the recovery of costs of removal and relocation of affected distribution facilities which may not be covered by the compensation provided under the DPWH-NEA joint guidelines.”

In October 2023, the NEA reported that 53,017 electric poles need to be relocated for impending projects at an estimated cost of P4.3 billion. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Scam calls hit record in Thailand before cyberfraud crackdown

February 25, 2025 | 6:49 pm

Bloomberg-mobile phone — ATTEMPTS were detected nearly 130 million times as text messages and 38 million times as calls in 2024. — BRENT LEWIN/BLOOMBERG

THAILAND saw the number of scam calls and text messages more than double to a record 168 million in 2024 from a year earlier, an anti-scam tech firm said, before authorities stepped up a crackdown on cyberfraud operations in Southeast Asia.

Scammers most often pretended to sell fake products, represent Thai firms, offer loans, or collect debt, according to data collected by Whoscall, an application that identifies unknown callers and blocks scam calls. The fraudsters have recently begun to impersonate delivery services and state utilities or agencies, said app provider Gogolook Thailand, a unit of Taipei-listed Gogolook Co. Ltd.

Such attempts were detected nearly 130 million times as text messages and 38 million times as calls in 2024. That’s a 112% surge from 2023, when Whoscall recorded a total of 79.2 million calls and messages.

“The substantial increase is attributed to the progressively intricate scam ecosystem, fueled by the adoption of advancements in generative AI technology via phone, SMS and malicious links,” Manwoo Joo, chief executive officer at Gogolook Thailand, said in a statement on Monday.

The staggering number of scam attempts highlight the enormity of the cyber scam industry across Southeast Asia, with centers set up in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. The billion-dollar criminal operations are run mostly by Chinese fugitives who fled their home nation in 2020 following a domestic crackdown and ensnare thousands of workers who are victims of human trafficking.

The United Nations Human Rights Office said in a report that hundreds of thousands of people across Southeast Asia are being forcibly held by criminal gangs and made to engage in illicit activities from romance-investment scams and crypto fraud to illegal gambling.

The Thai government has estimated that its citizens lose an average of 60 to 70 million baht ($1.8-$2 million) a day to the scam operations, with total losses amounting to 42 billion baht between October 2023 and November 2024. Local authorities have set up a hotline for victims to lodge complaints besides mounting a public campaign to not fall victims to cyber scam attempts.

Saying it needs to protect its citizens, Thailand has ramped up its crackdown on the transnational criminal industry in neighboring countries in recent weeks. The government has moved to make banks, mobile phone operators, social media platforms and online money lenders liable for financial frauds committed on their platforms. It also cut off electricity, internet access and fuel supplies to some areas in Myanmar suspected to house cyber scam operations.

Last week, Thailand worked with China and Myanmar’s junta to repatriate hundreds of Chinese citizens from scam centers in a border town in Myanmar. The three countries will meet again at a ministerial level soon about the next steps, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on Sunday.

Thai and Cambodian police also rescued 215 foreign nationals in a raid on an online scam center in northwestern Cambodia on Sunday.

China’s Foreign ministry said last week that Beijing is working with Thailand, Myanmar and other countries to jointly prevent lawbreakers from crossing borders to commit crimes and end the scourge of online gambling and telecom fraud. — Bloomberg

China adviser pushes to lower legal marriage age to 18 to boost birthrate

February 25, 2025 | 6:48 pm

HONG KONG — A Chinese national political adviser has recommended lowering the legal age for marriage to 18 to boost fertility chances in the face of a declining population and “unleash reproductive potential,” a state-backed newspaper said on Tuesday.

Chen Songxi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told the Global Times that he plans to submit a proposal on completely relaxing restrictions on childbirth in China and establish an “incentive system” for marriage and childbirth.

Mr. Chen’s comments come ahead of China’s annual parliamentary meeting next week where officials are expected to announce measures to offset the country’s declining population.

The legal age for marriage in China is 22 for men and 20 for women, amongst the highest in the world, compared with most developed countries where the legal marriage age is 18.

Mr. Chen said China’s legal marriage age should be lowered to 18 “to increase the fertility population base and unleash reproductive potential.”

It is to be consistent with international norms, Mr. Chen said.

China’s population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, as marriages plummeted by a fifth, the biggest drop on record, despite efforts by authorities to encourage young couples to wed and have children.

Much of China’s demographic downturn is the result of its one-child policy imposed between 1980 and 2015. Couples have been allowed to have up to three children since 2021.

Mr. Chen said China should remove restrictions on the number of children a family can have to meet the “urgent needs of population development in the new era.”

However, a rising number of people are opting to not have children, put off by the high cost of childcare or an unwillingness to marry or put their careers on hold.

Authorities have tried to roll out incentives and measures to boost baby making including expanding maternity leave, financial and tax benefits for having children, as well as housing subsidies.

But China is one of the world’s most expensive places to bring up a child, relative to its Gross Domestic Product per capita, a prominent Chinese think tank said last year, detailing the time and opportunity cost for women who give birth.

CPPCC, a largely ceremonial advisory body, meets in parallel with parliament. It is made up of business magnates, artists, monks, non-communists and other representatives of broader society, but has no legislative power. — Reuters

DLSU faces dangerous UST

February 25, 2025 | 6:47 pm

In seeking 2^nd place at UAAP women’s volleyball

Games on Wednesday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
9 a.m. – DLSU vs UST (men)
11 a.m. – AdU vs UE (men)
1 p.m. – AdU vs UE (women)
5 p.m. – DLSU vs UST (women)

TWO of the biggest challengers to National University’s (NU) reign figure in an early collision as teams start to jockey for safe positions in the second week of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Game time is at 5 p.m. with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) (1-1) and De La Salle University (DLSU) (1-1) seeking a share of second spot with idle University of the Philippines (2-1) to stay within striking distance from the mighty NU with spotless 3-0 slate.

At 1 p.m., Adamson University (1-1) tries to bounce back against the winless UE (0-2) after the men’s duels of the four squads at 9 a.m. for DLSU-UST and 11 a.m. for AdU-UE.

But the spotlight and the pressure to deliver in an early litmus test is on the Golden Tigresses and the Lady Spikers, who both stumbled in their debut matches before rebounding right away.

Santo Tomas bowed to FEU in the opener but exacted vengeance on UE while La Salle avenged its defeat to NU with a domination of Adamson. Now, they meet again after a semifinal duel in Season 86.

Then the No. 2 seed with a twice-to-beat advantage, Santo Tomas showed the exit door to former champion and third-ranked La Salle in just one attempt to make the finals and eventually bow against NU.

The Golden Tigresses this time, however, will march into the battlefield with a crippled crew following the season-ending injuries of Xyza Gula (back) and Jonna Perdido (ACL). Kyla Cordora also suffered an ankle injury last game against UE.

That will not take the fight out of the Golden Tigresses as they opt to focus on improvement, especially with Second Best Outside Spiker Angge Poyos and Best Libero Detdet Pepito still leading a capable squad.

Santo Tomas, indeed, may be dealing with an undermanned unit upfront but La Salle warns against complacency, pointing out the capability of the former’s bench to deliver the goods. — John Bryan Ulanday

Malaysia sees record $86 billion of approved investments in 2024

February 25, 2025 | 6:47 pm

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia had approved investments of 378.5 billion ringgit ($85.8 billion) in 2024, a record figure and an increase of 14.9% from the previous year, its Trade minister said on Tuesday.

Malaysia received a slew of digital investments from major tech firms last year, including Alphabet’s Google, helping to propel its economy with growth beating market expectations in the second and third quarters and the ringgit currency becoming one of Asia’s top performers in 2024.

Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said of the total approved investments figure, 208.1 billion ringgit came from domestic investors while 170.4 billion ringgit came from foreign investment.

The United States was Malaysia’s top foreign investor with a combined 32.8 billion ringgit, followed by Germany at 32.2 billion ringgit, China at 28.2 billion ringgit and Singapore at 27.3 billion ringgit, he said.

The services sector received the bulk of the investments, at 66.8% of the total figure, or 252.7 billion ringgit.

Mr. Tengku Zafrul said while challenges in the global economy persist, businesses anticipate a relatively stable operating environment over the next three months in Malaysia, reflecting confidence in its economic resilience. — Reuters

USTR proposes charging Chinese ships up to $1.5M to enter US ports

February 25, 2025 | 6:46 pm

Ship-port-container — CONTAINERS are stacked at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT), as port workers from the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) participate in a strike in Portsmouth, Virginia, US, Oct. 2, 2024. — REUTERS

WASHINGTON — The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office has proposed charging up to $1.5 million for Chinese-built vessels entering US ports as part of its investigation into China’s growing domination of the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors.

USTR said in a Jan. 16 report on a probe launched during the administration of former President Joseph Biden that China increased its share of global shipbuilding tonnage from 5% in 1999 to over 50% in 2023 because of massive state subsidies and preferential treatment for state-owned enterprises that are squeezing out private-sector international competitors. The agency said that US shipyards were building 70 ships in 1975, but just five annually today.

In a Federal Register notice published late on Friday, USTR detailed its proposed fees and other shipping restrictions. The agency scheduled a March 24 public hearing on the remedies.

The probe was launched in April 2024 at the request of the United Steelworkers and four other unions, and conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as a way to rebuild an industry that has been in deep decline since the 1970s, when Japan and South Korea dominated shipbuilding. The results of the probe were announced last month, just days before Donald Trump was sworn in as President.

The proposed remedies include port entrance fees of up to $1 million per vessel owned by Chinese maritime transport operators, such as the state-owned China Ocean Shipping Co. Ltd. Alternatively, the US would charge $1,000 per net ton of a vessel’s cargo capacity.

Non-Chinese maritime transport operators operating Chinese-built ships would pay up to $1.5 million per port entry, according to the notice. Those with greater than 50% Chinese-built fleets would pay $1 million per vessel entry regardless of origin. The fee would fall to $750,000 if the Chinese fleet percentage was between 25% and 50% and to $500,000 if under 25%.

A second set of fees in similar amounts could apply to maritime operators with vessels on order from Chinese shipyards to be delivered over the next two years.

USTR said that under the proposal the fees could be refunded by up to $1 million per entry into a US port by a US-built vessel employed in international maritime services.

The remedies also would require at least 1% of US exports to be shipped on US flagged-vessels for the first two years, including capital goods, consumer goods, agricultural products, and chemical petroleum and gas products.

The percentage would increase to 3% US exports after two years, and 5% after three years. After three years, 3% of US exports would have to be shipped on American-built ships.

After seven years, the restrictions would require at least 15% of US goods to be transported on US-flagged vessels, with 5% on American-built ships.

USTR also said that it recommends restricting access to US shipping data for China’s National Transportation and Logistics Public Information Platform or banning US port terminals from using LOGINK software. — Reuters

Last four teams square off at PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup

February 25, 2025 | 6:46 pm

Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. – TNT vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. – Barangay Ginebra vs NorthPort

THREE WEEKS after securing their tickets, it’s off to the races for the last four teams in the running for the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup hardware.

NorthPort, a team battling for recognition, and Barangay Ginebra, a heavyweight out for redemption after last conference’s bridesmaid finish, square off in one side of the best-of-seven semifinals.

TNT, a group hungry for more after its triumph in the opening Governors’ Cup, and Rain or Shine (ROS), a youthful bunch eager to grow and reap success fast, mix it up in the other series.

“We have a chip on our shoulder, that people don’t even talk about NorthPort even if we are No. 1 (seed),” forward William Navarro said after the top-seeded Batang Pier qualified for the Final 4 for the third time in franchise history.

“We’re the underdogs, no matter what happens. We are not satisfied here. We want more.”

Gin Kings coach Tim Cone heard what Mr. Navarro, import Kadim Jack, Best Player of the Conference contender Arvin Tolentino, Joshua Munzon and the rest of NorthPort were conveying to the league loud and clear.

“They’re for real,” said Mr. Cone.

“That’s a real team, they’re solid all the way up and down the lineup. Their import Kadim Jack fills out a lot of what they need in terms of rebounding, rim protection, the ability to score inside and they have elite players in the perimeter in Arvin (Tolentino), Mr. Munzon, all the way through their lineup, they have guys that can hurt you on the perimeter.”

The Batang Pier enters the 7:30 p.m. semis kickoff with fresher legs compared to the Gin Kings, whose stalwarts like Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson return to PBA action after serving Gilas Pilipinas duties in three different countries during the conference break.

Meanwhile, TNT and ROS fire the opening salvo at 5 p.m. as they rekindle their budding rivalry in the playoffs.

The two met in the same stage in the last Governors’ Cup with the Tropang Giga winning, 4-1. Prior to this, they clashed in the Season 48 Philippine Cup quarterfinals with the Elasto Painters taking a 2-1 victory.

“This is the playoffs. They call this the second season, right? All of the previous games, performances against them, they don’t mean much. So we don’t look at ourselves as the favorites here,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

ROS counterpart Yeng Guiao feels his charges are better equipped for the rematch especially with a bigger import in Deon Thompson in tow and Fil-Am bruiser Caelan Tiongson in harness after missing the previous battle due to injury.

“I think we’re more ready this time. The experience we gained from battling them before, that gives us more wisdom, a better perspective, on how to prepare against them,” said Mr. Guiao.

“It’s also a plus that Caelan (Tiongson) is healthy (this time). Moreover, we have a bigger import. Deon (Thompson) has better range and he’s bigger (than Aaron Fuller). His skill set can also create matchup problems for TNT.” — Olmin Leyba

Filipinos can excel in figure skating — Shibutani siblings

February 25, 2025 | 6:45 pm

IF THERE’S a sport where Filipinos have the potential to succeed in the future, figure skating is such a discipline.

Winter Olympics figure skating medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani and two-time Olympian Michael Martinez all agree Filipinos have the quality to excel in the sport despite the sport being a little challenging considering the Philippines is a tropical country.

“There’s so many things that can bring people to figure skating, if you love music, dance, choreography, storytelling, and I know those are all things from all my conversations while I’ve been here in Manila that Filipinos really love, so it has a great future in this country and we’re excited to help it grow,” said Alex (Shibutani) during Tuesday’s personal training sessions with a group of skaters and coaches at the MOA Skating Rink.

Mr. Martinez agreed.

“Hopefully, Filipinos wouldn’t restrict ourselves to summer sports because we could actually excel in winter sports and try figure skating,” said the former Asian champion and veteran of the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games who is now juggling coaching and competing for almost a decade now.

For Maia (Shibutani), the most important thing is to have desire.

“If you want to try the sport, please come out and try it. I think experiencing it and having that spark of interest is a good beginning,” she said.

The Shibutani siblings and Mr. Martinez, along with celebrity figure skater Skye Chua, were in the country promoting not just figure skating but also ice dancing, courtesy of the United States Embassy and in cooperation with SM Supermalls.

Their arrival came just weeks after the country had started to show interest in winter sports following the breakthrough gold medal captured by the Philippine men’s curling team in the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.

Also, figure skaters Isabella Gamez and Russian-born naturalized Filipino Aleksandr Korovin finished a strong fourth in Harbin. — Joey Villar

UN Security Council adopts neutral US stance on war in Ukraine as Trump pursues end to conflict

February 25, 2025 | 6:45 pm

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations (UN) Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that takes a neutral position on the conflict as US President Donald Trump seeks to broker an end to the war.

The short resolution reflects Mr. Trump’s upending of US policy on Ukraine after taking office last month and his more conciliatory stance towards Russia. In contrast, former president Joseph Biden’s administration led efforts at the United Nations to support Ukraine throughout the war.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia acknowledged “constructive changes” in the US position on the conflict. He told the council the resolution was “not an ideal one,” but “a starting point for future efforts towards peaceful settlement.”

The 15-member UN Security Council had been deadlocked throughout the war and unable to take any action because Russia holds a veto.

But the 193-member General Assembly has repeatedly supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in line with the UN Charter.

The US failed earlier on Monday to convince the General Assembly to pass the same three-paragraph resolution adopted by the Security Council.

The resolution mourns the loss of life in the “Russia-Ukraine conflict,” reiterates the UN’s purpose is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes, and urges a swift end to the conflict and a lasting peace.

Security Council resolutions are considered binding, while General Assembly resolutions are not. However, General Assembly resolutions carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war.

The Security Council adopted the US resolution with 10 votes in favor, while France, Britain, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstained. Russia voted in favor after failing to amend it and vetoing European bids to add language supporting Ukraine.

“This resolution puts us on the path to peace. It is a first step, but a crucial one — one of which we should all be proud,” acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the council. “Now we must use it to build a peaceful future for Ukraine, Russia and the international community.”

‘NO EQUIVALENCE’
However, Mr. Trump’s approach to mediation has left Ukraine and European allies wary of his focus on Russia and worried they could be cut out of talks to end the war.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council that the terms of peace in Ukraine matter and must “send a message that aggression does not pay.”

“This is why there can be no equivalence between Russia and Ukraine in how this council refers to this war. If we are to find a path to sustainable peace, the council must be clear on the war’s origins,” she said.

French UN Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere — whose President Emmanuel Macron met with Mr. Trump in Washington on Monday — said that while France was “fully committed to peace in Ukraine, we call for comprehensive, just and lasting peace, and certainly not for capitulation of the victim.”

The General Assembly earlier adopted two resolutions, one drafted by Ukraine and Europeans and one drafted by the US that was amended by the assembly to include its long-held language supporting Ukraine. Those votes gave Ukraine and European states a diplomatic victory over Washington.

“This war has never been about Ukraine only. It is about a fundamental right of any country to exist, to choose its own path and to live free from aggression,” Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa told the assembly before the vote.

The amended US-drafted resolution won 93 votes in favor in the assembly, while 73 states abstained, and eight voted no. Russia failed in a bid to amend the US text to include a reference to the “root causes” of the conflict.

The resolution drafted by Ukraine and European countries passed with 93 votes in favor, 65 abstentions and 18 no votes. Along with the United States, some other countries that voted no were Russia, North Korea and Israel. — Reuters

NCAA bars professional coaches from mentoring collegiate teams

February 25, 2025 | 6:45 pm

MULTI-TITLED volleyball mentor Jerry Yee will need to give up his coaching job at ZUS Coffee in the professional Premier Volleyball League if he wants to continue handling four-peat feat-seeking College of St. Benilde (CSB) in the NCAA.

This came after the league wrote Mr. Yee and CSB a letter saying the NCAA bars coaches from the pros from coaching in the grand old league.

NCAA Management Committee (Mancom) Chair Herc Callanta of Season 100 host Lyceum of the Philippines University said the NCAA volleyball committee and CSB have already discussed the matter recently but have yet to come up with decisions or resolutions to the issue.

“We have received the letter of inquiry from the NCAA and we will respond accordingly,” said CSB Mancom representative Dax Castellano.

Mr. Callanta, however, said Mr. Yee could still remain with the Lady Blazers in another capacity, but not as a coach. — Joey Villar

In seeking 2nd place at UAAP women’s volleyball

In seeking 2^nd place at UAAP women’s volleyball