FEU Lady Tamaraws beat UP Lady Maroons, share UAAP third place

April 6, 2025 | 8:14 pm

Games on Wednesday
(Philsports Arena)
9 a.m. – UE vs NU (men)
11 a.m. – Ateneo vs FEU (men)
1 p.m. – UE vs NU (women)
3 p.m. – Ateneo vs FEU (women)

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY (FEU) wasn’t to be left behind in an arms race for the coveted second seed and twice-to-beat edge.

The FEU Lady Tamaraws drubbed host University of the Philippines (UP), 25-21, 25-16, 14-25, 26-24, to rejoin a hot chase for the Top Two in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

FEU shrugged off a third-set meltdown by erasing a 16-20 deficit in the fourth set to improve to 7-4 with three games to go, tying University of Santo Tomas at third spot and moving within striking distance of De La Salle University (8-3).

Congolese spiker Faida Bakanke rifled in 20 points on 17 hits laced by seven digs with Chenie Tagaod and Gerzel Petallo adding 14 points each to spearhead the way for the wards of legendary player and now head coach Tina Salak.

Tin Ubaldo quarterbacked FEU’s onslaught with 17 sets while Ms. Petallo added 10 digs and 13 receptions in an all-around brilliance.

“It felt like watching an action and drama series in one. It became hard for us to sustain big leads but at least, I saw the maturity from our team in handling this kind of situation. I’m happy with the turnout,” said Ms. Salak as FEU survived a back-and-forth fourth-setter.

FEU zoomed to a 2-0 lead with easy wins in the first two but was caught off guard in the third that set the stage for an uncanny duel the next set.

Led by Ms. Bakanke, the Lady Tamaraws erected an early 12-3 lead only to allow a 17-4 retaliation from the UP Fighting Maroons to stare at a 16-20 deficit. FEU swung back and moved to match point only to yield two straight points anew for a deuce.

An attack error from UP and a Ms. Ubaldo block on Joan Monares finally sealed it for FEU.

Ms. Monares, Kianne Olango and Irah Jaboneta scored 13 points each while Niña Ytang had 11 for the Fighting Maroons, who could have tied FEU for the fourth seed with the win but fell behind in the Final Four race instead at 5-6.

In the men’s division, FEU (10-1) clinched a Final Four ticket with still three games to go after a 25-19, 25-21, 20-25, 29-31, 15-12 win over UP (3-8) while National University (9-2) moved closer to the same bid with a 25-17, 25-16, 25-15 win over Adamson University (2-9). — John Bryan Ulanday

Anthony and Howard head 2025 Hall of Fame class

April 6, 2025 | 8:13 pm

Anthony-Howard — CARMELO ANTHONY (left) and Dwight Howard (right) lead Hall of Fame 2025 class. — REUTERS/RON CHENOY-USA TODAY SPORTS

FORMER NBA STARS Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, along with former women’s star Sue Bird, highlighted a decorated group named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 on Saturday.

Women’s stars Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, head coach Billy Donovan, Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, referee Danny Crawford and the 2008 US Olympic men’s team also were selected for induction.

Anthony and Howard were members of the 2008 US Olympic team.

The class was announced on Saturday at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.

Enshrinement weekend will begin at Uncasville, Conn., on Sept. 5, while the enshrinement ceremony will be in Springfield, Massachusetts, the following day.

“The Hall of Fame is thrilled to celebrate the Class of 2025, a group that has left a profound mark on the sport at every level,” said John L. Doleva, president and chief executive officer of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “This year’s class embodies excellence, innovation, and an enduring passion for basketball — whether through game-changing performances, leadership on the sidelines, or shaping the sport’s global reach. We look forward to honoring this Class and their lasting contributions to the game.”

Anthony ranks 10^th in NBA history with 28,289 career points and was a 10-time All-Star. He won three Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012, 2016), led Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA title and was named to the NBA’s 75^th anniversary team in 2021.

Howard, who was elected as a first-ballot member, was a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2009-11) and eight-time All-Star. He ranks 10^th in NBA history with 14,627 career rebounds and 13^th with 2,228 blocked shots.

Bird won five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020), four WNBA titles and two college crowns at UConn. She was a 13-time WNBA All-Star and holds the league’s career assists record of 3,234.

Donovan coaches the Chicago Bulls after previously leading the Oklahoma City Thunder and has 434 regular-season victories following a victory on Friday. He also led Florida to back-to-back NCAA titles (2006, 2007) while accumulating 502 college wins.

The 2008 US Olympic team went 8-0 while winning the gold medal and prevailed by an average of 27.9 points. The co-captains were Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade, while other members included LeBron James, Chris Paul as well as Anthony and Howard.

Moore led the Minnesota Lynx to four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and won two NCAA titles at UConn and picked up two Olympic gold medals.

Fowles won four Olympic gold medals, retired as the WNBA’s leading rebounder (4,006) before being passed and was an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion.

Arison has owned the Miami Heat since 1995 and presided over three titles (2006, 2012, 2013).

“For some, this is an individual honor. But for me, this speaks to what our entire Heat family — players, coaches, staff and fans — have built together,” Arison said.

Crawford was an NBA referee from 1985-2017 and officiated in over 2,000 regular-season games and 300 playoff games, including the NBA Finals in 23 consecutive seasons. — Reuters

Pegula beats Alexandrova to set up Charleston Open final against compatriot Kenin

April 6, 2025 | 8:12 pm

TOP SEED Jessica Pegula survived a tough test to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in a topsy-turvy Charleston Open semifinal on Saturday and will face compatriot Sofia Kenin in her fourth championship match of the season.

Pegula had looked as though she would roll through the match as she won the first five games but had to find another level after Alexandrova fought back and the American clinched it with a superb backhand winner down the line.

Later on Saturday, Kenin advanced as opponent Amanda Anisimova retired with an injury in the first set.

“It wasn’t the prettiest at times, it was really windy, there were some awkward shots, we were both very uncomfortable, I feel like, on some short balls, some low balls, it was kind of swirling in the wind so it was just trying not to get frustrated, having to move your feet a lot and just competing.”

Pegula broke her opponent in the first game with a backhand winner before Alexandrova helped the American to another break in the third game with a double fault and a clumsy shot that sailed past the baseline.

They traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games before the 26^th-ranked Russian improved her form across the board in the second set, as she broke Pegula with a fine forehand shot in the sixth game and again with a forehand winner on set point.

They traded breaks three times in the final set before Pegula forced her opponent into an error on break point with a perfectly placed backhand at the net in the 11^th game to close out the two-hour 21-minute-long marathon match.

It was Pegula’s 24^th match win this year, the most in the WTA.

Anisimova had hoped to build on a strong start this season after she ended a three-year title drought in Doha in February but the afternoon quickly derailed for the eighth seed.

With Kenin up a break in the fourth game, Anisimova stopped up short and began moving gingerly around the court before asking for the physio with the score tied 30-30.

She lay on her back as tournament staff tended to what appeared to be a hip injury and tried to carry on from there but she could not keep up the fight and retired with Kenin up 5-2 in the set.

It will be the first time that the Charleston Open, the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America, will see an All-American final since 1990. — Reuters

Blazers, Spurs square off with fleeting postseason hopes on the line

April 6, 2025 | 8:12 pm

THE Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs look to keep their waning postseason chances alive when they square off on Sunday in a late-season Western Conference game.

Neither team has been officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Portland (34-44) still has the best chance of the two of working its way into the postseason. The Trail Blazers are three spots and three and a half games behind 10^th-place Sacramento with just four games to play after a 118-113 loss in Chicago on Friday.

Deni Avdija led the short-handed Trail Blazers with 37 points and 11 rebounds in the loss while Dalano Banton contributed 21 points, Shaedon Sharpe hit for 17 points and Donovan Clingan pulled in 18 rebounds for Portland.

The Trail Blazers hung tough despite having six key players (including leading scorer Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson) on the sidelines with injuries. Portland committed a season-low five turnovers in the setback and had 20 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds, seven of those from Clingan.

“Our offensive rebounds really hurt Chicago throughout the night,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “We didn’t shoot it well anywhere, to be honest with you. But offensive rebounds kept us in it.”

Portland has dropped five of its past seven games. To surpass the Kings, the Trail Blazers must win their final four games and have Sacramento lose its final five because the Kings also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Spurs (32-45) head to the Pacific Northwest for the first of a four-game road trip and after a 114-113 loss to East-leading Cleveland on Friday.

San Antonio roared from behind in the final three minutes against the Cavaliers, forging a 14-2 run to pull within a point with 4.6 seconds to play. But Harrison Barnes missed a contested layup at the buzzer, dropping the Spurs to the sixth loss in their past seven games.

“These guys have found a way to not go away numerous times and that just speaks to them individually and collectively as a group,” San Antonio acting coach Mitch Johnson said about his team. “You wish that ball would’ve bounced in for their sake because they put so much into this deal. It’s very rewarding as a coach at times to have that type of fight in your team.”

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 24 points in the loss, while Barnes added 23. Stephon Castle racked up 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Julian Champagnie scored 15 points. San Antonio trailed by 23 in the second quarter and by 16 in the fourth before fighting back.

“In the second half, we did a better job of fighting, getting back into it,” Barnes said afterward. “But the deficit that we created in the first half, I think that’s where the growth opportunity is for us — avoiding those situations.”

San Antonio sits five games in back of Sacramento with five games remaining in the regular season.

The Spurs have captured the first three games against Portland in the season series, winning twice at home on Nov. 7 and Dec. 21, respectively, and in Rip City on Dec. 13. — Reuters

LA Clippers keep pace in West, wipe out Dallas Mavericks

April 6, 2025 | 8:11 pm

JAMES HARDEN and Kawhi Leonard each scored 29 points as the Los Angeles (LA) Clippers finished off a convincing 135-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday at Inglewood, Calif.

Ivica Zubac added 25 points with 10 rebounds for the Clippers (46-32), who improved to 11-2 since March 12, while winning 11 of their last 12 home games. The Clippers had a pair of injury scares in the first half, but Norman Powell (thigh) and Derrick Jones Jr. (ankle) remained in the game.

Harden added 14 assists as the Clippers won both games of a back-to-back against the Mavericks. Los Angeles pulled even with both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies while sitting a half game behind the fifth-place Golden State Warriors.

Leonard did not play his first game of the season until early January because of knee discomfort but has shown his productivity of late with an average of 26.2 points over his last 12 contests.

Anthony Davis scored 27 points with nine rebounds in just his seventh game with Dallas after a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers in February. Davis did not play on Friday against the Clippers because of injury maintenance on a nagging abdominal injury.

Kai Jones scored 18 points for the Mavericks (38-41) against his former team, while Klay Thompson scored 14 points after he departed Friday’s game with an illness. Dereck Lively II played after he sat out Friday’s game with an ankle injury but scored just two points in 15 minutes.

The Clippers ran away with the game by outscoring the Mavericks 44-30 in the third quarter when Zubac scored 13 points and Harden had 10, while Los Angeles shot 69.2%.

The Clippers scored 74 points in the second half to 52 for the Mavericks, who have lost two of their past three games. Dallas is ninth in the West and just percentage points ahead of the 10^th-place Sacramento Kings, who hold the final play-in spot in the conference.

The Clippers were in control throughout, leading 33-21 after the opening period. Los Angeles had a 61-52 lead at halftime behind 19 points from Harden. — Reuters

Play-in tourney

April 6, 2025 | 8:11 pm

If there’s something the National Basketball Association got right, it’s the play-in tournament. For the West, in particular, the scrambling figures to go on until the very last day of the regular season. With only a handful of games left for each team, the goal is to close out the remainder of the schedule with a series of victories to ensure a spot in the playoffs — or, at the very least, an opportunity to claim one by snagging the ninth and 10^th seeds. And the jockeying for position has become must-see fare as a result.

Although there are only 15 teams in every conference, being part of the two-thirds that get to extend their 2024-25 campaign is much easier said than done. This is especially true in the crowded West, where the Lakers, provisionally, can fall to as low as 10^th, while the 13^th-running Spurs can climb to the same spot. The records are so close that every game day features movement in the standings. It’s why every outing is crucial, and why, by extension, diehard followers of the pro scene cannot wait for the postseason to begin.

Before then, though, fans get to find out whether the Nuggets will stay high enough to retain homecourt advantage in the first round. Given the seeming over-reliance on reigning Most Valuable Player awardee Nikola Jokic, the development is critical for the blue and yellow. Meanwhile, the Warriors have steadily gone up the ranks, with their momentum stringing along the possibility of securing the third seed in the playoffs. The Timberwolves and Clippers are likewise surging, enough to get pundits guessing as to how high they can go.

All told, the runup to the postseason serves as a proper preamble for upcoming matchups. Considering how much the brackets matter to those casting a moist eye on the hardware, strategic choices will, no doubt, come into play as the regular season draws to a close. Until then, the goal is to win every time out. Little wonder, then, that bench tacticians are already in playoff mode. The margins are so small that there is immense value to be had in gaining the confidence to believe that their respective fates are entirely up to them.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

BIR VAT collections up over 35% in 2024

April 6, 2025 | 7:50 pm

BIR-office-PHILSTAR-RUSSELL-PALMA — TAXPAYERS line up at the Bureau of Internal Revenue office in Intramuros, Manila, April 18, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it collected P643.85 billion in value-added tax (VAT) revenue last year, up 35.48%.

VAT is a 12% levy on the sale, barter, exchange or lease of goods or properties and services and on goods imported into the Philippines.

VAT accounted for 22.58% of the P2.852 trillion in overall collections in 2024.

“The substantial rise in VAT collections resulted from collecting 12 months’ worth of VAT in 2024 compared to just 10 months’ worth in 2023 due to the change in filing schedule from monthly to quarterly that started in January 2023,” the Bureau of the Treasury said in a 2024 Cash Operations Report.

Overall, BIR collections increased 13.29% year on year to P2.852 trillion, driven by the VAT performance. It surpassed the P2.849-trillion target by 0.09%.

This year, the BIR is seeking to collect P710.04 billion in VAT revenue, targeting 10.28% growth over actual 2024 collections.

In addition, the BIR has said it is now expecting to collect additional revenue from new tax measures such as the VAT on digital service providers (DSPs).

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on October signed Republic Act No. 12023, which imposes a 12% VAT on DSPs, both resident and nonresident.

The implementing rules and regulations were signed in January, with DSPs immediately subject to VAT on digital services on June 1.

In other tax segments, BIR collections on income and profits tax grew 9.15% to P1.53 trillion.

Excise taxes grew 3.86% to P304.28 billion, other taxes rose 8.80% to P234.39 billion and percentage taxes were up 5.61% at P136.32 billion. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Livestock industry eyes cheaper feed as China throws up tariffs vs US soy, grain

April 6, 2025 | 7:50 pm

FEED PRICES could fall, with follow-on effects on meat prices, as US producers scramble for new markets for their grain and soy after China retaliated against US tariffs, industry representatives said.

“The US may have excess soya production, which may cause their prices to drop further,” National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. Vice-President Alfred Ng said via Viber.

“This will definitely benefit our livestock sector as feed prices will be further reduced,” he added.

China last week retaliated against the sweeping US tariffs, imposing additional duties of 34% on all American goods, on top of the 10-15% duties imposed on $21 billion worth of agricultural trade in early March, according to Reuters.

Currently, soybean meal imports from the US are charged a 1-3% Philippine tariff, according to Mr. Ng.

“We do not think the Philippine government will retaliate (after the US imposed a 17% tariff on Philippine exports) so we will keep them low for US soya,” he said.

In effect, this will lower the cost of local production, “encouraging more agriculture and livestock output,” he added.

The US Soybean Export Council earlier said Philippine soybean meal imports from the US may decline this year as African Swine Fever dampens swine production.

Meat Importers and Traders Association President Jess C. Cham said the US tariff regime may reduce demand in other countries, “resulting in more supply for other countries including the Philippines.”

“On the demand side, if our exports fall, there may be less consumption,” he said.

Mr. Cham said China is a major market for soybean meal and that “if tariffs make its imports less affordable, then exporters will have to look for other markets.”

The Department of Agriculture recently urged farmers to increase the hog population by a “minimum” of 2 million heads each year through 2028.

Livestock and poultry account for about a quarter of agricultural output and provide livelihoods for over 2.8 million farmers. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Trade deals pushed in face of Trump tariffs

April 6, 2025 | 7:48 pm

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT should seek new trade agreements with its regional and global partners to sustain its electronics, textiles and food industries after the US imposed a 17% tariff on the Philippines, economists said.

“Mitigating the impact of the tariffs requires proactive government action such as negotiating exemptions for critical industries and enhancing trade and investment agreements with other partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union,” Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said via Viber.

The White House said the Philippines will be charged a 17% “discounted reciprocal tariff,” in response to Philippine tariffs of 34% on US goods, as estimated by US trade officials.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto has called the Philippines “relatively resilient” during trade wars due to its economy being driven by domestic demand.

Last week, US President Donald J. Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on all its trading partners, with the rates set higher for countries that impose high tariffs on US goods.

Within Southeast Asia, the Philippines had the second lowest tariff next to Singapore, which was granted the 10% baseline tariff. Cambodia faces the steepest tariff at 49%, followed by Laos (48%), Vietnam (46%), Myanmar (45%), Thailand (37%), Indonesia (32%), Malaysia (24%) and Brunei (24%).

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Clarissa A. Castro said at a briefing on Thursday that countries facing higher tariffs could choose to set up shop in the Philippines and use it as an export base, leveraging the advantageous tariffs.

“The country should now look at new partners instead of simply allowing business as usual,” Leonardo A. Lanzona, who teaches economics at the Ateneo de Manila, said via Facebook Messenger.

He added that ”tariffs create uncertainty in world trade. How long will this regime hold?”

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has said the Philippines could take advantage of the relatively lower tariff rate compared with its neighbors to “push for more sales to the US of our products.”

“Nonetheless, the Philippines should look at this as an opportunity for better competition versus comparable nations which had been slapped with higher tariffs by the US,” Terry L. Ridon, a public investment analyst and convenor of the InfraWatch PH think tank, said via Facebook Messenger.

He said the tariffs could make Philippine semiconductor and agriculture products more price competitive in the US.

Philippine exports to the US amounted to $12.4 billion last year, 53% or $6.43 billion of which were electronic products.

The US goods trade deficit with the Philippines was $4.9 billion in 2024, up 21.8% from a year earlier.

Calixto V. Chikiamco, Foundation for Economic Freedom president, said higher tariffs on countries like Vietnam and Thailand could prompt companies shipping to the US to relocate to the Philippines due to the relatively lower tariff of goods originating from the Philippines.

“Whatever disadvantages we have in infrastructure can be offset by the lower tariffs slapped on our export manufactures compared to neighboring countries,” he said via Viber.

Business name registrations decline 1.72% Q1

April 6, 2025 | 7:47 pm

REGISTRATIONS of business names declined 1.72% in the three months to March to 432,259, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported.

According to the DTI, 11,660 registrations were recorded in the first five days of April, bringing total registrations as of April 5 to 443,919.

Of the total, 371,449 were new registrations, while 72,470 represented renewals.

In the year to date ending April 5, some 79,356 names were registered in Region IV-A or Calabarzon, followed by 55,062 registrations in Region III, or Central Luzon.

Business name registrations in the National Capital Region totaled 49,820 during the period.

A majority of registrations, or 249,115, were generated by businesses involved in the wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle repair, motorcycles, and personal and household goods.

Some 57,778 registrations were in the accommodation and food service industries, while 25,617 were engaged in real estate.

Online channels accounted for 82.9%, or 368,318, of the registrations.

Meanwhile, hybrid registrations accounted for 69,958, or 15.8%, and walk-in registrations totaled 5,643, or 1.3%.

During the year to date period ending April 5, the DTI said registration payments were dominated by GCash, which accounted for 88.3%.

Other payment channels were Maya (5%), DTI Teller (4.5%), credit card (1.47%), and LANDBANK (0.68%).

Last year, business name registrations hit 1.06 million. Of the total, 938,681 were new registrations and 123,057 were for renewal. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Power generators to be subject to quotas for minimum use of indigenous natural gas

April 6, 2025 | 7:47 pm

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said it will set quotas for the use of indigenous natural gas by power generators, to comply with the requirements of the natural gas law.

In implementing rules and regulations (IRR) released last week, the DoE said it will prescribe “a mandated minimum percentage of the electricity demand of generation companies and/or distribution utilities to be sourced from indigenous natural gas.”

“Such minimum percentage shall be reviewed and adjusted by the DoE as may be necessary,” according to the IRR.

In January, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed into law Republic Act No. 12120 or the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act, which seeks to promote natural gas as “a cost-effective source of energy and an indispensable contributor to energy security.”

The IRR calls for the priority utilization of indigenous natural gas over imported natural gas and other conventional energy sources.

“(The) procurement and utilization of indigenous natural gas, including without limitation, by gas-fired power plants, shall be prioritized over imported natural gas provided that it is consistent with the State’s policy of ensuring energy security and consumer welfare,” the DoE said.

“An indigenous natural gas supplier and aggregator shall provide fair and open access to its natural gas supply in a non-discriminatory and transparent manner through physical supply, administrative or financial contracts, or any other arrangements allowed by the DoE,” it added.

Aside from establishing the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry (PDNGI), the IRR contains a plan to develop the Philippines as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading and transshipment hub within the Asia-Pacific.

The DoE was tasked to prepare the PDNG Development Plan based on modeling, considering forecasted demand, supply, and uses of natural gas, taking into account the plans submitted by PDNGI permit holders and participants.

The plan must be reviewed and updated every three years after its adoption.

Under the IRR, an entity may hold an interest in upstream and downstream natural gas facilities, as well as the supply and aggregation of natural gas, but will be subject to competition law. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Cybercrime complaints up 72% in Q1

April 6, 2025 | 7:46 pm

CYBERCRIME complaints increased 71.9% year on year in the first quarter to 3,251, driven by better information available on where to report incidents, according to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).

According to a CICC presentation at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines-San Miguel Corp. Business Journalism Seminar, there were only 1,891 complaints in the first quarter of 2024.

“The CICC, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has organized roadshows… to spread our 1326 complaint platform,” CICC Agent Marco S. Reyes said.

“If everyone knows there is a central platform to complain, naturally the frequency of complaints will get higher,” he added.

He said that the increasing number of complaints cannot serve as an indicator for whether cybercrimes are increasing or not.

“We’re still studying that because we don’t have the whole data yet. We’re still trying to reach everyone in the Philippines,” he said.

“Once we have that data, then we are confident enough to disclose that the behavior of these perpetrators is proliferating or going down. But as of now, (the evaluation is) still in progress,” he added.

In the first quarter, he said that most of the complaints involve smishing, or cybercrime that involves deceptive text messages, and vishing, or cybercrime that involves phone calls.

Anti-scam application Whoscall reported that it detected 648,239 short message service (SMS) scams and 351,699 scam calls in the first quarter.

According to Whoscall, loan availment schemes were the most prevalent for SMS scams. It was followed by VIP rewards scams and collection-related scams.

Meanwhile, Mr. Reyes said that perpetrators are now shifting to online platforms.

“They are now trying to shift to, say, for example, Viber and WhatsApp. Because these platforms offer privacy and you cannot see the number,” he added.

To address this, he said that the CICC and DICT are currently trying to work with the platforms to better regulate scams.

Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder Jocel de Guzman said the regulation of social media companies is on the table.

“The problem is we cannot regulate them because they do not have offices here,” he added.

Last year, the CICC received 10,004 cybercrime complaints. — Justine Irish D. Tabile