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Arts & Culture (09/26/24)

A two-day photography workshop for creatives

ON Sept. 28 and 29, creatives can learn the art of photography at a two-day workshop titled “I Am Abi Conference: Courage to Learn.” It will be held on both days from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Sampaguita Gardens, 36 Valencia St., Quezon City. Attendees can customize participation to attend either: 1.) the workshops plus the open shoot, or, 2.) the general admission events plus the open shoot. Aside from workshops on topics such as lighting, posing, and creative photography, and talks by keynote speakers, the event also includes raffle draws and opportunities to learn about the latest photography trends and network with fellow creatives and photo enthusiasts. The proponent, I Am Abi, is a photo studio that specializes in art photography and movement portraits. The studio’s resident photographers are Abi Miguel, Roj Miguel and Chris Casas. Register at: www.iamabi.com/conference4creatives.

Political Cartooning exhibit launch

THERE will be an exhibit on political cartooning on democracy and human rights, complete with live cartooning, on Sept. 28 at COMUNA, Makati, from 3 p.m. onwards. Thirty comic artists from around the world will come together to showcase how comics reflect, critique, and challenge the status quo. A roundtable discussion on Sept. 29, 4 p.m., at Rappler Newsroom will be a conversation about the intersection of comics and activism. Open and free to everyone, registration can be found here: bit.ly/PAKRTDRegistration.

3 approaches to painting with blue now on display

RAECHE, Ronna, and Rufe are three artists coming together through the color blue at Robinsons Land ARTablado. They explore how the color is a symbol of depth, tranquility, and introspection in the visual arts. Tied together by their shared palette yet distinct in their personal interpretations, the three redefine how they respond to and make a connection with the color in Into the Blue, on view until Sept. 30 at Robinsons Land ARTablado, Level 3 of Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center.

Manila Symphony Orchestra to perform Beethoven

THE Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will showcase beloved and hidden gems of Beethoven’s repertoire this October. The MSO is offering an all-Beethoven program on Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., at the Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex, Pasay City. It includes three Beethoven works that are unique and rarely performed. One of these is the Overture to King Stephen, originally written as a play, with Russian conductor Alexander Vikulov at the helm. Joining the MSO is solo pianist, Mariel Ilusorio, who will perform the iconic Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. Finally, Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major will conclude MSO’s tribute night. Tickets to Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 4 are available online at TicketWorld.

Bernard Vista exhibit on the Filipino spirit

FARMERS reaping a bountiful harvest in the rice fields, father and son enjoying an afternoon merienda of pan de sal and coffee, two lovers sharing a moment with a heartfelt harana — these are just some of the simple scenes captured by artist Bernard Vista in his oil on canvas landscape paintings. The exhibit Countryside Chronicles showcases the artist’s affinity for genre painting against the backdrop of the rustic rural Philippines. A scholar of the Saturday Group of Artists under the tutelage of National Artist Cesar Legaspi, Mr. Vista is displaying his works at Galerie Joaquin BGC from Sept. 24 to Oct. 6. The gallery is located on the Upper Ground Floor of One Bonifacio High Street Mall, 5th Ave. corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

NAMI Art Gallery presents Raul Isidro, Juno Galang

The two-man exhibition UNFOLD is a showcase of the works of Filipino artists Raul Isidro and Juno Galang. On view from Sept. 25 to Oct. 8 at Ayala Museum’s  ArtistSpace, it aims to “present a new or to put into conversation afresh what is already an established style, yet with refinements and breakthroughs.” Organized by NAMI Art Gallery, the current and past works of both artists stand as a testament to their longstanding friendship since their days in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (now Fine Arts and Design) at the University of Santo Tomas. ArtistSpace is located on the Ground Floor of the Ayala Museum Annex in Makati City.

Leandro Locsin exhibition opens at Benilde

THE retrospective exhibit The Poet of Concrete: The Architecture of National Artist Leandro Locsin, brings the life and works of one of the most important names in the field of Philippine art and design to the public. It walks the viewers through the creative journey and illustrious career of Locsin, whose genius has left an indelible mark on Philippine architecture, through a comprehensive timeline of drawings, photographs, and models of his most iconic buildings, courtesy of Leandro V Locsin Partners (LVLP). It also tackles his enduring influence and legacy as seen through the current work of LVLP, now headed by his son Andy. The exhibition was produced by the Center for Campus Art (CCA) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and LVLP. The exhibit runs until Dec. 14 at the 12F Gallery of the Benilde Design + Arts Campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate, Manila.

PPO announces 40th concert season shows

THE Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), the premier resident orchestra of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), embarks on its 40th concert season, called “FORTE.” Under the baton of music director and principal conductor, Grzegorz Nowak, the season “pays vibrant tribute to Filipino culture and the universal spirit of celebration.” Its season opener, CONCERT I: FIESTA!, is slated for Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., with guest violinist Shlomo Mintz joining the orchestra for a performance of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, op. 26, G minor. They will also premiere the composition of its resident composer Jeffrey Ching: Fiesta Contrapuntistica. For CONCERT II: TRIUMPH on Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m., Grammy Award-winning cellist Sara Sant Ambrogio will join the orchestra in a program featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, op. 34, Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, op. 85, E minor, and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, op. 61, C Major. To end 2024, CONCERT III: FANTASY, on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m., will feature violin prodigy Andrea Obiso, who will take on Gioacchino Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, op. 61, B minor, and Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. For the full schedule of concerts until 2025, visit the CCP and PPO’s social media pages. All shows will be at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati, with tickets priced from P500 to P3,000.

CloudCFO banks on SME digitalization

STEVE BUISSINNE-PIXABAY

PHILIPPINE-BASED CloudCFO expect’s its client base of small and medium enterprises (SME) to grow amid the rising demand for digitalization.

“The demand is there,” CloudCFO Chief Executive Officer Mickael Cardoso Das Neves told a news briefing on Wednesday. “There is the digitalization aspect. In the Philippines, digitalization is actually ongoing. There is a need for it.”

The cloud accounting company has more than 230 SME clients, 80% of which come from the Philippines.

The company last week integrated artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations, automating expense transactions to keep up with the needs of business owners.

“What we’re doing is contextualizing a lot of what happens around the accountant treatment by bringing in a lot more information,” he said.

CloudCFO is also investing in AI training programs for its accountants.

“They’ll need to understand how technology works, how it delivers the output, and then advise the customer on the output,” Mr. Das Neves said.

“And for us to do that, we really have to elevate the job of the accountant. It’s not about credit-debit anymore. It’s about analysis, it’s about understanding systems, and it’s about taking that information and advising your customers,” he added.

Meanwhile, the country’s increasing adoption of a digital regulatory framework is expected to help CloudCFO boost its client base and simplify processes.

“As things become more digital, I think some of the barriers to full digitalization in some processes would start to kind of lift off,” Mr. Das Neves said.

Certain tax policy changes are also expected to boost CloudCFO’s client acquisition as businesses seek help on how to navigate such legal changes.

“We do acquire clients from tax updates,” the CEO said. “This is a huge opportunity for us because people completely off the grid are now inclined to register… You also have tax updates that make things more complicated.”

CloudCFO is also looking at tapping businesses outside the National Capital Region, but the company could be slowed by fewer companies adopting digitalization.

The firm is focusing on tapping the hospitality sector first, as well as major cities like Davao and Cebu.

“We can see that digitalization in Manila is probably more advanced than in the more provincial areas, aside from the big cities,” Mr. Das Neves said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

An outsider critiqued Meta’s smart glasses. Now she’s in charge of them

LI-CHEN MILLER wasn’t even a Meta Platforms, Inc. employee when she started working to fix the company’s video-recording sunglasses.

Ms. Miller was working at Microsoft Corp. in late 2021 when she purchased a pair of Ray-Ban Stories, the first version of Meta’s souped-up sunglasses. But her excitement about the novel idea was quickly overshadowed by all the ways she thought they could be improved. So she dashed off a detailed — and unsolicited — list of suggested fixes to Alex Himel, Meta’s head of wearables.

“She wrote me an e-mail that articulated what she thought was good about the device and what was promising, and then a longer list of things that she would improve,” Mr. Himel said, recalling that he agreed with most of the ideas.

Ms. Miller’s e-mail and her meticulous attention to detail landed her a job the following year at Meta, where she now oversees products for the entire wearables division, including a full line of the Ray-Ban glasses she previously critiqued. Once more of a novelty, the glasses are becoming increasingly important within Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has spent billions of dollars researching and building futuristic wearable technology, a bet on his belief that augmented reality (AR) glasses, which can overlay images and text on a user’s view of the physical world, will be the next major computing platform. One day, the company has suggested, they may even replace the phone in your pocket.

That vision will be on display Sept. 25 at Meta’s annual Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, where the company is expected to unveil an AR glasses prototype that also falls under Ms. Miller’s authority, code-named Orion. While an AR version is still years away from mainstream availability, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are available now, and have been a “bigger hit sooner than we expected,”Mr. Zuckerberg told investors last month.

While the current edition of Meta-powered Ray-Bans don’t yet have augmented reality capabilities, they do have video cameras, speakers, and an AI assistant you can talk to. They’re also significantly more stylish than the Orion glasses are expected to be, and cost $299. That’s been enough to attract more than half a million consumers, according to market research firm IDC, which estimates Meta has shipped upwards of 700,000 pairs of the latest Ray-Bans since their launch in 2023.

Meta’s goal is to one day merge these two projects into one product: A fashionable pair of glasses coupled with advanced AR technology. The idea is to get people accustomed to the idea of smart glasses slowly, building up to a pair with full augmented reality capabilities. There’s a “laddering up to AR glasses that we’re certainly going after,” said Heidi Young, Meta’s vice-president of engineering.

For now, the top of that ladder is many rungs away. After years of investment, Meta is still far from delivering a pair of glasses that are stylish enough to work for general consumers but powerful enough to offer AR features. Other companies have tried augmented reality glasses, including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Snapchat parent Snap, Inc., though neither has found a robust market for their products in part because the glasses look bulky or weird. Eight years after first taking a crack at the wearables market, Snap showed off its own AR glasses, called Spectacles, earlier this month, but is only releasing them to developers.

For Mr. Zuckerberg, successfully blending the Ray-Ban styles with AR features would be the ultimate aim, since owning a widely used pair of AR glasses would mark a step toward decreasing Meta’s reliance on rivals like Apple, Inc. and Google. The two companies dominate the smartphone market, which also means they serve as middlemen between Meta’s products and the consumers who use them. Mr. Zuckerberg has said that structure has hurt Meta’s business and can be “soul crushing.” If glasses are indeed the future, Mr. Zuckerberg wants to own the market.

Ms. Miller will have a major role in determining whether Mr. Zuckerberg’s vision succeeds. A self-described “crazy cat lady,” she took the stage at Meta’s Connect conference a year ago in a pair of Hello Kitty jeans and a T-shirt featuring a picture of her own cat, Adobo. She delivered an impassioned speech to thousands of software developers about the potential for Meta’s smart glasses. “You no longer have to choose between capturing the moment or truly experiencing it,” she said. Even though the attendees had mostly flocked to Meta’s headquarters to hear more about the company’s latest Quest virtual reality headsets, Ms. Miller stole the show.

“They were not there for glasses, and then she took the stage and I think really overpowered the event,” Mr. Himel said. “A large percentage of people who went to the event actually bought glasses on the spot and took them home.”

Sales savvy aside, Ms. Miller’s contributions to Meta’s wearables division are the result of spending almost two decades at Microsoft, where she worked on a collection of consumer products that included Xbox, Windows, Windows Phone, and the Bing search engine. It was there that Ms. Miller first developed a reputation among colleagues for being “in the weeds” — displaying a knack for the kind of detailed analysis that caught Mr. Himel’s eye. “She would be in every single ship room and review we had for the program,” said Marleine Daoud, who worked with Ms. Miller on new features for Xbox’s rewards program. That level of involvement was rare for leaders at her level, Ms. Daoud said.

Ms. Miller also learned the challenges of packing a lot of computing power into tiny devices, said Shiraz Cupala, a product leader for Microsoft Teams, who worked with Ms. Miller on bringing Xbox features to Windows Phone. “You have to take into account the constraints of the device to create an experience that really works well and is reliable,” Ms. Cupala said. “She has a very strong instinct about how to make those hard decisions.”

That skillset has been put to use as Ms. Miller worked on Meta’s smart glasses, which feel as thin as regular sunglasses but are enhanced by Meta’s virtual assistant, Meta AI, and can take photos, record videos, play music and respond to voice commands. She uses them all the time, sometimes for helpful things, like using the camera and voice assistant to translate a menu in a foreign language, or for mundane things like recording her cats playing around in the living room. Some days, Ms. Miller wears the glasses as much as 14 hours.

While in Paris this summer to watch the Olympics, for example, Ms. Miller brought along three different pairs of Meta’s smart glasses, some of which had unreleased features and technology, to stress test them in the “wild,” according to Mr. Himel. When she returned from vacation, she once again handed her boss a list of changes and feedback.

“When you wear a product that much, you do love it,” Ms. Young said. “But you also see all of the little flaws and warts all over the product and so you just become doggedly obsessed with fixing those things.” Ms. Young credits Ms. Miller with having an outsized influence on the product’s look and feel, including the cat-eye shape, which Meta worked on alongside Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica. She also said Ms. Miller has pushed hard to improve the camera and its functionality within the glasses to ensure high-quality photos. “If there was one person that put their fingerprint on this product, I would say it’s her,” Ms. Young said.

Ms. Miller says part of what motivated her to join Meta was the company’s drive to dominate a new category of technology. “I want to work on something that will still be here and be relevant in 10 years,” she said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek earlier this year. “It was very attractive to me that Meta is very ambitious. Mark puts money where his mouth is.”

Ms. Miller wasn’t the only critic of Meta’s first pair of smart glasses from 2021; only 10% of the people who bought them used them monthly, according to the Wall Street Journal. Snap fared even worse with its first effort at glasses several years ago, and the company ended up taking a $40-million write-down for unsold inventory.

Mr. Zuckerberg seems more optimistic this time. He said advancements in Meta’s AI voice assistant are part of why the current Meta-enabled Ray-Bans are more useful, spurring adoption. “Demand is still outpacing our ability to build them,” he said in July. — Bloomberg

How PSEi member stocks performed — September 25, 2024

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Philippines says Chinese navy helicopter shadowed its aircraft

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE PHILIPPINES said on Wednesday its fisheries bureau aircraft was shadowed and approached by a Chinese navy helicopter while on patrol near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in another face-off between two countries locked in a bitter row over territory.

The Philippine National Security Council (NSC) said the incident took place on Monday and its aircraft was still able to complete its mission. China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was the latest in the series of air and sea encounters between the two countries that have sparred over contested areas of the South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, one of Asia’s most contested features, which has been occupied by China’s coast guard for more than a decade.

China’s actions violated air safety regulations, the NSC said in a statement.

Based on its interpretation of old maps, China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, coveted for its bountiful fish stocks and a stunning turquoise lagoon.

The shoal, named after a British vessel that got stuck there centuries ago, is located 200 km (124 miles) off the Philippines, inside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found China’s sweeping claims were not supported by international law, a decision Beijing refuses to recognize.

The tribunal did not determine sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, which it said was a traditional fishing ground for several countries.

CHINESE ‘INTERFERENCE’
Separately, the Philippine defense minister told China on Wednesday to withdraw vessels from its EEZ and accused Beijing of trying to meddle in its defense activities, including its use of a US mid-range missile launcher for training.

Reuters reported last week the United States has no immediate plans to pull out the missile system, which can be equipped with cruise missiles capable of striking Chinese targets.

“China is saying that they are alarmed, but that is interference into our internal affairs,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters.

“Why don’t they lead by example? Destroy their nuclear arsenal. Remove all their ballistic missile capabilities. Get out of the West Philippine Sea, and get out of Mischief reef,” he added, referring to the Philippine EEZ and a manmade, militarized island built there by China.

China has expressed concern over the deployment of the Typhon system in the Philippines, accusing Washington of fueling an arms race.

Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner on Wednesday said if he had his way, “I would like to have the Typhons here in the Philippines forever.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment over WhatsApp message.

This development gives rise to a need for government agencies, such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)  to “speed up interoperability” to counter China’s actions.

“The AFP and government agencies that are related to maritime and aerial security of the WPS (West Philippine Sea) must speed up interoperability,” Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation, told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“By doing so, we can counter China’s continuous aggression and hostility disrupting not only freedom of navigation but also freedom of overflight.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez with Reuters

Car buyers protected by Lemon law and Consumer Act — SC

Vehicles are seen along South Luzon Expressway in this file photo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSELL PALMA

THE PHILIPPINE Supreme Court (SC) ruled that buyers could avail themselves of all legal remedies under the Philippine Lemon Law, and the Consumer Act among other applicable consumer laws against defective brand-new cars.

In a 15-page decision of the tribunal’s second division, dated Oct. 11, 2023, the High Court ruled that the Lemon Law, a consumer rights measure on brand-new motor vehicles, does not override the Consumer Act, allowing buyers to seek any legal redress as provided under the law.

“There is nothing that prevents a consumer from availing of the remedies under RA 7394 (Consumer Act) or any other law for that matter even if the subject of the complaint is a brand new vehicle… RA 10642 (Lemon Law) is an alternative remedy granted to the consumer and the consumer is free to choose to enforce his or her rights under RA 7394 or any other law,” part of the decision penned by Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr. read.

“Since the case is capable of repetition… the court deems it proper to state that with respect to brand new vehicles, the consumer may choose between RA 10642, RA 7394, and other remedies available under any other law,” it added.

The SC clarified the application of consumer laws due to a petition filed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) seeking to overturn an appellate court decision that the Lemon Law applies to buyers of defective brand-new vehicles instead of the Consumer Act.

This stemmed from a case involving a private citizen who demanded her vehicle be replaced or refunded as they “noticed a jerky movement” when the car’s transmission changed gears, according to the top court’s statement, released on Wednesday.

The car manufacturer argued they are allowed to make up to four repair attempts before replacing the vehicle, citing the Lemon Law. The private citizen sought DTI’s opinion, which ruled in their favor.

The car manufacturer then sought to nullify DTI’s ruling by bringing it before the Court of Appeals. The appellate court decided the Lemon Law should apply in the case, instead of the Consumer Act, noting “a special law prevails over a general law,” the SC explained in the statement.

The Trade and Industry department brought the case before the tribunal, appealing the lower court’s decision without the private citizen’s participation.

The DTI’s petition was, however, dismissed as the SC ruled that “it was not the proper party for the petition.”

“While acknowledging that the case had been resolved due to the repair of the vehicle, the court took the opportunity to settle the issue to guide future disputes. It held that the Lemon Law is not an exclusive remedy,” the top court said in a statement. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Palace advisory council pushes flood-control projects

Vendors continue to sell goods despite flooding at the Libertad Public Market in Pasay City, July 24, 2024. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

A GROUP of private sector leaders advising President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on economic concerns has pushed for flood-control measures including the construction of retarding basins and dams along critical waterways.

The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) also recommended ordinances that will require property developers to install rainwater detention systems, during its meeting with Mr. Marcos on Tuesday, according to a press release the following day.

The National Government should also enforce easement laws to clear floodways of obstructions, including informal settlements, the council said.

Parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces were submerged in floodwaters in August amid a typhoon-enhanced southwest monsoon that killed dozens and displaced over a million people, prompting lawmakers to pursue an investigation of flood-control projects.

A World Weather Attribution report earlier said the Philippines has weak urban plans and flood infrastructure, which cannot withstand climate change-driven floods.

In the latest World Risk Index, the Philippines, which faces an average of 20 typhoons, remained the most disaster-prone country for a 16th straight year.

PSAC recommended the creation of a comprehensive planning for critical waterways and bridges affecting major roads like EDSA and Roxas Blvd.

It urged local government units to collaborate on a “unified approach” and invest in waste-to-energy projects through public-private partnerships.

It also pushed for a river basin master plan and the widening of the Manggahan Floodway.

The government should also launch a nationwide watershed restoration program, particularly in priority areas like Marikina, it added, noting that reforestation efforts will be essential for environmental recovery.

The PSAC also proposed revisiting the Parañaque Spillway project and constructing a flood diversion tunnel from the Upper Marikina River to the Pacific Ocean.

The proposed Department of Water Resources, a priority legislation of the Marcos administration, is necessary “to streamline efforts” for water and drainage management, it said.

The PSAC also recommended that villages implement coconut-based garbage traps to prevent drainage blockages.

The council also announced that the Napindan River will be dredged to improve the outflow of Laguna de Bay. “The Water Resources Management Office, in collaboration with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, will oversee these initiatives.”

The Department of Public Works and Highways in July said over 5,000 flood mitigation projects would be implemented across the country this year.

These are on top of the 5,521 flood control projects completed between July 2022 and May 2024, which Mr. Marcos reported in his third address to Congress. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Senate chief dismisses ouster plot as ‘rumor’

SENATE PRIB

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

SENATE President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Wednesday said the reported attempt to oust him as leader of the 24-man chamber remained a “rumor.”

Mr. Escudero, who himself replaced an ousted Senate leader a few months back, said “allegations about the coup are mere rumors until they become a reality.”

“If it is not a reality at this point of time then it is a rumor,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing at the presidential palace.

“I don’t usually comment on rumors because at the end of the day, I will be quoted reacting to a rumor that has no basis of origin really that you can point to,” he added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jose Pimentel “Jinggoy” Ejercito, Jr. and senators Lorna Regina “Loren” B. Legarda and Cynthia A. Villar — who were linked to the alleged ouster move — have already denied any involvement in the supposed plot.

Mr. Estrada, who was rumored to replace Mr. Escudero, himself said the Senate President still had the support of his colleagues, adding that frequent leadership changes would be unhealthy for the chamber.

Mr. Escudero secured the top Senate post in May, replacing Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri.

“Let’s not forget that the two factions who elected Mr. Escudero were supposedly at an impasse,” said Arjan P. Aguirre, a political science professor at the Ateneo de Manila University.

“He is seen as the impartial, senior, and capable leader who cannot be controlled by any faction in the chamber.”

Mr. Aguirre said some factional senators might be “taking preemptive steps to get ahead of their rivals in the chamber” as the 2025 midterm polls approach.

He said the possible return of some former senators “who used to compose a different alignment of forces” such as Panfilo M. Lacson, Vicente C. Sotto III, Jose Emanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao might be a source of tension in the future.

“The rumors are meant to signal that something is going on. They are usually deployed to gauge the reaction of all members of the chamber and other stakeholders,” Mr. Aguirre said.

Mr. Escudero, a veteran senator, likely knew what would happen before and after the midterms, the analyst said. “He knows how to handle this.”

The Senate President said he learned from his 23 years of experience in Congress that ouster plots were a norm.

“It is a rumor until it becomes a reality, and I have learned from my 23 years in Congress.”

He said Senate leaders “serve at the pleasure of the majority.”

“We will remain here until we enjoy the confidence of the majority. It is that simple,” he said.

“At any point in time that we have sessions, the leadership can be changed once they lose the confidence of the majority as what happened when Senate President Migz (Zubiri) was replaced,” he added.

Anthony Lawrence Borja, a political science professor at De La Salle University, said the possible ouster plot might be an effect of the administration’s coalition-building efforts or might be “just a sheer petty power struggle.”

“Who will gain from Mr. Escudero’s removal and what legislative programs will be affected by either his departure or his persistence?”

Mr. Escudero was fresh from the 6th meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which earlier eyed the approval of 28 bills by June 2025.

‘Crucial’ POGO personality bared

PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

A SENATOR leading a probe into criminal syndicates linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) said dismissed Mayor Alice L. Guo confirmed a “crucial personality” behind illegal operations connected to these outfits during an executive session on Tuesday.

“I am not that satisfied with what was said in the executive session, although there was one crucial personality confirmed by Guo Hua Ping,” Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said in mixed English and Filipino in a statement on Wednesday, calling Ms. Guo by the name of a Chinese national who matched her fingerprints.

“This corroborates a theory that the committee shared a month ago.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, Ms. Guo said she was a victim of the POGO issue, rather than a mastermind. She also told senators that she was willing to reveal the international criminal syndicate behind these crimes in a closed-door meeting.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito on Wednesday told reporters in a Viber message that Ms. Guo is unlikely the one pulling the strings in these operations, but she may be a pawn used by an international syndicate.

“We still can’t discount the possibility that Alice is an agent of China based on her demeanor and her skillful evasion,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

“Hopefully there will be more information gathered in the next executive sessions,” Mr. Ejercito said.

Ms. Guo is being accused of coddling an illegal offshore gaming company in the town of Bamban, Tarlac, where she ran and won for the first time as mayor in 2022. The illegal hub had been raided by Philippine law enforcement due to links to scamming operations in March.

The ex-mayor was arrested in Jakarta on Sept. 4 after fleeing the country via a yacht amid a Senate arrest order and human trafficking complaints against her. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Akbayan wins party-list seat

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday proclaimed political group Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party as a winner of the 2022 national polls, giving the party-list a seat in the House of Representatives with less than a year before the next elections.

Comelec awarded Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party with a proclamation certificate, giving it a seat at the House after the Supreme Court voided the registration papers of another party-list group due to an election law violation.

“The National Board of Canvassers has issued the Certificate of Proclamation in favor of Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party as having obtained the required percentage of votes under the party-list system,” Comelec chief George Erwin M. Garcia said in a letter addressed to House Secretary-General Reginald S. Velasco on Wednesday.

“We would like to thank Comelec for their swift action in issuing the Certificate of Proclamation to Akbayan acting on Congress’ request to fill in a vacancy in the party-list seats as part of the constitutional mandate to fill in all seats allotted for party-list organizations,” Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party President Rafaela David said in a statement published on Facebook. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DBM releases P36B for salary hike

BW FILE PHOTO

AROUND P36.45 billion has been released for the salary increase of state employees, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Wednesday.

“I am happy to announce that the funds allocated for the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law VI (SSL VI) have been fully released to concerned agencies by the DBM,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a statement.

This release will cover the salary hikes of all 308 departments and agencies, according to the department.

“In light of this, I am appealing to the heads of the respective departments/agencies to hastily enforce the salary adjustments by taking necessary steps forward, including the process and issuance of the Notices of Salary Adjustment, so that our government workers may start receiving their differential and salary increases,” Ms. Pangandaman also said.

The Department of Education will receive the highest allocation at P24.63 billion. This is followed by State Universities and Colleges at P2.43 billion, Department of Health at P2.34 billion, the Judiciary at P837.92 million, and the Department of Justice at P769.43 million.

Other top recipients include the Departments of Finance (P549.36 million), Public Works and Highways (P543.63 million), Commission on Audit (P535.25 million), Environment and Natural Resources (P425.96 million), and Interior and Local Government (P424.44 million). — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Marawi siege victims to get P1B

A TOTAL of P1 billion will be released to support victims of the Marawi Siege, the Budget department said on Wednesday.

This would provide monetary compensation for 574 beneficiaries or recipients, mainly for structural damages and death claims, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said in a statement.

The fund would help affected families return to their normal lives, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said. The tax-free allocation will be managed by the Marawi Compensation Board.

Families of those who died during the siege will also receive compensation, according to the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines.

If the original property owner is deceased, legal heirs may claim the compensation, DBM said. Ms. Pangandaman signed the release order on Sept. 24.

The armed conflict between government forces and the Maute group left over a thousand casualties and nearly 200,000 communities displaced. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

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