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‘All systems go’ for budget scrutiny

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address before the joint session of the 19th Congress at the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives, July 22, 2024. — PHILIPPINE STAR /KJ ROSALES

THE House of Representatives is “all systems go” for next week’s budget deliberations, with the chamber’s appropriations committee set to begin hearings on the proposed P6.793-trillion spending plan for next year, its chairperson said on Thursday.

Lawmakers will kick off the budget process that is expected to stretch into the year’s final months with a briefing from the government’s economic managers on Monday, said Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, who heads the House appropriations committee.

“On Aug. 18, it’s all systems go,” she told reporters after lawmakers met to discuss preparations for this year’s budget discussions.

The Budget department on Wednesday submitted the P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program for 2026 to the House, just over two weeks after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s State of the Nation Address.

The budget proposal saw double-digit increases for the Education, Health, and Transportation departments, while allocation for the Public Works department was slashed.

Next year’s budget is equivalent to 22% of the country’s gross domestic product, and is 7.4% higher than the P6.326-trillion national budget this year.

The chamber will hold budget hearings for the whole week, even Fridays, until September, said Ms. Suansing.

“The only time that we are going to take a break is during the holidays,” she said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Palace still studying GSIS investment

GSIS FACEBOOK PAGE

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., is still reviewing the Government Service Insurance System’s (GSIS) P1-billion investment in DigiPlus Interactive Corp. after a senator raised alarm on the government agency’s involvement in the online gambling platform.

“We just asked for the President’s opinion on this and according to him, we are still studying it in more depth,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said in a news briefing in Filipino. “Most probably by next week we will have an update on that.”

This comes after Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel flagged GSIS’ billion-peso investment in an online gambling platform amid intensified calls for the government to tighten regulation on such platforms or impose a total ban due to societal costs.

“GSIS got into this when DigiPlus shares were being offered at a peak of P65.30. Those shares have since dropped to a low of P13.68. That’s a loss! In the first place, what was GSIS thinking, investing funds in online gambling?” she said last Aug. 5.

She also criticized the GSIS for allegedly using public funds — specifically contributions from government employees — as capital for gambling.

The pension fund was already under scrutiny after its president and general manager, Jose Arnulfo A. Veloso, was placed under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman in July over the GSIS’ P1.45-billion purchase of preferred shares in Alternergy Holdings Corp. in November 2023. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Customs temporarily suspends QR code requirement at airports

NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NAIA) Terminal 3 — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of the clearance procedure under green lane to expedite long queues for arriving passengers.

“It will now be easier for our visitors and fellow Filipinos to enter the country,” BoC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno told reporters in Filipino.

Starting Aug. 14, passengers in the green lane will no longer need to have their Quick Response (QR) codes scanned.

Customs clarified that passengers still need to accomplish their e-Travel application.

The temporary suspension will last until further notice, it said.

Passengers in the country are required to register through the e-Travel application and accomplish the Customs Declaration Form before arrival. A QR code is then generated for all passengers, regardless of whether they have goods or currency to declare.

“There’s an option of ‘something to declare’ and a ‘nothing to declare’ section. Those with ‘nothing to declare’ go straight out,” Mr. Nepomuceno said.

Despite this, the BoC assures the public that this will not interfere with border controls as baggage will still undergo random inspection and x-ray machines.

Mr. Nepomuceno said the country now follows other countries and hopes to make good impression for foreign travelers. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Media readies for BARMM polls 

COTABATO CITY — News reporters in southern cities and provinces are now bracing for their coverage of the first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Oct. 13.

“It is a different kind of electoral exercise, something that shall set a historical precedent. We are excited to cover it,” said Erwin C. Cabilbigan, manager of Station DXMY in Cotabato City, a broadcast outfit of the Radio Mindanao Network.

BARMM, a product of 22 years of peace talks between the government and the MILF, was established in early 2019, replacing the then 27-year less empowered Autonomous Region.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen C. De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, and the commander of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, separately told reporters on Thursday, that they shall provide ample security for journalists out to cover the electoral exercise.

“Personnel of our units in all provinces and cities in the autonomous region will secure them to the best they can,” Mr. De Guzman said.

More than 20 print and broadcast journalists and officials of different agencies held a dialogue on Tuesday on the intricacies and ramifications of the Oct. 13 elections in the five provinces and three cities in the region.

The activity was organized by Jose A. Torres, Jr., executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS), the office of Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., and the Bangsamoro Information Office under its director, John Ameen Andrew L. Alonto.

Mr. Torres had told reporters present in the forum that their foremost concern is the safety of members of BARMM’s media community.

Representatives from the Army’s 6th Infantry Division also attended the forum, where officials of the Commission on Elections based in BARMM, led by regional director Ray F. Sumalipao, talked about their preparations.

BARMM’s social services minister, the lawyer Raissa H. Jadjurie, explained then how prepared regional officials are to help ensure the credibility of the regional elections.

Air Force Lt. Col. Eisen S. Vicente, a representative of the Armed Forces to the PTFOMS, lectured on security procedures in covering the elections in remote areas in the autonomous region that are beset with security issues.

Mr. Torres provided participants to the forum with insights on how they can promptly avail of interventions by the PTFOMS if they have security concerns while covering the elections.

“We all need to fuse ranks in protecting members of the media community in this part of the country not just during election periods but all the time,” Mr. Torres said. — John Felix M. Unson

Kamuning bridge December completion eyed

VIVENCIO “VINCE” B. DIZON — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Department of Transportation is hoping to complete the P89-million Kamuning footbridge in Quezon City designed to connect to the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway by the end of the year.

“Our target is to finish the footbridge and station by December, that is our promise. Our designers are also fully compliant with mobility and accessibility standards,” Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said on Thursday.

The Transportation department announced the start of the construction of the new footbridge which is said to have pedestrian-friendly walkways and wheelchair lifts.

The agency said the upgrade of the footbridge is also expected to give seamless access for Metro Rail Transit Line 3 and busway passengers as the footbridge will be linked to the EDSA busway stop.

Last month, the agency issued a bid invitation for the design and construction of the new Kamuning footbridge.

According to its bid notice, the contractor of the footbridge will be given 180 days to complete the project. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Boomers too much for Gilas

FIBA

WHATEVER hangover Gilas Pilipinas had from its epic quarterfinal clincher against FIBA Asia Cup host Saudi Arabia, mighty Australia quickly washed it away with a strong dose of reality pill.

They’re no peers. At least not yet.

And the Nationals are well aware of the tremendous amount of labor needed before even getting close to such status.

“No doubt the Australian athleticism and length, even though you see it on video, when you get up there and start playing against it on the court, you realize that they’re very superior,” Gilas coach Tim Cone said after the three-peat-seeking Boomers gave them the boot with an 84-60 whipping on Wednesday.

“We just had a hard time staying in front of them, challenging their threes and they moved the ball really well and they got up shots quick. They played at a really good pace and they also did a great job defending Justin (Brownlee), limiting him to only seven shots,” he added.

If anything, the one-sided Last-8 showdown in Jeddah gave Mr. Cone and Co. a better comprehension on how to deal with the world No. 7 Aussies when they meet again.

That’s sure to happen as group mates in the coming FIBA World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ), where they’re booked for a home and away duel on March 1 and July 6 next year.

“They imposed their will on us and we’ve got to figure out a way to overcome that,” said Mr. Cone.

The veteran tactician intends to keep his handpicked dozen for the next clashes.

“We put this team together for the long term and try to get them to grow together and get better. And if we’re going to just go ahead and change personnel, then we’re all back to zero again,” he said.

“So we’re going to use this and try to make some adjustments. The big missing piece for us is Kai Sotto and hopefully we get Kai (Sotto) and that makes us a little bit more competitive (next time).”

Gilas breaks camp for now and is expected to reassemble by November ahead of the WCQ opener. First up are back-to-back games in Group A against Guam (Nov. 28 away and Dec. 1 home) in the first window then it’s time to meet the big dogs in Window 2 — New Zealand on Feb. 26 and Australia three days later, both in Manila.

“It’s a great learning experience for us,” said young gun Kevin Quiambao, who made the Asia Cup his breakout tournament and even took scoring cudgels for Gilas versus the Aussies with 17. “We will carry this over onto the next one in November.” — Olmin Leyba

Filipinas draw with Myanmar, miss Asean Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup semifinals

16-year-old Nina Mathelus — PFF.ORG.PH

THE Filipinas rallied to a 1-1 draw with Myanmar at the end of group play, consequently missing out on the semifinals and relinquishing the throne in the Asean Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup on Wednesday in Haiphong, Vietnam.

Needing a win to gain a shot at Top 2 in Group B and a ticket to the Final Four, the Pinay booters found themselves in an even more rocky situation after conceding to Win Theingi Tun from the spot in the 33rd minute.

Mark Torcaso’s youth-laden charges went out for a turnaround but could only manage an equalizer from 16-year-old Nina Mathelus in the 71st.

The result proved catastrophic as the 2022 champs finished group action at third with four points on a 1-1-1 win-draw-loss card.

The Burmese tallied seven on two wins and this standoff to top the bracket as the Australia Under 23, gaining from a 9-0 thrashing of Timor-Leste following the 1-nil victory over the Philippines, took No. 2 with six points (2-0-1).

Myanmar set a semis duel with Group A second-placer Thailand while the Aussies face Group A winner and host Vietnam.

“This was a really good learning curve for all of us — our team, our coaches, to see some of our younger players play, ” said Mr. Torcaso, who worked with a team with an average age of 22.5.

“Yes, we would like to progress to the next stage but unfortunately, we haven’t, and we’ll focus on the (2026) Asian Cup now and our preparations going into it.”

Before that, the Filipinas will aim for redemption in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December. — Olmin Leyba

Olan set to coach Lady Bulldogs as Dimaunahan quits

Second from left: DA OLAN — UAAP

LONG-TIME deputy Da Olan is set to inherit the mighty women’s basketball program of National University (NU) in the UAAP following the surprise resignation of head coach Aris Dimaunahan.

There’s still no official announcement from the Lady Bulldogs but sources closely monitoring the situation disclosed that it’s Mr. Olan who would succeed the coaching reins for Season 88 next month.

Mr. Dimaunahan, a recipient of the Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year award, will remain with the team as consultant as he shifts his focus as the lead assistant coach for Jeff Cariaso with Blackwater in the PBA, where he once served as chief tactician before replacing Pat Aquino in NU.

Mr. Olan, for his part, finally takes its turn at coaching the Lady Bulldogs, being loyal soldier since Mr. Aquino’s era marked by a six-peat championship peat and 96 straight wins in the UAAP as one of the greatest collegiate runs ever.

He will have deputies Julie Amos, Paul Du and Cams Escoto by his side and an intact championship core led by rising star Cielo Pagdulagan along with veterans Kristine Cayabyab, Angel Surada and Karl Ann Pingol as they aim to extend NU’s dominance in the UAAP.

Mr. Dimaunahan replaced Mr. Aquino in 2022 and completed a seven-peat with 108 straight wins for NU. The Lady Bulldogs lost the next one to University of Santo Tomas before a sweet redemption in Season 87 for Mr. Dimaunahan’s second title in three seasons.

The former PBA player Mr. Dimaunahan on Wednesday stepped down from his post as per his announcement and NU’s.

“The unbreakable bond and the relationship I had with all the players I coached and with the coaching staff I worked with will be the most important things I will carry and bring along with me,” said Mr. Dimaunahan.

“I will be forever grateful for all the moments we shared. The battles we’ve won not only in the court but more so outside of the hardwood will be kept in my heart and will stay in my mind. Thank you to all of my players for letting me coach the way I coached you. Y’all made me look like a man who knows how to coach this game of basketball.”

“Thank you, Coach Aris. From the huddles to the hardcourt, you’ve been a pillar of strength and inspiration for the NU Lady Bulldogs. From your years as assistant coach to leading us as head coach, your passion, discipline, and heart have shaped champions — not just in games, but in life,” said NU.

“You’ve been there in our battles, celebrated our victories, and stood tall in every challenge. Your legacy will forever be part of our story, and the lessons you’ve taught will live on in every Lady Bulldog who takes the court. Once a Lady Bulldog, always a Lady Bulldog. Thank you for the journey, the championships, and the unbreakable bond.” — John Bryan Ulanday

NBA clears Celtics’ $6.1-billion sale to Bill Chisholm

A GROUP headed by Bill Chisholm is set to take control of the Boston Celtics after the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale on Wednesday.

The reported $6.1-billion valuation for the club makes it the second-largest sale price for a US sports franchise, behind the $10-billion valuation for the Los Angeles Lakers when Mark Walter purchased that team in June.

Mr. Chisholm and his partners are buying at least 51% of the Celtics. The ownership stake will increase in 2028, according to the purchase contract, when Mr. Chisholm’s group is scheduled to buy out the remaining minority shareholders at a $7.3-billion valuation.

According to multiple media reports, Mr. Chisholm will take over as the Celtics’ governor when the sale goes through. Outgoing owner Wyc Grousbeck is expected to serve as alternate governor and remain the chief executive officer through 2028. Mr. Grousbeck will cede his role when he no longer has the required ownership stake of at least 15%.

Mr. Chisholm, the co-founder and managing partner of the California-based private equity firm STG Partners, is a Massachusetts native and long-time Celtics fan.

Mr. Grousbeck and the outgoing ownership group Boston Basketball Partners LLC purchased the Celtics for $360 million in 2002. During that group’s tenure, the club won NBA titles in 2007-2008 and 2023-2024 — the latter representing Boston’s league-record 18th championship. — Reuters

Sabalenka, Sinner advance in rain-hit Cincinnati Open

WORLD number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday, while men’s top seed Jannik Sinner beat Adrian Mannarino following a lengthy rain delay.

Fresh off a thrilling third-round battle with Emma Raducanu, women’s reigning champion Sabalenka had an easier ride against the Spaniard Bouzas Maneiro, earning her tour-leading 50th win in one hour and 20 minutes.

The Belarusian will next meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in a final-worthy showdown, as the ninth-seeded Kazakh rallied from a set down to beat Australian Open winner Madison Keys 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2.

Earlier, six-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek reached the quarters with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Sorana Cirstea, with the third-seeded Pole extending her perfect record against the Romanian to 5-0.

Fellow Pole Magda Linette secured her second top-10 win of the season by upsetting American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3, in a third-round match that extended over two days after Tuesday’s suspension due to rain.

SINNER, ALCARAZ THROUGH
In the men’s draw, defending champion Sinner kept his title defense on track, beating Frenchman Mannarino 6-4, 7-6(4), after an almost three-hour rain interruption.

The Italian four-times Grand Slam champion struggled to find his rhythm, failing to serve out at 6-5 but sealing the tiebreak with back-to-back aces for his 24th consecutive hard-court victory.

Sinner will face Canadian 23rd seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in his fifth quarterfinal this year.

Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz booked his 18th Masters 1000 quarterfinal by beating Italian Luca Nardi 6-1, 6-4.

Alcaraz will next face Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev, who beat Argentine Francisco Comesana 6-2, 6-3.

Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton, whose match was also halted after the first set, progressed to the last 16 with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. The American fifth seed will face Czech Jiri Lehecka.

French qualifier Terence Atmane earned the biggest win of his career by stunning American fourth seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, earning his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal berth. — Reuters

Sun’s relocation fee

In the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Connecticut Sun’s fate now hinges on a $325-million tug-of-war shaped by geography, money, and league politics. One bid is being pushed by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, who envisions to bring the team to Boston with a brand-spanking-new $100-million practice facility in 2027. The other is from former Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, backed by state incentives to move it to nearby Hartford. Needless to say, either would end the team’s two-decade run at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Significantly, the WNBA’s involvement in the process indicates that numbers alone will not determine the Sun’s fate. Under the circumstances, it appears less concerned with the closeness of the bids than with where, and under whose stewardship, the franchise will next take root. Boston’s case is straightforward: a wealthy buyer with NBA ties, an established sports market, and infrastructure on the horizon. Hartford’s argument is less familiar in league boardrooms but politically appealing in Connecticut, where the orange, blue, and white have been both a point of pride and a reliable — if relatively small — draw.

Lasry’s proposal, in particular, carries community sentiment and local government backing. That said, it faces the seeming disfavor of the Commissioner’s Office, which sees greater upside in larger, strategically aligned markets. The hesitation toward Hartford speaks to a broader commercial ecosystem the WNBA wants to cultivate. At the same time, Pagliuca’s offer appears to take a back seat to that of Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. Houston, a former WNBA champion and the largest US market without a current team, is said to have drawn strong internal interest.

Fertitta is viewed as an ideal buyer, offering deep pockets, a proven NBA infrastructure, and a city with historical ties to the WNBA through the old Comets franchise. Never mind that the relocation would literally and figuratively not be without cost. Per news reports, the league is considering an additional relocation fee on top of the purchase price. The veritable monkey wrench serves to both boost its revenue and subtly direct negotiations toward its favored destination. More than a mere line item, the levy signals how head honcho Cathy Engelbert is actively shaping the terms and trajectory of the sale.

For the Sun’s current stakeholders, the state of affairs creates a delicate balance. The Mohegan Tribe, which owns the team, must temper the record valuations against the intricacies of securing league imprimatur. Engelbert’s decision not to immediately present Pagliuca’s Boston bid to the Board of Governors hints at an approval process where timing and alignment matter even more than the bottom line. The exclusivity window may have lapsed, but it does not necessarily mean the door is open to Hartford — or even to Boston — absent her blessing. In such a scenario, buyer enthusiasm is only one side of the equation; the WNBA’s strategic map is the other.

Through all the wheeling and dealing, Connecticut is compelled to watch and react. Fans see not just a potential relocation, but the erasure of one of the league’s most enduring regional connections. Players have pointed to the lack of a dedicated practice facility as a competitive disadvantage, but the factoid does little to soften the blow of a departure. If the Sun leave, the WNBA will gain a market that suits its growth plans. Unfortunately, it will also lose a franchise woven into the state’s sporting identity. The sale, whenever it concludes, will say as much about the league’s long-term ambitions as about the fate of a single team already imagined to be somewhere else.

 

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.

US appeals court lets Trump cut billions in foreign aid

Visitors walk up a stair during the opening of the restoration project at the historic Bimaristan Al-Muayyad Sheikh, one of the oldest hospitals following extensive renovations carried out in partnership between Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Ministry and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Old Cairo, Egypt Aug. 18, 2024. — REUTERS

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Wednesday lifted an injunction that required the US State department to continue making foreign aid payments, handing a victory to President Donald J. Trump.

In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said a lower court erred by ordering the Trump administration to restore foreign assistance payments previously approved by Congress.

Mr. Trump imposed a 90-day pause on all foreign aid on Jan. 20, the same day he was inaugurated for a second term in the White House. His executive order was followed by aggressive moves to gut the US Agency of International Development, the main US foreign aid agency, including by placing much of its staff on leave and exploring bringing the formerly independent agency under the State department.

Two nonprofit groups that receive federal funding, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and Journalism Development Network, brought litigation alleging Mr. Trump’s funding freeze was unlawful.

US District Judge Amir Ali, an appointee of former President Joseph R. Biden, ordered the Trump administration to pay nearly $2 billion in outstanding aid to its humanitarian partners worldwide.

Writing for the two-judge majority, Circuit Judge Karen Henderson said the nonprofit groups “lack a cause of action to press their claims” and therefore failed to satisfy the requirements for an injunction.

Ms. Henderson wrote that only the US Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency, could challenge the President’s efforts to withhold foreign aid funding.

Ms. Henderson, who was appointed to the appeals court by President George HW Bush, said the court was not addressing the question of whether Mr. Trump’s foreign aid freeze violated the US Constitution by infringing on the spending power of Congress.

Ms. Henderson’s opinion was joined by Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee.

Circuit Judge Florence Pan, a Biden appointee, wrote in a dissenting opinion that her colleagues were allowing the Trump administration to disregard federal law and the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution.

“The court’s acquiescence in and facilitation of the Executive’s unlawful behavior derails the carefully crafted system of checked and balanced power that serves as the greatest security against tyranny — the accumulation of excessive authority in a single Branch,” Ms. Pan wrote.

A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget, the White House’s budget office, said the ruling stops “radical left dark money groups” from “maliciously interfering with the President’s ability to spend responsibly and to administer foreign aid in a lawful manner in alignment with his America First policies.” — Reuters

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