Aparri port upgrades sought

February 15, 2026 | 7:46 pm

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — The Cagayan provincial government is advancing plans to modernize the Port of Aparri, aiming to position it as the country’s “Northern Gateway to the Asia-Pacific” and a new driver of trade and industry in Northern Luzon.

Governor Edgar Aglipay is leading the initiative in coordination with the Bureau of Customs, headed locally by District Collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte, Jr.

Mr. Aglipay said Aparri’s proximity to China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea gives it a strategic advantage, supporting national priorities on infrastructure modernization, trade facilitation, and border protection while helping ease congestion at Manila’s seaports.

Modernization plans include expanded berths and container yards, dredging works, and upgraded navigational systems to accommodate larger vessels.

The proposal also covers the establishment of inland container terminals in Tuguegarao and Aparri to streamline cargo movement and improve logistics efficiency across the region.

In the long term, the province envisions developing Aparri into an offshore oil transshipment hub and an industrial complex comparable to Singapore’s Jurong Island, attracting investments and generating employment. Officials said the strategy aims to open new trade corridors for Northern Luzon and stimulate broader economic activity.

The project is being pursued in coordination with the Philippine Ports Authority, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Regional Development Council Region II, as Cagayan positions itself as a connected and competitive gateway to the Asia-Pacific. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Eala battles US qualifier Baptiste in Round 1 of Dubai Championships

February 15, 2026 | 6:54 pm

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” Eala faces a familiar opponent in qualifier Hailey Baptiste of the United States to begin her second WTA 1000 campaign in the Dubai Tennis Championships at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Seeded in the main draw, the 20-year-old Filipina drew the 24-year-old American after her qualifying supremacy for Round 1 starting on Monday with hopes of keeping mastery of her rival after a big win last year.

Back in the 2025 Eastbourne Open in England, Ms. Eala pulled off a pulsating 6(1)-7, 7-6(4), 6-1 comeback win against top-ranked Ms. Baptiste in the qualifiers to ignite magical run all the way to earning her first WTA Finals appearance. Ms. Eala, however, bowed to Australia’s Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10-12), in the epic marathon finale.

The WTA No. 39, Ms. Baptiste, this time around ruled the qualifiers as the No. 1 seed with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Chinese Shuai Zhang (WTA No. 86) to get a shot at WTA No. 40 Ms. Eala.

Ms. Eala, who’s supposed to still go through the qualifiers, advanced straight to the main draw after her seat was upgraded by organizers as one of the hottest tickets in town on Monday.

Waiting for the survivor of the Mses. Eala-Baptiste duel is world No. 6 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, who gained a first-round bye in the stacked 64-player main draw.

The Dubai tilt will serve as Ms. Eala’s sixth straight campaign in a hopeful 2026 season so far marked by a bevy of playoff finishes.

Ms. Eala made the semifinals in the WTA 250 ASB Classic in New Zealand on top of a pair of quarterfinals finishes in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open for her first home tourney and the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, where she also reached the doubles final four with Indonesian partner Janice Tjen.

She also completed an appearance in all four major main draws after a debut in the Australian Open last month in Melbourne, where she ran away with an exhibition crown in the Kooyong Classic as well.

Ms. Eala’s lone early exit so far was a first-round elimination in the WTA 1000 Qatar Open after yet another defeat against Tereza Valentova of Czechia, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1.

Her solid run so far has catapulted her to a new career-best of No. 40 in the world rankings with a pretty chance to garner more points and hopefully enter the Top 30 in the 1000-level Dubai joust.

And like what she had in every stop of the WTA Tour so far, the nation’s pride is tipped to receive roaring support from overseas Filipinos in the bustling Middle Eastern city. — John Bryan Ulanday

Malixi ties for third in Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific

February 15, 2026 | 6:54 pm

FILIPINA ace Rianne Malixi closed out with a three-over 75 to finish tied for third in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) topped by Korean Yang Yunseo at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.

The 18-year-old Ms. Malixi wound up with a six-under 282 aggregate, or 10 shots behind Ms. Yang, who had a final round 69 to rule the event.

It was Ms. Malixi’s third top five finish in the prestigious championship, which is now on its eighth edition.

Under breezy and tough conditions, Ms. Malixi, who was just four strokes back entering the last day, limped to an outward 39 that was saddled by a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey against a low birdie, leaving her fighting for a top three finish in the late stretch.

But she had a blistering eagle on 10 where she sank a long putt from 215 yards out that may not have resuscitated her bid to become the first Filipina winner of the WAAP but somehow helped her secure a top five finish.

“We got like bad weather… finally showed its teeth, so it was really struggling (Sunday). I hit a lot of good low shots, couple of bad ones. Putting was also a struggle. I couldn’t get any of my putts to drop,” said the 2024 US Women’s Amateur champion.

“I was like far back heading into the last round, and there is always like a chance, but I didn’t really capitalize (Sunday).”

“I’m glad to be playing in a really good event since the past year and a half maybe since my injury. I’m happy and grateful. I’m looking forward for what’s in store for me. It sucks I couldn’t really back a win, but I’m looking forward to the upcoming season,” she added. — Joey Villar

Tabuena finishes joint 44^th at LIV Golf Adelaide

February 15, 2026 | 6:53 pm

MIGUEL TABUENA capped an up-and-down stint at LIV Golf Adelaide with a one-over 73 as he finished joint 44^th at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday.

Mr. Tabuena mixed an eagle, three birdies, two bogeys and a pair of double bogeys as he lost momentum after a solid 69, 71 and 71 in the first three rounds of his debut tournament as a LIV Golf Wild Card player.

The Filipino ace netted $88,500 (around P5.1 million) for his showing in Australia, the second event of 2026.

Before earning full-time status in the lucrative circuit this week, Mr. Tabuena played as sub for the 4Aces team of Dustin Johnson in the season-opener in Riyadh, where he shared 48^th.

Anthony Kim, whose signing with 4Aces prior to the Adelaide stop opened a permanent spot for Mr. Tabuena in the Wild Card roster, pulled through with a remarkable comeback triumph.

Trailing by five shots to begin the final round, Mr. Kim sizzled with a nine-under 63 to blitz past Jon Rahm and the other stars en route to his first pro win in nearly 16 years.

Mr. Kim finished at 23-under to reign supreme again, leaving Mr. Rahm (268 after a closing 71) in his wake. Bryson DeChambeau (71), Tyrrell Hatton (67) and Peter Uihlein (68) shared third spot at 271s. — Olmin Leyba

Keshad Johnson tops dunk contest; Damian Lillard wins 3^rd trey contest

February 15, 2026 | 6:53 pm

INGLEWOOD, California — Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat has not started a game this season, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers has not played in one, and yet both made their impact on All-Star Weekend.

Johnson delivered the defining moment of his short, two-season NBA career so far when he won the Slam Dunk competition over rookie Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs to close out Saturday’s prelude of events to Sunday’s All-Star Game.

In the 3-point Contest, the veteran Lillard defeated seven other long-distance shooting rivals and won the event for a third time, tying the record previously held by Larry Bird and Craig Hodges. The 35-year-old has been out due to an Achilles injury.

Johnson used a between-the-legs reverse dunk and a running dunk from just inside the free-throw line to post a combined score of 97.4 in the final round. He then had to wait out a final dunk from Bryant, who delivered a perfect 50 on his opening dunk of the final round.

Needing a score of 47.5 to become the dunk champion in his native Southern California, Bryant struggled to deliver some flash and settled for a 360-degree dunk just before time expired. His score of 43 left him with a final-round total of 93.

“I beat the odds. I made it. I made it into the NBA,” Johnson said. “Every year I was watching the NBA Dunk Contest, I dreamed of being out there, putting on a show for everybody. I learned from all the people that came before me, paying homage to them. And now that I’m here, I had to have crazy faith to be here and be in this position.”

Bryant said that whether the result is last place or a close second, the pain is all the same.

Eliminated in the opening round of the dunk competition were Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic and Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Johnson, who has played in just 21 games off the bench this season and averages 7.6 minutes per game, outlasted them all.

Lillard’s 3-point victory was almost as much of a surprise. He has been out of action since an Achilles tear during last season’s playoffs as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

“For me, it means a lot just being able to get involved in some competition, feel a little bit of pressure, to do something that I haven’t been able to do all year,” Lillard said. “But just as a shooter, any time you can get in this competition and win it amongst other great shooters, I think that’s one of the greatest honors you can have as a shooter in this league.”

Lillard scored 29 points in the final round to hold off Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, who had 27 in the final after posting a high score of 30 while advancing from the first round. Rookie Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets also advanced to the final round but was eliminated with a score of 17.

While Lillard made his final 3-point shot to record his 29, Booker reached 27 by making his first two shots on the final rack of balls, then missed all three of his final shots, any one of which would have forced overtime in the competition.

In addition to Booker’s 30 in the first round, Knueppel and Lillard each scored 27 to move on. Failing to advance were the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (24), the Miami Heat’s Norman Powell (23), the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray (18), the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey (17) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis, Jr. (15).

Lillard said his entry in the contest started off as a joke between NBA executive Michael Levine and became a reality when one player in the field backed out.

“It didn’t really take much,” Lillard said “I think I’ve done it enough times… I think this was my sixth time doing it. I get up every day, and my mind is engaged in being able to play the game. I knew it was an opportunity to get back on this stage.”

Team Knicks — comprised of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and team legend Allan Houston — won the Shooting Stars contest with a dominating 47 points in the final. Team Cameron — consisting of former Duke players Jalen Johnson, Kon Knueppel and Corey Maggette — were the runner-up with 38 points.

The Shooting Stars competition had all three players shoot from seven different spots on the floor with each distance worth a varying amount of points.

Team All Star (Scottie Barnes, Chet Holmgren, Richard Hamilton) and Team Harper (Dylan Harper, Ron Harper, Jr., Ron Harper) were eliminated in the first round of the Shooting Stars contest. — Reuters

Philippine Sports Commission and Hann Reserve join forces to shape golf’s future in the Philippines

February 15, 2026 | 6:52 pm

PSC CHAIRMAN Patrick Gregorio (center) with Hann Reserve General Manager Tim Neil (right) and Arosco Golf Promotions CEO Jaz Kanth.

NEW CLARK CITY, Tarlac — The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Hann Reserve are exploring a groundbreaking alliance to nurture the next generation of Filipino golfers, setting the stage for grassroots athletes to rise to world-class standards.

Hann Reserve General Manager Tim Neil revealed plans for a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA)-certified academy within the eco-luxury estate, designed to provide young golfers with elite training, scientific coaching, and holistic education.

PSC Chairman Patrick C. Gregorio welcomed the initiative, highlighting the synergy with the National Academy of Sports (NAS), located just two kilometers away from Hann Reserve inside New Clark City.

“We want NAS to strengthen linkages, so we can add more sports quickly. This proposed collaboration with Hann Reserve is exactly the kind of initiative that will help Filipino athletes thrive, not just locally but on the global stage,” said Mr. Gregorio.

Mr. Neil emphasized that the proposed partnership with PSC and NAS could extend beyond sports, integrating golf into broader educational and community programs.

“One of the key missions of the PGA is grassroots growth. Whether through our academy or community engagement, we’re committed to building golf from the ground up,” he said.

“As vice-chairman of NAS, I see this as a perfect collaboration. We have eight sports already, and archery will be added soon. Because of Hann Reserve’s program, golf should be next,’’ said Mr. Gregorio.

According to the PSC chief, NAS can offer free education, board and lodging, and allowances to these golf scholars under the care of Hann Foundation, Inc. Should the proposed partnership push through, the National Golf Association of the Philippines will likewise play a key role.

Hann Reserve spans 450 hectares in New Clark City and will feature three championship golf courses designed by Nicklaus Design, K.J. Choi, and Nick Faldo.

Complementing these are a PGA Performance Center and PGA Village, envisioned as hubs for elite training and international-standard competition.

Beyond showcasing the PSC’s sports tourism program through golf, Hann Reserve stands as a powerful testament to the rising investor confidence in New Clark City — a flagship development of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

“We’re not here to replicate, we’re here to reinvent,” Mr. Neil said. “Through the PGA Academy, we aim to create structured pathways that elevate golf development, while integrating education and wellness into a single ecosystem.”

With Hann Reserve’s ambitious development and PSC’s commitment to grassroots empowerment, the Philippines is poised to emerge as a competitive golf destination in Southeast Asia, where young athletes can dream big and thrive on the global stage.

Chris Paul exits NBA

February 15, 2026 | 6:51 pm

The game had already moved on from Chris Paul long before he decided to step away from it for good. Still, the timing mattered to him, as it always did, on and off the court, and across eras. Which was why, when he announced his retirement late last week, the declaration came across as an exclamation point.

Paul leaves after 21 seasons as one of the most accomplished playmakers the National Basketball Association (NBA) has ever known: second all-time in assists and steals, a 12-time All-Star, and a fixture on All-NBA and All-Defensive teams through two decades. True, he failed to secure a championship that could well have ended any debate about his place in history. Then again, it can likewise be argued that a title is mere icing on the cake for a career that was all about orchestration.

Paul arrived in the league as a conductor among soloists. Even as offenses sped up and spacing widened, he insisted on control: of pace, of angles, of accountability. Coaches trusted him because he saw everything. Teammates trusted him because he demanded everything. And opponents respected him because he weaponized everything. NBA commissioner Adam Silver described him as “a true steward of the sport,” essentially capturing both his authority and his burden. He was not just running plays; he was enforcing standards.

Considering Paul’s contributions to the pro scene, it’s fair to consider the closing stretch of his career as largely undeserved. His return to the Clippers was supposed to signal a celebration. Instead, tensions escalated, and his relationship with principals deteriorated in full view of the public. He was sent home midseason, traded, waived, and ultimately orphaned. No doubt, the sharp contrast between the turbulent sequence and the precision with which he had hitherto imposed led him to formalize his exit.

Perhaps Paul was fated to experience a messy departure. After all, he had always resisted tidy framing. He willed the Hornets into relevance, pushed the Rockets to contention, got the supposedly rebuilding Thunder to thrive, and steered the Suns to the Finals. Everywhere he went, competence became a staple. Stability followed. Rings were far more elusive, but consistent competitiveness met expectations all the same.

And so Paul leaves with gratitude. By his own reckoning, he is relieved, fulfilled, and ready to settle down. For two decades, he mastered the art of arriving exactly when and where he was needed by the game. Now, for the first time since he was drafted fourth overall in 2005, the game will have to figure out where to go without him.

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.

Australia pledges $2.7 billion to progress nuclear submarine shipyard build

February 15, 2026 | 5:14 pm

Australia- Anthony Albanese — AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — REUTERS

SYDNEY — Australia said on Sunday it would spend A$3.9 billion ($2.76 billion, $1 = 1.4138 Australian dollars) to progress construction of a shipyard that will help deliver nuclear-powered submarines under the trilateral AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-United States) defense pact with the US and Britain.

Announced in 2021, AUKUS is Australia’s largest-ever defense investment and will see US-commanded Virginia-class submarines based in Australia from 2027, several Virginia submarines sold to Australia from around 2030, and Britain and Australia building a new class of AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the A$3.9 billion as a down payment to deliver the new shipyard in Osborne, a suburb of Adelaide in South Australia state.

“Investing in the submarine construction yard at Osborne is critical to delivering Australia’s conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines,” Mr. Albanese said in a statement.

Official projections put the total cost of the build at A$30 billion “over coming decades,” he said.

Osborne is where Australia’s ASC and Britain’s BAE Systems will jointly build Australia’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the core component of the AUKUS pact. Until that work begins later this decade, the shipyard is where much of the maintenance is performed on the country’s existing Collins-class submarine fleet.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said the down payment would be spent on building enabling infrastructure for the shipyard. “This is just the beginning,” Mr. Malinauskas said in the statement.

In December, a Pentagon review of the AUKUS project found areas of opportunity to put the deal on the “strongest possible footing,” including ensuring that Australia is moving fast enough to build its nuclear submarine capacity. — Reuters

Trump, Netanyahu agreed US should press Iran to cut oil sales to China, Axios reports

February 15, 2026 | 5:13 pm

US-Israel-Iran-flag — US, Israel and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION

PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed at a White House meeting on Wednesday that the US would work to reduce Iran’s oil exports to China, Axios reported, citing two US officials briefed on the issue.

“We agreed that we will go full force with maximum pressure against Iran, for example, regarding Iranian oil sales to China,” Axios reported on Saturday, quoting a senior US official.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday, the first day of a national holiday for the Lunar New Year.

China accounts for more than 80% of Iran’s oil exports. Any reduction in that trade would mean lower oil revenue for Iran.

US and Iranian diplomats held nuclear talks through Omani mediators last week in an effort to revive diplomacy, after the US president positioned a naval flotilla in the region as the American military prepares for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran. — Reuters

China is the real threat, Taiwan says in rebuff to Munich speech

February 15, 2026 | 5:13 pm

TAIPEI — China is the real threat to security and is hypocritically claiming to uphold United Nations (UN) principles of peace, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Sunday in a rebuff to comments by China’s top diplomat at the Munich Security Conference.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a view the government in Taipei rejects, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, addressing the annual security conference on Saturday, warned that some countries were “trying to split Taiwan from China,” blamed Japan for tensions over the island and underscored the importance of upholding the UN Charter.

Taiwan’s Mr. Lin said in a statement that whether viewed from historical facts, objective reality or under international law, Taiwan’s sovereignty has never belonged to the People’s Republic of China.

Mr. Lin said that Mr. Wang had “boasted” of upholding the purposes of the UN Charter and had blamed other countries for regional tensions.

“In fact, China has recently engaged in military provocations in surrounding areas and has repeatedly and openly violated UN Charter principles on refraining from the use of force or the threat of force,” Mr. Lin said. This “once again exposes a hegemonic mindset that does not match its words with its actions.”

China’s military, which operates daily around Taiwan, staged its latest round of mass war games near Taiwan in December.

Senior Taiwanese officials like Mr. Lin are not invited to attend the Munich conference.

China says Taiwan was “returned” to Chinese rule by Japan at the end of World War II in 1945 and that to challenge that is to challenge the post-war international order and Chinese sovereignty.

The government in Taipei says the island was handed over to the Republic of China, not the People’s Republic, which did not yet exist, and hence Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty.

The republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists, and the Republic of China remains the island’s formal name. — Reuters

Iran open to compromises to reach nuclear deal with US, minister tells BBC

February 15, 2026 | 5:12 pm

Iran flag — THE Iranian flag flutters outside the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 9, 2025. — REUTERS/LISA LEUTNER

IRAN is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the United States if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC in an interview published on Sunday.

Iran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions but has repeatedly ruled out linking the issue to other questions including missiles.

Mr. Takht-Ravanchi confirmed that a second round of nuclear talks would take place on Tuesday in Geneva, after Tehran and Washington resumed discussions in Oman earlier this month.

“(Initial talks went) more or less in a positive direction, but it is too early to judge,” Mr. Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC.

A US delegation, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will meet with the Iranians on Tuesday morning, a source had told Reuters on Friday, with Omani representatives mediating the US-Iran contacts.

Iran’s atomic chief said on Monday the country could agree to dilute its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for all financial sanctions being lifted. Mr. Takht-Ravanchi used this example in the BBC interview to highlight Iran’s flexibility.

The senior diplomat reiterated Tehran’s stance that it would not accept zero uranium enrichment, which had been a key impediment to reaching a deal last year, with the US viewing enrichment inside Iran as a pathway to nuclear weapons.

Iran denies seeking such nuclear weapons.

During his first term in office, Mr. Trump pulled the US out of a 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the signature foreign policy achievement of former Democratic President Barack Obama.

The deal eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program to prevent it from being able to make an atomic bomb. — Reuters

About 20,000 attendees expected at PHL hot air balloon fiesta

February 15, 2026 | 2:14 pm

Dozens of colorful hot air balloons take flight on Friday at the 26th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac. — PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLOZOS

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the hot air balloon fest to be held over the Valentine’s weekend in Tarlac is estimated to attract about 20,000 attendees, boosting the province’s economy.

“We are expecting, if the weather forbids and gets better, six or seven thousand [attendees per day],” BCDA Vice President for Investment Promotions and Marketing Erwin Kenneth R. Peralta told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing on Thursday.

The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF), now in its 26th year, will take place at New Clark City (NCC) in Tarlac on Feb. 13 to 15, 2026.

The event will feature 22 special-shaped balloons to be flown by international pilots from the United States, the United Kingdom, Macedonia, Brazil, Switzerland, Belgium, among others.

From its launch in 1994 until 2018, the PIHABF was held in Clark, Pampanga.

“It usually averaged around max of 10,000 per day, that was the historical figure – more or less around 30,000 in three days… Because the 10,000 figure was in Clark, in the center of Clark,” Mr. Peralta said.

“Hopefully it offsets the distance from Clark Freeport Zone to New Clark City. The exits that we’ve opened and the roads that we’ve built guarantees everyone has access with car, with public transportation,” he added.

The BCDA will also offer free shuttle services in SM City Clark, Clark International Airport, Bamban Cloverleaf, and Capas Municipal Hall from 5:00 AM to 10:30 P.M to attract more participants.

“Transportation was a key factor, that was a big concern last time. Now, we are offering free shuttle services,” he said.

“They just need to board, because they can purchase the ticket on-site. Some still don’t have tickets because they don’t know how to purchase online,” he added.

Beyond the festivity, the PIHABF is also seen as a means to help small businesses in the province.

“The food stalls, the amount of jobs that are generated for this weekend alone is huge…We will have a lot of food from Tarlac that you will experience and taste. It’s giving jobs to the restaurant owners,” he said.

“There are also hotels in Capas that they could also stay which is nearer compared to Clark Freeport Zone. That’s the effect of an event like this,” he added.

The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corporation has warned motorists of heavy traffic during the three-day event scheduled from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

BCDA IN SPORTS TOURISM
In line with hosting the country’s longest-running aviation sports event, the BCDA disclosed that it will focus on sports tourism by developing NCC as the sports capital of the Philippines.

“As you can see, our stadium is internationally accredited…We also have an expansion, a partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission for a 20-hectare property for tennis, for multi-sports development in New Clark City,” Mr. Peralta said.

“It took us 20 years or more to develop BGC (Bonifacio Global City) so, it will be a little bit longer, but hopefully in my lifetime, our lifetime, we could see the full development of New Clark City,” he added.

The BCDA, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DoT), is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March for sports development initiatives. — Almira Louise S. Martinez