Testing lab for construction materials opens in Pangasinan

February 12, 2026 | 9:29 pm

URDANETA CITY, PANGASINAN — National Irrigation Administration (NIA)–Region I has inaugurated its Government Testing Laboratory at the NIA Regional Compound in Bayaoas, here, strengthening quality control measures for irrigation and other public infrastructure projects in the Ilocos Region.

The new facility is equipped to conduct comprehensive tests on key construction materials, including soil and soil aggregates, fine and coarse aggregates, hardened concrete, and reinforcing steel bars.

The laboratory will ensure that materials used in government projects meet required safety and performance standards before they are deployed on site.

NIA-Region I Acting Regional Manager Geffrey Catulin explained that the laboratory will help safeguard the structural integrity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of infrastructure projects by verifying the strength and properties of materials. This is expected to prevent structural failures, reduce costly repairs, and extend the lifespan of irrigation systems and other public works, he added.

The facility operates in accordance with specifications set by NIA, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and other regulatory bodies.

With in-house testing now available in the region, project implementation is also expected to speed up through faster and more reliable material assessment.

The establishment of the testing laboratory highlights NIA Region I’s commitment to delivering durable, high-quality irrigation systems that support agricultural productivity and regional development, in line with its public service campaign under #bayaNIAn sa #BagongPilipinas, Mr. Catulin emphasized. — Artemio A. Dumlao

EU FTA expected to open up $12B in potential PHL exports

February 12, 2026 | 9:29 pm

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Senior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES will have access to additional exports estimated at $12 billion once it concludes a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU), Trade Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty said.

Citing data from the International Trade Centre, Mr. Gepty said the estimate represents the unrealized potential for Philippine exports in Europe.

“Usually the reasons for this unrealized potential are two major factors: one is the lack of awareness of the opportunities, and the second is the difficulty in complying with certain rules and standards in accessing the European market,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“We are hoping that through this FTA that we are negotiating, we can in a way fill in the gaps or at least address some of the major issues that bar our (micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises) from accessing the European market,” he added.

The Philippines and the EU are looking at concluding the negotiations this year, moving up from the initial target of 2027.

“We are really working hard to conclude it this year because, of course, after the conclusion of the negotiation, there’s still legal scrubbing and signing, and then there’s ratification. It will take time before it becomes effective,” he said.

He said the parties are still on track to conclude the negotiations within the year, adding that “the probability is high.”

“March is a bit critical. We are hoping to stabilize the text,” he said, noting that the meeting in March will be the parties’ fifth full round of negotiations.

Up for discussion in March are market access as well as remaining issues in other chapters.

He said securing an FTA with the EU will allow the Philippines to increase the share of markets with which the Philippines enjoys preferential trade access to 80%, as 70% of Philippine trade currently goes to FTA partners.

Concluding the FTA this year is also critical for the Philippines as it approaches upper middle income class (UMIC) status.

“We are currently benefiting from the EU General System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) … And this is not a permanent arrangement” because “We are about to hit UMIC status, and under EU GSP+ rules, once you hit UMIC, and sustain that for three consecutive years, then you will be disqualified,” he added.

He said that if the Philippines achieves UMIC status this year, it will stop being a beneficiary of the preferential scheme by 2029.

ADB Regional Lead Economist James P. Villafuerte told reporters on Thursday that the Philippines is on track to achieve UMIC status within its target timeline.

“When I look at the per capita income level of the Philippines, I think, if I am not mistaken, it is a few dollars away from UMIC status,” he said.

“Definitely UMIC status will be attained, I think, if not this year, probably next year because we’re really very close to the threshold,” he added.

However, he said the Philippines’ Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) peers are now aiming to hit the high income status.

“Indonesia wants to be high income by 2045; Thailand also wants to be high income. I think most ASEAN economies are really trying to step up the income ladder,” he said.

He said that the Philippines has yet to set targets in terms of high-income status, but “for the Philippines to reach high-income status, we should be growing at around 9-10%.”

To prepare for this, he said the Philippines should focus on digital transformation, regional development, and human capital.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gepty said that the Marcos administration has been very aggressive in pursuing FTAs.

“In fact, my count is that if we are successful in concluding all the negotiations and trade arrangements, we are eyeing around 18 new and upgraded FTAs,” he added.

Aside from the Philippines-EU FTA, the Philippines is also in talks for a bilateral FTA with Chile, Canada, and India.

“We are very happy that the Philippines is very visible in the international trade and global economy, and we just have to sustain the gains that we have achieved,” he said.

Despite these gains, he said Philippine trade continues to be in deficit, though it peaked in 2022.

“The challenge is how can we reverse this and how we can improve our export industries,” he said.

Looking deeper, he said 68%, of Philippine imports consist of raw materials and intermediate goods, while consumption goods account for 18%.

“That means that at least slowly our manufacturing industry is catching up. Maybe not at a fast pace, but at least the imports are more focused on raw materials, intermediate goods, and capital goods,” he said.

“This is an indicator of a lot of economic activity, particularly on the production side,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Villafuerte said the ADB expects sustained semiconductor export growth for the Philippines this year.

“In the second half of 2025, we saw a very strong export performance by the Philippines, and it’s related to semiconductor and electronic exports,” he said.

“We feel that this will continue this year because the demand for digital products and artificial intelligence globally is increasing,” he added.

Government working on law to establish business permit office

February 12, 2026 | 9:29 pm

business-permit-renewal-desk-720p-112619 — BW FILE PHOTO

THE GOVERNMENT is drafting a bill that will establish a Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) as a workaround to staffing shortages at local government units (LGUs), according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).

Economy Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon told reporters on Thursday that the BPLO bill is intended to promote ease of doing business (EoDB) as LGUs sometimes have no plantilla slots to staff for a business permit office.

“These are not institutionalized offices, so they are not given any plantilla positions, except if you’re a big, big city, probably then you can afford that,” she said on the sidelines of an event at the Department of Finance.

As contemplated, a BPLO would accept online applications, assessments, and payments for business permit renewals.

Ms. Edillion added that the proposed measure will make BPLOs mandatory in big cities initially to serve the most possible business owners.

“What happens is they bulk up during January. That’s really the way they do it — hiring lots of (contractual workers). But again, there’s no continuity,” she added.

The Philippines ranked 53^rd out of 101 economies in the World Bank’s 2025 Business-Ready (B-Ready) report, which measures the state of the business environment.

In addition, Ms. Edillion called for digitalization, with LGUs needing to shift to online applications, renewal, and payment.

Asked about other priorities in the next few years, she said DEPDev is also pushing for good governance measures, along with initiatives for transparency and accountability, relevance, and responsiveness.

“We should do science-based planning even for your infrastructure projects. Science-based monitoring, using remote sensing and the like, and real-time reporting,” she added.

Ms. Edillion said DEPDev has presented several proposals to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and expects developments in the coming days. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

P704-million port upgrade contract for Basco, Batanes awarded

February 12, 2026 | 9:28 pm

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said it awarded the P704.62-million Basco, Batanes port improvement project to Goldridge Construction and Development Corp.

In a notice of award dated Feb. 10, the regulator said the contract to upgrade and rehabilitate Basco port was awarded to the Bataan-based construction firm after it emerged as the low bidder among five companies that submitted proposals.

The PPA said the contractor will have 900 calendar days from the receipt of the award to complete the project, which includes the construction of a port operations area and a reinforced concrete pier.

Basco port serves as the gateway for trade, tourism and connectivity in Batanes province, the PPA said.

For this year, PPA expects to further boost maritime trade and connectivity following strong cargo growth in 2025.

The PPA exceeded its 2025 target with 307.64 million metric tons (MMT) of cargo throughput for the year, up 6.3%.

The PPA said it is expecting cargo volume to grow 4.03% to 320.94 MMT in 2026, driven mainly by foreign cargo.

Container throughput is forecast to increase 3.94% to 8.88 million twenty-foot equivalent units. For this year, passenger traffic is expected to grow 5.78% to 87.26 million.

The PPA said it remains optimistic about cargo and passenger traffic growth due to continued investment in port upgrades. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Rainwater storage urged as rainfall turns erratic

February 12, 2026 | 9:28 pm

Flood1 — MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL PROVINCIAL POLICE

STORING RAINWATER will be more necessary as rainfall becomes more variable with climate change, highlighting the importance of sustainable water management, author of the 2024 Philippine Climate Change Assessment (PhilCCA) said.

Speaking at an online forum hosted by Climate Tracker Asia on Thursday, geologist and Environment Undersecretary Carlos Primo C. David said some of the most significant climate impacts will manifest in the water supply as rainfall patterns shift.

Mr. David said that while abundant rainfall will continue, averaging about 2,400 millimeters annually, climate change is affecting how rain is distributed throughout the year.

“What our scientists are seeing is that the pattern of rain is changing, meaning that we are moving towards a scenario where the dry season becomes drier and the wet season becomes even wetter. We are seeing longer dry days during the dry season,” he said.

Mr. David said these changes increase the risks of both drought and flooding, affecting agriculture, water supply, and other critical sectors.

In the 2024 PhilCCA, published by the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc. last year, researchers found that the hydrological regions of Northwest and Central Luzon face very high frequencies of flooding.

Northwest and Central Luzon, Bicol, and Samar were also identified as having high to very high flood intensity, while Cagayan, Bicol, and Samar face a high risk of intense drought.

Mr. David said these risks highlight the need to shift toward sustainable water management, particularly by capturing and storing excess rainfall instead of allowing it to flow quickly into rivers and out to sea.

“The solution to both (flooding and drought) is a single strategy — to impound water instead of trying to push that water out into the ocean as fast as possible,” he said.

Mr. David said traditional flood control approaches, such as building dikes to confine rivers, often fail during extreme weather events and can simply transfer flooding to downstream communities.

Instead, he said the Philippines should invest in infrastructure that allows water to be stored during the wet season and used during dry periods. These include small dams, reservoirs, retention basins, and man-made lakes that can hold excess water upstream during heavy rains.

Mr. David said the country should also adopt nature-based solutions, including protecting watersheds, preserving natural waterways, and ensuring land-use planning gives rivers enough space to expand during heavy rainfall.

He added that efforts to improve water storage should be accompanied by measures to expand access to water services.

“There are still areas where there is no piped water in our communities. From our estimate, around 40 million Filipinos still lack access to safe, potable piped water in their homes,” Mr. David said.

To address these gaps, Mr. David said government programs are installing filtration systems in remote island barangays, building low-cost water refilling stations, and mapping water resources nationwide to guide long-term planning.

“Climate change simply intensifies (already existing problems in the water sector),” he said. “But it is also an opportunity for us to change our strategy, not only to address climate change, but to fix (long-standing) issues,” he added. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel

Growth seen on track again by Q2 as sentiment recovers

February 12, 2026 | 9:23 pm

infra-road construction — WORKERS excavate a road in Quezon City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

ECONOMIC GROWTH will crawl back into the government target range by the second quarter as sentiment recovers, driven by renewed infrastructure spending, University of Asia and the Pacific economist Bernardo M. Villegas told reporters.

Speaking on the sidelines of a forum on Wednesday, Mr. Villegas said: “The drivers will be a renewed emphasis on infrastructure. I think the corruption problem is not going to (run for much longer). In the first quarter, the government will demonstrate that it can actually implement infrastructure projects.”

“Infrastructure will recover. And then you see foreign direct investors not really being discouraged by the corruption.“

Mr. Villegas expects full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth to average 5.6%, which would be within the government’s 5% to 6% target.

“In the second quarter we could already be back within the target. I think in the whole year it will be about 5% to 5.6%. Probably in the first quarter it will start at 5%…because it’s also growing from a low base.”

GDP growth slowed to 3% in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 5.3% a year prior and the revised 3.9% in the third quarter.

This brought the full-year average to 4.4%, well below the government’s 5.5%-6.5% goal. Growth in 2025 was the weakest annual expansion since the 3.9% posted in 2011, if the 9.5% contraction in 2020 due to the pandemic is excluded.

Mr. Villegas added that economic growth over recent years has put the country on track to achieving upper middle-income country (UMIC) status by September.

The Philippines has remained in the lower middle-income category since 1987, with gross national income (GNI) per capita hitting $4,470 in 2024.

This was only $26 shy of the World Bank’s adjusted GNI per capita bracket of $4,496-$13,935 for UMIC status.

The bank is scheduled to release its updated annual country status thresholds in July.

However, Mr. Villegas noted the global economic slowdown due to the US tariffs presents a potential risk to the growth outlook.

“There will be a slowdown, definitely… because of the tariffs being imposed on all the exporting countries. But we’re not really affected,” he added.

He concurred with an estimate of 6% growth potential issued by Economy Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, noting it could be achieved by next year.

Meanwhile, Mr. Villegas said the peso will likely trade between P58 and P59 to the dollar this year as the central bank seeks to keep the peso at levels favorable to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

“I don’t see the peso ever going beyond P60. The central bank is very, very skillful in controlling that. And our reserves are very large… There’s a psychological barrier that the central bank is very careful not to surpass.”

Mr. Villegas also expects inflation to average around 2% to 3% this year, within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 2-4% target band. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

BSP taps space agency for climate-risk monitoring

February 12, 2026 | 9:23 pm

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it entered into a partnership with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to use satellite technology in identifying the economic impact of climate and environmental risks.

In a statement on Thursday, the central bank said its memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the PhilSA serves to advance financial stability, sustainability and resilience.

“The MoA reflects how we view resilience-building in the financial system: It requires good governance, strong coordination, and better data — supported by technology that helps institutions act earlier and smarter,” BSP Assistant Governor Pia Bernadette R. Tayag said.

“This innovation improves preparedness across the economy and the financial sector,” she added.

The agreement will grant the BSP access to PhilSA satellite imagery and other datasets, which will indicate areas prone to climate shocks and facilitate assessments of community and economic impact.

“These insights can inform monetary policy, financial supervision, and sustainability initiatives,” the central bank said.

In a recent report, the International Monetary Fund flagged the economic risks of climate shocks, citing the potential for supply disruptions that significantly affect agriculture.

It noted that a category-5 typhoon in the Philippines risks accelerating inflation by about 0.4% percentage points.

Earlier, the government weather service, known as PAGASA, forecast up to eight tropical cyclones entering the Philippine area of responsibility within the first half.

“Space science and banking may appear to operate in different domains, yet both are ultimately concerned with stability,” PhilSA Director General Gay Jane P. Perez said.

The BSP noted that the MoA will also facilitate the development of tools, research and training “to promote the responsible use of satellite data and geospatial analytics in support of their respective mandates.” — Katherine K. Chan

Go ‘confident’ BoC will hit P1T in revenue

February 12, 2026 | 9:23 pm

FINANCE Secretary Frederick D. Go said he is confident the Bureau of Customs (BoC) will collect P1 trillion in revenue this year, citing the impact of reforms and new leadership.

“Customs is likely to collect P1 trillion in revenue this year, for the first time,” Mr. Go said in his speech during the BoC anniversary observance on Thursday.

“I am very confident that this will be the year that we will hit the P1-trillion target,” he said.

Mr. Go’s forecast indicates that the BoC is being pressed to achieve its P1.003-trillion target this year, after falling short in 2025.

“I hope that we have put in all the reforms needed that have long been espoused. I have confidence in the new leadership of the Bureau of Customs,” he said.

The BoC generated P934.4 billion in revenue in 2025, against a goal of P958.7 billion, after the midyear freeze on rice imports dented its collections.

Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip C. Maronilla has said that the agency was ahead of the target pace in January, buoyed by favorable foreign exchange rates and the lifting of the rice import ban.

At the same event, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the over P1-trillion revenue target is both a “challenge” and a “good mission.”

“Kaya naman (it can be done),” if the economic assumptions are reasonable, he said.

In addition, Mr. Nepomuceno pointed to agriculture and petroleum products as the main drivers expected to raise import volumes, in turn boosting collections.

He added that the resumption of rice imports after a three‑month suspension will provide a boost, reinforcing Customs’ confidence in hitting targets.

He also noted the importance of inter‑agency cooperation, citing the need to collaborate more closely with the Philippine National Police on monitoring the border, which will help stem revenue leakage.

Non‑traditional income sources, such as proceeds from auctioned seized vehicles, will further boost collections, he said.

Mr. Nepomuceno cautioned that there is a “sweet spot” that the peso needs to hit, warning that while a weaker peso can inflate tariff revenues, it may also dampen trading activity and import volumes.

“As long as (import) volumes are maintained,” he said, citing the inadvisability of pinning hopes on currency movements. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

NFA one-ton bagging system pilot concludes, due for launch soon

February 12, 2026 | 9:20 pm

THE National Food Authority (NFA) said its one-ton rice bagging system is set for nationwide launch after concluding pilot tests at three sites last year, with the new setup expected to be in place in the majority of its warehouses by June 2028.

NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson told reporters that all branches have been instructed to designate at least one warehouse to adopt the “tonner bag” system. Each reusable jumbo bag can hold the equivalent of 12 standard 50-kilogram sacks of palay (unmilled rice).

“We piloted at three sites last year,” he said, adding that the rollout is expected to take place in 42 more sites,” he said.

The pilot sites were in Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, and Davao del Sur.

The use of larger volumes for bagging palay is expected to save up to P1.3 million per warehouse.

The NFA currently uses printed sacks for palay procured from farmers. Each sack, which can be used only once, costs around P15, in addition to the labor required to handle and stack thousands of individual bags.

The new tonner bags, at P325 apiece, can be reused up to five times, making them more cost-efficient, the NFA has said.

It said the airtight tonner bags help protect palay from moisture, heat, insects and rodents, preserving grain quality and minimizing losses.

Mr. Lacson said that based on pilot testing, the new system will improve warehouse efficiency.

“There’s savings in space, savings in time. Almost 40% of the time is saved… Then, there’s also savings in labor,” he said.

The NFA said it plans to procure gantry cranes for the three pilot sites to improve handling efficiency. Mr. Lacson said it is currently conducting a study to ensure the durability and quality of the equipment.

Mr. Lacson said the NFA cannot yet estimate the total cost of the new bagging system.

However, he said each warehouse will require around P2 million for the tonner bags, aside from additional funds for forklifts and other equipment.

The NFA said it can fund the rollout with internal funds, including proceeds from auctioning rice stocks. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel

Uncertified steel bars seized in Nueva Ecija

February 12, 2026 | 9:17 pm

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it seized P1.6 million worth of uncertified deformed steel bars in Nueva Ecija.

The DTI confiscated 12,525 steel bars from a wholesale hardware store in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija. The bars were found to be non-compliant with standards set by the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS).

The DTI cited the absence of a BPS-approved logo — including the Philippine Standard Quality or Safety Mark or Import Commodity Clearance. These seals are required for products that need to undergo certification.

“The operation prompted the issuance of a notice of violation to the erring firm, requiring it to submit an expansion within 48 hours,” the DTI said.

The Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB), which led the operation, said that the uncertified steel bars pose risks to life and property.

“There is a reason why deformed steel bars are under mandatory certification: to ensure that our homes are safe, strong, and of quality,” the FTEB said.

“We cannot allow non-compliant products to remain on the market, threatening the safety of households and benefitting businesses that fail or refuse to secure certification,” it added.

Last year, the DTI seized 98,947 deformed steel bars valued at P24 million.

Asked to comment, the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) expressed support for the campaign against substandard steel.

“The agency’s vigilance and proactive efforts to reinforce standards give the local industry more confidence to further contribute to the national economy,” it said in a statement.

“We firmly believe that raising steel standards requires both government enforcement and industry development. With the help of the DTI, PISI aims to raise these standards to world class levels to ensure consumer safety and socioeconomic resiliency,” it added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Stocks retreat on profit-taking after two-day rally

February 12, 2026 | 9:00 pm

PHILIPPINE SHARES retreated on Thursday as profit-taking set in following the market’s two-day rally.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) went down by 0.42% or 27.57 points to close at 6,471.25, while the broader all shares index fell by 0.34% or 12.31 points to end at 3,594.22.

“The PSEi ended lower as profit-taking persisted following a series of buying sessions across the index, marking a healthy correction as investors locked in gains, weighing on overall market sentiment and dragging key sectors lower,” Luis A. Limlingan, head of sales at Regina Capital Development Corp., said in a Viber message.

“The local market pulled back as investors took profits following a two-day rally. Negative spillovers from Wall Street also weighed on the local bourse,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Manager Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message.

The PSEi opened Thursday’s session at 6,517.19, re-testing the 6,500 resistance and rising from Wednesday’s close of 6,498.82, which was a seven-month high. It climbed to an intraday peak of 6,519.48 and posted a low of 6,454.43.

The Nasdaq and the Dow fell slightly on Wednesday, while the S&P 500 made no progress in either direction as a stronger-than-expected employment report eased worries about the economy but also fueled bets that the US Federal Reserve could slow its interest-rate cuts, Reuters reported.

Wall Street’s three main indexes had started the session on a strong note, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hitting their highest level in more than a week after the closely watched payrolls report showed much faster than expected US job growth in January while the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%.

However, gains subsided as traders dialed back on bets for rate cuts. While traders are still banking on at least one 25-basis-point cut in June, the probability that rates would hold steady that month crept up to 41% from 24.8%, according to the latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 66.74 points or 0.13% to 50,121.40; the S&P 500 lost 0.34 point to finish at 6,941.47; and the Nasdaq Composite lost 36.01 points or 0.16% to 23,066.47.

Back home, most sectoral indices ended lower. Property dropped by 1.82% or 40.92 points to 2,200.44; financials retreated by 1.25% or 27.36 points to 2,149.26; holding firms fell by 1.06% or 55.19 points to 5,117.53; and industrials decreased by 0.28% or 26.21 points to 9,173.46. Meanwhile, mining and oil increased by 2.48% or 451.99 points to 18,620.50, and services rose by 1.83% or 49.19 points to 2,734.89.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 122 to 78, while 65 names closed unchanged.

Value turnover fell to P6.89 billion on Thursday with 1.46 billion shares from the P9.17 billion with 2.95 billion issues that changed hands on Wednesday.

Net foreign selling was at P96.67 million, a reversal of the P834.62 million in net buying recorded in the previous session. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno

Eala to play in WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships main draw

February 12, 2026 | 7:11 pm

Dubai-Tennis-2026-Alex-Eala — ALEX EALA — DUBAIDUTYFREETENNISCHAMPIONSHIPS.COM

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA will now play in the main draw of the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free International Tennis Championships next week.

Ms. Eala’s ticket has been upgraded from a qualifying draw to the main tournament as announced by organizers on Thursday after she barged into the Top 40 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings.

And that means a chance to slug it out against the sport’s titans led by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland and No. 3 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who just ruled the Australian Open last month.

The troika lead a stacked main draw featuring 18 of the world’s Top 20 players including No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, No. 5 Coco Gauff and No. 6 Jessica Pegula of the United States, No. 7 and reigning champion Mirra Andreeva of Russia, No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, No. 9 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and No. 10 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia.

The Dubai tourney will be Ms. Eala’s second event in the United Arab Emirates after a solid run in the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, where she reached the singles quarterfinals and doubles semifinals, last week.

It’s also the second WTA 1000 for the 20-year-old Filipina, WTA No. 40, this season after her early exit in the Qatar Open with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 defeat at the hands of Czechia’s Tereza Valentova, WTA No. 48.

And that should serve as enough fuel to drive Ms. Eala’s bid in Dubai, especially with an expected strong crowd support once again from the overseas Filipinos like what she had in Abu Dhabi and Doha.

“From Doha to Dubai,” said Ms. Eala upon landing in the rich Middle Eastern city on Thursday, having multiple days to prepare before the main draw on Monday.

The qualifiers get going on Friday with the official draw for the main event expected to be announced right after.

Overall, the prestigious Dubai tourney will be Ms. Eala’s seventh straight event after the ASB Classic in Auckland, Australian Open main draw and Kooyong Classic in Melbourne as well as the Philippine Women’s Open, her first-ever pro home tournament.

Now at No. 40 with 1244 points, Ms. Eala will be out to net a deep campaign to enter the Top 30-35 next before flying to the USA for the next stop of the WTA Tour.

Ms. Eala is slated to play in the Indian Wells Open (BNP Paribas Open) in California on March 4 to 15 before a grand return in the Miami Open on March 17 to 29.

The Miami Open served as Ms. Eala’s gateway to the Top 100 then later on Top 50 after a magical run from the qualifiers to the final four marked by wins against former Grand Slam champions and Top 25 players like Ms. Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys.

She’s hoping to replicate the feat in Dubai, in spite of a stronger cast led by Ms. Sabalenka and company. — John Bryan Ulanday