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Chinese using Filipino identity nabbed

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE authorities have arrested a Chinese national suspected of using falsified documents to pose as a Filipino and having links him to a company previously investigated for Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said Chinese national was apprehended on May 21 in Cagayan de Oro as part of a broader crackdown on POGOs, following a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., to target illegal foreign nationals involved in criminal activity.

Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said he was identified as an incorporator of Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corporation (Phil-Sanjia), a company subjected to congressional scrutiny in 2024 for its alleged links to illicit POGO activities.

Authorities recovered several Philippine-issued documents, including birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and voter registration slips, all under his name.

Another incorporator of Phil-Sanjia was listed as Antonio Lim, believed to be an alias another Chinese national arrested by the BI in 2024 for allegedly misrepresenting himself as a Filipino citizen.

“We will not allow foreign nationals to abuse our systems, falsify their identities, and use Philippine documents to cover their tracks,” said Mr. Viado in a statement. “The Bureau is fully committed to supporting the President’s campaign to rid the country of criminal elements linked to illegal POGOs.”

The Philippines on Dec. 31, 2024, declared all forms of POGOs illegal, following a series of crimes connected to them, such as human trafficking, money laundering, and torture. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

NKTI gets P592-M PhilHealth fund

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

THE PHILIPPINE Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has disbursed over P592 million of total claims paid to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), as of May 21.

“In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s priorities, I visited and met with partner health care facilities to personally see how the public’s needs are being met, and ensure we are able to pay the benefits claims,” Acting PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin M. Mercado said in Filipino in a statement on Wednesday.

The disbursements were in line with the state insurer’s RISE30 initiative which aims to expedite claims processing and payment to ensure Filipinos are able to receive PhilHealth’s full benefits and services.

As of the first five months, PhilHealth has paid P161 million for hemodialysis procedures alone at NKTI.

In 2024, hemodialysis was the top paid medical procedure in the country.

PhilHealth said it has been enhancing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stage 5 benefits since 2023, with the expanded coverage for hemodialysis sessions to 156 sessions per year from 90 previously.

The state insurer also increased the Z Benefit Package for Peritoneal Dialysis, which now offers financial assistance of up to P1.2 million, while the Z Benefit coverage for Kidney Transplantation has been raised to over P2 million from P600,000. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

Sotto vows fight vs fake news

STOCK PHOTO | Image by memyselfaneye from Pixabay

A WINNING Senatorial candidate on Tuesday said he is looking to strengthen the country’s policies against fake news, especially in social media.

“We must preserve the freedom of the press, of expression, and of speech but it does not give (someone) the license to come up with fake news… under the provision that I will come up with, it should be taken down,” Senator-elect Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III said at a news forum.

Mr. Sotto said that the proposed measure will be a standalone law that will immediately take down and arrest creators of fake news in online platforms.

In 2019, he filed an Anti-Fake News Bill that sought to eliminate the spread of fake news in online and in social media platforms by criminalizing the act of maliciously create or spread false information.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. had earlier ordered his government to combat fake news and disinformation, following in social media platform coinciding with the 2025 midterm elections. — Adrian H. Halili

DBM issues rules on SK budget

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has issued guidelines on the appropriation, release and budgeting process for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) funds in an effort to push for its financial autonomy.

“SK shall have financial independence in its operations, disbursements, and encashment of its fund, income and expenditures,” the DBM said, citing amended Section 20 (b) of the Republic Act No. 10742 or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015.

This was indicated in the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2025-1, between the DBM, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the National Youth Commission.

In addition, the DBM said the SK is “strongly encouraged” to open and maintain a depository account in the same bank and branch of its barangay.

The circular also noted that the funds have to deposited by the barangay in the current account of the SK not later than five working days after the crediting of the monthly National Tax Allotment share of the barangay in accordance with the Commission on Audit’s rules and regulations. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Mayors, NIA forge deal on rice farming support

BAGUIO CITY — League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) National President Joseph Sto. Niño B. Bernos representing all town mayors in the country signed on Monday a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on farming support services seeking to create a sustainable mechanism for enhancing food security and increasing market access for local farmers.

“Through this agreement, the municipalities will be the guarantor of affordable and accessible rice for the people,” Mr. Bernos said.

“As my term as LMP National President nears completion, I want to leave behind a legacy that will boost agricultural productivity and spur rural development that resonate with many of our fellow mayors,” he explained.

Mr. Bernos, who is the incumbent La Paz, Abra mayor, overwhelmingly won in the congressional race in his home province during the May 12 polls.

Under the agreement, NIA will procure the rice from the Irrigators’ Associations under the Contract Farming item in the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, amounting to P3.4 billion.

The municipal local government units will then purchase rice from NIA at a fair price, which in turn will be bought by cooperatives who will sell it to the market.

The LGUs will also seek to build the capacities of local cooperatives to ensure readiness and compliance with the MoA.

Mr. Bernos signed the MoA alongside NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen and witnessed by LMP officials. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Moro regional lawmakers want Lagdameo retained as SAP

COTABATO CITY — A bloc in the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament had urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to retain his Mindanao-based special assistant who is, for them, Malacañang’s best conduit for services related to its peace overtures with southern Moro communities.

Senior Information officers in the Bangsamoro parliament told reporters on Wednesday, that regional lawmaker Naguib G. Sinarimbo had asked President Marcos in a privilege speech last Monday to retain Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo, Jr., who had reportedly complied with his directive for all members of his cabinet to tender their courtesy resignation.

Mr. Lagdameo was appointed special assistant to the president (SAP) in 2022 and has since been supporting the peace and community development efforts of the Moro Islamic Liberation and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), according to Mr. Sinarimbo.

Mr. Sinarimbo confirmed to reporters that officials of the Cotabato City chapter of his political party, the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo, have joined his bid for President Marcos to sustain his linkages with the Moro sectors through Mr. Lagdameo.

“SAP Lagdameo has strong connectivity with us in the Bangsamoro region. He has a good understanding of the deep intricacies and ramifications of the national government’s peace process for the Moro communities. We want him there in the Office of the President as its direct link to our communities,” Mr. Sinarimbo told reporters.

Abdulkarim T. Misuari, a senior representative of the MNLF to the 80-member Bangsamoro parliament, said Mr. Lagdameo has also been helping them sustain the gains of their September 1996 peace compact with the national government.

“He (Lagdameo) has been our steady and strong partner in sustaining the gains of the peace process between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front. Officials of the Moro National Liberation in the Bangsamoro parliament and the members of its central committee want the President to keep him as his special assistant,” Mr. Misuari said. — John Felix M. Unson

Tanker Sia breaks 2 records to lead NCR surge at Palarong Pambansa

SOPHIA GARRA of NCR creates ripples with 4 gold medals so far, including 2 new Palaro records. — PSC

LAOAG CITY – There’s a new shark in town.

Neophyte tanker Titus Rafael Sia emerged as the newest sea titan up North after shattering two meet records for three gold medals so far to anchor National Capital Region (NCR)’s surge midway through the 2025 Palarong Pambansa on Wednesday at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium aquatics center here.

The 12-year-old Mr. Sia from San Juan City made ripples in his first Palaro plunge, resetting the marks in elementary boys’ 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke with an ultimate goal of winning all his seven events — no less than at the home province of Ilocano Shark and two-time Olympic medalist Teofilo Yldefonso.

Mr. Yldefonso, also a war hero who became the first Filipino and Southeast Asian medalist in the Summer Games, is the silhouette on the official logo of the 65th Palaro being hosted by Ilocos Norte for only the first time since 1968.

And Mr. Sia, who swam 4,000 to 5,000m in the past month to brace up for glory and history, may have dived his way to a huge potential as the next Mr. Yldefonso in the making.

“I just keep on swimming and swimming. I just want to swim and break all the records (possible),” said Mr. Sia, an incoming Grade 7 student in Xavier School San Juan, who still has three individual and one relay events.

He clocked two minutes and 7.86 seconds for gold in 200m freestyle, breaking the 2:08.12 time of Central Luzon’s Rafael Barreto in 2013 Dumaguete edition. In the 100m backstroke, he timed 1:05.44 to surpass the 1:06.38 mark of NCR’s Seth Isaak Martin in the 2015 Tagum games.

But Mr. Sia, who also won gold in the 4x50m medley relay with team NCR, wasn’t the only shark from Metro Manila who suddenly rose from the nearby Caaoacan Beach some eight kilometers from the Laoag City plaza.

De La Salle University’s Sophia Rose Garra, who dominated Cebu with six mints, later on clinched two new records of her own in the elementary girls for a total of W gold medals so far. Like Mr. Sia, she’s out to go 7/7.

Ms. Garra (1:07.61) did not only break her own record of 1:08.50 in the 100m backstroke she set in 2024 Cebu Palaro but also bumped off the 2:33.12 mark of Michaela Jasmine Mojdeh in the 200m individual medley in 2018 Vigan games with 2:31.41.

Hailing from Malabon, the incoming Grade 7 student also ruled the 200m freestyle and 4x50m relay with team NCR to become the most bemedaled swimmer so far.

Two more NCR tankers in Patricia Mae Santor of University of Santo Tomas (200m butterfly, 200m IM) and Raina Samantha Leyran (50m backstroke, 4x50m medley relay) seized two golds each as 17-time champion Metro Manila pulled away with two days to go.

Thanks to a huge harvest in swimming and gymnastics led by five-gold winner Arman Hernandez Jr. from Pasay, NCR zoomed to 52 gold, 26 silver and 16 bronze medals to create a huge gap from CALABARZON (24-35-19) and Western Visayas (16-19-16).

Meanwhile, Jhul Ian Cañalita captured his second record-breaking gold medal in the 3,000m steeplechase with 9:23.89 to beat the 9:35.2 mark of Central Luzon’s Jerry Vasquez set in 2019 Davao Palaro.

Mr. Cañalita of Tabuan National High School in Bohol the other day clocked 15:16.31 seconds in the 5,000m to surpass the 15:38.4 record of Davao Region’s Cresencio Cabal in the 1998 Bacolod games.

Other multi-medalists in Day 3 so far were arnisadors Shayne Mark Monreal (4) of Northern Mindanao, Airielle Ashley Lape (4) and Queen Fairy Rose Rante (4) of CARAGA as well as NCR gymnast King Cjay Pernia (4) and Northern Mindanao’s James Custodio III (3) in arnis.

More than 20 athletes have two golds each in the race for the most bemedaled athlete entering the final two days of the country’s premier scholastic sports competition organized by the Department of Education and the Philippine Sports Commission featuring 18 regions. — John Bryan Ulanday

Letran defeats Mapua to claim second seed of NCAA 100 women’s volleyball

LETRAN LADY KNIGHTS — NCAA/ANGELA DAVOCOL

Games on Friday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
11 a.m. – LPU vs CSB (M)
2:30 p.m. – LPU vs CSB (W)

Colegio de San Juan de Letran outlasted Mapua University, 34-36, 25-18, 25-17, 25-22, on Wednesday to go into the Final Four of the NCAA Season 100 women’s volleyball with more confidence and a little momentum at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

It was the 15th victory in 18 outings for the Letran Lady Knights, who will go into the semifinal phase with a precious twice-to-beat advantage at their disposal for finishing in the top two.

Letran will tackle either Arellano University or Mapua in the Final Four unfurling on Sunday at the same San Juan venue.

Of course, the Oliver Almadro-mentored squad is hoping against hope it could make it to the finals for the second straight year where it will have another chance at ending a long 27-year title drought.

It had its chances though a season ago when, against all odds and reinvigorated by the arrival of Mr. Almadro, it gatecrashed into the championship round before it was denied by College of St. Benilde, who went on to claiming a perfect three-peat feat.

Gia Macquiling came through with her biggest effort of the season after firing 22 points, including 19 on kills.

The Lady Knights needed an opening-set wake up call to fend off the Mapua Lady Cardinals’ upset try.

Letran came roaring back from a massive 20-14 deficit in that frame and staged a mighty fight back only to fall short in the end in the extended set.

And then it was all Lady Kights from there. — Joey Villar

Rianne Malixi pairs with Yuka Saso and Lydia Ko in her majors debut

RIANNE MALIXI — WAGR.COM

THE Philippines’ top amateur Rianne Malixi gets her baptism of fire against the world’s best lady golfers as she competes in the US Women’s Open beginning on Thursday in Erin, Wisconsin (Friday Manila time).

And it’s going to be a tough test straight away as the 18-year-old makes her awaited majors debut in a blockbuster pairing with Fil-Japanese defending champion Yuka Saso and World No. 3 Lydia Ko.

Ms. Malixi and her accomplished flightmates kick their bid off at the 10th hole of the Erin Hills Golf Course in a 7:40 a.m. flight expected to attract both the crowd and covering media.

Olympian Dottie Ardina joins Ms. Malixi in flying the Philippine flag in the $12-million championship.

Ms. Ardina, who is returning to the prestigious event after placing joint 53rd in 2023, tees off at No. 1 with Japanese amateur Aira Nagasawa and Frenchwomen Pauline Roussin-Bouchard at 1:58 p.m.

Among 26 amateurs in the star-studded 156-player field, Ms. Malixi steps into the big stage raring to prove her worth and replicate the stellar play that enabled her to rule both the US Women’s Amateur and the US Girls’ Junior meets in 2024.

The US Women’s Open will be the Duke University-bound Pinay’s first competition in a while, though,after dealing with back issues. She withdrew from the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championships last March and skipped the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last month but is now injury-free after intensive rehab.

Ms. Saso, who first reigned supreme in 2021 under the Philippine banner and won for a second time under Japan’s colors last year, and Fil-Am Allisen Corpuz, who ruled the event in 2023 representing the US, give the competition more “Pinay” flavor.

Ms. Corpuz, who has a Filipino father and a Korean mother, launches her quest on No. 10 alongside Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and the US’ A Lim Kin at 8:02 a.m. — Olmin Leyba

Boxer Fajardo barges into Thailand Open semifinals

MARK ASHLEY FAJARDO — FACEBOOK.COM/OFFICIALASIANBOXING

FILIPINO boxing talent Mark Ashley Fajardo continued to show he has what it takes to become big someday after he overwhelmed Ukrainian Nikita Pohozhyi, 4-1, on Tuesday to barge into the semifinals of the Thailand Open in Bangkok.

The 20-year-old 2024 ASBC Elite Men and Women Championships bronze winner was impressive in his destruction of Mr. Pohozhyi to ensure himself of at least a podium finish in the men’s 65-kilogram class.

He will face Thai Pidnuch Khunatip, who pulled the rug from under Uzbek Sayat Ilyasov, 5-0, in the semis scheduled tonight.

Mr. Fajardo also joined countryman Riza Pasuit in the semis where the latter tackles Kazakh Viktoriya Grafeyeva in the women’s 60kg class.

The two were the country’s last hopes to strike gold in the weeklong event that is being used by the Philippine team as part of its preparation for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

“This is our first team,” said Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines secretary-general Marcus Manalo. — Joey Villar

Eala and Mexican partner Zarazua win 1st round of French Open doubles event

ALEX EALA — INSTAGRAM.COM/RAFANADALACADEMY

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA scored her first-ever win in a Grand Slam main draw.

The Filipina pride made up for her early singles exit, teaming up with Mexican partner Renata Zarazua in hacking out a 7-5, 6-4 win over a British-Spanish duo in the 2025 French Open on Wednesday at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

Mmess. Eala and Zarazua erased a 2-4 deficit in the opening set before leaning on a quick 3-1 start in the second to complete the gritty sweep in one hour and 30 minutes against Emily Appleton of Great Britain and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers of Spain.

The Filipina-Mexican tandem will clash next on Friday versus Russian Anastasia Potapova and Serbian Olga Danilovic, who stunned the seventh-seeded pair of Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk of the United States, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Ms. Eala is coming off a 0-6, 6-2, 3-6 loss against WTA No. 88 Emiliana Arango of Colombia in the first round of the singles division.

A regular qualifier previously, it’s the first main draw stint of Ms. Eala both in the singles and doubles plays by virtue of her Top-100 ranking to earn direct qualification in any Grand Slam and WTA 1000 level tourneys.

Ms. Eala, who turned 20 last Friday, is currently No. 73 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking after reaching as high as No. 69. — John Bryan Ulanday

Nemesis wins Red Bull Dance Your Style national final in Cebu

SAM RIVERA, known in battles as ‘Nemesis,’ was crowned the 2025 Red Bull Dance Your Style Philippines National Champion. — RED BULL

FOLLOWING months of qualifier rounds in Davao, Manila, and Cebu, it all came to a head as the Queen City of the South hosted the Red Bull Dance Your Style Philippines National Final for the first time last May 24.

Top dancers from across the country battled for the crown during the National Final in Cebu, from hip-hop to house, waacking to locking, and even voguing. The energy was unmatched, with each dancer’s fate resting on the crowd’s hands. Ultimately, Sam Rivera, known in battles as “Nemesis,” was crowned the 2025 Red Bull Dance Your Style Philippines National Champion.

“It was an amazing journey,” said Nemesis of her Red Bull Dance Your Style journey. “This was my third time to join Red Bull Dance Your Style. I’m so happy that I won the championship title in my hometown, Cebu. It’s my pride and honor.”

Nemesis also expressed her excitement at having the National Final in Cebu for the first time. The Cebuana Krump Star stamped her dominance each round and earned not just the trophy but also a spot on the global stage. As the representative of the Philippines at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final in Los Angeles, USA, Nemesis now has her sights set on the next battle. They shared their enthusiasm for the World Final, stating, “First of all, it’s going to be in Los Angeles, and it’s going to be my first time travelling outside of Asia.

On her game plan for the World Final, Nemesis shared, “I’ll just be myself because I think we’re all unique in our own way. I’ll just show them what I can do, how I krump, and how I dance.”

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