DBM OKs P3.4B for PNP bonus

October 16, 2025 | 9:17 pm

A P3.39-billion fund release was approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to fund the payment of the 2023 performance-based bonus for police officials and personnel.

In a statement on Thursday, the DBM said each Philippine National Police (PNP) official and personnel will receive a performance-based bonus equivalent to 45.5% of their monthly basic salary as of end-2023.

“This is a big help for our police officers and their families. Whether it goes toward buying food, additional tuition for their children, household expenses—or however they choose to use it—the important thing is that they feel we value their sacrifice,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in Filipino.

The DBM added that those in the first, second, and third levels should have at least a “very satisfactory” rating under the Civil Service Commission-approved Strategic Performance Management System.

The funds will be sourced in the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund under the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Meanwhile, the DBM on Tuesday formally launched the Project Managed Intelligent Network for Advanced Insights (MINAI), an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled centralized platform that handles legal, budget, at administrative documents.

Through the AI chatbot developed under Project MINAI, agency personnel gain faster access to validated, up-to-date information critical for decision-making. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Education, farming keys to poverty reduction, VP says

October 16, 2025 | 9:17 pm

VICE-PRESIDENT (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday pushed for more state investment in education and agriculture to address poverty and food insecurity, fending off political questions surrounding her involvement into the ongoing flood control investigation.

“The main solution to poverty is education — modernized and responsive to the times,” Ms. Duterte said at a Pandesal Forum in Quezon City. “For food security, the state must invest in modern farming and fully utilize agricultural lands.”

Ms. Duterte said the government must modernize education and support farmers through assisted and state-backed farming to ensure long-term development.

The forum, hosted by the Kamuning Bakery Café, also touched on governance and accountability, with Ms. Duterte denying any link to the infrastructure probe.

“There are no flood projects under the OVP (Office of the Vice-President) or DepEd (Department of Education),” she said. “Even DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) officials can attest that there were no insertions from my office.”

While rejecting claims that the investigation was politically motivated, Ms. Duterte said the Marcos administration’s reaction to dissent revealed “paranoia and insecurity.”

“Freedom of speech and expression are not destabilization,” she added. “If the government sees dissent as a threat, maybe it’s fear or insecurity.”

Ms. Duterte, questioned on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.’s assurance that scandals won’t reach his office, said, “Maybe he already knows the outcome of the inquiry. I have not met anyone who knows what will happen tomorrow — except him. Only BBM.”

In response, Palace press officer Clarissa A. Castro on Thursday said Mr. Marcos’ confidence stemmed from his clean governance.

“A person becomes confident when he knows he is serving the nation, not personal interest,” Ms. Castro said in a Viber message to reporters. “The President was the key to preventing anomalies — something the previous administration failed to do.” — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

4 drug dealers linked to terror groups in central Mindanao busted

October 16, 2025 | 9:16 pm

COTABATO CITY — Non-uniformed policemen clamped down four drug peddlers, reportedly linked to the two now weakened local terror groups, in separate police operations in this city.

Ranking officials of intelligence units under the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) confirmed on Thursday, that all four suspects are in their list of shabu and marijuana traffickers sharing fractions of earnings to certain leaders of the outlawed Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in central Mindanao.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen C. De Guzman, director of PRO-BAR, told reporters on Thursday that the four suspects, who fell in three operations supervised by Col. Jibin M. Bongcayao, director of the Cotabato City Police Office, are now all detained, awaiting prosecution.

Local government officials said a 27-year-old resident of Barangay Awang in Datu Odin Sinsuat was arrested by operatives of the Cotabato City Police Precinct 2 after he sold a heat-sealed sachet containing shabu along Gonzalo Javier Street in Barangay Rosary Heights 7 on Tuesday.

Another shabu peddler was clamped down on the same day after combined agents of the Cotabato City Police Drug Enforcement Unit and the Cotabato City Police Precinct 1 procured from him two sachets of shabu during a tradeoff along Almonte Street in Barangay Poblacion 5.

Senior members of the multi-sector Cotabato City Peace and Order Council, led by Mayor Bruce C. Matabalao, said two more shabu dealers fell in an anti-narcotics sting on Wednesday in Purok Pagkakaisa in Barangay Poblacion 2, enforced by personnel of the Cotabato City Police Precinct 3 and other PRO-BAR units.

Mr. Bongcayao and Mr. De Guzman separately told reporters that policemen seized three sachets of shabu from the duo in the entrapment operation assisted by barangay officials.

“These are street level narcotics traffickers but what is good about these three entrapment operations is that these were all carried out with the direct support of city officials and barangay leaders,” Mr. De Guzman said.

Local executives and Moro datus in towns in the Bangsamoro region’s adjoining Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte provinces told reporters that remaining leaders of the now virtually defunct Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF had allowed the four peddlers to sell shabu in their far-flung enclaves in exchange for money. — John Felix M. Unson

PSE index slips as market looks for new catalysts

October 16, 2025 | 9:00 pm

THE MAIN INDEX slipped on Thursday to end its three-day climb, with the market moving sideways in the absence of fresh leads.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) edged down by 0.43 point to close at 6,093.67, while the broader all shares index inched up by 0.03% or 1.32 points to 3,672.20.

“The market ended flat on the lack of new catalysts,” AP Securities, Inc. Research Head Alfred Benjamin R. Garcia said in a Viber message.

“The local market inched down amid last-minute profit taking,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Manager Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message. “Investors booked gains following a three-day rally, which got extended in the middle of today’s trading.”

The PSEi opened Thursday’s trading session at 6,104.47, rising from Wednesday’s close of 6,094.10. It climbed to a high of 6,130.17 but gave up its gains due to profit taking, finishing the session at its intraday low.

He added that trading activity remained weak, “reflecting weak market confidence amid lingering concerns, including the Philippines’ corruption issues and their impact on local economic growth, and renewed US-China trade tensions.”

Philippine economic growth may slow until early 2026 as the controversy surrounding anomalous infrastructure projects dampens government spending, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said on Tuesday. Despite this, he said he remained confident that gross domestic product growth would still meet the lower end of the government’s 5.5% to 6.5% goal this year.

Value turnover increased to P9.82 billion on Thursday with 3.12 billion shares traded from Wednesday’s P7.89 billion with 2.58 billion shares changing hands.

“The PSEi ended flat as both buying and selling pressures showed strength throughout the session. Some investors are likely positioning themselves ahead of the earnings season, with several companies already releasing their reports,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message.

Sectoral indices ended mixed on Thursday. Services dropped by 1.09% or 25.62 points to 2,304.66; industrials retreated by 0.73% or 66.51 points to 8,932.49; and mining and oil decreased by 0.66% or 100.91 points to 15,064.26.

Meanwhile, holding firms increased by 0.88% or 43.22 points to 4,911.37; property rose by 0.65% or 14.73 points to 2,272.33; and financials climbed by 0.39% or 8.02 points to 2,055.79.

“San Miguel Corp. led the index for the day, jumping 5.87% to P60.40. Monde Nissin Corp. was at the tail end, falling 3.47% to P7.24,” Mr. Tantiangco said.

Advances outnumbered decliners, 108 to 92, while 58 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling went down to P148.75 million on Thursday from P233.37 million on Wednesday. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

ATI weighing new Ro-Ro berth to handle automobile demand

October 16, 2025 | 8:40 pm

Port-container-cranes — ASIANTERMINALS.COM.PH

ASIAN TERMINALS, INC. (ATI) said it is weighing the construction of an additional roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) berth in Batangas in anticipation of growing demand for automobiles.

Reginald L. Rivera, assistant vice-president for commercial ports and terminals at ATI, said a new berth will help the company support demand for cars, shipped in as completely built units (CBUs).

“Last year we handled 200,000 CBUs … but again, we understand that there is also that possibility that new volumes can come in,” he said.

“We are expanding the Port of Batangas. We have an area in the Port of Batangas where we are considering building another roll-on/roll-off berth,” he added.

He said the contemplated facility will include a staging area and warehousing.

“Whatever is going to make things convenient for everyone who needs a helping hand in logistics, I think Batangas could be an answer to that moving forward,” he added.

He said that the expansion is an indication of the company’s robust outlook for CBUs.

“The fact of the matter is we’re handling only 60% of the volume of CBUs. The other side is handling at least, I think, 40%, so there’s still room to get more of that volume,” he said, referring rival ports.

“It is starting now. If all goes well, it should be operational by 2028 or 2029,” he added.

For this year, he said that the company expects to handle 220,000 to 230,000 CBUs at the Batangas Port.

ATI operates Manila South Harbor, Batangas Port, and other facilities in the Philippines. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Premium F&B seen as top tourism spending driver

October 16, 2025 | 8:40 pm

men-toasting-with-beer-white-background — FREEPIK

TOURISM SPENDING in the Philippines is expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels this year, with premium food and beverage (F&B) experiences being identified as the leading growth opportunity, Oxford Economics said.

“This is clearly a sector that is still in recovery. Our projections suggest that international arrivals will finally recover to those 2019 levels next year, in 2026, in the Philippines,” according to James Lambert, director of economic consulting at Oxford Economics.

“In actual fact, in the Philippines, arrival spend has recovered a little bit quicker. We estimate that tourism spending levels will have surpassed 2019 levels this year, reaching about $87 billion of inbound tourism spending,” he added.

However, he said for the Philippines to position itself as a top destination within the next five years, it must invest in high-value tourism experiences.

“The goal with this is a more sustainable, higher-quality tourism sector that can attract greater levels of spending over the course of the year,” he added.

A survey conducted by Oxford Economics, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific International Spirits and Wines Association, found that visitors to Southeast Asia are willing to pay $250 more per person per day when visiting destinations that offer premium F&B experiences.

“This extra willingness to pay exists at all different income levels. This is not just a picture of how to target the richest travelers,” he said.

In particular, 71% of the 1,800 potential Southeast Asian tourists from China, South Korea, Australia, the US, and the UK have identified the quality of F&B as more important than the availability of historical and cultural sites of interest.

Meanwhile, visitors to Southeast Asia were found to be 2.5 times more likely to choose a destination when premium F&B experiences are available.

The study however found that 78% of the tourists regard value for money as important when selecting a destination.

Further, it found that a $20 increase in price for a premium F&B experience would cause 10% of the travelers to choose a less-premium option.

To better compete, Mr. Lambert said tourism policymakers should embrace premium F&B experiences, facilitate variety in the development of F&B experiences, and ensure that policy frameworks do not incentivize behavior that compromises safety and reliability.

It also recommended working with the industry to understand how products and services can be improved and nurturing a business environment that supports competitively priced products and services. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Japan provides grant to set up Isabela rice facility

October 16, 2025 | 8:39 pm

rice-worker — Workers load sacks of flour in a delivery truck in Manila, July 11, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it signed an agreement with Japan to establish a 1.7 billion yen (P384.17 million) rice processing facility in Isabela.

The government of Japan expects the facility to reduce post-harvest losses, improve the value chain for rice, and help the National Food Authority (NFA) maintain a rice reserve.

Chargé d’affaires Ad Interim Ono Sho and Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro signed the exchange of notes on Thursday, Oct. 16.

“For almost seven decades, Japan has been a steadfast partner for the country’s agricultural sector. Its assistance has manifested in infrastructure, machinery and farm tractors, irrigation projects, and through technical expertise,” Mr. Ono said.

He also highlighted the importance of improving agriculture, which “underpins both food security and broader economic development.” — Andre Christopher H. Alampay

Rice drying capacity set for 35-40% upgrade

October 16, 2025 | 8:39 pm

Solar Bubble Dryer — INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is allocating P3.3 billion to procure 300 rice drying systems over the next three years, raising capacity for the process by 35-40%.

The DA said in a statement that it has delivered and commissioned 118 rice processing systems, with an additional 27 due by the end of this year.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has declared his intention to modernize the agriculture sector, citing the need for infrastructure investment to minimize post-harvest losses and make supply chains more robust.

Deputy Project Director Noel T. Provido said the new facilities can only partly address the decades-long underinvestment in agriculture.

“There must be parallel moves to ensure access to inputs, mechanization, and fair pricing mechanisms.”

“This is a strong step forward, but structural issues in rice production can’t be solved by drying facilities alone,” Mr. Provido added. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay

Germany sees ‘untapped’ potential for PHL trade

October 16, 2025 | 8:38 pm

Lufthansa Technik — LUFTHANSA TECHNIK FACEBOOK PAGE

GERMANY views its trade relationship with the Philippines to hold much untapped potential, an embassy official said.

The two countries’ views on international politics forms “a very solid basis to build our relations on,” suggesting “huge potential (in trade), part of which is still untapped,” German Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Mathias Kruse said.

“I think there are plenty of chances where we could cooperate further, actually, and I see a bright future for us coming,” he added.

He said many German companies are operating in the Philippines and hiring thousands of workers.

“We have a very solid presence of German businesses here in the Philippines already, and they are contributing to the well-being of the country,” he said.

“The Philippines has been and still is on a very positive growth path here, and I think we are going to see more of that,” he added.

German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) Executive Director Christopher Zimmer said that he expects the Philippines-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) to help bring down obstacles to bilateral relations.

“If the FTA is then ratified, it helps… both the EU and the Philippines,” he said.

“We’ve seen it in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and all the agreements with your neighbor countries, and this will definitely help in bringing another percentage point of gross domestic product growth. I’m absolutely convinced,” he added.

“There are certain hopes that this will be done by 2027; let’s see, because we know Europe is not one country, so it’s 28 countries now, and everyone has his own wishes, but let’s stay optimistic that this will be ratified soon,” he added.

The GPCCI is set to hold its flagship event, Mabuhay Germany 2025: In High Spirits, on Nov. 7-8 at BGC High Street.

The event will feature exhibits and food showcases, job fairs, panel discussions, and company pitches. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Parol makers now governed by voluntary national standard

October 16, 2025 | 8:38 pm

SF_Parols_For_Sale-OL — Photo from Wikimedia Commons

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it launched a voluntary Philippine National Standard (PNS) for the parol, the star-shaped Christmas lantern, citing the need to ensure the safety and durability of the seasonal ornament.

PNS 2296-1:2025 sets construction and marking specifications for the parol, developed in collaboration with UL Standards & Engagement. The standard is designed to reinforce manufacturing quality in conjunction with the Tatak Pinoy program.

“More than ensuring product safety, these standards uplift our parol makers whose craftsmanship reflects Filipino pride,” said Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque.

“By guiding them toward quality and reliability, we empower their businesses to grow and thrive globally while protecting consumers,” she added.

Fair Trade Group Assistant Secretary and Supervising Head Regino D. Mallari, Jr. said that the new standard, although voluntary, is “a step toward a safer and more sustainable parol industry.”

“Bagaman ito ay boluntaryo at hindi sapilitan, nagbibigay ito ng malinaw na gabay para sa mga manufacturer upang makalikha ng mga produktong dekalidad, ligtas, at maaasahan para sa mga mamimili (While voluntary, the standard sets out clear guidance for manufacturers to produce high-quality, safe and reliable lanterns for consumers),” he added.

In a separate statement, the DTI said that it is extending the voluntary phase of the E-Commerce Philippine Trustmark registration to Dec. 31 after consulting online business operators, consumer groups, and digital trade advocates.

“We used this discussion to hear straight from our stakeholders and learn about their daily concerns,” Ms. Roque said.

After Dec. 31, the department will review whether the registration will remain voluntary. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

‘Budbud’ salt artisans given production tools

October 16, 2025 | 8:38 pm

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said it delivered production equipment to artisanal “budbud” salt makers in Iloilo.

The equipment grant was part of the Development of Salt Industry Project (DSIP) to add value to the output of traditional saltmakers.

The program provides such communities with water pumps, hoses, plastic drums, weighing scales, bamboo baskets, and other items.

Budbud is an artisanal salt from Miagao, Iloilo, which the BFAR recognizes as having cultural significance and economic potential.

Iloilo is one of the top salt producers in the Philippines, with output of 404.57 metric tons in 2024.

BFAR is encouraging local governments and enterprises to promote unique cultural products to raise their value and improve farmer incomes. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay

ECCP heads to Cebu for talks with biz community

October 16, 2025 | 8:37 pm

THE European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said it will head to Cebu next week for discussions with the business community there.

“We plan to go to Cebu next week to give also our feedback, similar to what we have done on the last visit of the delegation in February,” ECCP President Paulo Duarte said in a panel discussion at the European-Philippines Business Dialogue event on Thursday.

Mr. Duarte said the group aims to present the “real sentiment” of European industries operating in the Philippines, including areas where reforms are being implemented and where “pain points” persist.

“There are pain points that we need to address, because to advance the (free trade agreement), we need to be transparent. We need to give clear feedback,” he added.

Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque has said that the Philippines is not yet at the stage of discussing market access issues with the European Union (EU).

The proposed Philippines-EU free trade agreement (FTA) is expected to be the country’s most comprehensive trade deal, covering government procurement, digital trade, energy and raw materials, and sustainable development.

Mr. Duarte also said the ECCP is not seeking new reforms but is urging the government to fully implement existing initiatives.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro expressed optimism about the fourth round of negotiations scheduled for September.

“I am very confident that it will be a successful round of discussions, following three successful rounds of discussions in the Philippines and in Brussels… allowing us to advance on a good number of chapters of negotiations,” he said.

“I am sure that the fourth round of negotiations will go even beyond. We have a very clear goal and target to do it well and to do it fast, and I am pretty sure we will manage,” he added.

Board of Investments Executive Director Evariste M. Cagatan said the FTA needs to be concluded ahead of the expiration of EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus.

“The FTA aims to be concluded ahead of the expiration of EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, which currently provides duty-free access of more than 6,000 Philippine products to the EU market,” she said in a speech.

Ms. Cagatan also said there are ongoing negotiations with India, Chile, and the United Arab Emirates that will further the country’s trade footprint. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante