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Marcos inspects Davao River bridge

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., joined by Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon, inspected the 1.3-kilometer Bucana bridge in Davao City, which will open to motorists starting Dec. 15. — PCO

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday cast the newly completed Davao River (Bucana) bridge as a preview of a broader transport overhaul in Mindanao, saying the project marks the early stages of a multi-year buildout aimed at cutting travel times, easing congestion and preparing the region for faster economic growth.

Mr. Marcos said the 1.3-kilometer bridge — set to open to motorists on Dec. 15 — forms a critical segment of the wider Davao City bypass, which is slated for full completion by December 2027.

Once finished, the bypass is expected to shorten cross-city travel to as little as 20 minutes from nearly two hours, a shift that will position Davao to absorb larger commercial flows and new investments, he said.

“This is one of the four major projects that we — our legacy projects that we will be finishing in Davao and its environs,” Mr. Marcos said at the bridge inspection, adding that each new segment brings the administration closer to a modernized transport grid across Mindanao.

He said future phases of the bypass and adjacent links will create a more efficient logistics corridor, reducing bottlenecks that have long held back regional productivity.

The project, approved in July 2022 and started in late 2023, was accelerated with the help of Chinese contractors, whose technology and cost-efficient methods, Mr. Marcos said, enabled rapid construction.

As the administration races to open more sections of the bypass over the next two years, Mr. Marcos said the Bucana bridge stands as an early indicator of what the government aims to replicate across the region: faster infrastructure delivery, smoother mobility, and a transport network capable of supporting long-term growth. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Bar exam results out in January

Family members and student supporters gathered along Mendiola to welcome Bar takers on the last day of the examinations, Sept. 14. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

THE Office of the 2025 Bar Chairperson on Thursday said it will release the results and list of successful examinees on Jan. 7, 2026.

“The seeds they have planted are now bearing fruit, coinciding with this season of joy, hope, and renewal,” said Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, chairperson of the 2025 Bar Examinations in a statement.

Successful examinees will take their oath and sign the Roll of Attorneys on Feb. 6, 2026.

“With this Notice, we wish to gift all examinees a sense of certainty that what they have aspired for so long will soon be theirs,” Ms. Lazaro-Javier added.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday reported ongoing efforts to tackle case backlogs, posting a 19% disposition rate for judicial cases and 27% for administrative and bar matters as of Sept. 30, 2025.

“These figures reflect our continued efforts to manage the caseload and improve judicial efficiency,” SC Spokesperson Atty. Camille L. Ting said.

Appellate courts showed mixed performance as of November 2025. The Court of Appeals recorded a 37% disposition rate, the Sandiganbayan reached 46%, and the Court of Tax Appeals posted 20%.

“Each court is committed to addressing pending cases with diligence, despite differing challenges across jurisdictions,” Ms. Ting added. “Our lower courts remain a vital component in reducing case backlogs and ensuring timely justice for the public.”

First- and second-level courts, including family courts, disposed of 578,662 cases as of Oct. 31, achieving a 48% disposition rate. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

GSIS to send P3.93-B cash gifts

GSIS FACEBOOK PAGE

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) on Thursday disburses P3.93 billion in Christmas cash gifts to eligible pensioners, including pro-rate pensioners and retirees.

This year’s coverage has been expanded to include pro-rata pensioners and retirees under Republic Act (RA) No. 7699, the Portability Law, for the first time.

“We want our pensioners to feel valued and supported, especially during the Christmas season,” GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso said in a statement.

“That is why we expanded the coverage of the Christmas cash gift to include an additional 14,992 pro-rata and Portability Law pensioners, who were previously excluded from this annual benefit,” he added.

Those considered pro-rata pensioners are members who have rendered at least 15 years of service but with less than 15 years of paid premiums.

Meanwhile, Portability Law pensioners are those whose contributions to GSIS and the Social Security System were combined to qualify for social insurance benefits.

The cash gift, which will be automatically credited to the GSIS ATM accounts of eligible pensioners, is equivalent to one month’s pension or P10,000, whichever is lower, the state insurer said.

To give more time for pensioners to prepare for the holidays, the GSIS will also credit the December monthly pension earlier, moving it to Dec. 5 from the regular schedule on Dec. 8.

Overall, those eligible to receive the cash gift are old-age, retirement, and disability pensioners under RA 8291, RA 660, RA 7699, and Presidential Decree 1146 who are in active status, receiving their regular or pro-rata monthly pension, and are living as of Nov. 30.

In addition, the GSIS also urges pensioners to comply with the Annual Pensioners’ Information Revalidation (APIR).

Those with suspended pensions due to APIR noncompliance as of Dec.31 may still claim their cash gift once their status is reactivated. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

6 arrested, drug den shut in PDEA Mindanao operations

COTABATO CITY — Anti-narcotics agents seized P432,600 worth of crystal meth (shabu) and arrested four drug den operators and two others, including an alleged member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in separate operations in Central Mindanao on Wednesday.

The first to fall in the two entrapment operations were four men facilitating pot sessions in their hideout in Malagapas in Barangay Rosary Heights 10, Cotabato City.

This was planned with the help of Mayor Bruce C. Matabalao and his constituent-community leaders in the area and officials of the Police Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

Benjamin C. Recites III, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM), told reporters on Thursday that the four suspects were immediately frisked and cuffed by their agents after they sold 22 grams of shabu, costing P149,000, during a trade-off in the premises of their drug den in Malagapas.

Mr. Matabalao told reporters on Thursday that his office is ready to help the PDEA-BARMM build airtight criminal cases against the four suspects, now locked in the agency’s detention facility at the PC Hill area in Cotabato City.

The drug den of the four shabu dealers now in PDEA-BARMM’s custody is being guarded by volunteer community watchmen and barangay officials.

Agents of PDEA-12 have also arrested two male shabu traffickers in an entrapment operation on Wednesday in Barangay Sampao in Isulan, the capital town of Sultan Kudarat.

Charlene R. Magdurulang, director of PDEA-12, said one of the two peddlers their agents have entrapped near a public cemetery in Purok Adarna in Barangay Sampao has an MILF identification card bearing his name.

The duo was arrested by nonuniformed PDEA-12 agents after procuring from them P238,000 worth of shabu, weighing 35 grams, at one spot in Purok Adarna in Barangay Sampao in an operation supported by policemen from units of the Police Regional Office-12, under Brig. Gen. Arnold P. Ardiente.

PDEA-12 agents said local executives in Isulan and the mayor of Shariff Aguak, Datu Akmad B. Ampatuan, were partly instrumental in the entrapment operation. — John Felix M. Unson

Canon launches the EOS C50 compact cinema camera priced under P200,000 

Filmmakers Paolo Ruiz, Ian Celis, Gabby Cantero, and Carlo Obispo share their firsthand experience shooting with the Canon EOS C50. — ED G. GERONIA

Canon Philippines has officially launched its latest EOS C50 camera on Wednesday, priced under P200,000, that promises to be a well-rounded camera for filmmakers and content creators. 

During the “Next Big Scene” launch event, the new model is described to be packed with 7K 60p RAW, 3:2 Open Gate, and Simultaneous Crop Recording, enabling creators to produce multi-format content in one shot. 

It is officially priced at P189,998 for body only along with an XLR handle. 

“The C50 pushes storytelling beyond familiar boundaries,” Anu Aggarwal, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Canon marketing Philippine Inc. said during the launch. 

“At Canon, we are all about empowering creators, helping to explore, experiment, and redefine what cinema can become.” 

The camera’s Simultaneous Crop Recording feature is especially useful for content creators who need to publish in both horizontal and vertical formats, as it allows them to capture both in a single take, JV Ruanto, Product Manager of Canon Philippines said. 

“This C50 is a camera made for every creator. So even if you’re just starting, you just want to explore where you are in the field of video… we give this camera to you as a gift,” Mr. Ruanto said during the launch. 

He also said that the camera is capable of 4K 120fps slow-motion recording, has dual-base ISO and shoots 32.5-megapixel stills. The EOS C50 is compatible with Canon’s RF, EF, and DL lenses. 

During the fireside chat at the event, several filmmakers, including Carlo Obispo and director Gabby Cantero, also shared that the new Canon EOS C50 allowed them to be more versatile and efficient during production, due to features like crop recording. 

Canon, a Japanese global brand, was first established in the Philippines in 1996 and has since expanded across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. — Edg Adrian A. Eva

San Beda, Letran gun for NCAA Finals berth with separate foes

COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN KNIGHTS — NCAA/VYN RADOVAN

Games on Friday
(MOA Arena)
Noon – CSB vs San Beda (Srs)
2:30 p.m. – Letran vs UPHSD (Srs)

BITTER rivals San Beda University (SBU) and Colegio de San Juan de Letran, the NCAA’s most titled college basketball teams, will try to close in on a chance at adding another championship to their vast collection as they shoot for the jugular against separate foes on Friday in NCAA Season 101 at the MOA Arena.

The SBU Lions were resolute in their 91-72 demolition of the College of St. Benilde (CSB) Blazers in the opener on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and should be equally determined in Game Two in their duel at noon.

“We expect CSB to be tougher in Game Two and make adjustments,” said a weary San Beda coach Yuri Escueta.

“We just have to be ready,” he added.

The Letran Knights, for their part, had to outlast the Perpetual Help Altas in their own series opener to escape with a 77-73 win and should be locked and loaded again when they face off at 2:30 p.m.

A decider, if necessary, is set on Sunday back at the Big Dome.

San Beda aims for a league-best 24th senior cage championship while Letran tries to close the gap as it shoots for title No. 21, the second highest in the NCAA.

The Lions are expected to draw strength anew on their power duo of Agjanti Miller and John Sajonia, who erupted for 29 and 26 points, respectively.

Mr. Escueta stressed the Game Two result will hinge mostly on how his big men would respond to the challenge of facing reigning MVP Allen Liwag of CSB.

“I will continue to challenge my bigs because they have to guard him (Mr. Liwag) from the post and the perimeter and box him out at the same time,” he said. — Joey Villar

UST Growling Tigers’ Cabañero set for pro stint as one of country’s top collegiate players

UST GROWLING TIGERS’ NIC CABAÑERO — UAAP

THE KING TIGER is leaving the lair to strut his stuff in a tougher jungle of the professional world.

After playing his final year with University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the UAAP, Nic Cabañero is set for a much-awaited pro stint as one of the country’s top collegiate players and it looks like he will have a bountiful of options here or abroad.

Mr. Cabañero, also a former Gilas youth team, poured it all in his final hurrah with 24 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals as the Growling Tigers secured back-to-back bronze medal-finish after early exits in his first three seasons.

He also made it to the Elite Team as the league’s best scorer with 16.8 points, impressing enough scouts should there by any especially with the abundance of UAAP players in the overseas leagues like the Korean Basketball League and the Japan B.League.

Last year, two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao of De La Salle University and Finals MVP JD Cagulangan of University of the Philippines were the latest players to bring their acts abroad. While that’s an option for Mr. Cabañero, a local stint is also possible with the MPBL until October next year for the PBA Draft, where he is expected to be one of the lottery picks.

Those, however, can wait as Mr. Cabañero opted to savor the moment of his last leap with the Growling Tigers despite failing to deliver a championship.

Mr. Cabañero, a former Red Cub, started his first three seasons with only a six-win campaign before guiding the Growling Tigers to two straight Final Four appearances on top of his two Elite Team selections.

But for him, there’s more to it than just a basketball legacy after playing all his collegiate years with loyalty in España, with hopes of more players doing the same for academic reasons. The championship, which Santo Tomas last tasted in 2006, will eventually come along with that. — John Bryan Ulanday

Karl-Anthony Towns continues dominant play as New York Knicks sting Charlotte Hornets

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS posted another double-double by finishing with 35 points and 18 rebounds on Wednesday night for the host New York Knicks, who never trailed in a 119-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

The double-double was the 16th in 21 games this season for Towns.

Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, Mikal Bridges had 16 points and Josh Hart and Miles McBride added 15 points apiece for the Knicks, who have won five of six.

LaMelo Ball sparked a late comeback bid by scoring 16 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who have lost 12 of their last 15. Ball added nine assists and eight rebounds.

Kon Knueppel and reserve Tidjane Salaun had 13 points each while Sion James added 11 points.

The Knicks led 27-12 at the end of the first and expanded the lead to 20 points at 41-21 on Towns’ layup with 7:46 left in the second. Ball and Knueppel had seven points apiece as the Hornets responded with a 26-9 run to pull within 50-47 with a minute remaining, but the teams combined for four consecutive turnovers before Brunson sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Hornets pulled within three points twice in the first 63 seconds of the third before Towns and Bridges had eight points each in a 29-14 run that put the Knicks up 84-66 with 3:20 remaining in the quarter.

Charlotte’s Liam McNeeley hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 86-75 with 95 seconds left in the third, after which Brunson scored the final four points of the quarter to start an 11-0 run that gave the hosts a 97-75 lead with 9:28 left.

Ball answered with 13 points to spark a 21-7 run for the Hornets, who pulled within 104-96 on Salaun’s 3-pointer with 4:27 left. But McBride responded with a 3-pointer and Brunson converted an old-fashioned 3-point play on the Knicks’ next two trips and New York maintained a lead of at least 12 points the rest of the way.

Towns converted 13 of 23 from the floor, including 3 of 7 from distance, and converted 6 of 7 free throw attempts.

New York converted 23 of 27 from the charity stripe (85.2%), while Charlotte only missed twice on 21 attempts (90.5%).

The five Knicks starters accounted for 107 of the team’s 119 points. — Reuters

Chelsea loses ground at Premier League top with 3-1 loss at Leeds

LEEDS, ENGLAND — Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes suffered a major setback with a humbling 3-1 defeat at Leeds United on Wednesday, which lifted the host out of the relegation zone.

Leeds came into the game on the back of four consecutive defeats while Chelsea was on a run of three wins in four unbeaten league games but the tables were turned at Elland Road to ease the pressure on home manager Daniel Farke.

“We were so desperate to bring this club back to the top level, and Elland Road was tonight back to its best,” Farke told the BBC.

Chelsea remain on 24 points and slipped to fourth in the standings, three points behind third-placed Aston Villa who won 4-3 at Brighton & Hove Albion and nine points off leaders Arsenal after their 2-0 win over Brentford. Leeds are 17th on 14 points.

There was a real lack of urgency in Chelsea’s approach and they were made to pay as Enzo Maresca’s decision to make five changes from the side which started Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Arsenal backfired.

Leeds was on the attack from the off, Anton Stach had a volley blocked and Ao Tanaka fired wide from a good position in the area before they found the opener in the sixth minute from a corner.

Before the corner was taken, Enzo Fernandez screamed at his Chelsea colleagues, clearly unhappy with how they had started the game, but his words made little difference.

Stach floated the ball towards the near post where defender Jaka Bijol lost his marker and rose unchallenged to power a header past Robert Sanchez from outside the six-yard area.

While Chelsea continued to struggle to find a foothold in the game, Leeds had another chance from a corner, with Pascal Struijk heading wide.

Tanaka hit another poor effort when set up by Stach, but he more than made up for his misses when Fernandez gave away possession in his own half two minutes before the break.

Jayden Bogle teed up Tanaka who took a touch before letting fly with a ferocious shot from outside the box with the ball sailing into the bottom corner.

Chelsea substitute Pedro Neto got on the end of a Jamie Gittens cross to smash the ball home at the back post five minutes after halftime, and the comeback looked on.

Leeds had almost netted a third minutes earlier, Sanchez denying Lukas Nmecha with a reflex save, and the host soaked up plenty of Chelsea pressure before killing the game off.

“A great, great shift from my lads, great performance against one of the best sides in the world,” Farke added.

“They won the (Club) World Cup in the summer, they’re one of the contenders for the Premier League title, and then to win this game, also in this manner, and I would also say deserved by chances, expected goals, shots, shots on target.”

Cole Palmer, returning from injury, came off the bench for Chelsea to make his first appearance since September and pulled a shot narrowly wide as the visitors threatened to equalise, but they were again caught napping for Leeds’ third goal in the 72nd minute.

Noah Okafor dispossessed Tosin Adarabioyo in his own area and squeezed the ball past Sanchez for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to tap in and wrap up the win. — Reuters

Chiefs-Cowboys most-watched regular-season game in history

THE GAME between the Kansas City Chiefs and host Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day drew in an NFL regular-season record audience of 57.23 million viewers on CBS, the network announced on Wednesday.

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a stirring 31-28 victory over Patrick Mahomes, who passed for four scores, and the Chiefs in a star-studded showdown.

The average of 57.23 million viewers shattered the previous record audience for a Thanksgiving Day game of 42.1 million, set in 2022 between Dallas and the New York Giants.

Viewership of the Chiefs-Cowboys game peaked at 61.357 million from 7:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

Fox Sports reported that its Thanksgiving Day game between the Green Bay Packers and host Detroit Lions drew 47.7 million. The Packers recorded a 31-24 victory over the Lions, with viewership peaking at 57.957 million from 4 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET. — Reuters

Chris Paul

For all the noise that has surrounded the Clippers’ winter unraveling, the moment that defined it arrived with no fanfare. Chris Paul, the face of their earlier rise to relevance and, recently, its elder statesman on a one-year farewell contract, was told to go home in the middle of a road trip. The decision was relayed with cold efficiency (“no longer with the team”) even as it cut through any nostalgia that remained from his supposedly triumphant return. It was abrupt, yes, but also inevitable for them amid an early season trapped between the grandness of their ambitions and the weight of misalignment.

By now, the story has been retold with enough detail to make the outline clear. At 40, Paul was signed to a role that appeared both practical and symbolic; in taking a final lap around the National Basketball Association on his terms, he was tapped to provide veteran steadiness though spot minutes. Sixteen games later, the numbers proved unforgiving: shrinking exposure and a string of DNPs leading to career lows all around. Worse was the chasm between him and head coach Tyronn Lue, which had reportedly lengthened with time. Across multiple reports, the fracture was deemed less dramatic than a blowup, but more corrosive in its persistence. In a league that thrived on relationship-building, the absence of one became a verdict in and of itself.

Naturally, the Clippers picked a side. Lue, a respected voice in the locker room and the steady center of years of turbulence, received a public vote of confidence. Meanwhile, Paul was released into a market with limited use for a point guard whose mind remains sharp but whose body reflects four decades’ worth of wear and tear. The decision was not punitive, they insisted, not a reflection of blame for the 5-16 start, not a repudiation of his legacy. Yet the optics were unmistakable: once eager to lean on veteran depth, they turned brittle in their search for clarity. And, nostalgia be damned, he had to be the casualty.

There is, of course, a wry contradiction baked into the development. The Clippers built a roster meant to draw on experience, only to confront the limits of age once their campaign veered off course. And, in this context, Paul was the most convenient lackey. At the same time, his exit underscores a harsher truth for the forever-second-class citizens of Los Angeles: the modern game has long left their structure behind. Youth, speed, and adaptability have become the league’s currency, unmasking the foibles of their desire to chase relevance with names that once carried them. Even Lue’s renewed mandate reflects the need to recalibrate sans sentimentality.

For Paul, this may well be the last hurrah; never mind that he has earned the right to craft his valedictory. His career remains storied, his influence without doubt to anyone who has watched point guards of the last two generations. That said, professional sports annals are littered with examples of fallen angels who stick too long and thus rarely stick the landing. His tale is as old as time, and offers the type of finality that marks the end of long journeys: expected on paper, jarring in execution, and true to the league’s habit of moving on before the farewell banners can be formally raised.

 

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.

DepEd backs expansion of subsidy for private school teachers 

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said it supports the expansion of the Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS) to all basic education teachers in private schools nationwide. 

“We are open to expanding it…I think that’s really the spirit of the law, whatever is needed to really support our private schools,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said at a conference. 

This comes after Ateneo de Naga University President Aristotle C. Dy inquired about expanding the program to grade school and senior high school (SHS) teachers. 

“The more I am exposed to smaller private schools, sometimes I am shocked at the salaries of the teachers,” Mr. Dy said. “In many schools, salaries of teachers are not even half of DepEd teachers’ wages.” 

The Private Education Association Committee (PEAC), which administers the Education Service Contracting (ESC) and TSS programs, said that the annual government subsidy is for qualified teachers in ESC-participating junior high schools. 

The TSS is part of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program outlined under the Republic Act No. 8545, also known as the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act. 

In August, the Education department increased the TSS for eligible private school teachers from P18,000 to P24,000, effective for the School Year (S.Y.) 2025-2026. 

“I don’t think complementarities are a static thing or a static concept. It must evolve over time, and definitely, we don’t want all teachers migrating to the public sector,” Mr. Angara said. 

“It’s important that as they develop relationships in their schools, with their students, with their communities, it’s also important that there’s some stability in these relationships,” he added. 

In S.Y. 2023-2024, the PEAC reported that around 3,600 institutions nationwide are ESC-participating schools, while 894,273 students were considered ESC grantees. — Almira Louse S. Martinez

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