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PAGASA watching another LPA after three-day lull

SATELLITE IMAGERY shows the 24-hour movement of a low-pressure area east of Luzon, with cloud bands slowly consolidating as the system tracks westward toward the Philippine area of responsibility. — PAGASA/DOST

THE STATE weather bureau on Thursday said a low-pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine area of responsibility had a high likelihood of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours.

As of 2 p.m., the LPA was spotted 965 kilometers east-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a Facebook post.

PAGASA last monitored tropical cyclones Francisco (Dante), Co-May (Emong) and Krosa three days ago.

This comes as the country continues to reel from the combined effects of past storms and the southwest monsoon.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from recent weather disturbances had climbed to 37.

Metro Manila recorded the highest number of deaths at nine, followed by Calabarzon with eight and Western Visayas with six. The Cordillera Region, Negros Island, and Northern Mindanao each reported three deaths, while Central Luzon reported two. One death each was recorded in Mimaropa, the Davao Region and Caraga.

The NDRRMC said 22 people were injured, while eight were still missing. In total, about 7.6 million people were affected by flooding and landslides, with roughly 100,000 people still sheltering in evacuation centers.

Infrastructure damage was pegged at P10 billion, while losses in agriculture reached P1.9 billion. About 46,000 houses were reported damaged across the country.

In his address to Congress on July 28, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to investigate flood control projects that failed during recent storms, calling out widespread corruption in infrastructure spending and warning of criminal charges for those found guilty.

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) in a separate statement warned of the rising cost of climate inaction.

Citing climate analytics, the agency projected that infrastructure damage from climate-related events could exceed P300 billion by 2030.

Productivity losses due to extreme heat may surpass P400 billion, while business interruptions could cost P528 billion. Relocation expenses for displaced communities could reach P8.9 billion.

CCC Vice Chairman and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje called for stronger research collaboration to prepare for the intensifying impacts of climate change.

“We need civil engineers working alongside economists, climate scientists partnering with social innovators and community leaders and data experts collaborating with agricultural specialists and urban planners,” he said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

PHL is 24th most charitable nation globally

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A HIGH percentage of Filipinos donated money to good causes in 2024, making the Philippines the 24th most generous country worldwide, the new World Giving Report by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) showed.

According to the report, three in every four Filipinos donated 1.46% of their total annual income in 2024 to individuals or families in need, charities, or religious organizations.

This is higher than the global average of 64% donating 1.04% of their annual income, as well as in Asia with 69% sharing 1.28% of their income.

World Giving Report: Philippines 24<sup>th</sup> Most Generous Country

“This very much aligns with our social norms here, our cultural values, which are compassion for others, our shared identity and connectedness with others — the core Filipino identity,” Milet Aquino, communications officer at the Association of Foundations, said during the report’s launch on Thursday.

“So, that makes giving and donating here in the Philippines more personal, more relational, it’s driven by our relationships with others,” she added.

For Filipinos, donating money is more of a “choice rather than a duty,” the report showed.

Filipinos said they donate to such initiatives mainly because they care about others, want to make a difference, set an example for others, and support their local community.

“This reflects the strong Filipino orientation toward localism. As the Philippines is characterized by diverse cultures, languages, and histories in different localities or regions, Filipinos often feel a strong sense of identity and belonging tied to their own communities,” the report read.

Based on the report, children (43%), religious organizations (40%), the elderly (35%), homelessness or refuge shelters (34%), and poverty relief (34%) are the top five causes Filipinos donate to.

It noted that these causes are “those that evoke a strong emotional response.”

CAF said 40% of Filipinos donated money three to five times last year, while 37% did once or twice. This is also higher than the global average of 38% and 34%, respectively.

The report also assessed individuals who did not donate money, a third of whom said they couldn’t afford to do so, while some said they prefer donating in kind, such as food or material gifts.

Among its neighbors in the East and Southeast Asian region, the Philippines ranked fourth in terms of donations, following China (3rd), Vietnam (12th), and Indonesia (21st).

Globally, people in Nigeria contributed most to good causes last year, with 2.83% of their income in 2024. Egypt emerged second, after giving 2.45% of its income in 2024, followed by China (2.19%), Ghana (2.19%), and Kenya (2.13%).

The report noted, however, that lower-income countries donated a larger portion or an average of 1.45% of their income, while higher-income nations gave less at only 0.7% on average.

Moreover, the report revealed that direct donation to people in need (38%) was the most common way of giving. Charity donations followed closely, composing 36% of the total, while those given to religious organizations stood at 25%.

The new World Giving Report, which replaces the CAF’s 15-year World Giving Index (WGI), measures 101 countries’ attitudes and behavior about giving.

CAF Head of Research Alex Plumb said WGI only considered general public donors who gave to charities, while the World Giving Report now includes monetary donations to persons or families in need, charities (non-governmental or non-profit organizations), or religious organizations. — Katherine K. Chan

Bill lets groups sit in budget talks

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

HOUSE SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday filed a resolution seeking to allow civil society groups to observe budget hearings at the chamber, aiming to fulfill his commitment to make the fiscal process more transparent.

House Resolution No. 94 directs the House appropriations committee to establish accreditation guidelines to allow civil groups to sit in on the budget discussions, which are expected to start in mid-August.

“We want a budget process that truly listens to the people,” Mr. Romualdez said in a statement on Thursday.

Minority senators and congressmen on Wednesday filed separate resolutions calling for greater transparency in the budget’s bicameral conference committee proceedings.

The push for reform comes after the 2025 budget process drew criticism when the bicameral committee raised unprogrammed funds to more than P500 billion and inserted allegedly blank line items, prompting concerns that changes were made after Congress ratified the bill.

Mr. Romualdez said he hopes the House plenary adopts the resolution before lawmakers start deliberation of the 2026 budget cycle.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee has proposed a P6.793-trillion budget, 7.4% higher than this year’s allocation and equivalent to 22% of the country’s economic output. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Stricter rules for seafarers sought

STOCK PHOTO | Image by iliastefanidis30 from Pixabay

A PHILIPPINE Senator on Thursday is calling for stricter rules against the deployment of Filipino seafarers in high-risk routes, following the kidnapping of nine Filipino seafarers.

In a statement, Senator Rafael T. Tulfo, the Committee Chief of Migrant Workers, said that he is planning to conduct a Senate hearing to review and formulate necessary new policies and regulations for the deployment of Filipino seafarers to high-risk zones.

“There should be mandatory security assessments on hazardous routes, and whether it is necessary to implement a total deployment ban in areas that pose a high threat to the lives and safety of our seafarers,” he added.

This comes after the Philippine government confirmed that nine Filipino seafarers were being held captive by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Their ship, the MV Eternity C, was attacked and sank by the rebels last July 8.

Earlier, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said that the agency has yet to receive demands in exchange for the Filipino seafarers, as all negotiations are being handled by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

He also confirmed that three of the crew members died during the attack in early July. — Adrian H. Halili

Senator to vote vs VP trial dismissal

BW FILE PHOTO

A SENATOR on Thursday said that she would vote against any motion that calls to dismiss the impeachment of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio in the Senate, despite the Philippine High Court’s ruling calling it unconstitutional.

“If that happens, we will really debate on it. I am ready, we are ready in the minority to present every argument, every opinion, and if it is really pushed to the vote we will vote on it,” Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel told a news briefing.

When asked if she would vote against any motions to dismiss the trial in the Senate, Ms. Hontiveros answered in the affirmative.

The Philippine Senate is expected to decide by Aug. 6 whether to uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling that declared the impeachment of the Vice-President unconstitutional, Senate President Francis G. Escudero said in plenary last Tuesday.

Last week, the High Court ruled that Ms. Duterte’s impeachment violated the constitutional ban on filing more than one impeachment complaint against an official within a year.

The tribunal also cited violations of the Vice-President’s right to due process. As a result, any new impeachment complaint against her may only be filed after Feb. 6, 2026.

She added that any motion to dismiss the trial of the Vice-President would be too “premature.”

“It is still premature to file or vote on the motion to dismiss. Because how can we dismiss if we have not heard a single piece of evidence or a warm body witness,” she said.

Ms. Hontiveros said that she is hoping that the impeachment court reconvenes, as the trial is still continuing.

“I think the court is still convened. The trial is continuing, I am hopeful and that will also be the content of my arguments and opinions on Aug. 6 that we will continue to convene towards the most important presentation of evidence and witnesses on each article of impeachment,” she added.

Vice-President Duterte, seen as a leading contender for the presidency in 2028, was impeached in February, with more than 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint. She faces allegations of fund misuse, unexplained wealth, destabilization, and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his family, and the Speaker. She has denied all accusations. — Adrian H. Halili

House panel to work closely with gov’t to diversify PHL trade

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A HOUSE of Representatives global trade panel will closely collaborate with the government to help push for measures that could expand export destinations and boost the access of migrant workers in overseas labor markets, its chairperson said on Thursday.

The House globalization and World Trade Organization committee would work with the Trade and Foreign Affairs departments to help in crafting policies that could diversify Philippine trade, Bohol Rep. Kristine Alexie B. Tutor said in a statement.

“Given rising trade tariffs, diversifying global trade and expanding global market for services, we will do our part,” she said.

“Through the committee, the House will have its say on shaping policies and mechanisms relevant to the international recognition of Filipino migrant workers’ qualifications, credentials and degrees,” she added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Customs seizes P40.5-M misdeclared Chinese vape products

PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUSSELL PALMA

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has seized three containers carrying P40.5 million worth of misdeclared vape products and other regulated goods from China at the Manila International Container Port.

In a statement on Thursday, Customs said the shipments, which originated from China, were falsely declared as kitchenware.

“Our operations are anchored on a whole-of-agency approach that prioritizes intelligence, swift execution, and legal action against those who attempt to evade customs laws,” Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said.

The BoC noted that hold orders for the shipments were issued as early as January 2025, following derogatory information received by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS).

“A 100% physical examination was conducted on July 14, which led to the discovery of 81,000 pieces of assorted vape products, along with sacks of fully refined paraffin wax and other misdeclared items,” it said.

A case build-up is currently underway to identify and prosecute those responsible for the unlawful importation, the BoC said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Emong, monsoon damage to power lines in Baguio-Benguet reaches P6.8M

BAGUIO CITY — Damage from Typhoon Emong and the southwest monsoon has so far reached P6.81 million as of Thursday morning, with power restoration efforts continuing across Baguio City and Benguet, the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) reported.

Despite torrential rains and strong winds that caused widespread power outages, BENECO said it has restored electricity to 96.4% of households and 98.9% of barangays within its franchise area.

Baguio City having incurred the highest damage costs at P4.53 million, including four primary poles, two transformers, and 11 protective devices, while Benguet losses reached P2.28 million, with 28 poles and six transformers affected.

BENECO added such figures are expected to rise as assessments from more towns are still being finalized.

Major causes of the outages were landslides and falling trees and bamboo damaging power lines. Inaccessible roads further delayed restoration, especially in Benguet and parts of Baguio, as linemen had to wait for government crews to clear debris.

In Baguio City, only a few isolated areas and households remain without power.

“We can now concentrate and send majority of our manpower and heavy equipment and materials needed to Benguet municipalities to fix damages in our backbone lines in Kabayan, Natubleng, and Saddle Atok along Halsema Highway,” said Engineer George Tait of BENECO. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Trump says US will set 15% tariff on imports from South Korea

A CAR CARRIER transporting Tesla vehicles travels past KIA Motors’ vehicles parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, July 31. — REUTERS/KIM HONG-JI

WASHINGTON/SEOUL — President Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday the US will charge a 15% tariff on imports from South Korea, down from a threatened 25%, as part of a deal that eases tensions with a top-10 trading partner and key Asian ally.

The arrangement, announced shortly after Mr. Trump met with Korean officials at the White House, came during a blizzard of trade policy announcements ahead of a self-imposed Aug. 1 deadline.

That is when Trump has promised higher tariffs will kick in on US imports from a range of countries. Imports from South Korea, a powerhouse exporter of computer chips, cars and steel, faced a 25% rate prior to Wednesday’s last-minute deal.

“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has agreed to a Full and Complete Trade Deal with the Republic of Korea,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The negotiations were an early test for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June after a snap election. He said the deal had eliminated uncertainty in the export environment and set US tariffs lower than or at the same level as major competitors.

“We have crossed a big hurdle,” Mr. Lee said in a post on Facebook. Mr. Trump said Mr. Lee would visit the White House “within the next two weeks” for his first meeting with the US president.

South Korea agreed to invest $350 billion in the United States in projects selected by Mr. Trump and to purchase $100 billion in energy products, the US president said.

He also said South Korea would accept American products, including autos and agriculture into its markets and impose no import duties on them.

South Korea’s top officials said the country’s rice and beef markets would not be further open, and that discussions over US demands on food regulations continue.

“We avoided the worst and chose the next best,” said Cheong In-kyo, a former South Korean trade minister. Much will depend on how the investments to the US are structured, he added.

“Depending how and where $350 billion will be spent, this fund will be looked at differently.”

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS
It was not immediately clear how the investment deals would be structured, where the financing would come from, over what time frame they would be implemented and to what extent their terms would be binding. Mr. Trump said additional South Korean investments would be announced later.

Of the $350-billion fund, $150 billion was aimed at a shipbuilding partnership while $200 billion would include chips, nuclear power, batteries, and biotechnology, Kim Yong-beom, policy chief from the South Korean presidential office, told a briefing.

Existing investment plans by South Korean companies would be part of the fund, according to Mr. Kim.

He said that “ambiguity is good,” but noted that they had ensured there would be safeguards over how the funds were used.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared in a post on X that 90% of the profits from the $350 billion fund were “going to the American people.”

Mr. Kim said that South Korea understands it to mean that profits would be reinvested.

The energy purchases would include LNG, LPG, crude oil, and a small amount of coal, Mr. Kim said.

“This is within our usual import volume,” he said, adding that it might lead to a “slight shift” in the country’s mix of imports from the Middle East to more American sources.

Mr. Lutnick said the energy purchases would happen “over the next 3.5 years.”

The US tariff rate on South Korean autos would be set at 15% and the country’s semiconductor and pharmaceutical exports would not be treated more harshly than those from other countries, Mr. Lutnick said. Steel, aluminum, and copper were not covered by the new deal.

SCRAMBLE IN SOUTH KOREA
The negotiations took place in a turbulent political environment in South Korea with former President Yoon Suk Yeol removed in April after he was impeached for an attempt to impose martial law.

South Korea has been a particular target of Trump for its trade surplus as well as the cost to maintain some 28,500 US troops in the country to defend against North Korea.

Last year South Korea posted a record $55.7-billion trade surplus with the US, up 25.4% from a year earlier.

It is among only three Asia-Pacific countries that already had a comprehensive free trade agreement with the US, but that did not spare it from new tariffs.

Pressure had been mounting on South Korea since Japan clinched a deal to cut Mr. Trump’s threatened tariffs to 15% earlier this month.

Amid the last-minute push by government officials to reach a tariff deal, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics inked a $16.5-billion chip deal with Tesla.

South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution also signed a $4.3-billion deal to supply Tesla with energy storage system batteries, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. — Reuters

Canada plans to recognize Palestinian state, raising allies’ pressure on Israel

STOCK PHOTO | Image by chris robert from Unsplash

OTTAWA/JERUSALEM — Canada plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations (UN) in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza.

The announcement came after France said last week it would recognize a Palestinian state and a day after Britain said it would recognize the state at September’s UN General Assembly meeting if the fighting in Gaza, part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, had not stopped by then.

Mr. Carney told reporters that the reality on the ground, including starvation of people in Gaza, meant “the prospect of a Palestinian state is literally receding before our eyes.”

“Canada condemns the fact that the Israeli government has allowed a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza,” he said.

Mr. Carney said the planned recognition was based in part on repeated assurances from the Palestinian Authority, which represents the State of Palestine at the UN, that it was reforming its governance and is willing to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas “can play no part.”

The announcements by some of Israel’s closest allies reflect growing international outrage over Israel’s restrictions on food and other aid to Gaza in its war against Hamas militants, and the dire humanitarian crisis there. A global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in the enclave.

The Gaza health ministry reported seven more hunger-related deaths on Wednesday, including a two-year-old girl with an existing health condition. The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said the Israeli military killed at least 50 people within three hours on Wednesday as they tried to get food from UN aid trucks coming into the northern Gaza Strip.

Israel and its closest ally, the US, both rejected Carney’s statements.

“The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made similar comments after the French and British announcements.

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Donald Jr. Trump also sees recognition of the State of Palestine as wrongly “rewarding Hamas.”

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to travel to Israel on Thursday to discuss Gaza. Mr. Trump said this week he expected centers to be set up to feed more people in the enclave.

The State of Palestine has been a non-member observer state of the UN General Assembly since 2012, recognized by more than three-quarters of the assembly’s 193 member states.

Jonathan Panikoff, former deputy US national intelligence officer on the Middle East, said recognition of Palestine is intended “to increase pressure on Israel to compel it to return to a two-state paradigm.” But he said Canada’s announcement is “unlikely to be anything more than symbolic and risks undermining their relationship with a longtime ally in Israel.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Carney before Canada’s announcement, said the recognition of Palestine will “revive a prospect of peace in the region.”

POSSIBLE ULTIMATUM TO HAMAS
Israeli security cabinet member Zeev Elkin said on Wednesday that Israel could threaten to annex parts of Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas, eroding Palestinian hopes of statehood on land Israel now occupies.

Mediation efforts to secure a 60-day ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas ground to a halt last week.

In Gaza, resident Saed al-Akhras said the recognition of Palestine by major powers marked a “real shift in how Western countries view the Palestinian cause.”

“Enough!” he said. “Palestinians have lived for more than 70 years under killing, destruction and occupation, while the world watches in silence.”

Families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza appealed for no recognition of a Palestinian state to come before their loved ones were returned.

“Such recognition is not a step toward peace but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimizes horrific war crimes,” the Hostages Family Forum said.

Mr. Netanyahu said this month he wanted peace with Palestinians but described any future independent state as a potential platform to destroy Israel, so control of security must remain with Israel.

His cabinet includes far-right members who openly demand the annexation of all Palestinian land. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that reestablishing Jewish settlements in Gaza was “closer than ever,” calling Gaza “an inseparable part of the Land of Israel.”

AID GOING IN, BUT NOT ENOUGH
A 2-year-old girl being treated for a buildup of brain fluid died overnight of hunger, her father told Reuters on Wednesday.

“Doctors said the baby has to be fed a certain type of milk,” Salah al-Gharably said by phone from Deir Al-Balah. “But there is no milk. She starved. We stood helpless.”

The deaths from starvation and malnutrition overnight raised the toll from such causes to 154, according to the Gaza health ministry, including at least 89 children, since the war’s start, most of them in recent weeks.

Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was “still far from enough.”

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas led attacks on communities and military bases in southern Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed, including more than 700 civilians, and another 251 taken as hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 60,000 people and laid waste to much of the territory, the Gaza health ministry says. — Reuters 

US plans to issue travel notice for China as chikungunya cases rise

Public Health Image Library/US Centers Disease for Control and Prevention 

THE US CENTERS for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is planning to issue a travel notice for China as chikungunya infections rise in the country, a spokesperson told Bloomberg News.

China has recorded nearly 5,000 cases of the mosquito-borne illness since one infection was found in early July. Guangdong, a province near Hong Kong, has recorded almost 3,000 cases in the last week.

“CDC is aware of the reported chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong Province in China and is currently assessing the size and extent of the outbreak,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Atlanta-based agency issues travel health notices for people to be aware of the risks for certain outbreaks and natural disasters and provide preventive actions they can take, including which vaccines are available.

Chikungunya can cause an abrupt fever and severe joint pain, especially in the hands and feet, according to the CDC.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an early call to action in July because of an ongoing outbreak in the Indian Ocean that has spread to other countries, adding that it is seeing early signs of an epidemic — reminiscent of a major epidemic that swept across the Indian Ocean in 2004 and 2005.

Some 240,000 cases and 90 chikungunya-related deaths have been recorded in Europe since the start of the year in at least 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The disease tends to circulate in tropical and subtropical regions. US cases tend to be acquired from travel; the country has not reported a locally acquired infection since 2019.

Currently, the CDC has issued a level 2 notice for US travelers to practice “enhanced precautions” for seven countries including Kenya and Madagascar.

The CDC recommends that most people traveling to an outbreak area get vaccinated for chikungunya. However, in May, the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration recommended a pause for the vaccine Ixchiq — which includes a live component of the virus — for people over the age of 60 following reports of  serious adverse events in that age group.

European regulators are also reviewing the vaccine’s use in older adults. A separate vaccine without a live virus component is approved for people over the age of 12 in the US.

One of the best ways to prevent chikungunya is to protect yourself from mosquito bites, said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. That includes wearing clothing that covers your limbs and using bug spray.

Other mosquito-borne illnesses have increased due to climate change and global travel.

In 2024, the US saw a record number of dengue infections. The CDC issued an alert for ongoing risk and travel recommendations in March.

Dengue and Zika are transmitted by the Aedes species mosquito, the same mosquito that can spread chikungunya. Nearly 100 cases of West Nile virus have been detected in the US this year, according to the CDC.

As the bugs continue to spread, the WHO expects five billion people to be at risk for mosquito-borne infections by 2050.  — Bloomberg

Alas Pilipinas battles strong Thai team in the 5th SEA V-League

AVC

THE TREK BACK to road towards Southeast Asian Games glory for Philippine women’s volleyball resumes as Alas Pilipinas clashes with regional powerhouse Thailand on Friday at the start of the first leg of the 5th SEA V-League at the Terminal 21 Korat in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

The Filipinas, spearheaded by Jia de Guzman, Bella Belen, Angel Canino, Alyssa Solomon, Eya Laure, Thea Gagate, Vanie Gander and Fifi Sharma, will battle the Thais at 6 p.m. (Philippine time) with hopes of, at best, pulling off a shocker and, at worst, giving the perennial SEA Games gold winner a decent fight.

Also part of the team are Mars Alba, Justine Jazareno, Dawn Catindig, Shaina Nitura, Leila Cruz, Cla Loresca and Dell Palomata.

The Nationals clash with the Vietnamese next Saturday and then capped off its opening leg campaign with a duel versus the Indonesians Sunday.

It will be a short but sweet tournament as the nation with the best record after the single-round robin format captures the gold.

From Thailand, Alas flies to Ninh Binh, Vietnam for the second leg where it battles Vietnam on Aug. 8, Thailand on Aug. 9 and Indonesia on Aug. 10.

The country is hoping to continue to improve as it eyes a first medal in the SEA Games this December in Thailand since it snared a bronze exactly two decades ago when the country hosted the biennial meet in Bacolod. — Joey Villar

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