Universities need to embrace AI to keep skills gap from widening, professor says

March 16, 2025 | 8:18 pm

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

PHILIPPINE universities must focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching to prevent the skills mismatch in the job market from worsening, according to an IE University in Madrid professor.

“If the universities do not adapt, AI will make the mismatch more severe, because you will have a work environment heavily shaped by AI across multiple functions of business,” Manuel Muñiz, provost of IE University and a professor of practice of international relations, told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a briefing on last week.

Only 50% of Filipino students believe their institution is effectively preparing them to work in a Generative AI-driven world, according to “The State of Higher Education 2025” report published by educational technology company Instructure.

“But if universities adapt and they bring the tech in and they teach the students how to use it in a productive, ethical way, etcetera, they’ll be pumping out graduates that are going to be in high demand in the workplace.”

Mr. Muñiz said that universities must avoid the “competition mindset” with the use of AI.

“If universities think that their students are in competition with the tool… that’s a problem because your students are never going to live in a world once they graduate where the tools are not there,” he said at a media briefing.

“When these tools came out in 2022 and 2023, the first reaction was, ‘Boy, this is plagiarism, we’re going to ban it,’” Mr. Muñiz said.

“But this is a mistake, because I don’t think we should be building learning spaces that are radically different from the world that your graduates are going to inhabit. So, our attitude has been ‘We need to take the world as it is, and we need to leverage these technologies for learning.’”

With AI increasingly driving business, universities are expected to focus on teaching soft skills like creativity, innovation, strategic thinking, and leadership, Mr. Muñiz said.

Universities will also prioritize experiential learning, and harness the humanities in analyzing the impact of AI and other technologies.

Moving forward, Philippine universities must focus on training faculty members and students in the productive and ethical use of AI, according to Mr. Muñiz.

“My first piece of advice would be to extend the use of the tools amongst the faculty and the students,” he said, citing readily available AI tools and large language models.

As an example, IE University recently integrated OpenAI tools to provide its students with specialized AI courses.

“The second piece of advice would be to train your faculty — that you have a group of individuals that are aware of what the tools can do in the learning environment,” Mr. Muñiz said.

He cited the need for universities to establish a code of conduct for the AI use.

“It used to be the case that the learnings that you acquired in formal education would last you for decades,” Mr. Muñiz said.

“But now, they become obsolete much faster because the industry changes, the tools change, the processes change.”

Metro Manila retail price growth slows in February

March 16, 2025 | 8:17 pm

RETAIL PRICE growth of general goods in the National Capital Region (NCR) eased in February, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

Citing preliminary data, the PSA said price growth in Metro Manila as measured by the general retail price index (GRPI), slowed to 1.3% year on year in February from 1.4% in January.

The year-earlier growth rate had been 2.1%.

The February reading was the weakest since the 1.2% in September 2024.

In the year to date, GRPI growth averaged 1.4%, against the 2.3% posted in the first two months of 2023.

“The primary contributor to the deceleration in the annual growth rate of GRPI in the NCR was the annual decrease recorded in the index of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials at 1.3% in February 2025 from 0.9% in the previous month,” the PSA said.

The heavily weighted food index posted growth of 1.6% in February, down from 1.8% a month earlier.

Commodity groups where price growth picked up were beverages and tobacco (3.9% in February from 3.8% in January) and crude materials, inedible except fuels (0.8% from 0.6%).

Growth in the index of chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, was flat at 2.2%.

Other commodity groups that remained steady were manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials (1.1%), miscellaneous manufactured articles (1.1%), and machinery and transport equipment (0.2%).

In February, inflation eased sharply to 2.1% from 2.9% in January and 3.4% a year earlier.

In the first two months, inflation averaged 2.5%, remaining within the central bank’s target of 2-4%.

The GRPI is also used as a deflator in the National Accounts, particularly in the retail trade sector, and serves as a basis for forecasting, the PSA said. — Matthew Miguel L. Castillo

Infra, policy to determine PHL trade performance, DHL says

March 16, 2025 | 8:16 pm

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

THE quality of physical infrastructure and policy will help determine how Philippine trade performs in the face of ongoing supply-chain diversification, a logistics company said, citing the results of a study.

The DHL and New York University’ (NYU) Stern School of Business 2025 DHL Trade Atlas identified the Philippines as among the countries expected to post rapid trade growth over the next five years, alongside India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

“If we look at the Philippines, it has a diverse and growing economic landscape. Manufacturing, in particular semiconductors and electronics, and automobiles are picking up, with year-on-year import and export numbers of the country increasing,” Ken Lee, chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific at DHL Express, said at a briefing on Friday.

“I think all factors are pointing to the Philippines as one to watch,” he added.

He cited the need for countries to stay innovative in their strategy and proactive in seeking out new pathways to growth.

The DHL Trade Atlas analyzes trade growth in two dimensions: speed, or the trade volume growth rate, and scale, which is the absolute increase in trade volume.

Steven A. Altman, senior research scholar and director of the DHL Initiative on Globalization at NYU Stern, said that the trade volume growth rate for the Philippines is 7.4%, India 7.2%, Indonesia 6.7%, and Vietnam 6.5%.

“For absolute volume increases, the way we do that is that we take the current dollar value and then we apply a volume growth rate to it. So, you can think of this as growth that’s in current US dollar terms,” Mr. Altman said at the briefing.

“For India, this would be $484 billion. For Indonesia, it is $195 billion. For Vietnam, it is $271.8 billion. And for the Philippines, it is $87.8 billion,” he added.

However, the Philippines could realize more limited benefits from supply chain diversification, than Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.

“There is a noticeable diversification of supply chains. Beyond China, businesses are increasingly looking to place their operations in a wider range of locations for various reasons, such as cost considerations, risk diversification, and access to new markets,” said Mr. Lee.

“This shift is leading to greater developments in alternative manufacturing locations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and India,” he added.

According to the report, the Philippines, which has a manufacturing sector focused more on electronics, is projected to rank 15^th on the speed dimension over the next five years and 30^th on the scale dimension.

“These encouraging forecasts for India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines suggest the importance of investments in physical infrastructure and supportive policy measures required for these countries to achieve their trade growth potential,” according to the report.

“While these countries all have especially favorable trade growth prospects, they have also faced infrastructure and other capacity-related constraints in the past,” it added.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said that the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act will help address the constraints.

“This is through the enhancement of the incentives for foreign direct investment (FDI) to better compete with other ASEAN or Asian countries,” he said via Viber.

The enhanced incentives under the CREATE MORE Act, he said, include lower corporate income tax of 20% (from 25%), clarity on value-added tax exemptions, and the deductibility of electricity costs, among others.

“It would also help if the country would support more high-tech economic zones similar to Silicon Valley and more research and development facilities to cater to higher-end electronics and semiconductors to service the global supply chains,” he said.

“A more developed infrastructure would help attract more FDI and tourists into the country, as well as lower the cost of electricity and further ease doing business at the national and local government unit levels,” he added.

Meta to help PHL track Facebook transactions

March 16, 2025 | 8:16 pm

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Meta Platforms, Inc. has agreed to help the Philippines monitor online marketplaces.

“It is a key challenge for us to effectively remove entities that are marketing violative products online,” Trade Assistant Secretary Agaton Teodoro Uvero said in a statement.

According to the DTI, the meeting with Meta, which owns Facebook, centers on the onboarding of Consumer Policy Channel (CPC) which will allow regulators such as the DTI to track transactions on Facebook.

“The CPC implements a multi-layered enforcement system that integrates user reports, artificial intelligence, and human reviews,” it said.

It will also help forward identified violations for Meta’s immediate review and takedown, it added.

Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau Director Regino D. Mallari, Jr. said that the collaboration with Meta opens up opportunities for future partnerships.

“Our goal is to engage more digital platforms not just for consumer protection, but also to enhance the integrity of e-commerce and drive sustainable economic growth,” Mr. Mallari said.

The DTI has tapped e-commerce platforms TikTok, Shopee, and Lazada to help with enforcement regarding flagged online sales.

In July, the DTI temporarily banned the sale of vape products on all e-commerce platforms to prevent its sale to minors.

According to Department Administrative Order No. 24-03, the sale of vape products on e-commerce platforms will only be allowed once the seller is able to prove it has instituted “adequate measures” to ensure that its platform and merchants are in full compliance with the proof-of-age verification and other legal requirements.

“Moving toward a more comprehensive, consumer-centered approach, the DTI also looks to incorporate open and continuous information exchange with valuable stakeholders,” it said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Philippines signs sustainable fisheries management deal with Palau

March 16, 2025 | 8:16 pm

oil spill — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINES and Palau have signed an agreement to manage their fisheries more sustainably, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

The parties to the agreement — the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Palau’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment involves fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, promoting technology sharing, and advancing fisheries infrastructure development.

The agreement involves collaborating in conserving highly migratory fish stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, which is home to commercially important fish species such as tuna and billfish.

A joint committee will oversee the agreement’s implementation, with senior officials meeting annually to plan, monitor, and assess progress.

“The MoU sets the foundation for future collaboration through detailed implementation frameworks,” the DA said.

“It is designed to be reviewed in five years, providing both countries with the flexibility to adapt to shifting needs and emerging priorities,” it added. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Pandemic data reflects reluctance by households to take on more debt

March 16, 2025 | 8:14 pm

medium-shot-woman-shopping-with-mask — FREEPIK

HOUSEHOLD DEBT declined in 2021, reflecting reluctance to take on additional debt during the pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported.

The BSP’s 2021 Consumer Finance Survey indicated that 29.3% of households carried debt during the period, much lower than the 40.4% in the 2018 survey.

“The pandemic prompted a significant reorientation of Filipino households’ approach to debt and savings. Faced with economic uncertainty, households increased their precautionary savings to protect against the risks of job losses and falling incomes.”

Bills accounted for 16.4% of household debt, followed by outstanding loans (15.2%) and credit card debt (0.7%).

“Government-imposed restrictions on movement and business operations severely limited traditional spending opportunities such as travel, dining, and entertainment,” the BSP said.

“However, these restrictions inadvertently raised savings, which offered households some respite during the crisis. Furthermore, households benefited from government financial assistance programs.”

The survey also showed the percentage of households receiving wage income jumped to 91.5% from 73.7% in 2018.

“Government employment initiatives implemented to counteract pandemic-related job losses largely drove this increase.”

“About 9.8% of households received income from businesses, primarily sole proprietorships in retail or food service, while 55.65% relied on other sources, mainly government pandemic assistance or ayuda.”

These subsidies include cash or food packs, which helped provide “essential financial support to many households facing economic hardships due to lockdowns and job losses.”

Meanwhile, home appliances and equipment were the top owned household assets (96.6%), followed by residential property (69.9%), and vehicles (35.3%).

Motorcycles were the most commonly owned vehicle at 61.7%.

“A notable shift occurred in homeownership trends, with more families choosing rental accommodations (11.3%) compared to the previous survey round (10.2%).”

“The composition of financial assets revealed interesting patterns of financial behavior,” it added.

The highest ownership rates were seen in deposit accounts (35.3%), followed by traditional cash savings kept at home (28.7%), and e-money accounts (24.3%).

“The post-pandemic recovery period witnessed substantial growth across financial asset categories, particularly in formal banking relationships and digital financial products.”

“Financial institutions played a pivotal role in this transition by accelerating the development of user-friendly digital services. These services addressed the evolving needs of consumers who increasingly required remote access to financial resources during lockdown periods.” — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Strategic priorities for leveraging GenAI in banking

March 16, 2025 | 8:11 pm

IN BRIEF:

• Banks are focusing on Generative AI (GenAI) to drive innovation and enhance operational efficiency.

• Overcoming challenges like skill shortages and high costs is crucial for successful GenAI implementation.

• Effective governance and strategic planning are essential to manage risks and maximize GenAI’s potential.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offers transformative potential for the banking sector, extending beyond mere process improvements and cost savings to foster innovation and reimagine business models. However, banks must navigate several challenges to fully realize GenAI’s benefits.

This article explores strategic priorities for banks to effectively leverage GenAI, ensuring they stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. This is the third article in a series that explores the pressing concerns of the banking and financial industry.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OF GENAI
Banks recognize the value of GenAI in driving productivity and automation. According to a recent EY-Parthenon survey titled Generative AI in retail and commercial banking, banking leaders see GenAI as a means to enhance operational capabilities and accelerate innovation. However, they must also consider GenAI’s position alongside other disruptive technologies like Web3, blockchain, and quantum computing. By integrating these technologies, banks can transform core business functions and open new revenue streams.

Despite the potential, banks face significant challenges in adopting GenAI. The EY-Parthenon survey identified five main roadblocks:

Expertise and resource gaps. More than half of survey respondents cited a lack of internal expertise as a top challenge in establishing dedicated GenAI teams. Banks need to invest in training and acquiring the necessary skills to bridge this gap.

Financial limitations. Economic realities limit investments in GenAI, with over half of respondents highlighting high implementation costs as a barrier. Banks must carefully allocate resources to balance innovation with financial prudence.

Internal capability concerns. Outdated and heavily customized technology architectures hinder AI implementation. Banks will need to modernize their infrastructure to support GenAI initiatives effectively.

Determining optimal use cases. With numerous options for deploying AI, banks must identify the most impactful initial use cases. Many are focusing on back-office automation, waiting for further development and testing before prioritizing front-office applications.

Navigating regulatory challenges. Evolving regulations create compliance challenges and liability risks. Banks must anticipate regulatory developments and build systems that address data privacy, security, and accuracy concerns.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR ADVANCING GENAI IN BANKING
By focusing on the following priorities, banks can help reimagine their banking models and accelerate innovation.

Envisioning future business models. To seize the GenAI opportunity, banks should reimagine their future business models based on the new capabilities GenAI enables and then work backward to prioritize near-term use cases. This approach allows banks to monetize data, expand product offerings, and strengthen client engagement. Applying lessons from previous technology implementations, banks can assess whether GenAI or existing technologies are the best solutions for specific issues.

Leveraging ecosystems for technology and talent. Given the newness of GenAI and limited internal capabilities, banks may need to pursue acquisitions or partnerships to access necessary skills and resources. Enhancing computing capabilities and building knowledge graphs from existing expertise can help banks leverage GenAI effectively. Partnerships can also accelerate the development of GenAI-focused ecosystems.

Balancing innovation and risk in use cases. Banks should not limit their vision to automation and cost control. GenAI can impact customer-facing and revenue operations, supporting hyper-personalization and driving customer satisfaction. Banks should focus on high-value, low-risk use cases initially, learning from quick wins to scale up to more complex applications.

Creating centers of excellence and control towers. A GenAI center of excellence (CoE) can help banks implement early use cases, share knowledge, and develop skills. As capabilities mature, a control tower approach can provide strategic direction, visibility, and governance for GenAI adoption. This approach ensures that the right controls and metrics are in place to track progress and adjust as needed.

Establishing comprehensive governance frameworks. GenAI introduces new risks, requiring updated governance models and frameworks. Banks must establish guidelines for employee usage of GenAI tools and develop top-level governance frameworks for GenAI development, usage, and risk management. Ongoing assessments and adjustments will be necessary to address new challenges and risks.

MOVING FORWARD WITH GENAI
To harness the full potential of GenAI, banks must adopt a future-back planning approach, balancing innovation with risk management and governance. By reimagining business models, leveraging ecosystems, and prioritizing high-value use cases, banks can create value for customers and shareholders while building the bank of the future.

GenAI offers transformative potential for the banking sector, but realizing its benefits requires strategic planning and robust governance. Banks must address expertise shortages, cost constraints, and outdated technology while navigating regulatory uncertainties. By focusing on strategic priorities such as reimagining business models, adopting an ecosystem approach, balancing the innovation portfolio, establishing centers of excellence, and implementing robust governance, banks can effectively leverage GenAI to drive innovation and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Reviewing lessons learned from technology innovation projects, data management capabilities, and talent, banks can help develop a framework for use case development. Establishing enterprise governance and controls for internal and external GenAI usage and a control tower approach will be critical for assessing use case value creation while also managing associated levels of risk.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

Christian G. Lauron is the financial services organization (FSO) leader of SGV & Co.

Canadians get their ‘elbows up’ in face of Donald Trump’s threats

March 16, 2025 | 8:03 pm

Canada flag — A large Canadian flag hangs on the front of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada March 5, 2025. — REUTERS

TORONTO — Canadians are upset.

At first it was the threat, and then the reality, of tariffs. Now, US President Donald J. Trump’s talk of Canada’s forced annexation — no longer laughed off as a joke — has really angered a population better known for its politeness.

Canadians are rallying for their country and seeing a resurgence in nationalism, as Canada-US relations top the list of issues preoccupying residents, according to recent polls.

“Elbows up,” a hockey term conveying readiness to fight, is the new rallying cry — emblazoned on clothing, headlining rallies and the title of a new podcast that dedicated its first episode to the practicalities of creating a civil defense corps.

It remains unclear how long Mr. Trump’s tariffs will be in place or what is behind his aspirations for Canada to become the 51^st US state. But 11 peeved Canadians Reuters spoke with said they believed irrevocable damage had been done.

Canadians are boycotting US goods and canceling US travel plans. Provinces are taking American alcohol off store shelves. The sense of betrayal runs deep.

“It’s a mix of concern, frustration, anger. Our longstanding friend and ally has turned against us and we don’t really know what to do,” said Peter Wall, an Elbows Up rally organizer.

Mr. Wall and a handful of other organizers put together a rally on Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital Ottawa in a matter of days. The event, which featured speakers, a band and a coat check for hockey sticks to facilitate a game afterward, attracted more than 1,000 people on March 9.

More events are planned in Toronto and elsewhere in coming weeks.

Signs at the Ottawa rally criticized Mr. Trump as an imperialist, saying “Elbows up” or “True north strong and peeved,” a play on lyrics from Canada’s national anthem. There was no shortage of Canadian flags.

Journalist Jordan Heath-Rawlings, who channeled his frustration into a new podcast called Elbows Up, compares the state of Canada’s relationship with the US to the shock of a divorce.

“All the things in your life you maybe took for granted are, all of a sudden, gone. You have to redefine yourself as a person and I think that’s where we’re at as a country,” he said.

“I think a lot of Canadians feel really hurt. I think a lot of Canadians are really angry. I’ve been feeling that way myself, for sure.”

Comedian and actor Shaun Majumder, who recently moved back to Canada with his family after years living in Los Angeles and who performed at the “Elbows Up” rally, thinks Canadians will look back at this time in 50 years and see it as an inflection point.

“Was that a shift in our maturity where we finally found our identity? And it’s not beavers, it’s not mounties, it’s not politeness — there’s something underneath it all,” he said.

In a parting speech on Sunday, before new Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in on Friday, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also used the term. “We’re a country that will be diplomatic when we can but fight when we must. Elbows up!” — Reuters

Voice of America staff put on leave; Trump ally says agency ‘not salvageable’

March 16, 2025 | 8:02 pm

MORE than 1,300 Voice of America (VOA) employees were placed on leave on Saturday and funding for two US news services that broadcast to authoritarian regimes was terminated, one day after President Donald J. Trump ordered the gutting of the government-funded media outlet’s parent and six other federal agencies.

Michael Abramowitz, Voice of America’s director, said nearly his entire staff of 1,300 journalists, producers and assistants had been put on administrative leave, crippling a media broadcaster that operates in almost 50 languages.

“I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Mr. Abramowitz said in a post on LinkedIn, saying it has played an important role “in the fight for freedom and democracy around the world.”

VOA’s parent agency, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), also terminated its grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts to countries in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as to Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts to China and North Korea.

Mr. Trump’s directives look set to devastate an organization that serves as a rare source of reliable news in authoritarian countries.

Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA now reaches 360 million people a week. As a group, USAGM employs roughly 3,500 workers with an $886-million budget in 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.

VOA’s Seoul Bureau Chief William Gallo said on Sunday he had been locked out of all company systems and accounts.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is shoot straight and tell the truth, no matter what government I was covering. If that’s a threat to anyone, so be it,” he said on Bluesky.

Kari Lake, the former news anchor and Trump loyalist nominated to be director of VOA, issued a statement describing USAGM as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and said it was “not salvageable.” Ms. Lake, referring to herself as a USAGM senior adviser, said she would shrink the agency to its minimum possible size under the law.

On its website, Radio Free Europe (RFE)/Radio Liberty notes that it has been declared an “undesirable organization” by the Russian government and warns readers in Russia and Russia-occupied Ukraine that they could “face fines or imprisonment” for liking or sharing its content.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said Radio Free Europe had been a “beacon” for populations under totalitarian rule.

“From Belarus to Iran, from Russia to Afghanistan, RFE and Voice of America are among the few free sources for people living without freedom,” he wrote on X.

The move follows Mr. Trump signing an executive order on Friday instructing USAGM and six other little-known agencies to reduce their operations to the minimum mandated by statutes, saying it was necessary to shrink bureaucracy.

FREE PRESS ADVOCATES CRITICAL
The president of the National Press Club in Washington, Mike Balsamo, released a statement saying the cuts at VOA undermined America’s commitment to a free and independent press.

“For decades, Voice of America has delivered fact-based, independent journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist,” Mr. Balsamo said.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders also blasted the move, saying it “threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information.”

Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) president, Bay Fang, said the cancelation of its funding was “a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked.”

Some Republicans have accused VOA and other publicly funded media outlets of being biased against conservatives and have called for them to be shuttered as part of the efforts by tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to shrink the government.

So far, Mr. Musk’s DOGE has cut more than 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million member federal civilian workforce, frozen foreign aid and canceled thousands of programs and contracts.

On Saturday, Mr. Musk made light of the cuts to USAGM.

“While winding down this global government propaganda agency, it has temporarily been renamed the Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE),” he wrote on X.

In addition to USAGM, Mr. Trump’s order also targeted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency for cuts that would limit them to “the minimum presence and function required by law.”

In a statement, the White House said his executive orders “will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” before listing various criticisms of VOA, including allegations of left-wing bias. — Reuters

Improving Pope Francis reduces use of ventilation for oxygen, Vatican says

March 16, 2025 | 8:01 pm

Italy-Pope John Paul II statue — BALLOONS with an image of Pope Francis are displayed in front of the statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is admitted for treatment, in Rome, Italy on Feb. 23, 2025. — REUTERS

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is improving slowly as he battles double pneumonia in hospital and is reducing the use of mechanical ventilation at night to help with breathing, the Vatican said on Saturday.

“The clinical conditions of the Holy Father have remained stable, confirming the progress seen in the last week,” said the latest update on the 88-year-old pontiff, who was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14.

Pope Francis, who is prone to lung infections, has not been seen in public since entering hospital, the longest such absence of his papacy which this week reached its 12^th anniversary.

He will again miss weekly prayers with pilgrims this Sunday, for the fifth week in a row.

The Vatican said Francis was continuing with medical treatments, respiratory physiotherapy and physical therapy for his mobility. “These therapies, at present, show further, gradual improvements,” said the statement.

He has been receiving oxygen in hospital including a mask at night. “High-flow oxygen therapy continues, gradually reducing the need for non-invasive mechanical ventilation during nighttime hours,” the statement added.

The Vatican has not given a timeframe for the pope’s discharge from hospital, saying his recovery is slow.

It is publishing medical updates every few days now, compared to twice-daily updates previously.

The pope had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. He is known to work himself to exhaustion, and has continued to work from hospital.

On Saturday, the Vatican announced that earlier in the week Francis had approved a new three-year process to consider reforms for the global Catholic Church, in a sign that he intends to continue on as pope, despite his health difficulties. — Reuters

Trump launches large-scale strikes on Yemen’s Houthis

March 16, 2025 | 7:58 pm

American-US-flag — STOCK PHOTO | Image from Pixabay

WASHINGTON/ADEN, Yemen — US President Donald J. Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday over the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping, killing at least 31 people at the start of a campaign expected to last many days.

Mr. Trump also warned Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, that it needed to immediately halt support for the group. He said if Iran threatened the United States, “America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”

The unfolding strikes — which one US official told Reuters might continue for weeks — represent the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Mr. Trump took office in January. It came as the United States ramped up sanctions pressure on Tehran while trying to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

“To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!” Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

At least 31 were killed and 101 others injured in the US strikes, mostly from women and children, Anees al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry said in an updated toll on Sunday.

The Houthis’ political bureau described the attacks as a “war crime.”

“Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation,” it said in a statement.

Residents in Sanaa said the strikes hit a building in a Houthi stronghold.

“The explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake. They terrified our women and children,” one of the residents, who gave his name as Abdullah Yahia, told Reuters.

Strikes also targeted Houthi military sites in Yemen’s southwestern city of Taiz, two witnesses in the area said on Sunday.

Another strike on a power station in the town of Dahyan in Saada led to a power cut, Al-Masirah TV reported early on Sunday. Dahyan is where Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the enigmatic leader of the Houthis, often meets his visitors.

The Houthis, an armed movement that took control of most of Yemen over the past decade, have launched scores of attacks on ships off its coast since November 2023, disrupting global commerce and setting the US military on a costly campaign to intercept missiles and drones that have burned through stocks of US air defenses.

A Pentagon spokesperson said the Houthis have attacked US warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. The Houthis say the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war in Gaza with Hamas militants.

Iran’s other allies, Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have been severely weakened by Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict. Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, who was closely aligned with Tehran, was overthrown by rebels in December.

But throughout, Yemen’s Houthis have remained resilient and often on the offensive, sinking two vessels, seizing another and killing at least four seafarers in an offensive that disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to reroute to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.

The US administration of then-President Joseph R. Biden had sought to degrade the Houthis’ ability to attack vessels off its coast but limited the US actions.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say Mr. Trump has authorized a more aggressive approach.

STRIKES ACROSS YEMEN
The strikes on Saturday were carried out in part by fighter aircraft from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, which is in the Red Sea, officials said.

The US military’s Central Command, which oversees troops in the Middle East, described Saturday’s strikes as the start of a large-scale operation across Yemen.

“Houthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X. “Freedom of Navigation will be restored.”

Mr. Trump held out the prospect of far more devastating military action against Yemen.

“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the US government had “no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy.”

“End support for Israeli genocide and terrorism. Stop killing of Yemeni people,” he said in an X post on early Sunday.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, ending a period of relative calm starting in January with the Gaza ceasefire.

The US attacks came just days after a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from Mr. Trump was delivered, seeking talks over Iran’s nuclear program.

Mr. Khamenei on Wednesday rejected holding negotiations with the United States.

Still, Tehran is increasingly concerned that mounting public anger over economic hardships could erupt into mass protests, four Iranian officials told Reuters.

Last year, Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses, in retaliation for Iranian missile and drone attacks, reduced Tehran’s conventional military capabilities, according to US officials.

Iran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. However, it is dramatically accelerating the enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level, the U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — has warned.

Western states say there is no need to enrich uranium to such a high level under any civilian program and that no other country has done so without producing nuclear bombs. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

In an apparent sign of US efforts to improve ties with Russia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to inform him about the US strikes in Yemen, the State department said. Russia has relied on Iranian-provided weaponry in its war in Ukraine, including missiles and drones, US and Ukrainian officials say. — Reuters

UP survives Nitura’s record 38 pts and defeats Adamson in five sets

March 16, 2025 | 7:56 pm

UP FIGHTING MAROONS — UAAP/JEMILL FERRER

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) spoiled Shaina Nitura’s record-breaking performance with a 25-15,15-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-10 come-from-behind win to snap a four-game skid at the close of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball first round on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Niña Ytang and Irah Jaboneta delivered when it mattered the most, spearheading the Fighting Maroons’ scattered onslaught especially in the decider to neutralize the 38 big points of the super rookie Ms. Nitura and improve to 3-4 entering the second round.

Ms. Nitura’s output erased the previous UAAP women’s record of 35 points set by legends Alyssa Valdez of Ateneo de Maila University (2013) and Sisi Rondina of University of Santo Tomas (2021) but to no avail as Mses. Ytang and Jaboneta combined for 39 to foil it.

Ms. Ytang scored 20 on 15 hits, three blocks and two aces, versatile Ms. Jaboneta added 19 on 19 attacks laced by 12 digs and 11 receptions, none bigger than the lefty soft touch in the fifth set to seal the win that put the Fighting Maroons on the Final Four doorstep at fifth spot.

UP could have not done it with Mses. Ytang and Jaboneta alone, needing 15 points each from Kianne Olango and Joan Monares, who also added 17 digs. Julia de Leon quarterbacked UP’s engine with 17 sets while libero Giesha Capistrano provided 17 receptions.

That proved to be more than enough to bring UP over the hump, sparked by a 25-22 win in the fourth to forge a rubber, where it blitzed to an 8-5 start off a Ms. Jaboneta hammer at change court.

Ms. Nitura, as expected, tried to trade fire by fire with the Fighting Maroons after dropping a courtside hit to strike within 10-12 but Mses. Ytang and Jaboneta came through with the finishing touches to ice the gutsy win.

Ms. Nitura, who also set the UAAP rookie record in her debut with 33 points against Ateneo, drew 18 points from Jimy Jean Jamili but no other player scored in double digits as Adamson University absorbed its fourth straight loss at 2-5.

In the men’s division, four-peat champion National University (6-1) kept its mastery of Santo Tomas (4-3),16-25, 25-20, 25-21, 29-27, in their finals rematch as UP (2-5) beat Adamson (1-6), 20-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-20. — John Bryan Ulanday

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