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Transforming consumer products and retail with AI

IN BRIEF:

•  AI can significantly improve operational workflows and enhance consumer interactions within the consumer products and retail sector.

• The effective deployment of AI depends on the active engagement and expertise of human professionals.

• Developing a comprehensive governance framework is crucial for addressing risks related to data privacy, compliance, and ethical considerations.

The artificial intelligence (AI) market is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 30% from 2023 to 2032, potentially exceeding $110 billion by 2032. AI’s ability to create original and realistic content — ranging from images to text — is revolutionizing how businesses engage with consumers, significantly impacting the consumer products and retail (CPR) industry.

According to the EY Future Consumer Index, which has monitored consumer sentiment and behavior over recent years, there is a growing acceptance of AI among consumers in the Asia-Pacific. This growing acceptance can lead to various practical applications within the CPR sector.

This article discusses the transformative potential of AI in enhancing operational efficiency, personalizing consumer experiences, and driving innovation within the industry.

APPLICATIONS OF AI IN CPR
AI has initiated a transformative phase in the CPR industry, altering business operations and enhancing the consumer journey. It facilitates a seamless omnichannel experience, merging online and offline interactions while laying the groundwork for the interactive dimensions of Web 3.0 and the metaverse.

FROM MASS MARKETING TO PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES
AI signifies a significant shift for consumer-focused businesses, enabling them to move towards genuine personalization. It allows CPR companies to analyze extensive amounts of structured and unstructured data from diverse sources, including consumer behavior, preferences, and social media activity. By utilizing this data, companies can craft targeted experiences and customized content that align with consumer profiles — such as personalized product recommendations, marketing messages, and promotions — thereby enhancing consumer engagement. This technology empowers marketers to gain deeper insights into individual consumers, leading to the creation of highly targeted campaigns that improve conversion rates. AI-driven marketing technology startups in the region are providing integrated digital media workflows, allowing for precise audience targeting and optimized campaigns.

In particular, AI has revolutionized content and ad creation by personalizing content recommendations, and optimizing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. For instance, a streaming platform uses AI to analyze user data for personalized content suggestions. In advertising, AI enables dynamic ad generation tailored to specific audience segments, as seen with a social media platform’s ad targeting. It also automates A/B testing, which is a method of comparing two versions (A and B) of something such as an ad to see which option performs better, for real-time campaign optimization.

The transformative capabilities of AI extend beyond data analysis; they also revolutionize consumer engagement through virtual try-on technologies. AI supports shopping tools that incorporate virtual try-on features into digital platforms, enabling consumers to visualize clothing on a range of representative models with varying sizes, skin tones, body shapes, and hair types. For example, a Japanese clothing company uses an app that allows its customers to take measurements using their smartphone camera for more accurate sizing options. An Italian luxury fashion company also allows customers to virtually try on the full range of eye and lip colors from its new beauty line through its website.

It may not be long before AI becomes fully integrated with marketing functionalities, allowing businesses to allocate budgets towards other strategic investments that enhance turnover and profitability.

REVOLUTIONIZING INNOVATION
By processing vast amounts of data in various formats, AI can reveal hidden insights and empower companies to generate innovative ideas, explore new avenues, and assess concept feasibility rapidly. Some businesses are already leveraging AI to identify gaps in flavors and taste profiles, which serve as valuable inputs for new product development. For example, a multinational beverage company used AI to develop limited-edition flavors in zero-sugar drinks inspired by gaming, music, and other trends.

As AI becomes integrated into the innovation process, it is anticipated to serve as a catalyst for accelerated and insight-driven innovation. Leading companies are employing AI to support research and development in product design by generating and visualizing design prototypes, conducting simulations, and exploring different configurations for quicker innovation. One Philippine multinational food processing company used AI to create product designs and prototypes for a recent brand and correlated it with focus group discussions to shorten their development timeline significantly. More advanced concepts can be rapidly tested with consumers online, and feedback can be incorporated into the AI system for more targeted innovations.

ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY
AI can significantly boost employee productivity in various ways. By analyzing large datasets to provide quick insights, it enables employees to make informed and timely decisions, resulting in improved outcomes. This technology also presents opportunities to automate repetitive tasks, allowing staff to focus on more strategic initiatives that drive business growth.

Moreover, AI facilitates true conversational commerce for CPR companies. By utilizing advanced chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI, businesses can effectively manage consumer interactions. Leading e-commerce platforms have introduced AI chatbots that function as personal shoppers, simplifying consumer engagement and enhancing productivity. This integration not only streamlines operations but also strengthens consumer relationships, ultimately improving efficiency and market competitiveness.

PUTTING HUMANS AT THE CENTER
While AI ushers in a new era of innovation, the role of human involvement remains critical. Leading organizations are redefining human roles by integrating AI into core functions, allowing employees to concentrate on higher-value tasks such as data interpretation and oversight of AI-generated outputs. This shift enables workers to transition from routine responsibilities to more strategic positions, enhancing their contributions to the organization. The concept of Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) emphasizes the importance of human oversight in AI systems, ensuring that human expertise is integrated into decision-making processes, which further enhances the reliability and ethical considerations of AI applications.

The success of AI outputs relies significantly on human interpretation and action. Continuous feedback from employees is crucial for training algorithms and improving the technology’s performance. By engaging with AI, employees can ensure that the outputs align with business goals and consumer expectations, maximizing the technology’s effectiveness. Furthermore, the recent release of the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics aims to promote the interoperability of AI frameworks across different jurisdictions. This guide provides CPR companies and other organizations in the region with a valuable resource to foster trust among stakeholders through the responsible design, development, and implementation of AI that adheres to international standards. Locally, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has a draft memorandum on the principles and guidelines for the ethical and trustworthy use of AI in the government under deliberation as of April last year.

As the landscape of AI evolves, CPR companies must prioritize human oversight to address risks related to data security, copyright, regulations, and ethical considerations. A comprehensive governance strategy that incorporates human input is vital for managing these risks and establishing clear boundaries for AI applications, ensuring that the technology is used responsibly and effectively.

TRANSFORMING CPR WITH AI
AI offers the CPR industry a chance to reshape operations and enhance the consumer journey. It enables personalized experiences and content for improved consumer engagement, revolutionizes innovation, and boosts employee productivity in various ways.

However, human involvement remains essential to further develop its capabilities, and a comprehensive governance strategy is necessary to manage potential risks for effective adoption.

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.

 

Maria Kathrina S. Macaisa-Peña is a business consulting partner and the consumer products and retail sector leader of SGV & Co.

Philippines urged to pursue China FTA on top of diplomatic work on sea code

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 4, 2023. — COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY WEBSITE

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES should pursue a free trade agreement (FTA) with China to complement diplomatic work on a legally binding Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China, according to a diplomacy analyst.

Manila should also explore cooperation with its neighbor on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) as part of its policy toolkit to manage their relations, said Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a diplomacy lecturer at the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde.

The strategy could deepen their economic and technological engagement and serve national interests without compromising sovereignty, he added, even as he cautioned Manila to proceed with caution.

“Aside from forging a CoC in the South China Sea, which can serve as the cornerstone of promoting peaceful development within the disputed territories, we must also look into the possibility of forging an FTA with China,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“Given that China is already positioning itself as an alternative for the US, and because it is our largest trading partner, then this agreement is something that our respective governments must explore,” he added.

Mr. Cortez sought intensified people-to-people exchanges in AI, where China is considered a global leader.

“China is the second key player in the global AI race,” he said. “There’s room for collaboration, especially in areas like tech infrastructure.”

However, he cautioned against overreliance on China and cited the need for strategic balance.

“Engaging in these areas offers benefits, but we must be wary of doing so too much or too quickly. A careful balancing act is needed to avoid dependence while leveraging opportunities,” he added.

The Philippines and China are marking the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on June 9.

Formal relations started in 1975, when the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. signed a joint communiqué with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing, marking Manila as one of the first Southeast Asian nations to normalize ties with Beijing amid the Cold War.

The Philippines is in the middle of a trade war between Beijing and Washington, caught between two economic giants whose rivalry is reshaping global supply chains and regional alliances.

Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo De Manila University, said China remains one of the Philippines’ top trading partners.

“This means the bulk of our economic activity is both dependent on access to Chinese markets and the global brands that rely on their supply chains,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“While we wish to believe China values this as much as we do, hawkish elements of China mean they will keep pushing boundaries if they can afford it and will unironically complain when called out,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rommel C. Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies, said China has agreed to conclude negotiations for a legally binding CoC in the South China Sea by 2026, coinciding with the Philippines’ chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“Its conclusion will depend on the details of the CoC, as the devil is always in the details,” he said in a Viber chat.

As chairman of the regional bloc next year, a role Mr. Banlaoi called “ministerial,” the Philippines could propose items in the coming ASEAN summits, but noted that it has no control over the outcomes since the bloc works on a consensus.

“The Philippines can use its chairmanship of ASEAN as a platform to raise its voice on various security issues in the region, like the South China Sea disputes,” he said.

Mr. Cortez said ASEAN meetings could be used as a launchpad for bilateral negotiations with China on a separate CoC, if regional consensus remains elusive. A pan-ASEAN-China CoC may take time.

“However, since we are the primary stakeholders in this quest, we can explore the possibility of forging first a bipartite/bilateral treaty with China, and we can use the ASEAN meetings next year as a platform to do initial discussions on how this can be forged,” he added.

But Mr. Juliano said several countries in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region have “found it prudent not to align themselves” with China or the US.

“Our divided loyalties complicate this for us, but our anxieties about the democratic backslide of the US are a good opportunity to finally forge an independent and genuine multilateral policy,” he said.

During the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur last month, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., urged his fellow leaders to fast-track the adoption of a legally binding South China Sea CoC, warning that rising sea tensions and uncertainty threaten hard-won regional gains.

The South China Sea remains one of the region’s most volatile flashpoints given competing claims over it by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

While ASEAN and China agreed to work on a Declaration of Conduct in 2002, progress toward a binding framework has been repeatedly delayed by legal, political and strategic differences.

Analysts ask Manila to lure Japanese investors to local defense sector

MEMBERS of the Philippine Coast Guard participate in drills to improve search and rescue collaboration, and enforcement during the first trilateral coast guard exercise between the Philippines, Japan, and the US, at the coast of Bataan in the South China Sea, June 6, 2023. — REUTERS

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES should lure Japanese investors to its defense industry after the Japanese Parliament’s ratification of a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between Manila and Tokyo, political analysts said.

“They must be viewed as potential investors in the defense industrial sector, which the Self-Reliant Defense Posture law aims to establish,” Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a senior research fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “The RAA with Japan only bolsters the chances of achieving this goal.”

He said the access deal, which lays down the rules for visiting soldiers from both nations during war games, should add urgency for the Marcos government to boost its defense industry.

Republic Act No. 12024 or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act seeks to boost local production of defense equipment and will let the Philippines develop technologies to counter threats.

Mr. Yusingco said the government should work on the institutional foundation of the country’s self-reliant defense industry. “So far, it appears it is not doing enough towards this end.”

Last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Japan’s Diet had approved the RAA.

Manila and Tokyo signed the military pact in July 2024, allowing for the entry of equipment and troops for military drills and disaster response on each other’s soil. The Philippine Senate in December ratified the deal.

“Aside from our military being able to learn best practices from Japan, they will also have an appreciation of state-of-the-art weapons that can be brought here by Japan for military exercises, which the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) may also employ in the near future,” Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a diplomacy instructor at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s School of Diplomacy and Governance, said.

Manila is seeking to bolster its defense capabilities amid worsening tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea. It has also increased its defense budget, with about P35 billion allotted to modernize its military in the next decade.

‘SHARED ASPIRATIONS’
The Philippine-Japan access deal is the first of its kind to be signed by Japan in Asia and coincides with increased Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s expansive claims conflict with those of several Southeast Asian nations.

“This agreement adds another layer on how we can reach our shared aspirations for the region, particularly in promoting freedom of navigation,” Mr. Cortez said. “With our region becoming more and more viable in global trade presently, forging such an agreement is integral in ensuring that aside from maintaining our territorial integrity, we can also be a prime mover in ensuring a rules-based order within the open seas in our region.”

Rommel C. Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies, said the Philippine-Japan pact could irk China.

“The reciprocal access agreement will solidify US-Japan-Philippine security cooperation because of its juridical status,” he said in a Viber message. “But this will escalate the risk of the Philippines having a serious conflict with China.”

He added that China would not take the agreement lightly since its views it as a mere “containment strategy of the US with its Asian allies.”

This could exert pressure on China since it also has a dispute with Japan over the Diaoyu and Senkaku Islands,” Mr. Cortez said.

“We are achieving trust and reliability from Japan and the US, elevating the scalability of our security cooperation in the region,” Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, said via Messenger chat.

He added that China could counter the deal by courting more Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries to side with them through diplomatic, economic and military partnerships.

“We will see more by the time Manila chairs the ASEAN Summit next year,” he said.

China claims over 80% of the South China Sea, but a United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague voided its claim in 2016 for being illegal.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed in the disputed waterway, with both sides accusing each other of raising tensions.

Army officers told to brace for emerging cyberthreats

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE PHILIPPINE military last week urged newly commissioned army officers to brace for modern warfare challenges amid volatile conditions.

“We live in a volatile and evolving security environment shaped by both traditional and emerging threats,” Defense Undersecretary Irineo C. Espino said in a Philippine Army statement on Sunday. “Internal conflicts, external incursions, cyberattacks, disinformation and climate-related disasters — these threats span land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.”

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in March urged the Philippine Army to modernize its strategies and help address evolving threats that span beyond land warfare, including cyberspace.

Mr. Espino said soldiers should expand their focus beyond land operations, emphasizing their crucial role in the country’s pursuit of an interoperable defense strategy.

The Philippine Army pledged to enhance its adaptability amid evolving security challenges, committing to become more flexible and responsive to unconventional threats, Lieutenant General Roy M. Galido, commander of the Philippine Army, said in the same statement.

“The initiatives driving the Army today are a testament to our ongoing commitment to excellence, ensuring we remain a force that adapts, evolves and leads with purpose in the face of tomorrow’s challenges,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Bicam panel told to approve wage hike bill

BW FILE PHOTO

A PHILIPPINE Senator on Sunday called for a bicameral conference committee to approve the measure that will implement an across-the-board wage hike for workers in the private sector before Congress adjourns sine die this week.

“I hope we can pass this in a timely manner because the welfare of many Filipino workers depends on it,” Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, a co-author of the Senate’s version, said in a statement in Filipino.

“If this is not prioritized, there is a possibility that our workers will feel as if their demands have been ignored,” Mr. Go added.

Last week, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading, House Bill 11376, which proposes a P200 across-the-board daily wage increase for private sector workers. This is higher than the P100 wage increase in the Senate version, approved in February last year.

The Senator said that a legislated wage hike has become “a matter of economic necessity,” amid increasing prices of goods.

“If before the only question was how much the salary was, now most people’s question is whether they will have anything to eat tomorrow,” he said. “That should not be a common question in a country rich in natural resources and hardworking citizens.”

Mr. Go had also assured small and medium businesses that they will be exempted from the wage hike citing existing laws.

“Small businesses are exempt, especially if they are really struggling. Let’s balance everyone’s interests. I hope millions of workers will be given an additional salary that will help with their food, transportation, and bills,” he added.

In a separate statement, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) asked the Senate to expedite the bicameral conference, ratification, and endorsement of for the signing of the bill.

“We are eager to work urgently with our Senate counterparts to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the wage hike bills — ₱200 and ₱100 respectively — and ratify the final version on the same day,” TUCP Party-list Representative and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza said, noting his openness to find a middle ground of P150.

“We fervently urge Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and Senate Labor Committee, chaired by Sen. Joel Villanueva, to not deny the workers this much needed reprieve and to not succumb to the lazy economics of marketing the Philippines as a haven for cheap, unorganized labor to investors in ensuring their profitability instead of addressing the bigger business problems of high power costs, corruption, and ease of doing business.”

Several labor groups have previously called on the government to mandate an increase in the salaries of private sector workers to deal with the rising cost of living in the country. The government has not mandated a wage hike since the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989. 

Currently, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards are tasked to determine the minimum wage rates in a specific region or province. — Adrian H. Halili

Senate cancels UHC bicam meeting

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINE Senate on Sunday has deferred a bicameral conference panel that seeks to harmonize the disagreeing provisions of the amendments to Republic Act No. 11223, the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.

The bicameral conference committee tasked to reconcile Senate Bill No. 2620 and House Bills No. 6772 and 11357, was canceled at 9:23 a.m. on Sunday by the committee secretary, according to its official schedule. The meeting was originally scheduled for Monday (June 9).

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito, Senate Committee Chair on Health and Demography did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Meanwhile, the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation called for the deferment of the amendments to the UHC act, following “strong opposition from labor unions, health advocates, and civil society organizations.”

“We view this as a positive step towards ensuring that any changes to the UHC Law will not be rushed and will undergo thorough and meaningful consultation, especially with labor unions and health workers who were instrumental in the passage of the law and who continue to contribute to and depend on PhilHealth and public health services,” it said in a statement.

The group had urged lawmakers to fully implement the UHC law by expanding health benefits, ensuring public financing for health, and upholding the rights of healthcare workers, among others. — Adrian H. Halili

Livestock bill awaiting signature

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Barbara Barbosa from Pexels

HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Sunday said a proposal that could help lower food prices and expand agricultural livelihood opportunities for Filipinos now awaits the signature of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

The proposed Livestock Development and Competitiveness Act would help boost the domestic production of pork, chicken and dairy products by helping modernize agricultural supply chains and providing support to small farmers, Mr. Romualdez said.

“This measure brings us closer to what every Filipino family deserves: affordable, safe food on the table and meaningful livelihood for those who feed the nation,” he said in a statement.

Congress earlier approved the bicameral conference committee report of the proposed law, which was pushed in hopes of industrializing the country’s agriculture sector and providing employment.

“Through this measure, we’re creating the conditions for sustained rural development,” said Mr. Romualdez. “Jobs will follow where there is investment.”

“With the President’s signature, this game-changer law will become a powerful tool for economic inclusion, grassroots empowerment and national food resilience,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Filipinos urged to push VP trial

VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE — PHILIPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

A GROUP of lawmakers on Sunday urged Filipinos to campaign for the immediate start of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial at the Senate after months of delays in proceedings.

Filipino workers, farmers, fisherfolks and students, among other sectoral groups, should join rallies and forums to urge senators to hold Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial “without delay,” Party-list Reps. France L. Castro, Arlene D. Brosas and Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said in a joint statement.

“The time for accountability has come,” Ms. Castro said in the statement. “We cannot allow public officials to waste taxpayers’ money with impunity.”

Senate President Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero earlier deferred the scheduled presentation of charges against Ms. Duterte to June 11 from June 2, citing the need for the chamber to prioritize pending bills and act on presidential appointments.

The House of Representatives impeached the Vice-President on Feb. 5, alleging secret fund misuse, unexplained wealth, acts of destabilization and plotting the assassination of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his family, and the Speaker of the House. Ms. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing.

In a separate statement, Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua said newly elected senators should be ready to serve as jurors in Ms. Duterte’s ouster trial to ensure timely proceedings.

“When the Senate convenes as an Impeachment Court, I recommend that the new senators be present in the chamber as observers so they can prepare for their imminent role as senator-judges,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

CTA denies Jollibee refund appeal

CTA.JUDICIARY.GOV.PH

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) dismissed Jollibee Foods Corporation’s (JFC) petition, in relation to its P1.5-million refund claim, citing incorrect legal remedy in the proper forum and within the prescribed timeframe.

The tax court’s second division, in a decision penned by Associate Justice Corazon G. Ferrer-Flores, said it lacked jurisdiction over JFC’s Petition for Certiorari, noting the three requisites for certiorari to prosper, particularly focusing on the third: whether there is “no appeal or any plain, speedy, and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law.”

The CTA concluded that JFC had a plain, speedy, and adequate remedy, through the filing of a Petition for Review before the CTA. JFC’s immediate resort to certiorari was thus deemed improper.

JFC filed the Petition for Certiorari after a lower court affirmed the decision to dismiss its refund claim.

The case stemmed from the payment of its local business tax made to several cities in the first quarter of 2022, which JFC claimed to be higher than the actual sales presented per sale. This prompted JFC to request a refund worth P1.46 million.

The case was initially filed with the Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC), which required the JFC to pay the tax and assail its assessment before the local treasurer, and bring an action in court within 30 days of decision or inaction by the local treasurer. The case was dismissed after the JFC failed to prove compliance with the second condition.

JFC then appealed to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) which issued a resolution that reversed and set aside the MeTC’s decision and order. However, the RTC issued the First Assailed Order, affirming the MeTC decision.

The company moved for reconsideration, which the RTC denied again in the Second Assailed Order.

Even if the CTA were to relax the rules and treat JFC’s petition as an ordinary petition for Review, it would still be dismissed on two additional grounds: The petition was filed out of time and should have been filed before the CTA en banc, as the RTC issued the assailed orders in the exercise of its appellate jurisdiction, it said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Waves wreck small cargo boat in Basilan

COTABATO CITY — Big waves spawned by strong sudden winds wrecked a wooden boat full of grocery supplies while approaching Isabela City in Basilan from the Zamboanga peninsula on Saturday.

Officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade told reporters on Sunday that all crew men of the ill-fated boat were promptly rescued by personnel of a Philippine Coast Guard Unit in Basilan and emergency responders from the Isabela City local government unit.

Local officials said the small, motorized boat from Zamboanga City was first rocked left and right by big waves before it was virtually shattered into pieces while at the sea near a beachfront area in Barangay Baluno in Isabela City, one of two cities in Basilan that also has 11 towns.

Citing initial reports by their intelligence operatives in Isabela City, Brig. Gen. Alvin V. Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, said that all of the individuals aboard the damaged boat had been accounted for. — John Felix M. Unson

5 dealers arrested in Maguindanao

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Klaus Hausmann from Pixabay

COTABATO CITY — Five drug dealers were arrested in Sultan Kudarat after their relatives and religious leaders gave them away, the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) reported.

Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Mapacapaz, PRO-BAR director, said on Sunday that policemen had easily arrested five dealers of crystal meth (shabu) in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte while having pot session in their hideout, raided with the help of their relatives and local Muslim preachers long affected by their illegal activities.

Mr. Macapaz said all five suspects are to be prosecuted for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 using the P10,000 worth of shabu seized from them as evidence.

The five individuals were clamped down by personnel of the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, led by Lt. Col. Esmael A. Madin, in an operation last Wednesday in Barangay Limbo in the municipality.

All five suspects are known in Sultan Kudarat and in nearby Cotabato City for their shabu peddling activities.

Mr. Madin said they raided the hideout of the five suspects after villagers, mostly relatives, reported their suspicious convergence in their den and were, subsequently, noticed sniffing shabu together.

The elders of the suspects had told reporters that they had advised them many times over to change for good, but they did not listen.

Local officials said among the tipsters who led Mr. Madin’s team to the lair of the suspects, from where they sold shabu to local contacts, were Muslim preachers in Sultan Kudarat supporting their municipal government’s anti-narcotics campaign. — John Felix M. Unson

Trump deploys National Guard as Los Angeles protests continue

PROTESTERS stand on a car destroyed during a standoff between police and protesters following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, California, US, June 7, 2025. — REUTERS

LOS ANGELES — President Donald J. Trump’s administration said it would deploy 2,000 National Guard troops on Saturday as federal agents in Los Angeles faced off against a few hundred demonstrators during a second day of protests following immigration raids.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the Pentagon was prepared to mobilize active-duty troops “if violence continues” in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were “on high alert.”

Federal security agents on Saturday confronted protesters in the Paramount area in southeast Los Angeles, where some demonstrators displayed Mexican flags. A second protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night attracted some 60 people, who chanted slogans including “ICE out of LA (Los Angeles)!”

Mr. Trump signed a presidential memorandum to deploy the National Guard troops to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” the White House said in a statement. Mr. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News that the National Guard would be deployed in Los Angeles on Saturday.

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the decision “purposefully inflammatory.” He posted on X that Mr. Trump was deploying the National Guard “not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle,” adding: “Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”

Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that if Mr. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can’t do their jobs “then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”

The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where census data suggests a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Mr. Trump’s Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term.

‘VIOLENT INSURRECTION’
“Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers, while one half of America’s political leadership has decided that border enforcement is evil,” Vice-President JD Vance posted on X late on Saturday.

Senior White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, described the protests as a “violent insurrection.”

The administration has not invoked the Insurrection Act, two US officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity. One said that National Guard troops can deploy quickly, within 24 hours in some cases, and that the military was working to source the 2,000 troops.

The 1807 law empowers a president to deploy the US military to enforce the law and suppress events like civil disorder. The last time it was invoked was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots at the request of the California governor.

Video footage of the Paramount protest showed dozens of green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks at the Paramount protest, lined up on a road strewn with overturned shopping carts as small canisters exploded into gas clouds. Authorities began detaining some protesters, according to Reuters witnesses. There was no official information of any arrests.

“Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people — they cannot do that without an organized and fierce resistance,” said protester Ron Gochez, 44.

A first round of protests kicked off on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement that there were about “1,000 rioters” at the protests on Friday.

Reuters could not verify DHS’s account. Angelica Salas, executive director of immigrants’ rights organization CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights), said lawyers had not had access to those detained on Friday, which she called “very worrying.”

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
Mr. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the US-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day.

But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also caught up people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges.

ICE, the DHS, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on the protests or whether there had been any immigration raids on Saturday.

Television news footage on Friday showed unmarked vehicles resembling military transport and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation.

Raids occurred around Home Depot stores, where street vendors and day laborers were picked up, as well as at a garment factory and a warehouse, Ms. Salas of CHIRLA said.

Ms. Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, condemned the immigration raids.

“I am deeply angered by what has taken place,” Ms. Bass said in a statement. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this.” — Reuters

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