PCCI throws support behind infrastructure quality measure

October 30, 2025 | 8:42 pm

Infra-flood control — BONGBONG MARCOS VIA FACEBOOK/PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) urged Congress to pass the proposed National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) Act to unlock Philippine industries’ global competitiveness.

“The PCCI and other stakeholders are urging expedited action emphasizing that delays constrain Philippine industries from fully leveraging quality infrastructure to compete globally,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

The proposed NQI Act “seeks to establish a unified and modern framework for quality standards and competitiveness across Philippine industries.”

The proposed NQI Act is currently in bill form from multiple authors, but these have yet to be consolidated.

“PCCI therefore calls on lawmakers and agencies to treat the bill as a priority, so the Philippines can move from fragmented quality systems to a cohesive, internationally recognized infrastructure for standards, testing, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment.

During the National Quality Infrastructure Conference on Oct. 29, PCCI Executive Vice-President Ferdinand A. Ferrer said exporters face technical barriers without reliable standards, calibration, testing and conformity assessment systems.

“Quality infrastructure is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity, a prerequisite to market access,” he said. “When our products cannot demonstrate compliance with international standards, they cannot enter foreign markets.”

A strong NQI signals to investors that Philippine-made goods and services meet global norms, the PCCI added.

“When instruments of measurement (metrology), testing, certification and standardization are fragmented or weak, firms face duplication of tests, slower time-to-market, and higher costs — undermining productivity,” the PCCI said.

Mr. Ferrer also noted that agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and services need reliable measurement, testing, and certification, as well as regulatory coherence.

“The absence of a unified policy across sectors limits growth,” he said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Integrating into multinational supply chains considered ASEAN’s big investment opening

October 30, 2025 | 8:41 pm

MULTINATIONAL GROUPS seeking to diversify their supply chains are considered the main opportunity for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies seeking to attract investment, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said.

“What’s happening in the global investment environment today is leading multinational enterprises looking for opportunities to make their supply chains more resilient, to diversify their supply chains,” UNCTAD Head of Investment Research Richard Bolwijn told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Invest Korea Summit on Thursday.

“That presents opportunities for countries across the ASEAN region to attract investment in new production locations for supply chain-intensive manufacturing,” he added.

He said infrastructure and skills will be key to attracting such investment.

“The factors that decide whether a country can be competitive in this are having good infrastructure, having the right skills across the labor force, and having the capacity to absorb the technologies needed to produce and to have market access,” he said.

“Investment of that nature will increasingly regionalize, or will increasingly be within the region,” he added.

The ASEAN Investment Report 2025, released this month, indicated that foreign direct investment (FDI) in ASEAN increased 8% to $226 billion, in the face of an 11% decline in global flows.

“Since 2021, FDI in the region has been exceptionally strong, with annual inflows exceeding $200 billion, compared with an annual average during the last decade of less than $130 billion,” the report added.

UNCTAD estimates global FDI to decline by approximately 3% this year, following an 11% decline last year, Mr. Bolwijn said.

“Greenfield announcements around the world are declining; international project finance is having a really hard time because of tighter financing conditions. The only area that is growing around the world is the digital economy area of investments,” he said.

However, he said that while bigger projects are being announced, they are fewer in number.

“You need to be attractive for those types of projects, but as I said, with fewer but very large projects, fewer countries can attract them,” he said.

Nearly 30% of new project announcements last year involved the digital economy, compared to less than 20% in 2020, he said.

“The only sectors that are growing are digital infrastructure and services, which were up more than double. If we look at semiconductors, it rose 140%,” he said, with digital-economy investments dominated by rich countries.

“It is becoming, of course, for countries that are lower down on the development ladder, increasingly difficult to compete for new investment because it is more knowledge-intensive and more technology-intensive. It can be hard, as a country, to become attractive for that type of investment,” he said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

IMF urges use of more data sources for Residential Property Price Index

October 30, 2025 | 8:41 pm

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) needs to tap more data sources to improve the Residential Property Price Index (RPPI), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.

“The BSP should continue to engage other agencies and stakeholders who have relevant information on property prices to broaden the coverage of the RPPI in the long run,” the IMF said in its Report on the Residential Property Price Index Mission for the Philippines released on Thursday.

The RPPI measures the average price changes over time of various residential properties using bank mortgage data.

The BSP first launched the RPPI in the first quarter of 2025, replacing its predecessor, the Residential Real Estate Price Index.

In the report, the IMF urged the BSP to consider including in the index indicators such as the volume and value of transactions and using other administrative data sources.

Currently, the central bank uses residential real estate loans extended by universal and commercial banks as well as thrift banks as a reference for the RPPI, which the IMF said excludes cash purchases as well as transactions financed by developers and the Home Development Mutual Fund.

“While current loan data is sufficient for index compilation in the short to medium term, the BSP should expand its data sources by leveraging administrative data and employing advanced techniques like web scraping,” it said. “This approach will address existing data gaps and enhance the comprehensiveness of the index in the long run.”

The BSP has been developing its Real Property Information System project with the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance.

The project will serve as a database of all real property transactions that would allow early preparation of the schedule of market values, the IMF said.

The IMF also urged the central bank to enhance the visibility of the RPPI on its website.

“The authorities should provide more prominence to the RPPI statistical release,” it said, noting that the existing data is “quite difficult” to access. — Katherine K. Chan

Template introduced to streamline power permit process at LGU level

October 30, 2025 | 8:40 pm

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said it launched a template to streamline the permit process for energy infrastructure projects across local government units (LGUs).

In a statement on Thursday, the DoE said it developed the LGU Ordinance Template to help local governments harmonize and simplify their permit system.

The template is designed to ensure predictable timelines for power projects, boosting investor confidence, and accelerating energy development.

“The LGU Ordinance Template empowers local government units to recognize and fulfill their vital role in developing energy infrastructure,” Energy Undersecretary Mylene C. Capongcol said.

The DoE met with officials of Siquijor province to present accelerated guidelines for infrastructure development and provided updates on national and regional energy programs.

Discussions covered the benefits of communities hosting energy projects, net metering programs, and the expansion of lifeline rates, and solar rooftop installation.

The DoE has conducted similar consultations with provincial governments in Batangas, Rizal, Ilocos Norte, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Negros Occidental, and Sorsogon. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Bird flu resolved in Isabela town; surveillance continues in Cauayan City, Cotabato provinces

October 30, 2025 | 8:39 pm

THE Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it recorded cases of bird flu in Gamu and Cauayan City, Isabela, Mlang, Cotabato, and Norala, South Cotabato.

The BAI stressed that the current cases of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) are localized, contained and pose no threat to food safety.

It added that poultry products from monitored and accredited farms remain safe for consumption as the HPAI virus does not spread through properly cooked poultry meat or eggs.

On Oct. 16, the BAI’s Animal Disease Diagnosis and Reference Laboratory (ADDRL) confirmed the presence of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in a commercial farm in a barangay in Gamu. The affected farm was immediately depopulated.

Surveillance showed no further spread within the one-kilometer radius; as such, the outbreak has been declared resolved.

In Mlang, HPAI Subtype H5N8 was detected on Oct. 17 in two smallholder duck farms. The first affected farm was immediately depopulated and was subjected to disinfection, quarantine and monitoring in coordination with the local veterinary office.

The second farm had sold its flock prior to verification. Authorities are currently tracing the movement of the sold birds to ensure that the virus is fully contained.

On Oct. 20, the ADDRL confirmed cases of HPAI subtypes H5, H9, N1 and N2 in a commercial duck farm in Norala. The affected flock was reported to have been transferred to Maguindanao del Sur before the laboratory results were released.

On Oct. 28, the ADDRL confirmed the presence of HPAI H5N1 in a commercial farm in Cauayan City. Depopulation, cleaning, and disinfection were completed on Oct. 27, and the area remains under surveillance and subject to control measures.

South Korea kicks off Invest Korea Summit 2025

October 30, 2025 | 8:37 pm

SEOUL — The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MoTIR) opened South Korea’s largest investment promotion event on Thursday with the aim of attracting more strategic investments to the country.

Coinciding with the country’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Global CEO Summit in Gyeongju, the event will run through Friday, bringing together 2,000 participants, including officials from global and local companies, business organizations, and diplomatic missions.

“Korea is one of the most attractive destinations for global investors, and foreign investment has been a key driver of Korea’s industrial competitiveness,” according to MoTIR Vice Minister Shin-hak Moon.

“Despite global economic uncertainty, Korea will continue to strengthen advanced industry competitiveness, diversify export markets, and enhance foreign investment support systems to ensure the country remains a global business hub,” he added.

He touted South Korea’s attractive investment environments for global companies.

“According to Moody’s… Korea is rated higher than major advanced economies such as the UK, France, and Japan,” he added.

The summit started on Oct. 29 with on-site investor relations sessions by local governments. It was followed by an Investment Report and the Invest Korea Conference on the second day.

On Thursday, the event also had high-level representatives from local governments and the Free Economic Zone Authority to brief on their regions’ key industries, investment environment, and attractiveness.

According to the ministry, seven companies participated in the investment declaration ceremony, accounting for $550 million across industries like semiconductors, future mobility, offshore wind, advanced materials, K-culture-related content and food.

“Combined with the $9 billion in investment plans announced the previous day in Gyeongju under the “Global Corporate Investment Partnership,” this marks the largest-ever foreign investment commitments secured through the IKS,” the ministry added.

Last year, seven companies pledged $920 million in new investments, while two companies, HP and Vestas, located their Asia-Pacific headquarters in South Korea. — Justine Irish D. Table

Yesavage strikes out 12 to leave Blue Jays a win away from title

October 30, 2025 | 7:30 pm

LOS ANGELES — Rookie Trey Yesavage dominated with 12 strikeouts, Davis Schneider hit a home run on the opening pitch and the Toronto Blue Jays moved one victory away from a championship with a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday.

Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September, set a rookie record for strikeouts in a World Series game. He also became the first pitcher with at least 12 strikeouts and no walks in a Fall Classic contest.

The 22-year-old, who has started two of the Blue Jays’ three victories in the series, allowed one run on three hits over seven innings.

Schneider’s home run was followed by one from Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. on the third pitch of the game, leaving the Blue Jays in need of a victory either in Game 6 on Friday or Game 7 on Saturday to win their first title in 32 years. The remainder of the best-of-seven series will be contested in Toronto.

Enrique Hernandez hit a home run for the Dodgers, while veteran Blake Snell was charged with five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Snell walked four and fanned seven.

Los Angeles star Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4, making him 0-for-7 over the past two games after he reached base a World Series-record nine times in Game 3.

The Dodgers shook up the lineup by moving Will Smith to the No. 2 spot and dropping Mookie Betts to No. 3. Alex Call also started in the outfield over a struggling Andy Pages, all to no avail. Los Angeles has scored four runs over the past 29 innings.

Yesavage (3-1) ended up taking over, but only after the Toronto offense set the tone from the start.

Schneider hit Snell’s 97-miles-per-hour (mph) fastball to open the game over the wall in left field, his first in seven postseason games. Guerrero waited two pitches before depositing a 96-mph fastball from Snell also to left, his eighth of the postseason and second of the World Series.

Yesavage opened the third inning by striking out Max Muncy, his fifth consecutive strikeout to set a World Series record by a rookie. Hernandez ended the run with a home run to left to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 2-1.

Los Angeles right fielder Teoscar Hernandez misplayed a hit down the right field line by Daulton Varsho that turned into a triple to lead off the fourth, and Ernie Clement followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.

Snell (3-2) left the game in the seventh inning with two outs and two aboard. The Blue Jays cashed in both runners against Edgardo Henriquez on a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI single from Bo Bichette for a 5-1 lead.

Toronto’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa added an RBI single in the eighth.

Blue Jays relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman each pitched a scoreless inning to seal the win. — Reuters

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters brace for a tough Halloween duel with struggling Terrafirma

October 30, 2025 | 7:29 pm

Games on Friday
(Ynares Center-Antipolo)
5:15 p.m. – Terrafirma vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs Magnolia

RAIN OR SHINE doesn’t need much convincing to see the major threat a supposedly struggling team like Terrafirma poses.

Just five nights ago, the Elasto Painters ran into a hard-fighting Titan Ultra that got them on the ropes, needing a furious closing barrage and Anton Asistio’s four clutch free throws to survive, 112-111.

So even if they’re on a two-game roll and 3-1 overall and the Dyip (1-3) are reeling from back-to-back losses, the E-Painters are bracing for a tough time in their PBA Philippine Cup Halloween duel at Ynares Center-Antipolo.

“I told the team, you’re not going to get anything easy or free. You’re still going to have to earn every win, no matter who you’re playing,” said coach Yeng Guiao, whose crew can join TNT (4-1) and NLEX (4-1) at the summit if it takes care of business in the 5:15 p.m. encounter.

As for the Dyip, they made their last opponent, Magnolia, sweat before conceding a 93-104 defeat last time. Coach Ronald Tubid’s charges, who led by as many as 11 until the Hotshots turned it around with a strong finishing kick, would like to complete the job this time and boost their playoffs bid.

It was as much a learning experience as well for Magnolia (3-1), which shoots for a follow-up W against skidding Phoenix (1-3) — and a share of pole position, too — in the 7:30 p.m. main fare.

“We learned a lot from that game. We fouled a lot, I think fouling is not good defense and we always put the other team on the line due to penalty situations. We have to take a look at that,” said Hotshots mentor LA Tenorio. “With losing and with winning, we learn a lot to improve moving forward.” — Olmin Leyba

Filipinas settle for 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan in friendly

October 30, 2025 | 7:29 pm

Philippine Women's National Football Team — FACEBOOK.COM/PILIPINASWNFT

THE Philippine women’s football team failed to capitalize on a two-goal advantage and settled for a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan in Wednesday’s friendly at Rizal Memorial Stadium (RMS).

The Filipinas got off to a roaring start in the homecoming gig dubbed “GoTyme Bank Matchup” with Chandler McDaniel scoring barely two minutes in and Meryll Serrano doubling the lead 54 minutes later to the delight of 3,106 supporters.

But the Pinay booters couldn’t hold on and complete the job of notching their first victory at home since their 3-0 clincher over Thailand in the Asean Championship finale also at RMS in 2022.

Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva emerged as the spoiler to Marc Torcaso’s charges, firing home in the 67^th and 81^st to force the stalemate.

The friendly served as part of the Filipinas’ buildup for the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in December in Thailand, where they’re up for early battles against defending champion Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia in Group B. In 2023 in Cambodia, the squad missed out on a trip to the semifinals as they finished third in their group after tiebreak behind the Vietnamese and Burmese on goal difference.

“We’re pretty excited because we do have a lot of our players available for December (SEAG), including girls in the top colleges, players playing here and abroad,” said Mr. Torcaso.

“Everyone is up for selection and we’re using every opportunity to pick the best possible side to get a medal in those Games.” — Olmin Leyba

Team Philippines gets medal shutout in penultimate day of Asian Youth Games

October 30, 2025 | 7:27 pm

MANAMA — The Philippines suffered one heartache after another and got shut out in the medal hunt in the various fronts on the penultimate day of the 3^rd Asian Youth Games here.

Alas Pilipinas, the country’s wrestlers and the jiu-jitsu fighters all gave it all for a chance at taking home bronzes but eventually fell short and will go home with heartaches instead.

The Filipinas stared the Thais, the Southeast Asian powerhouse who beat the former in the group stages, eye to eye and even led by as much as three points in both the opening and third sets before faltering in the end, 26-24, 25-20, 26-24, in girls’ volleyball at the Isa Sports City.

It denied the country the bronze that would have felt like winning the gold since the Nationals, composed of National University standouts and talented Rhose Almendralejo from Tay Tung Bacolod, came here as complete underdogs.

“As you can see, we stuck with them (Thais) and we even got the lead at some point,” said Alas spiker Jai Adrao. “But we just couldn’t hold on to it in the end because of our lapses and errors.”

Medals were also tough to find in wrestling and jiu-jitsu at the Exhibition World Bahrain.

Charmel Gem Angana fell to Thai Nokrod Nattaporrn in battle for bronze in the girls’ 49-kilogram (kg) as well as Pauline Gilian Nietes, who was defeated by Uzbek Dilnura Avezova in the girl’s 65 kg of freestyle wrestling.

The same fates befell Jin Gabriel Ong, Sachi Khonghun and Zeus Babanto, who were denied the bronze in jiu-jitsu.

Mr. Ong lost to Kyrgyzstan’s Abdusamad Tynchtyk Tynchtybekov in the boys’ -56 kg; Khonghun dropped to Mongolia’s Munkhjin Batbold in the girls’ -53 kg; and Mr. Babanto was overwhelmed by Saudi Arabia’s Adam Fernani in the boys’ -85 kg.

There were, however, some remaining Filipinos fighting for those elusive medals in jiu-jitsu and swimming at the Khalifa Sports Center pool before the country’s campaign officially comes to a close on Friday.

As of this writing, the Philippines remained with six golds, seven silvers and eight bronzes.

But because of the medal drought in the past few days, the country has fallen from as high as No. 5 to No. 11 in the overall medal tally.

Regardless, the Filipinos, headed by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino and Chef-de-Mission Ramon Suzara, will go standing proud after eclipsing their two-gold and three-silver finish in the last edition of this quadrennial event in Nanjing, China 12 years ago. — Joey Villar

GenSan’s Lagnason and Manila’s Santor shine as rising Batang Pinoy tankers

October 30, 2025 | 7:26 pm

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The tuna capital held its own among the sports poseidons from the acropolis and fittingly, it has a rising star tanker to thank for that.

Christian Isaiah Lagnason made the biggest ripples for his hometown with his fourth gold medal as GenSan cracked the Top 10 led by big guns from Metro Manila and Baguio in the penultimate day of competitions in the 2025 Batang Pinoy on Thursday at the Antonio C. Acharon Sports Complex here.

Mr. Lagnason, who started swimming with zero gold in 2022, on Thursday added the boys’ 12-13 200m freestyle in style to his harvest, clocking in 2:04.53 to reset his own mark of 2:08.35 in last year’s games in Palawan.

He previously won the 100m butterfly (1:00.55), 200M individual medley (2:19.63) and 100M freestyle (57.26) for new meet records as well to join the race for the most bemedalled men’s athlete pending the relay events.

In women’s division, Patricia Mae Santor of Manila surged ahead with six gold medals and one silver to break free from four-way tie after ruling the girls’ 17U 4×50 medley relay in 2:08.56 with teammates Kristine Jane Uy, Naomi Sy and Eliana Isabel Rodriguez.

The University of Santo Tomas standout previously won 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 50m, 100m butterfly events and 4x50m freestyle relay.

Ms. Santor also netted a silver in the girls’ 200m breaststroke.

She broke a logjam with Mabalacat’s FJ Catherine Cruz, Malabon’s Sophia Garra and Aklan’s Nuche Veronica Ibit with five golds each in a tightrope swimming race for the most bemedalled athlete who will receive a trophy made up from Lauan wood (Philippine mahogany) carved out from the old Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

But the spotlight is on GenSan’s own, the 13-year-old standout from Shalom Crest Wizard Academy who actually could have made it five for the race lead if not for his disqualification due to false start when he topped the boys’ 12-13 200m butterfly in 2:16.36, also a new record.

Bataan’s James De Guzman (2:20.75), albeit almost four seconds slower, claimed the gold medal in his place.

Behind Mr. Lagnason’s splash, GenSan is now in Top 8 with 11 gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals.

“This is the biggest sporting event in GenSan so I’m happy to contribute to our city with perfect 5/5 with all the records,” said the son of virtual assistant parents in full support of his dreams.

Mr. Lagnason, winner of seven golds in the past two editions for non-stop improvement since debuting with zero mint, is tied with Baguio City archer Chass Mhavien Colas with four golds for the top men’s honor as of press time.

Mr. Colas ruled the boys U17 recurve (334, 334, 668 and 6) for a sweep of his four events.

With only a few team sports finale on Friday, reigning champion Pasig (28-16-24) still tops the medal tally with Manila (27-25-21) and former titlist Baguio not far behind (26-14-18). — John Bryan Ulanday

One final fight

October 30, 2025 | 7:26 pm

Manny Pacquiao is back in the limelight, and not simply because of his star turn in Physical: Asia. At 46, after a career that has threaded through storm and triumph, politics and sport, he has once again found himself the subject of headlines. Is a second bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. truly in the offing? That fans are entertaining the possibility even though it is more fantasy than fact at this point underscores his continued relevance.

To be sure, there can be no questioning Pacquiao’s popularity. When he entered the set built for Physical: Asia, the latest iteration of the South Korean reality competition series, other competitors cheered. So when he broached a rematch with Mayweather in a presser in Japan, all and sundry took notice. The two boxers defined an era, and while they are now in their late 40s, their conceivable reemergence remains the stuff of box office bonanzas.

Why return? Why chase the improbable? Creditably, Pacquiao acknowledges the not inconsiderable risk. At the same time, there can be no denying that the fire remains. And so he flirts with another set-to against Mayweather, sparked by financial and cultural considerations that expand the story beyond determining winners and losers. There is the pageantry of names, the weaving of narrative, the reframing of canon. It’s as if he is saying: I remain relevant. I can still be the opening act of a new chapter.

That said, facing Mayweather again is a different proposition entirely. The vigilance of youth has gone; the stakes have altered. The audience knows the script has changed. And yet, irony does not slow Pacquiao; it invigorates him. Who knows if what he hints at may ever materialize? Then again, the narrative speaks not of one final fight, but of the endurance of identity and the persistence of ambition. There and back again is he: grounded in the past, reaching out to the future, still staking his claim.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.