Duterte graced the prayer rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio on Tuesday, March 12, and which was organized by supporters of Kingdom of Jesus preacher Apollo Quiboloy. The pastor has been the subject of Congress’ marathon hearings over his alleged human rights abuses.

He is facing a contempt order before the Senate and the House for snubbing inquiries of both chambers.

Duterte, who is the designated caretaker of the country while Marcos is in Europe, took photos with supporters of Quiboloy as they flashed placards bearing the message, “Protect VP Inday Sara.”

At the stage, former Biliran representative and poll fraud accuser Glenn Chong was speaking before the crowd about Marcos’ ouster drawing cheers from Duterte supporters.

“Kahit wala pang resignation si Marcos Jr. (Even though Marcos Jr. hasn’t resigned yet) Sara is [the] rightful and legitimate leader of this country, and not Marcos, never Marcos,” he declared.

Chong even went on to say that Marcos should not come back to the Philippines after his Europe trip. “Huwag na natin palandingin si Marcos…. Bumalik na lang siya sa Hawaii para sa Hawaii part 2,” he said.

(Let’s not allow Marcos’ plane to land. He should go back to Hawaii for a Hawaii part 2.)

ALSO ON RAPPLER

• Inside Apollo Quiboloy’s lavish world: Mansions, rich-and-famous lifestyle in North America
• Duterte becomes Quiboloy group’s property administrator
• As Quiboloy hides, US government moves on arrest warrant
• PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy

The Vice President didn’t speak before the crowd even as organizers invited her to come up the stage. Her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, also attended the prayer rally.

On Monday, March 11, Duterte also released a statement defending the Davao-based preacher. She said that Quiboloy was being treated unfairly.

“Sa mga ginagawang pagdinig ay tila pinatawan na ng guilty verdict si Pastor Quiboloy kahit na nakabatay lamang ang pagdinig na ito sa mga paratang ng mga testigo na nagkukubli ng kanilang katauhan at hindi mapatunayan ang kredibilidad,” she said.

(In the hearings conducted, it seems that Pastor Quiboloy was already handed a guilty verdict even though the inquiries were based only on allegations made by witnesses who conceal their true character and couldn’t prove their credibility.)

In February, the Vice President did not directly address allegations that she and her father had left Quiboloy’s vast property in Davao City with bags of assorted firearms. She dismissed this as just another attack against her by those with presidential ambitions.

In January, the Vice President also graced a prayer rally against charter change in Davao City where her family members took turns lambasting the President. – Rappler.com

Confrontations, including one in early March 2024 that caused bodily harm on Navy personnel, are a dangerous part of the routine, as China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia ships try to block and drive away Philippine ships.

The BRP Sierra Madre is a World War II vessel purposefully run aground in 1999, in response to China’s encroachment of nearby Mischief Reef. The ship, in all its rusty glory, remains in service and now serves as a Philippine military outpost.

When confrontations happen – collisions, dangerous maneuvers, water cannoning, among others – Beijing is almost always quick to claim “professional conduct.” Never mind that there are stills and footage of its coast guard using powerful water cannons on often smaller Philippine boats.

In all statements, Beijing decries Manila’s supposed encroachment on their territory (it’s not – Ayungin is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, according to a 2016 Arbitral Ruling) and supposed non-adherence to supposed previous commitments.

It turns out, Beijing had been operating on a different reality – not just on how they see features in the West Philippine Sea, but on the status of relations between the Philippines and China.

It seems Beijing had wanted “some understanding, an acquiescence” in trying to negotiate with Manila, the Manila Times reported, quoting a Chinese official.

According to the report, China wanted the Philippines to “commit not to transport large-scale building materials to reinforce the Sierra Madre,” referring to a World War II ship.

In turn, China would “agree” to let only one vessel through during regular rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, famous and infamous for promising a “pivot” to China, had supposedly made this “understanding” with China – that the Philippines would not “bring in large-scale building materials to Ayungin Shoal.”

In other words, said the anonymous Chinese official who spoke to the Manila Times, the Duterte administration promised Beijing that they would not be reinforcing the Sierra Madre, where a handful of soldiers are stationed at a time.

DFA fumes

Unsurprisingly, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) fumed on Tuesday, March 12, in reaction to the Manila Times’ story on the Marcos administration’s supposed “inaction” over proposals to “normalize” the situation in the South China Sea.

In the newspaper report, the anonymous Chinese official said 11 concept papers were submitted to the Philippines “but these were met with inaction by the Marcos administration.”

“From the outset, the DFA wishes to underscore that the Philippines is approaching these confidential negotiations with utmost sincerity and good faith. We were, therefore, surprised by China’s disclosure of sensitive details of our bilateral discussions,” said the DFA in a statement.

One proposal, raised by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong back in March 2023, meant “actions that would be deemed as acquiescence or recognition of China’s control and administration over the Ayungin Shoal as China’s territory.”

“As Ayungin Shoal is a part of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, the proposal of China could not be considered by the Philippines without violating the Philippine Constitution or international law,” added the DFA, noting that this was a proposal China had referred to as a “gentleman’s agreement.”

In a statement, the DFA denied claims that the Philippine government “ignored” China’s many proposals, saying they had “immediately undertaken serious study and consideration of all of them.

Without going into specifics, the DFA said: “While a few proposals were deemed somewhat workable, many of the remaining Chinese proposals were determined, after careful study, scrutiny and deliberation within the Philippine Government, to be contrary to our national interests.”

Still, the Philippines, said the DFA, submitted “counter-proposals.” In turn, China submitted its own counter-proposals, “which again did not reflect our interests, especially on issues such as the South China Sea,” according to the DFA.

At a crossroads

Ties between the Philippines and China have hit a low point, almost two years into the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. China’s foreign minister has said ties are at a “crossroads”

Unlike his predecessor, who apparently made agreements that yielded to China, Marcos has taken a stronger stance against Beijing’s encroachment in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos has brought Manila closer to its treaty-ally the United States, all while forging closer defense ties with countries both near and far: Japan, Australia, the European Union, and Canada, to name a few.

Under what’s been dubbed its “transparency initiative,” the Philippines has made it a point to make public Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea. The strategy – especially the presence of embedded Philippine and recently Western media – has incensed Beijing to no end.

To be sure, Philippine officials – diplomats, especially – have made sure to keep channels with China open.

Marcos met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in San Francisco, but sources privy to the meeting say there was no reason to be hopeful after the meet.

In January 2024, Philippine diplomats travelled to Shanghai for the 8th Bilateral Consultation Meeting on the South China Sea (BCM).

Both China and the Philippines promised to improve communications – between diplomats and possibly even its coast guards. Yes, in the months and weeks that followed that high-stakes meeting, things have seemingly taken a turn for the worse.

Four Filipinos were injured in the last mission to Ayungin, after two China Coast Guard vessels blasted their water cannons on the Unaizah May 4, a civilian ship contracted by the Philippine Navy.

In another area in the West Philippine Sea, things are not any better: in Scarborough Shoal, China has also been liberal in its use of water cannons. Filipino fishermen are unable to enter the shoal any time they want.

Since Beijing refuses to budge, ignoring the 2016 Arbitral Ruling and insisting on its view of the South China Sea, and its view alone – how far can more talk really go? – Rappler.com

The 77-year-old has led PLDT since 1998 and has been meaning to pass the baton for some time now. He already stepped down as the telco giant’s big boss in 2021, only to assume the post again in 2024 after his successor, Al Panlilio, resigned due to health reasons. 

In a recent press briefing, Pangilinan said that PLDT management is still in the process of looking for one, noting that the successor must have a sharp business sense. That person also needs to understand how the other businesses in the MVP group interact and relate with each other.

Pangilinan said they are careful about choosing the next person taking the helm, noting that this “long term decision will affect the company long term.”

“This is not just making an investment or buying an equipment, so no, it’s difficult because you have to look at the future in terms of the successor, I know that he should be younger than I am, much younger, should be steeped in IT, have an excellent business sense,” Pangilinan said.

“At the end of the day, it has to be somebody with a very good nose for business,” he added.

So far, sources said that management is looking at both insiders and outsiders for the role. They are even considering names that are not in the telco industry, but have experience in tech.

New digital entity

Pangilinan also noted that the successor must know about the other businesses under the MVP group, especially now that it recently formed a digital entity that will harness the data assets of the various companies in the conglomerate.

Digico, a collaboration co-owned by PLDT, Smart, the Manila Electric Company, and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, will use a tech platform to “scale up and achieve seamless integration of services and capabilities.”

Pangilinan also detailed how Digico will consolidate the group’s multiple payment channels for a more seamless and secure experience for customers and businesses.

Innovation

The next CEO must also sustain PLDT’s profitability. In 2023, net income more than doubled to P26.6 billion, mainly due to a decline in expenses and stable top-line growth.

Revenues and core income posted just single-digit growth at 3%, which Pangilinan described as the telco industry’s “pain” in recent years.

“We’re stuck in terms of the growth story, so the telco that is able to develop the next great big idea to achieve escape velocity would be the winner,” Pangilinan said.

Will it be 5G, artificial intelligence, or internet of things that will bring elusive double-digit growth?

Those are some of the challenges that Pangilinan’s successor will have to face. – Rappler.com

What is GMA Network Incorporated (GMA) going to air after the media conglomerate and Jalosjos-led Television and Production Exponents Incorporated (TAPE) decided to axe Tahanang Pinakamasaya (Home of the Happiest)? The decision to air movies from 12 noon to 2 pm is likely just temporary, and it doesn’t look like ex-convict Romeo Jalosjos Sr. can put up another show and pay air time fees to GMA. 

Will GMA move ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime from its free TV channel Good TV (GTV) to its flagship station GMA-7? Or will it move its pre-noon variety show TictoClock, led by ex-Kapamilyas Kim Atienza and comedienne Pokwang, to 12 noon and prolong it by an additional hour or so? Or, will it put up an entirely new noon show?

The easiest step would be to just move It’s Showtime from GTV to Channel 7 (GMA-7) because ABS-CBN’s noon show is competing quite well against TV5’s E.A.T. Bulaga. If unofficial ratings are correct, It’s Showtime now often rates slightly higher than the Kapatid channel’s noon show led by showbiz veterans Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ).

From a financial point of view, GMA would earn from the air time fees without having to spend a peso for talent fees and production. No headaches at all. 

But those familiar with how GMA’s former president/CEO and now chairman Felipe Gozon thinks say this may not be the case. 

GMA is now the Philippines’ undisputed broadcast leader after the Lopez-led ABS-CBN Corporation lost its free TV and radio business in May 2020. Moving a purely-ABS-CBN produced show to replace TAPE’s Tahanang Pinakamasaya may not look good on the GMA brand. 

Notwithstanding Gozon’s declaration in June 2023 that the TV war is over – which he said after signing a deal with ABS-CBN to air It’s Showtime on GTV – GMA has thus far protected its flagship Channel 7 from being, in a sense, purely Kapuso. 

In the case of the hit teleserye (TV series) Unbreak My Heart, which was aired on Channel 7 and GTV last year, this was a co-production with ABS-CBN. GMA called it “A first in Philippine television history” and a “dream TV collab between GMA and ABS-CBN.”

Its main cast were Kapamilya stars Jodi Sta. Maria, Joshua Garcia, and Kapuso stars Richard Yap and Gabbi Garcia. Although Kapamilya movies are shown on Channel 7, the credit to ABS-CBN is only at the start and the end, and the GMA logo stays on the screen while the movie is being shown.

The more logical step, therefore, is to beef up TictoClock’s hosts, add more talents and variety show segments to compete with TV5’s E.A.T. Bulaga and ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime. TictoClock already has the elements of a noon show: a singing competition Tanghalan ng Kampeon (Champion’s Stage) similar to It’s Showtime’s popular singing contest Tawag ng Tanghalan (Stage Call), as well as games such as a fake news segment Ulo ng mga Balita (News Headlines).

With ABS-CBN’s talent pool decimated after losing its franchise, GMA has enough performers it can tap to support “Kuya” (Brother) Kim Atienza and Pokwang. 

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Kuya Kim – who incidentally is a former It’s Showtime co-host – is no comedian, and he’s certainly not in the league of It’s Showtime’s Vice Ganda and E.A.T. Bulaga’s Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon. 

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GMA has an ace that it can tap to lead TictoClock: popular Kapuso comedian Michael V, also known as Bitoy. That would make the country’s noon show truly exciting. It would be the mother of all noon shows: Vice Ganda and the Madlang People gang versus TVJ and the Legit Dabarkads (Legitimate Friends) versus Michael V plus Kuya Kim, Pokwang, and some Kapuso comedy show Bubble Gang cast.  

I can already see Bitoy’s commercial endorsers committing to place ads on TictoClock. With a stronger TictoClock, GMA can get advertising revenues from its network-produced show and get air time revenues from ABS-CBN via It’s Showtime on GTV. It also gets to protect its flagship channel, making it still truly Kapuso. 

As we wait for GMA’s move, expect It’s Showtime and E.A.T. Bulaga to get slight upticks in their television ratings.

On Monday, March 11, Michael V. told GMA News online that he’s not keen on being part of a noon show again for now.

“Parang hindi pa time. There’s a reason why I left ‘Eat Bulaga’ before. I think it’s the same reason kung bakit hindi pa siguro ako sasabak,” he said after signing a new contract with his home network.

(It’s like it’s not yet time. There’s a reason why I left ‘Eat Bulaga’ before. I think it’s the same reason why I won’t be joining for now.)

Michael V. opted to drop his co-hosting of Eat Bulaga! years ago as he took on more projects for GMA and became too busy. – Rappler.com 

ALSO ON RAPPLER

• Home of the saddest: A life lesson from Isko Moreno
• TAPE stops using Eat Bulaga! as Tito, Vic, Joey start using it for noon show
• TV ads decline, influencer marketing rises: Why it’s harder now for TV shows to make money
• GMA’s ‘Sumasapuso’: Why radio is still alive in the Philippines
• The alliance continues: GMA shows to stream on ABS-CBN’s iWanTFC
• New battle shapes up: It’s TV5 + RPN vs GMA
• 9 months after Tito, Vic, Joey leave TAPE, Jalosjos axes noon show

Marcos agreed to a sit-down interview with ABC anchor Sarah Ferguson, who, after a series of questions on security issues concerning the Philippines, finally shifted the discussion to his father’s corruption.

“I think contemporary court judgments acknowledge the atrocities that were committed, but also the plunder of the country’s resources. Why wouldn’t you want all of that money back in the hands of the Filipino people?” she asked Marcos in the interview that aired on Monday, March 4.

The President let out a nervous laughter, a response that did not escape scrutiny from the interviewer.

“May I just ask you why that’s funny?” Ferguson added.

Marcos navigated a number of stutters before regaining composure.

“No, I’m thinking that that maintains, that that idea maintains, because it…. I take exception to many, many of the assertions that have been made. And I think we have been….  We have since…. The cases were filed. The government filed. Cases were filed against me, my family, the estate, et cetera. And up to now, we have found…. The assertions that were made, we have shown to be untrue,” he said.

The President added that his family had supposedly signed quitclaims, which would give up their claims to properties and assets that the government found, and that they had nothing left after their family fled to Hawaii as a result of the 1986 EDSA People Power revolution.

Marcos also downplayed as “propaganda” the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s findings that the family still owes the country a huge amount of money from ill-gotten wealth.

Missing context, false claims

It’s important to fact-check the President, who, in that interview, tried to whitewash the gravity of his family’s corruption, even though it is well-documented.

As of 2022, his father held the Guinness World Record of “greatest robbery of a government.” According to Guinness, during his father’s 21 years in power, the national loss was pegged at $5 billion to $10 billion, and first couple Marcos Sr. and Imelda themselves personally stole around $860.8 million.

When they arrived in Hawaii, they had with them valuable items worth $8 million, but these were later confiscated by US Customs.

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In 2018, anti-graft court Sandiganbayan found Imelda guilty of illegally creating private organizations in Switzerland.

As of September 2021, the government has retrieved P174 billion in ill-gotten wealth from the Marcoses, and is going after P125 billion more.

Marcos also claimed to have signed quitclaims, but as Reuters pointed out in 2022, his family has “defied court orders and appealed rulings requiring them to surrender assets.”

The reason why the Marcoses have also not paid their estate tax is because they are still claiming ownership of the properties in dispute.

Preference for international press

Marcos rarely gives one-on-one interviews. Since becoming president, he has only had separate sit-down conversations with actress Toni Gonzaga and news anchor Pia Arcangel.

Reporters covering Malacañang also don’t get to freely ask the President questions due to the Palace’s “strictly no ambush” policy. In rare occasions that Marcos entertains the press, he or his staff selects the journalists to ask him questions.

He tends to lower his guard when he travels abroad, as proven by his willingness to be interviewed by ABC’s Ferguson while he’s in Australia for a special summit between the country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Aside from his interview on Australian television, he also agreed to chat with the Associated Press’ Ted Anthony in September 2022. These are on top of his few conversations with foreign think tanks.

Marcos won the presidency in 2022, securing a landslide victory that has not been seen since the 1986 uprising that kicked his dictator-father out of Malacañang.

Critics say the family’s return to power is the product of their decades-long sophisticated project to rehabilitate their image, enabled by disinformation campaigns. – Rappler.com

During the House of Representatives’ regular press conference on Monday, March 4, Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman – who chairs the House committee on women and gender equality – was asked about plans for this year’s commemoration of Women’s Month. After she laid out events mapped for the lower chamber, Quezon 2nd District Representative David “Jay-jay” Suarez chimed in with a sexist joke to offer what the men would be doing.

“Handa na ‘yung laundry soap namin, handa na ‘yung mga plantsa namin, handa na ‘yung mantika at kaserola dahil isang buwan kaming maghuhugas, maglalaba, magsasampay, mamamalantsa, at magluluto sa aming mga tahanan,” the deputy speaker said in jest.

(Our laundry soaps are ready, our irons are ready, our cooking oil and saucepans are ready because, for a month, we will be washing the dishes, doing the laundry, hanging and ironing clothes, and cooking in our houses.)

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Traditional gender roles put men as providers of the family, while women are left at home to attend to the children and perform household chores such as cooking and cleaning – essentially, what is referred to as unpaid care and domestic work.

Oxfam Philippines has characterized it as both a human rights and gender issue.

“What society sees, understands and promotes as ‘normal’ work of women actually hinders their human rights especially if what they do is not valued, appreciated and recognized as ‘work,’” Oxfam said.

While women have taken up bigger roles in the workplace and there have been advances in workplace gender equality, the same cannot be said for the “work” that is done behind closed doors and in the comfort of their homes. Oxfam’s 2022 study found that the remote work setup made it worse for women as they still took care of the household and the children, on top of doing their jobs, even as everyone else was also home.

This additional burden at home, if not shared among other members of the household, can negatively affect one’s career and well-being.

Changing times

Times are changing though, so there’s hope that women will be unloading some of the stress they experience when running a household.

A separate study done by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in 2022 took note that Filipino millennials now have a different mindset when it comes to childcare and earning for their family, which is leaning more toward sharing responsibilities. This is despite their finding that a lot of people also grew up with the belief that some jobs and chores are for a specific gender.

Changing society’s norms and behavior comes with a conscious effort to unlearn traditions and beliefs engrained within our communities. Sometimes, a simple joke by an elected public official can lead to dire consequences. (READ: TIMELINE: How Duterte normalized sexism in the Philippine presidency)

In his closing statement on Monday, Suarez later emphasized that “we need to respect our women.”

“They have been vital instruments in the development of our nation,” he added, as he paid tribute to his wife, ALONA Partylist Representative Anna Villaraza-Suarez, this Women’s Month.

We can only hope that all his future statements will reflect that call for respect. – Rappler.com

Now, it’s the Makati Park and Garden that the Taguig City government padlocked on Sunday, March 3, for operating without a permit. Makati shot back by calling Taguig a “bully,”  while a group called “Defend Makati” held a prayer vigil.

What else do the heavens have in store for EMBO residents?

If it’s any consolation, at least for the Catholics among them, here’s one thing that will stay the same: jurisdiction over parishes.

For the longest time, the five parishes of the 10 EMBO barangays belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila, which covers the cities of Makati, Manila, Pasay, San Juan, and Mandaluyong. The Manila archdiocese is led by Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula. 

It’s the Diocese of Pasig – under Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara – that handles the cities of Pasig and Taguig, as well as the town of Pateros.

But no, the EMBO parishes won’t move to the Diocese of Pasig.

Father Reginald Malicdem, vicar general and spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Manila, told Rappler on Monday, March 4: “The five parishes in the EMBO barangays will remain in the Archdiocese of Manila. The ecclesiastical jurisdiction does not necessarily follow the civil jurisdiction.”

The following are the Catholic parishes in the EMBO barangays, according to Malicdem:

• Saint John Mary Vianney Parish, Cembo
• Mater Dolorosa Parish, East Rembo
• Santa Teresita Parish, West Rembo
• Mary, Mirror of Justice Parish, Comembo
• Saint John of the Cross Parish, Pembo

While dioceses are named after prominent cities, their composition is oftentimes mixed and – if viewed through the lens of local government units – inconsistent. 

It’s one reason, for example, why the Diocese of Kalookan (spelled with a K) covers not only the southern part of Caloocan City (spelled with a C), but also Malabon and Navotas. And did you know that the northern part of Caloocan is under the Diocese of Novaliches, along with the northern part of Quezon City?

The jurisdiction of the dioceses, Malicdem explained, depends on the Vatican.

Whew, at least a little stability for EMBO residents in these tumultuous times. – Rappler.com

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has now pulled out all of the rattan chairs in Terminal 2 after pest control service providers deemed them to be “prone to infestation,” MIAA Executive Assistant Chris Bendijo said in a Radyo5 interview on Friday, March 1.

The MIAA Media Affairs Division confirmed to Rappler that all rattan chairs have been removed “subject to disinfection.”

How did the chairs, which only arrived last year, go from a symbol of local culture to another bad mark on NAIA?

Earlier, MIAA issued a public apology after a passenger’s post about the bed bugs in the airport went viral. The passenger told Rappler that the bed bugs that bit them were particularly located in the rattan chairs of the arrival side of NAIA Terminal 2.

MIAA has reached out to the passenger and offered to compensate them for their medical expenses.

Those rattan chairs, which looked beautiful were it not for the creepy crawlers that they hid, are now gone. They were originally added as part of a “new and improved look” for NAIA Terminal 2.

Just last April 2023, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Transportation set about renovating the terminal and adding Filipino-made solihiya lamps and panels, mini-gardens, and “enticing rattan chairs.”

In a video by the Department of Tourism, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco is seen lounging around the rattan furniture, along with Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and then-MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong. A few days later, Frasco posted a photo of her and several children sitting on the rattan seats in Terminal 2 while waiting for their luggage to arrive.

“The craftsmanship and talent of our Filipino furniture makers is truly world class,” the tourism secretary said. “Maka-proud!”

Not even a year later, the same chairs – now infested with bugs – have been pulled out.

Metal chair infestation

And it’s not just the rattan chairs that are problematic. In January 2023, a public video also showed bed bugs crawling and peeking out of the holes of the metal gang chairs at NAIA Terminal 3.

Bendijo said that they’ve already pulled out the gang chairs as well, which will be sprayed with chemical disinfectants.

“Kakaibang species ng surot ang kanilang nakita (They saw a unique kind of bed bug species),” Bendijo said about what their pest control service provider found.

Bendijo also said they’re studying the performance of their pest control and housekeeping service providers. Currently, pest control is done quarterly while housekeeping personnel disinfect chairs daily using alcohol-based disinfectant during the airport’s non-peak hours.

“Itong mga service agreement na ito, aaralin po natin kung kailangan bang mas dikit ‘yung interval … para sigurado pong wala po talagang infestation ng ating mga upuan,” he said in the Radyo5 interview.

(We’ll study these service agreements to see if we need to make them more frequent…to really prevent any infestation of our chairs.)

Before this incident, NAIA already suffered from congestion and a lack of seating. But Bendijo said that MIAA has taken steps to ensure that seats will still be available in the terminals even now that several chairs have been pulled out for disinfection. MIAA is also considering procuring more chairs to replace the rattan chairs.

The country’s ailing international airport is due to get a total rehabilitation soon. A consortium led by San Miguel is expected to take over as NAIA’s operator within the next three to six months while MIAA will remain as a regulator. – Rappler.com

[ANALYSIS] Why airport ‘surot’ and Taylor Swift matter

The 2025 midterm election is still more than a year away. However, it appears that Lazatin and Albayalde have started to make their presence known.

Bearing the name of Lazatin, the red tents also have the word “Cong” before his name. 

“Cong” in Kapampangan is short for “coyang,” which is used by the locals to address an older brother, Team Lazatin explained. “Cong” is also used to refer to a district representative – as in “Congressman.”

Editor’s Note: We earlier reported that the mayor and Cong Jun are stepbrothers. This has been corrected.

Carmelo Lazatin II, known to locals as “Cong Jon,” is the incumbent 1st District Representative of Pampanga. Cong Jon is serving his last term while Lazatin is on his second mayoral term. They are half brothers.

Local political observers are convinced that the Lazatin brothers will switch places in the 2025 midterm polls.

The red tents were installed on February 23 in 16 different barangays of Mabalacat: Dau, Lakandula, Duquit, Camachiles, Mabiga, Sto. Rosario, San Francisco, Sta. Ines, Mangalit, Mamatitang, Atlu Bola, Cacutud, Tabun, Dolores, San Joaquin, and Poblacion. The remaining 11 barangays will receive their tents on March 8, Team Lazating said.

Angeles City chief executive IC Calaguas spearheaded the tent distribution together with the respective barangay captains.

Meanwhile, in the blue corner, posters of Albayalde have been pinned up in most residential areas since the holiday season in 2023.

Albayalde said he is still “feeling the ground” whether to run for public office. Albayalde is also making his presence felt through media interviews and public appearances in different communities.

The talk in Pampanga is that Albayalde is eyeing to run as mayor of Angeles City or 1st District Representative of Pampanga.

In 2023, he once admitted that there were “some people” who had been pushing him to run for public office.

The former Philippine National Police chief was once implicated in the “ninja cops” controversy, which later on were dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman. He ended his career in the national police force quietly after he went on non-duty status in October 2019.

The 1st District of Pampanga consists of the highly urbanized Angeles City, its neighboring component Mabalacat City, and the municipality of Magalang.

The filing of candidacy for the 2025 midterm polls is set for October. Will it be red versus blue? – Rappler.com

That was one of the questions asked of SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) president and CEO Frederic DyBuncio in a recent press briefing, amid business groups sounding the alarm that it would hurt both businesses and consumers.

DyBuncio did not give a categorical answer but noted that SMIC, the Philippines’ largest conglomerate in terms of market value at over P1 trillion, is keeping an eye on the issue as “it will obviously increase operating costs” and have an impact on economic growth.

SMIC is the holding company of the SM Group. The company is engaged in businesses through its subsidiaries, namely The SM Store, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, SaveMore, Walter Mart, Alfamart, SM Prime Holdings, BDO Unibank, and China Banking Corporation.

The Senate on Monday, February 19, unanimously approved on third and final reading the bill that seeks to give a P100-daily increase to minimum wage earners in the country. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has also started deliberating on various bills but with differing amounts, ranging from P150 to P750.

DyBuncio could not give the number of minimum wage earners in the SM group, but noted that most of their employees earn higher than minimum wage.

“That will affect the minimum wage workers. I think the bulk of our employees are actually higher than minimum wage. Again, it will obviously increase the operating cost, so the question is how much of that increase will be passed on to customers,” Dy Buncio said.

“We still don’t know what the final number would be but we had wage increases in the past and we will be able to adjust our businesses,” DyBuncio said.

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Can the Philippines afford a P100 national minimum wage hike?

The last legislated national wage hike in the Philippines was in 1989, when the Wage Rationalization Act ordered a P25 wage hike from the national P64 minimum wage. At present, Metro Manila’s minimum wage is P610 a day.

Proponents of the wage hikes, however, note that workers with higher wages spend more, thus stimulating the economy.

This point was echoed by SMIC consultant for investor relations and sustainability Tim Daniels.

“If you increase the spending power of the average Filipino consumers…when you look at the GDP of the Philippines, a very high percentage of GDP growth, over 70%, comes from consumer spending…that is something that you would probably see – retail activity in our malls,” Daniels said.

So, are wage hikes good or bad for business?

“It depends on who you ask,” Daniels said.

SMIC reported a net income of P77 billion, a 25% jump from P61.7 billion in 2022. Revenues reached P616.3 billion last year, up 11% from P553 billion.

“A key success driver was the healthy spending patterns of Filipino consumers in both essential and discretionary purchases, particularly in fashion, dining and entertainment,” DyBuncio said. – Rappler.com