The price of unpreparedness

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Sep 12, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Sep 11, 2026 04:49 pm

The economic disparity between the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces is often measured in infrastructure. Last month, however, it was measured in kilowatts. While Luzon enjoyed a 34.2 percent drop in wholesale electricity prices in August, the Visayas and Mindanao regions faced an extraordinary price shock that exposed just how fragile the regional energy grid really is.

In the Visayas, spot market power prices jumped 64.9 percent last month to ₱18.59 per kilowatt-hour. In Mindanao, the spike was even worse, soaring 88.2 percent to ₱19.56. Data from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) shows these are the highest rates recorded since the wholesale electricity spot market began operating in those regions.

The immediate trigger was due to combination of thin margins and bad timing. Unexpected shutdowns at major power plants forced grid operators to run expensive backup generators to prevent widespread blackouts. Visayas registered its supply fall 2.6 percent to 2,201 megawatts against a hovering demand of 2,094 megawatts. That leaves almost no breathing room.

On the other hand, Mindanao faced its own 7.3 percent supply drop alongside a five percent demand increase, and sending power across the water to help Visayas only stretched its local grid further.

This is not due to bad luck or bad weather, but the direct result of delayed long-term planning. Building a power plant and connecting it to the transmission grid takes three to five years. The severe shortages hitting the central islands today stem from generation investments and line expansions that should have been locked in half a decade ago.

The Department of Energy (DOE) officials acknowledged as much, admitting that the government is now scrambling to catch up to demand that was easy to predict.

Today, the real-world costs are already hitting home. At a recent economic forum in Cebu, local business owners laid out what these daily disruptions mean on the ground.

Rotational brownouts force factories in industrial hubs like Mandaue City to stop assembly lines, reset sensitive equipment, and swallow higher operating expenses. While larger firms can afford to invest in solar arrays or alter work shifts to survive, smaller enterprises face immediate margin compression that threatens their survival.

Unreliable power also undermines regional efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Local governments can host international trade summits and pitch regional growth stories, but pitch decks do not mean much if the lights flicker out during the meeting. Foreign investors require basic utility security, not promises of relief years down the road.

Energy officials say immediate relief is on the way as six offline plants prepare to restart operations. Looking further ahead, the government points to new baseload and renewable projects secured through the Green Energy Auction Program, scheduled to come online between 2028 and 2031 for Cebu, Bohol, Panay, and Negros.

Yet, with El Niño threatening to dry up hydro reservoirs in the fourth quarter, waiting until 2028 is a tall order for businesses struggling to keep their doors open today.

To keep the Philippines’ southern economies moving, energy regulators, grid operators, and government agencies must stop working in silos. They need to clear regulatory backlogs, fast-track environmental clearances, and fix transmission bottlenecks that leave existing power stranded. Free market mechanisms are designed to price scarcity, but when prices stay this high for this long, they cease to be a signal and start acting as a tax on local enterprise. The country cannot afford a setup where Luzon enjoys cheap power while Visayas and Mindanao pay top peso  just just to keep the lights on.  

Do to others as you would have them do to you

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Sep 10, 2026 12:02 am

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Many of us are familiar with the so-called Golden Rule, which is put in a positive statement by Jesus in the Gospel (v 31; Mt 7:12).

In Matthew, the Golden Rule is immediately followed by the challenge to enter the narrow gate. The Golden Rule is not an easy thing, but it is also not impossible. In Luke, the statement is immediately followed by the challenge to love even the undeserving.

Luke challenges us to have the right motivation if we are to abide by the Golden Rule. We do good to others not for the intention of receiving the same treatment from the beneficiaries of our goodness.

We do good to others because in doing so we are recognizing not only the goodness in us but also the goodness in them. How do we practice the Golden Rule in our everyday life?

Do we practice it with the right motivation, recognizing the goodness in each one rather than expecting others to repay us for our good deeds? Can we do good even to the undeserving?

First Reading • 1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters: Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him. 4 So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that there is no idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.

Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth (there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist. But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin.

Gospel • Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?

“Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

PH's biggest book fair returns to 'Get Lit'

 

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Sep 9, 2026 07:49 am

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), the Philippines' longest-running and most highly anticipated literary event, returns to the SMX Convention Center Manila, Pasay City, from Sept. 9 to 13, 2026.

This year’s grand five-day fair embraces the energetic theme "Get Lit: Reading in a New Light," welcoming visitors daily from 10 am to 8 pm for an unforgettable showcase of books, creative culture, and learning.

Organized by Primetrade Asia, Inc, MIBF 2026 promises a vibrant atmosphere packed with massive book discounts, author signings, and interactive showcases from top local and international publishers.

Returning alongside the main fair is the School World segment, a dynamic hub designed to give educators, academic leaders, and students direct access to the latest educational technologies, learning materials, and modern teaching tools.

This year's massive floor plan boasts a powerhouse roster of participating companies and exhibitors ready to offer exclusive deals and fresh releases. Attendees can look forward to exploring giant retail spaces and flagship booths from major bookstore chains and educational publishers, including Fully Booked and National Book Store, as well as 19th Avenida Publishing House, Abiva Publishing House, Adarna House, Anvil Publishing, and Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Also joining the extensive lineup are C&E Adaptive Learning Solutions, Central Book Supply, Lampara Publishing House, Megatexts Phil., Milflores Publishing, Rex Education, Scholastic Philippines, and the Vibal Group.

Fans of pop culture, comics, and contemporary fiction will be thrilled by the collections from Comic Odyssey, Komiket Studios, Precious Pages , Psicom Publishing, and Summit Publishing.

For those seeking spiritual and inspirational reads, exhibitors like Bayard Assumption Media Foundation, Claretian Communications Foundation, OMF Literature, Paulines, and St Pauls will be present.

The international literary scene and specialty publications will also be well-represented, with major players and organizations like Alkem & Penguin Random House SEA, Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd., the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines bringing a wide selection of global bestsellers and essential heritage materials.

To help fairgoers navigate the packed schedule and discover participating vendors, the newly refreshed MIBF website is now officially live at www.manilabookfair.com. Visitors can easily browse full exhibitor lists, event timings, and venue details to plan their ultimate book fair itinerary.

Tickets for MIBF 2026 can be secured online via the SM Tickets website, with entrance passes also available directly at the venue throughout the event. Onsite admission is priced at Php 50.00 for regular attendees, while students and senior citizens can enjoy a discounted rate of Php 35.00 upon presenting a valid ID at the counter.

In honor of educators, MIBF proudly supports National Teachers Month (NTM), themed "My Teacher, My Hero," by offering free admission to all teachers upon presenting a valid School ID at the counter. In line with this celebration, Metrobank Foundation, the lead proponent of NTM, will also be hosting special activities for teachers at their booth throughout the fair.

The MIBF is mounted in cooperation with the Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc. (ACCI), Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), Overseas Publishers Representatives’ Association of the Philippines (OPRAP), Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc. (PBAI), and the Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA). The event is also proudly championed by its supporting organizations, the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and My Teacher, My Hero.

Helping bring the joy of reading to wider audiences are MIBF’s official media partners Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Times, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, BusinessMirror, Lifestyle Inquirer, GMA, Philippine Graphic, Click the City, and Arkadymac.com.  

Safeguarding public money demands more than promises

 

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Sep 1, 2026 12:05 am

The start of deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget comes at a particularly sensitive moment. There is something profoundly ironic in the spectacle of Cabinet secretaries having to assure Congress that they will conduct lifestyle checks, enforce a one-strike policy and protect public funds from abuse.

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has told lawmakers that the agency is continuously conducting lifestyle checks, in coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman, and has adopted a one-strike policy against verified wrongdoing. He has also declared that the proposed 2027 DPWH budget contains no “leadership fund” and no allocations based on the controversial parametric formula.

Should this not be a given? Public officials do not need to be reminded that government money belongs to the people. They do not need extraordinary instructions to exercise integrity. And taxpayers should not have to depend on the personal assurances of Cabinet secretaries that billions in appropriations will not become instruments for corruption, political patronage or private enrichment.

Yet this is where we find ourselves.

Commitments to allocate and disburse public funds judiciously are welcome. But they should be regarded as the minimum, not the achievement. The bigger question is: Why did the system ever permit arrangements that made such assurances necessary?

The answer must involve not only the Executive branch but Congress itself.

The national budget is where government priorities become actual expenditures. It is also where political influence can be converted into projects, allocations and contracts. The revelations and allegations surrounding the previous DPWH budgets have exposed how vulnerable this process can become when institutional safeguards are weakened or circumvented.

Congress therefore cannot simply demand assurances from Cabinet secretaries and then proceed with business as usual. Every proposed project must have a demonstrable public purpose, technical justification, proper costing and transparent implementation.

Most important, Congress must be prepared to subject itself to the same transparency standards it demands from the Executive.

There should be no privileged category of public money. If a government employee must justify an unexplained increase in wealth, why should a politically connected contractor, intermediary or beneficiary be treated differently? If a DPWH official faces dismissal for a verified offense, why should political influence provide a shield to anyone who participates in manipulating public expenditures?

A genuine one-strike policy should apply to corruption wherever it is found; it must be enforced without fear or favor.

They should be supported by systematic examination of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, procurement records, beneficial ownership, project costs and actual project accomplishments. Technology should make it possible to connect the money trail from appropriation to implementation.

Where wrongdoing is established, accountability must not end with administrative sanctions. Public funds must be recovered. Cases must be prosecuted. Those responsible must face the consequences prescribed by law.

Congress must also be reminded that the people are not merely watching how the Executive and the government bureaucracy spends their money. They are also demanding accountability from their representatives and senators in judiciously allocating public funds.

The 2027 budget must, therefore, become a test of institutional integrity. It is a litmus test on how the citizenry regards their government’s capacity to render genuine public service that addresses basic needs adequately. It demands transparency, accountability and performance.

Lubao flooding exposes urgent need for better flood control

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 30, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 29, 2026 04:51 pm

A two-storey house being swallowed by a raging river should never be dismissed as just another dramatic video content.

But that was precisely what happened in Barangay Sta. Rita-Sto. Cristo, Lubao, Pampanga, on Aug. 28. As floodwaters surged, the riverbank gave way and a home was swept into the torrent and then swallowed by the rampaging floodwater in a matter of minutes. The terrifying and heart-wrenching scene is a warning—and an indictment of how dangerously unprepared communities remain for extreme flooding.

The timing could hardly be more ominous. On Aug. 29, PAGASA placed Pampanga and neighboring provinces under a red rainfall warning as the southwest monsoon, or habagat, continued to dump heavy rain over parts of Luzon. A red warning means serious flooding is expected in flood-prone areas.

The Sta. Rita Dam incident exposes a problem far bigger than one overwhelmed structure.

The National Irrigation Administration said a huge volume of water rushed downstream and overwhelmed the dam, while debris from forests and agricultural areas accumulated and clogged some of its gates. The resulting surge damaged portions of the slope protection and retaining wall.

That demands accountability. But accountability must be comprehensive.

The government must answer for whether dams, dikes, drainage systems, and flood-control structures are properly designed, maintained, inspected and upgraded. It must explain whether danger zones are being enforced and why residential structures continue to exist along vulnerable riverbanks and dikes.

But the government is not the only actor responsible.

Illegal logging and destructive land-clearing practices, including kaingin in vulnerable upland areas, must be confronted because denuded watersheds can worsen erosion and send enormous amounts of debris downstream. If investigations establish that illegally cut timber or other improperly managed upland debris contributed to the obstruction at Sta. Rita, those responsible must be held accountable.

Residents, too, must face the truth, unforgettable as it may be: Like them, a river needs space to avoid swelling.

Building houses on dikes, easements, and riverbanks may appear harmless when the river is calm. During extreme rainfall, however, such structures can endanger lives—and serve as obstacles that complicate flood management and evacuation.

The answer is not another round of promises after disaster strikes.

The government must pursue integrated flood mitigation: Rehabilitate watersheds, enforce river easements, clear waterways and drainage channels before the rainy season, modernize dams and dikes, strengthen flood forecasting and early-warning systems, and conduct regular independent safety audits of critical infrastructure. Flood-control projects must also be transparent, scientifically designed, and subjected to public scrutiny.

The private sector must do its share. Developers must respect hazard maps and no-build zones. Industries must prevent waste and debris from entering waterways. Companies can finance watershed rehabilitation, river cleanup, community early-warning systems and disaster-preparedness programs—not merely distribute relief goods after floods.

And every Filipino has a responsibility.

Do not dump garbage into waterways. Do not build illegally on riverbanks and dikes. Report illegal logging, destructive land clearing, and unsafe construction. Heed evacuation orders. Participate in community disaster-preparedness efforts. Most importantly, demand accountability for every peso spent on flood-control infrastructure.

Climate and extreme weather may be beyond anyone’s control. But negligence is not.

The house swept away in Lubao should therefore become a national lesson. Flooding is not simply a natural disaster. Its consequences are shaped by decisions made in government offices, boardrooms, forests, farms, construction sites, and communities.

The Lubao river has delivered its warning.

Now the country must decide whether to listen, or wait for the next structure to disappear.

Duty over growth: BSP's courageous choice

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 29, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 28, 2026 05:32 pm

With first-half gross domestic product (GDP) growth dragging at a paltry 2.6 percent, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) decision to hike its benchmark policy rate by 25 basis points to five percent—its third rate increase this year, bringing cumulative tightening since April to 75 basis points—runs directly counter to the chorus demanding cheap credit to stimulate the Philippines’ stalled economy.

Immediately after the announcement of the central bank’s decision, local financial markets reacted with predictable fury. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) tumbled 2.16 percent to 6,004.58, while the peso slipped to a historic low of ₱61.888 against the United States (US) dollar.

Yet the BSP governor was entirely right to declare that the choice “wasn’t so hard.” In executing a preemptive strike against stubborn price pressures, the seven-member Monetary Board (MB) proved it understands the core boundary of its constitutional duty. The BSP’s primary mandate is price stability, not short-term growth engineering.

The instinct among politicians and equity investors to demand monetary easing during economic slumps ignores a fundamental truth that the central banks lack the mechanical apparatus to generate sustainable and long-term wealth out of artificially suppressed interest rates.

As the BSP governor candidly noted during Senate budget deliberations on Thursday, Aug. 28, monetary policy simply does not possess the tools to boost short-run output without stoking inflation. Attempting to force economic growth via cheap money while inflation expectations remain unanchored is a recipe for stagflation, a scenario far more destructive to businesses and household incomes than a temporary tightening cycle.

The central bank’s inflation projections underline why urgency was required. While price growth has cooled from its brutal peak of 7.2 percent in April to 6.2 percent in July, and the 2026 forecast was trimmed to 6.1 percent, the medium-term outlook has worsened. The BSP raised its 2027 inflation forecast from 4.5 percent to an elevated 5.4 percent, far above the official target band of two percent to four percent, with headline figures not expected to normalize until 2028.

These revised forecasts are not abstract academic exercises because they reflect the country’s real structural vulnerabilities. As an oil-importing economy lacking a high-tech export engine like artificial intelligence (AI) to absorb external shocks, the Philippines sits exposed to global commodity volatility.

Compounding these structural realities are severe supply risks: incoming El Niño conditions threaten agricultural output, while pending minimum wage adjustments threaten second-round inflationary spillovers. Waiting for these risks to materialize before acting would have required far more aggressive and painful tightening down the line.

Critics will point to the peso’s historic slide near the ₱62 level as evidence of market anxiety. But currency devaluation in this context is driven less by interest rate differentials and more by real-economy fears over projected 2027 price pressures. Trying to defend the peso by draining foreign exchange reserves would be a reckless squandering of national buffer stock. Interest rate hikes remain the cleanest mechanism available to absorb excess liquidity and temper the currency’s decline without burning through international reserves.

Responsibility for igniting second-half GDP growth now falls squarely where it belongs: fiscal policy. The executive branch and Congress, currently deliberating the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget, must deploy targeted spending, address agricultural bottlenecks, and execute infrastructure investments capable of supporting real economic output.

By prioritizing price stability over short-term popularity, the BSP has protected the purchasing power of ordinary Filipinos. Economic growth built on the shifting sands of high inflation is an illusion. The Monetary Board’s steadfast commitment to its core mandate ensures that when growth does return, it will rest on a solid foundation.

9.7% live below poverty line: Does it reflect the true state of Filipinos?

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 23, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 22, 2026 04:43 pm

The Philippines has reached a milestone that deserves recognition: poverty incidence fell to 9.7 percent in 2025, the lowest on record and the first time the proportion of Filipinos living below the official poverty line has fallen into single digits. It also means the country achieved the Philippine Development Plan's 2028 poverty target ahead of schedule.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the 2025 figure translates to about 11.08 million Filipinos living below the poverty line, down from 17.54 million in 2023. In two years, approximately 6.46 million people were lifted above the official poverty threshold. The decline is substantial and cannot just be dismissed as pure statistics.

This is an achievement the government and the Filipino people can rightly celebrate.

The improvement also indicates that economic growth, easing inflation and employment conditions, together with social protection, can produce tangible gains in household welfare. It demonstrates the value of policies that expand economic opportunities while protecting vulnerable families from economic shocks.

Yet precisely because the achievement is significant, it warrants a deeper question: Does the 9.7-percent poverty rate fully reflect the poverty that Filipinos actually experience?

This is not an argument against the PSA's statistics. Rather, the issue is whether the yardstick remains sufficiently comprehensive, and whether the poverty threshold itself remains sufficiently representative of what it actually costs to live with dignity in the Philippines.

Economist Edita A. Tan, in her 2017 study, “How We Measure Poverty Underestimates Its Extent and Depth,” published in the Philippine Review of Economics, argued that the official income threshold does not adequately account for nonfood needs and may therefore underestimate both the extent of poverty and the rate at which it is being reduced. She examined evidence involving nutrition, education, and housing and proposed alternative poverty thresholds, with particular attention to housing.

This is another observation worth considering.

A household can rise above an official income threshold and still struggle to pay for adequate food, decent housing, education, healthcare, transportation and other necessities. It can remain one illness, job loss, disaster, or sudden price increase away from financial distress.

For many ordinary Filipinos, this distinction is not academic. A family that can technically meet a statistical threshold but cannot afford nutritious food, secure housing or necessary medical care would hardly regard itself as having escaped poverty.

The country should therefore celebrate the 9.7-percent figure without treating it as the final word on poverty.

The next step should be a serious review of how poverty is measured. Income-based poverty incidence remains indispensable, but it could be complemented by measures of housing adequacy, food security, access to healthcare and education, employment quality, debt vulnerability and exposure to economic shocks.

The objective should not be to make the poverty figure look worse. It should be to make it more truthful.

Reaching single-digit poverty ahead of 2028 is a milestone worthy of national recognition. But the more meaningful victory will come when fewer Filipinos are merely above the poverty line—and more are securely beyond the conditions that make poverty a daily reality.

The country has crossed an important statistical threshold. Now it must ensure that the threshold itself reflects the lives of the people it is meant to measure.

You have found favor with God

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 22, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 21, 2026 04:27 pm

REFLECTIONS TODAY

The feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1954, honors Mary not only as the Mother of God but also as our Queen, reigning with Christ in glory. This feast draws inspiration from Scriptures. The book of Revelation speaks of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (12:1). This image fittingly illustrates Mary, the mother of the Messiah, now gloriously crowned in heaven. In his Letter to the Romans, Paul writes about God’s purpose and predestination, reminding us of Mary’s unique role in salvation history (8:28-30). The Gospel, in turn, points not to a grand lady, but to a humble handmaid of the Lord who obeys his bidding. But because the Lord looks upon her lowliness, people of all ages will call her blessed (Lk 1:48).

Mary’s queenship, as all her other states and privileges, is intimately associated with Jesus. As Jesus’ kingship is marked by his being the Good Shepherd, Mary’s queenship is characterized by maternal care that embraces all her children, especially those in need. She is our advocate, our sweetness, and our hope. She listens to our prayers, comforts us in our sorrows, and leads us to her Son. Just as she interceded for the bride and groom at the wedding feast in Cana, she is present in our lives, interceding for us before her Son, Jesus.

First Reading • Is 9:1-6 [or Ez 43:1-7ab]

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!

Responsorial Psalm • Ps 113 [or 85]

“Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.” or “Alleluia.”

Gospel • Lk 1:26-38 [or Mt 23:1-12]

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

Alas Pilipinas closes breakthrough worlds campaign in style

 Physiotherapist Hannah de Luna, Resty Olaguir, Jhenica Sadia, Nadeth Herbon, Xyz Rayco, Madele Gale, Jhaynna Bulandres, Sharina Lleses, Caera Celis, Jello Mauricio, (front) Taj Teves, Khaira Manzano. (Volleyball World)

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 20, 2026 01:36 pm

SANTIAGO, Chile — Built on just days of preparation and modest financial support, Caera Celis, Xyz Rayco, Jhaynna Bulandres, Irish Mahinay, Khaira Manzano and the rest of Alas Pilipinas Girls reached uncharted territory.

At the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship, Alas Pilipinas—supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and Asics—showed the talent and resolve to compete among the best, entering the tournament ranked No. 25 and finishing in 15th spot.

The Alas Pilipinas Girls closed the tournament on a high, shaking off early troubles to defeat Czechia, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Parque Estadio Nacional.

The victory capped a campaign that included a historic berth in the Round of 16 and gave the Philippines its best finish in any volleyball world championship.

Celis noted that while every moment of the tournament was special, nothing beats the feeling of winning.

“We learned a lot from every game, even when we made mistakes,” Celis said. “But the victories were for sure the most fun we had here.”

Celis, who scored 25 against Czechia, had a tournament average of 18 points per match. She matched the tournament’s third-highest total score of 162 and was fourth in total attack points at 141.

Rayni Merab Mondesi Arias of the Dominican Republic topped both departments with 217 attack points and 235 total.

Rayco, meanwhile, matched the ninth-best total in the tournament for successful receives at 38, while averaging 9.33 points. Nadeth Herbon matched the 14th-best total at 33. Chinese Taipei’s Ting-yi Chen had the highest total of 88.

Herbon, who played outside hitter twice while taking the role of libero in the other matches, was 11th in the digs department with 95. Peru’s libero Vannia Giordana Adrianzen Ocrospoma led the field with 166.

Mahinay had 15 aces to match the sixth-highest total. Italy’s Beatrice Scalzotto topped the list with 23.

While they are being celebrated back home for breaking new ground, the team that also features Madele Gale, Megan Hernandez, Sharina Rhyza Lleses, Nadeth Herbon and Resty Olaguir were quick to keep the focus on the experience they shared rather than comparisons with previous national teams.

The Alas Pilipinas team featuring Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas came within a couple of points of reaching the Round of 16 before finishing 19th at last year’s FIVB Men’s World Championship. The 1974 Philippine women’s team placed 18th in the 1974 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Mexico.

Frances Ramos, Jello Mauricio, Jhenica Sadia and Taj Arkhea Teves also played key roles as Alas Pilipinasmade it to the Round of 16 with a 2-3 record, beating world No. 8 Mexico in four sets and sweeping past No. 20 Tunisia.

The USA won the gold medal match against Turkiye, 25-23, 25-11, 25-23.

Protecting the Filipino youth in the digital space

 

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 18, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 17, 2026 04:53 pm

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has raised a concern that deserves far more than passing attention: the growing influence of social media and online personalities, including politicians, on children and young people.

Speaking before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) in Malacañang, the President warned about children’s exposure to harmful online content and distorted realities.

His observation comes at a critical time. For Filipino children, the smartphone is no longer merely a communication device. It has multiple functions: classroom, playground, entertainment center and, increasingly, a source of news and political information. The line separating the conveyance of factual information from engaging in persuasion can be dangerously thin.

That young Filipinos have, in fact, become more politically aware is not being disputed. The concern is whether they are being equipped to distinguish fact from fiction and public service from self-promotion.

Unscrupulous politicians possess an unprecedented ability to communicate directly with young audiences, bypassing traditional media filters and reaching them through short videos, memes, influencers and algorithmically curated feeds. What attracts attention is not necessarily what is true or socially beneficial. Content that provokes anger, fear or amusement can travel faster than careful explanations of complex public issues.

Are our safeguards adequate? Clearly, they need strengthening.

The Philippines already has laws and institutions addressing cybercrime, child exploitation, data privacy and online harms. Congress is also considering stronger measures. A House proposal would prohibit children below the age of 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts and require platforms to implement reliable age-verification systems and safeguards against evasion. A Senate measure has proposed raising the threshold to age 16.

These initiatives merit serious consideration, but legislation alone will not solve the problem. A prohibition that cannot be effectively enforced risks becoming another rule honored more in the breach than in practice.

There are useful lessons to be learned from other countries.

Australia now requires age-restricted social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent those below age 16 from holding accounts. Its approach is backed by an independent online safety regulator and consultation involving industry, educators, researchers, parents and young people themselves.

Britain, meanwhile, is examining minimum-age requirements alongside restrictions on risky design features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, while considering how age-assurance technology can support implementation.

The lesson is not necessarily to copy Australia’s under-16 model wholesale. It is to build a comprehensive ecosystem of protection: enforceable platform responsibility, privacy-conscious age assurance, parental guidance, school-based digital and media literacy, accessible reporting mechanisms, and meaningful penalties for platforms that repeatedly fail to protect children.

Equally important is teaching young Filipinos how algorithms work and why their feeds are not neutral windows to reality. Critical thinking must become as essential a digital skill as reading and writing.

Government, platforms, schools, parents and the news media all have responsibilities. So do political leaders. Those who seek the attention and trust of young people must recognize that influence carries a corresponding obligation to uphold truth, civility and democratic values.

The President’s warning should, therefore, become a call to action for responsible digital citizenship.

The objective should be neither to keep young Filipinos away from the digital world nor to dictate what they should think. It is to ensure that when they enter that world, they are sufficiently informed, critical and discerning to decide for themselves.

In a democracy, protecting young minds is ultimately about protecting the quality of tomorrow’s electorate.

Revisit Manila Bay reclamation projects before floods worsen

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 16, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 15, 2026 04:59 pm

The flooding that has battered Metro Manila and nearby provinces in recent days should prompt the government to look beyond the immediate causes of the disaster. Heavy rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon, compounded by other weather disturbances, undoubtedly overwhelmed communities. Garbage clogging waterways has also aggravated the problem.

The causes, while valid, should not become convenient excuses for avoiding a more fundamental question: Where is the floodwater supposed to go?

Metro Manila’s flood-management strategy cannot be reduced to clearing drains, widening waterways, building pumping stations and constructing flood-control structures. These measures address the movement of water inland. But they do not fully answer the equally important question of where that water will ultimately be discharged.

For decades, Manila Bay has functioned as the region’s natural drain for runoff from rivers, esteros, and drainage systems. Yet reclamation has progressively altered portions of the bay’s physical character, reducing open water and changing the coastline.

This does not mean every reclamation project can automatically be blamed for a particular flood. Nor does the Archimedes principle, by itself, establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between reclamation and inland flooding. But its fundamental lesson is difficult to ignore: when physical space in water is occupied, displaced water must go somewhere.

In a shallow, semi-enclosed body such as Manila Bay, changing the bay’s geometry can affect water movement, circulation, tidal exchange and drainage. If reclamation reduces available water space or obstructs natural pathways, the displaced water and altered flows may increase pressure on already vulnerable shorelines, river mouths and drainage outlets. Those consequences deserve rigorous, cumulative scientific assessment—not assumptions made after disasters occur.

That is why the Department of Environment and Natural Resources must fast-track its cumulative impact assessment of Manila Bay reclamation projects.

The need is hardly theoretical. The DENR has previously acknowledged the necessity of examining reclamation projects collectively because their combined environmental effects cannot adequately be understood by assessing each undertaking in isolation. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has required government agencies under its continuing writ of mandamus to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay.

The Court has also specifically required government agencies to report on ongoing reclamation projects and their environmental impact assessments in connection with Manila Bay.

Government agencies charged with enforcing that continuing mandamus therefore cannot afford complacency. Rehabilitation and protection of Manila Bay must mean more than improving water quality and removing trash. It must also mean protecting the bay’s capacity to perform its broader environmental and hydrological functions.

The proposed garbage master plan and more efficient flood-control projects are necessary and welcome. But they represent only half of the solution.

The other half is the receiving end.

It is not enough to ask how quickly floodwater can be moved away from homes and roads. Policymakers must also answer where millions of cubic meters of water will go once they reach the drainage system.

If Manila Bay is the natural receiving basin, then the government must determine whether reclamation is diminishing that capacity—and, if so, by how much and with what consequences.

Development has its place. Reclamation may generate economic activity, create land, and support urban expansion. But no development should be allowed to externalize its environmental costs onto flood-prone communities.

The government should therefore revisit Manila Bay reclamation projects now, while there is still time to correct the course.

The question is no longer simply how to control the flood, but where to let the floodwater go.

Reining in the power giants

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 15, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Aug 14, 2026 04:32 pm

When the Philippines passed the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) in 2001, the promise was to privatize state power assets, unleash open competition, and lower electricity rates for Filipino consumers burdened by some of the highest utility bills in Asia. Twenty-five years later, that promise remains unfulfilled.

Instead of a dynamic energy market, the reform gave rise to a tight corporate oligopoly. According to recent research from the state-run Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), just five conglomerates control roughly 85 percent of the country’s installed generation capacity—with the two largest groups accounting for 43 percent alone.

As President Marcos and lawmakers move to amend the two-decade-old law, the government must admit that the original EPIRA rules failed to stop market concentration, and consumers pay for that failure every month. If Congress wants to lower power costs and protect the grid, it must use the pending EPIRA amendments to tighten competition safeguards, overhaul regulatory oversight, and close the loopholes that allow power giants to police themselves.

The core issue comes down to how EPIRA defined market caps. On paper, the generation sector looks reasonably competitive because a long tail of small suppliers dilutes the math. But in reality, a handful of mega-conglomerates hold all the leverage. The PIDS paper points out that these incumbents often act as “pivotal suppliers”—meaning their plants must run to meet peak demand, giving them outsized influence over spot market prices. To make matters worse, these same fossil-fuel giants are moving quickly to lock down renewable energy projects, threatening to block new competitors as the country shifts toward clean power.

Fixing this requires targeting the ways power companies pass costs onto everyday customers. The most glaring conflict of interest occurs when a power distributor buys electricity from its own sister company. Current rules allow a utility to source up to 50 percent of its power from affiliated generators. That threshold is far too loose, offering virtually no protection against self-dealing and inflated pricing.

Lawmakers should back proposals like Senate Bill 1950, which applies the strict definition of corporate “control” established by the Philippine Competition Act. Crucially, the antitrust watchdog—the Philippine Competition Commission—should lead investigations into unfair business practices, while the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) focuses on penalizing offenders based on those findings.

Of course, better rules will not matter if the referee lacks teeth. The ERC has struggled for years with backlogs, regulatory capture, and shortage of technical expertise. Congress should raise the maximum fine for anti-competitive behavior from a harmless ₱50 million to half a billion pesos, index it to inflation, and require companies to refund consumers. Penalties must actually hurt the corporate balance sheet rather than serve as a minor cost of doing business. Adding a dedicated economist to the commission and setting firm deadlines for decisions would also help clear the backlog.

At the same time, lawmakers must avoid taking steps backward. Proposals to let the state-owned National Power Corp. build and operate power plants nationwide risk driving away private capital, warping market prices, and sticking taxpayers with the bill. State power generation should remain strictly limited to off-grid areas and islands where private companies refuse to go.

EPIRA was originally written to dismantle a slow and expensive state monopoly, but it has created a private cartel instead. By adopting the practical reforms put forward by PIDS, Congress has a chance to fix this broken system. It is time to rewrite the rules so the power sector serves the public rather than a few powerful business interests.

Philippines risks missing AI boom as BPO jobs face automation threat

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 13, 2026 04:53 pm

The Philippines risks falling behind the artificial intelligence (AI) boom as it benefits less from the surge in AI-related electronics exports while its massive business process outsourcing (BPO) industry faces growing exposure to automation, according to think tank Capital Economics.

In a report last Wednesday, Aug. 12, Capital Economics senior Asia economist Gareth Leather said the country is neither benefiting significantly from the increase in AI-related electronics exports nor well positioned to capture the productivity gains from wider AI adoption.

“The Philippines risks falling behind in the AI revolution,” Capital Economics said.  

The report noted that electronics exports have surged across much of Asia over the past year as companies increased production and raised prices of semiconductors and other components used in AI infrastructure, with particularly strong growth in Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.

By contrast, Capital Economics said Philippine electronics exports have risen at a much weaker pace.

The think tank also noted that the Philippines ranked 43rd out of 47 economies in its AI Economic Impact Index, with a score of just 21 out of 100. The index assesses economies’ ability to innovate, adopt, and benefit from AI, with the Philippines ranking at the bottom among the Asian economies covered.

Manila Bulletin reported last February that the Philippines also ranked last among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-5 economies covered by the index, behind Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The country was among the bottom five globally, alongside Mexico, South Africa, Ukraine, and Argentina.   

Capital Economics said the bigger economic risk lies in the country’s BPO industry, which directly employs around 1.8 million workers, generates roughly $40 billion in annual export revenues, and accounts for around seven to eight percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Many services provided by the industry, including customer support, back-office administration, finance and accounting, routine information technology (IT) support, and other repetitive cognitive tasks, are activities that AI is increasingly capable of automating, it noted.

Around 70 percent of Philippine BPO revenues remain linked to voice-based services, where AI-powered chatbots and voice assistants are rapidly improving, according to Capital Economics.

While AI is not expected to eliminate these jobs immediately, industry estimates cited by the think tank suggest that around one million BPO-related jobs in the Philippines could be vulnerable to automation by 2030.

Capital Economics contrasted the Philippines with India, which has developed a broader technology base through global capability centers focused on software engineering, product development, and higher-value business functions.

The think tank noted that the Philippines has more resilient niches, including complex healthcare BPO and higher-value customer support, where regulatory requirements and the need for human judgment offer some protection. However, these account for only around 20 percent of the industry, while the majority of revenues remain concentrated in routine customer experience and back-office functions that are more exposed to automation.   

Capital Economics warned that without the deeper pool of technical talent and IT capabilities available in countries such as India to absorb workers into higher-value roles, “AI is more likely to substitute for Philippine BPO workers than complement them.”

The warning comes as the Philippines seeks to attract AI, semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, and other high-value investments through its participation in the United States (US)-led Pax Silica initiative.

The Philippines and the US are developing a nearly 1,619-hectare (ha) economic security zone in New Clark City in Tarlac province, envisioned as the first AI-native industrial acceleration hub under Pax Silica. The facility is expected to accommodate investments in critical mineral processing, semiconductor design and manufacturing, AI infrastructure, high-performance computing, energy, and digital infrastructure.

The Philippines joined Pax Silica in April as the alliance’s 13th member. The initiative seeks to strengthen supply chains spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, logistics, and AI infrastructure. - Danielle T. Bayani