Philippines News

GLOBE announced Tuesday, July 18, 2023, the first closing of 115 towers sold to Unity Digital Infrastructure (Unity) for a cash consideration of P1.4 billion.

This transaction marks the first tranche of the 447 sale-and-leaseback deal with Unity.

The tower assets are composed of 94 percent ground-based towers and six percent rooftop towers in Luzon.

The first closing was accomplished after just over two months from the signing of the sale and leaseback transaction for the fourth portfolio back in May.

With this recent closing, Globe already raised approximately P49.3 billion, reaching around 51 percent of the tower deal by officially turning over the ownership of 3,826 out of 7,506 towers sold. (PR)

The saying “wealth shall not last two generations” conveys a powerful message to all family members struggling to keep the business out of harm’s way. Some organizations succeed and overcome a very important generational challenge, but many family enterprises succumb to internal pressures and fail to reach the third generation. Before you rush to judgment and label my perspective as pessimistic, I want you to reflect on why this adage is real. Through my years of experience in resolving family conflicts in Asia, I can confidently assert that family wealth is even more prone to rapid dissipation, often failing to extend beyond the second generation.

Wealth often disappears due to a combination of factors stemming from changes in attitudes, behaviors, and circumstances during the transfer of wealth across generations. I have listed below a good number of compelling reasons to support my pronouncement that wealth will not last two generations — all culled from my experience mentoring next-generation family members — and at the core of these reasons lies a lack of survival instinct and/or a low adversity quotient (AQ).

Lack of survival instinct/adversity quotient

I often hear this statement from founders: “It is heartbreaking that my children lack survival instinct. They are living a comfortable life and have been sheltered for many years — so different from what I went through when I was their age.” This sentiment resonates within numerous family-owned businesses, highlighting a perceived decline in entrepreneurial drive, resilience, and determination observed in first-generation founders. Such decline can lead to challenges to maintaining and growing the family business across generations. The lack of AQ among next-generation family members can be concerning. Growing up in an environment of wealth and privilege may limit their exposure to hardships, resulting in reduced resilience and problem-solving skills. A low AQ can hinder their ability to handle challenges in the family business, reducing their preparedness for leadership and potentially impacting the long-term success and continuity of the enterprise. I am sharing some reasons why many next-generation leaders have a low AQ.

No. 1: Irresponsible wealth transfer

Transferring wealth to your children can be dangerous if not done thoughtfully and responsibly. In 2011, movie star Jackie Chan announced that he had decided to give away half of his money to charity when he dies. Chan added that he was not planning to leave any of the millions of dollars he made during his film career to his son, Jaycee.

“If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money,” Channel News Asia quoted Chan as saying.

Inherited wealth can foster entitlement, diminish work ethic, and perpetuate social inequality. It may create dependency, erode personal responsibility, and disconnect individuals from the value of hard-earned money. Unearned riches can breed complacency, stifling ambition and promoting a lack of accountability. With newfound wealth, you can expect family conflicts and identity issues to follow. Ultimately, it can hinder personal growth, impede social mobility, and widen the wealth gap. Nevertheless, the impact of inherited wealth varies among individuals, and proactive measures such as financial education and responsible wealth management can mitigate its adverse effects and promote positive outcomes.

Due to the inherited wealth, next-generation family members frequently experience heightened financial security during their upbringing. This increased security may diminish the need for the same level of survival instincts exhibited by the first generation, who might have faced greater financial uncertainty and risk.

Part 2 will be published next week, but in the meantime, in line with our discussion on family business continuity and to aid you in securing a lasting legacy for your business that goes beyond just the second generation, I am thrilled to announce an upcoming event on Aug. 19, 2023, titled “Family Business Continuity: Ensuring a Fail-Proof Succession Plan.” As the moderator and co-resource speaker, I will be joined by esteemed global thought leader and Harvard senior lecturer Dr. Josh Baron, AGI chief executive officer (CEO) Kevin Tan and JG Summit president and CEO Lance Gokongwei, who will share their invaluable insights and experiences on business longevity, leadership, generational transition, and succession planning.

Given the significance of this event, I encourage all families who are actively seeking to secure their business success to reserve their spots as soon as possible, as seating is limited. To register and obtain further information, please reach out to Marivi Estrada of ICON Executive Asia at 0977-835-5533.

MORE coins are expected to be recirculated in the market following the central bank’s move to increase the legal tender limit of Philippine coins per transaction.

From the previous limit of P1,000, consumers can now use 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-Piso coins as payment or change for amounts not exceeding P2,000.

They can also pay 1-, 5-, 10-, and 25-Sentimo coins for amounts not exceeding P200 per transaction from the previous P100 limit.

“The central bank encourages the public to use and accept coins in cash transactions to promote the efficient recirculation of coins in the country,” the central bank said.

Moreover, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said coins may be used and accepted in amounts higher than the legal tender limits provided that both payer and payee mutually agree to transact using quantities of coins above said limits.

Earlier, the BSP 7 conducted a program dubbed Piso Caravan in the Mandaue City Public Market to entice consumers to exchange their coins kept in storage with new banknotes from the BSP.

The BSP also deployed coin deposit machines in select malls in Metro Manila to encourage the public to deposit their idle coins stored in their jars, piggy banks, and other containers.

The coin deposit machines accept all denominations (i.e., 1-, 5-, 10-, and 25-Sentimo; and 1-, 5-, 10-, and 20-Piso) of the BSP Coin Series and the New Generation Currency Coin Series.

By depositing idle coins into these machines, depositors can receive the corresponding value in their e-wallet through GCash or store vouchers that are as good as cash.

GCash is the first Electronic Money Institution provider that successfully integrated with the coin deposit machines.

Coin shortage

Retailer Robert Go, spokesperson of the Philippine Retailers Association-Cebu Chapter, said the central bank’s coin recirculation program will benefit retailers who have been having difficulty dispensing coins as change.

“We have to go to churches to buy the coins at higher amount to get priority. There is still lack of coins until today,” he said in a past interview.

The total number of coins in circulation—whether inside pockets or stored or perhaps even forgotten—reached 39.1 billion at end-April 2023.

“This translates to an average of 358 coins per Filipino. This figure is nearly triple the 121 coins per capita in 2005,” said then BSP governor Felipe Medalla.

“Despite the sheer number of coins in circulation, we face an ‘artificial’coin shortage due to various reasons. But in some cases, it’s because some coins are left idle. Ideally, coins should change hands weekly but that doesn’t seem to be the case,” Medalla said. (KOC)

LAPU-LAPU City, as the new meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) destination in Cebu, gets a lift with the construction of a standalone Mactan Expo Center inside Megaworld’s 30-hectare township—The Mactan Newtown.

The firm, owned by billionaire Andrew Tan, is infusing P1.5 billion for the construction of Mactan Expo Center that will break ground this year. This project is expected to be completed in 2025.

“We hope to build another iconic landmark not just for Mactan but for the entire province of Cebu. This convention center will be a unique standalone structure that will help boost the province’s booming Mice industry,” said Kevin Tan, chief strategy officer of Megaworld, in a statement.

Mactan Expo Center’s development is expected to generate at least 2,000 jobs—1,500 of which will be employed in the construction and 500 for the actual operations once the project is completed.

But its impact to the community is immeasurable, according to Harold Geronimo, vice president for public relations and media affairs at Megaworld, as the project is seen to amplify business activities and propel livelihoods in the community in transport, retail such as sari-sari stores, and other sectors.

“That’s the beauty of the Mice. That is why a lot of the regions are focusing on setting up Mice facilities because Mice is 10x the revenue of just putting up a destination,” said Cleofe Albiso, managing director at Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, adding that all tourism-relations businesses from souvenir shops to travel agencies get to benefit from this market.

“It’s the whole gamut of the entire tourism ecosystem that gets to benefit from setting up a Mice facility,” she said.

Features

Located across the 550-room Belmont Hotel Mactan along Newtown Boulevard, the Mactan Expo Center will offer almost a hectare of Mice space.

The ground level will feature a convention hall that can accommodate up to 2,500 people for theater-type setup, and 1,600 people for banquet-style set-up.

The convention hall can also be divided into three smaller halls that can accommodate around 700 to 900 persons per hall for theater-style, and 500 to 600 persons per hall for banquet-style layout.

At the mezzanine level, the expo center will have two meeting rooms for smaller and intimate events.

Each meeting room can accommodate up to 100 persons for banquet-style layout and around 150 persons for theater-style layout. Both meeting rooms may be combined into a single venue.

Beneficial

According to Graham Coates, first vice president and head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, the Mactan Expo Center is seen to boost the Mice tourism of Cebu, particularly in Lapu-Lapu City that is globally known as a leisure destination owing to its pristine beaches.

“We’ve already created a vibrant township and this new expo center will add to what we have. This is going to take the township to the next level,” said Coates. “It’s near the Mactan-Cebu International Airport so it’s going to be convenient for business travelers.”

Coates said the Mactan Expo Center is set to complement the ongoing development inside the township which already has the beachfront, residential, office, hotel, school and commercial components.

“We expect this (project to be) a leveling up of our proposition here in Cebu,” he added. “This Mice facility will drive traffic to our township project in Mactan,” said Coates.

Albiso expects the facility to host various events from small to large-scale Mice activities.

“Mactan is beautiful in itself and it’s going to be a good combination of business and leisure offering. We see that this is not only going to attract the local Mice market but also we see its regional potential. This is a lot of boost for the Cebu economy,” she said.

The Mactan Newtown already has two hotel properties operated and managed by Megaworld Hotels & Resorts. These are the 547-room Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown and the 550-room Belmont Hotel Mactan.

“Our hotel properties within The Mactan Newtown will be ready to handle the accommodation requirements of the Mactan Expo Center. And one thing everyone should look forward to about the Mactan Expo Center is the fact that it will just be a few steps away to the beach,” said Albiso.

Moreover, the upcoming Mice facility is seen to make the township a desirable place to invest in.

“Because of this, there will a demand for real estate properties. The property will definitely go up because of the demand, giving our investors higher return on their investments,” said Jennifer Palmares-Fong, first vice president for sales and marketing of Megaworld Visayas.

Green project

The Mactan Expo Center will also be positioned as a green Mice facility as it will comply with the requirements of the Philippine Green Building Council.

It will integrate sustainability features into the structure, such as the use of low emissivity façade glass, low flow water fixtures, and having its own rainwater recycling facility as well as a sewage treatment plant and materials recovery facility.

The Mactan Newtown is one of 30 township developments by Megaworld.

This 30-hectare township project has already utilized more than 50 percent of its space.

Since its entry to Cebu in 2012, the company has already poured more than P10 billion in investments in Lapu-Lapu City. (KOC)

Caster Semenya, a South African Olympic runner, won her discrimination case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) last week. Yet paradoxically, Semenya and many other women athletes may still be banned from competing in sports under World Athletics

The poll showed that 80% of 1,200 respondents agree with the idea of bringing back the April and May summer break for students. Eleven percent cannot say if they agree or disagree, and only 8% said they disagree. 

ALEX Santisima Jr. is raring to go for the first title fight of his young pro career.

The 23-year-old Santisima Jr. faces the stiffest test of his career thus far, as he takes on fellow unbeaten up-and-comer Arnel Buyoc for the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) super bantamweight strap in one of the featured bouts of Manny Pacquiao’s “Blow by Blow” boxing series on July 29, 2023 at the Filoil Eco Oil Center in San Juan City, Metro Manila.

“He’s doing well. He’s excited because this is a PBF title fight,” Santisima Jr.’s trainer, former ALA Boy Michael Domingo, told SunStar Cebu. “This will be a good match because they are undefeated. I know both of them will do their best so that their undefeated record won’t be tainted.”

Santisima Jr., the younger brother of one-time world title challenger Jeo Santisima, has had an impressive pro career so far. He turned pro in 2021 and scored a fourth-round stoppage of Jay Ar Arnates in 2021 in Talisay City. Santisima Jr. had a breakout year in 2022 after winning all four of his fights, which included a huge split-decision win over former regional champion and amateur stud Jess Rhey Waminal.

“Alex is more than ready. He’s had lots of quality sparring,” said Domingo.

For this camp, Santisima Jr. sparred with the likes of four-division world champion Donnie Nietes, world-rated Esneth Domingo, former Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super bantamweight title holder Pete Apolinar, Japanese amateur pug Kiyoto Narukami and his brother Gabriel Santisima.

On the other hand, Buyoc is coming back from a 15-month layoff. His last fight was back on April 26, 2022, wherein he scored a ninth-round stoppage of battle-scarred veteran Marzon Cabilla.

Santisima Jr. is 6-0 with two knockouts, while Buyoc is 8-0-1 with a knockout.

In the other main feature, Kenneth Llover (9-0, 6 KOs) will trade leather with fellow unbeaten James Pagaling (8-0, 5 KOs) for the vacant Philippine Games and Amusements Board Youth bantamweight belt.

In the undercard, Cebuano John May Acope (4-1-1, 2 KOs) will be up against Dennis Endar (4-1-1, 3 KOs), Arvin John Sampaga (6-0, 3 KOs) will square off with Lorenz Dumam-ag (6-0-1, 4 KOs), Jimmy Canu (4-1, 1 KO) will fight Dannel Maamo (5-0, KOs), Bryan Cabrillos (3-0, 3 KOs) will lock horns with Harry Villena (2-0), Carl Jeffrey Basil (3-2, 2 KOs) will clash with Jerico Tanate (2-2) and Ronald Blanco (1-0) will slug it out with JM Guntayon (0-1). (EKA)

THE Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) has added another school to its fold in Benedicto College.

The Cesafi board gave the green light for Benedicto College to join the Cesafi in a board meeting held on July 11, 2023. This development adds another layer of excitement to Cebu City’s preeminent inter-school competition.

Benedicto College will compete in the collegiate basketball tournament where it will join fellow newcomer University of the Philippines Cebu and the returning Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma. SWU took a leave of absence in the collegiate basketball wars last year, which was won by the University of the Visayas Green Lancers.

Aside from college basketball, Benedicto College will be participating also in other team and individual sports.

In a separate development, the Cesafi board also elected a new president in lawyer Paulino Yabao, who’s president of the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation Inc. Yabao takes the place of engineer Bernard Nicholas Villamor, president of Cebu Institute of Technology-University, who recently ended his term. (JNP)

CS4 and Avantrac forged a finals rematch after they defeated their respective opponents in the semifinals of the Architects + Engineers 6th Corporate Cup on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at the Don Bosco Technical College–Cebu in Labangon, Cebu City.

CS4 rallied from a massive 24-point deficit to take down the Paragsa Design and Consultancy Services, 75-62. John Bautista led the way with 23 points and six rebounds, while Ed Macasling added 16 points, four assists and four steals.

Eric Pummer added 15 points and seven boards, even as Kyle Esbra fired in 14 points and four rebounds.

Avantrac, on the other hand, routed Sinclair Paint, 83-64. Trionz Bactol led Avantrac with 18 points while Lawrence Gayotin narrowly missed out on a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. Romy Faunillan had 14 points and three assists.

The two squads will face off for the title this Saturday at the same venue. (JNP)

THE Harley Davidson-2014 exacted a measure of revenge against their finals tormentors from last season, Heritage Supreme Land Developer-2012, as they upended the reigning champions, 68-66, at the start of Division C action in the 26th season of the Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association (SHAABAA) basketball tournament on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at the Magis Eagles Arena in Mandaue City.

Team 2014 got off to a fast start and led by as much as 16 early on, 18-2, before 2012 found their bearings and made it a close game in the final canto. The unfazed 2014 made all the stops down the stretch to hack out the win.

Lucky Ecarma had a monster ballgame, compiling 28 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Popoy Navarro added 19 points, six boards and five dimes.

Rev-Rev Diputado had 39 points and 10 rebounds for 2012, which won over 2014 in a hotly contested three-game series last year. However, 2012 could not find the mark on Sunday, making just 31 percent of their attempts from the field.

Meanwhile, Batch 2020 bested Batch 2022, 77-74. It was a sorry loss for 2022, which led most of the way, and entered the final canto up by 10, 65-55.

Mitch Almodal had 19 points and six rebounds, Zeke Himaya added 18 points and nine boards, while Ariel Dinglasan finished with a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds for the victorious side. (JNP)

Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court ruled Tuesday that an investigation into the Philippines' so-called "war on drugs" can resume, rejecting Manila's objections to the case going ahead at the global court.

The court's investigation was suspended in late 2021 after the Philippines said it was already probing the same allegations and argued that the ICC - a court of last resort - therefore didn't hav

“The map is not the territory.” - Alfred Korzybski

China and Russia can have and keep their respective maps with all their might. In the case of China, it is its map of the entire West Philippines Sea, but not the Sea itself because no Philippine territory is owned by any foreign country.

In China’s nine-line map, the Chinese officials are free to do all the aggressions and bullying they want to do and no nation will protest, not even the Philippines. They can build as many illegal structures there as they want and our government will not file for sure a single note verbale because Filipinos respect China’s dignity and recognizes its ownership of the “nine-dash line” map.

Furthermore, there is no need for the Philippine government (in such an instance) to assert the ruling of the Arbitral Court that found out the truth just as there is no more need for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to prepare for the defense of our maritime territory against China.

And what about the Philippines continually expecting the promised support/backing of big, developed nations like the United States, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, the entire European Union and many other thinking nations for any eventuality -- in defense of what belongs to Filipinos in the disputed sea? By the way, China’s nine-line is stranger than fiction according to world experts.

Are you willing/ready and capable to go to war with the world, dear China? German Chancellor/dictator Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 which triggered the World War 2, yet Hitler was the one who ended up invaded by hell as he ultimately committed suicide in 1945, out of frustration and desperation, or guilt. Aside from many other lesser crimes against humanity that evil Hitler committed, he massacred over six million Jews at the altar of his selfish/narcissistic ambition. Unforgivable.

Pray that Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin would take a cue from Hitler’s colossal blunder -- vis-a-vis the West Philippine Sea, Ukraine and Taiwan.

I read somewhere in the internet two years ago about a superpower nation in the West that has advanced scientifically and technologically in ways unprecedented and unparalleled in the matter of military might. Shortly after I finished reading the said science article, I was led to ask: What nation could be more powerful than this nation which has the knack/capability, an unseen weaponry or “mechanism” in its space to detect and redirect any kind of nuclear bomb/arsenal launched against it -- back to its point of origin?

Watch out and wise up, China, Russia (and North Korea). Learn from world history before it’s too late. Wouldn’t you behave and allow sanity, civility, reason and peace to prevail? What seems to be so difficult about it when it won’t even cost you a dime or a single, precious human life to do it? Remember, good always triumphs over bad.

My reaction to Mayor Michael Rama’s State of the City Address (Soca) is nothing short of utter dejection. Using the first letters of Barug to list down his achievements was vintage Rama rhetoric. He boasted of improving, not of having improved, everything else other than the quality of life of the citizens of Cebu City, most especially of small folks who need government help the most.

He bragged about better business environment and employment opportunities. But his physical improvement of Carbon market has actually deprived ambulant vendors of their livelihood and caused their spirits to sag.

He made a big deal out of resettling informal settlers of river easement areas. The reality, however, is that some whose houses have been demolished and others who are threatened with demolition received only a one-time cash assistance or promise thereof but emphatically told, request after request, to expect nothing more. This is a flagrant violation of a constitutional provision that disallows demolition without proper compensation and relocation.

And whatever makes him think he gets bragging rights for burdening citizens with a higher real property tax?

How too, if not for lack of anything socially relevant to say, has his forced transfer of the Sinulog venue to SRP (South Road Properties) become a feat worth bragging about? What benefits exactly did citizens get when he imposed the transfer in spite of adverse ground conditions and contrary opinions? The move might have benefitted SM, Nustar and IL Corso but definitely not the devotees of Sto. Niño who were in fact greatly inconvenienced by it.

Mayor Rama has done nothing to improve the lives of Cebu’s small people. He talks big but nothing is really happening on the ground to improve the lives of Cebu City’s marginalized sector. He is improving the business environment only for big business.

He tags his Singapore-like dream as “everybody’s” dream. By everybody he must mean his political sycophants. In any case, it is a flight of fancy that has been dead in the water from the very start. All one has to do is observe the City’s irregular and haphazard garbage collection system. Another is to watch the floods rush in within minutes of a downpour on account of drainage being heavily clogged up by trash, plastics mostly.

Finally, he asks people not to be destructive. But he should be telling himself that because he’s the one destroying the lives of people when he displaces informal settlers and sweeps vendors and homeless folks from sidewalks without compensation and relocation, when he scatters ambulant vendors who must now look for their own sales nooks in the privatized zombie land that Carbon market has become for many of them.

And because he really has nothing to brag about other than quixotic dreams, he just had to resort to a PowerPoint presentation as a way of hiding behind pictures the cruel reality behind his flamboyant Soca. Nothing more than plain window dressing.

IN A bid to alleviate the worsening traffic congestion, the Cebu City Government has launched a comprehensive Road Recovery Program, along with several road widening and opening projects.

The Road Recovery Program, spearheaded by the city's Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), focuses on rehabilitating and improving existing roads to ensure smoother traffic flow, said Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo in an interview with SunStar’s online program “Beyond the Headlines” on Monday, July 17, 2023.

The program includes repairing potholes, resurfacing damaged roads, and enhancing road markings and signage for better visibility.

The City has also identified the urgent need for diversion roads to divert traffic away from heavily congested areas.

Guardo said one of the major projects under the Road Recovery Program is the construction of new diversion roads.

These roads will provide motorists with alternative routes, he said.

He added that the DPWH is working closely with urban planners and engineers to identify suitable locations for these diversion roads, ensuring they effectively alleviate traffic congestion.

Simultaneously, the City has initiated road widening projects to accommodate the growing number of vehicles.

Guardo said widening existing roads will not only increase their capacity but also enhance safety by providing additional lanes for motorists.

To ensure the success of these projects, the local government has allocated a significant budget for road infrastructure development.

The funds will be utilized for road repairs, widening, and the construction of diversion roads, said Guardo. (Juralyn Beso Baldomaro NWSSU intern)

Dela Rosa said that he has also not made arrangements for his legal defense if summoned by the international court, saying that he would just avoid traveling to countries “loyal” to the ICC.

IN PARTNERSHIP with the Philippine Accessible Disability Services Inc. (Pads), Kaabag Mandaue launched on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, this year’s Dragon Boat Regatta, inviting youth of all ages and gender to participate.

Dragon Boat Regatta is a grassroots program held by Kaabag and Pads annually, with last year’s being the first. The trainings will be held daily until the championship, which will be on August 19, 2023.

Youth aged 10 to 24 from 27 different barangays gathered at Pajara Park on Tuesday to participate in the first day of training.

A maximum of 22 individuals per barangay were allowed to participate, and every team had to have a female or LGBT member in order to qualify for the training.

Certified trainers from Pads Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team are leading the training, with participants undergoing rigorous exercises to promote camaraderie and holistic well-being.

“They get a lot of things aside from exercise, including teamwork and discipline. Just like now, for example, they really come here this early in the morning to be able to train,” said Kaabag president Karla Victoria Cortes.

The Mandaue City Government is in full support of the program, providing help through the Local Youth Development Office.

A general orientation was held at the start of the program Tuesday, discussing safety precautions and teaching newcomers how to paddle properly.

Life vests were provided to the participants in case they fall off their boats during the dragon boating session.

Volunteers from the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MCDRRMO) will also be present through the course of the training.

“They are located at three different areas around here so that they will be able to monitor and respond immediately in case an emergency happens,” said Cortes.

Training starts at 6 a.m. daily and will end depending on the training regimen set by the Pads trainers.

Snacks are also provided daily by Kaabag.

“Last year, when we did the Regatta Championships, the Philippine Sports Commission came here and said that is the biggest grassroots program in the country. We aim to still push through this year, we want to encourage the youth to come join us,” Cortes said in reference to last year’s championship.

This year’s championship will still be held at Pajara Park on August 19, 2023.

All 27 barangays from the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have been included in the program and will be competing in the championship.

Prizes are at stake, all sponsored by Kaabag.

Pads Dragon Boat Racing Team will be representing the Philippines at the 16th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Pattaya, Thailand on August 7-13, 2023.

The team brought home gold for the country in the previous year’s championship. (Miguel Angelu Lumen, CNU intern)

A CONSTRUCTION worker showed up at the wake held for a 62-year-old woman inside a chapel in Sitio San Roque, Barangay Luz, Cebu City on Monday night, July 17, 2023.

Instead of crying or offering a prayer, Bryan Tarucan, 41, broke the coffin’s glass and assaulted the dead.

The suspect’s older brother, Rex, said the suspect was not in the right state of mind as he was intoxicated.

The deceased’s relatives retaliated by mauling Tarucan, whose face was swollen with bruises and cuts.

Before the incident happened around 11 p.m., the drunken Tarucan entered the chapel hosting the wake. He then repeatedly pounded on the coffin’s glass until it shattered, Rex told SunStar Cebu in an interview.

After breaking the glass, Tarucan kept on pounding and hit the deceased multiple times.

He was stopped when the deceased’s irate relatives took turns in beating him until the police arrived.

Tarucan, a native of Borbon town, northern Cebu, was brought to the Mabolo Police Station 4. He will face a malicious mischief case. (BBT / TPT)

A WAKE was being conducted inside a chapel in Sitio San Roque, Barangay Luz, Cebu City, when a 41-year-old man who was believed drunk allegedly assaulted the deceased after breaking the glass of his coffin.

The incident happened about 11 p.m. on Monday, July 17, 2023.

The suspect was identified as Bryan Tarucan, 41, a construction worker from Borbon town, northern Cebu who currently resides in the said barangay with his live-in partner.

Rex Tarucan, the suspect's older brother, informed SunStar Cebu that his brother was intoxicated when he went by the chapel hosting a wake that night, entered the worship facility, and repeatedly shattered the coffin's glass.

The younger Tarucan pounded the corpse inside the casket after breaking the glass covering it.

The irate relatives took turns beating the suspect until the police arrived.

The suspect is currently detained at the Mabolo Police Station 4.

A case of malicious mischief will be filed against him.(BBT, TPT)

The kin of the EJK victims and their advocates said that they are ready to cooperate with the ICC as it pushes forward, with the decision building confidence for accountability for the killings.

U.S. lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would require the secretary of defense to develop a strategy for building 'Rings of Fire' in the Indo-Pacific region to shrink the missile gap with China in concert with allies.

Republican Representatives Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa introduced the Rings of Fire Act of 2023 on Friday.

"China's aggression is growing, and a strong de