The government should advance its fiscal consolidation through reduced borrowings and moderate spending to ensure sustainability of the country’s debt level, a state think tank said.
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Summer fashion is all about comfort for actress Julia Barretto.
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MANILA, Philippines — A 40-year-old construction worker was arrested on Monday, May 19, after hurling Molotov cocktails into an Iglesia ni Cristo church in Mauban, Quezon and threatened to return for a second attack.
The suspect, identified as Arjay Caliwanagan Esteves, allegedly entered the church premises in Barangay Soledad around 8 a.m. carrying three homemade explosives, according to a report by the Mauban Municipal Police Station.
Church members attempted to prevent the attack but were unsuccessful as Esteves broke through a jalousie window and threw the firebombs inside, causing fires both inside and outside the building.
“The suspect left the place and threatened that he would return and burn again the said church,” according to the police report.
Eduardo Diasanta Roazol, 68, the church’s Pangulong Diakolo (Officer-in-Charge), immediately reported the incident to authorities. Members of the congregation managed to extinguish the flames before they could spread throughout the structure.
Police responded to the scene by 8:30 a.m. and launched a manhunt operation that led to Esteves’ arrest in Barangay Sadsaran later that morning. Officers returned to the station with the suspect at approximately 9:50 a.m.
The attack caused an estimated P50,000 in damages to the building, according to the police report.
Esteves faces charges of alleged violation of Article 320 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Presidential Decrees 1613 and 1744, which pertains to destructive arson. — Cristina Chi
UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball Rookie of the Year and Far Eastern University standout Veejay Pre has parted ways with the Tamaraws.
In his social media post early Wednesday, Pre said leaving FEU “has been the hardest decision ever” as he considered his family’s input as well on his growth as an athlete.
“I believe that leaving and saying ‘goodbye’ is never easy and accepting things is the most painful part,” Pre wrote in the caption of his post.
“As an athlete, growth and improvement matters deeply. But there comes a time in our lives when challenges arise, pushing us to make difficult decisions. My family and I have come to a decision, and I’ve chosen to heed their wisdom and concerns. This made me realize how much they only want the best for me and I can’t deny that taking this big step forward has been the hardest decision ever.”
Pre, however, did not disclose where he is going next.
Confirmation of Pre’s departure from FEU came weeks after rumors and reports surfaced about his possible transfer.
FEU finished sixth in the elimination round of Season 87, but in high school, he led the Baby Tamaraws to a third-place finish. He last played for FEU in the UAAP 3×3 tournament.
Pre then thanked those who were part of his FEU journey.
“I owe FEU so much, and I will always treasure the good deeds, memories, lessons, heartbreaks, and laughter we’ve shared. I will be forever grateful as a “TAMARAW” and to have experienced the colorful life that FEU and its community bring,” he wrote.
“Forever blessed and thankful that once in my life, I was once called a “TAMARAW.”
“Once a Tamaraw, Always a “Tamaraw,”
Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University’s Kris Porter also parted ways with the Blue Eagles in a decision he announced on Tuesday.
“This was a really tough decision,” said Porter. “I spent my elementary years at Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu before moving to Ateneo de Manila for high school and college. Ateneo has always been home to me, but I had to make this choice — even if I don’t have concrete plans yet on where I’ll go next. I believe it’s a necessary step for my personal growth.”
Porter said he has not yet committed to another school.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
Sa mga nagbabalak ipatuli ang anak lalo ngayong bakasyon…Ingat po!
Humihingi ng hustisya ang isang pamilya sa Maynila matapos masawi ang sampung taong gulang nilang anak na nagpatuli sa isang lying-in clinic sa Tondo, Maynila.
Isang nagpakilalang doktor ang nag-opera sa bata.
Bago raw ang procedure, tinurukan ng anesthesia ang bata na nasa 20 cc ang dosage, ayon sa assistant ng clinic.
Pagkatapos ng operasyon, doon na raw nanginig ang bata.
Paliwanag ng nagpakilalang doktor, normal lang daw ‘yun dahil aniya, “groggy” ang bata.
Dinala ang bata sa kalapit na ospital para i-revive pero tuluyan na siyang binawian ng buhay.
Pinag-iisipan pa raw ng magulang ng bata kung ipapa-autopsy pa ang labi ng bata para malaman ang tunay na dahilan ng pagkasawi.
Ano nga ba ang sinasabi ng batas tungkol dito?
Ask me, ask Atty. Gaby!
Atty., ano po ang sinasabi ng batas sa ganitong pangyayari at ano ang habol ng biktima?
Sa Pilipinas, ang summer o bakasyon ng mga bata ang hudyat ng panahon ng pagtutuli.
At parang napaka common na nga ng pagtutuli. Hindi na nga ito lagi ginagawa sa loob ng operating room ng isang doctor.
Kung tutuusin, ang tingin ng iba ay isang ritwal ang pagtutuli, kaya’t maraming mga kwento tungkol dito.
In fact, ang tawag sa ritwal ay “pukpok” at naliligo raw ang mga bata sa ilog before or after the procedure at pinapanguya ng dahon ng bayabas na siya namang tinatapal sa sugat pagkatapos.
But of course, kung ang mga doktor ang tatanungin, maraming risk of infection ‘pag ganito, kaya siguro, marami ring mga nanay ang nagsisiguro at dinadala ang mga anak sa mga clinic para doktor ang gagawa ng procedure.
So kailangan ding dapat tanungin, doktor ba talaga ang gumawa ng procedure?
Baka naman nagpapanggap na doktor lamang ito. Well ito ay illegal practice of medicine sa ilalim ng Republic Act 2382.
Baka naman doktor nga, pero nagkulang sa tinatawag nating “standard of care” na naaayon sa ganitong rocedure.
Ito ang tinatawag nating mga medical malpractice cases, ang pagpapabaya ng mga doktor o mga medical specialist na nagreresulta sa hindi inaasahang injury o pagkamatay ng pasyente.
Ang magiging kaso ay reckless imprudence o pagpapabaya na nagresulta sa homicide o pagkamatay ng pasyente.
Ang problema lang sa ganitong mga kaso ay ang pangangailangan ng expert opinion na nagkaroon nga ng pagpapabaya, na baka mahirapan din tayong mahanap.
May pagpapabaya ba na nangyari? Sa paggamit ng anesthesia kaya? Anesthesia nga ba ang naiturok?
Tama ba ang dosage? May dapat bang ginawang test bago nagbigay ng anesthesia?
Maraming tanong ang dapat masagot.
Sa isang banda, hindi automatic na pagpapabaya ang dahilan ng pagkamatay ng isang pasyente. Baka may underlying condition pala ang bata na hindi malalaman kahit na anong test pa ang gawin.
Alam natin na hindi normal na namamatay ang isang binata ng dahil sa pagtutuli!
So tama nga, kailangan hintayin ang resulta ng autopsy para malaman ang cause of death.
Para din malaman natin kung nagkaroon nga ng deviation mula sa standard of care required at kung nagkaroon ng pagpapabaya!
Ang mga usaping batas, bibigyan nating linaw.
Para sa kapayapaan ng pag-iisip, huwag magdalawang-isip.
Ask me, ask Atty. Gaby!
GT Capital [GTCAP 535.00, down 1.5%] [link] confirmed a BusinessWorld report on its plan to pursue direct investments in the healthcare and energy sectors. In the report, GTCAP’s CFO is quoted as saying that the company is looking for domestic-consumption opportunities in “fragmented” sectors that are not highly regulated, and that it is looking to deploy up to $200 million to “fund expansion in underpenetrated segments.” GTCAP confirmed the report, but said that it had no definite plans, and that any investment would be subject to several considerations, like the company’s “minimum return hurdles”.
MB bottom-line: I said earlier this week that GTCAP feels like a conglomerate at a crossroads, but the more I see and hear, the less confident I become in their approach. Getting into healthcare sounds like a cynical move to invest in some stuff that will somehow eventually end up in Metro Pacific Health’s financial statements, not something that will take root and grow to provide income over the coming generations. And don’t get me started on energy. I love energy, we need more energy, but “maybe we’ll do energy” is a thing that literally any company can say. Why is GTCAP ignoring its primary competitive advantage, which is Toyota Motor Philippines Corp.? The new/used car game is definitely domestic-consumption driven, and the industry is still quite fragmented. Car sales are not a heavily regulated industry, and given TMPC’s massive jump in profitability in FY24, whatever they do with cars is bound to step over those internal return hurdles like LeBron could step over Manny Pacquiao.
Merkado Barkada is a free daily newsletter on the PSE, investing and business in the Philippines. You can subscribe to the newsletter or follow on Twitter to receive the full daily updates.
Last weekend, I shared on my social media a mental model used by the late Charlie Munger, the long-time business partner of Warren Buffet.
The phrase comes from the 19th century German mathematician Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi:
“Man muss immer umkheren.”
(“You must always invert.”)
He believed many mathematical problems can be solved by inverting them.
The same goes for other life problems. Many problems are best solved by looking at them backward rather than just forward. Instead of only asking, “How can I succeed?” you should also ask, “What would guarantee failure? What mistakes must I avoid?” This way, you prevent disaster and bad decisions more reliably than trying to engineer a perfect success.
When it comes to having a high FQ in order to live a comfortable and happy life, of course, I want you to start imagining your dream life complete with a mood board, as discussed in FQ Book 3: High FQ By Design. For today’s article, I wish to discuss the opposite side of your mood board. This method is not always welcome in a world of positive thinking but its power lies in making it concrete in your mind where you don’t want to go. Let’s try to apply it.
Your goal: I want to have a high FQ and accumulate enough money to live my dream life.
Instead of just asking, “How can I achieve a high FQ and accumulate enough money for my dream life?” we stand to have a higher success rate by also asking the following question:
“What causes people to go broke? What financial habits guarantee low FQ and financial failure?”
By identifying and eliminating these traps, you elevate your financial intelligence almost by default. Here are other examples of using the “Baliktarin mo, baby!” method:
1. Instead of just asking: “What investments will make me rich?”
Invert: “What investments have ruined people?”
By asking this, you will be reminded to avoid FOMO-driven buys, speculative investments, scams that promise too-good-to-be-true returns, and anything you don’t understand.
2. Instead of just asking: “How do I become financially independent?”
Invert: “What keeps people financially dependent?”
You will realize these are lifestyle creep, high-interest debt, and lack of emergency fund will be on top of the list.
3. Instead of just asking: “How can I increase income?”
Invert: “What destroys income over time?”
These are burnout, poor health, unethical shortcuts, and not upgrading skills.
4. Instead of just asking: “What are great businesses to invest in?”
Invert: “What businesses should I avoid given my situation and that of the investment environment?”
This will remind you of not overpaying and getting into something that you don’t understand. Remember the second basic law of money? Get only into a business you understand and seek advice from competent people.
5. Instead of just focusing on: “How do we beat competitors?”
Invert: “What do companies do that kill themselves?”
Once you outline these things, you can avoid them. These could be engaging in a fierce price war, always focusing on what competitors are doing instead of enhancing your own core competence, etc.
6. Instead of just asking, “How can I succeed and keep this client?”
Invert: “What would cause me to lose this client?”
When you imagine yourself being the client and your own experiences of discontinuing engagement, you will be able to avoid those causes such as poor customer service, unreliability, etc.
Why Always Invert Works So Well
Most of the time, our best goals and dreams in life are not fulfilled because we fail to have clear imprints in our minds what we should avoid. This mental method of always inverting works because of these three elements.
- It’s humble. We accept that avoiding stupidity is often easier than achieving brilliance.
- It reduces bias. As discussed in FQ Book 2: The Psychology of Money, we have many biases that get in the way of having a high FQ. By inverting, we avoid overlooking risks when chasing success.
- It’s preventative. Like good health, good finances come from not doing the wrong things repeatedly.
The takeaway
Having a high FQ isn’t just about learning to earn, save, and invest—it’s about learning to avoid what sinks most people financially. So, next time you set goals about money, career, health, relationships, and other important aspects of life, flip the script. “Baliktarin mo, baby!”
I wish to leave you with some quotes to help imprint the lesson of this mental model in your mind.
Cheers to high FQ…by avoiding stupidity!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Do you know where you are now in your FQ Journey? Take the FQ Test, click here.
2. Get your copy of the FQ books to start your FQ Journey now. Click here.
This article is also published in FQMom.com.
MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon Huskers proved to be more proficient long-range shooters than the Valenzuela City Magic and prevailed, 75-55, on Tuesday in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Olivarez College Gym in Paranaque City.
Led by Joshua Yerro, who went a perfect 4-of-4 from rainbow territory, and Judel Fuentes, who made 2-of-2, the Huskers drilled in 9-of-19 triple tries that swamped the Magic, who could only sink 3-of-19 attempts.
Smarting from the 82-88 defeat it suffered against Pampanga on May 10, Quezon Province led throughout and by as far as 75-55 en route to a 9-2 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Yerro, a 6-foot-1 high-flyer from Adamson, finished with 14 points and two rebounds to clinch Best Player honors over Judel Fuentes, who posted 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, and JP Sarao, who chalked up 10 points and six rebounds.
Valenzuela tasted a fifth straight loss and tumbled to 3-9 as only Jan Formento struck back with 19 points and three rebounds.
For their part, the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters notched a wire-to-wire 75-60 victory over the Sarangani Gripper and returned to the upper half of the standings with a 6-5 card.
Powered by Cedrick Ablaza, Levi Hernandez and John Ambulodto, Batangas surged to a 42-24 halftime spread, from which Sarangani couldn’t recover.
Hernandez posted 20 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals; Ambulodto 11 points plus six rebounds; Jeckster Apinan nine points, nine rebounds, four assists; and Mark Niel Cruz nine points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Sarangani, which fell to 2-10, got 19 points and five rebounds from Junjie Hallare; 11 points plus eight rebounds from Coy Alves; and nine points from Larce Sunga.
The Rum Masters, bent on duplicating their 2018 MPBL inaugural triumph, have acquired the services of 6-foot-10 Filipino-American CJ Lane.
A former La Salle, Gilas and Ginebra prospect, the 30-year-old Lane is in the United States and will join the Rum Masters in August.
Pasig City also led throughout and routed Paranaque, 85-70, in the nightcap.
The Pasiguenos pulled away, 70-40, after three quarters before cruising to their second straight win and improving to 4-5.
Chito Jaime presided over Pasig’s assault with 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals; followed by Rocky Acidre with 13 points and three assists; Warlo James Batac with 12 points and two rebounds; and Jacob Galicia with 10 points and five rebounds.
Prodded by new coach Stephen Mopera, Paranaque put up a stand in the fourth quarter before dropping to 1-8.
The Patriots drew 16 points and four rebounds from James Mangahas; 13 points and nine rebounds from Jayboy Solis; and 13 points, three rebounds and three assists from Allan Bernard Papa.
The MPBL will return to the Alonte Sports Arena on Wednesday with games pitting Muntinlupa against Davao at 4 p.m., Gensan against Basilan at 6 p.m., and Rizal against host Binan at 8 p.m.
MANILA, Philippines — Globe is stepping up its efforts to make reliable, high-speed internet accessible to more Filipino households. By focusing on both fiber and 5G technologies, the company is working to deliver affordable, flexible and high-quality connectivity to communities across the country.
“Connectivity is an enabler of progress,” said Carl Cruz, Globe’s president and chief executive officer. “By expanding our network infrastructure, we are unlocking access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for millions of Filipinos. Globe remains steadfast in working with industry partners and the government to ensure inclusive digital access.”
GFiber Prepaid (GFP) stands out because of how well it fits into the everyday lives of users. A lot of SEC D households prefer services that don’t tie them down with contracts or require big upfront payments. GFP gets that, offering a simple plug-and-play setup, reloadable options, and easy management through the GlobeOne app. Most users top up every three to four weeks, which keeps them connected without breaking the bank. It’s all about giving them the flexibility they need while keeping costs manageable.
This focus on customer satisfaction is clearly making an impact. GFP’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) is an impressive 67, way above the Telco Industry average of 31 (Transaction NPS). It just goes to show how much users value not only the speed but the whole prepaid fiber experience. Customers appreciate the convenience and control it offers, making it a top pick for more Filipino households.
Globe is also expanding reload options through AMAX and ECPay. This means users have more ways to stay connected regardless of their routine.
On top of fiber connectivity, Globe is also pushing its 5G WiFithrough Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). This tech makes it possible to deliver fast, reliable internet in places where fiber just isn’t practical, especially in underserved communities. This approach not only helps cover areas lacking fiber connectivity but also offloads traffic from Globe’s mobile network, improving overall service quality.
Looking ahead, Globe has laid out a clear plan for 2025: expand access, deepen engagement, and enhance the customer experience. This approach ensures that both new and long-time users enjoy better connectivity designed around their needs.
Globe is also working to close the digital gap in remote areas. It said the goal is to bring fiber connectivity to 100 more Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), giving people in these communities access to digital services that were previously out of reach. By the end of 2025, Globe plans to increase the number of cell sites in these areas from 600 to 700, helping more Filipinos stay online and connected.
The Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks are no strangers to each other in the postseason, given the former eliminated the latter last season to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
Now, a case could be made that this year’s conference final matchup is an unexpected one, given the massive roadblocks that each team faced in the semifinals. Fourth-seeded Indiana recorded its second straight five-game series win by dispatching the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, while third-seeded New York upended the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games.
Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers will renew acquaintances against Jalen Brunson and the Knicks on Wednesday in New York for Game 1 of their best-of-seven series.
Haliburton got the better of the matchup last year and played the role of the hero (or villain, depending on your point of view) in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. He punctuated his team’s series victory by wearing a hoodie with an image of Reggie Miller’s infamous 1994 “choke” taunt to Knicks superfan Spike Lee while speaking with reporters after the game.
Haliburton and Brunson would meet up again approximately one month later at MSG — this time in a WWE ring. Although the “chance” encounter was scripted and resulted in nothing more than a stare down, it still had New York fans on the edge of their seats.
“It was obviously something that he wanted to do and the way he played last year in the playoffs, I mean, it was fitting,” Brunson said. “And so, he played well in the Garden. Obviously, Knicks fans and Pacers fans, they go back and forth. But I think he did a great job with it last year, but now we’re moving on.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said as much when meeting with reporters on Tuesday.
“The challenge is always the same, it’s no different whether it’s a game or a series — it always resets,” Thibodeau said. “Each game is different. You have to prepare for that particular game. You’re not carrying anything over from the previous series or the previous game. You just have to be right and ready when the ball goes up (on Wednesday) night.”
The Knicks won two of the three meetings between the teams this season, with Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. The five-time All-Star averaged a robust 30.3 points and 12.0 rebounds in those three games for New York.
Towns, however, made just 3 of 19 attempts from 3-point range in the series versus the Celtics.
Bennedict Mathurin enjoyed a career night in the lone Pacers’ win in the regular-season series against the Knicks. He recorded career-bests in 3-pointers (seven) and points (38) in Indiana’s 132-121 victory on Nov. 10.
Mathurin wasn’t alone, as Haliburton collected 35 points and 14 assists for the Pacers.
While Haliburton has been a regular contributor in the playoffs, Indiana prides itself on spreading the wealth.
“People look at playoff victories and point to great scoring performances and triple-doubles and stuff like that,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Series-defining plays oftentimes are loose-ball effort plays.” — Field Level Media/Reuters