Sunday, July 26, 2026


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GSIS commemorates 86th Anniversary and unveils new programs

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the state-pension fund, marked its 86th anniversary by launching various programs and features aimed at improving services for its members. During the anniversary celebration on Wednesday, GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso announced the launch of a housing program, a low-interest loan product called MPL Flex, and additional features on the GSIS Touch mobile app. These initiatives were in response to the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Veloso emphasized the organization’s commitment to digitization, making processes more convenient for members and pensioners. As part of this effort, the GSIS Touch app now includes facial recognition technology, enabling old-age pensioners and individuals with disabilities to complete their annual pensioners’ information revalidation (APIR) using their smartphones. This eliminates the need for them to physically visit GSIS branches for the APIR process.

In line with the President’s vision of addressing members’ financial needs, the GSIS enhanced its Multi-Purpose Loan (MPL) and renamed it MPL Flex. The loan product offers a longer and more flexible payment period, ranging from one to 15 years, with an affordable interest rate of 6 percent per annum. Eligibility conditions have also been relaxed, allowing government employees who have served for only one month to apply for the MPL.

During the anniversary celebration, the GSIS also launched the Pabahay sa Bagong Bayani na Manggagawa (PBBM) sa Pamahalaan Program. This program aims to assist the government in resolving the significant housing backlog of over 6 million units. It includes a rent-to-own scheme for the GSIS’s 15,000 residential properties, an extension of the Housing Loan Condonation Program until 2025, and the construction of affordable low-cost housing units for government workers.

To ensure the protection of government properties and assets, the President directed that all these properties should be covered by property insurance, aligning with the GSIS’s mandate. Veloso also proudly announced that the GSIS achieved a significant milestone by generating PHP6.8 billion in gross premiums written, marking the highest recorded figure in the organization’s history. With the General Insurance Fund worth PHP41.92 billion, the GSIS has become the largest non-life insurance company in the country.

President Marcos Jr., who graced the celebration, expressed his gratitude to the GSIS for its efforts, stating that they align perfectly with his goal of enhancing government service. The GSIS, established by Commonwealth Act 186 and Republic Act (RA) 8291 (GSIS Act of 1997), commenced operations on May 31, 1937, with the purpose of providing social security benefits and insurance coverage to government employees. Currently serving over 2.5 million members and pensioners, the GSIS continues to fulfill its mandate of safeguarding and protecting government properties through property insurance.

Radio broadcaster itinumba ng riding-in-tandem gunmen

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CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro. Patay ang isang radio commentator na nagtatrabaho rin bilang field reporter matapos barilin ng riding-in-tandem sa Brgy. Sta. Isabel sa lungsod na ito sa Oriental Mindoro, kaninang madaling-araw.

Batay sa ulat ng Calapan City Police Station, ang pinaslang na brodkaster ay si Cresenciano Bunduquin, 50 anyos na commentator ng DWXR 101.7 Kalahi FM MUX online radio at negosyante rin.

Sa imbestigasyon, bandang 4:20 ng madaling-araw, habang naghihintay si Bunduquin sa harap ng kanyang tindahan para buksan ito, bigla na lamang dumating ang dalawang hindi nakilalang suspek na magkaangkas sa puting Honda motorcycle na may plakang DD22153. Agad na binaril ng mga suspek ang biktima sa C5 Road ng naturang barangay.

Agad isinugod si Bunduquin sa pinakamalapit na ospital, ngunit idineklarang dead-on-arrival dahil sa mga tama ng bala sa kanyang katawan.

Mabilis na tumakas ang mga suspek matapos barilin si Bunduquin, ngunit hinabol sila ng anak ng biktima at hindi sinasadyang nabangga ang kanilang motorsiklo.

Dahil sa banggaan, isa sa mga suspek na nakilala bilang Narciso Ignacio Guntan ay nagkaroon ng malubhang sugat sa ulo at agad itong namatay. Nakatakas naman ang isa pang kasama nito na sumakay sa get away motorcycle.

Sinabi ni Police Capt. Ann Michelle Ann Selda, information officer ng Oriental Mindoro PNP, na bumuo na sila ng Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) upang magsagawa ng masusing imbestigasyon sa pagpatay kay Bunduquin.

Ayon kay Selda, na spokesperson ng SITG Bunduquin, binubuo ang Task Group ng Provincial Police Office na pinamumunuan ni Col. Samuel Delorino, Oriental Mindoro police director; Criminal Investigation and Detection 4B-Oriental Mindoro, Calapan Police, at High Patrol Group 4B-Oriental Mindoro.

May dalawang indibidwal na itinuturing na mga person of interest na nakasama ngayon ang “task group.”

Sinabi ni Selda na tinitingnan ng task force ang lahat ng anggulo at motibo sa krimen, kasama na ang personal na buhay at trabaho ng biktima bilang online radio reporter at commentator.

Patuloy umano ang paghahanap ng mga ebidensya ng mga awtoridad, kasama na ang mga video footage mula sa mga CCTV camera sa mga exit at entrance ng ruta ng mga riding-in-tandem suspects.

“Ito ay isang napakahalagang pangyayari at gagawin namin ang lahat ng aming makakaya upang matiyak na makamit ang katarungan para kay Bunduquin,” pahayag naman ni Brig. General Joel Doria, Mimaropa regional police director.

China warns of artificial intelligence risks, calls for beefed-up national security measures

BEIJING. China’s ruling Communist Party has warned of the risks posed by advances in artificial intelligence while calling for heightened national security measures.

The statement issued after a meeting Tuesday chaired by party leader and President Xi Jinping underscores the tension between the government’s determination to seize global leadership in cutting-edge technology and concerns about the possible social and political harms of such technologies.

It also followed a warning by scientists and tech industry leaders in the U.S., including high-level executives at Microsoft and Google, about the perils that artificial intelligence poses to humankind.

The meeting in Beijing discussed the need for “dedicated efforts to safeguard political security and improve the security governance of internet data and artificial intelligence,” the official Xinhua News Agency said.

“It was stressed at the meeting that the complexity and severity of national security problems faced by our country have increased dramatically. The national security front must build up strategic self-confidence, have enough confidence to secure victory, and be keenly aware of its own strengths and advantages,” Xinhua said.

“We must be prepared for worst-case and extreme scenarios, and be ready to withstand the major test of high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms,” it said.

Xi, who is China’s head of state, commander of the military and chair of the party’s National Security Commission, called at the meeting for “staying keenly aware of the complicated and challenging circumstances facing national security.”

China needs a “new pattern of development with a new security architecture,” Xinhua reported Xi as saying.

China already dedicates vast resources to suppressing any perceived political threats to the party’s dominance, with spending on the police and security personnel exceeding that devoted to the military.

While it relentlessly censors in-person protests and online criticism, citizens have continued to express dissatisfaction with policies, most recently the draconian lockdown measures enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19.

China has been cracking down on its tech sector in an effort to reassert party control, but like other countries it is scrambling to find ways to regulate fast-developing AI technology.

The most recent party meeting reinforced the need to “assess the potential risks, take precautions, safeguard the people’s interests and national security, and ensure the safety, reliability and ability to control AI,” the official newspaper Beijing Youth Daily reported Tuesday.

Worries about artificial intelligence systems outsmarting humans and slipping out of control have intensified with the rise of a new generation of highly capable AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.

Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist known as the godfather of artificial intelligence, were among the hundreds of leading figures who signed the statement on Tuesday that was posted on the Center for AI Safety’s website.

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement said.

More than 1,000 researchers and technologists, including Elon Musk, who is currently on a visit to China, had signed a much longer letter earlier this year calling for a six-month pause on AI development.

The missive said AI poses “profound risks to society and humanity,” and some involved in the topic have proposed a United Nations treaty to regulate the technology.

China warned as far back as 2018 of the need to regulate AI, but has nonetheless funded a vast expansion in the field as part of efforts to seize the high ground on cutting-edge technologies.

A lack of privacy protections and strict party control over the legal system have also resulted in near-blanket use of facial, voice and even walking-gait recognition technology to identify and detain those seen as threatening, particularly political dissenters and religious minorities, especially Muslims.

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With reports from AP

Desaparecidos, deaths, and taxes in society

The first two – desaparecidos and deaths – are negative, but why did I include taxes in the title? If a political observer is from outside the Philippines, they may not be related, but if the society in which they live is the Philippines, they can clearly be grouped together in this column.

There are many who are lost today, especially among the students (mga nangawawala ngayon, lalo sa hanay ng mga mag-aaral). The Marcos Martial Law nightmare seems to be returning (Batas Militar ni Marcos Sr). That nightmare of yours is still better than the nightmares of the disappeared back in the 1970s and early 1980s because they will no longer have nightmares – they are gone for the duration of time. It is just that there is no closure for their relatives. We search for missing pets. How much more for missing persons? To make matters worse, it turns out that the perpetrators of the losses are not oppressive foreigners but Filipinos.

Killings follow. Many of these are even documented on CCTV and video by cellphone users. Many people ask: Why is it so easy to kill and be killed? Netizens monitor these cases and write comments on social media – some lament (nararapat lamang), some regret the lives lost (nararapat lamang), and some have nothing good to say, but comment anyway (hindi karapat-dapat). Wake up, gatekeepers, because young people are already in, watching and reading all these.

The culture of impunity that is slightly touched in a few subjects in junior and senior high school and college is really getting worse. However, not a few say it “should not” be discussed in class. Where do they get such a false idea of ​​hiding the truth (pagtatago ng katotohanan) – that this is happening in the country, but it seems that there is no expectation from the police and the government to change the situation towards a better tomorrow even inch by inch? We do not blame everyone, but the new chief of the national police himself is having problems (namomroblema) with his fellow policemen, as well as with politicians who are blatantly undermining the organization and operations of the PNP. 

Taxes now. Middle-class Filipinos yell, “More taxes again?” They add: “What a waste we pay taxes on useless projects”; “more deductions from the salary due to withholding taxes and so on, but they only have them for official travels overseas (ipinangbabiyahe).” I understand some official foreign trips are needed, but who gets the benefit if there is (kapakinabangan kung meron)? What is the explanation of the benefit if any? Wala namang napapala kalimitan. But hey, many Filipinos do not study their depressed economy and are still satisfied with “pledges.” Paasa sa wala. Wala rin sa papel kung kailan. They are miserable but blind to the truth of the suffering they themselves are experiencing.

The underlying principle is simple – listen to both sides. If people approved of the Mahalika Investment Fund (MIF), who did they listen to? The likes of former Bangko Sentral Deputy Gov. Diwa Guinigundo (kung babalewalain na lang daw ba ang mga babala niya; kung nasaan na raw ba ang due diligence o pag-iingat ng Kongreso; at kung napapanahon daw ba ang sovereign wealth fund)? Or Chinkee Tan (kung ano raw ba ang iinvest mo kung wala kang pang-invest)? The two are experts in finance and, more importantly, hindi palasawsaw sa pulitika. But the analysis of many is clear that critical thinking has weakened or no longer exists among many of our fellow Filipinos. Hindi na nga nagla-lobby sa kanilang mga kinatawan sa Kongreso, oo pa nang oo. Yes, even when there is no certainty of where the policy will end up that actually has something to do with the future of the next generation of their children and grandchildren.

The saga of a great writer and poet

(12th of a series)

Love in full bloom: A wedding tale to remember

Atty. Amy Belulia was followed by the secondary sponsors who all appeared fantabulous in their respective outfits – City Probation Officer Yolanda Diangkinay and partner Atty. Marius Zabat; Publisher Venus P. Funtanilla and Columnist Perfecto V. Marcelo; Ms. Irene R. Albajera and Atty.Butch F. Javier; Ms. Teresita A. Julian and Atty. Edgardo Marilim; Ms. Ma. Consuelo D. Cabrera and Mr. Benny Danila.

Right behind them were our principal sponsors composed of : ABC President Gener B. Amante and wife Carmelita; Porfirio Banayo and Mrs. Juana S. Belulia; Judge Iluminado C. Monzon and Mrs. Remedios Capino; Mr. Estiva and Mrs. Nelia Banzuela; Pedro Evangelista and Mrs. Sonia S. Roxas. The parade of Ninangs in their gowns wearing diamond-studded jewelries was truly a sight to behold! 

After all the rituals – candles, cords, rings and everything, when the Pastor proclaimed “you may now kiss the bride”, Romy held my face with his palm and kissed me on the forehead – something I did not expect.  Ano ako, Lola?  There was an uproar from the audience, “Kiss!  Kiss!” He looked at me and said, “Can I?” When I nodded, that was only the time he kissed me as a bride – a very tender kiss on the lips amidst rounds of applause.

As we walked from the garden to the Reception Hall, Romy noticed that Boyet Marcelo took off his Barong Tagalog and he appeared to be furious.  “Anong problema?”, he asked. “Galit ako d’yan!” pointing to his partner Venus Funtanilla. It turned out that Boyet was piqued by the joke of Venus “Saan mo nahukay ang Barong mo?” Romy explained that Venus was only joking and that there’s no reason for him to be cranky.  Minutes later and the issue was finally settled. Boyet wore his Barong again for picture taking purposes.

As we entered the Reception Hall, Exec. Asst. Carmelito “Vandolph” Guan and Irene Albajera welcomed us with a loud rendition of ‘Historia de Un Amor’ accompanied on the organ by musician Jimmy Hernandez. Everybody was clapping and singing while the food was being distributed on the tables. Romy and I hopped from one table to another while our photographer, cousin Amado Almanza took pictures and video of us in all the tables.  The 4-layer wedding cake  elegantly and beautifully arranged in a circular position surrounded by fresh white roses and running water surpassed my expectations. It was fabulous!

Almost all the important people in my life attended my wedding except for my best friend Ma. Lourdes Joy C. Alvero-Schmidtz who happened to be in the United States.  Had she been here, I would definitely have had two Maids of Honor.

To be continued

Contestants chase cheese wheel down a hill in chaotic UK race

LONDON. The big cheese of extreme U.K. sports events is back.

Hundreds of spectators gathered Monday to watch dozens of reckless racers chase a 7-pound (3 kilogram) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down the near-vertical Cooper’s Hill, near Gloucester in southwest England.

The first racer to finish behind the fast-rolling cheese gets to keep it.

The cheese-rolling race has been held at Cooper’s Hill, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, since at least 1826, and the sport of cheese-rolling is believed to be much older.

The rough-and-tumble event often comes with safety concerns. Few competitors manage to stay on their feet all the way down the 200-yard (180 meter) hill, and this year several had to be helped, limping, from the course.

Canadian contestant Delaney Irving, 19, won the women’s race despite being briefly knocked unconscious.

“I just remember hitting my head, and now I have the cheese,” said Irving, who comes from Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Matt Crolla, 28, from Manchester in northwestern England, won the first of several men’s races. Asked how he had prepared, he told reporters: “I don’t think you can train for it, can you? It’s just being an idiot.”

 A participant receives medical treatment after the Cheese Rolling contest at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, Monday May 29, 2023. The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event where participants race down the 200-yard (180 m) long hill chasing a wheel of double gloucester cheese. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Nabahala ang mga sugarcane farmers sa pagsasara ng milling operations ng Central Azucarera Don Pedro Inc.

NASUGBU, Batangas. Permanenteng isinara ng Central Azucarera Don Pedro Inc. (CADPI), isang sangay ng Roxas Holdings Inc. (RHI), ang kanilang milling operations, na nagdulot ng mga alalahanin sa humigit kumulang na 4,000 sugarcane farmers sa Batangas kung saan nila ibebenta ang kanilang aning tubo.

Ayon sa mga dokumentong inilathala sa website ng Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), ipinaalam ni CADPI President at CEO Celso T. Dimarucut sa ahensya ang plano nila na “permanenteng isara” ang mga milling operations simula sa Crop Year 2022-2023.

Sinabi ni Dimarucut na nagdanas ang CADPI ng “operational at financial challenges” dahil sa mga kasalukuyang kondisyon na nakakaapekto sa industriya ng asukal sa lugar ng Batangas.

Partikular na binanggit ni Dimarucut ang paghina ng suplay ng tubo na dinadala sa mill ng CADPI, na sanhi ng “maraming external factors.” Binanggit din ng CADPI executive ang “pagkaluma” at “sobrang laki” ng mill equipment ng kanilang planta.

Sa isang pahayag sa Philippine Stock Exchange noong nakaraang buwan, sinabi ng RHI na ang sugar milling operations ng CADPI ay “mas madaling maapektuhan” ng mga hamong kinakaharap ng industriya ng tubo kumpara sa Western Visayas “dahil sa mas malakas na conversion ng mga agricultural land at kakulangan ng mga maayos na sistema ng irigasyon.”

Sinabi rin ni RHI Chairman Pedro O. Roxas na ang lokal na industriya ng asukal ay “madaling maapektuhan” ng “malalalang” pagbabago ng klima na “negatibong nag-impluwensya sa produksyon ng tubo, na nagresulta sa pangkalahatang pagbagasak ng suplay ng tubo, pati na rin ang mas mababang recovery ng asukal.”

“Ang mga nabanggit na kondisyon ng panahon, kasama na ang La Niña, ay may masamang epekto sa suplay ng tubo sa mga nakaraang taon,” sabi ni Roxas ayon sa isang pahayag sa press release noong Disyembre 14.

Kaugnay nito, nangako si House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, kahapon na tutulong siya sa paghahanap ng pangmatagalang solusyon sa kalagayan ng lahat ng sektor na naapektuhan ng pagsasara ng Central Azucarera de Don Pedro, Inc. (CADPI) sa Nasugbu, Batangas.

Ipinahayag ni Romualdez ang kanyang pangako noong pamunuan niya ang pamamahagi ng PHP10,000 na tulong pinansyal bawat isa sa 800 na magsasakang asukal na nawalan ng kabuhayan matapos isara ang pinakamalaking sugar mill sa probinsya.

Sinabi niya na ang tulong pinansyal ay natanggap ng kanyang opisina sa pamamagitan ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Samantala, pinangako ng mga opisyal ng DSWD na magkakaroon pa ng payouts sa mga susunod na araw upang matulungan ang mga sektor na apektado ng pagsasara ng sugar mill.

2 suspek na bumaril sa Cavite traffic enforcer sumuko na

TANZA, Cavite. Sumuko na sa mga awtoridad ang dalawang suspek sa pagpatay kay William Quiambao, isang traffic enforcer sa Tanza, Cavite, ayon sa ulat ng Cavite Police Provincial Office kahapon.

Ayon sa mga opisyal ng Cavite Police, ang mga suspek na sina Joseph Llagas at Aries Carlos ay sumuko kay Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla sa tulong ng isang barangay chairwoman kahapon ng alas diyes ng umaga. Agad na dinala ang dalawa sa Tanza Municipal Police Station upang sumailalim sa imbestigasyon.

Batay sa mga ulat, sinabi ng mga pulis na bago mangyari ang insidente, si Llagas ay nagmamaneho ng motorsiklo habang nasa ilalim ng impluwensya ng alak. Sinaway ni Quiambao ang suspek, na nagresulta sa isang mainit na pagtatalo sa pagitan nila.

Batay sa impormasyon mula sa mga pulis, nakuha sa CCTV footage na tatlong beses binaril ni Llagas si Quiambao sa likod ng kanyang ulo, na agad nitong ikinamatay.

Nagpahayag ng kalungkutan ang lokal na pamahalaan at mga awtoridad sa naganap na trahedya. Nangako ang mga kinauukulan na gagawin ang mga kinakailangang hakbang upang mapanagot ang mga suspek sa ginawang krimen.

Ang pagpatay kay Quiambao ay nagdulot ng malaking pangamba at pagkabahala sa komunidad. Pinapaalala nito ang kahalagahan ng paggalang at pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga tauhan ng batas upang mapanatili ang kaayusan at kaligtasan sa mga lansangan.

Patuloy na isinasagawa ng mga awtoridad ang imbestigasyon upang matukoy ang iba pang detalye ng krimen at matiyak mabibigyan ng hustisya ang namatay na traffic enforcer at ang kanyang pamilya.

New warning by experts: Artificial Intelligence poses extinction threat

LONDON. Artificial intelligence (AI) has once again become the subject of concern as experts issue a new warning about its potential threat to humanity. Scientists and industry leaders, including executives from Microsoft and Google, are calling for global attention to mitigate the risk of extinction posed by AI, stating that it should be considered on par with other societal-scale risks like pandemics and nuclear war.

The statement, posted online and signed by hundreds of influential figures, such as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Geoffrey Hinton, a renowned computer scientist, emphasizes the need for immediate action. The warning, intentionally brief to unite a wide range of scientists with varying opinions, was published on the website of the Center for AI Safety.

The fear surrounding AI’s ability to outsmart humans and operate autonomously has intensified in recent times, fueled in part by the emergence of highly capable AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Dan Hendrycks, the executive director of the Center for AI Safety based in San Francisco, explained that the concise statement aimed to bring forth concerned individuals who were previously discussing the issue privately among themselves.

This recent warning follows a letter signed by over 1,000 researchers and technologists, including Elon Musk, earlier this year. They called for a six-month pause in AI development, citing profound risks to society and humanity.

As countries worldwide grapple with regulating this advancing technology, the European Union is leading the way with its AI Act, anticipated to be approved later this year. The Act seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for AI development and usage, reflecting the growing recognition of the need to address potential risks associated with AI.

The call for action from experts highlights the urgency of proactively addressing the potential dangers of AI to safeguard humanity’s future. With increasing advancements in AI technology, the global community faces the critical task of balancing progress and innovation with responsible and ethical development.

9 injured in shooting near beach in Hollywood, Florida; some taken to children’s hospital

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.

Several of the victims were taken to a children’s hospital, police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said. However, authorities have not yet released the ages of the victims or provided details about their conditions.

A preliminary investigation shows that an altercation between two groups resulted in gunfire, police said. One person has been detained and another suspect is being still being sought.

The shooting happened about 6:30 p.m. on the broadwalk near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store and a Subway sandwich shop.

Alvie Carlton Scott III said he was on the beach when all of a sudden he hear numerous gunshots go off. He said he hid behind a tree and then fled the area after a police officer told people to run.

Jamie Ward, who was also on the broadwalk, said several young men were fighting in front of the stores when one pulled a gun and started shooting.

Videos posted on Twitter on Monday evening showed emergency medical crews responding and providing aid to multiple injured people.

Police said there would be a heavy presence of officers as the investigation continues. Officials were also setting up an area for family members to reunite.

Hollywood Beach is a popular beach destination about 11 miles (17 kilometers) south of Fort Lauderdale and 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Miami. The beach was expected to see more visitors than usual with the Memorial Day holiday.

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Associated Press contributed this report.