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Pampanga Media Circle, Angeles City (2026)

17/09/2026

HINDI PA TAPOS ANG LABAN: MULA SA PAGSISIWALAT TUNGO SA TOTOO AT MAKABULUHANG KATARUNGAN AT REPORMA

Isang taon ang nakalipas, nagkaisa ang CONCERNED CITIZENS OF PAMPANGA (CCP) at buong-giting na lumahok sa pambansang pagkilos upang ilantad at tutulan ang malawakang katiwaliang sumisira sa tiwala ng mamamayan at lumalamon sa yaman ng ating bayan.

Sa ating sama-samang boses at matibay na paninindigan, nakamit natin ang mga unang hakbang tungo sa pananagutan. May mga ka*ong naisampa, mga imbestigasyong naisagawa, at mga tiwaling naharap sa proseso ng batas.

Ang mga unang tagumpay na ito ay buhay na patunay: may tunay na kapangyarihan ang mamamayan kapag nagkakaisa, nagsasalita, at kumikilos.

Ngunit buong-tapang din nating muling sinasabi: HINDI PA TAPOS ANG LABAN.

Ang pagkaka*o o pagkakulong ng iilan ay hindi nangangahulugang nalinis na ang sistemang nagbigay-daan sa katiwalian.

Kung paulit-ulit na lumilitaw ang parehong anomalya, hindi na lamang natin dapat itanong kung sino ang lumabag sa batas. Kailangan din nating itanong: anong mga mekanismo ng kapangyarihan ang nagpapahintulot na mangyari ito, sino ang nakikinabang, at paano ito mapipigilan na maulit?

Hangga’t may mga butas para sa palusot at pagtakas sa pananagutan; hangga’t hindi nababawi ang bawat halagang ninakaw, nawaldas, o inabuso; at hangga’t ang karaniwang mamamayan ang patuloy na nagdurusa sa gitna ng paglustay sa pera ng bayan, patuloy ang ating paninindigan, patuloy ang ating pagkilos.

Sapagkat ang katiwalian ay hindi nabubuhay sa iisang tao lamang. Nagiging bahagi ito ng mga ugnayan, patronage, institusyon, at prosesong nagbibigay-daan sa iilan upang gamitin ang pampublikong kapangyarihan para sa pansariling interes.

DAHIL DITO, MULING PINAGTITIBAY NG CONCERNED CITIZENS OF PAMPANGA ANG ATING MGA PANAWAGAN:

1. SUNDAN AT BANTAYAN ANG MGA KASO

Hindi natin hahayaang makalimutan, mapabayaan, o mawala na lamang sa dilim ang mga ka*ong naisampa. Hinihingi natin ang mabilis, patas, transparent, at walang kinikilingang hustisya.

Ang katarungan ay hindi dapat nababalam o nabibili ng impluwensiya, pera, o kapangyarihan.

Hindi dapat maging pananagutan lamang ng mga nasa ibaba ang bawat anomalya. Dapat masundan ang buong kadena ng pananagutan, kabilang ang mga nagpasya, nag-apruba, nagmaniobra, nakipagsabwatan, at nakinabang.

2. BAWIIN ANG NAWALANG YAMAN NG BAYAN

Hindi sapat ang pagkakakulong lamang ng mga nagkasala. Dapat habulin at maibalik sa bayan ang yamang nawala dahil sa katiwalian at anomalya, alinsunod sa proseso ng batas.

Ang perang nakalaan para sa bayan ay dapat bumalik sa bayan, sa serbisyong pangkalusugan, edukasyon, disenteng trabaho, sapat na pagkain, at pangkabuhayang suporta sa ating mga magsasaka at manggagawa.

Sapagkat bawat halagang ninanakaw o winawaldas mula sa kaban ng bayan ay katumbas ng serbisyong hindi naibigay, pangangailangang hindi natugunan, at pagkakataong ipinagkait sa mamamayan.

3. PATULOY NA KUMILOS LABAN SA SISTEMATIKONG KATIWALIAN

Hindi lamang ang mga nasa ibabaw ang dapat managot. Kailangang siyasatin ang buong sistema at ang lahat ng may pananagutan, mula sa mga pangunahing pasimuno hanggang sa mga kasabwat, tagapamagitan, at mga nakinabang sa anomalya.

Sapagkat ang katiwalian ay hindi nabubuhay sa iisang tao lamang. Nabubuhay ito sa mga ugnayan, patronage, institusyon, at prosesong nagbibigay-daan sa iilan upang gamitin ang pampublikong kapangyarihan para sa pansariling interes.

Kaya hindi sapat ang pagpapalit lamang ng ilang pangalan. Kailangang baguhin ang mga mekanismo at proseso na paulit-ulit na nagbibigay-daan sa paglustay at pag-abuso sa yaman ng bayan.

Walang posisyon, pangalan, koneksiyon, o kapangyarihan ang dapat magsilbing pananggalang sa pananagutan.

4. PATULOY NA PAG-OORGANISA AT PAGBABANTAY SA KOMUNIDAD

Ang laban kontra katiwalian ay hindi lamang laban sa mga nasa pamahalaan. Hindi rin ito matatapos sa pagpapalit lamang ng mga opisyal.

Kailangan ang tuloy-tuloy at organisadong pakikilahok ng mamamayan sa pagbabantay sa paggamit ng pampublikong pondo at kapangyarihan.

Maging aktibo tayo sa ating mga tahanan, barangay, lugar ng trabaho, organisasyon, at buong pamayanan. Magtanong tayo kung saan napupunta ang pera ng bayan. Suriin natin ang mga proyekto at programa. Bantayan natin ang paggamit ng pampublikong yaman.

Ang tunay na pundasyon ng pananagutan sa pamahalaan ay hindi lamang nasa mga batas at institusyon. Nakasandig din ito sa isang mamamayang mulat, organisado, at handang manindigan.

Napatunayan na natin noong nakaraang taon: kapag nagising at nagkaisa ang bayan, walang kapangyarihang makapagtatahimik sa ating tinig.

Ngunit ang ating pagkilos ay hindi isang panandaliang sigwa lamang. Huwag nating hayaang matapos ang laban sa isang rally, isang headline, isang ka*o, o isang pagkakakulong.

Mag-organisa tayo.
Magbantay tayo.
Magtanong tayo.
Maglantad tayo.
Maningil tayo.

At higit sa lahat, manindigan tayo.

Sa ating mga barangay, sektor, at bayan, patuloy nating bantayan ang bawat sentimo ng pera ng bayan at ang bawat kilos ng mga lingkod bayan.

Huwag matakot magsalita. Huwag tumigil sa pagtatanong. Huwag sumuko sa paninindigan.
Dahil ang laban kontra katiwalian ay hindi laban ng iilan.

ITO AY LABAN NG BUONG BAYAN.

ISANG BAYAN.
ISANG PANININDIGAN.
ISANG LABAN.

CONCERNED CITIZENS OF PAMPANGA

Alexander Sangalang Cauguiran BapNews Mark Sison MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

16/09/2026

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ TARA, TAKBO TAYO! 💚💛

The Angeles City Public School Teachers Association, Inc. (ACPUSTA) cordially invites everyone to join, have fun, stay active, and RUN FOR OUR TEACHERS! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

As part of our month-long celebration of World Teachers’ Day, let’s cap the festivities with an exciting and healthy run that celebrates the dedication, passion, and service of our teacher-heroes. 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫❤️

🎽 GUROSTRIDE: TEACHERS FUN RUN 2026
✨ “Every Step Inspires”
📅 October 25, 2026 (Sunday)
📍 Clark Parade Grounds

Choose your distance: 3KM | 5KM | 10KM
🏅 Race Bib • Running Shirt • Finisher’s Medal

This exciting event is a joint project of ACPUSTA, SMOKE10, and Decathlon, bringing teachers, families, friends, and the community together through fitness, friendship, and appreciation for our educators.

🔥 RUN FOR TEACHERS. RUN FOR HEALTH. RUN FOR A CAUSE.
Let’s make every step count! Tara na! GuroStride tayo!

👉 REGISTER NOW:

https://smoke10events.myruntime.com/register/guro-stride-teachers-fun-run-2026

📱 For inquiries: 0949 165 3727 | 0945 534 8165

BapNews Mark Sison MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

16/09/2026

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝-𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 🏮🥮✨

Bring home Choi Garden’s 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐱 of four beautifully crafted mooncakes made for gifting, sharing, and celebrating with the people who matter.
🎁 ₱𝟏,𝟗𝟖𝟖 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐱
🥮 𝟒 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬

𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁 #𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿s 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 📞 𝟬𝟵𝟭𝟳 𝟭𝟲𝟴 𝟮𝟰𝟲𝟰, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞. 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞.

Royce Hotel and Casino BapNews Mark Sison MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

16/09/2026

FAITH, FOOD, FRIENDSHIP | Israeli Ambassador Kursh Opens One Pampanga Culinary Cup
By Mark Sison

SM CITY CLARK, Pampanga — Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Dana Kursh headlined the opening of the One Pampanga Culinary Cup (OPCC) here, joined by Pampanga Governor Lilia "Nanay" Pineda and other local officials, formally launching the One Pampanga Food and Beverage Expo (OPFBEX) Week running September 16 to 20.

In her remarks, Kursh underscored the connection between faith, food, and friendship, noting how the senses come alive through shared meals and culinary tradition. She also expressed admiration for Gov. Nanay's steady hand in leading the province's recovery efforts following recent flooding.

Clark Development Corporation President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera echoed the sentiment, remarking that Pampanga's standing as the country's culinary heartland needs no paper or title to prove it, as the fact is already etched in the consciousness of every Filipino.

She likewise commended Gov Nanay's strong leadership amid the recent floods. Devanadera added that she was struck by how the event goes beyond being a mere festival, describing the culinary cup as a genuine test of Kapampangan skill pitted against the rigor of global competition standards.

The OPCC serves as the centerpiece opening event of OPFBEX Week, a five-day celebration of Pampanga's status as the officially recognized Culinary Heartland of the Philippines.

The live cooking competition, staged at venues across the region before culminating at the SMX Convention Center Clark, pits professional and student chefs against one another in showcasing local ingredients, regional flavors, and inventive cooking techniques.

Also present at the launch were Clark International Airport Corporation President Joseph Alcazar and SM City Clark Mall Manager Marianne Grace Gavino. The event was organized under the leadership of lead convenor Chef Felix Asuncion and co-convenor and events manager Chie Basco.

Beyond the culinary competition, OPFBEX Week brings together several linked activities. The One Pampanga Food & Beverage Expo, set for September 19 and 20 at SMX Clark, will gather food and beverage suppliers alongside local micro, small, and medium enterprises offering regional delicacies and business-matching opportunities. Running alongside it, the One Coffee & Matcha Fest will spotlight artisan coffee blends, specialty beans, and matcha-based creations.

Earlier in the week, on September 18, participants can join the OPFBEX Culinary Tour, a full-day excursion through Pampanga's noted food destinations. The week's program also includes the Food Forward Forum on September 19, an industry discussion themed "From Farm to Finance: Building the Future of Philippine Food," focused on technology, sustainability, and investment in the local food sector.

Amb Dana Kursh Israel in the Philippines BapNews Mark Sison CLMA Pampanga Chapter MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell Pampanga Business Circle

15/09/2026

𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐮𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐖 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐮𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Isang karangalan para sa Angeles City ang pagkilala sa City College of Angeles (CCA) bilang isa sa mga Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) sa Central Luzon na kinilala sa TANGLAW Central Luzon 2026. Sa suporta ni Mayor Carmelo “Jon” B. Lazatin II, patuloy na binibigyang-halaga ng Angeles City ang edukasyon at paghubog sa kabataan bilang mahalagang katuwang sa pag-unlad ng lungsod.

Ang pagkilalang ito ay sumasalamin sa patuloy na pagsisikap ng CCA na maitaguyod ang quality education, innovation, at excellence para sa mga mag-aaral—kabilang ang mga Kabataang Angeleño na nangangarap at nagsisikap para sa kanilang kinabukasan.

Naging bahagi ng pagkilala ang pagkakasama ng CCA sa Top 100 ng anim na kategorya ng World University Rankings for Innovation 2026. Ipinapakita nito ang patuloy na pag-usbong ng kolehiyo sa larangan ng innovation at ang mga hakbang nito upang makapagbigay ng mas makabuluhan at makabagong learning opportunities.

Para sa Kabataang Angeleño, ang ganitong milestone ay higit pa sa isang award. Nagbibigay ito ng inspirasyon at kumpiyansa na ang isang institusyong nagsisilbi sa komunidad ay maaaring makilala hindi lamang sa rehiyon kundi maging sa mas malawak na international academic community.

Ang tagumpay ng CCA ay tagumpay din ng mga Kabataang Angeleño—patunay na kapag nabibigyan ng pagkakataon, kalidad na edukasyon, at tamang suporta, mas maraming kabataan ang maaaring maabot ang kanilang potensiyal at makapag-ambag sa kinabukasan ng Angeles City.

Carmelo "Jon" Lazatin II BapNews Mark Sison MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

14/09/2026

COMELEC RUNS VOTER REGISTRATION AT HANDOG NG PANGULO CARAVAN
By Mark Sison

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 3, in coordination with the Angeles City local government, launched the "Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat" Trabaho Agad Job Fair on September 14 at the 3rd Floor Activity Center, Robinsons Angeles, Balibago, bringing employment and government services under one roof for jobseekers, PhilHealth members and residents.

Leading the activity were DOLE Assistant Secretary Atty. Julie Ann Chang-Lim, DOLE Region 3 Regional Director Atty. Sarah Buena Mira*ol, Assistant Regional Director Alejandro Inza Cruz, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo "Jon" Lazatin II, City PESO Manager Ferdie Calma and City Information Officer Jay Pelayo IV.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is taking part in the "Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat" caravan as the agency running voter education and on-site registration at the multi-agency event.

COMELEC has set up satellite registration desks at the caravan's public hubs, where residents including newly hired workers passing through the accompanying Trabaho Agad Job Fair can register as first-time voters, reactivate deactivated voter records, or update their local registration ahead of upcoming elections.

Running COMELEC's ground-level operations in the city is Atty. Charmaine Fhaye Casquejo, the Angeles City Election Officer IV. She serves as the local focal person for voter management, automated counting system layouts and poll enforcement, working alongside the city government.

Her office also coordinates directly with the Angeles City Police Office and Mayor Lazatin II's administration on joint security planning, overseeing local security checks and personnel deployment to protect voting centers.

On the infrastructure side, she has authorized precinct-level adjustments such as the relocation of voting centers in dense population areas like Barangay Balibago. She has likewise led automated election system roadshows and voter education caravans across the city aimed at building public familiarity with municipal voting procedures.

On the ground, COMELEC's satellite desks are being supported by the Angeles City LGU. City Hall has provided venue space including setups at the Infinity Complex and Robinsons Angeles along with security coverage from the Angeles City Police to keep the registration sites accessible and secure.

The mayor's office has also helped push the reach of the drive beyond the caravan itself. Through regular coordination in the city's peace-and-order council meetings, City Hall has worked with COMELEC to circulate satellite registration schedules across Angeles City's 33 barangays, aiming for wider voter turnout at the grassroots level.

Carmelo "Jon" Lazatin II COMELEC BapNews Mark Sison CLMA Pampanga Chapter MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories'NOW News, Opinion, Wit'SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

14/09/2026

DOLE, PHILHEALTH BRING JOBS, HEALTH SERVICES TO ANGELENOS
By Mark Sison

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 3, in coordination with the Angeles City local government, launched the "Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat" Trabaho Agad Job Fair on September 14 at the 3rd Floor Activity Center, Robinsons Angeles, Balibago, bringing employment and government services under one roof for jobseekers, PhilHealth members and residents.

Leading the activity were DOLE Assistant Secretary Atty. Julie Ann Chang-Lim, DOLE Region 3 Regional Director Atty. Sarah Buena Mira*ol, Assistant Regional Director Alejandro Inza Cruz, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo "Jon" Lazatin II, City PESO Manager Ferdie Calma and City Information Officer Jay Pelayo IV.
PhilHealth's Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO) in Angeles City, headed by Chief Social Insurance Officer Robert Padron, operated a core service desk at the event, catering not only to jobseekers but to any resident looking to avail of PhilHealth services.

Personnel processed membership registrations, issued PhilHealth Identification Numbers and distributed Member Data Records on-site.
The agency also used the event to activate its YAKAP program, an enhanced, digitized version of the Konsulta primary care package in partnership with DOLE, aimed at giving members immediate access to free checkups, diagnostics and medicines.

Jobseekers were able to complete pre-employment requirements on the spot, while existing members transitioning to new jobs updated their coverage status from informal or allotted to formally employed, avoiding gaps in healthcare coverage.

The PhilHealth desk builds on a broader coordination between the agency and the Lazatin administration, which centers on aligning national health policy with grassroots healthcare delivery.

The city government has been building out its network of primary care facilities to serve Angeles City's roughly 450,000 residents, while PhilHealth handles accreditation on the regulatory side. PhilHealth also relies on the city's rural health physicians, laboratory aides and expanded medical staff to carry out the YAKAP rollout.

At the barangay level, the Lazatin administration mobilizes Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Population Workers, whom PhilHealth trains through the Angeles City Health Office to conduct community risk assessments and identify unregistered or indigent families eligible for government-sponsored coverage.

Padron has also led PhilHealth NOW caravans across Pampanga to process registrations and issue IDs, and has worked with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Clark Development Corporation on the YAKAP and GAMOT programs to expand healthcare benefits and medicine distribution for local workers.

Carmelo "Jon" Lazatin II Philippine Health Insurance Corporation BapNews Mark Sison CLMA Pampanga Chapter MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

14/09/2026

𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐠 𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐨 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐭

Isinasagawa ngayong araw sa Infinity Complex, Angeles City ang Handog ng Pangulo 2026: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat, kung saan inilalapit sa mga Angeleño ang iba’t ibang programa, serbisyo, at tulong mula sa Pamahalaang Lungsod ng Angeles at mga katuwang na national government agencies.
Sa pangunguna ni Mayor Carmelo “Jon” B. Lazatin II, patuloy na isinusulong ng Pamahalaang Lungsod ang mga programang naglalayong gawing mas accessible sa mga Angeleño ang mahahalagang serbisyo ng pamahalaan.

Kabilang sa mga tampok na serbisyo ngayong araw ang medical at health services, kabilang ang NCD risk assessment, blood pressure at blood sugar screening, chest X-ray, basic oral healthcare, blood typing, mental health services, deworming at vitamin supplementation, at iba pang health interventions.

Para naman sa ating mga alagang hayop, available ang libreng anti-rabies vaccination, deworming para sa a*o at pusa, veterinary consultation, at pet adoption.

Sa sektor ng agrikultura, tampok ang Department of Agriculture interventions para sa mga magsasaka, libreng seedlings, at iba pang agricultural assistance, kasama ang paglulunsad ng Agri-RECOVER Program. Tampok din ang Kadiwa ng Pangulo – Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! para sa mas abot-kayang pagkain na isinagawa sa Angeles City Hall Grounds.

Mayroon ding libreng legal consultation at notarial services, gayundin ang mga serbisyo at assistance mula sa PNP at BFP, kabilang ang Police Clearance, Women and Children Protection Help Desk, Highway Patrol Group Help Desk, at impormasyon ukol sa Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance at Fire Safety Inspection Certificate.

Para sa mga nangangailangan ng tulong panlipunan, narito rin ang City Social Welfare and Development Office assistance para sa hospital bills, CT scan, gamot, chemotherapy, dialysis, laboratory services, occupational therapy, operasyon, burial assistance, at wheelchair requests, na nakabatay sa assessment at kaukulang requirements.

Kasama rin sa Serbisyo Caravan ang iba pang programa para sa kabuhayan, public safety, at employment, upang mas maraming Angeleño ang magkaroon ng access sa serbisyong kailangan nila.

Mula sa agriculture, health, social welfare, legal assistance, veterinary care, at iba pang government services, ang Handog ng Pangulo ay isang pagkakataon para mailapit ang serbisyo sa komunidad.

Carmelo "Jon" Lazatin II BapNews Mark Sison MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

13/09/2026

SUNDAY REFLECTIONS | When The Pump Bleeds The Poor Dry
By Mark Sison

In his official message for the 10th World Day of the Poor (to be observed on November 15, 2026), Pope Leo XIV directly addressed how social injustice heavily impacts the marginalized, stating that "the poor are the first to suffer the consequences" of widespread societal corruption and arrogant behavior.

Come Tuesday, motorists and commuters alike will once again brace for the sting of another round of fuel price adjustments, the second consecutive weekly hike this September.

Oil firms are expected to raise ga*oline prices by as much as ₱4.50 to ₱6.00 per liter, diesel by ₱2.00 to ₱5.00, and kerosene by ₱4.00 to ₱5.00, driven by supply disruptions following reported strikes on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and a peso that has slid to a record low of ₱62.68 against the US dollar. Add these to the ₱59.32 per liter cumulative increase ga*oline has already absorbed this year, and ₱60.46 for diesel, and the picture becomes unmistakable.

Ordinary Filipinos are being asked, week after week, to shoulder a burden they did not create and cannot control.

The Strike as a Warning Shot

It should surprise no one, then, that transport group Manibela has called a nationwide strike for September 14 and 15, timed precisely to coincide with the looming price hike. Jeepney and tricycle drivers the backbone of provincial and metropolitan mobility have long operated on margins too thin to absorb shocks of this magnitude.

Every peso added at the pump is a peso subtracted from a driver's daily take-home, and eventually, a peso added to the fare a student, a market vendor, or a factory worker must scrounge together just to get to work.

The strike is not merely a protest against an abstract global oil market; it is a demand that government treat the transport sector's survival as more than an afterthought to be managed with subsidy announcements and calming statements.

Beyond Band-Aid Solutions

What is needed now is not another round of reactive palliatives but a serious reckoning with the country's near-total exposure to imported fuel and a currency that keeps losing ground. The Department of Energy can continue to point to the Middle East and the exchange rate, and both explanations are true as far as they go but truth is not the same as adequacy.

A nation that has weathered this cycle of hikes and strikes for decades ought to have built sturdier shock absorbers by now: strategic reserves, targeted fare and fuel relief that reaches drivers directly, and a peso-defense strategy that does not simply wait out the storm.

Until then, the strike this week is less a disruption than a warning one Filipinos have heard before, and one the government keeps failing to act on until the streets go quiet again.

📸 INQUIRER.net

BapNews Mark Sison CLMA Pampanga Chapter MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit
SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

12/09/2026

COURSE OF ACTION FOR GUAGUA | ESTOS Turns a Tasting Menu Into a Lifeline
By Mark Sison

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga --- In the controlled hush of ESTOS Clark's dining area, Chef Al Fernando sent out course after course of a menu called KŌBŌ. A Japanese restraint married to French technique, plated with the kind of precision that takes years to earn.

KŌBŌ means "workshop" in Japanese, the chef's own creative lab. The French-Japanese degustation runs on a "shokunin" philosophy, raw, sea*onal ingredients, clean flavors, mastery through repetition, married to French precision, its classical technique, exact temperatures, and disciplined plating, in an intimate, limited-seating tasting format.

Tonight's launch of the five-course tasting menu, priced at ₱3,000 per head and available for a limited two-month run, opens with Pomme Nama No Gyuniki, a refined pairing of potato pavé, beef tartare, caviar, and microgreens, before moving into a Chawanmushi featuring ikura, pickled enoki mushrooms, matcha mayo, and microgreens.

The pasta course, Shiro, Soil and Sea, brings together macaroni pasta, fresh truffles, nori flakes, parmesan, and microgreens, while the main course, Umami Noir, showcases miso-soy aged Iberico pork with cauliflower purée, black garlic cauliflower purée, pork jus demi-glaze, and fresh winter black truffles.

The experience closes on a sweet note with Noir and Amber, a dessert of chocolate cremaux, chocolate crisp, macadamia praline, olive oil, salt, honeycomb, and crushed Oreo. The salt itself a small story of its own "Asin Tibuok", a rare, dome-shaped heritage sea salt handcrafted in the coastal town of Alburquerque, Bohol. Cebuano for "unbroken" or "whole salt," it's often called the "dinosaur egg" salt, its finished form emerging as a solid, egg-shaped orb from inside a clay pot.

Presiding over the evening from the ESTOS side was Atty. Mary Claire Ocampo-Fernando, the restaurant's co-owner and in charge on marketing and legal affairs, who helped anchor an evening that mixed craft with cause. Among the important guests in attendance were Clark Development Corporation President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera; CDC Vice President for Security, Gen. Lina Sarmiento (Ret); Herminia De Guzman-Pamintuan, wife of CDC Chairman Ed Pamintuan; Ma. Zoraida Garcia-Camello, Special Assistant to the President and CEO; Guagua Mayor Anthony Ton Torres; and Angeles City Vice Mayor Amos Rivera.

A commendable practice of this couple, Chef Al and Atty. Claire, is their habit of anchoring nearly every special occasion to a cause or advocacy, treating benefit projects as part of their social responsibility. The evening was built to showcase craft, yes, but craft with a debt attached, half of KOBO's proceeds will go toward their cabalens in Guagua, now measuring their losses in feet of floodwater and millions of pesos in ruined rice fields and drowned fisheries. The funds will provide medicines (particularly doxycycline for leptospirosis patients), hygiene kits, and other basic essentials for those still in evacuation centers.

Approximately 40 kilometers, or just a short drive down from Clark, floodwaters had already written a different kind of story this year. Provincial disaster figures paint the scale of it in numbers too large to picture, thousands of families affected across Pampanga.

Hundreds of villages sat in deep water, driven from homes by the combined cruelty of high tide and relentless rain, compounded by not one but four weather systems tropical depressions Luis, Maymay, Neneng, and tropical storm Pilandok arriving like a punishing sequence of courses no one asked for.

This is the ground KŌBŌ stands on tonight. Because Guagua isn't incidental to ESTOS. It's origin. Before there was a tasting menu, before there was a dining room built for quiet ceremony, and there was a town the one where this culinary story began.

Guagua carries its own memory of water, of streets turned into rivers, of homes packed into borrowed rooms, of neighbors passing plates of rice across fences that no longer held anything back. It's not a place chosen for convenience. It's a place chosen because ESTOS understands that intention means nothing if it cannot find its way home.

KŌBŌ was never just a menu. It's a promise, plated one course at a time proof that craft, when it stays close to its roots, can outgrow the plate it's served on. Care goes into the ingredients. Purpose goes into the dish. Neither lets you forget where it came from.

Tonight, purpose has an address, and it's the first of two months at that address. Guagua isn't defined by what the water took, but by what ESTOS chose to give back.

ESTOS Clark Clark Development Corporation Mayor Anthony Ton Torres BapNews Mark Sison MAS Channel: Media, Affairs & Stories NOW News, Opinion, Wit SCOOP First To Know. First To Tell

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