Abbey M.

MANILA — The Philippine delegation secured three distinctions at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, including a bronze medal and two Medals for Excellence, according to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Carlos Antonio Delos Reyes of Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas won bronze in Hotel Reception and was also named the country’s Best of Nation.

Two other Filipino competitors reached the WorldSkills excellence benchmark.

James Cavin Sayago of Camarines Sur Polytechnic College received a Medal for Excellence in Electrical Installations, while Hannah Krystelle Caintic of TESDA Regional Training Center-NCR earned the same citation in Graphic Design Technology.

Under the WorldSkills scoring system, a Medal for Excellence is awarded to competitors who achieve at least 700 points but do not finish in the gold, silver or bronze positions. 

TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez said the Filipino competitors’ performance highlights the potential of technical-vocational education and training to prepare learners for international standards.

“More than the medals and distinctions, their performance is a source of inspiration for other Filipinos pursuing careers in technical-vocational education and training,” Benitez said.

He added that TESDA will continue giving Filipino skills competitors opportunities to test and improve their competencies on the international stage.

The Philippines sent 11 delegates to compete in 10 skill areas: Bakery, Beauty Therapy, Electrical Installations, Graphic Design Technology, Hotel Reception, ICT Network Infrastructure, Mechatronics, Plumbing and Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and Restaurant Service. 

WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 ran from September 22 to 27 and brought together competitors from across the world in dozens of technical and vocational skill categories.

TESDA said the country’s participation supports efforts to strengthen the global competitiveness of Filipino workers and align local technical-vocational training with international benchmarks.

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MANILA — Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte was declared a hostile witness on Tuesday after taking the witness stand in the impeachment trial of his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte arrived at the Senate on the morning of September 29 for Day 31 of the proceedings. The House prosecution panel called him to testify under Article II of the impeachment complaint, which includes allegations involving the Vice President’s unexplained wealth, asset disclosures and business interests.

His appearance centers on records of transactions between the Davao City government and GenCorp Industries Inc.

The Vice President listed GenCorp as a business interest in her 2024 and 2025 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. However, Securities and Exchange Commission records previously presented in the impeachment proceedings did not identify her as an incorporator, director or stockholder of the company.

Mayor Duterte had originally been subpoenaed to appear from September 28 to 30. On Monday, he asked the impeachment court for more time to gather, organize, authenticate and reproduce the documents required by the subpoena.

Presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero granted the request and allowed him to appear on September 29 and 30.

The subpoena directs the mayor to produce certified and electronic copies of Davao City government records involving GenCorp and other specified entities. Prosecutors sought his testimony to authenticate the city records and answer questions about the local government’s transactions with the company.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution asked the impeachment court to treat Duterte as a hostile witness.

Escudero granted the request, saying the mayor’s adverse interest had been established.

“The adverse interest of the witness has been established,” Escudero said in declaring Duterte a hostile witness.

The designation allows prosecutors to ask leading questions during their examination. It does not, by itself, constitute a finding of wrongdoing against the witness.

The GenCorp transactions had already been examined a day before Duterte’s testimony.

Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System Division Chief Rendell Sopeña told the impeachment court that PhilGEPS records covered 15 contracts between Davao City and GenCorp worth ₱34.216 million.

Four of those contracts went through public bidding, while 11 were awarded through negotiated small-value procurement.

Those figures differ from an earlier statement by Mayor Duterte, who said the city had 19 transactions with GenCorp worth more than ₱33.2 million. He said four went through competitive public bidding while 15 used small-value procurement.

Sopeña stressed during his testimony that his knowledge was limited to records contained in the PhilGEPS system and that his testimony did not determine whether any procurement transaction was unlawful.

The prosecution is presenting the GenCorp records as part of its evidence under Article II. The defense has disputed the prosecution’s interpretation of the corporate and procurement records presented in the trial.

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MANILA — Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains focused on current national concerns and has not turned his attention to possible political alliances for the 2028 elections.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the statement Monday when asked about reports that the administration may support a tandem involving former vice president Leni Robredo and former senator Manny Pacquiao.

Castro said she had received no information from the Palace regarding such a political arrangement.

“Wala po kasing ibinibigay sa akin na anumang detalye patungkol sa tandem-tandem na iyon,” Castro said.

She said Marcos is currently focused on government preparations for the approaching Super El Niño and on addressing the effects of the continuing Middle East crisis.

Castro added that election politics is not the administration’s priority at present.

“So, sa ngayon po ay hindi politika o pamumulitika ang iniisip ng administrasyon. So, trabaho lang po muna tayo, huwag puro eleksyon, eleksyon, aksiyon. Aksiyon muna,” she said.

Political speculation involving Robredo and Pacquiao comes months after Marcos separately met with both former rivals.

In February, Marcos met Robredo in Naga City during discussions on flood-control measures and later crossed paths with her again at an event in Malacañang. The President also attended a ceremony honoring Pacquiao. At the time, the Palace characterized the meetings as examples of cooperation in public service despite their previous political rivalry.

Pacquiao returned to government service on September 8 after Marcos appointed him secretary and lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

Robredo and Pacquiao both ran for president in the 2022 elections, which Marcos won.

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No passport. No plane ticket. Just coffee, office fits, deadlines, and another day reporting for duty in the fictional “United States of Makati.”

That is the joke behind the viral “OFW in Makati” trend, where office workers playfully rebrand themselves as Onsite Filipino Workers or Overworked Filipino Workers and turn everyday corporate life into a mock overseas assignment.

As seen in videos circulating on TikTok, ordinary parts of working in Makati are given an overseas twist: salaries become “Makati dollars,” office lingo becomes “Makatinese,” and heading home after work becomes “returning to the Philippines.” 

See an example of the “Makatinese” trend on TikTok

Other posts under the trend play with the same fictional setup – “OFWs” reporting to Makati, imaginary visas, and the idea that entering the business district is almost like crossing into another country. 

See more “OFW in Makati” videos on TikTok

It is exaggerated for laughs, but there is another reason the trend resonates.

Many of these videos turn an ordinary workday into something worth enjoying: getting dressed for work, walking to the office, stopping for coffee or food, spending time with colleagues, and finding places to unwind before heading home.

In other words, work can be productive and still feel good.

And that is where the viral joke becomes a useful workplace conversation.

Why should a pleasant and conducive working environment feel like something you need to travel to the “United States of Makati” to experience?

A conducive workplace is not simply an aesthetic office, a nearby café, or an impressive skyline.

According to the International Labour Organization, a healthy psychosocial working environment is also shaped by how jobs are designed and managed – including workload, working hours, autonomy, organizational culture, workplace relationships, and the support employees receive. The ILO says all workers have a right to a safe and healthy working environment where their physical and mental well-being is protected. 

The ILO also identifies long working hours, excessive workloads, weak support systems and poor organizational culture among workplace factors that can contribute to psychosocial risks. It says prevention includes fair working time, realistic demands, and safe and respectful workplaces.

Philippine labor rules also provide basic standards on working time.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment, normal working hours for employees covered by the Labor Code generally should not exceed eight hours a day. Employers are also required to provide covered employees at least 24 consecutive hours of rest after every six consecutive normal workdays, subject to applicable rules and exceptions.

So perhaps the takeaway from the “United States of Makati” is bigger than the imaginary passports, “Makati dollars” and “Makatinese.”

There is nothing wrong with making work fun, aesthetic or even romanticizing the little things that make the daily routine enjoyable.

But a safe, respectful, and supportive workplace should not feel exclusive to Makati.

Whether an employee works in Makati, Manila, Quezon City, Taguig, Davao, or anywhere else in the Philippines, having reasonable working conditions and an environment where people can work productively without compromising their well-being should be attainable.

The “United States of Makati” can stay a TikTok trend or a new meta.

A good and conducive workplace should be possible everywhere.

Oil prices edged lower as Iran signaled it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.

Brent and U.S. crude prices declined as prospects for increased Gulf oil supply and renewed U.S.-Iran diplomacy eased concerns over disruptions to the key shipping route. Reuters reported Wednesday that oil prices continued to drift lower amid those developments.

A senior Iranian official said Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington formally indicates that it wants to resolve the conflict through diplomacy and the two sides agree on a timeline for the process.

According to the official, Iran delivered its proposal to the United States through mediators on September 16. Tehran intends to use the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York to continue consultations with countries acting as intermediaries.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are among the country's core delegation attending the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The 81st UN General Assembly opened on September 8, while its general debate runs from September 22 to 28 at the United Nations headquarters.

Before the trip, Araghchi said Iran remained in what he described as a “state of war” following attacks by the United States and Israel.

He said Iran's participation in the General Assembly would be used to present the country's positions and defend what Tehran considers the rights and interests of the Iranian people.

Pezeshkian and Araghchi are also expected to hold bilateral meetings and consultations with foreign leaders and ministers during their stay in New York.

The United States allowed Iran's core delegation to attend the UN gathering but imposed restrictions on its movement. Members of the delegation are also prohibited from purchasing certain luxury and other goods while in the United States.

Diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran also resumed on the sidelines of the UN gathering.

Trump said Tuesday that Witkoff and Kushner held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation and described the talks as productive. Reports said another meeting was expected.

The meeting does not involve a scheduled face-to-face discussion between Trump and Pezeshkian. A senior Iranian official earlier told Reuters that the two presidents were not expected to meet at the UN.

Iran has said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is among the issues that could be addressed as diplomatic efforts continue between the two sides.

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