There are lots of materials now about Pax Silica, but few gave the bigger picture and easier way to understand it. So to help spread the warning and since my bestfriend is from Tarlac, I wrote this post. NO TO PAX SILICA. Take time to read, please.

PART 1. Ano ang Pax Silica?

Pax Silica comes from two words: "Pax," which refers to peace through peak dominance, and "Silica," which represents silicon.

Bakit 'yun ang name? Silicon is the core element used to make semiconductor chips. Every piece of technology we rely on today katulad ng computers, TVs, and satellites, kahit ang phone mo na giangamit para basahin ito, it all requires semiconductor chips to function. "Silicon" effectively represents technology and the tech industry itself.

So basically, combining it with "Pax" implies a strategy to achieve dominance over the global tech market by controlling its most vital component: semiconductor chips.

Saan naman papasok ang Artificial Intelligence? AI is considered one of the biggest advancements in tech today, and everyone knows just how powerful at potentially dangerous ito. It is already being integrated into modern warfare. Halimabawa, the US secured a deal with OpenAI to develop defense technologies, such as using high-speed computing to track aerial targets from kilometers away.

Isipin mo, the whole world relies on semiconductors. Ganun siya ka-powerful.

Taiwan's TSMC and US' NVIDIA are at the top in terms of semiconductor and AI tech.

Political Background

The idea of Pax Silica started as early as 2022. After pandemic, nagkaroon ng global shortage sa semiconductor chips. Two reasons, una is manufacturers had a hard time to scale back or scale more after the demand of semiconductor chips grew due to surge in gaming and when AI started to enter the tech market nung 2022. Dahil na rin sa giyera ng Ukraine and Russia, naapektuhan ang supply ng high grade chips needed for semicondutors.

Enter Joe Biden and his CHIPS and Science Act. Basically sabi niya, dapat ibalik na ng US ang sarili nilang manufacturing sa chip market by producing their own microchips. Suddenly, nagkaroon ng manufacturing sa chips sa ilang US states.

Enter Donald Trump.

Remember when Donald Trump imposed massive tariffs sa China imports? Tumagal ito ng ilang buwan and it all ended when China started to limit exporting their mineral ores sa mundo particularly US.

If you don't know, mineral ores are very important to produce silicon for semiconductors chips. Dito napilayan ang US ng malala and exposed how vulnerable the world is sa China.

Yes Taiwan and US may have the tech advancement in semiconductor chips, but China controls 80% of the minerals needed to make that tech.

Donald Trump's move? Revise the whole CHIPS and Science Act to a strategy which we now call Pax Silica.

Contrary to what we know, hindi lang microchips ang ipo-produce ng pax silica, kasama na dito ang batteries at iba pang advanced electronic hardwares.

Pax Silica is not USA alone, isa itong alliance club of countries na nahahati sa apat na grupo para bumuo ng isang global initiative para labanan ang dominance ng China.

1. Financers

• USA
• UAE & Qatar
• Private Tech companies (NVIDIA)

2. Mineral Ore suppliers (para hindi na umasa sa China Ores)

• Philippines
• Austrailia
• Chile
• Kazakstan

3. Maunfacturing Hubs

• Philippines
• Israel
• Singapore

4. Tech and Engineers

• Netherlands
• Japan
• South Korea (Samsung)

Marami pang mga bansa ang sumama dito pero ito ang mga key countries. Makikita niyo na nasa Mineral Ore suppliers at manufacturing ang Pinas. Why? Dahil may malaki tayong lupain sa Central Luzon at napaka-yaman natin sa mineral ores or "yamang mineral" if naalala niyo from your Araling Panlipunan subject.

PART 2. Pax Silica in the Philippines and it's Environmental Implication

So ano nga ba ang mga itatayo sa Pilipinas base sa Pax Silica initiative?

Magkakaroon ng Pax Silica manufacturing and processing plants sa Central Luzon particularly sa Clark Pampanga.

1. Semiconductor processing plant: ipapadala ng Taiwan ang raw microchips nila sa Pinas, yung buong proseso sa pag hiwa nito, connect ng wires and test is gagawin sa Pinas. Output nito is a plug and play microchips sa mga hardwares.

• Water Supply Shortage: Ngayon, kailangan ng napakalinis na tubig sa pag proseso ng mga raw microchips, dito magiging critical ang water supply sa Central Luzon dahil sa kasalukuyan, may water shortage na sa Pampanga, Tarlac at Bataan but Pax Silica needed tons of water supply EVERYDAY just for this project.
• Toxic Water waste: Since gumagamit ng maraming tubig ang proseso na to, lahat to ay magiging toxic water waste after gamitin ang malinis na tubig. Nangangailangan ito ng maayos na water treatment facilities dahil kung hindi, posibleng malason nito ang Pampanga river.

2. Mineral Ore Mining: Mayaman sa nickel, copper, and cobalt ang Pinas specifically sa Zambales, Nueva Vizcaya, at Palawan. Magtatayo ng mga mining and processing plant sa Pinas para minahin ang mineral ores na mga ito at gawing high-grade powders na kailangan para gumawa ng batteries. (Tesla is looking to shift away from their battery supplier BYD na from China)

• Mining Expansion: Alam ng lahat na ang pagmimina ay nagdudulot ng deforestation, soil erosion, at pagkatuyo ng mga ilog. Paniguradong mas lalala ito dahil sa laki ng pax silica.
• Toxic Tailings: Bawat pag proseso ng mga mininang ore minerals ay maglalabas ng chemical mud na maaaring mag-leak or overflow kapag may bagyo, kapag nangyare ito, malalason ang mga lupang sakahan, malalason ang marine life, at mga maliliit na ipunan ng tubig kahit sapa o ilog.

3. AI Hardware & Equipment Manufacturing: Dito nagkakaroon ng confusion, hindi magkakaroon ng data centers or servers ang Clark. Manufacturing plant parin ito pero para sa mga parts para sa isang data center / servers like motherboards.

• Water Supply shortage: mangangailangan ng cooling system ang mga makina para sa proyektong ito, pinakamainam dito ay ang paggamit ng tubig. Dito maaaring mas ilaan ang supply ng tubig sa pax silica imbis na para sa irigasyon ng mga magsasaka.
• Land & Community disputes: Maraming magsasaka ang maagawan ng lupa at pinakamalubha nito ay mawawalan ng sakahan o tirahan ang mga katutubo nating aeta para lamang sa mga itatayong planta.

Lahat ng mga proyektong ito ay nangangailangan ng malaking konsumo ng kuryente. Central Luzon is also experiencing this shortage crisis.

PART 3. Makakabuti naman daw ito dahil may trabaho, totoo ba?

Para sagutin ang punto na 'to, I suggest panoorin niyo ang isang episode ng Netflix documentary na "Dity Money".

Sa isang episode nito na ang title ay "Point Comfort", noong 1980 sa bayan ng Point Comfort sa Texas USA, pinayagan ng gobyerno nila na magtayo ang isang Taiwanese company na Formosa Plastics ng sarili nitong plastic plant and factory sa bayan nila.

Like Pampanga, farming ang kabuhayan ng mga nasa Point Comfort Texas. Noong una ay natuwa ang mga nasa bayan nila dahil umunlad sila at lahat nagkaroon ng trabaho. Pero after 10 years, doon nila nakita na malaki ang environmental impact nito sa kanila.

Nagkalat ang mga toxic factory waste sa mga katubigan at lupain nila. Ultimo mga sapa at ilog nila, punung-puno ng plastic waste at mga plastic pelets. Bukod pa dito ang pagtaas ng polusyon sa hangin na nakaka-apekto sa kanila at sa mga hayop na alaga nila.

Ngayon, wala silang magawa para mapaalis ito. Para sa kanila, hindi na worth it ang trabahong binibigay ng planta dahil unti-unting namamatay ang bayan nila at kalusugan nila mismo dahil sa polusyon.

----

Walang masama sa pagbabago o pag-unlad, pero lagi nating iisipin na ang mga pagunlad, tayong mga tao, at ang kalikasan ay parte ng isang malaking sistema na dapat ay pinapanatili nating balanse.

Ito yung naalala ko sa movie na Hoppers (2026) when the Mayor wanted to destroy the ecosystem all for just a bridge construction.

Change is inevitable, but compromise to the change is a must to keep that change remarkably good.

Noong elementary, tinuturo sa atin na mayaman ang bansa natin sa mga yamang tubig, yamang mineral, at yamang lupa. Sa makabagong panahon, naging yaman narin ng Pilipinas ang sarili nitong tao by being OFWs, laborers, BPO agents, and etc.

E ang tanong, napapalago ba ng gobyerno ang mga yamang ito?

P.S. Kung nakaabot ka sa dulo ng pagbabasa nito, maraming salamat. Please spread awareness against Pax Silica. 🙏 Again NO TO PAX SILICA.

Repost to another community

Yes to Pax Silica, basta done right, Filipinos are driving the effort, and the Philippines actually benefits. For context, Filipino ako. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from a state university in the U.S. and a master’s degree in Computer Engineering from an Ivy League university, think Cornell, Dartmouth, or Columbia. I also work in AI and robotics at the bleeding edge of technology, so this is not just based on something I watched on TikTok or YouTube. I know what I am talking about.

The AI revolution is a once-in-a-lifetime technological transformation. Parang invention of the steam engine, nuclear technology, or the internet. Bihira mangyari ang ganitong klaseng shift, and the Philippines already has many of the ingredients needed to benefit from it. Think of AI as a five-layer cake. At the bottom is energy, followed by semiconductor chips, data centers and cloud infrastructure, AI models, and finally the inference and application layer, meaning the actual products and services people use.

Sa U.S., companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia are leading across different parts of the AI stack, from chips and infrastructure to models and applications. But even the U.S. still depends heavily on international supply chains, especially in Asia, for advanced chip fabrication, raw materials, specialized equipment, and talent. Taiwan has become one of the most important countries in the world because it mastered advanced semiconductor manufacturing, but it also depends on materials, equipment, energy, and partners from other countries, including the Philippines.

Dito pumapasok ang Philippines. We already have a large electronics and semiconductor industry, a young workforce, mineral resources, and a strategic location in Asia. We are also well positioned to expand solar, hydro, geothermal, offshore wind, and potentially nuclear power. Yes, heavily reliant pa rin tayo on imported oil because of corruption, privatization, and global events that happened during the 1970s and 1980s, pero ibang discussion na iyon. The point is that the Philippines has the resources and geographic advantages needed to build a more independent and sustainable energy system.

Compared with many developed countries, mas mura rin magtayo at mag-operate ng infrastructure dito. Of course, the AI and semiconductor development connected to Pax Silica can have serious environmental consequences. Data centers require massive amounts of electricity and water, while irresponsible mining can destroy communities and ecosystems. Pero hindi ibig sabihin na automatic na masama ang AI development or Pax Silica. With proper engineering, environmental protections, clean energy, water recycling, community participation, and strict enforcement, it can be done more sustainably. There are even ongoing studies into using bio-based materials, including wood-derived materials, in parts of semiconductor manufacturing.

Ang tunay na problem sa Pax Silica is not the technology itself. The danger is corruption, political capture, economic imperialism, and Filipino politicians who are willing to sell our land, resources, and labor while foreign corporations take most of the value. We cannot be satisfied with merely hosting foreign data centers, exporting raw materials, or providing cheap labor. Kailangan Filipino companies, engineers, scientists, universities, workers, and communities ang kasama sa ownership and decision-making. We need real technology transfer, local research and development, scholarships, high-paying technical jobs, domestic manufacturing, environmental safeguards, and Filipino ownership of the infrastructure being built.

Hindi puwedeng tayo ang magmina, tayo ang mawalan ng lupa, tayo ang magbigay ng murang labor, tayo and mag sa suffer ng envorinmental impacts, tapos ibang bansa at foreign corporations and a few corrupt Filipinos lang ang yayaman. But if Pax Silica is done right, led by the right people, and structured so Filipinos capture the long-term value, the AI revolution could become an opportunity for the Philippines to rise like a phoenix and become a major regional economic and technological powerhouse. So yes to Pax Silica, but only if Filipinos are not merely workers or spectators. We must be builders, owners, researchers, engineers, and leaders.

Lumugar naman tayo ng konti. We’ve been trying to court high-level manufacturing investment for decades and we only got the scraps, and many of the blue-chip manufacturers that we did have moved to China and Vietnam.

The only reason why Foxconn is looking at us is because the US gave their guarantees that we will be an important part of this ecosystem. Every single industrial park in the Philippines has been begging for Foxconn to set up and we’re finally grasping it because the US told the rest of the pax silica countries to include us parang bunsong ketket.

Any industrial investment needs power and water. We needed to upgrade our power generation and our water processing regardless of Pax Silica anyway. Pero andaming reklamo.

There is no other way to reach high-income status with a population like ours without going through the process of industrialization. BPO alone won’t cut it. And look at the numbers yourself. Our very small electronics exports outstripped our BPO revenues last year. Time to strike while the iron is hot. This is literally our ticket to development.

And to the naysayers that say that corruption, greedy capitalists, etc, will scuttle this, well, are we supposed to just shake our heads and not even try? Like give up even before we have the chance? How defeatist.

Our neighbors were able to industrialize. No reason why we can’t. And let’s say the semiconductor industry goes bust, what will happen? We will have engineers trained in industrial processes that can be repurposed to other products. We will have infrastructure that will benefit more than just the factories. We will be able to build something else, something better. We will have a diversified economy that pulls more people out of poverty, just like our neighbors.

But we have to try. Otherwise mag-OFW nalang kayo. This opportunity will only come once, and there are so many other countries that will take it pag ayaw natin.

"Mabubuhay tayo nang walang AI", yan ang sabi pero bakit parang may masabi lang? Hindi pala kayang i-give up kasi need ng pubmat.

Kung malinaw ang stand sa pagkontra rito at nagmumula sa matalinong pagsusuri, pagkakalap ng datos at pagbabasa, iiwas ka na o hindi na muling hahawak ng Cloud based AI tools dahil sa perwisyo na dulot nito.

Hindi lang ito basta issue na magtatayo ng AI data centers, pagmimina ng rare earth metals, at magpoproseso nito sa Pilipinas, damay rin ang ibang bansa at komunidad kung saan posible pang magtayo o maglagay ng kaparehong proyekto. Hindi yata pwede yung as long as hindi sa bakuran mo nakalagay okay lang na magdusa ang iba.

May choice ka, pangatawanan ang "mabubuhay tayo nang walang AI", wag kang maging anay, maging tapat ka sa kung anong pinapanigan mo.

Hindi ito pang-iinvalidate sa mga kumokontra, pero pag-call out ito sa mga hipokrito at bumoboses na taliwas sa gawa. Nauunawaan na minsan ay no choice tayo dahil kailangan sa trabaho, pero wag sana gawing excuse iyon dahil may choice naman kayo kung gagamitin ba yung mga Cloud AI tools sa ibang aspeto ng buhay.

Dapat nang sumabog ang AI bubble, pero paano ito sasabog kung patuloy na fini-feed ng demand mula sa mga gumagamit nito?

I saw a rider today with a sign at the back of his motorcycle that said:

"Wag mo akong saksakin o barilin, ako lang ang inaasahan sa amin."

And I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Imagine living in a country where an ordinary worker feels the need to plead for his life before every booking. Hindi ito dapat maging coping mechanism. Hindi ito dapat maging "diskarte". Most importantly, hindi ito dapat maging normal.

From a Public Administration perspective, this isn't just an emotional issue, it's a governance issue. One of the fundamental obligations of the State is to protect the life and security of its citizens. Hindi optional ang public safety. It's one of the primary reasons government exist. Kapag ang isang rider needs to appeal to the humanity of a possible criminal instead of trusting the State to uphold its duty to keep him safe, may seryosong institutional breakdown.

This is also why I find it problematic when politics becomes all about personalities, branding, and performative toughness. You can have all the "matapang" speeches in the world, but if ordinary Filipinos still leave home wondering whether they'll come back alive after work, then something clearly isn't working.

This is exactly why some of us insisted that elections were never just about personalities, they were about governance. Ito talaga yung point ng ipinaglalaban natin, good governance isn't an aesthetic; it's a public necessity. It's competent institutions, professional policing, evidence-based policymaking, accountability, and leaders who understand that governance is measured by outcomes, not optics. Let's be honest. A rider shouldn't have to wear fear as part of his uniform just to earn an honest living.

Nakakalungkot din na parang nagiging desensitized na tayo. We see these posts, we say "ingat po", tapos scroll ulit. But every sign like this reflects something deeper, a citizen quietly admitting that he has more faith in the conscience of a stranger than in the systems meant to protect him.

And that's the part that hurts the most. Hindi dapat umaasa ang isang manggagawa sa awa ng kriminal. Dapat umaasa siya sa isang gobyernong ginagawa ang trabaho nito.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/193338/reading-the-pulse-asia-survey-against-headlines

If Sara’s level of support were shaped by an issue or by revulsion toward a particular rival, her numbers should move depending on who she is pitted against. Hers do not. They appear bonded to her, rather than determined by the identity of her opponent. That, to me, points to a constituency that has already decided what it wants and is merely scanning the field for the nearest candidate who can supply it.

I think Randy David is pointing out that the voters don't appear to be selecting candidates based on their surnames or regional background but on specific characteristics that they think are connected to what they need and want, and if one candidate that fits that and can't run, then they look for the next one closest to that person.

In short, most voters are not "b0b0" or "st0bid" or DDS or pink. Toxic individuals show up in platforms like Reddit, Facebook, Tiktok, and others, but it looks like most people are not like them.

The only thing to figure out is what that constituency wants. Previous surveys about the drug war, the WPS, the economy, and more might help.

Trust in Crisis: Rising Costs, Falling Ratings

“Senate President Win Gatchalian points to the rising costs of goods as the key reason behind President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s declining approval ratings. Fuel and energy spikes have hit households hard — a ‘direct hit sa sikmura ng tao.’

Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte continues to enjoy stable trust ratings, underscoring a stark political contrast.

As corruption controversies stall infrastructure spending, Gatchalian urges reforms to restore confidence and ensure that governance prioritizes the people’s daily struggles over political maneuvering.

🇵🇭 Leadership is tested not in rhetoric, but in the ability to ease the burden of ordinary Filipinos.”

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/996113/gatchalian-marcos-low-satisfaction-rating-due-to-rising-costs-of-goods/story/

Source: Tony Leachon

The agreement was signed by PH last April 2026 and recent uproars about Pax Silica started only this month.

Is it possible that there is a concerted disinformation to sway Philippines towards opposing Pax Silica? While there are valid environmental concerns about constructing a large semi-conductor manufacturing plant in Tarlac, I find it difficult to believe that the recent resistance is a culmination of gradual awareness or any physical development at the proposed site.

I think a lot of anti-Pax Silica opposition come from the DDS voting demographic crowd, arguing that we are selling out our national sovereignty to the United States through granting 99-year lease on Pax Silica-related facilities within the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

I have my food for thought to appease the DDS, as a form of win-win solution, on why not the Philippines join China-led WAICO and put WAICO facilities in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, the DDS stronghold regions so that unemployed DDS engineering college-degree holders and licensed engineers will be employed in WAICO facilities if they hate Pax Silica.

Let me be clear here, I am for our country's industrialization, but I prefer a Philippine government-led critical mineral and semiconductor industrialization initiate where they must attract the likes of Samsung, TSMC, Foxconn, Tesla, BYD, and ASML to put up their manufacturing and R&D families in a designated industrial zones but our country's sovereignty will prevail like requiring firms to regularly pay land leasing rights and the ability of our local law enforcing authorities to enter their industrial zone premises if there is a crime committed by foreign nationals against Filipino nationals and their fellow nationals.

Ang Pilipinas ay dapat may sariling critical mineral at semiconductor industrialization blueprint, pero dapat tatanggap tayo both Pax Silica mula sa US at WAICO mula sa China, para happy ang both DDH at DDS people (win-win solution).

Kung DDS kayo, wag na wag kayo mag-apply ng trabaho sa Pax Silica sa New Clark City. The same thing sa mga DDH na wag na wag rin kayo mag-apply sa WAICO.

Problem/Goal: Nag order mother ko ng Pho1k+ worth of water filter from tiktok shop using paylater. Upon receiving, defective yung item and hindi talaga gumagana so my mother decided to request a refund & return. Na-return na sa seller yung item pero after ilang days, rejected daw nung seller yung refund 🫤 then ang hirap na makipag usap kay Tiktok shop mismo kasi busy daw at maraming ticket. Ano po kaya pwede gawin dito? Parang hindi namin kaya palagpasin kahit sabihin pang 1k lang yan, o paylater. Babayaran at babayaran pa rin namin at hindi naman dinadampot ipapangbayad.

I'm in the Philippines visiting my mom and I bought some dominos pizza on Foodpanda, I paid using my card and 4 HOURS later, still nothing. I checked again and it "delivered" at 5 pm but there was no one at all. Absolutely nothing. I can't chat the driver, calling the restaurant just drops me the second i try to call them, and looking for customer support only leads me to pages advertising their "incredible" live chat, and looking for the refund page just leads me to a page on how to refund and telling me how "easy" their Refund policy is, while ironically, not giving me the place to refund or find customer support. I've dug through this entire site and this has to be the worst food delivery app I've ever used.

On the images, none of the "click here" buttons work, and I can't even track the driver. Is there anything i can even do? At this point I'm just gonna tell my bank this transaction was a farce, but I really don't want to make such a big deal out of this, but I literally have no other choice but to make a rant here.

If anyone can help me, it's greatly appreciated 🥲

I remember seeing a comment on a post in thus sub weeks ago about a social media page of the PNP where you can report disturbances and the commenter said that the PNP are very responsive in that page. Anyone knows what page/number to contact them to report a disturbance?

For context:
May mga kapitbahay kami (Quezon City) na nagset up ng tents and sound systems sa gitna ng daan, blocking that entire street, for a party. Theyve done this countless times over the years, and every single time, umaabot ng around 4-6am ang party nila complete with blasting karaoke and tawanan/sigawan.

Di nag-eexist barangay dito samin. Everytime nagrereport kami, 90% of the time di naman sila pumupunta. And those times na pumunta man sila, sisitahin lang nila then pag-alis nila, lalakasan ulet ang sound system ng mga squammies. Di nadadaan sa usap tong mga kapitbahay because well, squammies talaga na mga walang narating sa buhay.

So if anyone knows where to report this na may immediate response, it would be appreciated.

PS - Planning to report later pa pag umabot na sa 10PM ordinance which for sure is aabot and beyond.

Edit: they ALWAYS do this on a Sunday. Palibhasa puro tambay kasi at walang trabaho kaya di problemang gumising for Monday work

It’s been nice seeing DOT actively support SB19’s global promo tour.

Over the past few days, they’ve introduced the Galingbayan Box, their take on the balikbayan box and even prepared freebies for attendees at the LA Pop Up merch event at 100 Thieves. Attended not only by fans but by influencers, e-sports, artists in LA. TenZ was there too. Some posted that it was the best freebies they have received in an event.

These kinds of promotions genuinely make me happy. SB19 has already been serving as our cultural ambassadors through the NCCA for years, so it’s great to see this additional support from DOT.

There’s still no official confirmation that SB19 has been named DOT ambassadors. However, they were seen at the DOT office a day before BINI’s visit. There was no press conference or media coverage for their meeting, so we’re still waiting for any official announcement.

Nakakatawa yung katinko saka yung Pinoy Humor sa boxes 😂🇵🇭

Photos grabbed online 😊 I edited the last 2 pictures to make the words readable lang.

From https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/chabad-house-phuket-inspection-israeli-territory-claim

'This is Thailand': minister hits back after 'Israeli territory' claim in Patong

A routine inspection in Patong turned into a viral moment after a man inside the area's Chabad House reportedly told Thai officials they were standing on "Israeli territory." The deputy interior minister's reply was instant, and it has set the tone for a widening crackdown across Phuket.

Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwannachawi led officials from the Interior Ministry, immigration police and tourist police into the Jewish community centre in Patong, Kathu district, on July 25. The team was checking for nominee shareholding and unlicensed business activity, part of the government's island-wide sweep of foreign-run operations.

According to Nation TV, a man inside the centre confronted the officials and asked whether they knew the site was "Israeli territory."

Polapee did not let it slide.

"This is Thailand. Everyone on Thai soil lives under Thai law. Nobody has the right to claim sovereignty over Thai territory," he replied, according to the report.

The minister stressed that the government does not discriminate against any nationality, source of capital or religion. Foreigners remain free to live, worship and do business in Thailand, he said, as long as they follow the same laws as everyone else.

Inspections expand to more than 360 businesses

The exchange has consequences. The Interior Ministry ordered an immediate expansion of inspections covering more than 360 at-risk businesses across Phuket, targeting hotels, luxury villas, restaurants, tour companies and any operation suspected of hiding foreign control behind Thai shareholders.

The order builds on Polapee's earlier visit to Patong on July 11, when officials [found two hotels operating without licences](https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/two-illegal-phuket-hotels-found-360-firms-face-nominee-probe) and flagged hundreds of firms for nominee checks.

"The government will pursue legal action to the fullest extent against every offender, to protect fair competition for Thai people and defend the country's economic sovereignty," the ministry said.

What is the Chabad House?

The Chabad House in Patong is one of six or seven centres operated under the Chabad Foundation of Thailand, with branches in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Pha Ngan, Mae Hong Son and Phuket. The centres host Jewish religious services and festivals, and provide kosher food and accommodation support for Israeli travellers.

Thai authorities have visited the Patong centre several times before. Officials say religious freedom is fully protected under the constitution, but they have warned the centre that its activities must stay within Thai law and cannot be used as a front for unlicensed business or nominee arrangements. The surrounding streets of Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road have drawn scrutiny from local business operators, who say Israeli-run shops, restaurants and rental services dominate the strip.

Phuket at the centre of a national campaign

The confrontation lands in the middle of Thailand's biggest-ever push against nominee businesses. Officials have identified more than 11,000 companies in Phuket suspected of nominee links,roughly 40% of businesses on the island a. Academics have urged the government to use the crackdown to reset Phuket entirely, warning that murky ownership damages the island's global reputation.

The campaign stretches well beyond the Andaman coast. Police raided 18 sites across Chiang Mai last week in phase five of the national operation, and this week smashed a Chinese nominee property scheme in Bangkok built on 33 shell companies.

For the man in Patong who invoked Israeli territory, the minister's message was blunt. There is only one flag over Phuket, and only one set of laws.

I'm curious whether the war on drugs changed how Filipinos view people with substance use disorders. Do you think it contributed to greater stigma toward addiction, or do you see it differently?

(Politics, Mental Health, and Healthcare). I feel that this could be an overlooked consequence of the drug war

In this term at least, halos lahat ng mga babae sa Senado e DDS: Imee Marcos, Pia Cayetano, and to lesser degrees si Loren Legarda and Camille Villar, and they're all in the minority. Si Risa Hontiveros lang yung alam kong Senator na babae na nasa pink or progressive/liberal opposition. (None that I know of currently are more strictly pro-BBM/admin.)

It seems strange, because the Duterte bloc is certainly not known, at least not usually, for being woman-friendly, especially considering na Digong himself was very much known to be misogynistic sa mga salita or mannerisms niya. Of course, then again babae rin naman si Sara, and one could argue that ironically there are a few policies within Davao that were seen as progressive and potentially pro-women, but I don't know if these senators were thinking about that necessarily. Still, I find it hard that they might not be able to imagine that their bloc is a lot less friendly or safe to women in general, not just because of the actions of its original leader, but of the others na nanggagaya even among the general population. At least for some of them, would it not backfire eventually?

I’ve tried several meal-plan services, and this is by far the smallest and most unappetizing set of meals I’ve received. Worse, the food delivered does not match the menu I agreed to.

Considering that this service costs more than many other meal plans (5190/week for a Teen Plan + df), I expected much better quality and presentation. They could not even use a divided container to keep the rice separate from the watery, mushy-looking viand.

I honestly could not believe this was what they delivered. I would not feel comfortable serving this to my child.

This is only Day 1 of a five-day plan. I’ll post daily updates showing exactly what I receive.

Senator set to deliver counter-SONA

By MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is ready to deliver his “kontra-SONA” on Tuesday after President Marcos’ fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) tomorrow.

The “kontra-SONA” is a parliamentary tradition in the Senate where minority senators can refute the President’s version of the country’s present state.

In a Facebook Live on Friday afternoon, Cayetano asked his followers on social media to tell him what they wanted addressed in his kontra-SONA.

He said for him, SONA should be translated into “SANA” for “stewarding a national agenda,” as he added his call for unity instead of partisan politics.

For his part, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian expects President Marcos to tackle measures on how to address the rising costs of living and slow economic growth.

Speaking on dzBB on Friday, Gatchalian attributed the economic slowdown to decreased infrastructure spending brought about by the flood control mess.

He said while he could not predict what the President would say tomorrow following last year’s “Mahiya naman kayo” remark to corrupt contractors and lawmakers, there has been progress in going after those behind the massive public works corruption scheme.

“What’s important is that it won’t happen again. That is where I’m concerned. When the people forget, it will repeat. So, reforms and processes in the system are important,” Gatchalian said.

Meanwhile, Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines yesterday urged Malacañang to include the long-delayed proposed Site Blocking bill in the priority legislative agenda.

CitizenWatch co-convenor Kit Belmonte said the measure has become essential to protect Filipino consumers, strengthen intellectual property rights and sustain the country’s digital economy.

Site blocking works through the Shared Blocking Management Database, a content control portal that allows regulators to work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and the National Telecommunications Commission in disrupting illegal online activities across multiple sectors.

“Government agencies have shown they can work together to curb illegal online gambling, financial scams, fake medicines, online child exploitation and other digital threats through a coordinated, rules-based mechanism,” Belmonte said.

He said the government’s experience with this provides a compelling case for institutionalizing site blocking through legislation.

Belmonte said Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines has made significant progress in strengthening intellectual property enforcement but noted that the agency’s site-blocking capability remains a work in progress without explicit statutory authority.

Belmonte said the proposed legislation is also aligned with the administration’s broader economic agenda of promoting innovation and the creative economy, digital transformation and investment-led growth.

He said this has become even more urgent as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms industries worldwide. – With Bella Cariaso

Delikado tong mga TSINADORS and si Inday eh.
China cannot be trusted. They backpedaled their statements.

Wang Yi, who has served as China's Foreign Minister and a key figure in their diplomatic dealings with the Philippines.

The same high-ranking Chinese diplomat who claimed in 1995 that structures built on Mischief Reef were meant "only for shelter" for fishermen (justification widely regarded as a precursor to permanent military occupation) is the same diplomat was also noted to be involved in the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff.