Good morning. It’s Friday, July 25 .

PesoWeekly readers It’s flood season again but the problems aren’t just in the streets. From the billions poured into flood control that never seem to work, to Intel cutting 15% of its workforce and Google proving it’s still the king of search, this week’s headlines are soaked with drama. Pres. Marcos met with Trump in Washington, but walked away with little more than polite handshakes and vague trade talk. Meanwhile, border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia are heating up.

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The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended GSIS President Wick Veloso and six other executives for their role in a ₱1.45-billion share subscription deal with Alternergy Holdings, a renewable energy firm led by ex-energy chief Vicente Perez. The deal allegedly sidestepped GSIS board approval and violated key investment rules.

Context:
Ombudsman Samuel Martires called out the transaction as a serious breach of trust, citing violations of internal policies and the absence of critical oversight. The shares weren’t even listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange when the deal was signed in November 2023.

What now:
The Department of Finance is now running a separate probe, also looking into GSIS’s high-risk exposure to DigiPlus Interactive, a tech stock that lost nearly 70% of its value.

Alternergy defended the transaction, claiming it would generate a 56% return for GSIS over seven years, with ₱118 million in dividends already paid out. They say the capital will be returned in full and was used to build wind farms in Tanay and Alabat. But critics warn that if the investment fails, the government may need to backstop the pension fund with taxpayers footing the bill.

Typhoon Emong, paired with the southwest monsoon (habagat), will drench Luzon until Sunday. Pagasa warns of floods and landslides as Emong made landfall Thursday night in Pangasinan, bringing over 200mm of rain to Ilocos, La Union, Zambales, and nearby provinces. Metro Manila can expect 50–100mm through the weekend. Emong’s winds reach 120kph, with gusts up to 165kph. Best to keep the umbrellas and the caution handy.

SSS just rolled out revised Calamity Loan Program (CLP) guidelines to aid members hit by disasters like Tropical Storm Crising. Key changes: interest lowered to 7% per year (from 10%), renewal allowed after just six months, and faster program activation—within seven working days of a declared calamity. Eligible members can borrow up to ₱20,000, payable over two years, with a 1% service fee. SSS earmarked ₱20B for the program in 2025, doubling down on relief for hard-hit Filipinos.

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Global investment giant BlackRock is acquiring a 40% stake in Aboitiz InfraCapital, the privately held infrastructure arm of Aboitiz Equity Ventures. The move signals growing foreign confidence in the Philippines' infrastructure potential — even as local firms grapple with ballooning debt.

The deal, still being finalized, will bring in Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), BlackRock’s $183B infra subsidiary, as a strategic partner. The goal: bankroll large-scale projects that align with the Marcos administration’s push to double infrastructure spending to ₱2T by 2028.

BlackRock joins a growing list of global players eyeing Philippine infra, viewing it as a long-term growth market. GIP Chairman Bayo Ogunlesi said the country has “compelling prospects” that can be unlocked by world-class infrastructure.

Shares of Aboitiz Equity rose 2.3% following the news, with CEO Sabin Aboitiz framing the deal as a way to “empower communities.” Critics, however, may question whether foreign money alone can fix the chronic inefficiencies in local project execution.

PAGCOR reported ₱215B in gross gaming revenue for H1 2025, up 26% from last year. Integrated resorts brought in ₱93.36B, contributing ₱16B in license fees. While revenue from integrated resorts dipped 5.86%, executives remain optimistic, especially with online gaming gaining steam. Bloomberry and Winford Resorts see promise in expanding VIP and premium mass segments, despite junket decline.

President Donald Trump confirmed a new trade deal with President Marcos Jr., lowering U.S. tariffs on Philippine goods to 19 percent from a threatened 20 percent. In exchange, the Philippines agreed to open its market to U.S. imports, potentially without collecting any tariffs. Marcos called the outcome a “significant achievement” while critics noted the imbalance. The deal lacks details on mutual benefits, sparking concern over one-sided concessions.

Monsoon rains are back — and so is flooding. Streets in Metro Manila are already underwater, schools are suspending classes, and social media is flooded with videos of waist-high water. But here’s the thing: this isn’t just weather. It’s policy failure.

The Scope of the Problem
Since 2022, the Philippine government has spent ₱556 billion on flood control and earmarked a record ₱779 billion for 2025. Yet severe, recurring floods continue to swamp major cities every year. The question isn’t whether we’re spending—it’s what we’re actually doing with it.

The Strategy: Big Budgets, Outdated Playbook 

Meanwhile, urban growth continues unchecked. Outdated drainage, poor maintenance, and rampant concreting of land overwhelm city systems.

Lessons from the Neighborhood
Countries like Singapore and Hong Kong get just as much rain as the Philippines sometimes more but rarely flood. Singapore, for example, receives up to 2,800mm of annual rainfall, yet has made severe urban flooding a thing of the past. Through a long-term, integrated strategy that includes smart infrastructure like rain gardens, stormwater tunnels, and underground reservoirs, combined with strict enforcement of zoning and drainage laws, they’ve built cities that can take the rain.

The Philippines, by contrast, struggles with overlapping agencies, poor maintenance, and a focus on building instead of sustaining. Green infrastructure is still treated as optional, and rapid urban growth continues to outpace any meaningful upgrade in flood defenses.

Bottom Line
Flooding may be caused by rain, but our response to it is man-made. Countries with the same climate have made flooding rare. In the Philippines, we repeat the same flawed strategy and drown in the same results.

At least 14 people were killed, mostly civilians, as Thai and Cambodian forces clashed along the border Thursday in their deadliest standoff in over a decade. Fighting erupted across six areas, involving small arms, artillery, and Thai airstrikes. The spark: a land mine blast that injured Thai soldiers, prompting tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions and sealed borders. Thailand says Cambodia violated sovereignty and targeted civilians. Cambodia insists it acted in self-defense. Both sides blame each other, while the UN calls for restraint.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will officially recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. The move comes as global outrage grows over the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Macron, once staunchly supportive of Israel, now says a two-state solution is “urgent and possible.”

France becomes the most powerful EU country to back Palestinian statehood, joining over 140 nations globally. Macron emphasized that peace cannot wait as Gaza suffers and ceasefire talks stall.

Tesla just opened its first diner in Los Angeles, complete with retro vibes, movie screens, 80 charging stations, and even Optimus robots serving popcorn. Burgers arrive in Cybertruck boxes, and the apple pie takes 90 minutes to get. Analysts say this quirky pivot is part of Elon Musk’s plan to revive Tesla’s battered image after declining EV sales and political backlash. Musk calls the 24/7 diner concept an “island of good food and vibes” with plans to expand globally.

Astronomers have captured the earliest stage of rocky planet formation around a young sun-like star, offering a rare look at how solar systems like ours begin. Using NASA’s Webb Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Alma array, researchers observed tiny solid particles condensing within the gas disk surrounding HOPS-315, a protostar 1,370 light-years away.

This is the first direct evidence of hot minerals forming inside such a system. Scientists detected silicon monoxide gas and silicate crystals, key ingredients in rocky planets. The discovery could confirm that Earth-like worlds may emerge from similar processes in other planetary systems across the galaxy.

Intel will lay off 15 percent of its workforce and halt plans for major chip factories in Europe as it pivots toward AI. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said all investments must now show returns. The company aims to regain ground in the PC chip market and boost its 14A tech for large clients. While quarterly revenue hit $12.9 billion, Intel continues to trail Nvidia and AMD in the AI race.

Despite predictions that AI would erode Google’s dominance, the company’s search engine is thriving. Its AI Overview tool now reaches over 2 billion monthly users, up from 1.5 billion last quarter. Ad impressions grew 49 percent since launch, boosting search revenue by 12 percent to a record $54.2 billion in Q2. CEO Sundar Pichai says AI is expanding how users search. Still, fewer link clicks and rising AI competition mean Google must prove AI can still drive ad returns. The company plans to increase capital spending to $85 billion this year to stay ahead.

We all get the same 24 hours. But energy? That’s a different story. Some of us hit our stride at 7AM. Others are basically zombies until lunch. What most “productivity hacks” miss is this: You don’t need more time. You need better energy during the time you already have.

Here’s the shift:
Time-based productivity treats all hours as equal. It rewards hustle, ignores emotional fatigue, and punishes rest. You end up busy but not effective classic Pinoy puyat mode with zero results.

Energy-based productivity flips the script. It’s about working with your natural rhythm. You schedule deep work when you’re sharp, handle admin tasks when you’re low-batt, and treat rest as part of the system not a flaw in it.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things when your energy is at its best. Your to-do list isn’t the problem. Your energy leak is.