Startups are not only for the youngWe usually look at startups as the domain of young people, but this view overlooks key facts. While popular culture highlights young founders like Zuckerberg, Gates, Jobs, Bezos and Jensen Huang, these stories are exceptions rather than the rule. All these romantic and dramatic stories of these young startup success stories simply mean two things:1. At this stage, you have the key factor for success: business is about execution, not just ideas. We overlook the many young founders whose ventures quietly failed.

Horror at HormuzIn two weeks of the Iran War, two crucial factors have emerged. Hormuz Strait is only 33 kms wide at its narrowest, limiting passage by oil tankers to a two-way lane. The US Navy, even if it deploys all its 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, cannot solve the horror of Hormuz. Which is why till now, the US military has not moved in to take control of the Strait of Hormuz. Through a presenter who read his statement, Mojtaba has vowed to avenge “the blood of martyrs” and to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut.

EU and the Philippines: Partners in gender equality and equityAcross continents and cultures, the progress of a society is measured also by how it protects its women and children. The Directive builds on the European Union’s broader strategic framework for gender equality. The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 laid the foundations for stronger policies across institutions and member-states. The Philippines, for its part, has long been recognized as a regional leader on gender equality in Asia. More broadly, the EU’s commitment to gender equality in the Philippines is supported by concrete investments, in coordination with the action of the Philippine government.

Another double-digit spike in oil prices setMANILA, Philippines — Another double-digit spike at the pump is looming next week amid the global oil crisis, threatening to push diesel above P100 per liter and gasoline close to the P90 mark. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has said fuel prices are unlikely to drop anytime soon, given the uncertainties in the Middle East. Recto said alternatives are already being explored, per the President’s instructions, if the war in the affected region would further choke oil supply. She said any premature, excessive or unreasonable increase in fuel prices would not be tolerated and would be dealt with firmly. Based on the agency’s monitoring, jet fuel prices doubled from $90.87 per barrel last Feb. 19 to $188.2 per barrel on March 9.

Swiatek crashes out at Indian WellsIga Swiatek of Poland plays a forehand against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in their quarterfinal match in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 12, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. INDIAN WELLS, California — Elina Svitolina sent two-time champion Iga Swiatek spinning out at Indian Wells on Thursday to line up a semifinal meeting with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina. 2 Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 while Rybakina thwarted Jessica Pegula’s comeback bid in a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) victory over the fifth-ranked American. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz extended his unbeaten season and got revenge over Cameron Norrie to reach the semifinals at Indian Wells for a fifth straight year. 2 Jannik Sinner powered past Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 to line up a semifinal with fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Arthur Fils.

Arida makes heads turnAriella Arida prepares for a forehand return as teammate Christian Andres looks on during their mixed doubles gold medal match in Kosmas Pickle Fest 2026. CEBU CITY, Philippines — Ariella Arida combined beauty and guts as she captured two gold medals in the Kosmas Pickle Fest 2026 Adult Categories at the Net and Paddle courts last Thursday. The 2013 Miss Universe Philippines teamed up with Sherry Cu to defeat Chatty May and June Andrea Gonzales, 11-7, and capture the women’s doubles 35+ crown. Arida returned later on and completed a golden double, partnering with Christian Andres to beat Cu and Marc Tagle, 15-10, in the mixed doubles 35+ final. The beauty queen-turned-celebrity-model and Andres dictated the rallies, forcing errors while maintaining pressure at the kitchen line.

Will Eala stay hot in Miami? MANILA, Philippines — From West to East, Alex Eala crosses borders with a tall order of keeping her precious ranking points at the Miami Open scheduled March 17 to 29 at the Hard Rock Stadium. On the crest of a Last 16 finish at the Indian Wells Open, Eala soared to No. But her stay inside the Top 30 or her bid to crack the Top 20 now hangs in the balance in beautiful Miami. But those points will expire when the Miami Open fires off Tuesday, making it a must for Eala to replicate a Final Four finish or more to retain the points.

EJ, 3 others in Philippines lineup for World IndoorsMANILA, Philippines — Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, 60m hurdler John Cabang Tolentino and 60m runners Jessica Laurance and Zion Gonzales Nelson comprise the Philippine cast vying for honors at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Kujawy Pomerze, Poland, on March 20-22. Obiena, 30, claimed the 10th spot of 12 vaulters, seven of whom marked the entry standard of 5.90m. Of the 48, 28 hit the entry standard of 7.65 seconds. The 2025 SEA Games 110m hurdles gold medalist holds the Philippine record of 7.64 seconds in 60m hurdles. Of the 53 qualifiers, only four are Asians and 28 hit the entry standard of 7.20 seconds.

Gandler’s wish: PVL crownMANILA, Philippines — Cignal star Vanie Gandler is on a mission: win a breakthrough PVL championship for the Manny V. Pangilinan franchise. “My goal for myself is to be able to help Cignal win the championship. That’s it,” said Gandler, whose Super Spikers face off with the Capital1 Solar Spikers today in the PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Arena. If they make it that far, Gandler and the rest of the gang will have a clear shot at the semis, and closer to a breakthrough PVL crown. The Super Spikers currently share No.

Eala out to protect ranking points in Miami Open returnAlexandra Eala of the Philippines returns a shot to Linda Noskova of Czechia on Day 7 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 10, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. MANILA, Philippines — From West to East, Alex Eala will cross borders with a tall order of defending her precious ranking points in the Miami Open to stay in the Top 30 or move closer to the world tennis leviathans. On the crest of a Last-16 finish in the Indian Wells Open, Eala soared to No. But those points will expire exactly a year after when the Miami Open is staged from March 17-29 according to WTA rules, making it a must for Eala to replicate a Final-Four finish or more just to retain the said points. Otherwise, Eala — who has 1542 points — is projected to hit a free fall from No.

No work from home for teachersStudents and teachers shift to online learning after face-to-face classes were suspended due to extreme heat in Quezon City on April 2, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — Teachers in public schools are not covered by the implementation of the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement every Friday, according to the Department of Education. 18, adopting a four-day onsite work schedule from Monday to Thursday and designating Friday as the common WFH day. Under the new work setup, offices will adopt a hybrid work arrangement during both recess and session periods. The Presidential Communications Office has also adopted the hybrid work arrangement with PCO Secretary Dave Gomez directing all personnel to follow a four-day workweek scheme, except for output-based contract of service.

Blue Ribbon may still summon ‘ex-Marines’MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon committee is still open to holding a hearing on the alleged money delivery scheme – as claimed by 16 “ex-Marines” and two other alleged soldiers – as long as they tell the truth and not turn it into a circus, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has said. “While the Blue Ribbon committee’s doors are not closed to them, they just need to correct their statements so the hearing does not turn into a circus,” the senator, who chairs the panel, said. Had it been at least P80 billion in kickbacks and not a whopping P805 billion, it would have been more believable, and he would have opened a Blue Ribbon inquiry immediately, Lacson said. The important thing is to bring their statements closer to reality so that the Blue Ribbon committee will not be entertaining lies. Lacson said the Blue Ribbon committee’s partial committee report still needs five signatures before it can be reported to the plenary for approval.

CICC moves to restore access to TumblrMANILA, Philippines — The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has moved to restore access of internet users to social media platform Tumblr and 17 other websites that were blocked after a technical glitch inadvertently swept them into a nationwide crackdown against illegal online gambling operations. After a surge of reports from netizens about the sudden loss of access, the CICC launched an investigation into the service disruption. Initial findings showed that the system glitch flagged 18 domains that host legitimate platforms, including Tumblr, as accessories to illegal gambling operations. The error, the CICC said, resulted in an unintentional nationwide temporary access disruption, causing alarm among the platform’s Filipino user base.

Rescued sea turtle released in Aurora bayHandout photo shows environment officials measuring the Olive Ridley sea turtle before releasing the aquatic animal back to Casiguran Bay in Aurora. SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — A female Olive Ridley sea turtle that was accidentally caught by fishermen has been released back to Casiguran Bay in Aurora province. Ariel Mendoza, chief of the Casiguran environment and natural resources office, said the turtle was examined and tagged before it was released back to its habitat in Barangay Dicong. “A thorough examination conducted on the turtle showed the animal suffered no injury and was in good condition,” Mendoza said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has categorized the Olive Ridley sea turtle as an endangered species.

ASEAN: Cease hostilitiesForeign ministers and senior official leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called for a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary and ASEAN chair Ma. Theresa Lazaro said she convened a virtual Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the situation in the Middle East, to exchange views on the evolving situation in the region and to address its implications for ASEAN. The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Senior Official Leaders (SOM) of Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Timor-Leste. We also agreed to continue monitoring the situation in the Middle East,” she said.