PCSO GM Robles elected APLA Vice Chair, another first for the Philippines

by Info @Brand Zone | September 7, 2026

Photo: GM Melquiades A. Robles with the APLA Executive Committee during the APLA Conference in Seoul, Korea.

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Melquiades A. Robles has been elected Vice Chairman of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association (APLA), becoming the first Filipino to hold the prestigious leadership position in the regional lottery organization.

Robles was elected during the 2026 APLA General Assembly held from September 1 to 4, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea. He will serve a two-year term until 2028.

His election marks another historic milestone for the Philippines in the international lottery sector. In September 2024, Robles became the first Filipino elected to the APLA Executive Committee during the association’s Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. His elevation to vice chairman reflected the growing recognition of the transparency and integrity of the Philippines and PCSO among lottery organizations across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the country's commitment to transparent, ethical, and responsible lottery operations. 

Under Robles’ leadership, PCSO advanced from Level 1 to Level 3 accreditation under the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming Framework in a record three years. This notable feat among APLA members demonstrates how the agency translated its commitment to responsible gaming into structured programs, dedicated resources, player-protection measures, and internationally aligned practices focused on integrity and ethical operations.

“This is not only a personal honor but, more importantly, a recognition of the Philippines and the meaningful work being undertaken by PCSO,” Robles said. “Through this position, we hope to contribute more actively to regional cooperation, responsible gaming, innovation, and the use of lottery revenues to uplift communities.”

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  GM Melquiades A. Robles with APLA Chairman Jason Delamore during the APLA Conference in Seoul, Korea

Founded in 2000, APLA is one of the five regional associations of the World Lottery Association. It represents lottery operators and industry partners from the Asia-Pacific region and provides a platform through which members exchange knowledge, share international best practices, and work together on issues affecting the global lottery industry.

The association currently represents 21 full members from 12 countries and 26 associate members from 13 countries across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Robles’ election gives PCSO and the Philippines a stronger voice in discussions on responsible gaming, technological innovation, lottery security, industry integrity, and the use of lottery-generated funds for public benefit. It also creates further opportunities for PCSO to learn from international best practices and share its experience as a government lottery institution with a distinct charitable and social mandate.

Among the principles promoted by APLA and the World Lottery Association is responsible gaming, an approach that seeks to ensure that lottery games are conducted fairly, safely, and transparently while protecting players, particularly minors and vulnerable individuals, from the potential risks associated with excessive gambling. It includes measures such as age restrictions, clear information for players, spending and play controls, self-exclusion mechanisms, and access to appropriate support services.

“Lotteries must always be operated with responsibility and a clear public purpose. Our role is not simply to generate revenues but to ensure that these resources are translated into healthcare assistance, social services, and other programs that improve people’s lives,” Robles said.

APLA likewise recognizes the important contribution of lotteries to society and good causes. Across the region, member organizations use lottery proceeds to support healthcare, education, community development, sports, culture, disaster response, charitable initiatives, and other social programs.

This closely aligns with PCSO’s mandate as the Philippine government’s principal charity arm. Revenues generated from its lottery and sweepstakes operations help finance medical assistance, health-related programs, mandatory contributions to national government initiatives, support for local government units, and assistance to communities affected by calamities and other emergencies.

“PCSO’s participation in APLA allows us to bring home valuable lessons from other jurisdictions while also showing the international community how lottery revenues can become a meaningful instrument for charity and nation-building,” Robles added.

The 2026 APLA General Assembly gathered lottery leaders and industry experts from across the region under the theme “Sustainable Gaming and Innovation, New Trends.” Discussions covered responsible gaming policies, emerging technologies, sustainable lottery operations, and evolving global industry trends.

Bigger Project NOAH funding to strengthen flood, disaster, and climate change response

by Info @Brand Zone | September 6, 2026

Photo: UP NOAH

UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) Executive Director Mahar Lagmay said the recently released P1 billion will further expand Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), focusing on strengthening flood management, hazard monitoring, and disaster risk reduction systems as the country confronts the effects of climate change.

In various interviews with PCO-Integrated State Media and private media outlets, Lagmay, a UP geology professor, said he hopes that the government’s funding for UPRI “will continue to transform scientific knowledge into practical action that protects lives and helps build safer, more resilient, and sustainable communities.”

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order to infuse a fresh P1 billion into Project NOAH, which UPRI manages, will boost impact-based forecasting developed by Project NOAH researchers using years of historical information, satellite images, rainfall data, and other datasets.

This directive from President Marcos to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is another critical move in his data-driven governance, which recognizes the vital role of hard science in statecraft, notably the national infrastructure spending of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) being guided by scientific data from UPRI’s NOAH.

Founded in 2012, NOAH seeks to assist the country in disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, and related activities through research, development, and extension services. Science-backed infrastructure projects.

For its part, the Department of Public Works and Highways has begun laying the technical foundation for future, science-backed flood management infrastructure to strengthen long-term disaster preparedness and climate change risk response nationwide.

At President Marcos's directive to enhance nationwide flood resiliency, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the updating of all flood management master plans to protect Filipinos from massive flooding year after year. To ensure these master plans reflect current climate realities, the agency is collaborating with UPRI’s Project NOAH, local government units, and key partner agencies to integrate detailed hazard mapping and scientific data before their implementation.

On September 2, the President said the government is now implementing a flood control master plan that has been in place for decades. “We already have a masterplan. It's just never been executed. We are only executing it now,” President Marcos told reporters after inspecting repair works at a collapsed bridge in Tarlac. “We have had a master plan for decades pero walang ginawa.

Ngayon lang natin sinisimulan (but nothing was done. We are only starting it now),” the President said. The Presidential remarks come as Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and other parts of Luzon grapple with widespread flooding brought by heavy monsoon rains.

The administration has repeatedly called on national government agencies to implement long-term flood control measures, including de-clogging and dredging waterways, improving drainage systems, and proper land-use planning, as the government responds to increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change. NOAH aims for faster, more accurate forecasting.

Lagmay said NOAH’s impact-based forecasting system is projected to forecast, one day in advance, where flooding may occur and its impact on roads, homes, buildings, and vehicular flow.

“The P1 billion allocation for UPRI will be measured by better information, transparency, evidence-based governance and decision-making, effective flood management, and reduced disaster risks and losses,”

Lagmay said. Of the total allocation, P935 million will support research services, while P65 million will fund general management and supervision of NOAH’s implementation. The allocation is part of the UP System’s built-in appropriation under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

Lagmay said UPRI’s budget will fund high-resolution mapping of major river basins, hazard assessments, land-use planning, and Oplan Kontra Baha initiatives, in coordination with the DPWH, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, local government units, and private-sector partners.

The allocation will also support Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) drone topographic surveys, capacity-building programs with state universities and colleges, native tree mapping, sediment erosion assessments, mapping of hidden waterways, nature-based solutions, and the use of artificial intelligence and analytics for disaster risk management.

UP President Angelo Jimenez said the Marcos administration’s funding for UPRI is “an investment in the power of research and innovation to serve the nation.” “We do research because knowledge matters, and knowledge matters most when it can help us make better decisions, solve real problems, and improve the lives of our people,” Jimenez emphasized.

Atras sa kompetisyon, mga planta magsasara... 100K trabaho sa Volkswagen, nanganganib sa 2030

ni Justine Berganio @Overseas News | September 5, 2026

Photo: Volkswagen cars - Indux - Circulated

Umaabot sa 100,000 trabaho ang posibleng mawala sa Volkswagen pagsapit ng 2030 matapos palawakin ng German carmaker ang cost-cutting program nito dahil sa lumalalang kompetisyon mula sa China at epekto ng US tariffs.

Inaprubahan ng management at labor unions ang dagdag na 50,000 job cuts, bukod pa sa 50,000 na nauna nang napagkasunduan. Katumbas ito ng tinatayang 15% ng

kabuuang workforce ng kumpanya.

Mahigit 650,000 katao ang empleyado ng Volkswagen Group sa iba’t ibang brands nito, kabilang ang Audi, Bentley, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, Cupra at Lamborghini.

Kasabay ng pagbabawas ng mga empleyado ang plano ng kumpanya na hatiin sa kalahati ang bilang ng mga car model na ginagawa nito upang mabawasan ang gastos at mapalakas ang operasyon.

Posible ring magsara ang apat na planta sa Germany na matatagpuan sa Hanover, Emden, Zwickau at Neckarsulm. Ayon sa kumpanya at mga unyon, hindi pa matitiyak ang operasyon ng mga ito pagsapit ng 2030s.

Sinabi ng Volkswagen na kailangan nitong iayon ang bilang ng mga manggagawa sa

kasalukuyang kalagayan ng negosyo.

Matapos ang mahabang pag-uusap, tuluyang inaprubahan ng supervisory board ang restructuring plan ng kumpanya. Ayon kay CEO Oliver Blume, mahalagang hakbang ito para sa kinabukasan ng Volkswagen.

Noong nakaraang buwan, hinarap ni Blume ang pagkadismaya ng ilang empleyado matapos siyang i-boo habang bumibisita sa headquarters ng kumpanya sa Wolfsburg, Germany.

Lumalaki ang problema ng Volkswagen sa European market dahil sa agresibong kompetisyon ng Chinese carmakers, habang bumababa rin ang sales nito sa China.

Dagdag pasanin din sa kumpanya ang US tariffs, bukod sa matagal nang problema nito sa sobrang produksyon at paghina ng kita sa Europe.

Hindi lang Volkswagen ang tinatamaan ng hirap sa Chinese market. Nakaranas din ng pressure ang ibang malalaking automakers, kabilang ang BMW, na kinailangang ibaba ang profit guidance nila dahil sa mga problema sa Chinese market at sa epekto ng Iran war.