P31M pekeng data storage devices, nasamsam sa Maynila

ni Gina Pleñago @News | March 20, 2026

Photo: National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

Nakumpiska ng National Bureau of Investigation-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) ang nasa P31,459,990 halaga ng mga peke at substandard data storage devices sa serye ng pagsalakay sa Quiapo, Maynila, noong Lunes.

Ang operasyon ay bunsod ng mga ulat na naglipana sa merkado ang high-capacity storage electronics na ilegal ang pagtataglay ng trademarks ng mga nangungunang global brands.

Sinalakay ang establisimyento sa Quiapo at San Miguel gamit ang search warrants kung saan natagpuan ang kahun-kahon ng hindi awtorisadong devices na may kabuuang halaga na P31,459,990.

Nakumpiska sa tindahan sa may Quiapo, ang 5,474 units ng assorted SD, microSD, SDHC, at SDXC memory cards, pati ang USB flash drives at hard drives, na pawang may nakatatak na “SANDISK,” “SANDISK ULTRA,” at “EXTREME PRO” na nagkakahalaga ng P23,367,750 habang sa pagsalakay sa San Miguel, ay 1,124 units ng 2TB at 4TB external portable hard drives na may tatak na “SEAGATE” na nagkakahalaga ng P8,092,240.

Nahaharap sa reklamong Trademark Infringement sa ilalim ng Section 15, kaugnay sa Section 170 ng Republic Act 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines) ang may-ari ng establisimyento.

PhilHealth warns against fraudulent websites

by Info @Brand Zone | January 30, 2026

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) issues an urgent warning to all its members and the public regarding the proliferation of fake and unauthorized websites claiming to be official portals for registration and member services. 

“It has come to our attention that several suspicious websites are mimicking the official PhilHealth interface to deceive users into providing sensitive information. We urge everyone to remain vigilant and follow these guidelines to identify legitimate platform,” said PhilHealth President and CEO, Dr. Edwin M. Mercado. 

PhilHealth reminds the public to look for these red flags when accessing online services: 

∙ Incorrect URL/Web Address: The only official website of PhilHealth is www.philhealth.gov.ph. Be wary of sites that end in .com, .net, or other extensions.  Official Philippine government websites typically end in .gov.ph. 

∙ Unauthorized Logos: Scammers often use low-quality or outdated versions of the PhilHealth logo. Always compare the branding with official PhilHealth offices and our verified social media pages. 

∙ Requests for Suspicious Information: PhilHealth will never ask for the following through an unofficial website: 

o Direct payments or bank transfers. 

o Donations. 

o Sensitive personal login credentials outside of our secured Member Portal. 

"We take the security of our members' information seriously, and we encourage the public to only use our official website for any transactions and to report any suspicious links or pages immediately,” Dr. Mercado added. 

If you encounter a suspicious website, please do not click any links and report the URL immediately to our official channels: 

∙ Facebook: @PhilHealthOfficial 

∙ Email: actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph 

∙ Website: www.philhealth.gov.ph 

PhilHealth remains committed to providing secure and reliable digital services. Let us work together to stop online fraud and protect your benefits. 

Members are advised to immediately report suspected fraudulent websites to their nearest PhilHealth Regional Office or call the Corporate Action Center at (02) 866-225-88. Mobile hotlines are also available: 0998-857-2957 / 0968-865-4670 (Smart) and 0917-127-5987 / 0917-110-9812 (Globe).

Stored Value Updaters, Express Renewal Devices, tinanggal na sa mga istasyon ng tren

by Info @Tech News | January 23, 2026

Photo: BEEP - DOTr-MRT3

Inanunsyo ng Beep, operator ng stored value card na ginagamit sa LRT at MRT, na tinanggal na nila ang Stored Value Updaters (SVUs) at Express Renewal Devices (ERDs) sa mga istasyon ng tren dahil outdated 3G technology pa umano ang gamit ng mga ito.

“Passengers can conveniently use the beep mobile app to check their card balance and instantly retrieve load transactions by tapping their beep card on an NFC-enabled smartphone,” ayon sa anunsyo.

Samantala, available pa rin ang ticket vending machines at point-of-sale tellers sa lahat ng istasyon nito para sa lahat ng klase ng transaksyon.