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The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) vowed to intensify the monitoring and evaluation (M and E) of the country’s policies and programs to ensure these help improve the lives of Filipinos.

Speaking at the 12th M and E Network Forum, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan emphasized how progress should be measured not just by growth figures, but by looking at the impact of government actions on ordinary Filipinos.

‘Impactful growth means better public services, more secure and sustainable livelihoods and stronger public trust in government. M and E plays a central role here. It helps us see whether commitments are being met, whether resources are used wisely, and most importantly, whether programs are delivering real benefits to our people,’ Balisacan said.

The recent enactment of Republic Act 12145, which reorganized the National Economic and Development Authority into the DEPDev, strengthens the development planning agency’s mandate for evidence-based policymaking.

During the M and E Forum, discussions covered how M and E can guide budget and planning decisions and ensure that evaluation findings are used to improve government programs and policies.

The event also emphasized how M and E can help bridge gaps between data and decision-making.

The DEPDev said institutionalizing M and E at the project and program level is also expected to strengthen accountability.

This has become more important amid recent corruption issues that have surfaced in the government’s flood control projects.

In addition, M and E is seen to help prioritize limited resources to maximize impact.

‘That is why this forum is so important. It brings all of us together to turn the President’s mandate into action-to ensure that growth and public expenditure are translated into measurable outcomes and tangible benefits for every citizen,’ Balisacan said.

The DEPDev, in collaboration with development partners, has been conducting several M and E initiatives across critical growth sectors, including agriculture, labor, health and social protection.

To expand the pool of evaluators in the country, the DEPDev said capacity-building initiatives are being undertaken in the regions, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Balisacan said M and E should not just be a compliance tool, but a genuine driver of inclusive, resilient and sustainable development.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the Philippines at 5.6 percent this year, but trimmed its projection for 2026 amid heightened uncertainties from global trade policy changes.

In a report, the ADB said it expects the Philippine economy to grow by 5.6 percent this year, unchanged from its July forecast.

If realized, Philippine economic growth would fall within the government’s 5.5 to 6.5 percent growth target for the year.

The ADB also expects the Philippines to remain a bright spot in Southeast Asia this year, posting the second-fastest growth in the region, next to Vietnam’s 6.7 percent.

In the first semester, the Philippine economy posted an average growth of 5.4 percent.

For 2026, the ADB’s new growth projection is 5.7 percent, slightly lower than the previous forecast of 5.8 percent.

The forecast is also below the government’s target of six to seven percent growth for 2026.

The ADB adjusted the 2026 forecast due to a more challenging external environment, heightened uncertainty, shifting trade and investment policies, as well as a lower growth forecast in major advanced economies, which could weigh on trade and investment prospects.

Despite the risks, ADB country director for the Philippines Andrew Jeffries said the country’s growth outlook remains resilient.

‘Though these uncertainties pose increased risk, we see strong domestic demand anchoring growth, with sustained investments and an accommodative monetary policy supporting the economy’s expansion,’ he said.

The report also showed that the ADB expects inflation to ease further this year to 1.8 percent, slower than the 2.2 percent forecast it provided in July.

Inflation averaged 1.7 percent from January to August.

For next year, the ADB expects inflation to rise to three percent and return to the government’s target range of two to four percent.

Inflation is expected to remain low due to slower global commodity prices and muted food prices, as well as improvements in the local rice supply.

The ADB noted, however, that adverse weather conditions and climate shocks could put pressure on commodity prices.

Corruption issues in the government’s flood control projects also pose risks to the economic projections.

‘Corruption has broad impacts on economic growth in general and investment sentiment. So we’re monitoring that and how that may be affected going forward,’ Jeffries said.

With the economy driven mainly by domestic consumption, he said the ADB did not reduce the GDP forecasts due to the recently exposed corruption issues.

‘But it’s certainly a heightened risk. Between now and our December update, there may be more quantifiable data available that may alter our projections,’ he said.

Despite the corruption issues, he reiterated the ADB’s continued support for projects in the country.

‘We don’t anticipate backing off if the government requests more of our assistance,’ he said.

He emphasized that the ADB has strict oversight measures in place to ensure that loan disbursements are used for their intended purpose.

The ADB also has strict technical and financial qualifications in the procurement of projects.

While the government has flagged contractors that cornered a significant amount of flood control projects, the ADB said an officially sanctioned government blacklist would be needed to debar firms from its projects.

Even the houses of God were not spared by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu late night on September 30, including a century-old church.

Videos and photos of church facades and interiors collapsing or partially damaged surfaced on social media in the aftermath of the earthquake.

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, Cebu posted a series of photos that showed the damages it has incurred due to the tremors, including photos of a ceiling partially damaged and rubbles off its century-old walls.

The Daanbantayan church said that while there were damages to structures, its tabernacle and some religious images, such as the Image of Santa Rosa de Lima, Virgen del Carmen and the Immaculate Conception, were unscathed.

‘The image is wrapped around some unused plastic Bags for protection from heavy rains and dust,’ the church said about its Image of Santa Rosa de Lima in its Facebook post.

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima was built in 1886. The 139-year-old church is declared the first archdiocesan shrine in the Philippines dedicated to St. Rose of Lima in 2022.

The Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol in Bantayan, meanwhile, was captured in videos with its outer lights exploding and its facade with a cross breaking and falling apart. The church was completed in 1863. It was built with coral stones found on the island.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has posted a seven-point guidance on how to safely move historic objects, which includes a reminder to check the safety and stability of the premises from the aftershocks and wearing protective gear.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS-DOST) said the earthquake’s epicenter was located at sea about 21 kilometers (10.5 miles) northeast of Bogo City.

The Cebu government has put the entire province under a state of calamity, with the death toll at 31 as of press time.

Amid travel disruptions due to successive typhoons, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has extended the validity of motor vehicle registration and driver’s licenses which expired on Sept. 30.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II announced the extension on Tuesday to assist those affected by typhoons.

‘I issued a memorandum to regional LTO directors down to the district offices regarding the deadline extension,’ Mendoza said.

Under the memorandum, the validity of vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses due on Sept. 30 is extended until Oct. 3, with no fines to be collected during the period.

The order also extended the settlement period for traffic violations that took effect on Sept. 26, giving motorists until Friday to comply.

Mendoza said the extension was necessary after government work in Metro Manila and other affected regions was suspended due to Typhoons Opong, Mirasol and Nando.

It was almost a year ago that MREIT first talked about diversifying its portfolio with some retail assets, and while shareholders would obviously prefer to have had this deal completed in the first half of the year, late is better than never. Unfortunately for MREIT holders, nothing has changed. At its heart, this is just a press release that reiterates MREIT’s interest in acquiring retail assets. There’s no approved deal, and in fact, just more hype about MEG’s massive bag of commercial real estate and half-massive portfolio of mall assets. I’m not an MREIT shareholder, but if I were, I’d obviously prefer my management team to spend the REIT’s value on acquiring high-value mall assets as opposed to a massive batch of commercial office buildings amid the long-term decline of the commercial sector. MREIT shareholders are basically flat (excluding dividends) in terms of stock price action since that original announcement was made, far below its non-Villar office/mall combo rivals like AREIT (+8% since November 2024) and RCR (+26% since November 2024).

The Department of Migrant Workers is working to confirm whether a Filipino seafarer was among crew members injured after a suspected Houthi attack on the Dutch-flagged cargo vessel Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden.

Several crew members were hurt and evacuated following the attack, and a Filipino sailor may be among them, the DMW said in a statement Tuesday, September 30.

The agency is coordinating with the ship operator, employer, manning agencies, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, including Philippine consulates, to verify whether Filipinos were aboard the affected vessel.

If confirmed, the DMW says it will provide medical assistance and repatriation, if needed. It will also provide counseling and psychological support, and legal aid for the seafarer and family.

‘Para sa ating mga tripulante at kanilang pamilya: hindi po kayo nag-iisa (To our sailors and their families: you are not alone),’ the DMW statement said. ‘Kasama ninyo ang pamahalaan, kasama ninyo ang DMW (The government and DMW is with you.)

The DMW said it is strengthening protection for seafarers in high-risk areas like the Gulf of Aden

The department will release updates once details are confirmed.

Dangerous route. The Gulf of Aden connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea and sits between Yemen and Somalia, regions that have seen armed conflict and piracy for years.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have been launching missile and drone attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for its assault on Gaza, saying these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians.

Filipinos make up over a quarter of seafarers globally. In 2024, at least half a million Filipino seafarers were deployed overseas.

The country’s largest Catholic school network has a blunt message for its alumni implicated in the current corruption scandal in government projects: ‘Nakakahiya naman kayo.”

Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ, president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), shared this messaged during a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, the first day of the association’s annual national convention.

CEAP’s gathering this year, San Juan said, is itself a message to its “millions of alumni” amid the ongoing government probe over anomalous flood control projects: that the values instilled in classrooms must be lived out in public life.

“We have a lot of things to tell. Because I think holding this convention is a strong message to our students and to our millions of alumni in the Philippines,” San Juan said.

“Remember your school and the values we taught you. Live them out as consistently as possible,” the CEAP president said. “Fight for integrity in whatever profession you have chosen… fight for truth.”

The CEAP president urged alumni of its member schools – which number around 1,500 – to ‘rekindle your spirit’ and return to the values of ‘truth, decency, social justice, and social transformation’ that comprise the foundation of Catholic school education.

‘Nakakahiya naman kayo kung Catholic school graduate kayo tapos nagku-corrupt kayo, kasi you’re living lives contrary to the very essence of the values that we have taught you,’ San Juan said.

(It’s a shame if you’re a Catholic school graduate and then you are corrupt, because you’re living lives contrary to the very essence of the values that we have taught you.)

But he also stressed that the responsibility for forming ethical citizens goes beyond schools. “It takes the whole community, the schools as one part of that community to raise a child and to raise a student and a graduate,” he said.

At the same time, San Juan stressed that CEAP is ‘mighty proud’ of alumni who have remained honest and who continue to serve as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and government leaders, among others.

‘They are nation builders, they innovate, they are compassionate to the poor,’ he said, noting that many CEAP-trained teachers even help run the public school system.

Ethics ‘not optional’

CEAP leaders framed the corruption crisis as a failure of moral formation, not just governance.

The group’s executive director, Narcy Dionisio, warned against removing ethics subjects from the general education curriculum, saying such a move would undercut the fight against dishonesty in public life.

‘We’re talking about good people, initially, when they graduate from school. Then eventually, they turned into thieves,’ Dionisio said.

‘And that’s for the same reason why CEAP is currently opposing the removal of ethics in the general education curriculum. Ethics is not optional. It is essential,” he added.

A suggestion to remove ethics from the General Education curriculum in college was raised during a House basic education committee hearing in May, when lawmakers discussed the current redundancies between senior high school and tertiary education.

CEAP was one of several voices in the education sector to have aired their concern over the proposal, saying in a June statement that college students should continue to develop their “moral reasoning” beyond basic education.

‘Corruption is a process of death’

During the press conference, CEAP Vice President Fr. Wilmer Tria also shared a critique of how corruption is itself the “root” of the country’s learning crisis.

‘Actually, corruption is the very root of the educational crisis, both in the public and private education,’ Tria said. ‘Our failure to deliver quality education is rooted in corruption.’

He warned that society today is haunted by ‘ghosts’ of corruption – from ghost voters to ghost students, now to ghost flood control projects.

‘Our problem is our dead conscience. We don’t have a conscience. And the problem is we don’t have burial grounds for dead consciences. That’s why they keep haunting our society,’ Tria said.

CEAP previously issued a strong statement against the flood control corruption and participated in recent mobilizations for transparency and accountability, including the Trillion Peso March on September 21, where CBCP President Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David attended and delivered a speech at the rally.

Tria on Tuesday called on oversight bodies and courts to “act swiftly, impose real penalties, and make corruption cases public.”

He also specifically criticized the private nature of the hearings by the Independent Commission on Infrastructure, the body that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..

“[We] are against the conduct of the ICI being done privately. It must be broadcasted,” Tria said.

Cebuano beauty queens Beatrice Luigi Gomez and Gazini Ganados and Cebu-based actress Kaye Abad called for prayers and assistance after the province was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake last night.

Kaye, who is married to fellow celebrity and Cebuano Paul Jake Castillo, updated her fans that her family is safe from the earthquake.

‘To my friends who are asking kung kamusta kami, we are ok. Me and the kids are in Manila. My family in Cebu are ok,’ she said.

Kim Chiu shared a post with a groufie taken from a shooting in Cebu City.

‘Medyo blurred lang, may aftershock pa ata ‘tong phone ko sa lindol,’ Kim said.

Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados and Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez also shared their experience from the quake.

‘Watch out for aftershocks. Pag-amping intawn sa mga naa sa Cebu karon,” Beatrice said, reminding people to take care.

The Miss Universe Philippines Organization also extended its deepest sympathy and solidarity to the people of Cebu and the entire Visayas region affected by the earthquake.

‘Our hearts are with the communities, especially our Cebuano partners, delegates, and their families, who are navigating the aftermath of this natural disaster,’ the group said.

Actress Nadine Lustre described taking part in the protest last September 21 against corruption as her responsibility as a Filipino.

In an interview with ABS-CBN during partnership of her and partner Christophe Bariou’s coconut milk brand Dehusk with local beverage brand Pickup Coffee, Nadine shared she had a wonderful experience attending the rally.

“I think it’s my responsibility being Filipino to be one with everyone else,” Nadine said, adding she went not as a celebrity or a public figure but as one of the people.

“Parang na-feel ko lahat nang nandoon sa Ortigas, ‘yung nandoon sa EDSA, I felt like I was part of everyone,” the actress also said.

She even shared being impressed with her “Call Me Mother” co-star Vice Ganda, who gave an impassioned speech during the rally, as well as other public figures who showed up.

“This time, we really have to fight, fight for our rights, fight for our country and for our fellow Filipinos,” Nadine continued. “It’s just so nice to see everyone to be out and fighting for the same thing, for the same cause.”

Nadine and Christophe’s Dehusk is a plant-based coconut milk brand, and its partnership with Pickup Coffee sees two proud local brands working hand in hand.

The collaboration introduces an exciting line of four new beverages that combine Dehusk’s plant-based coconut milk with Pickup’s bold and trendy flavors: Nadine’s Coco Mango Matcha, Ube Coconut Milk, Pickup Coco Latte, and Strawberry Coconut Milk.

Security Bank Corp. has named seasoned Singaporean banker Victor Lee Meng Teck as its next president and CEO, marking a key leadership transition for the 74-year-old lender.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, the bank said Lee would formally assume the top post in early January 2026, pending completion of his work permit, visa and other regulatory requirements.

He will succeed Sanjiv Vohra, who will continue to lead Security Bank until the transition and will thereafter serve as senior advisor to the board.

‘I’m honored to be entrusted with this responsibility,’ Lee said. ‘Security Bank has built a strong reputation for customer-centricity, innovation and its distinct BetterBanking experience.’

‘I look forward to working with Sanjiv, the Board and all employees to continue building on this foundation and delivering sustainable growth for our stakeholders,’ he added.

Lee brings over three decades of banking leadership across Asia. He previously served as CEO of CIMB Singapore and CEO of Growth Markets for CIMB Bank Berhad.

At CIMB Singapore, he ‘spearheaded a period of strong growth, doubling revenue and raising return on equity to nearly 20 percent,’ the bank said.

Vohra, who took the helm in 2019, just months before the onset of the global pandemic, steered the listed bank through a period of transformation that strengthened its digital capabilities and customer-first strategies.

‘Our journey over the past six years has been one of total transformation – reimagining Security Bank from front to back,’ Vohra said.

Security Bank chairman Cirilo Noel thanked Vohra for his ‘steady leadership during one of the most challenging periods in recent history,’ saying his vision has left the bank ‘stronger, more resilient and well-prepared for the future.’