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Farm to market roads (FMR) worth over P10 billion were found to be ‘extremely overpriced’ with one project even costing more than 23 times than the standard price set by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Senate finance committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian revealed this during the panel’s hearing for the proposed P176.7 billion budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

DPWH benchmark already ‘too high’

DA chief Francisco Tiu Laurel said the DPWH set a P15,000 per meter standard cost for FMRs. Earlier, Tiu Laurel said this standard price could actually already be ‘too high’ since the cost-per-meter of FMRs could be as low as P10,000 when the ’30 percent’ excess were trimmed.

However, Gatchalian noted that the many FMRs funded under the General Appropriations Act under 2024 Fiscal Year (FY) have even far exceeded the ‘too high’ P15,000-per-meter standard amount.

23 times higher than DPWH set price

The ongoing road concreting in Barangay San Roque in Tacloban City topped the top 10 list of ‘extremely overpriced’ FMRs presented by Gatchalian.

The GAA allocated P100 million for this project, which only has an actual length of 0.287 kilometers, putting its cost per meter at P348,432.06-or more than 23 times the P15,000 DPWH standard price. The contractor for this project could not be found in the DPWH Civil Works Contracts Database.

‘This is not just extremely overpriced,’ Gatchalian said. ‘Extremely, extremely, extremely overpriced.’

Tiu Laurel said such figures are ‘shocking,’ but added that this could better be asked of the DPWH, which is the project implementer.

‘Have you not detected this extreme overpricing? If the P15,000 [cost per meter] is already overpriced in your opinion, this one is P348,000 per meter,’ Gatchalian told Tiu Laurel.

Also, the FMRs handled by a firm co-founded by the brother of former Ako Bicol party-list Zaldy Co are also among the list of ‘extremely overpriced’ FMRs.

The ongoing concreting of FMRs from Barangay Kidaco to Barangay San Roque in Daraga, Albay is conducted by Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corporation, which had a P46 million budget under the GAA. It has a length of only 0.37 kilometers, costing P124,324.32 per meter-over eight times the standard benchmark of P15,000.

‘For me, this is an obvious sign of corruption,’ Gatchalian said, to which Tiu Laurel vowed to look into the matter.

Bicol region tops overpriced FMRs

Also, Gatchalian said many FMR projects nationwide under GAA 2024 FY cost P30,000 per meter, or twice that of the P15,000 benchmark set by the DPWH.

Bicol region logged the biggest number of FMR projects Gatchalian refers to as ‘cost overshoot’.

A total of 80 projects in the Bicol region worth P1.7 billion had a 68 percent or P1.18 billion ‘cost overshoot.’

This was followed by FMR projects in Eastern Visayas at 33 projects with allocation of P791 million with a 70 percent or P555 million worth of ‘cost overshoot.’

The party-list which Co formerly represented is a regional party representing the Bicol region.

Co also chaired the powerful House committee on appropriations which oversees matters related to budget allocation of the national government.

Leyte province, the first congressional district of which was represented by former House speaker Martin Romualdez, also belongs to the Eastern Visayas region.

The fact that these overpriced projects are under Bicol and Eastern Visayas did not escape the attention of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.

‘Kilala n’yo na ‘yun, (You already know who [is behind all this],)’ Marcoleta then said.

FMRs contractors also in flood control

Furthermore, Gatchalian also revealed that three contractors who bagged the most number of FMR projects were also included in the Top 15 firms who secured the biggest amount of flood control projects nationwide, as revealed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself.

These three were EGB Construction Corporation, Co-linked Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corporation, and Road Edge Trading and Development Services.

For FY 2024, EGB got P242.1 million worth of FMR project awards, which is the second highest in Gatchalian’s list, only behind GCI Construction and Dev’t Corp who bagged the most number of projects at P288.5 million.

Co-linked Hi-Tone bagged the third biggest FMR awards at P221.8 million, while Road Edge got 98 million worth of FMR awards.

No coincidence

For Gatchalian, the fact that Bicol Region topped the total number of overpriced FMRs and Hi-Tone getting the third biggest road contracts is no coincidence.

‘I think it’s not coincidental that the biggest region who got FMRs are Region 5 (Bicol Region) and the company who got the third biggest number of contracts was connected to Zaldy Co,’ Gatchalian said in Filipino.

These fresh revelations came in the heels of a major corruption scandal involving flood control projects which prompted congressional inquiry and the formation of an independent commission to investigate the suspected collusion between lawmakers, government officials, and contractors to embezzle billions of pesos from the country’s coffers.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure expanding the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System, aimed at further strengthening its governance and management.

Republic Act No. 12310, signed on October 3, seeks to establish ‘strategically accessible PSHS campuses’ that can provide scholarship-based secondary education programs with special emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for students with exceptional proficiency in science and mathematics.

The law will also consolidate existing and future campuses under a unified system of governance to ensure consistent quality standards, efficient operations, and the holistic development of students and school staff.

‘The PSHS System shall be composed of the existing PSHS campuses and the future campuses that shall be established pursuant to this Act,’ it read.

‘A new Philippine Science High School campus in the Negros Island Region shall also be established,’ it added.

The law also mandates the creation of a Board of Trustees headed by the Secretary of Science and Technology as ex officio chairperson, and the Secretary of Education as ex officio vice chairperson.

The PSHS System, meanwhile, shall be headed by an executive director who shall exercise academic and administrative supervision over all campuses.

He or she shall be appointed by the Board for a term of six years and may be reappointed for another six-year term.

Many know Tarzeer Pictures as that one gallery pushing the boundaries of photography in the country. But now, they are expanding their repertoire to support not just still images, but moving ones, too.

Running from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15, 2025, the Tarzeer Grant for Short Films opens applications to Filipino directors and producers with original narratives and experimental films. Each grantee will receive P500,000 in funding to help their vision come to light.

Who can qualify?

If you have an idea still waiting to be shot, here’s what you need to know before sending in your application. Applicants must also be Filipino and at least 18 years old. Even if you’re based abroad, you’re still eligible, so long as production happens in the Philippines.

For eligible films, the grant covers original narrative and experimental films only. That means no adaptations or documentaries are allowed for this round

Regarding who can apply, the grant is designed for a director and producer team. Either one can apply on behalf of the project, but only one entry per director will be accepted. Directors should have made at least one short film in the past, but not more than one feature film. This keeps the focus on emerging voices ready to take their next big step. Producers, however, are welcome to apply with multiple projects.

For eligible films, the grant covers original narrative and experimental films only. That means no adaptations or documentaries are allowed for this round. Projects must still be in the development stage, too, meaning shooting should not have started yet. ‘Nothing Happens Twice’ at Orange Project, Bacolod | Photo courtesy of Tarzeer Pictures

Your film should run no longer than 20 minutes (including credits), and it can be in English or any Philippine dialect, but with English subtitles.

Collaborative but transparent

Tarzeer also strongly supports collaboration with fellow creatives. Using original music or licensing tracks from independent Filipino musicians is highly encouraged. But most importantly, the applicant must have full ownership of the project’s intellectual property rights, ensuring that the vision remains firmly in the hands of the filmmaker.

And of course, Tarzeer has always been a champion of the artists themselves, so full ownership of the film remains with the recipient of the short film grant

Application requirements are online, on Tarzeer Pictures’ website, with the link to the application portal. These include the application form and the film project dossier, such as loglines, synopsis, visual treatment, biographies, cast and crew, budget, breakdown, financing plan, and production timeline. Statements from the director, writer, and producer must outline the vision and artistic intent, too.

Narrative films must be submitted with scripts in screenwriting format, with translations to Filipino or English if in another language. For experimental films, write-ups on the treatment and approach are required. Recipients of the grant must also complete the project one year after the signing of the contract, while consistent, transparent updates to Tarzeer Pictures are expected. All completed films are required to credit Tarzeer Pictures as the executive producer, as well.

And of course, Tarzeer has always been a champion of the artists themselves, so full ownership of the film remains with the recipient of the short film grant.

Ongoing projections at Tarzeer Picture The announcement of Tarzeer Pictures’ film grant arrives amid a packed season for the gallery.

As they develop image-based work into support for moving images through these grants, they are also currently exhibiting work that exemplifies their commitment to experimenting and expanding video-based mediums.

From Sep. 11 to Oct. 30, Derek Tumala exhibits ‘Phantom Limb’ in their Chino Roces. Ave. gallery, through a network of 11 video objects that ‘create a mystic setting for loss and regeneration,’ and composes ‘a deconstructed film of one-act tales in perfect loops,’ according to the gallery newsletter.

Meanwhile, at the sprawling property of Orange Project in Bacolod, ‘Nothing Happens Twice’ runs from Sep. 13 to Oct. 29, with six works by Timothy Axibal, Nice Buenaventura, Lesley-Anne Cao, Jed Gregorio, and JT Trinidad. The selection of short films and video works will be spread across the projection rooms of Orange Project from Tarzeer Pictures’ collection and archive.

A natural evolution

For Tarzeer Pictures, which has built a reputation for curating bold exhibitions and supporting cross-disciplinary artists, this marks a natural evolution. Their programming has long blurred the lines between media through unconventional photography exhibitions and now, video installations, all of which open up new ways of seeing.

The grant signals a larger investment in the future of Philippine cinema at a time when independent filmmaking often struggles for resources, facing dual challenges of limited funding and scarce institutional support

The grant signals a larger investment in the future of Philippine cinema at a time when independent filmmaking often struggles for resources, facing dual challenges of limited funding and scarce institutional support. By backing both narrative and experimental projects, Tarzeer opens the door not only for filmmakers aiming for festival circuits but also for those pushing the boundaries of what a short film can be.

With applications set to close in just a few weeks, Filipino directors and producers with bold visions are invited to step forward.

And as they extend their ethos of the avant-garde, Tarzeer Pictures is helping build momentum for the next wave of cinematic voices in the country, waiting for the chance to be seen and heard through cinematic forms.

The deadline for the Tarzeer Pictures short film grant is on Nov. 15, 11:59 p.m., Philippine standard time, while shortlisted projects will be pitched live to a selection committee in January 2026. Grant awardees will be announced by February.

Heavy rains will continue to affect Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, Oct. 8, the weather bureau said.

In its 11:56 a.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds will affect the provinces within the next two hours.

In Laguna, the towns of Santa Maria, Pakil, Paete, Pangil, Siniloan, Famy, Mabitac, San Pedro, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti, and Luisiana are expected to experience these conditions.

In Nueva Ecija, the affected areas will be General Tinio, Gapan, Peñaranda, San Isidro, San Antonio, Cabiao, San Leonardo, and Jaen.

Meanwhile, similar conditions are already being experienced in Metro Manila, Quezon Province, and Rizal. This may continue within the next two hours and affect nearby areas.

Pagasa also reported that as of 8 a.m., a tropical depression is still being monitored outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. It is unlikely to directly affect the Philippines.

The tropical depression was last spotted at 1,795 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, packing maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 70 kph. It was moving northwestward at 35 kph. /mcm

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has ordered the perpetual revocation of the license of the driver for hitting the motorcycle driven by a student in Teresa, Rizal.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) noted that based on a viral video on social media, the driver was seen intentionally crashing into the student’s motorcycle because ‘it allegedly ran over his vehicle.’

The video likewise showed that the student had been thrown to one side of the road as his motorcycle crashed on the other side.

The student then stood up and went into his motorcycle, while the driver went out of his vehicle, furiously saying, ‘Don’t run. Your apology is not enough.’ After the incident, Lopez ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to locate the driver to have his license revoked for life.

‘That driver has no right to drive on the road,’ Lopez emphasized.

‘Let’s just say that his car was hit. Is it right to chase and hit the child?’ he asked.

‘No amount of explanation can justify his actions. He’s older; he should know what’s right,’ the acting DOTr chief pointed out,’ the acting DOTr chief pointed out.

The LTO is set to issue a show-cause order against the driver this Wednesday.

In the same statement, the DOTr mentioned that Lopez will speak with the family of the student.

He said that the agency is willing to provide a lawyer to file a case against the driver.

The DOTr is in coordination with the police with regard to the incident. /apl

There are no active attempts to unseat Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III at present, according to Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference on Wednesday, Cayetano said the rumors of a possible leadership change in the Senate might be coming from supporters of both the majority and minority blocs.

Cayetano categorically stated that no resolutions are being circulated among senators and that they are not expecting any leadership change before the Senate adjourns its session on Friday.

‘There is no active courting,’ Cayetano said.

Echoing Sotto’s earlier statements, Cayetano said he had a brief phone conversation with the Senate President, during which he made it clear that he is not seeking his colleagues’ support to unseat Sotto.

‘We in the minority are not talking about whether there’s already someone, or who it might be, or how and what would happen, because we believe they’re still happy in the majority. And I think we have a role to play in the minority. But usually, it doesn’t happen when it’s noisy, because everyone’s on guard,’ Cayetano said.

‘But you can’t take it away from the supporters of the majority who are vocal on social media about not wanting any changes, and you can’t take it away from our supporters across the country who want a change in leadership,’ he added.

Rumors circulating on social media have pointed to Cayetano as Sotto’s alleged successor as Senate President.

Sotto, however, dismissed the speculation, stressing that he does not expect any moves to unseat him in the plenary before the scheduled adjournment on October 10./mcm

There was no room for panic.

After stumbling out of the gate, both Arellano University and Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) responded with gritty bounce-back wins in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday-one emphatic, the other just enough.

The Arellano Chiefs showed little hesitation in dismantling San Sebastian, 82-66, at the San Juan Arena. Renzo Abiera orchestrated a flawless outing, scoring 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting clip.

‘What’s beautiful here is that every player and every coach is doing the work,’ said coach Chico Manabat. ‘Sometimes, it’s not about how many wins you get but about winning the right way-and at the right time.’

Arellano’s dominance was a statement of intent. After falling to defending champion Mapua in their opener, the Chiefs refused to fall into a dangerous 0-2 hole. Instead, they made the most of their offensive flow, turning a tight first quarter into a comfortable cushion by halftime.

On the other side of the bracket, EAC didn’t have the same luxury of separation. The Generals had to sweat out a tight finish against Jose Rizal University, escaping with a 68-65 win that came down to one shot-and one steady hand.

With 1:25 left and the score knotted at 65, Nico Quinal buried a cold-blooded triple that held up as the game-winner. He finished with 10 points, but none bigger than the final three.

‘I reminded the boys that if we lost this game, it would be hard for us to reach our short-term goal of landing in the top two of our bracket,’ said coach Jerson Cabiltes.

Wilmar Oftana and Oman Omandac added 13 and 10 points, respectively.-INQUIRER SPORTS STAFF

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has confirmed a coastal uplift in a village in Bogo City following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu last week.

In its field assessment released Tuesday, Phivolcs reported that the shoreline in Barangay Nailon rose by about a meter, as evidenced by exposed tidal flats, raised tidal notches, and elevated high-tide markers. It attributed the phenomenon to the movement of the Bogo Bay Fault, which triggered the powerful quake on September 30.

The uplifted zone was previously submerged in seawater, as indicated by dry seagrass beds and distinct changes in tidal formations along the coast. These features provide visible proof of the vertical displacement of land near the fault line during the seismic event.

The earthquake caused widespread destruction across northern Cebu, leaving 72 people dead and over 550 injured and affecting around 611,000 residents, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

‘Zone of avoidance’

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it would assist local governments in enforcing a 5-meter ‘zone of avoidance’ along the Bogo Bay Fault, following Phivolcs’ recommendation to prohibit construction near the active fault line.

Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police units in the Central Visayas region had been instructed to coordinate with disaster response councils and assist in establishing safety perimeters around the identified fault trace.

He said police stations in Bogo City and neighboring areas had been tasked to assist in ‘information dissemination, patrol vulnerable communities, and help local authorities enforce safety perimeters within the 5-meter zone of avoidance.’

The PVL on Wednesday announced it has decided to replay the two opening game matches that were played without imports, giving all teams a fair shot with their full squads.

The decision was made with the backing of stakeholders and the teams, citing ‘spirit of fairness, competitive parity, and delivering the best possible experience’ for the fans.

The new schedule of the games will be announced at a later date.

On Tuesday, ZUS Coffee, Akari, Choco Mucho and Capital1 opened their Reinforced Conference-the tournament that showcases international talents- campaigns without their reinforcements due to a dispute over International Transfer Certificates.

In the all-Filipino battles, the Flying Titans and the Thunderbelles prevailed.

PVL pointed the blame on the Philippine National Volleyball Federation for their alleged refusal to endorse the ITCs required for foreign guest players to compete.

All the ITCs for imports and Filipino-Foreign players were activated and signed on Wednesday at 6:30 a.m.

With the issue sorted out, Petro Gazz can begin its bid with returning import Lindsey Vander Weide on board as well Filipino-Americans Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips. They battle the Galeries, which has Montenegrin Jelena Cvijovic, on Thursday at Dasmariñas Arena at 4 p.m.

Nxled’s Paola Martinez and Farm Fresh’s Helene Rousseaux are also cleared to play for the second game at 6:30 p.m.

Responding to public outcry, Sen. Erwin Tulfo has proposed an ‘extraordinary measure’ granting a one-month income tax holiday amid the multi-billion-peso flood control projects scandal rocking the government.

‘The exposure of alleged anomalies in flood control projects, involving billions of pesos in public funds, has gravely eroded public trust in government fiscal stewardship. The Filipino people have raised a clear and resounding clamor-‘Return the people’s money. Lower the taxes,” Tulfo said when he filed Senate Bill No. 1446 on Tuesday.

‘The welfare of the people is the supreme law. It is therefore just and necessary that the State respond by providing tangible relief to the very taxpayers who sustain it,’ he added.

Under the bill, all individual taxpayers receiving compensation income may enjoy a ‘one-time, one-month income tax holiday,’ which will be reflected in the first payroll month immediately following the bill’s approval.

For mixed-income earners, only the portion classified as compensation income will be exempt from tax.

‘Towards this end, the state shall, as an extraordinary measure, grant a one-time, one-month tax holiday on compensation income, without prejudice to existing social security contributions and benefits,’ according to the bill.

It states that the proposed tax holiday will not cover the mandatory contributions to the Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Home Development Mutual Fund, and loan amortizations and other payments voluntarily authorized by the employee.

The bill also includes a non-diminution clause, which will ensure that employers cannot reduce employee wages during the tax holiday month.

‘While taxation is recognized as the lifeblood of the State, we must equally recognize that this lifeblood flows from the people themselves,’ Tulfo said.

‘At a time when public confidence has been shaken, this bill provides a fair, extraordinary, and immediate form of relief that returns benefits directly to the people,’ he added.

Various protest rallies were recently held in parts of the country following revelations of alleged massive corruption in the government’s flood control projects.

Separate investigations in Congress also revealed the alleged involvement of some senators and congressmen, who were accused of receiving kickbacks in exchange for these infrastructure projects. /mcm