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Former Senator Cynthia Villar welcomed the signing of Republic Act No. 12308, or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act (AIDCA), a measure aimed at revitalizing the country’s livestock, poultry, and dairy sectors through a P200-billion investment over the next 10 years.

‘I thank President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Representative Mark Enverga, the Department of Agriculture, and all industry stakeholders for their support in the passage of this vital measure,’ Villar said. ‘This law will strengthen our animal industries, ensure food security, and help build a more resilient agricultural sector.’

Signed into law on September 25, RA 12308 elevates the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) into a line agency under the Department of Agriculture, expanding its regulatory functions and authority. The measure also strengthens the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and National Dairy Authority (NDA) by assigning them new mandates, including biotechnology, vaccine development, and herd repopulation programs.

Villar said the initiative was driven by the devastation caused by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in 2022, which led to a 20.8 percent decline in pork production and economic losses estimated at ?100 billion in 2023.

‘The ASF outbreak nearly crippled our hog industry and disrupted the food supply chain. This law will help our farmers recover and prevent similar crises in the future,’ Villar said.

The former senator also emphasized the need to strengthen the local dairy industry, which currently produces only one percent of the country’s milk requirements.

‘Our dairy sector faces persistent challenges such as low herd population, lack of breeding farms, and insufficient training on animal nutrition and management. The AIDCA will help us address these issues through better programs and funding,’ Villar added.

A major feature of the law is the creation of the Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (AnCEF), which will receive ?20 billion annually from tariffs on livestock, poultry, and dairy imports.The fund will be allocated for:

26%- Repopulation and herd build-up

7% – To be divided equally between the Phil Carabao Center and the National Dairy Authority for herd build-up and repopulation

6%- For animal health and welfare, native animal development programs, disease emergency control, prevention and response, including research and technology advancement

9% – For a Capacity Recovery Fund (CRF), supplemental to the Quick Response Fund under RA 20121

14% – For building improvement and mechanization of shared facilities (Processing plants,slaughterhouses,poultry dressing plants,storage and collection equipment).

14% – For augmenting and developing food safety, animal extension support services, and training

5% – For the development and propagation of animals, feeds, forage, and fodder-particularly seeds and planting materials-and ensuring affordable access for small-hold farmers

15% – For credit to the animal sector, including:Interest subsidies and negative interest loans in case of calamities,Credit guarantees for improvement of animal breeds, breeders, and multipliers,Feeds, animal housing, and purchase of equipment

2% – For technology transfer and commercialization of programs

1% – For marketing services

1% – For accreditation of smallholder farmers and raisers into formal groups such as cooperatives or organizations

The AnCEF was patterned after the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which Villar also principally authored. It will serve as a supplementary fund to the National Livestock Program (NLP).

The law mandates the Department of Agriculture (DA) to create a Philippine Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy (LPD) Value Chain Development Roadmap to align government programs and ensure efficient service delivery.

It also provides for the establishment of a Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy Management Information System (LPDMIS) – a centralized database for real-time monitoring and decision-making.

In addition, an Animal Registry System will be set up to identify and accredit eligible farmers and raisers who will benefit from AnCEF programs.

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) will monitor the implementation of the AIDCA and release an annual performance report beginning in its second year.

On its third year, the allocations under the AnCEF will be reviewed to assess program effectiveness, while a mandatory review by the Committee on Cooperatives and Farmer Modernization (COCAFAM) will be conducted on the law’s tenth year to determine whether amendments or extensions are needed based on improvements in farmers’ incomes.

‘Pork, chicken, and milk are essential to the Filipino diet. Through this law, we aim to make our animal industry more competitive and sustainable,’ Villar said.

‘This measure not only strengthens food security but also ensures better income for our farmers and livestock raisers,’ she added

Recent developments at the Senate, as well as profit-taking, weighed down the local bourse on Monday.

By the closing bell, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) had tumbled by 1.78 percent, or 108.54 points, to end at 6,000.32.

Likewise, the broader All Shares Index shed 1.14 percent, or 41.9 points, to close at 3,643.95.A total of 2.1 billion shares worth P12.12 billion changed hands, stock exchange data showed.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said ‘latest political noises, especially at the Senate,’ contributed to the market’s decline.

Over the weekend, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said he had resigned as chair of the blue ribbon committee amid his colleagues’ ‘disappointment’ over the panel’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.

Inflation

While the bourse opened higher, it eventually settled in the red territory for the rest of the trading day.The index’s decline also came ahead of the release of the September inflation print, which analysts say may have accelerated due to recent storm damage and the rice import freeze.

Conglomerates saw the heaviest bleeding, with declines from SM Investments Corp. (down 1.74 percent to P732), Ayala Corp. (down 2.53 percent to P477.60) and GT Capital Holdings Inc. (down 2.44 percent to P579.50).

International Container Terminal Services Inc. was the most actively traded stock as it lost 0.78 percent to P508 per share. Others were BDO Unibank Inc., down 1.81 percent to P135.50; Ayala Land Inc., down 2.89 percent to P23.50; and Bank of the Philippine Islands, down 3.89 percent to P108.60 each.

Losers overpowered gainers, 139 to 64, while 58 companies closed flat, stock exchange data also showed./tad

The Cebu Provincial Government has maintained a red alert status as disaster response and relief operations intensify across northern Cebu following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City on the night of Sept. 30, leaving 71 people dead, three missing, and nearly 600 injured.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Sunday morning continued to record quakes of magnitudes 4.1 and 4.5 in Bogo City, as well as reported Intensity II in Daanbantayan, Cebu, and Instrumental Intensity in the towns of Villaba, Leyte, Abuyog, and Carigara in Leyte province.

The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) also said the quake, which struck at 9:59 p.m. with a shallow depth of 5 kilometers, continued to generate aftershocks up to Sunday, further alarming residents still reeling from the devastation.

Under a red alert, all disaster response units, including the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, police, and provincial rescue teams, are fully activated, ensuring 24-hour coordination of relief and recovery efforts.

According to the latest situation report, the quake has affected 209,972 families-equivalent to 372,513 individuals-across northern Cebu.

About 26,140 families have been displaced, seeking refuge in evacuation centers and makeshift shelters.

Besides Bogo City, the epicenter of the quake, other heavily affected areas include the municipalities of Medellin, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, Sogod, and Borbon, where thousands of houses were damaged or flattened.

Bogo City Hall, the Daanbantayan Municipal Building, and several schools and churches sustained severe structural damage.

Ground movement

Authorities also confirmed the appearance of sinkholes and fissures in Medellin, Borbon, and San Remigio, prompting geologists to monitor ground movement in affected zones.

Relief operations remained in full swing, with the Incident Command Post in Bogo City serving as the central coordination hub.

Food, potable water, shelter materials, and medical supplies remain the top priorities, along with the need for water tankers, generators, and heavy equipment to clear debris and restore access roads, according to the provincial government in social media posts on Sunday.

Power supply has been restored to 99 percent of the affected areas, while telecommunication lines are mostly operational, except in isolated areas.

But ports in Hagnaya, Pulangbato, and Bantayan are still closed due to pending safety inspections. Classes in at least 10 northern municipalities remain suspended until further notice.

Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has appealed to volunteers and private donors to avoid traveling directly to quake-hit towns, citing heavy congestion disrupting emergency response convoys.

On Sunday, various reports from news media and netizens showed long lines of vehicles heading to northern Cebu stuck in traffic.

Travel time between Cebu City and Bogo City, which are about 98 km apart, usually takes three hours. But on Sunday, motorists reported being held on the road for over six hours and still unable to reach Bogo or other further destinations.

To streamline relief logistics, the Capitol has opened a donation hub at the Danao City Boardwalk, in partnership with the Danao City government, where goods are sorted and dispatched by provincial teams to affected municipalities.

Danao City, also in the north, is the gateway to the northern tip of Cebu, where the affected localities are located.

The Emergency Operations Center at the Cebu Capitol in Cebu City continues to operate on a 24-hour basis, consolidating field reports and coordinating with local government units, national agencies, and private organizations.

A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 2.5 hit Calatagan town in Batangas province on Monday morning.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported in its bulletin that the tectonic earthquake’s epicenter originated 8 kilometers southwest of the locality with a depth of 108 km.

The tremor occurred at 7:25 a.m.

A tectonic earthquake is produced by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries.

The minor quake is not likely to cause damage, and aftershocks may not occur, Phivolcs said.

Calatagan is located 71 km from Batangas City and 131 km from Metro Manila.

Batangas is one of the most seismically active areas in the Philippines, primarily due to the Lubang Fault, located between Mindoro Island and Batangas./coa

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has extended deadlines for the filing of tax returns and payment of corresponding taxes, as well as the submission of other required documents for affected taxpayers in Cebu, which was hit by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

Taxpayers and BIR personnel under the jurisdiction of Revenue District Office No. 80 (Mandaue City, Cebu), No. 81 (Cebu City, North), No. 82 (Cebu City, South), No. 83 (Talisay City, Cebu), and No. 123 (Large Taxpayers Division – Cebu), including their authorized agent banks, will benefit from the extension of all deadlines falling within October 2025.

All tax obligations falling due within October 2025 may now be filed and paid on or before Oct. 31, 2025, as provided under Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 88-2025. The complete list of covered BIR forms and returns is enumerated in the circular.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) turned over abandoned and forfeited goods to the Office of Civil Defense to support relief operations for earthquake victims.

The donation, which came mostly from the Manila International Container Port, included 56 pieces of rapid emergency tents and 1,087 pieces of assorted tents to serve as temporary shelters, as well as 50 units of mobile power supply to provide electricity in affected areas.

The BOC also donated one bio-toilet unit to ensure proper sanitation for displaced residents.

The donated items were declared abandoned and subsequently forfeited in favor of the government./tad

There were three quarters where Ateneo looked every inch the hoop monster it is becoming in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

And then, with 17,185 fans as witness, there was the fourth quarter.

‘We have a choice to talk about three quarters of basketball or one quarter of basketball and we’ll do both,’ coach Tab Baldwin said after the Blue Eagles shocked rival La Salle, 81-74, on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

‘The way we played for the first three quarters is about as good as an Ateneo team can play,’ he added.

That featured a strong start, a relentlessness on both ends of the floor and leads that went beyond 30.

It looked like a one-sided masterclass from Ateneo, which looked like it would cruise trouble-free to an unstained record for the season.

‘Then in the fourth quarter, we played about as badly as an Ateneo team has played,’ Baldwin said.

‘Fortunately, it’s only one quarter.’

Ateneo led, 64-33, in the third quarter but La Salle started the fourth with 19 unanswered points to get into the game. Luckily, the Blue Eagles found enough gas to hold off the Archers.

‘If you took notes then you saw the ball move quickly after that [run] but we still were a bit shell shocked with the tenacity and ferocity of their comeback,’ Baldwin said.

Dom Escobar, who got Ateneo off to a hot start, Shawn Tuaño, who hit clutch baskets late, and Kymani Ladi finished with 15 points each as the Blue Eagles upped their record to 4-0 (win-loss).

La Salle dropped to 2-2 for the season despite the efforts of Mike Phillips, who finished with a monster double-double of 17 points and 20 rebounds.

FEU triumphs

Meanwhile, Far Eastern University (FEU) won its first game of the season with a 64-58 victory over Adamson in the earlier game.

But Sean Chambers couldn’t help but keep track of how much better their record should be after four games. ‘I say this humbly and respectfully. We felt we let one get away against Ateneo. We felt we had a moment against [National University] and for sure, we had our moments against La Salle,’ the FEU coach said. INQ

No change in leadership is expected in the Senate before the chamber adjourns its session on Friday, at least according to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference on Monday, Sotto quashed circulating rumors surrounding an alleged attempt to unseat him, particularly noting that he is not expecting any action in the plenary session before its scheduled adjournment on October 10.

‘We are not expecting anything like that,’ he told reporters in Filipino when asked about the matter.

Following the adjournment, the Senate’s session is scheduled to resume on November 10, 2025. To note, a leadership change in the upper chamber can only transpire when there is a plenary session.

Frankly speaking, Sotto said he does not know where the alleged coup d’etat against him is coming from.

‘You know here in the Senate, if a story comes from social media, well it would easily spread. But I don’t see it coming anywhere. In fact the other day, I talked with Sen. [Alan Peter] Cayetano and he told me that he is not talking with anyone and I believe him,’ he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Cayetano, at present, is the chamber’s Minority Leader. Rumors circulating on social media point to him as Sotto’s alleged successor as the Senate chief.

But could the alleged coup be coming from outside forces? Sotto said it remains a possibility.

‘Possible. Maybe someone is just instilling intrigue in the Senate because I talked with the minority leadership and we have not any misunderstandings,’ he said in Filipino. He, however, refrained from answering which group he thinks could be behind the alleged attempt to unseat him.

‘We should not allow these talks to hamper the work of the Senate and that’s the reason why last week, we’ve decided to suspend the session while the agenda or the pending bills are not yet here. You’ve seen that the pending treaties we’ve already passed and after that we suspended the sessions to allow the budget hearings to continue without stoppage,’ he added.

Later in the presser, Sotto was pressed to confirm if not one of the 15 member-majority is planning on leaving the bloc at present – which he answered in the affirmative.

Earlier, Sotto said he is very confident about the support of colleagues in the majority bloc. He particularly said he does not need to conduct a loyalty test because of the confidence and trust he has in his co-senators.

Sotto, in September, took over the Senate Presidency after the then-minority led ouster against Sen. Chiz Escudero became successful.

Toyota Financial Services Philippines Corp. (TFSPH), the automotive financing and leasing arm of GT Capital Holdings Inc., began its maiden bond offer on Monday, aiming to raise P2 billion from the debt market.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, GT Capital said TFSPH’s issuance would involve two-year bonds and three-year bonds, with fixed rates of 5.7725 percent and 5.9418 percent, respectively.

‘TFSPH will use the proceeds to further diversify its funding sources and support its anticipated asset growth,’ the Ty-led conglomerate noted in its disclosure.

The bond offer period will run from Oct. 6 to Oct. 13. First Metro Investment Corp. and ING bank NV Manila Branch were tapped as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners. They are also the selling agents, along with Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. and BPI Capital Corp.

Philippine Rating Services Corp. earlier issued a PRS Aaa (corp.) with a stable outlook rating for TFSPH.

This is its highest issuer credit rating, indicating that TFSPH has a ‘very strong’ capacity to meet its financial commitments.

In giving this rating, PhilRatings said it had considered TFSPH’s ‘strong and highly supportive’ shareholders, the Toyota franchise, its ‘good’ asset quality and sustained revenue growth due to the expansion of its loan portfolio./tad

Piggatan Bridge in the municipality of Alcala in Cagayan collapsed Monday afternoon, becoming the second bridge to collapse in the Cagayan Valley region this year.

In a Facebook post, the Cagayan Provincial Information Office said the bridge collapsed while several ten-wheeler trucks were passing.

‘The investigation is still ongoing and it is still being determined if anyone was injured in the incident,’ the information service said in a post in Filipino.

No further details are available as of posting time.

The 74.70-meter steel bridge was in good overall condition as of October 2024, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways website.

Last February, the newly retrofitted Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela province collapsed, leading to the fall of four cars into the Cagayan River.

The latest bridge collapse came amid a major corruption scandal involving anomalous infrastructure projects that has prompted ongoing Senate probe and the formation of an independent commission to investigate the suspected collusion between lawmakers, government officials, and contractors.

The Philippines is looking to revive discussions to update the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), in a bid to widen market access for local agricultural products.

Jpepa is the country’s first bilateral free trade agreement that came into force in December 2008. It aims to liberalize and facilitate trade in goods and services between both countries and increase investment opportunities.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. hoped that through Jpepa, Philippine bananas would be able to enter the Japanese market tax-free.

Tariffs

Local bananas are slapped an 8-percent import tariff during the summer season and 18 percent during winter.

However, neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam enjoy zero or preferential tariffs on banana exports to Japan.

Tiu Laurel said the Philippines was pursuing a similar trade benefit through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, but this ‘might take five years to complete.’

‘We’re looking at the angle of bilateral agreements in order to speed up the process,’ he added. Tiu Laurel and Japan Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi have agreed to work together to find an amicable arrangement during the 47th Meeting of the Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry held in Pasay City last week.

Tiu Laurel also said Koizumi had asked the Philippines to import Japanese grapes. Manila, on the other hand, has requested market access for Philippine pomelo to Japan.

‘Both parties agreed to work on this as soon as possible so that we can increase the trade,’ he added.

Tiu Laurel said China, which also participated in the regional bloc’s gathering, ‘has been open in general to accepting more’ Philippine durian.