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After saying that ‘almost all’ 24 senators of the 19th Congress had insertions in the 2025 national budget amounting to over P100 billion, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson clarified yesterday that members of the House of Representatives had even bigger entries.

As senators began to push back against criticisms on insertions, Lacson clarified that he was not singling out the Senate when he flagged budget changes for public works – the biggest of which was P10 billion for one senator alone.

He noted that insertions are not necessarily unlawful, but expressed suspicion over the P5 billion to P9 billion supposedly received by each lawmaker.

Lacson, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, said House insertions ‘were much bigger and the list of names is much longer’ and ran several pages in alphabetical order, compared to the 24 names in the Senate.

‘It’s like a roll call,’ Lacson told radio dzBB, referring to the list of over 300 lawmakers read by the House Secretary General to check for quorum during sessions.

He confirmed that the amendments involved infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

When asked if the insertions automatically meant lawmakers had profited or conspired to benefit from the projects, he deferred judgment.

‘Let’s just listen to the testimony of (Henry) Alcantara, (Roberto) Bernardo and Brice (Hernandez). Let that be the basis, not me,’ Lacson said, referring to former DPWH officials who linked congressmen to flood control corruption.

During Blue Ribbon hearings, congressmen who were implicated included former speaker Martin Romualdez and former appropriations chair Rep. Zaldy Co.

Contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya had also linked the pair and over a dozen more congressmen, former and current, as having involvement in kickbacks from flood control projects.

‘Introducing insertions is not illegal. It is our mandate as lawmakers to review the National Expenditure Program and introduce amendments. The problem is that many lawmakers abused this mandate,’ Lacson said.

‘I hope that in 2026, we will practice self-restraint. The people are angry so we must reform the way we pass the budget,’ he added.

As Lacson’s revelations on budget insertions continue to stir anger among taxpayers, senators pushed back against criticism, stressing that amendments are part of the legislative process and not inherently illegal or improper.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said amendments introduced during budget deliberations – whether institutional or individual – are ‘part of the regular budget process.’

He noted that it was ‘unfortunate’ that reports on ghost projects and failed flood control works had cast all amendments in a negative light.

‘Some of these amendments are for additional classrooms, farm-to-market roads and bridges that will benefit our people, especially those in the far-flung provinces. Some of which were never funded and were tagged ‘for later release’,’ Sotto said.

He added that the Senate will introduce changes in the 2026 budget to ensure ‘greater transparency, people’s participation and accountability.’

Sen. JV Ejercito echoed Sotto’s position, saying amendments are among the Senate’s duties after budget hearings.

‘Not all amendments are bad, especially those which help agencies and departments. Amendments are not tainted as long as there is no post enactment intervention,’ he added.

Marcos Jr.: 2026 budget to be graft-free

Amid Lacson’s statements on budget insertions, Malacañang vowed that President Marcos would not allow the 2026 budget to be tainted with corruption.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said issues like the one raised by Lacson prompted the investigation into the alleged anomalies surrounding flood control projects.

‘Perhaps what really happened in the 2025 budget is now being revealed,’ Castro said at a press briefing yesterday.

She said Marcos wants to ensure that the budget would go to programs that would benefit the public, noting that the President had already vowed to veto the 2026 budget if it is filled with anomalies.

‘So we can be sure, with all these things happening, the people can be assured that the 2026 budget would be above board and the President will not allow anomalous projects,’ she added.

Marcos has ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in the country’s flood control projects and has created an independent body that would run after officials and contractors who benefited from kickbacks.

He has also canceled the flood control projects for 2026 and reallocated their P255.5-billion funding to various social welfare, education, agriculture, agrarian reform and livelihood programs.

The Marcos administration is proposing a P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, higher than this year’s P6.326-trillion outlay.

Students stage protests vs graft

At the same time, thousands of students from the Far Eastern University (FEU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) walked out of their classrooms and held a rally to denounce massive corruption in government.

At noon yesterday, around 1,000 FEU students reportedly gathered at the Nicanor Reyes Street to protest.

At 3 p.m., despite the rains, students from different colleges of UST also conducted a walk-out rally.

They went around their campus and expressed their outrage over the trillions of pesos worth of government funds lost in the DPWH flood control anomaly.

The students were heard chanting ‘Zaldy, Zaldy Magnanakaw, Magnanakaw si Zaldy’ (Zaldy the thief), ‘Mga Kurakot, Ikulong na Yan’ (Jail all thieves), while some students called for President Marcos nd the Dutertes to go to jail.

As relief efforts for victims of Severe Tropical Storm Opong are ongoing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its operations against fraudulent donation drives on social media.

Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartateasz Jr. directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to monitor suspicious donation requests on social media platforms to ensure that relief operations are protected from exploitation.

Nartatez said the ACG should also check websites and e-wallet transactions to identify and apprehend scammers taking advantage of people who are donating to typhoon victims.

‘We advise the public to verify first before donating. Legitimate donation drives are usually organized by well-known charity groups,’ he said.

Nartatez reminded people to check official announcements, verified social media pages and official bank accounts. Personal accounts soliciting donations, especially if the details are vague or unverifiable, must be avoided, he said.

The PNP is rolling out an awareness campaign to help citizens distinguish between legitimate and fake donation drives.

Nartatez urged those who have been victimized to report to the ACG or to the nearest police stations.

Beware of fake donation drives – PNP

TUPAS

MANILA, Philippines – As relief efforts for victims of Severe Tropical Storm Opong are ongoing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its operations against fraudulent donation drives on social media.

Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartateasz Jr. directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to monitor suspicious donation requests on social media platforms to ensure that relief operations are protected from exploitation.

Nartatez said the ACG should also check websites and e-wallet transactions to identify and apprehend scammers taking advantage of people who are donating to typhoon victims.

‘We advise the public to verify first before donating. Legitimate donation drives are usually organized by well-known charity groups,’ he said.

Nartatez reminded people to check official announcements, verified social media pages and official bank accounts. Personal accounts soliciting donations, especially if the details are vague or unverifiable, must be avoided, he said.

The PNP is rolling out an awareness campaign to help citizens distinguish between legitimate and fake donation drives.

Nartatez urged those who have been victimized to report to the ACG or to the nearest police stations.

For its 2025 edition, The Miss Globe organization shared the pageant’s new process of elimination.

The delegates will all appear in three different segments during the final show.

They will first appear wearing Albanian traditional outfits, with a modern twist, custom-made for the delegates by Lilo Fashion Design.

Next, they’ll reappear wearing custom-made swimwear, still by Lilo Fashion Design, during the Bikini Segment.

Finally, the girls will wear gowns of their choice, made by designers from all over the world.

The field will be narrowed down to a Top 21, with one spot allotted for the People’s Choice awardee – the winner of the online poll. In this round, all semifinalists will be wearing gowns designed by Louis Pangilinan.

The Top 21 will be further trimmed down to a Top 11. The eleven lucky ladies will be wearing another set of designs by Louis Pangilinan.

From the Top 11, only five delegates will advance to the final round, where the winner and her court will be formed. Outgoing queen Diana Moreno of Colombia will crown her successor.

The 2025 Miss Globe coronation night will be hosted by Miss Globe 2021 Maureen Montagne and Miss Earth 2023 Drita Ziri.

It can be recalled that Drita hosted the show when Maureen competed for the Philippines, before winning as Miss Earth the following year.

The final show will unfold on Oct 15 (Oct 16, Manila time) and will be beamed live to a global audience from Deliart Association’s channel on YouTube.

The Philippines will be represented by Annabelle Mae McDonnell, who represented Iligan at Binibining Pilipinas this year. Stay tuned!

In business, numbers usually show up in boardrooms as balance sheets, profit margins and quarterly earnings. They tell us whether the organization is winning or losing, thriving or barely keeping the lights on. But numbers aren’t just dry statistics. They carry culture, symbolism and – if you’re superstitious – a fair bit of drama.

Numbers are never just numbers. If you step into an elevator anywhere in Japan, don’t be surprised if you can’t find the fourth or ninth floors. Developers replace ‘4’ with ‘3A’ and ‘9’ with ‘8A,’ because in Japanese, number four (shi) sounds like ‘death’ and nine (ku) means ‘suffering.’

In Metro Manila, I discovered a newly-refurbished hospital with the same superstitious practice. They have no fourth and ninth floor. Not even ‘3A’ or ‘8A’ floors.

Now, a Westerner might smirk: ‘Really? Skipping floors because of delusion?’ Look. Imagine being in a hospital bed and being wheeled into Room Suffering on the ninth Floor. That’s not superstition – that’s a horror movie. Smart businesses, including modern hospitals know perception is everything, and if avoiding certain digits keeps customers calm, then by all means, skip the fourth and ninth floors.

In truth, the Western world is also superstitious. They panic over number 13. Skyscrapers often jump from floor 12 to 14, airlines avoid row 13 and some hotels don’t have room 13 at all. Try convincing a nervous guest that sleeping in ‘Lucky 13’ is safe – you’ll need more than a soft pillow.

Bright side

Numbers don’t just mark superstition. They also define achievement. Malcolm Gladwell popularized the 10,000-hour rule as one key to becoming world-class at something – whether it’s violin, coding or running a business. It requires at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. That’s 20 hours a week for 10 years.

If you’ve been binge-watching Netflix that long, congratulations – you’re now a master of couch endurance. The rule reminds us of something powerful: numbers measure commitment. Ten thousand hours isn’t just math; it’s a story of grit, patience and effort stacking up over time.

Last week, I wrote about how to measure one’s mastery in Kaizen problem-solving. It’s similar to Japan’s tradition of folding 1,000 origami cranes. Legend has it that if you fold them, your wish will come true. Families often send bundles of colored origami pieces to hospitals, hoping for the recovery of a loved one.

Those cranes aren’t just paper – they’re hope, folded a thousand times. I’m telling my clients the same thing: complete 1,000 problem-solving projects, big or small, and you’re not just doing Kaizen. You’ll become an origami champion in continuous improvement.

That’s 10 hours per project. When multiplied to a successful 1,000 Kaizen projects, it becomes the equivalent of Gladwell’s ‘tipping point’ of 10,000 hours. See the contrast? Ten thousand hours represents discipline to master a craft. One thousand origami pieces represent faith in healing. Both are numbers, but each carries a different emotional meaning.

In business, numbers build credibility. Investors don’t buy stocks using ‘gut feelings.’ They want revenue, ratios and forecasts. In today’s digital world, companies often fall into ‘vanity metrics.’ Boasting about a million social media followers is an impressive tack – until you realize none of them ever buy anything.

It’s like bragging you have 5,000 Tinder connections but never went on a single date.

The human side of numbers

Despite their precision, numbers carry emotional weight. A worker doesn’t think of her salary as ‘P40,000/month.’ She thinks: ‘Rent, tuition, groceries and maybe pizza on a Friday night.’ Dynamic managers don’t see ’15 percent attrition.’ It sees skilled people walking out, knowledge leaking and morale dropping.

Some managers forget this. They talk about ‘cutting five percent of staff’ as if they’re trimming fat from a budget. But behind every percentage point are human lives and livelihoods. Business leaders who understand this don’t just see numbers – they see stories.

So, what can managers take from all this numerical wisdom?

Respect cultural numbers. If skipping a floor builds trust, do it. Math purists may cringe, but most people are fine as long as the elevator is operational.

Pick the right metrics. Focus on numbers that matter. Customer retention and employee motivation rates beat any social media ‘likes.’

Tell stories with data. Don’t just say sales rose by 15 percent. Say, ‘sales rose by 15 percent – enough to fund merit pay increases.’ Numbers persuade when they mean something.

Balance head and heart. Some numbers measure profit, others measure patience, others measure prayer. Intelligent managers know how to balance all three.

Numbers run the world – on spreadsheets, in superstitions and in stories of struggle and hope. Number four means death in Japan, eight means prosperity in China, ten thousand hours mean mastery and one thousand folded papers mean hope for healing.

It’s not just math – it’s tradition with a calculator. Ignore the power of numbers, and you risk losing people’s trust. Respect them – and you’ll see that behind every digit lies not just data, but people, culture and countless possibilities. In the end, numbers don’t just count; they narrate.

In business, the story told by numbers is the one customers and employees believe in – because behind every figure is the figure of trust.

Rey Elbo is a quality and productivity improvement enthusiast. DM your story on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X or email elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com. Anonymity is guaranteed even if you skipped your math and statistics classes in college.

The writer Greg Brillantes died age 92 on a Friday, the last weekend of September, as a severe tropical storm was heading straight to the central islands of the archipelago. His second daughter Cecilia, perhaps named after the patron saint of music, was surely coming home after many years based

stateside. Chi, that was her nickname, was a student of mine at UP Manila 40 years ago, in English I with her block of rowdy occupational therapy majors. In class sometimes her father was mentioned, author of ‘Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro,’ a staple in any syllabus introducing college students to literature and other literary forms, a tale of the country doctor whose son teaches him a thing or two about faith.

It wasn’t until after the first EDSA revolution that I got to work closely with Greg B., as he had once written his name in my pocket directory (***9507), when he was editorial consultant for Midweek magazine for six years, and I was among the staff writers. Of course I’d read his work before, aside from the aforementioned faith, love and time, such as ‘The Distance to Andromeda,’ which made you never look at the night sky the same way again. Or ‘The Cries of Children on an April Afternoon in the Year 1957,’ which was an ode to adolescence in the province of Tarlac, although written in prose.

Greg B also edited The Manila Review, a martial law era literary journal that came out more or less quarterly, where I first read Erwin Castillo’s ‘The Watch of La Diane,’ as well as a sheaf of poems by the teenage poet Diana Gamalinda, who drowned in Vigan in 1978. The review was also where I saw mind-blowing illustrations by the likes of Red Mansueto.

In Midweek the hours were lax, meaning irregular, so long as the issue was put to bed on at least a weekly basis. Greg B was usually behind his desk in the afternoons, wrestling with copy of the writers and columnists, the blue pencil eventually rendering the poor edited copy like a Rorschach test, which made you pity the poor encoder who had to manually put in all the corrections and transpositions in the rewritten article.

He was hard of hearing and cupped his hand to his ear if he couldn’t hear what you were saying, and sometimes totally misheard you so that you had to raise your voice and repeat whatever you needed to say to him, ending with a few guffaws from both sides. Also you should have seen him when he was deep at work, sometimes shaking his head and muttering the ritual ‘tsk, tsk, tsk,’ looking at copy from a certain angle so light would fall on it the right way, before applying his editing pen as if he were doodling or doing a spot cartoon.

After hours there was time for some beer, sometimes in the old gutted building bedside the office on A. Roces avenue, Quezon City, or else a short drive or taxi ride away to Davao Inihaw on Timog, where the inihaw na panga and sisig were quite the treat after not such a hard day’s work.

It was at Midweek where we first developed a sort of journalist routine, learned the ropes of the trade, out of town coverage and tightrope deadlines, especially since the magazine’s editor in chief was Pete Lacaba, who taught us all the basics of days of disquiet, nights of rage.

Greg B drove an old model Mercedes-Benz that might have seen better days, the backseat filled with books he would occasionally give away to young writers, and near the dashboard a pile of cassettes that included ol’ blue eyes.

Before Midweek closed down with the exit of the first Aquino administration, Greg had gone on a central American sojourn following the death of his mom, which coincided with political upheavals in Nicaragua and other parts of the region, and the essays written at the time later formed the main section of a book of essays, traversing most of the continent by bus, train or foot and recording his adventures in drafts written in long hand.

After Midweek it was on to Graphic magazine where Pete already was, as well the National Artist Nick Joaquin, the Cabangon Chua publication along Pasong Tamo and dela Rosa that spawned its own counterculture. Greg also had a regular column in the Times Journal, the title of which I forget, but it was in the manner of Nick’s ‘Small beer.’

At the turn of the millennium I asked Greg to contribute an essay for a special supplement of The STAR, sort of like to beat the projected 2K bug, and he delivered in spades, recalling his fledgling years at the Ateneo along Padre Faura just after the Pacific War, as an FOB (fresh off the bus or Benz) provinciano

from Tarlac, and his corps commander at ROTC was a fellow named Max Soliven, who was described unflatteringly as strutting around with his sword, or words to that effect.

When I handed him his writer’s fee in the early months of year 2000 we met at Sionil Jose’s bookshop Solidaridad also on Faura, after much shouting and repeated phrases on phone to set the appointment, and he was as usual in his element among books, as calm as any browser. He invited me to lunch at anearby eatery, on the second floor of which he said there used to be a girl’s dorm, where he and his batchmates at the Ateneo visited on weekends, maybe with an impromptu serenade in mind.

In the 2010s I saw less of him, except for a Midweek reunion at Teacher’s Village in the house of one of the magazine’s staff writers Tezza Parel, where I brought a bottle of Capt. Morgan spiced rum which he was hard-put to part with, until I drove him and other staff home to Sta. Mesa Heights, the dog Juanito no longer around, but he wouldn’t let us leave without giving us a couple of books however yet unread somewhere in the apartment.

Or else in New Manila at the house of fellow writer Ben Bautista, dinners with Pete and Krup Yuson washed down with single malt while in the lanai works of Bautista’s bosom buddy Chabet kept watch over us.

In Baguio of course I bought his collected short stories to shore up a weather beaten, dog-eared copy of The Apollo Centennial, still bedside, while Chi finally is home from Houston to join her two sisters and mom, the distance to Sta. Mesa Heights hardly measured by the words of a great writer who taught us much.

Six activists arrested in 2018 during an alleged encounter between government troops and New People’s Army rebels in Mabinay Town in Negros Oriental have been freed by the court after being cleared of charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Judge Marie Rose Inocando of the Regional Trial Court Branch 42 ruled that the prosecutors failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and that the police handled the evidence poorly.

The decision will no longer be challenged, and the commander of the 302nd Brigade said they will do better case handling next time.

‘We always abide by the rule of law and we respect the decision of the court in the case of the Mabinay 6. We take this as a sign that we should improve when it comes to legalities during combat operations,’ said Brigadier General Jason Jumawan in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

We suppose we should be happy that they will handle cases better, but then again maybe we should also be wary.

Because that can mean that either they will take care not to accuse the wrong people anymore –or they will make sure to have enough evidence to make sure people are convicted, whether they are guilty or not.

Activists who go to educate farmers of their rights aren’t rebels. Rebels are those who take part in the armed struggle against the duly-elected government. Many people cannot make this distinction, especially those in the armed forces.

We cannot totally blame them for this. Their training to defend the country from threats both external and internal leaves little time for them to be taught the difference between those rebelling and those who are just pushing for positive change.

This isn’t limited to government troops. Remember the rampant red-tagging during the previous administration? Even those who were just doing their jobs like advocates for women’s rights, judges, lawyers, and even priests were lumped in with those who want to bring down the democracy.

We certainly hope Jumawan meant the former, that they will take care to no longer accuse the wrong people.

‘Idol Kids Philippines’ has officially named its first grand winner, with kiddie hopeful Alexa Mendoza clinching the title in the Final Showdown held Sunday, September 28.

Nine-year-old Alexa, who hails from Laguna, emerged as the grand winner after earning 98.88 percent of the combined public votes and judges’ scores, showcasing her artistry with the original piece ‘Maaabot Ko’ and her rendition of Eraserheads’ classic ‘Ang Huling El Bimbo.’ Alexa won an exclusive contract with StarPop and a cash prize of over P1 million.

Adding to the milestone are original songs from the Top 3 kiddie hopefuls, with Klied performing ‘Pakinggan Mo’ and Quinn offering ‘Dalangin,’ alongside Alexa’s winning piece. All tracks were produced by award-winning songwriter and producer Jonathan Manalo.

The in-studio lyric videos will be available on the ABS-CBN Star Music YouTube Channel, while the official EP will be released this Friday (October 3) on all streaming platforms worldwide.

The Final Showdown also featured performances from ‘It’s Showtime’ hosts Jhong Hilario and Vhong Navarro, who delivered high-energy numbers that lit up the stage.

Capping the season were the Kapamilya Idol judges, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Power Diva Angeline Quinto, record-breaking singer-songwriter Juan Karlos, and Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, who have guided and witnessed the growth of the kiddie hopefuls throughout the competition.

Joining the celebration were the ‘Idol Kids Philippines Spotlight’ IdolKada online hosts, Kapamilya actress and Idol hopeful Shanaia Gomez and Jeremy G, who brought added energy and connection to fans online throughout the season.

Viewers can relive the journey and performances of the kiddie hopefuls on the official ‘Idol Philippines’ YouTube channel and on-demand via iWant.

Monday, Oct. 6, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second most important festival for Chinese all over the world (the most important is, of course, the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival). It is also a festival celebrating the moon, which is at its fullest and brightest on that night.

In ancient agricultural China, the post-autumn harvest was a time of plenty, a time to thank the gods for a good yield of crops. The term Mid-Autumn (zhong qiu or tiong chiu in Hokkien) first appeared in the Confucian classic Rites of Zhou and the custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival took root in the Tang dynasty. It was in the Northern Song dynasty that the date for the festival was fixed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. The mooncake, on the other hand, first appeared in the following Southern Song dynasty.

Central to the Mid-Autumn Festival is the mooncake (so some people call it the Mooncake Festival), a round pastry filled with lotus paste or bean paste, embellished with a salted egg yolk (or two), nuts and butong pakwan (thus the urban legend of the old aunties on the second floor of the bakery cracking watermelon seeds with what teeth they still have).

A popular legend has it that during the Yuan dynasty, rebel leaders hid messages inside and distributed mooncakes to call on the people to ‘rise up and revolt’ against the Mongol overlords.

These days mooncakes have become quite fancy with flavors like ube, cheese and even truffle and, since these are often given as gifts, come in ornate containers that can double as jewelry boxes. The traditional bakeries still use the old tin boxes though.

Since the Tsinoy community is predominantly Hokkien from Fujian province, the dice game or pua tiong chiu has taken root here. The game supposedly dates back to the 1600s, invented by Koxinga (an honorific title meaning ‘Lord of the Imperial Surname’ given to the general Zheng Chenggong) to boost the morale of his homesick troops during the Mid-Autumn Festival, since they were stationed in southern Amoy (now Xiamen, in Fujian) to retake Formosa (Taiwan) from the Dutch.

When we were kids we’d hie off to my Amah (grandma)’s house to pua tiong chiu. The game involved six dice and a large bowl (if one of the dice jumps out of the bowl you lose your turn), and a rule book tells you what dice combinations get you what prize. Traditionally, prizes were different sizes of hopia mongo, starting from the smallest at about an inch and a half in diameter to the full 12-inch one. A set consists of 63 hopia in increasing sizes – 32 of the smallest, then 16, eight, four and two, until the Big Kahuna or tsiong guan.

The problem was what to do with all that hopia after the game; the entire household had hopia for merienda for two days (by the third day the mongo filling became dry and hard). So the modern iteration of the game involves prizes other than hopia – anything from candy, toys and trinkets to appliances (I once won a toaster oven) and jewelry to cash. But I haven’t yet heard of any family or group that had a suitcase full of cash as the tsiong guan – but then I don’t move in the circles of contractors and congressmen.

The sums are jaw-dropping. It is mind-boggling how amounts like P125 million, P3.6 billion are so casually thrown around, like P36 or P125. So even if their share is only – ONLY – two percent, it’s still a pretty penny. No wonder they can afford Rollses and Lambos, Ferraris and Benzes – paid for in cash – while the salaried worker has to shop around for the best financing deal to buy a Toyota, which will not be able to go through the lampas gulong floods because the pumping station is not working and the obstructed creek was not dredged and has overflowed.

I still can’t wrap my little round head around how P457 million can be withdrawn from one bank in one day – how many Rimowa suitcases or duffel bags and how many vehicles did it take to transport all that moolah to.whose house? Or shouldn’t I ask?

At the rate top government officials are being implicated in this grand thievery – where there’s smoke there’s fire, right? – the ranks of government, especially the legislature, could be seriously depleted, which might actually be a good thing, one positive to come out of this gargantuan mess.

Although, of course, at this point nobody is guilty; all of the accusations are baseless, politically motivated demolition jobs meant to tarnish reputations. And all charges will be answered in due time, at the proper forum – which I interpret as guilt-speak for ‘give me time to come up with a plausible explanation as I consult my highly paid crisis PR consultant and lawyers.’ There are a few mea culpas – undersecretaries, district engineers – but I’m waiting for the catch of the day, the Big Fishes.

These shenanigans have been going on for years, decades even, with the cast of unsavory characters changing with each change of administration (tenured civil servants are not affected by such changes). Many have said the problem is systemic, meaning it’s ‘rooted in the fundamental structure of the organization or society, such as a corrupt government system, rather than being a problem caused by a few bad individuals.’

Thing is, it’s looking like ‘bad individuals’ have infiltrated the entire system, controlling large parts of it in fact. So who’s going to fix the system? How do we fix the system? The ‘bad individuals’ will corrupt any system that’s put in place; we got rid of PDAF, only for it to be replaced by congressional insertions.

The Queen of Hearts – from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – may have a solution: ‘Off with their heads!’

A child’s birthday is a cherished memory, especially when they can freely run around and share the fun with friends and family in a space built just for them.

Located on the fourth floor of The Podium in Ortigas, Kinetix Kids is a play-gym, activity, and specialized training center. It is a one-stop shop where kids can play, enroll in special classes, and celebrate important milestones.

Since opening in November 2024, the place has become a popular venue for children’s parties. It has become an ideal party place in Ortigas that offers flexibility for family celebrations.

The event hall can accommodate up to 120 guests and offers flexible options for shared or exclusive access to the amusement area. The smaller hall can accommodate around 60 guests. Tables, chairs, and a basic sound system are included with the venue.

According to marketing manager Shalla Yu, a wide variety of party themes, from “outer space adventures to jungle explorations, and of course, the ever-popular character-inspired parties” were already held in the venue.

“What makes it fun is watching how kids fully dive into it and turn our space into their own little world,’ she added.

The place can host more than just birthdays; families can also celebrate graduations, christenings, Christmas, Halloween, or any other themed parties they can imagine. The venue can also accommodate organized playdates for groups of 10 or more children, with optional catering for snacks and desserts.

The establishment offers food and beverage services through its own arm, Kinetix Kitchen. They also have accredited food suppliers.

For an even more magical party, it has its own mascots, Aki, Ava, and Tobi.

“Just let our events team know in advance if you’d like them to make an appearance, and we’ll be happy to include them in your party package,” marketing head Shalla said.

Events director Albee Barretto emphasized the “mix of fun and convenience” that the play-gym provides.

“Parents don’t have to stress, and kids get the celebration of their dreams,” he said. “Plus, the space itself is designed to keep the energy high and the kids fully engaged. When you celebrate here, you get both peace of mind and a party that stands out.”

Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon has issued new budget guidelines for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), starting with a new policy on proposed budgets for project consultants.

In an order issued Sept. 22, Dizon outlined guidelines on the preparation, review and updating of Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for consulting services under locally funded and foreign-assisted projects of the agency.

Under Department Order No. 184, Dizon said the ABC will now strictly serve as the ceiling for bid prices in locally funded consulting projects. Any offer that goes beyond the ABC will be disqualified outright.

For foreign-assisted projects, the ABC is referred to as the estimated project cost. The agency said EPCs must follow the rules of donor or lending institutions, but stressed that no increase beyond the approved loan or grant amount may proceed without clearance from oversight agencies such as the Department of Budget and Management or the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.

Compared to earlier rules, the new order imposes tighter controls by mandating documented market scoping, automatic disqualification of bids above the ceiling and higher-level approvals for any cost adjustments in foreign-assisted projects.

Previous rules introduced during the time of former DPWH secretary and now Sen. Mark Villar had set a ‘management fee’ as the ABC for the project consultancy contract which took into consideration the actual cost of services to be rendered by the consultant. This called for the computation of a remuneration cost, overhead cost, a ‘social charge’ and the ‘management fee’ as well as a multiplier formula, not counting a ‘contingency’ fund.

The new guidelines also direct the DPWH Bureau of Design to validate all ABC packages and issue updated costing guidelines annually to reflect changes in law, funding rules or market conditions.

The new rules take effect immediately and supersede Department Order No. 99, Series of 2018.

Dizon had previously ordered the lifting of the suspension on procurement activities for all locally funded infrastructure projects, but had imposed interim guidelines for strict disclosure rules on the part of prospective bidders as well as the livestreaming of the bidding events.

Blockchain

Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it is supporting a multisectoral initiative to put the government’s national budget on the blockchain.

ICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said the agency was providing full support to an ongoing collaborative effort which has drawn the participation of US-based global blockchain technology leader Polygon Labs and local tech partners led by Bayani Chain.

Aguda said the DICT recognized the merit in using blockchain technology as a solution against corruption.

‘Blockchain is a platform for data, with immutability. It cannot be erased or changed,’ Aguda said.

‘From a record keeping standpoint, you have an immutable ledger, meaning that ledger will forever be there, (serving like) a single version of the truth,’ he noted.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares said the push also had support in both houses of Congress, with him filing House Bill 4489 to put the national budget on the blockchain.