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GMA Network continues its winning streak, with its afternoon and primetime shows captivating audiences nationwide and dominating the ratings game based on Nielsen TV Audience Measurement’s Urban Philippines data for September 2025 (September 28-30 based on overnight ratings).

The afternoon series My Father’s Wife, starring Gabby Concepcion, Jak Roberto, Kazel Kinouchia and Kylie Padilla, remains the talk of the town as it reveals the true face of fraud in love and life. Airing from Monday to Saturday, My Father’s Wife recorded an average people rating of 7 percent-way ahead of other competing programs.

The emotional family drama Cruz vs Cruz, headlined by Vina Morales, Niel Rose Sese and Gladys Reyes, highlights the power of forgiveness in overcoming family challenges. With the series’ intense scenes and emotional depth, it tallied a strong average people rating of 7.4 percent (Monday to Friday)-leaving its competing programs behind.

Meanwhile, Akusada, led by Andrea Torres, Benjamin Alves and Lianne Valentin, empowers viewers to fight for justice and a better future despite being haunted by the past. The series continues to hook viewers, pulling off an average people rating of 6.8 percent (Monday to Friday)-dominating other programs on the same timeslot.

On primetime, GMA continues to soar as a ratings powerhouse. The highly anticipated Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre, featuring the newest generation of gem keepers brought to life by Bianca Umali, Faith Da Silva, Angel Guardian and Kelvin Miranda, maintained its lead over FPJ’s Batang Quiapo (A2Z/TV5/Kapamilya Ch) with a combined (GMA and GTV) average people rating of 13 percent (Monday to Friday).

Delivering good vibes, action and romance, Sanggang Dikit FR, topbilled by Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado, keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as the police duo solves crimes while finding love. The show recorded an average combined (GMA/GTV) people rating of 8.9 percent, leading against its rival It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (A2Z/TV5/Kapamilya Ch/Jeepney TV).

Beautiful wins also reigned until its thrilling finale week as Barbie Forteza, Kyline Alcantara, and Ruffa Gutierrez unraveled more mysteries and power plays in Beauty Empire. The series that aired from Monday to Thursday registered an average combined (GMA/GTV) people rating of 4.2 percent, higher than the average combined (A2Z/TV5/Kapamilya Ch./Jeepney TV) people ratings (corresponding Mondays to Thursdays) of its competition, Sins of the Father, covering the month of September. Moreover, Beauty Empire was the No. 1 most watched series on the VIU streaming platform for 6 consecutive weeks.

Before the year ends, GMA Entertainment Group is set to unveil two more compelling series, Hating Kapatid and Never Say Die, which are sure to captivate audiences once again.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) saw its net income fall by double digits in the first seven months of the year, weighed down by higher trading losses that offset modest gains in interest income.

Latest data from the BSP’s ‘Statement of Income and Expense,’ the central bank’s net income after tax and capital reserves dropped by 16.80 percent from January to July this year compared to a year ago.

BSP’s net income amounted to P79.2 billion as of end-July this year from P95.2 billion in the same period last year.

Revenues of the central bank dipped by 14.1 percent year-on-year to P163.8 billion from P190.6 billion.

The central bank’s interest income inched up by 1.13 percent to P142 billion as of end-July this year from P140.4 billion in end-July a year ago.

Despite the slight growth in earnings from interest, the BSP’s miscellaneous income plunged by 56.77 percent to P21.7 billion as of end-July from the P50.2 billion recorded in the previous year. The BSP’s miscellaneous income includes trading gains, fees, penalties and other operating income, among others.

On the other hand, the BSP posted a 3.4-percent decline in its expenses, which stood at P121.5 billion as of end-July this year from a year ago’s P98.4 billion.

The BSP’s interest expenses went down by 17.07 percent to P81.6 billion in the first seven months of the year from P98.4 billion last year. Other expenses, which include net trading losses, expanded by 45.62 percent to P39.9 billion in the January-to-July period this year from P27.4 billion in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the central bank’s net income before net gain on foreign exchange rate fluctuations, income tax expense, and capital reserves was at P42.3 billion as of the end of July.

That figure represents realized gains or losses from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates arising from foreign currency-denominated transactions of the BSP, according to the central bank. The operating profit was a 34.82-percent contraction from the P64.9 billion the BSP recorded in the same period last year.

Moreover, the BSP’s net gain on foreign exchange rates fluctuation rose by 21.71 percent to P37 billion in January to July this year from P30.4 billion in the same period a year ago. The figure represents realized gains or losses from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates arising from foreign currency-denominated transactions of the BSP.

OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday ordered the withdrawal of cases recently filed before the Sandiganbayan involving officials of the Duterte administration and Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation in connection with the alleged multi-billion procurement of overpriced and substandard medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a press briefing, Remulla clarified that only those cases which have yet to be arraigned by the anti-graft court would be withdrawn for further evaluation. He stressed that the review is necessary to ensure that the Ombudsman will have a strong case against those named as respondents.

‘What I really want to happen is that when file the information at the Sandiganbayan, everything is already trial-ready. And I don’t feel that this was the case with the complaint we previously filed,’ the Ombudsman pointed out.

He explained that based on his observation, the cases were filed without proper coordination between the fact-finding teams, the prosecution teams and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

In fact, Remulla said he learned that the special prosecutor had no involvement in the preparation for the filing of these cases.

‘I believe that this should be the product of a unified body of work, so everything is consistent. You can’t have one fact-finding team come up with different results from another.

One office should not contradict another. The Ombudsman’s office should move as one. There should be a single voice coming from the Ombudsman,’ he said.

Last October 10, the Ombudsman filed eight criminal cases against several individuals led by former budget undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao in connection with the procurement of personal protective equipment during the COVID 19 pandemic.

These cases have yet to undergo arraignment by the Sandiganbayan. Remulla also said he will summon former senator and chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Richard Gordon during the 18th Congress to shed light about the committee’s finding on the issue involving Pharmally.

Gordon earlier asked Remulla to reopen the Pharmally case which involves the alleged anomalous transfer of P421.4billion COVID funds from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service for the purchase of P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and personal protective equipment during the pandemic.

Gordon expressed belief that former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody anti-illegal drug war, can still be held liable for the anomaly.

The committee’s report did not prosper for failure to gather the required signatures from its members.

‘If the Office of the Ombudsman can take cognizance of anonymous complaints, why not a case where a senator of the Republic, along with other senators, agree on,’ Remulla explained.

‘I think that should be clarified. Even if it is not an official committee report, they can act as complainants, even in their individual capacity as Filipino citizens. We should honor their complaints,’ he added

Remulla said the review of the cases would not take long since these had already undergone preliminary investigation.

‘What is needed is to thoroughly study the resolution based on the evidence gathered during the hearings and all the evidence that are now in the Ombudsman’s custody,’ he said.

THE Supreme Court (SC) has denied the plea of the Duterte Youth Party-List for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) to enjoin the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from cancelling the group’s accreditation.

In a two page resolution dated September 30, the Court en banc also would not issue a status quo ante order that could have restored its previous status prior to the cancellation of its registration.

The Court also denied its motion for a special raffle, which was supposed to address the urgency of its petition.

However, the SC ordered the respondents Comelec, Reeya Beatrice Magtalas, Abigail Aleli Tan, Raainah Punzalan, and Aunell Ross Angcos to comment on the Duterte Youth’s main petition within 10 days from notice.

The four private respondents were the ones who petitioned the Comelec to stop the Duterte Youth’s proclamation last May and questioned their registration as a party-list group.

The Court’s order stemmed from the party-list group’s petition filed last September seeking to nullify the June 18 resolution issued by the poll body’s Second Division which cancelled its registration and the August 29 resolution of the Comelec en banc which affirmed the division’s resolution.

The Duterte Youth landed second in the party-list race with a total of 2,338,564 in the national and local elections held last May, entitling them to three seats in the House.

In its petition, the group accused the Comelec of committing ‘grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction’ in upholding the cancellation of their registration.

The party-list group argued that the assailed resolutions barring them from taking a seat in the 20th Congress were ‘contrary to law and jurisprudence’ and effectively disenfranchised more than 2.3 million Filipinos who voted for them in the last elections.

The petition also invoked the doctrine of laches, contending that the challenges raised against the group’s registration were filed too late and should have been barred.

The Comelec has proclaimed Abono, Ang Probinsyano, and Murang Kuryente party-lists to replace the Duterte Youth’s three seats in the House of Representatives.

THE PhilCycling National Championships for Road 2026 will be held from February 17 to 20 next year, the International Cycling Union-the sport’s international federation known by its acronym UCI, announced on its website recently.

The national road championships will again be staged in and around a technical course with Tagaytay City as the main hub and the municipalities of the Eighth District of Cavite and First District in Batangas Province as the other major routes.

PhilCycling president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, also the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said the 2026 nationals will also showcase the brand new Tagaytay CT Velodrome, which will host the 2026 Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC)-headed by Malaysian Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill-Track Championships from March 25 to 31.

This marks the first time in 31 years that the Philippines is hosting the Asian track championships-the last time was in 1995 when the country hosted both the Asian Road and Track Championships at the Amoranto Velodrome-which was demolished to give way to a football pitch-in Quezon City and Subic.

The 2026 nationals will actually begin with the Criterium races on February 16, followed by the Individual Time Trial on February 17 and the Road Races from February 18 to 20.

Categories will be in the Elite, Under 23, Juniors and Youth both for men and women.

A Masters category will be incorporated in the nationals’ program to determine the country’s representatives to the Asian Road Championships in Saudi Arabia-the ACC has yet to announce the dates.

And as usual, the top performers in the Juniors races will be included on the national team to the Asian championships as incentive.

VARIOUS government agencies are stepping up efforts to provide food, shelter, and other relief to the victims of the successive earthquakes that struck Cebu and parts of Mindanao amid threats of more earthquakes and aftershocks.

Still reeling from the devastating earthquake last September 30, a series of earthquakes struck Bogo City, Cebu, anew at dawn on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The strongest of the latest wave of earthquakes that hit this coastal city in Cebu struck at exactly 1:06 a.m. Phivolcs said the 5.8 magnitude earthquake generated Intensity V tremors in Bogo, Daanbantayan, Madellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, and Tabuelan, all in Cebu. The same intensity was recorded in Villaba, Leyte, and Escalanta City in Negros Occidental.

It also shook the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Danao, Talisay, Toledo, and the towns of Asurias, Balamban, Bantayan, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Consolacion, Liloan, Pinamugalajan, Sogod, and Tuburan in Cebu; Iloilo City, Roxas, and Pontovedra in Capiz; Ormoc City, Albuera, Capoocan, Calubian, Isabela, Kananga, Lete, Merida, Palompon, and San Isidro in Leyte Province.

Damage, aftershocks expected

A SECOND earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 was recorded at 1:24 a.m., followed by a 3.9 magnitude earthquake at 1:31 a.m. A fourth earthquake was recorded at 2:24 a.m. with a magnitude of 3.4.

As of 11 a.m., Phivolcs said the Magnitude 6.9 Northern Cebu Earthquake recorded 11,835 aftershocks, of which 2,068 were plotted and 46 felt in the immediate vicinity of Bogo City.

The 6.9 Northern Cebu Earthquake has resulted in the death of 74 people and the injury to 559 others. It also affected 201,245 families or 722,919 persons.

The NDRRMC said that a total of 774 public and private infrastructure were damaged, while a total of 79,959 houses were damaged as a result of the earthquake and successive aftershocks that continue to grip Cebu.

Modular shelters

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said it has sent modular shelter units (MSUs) for the quake victims in the three hardest-hit areas in Cebu.

Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said that the MSUs will serve as temporary shelters for families who were displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu last September 30, or ‘those who are still frightened to return to their homes due to aftershocks.’

According to DHSUD, the MSUs were allocated for the towns of Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin, which are among the areas hardest hit by the powerful quake.

The MSUs will be set up at the ‘Bayanihan Villages’ that were ordered to be established by President Marcos to provide shelter for the earthquake victims.

As of Sunday, several MSUs have been installed in the locl government-identified area for the Bayanihan Village in San Remigio town, DHSUD noted.

The delivery of the MSUs was made after the DHSUD conducted a ground assessment, in close coordination with other government agencies and LGUs.

‘Alinsunod po sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos ay agarang nagpadala ang DHSUD ng mga MSUs para sa mga biktima ng lindol na nawalan ng tahanan o kaya naman ay patuloy na nangangambang bumalik sa kani-kanilang tirahan,’ said Aliling.

‘We hope that these MSUs will somehow ease the burden of the quake victims. Kahit papaano ay komportable at ligtas sila dito,’ he added.

Days after the earthquake, Aliling sent Housing Undersecretaries Ed Robles and Ramon Quintin Allado and Assistant Secretary Hernando Caraig Jr. to Cebu to inspect the ground situation to determine what immediate response is needed from DHSUD.

‘Based on their assessment, ang agarang tulong na kailangan ng ating mga kababayan ay ligtas at maayos na masisilungan. Kaya mabilis natin dineploy ang mga MSUs,’ Aliling said.

‘Asahan po ninyo na patuloy na ang DHSUD ay aktibong lalahok sa whole-of-nation response na iniutos ni Pangulong Marcos upang mabilis na makabangon ang ating mga kababayan mula sa epekto ng lindol,’ he added.

Housing loan amortization

APART from sending MSUs, the DHSUD chief ordered the Pag-IBIG Fund, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the National Housing Authority, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to suspend housing amortization in Cebu and in the Bicol Region that was battered by typhoons Nando and Opong.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) distributed P12.37 million worth of cash aid to 1,085 families in San Remigio, Cebu, who were affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the province recently.

Of the total number of beneficiaries, 76 families whose houses were totally damaged received P30,000 each, which amounted to P2.28 million; while 1,009 families whose houses were partially damaged received P10,000, which amounted to P10.09 million, respectively.

In a statement issued over the weekend, NHA said the cash aid was distributed under NHA’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program (Ehap), which provides financial assistance to families affected by disasters such as typhoons, fires, earthquakes, and floods, intending to help beneficiaries start anew.

Another set of Ehap distribution will be conducted in the following weeks for other victims of recent earthquakes and typhoons, NHA also noted.

In addition to the Ehap distribution, the NHA said it is also currently implementing a one-month moratorium on the amortization of housing loans and lease payments this October for the provinces of Cebu and Masbate, to alleviate the financial burden caused by recent calamities.

Under the guidance of NHA General Manager Joeben A. Tai, NHA Assistant General Manager Alvin S. Feliciano led the distribution ceremony, accompanied by Region 7 Regional Manager Hermes Jude D. Juntilo.

Speaking on behalf of GM Tai, Feliciano expressed hope that the financial assistance would help improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries.

Quick assessment

IN response to the 7.4 and 6.8 magnitude doublet earthquakes near Manay, Davao Oriental, concerned government agencies are moving to conduct a quick assessment of all government infrastructures, school buildings, and medical facilities.

The assessment aims to ensure the integrity of the infrastructure facilities in preparation for the smooth return to normal operation.

Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon said the initial assessment of bridges found minor issues and were cleared for use.

The main roads have been cleared in Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao del Norte while clearing was going on in provincial, town, and barangay roads.

The Manay District Hospital, though, has been declared condemned, as Dizon said the assessment found that ‘none of the seven buildings were cleared for use.’

‘In all likelihood, the hospital needs complete reconstruction.’

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said funds would be allocated for the repair of minor damages to the regional offices and heads of school divisions. This would be taken from the quick response fund of the department.

‘For the major repairs, we will coordinate it with Secretary Vince Dizon and ensure a faster coordination process so the works will be done immediately,’ he said.

Social Welfare Sec. Rexor Gatchalian assured that food packs have already been prepositioned nationwide ‘even before this earthquake happened’. The regional DSWD here said 103,614 food packs and non-food items were already prepositioned, and by Friday morning, some 1,050 food packs were already distributed to the earliest local governments that communicated their exact number of families who needed assistance.

The regional office also said more food assistance was being sent to the other areas for the rest of the day.

Eight people were confirmed dead, including the person with a medical condition at the district hospital in Montevista, who succumbed to a likely cardiac arrest in reaction to the earthquake.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Arguelles, the chief of the Davao Regional Police Command, said police have secured the evacuation camps across the three provinces, including those in the coastal village of the town of Taragona, the next town south of Manay. Taragona coastal residents quickly rushed out of their homes on Thursday night, immediately after a tsunami alert was raised when the second magnitude 6.8 quake occurred at 7:12 pm. The first quake occurred at 9:45 am.

Regular earthquake drills

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has urged all workplaces nationwide to conduct regular earthquake drills, stressing that preparedness must become a permanent part of the country’s work culture.

In a statement, Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza of TUCP said companies should hold drills at least twice a month to ensure workers instinctively know what to do when disaster strikes.

He warned that treating drills as mere compliance puts lives at risk, especially in a country constantly threatened by earthquakes.

‘Beyond seemingly token and ceremonial compliance, we should make preparedness a habit and earthquake readiness a work culture.More and more practice saves lives so that readiness will rightfully be second nature in a country that sits on the Ring of Fire,’ Mendoza said.

The labor group said regular drills would also serve as a venue to revisit emergency response plans and remind workers of their right to refuse unsafe work.

TUCP urged employers to include safety discussions in labor-management meetings to strengthen workplace readiness.

Mendoza added that no employee should be forced to continue working when conditions pose an immediate threat to life or safety.

Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma welcomed the labor group’s appeal, saying it complements the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen occupational safety and health (OSH) compliance in all establishments.

‘The concern and advocacy for [OSH] is a shared responsibility among the tripartite partners: workers, employers and government. Thus, DOLE welcomes the TUCP call for more drills to make the workers and employers aware of the safety protocols during earthquake and other calamities,’ Laguesma said.

The TUCP’s call follows recent incidents in Cebu’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, where workers complained of alleged OSH violations in Cebu during a magnitude 6.9 earthquake last September 30.

According to BPO Industry Employees Network-Cebu, emergency exits of some firms were purposely blocked, preventing workers from leaving the building.

The removal of foreign ownership restrictions on renewable energy (RE) projects in the Philippines has attracted 75 projects with 20 gigawatts (GW) of capacity since 2022.

As of August, the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded to foreign firms 13 solar power contracts with a total capacity of 1,297.52 megawatts (MW), nine offshore wind (OSW) contracts with 5,510 MW, and 53 onshore wind contracts with 13,183.95 MW.

‘We recognize that private sector investment is central in achieving our targets. Hence, we are creating an enabling business environment to make RE more appealing to investors.

In 2022, liberalized foreign ownership rule is a clear signal to the world that the Philippines is open for clean energy business. To date, it has already attracted 75 projects, totaling 20 GW capacity, awarded to fully foreign entities,’ said DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara during the 2nd Philippines Future Energy and Grid Summit.

The policy, backed by a legal opinion from the Justice department, allows up to 100-percent foreign ownership in the exploration, development, and utilization of indigenous RE sources.

The 100-percent foreign ownership in RE projects, which facilitated faster entry of RE investments, is among the renewable policies that accelerated RE development in the country.

Other efforts include the simplified RE service contracts under the revised omnibus guidelines, energy virtual one-stop shop (EVOSS) system, expanded roof-mounted solar program (ERSP), net-metering program, green energy option program, renewable energy portfolio standards, and green energy auctions.

Overall, there are 1,371 RE contracts, with an installed capacity of 7.7 GW, awarded as of August this year. The potential capacity of these projects stands at 145.8GW.

Of which, 561 are solar contracts, 414 are hydro, 286 are wind, 72 are biomass, and 29 are geothermal.

The DOE is targeting a 35-percent RE share in the power generation mix by 2030, 50 percent by 2040, and over 50 percent by 2050.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050, there are six energy transition strategies cried by the DOE. The list include acceleration of RE development, with focus on OSW; smart and green transmission system to accommodate more RE capacity that will come online from 2024 to 2040; build port infrastructure to support OSW; voluntary early decommissioning or repurposing of existing coal power plants; decarbonize the transport sector through electric vehicles; and energy efficiency and conservation.

‘The challenges we face in meeting our nation’s energy demands are significant, but so is our resolve. The Philippines has long depended on imported fossil fuels, exposing us to volatile costs and climate risks.

That is our commitment to the Filipino people, and it is the driving force behind the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) 2023-2050-our updated roadmap for transition,’ said Guevara.

The transition roadmap, she added, presents three scenarios. Reference (REF) Scenario, which targets a 35-percent RE share by 2030 and 50 percent from 2040 to 2050; Clean Energy Scenario (CES) 1 which has high RE with low OSW + nuclear + coal repurposing; and CES 2 which has high RE with high OSW + nuclear + coal repurposing.

‘These targets are not just numbers; they represent a fundamental shift in our national policy and a decisive step toward a sustainable future. This is a whole-of-government commitment. Our six energy transition strategies begin with the most urgent: accelerating renewable energy development,’ said the DOE official.

She noted, however, that the country’s energy mix paints a different story. In 2008, renewables made up 35 percent. Today, it is only at 22 percent.

‘This is not failure-it is a call to action. Our goals are clear: 35 percent by 2030, 50 percent by 2040, and beyond 50 percent by 2050. So, how have we begun this journey?

Our approach has been multi-pronged, with the landmark Renewable Energy Act of 2008 which truly catalyzed the RE sectors: biomass, geothermal, solar, hydropower, ocean, and wind-collectively: BIG SHOW,’ said Guevara.

Malacañang said the two-day ‘health break’ declared by the Department of Education (DepEd) for public schools aims to help prevent the spread of influenza-like diseases in Metro Manila.

‘They (DepEd officials) decided to prevent it from spreading by having a health break in schools so that students would not be infected and this would allow the cleaning of the schools in two days so that when the children return, they can be sure that their classrooms will be safe and clean,’ Palace Press Office Claire Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing last Monday.

During the weekend, DepEd announced that fact-to-face classes in public schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be suspended from October 13 to 14.

The affected schools were required to implement Alternative Delivery Modalities during the two-day suspension to prevent any disruption on the education of their students.

DepEd made the decision after the Department of Health (DOH) said flu-like cases nationwide reached 121,716 from January to September-eight percent lower compared to the 132,538 cases in the same period last year.

DOH defines influenza-like illnesses as a condition with sudden onset of fever of more than or equal to 38 Celsius and cough or sore throat in the absence of other diagnoses.

Citing DOH, Castro said the uptick in flu-like diseases was expected as the weather becomes cooler with the upcoming Christmas season.

She allayed public concerns on the disease and said the government is implementing the necessary measures to minimize the risk of the flu-like diseases from infecting more people.

OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla is set to release today (Tuesday) the rules that would give the public access to the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of public officials subject to certain conditions.

President Ferdinand Marcos is ready to release his SALN to the public if it will be allowed by the Ombudsman, according to Malacañang.

This, after newly installed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ C. Remulla said he will allow the ‘conditional’ release of the SALNs to the media.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President will comply with the decision of the Ombudsman, which has the authority over SALN releases.

The said compliance to the Ombudsman, she said, will not only extend to the President, but also other officials of the Executive branch.

‘Whatever is appropriate, whatever the law says, and whatever is best for fighting corruption, everyone in the executive department will obey,’ said in Filipino in a press briefing last Monday.

Remulla also said he would ask the Senate and the House of Representatives to also provide the Ombudsman copies of the SALNs of their members to be included in its files.

Remulla said copies of SALNs will be made available to requesting parties provided that they would sign an undertaking to prevent it from being weaponized.

‘As far as the rules of the SALNs are concerned, we will come up with it by tomorrow. By tomorrow you will get a handle on these rules and we will really make it available, that’s the best and we will start from the President down,’ Remulla said.

‘Our only request is for requesting parties to have an undertaking so all will be responsible from the information we get,’ the Ombudsman said.

During the term of his predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, public’s access to SALNs of elected officials was restricted through his Memorandum Circular No. 1.

Under the memo, SALNs were only to be released if the request was made by the government official concerned, or his or her representative; if it was legally ordered by the court in relation to a pending case; and if it was made through the Office of the Ombudsman’s field investigation office for the purpose of a fact-finding probe.

Earlier, former Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Remulla should allow the public to have access to government officials’ SALN.

He suggested that private information like residence, the name of children and other details that do not pertain to assets or liabilities be redacted.

Carpio said this move would restore the public’s trust in government in light of various anomalies involving flood control projects.

Remulla, the former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, said he may allow the release of the SALNs to media entities, which conduct investigative reports and enter into data sharing arrangements with the Office of the Ombudsman.

When asked if a new DOJ chief was already appointed, Castro said she still has no information on the matter.

Currently, DOJ Undersecretary Frederick A. Vida was designated as the officer-in-charge of the agency.

She assured the President will pick a person of integrity, who is reliable, impartial and fair as his new DOJ chief.

Rice arrivals through September declined slightly to 3.26 million metric tons (MMT) despite the temporary ban slapped on shipments of the staple grain.

Data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed that rice imports slid by 0.94 percent in the January to September period from the 3.3 MMT recorded last year.

President Marcos had earlier issued an Executive Order (EO) suspending the imports of regular and well-milled rice from September 1 to October 30, 2025.

However, BPI data indicated that 330,826.10 metric tons (MT) of rice shipments entered the country in September.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa earlier clarified that imports of the staple grain could still arrive in the country until September 15, provided that these left their respective countries of origin by the end of August.

‘Shipments that left the country beyond August 31 wouldn’t be allowed entry and therefore returned to the country of origin.’ De Mesa said.

Under the EO, the BPI would no longer issue sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) starting September 1.

Specialty rice varieties, such as Japonica, glutinous, and basmati rice, are exempt from the ban, according to agriculture officials.

The import freeze was imposed to prop up farmgate prices of palay, with industry sources citing the unabated entry of cheaper rice shipments as the reason behind the slump in prices of unmilled rice to as low as P8 per kilo.

Meanwhile, BPI data showed that as of October 9, 2.65 MMT of rice arrivals came from Vietnam, which maintains its spot as the country’s top supplier. Myanmar followed at 343,910.33 MT.

The Philippines also purchased rice stocks from other countries, such as Thailand (176,270.26 MT), Pakistan (76,394.02 MT), and India (20,170.22 MT).

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel announced that the government will extend the import ban until the end of 2025.

He said this move aims to protect shield farmers from further losses, as farmgate prices of paddy rice remain under pressure due to oversupply and poor grain quality from successive rains.

Tiu Laurel also revealed that Marcos is considering restoring the 35 percent rice tariff, which was slashed to 15 percent in July 2024 to bring down retail prices.

According to the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the tariff cut resulted in an estimated P20 billion in foregone revenues over 12 months.

‘If the tariff hike is approved, well and good,’ Tiu Laurel said. ‘But if not, our fallback plan-already supported by the President-is to allow importation only in January, and suspend it again from February to April to protect the next harvest.’