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Queenmaker Arnold Vegafria has acquired a handful of international pageant franchises throughout the years under his ALV Pageant Circle. A recent acquisition – Miss Asia Pacific International – was once just a dream for him, he said.

‘When I started in the business of pageantry, this is one of my bucket list to get this pageant, to be part of this pageant. Why? Because I believe this is one of the oldest pageants in the world,’ he said during the ‘National Directors’ Night’ hosted by the pageant organization at the Temple of Leah in Cebu City on Monday evening, Oct. 6.

Every year, the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant hosts the national directors who visit the Philippines for the pageant season. The recent gathering was scaled down in solidarity with those affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Sept. 30, said Eva Patalinjug-Lim, the pageant’s president.

Vegafria had just acquired the license for this year’s edition of the international pageant. Philippine bet Anita Rose Gomez was crowned at the recent Miss Grand International Philippines competition, one of his national searches.

‘I’m so happy to be part of this because this is an original from the Philippines, one of the biggest in the Philippines, of course I want to be a part of this,’ he confessed.

Among the international partners of his ALV Pageant Circle are Miss World, Miss Grand International, Reina Hispanoamericana, and Face of Beauty International.

Before he acquired the Miss Asia Pacific International license for the Philippines, it has been with the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant since the time of its inception in 1968. The national and global contests were established by the same personalities.

Last year, the franchise left the Mutya ng Pilipinas organization for the first time, and was acquired by Empire Philippines, organizer of the Miss Universe Philippines pageant.

The former owners of the Mutya ng Pilipinas and Miss Asia Pacific International pageants truned over ownership to the Tans of Cebu, but the family later divested from the national contest to concentrate on the global competition.

Vegafria thanked Miss Asia Pacific International Pres. Eva Patalinjug-Lim and officers Onin Mas and Vicky Bugayong for trusting him with the franchise.

He said it was when he chanced upon Mas in Taiwan for another international pageant where he signified his desire to acquire the Miss Asia Pacific International franchise.

‘I said, ‘if the franchise of the former owner expired, try my organization, and I will do my best to promote the [Miss Asia Pacific International] in the Philippines,’ Vegafria shared.

Since taking over the Miss World Philippines Organization in 2017, and establishing his own Miss Grand International Philippines search subsequently, Vegafria had produced Reina Hispanoamericana winners Teresita Ssen ‘Winwyn’ Marquez and Dia Mate, Miss Eco International titleholders Cynthia Thomalla and Kathleen Paton, inaugural Miss Multinational queen Sophia Senoron, current Face of Beauty International Jeanne Isabelle Bilasano, 2024 Universal Woman Maria Gigante, and reigning Miss Grand International Christine Juliane ‘CJ’ Opiaza.

Gomez hopes to join Marquez, Thomalla, Senoron, Gigante, and Bilasano as Vegafria’s first entrants to their respective pageants who succesfully clinched crowns.

The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night will be held at the Cebu Coliseum on Oct. 8. Forty-three delegates from around the world are competing this year.

Portalets were installed at three Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) stations after Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez found out that restrooms were repurposed as storage rooms.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the LRT-1 private operator, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), installed portalets at Vito Cruz, United Nations Avenue, and Pedro Gil stations while their restrooms undergo renovation.

The move followed Lopez’s visit to Pedro Gil station last week, where he found the restrooms closed and filled with piled-up items.

‘It is thus unavailable for passenger use,’ the DOTr said in Filipino.

‘The secretary immediately ordered the repair of the comfort rooms at LRT-1 stations,’ it added.

LRMC President Enrico Benipayo has apologized to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the inaccessible restrooms and promised to ‘further commit to work hand-in-hand with our partners in government to improve passenger experience.’ /mcm

Newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday vowed to ‘sort out’ the corruption mess rocking the government and prosecute erring officials, including members of Congress.

The 64-year-old justice secretary is assuming the Ombudsman post amid a flurry of allegations that some senators and congressmen colluded with public works officials and private contractors to skim off billions of pesos for flood control projects since 2022.

As if to signal the urgency of the matter, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Remulla’s appointment papers on Tuesday, a day after he received the shortlist of candidates, directing him ‘to fight corruption’ unmindful of ‘sacred cows.’

The President picked Remulla over former Commission on Audit chair Michael Aguinaldo – who garnered six votes over the secretary’s five votes from the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) – and over the fierce objections of his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos.

The scandal has led to the ouster of Senate President Francis Escudero and the resignation of Speaker Martin Romualdez, triggering a series of street protests and sparking rumors of a coup against the President, posing the most serious threat yet to government stability.

‘We are entering the midst of a firestorm,” Remulla told reporters following news of his appointment. ‘Let’s sort out this mess we are in right now and let’s find an answer and find someone to be held accountable.’

‘No sacred cows’

The Ombudsman will prioritize cases filed by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Public Works and Highways regarding flood control project irregularities, he said.

‘We will have all the data submitted and validated,’ Remulla said, promising to expedite the process because ‘the truth is, this is no secret to us; we already know what happened.’

In announcing his appointment, Malacañang said Remulla ‘is expected to uphold transparency, strengthen anti-corruption measures, and ensure that justice is administered fairly and efficiently.’

‘There will be no sacred cows, no exemptions, and no excuses. Public office is a public trust, and those who betray it will be held accountable,’ said Secretary Dave Gomez of the Presidential Communications Office.

Remulla, who takes over from Samuel Martires, who retired in July, will take his oath on Thursday and assume his post on Friday.

Justice Undersecretary Frederick Vida will be the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) officer in charge.

Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon and Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña urged Remulla to expedite the investigation and filing of cases not only against personalities in the flood-control mess but also against all those named in various corruption schemes in government.

‘Whoever is affected by the investigation of his office, everyone should be prosecuted and held accountable. He must spare no one. He will hear the voices of the people who are furious about corruption,’ said De Lima.

Disqualification cases

Gomez defended the President’s choice of Remulla from concerns raised by critics, including Senator Marcos, that he was too beholden to Marcos and that his appointment would erode the credibility of the Office of the Ombudsman.

‘Secretary Remulla went through a very stringent process required under our Constitution. He was vetted by the JBC and appointed by the president. I don’t believe that there is a basis [for] that concern,’ Gomez said.

Also shortlisted for the post were Court of Appeals Associate Justice Stephen Cruz, Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, Office of the President Deputy Executive Secretary Anna Liza Logan, retired Supreme Court Justice Mario Lopez, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Michael Musngi.

Senator Marcos tried to disqualify Remulla from the selection process by filing criminal and administrative complaints against him in connection with the March 11 arrest of Rodrigo Duterte.

The former President is facing charges of crimes against humanity of murder before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Under JBC rules, applicants with pending cases are disqualified from being nominated for appointment to any judicial post, including the Ombudsman.

After the Ombudsman dismissed her complaints in September, Senator Marcos filed a motion for reconsideration.

Duterte’s son, acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte, also filed criminal complaints and a disbarment case against Remulla.

On September 24, Remulla said he had secured an Ombudsman clearance to stay in the running for the post.

Reforms

When Marcos took his oath on June 30, 2022, he tapped Remulla to lead the DOJ as its 59th secretary.

According to Malacañang, the DOJ under Remulla advanced major reforms to modernize the justice system, decongest prisons, accelerate case resolution, and expand access to legal services.

Remulla started on the wrong foot after his eldest son, Juanito Jose Remulla III, was arrested for illegal possession of drugs in October 2022 but was acquitted three months later. The incident fueled public calls for his resignation.

But beyond the controversy, Remulla played a key role among top officials in the arrest and turnover of Duterte to the ICC.

On his watch, the DOJ also oversaw the extradition of expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. from Timor-Leste and the return of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who fled to Indonesia amid allegations linking her to an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator hub in her town.

In March 2024, Remulla announced that the DOJ would be filing qualified human trafficking and sexual and child abuse cases against Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy.

One of Remulla’s key policy moves was the 2024 issuance of Department Circular No. 15, which raised the quantum of evidence required in preliminary investigations and inquest proceedings from probable cause to prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.

This reform compelled prosecutors to ensure that every case filed had sufficient evidence to establish all elements of the crime and withstand the test of conviction.

Remulla was awarded ‘Asia’s Outstanding Leader in Public Service’ by the Asia’s Influential Leader Awards in February 2024.

The Commission on Audit’s 2023 Report on Salaries and Allowances, released in May 2024, showed Remulla received a net pay of P7.08 million for his 12 months as DOJ chief.

Vowing transparency, Remulla said restrictions on access to officials’ statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth imposed by his predecessor, Martires, will be lifted, but taking into consideration the Data Privacy Act.

‘People can expect transparency and a lot of action. Transparency, more openness from the public,’ he told reporters, even expressing openness to a crowdsourcing of information to facilitate the investigation of officials.

‘I think the people want to know what the Ombudsman is doing. We will explain to them what we are doing so the people will know there is such an office in the government.’

Remulla, who underwent a heart bypass in June 2023, will also be closely watched on his handling of the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation of complaints on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The complaints were based on the findings of the House committee on good government and public accountability.

Remulla cut his teeth in local politics in the family bailiwick in Cavite province.

He served as Cavite 3rd district representative from 2004 to 2010, before winning multiple terms as 7th district representative from 2010 to 2013. He was elected governor from 2016 to 2019, before securing another term at the House from 2019 to 2022, rising to become its senior deputy majority leader.

Before that, he served as assistant secretary at the Office of the President on Joseph Estrada’s watch from 1998 to 2001. He later became the chief of staff of Estrada’s wife, then Sen. Luisa Ejercito Estrada, from 2002 to 2003.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao City chapter defended the conferment of the Golden Pillar of Law Award to former President Rodrigo Duterte, saying he fully met the qualifications set by its national office.

‘The Golden Pillar of Law Award does not serve as an endorsement of political acts or personal ideologies. It is a recognition of professional longevity and standing under the IBP’s by-laws, applied without distinction, and grounded on verifiable compliance with the rules governing the legal profession,’ IBP Davao said on Wednesday.

The IBP is the official organization of all Philippine lawyers whose names appear in the Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court.

Its Davao chapter issued the statement following criticisms from some members of the legal community over the organization’s move to recognize the former chief executive, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court over his bloody war on drugs.

IBP Davao, however, asserted that lawyers must be reminded of their duty to ‘rise above biases and to uphold this fundamental precept of our justice system, that judgment must rest on evidence and final conviction, not mere perception.’

‘Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty,’ it added.

Citing an Aug. 20 memorandum issued by IBP national president Allan Panolong, the Davao chapter explained that the award was given to lawyers who have rendered 50 or more years in the practice of law.

The guidelines set by the national office also provide that a lawyer is automatically qualified for the distinction if they are in ‘good standing,’ which means they paid all membership dues and all authorized special assessments, and that they are not under suspension from law practice or from membership privileges.

‘In addition, each awardee must have completed at least 50 years in the practice of law reckoned from the date of admission to the Philippine Bar; and not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude, nor subjected to any disciplinary action by the IBP or the Supreme Court,’ IBP Davao said.

Based on the guidelines, it noted, Duterte ‘fully meets each criterion, in the same manner as all other awardees across the nation who were likewise conferred the same honor.’

Despite the earthquake that shook this province last Sept. 30, the Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 pageant will still hold its coronation night at the Cebu Coliseum on Wednesday evening, Oct. 8.

Forty-three ladies from different countries and territories around the world are competing in this year’s pageant. The competition has expanded beyond the Asia-Pacific region in the early 2000s.

Entrance to the Cebu Coliseum will be free for lucky patrons who registered online. The gates will open at 6 P.M., and the show is expected to start at 7 P.M.

The ceremonies will be streamed live on the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant’s official Facebook page, available for viewing around the world.

Lawyer and beauty queen Eva Patalinjug-Lim, the pageant’s president, told Inquirer Entertainment in an earlier interview that the organization offered the show for free to the public because ‘we want to show up for Cebu.’

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake jolted Cebu on the ladies’ first day in the province, halting the Benefit Gala Night. The tremor claimed dozens of lives and left a trail of destruction, mostly in the northern part of the island.

The pageant realigned its activities to stand in solidarity with those affected by the earthquake, and the delegates joined relief missions.

Also because of the calamity, the grand preliminary competition show was canceled, and the organizers mounted a scaled-down, closed-door program, where the ladies competed in swimsuit and gown.

The finale show will still have the requisite swimsuit and evening gown competitions, and will include the grueling and crucial final question round.

One winner will be proclaimed at the end of the ceremony, to succeed outgoing queen Janelis Leyba. However, she will not be able to personally pass her crown to the new titleholder.

During the ‘National Directors’ Night’ on Monday evening, Oct. 6, it was disclosed that the 21-year-old Dominican-American teacher immediately left for the United States the day after the Sept. 30 earthquake because of the trauma she experienced.

She was still living in the Dominican Republic as a child when she experienced a devastating earthquake that traced its epicenter in Haiti.

The organizers said they respect Leyba’s decision, and acknowledge what she had gone through. Belgian beauty Selena Ali, second runner-up in last year’s contest, had stayed on and joined the ladies in all the activities.

The 43 delegates, meanwhile, are all safe. Belgium’s Jana Janssens sustained an injury during the quake, but had already walked in her heels again during Monday’s preliminary competition.

Zambaleña beauty Anita Rose Gomez is representing the Philippines in this year’s competition, and is hoping to post the country’s sixth victory in the pageant

Perpetual Help became the lone undefeated team in Group A of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament after a 75-65 upset of defending champion Mapua on Wednesday at San Juan Arena.

The Altas improved to 3-0 early in the tournament, including wins over San Sebastian and Lyceum.

‘This is a culmination of so many hours in practice and the preseason,’ said coach Olsen Racela. ‘I can’t take credit for the skills my players have. It was a total team effort,.

Four players scored in double digits for the Altas with JP Boral leading the way with 15 points. LA Casinillo, Patrick Sleat and Mark Gojo Cruz turned in 13, 12 and 12 points, respectively.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, registered their first loss of the season with a 2-1 card.

JC Recto had 16 points, two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block to lead Mapua in the loss. Cyril Gonzales also dropped 15 markers.

Policies which ensure that locally-grown rice grains are prioritized, instead of imported variants, are part of the House of Representatives’ goal, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Dy said he made this commitment to farmers from Nueva Ecija and Isabela provinces who visited him on Tuesday – including former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano – to discuss proposals for improved crop insurance and livelihood support programs.

Dy, a former governor of Isabela, said that the House’s doors will always be open to the agricultural sector and other marginalized groups.

‘Congress is always open for you. The doors of the House are not only for lawmakers but for people who breathe life to our country – our farmers,’ he said speaking in Filipino.

‘We need to thoroughly discuss and revisit the law,’ he added, referring to Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law. ‘What we want is to give back the control over importation to the Department of Agriculture, and to give priority to the purchase of local grains before we allow importation. Let us prioritize our own produce before the imported.’

According to Dy, in Isabela, rice farmers contribute a lot not only for food security purposes, but also for the province’s economy – which is why initiatives under his watch will focus on the agricultural industry.

‘What gives life to the province of Isabela is our hardworking rice farmers. That’s why we hold them in high regard and give our utmost respect. We always respond to their needs and challenges – from land, water, and even their livelihood,’ he said in Filipino.

‘Our programs in Isabela are not only geared towards production, but also the future of farming families. That is what we want to push for at a national level – a system that acknowledges, protects, and helps our farmers,’ he said.

On Tuesday, Dy told the agricultural sector that the chamber under his leadership will back a better crop insurance system, aside from the provision of zero interest loans for farmers.

Dy reiterated the stance he made during the joint hearing of the House committee on agriculture and food and the committee on ways and means on Monday – that reforms in crop insurance and government lending programs will ensure ‘long-term stability in the agriculture sector.’

Dy attended the hearing on the rice importation moratorium, announcing on the onset that at least one million rice farmers will get a P7,000 cash aid for 2026, with an allocation reserved under the proposed 2026 national budget.

The Speaker said this after saying that the Department of Agriculture (DA) needs to implement systems properly so that the country would not be reliant on importation.

However, a farmer from Nueva Ecija told the committees that what they need is higher buying prices of palay and not another wave of cash assistance, saying that the practice of providing aid makes it seem that they are beggars.

According to Danilo Bolos, they would not need the P7,000 cash aid pushed by the Speaker if the government addresses extremely low buying prices for palay – ranging from P8 to P10 per kilogram.

Bolos said they are forced to dig into their savings or ask for loans since they have invested at least P14 to P15 per kilogram, only for palay to be bought at low prices.

After Bolos aired his sentiments, Dy assured him and other farmers that they think highly of workers in the agricultural sector, and that the aid is just a manifestation of the government’s yearning to support farmers.

Aside from support for farmers, Dy said that part of the discussions between him and farmers were the infrastructure projects for Northern and Central Luzon – particularly road projects that would connect these regions to Metro Manila.

‘That has been our lifelong dream. If that pushes through, it will be a big convenience for farmers transporting their products. Isabela’s contribution accounts for 15 to 18 percent of Metro Manila’s consumptiona,’ he said in Filipino.

The Department of Agriculture-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DA-DRRM) Operations Center reported that Typhoon Paolo (international name Matmo) caused more than P162 million in agricultural damage across Cagayan Valley.

‘The DA Regional Field Office in Cagayan Valley reported damage and losses in rice, corn, high-value crops, and livestock and poultry amounting to P162.73 million, affecting 3,890 farmers,’ the agency’s Bulletin No. 4 said on Wednesday.

These losses cover a total production volume of 9,039 metric tons (MT) across 5,181 hectares of affected agricultural areas.

The high-value crops sector incurred the biggest damage, with 1,710 MT in production losses of vegetables and bananas amounting to P85.16 million.

Rice followed with 6,246 MT in production losses valued at P66.16 million, most of which were in reproductive and maturity stages.

The corn sector recorded 1,082 MT in losses worth P11.18 million, while livestock and poultry sustained P220,000 in losses for 72 heads of cattle.

Field validation is ongoing.

Aside from Paolo, the agency earlier reported PHP9.96 million in fisheries losses due to the magnitude 6.9 Cebu earthquake and P2.51 billion in damage from the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Mirasol, Nando, and Opong, affecting over 85,000 farmers and fishers.

The DA said available interventions include P766.42 million worth of agricultural inputs for rice, corn, and high-value crops; zero-interest loans of up to P25,000 per farmer payable in three years; and P237 million in insurance payouts through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC); mobilization of Kadiwa Centers to sell rice under the P20 per kilogram program; and issuance of rice stocks from the National Food Authority (NFA), among others. (PNA)/coa

The over P12 billion set aside for the Department of Education (DepEd) school-based feeding program will still be the highest-ever allocation, despite P50 million being removed from it for 2026, House of Representatives lawmakers said on Wednesday.

During the hearing of the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc), appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing informed members of the panel that the proposed P1.88 billion increment to the school-based feeding program has been changed to P1.83 billion.

The P50 million cut, Suansing said, would go to the Palarong Pambansa – which means that the proposed allocation will still be under the DepEd budget.

‘For the school-based feeding program, you can see that there’s a little bit of a reduction, but only because we needed to carve out – upon the request of DepEd – we needed to carve out an additional amount for the Palarong Pambansa,’ Suansing said.

‘Because if we will not give additional funding for Palarong Pambansa, what will happen is that delegates from Luzon will travel by sea. And as said by Secretary Angara, that kind of has a problem in terms of the equity because students are already tired by the time that they get to the venue for Palarong Pambansa,’ she explained.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list Rep. Brian Poe, meanwhile, said the school-based feeding program is still enough to address the needs of Filipino students.

‘I just want to clarify also for our fellow Filipinos online who are watching – that the school-based feeding program amendment is still the largest school-based feeding program amendment we’ve had at P1.8 billion increase, in recent Congresses,’ Poe said.

‘And the change was only P50 million, which was reallocated still within DepEd,’ he added.

Suansing, for her part, thanked Poe for the clarification, noting that the current allocation for the school-based feeding program is the largest ever.

‘So for the school-based feeding program, there is already an allocation of P11 billion within DepEd, and again, with the additional P1.83 billion that we’re adding, that is the highest-ever budget for the school-based feeding program, ever in history,’ she repeated.

‘So definitely, we did not take out anything from education. We just reallocated this to be able to fund the P50 million, so in general, the realignments increased,’ she added.

Other education amendments

Suansing also said that there are other amendments to the education budget, including the increase of the proposed budget under the Basic Education Facilities (BEF), from P22.5 billion to P35 billion.

The BEF includes allocation for the construction, completion, and rehabilitation of classrooms, and the provision of furniture.

‘We have found the fiscal space to add more to the basic education facilities program, towards the new construction, completion, and rehabilitation of classrooms,’ Suasing said.

‘So, if before what the BARSc approved is P22.5 billion, we are able to find the space to increase that to P35 billion. So that’s an additional P13 billion towards the creation of classrooms,’ the lawmaker said.

‘So just to clarify, that’s in addition to what’s already there in the NEP for the BEF. So there is currently P28 billion in the NEP (National Expenditures Program) for BEF. So if we add the P35 billion, that will be P63 billion in total for classrooms,’ she noted.

Last September 23, during the BARSc’s first hearing, the panel proposed to transfer P37.3 billion of the P255.5 billion budget cut suffered by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the education sector.

A huge chunk of the changes was for DepEd’s Basic Education Facilities (BEF), as the BARSc’s current proposal will place P22.5 billion for the construction of new classrooms, and the provision of school equipment.

The proposed amendments will be just an addition to what has been allocated under the NEP.

Suansing said the P63 billion would allow the government to build around 25,000 classrooms for 2026.

‘So with the new proposal for the BEF amounting to P63 billion, we will now be able to create more or less this, because it’s spread across construction, completion, rehabilitation, and fixtures. We’ll roughly be able to build 25,000 classrooms in 2026,’ she said.

‘In addition to that, in addition to the NEP amount, we are also proposing to add P414 million towards the computerization program of DepEd, and an additional P50 million towards the procurement of textbooks and learning materials,’ she added.

Several proposed amendments to the budget have been geared at enhancing allocations to the education sector, in accordance with the 2026 NEP’s theme.

Last September 26, Suansing also announced that there will be a special provision in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) ensuring that the P12.3 billion deficit brought by the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) will be addressed.

According to Suansing, the provision will compel the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to release P7.8 billion for the UAQTEA deficits, while the remaining P4.4 billion will be appropriated by the House as part of its GAB.

Suansing also told state universities and colleges that the funding of the UAQTEA deficit will come on top of programs that the House committee on appropriations has allocated to CHEd programs like the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and the Tulong Dunong Program.

The BARSc also previously hiked allocation for TES and the Tulong Dunong Program, leading to an additional P6.6 billion and P2.6 billion. /apl

News about the recent September 2025 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) centered on a security breach at one of the test centers in Mindanao. A contracted Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) examination watcher was caught taking photos of the examination questions and sending them to a review center. He later admitted that this was not the first time he had done it, having done the same during the March 2025 LEPT for a payment of P10,000. That incident showed a vulnerability in the teaching licensing process, which could undermine its integrity.

The LEPT is the sole national gatekeeper for teacher quality, administered by the PRC. Over 1,500 teacher education institutions churn out thousands of graduates per year, and the task of identifying the most qualified to join the teaching workforce has been the mandate of the Professional Regulatory Board for Professional Teachers. By law, the PRBPT should have five members; however, currently, only three PRBPT members have been appointed, and two seats remain vacant. While these three board members are recognized experts in their respective fields within teacher education, they do not represent the full range of specializations under teacher education.

The Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994 mentions only elementary education and secondary education as programs covered by the LEPT. In 2017, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) released the policies for straight teacher education programs, namely early childhood, special needs, physical, culture and arts, technology and livelihood, and technical-vocational teacher education, but the law has not been amended.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EdCom II) opined that this misalignment of the LEPT with test takers’ specializations contributed to the education crisis. It took eight years and the PRC-CHEd Joint Memorandum Circular on the LEPT to allow the development of specialized subtests for these new programs. This positive development further emphasizes the need to expand the current PRBPT composition to adequately represent all these specializations.

A security breach is every high-stakes assessment’s worst nightmare. To prevent the risk of test item exposure and given the tight LEPT development schedule, the PRBPT has chosen not to pilot the test items to be included in the LEPT. Skipping this crucial step in test development could yield outcomes as bad as an examination leakage or a security breach. Test takers who have access to leaked questions gain an unfair advantage over others, while unpiloted test items may unwittingly contain unintended biases against particular groups-whether based on ethnicity, language, or gender.

Hypothetically, the effects of not piloting test items could be worse than a security breach. A security breach may compromise results for a limited number of test takers for a short period, particularly if compromised test items are not reused. However, the absence of piloting embedded in the LEPT test development process risks the inclusion of flawed or biased test items in every test administration, potentially compromising LEPT integrity and putting a large number of test takers into disadvantage over time.

If the LEPT is indeed the gatekeeper of teacher quality and teacher quality is one of the answers to fix the education crisis, then greater care should be exercised in developing and administering the LEPT. The LEPT’s validity will be enhanced when test developers and item writers have expertise in the assigned test domains. The remaining seats in the PRBPT should be filled to include experts from various specializations.

To address the legitimate issue of test security versus test piloting, alternative ways of piloting tests can be conducted, such as piloting the test using a smaller group and performing item-by-item pilots instead of piloting complete test forms. A review of test administration procedures, including recruitment of LEPT watchers and other personnel, will prevent LEPT security breaches. Adherence to sound principles of test development and test administration principles will fortify the integrity of the LEPT as a trusted and credible measure of teacher quality.

Therese Bustos, Louie Cagasan, and Marlene Ferido are researchers from the Assessment, Curriculum, and Technology Research Program of the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies. They are authors of a study on the licensure exam for teachers, in support of the work of EdCom II.