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Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon announced on Monday that the agency has 1,993 vacant positions, assuring that current employees will be prioritized for promotion.

‘Our priority to fill these positions is within the DPWH. I want to promote and elevate deserving, honest, and hardworking people already in the agency, including our job order employees,’ Dizon said in Filipino during the flag-raising ceremony.

He emphasized that job order employees, or short-term staff, are also eligible for promotion. ‘Just because you have been a job order employee for a long time doesn’t mean you have no right or opportunity to advance. You will be prioritized for nearly 2,000 vacancies,’ he added.

Dizon encouraged DPWH employees to apply for the vacant positions.

He also promised that salaries for job order employees will no longer be delayed, warning that anyone responsible for late wages will be dismissed.

‘Within seven days from the cut-off, all salaries will be paid-no more, no less. Payments cannot exceed seven days. If anyone here is not paid, report to me immediately,’ Dizon said.

On his first day in office, Dizon called for the courtesy resignation of all DPWH officials, from top posts in the central office to district-level positions, amid ongoing investigations into flood-control projects./mcm

When I arrived in the Philippines over a year ago, I was welcomed not only by the warmth of the people but also by a resilient economy brimming with potential. In the months since, I have had the privilege of visiting Metro Manila’s business districts, Cebu’s modern international airport, and Davao’s agribusiness communities. I look forward to travel even more in other parts of the country to discover similar stories of progress. Each visit has offered me a glimpse of the Philippines’ vast economic potential-a country that is poised to sustain a robust growth in the years ahead, driven by its young dynamic workforce, expanding middle class, and strategic location.

Over the years, the Philippines has become a key destination of European investments, a vital trading partner, and a steadfast ally in advancing sustainable development goals. In 2024, bilateral trade in goods between the European Union and the Philippines amounted to 16.8 billion euros. The EU was the Philippines’ fourth-largest trading partner, accounting for 7 percent of the country’s total trade in goods. EU’s foreign direct investment stock in the Philippines amounted to 14.2 billion euros in 2024.

Building on this solid foundation and recognizing the potential and the size of the Philippine market, we have opened a new and exciting chapter in our bilateral economic relations with the resumption of the negotiations for an EU-Philippines bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) last year- a decision jointly made by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., reflecting a shared commitment to deepen our economic partnership.

The EU aims for an ambitious, balanced, and comprehensive FTA that translates economic progress into real opportunities for our peoples. It is our objective to create new market access opportunities on trade in goods, services and investment, and for government procurement. Beyond market access, we aim to establish clear and effective rules across all trade and investment-related areas in order to facilitate trade as well as to encourage more investments in both the EU and the Philippines.

The EU-Philippines FTA is also designed to cover new and emerging areas. For the EU, one key objective is the removal of obstacles to digital trade as well as trade in energy and raw materials thereby supporting the twin digital and green transitions. Through the FTA, the EU also aspires to promote sustainable development and ensure that economic growth is achieved responsibly through robust and enforceable disciplines on trade and sustainable development. This way, the FTA becomes an enabler of a more inclusive and sustainable future for both EU and the Philippines. These are areas where the EU and the Philippines are already working hand in hand.

Another important area in the FTA, where the Philippines has competitive strength, is Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The EU aims to protect IPR, including the recognition of geographical indications, to foster innovation and give recognition to unique goods from both Europe and the Philippines. In terms of timeline, our target is to conclude as swiftly as possible and ensure quality in the substance of the agreement.

While the EU-Philippines FTA negotiations are advancing, the Philippines continues to benefit from the EU Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+)-a special incentive arrangement that grants zero percent tariffs on two-thirds of all EU product categories. As the Philippines would graduate to an upper middle-income status in the coming years, it would lose the GSP+ preferences after a transition period. The FTA would stand as an immediate relay if negotiations are completed. The GSP+ is more than a trade preference. It comes with requirements to implement core international conventions related to human rights, good governance, and sustainable development. The Philippines’ continued participation in the GSP+ scheme underpins the country’s commitment to uphold these shared values.

At the same time, the EU remains committed to supporting the Philippines through various cooperation initiatives that strengthen capacities in areas such as green transition and digitalization, which can empower Filipino companies to seize the opportunities that a future FTA brings.

The EU and the Philippines are not just trade and investment partners. We are partners in growth, sustainability, and in shaping a future that is more resilient and inclusive. Together, we can turn today’s momentum into tomorrow’s success. The FTA is more than an economic agreement-it is an investment in the shared prosperity of our peoples.

Massimo Santoro is the ambassador of the EU to the Philippines. Prior to joining the European External Action Service as head of office of the secretary general and head of policy coordination, he served as a national diplomat in the Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU in Brussels, and was deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Italy in Belarus.

Public concern over corruption now ranks second among the top concerns of Filipinos, based on a survey conducted by Octa Research.

The survey results released on Monday showed that concern over corruption rose from 13 percent in July to 31 percent in September.

According to Octa, this is the highest level of concern recorded for corruption and the first time it has entered the top five national issues in its surveys.

‘The sharp rise in corruption concerns indicates a growing public demand for integrity and accountability in government, as Filipinos increasingly turn their attention from just economic concerns to issues of governance,’ said Octa.

On the other hand, controlling the rising prices of basic goods and services remained the top national concern for Filipinos, being cited by 48 percent of survey respondents.

At third is access to affordable food such as rice, vegetables, and meat at 31 percent, followed by improving wages or salaries of workers at 27 percent, and reducing poverty at 23 percent.

Meanwhile, Octa also noted that the results showed that concern for employment dropped significantly from 26 percent in July to 19 percent in September.

‘Once among the top five national concerns, employment has now receded in urgency, suggesting that fewer Filipinos view job creation as an immediate priority compared to earlier this year,’ said Octa.

‘This decline may reflect a perceived improvement in employment stability or a shifting public focus toward governance and anti-corruption issues following heightened political and media attention on government accountability,’ it added.

In terms of personal concerns, the majority or 63 percent of Filipinos said staying healthy, affording daily food, and maintaining good education was their top concern.

The survey was conducted from September 25 to 30, 2025, through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult male and female respondents.

It had a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level-with a 95 percent confidence level and ±6 percent margin of error for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In a rare show of unity, the country’s biggest business organizations have issued a joint resolution urgently calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately address the ‘historic, massive and unprecedented corruption scandal crippling flood control and infrastructure projects,’ condemning it as a ‘crisis that has eroded public trust and now threatens our national security.’

‘We have contributed to national funds through taxes locally and nationally and have paid additional assessment of taxes. We provided many fees to enable us to do business. Yet, trillions of pesos supplied and intended to protect our communities from disasters have been squandered through ghost projects, substandard work, and inflated contracts,’ read the resolution signed by 34 groups and associations led by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, and the Management Association of the Philippines.

‘This is more than financial loss-it is a fatal breach of public trust that leaves our people vulnerable and outraged,’ they warned.

The groups urged Marcos to ‘immediately and transparently’ adopt proposed measures to confront the crisis, topped by empowering the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) with ‘full legal authority and independence’ to enable it to fulfill its mandate to conduct a swift and comprehensive investigation of the anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects ‘free from political influence.’

Lacking powers

In a bid to shore up public trust that had been eroded by revelations of massive corruption which had tainted trillions of pesos worth of government projects, Marcos signed an executive order forming the ICI last month to investigate alleged corruption, irregularities and misuse of funds in state-funded flood control and related projects over the last 10 years.

However, concerns were raised that the ICI was ‘toothless’ as it does not have the power nor authority to compel those allegedly involved in corruption to testify, thus the groups’ call for more powers to be vested in the ICI chaired by retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr.

They also urged Marcos to prosecute all those who would be found responsible for these anomalous infrastructure projects ‘impartially and without regard of rank, position, political affiliation or personal relations.’

They likewise appealed for regular public updates on the progress of the investigations and reforms and to promptly disclose to the public all of the pertinent findings ‘to demonstrate genuine commitment and credibility.’

Marcos should also ‘implement institutional reforms, ensure restitution of ill-gotten wealth and embezzled funds of the government, and strengthen procurement and oversight systems’ to prevent future abuse, the groups said.

‘Mr. President, we strongly urge you to act decisively to signal your administration’s genuine commitment to justice, integrity, and accountable governance,’ the resolution said.

Also among the groups that signed the urgent appeal to the President are the Federation of Philippine Industries Inc., the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the Philippine Exports Confederation, and several trade associations.

No more insertions

In Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said senators would only be allowed to propose amendments or changes during the second reading to prevent last-minute insertions in the 2026 general appropriations bill.

‘No insertions will be allowed during the third reading or in the bicameral conference committee hearings. In other words, zero insertions,’ he said in an interview on radio dzBB on Sunday.

The Senate, Sotto stressed, is looking at removing unprogrammed funds and reallocating these to the proper agencies.

‘I told Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to remove the unprogrammed funds, but he said the problem is with the foreign-assisted projects. We can’t just remove that,’ the Senate leader noted.

‘If they have unprogrammed funds, for instance the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations and Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients, it should go to institutions like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health. Why put it in the unprogrammed funds?’ he asked.

For Sen. Bam Aquino, the filing of cases against those involved is not enough, pointing out that the government must also ensure the recovery of public funds and the implementation of systemic reforms that will eventually eliminate corruption in the budget system.

‘We need to see people jailed. The money must be returned. But we need to see some systems put in. So this is a system, livestreaming the bicam and putting the documents online. That’s a systemic change,’ Aquino said. -With a report from Tina G. Santos

The Philippine National Police (PNP) activated its disaster response teams amid the onslaught of Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen).

Ramil was last spotted 440 kilometers (km) west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, the state weather bureau said in its latest tropical cyclone update at 11 a.m. on Monday.

‘The PNP’s disaster response teams across the country have been activated and are closely coordinating with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and local authorities,’ Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Monday.

‘I have already directed all our commanders on the ground to ensure that a sufficient number of our personnel be deployed to assist in road clearing operations,’ he added.

Ramil made landfall over Gubat, Sorsogon, last Saturday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Beforehand, at least 22,311 individuals were pre-emptively evacuated in Calabarzon and Bicol Region, the PNP noted.

Ramil was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 km per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 105 kph while moving north-northwestward at 25 kph, the Pagasa said.

The term ‘public servant’ carries a certain moral expectation that those who enter government office do so out of a genuine desire to serve the country, not to profit from it. Yet, time and again, we are confronted with the truth that for many, public service has become a stage for self-interest. Earlier this month, a Lexus car with a protocol plate no. 10 using blinkers and sirens to weave through traffic was filmed in a road altercation with another motorist. Apart from slapping the multicab driver who allegedly blocked their path, one of the car’s passengers was heard bragging that they were transporting a VIP. The supposed VIP turned out to be a Department of Transportation (DOTr) undersecretary-someone who had no right to use a plate reserved only for appellate court judges, and ironically, someone who should understand traffic rules better than anyone else.

Since the rise of the ‘nepo baby’ conversation online, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713) has been quoted repeatedly to remind government officials of the moral standards expected of them. The law requires public officials to lead modest lives, put public interest above personal gain, use government resources responsibly, and avoid conflicts of interest.

As the recent road rage incident made painfully clear, however, many government officials still subscribe to a feudal mindset of equating their position not with service, but as rulers who are exempt from the rules they enforce. The unrestrained use of special plates, priority lanes, and other special privileges reflects how many have come to expect ‘VIP treatment’ as part of the job.

Dr. Edward Messner, a psychiatrist and former public official, once studied how people in government tend to gradually develop a sense of entitlement, even if they may have started with good intentions. He observed that elected officials are constantly pressured by many, and often competing groups: friends, family, political allies, donors, including people who threaten or bribe them to forward their agenda. These conflicting demands can be extremely stressful and slowly lead to a sense of depletion.

Over time, some officials begin to feel as though everyone is unfairly taking something from them. They start to develop a subconscious belief that they deserve something in return for all the ‘sacrifices’ their role entails, which, if left unaddressed, crystallizes into a sense of entitlement. Constantly exposed to acts of greed and flagrant opportunism, they may also start lowering their own moral standards and start rationalizing that small, unethical acts are simply part of the system. Eventually, this reasoning also becomes the root of corruption, wherein a desire to get what they’re owed becomes a license to take what is not theirs.

In response to the incident, Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez has revoked the use of protocol license plates by DOTr officials to prevent further abuse. While this was a swift and necessary move, it only addresses the symptom. The bigger challenge is to embed accountability into the department’s culture and mindset, rather than an episodic response. A helpful antidote to entitlement is empathy, and this is where Lopez’s earlier directive requiring senior DOTr officials to commute to work at least once a week deserves renewed attention. The mandate was meant to promote perspective-taking and help officials develop transportation policies that are grounded in the daily struggles of commuters. If institutionalized, this practice could become one of the most effective forms of ethical training in government and perhaps help restore a commitment to service that has been dulled by constant access to privileged treatment.

Viewed from Messner’s lens, it is also important to acknowledge how VIP culture among government leaders thrives, because the rest of society also fuels and enables the system. In the road rage incident, the DOTr undersecretary’s security aide allegedly said that they could have shot the multicab driver for obstructing their VIP’s car. This gives us insight into how those who gain access and prestige through their association with public officials are more than happy to excuse abuse and injustice to protect their own proximity to power and its benefits. Even people who are normally critical of entitled behavior often become more flexible and accommodating when given an opportunity to associate with someone holding an important office.

The damage of VIP culture extends beyond isolated acts of misconduct. It systematically diverts public funds, infrastructure, and services for the comfort and convenience of the powerful. Public servants are supposed to be held to a higher standard of humility and responsibility. But so long as we are complicit in enabling the VIP treatment they are getting, we are also collectively affirming a power structure where entitlement supersedes service.

In April 2023, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) launched its Campaign Against Malnutrition and Child Stunting (Camacs) because we believe that our children today, especially those growing up in poverty, need investments in their nutrition, health, education and wellness so that they can reach their full potential as healthy, skilled adults who are able to improve their quality of life.

We are thankful that when MAP took on the role of convenor, more than 70 organizations responded, committing their resources and their willingness to help implement the programs that can help reduce and eventually eradicate malnutrition and child stunting.

But due to the magnitude of the undertaking and the fact that it is MAP’s first time to take on a social cause of that scale, we barely inched up, except on that aspect that we are good at-that is, creating national awareness of the existence of this problem.

But we have a vital and indispensable role in this fight-and staying committed is not just morally right, but also smart business.

And we are glad that MAP, through the MAP Research and Development Foundation, has committed to supporting this project.

Also, about a month ago, the same team was given the go signal to proceed with ‘Camacs Phase 2.’

Indeed, why should the business community take this on with dedication and full commitment? Because malnutrition is not just a health issue-it is an economic one.

It quietly erodes our workforce productivity, drags down our gross domestic product (GDP), and diminishes the potential of our next generation.

Addressing it is not charity; it is one of the highest-return investments we can make.

Globally, the numbers remain staggering.

Unicef reports that 148 million children under five are stunted, 45 million are wasted, and 37 million are overweight.

This so-called ‘triple burden’ of malnutrition costs the world trillions annually in lost productivity and health-care expenditures.

The Philippines reflects this challenge.

Stunting-a condition caused by chronic under-nutrition-affects 23.6 percent of our youngest citizens.

And once it sets in, it is largely irreversible. It impairs cognitive development, weakens immunity and limits educational attainment. It is not just a health statistic. It is a lifelong economic penalty.

We are falling behind our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) neighbors. Thailand’s stunting prevalence is 11 percent, Vietnam’s is 19 percent, while ours remains stubbornly high at 26 percent.

What does this mean in economic terms?

According to the Cost of Inaction Tool by Nutrition International (2023), the Philippines may be losing about $8.5 billion annually (P496 billion)-roughly 2 to 3 percent of GDP-due to under-nutrition, including stunting, low birthweight and anemia. (BusinessWorld Online).

That is billions of pesos lost-through reduced productivity, higher health-care costs and lower educational outcomes. For stunted children, studies show lifetime earnings can be up to 22 percent lower.

That is human capital leakage we simply cannot afford.

The good news is that solutions are known, cost-effective and yield very high returns.

In the Philippines, there has been a significant improvement from 34 percent (one in every three children) in 2015 to 23 percent (one in every 4 children) in 2023.

And that is the reason why MAP remains steadfastly committed to Camacs with the hope that no child will be wasted.

The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every dollar invested in nutrition can generate up to 16 dollars in economic benefits.

The business sector, especially with MAP’s demographics that count the top industry leaders as members, can do a lot more.

There are simple ways that could easily be adopted in our organizations. For instance, we can:

1. Include nutrition not just as a Corporate Social Responsibility project but in our supply chain, product designs and workforce policies.

2. Support breast-feeding and maternal health programs within our operations, inside our workplaces, in our communities.

3. Make our products into healthy diets that are more affordable.

4. Help shape policy reforms, such as tax incentives, food standards, subsidies, among others.

5. Be partners in public-private platforms, such as nongovernmental organizations, government, communities-and align programs with national plans, like Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition.

MAP is relentless in this advocacy, treating this as a continuing program, ensuring this by placing the Camacs as one of the important initiatives of the MAP Research and Development Foundation.

Using the same template we have designed in Phase 1 in 2023:

We can continue our role as a Convenor and be the clearing house of synergy and collaboration for the different players.

Keep the momentum of the conversation using MAP’s visibility as an advantage to generate awareness and continuing engagement through regular releases, forums, policy advocacies and persistently push for public reforms and actions.

For this reason, we will step up some more. For Phase 2, we will line up continuing efforts to push Camacs.

Beyond CSR, nutrition investments make strategic sense. A healthier workforce is more productive, innovative and competitive. Malnutrition is not only about hunger-it is about lost potential. INQ

A construction worker died while three others were injured after a core wall collapsed at a construction site in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City Monday morning, the Southern Police District (SPD) said.

‘The victims were installing rebars at Basement 2 of the construction site when the elevator core wall suddenly collapsed, hitting the four workers,’ the SPD said in a statement.

‘They were immediately rushed by the company nurse and staff to St. Luke’s Medical Center in BGC for medical treatment. However, one of the victims was declared dead on arrival at around 12:11 p.m. by the attending physician,’ it added.

The SPD did not identify the workers nor the company involved, but said the construction site was located at the corner of 9th Avenue and Lane D.

The SPD added that its crime scene operatives as well as its investigation section will inspect the site and evaluate its structural safety with the Taguig City Engineering Office.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas will house those who may be indicted in the multi-billion-peso flood control scandal.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla inspected the facility on Monday, saying the jail was the closest and ‘most convenient’ for anti-graft special court Sandiganbayan.

In a press briefing ahead of the inspection, Remulla said the new facility had 80 unoccupied rooms, capable of housing 10 persons deprived of liberty each.

The facility also had a bathroom, a shower, a toilet, purified drinking water, an area for exercise, and private quarters where those accused may confer with their legal counsels, Remulla added.

He said visitors may bring detainees cooked and packed food five times a week, except for Mondays and Fridays.

The DILG chief further noted that cellphones, tablets, and all communication devices will not be allowed – save for a landline in the facility that can only be used upon a request to the warden.

‘The rules of the jail will apply to the rich and to the poor the same,’ Remulla stressed.

‘We are preparing regular jail cells. If a thief of P100 at SM, if a thief and a shoplifter of lotion are jailed here, those who steal billions, in my opinion, should also be jailed here,’ he added speaking mostly in Filipino.

According to Remulla, the first round of indictments in the flood control scandal can be expected within the next three weeks and that at least 200 individuals will face charges.

The UV Express van driver in the Commonwealth Avenue crash that killed one now faces a complaint for murder and five other violations, according to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday, QCPD Station 14 commander Lt. Col. Jefry Gamboa said the complaint was filed before the local prosecutor last Saturday.

‘We filed a complaint for murder, frustrated murder, malicious mischief, abandonment of one’s own victim, resistance and disobedience to a person in authority and their agents and Republic Act 10586 or the Anti-Drunk Driving Act,’ Gamboa said in Filipino.

The UV Express van driver plowed down 14 motorcycles on the portion of Commonwealth Avenue from the Commission on Human Rights up to Tandang Sora Avenue late last Friday morning, killing a motorist and injuring three more.

The driver was caught by the QCPD Traffic Sector 5.

Gamboa only identified the dead victim as a resident of Pasong Tamo, Quezon City. He also did not identify the three injured victims or the driver.

‘As of now, the victims are in stable condition, even on the day of the incident. The QCPD will extend its assistance to the victims,’ the QCPD Station 14 said in Filipino.

According to Gamboa, the driver, with no prior criminal record in the QCPD tested negative for alcohol consumption but positive for shabu (crystal meth) use.

On Saturday, the Department of Transportation permanently revoked the UV Express van driver’s license. /mcm