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Eight new petroleum service contracts (PSCs), with potential investments reaching as much as $207 million, were awarded on Wednesday.

The eight PSCs cover exploration areas across Sulu Sea, Cagayan, Cebu, Northwest Palawan, East Palawan, and Central Luzon. The service contractors are expected to discover native hydrogen reservoirs and new petroleum fields during the 7-year exploration period.

The eight PSCs that were unveiled by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. are the following:

PSC Nos. 80 and 81 were awarded to a consortium composed of Triangle Energy (Global) Limited, an Australian company; Sunda Energy Plc, registered in the United Kingdom; and the Philippine-based firms PXP Energy Corp. and the Philodrill Corp.

These are co-managed by the DOE and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM-MENRE). SC80 covers approximately 780,000 hectares while SC 81 spans about 532,000 hectares.

PSC No. 82, located in Cagayan basin and has an area of 480,000 hectares, was awarded to Triangle Energy (Global) Ltd.

PSC Nos. 83 and 84, both for native hydrogen exploration in Central Luzon, were awarded to US-based Koloma, Inc. SC 83 covers 126,645 hectares while SC 84 covers 85,082 hectares.

PSC No. 85, covering 127,475 hectares in onshore Cebu, was awarded to Gas 2 Grid Pte. Ltd.

PSC No. 86-awarded to consortium of Filipino companies composed of The Philodrill, Anglo Philippine Holdings Corp., PXP Energy Corp., and Forum Energy Philippines Corp.-covers 132,000 hectares in the Northwest Palawan Basin.

PSC No. 87, located in the East Palawan Basin, was awarded to Ratio Petroleum Ltd. of Israel. This marks the company’s second PSC, following PSC 78, also situated in the East Palawan Basin, where Ratio successfully conducted a 3D seismic survey last year.

The service contractors can now commence their respective work programs, which will include geological and geophysical studies, seismic survey, sand drilling activities. These work programs are designed to assess the petroleum and hydrogen potential of the contract areas while ensuring strict adherence to environmental and safety standards.

Beyond exploration, service contractors will fund and undertake educational scholarships, capacity building, and community development programs even during the early exploration phase. Once production begins, host communities will further benefit through infrastructure development, social programs, and local employment opportunities generated by these projects.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said these eight PSCs signal the reinvigorated investor confidence in the Philippine upstream energy sector, paving the way for new gas exploration initiatives.

‘These service contracts signify not only our determination to secure new energy sources, but also our readiness to embrace innovation and sustainability while reducing import dependence. From conventional petroleum to native hydrogen, we are expanding the frontiers of Philippine energy exploration,’ DOE Secretary Sharon Garin said.

A thrilling showdown of sharp minds and spelling prowess unfolded as SM Supermalls hosted the Grand Finals of the SM Super Spelling Bee 2025 last October 4 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

After weeks of elimination rounds across SM malls nationwide, the country’s brightest young spellers gathered to showcase their mastery of words in a battle of wit, confidence, and linguistic skill.

The grand finals featured three challenging phases: the Written Spelling Round, where contestants raced to spell ten words correctly to advance; the Oral Spelling Round, which tested their composure under pressure; and the nail-biting Final Oral Spelling Round, where the last three spellers faced off using buzzers until only one champion emerged.

In the end, Jamver Mallarirose above the competition, demonstrated exceptional focus, determination, and talent to be crowned the SM Super Spelling Bee 2025 Grand Winner.

The champion received a prize package that included a 100% tuition and miscellaneous fee discount at National University, ?25,000 in cash, ?25,000 in SM gift certificates, a ?150,000 National Bookstore gift card, a ?20,000 Jollibee e-gift card, and a brand-new 13-inch MacBook Air from Power Mac Center.

Topel Maglana of SM City Davao and Lucas Pedroza of SM City Bacolod were the first and second runners-up of the grand finals. They received a 100% tuition discount at National University and a brand-new 13-inch MacBook Air from Power Mac Center. They also got cash prizes and gift certificates from SM Supermalls, National Bookstore, and Jollibee.

‘This year’s Super Spelling Bee has once again highlighted the brilliance of Filipino students and their passion for learning,’ said Hanna Carinna Sy, SM Supermalls AVP for Marketing and Leasing. ‘At SM, we are proud to provide a platform that celebrates academic excellence, builds confidence, and inspires the next generation of leaders.’

Through the SM Super Spelling Bee, SM Supermalls continues to champion educational opportunities while creating memorable events for students and families alike.

THE House Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARC) has proposed amendments to the 2026 General Appropriations Bill that would allocate P272.3 billion in additional funding for three key sectors: education, health, and agriculture.

The revisions were presented by Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing during a meeting on Wednesday.

Under the proposed amendments, the education sector, which includes the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and the Philippine Science High School System (PSHS), will see a total increase of P56.64 billion.

This is an additional P18 billion on top of the previous P38-billion increment, bringing the sector’s 2026 budget to P1.36 trillion, or 4.36 percent of GDP-the first time it exceeds the 4-percent milestone.

The health sector, covering the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth, will receive an increase of P92.57 billion, up from an earlier P89 billion. The additional P3.2 billion is attributed to the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).

Meanwhile, the agriculture sector, which encompasses the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), will get an additional P8.7 billion, bringing the total increase to P53.75 billion.

These increases were made possible by reallocating P255 billion previously set for flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with P202.96 billion redirected to education and agriculture, while the remainder supports other agencies.

Suansing emphasized the collaborative effort behind the amendments, expressing gratitude to the BARC members for their ‘wisdom and hard work’ across multiple days of deliberations.

‘The results of our first BARC session were unprecedented, and with these refinements, we have further strengthened the allocations for our key sectors,’ she said.

Senior Vice Chairperson Rep. Albert Garcia moved for the substitution of the entire House Bill No. 4058, including all approved special provisions, for plenary consideration on Friday during the period of amendments.

The House of Representatives is ‘on track’ for the expected approval of House Bill 4058, or the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for fiscal year 2026, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III announced on Tuesday.

The GAB will enter the period of amendments and second reading on October 10 and is targeted for final approval on third reading by October 13.

Smallholder farming has often been viewed as a life of toil with little reward. This International Coffee Month, Nestlé Philippines and other stakeholders in the public and private sectors reaffirm their commitment to rewrite this narrative permanently in the coffee industry.

Project Coffee+, the pilot coffee acceleration initiative of the NESCAFÉ Plan in tandem with the German agency GIZ, has been transforming coffee farmers into agripreneurs, training them in more sustainable and effective methods of coffee growing, and teaching entrepreneurial skills to enable them to run their farms as lucrative businesses. Since 2018, the initiative has uplifted the livelihoods and lives of participating Robusta coffee farmers in Mindanao, where their average yields and incomes have grown threefold.

Transforming coffee farmers’ livelihood and lives

A transformation has been brewing in Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat, where 3,000 smallholder farmers who participated in Project Coffee++, the second phase of Project Coffee+, are achieving new levels of income by replacing old ways with new mindsets. They are not simply farmers anymore; they are business owners leveraging regenerative agriculture and entrepreneurial practices to build profitable, sustainable, and resilient livelihoods. Close to 80 percent of all Project Coffee+ participants have since crossed the poverty threshold.

Farmers like Pedro Regidor, Richard Lozaga, and Reynaldo Teofilo, are some of the Project Coffee+ participants who are embracing regenerative agriculture to heal the soil and produce quality green coffee beans. They are proving that coffee farming is a good source of income, particularly with meaningful interventions from the private sector, NGOs, and government agencies. Interventions include technical training, financial support, farming inputs, and access to ready buyers.

From bean to bank – Richard Lozaga’s 9MT harvest boosts farm expansion

In 2009, Richard began planting coffee on his 5-hectare farm in Sultan Kudarat. Before joining Project Coffee++ in 2023, Richard’s coffee yield was a little over 7MT – then already a sizable harvest, considering that the national average coffee yield was only 300kg per hectare.

But in crop year 2024, Richard’s coffee output grew to 9MT, proving he could maximize farm productivity by shifting to high-yielding coffee plantlets, regularly pruning and cutting trees, and allocating more areas for coffee.

‘Dahil sa mga natutunan ko sa training sa programa ng Project Coffee+, na-improve ko ang aking farming practices. Nakabili ako ng truck at ng sariling motor na hindi na kailangan pa humiram or mangutang o magtrabaho sa mga ibang sakahan – dahil lang sa harvest ko na kape,’ said Richard. ‘Ang produkto naming kape, hindi kami nahihirapan ibenta kasi alam namin na laging nandiyan ang Nestlé para bilhin ito.’

Richard’s coffee income helped his children earn their college degrees. He built his house, bought five motorcycles and a truck, and many other tools and equipment to operate his expanding farm, which now has a bigger area for coffee and includes a piggery.

Today his children are operating their own coffee farms, after seeing first-hand how income from coffee farming has sustained their needs, providing a comfortable life.

Pedro Regidor: Young orphan turned businessman

At 13, Pedro lost both his parents and had to work to support himself. After many years of working for other farm owners in Sultan Kudarat, he was finally able to purchase a 2-hectare farm and start a family. He began planting coffee in 1997, and after 10 years of hard work, he saw his coffee first harvest totaling 1.5MT in 2008.

Pedro joined Project Coffee+ in 2020, which taught him Good Agricultural Practices for coffee, and how to generate income from other revenue streams. In 2024, thanks to a 6.8MT coffee harvest, his biggest output yet, he was able to invest in a piggery from his coffee earnings.

‘Tumaas ang ani ko noong 2024 dahil nai-apply ko ang aking natutunan sa Project Coffee++ ukol sa responsible sourcing, Farmer Business School, at regenerative agriculture,’ said Pedro. ‘Nakatanggap din ako ng pataba mula sa Nestlé at sa kanilang mga partners kaya malaking tulong para sa ganitong level ng harvest.’

His coffee income has helped give his children a college education, and a sturdy home for his family. He has invested in farm equipment, a bodega, trucks, and motorbikes. His farmland has grown by an additional 23 hectares.

Reynaldo Teofilo: A champion of soil fertility

In Bukidnon, Reynaldo safeguards his farm’s soil to sustain its future productivity. Reynaldo, who has been farming for 35 years, depends on his 1.8-hectare farm for all his income. Seventy percent of his farm’s revenue is from coffee, while 30 percent is from other crops.

His initial coffee yield was 300kg per hectare, barely enough to support his spouse and their two children. In order to optimize the profitability of his farm, he joined a NESCAFÉ Plan training program on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for coffee in 2017, then Project Coffee+ in 2018.

In 2020, Reynaldo made a breakthrough – his earnings rose to six figures when he harvested 1.3MT per hectare of coffee. He came to appreciate the full benefits of regenerative agriculture, and fully embraced its techniques, including agroforestry, rejuvenating aging trees, mulching, grafting, and composting. He has also diversified his crops, earning significantly from fruits and other produce. In 2024, his farm achieved record revenues, as the quality of his coffee crop merited an attractive price.

‘Dahil sa Project Coffee+ marami akong nakuhang technical assistance upang mapalago ang aking farm at ngayon, ang laki ng kinikita ko dahil sa kape.’ Reynaldo explained. ‘Ipagpapatuloy ko ang paggamit ng mga regenerative agriculture practices at ng GAP. Nais kong maabot ang 3MT per hectare na coffee harvest sa 2026.’

Project Coffee++ culminates in optimism for coffee farming tomorrow

Project Coffee++ built directly on the results of Project Coffee+ which substantially increased the yields and incomes of farmers in Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat.

From 2022 to 2025, Project Coffee++ provided training to develop farmers’ skills in management and finance, and sustainable practices to improve soil health, such as composting, organic fertilizer application, and soil cover, boosting both farm income and environmental health.

The initiative closely involved various stakeholders including the Department of Agriculture, its training arm (DA-ATI), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and state universities in Northern Mindanao and SOCCKSARGEN, to strengthen the coffee value chain. The learning materials produced with the help of these stakeholders will be instrumental in the continued training of other farmers in the country. As the Project Coffee+ initiative draws to a close, Nestlé believes its successes can be replicated in other coffee-producing regions.

‘The NESCAFÉ Plan seeks to help equip our coffee farmers to increase supply for the steady rise in coffee demand,’ said Joey Uy III, SVP, Corporate Affairs Head of Nestlé Philippines. ‘The conclusion of Project Coffee++ validates our conviction at Nestlé – that Filipino coffee farmers can considerably improve their production volume and earnings sustainably, resulting in a higher quality of life, and preserve productivity against climate change impacts, while producing among the best Robusta coffee beans in the world.’

Project Coffee ++ combines the ecological wisdom of regenerative agriculture to boost yields and quality, along with the role of agripreneurship to generate greater value from bean to cup, which is good for both profitability and the planet.

THE National Bureau of Investigation has arrested a man in Pagadian City who reposted an online photo of President Marcos with the word ‘headshot’ superimposed over it.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NBI-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) said it arrested Michael Romero, alias Mike Romero, in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, on September 30 and charged him with inciting to sedition and

violation of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).

In a post on Facebook, Romero posted the words ‘Headshot’ superimposed on an image of President Marcos, which was overlaid with a red arrow.

A two-day joint operation by the NBI-CCD and NBI-Pagadian District Office led to the identification of the suspect’s residence.

He admitted that he is the owner of the Facebook account ‘Mike Romero’ and was promptly arrested.

Romero was transported to the NBI-CCD office in Pasay City, where he underwent standard booking procedure.

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) will tighten rules on declaring imported items as it braces for potential revenue losses from the dumping of goods into the Philippines, following the United States’ imposition of tariffs on several countries.

On the sidelines of a business summit organized by the Federation of Philippine Industries on Wednesday, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno stated that undervaluation and misdeclaration remain top concerns, as foreign exporters may divert goods to the Philippines.

This comes after Trade Secretary Cristina Roque called on the BOC to work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry in protecting local industries from possible dumping by countries such as China and Vietnam that face higher US tariffs.

‘We will monitor strictly against misdeclared imported items,’ Nepomuceno said in response, adding that shipments must match the quantity and value declared in documents.

The Customs chief explained that when countries dump goods into the Philippines at low or almost zero tariff rates, the volume of imports rises, resulting in lost revenues for the government.

Using last year’s data, Nepomuceno said the impact of zero taxes and duties from US-imported goods would mean more than P30 billion in foregone revenues for the government.

‘So, it has an impact on our collection,’ Nepomuceno said, noting that the BOC is in talks with the Department of Finance (DOF) to identify areas where stronger collection efficiencies can offset losses.

‘Kung saan taya mawalan, magkaroon tayo ng pang-compensate with other important items. We will look for that,’ Nepomuceno said.

To strengthen border security and guard against smuggling, Nepomuceno said the BOC will prioritize the full digitalization of customs processes, which will be procured through a public-private partnership (PPP) project.

Nepomuceno said a private proponent from the PPP Center already stepped forward and submitted a proposal to develop the BOC’s digital system, which will be implemented at no cost to the government.

Under the proposal, importers will be charged P350 per transaction, no matter how many shipments they have, with the government entitled to a share of the revenues.

‘Our job is to make sure that the minimum required features or capabilities will be there. The system should have the capacity to have full or 100 percent digitalized processes. Hindi puwedeng partial-garbage in, garbage out is not allowed,’ Nepomuceno said.

The Philippines is not spared from US tariffs, having been subjected to a 19 percent reciprocal tariff on its exports to the US, while also removing its tariffs on certain US-made goods.

This will be a challenge to the BOC, one of the country’s main tax-collecting agencies tasked to collect P958.7 billion this year, on top of the expected revenue losses from the rice import ban.

Nepomuceno said the foregone revenues could cost around P3 billion to P4 billion per month, with losses to be even higher in high-import months.

Despite the leakages, Nepomuceno said the country still benefits from the ban. ‘But from the point of view of BOC, those are our foregone revenues.’

This August, the BOC’s collection dipped by 1.38 percent to P77.436 billion from the P78.521 billion raised during the same month last year.

As of end-August, the BOC generated P621.4 billion, a 1.14 percent increase from the previous year’s P614.4 billion.

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued 268 special permits allowing buses traveling from Sapang Palay to pick up and drop off passengers along NIA Road in Quezon City.

The special permits allow buses traveling from Sapang Palay to pass through NIA Road, which provides easier access to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3.

‘This needs to be done so passengers don’t have to walk very far, especially if they’re transferring to the MRT 3,’ Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘The long walk just to catch a ride is difficult for passengers. It’s especially hard for seniors and PWDs. That’s why bus stops should be closer to the MRT so they can transfer easily.’

Lopez said he personally experienced the difficulty of commuting due to changes in pick-up and drop-off points, giving him a firsthand understanding of commuters’ struggles.

The buses will operate on a loop route from Sapang Palay, passing through Commonwealth Avenue, East Avenue, Internal Road, NIA Road, and back. While the buses may now load and unload passengers on NIA Road, they are strictly prohibited from staying idle or using the area as a terminal.

Lopez has ordered the deployment of four Coast Guard personnel and four Land Transportation Office (LTO) traffic enforcers in the area. Buses will be limited to a three-minute stay on NIA Road and must immediately proceed with their route.

Buses are also prohibited from honking excessively to avoid disturbing nearby residential buildings and offices.

Starting this October, buses will be allowed to use NIA Road during rush hours from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The arrangement may be adjusted or made permanent depending on assessments next month.

EVERYONE has at least taken a chance on something. Some take a chance on love and relationships, starting a business, pursuing further studies, moving to a new city, or investing in the stock market.

In the Philippines, where people cling to hope dearly, Filipinos take chances to temporarily let go of all uncertainties clouding them.

For others, it comes in the form of playing games of chance for money, or simply put, gambling-a social activity that has been around the country since at least the 16th century.

From cockfighting to bingo, gambling has turned into a new structure-one that seems impossible to pause and even put a stop to.

FOR EA Quijano, a 44-year-old businessman, it all began when he lent some cash to a friend with money troubles.

When he eventually found out that his friend had become addicted to gambling, Quijano wondered why people were becoming drawn to these games of chance.

What was supposed to be just a look-simple ‘try lang’-turned into something hard to resist.

‘This is ironic because I really don’t like gambling,’ Quijano told BusinessMirror.

However, what started with just a few clicks to bet P1 became P5, P100, P1,000, and P5,000 until he ended up usually gambling P10,000 for just one bet.

According to a study conducted by Filipino-focused sociocultural research firm The Fourth Wall, curiosity, boredom, and peer influence are the top reasons for trying online gambling.

‘Imagine, saan ka makakakita ng pumindot ng P50,000? Hindi na kasi namin nakikita ‘yung value ng pera especially pag online siya. Tingin mo coins lang siya na pwedeng ipangtaya [Where else can you just click away P50,000? We don’t really see the value of money anymore, especially when it’s online. You just think of it as coins you can bet with,’ Quijano said.

Since his money is stored in his e-wallet and online bank account, it makes it so much more disposable. Quijano said that if only he could grasp his physical money, he would realize its value and see how much it could buy.

But because gambling with a click is so much easier than physically taking out money from one’s pocket, he ended up losing more than P1.2 million by just playing slot machines through an online casino platform.

‘I don’t feel like P1 million is a lot of money because I’m already hooked on gambling,’ Quijano said.

While there was a point where he won more than P300,000, the losses still outweigh the gains.

‘Since it’s an addiction, you lose control. Once you are there, as long as you have money, you will continue to gamble,’ Quijano said.

For some people, it’s the promise of winning the jackpot that keeps them hooked. But for Quijano, the flashing and vibrant colors and hypnotic sounds keep him glued to the screen from night until morning.

He admitted that although he knows his triggers, there are still some days when he would give in and gamble a little.

Gambling addiction: A brain disease

According to addiction psychiatrist Dr. Reneé Celeste Obra-Puno, online gambling or addiction, in general, is a brain disease.

Obra-Puno explained to BusinessMirror that addiction is a chronic, lifelong, long-term disease.

‘It’s a cycle of getting better, then relapsing, getting better, then relapsing,’ she said, noting that there is a rewiring in the brain and a surge of dopamine.

Dopamine, a powerful chemical, is the pleasure neurotransmitter in the brain that makes people happy.

However, Obra-Puno said that people are not meant to have abnormally high levels of dopamine in the brain’s reward center.

‘Even if you want to stop, your brain has already changed, making it difficult to control that impulse. Sometimes, it becomes compulsive,’ Obra-Puno said.

‘It’s not because you don’t have will power, it’s not because you don’t have morality, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person. It just means that you have a brain disease like any other medical disease. It’s hard to control it on your own,’ she stressed.

This kind of addiction not only destroys the life of the person who gambles but also their loved ones and the whole family.

‘There definitely is a rise in patients coming asking for help with online gambling. Sometimes, it’s not just them but also their families because they are desperate,’ Obra-Puno said, adding that their workplace or schools also step in.

‘Exponential growth’

ACCORDING to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), nearly a million Filipinos, or approximately 900,000, play daily on online gambling platforms.

This figure forms part of the 32.117 million registered electronic gaming accounts as of June 15, 2025, including multiple registrations by the same individual across different platforms. This increased by 291.3 percent from 8.208 million registered in 2024.

Back in 2018, there were only 469,000 registrations, but this continued to grow to 767,000 in 2021; 1.447 million in 2022; and 2.445 million in 2023.

‘Online gaming has grown exponentially in the past two to three years, and I attribute that to technology,’ Pagcor Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco said in a previous hearing at the House of Representatives.

During the pandemic and even right after, Tengco said people used the advancements in technology to play and gamble online, noting that this is not only happening in the Philippines but all over the world.

Based on The Fourth Wall’s study, 2022 to 2024 are the peak onboarding years in online gambling, and such was traced to the strong influence of lockdowns, digital migration, and possibly increased advertising and social influence during that period.

Most players shifted from informal or unregulated street gambling environments, such as cockfights, perya, or social media betting, with a small fraction coming from land-based casinos, according to the study.

The sheer convenience in playing games of chance through phones, turning them into casinos instead of going to one, has made gambling addiction harder to treat.

‘It’s so easy. You just turn on your phone and as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can use it 24/7,’ Obra-Puno said.

Lawmakers roll the dice

WITH online gambling becoming more accessible to everyone, particularly to those below the legal gambling age of 21 years old, lawmakers in both houses of Congress are at a crossroads.

Some lawmakers are backing the calls for an outright ban on online gambling, while others want stricter regulation.

But ultimately, their shared goal is to safeguard Filipinos, especially those most vulnerable, from the devastating fallout of online gambling, from financial ruin and mental health problems to broken families, crime, and fraud.

What complicates this decision is the fact that online gaming has undeniably been generating far more revenue for the government than traditional land-based casinos and integrated resorts.

According to Pagcor data, gross gaming revenue (GGR) from electronic games increased by 82 percent, rising from merely P16.545 billion in 2021 to P30.242 billion in 2022.

This further surged by 165 percent to P154.517 billion in 2024 from P58.162 billion in 2023.

During the first quarter of 2025, electronic games became the Philippine gaming industry’s top revenue driver for the first time, contributing P51.38 billion or almost half of the P104.12-billion total GGR for the period.

In the first semester of this year, Pagcor’s revenues went up by 14 percent to P59 billion from P51.8 billion year-on-year, propelled by the e-games sector, which contributed P35 billion and surpassed the contribution of land-based operations for the first time as well.

This strong revenue stream enabled Pagcor to increase its contributions to nation-building to P38.1 billion, with P23.61 billion coming from online gaming, benefiting various sectors, such as universal healthcare and sports.

It is important to note that Pagcor’s role goes beyond regulating the country’s gaming industry-it is also tasked with generating sources of additional revenue to fund government programs and contribute to nation-building.

Pagcor estimates that online gaming will contribute P102.66 billion to nation-building in 2025, broken down into P60 billion in license fees, P28.44 billion as the government’s share, and P14.22 billion for universal healthcare.

Tengco said that 62 percent of Pagcor’s current revenue mix comes from online gaming.

Pagcor’s bet: stricter regulation

WHILE online gaming offers significant economic benefits, Tengco said that Pagcor must never lose sight of its foremost obligation, which is protecting people.

‘We at Pagcor are the first to recognize that revenues can never outweigh the risks of problem gambling and its social costs,’ Tengco added.

Amid the legislators’ call for stricter regulation and even an outright ban on online gambling, Tengco said, ‘Pagcor is for stricter regulation and not for a total ban.’

‘A ban would cost the government billions in revenue, eliminate thousands of jobs, and leave consumers defenseless against illegal operations,’ he added.

Technology and internet access, Tengco said, can never be rolled back, and the best safeguard is to provide regulated, legal alternatives for those who want to play online.

‘Together with our industry partners, we aim to assure policymakers that online gaming can be responsibly managed, and can contribute to growth while ensuring an important facet, that is, ensuring public welfare,’ Tengco said.

Licensed online gaming operators also backed Pagcor and called for stronger regulation rather than a total prohibition on online gaming to protect players while ensuring that the economy will continue to thrive.

They said that a complete ban will drive players into the black market, where unlicensed and unregulated operators flourish unchecked, and will not stop Filipinos from playing.

According to Pagcor, only 40 percent are legal in the local online gaming industry. The remaining 60 percent are illegal and operate outside the Philippines, including Russia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cambodia, Singapore, among others, targeting Filipinos.

‘They give them so much room for Filipino players to become more addicted,’ Tengco said, adding that these illegal operators provide bonuses to players by multiplying their deposit.

Revenues down

WHILE debates in both houses of Congress are ongoing to find a way to curb online gambling, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has ordered e-wallets to sever links to online gambling platforms to reduce the risks of addiction, fraud, and financial harm.

E-wallets, such as GCash and Maya, fully complied with the BSP’s directives to unlink from online gambling platforms.

The delinking resulted in a 50-percent decline in online gaming transactions within three days of the Central Bank’s order.

‘The BSP’s directive is fully aligned with Pagcor’s mandate as well as calls for a more responsible and tighter-regulated online gaming industry. We do, however, recognize that such measures may result in a decline in revenues,’ Pagcor told BusinessMirror.

As a result, Pagcor’s net income and contributions to nation building are also expected to experience some ‘adjustments’ as a result of stricter regulations by the BSP, it said.

‘We saw this when the BSP directed all e-wallets and banks under its jurisdiction to remove links to online gaming platforms. This negatively affected the income generated from online gaming,’ Pagcor added.

Tax online gambling?

IN July, the Department of Finance (DOF), mandated to generate and manage the financial resources of the government, proposed an online gambling tax by increasing the rate at which the government collects from licensed operators’ GGR to keep operators in check while collecting more revenues.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said that raising the rate by an additional 10 percent, to a total of 48 percent, could result in an extra P20 billion in revenues for the government each year.

Licensed operators remit about 30 percent of their GGR to Pagcor as license fees, plus a 10-percent audit fee on Pagcor’s share, or around 3 percent of GGR. They also pay a 5-percent franchise tax to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, in addition to corporate taxes, business taxes, and employee withholding and social contributions.’

Banning online gambling would not only result in losing much-needed revenues, but would also encourage operators to engage in illegal activities, Recto said.

The BIR holds a similar view: a total ban on online gambling will result in billions of foregone revenues, which will be a challenge for the agency tasked with generating the majority of tax revenues.

‘We believe that the DOF’s proposal needs to be studied further,’ Pagcor told BusinessMirror, stressing that lowering the license fees of legal online gaming operators has significantly increased the revenue collected by the government.

‘Increasing tax rates now could potentially undo the results of our previous efforts,’ it added.

Pagcor said it lowered license fees primarily to draw grey market operators under its regulatory framework and thus ensure compliance, accountability, consumer protection, and higher revenue for the government.

Before 2023, Pagcor said license fees exceeded 50 percent of GGR, fueling the underground market, which even outperformed legal operators.

It reduced the fees to make licensed operators more competitive and attract grey market players into compliance by lowering the rates to 35 percent by the end of 2024, then to 30 percent for e-games and 25 percent for integrated resorts this year.

Maybe not

NOW, the DOF is reconsidering its proposal to tax online gambling.

‘We’re not there right now,’ Recto told BusinessMirror recently.

The Finance chief said that the first move to take e-wallets out of online gambling platforms to tighten controls on the sector caused a drop in Pagcor’s revenues. ‘That’s why we’re not talking about taxes at this point.’

Recto said Pagcor can do taxation itself since it does not require new legislation.

For its part, Pagcor said that stronger regulations, coupled with reasonable and well-calibrated tax policies, ultimately create a safer, more transparent, and more sustainable industry.

‘This benefits not only compliant operators and investors, but also protects the Filipino

people,’ it said.

What’s next

WITH the government scrambling to address the worsening flood control crisis in the country, the clamor over online gambling has gone quiet.

However, for Quijano, who still has access to online gambling platforms despite trying his best to stay away from them, a total ban is the solution.

”Yung mga ordinaryong Pilipino na lulong na, wala pang suporta, tapos ilulubog pa ng gobyerno mo, kawawa sila,’ he said. ‘Iniisip kasi ng gobyerno na sayang ‘yung revenues, pero incompetent kasi sila.’

If a total ban is not possible, then all advertisements should be taken down, including telemarketing and celebrities promoting gambling.

From a psychiatric standpoint, Obra-Puno said that before people become addicted to gambling, exposure must be prevented, especially for those who are vulnerable.

Those below 21 years old who are at risk must also be educated about the harmful effects of online gambling, as well as gambling and addiction as a whole.

Since the prefrontal cortex of the brain is not yet developed until the mid-twenties, they cannot make sound judgments, and the chances of developing a ‘very bad’ addiction are ‘very high,’ Obra-Puno explained.

To also curb actual and potentially problematic online gambling behavior, she said, having a policy to limit daily or weekly cash-ins will help.

For now, Pagcor is reinforcing player protection through enhancing identity checks by having two layers of electronic Know-Your-Customer, strengthening the National Database of Restricted Persons, and having stricter advertising standards.

Tengco said a 24/7 helpline will be launched soon for problem gamblers to have someone to talk to, as well as a portal powered by artificial intelligence identifying all illegal online gaming websites, with an average of one illegal online website being identified every second.

‘We are continuously exploring AI tools for behavioral monitoring, fraud prevention, and self-exclusion,’ he said.

Online gambling can be either a shot at luck or a slide into ruin for players. For policymakers, it’s a lifeline and a looming social threat.

How the country gambles to strike a balance will shape not just the industry, but the lives of millions of Filipinos caught in the game.

SENATORS generally welcomed the appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as Ombudsman, with Senate President Vicente Sotto III saying he believes that Remulla would be ‘fearless’ even in his new role, after his stint as secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

‘I welcome Secretary Boying Remulla’s transition from Justice Secretary to Ombudsman. He is the tribune and protector of the people, fearless in the search for truth and justice,’ Sotto told reporters.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that the nation now looks to Remulla ‘for decisive and impartial action in the fight against corruption.’

‘The appointment of Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla as the new Ombudsman comes at a time when the nation is confronting serious corruption challenges. As a former Justice Secretary, he brings with him extensive knowledge of the country’s major corruption cases and the workings of our justice system,’ Gatchalian said.

‘This appointment should send a clear signal that corruption, abuse of power, and other forms of misconduct have no place in government and that restoring public trust begins with holding everyone, regardless of rank, accountable under the law,’ he added.

Sen. Imee Marcos, who filed a slew of cases against Remulla, however, questioned the motive of her brother, the President, in naming Remulla to the Ombudsman post.

The Senator earlier claimed that Remulla was being pushed into the Ombudsman post in order to jail Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies by 2028.

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Wednesday urged incoming Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to make Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of government officials accessible to the public, with only their private information redacted.

‘He should now open again the SALN to the public. But you have to redact private information like the residence, the name of children, that which do not involve assets or liabilities.’

Making SALNs public will restore public trust in government, which he said has taken a hit amid the anomalies involving flood control projects, Carpio said.

‘The people have lost faith in all institutions of government. They have lost faith in the Executive, Legislative, and even in the Judiciary,’ Carpio added.

‘The Office of the Ombudsman, I call it the second most powerful office of government, could turn the tide,’ he said, as he advised Remulla to follow the evidence, saying that the Ombudsman must be fair and must not engage in selective prosecution.

Remulla previously said he is also open to making the disclosure of SALNs more accessible, but with safeguards.

Carpio also welcomed Remulla’s appointment to the post, saying he is ‘very hardworking.’

‘He was my student in law school and he came to class always prepared. And that has been shown also in his investigation of the e-sabungero and the flood control project. Focused siya,’ he said.

‘I hope he carries that, work ethic at the Ombudsman.

The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), however, criticized the appointment calling it ‘as another dark day in the annals of our nation’s history.’

In a statement PDP deputy spokesman Ferdinand Topacio expressed belief that his appointment would weaken the Ombudsman as an institution considering that he an ‘active politician’ and an alter-ego of President Marcos.

‘One again, President Marcos has severely weakened, if not run into the ground, a revered institution. The President has previously progressively diluted the mechanisms for checks and balances in its many attempts to co-opt legislature, shown subservience to foreign powers and turned the national budget into its own slush fund for its political allies and favored businessman,’ Topacio claimed.

Remulla assured ‘transparency’ and ‘a lot of action’ on the part of the Office of the Ombudsman under his term.

Among the cases awaiting Remulla’s decision as an Ombudsman are the complaints filed by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) against those allegedly involved in the anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects of the government.

Also pending before the Ombudsman is the complaint filed by the House of Representatives against Vice President Sara Duterte over the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The Ombudsman has already issued an order directing VP Sara and several officials of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) to file their respective counter-affidavits.

‘In these trying times, no one can help the Filipinos but we, ourselves. We must keep showing our outrage at all these nefarious acts that are destroying our dignity and sense of decency as a nation,’ Topacio said.

CENTRAL Luzon State University (CLSU) is closing in on its 2026 completion target for a drone-based monitoring project that maps pest and disease outbreaks in corn and onion farms.

Under the Pest D-Tech Project, researchers use aerial imagery to detect early signs of crop stress before infestations spread.

The system relies on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) mapping, a method that gauges plant health by measuring how leaves reflect light, to spot areas showing irregular growth or damage.

Data is gathered through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multispectral sensors, which capture detailed snapshots of farmlands.

These images are processed using Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software, which translates them into color-coded maps highlighting zones that may require pest control or further inspection.

Led by Gella Patria Abella, head of the Institute for Climate Change and Environmental Management, and Elaida Fiegalan, the team has completed two infestation maps covering selected municipalities in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.

These serve as guides for local agricultural officers, cooperatives and farmers in planning targeted interventions.

Launched in April 2023, the P10-million initiative runs until March 2026. It is jointly implemented with National Taiwan University (NTU) under Dr. Ping-Lang Yen, through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Joint Research Program, with oversight from PCAARRD.

In its next phase, CLSU plans to integrate data from Taiwan’s unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) with the Philippines’ drone imagery to enhance accuracy and build a more comprehensive pest-monitoring system.