Category: Business Mirror

THERE was a time when the biggest questions surrounding athletes and weight loss were straightforward: How much weight should an athlete lose? How quickly? And at what point does getting lighter stop helping performance and start hurting it?

GLP-1 medications have complicated that conversation.

Drugs such as semaglutide have moved from being relatively specialised medical treatments to becoming part of a much larger cultural conversation about body weight, appetite and health. Now elite sport is having to work out where these medications fit.

The answer, at least for now, is that they are legal.

That distinction matters.

The World Anti-Doping Agency currently does not prohibit GLP-1 agonists. Semaglutide has, however, been placed on WADA’s monitoring programme, meaning its use in sport is being observed and evaluated rather than treated as an anti-doping violation. The US Anti-Doping Agency likewise says athletes do not currently need a Therapeutic Use Exemption to use a GLP-1 medication.

But the fact that something is permitted does not end the sporting debate. In some ways, it begins it.

Weight is not the same thing as performance

This is where the discussion can become unnecessarily simplistic.

An athlete who loses weight is not automatically gaining a competitive advantage. In many sports, body composition matters enormously, but the relationship between body weight and performance depends on the event, the athlete and how that weight was lost.

A distance runner, gymnast, cyclist, wrestler, boxer or combat-sport athlete may have very different reasons for wanting to reduce body weight. A professional tennis player has a different set of physical demands from a powerlifter. A swimmer has different requirements from a marathon runner.

And then there is the question of what the athlete actually loses.

If a medication helps an athlete reduce excess body fat while maintaining strength, muscle mass and adequate nutrition, the sporting consequences may be very different from an athlete who simply becomes lighter while losing muscle and compromising recovery.

That makes the phrase ‘performance-enhancing drug’ particularly complicated in this context.

GLP-1 medications are not designed to build muscle, increase oxygen-carrying capacity or directly stimulate explosive power. Their principal effects include reducing appetite, slowing gastric emptying and affecting insulin regulation.

Any sporting advantage, therefore, would potentially be indirect.

And that is precisely what makes the anti-doping question so difficult.

Should an indirect advantage be treated differently?

Sport has traditionally been concerned with substances that directly alter athletic performance.

Steroids can increase muscle mass and strength. Blood doping can increase oxygen delivery. Certain stimulants can affect alertness and exertion.

GLP-1 medications occupy a different space.

Suppose an athlete has obesity or another legitimate medical indication and treatment allows that athlete to reach a healthier body composition. Is that fundamentally different from an athlete without the same medical need taking the medication primarily to become lighter?

The medication is identical. The circumstances are not.

That distinction is likely to become central to the debate.

Anti-doping authorities cannot simply ask whether a drug makes athletes better. Almost any effective medical intervention could potentially affect performance in some way. The harder question is whether the substance produces a type or degree of advantage that sport considers incompatible with fair competition.

WADA’s monitoring approach suggests that the organisation is still gathering information rather than having reached that point with GLP-1s.

Serena Williams entering this discussion gives the subject an unusual dimension.

Williams does not need an introduction to the world of elite sport. Her career provides a useful reminder that athletes are not simply performance machines. They are people whose bodies change with age, injury, pregnancy, retirement and life outside competition.

That matters because much of the public discussion about GLP-1 medications is still framed around appearance.

Elite sport should be more interested in physiology.

If a retired or returning athlete discusses weight-loss medication, the important questions are not simply whether that person became thinner. The questions are whether the medication affected training capacity, recovery, muscle retention, nutrition and competitive performance.

Those are considerably more difficult questions to answer.

And they require evidence rather than assumptions.

There is another side to the equation

There is also a danger in treating GLP-1 medications as harmless simply because they are currently permitted.

USADA has specifically warned athletes about unapproved products sold online and through social media. The agency notes concerns about products with inaccurate ingredients, inappropriate dosing and other safety issues.

For athletes, that is especially important.

An elite competitor cannot afford to treat medication like a casual supplement.

Athletes are ultimately responsible for what is in their systems under anti-doping rules. USADA also recommends checking the anti-doping status of medications before use.

So even if GLP-1s remain legal, the surrounding ecosystem of counterfeit, compounded or otherwise unapproved products could create a completely different problem.

The bigger problem may be the culture around weight

Perhaps the most uncomfortable part of this debate has little to do with doping.

Athletes have always operated under enormous pressure concerning body weight.

Gymnasts have been expected to remain extremely light. Distance runners have sometimes been encouraged to chase ever-lower body weights. Combat-sport athletes cut weight to make divisions. Athletes in appearance-based sports face another kind of pressure altogether.

GLP-1 medications potentially make it easier to manipulate body weight.

That does not automatically make their use unethical. But it does raise questions about whether athletes are going to feel increasingly compelled to use medication simply because other athletes are using it.

That is a very different problem from deliberate doping.

If the competitive environment eventually becomes one in which an athlete believes, ‘I have to take this because everyone else is taking it,’ the issue becomes less about individual choice and more about competitive pressure.

Sport has encountered that problem before.

A ban would not necessarily solve everything.

The numbers do not lie, and last week they delivered a devastating verdict on the Marcos administration’s economic stewardship. With SandP Global Ratings, the Asian Development Bank, and now the International Monetary Fund all slashing their 2026 growth forecasts for the Philippines, the country faces an uncomfortable truth: this will likely mark the fourth consecutive year that the government misses its own economic targets. The ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ promise of prosperity is colliding with the concrete reality of contracting investment, anemic consumer spending, and policy paralysis. (Read the BusinessMirror story: ‘SandP, ADB cut growth forecast for PHL in 2026,’ September 24, 2026).

The magnitude of these downgrades demands attention. SandP’s cut from 4.1 percent to 2.9 percent signals a fundamental reassessment of the country’s growth narrative. When the economy expanded by just 2.6 percent in the first half of 2026, less than half the pace of the previous year, it became impossible to ignore the structural weaknesses that have accumulated beneath the surface of official optimism.

At the heart of this crisis lies a collapse in investment that should alarm policymakers. Gross capital formation contracted by 9.2 percent in the second quarter, continuing a disturbing trend that has seen investment shrink for four consecutive quarters. Fixed investment plummeted 13.7 percent. These are not minor fluctuations; they represent capital flight in slow motion, a vote of no confidence by domestic and foreign investors who see better opportunities elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

The government’s infrastructure spending-a cornerstone of its economic strategy-has become a case study in bureaucratic dysfunction. The 40.8 percent collapse in infrastructure outlays during the first half of 2026 reveals a troubling pattern of execution failure. While the administration speaks grandly of ‘Build Better More,’ the Department of Public Works and Highways has been paralyzed by tightened validation requirements and audit procedures. The intention to prevent corruption is laudable, but when procedural caution strangles project implementation, the cure becomes worse than the disease.

Household consumption, traditionally the backbone of Philippine growth, has also faltered. At 2.8 percent growth, consumer spending registered its weakest showing since the pandemic lockdowns. Elevated inflation has eroded purchasing power, while weak consumer confidence reflects genuine uncertainty about economic prospects. When families tighten their belts, the ripple effects cascade through retail, services, and employment.

The external environment offers little comfort. The IMF’s warning about the Middle East conflict’s impact on oil prices highlights the Philippines’ persistent vulnerability to energy imports. Meanwhile, the approaching El Niño threatens to disrupt agricultural production and reignite food inflation, which the ADB already expects to remain elevated at 5.9 percent through 2026.

Yet amid these gathering clouds, the administration’s response appears inadequate. The IMF’s call for ‘greater revenue mobilization’ and fiscal consolidation amounts to diplomatic language for a stern reality: the government cannot simply spend its way out of this slowdown while maintaining a fiscal deficit near 5.4 percent of GDP. The recommendation to broaden the VAT base and impose excise tax on luxury goods represents a roadmap for sustainable financing.

The path forward requires uncomfortable choices. Streamlining procurement processes must become a priority, not merely an aspiration. The proposed Philippine Budget Code, languishing in legislative limbo, needs immediate adoption. Tax amnesties that undermine long-term compliance must end. Most critically, it would do well for the administration to restore business confidence through consistent, predictable policy rather than reactive crisis management.

Four consecutive years of missed growth targets would represent more than a statistical embarrassment-it would constitute a lost half-decade for Philippine development. The Marcos administration still has time to change trajectory, but only if it abandons the illusion that rhetoric can substitute for results.

El Niño has begun wreaking havoc on local farmlands, with the value of losses due to the dry spell surging to more than P6.8 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In its latest bulletin, the DA noted that El Niño ravaged crops across various plantations worth P6.87 billion. The weather phenomenon affected 223,214 farmers.

Nearly 250,000 hectares of land have been damaged by the dry spell, with 77 percent or 192,766 hectares still having a chance to recover.

Production losses were already pegged at 163,812 metric tons (MT) across 14 regions, with the corn sector suffering the brunt of the dry spell’s impact, damaging 126,883 MT of output worth P4.9 billion.

This was followed by rice at 25,196 MT, with losses valued at P1.53 billion. High-value crops also recorded damages at 11,720 MT worth P396.93 million.

The domestic livestock and poultry industry was not spared by El Niño, as it affected 6,394 heads of various animals worth P36.94 million.

Citing state weather bureau Pagasa, the DA noted that the ongoing El Niño phenomenon would continue until the first half of 2027. It is projected to reach a ‘very strong’ state by the end of this year.

To address the dry spell’s effects on the farm sector, the agency said it has rolled out P10.96 billion worth of interventions for the affected farmers.

This includes P10.53 billion worth of assistance for production support, such as farm inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and soil conditioner, among others.

It also distributed 23,459 native chickens to 78 groups of farmers and 246 farmer individuals through the Philippine Native Animal Development (PNAD) Program and Animal Production and Distribution (APAD).

The DA said it conducted cloud seeding operations in collaboration with other government agencies in agricultural and watershed areas in Cagayan Valley, including Magat Dam.

It also installed 338 water pumps to enhance water supply in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) has also allocated indemnification checks worth P427.07 million to 42,383 farmers as compensation.

THE House of Representatives prosecution panel on Monday said it is halfway through presenting evidence in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte over allegations of unexplained wealth, with more significant testimonies.

House prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua said the prosecution has completed around half of its presentation under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which focuses on Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth.

‘We can say that we are already about halfway through,’ Chua said during a press briefing.

Chua said the prosecution is building its case through various records, including Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), corporate documents, and government records.

‘It is like a puzzle that we are gradually putting together to determine the extent of the Vice President’s wealth,’ he said.

The prosecution has presented Duterte’s SALNs from 2007 to 2025, which showed her declared net worth increasing from about P7.25 million in 2007 to P98.66 million in 2025. Chua said the records would be compared to determine how her wealth grew over the years.

‘This will be compared with what she declared in her SALN and how her wealth increased from 2007 until 2025,’ Chua said.

Earlier witnesses testified on Duterte’s declared business interests, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records, and Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) documents.

The records showed that the company that Duterte admitted having interest, Gencorp, received 49 government awards amounting to P35.878 million.

The prosecution said company revenue must be distinguished from personal income, noting that SEC records presented during the hearings did not show dividends distributed to Gencorp shareholders. Prosecutors said additional records would be needed to determine whether lawful income sources explain Duterte’s declared wealth.

Chua also questioned whether Duterte’s declared net worth of P98.66 million represents the full extent of her assets. ‘Is this already the complete amount, or is there more wealth that was not declared?’ he said.

House impeachment team adviser and spokesperson Ace Barbers also said allegations involving cash-filled suitcases delivered to Duterte may be considered as additional evidence if supported by an investigation. ‘If there is evidence that can be presented, it may be used as additional evidence under Article II regarding unexplained wealth,’ Barbers said.

The allegation was raised by former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who claimed he delivered suitcases containing cash to Duterte on instructions from former Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on more than 20 occasions, with the total amount allegedly exceeding P2 billion. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is currently reviewing the claims.

Duterte denied the accusations, saying she does not know Gracioso and never received money from him. She said her lawyers were waiting for an official copy of his affidavit and were preparing legal action, while Velasco’s camp also rejected the allegations.

Barbers said prosecutors are examining whether Duterte’s declared sources of income can explain the increase in her net worth since she entered government service. ‘There must be a justification for the increase in the vice president’s net worth from 2007, when she entered government service, until 2025, when she declared nearly P99 million,’ he said.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte is scheduled to testify in the impeachment trial after requesting additional time to prepare subpoenaed documents. The Senate Impeachment Court granted his request, allowing him to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday. Prosecutors said they will question him about Duterte’s declared business interests and Davao City transactions related to the case.

After Mayor Duterte’s testimony, the House prosecution expects to present four to six additional witnesses. The panel is also considering calling lawyer Manases Carpio, Duterte’s husband, as a witness because his name appears in financial and corporate records being examined under Article II.

Before former senator Antonio Trillanes IV testifies, prosecutors will first present officials from the Land Registration Authority, Register of Deeds, and Anti-Money Laundering Council. The prosecution is also preparing land records, AMLC reports, and bank documents from around 10 banks, which may require authentication by bank representatives if the defense does not agree to their validity.

SAINT Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, is remembered for his deep faith, courage, and ultimate sacrifice. His life reminds us of resilience and trust in God, even in difficult times.

Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, once reflected on this legacy, noting that the saint’s life is an open invitation to all:

‘He continues to call us to live out our Christian faith, to cling to our faith in Christ in the face of suffering and death to make our lives an offering to God and neighbors,’ Cardinal Tagle has said.

Eternal Gardens Memorial Park Corp. honors this call to faith by keeping the memory of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz alive through its parks and community initiatives.

From simple beginnings to martyrdom

BEFORE his canonization, Lorenzo Ruiz lived a simple life as a husband, father, and altar server in Binondo, Manila. After being falsely accused of a crime, he sought refuge aboard a ship carrying Dominican missionaries to Okinawa, Japan.

At the time, Christians in Japan faced severe persecution and could be put to death for refusing to renounce their faith. Ruiz was arrested and severely persecuted, but he refused to renounce his faith. Before his martyrdom, he declared that he was a Catholic ready to give his life for God, a powerful testament to his faith.

Eternal Gardens and its Sacred mission

WHEN Saint Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified, the milestone inspired a spiritual awakening across the Philippines. Among those deeply moved was the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, founder of Eternal Gardens. For the Ambassador, witnessing the beatification of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz by Pope John Paul II in Manila was not just a historical event, but a profound, personal spiritual moment.

To honor the saint, Eternal Gardens commissioned bronze monuments created by the renowned sculptor Florante ‘Boy’ Caedo. These statues were placed in Eternal Gardens parks and donated to various parishes as places for prayer and remembrance.

Central to the company’s services are its columbariums. Designed as peaceful spaces, they offer grieving families a quiet environment to find solace and remember their loved ones. A notable example is the three-story columbarium named in his honor, which combines practical memorial care with spiritual significance.

Numerous Eternal Gardens parks, including those in Baesa, Caloocan City; Biñan City, Laguna; Balagtas, Batangas City; Lipa City; Naga City; and Dagupan City, feature plazas and columbariums dedicated to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz. These sacred locations provide serene environments where families can commemorate their departed loved ones in the presence of the saint who understood the deepest forms of love.

A continuing tradition of devotion

EVERY September 28, Eternal Gardens observes the feast day of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz. By maintaining these monuments and sanctuaries, Eternal Gardens helps ensure that the story of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz remains a source of inspiration for families remembering their loved ones.

While the national government trimmed its borrowings in August, liabilities could rise again in the coming months as it moves to secure its remaining financing needs and ramp up spending to support economic growth, according to experts.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed that gross borrowings reached P141.266 billion in August, down by 72.22 percent from P508.527 billion in the same month last year.

The sharp decline in borrowings was due to a high base effect from last year, when the government issued its 31st tranche of Retail Treasury Bonds and raised P507.16 billion, which drove up domestic financing that month.

Consequently, domestic borrowings plunged by 74.32 percent to P127.925 billion in August from P498.213 billion a year ago. This consisted of P125.160 billion in fixed-rate Treasury bonds (T-bonds) and P2.765 billion in net Treasury bills (T-bills).

The drop in domestic borrowing more than offset the 29.34-percent increase in external financing, mainly project loans, during the month, which rose to P13.341 billion from P10.314 billion a year earlier.

Despite the steep decline in its borrowings during the month, the government’s gross financing in January to August was broadly unchanged from a year earlier.

During the eight-month period, the government’s total gross borrowings reached P2.254 trillion, just 0.52 percent lower than the P2.266 trillion raised a year ago.

Domestic financing, accounting for the bulk of the government’s borrowing, stood at P1.675 trillion, 8.91 percent lower than the P1.839 trillion raised in the same period last year. This was made up of P1.282 trillion in T-bonds and P393.666 billion in net T-bills.

External borrowings, meanwhile, rose by 35.65 percent to P578.197 billion from P426.232 billion a year earlier.

This came after the government raised P314.371 billion in dollar-denominated global bonds and received P106.219 billion in project loans and P157.607 billion in program loans.

Borrowings could increase in the coming months as the government catches up on spending to pump-prime the economy and boost economic growth to cope with geopolitical risks, said Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

However, global bond yields are on the rise and could stay high into 2027, putting upward pressure on local bond yields, said ANZ Research in a note.

This could make borrowing costs for the government more expensive, as the research arm of Australia-based ANZ Banking Group Ltd. said the Philippines is particularly ‘most exposed’ to this external pressure in the near term.

‘The 2027 budget proposals recently released in Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines offer little respite, with refinancing needs, energy support measures and investment programs keeping issuance elevated,’ ANZ Research said.

‘Higher US dollar/peso exchange rate and local/global interest rates since the war on Iran/Middle East started since February 28, 2026 could [also] lead to higher debt servicing costs,’ Ricafort added.

The Treasury is set to offer on Tuesday its 32nd tranche of RTBs to retail investors, providing an avenue to park their funds while helping to fund the government’s programs and projects.

This is part of the government’s full-year borrowing plan of P2.733 trillion, of which P1.918 trillion will be sourced from domestic lenders while P815.505 billion will come from external sources.

The Business Administration Educators and Students Association, Inc. (BAESAI) Mindanao Chapter strengthened its partnership with the National Executive Board through an MOU signing and strategic planning session held in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental today 25 Sept. 2026.

The activity focused on planning priority programs, strengthening partnerships, and identifying strategic actions for business educators, students, scholars, and industry partners in Mindanao.

Representing the BAESAI National Executive Board were Prof. Juan Fajardo, Chairman; Prof. Les Ferriols, Vice President for Finance; and Dr. Julio O. Castillo Jr., President.

The BAESAI Mindanao Chapter was represented by Dr. Kharen Jane S. Ungab, Chair; Dr. Mark R. Nambatac, President; and Prof. Joan T. Batahoy, Vice President.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reinforces the commitment of both national and regional leaders to develop relevant academic programs, professional activities, research collaboration, and industry linkages across Mindanao.

Through the strategic planning session, the group also discussed priority activities, partnerships, capacity-building initiatives, conferences, seminars, and other programs that can further connect these educational institutions.

BAESAI Mindanao aims to bring more meaningful opportunities and programs closer to educators and students while strengthening academe-industry collaboration.

The Mindanao Inaugural Conference is scheduled on December 4, 2026 at Tagolonan Community College Conference Hall. The event is entitled, ‘Business Education to Workplace Readiness’.

Following the Philippines’ historic gains in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara led the national recognition of educators, learners, families, local government leaders, and public and private partners, celebrating a whole-of-nation effort that helped the Philippines emerge as the world’s fastest-improving nation in Reading performance, while securing significant score increases across Reading, Science, and Mathematics compared to the 2022 cycle.

‘This achievement was brought about by years of consistent guidance, encouragement, and support from our teachers, families, schools, communities, and all our partners. That is why today we are here to recognize the people and the institutions that helped make all these possible,’ Marcos said during the thanksgiving gathering, held at President Corazon ‘Cory’ C. Aquino National High School, brought together representatives and supporters from 20 public and private schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) that participated in the assessment.

The results also showed a higher percentage of learners reaching baseline proficiency level across all three domains.

Angara emphasized that while the international recognition marks a turning point for Philippine education, the true victory belongs to the grassroots communities that rallied behind schools.

‘We owe this breakthrough first and foremost to the clear vision and support of President Bongbong Marcos, who made education reform a national priority and gave us the mandate to support our schools on the ground…These results prove what is possible when a country rallies behind its youth. But more than that, it was a triumph of local solidarity,’ Angara said.

Angara acknowledged the broad network of supporters who stepped up to ensure schools were fully equipped during the global assessment. He lauded local leaders, including lawmakers, governors, mayors, and barangay officials, who channeled local resources directly into participating classrooms. Electric cooperatives, local businesses, corporate foundations, and civic groups also joined the effort by providing backup generators, stable internet connectivity, and essential school supplies.

Beyond logistics, Angara praised the deep personal commitment of families, school personnel, and especially the teachers. ‘Our teachers and partners proved that resourcefulness and grit can bridge the resources gap. Our educators, especially those who went out of their way to support neighboring schools, demonstrated the absolute best of the Filipino spirit,’ he said.

The public schools recognized during the event were Amparo High School, Caloocan City Business High School, Bagong Silang High School, Caloocan City Science High School, Esteban Abada High School, Jose P. Laurel High School, Claro M. Recto High School, Tondo High School, Fortune High School, President Corazon ‘Cory’ C. Aquino National High School, Manggahan High School, Sagad High School, New Era High School, San Bartolome High School, Pitogo High School, and Taguig Science High School.

Participating private institutions, including Divine Light Academy, Jose Rizal High School-Arellano University, Servite School, Inc., and Inocencio School, Inc., were also recognized.

The education partners recognized at the event included ConnecEd, Frontlearners, Inc., Khan Academy Philippines, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (ITBAP), One Meralco Foundation, Meralco, and Rebisco.

A total of 8,702 learners from 208 schools nationwide participated in PISA 2025.

‘This is not a moment to rest on our laurels, but a clear sign that the systemic reforms initiated under President Marcos’ leadership are taking root. With the continued backing of our local government units, private partners, and dedicated teachers, we will push harder to close the achievement gap and make quality education accessible to every Filipino child,’ Angara said.

ARAL program, curriculum reforms to build on PHL’s gains in PISA

Learning recovery efforts and curriculum reforms will further improve Filipino learners’ performance with the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program as a key intervention in addressing learning gaps, following the Philippines’ improved performance in the 2025 round of the PISA.

Senate President Win Gatchalian made this projection as he cited the impact evaluation conducted by nonprofit organization Youth Impact, in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the World Bank. That assessment found that the ARAL program resulted in 4.5 million fewer struggling readers in School Year 2025-2026.

While the ARAL Program received P8.9 billion this year, the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2027 has zero allocation for the program. Gatchalian vowed, however, to fight for the program’s funding.

Gatchalian expressed optimism that learning outcomes will further improve following the enactment of Republic Act No. 12322, which removed the mandatory use of the spiral progression approach and gave DepEd greater flexibility in implementing the basic education curriculum.

‘Ngayong nakikita natin sa resulta ng PISA na nasa tamang direksyon ang mga reporma sa edukasyon, patuloy nating susuportahan at patatatagin ang mga programang lalo pang magpapahusay sa kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral [Now that we’ve seen with PISA’s results that our educational reforms are in the right direction, we will continue to sup[port and strengthen these programs that will further improve our learners’ capacity],’ Gatchalian said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent allegation that his administration has intensified efforts to oust her was baseless and mere ‘buwaon,’ the Waray term for falsehood or lies.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro disclosed the chief executive did not mince words when he called her to give his reaction on Duterte’s claims.

‘That is nonsense, fake news; they (Duterte’s camp) is fond of lying-they are ‘buwaon.’ Let’s repeat that-buwaon,’ she said.

Duterte said the claim made by Rodolfo Gracioso, Jr., the former security aide of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, that he made more than P2 billion in cash deliveries to her was orchestrated by the administration to bring her down due to a ‘faltering impeachment case.’

The Senate is currently conducting the impeachment trial of Duterte for her alleged unexplained wealth, and having Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) discrepancies as well as threatening the lives of Marcos and his family.

Castro said Marcos decided to comment on the matter since he was already fed up with the constant false claims made by the camp of Duterte.

‘It keeps happening over and over again. They persist in maligning the President and this administration-an administration whose sole focus is working for the Philippines and for our fellow citizens. We simply cannot ignore all these lies coming from an obstructionist, from a destabilizer,’ she said.

The Presidential Communications Office undersecretary also denied Duterte’s claim that impeachment hearings were already faltering.

She said it is only natural for Duterte and other accused to continue refusing to admit any wrongdoing.

‘There are indeed times when, even those who are about to be executed, they still insist they are innocent; that is normal in such situations,’ Castro said.

Aside from claims of Gracioso, Duterte also claimed that Marcos is pushing to stop the conduct of the 2028 polls.

The President, however, merely laughed off the matter when he was asked for a comment about it after the recognition ceremony of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) participating schools and education partners at the President Corazon ‘Cory’ C. Aquino National High School in Pasay City last Monday.

During the said event, Marcos highlighted the improvements in the country’s performance in the PISA, which he attributed to the government’s education reforms.

He said his administration will continue to improve the country’s ranking in terms of the quality of its basic education.

ELECTION-LAWYER Romulo Macalintal on Monday filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking the immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining the implementation of Republic Act No. 12326, which postpones the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to November 2028.

In his 20-page petition filed electronically, Macalintal also asked the Court to order the respondents to observe status quo pending the resolution of its petition which also sought to declare RA 12326 invalid and unconstitutional.

Named respondents were the Office of the President through the Executive Secretary, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Macalintal was joined by lawyers Antonio Carlos B. Bautista, James Kenneth P. Adolor, and William C. Kyle Santos as petitioners.

Republic Act (RA) No. 12326 was signed into law by President Marcos last September 24 which amended RA 12232, which postponed the December 1, 2025 BSKE elections scheduled on November 2, 2026. Aside from postponing the upcoming BSKE elections, RA No, 12326 set the next BSKE elections to the second Monday of November 2028, and every five years thereafter.

In his petition, Macalintal also asked the Court to direct the Comelec to continue with its preparations for the November 2, 2026 BSKE elections ‘in a manner that will ensure clear, honest, and credible’ in the event that it rules in favor of his petition.

The petitioners noted that the majority of the people are against the postponement of the BSKE.

The petitioners said RA12326 violates the voters’ right to suffrage as enshrined in the Constitution.

‘The apparent extension of the term of the incumbent barangay officials denies registered voters, including new registrants, the scheduled opportunity to selec their officials in November 2026,’ the petitioners stressed.

The petitioners also questioned the constitutionality of the ‘transitory provision’ of RA 12326, which will deprive incumbent barangay officials of the opportunity to run for another term.

They noted that the assailed law failed to amend Section 4 of R.A. 12232 which governs holdovers.

Section 4 provides that incumbent barangay officials ‘shall remain in office, unless sooner or removed or suspended for cause, until their successors shall have been elected and qualified.’

‘In other words, while the retained Section 4 of R.A. No. 12232 provides that incumbent barangay officials continue in office in a holdover capacity or a mere ‘extension of tenure’ of their office, Section 5 of R.A. No. 12326 provides, or concludes, that these incumbent barangay officials receive an extension of their terms by two years,’ the petition read.

‘The Transitory Provision therefore assumes the existence of a substantive two-year term extension without identifying the operative provision by which that extension was clearly unequivocally granted,’ it added.

Likewise, the petitioners said Congress’ habit of allowing incumbent barangay officials to hold over in their positions is tantamount to a ‘legislative appointment,’ which violates the Constitution.

The petitioners also asked the Court to conduct a special raffle of their petition in order for its prayer for a TRO and/or a status quo ante order be acted upon immediately.