Category: Business Mirror

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is moving closer to a more secure and self-reliant energy future following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s announcement during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), where BARMM will co-manage two petroleum service contracts with the national government, the first arrangement of its kind in Philippine history.

The landmark partnership covering Petroleum Service Contract (PSC) Nos. 80 and 81 in the southern Sulu Sea is expected to strengthen the region’s energy security, accelerate electrification efforts, and create new opportunities for investment, employment, and community development. The initiative also forms part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on imported fuel while harnessing the country’s indigenous energy resources.

For Bangsamoro leaders, the development represents more than an energy project-it is another milestone in the region’s growing capacity to manage its own resources and deliver long-term benefits to its people.

Atty. Kitem Duque Kadatuan Jr., Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority welcomed the announcement, saying that reliable and affordable energy is fundamental to inclusive development.

‘Energy is not only about keeping the lights on. It is about giving every Bangsamoro community the opportunity to grow, attract investments, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of our people. This historic partnership reflects the growing confidence in BARMM’s institutions and our shared commitment to sustainable progress,’ Kadatuan said.

As BARMM continues to expand access to electricity while pursuing responsible resource development, the region is expected to play an increasingly important role in strengthening the country’s energy security. The historic co-management arrangement also highlights the importance of collaboration between the national government and the Bangsamoro Government in advancing inclusive growth and bringing lasting opportunities closer to every Bangsamoro family.

THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), together with its Asean 2026 Philippines partners, invites the public to join the month-long celebration of Asean Month 2026, featuring a vibrant lineup of cultural showcases, performances, workshops, and community events that highlight the rich heritage and shared identity of Southeast Asia.

Following the successful momentum of the Sulong SEAPop Music and Culture Caravan, the celebration continues this August under the Asean Chairmanship theme Navigating Our Future, Together.

As Asean commemorates its 59th founding anniversary, Filipinos and visitors alike are encouraged to discover the traditions, creativity, and cultural diversity that unite the region’s 11 Member States.

As part of the celebration, participants who joined previous Sulong SEAPop Music and Culture Caravan events are encouraged to bring their Sulong SEAPop Passport to continue collecting stamps through the Stamp Rally at participating Asean Month activities.

Those who complete the required stamps will have the chance to receive exclusive prizes, with winners to be announced during the culmination of the campaign in November 2026.

Throughout August, attendees can participate in a variety of free and accessible events across Manila, including:

August 10 to 31: Asean Corner at the Metropolitan Theater and Centro de Turismo, featuring cultural exhibits and activities. (Open to all)

August 20: Interagency Asean Month Celebration, bringing together government agencies in a showcase of regional cooperation and shared heritage.

Throughout Asean Month: Sulong SEAPop Passport Stamp Rally, where participants can collect stamps at participating activities and qualify for exclusive prizes.

Most public activities are free, with advance registration required for workshops with limited slots.

The public and media are encouraged to follow the official Asean 2026 Philippines and NCCA channels for schedules, registration details, and updates.

From cultural performances and exhibitions to workshops and lectures, the celebration offers diverse opportunities for audiences to experience the richness of Southeast Asian culture.

The Department of Science and Technology-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR), in partnership with Valenzuela City, opened the 2026 Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) in the National Capital Region on August 6, highlighting the role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in creating safer, more resilient, sustainable, and people-centered communities.

With the theme, ‘Siyensya, Teknolohiya, at Inobasyon: Kabalikat sa Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Kinabukasan,’ the three-day celebration showcases technologies, programs, and innovations aimed at addressing the needs of communities, local governments, businesses, academe, and other sectors.

Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., in his keynote message, emphasized anticipatory governance, saying that that the impact of STI should ultimately be measured by the lives made safer, better, and more secure through science-based solutions.

One of the highlights during the opening was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between DOST-NCR and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-National Capital Region for the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program.

The program seeks to support local governments in adopting science- and technology-based approaches to sustainable urban development.

Valenzuela City likewise adopted GeoRiskPH through a partnership with DOST-NCR and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, strengthening the use of hazard and risk information in planning, decision-making, and disaster preparedness.

The event highlighted efforts to expand access to advanced manufacturing technologies through the establishment of Advanced Manufacturing Center Satellite Laboratories with DOST-Metals Industry Research and Development Center, and partner academic institutions.

Meanwhile, DOST’s support to local enterprises through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (DOST-SETUP) was showcased through

SETUP showcased the experience of G-Start Builders Corp. on how technology upgrading, technical assistance, and productivity interventions can improve business operations and competitiveness.

Also launched was the VSPARK Valenzuela Startup Development Program and iHub Valenzuela, providing students, young innovators, and aspiring startup founders with opportunities for mentorship, skills development, ideation, and product development.

These initiatives reflect DOST-NCR’s continuing efforts to make STI more accessible and responsive to the needs of Filipinos.

Similarly, through the 2026 RSTW in the NCR, DOST-NCR reinforces the spirit of #AghamNaRamdam, bringing science, technology, and innovation closer to the people and translating them into practical solutions for stronger communities, better public services, and a more resilient and secure future.

The Philippines may be targeting a wafer fabrication plant in Pax Silica, but it still lacks the workforce, supply chain and track record needed to attract commercial chipmakers, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) said.

SEIPI President Danilo Lachica said the lack of an established wafer fabrication track record could make it difficult for the country to convince major chipmakers to put up commercial facilities locally, particularly in the proposed 1,620-hectare development in New Clark City.

‘I would love to have a wafer (fabrication facility) in Pax Silica, (but) we’re not ready for that. It needs incremental steps,’ Lachica told reporters during a Pax Silica briefing in New Clark City on Friday.

‘You can’t convince a TSMC [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.] or a TI [Texas Instruments] to build a wafer (fabrication plant) in the Philippines. We don’t have a track record.’

The Philippines has an established position in semiconductor assembly, testing and packaging, while its integrated circuit (IC) design industry is also beginning to expand.

However, it has yet to develop wafer fabrication, the stage where semiconductor wafers are manufactured before being processed into chips.

‘Because right now, when you talk to semiconductor companies, it’s just back-end assembly. They’re asking for advanced ATP [assembly, testing and packaging],’ Lachica said.

‘Their impression is that we’re just up to there. They don’t realize our full potential. That’s why we have to show the proof of concept.’

Another major hurdle for commercial wafer fabrication would be the power supply, Lachica said, given the large and continuous electricity requirements of such facilities.

Yet, he discussed one option to the authorities. ‘When I talk to agencies, the one possible solution is what we call SMRs or MMRs-small medium reactors or micro medium reactors. It’s placed next to a high power consumer.’

He said placing the reactors near large users could reduce the need for additional transmission infrastructure, while additional modules could be added as electricity requirements increase.

DOST lab

Before the Philippines attempts to attract commercial wafer fabrications, SEIPI is working with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on a laboratory-scale facility that would demonstrate the country’s ability to fabricate wafers.

In a 2026 funding priorities document from the DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), a laboratory-scale wafer fabrication facility is proposed as a project in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and SEIPI.

The facility is intended to give the Philippines the capability to produce IC design prototypes. The DTI is also expected to conduct a feasibility study to assess the facility’s viability and how its benefits could be maximized.

Lachica said SEIPI hopes to submit the project by next year. ‘Hopefully, we’ll be able to submit in 2027, and then it will be the proof of concept to show the world that we can make wafer fab.’

‘Initially, because we can’t do commercial yet. No one will believe us because we don’t have talent, we don’t have supply chain yet. That’s why that’s what we’ll prove in this wafer lab.’

Unlike a commercial facility, the laboratory operation would not require major changes to the country’s power system. ‘The lab scale can work with the existing grid,’ he said.

A commercial wafer fabrication, however, would require a substantially larger and more stable power supply, raising questions about the ability of renewable energy sources alone to provide the necessary baseload.

‘But if we’re building a commercial wafer [fabrication], I think we need to consider… It can’t handle renewable energy [RE] because our RE can’t support the base load.’

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority has said semiconductor-related industries are expected to account for a significant share of activity in the development, alongside advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence-related investments.

THE Department of Finance (DOF) opposed the proposal to increase the current P90,000 tax-exempt threshold for bonuses even as lawmakers push to raise the ceiling citing the goal is to restore workers’ purchasing power.

During a hearing by the House Committee on Ways and Means last Monday, Finance Undersecretary Karlo Fermin S. Adriano responded to committee chairman Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo that the DOF is not in favor, for now, of raising the tax-exempt ceiling for bonuses.

Adriano added that the DOF is proposing to retain the current threshold for bonuses, including the 13th month pay, while studying calls to exempt overtime pay, hazard pay and others from taxes.

At the moment, the 13th-month pay and other benefits, including Christmas bonuses, amounting up to P90,000 are exempted from taxes. Any amount exceeding that figure will be subject to a levy on income based on the employee’s tax bracket.

‘There is recognition that our incomes have already been eroded by inflation. However, we also have to balance all of these proposals with the country’s fiscal sustainability and stability,’ Adriano said.

‘There is always a corresponding cost to these measures, and we have to ensure that our fiscal health remains strong and stable,’ he added.

Some lawmakers have pushed to raise the tax exemption ceiling to P150,000.

The proposed increase was also defended by House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader Antonio L. Tinio, pointing out the erosion of workers’ purchasing power since the P90,000 threshold was set.

Tinio cited government’s inflation data showing that cumulative inflation had reached 42.4 percent since 2018, when the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law, which exempted bonuses from taxes, was originally passed.

Applying the cumulative inflation rate to the P90,000 threshold would bring the amount to around P128,160, the lawmaker explained, arguing that the bonus exemption should therefore be adjusted to roughly P128,000.

‘It seems logical that we should include this as well,’ Tinio said.

Adriano, however, reiterated the need ‘to balance two things.’

‘On one hand, there is fiscal sustainability and stability, and on the other, there is fiscal relief,’ he said.

To achieve the balance, Adriano said the DOF is pushing for ‘Progress Bill,’ which is expected to generate P191.77 billion in net revenues in the next four years by expanding excise taxes while providing tax relief for the middle class and small businesses.

Those earning no more than P350,000 annually would be exempt from personal income tax, while micro and small businesses would also be exempt from the minimum corporate income tax.

To counterbalance expected revenue losses, the DOF is proposing to expand sin and wealth taxes, while revisiting its earlier plans to tax plastic products and update the motor vehicle road user tax.

From first phones and unforgettable moments to family memories and travel photos, vivo users are sharing the stories that made their devices part of their lives, all for a chance to win a vivo V70 or a limited-edition vivo Bluetooth Speaker.

Through #MyvivoStory, vivo Philippines is inviting its community to revisit different chapters of their journey with their vivo phones through a series of weekly questions, from ‘What’s your first vivo phone?’ and ‘What’s your vivo story?’ to ‘Trust vivo moment’ and ‘Travel with vivo.’

The responses reveal that behind every device is more than a model name or set of specifications. For many users, their vivo phones have been there to capture relationships, family milestones, adventures, and everyday moments they want to remember.

vivo Stories

Rodrod Pimentel – vivo Y81: ‘What’s Your First vivo Phone?’

For Rodrod Pimentel, his vivo story began in 2018 with vivo Y81. More than eight years later, Rodrod says his first vivo phone remains functional despite going through several unexpected mishaps.

‘I accidentally left it in my pants’ pocket before putting through the laundry, I dropped it multiple times, and even had my 10-year-old niece accidentally jump over it, yet, the phone continues to work,’ he shared.

While Rodrod’s story highlights the durability he experienced with his device, it also shows how a phone can become part of someone’s life simply by staying with them through the years.

What started as his first vivo phone remained with him through countless everyday moments, making the device a memorable part of his journey with the brand.

Christine Redondo – from vivo V23 to vivo V70: ‘Trust vivo moment’

Christine Redondo’s journey with vivo began with her eldest child, whom she photographed using a vivo V23. Now, as she documents the milestones of her youngest, she continues the tradition with the vivo V70.

From one child to another and from one vivo phone to the next, Christine has trusted the brand’s camera to document the little moments that mark how quickly her children grow.

‘Ang trust vivo moment ko ay tuwing kinukuhanan ko ang anak ko ng monthly milestone nila. Mula sa panganay ko, vivo V23 ang gamit ko. Ngayon, sa bunso ko, vivo V70 naman. Thank you, vivo, sa magandang camera,’ she shared.

Her story shows that a ‘Trust vivo moment’ can be found in the everyday moments parents never want to miss, from a baby’s monthly milestone to the little changes that happen between each photo.

Keith Andrew Pacio – vivo X200: ‘What’s Your vivo Story?’

Keith Andrew Pacio’s vivo story is about being able to capture a spectacular moment as it happened.

Using his vivo X200, Keith photographed the pyromusical event at SM Mall of Asia, capturing the fireworks lighting up the night sky as spectators watched the show.

For Keith, the image became a standout example of what his vivo X200 could capture, preserving the colors, movement, and excitement of the moment even after the spectacle had ended.

‘Using my vivo X200, I didn’t have any issues capturing great images. One of the best samples here is this photo. It captured the moment perfectly when we were watching the pyromusical event in SM MOA,’ he shared.

Calling it a ‘definite wow moment,’ Keith’s story shows how smartphone photography can turn fleeting experiences into memories that can be revisited long after the moment has passed.

Joyal Hope – vivo V29: ‘Travel with vivo’

For Joyal Hope, one of her favorite vivo memories comes from a milestone her family will not soon forget: their first-ever family trip abroad.

During their trip to Hong Kong, Joyal used her vivo V29 to capture a family photo at Madame Tussauds, preserving not only the moment but also the joy and excitement of experiencing a new destination together.

‘My favorite photo was taken at Hong Kong Madame Tussauds during our first-ever family trip abroad. My vivo V29 beautifully captured not just the moment, but the joy, excitement, and love we shared that day,’ she shared.

For Joyal, the photograph has become more than a travel souvenir. Every time she looks at it, she is reminded of the happiness they shared and the people she experienced that milestone with.

Her story also reflects what the latest #MyvivoStory is all about: ‘Share your favorite travel photos captured on your vivo phone,’ which invites the community to share their favorite travel photos captured on their vivo phones.

More vivo stories to tell

The stories shared so far are only the beginning of vivo Philippines’ #MyvivoStory conversation.

From a first vivo phone that stayed with its owner for years, to a photograph that captured the early days of a relationship, to the milestones of growing children and a family’s first trip abroad, each response reveals a different way that vivo phones have become part of people’s lives.

As the series continues, vivo Philippines is giving its community more opportunities to share these personal experiences through its weekly questions.

Those who want to join can follow vivo Philippines on Facebook, answer each Question of the Week, and use #MyvivoStory, #vivoxAnneCurtis and #vivoX300Ultra when sharing their responses.

Participants who complete all the Questions of the Week will get a chance to win a brand-new vivo V70 or a limited-edition vivo Bluetooth Speaker for free.

Through #MyvivoStory, vivo Philippines continues to turn a simple question about a phone into a collection of stories about the people, places, and moments that make each device meaningful.

The months-long feud between Lopez family members took a decisive turn Monday with the revelation of the buyer of the Gabby Lopez-led’s identity.

Eugenio ‘Gabby’ Lopez III announced that Crème Investment Corp., the holding company through which his branch of the family owns a 25.7-percent stake in Lopez, Inc. – in turn the holding company of the Lopez Group – has completed the sale of that shareholding to businessman Ramon S. Ang.

Ang invested in his personal capacity through his wholly owned holding company.

Lopez said he sold for two reasons. ‘The first is my family,’ he said. ‘This dispute has not been good for any of us, or for the people who work in our companies. This allows us to take a step towards the restoration of family peace. The second is that it allows me to channel our family’s resources into businesses aligned with our personal mission. We will announce more on this in due time. Our families have known Ramon a long time. I am confident he will be a good partner to Lopez, Inc.’

Ang for his part said: ‘I have known the Lopez family for decades. Not one branch of it, but all of them. I am a friend to each, and I intend to stay that way. I came in because I believe in these businesses, and because a steady partner at the table can be good for everyone around it. The family branches that continue to hold the controlling majority of Lopez, Inc., will continue to lead it. My interest is that the group comes out of this stronger.’

THE secretary of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) on Sunday called on government and private banks to provide adequate financing to legitimate contractors, warning that tighter credit could undermine the gains achieved under the public works reforms by the administration.

According to Presidential Legislative Officer and Secretary Joey Sarte Salceda, the infrastructure reforms directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and implemented by Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon are showing results in several key project-completion indicators but warned that declining bank credit to legitimate contractors could eventually undermine these gains.

‘President Marcos directed a comprehensive cleanup of the public works system, and Secretary Dizon has acted decisively against ghost projects, substandard work and unqualified contractors. The latest DPWH reports indicate improvements in several important categories,’ Salceda said.

Citing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data, Salceda said that outstanding construction loans declined from P591.6 billion in December 2024 to P477.5 billion in June 2026-a reduction of 19.3 percent. Construction lending also fell by 12.8 percent year-on-year as of June 2026, even as total bank lending for production activities grew by 9.1 percent.

‘Some legitimate contractors report that bank facilities that previously covered the full or nearly full contract price are now being approved at substantially lower coverage. If a qualified contractor cannot borrow enough to mobilize equipment, purchase materials and begin construction, project completion rates will eventually suffer,’ Salceda said.

‘The direction of the President’s reforms is correct. We are beginning to distinguish legitimate contractors that can deliver from contractors that should never have received public projects in the first place,’ Salceda added.

He stressed that expanding access to financing for qualified contractors is necessary to sustain the improvements already being recorded under the administration’s infrastructure reforms.

Based on DPWH’s Quarterly Physical Report of Operations, the fourth-quarter rate of bridge projects completed in accordance with plans and specifications increased from 79 percent in 2024 to 97 percent in 2025. The comparable rate for network-development projects improved from 78 percent to 82 percent, while projects under the Convergence and Special Support Program improved from 74 percent to 80 percent.

Salceda called for a broad, whole-of-government response involving the DPWH, Department of Finance, BSP, Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, Philippine Guarantee Corporation, and the construction industry.

‘The President has already addressed procurement, contractor performance and project monitoring. We must now address the financing side,’ he said.

Salceda said DBP and LandBank have a crucial role as state financial institutions. He proposed expanding and updating DBP’s Infrastructure Contractor Support Program and LandBank’s contractor-financing facilities, with faster processing for contractors covered by the DPWH’s proposed green lane.

Financing may be based on awarded contracts, certified statements of work accomplished, validated progress billings and properly assigned government receivables.

Salceda also proposed expanding PhilGuarantee coverage to allow government and private banks to share the credit risk of lending to qualified contractors.

‘Guarantees are important because we do not want to compel banks to ignore genuine risks. The solution is to reduce those risks through verified receivables, transparent project monitoring and appropriate government guarantees,’ he said.

Salceda added that the government can maximize the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act. Republic Act No. 11901 allows bank lending for the construction and upgrading of farm-to-market roads and other public rural infrastructure benefiting rural communities to be counted toward the mandatory 25-percent agriculture, fisheries, and rural development financing requirement.

‘DPWH projects involving farm-to-market roads, rural bridges, irrigation support, flood control, drainage, public markets, and similar rural infrastructure should be clearly identified and certified as eligible. Loans to legitimate contractors implementing these projects should then be given a clear route for recognition as bank compliance with the law,’ Salceda said.

He proposed that the BSP, Agricultural Credit Policy Council, DPWH, DBP and LandBank jointly develop the necessary project-certification and reporting mechanism.

‘This is consistent with President Marcos’s whole-of-government approach. We clean up procurement, accelerate project implementation, identify legitimate contractors, improve access to financing and protect the banks through verified receivables and guarantees. Every part of government must reinforce the President’s infrastructure reforms,’ Salceda said.

DEMAND from artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers has prompted the Philippine electronics industry to raise its 2026 growth forecast to as much as 10 percent, according to the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (Seipi).

Seipi President Danilo Lachica said the industry initially expected flat growth this year after electronics exports grew faster than anticipated in 2025.

‘Initially, the projected growth was flat, but we raised it to 10 percent for 2026. As you know, we started in 2025; we grew by 16 percent. And we were conservative; we said it’s only 5 percent,’ Lachica told reporters after the Pax Silica briefing in New Clark City on Friday.

‘But looking at the performance of the other industries, we upped it to 10 percent,’ he added.

Electronics remained the country’s largest export category last year, generating $45.89 billion, equivalent to 54.3 percent of total exports, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

At a 10-percent growth rate, electronics exports could reach around $53 billion to $54 billion this year, Lachica said. The projected figure would exceed the sector’s previous export peak of about $49.6 billion in 2022.

‘$53 billion-$54 billion would be the highest. But it’s still far from Vietnam. They have more than $100 billion,’ Lachica said.

About 70 percent of Philippine electronics exports are semiconductor-related, he added.

Lachica said the expected growth is being supported by demand for equipment and components used in AI systems and data centers, although the country does not currently manufacture AI chips.

‘It was driven by AI. But, we don’t produce AI chips in the Philippines. However, the support equipment for AI, for data centers, for networking, switching networks, power control, of course, you need those to support your data centers and AI engines,’ he explained.

‘And of course, since AI is still going to grow, data centers are still going to grow, that’s why, automotive electronics, the other stuff, so we’re projecting that,’ he added.

For Lachica, it remains difficult to isolate the contribution of AI to overall electronics growth as demand is spread across several industries, including telecommunications and power.

For the first half of 2026, electronics and semiconductor exports have grown by more than 10 percent, the Seipi chief said, although he declined to give a more precise figure.

Meanwhile, the industry is seeking to increase the Philippines’s share of the global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market, which Lachica estimated at about 1 percent.

The country accounted for around 5 percent of the global semiconductor market in 2025, but its EMS share remains much smaller, he said. ‘That’s why the industry roadmap is going to be instrumental in growing our EMS share in the global market beyond 1 percent,’ Lachica said.

On trade, Lachica said Hong Kong remains the Philippines’s biggest export market for electronics, followed by the United States, while China has slipped to third.

He noted that electronics shipments to Hong Kong are also re-exported to other markets, including the European Union, the US and China.

China, meanwhile, remains the Philippines’s largest source of electronics imports, prompting the industry to push for greater local sourcing of production inputs.

‘We have to strengthen our localization initiative to minimize the dependence. And guess what? What’s the biggest imported material? Wafers,’ Lachica said.

Despite the possibility of broader economic growth slowing, Lachica said AI-related demand has yet to reach a peak.

‘In any new technology, there will be a plateau over time. But I think the AI development is not even there yet. There are still growth opportunities and advancements in technology. The peak is not there yet,’ he said.

RECENT rains induced by typhoons and the southwest monsoon (habagat) have surfaced once more the dismal state of public infrastructure, and the chairman of the Senate Blue-Ribbon committee, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, vowed to move decisively against public infrastructure that crumbles at the first sight of rain.

Setting his sights on exposing substandard government projects and holding those responsible to account, Tulfo said in a radio interview, ‘Apart from the new names and issues connected to flood control mess, we will also investigate substandard projects. Bridges, roads, and public works that clearly failed to meet standards. We will investigate them one by one.’

Tulfo added, ‘Obviously there’s corruption in there because you are given this certain amount of budget to construct these structures according to standards, but it’s unfinished or subpar.’

The Blue-Ribbon chairman said the committee is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other related agencies.

Highlighting the urgency, a major retaining wall along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa)-Ayala northbound lane in Makati City collapsed following a series of typhoons, blocking two crucial lanes and paralyzing metro traffic.

Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon flagged the structure after revealing that the collapsed segment was dangerously constructed using light board material that is only suitable for dry season, instead of reinforced concrete.

While Tulfo emphasized his readiness to expand the flood control investigation as new leads and high-ranking figures emerge, he made it clear that the Blue-Ribbon committee is simultaneously zeroing in on systemic corruption across other agencies. Building on his track record as a relentless vice-chairman before taking the committee’s helm, Tulfo underscored that the flood control scam is just one among numerous corruption issues that need to be unraveled.

‘Corruption has plagued this system for too long, and we are tackling it head-on, one issue at a time. We will be strict in gathering rock-solid evidence, and we will conduct this strictly by the book,’ he further concluded.

It will be recalled that the multibillion scandal involving plunder of flood-control funds were first exposed during the President’s State of the Nation Address in 2025.

The economy has suffered the past year, after a massive crackdown on corruption and reforms in the public infrastructure system stalled public spending, crippling growth.

Public anger

SEN. Panfilo M. Lacson said on Monday that unless Filipinos see genuine retribution and restitution, their anger over the flood control issue will not go away anytime soon.

Lacson said the latest flooding in several parts of the country over the weekend, following heavy rains, has once again fueled public anger over the issue.

‘The flood control issue will not go away easily. After a heavy downpour leaves flooded streets and yards, people will not be short on words in cursing politicians, Department of Public Works and Highways officials and contractors-unless, and this is probably-genuine retribution and restitution become the order of the day no matter who were involved,’ he said in a post on X.

Since last week, heavy monsoon rains have affected several parts of the country, prompting the suspension of classes and work. Thousands of families were forced to leave their homes due to the flooding.

In August and September 2025, Lacson delivered two privileged speeches detailing the extent of corruption behind anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan and Mindoro, among other areas.

He also chaired Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearings on the issue, with the evidence gathered during the proceedings contributing to the building of cases against those involved.

Earlier this year, Lacson and his team turned over to the Ombudsman pieces of evidence involving anomalous flood control projects in Taguig City.

Lacson said that if it were not for the Blue-Ribbon investigation under his watch-along with the determination and resoluteness of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla and the efforts of the media and netizens to keep public anger over the issue alive-I don’t know how the government can even claim whatever accomplishments we have at the moment, or one year after President Marcos’ 2025 Sona ‘Mahiya naman kayo’ remark.