Category: Business Mirror

THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure renewing for another 50 years the legislative franchise granted to Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL), allowing the country’s flag carrier to continue operating air transport services in the Philippines and abroad.

Voting 250 affirmative, 3 negative, and one abstention, lawmakers approved House Bill 10545, which seeks to extend PAL’s authority under Presidential Decree (PD) 1590 to establish, operate, and maintain domestic and international air transportation services, providing the airline with a longer-term framework to sustain its operations and pursue future expansion plans.

Under the franchise renewal bill, PAL will retain its authority to provide air transportation services for passengers, mail, and cargo through domestic and international routes. The measure also allows the airline to operate scheduled, non-scheduled, and charter flights, subject to existing laws, regulations, and government aviation standards.

The bill permits PAL, the primary operating subsidiary of PAL Holdings Inc., to maintain and develop the aircraft, equipment, facilities, and communication systems necessary for its operations. It also provides that the airline’s activities remain under the supervision and regulation of appropriate government agencies.

The renewed franchise includes provisions requiring PAL to comply with applicable laws and regulations, create employment opportunities, and observe labor standards. It also maintains that the franchise is non-exclusive and may be amended or revoked by Congress when public interest requires.

The measure further provides that PAL cannot transfer, lease, or assign the franchise or its controlling interest without approval from the government. It also retains government authority to temporarily take over or operate the airline’s facilities during times of war, national emergency, calamity, or public danger.

With the proposed 50-year extension, PAL will continue to hold the authority to operate air transport services while complying with the conditions and responsibilities provided under the renewed franchise.

Deputy Speaker Francisco Paolo P. Ortega V, one of the authors of the bill, emphasized that air transportation remains a vital contributor to economic growth, tourism, trade, and employment. Citing industry data, he highlighted that aviation contributes significantly to the Philippine economy and supports millions of jobs, demonstrating the importance of maintaining a strong national aviation sector.

According to Ortega, while PAL’s franchise under Presidential Decree No. 1590 remains valid until 2034, the proposed early renewal of its legislative franchise reflects Congress’ recognition of the airline’s broader role in national development.

Ortega said the measure recognizes PAL’s role as the country’s flag carrier, providing international connectivity, opening routes, supporting underserved areas, and contributing to tourism and commerce.

He also cited PAL’s public service efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, including repatriation flights for stranded Filipinos, transport of essential medical supplies, and support for national recovery efforts.

THE death toll attributed to tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng, and the southwest monsoon or habagat, has climbed to 39, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) reported on Wednesday.

This, as Typhoon Pilandok continues to induce rain, aggravating the monsoon rains that continue to drench some parts of Luzon, the state weather bureau reported.

The inclement weather, characterized by nonstop rains that trigger landslides and flash floods and cause severe flooding in low-lying areas in Luzon, including the National Capital Region, injured 20 persons. Three other persons remain missing.

In its Wednesday 6:00 a.m. report on the combined impacts of the three tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon, NDRRMC said the affected population has also to 2.7 million families or 9.4 million persons.

Various government agencies led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with concerned local governments (LGU) continue to assist affected families in 968 different evacuation centers, providing them with family food packs, water, medicines, tents, clothing, and bedding.

As of Wednesday, 20,279 families or 71,364 persons remain in evacuation centers.

Despite improved weather in some areas, the number of affected barangay affected by flood has also increased to 6,328 across most of Luzon.

The government has so far spent around P1.85 billion to assist the affected families.

The NDRRMC said it is monitoring 711 different flooded areas across Luzon.

About 178 LGUs are still under a state of calamity.

The NDRRMC said the flooding and landslides have damaged 3,900 houses.

Because of the flooding, damage to public and private infrastructure has ballooned to P6.27 billion, while crop damage is now estimated at P2.84 billion.

In its 11 a.m. Tropical Cyclone Bulletin issued on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that Pilandok is now moving northwestward over the Philippine Sea.

Gale-force gusts

OWING to the southwest monsoon, strong to gale-force gusts are threatening most of Luzon and Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Dinagat Islands, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental.

Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, and Zambales are experiencing 50 to q00 mm or moderate rains today and will continue until September 5.

Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast over Occidental Mindoro on Friday and Saturday.

Pagasa said heavy rainfall and severe winds may still be experienced in localities outside, but near the storm-affected areas.

Pilandok is forecast to remain as a tropical storm as it moves northwestward throughout the forecast period and will remain far from the Philippine landmass, the weather bureau said.

At midday on Wednesday, Pilandok was located at 1,205 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon and is moving northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour and is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

Pilandok is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday, September 3.

PAF launches relief ops

THE Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday said its S-70i ‘Black Hawk’ helicopters conducted airlift operations for southwest monsoon drenched communities in Zambales on Tuesday.

In a statement the PAF spokesperson, Col. Ma. Christina Basco, said the mission was carried out through the Tactical Operations Wing-Northern Luzon, and the Air Logistics Support Command, in coordination with the Army.

‘[The PAF] continues to support humanitarian assistance and disaster response [HADR] operations by airlifting relief supplies from Clark Air Base, Pampanga, on September 1,’ she added.

Basco said PAF S-70i ‘Black Hawk’ helicopters airlifted 1,000 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for delivery to affected communities in barangay Santa Fe, San Marcelino, Zambales.

”The operation underscores the PAF’s commitment, alongside its government and military partners, to ensuring the timely delivery of essential assistance to communities affected by disasters,’ she added. With Rex Anthony Naval

Even as the Department of Finance has warned that scrapping the 12-percent value-added tax on system loss charge would result in about P10 billion in revenue losses every year, a senator is pushing to remove as well the VAT on residential electricity, to bring relief to households.

At the recent Development Budget Coordination Committee briefing, Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ A. Aquino said the proposal could provide consumers with greater relief alongside efforts to remove system loss charges from their electricity bills.

‘If we remove the VAT from the electricity of residential [users]-not the businesses, or factories, but just residential, this could mean a bigger drop in the electricity bill of our citizens,’ Aquino told government economic managers.

THE Pennsylvania, United States-headquartered Coherent Corp. is weighing further expansion of its local operations as demand grows for technologies used in data centers, optical communications and semiconductor applications.

Executives of its Philippines subsidiary Coherent II-VI Laser Enterprise Phils. Inc. discussed expansion plans and prospects for scaling its domestic manufacturing operations during an early August meeting with officials of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), the latter revealed. Representatives from Coherent, a global maker of lasers, photonics and optical technologies, presented potential projects that could add manufacturing capacity and bring in technology transfers from its global network, with discussions also covering the registration and incentives framework that would apply to new investments and expansions.

The company operates manufacturing, research and development, sales, service and distribution facilities across more than 20 countries, producing lasers, optical and optoelectronic components, transceivers, modules and systems, as well as engineered materials.

Its products are used in industries including data centers, communications, semiconductors, electronics, industrial manufacturing and instrumentation.

In the Philippines, Coherent operates its laser business in Calamba, Laguna, while its performance-metals operations are based in Rosario, Cavite.

Its Calamba facility supports manufacturing for telecommunications, data centers, optical communications, industrial lasers and other photonics applications.

The company opened a 1,500-square-meter manufacturing facility in Calamba in April, adding to its Philippine production footprint.

A Peza locator since 2014, Coherent has invested about P1.7 billion in its Philippine operations, including its latest Calamba facility, and employs more than 1,000 Filipino workers.

The potential expansion comes as the country seeks to move beyond conventional semiconductor and electronics activities toward higher-value manufacturing, while global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure continues to drive investment in photonics, optical connectivity and related technologies.

THE City Government of Makati strengthened its commitment to student welfare and learning by ensuring that children have access not only to quality education, but also to the nourishment they need to thrive.

Recognizing that a well-nourished child is better equipped to learn, participate, and reach their full potential, Makati Mayor Nancy Binay has pushed for the rollout of the City’s rice subsidy program for students, beginning with daycare learners.

‘When we invest in our children’s nutrition, we are also investing in their education, their health, and the future of our city. No child should have to learn on an empty stomach. We want our students to come to school ready to learn, grow, and dream bigger,’ said Binay.

Under City Ordinance 2025-A-024, Makati students from daycare to Grade 12, including learners under the Special Needs Education (Sned) program, will each receive five kilograms of rice every month for 10 months throughout the school year.

Currently, the Makati Schools Division has 34,631 enrollees from Pre-Kindergarten to Senior High School, underscoring the reach of the City’s efforts to support the nutritional needs of its learners.

Binay emphasized that the rice subsidy marks the first time the City has provided free rice assistance specifically for students, reinforcing the current administration’s focus on the health, nutrition, and overall well-being of young Makati learners.

The City’s support for learners goes beyond rice assistance. For the first time, Makati will also roll out cash incentives for students through vouchers, providing P3,500 to learners from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6 and P7,000 to students from Grades 7 to 12.

The City is likewise advancing its Healthy Baon initiative, which provides Kindergarten to Grade 12 learners, including Sned learners and students of University of Makati, with either a complete Healthy Baon Bento Meal or a Healthy Baon Pastry Set on alternating weeks.

The program seeks to ensure that students have regular access to fresh and nutritious food that supports healthy growth, promotes well-being, and enhances learning.

This focus on nutrition comes amid emerging concerns over the health of schoolchildren. Department of Education-Makati Schools Division Superintendent Ma. Evalou Concepcion Agustin reported that the division’s Nutritional Status Report for School Year 2025-2026 recorded a 4-percent increase in overweight students in Makati public high schools.

For the City, the response is clear: student nutrition must be treated as an essential part of education.

‘We are choosing fresh, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared meals because that is what our children truly need. This is not about creating excitement over a new menu. This is about building healthier habits that can last a lifetime,’ the Mayor said.

Makati’s student-centered programs reflect a broader commitment to creating an environment where children are supported inside and outside the classroom. By providing food assistance, financial support, school supplies, uniforms, and other essential needs, the City seeks to remove barriers that may prevent students from fully engaging in their education.

The City has likewise sustained the provision of free school uniform sets and school supply packages, including basic school materials, school and physical education uniforms, school bags and caps, leather and rubber shoes with socks, health and wellness kits, and rain-protective gear.

For Makati, these initiatives go beyond assistance; they are investments in the next generation.

‘By nourishing young minds today, the City is helping build healthier learners, stronger families, and a more prepared and empowered generation of Makati citizens,’ Binay said.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said on Tuesday it has addressed the concerns of National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) regarding line rental charges prior to the filing of a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman.

The consumer group led by Pete Ilagan said in its filing before the OMB against ERC Chairman Francis Saturnino Juan and four commissioners that the agency permitted the hidden and unverified integration of line-rental charges into consumer electricity bills.

The ERC, however, said it had already responded to Nasecore’s concerns on this issue before the Ombudsman complaint was filed last July 13 and August 4. It said that the collection of these charges, particularly in the Visayas, were halted last August 13 and the ERC established accurate calculation methods for future billing.

‘The law places the power to review the commission’s actions with the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court and we welcome that scrutiny,’ said Juan. ‘We take consumer concerns seriously. That us why we have already answered Nasecore’s questions in writing, in detail, not once but twice.

‘We remain confident that our processes are grounded in law, and we are ready to have that record examined by appropriate body,’ said Juan.

Additionally, the ERC noted that the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (Iemop) must audit market settlements dating back to June 26, 2021, to evaluate the financial impact on utilities and determine necessary refunds.

Line Rental, officially known as Bilateral Line Loss and Congestion Cost (Bilateral LLCC), is a standard feature of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) rather than a fee invented by regulators or utilities. It serves as a settlement adjustment accounting for value loss and price differences when electricity is transmitted from generation points to consumption areas, functioning as part of the total trading amount paid for energy delivery.

While the ERC acknowledged Nasecore’s consumer advocacy, the agency maintained that some of the group’s demands exceed the legal authority of any single stakeholder.

Juan said the Commission is bound by its own rules to protect certain information from being disclosed outside the proper, legal processes. The ERC, he stressed, rejects deadlines set by outside groups as grounds for criminal or administrative complaints, emphasizing that its decisions must be tested through official records, the law, and the courts.

‘This does not close the door on Nasecore’s concerns. The group remains free to raise specific, documented questions about any utility’s charges, to participate as an intervenor in the Commission’s public rate and confirmation proceedings, or to seek judicial review of any ERC action before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, as provided by law. These channels remain fully open, and the Commission will continue to engage Nasecore through them in good faith,’ Juan said.

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Department of Finance (DOF) have jointly issued new guidelines allowing local governments (LGU) to use 20 percent of their development fund (DF) for projects aimed at cushioning the impact of the energy crisis.

Under DBM-DOF-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular 1, LGUs may fund development-oriented and capital-intensive projects that support the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) Framework.

Under the new policy, the construction or establishment of local oil storage facilities; expansion of renewable energy projects and smart and green grid systems; procurement of electric vehicles (EVs) for health services, uniformed services, as well as disaster risk preparedness and response operations, may now be funded wholly or partly by the LGUs’ development fund.

Projects may also include the construction and installation of solar photovoltaic systems and infrastructure, as well as other applicable energy efficiency projects recommended by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee.

The Uplift Framework was adopted under Executive Order 110, s. 2026, following President Marcos’ declaration of a State of National Energy Emergency. It provides a unified government response to safeguard energy stability, economic continuity, and public welfare.

The JMC supplements an earlier directive governing the appropriation and use of the 20 percent DF, giving LGUs greater flexibility to align local resources with the Uplift Framework and undertake interventions that mitigate the effects of the energy emergency.

LGUs are likewise encouraged to coordinate with relevant national government agencies to ensure that local interventions complement existing programs and provide additional support to sectors or areas not sufficiently covered by national or local initiatives.

The DILG emphasized that energy efficiency and conservation projects funded under the 20 percent DF must be integrated into local planning, investment programming, budgeting, and reporting mechanisms, including the Local Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan.

The fund, however, cannot be used for recurring expenses such as fuel purchases, electricity and water bills, and other day-to-day administrative costs.

Through the newly issued guidelines, LGUs can mobilize local investments toward cleaner, more resilient, and energy-efficient communities while helping cushion the impact of global energy uncertainties on local economies and the delivery of essential public services.

A celebration of music, love, friendship, and the enduring Filipino spirit.

National Artist Ryan Cayabyab’s timeless music-from sacred and inspirational works to beloved songs that have become part of the Filipino soundtrack-will take center stage at ‘Unang Siklab LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-Ibig’ on September 20, 2026, at The Theatre at Solaire.

The concert brings together Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of conductors Jonathan Velasco and Toma Cayabyab, with an exceptional roster of Filipino artists: Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Bituin Escalante, Jed Madela, Gigi De Lana, Sofronio Vasquez, and Arman Ferrer.

Joining them is the 200-member LIYAB Grand Chorale, composed of eight of the country’s distinguished choirs: the Ateneo Chamber Singers, Imuscapella, Konsertus, Mass Appeal, Novo Concertante, PCSO Chorale, UP Concert Chorus, and the UP Manila Chorale.

The overwhelming response to the concert has already underscored the enduring appeal of Cayabyab’s music. Tickets to the original 7 p.m. performance sold out within 48 hours after public online sales opened through TicketWorld, prompting production company Ducks Entertainment to add a 2 p.m. matinee on the same day.

‘We are very thankful for the audience’s support of Filipino music and the enduring legacy of Maestro Ryan Cayabyab,’ Ducks Entertainment said in a statement.

From a Maestro’s wish to ‘LIYAB’

The seeds of LIYAB were planted months ago, when Cayabyab shared on Facebook his wish to see his sacred music performed in a concert.

Known affectionately as Mr. C., Cayabyab has composed a wide range of religious and sacred works throughout his career, including church hymns and full-length works such as Misa, Magnificat, Ang Birhen ng Casaysay, and Lorenzo.

But as the concert took shape, the vision grew.

The sacred choral works became the spark-ang ‘Unang Siklab.’ From that initial spark, LIYAB evolved into an opportunity to celebrate the many ways music can express love: love of God, country, people, friendship, and the Filipino spirit.

Two couples-Doctors Melfred and Arlene Hernandez, and entrepreneurs Mon and Monique Eugenio-turned a longtime friendship and shared love for music into Ducks Entertainment, joining forces to bring Cayabyab’s vision to life. The couples are close friends of Mr. C. and his wife, Emmy.

How they came up with the name of the production outfit is a story in itself.

The friendship was forged in 2011, and through the years, the friends found themselves sharing a love for music, good food, travel, and a brand of humor that is playful, somewhat irreverent, and often self-deprecating.

billboards do the job socmed

The three men call themselves ‘Tatlong Bibe.’ So when two of the Bibes, Melf and Mon, decided to form a production outfit together with their wives, there was really only one name that made sense: Ducks Entertainment, Inc.

The name was also a playful nod to the popular entertainment show of their youth-a fitting connection given that one of the concert’s biggest stars had her beginnings in the show.

For the producers, the concert is ultimately an expression of gratitude and love for a composer whose music has touched generations of Filipinos.

‘We want Filipinos to see the value of and appreciate Filipino music, especially the youth,’ said Arlene Hernandez, explaining the producers’ vision for the concert.

‘As advocates of our nation’s music, the Filipino people must continue to sing it, perform it, reinterpret it, and allow the next generations to discover it, embrace it, and make it truly theirs. In that way, Filipino music will live on and continue to inspire,’ Arlene elaborated.

For Melfred Hernandez, LIYAB is about something even more personal.

‘It’s a love letter-to a National Artist whose songs raised us, and to a friendship that decided that his music deserved a stage this big.’

At its heart, LIYAB seeks to rekindle something the producers believe is deeply needed today: love.

Through a repertoire encompassing sacred, inspirational, and beloved Filipino songs, the concert hopes to ignite a renewed love for country and for one another.

‘We want to rekindle the idea of love. There’s just too little of it, especially during these trying times,’ said Mon Eugenio.

But the producers envision LIYAB as more than a one-time celebration.

‘We hope to develop LIYAB into a template that can eventually be brought to the Visayas and Mindanao, with homegrown choirs and artists taking center stage. That is the dream,’ said Monique Eugenio.

The vision is to bring the LIYAB concept to different parts of the country while allowing each region to contribute its own artists, voices, and musical identity.

‘We don’t want to bring Manila to the provinces. We want to bring the platform, and let the provinces bring their own voices,’ said Monique.

Music that gives back

In keeping with the spirit of love and generosity behind LIYAB, portions of the concert’s proceeds will benefit the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Medical Foundation, supporting its continuing efforts to provide care and assistance to patients and programs of the Philippine General Hospital.

A portion will also go to the UP-PGH Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as it celebrates its 65th Founding Anniversary, honoring generations of physicians, teachers, researchers, and healthcare professionals whose commitment has helped advance patient care, education, and service.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) International Scholarship Fund will likewise be among the beneficiaries, supporting opportunities for Filipino artists and cultural practitioners to further their education and development.

For the producers, bringing LIYAB to the stage has been an ambitious undertaking.

‘We didn’t realize it would be such an ambitious undertaking. A 200-voice choir made up of eight different choral groups, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, multiple conductors, major soloists, rehearsals, music preparation, production logistics-and making sure that all of these moving parts eventually become one coherent artistic experience,’ said Mon.

For Dr. Melfred, however, the complexity behind the production is precisely what the audience should never have to think about.

‘The funny thing about producing a concert of this scale is that the audience should never see all that complexity. They should simply sit down, hear the first note, and feel the magic-and leave the theatre with LIYAB in their hearts: for God, for country and for their beloved.’

‘Unang Siklab LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-Ibig’ is presented by Ducks Entertainment on September 20, 2026, at The Theatre at Solaire, with performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

SAN MARCELINO, Zambales-President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dropped by at the lahar-stricken village of Sta. Fe here on Wednesday, September 2, buoying residents’ hope for continuous government assistance on their fourth week of isolation due to lahar and mudflows that inundated the barangay.

Marcos flew into Zambales after conducting an aerial inspection of flood-hit areas in Tarlac with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

The President was joined by Dizon, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Zambales congressional representatives Jay Khonghun and Doris Maniquiz, and San Marcelino Mayor Elvis Soria.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ordered the immediate inspection of every national bridge in the country, directing engineers to impose traffic restrictions or carry out emergency works on any span found at risk of failing under the continuous rains of the southwest monsoon.

The directive, contained in a memorandum dated September 1, 2026 and signed by Secretary Dizon, was issued to all regional directors and district engineers days after two bridges in Tarlac City gave way to swollen river currents.

Field offices were told to prioritize structures showing significant scouring, exposed or undermined foundations, affected abutments, and ‘other signs of distress that may compromise structural stability or lead to possible collapse,’ according to the memorandum.

District engineers were also instructed to undertake ‘immediate and appropriate measures on bridges found to be at risk,’ including traffic restrictions, emergency protection works, repairs and other interventions ‘as may be warranted, to ensure public safety and prevent further deterioration or damage.’

Results must be submitted electronically within 15 days of issuance-or by September 16-through a centralized link, using a prescribed template the order lands amid one of the most damaging monsoon seasons in recent years. A portion of the Aquino Bridge in Tarlac City collapsed on August 28, followed the next night by the Agana Bridge in Barangay Tibag, prompting the provincial board to place Tarlac under a state of calamity through Resolution No. 416-2026.

The Philippine Coast Guard has recovered the body of one of five people aboard a vehicle that plunged into the Tarlac River when the Agana Bridge partially gave way. As of August 30, the combined effects of successive weather disturbances and the enhanced habagat had left 31 dead, with infrastructure damage estimated at no less than P6 billion and agricultural losses at P2.3 billion. At least 117 cities and towns were under a state of calamity.

Dizon said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had ordered the agency to restore connectivity in the worst-hit provinces. The DPWH has begun assembling a temporary Bailey bridge at the Agana site.

Isolated in Zambales

In Sta. Fe, Zambales, around 1,000 families were isolated after strong river current from the Sto. Tomas-Marella River swept away the bridge leading to the barangay on August 9. They received family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the President’s Wednesday visit.

The food packs were flown into Sta. Fe from Clark Air Base in Pampanga by the Philippine Air Force the day before.

DSWD Secretary Gatchalian, who arrived in Sta. Fe prior to the President’s visit, assured the community of continuous resupply of food items and other basic needs from the government and said qualified residents may receive financial help under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

Sta. Fe, located along the Sto. Tomas lahar field, has borne the brunt of lahar and mudflows from the slopes of Mount Pinatubo, which flooded homes, schoolhouses and public facilities in the barangay.

Mayor Soria said the local government unit had to ferry food and other basic items across the swollen river via backhoes before a temporary wooden footbridge was built to access the village.

Gov. Ebdane said the provincial government is coordinating with the DPWH in surveying alternative routes to the isolated community, citing the possibility of connecting Sta. Fe to the neighboring barangay of Omaya in San Narciso town.

As of August 31, at least eight houses in Sta. Fe were damaged beyond repair, while the barangay hall and multipurpose center and the Sta. Fe National High School remained flooded following the lahar onslaught, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) reported.

Eighteen families in the nearby village of Aglao have also preemptively evacuated on August 28 amid heavy rains and rising river water, the MDRRMO added. With Samuel P. Medenilla

THE government is proposing a total of P69.9 billion for three major rice programs for next year in its bid to boost local production of the country’s staple food and make rice prices affordable.

Under the proposed P7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program, the government has earmarked P29.9 billion for the National Rice Program, one of the Department of Agriculture’s banner programs.

The proposed budget will bankroll the provision of quality seeds, farm inputs, extension services and modern production technologies to improve rice farmers’ productivity and incomes.

Another P30 billion is allocated for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Of the amount, P9 billion will be used for rice farm machinery and equipment through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization.

Meanwhile, P6 billion will fund rice seed development, propagation and promotion through the Philippine Rice Research Institute.

The remaining P15 billion will finance other priority programs, including rice training and extension services, financial assistance and credit programs for farmers, composting facilities, irrigation and soil health improvement, pest and disease management and farming support programs under the contract farming program.

The annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program (Rcef) allocation was increased threefold from P10 billion to P30 billion under Republic Act 12078, which extended the fund until 2031. The fund is sourced from tariffs collected from rice imports.

Moreover, the government is seeking P10 billion for the Rice for All Program, which aims to make affordable rice available to consumers through Kadiwa Centers and other accredited facilities nationwide.

Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. de Leon said the proposed budget forms part of the administration’s food security agenda, which puts greater productivity and better livelihoods for farmers and fishermen at the center of the country’s efforts to secure its food supply.

‘For agriculture and food security, P261.7 billion is proposed across the agriculture sector, supporting programs that increase productivity, strengthen food security, and improve the incomes of our farmers and fisherfolk,’ De Leon said.

As the government seeks to achieve zero hunger by 2030, the proposed budget is intended to strengthen both production and consumer access to rice.