Category: Business Mirror

Small and medium enterprises may soon find it easier to secure bank Aligence (AI) tools, after the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) to develop digital solutions aimed at making small businesses investment-ready.

The two agencies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday to co-develop AI-enabled solutions that would strengthen the creditworthiness of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), boost their productivity, and expand their businesses.

‘Artificial intelligence must create real opportunities for our people, especially our MSMEs that serve as the backbone of the economy. This partnership with Landbank reflects our commitment to harness emerging tech and improve access to financing,’ said Secretary Henry Aguda.

Under the agreement, the DICT and Landbank will identify priority financing use cases, run pilot implementations, and gather operational feedback to refine the department’s MSME AI Tech Stack-a mobile-first suite of AI assistants built to walk entrepreneurs through common pain points.

These include drafting bankable business plans, complying with government requirements, setting profitable prices, understanding contracts, producing marketing content, and finding financing and state support programs. The platform is designed to be accessible in Filipino, English, and other major Philippine languages.

The partnership falls under the Asean Priority Economic Deliverable (PED) on AI-Powered MSME Growth, which the Philippines is pushing as chair of the ASEAN Summit this year. The deliverable seeks to widen access to affordable AI tools for small businesses across the region.

‘Our Asean PED is about making AI useful for ordinary businesses. This MOU is another step which turns that vision into practical tools that will help MSMEs become more productive, financing-ready, and competitive,’said DICT Undersecretary Faye Condez-de Sagon said.

She noted that the collaboration will also explore AI applications that can help MSMEs organize documentary requirements, support credit assessment, and improve business decision-making.

RIDE-HAILING passengers will soon pay pick-up fees again, after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) revived a fare scheme meant to compensate drivers for the time and fuel they burn traveling to pick up their passengers.

Under Memorandum Circular 2026-059, the regulator reinstated the fixed pick-up fare rates it first rolled out in December last year, capping the charges at a 5-kilometer radius from the driver’s location.

The new circular takes effect upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

LTFRB Chairman Vigor D. Mendoza II said the revival responds to mounting complaints from Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers over rising operational costs, while addressing commuter grievances about unauthorized and unregulated pick-up charges.

‘While commuters’ welfare is a priority, part of our mandate is also to ensure that the concerns of those from the public transportation sectors are heard. In this case, the revival of the pick-up fare implementation will serve both ends,’ Mendoza said.

The fees vary by vehicle type. Hatchbacks and subcompacts may charge P24 within a one-kilometer radius, rising by P24 per kilometer up to P120 at 5 kilometers. Sedans start at P26 and top out at P130, while Asian utility vehicles and sport utility vehicles may charge up to P145. Premium units carry the highest rates, starting at P58 and reaching P289 within the 5-kilometer radius.

No pick-up fee may be imposed or collected beyond five kilometers, and transport network companies (TNCs) were directed to limit their driver-matching radius to the same distance to cut passenger waiting time and operational costs.

The regulator also barred TNCs from taking any share, commission, or service fee from the pick-up fare, with Mendoza stressing that all proceeds go to drivers. Platforms are likewise prohibited from imposing separate booking, convenience, or similarly denominated charges.

TNCs must display the pick-up fare as a distinct line item in the fare breakdown before a passenger confirms a booking, disclose the total fare before ride acceptance, and reflect the charge in the electronic receipt or trip summary after the trip.

The pick-up fare system was first implemented under Memorandum Circular 2025-058, which the board crafted after commuters complained of steep price surges during rush hours at the height of the 2025 Christmas season. It ran briefly from December until the first days of January.

The LTFRB said the same concerns have resurfaced in recent months, with operational data showing slow travel speeds along major Metro Manila roads, including Edsa, and drivers spending significant time and fuel reaching pick-up points-costs previously excluded from the fare, which the board said contributed to booking problems and ride shortages.

The Philippines should stop thinking of indigenous natural gas as merely a fuel. It should begin thinking of it as strategic economic infrastructure. Every cubic foot of indigenous gas that reaches a Philippine power plant is one less cubic foot the nation must purchase abroad, one less pressure on the peso, and one more investment in Philippine economic resilience.

That proposition has become more relevant as electricity prices continue to weigh on Filipino households and businesses. Every increase in power rates eventually works its way into factory floors, transport costs, food prices and household budgets. Electricity is unlike most commodities. Its cost spreads through the entire economy, influencing inflation, business competitiveness and ultimately the purchasing power of ordinary Filipinos.

The challenge is particularly acute at a time when the global economy remains vulnerable to geopolitical tensions. Developments in the Middle East have once again demonstrated how quickly conflicts thousands of kilometers away can unsettle international energy markets. While the Philippines cannot control these external events, it can determine how exposed its own economy will be to them.

This is where indigenous natural gas assumes strategic importance. Recent electricity pricing illustrates the point. Power plants designed to maximize indigenous Malampaya gas continue to demonstrate an important cost advantage over facilities that rely primarily on imported liquefied natural gas. The difference is not merely reflected in electricity bills. It reverberates across the economy because lower generation costs ultimately translate into lower production costs for businesses and greater purchasing power for consumers.

One important reason is structural. Indigenous Malampaya gas supplied under normal operating conditions is exempt from the value-added tax imposed on imported LNG. More importantly, it is insulated from many of the costs associated with importing fuel, including freight charges, exchange-rate fluctuations and the volatility of international LNG markets. It is that use of imported LNG that led to Meralco’s higher pricing structure.

Thus, it is very important to consider the pricing mechanics when it concerns LNG. Every cargo of imported LNG requires precious foreign exchange. Every shipment purchased abroad represents national wealth leaving the country. Indigenous gas works in precisely the opposite direction. It keeps more economic value circulating within the Philippines through government royalties, domestic employment, local services and investments that strengthen the country’s productive capacity.

The implications extend even further. A clear national commitment to developing and utilizing indigenous natural gas sends an important signal to investors willing to undertake the enormous financial risks associated with offshore exploration. Drilling a single exploratory offshore well can require investments running into tens of millions of dollars without any guarantee of commercial success. Such investments are made only when companies believe government policy will consistently support the development and utilization of domestic resources over the long term.

Every successful discovery therefore becomes more than an energy project. It becomes an investment in national resilience. It expands domestic supply, reduces dependence on imported fuel, strengthens the country’s balance of payments, creates employment, generates government revenues and provides industries with greater confidence that reliable energy will remain available for decades.

Nor should natural gas be viewed as standing in opposition to renewable energy. Quite the contrary. As the Philippines accelerates the deployment of solar and wind power, the country will require flexible generating capacity capable of responding whenever renewable output fluctuates. Indigenous natural gas provides precisely that balancing capability.

Rather than delaying the clean-energy transition, it makes a renewable-friendly energy mix more reliable and more achievable. The debate, therefore, is no longer simply about electricity prices. It is about economic strategy.

It is about whether the country chooses to build resilience using resources already beneath its own waters or remains increasingly exposed to the uncertainties of international fuel markets.

The Philippines cannot prevent geopolitical crises abroad, nor can it dictate global LNG prices. But it can pursue policies that reduce the transmission of those external shocks into the domestic economy. In an era of heightened uncertainty, indigenous natural gas should be viewed not merely as an energy resource but as a strategic national asset that strengthens consumer welfare, industrial competitiveness, fiscal revenues, energy security and long-term economic stability.

Energy policy is ultimately a choice about where national wealth will reside-beneath Philippine waters, creating value for Filipinos, or flowing overseas to pay for imported fuel. The more wisely we develop and utilize our own resources, the stronger our economy becomes, the more resilient our industries grow, and the better protected Filipino households are from forces beyond our shores.

That is why indigenous natural gas is far more than fuel. It is a strategic economic infrastructure. And that is the important narrative that our energy officials should consider for the country to start on its road to energy sufficiency.

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Sunday ordered a thorough investigation into the death of a female vlogger in a gun attack in Caloocan City that also left her partner wounded early Friday morning.

Nartatez, in a statement, said he already tasked the Regional Director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to ensure that all angles are looked into, including her active social media engagements.

‘Violence has no place in a society where freedom of expression is honored and respected. There may be differences in beliefs and opinion but we in the PNP commit to uphold and protect the right to express them-and this includes aggressively running after those responsible in this case,’ the PNP chief said.

Nartatez did not identify the slain female vlogger and her wounded live-in-partner but social media reports identified the fatality as Mima Alicia, who is reportedly associated with the United Vloggers and Influencers of the Philippines.

Alicia is known as a Marcos supporter and made Youtube contents criticizing Vice President Sara Duterte and other personalities allied with the family.

Based on the initial report, at least two motorcycle-riding men perpetrated the attack on the female victim in front of her house in Caloocan City on Friday morning.

Neighbors found the female vlogger and her partner after rushing out when they heard gunshots. They took them to the hospital.

Nartatez said he expects a comprehensive investigation into this incident, particularly the angle that the attack may have been triggered by her work as an active political vlogger.

He said he also tasked the Anti-Cybercrime Group to assist in the conduct of the investigation through extensive review of the social media posts and content posted by the victim in her social media platforms.

Nartatez said the NCRPO was also tasked to secure the victim’s partner who is still in the hospital.

THE annual growth in banknote withdrawals from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may have slowed due to a lethargic economy coming into the end of 2025.

In its Annual Report 2025, the central bank noted that annual growth in banknote withdrawals rose only by 6.2 percent in value. The bulk cash reserves pulled directly from the central bank reached P1.57 trillion, up 6.2 percent compared to the P1.48 trillion in 2024.

Meanwhile, the report noted that volume grew ‘strongly’ at 12.9 percent, growing to 3.46 billion pieces from the 3.07 billion pieces in 2024.

According to the BSP, the momentum came from ‘higher-than-expected’ withdrawals of 100-peso and 50-peso denominations, which rose by 25.3 percent and 44.3 percent, respectively.

The BSP credited itself as having ‘demonstrated operational agility by realigning in-house production in Q4 [fourth quarter] 2025 toward lower denominations.’ By doing so, the central bank saw that it ensured a ‘timely supply’ to fulfill banks’ higher demand and supported the day-to-day liquidity requirements of the public.

Explaining the reason why banknote withdrawals slowed in 2025, BSP Deputy Governor for Payments and Currency Management Sector Mamerto E. Tangonan said the slower growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the latter part of 2025 could have weighed on cash withdrawals.

‘There could be several reasons [because the withdrawals are] demand-driven,’ Tangonan told reporters last Monday. ‘If the consumers are not withdrawing, siyempre [of course] the banks will not withdraw from us [BSP].’

‘So you could think about several reasons, could it be the slower GDP? May mga ganung factors,’ he added.

As for coin withdrawal, its value declined by 14.4 percent to P8.4 billion in 2025 from the P9.8 billion in 2024. The BSP said this was largely due to a 21.1-percent drop in demand for the highest coin denomination, the 20-piso coin.

Meanwhile, the volume of coin withdrawal grew 1.4 percent to 1.798 billion pieces in 2025 from the 1.77 billion recorded in the previous year.

The BSP attributed the increase in the volume of coin withdrawal last year to higher demand for 25-sentimo and 5-sentimo coins.

Meanwhile, total banknote deposits with the central bank in 2025 increased by 16.2 percent in value and 12.1 percent in volume.

As for coin deposits, the central bank said it grew significantly, rising by 23.2 percent in value despite a slight decrease in volume.

According to the BSP, currency in circulation in 2025 reached P2.9 trillion, reflecting an annual growth rate of 6.4 percent, slower than the 11.3 percent growth rate in 2024.

FOR the longest time, the success of communicators and PR practitioners hinged on a single measure: how effectively their messages broke through the noise, earned credible media pickup, and stayed with the audiences they sought to influence.

The playbook was straightforward: get your story into the newspapers, land a TV interview, secure a mention in a respected publication, and, if fortune smiled on you, maybe even go viral.

Success was measured by how far your message traveled and how effectively it captured public attention.

Today, however, there’s a new audience we need to pay attention to.

And it’s not human.

It’s AI.

I recently came across a study by Meltwater on what it calls AI Visibility, essentially an examination of how platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other AI tools ‘see’ and describe brands online.

One statistic in the report immediately caught my attention: almost half of the citations used by major AI platforms come from news media sources.

For those unfamiliar with the company, Meltwater is a global media intelligence and social listening firm that helps organizations monitor news coverage, analyze online conversations, track brand reputation, and measure the impact of communications campaigns. Its latest report explores a growing concern among communicators: how artificial intelligence platforms discover, interpret, and recommend brands.

As someone who has spent most of his professional life in journalism and communications, I found the findings both surprising and reassuring.

Surprising because AI has changed the way people search for information almost overnight.

Reassuring because it turns out that credibility still matters.

Before, when people wanted information, they searched Google.

For years, organizations invested heavily in search engine optimization (SEO) to improve their visibility online. The goal was simple: appear on the first page of Google search results and increase the chances of being discovered by potential customers, investors, travelers, or stakeholders.

That strategy remains relevant.

The rules of discovery are evolving, however.

Now, they ask ChatGPT.

Instead of scrolling through 20 links, people ask a question and receive a direct answer. Sometimes, they do not even bother going beyond that answer.

Think about that for a moment.

If someone asks AI for the best airline, the best bank, the most sustainable company, or even the best tourist destination in the Philippines, will your organization appear in the answer? Or will somebody else own that conversation?

That’s the real issue.

The battle is no longer about being on page one of Google.

It’s about being included in the answer.

What communicators should know

The Meltwater study offers several lessons for PR and communications professionals.

1. News still matters.

Despite all the hype around AI, news organizations remain among the most cited sources used by large language models (LLMs), the technology powering today’s AI assistants. These systems learn patterns from enormous volumes of online content and often rely on reputable news sources to understand and explain the world.

Simply put, earned media remains one of the strongest credibility signals available.

2. Fresh content wins.

AI platforms appear to favor newer information.

Old press releases gathering dust on a website will not help much if nobody is talking about your organization today.

3. Social media is no longer just social media.

Platforms such as Reddit, X, and YouTube are increasingly influencing AI-generated answers.

AI is paying attention to online conversations, not just official corporate statements.

4. Your website matters more than you think.

AI is not just reading news stories. It is also looking at FAQs, blogs, help centers, industry publications, reviews, and community discussions.

The takeaway for PR

For years, PR and communications professionals have been telling management that reputation is an asset.

AI is proving that point.

What AI says about your organization is often based on what credible sources say about you.

The better your reputation, the more likely you are to be visible in AI-generated responses.

Which means PR is no longer just about publicity.

Content is no longer just content.

Reputation is no longer just perception.

All of these now influence whether AI recognizes your organization as relevant, trustworthy, and worth recommending.

My simple checklist

If I were advising communications teams today, I would focus on five things:

Earn quality media coverage regularly.

Keep corporate content updated and useful.

Build thought leadership around your executives.

Participate in industry and community conversations.

Monitor what AI says about your brand.

None of these are revolutionary ideas.

They’re actually the fundamentals of good public relations.

The difference is that we’re no longer communicating only with people.

We’re also communicating with the machines that increasingly influence people.

And that’s why AI visibility should concern every communicator.

Because in the near future, if AI doesn’t know who you are, your stakeholders may never get the chance to know you either.

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Red R. Samar is a communications professional and former journalist with extensive experience in media, public relations, and corporate communications. Most recently, he served as Manager for Corporate Communications at JG Summit Holdings Inc., one of the Philippines’s leading conglomerates, where he led initiatives in media relations, digital platform, corporate reputation, crisis communications, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday rolled out the government’s P55-billion Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transportation (UPLIFT) Assistance program, aimed at preventing up to 1.2 million Filipino families from slipping into poverty amid the ongoing energy crisis.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the program is designed not only to cushion the impact of rising energy costs but also to prevent low-income and near-poor households from slipping back into poverty.

Citing government data, Gatchalian warned that an estimated 1.2 million families risk falling into poverty within a short period if no intervention is made.

‘We have invested heavily in lifting these families over the past few years. It would be unfortunate if, within just six months, they fall back into poverty. This assistance will help protect them during that period,’ he said.

The UPLIFT program is expected to benefit a total of 7.5 million households, covering not only the poorest sectors but also low-wage earners and those living just above the poverty line.

‘This is a broad safety net. It includes the poor, the near-poor, and those who are just one crisis-such as illness, death, or disaster-away from falling back into poverty,’ Gatchalian explained.

Beneficiaries are grouped into three categories. The first group includes 3.5 million households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), who will receive a one-time grant of P2,000.

The second group, composed of 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), began receiving manual payouts on Monday. They will receive P2,000 monthly until December.

The third group covers 1.5 million low-wage earners identified by the Social Security System (SSS), who will receive P2,000 monthly through their bank accounts until year-end.

The initiative follows the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to extend financial assistance to Filipinos affected by the energy crisis. The program was also informed by recommendations from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which warned of a potential surge in poverty without timely government intervention.

For the initial rollout, the DSWD is conducting manual payouts for Group 2 beneficiaries while collecting their e-wallet details to facilitate faster and more efficient distribution in the coming months.

At the launch event held at Teatro Marikina in Marikina City, 78 beneficiaries from Group 2 received their first tranche of assistance.

The government has earmarked P55 billion to fund the UPLIFT program through the end of the year, aiming to stimulate the economy while safeguarding millions of families from deeper financial hardship.

STRONGER economic growth in the second half will be vital for the country’s two main revenue agencies to meet their recalibrated collection targets this year, even as both remain on track in the first semester.

‘We’re hoping for a higher GDP [gross domestic product] growth in the coming months because it significantly impacts VAT [value-added tax], percentage tax and other business taxes,’ Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza told reporters last week.

To recall, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) lowered the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) revenue target by P38 billion to P3.393 trillion, while increasing the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) goal by P7.2 billion.

Separately, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno told reporters that the higher target took into account the weakening of the peso against the US dollar, expectations of economic growth and other macroeconomic factors.

‘But we can [reach the target],’ Nepomuceno said, noting that the BOC’s extra revenues of P11.8 billion could make up for the additional P7.2 billion needed from the bureau. ‘There’s still a lot of room for improvement.’

Revenue drivers

Mendoza said the BIR is banking on digitalization initiatives and taxpayer education programs to make tax compliance easier.

‘The idea is we want to make compliance easier for them. So when compliance is easier, it is easier for them to pay taxes and that translates to better revenue collection,’ the commissioner said.

‘Hopefully, [the government’s] infrastructure spending will improve and economic activities will accelerate in the coming months,’ he added.

The issuances of the contested letters of authority (LOAs) have also been reduced in the first semester since the suspension on its issuance was lifted in January.

‘I do not look at LOAs as primary revenue source. It should not be like that. I still look at voluntary compliance as our primary revenue source,’ Mendoza said. ‘If we can have less audits, less enforcement, that is better because that means our taxpayers are properly and voluntarily complying.’

Although the BIR’s lower revenue target would make it easier for the bureau to collect what’s due, Mendoza said the target itself is already a challenge because it is still high.

The goal still represents nearly a 10-percent growth from the P3.1 trillion the BIR collected last year, he noted.

‘It’s still a tall order, but we’re doing our best to meet our target. So far, we’re still on track,’ Mendoza said.

For the BOC, Nepomuceno said the bureau is reviewing the rate of assessment, or collections relative to the value of imports, as some ports may be applying assessment rates that are lower than warranted.

‘We can increase it without disregarding the transaction value regime right now,’ the BOC chief said, noting that any adjustments would be implemented gradually to avoid disrupting trade.

Misclassification, undervaluation and smuggling remain as key threats to the BOC’s revenue collections, although he said the agency has measures in place to address these leakages.

From January to May 2026, the BIR has raised P1.420 trillion, or 41.85 percent of its full-year target.

The BOC, meanwhile, collected P491.748 billion in the first half of the year, making up 48.63 percent of its goal for the year.

The DBCC lowered this year’s revenue target from P4.824 trillion to P4.807 trillion, of which the remaining P365.1 billion will come from non-tax revenues.

Image credits: YOORAN PARK VIA DREAMSTIME.COM

Jordan Bartlett delivered in the clutch as HoopBus HCG captured the inaugural 2026 MelMac Sports 3×3 Invitational title, defeating Taho Story, 21-17, on Sunday night at MelMac Sports.

Bartlett sparked HoopBus HCG’s decisive 7-2 finishing run, scoring six of his eight points in the closing stretch. His biggest basket came with 21 seconds left, when the De La Salle University guard drove to the hoop and finished over Jimwell Ocampo to put the championship beyond reach.

The 5-foot-10 playmaker helped HoopBus HCG erase a 14-15 deficit, capping an unbeaten tournament run and securing the P100,000 champion’s prize.

Billy Baptist and AJ Benson added six points each, while Carlo De Chavez contributed one.

Taho Story settled for the P50,000 runner-up purse after an inspiring Cinderella campaign.

Ike Akpuru scored a game-high nine points, while Ocampo added six. Michael Macaballug finished with two points, and Nikki Monteclaro was held scoreless.

Despite placing fourth in Pool A with a 3-2 record, Taho Story produced the tournament’s biggest upset in the quarterfinals, stunning top-seeded Pool B squad Zark’s Burgers, 14-8. The heavily favored Zark’s lineup featured Mac Tallo, Alvin Pasaol, JR Alabanza and Gian Abrigo.

Taho Story followed that up with a 21-13 semifinal victory over HCG MNL Kingpin to earn a berth in the championship game.

Earlier, L.A.D Basketball claimed third place after defeating a fatigued HCG MNL Kingpin side, 21-14.

JP Sarao led L.A.D Basketball with eight points, while Jey Mark Mallari and Lester Quicho added six and five, respectively, to secure the P30,000 third-place prize.

Kit Aviso and Fubara White scored four points apiece for HCG MNL Kingpin.

Beyond crowning its first champion, the tournament highlighted MelMac Sports’ goal of helping revive the local 3×3 basketball scene by providing a platform for both established and emerging players.

MelMac Sports founder Mel Macasaquit thanked the Villar Group, represented by mall head Jeff Ventura, Smart Sports, and the tournament’s partners for supporting the inaugural event.

‘My passion-really, my obsession-for 3×3 basketball inspired me to build this multi-sports facility,’ Macasaquit said. ‘With the Villar Group and all of your support, we’re continuing to expand because we want to create more opportunities for athletes and help elevate the local 3×3 basketball scene.’

Macasaquit also announced that MelMac Sports is expanding beyond basketball.

Earlier in the day, its FIFA-standard football field at Villar City hosted its first activity through G8 Academy, marking another milestone for the sports complex.

‘We’re not stopping with basketball,’ he said. ‘Today, our FIFA-standard football field welcomed its first activity with G8 Academy, and we’re also expanding with Planet MelMac, our restaurant. We hope you’ll continue supporting us as we continue building a home for sports in the community.’

With the successful staging of its inaugural 3×3 Invitational and continued investment in world-class facilities, MelMac Sports aims to strengthen grassroots sports while establishing itself as an emerging hub for basketball and other sporting events.

Results

Championship

HoopBus HCG 21 – Bartlett 8, Baptist 6, Benson 6, De Chavez 1

Taho Story 17 – Akpuru 9, Ocampo 6, Macaballug 2, Monteclaro 0

Third Place

L.A.D Basketball 21 – Sarao 8, Mallari 6, Quicho 5, Villapando 2

HCG MNL Kingpin 14 – Aviso 4, White 4, Tadena 3, Price 3

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expects to issue by August a long-awaited order that would make compliance with updated seismic-grade steel standards mandatory, following months of industry calls to tighten construction safety rules.

The updated standards, released by the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) in May, remain voluntary pending the issuance of the memorandum, which will require compliance in the industry.

‘It should be soon. By August. It should arrive soon,’ Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque told reporters when asked about the timeline for the memorandum circular.

Roque said the government is treating the matter with urgency given the country’s vulnerability to earthquakes. ‘We’re really focused on that, especially because of the earthquake. So that’s a very sensitive issue,’ she said.

She added that several government agencies are working together as the government reviews the measure before its implementation.

‘That’s the usual process. But we have an investigation and there’s a lot of government departments that are working closely together to enforce whatever we will decide on this one,’ Roque said, referring to the ongoing public consultation and interagency discussions.

Last month, Southeast Asia Iron and Steel Institute (Seaisi) Chairman and Asean Iron and Steel Council (AISC) President Ronald Magsajo said the revised standards are intended to eliminate the future use of non-seismic-grade reinforcing bars in construction.

He said some induction furnace (IF) facilities continue to manufacture non-seismic-grade reinforcing steel, while newer steelmaking technologies are capable of removing more impurities and producing higher-quality materials.

Magsajo estimated that about 30 percent of the domestic reinforcing bar market is supplied by such, with most products going to hardware stores and smaller construction projects.

Seaisi noted that China banned the use of IF technology for construction steel and shut down IF steel facilities, citing quality and environmental concerns.

Similar restrictions have since been adopted across Southeast Asia, with Indonesia and Thailand prohibiting IF-produced steel in public infrastructure projects, while Singapore and Malaysia impose tighter controls on its use.

In the Philippines, the towns of San Simon in Pampanga and Sta. Maria in Bulacan have also prohibited IF operations over environmental concerns.