Category: Philippine Star

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has called for Philippine visa processing to be outsourced to third-party providers, a comment which drew a sharp objection from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking on DZRH on Saturday, October 24, Remulla said foreign service officers should focus on diplomacy rather than handling visa applications.

“Ang problema ng DFA, they forget that their primary job is to be diplomats. Eh dito iba ‘yung gusto nilang mangyari, gusto nilang magnegosyo,” Remulla said.

(“The problem with the DFA is that they forget that their primary job is to be diplomats. But here, they want something else to happen; they want to go into business.”)

“Ako talaga ang stance ko diyan, let the Philippine visa processing be done by a third party, VFS (Visa Facilitation Services). Para alam natin kung sino pumapasok, nave-vet natin lahat ng pumapasok,” he added.

(“My position is to let Philippine visa processing be handled by a third party, like VFS. That way, we know who is entering and we can vet everyone coming in.”)

Remulla argued that using a third-party provider would establish a uniform international standard for processing applications and screening tourists and business travelers.

“Kasi pag binigay sa VFS ‘yan, it will become a standard of the country for the rest of the world,” he said.

(“Because if that is given to VFS, it will become the country’s standard for the rest of the world.”)

Remulla also said immigration matters should pass through the Department of Justice because of the need to conduct background checks on people entering the country.

“Dapat dumaan sa Department of Justice yan. I think so, because we want to get a background of the people entering our country,” Remulla said.

(“That should go through the Department of Justice. I think so, because we want to get a background check on the people entering our country.”)

DFA ‘strongly objects’

The DFA pushed back against Remulla’s remarks, saying they undermined the agency’s integrity and unfairly tarnished the reputation of the Philippine Foreign Service and its personnel.

The department said its authority to issue visas is grounded in both domestic and international law.

It cited Executive Order No. 292, or the Administrative Code of 1987, which recognizes visa issuance as a consular function, as well as the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The DFA also explained that third-party providers such as VFS may perform administrative functions, including receiving visa applications, but do not have the authority to approve or deny them.

That authority remains with Philippine diplomatic missions, the department said.

“The visa fees collected are pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, including the prescribed Schedule of Fees. The DFA does not tolerate corruption and remains committed to accountability, transparency, and utmost professionalism in the delivery of public service,” the DFA said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has switched the heads of the transportation and public works departments, sending Vince Dizon back to lead his former agency and Giovanni Lopez taking his place.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Lino Cayetano announced the changes at a press briefing Monday, October 26.

Dizon will return to the Department of Transportation, while Lopez, who had been serving as acting transportation secretary, has been appointed to lead the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“In the president’s own words: ‘We are shifting gears to accelerate reform. Secretary Dizon goes to DOTr to fix the daily commute. Secretary Lopez goes to DPWH to make sure the reforms there last,'” Cayetano said.

“Lahat ng ito, para lalong bumilis at gumaan ang serbisyo ng gobyerno para sa ating mga kababayan,” he added. (“All of this is to make government services faster and easier for our fellow Filipinos.”)

The appointments reverse a Cabinet reshuffle made in August 2025. Dizon, then transportation secretary, was appointed to lead the DPWH on Aug. 31, 2025, following the resignation of then-Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan amid controversy over alleged anomalous flood control projects.

Lopez, then a DOTr undersecretary, was appointed acting transportation secretary to take over the post vacated by Dizon.

More than 8,000 young entrepreneurs, students, business leaders and policymakers gathered at the inaugural ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to empower the next generation in shaping Southeast Asia’s economic future.

Organized by SM Cares, the Global Peace Foundation Philippines, and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines, the summit aligns with SM’s advocacy of transforming its spaces into avenues that equip and educate the youth for nation-building.

For SM Cares, the summit reflects its commitment to youth development, leadership, community empowerment, and nation-building. By bringing young people together with business leaders, mentors, and fellow aspiring entrepreneurs, AYES 2026 provides opportunities to gain knowledge, build networks, and exchange ideas that can help them realize their potential.

‘Young entrepreneurs have so much potential, and part of empowering them is making sure they have opportunities to turn their ideas into something tangible. Through SM for MSME’s programs, we aim to provide entrepreneurs with spaces to showcase their products, connect with real customers and learn what it takes to grow,’ said Royston Cabuñag, program director for SM Cares Children and youth lead for SM for MSMEs.

‘These experiences give them more than sales, they offer valuable insights, practical experience and the confidence to keep improving. By helping young businesses take those first steps, we hope to support their growth and enable them to create opportunities for others,’ Cabuñag added.

The summit featured key insights, as well as launched the Asean Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda, which outlines eight recommendations to strengthen support for youth-led businesses.

Here are six takeaways from the event:

1. Start simple: Look for problems you can solve

Entrepreneurship does not always require a groundbreaking idea. Sometimes, it starts with recognizing something that could be improved and having the courage to act.

Hanna Carinna Sy, senior assistant vice president for marketing and leasing at SM Supermalls, encouraged young people to start with what they can change. With the right support and willingness to learn, even small ideas can create opportunities for businesses and communities.

2. Gain experience before starting a business

ASEAN Business Advisory Council Chairman Joey Concepcion urged aspiring entrepreneurs to gain practical experience before venturing out on their own.

‘Take a job first, get experience, make the mistakes in the company you’re working for,’ he said, reminding young people that employment can also lead to leadership positions and company ownership.

His advice: build your skills, learn from mistakes and take calculated steps toward entrepreneurship.

3. Give young people a seat at the table, not just a voice

Meaningful youth participation goes beyond asking for opinions. Nora Terrado, Senior Adviser for Women at ASEAN-BAC Philippines, challenged business and government leaders to involve young people in shaping solutions.

‘Cooperation means being an active participant of that conversation,’ she said.

Terrado also stressed the importance of teaching young people accountability, giving them both a role in decision-making and ownership of their responsibilities.

4. Find mentors early and learn from their experience

Mentorship can help young entrepreneurs navigate challenges, avoid costly mistakes and build sustainable businesses.

Anna Magalona-Go, founder and CEO of But First Coffee, emphasized finding a mentor from day one. Andrew Chan, founder of LoomWorks Studio from Singapore, encouraged entrepreneurs to seek mentors who are cycles ahead of them and learn from their experience in scaling businesses through people, processes and technology.

Tran Thai Binh, co-founder of Green Beli Farm from Vietnam, offered another lesson in patience: ‘Trees don’t grow overnight.’ Business growth takes consistent effort and the support of people who believe in a venture’s potential.

Mentorship also means paying it forward by sharing knowledge and helping others grow.

‘Entrepreneurs don’t grow in isolation,’ said Cabuñag of SM for MSMEs. ‘By building connections with malls and marketplaces, government agencies, business groups, mentors, established companies, fellow entrepreneurs and ASEAN networks, young business owners can learn from others, discover new opportunities and find the support they need to take their businesses to the next level.’

5. Think beyond borders

With nearly 700 million people across Southeast Asia, ASEAN offers Philippine entrepreneurs opportunities to reach customers beyond the domestic market. Digital tools have also made regional expansion more accessible to micro, small, and medium enterprises.

At AYES 2026, Ernesto Tanmantiong, Global President and CEO of the Jollibee Group, shared lessons from building a global Filipino brand from the ground up. He encouraged young entrepreneurs to trust their beginnings while continuously pursuing greater possibilities, summed up in the message: ‘Dream big, dream global, start local.’

The ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Action Agenda also seeks to support this ambition through eight recommendations developed from young entrepreneurs’ perspectives.

‘The challenges we face today go beyond borders. Our ideas and solutions can too,’ said Hanna Carinna Sy of SM Supermalls, encouraging young people to create opportunities not only for themselves but also for others.

6. Stay optimistic and learn from failure

Building a business comes with setbacks and doubts, but young entrepreneurs can treat these challenges as opportunities to learn and improve.

One participant, @EiansOptimist, shared: ‘May mga taong susuporta sa’yo, pero marami rin ang magdududa sa kakayahan mo. Along the way, failure is inevitable, but every failure is also a chance to learn, grow, and become better.’

Another participant, @kerusen, highlighted the importance of practical optimism, saying: ‘My key takeaway is that practical optimism is the foundation of sustainable progress. True success requires pairing a positive, hardworking mindset with the patience to learn through foundational experience first.’

Together, these insights underscore that optimism goes beyond believing in an idea. It also means staying resilient through failure, putting in the work, and having the patience to build a strong foundation for long-term success.

Ultimately, for SM Cares, the goal of the inaugural AYES 2026 is to empower the next generation not only to pursue their ambitions but also to create opportunities and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

The slump continues for the Red Warriors.

University of the Philippines blasted University of the East, 101-70 in their UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball clash Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

The Fighting Maroons won their fifth straight game, while the Red Warriors remained winless through their last 29 UAAP games.

Veejay Pre top-scored for UP with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Gani Stevens added 13 markers and 5 boards.

Trailing by double digits early on, the Red Warriors inched to within eight, 47-55, in the third quarter after a JM Edoukou layup.

UP hiked the lead back to 15, 62-47, before UE unleashed a 7-1 run to cut it to nine, 54-63, with 3:03 remaining in the frame.

But the Fighting Maroons found a higher gear, breaking the game wide open with a 24-7 run, 87-61, after a triple by Sean Franco.

From that point, it was all UP as they took a lead as high as 34 points.

Migs Palanca produced 12 points and four rebounds off the bench in the win. Elliot Dimaculangan and Dikachi Ududo had nine points apiece.

Toper Lagat carried the offense once again for UE with 23 points and two rebounds, while Mo Tanedo was the only other double digit scorer with 11.

UP rose to 9-2 in the standings, good for solo first, while UE dropped to 0-9.

Rainy weather will prevail over parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao today due to the intertropical convergence zone, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

PAGASA said cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms would be felt in Visayas, Mindanao, Sorsogon, Masbate and Palawan.

Localized thunderstorms will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, the trough of tropical cyclone Champi, formerly Rosal, will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms in Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Apayao and Babuyan Islands.

Rosal exited the Philippine area of responsibility around 10 a.m. yesterday, moving towards the East China Sea.

A non-citizen was recently indicted for having registered to vote and voting in a federal election. Voting in federal elections is perhaps one of the worst immigration violations any noncitizen can commit, even lawful permanent residents. If you vote in a federal election and are not a US citizen, you are blacklisted for life, with no waivers available. The penalties include:

If you are applying for a green card (adjustment of status) and it is discovered you registered to vote, your application for adjustment of status will be denied and you will be placed in deportation.

If you are a green card holder and are applying for naturalization, your naturalization application will be denied and you will be placed in deportation.

Not only will a non-citizen face deportation/removal, but the Trump administration may also criminally indict you so that you would first go to jail and, upon serving your sentence, be stripped of your green card and deported.

This information is important for noncitizens to understand, especially around election time, as it can be very confusing. And I blame the well-meaning progressive politicians for creating this dangerous situation for noncitizens.

As stated, only US citizens can vote in FEDERAL elections, such as for president and US senators and members of Congress. However, some jurisdictions allow noncitizens to register to vote and vote in LOCAL elections, such as for school board, mayor, etc. But many noncitizens do not understand the distinction and mistakenly vote in federal elections. Or, when renewing their driver’s license, some states have ‘motor-voter’ applications, where the DMV registration includes a section enabling people to register to vote. Noncitizens mistakenly fill out the entire form, which may include affirmations that they are US citizens. The non-citizen may then get a ballot in the mail and think that they are somehow authorized to vote in a federal election. Later, especially with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, using AI, the Department of Homeland Security can run a check on a person’s background and, within seconds, discover they had registered to vote or voted in a federal election. Then, not only will the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) come after them, but also federal marshals and prosecutors to have them put in jail. (In the case of the indicted alien, she was charged with false claim of US citizenship, false claim of US citizenship to vote, fraudulent election conduct and voting by an alien in a federal election. So, there are lots of criminal charges if a noncitizen votes!)

Therefore, in the upcoming elections, if you are not a US citizen, make sure you do not vote in the federal elections. If you received a ballot, you may want to see an immigration attorney, because you should not be getting ballots for federal elections, and if you registered to vote and were not a US citizen, it could spell trouble or disaster.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has pledged to go after public officials who extort from businessmen, by establishing a mechanism for filing complaints.

At a meeting with owners of mostly lechon businesses in Cebu City on Thursday, Remulla lamented the ‘growing impunity of corruption’ among public officials at various levels of government who use their positions to demand money from businesses in exchange for permits, approvals and other government services.

‘Government officials effectively demand a share of business earnings, driving up operating costs and discouraging investment,’ he said.

Remulla also presented to the Cebu businessmen his plan to open the ‘investors’ window’ in the Office of the Ombudsman where they could file ‘complaints of extortion, abuse of authority, unreasonable delays and other forms of misconduct in government.’

He also assured them the Ombudsman would not give in to ‘political pressure or attempts to shield influential individuals from investigation and prosecution.’

The speaker of the interim Bangsamoro parliament and an outgoing member from the Moro National Liberation (MNLF) have separately urged the newly elected regional lawmakers to work together to foster peace and development in the autonomous region.

Residents in many areas of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which encompasses the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato, are still struggling to recover from decades of secessionist strife.

BARMM Parliament Speaker Mohammad Yacob said on Saturday, October 24, that he hoped the 80 members of the newly mandated parliament would overcome their bitter partisan differences, which were fueled by intense rivalries during the region’s first parliamentary elections on September 14.

“We have to build cordiality and tight working cohesion among all of us,” Yacob said.

Yacob will continue serving as a regional lawmaker, as one of the 31 members of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party elected to the regular parliament, which is set to begin functioning on October 30.

‘There should be no more animosity among us. Let us work as a team,’ Yacob said.

He and outgoing Deputy Speaker Baintain Adil-Ampatuan led the interim parliament’s symbolic closing session on Thursday, paving the way for the first session of the duly elected lawmakers on Friday next week.

In his remarks, Yacob thanked the appointed members of the interim parliament for their cooperation in passing regional laws aimed at strengtgening governance, accelerating BARMM’s socioeconomic development and promoting interfaith and cultural solidarity among its diverse communities.

The interim parliament passed a total of 94 laws since BARMM’s creation in 2019, replacing the 27-year-old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which had a 24-member Regional Legislative Assembly with more limited powers.

Yacob said the elected lawmakers should also review and enact into regional laws all pending bills authored by members of the now-defunct interim parliament.

Romeo Sema, who has represented the MNLF in the interim parliament since 2019, said the newly elected lawmakers, whose five-year term begins on October 30, should involve Muslim, Christian and indigenous communities in BARMM, as well as officials of the regional government’s ministries and support agencies, in drafting proposed laws subject to their collective imprimatur.

‘Some of the elected regional lawmakers are newcomers. They need to get acquainted with the parliament’s policies and procedures on how to produce quality regional laws that would be good for the region’s Muslim, Christian and indigenous communities,’ Sema, whose interim tenure as regional lawmaker shall end on October 30, said.

Sema is among the MNLF representatives appointed to the interim parliament. The MNLF forged a final truce with the national government on Sept. 2, 1996, with the organization of the Islamic Cooperation, a bloc of more than 50 Muslim nations, including petroleum-exporting states in the Middle East and North Africa.

Neither of the MNLF’s two political parties, Mahardika and the Bangsamoro Party, secured a seat through their nominees for bloc representation in the BARMM parliament during the September 14 regional elections. MNLF candidates who ran for district parliamentary seats in BARMM’s provinces and cities were also defeated by contenders from rival parties.

‘Just the same, our support for the peace initiatives of the parliament will continue. We shall do that all for peace and for the prosperity of the communities in the autonomous region,’ Sema said.

Sema said he and his fellow MNLF members were grateful to the Office of the President for its role in empowering the BARMM government and helping regional officials push their common peace and development initiatives forward.

‘We are also thankful to President Marcos for having announced that he shall give the duly-elected members of the parliament a free hand in choosing who they would want to become their chief minister from among them,’ Sema said.

The word war between Philippine lawmakers and Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan showed no signs of subsiding this week. Calls for the Chinese envoy to be sent home intensified even after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned Jing to explain his threat of military defeat against the Philippines, saying that such threats have no place in the country.

Malacañang’s response was widely seen as timid. The DFA appeared reduced to issuing statements that did little to move beyond its familiar diplomatic rhetoric. It failed to pursue decisive measures that would hold the Chinese envoy accountable and make clear that his actions carried consequences. No wonder the embassy called us ‘bluffers.’

Emboldened, the Chinese Embassy issued fresh threats, warning that Philippine officials calling for its envoy’s ouster would also be unwelcome in China. This followed a joint statement by nine House members condemning Jing’s provocative remarks, then a resolution declaring him persona non grata, now signed by ten lawmakers. Their initiative echoed separate resolutions filed in the Senate by Senators JV Ejercito and Risa Hontiveros.

The Chinese Embassy promptly announced that the lawmakers had all been placed on a so-called list. The embassy, which has now morphed into a troll farm, also unleashed a barrage of social media attacks against various lawmakers, using language that was anything but diplomatic. Many saw this as brinkmanship designed to intimidate legislators and discourage others from following suit.

But the embassy’s antics had the opposite effect. Rather than retreating into silence, the targeted lawmakers fired back, declaring their inclusion in its list ‘a badge of honor.’ Rep. Chel Diokno’s Akbayan Party said they would ‘wear the designation with pride.’ Pinoy Workers Rep. Karl Legazpi called it ‘a small price to pay’ for standing up for Filipino fishers bearing the brunt of China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Students also joined the fray with an ingenious countermeasure. In a statement prepared by the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) and signed by more than a hundred student councils, youth groups, and young leaders, they declared Jing banned on their campuses. Their message was simple. China is not the only one capable of making lists. They have the Chinese envoy on their list too. They asserted that Jing’s threats and false narratives have no place in their schools, and that their action was in solidarity with Filipino fishers and frontliners. They vowed to launch massive protests if the Chinese envoy dared to set foot on their campuses.

Filipino netizens are also circulating their own lists online. One list (Team Pilipinas) celebrates Filipino patriots who defy China, including lawmakers from both chambers of Congress, the 16 local government leaders of the Municipality of Kalayaan, among the first to be banned by China, and Defense Secretary Gilbert ‘Gibo’ Teodoro, who, along with his family, was subjected to a Chinese travel ban.

The other is a list of ‘Tsinadors,’ which includes incorrigible senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Robin Padilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Bato dela Rosa, and several others. It also includes Vice President Sara Duterte, whose family has faced scrutiny over allegations involving financial transactions linked to China, including P319 million in remittances through a banana-chip company.

And, of course, there is Clarita Carlos, the short-lived national security adviser during the early part of the Marcos administration, a relic exhumed from some forgotten corner of a museum, now inexplicably thrust back into the limelight. Her putrid remark sought to gaslight Filipinos into believing they had no right to protest Chinese aggression because their undies were made in China. This is her brilliant contribution to public discourse. A statement that practically reeks of piss-soaked subservience and treason. It’s not difficult to see why she only served as security adviser for six months.

Unsurprisingly, the Tsinadors are also rabid devotees of the ‘karton god’ Rodrigo Duterte, his twice-impeached daughter, and the rest of their dynasty. Their loyalties serve as yet another reminder of the alarming nexus between the Duterte dynasty, allegations of massive corruption and abuse of power, and a treasonous posture toward China. For many Filipinos, the question is no longer merely whether these politicians have failed to stand up to Beijing, but whether their actions and allegiances betray the very flag and country they claim to serve.

In a way, I am glad that China made a list. In trying to intimidate Filipinos, Beijing has inadvertently allowed us to examine the loyalties and political choices of our leaders. The competing lists have become tools of discernment and judgment, prompting citizens to compare rhetoric with actions and ask who stands with Filipino fishers, who challenges foreign coercion, and who seems more concerned about not offending Beijing than defending the country.

This is a struggle over political and cultural hegemony. China’s list seeks to stigmatize patriotic dissent and impose a cost on our resistance. The Filipinos’ counter-lists challenge that foreign power by reclaiming the right to name, scrutinize, and judge. We assert that trade relations do not require submission, diplomatic courtesy does not mean silence, and military and economic power does not equate to domination.

Chinese ambassador Jing Quan has awakened something far more powerful than the fear he hoped to inspire. He unwittingly helped consolidate a broader show of resistance among Philippine legislators, local officials, students, fisherfolk communities, and ordinary Filipinos. It has also sharpened public scrutiny of those accused of kowtowing to Beijing at the expense of Philippine interests.

The Chinese regime has given us a gift. Instead of a blacklist meant to shame and intimidate us, we now have a gallery of patriots whose courage we can wear as badges of honor, and a rogue list of Tsinadors who deserve our eternal condemnation.

The Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association (PCSA) is exploring the establishment of a maritime industrial park in Northern Cebu to help address the shortage of shipyards and ship repair facilities in the country, particularly in Cebu.

The proposal was discussed during the PCSA’s General Assembly, held on October 23, 2026, under the theme ‘One Nation, One Network: Lower Logistical Costs, Lower Inflation.’

PCSA President Paul Rodriguez said during an open forum that the group was in talks with Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro regarding the proposed development.

PCSA Chairman Lucio Lim Jr. said the country had not seen enough new shipyards established in recent years despite the growing number of vessels requiring regular maintenance and inspection.

‘There is a severe lack of shipyard, ship repair facilities now, not only in Cebu, all over the country for that matter,’ Lim told reporters.

He said the shortage was particularly concerning in Cebu because of its central role in the country’s shipping industry.

Lim explained that passenger and cargo vessels are required to undergo dry-docking every two years for mandatory inspections of their underwater structures, propulsion systems, and propellers.

However, he said the development of new shipyards had not kept pace with the number of vessels operating in the country.

Over the past decade, only a few new shipyards had been established in Cebu, Lim said, describing the limited number of facilities as a problem for the shipping industry.

The proposed maritime industrial park is being considered as a way to make it easier for investors to establish shipyards by addressing regulatory and land-conversion concerns.

Lim said some property owners seeking to develop industrial facilities had encountered difficulties securing the necessary government approvals to convert agricultural land for industrial use.

He cited the experience of an investor in Tabogon whose mayor had expressed willingness to support a proposed investment, including the land-use planning and conversion process.

However, Lim said the process dragged on for three years, with the matter eventually reaching government offices in Manila.

He attributed part of the delay to restrictions on land conversion, saying the implementation of a blanket suspension had affected projects even in areas where agricultural activity was limited.

The proposed maritime industrial park could help address such obstacles by designating an area for maritime-related industries and streamlining the approval process.

During the discussion, Lim said the group was working on the proposal with the provincial government, although he did not provide a timeline for its implementation.

He also pointed to the need for suitable sites that investors could lease or acquire for shipyard operations, saying access to available industrial land was becoming a concern.

Lim also mentioned the effects of Typhoon Tino, saying storm surges caused vessels to collide with piers as water levels rose.

The PCSA’s proposal for a maritime industrial park comes as the association pushes for broader measures to reduce logistics costs, including better transport connectivity and the removal of roll-on/roll-off terminal fees.

PCSA EYES EXPRESSWAYS, LOWER RORO FEES

The maritime industry is also urging Malacañang to study the construction of strategic expressways across the Visayas and Mindanao to improve connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and ease inflationary pressures.

Lim Jr. raised the initiative, saying it could become a lasting legacy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.

“PCSA respectfully submits that one of the most enduring legacies could be the initiation of a comprehensive feasibility study for an enhanced and efficient national logistical network of expressways that will speed-up connectivity between Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” said Lim in his speech.

Lim said the concentration of manufacturing hubs in Metro Manila and CALABARZON contributed to higher transportation costs and longer delivery times for goods shipped to the Visayas and Mindanao.

Among the proposed corridors are a 230-kilometer expressway connecting Bogo City to Santander in Cebu, a 214-kilometer route from Caticlan in Aklan to Iloilo City, and a 391-kilometer corridor linking Surigao City to Davao City.

Lim said a comprehensive feasibility study should be undertaken, with funding potentially sourced through public-private partnerships or long-term congressional appropriations.

The PCSA also proposed treating roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels as bridges and their ports as extensions of the national highway network. It called for the removal of RoRo terminal fees to reduce the cost of transporting goods.

Lim said these charges accounted for about 5% to 10% of the total freight cost for a 10-wheeler truck and could reach 15% on some short-haul routes. The additional expenses are eventually passed on to consumers through higher commodity prices.

Lim said the proposed changes would position RoRo facilities as public connectivity infrastructure rather than revenue-generating terminals, supporting the PCSA’s call for a ‘One Nation, One Network’ transport system to improve the movement of goods and strengthen economic opportunities across the country