Category: Philippine Star

Local manufacturers are urging the government to impose a definitive safeguard duty on cement imports to allow the industry to compete with foreign suppliers and retain their workforce.

‘We need this safeguard to ensure the industry remains viable and to protect local jobs,’ Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc. (CeMAP) executive director Rey Baja said in a statement.

CeMAP said cement manufacturers in the Philippines are not receiving subsidies, unlike some Vietnamese cement suppliers that enjoy support from their government allowing them to sell at lower prices.

‘It is of national interest to promote and protect the local cement industry against unfair competition from other countries,’ Baja said.

CeMAP said business groups like the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Philippine Industries also support the imposition of a safeguard measure to protect local jobs.

Cement manufacturing contributes at least one percent to the country’s gross domestic product and supports around 130,000 jobs.

The industry group also expects cement prices to be stable even if a definitive safeguard measure is imposed.

‘We also don’t think it will result in higher prices,’ Baja said.

According to CeMAP, cement prices have been stable despite the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s imposition of a provisional safeguard duty on cement imports.

In February, the DTI issued an order imposing a provisional safeguard duty of P400 per metric ton or P16 per 40-kilogram bag of imported cement after finding a causal link between increased cement imports and injury to the domestic industry.

The provisional safeguard duty is in place for 200 days while the Tariff Commission decides on whether a definitive safeguard measure should be implemented.

Republic Act 8800 allows the government to impose a safeguard measure in the form of increased tariff on certain imports when there is serious threat or injury caused by a surge in import of like products.

CeMAP said the country’s cement imports reached 7.6 million metric tons last year, with the bulk coming from Vietnam.

While the local industry has a total capacity of 51 million tons, actual production dropped to 27 million tons, while demand was only around 35 million tons.

This led to P5 billion in losses, slower operations and job cuts.

With the industry in a difficult position, CeMAP said a definitive safeguard measure is needed to make local cement manufacturing viable.

Whenever the photographer would yell “wacky!” during a shoot, the very definition of it confuses me. The quickest wacky pose I know is to raise two of my fingers and form it into a finger heart. The gesture became popular during the hit of the K-drama wave, where characters used it to portray a cute kind of love, happiness, or just to strike a pose. However, its context has changed in the Philippine setting when top contractor Sarah Discaya used a finger heart to convey a message to the public.

Discaya has become a household name since they were named by the president as one of the top contractors in the country. Their projects span the entire nation, with many believed to be anomalous. Reports say they allegedly operate nine companies with the same nature of business, sometimes even competing against each other in public biddings. Talk about monopolizing infrastructure projects and taking advantage of the system by placing prices higher than what the market offers today. Many were quick to notice their seemingly fast ascension in the social ladder, coupled with lifestyles that are lavish, glittering, and very much devoid of the ordinary Filipino’s struggle.

Recent news about substandard flood control projects uncovered by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas brought more attention to the issue. Inspectors found works that were either incomplete or below standard, raising public suspicion about the kind of contractors the government entrusts with taxpayers’ money. This is where the finger heart of Discaya becomes more than just a pose. It becomes a symbol of irony: a cheerful gesture masking the weight of corruption and inefficiency that Filipinos continue to endure.

We cannot just finger heart our way into finding who the real culprit is in this whole scandal. It may be a sign of positivity, but it is also an insult to those who are trying their best to put out the truth for everyone to know. The investigations done by agencies like the NBI are not for show; they require utmost effort, long hours, and persistence, because they too want justice for the taxes that come out of people’s pockets. There is nothing to be joyous about this whole situation, especially as the issue seems to drag on. The bigger fear is that it will eventually be forgotten, buried under the next wave of headlines.

I would like to finger heart those who are joining the cause in calling for accountability. They deserve to use this gesture among themselves because they are in unity to get to the bottom of things. Their voices on the streets are not in vain, as they have become part of a bigger cause. It is one that challenges the very positions of power in government today or perhaps, it should be the other way around. We should be the ones finger hearting those who are now slowly being held accountable. After all, true love for a country is not expressed in cute poses but in the courage to stand for what is right.

Brovage Clinic, a new men’s health clinic in Metro Manila, is striving to put an end to the notion that sexual health is a taboo topic, especially for men.

The clinic, located in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig, has been operating on a soft opening for the past couple of months now, making its grand opening as September draws to a close.

Minimally Invasive Urologist Frederick Mendiola owns and heads the clinic, aided by two Singaporean doctors, Alan Tan and Aivee Clinic’s Z’Shen Teo, and a number of specialists in different fields.

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Dr. Mendiola explained that the clinic specializes in mostly sexual dysfunction in men.

Erectile dysfunction is the main issue under this topic, but other focuses are premature ejaculation, problems with desire and libido, and mismatched testosterone levels.

“It’s actually a one-stop shop for men,” the doctor summarized briefly, adding the clinic also offers longevity and lifestyle medicine, all of them certified by country’s Food and Drug Administration and health department.

As an urologist, Dr. Mendiola is very much aware that many people suffer from sexual dysfunction, and most men do not seek consultation because sexual health remains taboo in Philippine society.

“85% of men who suffers from erectile dysfunction will not seek consult. Maybe because of shyness, machismo, and it’s sort of a stigma,” the doctor said. “We still have the stigma because of society natin, traditions, and our Roman Catholic belief.”

That is why architectural designer JJ Acuña designed the clinic to appear spa-like, complete with a bar near the corner, so that patients will feel relaxed in a safe space.

“We would like them to feel that it’s a discreet institution that they can go to anytime, na hindi sila mahihiya,” Dr. Mendiola added.

Dr. Mendiola acknowledged that another reason why men do not address sexual health is the lack of spaces to do so, reiterating that many want to preserve this macho image they have of themselves.

With the help of media platforms, social media and other health advocates, the clinic wants to educate the public about sex and it’s importance in people’s lives.

The doctor pointed out that sex gives longevity as it prevents long-lasting or long-term illnesses, on top of it being made pleasurable for human beings thus adding to quality of life.

“This is the best place to go. Kasi kita mo naman, tahimik, tago, maraming alak!” Dr. Mendiola quipped. “So we want it to be relaxed, unlike other clinics.”

He did explain choosing a BGC location since his partner Dr. Teo has numerous clinics in the area, and they want to target first the A Market.

This as the machines and treatment options needed for sexual health can be costly, although the doctor did express hopes more people would be able to access such remedies.

“Eventually, pag dumami na nang dumami ang ganitong clinics, and then of course by law of supply and demand, bababa na rin yung pricing ng gamot at machines, and hopefully maging available to the mass market,” Dr. Mendiola ended.

Resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez will be invited to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into anomalous flood-control projects, panel chair Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said Tuesday, September 30.

Lacson denied accusations that he was shielding certain personalities in the case. He had clashed with Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, the committee’s former chair, over the handling of the investigation.

Marcoleta had questioned why House members linked to the scandal could not be called to testify.

‘For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation letter to [Co’s] address. Now we know he is abroad and will not show up. If that is the case, we will issue a subpoena, and then a show-cause order,’ Lacson told reporters.

‘If the show-cause order is not satisfactory, we will cite him in contempt of the committee and issue a warrant for his arrest,’ he added.

Summons issue. Inter-parliamentary courtesy had initially protected Co from being summoned while he was a sitting congressman. His resignation, however, now allows the Senate to issue a subpoena if he refuses to appear.

As for Romualdez, Lacson said the invitation would be sent through current House Speaker Bojie Dy ‘out of courtesy.’

Ongoing probe. The Blue Ribbon Committee has been investigating irregularities in flood-control projects that allegedly involved lawmakers and contractors from both chambers of Congress.

Sens. Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva have been accused of receiving kickbacks from budget insertions for Bulacan flood-control projects.

Co, meanwhile, has been accused of delivering billions in alleged kickback cash to Romualdez.

Philippine National Bank (PNB) is set to shut down its offshore branch in Bahrain and dissolve two domestic subsidiaries as part of a continuing effort to rationalize operations and focus on core businesses.

In a disclosure, the Lucio Tan-led lender said its board approved the closure of its Bahrain branch and the dissolution of its consumer finance and enterprise services sectors.

PNB has over 70 overseas branches, representative offices and remittance centers across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. It maintains correspondent relationships with more than 300 banks and financial institutions and over 90 overseas agents and tie-up partners worldwide.

PNB assured clients that the closure of the Bahrain office will follow regulatory procedures of both Philippine and Bahraini authorities to ensure smooth settlement of accounts.

‘On the closure of PNB Bahrain Representative Office, board approval is required before Notice of Closure is sent to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and before Letter of Intent is submitted to the Central Bank of Bahrain and Bahrain Ministry of Commerce,’ the bank said.

The filing also reported a slight reduction in PNB’s capital stock after the buyback of 47,402 common shares. The company’s authorized capital stock remains at 1.75 billion shares with a par value of P40 each.

PNB president and CEO Edwin Bautista earlier said the bank could sustain its earnings momentum in the second half, citing strong fundamentals, aggressive lending plans and ongoing digital transformation.

PNB earlier reported a 22-percent jump in net income in the first half to P12.5 billion. In the second quarter alone, the bank posted a 29-percent year-on-year increase to P6.4 billion.

There’s electricity in the Meralco camp as the Bolts are set to unveil the dream team-up of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Justin Brownlee in the East Asia Super League.

‘I’ve played alongside JB and I played against Rondae and they’re two of the fiercest competitors I know. And to have them come to our program to lead this team and show that competitiveness that has made them successful, that’s really important not just for myself but for the younger guys to see,’ Meralco star Chris Newsome said.

Hollis-Jefferson of TNT and Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra have been fierce rivals in Asia’s first play-for-pay league, battling in the finals in three of the last six conferences, including two in the previous Season 49 alone.

With the Philippine Cup slated as the PBA’s opening conference beginning Sunday, both the Tropang 5G and the Gin Kings allowed the three-time Best Import awardees to suit up for the Bolts, the country’s lone bet in the international hoopfest.

‘It’s nice we get to all represent the Philippines and we’re all going to be on the same team for once and we’re not competing against each other,’ said Newsome, who is teammates with Brownlee in Gilas.

‘It’s going to be nice to go out there and really just fight alongside those guys and play whatever role I need to play,’ he added.

The irony of Brownlee donning the Meralco jersey after breaking the Bolts’ heart on his way to three of his PBA championships isn’t lost on the Bolts.

‘This is more than Meralco or us,’ said Bolts coach Luigi Trillo. ‘We’re very happy pinayagan si Justin, pinayagan si Rondae because we have to care more for the fans, too. Nakikita natin (fans’ frustrations) sa Gilas and sa EASL kapag hindi tayo nananalo. If you think about it, pound for pound, the Philippines can do well against any Asian country. The problem is the ballclubs allow four imports so we have to pivot and adjust to that.’

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is likely to extend the current rice import ban until the end of the year to help stabilize farmgate prices, with new measures also being prepared to support local farmers.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said yesterday he met with President Marcos last week, where they agreed to extend the ban by at least 30 days.

‘It is possible that the ban could be extended until the end of the year, depending on the situation,’ Tiu Laurel told reporters in an interview at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

‘I also talked to our rice millers and local rice traders last week. They are actually requesting the import ban to be extended until the end of this year,’ he added.

Tiu Laurel said the price of palay, or unhusked rice, has dropped again, prompting the government to consider extending the import ban and drafting additional measures to support local farmers.

Among these measures is an executive order that will prohibit local government units and other government offices from buying imported rice to help rice farmers.

Tiu Laurel also said the government may increase tariffs once the import ban ends and will issue an executive order to set a floor price for rice.

Another measure to ease rice prices is to sell P20 rice for one month to households in typhoon-affected areas such as Masbate and Eastern Samar.

Each household could buy up to 30 kilos of the staple grain, the agriculture official said.

The 60-day rice import ban that began in September was implemented by the Marcos administration to help stabilize farmgate prices and shield local farmers during the harvest season.

During his 2022 election campaign, Marcos pledged to lower the retail price of rice to P20 per kilo, a commitment that has since drawn close public attention to both price fluctuations and government actions in the rice sector.

To promote a healthy lifestyle, the Department of Health (DOH) will hold a two-day family health fair in Manila’s Rizal Park.

The DOH said the ‘PinaSigla National Health Fair’ would be held from Oct. 4 to 5 at 9 a.m.

‘The goal of the gathering is to push for health promotion and prevention of diseases of the Filipino family,’ the DOH said in a social media post.

Participants can avail themselves of free medical consultation, X-ray screening, tuberculosis assessment, HIV and cervical cancer screening as well as vaccination.

Those attending the fair can also take part in blood donation, zumba, yoga and games.

More than 2,000 participants and beneficiaries are expected to attend the health fair, the DOH said.

As multiple witnesses accused him of being a principal player in budget insertions and flood control anomalies, Elizaldy Co resigned from Congress yesterday.

All is not lost for his Ako Bicol party list, which will get to have someone else fill the seat he vacated in the House of Representatives.

Resignation was Co’s response to the order from new Speaker Faustino Dy III, to return to the Philippines by Sept. 29. Yesterday’s deadline lapsed with Co still a no-show, still maintaining his innocence, claiming threats to his safety and that of his family and decrying that he has been deprived of due process.

Dy said the resignation spared Co from facing the House ethics committee and likely expulsion from the chamber.

Now without government responsibilities, Co can focus on addressing the serious allegations against him, hurled at congressional hearings and before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

The ICI released yesterday its first major report on the flood control mess, recommending to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of criminal and administrative complaints where applicable against Co, 12 officials and personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways along with five officials of Sunwest Inc., the construction firm founded by Co that bagged a P289.5-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Among the preliminary findings of the ICI was that ‘grossly substandard’ materials were used in the construction of a road dike along the Mag-asawang Tubig River in Naujan.

The ICI found ‘reasonable ground’ to recommend pursuing charges of graft, malversation, falsification of public documents and violations of the procurement law against Co and the others, apart from administrative cases.

If Co truly wants due process, the best way to get it is to come home and face the accusations against him. He has not adequately explained the reason for his absence since the joint opening of the current 20th Congress. He won’t even disclose where he is exactly, prompting the government to request the Interpol to monitor his movements under a blue notice.

Even with his resignation, Co has a responsibility to explain to the people what happened during the House deliberations on the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Act, when he chaired the appropriations committee.

His refusal to return home is tarnishing even his Ako Bicol party list, and inevitably former House speaker Martin Romualdez. Co’s prolonged stay outside the country is being seen as flight, which is usually associated with guilt.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Robert Nazal has urged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to exclude the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) from remitting cash balances and trust funds to the National Treasury.

During plenary deliberations on CHED’s proposed 2026 budget, Nazal pointed out that the Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF) still holds a balance of P11.7 billion, which he said should be used to support new grantees under the Tertiary Education Subsidy program.

While Executive Order 338, issued in 1996, requires government agencies – including state universities and colleges (SUCs) – to transfer their cash balances and trust funds to the National Treasury, Nazal argued that the HEDF is an exception.

Created by law to expand access to higher education, he said the fund was specifically intended to be maintained in a government financial institution, not the treasury.

‘There are numerous students awaiting scholarship, and we cannot afford that these funds lay idle there without any purpose because thousands of our youth are still dreaming of reaching college in their education,’ he said.

Nazal revealed that CHED owes about P12.3 billion to SUCs under the Free Tuition Fee Law, including P1.1 billion to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

He argued that the P11.7-billion HEDF should be tapped to finance new scholarships, while the P12.3-billion arrears must be settled immediately.

‘The law is clear: these funds should be placed in a government financial institution, nor locked in the National Treasury,’ he said.

The HEDF, with a standing balance of P11 billion, earns around P2 billion annually. If invested at five percent interest, it could yield at least P550 million a year for additional scholarships, according to Nazal.

‘If DBM insists on controlling the fund, even the interest should be spent exclusively for college scholarships,’ he added. ‘But once it is commingled with the general fund, the money is moved around and no longer serves the very students it was intended for.’

Funding demands

Meanwhile, the DBM and a group of health workers have urged Congress to act swiftly on the proposed 2026 national budget, raising concerns over rising enrollment in SUCs and underfunding in the health sector.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman reiterated the Marcos administration’s commitment to increasing education spending, particularly for SUCs, and called on lawmakers to expedite the approval process.

The proposed 2026 national budget allocates P1.224 trillion to basic and higher education – equivalent to four percent of gross domestic product (GDP) – with P134.99 billion earmarked for SUCs.

However, with SUC enrollment projected to rise from 1.97 million to 2.27 million in 2026, lawmakers warned of a potential shortfall of P3.29 billion in the Free Higher Education program.

In response, Pangandaman assured Congress that the DBM is open to adjusting allocations to ensure funding matches projected enrollment figures.

She also emphasized the government’s use of Program Convergence Budgeting to consolidate overlapping programs, maximize resources and maintain transparency.

Despite the reallocation of P255.5 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood control budget to education and health, Pangandaman said that critical infrastructure projects, such as school buildings, hospitals and agricultural facilities, would not be affected.

Simultaneously, the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) criticized the proposed P320.5-billion health budget, which amounts to only 1.23 percent of GDP – well below the World Health Organization’s recommended five percent.

The group called for an increase to at least P1.3 trillion to fulfill the government’s promise of free and quality health care.

HEAD also condemned the current budget process, citing systemic corruption tied to unprogrammed appropriations and congressional insertions allegedly benefiting political allies.

The group demanded full transparency and accountability in budget proceedings, warning that leadership changes in Congress should not be used as political cover but should lead to genuine reforms.

HEAD further called for a comprehensive public health system that guarantees free, progressive and quality services without patients having to rely on political favors or programs like the medical assistance for indigent and financially incapable patients.

‘Replacements in the Senate presidency, Congress speakership and the creation of an Independent Commission for Infrastructure should not be mere political tools to placate the growing rage and eroding public trust of the people,’ it said.

‘Actions must lead to systemic change to restore integrity, uphold accountability and genuinely serve the people,’ it added.

Schedule

The House of Representatives, under Speaker Faustino Dy III, is set to conclude plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget this week.

Oct. 10 has been designated for the period of amendments before the bill is transmitted to the Senate for further review.

Deliberations on the proposed budgets of the Office of the Vice President, along with the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, Migrant Workers, Information and Communications Technology, Labor and Employment, Interior and Local Government, Civil Service Commission and the Career Executive Service Board, are scheduled for today, Sept. 30.

On Oct. 1, the House will tackle the 2026 budget proposals of the Office of the President, the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology and Transportation.

The same day will also cover discussions on the budgets for the Congress of the Philippines, support for government-owned and controlled corporations, lump sum funds and the turno en contra.

During yesterday’s session, the House reviewed the proposed budgets of the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Agriculture, Health and other executive offices.

Once approved by the House, the General Appropriations Bill will be sent to the Senate.

This will be followed by a bicameral conference committee to reconcile any differences before submission to the President for signing.

Lawmakers are targeting enactment before the end of the fiscal year to avoid a reenacted budget, as outlined under Paragraph 7, Section 25, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution. – Keisha Ta-asan, Rhodina Villanueva