Category: Philippine Star

Are the anti-corruption forces ready to play the long game?

They have to be, because their foes are. With billions at stake, with their political and family fortunes and the inheritance of their children and great-great-grandchildren at stake, the crooks play to win. And many have a proven track record of success.

These days it might look like the thieves are being drowned in the Great Flood of public opprobrium, but these creatures thrive in dirty water, and their swimming skills can win them an Olympic gold.

Their assets may be frozen and their fleets of luxury vehicles impounded, but these are the ones under their names. There must be other accounts, other fixed assets under other names, in the Philippines and overseas, that they can access outside the radar of the anti-graft and anti-money laundering police.

And a number of them are so well-connected that they can muddle or divert probes, discredit critics and investigators or sue them – and win.

Or else realpolitik can get in the way, and put an end to high-profile probes. We’ve seen this in the Blue Ribbon committee, where Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s resignation as chairman is seen as a way to save his former running mate Vicente Sotto III from losing the Senate presidency.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which people had thought would pick up where the Blue Ribbon and House infra comm left off, has instead gone out of its way to protect the presumed innocence of the big shots implicated in the grand looting of national coffers.

If the ICI had been formed earlier and had handled the initial hearings instead of the Senate and House, we would never have seen those photos presented by sacked engineer Brice Hernandez of the huge piles of cash supposedly meant for kickbacks to senators and public works officials. All of those implicated, after all, are presumed innocent until convicted with finality, which could happen when many of us carping critics are already dead.

Meanwhile, speculations continue to swirl over whose house wall Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong crashed into while carrying out what he thought was his mandate as ICI investigator of flood control anomalies.

Magalong is not changing his story that he quit the ICI after a Palace press briefing effectively sent him the message to ‘stand down’ and to ‘stop investigating’ the flood control scandal.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed this as ‘intrigue.’ She told us on One News’ ‘Storycon’ last week that it was President Marcos himself who had designated Magalong as ICI special adviser and not investigator. Castro said this was after Magalong refused to resign as Baguio mayor so he could concentrate fully on the ICI.

Magalong had said he appeared to have ‘struck a nerve’ and might ‘have hit too close to home.’ But he has since dialed back his pronouncements and seems ready to drop the subject, at least for now.

Castro had asked: ‘Whose nerve?’ She dared Magalong to ‘name names.’

Pressed about it on Storycon, Magalong jokingly likened our line of questioning to ‘torture.’ He told us only, ‘Let’s leave it at that.’ Last Friday, he also skirted telling The STAR’s online show ‘Truth on the Line’ whose home he might have gotten too close to in his probe.

Responding to my question, he said he and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon have not yet looked into flood control projects in Ilocos Norte, where President Marcos’ son Sandro is a congressman. Former Ilocos Sur governor Luis Singson said last month that the Marcos bailiwick should be among the first to be subjected to the probe, adding that four contractors linked to the Discayas have many big projects in the province.

It’s a valid observation. Magalong told me that Dizon is expected to include Ilocos Norte in the inspections. For the sake of credibility, let’s hope this happens sooner than later.

Magalong told me he had no regrets in his short-lived stint in the ICI, whose members he continues to respect. He also urged people to give the ICI a chance to do its work as the commission sees fit, although he said its proceedings could be partly opened to the public – a divergence from the stand of its chairman.

Presumably, Magalong is happy to have imparted pointers on investigating the anomalies during his interactions with Dizon. Magalong has turned over to his replacement, retired national police chief Rodolfo Azurin, the voluminous notes and documents that he put together in those few days with the ICI.

Magalong’s departure from the ICI, however, continues to fuel speculations about the nerve that he struck. He is rumored to be the choice of disgruntled military officers (and PMA alumni who entered the police), mostly retirees and mid-level officers in the active service, to head a civilian-military junta.

But Magalong, like his fellow PMAyer and veteran mutineer Antonio Trillanes IV, maintained that a coup at this point is in the realm of wishful thinking, leaderless and with no support from the military top brass.

The mayor obviously knows who the disgruntled retired officers are. He indicates that while he sympathizes with their grievances against corruption and other anomalies in government, he disagrees with a leadership change and the proposed means to that end.

Like Lacson, Magalong is instead continuing his anti-corruption advocacy, even as issues are hurled in attempts to discredit them. So far the issue that refuses to go away is the speculation – and not just from the DDS – that they are protecting Marcos’ relatives, starting with resigned speaker Martin Romualdez.

Magalong is working with the Mayors for Good Governance to launch a website where government projects can be uploaded for public scrutiny and monitoring – for costing, implementation and completion, political credit grabbing and related attempts at using public resources for personal ends.

Lacson, who is still being wooed by Tito Sen to return to the Blue Ribbon (yes is yes, no is no, Lacson said), is expected to continue his anti-corruption exposés in his well-researched privilege speeches, no longer constrained by Blue Ribbon rules.

The more tortuous challenge in the long game, however, is in seeing the looters punished. This is the exclusive realm of those in charge of the legal system – a blackhole impervious to any exposé by lawmakers, multimedia and angry netizens.

Do our government leaders know what they are doing? That is, other than enriching themselves at the expense of the national good?

What happened with the 2025 National Budget is Exhibit ‘A.’

BBM said infrastructure programs are a priority, especially the rail transport systems for Metro Manila. But the budget he eventually signed relegated our counterpart funding for these ODA-assisted projects to the unappropriated section.

Donor agencies like JICA have reason to wonder what’s wrong with us. They are faithfully funding projects we urgently need, using the taxes the Japanese people paid and we don’t seem grateful enough to do our part of the deal.

Baba Takashi, JICA’s Chief Representative, diplomatically wondered about that in a recent speech at the Philippine Development Forum. Your budget priorities are often not aligned with your Philippine Development Plan, he observed.

Of course. The priorities set in our budget by our legislators with the connivance of DBM and BBM himself are pork barrel projects. To create fiscal space for pork, counterpart funding for ODA-sponsored infrastructure projects were relegated to unprogrammed status. Bahala na kung may pera pa.

But pork projects with no feasibility studies, no detailed engineering and are not even part of the national development plan are assured of funding. The intention is just to collect the funding, ghost projects lang.

Mr. Baba said: ‘We find that while the Philippine development plan sets the strategic direction, its alignment with the national budget is not always strong. This has caused delays in projects supported by Official Development Assistance (ODA).’

Naku! Mahiya naman sana ang mga opisyales natin. Tinutulungan na nga tayo, binababoy pa natin yung tulong nila.

Mr. Baba also noted the poor coordination by core government agencies, leading to inefficiencies in project rollouts.

Cited are bureaucratic bottlenecks or procedures that delay results on the ground. These include lengthy and unresponsive processes for procurement, approval of contracts, payments, right-of-way acquisition, etc.

After projects were completed, Mr. Baba complained that ‘inadequate funding or lack of long-term planning for maintenance leads to rapid deterioration of facilities and services. This gap undermines the very investment made in infrastructure.’

In other words, sinasayang lang natin ang pera ng mga Japanese taxpayers. If we keep this up, we will lose ODA support. South Korea has announced a pause in assistance due to the massive corruption in public works projects.

‘Let me emphasize that the infrastructure agenda is not just about building roads, bridges or facilities. It is about laying the foundation for inclusive growth and resilience through the combined commitment of government and development partners, backed by reforms and innovative approaches,’ Baba said.

The United States said something similar. In the State Department’s 2025 assessment of the Philippine business climate, it said, ‘Various organizations, including the World Economic Forum, have cited corruption among the top problematic factors for doing business in the Philippines.’

Aside from massive corruption in flood control projects, Sen. Win Gatchalian reports overpriced farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in 2023 and 2024, worth a total of P10.3 billion. These are not known as farm-to-pocket roads for nothing.

Based on Gatchalian’s list, the ongoing concreting of the FMR in Barangay San Roque in Tacloban City, Leyte is considered the most overpriced project, at the cost of P348,432 per meter. The DPWH standard is only P15,000 per meter. Under the 2024 GAA, the project was allocated P100 million for a length of 6.7 kilometers.

Corruption’s impact on our economy is horrible. ‘Investors aren’t fleeing because of weak fundamentals; they’re fleeing because of weak integrity. It’s a stark reminder that corruption is a weapon of mass wealth destruction… When trust breaks down, capital dries up, and everyone – government, business and the public – pays the price,’ SEC chairman Francis Lim said.

But there’s more.

Two flyovers in Iloilo Ungka Flyover (P680 million) and Aganan Flyover (P802 million) in Pavia, Iloilo have remained monuments to waste and possibly corruption. Both remain unusable: Ungka was closed to vehicular traffic after problems (foundations sinking, etc.). Aganan remains unfinished/unusable due to design/foundation flaws.

Both have the same general contractor, same design consultant, same defects, same need to stabilize the soil and similar amounts to rectify the design flaw at around P300 million each.

Worse, these flyovers are probably not needed. I have seen one of these flyovers in a recent visit to Iloilo and it is a shame.

And not to forget, the bridges in Cagayan Valley that recently collapsed. One was not yet officially open to the public and the other took years of delay to complete.

DPWH engineers on these projects should lose their professional license and be fired.

Then there is the sad state of our country’s rule of law, a major reason why investors choose other countries. The reputation of our justice system is the best that money can buy. In other words, as corrupt as everything else in our government.

The DOJ says the rule of law refers to measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency.

Almost anyone who has had experience with our judicial system has a sad story to tell. The tediousness of the process alone can test the patience of Job. The cost of litigation is why the poor end up in crowded jails for minor offenses while the corrupt politicians accused of plunder roam free.

Failure of law and order is a characteristic of a failed state. While we are not yet quite there, we soon will be at the rate our corrupt leaders are running our country.

So, here we are. Filipinos are running our government like hell. Manuel Quezon must be turning in his grave, never imagining it would get this bad.

It’s the Dasmarinas City Monarchs then everybody else.

Dasma continued to stamp itself as the top title contender by trouncing the Caloocan AM Spikers, 25-19, 25-10, 25-13, for its fourth straight win in the 2025 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) over the weekend at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

Not even the AM Spikers’ homecourt advantage could stand the juggernaut by the Monarchs, who needed just 77 minutes to take care of business and shore up their hold of pole position at 4-0.

Former UAAP juniors MVP and incoming UAAP seniors rookie Samantha Cantada finally introduced herself with 14 points to headline Dasma’s barrage in the eight-team upstart league founded by also Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League chairman Manny Pacquiao.

Myrtle Escanlar added 12 points while Dennese Daylisan, Harlyn Serneche and setter Abegail Pono had eight, seven and six points, respectively, for the Monarchs, who are supported by the two-time UAAP and three-time SSL reigning champion National University Lady Bulldogs.

Dasma hardly needed the services of aces Vange Alinsug and Celine Marsh in scoring a dominant road win midway through the first round of the MPVA backed by Mikasa, Asics, Spurway Enterprise, Gerflor, Smart Communications and XIV Apparel.

Dasma’s stellar campaign so far in the MPVA included a commanding sweep of reigning champion Quezon back in the opener, ushering in a statement campaign as the new team to beat in the regional league aimed at championing further volleyball development like basketball in the MPBL.

No player managed to finish in double figures with Rhea Manalo scoring eight points as the AM Spikers remained winless in four games.

In the other game, Biñan Tatak Gel Arellano Lady Chiefs scored a quick rebound against the San Juan Lady Knights, 27-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-17.

Laika Tudlasan erupted for 23 points while Heart Villaflores poured in 20 points for Biñan, which improved to 2-1 to stay in the Top 4 of the MPVA organized by the Volleyball Masters of the Philippines.

Samantha Gabrielle Tiratira and Marianne Lei Angelique Padilon were also instrumental with 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the Lady Chiefs’ balanced attack after losing to Quezon the other day.

Kaycee Balingit and Mary Christine Ecalla churned out 19 points each while Abegail Nuval tallied 16 points each for the Lady Knights, who slid to1-4.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may continue easing its policy settings in the coming months, as analysts said the BSP’s latest surprise rate cut marked a decisive shift toward a more dovish stance amid weakening business sentiment and governance concerns in public spending.

HSBC ASEAN economist Aris Dacanay said the BSP’s move to reduce the policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.75 percent, its lowest in three years, was unexpected, but ‘even more surprising was the dramatic shift in tone.’

He noted that the BSP’s latest statement acknowledged ‘moderating domestic demand,’ a sharp contrast to its earlier view that demand remained firm.

The central bank attributed this change to weaker business confidence following corruption allegations in government flood control projects.

‘In explaining the change in outlook, the BSP singled out the impact of the flood control corruption allegations on business confidence and expansion plans,’ Dacanay said, citing the Monetary Board’s statement that ‘the favorable inflation outlook and moderating domestic demand provide room to further support economic activity.’

He said this could signal more rate cuts ahead, noting that BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. also disclosed that the central bank is reviewing its estimate of the neutral or ‘Goldilocks’ rate, which is now between four and five percent, lower than previously assumed.

‘Though having more room to accommodate a looser policy stance is in line with our view that policy rates could go down to as low as 4.5 percent, we didn’t expect the easing cycle to be this fast, nor did we expect the BSP to shift its tone this abruptly,’ Dacanay said.

HSBC now expects another 25-basis-point cut by December, bringing the policy rate to 4.5 percent by year-end and holding it steady through 2026.

Dacanay said the BSP could even ease more aggressively if growth remains below potential, as public and private infrastructure spending will be critical in determining the pace of recovery.

Meanwhile, BPI lead economist Jun Neri said the BSP’s latest rate cut brings the total reduction to 175 bps since August 2024, ‘one of the most aggressive in the region.’

He noted that the decision reflects a clear departure from the BSP’s August tone, when Remolona described the policy rate as being in a ‘sweet spot’ for both growth and inflation. ‘This stance has now changed significantly,’ Neri said. ‘The BSP now believes there is more room to ease policy than earlier thought.’

Neri said the move appears preemptive, with the BSP acting ahead of potential weakness in economic growth as governance issues weigh on infrastructure spending. He also expects another rate cut in December, followed by further easing in the first half of 2026.

‘We expect the BSP to pause its easing cycle once the policy rate reaches four percent in 2026,’ Neri said, although he cautioned that ‘such aggressive easing could prove to be an overshoot, raising the risk of a sharp policy reversal later on once inflation accelerates.’

Neri projected inflation to hover near two percent for the rest of 2025 before gradually rising to 3.5 percent by mid-2026 as base effects fade.

In a separate commentary, Citi said it expects a 25 bps cut at the last Monetary Board meeting on Dec. 11 followed by another 25 bps cut in February next year, bringing the key rate to 4.25 percent. There is also a risk of another 25 bps cut thereafter.

Citi noted that the BSP is now paying closer attention to sentiment indicators as activity data show signs of strain. Passenger car sales dropped by 23 percent year-on-year in July to August, remittance growth slowed to three percent and investment approvals have declined for three straight quarters.

Meanwhile, government infrastructure and capital outlays fell double digits year-on-year in July and August, reflecting tighter budget controls and slower project implementation following the corruption probe.

‘The BSP’s tone suggests it is prioritizing support for demand while remaining confident that inflation will stay below target through early 2026,’ Citi said.

The bank projects the Philippines to grow by 5.3 percent in both 2025 and 2026, below the official 5.5 to 6.5 percent target of the government.

‘With the Goldilocks rate likely closer to four percent, another 25-basis-point cut remains possible,’ it added.

The BSP has now cut rates seven times since August 2024, totaling 100 basis points last year and 75 basis points so far in 2025.

The Department of Public Works and Highways will introduce reforms to create a transparent and equitable system for allocating infrastructure funds as DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has cited the need to simplify the ‘complex and confusing’ budgeting process previously implemented that had been open to congressional ‘insertions.’

At a press briefing last Friday, Dizon said he directed Undersecretary for planning and public-private partnerships Nicasio Conti to review and revamp the current budget planning and allocation system, which even dubiously classifies funds into so-called allocable and non-allocable categories.

Dizon said his long-term goal is to make infrastructure planning straightforward and transparent – ensuring that projects are aligned with local development council priorities and regional development council endorsements.

He noted that the 2026 DPWH budget had already been submitted to Congress prior to his assumption of office.

‘The only thing I managed to do was to remove all flood control allocations, make sure there were no duplicate or incomplete projects and ensure that everything included had proper plans, programs of work and the necessary local and regional approvals,’ he added.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered Transportation Undersecretary Ricky Alfonso to explain his alleged involvement in a road altercation and the reported misuse of a government-issued protocol plate.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez issued a notice to explain to Alfonso on Friday, October 10, directing him to justify why he should not face disciplinary action.

Unauthorized plate use. According to the DOTr memo, Alfonso’s vehicle bore a low-number protocol plate ’10’, which is officially reserved for presiding justices and the solicitor general. The same vehicle was reportedly involved in a road rage incident on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, where Alfonso’s driver allegedly punched and slapped another motorist during an argument.

Alfonso has three days from the issuance of the memo to submit a written explanation.

The memo stressed that ‘the use of protocol plates and the unauthorized use of blinkers do not automatically confer any sort of VIP status to any public official.’

Road altercation. Video footage of the altercation showed traffic enforcers attempting to mediate between the two parties, who were arguing over which vehicle had cut off the other. The footage quickly circulated online, prompting public outrage and calls for accountability.

The Land Transportation Office has since taken action, suspending the driver’s license for 90 days and issuing a show-cause order. Alfonso’s driver has also been terminated following the incident, officials confirmed.

The Quezon City government deployed over the weekend a rapid disaster assessment and needs analysis team to assist in rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by the powerful twin earthquakes that hit Davao region and nearby areas.

Fifteen personnel of city government agencies were deployed to Davao Oriental, which was among those severely affected by the magnitude 7.4 temblor on Friday.

Among those deployed were engineers from the city’s Department of Engineering and Department of Building Official, as well as members of the search and rescue team of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

The local government said it would also send 500 hygiene kits for affected residents in Davao Oriental.

The kits contain toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, baby wipes, soap, sanitary napkin, comb, shaving razor, nail cutter, diaper and plastic chamber pots.

Quezon City earlier provided assistance to families affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on Sept. 30.

Nearly a month into the job, the leadership of the House of Representatives under Speaker Faustino Dy III has undertaken a minor revamp with the designation of four senior lawmakers.

During last week’s plenary deliberations, the House elected Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez of South Cotabato’s second district as one of the chamber’s deputy speakers, while Rep. Jan Padiernos of Galing ng Puso party-list was elected member of the House electoral tribunal.

Reps. Noel Rivera of Tarlac’s third district was designated chairperson of the House’s special committee on reforestation, while Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur’s first district was tasked to sit as chairperson of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms.

In a statement, Adiong said the committee will prioritize ‘bold, people-centered reforms: modernizing voting systems to combat disenfranchisement, enhancing transparency in campaign financing and safeguarding against foreign interference in our elections,’ he said.

When the new Speaker took over the House helm vacated by his resigned predecessor, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Dy – a representative from the sixth district of Isabela province – promised to undertake substantial changes in the chamber.

Dy declared the overarching goal of his leadership is to ‘restore the trust’ of 115 million Filipinos in the House of Representatives, following allegations of massive corruption in government flood control projects.

Dy assured the public that he would be a ‘listening’ Speaker.

‘We will be transparent and accountable in our work,’ he said in Filipino. ‘We will listen to you, our citizens.’

‘No rank, no ally, no office will be spared from accountability,’ the Speaker warned.

House goes on break

Today will be the last session day of the House, after a majority of the 318 lawmakers vote to approve, on third and final reading, Marcos’ proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.

The House plenary is expected to pass House Bill 4058, or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for fiscal year 2026, which the leadership, under Dy, said will be free from alleged insertions, unlike those in the current 2025 spending measure.

The measure was approved on second reading on Friday, after grueling debates in both the budget amendment review sub-committee and its mother committee, the powerful appropriations committee, simultaneously headed by Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing.

Congress will be on a month-long recess until Nov. 10 when session resumes after the Undas break.

Suansing assured her colleagues that all proposed amendments to the 2026 national budget were thoroughly discussed and properly reflected in the version passed by the panel.

She said no additional amendments would be introduced following the GAB’s approval on second reading.

During last week’s plenary session, the House scrapped the P35 billion worth of funding for Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure Program (Sagip) lodged under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the 2026 national budget.

Suansing said Sagip’s removal will, in effect, be an augmentation for government projects, saying this would already suffice, as the P249-billion UA would only provide support for the Philippine government’s counterpart funding for foreign-assisted projects, and social services too.

‘Infrastructure projects would no longer be part of the authorized uses for UA, save for infrastructure projects under foreign-assisted projects and for strengthening assistance for social programs, which would be P45 billion in total,’ she explained.

‘Climate budget mislabeled for DPWH’

Floods, just like any other natural disaster, may indeed be categorized as a result of ‘climate change,’ which opposition lawmakers have recently discovered, since about P983 billion in the national budget for 2026 went again to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The House minority bloc, led by Rep. Marcelino Libanan of 4Ps party-list and Rep. Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers party-list, decried what they described as ‘mislabeling’ of projects in their scrutiny of HB 4058.

Libanan noticed the ‘mislabeling of certain climate-related expenditures’ in the GAB, which the executive department presented to the House for evaluation and scrutiny.

‘Though P983 billion is labeled as climate-related expenditures, 76.7 percent is funneled to DPWH, 13 percent to the Department of Transportation, and barely one percent to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). This is climate budgeting by mislabeling,’ Libanan observed.

The 28 members of the opposition bloc stood behind Libanan when he delivered his fiery speech, where they noticed that even ‘critical programs’ of the DENR have turned out to be ‘underfunded’ in the 2026 spending budget of the national government.

A police team arrested a patrolman from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and a companion after selling to them two assault rifles and three pistols in an entrapment operation in Davao City before dawn Monday, October 13.

The suspect, Patrolman Muhammad Sidomar Gando of PRO-BAR’s Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14, and his civilian accomplice, initially identified only as James, are now locked in a detention facility of the Davao City Police Office.

Gando and his male companion were immediately detained after selling to plainclothes agents of the Police Regional Office-12 two 5.56 M4 combat rifles, two .45 caliber pistol and a 9 millimeter Beretta pistol during a tradeoff along Roxas Avenue in Davao City.

Talks and text messages have since been spreading in Cotabato City and Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte provinces, stating that Gando, an ethnic Maguindanaon, has relatives who are gunrunners operating in Central Mindanao.

One of the pistols he had sold to the non-uniformed policemen, the 9 millimeter Beretta, was marked Philippine National Police property.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Arguelles, director of PRO-11, said they are to prosecute Gando and his cohort for the violation of Republic Act 10591, also known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act which outlawed possession and sale of firearms and ammunition without permission from the government.

Brig. Jaysen De Guzman, director of PRO-BAR, said they will immediately file administrative charges against Gando to have him removed from the police service due to his criminal offense.

Farmgate prices of palay have started to rise after diving below P10 per kilo a few weeks back.

Palay traders at the Intercity Industrial Estate in Bocaue – a major rice trading town in Bulacan – said the farmgate price of palay in Central Luzon now averages P14 to P15 per kilo for newly harvested crops.

Rice traders also confirmed to The STAR that clean and dry palay is being procured at an average of P18 to P19 per kilo.

Despite the increase, farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said the prices are still lower compared to that of the National Food Authority (NFA), which buys fresh palay at P17 per kilo and P23 for clean and dry palay.

Sinag president Rosendo So said the prices are still not profitable for rice farmers, noting that palay farmgate price should be at least P17 per kilo to allow farmers to earn.

So suggested that the government raise the tariff for rice importation to 35 percent as this might pull the farmgate price to the P17-per-kilo level.

NFA administrator Larry Lacson said the grain agency has a P6-billion procurement fund for this harvest season and targets to buy four million bags of palay.