Category: Philippine Star

Before plenary debates took place, the House appropriations committee’s subcommittee approved the realignment of over P255 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) flood control funds.

The task of reviewing amendments fell to the budget amendment review subcommittee (BARSc), which replaced the traditional and severely criticized small committee.

Sector-wise, the subcommittee under the appropriations panel prioritized allocations for health, agriculture, education and government assistance, significantly increasing the budgets of the agencies concerned.

Here’s how 27 government agencies and fund items benefited from the flood control fund realignment.

Health (DOH, PhilHealth)

One of the largest allocations went to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which received a P60-billion increase – nearly a fourth of the P256.5 billion realigned funds.

In the National Expenditure Program (NEP), the executive branch had proposed P53.26 billion for PhilHealth’s 2026 budget. Congress previously stripped off government subsidies from the state insurer in 2025, citing ‘excess’ or ‘surplus’ reserves PhilHealth failed to utilize.

The funds allocated to PhilHealth, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), are largely dedicated to supporting indirect contributors by serving as their premium contributions. Indirect contributors are composed of indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and solo parents.

With the additional P60 billion, PhilHealth’s budget would rise to at least P113.26 billion to support the country’s universal health care program and expand benefit packages and case rates available to Filipinos.

The state insurer also funds the zero-balance billing program promoted by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., which allows PhilHealth members to receive free services and admission when confined in basic or ward accommodations of Department of Health (DOH) hospitals.

The DOH also received a P29.28-billion increase – well above its P16.58-billion request – bringing its proposed 2026 budget to around P289.47 billion. The amount also covers additional funding for the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).

In the NEP, P260.19 billion was earmarked for the DOH, excluding the attached corporations and agencies.

DOH, PCMC get P29.28 billion from flood control funds

Combined allocations to the DOH and PhilHealth make health the sector with the largest share of the rechanneled flood control funds, surpassing a third of the total realignment.

Agriculture (DA, NIA, DAR)

After health, agriculture emerged as the next major priority, with P44.97 billion realigned to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

This represents roughly 17.5% of the realigned funds.

The BARSc proposed a P39.37-billion increase for the DA, much of which would go to farm-to-market roads, rehabilitation of post-harvest facilities and financial subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk.

This allocation is about P9 billion higher than the DA’s request for P30.44 billion in additional funding, bringing the House-proposed budget to P174.31 billion in new appropriations.

Meanwhile, the NIA and the DAR received far less than what they sought, with the committee granting them a P5 billion and P600 million increase, respectively.

Agriculture receives P44.97 billion from flood control funds

While less than its 2025 budget, the augmentation would bump up NIA’s budget for 2026 to P50.07 billion. The DAR’s budget was also increased to nearly P18 billion, around P7 billion more than its 2025 budget.

Education (DepEd, DOST, CHED, TESDA)

With an expected budget exceeding P1.224 trillion, education – spanning basic and higher levels and related programs – received the third-highest share of the flood control fund realignment (14.5%).

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to receive more than twice the additional funding it requested, with P26.55 billion realigned from flood control funds, largely for classroom construction and rehabilitation, facility improvements and the school-based feeding program.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), meanwhile, was granted P9.31 billion more funds, exactly how much it requested to fund the tertiary education subsidy and Tulong Dunong programs for universities and colleges.

To also settle the three-year funding gap of the Free Higher Education program, the committee agreed to allocate P12.3 billion from CHED’s budget and Congress’ funds during the plenary debates.

However, several state universities and colleges (SUCs) are expected to receive reduced funding if their proposed budgets in the 2026 NEP are retained in the executed budget.

Included in the education sector, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was given P450 million, significantly lower than its requested amount of P763.8 million.

Instead of scholarship augmentation, the BARSc focused on funding the construction and rehabilitation of the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City. Only P100 million was allocated for S and T scholarships, as opposed to the requested P413.8 million.

Two programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) focused on work training and scholarship are expected to receive P991.2 million in total from the DPWH funds. This, however, is less than a tenth of the requested P14.35 billion.

Education gains P37.3 billion from flood control funds

Social aid programs

Other than the health, agriculture and education sectors, the BARSc also proposed to augment the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) financial assistance programs with P35.91 billion from the DPWH’s budget cut.

The largest share was allocated to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), with an additional P32.06 billion to support a specific number of beneficiaries. It is slightly below the DSWD’s P37.07-billion request.

AICS provides medical, burial, transportation, education, food and financial assistance to Filipino families during emergencies, ensuring aid reaches those most in need.

The DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program, a capacity-building initiative for marginalized households, received the second-largest boost with P3 billion – still falling short of the agency’s P17-billion request by roughly P14 billion.

Despite the executive branch cutting funds for the controversial Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) Program, the BARSc has not proposed restoring its 2026 budget.

AKAP, which is former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s pet project, is primarily implemented by the DSWD. It has faced criticism for overlapping with the AICS program and being perceived as a potential pork-barrel tool for lawmakers.

Cash dole-out programs get P35.9 billion from flood control funds

After the flood control fund adjustments, the DSWD may have a 2026 budget of roughly P257 billion.

Not yet final

The House continues plenary debates, where lawmakers scrutinize agency budget utilization and key programs, while budget sponsors from the appropriations committee defend allocations or pledge adjustments during the period of amendments.

This amendment period allows for revisions to line items in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

For example, appropriations chair Rep. Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija, 1st District) promised to realign P12.3 billion to cover the free tuition law deficit as requested by concerned agencies.

Although over P255 billion has been approved for realignment to specific projects and agencies, final allocations may still be adjusted.

The BARSc, a 23-member subcommittee, reviews budgetary revisions from agencies, known as ‘institutional amendments.’ Should lawmakers seek additional funding or cuts to specific programs, Suansing said they would have to coordinate with the agencies for their requests to be considered.

Once the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) passes second reading – after institutional amendments have been reviewed by the BARSc, approved by the appropriations panel, and voted on by the plenary – no further amendments should be made.

Any more changes are expected to occur instead during the bicameral conference committee, where the House and Senate reconcile differences in the versions they approved.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a price freeze on agriculture and fishery products in Masbate after the province was placed under a state of calamity due to damage caused by Severe Tropical Storm Opong.

The prize freeze order, signed on Monday by DA-Bicol executive director Rodel Tornilla, was issued in compliance with Republic Act (RA) 7581 or the Price Act, which mandates an automatic price freeze in areas devastated by calamities.

The law directs retailers, wholesalers, traders, processors and market operators in Masbate to maintain the prevailing retail and wholesale prices of covered commodities as of Sept. 25, the day before the typhoon struck.

Among the commodities covered by the order are rice, corn, vegetables, fruits, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, sugar, garlic, onion and cooking oil.

‘Hoarding, artificial scarcity, price manipulation and other unfair trade practices are prohibited,’ the DA warned.

Violators will face sanctions provided under RA 7581 and RA 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.

To ensure compliance, joint monitoring and inspection will be conducted by the DA and the offices of the provincial agriculture, market management, and disaster risk reduction and management as well as the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police.

Commodities unlawfully withheld from the market or sold beyond the allowed price levels may be seized and distributed to the public.

The price freeze will remain in effect for 60 days or until the state of calamity in Masbate is lifted, whichever comes first.

The DA directed municipal and city mayors, market operators and local trade groups to disseminate the advisory and certify compliance within 48 hours.

Aside from Masbate, a price freeze on basic commodities has been imposed in Biliran, Cagayan, Oriental Mindoro and Romblon as well as in the municipalities of Ibajay in Aklan, Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte, Dagupan in Pangasinan, and Calbayog and San Vicente in Samar.

The Department of Trade and Industry said prices and supplies of basic goods in areas hit by Opong and Super Typhoon Nando remained stable.

Power restoration

Meanwhile, restoration of power infrastructure in Masbate will cost around P400 million, according to the Department of Energy.

DOE Secretary Sharon Garin yesterday led an onsite inspection and assessment of the situation and assured local officials and residents that power would be immediately restored.

Masbate is reeling from a massive power outage due to Opong.

‘We are moving with urgency but also with care. Safety remains our priority for both workers on the ground and the public,’ Garin said.

Twelve power cooperatives in Luzon and the Visayas were placed under monitoring as of 1:55 p.m. yesterday due to the combined impact of Opong, Nando and the southwest monsoon.

Of the 12 power cooperatives, 11 were experiencing partial service interruptions, while the Masbate Electric Cooperative remained under a total power outage.

The San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital in Malabon City has been upgraded to a Level 2 general hospital with modern facilities and expanded services to cater to more residents.

Mayor Jeannie Sandoval on Monday led the inauguration of the six-story, 200-bed hospital along Panghulo Road.

The hospital features operating rooms, a labor room, an intensive care unit, a surgery consultation room, an emergency room and a spacious lobby.

‘Through the support of our partners and the initiative of former congressman Ricky Sandoval, we now have a more modern hospital that can provide comprehensive services for more Malabueños. This assures our people of better health care alongside the city’s other programs,’ Sandoval said.

The medical facility will offer departmentalized services in medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery and anesthesiology.

It is equipped with MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, X-ray, 2D echo, colposcopy machines, therapy services and a clinical laboratory.

The local government said it would acquire a digital fluoroscopy machine, a digital C-arm machine and hystero-laparoscopy equipment.

The former congressman filed House Bill 5791 in the 17th Congress that paved the way for the expansion of the hospital.

‘It is a milestone for Malabon. From a small women’s hospital, it is now a Level 2 general hospital ready to provide quality medical services to our people,’ he said.

Founded in 1990 as the San Lorenzo Ruiz Municipal Hospital, the facility evolved into the San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital in 1998 before being converted into a general hospital under Republic Act 11289 in 2019.

Corruption in the Philippines has been a never-ending problem. Scandal after scandal, government officials always find ways to appease the people’s anger, but nothing really changes – they live to rob the nation another day. Corruption festers because the very laws and systems meant to prevent them are riddled with loopholes. These loopholes are left there by design.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has the golden opportunity to drastically minimize corruption for good, but only if it takes deliberate steps on three fronts: (1) by preventing flight by persons of interest and holding them to account, (2) by preventing them from hiding assets and restitution to the state and (3) by pushing for reforms to plug the legal loopholes.

What the ICI does in the next few months will determine whether this moment serves as a genuine turning point for the country or just another chapter in our endless cycle of exposés, denials, arrests and pardons.

Preventing escape

It has become routine for accused Filipino officials to hide abroad to evade accountability. Apart from being an act of cowardice, this caper gravely undermines the rule of law. For government to allow the guilty to slip away sends the dangerous signal that justice can be avoided. Such impunity weakens law enforcement and corrodes public trust in our institutions. Government must decisively close this escape route, otherwise, Philippine law risks becoming a hollow abstraction, powerless against those it was meant to restrain.

Thus, the ICI must immediately coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration and the judiciary to ensure that no person of interest slips through the cracks. The ICI should immediately request the DOJ to issue hold departure orders (HDOs) for key suspects. The Department of Foreign Affairs should track passport renewals, replacements or foreign citizenship applications of those under investigation. If escape has occurred, the ICI must request blue/red notices from the Interpol and pursue extradition.

By showing vigilance against flight, government affirms that it is serious in its pursuit of justice and that no one escapes the hand of the law.

Prevention of asset hiding

Corruption thrives in the Philippines because plunderers have gone unpunished and are allowed to keep their loot.

Some of the more common strategies of wealth concealment include: bogus divestments and the use of proxies to register companies, land, treasury accounts and other assets; the use of layered corporate ownerships in offshore shell companies; conversion of cash to valuable assets like jewelry, art, antiques or cryptocurrency, all under proxy entities; stashing cash in bank secrecy havens abroad, among others.

To counter these tactics, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) must immediately freeze suspicious accounts. Too, local governments must cross-check land titles with declared income.

Globally, the ICI should use cross-border cooperation under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to track and recover stolen wealth.

Justice only becomes real and lessons are learned when ill-gotten assets are frozen, sequestered and visibly returned to the state.

Legal and institutional reforms

Investigations are useless unless they lead to systemic reform. The ICI must use its findings to push for reforms across two fronts: Supreme Court jurisprudence and political reforms.

As repeatedly requested by former undersecretary Cielo Magno and former COA commissioner Heidi Mendoza the Supreme Court must rule decisively on constitutional questions relating to corruption. In particular, the constitutionality of confidential and intelligence funds, the constitutionality of transferring surplus funds from GOCCs to the national government and the question about political dynasties (although the Constitution prohibits political dynasties, Congress has failed to define it for self-serving purposes; an SC ruling that affirms the illegality of dynasties would be historic).

Political reforms include: for the SALNs of public officials to be made public again; for automatic lifestyle audits to be conducted every two years, with public disclosure; for politicians with unresolved Notices of Disallowance from the COA to be barred from running for office until they reimburse the national treasury and of course, the enact the Freedom of Information Law.

Moving forward, civil society must play a formal role in infrastructure projects with the legal standing to file graft cases. As Mendoza and Magno pointed out, DPWH infrastructure projects currently rest in the hands of only four officials – the bids and awards head, the certifier of work, the inspector and the approving officer – thus, creating a monopoly ripe for abuse. To break this, civil groups should participate. Members of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants must certify project costs, while members of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers must certify design specifications and lead the inspections of projects before final payments are released. Citizen oversight is the strongest deterrent against collusion and corruption.

We must also strengthen corruption watchdog oversight. Currently, the ombudsman, Sandiganbayan and COA are weakened because their leaders are appointed by politicians and their budgets are controlled by Congress. This undermines independence.

To address this, structural reforms must be enacted. An independent appointments council composed of retired justices, bar associations and civil society must be formed to select watchdog leaders. These watchdogs must have fiscal autonomy with automatic appropriations constitutionally protected. One non-renewable term for watchdog leaders, preventing them from currying favor for reappointment.

Other broader reforms include: the establishment of a blockchain-based platform which publishes contracts, bids and payments in real time; the ban on political donations by government contractors; the creation of a public registry that rates contractors, banning those with a record of fraud or substandard work; that all campaign donations go through a clearinghouse with public disclosure; that gross negligence that enables corruption be criminalized.

Many say that PBBM is sincere about instituting anti-corruption reforms this time. I hope they are right. I pray PBBM listens to his heart and carries out these enduring reforms.

Amid travel disruptions due to successive typhoons, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has extended the validity of motor vehicle registration and driver’s licenses which expired on Sept. 30.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II announced the extension on Tuesday to assist those affected by typhoons.

‘I issued a memorandum to regional LTO directors down to the district offices regarding the deadline extension,’ Mendoza said.

Under the memorandum, the validity of vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses due on Sept. 30 is extended until Oct. 3, with no fines to be collected during the period.

The order also extended the settlement period for traffic violations that took effect on Sept. 26, giving motorists until Friday to comply.

Mendoza said the extension was necessary after government work in Metro Manila and other affected regions was suspended due to Typhoons Opong, Mirasol and Nando.

About P75 million in ‘ghost’ farm-to-market road projects in Mindanao have been uncovered by the Department of Agriculture.

The DA earlier flagged two projects in the Davao Region and Zamboanga City dated 2021 and 2023.

‘We are talking about five kilometers of road. That’s what we have seen so far,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yesterday told dzBB.

‘We have identified the contractors. But these are small-time contractors,’ he added.

The contractors are not included in President Marcos’ list of 15 contractors who cornered 20 percent of the P545-billion budget for flood control projects, he noted.

Tiu Laurel maintained that the suspicious road projects are isolated cases and do not reflect widespread issues in the state agency.

‘Technically, these are very small contracts. I think there’s one worth P30 million and then the others had P15 million each,’ he said.

Funds came from the DA’s budget and the projects were implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, he noted.

The Philippines, he said, is lacking 62,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads.

Auditing the projects is challenging since these are located in far-flung and hard-to-reach areas, Tiu Laurel stressed.

The ongoing Senate inquiry into anomalous flood control projects nationwide has prompted the DA to initiate an audit of farm road projects.

Malrondu means Malabuyoc, Ronda, and Dumanjug. They belong to the blessed second congressional district of Cebu, which has been favored by the gods of rains and floods with a bountiful load of flood-control projects and budgetary allocations. This is also the district where San Pedro Calungsod was born.

The members of Congress, the Calderons, husband and wife, who led this district for the longest time, must have been very blessed too, for bringing home to this district billions of bacon for the favored people. For this is the district of San Pedro Calungsod, the only saint from the whole province of Cebu, who was from the town of Ginatilan. But the blessings of billions worth of flood control projects were not poured by heaven into the town of the saint. They were determined by the gods perhaps by holy geographic coordinates into unknown sites in Malrondu.

These favored towns could appropriately exclaim then: When the blessing rains, it really floods. Malabuyoc, got no less than ?3.3 billion with supposed 38 projects. Ronda, my dear town of gentle people, the beautiful Rondahanons, got a whopping gift from Mount Olympus, an unprecedented amount perhaps ten times its annual budget, or even much more. Ronda got ?2.6 billion for alleged 34 projects. Thirty-four is a bounty because Ronda has only 14 barangays and a population of about 21,000. I do not know where in Ronda these flood control projects are being worked at. But what a blessing from Our Lady of Sorrows.

Dumanjug, the historic land of my late father’s birth, the town that prides itself as the home of the governors, also got an impressive ?2.18 billion. This is the only time when Dumanjug, with 37 barangays, was beaten by Ronda with only 14. But ?2.18 billion is not bad for the home of QM Builders, which, by accident of destiny, is also the very lucky contractor that won in an honest-to-goodness bidding and procurement process. It was also circumstantial that Dumanjug is likewise the home of the Quirante Construction Corp., another lucky start-up. Now Dumanjug is not only home to governors but also to heaven-sent contractors.

It was just a mere coincidence also that the former congressman, who was vice chairman of Zaldy Co’s appropriation committee, was one of the wedding sponsors of QM Builders owner’s son. The question is: who benefitted from such a bountiful load of blessings? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. And it blows my mind. That is what our good friend, the new DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, should look into. Perhaps he should know that the regional director used to be assigned in this district. That director was also allegedly another wedding sponsor in the same wedding. Too many strange coincidences, indeed. The stars are all aligning in the seventh heaven.

It is now of common knowledge that the whole province of Cebu, next only to the number one flood capital of the Philippines, Bulacan, has been favored by the gods in Congress, specifically Zaldy Co’s appropriation committee whose vice chair happened to be the honorable former congressman representing the 7th District of Cebu. Our province, which has admittedly some true and authentic flood problems in Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay, and some other cities and towns (but not in Malrondu), got ?25.521 billion for flood control. But why was one-half of the entire budget for flood control diverted to Malrondu? ?12.06 billion out of ?25.521 billion.

And is it true that most of the Malrondu and other Cebu flood control projects fell into the lap of QM Builders, a single proprietorship based in Dumanjug? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. I saw a movie once entitled: “The Gods Must Be Crazy” But since I am from Malrondu, I can say that, with such a large bounty, the gods have made some people and their families very, very happy.

Who are these lucky guys? That is for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to determine and say.

A dashcam video captured the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge shaking strongly as a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu province on Tuesday night, September 30.

The powerful tremor was felt across Cebu City and northern Cebu, toppling buildings and killing at least 19 people as of Wednesday morning. It prompted widespread rescue operations.

A suspected illegal gun dealer was killed while three police officers were wounded in an alleged shootout that broke out in this city on Monday night.

Maj. Edgar Fabregas and S/Sgts. Arvin Ilagan and Karl Ernest Fabonan of the Batangas City police were rushed to the Saint Camillus de Lillis Hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

The fatality, identified as Ronald de Guzman, was killed in a pursuit operation.

Investigation showed the officers met up with a suspected gun dealer identified only as Bonsai in Barangay Bolbok to supposedly buy firearms.

However, the suspect and his companions sensed that they were dealing with undercover police officers, prompting them to draw their guns, triggering a shootout that left the officers wounded.

The suspects fled after the shooting, prompting a chase and another shootout that resulted in the death of De Guzman. A manhunt was launched for De Guzman’s cohorts.

La Salle held on to a 74-72 triumph against the listless Far Eastern University to bounce back from its deflating defeat to University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

The Green Archers banked on their defensive fangs in the clutch after going scoreless in the final minute and nearly losing a five-point lead as Jorick Bautista muffed a game-tying lay-up in the last seven seconds for the win.

La Salle, which beat Adamson, 60-58, but wasted a 12-point lead against the host and dark horse UST, 93-84, thus improved to 2-1. It is behind for solo fourth place unbeaten Ateneo, UST and National University nearing the halfway mark of the first round in its title redemption bid.

Doy Dungo led the way with 17 points on three triples, while Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez and EJ Gollena churned out 14 points each for La Salle, which made it up for the quiet scoring team captain Mike Phillips with only six points on 1-of-7 clip.

Phillips bounced back in other departments though, collaring 13 rebounds and dishing nine assists as the Green Archers almost squandered a lead as high sa 58-44 in the third quarter.

“You really want to win coming off a loss and we had parts in the game where we’re playing really well for that bounce back win but you cannot say that you’re gonna have an easy win in the UAAP,” said assistant coach Caloy Garcia. “FEU came back in the fourth and we just had to figure out our struggles from there.”

Like its last match against the Growling Tigers with a 12-point lead in the third quarter, the Green Archers appeared headed into a blowout but their inexperience with a young core following the departure of two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao showed down the stretch.

La Salle was outscored by FEU, 21-10, in the fourth but its 74-69 cushion on Dungo’s jumper in the 1:22 mark proved to be enough for still a good momentum entering a gigatic duel against archrival Ateneo that’s been on tear at 3-0 after a Final Four miss on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Janrey Pasaol’s 25 points along with the efforts of Mo Konateh (14), Kirby Mongcopa (13) and Jorick Bautista (10) went for naught anew as the Tamaraws slid to 0-3 for a tie at the cellar with University of the East.

Meanwhile, FEU (1-1) scraped past La Salle (1-1), 73-72 in women’s basketball behind MG Manguiat and Amyah Espanol with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

The scores:

First Game

DLSU 74 – Dungo 17, Amos 14, Cortez 14, Gollena 14, Phillips 6, Marasigan 5, Pablo 2, Abadam 2, Daep 0, Melecio 0.

FEU 72 – Pasaol 25, Konateh 14, Mongcopa 13, Bautista 10, Owens 6, Daa 2, Ona 2, Bagunu 0, Montemayor 0, Salangsang 0, Amos 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 37-30, 64-51, 74-72