Category: Philippine Star

Teams from Cabangahan, Tolotolo, and Polog stepped a win away from securing the crown of their respective categories in the 15th Mayor Teresa Alegado Cup Inter-Barangay Fiesta Basketball League in Consolacion, Cebu.

Kervin Garcia fired 28 points with seven rebounds and seven assists as Cabangahan pummeled Casili, 88-68, to draw first blood in the best-of-three SK Category A finals.

Jonel Colubio and Adrian Panangin complemented Garcia with 26 points in between them.

In the battle for third place, Jugan prevailed over Tugbungan, 94-89.

In SK Category B, Tolotolo needed only one more victory to clinch the title after trouncing Polog, 93-78.

Christian Manto paced Tolotolo with 23 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while Joshua Avila and Gabriel Yap chipped in 14 and 12 points, respectively.

On the other hand, Prince Soquino sizzled with 18 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four steals while Kymbert Ponce and Adrian Tan connived for 26 points as Panas blasted Panoypoy, 97-86, to settle for third.

In Midget Category B, Polog demolished Tolotolo, 93-61, to move on the doorstep of championship glory.

Gabriel Godinez filled the stat sheet with 19 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and three steals, Jared Padayogdog added 17 points while Klent Lato nailed 11 markers for Polog.

Tilhaong emerged as bronze medalists after whipping Panoypoy, 71-57.

John Tulingin led Tilhaong with 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists while Jake Fuentes and France Galamiton cashed in 18 and 14 points.

Meanwhile, Emman Villamor unloaded 29 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals, Kindrick Alcover scored 16 while Warren Cadampog contributed 13 points as Casili dumped Nangka, 104-86, to advance to the Senior Category A finals against the defending champion Pulpogan.

Despite the overall economic pessimism in the country today due to continuing corruption scandals affecting both the executive and legislative branches, there are glimmers of economic optimism we should look forward to. I am referring to the low inflation and low unemployment rate of the country.

This week, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the inflation figure for September 2025 of only 1.7 percent, then the unemployment figure for August 2025 of 3.9 percent, both low levels and hence, good news.

I computed the average inflation for January-August 2025, in Asia: Japan 3.4 percent, Vietnam 3.3 percent, Cambodia 3.0 percent, India 2.9 percent, Pakistan 2.3 percent, South Korea 2.0 percent, Taiwan 1.8 percent, the Philippines 1.7 percent, Hong Kong and Indonesia 1.5 percent, Malaysia 1.4 percent, Singapore 0.8 percent, Thailand 0.1 percent, China -0.1 percent. China has deflation, Japan is the new ‘inflation capital’ of East Asia, and the Philippines is back to a low-inflation regime.

Inflation over the same period in America: Brazil 5.2 percent, Mexico 3.9 percent, US 2.7 percent, Canada 2.0 percent.

In Europe: Turkey 36.6 percent, Russia 9.6 percent, Romania 6.1 percent, Poland 4.1 percent, Netherlands 3.4 percent, UK and Austria 3.3 percent, Belgium, Czech Republic and Greece 2.6 percent, Spain 2.5 percent, Germany 2.2 percent, Italy 1.7 percent, France 1.0 percent.

So our inflation this year is midway among Asian countries, lower than those in America and Europe except France.

I also computed the average unemployment rate in January-August 2025. Several countries in Asia do not have monthly unemployment, they have quarterly like Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while Indonesia has March data only. Here is the average for Asia: India 6.1 percent, China 5.2 percent, Indonesia 4.8 percent, the Philippines 4.1 percent, Taiwan and Hong Kong 3.4 percent, Malaysia 3.0 percent, S. Korea 2.7 percent, Japan 2.5 percent, Vietnam 2.2 percent, Singapore 2.0 percent, Thailand 0.9 percent. Australia has 4.2 percent.

Average unemployment rate over the same period in America: Canada 6.8 percent, Brazil 6.3 percent, US 4.2 percent, and Mexico 2.6 percent.

In Europe: Spain 10.9 percent, Sweden 9.2 percent, Turkey 8.3 percent, France 7.5 percent, Germany 6.3 percent, Italy 6.2 percent, Belgium 6.1 percent, Poland 5.3 percent, UK 4.6 percent, Netherlands 3.8 percent, Russia 2.3 percent.

So, our unemployment rate this year is midway among Asia and America and lower than Europe. In addition, our labor force participation rate is 64 percent average this year. LFPR is an indicator of people’s optimism or pessimism about the jobs market. If they think they can find a good job or the business environment is good, they go out to look for jobs or start a new business, and LFPR goes up to 64 percent or higher. If people think there are not enough good paying jobs, they either stay home or pursue other studies and training and LFPR goes down to around 63 percent or lower.

So these are two good things we can console ourselves with. The private sector remains resilient overall in creating more jobs and producing more goods and services that stabilize overall consumer prices.

The economic team – Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Economics Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, along with Bangko Sentral Governor Eli Remolona Jr. – deserve public support for the various policies they laid down minus imposing price control of important commodities.

Our third quarter 2025 GDP performance will be released a month from now. The first country in the world to report its Q3 2025 is Vietnam, another whooping 8.2 percent growth. Their Q1-Q3 2025 average growth is already 7.8 percent.

The average Q1-Q2 2025 growth in East Asia is as follows: Taiwan 6.7 percent, the Philippines 5.5 percent, China 5.3 percent, Indonesia 5.0 percent, Malaysia 4.4 percent, Singapore 4.3 percent, Thailand 3.0 percent, Japan 1.5 percent, South Korea 0.3 percent.

The rest of G7 industrial countries, their Q1-Q2 average growth are as follows: US 2.0 percent, Canada 1.8 percent, UK 1.6 percent, France 0.7 percent, Italy 0.6 percent, Germany 0.2 percent.

I am hoping for a 6.0 percent Philippine growth in Q3 but a more realistic number is between 5.5 and 6.0 percent. Still this is a good achievement compared to many East Asians, all of G7 and the rest of North America and Europe.

About the ongoing corruption scandal at the DPWH and involving many legislators both at the House of Representatives and the Senate, the culprit is a culture of waste, non-accountability and disregard for the overall fiscal condition of the country.

Prior to the lockdown period of 2020-2021, our average budget deficit in 2018-2019 was only around P0.6 trillion a year. During lockdown years it jumped to P1.5 trillion a year. From 2022 to 2024, it still averaged at P1.5 trillion a year despite the absence of any economic or virus crisis.

Many agencies went on a spend-spend-spend culture. New subsidies were created without abolishing old and non-performing subsidies. PhilHealth has returned funds to the National Treasury this year. President Marcos Jr. has recognized that it was a mistake and is incorporating a P53-billion funding allocation for 2026.

The President should prioritize reducing the outstanding public debt which is now approaching P18 trillion from only P8 trillion in 2019. He should do large scale spending cuts, tight fiscal discipline across many agencies and departments.

When agencies feel the tightness in funding, they will be forced to be more responsible, more accountable and less corrupt in spending.

Alfamart Philippines, the minimart chain of the SM Group, has commenced its franchising program to provide micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) the opportunity to grow alongside its nationwide expansion.

Alfamart’s pilot started in Laguna with two franchise-owned stores.

Harvey Ong, chief operating officer of Alfamart Philippines, said the decision to open the business for franchising reflects the SM Group’s commitment to inclusive growth and entrepreneurship.

‘By allowing tenants to evolve into franchisees, Alfamart is enabling MSMEs to scale alongside its own expansion, strengthening local communities and livelihoods,’ Ong said.

Alfamart has expanded to 2,337 stores nationwide as of end-September.

The SM Group earlier said it is planning to add at least 200 new Alfamart stores in Luzon this year.

Part of SM’s retail food business, Alfamart blends the convenience of a neighborhood store with the breadth of a supermarket.

SM said such format is gaining strong traction across Southeast Asia, particularly among families and communities that value accessibility and affordability.

Alfamart Philippines is a joint venture between SM and Alfamart, one of the leading retailers with more than 21,000 mini-marts in Indonesia.

Alfamart inaugurated its first store in the country in June 2014.

The minimart chain offers a wide assortment of products catering to daily needs including a selection of basic groceries, SM Bonus products, fresh and frozen goods, snacks and personal care items at reasonable prices.

Alfamart has successfully expanded across 11 provinces, including Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Pangasinan and Zambales. It also has presence in 15 cities in Metro Manila.

Joy Aseo took over the scoring task in the absence of Shaina Nitura to propel Adamson University to the second round in a quick sweep of Arellano University, 25-21, 25-17, 25-19, in the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Aseo whipped up 12 points in the Lady Falcons’ second straight victory in as many games as they joined playoffs-bound and also unbeaten Far Eastern University at the top of Pool B.

Adamson, which rested Nitura, was in full control of the match and booted out the Lady Chiefs in just 77 minutes.

‘Naging patient lang kami sa isa’t isa and nag-team work. Sinasabi sa amin ni coach na gawin ang best namin para manalo. Win or lose man, it’s OK, basta yung best namin pinu-push namin,’ said Aseo, who had eight kills and four aces.

Red Bascon finished with eight markers while Abegail Segui and Frances Mordi added six points each for Adamson, which annexed the National Invitationals Cebu Leg two months ago.

The Lady Falcons battle the Invitationals Batangas Leg champions on Friday at the same venue when the preliminary round of the league’s centerpiece tournament, backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea, comes to a close.

Jazmine Palalon and Jayde Dela Cruz scored seven and six points, respectively, to pace Arellano, which ended its campaign with a 1-2 win-loss record.

Meanwhile, College of Saint Benilde rallied from a set down and survived an extended fourth frame in an 18-25, 25-13, 25-23, 33-31, victory over Ateneo de Manila University to complete a three-game sweep of Pool D.

The Lady Blazers turned to veteran Zam Nolasco for the finishing blows in the furious fourth set race to the finish to emerge unscathed in the group stage of the competition, supported by Asics, Mikasa, Smart Sports, Summit, Team Rebel Sports, Belo Deo, Eurotel- Apo View Hotel, Batangas Country Club, Executive Optical, Baic Auto Philippines, SM Tickets and PusoP.com as technical partners.

CSB squandered three match point advantages and had to fight through five set point deficits.

Nolasco tied the fourth frame one last time at 31 with a booming kill before shutting the door on Zey Pacia to push the Lady Blazers to match point.

The two-hour, two-minute encounter ended when Pacia smashed her spike attempt straight to the net.

Nolasco had 19 points from 15 kills and four kill blocks, Shahanna Lleses added 12 markers while Rhea Densing scored 11 for the four-time NCAA champion CSB.

Ateneo slid to a 1-1 card despite the 19-point effort of Ana Hermosura and 17 markers by Pacia. Faye Nisperos chipped in 14 points in a lost cause.

The Blue Eagles are in a must-win situation in their second round bid when they face also-ran San Sebastian College-Recoletos (0-2) on Friday.

Games in the SSL Preseason Unity Cup are available live and on demand via PusoP.com and Solar Sports.

Cebu City Councilor Pastor ‘Jun’ Alcover has questioned the practicality of the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program following discussions on the proposed P12 million rental for the program’s base office at IT Park for three years during the City Council session yesterday.

In an interview with reporters, Alcover said the issue lies not in the proposed rental payment, but in the collective decision of the council to implement the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program. According to him, it appeared that the council had not yet approved the program, yet there was already a move to seek budget appropriation for the rental of the offices.

During the session, the council referred the resolution to the Committee on Budget and Finance for review, comments, and recommendations. When a further motion was made to refer the matter to the Committee on Laws, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña explained that they were under ‘pressure’ to open the ‘Mayor of the Night’ offices by January 1, 2026.

According to Osmeña, while he understood the need to seek the Committee on Laws’ opinion, any delay in approval would prevent them from making the downpayment and securing the property by January.

‘So if there are any reservations, now is the appropriate time, but right now we cannot simply afford any delay by referring it to the Committee on Laws,’ said Osmeña.

With this, the council called for a recess. When the session resumed, the council approved a motion to seek the opinion of both the Committee on Budget and Finance and the City Legal Office (CLO) on the proposal.

It was during this recess that Alcover later revealed a heated discussion had erupted among council members. According to him, the council had not yet been asked whether they approved the implementation of the program itself.

‘Mura mag sigeng-sigeng mi nga aprobahan ni kay molarga si Tomas, and ikaduha aprobahan ni aron dili kapa abangan og lain, mura nag negotiate na sila og rental nga wala pay approval sa Mayor of the Night,’ said Alcover.

Alcover expressed concern over the large sum involved in the project. He also questioned the need for such a program, pointing out that the city already has an elected mayor.

‘Ang mayor nga atong gipili usa raman gyud, si Mayor Nestor Archival, mayor 24 hours a day,’ said Alcover.

According to him, it was members of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) party who allegedly insisted on approving the resolution. He added that during the discussion, he expressed that if they pushed through with the approval, he would object-potentially leading to a division of the house.

While Alcover agreed to the referral of the proposal to the appropriate committee and the CLO, he said he does not agree with the practicality of the project.

‘Wa gyud ko makauyon ani. usik-usik ni sa kwarta,’ said Alcover.

During the session, the body tackled a letter from Vice Mayor Osmeña dated September 26, requesting authorization for the mayor to enter into a multi-year lease contract for office space at Cebu IT Park in Lahug.

The proposed office would serve as a one-stop shop for the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program from 2026 to 2028, with a total lease amounting to P12,501,144, including advance and security deposits.

As indicated in the letter, the program aims to provide 24/7 government services to business process outsourcing (BPO) workers, nurses, drivers, and other night-shift employees. It also seeks to enhance safety by ensuring accessible government transactions and transport services during nighttime hours.

Among the agencies listed as participants in the planned one-stop shop are the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, Land Transportation Office (LTO), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), PhilHealth, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and other local offices offering city services.

The annual lease was proposed at P4.32 million in 2026, P4.45 million in 2027, and P2.29 million for the first half of 2028, with a monthly rental estimate of P360,000, inclusive of taxes and utilities.

While the intention is to house the one-stop shop services in this office, Alcover raised concerns about whether there is already an agreement with national government offices to deploy employees to man these offices at night. He sought clarification on whether such arrangements had already been formalized through a written commitment.

He also flagged the lack of structure in the program, noting that it had jumped directly to the lease proposal without foundational approval.

‘Para nako it is unconstitutional kay wala man na sa provision sa Local Government Code nga dunay mayor of the night, kay usa raman ka mayor atong gipili. and I think it is illegal,’ said Alcover.

‘So in short, mohunong ang pagka-mayor ni Archival inig alas sais ba?’ he further asked.

According to Alcover, it would be more practical to set up a satellite office in upland barangays to accommodate residents who find it difficult to access services at City Hall.

In line with this, he called on the executive department to reconsider the project, adding that it may not be appropriate for the vice mayor to push such initiatives, stressing that his role is to serve as presiding officer of the City Council.

When the Philippine Basketball League turned a quarter of a century at the turn of the century, it honored 25 greatest players in symbolic representation of the number of years it thrilled and entertained the basketball nation.

Listed were Johnny Abarrientos, the short point guard with the tallest chance at the world s premiere basketball league, Bogs Adornado, Ato Agustin, Francis Arnaiz, Ricardo Brown, Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Philip Cezar, Atoy Co, Jerry Codi era, Kenneth Duremdes, Bernie Fabiosa, Ramon Fernandez, Danny Florencio, Abet Guidaben, Freddie Hubalde, Robert Jaworski Sr., Jojo Lastimosa, Lim Eng Beng, Samboy Lim, Ronnie Magsanoc, Vergel Meneses, Manny Paner, Alvin Patrimonio and Benjie Paras. Period.

In statutory construction, it is called expressio unius est exclusio alterius or those who are not included are excluded on purpose. The list is exclusive. But when the country s premiere basketball league turned middle-age in 2015, it added 15 more to make it 40. Danny Ildefonso, Willie Miller, James Yap, Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, Kelly Williams, Jayjay Helterbrand, Jimmy Alapag, Mark Caguioa, Arwind Santos, Jayson Castro, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo, Chito Loyzaga, and Marlou Aquino.

As the league turns gold this year, it included 10 more to complete the symbolic 50. Nelson Asaytono, Jeffrey Cariaso, June Mar Fajardo, Bong Hawkins, Abe King, Danny Siegle, Scottie Thompson, Arnie Tuadles, Elpidio Villamin, and Manuel Victorino made the cut.

The list is not exclusive after all. It was just a matter of time before those who did not make the first or second cut could be finally recognized. But this is not ejusdem generis either, where the law enumerates specific persons followed by a general term to include those persons of the same class or category.

The elite list loses prestige had the first 25, 40 and 50 ended with a catch-all phrase to include all others. Exactly why it is exclusive. In this context, inclusivity is not welcome, greatness is a rarity. The tricky part however is it grows. Others may be omitted now and included later.

It must be beyond difficult to pick the 50 greatest, the wisdom of choice will always be scrutinized. Curiously though, what if another player did not make the first cut but finally made it to finest cut of a diamond celebration? It may be too late. In law, it is called amendment by addition, but definitely not budget insertion. The first is afterthought, the second evil thought.

Filipino rock band IV of Spades will end an already fulfilling 2025 with a solo headliner concert this December.

Last July, IV of Spades surprised fans by releasing its first single in over five years since an indefinite hiatus, with former vocalist Unique Salonga back in the picture.

The band followed it up with more releases “Nanaman,” “Konsensya” and “Suliranin,” all of which will feature in the upcoming album “Andalucia” – the band’s second after 2019’s “ClapClapClap!”

“Andalucia” will drop in full on November 5, and a month later, on December 12, IV of Spades will stage a concert at the Mall of Asia Arena – their first full headline show.

Concert promoter Karpos teased that the show would see Unique, Badjao de Castro, Blaster Silonga, and Zild Benitez play new music live for the first time and reimagine some classics.

Such tracks would be early hits “Ilaw sa Daan,” “Hey Barbara,” “Where Have You Been My Disco?” and “Mundo,” as well as “ClapClapClap!” singles “In My Prison,” “Bata, Dahan-Dahan,” “Take That Man,” “Bawat Kaluluwa” and “Come Inside of My Heart.”

Tickets for the upcoming concert are as follows:

General Admission Regular – P1,500

General Admission Premium – P2,000

Upper Box Regular – P3,000

Upper Box Premium – P3,500

Lower Box Regular – P5,500

Lower Box Premium – P6,500

Floor Standing – P4,500

Tickets for IV of Spades’ concert go on sale this October 12 at noon via the SM Tickets website and outlets nationwide.

Officials launched on Wednesday, October 8, the Bangsamoro Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Datu Hoffer town in Maguindanao del Sur, the first-ever largest and well-equipped hospital in the autonomous region.

The BRHMC was established under the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act 74, authored by regional lawmakers Kadil Sinolinding Jr., a physician-ophthalmologist; Sittie Fahanie Oyod, a lawyer; and civil engineer Baintan Ampatuan. Sinolinding also serves concurrently as BARMM’s regional health minister.

The bill, supported by 34 other members of the 80-member BARMM parliament, was approved on May 26, 2025.

BARMM Deputy Health Minister Zul Qarneyn Abas, Ampatuan, Uyod, representatives of Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua, IPHO-Maguindanao chief Mohammad Ariff Baguindali and other parliament members led Wednesday’s inauguration. The ceremony was also attended by provincial officials from Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.

The BRHMC replaces the 52-year-old Maguindanao Provincial Hospital and is located on the same compound as the former facility.

‘The setting up of the Bangsamoro Regional Hospital and Medical Center is a big help for residents of the Bangsamoro region. We are grateful to the Bangsamoro parliament for having established this,’ said Baguindali, who will oversee the BRHMC.

Baguindali and other provincial officials also thanked the BARMM parliament for passing BAA 74 into law.

‘We are also thankful to the chief minister of the Bangsamoro region, who leads the regional parliament, for signing into law, without hesitation, the approved bill that enabled the creation of this hospital,’ Baguindali added.

Sinolinding said the Ministry of Health-BARMM will extensively support the hospital’s operations.

Ampatuan told reporters that the BRHMC will have an initial budget of P50 million from the regional government this year. ‘The succeeding allocations for its operation shall be included, by phases, in the annual appropriations for the expenditures of the regional government,’ he said.

Baguindali added that the BRHMC will operate on a ‘zero billing policy’ for all patients.

Last Sept. 30, the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), took a decisive step toward restoring public trust by launching the Integrity Chain, a blockchain-powered platform developed with the objective to ’embed transparency, accountability and public trust into the heart of national infrastructure projects.’

I was given the privilege to witness and be part of the milestone event in my capacity as chairman of the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines. What I witnessed unfold was an initiative that goes beyond a technological upgrade – it is a civic movement to safeguard our country’s resources not just to address issues of today, but also the future.

At its core, blockchain is a tamper-proof digital ledger. IBM defines it as ‘an immutable or unchangeable and tamper-proof digital ledger or record of all transactions within a network.’ Leveraging this technology, the Integrity Chain aims to ‘transform infrastructure governance by offering a real-time public dashboard that tracks project spending and progress, enabling citizen feedback and anomaly reporting and providing tamper-proof records to deter corruption.’

The initiative comes at a critical juncture for the DPWH, which has recently come under fire for allegations on multi-billion ghost or substandard flood control projects. This triggered widespread public outcry resulting in several rallies across the country, underscoring the urgent need for reform.

‘On behalf of the President, on behalf of the entire cabinet, on behalf of the entire government, thank you for this because this is really what we should all do. From the budget process to the procurement process, to the award of the contract, to the implementation of the project, to the monitoring of the project, to the payments made to the contractors, to the acceptance of the project. Everyone should be watching now, everyone,’ said DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

The proof of concept for the Integrity Chain will initially focus on foreign assisted projects, which will be independently verified by civil society organizations such as non-government organizations, academe, media and trade associations to ensure transparency and accountability.

As part of the pilot, BCP will provide the DPWH with a one-year complimentary subscription to the Integrity Chain, which includes technical support, training and cybersecurity measures in full compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

The launch event, held at the Asian Institute of Management, drew participation from major international development and lending agencies, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Korean Eximbank, Asian Development Bank and the World Bank’s Road Transport and Country Operations. These institutions are key funders of the DPWH’s flagship infrastructure projects under the ‘Build Better More’ program, which will be the first to be recorded on the Integrity Chain.

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda echoed this sentiment, urging, ‘Let’s rally behind technology. Let’s rally behind doing a new way of governance in the country.’

Blockchain offers a way to slowly rebuild that trust not through rhetoric but through accountability – ensuring that public spending is traceable and auditable, and that project progress is verifiable.

But while blockchain is a strong deterrent against corruption, it is not a cure-all for the ills plaguing our society. It can make corruption harder, but not necessarily impossible. It can expose anomalies but not motives. This is why, with all the revelations regarding widespread corruption, we Filipinos have all the more reasons to be vigilant on how public funds are used.

The DPWH has emphasized that the Integrity Chain enables citizen feedback and anomaly reporting. But technology is simply a tool and it alone cannot drive change. It is up to us, the public, to use these tools, to question discrepancies, to demand accountability and to ensure that the data recorded reflects the truth.

Transparency is only meaningful when people are empowered to act on what they see.

The launch of the Integrity Chain is a commendable first step, but its application must not stop with the DPWH. Other government agencies that have long been plagued by similar issues should also adopt technologies that promote transparency and accountability. In fact, the entire government must embrace such innovations if we are to truly reform our systems.

Still, technology is only part of the solution. It must be accompanied by public vigilance, political will and an unwavering commitment to justice. Likewise, we must not allow the recent exposures of corruption in flood control projects to fade into obscurity. Those who enabled and profited from the suffering of the Filipino people – whether lawmakers, government officials or private contractors – must be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

We owe this to the victims of flooding, whose suffering has been worsened by greed. We owe it to taxpayers who fund public projects. And we owe it to future generations who deserve a better, more transparent and more just country than what we have today.

Quezon City representatives Arjo Atayde, Patrick Michael Vargas, Marivic Co-Pilar and Marvin Rillo are among those named in the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s request for Immigration Lookout Bulletin Orders.

The request letter from ICI chair Justice Andres Reyes Jr., sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, October 8, is considered a major development in the investigation into irregularities in public works projects and infrastructure funds. The DOJ has since signed the order, directing immigration authorities to issue the bulletin.

The ICI is seeking to have domestic or foreign travel of more than two dozen current and former officials monitored, in effect alerting authorities should they leave the country and attempt to evade cooperation in the probe.

Atayde, an actor-turned-politician first elected in 2022, had issued a denial weeks earlier, after his name surfaced during Senate hearings in September on projects linked to controversial contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya.

Responding to a photo that surfaced on social media showing him with the Discayas in September, he wrote that he “has never dealt with” the contractor couple and had ‘never used [his] position for personal gain.’

Vargas (5th District), Co-Pilar (6th District) and Rillo (former 4th District representative) were also included in the ICI’s list but have yet to comment on the ILBO request.

Two weeks after Atayde issued his denial, however, the Discayas claimed at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on September 18 that they would deliver paper bags of cash to officials in Quezon City. The couple also implicated Atayde and his congress colleagues Vargas and Co-Pilar in the sworn affidavit.

Ghost, duplicate projects in QC

The inclusion of Quezon City lawmakers comes amid findings that since 2022, it hosted more than DPWH-funded flood control projects valued at some P17 billion. Many are either substandard, duplicated or missing altogether. Of this, only two were coordinated with the city government and not aligned with the city’s drainage master plan.

There, investigators have also flagged “ghost” projects, or works that are recorded on paper but have no tangible build on the ground. There were also mismatches in project data. In one instance, flood control works at multiple locations were awarded to different contractors yet bearing identical bid amounts, a pattern suggestive of collusion or bid rigging.

Mayor Joy Belmonte earlier this week confirmed that Quezon City had revoked the business permits of Discaya-linked companies and terminated four ongoing projects after the contractors failed to justify their compliance with city requirements.

Other NCR officials named

Other Metro Manila politicians in the ILBO list include:

Rep. Roman Romulo (Pasig), who had issued a statement in September that the Discayas’ allegations against him are “not true.” He is an ally of Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, who first exposed the Discayas’ schemes after Sarah sought to replace him as mayor in the 2025 mid-term elections.

Rep. Marcy Teodoro (Marikina); and

Makati Mayor Nancy Binay, who transitioned from the Senate to local government in May. She had also denied any involvement in the alleged kickback schemes.

The ILBO request also covers high-ranking figures such as Rep. Martin Romualdez (Leyte, former House speaker), Sens. Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva and former Sen. Bong Revilla Jr.

Several DPWH district engineers and Commission on Audit officials would also be on the Bureau of Immigration’s lookout bulletin.

Reyes, chair of the investigating unit, said the lookout order is “of utmost necessity to hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people.”