Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Lasallian community is getting some heavyweight help as it expands its campuses, with the Consunji and Wenceslao families both lending their names and expertise to new projects.

The Consunjis and Wenceslaos have separately thrown their weight behind major expansion projects involving La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Over at LSGH, the Consunji family’s DMCI is building a new Senior High School, International Baccalaureate and Performing Arts Building, which topped off last May and is on track for completion in October.

DMCI president and CEO Jorge Consunji himself joined LSGH officials for the milestone, with construction now shifting to interior works.

Meanwhile, another prominent business family is helping expand the Lasallian footprint farther south.

Last November, the Wenceslao family joined Benilde officials in breaking ground on the Delfin J. Wenceslao Jr. Campus in Aseana City, Parañaque, named after the late real estate tycoon and former president and chair of D.M. Wenceslao and Associates Inc.

The roughly 3,845-square-meter campus will house programs spanning architecture, fashion, industrial design, cybersecurity and game development, among others. It is expected to welcome students beginning Academic Year 2027-2028.

For the Wenceslaos, the project also brings a major educational institution into Aseana City, the family’s flagship 204-hectare development. For two families accustomed to building big, their latest projects are taking them straight back to school.

The Philippine peso fell to a fresh record low on Tuesday, weakening further past the 62-per-dollar level as higher oil prices, geopolitical risks, and a stronger dollar pressured the currency.

The peso declined 13 centavos to close at 62.40 per dollar, according to data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines. The move surpassed the previous record closing low of 62.27 set Aug. 28.

Market activity eased, with trading volume falling to $1.3 billion from nearly $2 billion in the previous session.

The Philippine peso remains Asia’s ‘weakest link,’ MUFG Bank Ltd. earlier said, despite the central bank’s recent rate hike, as policymakers balance inflation control with weak economic growth.

For Asian currencies, in a noted released on Monday, it added that the key question is increasingly whether inflation will remain persistent enough to warrant further monetary tightening.

On Friday, the Philippine peso fell to a record low, dropping below 62 per dollar for the first time, as rising oil prices and a stronger US dollar outweighed the effects of the central bank’s recent interest-rate hike.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III has filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the ‘root causes and devastating effects’ of typhoons and monsoon rains in the Philippines, with the aim of strengthening disaster mitigation efforts.

In Proposed Senate Resolution No. 631 filed on Sept. 1, Sotto noted that while ‘flood control corruption was exposed and widely investigated’ beginning August 2025, the country continued to experience weekly typhoons and monsoon rains in August 2026 that triggered widespread flooding, class and work suspensions, stranded commuters, business disruptions, and flooded homes.

According to Sotto, the situation warranted an assessment of the country’s disaster mitigation measures and the resilience of public infrastructure, particularly flood-control projects intended to protect communities from flooding.

The proposed Senate probe aims to identify measures to strengthen the government’s disaster mitigation efforts.

Sotto’s resolution cited reports of around P5.1 billion in damage to public and private infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and other structures that were damaged or collapsed amid heavy rains.

Among the incidents cited by Sotto were the unfinished flood-control projects in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, which reportedly worsened the impact of flooding on local communities.

He also pointed to the collapse of portions of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road and the Aquino and Agana bridges in Tarlac City on Aug. 29.

According to the resolution, the collapse of the Agana Bridge led to the fall of a vehicle carrying five people. Of the five, one was rescued, one was found in Dagupan, Pangasinan, and three remain missing.

Beyond infrastructure damage, Sotto also raised concern over the health consequences of flooding.

He cited Department of Health data showing 5,486 leptospirosis cases with 344 deaths following flooding caused by the habagat.

‘While resilience is a noble trait of Filipinos, the government was entrusted by the people to deliver quality public service infrastructure and accountability must remain steadfast,’ Sotto said in the resolution.

Linda Noskova’s life changed earlier this summer in ways she could not possibly imagine.

The 21-year-old from the Czech Republic won Wimbledon, the youngest champion there in a decade and a half, for her first Grand Slam title. She met Czech president Petr Pavel and was celebrated by thousands in her hometown of Vsetín.

‘A lot of congratulations from people that weren’t really expected,’ she said.

Back at a major for the first time at the US Open, Noskova understands the gravity of what she has accomplished but insists it has not changed how she approaches tennis, with her eyes on more prizes ahead.

‘It has always been very important to focus on each match like nothing ever happened before: no success or no failure,’ Noskova said. ‘Whatever happened happened, and this is a brand-new tournament. I just have to start all over.’

It’s not totally starting over. She will always have that Wimbledon run on her resume, and she has improved from 12th to a career-best sixth in the WTA world rankings.

Still, Noskova called not getting ahead of herself the most important thing, which she believes is easy. After falling behind 5-2 in the first set of her opening match Monday against 78th-ranked American opponent Katie Volynets, Noskova rallied to win it 7-5, 6-1.

‘I really want to stay the same – not really change many things around me,’ Noskova said. ‘Whenever there is something new or something I’m not used to, I just kind of always want to stick with the things that I know how to do, and whatever is new, I just kind of get used to it.’

Knowing it’s about ‘What have you done for me lately?’ Noskova acknowledges the media attention will not last forever. Going all the way at the All-England Club did give her confidence that she can hang with the best women’s players on the planet, which helps at a U.S. Open that looks wide open.

‘I have learned mainly the fact that it’s possible for me to do it: for me to make it till the very end and just lift (a) Grand Slam trophy,’ Noskova said. ‘I feel like all of us, all players, just dream about that moment and when it actually comes, it’s very hard to realize and to realize all the things that went into it.’

Noskova beat countrywoman Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon final. She’s the youngest to win that tournament since another Czech player, Petra Kvitova in 2011.

But the celebrations of that achievement are over. For the first several minutes of her question-and-answer session upon arriving in New York last week, Noskova did not utter the ‘W’ word.

She smiled and called it unintentional. Attempting to shift her mindset and moving past Wimbledon is very intentional.

‘I feel like I have had enough of it, in a good way,’ Noskova said. ‘I mean, it’s something that it’s so big and huge that it’s very tough to actually swallow. But at the same time, we have a new Grand Slam here. I cannot be stuck in my head space at Wimbledon. … I will just try to redo what I did.’

Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James ‘Jojo’ Ang pleaded not guilty to two of the graft charges against him before the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Tuesday.

Ang faces 14 counts of violating Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act before the Sandiganbayan, two of which were raffled to the Sixth Division.

The information filed by state prosecutors as read during the hearing on Tuesday alleged that Ang had ‘direct and/or indirect financial interest’ in contracts between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Allencon Development Corporation.

The contracts in question were worth P8.18 million and P16.079 million.

Ang purportedly owned 500 shares in Allencon Development Corporation.

State prosecutors argued that Ang’s alleged acquisition of the shares violated Article VI, Section 14 of the 1987 Constitution, which prohibits lawmakers from being ‘interested financially in any contract with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the government.’

Before Ang’s arraignment, state prosecutors moved to amend the information filed to note that the amounts indicated in the charges were ‘more or less’ P8.18 million and P16.079 million.

The prosecution cited ‘unquantifiable’ differences between the amount stated in the contract and the budget approved by the DPWH.

However, Ang’s legal counsel, Luis Vera Cruz, argued that the motion to amend the information to include the phrase ‘more or less’ would change the nature of the charges and affect the jurisdiction of the court.

Nonetheless, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division granted prosecutors’ motion to amend the information.

The court set the preliminary conference on Monday afternoon, September 7 and the pretrial proper on Tuesday morning, September 8.

After Ang entered his plea, state prosecutors requested the Sixth Division to preventively suspend the lawmaker.

Given the state prosecutors’ request, the Sixth Division ordered Ang to file an explanation within five days as to why he should not be preventively suspended. /

Classes on Wednesday, Sept. 2, have been suspended in several areas due to the expected bad weather brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat.

Below are the following areas with class suspensions:

Central Luzon

Guagua, Pampanga – no face-to-face classes in all levels, public and private

Tarlac – no face-to-face classes, all levels, public and private; until Saturday, September 5

Pangasinan

Basista – no face-to-face classes in daycare to senior high school; public and private

no face-to-face classes in all levels, public and private

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in a weather advisory that the southwest monsoon may bring scattered rains over Luzon and Visayas until Wednesday afternoon.

Metro Pacific Water (MPW) plans to invest P23 billion by 2031 to enhance its operations in the Philippines and Vietnam.

The group disclosed the planned investment as it marked its 15th year in the water business.

‘Water security is economic security, and this P23-billion investment is our commitment to building the infrastructure the next generation will depend on,’ Andrew Pangilinan, MPW president and CEO, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Moreover, the company said the funds will support new water sources, infrastructure development, network rehabilitation, reducing non-revenue water, and pipeline repairs.

In addition, part of the investment will fund new technologies to enhance the reliability and efficiency of the water network.

Currently, MPW uses modular treatment technologies, including reverse osmosis, to serve water-scarce areas.

The group serves around 221,000 households in Iloilo, Dumaguete, and San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and operates Metro Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Corp. and Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Inc. through joint ventures with local water districts.

Likewise, MPW has presence in Nghe An, Vietnam’s largest province, via its subsidiaries Tuan Loc Water Resources Investment and Phu Ninh Water.

‘As we build stronger regional water operations in Southeast Asia, our investment improves our ability to expand capacity and pursue new opportunities where reliable water infrastructure is increasingly critical,’ Pangilinan said.

‘Our cross-country experience has allowed us to combine local operating experience with technologies and solutions that can be deployed across different markets,’ he added.

MPW’s portfolio now has a water production and treatment capacity of 798 million liters per day, up from 667 MLD last year.

Tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) saw revenues rise in the first half of 2026, giving the tollway operator a lift as it works to seal its mammoth merger with conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC).

MPTC said toll revenues grew 8 percent to P19.6 billion during the January-to-June period, driven by its expanding road network in the Philippines, stronger operations in Indonesia and contributions from overseas investments.

That growth came despite slightly softer traffic at home, which accounts for more than 90 percent of its revenues, as average daily vehicle entries declined 1 percent to 715,200.

Across MPTC’s regional portfolio, however, average daily vehicle entries still edged up 1 percent to about 2.5 million, buoyed by a 3-percent increase in Indonesia to 1.67 million vehicles a day.

MPTC attributed the revenue growth partly to the opening of Cavitex C5 Link Segment 3B Phase 1 and Calax Subsection 3. In Indonesia, stable logistics activity, tariff adjustments and improved toll-road access also supported its performance.

The company said earnings from its equity investments in Indonesia likewise boosted core profit.

Only MPTC’s Philippine tollway assets are expected to be folded into the planned merger with SMC, Pangilinan said earlier.

Both groups are now working to seal the deal before year-end, with SMC chair and CEO Ramon Ang expected to lead the combined tollway company. Pangilinan previously said SMC could own about 55 percent.

Ahead of the planned merger, MPTC continues to expand its domestic network.

Capital expenditures reached P7.6 billion in the first half, although this was 5-percent lower year on year as right-of-way and construction issues affected project completion schedules.

Ongoing projects include North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Segment 8.2 Section 1A, the remaining Calax subsections, Cavitex-Calax Link Expressway, Cavitex C5 Link Segment 3B Phase 2 and remaining works on the NLEx Connector.

MPTC’s regional portfolio now spans more than 1,100 kilometers of toll roads across the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

In the Philippines, the company operates the NLEx, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Manila-Cavite Expressway, Cavite-Laguna Expressway, Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway and the NLEx Connector.

At least P3.713 billion in public funds may have been wasted on flood control and multipurpose projects in reclamation areas of Laguna Lake in Taguig City, according to Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson.

Also on Monday, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano welcomed the scrutiny of land titles in his bailiwick, noting that his wife, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, had long wanted these properties examined.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has ordered a halt to reclamation projects in Taguig, saying it would soon ‘determine a way forward’ on this matter after consulting with ‘different stakeholders.’

Posting on X on Monday, Lacson said: ‘WASTED PUBLIC FUNDS DUE TO MISUSE: Based on official records and our investigation, the total cost of Identified completed, ongoing (and suspended) DPWH Flood Control and Multi-Purpose Projects along the ‘illegal’ Laguna Lakeshore Reclamation Areas in Taguig City has so far reached P3.713 billion.’

‘These do not include other anomalous Slope Protection and Flood Mitigation projects along Taguig River involving double appropriations and ‘ghost’ projects using recycled photographs in different ‘completed’ projects, for billing purposes,’ he added.

Lacson’s latest disclosure came following Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s announcement of cease-and-desist orders issued on the said projects, in line with a directive from the Office of the President through the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

Lacson said earlier that an investigation by his team has found reclamation activities on Taguig City’s side of Laguna Lake covering at least 85 hectares of land.

He said their latest findings would be among the evidence to be sent to the Office of the Ombudsman’s fact-finding team ‘for proper disposition.’

Contractors

In his post on X, Lacson also cited official records as well as his office’s investigation identifying the top five contractors involved in projects covering P2.372 billion:

Dahl Construction: P858.22 million covering five solo projects worth P571.5 million and four joint ventures totaling P286.7 million

JC Uyecio: P483.1 million covering four joint ventures

ToughBuilt: P434.2 million covering three solo projects

Topnotch: P329.9 million covering two joint ventures with Core Check and one with Beam Team

GR Fervidal: P266.6 million covering five solo multipurpose building projects

Lacson said all of the multipurpose building projects of GR Fervidal were suspended due to a ‘revision of plans’ involving soil reinvestigation.

He said the DPWH issued the cease-and-desist orders ‘to prevent further waste of government funds on contractors carrying out unauthorized or illegal activities.’

Lacson also said earlier he was told by PRA officials that all unpermitted reclaimed areas in Taguig City, whether belonging to the local government or to private individuals, are subject to forfeiture in favor of the national government.

On Saturday, he disclosed that at least four parcels of illegally reclaimed land in Taguig City had been initially identified as covered by ‘fraudulently’ issued land titles, while at least four other parcels have no plotted title lots in the digital file of the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

‘Digging further’

In a statement on Monday, Cayetano said the government stands to gain if allegations of illegally titled properties along Laguna Lake in Taguig are proven true.

‘Yesterday, there was something in the newspaper saying that there is a 181,000-square-meter, or 18-hectare, property that was supposedly ‘illegally titled.’ On one hand, we are also hoping that’s true. Why? Because if it is indeed illegal, it would go to the government. Then we would have 18 hectares now for the government,’ said Cayetano, referring to one of the parcels identified by Lacson.

In another post on X, Lacson reacted to that statement by Cayetano.

‘Maybe so, except that those titles (38.83 hectares total, so far) are registered to private individuals. We have their names as well as the OCT (original certificate of title) and TCT (transfer certificate of title) numbers. We are digging further deep into it,’ said Lacson.

‘What if it wasn’t exposed?’ he added.

A fire triggered by an explosion aboard a motor tanker at GGC Port in Barangay Punta, Ormoc City, Leyte, was quickly brought under control Tuesday morning with no injuries or fatalities reported among the vessel’s crew.

The incident involving MTKR Matipuno occurred around 10:05 a.m. on Tuesday, prompting personnel from the Coast Guard Station Western Leyte (CGSWL), Coast Guard Sub-Station Ormoc (CGSS Ormoc), and other concerned units to respond immediately.

Coast Guard personnel who were in the area noticed the explosion and established communication with the tanker to assess the situation. The responding team also coordinated the deployment of MBCA KCQ 3 to proceed to the vessel.

Upon reaching the tanker, the response team conducted an initial inspection and assessment.

According to the vessel’s master, the explosion may have originated from faulty electrical wiring involving the port and starboard windlass funnel board. Authorities have not determined the cause of the explosion as they continue their investigation.

The tanker’s firefighting team immediately took action and successfully extinguished the fire, preventing the incident from escalating.

No crew member was reported injured or killed, according to the initial assessment.

The Coast Guard is continuing its investigation and assessment to determine the exact cause of the explosion and establish any damage to the vessel or its equipment