Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Local air carriers may have to source part of their fuel from cleaner, nonfossil alternatives by 2030, a government official said.

Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said the agency has discussed with the National Biofuels Board the possibility of requiring a minimum 1 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend.

‘The recommendation is to have a 1 percent SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) mix or mandate by 2030,’ he told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in Pasay City.

In a previous statement, the DOE said SAF is a chemically identical alternative to fossil fuel-based aviation fuel. Producers can process it from plant- and used-oil feedstocks, such as forestry and agricultural waste and used vegetable oils.

The DOE considers coconut oil, which the country already uses to produce biodiesel, a potential feedstock for SAF.

Although SAF prices are ‘three to four times higher’ than fossil fuels, Sales said the impact on airfares may be minimal because the initial implementation would require only a 1 percent blend.

Sales said the country needs to increase production to bring SAF prices down. The Philippines currently has no domestic SAF production.

The government, however, still needs to assess local feedstock availability and investors’ appetite for building up supply, Sales said.

Sales could not provide an estimate of the initial investment needed to develop a SAF facility in the Philippines. He added that the industry would also have to account for the logistics costs of transporting feedstock to the facility.

Aviation fuel accounted for 3 percent of total fuel demand in the country last year, DOE data showed.

Meanwhile, Sales said ASEAN members could collaborate on SAF production, noting that the region has the resources to produce the fuel and is in a ‘unique position’ to become a demand center.

‘[But] this will involve more collaborative talks… because there are national agendas also running in the individual countries,’ he said.

he World Bank cut its 2027 growth forecast for the Philippines, describing the country as an ‘outlier’ in East Asia and the Pacific as war-driven pressures weigh on growth and the economy struggles to benefit from the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

In its East Asia and Pacific Update released Tuesday, the Washington-based institution kept its 3.7 percent growth forecast for the Philippines this year but cut its 2027 outlook by 0.4 percentage point to 5.2 percent.

If realized, growth this year would lag the World Bank’s 4.5 percent forecast for the broader East Asia and Pacific region. It would also fall short of the Marcos administration’s target of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent.

The World Bank forecasts that the Philippines will grow by 5.2 percent next year, outpacing its 4.4 percent projection for the region.

The estimate would also put growth near the lower end of the government’s 5 percent to 6 percent target for 2027.

‘Pressure from high energy prices is forecast to push inflation to 5.8 percent in 2026, weakening household purchasing power and raising production costs, while weak public investment and confidence will soften investment growth,’ the bank said. It added that next year’s growth would depend on the pace of the rebound in government spending and an expected easing of inflation.

The revision made the World Bank the latest global institution to lower its outlook for the Philippines, a net energy importer exposed to the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East and facing a slowdown in government spending amid corruption concerns.

Last month, the Asian Development Bank lowered its 2026 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the Philippines to 3.3 percent from 3.8 percent, while the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast to 3.4 percent from 3.9 percent.

The domestic economy expanded by just 2.6 percent in the first half, as limited fiscal support allowed war-driven inflation to quickly feed through to consumers. Government spending has also weakened following a wide-ranging crackdown on anomalous flood control projects.

Meanwhile, the World Bank said some countries in the region have been able to weather the impact of the US-Iran conflict because the global AI boom has powered their export sectors.

‘The Philippines is the outlier in East Asia,’ said Franziska Ohnsorge, the World Bank’s chief economist for Asia. ‘The World Bank predicts that the Philippines will grow by 5.2 percent next year, exceeding its regional projection of 4.4 percent.’

YouTube sensation Rachel Griffin Accurso, popularly known as Ms. Rachel, extended help to a Filipino mom who appealed for donation for her child suffering from a rare birth condition.

Daisilyn Mejia reached out to Accurso through Threads last Friday, Oct. 2, sharing the condition of her son who was diagnosed with omphalocele.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, omphalocele is a birth defect of the abdominal wall where ‘the infant’s intestines, liver, or other organs stick outside of the belly through the belly button.’

In her post, Mejia shared a video of her older son singing Accurso’s ‘I Love a Rainbow.’

‘I’m hoping if could you please share our fundraiser for his little brother who diagnosed with omphalocele. Thank you so much,’ Mejia wrote, adding the link to the fundraiser page she set up that had a goal of $5,000 or over P300,000.

Responding to Mejia’s post, Accurso wrote, ‘I donated the full amount. He’s so precious and much love to the whole family. Hope his brother feels better soon.’

Mejia expressed her gratitude to Accurso, describing her as an ‘angel’ God sent to help her family.

‘Ms. Rachel, thank you so much for helping us… At a time when we were feeling worried and unsure, your help gave us hope and made us feel that we are not alone. I truly believe that God sent you to us at the right time,’ she wrote.

‘You became an angel He used to bless and help our family. I will always remember the kindness you showed us, and I am deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart,’ she added.

Ms. Rachel launched her hugely popular YouTube channel in 2019. She has since been using her social media platforms to advocate for people affected by humanitarian crises around the world.

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) on Tuesday called for the formation of a rapid referral pathway in the government to immediately address concerns of violence against women in politics (VAWP).

PCW Senior Gender and Development Specialist Caryl Joyce Gutapia made this recommendation during the hearing of the House committee on women and gender equality on House Bills Nos. 8353 and 9254, which both seek to define and penalize VAWP.

Gutapia said that the PCW supports both measures amid the proliferation of threats against women in politics. Gutapia said that women in politics must be afforded protection against any violence and threats for them to fully perform their duties for their communities and the country.

‘Hanggang ngayon patuloy na may diskriminasyon, panggigipit at karahasan ng mga kasama nating kababaihan sa pagtahak nila sa larangan ng politika. Kung hindi natin sosolusyonan at haharapin, patuloy na hindi magiging ligtas at buo ang pakikilahok ng mga kababaihan sa politika at demokrasya,’ Gutapia said.

(Until now, there is still discrimination and harassment against women in politics. If we do not solve and address this, the participation of women in politics and democracy will not be fully safe.)

With this, she laid out the agency’s recommendations, including establishing a rapid referral pathway to be handled by the Commission on Elections and the Department of Justice, for example.

She said that this should be done ‘so digital evidence, physical security, threats and election offenses are routed simultaneously to DICT [Department of Information and Communications Technology], PNP [Philippine National Police], or NBI [National Bureau of Investigation], and election contest bodies without delaying emergency protective measures.’

She added that the VAWP desk should be harmonized with existing violence against women desks during the election period. She also said that the women in politics experiencing threats must also have access to psychosocial services, particularly for trauma informed care and other forms of assistance.

Meanwhile, Trent Joshua Asuncion of the non-government organization The Asia Foundation said women in politics should be protected throughout their political participation.

Asuncion said that while the proposed VAWP desk and election period response mechanisms are equally important, he noted that ‘violence does not necessarily begin only when somebody files her candidacy nor does it end on election day.’ He emphasized that women may begin facing pressure even before becoming election candidates, and threats and pressure may continue once they assume office.

‘The question for us is a practical one: where does she go? She should be able to approach the designated reporting channel and get help without first having to work out with the agency that has jurisdiction of her case,’ he added.

The House panel approved the motion to consolidate the two measures into a consolidated bill and consider the recommendations made during the hearing.

This hearing was conducted just days after San Juan City Lone District Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora received sexist and misogynistic attacks online after conducting the direct examination of P/Maj. Joericson Sangalang, head of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office during the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte.

As many netizens branded her approach as ‘flirtatious,’ Zamora clapped back and told the bashers behind the remarks to ‘get a life.’

‘You know it’s so unfortunate that a lot of Filipinos still think that way, they still make misogynistic remarks, especially directed towards women, girls, who apparently are smart and can speak well, and can be a lawyer in an impeachment court,’ Zamora said during a previous press briefing.

Zamora, who studied political science and law from the University of the Philippines, was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2009. She handled civil and family law, corporate law, and criminal law at the Zamora Poblador Law Office before she began her political career in 2022.

During the House panel hearing, panel chairperson Laguna Rep. Ann Matibag reaffirmed her support for Zamora, who is also the panel’s vice chairperson.

Carlos Alcaraz won his first title since returning from a four-month injury layoff after beating the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in Tuesday’s Japan Open final.

Top seed and defending champion Alcaraz was made to work hard by world number 19 Lehecka in Tokyo before going on to lift his first trophy since the Qatar Open in February.

It was Alcaraz’s third tournament since coming back from a wrist injury, following a run to the US Open quarterfinals and an appearance at the Laver Cup.

‘A lot of negative thoughts come to your mind, if you’re going to come back healthy, if you’re going to be the same as I was before,’ said Alcaraz.

‘A lot of thoughts came to my mind but I tried to put those thoughts away all the time.

‘My team and I knew that when I came back I was going to be healthy 100 percent and if I feel something, it’s not going to be anything at all.’

This was the world number three’s third title of the year, including the Australian Open, and the 27th of his career.

It came hours after world number one Jannik Sinner announced that he had brought a premature end to his season due to an ongoing knee injury.

Alcaraz went into the final with a 3-1 career head-to-head record against Lehecka, who was looking to win his first title of the year.

Alcaraz had his service broken immediately by a confident-looking Lehecka, who gave his top-seeded opponent no time to settle.

The Spaniard broke back in a long tussle midway through the first set and followed that up with a brutal display of power tennis in the next game.

Lehecka proved a tough nut to crack though, and Alcaraz needed to pull out a pair of spectacular drop shots to clinch the first set in a tiebreaker.

Lehecka continued to give Alcaraz problems but the defending champion went a break up midway through the second set and made no mistakes to close out the victory.

Alcaraz is scheduled to play in the Shanghai Masters starting Wednesday.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Tuesday said its records, particularly suspicious transaction reports (STRs), do not by themselves prove illegal activity, as they still require further analysis and investigation to establish whether any wrongdoing actually took place.

AMLC secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura clarified the matter during the 34th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial while being questioned by defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan.

In his cross-examination, Vinluan asked whether STRs alone can prove the veracity of Duterte’s suspicious transactions-revealed on Monday-particularly whether they were truly connected to the flood control scandal, drug trafficking, or malversation of public funds and property.

‘We have to conduct pa po (we still need to conduct) analysis and investigation, if warranted,’ responded Buenaventura.

‘Not alone, we have to conduct further investigation if needed or warranted,’ he added.

This, said Buenaventura, also applies to the covered transaction reports (CTRs) and STRs of corporations linked to the vice president and her husband, Maneses Carpio, and whether these meant they committed money laundering.

‘On the basis of the CTRs and STRs alone, not at that point,’ the AMLC executive said.

To recall, AMLC on Monday disclosed several transactions by Duterte and her spouse Maneses Carpio flagged for allegedly being related to the flood control scandal, as well as drug trafficking and other related offenses.

STRs refer to reports filed by covered institutions on transactions that exhibit specific red flags or irregularities under the Anti-Money Laundering Act-regardless of the amount involved.

Among the STRs revealed during the trial were premium payments made to The Mercantile Insurance Co. on July 4, 2019, and Nov. 15, 2019, which were reported due to alleged graft and corrupt practices amid its supposed connection to the flood control scandal.

Another STR, dated August 1, 2024, linked Duterte’s husband Carpio to drug trafficking, particularly PSBank accounts under him which were flagged following criminal complaints tied to a 2017 P6.4B shabu smuggling case.

An Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) official on Tuesday said he had no personal knowledge of whether Vice President Sara Duterte had amassed unexplained wealth, stressing that his testimony was limited to financial transactions reported to the agency.

AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, a prosecution witness, returned to the Senate impeachment court as the defense continued its cross-examination.

Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan initially asked Buenaventura about the tabular summary he presented Monday, which showed a P4.4-billion financial trail involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

‘Malaki po ‘yung mga aggregate amounts contained in your tabular summaries. Pero para lang po maliwanag, ‘yung tabular summaries and reports po ba na ‘yun ay conclusive proof of VP Sara and Atty. Mans’ cash on hand or cash in bank?’ Vinluan asked.

(The aggregate amounts contained in your tabular summaries are quite substantial. But just to be clear, are those tabular summaries and reports conclusive proof of Vice President Sara’s and Atty. Mans’ cash on hand or cash in bank?)

‘No, Your Honor. What the records would only show are the transactions, not the cash in hand or cash in bank,’ Buenaventura said.

Vinluan then asked whether the summary was conclusive proof of Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth.

Buenaventura said the tabulation was based on covered transaction reports (CTRs) and suspicious transaction reports (STRs) submitted to the AMLC.

He gave the same response when Vinluan asked whether the tabulation was conclusive proof of Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.

‘For the same answer, I can only rely on what’s provided in the records,’ Buenaventura said.

Vinluan also asked whether the records were conclusive proof of Duterte’s actual wealth as declared in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Buenaventura said he had no knowledge of Duterte’s SALN and reiterated that the tabular summary was based on the CTRs and STRs reported to the AMLC.

‘So in other words, Atty. Buenaventura, as AMLC director, you simply do not have personal knowledge that will clearly establish that VP Sara amassed hundreds of millions or billions. Tama?’ Vinluan asked.

‘I have no personal knowledge, Your Honor, but what I’m testifying only is what are indicated in the records regarding transactions reported to us, Your Honor,’ Buenaventura said.

From 2007 to 2025, the AMLC recorded 666 covered transaction reports and 55 suspicious transaction reports involving Duterte and Carpio.

Public school teachers and education personnel may finally receive their 2024 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) between October and December as President Marcos on Monday ordered government agencies to speed up the release of the incentive.

‘The processing is ongoing, and I have instructed the concerned agencies to ensure that the process is carried out properly and expedited,’ Marcos said in his speech at the 2026 National Teachers’ Day celebration in Quezon City.

He added that the government was also improving benefits and incentives for them, including teaching and medical allowances and the World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit.

‘And we will not stop there. We will continue to find ways to further improve the support, benefits and opportunities for our teachers,’ the President said.

His office in July approved the awarding of the 2024 PBB to qualified government agencies and employees. Distribution of the bonus may begin from this month until December, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

‘Top-up bonus’

The PBB is a ‘top-up bonus’ given to government employees-ranging from 45.5 percent to 65 percent of their monthly basic salary-based on their performance and contributions to the accomplishment of their department’s overall targets and commitments.

This is on top of the Productivity Enhancement Incentive distributed to employees across the board, as well as other incentives, such as midyear and yearend bonuses and a P5,000 annual cash gift.

The nearly one million public school teachers nationwide will also each receive a P1,000 incentive in connection with the double celebration of National and World Teachers’ Day.

World Teachers’ Day, celebrated every Oct. 5 since 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, honors their vital role in shaping societies.

In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10743 declares Oct. 5 as National Teachers’ Day in honor of their dedication and compassion.

Marcos also highlighted government efforts to expand career opportunities for teachers, saying 82,105 teachers and school heads had been promoted as of September under the Expanded Career Progression System.

At the same time, he raised concerns over recent incidents of violence involving young people, saying the government was strengthening guidance and mental health support in schools.

The prosecution on Tuesday slammed the defense counsel of one of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co’s co-accused in a malversation case for what it deemed ‘trial and error’ regarding their final witness, a remark the lawyer took exception to.

Ultimately, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division allowed the presentation of Jose Sumangil from the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) Administrative Division in Region IV-B as a witness next week.

The court tackled the manifestation of project engineer Casuno, through his counsel Dustin Jay Condez, seeking to allow the presentation of Sumangil.

‘After due deliberation … we will allow the presentation of the witness,’ said Associate Justice Kevin Vivero.

Prior to this, prosecutor Peter Jedd Boco said the prosecution ‘vehemently objects’ to the presentation of Sumangil.

Boco stressed that the witness did not appear in the pretrial order or the list of substitute witnesses.

The prosecutor also noted that this is the third time Casuno has attempted to present a witness to testify on the unavailability of equipment needed to check if the steel sheet piles (SSP) are compliant with the requirement.

The P289-million project of Sunwest in Naujan town was supposed to have 12-meter SSPs, but an inspection by DPWH chief Vince Dizon revealed that it only had 3-meter SSPs.

‘It’s like trial and error on his part,’ Boco said of Casuno’s lawyer.

Condez, in response, said he ‘took exception’ to the prosecutor’s ‘trial and error’ remarks.

‘It is never the intention,’ Condez said. ‘It has been shown that we have been trying to find witnesses.’

‘One witness after the other would point us to another division and office regarding that,’ the defense counsel further stressed.

Sumangil issued a certification on Oct. 5, 2026, stating that no equipment was available for the undertaking as of March 2024.

Boco questioned the relevance of the certification.

‘Anyway, the prosecution can cross-examine the witness,’ Vivero said, while issuing a ‘stern warning’ that Sumangil should be Casuno’s last witness.

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday branded dismissed policeman Rudolfo Gracioso as someone ‘paid’ to destroy her reputation.

During a press conference here, Duterte said Gracioso was only out to settle a score with former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, supposedly over money, and it was unfortunate that she was dragged into it.

Duterte denied Gracioso’s allegations, especially about receiving money stuffed in suitcases.

But the Vice President said Gracioso did not appear to have a personal grudge against her, only that he was motivated by the money he was supposedly offered.

A similar financial offer was supposedly made to her former aide Jefry Tupas.

Duterte had accused the administration of orchestrating the demolition job against her.