Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

More than a year after it was completed, the first span of the Tuganay Bridge along the Maharlika National Highway in Carmen, Davao del Norte, already showed cracks on its pavement and bridge approach, an inspection team who visited the site noted.

In its Sept. 25 31-page report, the Davao del Norte infrastructure and social services delivery inspection team noted that the six-lane 420 meter-long Tuganay Bridge 1 along Maharlika Highway, the road that links Davao del Norte’s capital Tagum City to Davao City, was reported to have been completed on Feb. 20 last year but was already showing cracks.

The engineers noted that the P516-million bridge was also priced 38 percent higher for every linear meter than the two-lane and 30-meter-long bridge that the provincial government built.

For transparency

Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib had sent copies of the report to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and other concerned government agencies to add to the growing number of infrastructure projects being investigated by the Senate blue ribbon committee for questions and alleged irregularities.

Jubahib said he endorsed the report in the interest of transparency and accountability. The province, through the Provincial Development Council and the Provincial Peace and Order Council earlier passed a resolution creating the infrastructure and social services delivery inspection team to go over infrastructure and other government projects in the province, in the light of the irregularities uncovered in infrastructure projects at the national level.

The team also noted that the second span of Tuganay Bridge 2, which was started in April this year and still ongoing, also showed some cracks on its approach. Engineers also noted signs that substandard materials were allegedly being used.

The Inquirer tried to reach the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the region for comment but the office still had to reply to the text and phone messages.

DA’s findings

Tuganay Bridges 1 and 2, which figured in the worst flooded areas of Davao del Norte last year, were only two of the 11 projects worth more than P1 billion that the inspection team visited in the province.

The team also noted among others, the P150.28-million concreting project of the Tagum to Panabo Circumferential Road; and the section connecting Malitbog, Kasilak and Consolacion in Davao del Norte, which also showed several defects barely three years after it was completed on Dec. 15, 2022. Some of the projects had suffered delays because of road right-of- way problems.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has also flagged P75 million worth of alleged ‘ghost’ farm-to-market road (FMR)projects in Mindanao.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the alleged ‘ghost’ FMR projects spanning 5 kilometers are located in Davao region and Zamboanga City.

‘So far, these are just initial reports and the amount is not that significant in terms of the overall FMR road projects,’ Tiu Laurel said in an interview with dzBB in Metro Manila on Tuesday.

Digging deeper

Tiu Laurel said these FMR projects were implemented before his term, but the DA was ‘digging deeper’ into the issue given the involvement of ‘very small’ contractors.

The agriculture chief said the FMR review was triggered by a report from the DA’s regional office in Davao submitted at the end of July.

However, Tiu Laurel did not provide additional information about the identity of these contractors or the exact project sites.

He clarified that such projects were part of the DA’s budget allocation under the 2025 General Appropriations Act and no budget insertions were made.

At a briefing on Tuesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro affirmed that Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon was already doing his investigation about the FMRs implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

While lodged under the DA, the FMRs-agricultural infrastructures designed to connect agricultural production areas to markets and major roads for efficient delivery of goods, and reduced transportation costs-are under the DPWH. It is in charge of the commissioning, bidding, and construction of FMRs identified and validated by the DA.

For 2026, the DA proposed a budget of P16 billion for FMRs.

Last month, the DA announced a ‘sweeping’ audit of FMR projects covering the years 2021 to 2025 to check and resolve possible irregularities in their implementation. Tiu Laurel initiated the comprehensive review following congressional investigations involving government-funded flood control projects.

The DA chief wanted the audit of the FMRs to be completed before the end of the year, with its findings to be forwarded to the Office of the President.

‘We must make sure they are done properly, that taxpayers’ money was spent to provide farmers with market access and not squandered for farm-to-pocket projects,’ he said.

Tiu Laurel said no DA official or employee was involved based on their preliminary findings but vowed to immediately suspend any personnel found guilty of engaging in such illicit activities.

The government aims to construct 131,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads designed to link agricultural areas with markets.

Approximately 70,000 km of these projects had been completed as of July. However, the government has around 61,000 km in backlog or pending validation.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will meet with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday to submit documents to help with investigations.

BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno made this pronouncement on Wednesday after the agency issued a warrant of seizure and detention for 13 luxury cars owned by contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya after it found sufficient grounds for seizure due to improper documentation of vehicles. The couple had been implicated in the anomalous flood control projects. ‘My objective for my request to meet the ICI, [headed by retired] Justice Andres Reyes, is to submit the documents and information that we have to help in their investigations,’ Nepomuceno told reporters in an interview.

Nepomuceno said that the agency’s findings on the Discayas’ luxury cars will be the first documents they will submit to the independent probe body. He also said that they will relay other findings aside from the Discayas.

With this, Nepomuceno recognized the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to all government agencies to coordinate with the ICI on its investigation on anomalies in national infrastructure projects.

‘We will also ask how else we can help and if they have directions that they want to share, and we assure them of our full cooperation,’ he added. As the contractor couple attended on Tuesday the hearing of the ICI in connection with anomalous flood control projects, their lawyer Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III said that the couple gave a ‘tell-all’ testimony at the probe.

Meanwhile, Nepomuceno shared that the issuance of the warrant of seizure and detention came after the agency found out that from the 13 vehicles, seven have no import entry records and certificates of payment. Meanwhile the remaining six may possess import entry documents but have dubious COP or no COP at all.

Nepomuceno also said that the issuance is a formal avenue for the Discayas to prove for one last time the legitimacy of the purchases. He explained that if the family fails to do so, the vehicles will be forfeited and may be auctioned by the government. In a previous Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on flood control mess, Sarah admitted to owning 28 luxury vehicles. The BOC earlier secured these cars, with 12 of these being initially covered by a search warrant while the 16 were voluntarily surrendered by the family.

Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the agency to help speed up the validation of casualties resulting from the onslaught of Tropical Depression Opong (international name: Bualoi).

‘Challenges remain in accessing remote and heavily impacted areas due to damaged infrastructure, as well as in the identification of remains in advanced stages of decomposition,’ the PNP said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘[Nartatez] instructed police responders to help speed up the validation of casualties related to Typhoon Opong,’ it added.

At least 37 were reported dead, 41 were reported injured and 14 were reported missing due to the combined effects of Opong, Super Typhoon Nando (Ragasa) and Tropical Depression Mirasol (Mitag) as of Wednesday, according to the NDRRMC’s latest situational report.

Of the casualties, 33 deaths, 27 injuries and 14 missing persons have yet to be validated by the authorities, the NDRRMC noted.

Opong left the Philippine area of responsibility last Saturday, after making landfalls in Eastern Samar, Masbate, Romblon and Oriental Mindoro.

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Maynilad Water Services Inc. has cut the maximum offer price for its initial public offering (IPO) to P15 per share from P20 per share after locking in cornerstone investors.

This values the prospective equity deal at P34.33 billion at the most, down from P45.8 billion previously.

It follows the commitment of International Finance Corp. and Asian Development Bank to invest up to $245 million in the concessionaire’s IPO. Maynilad president Ramoncito Fernandez confirmed there were other cornerstone investors, although he stayed mum on the details.

Offer period

Maynilad will announce its final offer price on Oct. 20.

The offer period will run from Oct. 23 to Oct. 29. The shares will be listed on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange on or before Nov. 7 under the ticker ‘MYNLD.’

This is the second time that Maynilad has adjusted its IPO timetable, citing the need to give investors more time to assess the company’s business model in order for them to make ‘informed investment decisions.’

The West Zone concessionaire is required to offer to the public at least 30 percent of its outstanding capital stock on or before January 2027 as part of its agreement with the government. /dda

Alex Eala survived a grueling battle against Greet Minnen of Belgium, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-5, on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Suzhou Open WTA 125.

Eala, seeded fourth, closed out the marathon round-of-16 match in three hours and 18 minutes after breaking Minnen’s serve for the first time in the deciding set. The Filipino tennis ace struggled to shake off Minnen, who pulled even five times in the third set before Eala strung together back-to-back games to secure the win.

It marked Eala’s second straight long outing in Suzhou. She also needed three sets to beat Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in her opening-round match on Tuesday. Eala raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set, but that proved to be the largest gap for either side as the opening two sets went down to tiebreaks.

In the first-set tiebreak, Eala rallied from a 4-2 deficit, pulled even at 5-all, then won the next two points to take the set.

Eala is seeking a deeper run in Suzhou after her semifinal exit in last week’s Jingshan Tennis Open, where she lost to eventual champion Lulu Sun.

The current World No. 58 faces Viktorija Golubic in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Eala is eyeing a second WTA 125 crown after winning the Guadalajara Open 125 last month.

Two House of Representatives lawmakers on Wednesday called on Commissioner Mario Lipana of the Commission on Audit (COA) to resign, amid the discovery that his wife is a contractor doing business with the government and allegations that he received funds from flood control projects.

During the discussions on COA’s proposed 2026 budget at the plenary, Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio called on the current COA leadership to ask Lipana to tender his voluntary resignation.

Lipana was named by former Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as among those who allegedly took cuts from allocations intended for infrastructure projects.

‘So how then do we reconcile the sacred mandate with the testimonies made during the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing directly implicating a sitting COA commissioner – Mario Lipana – in the 25 percent commission scheme involving DPWH flood control projects?’ de Lima asked.

‘Of course, there is still the presumption of innocence, this remains to be allegations, but given the fact that he’s supposed to be a high official in the commission, supposed to be the independent fiscal watchdog of our country, and we cannot afford to have that particular issue surrounding a commissioner taint the Commission,’ she added.

According to de Lima, she had asked COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba to talk to Lipana, who is on a medical leave from August 1 to October 31, to just resign.

If Lipana does not resign, de Lima said there will be no other choice but to initiate impeachment proceedings against him, as the official is supposedly dragging down COA’s reputation.

‘I have told Chairperson Cordoba, actually urged him to talk to him and convince him to tender his resignation given the conflict of interest situation borne out of the reports about the fact that his wife appears to be, or has been confirmed to be, a contractor,’ de Lima said.

‘And that’s why I was urging the Chairperson to talk to the Commissioner to, if he can tender his resignation or apply for early retirement, because his scheduled retirement would be in 2027. This is better than forcing us to initiate impeachment proceedings against him, because as an impeachable official, he can only be removed via impeachment proceedings,’ she added.

Tinio, on the other hand, stressed that Lipana violated provisions of the 1987 Constitution – specifically Article IX, Section 2 – states that no constitutional commission member should be directly or indirectly in contract with franchises or privileges granted by the government.

‘It is clear, again, under the constitution, no member of a constitutional commission shall during his tenure hold any other office or employment, neither shall he engage in the practice of any profession or in the active management or control of any business which in any way be affected by the functions of his office, nor shall he be financially interested directly or indirectly in any contract with, or in any franchise or privilege granted by the government,’ Tinio said.

‘So again, what I am saying is, there should be no direct or indirect financial interest for any commissioner of a constitutional commission, and this includes COA,’ he added.

According to Tinio, Lipana should consider the welfare of COA as an institution.

‘My point is that it is clear that there is a constitutional violation, we prohibit this, and yet Commissioner Lipana is still there. So once again, Mr. Speaker, we strongly call on the commissioner to consider the status of COA as an institution, because its credibility has been badly damaged as we have a commissioner whose wife is one of the flood control contractors,’ he said.

‘That’s why again, our call is that Commissioner Lipana should resign immediately so that we can regain and restore the credibility and reputation of COA,’ he added.

Medical leave

De Lima also asked the budget sponsor, Davao del Sur Rep. John Tracy Cagas, if Cordoba has discussed with Lipana her advice – that Cordoba talk with Lipana about the voluntary resignation.

In response, Cagas said that Cordoba has yet to discuss the issue with Lipana because the latter cannot speak due to his medical condition.

‘So has the Chairperson done that already? Talked to him about it, the possibility of tendering resignation or early retirement?’ de Lima asked.

‘Mr Speaker, the Chair has not conversed with the mentioned commissioner, Mario Lipana, for the reason that Commissioner Lipana cannot talk, the cause of which is stated in a medical certificate,’ Cagas replied.

‘He cannot talk. So is he in the hospital? He does not have someone to watch over him? Can’t we do it through a written communication or an exchange of communication with him?’ de Lima asked again.

De Lima said she does not want to sound insensitive as it seems that Lipana is facing a serious medical issue, but public interest should be upheld at all times.

The spotlight on flood control projects came after Marcos’ speech at his fourth State of the Nation Address, where he condemned government officials and firms who allegedly earned kickbacks at the expense of people suffering from heavy flooding even during mild rain showers.

Marcos said these officials and contractors should be ashamed of themselves.

Eventually, Marcos inspected different flood control projects that were labeled completed – which he later found out to be either substandard or completely non-existent.

Both the House and the Senate investigated the issue, but eventually, senators and House members were dragged into the discussions.

At the Senate blue ribbon committee hearings, several lawmakers were name-dropped by contractor-couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya for allegedly receiving kickbacks from the projects.

Then during the House tri-committee hearing, former Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez said that Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada brought funds to Bulacan’s first district for anomalous flood control projects, where the two senators asked for a 30 percent cut from the project cost.

Lawmakers, along with Villanueva and Estrada, separately denied these accusations.

But eventually, former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara tagged Villanueva, former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, former senator Bong Revilla, and Bernardo as allegedly involved in the kickbacks scheme for infrastructure projects.

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo has refused to provide any statement after attending the hearing of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on the flood control anomalies investigation.

Bernardo was exiting the ICI building in Taguig City at around 12:40 p.m. this Wednesday with his counsel, when the media tried to get his comment about the ICI hearing he had just attended. undersecretary In his testimony before the Senate blue ribbon committee last week, Bernardo alleged that Escudero, as well as former Senators Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, received kickbacks from allocations for projects of the DPWH.

He also tagged Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, who recently resigned as a member of the House of Representatives, on the anomaly.

The municipality of Medellin has been placed under a state of calamity on Wednesday, Oct. 1, following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu province.

In their official announcement on Facebook, Medellin officials said that the Medellin Municipal Hall and its annex buildings sustained damage from the tremor.

Rescue teams are responding to multiple emergencies across the town.

An Emergency Operations Center has been activated at the Regional Evacuation Center near the Medellin Public Market to coordinate the response.

The tremor shook Cebu on Tuesday night, Sept. 30, damaging heritage churches and knocking out power. Its epicenter was located 21 kilometers east of Bogo City.

As the NCAA begins a journey to its second century, two goals have emerged for the country’s oldest varsity league: Go home and fly off to the world.

Season 101 opens Saturday with the NCAA hoping to build a grassroots base for potential Olympians, even as it treks back to the place where everything began.

League officials announced on Tuesday that the new season will introduce four Olympic sports that will be played in the second semester of this school year-weightlifting, boxing, gymnastics and golf. The sports will be played as demonstration events for now.

‘We want to farm out the focus into those sports,’ said Paul Supan, the Jose Rizal U athletic director who is the school’s representative to the NCAA management committee. ‘The past 100 years, the NCAA has been contributing to the national training pool; in basketball, swimming, track and field.

‘If one of our students can get into the national team, represent the country and bring glory to the country, then it’s mission accomplished for us,’ he added.

Supan said the four sports will go through the regular process before they can become part of the official calendar of events, including getting consistent representation from all member-schools for three years.

‘The important thing is to get it started, bring [schools and athletes] together and see how we can develop [national athletes],’ he said. ‘The NCAA is [focused on] grassroots and we want to ferry [athletes] to the elite level. Whatever we can start, we will start.’

‘We want to give a chance to student-athletes who want to represent the national team,’ said lawyer Lorenzo Lorenzo, the representative of Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC).

Meanwhile, Lorenzo, EAC’s vice president for administration, said the NCAA is slowly finding its way home to Rizal Memorial Coliseum, its former hotbed that was home to some of the fiercest collegiate rivalries in the past.

‘For now, the availability [of Rizal Memorial Coliseum] is still limited, but we are moving toward the direction of holding more games there,’ Lorenzo said.

Coming home

‘Bringing back games [to Rizal Memorial] will be nostalgic,’ Supan added. ‘Old-timers will be able to reminisce the games that were played here.’

Season 101 will kick off with the men’s basketball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum with host Mapua taking on Lyceum at 2 p.m. and San Beda battling St. Benilde after.

The four demonstration sports have had a lot of success in the international field, with weightlifting, gymnastics and boxing producing medals in the Summer Games.

Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, incidentally a product of NCAA school St. Benilde, won the country’s first Olympic gold medal when she ruled her division in the weightlifting competition of the Tokyo Olympics. Three years later, Carlos Yulo became the first double-gold winner of the Philippines when he ruled two events in the Paris Games.