Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Responders rescued a pygmy sperm whale found stranded and struggling to stay afloat in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, stabilized it, and returned it to the open sea on Aug. 18.

The whale was found alive at around 10 a.m. at Sitio Namnama in Barangay Burayoc, according to a Tuesday report by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Ilocos.

Responders assessed the whale and carefully moved it to a suitable area for monitoring. They observed its breathing, buoyancy, behavior, and overall condition, and made efforts to stabilize it.

At 3 p.m., the whale showed signs of recovery, and it was able to swim back into open waters.

Responders and partner agencies then conducted 24-hour monitoring of the area. No subsequent stranding of the whale was reported in Ilocos Norte or nearby provinces during the monitoring period.

In caring for the whale, local fisherfolk and the Pagudpud local government collaborated with BFAR’s Provincial Fisheries Office-Ilocos Norte, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, and the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network

The Supreme Court has affirmed the Commission on Audit’s (COA) disapproval of more than P300,000 in flying risk pay for nine Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) officers and staff whose tasks were managerial or administrative in nature and not related to actual aircraft operations.

The high tribunal’s ruling upheld the COA’s issuance in 2021 of a notice of disallowance covering P323,580 in flying risk pay for the Caap officials and personnel, including its head at the time, Director General Ramon Gutierrez.

The Supreme Court cited Section 30 of Republic Act No. 776, or the Caap law, and said that the COA was correct in disallowing the ‘excessive and unlawful payment’ of the benefit.

No basis

‘The disallowance itself is proper, as the payments lacked statutory basis and were granted to individuals who were not legally entitled thereto,’ read part of the 22-page decision promulgated on Jan. 21 this year and released publicly only recently.

At the same time, the high court ordered the nine to return the amounts they received.

The case stemmed from a petition for certiorari filed by Caap employees against the various COA issuances in 2022 and 2023 that affirmed a 2013 notice of disallowance covering the payment.

The COA found that the amount identified as flying risk pay was tagged as ‘irregular expenditures.’ Among those who received the benefit was Gutierrez, who had also approved and certified the payment as valid.

Under the Caap law, licensed air staff and other authorized agency personnel whose job requires work-related flights are entitled to additional compensation equivalent to 50 percent of their base pay as long as they accumulate a total of at least four flying hours per month.

But the high tribunal stressed that the covered Caap officers and staff could not be classified as ‘airmen’ whose duties are ‘inherent in the operation of the aircraft while in flight’ under the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual.

Purely incidental

‘While it is true that their duties occasionally require travel, these are purely incidental to the discharge of their administrative responsibilities. Records show their travels consisted of attending international conferences and meetings, inspecting airports and facilities, verifying legal cases, and overseeing projects and ceremonies in various domestic and foreign locations,’ it noted.

It added they boarded the flights merely as passengers to reach their work-related destinations.

However, the Supreme Court absolved Gutierrez and other Caap officers of liability over the approval of the hazard pay as this was done ‘in good faith.’

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has extended the completion targets for two transmission projects worth P8.24 billion following delays due to issues with land takeover and bureaucratic red tape.

In separate decisions dated Aug. 24, the commission granted the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ wish to extend the timeline of the P6.34-billion Porac 230-kilovolt substation project and the P1.9-billion Amlan-Dumaguete 138-kilovolt transmission line project.

The Porac asset is meant to address the anticipated load growth in Pampanga. It was initially set for completion on or before Nov. 18, but the grid operator faced right-of-way woes coupled with regulatory approval delays. Its new deadline is June 30, 2027.

The Amlan-Dumaguete project in Negros Oriental was set for completion by September 2024. But it suffered delays due to issues in the local government and the lengthy process of securing permits and clearances. The ERC extended the deadline to the end of March 2027.

It added that ‘the timely and expeditious completion of the (projects) shall address the increasing demand and ensure the reliability and adequacy of power supply within the affected areas.’

Lawyer Kristine Ferrer serves as one of defense counsel of Vice President Sara Duterte as she faces the Senate impeachment court on allegations of misusing confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and grave threats.

Ferrer, like several other members of the defense such as lead counsel Sheila Sison, is a partner lawyer of the Fortun, Narvasa and Salazar (FNS) Law Firm.

Since the trial began, Ferrer has so far led the defense’s cross-examination on two of the prosecution’s witnesses, particularly state auditor Xylene Mae del Campo and Office of the Vice President assistant chief-of-staff Lemuel Ortonio, as the court tackles Article I or Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds..

She is so far most known in the context of the trial for taking on private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan, known as a giant in the field of law, in one of its proceedings.

According to the FNS website, Ferrer earned her degree in Bachelor in Accountancy at the Ateneo de Davao University and was admitted to the Bar in 2011.

In 2009, her team during her law school years emerged as champion in the First National Debate on International Humanitarian Law, where she was awarded Best Debater of the Tournament. She was also a finalist in the first season of the ANC’s CVC (Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco firm) Law Debates in 2008.

She is also certified negotiator, as she has obtained her Certification in Negotiation Mastery from Harvard Business School Online.

Ferrer now has around 15 years of legal practice as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Lawyer, first beginning her career as a tax lawyer at Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co., before joining the firm.

Her practice areas revolve mostly around arbitration corporate and commercial practice and corporate rehabilitation, litigation and dispute resolution, as well as taxation.

The FNS also said that the lawyer possesses ‘extensive experience’ in handling matters before the Bureau of Internal Revenue BIR) and the Court of Tax Appeals.

Listed as one of her notable achievements was leading the team that facilitated what was widely regarded as the largest tax compromise settlement in the country, the P25 billion tax compromise settlement between Mighty Corporation and the BIR.

The FNS also regards Ferrer as an ‘outstanding litigator who has successfully represented clients in civil, criminal, commercial, and intra-corporate disputes, including those regarded as high-profile cases.’

Apart from being a lawyer, Ferrer serves as a lecturer in Taxation Law and Special Proceedings at the Ateneo de Davao University College of Law.

Homegrown fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is getting a taste of global recognition as its aggressive overseas push continues to pay off.

The Jollibee Group was named Global Growth Champion at the inaugural Globie Awards of the Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, beating 11 other brand nominees. It secured more than 74 percent of votes from the awards’ advisory panel.

The recognition comes as Jollibee grows well beyond its Philippine roots. The group now operates more than 10,700 stores and cafés across 33 countries, with a portfolio spanning 20 brands across owned, franchised and invested businesses.

That roster includes homegrown names Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon and Mang Inasal, alongside overseas bets such as Smashburger and Tim Ho Wan. JFC also holds stakes in The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Compose Coffee, Shabu All Day and Milksha, among others.

‘Growing across markets requires more than opening stores,’ said David Beal, Jollibee Group’s global chief marketing officer and head of digital marketing, citing the importance of locally relevant brands, operating teams and partners.

With 33 countries already on its menu, the Filipino fast-food giant clearly still has room for another serving of global growth.

Investments approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) jumped more than fourfold in August to P64.57 billion, putting the agency closer to hitting its P300-billion full-year target with four months left in 2026.

According to Peza, its August approvals, spread across 22 new and expansion projects, marked a 334.13-percent increase from P14.87 billion in the same month in 2025.

This increase was driven primarily by nine big-ticket projects worth a combined P62.05 billion, or 96.1 percent of total monthly approvals.

‘These results are a clear vote of confidence in the Philippines’ capacity to compete for high-value investments,’ Peza Director General Tereso Panga said in a statement. ‘We will sustain this momentum and continue turning investor confidence into tangible economic opportunities for Filipinos.’

From January to August, Peza approved 196 new and expansion projects, up 9.5 percent from 179 projects in the same period last year. These are expected to generate $6.60 billion in exports and create 26,994 direct jobs nationwide.

Manufacturing accounted for the largest number, with 80 projects, followed by 31 ecozone developments, 30 information technology-business process management projects, 19 facilities projects and 15 logistics ventures.

Outside the Philippines, Peza said its largest source of investments were the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

Of the 196 projects, 34 were tagged as big-ticket investments, with a combined value of P193.71 billion.

Among the nine big-ticket projects approved in August were two facilities enterprises in Tarlac with combined investments of P35.39 billion and two electronics and semiconductor manufacturing services projects in Laguna worth more than P3 billion.

Four new ecozone development projects worth a combined P22.39 billion are also planned in Cavite, Bataan, Davao del Sur and Cebu, while a billion-peso export-oriented enterprise venturing into the domestic market will locate in Tarlac.

In terms of actual performance, Peza-registered ecozones generated $32.89 billion in exports in the first half, up 2.35 percent year-on-year. Direct employment likewise increased 1.56 percent to 1.82 million workers.

The surge in August approvals boosted Peza’s bid to reach P300 billion in investments in 2026, a target set by the Department of Trade and Industry at the start of the year.

If met, this would mark a 15-percent increase from the P260.89 billion in approvals recorded in 2025.

As of August, Peza had approved P216.46 billion in investments, or 72.16 percent of its full-year target. This was also 104.53-percent higher than the P105.83-billion recorded in the same eight-month period last year.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained that the confrontation between Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel during an operation in Bulacan was an ‘isolated incident.’

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Wednesday, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said the agency’s chief, Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., ordered their Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) to look into the incident.

‘We value our relationship with the BOC. This is an isolated incident,’ Co stressed.

At least 12 HPG National Capital Region personnel allegedly raided a warehouse containing allegedly smuggled cigarettes in Santa Maria, Bulacan last August 19, frisking and handcuffing some BOC personnel before their officials intervened.

The HPG maintained that its operation sought to confiscate the cigarettes and arrest two BOC personnel allegedly reselling the contraband, but the bureau asserted it was conducting its own legitimate operation to incinerate the seized products as part of standard procedures.

The implicated HPG personnel were since relieved from their posts pending investigation, while BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said he intends to file administrative cases against them before the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

‘All units concerned na pwedeng gamitin ng DIDM ay magagamit rito sa pag-imbestiga to get to the truth regarding all circumstances regarding the incident,’ Co explained.

(All units concerned can be deployed by the DIDM to investigate and get to the truth regarding all circumstances regarding the incident.)

For its part, Malacañang said it trusted the PNP and the BOC to investigate the incident fairly.

Tycoon Ramon Ang’s New Naia Infra Corp. (NNIC) is setting new, clear-cut performance standards for airlines operating at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), starting with the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL).

NNIC, which took over the country’s primary gateway in 2024, said the new operating framework will spell out how airlines use Naia facilities and infrastructure, as well as define the respective responsibilities of carriers and the airport operator.

There will also be key performance indicators meant to improve operational efficiency at the congested Naia.

In a statement on Tuesday, the San Miguel Corp.-backed NNIC described the move as part of Naia’s overall refresh, which it is now extending beyond terminals, facilities and airport systems to how operations across the gateway are managed.

‘This agreement gives us a clearer framework for setting expectations, measuring performance and working together to maintain consistent service standards,’ NNIC president and CEO Ang said. ‘That is important to making airport operations more efficient and dependable.’

As part of this push, the Lucio Tan-led PAL signed the first standardized Airport Use Agreement with NNIC, a framework that the Naia operator intends to use as a blueprint for future agreements with other airlines using the gateway.

While it described the deal only in broad strokes, NNIC said the agreement was meant to make airline operations more consistent and improve coordination among the different parties involved in moving passengers, baggage and aircraft through Naia.

Under the framework, the agreed service levels will be part of PAL’s contractual obligations and will include mechanisms for addressing persistent failures to meet the standards.

‘This is a positive development for both PAL and NNIC, and ultimately for our passengers. It supports the continuing modernization of Naia and our collective goal of delivering a better airport experience,’ Lucio Tan III, president and COO of the airline’s parent company PAL Holdings Inc.

NNIC said it was taking a similar approach with ground handlers and other service providers at Naia.

Since taking over the airport, NNIC has been upgrading its terminals, airport systems, airfield infrastructure and passenger amenities while seeking to address long-standing capacity and operational constraints.

In 2025, Naia recorded its highest annual passenger count, with 52.02 million travelers passing through the country’s main gateway.

A municipal councilor of Puerto Galera has asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to intervene after he was barred from delivering his privilege speech during the regular session of the Sangguniang Bayan on Monday (August 24).

Councilor Aristeo ‘Aries’ Atienza said he intended to use the privilege speech to give voice to strong opposition to the P50 Environmental User’s Fee (EUF) which was imposed on residents of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

He also wanted to seek the restoration of the previous exemption granted to Mindoro residents.

Atienza was not allowed to deliver the speech on the floor, prompting him to instead release the full text of his statement through his official social media page.

The incident led to a heated exchange between Atienza and Vice Mayor Rocky Ilagan, who presided over the session.

The Vice Mayor questioned the online posts Atienza had previously shared regarding the EUF, noting that the portions of the ordinance the councilor had highlighted did not reflect the substance of the full measure.

Following the discussion, the Sangguniang Bayan resolved to continue implementing the controversial environmental fee ordinance, with a mandatory review scheduled after six months.

Atienza was the sole member who voted against the decision.

Citing the denial of his right to deliver a privilege speech, Atienza has formally requested for a legal opinion from the DILG to determine whether the presiding officer’s action was in accordance with law and proper parliamentary procedure.

In a message on Tuesday (Aug. 25), Atienza told the Inquirer that he is still waiting for the response of the DILG.

Municipal Administrator Carmela Datiguinoo said the local government stands by its position to implement to ordinance but are open to further discussions.

The controversy over the P50 EUF continues to divide public opinion in Puerto Galera and across Mindoro

Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial enters 19th day, with counsel for the House prosecution Amando Ligutan to explain his public statements related to the trial, following a manifestation from defense lead counsel Sheila Sison over a social media post that appeared to reference a defense lawyer’s statement during the cross-examination of state auditor Xylene del Campo.

After Ligutan’s explanation, presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero is expected to rule on the matter before the court proceeds with the cross-examination of the prosecution’s second hostile witness, Office of the Vice President Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, who testified about the processing and use of the OVP’s confidential funds from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023