Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is strengthening an early-warning system that would track upcoming harvests, weather disturbances and market conditions in hopes of preventing vegetable gluts from leaving farmers with spoiled or unsold produce.

In a statement on Monday, the DA said it plans to use regular harvest projections and farm-gate price monitoring to identify potential supply disruptions and connect farmers with buyers before markets become saturated.

‘We want to move from reacting to problems to anticipating them,’ Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said.

‘The monitoring system will give us alerts on upcoming harvests, weather disturbances and other developments that could affect the supply chain to help us trigger assistance earlier,’ Guevarra added.

According to the DA, the system could trigger logistics and other government assistance when potential disruptions are detected, while complementing regional help desks that respond to farmers facing difficulties moving their produce.

It also plans to strengthen coordination with other government agencies that could serve as institutional buyers.

This renewed early-warning initiative would build on emergency procurement measures used during the Middle East conflict, when a surge in logistics costs threatened the movement of agricultural products to markets.

It also comes after about 5.8 metric tons of Chinese cabbage and carrots were dumped in Benguet earlier this month after continuous rains, congested trading centers and poor road conditions prevented farmers from selling the produce before it deteriorated.

In one case, a truck carrying 2.5 tons of Chinese cabbage spent two days and two nights waiting to enter a La Trinidad trading center. Another farmer sold only 700 kilograms of a four-ton carrot harvest, eventually dumping about 3.1 tons along a road.

The DA said better monitoring could also help address recurring oversupply, which can drive farm-gate prices low enough that farmers opt to discard vegetables rather than incur additional transport costs.

But the agency stressed that the early-warning system is only an interim measure that will remain in place while the government pursues longer-term infrastructure to absorb excess harvests.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA is seeking funding in 2027 for mega cold storage and vegetable processing facilities beside the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center.

‘Our long-term solution is mega cold storage and vegetable processing facilities,’ Tiu Laurel said.

The employees’ union of the Angeles City government has defended Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II against online criticism over his supposedly delayed order to suspend classes on Tuesday due to inclement weather.

The mayor suspended classes at around 6:30 a.m., but parents and guardians criticized the timing, saying their children were already in school or on their way there when the announcement was made.

The Association of Government Employees for a New Dynamic Angeles City (AGENDA) defended Lazatin’s decision, saying it was unfair to judge the mayor ‘solely on a single decision while overlooking the many responsibilities he carries as the city’s chief executive.’

The group said the suspension of classes was only one of the mayor’s many concerns.

‘Maagang dumarating si Mayor sa City Hall at gabi na kung minsan ay nandito pa rin siya, sinusubukang matapos ang mga kailangang tugunan para sa araw na iyon. Hindi po makatarungan na basta na lamang husgahan at i-bash ang isang lider na araw-araw ay nagsisikap para sa maayos na pamamahala,’ AGENDA president Aiza Zapanta said in a statement sent through the city information office.

(The mayor goes to work early at City Hall and sometimes leaves late to resolve the day’s problems. It is not right to judge a leader who spends each day toiling for good governance)

AGENDA said the decision to suspend classes should also consider other sectors whose livelihoods could be affected by the cancellation of face-to-face classes.

It said transport workers, including jeepney and tricycle drivers, as well as small and medium enterprises and other businesses near schools, would lose income when classes are suspended.

‘Marami rin ang umaasang may pasok dahil nakasalalay dito ang kanilang arawang kita. Kaya bawat desisyon ay kailangang pag-isipang mabuti,’ the group said.

(Many livelihoods rely on schools remaining open. so every decision needs a thorough review of its consequences).

AGENDA urged the public to exercise restraint and responsibility online, saying constructive criticism was welcome but personal attacks and online bashing should be avoided.

The suspension order, posted on the city government’s and Lazatin’s Facebook pages, drew about 3,000 comments, with hundreds of netizens criticizing the late suspension.

Several parents said their children, particularly preschool and elementary pupils, were already in school or on their way when the suspension was announced.

Some netizens said classes start at either 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., making the late announcement inconvenient and potentially risky, particularly amid heavy rains and flooding in some areas.

‘Sana po pakiagahan po ang announcement, mga 2 oras bago ang oras ng pasukan,’ a netizen commented on the mayor’s and the city government’s posts.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday unveiled a hybrid security model for public schools that will deploy security guards alongside village watchmen, police patrols, and upgraded surveillance systems to address manpower shortages.

In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said the framework seeks to address security guard shortages by allocating guards according to a school’s enrollment and security requirements.

Earlier, DepEd Undersecretary for Governance and Operations Malcolm Garma shared the data before the Senate basic education committee, saying only three in 10 schools have security guards.

‘We are aware of the limitations of our funds, so we cannot rely solely on a few security personnel for the security of the entire campus,’ Angara said in Filipino.

‘Through our hybrid security model, we are partnering with our communities and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and orderly environment for every school,’ he added.

Under the proposed framework, DepEd will prioritize assigning security guards to campuses with larger student populations while relying on community support mechanisms for smaller schools.

DepEd said schools with fewer than 500 learners and those with 501 to 1,000 learners would each be assigned one security guard, with village watchmen providing support during arrival and dismissal periods.

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers may also assist with gate duties.

Campuses with 1,001 to 3,300 learners would receive two security guards, supplemented by the local government and village watchmen for perimeter security and PTA teams for crowd and traffic management.

Large schools with 3,301 to 8,500 learners and larger campuses with at least 8,501 learners would be assigned four security guards, with support from Philippine National Police mobile patrols and LGU security officers.

DepEd plans to implement the framework in two phases, beginning with large campuses before expanding the program to small and medium schools.

The department will also boost physical security through investments in surveillance and access-control systems, including CCTV cameras, improved lighting, access control equipment, and scanners.

On Monday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government may need at least P20 billion to equip schools nationwide with world-class closed-circuit television systems.

The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday reminded the House prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial not to use inflammatory terms such as ‘scam’ and ‘mastermind’ during direct and cross-examinations.

The reminder stemmed from private prosecutor Atty. Mae Divinagracia’s direct examination of Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, during which she used terms such as ‘scam’ and ‘mastermind.’

Divinagracia used the term ‘scam’ to describe the OVP’s use of confidential funds after Ortonio confirmed that they submitted four separate explanations to the Commission on Audit to justify their use.

‘In short, you will also agree with me na kapag paiba-iba ang rason, maaaring nagsisinungaling lang or talaga namang ito ay isa lamang scam?’ her exact words were during the direct examination.

(In short, you will also agree with me that if the reason keeps changing, they might be lying or it could really be just a scam?)

She then asked Ortonio to confirm whether Duterte was the ‘mastermind’ behind the OVP’s confidential funds issue, after the aide confirmed that the Vice President herself had requested the funds and ordered their release, encashment, use, and liquidation.

‘In short you will agree with me that this whole confidential funds matter, ang arkitekto at mastermind nito ay si Sara Duterte (In short, you will agree with me that, in this whole confidential funds matter, Sara Duterte is the architect and mastermind behind it),’ she said.

Defense counsel Atty. Kristine Ferrer objected to both questions and even moved to strike them from record-motions which were also sustained by Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.

‘I will have to strike, kindly replace it with words that are more acceptable such as: ‘that everything was approved by, or with the consent or the full knowledge of’ it’s up to you,’ said Escudero.

Ferrer then made a manifestation calling on the court to remind the prosecution not to use ‘inappropriate words’ like ‘scam, mastermind, nagsisinungaling.’

‘This is a solemn proceeding, this is a court of law, this is a court of procedure and actually a court of decorum. We are not supposed to make insinuations, accusations or conclusions your honor, so we request the court to kindly remind the prosecution,’ she said.

Escudero agreed with Ferrer, noting that this would not be the first time the court would issue such a reminder for the prosecution panel.

‘It does seem that it’s becoming a… I would rather use the word habit, than pattern…for the panel of prosecutors to close their direct with such strong statements,’ he said.

Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano also shared Escudero’s sentiments, stating that such words could ‘affect the integrity, not only of the court, but of the decision.’

Divinagracia, for her part, apologized, stating that she was only carried away by the prosecution’s ‘zeal and passion.

‘We apologize, sometimes we get carried away by our zeal and our passion but to me and the prosecution, we just want to wall a spade a spade,’ she said.

‘But henceforth, to borrow the words of my colleague we will try to behave,’ she added.

More than 100 local chief executives under the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) have renewed their call against corruption, as well as public oversight in the national budget.

The M4GG had pledged to continue to push for ‘transparent, accountable, and people-centered governance through strong and empowered local governments,’ during its third anniversary summit and general assembly last August 22 at the Manila Diamond Hotel.

During the event, the coalition said it launched Report Infra, a channel for citizens and stakeholders to report suspected ghost, high-priced, or substandard infrastructure projects within their municipalities.

The group has also renewed their call for greater public access to the national budget information, amounting to P7.2-trillion under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program, as well as the P57 billion increase of the Local Government Support fund.

Members of the M4GG also met with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to discuss better and more effective implementation of social welfare programs in local communities.

‘We are grateful for the opportunity to stand with M4GG on its third anniversary. This is a room full of leaders who chose the harder, more accountable way to lead, and that work deserves every bit of support we can give it. Good governance is not an aspiration. It is a standard, and these mayors are proving it is possible,’ Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel L. Benitez said during M4GG’s d Governance third anniversary summit and general assembly

Grief continues to grip Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) a week after the Aug. 18 fatal shooting inside its Tumaga campus that claimed the lives of two high school students, including the shooter.

‘A week has passed, but grief does not follow a timetable. Some may be ready to return to familiar routines; others will need more time, more support. So let us continue to be patient with one another, especially gentle with those who are carrying the deepest grief,’ AdZU president Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal said in a statement on Monday.

The university continued its ‘accompaniment activities’ following the deadly shooting, allowing junior high school students to retrieve their belongings from the Tumaga campus in Zamboanga City on Monday.

The AdZU community also gathered for a candle-lighting and prayer service at its Salvador campus, led by student leaders from El Consejo Atenista. Faculty and staff held a ‘Kumustahan Session,’ with similar activities planned for college students in the coming days.

‘As we continue to understand what happened, we must also be clear: violence has no place in our society,’ Andal said, underscoring that preventing violence is a shared responsibility of families, schools, government, religious institutions, media and the wider community.

Appeal to public

The Jesuit-run university reiterated its appeal to the public and media organizations to exercise prudence in sharing images, recordings and information related to the incident.

‘Inaccurate information and unnecessary circulation of materials, including those AI-generated involving minors, can cause further harm to families already carrying great pain,’ Andal warned.

Andal declined to comment on the shooting incident pending the final police investigation, which the university was awaiting on Monday.

On Aug. 20, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said after visiting the AdZU Tumaga campus that the final police report on the shooting was expected by Aug. 24.

‘We had hoped to receive it [on Monday], but until it is formally provided to us, we will refrain from commenting on findings that have not yet been officially communicated,’ Andal said.

He stressed that the university continues to cooperate fully with authorities and will share verified information once it becomes available.

Andal said the university had updated Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso on its cooperation with police and its ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security and provide psychological support to affected students and families.

The mayor expressed support for the initiatives.

AdZU has begun implementing enhanced security protocols at the Tumaga campus, including purchasing more walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines. The university will make improvements to perimeter security, CCTV coverage, and live monitoring

Roxas and Company Inc. (RCI) has secured a loan facility of nearly P2 billion from China Banking Corp. to refinance existing debt and support general corporate requirements.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, RCI said it entered into an omnibus loan and security agreement with the Sy family-led bank on Aug. 20.

Under the agreement, China Bank will extend a term loan facility with an aggregate principal amount of up to P1.93 billion.

‘The proceeds will be used to refinance the company’s and its subsidiaries’ existing loan obligations and for general corporate purposes,’ the company said.

The disclosure did not provide details on the facility’s interest rate, maturity, repayment schedule or the specific loan obligations that would be refinanced.

The company has an authorized capital stock of P3.38 billion in common shares and 1 billion in preferred shares.

It reported 2.91 billion issued shares, including about 2.8 billion common shares.

The new financing comes as RCI moves to restructure its existing loan obligations while keeping additional funds available for its broader corporate needs.

The company did not disclose how much of the P1.93-billion facility would be allocated to refinancing versus general corporate purposes

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said the anti-graft body is investigating to determine if there is corruption in flood control projects in Davao City, which he tagged as the ‘epicenter’ of budget allocations in the past administration.

Remulla made this remark during the House committee on appropriations deliberating the Office of the Ombudsman’s P7 billion proposed budget.

Act Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio asked Remulla: ‘Is the Ombudsman doing anything to investigate flood control corruption issues during the previous administration?’

‘Yes, but it is not really easy,’ Remulla responded. ‘The epicenter of flood control before the Marcos administration is Davao City.’

Remulla noted it’s hard to penetrate the ‘ecosystem of corruption’ in the city.

‘It’s hard to get information, so many people don’t want to talk, but we don’t stop,’ he further said.

In response, Tinio said, ‘What was said is clear: Davao City is the epicenter of flood control corruption in the past administration.’

However, Remulla quickly clarified: ‘I will not make that conclusion immediately; we are studying this, because what’s important is we see the evidence on the ground.’

After the hearing, he clarified that he tagged Davao City as the ‘epicenter’ because of the large amount of funds allocated to the city.

‘[Epicenter] of flood control, because there was a big budget in the past in Davao City in flood control, that’s what I know,’ Remulla said when asked what he exactly meant by ‘epicenter.’

Pressed once more if the ‘epicenter’ does not refer to corruption per se, he said: ‘Well, we will check out the flood control there.’

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has allowed qualified banks to offer time deposits as investment products under the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (Pera), expanding the list of options available to Filipinos saving for retirement.

Under Memorandum No. M-2026-044, Pera time deposits must have a minimum maturity of 30 days. Upon maturity, the proceeds are kept in Pera assets and are not counted as a withdrawal.

Consumers can roll over, transfer, or reinvest the proceeds in another accredited Pera investment product, based on your instructions or existing investment arrangement.

‘Retirement planning should be simple, accessible, and within reach of every Filipino. By introducing PERA time deposits, we are providing another practical option for individuals who want to build their retirement savings through a product they already understand and trust,’ BSP Deputy Governor Lyn I. Javier said in a statement.

A Pera time deposit functions similarly to a regular bank time deposit, as it holds funds within a contributor’s Pera and may qualify for tax incentives under the retirement savings program. The deposits will also remain subject to rules governing Pera.

According to the BSP, banks that wish to offer Pera time deposits must meet applicable BSP prudential requirements and notify the central bank of their plans.

They must secure Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) accreditation before offering placements and partnering with a Pera administrator.

The new product joins other investment options available under Pera, including unit investment trust funds, stocks, real estate investment trusts and government securities.

Pera, created under Republic Act No. 9505, is a voluntary retirement savings program, which supplements state-based pension plans and/or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Individual contributors may place up to P200,000 annually, while overseas Filipinos may contribute up to P400,000 a year.

Latest BSP data showed Pera contributions surged 45 percent to P757.55 million in the first half of the year from P521.36 million a year earlier. Employee contributions accounted for the largest share at P449.45 million, followed by those from self-employed Filipinos at P207.9 million and overseas Filipino workers at P100.2 million.

The increase in contributions came alongside a nearly fivefold rise in the number of Pera contributors to 30,055 from 6,193 during the same period.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division junked the attempt of Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James ‘Jojo’ Ang to dismiss one of his graft cases.

The anti-graft court also dismissed his plea to consolidate all of its 14 counts to a single division.

These decisions are the result of two resolutions penned by Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez promulgated on Aug. 24 denying Ang’s motion to quash information and motion to consolidate.

In its case information, subject of the motion to quash, prosecutors alleged that Ang held prohibited financial interest in a government contract worth P8.1 million between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Allencon Development Corporation.

Ang purportedly owned 500 shares in the corporation.

Prosecutors said this violates Article VI, Section 14 of the 1987 Constitution which prohibits legislators from intervening in government matters for their pecuniary benefit.

Ang questioned Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction as one of the grounds for his motion to quash, saying Republic Act No. 10660 provides that the Regional Trial Court should have jurisdiction where the information does not allege any damage to the government or any bribery.

The resolution noted that the information filed by prosecutors did not allege any pecuniary damage to the government and neither did it allege that the damage is not quantifiable.

However, the resolution noted that the lawmakers’ deliberations for the Republic Act No. 10660, or the law which reorganized the Sandiganbayan, intends to retain the jurisdiction of the anti-graft court in cases where the information alleges unquantifiable damage to the government.

‘Such non-mention of any amount of damage to the government, coupled with the accusation that the alleged prohibited act was done in violation of the Constitution and in contravention of public policy, would indicate that the resultant damage alleged in the Information is unquantifiable,’ the 13-page resolution stated.

‘The crime charged in the present case is, thus, one which the Congress intended to remain under the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan,’ it added.

As for his motion to consolidate the case, Fernandez also penned a separate resolution denying this.

The lawmaker, citing the 2018 Revised Internal Rules of the Sandiganbayan, wanted to consolidate the cases to the Second Division which got the lowest docket case number.

Ang argued that the cases involve common questions of fact and law that should be jointly tried before the division where the case bearing the lowest docket number is pending.

He added that there is a strong possibility that different court divisions might arrive at different and conflicting resolutions on the cases pending before them.

The resolution noted that all 14 counts of graft arose from the same Resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman, each involving a project awarded by the DPWH to Allencon where accused Ang was allegedly a stockholder.

‘Although the said cases appear to be similar in nature, it is undeniable that each case involves a project separate and distinct from the others,’ the five-page resolution said.

‘Thus, it is improbable that there will be conflicting rulings on factual matters,’ it added, further noting that ‘consolidation will merely cause delay.’