Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

MREIT Inc., the real estate investment trust of property giant Megaworld Corp., has secured the regulator’s go signal to hike its capital stock to P8 billion from P5 billion, allowing it to fund expansion plans.

The firm said Friday the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval would enable MREIT to move forward with the issuance of new shares to acquire new properties. These include nine office assets at McKinley Hill in Taguig City and one at Eastwood township in Quezon City.

Aside from office acquisitions, the group is likewise pushing for portfolio diversification, targeting select retail properties.

‘With the approval of our ACS (authorized capital stock) increase, we are now structurally positioned to pursue the next phase of our growth strategy,’ said Jose Arnulfo Batac, president and chief executive officer of MREIT Inc.

‘This milestone allows us to prepare for fresh acquisitions that will further scale our portfolio and support long-term value creation for our shareholders,’ the official added.

On the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Gender Council released a warning about ‘the global rise of extremism that poses an unprecedented threat to women’s rights and to the safety of women journalists.’

IFJ is the world’s largest organization of journalists. Established in 1926, it represents around 600,000 journalists in 187 unions and associations across 146 countries worldwide. In its latest statement, ‘Always the First Target’ (subtitled ‘Women’s rights are always the first target of extremism’), IFJ expressed ‘deep concern over the expansion of extremist movements that are undermining women’s rights worldwide and fueling targeted attacks against women journalists.’ These are carried out particularly through online abuse, harassment, violence, and coordinated disinformation campaigns.

IFJ named Afghanistan, ‘far-right political parties’ in certain European countries, Argentina, and Somalia as places where women journalists face attacks and ‘a wave of threats,’ especially when they cover gender issues. Readers and journalists on the move can access IFJ’s full statement online and read about what women journalists have had to go through in the places mentioned.

From IFJ Gender Council chair Maria Angeles Samperio: ‘Without robust, enforceable gender policies and genuine protection for journalists reporting on far-right activities, all the progress we have fought for could be undone in an instant. We need governments, newsrooms, and digital platforms to act urgently to strengthen legislation, raise journalistic ethical standards, and confront the toxic online campaigns that seek to silence us as journalists. Safeguarding women’s rights and ensuring diverse, fearless journalism is not optional; it is the foundation of any democratic and humane society.’

Nov. 25 marked the start of the global observance of IDEVAW. In many places, the observance will go on for 18 days until Dec. 12. Nov. 25, 1960, was when the Mirabal sisters (Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Dede), political activists, were assassinated during the dictatorial reign of Rafael Trujillo Sr. in the Dominican Republic.

IDEVAW was begun to honor the Mirabal sisters and to call attention to other women who had undergone or who continue to undergo similar injustices, and to stop and prevent all forms of violence against women (VAW). Trujillo Sr. (1891 to 1961), a military officer and dictator, was himself assassinated not long after the brutal killing of the Mirabal sisters, who had opposed his rule.

Of the Mirabal sisters, the Philippines-based Center for Women’s Resources says: ‘Their legacy endures as a powerful symbol of women’s resistance to state repression, gender-based violence, and systems that silence and endanger women.’ Such violence is not inevitable, CWR reminds, but it can be prevented and requires collective action.

CWR adds that on the global scene, one in every three women experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. On the home front, it cites the Philippine National Police’s recorded 12,046 cases of VAW from January to November 2024. This means that some 36 women experience violence every day. The number could be more because ‘only one in 10 cases is reported.’ Advocates of women’s rights have a way of finding unreported cases.

It is heartwarming to know that other groups that support women and girls are also joining the 18-day anti-VAW observance. Among them are the Religious of the Good Shepherd, who minister to women and girls in crisis situations. The sisters hold ‘orange days’ when they wear anything orange to raise consciousness about how to prevent and combat VAW. Elsewhere in the world, sisters highlight in their ministries the importance of raising people’s awareness about VAW. Trust so-called ‘nun-sense.’

CWR cites reasons why many women choose to remain silent, among them, victim-blaming, lack of information about where to seek help, and distrust in authorities.

‘Survivors are often made to feel responsible for the abuse they endured, discouraging them from speaking out and seeking help. This silence is reinforced by repeated experiences of harassment, neglect, or worse, violence from individuals in positions of power.’

During disasters and displacements, as well as armed conflicts, women and girls face even greater risks of abuse and threats to their vulnerability.

Who can forget a former misogynist president of this woebegone republic who said to his feckless, adoring crowd that he should have been the first in line to rape the foreign missionary who was taken hostage? He is now in Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, in the Netherlands, where he awaits trial before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is set to fully redeem the remaining P2.867 billion of its 12-year fixed-rate bonds when the securities reach maturity this December.

In a regulatory filing, Meralco said the P7-billion bonds – issued in 2013 carried a 4.875 percent annual interest rate – would be redeemed at 100 percent of face value. It will also pay all accrued and unpaid interest up to the maturity date, in line with the bond prospectus and trust indenture.

The bonds are maturing on Dec. 12.

The outstanding amount was reduced in 2023 after some qualified bondholders had exercised the 10th-year put option, leading to the redemption of P4.132 billion of the bonds.

Payment

According to the company, the Philippine Depository and Trust Corp., acting as paying agent, will remit the final redemption proceeds to the designated cash settlement accounts of bondholders recorded as of Dec. 10.

Meralco also advised that the bonds would cease to accrue interest on the maturity date. Aggregate redemption amount is P2.902 billion, inclusive of gross accrued interest prior to applicable tax deductions.

Each minimum denomination of P50,000 will receive P50,609.38 before taxes.

First Gen Corp.’s exit from the local bourse looms as an option for the Lopez group after securing P50-billion fresh funds from its recent gas asset sale.

The company made this disclosure Friday following a news report from Insider.ph about the possibility of First Gen delisting from the Philippine Stock Exchange following its deal with Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.

However, the publicly listed renewable energy firm clarified that no definitive decision has been made at this time.

‘First Gen Corporation confirms that delisting the company is one of the options available to it, and one that the company may consider in the future,’ the company said. ‘However, at the moment, there are no definitive plans to delist the company.’

This comes as the company continues to reposition its portfolio following the multibillion-peso gas transaction with Prime Infra, which the company earlier said would help accelerate investments in geothermal power-its most consistent and scalable renewable energy segment.

The firm has been targeting 13,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030, a goal that remains under review but is still considered its benchmark.

First Gen currently operates 1,651 MW of clean energy facilities, with geothermal accounting for the largest share.

Share the windfall?

Carlos Lorenzo Vega, First Gen chief customer engagement officer, said recently that proceeds from the gas sale would be channeled primarily into geothermal expansion to strengthen the group’s renewable energy pipeline.

The company retained a 40-percent stake in the gas assets, which it still views as a crucial transition fuel as it scales up clean energy deployment.

Meanwhile, Juan Paolo Colet, managing director at China Bank Capital Corp., pointed out that First Gen has ample reason to consider delisting.

‘The stock price has been undervalued for a long time; the public float is very low, and there’s not a lot of trading liquidity,’ Colet said in a message.

‘After the majority sale of its gas business, perhaps the best use of its cash windfall is to give public shareholders an orderly exit via a delisting tender offer at a good price,’ he added.

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will just shrug off the accusations made by resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co regarding her alleged agricultural smuggling interference as Congress was inquiring into rising food prices, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Friday.

This was the answer given by Castro when she was asked about the first lady’s reaction to the allegations, which Co made through a ‘tell-all’ video statement released on Wednesday.

‘We know how the first lady reacts to negative news like these baseless stories. She will simply shrug it off because we know, and she knows what the truth is,’ Castro said during a Palace briefing.

She added that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., one of the personalities mentioned by Co in the video, had already refuted the allegations, and that both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Araneta-Marcos know what is correct and what is not.

‘The first lady and the president know the truth. And in the past few days, Secretary Kiko Laurel himself confirmed what the truth is, and what his experience was in speaking or dealing with Zaldy Co,’ Castro said.

In his video, Co accused Araneta-Marcos of trying to stop congressional inquiries into soaring food prices on behalf of her brother, Martin Araneta, who was implicated in the 2022 onion price crisis.

Tiu Laurel, for his part, said the former legislator’s corruption allegations were a ‘fabricated lie.’

‘It’s total baloney. I even said it’s like a script from a Netflix series. He’s really good. You can call him a tailor. He’s excellent at stitching stories together,’ the DA chief said in a message to reporters, hours after Co released his video.

Rice farming is central to Philippine food security. In recent months , farmers had experienced excessively low farmgate palay prices at ?10-?12 per kilogram , far below production costs of P18 to P20/kg.

EO 100 directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to set a floor price for palay, but lacked Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and funding for the National Food Authority (NFA).

EO 101 was later issued to operationalize the floor price through NFA’s Price Range Scheme (PRICERS). PRICERS was designed to operationalize the government’s floor price for palay. It ensures that NFA’s procurement prices adjust to market realities while still guaranteeing farmers a minimum income.

PRICERS is NFA’s structured, adjustable price band for palay procurement, operationalizing the floor price mandated by EO 101.

The price ranges at ?23-?30 per kilo for clean and dry palay and for fresh or wet palay, the range is ?17-?23 per kilo, depending on moisture content and quality.

By setting a floor price, EO 101 demonstrates strong state commitment to agriculture and food security. It signals to farmers that the government recognizes their struggles and is willing to intervene to protect their livelihoods.

EO 101 complements EO 100 by enabling the National Food Authority (NFA) to act through the Price Range Scheme (PRICERS).

This provides a concrete operational pathway for implementing the floor price, which EO 100 lacked.

EO 101 reduces volatility in palay markets. It helps stabilize supply chains and ensures that farmers can plan production with greater confidence, knowing that their crops will not be undervalued. It provides a safety net, guaranteeing that farmers receive at least a minimum return for their harvest.

EO 101 does not guarantee sufficient budget allocation for NFA procurement. Without dedicated funds, NFA cannot purchase palay at scale, limiting the reach of the floor price mechanism and leaving many farmers unassisted.

NFA’s limited capacity and history of inefficiencies pose challenges for effective rollout.

Expanding procurement operations nationwide requires significant logistical and administrative resources, which may strain the agency.

No official IRR for EO101 has been published yet. This means agencies are relying on the EO text and existing NFA procurement guidelines, which could lead to uneven implementation.

Without IRR, regional NFA offices or partner agencies may interpret the price range differently.

IRR usually specifies procedures (e.g., quality standards, moisture content testing, documentation, payment timelines). Farmers and traders need clear rules to prevent uneven enforcement or arbitrary application of the price bands.

The Sagip Saka Act (Republic Act 11321) provides the legal framework for government agencies to directly purchase agricultural products from farmers and fisherfolk.

Through EO 101 Local Government Units (LGUs) are empowered to purchase palay directly from farmers without public bidding under the Sagip Saka framework.

EO 101 highlights that LGUs can legally buy palay without bidding. However, their financial and logistical constraints will make large-scale implementation impractical unless additional support systems are provided.

While this provision is designed to decentralize procurement and bring government support closer to farmers, it faces several limitations:

Most LGUs do not have warehouses or drying facilities to properly store palay. Without milling systems, they cannot process palay into rice for resale.

Agricultural procurement and rice trading are not core LGU functions. Their primary responsibilities lie in governance, basic services, and local development, making palay procurement an added burden.

Agricultural towns and municipalities often have limited budgets. Funding palay purchases, hiring personnel, and covering logistics costs would strain their finances.

Without proper infrastructure and expertise, LGU-led procurement may lead to inefficiencies, spoilage, or even corruption.

Moreover, under the Sagip Saka Act, only registered farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) are eligible to transact directly with government procurement programs.

This requirement excludes about 95% of farmers, since only 4-6% are members of registered cooperatives. As a result, the majority of smallholder farmers cannot benefit from EO 101..

While EO 101 can be a positive intervention for rice farmers, but its reliance on Sagip Saka eligibility rules and the limited capacity of LGUs severely restrict its reach.

By excluding 95% of farmers who are not members of registered cooperatives, and by burdening LGUs with responsibilities outside their mandate, EO 101 risks becoming a partial or ineffective solution. Without reforms, its impact on price stabilization and farmer welfare will remain a legal artifact

EO 101 can be made effective but the following must be done:

-Expand eligibility beyond cooperatives by amending Sagip Saka rules to allow individual farmers and informal groups to participate.

-Create a simplified registration system for smallholder farmers

-Fast-track cooperative registration by providing assistance for farmers to form and register cooperatives.

-Offer incentives such as tax breaks or grants for newly registered groups;

-Support LGUs with infrastructure and funding

-Establish shared warehouses and drying facilities at the provincial level.

-1Provide special budget allocations to LGUs for palay procurement, separate from their IRA.

-1Train LGU personnel in agricultural procurement and logistics

-Establish a national database of farmers eligible for NFA procuremen

-1Use mobile platforms to register farmers quickly and transparently

-Create regional monitoring committees with farmer representation and ensure transparency in procurement and payment processes.

White Plains Avenue will be temporarily closed for the Trillion Peso March starting 6 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30, the Quezon City government announced.

‘As preparation for the said event, a zipper lane will be implemented on the stretch of White Plains Avenue between Edsa and Katipunan Avenue starting 9 p.m. on Nov. 29 until 6 a.m. on Nov. 30,’ the Quezon City government noted in an advisory on Friday.

The advisory further said heavier traffic can be expected on the following roads during the rally:

Edsa

Katipunan Avenue

Ortigas Avenue

Temple Drive

‘Motorists are advised to take alternative routes,’ the Quezon City government advised.

It added that the following areas can be used for parking during the Trillion Peso March:

Temple Drive up to Giraffe St. (for light vehicles)

B. Serrano Ave. eastbound (one-side parking for buses)

18th and 20th Aves. (for buses and light vehicles)

Along Edsa from People Power Monument up to Camp Aguinaldo Gate 3 (for friendly forces)

The city government also noted that its personnel along with those of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Quezon City Police District will be on stand-by to assist with traffic management during the event.

Born to a carpenter and a housewife in a small barangay in Miagao town, Iloilo, George Wilson Escordial rose from days of having no ‘balon’ (money) and eating once a day to become the topnotcher of the November 2025 Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination (PNLE).

The 23-year-old student of West Visayas State University-College of Nursing (WVSU-CON) could not hold back his tears as he recalled how difficult life had been for him growing up in Barangay Kirayan Norte, Miagao.

In an interview on Friday, Escordial shared that he was raised by parents who were both high school graduates with limited income, but they never allowed their circumstances to stop them from giving their three children access to quality education.

He remembered going to school during his elementary years without money in his pocket.

In high school, when his father became ill, the family often ate only once a day, surviving on barnuts, patis (fish sauce), and chichirya (junk food) as their viand.

‘My family strived to make sure we could go to school. Life was hard. I had no money. During high school, when my father got sick, we would eat only once a day,’ he said in Ilonggo.

Proud of parents

Escordial said he was never ashamed of his upbringing because he knew his parents had done everything they could to provide for their family – and this inspired him to work even harder.

‘What I could give back to them was to study well, and at the end of the school year, let them walk up the stage to see me wearing a medal,’ he added.

To earn money, Escordial took on various tasks – applying for multiple scholarships, carrying sand, fetching water, and doing whatever work he could find.

After securing the top spot in this year’s exam with a 93.80 percent rating, he vowed to lift his family out of poverty and give them a better life.

WVSU continued to earn recognition as one of the country’s best nursing schools, maintaining its six-year streak of a 100 percent PNLE passing rate.

This year, it produced 36 topnotchers, two of whom tied for first place in the overall ranking.

The Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP) National Team has officially arrived in Malaysia as they prepare to compete in one of the region’s key junior tennis tournaments. The delegation is composed of top-performing athletes across five age divisions-representing the Philippines in the 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U categories.

This year’s delegation includes standout talents Thia Comia (10U); Etha Nadine Seno and Shaner Gabaldon (12U); Kathlyn Bugna and Mitch Cruspero (14U); Khalilah Imalay and Cadee Dagoon (16U); and AJ Acabo and Cielo Gonzales (18U) for the girls’ team. The boys’ team features Enzo Niere (10U); Sherwin Gomos and Pete Niere (12U); Claudwin Tonacao and EJ Niere (14U); Matthew Morris and Marwin Plata (16U); and Ariel Cabaral Jr. and Juvels Velos (18U). All athletes advanced through the Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Tour and UTP Elite Eight Playoffs, which continues to serve as a grassroots pipeline for young Filipino players.

Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier expressed his full support for the delegation, emphasizing the company’s continued commitment to tennis development. ‘We are proud of these young athletes who have worked tirelessly to earn their place on the national team,’ he said. ‘Their participation in this international tournament reflects our long-standing mission to uplift Filipino youth through sports and provide them with opportunities to grow, compete, and excel.’The team’s participation is made possible through the support of its official sponsors: Cebuana Lhuillier, UNILAB, Alternatives Food Corp, NAVEGAR, PhilCare, STI, and Dunlop. Their collective efforts help ensure that Filipino junior players gain competitive exposure and international experience that elevate the local tennis landscape.

Farmers in Eastern Visayas regions celebrated a significant milestone this week as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) awarded land titles, certificates of condonation with release of mortgage (Cocrom), and farm equipment worth P50 million in a program at the Tacloban City Astrodome.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III led the distribution on Tuesday, marking a major step toward securing land ownership and improving productivity for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across the six provinces in the region.

A total of 4,613 electronic land titles (e-titles) covering 10,000.73 hectares were awarded to 4,190 farmers, while 3,011 Cocrom documents, which release beneficiaries from existing mortgage obligations, were handed out to 2,048 farmers, covering 4,492.39 ha valued at nearly P100 million.

One of the recipients, 81-year-old Angela Pelones from the village of Borok in Ormoc City, Leyte, expressed her joy at finally securing her own land title.

‘I have been dreaming about this, and finally, after so many years, the land is now mine. Thank you to our government,’ she said.

Pelones will cultivate her 1-ha land with the help of her 30-year-old grandson, while all seven of her children live in Metro Manila.

Farm machines, equipment

In addition to land rights, farm vehicles, machines, and equipment were distributed to agrarian cooperatives and farmers’ organizations in Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran. These included hauling trucks, motorcycles, tractors, mobile rice mills, floating tillers, and rice threshers with blowers that would help boost farm productivity and livelihood.

The DAR has set its sights on completing the nationwide distribution of 800,000 remaining land titles before the end of President Marcos’ term in 2028. While the agency initially targeted 300,000 titles in 2025, weather-related disruptions had delayed delivery, with just over 200,000 titles distributed as of November.

But Estrella remains hopeful of hitting the agency’s target.

‘Once land title distribution is completed, the DAR will fully shift its efforts toward expanded support services for ARBs,’ he said.

In Eastern Visayas alone, 8,860 farmers have benefited from 11,067 e-titles covering 18,107 ha, out of the region’s 40,600-ha target for 2025