Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The local government has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to uncover the individuals allegedly behind the forgery of former Mayor Alex Rommel Romano’s signature, which was used to make it appear that a Bulacan-based contractor had completed more than P198 million worth of infrastructure projects in this town.

Mayor Glenda Romano on Monday said the supposed projects were the concreting of a farm-to-market road worth P84,998,162.12; the construction of a flood control system amounting to P76,498,681.77; and the construction of a classroom worth P28,253,041.50.

The local government only became aware of these entries after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Office transmitted documents for verification Sep. 4.

The packet, addressed to former Mayor Romano, the incumbent mayor’s husband and now the town’s vice mayor, and signed by Ma. Victoria Gregorio of the DPWH Procurement Service, contained multiple attachments indicating that the projects had already been completed by Topmost Construction at Barangay Tibag in Pulilan, Bulacan.

Based on the DPWH documents obtained by the Inquirer, the projects were supposedly implemented during Vice Mayor Romano’s term as mayor Nothing exists

The farm-to-market road was listed as having begun on Aug. 16, 2023, and completed on Feb. 12 this year; the flood control system was shown as constructed from June 30 to Oct. 27, 2023; and the classroom project supposedly started on Aug. 16, 2023, and finished on April 12, 2024.

However, Mayor Romano said the municipal government’s inspection revealed that no such projects existed anywhere in the town.

She added that the local government never processed any permits, contracts, or related documents for the alleged infrastructure works.

The photocopied documents transmitted by the DPWH carried the former mayor’s name and signature in several key papers, including a notice of award, notice to proceed, contract agreement, certificate of acceptance, and certificate of completion-raising red flags that the town officials quickly referred to investigators.

‘We immediately conducted an investigation within Lupao. During our inspection, we found that none of the projects mentioned in the letter actually exists,’ Mayor Romano told the Inquirer.

She added that the forged documents appeared to be ‘extensive,’ prompting the local government to seek outside assistance.

‘We are requesting that all the documents related to these supposed projects be thoroughly investigated . all these papers were fabricated, especially the signature of our former mayor,’ she said.

The mayor emphasized that the local government is fully cooperating with the NBI and the DPWH to determine who orchestrated the alleged scheme and how the forged documents reached the DPWH central office.

Mayor Romano also assured residents that the municipal government was strengthening its internal verification systems to prevent similar attempts in the future. ‘We want to make sure this never happens again. Integrity and transparency in public service must always be protected,’ she said.

Cloudy skies and showers are expected in parts of Luzon Thursday due to three weather systems-the shear line, easterlies, and the northeast monsoon, or ‘amihan,’ the state weather bureau said.

In its 5 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the three weather systems will affect the Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Ilocos region.

The shear line will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms to Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Mainland Cagayan, and Isabela, according to Pagasa.

Cloudy skies with rain showers due to the northeast monsoon are expected in the Ilocos region, the rest of CAR, and the rest of Cagayan Valley, the weather bureau added.

Meanwhile, cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the easterlies are expected in Aurora and Quezon. Localized thunderstorms may also trigger isolated rain showers in Metro Manila and the rest of the country, Pagasa said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday playfully teased Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso with the idea of taking on a new government role – this time as head of the National Housing Authority (NHA) or the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

These lighthearted remarks came after he praised the local government unit for the quick construction of another housing project in the city. ‘I’m jealous of what Yorme (Domagoso) is saying-that one housing project was built in three months, with over 200 units. That kind of speed is just a dream for us at the NHA and DHSUD,’ Marcos said during the ceremonial turnover of the San Lazaro Residences project in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

‘We need to learn from you how that’s done. You take charge there so that it can be expedited,’ he added.

The P1.9-billion San Lazaro Residences, a project of the Manila LGU, consists of 382 units.

Each unit has two bedrooms and is equipped with living and dining areas, a kitchen, and a toilet and bath.

The building also includes a public health support facility on the lower levels, an administration office, a function room, an outdoor activity area, and a swimming pool.

Manila residents and government workers with a salary grade of 18 and below may apply for tenureship. They will be required to make a monthly contribution of P2,000 to P3,000, which will be returned to them upon vacating the unit.

A total of 193 units are allocated for personnel from the Manila Health Department.

The House of Representatives remains focused on its duty to serve the people despite investigations of some of its members who were being linked to anomalous infrastructure projects, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said on Thursday.

In a statement, Dy stressed that accountability is part of a public servant’s duty, which is why all House members are ready to cooperate with any investigation, including that from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). ‘Whatever happens, the House of Representatives remains focused on its duty to serve the people. Accountability measures are part of a public servant’s life, and all members-subject to investigations or not-are ready to help in any process while they continue to fulfill their roles as lawmakers,’ Dy said. ‘Now that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) filed a new joint case referral to the Office of the Ombudsman, our stand for accountability remains firm,’ he added.

According to Dy, since he was elected Speaker, he has emphasized that the House will respect the mandate given to ICI, and that lawmakers will cooperate with any investigation.

‘Since the first day of my tenure as Speaker, I have emphasized that the chamber respects the mandate of the ICI and that we will coordinate without second thoughts on these investigations. We believe that the truth should not be hidden and those who are at fault should be held accountable,’ he said.

‘In the end, the welfare of the Filipino people is our priority, and we will do everything we can to serve them rightly and justly,’ he added.

Over the past two months, the ICI has been busy investigating the involvement of different lawmakers in ghost or anomalous flood control projects.

On Wednesday, ICI recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of criminal and administrative cases against former and incumbent lawmakers who have links with companies that were awarded government contracts:

former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co (FS Co. Builders Supply)

Construction Workers Solidarity party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola (Newington Builders, Inc., Lourel Development Corporation, S-Ang General Construction and Trading Inc.)

Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James Ang Jr. (IBC International Builders Corporation, Allencon Development Corporation

Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Jernie Nisay (JVN Construction and Trading)

Bulacan 2nd District Rep. Augustina Pancho (C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.)

Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph Lara (JLL Pulsar Construction)

Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas (Boometrix Development Corp.)

Tarlac 3rd District Rep. Noel Rivera (Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corporation)

On Wednesday, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said that the investigation into the flood control project mess will affect more than 10 percent of the House members, as many lawmakers are also accused of being contractors.

‘Many will be affected. More than 10 percent of its members would be affected at the very least. Membership of the House,’ Remulla said.

‘But this is only low-hanging fruit. If this is eight, there will be around 12 to 15 more that have a conflict of interest. This will be painful, as I’ve said before; this entails a lot of sacrifice,’ he added.

Officials from the DPWH and ICI delivered boxes of their findings to the anti-graft body on Wednesday afternoon. The referral covers 1,300 infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2024.

Earlier, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos assured the ICI that he is ready to cooperate with the body, adding that he is ready to appear anytime. Marcos, in a letter to ICI Chairperson Andres Reyes Jr. dated November 26, said he supports the body’s ‘efforts to uncover the truth’ behind the country’s infrastructure woes. Marcos’ name has not been floated as among lawmakers who are also contractors, but Co, in a video statement released on Tuesday and on Wednesday, implicated the Majority Leader as allegedly involved in the insertion mess for the 2025 national budget.

Co, the chairperson of the House committee on appropriations during the bulk of the 19th Congress, claimed that Marcos made insertions when budget discussions reached the bicameral conference committee stage.

But Marcos on Tuesday disputed Co’s claims, saying that it appears the former lawmaker has decided that his way out of accountability for the budget issues is to bring down the current administration. The younger Marcos claimed that intelligence reports state that Co is working with people destabilizing the government

When teams with championship lineage collide against young clubs searching for their own space in volleyball lore in a knockout semifinal match, only one thing is certain: The PVL Reinforced Conference will crown a new champion at the end of the tournament.

Akari, Petro Gazz, ZUS Coffee, PLDT. Four teams with unique stories are out to snatch a crown that fell off powerhouse Creamline’s head. Four semifinalists in a one-game duel for what will also be a knockout duel for the title.

The first semifinal game at 4 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum features two teams that struggled in the elimination round but upset the higher seeds in the quarterfinals to advance.

The No. 8 seed Akari, the giant-slayer that stunned top-seeded Farm Fresh in the knockout quarterfinals, is looking for just its second finals appearance as it continues searching for a franchise-first title.

‘We’re slowly seeing the light because we are the Chargers,’ said new coach Tina Salak.

Underdog again

‘Being in the semis is a whole different story. And of course, respect to Petro Gazz, they’re a champion team, and they’re tough. There’s no easy win at this stage, so we really have to prepare.’

Once again, Akari will don the underdog cape as it faces fifth-seed Petro Gazz, which is looking to end a three-year finals drought in the Reinforced. The Angels are favored in more ways beyond the seeding: They were also the ones who knocked the Cool Smashers out of their throne in their quarterfinal clash.

Petro Gazz is hoping to annex another trophy after its maiden All-Filipino title won last May.

The Angels won this conference in 2019 and 2022.

‘If you’re not playing your A-game, you’re gonna get beat,’ said Petro Gazz rookie coach Gary Van Sickle. ‘I’m sure Akari’s gonna be another dog fight for us.’

‘Mental edge’

PLDT and ZUS Coffee will clash in the second game at 6:30 p.m., with the High Speed Hitters looking to add another crown after winning the PVL on Tour and the Invitational in back-to-back fashion-which featured knockout matches as well.

‘Maybe that’s one of the blessings from the last two conferences, getting thrown into knockout games. We . already know what it feels like, and I think it gives us a bit of a mental edge,’ said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort.

Ricafort is facing his mentor coach Jerry Yee, who turned ZUS Coffee into the league’s youngest revelation. The Thunderbelles went from perennial cellar-dweller to a team that dropped to the No. 2 seed only via tiebreak.

Yee hopes to continue his dream run, as Anna DeBeer headlines their deep roster. ‘It’s going to be tough,’ said DeBeer. ‘We’ve just been taking it one game at a time this whole season. So, we’re going to do exactly that and not get ahead of ourselves and focus on what we can do.’

The lawyer of resigned congressman and fugitive Zaldy Co denied Wednesday President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim that he tried to blackmail Malacañang to prevent the cancellation of his client’s passport.

‘I have not spoken with anyone from the government to negotiate the stoppage of the videos for the passport,’ Ruy Rondain, Co’s legal counsel, said in a message.

‘As I have always maintained, I have no control over the release of the videos,’ he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the president said Co’s camp offered to suspend the release of videos containing allegations implicating top officials in graft-riddled insertions in the 2025 national budget; in exchange, it wanted the Palace to stop the cancellation of the former lawmaker’s passport.

‘Zaldy Co’s lawyer approached us and attempted to blackmail us, saying that if we do not cancel his passport, he will [not] stop releasing his videos,’ the president said in a video statement.

‘I do not negotiate with criminals. Even if you release all your videos full of lies meant to destabilize the government, I want you to know, Zaldy, your passport will still be canceled. You will not escape justice,’ he added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to receive a court order to cancel Co’s passport.

Should his passport be canceled, Co would be unable to travel to any foreign country, compelling him to return to the Philippines. He might also be detained by immigration officers in his destination country and eventually be deported to Manila.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, however, said authorities were facing difficulty in tracking Co’s whereabouts. The government is looking into information that Co might be using another passport and assuming another identity. First lady implicated

Malacañang and Marcos himself turned offensive in the verbal war after Co dragged him and other members of his family into the corruption scandal.

The latest to be implicated by Co, after the president, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, and presidential son and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, is first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

In ‘Part 3’ of his ‘tell-all’ videos, Co alleged that the first lady intervened to halt two separate House investigations into the sudden spike in onion prices and alleged rice smuggling.

‘This may be painful to hear, but this is the truth. The first family itself is involved in these corrupt systems. From the president to the first lady, they are the ones who dictate, control, and benefit from transactions that should have been for the benefit of the people,’ Co said.

Co alleged that the first lady called Romualdez to ask that the inquiries be halted shortly after her name and that of her brother, Martin Araneta, surfaced.

Inconsistencies

Marcos has repeatedly dismissed Co’s accusations. He also dared his former political ally to return to the country and prove his claims against him right to his face.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro flagged the ‘inconsistencies’ in Co’s recorded video statements, such as the year when he allegedly started delivering money to Mr. Marcos and Romualdez.

‘He should finish all of his allegations, because every time we criticize his inconsistencies, his story changes-along with the hairstyle in the video,’ Castro said, implying that the videos were not recorded in one sitting as Co intended with his similar outfit throughout the video clips. In a series of recorded videos, Co had accused the president and Romualdez, as well as some Cabinet members, of orchestrating supposed ‘insertions’ worth P100 billion in the 2025 national budget.

He also claimed that he delivered P56.4 billion in cash hidden inside pieces of luggage from 2022 to 2025 to the residences of Marcos and Romualdez. Both Marcos and Romualdez denied receiving such amounts from Co. Co, who has an arrest warrant issued against him, also asserted that the government was in ‘full force to silence him.’ He has maintained his innocence against allegations that he was involved in the multi-billion-dollar flood control corruption scandal. -With a report from Krixia Subingsubing

Government seizures of counterfeit goods fell sharply in the first nine months of the year following record enforcement levels in 2024.

Data from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) showed that authorities had confiscated P18.64 billion worth of illicit products as of September, down 47 percent from a record-high P35.28 billion in the same period last year. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) continued to account for the bulk of seized items, contributing 92 percent of the total, or about P17.21 billion.

The National Bureau of Investigation followed with P980.36 million, while the Philippine National Police recorded P456.72 million.

IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel Arevalo said apparel remained among the most commonly seized goods.

Goods found on physical shelves also continued to dominate the seizure total versus online products, he said.

But raids didn’t decline

Arevalo said more analysis is needed to understand the decline in counterfeit seizures.

‘If you base it on the amount of seizures, it looks like there were more activities last year, not only the value, but also the sheer volume. But this is not conclusive because we really have to look into the reported violations of counterfeiting (translated from Filipino),’ he said.

Despite the lower total value seized this year, enforcement operations increased sharply.

As of September, agencies conducted 2,745 operations, compared with just 85 in the same period last year. Holiday surge

Arevalo said authorities expected a possible surge in counterfeit products toward the end of the year, coinciding with the holiday season.

Counterfeit seizures hit an all-time high of P40.99 billion in 2024, up 52 percent from P26.99 billion in 2023. IPOPHL is part of the 15-member National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry, whose members include the Department of Justice, the Optical Media Board, NBI, PNP and BOC. INQ

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced that the Office of the President (OP) will dispense P15 million in support of the President Corazon Aquino General Hospital in Baseco, Port Area, Manila.

He said this during his visit to the community on Thursday. ‘From the Office of the President, we will increase the support by fifteen million pesos for Baseco Hospital,’ he said in a brief speech.

The visit was part of his administration’s goal to strengthen the healthcare system in the country, Marcos said.

Moreover, the president led the ceremonial distribution of ‘Charitimba’ (charity pails) to 2,500 beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s ‘Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita’ (help for those who are short on income) Program.

The ‘Charitimba’ contains basic food necessities such as noodles, canned goods and more.

The family that competes together wins together.

That has been the case for the Van Sickle Family, as Brooke led the Petro Gazz Angels back to the PVL Reinforced Conference finals with her father, Gary, as the head coach and mom Lisa as the deputy. The two-time PVL MVP Van Sickle delivered the goods for the Angels as they survived the No.8 Akari in a five-set thriller, 25-19, 25-17, 15-25, 22-25, 15-13, in a no-tomorrow semifinal on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

‘They’re still my coaches at the end of the day. I’m happy and proud of everyone. It took some time, but we got here,’ said Van Sickle, who also had 18 excellent receptions and 13 digs.

For Gary, it was a full-circle moment to coach Brooke again and steer Petro Gazz to its second finals this year and third Reinforced championship appearance in the last four editions.

‘It’s been awesome coaching her again. We’ve coached her since she was a little girl,’ Gary said. ‘I think every once in a while, she probably gets upset with me because I’m pushing her really hard in the match. I’ll talk to her outside the timeout. She’s just been playing well, so it makes it easy.’ But more than coaching her daughter, the new Petro Gazz coach marveled at the talent-rich Angels, also led by their returning import Lindsey Vander Weide and Myla Pablo.

‘It’s easy to coach this group. They’re closely knit. They support one another. So even when it was going rough, they just kind of gelled with each other. It makes it easy because most of the girls, except for the import they played, they won a championship together,’ said Gary.

‘So when times got tough, they kind of held their composure. And for me, it’s just a matter of trying to control the timeouts and the pace of the game, making some subs. But overall, it’s the players. They’re making plays, and it makes my job easier.’

Brooke was grateful for how they overcame a slow start in the elimination round and won four straight important games-including a quarterfinal win over Creamline-to surpass the Final 8 exit last year, when they were without Lindsey Vander Weide.

‘It’s awesome to be in this position. I think our team has been doing a fantastic job of, like how Lindsey just said, anyone can come off the bench at any time and produce,’ she said. ‘You got a good bench, you’re going to have a good, like a jelling team because you’re being pushed at practice all the time. So I would just say it’s definitely surreal being able to be in the finals again. And I just try to stay grounded, just conference by conference.’

As she eyes her second PVL championship with the Angels, Brooke stays locked in as they battle the winner of the ZUS Coffee-PLDT semifinal game in a winner-take-all on Sunday.

‘All-Filipino was in the past. Now we’re on the Reinforced. This is where my focus is. I don’t care how the other conferences work. It’s just being the present, being the moment. So I think that’s how we’re rocking it,’ she said. Gary vows to bring out the best in the Angels for the franchise’s fourth overall PVL title.

‘Whoever we end up playing, we’re going to have to bring our A game if we want to win this conference. So yeah, we’re probably going to watch film on both. Whoever wins this, we’ll watch film and try to make a few adjustments and, just get ready for another battle,’ he said.

Nov 28, 2025

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COMMENTARY

The future of population and dev’t

By: Anthony Rosendo Faraon – @inquirerdotnetPhilippine Daily Inquirer / 05:03 AM November 27, 2025

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Every year from Nov. 23 to 29, the Philippines observes Population and Development (Popdev) Week. This tradition began in 1992, when the country had only 66 million people. Today, barely three decades later, we are at around 116 million. In that time, we added more than 50 million individuals to our population. This sharp increase raises an essential question: what does this mean for our development?

Debates often focus on whether population growth is good or bad. But numbers alone do not define our future. What matters more is our ability to provide education, health care, housing, social protection, and economic opportunity to everyone. The country has expanded social services, but many systems remain overextended. Delays in implementation, weak governance, and persistent corruption reduce the impact of public programs.

These challenges are not unique to the Philippines. Similar concerns were heard at the International Conference on Family Planning held earlier this month in Bogotá, which I attended. As the world’s largest gathering on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the conference offered insights that resonate strongly with our national situation.

The conference made clear that the global environment for SRH is becoming more difficult. Civic spaces are shrinking, opposition to reproductive rights is rising, and major donors, including the United States Agency for International Development, are reducing their support. These shifts affect the availability of supplies, trained workers, and essential services in many countries.

Yet there were also messages of hope. One billion women now use modern contraception, a historic achievement. But more than 260 million women still want to avoid pregnancy and cannot obtain the services they need. This reflects major gaps in systems that have not reached those most at risk.

A central message from the conference was that reproductive rights are fundamental human rights. When women and young people lack access to reliable information and modern contraception, their opportunities narrow. Girls leave school. Families face deeper poverty. Communities become locked in cycles of inequality that persist across generations.

Another major point raised at the conference was the significant decline in global funding for family planning (FP). Many donors have shifted their priorities, and long-standing sources of support are shrinking. Countries can no longer rely on external assistance to sustain reproductive health programs.

This reality challenges us to rely on our own systems. PhilHealth can play a stronger role in financing FP services. Local governments must consistently allocate funds for supplies and adolescent health. Partnerships with the private sector can help expand services where government resources are limited.