Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The University of the Philippines Los Baños celebrates its 107th Loyalty Day and Alumni Homecoming this week, which kicked off with the annual alumni parade last Sunday, bringing back hundreds of the university’s alumni to their old haunts on the UPLB campus. Among the things that would have easily caught the visitor’s eyes are several shells of buildings and major constructions that have remained unfinished for years. These include a planned new university library and knowledge center that was started five years ago and remains a raw concrete shell to this date; the economic development studies building of the College of Economics and Management (CEM), which broke ground in January 2023 and also remains a bare concrete shell; the graduate school dormitory, which appears nearly finished but has remained idle and unused, years after construction began; the long-standing excavation of the university track and field grounds, which has been fenced off from public view for years; and still more around campus.

What these unfinished buildings and constructions have in common, we’re told, is that they are all being implemented by the now-infamous Department of Public Works and Highways. Meanwhile, UPLB recently had a groundbreaking and soft launch of a student coop dormitory, and Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr. is quick to add that this project is not being done by the DPWH, as if to reassure us that the project will be done on time and done right. It makes one’s blood boil to see great losses from construction stoppages of UPLB buildings (and many similar DPWH projects nationwide), yet for many years, so many ghost and substandard flood control projects have been quickly certified for full payment.

Why has this experience with unfinished buildings been all too common, including and especially in UP, a government institution by virtue of its being the premier state university? There are several reasons. At the outset, fragmented project ownership and accountability, where the end-user (UPLB) and the implementing agency (DPWH) are two different entities, lead to coordination breakdowns, especially when there are design changes, site issues, or procurement delays. UPLB cannot directly fix implementation issues or rebid the project because the budget and contract are with DPWH, which seems to feel no urgency to push for prompt project completion, especially when it’s outside its own premises or political priorities.

Commission on Audit (COA) reports give us other reasons. All too common and persistent are problems with the contractor abandoning a project when costs escalate, or at worst, when there is bad faith to begin with. Contractors commonly bid very low to win contracts, expecting to argue for increases once underway, and then walk away when the desired increases are not granted. Replacing defaulting contractors is a tedious process that can take DPWH years. By the time rebidding happens, prices would have risen and the appropriated budget is no longer sufficient, leading to indefinite suspension.

Procurement and auditing bottlenecks also arise from actions of COA itself, such as when minor contract variations or additional works require COA clearance and DBM fund releases, often taking months. The DPWH has also been reported to have frozen project disbursements when COA flagged procedural lapses, wary of possible disallowances. Some projects have remained unfinished for years simply because of pending COA observations or contractor appeals, for which no clear resolution mechanisms to untangle stalemates exist.

And then there are discontinuities that arise from leadership changes and the realignment of political support and funding priorities. This arises when projects are started as congressional insertions or local realignments, which succeeding legislators or administrators may decide to abandon. At UPLB, the CEM building was initiated by a legislator who is among its alumni, but whose influence diminished when the political leadership changed. Budgets for other UPLB buildings were apparently reallocated to ‘priority infrastructure’ elsewhere, which could well have included spurious flood control projects. There have also been cases where DPWH’s school or office building specifications fail to meet UP’s higher construction standards (like for laboratories), leading UP engineers to refuse acceptance of the finished work, citing structural or functional deficiencies.

Long before the flood control scandal broke out, the DPWH had already earned for itself a bad name and had shown why other government entities like UP and many others ought to have the leeway to implement their infrastructure projects themselves. Why keep insisting that we all rely on a department that has proven itself unreliable, and worse, untrustworthy, for so long?

The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant has opened its coronation night for free to the public, and those interested in seeing the show may get the chance to score the limited seats available by registering online.

The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night will be held at the Cebu Complex Coliseum on Wednesday evening, Oct. 8, on the delegates’ ninth day in the province and more than a week since a magnitude 6.9 earthquake jolted the island.

‘Scan the QR code to register your interest. Limited seats are now open to the public-don’t miss the most glamorous night of the year!’ the international pageant said when it posted the details on social media on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 7.

‘Witness history unfold as extraordinary women from across the globe take the stage to shine,’ the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant continued.

Lawyer and beauty queen Eva Patalinjug-Lim, the president of the international pageant, told Inquirer Entertainment, ‘Our coronation events are usually ticketed, but this year is different.’

The pageant has realigned its activities to stand in solidarity with those affected by the earthquake in Cebu. The delegates joined relief missions instead of embarking on a scenic tour of the province, something that had been planned earlier.

‘Because of what happened in Cebu, we want to dedicate this entire season, including our Grand Coronation Night, to the province and its people,’ Patalinjug said.

‘This year, we want to show up for Cebu. Miss Asia Pacific International is one with Cebu,’ she continued.

The delegates packed relief goods for two consecutive days, then distributed aid to the northern Cebu towns of Daanbantayan, Medellin, and San Remigio another day. They also took part in the outreach program of their official shoe provider, extending their mission to four straight days.

Forty-three delegates from around the world are competing for the title in this year’s competition. The Philippines is represented by Anita Rose Gomez, who hopes to become the sixth Filipino woman to win the crown.

The Miss Asia Pacific International is the longest-running global pageant founded in the Philippines, and is among the oldest beauty contests in the country.

To shorten the distance commuters walk to the nearest Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) station, buses going to Sapang Palay village in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan to SM Fairview in Novaliches village, Quezon City will be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers along NIA Road during rush hours.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) acting chief Giovanni Lopez ordered the issuance of 268 permits for buses from the Sayang Palay-Fairview route to pass by the NIA Road.

Starting this month, DOTr said they will be allowed to ply the area from 4-8 a.m. and 5-8 p.m.

The DOTr gave permits to these buses with routes looping from Sapang Palay or SM Fairview, passing through Commonwealth Avenue, East Avenue, Internal Road, NIA Road and vice versa.

‘This needs to be done so that the passengers will not walk a long distance, especially those transferring going to MRT-3,’ Lopez said in a statement in Filipino.

The MRT-3 Quezon Avenue Station is about a kilometer away from NIA Road.

‘The long walk just to get on the bus is hard for passengers and is especially hard for seniors and PWDs. That’s why the bus stop should be closer to the MRT so they can easily transfer,’ he also said.

Despite being allowed to solicit and drop off passengers there, DOTr said buses will neither be allowed to stay in the area for too long nor are they allowed to turn it into a terminal.

Lopez also ordered the deployment of four personnel each from the Philippine Coast Guard and Land Transportation Office to ensure that the buses will only stay along NIA Road for less than three minutes.

Meanwhile, DOTr said the assessment in the coming months will decide if the scheme will be stopped or will continue.

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Negros Occidental, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The earthquake was of tectonic origin, which means that it was produced by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries.

It was recorded at 8:04 a.m., with an epicenter located 42 kilometers (km) north-northwest of Sipalay City at a depth of 11 km.

A reported intensity of Intensity II in Iloilo City was logged. According to Phivolcs, at this level, the tremor is ‘slightly felt’ by a few individuals at rest indoors.

Meanwhile, Instrumental Intensity I was recorded in Bago City, Negros Occidental. At this level, the tremor is ‘scarcely perceptible.’

There was no damage reported, but Phivolcs is expecting aftershocks

The Quezon City government has already terminated four infrastructure projects awarded to Discaya-linked construction companies.

According to the city government statement on Tuesday, the projects were terminated upon the issuance of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board Resolution No. 075 on September 1, 2025.

The resolution revoked the licenses of Discaya-linked companies due to violations of licensing requirements and procurement laws.

The same resolution also canceled the membership of the construction companies owned by Discayas in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS.

‘After the observance of the periods required by law, or as of September 19, 2025, all four of the said projects involving Discaya-linked companies have been terminated,’ the Quezon City government announced.

The four Discaya-linked projects terminated are as follows:

proposed construction of a six-storey multi-purpose building with a deck

proposed construction of a reinforced concrete canal at Ermitaño Creek

proposed construction of 32-Balingasa High Rise Housing (Phase 1A) at Barangay Balingasa

proposed construction of 32-Balingasa High Rise Housing (Phase 2) at Barangay Balingasa

The local government said the four projects accounted for 0.3 percent of the 1,300 total infrastructure projects in the city since July 2019.

Meanwhile, the city said it maintained transparency in all of its procurement processes, including its competitive bidding, publication, and posting.

It noted that all infrastructure projects are publicly posted on the city’s website and that it welcomes all examinations of its projects and processes.

‘We condemn any and all malicious insinuations that only seek to distract from the actual schemes and perpetrators that have victimized our city and our country,’ the city government said in the same statement.

‘We remain steadfast and unwavering in upholding the trust of our people, and we will continue to ensure that public funds are used solely for the benefit of our citizens,’ it added.

All companies linked to the Discayas – spouses Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ – have been under question amid an ongoing investigation into graft-tainted infrastructure projects.

The Discayas themselves previously claimed that several lawmakers and government officials solicited money from them in exchange for government projects

Inflation rose to a six-month high of 1.7 percent in September, slightly quicker than August’s 1.5 percent on higher transport and food costs, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday. But the latest clip was better than the 2-percent median estimate of 14 economists polled by the Inquirer last week.

It also fell within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ forecast range of 1.5 to 2.3 percent for September.

The September figure meant inflation remained within the official 2 to 4 percent target band

The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the dismissal of retired Sandiganbayan Justice Harriet Demetriou’s complaint against a Catholic priest for ‘offending religious feelings’ over his remarks on the 1948 Marian apparition in Lipa, Batangas.

In a 28-page ruling dated September 29, the appellate court’s 12th Division affirmed the Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s finding that the online Catholic program in which exorcist priest Fr. Winston Cabading questioned the authenticity of the apparition did not constitute a ‘religious ceremony’ – a required element of the offense under the Revised Penal Code.

‘What appears in the recitals of facts is the alleged violation of respondent Cabading against the CBCP Pastoral Instruction and Injunction Order of the Dominican Province. This act is not punishable under the Revised Penal Code or special penal laws,’ the appellate court said in the ruling penned by Associate Justice Ma. Consejo Gengos-Ignalaga.

Demetriou is a devotee of Our Lady Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace, whose apparitions were reportedly witnessed by Teresita Castillo inside the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa in 1948.

She filed the case against Cabading in December 2022 after he suggested in a Facebook program that the phenomenon involved ‘demonic deception to let people focus on the extraordinary instead of the ordinary path to holiness and love of God.’

Not of supernatural origin

The Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, later known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, declared in 1951 that the events bore no signs of supernatural origin, further reiterating this in December 2015.

The Quezon City court dismissed the case against Cabading in May 2024, saying the charges against him do not constitute an offense. It also denied Demetriou’s motion for consideration, prompting her to elevate the case to the CA.

In affirming the lower court’s ruling, the CA noted that the facts did not satisfy the elements of the crime, particularly the requirement that the act be committed in a place of religious worship ‘or during the celebration of any religious ceremony.’

It agreed with the Quezon City court that the Facebook program did not fall within the scope of a religious ceremony, describing it instead as ‘akin to a show, broadcast, telecast, videocast, performance, or dialogue.’

A fastcraft usually plying from Zamboanga City to Isabela City, Basilan, and back, sank while still moored at the Zamboanga City Port at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Isabela City local government posted on its social media that, based on initial reports, the fastcraft was anchored at the port area when it was suddenly hit by strong waves.

Boat captain Samuel Sabanal was cited as saying the crew discovered a hole in the engine room, which became a water entry.

Sabanal points to it as the reason for the boat’s sinking. He added that when the crew noticed the problem, they immediately took a water pump and tried to drain the water to no avail.

The boat completely sank at 5:20 a.m.

Sabanal clarified that he was not immediately informed of the problem, which he said could have been fixed sooner.

There were no casualties reported during the incident, while authorities were investigating the cause of the sinking.

Authorities will also conduct a salvage operation to raise the boat and prevent it from affecting port operations.

The fastcraft travels from Zamboanga City to Isabela City and vice versa twice a day./coa

Contractors Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Sarah requested Tuesday to postpone their hearing with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to allow them more time to collect certain documents, the commission’s Executive Director Brian Hosaka said.

ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka disclosed the development after the ICI concluded its hearing with the Discayas.

‘With regard to the Discayas, they asked for a reset of seven days. The next hearing would be set on Oct. 15 at 2 pm,’ ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka told reporters in a chance interview.

‘They were asking for time for them to retrieve certain documents [that] the commission requested,’ he added.

Hosaka, however, declined to divulge what these documents were.

Asked about the current stage of the ICI’s hearings, Hosaka responded that it is still ‘an ongoing process.’

‘As long as we complete the case build-up, then we will file the necessary recommendation and filings before the Office of the Omb or any other government agency, for that matter,’ he said.

Tuesday’s hearing marks the second time the Discayas appeared before the ICI. They were first invited as resource persons on Sept. 30.

The Discayas are linked to controversial infrastructure projects plagued by graft across the country-an allegation they themselves confirmed, stating that several lawmakers and government officials had demanded money from them in return for awarding government projects. /jpv/abc

Every time a scandal erupts, the script is predictable. A few names are shamed. Politicians promise to punish them. Pundits say we need more ‘good men’ in the government.

And now, the techno-optimists add their fix: blockchain, artificial intelligence, some app that will supposedly reduce, if not vanish, corruption.

It is fast and easy to think the problem is the basket of bad apples or outdated tools. But the real story is harsher: corruption survives because the system makes it cheaper than honesty. Until that changes, scandals like the flood control fiasco will keep overflowing.

Economists use the term transaction cost to define the hidden costs of getting things done. In normal systems, these costs are low: contracts are straightforward; enforcement is reliable; and cheating is costly.

In ours, they are upside down. The costs of doing things honestly are higher than the costs of corruption.

Look at the flood control. An honest contractor leaps through the hoops of paperwork, competitive bids, compliance checks and inspections. A connected contractor can skip the line with a handshake and an envelope.

Who pays more? The honest one.

Tech alone isn’t the answer

Even after the project is awarded, the distortion remains. Compliant firms bear costs; shady firms cut corners, knowing penalties are unlikely.

Honesty stays expensive. Cheating stays cheap.

This is why preaching ethics alone fails. Good men can try, but they are swimming against a current of warped incentives. The rules of the game reward shortcuts and punish compliance. Eventually, the system wins.

And this is also why technology, on its own, will not save us. Blockchain is a perfect example. It promises tamper-proof records of every contract. But if corrupt officials enter lies, the system faithfully preserves lies in digital stone.

If regulators ignore the evidence, the blockchain becomes nothing more than a high-tech archive of unpunished fraud.

Tools can help, but they do not change the rules. The rules decide the costs, and right now, corruption is the low-cost choice.

Changing the game

Individuals exploit the government because it commands vast resources and discretionary power, making it a tempting target for private gain. When rules are weak or enforcement is lax, the transaction costs of corruption are low compared to the costs of acting honestly. This creates incentives for rent-seeking, collusion and capture of public funds.

To prevent this, society must design the proper ‘rules of the game’ that make integrity the cheaper, safer path and corruption the costlier gamble. This makes the government extractive.

If we want change, we must then flip the equation. Make honesty cheap, and corruption costly.

That means lowering the cost of transparency. Every contract, bid and project update should be easy to verify-geotagged, photographed and online for all to see.

Ghost projects only survive in the dark.

Furthermore, it means shifting the cost of enforcement. Do not just pay contractors for ‘finishing work.’ Tie their pay to actual outcomes, such as less flooding in specific areas. Make them shoulder the cost of proving tangible results, not taxpayers.

It means raising the cost of corruption. Apart from digital audit trails, whistleblower protections and swift penalties, make the gamble riskier. If the chance of getting caught is high, corruption becomes expensive.

And it means cutting the cost of accountability. Residents who live beside canals and flood walls know if the work exists. Empower them, not local officials who can be bribed, to report directly into oversight systems. Communities are the cheapest and sharpest monitors the government has.

System overhaul

Finally, redesign the system itself. Endless small contracts mean endless chances for collusion. Shift to longer-term deals with firms that build track records, overseen by independent audits. Fewer transactions mean fewer opportunities to cheat.

The flood control scandal is not about billions lost. It is about a government trapped in a high-cost system where honest service is punished and rent-seeking rewarded.

Corruption is not a software bug we can code away, nor a moral failing we can pray over. It is a transaction-cost problem.

If corruption is the cheaper option, no blockchain, no saintly official and no shiny app will stop the flood.

Real reform begins when honesty is the low-cost choice and corruption is the most expensive mistake one can make. INQ