Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families now have easier access to free medical consultations and medicine as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) launched its ‘Alagang Owwa Botika’ program on Friday.

Owwa Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan led the launch of the pharmacy program in Pasay City, designed to provide continued care and support to OFWs and their families even after they finish their stints abroad.

Caunan said the program is part of the ‘Alagang Owwa: Yakap at Gamot’ in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and private VidaCure Pharmacy.

Under Philhealth’s Yakap (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program), beneficiaries can receive up to P20,000 worth of medicines per year from accredited pharmacies.

In the case of OFWs and their dependents, they may go directly to the Owwa head office in Pasay City or to the Gateway Mall in Quezon City. For those in the south, they may go to Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

The free medical checkups at Owwa may be availed of every Friday with Yakap-accredited doctors.

Prescriptions issued during consultations can then be used to claim medicines at the Owwa ‘botika’ (pharmacy), also in Pasay City, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

Kimberly Ondona Badong, who had just returned from Oman after developing hypertension, stressed the importance of expanding the program outside Metro Manila.

The mother of six said they live in Maguindanao and she hopes services would also be offered at Owwa regional offices.

In her speech, Caunan said the ‘Lab for All’ mobile medical and clinical laboratory truck donated by first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos would also soon be deployed to deliver free diagnostic services such as X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests.

Caunan assured that the ‘Alagang Owwa Botika,’ which is still in the pilot stage, would soon be offered nationwide.

‘Let’s make every Friday a Yakap Day. We want our OFWs, active, retired or those who have returned for good, to feel that they remain cared for. Even when they are no longer earning abroad, they can still rely on government support for their health needs,’ she said.

Almost 6,000 people across four regions have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Paolo, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its situational report issued Saturday, Oct. 4, NDRRMC said 5,979 individuals or 1,833 families were affected across 10 provinces.

A total of 3,368 residents from Regions 1 and 3 were preemptively evacuated before the typhoon intensified, while 4,4317 people remain displaced. Of this number, many are staying in 74 evacuation centers, while others are sheltering outside designated facilities.

As of this writing, there are no records of dead, injured, or missing.

Paolo, which developed into a typhoon earlier this week, brought rains and strong winds over parts of Northern and Central Luzon. The cyclone has since exited the Philippine landmass after crossing the country’s northern areas.

The NDRRMC continues to monitor affected communities for damage assessment and assistance to displaced families. /das

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has authorized the importation of onions, carrots and broccoli in small quantities to alleviate rising food prices due to weather disturbances.

On the sidelines of the 47th Meeting of the Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA has observed significant price spikes in certain agricultural goods based on their recent monitoring.

Tiu Laurel said the price of red onion, for instance, increased to as much as P140 to P160 per kilogram (kg) about one or two weeks ago, ‘which is kind of too much.’

‘I have a feeling that the remaining local are being held back a bit [to maximize profits], so that’s why I ordered silently to import last week,’ Tiu Laurel said.

‘We are now addressing that and hopefully inflation will stabilize . as we have already ordered the importation of white onions, red onions, carrots, broccoli to augment the supply disruption due to storms, rains and floods,’ he said.

Before harvest

The agriculture chief said he allowed the entry of 3,000 to 5,000 metric tons (MT) of red onions until about one month before the harvest season for this commodity starts in February.

As for carrots, Tiu Laurel said the DA allowed the importation of ‘a few hundred tons’ to assess the situation, as prices have surged as well. These can come from China and the Netherlands.

‘The importation of carrots from China is done on a trial basis. It is the first time we have allowed it. Carrots from New Zealand and Australia have been allowed for a long time, but prices are quite high,’ he told reporters.

As of Friday, the farm sector incurred P2.93 billion in losses, according to the DA’s latest bulletin on the southwest monsoon (‘habagat’) and tropical cyclones Mirasol, Nando and Opong.

The weather disturbances damaged 213,164 MT of agricultural produce in 84,267 hectares of land, mostly rice and high-value crops.

Per the DA’s price monitoring of Metro Manila markets, carrot retailed from P200 to P300 per kg as of Sept. 30, higher than last year’s P80-P160 per kg.

Sen. Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian said on Saturday that he believes Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III’s leadership is ‘very stable.’

This came following Sen. JV Ejercito’s recent remark that he, along with four other senators, planned to leave the majority bloc after several former and incumbent senators were tagged as being involved in anomalous flood control projects being investigated by the Senate blue ribbon committee ‘First of all, I see that Senator Sotto’s leadership is stable,’ Gatchalian, speaking in Filipino, said in a radio interview over DWIZ’s ‘Usapang Senado’ on Saturday.

‘In fact, it was from him that this suggestion came, ‘Oh, let’s just amend on the floor to be transparent,” he noted.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, likewise mentioned that they have already agreed not to implement the Certificate of Urgency on the government’s budget.

‘If you remember, second and third readings, only one day, no time to review. Nothing like that anymore. So when we approve on second reading, we will give the senators three days to review one final time before approving the third reading. So Senator Sotto agreed to that suggestion, our President agreed. So that is also a reform to make budget deliberation more transparent,’ the senator explained. ‘For me, the leadership of the Senate [President] is very stable.,’ he reiterated.

When asked if Ejercito or other senators talked to him about the plan of leaving the Senate majority, Gatchalian refused to comment. Will stay with Sotto’s leadership

When asked if he will be staying in the majority, Gatchalian said, ‘Yes, definitely. Will stay with Sen. Sotto.’

Gatchalian affirmed that he talked with Ejercito but refused to give details on what they discussed, saying that he is currently concentrated on the 2026 national budget deliberation and assisting victims of the Cebu quake and the recent cyclone.

‘We talked, but I’m not going to talk about what we talked about or what my feelings are. For me, it’s important that this 2026 budget is done properly, and what’s important to me is how to help those who were hit by the earthquake and cyclone,’ he said.

Soldiers of the 63rd Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army turned over a wounded Philippine hawk-eagle to environment officials on Thursday, after it was found in the upland village of Benowangan, Borongan City in Eastern Samar.

The raptor was discovered by a farmer in his farmland, who immediately sought the assistance of troops from the battalion’s Alpha Company stationed in the area, the 63rd IB said in a statement.

The soldiers then coordinated with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Borongan City to facilitate the eagle’s medical treatment and rehabilitation.

The 63rd IB expressed gratitude to the concerned resident for his vigilance and quick action, saying the incident highlights the importance of cooperation between citizens and government institutions in protecting endangered species.

Shared responsibility

The Philippine hawk-eagle is now under the care of Cenro. However, no information was released on how the bird sustained its injuries.

Military officials noted that the turnover also underscores a shared responsibility to safeguard the environment and preserve the country’s natural heritage.

The Philippine hawk-eagle (Nisaetus philippensis), locally known as ‘banog,’ is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Native to tropical moist lowland forests, its population has been declining due to deforestation, hunting and illegal trapping.

Like the Philippine eagle, the hawk-eagle plays a crucial role as a top predator in forest ecosystems, helping maintain ecological balance by controlling prey populations.

Conservation groups stress that protecting these raptors is essential to sustaining the biodiversity of the country’s forests

Stephen Holt’s chase for a PBA championship continues in his third year in the league and second with Barangay Ginebra, which starts its life minus Jamie Malonzo.

Holt is expected to pick up some of the slack left by Malonzo, who moved to Japan to play for B.League club Kyoto Hannaryz, as the Gin Kings aim to be on the winning side this time after falling short twice in the Finals last season.

‘Jamie’s been a great player for us and we’re gonna miss him,’ Holt said ahead of Ginebra’s season-opening clash with sibling rival Magnolia on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. ‘But at the end of the day, our culture at Ginebra is ‘Next Man Up.’

‘Other guys will have the opportunity to step up and I’m excited with the group that we have. We’ve been working so hard in preseason and we wanted to build upon last season and hopefully win a championship.’

The arrival of rookie Sonny Estil and veteran Norbert Torres could also help alleviate Malonzo’s departure, while RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson are also expected to lead the charge once more for coach Tim Cone.

Also expected to do more is Holt, who posted 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 70 games for the Gin Kings. It was his first season with the title favorites following his Rookie of the Year campaign with the Terrafirma Dyip.

With Holt, Ginebra made it to the Finals of the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, only to fall short on both occasions to TNT. The Gin Kings were later sent off by the eventual champion San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Cup semifinals.

They hope to write a different story this season.

‘You want to put yourself in a position to win a championship, and we did that last season,’ Holt said. ‘For us, it’s all about fighting through adversity and continuing that resiliency and fight so there’s a lot of room for us to grow.’

The delegates of the 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant did not just stop at packing relief goods in their effort to help those affected by the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that rocked the province on Sept. 30.

After volunteering to help pack goods at the Cebu Province Warehouse for two consecutive days, the ladies went to three towns in the northernmost tip of the island to deliver not just aid, but to provide cheer to the people.

Loaded in two buses, and accompanied by trucks carrying relief goods, including water and uncooked rice, 32 of the 43 delegates to this year’s competition rolled out their mission to Daanbantayan, Medellin, and San Remigio.

Miss Asia Pacific International Executive Director Jacqueline Tan-Sainz told Inquirer Entertainment in an interview at the covered court of Barangay Poblacion in San Remigio that the three towns were strategically chosen.

‘We did a research, and Bogo is really popular in terms of media, in places hit by the earthquake. But all the northern parts of Cebu were hit equally. So these are the areas not reached by help, so we really prioritized these areas,’ she explained.

At the chapel of a small community in Daanbantayan where several families are taking shelter after the earthquake, the ladies met a large group of residents.

There, they played with the children, comforted their parents and grandparents, and handed out aid. Little boys and girls flashed huge smiles as they approached the delegates for hugs.

The ladies then proceeded to the municipal hall of Medellin to deliver a truckload of goods, which still included gallons of potable water and sacks of uncooked rice.

In San Remigio, they personally handed out bags of relief goods and gallon-bottles of drinking water to the residents, most of whom still do not have access to potable water.

Belgian beauty Selena Ali, second runner-up in last year’s competition, joined the ladies, and offered assistance to her compatriot Jana Janssens, who was in crutches after sustaining a minor injury during a commotion when the earthquake struck.

‘I believe it’s the right thing to do, to start giving to the people back and helping. Pageants are not about only beauty and about competing on stage. But it is about our hearts, and showing that we care about people. So it’s great that we can do this instead of our normal activities. And it feels amazing to be helping all of the victims of the earthquake,’ she told Inquirer Entertainment.

Ali said she became emotional when she saw the devastation caused by the earthquake on the houses and other structures, and the people on the streets begging for food and water.

‘It’s something that we only see in movies. And normally I don’t go through this myself. It’s heartbreaking to know that people lost their homes. But still that’s something the Filipino mindset is all about. The people are still smiling when they see us. And it’s so amazing that there’s so much love even in these hard times,’ she shared.

The Miss Asia Pacific International organizers opted to ditch all the planned activities prior to the final competition, and realigned the pageant to serve as a vehicle for relief missions.

The earthquake halted the pageant’s benefit gala night on Sept. 30 just as the ceremonies were about to close. It happened on the delegates’ first day in the province. The coronation night will still push through at the Cebu Coliseum on Oct. 8. /ra

The construction firm cofounded by resigned Ako Bicol party list Rep. Elizaldy Co and another owned by the Discaya couple are among the companies included in complaints related to bid rigging and manipulation that were referred by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the government’s antitrust body for the possible filing of cases.

In its referral to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), the DPWH claimed that St. Timothy Construction Corp., Wawao Builders, IM Construction Corp., SYMS Construction Trading, and officials and employees of the DPWH in Bulacan, as well as Sunwest Inc. and officials and employees of the DPWH regional office in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) may have violated the Philippine Competition Act (Republic Act No. 10667), which was signed into law in 2015.

The PCC was created in January 2016 to implement the national policy of prohibiting anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominant position and anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions.

As the antitrust authority of the country, the PCC is mandated to conduct inquiry, investigate, and hear and decide on cases involving violations of the PCA, its implementing rules, and other competition laws.

Investigations on possible violations of the PCA can be triggered by a verified complaint, motu proprio or PCC’s own initiative to look into a case, or a referral by a concerned regulatory agency.

Top contractors

Co is a cofounder of Sunwest while St. Timothy is owned by the family of contractors Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya. These companies were among the top 15 construction firms that bagged the most number of flood control projects from the government from 2022 to 2025.

‘The referrals include inspection reports, bid documents, and other relevant documents that may support the PCC Competition Enforcement Office’s (CEO) ongoing preliminary inquiry into possible bid-rigging and collusion among contractors,’ the PCC said in a statement on Friday.

The DPWH said officials and employees of the agency’s Mimaropa office were also allegedly involved in the case since ‘despite irregularities surrounding flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, regional officials failed to act and, instead, continued the projects awarded to Sunwest, Inc.’

This was on top of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (IFI) move, asking the Office of the Ombudsman to study the filing of graft complaints against Co and 17 others, including DPWH officials and Sunwest, over an allegedly substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro worth P289.5 million.

Co, the former chair of the House appropriations committee in the 19th Congress from 2022 to 2025, was accused of getting billions of pesos in kickbacks by contractors and DPWH officials who testified in congressional inquiries into flood control projects. Co had repeatedly denied these allegations.

In a separate complaint, the DPWH cited Wawao, IM Construction, SYMS, St. Timothy and officials and employees of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office over alleged irregularities in the procurement of several flood control projects in the province unearthed during congressional hearings.

According to the agency, preliminary evidence, including the admissions of Curlee Discaya and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo before the Senate blue ribbon committee, ‘also suggests collusion among the involved contractors and officials’ which violates the Section 14, Chapter III of the PCA which prohibits certain anticompetitive agreements between competitors.

Fines

Christian Loren de los Santos, director of the PCC CEO, said they were gathering evidence, such as bid submissions and possible communication exchanges, to determine whether government officials and employees and the contractors violated the law.

‘The referrals follow testimonies presented during recent congressional hearings on the flood control controversies, which may likewise be used as evidence in the PCC’s investigation,’ the commission said.

Under RA 10667, entities that are found guilty of engaging in anticompetitive agreements such as bid-rigging may face administrative fines that vary based on the number of offenses committed.

A fine of up to P100 million may be imposed on the first offense. For the second offense, the fine ranges from P110 million to P275 million.

For the third and subsequent offenses, the fine increases to a range of P165 million to P275 million.

Entities that enter into any anticompetitive agreement may face imprisonment of two to seven years and pay a fine of not less than P50 million but not more than P250 million.

‘When the entities involved are juridical persons, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on its officers, directors, or employees holding managerial positions, who are knowingly and willfully responsible for such violation,’ the law states.

According to the PCC, individuals or entities involved in cartel conduct, including bid-rigging, price fixing, market allocation or output restriction, may apply for its leniency program.

Through this initiative, the antitrust body offers immunity from suit or a reduction of administrative fines for voluntarily disclosing their participation in anticompetitive agreements and cooperate fully with its investigation. Full immunity, however, is granted to only one applicant per violation.

Prominent cases

PCC has handled some prominent cases in the past.

It was involved in the review of PLDT and Globe Telecom’s joint acquisition of San Miguel Corp.’s telco unit in 2016 for almost P70 billion.

However in July 2016, PLDT and Globe sued the antitrust body for launching a review and sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the PCC’s investigation. The TRO was issued on Aug. 26, 2016. In February 2017, the Court of Appeals issued a rare gag order against PCC at the request of PLDT.

In May 2017, PLDT and Globe Telecom completed their acquisition of SMC’s telco assets, making their final joint payment to SMC while defying the competition watchdog’s request to hold off until the courts make a final ruling.

In August 2019, the PCC signed a memorandum of agreement with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to collaborate on investigations that involve power sector players.

The PCC was reportedly assessing whether power plant outages were valid ‘unplanned breakdowns’ that inevitably affected supply conditions or were actually ‘manipulated’ in order to raise electricity prices.

It earlier said it would look into allegations of possible collusion or abuse of dominance of certain power generators following ‘simultaneous shutdowns that may have caused an artificial supply shortage and consequently a hike in electricity prices.’

In September 2024, the PCC CEO charged a group of vegetable traders for entering into anticompetitive agreements for the supply of imported onions in the Philippines.

As the PCC’s investigative and prosecutorial arm, the CEO claimed that these vegetable traders, despite being competitors, conspired to manipulate the onion market in the Philippines from 2019 to 2023. The traders, who imported onions from China, the Netherlands, and India, allegedly worked together to control prices and limit competition. -WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH

US-based outsourcing company TaskUs Inc. has unveiled its 11th site in Las Piñas City, as it further expands its presence in the Philippines.

TaskUs said it is targeting to increase the number of ‘teammates’ or employees at its Las Piñas office to 1,500 from the current 700 by the end of this year.

The latest site is called Hiraya, named after the Filipino term for the fulfilment of hopes and dreams. It will support global customers through expertise across multiple work types, including customer service, sales, technical support, non-voice operations and content moderation.

The American firm chose Las Piñas as the location of its new site since 80 percent of workers reside in the city or its immediate vicinity. Another reason is the city’s accessibility to major highways and thoroughfares.

‘Plus, with 14 colleges and universities nearby, our investment here will provide employment opportunities to a highly educated talent pool,’ said Dean Van Ormer, senior vice president for Southeast Asia at TaskUs.

The Las Piñas site features purpose-built spaces such as a day care center, mother’s rooms, 24/7 clinic access, wellness coaching areas, a gym and a cafeteria.

Ormer said TaskUs has potential to expand its footprint in the metropolis. But he did not provide additional details about expansion plans as these are being studied.

‘I think we do have the ability to grow in the metro,’ Ormer said. ‘Now, whether it’s on the outskirts of the metro or in the provincial (areas), this is something we need to be able to look at.’ /rwd

Anti-drug operatives recovered 905 packs of ‘high-purity’ crystal meth (shabu) valued at P6.8 billion during a raid on a private property in Labrador, Pangasinan on Friday night, October 3.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Isagani Nerez told reporters that the packs had already been loaded into two vehicles, apparently bound for Metro Manila, when these were seized by PDEA agents.

‘If one pack weighs a kilo, then the total is more than one ton,’ Nerez said in an interview uploaded on social media by the Philippine News Agency.

He noted that the supply of shabu in Metro Manila has been dwindling because of its soaring price.

Authorities did not find anyone inside the property, which was being used as a warehouse but contained no illegal drug laboratory Labrador Mayor Noel Uson said the property was purchased only two months ago, but he had no information about the buyer or the previous owner.

The raid was carried out under a search warrant issued by Judge Vincent Lamug of Regional Trial Court Branch 70 in Burgos town. Nerez credited Police Regional Office Ilocos Region director Brig. Gen. Dindo Reyes and Pangasinan Provincial Police director Col. Arbel Mercullo with securing the warrant.

According to Nerez, the raid was linked to a buy-bust operation conducted Thursday along the highway in Labrador, where authorities seized 125 packs of shabu hidden inside a van.

Two high-value targets were arrested in that operation: alias ‘Monkey,’ 40, a Chinese national residing in Paliparan 3, Cavite City; and alias ‘Gardo,’ 54, of Mampang, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur.

Nerez also disclosed that the 1.4 tons of shabu worth P10 billion intercepted in Zambales last June were bound for Pangasinan, suggesting that the suspects had a local contact in the province.

That same month, billions of pesos worth of shabu were also recovered floating off the coastal towns of western Pangasinan. /das