Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The police in Luzon and the Visayas will remain on alert for rescue operations in the wake of Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-wong), the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.

Uwan whipped many parts of Luzon over the weekend, leaving at least two individuals dead, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

‘All PNP field units in the entire Luzon and Visayas will remain on alert to ensure that evacuation and rescue operations are conducted safely and efficiently,’ acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.

‘One of the main priorities right now. is the road clearing operations in order to ensure the smooth movement of relief goods and equipment in areas severely affected by the weather disturbance,’ he added.

Nartatez said that at least 25,878 police officers were deployed across the country to help in efforts to respond to the typhoon’s onslaught, including around 2,100 officeral to secure evacuation centers.

Nartatez added that an additional 13,190 Reactionary Standby Support Force personnel and 1,219 police vehicles and equipment were ready to be deployed.

Uwan was last spotted 125 kilometers (km) west-northwest of Bacnotan, La Union at 7 a.m. on Monday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) latest update.

The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 150 km per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 185 kph while moving west-northwest at 20 kph.

In the devastating aftermath of Typhoon ‘Tino,’ at least 204 people have been confirmed dead, while over a hundred more are still missing. One of the most heartbreaking stories was that of a six-month-old girl swept away by the flash flood. The image of her lifeless body has since gone viral with a clarion call to hold public officials accountable for flood control projects that never materialized. ‘This is how corruption kills. Remember her name,’ read the posts urging people to vote wisely next time.

But when I visited the Facebook page of the baby’s aunt, I found a different story. Amid several grieving posts were photos from the funeral. Beside the tiny white coffin were two enormous floral wreaths wrapped with a ribbon sash bearing the names of two of the country’s top-ranking government officials. In the caption, the aunt thanked everyone who donated money for her niece’s funeral, ‘especially to all the politicians.’

This is the quiet power of padrino politics. For many families like theirs, political concerns do not necessarily center on good governance issues. Online, people are angry, and use pictures of typhoon victims to demand justice and reform. But for many families on the ground, it is about who shows up for them in moments of death and dire need. And in the next elections, it will most likely be this gesture of kindness that the family will remember, rather than the online posts claiming that the country deserves better.

Politicians understand this dynamic all too well. In moments of crisis, compassion often becomes a campaigning tool to secure voter support and consolidate power. A friend from Cebu shared how one official prioritized handing out relief goods stamped with their face rather than clearing the roads, leaving certain areas impassable for days and littered with animal carcasses. Rather than treating basic assistance as part of their duty, many politicians use it as an opportunity to foster a sense of indebtedness among their constituents through utang na loob. In turn, beneficiaries feel morally obliged to support the politician who helped them, thereby strengthening loyalty and political alliances. The very people who were failed by the system are the ones who end up sustaining it.

Unfortunately, there are those who, amid the tragedy, chose to respond with moral superiority, declaring that the poor got what they deserve for electing the wrong leaders and faulting them for their supposed shortsightedness and lack of discernment. But in a country where one’s ability to overcome urgent situations is contingent on whose ‘kindness’ one can count on, the sustained reliance on a padrino is in fact a rational and pragmatic survival strategy.

The problem is not that the ordinary voter can’t think long-term; it’s that they feel they have no reliable alternative but to rely on the immediate material security that a padrino provides. So long as the state cannot provide reliable social safety nets such as universal health care, efficient disaster response, and accessible justice systems, patronage networks will always inevitably fill those gaps. An informal economy of favors and loyalty will persist, enabling an easily corruptible and distorted substitute for genuine governance. The question now is, if the current system serves the incumbent, what would be the motivation for them to change?

History shows that even the most entrenched systems eventually bend under pressure. Patronage politics cannot be dismantled overnight, but cracks begin to emerge when the risks of maintaining the system outweigh the political gains. For instance, when corruption and systemic neglect lead to widespread suffering-as we often see in the aftermath of natural disasters-incumbents are forced into action. Faced with growing dissent and eroding legitimacy, some are compelled to introduce reforms, not necessarily out of virtue or newfound moral conscience, but as a calculated move for continued political survival. In recent months, we have seen how powerful public anger can be in forcing government officials to pay attention. Rather than dissipating our focus by blaming the voters, civil society and media must continue to track every unbuilt flood control project and shady construction contract, to demand accountability and justice, and prevent the news cycle from simply moving on.

In the same way, rather than faulting people for accepting aid and money from politicians, our collective anger should be directed at exposing the illusion of generosity embedded in political patronage and the exploitative cycle it sustains. True public service prevents suffering; it does not merely offer superficial consolation after the fact. A six-month-old’s death should not be a prop in anyone’s political campaign. We cannot allow ourselves to remain a nation where the same corrupt hands that failed to protect us are the first ones we thank when we bury our dead.

Robinsons Land Corp.’s profit in the first nine months inched up by 2 percent to P10.17 billion on the steady growth of its investment properties.

Excluding its one-time gain from the reclassification of its GoTyme investment last year, attributable net income climbed 10 percent year-on-year.

For the third quarter alone, net income went up by 19.5 percent to P3.30 billion from P2.76 billion.

The group’s consolidated revenues in the January to September period generated P35.61 billion, up 13 percent from last year’s P31.42 billion.

Its investment portfolio-composed of malls, offices, hotels, and warehouse segments-also grew by 9 percent.

‘Our performance this quarter underscores the strength and resilience of our core businesses. Despite a more competitive environment and strategic reinvestments, we sustained healthy profitability and expanded our revenue base,’ RLC president and chief executive officer Mybelle Aragon-GoBio.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is establishing an office within the agency to ensure the timely and efficient completion of a P27.7-billion program to build bridges for farms.

The DA issued Department Order No. 20, creating the project management office (PMO) for its Farm-to-Market Bridges Development Program (FMBDP). This is aimed at significantly improving rural infrastructure and agricultural logistics.

The project is financed through official development assistanc from the French government. Of the total amount, P22.15 billion will come from the French government, and the remaining P5.54 billion from the Philippine government.

The Economy and Development Council, chaired by President Marcos, approved the FMBDP early this year. It entails the construction of 300 modular steel panel bridges strategically located across 52 provinces across 15 regions in the country.

The initiative will be implemented in areas with high agricultural potential but limited road access. It is intended to enhance connectivity along farm-to-market roads and link farming communities to economic centers.

Based on the DA order, the PMO will ensure focused leadership, strategic coordination, efficient resource allocation and the FMBDP’s successful implementation.

To achieve this objective, the PMO will oversee the effective and efficient completion of the FMBDP. INQ

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order (EO) No. 105, which will adopt a flexible tariff rate on rice imports next year, ranging from 15 percent to 35 percent, depending on the world market prices of the food staple.

Signed on Nov. 7 and released by Malacañang on Sunday, EO 105 creates the Inter-Agency Group on Rice Tariff Adjustment (IAGRTA) to formulate the guidelines on the increase or decrease in the tariffs imposed on imported rice.

Along with Marcos’ previous EO 102, which extends the suspension on the importation of regular- and well-milled rice until the end of 2025, the flexible tariff scheme is seen to ensure stable palay prices to benefit farmers and retail costs for consumers, as well as allow enough buffer stock until the next harvest season.

The new policy, which takes effect in January 2026, was recommended by the administration’s tariff and related matters committee and approved on Nov. 4 by the Economic and Development Council, formerly known as the National Economic and Development Authority Board, which the President chairs.

Welfare of farmers, consumers

The government expects the flexible tariff policy to function as an automatic stabilizing mechanism for the rice sector.

When world market prices of rice are high, the tariff will be set at a lower rate close to 15 percent to encourage more imports to help keep domestic supply stable and thus temper local retail prices.

The tariff will be set at a higher rate, closer to 35 percent, when world market prices are low to discourage cheap imports that could flood the market and depress the farm-gate prices received by local farmers.

The government hopes the policy will strike a balance between consumer welfare and farmer protection.

Guidelines

Under EO 105, the current 15-percent import duty on rice will be maintained until Dec. 31.

But starting on Jan. 1, 2026, the tariff for imported rice will be increased by 5 percentage points for every 5-percent decrease in international rice prices, or lowered by 5 percentage points for every 5-percent jump in world rice prices.

The tariff imposed on imported rice will in no case drop below 15 percent or rise above 35 percent.

IAGRTA will formulate the guidelines, such as the determination of thresholds, certification that such thresholds or trigger price levels have been reached, a monitoring period, and other relevant details regarding the import duty on rice.

The group will be composed of representatives from the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Finance, and the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs.

EO 105 amends EO 62, issued by Marcos in June 2024, which slashed rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent until 2028 to help tame rice retail prices and slow food inflation.

Under the previous EO, tariffs on imported rice were subject to a review every four months.

The DA’s technical working group has until Dec. 15 to determine ‘the right tariff’ to be implemented by Jan. 1, 2026, when rice imports resume.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will be studying sanctions against local officials who traveled abroad despite a ban on foreign trips amid Typhoons Tino and Uwan (international names: Kalmaegi and Fung-wong).

Around 20 local officials were out of the country despite the cancellation of leaves from around 40 of them as the successive cyclones battered parts of the nation, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla in an interview on ANC’s Headstart on Monday.

‘I called for a meeting with my undersecretaries in local government and external, legal, and legislative affairs now to study the implications of all these matters because many local government officials were not here now that they have been barred from leaving,’ he said in Filipino.

The DILG chief did not immediately name the local officials who left the country.

Isabela governor

However, Remulla was asked about Isabela Gov. Rodolfo Albano III, who recently caught flak from social media users after he told residents to ‘chill’ in a radio interview ahead of Uwan’s landfall.

According to the DILG chief, he last spoke with Albano last Saturday, saying the Isabela governor was in Germany for an annual agricultural trade fair and that he promised to get the first available flight home.

‘We have sanctioning powers for him. We can recommend disciplinary measures,’ Remulla said in Filipino.

The DILG Cagayan Valley previously said Albano’s official travel leave had been filed and approved weeks before Uwan’s onset.

However, last Saturday, the department’s central office ordered all elective and appointive local officials to suspend their foreign travels from Nov. 9 to 15.

The DILG cited the Local Government Code and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, which both task local chief executives to be ‘physically present during all phases of disaster management.’

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday warned social media users to be cautious of photos and videos circulating online that supposedly show the effects of Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-wong)

‘Be discerning, as some of these are deepfake videos that may cause fear or anxiety among our fellow citizens,’ Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.

Deepfakes are digitally manipulated clips designed to appear authentic.

‘Not everything you see online is true, so we must exercise double caution. Sharing misinformation or fake news on social media can also be dealt with in accordance with the law,’ he added.

Uwan whipped many parts of Luzon over the weekend, leaving at least two individuals dead, the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) situational report said.

The typhoon was last spotted 135 kilometers (km) west-northwest of Bacnotan, La Union at 10 a.m., according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Uwan was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 130 km per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 160 kph while moving west-northwest at 20 kph. -AARYANNA ARAGO, INQUIRER.NET INTERN

Every great revolution reshaped human life and the laws that protect it. The agricultural age gave us laws on land and food; the industrial age, on commerce and labor; the information age, on computers, data, and behavior. Now, with the dawn of the age of artificial intelligence (AI), technology no longer merely assists us; it begins to think, decide, and act. This evolution demands that our legal system transform with equal speed and clarity.

LAST MONTH MARKED THE THIRD YEAR of the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI)-a five-year blueprint to render our judiciary more efficient, accessible, and responsive. While its timeline extends beyond the term of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, it lays a foundation that future jurists must not only preserve but also strengthen.

I expect more legal research, transactions, and even hearings to be conducted electronically in real time, extending beyond the traditional halls of justice-a transformation that has not happened from my law school days to the bench. But the SPJI does more than modernize processes. It challenges the justice sector to embrace AI responsibly, with wisdom and foresight. The greater task lies not just in innovating but in monitoring its ethical, social, and political implications.

In 2003, I wrote the book ‘The Bio-Age Dawns on the Judiciary,’ urging our courts to bridge science and jurisprudence. Since then, knowledge has expanded from the genetic codes of the biosciences to the intricate algorithms of computers. The dialogue between law and science has grown ever more complex and has never been more indispensable.

The SPJI is not only timely; it is profoundly relevant. It speaks to (1) the private sector, which transforms business models through AI and technology; (2) the public sector, which must empower IT experts to strengthen governance; and (3) the judiciary itself, whose mission remains to deliver fair, speedy, and accessible justice. Emphasis on speedy.

THE DIGITAL SPACE IS EXPANDING at an accelerated pace. Not long ago, a deadly virus confined us to our homes and ushered in a realm that was unfamiliar yet quickly comprehensible. There, we learned to access our needs, to connect, to express ourselves. Businesses, too, evolved not just to endure but to reach people on screens in real time.

Clearly, the same innovation that empowers us also exposes us to new risks. In this marketplace, trust has become the most valuable currency. Every action leaves a trace in an ocean of data-one that, when analyzed, can either assure security or invite harm. Even telesurgery, made possible by AI, 5G, and robotics, demonstrates how innovation can save lives across borders, while also raising new inquiries of liability and ethics.

As data breaches and cybercrimes rise, progress must be matched with protection. The Data Privacy Act (Republic Act No. 10173) and the Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175) stand as twin guardians of our digital domain. Yet, the Intellectual Property Code (RA 8293) confronts new challenges as AI blurs the boundaries between human and machine creativity. The future of our digital society depends not only on innovation but also on the integrity that sustains it.

BEHIND EVERY DIGITAL SYSTEM must stand a skilled and trusted workforce. Recently, President Marcos approved RA 12254, the E-Governance Act, defining e-governance as the use of ICT ‘to provide public services in a more friendly, convenient, affordable, efficient, and transparent manner.’ The Senate has held hearings on blockchain use in government budgeting and procurement, moves that may further ensure transparency and accountability.

Innovation alone cannot reform governance; any more than elections alone can ensure democracy. Success rests on the people who implement it. During the pandemic, we honored doctors and nurses as frontliners. Today, digital platforms demand a new generation of frontliners-our IT experts. Like nurses, many IT professionals seek opportunities abroad or in the private sector. Projections from Aon Consulting suggest that by next year, one in five skilled Filipinos may change employers, with the IT sector bearing the heaviest losses.

I commend the Supreme Court and its partners for the CALESA Digital project and its ongoing work to craft an AI Governance Framework to guide AI adoption in courts, while preserving judicial integrity. I hope this, too, offers essential precautions against inaccuracies in legal documents and fake case-law citations, and reminds the public to exercise critical judgment when using these technologies.

Nonetheless, we must move forward with creativity and vigilance. AI is transforming the world faster than the law can catch up. Our response must be governance-led, ethically grounded, and people-centric. In this era, people deserve a judiciary that is not merely efficient in its systems but steadfast in its principles and values-ready to safeguard liberty and nurture prosperity in an ever-expanding digital space.

Manila Electric Co., the country’s largest private electric distribution utility company, already has its hands full with its franchise area that covers 39 cities and 72 municipalities.

But looks like it will have to get ready to take on more responsibility as the Batangas Forum for Good Governance and Development Association Inc. has strongly backed the proposed joint venture between the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led company and Batangas II Electric Cooperative (BATELEC II).

BATELEC distributes electricity in the cities of Lipa and Tanauan, and 15 municipalities, namely: Alitagtag, Balete, Cuenca, Laurel, Lobo, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, Mabini, Padre Garcia, Rosario, San Jose, San Juan, Talisay, Taysan and Tingloy.

The Batangas Forum formalized the group’s full endorsement of the joint venture through a resolution dated Oct. 29 and signed by its chair, president, vice president and board of trustees.

Composed of business and civic leaders, professionals and Batangas residents, the group has been flagging frequent power problems that disrupt business operations and stifle growth in the province, thus their recommendation for the joint venture to push through.

Citing Meralco’s financial and operational track record, the group believes that the distribution utility can bring in the systems, investments and operational discipline needed to deliver more dependable service to local enterprises and communities-as it has done in Batangas City, Sto. Tomas City and San Pascual. -Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Scourge of ‘patong’ practice

As public confidence in the government dwindles, so does the trust of businesses in the country’s state agencies.

In a survey conducted by behavioral science and data firm BS Works covering 149 senior management executives from micro to large companies, business leaders expressed ‘moderate dissatisfaction’ with transacting with national government agencies.

Interestingly, businesses are more satisfied with their experience in doing business with local government units.

Cities and municipalities received a ‘moderate satisfaction’ rating, with business hubs Quezon City, Makati and Taguig leading them.

For the business executives, the Department of Trade and Industry is the easiest agency to transact with, while the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is the most difficult.

BS Works CEO Cliff Eala said concerns with the BIR primarily stem from perceptions of corruption.

‘I’m not saying everyone in BIR is corrupt. But the perception is that if I’m going to the BIR, I have to be ready for corrupt people,’ Eala said. ‘Fixing that is a different problem altogether.’

The study measured satisfaction across five key areas: respondent’s positive experience with the agency, expenses or fees, clarity of requirements, turnaround time, and efficiency of online tools.

Astonishingly, business leaders reported being most satisfied with the amount of fees that the agencies collect. What’s frustrating for them is the under-the-table payment that some officials ask for to expedite the process.

‘The fees seemed to be okay; it’s what’s made patong (grease payments) on top of the fees that’s an issue,’ he said.

As corruption scandals continue to plague certain government agencies, this study shows that business leaders are not turning a blind eye. -Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta INQ

Caution continued to grip investors on Monday amid disappointing government data, with the index plunging to its weakest finish since August 2020.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index extended its losses by 1 percent, or 56.73 points, to close at 5,702.64.

The broader All Shares Index also dropped by 0.46 percent, or 16.14 points, to 3,498.43.

Only the mining and oil sectors posted gains on the first trading day this week. Financials and services, on the other hand, booked the biggest losses.

The local bourse showed faint signals of recovery in the early morning, but subsequently failed to keep the momentum, according to First Metro Securities.

‘The overall tone bucked the upward trajectory seen in most regional peers as investors largely stayed on the sidelines awaiting fresh macro cues,’ it added.

Persistent concerns

Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp., also said ‘investors remain cautious about entering the market as concerns over macroeconomic conditions persist.’

Last Friday, government data showed that the Philippine economy expanded by just 4 percent in the July to September period, its slowest pace in four years.

On Monday, the central bank reported that foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Philippines had recorded its sharpest drop in six months in August. FDI into the country declined by 40.5 percent to $494 million from $830 million a year ago.

‘In addition, more firms are releasing their earnings, contributing to the overall mixed sentiment in the market,’ Limlingan added.

Meanwhile, the market closed with 85 gainers, 100 decliners, and 56 remained unchanged.