Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Severe Tropical Storm Paolo is forecast to dump more than 200 millimeters (mm) of rain in La Union and Benguet starting this Friday up to Saturday afternoon, according to the state weather bureau.

In its 5 p.m. heavy rainfall outlook, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the downpour that La Union and Benguet may experience would be intense to torrential rains.

The two provinces are among the seven Luzon areas placed under Signal No. 3, based on Pagasa’s 5 p.m. separate bulletin.

Meanwhile, heavy to intense rains, with 100 to 200 mm of rainfall, are expected over the following areas, which may also persist from this Friday until Saturday noon:

Ilocos Sur

Pangasinan

Mountain Province

Ifugao

Nueva Vizcaya

Zambales

Bataan

Moderate to heavy rains, which bring 50 to 100 mm of rainfall, are expected to persist in the following areas:

Ilocos Norte

Abra

Apayao

Kalinga

Cagayan

Isabela

Nueva Ecija

Tarlac

Quirino

Aurora

Paolo was last located over the coastal waters of Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur, packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 110 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of 165 km/h.

Thirty years ago, 186 countries met in Copenhagen for the first Social Summit for Social Development. The gathering was the largest meeting of world leaders ever held at the time. By the end of the summit, their agenda was clear: the challenges faced by our societies are global and so are the solutions.

In response, governments vowed to put people at the center of global development. They recognized that social justice must be the foundation for economic progress if progress is to be sustainable. This means ensuring that people, regardless of gender, nationality, background, or place of birth, have the right to live in dignity with equal opportunities to work, thrive, and succeed. Societies built on fairness work better, trust more, and grow stronger.

The consensus of the summit became the cornerstone of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2015, the SDGs have been the blueprint for achieving a socially just, peaceful, and sustainable world. The deadline for their realization was set for 2030.

Since that first summit, our world has changed, in many ways for the better. A new International Labor Organization (ILO) report, The State of Social Justice, shows that extreme poverty is down from 39 percent to 10 percent of the global population. Child labor for under-14-year-olds has been cut in half, and, for the first time in history, more than half of the world has some form of social protection, such as a pension or unemployment insurance.

But despite decades of efforts, the report makes clear that major disparities remain. A person’s place of birth still determines more than half of their lifetime earnings. Globally, over 800 million people survive on less than $3 a day. That is why achieving the 2030 SDG targets is in jeopardy. For example, for SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, we are lagging well behind, having met only two-thirds, or 66 percent of the indicators.

If we wish to improve living conditions for everyone and achieve social justice, accelerating the SDGs is crucial. Decent work is a key thread that helps tie the SDGs together, because decent work is more than making a living: it is a barometer of how well we are doing in society as a whole, including health, education, equality, and responsible consumption and production. When work is productive, paid fairly, safe, equitable, inclusive, freely chosen, and with rights, we have social justice.

But decent work does not just ‘happen.’ History shows that without strong institutions, productivity gains do not translate into better lives. Institutions strengthen basic human rights, such as the rights to education and to a healthy environment, and ensure equal opportunities, fair distribution, and a voice for both workers and employers. Social dialogue is the most effective way to balance the interests of workers and employers and help make growth equitable.

Right now, our institutions are being tested. Three massive transitions are reshaping the world of work everywhere: the impact of a hotter planet and the move to a greener economy, the digital revolution and demographic change. These transformations are creating new jobs and destroying old ones. They have the potential to bring fresh opportunities, but they also risk deepening existing divides. How these changes will play out depends largely on the choices that societies make today.

In November 2025, the second World Social Summit will be held in Doha. This global gathering will once again bring together government representatives, workers, employers, and civil society, three and a half decades after the first summit. It represents a critical moment to turn past pledges into real change.

We must reaffirm the promise made in Copenhagen: that social justice and inclusive economic development are everyone’s business and in everyone’s interest. But above all, we must take decisive action. The ILO-led Global Coalition for Social Justice offers a platform to help move us in the right direction. Already, it brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and other partners to accelerate action and cooperation toward achieving social justice and decent work for all.

If we succeed, we can help ensure that economic productivity and social progress are linked. Because in the end, social justice is not an impossible ideal. It is the only route forward to a sustainable future for all of us.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has secured a fourth freeze order under the ongoing flood control probe.

This brings the total value of immobilized assets to over P4 billion.

The latest directive put the total number of frozen assets to 1,889.

This includes 1,620 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 163 motor vehicles, 40 real properties and 12 e-wallet accounts.

‘These freezes are real actions that stop corruption,’ said AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David. ‘Every peso frozen is a peso that cannot be used to sustain corruption.’ /rwd

Several flights were canceled on Friday, October 3, due to the severe weather caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paolo, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) reported.

In its advisory to reporters, Caap said the following flights had been canceled as of 7:30 a.m. on Friday:

Cebu Pacific Air

5J 504 – Manila – Tuguegarao (153 passengers affected)

5J 505 – Tuguegarao – Manila (100 affected passengers)

5J 506 – Manila – Tuguegarao (106 affected passengers)

5J 507 – Tuguegarao – Manila (101 affected passengers)

5J 508 – Manila – Tuguegarao (88 affected passengers)

5J 509 – Tuguegarao – Manila (96 affected passengers)

5J 196 – Manila – Cauayan (120 affected passengers)

5J 197 – Cauayan – Manila (122 affected passengers)

Philippine Airlines

PR 2014 – Manila – Tuguegarao (117 affected passengers)

PR 2015 – Tuguegarao – Manila (119 affected passengers)

PR 2018 – Manila – Cauayan (75 affected passengers)

PR 2019 – Cauayan – Manila (86 affected passengers)

PR 2196 – Manila – Laoag (115 affected passengers)

PR 2197 – Laoag – Manila (116 affected passengers)

PR 2198 – Manila – Laoag (118 affected passengers)

PR 2199 – Laoag – Manila (76 affected passengers)

‘Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines for real-time updates, rebooking options, or refund procedures,’ Caap said.

The aviation authority added that it will continue ‘to closely monitor weather developments and is in active coordination with airline operators and airport authorities to ensure the safety and welfare of the traveling public.’

According to the 5 a.m. update from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Paolo has intensified while moving toward northern Aurora and southern Isabela.

As a result, 10 areas in Northern Luzon were placed under Signal No. 3, while several others remain under Signal Nos. 2 and 1./mcm

Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III has assured the public that the House of Representatives will continue working towards a clean and effective budget for 2026, as plenary debates on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) end.

Dy, in a statement early Friday morning said that he will fulfill the promise he made when he was elected speaker – that each centavo of the budget will be aligned with the people’s needs.

‘Our fellow Filipinos can expect an open and transparent budget-making process,’ Dy said in Filipino.

‘I said this when I was elected speaker, we would ensure that each centavo that would be appropriated will correspond to the needs of our people. We will continue working towards passing a budget that is open to the people, in order, and clean,’ he added.

Dy also thanked members of the House for their tireless work in scrutinizing the proposed budget, as there were several instances wherein plenary debates which started at 10:00 a.m. reached way past 2:00 a.m. of the next day.

Similarly, Dy thanked different agencies that helped the House committee on appropriations craft and defend the budget.

Several reforms initiated before former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez stepped down – like the removal of the small committee that makes changes to the proposed budget after third reading approval, and the opening of the budget deliberations to civil society organizations – continued up to Dy’s term.

Last September 22, the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc) discussed realignments involving the P255.5 billion budget cut suffered by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), part of which were realigned to social aid, health programs, and a higher education budget.

One of the amendments made by the BARSc was to realign P37.30 billion of the P255.5 billion DPWH funds to the education sector instead – including P22.5 billion for the construction of new classrooms and the provision of school equipment; and P6.619 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy and P2.693 billion for the Tulong Dunong Program of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will also get a P60 billion subsidy, while P32.06 billion will go to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program of the the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Last September 26, appropriations committee chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing announced that that there will be a special provision in the 2026 GAB that would compel the CHEd to release P7.821 billion for the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) deficits.

Suansing then said that the remaining P4.486 billion will be appropriated by the House as part of its GAB.

This means that starting 2026, there would be a zero deficit due to the UAQTEA implementation. /gsg

Friday was a whirlwind for Letran big man Mark Omega.

First, his Knights fell to Jose Rizal University, 73-69, in their opening game of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament at San Juan Arena.

Earlier that day, he found out that Rain or Shine, which drafted him in the 2025 PBA Rookie Draft, dealt his rights to Converge for a future pick before even signing a contract.

If you ask him, though, he’s not even thinking about the PBA just yet.

‘For me, I’m not even thinking about that. I’m not even there yet. My focus is here in the NCAA,’ said Omega, who actually made his debut for the Knights from Perpetual.

‘I just found out about it earlier too. Our cellphones are hidden every night and one of my coaches just told me about it when I woke up.

Omega’s NCAA debut was cut short after running into foul trouble. He picked up three fouls in just five minutes of play and finished with only two points and three rebounds.

The Knights’ center hopes to bounce back and make a bigger impact when Letran faces longtime rival San Beda on Sunday at the same venue.

The previously issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering flights near Taal Volcano in Batangas has been extended anew until Saturday morning, October 4.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) announced the development in its latest advisory on Friday afternoon.

According to Caap, the NOTAM, which will cover flights near Taal with vertical limits from the surface up to 11,000 feet, is now effective until 9 a.m. on Saturday.

‘Flight operators are advised to avoid flying near the volcano,’ Caap said.

The aviation authority first issued the notice after a minor phreatomagmatic eruption from the main crater of Taal occurred early morning on Wednesday.

Based on the update of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology this Friday morning, two volcanic earthquakes were recorded over Taal in the past 24 hours.

The volcano remains under Alert Level 1. /apl

Maynilad Water Services Inc. is eyeing the Villar group’s troubled water utility business, potentially allowing it to expand its network beyond Metro Manila.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Maynilad president Ramoncito Fernandez confirmed they were ‘looking at’ PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., whose customer base spans various provinces across Luzon.

He did not disclose other details.

In July, former Sen. Cynthia Villar said her husband, Manuel Villar, wanted to ‘dispose’ of PrimeWater, saying they were ‘not earning much’ from the company.

Villar-billionaire cited by Forbes magazine as the richest individual in the country-is a former senate president and House speaker.

‘Strategic’ asset

PrimeWater currently provides water utility services for more than 1.7 million households in parts of Bulacan, Batangas, Laguna, Camarines Norte, Cabanatuan City and Sorsogon City.

Under its 25-year concession agreement with the government, Maynilad, for its part, services the West Zone of the Greater Metro Manila area.

Eduardo Francisco, president of BDO Capital and Investment Corp., said investing in PrimeWater would be ‘strategic’.

‘There’s interest because they’re really a dominant player, and they’re very extensive outside Metro Manila,’ Francisco said. ‘They’re a good asset. The question that needs to be discussed is the valuation.’

Challenges

PrimeWater was recently the subject of public scrutiny due to service lapses, with customers flagging prolonged water service interruptions. Some complained about dirty or murky water despite having to pay higher rates compared with PrimeWater’s counterparts.

President Marcos also called out local water districts and their joint venture partners in his State of the Nation Address for failing to meet the needs of more than six million consumers.

He said his administration would hold accountable ‘those who neglected and fell short of delivering on this vital public service.’

This development comes as Maynilad prepares for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), which is seen to be the last local stock market debut for the year.

Maynilad plans to raise up to P34.33 billion from its IPO.

September marked the last month for boat rides in Burnham Lake, the century-old centerpiece of the city’s premier public park, before the local government closed it on Wednesday to begin long-delayed upgrades put on hold for five years by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure has disappointed local families who spend weekends on the lake and left boat concessionaires unable to operate until summer next year.

Still, lawyer Rhenan Diwas, chief of the City Environment and Parks Management office, said the shutdown meant that the long-awaited redevelopment of the city was finally moving forward.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Diwas reiterated that Burnham Park was overdue for a makeover.

Boat docks began to be dismantled as early as Sept. 21, and on Sept. 30, a tilapia and carp fishing competition played out while concessionaires packed up.

Colonial roots

Designed in 1903 by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham for the American colonial government, Burnham Park was envisioned as the ‘lungs’ of the mountain city. Baguio, like the hill stations of British India, was developed as a cool refuge from the tropical heat.

As one of the country’s top tourist draws, Baguio was paired with Boracay in 2013 for a Malacañang-led redevelopment program. While Boracay closed for six months in 2018 for a massive overhaul of its drainage and waste systems, Baguio’s plans languished.

In 2019, a modern perspective of Burnham Park was drafted by architects Mylen Yaranon and the late Joseph Alabanza, along with the University of the Cordilleras, as part of a P480-million rehabilitation program under the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza).

But when the pandemic struck in 2020, funds were diverted to COVID-19 response, and Tieza-dependent on travel fees-was forced to rebuild its finances.

First phase

This year, the city was informed that the Burnham project was back on track. Tieza earmarked P100 million for the first phase, which covers new retaining walls, four 12-meter boat decks to serve nine concessionaires, lakeside benches and a new fountain.

Diwas said the plan also took into account the lake’s role as a natural spring,

Three more phases, each with P100 million in funding, will modernize the children’s playground, rose garden and skating rink. City officials are also weighing whether to remove two elephant statues that became fixtures of the children’s playground in the 1970s.

‘They don’t belong there,’ Diwas said, stressing that they have ‘sentimental and not historical value.’

Meanwhile, the Melvin Jones football ground is being lined up for a public-private partnership to elevate the playing field and install rainwater harvesting and underground parking facilities.

Council petition

Landscaping is ongoing at the Ibaloy garden beside the Orchidarium, funded by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, while other sections of the park like the Athletic Bowl have been upgraded through joint efforts of the city and national agencies.

Not everyone welcomed the closure. Four of the nine boat operators petitioned the city council on Monday to reschedule the project, citing losses during the peak tourism season.

‘September to February is the most crucial period for tourism-related businesses, which affects not just our livelihood but the city’s economy as a whole,’ said concessionaires Vevian Celso Vincoy, Anthony Agustin Balana, Germain Saroltimango and Osorio Celso.

They added: ‘This seasonal influx of tourists provides the income needed to sustain our families and provide for our financial obligations.’

But Diwas said delays would disrupt the timetable for the rest of the park’s modernization. He assured that concessionaires and their 119 workers would receive cash assistance during the shutdown.

Beyond Burnham Park, Tieza had supported Baguio’s bid for a $46-million (P2-billion) Asian Development Bank loan to rehabilitate the city’s wastewater system and a Japanese-built sewage treatment plant.

But that loan was later removed from the government’s priority list due to delays and is now ‘on 2026 standby (awaiting) further confirmation,’ said Jose Dado, Cordillera assistant regional director of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin has defended his colleague, former lawmaker Elizaldy Co, against Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s insinuations of corruption, saying that such allegations have not yet been proven in court.

In a statement on Friday, Garbin said he ‘respects’ Magalong’s views but emphasized that the mayor should also ‘be fair.’ He was referring to Magalong’s description of Co as having stolen public funds during a Senate hearing on proposed budget reforms.

Garbin also explained that his remark about Co ‘making a sacrifice’ referred to the former lawmaker’s decision to relinquish his post despite the absence of a final court ruling on possible cases against him.

‘If we immediately say that he is a ‘thief’ and call him out for alleged ‘hypocrisy’ even without a judgment, that will be painful for our democracy and the principle of due process. This is not setting aside the bases of allegations, but enforcing the spirit of the Constitution: that anyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,’ Garbin, a lawyer by profession, said in Filipino.

Garbin also said that Magalong’s statements may be considered ‘justice that strikes before it hears,’ which he described as a ‘flawed system’ since public judgment is made ‘without proper consideration or hearing of all parties.’

‘Rep. Co’s resignation clearly shows delicadeza. He did this to ensure that there would be no influence or preference in whatever investigation would be done against him,’ he explained.

‘He did not cling to his post, unlike what some other politicians did, even though they were already accused of several things. For him, the integrity of the process is more important than power,’ he added.

During a joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology and the Committee on Finance on Senator Bam Aquino’s Senate Bill No. 1330, or the Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act, Magalong was invited to share his concerns regarding the budget.

In his speech, Magalong touched on his short-lived stint at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), before tackling Co’s recent resignation and Garbin’s description of it as a ‘sacrifice.’

‘They did not even think of the people. It’s even insulting because lately someone said this about the involved Congressman Zaldy Co that ‘he did not abandon it, it was a sacrifice.’ My God, you stole (from the fund) of the people and you will say it was a sacrifice on your part? And it is not an abandonment?’ Magalong asked.

‘Is that how low our standards in Congress are, Mr. Chair? Is that how shameless we are right now? Are we numb, extremely callous, and hypocrites that we insult the mentality of the Filipino people?’ he added.

According to Garbin, if that is how Magalong speaks, he should also address accusations that a company owned by the Discayas-allegedly involved in the kickback scheme and substandard infrastructure projects-was able to secure projects in Baguio.

‘And if that is the standard Mayor Magalong wants, he should also be ready to answer for the P110 million Discaya project, which many directly accuse him of being responsible for,’ the lawmaker said in Filipino

‘It is not right to be strict with others but remain silent when your own name is implicated. So before he judges and speaks harshly against others, it would be better for him to face and clear that issue first,’ he added.

Last Monday, Co announced on his Facebook page that he is stepping down from his post with a heavy heart, attaching copies of his letter to Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III.

According to Co, he is leaving the House of Representatives due to threats to his and his family’s lives and the alleged denial of due process.

He added that the party-list will inform the House who will replace him to fill one of the two seats allocated for the group.

Co is currently out of the country for what he said was a health procedure in the United States. However, Dy officially revoked Co’s travel clearance on September 18, asking Co to return within 10 days to answer allegations linking him to questionable budget insertions and contractors handling public works projects.

Co is facing issues regarding the 2025 national budget and the infrastructure project scandal.

At a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya and Sarah Discaya named several lawmakers who allegedly requested and received kickbacks from infrastructure projects after their firms secured government contracts.

Curlee Discaya also claimed that lawmakers demanded a 25 percent cut for Co and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Co and Romualdez denied the accusations.

Last Tuesday, Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, former officials of the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, also implicated Co and other lawmakers in the alleged kickback scheme for infrastructure projects.

Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, meanwhile, accused Co, former chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, of masterminding insertions and realignments in the 2025 national budget, much of which allegedly went to flood control.

Tiangco also filed an ethics complaint against the former Ako Bicol lawmaker.

Co disputed the allegations, saying he will respond to them in the proper forum./mcm