Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Workers’ unions of the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) have called on Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez to issue a public apology after he chided a station manager upon seeing the ‘dirty’ and ‘neglected’ facilities at the Baclaran station of the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1).

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the National Federation of Labor Chapter 001-LRMC Supervisory Union and National Federation of Labor Chapter 003-Light Rail Manila Corporation Rank And File Union said that while they recognize and agree with Lopez’s concern for the welfare of LRT-1 passengers and the development of transportation facilities, they emphasized that ‘it is never fair for an ordinary employee to be blamed for problems that are clearly beyond her control.’

‘No government official has the right to publicly shame, insult, or yell at a worker. This type of public reprimand not only demoralizes workers but also shows haste and lack of due process,’ the unions said in Filipino.

‘To acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, issue a public apology to the affected workers and all railway employees, who were deeply hurt by your disrespectful and blameworthy statements.’

According to the unions, the deficiency in the facility is a systemic issue that should be addressed not by the employee but by the management and the government.

The groups likewise said that if the acting chief of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) truly wanted accountability, he should uphold it through investigation, coordination, and dialogue with the unions and the management, and ‘not through public shaming.’

‘This kind of behavior is unbecoming of a government official. Such ‘PR stunts’ that embarrass employees will never be a measure of concern or leadership,’ the unions stressed.

Lopez has yet to respond to the unions’ statement as of posting time.

On Tuesday, the DOTr released videos on its official Facebook page regarding the inspection of Lopez at the LRT-1 Baclaran station, where he questioned the station manager over the dirty facilities and lack of cleaning personnel.

Lopez likewise flagged the insufficient number of walkways for passengers, as most of them had been closed off, as well as the slow construction of a passageway going up and down the station.

The unemployment rate for September 2025 fell to 3.8 percent, slightly lower than last month’s 3.9 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.

The PSA said the number of unemployed persons in September was 1.96 million, down from 2.03 million in August. However, the number of unemployed individuals rose annually from 1.89 million recorded in September 2024.

Employment and sectoral growth

The employment rate reached 96.2 percent in September 2025, representing 49.60 million employed persons-higher than the 96.1 percent recorded in August.

The volume of employed persons declined annually from 49.87 million recorded in September 2024, the PSA added.

The services sector maintained the largest share of employment at 61.3 percent, followed by the agriculture sector at 20.9 percent and the industry sector at 17.8 percent.

The subsectors reporting the highest employment levels were wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, agriculture and forestry, and construction.

The construction subsector registered the highest annual employment gain, adding 514,000 workers, the PSA said.

Four other subsectors that showed high annual increases after construction were fishing and aquaculture (313,000); accommodation and food services (307,000); human health and social work activities (183,000); and agriculture and forestry (126,000).

The PSA also recorded the subsectors with the largest monthly increases in September, with the education subsector gaining the highest increase, 223,000 new employees.

Following education were agriculture and forestry (129,000); human health and social work activities (117,000); mining and quarrying (113,000); and accommodation and food services (85,000).

Based on the PSA’s findings, 64.1 percent of employed persons were wage and salary workers, 27.6 percent were self-employed without employees, 6.6 percent were unpaid family workers, and 1.7 percent were employers in their own family-operated businesses.

Among the employed persons, 50.5 percent worked in private establishments, while 9.3 percent were employed in government or government-run corporations.

The PSA also detailed the underemployment rate, which stood at 11.1 percent in September 2025-higher than last month’s 10.7 percent.

Of the 49.6 million employed persons, 5.52 million ‘expressed desire to have additional hours of work, have an additional job, or have a new job with longer hours of work.’

The PSA said 58.5 percent of the 5.52 million worked less than 40 hours a week, while 41.5 percent worked 40 hours or more.

As for youth employment-or those aged 15 to 24-the PSA recorded a labor force participation rate of 31.6 percent in September 2025, lower than 33.3 percent in August 2025.

The employment rate for the same age bracket decreased to 88.4 percent from 89.9 percent in September 2024, the PSA added.

Joshua Munzon knew all along what a handful of reporters would be asking when he emerged from the dugout after Titan Ultra’s skid-snapping 97-86 win over Blackwater in the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

‘Not everything is going to go your way,’ Munzon said, referring to the end of the Giant Risers’ collapse against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 10 days earlier. ‘But I’m happy we bounced back, got the win, and we’re moving on to the next games and trying to get more wins.’

Titan Ultra lost after squandering a 19-point third-quarter lead, but most of those who witnessed it understandably had Munzon’s foul on Anton Asistio during the final seconds in mind.

Asistio was awarded four free throws that enabled Rain or Shine to pull off an escape act, while Munzon became a subject of talk on social media.

‘In my opinion, the foul was on the floor,’ he countered. ‘I mean, I’ve watched games all throughout the week, NBA games, same thing happened, the foul was on the floor. I mean, that’s just my opinion, that’s what I saw when I watched it.

On cue

‘It is what it is, and the call didn’t go our way,’ he went on. ‘It’s part of the game and it’s part of basketball, so we’re just moving forward. I mean, I had no choice.’

As if on cue, Munzon played like he didn’t have a choice but to stand out against the Bossing and be a key part of Titan Ultra’s victory by bucking foul trouble and contributing 18 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals.

He wasn’t the only reason why the Giant Risers rose to 2-4.

Calvin Abueva delivered 23 points, had 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks; Fran Yu came off the bench to fire 14 points, spiked by three triples in the fourth that allowed Titan Ultra to pull away, while Aljun Melecio, whose 21 against Rain or Shine went for naught in that loss, added 11.

‘I think a lot of us got to rest and got our bodies back, right?’ Munzon said of the long break. ‘So we were able to come out maybe a little rusty, but we still gave a strong outing tonight.’

Titan Ultra prevailed going into a big matchup on Sunday against Barangay Ginebra at Ynares Center-Montalban in Rodriguez, Rizal, an important one that could boost its playoff hopes.

Blackwater fell to 1-4 after a fourth straight defeat, with Sedrick Barefield putting up 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals and rookie Dalph Panopio posting 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has formally asked 27 government contractors to explain why they should not be charged with violating the Omnibus Election Code for making alleged campaign contributions to political candidates who ran in May 2022, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said on Wednesday.

According to Garcia, the poll body issued show cause orders (SCOs) on Monday to the 27 government contractors, who are expected to submit their counter-affidavits within 10 calendar days.

The Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department, which reviews and validates the statements of contribution and expenditures submitted by candidates, will hold a hearing on the matter on Nov. 21.

‘They (contractors) have been sent notices allowing them to air their side. I think in the next two weeks, starting next week, they will be summoned, based on a schedule, to bring their counter-affidavits,’ Garcia told reporters.

The SCOs were issued after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), responding to a query sent by the Comelec, certified that the 27 contractors had secured government deals.

Candidates next

The poll body earlier submitted to the DPWH a list of the names of 54 contractors who were found to have donated money to candidates who ran in the May 2022 elections.

Garcia said that after the contractors, the candidates who received their donations would also be summoned.

According to him, the following were found to have accepted contributions from the 27 government contractors: six senatorial candidates, five party list nominees, four congressional representative candidates, three gubernatorial candidates, two vice gubernatorial candidates, and one running for Manila councilor.

Under Section 95(c) of the Omnibus Election Code, ‘[n]o contribution for purposes of partisan political activity shall be made directly or indirectly by any of the following: (c) natural and juridical persons who hold contracts or subcontracts to supply the government or any of its divisions, subdivisions, or instrumentalities with goods or services, or to perform construction or other works.’

The last part of the said provision also states that ‘[i]t shall be unlawful for any person to solicit or receive any contribution from any of the persons or entities enumerated herein.’

Due process

‘We will find out their answer to the allegations that one, they are government contractors, public work contractors, and number two, they donated a certain amount. And therefore, what is their contention for why they should not be charged by the Commission on Elections [for violating the election code]?’ Garcia said.

‘That is what we call due process, so that, should there be formal proceedings, like preliminary investigations, more or less there will be a basis, and at the same time, there will be a determination of what we call probable cause. There will be a basis for filing a case against them in court so that it will not be dismissed,’ he added.

At the same time, the Comelec is counterchecking its list of corporations found to have also made contributions to political candidates with those identified by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as possible donors.

‘Regardless of whether or not they are government contractors, the BIR monitors their donations. Where did the donation come from? This is your income, so how were you able to donate this amount?’ Garcia explained.

Francisco ‘Kiko’ Austria Barzaga must be feeling on top of the world these days. Every word and every antic the 27-year-old neophyte congressman throws up is lapped up by the press and social media.

In so short a time, he has earned a sizable following from those who relish his bulldog-in-a-china-shop behavior, believing such actions to be refreshingly radical and necessary amid a political culture of double-dealing and deceit.

But there is a world of difference between the mocking, snarky ways he has employed on the House floor to needle his colleagues to tell the truth – or at least the version of it he wants to hear – and the attacks he has lately leveled at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

There is a line to be drawn – especially for a lawmaker sworn to uphold the public interest – when bratty, reckless statements begin to undermine the citizenry’s trust in crucial institutions and put the country in potential danger.

According to Barzaga, the PCG should be abolished because it is a ‘waste of our government funds,’ and that it is a ‘corrupt organization’ whose operations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) could ’cause World War III.’

‘Misleading and inflammatory’

The representative of Cavite’s 4th District presented no evidence to back up his claims-no finding from, say, the Commission on Audit to justify his accusation that the PCG is frittering away public funds, or one from the Ombudsman assailing the agency for wholesale corruption, and certainly no reputable study, analysis, or situation report that would support the incendiary charge that the PCG is leading the country to war.

The words were the rash, petulant pronouncements of a man-child imagining that he had something consequential to say about the agency now at the very forefront of the Philippines’ struggle to assert its sovereignty in waters being snatched by an overbearing neighbor.

Unfortunately, the remarks were also the kind of controversial ‘content’ loved by those on social media who find his broadside as ‘fearless.’

PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela had to allocate extra time to parrying Barzaga’s attention-seeking tirade, describing it as ‘misleading and inflammatory,’ and one that ‘grossly misrepresents the PCG’s mandate, operations, and the very essence of our service to the Filipino people.’

But if Barzaga were to conduct a survey even among his constituents, he would likely find himself in the dismal minority when it comes to public support for the PCG and its work in the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese aggression

Survey after survey has consistently shown that the public overwhelmingly supports government efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty over its exclusive economic zone – an invaluable birthright critical to the Filipino people’s economic security and progress.

That right was affirmed by international law when the arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s claim over nearly the entire South China Sea, including the Philippines’ EEZ, had no basis in either history or law. China, however, has continued to disregard that ruling, opting instead to intensify its harassment of Philippine vessels that dare to sail on Philippine waters.

The PCG, a civilian maritime agency, is no match for the might and bullying ways of Beijing, but it has borne the brunt of Chinese aggression with exceptional professionalism, bravery, and decorum. The PCG has repeatedly been the victim of water cannon and ramming attacks by the Chinese navy and militia trespassing on Philippine waters, and video documentation of these lopsided encounters is all over the internet.

And yet in Barzaga’s view, the valiant men and women of the PCG are the aggressors that could spark ‘World War III’?

Barzaga should spell out his position clearly: Does he prefer that the Philippines cease defending the WPS and, in effect, give up its territorial rights and patrimony, to appease Beijing and keep the ‘peace’?

Broad consensus

In this, he will be in a starkly conflicting position not only with his countrymen but also with the rest of the world. The United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Vietnam, and many other countries have rallied behind the arbitral ruling and rejected China’s unilateral actions in the region. That broad consensus, anchored on the Philippines’ valid claims to its territory, is what the PCG upholds and enforces with its operations in the WPS.

So when Barzaga taunts the agency with the words ‘water cannon lang galing China, iyak na agad sila, ako pa kaya? (It’s just water cannon from China, and they’re already crying, what more if it were from me?),’ he should be forcefully reminded that, as a public servant, he is not paid with Filipino taxpayer money and granted the privileges of his position only to sabotage the very interests of the land he calls home.

Barzaga has crossed the line from being merely annoying to becoming a danger to the country’s national security. The House, diffident or indulgent all this time, should now find its sense of outrage and censure the looser-than-loose cannon in its midst.

The death toll in Canlaon City has risen to 16, with 11 others still missing, after Typhoon Tino unleashed torrential rains and flash floods that battered the city on November 3.

The rain began on the evening of November 2, but by noontime on November 3, Tino intensified. Rivers overflowed, bridges collapsed, and mudslides tore through communities at the foot of Mount Kanlaon.

In the aftermath, rescuers discovered bodies buried beneath thick mud and massive boulders, debris carried by the raging currents from the mountain streams. Streets in the city proper became rivers of soil and stone, swallowing homes in seconds.

‘It happened so fast,’ said a resident of Barangay Malaiba, who survived by clinging to a fallen tree. ‘We only heard the rumbling, and then the flood was already inside our house.’ Search and rescue operations continue, with local responders and volunteers working day and night amid unstable terrain and ongoing rains.

Mayor Batchuk Cardenas confirmed that the city remains under a state of calamity, emphasizing that teams are prioritizing the retrieval of the missing and the clearing of critical roads and waterways.

‘Even at night, work continues to ensure everyone’s safety,’ he said in a statement, assuring residents that clearing and desilting operations are underway at full speed.

As of Thursday, communication lines in many barangays remain intermittent, and electric power is still down. Immediate needs, according to city officials, include potable water, food packs, and temporary shelters for displaced families.

Meanwhile, the Office of the President has pledged P10 million in direct aid to support Canlaon’s recovery, while private groups have begun organizing online and on-site relief missions.

Despite the loss and devastation, signs of solidarity shine through. Community kitchens have emerged in evacuation centers; residents share food, charge devices using generators, and offer comfort to those still searching for loved ones.

In the words of a local rescuer, wiping mud from his uniform after a long day:

‘It’s hard, but we will not stop. Until we find them all.’ Canlaon, still shrouded in silence and grief, now braces for another approaching typhoon. Its people, bruised but unbroken, continue to dig not only through the rubble but through the ache of loss, hoping that healing will emerge from the disaster.

Taking the cue from the heroism of Andres Bonifacio, organizers of the large Sept. 21 rally in Luneta are set to stage another round of protest mobilization on Nov. 30 to reiterate their call for accountability for officials that they deem behind the ‘large-scale and systematic corruption’ in the government, especially on the flood control projects.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) announced a ‘massive protest’ for Nov. 30, which will again be held in Luneta, led by the newly formed coalition Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot.

The coalition consists of various people’s organizations, institutions, and communities ‘mobilizing against corruption across the country.’

According to the coalition, the Nov. 30 rally is expected to gather around 100,000 attendees. The date will coincide with Bonifacio Day ‘Inspired by the bravery of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, the November 30 protest enjoins the people to continue the unfinished struggle for genuine emancipation from the corrupt and bankrupt elite rule, and to establish a new system of governance that will truly represent the interests of the poor and ordinary Filipinos,’ the coalition said in its advisory.

Aside from calls to hold those behind the flood control projects accountable, the Nov. 30 protest will also demand scrutiny of the proposed 2026 budget, which the coalition claims retains pork barrel funding.

‘The protest seeks accountability against all those responsible for the corruption in government, led by the President who drafted, approved and implemented the budget and anomalous pork barrel and flood control projects,’ it also said.

However, before the major protest on November 30, the coalition disclosed several events leading up to it, including the noise barrage at the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday and the protest outside the Senate during the continuation of the blue ribbon committee’s hearing on November 14.

A fun run will also be held at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on November 16, organized by the UP Engineering Student Council.

Other protests will include the All Youth Walkout during the International Students Day on Nov. 17; World Fisheries Day protest on Nov. 31; a sit-down strike led by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers at the Ramon Magsaysay High School and lunch break hospital protest on Nov. 21; bike ride against corruption on Nov. 22; One Billion Rising on Nov. 25; and another sit down strike of public school teachers and government employees on Nov. 28. /mr

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will continue to summon resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, even after they were named among the respondents in the commission’s case referrals to the Office of the Ombudsman amid its probe into flood control anomalies.

In a press conference on Thursday, ICI Chair Andres Reyes said their first four referrals to the Ombudsman are separate from the ‘hundreds’ of other cases still under review. ‘The referral is only per case basis. The case is still with us. There are a lot of cases, approximately a hundred. So, we’re only referring one case, but the others still remain with us,’ Reyes said in a mix of Filipino and English.

‘So, we can still continue asking them, investigating them,’ he added.

Co was among the respondents in the ICI’s first and second referrals submitted to the Ombudsman on September 29 and October 29.

Meanwhile, Bernardo was included in the respondents listed in the ICI’s third and fourth referrals to the Ombudsman on November 4 and November 6.

The ICI chair said the commission has already issued two subpoenas to Co, the second requiring his appearance at a hearing on November 11 and 12. ‘Now I’m in public, I’m telling him if he wants to come, he can come to us here, and we will allow him to tell his side of the story,’ Reyes said.

He added that Bernardo has also been summoned to attend the ICI hearing on November 12.

The commission is set to resume its hearings on the flood control anomalies probe on November 11 and 12.

A convenience store here fell victim to a robbery in the middle of Typhoon Tino’s onslaught, with suspects carting away an estimated P1 million in cash early Tuesday morning (Nov. 4).

The incident occurred around midnight at Antmart, located along CPG Avenue, while strong winds and heavy rains from Typhoon Tino lashed the city.

Based on the store’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, two men wearing bonnets forcibly entered the establishment and took the cash before fleeing in an unknown direction.

Authorities from the Tagbilaran City Police Station have launched an investigation to identify and locate the suspects. The store’s management has also made the CCTV footage public to seek help from the community According to the management, the decision to post the video online was not merely to recover the stolen money but to raise awareness and prevent similar crimes, especially during disasters when establishments are most vulnerable.

They also urged residents who may have information about the suspects’ identities to immediately contact the police or message the store’s official page.

In their statement, Antmart’s management appealed to Mayor Jane Yap to help ensure a swift investigation and to strengthen measures for public safety amid ongoing calamities.

‘We leave everything to God,’ the store said in its post.

Police continue to gather evidence and are coordinating with nearby establishments for possible additional CCTV footage that may aid in tracking down the suspects.

On Thursday, Antmart released another statement calling the robbery a ‘really big test’ for the management.

‘It is a very painful test. As the owners, we have to admit we made mistakes with our security. Our employees had lapses, and so did our guard,’ the statement read.

Despite the loss, the management expressed their resolve to respond with faith and humility. ‘While it was tempting to give in to frustration and anger, we quickly reminded ourselves to be calm and to respond with both gentleness and wisdom. We have chosen to use this painful experience as an opportunity-an opportunity to glorify God, to learn, to grow stronger, and to outwardly demonstrate our deep faith,’ it added.

The Office of the President has released P760 million in direct aid to provinces and cities affected by Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi), Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Thursday.

Below is the breakdown of the dispensed funds, as enumerated by Castro in a briefing:

P50 million

Cebu, Capiz, Surigao del Norte, Iloilo, Bohol, Negros Occidental

P40 million

Eastern Samar, Surigao del Sur, Southern Leyte, Antique, Aklan

P30 million

Leyte, Masbate

P20 million

Guimaras, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands

P10 million

Biliran, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Misamis Oriental, Negros Oriental, Palawan

P5 million

Albay, Batangas, Northern Samar, Siquijor, Quezon, Samar, Agusan del Sur, Laguna, Zamboanga City, Camiguin, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Iligan City, Romblon, City of Manila

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to declare a national state of calamity across the Philippines due to the onslaught of Typhoon Tino and the anticipated impact of the potential Super Typhoon Uwan.

‘This was done after the typhoon affected 10 to 12 regions. This declaration is also important to allow faster access to the government’s emergency funds and to speed up the procurement of supplies needed by the typhoon victims,’ Castro explained.

The proclamation of a national calamity will enable government agencies to draw from emergency funds and fast-track the procurement of essential goods and services for typhoon victims.

As of Thursday morning, the reported death toll from Typhoon Tino rose to 114 in Cebu province alone, according to Office of Civil Defense Deputy Spokesperson Diego Mariano.

Meanwhile, the state weather bureau said that the likelihood of a super typhoon making landfall on Saturday over the Philippine landmass ‘is becoming more likely.’