Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Amid the fiasco on flood control projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP) have inked a partnership to use blockchain technology to ensure transparency and accountability in national infrastructure projects.

In a signing of memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Tuesday, the DPWH and BCP committed to launch Integrity Chain, a blockchain-powered platform which aims to provide a real-time public dashboard that tracks progress on infrastructure projects, such as the bidding, planning, and awarding.

The DPWH also said that this platform also allows the public to scrutinize the projects and report anomalies and tampering of records.

‘As part of the pilot, BCP will provide the DPWH with a one-year complimentary subscription to the Integrity Chain, which includes technical support, training, and cybersecurity measures in full compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012,’ the DPWH said in a statement.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon also shared that the pilot implementation will begin with the foreign-assisted projects as their funding and documents are already vetted by multilateral and international organizations. He also said that the implementation for locally-funded projects will follow.

‘If we use this, we will be able to catch those who are responsible. It is important to partner with the private sector because they will help us. They will serve as our eyes. Because it is impossible to monitor what’s inside the DPWH, we need to seek help outside the agency,’ Dizon noted.

Dizon also said that he expects ‘greater transparency’ now that the agency has partnered with the private sector for the use of blockchain technology.

‘This is a very important step, the use of blockchain is a very important step to monitor each and every step of the process of each department, from the central office down to the regional and district offices,’ he said in an ambush interview.

With this, Dizon said that tampering of records will become ‘virtually impossible’ as documents and transactions are shared with everyone in the platform.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure previously denounced reports of ‘widespread destruction and tampering’ of DPWH personnel of documents related to anomalous flood control projects.

ICI Chairperson and retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr warned that ‘any attempt to destroy, falsify, or conceal them is a grave offense that carries both administrative and criminal liability.’

What is blockchain technology?

BCP President Donald Lim described blockchain technology as a ‘consensus mechanism’ which is a decentralized digital ledger that records all transactions to ensure check and balance.

‘Like on a budget, you can’t change the numbers because if anyone steals from it, we will know who is responsible. If someone inserts a budget, we will know who did that. If someone amends, we will be informed. Everyone will see. It’s a recording of a ledger,’ Lim said in a separate interview.

When asked if connivance is possible in manipulating records using the technology, Lim said that it’s difficult to do so. He noted that the Integrity Chain involves private sectors that will monitor the infrastructure projects.

‘It’s difficult to collude because you need to convince all organizations to not approve or approve it. There’s a technical blockchain but there’s also human blockchain that we created today,’ he added.

He said that the Integrity Chain will be funded by a ‘blind trust’ where the organizations will ask funding from different private corporations.

‘To ensure that there will be no undue influence, there will be blind trust. No one will know who’s contributing,’ Lim noted.

Lim also shared that they will set up a technical working group in the coming week, which will be monitored by the DPWH.

During the MOA signing, presidents and leaders of private businesses, academe, civic, professional and faith-based organizations pledged to use their credibility and networks to ensure the success of the Integrity Chain.

‘By making every peso traceable, immutable, and observable, we create a system where accountability is no longer optional but guaranteed. Through this pilot with the DPWH and the legislative momentum in Congress, we aim to demonstrate that when the private sector and government act together, integrity can prevail,’ the organizations’ statement of support read. /cb

Teachers and education workers are set to stage a walkout in time for the commemoration of World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 3 (Friday), the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) announced on Tuesday.

The walkout will take place in Mendiola, according to ACT Chair Vladimer Quetua, as a sign of protest in marking the World Teachers’ Day to again demand for substantial education budget increase, salary hikes, and would even double as a call to end corruption and bureaucrat capitalism ‘that continue to deprive schools of resources.’

Quetua lamented how teachers continue to bear the brunt of persistent problems, especially in public schools, such as their meager wages, overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms, shortages in books and other learning materials, and the growing list of workloads.

While these problems remain unresolved, he pointed out that the government would rather spend its billions of funding on the ‘pork-laden’ infrastructure projects, confidential funds, and the continued funding for its counterinsurgency programs under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, which, during the Duterte administration, had been notorious on linking government critics with the underground armed rebellion.

‘This won’t be just a simple celebration of World Teachers’ Day this year,’ Quetua said at a press conference in Quezon City. ‘We are all suffering from hunger and neglect while our officials are milking all funds intended for Filipinos, which include funds for education.’

The only way for them to be seen and heard again would be through their collective action in calling for an end to corruption and to press the government for higher salaries for teachers and more funding for the education sector.

Among their calls would be the increase of salary, suggesting that the increase for all teachers and education workers be increased to P50,000 as minimum for Teacher I rank and P36,000 as minimum for education support personnel.

Quetua said they will also call for an increase in salaries for Instructor I, with a Salary Grade 16, and equal pay for private school teachers.

The group will also urge the government to double the education budget to meet the United Nations’ requirement of 6 percent of the gross domestic product.

‘The October 3 walkout will serve both as a day of protest and a day of assertion: to honor the struggles of teachers by demanding decent pay, sufficient funding for classrooms and learning resources, and the dismantling of corruption at the highest levels of government,’ Quetua said.

‘World Teachers’ Day is not about token recognition or hollow praises from the same government that abandons us,’ Quetua noted. ‘It is about the collective voice of teachers demanding justice, dignity and real support for education.’ /cb

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) significantly cut its growth forecasts for the Philippines to below 6 percent, citing external headwinds that could weigh on investments. The ADB trimmed its outlook for the country in 2025 to 5.6 percent, from its old estimate of 6 percent, according to the Manila-based lender’s flagship Asian Development Outlook report released Tuesday.

For 2026, the ADB slashed its forecast to 5.7 percent from 6.1 percent before.

While the revised 2025 prediction would settle near the lower limit of the government’s 5.5 to 6.5 percent target, the ADB’s downgraded 2026 forecast would fall short of the official 6 to 7 percent goal for next year.

‘In the Philippines, forecasts are lowered as global trade uncertainty dampens investor sentiment,’ the Bank said.

‘However, low inflation and an accommodative monetary policy are expected to support domestic demand in the near term,’ it added.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) offered a total compensation of P820.5-M billion for residents and property owners in Quezon City to acquire right-of-way for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).

According to the DOTr, the MMSP alignment covers 500 meters and affects 33 properties within the gated community where the compensation was offered.

The DOTr said that a total of 32 compensation offers have been to property owners.

Of the P820.5-M, 20 homeowners in the gated community have accepted the compensation totaling P461 million, while ‘negotiations with the remaining property owners are ongoing.’

As of writing, the MMSP right-of-way acquisition status stands at 75 percent, the DOTr reported.

However, the DOTr aims to have full acquisition by March 2026, and it also plans to begin drilling works along the MMSP alignment within the gated community starting January 2026.

Following this development, DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez expressed his gratitude to the property owners in the Quezon City gated community for their support to the MMSP.

The construction of the MMSP suffered a two-year delay due to right-of-way issues.

With the increase in progress resolving such issues, the DOTr said the MMSP should be operational by 2031.

Once completed, the P488.5-billion project shall be the first underground subway station in the Philippines spanning approximately 35 kilometers, with 17 stations.

The DOTr said the MMSP is expected to service over 500,000 passengers every day from Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Parañaque, and Pasay. /cb

Senator Jinggoy Estrada took a jab at the House of Representatives on Tuesday for its failure to pass a bill that would have strengthened and expanded the mandate of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Online streaming platforms would have been included in the MTRCB’s regulatory powers if Senate Bill No. 2805 was enacted into law.

The measure was approved by the Senate on third and final reading during the 19th Congress but its counterpart measure remained pending at the committee level in the House of Representatives.

‘So this isn’t finished yet? Nothing in the House? They’re so lazy,’ Estrada said in Filipino as he presided over the Senate subcommittee on finance’s deliberations on the proposed P221.297 million budget of the MTRCB for 2026.

The senator though noted that many industry stakeholders were also against the bill, saying it ‘impinges on a struggling film industry,’ ‘strangles creativity’ and adversely impacts ‘freedom of expression and artistic integrity.’

‘It is in this context that we shall look into your budget, together with the direction that the agency is taking with your proposed table of expenditures and programs for next year,’ Estrada said.

For 2026, MTRCB is proposing P221.297 million budget.

Of the budget proposal, Estrada noted that P165.698 million was allotted for MRTCB’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Capital Outlay which will be sourced from the board’s own revenues, and provided for under the Special Provisions.

Estrada, meanwhile, informed the MTRCB that he has filed Senate Bill No. 878 that would establish the Retained Income Fund and replace its existing sinking fund.

Under the bill filed last August, MTRCB would be allowed to retain 50 percent of its revenues to be used for its MOOE excluding payment of salaries and allowances. /cb

Mayor Abundio ‘JP’ Punsalan Jr. of San Simon town in Pampanga is set to be arraigned before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division this Wednesday, two months after his Aug. 5 entrapment for alleged extortion of a Filipino-Chinese businessman.

The Division’s Presiding Judge Geraldine Faith Econg also set the pre-trial of Punsalan on the same date, a copy of her Sept. 9 order showed.

The arraignment and pre-trial followed after the mayor surrendered and posted cash bonds of P90,000 for a case of violations of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and for Article 293 of the Revised Penal Code (robbery by means of extortion), the order showed.

The San Simon-based Real Steel Corporation filed the complaint that accused the mayor of demanding P80 million in exchange for not overturning Municipal Ordinance No. 24-0025 that granted tax incentives to the company.

The demand was allegedly accompanied by threats that Real Steel’s incentives would be revoked if payment was not made.

The National Bureau of Investigation entrapped Punsalan last Aug. 5 at a restaurant in Clark Freeport just as he was taking a bag containing cash amounting to more or less P30 million.

Real Steel’s lawyer Philip Advent said conviction under these charges ‘carries penalties of imprisonment, dismissal from service, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.’

Punsalan returned to work last September 3 after the Regional Trial Court Branch 206 in Muntinlupa granted his petition for habeas corpus on the ground of ‘unlawful detention’ in the NBI custodial center at the New Bilibid Prison.

Also released were Ed Ryan Dimla, as well as his security personnel, Domingo Ramones, and Rodolfo Dagdag Jr., Philip Ronnie Jimenez Sr., Rufino Cruz, and Erwin Calma.

Also pending in the Office of the Ombudsman is Real Steel’s urgent motion to suspend Punsalan in an administrative case for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.

Real Steel also filed an administrative case against the mayor before the provincial board of Pampanga./coa

American actor Josh Hartnett was briefly hospitalized after he and his driver were involved in a two-vehicle collision in St. John’s in Canada.

According to multiple foreign outlets, Hartnett, who was in St. John’s for the filming of an untitled Netflix series, was on his way home from the set when the accident happened last Sept. 25. The sports utility vehicle Hartnett was in reportedly collided with a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) patrol car.

The actor and his driver, as well as the officer riding the patrol car, were then taken to the hospital after sustaining minor injuries.

‘RNC collision analysts are seeking any witnesses or video footage (CCTV, dash-camera, cell phone) from the area in the lead up to, or immediately following the collision,’ the RNC said.

Hartnett’s rep Susan Patricola told Deadline that the actor has been discharged and has already returned to work. She added that the incident did not affect the show production.

Hartnett is best known for starring in the films ‘The Virgin Suicides’ (1999), ‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001), ‘Sin City’ (2005) and ’30 Days of Night’ (2007). His recent movie stints include ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023), ‘Trap’ (2024) and ‘Fight or Flight.’ /ra

Two four-ball (best ball) matches from each division make up Day 1 of the ICTSI Elite Junior Finals, and fielding and team chemistry will be keys as the North battles South in a Ryder Cup-type of event that puts a fitting end to the JPGT season at windswept The Country Club in Laguna.

Stalwarts from the boys’ 7-10 division tee off from No. 1, while the girls’ open play at the 10th of the ultra-exclusive layout that remains to be one of the toughest tests of golf in the country.

There are only four members per team from each age-bracket, but captains will have to find the right blend of who to pair with whom as the first to 24.5 points wins the tournament.

After the first four groups, the boys’ and girls’ 11-14 and then the centerpiece 15-18 divisions tee off. Day 2 will be an alternate shot before the highly anticipated singles are held on Friday.

This event is a far departure from the usual junior championships that have been held, as only 48 of the best and brightest of the season will be teeing it up.

Bannering Team North are boys’ 15-18 standouts Patrick Tambalque and Zachary Villaroman; boys’ 11-14 contenders Zianbeau Edoc and Ryuji Suzuki; and 7-10 aces Zoji Edoc and Zach Guico. The South squad will lean on the likes of Alexis Nailga and Luciano Copok (15-18); Ralph Batican and Ken Guillermo (11-14); and Ethan Lago and Kvan Alburo (7-10).

There will be 48 total points up for grabs, and in the event of a 24-24 tie at the end of the Friday session, the champion will be determined by a blind draw from which age-group a sudden-death playoff will come from, with the squads then naming one player each.

The Finals serves as a formidable training ground for future stars of Philippine golf. Created by ICTSI in 2023, the JPGT is designed to build the complete golfer through a mix of stroke play, match play, and skills-based events.

There is also the newly launched ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour that aims to further strengthen the development pathway of the student-athlete by giving them a structured bridge to the professional game.

With two high-stakes matches scheduled in each of the three age categories (7-10, 11-14 and 15-18), the stage is set for an intense, drama-filled opener that could dictate the tone for the rest of this unprecedented Ryder Cup-style showdown.

A lawmaker has asked the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to stop its P450-million subscription to a company providing weather forecasts and other scientific models, so that it can save funds and use these to repair irrigation facilities.

At the House of Representatives’ plenary debates on Monday regarding NIA’s proposed 2026 budget, APEC party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc asked the agency about the P450-million project mentioned during the committee on appropriations hearing.

In response, budget sponsor and Isabela 4th District Rep. Joseph Tan said that the allocation was for a contract with Tomorrow.io, a United States (US)-based company which according to its website, makes use of ‘advanced AI (artificial intelligence), proprietary satellite technology, and actionable data to transform how the world builds resilience to weather-related threats.’

‘Mr. Speaker, the P450 (million) that we are talking about, this will be used to conduct feasibility studies, detailed engineering, and the risk (assessment) management – in particular with hydrological modeling, dam reservoir design, reservoir design validation, climate resilient planning and project execution,’ Tan said in a mix of English and Filipino.

‘It can do rainfall forecasts of up to 14 days ahead, and with a 20-year historical data set, Mr. Speaker,’ he added.

Dagooc’s issue with the allocation is that the P450 million is just a year’s worth of subscribing with Tomorrow.io – when there may be local agencies like the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) that can possibly do the same predictions and models for a lesser cost, or maybe even for free.

‘Is that an annual subscription or a one-time subscription only?’ Dagooc asked.

‘Mr. Speaker, this is an annual, annual subscription,’ Tan replied.

‘Thank you for the candid answer. Mr. Speaker, for the record, this representation believes this amount is too huge, when we have other government agencies – Pagasa, et cetera, if we’re talking about forecasts. Imagine, we find it hard to fund our irrigation projects, but we will spend P450 million just to detect where and when the rains would fall,’ Dagooc fired back.

Dagooc said he would have no problem if the allocation was for a one-time payment that would provide the NIA multi-year access to Tomorrow.io’s services.

‘Maybe if this is a one-time subscription (payment) only (we would agree), I hope that the committee on appropriations will look into that because the funds we are allocating for different government agencies are small figures, but we will place almost half a billion yearly just for that subscription,’ Dagooc said.

‘So that is for the record Mr. Speaker, we will look at the contents of that software, what it has done, and if these can also be done by government agencies like Pagasa et cetera, and if there are allocations out of the P450 (million) that can be used by NIA to repair irrigation canal and other irrigation-related activities or projects,’ he added.

According to a post on Tomorrow.io’s website dated June 3, 2025, the company – described as a ‘global weather intelligence leader, headquartered in the United States, and a technology provider of U.S. agencies’ – partnered with the NIA to ‘help farmers adapt to volatile and challenging climate conditions and boost productivity using Artificial Intelligence in the Philippines.’

‘Tomorrow.io is a global leader in weather-based satellite technology In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the partnership aims to transform how weather forecasting supports farming by leveraging Tomorrow.io’s AI-driven models and proprietary network of low-orbit satellites,’ the post on the company’s website said.

‘These satellites enable micro-weather forecasting at the plot level, allowing them to deliver precise and timely agronomy advice, such as when to apply pesticides or delay irrigation based on incoming rainfall. This joint effort comes at a critical time, with the southwest monsoon (habagat) already starting to affect various parts of the country, signaling the arrival of the rainy season,’ it added.

Tomorrow.io said that they are the only provider of a space-based satellite technology that would allow governments to predict weather systems using patterns and advanced monitoring.

‘As a geographically complex archipelago, the Philippines faces unique weather forecasting challenges that traditional ground-based solutions cannot solve alone. With hundreds of islands, mountainous terrain, and remote regions, coverage gaps are inevitable,’ it said.

‘Tomorrow.io’s proprietary space-based satellite constellation is purpose-built to overcome these limitations, delivering real-time, high-resolution weather intelligence across the entire country, including the most remote and underserved areas. Tomorrow.io’s, the only global provider of such a space technology, ensures truly national coverage, enabling faster, more accurate early warnings and decision-making during severe weather events,’ it added.

However, NIA is slated to get a lower budget in 2026. Under the 2026 National Expenditures Program (NEP), NIA would get P45.06 billion – lower than the P69.36 billion in 2025, and the P77.75 billion in 2024.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) amid the ongoing investigation of alleged anomalies in flood control projects across the country.

The MOA signing on Tuesday was led by retired Supreme Court Associate Justice and ICI Chairperson Andres Reyes and AMLC Chair Eli Remolona Jr. at the ICI office in Taguig City.

Representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Insurance Commission also took part in the MOA signing.

Reyes described the MOA signing as a ‘firm declaration of our shared resolve to root out corruption and defend the trust of the Filipino people.’

‘It is only through cooperation that we can confront the many faces of crime, graft, and the darker aspects of governance,’ the ICI chair said.

‘As you may know, the ICI is still very young. We have been in existence for only 15 days, with just four lawyer-volunteers carrying the weight of a tall task. Yet despite our size, our mandate is broad: to investigate irregularities, demand accountability, and restore integrity in public infrastructure. This is why the assistance of the AMLC is both timely and indispensable,’ he added.

The ICI is currently conducting a series of hearings in connection with their ongoing probe on the irregularities of flood control projects across the country.

For this Tuesday, contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya attended the ICI hearing for their alleged involvement in the said infrastructure anomalies.

Meanwhile, the AMLC earlier said it may look into banks after a congressional probe flagged large cash transactions connected to a flood control scandal. /das