Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered that funds be funneled directly to local government units (LGUs) to help expedite the construction of more classrooms and address the acute shortage across the country.

The President’s decision to decentralize the building of schools, originally an exclusive mandate of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was seen as a loss of confidence in the agency’s capacity to take on the responsibility following its low completion rates and amid allegations of corruption involving its district engineers.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DPWH were expected to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with LGUs on this matter.

‘The President wants the classroom shortage to be addressed as soon as possible for the benefit of the students. Slow action is not acceptable that is the President’s directive,’ Castro said.

‘He is focused on ensuring the speedy construction and repair of classrooms through the collaboration of the DPWH, DepEd and LGUs,’ she added.

‘Deplorable performance’

The directive follows Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s admission before the Senate on Monday that the agency had so far completed only 22 classrooms out of the 1,700 target for 2025.

With only two months left before the end of the year, Dizon called out the ‘very deplorable performance’ of the DPWH, which still had 882 ongoing classroom projects, and 882 more that have not been started.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) noted that the target 1,700 classrooms was not even enough to address the classroom shortage, which it placed at 165,000. This number is projected to grow to 200,000 by 2028 if the government continues at its current slow pace of construction.

‘This is enraging considering that many teachers and students are suffering from our situations in classrooms,’ ACT chair Ruby Bernardo said in a statement on Wednesday. ‘Thousands of students are being crowded in small classrooms and some classrooms are being divided.’

‘This is a clear case of negligence of the state to the education sector and to the rights of students when it comes to our education quality,’ she added.

Heavy workload

Under the planned MOA, funds will be downloaded to LGUs to implement the construction of classrooms, while the DPWH and DepEd will oversee and monitor the progress. This initiative aims to complete about 2,370 classrooms, Castro said.

DepEd proposed a P912-billion budget for next year, with 7 percent or P63 billion allotted for the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) to back the construction of classrooms.

Aside from the LGUs, DepEd is also eyeing partnerships with engineering brigades of the military and nongovernment organizations through public-private partnerships to build more classrooms.

DepEd attributed the DPWH’s slow construction pace to the latter’s ‘heavy workload,’ as it is also responsible for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of all government infrastructure such as roads and bridges, flood control systems, water resource development projects and other public works.

It also faulted the DPWH’s ‘late validation and costing submission, and leadership changes’ for the delays in building new classrooms under the 2025 BEFF.

‘It seems they got too engrossed with constructing flood control projects, to be frank about it,’ Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier said.

‘Outsourcing’ responsibility

This was echoed by Bernardo, who said this only revealed the government’s ‘true priorities,’ which was to invest billions of pesos in flood control projects while quality education infrastructure was ‘completely abandoned.’

She was also skeptical over the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program, wherein lawmakers want to involve LGUs and the private sector in addressing the classroom shortage.

‘Instead of outsourcing its responsibility, the Marcos administration and the DepEd must fix and streamline the classroom construction process, hold erring officials accountable for anomalies and corruption in school building projects, and ensure that agencies mandated to deliver these services are competent, transparent and credible,’ Bernardo said.

She urged the Marcos administration to increase the education budget equivalent to 6 percent of the gross domestic product under international guidelines.

‘While billions are wasted on corruption, public schools continue to suffer from the lack of teachers, education support personnel, classrooms, textbooks and basic facilities,’ Bernardo said.

‘This is nothing less than a grave injustice to teachers, learners and the Filipino people,’ she added.

Commitment

Marcos has committed to build 40,000 classrooms before he steps down in 2028.

From July 2022 to August 2025, the DepEd and the DPWH completed 19,250 classrooms nationwide, which reduced the backlog by 11.6 percent from 165,443 to 146,193.

Malacañang sad it expects the DPWH to complete 200 classrooms before the end of the year and 822 classrooms by the second quarter of 2026.

By third quarter next year, 2,000 classrooms should have been completed.

Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Wednesday urged Congress to act on the proposed measure that seeks to grant small fisherfolk ‘absolute access’ to municipal waters that have long been their traditional fishing grounds.

House Bill No. 5606, or the ‘Atin ang Kinse Kilometro’ bill, which was filed on Oct. 20, also seeks to reverse the December 2023 ruling of a Malabon Regional Trial Court (RTC) that declared as unconstitutional the preferential rights and access of small-scale fishers over waters within 15 kilometers (km) from the shore, the activist group said.

‘The Atin ang Kinse Kilometro Bill is seeking to uphold the exclusive rights of the small fishers over the municipal waters that commercial fishers have been trying to exploit,’ Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a statement.

The bill, he added, would also address the ‘unregulated and often destructive’ operations of commercial fishing vessels in municipal waters by banning large-scale fishing activities within the 15-km area.

Loss of exclusive access

To formally lobby for the proposed measure, Pamalakaya said that it would file a position paper before the House panel on aquaculture and fisheries resources.

The group said that several fisherfolk organizations based in various regions and provinces, including Zambales, Panay Island, and Bicol region, have also expressed support for the bill.

Small-time fishers have lost exclusive access to the 15-km zone of municipal waters since the Malabon RTC in December 2023 ruled in favor of Mercidar Fishing Corp., which filed a petition for declaratory relief to challenge the legality of parts of the Philippine Fisheries Code.

The fishing company specifically questioned the definition of municipal waters and why fishing privileges were given exclusively to small-time fisherfolk. INQ

The RTC decision also stripped local governments of their power to issue permits and limit the access of commercial fishing operators to municipal waters to ensure that the livelihood of small fishers is protected.

Kanlaon Volcano emitted ash twice on Thursday morning, generating plumes that reached 600 meters above the crater, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The ash emissions lasted over two hours and 20 minutes, with the first occurrence observed from 5:30 a.m. to 7:29 a.m., and the second discharge from 7:39 a.m. to 8:05 a.m., Phivolcs recorded.

‘These events generated grayish plumes that rose up to 600 meters above the crater before drifting west-southwest,’ Phivolcs added.

Meanwhile, from Wednesday midnight to Thursday midnight, Phivolcs detected 10 volcanic earthquakes affecting Kanlaon.

Phivolcs also said Kanlaon degassed 2,058 tons of sulfur dioxide on Wednesday.

With this, Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 2, according to Phivolcs.

Last Monday, Kanlaon had three ash emissions within 12 hours.

On October 17, nearly 100 earthquakes were detected within the volcano’s vicinity.

With Cignal desperate for a spark, Ishie Lalongisip delivered.

The 23-year-old outside hitter came off the bench and seized her moment, powering the Super Spikers to their first win in the PVL Reinforced Conference an emphatic 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 upset of PLDT on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It ended Cignal’s 0-2 start and halted the High Speed Hitters’ 15-game winning streak.

Without injured Vanie Gandler and following the departure of Greek import Eva Chantava released after a management-coaches meeting deemed it ‘best for both sides to part ways’ Cignal turned to its locals to deliver.

Erika Santos, the PVL On Tour MVP, led the charge with 17 points. But it was Lalongisip who provided the game-changing energy with 15 points, 11 excellent receptions and eight digs.

‘Every day, I’ve been trying to get my game back because I know I wasn’t playing at my real level,’ said Lalongisip in Filipino. ‘In training, we started just enjoying the game again. That carried over today.’

Lalongisip had been quiet in the first two matches, but against a powerhouse PLDT squad that had swept the PVL On Tour and Invitational, the sophomore stepped up just as she did in the last All-Filipino Conference when Cignal lost stars Ces Molina and Ria Meneses.

‘I think we were too focused on the negatives, and it took a toll on us,’ she said. ‘We just kept working hard every day to get back on track.’

Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos, who missed their previous loss to Farm Fresh due to hospitalization, said the early struggles and Chantava’s exit were a wake-up call. ‘What we’re most happy about is it woke everyone up including me,’ said Delos Santos.

A 50-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy died while five others were injured and at least 13 houses were destroyed after a makeshift firecracker factory in Barangay Partida here exploded on Wednesday, local officials said.

Jerry Sumbillo, head of the Norzagaray Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), identified the fatalities as Geraldine Mayo, a resident of Gardenville in nearby Sta. Maria town, and Ivan Bati-on of Barangay Partida.

Mayo had just started work at the factory and was on her third day when the explosion happened, Sumbillo said.

Unlicensed

Bati-on, meanwhile, was attending the wake of his 10-year-old brother in their home one of over 20 small wooden houses in a compound in Barangay Partida when the impact of the blast ripped through the area.

According to Fire Senior Inspector Francis Rosales, chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Norzagaray, five others were injured and were taken to Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos City.

The explosion occurred at past 11 a.m., quickly engulfing the shanty and destroying 13 nearby homes, Rosales said.

Fire Officer 1 Christine Jane de Rama told the Inquirer in a phone interview that their records showed that Norzagaray has no licensed firecracker manufacturers.

‘Our records only show retailers and dealers who source their products from Baliwag and Sta. Maria,’ she said.

Sumbillo said the existence of the makeshift factory in Barangay Partida caught authorities by surprise, as it blended in with the surrounding wooden houses.

‘No one suspected it was a factory. It looked like just another house in the compound,’ he said.

Norzagaray Mayor Merlyn Germar has since ordered the MDRRMO, the BFP, and the local police to conduct thorough inspections in all villages to uncover unlicensed firecracker manufacturing operations.

The explosion occurred at a time when firecracker and pyrotechnics production in Bulacan traditionally intensifies beginning in the ‘ber’ months to prepare for the holiday season, especially for Christmas and New Year sales.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday expressed his full support for the country’s mining industry – the second chief executive to do so since 1987 – but warned that irresponsible operations would not be tolerated by his administration.

In his keynote speech during the Mining Philippines 2025 Conference and Exhibition, organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines in Taguig City, the President said that every mining operation in the country must be consistent with international environmental commitments and should not endanger the lives of Filipinos in communities hosting these extractive businesses.

‘Irresponsible mining has no place in our nation. We will strictly enforce the laws against practices that destroy forests, that poison rivers, that endanger lives,’ the President said.

‘Mining should build communities, not burden them,’ he added.

Marcos also stressed that mining revenues must bring tangible benefits to Filipinos.

‘The wealth from our soil should translate into schools for our children, hospitals for families, and roads that link people with opportunities,’ he said.

According to Marcos, his administration is strengthening transparency and accountability in the mining sector by passing key reform legislation, including the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act (Republic Act No. 12253) and the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System Act (Republic Act No. 11995). Economic potential

‘The Filipino people deserve to know how their resources are being managed, for these are their treasures as much as they are the nation’s,’ the President said.

‘Sustainability, after all, is measured by how many lives we uplift and how faithfully we guard the blessings of our land for the generations to come,’ he added.

Post-Edsa, Marcos is the only second Philippine leader, next to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who served from 2001 to 2010, who fully supported the industry from the beginning of his term, recognizing its vast economic potential.

The late former President Benigno Aquino III’s term from 2010 to 2016 sought a more cautious approach to mining by pushing for more stringent regulations.

He issued Executive Order No. 79 in 2012, which imposed a moratorium in new mining agreements until a new revenue-sharing scheme legislation was passed by Congress, and banned mining in protected areas and prime agricultural lands.

Marcos’ predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was strongly critical of the mining industry in the first years of his term, backed by then Environment Secretary Gina Lopez who ordered the suspension of a number of mining firms across the country for different violations.

In 2021, however, Duterte issued Executive Order No. 130 which lifted the moratorium on new mining agreements. He rationalized his softened stance to boost government revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mineral exports

Based on data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the country has 9 million hectares of land identified as having high-mineral potential. However, only about 9 percent of this, or around 793,000 ha, is covered by mining tenements.

As of September, there are 60 operating metallic mines, 61 nonmetallic mines, and 63 declared ‘Minahang Bayan,’ or people’s small-scale mining area.

A total of 5,691 permits have been issued by local governments for small quarries and sand and gravel operations.

Based on records last year, exports of minerals and mineral products reached $7.38 billion (P431 billion). Gold, nickel ore and nickel products, and copper are the country’s top mineral exports. The mining industry also paid a total of P33 billion in taxes, fees and royalties that it contributed to the economy, government records showed.

The Department of Public Works and Highways on Thursday filed complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against several DPWH officials and contractors, including St. Timothy Construction Corp. and its owner, Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya.

The charges are related to anomalous flood control projects in La Union and Davao Occidental.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said DPWH officials and contractors were charged with malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents for separate flood control projects in the two provinces. ‘Twelve people were charged, plus the Silverwolves Corporation for the La Union case. Nine [people] for the Davao Occidental case, plus St. Timothy [Corporation] and Sarah Discaya,’ Dizon said in a press conference.

The move came after DPWH officials inspected what they described as ‘substandard’ and ‘ghost’ flood control projects in the two provinces. Last Sept. 16, Dizon inspected two flood mitigation structures along the Bauang River Basin in La Union worth P89.7 million each. Both projects were awarded to Silverwolves Construction Corp.

Dizon said the projects were substandard despite being fully paid.

Meanwhile, the secretary also inspected what he described as a ‘ghost’ flood control project in Davao Occidental worth P96.5 million.

He said the project was awarded to the Discaya-owned St. Timothy Construction Corp. in January 2022. after the contractor promised to complete the project.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla then said that after the filing of complaints, there will have to be a preliminary investigation and respondents in the case have to submit their counter-affidavits.

He, however, said that they can still bring additional pieces of evidence after the counter-affidavits are filed.

When asked why the agency will not do a fact-finding investigation anymore, Remulla explained that the complaints are a verified petition and the documents have been vetted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

‘That’s why this is already a presumption that all of this case already underwent complete scrutiny so we will adhere to that,’ Remulla said in the same conference. The DPWH earlier filed cases before the Ombudsman against 25 individuals, four construction firms including St. Timothy Construction Corporation over alleged kickbacks in flood control projects in Bulacan.

Dizon said that these cases covered violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Government Procurement Reform Act, and malversation and falsification against Discaya’s firms and other contractors, as well as officials and employees of DPWH’s district engineering officer in Bulacan. /apl/dm /gsg

The local bourse marginally improved on Thursday as investors hunted for cheap stocks following a steep decline the previous day.

By the end of the session, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) added 0.38 percent, or 23.09 points, to close at 6,053.96.

The broader All Shares Index also climbed by 0.28 percent, or 10.20 points, to end at 3,637.58.

A total of 1.42 billion shares worth P4.8 billion changed hands, stock exchange data showed.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said investors mostly bought battered blue chips, allowing the bourse to register a slight gain.

The sectors ended mixed, with services firms posting a 1.72-percent improvement, thanks to the 2.41-percent rise of index heavyweight International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) to P55Meanwhile, banks saw the steepest loss at 0.56 percent due to the 1.78-percent decline of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). Active list

Ayala Land Inc. was the most actively traded stock as it lost 0.69 percent to close at P21.50, followed by BDO Unibank Inc., up 0.74 percent to P137; ICTSI; Ayala Corp., down 1.9 percent to P475; and BPI.

Others were: Manila Electric Co., up 2.96 percent to P592; GT Capital Holdings Inc., down 2.78 percent to P559; PLDT Inc., up 0.91 percent to P1,110; Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., flat at P70; and SM Investments Corp., up 0.54 percent to P738 each.

Aljon Mariano would be the first to acknowledge that his days with Barangay Ginebra will be sorely missed.

But Mariano also accepts that getting traded from a title contender to a lowly Terrafirma squad is one of the harsh realities of being a PBA player, and will look to make the best out of the situation. ‘I can’t say that I won’t miss my time with Ginebra,’ Mariano said after posting 10 points, two rebounds and three assists in his Dyip debut that ended with a 125-108 loss to the Converge FiberXers on Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Mariano was an additional piece in the deal that sent Maverick Ahanmisi to Terrafirma in exchange for a first-round pick in next season’s Rookie Draft. The move was consummated after Ahanmisi had sought a trade, citing his desire to get more playing minutes.

Mariano has been with Ginebra since being taken in the second round of the 2015 Draft, and was a role player or a bit part in the seven championships he won while with the crowd favorites.

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‘I had a lot of experiences with them, and built a lot of relationships in my 10 years since I was drafted. That has been my routine every day with Ginebra and I’ve been used to being in the playoffs, winning championships.

‘But I have to move on, I’m here with my new team and that’s my focus now and provide some experience to the younger players,’ added Mariano.

The 33-year-old will be playing alongside some familiar players, namely Ahanmisi and another ex-Ginebra player in Paul Garcia. He also reunited with Terrafirma team governor Pido Jarencio, his coach when he suited up for University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP.

The Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) on Thursday said a smoke incident occurred inside a Light Rail Transit Line-1 (LRT-1) train, but was successfully addressed, preventing any effects on its operations.

According to the LRMC in a statement, the smoke originated from a mobile phone left on the floor of a train at the Central Terminal Station, northbound platform, at around 10:02 p.m. on ThursdayThe LRMC said a certain passenger left the phone out of panic due to its sudden emission of smoke.

‘The train driver’s swift action in removing the phone from the train prevented any escalation,’ the LRMC said.

‘Security and station personnel instantly responded to secure the area,’ it added.

However, the LRMC said the incident still resulted in unloading the train’s passengers at the LRT-1 Central Terminal Station for thorough inspection of the vehicle.

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Thankfully, no damage or suspicious objects were found thereafter.

‘We are pleased to report that the incident had no major effects on the overall operations of the LRT-1,’ the LRMC said. /mr