Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

At least one million rice farmers will get a P7,000 cash aid under the proposed 2026 national budget to ensure that the agricultural sector will thrive, House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said on Monday.

Dy said this during the joint hearing of the House committee on agriculture and food and the committee on ways and means regarding the moratorium on rice importation.

He said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) needs to implement systems properly so that the country would not be reliant on importation.

‘The amount of rice imported should be based on the actual harvest, including the DA’s post-harvest assessment to guide their decisions. In this manner, we will comply with the rules of the WTO (World Trade Organization) while prioritizing evidence and the welfare of our farmers,’ Dy said in his speech.

‘In connection with this, I am happy to inform you that in our 2026 national budget, farmers will receive direct cash aid as part of the government’s wider support for the agriculture sector. Help will surely come,’ he said.

‘One million farmers will each receive P7,000 cash aid to address the loss of income due to the low buying price of palay,’ he announced.

According to Dy, the provision of a cash aid shows the commitment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration in helping farmers and implementing long-lasting reforms.

‘The distribution of a cash aid shows the determination of President Marcos in immediately addressing the hardships of our farmers, and along with this push for lasting reforms,’ the speaker said.

‘Our president is also appealing that all DA subsidies, like the seed subsidy, would be given as cash so that it would be easier and so that our farmers can directly benefit from this,’ he noted.

As early as June 23 – before the 19th Congress lawmakers ended their term – former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that the House will focus on improving the capability of the the National Food Authority (NFA), so that the government can buy palay or rice grains at fair prices while selling them cheaper.

Romualdez eventually filed House Bill (HB) No. 1 or the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, which seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act.

Based on the copy of the measure released by Romualdez’s office, the bill seeks to strengthen the regulatory powers of the NFA ‘to support the rice industry and ensure consumer protection through adequate supply and stable price of rice.’

Dy said the RICE Act will be tackled by the House being a priority legislation of the chamber and the entire Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).

‘In talking with farmers from Isabela, many said that the buying price of palay has gone down to as low as P8 per kilogram – far from the P16 to P18 that is needed to recover losses,’ he said.

‘If palay is sold at an extremely low price, farmers would not only be in danger, but also the food security of our country,’ he warned.

‘Here we would see the immediate need for reforms. That’s why part of our primary priorities pushed at the Ledac is the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment or RICE Act to strengthen the NFA, take care of our farmers’ livelihood, and to ensure that rice remains affordable for every Filipino,’ he added.

During the 19th Congress, a proposal to amend the RTL was approved on third reading by the House of Representatives.

House Bill (HB) No. 10381 was approved last May 2024, with 231 lawmakers voting in the affirmative, three in the negative, and one abstaining.

The House leadership believes that the bill can bring down rice prices by P10 to P15 per kilogram.

However, the bill faced opposition in the Senate amid fears that giving back some of NFA’s mandates might lead to corruption again.

According to Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, chair of the committee on agriculture and food, this would not happen as NFA will have a limited role in importation.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to leave interest rates unchanged this week, pausing after three consecutive cuts as officials wait for clearer signals on the state of the economy and weigh the peso’s slide.

Ten out of 16 economists surveyed by the Inquirer last week projected that the Monetary Board (MB) will keep the overnight borrowing rate that banks use as a guide when pricing loans at 5 percent when the policymaking body meets on Oct. 9.

A decision to stand pat would mark a pause in an easing cycle that began in August last year, during which the central bank lowered rates by a total of 1.5-percentage points.

Softer inflation gave officials room to loosen policy to shore up growth, which has been strained by global headwinds amid higher US tariffs.

This time, though, analysts see risks that may prompt the central bank to slam the brakes on easing.

A separate Inquirer poll of 14 economists pegged inflation at 2 percent in September, a seven-month high but still within the 2- to 4-percent target range, largely on faster food price gains because of storms and a freeze on rice imports.

The peso’s slide to 58 against the dollar last week has added to the pressure.

Weaker currency levels could feed into inflation, particularly as the US Federal Reserve slows the pace of its own rate cuts.

‘A pause at the current level would also minimize the depreciation pressure on the peso since the BSP has eased more than the Fed so far this year,’ Alvin Arogo, economist and research division head at Philippine National Bank, said.

At its last August meeting, when the BSP cut by a quarter point, Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said monetary policy was in a ‘sweet spot’-neither too low to fuel inflation nor too high to choke growth.

Since then, markets have increasingly expected the easing cycle to near its end, though Remolona has left the door open to another reduction later this year if demand falters.

Waiting game

For analysts at Chinabank Research, the BSP may wait for firmer economic data before deciding whether another cut is warranted.

‘With the central bank describing the current policy rate as the ‘Goldilocks rate,’ policymakers may require a firmer justification for an immediate adjustment to monetary policy,’ they added.

Others remain convinced, however, that more easing is warranted.

Gareth Leather, senior Asia economist at Capital Economics, expects another quarter-point cut this week, arguing that ‘the economy could do with more support’ amid tighter fiscal policy and weaker exports. ‘But the main reason we are expecting further easing,’ Leather added, ‘is that price pressures are weak.’

Even if policymakers hold steady this week, most analysts believe the BSP still has space to reduce borrowing costs further.

‘While we have a 25-basis point rate cut in our fourth-quarter forecast profile, risks on the horizon lead us to believe the BSP will likely delay acting until December,’ said Deepali Bhargava, economist at ING Bank.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit northeastern Cebu last September 30 should prompt Congress to immediately address proposals for a new building code, Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. said on Sunday.

Momo, in a statement, stressed that failure to pass and enact the proposed Philippine Building Act may result in catastrophic damage during disasters, which could be prevented if safety measures and standards were in place.

‘The Cebu earthquake is a wake-up call, again. It shows the cracks not only in our buildings but in our outdated building regulations. We need a building code that reflects the current and updated engineering standards, hazard maps, and climate realities-not one that was written decades ago,’ Momo said.

‘The time to pass this measure is not today, not tomorrow, not even yesterday. I have been pushing for the bill since the last two Congresses. This is long delayed, and our kababayans are paying the price for our failure to act,’ he added.

Last Tuesday night, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck waters northeast of Bogo, Cebu, damaging heritage churches and other structures and knocking out power in parts of the central Philippines.

Latest reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that the death toll from the Cebu earthquake has risen to 71.

‘We cannot keep playing catch-up every time disaster strikes. We owe it to the people of Cebu-and every Filipino-to make sure that the buildings they live, work, and study in are safe,’ Momo noted.

This is not the first time Momo has stressed the need for a new Philippine Building Act. Last March 31, he said that the impact of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit Myanmar should serve as a reminder to prepare for possible scenarios-particularly the feared ‘Big One’ quake that seismologists expect to hit Metro Manila in the future.

Several experts fear that at least 52,000 may die, with at least 500,000 others injured, should the West Valley Fault – a segment of the Marikina Valley Fault System that cuts from Bulacan down to Metro Manila and then Laguna-cause a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

A special report by PSA Philippines Consultancy Inc. in 2019 showed that the possible quake, dubbed the ‘Big One,’ indicated that at least two major earthquakes had originated from the West Valley Fault in the last 1,400 years.

Momo said the Philippine Building Act can help mitigate damage from earthquakes as strong as magnitude 7.2.

During the 19th Congress, the proposed Philippine Building Act, contained in House Bill No. 8500, was approved by the House in August 2023. If it had been approved and signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., it would have replaced the country’s more than four-decade-old National Building Code.

The country’s existing building code was created through Presidential Decree No. 1096, signed in 1977 by the Chief Executive’s father and namesake, then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

The bill seeks to update the country’s standards regarding the ‘planning, design, construction, occupancy, maintenance, and demolition of buildings’ and streamline the building permit process.

In addition, the consolidated version of the bill would create a new system for the classification of buildings and new requirements for zoning, fire prevention, environmental protection, and design.

The bill also includes a provision requiring a structural review of buildings every 15 years.

However, the 19th Congress ended its term without the bill being forwarded to the President’s desk.

Marcos on accountability in flood control mess: Resignation isn’t enough

Resigning does not absolve one from culpability, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during the first part of the fifth episode of his online program titled BBM Podcast.

Sotto ‘very confident’ majority bloc backs his leadership amid coup talk

Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III expressed confidence in the majority bloc’s support for his leadership.

In a text message to reporters on Monday, Sotto said he is ‘very confident’ of his colleagues’ backing amid murmurs of another coup d’état attempt.

Coup in Senate leadership will raise suspicion of a cover-up, says CBCP

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday warned that any attempt to change the Senate leadership or divert focus from investigations in flood control project anomalies ‘would only heighten public suspicion of a cover-up’ after revelations in congressional hearings.

Justice Secretary Remulla shortlisted for Ombudsman post

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has been included in the shortlist of candidates being considered as Ombudsman.

‘Pursuant to Article VIII, Section 9 of the Constitution, the Judicial and Bar Council has the honor to submit the following nominations for the position of Ombudsman,’ read the letter dated Oct. 6, 2025 addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Novak Djokovic said he had been ‘hanging by a rope’ before battling through to the Shanghai Masters last 16 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Serb is looking to win a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai but was given a mighty scare by the 150th-ranked German.

Djokovic fired two aces to start, delighting the crowd, but soon ran into trouble as Hanfmann found his range.

The German broke in the third game and held serve after that to clinch the first set.

‘I was just outplayed by a better player for a set and a half — I was hanging by a rope to stay in the match,’ Djokovic said.

Neither player was able to take control of a gruelling second set, until a series of unforced errors from Hanfmann in the 12th game gave Djokovic the opening he needed.

Sweating in 28 C humidity at 9:00 pm, the 24-time Grand Slam champion then broke in the fourth game of the third set as his 33-year-old opponent’s precision dropped.

Cheered on by a stadium full of adoring fans, Djokovic held his resolve to take the third set after Hanfmann hit the ball out.

‘I had to dig in really, really deep to come out from this match as a winner, and I think the energy and support of the crowd really got me out,’ Djokovic said.

The United States’ Taylor Fritz was not so lucky, becoming the highest-ranked player to be dumped out so far after he fell to 37th-ranked Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-5.

On a hot afternoon, the world number four seemed lethargic and struggled to get into his stride, unnerved after Mpetshi Perricard nearly broke twice in the fifth game.

That preempted a streak of brilliance that saw the neon orange-clad Frenchman fire three aces to hold the sixth, then break in the seventh.

A closely fought second set came to a head in the 11th game when a double fault by Fritz handed Mpetshi Perricard the advantage, which he swiftly converted with a backhand.

Finishing the match off with two aces, the big-serving 22-year-old said he could be proud of himself.

‘It was tough to be honest, tough conditions, very humid,’ he said.

‘The game at 5-5 (in the second set), it was terrible. I thought I was dying on the court,’ he chuckled.

Mpetshi Perricard will next face 11th-ranked Dane Holger Rune, who beat France’s Ugo Humbert, 6-4, 6-4.

The body of a 53-year-old farmer who was swept away by raging floodwaters during the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paolo was recovered on Sunday, nearly three days after he went missing, authorities said in a report on Monday.

According to the Aritao Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the farmer’s remains were found floating along a river in Barangay Santa Clara, Aritao.

A 30-member search and retrieval team – composed of local police, firefighters, municipal disaster responders, and volunteers from nearby towns – had been scouring the swollen river since the man was reported missing.

Initial reports indicate the farmer was attempting to cross a bamboo bridge over the river to retrieve his carabao from a flooded field when he slipped and was swept away by the current.

Barangay Santa Clara Chairman Ricardo Suguitan told responders that witnesses had seen the man struggling to swim before being overwhelmed by the swift-moving waters.

On Oct. 4, at least 767 families – or 2,514 individuals – were forced to evacuate to temporary shelters and higher ground across Nueva Vizcaya due to flooding caused by Paolo. Most evacuees began returning to their homes the following day./coa

Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito pushed for the full funding of the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) assistance programs, stressing that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) deserve consistent and timely legal, medical, and welfare support as the country’s modern-day heroes.

During the budget hearing on Monday, Ejercito urged officials to ensure that the department’s Aksyon Fund can sustain early legal interventions for distressed OFWs, noting that many workers receive government aid only when their cases abroad are already too advanced.

‘We always call OFWs modern-day heroes, but the dilemma before was that legal assistance was limited – help would only come when the case was already advanced, sometimes even after a sentence had been handed down,’ he said.

Ejercito, who defended the DMW’s inaugural budget in 2022, reiterated his support for maintaining adequate allocations for legal aid, hospitalization, repatriation, and other welfare services for migrant workers.

He also underscored the importance of continuing service projects such as OFW hospitals, special lanes in airports, and lounges, which aim to make government support more accessible.

The senator asked whether the P1-billion allocation for the Aksyon Fund would be sufficient to meet the growing needs of Filipino workers abroad.

Ejercito further inquired about the status of the integration between the DMW and the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) assistance services, and whether the department is now capable of providing legal support at the early stages of proceedings, which he said is a recurring issue in past years.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac assured the committee that the Aksyon Fund remains the ‘heart and soul’ of their department, emphasizing that trained legal experts are available around the clock to assist OFWs in their host countries.

Ejercito said that the budget amendments proposed by senators are intended to strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure that the DMW’s resources directly benefit OFWs and their families.

‘Our migrant workers bring pride to the nation and drive our economy forward. We have to make sure that the government’s assistance reaches them when it matters most,’ he said.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday warned that any attempt to change the Senate leadership or divert focus from investigations into flood control project anomalies ‘would only heighten public suspicion of a cover-up’ after revelations in congressional hearings.

The CBCP made this statement amid circulating talks of a coup d’état attempt against Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III.

It was just last month when Sotto replaced Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero through a minority-led ouster.

CBCP then reiterated its call on the government to conduct transparent investigations into the flood control scandal.

Several congressional hearings have been held to investigate anomalies in flood control projects nationwide.

Witnesses had testified that some lawmakers and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were receiving kickbacks, as well as congressional insertions in the national budget, among other irregularities.

‘We strongly oppose any attempt to pre-empt or derail the investigation through backroom details, leadership takeovers, or selective justice. A nation cannot heal when its moral arteries are clogged by corruption and self-interest,’ the CBCP said.

It also highlighted the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s function to ‘restore public trust,’ emphasizing that the probe body ‘must be empowered to investigate fully and freely, without political interference from any branch of government.’

With this, the CBCP urged Congress and Malacañang to let the ICI do its mandate ‘thoroughly, transparently, and without fear or favor.’

The bishops’ conference then said that the following must be included in the ICI’s mandate:

transparency in its proceedings, findings, and recommendations

access to all necessary documents and witnesses, including those protected by political privilege

public discourse of budget insertions and project allocations, especially those tied to unprogrammed or duplicate projects of the DPWH

protection for whistleblowers and technical personnel who come forward in good faith

ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka previously said that ICI hearings are not being livestreamed.

He will discuss the requests for livestreaming with the commission to find a ‘solution that will both balance the request for more transparency and the protection of individual rights.’

Hosaka also explained that the ‘ICI is avoiding trial by publicity, and will not allow it to be used for any political leverage or agency by any individual or group.’

Angel Aquino gamely revealed that she ‘likes girls’ when asked to share a tidbit of herself, clarifying that she also falls in love with fellow women.

Aquino shared that she ‘likes girls’ in a The Daily Dish interview last September when she was asked to reveal something about herself that people do not know about.

‘Oh, I don’t know, my life is an open book. I like girls? There. Well, a lot of people are in denial – sila talaga ‘yung in denial (they are the ones in denial),’ she said.

Before capping off her interview, Aquino clarified that she ‘also falls in love with girls and women,’ noting that her words might be taken out of context by other netizens on social media.

‘Wait, can I just correct that because I said I like girls. You know that might sound – especially with social media – it might sound weird,’ she said. ‘I’m saying I also fall in love with girls and women. They might think it, you know, it can sound weird kasi if you just if you take it as is.’

Aquino’s statement soon made rounds on social media, with many expressing how happy they are for the actress to be open about the people she likes. Aquino was previously married to Ian Bernardez in 1995, with their marriage getting annulled nine years later. She then dated TV presenter Lui Villaruz from 2007 to 2011.

The actress is currently part of the cast of the action drama ‘Batang Quiapo’ and the Sari Dalena-helmed Cinemalaya 2025 entry ‘Cinemartyrs.’

On National Teachers’ Day (NTD), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized that knowledge without integrity is useless and that the true measure of education’s success lies in the moral conviction of students.

During the NTD celebration at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Marcos paid tribute to the nation’s educators for their dedication to teaching and for serving as role models to their students.

He also believes that education is the best investment any nation can make in its people.

‘The true success of education lies not only in the intelligence of our youth but also in their goodness and moral conviction. For intelligence without integrity is meaningless, but goodness and wisdom-these will uphold our New Philippines,’ he said.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, you here are the guiding hands, and in your hands our nation’s progress is held. In your strength, in your wisdom, and in your courage, we find the assurance that our future is secure,’ he added.

Moreover, Marcos described teaching as a ‘partnership’ between students and teachers.

‘Teaching is a partnership-between teachers and learners, between generations, between those who dream and those who make dreams possible. And it is in this collaboration that the strength of our nation is built,’ he explained.

Marcos also cited some of his administration’s initiatives to support teachers, such as the signing of the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, which provides teachers with P10,000 to help cover classroom needs, and the issuance of Department of Education Order No. 005, which ensures fair teaching loads.

Teachers will also receive a P1,000 incentive in time for World Teachers’ Day in recognition of their service.

‘This administration is also preparing and investing for the long term. The Senate and Congress have already proposed the 2026 budget for DepEd,’ the chief executive said.

‘Meanwhile, we have allocated P26.55 billion for DepEd programs from the funds of the flood control projects, which we have deemed not to be viable,’ he told the audience.

‘These funds will be directed to increase funding for classrooms, child nutrition, teacher compensation, and technology in schools, because we believe that education is the best investment that any nation can make in its people,’ he added.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually on October 5 to honor teachers around the globe.

It marks the anniversary of the 1966 International Labour Organization/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which established key guidelines on teachers’ rights, responsibilities, and professional standards.