Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

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

The menu of programs under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) should adapt with the rapidly changing digital landscape so Filipino workers would be ‘future-ready’, Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said on Tuesday.

Yamsuan in a statement said he has filed House Bill (HB) No. 4037 or the proposed Tesda Programs Modernization Act to address the job and skill mismatch issues hounding the workforce today.

Under HB No. 4037, Tesda’s programs would be expanded by also covering digital skills and emerging technologies – including the placement of courses on artificial intelligence (AI), software development and coding, game design, cybersecurity, digital marketing, robotics and 3-D printing.

‘Within twelve (12) months from the effectivity of this Act, Tesda shall expand its courses and programs to include emerging technologies and digital skills aligned with the Industry 4.0 and future industrial revolutions, such as but not limited to Artificial Intelligence, software development and coding, game development, cybersecurity, digital marketing and e- commerce, robotics, and 3-D printing,’ Yamsuan said in the bill.

‘Tesda shall ensure that its courses and programs are reviewed every three (3) years and updated as necessary, to remain responsive to technological advancements, with the goal of future-proofing the Filipino workforce,’ the bill added.

According to Yamsuan, the country needs to make sure that Filipino workers remain competitive across the globe, by requiring Tesda to modernize its offerings.

‘In this digital age, the labor market is constantly evolving. We need to make sure that our labor force can always catch up by mandating TESDA to broaden its accredited course offerings to include programs that would arm our workers with ‘future-ready’ skills,’ Yamsuan, a member of the House committee on labor and employment, said.

Yamsuan cited the case of his city, Parañaque, noting that there are a lot of available jobs within buildings accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, but applicants fail to meet the standards set by these companies.

‘For example, in the City of Parañaque, there are multiple buildings accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, reflecting continued demand for information technology and technology-enabled services.8 However, there are not a lot of opportunities to learn about emerging technologies to access higher-value jobs,’ Yamsuan said in the bill’s explanatory note.

‘This measure aims to expand Tesda’s accredited programs to modern technological and digital fields. By doing so, it operationalizes the constitutional mandate to give priority to science and technology education, training, and services,’ he added.

Yamsuan also pointed out a 2021 report by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, which stated that the current Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs are largely ineffective in curbing underemployment among young people.

The same report also found that six in 10 Filipino workers are employed in elementary or agricultural occupations, and jobs often rely on basic skills.

Yamsuan is not the lone lawmaker who has raised concerns over the adequacy of Tesda’s programs and other higher and technical education offerings. Last August, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said that part of his priority as the House committee on higher and technical education chairperson is to modernize the Tesda and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) charters.

Acidre explained that updating the two agencies’ charter laws is part of a 10-point higher education reform legislative agenda.

Last July, nonprofit organization Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said that despite decades of reforms to the education system, the country’s learning crisis has persisted, with the gap between graduates and employment only growing wider and students’ performance as well as teaching quality continuing to decline.

PBEd Executive Director Hanibal Camua said these factors have caused a growing disconnect between education and employment, as graduates struggle to find jobs after graduation.

Yamsuan said the bill seeks to address these findings, and other recommendations by Edcom 2 or the Second Congressional Commission on Education – like a call to prioritize digital technology in terms of working on overseeing curriculum standards.

‘All these sectors require our workers to possess technological skills dahil halos lahat ng industriya ngayon ay gumagamit na ng makabagong teknolohiya (because almost all industries today utilize modern technologies),’ he added.

Last Sept. 28, the nation should have remembered the birthday of Wenceslao ‘Bintao’ Vinzons. But few did. Many young Filipinos have never even heard his name. Among the older generations, his story has faded into the footnotes of World War II. And yet, in a time when the country is engulfed by scandal after scandal-when public office is reduced to the pursuit of family wealth, dynasty, and kickbacks-Vinzons’ life and death strike with the force of an indictment.

We are living through a crisis of corruption and impunity. The images seared into the public imagination are obscene: bundles of thousand-peso bills stacked on tables, waiting to be delivered as kickbacks; words like tara and obligasyon now part of the common tongue, as if plunder were as ordinary as breathing. Politicians shrug off exposés, tighten their seat belts, and ride out the storm. They know anger can be loud but fleeting. What is left is a public demoralized, persuaded that the Philippine government is little more than a criminal syndicate in barong tagalog.

This is why Vinzons matters now. Born in 1910 in Indan, Camarines Norte, he became the UP student council chair and editor of the Philippine Collegian. He was a visionary, farseeing, brilliant advocate for a pan-Malay union. He founded Young Philippines, a political party of law students who insisted that the youth was not a waiting room but a vanguard. At 24, he was a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention. At 27, he was governor. At 29, a congressman. But his true test came not in the halls of lawmaking but in the forests of Bicol.

When Japan invaded, Vinzons organized 2,800 guerrillas in Camarines Norte. His command was one of the earliest, fiercest resistance groups in the country. For the Japanese, neutralizing Vinzons was essential. When he was captured in 1942, they offered him collaboration: help pacify the resistance in exchange for his life. He refused.

But the refusal did not cost him alone. The Japanese retaliated by executing six members of his family-his father Gabino, his wife Liwayway, his sister, and two of his children. An unborn child was lost with Liwayway. Vinzons knew this was likely. He chose the nation anyway.

This is the staggering reversal. In the Philippines, the family has always rivaled the state for the loyalty of its citizens. Politicians rationalize dynasties as the necessary scaffolding of competitiveness for public office. But Vinzons turned this proposition on its head. He chose to sacrifice his family so that the nation-and the families of 2,800 guerrillas under his command-might live.

Measured against that, how obscene is today’s corruption! We have a President who, in his State of the Nation Address, could only scold the corrupt with the rebuke: ‘Mahiya naman kayo.’ But shame without civic grounding means little. What we lack is the civic virtue that once allowed a 31-year-old congressman to die rather than betray his people. The civic duty that animated Vinzons has all but dissipated.

Corruption begins in the mind. It thrives in the rationalization that ‘everyone does it,’ that loyalty to family excuses betrayal of the nation. Every time we sing ‘ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo,’ we should remember that Vinzons lived and died those words-and that his sacrifice should shame our officials who equate patriotism with lining the pockets of their kin.

The tragedy is not only that Vinzons is forgotten. It is that his sacrifice has not become the beacon it should be. In a time when young people flood the streets in anger at corruption, his story should guide them. He embodied what it means to be a Filipino youth activist: principled, fearless, incorruptible. He was, in every sense, the father of student activism, the proof that youth is not preparation but power.

If our institutions are to regain legitimacy, they must show the courage Vinzons showed-not in death, but in action. Arrest and prosecute the guilty, no matter their family name. Make the national budget a paragon of transparency. Empower civil society and youth organizations to act as watchdogs, armed with technology and civic discipline.

Otherwise, public rage will flare and fade, as it always has. But if we take Vinzons seriously-if we allow his forgotten name to rebuke us-we may yet recover the civic virtue to save this democracy. He died at 31, but he has not finished speaking to the Filipino spirit and soul.

The House of Representatives needs to inform the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the seat vacancy of Zaldy Co following his resignation as a representative of Ako Bicol Party-list, according to Comelec Chairperson George Garcia on Tuesday.

Garcia said that while the poll body is aware that the office of House Speaker Faustino Dy III received the resignation on Monday, the lower chamber still needs to officially inform the Comelec of Co’s resignation.

Garcia noted the process is similar to when a member of a House of Representatives dies and there needs to be a declaration of seat vacancy.

‘If a member resigns, there needs to be a declaration to trigger vacancy from the member of the House of Representatives,’ Garcia, speaking in Filipino, told reporters during an online interview.

Co has resigned from his post as the representative of Ako Bicol Party-list amid allegations of his involvement in the anomalous flood control projects. In his letter to Dy, Co cited ‘the real, direct, grave and imminent threat’ to him and to ‘the lives of my family members.’

With this, Garcia said that the poll body is yet to receive the letter from the lower chamber. He added that it is usually the secretary general informing the poll body of the acceptance of the resignation.

Garcia also said that it is also the secretary general who asks who would replace the seat vacated.

‘Comelec can’t just issue a certificate of proclamation or acknowledgment of the resignation of the member of House of Representatives without the lower chamber’s acknowledgement,’ Garcia stressed in Filipino.

‘It should also be noted that the issue of membership is purely a matter under the discretion of the House of Representatives and cannot be interfered with by the Comelec,’ Garcia added in Filipino.

Garcia noted that as Co resigned, the second nominee will automatically assume the party-list’s first seat while the third nominee will get the second seat.

He explained that this is because the Ako Bicol Party-list secured two seats in the May 2025 midterm elections, garnering a total of 1,072,171 votes. The certificates of nomination of the party-list showed that aside from Co being the first nominee, Alfred Garbin and Jan Franz Chan were named the second and third nominees, respectively.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday allayed fears and debunked myths regarding the safety and effectiveness of contraceptives as the agency sought to encourage the public to practice family planning.

‘Until now, myths regarding contraceptives continue to flourish,’ the DOH said in a video presentation. ‘Many have become confused and afraid because of these rumors.’

Among the myths surrounding contraceptives that were pointed out by the DOH was the belief that birth control pills can cause cancer, which the agency stressed was not true.

‘Instead of causing cancer, studies have shown that [birth control] pills can help reduce the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer,’ the DOH said, citing a report from the World Health Organization.

The DOH further noted that some people believe that taking birth control pills can lower a person’s sex drive. However, the agency pointed out that there has been no evidence to prove such claims, emphasizing that birth control pills are safe to use.

The DOH also addressed fears regarding ligation, which involves cutting or blocking a woman’s fallopian tubes, noting that some people believe that undergoing such procedure can weaken a person’s body.

‘That’s wrong. Ligation does not cause weakness or hormonal imbalance, nor does it affect a person’s sex drive or weight. It also does not involve removing a woman’s womb,’ the DOH said.

The DOH also noted that withdrawal during sexual activities do not effectively prevent pregnancies, pointing out that one out of five women who rely on such a method become pregnant within a year.

The agency said it was important to spread correct information regarding contraceptives so that couples would be aware of their options when practicing family planning, helping them attain their desired number of children and allowing women to determine the spacing of their pregnancies.

Some of these options include condoms, birth control pills and injectables, which prevent pregnancies in the short term. Long-term options, meanwhile, include implants and intrauterine devices, while permanent measures include ligation and vasectomy.

Previously, the DOH said more than 9 million women in the country were using family planning methods based on data from the agency. However, it also noted that only 0.1 percent of Filipinos have undergone vasectomy despite the measure being 99.9 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. /cb

Just days after Typhoon Opong exited the country, a new low-pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) is now being monitored, the state weather agency said Tuesday.

As of 8 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the LPA is 1,360 east of Southeastern Luzon. It has a medium potential of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours.

Pagasa said earlier that the cloud clusters could develop into an LPA that might affect northern Luzon. Once it becomes an LPA, it has a possibility of turning into a tropical cyclone from Sept. 29 to early October.

Meanwhile, Pagasa warned that Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon are expected to experience cloudy skies with scattered showers and thunderstorms due to easterlies.

Easterlies refer to winds that blow from the eastward direction, carrying warm and moist air from the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines. /das/abc

The Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the motion for reconsideration filed by TAPE Inc. in the Eat Bulaga copyright infringement lawsuit filed by TV hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon (TVJ) against the production company.

The CA affirmed that the trio owns the copyright of the audiovisual recordings and jingles of Eat Bulaga, which the company used without consent. The appeals court also ordered TAPE to pay damages and attorney’s fees totaling P3 million.

‘For having determined that TAPE committed unfair competition and copyright infringement, we sustain the RTC’s award in favor of TVJ, et al. the following amounts of PHP 2,000,000.00 as temperate damages, PHP 500,000.00 as exemplary damages, and PHP 500,000.00 as attorney’s fees pursuant to Sections 156.1 and 216.1 of the Intellectual Property Code as well as Article 2208(1)6 of the New Civil Code,’ a part of the decision read.

Senate President Tito also spoke about the ruling in a statement released by his office. ‘The decision upholds the earlier ruling recognizing TVJ as the copyright owners of the materials in question.’

The Intellectual Property Office (IPOPhl) favored TVJ in December 2023 and dismissed the trademark registration of TAPE for the names ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘EB.’

The following month, TVJ won their copyright infringement and unfair competition case against TAPE after the Marikina City Regional Trial Court ruled in favor of the trio

It was not an exposé but a script similar to that used by Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS) and trolls on social media.

This was what Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said about Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero’s speech at the Senate on Monday where the latter alleged that he was behind the ploy to divert public anger over the flood control mess to senators.

‘I listened to the privilege speech of Sen. Chiz Escudero. With respect, what we heard was not an exposé but a DDS script-the same recycled accusations we have long seen on troll pages and social media posts. Nothing new and no truth either,’ the former Speaker said in a statement released shortly after Escudero’s speech.

‘Instead of answering the serious questions he himself must face, Senator Escudero chose to deflect. He did not deny the allegations against him. He did not explain his own role in flood-control kickbacks. Instead of explaining, he just pointed fingers,’ Romualdez added.

‘Personal interest’

Romualdez, who stepped down as speaker on Sept. 17, said Escudero’s speech was not meant for the pursuit of accountability, but to ‘profess loyalty and service’ to Vice President Sara Duterte.

‘The truth is clear: Senator Escudero’s speech is not about accountability, but to push for his personal ambition,’ he said.

‘It was a performance designed to profess loyalty and service to Vice President Sara Duterte, and to position himself as her ally for 2028. His true line of service is not for the truth, but for a personal interest and political plans,’ he added.

Escudero accused Romualdez of orchestrating a ‘sarswela’-a local theater and opera show that evolved from the Spanish zarzuela-to distract the public.

Cooperation

Romualdez, meanwhile, assured the public that he will cooperate with investigations.

‘For my part, I will continue to cooperate with every impartial investigation. My record can withstand scrutiny. I don’t have anything to hide. As for Senator Escudero, kung tunay na pananagutan ang hanap, sa presinto na siya magpaliwanag (if he is seeking real accountability, he should explain in the proper forum),’ he said.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Marcos condemned government officials and contractors who allegedly earned kickbacks at the expense of people suffering from heavy flooding even during mild rain showers. This led to congressional investigations and the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to probe alleged corruption in flood control projects. Romualdez has not been linked to any of the top companies that cornered big-ticket projects. He denied allegations that he received kickbacks, calling them ‘false’ and ‘pure fiction.’

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday called on Congress to prioritize several measures, including amendments to school-based feeding programs and the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Act.

DepEd made the call during a meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, which was presided over by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘In the New Philippines, we must ensure that every student has adequate nutrition, quality teachers, safe schools, and equal opportunities-whether they study in public or private institutions. These proposals are concrete steps to make sure that not a single learner is left behind,’ Education Sec. Sonny Angara said in Filipino in a statement.

The priority education bills endorsed to Congress include:

Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act (RA 11037): Expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program to 160 feeding days and universal feeding for Kindergarten to Grade 3; inclusion of marginalized groups such as indigenous learners and adolescent mothers; allowance of milk-based substitutes for the Milk Feeding Program; weekly micronutrient supplementation for female learners; and establishment of Central Kitchens in every School Division Office, among others.

Amendments to the E-GASTPE Act (RA 8545): Institutionalization of anti-fraud mechanisms through centralized verification, audits, whistleblower protection, and data- sharing with other agencies; expansion of voucher coverage to Kindergarten through Senior High School learners and teachers, among others.

Amendments to the Teacher Professionalization Act (RA 7836): Flexibility in creating distinct licensure examinations per teacher education program, diversification of the Board for Professional Teachers, and additional graduate quality assurance measures such as portfolio assessment and literacy and numeracy testing, among others.

Amendments to the Local Government Code – Special Education Fund (SEF): Raising the SEF levy from 1% to 2% of assessed property value and expanding allowable uses to cover operations of special education, IP and madrasah classes, open high schools, flexible learning, school site acquisition, and school building maintenance, among others.

Meanwhile, Angara also noted DepEd’s support of the Classroom Building Acceleration Bill to fast-track the construction of classrooms nationwide by providing flexibility and engaging more partners in the implementation.

According to Angara, strengthening these programs is essential to deliver better learning outcomes and to give every Filipino learner a fair chance at success.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said they need to know the address of former Marine Orly Regala Guteza so that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) can serve him a subpoena.

Guteza is the former security aide of Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. He was introduced before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last week by Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

Marcoleta said former Quezon City Third District Rep. Michael Defensor introduced him to Guteza.

In his affidavit, Guteza tagged former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the flood control controversy, saying he delivered several suitcases containing ‘trash,’ their code for cash, to the houses of both Co and Romualdez.

Remulla said the last time he talked with Guteza was in the Senate, where the secretary was able to get a copy of the former Marine’s affidavit, a part of which stated that he wanted to enter the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).

The appointment was scheduled for Guteza to be at the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Friday for an interview, but he failed to appear.

‘But here’s the thing: I talked with him to come here for that purpose. We’re going to ask for his address so we will have the NBI serve a subpoena, just to make everything crystal clear, right?’ Remulla asked.

However, since then, Remulla had no more communication with the ex-Marine.

‘Nothing,’ Remulla said when asked if he heard of Guteza again after the latter was a no-show at their supposed meeting last Friday.

‘We have no contact.So we are just hoping he is okay and that he can shed light on his affidavit,’ the secretary said.

Remulla said the people who presented Guteza in the Senate should stand by his testimony. ‘They shouldn’t let him go. Also, they should be responsible for him because a witness like that-it’s scary if they don’t bring him out again,’ he said. /apl