Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) chief Arsenio Balisacan sought budgetary support for Regional Development Councils (RDCs) for 2026, seeking to stop ‘non-effective’ or ‘simply wasteful’ government projects.

Balisacan made the appeal during the Senate sub-panel on finance’s Friday hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of DEPDev and attached agencies.

He said they are requesting Congress to provide more support to local government units and RDCs, noting the huge tasks they cover.

In particular, Balisacan noted that RDCs are usually the ones on the ground, monitoring infrastructure projects, including those related to flood control.

‘We have these committees and they are supposed to know and be able to monitor these various infrastructure projects including flood control projects, but they don’t have resources to be able to do that function – especially [in] a difficult region [such] as MIMAROPA,’ said Balisacan.

‘That mobility cost is a problem,’ he told the senators.

Apart from this, Balisacan noted the need to ‘give more resources’ to Research and Development Monitoring and Evaluation.

‘I also find that quite missing is the lack of appreciation of what monitoring and evaluation can do. We don’t provide enough support to good studies doing impact assessment, monitoring assessment of completed and ongoing projects, especially for completed projects so that we don’t keep repeating mistakes over and over again,’ he lamented.

‘We don’t know that we are making mistakes because there is no available information to inform [us] of those mistakes,’ he added.

In making his appeal, Balisacan emphasized that these movements are not ‘expensive activities.’

‘If we do it right scientifically, they’re quite cheap and the benefits are enormous if we are able to stop non-effective programs or simply wasteful programs and projects,’ he said.

Panel on finance head Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, acknowledged Balisacan’s appeal, admitting the need for reform in the government’s planning and budgeting process, as well as budgeting coordination.

‘We understand that when DPWH endorses a project, it’s taken as gospel truth and ends up in NEP immediately. As opposed to, let’s say, the RDC endorsed – the RDC endorsed projects – you will really pass through the needle hole, which is good to be endorsed by the RDC,’ said Gatchalian.

‘This is good in my opinion, because that means the vetting process is working, making sure that all projects are aligned with the Philippine Development Plan,’ he added. /apl

For micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that are planning, or hoping to go global, finding the right partner to help them navigate the complex-and at the moment, tumultuous-international market is crucial to their success.

Payoneer, a pioneering financial platform for cross-border business, has made its services available to these MSMEs, which make up more than 90 percent of locally registered establishments.

Monique Avila, Payoneer head of customer success for Asia-Pacific, says the company has established as its niche the servicing of cross-border payments.

Payoneer offers convenience, speed, security, lower cost and the flexibility of paying or getting paid in different currencies.

Banks take longer to process transactions and charge higher fees. Electronic or e-wallets, while fast, do not have the facility to allow transactions in any denomination.

Through Payoneer, MSMEs are now able to access the global market. The world’s underserved businesses are being connected to a rising global economy.

Payoneer estimates that, based on staff sizes, 90 percent or more of its customers in the Philippines are individual contractors or MSMEs.

With its services available in over 190 countries and territories, Payoneer helps these firms manage their financial operations, including treasury, currency conversion for payments, vendor management, as well as accounts receivable and accounts payable. A key market

Payoneer considers the Philippines one of its key markets, ‘a global hub for digital services’ that includes business process outsourcing or BPO (including call centers) companies, creative and technology-enabled sectors.

Local businesses in information technology, software, digital services, marketing and creative services, e-commerce and logistics, professional services (such as consulting and accounting), travel services have tapped Payoneer to simplify global payments and scale internationally.

As Payoneer is able to handle multi-currency transactions, clients can keep payments they receive in virtual bank accounts in foreign denominations, like United States dollars.

‘[Y]our . client in the US will just perform a domestic transfer (which is cheaper). And then you get to store (your payment in) US dollars . (If you need money), you can bring the funds to the Philippines (or) use other products, like our (Payoneer) card (to pay for products and services) or (to use abroad if you are traveling),’ Avila explains.

Clients set up their own ‘accounts’ and money from that account may be transferred by Payoneer to their local accounts-a process that is still faster and cheaper, according to Avila.

Payoneer also keeps clients abreast of fluctuating rates of exchange so they know the optimal time to withdraw their funds.

In keeping with the evolving landscape of the service-providing industry, Payoneer has also gone beyond simply being a facilitator for moving currency from payer to payee. It has expanded its business to business services to meet emerging needs and trends.

Workforce management

Tarun Gadhok, Payoneer senior director for account management, says Payoneer has added a capability called workforce management, where it helps with fundamental principles to assist companies go global and cross borders.

Payoneer’s Workforce Management (WFM) division is a platform that empowers companies to seamlessly hire and manage talents across borders.

Through WFM, Payoneer assists clients find the best talent or work contractor they need in more than 100 countries served by the company.

It helps hire and ‘manage’ employees, like handling payroll, and ensuring that local laws are complied with.

‘Every country has different labor laws,’ Gadhok points out. The process is ‘actually a tech-driven employee management platform’.

‘This helps small businesses . basically break the border and go global by not having to worry too much about compliance. Setting up an entity in a new country can be really taxing. It requires time . managing that entity on an ongoing basis [is] even more difficult, because you have to do compliance filings. So all of that we do on behalf of our customers. We just let them just identify and/or hire the talent, or we can actually even hire, manage and pay the employees through the life cycle.’

Niche market

In the Philippines, she says, Payoneer established its office in 2016 specifically to service small businesses or the ‘freelancing’ industry. This includes individuals who are contracted to do work for overseas clients.

Avila says Payoneer has a ‘niche market’, and that is really to facilitate cross-border payments.

The cost for both payer and payee is seen to be lower. A client in the US, for instance, can pay a Filipino contractor by making a domestic transfer to the virtual dollar bank account of the payee, who may choose to keep the payment in his or her account. Another option is to use Payoneer’s other products, like its card, to access the money or transfer it to a Philippine bank, which will entail charges, explains Avila.

The process is faster and cheaper, Avila says.

Payoneer also helps clients decide when it is best to withdraw their funds by monitoring exchange rates.

Flagship event

An indication of how important the Philippines is to Payoneer is suggested by its choice of the country as venue for its recent VIP Connect, its global flagship event for high-growth businesses.

With the theme of ’20 Years of Empowering Businesses to go Global’, the event celebrated two decades of partnership with businesses in navigating the complexities of cross-border payments. It showcased Payoneer’s role in empowering local businesses with tools and community support.

Attendees were treated to a preview of new product features, Workforce Management and product road map.

Filipino customers shared stories of their journey toward global growth. Speakers included local and regional Payoneer leaders. Among the topics covered were efficiency, scalability and payouts. -CONTRIBUTED

The private wealth unit of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) wants to grow its client base to potentially more than 8,000 people by next year after seeing growth in the country’s affluent sector.

BPI Wealth president and CEO Maria Theresa Marcial told reporters on Thursday that they were looking at adding up to 1,000 clients annually to the BPI Private Wealth network.

BPI Private Wealth-whose customers include high-net worth ($1 million to less than $5 million in assets), very high-net worth (between $5 million and $30 million) and ultra high-net worth individuals (at least $30 million)-currently has more than 6,000 clients. This is expected to reach 7,000 by the end of this year.

‘It could be higher in succeeding years because we constantly update our market studies, and we’re seeing that the growth is steeper . our goal is to gain market share,’ Marcial said during a press conference.

Big market share

According to the CEO, BPI Wealth currently has a 20- to 21-percent market share in the total trust industry.

‘The market is growing so all the other players will continue to grow . we’re doing what we’re able to touch more customer segments,’ Marcial said.

BPI Wealth currently has 1.3 million customers out of the entire BPI Group’s 18 million.

As of end-June, the entire asset and wealth management segment of BPI had P1.9 trillion in assets under management.

Marcial noted they were reviewing their strategy and targets for 2030 as BPI approaches the tail-end of its five-year plan ending in 2026, its 175th year.

BPI Wealth has launched the second year of its Wealth Wellness Program.

A small piece of good news amidst the flood and tsunami of bad. I read in Radio Veritas Asia and other sites that the Parish of San Pascual Baylon-National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Salambao in Obando, Bulacan has announced that a donated Nissan Navara pickup will be returned to its donor. The bleeding-heart donor is none other than Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) former OIC regional director Henry Alcantara, who is on the list of the first 21 persons who will face charges of graft, bribery, and malversation of public funds for alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects. You may read the full Inquirer banner story online: see ’21 face raps: Lawmakers, DPWH execs, contractors.’ (9/27/25)

On the list besides Alcantara are three senators-Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva, and Jinggoy Estrada-as well as former Sen. Bong Revilla, Ako Bicol party list Rep. Zaldy Co, former Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, Carleen Villa, businessman Maynard Ngu, et. al. The list will become longer.

As to the Nissan Navara, the parish council said in its social media post that the vehicle was turned over to the parish on June 1, 2024. It was accepted ‘in good faith’ to be used as a transport vehicle for the Virgin of Salambao image when it visits different parishes. The council explained: ‘It was given wholeheartedly, and we accepted it without judgment on the intention of the giver.’ Imagine the Birhen ng Salambao onboard a vehicle of suspicious origins. I had attended a fiesta in Obando, where childless couples dance on the streets and pray to be blessed with children. Salambao is a native contraption used by fishermen.

Given the quicksand of their own making that the likes of Alcantara and his ilk are in, the parish council decided: ‘We are now taking the necessary steps to return it properly, to the rightful person, or institution, through the appropriate legal process. This decision follows the guidance of the Diocese of Malolos and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.’ It added that ‘If this caused concern to the Church and the faithful, we sincerely apologize.’

Bulacan was the epicenter of the corruption in flood control projects that came to light last month following massive flooding in the province and elsewhere, and the staggering wealth of DPWH-linked contractors whose misdeeds continue to be exposed. Billions of people’s money has gone into the pockets of a few who thought nothing of what their greed has wrought on millions of Filipinos who suffered immensely, not only in Bulacan but all over the Philippines, citizens deprived of the services they deserved.

On donations to churches, charitable organizations, and the like, one would expect that these groups are the most likely beneficiaries of excess wealth, be it ill-gotten or hard-earned. Pampalinis ng konsiyensia (to cleanse one’s conscience), as the saying goes. As to the recipients of purloined largesse, the churches especially, shouldn’t there be a way for the church leaders to know where the huge donations are coming from? Especially if these are delivered in the form of cash. Can’t the beneficiaries demand checks for, say, more than P20,000 instead of mounds of cash? This way, there would be a money trail in case.

It had been reported that a religious formation house and seminary for a locally founded religious congregation for men had received donations from Janet Napoles. The ‘pork barrel queen’ is now serving time for several crimes at the Women’s Correctional.

Remember the sport utility vehicles that were given to unsuspecting bishops during the Arroyo presidency? ‘Unsuspecting,’ if we give them the benefit of the doubt. The SUV donations gave rise to the word ‘Mitsubishops’ (derived from Mitsubishi, the car manufacturer) that tarnished the image of shepherds of the flock. That is the Pinoy way of getting even-by ridicule. If I remember right, some bishops did try to return the SUVs.

Pope Leo XIV, when he was bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, was said to buy secondhand vehicles and fix them so his priests could use them in their ministries. Here was an Augustinian friar who served as prior general of his order twice over and with a doctorate in canon law, doing his bit as a car mechanic.

Years ago, a friend of a certain age, now deceased, confided in me that a lawmaker known to her personally asked her if he could channel money through a foundation which she was part of. Money laundering, what else. She politely said no. No theatrics, just no.

With the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu two days ago and claimed the lives of 72 (as of this writing), one could not help but wonder if lives were lost also because of substandard public infrastructure.

There are many ways to be corrupt, but there are also many ways not to be.

The provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur is sending aid to quake-hit Cebu, Gov. Divina Grace Yu said.

Yu said this will be an initial salvo of help, to address urgent relief needs.

The contingent is set to travel on Saturday to Dipolog City, from where they will take a slow boat that will arrive in Cebu City on Sunday.

Yu said personnel from the provincial social welfare and development office and provincial disaster risk reduction and management office will join the delivery of the relief goods ‘to assess on what additional assistance the quake-hit areas needed.’

On Friday, trucks were loaded with 2,000 25-kg bags of rice and 500 kilograms of dried fish as part of the relief supplies to be brought to CebuYu said they will also send a water tanker ‘for areas who need to transport water.’

She disclosed that they initially wanted to send construction materials since many houses were damaged; however, with the current situation, the provincial government saw that food and water should be prioritized.

Yu added that the League of Provinces of the Philippines has called for aid to the people of Cebu.

Former Governor Victor Yu disclosed that several business owners in the province had lent the provincial government the trucks to transport the goods.

In Zamboanga City, Mayor Khymer Olaso sent the second batch of goods to Cebu province on Thursday evening aboard two coast guard vessels – BRP Tubbataha and BRP Capones, bound for Cebu.

The shipment consisted of 700 sacks of rice from the City Social Welfare and Development Office, 20 boxes of canned sardines and 1,000 jerry cans with water.

Paolo (international name: Matmo) intensified into a typhoon as it neared landfall, prompting the state weather bureau to raise Signal No. 4 over parts of northern Luzon and Aurora on Friday, Oct. 3.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) also reported that Typhoon Paolo’s center was located over the coastal waters of Dilasag, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 180 kph and moving west-northwest at 25 kph.

Landfall is expected in either Dilasag, Aurora, or Dinapigue, Isabela, within the day. Pagasa has yet to release the specific list of areas under Signal No. 4 as of this posting time.

Areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals as of 8 a.m. are listed below:

Signal No. 3

The northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan)

The central and southern portions of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Mariano, San Guillermo, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Cordon, City of Santiago, Ramon, San Isidro, Alicia, Angadanan, City of Cauayan, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Aurora, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Roxas, Palanan)

The northern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Cabarroguis, Aglipay, Saguday, Diffun)

The northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Diadi, Bagabag, Villaverde, Ambaguio, Quezon, Solano, Bayombong)

Mountain Province

Ifugao

The southeastern portion of Abra (Tubo)

The northern portion of Benguet (Mankayan, Buguias, Kabayan, Bakun, Kibungan, Atok, Kapangan)

The central and southern portions of Ilocos Sur (Sugpon, Alilem, Cervantes, Suyo, Tagudin, Santa Cruz, Sigay, Quirino, Gregorio del Pilar, Salcedo, Santa Lucia, City of Candon, San Emilio, Galimuyod, Lidlidda, Banayoyo, Santiago, San Esteban, Burgos)

The northern portion of La Union (Sudipen, Santol, Balaoan, Luna, Bangar, San Gabriel, Bacnotan, San Juan)

Signal No. 2

The central and southern portions of mainland Cagayan (Peñablanca, Tuguegarao City, Enrile, Solana, Iguig, Tuao, Piat, Rizal, Santo Niño, Alcala, Amulung)

The rest of Isabela

The rest of Quirino

The rest of Nueva Vizcaya

The central portion of Aurora (Dipaculao, Baler, Maria Aurora, San Luis)

The northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan, Bongabon, San Jose City, Pantabangan, Rizal, Lupao)

The central and southern portions of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao)

Kalinga

The rest of Abra

The rest of Benguet

The central and southern portions of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Badoc, Pinili, City of Batac, Paoay, Currimao, Banna, Laoag City, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Dingras, Solsona, Marcos, Bacarra, Piddig)

The rest of Ilocos Sur

The rest of La Union

The northern portion of Pangasinan (San Fabian, Sison, Pozorrubio, Umingan, San Jacinto, Laoac, Binalonan, San Nicolas, Natividad, Tayug, San Manuel, Asingan, Santa Maria, San Quintin, Dagupan City, Mangaldan, Manaoag, Bolinao, Anda, Bani, City of Alaminos, Sual, Labrador, Lingayen, Binmaley, Calasiao, Mapandan, Santa Barbara, City of Urdaneta)

Signal No. 1

The rest of mainland Cagayan including Babuyan Islands

The rest of Aurora

The northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta), including Polillo Islands

Camarines Norte

The northern portion of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Goa, San Jose, Presentacion)

Catanduanes

The rest of Apayao

The rest of Ilocos Norte

The rest of Pangasinan

The rest of Nueva Ecija

The northern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, Norzagaray, San Rafael, Angat)

Tarlac

The northeastern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba, Mabalacat City)

The northern portion of Zambales (Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria, Santa Cruz)

Wider effects

Pagasa warned Paolo’s periphery may bring gale-force gusts on Friday to Metro Manila and other provinces, including Batanes, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, the Bicol Region, Panay Island, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar.

It is also likely to affect Batanes, Cagayan-including the Babuyan Islands-Ilocos Region, Zambales, and Bataan on Saturday, Oct. 4.

After crossing Northern Luzon, Paolo is forecast to emerge over the West Philippine Sea by Friday evening./mcm/abc

Classes at all levels in both public and private schools, as well as work in government and private offices, were suspended on Friday in Ifugao and in most parts of Isabela due to Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo), according to executive orders issued by the local government units.

In Ifugao, Governor Jerry Dalipog declared a province-wide suspension of classes and work, exempting only frontliners and disaster responders to ensure the safety of residents in affected towns.

In Isabela, class suspensions were enforced in the cities of Cauayan, Ilagan, and Santiago, as well as in the towns of Benito Soliven, San Mariano, and Gamu.

Meanwhile, in Tuguegarao City, classes at all levels were also suspended in both public and private schools, alongside the imposition of a liquor ban.

Disaster response teams across Cagayan Valley have been placed on alert, closely monitoring rivers and waterways while preparing rescue equipment. Authorities have likewise prohibited sea and river fishing, sailing, and swimming throughout the region as a precautionary measure./coa

For many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), remittances reflect years of sacrifice and hope. SMDC’s Symphony Homes Mabalacat converts those sacrifices into enduring assets-supporting families daily while increasing their financial stability for years to come.

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Connected Living, Compounding Value

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‘Symphony Homes carries forward our mission of building communities where families can thrive. Every design choice is guided by the values of comfort, dignity, and belonging.’

– Jessica Bianca T. Sy, VP – Head of Design, Innovation and Strategy

By pairing location advantage with disciplined design and everyday utility, Symphony Homes Mabalacat converts hard work abroad into an asset. It safeguards family life today, builds wealth for tomorrow, and keeps rental or resale options open-without losing the convenience families rely on.

The Ayala conglomerate will let go of its Honda dealership business after more than three decades as it shifts focus toward the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market.

Ayala Corp. and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. jointly announced on Thursday the transfer of ACMobility’s operations of Honda dealerships across the country to ‘new dealer principals’ by Jan. 1.

ACMobility, through Iconic Dealership Inc., will continue operating Honda Cars Makati, Pasig, Shaw, Bacoor, Cebu, Mandaue, Iloilo, Negros and Cagayan de Oro until Dec. 31.

‘This transition reflects our ongoing effort to optimize our portfolio and focus on new growth areas,’ ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said in a statement.

‘Among these are our initiatives in advancing sustainable mobility and electrification, where we continue to build solutions that benefit communities, businesses and the environment,’ Zobel added.

of an era

This is a pivotal move for ACMobility, which first partnered with Honda in 1990 with the opening of Honda Cars Makati.

Since then, ACMobility has sold over 220,000 Honda vehicles through the dealerships it operates.

In exiting the business after 35 years, Ayala said this would also allow Honda to pursue its own ‘growth and innovation strategies.’

The country’s oldest conglomerate clarified that the affected dealerships would directly contact customers with active reservations to guarantee deliveries. Scheduled service appointments will ‘proceed as planned.’

Remaining assets

Apart from Honda, ACMobility’s vehicle dealership portfolio is composed of Isuzu, BYD and Kia.

EVs have been Ayala’s new focus in recent years as the official distributor of the Chinese brand BYD in the Philippines, aiming to capture growing demand for modern cars.

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association show that car sales in the country increased by 1.6 percent to 269,207 units this year as of July.

EV unit sales totaled 16,195 during the period. Hybrid electric vehicles accounted for the biggest market share at 82 percent, representing 13,290 units.

Public Works Secretary Vincent Dizon has asked the Professional Regulation Community (PRC) to permanently revoke the professional license of those who will be proven involved in anomalous flood-control projects.

Dizon and PRC Chair Charito Zamora on Friday signed an agreement that will cancel the licenses of engineers and other professionals under the Department of Public Works and Highways if proven to have committed irregularities in flood control projects.

‘DPWH and PRC really need to have a deep working relationship so that those involved are not only held accountable for the anomaly [substandard and flood control projects], but also to prevent it from happening again in the years to come,’ speaking in Filipino, Dizon said during the signing.

‘It’s not just about accountability, but it’s also about safeguarding the institutions and the projects that DPWH is doing from now moving forward,’ he added.

Furthermore, Dizon asked PRC to permanently cancel the licenses of former DPWH District Engineer Henry Alcantara and others who are currently under investigation for alleged anomalies in said projects