Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Former Senator Cynthia Villar welcomed the signing of Republic Act No. 12308, or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act (AIDCA), a measure aimed at revitalizing the country’s livestock, poultry, and dairy sectors through a P200-billion investment over the next 10 years.

‘I thank President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Representative Mark Enverga, the Department of Agriculture, and all industry stakeholders for their support in the passage of this vital measure,’ Villar said. ‘This law will strengthen our animal industries, ensure food security, and help build a more resilient agricultural sector.’

Signed into law on September 25, RA 12308 elevates the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) into a line agency under the Department of Agriculture, expanding its regulatory functions and authority. The measure also strengthens the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and National Dairy Authority (NDA) by assigning them new mandates, including biotechnology, vaccine development, and herd repopulation programs.

Villar said the initiative was driven by the devastation caused by the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in 2022, which led to a 20.8 percent decline in pork production and economic losses estimated at ?100 billion in 2023.

‘The ASF outbreak nearly crippled our hog industry and disrupted the food supply chain. This law will help our farmers recover and prevent similar crises in the future,’ Villar said.

The former senator also emphasized the need to strengthen the local dairy industry, which currently produces only one percent of the country’s milk requirements.

‘Our dairy sector faces persistent challenges such as low herd population, lack of breeding farms, and insufficient training on animal nutrition and management. The AIDCA will help us address these issues through better programs and funding,’ Villar added.

A major feature of the law is the creation of the Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (AnCEF), which will receive ?20 billion annually from tariffs on livestock, poultry, and dairy imports.The fund will be allocated for:

26%- Repopulation and herd build-up

7% – To be divided equally between the Phil Carabao Center and the National Dairy Authority for herd build-up and repopulation

6%- For animal health and welfare, native animal development programs, disease emergency control, prevention and response, including research and technology advancement

9% – For a Capacity Recovery Fund (CRF), supplemental to the Quick Response Fund under RA 20121

14% – For building improvement and mechanization of shared facilities (Processing plants,slaughterhouses,poultry dressing plants,storage and collection equipment).

14% – For augmenting and developing food safety, animal extension support services, and training

5% – For the development and propagation of animals, feeds, forage, and fodder-particularly seeds and planting materials-and ensuring affordable access for small-hold farmers

15% – For credit to the animal sector, including:Interest subsidies and negative interest loans in case of calamities,Credit guarantees for improvement of animal breeds, breeders, and multipliers,Feeds, animal housing, and purchase of equipment

2% – For technology transfer and commercialization of programs

1% – For marketing services

1% – For accreditation of smallholder farmers and raisers into formal groups such as cooperatives or organizations

The AnCEF was patterned after the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which Villar also principally authored. It will serve as a supplementary fund to the National Livestock Program (NLP).

The law mandates the Department of Agriculture (DA) to create a Philippine Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy (LPD) Value Chain Development Roadmap to align government programs and ensure efficient service delivery.

It also provides for the establishment of a Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy Management Information System (LPDMIS) – a centralized database for real-time monitoring and decision-making.

In addition, an Animal Registry System will be set up to identify and accredit eligible farmers and raisers who will benefit from AnCEF programs.

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) will monitor the implementation of the AIDCA and release an annual performance report beginning in its second year.

On its third year, the allocations under the AnCEF will be reviewed to assess program effectiveness, while a mandatory review by the Committee on Cooperatives and Farmer Modernization (COCAFAM) will be conducted on the law’s tenth year to determine whether amendments or extensions are needed based on improvements in farmers’ incomes.

‘Pork, chicken, and milk are essential to the Filipino diet. Through this law, we aim to make our animal industry more competitive and sustainable,’ Villar said.

‘This measure not only strengthens food security but also ensures better income for our farmers and livestock raisers,’ she added

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Monday said Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s ‘important’ condition in his snap elections scenario could be declared unconstitutional, while a political expert said such a call ‘invites instability,’ especially at a time when rumors of a military coup have swirled.

Sen. Cayetano, in a Facebook post on Sunday, floated a ‘what if’ scenario for the president, vice president, House and Senate lawmakers to resign and allow a snap election, but with ‘one important addition’ of not allowing incumbent politicians to run for one election cycle.

Carpio noted that Cayetano’s proposal of not allowing any elective official to run in the special elections could be considered unconstitutional.

‘If this is put into law, its constitutionality will surely be challenged and will likely be declared unconstitutional,’ Carpio said in a message to Inquirer. ‘This is the problem in Cayetano’s proposal.’

‘You cannot disqualify en masse all incumbent elected public officials from running for public office without a lawful cause as provided by law,’ he explained.

For University of the Philippines associate professor and political analyst Jean Encinas-Franco, Cayetano’s resignation proposal for House and Senate lawmakers will render special elections impossible.

‘The Congress would have to pass the law [on special elections]. What would happen if there was no Congress?’ Franco told the INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

‘Irresponsible’ words amid coup rumors

Franco also said Cayetano’s call will cause instability amid recent rumors of a military coup plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which has since been denied by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

‘The fact that it’s coming from an incumbent senator who should work towards political stability is a bit, I think, irresponsible,’ Franco said.

‘It’s really inviting political instability, and given that there were rumors of a coup a while ago, then I think it’s an irresponsible statement,’ she continued.

The rumor of a military coup came on the heels of a major corruption scandal involving flood control infrastructure that has prompted an ongoing Senate probe and the formation of an independent commission to investigate the suspected collusion between lawmakers, government officials, and contractors to embezzle billions of pesos from the country’s coffers.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson revealed that ‘almost all’ senators in the 19th Congress inserted at least P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Furthermore, Lacson said budget insertions of House lawmakers are ‘much, much more’ than the senators.

While insertions or amendments are not necessarily illegal, congressional inquiries revealed that this measure was often used for multi-million flood control projects, which were later revealed to be substandard due to overhead costs incurred for alleged kickbacks of senators and House lawmakers.

After his revelations on the Senate budget insertions, Lacson on Sunday announced his resignation as chair of the blue ribbon committee due to what he said was disappointment expressed by his fellow senators on how he conducted the hearing on flood control anomalies.

Due to failed bid for Senate president?

In relation to this, there had also been speculations, particularly on social media, that senators are eyeing a switch in sides and supporting Cayetano to become the next Senate president.

Franco also noted that there were people who believed that Cayetano made that snap election remark since he had no numbers to become the next Senate president.

‘Even if he no longer has the numbers in the Senate, he should have been more careful in making that statement,’ Franco said.

Meanwhile, Cayetano’s latest remark on resignation prompted calls from his own brother, former Taguig City mayor Alan Peter Cayetano, and Palace press officer Claire Castro to lead by example and step down from his post.

‘He probably thinks it will never happen,’ Franco said. ‘That’s why he said it.’

‘But then again, the fact that he knows that it’s not going to happen, then it’s all the more irresponsible,’ she added./abc

Netflix Korea is aiming for a Chuseok sweep with its latest tentpole series ‘Genie, Make a Wish,’ starring Hallyu heavyweights Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-bin and fueled by the storytelling chops of Kim Eun-sook, the hitmaker behind K-drama touchstones such as ‘Mr. Sunshine’ and ‘The Glory.’

‘Genie, Make a Wish’ centers on Genie (Kim Woo-bin), who awakens after a millennium-long slumber, and the emotionally detached Ga-young (Bae Suzy) as they navigate three wishes that could alter their destinies. Beyond the star power, the series has already stirred buzz for its distinct characters, including a devilish genie and a morally just psychopath.

Bae, discussing her role during Monday’s press conference in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, said Ga-young is a departure from the familiar portrayal of psychopathy in K-dramas.

‘I thought the script was incredibly fresh and new. It was so fun, and my character, who lacks emotions due to antisocial personality disorder, felt very compelling to me,’ she said. She elaborated on Ga-young’s unconventional morality: ‘Ga-young is a psychopath who lives a life shaped by rote learning and the warmth of her grandmother and the villagers. In other words, psychopaths are often portrayed as frightening or criminal, but Ga-young lives by her own rules and routines, which, in the end, makes her live in a more righteous way.’

Kim, reuniting with Bae nine years after KBS’s ‘Uncontrollably Fond,’ takes on the satanic Genie, a character determined to prove that humanity is God’s failed creation.

‘Genie is a character with many sides. He can be cheerful and strong, sometimes cruel and frightening, yet also trivial and, in his own way, even a bit endearing. He may look human, but he isn’t, so I put a lot of thought into making him feel strange, awkward, and off-beat in some way,’ Kim explained. Meanwhile, the production for ‘Genie, Make a Wish’ has been eventful, generating a lot of talk over a directorial handoff. Initially helmed by Lee Byung-hun – known for ‘Extreme Job,’ ‘Be Melodramatic,’ and ‘Squid Games’ – who completed filming but stepped down midway, the series was subsequently taken over by Ahn Gil-ho (‘The Glory,’ ‘Stranger’), marking his return after a 2023 school violence controversy.

Addressing the change, Kim said, ‘I understand that both directors did not attend the press conference out of consideration. I was happy working with Lee on ‘Twenty,’ so I wish we could have seen the project through together. It’s a bit disappointing. But I’m grateful that director Ahn came onboard and guided the project well, allowing us to finish happily.’

The 13-part series premiered on Friday, Oct. 3.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) urged more protests against corruption in a statement released on Monday, adding that it is planning rallies nationwide for October and November.

‘Bayan calls for sustained local and nationwide protests to ensure that all those who plundered the public coffers will face accountability,’ the statement read.

‘We call for more walkouts in universities, sit-down strikes, street protests, and noise barrage actions in communities to reflect the people’s clamor for fundamental social change,’ Bayan continued.

The group pointed out that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) ‘lacks teeth, independence, and transparency as it conducts investigations in closed-door sessions,’ alluding to the ICI not publicizing its proceedings.

Bayan further concluded that the ICI’s move to keep its investigations private is proof that the commission was made ‘to prevent scrutiny into the ghost projects and other fraudulent expenses’ of the current administration.

It also claimed that the corruption probe in Congress is ‘compromised,’ and the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must take accountability for the flood-control controversies.

With this, the group revealed that it is preparing for protests nationwide in October and November, together with various groups and sectors.

‘It is only through the people’s collective action that we can exact accountability from corrupt officials,’ Bayan declared.

A series of anti-corruption protests ensued in September, brought on by the probe into the supposed flood-control project anomalies, which linked government officials as key players in the alleged misuse of public funds.

The largest protest against corruption was held on September 21 with tens of thousands of attendees who gathered in Luneta Park in Manila, and the People Power Monument along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Quezon City.

Moreover, universities and some schools organized academic walkouts to denounce the purported corruption in government.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu province on Sept. 30 has generated over 7,000 aftershocks, the state seismologist said Monday.

In its 8 a.m. update, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a total of 7,027 aftershocks.

Of these, 1,375 were plotted while 31 were felt. The aftershocks ranged from magnitude 1 to 5.1.

Phivolcs initially recorded the earthquake at magnitude 6.7 before later upgrading it to 6.9. The quake occurred at 9:59 p.m. on Sept. 30, with its epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu.

The agency also identified the fault that caused the earthquake. Its quick response team located the inland extension of the newly named Bogo Bay Fault in Sitio Looc, Barangay Nailon, Bogo City.

‘The team observed fault scraps, open cracks, and small pressure mounds within a 2-meter-wide deformation zone,’ Phivolcs said. /mcm

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday urged government agencies to prioritize education-related projects and initiatives, emphasizing that this is how Filipinos can truly experience the country’s progress.

Speaking at the Philippine Development Forum (PDF) 2025 in Mandaluyong City, the president highlighted the importance of placing quality education at the center of each agency’s agenda.

‘We have achieved significant milestones in improving our country’s education system, but of course, we recognize that we still have a long way to go,’ he said.

‘The goal is clear: a Philippines where every child-regardless of background or circumstance-has access to quality, future-proof education,’ he added.

Marcos urged the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Finance, and all relevant government agencies to ensure that the administration’s top priorities-particularly education-receive adequate funding and support.

‘To the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and the DepEd (Department of Education), speed up the planning and implementation process so we can meet our target of building and rehabilitating thousands of classrooms by 2028,’ he said. ‘And to the DEPDev, accelerate the review of PPP proposals for school buildings.’

‘No child should be forced to learn in makeshift spaces, and no teacher should be burdened by a system that does not support them,’ he added.

The PDF 2025 is a platform for dialogue between the government and its development partners.

With this year’s theme, ‘Bringing Together Progress for All: Services that Matter, Results that Last,’ the forum aims to promote collaboration on policy and financing priorities, guided by the outcomes of key high-level policy reviews in 2025.

The PDF also provides a venue to address urgent development challenges and explore emerging opportunities./mcm

The collapse of Piggatan Bridge in Alcala, Cagayan, on Monday afternoon was likely triggered by four heavily loaded trucks carrying rice and corn.

The bridge, a vital link to downstream towns, collapsed at around 5 p.m., leaving the trucks stranded at the site.

Witnesses Jay-ar Apao and Jovel Dellosa, who captured video footage of the incident, said the drivers and helpers sustained injuries.

Personnel from Task Force Lingkod Cagayan-Quick Response Team (TFLC-QRT) in Amulung were immediately dispatched to assist in rescue operations and guide motorists to alternate routes.

Warning signs have since been placed in the area to prevent further accidents.

Built in 1974, the 74.7-meter steel bridge was described as being in ‘good overall condition’ in a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) inspection conducted in October 2024.

The incident marks the second bridge collapse in Cagayan Valley in recent months.

Earlier, the newly retrofitted Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela province also gave way, causing four vehicles to plunge and injuring six people.

A mass action against corruption for the month of October is currently being discussed, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chair Teodoro ‘Teddy’ Casiño revealed on Monday afternoon.

‘There are suggestions that aside from the one on November 30, that this month [October] there should be a big centralized rally. So these are the things that are being discussed now. The various sectors are also preparing their own big actions, so we are encouraging that because of what we are seeing,’ Casiño said in an interview with the Inquirer.

The Bayan chair also urged local communities to hold their own mass actions, highlighting the importance of ‘public pressure’ to continue the ongoing clamor against corruption.

‘We are encouraging the various communities including schools and churches, the homeowners associations to organize their own [mass] actions. Let’s start with local actions, and then let’s make them bigger and bigger,’ Casiño pressed.

Furthermore, the Bayan chair also revealed that suggestions have been made to ‘delay paying of taxes’ or even the ‘non-paying of taxes,’ but these moves, Casiño admitted, are still being studied.

Bayan is among the many groups organizing and encouraging anti-corruption protests by various groups and sectors.

In an earlier statement, Bayan said that it is ‘only through the people’s collective action that we can exact accountability from corrupt officials.’

Church Leaders Council for National Transformation, the organizers of the September 21 ‘Trillion Peso March’ anti-corruption protest, announced that it will hold another rally on November 30 in commemoration of Bonifacio Day.

According to the religious group, 100 groups are expected to attend the November rally.

A series of Black Friday protests and academic walkouts have also commenced since the investigations into the supposed flood control anomalies began in September.

The Department of Health (DOH) has actually been investigating the 400 ‘idle’ health centers under the agency’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa claimed on Sunday.

‘Actually, the DOH has been investigating these anomalies way before media picked it up,’ Herbosa said, without specifying any of the findings of the supposed investigations.

During a congressional budget hearing earlier this year, Herbosa said the health centers under the HFEP could be considered the DOH version of the flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The HFEP, launched in 2008, is the DOH’s banner program that aims to ensure that poor and marginalized communities have access to health-care services.

‘Several actions have been taken already, and we continue to do case buildup,’ Herbosa added, again without providing details.

Herbosa made the remarks to expound on the replies of Health Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Albert Domingo during an online interview.

When asked what actions have been taken in relation to the investigation, Domingo said, ‘They are actions meant for mandated investigative bodies and the formal courts of law.’ Findings still under wraps

‘The DOH will disclose them at the appropriate time and before the appropriate legal forum,’ Domingo told reporters in a Viber group chat.

But Herbosa also suggested that the DOH has been ‘looking for options to operationalize nonfunctioning completed health facilities.’

Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno initially questioned why only 200 out of 600 health centers under the HFEP are functional despite being allocated over P170 billion in the past decade.

However, budget sponsor and Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia clarified that while the HFEP has no ‘ghost hospitals,’ the lack of personnel and health-care professionals to run the facilities made them nonfunctioning.

Garcia also said that the DOH entered into a memorandum of agreement with local governments in ‘good faith,’ as it expected them to provide personnel.

But further discussion of the health facilities was overtaken by other controversies confronting the DOH.

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, a former health secretary, particularly questioned Herbosa’s other programs, like the P1-billion proposed budget for the beautification of DOH offices, the P458-million research fund for the DOH, and its planned P7.5-million donation to the World Health Organization (WHO) over three years to other programs.

Garin took special notice of the DOH beautification projects and the WHO donation, saying the funds for these should instead be used for patient care and subsidies for the universal health-care program or to hire more doctors and nurses. ‘The President wants zero-balance billing, while hospitals are asking for bigger funds. But how did [this] pass through the Department of Budget and Management-that there is about P1 billion intended not for hospitals and rural hospitals, but for ‘beautifying’ DOH offices?’ Garin asked.

Recent developments at the Senate, as well as profit-taking, weighed down the local bourse on Monday.

By the closing bell, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) had tumbled by 1.78 percent, or 108.54 points, to end at 6,000.32.

Likewise, the broader All Shares Index shed 1.14 percent, or 41.9 points, to close at 3,643.95.A total of 2.1 billion shares worth P12.12 billion changed hands, stock exchange data showed.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said ‘latest political noises, especially at the Senate,’ contributed to the market’s decline.

Over the weekend, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said he had resigned as chair of the blue ribbon committee amid his colleagues’ ‘disappointment’ over the panel’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.

Inflation

While the bourse opened higher, it eventually settled in the red territory for the rest of the trading day.The index’s decline also came ahead of the release of the September inflation print, which analysts say may have accelerated due to recent storm damage and the rice import freeze.

Conglomerates saw the heaviest bleeding, with declines from SM Investments Corp. (down 1.74 percent to P732), Ayala Corp. (down 2.53 percent to P477.60) and GT Capital Holdings Inc. (down 2.44 percent to P579.50).

International Container Terminal Services Inc. was the most actively traded stock as it lost 0.78 percent to P508 per share. Others were BDO Unibank Inc., down 1.81 percent to P135.50; Ayala Land Inc., down 2.89 percent to P23.50; and Bank of the Philippine Islands, down 3.89 percent to P108.60 each.

Losers overpowered gainers, 139 to 64, while 58 companies closed flat, stock exchange data also showed./tad