Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Pax Silica cannot proceed as a mere executive agreement, a retired University of the Philippines (UP) agricultural scientist said, pointing to the need for Senate oversight, extensive research and public consultation.

Dr. Teodoro Mendoza, a retired professor of crop science at UP Los Baños, said these measures are essential to align the project with national resilience goals and ensure that, should it proceed, communities are protected and fiscal sustainability is guaranteed.

Without these safeguards, he said, ‘the Philippines risks undermining democratic governance and exacerbating vulnerabilities in water, energy, and food systems.’

‘With oversight, Pax Silica can be turned into an initiative that strengthens resilience, empowers cooperatives, and safeguards the nation’s outlook,’ Mendoza said in a research paper sent to the INQUIRER.

What’s at stake?

Pax Silica is a proposed high-tech manufacturing and innovation center within the Luzon Economic Corridor that seeks to make the Philippines a central mover in the world’s supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and critical minerals.

The Philippines became the coalition’s 13th member last April. Since then, the ‘economic security’ initiative has expanded to more than 30 participating countries.

But Mendoza said that while engagement provides the Philippines with potential industrial benefits, it ‘exposes the country to risks of water depletion, energy strain, fiscal burdens, and government bypass,’ concerns he said were more than enough reason for Senate intervention.

Last month, the Senate began proceedings on Pax Silica, with Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian saying that ‘it is important for the Senate to have oversight and ensure that we respond to the risks and concerns.’

Mendoza said that to determine whether the project can proceed, Pax Silica should be examined in the context of the Philippines’ ‘quadruple bind’ – currency depreciation, climate-related agricultural losses, rising debt-servicing costs and governance failures.

Direction

On concerns over water demand, Mendoza said a feasibility study mandated by the Senate would assess hydrological impacts, establish water-use caps and integrate climate projections into allocation planning.

He said proceeding without oversight risks replicating the ‘water wars’ seen in India’s semiconductor zones, where aquifer depletion triggered crop losses that eventually led to protests by agricultural workers.

‘Without oversight, industrial demand of 500,000 cubic meters (m³) a day creates a net deficit of -200,000 m³ a day, leading to aquifer depletion. With Senate oversight and limitations at 250,000 m³ a day, the net balance improves to +50,000 m³ a day,’ he said.

Senate oversight could also require the Department of Energy to conduct integrated resource planning to ensure that renewable offsets and grid modernization accompany industrial expansion, he said, considering the project’s 3-gigawatt energy demand.

Mendoza said that without extensive studies, the demand, already equivalent to almost 20% of Luzon’s peak load, could lead to brownouts and higher electricity costs while crowding out renewable integration.

‘Fiscal exposure is another critical dimension,’ he said.

Without oversight, hidden subsidies could reach P50 billion, while debt service could rise to P200 billion a year, worsening the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio amid currency depreciation and climate-related agricultural losses.

Mendoza said the Senate can mandate independent cost-benefit analyses, transparent subsidy allocation and fiscal protections, saying comparative benchmarks from North Carolina in the United States demonstrate the importance of legislative review in preventing fiscal overreach.

He said the debt-to-GDP ratio would rise to 70% without oversight, compared with 60% with Senate intervention.

Food insecurity

Pax Silica’s current lease covers 1,600 hectares, but the project would require a combined 20,390 to 20,780 hectares for solar farms and reservoirs, exceeding the available site by 18,790 to 19,180 hectares and potentially requiring the conversion of agricultural land in Tarlac, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.

Mendoza, pointing to an earlier study, said the gap between the available property and the projected land requirement raises questions about whether Pax Silica’s proposed scale is compatible with the existing land base.

He said ‘diverting 20,390 to 20,780 hectares from agriculture would also have significant food security consequences,’ adding that ‘converting the land for energy and water infrastructure could increase dependence on imported staples and vulnerability to global price shocks.’

Mendoza said that without cooperative participation, the food security index could fall by 15%, but with cooperative integration mandated by the Senate, resilience could improve by 10%.

Bypassing these safeguards risks undermining democratic accountability, exacerbating resource vulnerabilities, and compromising long-term resilience,’ Mendoza said.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Ahod ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim became visibly emotional during the speech of MILF commander Abdullah ‘Commander Bravo’ Macapaar.

The moment took place at the MILF-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) general assembly in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Thursday, Sept. 3.

In his speech, Macapaar reaffirmed his loyalty to Ebrahim and the MILF leadership in the face of internal tension that created divisions within their ranks.

Macapaar, a member of Bangsamoro Transition Authority, emphasized unity and loyalty to the MILF leadership and their principles, including the transition from armed struggle to peaceful political and democratic means.

‘My loyalty to our Ameer (commander), Kagi Murad, is non-negotiable. My loyalty to the MILF is forever,’ Macapaar said in Maranao language translated for the Inquirer by an MILF official.

While Macapaar was speaking, Ebrahim was seen shedding tears along with other MILF officials on stage.

Macapaar recalled how they fought together government forces in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao to defend their camps and their desire for Moro self-rule.

He narrated about ultimate sacrifices of muhajideen (fighters) and comrades being killed by bullets from government forces right before his eyes.

In August 2008, following the botched signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF, Bravo led MILF forces in attacking coastal villages in Kauswagan and Kolambugan towns in Lanao del Norte

Several lawmakers on Thursday asked the House of Representatives to restore the budget of the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) bus carousel system for 2027 to help more Filipino commuters in their everyday lives.

During the House committee on appropriations’ briefing on the proposed budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for next year, Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña pointed out that the service contracting program (SCP) and fuel subsidy for the Edsa busway were not allotted funding.

When asked of the reasons why, Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that the same programs under the Edsa busway system were also not given budget under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP). He noted that they were just allotted funding afterwards due to the crisis in the Middle East which affected many livelihoods of public utility vehicle (PUVs) drivers.

The national government implemented the SCP earlier this year, where PUVs such as modern and traditional jeepneys and buses were paid corresponding amounts based on plying certain kilometers. The government also extended fuel subsidies worth P12 per liter in response to the rising oil prices for passenger jeepneys and UV Express.

Lopez then said that they were informed that the lack of budget for these programs was due to the limited fiscal space and the agency’s obligation rate of its allocated funding.

‘So makikita naman natin yung rason ay talagang sinusolusyonan kaya nakikita naming sanhi ay siguro yung limited fiscal space ng gobyerno at hindi dahil may kakulangan ang DOTr,’ Lopez added, noting that the agency’s obligation rate for 2026 already stood at 82.4% as of July 2026.

(We can see that there were solutions, that’s why we can see that the reason was due to limited fiscal space of the government, and not because of DOTr’s shortcoming.)

With this, Cendaña called for the restoration of funding for the Edsa busway system as he emphasized the importance of public transportation to commuters.

‘Napakarami sa ating mga kababayan ang umaasa sa public transport para makapasok sa kanilang trabaho at makauwi sa kanilang mga tahanan,’ the lawmaker said.

(Many Filipinos depend on public transport to go to work and go home to their loved ones.)

‘I hope that the Congress through this committee will not take this budget cut lightly and act to restore the Edsa bus carousel budget and kasama nyo kami para tiyakin ito,’ he added.

(I hope that the Congress through this committee will not take this budget cut lightly and act to restore the Edsa bus carousel budget and we are with you to push for this.)

Budget cut repercussions

Dumper party-list Rep. Claudine Bautista-Lim asked the DOTr of the impacts of the defunding of Edsa busway to its programs and services as she acknowledged the benefits the busway brings to commuters everyday.

DOTr Senior Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor shared three programs that may suffer from the budget cut.

He said that the maintenance and operations of the busway system and the security of passengers may be compromised. He explained that the salaries and contracts of the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation and security services are under the project management office of the Edsa busway.

Lastly, he noted that the biggest impact may be felt over the rehabilitation of the busway as the agency is currently renovating several busways to improve the ridership and convenience of commuters. He shared that the agency requested P1.7 billion for the rehabilitation of 12 more busway stations next year.

With this, Bautista-Lim called on her fellow lawmakers to consider restoring the budget for the Edsa busway.

‘Malaki ang impact ng pagdedefund ng Edsa busway. I am appealing to my colleagues here in Congress and the committee on appropriations that maybe we can give the requested amount of P1.7 billion to support the maintenance and operations of the Edsa busway,’ she said.

(The defunding of Edsa busway has a huge impact. I am appealing to my colleagues here in Congress and the committee on appropriations that maybe we can give the requested amount of P1.7 billion to support the maintenance and operations of the Edsa busway.)

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said 35 cases related to anomalous flood control projects have already been filed in court.

‘There are now 35 cases before the courts…31 of them in the Sandiganbayan and four in the RTCs (regional trial courts). We are now conducting 166 cases for preliminary investigation, which of course will lead to filing. Most of [these cases] will be filed in the courts,’ Remulla said during the Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday.

The proposed 2027 budget for Office of the Ombudsman is P7.23 billion.

Remulla said the agency is also conducting lifestyle checks on 107 government officials.

‘But we are still refining our method in the lifestyle checks. I think that we can do a great deal here because when we are more effective in conducting the lifestyle checks, we can go for more forfeiture cases,’ he said.

‘That I think, is the most important, because once people get used to the fact that the government can forfeit properties that have been unlawfully acquired, it will resonate within the community that information should be given to the Ombudsman, because it will do its work,’ added Remulla.

Given the magnitude of the alleged anomalies involving flood control projects, the Ombudsman was asked if it currently has sufficient investigators, forensic accountants, engineers, and other technical personnel to investigate the complex infrastructure procurement cases.

Remulla said that hiring more people is most important for the agency.

‘We have to be able to devise our system to make it faster in accepting more people into the Ombudsman’s office. I think this is so critical,’ he said, adding that old way of hiring process was really much slower.

‘We just have to streamline everything so that we can have more investigators who will file more cases,’ he said.

To date, the agency has already hired 60 new lawyers. But Remulla said they are in the now in the process of interviewing at least 40 more lawyers by November.

‘Hopefully, this will help us speed up the process of investigation and resolution of cases, and of course the prosecution of cases,’ added Remulla.

The southwest monsoon, or habagat, will continue to bring rains over Luzon and Visayas until Saturday, Sept. 5, the state weather bureau said.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Occidental Mindoro may experience up to 200 millimeters (mm) of rainfall on Friday until Saturday.

Pagasa warned of floods and landslides that may occur during severe weather conditions.

It also forecast 50 to 100 mm of rainfall over the following areas:

Tarlac

Zambales

Pampanga

Bataan

Bulacan

Metro Manila

Cavite

Batangas

Oriental Mindoro

Meanwhile, Visayas and the rest of Luzon may experience cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to the enhanced habagat.

Mindanao, may have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with localized thunderstorms.

Pagasa weather specialist John Manalo said in the 5 p.m. weather advisory that the southwest monsoon will continue to bring moderate to occasional heavy rains over the country due to the enhancement of Tropical Storm Krovanh, formerly Pilandok.

Pilandok exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) early around 4 a.m. Thursday.

‘At kahit lumabas na ito ng PAR kaya gusto natin ito banggitin dahil meron pa rin itong enhancement na ginagawa, partly, pinapalakas nito ang hanging habagat,’ Manalo said.

Gilas Pilipinas is likely to end up leaving one player short for its defense of the Asian Games gold in Japan in the event Justin Brownlee is not cleared to return for national team duties.

Coach Tim Cone said Brownlee still has yet to confirm whether he will be able to join the all-PBA Gilas roster for the Aichi-Nagoya edition, while also ruling out a replacement in the event that the beloved naturalized player won’t be around.

‘The door is still open for him,’ Cone said from Suwon, South Korea during a virtual press conference set up by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Thursday. ‘He’s still working on clearances from doctors in the States. So as soon as that’s all cleared up, we’ll have a clearer picture as well.

Cone had earlier said that a spot has been reserved for Brownlee, even after he didn’t suit up for Gilas in the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers to recover from multiple injuries he’s been dealing with in the last few months.

Brownlee has not played since Gilas lost a double-overtime thriller on the road against New Zealand in the third window of the Asian Qualifiers last month.

‘We don’t have a 12th player in mind to come over,’ Cone said. ‘There are certain budget restraints in terms of traveling with a lot of different people in terms of hotels and airline tickets and the like. So we’ve kept that 12th spot open for Justin if he can make it.’

The national team arrived in Suwon the day prior ahead of its two-game exhibition series with South Korea this weekend with only 11 players, while the rest of the delegation is composed of coaches and staff.

Cone, however, doesn’t see the lack of manpower, in case Brownlee is out, as a disadvantage.

‘I think we’ll be fine. These guys are all willing to play extended minutes,’ said Cone. ‘And I think 11 is a really good number from a coaching standpoint in terms of not feeling like you have to force some guys who should be out there longer to play less because you want other guys to play to other guys to get satisfied.

‘So I don’t know if you know what I mean, but it’s easier from a coaching standpoint, having oftentimes less players than it is having more,’ he added.

The sports utility vehicle that plunged into the river when the Agana Bridge collapsed on August 29 was pulled from the Tarlac River at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap said no bodies were found in the SUV, which was tracked down when people spotted its tire sticking out about 2 kilometers from the bridge as the waters began to recede.

Rescuers are still searching for Paul Harvey Collado, nurse supervisor of the Jecsons Medical Center, and Shiela Mae Taborlupa, who were among the SUV’s five occupants.

Strong currents brought he remains of James Patrick Taborlupa and Shanen Tuhao all the way to Pangasinan, where they were recovered. Taborlupa was snagged by the net of fishing vessel Queen Ashley at sea off the Pangasinan town of Lingayen on August 31, while Tuhao was recovered in Bayambang town on September 1.

Nataniel Dizon, a 20-year-old relative of James Taborlupa, was the lone survivor

Gilas Pilipinas opens its Asian Games 2026 men’s basketball title defense against Bahrain on Sept. 11 in Nagoya, Japan.

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Coach Tim Cone will bring a substantially different, predominantly PBA-based team to the Asian Games as the Philippines attempts to retain the gold medal it won in Hangzhou three years ago.

Here is what to know about the Gilas Pilipinas Asian Games roster, complete schedule, Justin Brownlee’s status, Kai Sotto’s absence and the Philippines’ path through the tournament.

When is the Asian Games 2026?

The 20th Asian Games will officially run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, 2026, in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.

Some competitions will begin before the opening ceremony. The Asian Games men’s basketball tournament starts on Sept. 10 and ends with the gold-medal game on Sept. 20.

Where will Asian Games basketball be played?

The 5-on-5 basketball competition will be held at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya. The arena has a maximum seating capacity of about 17,000.

What is the Gilas Pilipinas Asian Games 2026 schedule?

Gilas Pilipinas is in Group C with China, Bahrain and Kazakhstan.

Japan is one hour ahead of the Philippines. The schedule below has been converted from Japan time to Philippine time.

Damage from floods and the combined effects of the southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat,’ and recent tropical cyclones have affected over 11,000 classrooms nationwide, with the Department of Education (DepEd) saying it would need an estimated P7.783 billion for rehabilitation efforts.

The amount includes P65.036 million for immediate cleanup and clearing operations in 2,243 affected schools and P319.97 million for minor repairs in 1,487 schools.

On the other hand, P1.194 billion would be used to carry out major repairs in 669 schools, while P5.62 billion would go to the reconstruction of 490 heavily damaged school sites.

Overall, the combined effects of the weather disturbances have damaged 2,243 schools and 11,167 classrooms nationwide.

Of the affected classrooms, 6,530 classrooms sustained minor damage while 2,389 suffered major damage and 2,248 others were destroyed.

During an inspection of affected areas in Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga on Wednesday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara briefed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on emergency measures to ensure that classes in public schools would not be disrupted.

Most affected region

According to the latest data from the DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service, Central Luzon sustained the heaviest damage, with at least 622 schools and 4,025 classrooms affected.

The DepEd estimated that the region would require P2.9 billion for response and recovery efforts. This includes P19.49 million for cleanup, P111.43 million for minor repairs, P402.5 million for major repairs and P2.37 billion for reconstruction.

‘We are immediately allocating the necessary assistance for the repair of schools while ensuring the safety and well-being of our teachers and students,’ Angara said.

In Tarlac City, Tarlac, the collapse of the Aquino and Agana bridges left isolated 23 of the 99 public schools under the Schools Division Office. As a result, classes were shifted to alternative delivery modes from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

A total of 786 damaged classrooms across 96 schools were reported, with response and recovery requirements estimated at P496.24 million.

In Pampanga, Marcos and Angara inspected the damaged Sto. Cristo Dam in Lubao town. The province sustained the most extensive damage in Central Luzon, with 250 affected schools and 1,752 damaged classrooms that would require an estimated P1.36 billion for recovery and response efforts.

Pampanga also reported damage to 5,369 learning materials, 66 sets of information technology equipment and 6,351 learner chairs.

In Zambales, the president and Angara visited Sta. Fe National High School in San Marcelino, where floodwaters and sand inundated school grounds. Six classrooms were destroyed while another six sustained minor damage.

Latest reports showed that floods damaged 21 schools and 82 classrooms across the province.

So far, a total of 1,748 classrooms in 442 schools nationwide are currently being used as temporary shelters for 13,723 displaced families.

As of Sept. 1, 367 public schools nationwide had suspended face-to-face classes due to the effects of the monsoon and tropical cyclones.

The DepEd, meanwhile, directed school administrators to use the new hazard assessment tool to prevent class disruptions caused by natural disasters.

‘We are calling all school leaders, teachers and (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) coordinators to use LIGTAS+ as part of our regular disaster preparedness,’ Angara said in a statement.

Launched on Aug. 26, Project Ligtas+, which stands for Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety, is a decision-support platform that converts raw weather and geological data into school-level safety alerts

The Gilas Pilipinas squad, which will compete in the 2026 Asian Games, continued its preparations for the continental multi-sport event which begins next week.

The new ensemble of the Philippines’ national team arrived in South Korea to play a couple of friendlies in preparation for the Asian Games in Japan.

‘Dream big. Forever blessed and grateful,’ wrote Adrian Nocum in a Facebook post, sharing a memory of him and his wife talking about a future Gilas stint.

RJ Abarrientos, who was in the Gilas pool for the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers but didn’t make the cut, also shared a photo of him and his fellow Gilas teammates.

‘Mga chambahan lang kumain, lalaban para sa bayan (Guys who barely ate are now representing the country),’ he wrote in jest.

Along with him in the photo were San Miguel Beer forward Don Trollano, Nocum, NLEX star Robert Bolick and the duo of Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar, who were also in the Gilas pool for the qualifiers.

Bolick was also ecstatic, sharing a picture with Nocum with the caption: ‘Banat,’ a word often used by the Rain or Shine young gun.

Gilas is in Group C of the 5-on-5 men’s basketball games of the Asian Games alongside China, Bahrain and Kazakhstan.