Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Heavy traffic has been observed on sections of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), while the Libtong Exit in Meycauayan, Bulacan was temporarily closed on Monday.

This is due to flooding caused by the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat.’

In its 9 a.m. traffic advisory, the NLEx Corporation said traffic remains heavy along the NLEx-Candaba Viaduct, Tulaoc (San Simon, Pampanga), and the southbound lane of the San Simon Interchange due to continuous heavy rainfall or flooding on local roads.

‘Motorists approaching San Simon Northbound and San Simon Southbound may take the San Simon Exit and re-enter NLEx via the San Simon Entry as an alternative route to avoid the flooded section,’ the corporation said in the advisory.

‘The San Fernando Southbound Entry is temporarily closed due to heavy traffic in San Simon caused by water buildup,’ it added.

NLEx Corp. also noted that southbound motorists who want to return to the northbound lane may use U-turn slots before the Tulaoc Overpass and before the San Simon Interchange.

Patrol officers are on-site to assist motorists and manage the traffic situation in the areas, said the NLEx Corp.

Meanwhile, light traffic was continuously seen on the following NLEx roads:

Balintawak (northbound and southbound)

Valenzuela (northbound and southbound)

Meycauyan (northbound and southbound)

Bocaue (southbound)

San Simon Interchange (northbound)

Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway Concepcion entry and exit ramp

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) earlier reported that 18 provinces in Luzon are forecast to experience heavy rainfall this Monday due to the habagat enhanced by Tropical Depression Pilandok.

The weather bureau said Pilandok had slightly intensified while moving almost stationary over the Philippine Sea east of Extreme Northern Luzon.

The tropical depression is currently carrying a maximum sustained wind speed of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center (up from 45 kph from the Sunday evening bulletin), and gustiness of up to 70 kph (up from 55 kph). Pagasa said Pilandok is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.

The number of families affected by heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat in Calabarzon since the first week of August has risen to 305,959, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Sunday (Aug. 30).

The affected families are from 965 barangays across the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.

The agency said the number of families who evacuated from their homes began increasing again on Aug. 29 due to heavy rains, particularly in Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

Based on the latest reports from local governments, 7,074 families were still staying in 161 evacuation centers across the region as of noon Sunday.

Rizal had the highest number of operating evacuation centers with 72, followed by Cavite with 58, Laguna with 24 and Batangas with seven.

As of Aug. 30, the DSWD office in Calabarzon had distributed 260,072 family food packs to affected families.

A standard DSWD family food pack contains six kilograms of rice, canned goods such as corned beef, tuna, and sardines, as well as sachets of coffee or chocolate malt drink. It is intended to provide a family of five with food for two days.

The assistance was provided not only to families who evacuated but also to those who remained in their homes but were affected by heavy rains and flooding.

Senators on National Heroes’ Day paid tribute not only to country’s historical heroes but also ordinary citizens who risked their safety to help others amid recent rains, flooding, and other disasters.

Sen. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan said that while National Heroes’ Day is rooted in the country’s collective struggle for freedom-beginning with the 1896 Revolution-it honors not only historical figures, but also ordinary Filipinos who courageously love and serve the country.

He cited parents, overseas Filipino workers, environment defenders, fisherfolks, farmers, truth-tellers, and those holding people accountable as modern-day heroes.

Pangilinan also paid tribute to those who responded to the recent rains caused by the southwest monsoon or habagat.

Nitong mga nagdaang linggo ng walang tigil na ulan, sumuong sa baha ang mga kapitbahay, rider, social worker at health professional, at volunteer sa disaster at emergency response,’ Pangilinan said in a press release on Monday.

(In recent weeks of incessant rains, neighbors, riders, social workers, health professionals, and disaster and emergency response volunteers waded through floodwaters)

”Yan ang bayaning Pilipino: Hindi nagpapasiil sa hamon ng buhay,’ he added.

(That is the Filipino hero: One who does not let life’s challenges defeat them.)

Sen. Bong Go echoed Pangilinan’s sentiments, highlighting the contributions of frontliners, health workers, rescuers, uniformed personnel and volunteers who continue to respond to emergencies and disasters.

‘Sa mga nararanasan nating kalamidad at masamang panahon, marami sa kanila ang hindi nag-atubiling tumulong at rumesponde para masiguro ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan,’ Go said in a Facebook post.

(Amid the calamities and severe weather we have experienced, many of them did not hesitate to help and respond to ensure the safety of their fellow Filipinos.)

Go said their courage, compassion, and love for the country should inspire other Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Senate President Win Gatchalian called on Filipinos to carry the spirit of heroism into the challenges they face.

‘Pugay sa ating mga bayani at sa tapang nilang manindigan para sa bayan,’ Gatchalian said in a post on Facebook.

(Salute to our heroes and to their courage to stand up for the country.)

‘Dalhin natin ang diwang ito sa bawat hamong kinakaharap natin – manindigan sa tama, ipaglaban ang kapakanan ng bawat isa, at higit sa lahat, unahin ang Pilipinas,’ the Senate president added.

For Sen. Loren Legarda, honoring the country’s modern-day heroes must go beyond gratitude and translate to better living conditions.

‘[K]ung tunay nating pinahahalagahan ang kanilang ambag, dapat nakikita iyon sa kanilang sahod, benepisyo, kaligtasan sa trabaho, kabuhayan, at proteksyon para sa kanilang pamilya,’ Legarda said in a statement.

(If we really want to honor their contributions, it should be reflected in their salary, benefits, job security, livelihood, and protection for their family.)

Moreover, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III also praised Filipinos who had dedicated their lives and service to the country.

For Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the occasion is a chance to honor heroes across generations.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano also praised the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence, encouraging Filipinos to ‘continue what they started.’

National Heroes’ Day is observed every last Monday of August as a national holiday to commemorate the sacrifices and contributions of the country’s heroes.

A year ago, the House of Representatives opened its doors to civil society organizations (CSOs), allowing governance watchdogs to ask questions and attend hearings as part of an effort to make the budget process more transparent.

It now appears the experiment may be short-lived.

As the House began deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, CSOs accredited to participate last year are finding themselves effectively shut out. The rules governing their participation remain unclear; their questions go unanswered, and the House budget panel has yet to call for a new round of accreditation.

‘The House appropriations committee has gone cold on us,’ said Tim Salomon of the Caucus of Development Non-Government Organizations Networks. CSOs are being ‘seen-zoned’ when they request dialogue, he told the Inquirer last week.

What a curious way to demonstrate the chamber’s so-called commitment to transparency.

The House had pledged to sustain the reforms it introduced last year, including televising budget hearings. The committee chair, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, was still talking as recently as early August about ‘closer coordination’ with CSOs.

Last full-year budget

But as public finance specialist Zy-za Nadine Suzara put it: ‘They are not walking their talk.’

Perhaps the more pertinent question is: Why stop now?

The 2027 spending plan is the last full-year budget of the Marcos administration before the 2028 elections. It will finance programs and projects as the administration seeks to shape its political legacy ahead of the next elections.

In this country, of course, electioneering does not wait for the official campaign period. It starts years ahead of Election Day. So if there were ever a time when public scrutiny of the national budget needed to be intensified, this would be it.

Instead, the House seems to be pulling down the blinds.

Budget watchdogs have already raised alarms over the record-high P58.32 billion proposed for the Local Government Support Fund, or LGSF, which has been described as ‘LGU pork.’ Economist Cielo Magno warned that without clear rules, such discretionary funds could become instruments of political patronage. The LGSF has more than doubled since 2025, when it stood at P23 billion.

And then there are the other forms of pork: discretionary assistance programs, unprogrammed appropriations (UAs) and infrastructure projects vulnerable to political influence. These are precisely the areas where independent eyes are needed.

Hardly foolproof

Let us note at this point that even with watchdogs on hand, the budgetary safeguards in last year’s deliberations were hardly foolproof.

The CSOs had urged President Marcos to veto more than P633 billion in ‘hard, soft and shadow pork’ in the 2026 budget. They identified P243 billion in UAs, P210 billion in soft pork and P180 billion in infrastructure projects as particularly vulnerable to corruption and political patronage.

The President did veto seven UAs totaling P92.5 billion, trimming the UAs to P150.9 billion. These funds, he declared, should not be treated as a ‘backdoor for discretionary spending.’

But the watchdogs were not satisfied-and for good reason.

They pointed out that the President left untouched other backdoors for corruption, including large social assistance and employment programs whose budgets had more than doubled from the Palace’s original proposal.

In other words, the presence of watchdogs did not magically make the budget clean. It only gave them a front-row view of questionable items and the chance to call them out.

If the executive could reject recommendations made by CSOs as participants in the process, how will they make themselves heard when they are not even allowed into the room?

Bicameral conference

The House should therefore explain, clearly and publicly, why a mechanism it introduced with such fanfare last year has effectively disappeared. If the rules have changed, it should say so. If accreditation will be reopened, it should do so.

On top of this critical issue, the public should be watching an equally crucial part of the process: the bicameral conference committee.

Last year, the public was given an unprecedented view of the final negotiations through a livestreamed bicam. Will that happen again? Or will the doors close just when the most consequential decisions are being made?

The answer will say much about whether last year’s transparency reforms were meant to become institutional safeguards or were just for show. The House has no business expecting public confidence while restricting public scrutiny. Not in an ordinary year, and certainly not with a general election approaching.

The national budget belongs to the Filipino people. The lawmakers who authorize it are its stewards rather than its owners. With an election-season spending bonanza looming, this is precisely when the public needs more eyes on the budget, not fewer.

Tropical Depression Pilandok has maintained its strength while moving almost stationary over the Philippine Sea east of Extreme Northern Luzon, the state weather bureau reported on Monday.

Based on the 11 a.m. weather bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Pilandok-which was located 1,160 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon-still carries a maximum sustained wind speed of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.

No tropical cyclone wind signal is currently hoisted in any part of the country.

According to Pagasa, Pilandok is forecast to move slowly northwestward or remain almost stationary for the next 36 hours before moving generally north-northwestward for the remaining forecast period.

The tropical depression is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday afternoon or evening.

‘This tropical cyclone is less likely to make landfall over the country and will remain far from the Philippine landmass,’ Pagasa said, but noted the forecast track may still be subject to change in the succeeding bulletins.

As for its strength, Pilandok is expected to intensify into a tropical storm by Tuesday. It would then weaken into a tropical depression by Wednesday and ‘maintain its strength throughout the remainder of the forecast period.’

The national government sharply ramped up its borrowing in July, raising nearly P300 billion as it turned to the domestic market for the bulk of its financing needs.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed that gross borrowings surged by 75 percent to P291.38 billion in July from P166.12 billion in the same month last year.

This was driven mainly by domestic borrowings, which jumped by nearly 78 percent to P271.32 billion from P152.54 billion a year earlier.

Treasury bill issuances led the increase, soaring by nearly fourfold, or 383.7 percent, to P133.2 billion from P27.54 billion in July last year.

As it is, yields on short-dated government securities mostly declined during the month, allowing the Treasury to fully award its borrowing program. The government also issued cash management bills, or shorter-term securities, in mid-July.

Meanwhile, Treasury bonds, which are longer-dated securities, rose by 10.5 percent to P138.12 billion from P125 billion a year earlier.

The government likewise increased its borrowings from foreign sources, which climbed by 47.8 percent to P20.05 billion from P13.57 billion in July 2025.

Broken down, project loans accounted for P18.64 billion of the external borrowings, while program loans amounted to P1.41 billion.

From January to July, the national government’s gross borrowings reached P2.11 trillion, up by 20.2 percent from P1.76 trillion in the same period last year.

This amount already accounts for about 77 percent of the government’s gross borrowing program for 2026. Of the January-to-July total, P1.55 trillion was sourced from domestic lenders, up by 15.4 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, external borrowings climbed by 35.8 percent to P564.86 billion.

Few words were spoken when wreaths were offered at the shrine of Gat. Marcelo H. Del Pilar here on Sunday, Aug. 30, to mark the hero’s 176th birth anniversary amid stormy weather.

The annual commemorative program was cancelled because of the strong monsoon rains on Saturday (August 29) that flooded many streets in this town and other partst of Bulacan province.

Flowers were laid down at the shrine at Sitio Cupang in barangay San Nicolas on behalf of the intended guest of honor Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia, Bulakan Mayor Vergel Meneses, the National Press Club of the Philippines, the Central Luzon Media Association (CLMA) and the Philippine Masonry.

Marcelo Day is an annual non-working holiday in Bulacan. In 2023, Marcelo Day was also declared as National Press Freedom Day.

Del Pilar, who is historically known for his numerous pseudonyms like the textbook familiar Plaridel. But to Bulacan he is simply remembered as ‘Tata Celo, ‘ the Father of Philippine Journalism.

He was born in San Nicolas on Aug. 30, 1850. He died on July 4, 1896 in Barcelona, Spain while pursuing Filipino enlightenment through the publication of La Solidaridad.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is making it easier for companies to tap the capital market, hoping that simpler and faster registration processes will encourage more businesses to raise funds from the investing public.

The corporate regulator has moved applications for public offerings fully online through the mandatory use of the Online Application for Registration Statements (OARS), while cutting processing timelines.

SEC Chair Francis Lim said the initiative was part of the Commission’s broader push to deepen the domestic capital market by lowering procedural hurdles for companies seeking funds for expansion.

‘By modernizing and simplifying our processes, we hope to encourage more businesses to view and enter the capital market as a viable option for their growth, in line with our agenda to further deepen and stimulate market activity in the country,’ Lim said.

The SEC on Aug. 24 issued Memorandum Circular No. 24, Series of 2026, mandating the use of OARS.

The web-based platform allows companies to electronically submit registration statements and other required filings containing information on their operations and securities being offered.

Except for issuances of debt securities, OARS accepts applications for direct public offerings, follow-on offerings, initial public offerings and first-tranche shelf registrations.

The platform also covers applications under specialized registration programs such as ‘Securing and Expanding Capital for Real Estate Non-Traditional Securities’ and ‘Securing and Expanding Capital for PowerGen Operators and Wholesale of Electricity and Retail Services.’

Applications filed through OARS will be processed within 40 days upon payment of the initial assessment fee.

The SEC may eventually expand the system.

A lawmaker warned on Sunday that ‘increasingly sophisticated’ social media algorithms are deliberately hooking users and exposing minors to age-inappropriate content amid growing concern about online child safety following rising cases of school violence.

‘The evolution of social media platforms’ powerful algorithms makes it more and more difficult for adolescents to avoid illicit content-even if that’s not what they were originally searching for,’ Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said in a statement.

Social media platforms have been facing mounting global backlash over harmful content and the lack of safety features for users, particularly children.

Lawsuit vs Meta

In the United States, Facebook’s parent company Meta has agreed to pay around $17 billion to over a dozen states to settle a suit accusing it of creating addictive products that harmed young users.

In the Philippines, a series of violent incidents in schools, most recently two shootings separately carried out by students that left five other students dead and scores more wounded, has prompted authorities to look into the possible influence of violent online games and ‘groomers’ on the perpetrators.

‘If we know that these platforms can influence what our children see, think and eventually do, then government has a responsibility to make sure that influence does not become a gateway to exploitation, addiction or illegal drugs,’ Santos said.

He added that drug syndicates are also exploiting online platforms to reach potential victims.

‘They can exploit digital platforms, fake identities, private messaging and algorithm-driven content to reach potential victims, including young people,’ Santos said.

Last week, a Philippine delegation met in Singapore with Meta officials who pledged to work with the government to improve coordination and act on harmful content.

South Korean actor Lee Yong-joo, known for his roles in the hit drama ‘Princess Hours’ and tvN sitcom ‘Blue Tower,’ has died at 44.

According to South Korean media, Lee died on Saturday, Aug. 29 from a cardiac arrest. A close friend announced his death on social media.

‘My friend Lee Yong-joo passed away suddenly. The sudden news is still hard to believe,’ the friend wrote, asking fans and colleagues to remember Lee on his final journey.

Lee’s death has brought renewed attention to his previously disclosed heart condition. In 2013, while promoting ‘Blue Tower,’ the actor revealed that he had been exempted from mandatory military service after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick.

Lee said at the time that his mother had been hospitalized with the same condition. The actor was diagnosed with the disease after doctors advised members of his family to undergo medical examinations because of its potential hereditary nature.

Lee began his entertainment career as a model before making his acting debut with a minor role in the 2004 film ‘Doma Ahn Jung-geun.’ He later appeared in MBC’s ‘Hello, Francesca’ and ‘Princess Hours.’

In ‘Princess Hours’ (2006), Lee played Jang Kyung, a high school friend of Crown Prince Lee Shin, portrayed by Ju Ji-hoon.

He went on to appear in the comedy series ‘Unstoppable Marriage,’ the long-running ‘Rude Miss Young-ae’ franchise, ‘The Women’s Room,’ ‘Let’s Eat,’ ‘My Unfortunate Boyfriend,’ ‘Bad Detective’ and the military comedy series ‘New Recruit.’

Lee gained popularity through ‘Blue Tower,’ where he portrayed a new recruit despite having never served in the military. His lack of military experience became part of the story surrounding his casting.

Lee’s wake has been set up at Room 5 of the Bundang Jesaeng Hospital Funeral Hall in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

His funeral procession is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31, with the burial to take place at the Seongnam City Funeral Culture Complex.