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President Marcos and Congress leaders agreed yesterday to prioritize 44 key bills aimed at uplifting farmers and fisherfolk, expanding social services, modernizing governance, ensure energy security and strengthen the country’s readiness for future challenges.

At the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting, Marcos and the congressional leaders agreed to prioritize amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law and Fisheries Code to protect producers and consumers, empower coconut farmers and strengthen fisheries management.

In social protection, health, and education, priority bills include amendments to the 4Ps and Universal Health Care Act, creation of a National Center for Geriatric Health and passage of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act.

Other key education and nutrition-related bills include amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, expanded aid to students and teachers in private schools and reforms in teachers’ professionalization.

The agenda also included critical environment and infrastructure-related bills: the Department of Water Resources Bill, Waste-to-Energy Bill, amendments to the EPIRA Law, National Land Use Act, excise tax on single-use plastics, Blue Economy Act and biofuels reforms.

Governance and accountability measures include the Progressive Budgeting Act, Right to Information Act, amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, a review of the Local Government Code, proposed tax amnesties, bank secrecy waivers for civil servants and the Magna Carta for Barangays.

To boost economic growth, priority measures include amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law, pending further study on foreign currency deposits, and reforms supporting micro, small and medium enterprises.

Additional economic drivers include the National Reintegration Bill, a Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development and the strengthening of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

The President and Congress also agreed to prioritize bills on cybersecurity, digital payments, the regulation of online gambling and fair use of social media, artificial intelligence and internet technology in elections to ensure the safe and responsible use of digital platforms in governance and public life.

On disaster resilience, the proposed amendments to the National Building Code and the proposed Disaster Risk Financing Insurance Act will enhance safety standards and provide financial safeguards for communities vulnerable to calamities.

The government also pushed for the modernization of the Bureau of Immigration to enhance frontline services, strengthen national security and improve cross-border mobility.

‘With these 44 measures, both the executive and legislative branches reaffirm their shared commitment to enact reforms that not only address immediate needs but also lay the groundwork for long-term national development,’ Marcos said in a Presidential Communications Office statement.

‘The House of Representatives adheres to the call of the people through the creation of laws that have direct effect on their lives,’ House Speaker Faustino Dy III said in a separate statement. ‘With the President’s leadership and the collective will of this Council, we are confident that we can achieve these legislative goals.’

‘Prioritize education, too’

At the same meeting, Education Secretary Sonny Angara urged Congress to prioritize key amendments that directly address access, equity and accountability in education programs, aside from the 44 key bills.

Among the education bills endorsed to Congress are amendments that include provisions to incorporate marginalized groups such as indigenous learners and adolescent mothers; allow milk-based substitutes in the milk feeding program; provide weekly micronutrient supplementation for female learners and establish central kitchens in every School Division Office.

He also proposed amendments to the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education coverage, reform teacher licensure, increase the Special Education Fund levy and fast-track classroom construction through the Classroom Building Acceleration Bill.

Big man Quentin Millora-Brown is now officially part of Gilas Pilipinas’ expanded pool, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) said, ahead of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Millora-Brown, who was reclassified as a local by FIBA earlier this year, will now be part of the Gilas pool before it takes on Guam in the first window on November 28 and December 1.

He is one of four players added to the 12-man roster that saw action in the recently concluded FIBA Asia Cup.

‘We’re excited to have QMB in the pool,’ SBP President Al Panlilio said in a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday evening.

‘We got a close-up look at what he can do when he played for the Macau Black Bears and talking to coach Tim, he’s certain a guy like QMB can shine in the system that we have,’ he added.

Joining him in the now 16-man pool are Barangay Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos, naturalized player Ange Kouame and injured big man Kai Sotto.

The 12-man Gilas squad that competed in the Asia Cup included Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Dwight Ramos, Japeth Aguilar, Kevin Quiambao, Justin Brownlee, Carl Tamayo and AJ Edu, who will stay in the pool.

‘Continuity is still the main priority of coach Tim Cone but we saw it fit to add a couple of pieces to the training pool,’ Panlilio said.

‘Obviously, Justin will still be the top choice in terms of having a naturalized player in the lineup but we need to take advantage of actually having multiple naturalized players,’ he added.

Kouame and Abarrientos have not yet played for Gilas head coach Cone, but they have joined practices. Millora-Brown, meanwhile, will be a newcomer.

Sotto has suited up for Gilas a number of times in the past before sustaining a knee injury in January.

The first game of the first window will be played in Guam, while the December 1 game will take place in the Philippines.

The Philippines and Guam are joined by Australia and New Zealand in Group A of the Asian Qualifiers. Only the top three teams will make it to the next stage.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that shook Central Visayas for about 30 seconds left a trail of destruction – highways split by deep cracks, churches reduced to rubble, a mall set ablaze, and many buildings collapsing.

At least 26 people have already died due to the powerful quake, with 147 others injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Its early assessment on Wednesday, October 1, showed at least 22 buildings damaged by the quake, with one road and three bridges rendered impassable. Overall, six roads and bridges in Cebu were affected:

Tabogon

Salag Hanging Bridge – not passable to all types of vehicles

Tuburan

Langoyon Bridge – not passable to all types of vehicles

Fortaliza Bridge – not passable to all types of vehicles

Brgy. Putat Bridge – passable to light vehicles

Brgy. Bagasawe Bridge – passable to light vehicles

Daanbantayan

Brgy. Poblacion Road – not passable to all types of vehicles

A dashcam video also captured the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge shaking in Cebu.

The devastation reached heritage, infrastructure and commercial spaces. The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, considered a cultural treasure, was toppled by the quake.

San Remigio saw damage to the Lambusan and Looc bridges and a government sports facility.

In Cebu City, fast-food chains were not spared. A McDonald’s and Jollibee branch were left in ruins, while another McDonald’s in Bogo collapsed. Housing facilities such as SM Cares Housing and Condor Lodge in Bogo also crumbled.

Communication lines were also cut in three parts of Region 7, while eight areas reported power outages. Affected localities include Daanbantayan, Bogo, San Remigio, Tabuelan, Carmen, Asturias, Catmon and Tuburan.

A total of 46 cities and municipalities declared class suspensions to focus on recovery efforts, with the Cebu provincial government declaring a state of calamity.

The earthquake also triggered a landslide in Tabuelan, Cebu, along a national highway. And around the same time the earthquake jolted Cebu, a fire broke out at SM Consolacion. It was quickly extinguished shortly after the quake.

In Asturias, Cebu, an old concrete wall at a private residence along Lapu-Lapu Street had also collapsed.

The NDRRMC has yet to assess the cost of the damage, but its regional office in Central Visayas has already raised a red alert, with Bureau of Fire Protection teams placed on standby.

Under red alert status, response agencies are placed on complete staffing, with urgent interagency coordination required to address the emergency.

The earthquake

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake was strong enough to cause widespread destruction. It struck 19 kilometers north of Bogo, Cebu, at a depth of 5 kilometers around 9:59 p.m. on September 30. The tremor was tectonic in origin and produced a total of 611 aftershocks as of 7 a.m.

Destructive shaking, Intensity VII, was reported in Cebu and Negros Occidental, as well as in parts of Eastern Visayas. This level of intensity is significantly felt by most people, driving many outdoors, as buildings are rocked by strong movement and hanging objects swing violently. Infrastructure damage, landslides and rockfalls are expected.

Weak to strong shaking was reported across several provinces, including Negros Occidental, Bohol, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Antique and Capiz.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has called on LGUs to activate their emergency operations centers and incident management teams, urging chief executives to lead damage assessments and activate contingency plans.

A police team arrested an elusive criminal gang leader from Lanao del Sur on Sunday, September 28, in Midsayap, Cotabato; he was known for sharing proceeds from his illegal activities with the Dawlah Islamiya terror group.

Officials of the Police Regional Office-12 told reporters on Tuesday, September 30, that agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (CIDG-BAR) cornered in Midsayap the long-wanted Jamal Sadang, who is facing high-profile criminal cases pending in different courts in Lanao del Sur province in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Police Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Bangsamoro regional police, said on Tuesday that Sadang is now locked in the detention facility of the CIDG-BAR at the PC Hill in Cotabato City, the capital of BARMM.

Sadang is a known leader of an armed gang involved in motorcycle theft, extortion and large-scale peddling of shabu in different towns in the second district of Lanao del Sur.

Officials of Army units under the 103rd Infantry Brigade covering Lanao del Sur told reporters on Tuesday that Sadang has links with certain commanders of the now weakened Dawlah Islamiya, who provided him sanctuary in exchange for money whenever he is subjected to extensive manhunts by police teams under the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

De Guzman said it was local officials and traditional Maranao leaders in Lanao del Sur who reported to officials of the CIDG-BAR the presence of Sadang in Midsayap, enabling them to track him down in the municipality and serve the warrants for his arrest.

The operation that led to his arrest was assisted by officials from the Midsayap Municipal Police Station and the Cotabato Provincial Police Office, both under PRO-12’s director, Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente.

Kapuso actress Shuvee Etrata made a public call for medical volunteers in Cebu after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the province last night.

On her Instagram broadcast channel, the “Pinoy Big Brother” alum shared an art card calling for help.

“Cebu Province is in need of MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS to augment manpower especially in the north. If you want to volunteer now and in the next days please call 0915-330-3293,” the art card read.

Shuvee said that help is on the way for quake victims. She also reminded fellow Cebuanos to take care as aftershocks are expected.

Meanwhile fellow Cebuano “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Slater Young shared that his family is safe following the earthquake.

“Thank you for the messages and well-wishes. The family is all okay from the quake last night,” the Cebu-based Slater said via his Instagram Stories. “Praying for our fellow Cebuanos and everyone else affected from the quake.”

Other Cebuano celebrities that expressed concern were Ellen Adarna, Manilyn Reynes, Kaye Abad, and beauty queens Bea Luigi Gomez and Gazini Ganados.

Gunmen beheaded a Teduray chieftain in another attack in a state-recognized non-Moro tribal domain in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao del Sur, on Tuesday afternoon, September 30.

Teduray representatives to the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament and officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region told reporters on Wednesday, October 1, that Ramon Lupos, a timuay, or chieftain, was to harvest bananas in his farm in Sitio Kulab in Barangay Limpongo when gunmen flagged him down, hit him with pieces of wood on the head and then one of them cut his neck with a machete.

Citing reports by his subordinate officers in Maguindanao del Sur, Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said the armed men behind the atrocity immediately escaped, now the subject of an extensive manhunt.

Lupos was the 87th Teduray tribal leader killed brutally in Maguindanao del Sur since 2019, all unsolved.

A Teduray member of the Bangsamoro parliament, Froilyn Mendoza, and tribal leaders in two towns where they have bastions, Upi in Maguindanao del Norte and South Upi in Maguindanao del Sur, have urged the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Police Office and PRO-BAR to exhaust all means of identifying the assailants of Lupos for prosecution.

He was the second tribal leader in Datu Hoffer, killed and decapitated by gunmen within just 11 months. Three others were killed in gun attacks in different areas in the municipality in the past three years.

The Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 candidates were in the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, for one of its pocket events when a deadly earthquake struck at about 9 p.m, Tuesday, September 30.

All 43 candidates, including Philippine bet Anita Rose Gomez, and the current titleholder, Janelis Leyba of the United States, are safe.

The organization released a statement shortly afterwards:

‘Following the 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Cebu, we would like to assure everyone that all Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 candidates and the MAPI Organization team are safe and well.

‘We extend our deepest gratitude to Radisson Blu Cebu for their swift and professional response in implementing safety measures during the tremor.

‘Our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Cebu and all those affected by this incident.’

The evening’s festivity was a charity event of the organization with Operation Smile as beneficiary.

‘It’s a project of [Cebu philanthropist] Dame Mariquita Yeung. There was a presentation of candidates dressed by different Cebuano designers in Terno,’ said Philip Rodriguez, Cebu’s pillar of fashion design.

His creation, worn by Miss Belgium Jana Jansens, was a fuchsia Thai silk gown with oriental yellow chrysanthemums embroidery on the side, highlighted with a peplum that fell into a train in origami style.

It was awarded Best in Terno by haute couturier Cary Santiago.

‘I just gave the award for Best in Terno when the earthquake happened,’ Santiago recalled. ‘People were running scared, bulbs from the chandelier fell and a part of the ballroom ceiling collapsed.’

The activities of the pageant scheduled today, October 1, are canceled.

Based in the Philippines, Miss Asia Pacific International is ‘a pedestal for women who want to be the voice of celebrating beauty and harmony in diversity. May it be in the form of culture, race, belief, or opinion, we believe that all women are distinctly beautiful and one of a kind.’

The preliminary competition will be on October 3 at Lanson Place Mall of Asia Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Philippines. The grand coronation night will be on October 7 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Pasay City.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is expecting to have former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, former Rep. Elizaldy Co and Sen. Mark Villar in its next hearings.

In an ambush interview on Wednesday, October 1, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said that Romualdez, Co and Villar will be receiving subpoenas to shed light on the controversy surrounding the budget insertions and kickback scheme in infrastructure deals.

‘Yes, I believe he will be invited, or in fact, I think according to our secretariat, he was invited already. I just have to find out if the summons or the subpoena was actually received,’ Hosaka said, referring to Romualdez.

He later confirmed to reporters that Co and Villar will also be invited.

Villar, an ex-DPWH secretary

He explained that Villar will be invited simply because he served as the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) secretary during the Duterte administration, which is well within the ICI’s 10-year scope.

Both the House and Senate hearings into the anomalous flood control projects have mentioned Villar’s name, especially as he was the one who appointed the dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara in 2019.

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into Villar and his family over a potential conflict of interest case due to the reported P18 billion worth of government infrastructure contracts awarded to Villar’s cousin.

Remulla said that the DOJ is scrutinizing Villar’s actions in two capacities: as a current lawmaker and, significantly, as the former DPWH secretary.

‘First cousin niya ang contractor sa lugar nila, that’s a prohibited interest,’ Remulla said. (His first cousin is a contractor in their province, that’s a prohibited interest.)

When asked if Sen. Camille Villar, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, will be included, he said: ‘Siyempre kasama iyan, kasama rin iyan, it really has to stop, isa lang iyan, pero ano iyan it’s all over the Philippines, people know it.’

(Of course she’s included, she’s included. It really has to stop, and that’s just one, what more if you look all over the Philippines? People know it.)

ICI out for Co

Co, meanwhile, is the former House appropriations chair and a key figure in the flood control investigations, with several resource persons accusing him of allegedly manipulating the 2025 budget and seeking commissions from flood control projects.

Alcantara claimed that Co padded the national budget with P35 billion worth of infrastructure projects for Bulacan’s First District from 2022 to 2025. He said the former lawmaker sought 20% in kickbacks, citing one instance in 2022 where Co was given P519 million.

Meanwhile, dismissed DPWH district engineer Brice Hernandez claimed he delivered P1 billion in 20 suitcases, transported in as many as seven vans by one of Co’s staff, to a hotel in Taguig City.

Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, on the other hand, said Co asked for a 25% commission from public works deals through Alcantara.

The ICI has already recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Co for his ties to top contractor, Sunwest Inc., which he co-founded in 1997. Sunwest had bagged over P86 billion in government infrastructure deals from 2016 to 2025. It was also the contractor behind the anomalous P289-million Oriental Mindoro flood control project.

Why Romualdez?

While the ICI’s initial report did not name Romualdez or recommend charges against him, testimonies at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee have since referenced him in receiving alleged kickbacks.

One of Co’s former security aides alleged that 35 suitcases of cash were delivered to Romualdez’s Taguig property, with 11 reportedly left with Co – each containing an estimated P48 million. According to Orly Guteza, Co regularly received such luggage.

The Discayas, also known as the super contractor family, also implicated Romualdez in their initial testimony at the Senate hearing.

But during a House hearing, Curlee Discaya said Romualdez’s name was probably being used by others to secure kickbacks from projects they handled. He said he had no direct transaction with him.

Remulla also noted that appointing Co as the appropriations chair of the 19th Congress was the “speaker’s choice,” linking Romualdez in the DOJ’s case build-up.

Repeatedly denying the allegations, Romualdez stepped down as House speaker, while Co resigned as a member of the House of Representatives.

Despite Co’s resignation, he has yet to return to the Philippines to attend the hearings he was invited to, which now also include the Senate.

Ukraine and the Philippines are moving to revive a dormant agreement between their parliament and the Philippine Congress following the first major Ukrainian delegation visit to Manila, Ukraine’s ambassador said.

The Ukrainian parliamentary delegation, which includes lawmakers, members of Ukrainian media and think tanks, was on a three-day visit to the Philippines from September 22 to 24 to strengthen bilateral relations.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv told Philstar.com in an interview on Monday, September 29, that the ‘most valuable’ part of the delegation’s visit was the talks between both countries’ lawmakers for trade ties.

‘We had several meetings, but I think the most valuable one was the meeting between the MPs and the House of Representatives of the Congress,’ Fediv said.

‘We were pretty lucky to join the session at the House and also to have a meeting with the Speaker before his first speech at the House,’ the ambassador said.

Members of Ukraine’s Parliament also met with the House Inter-Parliamentary and Foreign Policy Committee on September 23 to discuss renewing a memorandum of understanding signed in the 1990s between the Ukrainian Parliament and the House.

The panel is chaired by Rep. Georgina de Venecia (Pangasinan, 4th District).

‘We talked about renewing the text of this memorandum and making it more active now, and to sign maybe the new MOU or the action plan with deliverables for the next years,’ the Ukrainian ambassador told Philstar.com.

Lawmakers from both countries spoke of potential cooperation in trade and investment, with Ukrainian officials saying they see room to strengthen export-import ties.

Other areas discussed include science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, and coordination at international forums on maintaining rules-based international order.

The ambassador said the next steps include renewing the MOU and encouraging more exchanges between Ukrainian and Philippine legislators in the coming years.

Broader diplomatic push

Ukraine is finalizing several agreements with the Philippines, including memoranda on a joint commission for trade and investment, agriculture, security and cybersecurity, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

The embassy is also working with Ateneo de Manila University and other schools to establish Ukrainian studies programs, with Ukrainian universities planning reciprocal courses on Filipino history and ASEAN issues.

The ambassador said Ukraine wants direct communication between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Ukraine’s Ministry on culture and information policy.

A cybersecurity memorandum focused on countering disinformation is also in the works.

Manila is expected to open an embassy in Kyiv, though no timeline was given.

For now, Ukraine coordinates with the Philippine ambassador to Warsaw, Poland, who also covers Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Manila in June, where he met President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vowed to strengthen both nations’ diplomatic ties, which have spanned over three decades.

La Salle held on to a 74-72 triumph against the listless Far Eastern University to bounce back from its deflating defeat to University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

The Green Archers banked on their defensive fangs in the clutch after going scoreless in the final minute and nearly losing a five-point lead as Jorick Bautista muffed a game-tying lay-up in the last seven seconds for the win.

La Salle, which beat Adamson, 60-58, but wasted a 12-point lead against the host and dark horse UST, 93-84, thus improved to 2-1. It is behind for solo fourth place unbeaten Ateneo, UST and National University nearing the halfway mark of the first round in its title redemption bid.

Doy Dungo led the way with 17 points on three triples, while Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez and EJ Gollena churned out 14 points each for La Salle, which made it up for the quiet scoring team captain Mike Phillips with only six points on 1-of-7 clip.

Phillips bounced back in other departments though, collaring 13 rebounds and dishing nine assists as the Green Archers almost squandered a lead as high sa 58-44 in the third quarter.

“You really want to win coming off a loss and we had parts in the game where we’re playing really well for that bounce back win but you cannot say that you’re gonna have an easy win in the UAAP,” said assistant coach Caloy Garcia. “FEU came back in the fourth and we just had to figure out our struggles from there.”

Like its last match against the Growling Tigers with a 12-point lead in the third quarter, the Green Archers appeared headed into a blowout but their inexperience with a young core following the departure of two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao showed down the stretch.

La Salle was outscored by FEU, 21-10, in the fourth but its 74-69 cushion on Dungo’s jumper in the 1:22 mark proved to be enough for still a good momentum entering a gigatic duel against archrival Ateneo that’s been on tear at 3-0 after a Final Four miss on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Janrey Pasaol’s 25 points along with the efforts of Mo Konateh (14), Kirby Mongcopa (13) and Jorick Bautista (10) went for naught anew as the Tamaraws slid to 0-3 for a tie at the cellar with University of the East.

Meanwhile, FEU (1-1) scraped past La Salle (1-1), 73-72 in women’s basketball behind MG Manguiat and Amyah Espanol with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

The scores:

First Game

DLSU 74 – Dungo 17, Amos 14, Cortez 14, Gollena 14, Phillips 6, Marasigan 5, Pablo 2, Abadam 2, Daep 0, Melecio 0.

FEU 72 – Pasaol 25, Konateh 14, Mongcopa 13, Bautista 10, Owens 6, Daa 2, Ona 2, Bagunu 0, Montemayor 0, Salangsang 0, Amos 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 37-30, 64-51, 74-72