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Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to cancel or reprice P1.6 trillion worth of infrastructure projects to save P400 billion that could be redirected to health and education programs.

Leviste made the proposal as Congress wrapped up deliberations on the 2026 national budget, citing alleged irregularities in several DPWH projects, including a recently terminated P95.99-million flood control contract in Lemery, Batangas.

DPWH Regional Office IV-A ended the Omnicon Builders contract on June 9, due to a change in government policy on the implementation of flood control-related projects. The contractor would not be paid since the project had not yet begun.

In August, Leviste and the Lemery local government unit raised issues over the project’s lack of coordination, missing permits and deviations from the town’s flood control master plan.

They later found that the project’s sheet piles, supposed to be 12 meters long, measured only six meters. After the audit, the contractor reportedly abandoned the site.

‘After all the hearings and protests against corruption in DPWH, we must remember there are over P1-trillion ongoing projects and another P600 billion in upcoming projects that DPWH can still do something about,’ Leviste said.

‘DPWH is continuing to spend on overpriced projects every day, losing over P1 billion per day or P30 billion per month, and it is within DPWH’s power to stop these losses now,’ he added.

Leviste said DPWH contracts allow for ‘Termination for Convenience’ if a project becomes ‘economically, financially or technically impractical and/or unnecessary, such as, but not limited to, fortuitous events or changes in law and national government policies,’ without any penalty to the government.

He added that contracts may also be ended through ‘Termination for Unlawful Acts’ if contractors commit ‘corrupt, fraudulent, collusive and coercive practices; draw up or use forged documents; use adulterated materials, means or methods or engage in production contrary to rules of science or the trade.’

DPWH could invoke either clause, citing testimony from former DPWH officials Roberto Bernardo and Brice Hernandez, who claimed that ‘almost 100 percent’ of DPWH bids are rigged and that projects often end up substandard due to alleged 25 to 30 percent kickbacks paid out to secure contracts.

He also reiterated his call for DPWH to recompute its detailed unit price analysis (DUPA) to lower approved unit prices for future projects.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon had previously committed to reviewing the DUPA and agreed it could be reduced by ‘at least 10 percent,’ with some estimates suggesting even larger decreases.

Citing the Lemery flood control project as an example, Leviste said Dizon could apply the same principles to the more than P1 trillion worth of ongoing DPWH projects for 2025 and P600 billion planned for 2026.

He estimated that reducing costs by an average of 25 percent could yield P400 billion in savings from the P1.6 trillion total.

Teachers’ walkout

Meanwhile, the Department of Education said it respects the nationwide protest action of teachers after thousands walked out of classes on Friday to denounce corruption and government neglect in the education sector.

DepEd Media Relations Office chief Dennis Legaspi recognized yesterday the validity of the teachers’ grievances.

‘We are in continuous dialogue with teacher representatives to address these concerns collaboratively. Rest assured, the DepEd leadership is not only listening but is committed to taking meaningful action,’ he said. – Bella Cariaso

There is no International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest for Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa.

‘Until we see the arrest warrant, then there is none,’ Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters when asked if the Department of Justice was preparing for such a move.

As for contingency plans, he said authorities are not discussing it yet.

‘We’ll cross the bridge when we get there,’ Remulla said.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who was recently in The Hague, said ICC arrest warrants could be issued in early 2026 against Dela Rosa and Sen. Bong Go.

‘As for the warrant (from the ICC), we are only expecting two. One for Bato, another for Bong Go. Maybe the earliest these warrants would be out is early next year,’ he said in an interview with ‘Storycon’ on One News.

Dela Rosa could possibly be cited as detained former president Rodrigo Duterte’s co-conspirator in the drug war killings, with ICC prosecutors, in a July pre-confirmation brief, citing Dela Rosa’s vow to ‘scale up’ the Davao model of killings, his signature on Tokhang directives and his chilling statement: ‘Killings in the name of drugs. This is really about killings in the name of drugs.’

The Small Basketeers Philippines-Passerelle Twin Tournaments organized by the BEST Center blasted off last week at the Claret School of Quezon City with 12 teams competing.

Milo Sports Head Carlo Sampan and Fr. Victor Sadaya, Claret School Director, helped usher in the long-running competition for grade school basketball hopefuls that has been recognized in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame.

Vying for the SBP crown are Claret School of QC, Colegio San Agustin, La Salle College Antipolo, La Salle Greenhills, Lourdes School Queon City and Lourdes School Mandaluyong

Competing in the Passerelle Division are Claret School of QC, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati

La Salle Greenhills, Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, Paref Southridge School and University of Santo Tomas.

The twin tournaments are sponsored by Milo.

Cagers 9 to 11 years old are playing in the SBP while their 12 to 15-year old counterparts play in the Passerelle.

Their undefeated start will be a huge boost for the Ateneo as it takes on rival La Salle this Sunday in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tourney, former Blue Eagles star Kai Ballungay said.

Ballungay, who played two seasons for the Katipunan-based squad and was part of the Blue Eagles squad that won the Season 85 championship, said he believes the unscathed start of the Blue Eagles thus far will help them against their bitter rivals.

‘I’m excited, man. I mean, we’ve been looking forward to this [Ateneo-La Salle matchup] since last year,’ he told Philstar.com during the release of the new Nike LeBron XXIII at the Titan Fort earlier this week.

‘You know, this is a brand new team. We started off 3-0 so far, so I think we’re going to do this one with a lot of confidence. I just want to see them come out with a win for sure,’ he added.

Ateneo, which managed to win just four games last season, has now won its first three contests. The squad has defeated Far Eastern University in overtime, University of the East by two points, and Adamson by a blowout.

Now, the real test begins for the Blue Eagles, as they take on the 2-1 La Salle squad that will now feature former Ateneo big man Mason Amos.

Ballungay also voiced confidence that the current Blue Eagle team has what it takes to go all the way.

‘Yeah, for sure. I mean, they have all the pieces. From the player standpoint, from a coaching standpoint, they’ve always been set. Coach Tab’s guided them always in the right direction,’ he said.

‘I think it’s going to take adjusting while other teams are making adjustments to them. So I think as long as they overcome every challenge throughout the way, I think they’ll be fine.’

Through three games thus far, the Blue Eagles are led by one-and-done forward Kymani Ladi, who, like Ballungay, is a tall wing – at 6-foot-7 – and has 3-point range.

Ladi is leading the team in scoring with 19.3 points per game. He is also norming 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest.

Ballungay said he sees the similarities between him and the Vallejo, California native.

‘Yeah man. I’ve been hearing that a lot lately. You know, I definitely see the similarities for sure. And you know, I feel like Ateneo has always produced great stretch fours,’ he said.

‘From Will Navarro, you know, I fit that same role in Kymani. I feel like, like I said, Coach Tab has always been able to develop those type of players and it’s good to see it continue,’ he added.

‘He has everything that it takes. You know, he’s a great player just from the outside looking in and with the guidance of Coach Tab and the Ateneo system around him, I think he’s going to do well.’

Ballungay was among the athletes that was present during the Forever King event at the Titan Fort, where, aside from the release of the new LeBron sneakers, his “Legacy Wall” was also unveiled.

The LeBron XXIII “Uncharted” colorway was released during the event, which “salutes his stand-alone status as the greatest scorer of all time, because when you step into uncharted territory, it’s best to show up prepared.”

The Ateneo-La Salle matchup will be held this Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Mister Global 2025 final competition is set for tonight in Bangkok, Thailand. The Philippines’ representative, Jether Palomo, is in a very unique, pressure-filled position. He aims to achieve a back-to-back victory for the country, as the reigning king is Daumier Corilla.

Jether also follows the stellar performances of his fellow Mister Pilipinas Worldwide kings. Kenneth Cabangcal placed fifth at Mister Supranational in Poland on June 28, Kenneth Marcelino finished first runner-up at Mister Cosmopolitan in Thailand on September 7, and Kirk Bondad is the new Mister International who won the title in Bangkok on September 26.

Like Kirk, Jether is also a Century Tuna Superbods winner. He won in 2024.

At Mister Global, he and the Mister Pilipinas Worldwide Organization were awarded the Best in Country Presentation Video.

During the preliminary round on October 4, Jether wowed the crowd in his refreshing national costume created by Patrick Isorena.

Called ‘SSS,’ it means ‘Solihiya, Sampaguita, and Salakot,’ three iconic elements deeply rooted in Philippine culture and identity.

Isorena explained the ensemble: ‘The solihiya weave, reimagined in the fabric and patterns of the suit, represents Filipino artistry and craftsmanship, a timeless design found in our ancestral homes and heritage furniture. It symbolizes strength, tradition, and the enduring beauty of Filipino ingenuity.

‘The sampaguita, our national flower, cascades in abundance across the costume. Its delicate white blossoms embody purity, humility, and devotion. The floral wings adorned with oversized roses and sampaguita chains serve as a tribute to the grace and resilience of the Filipino spirit.

‘Finally, the salakot, delicately embellished with pearls and beadwork, crowns the ensemble as a proud emblem of our farmers and rural roots. It is a reminder of the hardworking Filipinos whose hands nurture the land and sustain the nation.’

Mister Global is about being a ‘Gentlemen with Essence.’

Jether describes this quality in his own words:

‘A Gentleman with Essence is not defined by titles or appearances, but by the values he lives each day. His essence is authenticity staying true to who he is, even when it is difficult. It is integrity choosing what is right over what is easy. It is compassion treating every person with dignity and respect. He is strong enough to lead, yet humble enough to listen; ambitious enough to dream, yet grounded enough to serve. A Gentleman with Essence builds a legacy not through accolades, but through the lives he touches and the hope he inspires.’

Up to 162 cases of leptospirosis with 15 fatalities were recorded in Negros Occidental as of Sept. 20, according to the provincial health office.

Of the figures, 25 cases with seven fatalities were reported in Bacolod City.

Ma. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said no increase was reported in the number of leptospirosis cases in 31 municipalities and component cities even as some areas remained flooded in the past few weeks.

Still, Pinongan said residents have been reminded not to wade in floodwaters to avoid contracting the disease caused by the urine of infected rats and other animals as well as contaminated soil and water.

Symptoms include fever or feeling feverish, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache and fatigue as well as vomiting and diarrhea.

Pinongan also reported a continued decline in the number of dengue cases in the past several weeks.

Alex Eala folded to Moyuka Uchijima of Japan, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, in Round 1 of the WTA1000 Dongfeng-Voyah Wuhan Open qualifiers to absorb her first early exit in the last five stops of the WTA Tour yesterday at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center in China.

The fifth-seeded Eala, 20, who made the Top 8 of her last four tournaments, met a match in WTA No. 92 Uchijima by splitting the first two sets but was dragged to a deep 0-3 hole in the third and could not recover from there.

It was the fifth straight three-setter for Eala in the past two weeks and it showed in her meltdown after breaking away from a 3-all deadlock in the second set to force a deciding set.

Eala, WTA No. 58, could have moved a win away from the main draw that features the sport’s titans led by No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 3 Coco Gauff.

Eala came off a quarterfinal appearance in the WTA125 Suzhou Open and WTA250 Sao Paulo Open, a semis stint in the WTA125 Jingshan Open and the breakthrough crown in the Guadalaraja Open.

US Open runnerup Amanda Anisimova crushed defending champion Coco Gauff in just 58 minutes on Saturday to reach her first China Open final.

The third seed thrashed second-seeded fellow American Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in Beijing. She plays either fifth seed Jessica Pegula, also of the United States, or 26th-seeded Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic on Sunday.

‘I was able to put on a really good performance,’ Anisimova said.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic said he had to ‘fire up all engines’ as he overcame a stodgy first set to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday, beating fellow veteran Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

The 38-year-old Serb is chasing a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, where he was greeted by rapturous cheers as he entered a stadium packed with adoring Chinese fans.

The official number of fatalities of the Sept. 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu went back up to 70 yesterday as the management of the dead and missing cluster led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government continued to validate the reported deaths.

As verified so far, the Office of Civil Defense said 32 of the casualties are from Bogo City, while 14 are from Medellin, 15 from San Remegio, six from Tabogon and one each in Sogod, Tabuelan and Borbon.

The number of reported injuries is currently at 559 – with Bogo City, the earthquake’s epicenter, accounting for 180 people hurt, followed by 150 in Tabogon, 66 in Medellin, 86 in San Remigio, 20 in Tabuelan, eight in Borbon, four in Catmon, 29 in Daanbantayan, 14 in San Francisco and two in Carmen.

Latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 128,294 families or 457,554 persons were affected by the earthquake.

Of the number, at least 407 families or 1,347 persons from affected communities were served inside four evacuation centers or temporary shelters.

The NDRRMC said a total of 18,154 damaged houses were reported in Central Visayas with 3,507 homes reported as destroyed.

Tent cities

Cebu residents displaced by the earthquake can now have temporary shelter following the tent cities put up by the national government.

Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon and Philippine Red Cross (PRC) chairman Richard Gordon yesterday led the establishment of tents in Barangay Cogon in Bogo City, alongside Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Cebu provincial government.

Around 200 tents were put up in Bogo City.

The PRC has brought about 2,500 family tents to be put up in several areas in Cebu. Each tent can accommodate a family of five persons and has blankets and other items for the comfort of the evacuees.

Teresito Bacolcol, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director, said the aftershocks would last for several weeks. He also did not discount the possibility that some of the tremors would have a magnitude of 5.1.

‘Eventually the numbers will decrease. Eventually the magnitude will downgrade,’ he said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City yesterday.

Phivolcs has recorded at least 5,092 aftershocks in Cebu since Tuesday.

Food packs

DSWD has released 75,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) to local government units (LGUs) in Cebu, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said yesterday.

He said the 75,000 released FFPs is part of the 142,000 FFPs requested by the 11 quake-hit Cebu LGUs.

The DSWD’s Field Office-7 (FO-7) has deployed its quick response teams in the municipalities of San Remigio and Medellin in Northeastern Cebu to render disaster relief operations.

The FO-7 also continues to lead the profiling of the affected families through the use of Family Access Cards in Emergencies and Disasters in Bogo City.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s Gabriela Silang transported relief goods to West of Sabil Point in San Remigio, Cebu yesterday.

The PCG said that LCT Island Shipping helped in the collaborative effort of the Coast Guard District Central Visayas and Coast Guard Station Northern Cebu.

At least 23 PCG personnel, 20 personnel from LCT Island Shipping and one representative from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) assisted in the delivery of relief goods.

The said relief goods are composed of 3,300 food packs and 2,066 evacuation supply kit from PCSO and 66 sacks of rice from the Coast Guard Civil Relations Service.

PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles said evacuation kits and relief goods were also on their way yesterday to typhoon victims in Masbate.

‘We cannot turn away from the suffering of our fellow Filipinos in Masbate and Cebu,’ Robles said in a statement.

Drop-off points

In a similar development, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has offered to use the Tourist Rest Areas built in the province of Cebu as drop-off points for donations to earthquake victims.

The agency brought up the suggestion after the municipal government of Medellin, one of the towns affected by the powerful temblor, announced it has established a 24/7 drop-off area for relief item donations at the Tourist Rest Area built in front of the municipal hall.

‘Our Tourist Rest Areas here in Cebu, including the one in the Municipality of Medellin, continues to be open and it is ready to receive and be a drop-off point for those who may wish to provide assistance to the Cebuanos affected by this tragedy,’ Frasco said.

‘Other tangible relief aid to Cebu may also be dropped-off to other Tourist Rest Area locations in Moalboal, Carcar and Carmen,’ she added.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is set to study the imposition of a definitive safeguard measure on cement imports following the recommendation of the Tariff Commission (TC).

‘DTI will review the recommendation of the TC,’ Trade Secretary Cristina Roque told The STAR.

The DTI will be making the final decision on whether a definitive safeguard measure would be imposed on cement imports.

In its final report on the formal probe on safeguard measures on cement imports, the TC recommended the imposition of a safeguard duty amounting to P349 per metric ton or P14 for a 40-kilogram bag of imported Portland cement Type 1 and blended cement for a period of three years.

The TC made the recommendation after finding a causal link between the serious injury to the local cement industry and increased imports of cement products.

The recommended safeguard duty is the difference between the weighted average importers’ price of imported cement and the weighted average factory gate price of local cement for 2024.

‘Since it addresses the extent of price undercutting by cement imports based on the latest available data, the commission deems that this level of safeguard duty is sufficient to alleviate the serious injury to the domestic industry and facilitate its adjustment to the adverse effects of increasing cement imports,’ the TC said.

The TC said the definitive safeguard duty would not apply to imports from developing countries with de minimis import volumes such as Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Back in February, the DTI imposed a provisional safeguard duty of P400 per metric ton or P16 for a 40-kilogram bag of imported cement after it found a link between increased cement imports and injury to the domestic industry.

Under the Safeguard Measures Act, the government may put in place safeguard measures to protect domestic industries from increased imports that cause or threaten to cause serious injury.

Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc. executive director Rey Baja earlier said that the industry needs the safeguard measure for local cement manufacturing to remain viable and to protect local jobs.

Cement manufacturing contributes at least one percent to the country’s gross domestic product. It also provides around 130,000 direct and indirect jobs.