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THIS here is a familiar story. The salary comes in and, for a moment, there is relief. Bills can be paid, the pantry can be restocked and, maybe, enjoying even a small treat or two. But before the next payday arrives, the money is gone; sometimes disappearing faster than expected.

Why does this keep happening even when we know the basics of personal finance? Why do so many of us feel like we are always catching up, never ahead?

The payday high

THE days right after payday often feel like a celebration. The stress of waiting is over and, finally, there is money to spend. Psychologists call this the ‘payday high,’ a temporary sense of relief that can quickly turn into overspending.

It feels good to buy the things we postponed during the tight days before payday. A meal out, a new gadget, or a flash sale on an app suddenly feels justified. We tell ourselves, ‘I deserve this.’ Some even joke that payday is the one time of the month when they feel ‘rich.’ The problem is, that feeling does not last long. By the time bills, obligations, and savings goals catch up, the budget is already stretched thin.

Why does money slip away so fast

SEVERAL common patterns make this cycle repeat:

Front-loading expenses. Rent, utilities, loan payments, and tuition often fall right after payday. What looks like a full paycheck on day one can shrink dramatically after a few transactions.

Impulse spending. Discounts and sales are everywhere, and marketing is designed to make us buy quickly. Having fresh cash makes it easier to give in to those flash deals.

Family obligations. Many Filipinos feel a strong responsibility to send money to parents or siblings first. While this comes from love and gratitude, it often leaves little for personal savings.

Untracked daily spending. Delivery fees, coffee runs, rideshares, and small ‘add to cart’ buys slowly eat away at what is left. Because they seem harmless in the moment, we only notice the impact when the account balance is nearly empty.

These habits are not just financial issues. They are also behavioral and emotional.

The hidden triggers

RUNNING out of money before payday is not always about income. Even people with higher salaries experience it because of lifestyle creep, social pressure, or stress spending. The truth is, the more we earn, the more tempted we become to increase our spending. Without limits, expenses rise to match income.

Money is also tied to emotions. We spend to celebrate, to relieve stress, or to show love. For many, generosity is expressed through treating family or friends. Cultural expectations add another layer. Saying no to a family request can feel like turning our back on our values. Declining an invitation with friends can feel like rejecting the people we care about. These triggers make it difficult to stretch the budget until the next payday, even when the math seems simple on paper.

How to break the cycle

ESCAPING this cycle does not happen overnight. It takes small, practical steps that address both the numbers and the behaviors behind them.

Pay yourself first. Set aside a portion of your income for savings before paying bills or spending. Even a small amount builds the habit of prioritizing your future.

Automate good habits. Schedule a savings transfer or an investment top-up as soon as you get paid. If money leaves your account immediately, you are less tempted to use it on non-essentials.

Limit variable spending. Allocate a fixed amount for food, transport, or leisure using cash or a separate e-wallet. Having a boundary makes it easier to see where your money is going and stops overspending before it happens.

Track the little things. A few pesos for delivery fees or snacks may not seem much, but over weeks they create holes in the budget. Writing them down or using a simple app helps you see patterns and adjust.

Build a cushion. Even P500 a week in savings creates breathing room and reduces the anxiety of running out before the next paycheck. Small wins build confidence, and confidence builds momentum.

Create a plan for fun. Overspending often comes from feeling deprived. Instead of avoiding all wants, include a ‘fun fund’ in your budget. Having a small, guilt-free allowance helps control bigger splurges later.

Toward financial wellness

THE struggle of running out of money before payday is not about intelligence or effort. It is about habits, triggers, and the way we relate to money. Financial wellness means managing not just the technical side of budgeting, but also the emotional and cultural factors that influence our choices.

When we begin to shift small behaviors, we move closer to balance. And when money becomes less about stress and more about security, we discover that the true goal is not just making it to the next payday, but building peace of mind in between.

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) is open to the possibility of including firms linked to the flood control controversy to its debarment list to prevent them from participating in its current or future projects.

In a briefing on Tuesday, ADB Country Director for the Philippines Andrew Jeffries said under its rules, ADB can only debar firms that participated in its projects.

ADB also implements cross-debarment with other multilateral development banks in the world. Under this policy, debarred firms in these institutions are also debarred from participating in their projects in the region.

‘If there is an officially sanctioned government blacklist, we would honor such a list and take that into account. But it would need to be, you know, kind of officially sanctioned and not just a list of firms in the press, so to speak,’ Jeffries told reporters.

Currently, Jeffries said the ADB has implemented strict technical and financial requirements for all contractors bidding for ADB-funded projects.

These include having a proven track record in undertaking a project as well as possessing the technical capability of implementing specific projects.

Jeffries also mentioned that they have a strict oversight when it comes to loan disbursement to make sure that funds are released based on achieved milestones set by ‘legal construction contracts.’

Apart from the procurement of contractors, Jeffries said ADB also has a post-implementation evaluation process that scrutinizes financial statements, final project costs, and the explanation of any cost overruns and changes that were made in the course of project implementation.

‘Regarding our lending, we take the corruption and public financial management very, very seriously. [Public Works and Highways] Secretary Vince Dizon has stopped progress on domestically funded flood protection projects, for example, but he has not stopped foreign funded flood protection projects because of the strict oversight that ourselves and other development partners give,’ Jeffries said.

In 2010, ADB and multilateral development banks such as the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Inter-American Development Bank Group entered into a mutual enforcement agreement on debarment decisions.

The agreement covered the harmonization of debarment rules across the multilateral development banks and mutual enforcement of debarment decisions, which required the banks to debar the firms.

In most cases the names of the firms and their violations as well as the period of their debarment are made public by the multilateral development banks.

In a joint statement in 2010, the multilateral development banks stated that the collective enforcement action validated the institutions’ September 17, 2006 commitment as part of the International Financial Institutions Anti-Corruption Task Force.

The 2006 accord committed MDBs to further explore how compliance and enforcement actions taken by one institution could be mutually recognized. Under the 2006 agreement, the institutions agreed to harmonize their definitions of sanctionable practices and to share greater investigative information among the Banks.

ADB’s public debarment list currently includes 14 Filipinos and firms; some are debarred indefinitely while others are debarred ‘until further notice’ for committing various integrity violations. Some of the firms are cross-debarred with the World Bank as a result of the agreement between the multilateral banks.

Newly minted Mister International 2025 Kirk Bondad is back in the homeland to a hero’s welcome. The gorgeous Filipino-German supermodel, businessman and wellness director won the Philippines’ second Mister International title after ‘Gwapulis’ Neil Perez’s triumph in 2014.

‘It’s like a fever dream so far. Non-stop. I’ve been mobbed in Thailand, which was to me very surprising. I was about to go to the gym and then somebody recognized me and I, you know, I’m in my mode. I’m going to the gym for the first time [after winning in Bangkok] and then suddenly people are doing pictures and they congratulate me and I wasn’t expecting that to be honest,’ Kirk, 28, exulted at his victory presscon at Holiday Inn Express Manila Newport City in Pasay, on September 29.

‘And honestly, the feeling that I’m getting from being Mister International right now, it’s like when you walk in the park and suddenly a fresh breeze hits you and it goes like, I’m still catching up to the feeling. I have nothing but love in my heart,’ a grateful Kirk smiled.

Kirk’s victory follows an exceptional streak by the Mister Pilipinas Worldwide kings this year. Kenneth Cabangcal placed fifth at Mister Supranational in Poland on June 28, while Kenneth Marcelino finished first runner-up at Mister Cosmopolitan in Thailand on September 7.

The two Kenneths, Mister Pilipinas-Manhunt International 2025 Raven Lansangan, Mister Pilipinas-Man of the Year Michael Angelo Toledo and Mister Pilipinas-Eco International 2025: Kitt Cortez ecstatically welcomed Kirk at the pressscon. Also making a surprise appearance was our first Mister International, Neil Perez.

Jether Palomo is currently in Bangkok aiming for a back-to-back victory for the Philippines at Mister Global.

‘You are loved even before the pageant. Your moment of victory, you’ve inspired a lot of Filipino men who are joining beauty pageants, especially me. And I’m sure that I’m speaking on behalf of our reigning kings as well. Look at their smiles right now,’ said Kitt, who hosted the presscon.

‘I’m glad that you’re here, guys. Thank you so much,’ Kirk beamed.

‘How crazy is that?’ asked Kitt.

‘It’s surreal,’ replied Kirk.

Kitt countered: ‘What does this victory mean to you, Kirk, personally?’

A still-overwhelmed Kirk, who bested 41 contenders, answered:

‘Well, it’s interesting since when I won Mister Pilipinas Worldwide and I got the title of becoming Mister Philippines International, it is something that you know will happen, you know, just day X, you prep, you train, day by day, and then suddenly it happens and you realize all the pressure that I didn’t feel before.

‘To be honest, I didn’t feel the pressure until I actually got the crown because I sat down alone in my hotel room after everything was done and I was munching on snacks already. But in that moment, I realized I worked so hard for this and honestly, it feels hard to describe the feeling because it’s overwhelming. I haven’t got time for myself to catch up, to be honest.

‘So, it feels like a sand clock, right? Like all the sand of my emotions is buckled up and just a tiny bit of sand is being metabolized, meaning my emotions, and day by day, I just realize how much attention I need to put in.’

GLOBAL uncertainties and the ‘broad impacts’ of corruption could further weaken the country’s economic growth this year and next year, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) for September, ADB said it now expects the country’s GDP growth to slow to 5.7 percent in 2026 from the 5.8 percent estimate for 2026 it made in July 2025. The forecast for this year pegged at 5.6 percent was the same estimate in July but was slower than the 6 percent estimate it released in April.

ADB Country Director for the Philippines Andrew Jeffries said the global uncertainties stemmed from the impact of higher US tariffs on the economy. However, while ADB did not yet account for its impact, the controversy surrounding flood control projects could further undermine economic growth.

‘We didn’t see a reason to reduce GDP projections due to that issue [flood control], but it’s certainly a heightened risk; between now and our December update there may be more quantifiable data available that may alter our projections,’ Jeffries said during a media briefing.

Higher United States tariffs imposed on various commodities worldwide have created global policy uncertainty which has slowed down growth, particularly in advanced economies.

The impact of higher tariffs, which the Philippines has not escaped, and the impact on advanced economies could also dim the economic prospects of the country.

The United States slapped a tariff of 19 percent on all Philippine goods entering the American market beginning in August 2025. This new rate was a result of negotiations between Washington and Manila which occurred in July.

Nonetheless, ADB said, the impact of these uncertainties may be cushioned by the country’s strong domestic demand given the slowdown in inflation. The increase in commodity prices remained below the 2 to 4 percent target set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

ADB projected that inflation could average 1.8 percent this year and pick up to 3 percent next year. Both forecasts are within the inflation target of 2 to 4 percent set by the BSP.

The benign inflation environment allowed the BSP to continue reducing key policy rates. In the last Monetary Board meeting, the central bank reduced the Target Reverse Repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 5 percent in what BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said was the ‘Goldilocks’ rate. Officials said more rate cuts could be implemented by the end of the year.

With the slowdown in inflation, ADB Senior Economics Officer Teresa Mendoza said household spending, one of the pillars of domestic demand, has shown resilience this year.

Mendoza noted that while there was an observed increase in the purchase of basic items, Filipino households also increased their spending on non-essentials such as domestic travel and recreation.

Earlier, ANZ Research said Filipinos swiping their credit cards and obtaining loans against their salaries are helping boost consumption spending in the country but these are deemed ‘unhealthy’ practices.

In its quarterly brief, ANZ Research noted that domestic demand has been weak in the region, except for the Philippines, which is seeing an uptick in private consumption as well as inflow of new consumption.

ANZ Research said private consumption in the country, however, was driven by credit card spending and loans against salaries. These borrowings were not being spent on asset creationMeanwhile, ADB said developing Asia’s growth forecasts were also reduced to 4.8 percent and 4.5 percent in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

The ADB cited risks that could bring growth down such as tariff and trade uncertainty, financial market volatility, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine, and property market fragility in the People’s Republic of China which could affect other countries.

First Gen Corp. (FGen) and the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) are currently in talks for another extension of their gas deal that will eventually pave the way for the continued supply of electricity being sourced from FGen’s gas plant in Batangas.

‘You know that the Sta. Rita was extended up to January, but we’re hoping that will also be extended beyond. But that’s work in progress,’ said First Gen President Francis Giles Puno.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) had granted a five-month extension, or until January 2026, of their power purchase agreement (PPA), effectively averting the shutdown of the 1,100-megawatt (MW) Sta. Rita gas power plant.

Puno, however, could not yet say how long First Gen and Meralco want the gas deal to remain in effect. ‘That’s currently in negotiation.’

Meralco utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez had said that during this period both parties will continue negotiations on the PPA extension and will have to go back to the ERC after the negotiation.

Without the extension, First Gen would likely be constrained to shut down the Sta. Rita plant, the biggest among the four-gas fired power plants it operates in its Clean Energy Complex in Batangas. However, the extension may result in higher generation rates, the ERC noted in its previous decision.

‘Although the motion evidently impacts Meralco’s generation charge.there exist other equally compelling and urgent reasons that justify the proposed extension,’ the ERC said.

‘The issue transcends mere rate concerns and becomes a matter of energy security. Such a scenario could lead to widespread blackouts, with repercussions extending beyond potential increases in Meralco’s generation charge. Ultimately, the resultant blackouts could severely impact the national economy. In the end, this is what the commission is asked to reconsider and rule upon.’

These reasons, added the ERC, are anchored in policy considerations, such as ensuring grid and supply security and reliability, which fall more appropriately within the purview of the Department of Energy (DOE).

The DOE, for its part, told the ERC that the interim extension will not violate any DOE policy, particularly the competitive selection process (CSP) requirement because the Sta. Rita PPA was approved pre-Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira). Hence, the PPA is beyond any CSP policies issued by the DOE under Epira.

First Gen’s PPA with Meralco involving the 420-MW San Gabriel gas plant already expired last year while a similar agreement involving the 500MW San Lorenzo gas plant will expire in 2027.

Last August, First Gen said it recorded a slight increase in its net income at $151 million (P8.6 billion) in January to June from $150 million (P8.4 billion) a year ago due to lower revenues. Revenues stood at $1.213 billion (P69.3 billion), down 5 percent from $1.278 billion (P72.1 billion) because of lower electricity volumes, particularly in the gas platform, sold during the period.

The natural gas portfolio accounted for 66 percent of the company’s total consolidated revenues, while 30 percent came from the geothermal, wind and solar plants of Energy Development Corp. (EDC). The balance of 4 percent comes from the company’s hydroelectric power plants.

Meanwhile, Meralco reported last July that it will close the year with about P50 billion in consolidated core net income (CCNI), higher than last year’s P45.1 billion, after posting a CCNI of P25.5 billion in the first half.

In the first half, Meralco’s CCNI stood at P25.5 billion from P23.2 billion in the same period last year, with the distribution business accounting for the largest share of 54 percent or P13.7 billion. It also realized significant contribution from the growing power generation business with its share now at 37 percent to P9.4 billion of the CCNI.

The retail electricity supply and non-electricity businesses, meanwhile, brought in a combined P2.4 billion or 9 percent.

THE House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed for the inclusion of eight additional reform bills in the administration’s priority legislative agenda.

In his first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said the House agenda for the 20th Congress is anchored on economic growth, stronger social protection, and governance reforms, with a focus on ensuring affordable food, creating sustainable jobs, expanding digital connectivity, and improving public services for Filipinos.

The meeting, held in Malacañang, was attended by House leaders, including Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.

Dy affirmed the chamber’s commitment to work closely with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, and other government leaders to fast-track the passage of vital measures.

‘We meet today in a spirit of collaborative governance to align our legislative agenda with the Administration’s Philippine Development Plan and its 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda,’ Dy said.

According to Dy, 32 of the 33 measures identified by the executive branch have already been filed in the House, which he said ‘sets a positive tone for our productive collaboration with all branches of government.’

During the meeting, Dy presented eight new measures for possible inclusion in the Ledac priority list, among them a Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Framework to ensure swift and transparent calamity response and a bill to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) by extending its corporate life and opening select lands for development.

The House is also pushing a Presidential Merit Scholarship Program to reward outstanding graduates from low- and middle-income families and a bill disqualifying relatives of officials up to the fourth degree from government contracts to strengthen integrity in public service.

To safeguard democracy, the chamber seeks to regulate digital campaigning through a fair use of social media, AI, and internet technology in elections. It also proposes to modernize the Bureau of Immigration by professionalizing its ranks, adding visa categories, and upgrading border security.

The proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, on the other hand, aims to stabilize prices and empower the National Food Authority, while the Magna Carta for Barangays will institutionalize long-overdue benefits and ensure resources for local officials and communities.

‘With the President’s leadership and the collective will of this Council, we are confident that we can achieve these legislative goals,’ said Dy.

‘The House of Representatives is responding to the call of the people by crafting laws that directly improve their lives,’ he added.

Asia’s quietest revolution is unfolding not in parliaments or protests, but in its fields. Over the past 30 years, agriculture’s grip on the region’s workforce has loosened dramatically. Fewer people are farming. This is not news.

What is telling is why-and where the exodus leads. In Vietnam, former rice farmers now assemble electronics in industrial parks near Ho Chi Minh City. In China, many have become urban service workers or returned to larger, mechanized family plots that operate more like agribusinesses than subsistence farms.

But in the Philippines, the path out of the paddies often ends at a sari-sari store, behind the wheel of a tricycle, or on a construction site with no contract, no benefits, and no certainty beyond tomorrow’s wage.

The numbers speak plainly enough. Agricultural employment in the Philippines has fallen from 45 percent of the workforce in 1990 to just 23 percent in 2023. On the surface, this mirrors regional trends. But look closer. In countries that managed their agrarian transition well, workers moved into formal, higher-productivity jobs. In the Philippines, they moved into informality. More than one-third of Filipino workers (37 percent according to the Philippine Statistics Authority) now operate outside the formal economy-selling snacks, driving for ride-hailing apps without insurance, or taking odd jobs with no safety net.

This is not economic transformation. It is economic evasion.

Part of the problem lies in stubbornly low agricultural productivity. Philippine rice yields average just over 4 metric tons per hectare- well below Vietnam’s nearly 6 and China’s 7 or more. Fertilizer use tells part of the story: Filipino farmers apply about 90 to 100 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, compared to Vietnam’s 180 to 200.

But the issue is not reluctance-it is access. With the vast majority of farms under 2 hectares, most smallholders simply cannot afford the inputs that would boost their output, even when the math says they should. And without reliable irrigation, only about half the country’s cropland has it. Filipino farming remains a gamble with the weather, not a profession with predictable returns.

Then there is government policy, or the performance of it. The 2019 Rice Tariffication Law was hailed as a bold step toward modernization- replacing import quotas with tariffs and creating a dedicated fund for farmer support. Five years later, the results are underwhelming. A significant portion of that fund has yet to reach actual producers. Instead, it lingers in administrative limbo or flows toward projects that benefit middlemen and agro-dealers more than the men and women knee-deep in mud at planting season.

China’s experience offers both warning and wisdom. After decades of chemical-intensive farming that degraded soils and polluted waterways, Beijing reversed course. It capped fertilizer use, invested in precision agriculture, and encouraged consolidation through cooperatives and larger operational units. Yields did not collapse-they held steady or even improved slightly.

The Philippines has no such strategy. Fertilizer runoff continues to foul rivers like the Pasig and lakes like Laguna de Bay, yet enforcement of environmental safeguards remains inconsistent at best. Climate-resilient rice varieties-many developed right here in Los Baños-exist in abundance, but they rarely reach the farmers who need them most, thanks to a skeletal extension system that has not been meaningfully updated in decades.

Land reform remains the ghost that haunts every agricultural discussion. The agrarian reform program launched more than three decades ago did distribute millions of hectares, but much of it was marginal upland or forested terrain. The best rice lands in Central Luzon and other prime regions remain tightly held by political families and corporate entities. Without secure tenure or the possibility of scale, smallholders cannot invest, cannot innovate, and cannot compete-not even with their neighbors.

And let us not overlook the women. They constitute more than one-third of the agricultural labor force. They plant, weed, harvest, dry, mill, and sell. Yet they hold a tiny fraction of land titles and are routinely excluded from credit programs, training sessions, and decision-making forums. Their labor is essential-but their agency is optional in the eyes of many policymakers.

Rural youth see all this and make the rational choice: they leave. Not because they hate the land, but because the land no longer offers a future with dignity, security, or respect. Until that changes-until farming becomes a viable livelihood, not just a cultural relic-no amount of political theater about ‘rice self-sufficiency’ will fill the fields. The ships will keep arriving. And the quietest revolution in Asia will remain the one the Philippines keeps postponing.

The Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) announced that the nomination deadline to the 6th Bank Marketing Awards (BMA) has been extended until October 10 upon request of its member banks and due to recent inclement weather conditions. The BMA is a biennial awards program open to banks operating in the Philippines, and in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Financial Sector Forum.

The BMA aims to recognize outstanding marketing and communication initiatives undertaken by financial institutions to further elevate local bank marketing practices and encourage professionals to strive for excellence by highlighting best industry programs.

This year’s BMA will have seven (7) categories – Best Product Program, Best Brand Program, Best Electronic Channel Program, Best Digital Marketing Program, Best Financial Inclusion Program, Best Customer-Centric Product or Service, and Best Sustainability Drive. The distinguished panel of judges comprised of marketing and communication experts and leaders namely former BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier, Grupo Agatep Chairman and CEO Norman Agatep, Hungry Workhorse Consultancy CEO Rey Lugtu and Forest Foundation Philippines Board Member Ma. Aurora Tolentino. Winners of the 6th Bank Marketing Awards will be announced in November.

Over the years, the Bank Marketing Awards program has become synonymous with recognizing banks that demonstrated commitment to advancing innovation, creative execution, raising awareness on consumer education and protection, creating positive customer experience and value, and making banking affordable and accessible to Filipinos. The BMA not only celebrates past achievements but also encourages banks to step forward and showcase their brand, marketing and customer-centric programs and initiatives.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña recently visited the Isla Mactan Desalination Plant in Cordova, a facility that aims to help the city’s growing water security challenges.

Codeveloped by global experts in water technology and Vivant Water, the water arm of Cebu-based and publicly listed conglomerate Vivant Corporation, the plant is the country’s first utility-scale seawater desalination facility. More than an engineering milestone, it represents a promise of resilience for thousands of Cebuano families who depend on safe and reliable water every day.

The facility uses globally recognized seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology with energy-efficient operations powered by Energy Recovery Devices (ERDs). Designed to deliver 20 million liters of potable water daily, enough to serve nearly 29,000 Cebuano households, the project is now in its final stages of testing and commissioning, before supplying the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) by end-2025. It reflects Vivant Water’s commitment to practical, sustainable innovations that address today’s needs while anticipating tomorrow’s demands, in line with the Cebu City Administration’s pursuit of scalable and sustainable solutions.

ELECTION-LAWYER Romulo Macalintal has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to look into the circumstances surrounding the notarization of sworn documents submitted as annexes by the Liga ng Mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LMBP) in their bid to intervene in the petitions seeking to declare as constitutional Republic Act No. 12232 that extended the term of office of the incumbent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from three to four years.

Macalintal made the request in his nine-page ‘very urgent manifestation of grave concern with motion to clarify authenticity of certain sworn documents in intervenors’ petition for intervention’ filed last Monday before the Court.

The lawyer made the manifestation after learning that the sworn documents were notarized by controversial lawyer Petchie Rose Espera, who earlier denied and disowned the signature and notarization appearing on the affidavit submitted by Orly Regala Guteza during his appearance as witness in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation on the anomalous flood control projects of the government.

In his affidavit, Guteza claimed that he formerly served as security consultant for resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizalde ‘Zaldy’ Co and was tasked to deliver suitcases containing millions of pesos each to residences of Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Macalintal noted that the signature now being disowned by Espera is the same signature of the notary public on the various sworn documents submitted by LMBP as part of the petition in intervention.

He pointed out that multiple verifications, certifications of non-forum shopping, and special powers of attorney from barangay officials across different municipalities were all purportedly subscribed and sworn before Espera on a single day, August 18, 2025.

He also noted that Espera’s signature on some of the sworn documents attached to the petition-in-intervention closely resembled the notary public’s signature on Guteza’s affidavit, indicating that it was done by the same person.

‘With due respect, petitioner finds it highly suspect how all these punong barangays in different parts of the Philippines could be gathered to prepare, explain, and adopt various resolutions [which share extremely similar wordings] and verification and certification of non-forum shopping just in one day by the same notary public,’ Macalintal stressed.

‘Hence, in view of the startling revelation, it is the petitioner’s respectful submission that the intervenors and their counsels should be directed to explain the circumstances surrounding the notarization of their aforesaid sworn statements and clarify whether they are personally subscribed and attested their respective documents before Atty. Espera,’ he added.

Macalintal explains that notarization is not a routinary act and that a public document is entitled to ‘full faith and credit,’ which makes the issue of its authenticity a matter of grave concern.

In their petitioner-in-intervention, the LMBP asked the Court to declare as constitutional Republic Act No. 12232 which effectively postponed to November 2, 2026 the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) originally set on December 1, 2025.

The two original petitions to declare as unconstitutional RA 12232 were filed by Macalintal and voters represented by Mystro Yushi P. Fujii et al.

The SC has acted on Macalintal’s petition and required the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to submit their comments.

The comments were required not only on the petition but also on Macalintal’s plea for TRO.