Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson said on Monday that members of the House of Representatives also made their own amendments or insertions in the 2025 national budget, with the total exceeding by ‘much, much more’ those made by the Senate.

Lacson earlier bared that ‘almost all senators’ under the 19th Congress inserted at least P100 billion worth of items in last year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA), mostly in favor of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for infrastructure projects, including flood control.

Citing information he accessed, the chief of the Senate blue ribbon committee said the list of the House members who made insertions in the DPWH’s favor in last year’s GAA was several pages long, with the names in alphabetical order. ‘It was like a roll call,’ Lacson said in an interview on radio dzBB.

When asked if the amount was larger than the insertions made by senators, Lacson replied: ‘Much, much more.’

He explained that the DPWH received such massive insertions because many lawmakers were likely in collusion with the department’s corrupt officials to get their share of huge kickbacks from projects-even if it meant giving the DPWH a bigger budget than the education sector, which was in violation of the 1987 Constitution.

Pattern of corruption

‘The system of corruption has been in place, with lawmakers dealing with the district engineer and former [Public Works] Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo. That’s the pattern. You see the DPWH getting a bigger budget than the education sector because everyone involved got greedier and greedier, and stuffed the DPWH’s budget. That is unacceptable,’ he said.

Lacson added that while it is good that a huge part of the insertions were held and tagged ‘for later release,’ this may still affect the economy because properly vetted projects may not get the funding they need.

According to him, budget insertions by themselves are not illegal nor evil, as they are part of the mandate of lawmakers in shaping the national budget.

‘But this mandate has been abused by lawmakers,’ Lacson said.

‘Introducing insertions are not illegal. It is our mandate as lawmakers to review the National Expenditure Program and introduce amendments. The problem is that many lawmakers abused this mandate,’ he added. ‘I hope that in 2026, we will practice self-restraint. The people are angry, so we must reform the way we pass the budget.’

Lacson said the Senate must lead the way in ensuring transparency in budget deliberations, especially during the period of individual amendments in plenary.

Part of regular process

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, defended the individual or institutional amendments or insertions done during Senate deliberations on the national budget, saying these were part of the regular process.

‘It is unfortunate that the issue on ghost projects and failed flood control projects affect and generalized all amendments as illegal or improper,’ Sotto said in a statement on Monday.

He explained that some of the insertions made by lawmakers in the 2025 national budget were for additional classrooms, farm-to-market roads, and bridges that he said would benefit the public, especially those in far-flung provinces.

‘Some of [these] were never funded and were tagged ‘for later release’ (FLR),’ the Senate chief stressed.

Asked then if the insertions by the senators were not improper nor illegal and that only a few may be questionable, Sotto replied: ‘That’s right. Not all of them. They’re usually individual amendments.’

‘Rest assured that for the 2026 budget, the Senate will institute changes for greater transparency, people’s participation and accountability,’ he said.

Sen. JV Ejercito, who was part of the 19th Congress, also defended the amendments in the 2025 budget, saying that introducing changes after the budget hearings was part of the job of lawmakers ‘to support and further improve programs and projects.’ ‘Not all amendments are bad especially those which help agencies and departments,’ Ejercito said.

Damosa Land Inc. has secured the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its P5.2-million rental pool program, making it the first company to register under the regulator’s new guidelines for real estate securities. The SEC on Tuesday said Damosa Land’s registration statement covered 100 certificates of participation in the condotel project of TRYP by Wyndham Samal, although this is still subject to its compliance with remaining requirements.

The certificates cover 94 standard class condotel units with an offer price of P50,000 each, four deluxe class units worth P75,000 each, and two suite class units at P100,000 each.

Each unit is automatically included in the rental pool program upon purchase. These will be marketed, rented and managed as hotel accommodation for hotel guests without transferring ownership.

Under rental pool arrangements, buyers acquire units that are collectively managed by the developer or a third-party operator. In return, buyers receive a share in the developer’s income earned through renting out the units.

Based on the SEC’s Memorandum Circular No. 12 Series of 2024, rental pool agreements are investment contracts and, therefore, securities that need to be registered with the commission before being offered to the public.

The guidelines cover investment contracts, certificates of participation, profit-sharing agreements and other forms of securities issued by real estate developers in relation to rental pool agreements, such as condotels.

There’s a kind of joy that only toys can bring-the kind that lights up a child’s face the moment they step into a store filled with color, imagination, and endless possibilities. This September, MR.TOY invites families to rediscover that joy through its ‘September to Remember’ celebration, a month-long fiesta of play, surprises, and unbeatable deals.

From September 1 to 30, MR.TOY transforms select malls across Metro Manila and beyond into playgrounds of wonder. Whether you’re a parent looking for the perfect reward, a grandparent planning early Christmas shopping, or simply a kid-at-heart, this is your chance to unwrap happiness-one toy at a time.

Playtime Picks That Spark Imagination Step inside MR.TOY and you’ll find shelves brimming with toys that do more than entertain-they inspire. Highlights include:

Girls Villa and Flying Moco Villa Block Sets – Designed for young dreamers, these building sets encourage storytelling, creativity, and hands-on learning. With charming details and light-up pieces, they’re perfect for kids who love to build their own worlds.

The Infrared R/C Military Dinosaur delivers a roaring fusion of robotics and prehistoric fun, thrilling kids with LED lights, sound effects, and remote-controlled action. Meanwhile, the RoroJump Series brings creativity to life with cheerful brick sets-from birthday boards and pen holders to buildable vehicles-transforming everyday moments into imaginative adventures.

Blast off into playtime with this dynamic duo: the Astronaut-Themed Rubber Bouncy Balls bring lightweight fun and cosmic charm to any celebration, making them ideal for party favors or classroom rewards, while the Carwash Garage Playset-with its rollers, ramps, and rinse stations-invites kids to dive into imaginative storytelling and hands-on motor skill development.

Why Parents Love It Too

MR.TOY isn’t just a hit with kids-it’s a lifesaver for parents. With generous discounts all month long, it’s easier than ever to stock up on gifts, reward good behavior, or surprise your little one ‘just because.’ And with the holidays fast approaching, September is the perfect time to start your Christmas shopping early-minus the stress and crowds.

Where to Find the Fun? Visit any of these MR.TOY stores near you:

Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall

Ayala Malls Feliz

Ayala Malls Marikina

Ayala Malls Manila Bay

Ayala Malls Harbor Point

Let the Play Begin!

Follow MR.TOY on Facebook and Instagram or visit mrtoy.com/ph for updates and exclusive promos.

Three police officers were wounded during a buy-bust operation that ended in an armed encounter in Batangas City on Monday night, police said.

Batangas police reported Tuesday that around 10 p.m. Monday, members of the city police intelligence unit were conducting a sting operation against suspected gunrunners led by a certain ‘Bonsai’ in Barangay Bolbok.

Investigators said the suspects realized they were dealing with undercover police operatives and opened fire using handguns, hitting a police major and two staff sergeants.

The three injured officers sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed by their colleagues to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Police said the suspects fled after the shooting and are now the subject of a police manhunt./coa/abc

The mission is clear for Juan Gomez de Liaño in his rookie year with Converge.

The goal is to show the league what the FiberXers’ young core can do and he’s more than excited to get the ball rolling when Season 50 opens this Sunday at Araneta Coliseum.

‘I’m super excited. I feel like we really have a tough squad,’ he said during a launch party at BGC in Taguig on Monday night.

‘We’re a young group with a few vets. I can’t wait to get going with the boys and show the PBA what we’re capable of doing.’

So far in the preseason, Gomez de Liaño and company have shown promise.

Most recently, they beat the reigning champions of the Philippine Cup, San Miguel Beermen, 114-99, at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.

After taking down the Beermen, though, the State U product still thinks the team has a long way to go before reaching top form.

For one, the FiberXers are still in the process of getting accustomed to their new roster that also included changes in their coaching staff.

‘We’re just trying to get familiarized with each other and, pretty much, build chemistry before approaching the season but it’s been good so far.’

Students in storm-prone regions such as Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos missed up to 44 percent of scheduled school days in the first quarter of School Year 2023-2024, according to new data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, students lost 35 out of 80 school days, meaning nearly one out of every two scheduled days was spent out of class. Cagayan Valley (33 days lost) and the Ilocos Region (31 days lost) posted similar figures, compressing what should have been a full quarter of instruction into just over a month.

Metro Manila also experienced significant disruption, with 20 school days lost due to weather-related class suspensions – equivalent to one in every four days.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mindanao and Visayas regions reported minimal disruptions. Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and SOCCSKSARGEN each lost only three days out of 80, while the Davao Region lost five days. ‘The country is hemorrhaging learning time as storms and policy collide,’ said Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao, INQUIRER Metrics data scientist and associate professor at the University of the Philippines, in his analysis of the dataset.

‘What began as a precaution has calcified into habit: when a typhoon threatens, schools close whether or not damage occurs, and there is no clear plan to reclaim lost days,’ he added.

Panao noted that continued class suspensions-particularly in regions hit hardest by storms-could weaken students’ mastery of basic skills, widen learning gaps, and normalize the idea among children that schooling is optional during the rainy season.

In response to the growing challenge, the Department of Education (DepEd) last July highlighted the rollout of Learning and Service Continuity Plans (LSCPs) in all public schools.

These include alternative delivery modes (ADMs) such as online classes, self-learning modules, and activity sheets, along with protocols for storing learning devices and training teachers for rapid shifts in instruction.

These efforts are part of DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2024, which revised class suspension guidelines and directed schools to update LSCPs regularly as part of emergency preparedness.

Despite these measures, EDCOM 2 data indicates that many regions-particularly in northern Luzon-remain especially vulnerable to extended academic stoppages.

Without stronger implementation of existing policies, improved infrastructure, and more robust recovery mechanisms, education experts warn that repeated weather disruptions may continue to reduce classroom contact time in the most affected areas.

‘Without swift flood-control action and aggressive catch-up programs,’ Panao warned, ‘the next storm will not only inundate streets-it will wash away the nation’s fragile promise of education.’

Security Bank Corp. has appointed Victor Lee Meng Teck, a Singaporean veteran banker, as its new president and CEO effective early January 2026.

Lee, the former CEO of CIMB Singapore, will replace Sanjiv Vohra after more than six years.

Vohra will remain as senior advisor to the board once he steps down next year, Security Bank said in a stock exchange disclosure on Tuesday.

‘We’re grateful to Sanjiv for his steady leadership during one of the most challenging periods in recent history,’ Security Bank chair Cirilo Noel said. Vohra was appointed months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which paralyzed economies across the globe.

Seamless transition

‘His vision and dedication have left the bank stronger, more resilient and well-prepared for the future,’ Noel added.

For his part, Lee is recognized for spearheading the growth of CIMB Singapore, doubling the bank’s revenue and raising return on equity to nearly 20 percent, according to Security Bank.

‘As we welcome Victor, we’re confident this seamless transition will allow us to sustain momentum and capture new opportunities,’ Noel noted.

Lee’s appointment comes two months after Security Bank announced the early retirement of Eduardo Olbes, its chief financial officer. Olbes, who first joined Security Bank 15 years ago, became senior advisor to the president and CEO on Aug. 11.

A few weeks ago, actress, realtor, and content creator Christine Li posted a simple thought on her Threads account: can a certain 24-hour gym chain consider putting up a women-only branch?

That’s it. That, as the kids of my age used to say, is the tweet (well, Threads). There wasn’t even a straight-up demand-it was a kind, polite request to even just consider the thought.

The reactions came swift, and the post became a moderate amount of viral; not the craziest numbers, but enough to drift onto my own For You feed on Threads. Men were mad-for reasons that can only really be construed as sadness and offense, because they won’t get to see good-looking women wearing figure-hugging gymwear, should the idea come to fruition.

‘We thought you wanted equality?’ they ask. ‘Why are you now demanding special treatment?’

Meanwhile, the women were understandably and obviously supportive. One woman even recounted her own experiences with being stalked by a guy in the gym of the same chain Li goes to. Others have quickly pointed out that the bizarre overreactions from the guys was just proving Li’s point.

Give the women what they want

So here I am, as a guy with some column space on this newspaper: Li’s right. If the women need a women-exclusive branch of that gym to work out in peace, let them have it. For the women who are just fine working out in regular branches, they still get to do that.

If the women need a women-exclusive branch of that gym to work out in peace, let them have it.

A friend has personally recounted to me that the reason she doesn’t work out in commercial gyms is because she felt she was being ogled and sexualized. And as someone who wants all my friends to be lifting or at least working out in some form, that doesn’t sit right with me.

The women who ask for and champion this very clearly just want to be left alone. It’s because many dudes can’t keep their eyes and audacity to themselves, thinking that their attention is wanted just because they’ve maxed out their physiques.

In 2021, a survey by Women’s Running UK found that 69 percent of women don’t feel safe or comfortable when receiving unwanted attention from men while working out, and 76 percent report feeling like men were regularly staring at them creepily. Although this study was done in another country, it’s clear that the experience is universal.

Photo by Brook Cagle/Unsplash+

In fact, a different survey by American corporate wellness platform WellHub found that 65 percent of women would feel comfortable attending a women-only gym. That’s how bad the problem is.

Start acting right

Any claim from offended guys of women ‘ragebaiting’ or ‘seeking special treatment’ with these asks is simply masking their need to ogle attractive ladies in the gym. As another woman in Li’s post points out, if you’re secure in your masculinity and are actually in the gym to lock in and work, this suggestion wouldn’t set you off the way it has for so many guys on Threads. Basically, the real issues women have shouldn’t sit right with you. And feeling another type of way about it is quite telling.

Plus, I actually have a second reason why I support a women-only gym: there are too many people, even at late hours. As much as I am pro-women’s safety, I am also very pro-fewer people in the gym. Anything that frees up room in there and keeps me from having to wander around, figuring out which machine I can use, is a great idea to me.

So let the ladies have their own branch. This isn’t even a new idea, as some franchises abroad have already long adopted the women-only model to some success. If you have a real problem with it, start acting right. Tell your boys to act right, and maybe the women won’t be so scared to lift beside you.

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake jolted Cebu Tuesday evening, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

In its latest update, Phivolcs said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 9:59 p.m.

Its epicenter was located 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Phivolcs reported the following intensities in affected areas:

Intensity III- San Fernando, CEBU

Intensity II- Laoang, NORTHERN SAMAR

Instrumental intensity IV was also recorded in Cebu City, Cebu, and Villaba, Leyte.

Phivolcs said aftershocks and damage to properties are expected./mcm

Aside from non-existent flood control projects, the Marcos administration will also look into the alleged ‘ghost’ farm-to-market roads (FMR) implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

In a briefing on Tuesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon is already doing his investigation about the FMRs.

Dizon told Malacañang that the DPWH is ‘also closely monitoring this issue because it really needs to be addressed at the soonest possible time.’

According to Castro, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Independent Commission on Infrastructure not to limit its investigation to flood control projects, but to all of government infrastructure.

Lodged under the budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), FMRs are agricultural infrastructure designed to connect agricultural production areas to markets and major roads for efficient delivery of goods, and reduce transportation costs.

The DPWH is responsible for commissioning, bidding and constructing the FMRs identified and validated by the DA.

For 2026, the DA proposed a budget of P16 billion for FMRs.

On Sept. 18, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered a ‘sweeping audit’ of all FMR projects constructed in the past four years, amid the controversy surrounding flood control projects.

More than a week after, the DA discovered anomalous FMR projects in two provinces in Mindanao, based on the initial findings of its audit.

In an interview on dzBB on Tuesday, Tiu Laurel said two FMR ghost projects were found in Davao Occidental, and these structures were built in 2021 and 2022. /apl