Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Building on the higher volumes of milk and meat collected in the last five years, the Philippines is now aiming to scale up its carabao population to boost rural incomes, according to the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC).

DA-PCC said this in a statement on Tuesday after it revealed that the government national program on genetically improving the Philippine carabao has made ‘headway’ as it recorded 145,181 genetically improved calves in the last five years.

This represents a 31.1 percent increase from 2019 to 2024 and translates to an estimated 12 million kilograms of milk and 114,380 jobs supported by the carabao supply chain.

The attached agency of the country’s Agriculture department said 90 percent of these calves are meant for milk and meat purposes while the remaining 10 percent is for draft power.

In the recent year alone, the DA-PCC said 36,618 superior-breed calves were produced out of the organized crossbreeding program.

‘Building on these gains, the program now aims to scale up the adoption of genetically superior carabaos across the DA-PCC network of service areas,’ the attached agency of DA said in its statement.

Liza G. Battad, Executive Director III of DA-PCC, explained that the ‘accelerated shift toward a more productive carabao population is expected to strengthen farmer cooperatives due to higher volumes of milk and meat handled collectively, enhance market linkages, significantly increase farmers’ incomes, and improve household nutrition through greater milk availability.’

DA-PCC said the carabao topped the list of the national dairy animal inventory, with 82,908 carabaos, followed by goats with 36,022, and cattle with 35,322.

‘With 99 percent of the carabao population owned by smallholder farmers, efforts to improve its productivity directly translate to better incomes and livelihoods for rural households,’ the attached agency of DA noted.

This ‘buildup,’ DA-PCC said, supports the livelihood of 227 assisted cooperative-led enterprises, comprising some 14,000 cooperative members and their families.

The DA-PCC also note the ‘steady increase’ in price per liter of raw carabao’s milk signals the ‘economic viability’ and competitiveness of the industry, underscoring the importance and timeliness of these advancements for the industry.

‘From P63.27 in 2020, a liter of raw carabao milk is now at P84.87,’ the attached agency of DA noted.

To match the increase in production, the DA-PCC assisted cooperatives are ‘actively’ supplying toned pasteurized milk for the national School-based Feeding Program (SBFP) of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

‘This market channel alone has generated for these cooperatives P2.4 billion from 2019 to 2024 for the SBFP and P504 million from 2020 to 2024 for the SFP,’ DA-PCC said.

Under the Sagip Saka Act or Republic Act No. 11321, community-based organizations such as the assisted carabao cooperatives of the DA-PCC are prioritized as suppliers under the guided procurement.

DA-PCC also noted that other market development interventions are now underway, including the establishment of 80 Dairy Boxes nationwide, 18 of which are positioned as Kadiwa ng Pangulo Dairy Box.

The Dairy Box is a business model by DA-PCC developed to absorb the produce of carabao dairy cooperatives.

The Milka Krem, an advocacy dairy outlet and café managed by the DA-PCC, showcases quality carabao milk and carabao-based products, serving as another market support for dairy farmers.

The Department of Tourism-accredited outlet can be found in Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija and at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños Laguna.

Meanwhile, DA-PCC said there is also a ‘significant’ growing appreciation of carabao meat and consistent increase in meat production with 76,046 metric tons in 2024 from 70,572 in 2020.

‘The demand for carabao meat has also influenced the prevailing liveweight price per kilogram at P164.61 from P110.28 in 2020,’ the attached agency of DA also noted.

DA-PCC said another ’emerging subsector’ alongside the dairy sector is the leather production industry, which taps into carabao by-products and creates additional income streams for farmers.

‘This Cara Cuero brand, a market development initiative by the DA-PCC at Central Luzon State University, seeks to enhance the value of carabao hide by creating high-quality leather products, positioning them in the high-end,’ it also noted.

Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong will get a 2.2-percent increase in their monthly allowable wage in the special administrative region of China, according to Department of the Migrant Workers (DMW).

The Hong Kong government decided to raise the monthly salary of foreign domestic workers from HK$4,990 (equivalent to P37,329.64) to HK$5,100 (equivalent to P38,152.64).

The new salary adjustment will apply to employment contracts, which were signed starting September 30, 2025. However, contracts, which were signed under the previous wage level will still be accepted by the Hong Kong Immigration Department until October 27, 2025.

DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac lauded the development since it exceeded DMW’s proposed new monthly minimum wage for domestic workers.

‘The wage increase surpasses the Philippines’ US$500 [equivalent to P29,098.75] z minimum wage standard for domestic workers as outlined in DMW Advisory No. 25, Series of 2025,’ he said in a statement.

The new wage adjustment will cover majority of the over 190,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Hong Kong, who are mostly domestic workers.

DMW said its Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Hong Kong will assist OFWs in enforcing contracts and reporting any cases of non-compliance.

It said it will continue to push for better benefits for Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong such as raising their food allowance, which remained at HK$1,236 (equivalent to P9,246.40).

‘The DMW stressed the importance of ongoing discussions to address additional issues, like the unchanged food allowance despite rising living costs,’ the agency said.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has teamed up with the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP) to roll out ‘Integrity Chain,’ a blockchain-powered platform aimed at embedding transparency and accountability in government infrastructure spending.

The initiative, formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed on September 30, will see foreign-assisted projects of the DPWH digitized and recorded on an immutable ledger.

Key details-ranging from budgets and procurement processes to construction milestones and contractor payments-will be uploaded on the system, which will be accessible to the public.

‘From the budget process to the procurement process, to the award of the contract, to the implementation of the project, to the monitoring of the project, to the payments made to the contractors, to the acceptance of the project. Everyone should be watching now, everyone,’ said Dizon.

The Integrity Chain will feature a real-time dashboard for tracking project progress, citizen feedback, and anomaly reporting. Its tamper-proof recordkeeping is designed to deter corruption and reinforce accountability in one of the most corruption-prone agencies of government.

‘For the first time, the private sector isn’t just demanding integrity-we’re building the infrastructure to deliver it,’ said BCP President Donald Patrick Lim.

As part of the pilot, BCP will provide the DPWH with a one-year complimentary subscription, including training, technical support, and cybersecurity safeguards.

Dizon has intensified anti-corruption efforts at the DPWH in the wake of the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, which exposed how public funds were allegedly siphoned off through ghost projects and collusion between contractors and agency officials.

Since taking office, he has ordered the removal of several executives and regional officers, while initiating criminal and administrative cases against erring contractors and personnel.

MALABON CITY-A new chapter in Malabon’s healthcare system officially began with the inauguration of the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital (SLRGH), now a Level 2 General Hospital, that will provide better health services to more Malabueños.

Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval led the blessing and inauguration ceremony along with Rep. Ricky Sandoval, who initiated the upgrade through House Bill No. 5791, Secretary of Health Teodoro J. Herbosa, and SLRGH officials.

‘With the collaboration of our Depoartment of Health and the initiative of our city’s former representative, Ricky Sandoval, the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital has been reopened – more modern this time, and able to provide more comprehensive services for more Malabueños. Now, along with the programs of the city government, our people are assured of better healthcare. We continue to pursue our goal of better services for all,’ Mayor Jeannie said.

The newly inaugurated six-story hospital along Panghulo Road boasts a 200-bed capacity, a major upgrade that will allow it to accommodate more patients. Equipped with modern facilities such as operating rooms, a labor room, an intensive care unit, a surgery consultation room, an emergency room, and a spacious lobby, the SLRGH ensures that Malabueños have access to comprehensive and quality healthcare.

SLRGH’s expansion was made possible through the initiative of Reo. Ricky Sandoval, who filed House Bill No. 5791 in the 17th Congress. The bill led to the allocation of funds for a wider hospital site and the construction of the new six-story facility under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. In 2019, through Republic Act 11289, the former San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital was officially converted into the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital, paving the way for its upgrade.

Because of this initiative by Sandoval, the hospital has increased its capacity from 10 beds to 200 beds, allowing it to serve more residents of the city.

As a Level 2 hospital, SLRGH offers departmentalized services, including:

Medicine

Diagnosis and treatment of various illnesses

Pediatrics

Child healthcare and wellness

Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-Gyne)

Women’s health and childbirth services

Surgery

Safe and advanced surgical procedures

Anesthesiology

Specialized care before, during, and after operation.

It features modern equipment, including machines for colposcopy, MRI, CT scan, 2D echo, ultrasound, therapy, x-ray, a clinical laboratory, and other services under Level 2 classification that will improve the delivery of health services to residents. It will soon have a fully digital fluoroscopy machine, a fully digital C-arm machine, and a hystero-laparoscopy tower and instruments.

Founded in 1990 as the San Lorenzo Ruiz Municipal Hospital, the facility initially served as a small healthcare center before becoming the San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital (SLRWH) in 1998. From a modest 10-bed Level 1 hospital, it has now transformed into a 200-bed modern general hospital-proof of Malabon’s continuous investment in healthcare.

Over the years, SLRGH has also earned national recognition such as being a PhilHealth-accredited Center for Quality hospital, an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Government Hospital, and a Red Orchid Hall of Famer Awardee.

The cancellation of the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list is now final and executory, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Tuesday.

This comes after Duterte Youth failed to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court to stop the poll body from enforcing its ruling.

‘The clerk of the Commission has just issued the certificate of finality and entry of judgment in this case. Therefore, expect that by tomorrow the Comelec en banc will discuss and determine who will benefit from the three seats vacated by the party-list,’ Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said.

Garcia noted that since the Supreme Court did not issue a TRO within 30 days, the Comelec en banc’s August 29 ruling canceling Duterte Youth’s registration has now attained finality.

‘This means the decision is final as far as the Comelec is concerned. The decision of the Comelec en banc can now be implemented,’ he added.

The Comelec earlier barred Duterte Youth from taking its seats in the 20th Congress after the en banc voted 5-1-1 to affirm the Second Division’s ruling in SPP No. 19-009 nullifying its registration.

The poll body held that the group failed to comply with mandatory requirements under the Party-List System Act, including publication and the conduct of public hearings.

To recall, the Duterte Youth garnered 2.33 million votes in the May 2025 midterm polls, the second-highest tally among party-list groups, which would have entitled it to three congressional seats had its registration not been canceled.

THE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hopes to pick up from where it left off last year as it ushers its 101st season on Wednesday beginning with the centerpiece seniors basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Teams which played in last year’s Final Four will have a rematch right away on opening day as defending men’s champion and host school Mapua University battles Lyceum of the Philippines University and College of St. Benilde clashes with San Beda University.

The Cardinals-Pirates tussle is set at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Blazers-Red Lions match at 5 p.m.

An elaborate opening ceremony starting at 12 noon precedes the doubleheader with performances to be provided by songstress Thea Astley, Hannah Precillas, Naya Ambi and Aicelle Santos.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio will be the guest speaker when the country’s grand old collegiate league ushers its next 100 years.

‘Easy to recall, Season 101, and we’ll open on October 1. 10-1. So things like that. And with this year’s theme ‘Building Greatness,’ I’m sure for the past 100 years of NCAA, you’ve seen student-athletes rose to the elite level,’ Jose Rizal University athletic director Paul Supan said in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

‘So in the next 100 years, in coordination with the PSC and member schools, we hope to sustain our contribution to the national training pool.’

Emilio Aguinaldo College Vice President for Administration Dr. Lorenzo Lorenzo appeared with Supan in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, Smart/PLDT and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.

In line with the NCAA’s goal of providing the national training pool with potential members, Lorenzo said the collegiate league is introducing the Olympic sports of gymnastics, weightlifting, boxing and golf in this year’s calendar.

All four sports will initially be demonstration in nature to be played in the second semester.

‘The NCAA and PSC will form a partnership in terms of training and developing these grassroots athletes,’ Lorenzo said.

Supan said under NCAA rules, a demonstration sport that has been played for three straight seasons can be elevated to regular status subject to certain conditions.

Weightlifting (Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo) and gymnastics (Carlos Yulo) provided the three gold medals won by the country in the Olympics.

New format will also be adopted in basketball, whose games will be played in

The NCAA will stage the basketball games in its original home-the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

‘This is our home and most of us will acknowledge, this is where the NCAA started,’ said Supan, noting the juniors basketball that kicks off on Thursday will be played at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium between Mapua and Lyceum and St. Benilde and San Beda.

Other sports to be played at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are taekwondo, swimming, lawn tennis and hopefully, football, while track and field will be staged at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

THE tournament is young but already, three schools are showing signs of dominance in Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball championship.

Surprisingly, Ateneo is on top with an unbeaten 3-0 win-loss slate going into the fourth day of first round eliminations.

I can only think of Kymani Ladi as the significant power behind Ateneo’s resurgence.

At 6-foot-7, Ladi can shoot threes with the ease of a gazelle about to soar. The 23-year-old is from Vallejo, California, whose Filipino father is of Puerto Rican descent.

‘He is also a smart defender,’ Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said of Ladi in a recent interview with Spin.ph columnist Homer D. Sayson. ‘He plays offensively, with perimeter skills. He is a smart defender.’

But while Ladi may emerge as Ateneo’s savior and prove to be the key to the Blue Eagles’ redemption mission, I have to concede that University of Santo Tomas is also armed this time with a reinforcement looking every bit as a complete package.

I refer to Collins Arkowe, the massively built Nigerian, whose 6-foot-10 frame is packed with 260 pounds of pulverizing power.

In just two games, Arkowe is already producing statement stats that could yet translate into serious title hopes for the Growling Tigers from España.

First, he debuted with 29 points and 17 rebounds in University of Santo Tomas’s (UST) ghastly 87-67 rout of defending champion University of the Philippines, playing practically unstoppable in the shaded lane and transforming the boards into his own private domain.

And then in his second game, he fired 20 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, sparking a rally that erased a 12-point deficit en route to UST’s 93-84 spanking of De La Salle.

At the rate he’s been playing, Arkowe might yet shoulder the Tigers into greater heights-if not into the championship-given that he’s got great back-up in both Nic Cabanero and Forthsky Padrigao.

In both wins of UST, Cabanero and Padrigao dished off their usual deadly sting-with Cabanero continuously carving baskets even on tight situations and Padrigao also firing triples and unleashing his trademark assists in abundance.

I won’t be surprised if, this early, UST coach Pido Jarencio is dreaming to finally end a title drought of 19 years-and duplicating his 2006 victory as a rookie coach.

Jarencio faces another acid test today when UST battles National University (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten teams at 4:30 p.m. at UST’s Quadricentennial Pavillion on España.

It could be an emotional game for Arkowe as he squares off for the first time with the school where he first honed his skills as a junior player at NU.

The game is preceded by the match between La Salle (1-1) and winless Far Eastern U (0-2) at 2 p.m.

THAT’S IT Also unfolding today is the duel between Luzon/ICTSI and VisMin junior teams at the windswept but beautiful The Country Club in Santa Rosa, Laguna. The boys and girls golf skirmishes in the Ryder Cup-style competition is in 7-10, 11-14 and 15-18 age groups. Good luck to Francis Talion, who is Luzon team captain where his daughter, Levonne, is a mainstay in Luzon’s 15-18 division.

SECURITY Bank Corp. announced last Tuesday the appointment of Victor Lee Meng Teck as its next President and CEO.

A statement issued by the lender read that Lee is set to assume the role in early January 2026, following the completion of his work permit, visa and other regulatory requirements. He will succeed Sanjiv Vohra, who will continue to lead the bank until that time. Upon stepping down, Vohra will transition to the role of Senior Advisor to the Board.

Lee is a Singaporean banker with over 30 years of leadership experience throughout Asia. Most recently, he served as CEO of CIMB Singapore and CEO of Growth Markets for CIMB Bank Berhad.

At CIMB Singapore, Lee spearheaded a period of strong growth, doubling revenue and raising return on equity to nearly 20 percent, according to the lender. Under his leadership, the bank was recognized by The Straits Times as one of the Top 3 institutions for customer experience for three consecutive years (2023-2025). He also fostered a culture where employees felt more engaged and valued, with satisfaction levels rising significantly during his tenure, the statement read.

Vohra assumed leadership of the bank just months before the onset of the global pandemic. Despite unprecedented challenges, he led the organization through transformational change-strengthening digital and customer-first strategies, building a culture that has made Security Bank an Employer of Choice, advancing its sustainability agenda, and positioning the bank for long-term profitability.

‘We’re grateful to Sanjiv for his steady leadership during one of the most challenging periods in recent history. His vision and dedication have left the bank stronger, more resilient, and well-prepared for the future,’ Security Bank Chairman Cirilo P. Noel was quoted in the statement as saying.

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. has officially commissioned its Cupang Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) in Muntinlupa City, which is now treating wastewater from Barangays Alabang, Cupang, and Bayanan.

Located in Brgy. Cupang, the facility has a treatment capacity of 46 million liters per day (MLD), supporting Maynilad’s long-term strategy to expand sewerage coverage and protect local waterways by removing harmful pollutants from wastewater prior to safe discharge.

To ensure full alignment with evolving environmental regulations, Maynilad has also initiated the upgrading of the facility to comply with the stricter effluent standards set under Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2016-08, as amended by DAO 2021-19 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). These standards prescribe limits on key wastewater parameters to safeguard public health and the environment.

‘We are not only expanding our wastewater treatment capacity-we’re also future-proofing our facilities to comply with the latest environmental standards,’ said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez. ‘These investments reflect our commitment to sustainability and regulatory compliance as our communities continue to grow.’

The upgrade reflects Maynilad’s proactive approach to building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. The company has kept the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) informed throughout the process. While DAO compliance was not part of the facility’s original scope, it is now being integrated to ensure long-term regulatory alignment.

The Cupang WRF is one of two major wastewater treatment facilities recently completed in Muntinlupa. Along with the nearby Tunasan WRF, it significantly increases the city’s sewerage treatment capacity, contributing to Maynilad’s broader mission of improving sanitation conditions and promoting environmental protection across the West Zone.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has expanded its internal anti-corruption probe to now include not only flood control projects, but also farm-to-market roads, according to Malacañang.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the pronouncement after the Department of Agriculture (DA) ordered on Monday an audit of ghost or non-existent farm-to-market roads, which were built from 2021 to 2025.

She said DPWH Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ B. Dizon has also initiated their separate probe on this type of public works.

‘I also spoke with Secretary Vince this morning, and he said that they are also looking into this because a solution [to this issue] should be found as soon as possible,’ the Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said in Filipino in a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.

The anomalous flood control projects are also being investigated by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

Marcos created the ICI through Executive Order (EO) No. 94 to investigate sub-standard and non-existent public works then recommend to concerned government agencies the prosecution of the involved individuals or parties.

Less than a month since the ICI was formed, its special adviser, Baguio Mayor City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong resigned due to possible conflict of interest between his role in the fact-finding panel and his duty as a local chief executive.

On Monday, Castro announced the designation by the President of retired Philippine National Police Chief, Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as the new Special Adviser and Investigator of the ICI.

Castro said Azurin was picked for the said position despite his involvement in a drug-related issue during his stint as PNP chief based on his experience and skills as an investigator, as well as ‘not being a politician.’

She also noted no case was filed against Azurin related to his alleged involvement in the cover-up in the arrest of a police sergeant, who yielded 990 kilos of shabu or methamphetamine in 2022. Azurin denied any involvement in the issue.