Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The Philippines recorded its narrowest trade deficit in six months in August, but the improvement masked new signs of weakness as higher American tariffs began to weigh on exports to the United States.

Filipino exports grew by 4.6 percent to $7.1 billion, the weakest pace of expansion in eight months, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Tuesday.

Notably, outbound shipments to the US–which imposed a 19 percent tariff on Filipino goods beginning Aug. 1–collapsed by 11.2 percent. But this was offset by higher demand from other trading partners like Hong Kong (+26.4 percent) and Japan (+4.7 percent).

Imports, meanwhile, contracted by 4.9 percent to $10.6 billion in August, snapping two straight months of growth. Purchases of raw materials dipped by 6.2 percent while energy imports fell by 34.2 percent.

Front-loading tapers

A closer look at the data suggested the slowdown in exports reflected a tapering of the pre-Aug. 1 rush to take advantage of lower tariffs.

Imports, meanwhile, pulled back, signaling a cooling in domestic demand that could leave the consumption-driven economy more vulnerable to external headwinds.

Even so, Filipinos still imported $3.54 billion more than they exported in August. That trade gap was 19.4 percent smaller than a year ago and marked the narrowest shortfall since February’s $2.97 billion.

For the first eight months of the year, the trade deficit reached $32.38 billion, 6 percent lower than the same period last year.

Normalization

John Paolo Rivera, a senior research fellow at the state-run Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said the latest data may reflect a normalization of trade flows after the Aug. 1 US tariff deadline had ended.

Rivera flagged ‘slower domestic activity and the tapering off of pre-tariff front-loading,’ adding that ‘downside risks remain from global uncertainties and tighter financial conditions.’

Miguel Chanco, an economist at London-based Pantheon Macroeconomics, said such a decline reflected ‘a deterioration in actual import demand, rather than an unfavorable turn in commodity prices.’

‘Real import demand in the Philippines has had a bleak third quarter so far,’ Chanco said.

Looking ahead, PIDS’s Rivera said, ‘A sustained trade recovery will depend on export diversification and improving logistics competitiveness.’ /dda

More than a year after it was completed, the first span of the Tuganay Bridge along the Maharlika National Highway in Carmen, Davao del Norte, already showed cracks on its pavement and bridge approach, an inspection team who visited the site noted.

In its Sept. 25 31-page report, the Davao del Norte infrastructure and social services delivery inspection team noted that the six-lane 420 meter-long Tuganay Bridge 1 along Maharlika Highway, the road that links Davao del Norte’s capital Tagum City to Davao City, was reported to have been completed on Feb. 20 last year but was already showing cracks.

The engineers noted that the P516-million bridge was also priced 38 percent higher for every linear meter than the two-lane and 30-meter-long bridge that the provincial government built.

For transparency

Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib had sent copies of the report to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and other concerned government agencies to add to the growing number of infrastructure projects being investigated by the Senate blue ribbon committee for questions and alleged irregularities.

Jubahib said he endorsed the report in the interest of transparency and accountability. The province, through the Provincial Development Council and the Provincial Peace and Order Council earlier passed a resolution creating the infrastructure and social services delivery inspection team to go over infrastructure and other government projects in the province, in the light of the irregularities uncovered in infrastructure projects at the national level.

The team also noted that the second span of Tuganay Bridge 2, which was started in April this year and still ongoing, also showed some cracks on its approach. Engineers also noted signs that substandard materials were allegedly being used.

The Inquirer tried to reach the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the region for comment but the office still had to reply to the text and phone messages.

DA’s findings

Tuganay Bridges 1 and 2, which figured in the worst flooded areas of Davao del Norte last year, were only two of the 11 projects worth more than P1 billion that the inspection team visited in the province.

The team also noted among others, the P150.28-million concreting project of the Tagum to Panabo Circumferential Road; and the section connecting Malitbog, Kasilak and Consolacion in Davao del Norte, which also showed several defects barely three years after it was completed on Dec. 15, 2022. Some of the projects had suffered delays because of road right-of- way problems.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has also flagged P75 million worth of alleged ‘ghost’ farm-to-market road (FMR)projects in Mindanao.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the alleged ‘ghost’ FMR projects spanning 5 kilometers are located in Davao region and Zamboanga City.

‘So far, these are just initial reports and the amount is not that significant in terms of the overall FMR road projects,’ Tiu Laurel said in an interview with dzBB in Metro Manila on Tuesday.

Digging deeper

Tiu Laurel said these FMR projects were implemented before his term, but the DA was ‘digging deeper’ into the issue given the involvement of ‘very small’ contractors.

The agriculture chief said the FMR review was triggered by a report from the DA’s regional office in Davao submitted at the end of July.

However, Tiu Laurel did not provide additional information about the identity of these contractors or the exact project sites.

He clarified that such projects were part of the DA’s budget allocation under the 2025 General Appropriations Act and no budget insertions were made.

At a briefing on Tuesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro affirmed that Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon was already doing his investigation about the FMRs implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

While lodged under the DA, the FMRs-agricultural infrastructures designed to connect agricultural production areas to markets and major roads for efficient delivery of goods, and reduced transportation costs-are under the DPWH. It is in charge of the commissioning, bidding, and construction of FMRs identified and validated by the DA.

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

Last month, the DA announced a ‘sweeping’ audit of FMR projects covering the years 2021 to 2025 to check and resolve possible irregularities in their implementation. Tiu Laurel initiated the comprehensive review following congressional investigations involving government-funded flood control projects.

The DA chief wanted the audit of the FMRs to be completed before the end of the year, with its findings to be forwarded to the Office of the President.

‘We must make sure they are done properly, that taxpayers’ money was spent to provide farmers with market access and not squandered for farm-to-pocket projects,’ he said.

Tiu Laurel said no DA official or employee was involved based on their preliminary findings but vowed to immediately suspend any personnel found guilty of engaging in such illicit activities.

The government aims to construct 131,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads designed to link agricultural areas with markets.

Approximately 70,000 km of these projects had been completed as of July. However, the government has around 61,000 km in backlog or pending validation.

Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia will officially square off in the PBA’s 50th season opener on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The league released the full schedule of the Philippine Cup eliminations on Wednesday during a press conference held at Shangri-La The Fort in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

But the faceoff between Ginebra and Magnolia had long been an open secret, with both teams actually made aware of the anticipated faceoff.

LA Tenorio is set for his Magnolia coaching debut against his former team, but there’s also the possibility of seeing action for the Hotshots after being placed on the injured/reserve list.

Ginebra will start the season reeling from the departure of Jamie Malonzo to Japan but will also parade new players in rookie Sonny Estil and veteran Norbert Torres.

The game is set at 7:30 p.m. after the Leo Awards at 3 p.m. at nearby Novotel Manila and the opening ceremonies at 5 p.m.

The opener is one of four playdates at the Big Dome, with the majority of the eliminations to be held at the two Ynares Centers in Antipolo and Montalban.

Also part of the schedule are the games in Dubai in late-October and Bahrain in mid-December.

Action will take a break from Nov. 17 until Dec. 4 due to Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the first window of the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers. The eliminations conclude on Dec. 19.

The Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) has deployed 1,356 police officers in response to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Data released by the PNP as of 11 a.m. showed that the Cebu City Police Office sent out 348 personnel; Lapu-Lapu City sent 294; and Mandaue City sent 51.

On the provincial level, the Cebu police deployed 363 officers, while Bohol deployed 143.

Then, the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) Mobile Force Battalion deployed 100 officers, the Regional Headquarters deployed 50 and the Regional Medical and Dental Unit deployed seven.

The PNP added that PRO 7 was monitoring 1,457 evacuation centers across the region.

It further said three police stations were damaged during the quake but did not specify which.

The tremor struck 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province on Tuesday night.

At least 26 were reported dead and 147 were reported injured due to the earthquake as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s latest situational report.

Nadine Lustre got candid about her thoughts on motherhood, admitting she is currently not ready to take on the role yet as she is focusing on her career.

The actress-businesswoman spoke about this during a ‘TV Patrol’ interview on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at an event for her and her boyfriend Christophe Bariou’s coconut milk brand.

The topic was brought up after she and entertainment reporter MJ Felipe discussed the motherhood theme of the actress’ upcoming film ‘Call Me Mother,’ one of the official entries at the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

‘Nakakatakot maging nanay, honestly (It is scary to be a mother, honestly),’ Lustre said. ‘I’ve been working for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine having another responsibility other than my career.’

‘I am so focused with my career and, of course, this guy right and our businesses as well,’ she continued, pointing at Bariou who was standing beside her. ‘Parang ‘di ako ready. So saludo talaga ako sa mga moms.’

(I feel like I am not ready for it. That is why I salute all mothers.)

In her several interviews before, Lustre had expressed her seeming hesitation to have children. In 2021, she said she did not want to have kids and that if she did, she might opt for adoption.

Meanwhile, also starring along Lustre in ‘Call Me Mother’ are Vice Ganda, Klarisse De Guzman, Mika Salamanca, Esnyr, Shuvee Etrata, and Brent Manalo, among others. /edv

The Sandiganbayan has moved to November 7 the arraignment and pre-trial of former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and others after granting the prosecution’s urgent motion to amend the information related to the 2019 takeover of the Malampaya gas project.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the anti-graft court’s Third Division gave the prosecution, under the Office of the Ombudsman, 30 days to submit the amended information.

Before granting the motion, the Sandiganbayan also declared moot the respondents’ motion seeking to invalidate the charges against Cusi and the other accused.

The charges against Cusi and others involve their alleged roles in railroading the sale of 45 percent of shares of the Malampaya gas project to a company owned by Davao businessman Dennis Uy.

The anti-graft court explained that the respondents’ motion to quash was anchored on the information dated November 24 of last year.

It added that resolving the motion to quash at this stage would be premature, because the prosecution has the right to file a motion to amend the information-a point that the defense later conceded.

Asked why it took a year to file the motion, the prosecution panel said the case was only assigned to them last month.

While the motion had already been drafted on September 23, it was formally filed only on Tuesday, as the panel needed to subpoena several documents to prepare a memorandum supporting the motion to amend the information.

Before the deferment of their arraignment, Cusi and 10 other former and present Department of Energy officials posted bail of P90,000 each for their graft charges on September 10.

Last August, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) confirmed that its vice chairperson, Cusi, had been indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the Malampaya project.

PDP Deputy Spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio earlier said one count of graft had been filed against Cusi and several others before the Sandiganbayan.

The Ombudsman’s probe involving Department of Energy (DOE) officials began in 2022, following a Senate committee on energy report on the sale of shares in the Malampaya project.

According to the report, the DOE allegedly railroaded the approval of the $545-million sale of a 45-percent stake in Malampaya to UC Malampaya, despite the buyer’s failure to pass the financial capability test and to submit audited financial statements.

While the Ombudsman initially dismissed the graft complaint in 2022 for lack of evidence, it reversed its decision in 2024 and found probable cause to indict Cusi and several DOE officials.

Cusi was also recently affirmed by the Supreme Court as the legitimate president of PDP-Laban, the political party of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. was himself taken aback by the magnitude of corruption involving flood control projects, which have further blackened the already tarnished reputation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

‘The sight of piles of cash on a table, that’s kind of shocking,’ Remolona said in a One News interview last week, ‘I didn’t know this was all done in cash, in such amounts. That is shocking.’

What is more alarming, however, is that government financial institutions may have become conduits for the staggering amounts of kickbacks that have found their way into the pockets of a network of public officials and contractors who have allegedly made milking cows out of flood control projects.

Valid concerns have thus been raised that banking and finance regulators have been sleeping on their crucial jobs, enabling these questionable transactions to push through, not just once but several times this year alone, as revealed by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson.

Lacson revealed last week that, based on ledgers acquired from the implicated flood control project contractor SYMS Construction Trading, contractor Sally Santos was able to withdraw P457 million in cash from the Malolos Highway branch of Land Bank of the Philippines over two days, with the money allegedly delivered as kickbacks to the office of former Bulacan district engineer Brice Hernandez.

‘There are many here, including withdrawals of P180 million, P141 million, P299 million, and P65 million-all made in a single day,’ added Lacson.

This begs the question: How was this allowed to happen?

Red flags

As Sen. Francis Pangilinan asked Landbank Malolos Highway branch manager Ma. Lilibeth Lim, ‘Is it normal practice for a bank to release P457 million in cash? Isn’t that a red flag, and shouldn’t it be reported?’ Because as it stands, there are fears that the banking system has been ‘complicit in this type of corruption.’

But apparently, for Landbank, there was no reason to suspect any wrongdoing. The legitimacy of the source as well as the purpose of the funds were ‘fully established and documented,’ and that as a matter of policy, all funds above P500,000 are automatically reported as covered transactions to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for its review and assessment.

That said, in light of the revelations that the money allegedly went to anomalous flood control projects, Landbank said that policies and measures will be updated ‘to ensure we remain robust and responsive to issues and the call of the times.’

Cash withdrawal limit

The BSP has also issued a circular limiting daily over-the-counter cash withdrawals to P500,000 so that transactions above this threshold are carried out through checks, fund transfers, or other digital channels to create an audit trail.

Sanctions will be imposed on banks and financial institutions found complicit in the web of corruption that has ensnared the DPWH.

BSP Deputy Governor Lyn Havier, who heads the BSP unit overseeing banks, added that the central bank was ‘closely scrutinizing’ possible weaknesses in banks’ antimoney laundering systems, particularly in transaction monitoring, customer due diligence, and compliance with reporting obligations and that ‘any deficiencies will be addressed decisively.’

The BSP has also already kicked off an inquiry into the bank accounts of individuals linked to corruption in government-funded flood control projects, at the request of DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

This is the first test of the newly enacted Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, which is meant to crack down on money muling activities or the use of financial accounts to move or hide criminal proceeds.

Questionable accounts

Under this law, bank secrecy and data privacy protections can be set aside to allow regulators to scrutinize questionable accounts and use any findings in criminal prosecutions.

The AMLC also assured the public that it remains ‘committed to upholding the integrity of the financial system and ensuring that all covered entities adhere to their legal obligations in the fight against money laundering.’

The AMLC has so far issued more than 700 freeze orders covering bank accounts, insurance policies, and other assets of individuals linked to the alleged scheme, and it is just getting started.

That the regulatory bodies are just now stepping up their actions seems too little, too late, as billions have already exchanged hands, the extent of which is still yet to be fully uncovered. But they can make up for lost time and work double time on their investigations that should end with people being brought to justice. At the same time, given the extent of the ‘shocking’ corruption, regulators should pursue their mandate with renewed vigor to finally cure the Philippines of this festering disease.

The Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) has moved to protect its members from what it calls censorship disguised as revoked access, adopting new measures after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) briefly barred Spin.ph from coverage in the recent FIVB World Men’s Championship.

In a statement on Tuesday, the PSA said any official or organization that withholds or forfeits a member’s credentials without due process and prior notice will now be declared persona non grata.

The group stressed that media accreditation must never be used as retaliation for critical reporting. ‘Censorship does not always arrive as a law or an organizational rule. Sometimes it comes as a locked gate, a revoked pass or an admonished question,’ the PSA said.

To ensure the rule is not misused, the PSA said it will police its ranks and give continuing guidance on fair and impartial reporting. It will also create a committee to mediate disputes between journalists and sports officials when accreditation is in question.

‘These measures affirm our singular conviction: The PSA cannot, and will not, accept being silenced, not even temporarily,’ the group said, adding that freedom of the press is a constitutional guarantee no sports body can undermine.

The PSA issued the policy after Spin.ph’s credentials were revoked by PNVF president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara on Sept. 23 before being later restored. The association said the incident, while resolved, left a ‘chilling effect’ that must not be repeated.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to decide on Wednesday whether it will postpone the first Bangsamoro parliamentary polls following the suspension of preparations for the elections.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay on Wednesday, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia shared this development, noting that the seven-person Comelec en banc will hold its session to decide on this matter.

‘Maybe later in the afternoon, the Commission on Elections will have a decision whether to postpone [the elections] or not,’ Garcia said.

The Comelec suspended the preparations for the elections, starting September 17, in compliance with the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court to the poll body and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority from implementing Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77, the law that redistributes the seven seats originally allocated to Sulu province.

Garcia earlier said the poll body was eyeing the postponement of the Bangsamoro elections on the recommendation of its Project Management Office and law department, in the absence of a clear law guiding the distribution of parliamentary districts in the region.

Garcia also shared that the poll body received position papers from all stakeholders, with many of them recommending the postponement of the elections.

Garcia noted that the pendency of the case of the BAA No. 77 before the Supreme Court and the TRO will be the basis of their decision on the postponement.

However, Garcia said the poll body is not blaming the Supreme Court for the status of the cases in relation to the elections filed before the high court.

He added that the Comelec could invoke the poll body’s powers to postpone the elections under Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code.

The provision states that the Comelec shall postpone the elections ‘for any serious cause such as violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such a nature that the holding of a free, orderly and honest election should become impossible in any political subdivision.’ /cb

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday expressed his sympathy for the families of those who died in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu.

He also said that government agencies are on the ground giving aid to those in need.

In a statement, Marcos said: ‘I wholeheartedly extend my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, and I include in my prayers the safety of the injured and all those affected by the earthquake.’

‘Our cabinet secretaries are already in the affected areas to provide assistance and assess the damage caused by the earthquake and its aftershocks,’ the president also said.

According to Marcos, the Department of Public Works and Highways is making sure that the roads in the province are safe for travel, while the Department of Energy is working to restore power supply in affected communities.

The Department of Health, meanwhile, is deploying additional personnel to provide medical assistance, he said.

Moreover, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is distributing relief goods and other essentials to the victims, he added.

‘The BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) is assisting in search and rescue operations, while the PNP (Philippine National Police) is focused on maintaining order and supporting rescue efforts,’ Marcos said.

‘The OCD (Office of Civil Defense) and the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) are leading the coordination of all agencies to ensure a swift and orderly response,’ he noted.

‘I urge everyone to remain vigilant and heed the advisories of your local government. Together, we will help our fellow citizens overcome this challenge and rebuild the affected communities,’ he further added.

Still assessing the damage

Meanwhile, in a chance interview in Masbate City, Marcos said the government is still assessing the damage caused by the quake.

‘We’re still assessing the damage there. The earthquake was very strong,’ he said.

‘So we’re assessing the damage, we’re assessing the needs,’ Marcos added.

The entire province of Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity following the earthquake, which caused widespread destruction and left 36 people confirmed dead.

From this, 27 deaths were reported in Bogo City, the epicenter of the 6.9-magnitude temblor that struck at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.