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Saying the public must know whether the projects were truly for flood control or to raise private land values, an assistant majority leader on Wednesday backed the Office of the Ombudsman’s creation of a task force to probe the multibillion-peso Zapote River Drive and related projects in Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Bacoor.

The task force, announced by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla during a joint press briefing with Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Chair Andres Reyes Jr., will examine whether the alignment and implementation of these publicly funded projects were consistent with their intended purpose of flood mitigation.

Remulla noted that several properties along the perimeter of the area are owned by the Villar family. He stressed that the task force will establish clarity on the financial responsibility behind the development, saying, ‘We will determine who paid for what. It’s as simple as that.’

With this, Santos said the Ombudsman’s move validates long-standing concerns raised by residents and local sectors regarding the placement of river walls, access roads, and other flood control structures.

‘The Ombudsman has made it clear-this warrants scrutiny. The public deserves to know whether these projects were truly meant for flood mitigation or if they were designed to enhance private land values,’ Santos said.

The lawmaker said Zapote River Drive stretches more than 11 kilometers from Bacoor through Las Piñas toward Muntinlupa.

Santos said the new review is ‘long overdue.’

‘We are talking about multi-administration, multi-billion peso projects. If public works consistently end up benefiting the same private interests, then transparency is not just necessary-it’s a public right,’ he said.

Santos also underscored the importance of full cooperation from all stakeholders involved.

‘This is not about politics. This is about accountability. If everything was aboveboard, then opening records, contracts, land titles, and development plans should not be a problem. Transparency is the minimum,’ Santos said.

He added that the investigation is crucial for communities that continue to experience flooding despite significant government funding for mitigation projects.

‘The question is simple: Did these projects truly serve the public interest? Residents deserve honest answers,’ Santos said, noting that he will continue to monitor the probe to ensure it proceeds ‘without interference, whitewashing, or delay.’

FINANCE Secretary Ralph G. Recto has ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to tighten its crackdown on predatory loans by imposing interest rates ceiling and stringent measures on lending and financing firms.

A statement issued by the Department of Finance (DOF) quoted Recto as saying the SEC is finalizing a memorandum circular that would set caps on interest rates and other fees imposed by lending and financing companies. The Commission is seeking public input on the proposed guidelines until November 14, 2025.

‘We need to further strengthen protection for our fellow citizens, especially as the number of online lending platforms increases, where people are often victimized by excessively high interest rates and become mired in debt,’ Recto said. ‘The DOF will help the SEC tighten regulation on these.’

Under the proposed rules, the ceiling on interest rates and other fees will apply to unsecured general-purpose loans with a maximum amount of P20,000 and loan terms of up to six months.

The guidelines propose a maximum nominal interest rate of 6 percent per month or about 0.2 percent per day and an effective interest rate, including all other costs and fees, capped at 10 percent per month or around 0.33 percent per day.

The agency noted that late payment or nonpayment penalties would be limited to 5 percent per month on the outstanding amount. The SEC also intends to limit the total charges to the amount borrowed.

Credit providers that fail to comply with the interest rate caps would face a fine ranging from P25,000 to P100,000 for the first and second offenses.

Heavier penalties, including suspension and revocation of permits, might also be slapped on noncompliant companies, the DOF said.

‘Through responsive policies and stronger enforcement actions, the SEC will ensure that lending practices remain fair, transparent, and aligned with consumer protection standards, while promoting the continued viability and competitiveness of legitimate financing and lending companies,’ SEC Chairman Francis E. Lim said.

Under Republic Act 11765 (Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection law), the SEC can determine reasonable interest rates and fees that financial service providers may demand, collect, or receive for any service or product offered to consumers.

SENATOR Sherwin T. Gatchalian is taking a stand against unnecessary financial burden on power consumers by filing a bill that seeks to abolish the collection of bill deposits by distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives (ECs).

Senate Bill (SB) 1470, or the Anti-Bill Deposit Act, also mandates the immediate refund of existing bill deposits and accrued interest. A bill deposit is a security deposit required from customers to guarantee payment of future electricity bills.

‘Sa ganitong paraan, masisiguro nating pantay-pantay at abot-kaya ang access ng lahat sa kuryente nang hindi na kailangang magbayad ng deposito,’ Gatchalian said.

The proposed measure also mandates the Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct an independent audit of all bill-deposit accounts and to prescribe non-deposit-based credit-risk alternatives, such as prepaid or pay-as-go metering systems, installment or staggered payment arrangements, and voluntary credit insurance or guarantee schemes.

Under the proposed measure, DUs and ECs should refund all existing bill deposits, together with accrued interest up to the date of the actual release. Refunds shall be released in cash, check, or electronic transfer, unless consumers choose to apply them to future bills.

SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ M. Lacson intends to scrutinize potentially dubious farm-to-market roads, ‘ayuda’ programs and ‘Super Health Centers’ that ‘benefited’ from some P255.5 billion from flood control project funds of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the 2026 budget.

Lacson said an initial check of the realignments showed the funds went to these items, as well as some ‘ayuda’ programs that may be funded by unprogrammed appropriations.

Part of the realignments also went to the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) that funds the Super Health Centers, he added.

‘Much of the realignments went to farm-to-market roads. The question is, is the list of such roads from the Department of Agriculture or from congressmen?’ Lacson said.

‘Some ayuda programs are to be funded by unprogrammed appropriations. We intend to uproot these and return them to the regular budget,’ he added.

Lacson said he will move to consolidate funds for ‘ayuda’ and social services under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a program that will vet and provide qualified families with livelihood and education.

He also pushed for the realignment of some P2 billion for ‘Tulong Dunong’ scholarship program of legislators to the Free Tertiary Education Act.

On Tuesday, Lacson said the Senate will move to strike out ‘alien’ and ‘turo-turo’ items-along with unprogrammed appropriations not tied to foreign-assisted projects-from the 2026 budget bill which it will start tackling next week.

Lacson said ‘alien’ refers to items not in the disagreeing provisions of the Senate and House versions of the budget bill, while ‘turo-turo’ refers to whimsical, arbitrary and patronage-based programs.

He said the Senate will move to realign ‘turo-turo’ items to funding meaningful programs like Universal Health Care (UHC).

Lacson said he has discussed with Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Finance committee chief, the consolidation of funds for Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) to the UHC. This will remove from lawmakers the ‘burden’ of issuing guarantee letters as the Department of Health will now determine what assistance to provide to needy patients.

‘Our work as lawmakers is to legislate and exercise oversight, not to implement laws,’ he said.

‘Let’s make our programs systematic, and not whimsical, arbitrary and patronage-based,’ he stressed.

THE government will allow trade partners to maintain exports of hogs and pork products to the Philippines amid outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) under a regionalization scheme.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Administrative Circular (AC) 12, which outlined the requirements for accredited countries that wish to secure bilateral recognition of areas free of the deadly hog disease.

‘The regionalization agreement shall apply to administrative region located outside the restricted regions that have been declared free from ASF by the veterinary authority of the exporting country, and whose status is duly recognized by the Bureau of Animal Industry [BAI],’ the AC 12 read.

Under this agreement, the Philippines will restrict shipments of hogs and their products only from certain areas with confirmed ASF cases instead of imposing a country-wide ban.

Such a move was aimed at cushioning the impact of import bans on the country’s trade and food security, while safeguarding the domestic swine industry.

‘This circular will serve as guidance and requirements governing the importation of swine and swine products, while protecting the Philippines from further spread of ASF.’

Furthermore, the DA said exporting countries that secured a regionalization agreement with the Philippines should submit an annual report to the BAI regarding their respective ASF situation, including surveillance, monitoring, and control measures.

‘This report ensures that the BAI is informed of the ASF status and any developments that may necessitate modifications to the established bilateral ASF regionalization agreement with the Philippines.’

The regionalization agreement will be valid for two years, according to the agency. Once it has lapsed, countries should submit a new application.

The Philippines continues to grapple with the lingering effects of ASF, which slashed hog inventory and crimped pork output since it struck local farms in 2019.

Tight supply then jacked up retail prices of pork to a high of P400 per kilo, which prompted the government to issue a raft of interventions in its bid to ease prices of the protein source.

Such measures included the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork and its ongoing swine repopulation program.

While retail quotations for pork remain high, growers lamented the drop in farmgate price of hogs.

As such, the DA and local producers recently agreed to set a minimum farmgate price for live hogs at P210 per kilo as the liveweight price plunged to the break-even point. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/11/05/da-producers-set-farmgate-price-of-live-hogs-at-%E2%82%B1210-kilo/)

Producers raised a caveat that farmgate prices had plummeted between P150 and P180 per kilo, which they said was barely enough to cover production costs for backyard and commercial raisers.

They would also recommend reinstating the tariffs levied on pork to 40 percent from the current 25 percent, citing cheaper foreign shipments as among the rationales behind the swine industry’s predicament.

‘Lower import duties have encouraged over-importation,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. ‘This has flooded the market, squeezed local producers, and endangered both our food security and farmers’ livelihoods.’

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos’ commitment to fund a law to make the proposed permanent infrastructure probe body ‘bulletproof’ and truly independent in pursuing corruption cases.

‘We have to find a way to speed up the investigation, the filing of cases, and for us not to be distracted. The problem of ICI is that they themselves admitted that ‘we have no powers.’ And they are also arguing about the direction of their work,’ Cayetano noted.

Cayetano’s remarks came after President Marcos gave assurances that the government is ‘committed to make sure that they can fund their investigation,’ following reports that the ICI has yet to receive an approved budget from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Moreover, Cayetano also reminded authorities that while the administration’s funding pledge is a good start, financial support alone is not enough.

Also Cayetano urged Congress to pass the proposed law authored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, which seeks to institutionalize the ICI as a permanent, non-partisan anti-corruption body with broader powers.

‘We must be focused . The law must make it faster, focused, and truly independent,’ Cayetano said, partly in Filipino.

He also called for broader representation within the commission, suggesting the inclusion of opposition and faith-based members to ensure independence, citing the US model of independent or special counsels.

‘Sa US, if you are an independent or special counsel, your funds and your actions are truly independent,’ he said.

Cayetano added that the ICI should also be granted contempt powers to compel cooperation during investigations while still respecting constitutional rights.

‘Imagine this: if there’s a hearing but no contempt power, then they will just ignore the probers,’ he said in Filipino.

Gokongwei-owned Universal Robina Corp. (URC) may face charges if it is proven that its Bais distillery has violated environmental laws or regulations for spilling wastewater into the Bais Bay, according to Malacañang.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a 90-day interim cease and desist order against the said distillery of URC due to the illegal wastewater discharge last October 26.

URC attributed the spill to earthquake-induced cracks in the lagoon, where wastewater from the distillery was collected.

In a press briefing last Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government is looking into URC’s possible violation of Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018.

‘If a law is violated, the government will not hesitate to file a case (against URC),’ she said in Filipino.

The spill was reported to have spread to 3,000 hectares of sea and affected parts of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape and parts of the Bais Bay near Bais City and Manjuyod town.

Bais City Mayor Luigi Marcel Goñi condemned the latest spill from the distillery. He claimed similar incidents have happened in previous years.

For his part, Negros Oriental Governor Chaco Sagarbarria said the spill has affected 4,500 families from 13 barangays.

Castro said the DENR has already coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard and the affected local government units (LGU) to contain the spill, which is poisonous to living organisms.

‘There has also been a conversation with the URC Bais Distillery since they need to fix (the environmental disaster) immediately,’ Castro said.

Last Monday, URC said it deployed 127 of its personnel to assist in repairing the damaged part of the containment lagoon.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued a warning in the affected communities not to fish or collect aquatic organisms such as seaweed in the contaminated areas since it can be harmful to their health, according to Castro.

A deputy minority leader on Wednesday sounded the alarm over what he called serious irregularities in flood control projects carried out along the Davao and Matina Rivers from 2019 to 2022, saying these red flags should prompt a thorough investigation into all flood control and other public infrastructure projects in Davao City.

Based on Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers’ review of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) data and budget records, 80 out of 121 flood control contracts-amounting to P4.35 billion out of a total P6.06 billion-show ‘significant red flags.’

‘Our analysis reveals a pattern of irregularities that demands explanation and accountability,’ said Tinio. ‘There are indicators that point to ghost projects, double funding, location changes, gross overpricing, and contracts awarded without clear specifications.’

He said of the 121 projects examined, 79 contracts worth P4.07 billion were identified as congressional insertions not included in the National Expenditure Program. These were implemented in the 1st District of Davao City, represented by Rep. Paolo Duterte.

Tinio flagged five major irregularities in the projects. First, there were instances of total overlap, where two contracts amounting to P135.14 million funded construction along the same river segment in back-to-back years. Second, double funding occurred when two different contractors were paid a combined P115.09 million for work on the same project site.

Third, he said some projects were built in different locations or delivered less work than approved, including nine contracts worth P484.04 million where outputs were reduced-such as one revetment project that was funded for 375 meters but delivered only 120 meters while charging double the cost per meter.

Fourth, the lawmaker added 62 contracts totaling P3.44 billion were awarded without clear project specifications, lacking even basic details like exact location or length. Lastly, ten contracts worth P622.57 million were classified as unbudgeted, with no corresponding line item in the General Appropriations Act.

In the Davao River alone, Tinio said 54 of 68 projects worth P2.65 billion were flagged; for the Matina River, 26 of 28 projects worth P1.70 billion showed similar issues.

Tinio said among contractors repeatedly appearing across the flagged projects were RELY Construction and Supply Inc., Legacy Construction Corporation, Abu Construction, St. Timothy Construction, Alpha and Omega Construction, and Alfrego Builders-owned by the half-brother of Sen. Bong Go, in joint venture with RELY. GENESIS88, whose owner was a campaign donor to Vice President Sara Duterte in 2022, was also identified.

Tinio said the findings warrant a full inquiry into flood control and other infrastructure projects in Davao City. He is set to file a resolution calling for a congressional investigation and urged the Commission on Audit (COA), the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), and the Office of the Ombudsman to launch their own probes.

‘This is about ensuring that every peso of public funds meant to protect our communities from flooding actually serves that purpose,’ Tinio said. ‘Transparency and accountability must apply equally, whether in Bulacan, Davao, or anywhere else in our country.’

The country’s rice arrivals slid by nearly 15 percent through October following the temporary ban slapped by the government on the imported staple.

Figures from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed that rice imports fell by 14.78 percent to 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) in the January to October from the 3.87 MMT posted last year.

Of this, only 31,101 metric tons (MT) of rice entered the country last month, from the average 362,761 MT in the preceding months.

Furthermore, BPI data showed that 2.67 MMT of rice shipments came from Vietnam, which remained the country’s top supplier. This was followed by Myanmar at 343,910.33 MT.

The Philippines also purchased rice stocks from other countries, such as Thailand (176,270.26 MT), Pakistan (76,394.02 MT), and India (20,314.78 MT).

The slowdown in rice arrivals comes after President Marcos issued an Executive Order (EO) suspending the imports of regular and well-milled rice for 60 days until October 31, 2025 to counter the sharp drop in palay prices ahead of the wet harvest season.

With this, the BPI halted the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) starting September 1. Specialty rice varieties, such as Japonica, glutinous, and basmati rice, are exempt from the import freeze.

While the measure briefly lifted farmgate prices, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said whatever gains the local rice industry attained had tapered off as the suspension neared its expiry.

Because of this, Marcos extended the rice import ban until the end of 2025 in a bid to arrest the slide in farmgate prices of paddy rice.

Despite the temporary ban slapped on foreign shipments of the staple grain, the DA projected that rice stocks would remain ample.

It added that conservative estimates place supply at 89 days by yearend, while optimistic scenarios forecast up to 92 days, at 122.7 kilos per annum of projected per capita consumption compared with just 58 days’ worth of stocks at the end of 2024.

The agency also said retail rice prices remained relatively stable amid the suspension, citing its price monitoring data.

In November, the DA expects well-milled rice to average around P42 per kilo, while regular-milled rice to hover near P40 per kilo.