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To boost its regulations enforcement and compliance, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) held a training for its evaluators and inspectors on its Quality Management System (QMS) this week.

Last Tuesday, the agency held the second phase of Standard QMS orientation initiative for its 60 evaluators and inspectors in Mandaluyong City.

During the training, DMW Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia highlighted the role of the Licensing and Regulation Bureau (LRB)to make sure the QMS program is credible and sustainable.

The inspectors are responsible for conducting audits and ensuring that the agencies comply with the required QMS framework checklist and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards

‘Your inspections, evaluations, and technical guidance will determine if agencies genuinely adopt the principles of quality management -such as leadership commitment, process documentation, and continuous improvement,’ Olalia said.

Other DMW officials, who attended the two-day training were Assistant Secretary for Landbased OFW Concerns Venecio Legaspi and Assistant Secretary for Licensing and Adjudication Services Jerome Alcantara.

Under its Standard QMS, DMW aims to standardize processes and promote transparency and accountability in its recruitment procedures.

The participants were briefed on their roles in the implementation of Department Order No. 03 Series of 2025, which mandates compliance with the DMW Standard QMS by all recruitment and manning agencies.

DMW held the first part of the initiative, which covered 38 recruitment and manning agencies on October 24, 2025 to ensure they ‘follow professional, ethical, and legal standards.’

Philippine recruitment agencies and licensed manning agencies are required to comply with the QMS for renewing their licenses or applying for an upgrade.

The country’s agricultural imports continued to outpace exports in September but the trade gap was narrower, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA figures showed the country’s agricultural trade deficit shrank by 15.7 percent to $932.15 million in September, from $1.11 billion a year ago.

While agri goods purchased abroad continued to outstrip shipments of farm products in the reference month, PSA data indicated that exports grew by 19.1 percent to $794.46 million from last year’s $667.05 million.

Imports continued to dominate the country’s farm trade, despite slipping by 2.6 percent to $1.73 billion in September from $1.77 billion in the previous year.

Overall, the country’s total agricultural trade inched up by 3.3 percent to $2.52 billion, a slowdown from the 5-percent increase recorded in August and the 26.1-percent surge posted in September 2024.

Animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils were the country’s top agricultural export, earning $297.51 million or 37.4 percent of total farm export receipts.

This was followed by edible fruit and nuts; preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts, or other parts of plants; and preparations of meat, of fish, of crustaceans, molluscs, or other aquatic invertebrates or of insects.

The top 10 export groups altogether contributed 97.8 percent of total farm export earnings, collectively growing by 20 percent.

Within the Asean region, Malaysia emerged as the Philippines’ leading buyer of farm goods, purchasing $26.34 million worth of exports, or more than a third of total agricultural shipments to Southeast Asian neighbors.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands remained the country’s biggest agricultural trading partner in the European Union (EU), accounting for $142.82 million or 61.1 percent of exports to the bloc.

Cereals led the country’s farm imports in September with a value of $361.26 million, representing 20.9 percent of total agricultural imports. The top 10 import groups reached a combined $1.46 billion, down 1.9 percent from the same month of last year.

Among its Asean partners, Indonesia was the country’s leading source of agricultural imports, supplying $190.86 million worth of goods or 28.3 percent of the Philippines’ total agricultural imports from the region.

Spain was the Philippines’s main supplier of agricultural goods in the EU, accounting for $44.51 million or 28.1 percent of total imports from EU member states.

RESIGNED Ako Bicol Party List Representative Zaldy Co has engaged the services of veteran lawyer Ruy Alberto Rondain to defend him over possible criminal charges that may be filed against him for his alleged involvement in the multi-billion anomalous flood control projects of the government.

Rondain, who co-founded the Rondain and Mendiola law firm, was a graduate of the University of the Philippines’ Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Bachelor of Law.

He was also a former associate at the ACCRA law and served as legal counsel for former Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel ‘Mikey’ Arroyo in a tax case.

On Wednesday, Rondain appeared for the first time before the media on behalf of Co, who left the country last August 8 to purportedly undergo medical treatment in the United States.

Rondain said he last spoke to Co on Tuesday night but did not discuss his whereabouts.

‘I’m curious personally, but I can’t be curious as a lawyer because it is not relevant. And I don’t want to lie to you if you’re asking me now. I’m looking at you in the eye. I’m telling you honestly that I don’t know because I never asked him,’ he said.

However, the lawyer said Co has no intention of returning to the country despite the subpoena issued by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) for him to appear before the investigating body on November 11 and 12 and shed light on accusations that he received huge kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects of the government.

Co, who previously served as chair of the appropriations committee, is also being required by the ICI to bring various documents in relation to flood control projects undertaken by companies where he or his family have beneficial interest.

‘I don’t think there’s any intention to come home.A subpoena has to be served, you cannot subpoena a person who is not here,’ Rondain said.

The lawyer said Co’s main consideration in refusing to come back home was his safety.

‘He’s deathly afraid of coming home because there are serious threats that one half of the country wants to throw him in jail and throw away the key, the other half wants to string him up by the nearest tree,’ Rondain said.

The lawyer said he would not even persuade Co to immediately return, fearing possible ‘vigilante attacks’ against him.

Rondain also noted that there are no criminal charges filed against Co before yet before any court.

‘For me, personally, my bigger fear is vigilante violence, everyone hates him. That’s the reason I’m here.The reason I’m here is because maybe we can tone down the temperature, we can lower it a little bit,’ Co’s lawyer said.

The ICI earlier recommended before the Ombudsman the prosecution of Co and together with 17 other individuals for criminal and administrative charges in connection with the P289.5 million anomalous flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Among the charges recommended against Co and other DPWH officials were violation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation of public funds under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) in relation to Article 171 of the RPC or falsification of public documents by a public officer

The recommendation stemmed from the inspection conducted by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon of the project that was undertaken by Sunwest, Inc., the construction firm being linked to the family of Co.

The project involves the construction of a road dike along Mag-Asawang Tubig River.

The Office of the Ombudsman has already issued an order for Co to answer the charges against him.

But Rondain said their camp would likely waive the filing of a counter-affidavit, as he believes that the Ombudsman has already pre-judged this case.

‘My thinking is the Ombudsman has already pre-judged this case. And this is bolstered by the statements of [DPWH] Secretary Vince Dizon, who said 60 people will be in jail before Christmas,’ Rondain said.

‘Under these circumstances, there’s really no tactical benefit to filing a counter-affidavit. So the answer is, at this time, the way things are going, no, he does not intend to file a counter-affidavit,’ he added.

THE Department of Energy (DOE) has officially released the draft terms of reference (TOR) for the special auction on waste-to-energy (WTE) projects, revising its earlier target power generation capacity to 170 megawatts (MW) from 330MW that could be sourced from waste feedstock within Metro Manila and Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) areas.

‘The 335MW earlier mentioned was the total potential for WTE projects but given some consideration, we will only offer 170 megawatts,’ said DOE Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol in a Viber message, adding that the these considerations are related to ‘project timelines’.

The drafted TOR states that assured feedstock in Metro Manila and HUCs can generate an estimated 12.4 million metric tons (MMT) of municipal solid waste, equivalent to a total of 170 MW baseload.

Per region, the chunk comes from Luzon (9,369.24 MMT in Metro Manila). In Visayas, 706.89MT will come from Cebu and 451.23MT in Bacolod. In Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro registered 542.88MT and Davao with 1,335.51MMT.

The target completion for these WTE projects is 2028. The special auction is expected to happen early next year.

‘The special auction round shall be conducted exclusively for WTE projects employing thermal combustion technology and are RPS-eligible and qualified under GEAP [green energy auction program] guidelines,’ the draft TOR stated.

As an emerging renewable energy technology, WTE project development is one of the country’s strategies to address solid waste management, serve as flood control mitigation, and provide additional clean energy.

‘Hopefully, this will help the flooding concerns in Metro Manila because there’s 13,000 million tons, I think, per day. We need more of this so we cannot just collect the garbage but also produce energy,’ said DOE Secretary Sharon Garin.

This initiative is aligned with the objectives of the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) and the government’s renewable energy targets of 35 percent in the energy mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

‘The integration of WTE projects into the GEA framework underscores the DOE’s commitment to ensuring energy security, environmental protection, and private sector participation in the country’s transitioning to clean and sustainable energy,’ the agency said.

THE Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) reported posting a P35.65-billion net income as of the third quarter of the year.

A statement issued by the state-run lender last Wednesday read that Landbank’s earnings rose by 42 percent year-on-year and exceeded its full-year earnings of P35.36 billion in 2024.

The bank also recorded P3.45 trillion in total assets, which was largely driven by expansion of loan and investment portfolios, read the statement of the country’s second-largest universal and commercial bank.

The bank’s loan portfolio climbed to P1.70 trillion, following higher lending volumes across all client segments. Recently, Landbank launched a new lending program for micro-sized, small-scale and medium-sized enterprises.

The LandBank continues to push its developmental mandate, with loans to agriculture, fisheries, and rural development totaling over P812 billion, representing 47 percent of its total loan book, the statement read. The bank has released P1.95 billion in loans to over 12,300 borrowers, primarily small farmers and fishermen.

A total of 25,296 small farmers and fishers have also undergone training through the program’s capacity-building initiative.

Digital transactions through the bank’s platforms hit 550.73 million valued at P3.14 trillion as of end-September, marking a 51-percent increase in transaction volume from the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, deposits also improved to P3.07 trillion as both government agencies and private sector clients continued to park funds with the bank.

‘LandBank’s strong performance as of the third quarter underscores our prudent management, operational efficiency, and continued investments in digital innovation,’ the lender’s President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz was quoted in the statement as saying.

‘We remain steadfast in our mission to drive inclusive growth, empower the agriculture sector, and deliver innovative financial solutions for all Filipinos,’ Ortiz added.

Areas struck by the red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI) expanded to over 7,400 hectares as of October 24, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

Based on the latest SRA data, 7,449 hectares have been infested with RSSI, from the initial 87 hectares recorded on May 22, when it was declared an infestation.

Of which, 7,386 hectares were standing canes, while 62 hectares were harvested canes, where production data would be recorded.

It has also affected 4,106 farmers since its detection in Negros, which makes up over 60 percent of the country’s sugar output.

Broken down, Visayas posted the largest infestation, with 5,826 hectares affected by the plant disease. This was followed by Luzon with 1,539 hectares and Mindanao with 83 hectares.

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona told the BusinessMirror that RSSI could slash the sugar content of infected canes in Negros by as much as 50 percent, citing the agency’s findings.

He said this could temper the agency’s outlook for raw sugar production in crop year 2025-2026, which started on October 1. The impact, however, may be minimal.

‘Those sugarcanes whose infestation was not that severe, the minimum drop in yield was 20 percent,’ Azcona said. ‘But those with severe infestation in the north of Negros, specifically in the Silay area, the drop in yield reached 50 percent.’

While the impact of RSSI on sugar content was the easiest to monitor, Azcona warned that the insect could potentially affect the growth if canes.

‘In the North, they said canes that were infected at their early stage didn’t seem to grow. So, maybe there’s also an effect on tonnage.’

The SRA said raw sugar output in the current crop year could fall by nearly 8 percent to 1.92 million metric tons (MMT) from the previous crop year’s 2.085 MMT.

However, the agency noted that the initial forecast may be adjusted downward owing to the potential impact of RSSI infestation on yield.

‘It’s an estimate based on the heavy rainfall experienced in the north of Negros, and [there] might be a small drop considering the presence of RSSI,’ Azcona said.

Under Sugar Order 1, the raw sugar allocation for the new crop year would be classified as ‘B,’ which means all sugar produced until September 30 next year will be sold for domestic consumption.

Figures from the SRA showed that the country’s raw sugar output settled at 2.085 MMT in crop year 2024-2025.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) noted that since 2022, the sugar industry has seen a steady expansion in planted areas-from 380,000 hectares to 409,000 hectares this year.

Last month, the DA said the government would not allow sugar imports until the second quarter of 2026 due to concerns over the decline in the farmgate prices of the sweetener.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will be needing nearly P14 million for the immediate minor repairs, and clean-up and clearing operations for 76 schools across six regions after sustaining structural damage due to typhoon Tino.

Initial data from DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (as November 5, 10.a.m.), showed that these 76 schools with damages are located in Region VIII, Region VII, Negros Island Region (NIR), Region IX, Region X, and Region VI.

DepEd said that P2.11 will be spent for clean-up and clearing operations while P11.6 million for the immediate minor repairs of the schools.

DepEd reported that 64 classrooms are totally damaged; 91 classrooms with suffered major damage; 237imor damaged classrooms.

Meanwhile, DepEd said that 20,681 schools have suspended face-to-face classes due to Tino in some regions in the Visayas and parts of Mindanao.

DepEd added that evacuees sought temporary shelter in 522 schools or a total of 2,507 classrooms in Region VII, NIR, Region VIII, CARAGA, Region VI, and MIMAROPA.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Ilagan Bishop David William Antonio as the new archbishop of Nueva Segovia, bringing the Ilocos Sur-born prelate back to his home province.

The Vatican announced the appointment on late Tuesday, naming the 61-year-old bishop as the eighth metropolitan archbishop of Ilocos Sur.

He succeeds Archbishop Marlo Peralta, whose resignation was accepted in July after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Peralta, who has led the archdiocese since 2014, will continue to oversee its operations until the installation of Antonio.

Antonio has served as bishop of Ilagan in Isabela since 2018.

Before that, he was auxiliary bishop of Nueva Segovia and later served as apostolic administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro from 2018 to 2023.

According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News, Antonio was born in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, and was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in 1988 after studying philosophy at San Pablo Seminary in Baguio City and theology at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology (ICST) in Vigan.

He later earned a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Within Nueva Segovia, he previously served as rector of ICST and vicar general of the archdiocese.

In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him auxiliary bishop to assist then Archbishop Ernesto Salgado.

He was ordained later that year-the last Filipino bishop named by Benedict before the pope’s resignation in 2013.

Pope Francis later appointed Antonio as bishop of Ilagan in November 2018, where he served for seven years.

Antonio also once chaired the Episcopal Commission on Vocations and now heads the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy under the CBCP.

The date of his formal installation in Vigan has yet to be announced.

The government’s decision to implement ‘flexible’ tariffs on rice imports strikes a compromise between planters and consumers, according to an economist.

Roehlano Briones, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (Pids) made the pronouncement after the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) announced on Tuesday that the government will adopt a ‘more gradual and flexible tariff adjustment’ starting January 1, 2026.

Adjustments would be 5 percentage points per 5 percent change in international prices, subject to a minimum rate of 15 percent and a maximum rate of 35 percent, according to the DepDev.

Briones noted that although this could provide support to local planters struggling with declining farmgate prices, Filipino consumers stand to get the short end of the stick.

‘This will be good for farmers, not so good for consumers, but it strikes a compromise,’ Briones told the BusinessMirror on Wednesday. ‘We are already at 15 percent, so there’s nowhere to go but up. But it’s better than suspending imports.’

The socioeconomic planning body’s decision for a flexible tariff structure on the staple grain comes as the Economy and Development (ED) Council opted to maintain the tariff levied on rice shipments at 15 percent until December 31.

Sinag Executive Director Jayson Cainglet reiterated the group’s call to reinstate rice tariffs to 35 percent.

‘The current 15 percent tariff was introduced only as a temporary emergency measure at a time when global rice prices surged to around $680 per metric ton.’

He noted that global rice prices have since dropped by nearly 50 percent, hovering at $330 per metric ton (MT).

As the landed cost of shipments reaches P25 to P26 per kilo, he said imported rice would remain affordable even with the 35-percent rice tariffs.

‘The longer the reduced tariff remains in effect, the greater the damage to our local rice farmers, who are already reeling from depressed farmgate prices of palay.’

THE European Union and the Philippines have reaffirmed their commitment to international law and maritime security, calling for full compliance with the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award and expanding cooperation across critical maritime domains-from infrastructure protection and seafarer safety to environmental stewardship and regional capacity building.

Meeting in Brussels on October 7 for the third Subcommittee on Maritime Cooperation under the EU-Philippines Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, both sides emphasized the primacy of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the need to uphold its dispute settlement mechanisms.

‘The EU and the Philippines. called for full and faithful compliance by the parties with the final and legally binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award,’ reads the statement of EU’s diplomatic service European External Action Service (EEAS).

While the EU stopped short of naming China, its language-condemning ‘illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous activities’-was widely interpreted as a rebuke of recent maneuvers in contested waters.

The statement also warned against ‘unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability and the rules-based order,’ and urged that ‘maritime disputes must be resolved through peaceful means.’

‘They urged restraint from the threat or use of force and from adding uncertainty to the region. Maritime disputes must be resolved through peaceful means and in accordance with the dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS,’ the EEAS added.

The subcommittee, co-chaired by Cosmin Dobran of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Donato K. Guzman of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, also tackled a wide range of maritime priorities beyond legal and geopolitical concerns.

Maritime security, infrastructure protection

Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on maritime domain awareness, regional security, and coast guard coordination.

They also committed to exchanging views on the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, especially considering emerging threats posed by ‘shadow fleets’-unregistered or disguised vessels linked to illicit activities.

The EU-Philippines Security and Defense Dialogue, launched in Manila in June 2025, was cited as a key platform for advancing joint efforts in maritime security and defense.

Seafarer safety and rights

The subcommittee echoed calls from the International Maritime Organization and the UN Security Council to uphold navigational freedoms and protect seafarers.

Both parties pledged to explore real-time threat intelligence sharing, assistance for crews in distress, and awareness campaigns for those navigating high-risk areas.

Europe remains a major employer of Filipino maritime labor, with over 80,000 Filipino seafarers currently serving on European-flagged vessels. These include fleets operated by top European shipowners such as Maersk (Denmark), CMA CGM (France), Hapag-Lloyd (Germany), Grimaldi Group (Italy), and Stena AB (Sweden). The world’s largest container line, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), also employs thousands of Filipino seafarers, though it is based in Switzerland-a non-EU country.

‘They agreed to look into international cooperation on timely and practical initiatives.crucial in bolstering the safety and security of seafarers,’ the statement noted, adding that the global maritime sector must ‘protect and promote the rights of seafarers.’

Environmental protection and biodiversity

The EU and the Philippines welcomed the upcoming entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement-a new treaty under UNCLOS, focused on conserving marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

They committed to working toward its universal ratification and ambitious implementation, citing its role in tackling climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss.

Maritime education and technical assistance

The subcommittee highlighted progress on ongoing projects such as ESIWA, CRIMARIO (with its IORIS platform), and the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCariOPE) Seafarers Technical Assistance Project.

These initiatives aim to enhance maritime safety and improve education, training, and certification systems for Filipino and ASEAN seafarers.

Both sides agreed to explore further training, capacity building, and best practice exchanges across a broad range of maritime areas, including non-traditional security threats and marine environmental protection.

The next Subcommittee on Maritime Cooperation will convene in Manila in 2026.