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THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) urged government offices to keep their spending during the holiday season to a minimum, citing challenges that beset the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman reminded government employees to be ‘prudent, sensitive, and responsible’ in spending this coming holiday season, especially amid the recent spate of calamities that devastated several parts of the country.

‘While celebrating milestones and camaraderie is important, let us not forget that many of our kababayans continue to struggle, especially those who are hit by recent calamities,’ Pangandaman said.

To ensure responsible spending, the DBM issued a circular letter calling on government entities to strictly observe existing rules on the judicious use of public funds during Christmas and New Year activities.

This includes government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local government units (LGUs).

The letter cites Executive Order (EO) 292, Republic Act (RA) 6713, and COA Circular No. 2012-003, which prohibit irregular, unnecessary, and extravagant expenses, such as luxury venue rentals, liquor purchases, or lavish parties funded by public money.

Pangandaman encouraged government employees to hold simple, inclusive, and heartfelt celebrations that reflect the values of compassion, unity, and integrity in public service.

She also urged agencies to consider alternative activities, such as community outreach, volunteer work, or gift-giving programs that extend holiday cheer to underprivileged sectors.

‘The DBM promotes the efficient and responsible use of government funds, especially during the holidays when spending tends to increase,’ Pangandaman said.

The DBM noted that all heads of departments and agencies were instructed to ensure full compliance with fiscal accountability measures and to disseminate awareness of the guidelines throughout their respective offices.

‘The best way to celebrate is to give back. Let our gatherings embody service, generosity, and solidarity,’ Pangandaman said.

AYALA Corp. heiress Mariana Zobel de Ayala and Robinsons Land Corp.’s president and CEO Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio landed on the Forbes magazine’s list of 20 Asia’s Power Businesswomen.

Mariana, the eighth-generation leader of the Ayala family, is shaping the future of the Philippines’s oldest conglomerate, Ayala Corp., Forbes said.

She currently handles the leasing and hospitality business of its listed property arm Ayala Land. Mariana was given a $1.5-billion fund to refresh its extensive portfolio of malls, offices and hotels.

The company’s redevelopment of eight existing malls and build of new ones is expected to increase gross leasable area by a third to 2.9 million square meters by 2028.

Mariana is also steering a $500-million hospitality capital expenditure, seen to double Ayala Land’s room inventory to 8,000 by 2030.

That includes the 578-room New World Makati, acquired in June from Hong Kong’s New World Development, the opening of new Mandarin Oriental, Marriott ‘s Moxy and Hilton’s Canopy hotels in the Makati financial district next year.

‘In March, Mariana was appointed Ayala Corp.’s managing director, 12 years after she left her job as an investment analyst at JPMorgan in New York to join her family’s 191-year-old, banking-to-property group, where her father, Jamie Augusto Zobel de Ayala, is chairman,’ Forbes said.

Mariana, a Harvard graduate who earned her Masters in Business Administration from Insead, was named senior vice president at Ayala Land in 2023.

First woman to lead RLC

Meanwhile, the Gokongwei family named GoBio as its new president and CEO of its property development arm RLC, earlier this year.

She is the first woman and non-family member to lead the developer, founded in 1980 by the late John Gokongwei, who was succeeded by his son Lance Gokongwei, executive chairman.

Gokongwei described Aragon-GoBio as ‘The best [hu]man for the job.’

GoBio joined RLC in 1993 as an administrative assistant and went on to oversee the company’s logistics business as well as residential and office projects. In May, she laid out a five-year, P125 billion expansion) plan for the company.

‘By 2030, she aims to double net income to P25 billion, boost the number of malls it operates to 69 from 55 and grow its office portfolio by 50 percent to 1.2 million square meters of leasable space.’

The roadmap also includes a 25-percent increase in hotel rooms to 5,300, doubling logistics capacity and building new mixed-use estates.

GoBio has a degree in international business from the University of Antwerp.

Forbes listed 20 accomplished leaders in the region who are at the forefront of the region’s fast-evolving business and economic landscape.

‘The roll call of trailblazers, hailing from a dozen countries and territories, includes those playing key roles in powering the AI and advanced tech boom by heading up companies in sectors such as data centers, semiconductors and rare earths,’ Forbes said.

Others are remaking family legacies, taking charge at storied enterprises in property, hospitality, retail and sports gear as they steer them toward new growth.

More than half of the women are high-performing professional managers with proven track records in fields such as banking, consumer goods and transportation. Three are first-generation entrepreneurs, including one who has launched two profitable unicorns, it said.

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.

THE government should halt the approval of new mines amid environmental degradation and alleged human rights abuses resulting from nickel mining, according to an international climate organization.

This, after a report by Climate Rights International (CRI) showed that nickel mining heightened the vulnerability of residents and workers in the Caraga Region to the climate crisis.

CRI’s report titled ‘Broken Promises: Philippines Nickel Mining Threatens Rights and Increases Climate Vulnerability,’ also revealed that mining destroyed fishing and farming livelihoods, and caused severe environmental pollution that threatened drinking water and health.

As such, CRI researcher Krista Shennum urged the government to prevent and remedy environmental degradation and alleged human rights abuses resulting from nickel mining.

‘We’re also calling on the Filipino government to stop permitting new mines until the industry cleans up its act,’ Shennum told reporters at the press conference of the report’s official launch in Quezon City on Tuesday.

‘If the industry is not following laws, if it’s not fully enforcing and complying, then to add more mines is quite concerning,’ she added.

The country stands as the second-largest nickel producer following Indonesia and the world’s leading exporter of raw nickel ore, a mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and the stainless steel industry.

CRI noted that harms to local communities and the environment were being driven by the individual and cumulative activities of these nickel mining projects.

‘Many nickel mining companies in the Caraga Region have links to powerful actors in the Philippines, including active and former politicians, politically connected families, and wealthy businesspeople,’ the organization said.

With this, the CRI said nickel companies should take immediate action to address water and air pollution caused by their operations and ensure proper disposal of mine waste to minimize environmental pollution.

Meanwhile, the international organization said EVs and battery companies that source nickel from the Philippines should use their leverage to ensure that suppliers end and remedy rights abuses, clean up water and air pollution, and protect the rights of environmental and human rights defenders.

EV companies should also increase transparency by providing public information about all companies in their transition mineral supply chains, it added.

‘Electric vehicle and battery companies have unique leverage to demand that the mining industry cleans up its act. Their customers are environmentally conscious and will decide to buy from companies with the cleanest record,’ Shennum said.

‘If EV companies want to position themselves as global leaders in the fight against climate change, they must demand that mining companies in their supply chains respect the rights of communities and end environmentally destructive practices.’

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.’

When Jackson Wang descended from the rafters, suspended midair, his arrival was exactly the kind of larger-than-life spectacle his global fandom expected.

The Smart Araneta Coliseum was packed corner to corner on November 2, lightsticks and phone flashlights like stars in the sky as the first chords of ‘High Alone’ filled the air. All were waiting with bated breath for him to bring the magic he promised on his MagicMan II World Tour.

But beyond the smoke, pyrotechnics, and hypnotic staging, what made the Manila concert memorable was how it exposed the fault line between the artist as product and the artist as person. Paradoxically, Jackson Wang used smoke and mirrors to unmask his most vulnerable self.

Jackson plunged into the stage, bellowing, ‘Let’s have some fun!’ The plumes of flame fanning across the stage synchronized with his powerful dance, making the arena thrum with life. He put on a show, but more than that, he stuck to the truth of who he is.

In interviews leading up to the release of MagicMan II, Jackson opened up about questioning his identity and direction in life; a search for the boundary between the Jackson the world consumes and the Jackson who exists when the lights go out. The album itself seems to question what happens to the artist when the person themself becomes the product.

Cultural critics of the music industry have long noted how the machine – agencies, management, PR – tend to shape the artist into a product, often at the expense of the person they are. The modern pop landscape has long blurred the distinction between person and product. Labels and management teams manufacture the myth, sculpting personalities into neatly marketable archetypes – the ‘wild one,’ the ‘heartthrob,’ the ‘artist-genius.’

With over a decade in the industry under his belt, Jackson Wang is no stranger to the entanglement of his authentic self and the expectations he must inhabit. His Manila concert, presented by IME Philippines, felt like an act of rebellion against it.

In a scene where many artists struggle behind the scenes with identity, his willingness to bare his struggles and articulation of ‘am I the Jackson Wang people know or am I me?’ is a manifestation of him taking control of his own narrative.

The irony was almost poetic: it took an arena-sized production, an army of dancers, and industrial levels of smoke and flame to stage something so deeply human. His raw honesty grounded the spectacle of bodies leaping from trapdoors and fireworks licking the LED screens.

The chaotic shifts in mood – from hype to horny to heartfelt – mirror the many different sides there are to a person. Even if the transitions were messy, so what? People are, too.

‘For us, ever since there was an announcement for the Manila stop, we actually conceptualized the fan projects way back in August,’ a representative of Jackson’s Filipino fanbase, Team Jacky Philippines, said in an interview. And there were many fan projects indeed: lamppost banners surrounding Araneta, ticket and merch giveaways, a message board, and a gift box addressed to Jackson himself. Such gestures transcend consumption and move into sustaining a community.

Their labor, love, and organization represent the paradox at the heart of pop culture: if the artist’s image is engineered for mass appeal, is the emotional connection it fosters just as fabricated?

Jackson’s insistence on imperfection – on making room for feeling lost, angry, directionless – is precisely what makes him real to his fans. ‘Selfish is not a bad thing. Feeling not okay is okay,’ he emphasized during the talkback section. The show was an embodiment of the tension between the artist as brand and the artist as human. As he said to Filipino media, ‘I make sure that I show all sides of myself to my fans because fans always show love and support. and in return, I want to make sure that I show them who I am.’

What is fascinating is how Jackson makes use of the machinery of pop. On one hand, the levitation, the fire, and the VIP tiers are all classic pop industry mechanisms that commodify proximity and magnify the spectacle.

On the other hand, he uses those very mechanisms to signal distance: distance from the image people have of him, distance from being merely an idol. When he floats above the stage, he is elevated-yes-but also physically removed from the crowd, symbolizing how the artist is separated from the audience, from real life, from self.

In the smoke, the lights, the call-and-response, and the roaring crowd in Manila, Jackson Wang delivered a show that was both high spectacle and high stakes. It reminded us that beneath the aerial stunts and pyrotechnics, there’s a person asking: ‘Who am I?’ In pop culture, we seldom get this level of meta-honesty at an arena-level show.

Perhaps that is Jackson Wang’s real magic – not the artifice of perfection, but the courage to stand suspended between two selves, letting both be seen.

DESPITE political turbulence, natural disasters, and persistent corruption, the Philippines remains on a solid growth trajectory, according to Dr. Bernardo Villegas, eminent economist and founding member of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA and P).

Speaking at a recent UA and P economic briefing attended by members of the diplomatic community, Villegas projected a 6% GDP growth for the next two years, with potential to reach 6.5% under favorable conditions.

‘Even if Vice Ganda becomes president, we’ll still grow at 6%,’ Villegas quipped, underscoring his belief that strong institutions and sound economic policies-not personalities-drive growth.

Agriculture, FDI, and Anti-Corruption: Pillars of Progress

Villegas emphasized three critical conditions for the Philippines to achieve high-income status by 2040:

Agricultural reform, led by the Department of Agriculture and Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, which he described as showing ‘real improvement.’

‘Our average agricultural growth over the last 10 years was just 0-1%. But in the third quarter, it hit 7%. That’s amazing,’ he said. ‘Our assignment to President Marcos Jr. is to make sure agriculture grows at 3% annually by the time he leaves office.’

Foreign direct investment (FDI), with a target of $15 billion annually. ‘This year, we’re expecting more than $25 billion. Little by little, we’ll reach $50 billion,’ he said, citing growing interest from Spain, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan in infrastructure projects.

Good governance, which he called ‘bittersweet.’ ‘It’s not easy to change our culture. It may take us more than 20 years,’ he admitted. ‘We fight corruption not just for economic reasons, but because it must be banished from this world.’

Villegas also praised the Bangko Sentral’s institutional strength, citing its role in bringing inflation down to 1.8% from double-digit levels a decade ago.

‘Painfully, slowly, but surely, we’ve built strong institutions over the last 30 years. That’s why the Philippines is no longer the sick man of Asia.’

Stock Market Not a True Barometer

Villegas dismissed concerns over the Philippine stock market’s decade-long slump, arguing that it does not reflect the real economy.

‘The economy can be growing at 8%, but the stock market is influenced by external factors like the U.S. dollar,’ told reporters after the forum.

He attributed the market’s fragility to low domestic savings and limited investor participation.

External Shocks and Domestic Resilience

Villegas highlighted the Philippines’ resilience through three global crises: the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2008 global recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘In 1998, Indonesia dropped by -13%, Thailand by -7%. The Philippines? Just -0.5%. In 2009, we didn’t decline at all-we had a V-shaped recovery,’ he said.

He credited this resilience to robust domestic consumption, fueled by remittances and the BPO sector.

‘US$40 billion from OFWs, another US$40 billion from BPOs. Multiply that by 58 to 59 pesos per dollar-that’s over ?4.6 trillion in the hands of Filipino consumers,’ he explained.

Villegas forecasted a third-quarter dip to 5.3% due to infrastructure corruption and natural calamities, but expects a rebound in Q4.

‘Christmas starts on September 1st here. With OFWs returning and spending, I see Q4 growing at more than 6%,’ he added.

Regional Unity and Digital Transformation

The briefing also spotlighted broader regional and technological challenges. Villegas and other speakers called for a strong ASEAN economic union, not just a free trade area, to counterbalance the influence of China and India.

‘With 620 million citizens, mostly upper middle income, ASEAN can be a formidable economic force,’ one speaker said.

On the digital front, the Philippines ranked low in global digitalization metrics, but Villegas remained hopeful.

‘AI seminars are held daily, and universities are actively preparing the next generation,’ he noted. ‘Despite the weakness of our public education system, Filipinos are adjusting to a digital world. We have one of the highest per capita smartphone and email usage rates.’

Infrastructure and Foreign Confidence

Villegas highlighted growing interest from foreign investors in Philippine infrastructure projects.

He cited the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway as a model of successful public-private collaboration.

‘We should increasingly entrust infrastructure to private sector giants like DMCI and Ayala to minimize corruption,’ he said.

Corruption: A Persistent Challenge

While optimistic about current anti-corruption efforts, Villegas acknowledged skepticism.

‘Yes, we’ve jailed presidents, but they come back. Corruption is not an obstacle to becoming first-rate-look at Korea,’ he said. ‘But we must fight it with all our might, not just for pragmatic reasons.’

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Representative Brian Poe has filed House Resolution No. 428, urging a nationwide strengthening of mental-health support systems in schools, communities, and digital spaces amid new data showing that seven in ten Filipinos have experienced bullying, often with lasting psychological effects.

The resolution underscores that bullying is not merely a disciplinary issue but a public-health and mental-wellness concern, with verbal and social aggression leading to anxiety, depression, and self-esteem loss among victims. The findings reveal that while 68 percent of Filipinos have experienced bullying, only 49 percent feel comfortable seeking help, signaling a dangerous gap in psychosocial support nationwide .

‘Behind every case of bullying is a silent mental-health crisis,’ Rep. Poe said. ‘We cannot treat bullying as just misbehavior; it is trauma that must be met with compassion, counseling, and care. Our schools and communities must be safe spaces for healing.’

Grounded in the Mental Health Act (RA 11036), the measure urges the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that every school has at least one qualified mental-health professional-such as a psychologist, guidance counselor, or social worker-trained in trauma-informed intervention. It also directs the integration of mental-health first-aid training for teachers and staff, so they can identify early warning signs of distress and provide appropriate referrals .

To ensure that help is accessible beyond the classroom, the resolution calls for the expansion of 24/7 mental-health hotlines and online counseling services dedicated to victims of cyberbullying and emotional abuse. These efforts will complement existing awareness campaigns that destigmatize therapy and encourage empathy-based peer support .

Rep. Poe also called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and National Privacy Commission (NPC) to promote digital well-being programs, emphasizing that cyberbullying leaves invisible wounds that can persist longer than physical harm. ‘In an era when words online can break spirits, we must respond with stronger systems of care,’ he said .

Recent data published by the BusinessMirror shows that 91 percent of cyberbullying victims reported experiencing harassment on major social platforms, while more than half of all victims simply ignored the attacks, reflecting a deep sense of helplessness. Rep. Poe said this highlights ‘an urgent moral and institutional duty to bring mental-health care to where people are-online, in classrooms, and in every barangay.’

‘Prevention begins with empathy. Healing begins with access. Our goal is not only to stop bullying but to rebuild confidence, restore dignity, and make mental-health care a right, not a privilege,’ he added.

Through House Resolution No. 428, Rep. Poe reaffirmed his long-standing advocacy to weave mental-health protection into every layer of education, governance, and digital citizenship, ensuring that every Filipino-especially the youth-has the support to recover, grow, and thrive.

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.

The recent floods and earthquakes that battered the country should not be seen as natural disasters only-they are wake-up calls. They remind us, in the most painful way, that no one is spared when systems fail, when complacency takes over, and when accountability is ignored.

In the past, many Filipinos would shrug off problems that didn’t affect or hurt them directly. If a flood only submerged another town, or an earthquake only damaged another province, we turned away and carried on. We didn’t care if there were obvious lapses, omissions, and commissions that made the impact on lives more severe.

The same attitude explains why we tolerate so many violations in our everyday lives-from ukay-ukay stalls selling smuggled goods, to tricycles clogging main highways, to government agencies bending the rules.

The smuggling and sale of used clothes slowly killed our textile and garment industries. From having about 1.5 million spindles that could hire 35 people on a 24-hour basis decades ago, we now only have about 100,000 spindles in the country. Ukay-ukays are still everywhere: in the malls, garages, subdivision garages, and public markets. Most people don’t care because they are not directly affected.

Government red tape persists despite constant efforts by the administration to curb it. Yes, many are affected, but not everyone, so most of us just let it slide. These acts may seem minor or unrelated, but collectively, they represent a national culture of looking the other way-of tolerating what is clearly wrong because it doesn’t hurt us yet. But today, as we wade through floodwaters and brace for tremors, we see the consequences of that indifference.

Take, for instance, the recent revelations involving a state-owned bank that allegedly allowed a contractor to withdraw as much as P480 million in cash as payments for DPWH projects. Having been in the banking sector myself, I can say with certainty that this is not just bad policy-it’s a dangerous precedent. It erodes trust and exposes how impunity can thrive even in institutions meant to uphold financial integrity. This should also be investigated.

We have seen how disregard for the law and its long-term consequences led to substandard infrastructure-ghost projects, weak flood controls, and poorly built roads and bridges. Now, we are all paying the price. When a retaining wall collapses or a river overflows, it doesn’t ask who you voted for, or what your income is. It simply destroys everything in its path.

I am reminded of the 1980s, when then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. deployed secret marshals to fight rising crime in buses and public transport. Many protested the measure, arguing it was excessive or invasive. But those who had been victims of theft or violence knew why such steps were necessary. Sometimes, decisive -even unpopular-action is needed to restore order and discipline.

Today, we face a similar challenge. To rebuild our cities, protect our environment, and ensure honest governance, we must first restore accountability and end our culture of apathy. Every citizen, every official, every business must recognize their role in this effort.

Because in truth, the floods and earthquakes are not just natural phenomena. They are mirrors reflecting the cracks in our systems and in our collective conscience.

Let these calamities serve as a wake-up call-that unless we work together, enforce our laws, and care beyond our own interests, we will keep rebuilding from the ruins we ourselves allowed to happen.

We commend Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque for her quick response to our letter bringing to her attention the online sale of unverified automotive batteries, including the one branded ‘GR Lithium Batteries.’

These imported batteries do not bear the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark, a clear violation of the law, and could present hazards to our motorists. We don’t know if these batteries have passed the government’s quality standard tests, yet they are being marketed with lofty promises and wild claims.

The office of Secretary Roque announced in the media that the DTI will investigate the sellers of these batteries and coordinate closely with the Federation of Philippine Industries.