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PAYING for government housing will be easier as the National Housing Authority (NHA) brings in GCash and ECPay as new online channels for beneficiaries to settle their monthly dues.

The partnership will allow NHA’s residential account holders to make real-time payments through GCash, with ECPay handling the transaction link between the mobile wallet and the agency’s billing system.

According to the NHA, the move is part of its plan to widen payment options under its ‘online payment gateways’ program, giving families ‘more convenient ways’ to keep up with their amortizations without lining up at district or regional offices.

The agency added that the effort also supports the government’s push for digital transactions under the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 and the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which both require agencies to modernize their processes.

The new service is expected to go live later this year, alongside plans to set up payment kiosks near resettlement sites for easier access.

The partnership adds to NHA’s existing tie-ups with other digital payment platforms and over-the-counter partners.

AS global brands set their sights on Southeast Asia, the Philippines is emerging as a key growth market, with its digital-savvy, highly engaged online consumers.

To meaningfully connect with Filipinos, many international companies partner with local public relations (PR) agencies that understand the country’s culture, language, and media landscape.

Of course, many PR companies aspire to win foreign accounts because the rates are usually higher than local standards and earnings are in dollars, not to mention the bragging rights of having a ‘prestige’ account in your portfolio.

But as many seasoned PR practitioners know, achieving the deliverables and key performance indicators (KPIs) is usually the easier part. The daily coordination and client engagement are oftentimes the trickier aspect. While Philippine PR agencies bring invaluable local insights to the table, they also face distinct challenges when working with foreign clients-from cultural differences, language nuances and time zone gaps to misaligned expectations and sometimes, even compliance issues.

For one, cultural nuances can make or break a PR partnership. Filipino PR professionals are known for their warmth, adaptability, and respect-traits that sometimes contrast with the more direct or formal communication styles of international clients.

While many Western clients prefer straightforward, assertive feedback and fast-paced execution, a lot of East Asian clients value hierarchy, formality, and structured processes. Meanwhile, Filipino PR teams, guided by hiya, may soften their tone or avoid open disagreement to preserve harmony.

These differences can cause misinterpretations or delays in decision-making. To overcome this, agencies need cultural intelligence-understanding not just what to say, but how and when to say it.

The Filipino English

ENGLISH is English is English. Until one comes across Singaporean English, British English, Australian English, Italian English, and so on. That’s when you realize the nuances between these versions of English and the Filipino English.

For example, a press release sent by a client that ends with ‘Please feel free to connect a call with us’ will have to be edited before it’s dispatched to local media. It’s not entirely wrong, but that’s not how we say it.

The time zone challenge

COLLABORATING across time zones is another obstacle.

I remember when we were handling a banking brand during its global Initial Public Offering in the 90s. Back then there were no Zoom, MS Teams or any online meeting platforms. We had no choice but to attend alignment meetings almost every day with the New York-based client and other agencies at 6am, Manila time, using good old call conferencing.

While there are now easier ways to meet online, the challenge remains: if you’re working with an overseas client, you should be ready and flexible to meet outside of the usual working hours.

Take note also that not all markets follow the Monday to Friday workdays. In Dubai for instance, many companies are closed on Fridays but are open on Sundays so expect to receive a work email on while you’re having Sunday lunch with the family.

The time and work schedule difference, if not anticipated and managed, can lead to delayed feedback, missed overlaps, or extended approval cycles, especially during high-pressure campaign periods.

One way to ensure that projects are aligned despite the distance is to implement asynchronous communication systems (like project dashboards or shared trackers), setting clear response timelines, and maintaining transparent documentation.

Payment and currency issues

WORKING with foreign clients also introduces financial and administrative hurdles. International transfers, long payment terms, and fluctuating exchange rates can disrupt cash flow, especially for smaller or independent agencies.

To manage this, agencies often require upfront deposits, use global payment tools and specify currency terms clearly in contracts. Transparency on both sides helps prevent misunderstanding later on.

Navigating the local media culture

FOREIGN brands entering the Philippines sometimes underestimate how unique the local media and consumer culture are.

In many other countries, serving coffee and donut would usually suffice when you invite media to a press conference, even when the schedule occurs during lunch or dinner time. For us Filipinos, if you invite someone over-it doesn’t even have to be a media conference; it could just be a simple get-together at home with close friends-during lunch or dinner, and you want a positive outcome from your agenda, you and I know you need to serve a full meal or you will be the subject of chismis for a long time!

Obviously, local PR agencies must act as both cultural translators and strategic advisors, not just to ensure that global messages are conveyed thoughtfully but that good will and a positive reputation is carefully established on behalf of the brand.

Turning challenges into an advantage

THESE are just some of the challenges that PR agencies handling overseas clients face. We haven’t event touched on misaligned deliverables, which can be easily be avoided by a thorough discussion on key project elements and outcomes; and compliance issues especially for projects that involve regulatory agencies.

Despite these challenges, working with a foreign brand can be an enriching experience, both literally and figuratively!

The key to success lies in balance-merging global standards with local sensibilities, and blending professionalism with the Filipino values of warmth, empathy, and creativity.

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premiere association for senior communications professionals around the world. Edd Fuentes is the founder and CEO of FuentesManila, a Manila-based PR agency founded in 1990. Edd is a Board Member of IPRA Global representing South Asia for the last 7 years.

PR Matters is devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will reopen voter registration from October 20 to May 18 next year, giving Filipinos seven months to register ahead of the November 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said the registration period will be open to all Filipinos nationwide, except those residing in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

‘This registration is applicable nationwide for all types-reactivation, transfer, new registration, and updating of records,’ Garcia told reporters in an interview.

Garcia explained that registration in BARMM will resume only after the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, noting that only those registered for the 2025 midterm polls will be eligible to vote.

‘We want to avoid confusion among those who might think that registering now will allow them to vote in the BPE,’ he added.

Registration will be held on Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at all local Comelec offices nationwide.

Under the guidelines, any Filipino who is not yet a registered voter may apply, provided that he or she is at least 18 years old on election day, have lived in the Philippines for at least one year, have resided in his or her voting area for at least six months before the elections, and is not disqualified by law.

Applicants must present a valid identification card, such as a PhilSys National ID, Postal ID, Persons with Disability ID, student ID signed by a school authority, or senior citizen ID. Other acceptable IDs include driver’s license, National Bureau of Investigation clearance, passport, Social Security System or Government Service Inusrance

System ID, Unified Multi-Purpose ID card, Professional Regulation Commission license, Intergrated

Bar of the Philippines ID, or a Certificate of Confirmation issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples for members of tribal communities.

Beyond local offices, Comelec will also launch its Register Anywhere Program (RAP) from October 20 to 21, running from 8:00 a.m. To 5:00 p.m. at Mabini Hall in Luneta Park, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila’s University Activity Center, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).

The commission earlier said that it expects up to 1.4 million applicants during the seven-month registration period.

In August, a 10-day registration drive by the commission drew 2.8 million new registrants nationwide.

OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla had the surprise of his life when he found out that all positions in the Office of the Ombudsman were filled up by his predecessor, Samuel Martires, before he retired.

Observers said that in effect, Martires, an appointee of former President Rodrigo Duterte, still wanted to run the Office of the Ombudsman even after retirement.

As a result, Remulla ordered the more than 200 employees of the agency who may be considered as Martires’ ‘midnight appointees’ to immediately vacate their posts.

At a press briefing, Remulla said he was surprised to learn that all vacant posts in the Office of the Ombudsman had been filled up last July or just before the retirement of his predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Remulla, who was appointed by President Marcos on October 7, said his order covers a total of 204 newly-hired employees who are still under probation.

‘You don’t want to arrive at a place and suddenly find all the seats-which you were expecting to be available for your men-already filled. That should not be the case,’ Remulla said.

The Ombudsman said he has asked the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to assist the agency in evaluating the appointments of the said employees.

‘The Civil Service Commission has been very forthcoming and they have communicated their willingness to help us address the issue of midnight appointees,’ Remulla said.

But, Remulla clarified that the affected employees may re-apply for their posts.

‘I’m acting in good faith, and I hope they are all acting in good faith as well. They can reapply, and some of them might consider handing in courtesy resignations just to show they are in good faith,’ he added.

IN the scheme of things in a global scale, there are inconvenient truths that small nations like us have to go through-a labyrinth of challenges, especially on the buzzwords today on climate change and RE or renewable energy and the need to raise the consciousness of citizens to the huge impact of carbon dioxide emissions.

And somehow, along the way, as the country tries to play the role of ‘good citizen’ on the matter of the need to curb our CO2 emissions, there is an apparent disconnect on what we are being asked to accomplish vis-a-vis other polluters of the planet, those countries that emit a sizeable chunk of CO2. It is a troubling paradox.

According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), the Philippines contributes less than 0.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the inconvenient truth is this: despite such a negligible share, we rank among the most vulnerable to the brutal manifestations of climate change.

By global standards, our footprint is small. But the irony is that many small footprints combined leave a heavy mark on the planet. Every nation’s effort counts-though strategies must also reckon with the disproportionately larger role of major emitters.

Here lies another inconvenient truth: smaller nations face the same global targets and timelines, even when their share of emissions is a mere fraction of the problem. For countries like ours, lowering or neutralizing this tiny contribution barely nudges the global scale. The arithmetic of justice, it seems, is skewed.

The World Inequality Database reveals that the wealthiest 10 percent of the global population is responsible for nearly half of all CO2 emissions, averaging 31 tons per person yearly. In contrast, the bottom 50 percent produces only 12 percent-about 1.6 tons per person.

Meanwhile, data from the Global Carbon Project shows that China and the United States alone account for roughly 45 percent of global emissions, with India, Russia, and Japan following close behind. This imbalance has fueled global pressure to cut emissions and accelerate the shift to renewables. The 2015 Paris Agreement set the course: phase down coal, scale up renewables, achieve net zero.

But here’s another sobering fact: even if the world reaches net-zero CO2 by 2050, the reduction in warming is estimated at only 0.07-0.28 °C. Of course, net-zero still delivers cleaner air, better health, energy security, and jobs-but its impact on global temperature depends on the scale of the reduction, not just the symbolism.

As the world races toward net-zero, one fact remains immutable: carbon footprints are not distributed equally. Individual actions are laudable, but the largest impact comes from the largest emitters. The Philippine government has long maintained that any net-zero commitment must be anchored on national priorities and backed by international support-financing, technology transfer, and capacity-building.

Ultimately, progress depends on resources, not rhetoric. For the Philippines, the journey to net zero will hinge on how fast and how affordably we can transition our energy systems.

Could it be that some of the champions of renewable energy-without malice but with market motives-are muting the fact of our near-zero contribution to global emissions? Could it be that acknowledging this truth might weaken their narrative -and, by extension, their sales pitch for solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and other RE technologies?

Another inconvenient truth: renewable energy remains costly- to build, to operate, and to maintain. Take offshore wind turbines: clean in concept, but at present, staggeringly expensive and, in several global cases, environmentally and economically problematic.

Yet despite the mounting evidence of financial distress among offshore wind projects abroad, the technology is still being proposed for our own energy mix.

Can we afford this gamble? Or would prudence dictate we wait- until the technology becomes truly viable for an economy like ours?

Let’s be honest: our energy transition must match our means. Because the ‘business’ of saving the planet does not always align with the rhetoric of fairness.

And until that contradiction is resolved, nations like the Philippines will continue to bear a burden far heavier than their share of the blame-an inconvenient truth of injustice. We are among those who contribute the least to climate change -yet we suffer among the most.

We are told to comply with immediate net-zero demands, even if our compliance would barely move the global needle. Worse, these demands come at a time when renewable alternatives remain financially out of reach for millions of Filipino families.

In plain terms, we’re being asked to act like the world’s biggest polluters-when in truth, we are among its smallest contributors.

Senator Bam Aquino has expressed dismay over the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) revelation that it has completed the construction of just 22 classrooms for 2025.

‘You can’t explain that. Even just saying it, sumasakit iyong puso ko na 22 lang ang nagawang classroom,’ Aquino said during the DPWH budget hearing after DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said that only 22 out of the 1,700 target have been completed.

At this rate, Aquino said the classroom backlog will reach 200,000 by 2028.

‘Ang estimated current classroom backlog natin ay 146,000. By 2028, if we continue at this rate, aabot tayo ng 200,000,’ emphasized Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

Dizon said the DPWH will look into the cause of delay and find a way to fast-track the construction of classrooms.

He also expressed his full support for Aquino’s Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which was recently certified as a priority measure by President Ferdinand Marcos as a means to address the classroom backlog in public schools.

‘We are in full support of this measure, especially now na dalawampu’t dalawa pa lang ang nagagawa ng departamento ngayong taon. Kailangan po talaga natin ang tulong,’ Dizon said, adding that the agency is also looking at partnerships with local government units to hasten classroom construction.

‘At this rate, it’s virtually impossible na magawa ng DPWH itong kailangan nating mga classrooms,’ he admitted.

The proposed bill aims to decentralize classroom construction by expanding the mandate beyond DPWH to include local government units and non-government organizations with a proven track record. They can then build classrooms in compliance with the Department of Education’s standards and guidelines within their jurisdictions.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is adopting the Rationalized Rules for Setting Distribution Wheeling Rates (RRDWR) to determine the revenue requirements, capital and operating expenditures, performance incentive mechanisms, and annual rate adjustments of privately owned electric distribution utilities (PDUs).

‘After more than a decade of delays, the rate reset process for all private distribution utilities will soon happen after the Energy Regulatory Commission approved on Thursday the Rationalized Rules for Setting Distribution Wheeling Rates [RRDWR] for privately owned electric distribution utilities [PDUs] operating under the Performance-Based Regulation [PBR] framework,’ the agency said over the weekend.

The ERC’s approval of the RRDWR also marks a departure from the previous Regulatory Periods established for the PDUs, which were not adhered to due to the suspension or delays in the rate reset process.

The RRDWR embodies the methodology and process for setting the maximum allowable distribution, supply, and metering (DSM) rates of private DUs. It supersedes previous regulatory issuances governing the rate-setting process and incorporates internationally recognized practices to balance consumer protection with fair returns for utilities.

Under the RRDWR, the ERC uses a price-cap regulation methodology that sets a maximum allowable rate based on efficient costs, service quality targets, and measurable performance indicators. This approach encourages distribution utilities to improve efficiency and reliability while maintaining affordability for consumers.

‘The RRDWR also addresses the more than 10 years of delays in the reset of the PDUs’ distribution rates and serves as the framework for the upcoming Regulatory Reset for the First Regulatory Period [1st RP] of the First Entry Group, which includes the Manila Electric Co. [Meralco], Dagupan Electric Corporation [DECORP], Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company [CEPALCO], and Cotabato Light and Power Company [CLPC],’ it said.

The 1st RP of the First Entry Group covers the period from 1 July 2026 to June 30, 2030.

ERC said taking this decisive step ‘demonstrates its resolve’ to fulfill its legal mandate as the rate regulator for the power industry. It also underscores its commitment to a fair, transparent, and accountable regulatory process that ensures reasonable electricity rates, promotes operational efficiency, and supports the ongoing modernization of the country’s power distribution sector.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) declared Batanes as an organic farming practitioner province, which positions it as a leading agro-tourism destination that would boost local livelihoods.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed an order that formalized the recognition of Batanes as ‘organic by default.’

The DA said that due to the province’s geographic isolation and long-standing farming traditions, its 13,208.90 hectares of agricultural land that spans across crops and livestock have remained untouched by synthetic chemicals.

It added that the province’s 4,126 farmers and 35 cooperatives exclusively engage in organic agriculture, supported by local ordinances and provincial legislation aligned with Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.

‘This designation affirms Batanes’ commitment to sustainable farming that ensures food security, protects the environment, and empowers communities,’ the DA chief said.

He added that the recognition paves the way for increased technical, financial, and market support for the province.

The DA said all six municipalities, such as Basco, Uyugan, Sabtang, Ivana, Itbayat, and Mahatao, have passed ordinances institutionalizing organic farming.

It added that various programs and demonstration farms like the Naidi Multi-Commodity Project and the Tukon Agro-Tourism Site further promote natural farming methods and community-based food production.

According to the DA, Batanes’ organic crops, such as garlic, sweet potatoes, onions, and beef cattle are key to local food sufficiency that would allow it to gain market value outside the province.

Premium prices and increasing demand are encouraging wider participation among farmers, it added.

With organic produce as a driving force, the DA said Batanes is integrating agriculture with tourism.

Projects like the Batanes Resort Agro-Tourism Site are drawing visitors interested in eco-friendly farming practices and Ivatan culture.

‘Through this declaration, the DA reinforces its support for provinces like Batanes that exemplify the goals of sustainable agriculture, ensuring long-term food safety, ecological balance, and rural development.’

Earlier, the DA deployed mobile soil testing laboratories nationwide as part of efforts to improve crop yields.

CITING possible governance lapses that could affect the pension security of state workers and retirees, public sector workers have called for an independent investigation into the reported P8.8-billion loss in the investments by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

In a statement over the weekend, the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLink) said the controversy reflects what it sees as serious failures in oversight and accountability within the GSIS.

‘Those responsible must be held liable for any breach of duty or misuse of members’ money. The pension funds of public servants are not for gambling, corruption, or political favor. They exist solely to guarantee security, dignity, and justice for those who have spent their lives serving the Filipino people,’ read the statement of the national confederation of public service workers.

The group urged the Marcos administration to order an independent and transparent probe into all GSIS transactions questioned by several of its trustees.

It also called for stronger internal controls, regular public disclosure of investment performance, and the inclusion of worker representatives in the GSIS Board to improve oversight.

‘Public sector unions and workers will not remain silent while their retirement savings are gambled away through mismanagement and impunity. We call on the Marcos administration to act decisively and transparently,’ it added.

PSLink’s call followed the confirmation of several GSIS trustees that the agency incurred the losses under the management of GSIS President and General Manager Wick A. Veloso. These trustees are: former Ombudsman Merceditas Consunji N. Gutierrez; Emmanuel D. Samson; Rita E. Riddle; Evelina G. Escudero; Jocelyn G. Cabreza; and, Alan R. Luga.

In a letter calling for the resignation of Veloso, the trustees alleged that the fund’s leadership bypassed board oversight and pursued high-risk investments despite repeated objections. They also claimed that some transactions were split to avoid review by the GSIS board.

The PSLink said these allegations, if proven, would constitute mismanagement and a breach of fiduciary duty. It also questioned the lifting of Veloso’s preventive suspension before the completion of a full investigation.

‘We are deeply concerned that Veloso’s preventive suspension has already been lifted, even as these serious allegations have yet to be fully investigated. Such action undermines accountability and threatens to erode the trust and confidence of millions of government employees and retirees who depend on GSIS for their social protection and retirement security,’ the PSLink added.

DAVAO CITY – An elderly couple was declared missing in a landslide on late Saturday in a mountain zigzag road connecting this city with the municipality of Quezon, Bukidnon.

The municipal government of Quezon said rescuers already dug up the couple’s ‘bao-bao,’ a three-wheeler cab, that witnesses have said they saw that fell off the ravine in Mountain Overview, Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao, when a 100-meter long three lane part of the Davao-Bukidnon road yielded to the landslide.

The landslide happened in the evening of Saturday.

Rescuers from various government agencies in Quezon and the province of Bukidnon already found the green-colored bao-bao cab but none of the couple was found. The rescuers included those from the police, the Army, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Manangement Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, municipal engineering office, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and members of the Barangay Tanod of Barangay Palacapao.

DPWH personnel already cordoned off both sides of the highway and diverted traffic to alternate routes. It said that for trucks and other heavy vehicles, they may take road in Maramag (via Camp One) to Damulog in Bukidnon to Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam and Kidapawan towns of North Cotabato, to Bansalan and Digos City of Davao del Sur to Davao City.

For cars and other light vehicles, they may take the Valencia City and San Fernando highway in Bukidnon, connecting to the towns of Talaingod, Kapalong, Tagum City and Panabo City of Davao del Norte, to Davao City.

Quezon municipal Mayor Poling Lorenzo III has asked municipal personnel to update him of the progress of the rescue and has coordinated with the DPWH to open the access roads.