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The magnitude of corruption in flood control projects has become the most important issue in the Philippines today. And rightly so. Trillions of pesos meant for these projects have been stolen over the years by public officials and private contractors. Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos rallied on Edsa and at Luneta to protest this palpable waste of public funds.

Congressional investigations revealed that the uncontrolled rise in unprogrammed appropriations was one of the ways this corruption is facilitated. For example, in 2025, the original proposal was only P158.7 billion, then it was massively raised to P531.7 billion in the bicameral conference committee. It was eventually reduced to P363 billion after the President vetoed some line items.

The President, in his third State of the Nation Address, expressed anger at the level of corruption that he ordered a strict audit of infrastructure, in particular, flood control projects. Subsequently, he also ordered lifestyle checks on all government officials.

Institutional mechanisms must be in place to ensure that corruption will be substantially reduced in this and succeeding administrations.

What has been done so far: House Resolution No. 94, adopted on Aug. 5, 2025, allows accredited people’s organizations to observe the 2026 budget hearings. Meanwhile, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, adopted on Aug. 13, mandates full transparency mechanisms for the 2026 budget. It mandates both houses to upload key documents such as the General Appropriations Act, committee reports, transcripts of budget briefings and hearings, and plenary deliberation records to be fully accessible to the public. The bicameral process will also be livestreamed in response to public calls for a more open budget deliberation process.

On Sept. 11, President Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 94 creating the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), an ‘independent fact-finding body to investigate alleged irregularities in government flood control and other infrastructure projects.’ The ICI will investigate possible corruption in the planning, financing, and implementation of government projects undertaken in the past 10 years, with a specific priority on investigating flood control projects and may recommend cases to the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice for prosecution.

Reforms must cover not only the budget deliberation process but also include statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs), digitalization of transactions, and publishing of bidding documents, among others.

Recommendations: 1. The President should convene the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) to align executive and legislative priorities, deciding which programs are programmed and unprogrammed in the 2026 budget before bicameral deliberations and submission to Congress. Ledac should also be used to monitor spending throughout the year to ensure efficient delivery of public services.

2. The development budget coordination committee should regularly track government spending, especially in agencies with low budget utilization, to avoid idle funds.

3. Amend the Bank Secrecy law to allow:

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to examine bank deposits and investments of elected and appointed government officials as part of corruption investigations or lifestyle checks;

The AMLC to verify the declared bank accounts of public officials in their SALNs;

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to examine deposits of stockholders, directors, and employees of supervised financial institutions if there is reasonable ground.

4. Make the SALNs accessible to the public again by revoking the current circular as it is inconsistent with the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials granting public access to SALNs.

5. Automatically upload online bidding documents and other infrastructure project documents like the Bill of Quantities, which include itemized details like materials, labor, and equipment, with respective quantities.

6. Fully implement electronic invoicing, allowing businesses to send, receive, and process invoices online instead of using paper. Transactions will be faster, more secure, and harder to tamper with.

7. Pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill requiring government offices to make budgets, contracts, and project updates accessible to the public while protecting personal data, national security matters, and ongoing investigations. Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam already have FOI laws.

The government must quickly respond with concrete policies to improve transparency and accountability to avoid disruptions to peace and order.

The government should institutionalize and strengthen anticorruption mechanisms through robust policy reforms and digitalization initiatives, combined with sustained political will. These will enable the government to restore public trust and ensure accountable governance in future administrations.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has extended the validity of the licenses for driving schools, driving school instructors, medical clinics, and physicians in the country.

In a memorandum dated September 29 and released on Friday, LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II said the accreditation is extended to October 31 for licenses set to expire between July 2 and October 15 this year.

The memorandum was issued to all LTO regional offices, including the Central Accreditation Committee on Driving Schools and Medical Clinics (CAC-DSMC).

According to Mendoza, the extension aims to ‘ensure the continuous and unimpeded delivery of public services while supporting a seamless and efficient transition to the centralized accreditation system.’

‘This measure aligns with the ongoing implementation of the centralized accreditation system,’ he said.

During the extension period, the LTO chief said all relevant accreditations shall remain valid and active within the Land Transportation Management System.

He added that the validity must not be subject to automatic deactivation, provided that a ‘complete, compliant, and timely’ renewal application has been duly submitted to the CAC-DSMC, in accordance with applicable procedures.

All concerned offices, committees, and personnel are hereby directed to fully and strictly comply with the provisions, said Mendoza.

One of the newest members of the House of Representatives, Ang Probinsyano Rep. Alfred delos Santos, has family members running companies that have won government contracts in Albay province, the Inquirer learned.

On Thursday, Delos Santos was officially proclaimed as one of three party list representatives-including those of Abono and Murang Kuryente-who could assume seats in the 20th Congress following the disqualification of the Duterte Youth group.

All in the family

It is a comeback for the Albay-born lawmaker, who debuted at the chamber in 2019 after Ang Probinsyano, then a newly formed group, won two seats with more than 760,000 votes. He retained his House seat in 2022.

The Inquirer learned that his mother, Maria Gracia delos Santos, is the authorized managing officer of Wearr Enterprises and Development Corp.

The Legazpi-based company bagged at least 48 government projects in Albay, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur worth P2.4 billion from 2016 to 2025, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) project and contract management application (PCMA).

According to the Sumbong sa Pangulo website, the online desk ordered set up by President Marcos to receive complaints or leads regarding public works projects for possible investigation, Wearr bagged P377.2 million worth of flood control projects in Albay, under the current administration alone.

Delos Santos’ three brothers also have their own construction firms.

Raymond delos Santos is currently the authorized managing officer for WCS Construction Inc., also in Legazpi City, which has won P1.6 billion worth of infrastructure contracts in Albay in the same period.

It has one flood control project under the Marcos administration, a P102.3-million project in Guinobatan, Albay, which was supposed to have been finished in 2024.

RCDS Construction and Supply Inc., based in Ilawod, Guinobatan, Albay, is owned by Richard delos Santos and has 57 contracts worth more than P3 billion in total.

It has five flood control projects worth P243.6 million, all undertaken in 2023.

3Diamonds Construction Corp., owned by Wilfred delos Santos, has 55 contracts worth P2.5 billion.

It has the most flood control projects of the four firms: 14 undertakings worth a total of P616.7 million from 2022 to 2023.

None of them has been accused of any anomalies in the ongoing investigations.

In an interview on Thursday, Delos Santos confirmed their relations but stressed that he himself was not involved in their companies and that he had never used his office to give them undue advantage.

‘We’re party list representatives, so the budget (for those contracts) [doesn’t] pass through us. What we do is we just file bills. And even allocations, we don’t have such things, so there is no conflict of interest,’ he told the Inquirer.

Delos Santos also stressed that their companies have been long-standing firms long before he became a congressman in 2019.

3 party-lists proclaimed

When still a neophyte lawmaker, Delos Santos was caught on video trying to punch a waiter in a fast-food chain in Legazpi City. He apologized later, saying he was ‘not a bully or a troublemaker . I am not a siga, astig or sanggano. The people who know me well can attest to that.’

‘This single incident does not represent me or my values, and I will prove it by working hard to deliver our party platform and campaign promises to fellow probinsyanos, and from hereon conduct myself as an exemplary public servant worthy of the trust and confidence our people placed [in] us last election,’ he said.

Aside from Ang Probinsyano, taking the other seats in the House that became available after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) canceled the registration of Duterte Youth are Abono and Murang Kuryente party lists.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia announced this during a press conference on Thursday, before the first nominees of the three party lists were proclaimed by the commission.

They were former Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella for the Abono party list, former Agriculture Secretary and Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap for Murang Kuryente, and Delos Santos for Ang Probinsyano.

‘This decision of the Commission and the National Board of Canvassers is a result of the recommendation of our law department as well as the supervisory group in charge of all the aspects of canvassing and proclamation,’ Garcia said.

According to him, the Comelec based its decision on recent cases, such as An Waray vs Comelec, with the three seats originally allotted for Duterte Youth given to the party lists that got the most votes among those who did not make the cut during the May 2025 elections. -WITH A REPORT FROM GILLIAN VILLANUEVA

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Friday that it will be implementing a ‘major reshuffle’ of chiefs of district offices across the country, citing that their data revealed ‘underperformance.’

LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II said in a statement that the ‘underperformance’ aspect among district officers is specifically for plate distribution and apprehension of motor vehicles with expired registration.

Mendoza noted that he had already issued a memorandum to inform all regional directors of the need to conduct reorganization at the district office level.

The regional directors were given until 5 p.m. this Friday to submit their proposed reassignments of district officers.

‘Complacent district officers’

According to Mendoza, the reshuffling aims ‘to ensure efficient and effective government services to the Filipino people.’

He said the impending reorganization came after they reviewed the monthly accomplishment reports, which showed that the plate distribution of license plates had slowed down, the apprehensions of unregistered vehicles and other violations had significantly dropped, and that outreach licensing and registration activities had almost stopped.

Aside from this, the rollout of the LTO’s key programs, such as the fast distribution of license plates and the release of official receipts/certificates of registration within three days after newly purchased motor vehicles are released, was not conducted well.

‘While most of the district offices are doing well, a number of district officers are becoming complacent in their positions, especially those who have been holding the same office since the beginning of this administration,’ the LTO chief pointed out.

‘There is a pressing need to wake up our frontline offices,’ he said.

Andi Eigenmann is one proud mom as she cheered for her six-year-old daughter Lilo who competed for the first time in a national surfing competition held in Siargao.

The celebrity mom documented the 2nd Pacifico National Surfing Competition in which Lilo competed in the junior girls category, as seen in a vlog on the family’s YouTube channel Happy Islanders on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Andi’s fiancé and Lilo’s dad, celebrity surfer Philmar Alipayo, was also part of the contest.

‘We entered Lilo in this competition just for the experience. She just turned six years old, and she is really the one who wanted to be part of the competition so why not make her try,’ Andi said. ‘All that matters to us is that she enjoys.’

Lilo made it to the semifinals and finished third overall.

While this is Lilo’s first national competition, she had already joined a local competition in 2024 where she was given the youngest surfer award. She was only 5 at the time.

Aside from Lilo, Andi and Philmar has a son named Koa, 4, who also surfs. Lilo and Koa have an older sister named Ellie, Andi’s daughter with actor Jake Ejercito.

Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) is investing P10.3 billion in its first horizontal estate in Mindanao, expanding its footprint in Davao City as demand for properties outside Metro Manila steadily climbs.

The real estate giant on Thursday said it had broken ground for Ascenda, a 204-hectare (ha) master-planned community in Davao City.

‘Ascenda is well-positioned to benefit from Davao’s momentum, providing Davaoeños new space to grow and an environment attuned to their modern, upgraded lifestyles,’ ALI president Meann Dy said in a statement.

Dy cited major infrastructure projects in Davao as among the main economic drivers in the city, the benefits of which could spill over to Ascenda. These include the Samal-Davao bridge, Coastal Road and Davao Bypass road.

54th estate

The project is ALI’s 54th estate overall. According to the developer, Ascenda will house Virendo, the only residential village of Ayala Land Premier in Davao City.

Ascenda will also be composed of two main areas. One is the 65-ha Town Center which is the ‘commercial and cultural anchor.’ The other is the 139-ha residential district featuring ALI’s ‘top premier residential brands.’

‘Ascenda’s value as a residential enclave and commercial hub is expected to greatly appreciate in the coming years, much like Ayala Alabang and Nuvali in Luzon have escalated in value,’ Dy noted.

Apart from Davao City, Alabang and Nuvali, ALI’s estates are located in Makati City, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, Cebu and Pampanga.

Earnings profile

In the first semester, the premium segment boosted the company’s net income by 10 percent to P6.9 billion. ALI is on track to grow its earnings twice as fast as the Philippine economy.

Consolidated revenues climbed by 6 percent to P43.6 billion, driven by higher bookings and leasing operations.

ALI plans to launch 21 projects worth P57 billion in the second semester, with roughly two-thirds in the premium market.

While this segment remains the main income driver, ALI said it was seeing recovery in the core middle income segment. This prompts the company to pursue its first residential high-rise project in this market since the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALI is set to launch three projects in its core segment this semester, including a residential condominium project in the Katipunan district of Quezon City.

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The construction firm linked to former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co is among the subjects of a bid-rigging complaint referred by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the competition body for possible case filings.

For its part, the PCC said its preliminary inquiry on this case was already underway against Co-linked firms and four other companies as well as former DPWH officials.

Sunwest Inc., which was founded by Co, is listed as a respondent in one of the two bid-rigging and bid-manipulation cases forwarded by the DPWH to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) on Friday.

The agency also said officials and employees of DPWH Regional Office IV-B are allegedly involved.

‘Despite irregularities surrounding flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, regional officials failed to act and, instead, continued the projects awarded to Sunwest, Inc.,’ the DPWH said in a statement.

This is in addition to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s move asking the Office of the Ombudsman to recommend filing graft complaints against Co and 17 others, including DPWH officials and Sunwest, over an allegedly substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro valued at P289.5 million.

Co was accused of receiving billions of pesos in kickbacks from contractors and DPWH officials who testified in congressional inquiries into flood control projects. He vehemently denied the allegations.

He has since resigned from the House of Representatives, citing a ‘real, direct, grave and imminent threat’ to himself and ‘the lives of my family members.’

In a separate complaint, the DPWH named Wawao Builders, IM Construction Corporation, SYMS Construction Trading, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and officials and employees of the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office over alleged irregularities in flood control projects in the province uncovered during congressional hearings.

According to the agency, preliminary evidence-including the admissions of contractor Pacifico Discaya and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee-‘also suggests collusion among the involved contractors and officials,’ which violates Section 14, Chapter III of the Philippine Competition Act.

The measure prohibits certain anti-competitive agreements between competitors.

PCC said the DPWH’s submission includes inspection reports, bid documents, and other relevant documents that may support the PCC Competition Enforcement Office’s (CEO) ongoing preliminary inquiry into possible bid-rigging and collusion among contractors.

PCC-CEO Director Christian Loren De Los Santos said that the competition body is currently gathering evidence, including bid submissions and possible communication exchanges, to determine whether violations of the PCA occurred.

If found guilty, the PCC may impose fines of P110 million for a first offense and between P110 million and P250 million for subsequent offenses on the named firms.

The DPWH said the PCC has also confirmed that penalties may be applied on a per-incident basis and that public works officials and employees could face liability as facilitators.

Meanwhile, the PCC reiterated that individuals or entities ‘involved in cartel conduct’, such as bid-rigging, price fixing, market allocation, or output restriction, may avail of its leniency program, which offers immunity from suit or a reduction of administrative fines to those who voluntarily disclose their participation in anti-competitive agreements and cooperate fully with the commission’s investigation.

‘Only one applicant per violation may be granted full immunity, so early disclosure is encouraged,’ the PCC said in a statement on Friday. /mcm

The Negros Island Region (NIR) has deployed policemen, soldiers, firefighters, and local government teams to Cebu province to augment search and rescue (SAR) operations following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Tuesday night.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the death toll was placed at 68 as of Friday morning.

The initial deployment of 80 NIR policemen began on Wednesday. The contingent included 41 officers from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and 39 from the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.

Police Regional Office-NIR director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay said the policemen will remain in Cebu for ‘an initial duration of one to two weeks to support search and rescue missions, evacuation efforts, and humanitarian operations.’

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-NIR also deployed a specialized 20-member rescue force, which includes four firefighters from Bacolod City.

Philippine Army and Philippine Coast Guard personnel from the NIR have also been sent to assist in the operations.

In a parallel effort, local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental are mobilizing their technical teams and aid.

Irene Bel Ploteña, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), confirmed that the Talisay City Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) team was the first LGU unit deployed by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Ploteña said only CSSR teams that are fully trained and equipped are being sent.

The PDRRMO and CSSR teams from the cities of Sagay, Sipalay, Bago, Cadiz, San Carlos, and Silay are currently on standby, awaiting deployment orders from the OCD, Ploteña said.

An Escalante City team traveled to Tabuelan, Cebu, on Thursday to deliver potable water and rice, along with a water tanker and a mobile kitchen, she said.

Sagay City will lend its Aquacube water purification system to Bogo, Cebu, Ploteña added.

Negros Occidental LGU teams continue to remain on standby to assist in other earthquake-hit areas as directed by the Office of Civil Defense.

Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, and other LGUs are also sending financial aid./coa