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Senator Mark Villar has filed Senate Bill No. 1438, or the ‘Government Construction Project Transparency and Accountability Act of 2025,’ which seeks to mandate drone monitoring for all government construction projects before any payments are processed.

The measure applies to all national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations engaged in construction, including the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation and Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

‘Persistent challenges including project delays, quality issues, and financial irregularities in public works demand innovative solutions,’ Villar said. ‘This legislation harnesses modern technology to establish an unwavering standard of accountability for every peso of public funds invested in infrastructure.’

The proposal requires independent accredited third-party entities to conduct aerial documentation through unmanned aerial vehicles. It provides for high-resolution geotagged imagery, video footage and orthomosaic mapping of projects. The data will be uploaded to a centralized public transparency portal accessible to citizens.

Under the bill, payments cannot be processed without the required drone verification documentation. Contractors and government personnel who submit or approve falsified monitoring data face penalties under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

‘This initiative transforms how we monitor and manage public infrastructure projects,’ Villar said. ‘It empowers citizens with tangible evidence of project progress while ensuring that government expenditures correspond directly to actual, verified accomplishments.’

The bill also directs relevant agencies to set accreditation standards for monitoring entities within 60 days of enactment. The Department of Science and Technology and Department of Information and Communications Technology will provide technical support in drafting implementing rules and regulations.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on September 30 has displaced more than 170,000 people, leaving families in urgent need of food, water and shelter.

Authorities said over 50 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity as aftershocks continue to shake the region. Power and water services were disrupted, and many residents remain outdoors for safety.

Survivors urgently need drinking water, ready-to-eat food, tents, blankets, clothes, sleeping mats and hygiene kits.

Responding to appeals for help, the Inquirer Foundation extends its relief and fund drive to the families affected by the earthquake.

Cash donations may be deposited in The Inquirer Foundation Corp. Banco de Oro (BDO) Current Account No. 007960018860 or donate any amount to the Philippine Daily INQUIRER via Gcash Pay Bills and indicate that the payment is for Cebu donation.

Inquiries may be addressed and emailed to Inquirer Foundation office: [email protected]

Romeo Migabon survived ‘Yolanda’ in 2013 but may now have to deal yet again with losing his home, one that was built for the victims of the supertyphoon.

Migabon looked despondently at his house, or what was left of it, after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu province on Tuesday night.

But the Bogo City resident said he was still grateful to see all his family members merely sustaining injuries during the quake.

‘We can’t do anything about it; I’m just thankful we only got wounded. We can probably recover from this,’ said Migabon, one of the hundreds of villagers at Barangay Pulambato who were rendered homeless.

Their houses at Pulambato were part of the resettlement projects for Yolanda victims in the city.

Elsewhere in Bogo, responders as of this writing were trying to reach at least three bodies from the collapsed Condor Pension House in Barangay Gairan.

Erwin Castañeda of the local fire department identified the three victims as receptionists Mercedita Balleta and Gemma Gilig, and Gemma’s 4-year-old son.

‘We can see them from under the rubble, but they [are] covered by debris and we can’t get near,’ Castañeda told the Inquirer when contacted on the phone around 6 p.m.

Most of the confirmed quake fatalities in Cebu as of press time were in Bogo City (30), followed by the towns of San Remigio (22), Medellin (10), Tabogon (5), and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan, according to the Office of Civil Defense.

Many of the victims were crushed to death as they slept.

Top officials of the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) vowed not to tolerate corruption as they made a surprise visit to the construction sites of the school’s two multi-million-peso projects in Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur.

Dr. Joy C. Capistrano, ASSCAT president; along with Vice Presidents Dr. Carmelo S. Llanto and Dr. Ferdinand A. Dumalagan, visited the site of the P37 million College of Teachers Education (CTE) Building, whose Phase I was still undergoing construction; and the P18.45 million Graduate Studies Building to send the message that they won’t tolerate ghost projects or substandard work at the expense of public funds.

Accompanied by in-house engineers from the project management unit of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the school officials scrutinized the quality of materials, construction pace, and the project’s compliance with the timeline.

They said their presence was more than ceremonial as it was an assertion that they would not allow shortcuts, delays, or cover-up under their watch.

The CTE Building is set for completion in May 2026 and is expected to house modern classrooms, faculty rooms, and offices. On the other hand, the Graduate Studies Building will house upgraded spaces for advanced academic work and research.

School officials said the structures would serve as test cases for the present administration’s drive to impose strict accountability in infrastructure spending.

‘Taxpayers deserve full value for every peso spent and ghost projects have no place in the campus or the community,’ said Capistrano amidst the mounting concern over government-funded projects nationwide, where billions of taxpayers’ money were lost to unfinished structures or poorly built ones.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck a Northern Samar island town on Thursday evening, according to state seismologists.

The offshore earthquake occurred seven kilometers northeast of San Vicente municipality at 6:21 p.m., with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs said aftershocks are expected after this earthquake.

This temblor comes two days after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake which occurred in a nearby Bogo City in Cebu province.

At least 72 individuals reportedly died and 294 injured due to the temblor, which damaged several heritage churches, billions worth of roads and bridges, many residential houses and hundreds of classrooms, while causing widespread power outages in the province.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel on Thursday morning in northern Quezon due to rough sea conditions brought about by Tropical Storm Paolo.

The PCG station in Real town announced the temporary suspension of voyages for all vessels and watercraft bound for the Polillo group of islands and General Nakar town, citing the hoisting of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 and ‘the possible effects of the inclement weather.’

‘Further, all vessels are reminded to take precautionary measures and be extra vigilant in monitoring the movement of the typhoon if deemed to be affected by said weather disturbance,’ the PCG said in a public notice signed by Lt. Dawn Baterbonia, commander of PCG-Northern Quezon.

The PCG added that vessels ‘intending to take shelter shall be permitted, provided a written request is submitted and no passengers or cargo are on board.’

Voyages will only resume once weather and sea conditions improve, the PCG said.

The PCG Real station oversees the coastal towns of Infanta, General Nakar, and the Polillo group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, which include the municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos, Panukulan, Jomalig, and Patnanungan.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) 5 a.m. update, Paolo was located 705 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon.

Paolo was moving west-northwest at 20 km per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gusts of up to 80 kph, Pagasa said.

Manila Water is preparing to open the Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant in Mandaluyong, its 42nd facility in the East Zone concession area and one of its largest and most advanced to date.

The Aglipay STP is part of the Mandaluyong West-San Juan South and Quezon City South Sewerage System Project. It is designed to treat up to 60 million liters of wastewater per day from a 2,115-hectare catchment area covering Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City.

Once the 53-kilometer sewer network is completed, the facility will be expandable to 120 million liters per day to meet future demand.

‘The Aglipay STP is a landmark achievement for Manila Water. Its scale, technology, and reach reflect our deep commitment to building resilient and sustainable communities,’ Communications Affairs Group Director Jeric Sevilla said.

‘This facility is a testament to our long-term vision of protecting public health and safeguarding the environment through world-class wastewater management,’ Sevilla added.

With a project cost of 3.9 billion pesos, the Aglipay STP is undergoing testing and commissioning to ensure performance and compliance with environmental standards.

Once fully operational, it will serve more than 652,000 residents, improving water quality in nearby rivers, reducing pollution and enhancing public health in Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who recently resigned as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), believes that the commission tasked to look into anomalous flood control projects remains credible.

‘Yes, yes. I still believe that the investigation by ICI will still be fine. Secretary (Rogelio) Babes (Singson), (retired Supreme Court Associate Justice) Chairman (Andres) Reyes (Jr.) are still there. (Former Philippine National Police chief) General (Rodolfo) Azurin (Jr.) is coming in,’ he said in a chance interview at the sidelines of the Budget Blockchain hearing in the Senate on Thursday.

‘I believe that as long as the investigation continues, just don’t reign over it, it will remain credible,’ Magalong added.

He said that prior to his resignation from ICI, its investigation had not received ‘pressure’ from outside forces.

‘When I was still there, there was no pressure,’ he said, adding that the ICI probe should be transparent and open.

‘It should be open so there would be no doubts. But I myself could say that I didn’t see anything being covered up there. I was attending its hearings. I go around but I also attend hearings. Is there any anomaly? Nothing, I would know,’ the Baguio mayor said.

Magalong’s role as special adviser to the ICI was placed in jeopardy over a tennis court project built by the Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction Company in Baguio City.

At a recent Palace briefing, Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a review to determine whether Magalong should remain as special adviser to the super body currently investigating anomalous public works projects in the country.

‘The President said that his case will be referred to the legal team to determine where he may be included, or where he should be properly inserted, so that the independence of the ICI will not be compromised and there will be no violation of any law,’ Castro said.

The issue stemmed from a P110-million tennis court project in Baguio City awarded in 2022 to St. Gerrard Construction Company, one of nine firms owned by contractor couple Cezarah ‘Sarah’ and Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya.

The couple is under investigation for alleged involvement in problematic flood-control projects and for cornering a large share of these projects across the country.

Labor groups have recently questioned Magalong’s role in the ICI, stressing that he cannot wear two hats-as Baguio City mayor and as special adviser to the commission.

‘The mere fact that it was mentioned ‘you’re not an investigator, you’re just a legal adviser’. it simply means they didn’t want. stop investigating. That’s the message behind that. That message was simple. Don’t investigate. What’s my purpose then? Then I’ll just resign,’ said Magalong.

Magalong said he has not received any further instruction from the President since his resignation .

Senator Mark Villar broke his silence on Thursday, saying that he welcomes any investigations on his alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects, maintaining that he has ‘nothing to hide.’

In a statement, the former Public Works and Highways chief turned senator categorically stated that he has neither direct nor indirect ownership nor controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects.

‘The official record will confirm that none of my relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, during my tenure as Secretary,’ said Villar.

According to him, his focus at that time was solely to implement ‘deep-seated reforms and rebuild public trust.’

‘I have full faith that my service record in those years bears witness to this focus and commitment. To build upon that work, I fully support the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure,’ said Villar.

‘Furthermore, to institutionalize these practices, we will be filing a bill to mandate universal drone monitoring for all major government projects,’ he added.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure earlier bared its plan to summon Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, former Ako Bicol Party-list Zaldy Co, and Villar on its probe into the multi-billion peso anomalous flood control projects in the country.

The Senate has sought to modernize budget transparency and accountability through the use of ‘blockchain technology,’ in a bid to make the national budget publicly available, ensuring accessibility, ease of understanding, and openness to citizen engagement.

During Thursday’s hearing of the Committee on Science and Technology, Aquino said the proposed Senate Bill No. 1330, or the Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act, will strengthen collaboration across the executive and legislative branches of the government, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders who play a vital role in sustaining and deepening democracy.

‘By no means this is the only solution, but many of us here believe that this can be one of the major solutions to our problems. Putting the budget on the blockchain is a way to ensure that every peso of the people’s money is monitored,’ Aquino stressed.

‘The bill is a possible solution so that every Filipino knows how the country’s money is being spent. Blockchain was also made a priority because it is transparent, honest, and secure,’ he added.

According to Aquino’s proposed measure, blockchain technology provides a powerful tool for this transformation, and its design guarantees accountability.

‘Through blockchain, all budget transactions become transparent, immutable, auditable and accessible to citizens in real time,’ said Aquino.

While the national budget is one of the most important instruments of governance, Aquino said documents related to it have remained closed, highly technical and difficult to understand, making oversight almost impossible even for those who want to scrutinize them.

‘This ensures that every peso can be tracked by the public. No more ‘fly-by-night’ contractors. No more hidden projects unknown to local governments,’ he said, adding that prices of materials can be easily compared across contracts.

‘To put our national budget on the blockchain answers many concerns and issues with our current system, where there are insertions and ghost projects. The public can see how people’s money is spent,’ he said.