Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno is positioning herself as an alternative to traditional politicians in the next general elections, proposing fiscal reforms to jump-start a slowing economy.

Magno, 48, made public last week her intent to run for the Senate in the 2028 polls, embarking on an uphill bid to build name recognition for a shot in the chamber where those elected are often from entrenched and popular political families backed by formidable campaign machinery and deep funding.

Her bold pitch is seen as a test to the appetite for change of a graft-weary public frustrated by endemic corruption and rising living costs.

‘Enough with the political antics and tricking the public,’ Magno told the Inquirer on Sunday. ‘I see the national campaign as an opportunity to elevate the discussion on issues related to healthcare, education, agriculture, industrial policy and corruption.’

200,000 followers

Magno has emerged as a key anticorruption advocate in the wake of a multibillion-peso flood control scandal, with a wide reach in social media platforms where she has more than 200,000 followers.

A self-styled ‘good governance advocate,’ she is currently a professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics, teaching institutional economics and public finance, among other subjects.

She previously led the Department of Finance’s Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group, overseeing tax reform and legislative policy until her termination in 2023 over a Facebook post illustrating market supply and demand that implicitly criticized President Marcos’ price-cap policy on rice.

Magno understands that her academic credentials and policy expertise alone will not be enough to cut through the political noise as she mounts a senatorial campaign for the 2028 polls.

‘I am not from a dynastic family nor a celebrity. To have a fair chase in 2028, I need to introduce myself and subject myself to public scrutiny,’ she said. ‘No surprises. There is ample time to examine and scrutinize who Cielo Magno is.’

Economist candidate

She said she can help address an economy rife with structural weaknesses.

‘The economy is the problem,’ she said, pointing to the country’s import dependence and weak investor confidence. ‘[There’s] no energy security, high poverty incidence relative to other countries in the region, high percentage of the informal sector, weak protection programs [and] deficient human capital.’

‘As an economist, I can help formulate policies that can address these problems,’ she added.

She vowed to focus on expanding healthcare access, ensuring the responsible management of natural resources, and crafting targeted industrial policies to foster job creation, improve food security, and programs that could make the government be ‘more transparent and accountable.’

‘My policy proposals will revolve around that,’ she said. ‘Taxation and the budget are tools to address these issues.’

She could also bring to the Senate ‘not just technical expertise but knowledge of grassroots concerns and global trends,’ touting her deep engagements with national and global civil society groups.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over his remarks that China ‘may easily win’ in a confrontation in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos prefers diplomacy over declaring Chinese envoy persona non grata

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not want to declare any foreign diplomat persona non grata, including Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan, as the country remains keen on resolving issues through diplomatic means, Palace press officer Claire Castro said Monday.

Sandiganbayan suspends Marcoleta as senator

The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday suspended Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for 90 days due to his plunder case, for allegedly accepting a P75-million donation while serving as a party-list lawmaker./atm

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of a carbon market framework that will allow farmers and businesses, even regular folks from communities, to earn additional income by protecting forests, planting trees, and adopting clean energy.

Marcos signed, on Oct. 13, Executive Order No. 127 directing the government to establish a national carbon market policy that would allow qualified environmental projects to generate and trade carbon credits.

According to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, the president wants environmental protection to create real economic opportunities for ordinary Filipinos.

‘In simple terms, people can earn from planting and caring for trees, using clean energy and other activities that help the environment. They will be awarded carbon credits for activities proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which they can sell,’ Recto said in a statement on Sunday.

The United Nations Development Programme defines carbon markets as systems that trade carbon credits. These credits represent a reduction or removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Governments, companies and even individuals can buy these credits to offset their emissions.

Carbon credits are generated by activities that lower emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as protecting forests, restoring wetlands, switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, capturing methane from landfills or improving energy efficiency in buildings and industries.

Once verified, these credits can be exchanged, bought or sold, allowing governments, companies or individuals to meet their emission reduction targets cost-effectively.

Protect and earn

Communities, for example, could qualify for carbon credits by planting and protecting trees because these absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But projects must first meet government standards and undergo verification before they can qualify, the framework for which Marcos has tasked relevant agencies with formulating.

Recto believes the initiative could attract investments in reforestation, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and waste management while creating jobs and livelihood opportunities, particularly in rural communities.

‘The president wants our people to earn additional income while taking care of the environment. The benefits are not limited to cleaner air and a greener environment. These efforts can also generate jobs, businesses, and new opportunities for communities,’ Recto said.

‘We are hitting two birds with one stone. The president wants to protect the environment while helping people earn more,’ he added.

Recto said revenues from carbon credits could also help finance projects that protect communities against climate change, including climate-resilient infrastructure, water facilities and other essential services.

Carbon registry

EO 127 tasks the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to formulate rules on eligible projects, the measurement and verification of carbon credits, and the distribution of revenues and other benefits.

The DENR will also establish a Philippine National Carbon Registry to track carbon credits and prevent double counting and other irregularities.

The EO does not impose a new carbon tax, Recto clarified. Instead, it lays the groundwork for a regulated carbon market that could turn verified environmental benefits into tradable credits.

The European Union remains the world’s most established and comprehensive carbon market since 2005.

Other countries with carbon markets include China, Brazil, New Zealand and South Korea.

The Senate finance committee will extend the traditional parliamentary courtesy to Vice President Sara Duterte when it deliberates on the 2027 budget being sought by her office, its chair, Sen. JV Ejercito, said on Sunday.

The chamber is currently hearing the impeachment case against Duterte while also working on the passage of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

The finance committee is set to deliberate on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget on Oct. 20, Tuesday.

Asked if the OVP would be given the same courtesy as the Office of the President which defended its 2027 budget last month, Ejercito said: ‘Why not … the granting of the parliamentary courtesy has long been practiced even before all this political noise.’

‘So we will extend courtesy to the OVP similar to the courtesy we gave to the Office of the President,’ he told radio station dzBB.

Duterte earlier alleged that allocations in the 2027 budget were being dangled to convince senator-judges to convict her and to reward the House lawmakers who had voted to impeach her.

Ejercito, however, said he would not allow the 2027 national budget to be used in influencing the outcome of the impeachment trial.

‘There’s no truth to that, nothing like that is happening. That’s all I can say. If anyone should know about that, it should be me,’ he added in a separate radio interview on dwIZ. ‘We will not allow that.’

Ejercito said he was hoping that people would not cast doubt on senators ‘because we’re trying our best to be fair … we have so many problems, so many challenges that we need to face and focus on.’

‘But this is our constitutional duty. So, rest assured that the national budget will not be used for impeachment,’ he said.

Asked if the Senate sees the need to admonish Duterte over her remarks, Ejercito said no.

‘Why would we admonish [her when] we already have a tense situation? Why add fuel to the fire? We will not gain anything if we always fight. Our political noise, political bickering are affecting our economy. We have been left behind by other countries because we are busy fighting while they continue to progress,’ he noted.

Senators are currently on a break from their duties as impeachment court judges so they can focus on approving the 2027 budget before yearend.

The impeachment trial will resume on Nov. 9, in time for the defense to present its counter-evidence on allegations against Duterte who has yet to confirm if she will attend the OVP budget hearing.

‘If she arrives, well and good. If not, it’s also okay, we can understand. We will hear the programs of the OVP properly. If we can also provide the funds they need for their programs, then we will give it to them,’ Ejercito said.

‘If [she] decides not to attend, let’s see if she has an authorized representative. We know how the situation is, and maybe we’ll take that into consideration-if there is a feeling of awkwardness in relation to what has been happening in the impeachment trial,’ he added.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) suspended the operations of six vessels of Atienza Interisland Ferries in relation to the fatal fire incident of MV June Aster, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said on Monday.

Based on the documents shared to media on Monday, the work stoppage order dated October 12 was issued to the following ships: MV Star San Carlos, MV September Tulips, MV December Poinsettia, MV October Lavender, MV May Lilies, and MV November Cattleya.

Prior to the issuance of the orders, DOLE officials inspected the said vessels last October 10.

‘Naisyuhan na ng work stoppage order yung anim na barko na nakaanchor ngayon sa Navotas. So stop work na ang Atienza Shipping Lines,’ Tolentino told reporters in an interview.

(Work stoppage order was issued to six shops currently anchored in Navotas. So the work for Atienza Shipping Lines has been suspended.)

Atienza Interisland Ferries is the operator of MV June Aster, the vessel that caught fire last September 9. According to the Bureau of Fire Protection, 63 of the 77 people killed in the incident have been identified while eight people remain missing.

Meanwhile, the DOLE instructed the respondents to pay the wages of all affected employees ‘during the period covered by this WSO, the issuance of this Order having resulted from violations attributable to the employer.’

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) identified four additional bird species in the Pamitinan Protected Landscape (PPL), enriching the area’s biodiversity profile.

In a report on Sunday, the DENR office in the Calabarzon region identified the newly recorded species as the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx melanurus), Philippine Frogmouth (Batrachostomus septimus), Scale-feathered Malkoha (Dasylophus cumingi), and White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis).

The findings followed a wildlife observation and documentation activity conducted by the DENR’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in Rizal through the PPL Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), in collaboration with Mhark Ban Gatela, a research contributor to the Robert S. Kennedy Bird Conservancy.

According to the DENR, the birds were observed outside the established transect routes used under the Biodiversity Monitoring System, offering new information concerning wildlife in areas not routinely covered by existing monitoring activities.

‘The observation of the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher is particularly noteworthy, given its limited and localized occurrence,’ the DENR said.

The agency recommended further monitoring to understand the species’ presence, habitat preferences, and distribution within the protected landscape.

The DENR said continued biodiversity monitoring and collaboration with wildlife researchers would help strengthen efforts to document and understand the wildlife inhabiting the area and provide a scientific basis for conservation measures and the protection of its natural heritage.

Those planning to conduct studies, research activities, or events within the protected landscape must coordinate with the concerned barangay and municipal governments and the PPL Protected Area Management Office to secure the necessary permits, the advisory said.

The 608-hectare protected landscape encompasses Montalban Gorge, Wawa Dam, the upper Marikina River, Mount Pamitinan, Mount Binacayan and Pamitinan Cave.

Historical accounts identify the cave as a hideout used by Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros, while local tradition links the area to the legendary figure Bernardo Carpio.

House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ G. Dy III paid tribute to the late former Speaker Pro Tempore Raul A. Daza on Monday for his more than five decades of public service, showing his commitment to the Filipino people.

‘Today, we gather as one House family to honor and remember a man who devoted more than five decades of his life to serving our country. More than 50 years. More than half a century serving the country,’ Dy said in a mix of English and Filipino in his eulogy, which was delivered on his behalf by Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand ‘Dinand’ Hernandez during the necrological service at the House of Representatives.

‘So many things have changed our country. Many administrations have passed. Many Filipino generations have grown and had their own families. But through all those years, one thing remained constant: Congressman Raul Daza’s commitment to public service,’ Dy added.

Dy recalled that Daza first entered the House in 1969 and went on to serve seven terms as a legislator, including as speaker pro tempore and senior deputy speaker.

Daza also served three terms as governor of Northern Samar from 2001 to 2010, as deputy minister of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, and as commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Constitutional Reforms.

A lawyer and certified public accountant, Daza could have pursued other professions, but repeatedly chose to devote his life to public service, Dy said.

‘What makes his life remarkable is not simply how long he served. It is the dedication and conviction he brought to every position he held,’ he said.

Dy also recognized Daza’s enduring commitment to Northern Samar and its people, noting that the former governor remained mindful of the needs of his constituents despite the many national positions he held.

‘Despite what he has reached, he did not forget Northern Samar and the people he represented,’ he said.

Drawing from his own experience as a former governor, Dy emphasized that public officials must always remember that their responsibility is to improve the lives of the people who have entrusted them with public office.

‘For every law that we make, for every program that we advance, and for every decision that we make, we should think of the families that rely on us,’ he said.

Dy also highlighted Daza’s belief that Filipinos share one flag and one country regardless of their political affiliations.

‘We may belong to different political parties. We may disagree on policies and on how best to address the problems of our country. But at the end of the day, we all serve the same Filipino people,’ he said.

‘And when we talk about the welfare of our countrymen, we should set aside our differences and help each other for the good of the country,’ he added.

On behalf of the House, Dy thanked Daza’s family for the sacrifices they made throughout his long career in government.

‘Through so many years, you shared him with the Filipino people. There were many times when he set aside his time and his effort for his duty and for the people who needed his services,’ Dy said.

‘For that, we thank you. Thank you for the sacrifices you made and for the love and support that allowed him to serve our country for so many years,’ he added.

As the House bade farewell to one of its longest-serving former members, Dy urged his fellow lawmakers to reflect on what their post should stand for, saying: ‘The positions that we hold are temporary. Time will come when our terms will end, and others will replace us. But the good we have done for others, the people we have helped, and the principles we stood up for – those are what will remain.’

‘Congressman Raul Daza spent more than half a century building that legacy,’ he added.

Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s statement about the use of force, which was viewed by Philippine government officials as a threat, was not merely his personal opinion but reflected the position of the Chinese government.

‘They act very deliberately. Hindi pag-uugali ng ambasador ‘yan, pag-uugali ng gobyerno nila ‘yan (That’s not the ambassador’s conduct, that’s the conduct of their government,’ Defense Secretary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro told reporters at the sidelines of the Senate hearing on the 2027 budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) and its attached agencies on Monday.

Asked if the ambassador was merely following orders from his government, Teodoro answered: ‘Does their government or citizens have freedom?… if that was not based from an order, that has long been…you know,’ he said.

Pressed further if he meant that the threat was not coming from the ambassador himself but from the Chinese government, Teodoro said: ‘It is basically the position of China, amplified, right?’

Teodoro said the responsibility to de-escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea lies with China and not with the Philippines.

‘That’s not up to us because our actions in the WPS are very responsible. We won’t go into their territory. Do we go into their EEZ? No way. So that’s up to them. The burden is not upon us,’ he said.

‘Our burden is to protect our countrymen and for them not to lose their rights,’ he added. ‘That’s why we are strengthening our defense. You don’t need to match them 100 percent. We just need to be resilient on our own to enable us to do what we need to do in a more independent and more reliable manner. Of course [with our alliances].’

A 61-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday in a drug bust in Unisan, Quezon, for allegedly selling shabu (crystal meth) to an undercover operative.

In a report on Monday, the Quezon Police Provincial Office said members of the local police drug enforcement unit arrested the woman at 12:54 p.m. in Barangay F. De Jesus after she and the undercover agent completed the alleged transaction involving P1,500 worth of shabu.

Police said operatives recovered 19 heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, with an estimated street value of P191,964.

The report identified the suspect as a street-level drug pusher on the police watch list.

She remains in police custody and is expected to face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, police said.

The Quezon Provincial Hospital Network-Quezon Medical Center (QPHN-QMC) in Lucena City opened its modernized, expanded emergency room on Monday, widening the province’s emergency medical care services.

The new facility covers 1,698.75 square meters and includes an isolation room, an operating room, an ear, nose and throat (ENT)/ophthalmic room, behavioral area, laboratory, pharmacy, and other sections designed to address patients’ diverse medical needs, the provincial government said in a report.

Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan, a physician, led the blessing ceremony for the 75-bed facility on Monday morning.

The multi-year project was funded through the provincial government’s 20 percent development fund.

The provincial government operates QPHN-QMC, the largest among the 15 government-run medical facilities in Quezon province.

In August, QPHN-QMC also opened the province’s first human milk bank (HMB), the 43rd in the Philippines and the fourth in the Calabarzon region.

A human milk bank collects, screens, processes, stores, and distributes donated human milk for vulnerable infants, including premature and malnourished babies and newborns confined in neonatal intensive care units.