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The Bangsamoro Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (Mafar) began distributing one million kilos of seaweed seedlings across the province of Sulu to boost coastal livelihoods and reinforce the aquaculture sector, the Sulu office of Mafar said.

This happened despite the ongoing transition of governance of the province back to Region 9, and after Sulu fisherfolk families were given training on conservation of aquatic and marine resources of this archipelagic province.

The Mafar-Sulu office started distributing the seaweed seedlings on Sept. 29-30 in Talipao with 50,000 kilos distributed, followed by 70,000 kilos in Hadji Panglima Tahil, 50,000 kilos in Indanan, and 70,000 kilos in Kalingalan Caluang on October 3.

Similar distribution will be happening in other Bangsamoro island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi as the Bangsamoro government attempts to strengthen its seaweed industry. Sulu is part of the Basulta subregion composed of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Mafar said seaweed farmers in Sulu has appealed for continued government support to sustain their livelihoods after the seedling distribution.

MAFAR-Sulu Officer-in-Charge for Fisheries Ferdausia Abduhasad said the success of the program depended on responsible farming practices, urging beneficiaries to keep their seaweed farms organic to safeguard marine ecosystems and sustain long-term production.

‘We want to make sure that beneficiaries do not use fertilizers and instead practice organic management of their seaweed farms,’ Abduhasad said, adding that the expansion of seaweed production ‘not only secures steady income for coastal households but also promotes the long-term sustainability of the fisheries sector.’

Only a week prior to the seedling distribution, the fisherfolk communities from among the Sama-Bajau tribe attended a Mafar-sponsored fishery resources awareness campaign on September 24, to focus on sustainable and legal fishing practices.

‘We chose the Sama-Bajau here in Jolo to participate because most of them are fishermen, and we want to help guide them toward sustainable and legal fishing practices,’ Abduhasad said.

That week, Mafar celebrated the Sixth Fish Conservation (FishCon) Week that was observed nationwide, which centered on the importance of conserving fish and aquatic resources. This year’s celebration carries the theme ‘Pangisdaang Masagana, Sapat na Isda sa Bawat Pamilya.’

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Central Visayas has ordered a Cebu-based business process outsourcing (BPO) company to stop operations after labor inspectors found multiple safety lapses that exposed workers to imminent danger.

The move comes several days after a BPO workers’ group decried alleged occupational safety violations in Cebu during a magnitude 6.9 earthquake last week.

The workers submitted to DOLE a list of companies that reportedly failed to follow emergency protocols and sought a formal dialogue with the agency to address their concerns.

In a statement, DOLE Region VII said they found that one BPO firm had no emergency and disaster preparedness and response plan as required under Section 14 of Department Order (DO) No. 252, Series of 2025.

Its hazard identification, Risk Assessment, and Control (HIRAC) also failed to include risks related to natural calamities such as earthquakes.

Inspectors noted inconsistencies in the composition and operation of the company’s safety and health committee, as well as the absence of a construction safety and health program for ongoing fit-out works in one of the floors it occupies.

‘The noted deficiencies taken together are indicative of the respondent’s laxity in implementing safety and health rules within the worksite which clearly exposed the workers to imminent danger,’ DOLE VII said.

The company was ordered to cease and desist operations until all unsafe conditions and violations have been corrected.

It was also told to submit proof of compliance to DOLE before reopening.

Failure to comply could lead to daily penalties of up to P100,000, as provided under Section 42 of DO 252, until the violations are rectified.

The regional office also reminded employers that under Section 38 of the same order, if a work stoppage results from the employer’s fault, workers must still be paid their wages during the suspension of operations.

DOLE VII also urged the building administrator where the company operates to secure clearance from authorities certifying the facility’s safety.

The agency also warned employers and building administrators that this is just the ‘initial shot.’

‘More and more vigorous inspections will happen onward,’ it added.

‘A problem within BPO itself’

Meanwhile, while the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu acknowledged DOLE’s issuance of a work stoppage order, the group said the problem runs deeper than individual violations.

‘More than just identifying companies involved in potential occupational safety and health (OSH) violations, we assert that it is not just a matter of a few bad apples but a problem within the BPO industry itself,’ BIEN-Cebu Spokesperson Kyle Enero said.

Enero said this development was made possible through collective worker action, noting that employees have become more vocal about safety and welfare concerns.

‘BPO workers uniting to assert their rights and welfare is what made this possible. We urge fellow BPO employees to continue speaking up and organize themselves to forward their interests both in and out of workplaces,’ he added.

He said game-changing reforms remain necessary to address long-standing issues in the sector such as livable wages, job security, non-discrimination, and safe working environments.

For the Inter-Call Center Association of Workers (ICCAW), the recent earthquake underscored the need for all BPO firms to establish active safety committees with worker representatives.

‘Workers must have voice and participation in the workplace, especially with regard to safety and health concerns,’ ICCAW Gilbert Romo said.

Dialogue over sanction

For his part, DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the agency is prioritizing dialogue and due process over immediate sanctions in handling labor complaints against BPO, saying that punitive action must be backed by a strong legal basis.

‘We don’t prioritize punishment. We will listen because we live in a free country. If workers have grievances or complaints, we should also hear the side of employers,’ he said in an interview on Monday.

Laguesma noted BPO’s large contribution to the country’s economy, citing the 1.8 to 1.9 million workers comprising the sector nationwide.

The figures, he added, benefits several programs of the labor department.

Last year, the BPO industry generated about $38 billion in revenue, a 7-percent growth from the previous year.

‘We also benefit from that. That’s why we need to be cautious and not act rashly in our decisions.’

The situation calls for a strong legal basis of punishment, as sanctions may being either benefit or harm, said Laguesma.

‘That’s why I encourage voluntary compliance. Employers are supposed to be our social partners,’ he said. ‘Everyone is given the chance to comply-they just need to meet the requirements of the law and DOLE issuances.’

The labor department has also began profiling affected workers two days after the earthquake, along with the implementation of temporary emergency and temporary employment assistance, Laguesma said.

He added that the period would last between 10 to 90 days, depending on the gravity of the recent disaster.

More than 700 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from Davao Oriental are now debt-free after the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the Davao Region distributed Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs).

DAR awarded 1,001 COCROMs to 721 ARBs, effectively condoning P9.93 million in amortization and interests pursuant to Republic Act No. 11953, which provides significant financial relief and secures the beneficiaries’ ownership of their awarded lands.

Aside from COCROMS, the DAR also distributed and turned over farm machineries and equipment (FMEs) under the ‘Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat’ program.

DAR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Research Office Lani C. De Leon and Regional Director Joseph H. Orilla, along with local government officials and partner agencies, led the ceremonial turn-over of the condonation certificates and package of support to the farmers during a simple ceremony held recently.

‘This milestone is more than just debt relief. It empowers our farmers by granting them land security and equipping them with the tools to improve productivity and transform their lives,’ Orilla said in a statement.

In addition to the debt relief certificates, DAR turned over a mobile corn mill and a corn sheller worth P1.29 million to the Talisay CARP Beneficiaries and Farmers Water Service Cooperative under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project. The FMEs aim to boost crop production and raise farmers’ incomes.

The activity highlights the government’s commitment to supporting ARBs not only through land distribution but also through sustained support services to ensure their productivity and livelihood improvement, the DAR said.

THE flood-control mess could threaten the country’s growth given its potential to slow down government spending, according to Nomura.

In a separate development, however, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave assurances on Monday that public works will still push through next year to keep the country’s economy going, despite the ongoing government crackdown on anomalous flood control projects.

‘It [crackdown] does not mean that we have given up completely on infrastructure because we cannot. We cannot. If we stop that, we will stop the economy basically,’ the chief executive said in the fifth episode of the video blog posted in his social media accounts.

In its latest brief, Nomura said the slowdown in government spending as a result of the floodworks fiasco could prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to reduce policy rates to help support the country’s growth.

A reduction in policy rates could provide a much-needed boost to domestic demand, which Nomura said, is expected to encounter ‘significant downside risks’ compared to August 2025.

‘The ongoing controversy around flood-control projects will likely be assessed by BSP as potentially leading to a slowdown in government capex disbursements, therefore posing downside risks to the GDP growth outlook at a time when BSP still sees the output gap as negative,’ Nomura said.

Nonetheless, Nomura has assigned a 60-percent likelihood for a reduction in policy rates and a 40-percent chance that the Monetary Board will leave policy rates unchanged.

‘[This takes] into account BSP’s previous ‘goldilocks’ signal and the possibility that BSP could adopt a wait-and-see approach to assess the downside risks to growth, citing elevated uncertainty,’ Nomura said.

Meanwhile, Department of Economy Planning and Development (DepDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan told reporters on Monday that government’s contribution to economic growth was only 15 percent.

‘Government spending contributes only about 15 percent or so on the economy. But what is so critical, however, is the enabling environment that government influences, and influences in terms of how the private sector economy works. And so that’s what we are even more concerned about,’ Balisacan said.

‘Since the start of this administration, I’ve been pushing for reforms that improve, enhance the enabling environment, particularly our efforts to bring up digitalization, improving the framework for the PPP code,’ he added.

This means, the country’s GDP is more dependent on the private sector for growth. Department of Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit noted that the growth of government construction in the first semester and second quarter contracted to 4.6 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively.

Despite this, Balanquit said, private construction helped buoy the economy’s performance. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said private construction posted double-digit growth of 15.2 percent in the first semester and 16.3 percent in the second quarter this year.

Balanquit also explained that the flood control controversy may not lead to a slowdown in government consumption, given the need to finance many development projects.

He noted that with the freeing up of some resources for infrastructure in connected with the reduction of the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), these funds will not disappear and will just be re-aligned to other projects.

‘We are on the tight belt now. And so the worry of underspending is not really there. We still have accounts payable, meaning those projects that were already finished in the previous year, and we have to pay them,’ Balanquit said.

‘And we have, meaning we will never really lose any reasons for where to spend our money, because we have many, many things to fund in the end,’ he added.

Further, Balisacan said growth in the first semester of the year has been weak, not because of external headwinds rather than weakness of the domestic economy.

Balisacan noted that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as well as other major organizations have all reduced their global growth outlook.

‘If you look at the last couple of years, it is the trade deficit that is impacting on our growth, not so much the domestic performance of our sectors,’ Balisacan said.

‘Having said that, there are positive forces that we are seeing in the economy. Over the last several months, we have seen inflation coming down, and that is likely to continue,’ he added.

Public works to continue-PBBM

Meanwhile, the President made the assurance about continuing public works after he ordered the cancellation of P255 billion worth of new locally funded flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) next year as the agency undergoes a major reorganization.

Of the said amount, he said P26 billion will be allocated to the Department of Education for the construction of new classrooms.

The reorganization is part of the ongoing initiative of the Marcos administration to weed out corrupt practices within the agency.

Marcos created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to look into substandard and non-existent flood control projects and other public works and then recommend the filing of charges against erring contractors as well as government officials and personnel.

He said even officials and personnel, who have resigned their post in relation to the flood control project mess, will be held accountable.

The President raised the issue during his fourth State of the Nation Address in July to eliminate corrupt practices in the government since it is stifling the country’s economic growth and negatively affecting the lives of Filipinos.

‘There is a great deal of damage that has been caused-not only financial damage or economic damage-but damage to-actual damage to people’s lives,’ Marcos said.

‘The economy will never grow properly. People are not going to get helped. The schools will not get better. The hospitals will not get better. We will not get anywhere,’ he added.

The average price of power on the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) declined 33.8 percent to P3.04 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in September, the lowest in the last seven months, from P4.59 per kWh the previous month, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) said Monday.

The WESM operator noted an improved supply for the billing period August 26 to September 25 at 20,712 megawatts (MW) against a lower demand which stood at 13,640MW, resulting in an increased margin of 5,194 MW, up from 4,578 MW in August 2025.

IEMOP said these conditions were observed across the regions with supply increasing and demand decreasing. The higher margin compared to the previous billing month led to lower prices.

In Luzon, prices dropped significantly due to lower demand and higher supply, even with increased power exports through the HVDC (high-voltage direct current). The average power rate declined 31.7 percent to P2.57 per kWh, with supply at 14,681MW. Demand stood at 9,595MW.

WESM rates in the Visayas also registered a decline. From P6.4 per kWh, it dropped 37 percent to P4.02 per kWh. Supply inched up to 2,440MW while demand went down four percent to 1,945MW.

In Mindanao, WESM prices settled at P4.19 per kWh, 37 percent lower than the P6.66 per kWh registered from a month ago. The grid’s available supply stood at 3,592MW. Demand grew to 2,100MW.

IEMOP said there were no major plant outages affecting the September billing period, contributing to the overall decrease in prices. *While Visayas experienced an earthquake on September 30 that caused multiple tripping of transmission lines and generators, this will be settled as part of the October 2025 billing period,’ it said on Monday

In terms of system-wide generation mix, renewable energy (RE) contributed 26% of total generation. Coal increased its share from 50.6% to 55.1%. Hydro generation continued its upward trend, rising from 12.6% to 13.5%, due to rainy season that was intensified by typhoon.

Meanwhile, the share of natural gas and oil-based decreased, with natural gas dropping from 22% to 17%, and oil-based generation from 0.9% to 0.5%. Solar and geothermal generation also decreased their share from 4.0% to 3.7% and 7.8% to 7.6%, respectively. Approximately 25 percent, or 2.34 terra wat of total customer transactions were purchased from retail market for this billing period.

During the period, IEMOP said the system-wide reserve market transactions decreased from P5 billion to P4.68 billion.

LOSS of investments and employment, among others, may be the ‘broader impact’ on the Philippine economy if the country’s exports keep underperforming, according to Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr.

‘Well, loss of investments, expansions will be held, definitely loss of employment,’ Ortiz-Luis said in a recent televised interview when asked about the impact on the Philippine economy if exports continue to plunge.

With this, he reiterated the need for a ‘more realistic’ budget for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to prop up the country’s outbound shipments.

In particular, the Philexport chief said ,’Maybe double [the budget of DTI] it. What is P10 billion compared to some projects that we are not doing now?’

In a witty retort towards the reallocation of funds from the anomalous flood control projects, Ortiz-Luis said: ‘If we can only get 5 percent of what is lost in the floodwater.that would help a lot the development of exports also of SMEs, which are lagging behind all our Asian neighbors.’

While he could not quantify by how much corruption has held back the export sector in the Philippines, he pointed to the participation rate of exporters in international trade fairs.

‘We have big fairs outside which we couldn’t afford which are supported by our neighbors. In the [China-Asean Expo] CAEXPO recently, you know how many exporters our neighbors sent? More than 200 from Thailand, more than 200 from Malaysia. You know how many we sent? Ten. Although the space will be given to us for free, it’s expensive for exporters to go,’ added Ortiz-Luis.

Apart from the lack of budget for the country’s exports, Ortiz-Luis took note of the changing trend in the trade data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) which indicated that growth of exports in August slowed down while exports to the US plummeted, with Hong Kong now being the Philippines’ top export destination.

‘We know that Hong Kong overtook the US last August as the number one export destination,’ which could prove, he said, that ‘we’re trying to shift to other areas but it’s easier than done.’

PSA data showed that in August 2025, or during the month when the 19-percent reciprocal tariff imposed by Washington took effect for the Philippines, exports to the United States contracted 11.2 percent to $1.09 billion from the $1.22 billion recorded in August 2024.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ shipments bound for Hong Kong soared by 26.4 percent to $1.19 billion in August 2025 from the $942.56 million in August 2024.

For August 2025 alone, this means that Hong Kong is now the Philippines’ top export destination.

The PSA data showed the growth in country’s outbound shipments slowed down in August compared to the previous months or when the tariff imposed by Washington was not yet in place.

PSA data showed that export earnings growth slowed in August as outbound shipments only grew 4.6 percent to $7.06 billion in August from the $6.75 billion in the same period last year.

This, after exports peaked at 26.9 percent in June 2025, then export earnings slowed to 17.6 percent in July and posted single-digit growth in August.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector slipped into ‘negative territory’ in September on the back of drops in output and new orders.

Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) economist Leonardo A. Lanzona, Jr. said, ‘this has to do with the poor performance in exports.’

‘I think this has to do with the poor performance in exports. Manufacturing is significantly linked with exports. Hence, given the global headwinds, particularly with Trump’s unconventional policies, exports are down, bringing down manufacturing as well,’ Lanzona told the BusinessMirror in a Viber message on Wednesday.

For her part, Elizabeth Lee, Chairperson of Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), told the BusinessMirror in a Viber message recently that while the September dip reflected weaker domestic demand, weather disruptions and rice import restrictions, ‘companies’ continued purchasing activity and upbeat sentiment suggest the downturn is viewed as temporary.’

The brightest young athletes of the Philippines will be celebrated at the 5th Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) Siklab Youth Sports Awards presented by the Philippine Sports Commission on Saturday at the Grand Ballroom of Diamond Hotel Manila.

This year’s edition shines a spotlight on the Youth Heroes Awardees, led by weightlifters Jay-R Colonia, Alexandra Ann Diaz, Althea Bacaro, Jhodie Peralta, and Albert Ian Delos Santos.

Their stellar performances at the 2025 World Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Lima, Peru earned the Philippines the top spot among 33 nations, with a remarkable haul of 10 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

Joining them are elite junior athletes from various disciplines: Karl Eldrew Yulo (gymnastics), Rianne Malixi (golf), Pi Durden Wangkay (athletics), Dean Darnet Venerable (taekwondo), Tenny Madis (tennis), Kira Ellis (triathlon), and Sam Cantada (volleyball).

Yulo, the younger sibling of the double Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo, will be recognized for the fifth consecutive year, underscoring his continued excellence in the sport. The event is also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, CEL Logistics, MVPSF, Smart/PLDT, Go For Gold, Homegrown, Orich and Blue Hydra.

Seven-year-old jiujitsu prodigy Aielle Aguilar returns for her third straight Siklab honor after dominating her division at the Pan Kids IBJJF Tournament in Orlando, Florida-the world’s largest youth jiujitsu competition.

Also being hailed as Super Kids are Xian Baguhin (boxing) Sophia Catantan (fencing), Kyra Abella (judo), and Joan Denise Lumbao (karate).

Top performers from the 2025 Palarong Pambansa will also be recognized, including swimmer Titus Sia, archer Naina Tagle, chess player Mar Aviel Carredo, dancesport standout Bhenz Rudolf Owen Semilla, and gymnast King Cjay Pernia.

Not to be outdone, the Batang Pinoy Games will be represented by standout athletes such as Albert Jose Amaro II (swimming), Hazel May Risma (athletics), Haylee Garcia (gymnastics), Mariano Matteo Medina IV (archery), and Arvin Naeem Taguinota II (swimming).

A total of 73 awardees will be honored by the PSC-PPC-POC Media Group, with three special distinctions to be conferred: gymnast Carlos Yulo as Sports Idol of the Year, Cynthia Carrion of gymnastics with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Christian Gonzalez as Godfather of the Year.

AMID declining public trust in the House of Representatives, the Speaker on Monday urged all employees of the lower chamber to work together in restoring the people’s confidence in Congress.

Speaking during the flag-raising ceremony, Speaker Faustino Dy III emphasized the need for integrity, unity, and genuine public service.

‘I know this is a difficult time for Congress. Our institution and each of us are facing tough challenges,’ Dy said.

‘It is painful to admit, but public trust in our institution has declined. However, this should remind us to work harder and restore that trust through honest and dedicated service.’

‘Let us remember: after every storm, the sun will shine again; after every night of darkness, there is light ahead. There is always light at the end of every tunnel,’ he added.

Dy expressed his gratitude to House staff for their tireless efforts during budget deliberations that stretched until the early morning.

The Speaker stressed the importance of solidarity, saying that public service is a collective mission.

‘In Congress, no one stands alone,’ Dy said. ‘Each of us plays an important role-from lawmakers to the simplest staff member-in upholding a patriotic, honest, and dependable public service. Let us remember: we do not serve for ourselves, but for every Filipino family who depends on us.’

Dy reminded House employees that the Philippine flag represents not only the nation but also their oath to serve the Filipino people with honor and compassion.

‘This morning, as we face our flag, let us remember that it symbolizes not just our country but also our pledge-to serve with integrity, excellence, and humanity,’ Dy said. ‘Let us work together and remain united. In every task and every step we take, let the spirit of patriotism guide us.’

THE Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) is amenable to the creation of an official ‘blacklist’ of firms found to have committed integrity violations when it comes to projects they implemented with the government.

In a briefing on Monday, DepDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said this is something that can be put in place in light of the recent controversies surrounding the flood control projects.

‘Yeah. I think that the public, being aware of what is a good partner and a bad partner, should be part of the accountability mechanism that will need to be put in place,’ Balisacan said.

Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit said the new government procurement act can also help in this regard.

Balanquit said under the new law, companies participating in biddings are required full disclosure when it comes to all procurement data and documents, including beneficial ownership.

‘I think this would be a very good way of not only deterring these possible incidents happening again in the future, but also the appropriate penalty that can be also imposed on those people who make these anti-competitive practices,’ Balanquit said.

Meanwhile, the Economic Development (ED) Council said other efforts include the revision of the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) guidelines, the first time it was revised in 10 years.

Balisacan said the revision includes raising the ICC threshold to P5 billion from P2.5 billion. He told BusinessMirror last month that this was being done due to inflation.

Apart from these, the ICC’s coverage now includes Public-Private Partnership projects.

Further, the ICC will now conduct mandatory review of all foreign loan-assisted projects regardless of loan amount or total cost, excluding grant-assisted projects that are reviewed by DepDev.

Balisacan said these changes aim to streamline the ICC process and make project evaluation more rigorous, minimizing delays.

The Country’s Chief Economist also said this is being done alongside safeguards placed on various stages of the approval process to prevent problems that may arise when it comes to projects.

He added the new guidelines has also placed value on project monitoring and evaluation, which needs to be embedded in all projects.

‘We need to embed impact evaluation and monitoring evaluation in excellent projects because that will not only improve our learnings on what works and what does not, but also potentially save us from costly mistakes,’ Balisacan said.

Meanwhile, Department of Finance Undersecretary Joven Balbosa also stressed that efforts to improve governance in projects can also take a cue from the country’s development partners.

He said lessons on project preparation, project implementation, execution, and monitoring and evaluation can be included in new project proposals.

Balbosa also said including intermittent reviews throughout the project cycle can help ensure quality of project delivery while keeping projects on track to completion.

‘On the procurement process, our multilateral partners especially, we work with them on international competitive bidding, open bid,’ Balbosa said.

‘Two steps. First to look at the quality of the project bid or the proposals before you even go to the price part. So it is important, again, to learn from the analysis on the quality or the design that is being proposed,’ he added.

The ICC consists of the Secretary of Finance, as chairman; the DEPDev Secretary, as cochairman; and the Executive Secretary, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Budget and Management and the Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines, as members.

The committee, one of seven interagency committees of the ED Council, evaluates the fiscal, monetary and balance of payments implications of major national projects, and recommends to the President the timetable of their implementation on a regular basis.

It also advises the President on matters related to the domestic and foreign borrowings program and submits a status of the fiscal, monetary and balance of payments implications of major national projects.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday he is confident there will be no leadership shakeup in the Senate, amid speculations fanned by netizens at the weekend that certain blocs are moving to replace his month-old leadership.

Asked again at the end of a press conference if he is confident that there won’t be any shakeup when the Senate convenes on Friday (Oct 10), Sotto, whose 15-man majority bloc is viewed by some as a tenuous lead over a 9-member minority, replied, ‘Quite confident,’ while adding, ‘but any senator elected into the leadership serves at the pleasure’ of the members.

He also said that Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, rumored to be groomed to replace him, had told him, when they spoke the other day, ‘wala he naman akong kinakausap kahit na sino.’

He explained he has been talking to most senators and was confident his leadership was addressing their concerns, citing as example Sen. JV Ejercito, who was reported in social media as planning to bolt the majority over issues in the direction of the flood-control projects investigation.

At the same time, Sotto sounded certain that the 2026 budget will not be hounded by questions of irregularities like the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) because the President has ruled out certifying the budget bill-the first time in many years it will not get Palace certification.

This means, Sotto explained, that lawmakers have three days between second-reading approval and their third-reading vote to read the budget bill thoroughly.

He said that Congress was told by President Marcos ‘they will not be given the certification of urgency.’

The ‘President doesn’t want to certify budget so there will be time for everyone to go over the budget. The President himself said that: ayaw niya yung short cut ng 3-day rule.’

‘Taon taon, may fina-fast break,’ and the President does not want that to happen this year, Sotto said. He was referring to criticism that most lawmakers had failed to read the budget in detail as a result of the quick succession in second and third-reading passage, accounting for numerous questions about so-called insertions.

Asked if a non-certification by the Palace won’t affect or delay the budget, Sotto replied, in Filipino, ‘No. It will be even good for the process. Every year, Congress asks for a certification to skirt the 3-day rule. The question is: ‘ did you read the budget?’ No.

‘Now, you have 3 days to go over the budget. We will make sure we all read the budget.’

Lacson stays for now

In another development, Sotto said he would rather that Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson keep the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) , amid wrangling over the direction of the Senate inquiry.

He said he understood why Lacson wants out. ‘Senator Lacson is frustrated. He is not stressed..Sanay sa stress yun. Maghi-hearing siya, merong umaangal bakit maghi-hearing; pag di naman siya nagtawag, meron pa ring umaangal.’

He said he has not received yet Lacson’s letter of resignation from the BRC, but ‘I will support whatever decision he makes; and I will accept whatever decision he makes.’

Still, ‘I can only hope for the best.’