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Just over a week after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake devastated Cebu, an even more powerful quake struck the Davao Region yesterday morning.

The 7.4-magnitude tectonic earthquake, with its epicenter traced offshore in Davao Oriental, sent people rushing out of schools, office buildings and residential structures, and sparked tsunami warnings all the way to Indonesia.

It also elicited announcements from government officials about inspections of buildings and public works infrastructure for structural integrity. The task falls mainly on the Department of Public Works and Highways, which has the engineering manpower and resources to conduct periodic inspections and retrofitting of DPWH-built structures.

Such assessments and engineering interventions were recommended two decades ago, in a study focusing on the ‘Big One’ in Metro Manila. The study was conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency together with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

In the past two decades, how many such assessments and retrofitting were actually carried out by the DPWH? Brice Hernandez, recently sacked as DPWH assistant district engineer for Bulacan’s first district, had told the Senate that all flood control projects in that area were substandard.

Authorities are still trying to determine how many other DPWH projects, including schools, farm-to-market and other roads as well as hospitals, are substandard. Yesterday, all road reblocking projects for minor repairs were suspended by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon on suspicion that these were unnecessary projects meant merely for kickbacks.

The same cloud of doubt now hangs over DPWH infrastructure retrofitting. Even if such projects were approved and listed as completed, a new round may be needed, in the light of the collapse of two concrete-and-steel bridges, one of them brand-new, this year alone in Northern Luzon.

There wasn’t even an earthquake when a portion of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela collapsed on Feb. 27, less than a month after its retrofitting was supposedly completed. The P1.2-billion bridge had to be retrofitted due to flaws detected in 2023. This cost an additional P274.8 million, with the contract awarded to the same company that built the bridge.

Last Monday, the Piggatan Bridge in Cagayan also collapsed, even without an earthquake. Both incidents have been blamed on overloaded trucks. The 45-year-old Piggatan Bridge was retrofitted only once, in 2016, at a cost of P11.7 million. With that modest amount, there are questions on whether any actual retrofitting was done.

With powerful earthquakes in recent weeks, the specter of death and destruction from badly maintained infrastructure is haunting the country. Once again there is talk of retrofitting. Those in charge must be reminded that they are supposed to reinforce public infrastructure and not their personal bank accounts.

Two people died when their motorcycle collided with an ambulance in Meycauayan, Bulacan on Thursday afternoon.

Eduardo Tubera, 59, and his wife Narcisa, 64, were rushed to the Marymount Hospital where they died while being treated.

Reports said the Tuberas were traveling in Barangay Bahay Pare when their motorcycle crashed into the ambulance.

The ambulance, driven by Ruel de Castro, reportedly tried to overtake, causing it to hit the motorcycle.

The victims were thrown off the motorcycle, Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr., Central Luzon police director, said.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has obtained its sixth freeze order from the Court of Appeals, covering 39 bank accounts and other assets linked to alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.

In a statement Friday, October 10, the AMLC said the latest order includes four insurance policies and 59 real estate properties-residential, commercial and agricultural-some of which are connected to a former high-ranking official “suspected of playing a central role in the procurement process of the questioned contracts.”

The new order on the unnamed official’s assets brings to P4.67 billion the estimated value of suspected ill-gotten wealth frozen since the Court of Appeals issued the first order on September 16.

To date, authorities have frozen a total of 1,671 bank accounts, 58 insurance policies, 163 motor vehicles, 99 real properties and 12 e-wallet accounts believed to be linked to the alleged corruption scheme.

‘We are taking deliberate actions to preserve assets potentially linked to unlawful activity,’ AMLC Executive Director Matthew David said in a statement.

The council is coordinating with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the Office of the Ombudsman, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the National Bureau of Investigation in reviewing individuals and entities flagged during recent Senate hearings.

AMLC said the coordination underscores the “government’s commitment to a thorough and impartial inquiry’ into the alleged misuse of flood control funds, which investigators have linked to ghost and substandard projects amounting to hundreds of billions of pesos.

The agency said additional freeze orders may follow as new leads are uncovered.

I have long wanted to write about greener choices when it comes to tourist destinations because it’s not only a good thing to do for Mother Earth, but a smart thing to do. And I am excited to tell you about Barangay Marang Marang in Isabela City, Basilan on the Indigenous People and women side, and Banwa Private Island on the other end of the economic spectrum, being an exclusive location worthy of being in the 100 best places to visit list.

They share many commonalities except for price. Marang Marang is reachable by boat from mainland Isabela and is amongst mangroves where we were served Basilan’s pride – pure Excelsa coffee, brewed right on the rafts where the women of Marang Marang entertain visitors. We were afloat rafts with comfortable seats, plenty of tables and delicious local fare. Along with coffee we had rice cakes, sweet potatoes and bananas. The women of the community regaled us with stories of how they live catching shrimps and other seafood found in the river/mangrove areas.

I wanted to recommend the community to be part of the Slow Food movement, as they were preserving local heritage, local food culture, which is the women association’s main source of business. Their first international recognition, however, is being a Green Destination. And they surely passed the bar to be named such as I had observed when I last visited Basilan.

On another island, Palawan, we drove through clean highways from Puerto Princesa airport to Roxas, a nice, comfortable two-hour ride until we reached the north side to get our ride across to Banwa private island. A one-of-a-kind amphibian they call the Iguana brought us to this paradise on the Sulu Sea. It is a dot on the map, a mere eight hectares of unspoilt beauty where the owners decided it should be a liveable, breathable and the epitome of sustainability.

First off, they found drinking water – digging 500 feet into the ground and after several unlucky tries, they found the source of good water. They then found a company who could filter and bottle and even make a sparkling version of this wonderful much-needed resource.

Next, they managed to remove the mosquitoes, which is a tourists’ nightmare in the tropics. They invested in over 70 mosquito catchers spread all around the island, which ensures that no mosquito will bother the guests. That already spells paradise to many. Another pesky beach companion are sandflies or niknik which they also managed by gathering all the seagrass near the shore, which becomes breeding ground of these flying pests. By gathering the seagrass and putting them in sacks to be disposed off somewhere in the sea, the sandflies have nowhere to breed on the island.

Next item on the list is food, of course. Every tourist or guest would have preferences and food allergies to avoid. The chef, a young man named Gian who trained long enough in Finland and Manila, creates menus from vegetables found in their own organic farm (across the island), local seafood and an occasional steak or lamb chop, but mostly seafood.

Breakfast starts with lamayo, a local marinated fish -prepared along with eggs and garlic rice. Or you may want house baked croissants or pain au chocolat, also prepared by in-house pastry chef Christian.

Lunch is set either at the main dining or on the shore, depending on weather conditions. In the villas – and there are only six in the whole island – you may also prepare your own coffee, tea and drinks and savor house made cookies like cashew sable, chocolate barks and little fruit-infused bonbons.

Dinner could be a freshly-caught local lobster or local fish like snapper or grouper. The salads are well-made with local cheeses from Davao, Brazilian spinach from their farm and a variety of freshly-made house dressings. I was surprised that they even had fresh sambal, as one of the chefs did train in Malaysia and in Arabic kitchens.

The menu is thought of with sustainability in mind as all the ingredients are sourced locally and using these local fruits and nuts, the chef is able to prepare even ice cream with a touch of cashew (abundant in Roxas) or local Robusta and Arabica coffee beans. The chocolate bonbons either have langka (jackfruit) or ube (purple yam) and a Robusta coffee ganache.

Next on the list are their strict rules on conservation. Not only of local plants like mangroves and other island species, but of marine life. A recreation manager named Bernard can lead you on a ‘low tide’ walk where you can see stingrays, eels and sea cucumber and the whole food chain of fish as you wade noisily and actively in the shallow water. You need to make your movements felt so the creatures you may step on accidentally can get out of harm’s way. There also is a chance to snorkel and see more water inhabitants, as well as serious scuba diving for some guests (not me, unfortunately).

The owners are strict observers of conservation and founded a non-profit called Aquos Foundation to do just that – conserve what you find on the island and off it. They also make sure the communities are taught marine conservation and sustainability, lest they forget these in the pursuit of tourist dollars.

In our first example, Marang Marang, the city government of Isabela City in Basilan is the prime mover and enabler of the coastal community. In both these examples, although far from each other in price points, the idea is the same – conserve Nature and think of sustainability.

Green destinations are truly possible in this country and I can imagine 7,000 more islands doing the same. Palawan as seen in Puerto Princesa can be the shining example of political will to keep a province or city clean. Children are born into clean culture and grow up practising this ‘no littering’ concept and living it. ‘Kaya pala,’ we all said. That simply means ‘it can be done.’ Every island can indeed be a green destination.

This piece of good news nearly fell below the radar.The Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week the signing of eight new Petroleum Service Contracts (PSCs) for oil exploration. The deals went though a transparent and competitive selection process as required by law. Altogether, the eight contracts translates into $207 million in investments over a seven-year period.

Significantly, one of the contracts sealed involves exploration and, hopefully, extraction of natural hydrogen. This is considered green fuel with many possible applications in industry and transport.

$207 million is not a staggering sum. But these contracts represent something truly consequential for the country’s energy security. Since 1989, when the Malampaya wells began producing natural gas for the country, there has been a drought of new investments for oil and gas exploration.

Somehow there was a misfit between standing policy and investor expectations. Exploration is a capital-intensive and high-risk venture. It requires mobilizing the best technologies for geological and geophysical surveys as well as extensive seismic and aeromagnetic studies.

Securing our energy future is a task that cannot be undertaken small scale. It requires inviting in the best companies in the world to take a stake in energy exploration and, ultimately, energy production.

We have vast natural resources on land and in our seas. We have been slow in exploiting these resources for national development because of many hindrances. The main deterrent for potential investors is the uncertainty and unpredictability of exploration projects due to unclear or nonexistent regulations.

The few global companies capable of undertaking exploration projects for oil and gas are not there to do charity or perform philanthropy. They expect firm assurance of profitable return for venturing in exploration.

The DOE under the leadership of Sharon Garin worked hard to clear the uncertainty. The eight deals announced this week became possible after the DOE committed to providing special allowances for the service contractors. The goal was to reinvigorate investments in our upstream energy industry.

Department Circular No. DC2025-09-0017, titled ‘Grant of Special Allowances for Petroleum Service Contractors,’ implements constitutional mandates to protect exploration investors. This served as an open invitation for all those willing to invest in uncovering our vast natural resources.

The new circular offers service contractors special allowances deductible from gross proceeds. While preserving government’s 60 percent share, operating expenses of up to 70 percent will be reimbursed. This offers not just relief but also assurance to investors that government is committed to playing its part in harnessing the country’s natural resources for development.

Additionally, government is introducing additional allowance for marginal petroleum operations when annual operating expenses surpass the 70 percent recovery allowance. To encourage production in the newly discovered petroleum fields in frontier regions, the DOE is offering a five percent allowance on gross proceeds to the initial commercial development.

The grant of the special allowances mentioned above is inspired by successful policy models adopted by Malaysia and Indonesia that offer more substantial exploration investment incentives. Our two neighbors offer a more generous package including reduced tax rates, accelerated capital allowances, investment allowances and export duty waivers.

Because of the generous fiscal incentives they offer, the economies of our two neighbors have successfully attracted investors to help grow their upstream energy sectors. This is the reason our two neighbors are well ahead of us in this regard.

The new incentives for exploration continues our government’s effort to build up our upstream energy production. Two years ago, government extended Service Contract 38 which governs the Malampaya gas field. Two new wells are being dug in the service area with $893 million in additional investments.

The two new wells are of critical importance. They will extend the availability of indigenous natural gas on which a large part of our power production relies – until new fields are developed.

We may not see full energy self-sufficiency in our lifetime. But the innovative energy policies recently adopted move us towards a robust upstream energy industry.

Overstated

The Palace was quick to react to SEC Chairman Francis Lim’s pronouncement that P1.7 trillion in market capital evaporated over the recent weeks because of uncertainty created by the raging infrastructure corruption scandal.

At first glance, that did seem to be a gross overstatement. Our equities market is small even by regional standards. Such a volume of loss would have been truly earthshaking.

It turns out the loss quoted was from an erroneous report circulating in social media. Lim was quick to acknowledge his error. The real estimate of market loss during the specified period under consideration amounts to P180 billion.

The corrected estimate is roughly just a tenth of the first figure quoted by Lim. Still, given the smallness of our capital market, a loss of P180 billion is still awesome.

The raging corruption scandal is taking a tremendous toll on our economy. We will likely end the year with GPD growth below even our most conservative estimates. Acknowledging the corrosive impact of the corruption scandal on our economic performance, the BSP and the Monetary Board surprised the market by cutting interest rates by 25 basis points.

Lowering the interest rate regime intends to spur business activity. But this will also take a toll on the peso. We have the distinction of having both the worst performing stock market and the worst performing currency in Asia.

Running until Oct. 31, the promotion gives shoppers a chance to win roundtrip tickets for two to Australia via Qantas Airways for every purchase of participating products.

Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown said the activity reflects the strong partnership between the two countries in promoting trade and sustainable consumer choices.

‘A Taste of Australia celebrates the dynamic partnership between Australia and the Philippines,’ Innes-Brown said.

‘It’s more than great food – it’s about sharing the Australian way of life, supporting sustainable producers and celebrating our shared love of good food and community.’

Organized with the support of Austrade, the campaign highlights Australian lifestyle and sustainability values through trusted retail brands. Featured products include Pure Harvest plant-based milks, Freedom Fresh Happy Nut macadamias, Cobs Popcorn, Dolmio pasta sauces, MasterFoods herbs and spices and Earth Choice biodegradable cleaning solutions.

Other brands in the showcase include Yarra Valley Hilltop, Rafferty’s Garden, Smoovi, Binda Valley, Lo Bros, Leggo’s, Infuzions, Charlie’s Fine Food Co., Tucker’s, Brookfarm, Bega, Vegemite, Chef Joey D, Arnott’s, Laucke, SPC and Red Rock Deli.

The launch was led by Landmark president Teddy Keng, senior vice president for marketing Michelle Keng and Hans Lim of NexTrade, together with representatives from Austrade and the Australian Embassy.

Business titan Manuel V. Pangilinan has raised concerns over widespread corruption in the Philippines, warning that it could seriously impact the country’s economic growth and jeopardize its credit ratings.

‘Investor confidence could get affected. I think they’re slowly getting affected by this particular event. Perhaps even credit ratings, too, could be at risk if the institution’s responses are seen to be inadequate,’ Pangilinan said during the 2025 FINEX conference yesterday.

Pangilinan said the country’s credit ratings may be affected, ‘depending on the reforms and the results of the investigations.’

‘The people themselves are on a wait-and-see attitude. All I’m saying is that we have to be careful,’ he said.

Pangilinan said that government spending could also be reduced, which could slow the growth of the economy.

‘It could (slow down growth) because the stock market is down. How can you raise money?’ he said.

‘When cash of the magnitude of budget insertions – they say as much as P1 trillion – are taken out of the pockets of the many who are poor and diverted to the wallets of the few, the economy will indeed suffer, as the stock exchange has indeed suffered these past three weeks. The market may have declined anywhere between 1.5 and 1.8 percent in the overall value of the stock exchange,’ he said.

For better governance in the country, Pangilinan said that there should be competent financial executives all around.

‘It isn’t just about catching crooks, it’s filling the gaps with financial experts with the competence and integrity. Corruption survives not because bad people are smart, but because good people are absent,’ Pangilinan said.

‘We should be engaged even as citizens, or even as private citizens, in the first instance, as business persons managing our affairs well and doing things right,’ he said.

Further, Pangilinan said that businesses must support making critical institutions stronger, such as media, the academe, the courts and the church in these times in order to

push back the pressures of coercion and corruption and thereby lessen the cost of doing business as well as the adverse effects on economic growth.

‘So let me place the ethics of this flood control issue within the broader national context. The public is now increasingly aware to the fact that the presence of ethical attributes – or their absence – impacts businesses and the economy seriously,’ he said.

Bjorn Kristensen sizzled with four goals as the Philippines stormed to a 4-1 triumph over Timor Leste and seized the Group A lead in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Thursday in Darwin, Australia.

Kristensen struck in the 15th and 31st minutes to open the floodgates for the Filipinos in the away match held at Timor’s neutral venue, the Territory Rugby League Stadium.

Timor pulled one back in the 46th behind skipper Gali Freitas, but the Filipino-Norwegian forward continued his rampage in the 49th and 56th to seal it for the unbeaten Philippines, which picked up its second win against a draw.

‘It’s always good to score goals and four goals doesn’t happen every game, so I have to take this moment and enjoy it. But tomorrow we have to prepare again,’ said Kristensen, the first to score four since Phil Younghusband and Mark Hartmann did the feat in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

With seven points and +6 goal difference, the Pinoy booters took pole position ahead of Tajikistan (seven points and +3 GD following a 2-0 win over Maldives in Hisor).

They will go for a repeat against Timor (3 points on 1 win and two losses) in their return match on Tuesday over in Capas, Tarlac.