FILIPINOS ARE IN the best position to know what is best and who should lead the country. No amount of smear campaigns could prevent the people from standing for what is right — and what is for the best interest of the majority.
According to a political pundit by the name of Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, the last 30 years or so has been a rollercoaster ride for the Philippines — until the son and namesake of the late doctor Ferdinand Marcos Sr. rose to become the President.
This comes as Goitia assailed persistent mocking of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom he claimed stood tall against an embedded culture of corruption.
FROM A DISTANCE
Goitia called out foreign social media posts branding the Philippine President as low IQ — “Let’s call it what it is—(mere) propaganda,” by foreign critics who don’t seem to understand the country’s history, struggles and aspirations.
“Yet they feel entitled to insult our President and, by extension, the Filipino people. That is unacceptable,” noted the concurrent chairman emeritus of he Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement.
He likewise took a swipe at what he aptly referred to as hypocrisy of foreign critics claiming to care about justice clearly show they are blind to their own contradictions.
“Marcos has defended the West Philippine Sea (WPS) without dragging the country into reckless wars… strengthened alliances without surrendering sovereignty. That’s leadership—calm, calculated, and always with the nation’s interest in mind.”
DEFENDING JUNIOR
He was blunt and enthused about the accusations regarding President Marcos Jr.’s economic failures are grave falsehoods.
“These critics cherry-pick failures and ignore the gains. Investments are coming in, tourism is recovering, and the groundwork for long-term stability is being laid. Progress is not instant—but the direction is clear, and Marcos has set us on it.”
According to Goitia, “intelligence is not measured by foreign commentators hiding behind their screens but in truth is measured by results—and under President Marcos Jr., the Philippines has regained international respect and a stronger voice in global affairs—the mark of a smart and steady leader.”
The attacks, he added, are proof that the President is hitting nerves abroad: “They fear the Philippines that stands proud and independent. They fear a President who won’t play along with their script. That’s why they attack him.”
“I don’t expect most governments to suddenly restore foreign aid to historic levels, but I am an optimist, and I believe governments can and will do what’s needed to save as many children as possible,” said Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates.
THE WELFARE OF children, particularly in poor countries, can be badly affected by donor nations reducing their aid for health care, which can reverse global gains versus child mortality.
This was the stark message during the recent 2025 Goalkeepers event, where Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates sounded the alarm over the fate of millions of children globally who still face health challenges from the world’s deadliest diseases.
“Humanity is at a crossroads. With millions of children’s lives on the line, global leaders have a once-in-a-generation chance to do something extraordinary,” said Gates. “The choices they make now—whether to go forward with proposed steep cuts to health aid or to give the world’s children the chance they deserve to live a healthy life—will determine what kind of future we leave the next generation.”
This year, donor countries are dealing with domestic challenges, high debt levels, and aging populations, which hampers their funding for global development assistance for health (DAH). According to a recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), global DAH fell by 21 percent between 2024 and 2025, and is now at a 15-year low.
ONE OF HUMANITY’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS
With key global health funding decisions expected before the end of the year, total funding levels could rise. However, if the current cuts hold, they threaten decades of progress that saw child mortality cut in half since 2000—from 10 million children to less than 5 million children a year—one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
During the annual event, which this year focused on reigniting a shared commitment to saving children’s lives, Gates announced his foundation’s pledge of $912 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s 2026-2028 replenishment. The Global Fund is one of the most effective lifesaving initiatives of the 21st century. Its fundraising replenishment cycle ends this November, underscoring the urgency for governments to make pivotal decisions in the coming weeks and months for the lives of millions of people.
“What’s happening to the health of the world’s children is worse than most people realize, but our long-term prospects are better than most people can imagine,” said Gates. “I don’t expect most governments to suddenly restore foreign aid to historic levels, but I am an optimist, and I believe governments can and will do what’s needed to save as many children as possible,” said Gates.
DOING MORE WITH LESS
With shrinking global health budgets as the backdrop, the Goalkeepers event highlighted the people, science and innovations, and policies that are accelerating solutions for how leaders can do more with less.
“We have a roadmap for saving millions of children and making some of the deadliest childhood diseases history by 2045,” Gates asserted. “I’m urging world leaders to invest in the health of all people, especially children, to deliver this future.”
Results from work by the Gates Foundation and the IHME indicate that sustaining global investments in child health and scaling lifesaving innovations could cut child deaths in half again over the next 20 years.
The 2025 Goalkeepers event had an audience of more than 1,000 global government, community, philanthropy, and private-sector leaders where the participants issued a stark but hopeful call to world leaders: save millions of children’s lives and make some of the deadliest diseases history by 2045.
Goalkeepers is the Gates Foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations. Gates Foundation hopes to inspire a new generation of leaders—Goalkeepers who raise awareness of progress, hold their leaders accountable, and drive action to achieve the SDGs.
“AI technologies are being applied in the political, social, economic and defense spheres. However, this technology also carries serious risks and is emerging as a new factor that could affect the stability of the entire system of international relations,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said.
RUSSIA IS SOUNDING the alarm over artificial intelligence (AI) having a big negative impact on global stability and exacerbating inequality among nations.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said this during the Security Council’s open debate on AI and international peace and security, highlighting concerns over AI’s shaping and influencing public opinion, elections and critical infrastructure.
“AI technologies are being applied in the political, social, economic and defense spheres. However, this technology also carries serious risks and is emerging as a new factor that could affect the stability of the entire system of international relations,” Polyanskiy said.
“AI-based technologies can influence public opinion and election outcomes through the dissemination of news publications and fake content on social media, and they can also impact the functioning of critical infrastructure in other countries,” he added.
NO FULL UNDERSTANDING OF IMPACT Furthermore, the Russian official said that the risk of utilizing AI is not yet fully understood globally. “Let’s be honest: No one in the world fully understands all the risks associated with AI, and this fact cannot be ignored,” he said.
When it comes to deepening equality, advanced nations stand to benefit more from AI because of their advanced digital ecosystem, which in turn can lead to tensions and conflicts. The Russian official also cited that current efforts to regulate AI is not geared toward making a positive impact on society.
“Countries with developed economies will have greater opportunities to leverage their benefits compared to emerging markets and developing nations. This will exacerbate digital inequality and the already significant imbalance in global development, which in turn could lead to social tensions and new conflicts,”
Polyanskiy, however, said that Russia supports the UN’s coordinating role in AI, such as the organization’s Global Dialogue and the establishment of an independent international scientific panel.
“We are ready to continue with substantive, equitable, and mutually respectful work on all aspects of artificial intelligence in inclusive, specialized bodies, in order to find solutions that satisfy everyone and maximize the benefits of AI for the entire planet,” he added.
STAR POWER, PROUDLYwielded, adds to intensify the nation’s struggle against corruption in government.
Yes, the entertainment industry was massively represented during the recent Trillion Peso March in various indignation rallies to lament the abysmal stealing of funds from national treasury and to commemorate the declaration of Martial Law fifty- three years ago on September 21.
At the Luneta Park, the band Ben&Ben was swooned over by the multigenerational crowds not only by its Gen Z musical appeal but its meaningful rendition of commitment to truth and justice through emphatic socio-political songs when its signature title “Kapangyarihan” cut across live performances and piped-in music reverberating in the air.
Actress Jodi Sta. Maria, aside from striking a chord of discontent at one time onstage speaking against corrupt officials depriving the poor people of life and future, called on the audiences to share her prepared provisions in one corner off-stage.
Veteran stage, film and television thespian Angel Aquino recalled her militancy as a UP student who has regained strength, at this point, of dissidence when her money earned from acting on TV and film are being robbed by politicians so her sentiments echoed as like the aspirations of Dr. Jose Rizal who must be heard in the open field near the National Hero monument on this eponymous park.
CONCERNED ARTISTS OF THE PH
Look! The banner of the progressive Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) proudly fluttered as if dancing with and to the wind of change.
I took a snap of the decades-long symbol of artists’ resistance against fascism and dictatorship and it felt good kissing the sea of protesters.
I told the sentinels of the contingent I am a CAP member and one of their comrades.
Then someone called on me.
TARZAN & BABY JANE
It was Darryl de Jesus, grandson of the father in real life in the iconic comic novelty duo, father and daughter Tarzan and Baby Jane (Darryl’s real-life aunt), with a video camera dangling on his shoulders shuttering every interesting scene along that strip of Roxas Boulevard for PR man Ricky Rivera’s media production.
A theater group from UP Los Banos came and performed committed street plays.
The over-all director of the Luneta rally was Joel Lamangan who has been a fixture of mass movements since time immemorial until he was nabbed and jailed during the Marcos, Sr. dictatorship in the 70s but in his freedoms, he continues to fight for democratic principles on issues, national and industry-wide like censorship and better working conditions for movie workers, a plight resonated on the objectives of the rally.
EARLY BIRD MADELEINE NICOLAS
At the EDSA Shrine, protesters mostly clad in white, swelled around the holy place of peace achieved and well-lived since 1986.
Stage, television and movie actress Madeleine Nicolas was an early bird in the space now occupied with multi-sectoral reps from the arts community, inter-faith churches, corporate offices, rural areas, city dwellings, domestic homes, out-of-school segments, all walks of life etc.
Then the noise barrage and chants against erring officials rang louder to echo in the four corners of the highway.
I was carried patiently and willingly by waves of people as we passed by the Corinthian Gardens gate to the People Power Monument on the road leading to White Plains.
Never mind the rains that started with a drizzle and then the downpour, but the rallyists stood firm and grounded under a shared sea of colorful raincoats and umbrellas on a snail-paced walk until we reached the sacred PPM.
The rain had also stopped.
ANGRY VICE GANDA
In the middle of the road towards the eastern stretch of the thoroughfare was a makeshift stage.
There were already speeches on it from convenors and guests.
At this point, I could see Vice Ganda’s images fluttering on the giant screen provided for participants and spectators who might be on the last spot from the farthest end of the former Hi-Way 54.
I could hear her in her usual “It’s Showtime’s” opening spiel: “What’s up, madlang pipol (general public)?”
She then enumerated the ups (floods, corruption, thievery in the high places etc.) and the downs (the suffering Filipino people) of the situation.
After acknowledging and greeting the presence of her colleagues and generally, the Filipino fighting spirit in various sites of protest actions, Ganda turned to the subjects of her aggression–the culprits in the horrendous corruption.
BRING DEATH PENALTY BACK
“At para naman sa lahat naman ng mga pulitiko at bahagi na ng gobyerno na nagnakaw sa amin at nagnanakaw sa atin, mga nakatingin habang may nagnanakaw sa atin pero hindi nagsasalita, mga nagtatago ng mga magnanakaw mga alam na may nagnanakaw sa atin, mga kasama ng mga nagnanakaw sa atin, isa lang ang gusto namin sabihin sa inyong lahat! Patawad kay Father pero putang ina ninyo! Kaputa-putahang putang ina ninyo,” the gay comic shouted with empathy.
Vice repeated angrily the cuss words six times to the cheers of the crowd.
She said that these robbers don’t deserve their kindness but must be treated adversely and be punished by death.
“Ibalik ang death penalty para sa mga korap (Bring back death penalty for the corrupt),” Vice plead the government urgently albeit apologetically to the priest on the proscenium (“Sorry, Father, alam kong ayaw mo ng—I know you aren’t in favor of–death penalty).”
APPEAL TO MARCOS
Before she ended her tirades, Ganda appealed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to jail all corrupt officials.
“…inaasahan ka namin hindi dahil idol ka namin kundi dahil sinusuwelduhan ka namin, inaasahan namin na tutuparin mo ang iniuutos naming mga employer mo! Kami ang nagpapasahod sa’yo! Tapos na ang panahon na natatakot tayo sa gobyerno! Takutin natin ang gobyerno dahil nasasaatin ang kapangyarihan! Nakatingin kami sa inyo! Ipakulong lahat, bawiin ang mga ari-arian! Pati atay, i-donate, pati mga mata dahil hindi tayo pwedeng maawa dahil putang ina nila. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat (…we are counting on you not because we idolize you but because we pay your salary. We hope that you will fulfill our order as your employer. The intimidation of the state is already gone. In turn, we intimidate the government. We are looking at you. Jail all the corrupt as in all. Take back all their properties including their livers and eyes to be donated because we don’t have to pity them… Thank you very much!),” Ganda passionately condemned.
Before she exited the stage, she once more exclaimed the cuss phrase.
Meanwhile, celebrities kept on coming to the event even before the dusk set in.
IPE THE DDS SUPPORTER
Phillip Salvador was around but the rallyists saw and tagged him as a DDS supporter.
Julia Barretto came in with mom Marjorie Barretto and her newly graduated brother Leon Baldìvia.
I saw one of the staff of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Corporate Communication Sophia Eugenio in the crowd cheering for the speakers against mismanagement of the government.
They were there: Anne Curtis, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Kahlil Ramos, David Licauco, Gabbi Garcia, Donny Pangilinan, Azenith Briones, Lovely Rivero, Alma Concepcion, Jessica Soho, Tessie Tomas, Tuesday Vargas, Alma Anonas-Carpio, 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray, Andrea Brillantes, Noel Cabangon, Bayang Barrios, Iza Calzado, Joel Saracho, Janella Salvador, 2025 Miss World Asia Krishna Gravidez, Isay Alvarez, 2023 Miss Suprainternarional First Runner-up Pauline Amelinckx, Darren Espanto, Ion Perez, Elijah Canlas, Bong Cabrera, Kris Lanot Lacaba, Jamie Rivera, Kaila Estrada, Ivana Alawi, Maris Racal, Mae Paner, also known as Juana Change, Luis Alandy, Jerald Napoles, Kim Molina, Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Gardo Versoza, among many others.
BIANCA GONZALES, STAR PROTESTER
Let’s hear it from other star protesters:
Bianca Gonzalez: “Yes to artists using their voice for public good! Kapag biniyayaan kahit sino man sa atin ng (Anyone of us who are given a) following/platform It is our responsibility to also use it to advocate for causes and issues we believe in.”
Angel Locsin: “Yung sa amin, galing sa hirap..pero un sa inyo, galing sa mahihirap (Ours came from working hard but..but yours came from the poor).”
Glenda Garcia: Nakiisa para tigilan ang korapsyon! Managot ang may kasalanan… Para sa mahal nating bayan at mamamayan (We unite to stop corruption! Those who sinned must be accountable…For our beloved country and fellow Filipinos).”
SLAVERY IS A thing of the past, but not in the Philippines where more Filipino women are surfacing to file criminal charges against an organized human trafficking syndicate preying on Filipino women applying for work abroad.
In a 20-page document obtained by The PH Insiderfrom the Department of Justice National Prosecutor Service (DOJ-NPS), Jane, April and Calvin (not their real names) from Pasay City were enticed to work as domestic helpers through a recruitment agency supposedly owned by an Italian national based in London.
Named in the qualified human trafficking in persons complaint with docket number IV-27-INV-25J-0983 is Adel En Nouri, who claims to be a corporate executive of Harrods, the largest luxury department store in England.
Likewise tagged in the complaint were alleged accomplices identified as Raffaela Razon, Krizia Ann Geronda Loyang, Ricardo Evangelista Fernandez and Joshua Sy Lim of the Nouri International Placement Agency.
DUBIOUS PATTERN
In their joint affidavit, the victims claimed that they came across a Facebook post of Nouri International Placement Agency supposedly hiring Filipinos who want to work abroad as domestic helpers.
Stuck in poverty, the victims sent a direct message through its Facebook page expressing interest in the “job offer.” Subsequently, an initial meeting was arranged at the Starbucks Coffee Shop in SM City Bacood where they allegedly met Razon and Loyang who both claimed working for Nouri International Placement Agency.
To prove “legitimacy” of the job offer, the suspects presented a portfolio of the supposed employer (Nouri) whom they claimed would administer the final interview.
It was also then that Razon and Loyang laid down the requirements, which include the need to comply with the P100,000 placement fee — which they agreed and paid in two installments.
SWEET PROMISES
According to the suspects, successful applicants would be compensated with P80,000 every month — free board and lodging, on the condition that they would help recruit more applicants since the employer (Nouri) needed more than two domestic helpers.
Hence, they convinced Calvin, whom they tagged along during the second meeting where they handed over the first installment of the placement fee. Individual receipts were issued thereafter.
The full payment was made a week after. It was also then that they were told to raise funds to cover their airfare amounting to P50,000.
On June 25 another meeting occurred with Razon and Loyang who introduced Nouri through a video call on messenger app. Nouri told the unknowing victims to start packing up things as the job slots were already reserved for them.
PRE-DEPARTURE
On July 8, the victims were told to proceed to the agency’s office located at the Queens Row West Bacoor, along Sampaguita Street in Bacoor City.
Upon arrival at the address, they were perplexed to discover that the supposed office is actually a residential house where they were made to do household chores as part of “internship” to earn experience which they claimed forms part of the checklist of requirements. From thereon, they were no longer allowed to leave the premises.
Aside from doing household chores, they were allegedly forced to perform sexual acts on cam with no less than the supposed employer Nouri as the sole audience. The “lewd show,” according to the victims, was staged at gunpoint by a certain Joshua Sy Lim.
It was at this point that the victims hatched an escape plan. After the successful escape bid, the victims sought help from authorities.
NOTORIOUS NOURI
Interestingly, Nouri is also facing a similar complaint previously filed at the Pasay City Prosecutors Office by two Filipino women who claimed that they were forced to appear in “per-per-view lewd online shows.”
The first set of victims formally sought the help of Ambassador Markus Lacanilao in his capacity as Special Envoy on Transnational Crime, to coordinate with the International Police Organization (Interpol) for the issuance of a Red Notice against London-based Adel En Nouri and cohorts.
A PROPOSAL BY the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) for a P5 per kilogram support price for palay makes better sense than subsidizing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s campaign promise embarking on reverting the price of the country’s staple food to P20 per kilo.
SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet said the prevailing farmgate price of P10 to P12 per kilogram is way below than the buying price of the National Food Authority (NFA) which ranges from P17 to P30 for palay. The current farmgate price of palay is even way below the estimated production cost computed by the Department of Agriculture at P12 to P14 per kilo.
“If the government can subsidize P15 per kilo sa bente pesos na bigas, maliit na hamak yung P5 per kilo,” Cainglet told Bilyonaryo.com.
He said a proposal by the DA to extend by 15 to 30 days the current suspension on importation would not address the problem as the peak harvest season runs until the end of November.
SINAG recommended restoring the tariff on imported rice to its old rate of 35% for ASEAN countries and 50% for non-ASEAN nations. This would be a bigger help for farmers, who because of huge importations can not compete with cheaper imported rice.
Cainglet warned that farmgate prices could fall further as harvests increase in October.
He further noted that the import suspension has not affected rice importers, while some traders have stopped buying palay.
The NFA’s presence in the market is limited, he added, noting that even if it were purchasing, it could only absorb about 2% of the harvest.
Farmers direly need help, especially since they can’t compete with the cheap rates of rice imported even before the temporary import suspension that began on Sept. 1.
NFA’s palay buying prices, though high enough, would depend on the moisture content and quality of unhusked rice sold to it by farmers. The higher end of this (P17 to P30) range is for clean and dry palay (with 13-14% moisture content), while the lower end applies to fresh/wet palay (22-29.9% moisture content). Such an adjustment helps the NFA compete with private traders and provides better support for farmers. Purity is also a big factor for better pricing.
Ideally, the NFA’s higher buying prices allows it to compete with private traders, who might offer lower prices during harvest season. But then again, budgetary constraints get in the way.
Farmers also prefer selling to private traders as the merchants go to their fields, whereas they have to hire transportation to bring their palay to the NFA warehouses, where they wait for tremendous paperwork to be completed before they make a sale and are paid (usually after over a month from transaction date).
In some areas, the NFA deploys small trucks to buy directly from the farmers.
THEY LOOK “FINE.” They smile, they show up, they try to keep it together. But inside? They might be quietly struggling.
The Back Story Life sometimes gives us challenges, and not all of them show on the outside.
It could be constant burden, endless fatigue, pounding migraines, or even battles with anxiety and depression.
From the outside, you’d never guess someone’s struggling. The hardest part isn’t always the illness itself—it’s the way people react.
Since they can’t see it, some assume it’s not real or “not that bad.” And that can cut deep.
We call them hidden battles.
The Workplace Pressure Imagine this: You’re at work, and you’ve got a pounding migraine that feels like a drum inside your skull. You need to step away, maybe dim the lights or take a break.
But your boss raises an eyebrow and says, “Really? You look fine. Can’t you just push through?”
Now you’re stuck—you either keep going and make the pain worse, or you ask again for understanding and risk being labeled as “lazy” or “unreliable.”
The illness is hard enough. The doubt? That’s what really hurts.
The Family Gathering Picture a family get-together. Everyone’s having fun, eating, laughing. But you? You’re exhausted after just a few hours because your body doesn’t have the same energy reserves as everyone else. You politely excuse yourself to rest.
And someone—maybe an aunt or cousin—says, “Oh come on, you’re too young to be tired. Don’t be dramatic.”
That’s the sting of a hidden battle. People think age or appearance tells the whole story. It doesn’t.
Friendships on the Line Here’s another one: Your friends invite you out. A night of fun, music, maybe dancing. You want to go, but your body is saying, “Nope, not today.” So you cancel, again. After a while, the invites slow down.
A friend might even say, “You’re always backing out. Are you avoiding us?”
It’s heartbreaking. You’re not avoiding anyone—you’re just trying to manage your health. But to others, it looks like being hard to count on.
Tips And Techniques What can we do? Hidden battles aren’t going away—they’re part of life for a lot of people. The best thing we can do?
Show a little care.
That care could be their lifeline.
It doesn’t take much, but it can mean the world to someone quietly carrying a load you can’t see.
Not all pain is visible.
Hidden battles remind us: you never really know what someone is carrying.
On the outside, they might look perfectly fine, but inside they could be fighting battles you can’t see.
Remember: Don’t invalidate. Make them feel seen and heard.
“Consumers now expect the same level of personalization from their banks as they do from Netflix and Amazon. With most banks still struggling to meet these expectations, those that succeed will gain a decisive edge in a market where customer experience is the ultimate differentiator,” said Dattu Kompella, managing director in Asia Pacific for FICO, “
ONLY 11 PERCENT of banks in the Asia-Pacific region believe they have personalized services meeting the needs of their customers, according to an industry poll conducted by global analytics software leader FICO.
This, despite nearly nine in ten banks in the Asia-Pacific region using predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs to some degree.
“Consumers now expect the same level of personalization from their banks as they do from Netflix and Amazon,” said Dattu Kompella, managing director in Asia Pacific for FICO, “With most banks still struggling to meet these expectations, those that succeed will gain a decisive edge in a market where customer experience is the ultimate differentiator.”
The poll highlights key barriers to achieving “segment of one” customer experiences. Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of respondents acknowledged their banks’ communication channels remain siloed or only partially integrated, preventing seamless customer engagement.
Meanwhile, automation adoption remains uneven. Half of the executives said their organizations had automated no more than half of their customer-facing decisions, including credit approvals, fraud alerts, and personalized offers, hindering personalization efforts.
UNDERUTILIZED PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS The findings also revealed that banks’ use of real-time data and advanced analytics is still in its early stages. While 43 percent of executives said they leverage real-time data significantly or fully for customer insights in areas such as fraud detection and service, most remain at minimal or moderate adoption.
Similarly, just 37 percent reported extensively or fully predictive use of analytics, underscoring that while adoption is broad, maturity remains limited.
Banks can only achieve hyper-personalization by unifying data and decisioning across the customer lifecycle. “Every interaction, whether it’s a declined offer, a payment pattern, or a service request, contains valuable insight,” Kompella said.
“By consolidating activities, behaviors, and preferences into a single decisioning platform, banks can act on insights in real-time, driving deeper engagement and loyalty. FICO Platform uses applied intelligence to harness these signals, enabling banks to anticipate customer needs and deliver the right action at the right moment,” he added.
The poll was conducted in November 2024 during FICO’s Platform Experience event in Singapore, capturing insights from more than 30 senior executives and C-suite leaders from leading banks across the Asia-Pacific region.
FAR FROM WHAT the public perception that the administration is trying to impute, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not even close to be considered as a graftbuster, even after creating an independent commission to investigate massive corruption in the government.
According to Ibon Foundation’s Sonny Africa, the President’s anti-graft drive is basically designed to tighten political control.
“Selective, performative and designed to tighten political control, that’s what it is” said Africa even as insisted that Marcos is no anti-corruption hero amid social media flicks that tend to credit the President for opening the can of worms to the public in his latest State of the Nation Address.
“The President feigns surprise at the extent of corruption, while he has always been complicit in making the pork flow” by affixing his signature in the 2025 General Appropriations Act deemed marred with contentious insertions for flood control projects, while removing and reducing those for health and education.
KING OF PORK
Africa was quoted by Bilyonaryo as saying that “ If anything, there is much reason to believe that the president is the King of Pork” citing Marcos’ approval of P987 billion in flood-control pork from 2023 to 2025, on top of P6 trillion in infrastructure funds and P16 billion in confidential and intelligence funds for the Palace since 2022.
Africa dismissed Malacañang’s headline stunts —from the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website to the no-flood-control-budget stunt in 2026—as “calculated blindness.”
“Its most compelling motivation is not to truly eradicate corruption but to gain legitimacy, discipline belligerent allies and opponents, and tighten its systems of patronage and control,” he said.
He warned that Marcos’ campaign spares allies while keeping watchdogs weak.
“Intentionally weak capacity is the most potent enabler of corruption,” Africa said, citing the Commission on Audit, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Election and the Civil Service Commission, Bilyonaryo reported.
FULL DISCLOSURE
He dared Marcos to give the public full, permanent online access to Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), Statement of Campaign Expenses (SOCE), budget documents, congressional insertions, bid results, joint-venture contracts, inspection reports, and COA audits to prove his sincerity in fighting corruption.
“A simple test of any administration’s anti-corruption sincerity is the extent to which it will trust the public and media with information that helps expose corruption,” Africa said.
He said the president controls all pork barrels, with the executive drafting the National Expenditure Program that Congress later passes as the General Appropriations Act.
Ibon also noted that Malacañang has its own pork barrel in the form of confidential and intelligence funds, amounting to P16 billion from the second half of 2022 to 2025 and another P4.6 billion proposed for 2026.
NO BIG FISHES
Former Senate President Franklin Drilon, who joined the Trillion Peso March Against Corruption on Sunday at the EDSA People Power Monument said corruption has been tolerated by all the presidents of the country since Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
“There were investigations, they were exposed for their involvement or toleration of such anomalies, but not one big fish ended up in jail. No one fears the rule of law. This is why corruption became bolder and more pervasive and systemic,” Drilon said.
This report would no longer touch on Marcos Sr.’s time as the Martial Law regime provided the climate for massive corruption, nepotism, cronyism and human rights and human property violations.
Corruption has persisted in varying degrees of scandal and public response.
ONE AFTER ANOTHER
Corazon c. Aquino (1986-1992) — Topping the issues during her incumbency include cronyism, the looting by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (which she created) that delivered only a fraction of what it recovered in Marcos Sr.’s plunder of $5 to $10 billion; the contentious Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program that enabled the Cojuangcos to retain control over landholdings like Hacienda Luisita.
Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998) – He prioritized liberalization and infrastructure development but had issues like the PEA-Amari deal, a land reclamation project, was flagged for irregularities, with allegations of kickbacks and overpricing; cronies in privatization deals such as the sale of government owned enterprises, though no major convictions materialized.
Joseph Estrada (1998-2001) – His presidency was one of the most infamous for graft. Issues that hounded and caused his ouster were: plunder where he was convicted (a rarity) in 2007 for amassing over P700 million through jueteng (illegal gambling) kickbacks, misuse of public funds, and shady business deals; his diverting tobacco excise taxes and receiving payoffs from illegal gambling operators; cronyism with allies appointed to key positions and benefitting from government contracts. He was later pardoned by his successor, Gloria Arroyo.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010) – GMA faced numerous corruption scandals though she avoided conviction due to political influence. Issues against her: vote rigging in the 2004 election with the “Hello Garci” (Comelec chair Virgilio Garcillano) wiretapping controversy; the $329-M NBN-ZTE broadband project with a Chinese firm that got bloated with inflated costs and kickbacks, which was later cancelled; the P728-M fertilizer fund scam that was diverted to Arroyo’s 2004 campaign; her allies in Congress and local governments were accused of protecting her from accountability, perpetuating a culture of impunity.
Benigno Aquino III (2010–2016) – Though his administration made headway in transparency, it was not free from controversies like the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or “pork barrel” scandal, uncovered in 2013, where billions in discretionary funds landed in fake NGOs via Janet Lim-Napoles (the SC later outlawed PDAF and other forms of pork barrel). The PDAF scandal eroded public confidence but his administration prosecuted high profile figures, which his critics were selectively targeted.
Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022) – He was hated for his brutal war on drugs and extra judicial killings. Aside from that, issues that hounded him were: the P8.7-B Pharmally scandal involving overpriced COVID-19 medical supplies with contracts awarded to allies like Michael Yang. No major convictions had happened; favoritism in infrastructure projects, particularly those tied to Chinese loans under the “Build, Build, Build” program, raised concerns about transparency and debt traps; Duterte shielded allies while targeting opponents, undermining institutional accountability in his anti corruption drive. Duterte’s populist style and strongman image deflected some corruption scrutiny, but public frustration grew over mismanagement during the pandemic. Lack of transparency led to perception of his administration’s entrenched corruption and impunity.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (2022–present) – This son of the exiled dictator is facing intense scrutiny and public outrage over the 2025 budget insertions for flood control projects, many of them ghost of non-existent but paid for in full; incomplete and substandard. It is reported that 60 percent of funds were lost to corruption by politicians in cahoots with select private contractors. He established the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to probe corruption in flood control projects spanning his and prior administrations. But the people who staged the Trillion People Rally Against Corruption on Sept. 21 coinciding with the 53rd anniversary of his father’s Martial Law distrust ongoing probes due to perceived conflicts of interest with some of those implicated said to be his allies.
Systemic Corruption persists because of patronage politics and cronyism. Add to that is the bolder dynastic rule in most areas of the country.
Corruption since Marcos Sr. has consistently undermined development resulting in $26 billion debt to modern infrastructure failures, exacerbating poverty and inequality.
FOLLOWING THE ARREST of over a hundred demonstrators, the police blamed “masked infiltrators” for the violent clash and dispersal of the protest rally in Manila on Sunday, September 21.
The Manila Police District (MPD) however did not make any categorical statement as to the group affiliation of the arrested individuals.
Citing its own data, MPD chief Brig. Gen. Arnold Abad said that the clash injured around 100 anti-riot cops, even as he claimed that 113 protesters — including 48 minors, were arrested.
In a statement, Abad blamed “masked infiltrators” masquerading as demonstrators, adding that the police were only trying to pacify the rude behavior of the “rallyists.”
Manila top cop claimed protesters arrested in Mendiola threw Molotov bombs, disrupting nearby activities and prompted immediate coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection to secure the area.
He likewise accused “masked infiltrators” of swooping down, robbing, burning business establishments and damaging government properties.
NOT AMONG US
Soon after the violent incident, pro-Duterte organizers distanced themselves from the deadly riots, while Manila Mayor Isko Moreno pinned the blame on a Filipino-Chinese personality, a politician, and a lawyer.
The simultaneous protest actions in Luneta Park and Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, as well as those at People Power Monument and in front of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, were relatively peaceful.
But on Sunday afternoon, black-clad and ski mask-wearing rioters first clashed with police officers at Ayala Bridge in Manila, where they set on fire a trailer truck, a motorcycle, and tires while hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at policemen.
CHAOS UNCALLED FOR
In a separate statement, organizations forming part of a coalition condemned “paid anarchists” behind the violent clash coinciding with the Manila demonstration against corruption.
Forming part of the coalition are Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement.
The coalition’s chairman Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia revealed that what had happened was what he had feared and warned against: “a twisted agenda of paid anarchists, not the voice of the people.”
Goitia enthused that what was meant to be a peaceful rally was hijacked by masked agitators who threw rocks, bottles and even incendiary devices at the police. For him, these weren’t acts of protest but deliberate crimes.
“These are not reformers but hired agitators. Their real purpose is not justice but to bring down a sitting President. But yesterday, their plans went up in smoke.”
CORRUPTION IN THE government is massive, systemic, and contagious. But for the Department of Education (DepEd), compromising the future of the younger generation is totally unacceptable.
Taking cue on the administration’s effort to cleanse the government of crooks, Education Secretary Sonny Angara finds it rather imperative to keep the agency away from what looks more like an extremely contagious culture of corruption.
To start with, Angara ordered a thorough audit on all infrastructure projects — including school buildings, implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for DepEd
USELESS BUILDINGS
Angara particularly cited an initial figure — some 1,000 classrooms which to date have yet to serve its purpose, to address the huge gap between the rapidly growing student population and classrooms in public schools across the country.
According to the Education chief, the DPWH-made classrooms remain unusable — either substandard of uncompleted, to date.
In a recent radio interview, Angara cited the urgent need for an audit of classrooms built by DPWH amid investigations (by both Congress and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure) into trillions lost through flood control projects that were either not completed, substandard, or worse non-existent (ghost project).
NO GHOSTS FOR NOW
Previously, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hopped from one Bulacan town to another for ocular inspections from where DPWH flood control projects of inferior quality were discovered.
In some instances, Marcos found no trace of work at all, despite certifications that the projects were 100 percent completed — and fully paid by the national government.
Angara said: “We are seeing incomplete (classroom projects). It’s not totally a ghost, but the classrooms are not finished… It’s not being used because the classroom is not fully completed,” Angara said, noting that some of the classrooms which were turned over have remained “bare” and don’t have electricity.
ORDERS FULL REPORT
He however clarified that his agency is still in the process of verifying whether the more than 1,000 incomplete classrooms were fully paid for, adding that he has ordered all concerned officials to submit reports on ghost or unfinished school buildings.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Aurelio Paulo Bartolome for human resources and education facilities, said in a memorandum dated Sept. 12 all regional directors, school division superintendents and public school district supervisors were instructed to submit reports on incomplete school buildings.
“In light of recent reports on ghost or uncompleted school buildings, the DepEd Central Office reminds all field offices of their responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in school infrastructure projects,” Bartolome said.
CORRECTIVE ACTION
He added that officials must identify irregularities and flag anomalous cases such as prolonged stoppages, incomplete delivery or structural defects.
“The consolidated reports shall be used by the central office to pursue corrective action, demand accountability and ensure learners receive safe and functional classrooms.”
“Every classroom we add brings hope and opportunity to learners. But delays in construction means children wait longer than they should,” Angara said in a statement.
“That is why we are looking for ways to build faster and smarter, with partners who are closest to the ground,” he added.
DEVOLVING THE TASK
Under the current setup, the DPWH is mandated to implement the construction of classrooms.
However, Angara finds it prudent to seriously consider transferring the responsibility to the local government units (LGUs), who he claimed are in the better position to identify sites, ensure completion and check on the quality of infrastructure.
The idea, he added, would hasten the national government’s bid to address the 165,000 classroom shortage in the country.
“It would be better if the LGU will do it because we can see that the construction of school buildings has slowed down in the last few decades because the DPWH is doing a lot and it’s not a priority to build classrooms. There are a lot of local government units in the cities, provinces that have the capacity and can also give funds,” Angara was quoted as saying in a PNA report.
COST-EFFICIENT TOO
Angara likewise took note of the cheaper construction cost of school buildings initiated by the private sector and civil society groups.
“Civil society groups and private organizations often build cheaper classrooms, sometimes with free labor,” he further said, even as he floated the idea of tapping them as “partners.”
Data gathered by The PH Insider showed that the standard cost of constructing a single classroom is pegged at P2.5 million to P3.7 million.
Despite a backlog of more than 165,000 classrooms nationwide, Angara said the DepEd can only build about 4,000 new classrooms this year — “If we don’t change our system, we won’t be able to solve it. Classroom backlogs will increase.”
For the next calendar year, the education chief said that the agency would ask Congress to fund the completion of classrooms turned over by the DPWH.
BUDGET REALIGNMENT
The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) recently backed the move to realign the budget for flood control projects to the education sector.
In a statement, COCOPEA chairperson Betty Cernol-McCann said the education sector’s urgent needs are being sidelined as government funds are diverted to other interests, Inquirer said.
“We urge the government to swiftly reallocate funds for public works to increase education budgets for scholarships, student and teacher subsidy programs and provide essential support to strengthen both public and private education,” it added.
On top of DepEd’s proposed P928.52-billion allocation for 2026, Angara recently urged Congress to realign the flood control budget and approve an additional P134.5 billion.
SELECTIVE DEVOLUTION
Angara also disclosed that DepEd is seeking “flexibility” through the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), subject to Congress’ approval, “so that LGUs and other partners may be engaged more directly in building classrooms.”
However, the secretary acknowledged that each LGU differs in capacity, with some having the technical expertise, financial resources and governance structures to move projects quickly, while others would need assistance.
Without delving into details, Angara seemed to be referring to Metro Manila cities operating on a 2025 budget as high as P49 billion.
ACCREDITATION SYSTEM
To address the predicament, Angara said DepEd is considering mechanisms such as an accreditation system to match responsibilities with readiness, as well as possible support windows for low-income LGUs through technical assistance, co-financing or clustering.
He clarified that the DPWH’s involvement in school infrastructure would remain an option where needed.
Angara stressed that addressing classroom shortages will require unity across sectors and levels of government.
“Our goal is simple: Every Filipino child deserves a safe and decent classroom. We may not get there overnight, but by working together and exploring new ways forward, we can move closer to that future,” quipped.
NOT EVEN INCLEMENT weather can stop the Trillion Peso March that would see droves filling up Luneta Park in Manila and the People Power Monument along EDSA.
According to Kiko Aquino-Dee in his capacity as co-convenor of Tindig Pilipinas, at least 40,000 extremely disappointed Filipinos are expected to join the simultaneous protect rallies against systemic corruption in the government.
Aquino-Dee said the anti-corruption protests will push through ‘rain or shine’ even as he claimed that proper coordination has already been made and arranged with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other government agencies if only to ensure peaceful and orderly demonstrations.
By his own volition, a huge chunk of participants are first time protesters.
AGAINST CORRUPTION
Aquino-Dee enthused that the protest holds symbolic historical significance as it coincides with the anniversary of the Martial Law that was declared in 1972 by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Interestingly, Marcos Sr. is the father of the sitting President Ferdinand Jr., while Dee is the grandson of the former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, whose assassination in August 1983 triggered the historic EDSA People Power.
He however clarified that the activity is not intended to call for the impeachment or resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but to call for accountability over the flood control scandal.
RESIGNATION CALLS
Speculations have swirled about the possible calls for Marcos Jr.’s impeachment, but the Trillion Peso March co-convenor emphasized that the Tindig Coalition’s immediate concern was to exact accountability on those who had benefited from the multibillion-peso flood control racket.
“We haven’t agreed on calls for impeachment. The priority is that no politician or administration should escape investigation into the flood control anomalies,” he asserted.
In agreement, civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio ‘Ka Pep’ Goitia voiced out his full and unwavering support for President Marcos Jr.’s intensified campaign against corruption, emphasizing that this is not merely a political agenda but a moral and national duty.
PARALLEL POSITION
The chairman emeritus of the Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement cited that “the call of President Marcos to end corruption is not just about punishing wrongdoers but rather concerns the restoration of the dignity of our people and ensuring that every peso of public funds serves the Filipino nation.”
“This (goal) takes on even greater significance as the September Twenty-One People’s Movement Against Corruption prepares to hold an anti-corruption peace rally along Morayta and proceed towards Mendiola—a historic route of people’s struggles and victories,” he pointed out.
Organizers emphasize that the rally aims to support PBBM’s leadership in combating corruption and to hold accountable all those responsible for failed and ‘ghost’ flood control projects that have wasted public funds and betrayed public trust.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
“Flood control projects that exist only on paper, padded contracts, and politicians enriching themselves at the expense of the people are unacceptable. The people have had enough. This movement shows that Filipinos are united in saying: tama na, sobra na, laban na!” Goitia stressed.
He underscored that President Marcos Jr.’s leadership is crucial in dismantling systemic corruption, which has for decades hindered national progress.
“We stand with PBBM because this fight is for every Filipino worker, farmer, and fisherman whose sweat builds this nation. Supporting the President means supporting a future where our children will grow up in a country where leaders are accountable and resources are not stolen but invested in development,” he said.
NEED MORE JOINERS
In closing, Chairman Goitia called on all Filipinos to join this movement of hope and action, emphasizing that “the September 21 rally is more than an event but a declaration of solidarity that tells the corrupt have no place in government and in society.
“Wala na kayong puwang sa bagong Pilipinas. We will no longer allow betrayal of public trust. Together with PBBM, we will reclaim our institutions and rebuild the people’s faith in government,” he concluded.
LONG REGARDED AS king maker — and in the case of former President Joseph Estrada, the king breaker — Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson, who came from a long line of bitterly-feuding clan in ILocos Sur, is now again testing his powers to break incumbent President Bongbong Marcos Jr. by calling on students to shout his resignation in tomorrow’s Trillion March rally at the Luneta.
For one, his political relevance has already been significantly reduced – until in 2022, he endorsed the political union of Marcos and the embattled yet combative Vice President Sara Duterte. Prior to that, his last attempt at fame was in December 2021 when media played up on his cash-loaded gun toting gimmick to attract people’s attention.
He is calling for Marcos Jr.’s resignation because he blames the chief executive for being part of the anomalous budget process (as the final signatory) for 2025, which has been described as the most corrupt budget in Philippine history. (He is right in this aspect, though).
PUBLIC OUTRAGE
The flood control mess has so angered the citizenry that from Manila to the Visayas and Mindanao, rallies against corruption and calls for transparency and accountability are being held by multi-sectoral groups, including students (high school and college).
He held a press conference on Friday to express his indignation over government anomalies, particularly billions of pesos into flood control projects as he urged the youth to stand up by skipping classes until corrupt officials and corruption in government are annihilated.
A former ally turned critic of Marcos Jr., he called on parents including the military and the police to let their children participate in street rallies and lead the “revolution against corruption.” He, however, expressed concern that the rally might turn ugly.
BUSINESS & POLITICS
Ilocos Sur, long the stronghold of the Chavits and Crisologo clans, have been under their clutches (for five decades), including those aspiring or incumbent politicians. Of course, in exchange for the family’s patronage, economic power and contracts are naturally paid generously, even without their asking.
The family company– Satrap Construction, majority owned by Chavit’s daughter (Regina S. Lim) and son-in-law (Wilbert Lim) has had over P2 billion worth of infrastructure projects in Ilocos Sur in the past decade, reported Rappler.
“My father was an engineer, a contractor. I tagged along as a child, I was a timekeeper. We invested blood and sweat into that company. That’s our family’s business. But inspect all of Satrap’s projects. If there’s corruption, I would go to jail,” he dared.
BILLIONS IN CONTRACT
From 2016 to 2025, Satrap cornered P2.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects located in Ilocos Sur, DPWH data showed. These are DPWH-awarded contracts.
On the national scale, Satrap notched infrastructure projects across the country amounting to a whopping P2.7 billion sprawling 2016 to 2025. Most of the contracts were infrastructure projects in Ilocos Sur.
Of those projects, two were flood control programs, both awarded in 2023, worth a combined cost amounting to P87 million. One is in Sta. Catalina town, the other is in San Ildefonso.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
While criticizing those government officials with companies doing business with DPWH for their lack of delicadeza, Satrap was guilty of the same arrangement. Singsons held offices while the family owned Satrap.
Chavit’s son Ryan Luis, was governor from 2013 to 2022 and Chavit’s brother Jerry has been governor since 2022 to present. Ryan and Jerry just switched roles, the Rappler report said.
In Congress, where members are prohibited to “directly or indirectly be interested financially in any contract with government,” Regina’s brother Ronald Singson has been serving as Ilocos Sur 1st District representative from 2013-2016, 2022-2025, and 2025-present.
Their relatives Eric Singson and Kristine Singson-Meehan are taking turns in the province’s second congressional district since 2013.
NO CONFLICT AT ALL
Chavit claimed that Satrap’s government projects were run by owners who were not sitting public officials.
“Conflict of interest kung may sarili silang construction,” Chavit stressed.
Section 3 of the anti-graft law prohibits public officials from “directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or transaction in connection with which he intervenes or takes part in his official capacity.”
The Ilocos Sur kingpin, who held the position of provincial governor until 2013insisted that he has already divested his business interest in the company.
PARTAS BUS LINE
Satrap, read backwards, is Partas — Chavit’s bus line. On the website of his LCS Group of Companies, the declared company is the Satrap Mining Corp. headed by another son Randy Singson, current mayor of Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Rappler said.
Chavit called the presscon to criticize the government of his former ally, Bongbong, as he was dissatisfied with the current investigation into flood control anomalies.
Chavit said Marcos must first look in his backyard, or Ilocos Norte, citing Rappler’s report that the biggest contractors there are the Discayas and the company of Laoag City Mayor Bryan Alcid, a Marcos ally.
“How can he not know when this is his province, how could we believe the President? He said, “‘mahiya naman kayo” when he should have said, “We should be ashamed of ourselves,” because the Discayas are their contractors.
At the presscon, he did not say that he was calling for Marcos’ overthrow, but in videos posted online, he blatantly asked for Marcos to resign.
CHAVIT’S PENCHANT
After his second failed union THAT ended with Chavit beating up his common-law wife with whom he had five children, he introduced in 2012, Josephine Pintor, then 14 years old or 44 years younger than him, as his partner. His youngest child, a 5-year old girl, was introduced to the public in an online show at Facebook Live.
His hobby is trophy hunting, which is why he established the Baluarte Zoo in Vigan after his game collection grew large. He keeps taxidermized remains of some of the animals he hunted at the Safari Gallery in Baluarte. In September 2024, Singson underwent stem cell therapy in Japan.
One of his sons girlfriend is Kitty Duterte (the former president’s daughter by his common-law wife, Honeylet Avancena), which apparently is why he went all out in supporting Sara’s candidacy in 2022 and which he might now be using as a stepping stone to fame or notoriety in 2028.
PEOPLE BEHIND THE Department of Agriculture (DA) are not taking chances in view of the overwhelming evidence hounding an agency in charge of undertaking infrastructure projects — like roads intended for farmers.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, he has already signed an order for a comprehensive audit of farm-to-markets road projects that the DPWH bidded out covering 2021 until 2025.
“With what is happening now in flood control projects, I ordered an audit of all FMR projects from 2021 to 2025. If there are any issues in these agricultural road projects, I will have to report that to President Marcos,” Laurel said.
The audit, he added, is meant to ensure farm-to-market roads serve its purpose — “linking farmers to markets, rather than becoming farm-to-pocket projects,” reads part of a statement issued by the agriculture department.
SINAG BACKS UP LAUREL
The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) backed the initiative, even as the group described such an order as a crucial step to protect public funds and ensure accountability.
“The SINAG supports the initiative of DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel to audit all farm-to-market road (FMR) projects,” Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said in a separate statement.
As of July, the DPWH has completed 70,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads across the country.
This leaves around 61,000 km in backlogs or pending validation out of the 131,000 km target under the government’s roadmap.
Under the scheme, the DA identifies and validates road projects, while the DPWH handles bidding and construction.
UPHOLD ACCOUNTABILITY
Cainglet also urged the government to prosecute those behind irregular projects and return the funds allegedly misused.
“Today, we are witnessing yet another massive scheme: the flood control and public infrastructure kleptocracy —a racket of unprecedented scale and brazenness,” he averred.
Cainglet also lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s political will in exposing alleged infrastructure abuses and creating mechanisms for investigation.
“These roads are meant to connect production areas to markets,” Laurel further said, adding that the audit would have been completed before the year ends.
DA’S FUND ALLOCATION
Of the P56 billion budget DA sought for farm-to-market roads, only P16 billion had been earmarked.
The government targets to complete a 131,000-kilometer road network, of which 70,000 kilometers have been built, leaving 61,000 kilometers pending validation.
Laurel urged lawmakers to align site selection with agricultural priorities and recommended narrower 3-meter roads with shoulders every 300 meters to reduce costs and expand coverage.
“We must make sure they are done properly, that taxpayers’ money was spent to provide farmers with market access and not squandered for farm-to-pocket projects,” he added.
ALLOWING TWO SENATORS whose names have been dragged into the anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan, to sit and participate during the congressional inquiry does not necessarily mean they’re off the hook.
According to Senator Panfilo Lacson, in his capacity as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva have not been cleared on budget insertion issues amid the probe into anomalous flood control projects.
In a reply to a social media post, Lacson clarified that allowing the two senators to face their accusers is not in any way an indication that they’re off the hook.
“By any measure, Senators Villanueva and Estrada have not been cleared, at least on the issue of budget insertions involving infrastructure projects in Bulacan worth P600M and P355M respectively, as alleged by Engr. Brice Hernandez,” Lacson said.
P600M IN 2023
During the Senate hearing, Lacson confirmed that there were indeed two insertions found under the category of Unprogrammed Fund in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) — P600 million supposedly for flood control projects in Bulacan earlier linked to Villanueva.
While Villanueva had denied the allegation, documents provided by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed an entry amounting to P600.
According to Hernandez, Villanueva’s alleged flood control projects came from unprogrammed funds in the 2023 GAA.
“There are seven to eight items worth P75 million each, exactly P600 million,” Lacson said.
P355M IN 2025
Aside from the whopping P600 million under the 2023 unprogrammed funds, Lacson also claimed to have found P355 million inserted in the regular budget of the 2025 GAA.
Hernandez said that the P355 million in infrastructure projects that was used by the DPWH Bulacan First Engineering Office came from Estrada. The senator however denied Hernandez’s claim.
To prove innocence, both Villanueva and Estrada said they’re willing to sign waivers to have their bank accounts opened to scrutiny amid the investigation.
AS THE NEWLY-formed Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) officially begins its investigation into anomalous flood control programs, the Ombudsman finds it rather imperative to impose a six-month preventive suspension on 16 other personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In an order signed by acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas, all 16 suspended personnel are assigned at the the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Engineering Office in Bulacan where the bulk of the so-called ghost projects were discovered.
The Ombudsman said that the suspension order, which took effect yesterday (September 18) was issued to prevent the concerned personnel from altering evidence or exerting influence over the ongoing investigation.
It is also meant to safeguard public records and ensure that accountability measures can proceed without obstruction.
ZEROING ON BULACAN
Slapped with preventive suspension include heads and officers-in-charge of the Construction Section, Planning and Design Section, Maintenance Section, Quality Section, Maintenance Section, Administrative Section, Budget Unit, Procurement Unit, cashier, project engineers, and engineer.
Prior to the issuance of the preventive suspension order by the Ombudsman, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon formally filed criminal complaints against top officials of the DPWH Bulacan First Engineering District Office.
Named respondents were former Bulacan 1st district engineer Henry Alcantara, assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, Construction Section chief Jaypee Mendoza, and chief accountant Juanito Mendoza.
In a memorandum dated September 19, Dizon ordered the immediate implementation of the Ombudsman decision.
NO MORE FILING
The DPWH secretary earlier told members of the Senate during a congressional inquiry that the agency would file at least one corruption case every week as the ICI intensifies its probe on alleged anomalous flood control projects.
Dizon however changed his game plan, even as he hinted at limiting DPWH actions to collating evidence for submission to the ICI for proper legal disposition.
Dizon clarified that while the DPWH previously filed complaints directly with the Office of the Ombudsman, the ICI—constituted under an executive order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.— will now file all future cases.
“From now on, the ICI will file the cases with the Ombudsman or the courts,” he was quoted as saying during the senate hearing.
COA FRAUD AUDIT
Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba likewise endorsed additional fraud audit reports in relation to flood control projects located in the municipalities of Plaridel, Pandi, and Bocaue.
The flood control projects, which are in question, were being tagged as ghost or graft-ridden projects, either through the lack of necessary supporting documents, non-existence of any civil works, discrepancy in the pinpointed location and even flawed approved bid plans.
These projects, Cordoba noted, have been allocated with a total cost of P389.6 million.
WITH HIS SPARRING partner no longer at the helm of the chamber, Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co faces the possibility of being expelled from the roster of legislators under the House of Representatives.
To start with, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III revoked his travel clearance if only to compel the partylist congressman to return amid allegations in connection with the anomalous flood control projects.
In a letter dated September 18, Dy ordered Co to fly back to the Philippines within 10 days after receipt of the notice.
“Please be advised that your existing Travel Clearance for your personal trip is hereby revoked effective immediately,” part of the notice reads.
“This revocation is issued in the paramount interest of the public and due to the existence of pressing national matters requiring your physical presence,” it added.
According to Dy, Co’s immediate return is “necessary to address pressing matters with urgency”.
“Failure to comply with this directive within the prescribed period shall be construed as a refusal to subject yourself to the lawful processes of the House of Representatives and may result in the initiation of appropriate disciplinary and legal actions.
Under the rules of the House of Representatives, defiance may result in suspension or expulsion as to what happened to dismissed Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. who is facing multiple criminal charges including murder, illegal possession of firearms, and terrorism.
Co’s travel clearance was issued by former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. He flew to the United States for “medical treatment.”
SENDING crooks to jail may not be enough to appease an extremely angry nation suffering from poverty, hunger and uncertainty. What the people want is to recover what has been lost in the systemic corruption in the government.
No less than Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has admitted during the Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry that losses from anomalous flood control projects could reach up to the trillions of pesos
Yes, we’re not just talking about tens of billions. The amount lost through ghost infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) alone could go beyond trillions.
That’s how systemic corruption is in a country predominantly ruled by descendants of political dynasties.
The creation of an independent commission (by virtue of an executive order) to look into flood control projects spanning the last 10 years sounds good, or so I thought.
The scale of anomalies uncovered so far includes both ghost projects and substandard construction certified as completed.
But by the time the investigation is over, the main characters behind the dubious scheme may have already escaped or gone into hiding, with their loot secured elsewhere — just like what “William Saunders” did before being exiled in Hawaii 39 years ago.
Congressman Zaldy Co has left the country. DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo is on “medical leave” — and has yet to surface in the congressional hearings.
While charges have already been filed by the DPWH against some of its officials, these people are no more than minions.
The main characters behind the fund mess remain in power and in possession of the public funds they earned through illegal means.
If President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is serious enough in what he claims is a crusade against corruption, then he should consider working on the idea of freezing the assets of the government officials — including congressmen whose names have been dragged into what looks more like the worst corruption in the history of our country.
Under the Philippine Competition Act, private contractors involved in bid rigging could be slapped with fines ranging from P100 million to P250 million per offense. With the volume of flood control projects during the last 10 years, the government would be able to recover a small portion of what has been lost.
But wait… from what I heard, Zaldy Co’s “partner” at the House of Representatives has already secured his illegally-amassed wealth (including his jet and 12 mansions inside the exclusive villages in Makati City) and is planning on leaving the country soon.
DISCAYA COUPLE’S PENCHANT in collecting extremely expensive cars is no match to somebody else’s hobby — collecting mansions in a singular posh subdivision in Makati City.
According to posts spreading like fire on social media, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez owns not one or two — but 12 mansions at the Forbes Park, a place exclusively for the the richest and the famous.
Proof of such “exclusivity” is the high level of security requiring each and every individual to undergo the strictest screening — proof of identification, interrogation and verification of the village resident that visitors wish to see.
Despite high-level security at Forbes Park, one of the 12 mansions reportedly owned by Romualdez was captured on camera — reinforced with an additional layer of fence in what many believed as an effort to secure the property of the former House Speaker from being vandalized or attacked by an angry mob over allegations of corruption hurled against members of the House of Representatives.
Romualdez was among those being dragged into the flood control scandal.
The huge house is located on McKinley Road, approximately four kilometers away from Luneta Park, where the so-called ‘Trillion Peso March’ is set to take place, on September 21 coinciding with the 53rd anniversary of the martial law declaration.
Tens of thousands are expected to join the grand protest rally to demand accountability of government officials — elected and appointive alike, behind the anomalies at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
There are also rumors of an imminent military participation.
PROTECTING WHAT IS left of the environment is a must, but identifying who should protect it is another thing.
In an apparent display of rage, civic leader Dr. Joe Antonio Giotia warded off claims made by China whom he accused of masquerading as environment warriors even as he cited documented evidence pointing to China as the culprit behind the destruction of the disputed maritime region.
“The sea (West Philippine Sea) cannot be guarded by those behind its destruction,” said an obviously pissed off Goitia following reports on China’s claim that they have established the area surrounding Bajo de Masinloc as a ‘nature reserve’.
AÑO REBUKES CHINA
No less than national security adviser Secretary Eduardo Año issued a sharp rebuke to the latest development inside the 200-nautical mile Philippine exclusive economic zone referred to as the West Philippine Sea.
According to Año, such a claim is in direct violation of Philippine sovereignty as the area is an integral part of the country’s territories.
Moreover, the vast expanse of sea has been threatened with complete destruction and its marine resources lost due to the incessant activities of Chinese vessels conducting regular fishing expeditions and mineral extraction in Bajo de Masinloc.
“The irony is clear, since 2016, evidence has shown large-scale harvesting of endangered species and reef destruction by Chinese fishermen, activities even cited by the (international) arbitral tribunal,” he added.
“To now claim stewardship over an ecosystem that they themselves have damaged is both contradictory and misleading.”
EXTREME HYPOCRISY
Dr. Goitia, chairman emeritus of the Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement, echoed the national security adviser’s warning, stressing that “how can those who ravaged the reef now call themselves its protectors?”
“[This] is hypocrisy to the highest order and worse, their actions are not just destroying corals or fish, they are destroying Filipino lives, our very ability to put food on the table,” he enthused.
“Go to Subic and you will see the truth. Boats left to rot on the shore, fathers taking odd jobs in construction, families abandoning a tradition that has sustained them for generations. These are not isolated cases. They are the human cost of China’s aggression and environmental destruction,” he added.
WANTON DISREGARD
Developments in the contested area have further highlighted the contradictions as confrontations between Chinese patrol and fishing vessels and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and local fishermen continue to escalate.
On Tuesday, September 16, a new maritime encounter unfolded after Philippine and Chinese ships reportedly collided near Bajo de Masinloc. Beijing accused Manila of “provocative acts,” but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and PCG denounced China’s so-called “regulatory measures” as illegal harassment within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Reports also confirmed that even a humanitarian mission to deliver fuel and provisions to Filipino fishermen faced aggressive actions from nine Chinese vessels.
“China’s claim of establishing a ‘nature reserve’ is a contrived legal excuse. By invoking the language of conservation, Beijing is trying to mask its true intent, to justify the deployment not only of coast guard ships but even warships, and to tighten its grip on waters that are rightfully within our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Goitia averred.
MORE HARASSMENT
Cordoning Bajo de Masinloc, he added, would result in more incidents of harassment among fishermen and government vessels, even as he insisted that such an act constitutes violation of international laws.
The civic leader stressed that such actions by China cannot overturn the 2016 Arbitral Award or the ruling of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that favors Philippine claims in the disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“China’s so-called ‘reserve’ is a cover for an unlawful occupation. The world must see through this deception, because it is not about protecting the sea, it is about illegally taking it,” he said.
“This is the clearest proof of China’s duplicity. They speak of reserves and protection, but what they practice is coercion and violence. Even humanitarian missions for our fishermen are not spared from harassment. Every collision, every water cannon, is another nail in the coffin of their false narrative,” he further stated.
CALL FOR ACTION
In the end, Goitia called on both government and civil society to rally behind fishing communities, through urgent measures such as fuel subsidies, modernized boats and guaranteed access to traditional fishing grounds.
But beyond immediate relief, he likewise underscored the need for unity in standing firm against China’s deceptive claims.
“The sea cannot be guarded by those who destroyed it. Only the Filipino fishermen, who have loved, respected, and lived by it, can truly be its stewards. And it is our duty as a nation to defend them,” he repeated to conclude.
