IT DOESN’T PAY to be a liar, especially in the presence of legislators who wield the power to cite anybody in contempt.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee’s “investigations in aid of legislation,” Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya was cited in contempt for covering up his wife Sarah whom he claimed didn’t attend the hearing because of a serious heart condition.
The Senate blue ribbon committee is investigating anomalous government flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a motion put forward by Senator Raffy Tulfo, he urged the committee to cite Curlee Discaya in contempt over claims that his wife skipped the probe due to a “heart condition.”
Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson in his capacity as committee chairman, then read the letter sent by Sarah to the panel. Part of the letter reads “I cannot attend due to a pre-scheduled meeting with my employees, who have been affected by the circumstances.”
“Niloloko mo kami. You lied!” Senator Erwin Tulfo said.
It was then that Curlee Discaya insisted that Sarah, his wife, is also suffering from diabetes and hypertension.
“Marami po siyang maintenance na gamot na ginagamit,” claimed Discaya for which the senators rendered its decision — to issue a contempt citation that would bring Papa Curlee locked up at the Senate detention facility.
RESIGNATION DOES NOT absolve anyone from liabilities, says Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, following the confirmation that Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral is no longer connected with the agency.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, Dizon said that he has already accepted the courtesy resignation of Cabral, whose name forms part of the list implicated in the anomalous flood control projects.
According to Dizon, Cabral submitted her resignation two nights ago.
“I think she wrote a letter, she informed me by a message late last night that she had written to the committee to inform the committee of the acceptance of her courtesy resignation and thus requested not to attend [the hearing],” the DPWH chief said.
“But of course even if she’s now just a private citizen and no longer part of the DPWH, I‘m sure if the committee will require her to attend, she still must attend but now no longer as an official of DPWH but as a private citizen,” he added.
However, former blue ribbon chair Senator Rodante Marcoleta said that resignation from government posts does not excuse anyone from attending the hearing.
“Kahit na mag-resign po siya, it will not matter to us. There are personal questions that we need to ask,” said Marcoleta. Senator Panfilo Lacson, who now serves as blue ribbon chair, supported Marcoleta.
Marcoleta then moved to issue a subpoena against Cabral, which was seconded by Senator Erwin Tulfo. With nobody objecting to the motion, Lacson banged the gavel — “approved.”
Even after Cabral moved to step down from her post, Dizon assured that the DPWH would continue its internal investigation into the questionable flood control projects.
At a hearing of the House committee on public works and highways last week, Cabral confirmed the P51 billion infrastructure projects for the 1st district of Davao City during the last three years of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s term.
Lacson had also said that a staff of Senate President Vicente Sotto III allegedly received a call from Cabral, asking to make an insertion in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Sotto confirmed Lacson’s remarks, saying that someone relayed Cabral’s offer to him.
AFTER BEING DRAGGED into the hundreds of billions worth of corruption scheme, House Speaker Martin Romualdez stepped down to avoid an angry mob wanting to see him behind bars.
Romualdez, whose name has been dropped during the third hearing conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on September 8, made the announcement during a plenary session.
Immediately after stepping down, allies at the lower legislative chamber nominated — and installed Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino Dy III.
For one, the rise of a legislator coming from an entrenched political dynasty from the north is no more than a bid to sway the public to believe that Romualdez is a man of dignity and integrity.
The truth for that matter, Romualdez worked his way to make sure that whoever takes his place would be somebody obedient enough — if not intimidated by the power he wields.
BODGIE THE DYNAST
Rep. Faustino Dy III (nicknamed Bodgie), who rose to become a House Speaker, is part of a well-entrenched political dynasty which has been in control of Isabela for who knows how long.
A member of President Bongbong Marcos’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Dy III has served as a representative for Isabela’s sixth district covering Cauayan City, and the towns of Echague, San Guillermo, and San Isidro.
Dy previously represented Isabela’s third district from 2001 to 2010. In short, he has consumed the three-term limit, for which he chose to swap his district for an eligibility to run for the same position representing another congressional district.
MARTIN’S PROXY?
As a trusted ally of Romualdez, the former Speaker extolled him as Deputy Speaker at the onset of the 20th Congress.
House insiders believe Dy’s rise to speakership does not mean Romualdez is out, even as sources claim that the Isabela congressman is no more than a Romualdez proxy.
Romualdez’s resignation came on the heels of mounting public pressure over his alleged involvement in the flood control scandal. Along with 18 other legislators, Romualdez is being accused of receiving 10 to 25 percent kickbacks from every flood control project awarded to favored private contractors – including firms owned by Curlee and Sarah Discaya.
The Discaya couple is embroiled in allegations of substandard and ghost or non-existent flood mitigation projects. In a sworn affidavit, they claimed that commissions serve as a “condition” to win the contract and collect even before the project shall have been completed, if ever it existed.
MARTIN’S KARMA?
Calls for change in the leadership at the House of Representatives started during the 19th Congress, specifically in the waning months of their term of office.
Romualdez and Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co, were reported to have masterfully altered the National Expenditure Program (NEP) by virtue of budget insertions which were approved and used to fund flood control projects – most of which turned out to be duds.
In an apparent bid to save his ass, Romualdez, who has repeatedly warded off involvement in the budget insertions, was compelled to strip his “partner” Co of appropriations committee chairmanship.
The former House Speaker, to date, maintains innocence — “Wala akong kasalanan. Wala akong tinatago,” reads part of a news article which quoted Romualdez.
BODGIE’S RECORD
A closer look into Bodgie Dy’s record as a legislator doesn’t seem impressive.
His full record of bills filed and authored are mostly concerning the congressional district he represented at the lower legislative chamber.
House Bill No. 4385 (18th Congress): Authored to convert the Arellano to Calanguigan road into a national road (filed September 4, 2019, referred to Public Works)
House Bill No. 3847 (13th Congress): Authored to amend RA 8474 for the conversion of Ilagan into a component city (filed August 2, 2005, left pending).
Co-authorship: Listed among the 80+ co-authors of House Bill No. 5477, establishing Malasakit Centers in all DOH hospitals. This became RA 11463 in December 2019.
No trace of him pushing landmark legislation on the national level. His focus has mostly been on infrastructure and local development projects tied to Isabela.
POLITICAL RECORD
Just like the Romualdezes, the new House Speaker’s family has long been in control of Isabela Province.
Dy for himself has been in politics for more than twenty years. He was elected congressman of Isabela’s third congressional district from 2001 to 2009.
In 2010, he became the provincial governor and at the end of his term, he slid to become the vice governor until 2025.
It was then that he reconsidered a House seat, but this time representing Isabela’s sixth congressional district.
With his family literally in control of Isabela, Bodgie Dy maintained a clean winning column — he never lost an election.
POLITICAL DYNASTY
Through the years, his family name has evolved into what looks more like a “brand” in Isabela. Thanks to the dominance of his father, Faustino Dy Sr. who ruled as Isabela governor for 18 years.
“For nearly 40 years, the Dys have controlled much of the province’s political machinery.
In 2022 alone, 10 Dys and 3 Albanos swept into power—holding congressional seats, mayoralties, board memberships, and other key positions,” reads part of an article posted on Facebook page Morning Coffee Thoughts.
Bodgie now sits as the 6th District Rep. His nephews Michael Faustino Dy and Ian Paul Dy are also in the lower legislative chamber representing the 5th and 3rd District seats.
Other Dys serve as mayors, councilors, and provincial board members.
PLUNDER CASE
Dy’s career isn’t as clean as many thought it was. The article posted on Facebook furthers reads:
In September 2020, former Angadanan Mayor Manuel Siquian filed a plunder case against Dy and 12 other officials over the Ilagan-Divilacan Road Project.
The 82-kilometer road was funded with a P1.5 billion loan secured from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
The allegations include “no public bidding, overpricing (P20 million per kilometer vs. the usual P5 million), and unwarranted benefits since the road led to the Dy family’s Honeymoon Island.”
Charges filed — three counts of plunder with conspiracy, graft, and malversation.
The Dy family also faced graft complaints over the alleged illegal acquisition of Honeymoon Island (Stagno Island), declared public domain in 1979. The road project allegedly gave them direct access to it.
FALLEN BRIDGE
In February 2025, the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge collapsed just 26 days after opening. Again, Siquian called for an investigation, linking it to alleged anomalous projects tied to Dy. (With reports from Rose dela Cruz)
THERE’S NO WAY for the government to address legitimate concerns of the Filipino farmers unless agencies in charge of agri trade put an end to “enterprising” smuggling syndicates using somebody else’s importation permits.
Importation permits covering vegetables, grains, fruits, processed food, fish, and frozen meat among others classified under the category of “agriculture products” are issued by the Department of Agriculture.
During a recent senate hearing conducted by the committee on agriculture, Senator Francis Pangilinan himself admitted “extremely shocked” over the revelation of a food delivery rider who claims to have been used as a dummy by a syndicate behind agri-smuggling.
CORPORATE DUMMIES
During the hearing, resource persons hinted at two schemes being used by agricultural smugglers, one of which is to put up and register companies where individuals were spuriously listed as owners.
According to Dexter Jualam, who works as FoodPanda delivery rider, he has nothing to do with the EPCB Consumer Goods Trading where his name appeared as owner.
Worse, Jualam, who lives in Bulacan, on several occasions was made to appear as a consignee of smuggled agricultural products.
In other cases, agri-smugglers are renting importation permits from “smaller” importers who in turn get “commissions,” depending on the volume of agri-imports.
CONSIGNEES-FOR-HIRE
Seemingly convinced by the dubious scheme embarking on the use of dummies, Pangilinan cited the urgent need to address the “enterprising scheme, which according to him preys on hapless farmers and fishermen alike.
Cases of the so-called consignees-for-hire resurfaced during the senate hearing as alleged importers of smuggled agricultural products claimed to have either no knowledge or admitted to leasing out their license for a fee.
He said his uncle, Erwin Pascual, talked to him about being named a consignee. All he remembered was that his uncle took his ID and registered it at the pier, Jualam added, when asked about the real owner of EPCB.
He told Pangilinan he is just a rider for FoodPanda.”
UNLIKELY CAPABLE
For a FoodPanda rider who only gets to earn a minimal amount corresponding to each delivery, there’s no way for Jualam to own EPCB, even as his entire earnings for one year won’t be enough to cover registration fees, business permits and other government requirements.
According to Senator Erwin Tulfo, it is imperative for the Senate to dig deeper if only to uncover the people behind EPCB.
“How can you believe that this is the owner? It’s just like what happened with our flood control cases—random people claiming ownership when they really aren’t the true owners. What’s happening now is a case of misrepresentation,” Tulfo lamented.
LICENSE FOR RENT
In the same hearing, Jovelyn Berches Daria, who initially claimed to own the Berches Consumer Good Trading (BCGT), admitted having a license that she leases out for a fee. Her company was formed two years ago.
BCGT is being dragged into the P59 million worth of shipments seized by the Bureau of Customs in July this year. Misdeclared as “chicken poppers,” authorities discovered the shipment contained carrots and white onions.
Berches-Daria, owner of BCGT, admitted that her company imported 19 containers. She however clarified that the real importer is the group who borrowed her license for a fee.
By her own admission, Birches-Daria gets P500 from the P3,000 to P10,000 in commissions per container — “We just earn a commission. Basically, we’re just renting out our license.”
STARK SIMILARITIES
“So it’s similar to flood control, right? Does that mean you’re not the ones actually paying or importing?” Pangilinan said, which Berches-Daria denied.
She identified one of their brokers as John Cyril Mapa Imperial, but the latter denied knowing BCGT or its owners and employees, saying he was clueless as to why he was in the hearing.
Imperial admitted that he is a broker but for other companies in Metro Manila. “I don’t know why I’m here, Mr. Chair. Actually, I’m supposed to be working right now,” he told the committee.
Birches-Daria’s companion, Brenda de Sagun, who was later called explained that Berches only receives shipments from clients.
“Since we have no shipment, we decided to rent it out,” de Sagun said.
CLOSED SINCE 2024
Meanwhile, the importer named for the BCGT transaction was 1024 Consumer Goods Trading, whose owner denied knowledge of the transactions.
According to Merlin Jacinto, the 1024 Consumer Goods Trading which she admitted owning, has been closed since last year.
Broker Judy Ann Gumban-Jungco also said that she signed documents for three entries under Queenstar Industry Consumer Trading. She said she closed a deal with a certain “Jo Reyes.” The owner of Queenstar also denied involvement in the transactions.
ORGANIZED SYNDICATE
Pangilinan said the testimonies point to an “organized syndicate” running agricultural smuggling operations by exploiting small traders and using rented permits.
As in the case of ghost flood control projects, Pangilinan said operators must be pursued and held accountable.
Pangilinan vowed the Senate would coordinate with the Bureau of Customs, Department of Agriculture (DA) and law enforcement to dismantle the network.
“The people are fed up with corruption and syndicates, so together we must fix this problem of agricultural smuggling,” he concluded.
OVER THE COUNTER
If he had his way, Senator Raffy Tulfo would want to see all officials of the bureaus (under DA) behind the wanton issuance of importation permits.
“Why has the DA been carelessly issuing import permits for all sorts of importation, without any scientific basis for their need,?” an obviously pissed off legislator averred.
He then asked the committee to summon bureaus in charge of issuing permits — including directors whom he claimed would not dare move without concurrence of the “higher ups.” In military parlance, chain of command.
Such vital papers can easily leave their offices– even without being properly recorded in official records– and can be sold to anyone, any company that is willing to put their names and companies (especially new ones) on the line.
And just as easily as these permits can leave the Diliman offices, the commissions earned from such illegal shipments can exchange hands– reaching the top brass– without any paper trail, if paid in cash.
Why zero in on the dummies and those consignees -for- rent? They are just layers of messengers. Go as high up as DA directors, undersecretaries and others for the root cause of their operation.
NOT ONLY DID the billions worth of anomalous flood control projects angered the citizenry, but it also exposed the pervasive conflict of interest that government officials and workers, whose families (extended by marriage or immediate as in by consanguinity) owned companies in business with government.
When someone applies for work in government, questions are asked about if they have relatives or family members working or having business in government and which could affect the integrity of the office or the tasks at hand.
I had worked in several government posts before and I am aware of the questions on nepotism and conflict of interest enshrined in the personnel file.
COMMISSIONER LIPANA
So it is quite surprising to find out that Commissioner Mario Lipana of the Commission on Audit, did not prevent his wife, Marilou Laurio Lipana, from getting nine contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways totalling P326.6 million in 2025.
The act in itself compromised the integrity of the institution mandated to flag anomalies and irregularities to safeguard public interest and taxpayers’ money.
For one, Commissioner Lipana is aware that such falls well within the bounds of Conflict of Interest, a serious infraction under existing laws. It took the congressional hearing on the flood control mess to expose this perversion in public service.
CULPABLE INFRACTION
According to ACT Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, Lipana’s wife, bagged two flood control projects in Bulacan worth P86.8 million and P91.7 million, supposedly completed in 2024, to be certified by dismissed Bulacan First Engineering District chief Henry Alcantara.
Tinio said the Lipana company’s involvement was a clear violation of Article IX, Section 2, of the Constitution, which states no member of a constitutional commission “shall be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any franchise or privilege granted by the Government, any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.”
The militant legislator went as far as demanding Lipana to resign.
SANDRO MARCOS BILL
Presidential son, Sandro Marcos, House Majority Leader, filed HB 3661 seeking to bar relatives of public officials from securing government contracts, amid the flood control corruption that exposed several lawmakers violating current laws on conflict of interest and nepotism.
The bill embarks on preventing relatives of public officials of up to the 4th degree of consanguinity (by blood relations) or affinity (by marriage) from participating in government biddings — much less notch contracts.
Once enacted, first cousins, cousins-in-law, nieces, nephews-in-law of public officials won’t be allowed to do business with the government.
“By closing this loophole, we take another step toward a government that is fair, transparent, and truly for the people,” Marcos said.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Under the proposed legislative measure are explanations and definitions as to who and how far the bill would cover. The young Marcos defined in his bill “public officials.”
According to the Ilocos Norte congressman, “public officials” are the agency and department heads, procuring entity leaders, governing board members, and employees with policy or managerial functions, including those in military and uniformed service.
“Government funds are meant to serve the Filipino people, not to enrich relatives or perpetuate undue advantage. … We owe it to every taxpayer to safeguard every peso. This is what genuine public service demands,” the Star quoted his post.
CONG-TRACTORS’ LIST
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism cited the following lawmakers with contractor links through their family companies:
Rep. Elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol Partylist), founder of Sunwest Inc. but claimed to have divested. His brother, Christopher Co, co-founded Hi-Tone and his sister, Farida Co, is managing officer of FS Co Builders and Supply, all of which had flood control project contracts with DPWH.
Rep. Munir Arbison (Sulu, 2nd District) is said to be related to Nirrain Construction and Supply Corp.’s top shareholder Ash-Shahid Arbison.
Rep. Augustina Dominique “Ditse Tina” Pancho (Bulacan, 2nd District). Her family owns C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.
Rep. Alyssa Michaela Gonzales (Pampanga, 3rd District). Her family reportedly owns A.D. Gonzales Jr. Construction and Trading Company Inc. She is the daughter of former Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales Jr.
Rep. Edwin Gardiola (CWS Partylist) is related to shareholders of Newington Builders, Lourel Development Corp., and S-Ang Construction & General Trading Inc. The former firm was previously named after him, E. Gardiola Construction.
Reps. Jolo Revilla, Lani Mercado-Revilla and Bryan Revilla. Jolo and Bryan’s aunt is a shareholder of Graia Construction Corp., while she is Lani’s sister-in-law.
Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list) is the brother and son of Alro Construction and Development Corp.’s two shareholders.
Other lawmakers who have yet to divest interest from construction companies include Rep. Carlos Loria (Albay, 2nd District), Rep. Cristina Angeles (Tarlac, 2nd District), Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay (Pusong Party Party-list) and Rep. Ferdinand Beltran (Magbubukid Party-list).
SEN-TRACTORS EXIST
In the Senate, Sen. Bong Go’s father owns CLTG Builders, while his half-brother owns Alfrego Builders and Supply.
Previously, former Senate President Francis Escudero admitted receiving a whopping P30 million donation from a certain Lawrence Lubiano, president of the Centerways Construction.
Other members of the upper chamber whose names were dragged into the flood control scandal include Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva.
The name of Senator Loren Legarda is the latest addition to the shame list, over allegations of dismissed Batangas First Engineering District Office chief Abelardo Calalo who was arrested for allegedly bribing Rep. Leandro Leviste.
In his counter affidavit, Calalo insisted that there was neither entrapment nor bribery, even as he claimed that he was merely asked by Legarda — through a certain Jojo Ang, to raise donations from contractors.
Apart from Congress, the Commission on Audit, which oversees the proper use of public funds, has admitted a conflict of interest, as COA Commissioner Lipana’s wife, serves as president of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines Corp.
WHO IN THEIR right mind attempts six cities in three days? Apparently, eight of us did — and I, the eldest in the pack, survived with only minor muscle protests and a renewed respect for hammocks.
We launched from Iloilo at dawn, landing in Cebu where history, culture, and love stories collided. First stop: the grand Temple of Leah, Cebu’s own “Taj Mahal” built by a husband for his wife, complete with Roman columns and sweeping city views. Then the Taoist Temple, perched high with dragons, rituals, and steps that test your cardio. Finally, Magellan’s Cross, small but mighty — a wooden relic planted in 1521 marking the spread of Christianity. Before catching our ferry, we posed at Plaza Independencia, a plaza that has lived many lives: Spanish parade ground, American park, and now a monument to freedom.
Bohol welcomed us with its iconic Chocolate Hills and the serene Manmade Forest, a mahogany tunnel straight out of a movie. The tarsier sanctuary was closed, which stung a little, but regret was short-lived — we had a ferry to catch.
By 11 p.m., our tuk-tuk rattled into Thornton’s Sea View Caféin Siquijor. Imagine a seaside sanctuary where Kuya at the front desk treats you like family, and the owner insists, “Balay saBukid is also your home.” The next day was Siquijor magic: Fairy Walks, drone shots from Pitugo Cliff, pretending to be witches on walis tingting rides, and letting tiny fish give us a free pedicure at Lunok. Sunset coffee at BuCafe capped the day, with some of us shopping at the capitol while others danced at the café. Me? I found bliss in a hammock, a duyan strung by the sea, catching up on online classes under the stars.
Dumaguete gave us contrast — sulfur vents and monkeys, the icy rush of Pulang Bato Falls, followed by the warm hug of nearby hot springs. Nature here doesn’t just entertain; it resets you.
And then, Bacolod. At last, a proper meal! After days of snacking and skipping, Chicken Inasal felt like a reward from the heavens. Juicy, smoky, garlicky goodness — we ate like champions before boarding the RORO back to Iloilo, stumbling home just before midnight.
So what did I learn, as the eldest trying to keep up with seven adventurers? That food can be optional, sleep negotiable, and itineraries chaotic — but laughter, sunsets, and ferry rides are non-negotiable treasures. The Philippines is stitched together by islands, each waiting to surprise you. Don’t wait for the “perfect time.” Go. Laugh. Chase the hills, the crosses, the hammocks. And if you find yourself in Siquijor, take the duyan. Trust me — it’s the best souvenir.
AFTER BEING ARRESTED, charged and dismissed from service, Engineer Abelardo Calalo has nothing more to lose. Or so we thought.
Calalo, the district engineer who was hauled behind bars for allegedly trying to bribe Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste, has finally decided to speak up.
In his counter-affidavit, Calalo claimed that it was the neophyte congressman’s mother — Senator Loren Legarda, through Rep. Jojo Ang, who actually instructed him to raise funds from private contractors.
Calalo swore under oath that the charges against him were a “twisting of the truth”, and that he “vehemently denies” ever attempting to bribe Leviste.
COUNTER AFFIDAVIT
According to Calalo, he was summoned to a meeting with Legarda and Ang to discuss the 2026 budget. During the meeting, Calalo claimed that Legarda herself told him to “take care” of her projects.
Among seasoned politicians (like Legarda), “take care” is code for loyalty — or more bluntly, “ensuring the kickback machinery keeps humming.”
Calalo recounted that on May 28, 2025, Ang instructed him to solicit donations from contractors “as a sign of support” for Leviste’s projects. By August 5, Ang followed up again, pushing him to get contributions from contractors.
On August 22, 2025, during another meeting, Calalo said Leviste cornered him and asked for the amount of “donations,” for which he allegedly gave “hypothetical estimates” — P360 million for a 10% cut, and P180 million for 5%.
DENIES ENTRAPMENT
On August 25, he was again allegedly asked by Leviste to drop by the congressional district office, to bring the “donations.”
When he arrived at the district office, the young legislator immediately asked for the donation. It was then that Leviste allegedly pressured him to “fetch the money from his car.”
It was not clear though whether the car mentioned in the affidavit belongs to him or that of the congressman.
But before he could even hand anything over, Calalo claimed that police swooped in and arrested him.
According to Calalo, entrapment never took place, even as he claimed that the money was never accepted.
“I vehemently deny that I offered any bribe… I was made a dispensable instrument to serve what is supposed to be a legitimate cause.”
As of press time, neither Leviste nor Legarda issued a statement regarding Calalo’s counter allegation.
FOR THE PAST three months, the name Sarah Discaya has become a byword — from lavish lifestyle, local politics to the controversial ghost government flood control projects.
Probably because they’re super rich, or maybe her candid admission of buying a P50-million car (on top of 40 other luxury vehicles) because it comes with a free umbrella.
Amid the worst flood control scandal in the Philippines, Sarah’s name appeared in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s list of contractors behind the government’s spurious flood control program.
Who’s Sarah Discaya, anyway?
SARAH DISCAYA WHO?
Sarah’s full name is Cezarah Rowena Cruz-Discaya. She had the first taste of national prominence when broadcast journalists Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao featured her and husband Curlee in a television program.
It was her first grand display of the wealth which he claimed would have been possible if not for the infrastructure project contracts awarded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Months later, Sarah entered politics and ran for mayor against incumbent Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto. During the campaign, Sarah allegedly spent beyond what is allowed under the Omnibus Election Code.
However, not even lavish election campaign spending seemed enough. She lost the race, miserably.
BORN IN LONDON
Sarah was born in London (United Kingdom) on November 9, 1976. Hence, she is a British national by birth, according to London-based retired Filipino journalist Gene Alcantara, who now works as immigration law practitioner.
According to Alcantara, Sara was born Cezarah Rowena Juan Muyuela at the London Borough of Hounslow, Middlesex in October 1976. She’s a daughter of Sally Juan and Cesar Muyuela.
Researching through the England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2017, Alcantara stumbled upon something unusual even as he claimed that Sarah appears to have two entries for Births registered October, November, and December 1976.
Records yielded Cezarah Rowena Juan, Hounslow and Cezarah Rowena Juan Muyuela, Hounslow.
Her sister Analiza Rowena Juan has an entry for Births registered July, August, and September 1978. Her mom worked as a chambermaid while her dad was a waiter in London.
“As they were born in the UK in the 1970s, the sisters would have acquired British nationality,” Alcantara wrote on his Facebook post.
EDUCATION & WORK
Sarah completed her formative education (primary and secondary schooling) in London.
In time, she flew to the Philippines, enrolling first at La Consolacion College, where she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Management of Service Institution, for two years.
She later transferred to Pasig Catholic College, earning a degree in Business Administration with a major in Computer Management.
Soon after graduation, Sarah joined the working class as a minimum-wage earner. It was not certain though what particular job it was. By her own admission, Sarah also worked as a dental receptionist and orthodontic nurse.
From there, she moved through roles as communications specialist, marketing specialist, recruitment specialist, and liaison officer. Sarah also spent a year as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, instructing multilingual students.
AMBITIOUS SARAH
Poverty however shoved Sarah and husband Curlee to approach former Pasig City Mayor Vicene Eusebio for help. To cut the long story short, the Eusebio patriarch gave them something to start with — a contract embarking on a local infrastructure project.
The rest is history. The couple became one of the biggest contractors for government infrastructure projects — until they were flagged for ghost projects.
At the Senate hearing, Senator Jinggoy Estrada pressed her on how she entered the contracting industry, particularly in relation to the Department of Public Works and Highways or DPWH.
Sarah replied candidly: “Wala naman po. Nakita namin on PhilGEPS na may mga projects na pwede pala mag-join. So, we joined the bidding na we know we were qualified for.”
The Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) is the central portal for government procurement of common-use supplies.
By her own admission, the Discayas owned or controlled nine companies which sometimes bid against each other, raising questions about conflicts of interest.
IN A BID to speedily address the recurring electricity outages in several areas in Northern Samar, District II representative Edwin Ongchuan is urging the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to fasttrack its key power infrastructure projects in Calbayog, San Isidro and Allen towns and other municipalities.
Ongchuan, vice chair of the House Committee on Energy, was prompted to ask this of the NGCP following frequent power interruptions that have been hampering economic activity and public services and lowering the quality of life in the province.
Citing the adverse effects of the problem, the Nortehanon congressman cited the Calbayog-San Isidro-Allen Transmission Line Project, which is already 92 percent complete but still requires right-of-way adjustments and rerouting coordination with the Calbayog City government.
“I strongly urged NGCP to expedite and fast-track the project, stressing that the alternative transmission line would significantly reduce the frequency of blackouts and provide a more stable supply of electricity to Northern Samar,” he pointed out.
The lawmaker likewise asked about the Lawaan-Laoang Substation and the NGCP 69 kV line serving Mapanas and nearby towns, stressing their importance in meeting rising power demand and sustaining local growth.
In addition, he further raised concerns over the island towns of San Vicente, San Antonio, and Batag, questioning whether they will be connected to the grid or remain reliant on costly generator sets.
IN A BID to strengthen enforcement capabilities, top officials of the Bureau of Customs — Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Romeo Allan Rosales and Enforcement Group Deputy Commissioner Nolasco Bathan — engaged in a discussion with representatives from the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section of the US Department of Justice and the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs over enforcement challenges involving illegal drugs and intellectual property rights violations. Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s vision is to continue to pursue stronger collaboration with international partners.
WITH HIS LEVEL of patience running low, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. finds it extremely urgent for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to commence a purge of crooks behind the systemic corruption in the government.
By naming the composition of the ICI, Marcos issued a marching order to look into all forms of corruption under the government infrastructure program — ghost projects, substandard works, repetitive listing and budgeting for such projects that were nowhere near completion, among other schemes.
Tapped to lead the ICI is retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. Likewise appointed as members of the ICI included former Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, former Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson, and the country managing partner at SGV and Co., Rossana Fajardo.
Baguio City Benjamin Magalong who has been exposing the dubious scheme involving officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and members of the House of Representatives, was named ICI adviser and investigator.
PRESIDENT’S ASSURANCE
He likewise reiterated the administration’s commitment to maintain honesty and integrity in public service, even as the President vowed to take decisive measures to repress and hold accountable government officials, private contractors, and politicians whom resources persons accused of receiving the biggest chunk of the stolen public funds.
Part of the marching order is to seize unlawfully acquired properties of public officials, including allies whose names were dragged into the scandal.
The investigation will cover alleged corruption, irregularities, and misuse of funds in government flood control and related projects within the last 10 years, spanning the term of the late former President Benigno Aquino III and that of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
DISTRUST ON CONGRESS
The ICI was formed following a public disapproval in congressional investigations embarking on vested interests, political mudslinging and grandstanding among members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
According to analysts, Congress doesn’t have the moral ascendancy to investigate corruption involving public works of contractors linked to legislators.
During his latest State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos laid out an initiative aimed at combating entrenched corruption in the bureaucracy. It was also then that the President blamed corruption for substandard flood control projects.
He subsequently launched a website which served as a public platform where people may directly file reports on corruption-tainted projects.
CRITICAL-MINDED TEAM
According to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, the President has appointed individuals of “proven competence, integrity, and deep familiarity with infrastructure, finance, and institutional reform.”
Carpio served the judiciary for over three decades and waged an advocacy seeking political change when he retired in 2019. He has been a vocal critic of the previous and present administration. He is the lead convenor of 1Sambayan.
Singson, an industrial engineer and businessman, Singson served as DPWH secretary during the term of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino from 2010 to 2016.
“His technical understanding of how projects are designed, procured, and implemented will be essential to this Commission’s work,” Castro said.
Fajardo of SGV & Co., the largest professional services firm in the country, has over three decades of experience in auditing, internal controls, and risk management, especially in identifying weaknesses in financial systems and operational processes.
As a certified public accountant, she has worked across both public and private sectors to help organizations detect fraud, strengthen governance, and build more accountable institutions, according to Castro.
“Their acceptance of this responsibility is voluntary. They are not appointed to defend the system, but to confront it. And most importantly, not one of them is connected to the agencies or contractors under investigation,” she added.
Meanwhile, Castro claimed that Magalong, who served as police officer, has the capability to dig deeper into the scandal.
“His experience in leading difficult investigations, uncovering internal wrongdoing, and enforcing compliance makes him a strong asset to this commission.”
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, a strong phrase synonymous to the 1986 People Power Revolution, is starting to gain traction anew amid a public outrage over massive corruption perpetrated by no less than the “powers that be.”
This comes as retired police and military generals have joined the call for accountability amid congressional investigations into the anomalous government-funded flood control projects across the archipelago.
In a strongly-worded statement, retired military and police officers, mostly generals, expressed outrage at the wanton disregard of government officials — including elected officials, flaunting lavish lifestyles and fortunes amassed through corruption.
The retired military and police officials also took a swipe at the government’s neglect as manifested in the predicaments hounding ordinary taxpayers.
STERN WARNING
Describing the government as tainted with systemic corruption, the retired uniformed men urged the administration to seriously consider the idea of replacing flawed systems with a responsive mechanism that would effectively prevent crooks from siphoning public funds.
Citing revelations from resource persons in congressional investigations, the group hinted at government officials “acting as contractors” for government infrastructure projects.
“We demand that this corrupt system be replaced with a system of transparency, accountability, and people’s participation that makes it harder to be bad and easier to be good,” reads part of the statement.
During the third hearing conducted by the senate blue ribbon committee, couple Curlee and Sara Discaya submitted a sworn affidavit tagged 17 members of the House of Representatives.
Aside from congressmen, likewise dragged into the ghost flood control projects were eight officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
MOSTLY GENERALS
The signatories included military men from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to wit former AFP chief of staff General Renato de Villa, Major General Rene Valencia, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Admiral Danilo Abinoja, Philippine Constabulary (PC) Colonel Plaridel Abaya, Lieutenant General Edilberto Adan, Philippine Air Force (PAF) Col. Guillermo Cunanan.
Also on the list are Philippine National Police (PNP) Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro Flores, former AFP chief General Victor Ibrado, Philippine Navy (PN) Vice Admiral Emilio Marayag, Philippine Army (PA) Brigadier General Manuel Mariano, Navy Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga and Army Brigadier General Eliseo Rio Jr.
Others on the roster of dismayed officers are PAF Major General Melchor Rosales (and baron of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1968), former Bureau of Land Transportation director Colonel Mariano Santiago, former PNP Director-General Recaredo Sarmiento II, Army Commander Lieutenant General Raul Urgello, former AFP chief of staff General Alexander Yano, Brigadier General Rodrigo Diapana, and Navy Rear Admiral Rommel Jason Galang.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
The call for accountability also involved religious leaders, including Caloocan Bishop Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Vatican Curia member Bro. Armin Luistro FSC, Bro. Bernard Oca FSC, and Fr. Roberto Yap SJ.
The Catholic bishops who signed the manifesto demanded the return of public funds lost to corruption in flood-control projects, warning that Filipinos will remain exposed to disasters so long as billions of pesos meant for protection end up in private pockets.
Relatedly, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines also issued a pastoral letter that was read in churches across the country.
“Justice cannot stop at punishment… True justice demands more than punishment. It also calls for restitution: that stolen wealth be returned to the public coffers from which it was taken,” reads part of the CBCP pastoral letter.
SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION
Taking cue from “bombshells” dropped” during the televised inquiries, bishops have expressed doubt on the credibility of congressional hearings even as they insisted that legislators don’t have the moral ascendancy to investigate themselves.
According to the CBCP, a huge chunk which goes up to 60 percent of the project cost, are swallowed by a “multi-layered system of commissions,” leaving only scraps for actual construction, for which contractors are compelled to make use of what is left after “commissions” are deducted.
Hence, substandard results — if not none at all.
In lieu of “congressional investigations in aid of legislation,” religious leaders hinted at the need for an independent commission to look into the brouhaha — including but not limited to ghost flood control projects and other budget insertions.
They also gave a premium on accountability among legislators, engineers, auditors, contractors, and financiers among others.
“[Accountability] must apply to both public officials and private contractors. Blacklisting is not enough; collusion in corruption is a crime and must be punished,” they added.
MEN WITH INTEGRITY
Former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, who previously declined an offer to assume the DPWH top post also signed the manifesto, along with former Senate President Franklin Drilon, former Finance Secretary Ramon del Rosario Jr. and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
Various groups also joined the call for accountability — De La Salle Brothers Philippines, De La Salle Philippines, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Makati Business Club (MBC), MUP (Military & Uniformed Personnel) 4 United PH; Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Xavier School San Juan, Xavier School Nuvali, Loyola College Culion, and the PHINMA Education Group.
BILLIONS OF FUNDS entrusted by the working class to government state insurers may have been gone for good after incurring heavy losses in dubious stocks investments, fat allowances and misplaced acquisitions of assets not readily liquefiable.
When the Maharlika Investment Fund (sovereign wealth fund) was formed, pensions lodged in the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government State Insurance System (GSIS) were tagged as potential sources of capital for MIF.
The working class — both in the government and the private sector, took a firm stand against the idea, for which the proposal was discarded.
For one, entrusted funds should not be used to provide capital for something that has not been tried and proven to work in the country. There’s no way to gamble something that is meant for disbursement to its paying members.
Yet, at the rate the entrusted funds are being spent on investments (without the consent of the contributors) – many of which are not readily liquefiable – the actuarial lives of these pension funds are shortened, to the detriment of the workers from whom funds come from.
MARCOS REMINDER
Addressing the 68th SSS anniversary coinciding with the launch of the 2025 Pension Reform Program, President Marcos recently reminded SSS and GSIS to safeguard the integrity of the state-run pension funds even as he urged state insurers not to squander pension funds.
Under the 2025 Pension Reform Program, pensions for retirees and disability survivors were increased in an earnest effort to ensure that the state insurer “remain fair and responsive”
“Sa mga kapwa ko lingkod-bayan sa SSS at GSIS, huwag nating kakalimutan na ang bawat kontribusyon ng ating mga miyembro ay bunga ng kanilang pagsisikap at sakripisyo,” the President said.
“Kaya naman, tungkulin natin na tiyakin na sa oras ng kanilang pangangailangan ay nandiyan tayo, handang umalalay at magbigay ng ginhawa sa kanila,” he added.
INVEST WISELY
Marcos likewise cited the need for SSS and GSIS to keep pension funds safe from losses.
“That is why I direct the leadership of these two institutions (SSS and GSIS) to guard this trust with the highest integrity and vigilance. So, invest wisely. Modernize your systems and make your processes efficient,” Marcos said.
He continued: “Ensure that your services are easier to reach, be it through digital platforms or help desks and kiosks, even in the most remote areas. Make sure your services are available whenever the need arises, wherever the need arises.”
Marcos urged the two agencies to “protect the lifetime of work that our pensioners have built for themselves and for our country.”
ONLINE GAMBLING
His reminder followed reports of alleged investment losses incurred by the GSIS in online gaming operations, raising concerns over how pension funds were being managed.
The multi-year SSS pension hike is expected to benefit more than 3.8 million pensioners until 2027. Retirement and disability pensioners will receive a 10 percent annual increase, while death or survivorship pensioners are bestowed with a five percent yearly hike.
IT IS ONLY proper and makes a lot of sense, that robbers and thieves, caught stealing, should be jailed and made to return the money or goods they have stolen. That is simple justice – hold accountable the contractor Discaya couple and all the contractors found cheating the government with kickbacks and sub-standard or ghost infrastructure works.
More importantly, all the solons, who were mandated to hold their government official positions as a public trust, but also robbed, or plundered the people’s money, in cahoots with the contractors, must be held accountable by being jailed and forced to return all the money they have stolen.
IF FOUND GUILTY
Thus, if Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, as named by DPWH’s Engineer Brice Hernandez, are found guilty of having received kickbacks from the contractor-couple Discayas or from any of the contractors of government projects, they should be jailed and made to return the people’s money.
So also Rep. Elizaldy Co and Speaker Martin Romualdez, among others, if guilty of the same offense, as named by the Discaya couple, should likewise be held accountable, jailed and made to return the people’s money.
Of course, all those proven involved in such corrupt practices — the contractors, the DPWH employees, the COA personnel, and most especially the senators, congressmen and LGU officials – must be jailed and made to return the money they have stolen from the people.
COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY
Indeed, if such guilty persons are not held accountable for their crimes of stealing the people’s money, the government administration under President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte, under the principle of command responsibility, will be most guilty.
Other public officials mandated to operationalize approved public works, undertaken by contractors, and found guilty of being involved in committing corruption, should also be jailed and made to return the people’s money they have stolen.
That such corrupt practices in the government’s DPWH have come to light with the open shameless display of wealth by the Discaya couple (as other ‘nepos’ have done) on TV, has fortunately brought out into the open the facts of how corrupt and rotten the current leadership of president Bongbong Marcos and VP Sara Duterte.
A REAL BOOBOO
The appointment of DPWH Sec. Manuel Bonoan by President Bongbong Marcos may have been a real booboo, but a heaven-sent, so to speak, as the corruptions that have plagued government institutions since decades back, actually an “open secret,” have exploded nationwide.
It has awakened the uncaring Filipinos — Church leaders, military/police officials, and ordinary citizens — about national political, economic and social issues that corruption in government institutions has deprived the Filipino people of honest-to-goodness governance that could have truly bring about genuine peace, justice and progress for the country, many years back.
Any independent commission that will honestly investigate the DPWH-SOLONS’ corruption issues, including the “Kill, Kill, Kill Policy” administration of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte (now detained in an ICC cell in the Hague, Netherlands, awaiting trial for his crimes against humanity) should hopefully bring about a minimized corruption-laden government.
Of course, hopefully too, the alleged sins against the people of the Marcoses, including those of President Bongbong Marcos, may come to light in the near future, and accordingly held accountable as simple justice demands.
REVERBERATING CRY
“Marcos singilin, Duterte panagutin!” is in fact a reverberating cry in the streets today.
Needless to say, the pork barrel scams involving Napoles and those solons (like Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla, she specifically identified in her affidavit) should likewise be investigated and justice served.
Also, an urgent people’s call almost daily, “Impeach VP Sara Duterte!”
FOR TWENTY YEARS, what has Cinemalaya, the Philippine Independent Film Festival, done for the local movie industry, and second, for the Filipino people who have always been its intended market (read: audience)?
Being an independent initiative of a joint effort between the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. (CFI), it kicked off in 2005 in a very ideal, enthusiastic and defining moment in the history of Philippine cinema.
That Cinemalaya has set the goal to “encourage the creation of new cinematic works by Filipino filmmakers–works that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity” was and still is, inspiring.
‘Film education in both the public and private schools is imperative and unlearning the obscurantist idea that movies are only for entertainment because it is meant as an information as well.’
FROM TRADITIONAL TO EXPERIMENTAL
Year in, year out, novel ideas and concepts in filmmaking have been coming out from diverse filmmakers—from the traditional to the formulaic with a twist to the experimental to the avant-garde etc.
Every art school or movement is represented in every selection from the classic to the naturalistic to the expressionistic to the post-modern, even to the post-post-modern.
Obviously, these moviemakers are products of the epistemology or tenets of art history, formally, if not do-it-yourself, self-study mode.
In my many years of watching Cinemalaya and orientation about cinema showing in CCP theater outlets, I am given the impression that they are “censorship-free” under CCP watch as mandated by the state.
In the past as it is being implied by now, this is one privilege Cinemalaya enjoys.
FREE EXPRESSION
Anyway, let us put this in the right perspective.
The CCP mandates the encouragement of free expression.
This year, though, as the CCP is still under rehabilitation, Cinemalaya 2025 will be screened in commercial movie houses such as Shangri-La Plaza, Ayala Malls and Gateway.
To be sure, if it is still “censorship-free,” I asked the CCP Corporate Communications Information Officer III Glaiza Lee if the Cinemalaya films to be shown this year undergo classification.
In the immediate past, however, Cinemalaya has started to screen in cinemas operated by Ayala Malls.
According to Glaiza, as far as she knows, Cinemalaya films shown at CCP were passed through the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. “We still go through MTRCB. But we do self-rating ng (of the) film,” she elucidated in a text message.
Oh!
So, it’s not an absolute freedom.
STANDING GROUND
Anyway, Cinemalaya has given the local movie industry the impetus it needs to forward its development especially in the treatment of the material at hand.
It serves as a prototype of the kind of film local productions must produce however perceived as non-commercial, an inspiration to achieve world-class cinema.
How many Cinemalaya films have been shown in prestigious international film festivals?
How many Cinemalaya filmmakers have advanced their careers through the platform?
Cinemalaya is the wellspring of game-changing, cutting-edge, out-of-the-box movies.
No matter the conflicts that arose in the past like filmmakers defying orders from other stakeholders from the private sector or curtailing their free expression, they managed to stand their ground.
FILM EDUCATION
Cinemalaya, in more ways than one, courts big studios to be conduit with them in the burgeoning indie film movement because they symbiotically learn from one another.
In terms of marketing and promotion, if only the powerful and giant multimedia networks support indie cinema by cutting the huge ad prices, Cinemalaya will soar higher and generally, all film fests in the country.
Film education in both the public and private schools is imperative and unlearning the obscurantist idea that movies are only for entertainment because it is meant as an information as well.
Cinemalaya has given the Filipino people the privilege to watch films which are thought provoking and mass appealing.
First and foremost, as a Cinemalaya visionary, the Filipino moviegoer must first learn to accept that, as far as quality film is concerned, there is no gray matter between a mainstream one and an indie outing if meticulously made.
SO YOU JUMPED on the Ozempic train. The weight is falling off faster than your WiFi signal during a storm, and you’re feeling smug… until you catch yourself in the mirror and wonder, “Who’s that melted candle staring back at me?” Congratulations, you’ve met Ozempic Face.
What It Is
“Ozempic Face” isn’t a new skincare trend. It’s the charming nickname for what happens when people lose weight too quickly on semaglutide (that’s the fancy name for Ozempic). The fat leaves your body—but it also leaves your face. Result? Sunken cheeks, loose skin, and a slightly haunted “I haven’t slept since 2008” look.
Why It Matters
Face fat is not just decoration. It keeps you looking plump, youthful, and less like an extra in The Walking Dead. When you drop pounds too quickly, your face loses volume, collagen dips, and gravity pulls no punches. People think you’re sick, stressed, or auditioning for a horror flick, even if you’re just trying to fit into your pre-pandemic jeans.
Ignore It and…
If you think “Ozempic Face” is just a vanity issue—think again. Rapid weight loss can make you look older than your real age, which is tragic if you’ve spent years and thousands on skincare, sunscreens, and collagen powders that taste like chalk. Ignore it, and you risk trading a smaller waistline for an accidental Benjamin Button cosplay.
‘If you’re gonna ride the Ozempic wave, at least protect your mug while you do it. Because sure, a slimmer waistline is cute—but so is not looking like a wrinkled balloon.’
Life Hacks (AKA Damage Control)
1. Slow the hell down.
Sustainable weight loss is kinder to your face. Fast isn’t always fabulous.
2. Hydrate.
No, iced coffee doesn’t count. Actual water, please.
3. Protein & good fats.
Your face needs building blocks. Starving yourself isn’t skincare.
4. Skincare that works.
Retinoids, sunscreen, moisturizers. Not TikTok hacks involving toothpaste.
5. Medical fixes exist.
Fillers, skin-tightening treatments, thread lifts, facial acupuncture, even a facelift if you’re feeling extra. Just don’t act shocked when it costs more than your Ozempic pen.
Acupuncture Angle
Before you go full Hollywood with fillers, acupuncture is a gentler option. Facial rejuvenation acupuncture stimulates collagen, improves circulation, and gives your skin that “alive” glow. Needles in the right spots can perk you up naturally—no “frozen face,” no balloon lips, just fresher vibes. Think of it as rehab for a face that’s been through the Ozempic rollercoaster.
Local Color
Filipinos are brutal with nicknames. Lose a little face fat and suddenly you’re “Palito”, “Payatot”, “Buto’t Balat,” or worse, “Bangkay”.” Add Ozempic Face to the mix, and you’ll never hear the end of it at the next family reunion. (“Uy, ang payat mo! Pero bakit parang Hagardo Verzosa ka lagi?” Translation: Congratulations, you look thinner, haggard AND older!)
Punchline
Ozempic Face isn’t inevitable—but it’s real. You wanted to lose pounds, not years off your face. If you’re gonna ride the Ozempic wave, at least protect your mug while you do it. Because sure, a slimmer waistline is cute—but so is not looking like a wrinkled balloon.
Till next time.
–Gwenn The Certified Prick
Still not your doctor. Still telling you the truth anyway.
HE HAD BEEN dubbed as a so-called “engineer of progress” as he had served as a high-ranking official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from formerly being the president and chief-executive-officer of the San Miguel Corporation (SMC)’s tollways, but the Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT) civil engineering graduate has been unmasked.
Following developments in the Congressional investigations on the anomalous flood control projects of the DPWH, erstwhile public works secretary Manuel Bonoan, who also has a graduate degree in highway engineering from the the University of New South Wales in Australia, turns out to be a contractor’s errand boy in his pristine barong tagalog.
Fortunately for the Filipino people, our good Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has dragged Bonoan in the limelight of derision and what the public sees now is not competence, as his benefactor President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. puts it, but It is rather an abominable picture of rot and greed and the betrayal by a trusted official.
‘(He) is no technocrat but a parasite, a scavenger, a thief dressed up in his dainty. He belongs in the same garbage heap as every plunderer before him—stripped of honor, credibility and wealth and left as a cautionary warning of how deeply steeped in rot and decay the DPWH truly is!’
THE UGLY TRUTH
Here is the ugly truth—while Filipinos were drowning in flood waters in their communities, Bonoan’s cohorts in the DPWH were drowning in hundreds of million of cash.
The fact is that Globalcrete Builders—a company tied to his own family circle—bagged ₱2.195 billion worth of flood-control contracts between 2018 and 2024.
If one call this as public service, then government procedure is actually organized plunder with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
And this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Take the ₱1-billion Wyndham Garden Hotel in Clark—a monument not to progress but to greed—as an example!
Who’s behind it, people ask? The hotel’s builder, MBB Global Properties Corporation is run by the daughters of Candaba, Pampanga mayor Rene Maglanque and former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and Bonoan’s own daughter Fatima Gay Bonoan as treasurer
So, this is the “holy trinity” of corruption: Maglanque, Bernardo, Bonoan or MBB.
BLEED, BLEED, BLEED
With this traitorous scheme in focus, what the resigned public works chief has symbolically tagged as “Build, Build, Build” is in truth better described as ‘Bleed, Bleed, Bleed’.
It now appears that Bonoan’s actual idea of public service is that every road is a cash cow, every bridge is a trough of ill-gotten wealth and every flood-control project is just a dam holding back the truth—until it burst with the discovery of substandard and “ghost” projects.
So this trusted man by President Marcos Jr. deserves no deference, no soft landing and, moreover, no honorable exit. He should be remembered not as an “infrastructure czar” but rather a coroner who undermined public trust.
CIRCLE OF LACKEYS
While ordinary Filipinos waded in waist-deep floodwaters, Bonoan and his circle of lackeys were swimming in contracts that cemented their luxurious lifestyle as the country literally drowned in graft and corruption.
In view of this, therefore, there can be only one verdict: Manny Bonoan is no technocrat but a parasite, a scavenger, a thief dressed up in his dainty. He belongs in the same garbage heap as every plunderer before him—stripped of honor, credibility and wealth and left as a cautionary warning of how deeply steeped in rot and decay the DPWH truly is!
IT’S HARD TO set aside the issue of corruption these days. Although much of the stench reeks in the flood control project under the Department of Public Works and Highways, fertile minds can also imagine it in some other Philippine government offices where the potential to manipulate public funds is high.
And so, I take the timing opportunity to backtrack on when the environment (this column’s scope) had its share of mud.
GINA LOPEZ AS ADVOCATE
One most welcome Cabinet appointment by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in 2016 was that of the late Gina Lopez as Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources.
Already an iconic figure in the civil society’s environment advocacy, she was trusted to always wear a green heart in the department’s programs to protect the environment. For one, in her impassioned stand against large-scale mining that was destroying mountains and ecosystems, she went eyeball to eyeball with mining titans, some of whom were politicians (senators, representatives, and local officials) known or perceived as allies of the president. The resulting non-confirmation of her appointment by the Commission on Appointments was a blanket backlash on her full potential as prime earth steward. A case of influence-dangling with enticing rewards, any way one looks at it.
‘One of our biggest forest ecosystems which is home to a rich biodiversity has been greatly damaged in the massive construction. Indigenous communities have been displaced…’
DUTERTE AS SPOILER
As the former president languishes in a detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands pending his trial by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, innuendos on his other crimes are now boldly flagged in the local circuit. One is on his actions harmful to the environment affecting the country and the people. To name the more prominent ones:
West Philippine Sea: His downplaying the Philippines’ territorial rights to its part of the exclusive economic zone in favor of China’s interests has definitely compromised our sovereignty. In economic terms, it means letting the superpower compete in the wealth of the sea’s natural resources that ensurelivelihood in the coastal villages around it and the food security of the country.
In environmental terms, it is allowing same country through its aggressive fishing and military installations,to damage the coral reefs which shelter, feed, and multiply the fishes.
Kaliwa Dam: PRRD’s Build, Build, Build Program included the building of this huge dam which spans from the Rizal to Quezon corridor of the Sierra Madre mountain range.Intended to provide water to nearby communities and Metro Manila which are facing shortages, the trade-off has more serious consequences.
One of our biggest forest ecosystems which is home to a rich biodiversity has been greatly damaged in the massive construction. Indigenous communities have been displaced losing their ancestral homes, farms, livelihood, and culture. And in contracting the project to Chinese companiesworth around 2-billion pesos, it’s not hard to speculate on the bonanza to those who awarded the contract.
Dolomite Beach: Just the thought of extracting mountains of dolomite from a forest in Cebu to beautify a part of the Manila Bay coastline (which can also be wiped out) was already offensive. Environment destruction for tourism boost seemed to be a low-brained strategy. An unnecessary funding item especially at the onset of the Covid pandemic projected was heartless. But still proponents remained giddy about the white sand along the boulevard and the DENR with the president went along. Scorn and snicker, after a curious look and photo snapsby the locals, still hover on who could have made a killing in the project.
FILIPINOS AS VICTIMS
Whether it is massive floods during rainy season or environment destruction year-round, or in the unceremonious daily grind of millions of Filipinos, what is worst is that only a few people tricked us, robbed us of taxes, comfort, progress, the good life. Damn the korap, a breed in government and out, that doesn’t deserve space in a country rooted on laws and the sense of right and wrong.
THE SEVERITY OF corruption in the Philippines has gone beyond control to an extent that even the younger generations are showing signs of contamination.
Some may disagree but from my vantage point, tough times require radical moves. Oh yes, we need to reboot.
The word “reboot” in itself reminds me of the days when crooks were neutralized by an urban guerilla unit referred to as the “sparrows.”
Corruption has gone systemic. Crony capitalism in the Philippines has reached an unprecedented level. It has created an explosive social tension. The ruling class, frantic to retain its hold on power, has been amassing the country’s resources, while the rest of us are confronted with skyrocketing unemployment, dismal medical care, and the worst, involuntary hunger.
It is for this reason that several quarters have started mobilizing protest rallies to condemn the vicious cycle of corruption in the government.
I must admit, I miss the days when crooks in the government are properly, and promptly dealt with.
‘To be perfectly honest, replicating another People Power Revolution is a tall order. It is for this reason that a group of retired military and police officers are reportedly contemplating on the idea of a coup d’état.’
COUP D’ETAT
Back in the early 80s, an urban guerilla unit referred to as Sparrows would hunt corrupt government officials, land grabbers, plunderers, abusive law enforcers, chauvinist pigs lusting for flesh, greedy employers, etcetera.
But for some quarters, the use of urban hit squads may not be able to yield quick results, just like what happened in February 1986 when people came in droves to EDSA and joined the so-called People Power Revolution.
To be perfectly honest, replicating another People Power Revolution is a tall order. It is for this reason that a group of retired military and police officers are reportedly contemplating on the idea of a coup d’état.
Rumors of an impending coup d’état circulated twice this year — one in January and another one after former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and flown to The Hague to face charges in relation to the bloody war against drugs during his administration.
On both occasions, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. assured that there would be no coup d’etat under his watch.
“As long as I serve as the chief of staff, no coup shall happen. Not on my watch. We will not be shaken by rumor nor outmaneuvered by noise,” Brawner was quoted as saying in a news article published on May 28.
WHILE OUR FILIPINO athletes have proven that we have talents to be proud of, still it is disheartening to read about our country lagging in so many aspects, especially in the IMD (Institute for Management Development) World Talent Ranking 2025. In 2021, the Philippines ranked 57th, improved to 54th in 2022, and slipped to 60th in 2023.
Reports said the Philippines ranked 64th out of 69 countries in the World Talent ranking this year in terms of its ability to attract and retain skilled workforce, amid declining quality of life, Business World quoted the IMD World Competitiveness Center. In 2024, we were 63rd out of 67 economies.
IMD assessed talent competitiveness based on several factors: government investment in people, including public spending on education and pupil-teacher ratios; a country’s ability to attract local and overseas talent, with considerations such as cost of living and quality of life; and the skills and competencies of the workforce, including labor force growth and the experience and competence of senior managers.
This was the Philippines’ worst showing in 20 years or since 2005, the report said, citing Switzerland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Hongkong and the Netherlands in the Top 5 with the Top 5 bottom being Mongolia (69th), Venezuela( 68), Brazil (67), Mexico (66) and Turkiye (65).
The Philippines’ talent competitiveness also continued to lag behind Asia-Pacific neighbors. It ranked 13th out of 14 Asia-Pacific countries, better only than Mongolia (69th overall).
Hong Kong (4th) was the highest-ranking economy in the Asia-Pacific.
It was followed by Singapore (7th), Taiwan (17th), Australia (19th), Malaysia (25th), New Zealand (33rd), South Korea (37th), China (38th), Japan (40th), Thailand (43rd), Indonesia (53rd), and India (63rd).
‘Philippines ranked 64th out of 69 countries in the World Talent ranking this year in terms of its ability to attract and retain skilled workforce, amid declining quality of life, Business World quoted the IMD World Competitiveness Center. In 2024, we were 63rd out of 67 economies.’
THREE FACTORS
The WTR rankings are based on three factors: “appeal,” or the ability of the economy to attract foreign talent and retain local talent; “investment and development,” which is the measurement of resources allotted to develop a homegrown workforce; and “readiness,” or the quality of the skills in a country’s talent pool.
The Philippines saw a decline in all factors, dropping two places to 66th in investment and development. It slipped two spots to 56th in appeal and fell six places to 58th in readiness.
“Generally speaking, the Philippines is a net exporter of talent. And it means that it will always find it difficult to retain the homegrown talent in the country,” Arturo Bris, director of the World Competitiveness Center and professor of finance at IMD, said at a hybrid press briefing.
“At the same time, interestingly, if you look at our indicators, the Philippines ranks 13th in the availability of skilled labor in the country. So, it seems that executives and leaders in the country do not feel that they don’t find the talent that they would need,” he added.
LOW QUALITY OF LIFE Bris noted the country has steadily declined in the rankings over the last few years and lagged in competitiveness mainly due to low quality of life in the Philippines versus its regional peers.
“I think the main driver is a declining quality of life. And again, remember that quality of life encompasses many different factors,” he stressed.
“The quality of life in the country, especially compared to other neighbors, like Thailand, Singapore, or Indonesia, is lower,” he added.
In particular, he said that the quality of life in the Philippines ranked 60th out of 69 economies. It ranked 49th in exposure to pollution, and 31st in management remuneration.
Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said that the country’s low ranking in the talent index “reflects chronic underinvestment in education, weak training systems, and poor talent retention.”
“Compared with Asia-Pacific peers like Malaysia or Singapore, we lag behind in both talent readiness and quality of life. To catch up, we must improve public spending on education, build industry-relevant skills, and make our economy more attractive to high-value talent,” he explained.
Misiek Piskorski, dean of executive education and professor of digital strategy, analytics, and innovation at IMD, said that much of the Philippines’ success is mainly due to its cheap labor.
THE BIGGER THREAT
While many multinational companies set up back-office operations in the Philippines, this is now under threat due to increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the business process outsourcing sector.
“One of the big worries that I have for Manila… is to what extent, again, AI will substitute many of these jobs,” Piskorski said.
“Will the Philippines be ready with enough workforce and enough skilled workforce to provide the next generation of services? That is my big concern,” he added.
To address these concerns, he said that there is a need for more focused investments.
“To me, the Philippines is always Manila, and the rest of the country is very, very different. And so, we also have to start thinking about what we do in Manila and what we do across other islands that might be far away from Manila and upskill people there to get things going,” he said.
Alfredo S. Panlilio, president of the Management Association of the Philippines, said the quality of the workforce can be addressed by improving curricula across schools.
“I think an important aspect is how do you fix the curricula of the schools, from public to private, to make it relevant to the demands of the current workforce,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the 23rd MAP International CEO Conference.
“Because although there are a lot of available positions, the companies cannot hire or don’t hire because they can’t find the talent that they’re looking for. So, it’s really about human capital,” he added.
During his stint with the Private Sector Advisory Council, Panlilio said he recommended focusing more on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs.
“Because AI is technology, we have to have the skill sets for our youth to develop those kinds of skills,” he said although he is unsure as to the jobs that would be created in the future.
He said the MAP taps academics to join committees within the organization, especially when doing research and in understanding data.
“So, we’re trying to bridge that, making sure that there’s a link or alignment between the
MY TAKE
Let me add my two cents worth.
People, especially the honest, hardworking and dutiful citizens (particularly faithful and law abiding civil servants), though talented, would not stay in the country seeing that crime/corruption pays, the criminals enjoy billions and live super fancy lifestyles while they are not paid well and the taxes they pay only go to the pockets of the filthy rich.
