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PRC, CHED sign circular for teachers

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. witnessed the signing of a circular at Malacañan Palace on Thursday between Professional Regulation Commission Chairperson Charito A. Zamora and Commission on Higher Education Chairperson J. Prospero E. de Vera III to align the board licensure exam for teachers with the teacher education curriculum. — NOEL B. PABALATE/PPA POOL

THE Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Thursday signed a joint memorandum circular aimed at aligning the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) with the current CHED Teacher Education Curriculum, set to begin in September 2025.

Under the new policy, licensure examinations for teachers will now be administered according to specific fields of specialization, reflecting CHED’s updated program standards and guidelines.

For Elementary Education, separate examinations will be held for Early Childhood Education and Special Needs Education; while aspiring teachers for Secondary Education will undergo distinct assessments based on their respective fields, which include English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Values Education, Technology and Livelihood Education, Technical-Vocational Teacher Education, Physical Education, and Culture and Arts Education.

The initiative stemmed from President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive following a March 2025 meeting with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), where he underscored the urgent need to reform teacher education and licensure to address persistent gaps in learning outcomes and teaching quality.

“We need to make sure that the assessment of our aspiring teachers reflects their specializations,” EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a separate statement. “Implementing specialized versions of the LEPT is one step to address teacher-subject mismatch, which will eventually help us improve the quality of instruction in our schools.”

According to EDCOM 2’s findings, nearly two-thirds (62%) of high school teachers in the country are assigned to teach subjects outside their college majors.

This mismatch is partly due to how the current BLEPT structure fails to assess specific teacher specializations.

Data from the March 2024 BLEPT showed that graduates from key programs such as MAPEH (34.1%), Technical Livelihood and Technical and Vocational Education (33.2%), and Early Childhood Education (42.1%) posted significantly lower passing rates compared to the overall average of 62.9%—highlighting the exam’s misalignment with the actual curriculum.

The joint circular introduces specialized licensure exams starting in September 2025.

“By September 2025, we will endeavor to have specialized exams for teacher education programs, including early childhood and special needs education. This provides an additional layer of quality assurance, ensuring that the Department of Education can effectively seek out not just any licensed individual but specifically those who are rightly qualified,” said PRC Chairperson Charito A. Zamora in a statement.

“This alignment of the LEPT with the teacher education curriculum ensures that our educators are not just qualified but are deeply knowledgeable in their specific fields. This is a big step towards providing the quality education that our students deserve,” said EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman T. Romulo.

The reform is also a precursor to broader legislative changes. Pending in both chambers of Congress are proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 7836, or the Teacher Professionalization Act of 1994.

House Bill 9979 passed the House on March 19, 2024. In the Senate, similar bills by Mr. Gatchalian, Lorna Regina B. Legarda, and Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva are currently under review. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

DoTr orders probe of PAL emergency landing

REUTERS

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it had ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to investigate the emergency landing of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Los Angeles at Haneda Airport after reports of smoke in the cabin.

“We will have to look at what happened there. I already instructed CAAP and the Civil Aeronautics Board to already look at what happened and to see also what actions are taken by PAL,” Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said in a media briefing on Thursday.

In a statement, PAL said all 359 passengers and 18 crew aboard the Boeing 777 aircraft have safely disembarked the aircraft. The flag carrier has assured that its ground operations staff at Tokyo Haneda Airport will provide full support, including meals, baggage assistance and arranging of alternative flights to all affected passengers.

PR102 was bound for Los Angeles, when the flight was diverted to Tokyo Haneda Airport after initial reports of smoke coming out of the cabin’s air-conditioning units.

According to PAL, the flight landed at Haneda at 3:30 a.m. local time but was only assigned a disembarkation gate at 10 a.m.

“Philippine Airlines prioritizes safety above all else and is fully cooperating with the relevant airport and aviation authorities,” PAL said in a statement.

CAB had issued a show cause order against PAL due to reports that no ground personnel or transport support was provided to passengers.

“We received a report on Flight PR102 (Manila-Los Angeles) this morning, which was diverted to Haneda Airport due to smoke in the cabin and cockpit. Upon landing, it was noted that no ground personnel or transport support were available to assist the passengers,” CAB Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said.

As provided for under the Air Passenger Bill of Rights, passengers are entitled to timely assistance, accommodation and information during delays, cancellation and diversions.

Meanwhile, PAL has also announced on Thursday the reopening of its aviation school through a strategic partnership with Australian-based training institution Airways Aviation Academy (AAA).

“We want to be assured of a steady pipeline of pilots who will meet our needs in line with our expansion plans for the future,” PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Stanley K. Ng said.

To recall, PAL has suspended the operations of its aviation school in 2020 due to the pandemic.

PAL said its decision to revive its pilot training program is in line with the growing demand for skilled aviators and to support its fleet and route expansion plans. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

House backs daycare initiative

Kindergarten students engage in art activities during class in Marikina classes, Aug. 25, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

THE House of Representatives pledged support to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s thrust to construct and develop daycares in impoverished areas by ensuring necessary funding allocation, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Thursday.

Mr. Marcos last week directed city and municipal governments to build about 328 child development centers in low-income areas across the Philippines to boost the learning of young Filipinos, signing a circular that ordered the earmarking of about P1 billion to back his initiative.

“We have no other aim but to support the President,” Mr. Romualdez said in a statement in Filipino. “Wherever there is a need, that is where we allocate the funds. If the issue is a lack of facilities for children aged 0 to 4, then that is what we will address.”

The Philippine Congress is vested with the power to review the budget proposed by the Executive and reallocate government spending as lawmakers see fit. It is the House that conducts an initial review and deliberation of the budget, forwarding it to the Senate for further evaluation before being sent to the President for approval.

A 2022 World Bank report showed that nine of 10 Filipinos are unable to read and understand age-appropriate text at age 10.

“We still have much to fix in our education system, but this marks the beginning of broader reforms,” said Mr. Romualdez. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Local courts could have helped in Duterte arrest, Remulla says

RODRIGO DUTERTE — PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ ROBINSON NIÑAL

THE Department of Justice on Thursday said that the local court could have intervened in the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte if the Philippines remained a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a Senate Committee Hearing, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said that local courts could have stepped in on the arrest of Mr. Duterte under Section 17 of Republic Act 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law.

The law states the government has jurisdiction over persons suspected or accused of crimes against humanity. Authorities may also surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court,

“Under Section 17, there is a treaty on extradition, if we were a member of the ICC then (extradition) would need judicial proceedings,” Mr. Remulla added.

“If we were still members of the ICC then it could have helped President Duterte from being flown out.”

In 2018, the ex-President withdrew the Philippines from the international tribunal’s founding treaty when it started looking into extrajudicial killings from his war on drugs campaign. It took effect in 2019.

“It is clear that a treaty is needed to undergo an extradition…but we don’t have a treaty with the ICC because we were withdrawn by Mr. Duterte,” the Justice chief said.

He added that the government had no other option than to surrender the ex-President as extradition was no longer possible.

“There is no extradition route, only the surrender route is left,” he said.

Local police arrested Mr. Duterte on March 11, upon his arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, acting on a warrant issued by the ICC. He was flown to the Netherlands hours later.

Mr. Remulla added that the surrender of the ex-President was the government’s “best judgement under the circumstances for our country.” — Adrian H. Halili

Customs intercepts P28.7-M misdeclared sugar products from Vietnam

The Bureau of Customs seized P28.7 million worth of misdeclared sugar from Vietnam at the Port of Subic

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said P28.73 million worth of misdeclared refined sugar was seized inside fourteen 20-foot container vans at the Port of Subic.

In a statement on Thursday, BoC said the shipment, declared as “sweet mixed powder,” came from the Dong Nai Province in Vietnam.

“It was flagged by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) – Port of Subic for possible misdeclaration and regulatory non-compliance,” it said.

The inspection was conducted on April 10, led by Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio.

“Laboratory analysis conducted after a physical inspection, in collaboration with the Sugar Regulatory Administration, determined that the sucrose content of the samples exceeded 65%, thereby reclassifying the shipment as refined sugar contrary to their declared description,” the BoC said.

In the first three months of 2025, the total value of smuggled goods confiscated by the BoC amounted to P25.581 billion. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

SC asked to compel disclosure of COVID-19 vaccine supply deals

FREEPIK

A GROUP of private lawyers led by a former top government legal official asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday to compel several state agencies to disclose critical information regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement, citing constitutional guarantees of transparency and public accountability.

In a petition, former Solicitor General and past Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) President Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz, along with fellow lawyers Randall C. Tabayoyong, Jeffrey B. Constantino, and Nizzane P. Vico, asked the high tribunal to issue a writ of certiorari and mandamus against the departments of Health, Finance, and Budget, and the Commission on Audit.

The petition sought to overturn the government’s continued refusal to release copies of supply agreements for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

The petition also asked the top court to declare the non-disclosure a grave abuse of discretion and to compel the agencies to produce the contracts.

The lawyers argued withholding information about the vaccine procurement violates the constitutional right to information on matters of public concern, under Article III, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution.

The 50-page petition added that from 2020 to 2022, the Philippine government earmarked P113.5 billion for vaccine procurement, sourced from national budgets and loans from the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The petitioners said the sheer scale of public funds involved demands transparency and public scrutiny to let Filipinos know how much of the P113.5 billion was spent on vaccine procurement and what the government did with the excess, if any.

“The public has the right to know how their funds were utilized, especially in matters as critical as the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines,” Mr. Cadiz said in a separate statement.

“Our petition seeks to uphold this fundamental right and ensure that government agencies fulfill their ministerial duties under the Constitution,” he added.

Despite filing multiple requests under the agencies’ respective Freedom of Information (FOI) manuals, the petitioners said the documents remain undisclosed.

In particular, the Department of Health failed to respond to any of the inquiries, they noted. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Feedback on SHS curriculum sought

Students walk inside the campus of a high school in Quezon City, April 18, 2024. — REUTERS

A PHILIPPINE Senator on Thursday called on the public to comment on the Department of Education‘s (DepEd) proposed curriculum for senior high school.

“I urge the public to give their feedback to the proposed senior high school curriculum,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a statement.

Among the proposed changes to the curriculum is the reduction of educational tracks to two, Academic and TechPro, from the previous four (Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Sports, and Arts & Design).

It also reduces core subjects offered per school year to five from 15. The five proposed core subjects are: Effective Communication, Life Skills, General Mathematics, General Science, and Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino (Study of Philippine History and Society).

DepEd has opened the proposed new curriculum for senior high school, calling on the general public, including teachers, learners, parents, and industry representatives to comment.

“It is time for us to fulfill the promise of the senior high school program that our graduates will be ready for the job,” Mr. Gatchalian who heads the Senate Committee on Education said.

“It is also time for us to fulfill the promise of reducing the number of years in college by adding two years of high school,” he added.

The K-12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12) curriculum was implemented following the passage of Republic Act (RA) No. 10533, The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, adding two more years to basic education with the intent of making graduates employable and globally competitive. — Adrian H. Halili

Group hits CSC memo barring gov’t workers from political discourse

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A POLITICAL GROUP on Thursday criticized a Civil Service Commission (CSC) order prohibiting government workers from participating in online political discourse, calling it a violation of free expression.

Bayan Muna and the Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE), a union of government employees, will campaign for the order’s revocation, said Ferdinand R. Gaite, the union’s adviser and Bayan Muna’s party-list candidate for the midterm elections.

“Preventing government employees from expressing their views on political issues in social media, especially on policies and politicians affecting their rights and welfare as government workers, is curtailing their rights to freedom of expression as workers and as citizens,” he said in a statement.

The CSC in late March barred government workers from engaging in “partisan political activities,” including liking or following political candidates’ online content.

“This recent issuance of the CSC… about political matters is too much! It tramples upon the very rights that civil servants are supposed to uphold and defend,” said Mr. Gaite. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Philippine, US troops hold seaside war drills in BARMM

DATU BLAH SINSUAT, Maguindanao del Norte — Filipino and American soldiers held in a seaside village where an amphibious sea-to-shore anti-terror assault drill and an artillery fire exercise on Wednesday, in the presence of local officials from Bangsamoro towns around.

The activity was part of the Marine Exercise 2025, organized by the Philippine Marine Corps and its US counterpart, which was launched in the upland Barira town in Maguindanao del Norte almost two weeks ago.

It also involved the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM).

American and Filipino soldiers used small, but high-speed watercraft in their beachfront combat drill, capped off with a simulated presence of terrorists at the shores of Barangay Penansaran, which is home to mixed Maguindanaon and ethnic non-Muslim Teduray villagers.

Also present in the event at Barangay Penansaran were ranking officials of the Western Mindanao Command led by its commander, Army Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, and representatives from the Naval Forces Western Mindanao and the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment.

“We are grateful to the municipal government of Datu Blah Sinsuat and its local chief executive for helping push this activity forward,” Mr. Nafarrete said, referring to Mayor Marshall I. Sinsuat, the chairperson of their multi-sector Municipal Peace and Order Council.

Mr. Nafarrete said the commander of the Philippine Navy’s 1st Marine Brigade, Brig. Gen. Romulo Quemado, and Army Major Gen. Donald Gumiran of the 6th Infantry Division, cooperated in helping oversee the exercise. — John Felix M. Unson

Up to four-year delay seen for North-South rail project

JICA

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said full operations for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) will likely be four years delayed after hitting a 50% completion rate to date for the Manila-Clark segment.

“The estimate of our Japanese partners is a four-year delay. Our initial target completion date is 2027 for the full line to be operational,” Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said in a radio interview Thursday.

In a separate briefing, Mr. Dizon said the DoTr is hoping that a segment of the NSCR will be operational by 2027.

“The NSCR is roughly at a little over 50% complete from Manila to Clark but we are confident that we can still run the Manila to Malolos by the end of 2026 or maybe early 2027… We will see these trains start to operate within the term of the President, not the full line but I think the line from Manila to Malolos,” he said.

The 147-kilometer NSCR will connect Malolos, Bulacan with Clark International Airport, and Tutuban, Manila with Calamba, Laguna. The P873-billion project is co-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank. It will have 35 stations and three depots.

“In fact, the trains are ready for delivery this year. However, the delays are due to civil works, and construction,” Mr. Dizon noted.

Once fully operational, the NSCR is projected to reduce travel time between Clark and Calamba to two hours, against the current four to 4.5 hours.

The DoTr has said that big-ticket railway projects will face major right-of-way acquisition issues.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has issued a legal opinion that compensation rules set by development partners for persons displaced by foreign-funded projects apply only if the loan agreement was signed prior to the effectivity of the Right-of-Way Act (Republic Act No. 10752).

The opinion was issued to clarify the compensation rules governing projects entered into by the DoTr and entities like the JICA. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Palay floor price scheme under study after farmers propose P20 per kilo

A farmer threshes newly harvested palay grains at a ricefield in Mogpog, Marinduque in central Philippines, March 22, 2016. — REUTERS

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) signaled its openness to a proposal for a minimum buying price for palay (unmilled rice) to be set at P20 per kilogram.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel V. de Mesa said the DA is open to and studying a floor price mechanism, and described the floor price of P20 per kilo for dry palay proposed by the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) as reasonable.

The FFF on Thursday said a minimum palay buying price will shield producers from “severe” drops in farmgate prices as domestic rice faces competition from imports.

Buying prices for freshly harvested palay have dropped to as little as P12-14 per kilo in parts of the country. “At this rate, many farmers will end up with losses, while more efficient producers will net only about P16,000 per hectare, or P2,700 per month for six months’ work,” the FFF said.

The FFF said the maximum suggested retail price for consumers should be accompanied by protections for farmers, calling for traders to be required to buy palay at a minimum price.

A floor price scheme is needed because the National Food Authority (NFA) can absorb only 4-5% of the harvests due to funding, storage and other constraints, the FFF said.

It said many farmers are forced to sell to private traders because they cannot comply with the NFA’s drying and quality standards.

The NFA’s buying price is P24 per kilo for dry and clean palay and at P18 per kilo for fresh palay, the DA said in mid-March.

The FFF said the floor price scheme could complement a proposed seasonal tariff arrangement, under which duties on rice imports are temporarily raised during the harvest and returned to normal afterwards.

Rice imports fell 46% year on year to 641,000 metric tons (MT) in the year to date ending March 13.

The DA said 96,260 MT of the shipments arrived in March, 267,114 in February, and 277,540 in January. The equivalent year-earlier volumes are 429,260 MT in January, 341,585 in February, and 415,764 in March.

In 2024, rice imports hit a record 4.68 million MT (MMT), against 3.6 MMT a year earlier. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Soybean meal imports rising on hog recovery

REUTERS

PHILIPPINE soybean meal imports will likely increase 3.1% to 3.35 million metric tons (MMT), according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), to accompany an expected rebound in the hog industry.

The increase in imports for marketing year 2025/26 is also driven by increasing demand from the broiler, layer,aquaculture, and pet food segments, the USDA said in a report, citing its Foreign Agriculture Service.

It also noted expectations of a “gradual rebound in the swine industry.”

The US accounts for 80% of the Philippines’ soybean meal imports.

BusinessWorld has reported that the Philippine poultry industry is expecting feed prices to fall as US producers seek new markets after being shut out of China by retaliatory tariffs.

China, which is now facing a 104% charge on its exports to the US, has announced retaliatory tariffs of 84% on all US goods.

Soybean meal makes up between 5% and 30% of the composition of feed sold in the Philippines, the report noted, with demand from the broilers and aquaculture industries accounting for 25-30%.

The USDA report said domestic soybean production will likely remain under 1,000 MT in 2025/26.

The USDA said Philippine imports of soybean will increase 2.1% year on year to 147,000 MT in MY 2025/26 to meet the increasing demand from food and beverage processors, specifically for soy sauce and soy drinks.

It said soybean crushing demand for MY 2025/26 will remain flat, noting that the Philippines has only one crushing facility for processing imported soybeans into oil and meal.

Meanwhile, demand for soybeans for food use will rise 2.9% to 71,000 MT in MY 2025/26 due to increase in population, rising household incomes, and healthy eating trends.

Soybeans are processed into various food products such as soymilk, soy sauce, soy oil, tofu, bean curd, and fermented soybean.

“There is rising awareness among the consumers in the Philippines on the health benefits of soy products, specifically soymilk, that appeals to the health-conscious consumers,” the report said.

The US remains the largest soybean supplier, with 85% of the market in MY 2023/24, followed by Canada (7%) and Argentina (8%). The remaining suppliers in MY 2023/24 were China, Malaysia, and Singapore (with a combined 1% market share). — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

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