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WB digital infra loan stalled by late arrival of PHL funding

REUTERS

PHILIPPINE plans to build out its public broadband infrastructure network aided by a $287.24-million World Bank (WB) loan were delayed for nearly a year while the government rounded up the funding for its share of the project cost, the bank said.

“The pace of implementation has been affected by the extended process of obtaining budget cover,” the bank said in its implementation status report dated Sept. 22.

The $287.24-million loan for the Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project has yet to be disbursed after the project was approved in October 2024.

“Preparations for key project initiatives are well advanced and are ready to move forward,” the bank said, noting that budget cover was put place on Sept. 15.

Multilateral lenders require their borrowers to partly fund joint projects to make the host government less likely to abandon projects.

In its website, the World Bank said the project aims to improve climate-resilient, secure, and inclusive broadband connectivity. Its components include the backbone network, the middle-mile network, the access network or last mile, and project management support. 

The first three components of the project will invest in the government fiber optic backbone and the middle mile segment at the national level, as well as last-mile connectivity in Mindanao.

The project’s overall risk rating remains substantial but the progress towards achievement of the project development objective and overall implementation progress were downgraded to moderately satisfactory from satisfactory.

The project is being implemented by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman has said that foreign-assisted projects funding will be covered in the budget this year and in the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Industry groups propose tariff treatment of sugar, other farm products in EU FTA

WIKIMEDIA.ORG/PATRICKROQUE01

INDUSTRY GROUPS have put forward their proposals for the tariff regimes that will govern agricultural products like sugar, milk powder, beef and pork, under the European Union (EU)-Philippines Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Tariff Commission said.

The industry proposals were released at a Tariff Commission hearing ahead of the planned exchange of market access offers between the Philippines and the EU, who are expected to wrap up negotiations next year.

The two sides are expected to exchange market access offers soon.

“Our recommendation would obviously be exclusion of sugar from the FTA for now, but then we will be studying the possibility if we could have a specific tariff line for muscovado sugar,” Rosemarie S. Gumera, representative of the Confederation of Sugar Producers, said on Tuesday.

Muscovado is an unrefined form of sugar that retains its molasses content.

Ms. Gumera, who is also a former official with the Sugar Regulatory Administration, said the market for muscovado is different from the market for raw and refined sugar.

“The EU is one of our main markets for sugar. Japan is number one. But our concern is mainly for muscovado sugar because most of our small planters are dependent on the production of muscovado,” she added.

Jesus L. Barrera, executive director of Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association, Inc., said the exclusion of raw and refined sugar from the FTA is based on the EU’s status as mainly a producer of beet sugar.

“There are only two countries in the EU that produce sugar from cane, which are Portugal and France. So even though the EU reduces the tariff on sugar, since raw sugar from cane is produced only in two countries, you have to have arrangements with certain companies in France and Portugal,” he said.

“They’re the only ones who can process your raw exports into refined sugar,” he said.

Teodoro Alexander T. Po, vice chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Century Pacific Food, Inc., said he is hoping to see the Philippines offer duty-free access for European milk powders, beef, pork, and beef offal, and for tin plates.

He said these products are produced in small quantities in the Philippines and are used by domestic manufacturers for both their local exported products.

Imelda J. Madarang, chief executive officer of Fisherfarms, Inc., said the industry wants the FTA to help exporters address non-tariff barriers, noting the EU’s rules governing packaging and ingredients, among others.

“We’re really happy about the tariff, but it is actually the non-tariff measures that we are encountering,” she said.

Lattice Angelique Andriano of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of International Trade Relations said the fourth round of the negotiations will be held on Oct. 20-24 in Cebu City.

“Chapter leads will continue with text-based negotiations with an aim to clean as many articles as possible, given the timeline [that we are working on],” she said.

“And both sides will aim to exchange market offers for goods, services, investment, and government procurement before the fourth round, if not within this month,” she added.

According to Ms. Andriano, both sides are hoping to fast-track negotiations with the aim of concluding them by mid-2026, or ahead of the expiration of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus in 2027. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Farmers in spotlight at NFA Cebu fair

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE National Food Authority (NFA) organized a fair on the grounds of its Cebu regional office to celebrate Cebu produce, which will run until Sept. 26.

Apart from rice, the fair features fresh fruit, vegetables, root crops and Cebu delicacies, the NFA said.

Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Angel C. Enriquez said the NFA plays a key role in ensuring food security in spite of challenges like rising prices and erratic weather.

Region VII, which includes Cebu, had the third-smallest land area dedicated to rice farming of all the regions at 47,797 hectares, according to the Philippine Rice Information System.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority corn is the leading temporary crop in Region VII, also known as the Central Visayas, while coconut was the leading permanent crop. Hog-raising was the leading livestock industry. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay

Tech training firm AIFirst planning expanded presence in Cebu, Iloilo

FREEPIK

AIFIRST, an artificial intelligence (AI) training provider, is seeking to expand its footprint in Cebu and Iloilo, its founder said.

“The goal is to expand and see what the uptake is like there,” AIFirst Chief Executive Officer and Founder Carlo Almendral said during the launch of the AIFirst Institute on Tuesday.

AIFirst provides hands-on AI bootcamps and founder support to help individuals harness AI effectively.

With the launch of the AIFirst Institute, the organization is looking to train workers based in Cebu and Iloilo, Mr. Almendral said.

It has noted the rapid growth of office developments and educational institutions outside Metro Manila, catering to key industries like finance, healthcare, education, and business process outsourcing.

“The Institute is set to transform the landscape of professional development by offering a comprehensive suite of AI certification programs while generating sustainable funding for nonprofits and corporate social responsibility initiatives,” it said in a statement.

The AIFirst Institute offers 16 AI-specialized programs pitched to college students and professionals across all industries.

AIFirst also offers an executive and professional track with courses like an AI Engineering Bootcamp, AI for Executives and Business Owners programs, and AI courses for HR Professionals, and Data Analysis.

The training programs charge between P1,000 and P50,000, and last from one day to two weeks.

“In the future, people will have to be their own consultants. They’ll have to run their own businesses and be freelancers,” Mr. Almendral said.

“The earlier we get people to learn stuff like AI, the further they can get ahead,” he added. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

PSEi drops to 6,100 level amid corruption issues

BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE SHARES dropped further on Tuesday, with the main index back at the 6,100 level, as market sentiment was affected by corruption concerns.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined by 1.54% or 96.29 points to close at 6,118.54, while the broader all shares index went down by 0.95% or 35.62 points to end at 3,693.67.

“Prices declined further as investors grew more cautious about the ongoing issues facing the country, which continue to weigh on overall market confidence,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message.

“The market continued to retreat to support levels as corruption hearings in the Senate resume,” AP Securities, Inc. said in a market report.

At a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, a former Department of Public Works and Highways official accused several legislators of receiving payoffs from flood control projects in Bulacan.

Ex-district engineer Henry C. Alcantara said project proponents got as much as 30% of funding intended for flood projects, though he admitted having no direct transactions with the lawmakers.

“Despite the optimistic outlook for additional BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) rate cuts and a stable inflation rate, the market still moved lower, reflecting the prevailing bearish sentiment among participants,” Mr. Limlingan added.

Last month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) lowered borrowing costs by 25 basis points (bps) for the third meeting in a row, reducing the policy rate to 5%. Since August 2024, it has cut benchmark interest rates by a total of 150 bps.

BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. said that they could deliver one last cut this year to support the economy if needed, depending on the data.

Most sectoral indices ended in the red on Tuesday. Financials fell by 2.42% or 51.41 points to 2,068.55; services went down by 1.47% or 33.62 points to 2,239.79; holding firms sank 1.45% or 74.20 points to 5,023.04; property dropped by 1.24% or 30.18 points to 2,403.03; and industrials declined by 0.69% or 61.89 points to 8,873.02.

Meanwhile, mining and oil jumped by 3.68% or 436.67 points to 12,293.52.

“The sector counters were all deeply in the red except for mining, which racked up a 3.68% gain on the back of surging gold prices,” AP Securities said.

The metal hit a fresh record at $3,759.02 per ounce to nearly 9% higher for the month so far, Reuters reported.

Value turnover surged to P22.69 billion on Tuesday with 2.72 billion shares traded from the P5.01 billion with 1.19 billion stocks that changed hands on Monday.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 129 to 78, while 56 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign buying was at P7.05 billion on Tuesday, a reversal of the P343.27 million in net selling recorded on Monday. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno

DoJ seeks freeze of lawmakers’ bank accounts over flood control scandal

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter Erika Mae P. Sinaking and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) has recommended the freezing of bank accounts of lawmakers accused of getting kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told senators on Tuesday.

Appearing before a Senate hearing, Mr. Remulla said the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) had been given a digital copy of a sworn statement by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Henry C. Alcantara, who earlier claimed that legislators and a DPWH undersecretary had benefitted from the scheme.

“We contacted the AMLC and gave them a digital file of the affidavit, and they started acting on this,” Mr. Remulla said.

Among those named were Senators Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada and Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co, former Caloocan Rep. Mary Mitzi L. Cajayon-Uy, and ex-Public Works Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo.

“We’ve received the referral from the DoJ and are actively working on it,” AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David said in a Viber message. “The investigation is being fast-tracked, and we’re doing everything we can to move things forward as quickly and thoroughly as possible.”

In a 49-page sworn statement, Mr. Alcantara claimed that the lawmakers had benefitted from funds allocated for flood control projects. He also tagged former Senator Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr.

Mr. Alcantara alleged that proponents of flood control projects had received as much as 30% of the proposed funding, though he admitted he had no direct dealings with lawmakers.

He said funding for kickbacks from flood control projects came from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and unprogrammed funds, under the orders of Mr. Bernardo.

He said he had submitted a list of projects to Mr. Bernardo worth P355 million, who then passed it to Mr. Estrada. “I did not have direct transactions or direct communications with Senator Jinggoy,” he told senators.

The former district engineer alleged that there were budget insertions worth P300 million from Mr. Revilla in 2024.

“According to Usec. Bernardo, the GAA insertions in 2024 were worth P300 million. He told me it was for Senator Bong Revilla who was then running for senator in 2025,” he said, adding that there was no direct contact between him and the senator.

Mr. Revilla denied any hand in the flood control scam. “I have nothing to do with any of that,” he said in a Viber message.

“The allegations made against me during today’s Senate hearing are false and baseless,” Mr. Co said in a statement. “I reserve my right to respond to these allegations at the proper time before the proper forum.”

Mr. Alcantara also claimed that Mr. Villanueva had requested P1.5 billion for a multipurpose building but only received P600 million.

“Senator Joel was not happy with this, so we were forced to find a way,” he said. “(He) did not ask for any specific projects or percentage, but Undersecretary Bernardo told me to give an equivalent of P150 million to (Mr. Villanueva).”

During a plenary session, Mr. Villanueva said he was fully prepared to face an investigation of his involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

“I am fully prepared to be investigated on these allegations,” he told his peers. “I have nothing to hide, and I welcome any inquiry that will bring out the truth.”

Mr. Estrada did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Mr. Estrada and Mr. Villanueva earlier denied pocketing flood control funds after they were tagged in a separate investigation by the House of Representatives.

Mr. Revilla and Mr. Estrada were previously implicated in the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

At Tuesday’s Senate hearing, Mr. Alcantara named Ms. Co and Ms. Cajayon-Uy as among the proponents of flood control funding.

He said Mr. Co had inserted 426 projects in Bulacan worth P35 billion from 2022 to 2025, while Ms. Cayagon-Uy inserted P411 million worth of projects.

SUBSTANDARD
Committee Chairman Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson approved Mr. Alcantara’s transfer to the Department of Justice for consideration under the Witness Protection Program.

At the same hearing, ex-Public Works assistant engineer Brice P. Hernandez said all infrastructure projects in the first district of Bulacan have been substandard or “underdesigned” from 2019 to 2025.

Meanwhile, Mr. Remulla said Mr. Alcantara has committed to return the ill-gotten wealth he had amassed from flood control projects, as the DoJ builds up its cases.

He said he had met with the engineer and would meet with him again this week. “We submitted the needed documents to the Anti-Money Laundering Council so they can freeze the bank accounts,” he told reporters at the DoJ in Filipino.

Mr. Remulla confirmed Mr. Alcantara’s offer of restitution. “We haven’t gotten to the bottom of everything yet, but the gesture is there.”

He added that government prosecutors were considering other witnesses.

Also on Tuesday, Navotas Rep. Tobias Reynald M. Tiangco filed an ethics complaint against Mr. Co over his alleged role in the “insertion” of billions of pesos in unprogrammed funds and the diversion of funds to lucrative infrastructure deals.

“He masterminded, tolerated and deliberately allowed last-minute insertions and realignments,” he said in a four-page complaint. “The insertions bypassed priority projects and cast serious doubts on the legitimacy of purpose.”

Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has revoked Mr. Co’s travel clearance to seek medical treatment in the US, asking him to come home within 10 days to answer allegations linking him to questionable budget insertions and contractors in public works projects.

“The 2025 General Appropriations Act has been considered as the most scandalous, corrupt and highly irregular budget,” Mr. Tiangco said in the complaint. “Billions of pesos were inserted by the small committee up to the bicameral committee.”

This year’s budget drew criticism when the bicameral committee raised unprogrammed funds to more than P500 billion and inserted allegedly blank line items, prompting concerns that changes were made after Congress ratified the bill.

“Despite efforts to pacify the public, the public’s demand to hold liable those responsible for the insertions remains a roaring outcry of the people. However, Rep. Co remains silent and beyond reach,” Mr. Tiangco said.

Mr. Tiangco also accused Mr. Co of violating the code of conduct for public officials over his absence since the beginning of the 20th Congress and for conflict of interest.

Thousands of Filipinos marched in the capital on Sunday in the biggest protest in years against the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, turning weeks of online outrage over corruption into mass street demonstrations that rattled the political establishment.

Marcos signs EO boosting union rights as ILO warns of surge in informal jobs

PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has signed Executive Order (EO) No. 97, strengthening protections for workers’ rights to unionize and assemble, as the Philippines faces closer scrutiny from the International Labour Organization (ILO) for persistent violations of labor rights.

The measure, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin on Sept. 19, adopts omnibus guidelines on freedom of association and civil liberties.

It directs agencies such as the Labor, Justice and Defense departments, as well as the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, to align policies and training with international labor standards.

The Department of Labor and Employment will oversee compliance through the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council.

The EO follows years of pressure from the ILO, which in 2023 deployed a high-level mission to Manila after reports of violence, red-tagging and harassment of union leaders. That mission recommended stronger safeguards, faster investigation of attacks against labor activists and the creation of systematic monitoring mechanisms.

The ILO on Monday launched a training module on freedom of association to help bridge gaps between principle and practice in the right to organize.

EO 97 builds on earlier reforms, including EO 23 issued in 2023, which created an inter-agency committee to implement the ILO recommendations. The latest order embeds guidelines across government agencies, requiring them to safeguard union assemblies and rallies from interference and violence.

Labor groups, however, remain cautious. University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations Assistant Professor Benjamin B. Velasco said the EO is overdue.

“It is no doubt a product of the demand of the labor movement to redress the systematic killings and repression of labor activists through the ILO,” he said. “The challenge is to realize its spirit in concrete reforms. First and foremost is the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, ironically listed as an implementing agency.”

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition Chairman Jose Sonny G. Matula described the EO as a ray of hope.

“Stronger unions mean stronger workers, and stronger workers mean a stronger middle class — the true engine of a just and stable society,” he said in a Viber message. But he cautioned that the “real test lies ahead: faithful implementation.”

ILO REPORT
The EO comes as the ILO warned in a Sept. 23 report that rising informality, inequality and uneven access to decent work threaten to undermine social cohesion worldwide.

The State of Social Justice: A Work in Progress report noted that 58% of the world’s workforce remains in informal employment, including millions of Filipinos in gig work, self-employment and low-wage service jobs. Locally, research group Ibon Foundation estimated informal workers at 21.2 million as of August.

The report noted that economic growth no longer guarantees stable work. Over the past decade, a 1% increase in economic output boosted formal employment by only 0.38%, down from 0.5% in the early 2000s.

Gender and youth disparities persist, with women still performing 76% of unpaid care work globally. The top 1% of earners capture 20% of global income and 38% of wealth, the ILO said.

Mr. Matula warned that the Philippines’ growth has been “contractualized,” benefiting businesses but leaving workers in insecure, informal jobs. He pressed for corruption-free universal healthcare, inclusive pensions and fairer unemployment insurance.

House panel presses Philippine funding vs China threat

BW FILE PHOTO

THE US House committee on China has urged Washington to ensure funding for the Philippines to counter Beijing’s “aggressive and destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea, according to a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which warns cuts could threaten US security interests.

In the letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sought clarity on funding for the Philippine Coast Guard, noting the State Department had sought a dramatically reduced 2026 budget for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement that would “devastate” programs to help its ally stand up to China.

The select committee’s letter follows moves by China to further tighten its grip on the strategically located Scarborough Shoal, one of Asia’s most contested maritime features, where Philippine and Chinese vessels have clashed repeatedly.

“Beijing has significantly escalated its aggressive activities in the South China Sea, including its efforts to unlawfully assert control over much of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” according to a copy of the letter. “(China’s) coast guard and maritime militia regularly attack or physically coerce Philippine vessels.”

“Beijing’s actions have only grown more threatening over the last several months, reflecting the immediacy of this threat.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

The US has stressed its alliance with the Philippines is “ironclad.” The Philippines was among countries whose security funding was exempted in February from US aid freezes.

It was not immediately clear how much of the $336 million Washington allocated for Philippine defense modernization is for maritime security.

FUNDING ‘IMPERATIVE’
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and says it is lawfully preventing encroachment on its territory.

China’s coast guard last week used water cannon on Philippine boats it said had “illegally invaded China’s territorial waters,” actions Manila called “provocative and dangerous.”

Tensions have escalated since China said it would establish a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, a move Mr. Rubio called “another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims.”

China’s Foreign Ministry last week protested over Rubio’s remarks and accused the US of repeatedly meddling and bringing in other countries to “sow discord and fear.”

The House select committee letter said it was imperative that future budget requests allow the continuation of funding supporting Philippine maritime law enforcement “as undermining such programs would threaten our national security interests.”

It was signed by Reps. Greg Stanton, Seth Moulton and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi.

The letter mentioned recent standoffs, including a near collision between a Chinese Navy ship and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel at Scarborough Shoal, which the committee said could have led to Manila invoking a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington.

The Philippines in 2023 successfully lobbied for more specificity in the treaty to include US defense from attacks “anywhere in the South China Sea” including on coast guard vessels. — Reuters

Duterte charged with 3 murder counts at ICC

FORMER PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte — OFFICIAL FACEBOOK ACCOUNT OF THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES

INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors have charged former Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte with three counts of murder in connection with his deadly war on drugs when he was mayor and President.

“Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals in the Philippines (including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production) through violent crimes including murder,” according to the prosecution’s July 4 filing, which was made public only on Monday.

Prosecutors led by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said Mr. Duterte is criminally liable as an “indirect co-perpetrator” for killings of drug suspects from November 2011 to March 2019.

The charges focus on three clusters of murders: at least 19 killings linked to the Davao Death Squad from 2013 to 2016; the execution of so-called “high-value targets” in anti-drug operations from 2016 to 2017; and dozens of murders and attempted murders during village-level raids from 2016 to 2018.

Prosecutors accused Mr. Duterte of helping design and enforce a common plan to “neutralize” alleged criminals, primarily drug suspects, through extrajudicial killings, both by the Davao Death Squad and by police nationwide.

He is accused of promoting, encouraging, and rewarding killings while ensuring impunity for perpetrators.

The ICC said the killings formed part of a “widespread and systematic attack against civilians,” amounting to crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute.

Mr. Duterte is detained at the ICC in The Hague after the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. allowed his arrest early this year.

The tribunal earlier this month postponed a hearing on the confirmation of charges against Mr. Duterte, initially scheduled for Sept. 23, to determine whether he is well enough to stand trial.

In a 13-page filing dated Sept. 11, defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman said Mr. Duterte’s team is seeking an indefinite adjournment of all legal proceedings in the case, citing his deteriorating health. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

Nando, Mirasol death toll hits 3

MOTORISTS along Lagusnilad in Manila avoid a tree felled by strong winds and rains brought by Super Typhoon Nando, Sept. 22. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

THREE people were reported dead, while more than 123,000 individuals were affected by the combined effects of tropical cyclones Ragasa (locally Nando) and Mitag (locally Mirasol), along with the southwest monsoon, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday.

In a Viber message, the NDRRMC confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that there was one fatality recorded due to a landslide in Tuba, Benguet, following heavy rains brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa.

The other two deaths were earlier reported in Aurora on Sept. 17 during Typhoon Mitag. Both involving missing fishermen who were later recovered on Sept. 18.

There are also five missing persons and nine injured individuals due to the combined effects of the cyclones and the Southwest Monsoon, according to a recent NDRRMC report on its website.

Affected families also reached more than 50,000, or exactly 123,142 individuals, primarily in regions 3, 5, and 2, the report also said.

The NDRRMC also said that nearly P4 million in estimated assistance has been provided to affected families as of Tuesday, 8 a.m.

Meanwhile, Super Typhoon Rasaga, being monitored by the state weather bureau, already exited the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday morning after unleashing torrential rains and destructive winds over Northern Luzon. 

The cyclone, with sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 230 kph, was located 510 kilometers west of Basco, Batanes, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) 2 p.m. advisory. It was moving west-northwest at 20 kph.

Despite its exit, Ragasa was still expected to bring storm-to-gale-force winds across northern Luzon, while enhancing the southwest monsoon that will bring heavy to torrential rains over the western sections of the country.

PAGASA also reported the entry of a new tropical depression, which will be named locally as Opong. It said it will issue tropical cyclone bulletins starting at 5 p.m. today. — Edg Adrian A. Eva

Freeze order should cover relatives

PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR

THE Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) should also freeze the bank accounts of relatives of politicians implicated in the multi-billion flood control scandal, a congressman said on Tuesday, amid the crackdown on corruption linked to infrastructure projects.

Lawmakers linked to allegedly anomalous flood control deals should also release their yearly net worth statements and sign a bank secrecy waiver to allow authorities to examine their financial records, House Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima said.

“Include their relatives as well,” she said in a statement. “They all should be open to scrutiny of their bank accounts and transactions so we can truly find out if they have nothing to hide.”

The AMLC last week froze the bank accounts and insurance policies tied to 20 Public Works department officials and six contractors as the government widens its probe into anomalous flood control deals.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in mid-September created a fact-finding commission into billions worth of bogus flood control deals, tasked to investigate irregularities in public works projects involving substandard, incomplete or nonexistent infrastructure.

In August, he said that more than 6,000 flood control projects launched since 2022 lacked key details. About P545 billion has been allocated for flood control since then, with P100 billion cornered by top contractors. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DoLE to help construction workers

Workers take a break at a construction site along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, Jan. 30, 2025. — PHILIPPINE STAR/NOEL B. PABALATE

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) will step in to support thousands of construction workers left without jobs or income following the suspension of government flood-control projects, its top official said on Tuesday.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said in a statement the agency is monitoring the situation nationwide and is coordinating with unions to roll out emergency programs.

He met with the National Union of Building and Construction Workers (NUBCW) on Sept. 16 alongside officials from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to discuss assistance measures.

This comes as the Philippines probes a multi-billion flood control scheme that has prompted the government to suspend projects.

DoLE has directed regional offices to deliver immediate relief, including cash-for-work under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, livelihood grants through the DoLE Integrated Livelihood Program, and skills training.

TESDA also pledged to expand on-site certification in provinces with high concentrations of displaced workers.

The suspension of flood control projects has affected a wide network of subcontracted laborers, many under multiple layers of contracting, NUBCW President Victoriano Puerta and Secretary General Santiago Nolla said in the same statement.

They noted workers are going back to their provinces with no income and no clarity on when projects will restart.

The union committed to identify displaced workers for referral to government aid, while DoLE will profile affected employees to match interventions. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

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