I am appalled by Senators who have the temerity to invoke God’s name and the Holy Scriptures, yet shamelessly engage in corruption and enable injustice, lies, and deceit. To borrow the favorite rhetorical question of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III: Saan kayo kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha?

We have senators who lie through their teeth while quoting Bible verses to appear righteous, masking their insatiable greed and immoral, godless lives. As the Scriptures say: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”

It’s clear that many of these lawmakers are working to thwart the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, who stands accused of betraying public trust. The charges stem from her questionable use of confidential and intelligence funds under both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Sara has yet to fully explain how ₱125 million in confidential funds was spent in just 11 days—a revelation that rightly raised alarm bells among legislators.

Worse, during a House committee hearing, Sara responded not with transparency but with belligerence, treating public funds as though they were her own. This attitude of entitlement and impunity led the House of Representatives to approve articles of impeachment on February 5, 2025, with 215 members signing the resolution. Speaker Martin Romualdez ordered the transmission of the articles to the Senate, where, under the Constitution, the Senate is mandated to act forthwith—immediately.

Yet Senate President Chiz Escudero chose to sit on it, insisting “forthwith” doesn’t necessarily mean “immediately,” despite constitutional framers—including a former Supreme Court justice—affirming otherwise. Why is Mr. Heart Evangelista behaving this way? Known for being a pa-bibo, condescending, and ever eager to flaunt his intellect, Escudero now appears spineless when integrity is most needed.

Now, allow me to address the Pharisees of the Philippine Senate—those who publicly brandish their Christianity.

We have Senator Joel Villanueva, son of a preacher who once claimed God told him to run for president—twice—and lost both times. If it was indeed God who spoke to him, why such miserable defeats? Perhaps it was Beelzebub whispering in his ear.

Then there’s Alan Peter Cayetano, whose X handle is “GodBlessThePhilippines.” Cringe. His sister, another self-righteous figure, styles herself as an advocate for women’s rights, yet never spoke against Duterte’s misogynistic tirades, especially against female journalists. The late Senator Rene Cayetano must be rolling in his grave.

If the QUIETano siblings truly wanted to honor their father’s legacy, why have they remained silent on his crusade—together with Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr.—against the illegal collection of parking fees by mall owners?

Christian senators should reflect on the axiom Vox populi, vox Dei—the voice of the people is the voice of God. The public has a right to know whether Sara Duterte is guilty of betraying public trust.

Let’s also disregard Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s laughable claim that he was “guided by the Holy Spirit” in dismissing the impeachment resolution against Duterte’s daughter. These so-called Christians use scripture and the Holy Spirit not in reverence, but in vain—for personal gain.

Unless they understand both the legal and moral duties they swore to uphold, their actions will remain self-serving. If they lack the courage to fight for truth and justice, how dare they call themselves Christians?

So let us ask Senators Villanueva, the Cayetano siblings, and Bato dela Rosa: Would Christ be pleased with what you are doing?

In De Imitatione Christi by Thomas à Kempis, the call to imitate Christ is not about performance but inner transformation. These senators, obsessed with public show and political theater, are anything but Christ-like.

With the Senate dithering on whether to proceed with Sara’s impeachment—despite the clear constitutional mandate—we must ask: What would Jesus do? Did He not say, “Give to Caesar what is due to Caesar, and to God what is due to God”? Perhaps this is what our sanctimonious senators should do—forthwith.

If De Imitatione Christi is too lofty a guide, Aristotle offers a simpler one: Imitate the virtuous people in your life. Ask yourselves: what would your parents or grandparents do in your place?

Aristotle also reminds us to seek the golden mean between excess and deficiency. So if you’re tempted to show “compassion” to Sara by shielding her from accountability, ask: what message does this send to young Filipinos who still believe in public service? How much more suffering will your cowardice inflict on those deprived of resources misused for vanity and power?

Let me end with the wisdom of St. Augustine: “If we want the world to be a better place, we have to begin with ourselves. We have to begin with our own lives, our own hearts.” Only then can we truly become beacons of hope.

Indeed, there is no need to blow our trumpets to proclaim our faith. Verba movent, exempla trahunt—words persuade, but actions compel. Need I say more?

In its statement sent to the media,the ECCP welcomes the ratification of RCEP as this poses significant opportunities in terms of export markets, investments, and jobs for Filipinos. 

RCEP Membership will yield significant economic benefits for the Philippines. It will optimize the country’s participation to the global value chain. The ratification of RCEP also sends a positive message that the Philippines upholds and values a rules-based trading system. When implemented, it will enhance competition policy, intellectual property rights, investment, technical cooperation, public procurement, among others. 

Republic Act No. (RA) 11650 “Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act” mandates that Filipino children with disabilities have access to free, appropriate, quality inclusive education. 

This landmark law governs how public agencies and schools provide early intervention, appropriate education, and support services to the 5 million Filipino children and youth with disabilities, addressing their educational requirements and needs to be effective and successful in inclusive learning environments.

Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) will be established in all school districts, cities and municipalities to deliver free services in support of inclusive education towards capacitating all schools throughout the nation in educating learners with disabilities. 

Olivia Lucas, President of E-Net Philippines expressed gratitude to the champions in the Philippine Senate, led by Basic Education, Arts and Culture Committee Chairperson, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the House of Representatives led by Education and Culture Committee Chairperson, Rep. Roman Romulo, and the Office of the President on the passage of RA 11650. “The future of children with disabilities is brighter in inclusive classrooms and schools. Inclusive education not only benefits learners with disabilities, but also create an environment in which every student, including those who do not have disabilities, has the opportunity to flourish.”, Lucas said. 

Other salient features of the new law are the institutionalization of the Child Find System, under which learners with disabilities are identified, located and evaluated so they can be included in the general basic education system; and an individualized education plan shall be designed, prepared and implemented for the specific needs of each learner. Likewise, hiring of a multi-disciplinary team for the ILRCs and in-school child development centers, composed of professionals, will be undertaken; and the maintenance of a learning information system. An Advisory Council for Education of Learners with Disabilities composed of representatives from various disability sectors and academe will also be created inside the Department of Education (DepEd) to help oversee the implementation of the law’s provisions through a multi-year roadmap of targets and outcomes. 

“Congratulations to all who worked tirelessly, most especially the leaders and members of different disability groups, whose contagious passion in sharing their time, experiences and expertise has helped propel this significant legislation forward. Congratulations to our children and youth with disabilities whose right to education will be promoted, protected and fulfilled through this landmark law.”, Lucas ended.  

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) called on the Senate to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement in a statement released Thursday, 27 January 2022. IBPAP represents over 332 strong member companies and six partner associations engaged in the country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and related sectors. 

According to Jack Madrid, president of IBPAP, “We believe that RCEP will increase external trade and spur more investments that create more livelihood and other business opportunities in the country.” 

He added that the stable regulatory environment provided by RCEP would improve the Philippines’ attractiveness to investors and accelerate the economy’s recovery, stressing that the country had the potential to be a manufacturing and services hub under the agreement. 

“RCEP also promises seamless production networks among the members who will be tied to common standards, disciplines on intellectual property, rules of origin, customs process, e-commerce and competition policy. With stable and predictable rules, the Philippines could aspire to become a regional manufacturing and services hub, thereby creating much-needed domestic jobs. This framework will benefit the IT & Business Process Management Industry by making the country a more attractive investment destination and help expedite the economic recovery from the pandemic by creating more job opportunities,” he explained. 

The RCEP Agreement is an economic treaty brokered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which the Philippines is a member, and its dialogue partners – Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. It is estimated to be the largest trade bloc in the world, representing 30% of the global GDP. 

The RCEP Agreement was signed by the ministers of 10 ASEAN Member States and 5 dialogue partners last 15 November 2020. The Agreement took effect last 1 January 2022 for 10 Signatory States, for South Korea on 1 February 2022, and will be implemented by Malaysia on 18 March 2022. 

The Agreement was ratified by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last September 2, 2021, with the measure being deliberated in the Senate for concurrence. 

By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios

With the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership now in the Senate for ratification, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines is urging the upper chamber of the legislature to ratify Philippine membership to Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) before Congress adjourns for the upcoming election.

As the country continues to emerge from the impacts of the pandemic, Chris Nelson, BCCP Executive Director and Trustee is optimistic with Philippines’ post-pandemic recovery. Nelson appreciates the significant measures done by the government to bolster economic growth by easing COVID restrictions, accelerating the vaccine rollout and more importantly, certifying as urgent the enactment of economic reforms such as the amendments on Retail Trade Liberalisation Act (RTLA), Foreign Investment Act (FIA) and Public Service Act (PSA). 

However, Nelson is looking forward to seeing further measures done to open up the economy highlighting the swift passage of amendments to PSA, FIA and the Philippine membership to RCEP. 

To further seek foreign investments a more relaxed and competitive business environment must be in place.

Nelson also agrees with DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez in his previous statement that any delay in ratification of RCEP could impede the creation of mass employment opportunities crucial to bounce back from the pandemic. 

Given the high level of competition to attract foreign investments among ASEAN countries, the British Chamber strongly urges that Congress need to act quickly by approving the priority bills and further easing the covid restriction to renew interest and growth in FDIs. 

With the additional economic measures in place, the British Chamber is eager to continue to further promote the Philippines competitive investment climate, business opportunities and positive long-term fundamentals. 

Recently, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported Philippines’ FDI net inflows rose by 98.9 percent growth year-on-year in October 2021 to US$855 million from the US$430 million net inflows in the same month in 2020. 

Believing in the trade opportunities that will be created by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement garments industry in the Philippines urged the Senate to approve

The Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) and its affiliate, the Coalition of Philippine Manufacturers of PPE (CPMP), noted that the RCEP Agreement is already enjoyed by RCEP signatories such as Vietnam — the Philippines’ closest competitor in the industry—since 01 January 2022. The RCEP allows manufacturers from member countries to source raw materials such as yarn and fabric worldwide, with the finished products qualifying for preferential tariff treatment under the Agreement.  

CONWEP Executive Director Marites Jocson-Agoncillo and CPMP Executive Director Rosette Carillo, through their letter furnished to the DTI, remarked that global brands have redirected their orders to the Philippines from Viet Nam due to the hesitation of the latter’s workforce to return to the factories because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

According to Executive Directors Jocson-Agoncillo and Carillo: “We need RCEP to sustain such opportunities. Otherwise, we again lose these orders, as well as significant planned investments on apparel and textile from countries such as China, Taiwan, and others, to Viet Nam which is expected to resume its operations in the next couple of months.” 

The sector was among those affected by the slowdown in the economic activities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and is still reeling from its effects. CONWEP’s data highlighted that almost 20,000 direct workers were displaced due to the global pandemic. Pre-pandemic, the sector employed 260,000 to 280,000 workers. 

In line with this, Diana H. Santos, President Emerita of the Garment Business Association of the Philippines (GBAP), has reaffirmed their support through a letter to the Department on the Philippines’ joining the RCEP. 

“We opine that the Philippines would be at a trade disadvantage if we are not part of the aforementioned partnership”, she wrote. 

The RCEP Agreement entered into force on 01 January 2022 for 10 Signatory States, namely – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, Australia, China, Japan, and New Zealand. The Agreement will be implemented by South Korea on 01 February 2022. 

The RCEP agreement was ratified by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last 02 September 2021 and is under Senate deliberations to secure concurrence. 

Globe is optimistic the Senate will pass a bill removing a significant roadblock in the rollout of telecommunications infrastructure in villages, subdivisions, and housing projects nationwide. This as the digital solutions platform also lauded the House of Representatives for passing the bill as it brings the company closer to providing a #1stWorldNetwork in the country.

The bill mandates all housing projects, subdivisions, villages, or other residential areas, including socialized housing projects, to allocate 30% of the gross area for open space to establish ICT infrastructure and related amenities.

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 10388 or An Act Mandating the Allocation of an Area for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure and Facilities in Subdivisions and Housing Development Projects.  It seeks to promote the accessibility of ICT and ensure digital connectivity in urban centers and populated areas of the country.

Over the past few years, Globe has encountered numerous permitting issues with homeowners’ associations (HOAs) in establishing right-of-way in subdivisions to deploy broadband fiber and construct cell sites.  The HOAs’ refusal was mainly due to unfounded health risks and aesthetic reasons.

“We are thankful to our lawmakers for their support.  This piece of legislation helps address the permitting issues for right-of-way and cell site development in villages and subdivisions that affect Globe’s commitment to delivering a #1stWorldNetwork to Filipino homes,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe General Counsel.

Access to the internet has been life-changing as the pandemic hastened the country’s digitalization.  From online learning to working from home and connecting people to loved ones in times of physical isolation, connectivity has become more important than ever.

The huge demand for connectivity prompted the government to heed telcos’ plea for support in network deployment, particularly with the tedious permitting issues.  Last year, the government issued two laws to remove impediments in telco infrastructure projects.

Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) paved the way for faster approval of permits and clearances from local government units to hasten the construction of cell towers.  RA 11494, otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), waived several permitting requirements for telcos.

In line with this, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also removed a major bottleneck that prevented telecom service providers from constructing crucial infrastructure projects along national roads. With the new development, Globe is optimistic that it can further accelerate cell site builds and rollout fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) lines. 

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, highlighting the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. It is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact principles and contributing to 10 UN SDGs.

To know more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

Apart from the House of Representatives, the education advocates also extolled that ongoing efforts in the Senate, led by the Senate Basic Education, Arts and Culture Committee to fastrack deliberations of a counterpart bill.

E-Net Philippines has been an active participant in preparing and advocating for improved versions of consolidated legislative bills filled in both Houses of the Philippine Congress on “Ensuring Inclusive Education for All Learners with Disabilities”.

While education is enshrined as a fundamental right in the Philippine Constitution and the 2006 UNCRPD, the access to appropriate inclusive education including instructional materials, assistive devices and trained teachers and specialists to meet the needs of learners with disabilities, remain an elusive dream. The Philippine government gave its word that the remaining years of its administration will focus on “Malasakit” which is one of its pillars for inclusive growth in the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

We, in E-Net Philippines, Advocates and Supporters of inclusive education education for learners with disabilities and most especially, the Disability Community-persons with disabilities and their families and carers, educators and other professional service providers, also call for “malasakit” in a similar but more impassioned manner for all our learners with disabilities all over the country.

As one of the most identifiable marginalized sectors, they have long experienced indifference and neglect. Ensuring their right to an inclusive education and other public services is long overdue. 

We end with an urgent plea that the bill on Instituting Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education and Establishing Inclusive Learning Resource Centers in All School Districts be a priority bill passed thru the collaborative efforts of the House of Representatives, the Philippine Senate and Advocates within the 18th Congress.

Pass the bill on Instituting Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education and Establishing Inclusive Learning Resource Centers in all School Districts NOW!

Senators have crossed party lines to commend the Department of Finance (DOF) under the leadership of Secretary Carlos Dominguez III for its competent and efficient management of state finances in the face of the massive public spending needed to mitigate the health and economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Minority Franklin Drilon congratulated Dominguez for managing the country’s finances well, while Senator Christopher Lawrence Go thanked the Finance Secretary and the “hard-working men and women of the DOF” for their “diligence and perseverance” in keeping the domestic economy afloat amid the pandemic-induced global economic downturn.

Senator Sonny Angara, who chairs the finance panel, agreed with Go and “regarding the many achievements of the DOF and the other (attached) agencies.”

Before addressing his questions to Dominguez during the budget hearing, Drilon said: “First of all, let me extend my congratulations to the (Finance) Secretary for managing our country’s finances well in the face of all these challenges that we face today because of Covid-19.”

In response, Dominguez thanked the majority and minority senators for their “appreciation of the team of the DOF and the economic managers.”

“Certainly all the heavy lifting is done by undersecretaries, the heads of attached agencies, assistant secretaries,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said that while the DOF budget under the Duterte administration has steadily decreased since 2017, the Department continued to collect record-high amounts of revenues to support the implementation of the government’s priority programs and effectively fulfill its mandate of prudently managing the country’s finances.

From P21.5 billion in 2017, the approved budget of the DOF and its attached agencies declined to P19.32 billion in 2018, and to a lower P18.89 billion in 2019.

Even with declining budget levels, Dominguez said the DOF and its attached agencies pushed through with bold reforms in tax policy and administration, which resulted in a revenue effort of 16.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year—a significant improvement from the revenue-to-GDP ratio of 15.1 percent in 2015 and the government’s best performance in more than 2o years.

With the DOF instilling corporate discipline among government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), dividend collections from these state firms in 2019 reached P69.2 billion, which is 35 percent higher than the 2018 level and more than double the amount collected in 2015.

For the first 8 months of 2020, the DOF was able to collect the unprecedented sum of P128 billion from GOCCs, signifying the commitment of the department and the government-corporate sector to contribute significantly to the COVID-19 response efforts, Dominguez said.

Another first under the Duterte administration is the DOF’s full-fledged implementation starting last year of a fuel marking program to curb oil smuggling.

Dominguez said these and other reforms, along with the DOF’s prudent fiscal management policies, sustained the strong performance of the economy in 2019 and enabled the government to quickly put together a four-pillar strategy with a combined value of at least P2.06 trillion (about 11 percent of GDP) to address the COVID-19 emergency.

He underscored the Philippines’ high investment-grade credit ratings, the government’s historically low debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.6 percent in 2019 (down from 42.7 percent in 2015), and its 20.2 percent external debt-to-Gross National Income (GNI) ratio, which is the lowest among the ASEAN-5 countries–which also include Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand–as among the results of the DOF’s prudent management of the country’s fiscal affairs.

The DOF was likewise able to secure financing support for the country’s COVID-19 response in the amount of $9.9 billion to date to help cover the revenue shortfall from the slowdown in economic activities brought about by the coronavirus-induced lockdowns.

Dominguez said the DOF, along with the Social Security System (SSS) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), successfully implemented through the use of digital tools, a P46-billion Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) Program that benefited over 3 million workers badly hit by the coronavirus-induced global economic crisis, among other key achievements.

By Alithea De Jesus

With or without pandemic, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III sees the importance of switching to electronic governance (e-governance) for more efficient transactions apart from this would curb the red tape, upgrade the delivery of services to the people and curb corruption in the government.

Dominguez said a bill filed by Senator Christopher Lawrence Go that aims to institutionalize this transition to e-governance responds to President Duterte’s call during his 5^th State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) for the government to make all possible services available to the people from the comfort of their homes or workplaces via digitalization.

“So it makes it easier for the citizen to deal with you, it makes it easier for you to deal with them. So this is an important move,” Dominguez said of Go’s e-governance bill during a recent televised meeting called by the President with selected members of the Cabinet.

According to the explanatory note of Go’s measure—Senate Bill (SB) No. 1738 or the E-Governance Act, “mandates the government to establish an integrated, interconnected, and interoperable information and resource-sharing and communications network spanning the entirety of the national and local government; an internal records management information system; an information database; and digital portals for the delivery of public services.”

A counterpart measure—House Bill (HB) No. 1248—has been filed in the House of Representatives by Deputy Speaker Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte to  “further improve the ease of doing business—and thus sharpen the country’s global competitiveness as an investment haven—while encouraging people to keep practicing physical distancing in the post-pandemic scenario by letting them transact official business without actually having to go to the various government agencies themselves.”

In his SONA last July 27, the President said e-governance “will enable our bureaucracy to better transition into the ‘new normal’ and cut or minimize red tape.”

Dominguez said the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which is now in the process of digitalizing its operations, is one good example of how e-governance can improve government services and spot potential irregularities in its operations.

He informed the President during the televised briefing that the bureau, under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, has put in place a “sophisticated system” that allows the monitoring from the BOC central office of all shipments entering the country’s main ports.

“(The BOC) is quite advanced in digitalization. It’s not yet perfect, but he (Guerrero) is moving towards that,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said the BOC system allows the central office to determine which shipment is being processed in any major port at any given time, along with its declared value and the amount of taxes and duties collected.

“If you use the information well, you can tell which is out of the ordinary and you can spot that,” Dominguez said.

Earlier, Dominguez recommended to the President the adoption of three imperatives centered on digitalization and patterned after the successful Small Wage Subsidy Program (SBWS) implemented earlier by the Department of Finance (DOF)  and Social Security System (SSS) to ensure the efficient and corruption-free distribution of future emergency subsidies to targeted beneficiaries.

These three principles are: 1) digitalization of the entire process from application to distribution of the subsidy 2) direct distribution of the aid through banks or electronic payment channels; and 3) adoption of close administrative oversight of the program, which includes tapping the expertise of the private sector to iron out possible implementation hitches as quickly as possible, Dominguez said.

President Duterte has endorsed Dominguez’s recommendations and said these  “will lessen corruption” in the distribution of financial aid to beneficiaries in the future.

In his report to the President, Dominguez said that by automating and digitalizing the SBWS–and with manual processing kept to a minimum–the government was able to efficiently and quickly distribute a total of P46 billion to 3.1 million employees of small businesses affected by the work stoppages resulting from last summer’s  Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and other similar containment measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

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