Jasha Gamao

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has officially ushered in a new era for national sports training, designating the Bukidnon Sports and Cultural Complex in Malaybalay as the premier training center for Filipino elite athletes. The PSC and the provincial government of Bukidnon formally cemented this game-changing partnership by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). 

PSC Chairman Pató Gregorio expressed his enthusiasm during the ceremonial signing with Governor Rogelio Neil Roque and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, stating, "I am very happy to open this facility because it is the right thing to do for Philippine sports—and it all starts here in Bukidnon." This move strategically elevates Mindanao as a powerhouse hub for world-class athletic development.

The Bukidnon Sports and Cultural Complex offers an ideal setting for rigorous training, boasting huge outdoor spaces, fresh air, and altitude, providing a natural advantage for conditioning.  The world-class facility is fully equipped with a track and field oval, a football field, an aquatics center, an indoor gymnasium with a 3,000-spectator capacity for basketball and martial arts, and fully-airconditioned rooms, with a strength and conditioning gym soon to be set up. 

Senator Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri highlighted the national potential of this regional approach, imagining a future where regional centers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao could "attract the best of the best," nurturing talent closer to the grassroots.

This landmark agreement embodies a significant shift in national sports strategy—bringing talent identification and high-level training directly to regional talent pools. Association of Boxing Alliance in the Philippines (ABAP) Secretary-General Marcus Manalo strongly championed this localized approach, emphasizing that it is "not optimal" to remove young athletes from their homes to train at a high level in a distant place. 

By establishing centers like the one in Bukidnon, the PSC aims to nurture athletes within their own communities, ensuring they train under optimal conditions while staying connected to their families. Manalo also noted that the facility will not be limited to just elite athletes, planning to include a "Sports Boxing for All" program for recreational athletes.

The Philippine National Boxing Team will be the first elite squad to fully utilize the Bukidnon Sports and Cultural Complex as their new training ground. Given the Philippines’ massive success in boxing, this is a clear sign of the facility's importance to the national sporting agenda. 

Following the boxers, more national teams are scheduled to transition their training to the new Mindanao hub, including Pilipinas Sepak Takraw Association Inc., Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation, Inc., and PhilCycling. This partnership is not just a plan; it is an active implementation of a decentralized, community-focused, and world-class sports development system for the Philippines.

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The Philippines has enacted Republic Act No. 12287, known as the "Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act," which allows the government to implement preventive measures before disasters occur rather than responding only after destruction happens.

The law enables the declaration of a "State of Imminent Disaster" when forecasts and risk assessments by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and regional councils identify probable disasters with potentially catastrophic impacts, such as approaching super typhoons or projected severe flooding.

Under the new law, the president can declare this state for areas ranging from barangays to entire regions based on NDRRMC recommendations. Local chief executives can similarly issue declarations within their jurisdictions upon recommendation from regional DRRM councils.

Once declared, the government can mobilize resources for public advisories, deploy response teams, conduct preemptive or forced evacuations, procure and distribute relief goods to vulnerable populations, and implement contingency plans to protect agriculture and food supplies.

The legislation mandates the inclusion of Anticipatory Action Funds in the General Appropriations Act. These funds, along with the National DRRM Fund, will be disbursed immediately upon declaration, eliminating previous bureaucratic delays that hindered swift pre-disaster response.

To prevent abuse, the law prohibits the creation and spread of false disaster information and the manipulation of assessment reports. Violators face fines ranging from P50,000 to P500,000, imprisonment, or both.

The State of Imminent Disaster is automatically lifted when the hazard occurs or when subsequent risk assessments indicate the projected impacts will not materialize, ensuring resources are allocated only when necessary.

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada sponsored the legislation, which provides a legal framework for early intervention in disaster situations to minimize loss and protect Filipino citizens.

This new law promises a future where the country is not just resilient but truly prepared, minimizing loss and safeguarding the well-being of its citizens against nature’s worst.

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The Senate Committee on Science and Technology held a pivotal public hearing on November 4, 2025, on the proposed Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act. This groundbreaking bill is poised to revolutionize how public funds are tracked, aiming to institutionalize unprecedented transparency and accountability in the nation's finance management. 

Instead of traditional opaque record-keeping, the measure proposes leveraging blockchain technology—the same innovation behind cryptocurrencies—to create an immutable, public ledger for the national budget. The initiative is being closely watched as a potential global model for combating corruption by harnessing cutting-edge digital technology.

The core of today's heated deliberation centered on the bill's mandatory disclosure of public budget data, which Senator Bam Aquino championed as the "backbone of the bill." The committee scrutinized mechanisms designed to ensure that every single peso appropriated from the national budget is traceable, auditable, and easily accessible to the Filipino public. 

This means citizens could theoretically follow government expenditures in near real-time, making it significantly harder for funds to be misused or siphoned off. Lawmakers emphasized that true accountability begins with absolute and unfettered public visibility of government spending.

A key provision, Section 5 of the bill, explicitly transforms budget transparency from an optional courtesy into a strict legal obligation. Under this section, all government agencies would be mandated to upload their budget documents onto a dedicated blockchain-based platform named "Cadena" (Spanish for "chain"). 

The use of Cadena ensures data is verifiable, traceable, and fully auditable because once information is recorded on the blockchain, it cannot be secretly altered or deleted. This digital safeguard is intended to eliminate "ghost projects" and hidden transactions that often plague traditional accounting systems.

Should it pass, the Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act promises to usher in a new era of digital fiscal integrity. By adopting a technology renowned for its security and permanence, the Senate aims to build public trust and significantly deter graft and corruption at all levels of government. 

The next stages of the legislative process will focus on the technical implementation of the Cadena system and addressing concerns about data security and accessibility for all government units. Ultimately, this bill is a bold statement that the fight for a clean government can be won through radical transparency powered by innovation.

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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has signed a landmark piece of legislation, Republic Act No. 12253, or the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act. This new law dramatically updates the tax rules for big mining companies in the Philippines, promising a more equitable distribution of the nation's mineral wealth. 

Driven by the goal of ensuring the government and Filipino people receive a fair share of revenues, this reform is expected to generate an additional ₱25.08 billion in revenues from 2026-2029, or approximately ₱6.26 billion annually.

The new regime, which applies to all large-scale metallic mining operations, introduces a tiered, profit-based royalty system. For mines operating outside mineral reservations, royalties will range from 1% to 5% of income, with a minimum royalty applying even when profits are low or zero. 

Mines inside mineral reservations will continue to pay a 5% royalty on gross output. A significant new feature is the Windfall Profits Tax, an extra levy of 1% to 10% on profits that exceed a high margin, ensuring the government captures a larger share during commodity booms.

Crucially, the law implements stringent measures to enhance transparency and oversight in the mining sector. It establishes a "Ring-Fencing Rule," treating each mining site as a separate taxpayer. 

This prevents companies from offsetting losses from one project against the profits of a more successful one, a loophole long utilized by large operators. Furthermore, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) are authorized to audit all mineral sales and exports, a move designed to minimize revenue leakage and ensure accurate declarations.

A central pillar of the reform is a fairer revenue-sharing scheme that directly benefits host communities. The law mandates that 40% of mining taxes will go directly and immediately to Local Government Units (LGUs). 

This provision is intended to ensure that communities bearing the brunt of environmental and social impact from mining operations are also the primary beneficiaries of the wealth generated. Ten percent (10%) of royalties from mineral reservations are also earmarked for essential initiatives like mineral exploration, research, value-adding, and downstream industries.

Sponsored in the Senate by Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the new Act moves the Philippine mining industry toward a more stable, transparent, and competitive fiscal environment. 

The combination of new taxes, stricter auditing rules, and mandated revenue sharing aims to solidify state ownership of mineral resources while attracting responsible private investment. 

The law underscores the President's commitment to transforming the country’s natural assets into sustainable growth, better governance, and enduring benefits for all Filipinos.

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President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed into law Republic Act No. 12252, an act liberalizing the lease of private lands by foreign investors. This new measure significantly amends the decades-old Investors' Lease Act, extending the maximum aggregate lease period for foreign investors from the previous 75 years to an impressive 99 years. 

Sponsored by former Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, the law aims to establish the stability of long-term lease contracts and provide a more secure environment, ultimately making the Philippines more competitive in attracting substantial foreign direct investments (FDI).

While extending the lease term, RA 12252 introduces robust requirements and strict limitations to protect national interests and ensure genuine investments. 

The law explicitly states that it applies only to foreigners with an approved and registered investment under existing Philippine laws, such as the Foreign Investments Act and the CREATE Act. 

Furthermore, the leased land must be used solely for the purpose of the approved investment, covering projects like industrial estates, factories, and tourism. In a key safeguard, the President of the Philippines reserves the right to impose a shorter lease period for investments in vital services or critical infrastructure if required for national security or priority government objectives.

The new law outlines severe penalties to deter misuse and encourage commitment. Lease agreements can be terminated automatically if the investment is withdrawn or if the leased area is used for unauthorized purposes. 

For tourism projects, a minimum investment of USD $5 million is required, with 70% of that capital mandated to be infused within three years. Lease contracts are also only renewable subject to the mutual agreement of the parties and the foreign lessee showing that it has made social and economic contributions to the Philippines. 

Those who violate the law, such as exceeding the 99-year limit or using the land contrary to existing laws, face a hefty fine of ₱1 million to ₱10 million, or imprisonment for six months to six years.

To guarantee the reliability of the contracts, the Act introduces the registration of the long-term lease with the Registry of Deeds as the "operative act" that makes the lease binding against third persons.

This process, which includes annotation on the Certificate of Title, provides a level of security akin to a Torrens title, meaning a registered lease contract cannot be subject to collateral attack or canceled outside of a direct legal proceeding. 

Moreover, the leasehold right may now be transferred, assigned, or used as security for a loan, a feature that enhances the investment's bankability and unlocks financing opportunities for major projects.

The rationale behind liberalizing land leases is a direct path to economic growth. By offering a stable, long-term tenure, the Philippines attracts large-scale, capital-intensive investments—from manufacturing facilities and agro-industrial centers to world-class tourism infrastructure. 

These large projects cannot be easily pulled out due to the nature of their long-term commitment, directly translating to sustained job creation across numerous sectors. 

Filipino workers can anticipate more stable and higher-quality employment opportunities, a boost in skills transfer, and a significant strengthening of the domestic economy through increased foreign capital, technology, and export capabilities.

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