NBOC finishes all 175 COCs T
HALALAN 2025
NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS
TOP 12 SENATORIAL CANDIDATES 20.97 20.77 17.12 15.34 15.25 15.11 14.83 14.57 13.65 13.39 13.34
27.12
0
VOTER TURNOUT
82.20%
→ Highest midterm turnout in PH history 40
TOP 10 PARTY-LIST VOTES Akbayan Duterte Youth Tingog 4Ps ACT-CIS Ako Bicol USWAG Ilonggo Solid North Trabaho CIBAC
2,780,000 2,340,000 1,820,000 1,470,000 1,240,000 1,070,000 777,754 765,322 709,283 593,911 0 Votes
Votes (Millions)
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4,000,000
BM Graphics: Ed Davad
Bong Go Bam Aquino Bato Dela Rosa Erwin Tulfo Kiko Pangilinan Rodante Marcoleta Ping Lacson Tito Sotto Pia Cayetano Camille Villar Lito Lapid Imee Marcos
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
HE Commission on Elections en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), has completed the canvassing of all 175 certificates of canvass (COCs) after three days of proceedings. Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia confirmed on Thursday that the NBOC has processed all COCs coming from 82 provinces, 26 highly urbanized cities, 64 overseas voting posts, one local absentee voting, and two legislative districts. Based on the NBOC’s national canvass report, former senator
Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go leads the senatorial race with 27.12 million votes, followed closely by opposition bet Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, who garnered 20.97 million votes. Former police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa placed third with 20.77 million votes, followed by Erwin Tulfo with 17.12 million. Former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan secured 15.34 million votes, while Rodante Marcoleta tallied 15.25 million. Ping Lacson received 15.11 million votes, Vicente “Tito” Sotto had 14.83 million, and Pia Cayetano got 14.57 million. Camille Villar earned 13.65 mil-
lion votes, Lito Lapid followed with 13.39 million, and Imee Marcos closed the top 12 with 13.34 million votes.
Party-list race
IN the party-list race, Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party (Akbayan) emerged as the top vote-getter with 2.78 million votes. Trailing behind Akbayan are Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-list Organization (Duterte Youth) with 2.34 million votes and Tingog Sinirangan (Tingog) with 1.82 million. The Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang See “NBOC,” A2
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IMPEACHMENT TRIAL NOT SEEN DELAYING REFORMS T
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
HE economic team does not expect the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to derail the passage of key pieces of legislation to continue the country’s fiscal reforms, according to the Department of Economic Planning and Development (DepDev). DepDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan told reporters that the economic team needs to be more strategic when it comes to proposing priority legislation such as those advocated by winning candidates. Balisacan said leading senatorial candidates such as Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan advocate for education and food security, which augurs well for the priorities of the Marcos administration. “Of course we’ll have to make a pitch. We’ll have to sell our program
to the new members of Congress. But we are quite confident that they will look at the longer issues, the bigger picture,” Balisacan said. “Actually, those that are going to be elected...have well-known policy positions and particular preferences. And we are quite happy with them,” he added. Balisacan also said the strategy on the priorities of the Marcos administration will have to be discussed at the Legislative-Executive See “Impeachment,” A2
‘PHL MUST GROW FASTER TO KEEP UP WITH REGIONAL PEERS’
T
HE Philippines needs to vie for faster economic growth despite uncertainties to play catch up with its peers in the region and attain inclusive economic growth, according to the Department of Economic Planning and Development (DepDev). DepDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan recently told reporters he remains optimistic about the growth target of 6 to 8 percent despite global uncertainties. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in its latest Monetary Policy Stance Highlights Report that the country’s GDP growth may “settle close” to the government’s low-end target until 2027. “We have to be ambitious. We have been left behind so far by our neighbors. If you don’t push very hard to work on a more rapid growth, you’ll always be kulelat, yan ang ano ko, eh [a cellar dweller, that’s my take]. There are problems, there are challenges.
Let’s work on those challenges. If it takes time, let’s start working on them,” Balisacan said. Balisacan said despite the uncertainties, Asean countries like Vietnam are now working to achieve a growth of 8 to 10 percent. This, he said, is in line with Vietnam’s aim to become an advanced economy by the middle of the century. “Can you imagine? Why can’t we be as ambitious as they are? Of course, we have direct challenges, serious challenges in fact. Like our fiscal space, partly because of the Covid-19 policy responses, we don’t have that much of fiscal space as some of our neighbors have. But it doesn’t mean that we (can’t) do much with what we have,” Balisacan said. In the first quarter of the year, the economy posted a growth of 5.4 percent. Balisacan said this was largely because of the country’s trade deficit which widened by nearly 20 percent. See “Grow,” A26
RICE TO THE CHALLENGE Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., joined by DA officials and consumers, partakes in a traditional boodle fight to sample the National Food Authority’s well-milled rice priced at P20 per kilo, during the launch of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” program at the Bureau of Animal Industry in Quezon City on May 15, 2025. The initiative, aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign promise, seeks to make quality rice more affordable for low-income families and support the administration’s broader food security and price stabilization goals. NONOY LACZA
March remittances up to $2.8B despite jitters
C
ASH remittances from Filipinos abroad rose slightly to $2.81 billion in March 2025 from last year’s $2.74 billion despite the strengthening of the peso. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed cash remittances sent by Overseas Filipinos (OF) reached $8.44 billion in the first quarter of 2025, 2.7 percent higher than the $8.22 billion registered in January to March last year. Institute for Migration and De-
velopment Issues (IMDI) Executive Director Jeremaiah M. Opiniano told BusinessMirror that when the dollar is weak, there is less incentive for OFs to increase their remittances. Despite the uncertainty created by the tariff war, which weakened the dollar against currencies like the Philippine peso, Opiniano said remittances will continue to remain strong this year. “Filipinos abroad have long been
making their cash remittances countercyclical, even during the most harrowing of global crises. Truly heroic, even if at the cost of their well-being,” he told this newspaper. BSP data also showed that the pace of growth of remittances at 2.6 percent in March 2025 was the slowest since the 2.5 percent posted in June 2024. Opiniano said this indicates that Filipinos are also holding on to
some of their dollars in the face of all the uncertainties, particularly those in host countries that are significantly affected by the tariff war. He said this is actually “a good thing” and that he hopes OFWs will continue setting aside some of their earnings to boost their savings and create nest eggs for future investments. “It’s hard that we show worry when the dollars go down, and yet See “March,” A26
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.7960 n JAPAN 0.3805 n UK 74.0022 n HK 7.1492 n CHINA 7.7397 n SINGAPORE 42.8870 n AUSTRALIA 35.8768 n EU 62.3688 n KOREA 0.0397 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.8762 Source: BSP (May 15, 2025)