More contractors face govt blacklisting By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
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ORE contractors linked to anomalous flood control projects will soon be disqualified from government procurement activities as the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) readies to cancel their membership. The DBM said on Monday that PS-DBM is on “high alert” to cancel the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) memberships of these contractors. These include Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction Trading,
if an official blacklisting order from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be issued, it said. This comes after DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon declared last week that he will order the blacklisting of the government’s top flood control contractors after witnessing the non-existent or poor-quality flood control projects worth millions of public funds. According to the DBM, the cancellation of PhilGEPS membership following a blacklisting order is mandated under Republic Act 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) and its implementing rules and regulations.
If blacklisted, the companies’ records from the PhilGEPS registry will be removed and they will be totally prohibited from joining any procurement project of the government. PS-DBM Executive Director Genmaries Entredicho-Caong told BusinessMirror that a perpetually blacklisted contractor can no longer apply for PhilGEPS membership. But if not, Entredicho-Caong said contractors will remain without PhilGeps membership for as long as the blacklisting order is in effect. Entredicho-Caong explained that PhilGEPS Platinum Membership, which merchants renew annually, requires companies to
maintain all valid and updated Class A eligibility documents, such as Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) licenses, Department of Trade and Industry or Securities and Exchange Commission registration, Mayor’s permit and tax returns. “If in the future, they can secure and complete those eligibility documents, which is dependent on the rules of the agencies issuing these licenses and permits, they can be issued PhilGEPS membership, unless they are blacklisted,” Entredicho-Caong said. “If they are blacklisted, PhilGEPS membership is no longer dependent on the presence of those See “More,” A2
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Tuesday, September 9, 2025 Vol. 20 No. 331
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GHOST PROJECTS, REAL FLOODS Barangay Meysulao in Calumpit, Bulacan, lies submerged on Monday, September 8, 2025, as floodwaters once again engulf the community. The village, a natural catch basin for waters from the Pampanga River, now suffers deeper woes from land subsidence and rising sea levels from Manila Bay. Local officials lament that an unfinished flood control project—now under Senate scrutiny in the ghost projects probe—could have eased the Pampanga River’s high tide that has left 80 percent of the barangay underwater. NONOY LACZA
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By VG Cabuag
HIEF executives in the Philippines remain confident in their industries for the next 12 months, despite corruption issues in the country and geopolitical concerns, according to the results of the CEO Survey 2025 released by the Management Association of the Philippines. The study, led by accounting firm Isla Lipana and Co./PwC Philippines and MAP, surveyed 175 CEOs in the country during July 22 to August 25, explored how silent disruptions, shifting global dynamics and accelerating change are reshaping how business leaders lead, adapt and grow. According to the survey, 83 percent of the respondents are confident about industry prospects, and 84 percent expect revenue to grow. “CEOs in the Philippines see both the risks and opportunities that lie ahead, such as the rising digital economy, sustained consumer spending, robust banking system,
and lower inflation and interest rates, among others,” Roderick Danao, chairman and senior partner, PwC Philippines, said. “They remain optimistic while at the same time anticipating the headwinds arising from fracturing geopolitics and global trade disruptions, which can trigger inflation,” Danao said. More than half of the respondents, most of whom were MAP members and 67 percent from large businesses, said their companies will not be economically viable beyond 10 years if they continue running on their current paths. See “CEOs,” A2
WOMEN GOVT WORKERS’ PAY HIGHER THAN THOSE IN PRIVATE By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
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OMEN working in the public sector are better paid compared to those employed in private companies, according to a policy note released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). The PIDS Policy Note, authored by De La Salle University economists Maria Francesca Tomaliwan and Mariel Monica Sauler, contained the results of the study on wage gap between the public and private sectors. The study, the authors said, examined the Philippine labor market conditions regarding private-public wage differentials before and during the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law IV (SSL 4). “Based on the estimated log hourly wage difference between the private and public sectors, as seen in Tables 1 [male] and 2 [fe-
male], the results confirm a positive and significant Philippine public sector wage premium for the years 2013–2015 and 2016– 2019,” the authors said. “There are two noteworthy observations: (1) female workers have a larger public wage premium than male workers from the 10th to the 60th percentile, and (2) the magnitude of the public wage premium gradually increases across the distribution, especially from the middle to the higher percentiles,” they added. Given the findings, the authors recommended the adoption of either a more uniform percentage increase across all government salary grades or larger wage adjustment for those with lower salaries. This can help reduce the private-public wage differentials, particularly at the higher part of the distribution or among those with higher salaries. See “Women,” A2
Questions skipped, OP budget sails thru HOR By Samuel P. Medenilla
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@sam_medenilla
HE proposed P27.36-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) breezed through the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday despite attempts by some lawmakers to scrutinize its provisions amid calls by President Ferdinand Marcos for greater transparency in the deliberations of the proposed national budget next year. The proposed budget was 72.19 percent higher compared to the approved budget for fiscal year 2025, as the government prepares for its hosting of the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and related meetings. With a vote of 56-5 in favor of those supporting the termination of the hearing, the House of Committee on Appropriations ended the deliberations on the proposed budget of the OP citing institutional and parliamentary courtesy, which
means one branch of the government will not interfere with the affairs of the other branches. This despite the strongly worded statement issued by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin during the weekend, where he called on lawmakers to “clean up their house” before they attempt to “shift blame for their corruption and failures” to Malacañang.
Need for transparency
SEVERAL lawmakers, namely ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio L. Tinio, Kabataan partylist Representative Renee M. Co, and Sagip Party list Representative Paolo Henry Marcoleta have called on the OP led by Executive Lucas P. Bersamin to waive the said courtesy so they can undergo interpolations. Tinio said the OP needs to clarify provisions of its proposed budget, including its P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF); alleged human rights violations and See “Questions,” A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.9320 n JAPAN 0.3845 n UK 76.8810 n HK 7.3011 n CHINA 7.9822 n SINGAPORE 44.3085 n AUSTRALIA 37.2962 n EU 66.7243 n KOREA 0.0410 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.1738 Source: BSP (September 8, 2025)