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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

10:45 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE OCTOBER WATER-RATE INCREASES

Metro Manila households served by Maynilad and Manila Water will see slightly higher water charges beginning October 1. The announced increases are small for many residential customers, but the figures vary by concessionaire and consumption level. That makes it easy to misunderstand a notice expressed only in centavos per cubic meter.

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7:21 AM6-minute read

ABOUT THE NOTE HANDED TO GIBO TEODORO IN SEOUL

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. was answering questions at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8 when a man handed him a note. He read it aloud, challenged its rejection of the 2016 South China Sea ruling and objected to being interrupted that way.

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9:55 AM8-minute read

ABOUT EL NIÑO AND PREPARING FOR LESS RAIN

It can be raining outside while PAGASA warns about El Niño. That can sound confusing when the immediate problem is a wet road or a flooded field. The two warnings describe different periods: the weather happening now and the rainfall conditions that may develop over the coming months.

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5:30 AM8-minute read

ABOUT THE NEW ARREST WARRANTS AGAINST ZALDY CO, MARTIN ROMUALDEZ AND TWO OTHERS

The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez and two other accused in the plunder case filed on September 7. By Monday evening, authorities had served Romualdez's warrant and carried out booking procedures at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. His arrest is a confirmed development; it does not establish that his three co-accused are also in custody.

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3:15 PM8-minute read

ABOUT THE PLUNDER CASE AGAINST MARTIN ROMUALDEZ

The Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Sandiganbayan on September 7 over his alleged involvement in flood-control kickbacks. The accusations have now reached the court that will handle the criminal case. Romualdez denies wrongdoing and remains presumed innocent.

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1:18 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE NEW SWS POVERTY NUMBERS

Self-rated poverty and food poverty declined in June, but the figures also show how many Filipino families remain under pressure and why lower household budgets do not necessarily mean life became cheaper.

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2:02 PM11-minute read

ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY ACT

House Bill No. 9965 would bar children below 13 from having social media accounts, require parental consent for users aged 13 to 17, regulate platform algorithms, and impose fines reaching P50 million. It is still being deliberated in the House.

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12:02 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE SEALED BIR BOX

Marcos authorized the BIR to comply with the Senate subpoena. That did not open the records to the public or prove the unexplained-wealth allegation.

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MCT READER PULSE · MCT-PULSE-2026-010

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MCT DAILY BRIEF

MCT DAILY BRIEF | AUGUST 8, 2026

1

THE ECONOMY GREW ONLY 2.3 PERCENT IN THE SECOND QUARTER

The Philippine economy grew by 2.3 percent from April to June compared with the same three months last year.

That was slower than the 2.8-percent growth recorded in the first quarter. It was also the weakest quarterly growth since 2021.

For the first six months of 2026, the economy grew by 2.6 percent.

The government is aiming for full-year growth of 3.5 to 4.5 percent. That means the economy has a lot of catching up to do in the second half of the year if it wants to reach even the bottom of that target.

One of the biggest problems was investment.

Investment fell by 9.2 percent compared with a year earlier. Construction dropped by 14.8 percent.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the fall in government construction was one reason for the slowdown. He linked part of that drop to delays and tighter checks following the flood-control corruption scandal.

The GDP report itself does not tell us exactly how much of the slowdown came from that problem. What it does show is that construction and investment were weak during the quarter.

Household spending still grew, but only by 2.8 percent.

That is important because spending by ordinary families makes up a large part of the economy. When people are dealing with higher food, fuel, electricity and transport costs, there is less money left for other purchases.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether construction and investment recover in the third quarter. Also watch the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas meeting on August 27, when the central bank will have to weigh slow economic growth against inflation that is still above its target.

2

AUSTRALIA AGAIN BACKED THE PHILIPPINES ON THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro met Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles in Darwin on August 7 as the Philippines and Australia continued talks on closer military cooperation.

Marles again backed the Philippine position that disputes in the West Philippine Sea should be settled peacefully and according to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The meeting came as Exercise Pitch Black 2026 ended in Australia.

Four Philippine Air Force FA-50PH fighter jets joined the exercise, which brought together aircraft and personnel from 20 countries.

The Philippines and Australia are also working on a wider defense agreement. The two governments signed a statement of intent in 2025 and said they hoped to finish the agreement this year.

The talks in Darwin covered future military exercises, information sharing and cybersecurity.

This does not mean Australia has suddenly promised to go to war for the Philippines.

The two countries already have an agreement covering visiting military forces. The new deal being discussed is meant to make defense cooperation easier and broader.

It is not the same as the Philippines’ Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.

For ordinary Filipinos, the bigger picture is that the Philippines is trying to work with more countries as pressure from China continues in the West Philippine Sea.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the actual text of the new defense agreement. Exercise ALON 2027 will also show how much bigger and more regular military cooperation between the Philippines and Australia becomes.

3

A ₱10-A-LITER FUEL DISCOUNT FOR SOME FOOD TRUCKS NOW HAS OFFICIAL RULES

New Department of Agriculture rules for a fuel-subsidy program took effect on August 7.

The program can give a ₱10-per-liter fuel discount to qualified trucks that carry agricultural and fishery products.

That can include trucks moving rice, corn, vegetables, fish, livestock and poultry.

The idea is simple.

When diesel prices rise sharply, the cost of bringing food from farms, fishing areas and production centers to markets also rises. Those higher transport costs can eventually become part of the price paid by consumers.

The program is meant to help reduce that pressure.

But the discount is not for every truck carrying food.

Operators must be approved or listed under government programs such as the Agriculture Department’s Food Lane Program or a recognized fisheries logistics list.

There is another important detail.

The rules taking effect does not mean qualified truckers can immediately drive to a gas station and get ₱10 off every liter.

The government still has to activate the program.

That can happen during an energy emergency, a state of calamity, another serious fuel problem or a similar situation recognized by the government. Money must also be available, and the agencies and financial institutions involved still have to put the system in place.

So for now, the rules are ready. The actual discount still needs to be switched on.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the order activating the subsidy, how much money the government sets aside, how many trucks qualify and which fuel stations will accept the discount.

4

THE GOVERNMENT HAS STARTED BIDDING FOR WASTE-TO-ENERGY PROJECTS

August 7 was the scheduled auction date for the Department of Energy’s special Green Energy Auction for waste-to-energy projects.

The government is looking for projects that can produce up to 400 megawatts of electricity using municipal solid waste.

The basic idea is to take part of the garbage normally sent to landfills and use it to produce power.

The government says this could help with two problems at the same time: the shortage of landfill space in some areas and the need for more electricity.

The Energy Regulatory Commission set a maximum bid price of ₱9.2959 per kilowatt-hour for qualified projects.

That does not mean every winning project will automatically be paid that amount. It is the highest price allowed under the auction.

Waste-to-energy projects also come with difficult questions.

A company still needs enough usable waste to keep the plant running. It needs permits, financing, agreements with local governments and equipment that can meet pollution and environmental rules.

Winning a bid is only the beginning.

As of this morning, the Department of Energy had not yet released an official final list showing which projects won or how much of the 400-megawatt target was filled.

We should not say 400 megawatts were awarded until the government releases those results.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the Energy Department’s official list of bids and winning projects, the prices offered and how much of the 400-megawatt target was actually filled.

5

THE FLOOD-CONTROL HEARINGS ARE SLOWLY TURNING INTO ACTUAL CASE-BUILDING

The Senate’s flood-control investigation has already produced months of hearings, accusations, testimony and political fights.

The next part may be less dramatic to watch, but it is more important.

Records gathered by senators are now being used by the Office of the Ombudsman and other investigators as they decide whether actual cases can be filed.

The Ombudsman has already received the Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report and supporting records.

Senators have also said documents and testimony gathered during the hearings can be sent to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.

A Senate hearing can expose problems and put witnesses under public questioning.

It cannot convict anyone.

That job belongs to prosecutors and the courts.

The Ombudsman now has to check whether the testimony heard in the Senate is supported by contracts, payment records, project documents, financial records and other proof strong enough to support a criminal case.

Some accusations may become cases.

Others may be dropped if the evidence is weak.

That is why the next stage deserves attention even if it gets fewer television clips.

For months, Filipinos have heard names, amounts and accusations connected to questionable flood-control projects.

The harder test begins when investigators have to prove those claims outside a Senate hearing.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for Ombudsman resolutions and actual court filings. Those documents will tell us which accusations investigators believe they can prove, who will be charged and which claims do not move forward.

BOTTOM LINE

The biggest news from August 7 was the economy. Growth slowed to 2.3 percent in the second quarter, with construction and investment among the weakest parts of the report. The country now needs a much stronger second half if the government wants to reach its growth target for the year. Other developments are about what comes next. Australia and the Philippines are moving toward closer defense cooperation. The Agriculture Department now has rules ready for a fuel discount meant to help food haulers when fuel prices become a serious problem. The Energy Department has started the bidding process for waste-to-energy projects. And the flood-control scandal is moving into the part where accusations have to survive outside Congress. The hearings got everyone’s attention. The documents, investigations and court cases will tell us what can actually be proved.

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