Rep. Omar Duterte urges Filipinos to stand up for their rights

 

REP. Omar Duterte (second from left). (FB)

By Ivy Tejano

DAVAO CITY – Davao City second district Rep. Omar Vincent Duterte called on Filipinos on Thursday, Sept. 11, to stand up for their rights and hold government officials accountable while defending the Duterte family against what he described as long standing political attacks.

In The Hague, where he and his siblings, acting Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte II and Isabelle Duterte, hope to visit their grandfather, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Rep. Omar said public officials are answerable to the people who entrusted them with power.

“The Filipino people are clamoring for answers. If you think some officials act as if they are untouchable, there are no untouchables,” Rep. Omar said. “If you feel they no longer prioritize the Filipino people, fight for your rights. You all have the right to protest and to demand what is just.”

Rep. Omar said allegations against their family are not new, recalling that accusations were hurled as far back as the Arroyo administration and continued through the Aquino years. He added that they are still throwing issues at their name, even under the Marcos administration.

He responded to critics who continue to connect national controversies to the Duterte family, including the ongoing probe on flood control projects. As for his father, Rep. Paolo Duterte, Rep. Omar said people can visit Davao City and the concerned offices and see the projects themselves.

 “There are no ghost projects. The funds allocated to the first district were used for the projects intended for the people, and that has been our family’s legacy since the former President Duterte’s time—build, build, build,” Rep. Omar said.

He said that there is a certain absurdity in connecting every issue to them and that he believes that trolls or false claims can no longer mislead the Filipino people. He said everyone is looking for accountability, for the real source of the country’s problems—and everyone knows who that is.

Rep. Omar acknowledged the support extended to his grandfather, saying many Filipinos continue to stand by former President Duterte as he faces proceedings before the International Criminal Court.

“The people are hurt that, until now, former President Duterte is here in The Hague. All they wish is for him to come home, especially at his age,” Rep. Omar said, adding that the Duterte family is deeply grateful for everyone’s prayers and support.

TUPAD: A lifeline for the jobless

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Sep 13, 2025 12:05 am

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Updated Sep 12, 2025 06:23 pm

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A job—even one that lasts only a few days—can mean the difference between food on the table or going to bed with an empty stomach for many Filipino families. In a country where poverty remains widespread, work—however temporary—offers dignity, security, and a crucial lifeline. With unemployment rate at 3.7 percent as of June 2025 (around 1.95 million Filipinos without jobs), the need for inclusive, accessible employment programs is an urgent concern.

The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program plays a vital role in addressing this. By offering short-term, community-based employment to those most in need, TUPAD provides displaced and disadvantaged individuals a chance to earn, contribute, and survive—especially during times of crisis or economic downturn.

DOLE is pushing to institutionalize TUPAD—transforming it from a temporary emergency response initiative into a permanent, fully funded government program. This move has the potential to become a transformative engine for social inclusion and sustainable development.

TUPAD is more than just a stopgap. It’s a program that has helped millions of Filipinos put food on their tables through dignified, though temporary, work. These projects—ranging from street cleaning, reforestation, irrigation repair, to the beautification of tourism spots—are tailored to each locality’s needs.

But TUPAD has its critics—and rightly so.

Some legislators and citizens have pointed out a troubling pattern: TUPAD beneficiaries standing idle, pretending to work just to complete the required number of days. This perception—often summarized in the phrase, “nagtatambay lang para kumita”— gives the program a bad name, and threatens to delegitimize its noble intent. It also has drawn attention to the program’s weaknesses in monitoring, implementation, and accountability, especially at the barangay level.

Still, this should not be a reason to scrap or downscale the program. Instead, it should fuel a stronger push for reform and more intelligent execution.

DOLE must ensure that every TUPAD beneficiary is actually performing meaningful work. This requires a clear set of deliverables, tighter project supervision, and a national tracking system. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has recommended a TUPAD Information Management System (TIMS), which would contain beneficiary records, project outcomes, and real-time monitoring tools. This is not only feasible but essential in the age of digital governance.

“Institutionalizing the TUPAD program is a good initiative for workers’ welfare and protection,” PIDS senior research fellow Connie B. Dacuycuy said, commenting on House Bill (HB) No. 86.

Additionally, reforms should include incentives for partner organizations that go beyond providing temporary jobs and actually absorb workers into permanent roles. This would expand TUPAD from a band-aid solution to a true stepping stone to long-term employment.

Critics also rightly argue that TUPAD work often involves low-skilled, manual labor, such as sweeping streets or clearing debris. To address this, the program must diversify the types of jobs it offers. Skilled workers—such as electricians, artisans, IT technicians, or community health aides—should be engaged in tasks that match their qualifications. PIDS has also suggested involving social enterprises as co-partners to provide more sustainable, socially responsible employment.

In an economy still recovering from the ripple effects of the pandemic and inflation, Filipinos need more than empty promises; they need access to work that gives dignity, income, and purpose.

The future of TUPAD lies in its ability to evolve—from a reactive emergency fund to a proactive job creation mechanism. With proper reforms, oversight, and expanded partnerships, TUPAD can become a cornerstone of inclusive labor policy, not just a quick fix.

 

PAGASA warns of heavy rains over VisMin, parts of Southern Luzon this weekend due to LPA

A low-pressure area (LPA) spotted 540 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur will likely bring “significant rainfall” over the Visayas, Mindanao, and parts of Southern Luzon this weekend, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned on Friday, Sept. 12. Read more

 

PSEi dipped despite lower US inflation

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dipped on the last trading day of the week as the market continued to trade sideways despite lower-than-expected United States (US) inflation. The main index shed 17.68 points, or 0.29 percent, to close at 6,109.21 on Friday, Sept. 12. Read more

The perfection of Christian morality

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

TO be upfront about this point, it is when we do everything for the glory of God when we can truly achieve the perfection of Christian morality. Our human acts should not just be done to pursue a purely natural goal, no matter how legitimate it is, as in being interested only in achieving efficiency, effectiveness, profitability, etc. It should all be done for the glory of God.

Aside from the matter of our human acts, which should in itself be in accordance to God’s laws, the intention of our human acts plays a crucial role. With it, we can determine whether we are truly good and moral, or are simply playing around, playing the game of hypocrisy, appearing righteous when we truly are not.

We know that with our intention, we can direct our acts to God, following what was once indicated by St. Paul, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10,31) That’s how our acts become good, or moral. Otherwise, they are bad, or at least dangerous.

This is so, since God, being the Creator, is the standard for everything. And more than the standard, he is, in fact, the very substance of what is good, true and beautiful, what is fair and just, what is perfection itself.

             

Nothing is good, true and beautiful, nothing is fair and just, nothing is perfect if it is not done with God and for God. In short, we need to refer all our acts to God. We have to make this affirmation very clear in our mind and do everything to make that ideal a reality.

It is actually when we do everything for the glory of God that we achieve the best condition of our life, where we can find peace and joy despite the challenges, trials and the possibility of committing mistakes in our life. It is when we do everything for the glory of God that we can work better.

We should see to it that we have the proper intention in all our human acts, avoiding simply being casual or cavalier about this responsibility. We can easily play around with it, since intentions are almost invariably hidden from public knowledge. We are urged to be most sincere in directing our intentions properly.

We can easily fall into hypocrisy and deception, doing what can appear good externally but is not internally, since we could refuse giving glory to God, which is the proper intention to have, and instead feed and stir our vanity, pride, greed, lust, etc.

We need to actively purify our intentions, since we have to contend with many spoilers in this regard these days. In fact, we just have to look around and see how openly opposed many people are of directing their intentions to God.

We really need to train ourselves to make God the beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega, of all our thoughts, words and deeds. We need to rectify our intentions and keep that rectitude all the way to the consummation of those intentions.

This will indeed require a lot of discipline. Very often we are simply dominated by worldly values, like efficiency, profitability, practicability, etc., which if not inspired by love for God will always fall short of what is proper to us.

Given our unreliable condition, rectifying and purifying our intentions should be a constant concern of ours if we truly are interested in achieving the perfection of Christian morality.

In the end, the perfection of Christian morality is when we do things with God and for God. And that means we do things with God’s grace, identifying ourselves fully with him.