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Senator Francis “chiz” escudero

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Chiz chairs new Senate panel to tackle bill banning officials, kin from gov’t contracts

by Contributor
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Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero will lead Senate hearings on a priority measure that will disqualify relatives of public officials from entering into government contracts, following his appointment as chairperson of a newly created subcommittee under the Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation.

The Senate approved Escudero’s designation during last Monday’s plenary after Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri disclosed that the move was made at the request of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chair of the parent committee.

The chamber then referred the proposal under Senate Bill No. 783 to Escudero’s subcommittee, underscoring its role in bolstering transparency and accountability in public procurement.

The senator from Sorsogon, who principally authored SB 783, has long championed reforms to bar public officials and their relatives up to the fourth civil degree from participating in government contracts.

The bill, co-authored by Senators Bong Go and Joel Villanueva, is currently pending.

In filing the bill on August 4, 2025, Escudero emphasized that banning officials and their kin from government projects would “boost procurement safeguards” and close gaps that allow undue influence in public transactions.

He also stressed that such reforms are vital to restoring public trust and ensuring that government resources are allocated fairly and transparently. “This subcommittee will ensure that integrity in public service is not only discussed but institutionalized,” Escudero said.

“By disqualifying relatives of officials from government contracts, we close the loopholes that allow undue influence and strengthen the country’s procurement safeguards as part of our continuing efforts to fight graft and corruption,” he added.

The creation of the subcommittee reflects the Senate’s commitment to prioritizing anti-corruption measures, in line with President Marcos Jr.’s call to eliminate undue influence in public transactions. With Escudero at the helm, hearings are expected to fast-track deliberations and consolidate legislative proposals that safeguard government procurement from familial and political interference.

“Makakaasa ang taumbayan na ang mga pulong na ating pangungunahan ay mananatiling transparent at bukas sa pagdinig ng bawa’t panig upang matiyak na ang resulta ng mga public hearings na ito ay malinaw, at tunay na nagsusulong ng tapat na pamahalaan,” he concluded.

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Business

Chiz: 99-year Land Lease Law to help promote PHL as competitive investment hub

by Contributor
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SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero is urging the national government to aggressively market the new 99‑year lease terms under Republic Act No. 12252, saying the measure must be positioned as a long‑term anchor for jobs, capital, and development.

Escudero issued the call as the Philippine economy expanded by only 4.4 percent in 2025, below the government’s 5.5 to 6.5 percent target and slower than the 5.5 percent posted in 2024. He warned that the country must compensate for weaker growth by strengthening investor confidence and accelerating structural reforms.

“The law is already in place. What we need now is aggressive promotion and clear messaging to investors that the Philippines is ready for long‑term partnerships,” he said.

The veteran legislator noted that foreign direct investment inflows continue to soften, underscoring the urgency of attracting long‑term capital. Latest data show that FDI net inflows reached only around $7.1 billion from January to November 2025, a significant decline from the $9.08 billion recorded in the same period in 2024.

He said this contraction, driven by weaker intercompany borrowings and more cautious global sentiment, signals that the Philippines must move decisively to restore investor confidence and compete more aggressively for capital in the region.

The senator also added that the labor market remains fragile, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.4 percent in December 2025, equivalent to approximately 2.26 million jobless Filipinos. Youth unemployment also remains in double digits, reflecting persistent structural challenges in job creation.

Escudero stressed that without stronger investment inflows, particularly in sectors requiring long‑term capital, the country risks prolonging underemployment and missing opportunities to absorb its growing young workforce.

He emphasized that reforms like RA 12252 can help reverse these trends by encouraging investors to commit to projects that generate stable, high‑quality jobs over decades.

The Bicolano senator pointed to agencies such as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as key drivers in marketing ecozones and tourism hubs as long‑term destinations for capital, jobs, and innovation.

PEZA alone approved P260 billion in investments in 2025, while SBMA continues to attract logistics, manufacturing, and tourism projects that require long‑gestation capital.

“In times of slowdown, we must think in centuries, not quarters. RA 12252 ensures that those who invest here will stay for generations, creating stability that outlasts economic headwinds,” he added.

Escudero emphasized that RA 12252, which amends RA 7652 or the Investor’s Lease Act, extends land leases for foreign investors from 50 years to 99 years—a step he described as a structural reform that can help cushion the impact of weaker growth and provide certainty for long‑term projects.

He noted that sectors such as ecozones, tourism, renewable energy, and agribusiness stand to benefit most. These industries require heavy capital and long gestation periods, making the extended lease terms a decisive factor in investment decisions.

Escudero, the law’s principal author, added that reforms must continue even when growth slows. “We cannot pause structural change because of short‑term numbers. On the contrary, we must push harder so that the next cycle of growth is stronger and more resilient,” he explained.

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News

Chiz: LGU participation in budget process should be a must

by Contributor
written by Contributor

SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero is challenging the chairpersons of the congressional committees tasked with handling to the 2026 national spending package to show their commitment to instituting budget reforms by letting the local government units (LGUs) have a greater nod in the identification and implementation of infrastructure projects.

With Congress still in the thick of going over the proposed 2026 budget, Escudero said they still have time and opportunity to show the Filipino people that it is serious in plugging the loopholes in the budget process that has led to abuses in the “power over the purse.”

“Ang maaaring gawin agad ng mga pinuno ng Committee on Finance ng Senado at ng Appropriations Committee ng Kamara ay bigyan ng mas malaking papel ang ating mga LGUs sa usapin ng infrastructure projects. Ang mga senador at kongresista ay nariyan lamang para makinig at bigyan daan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga taongbayan,” Escudero said.

The senator from Sorsogon said that significant steps can already be done in the preparation of the 2026 national budget to protect it from potential abuse by including the endorsement of the Regional Development Councils (RDCs) as an indispensable requirement for infrastructure projects of government agencies that will be part of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

In a letter addressed to Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Escudero said that his proposed Grassroots Infrastructure Planning and Budgeting Act will strengthen the role of the RDCs in the budget process by making their endorsement a requirement or condition sine qua non for the inclusion of any infrastructure project in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) or in the GAA.

Escudero recently filed Senate Bill No. 1459 to give the LGUs a say in proposing and implementing infrastructure projects in their jurisdictions.

“It is unlikely that Congress will have time to pass the bill, but we can already include a provision in the 2026 GAA to implement the same and start the process of cleaning up the budget of unnecessary or worse, non-existing or ghost projects,” Escudero said.

The former Senate leader and finance panel chair told Gatchalian that the application of the endorsement requirement for infrastructure projects could be done through a general provision under the 2026 national budget or as a special provision under specific agency appropriations.

The proposed 2026 national budget has been approved by the House of Representatives and is currently being deliberated in the Senate.

“This will go a long way in preventing the inclusion of projects that are redundant, prone to corruption and have absolutely no benefit for the communities and people where these are situated,” the veteran legislator said.

In filing SBN 1459, Escudero emphasized the need to give the LGUs, through their RDCs and either the Provincial Development Council or the City/Municipal Development Council and their respective Sanggunian, a greater participation the proposal, preparation, and implementation of infrastructure projects.

As what has been revealed by numerous local government officials in the ongoing investigations into the flood control controversy, they were not consulted by the proponents of the projects before these were included in the NEP and during their implementation in the GAA.

“Ang mga LGU ang mas nakakaalam kung ano ang kailangan ng kanilang mga lugar pagdating sa mga infrastructure projects. Kaya nararapat at dapat lang na sila ang unang kinakausap bago pa mabuo ang NEP at sa pag-implementa ng mga proyektong ito para walang nasasayang na pera ng taumbayan,” Escudero said.

Under the Escudero bill, for fiscal year 2026, prior endorsement of RDCs will apply to infrastructure projects implemented by national government agencies, including but not limited to, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of Transportation.

The release of funds and the procurement activities related to the projects are contingent on the requirement of prior endorsement.

“This is the spirit of Bottom-up Budgeting that has been espoused for years to make the budget process more efficient, effective and more meaningful for the people,” Escudero said.

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