Context Dispatch

Outgoing Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya paid a farewell call on Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo on Tuesday, marking a period of strengthened friendship and diplomatic progress between the two nations.

Commission on Audit auditor Xylene Mae del Campo testified on the 14th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial that samples of thousands of acknowledgment receipts for varying amounts from the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education’s confidential funds carried similar dates but were signed by different recipients and in different locations across the country. Del Campo also said DepEd disbursements were not made by an authorized officer. She said COA issued an audit observations memorandum and a notice of disallowance covering the questioned transactions, although the findings remain under appeal. Her testimony put fresh scrutiny on the paper trail behind the confidential funds.

The Department of Budget and Management will submit the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 National Expenditure Program to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, marking an increase from this year’s P6.793-trillion national budget. Palace spokesperson Atty. Claire Castro said the NEP, which the DBM formally turned over to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, prioritizes education, health, livelihood, security, and stronger communities under the theme “people-centered growth for an inclusive and resilient future.” Castro said the spending plan seeks to improve public services while creating more jobs and economic opportunities for Filipinos. The proposal now moves to Congress for scrutiny and approval.

The House of Representatives has approved a resolution commending the long-standing bilateral relations between the Philippines and Japan, marking the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic ties.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the country’s new health secretary, replacing Dr. Jose Brittanio Pujalte Jr., who resigned for health reasons, Palace spokesperson Claire Castro said. Mercado, who has served as acting president and chief executive officer of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. since February 2025, is a University of the Philippines medical graduate with master’s degrees from Harvard Medical School and the University of North Carolina. Pujalte, appointed health chief on July 13, now faces an anonymous ethics and graft complaint before the Ombudsman. Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho, former health undersecretary, assistant secretary, and spokesperson, will replace Mercado at PhilHealth.