Assessment results from the Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Assessment, the National Achievement Test for Grade 6, and the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Enrollment numbers and school population data.

Access to utilities and facilities, including electricity, water, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) systems.

School inventories and utilization of the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

Ratios of teachers, classrooms, and learners—metrics that will reveal the gaps as well as the progress of schools across the country.

The initial rollout this September begins with Regions I, III, VIII, IX, and CAR at the school level, with other regions publishing both school and division data.

Shared Responsibility, Shared Future

Angara emphasized that transparency alone is not enough. Project Bukas, he said, must be a collaborative journey:

“Pero hindi ito kakayanin ng DepEd lamang. Kailangan natin ang LGUs, NGOs, private sector, at lahat ng partners upang mas mapabuti ang mga programa para sa ating mga bata. Sana sama-sama tayo rito.”

This call for unity underscores DepEd’s aim to strengthen flagship programs such as:

The National Learning Recovery Program (ARAL)

The School-Based Feeding Program

The Adopt-A-School Program

By sharing data openly, DepEd hopes to ensure that these programs do not merely exist on paper but create measurable impact in classrooms and communities.

Backed by Historic Investments

The promise of Project Bukas is reinforced by unprecedented resources. Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who joined the launch, highlighted that DepEd and its attached agencies have been allocated a staggering ₱928.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2026—an amount that could represent 4.1 percent of the country’s GDP, pending congressional approval.

For Pangandaman, Project Bukas is not just about opening records but also about redefining governance:

“Our gathering today symbolizes that we are moving forward with a renewed and even stronger determination towards a Bagong Pilipinas that is accountable, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of Filipinos. Maging bukas tayo para sa kinabukasan ng ating kabataan dahil bawat bukas ay mahalaga.”

Beyond Numbers: A Cultural Shift

More than a tool, Project Bukas is envisioned to create a culture of shared responsibility in education—where national government, local communities, and development partners collectively ensure that no child is left behind.

By placing data in the hands of the public, the initiative empowers citizens to monitor, question, and collaborate. It removes the walls of bureaucracy and invites every Filipino to take part in shaping a more effective, equitable, and transparent education system.

Towards a Brighter Tomorrow

The launch of Project Bukas is not just another program; it is a turning point. For the first time, parents can track how schools are performing, communities can see where resources flow, and citizens can hold leaders accountable for promises made.

As the applause echoed inside Parañaque High School, the message was clear: transparency is not an option—it is the foundation of progress. In the words of Secretary Angara, Project Bukas is the people’s chance to see and shape the education system as never before.

Because in the end, every peso spent, every classroom built, every teacher hired, and every child taught belongs not only to DepEd—it belongs to the nation.

And with Project Bukas, the nation can finally keep its eyes wide open.

Consumers Left in the Dark: Nuclear Energy Push Raises Questions on Public Participation

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

30 September 2025 — The flickering light of the Philippines’ energy supply has long symbolized the uncertainty and instability plaguing the nation’s power sector. With demand surging and electricity rates stubbornly high, the government is turning to nuclear power as the next great solution.

But as the country takes its most decisive step toward embracing nuclear energy through the passage of Republic Act 12305, the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, an unsettling question emerges: where are the consumers in this national conversation?

A Law Built on Safety—and Skepticism

Spearheaded by Pangasinan 2nd District Rep. Mark Cojuangco, RA 12305 institutionalizes nuclear safety measures and regulatory frameworks that mirror the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). At its core is the creation of the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Safety Authority (PhilATOM)—an independent regulator designed to separate oversight from the research and promotional arms of nuclear development.

In tandem, the government has established the Nuclear Energy Program–Inter-Agency Committee, led by the Department of Energy, to handle technical, legal, and environmental concerns surrounding nuclear adoption. On paper, it’s a monumental leap toward a structured and internationally compliant nuclear regime.

But for Kuryente.org National Coordinator Bas Umali, the triumph is incomplete.

“Consumers are being left behind in the nuclear sector,” Umali warns. “These developments look good on paper, but there is still no clear mechanism for the direct participation of electricity consumers—the very stakeholders most affected by rising prices, safety concerns, and long-term energy decisions.”

A Future Without a Voice?

The absence of consumer representation is glaring. While government agencies, legislators, and energy experts debate nuclear integration, millions of Filipino households remain silent in the margins—waiting, watching, and paying some of the highest electricity rates in Asia.

The promise of nuclear energy—cheaper, cleaner, more reliable power—cannot be fully realized if consumers are reduced to mere spectators. Nuclear decisions are not just about megawatts and reactors; they are about trust, transparency, and accountability.

For a country still haunted by the ghost of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP)—a monument to billions spent without a single kilowatt produced—consumer skepticism is not paranoia; it’s prudence.

The Price of Exclusion

If the government fails to secure consumer confidence, nuclear power could become yet another contentious national project, marred by protests, mistrust, and controversy. “We must not forget that consumers are among the largest stakeholders in the energy sector,” Umali stresses. “The government is duty-bound to serve them by ensuring secure, affordable, and sustainable energy.”

Kuryente.org, a consumer welfare watchdog, argues that transparency and genuine dialogue are non-negotiable. Without a seat at the table, Filipinos risk being forced into an energy future they neither shaped nor agreed to—one where they shoulder both the benefits and the dangers of nuclear power, without ever having a voice.

A Call to Action

The passage of RA 12305 is indeed historic. It signals the Philippines’ bold step toward a nuclear-powered future. But history also warns us that progress without people’s trust is fragile.

For nuclear power to truly light up the Philippines, the government must illuminate not just reactors, but also the path to consumer inclusion. That means building platforms for dialogue, mandating representation, and embedding public participation at every level of decision-making.

Because in the end, nuclear power is not just about energy—it’s about the people who will live with it, pay for it, and rely on it for generations to come.

Until then, the light remains flickering.

EcoWaste Coalition Sounds Alarm: Toxic Lipsticks With Deadly Levels of Lead Still Sold in Philippine Markets

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — October 1, 2025. As October marks Consumer Welfare Month and the world prepares for International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week on October 19–25, an urgent cry for action reverberates across the Philippines: the EcoWaste Coalition has sounded the alarm against dangerously contaminated lipsticks still circulating in stores and online platforms, posing grave risks to consumers—particularly women and children.

The warning comes on the heels of six official advisories issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), flagging imported Qianxiu lipsticks that are being sold without authorization and without any guarantee of safety. These lipsticks, dressed up in cute pink and sleek black canisters, conceal a horrifying secret: lead levels thousands of times higher than what is legally allowed.

The Poison in a Tube of Lipstick

The FDA’s alerts covered the following unauthorized variants:

Qianxiu Hello Kitty #07 (pink canister)

Qianxiu Hello Kitty #06 (black canister)

Qianxiu Hello Kitty #03 (black canister)

Qianxiu Hello Kitty #11 (pink canister)

Qianxiu Hello Kitty #10 (pink canister)

Qianxiu Hello Kitty #02 (black canister)

Behind their playful packaging and dirt-cheap prices—₱35 each, or three for ₱100—lie staggering concentrations of lead. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screenings conducted by EcoWaste revealed lead content as high as 43,640 parts per million (ppm). To put that in perspective, the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD) caps lead contamination in cosmetics at just 20 ppm.

Qianxiu #03 (black) — 43,640 ppm

Qianxiu #06 (black) — 31,520 ppm

Qianxiu #02 (black) — 17,690 ppm

Qianxiu #10 (pink) — 27,390 ppm

Qianxiu #07 (pink) — 13,610 ppm

Qianxiu #11 (pink) — 9,640 ppm

These findings are not mere technical violations—they are public health time bombs.

“A Well-Documented Poison”

“Consumers must not treat lipstick as harmless color on the lips,” warned Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition. “Lead is a well-documented neurological and reproductive toxicant. We urge consumers to stop using Qianxiu and other unauthorized lipsticks from dubious sources, and we call on regulators to remove these toxic products from the market immediately.”

The lipsticks, which have no Certificate of Product Notification (CPN), are being sold illegally in violation of the FDA Act of 2009 (RA 9711). Without a CPN, no assessment has been conducted on their quality or safety—placing consumers directly in harm’s way.

The Hidden Dangers of Lead

According to the report “A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick” by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, lead accumulates in the body over time. A lipstick worn daily—applied and re-applied multiple times—could silently elevate exposure levels, especially when combined with other sources of lead such as contaminated water or dust.

Medical experts agree on one chilling truth: there is no safe level of lead exposure. Even minuscule doses can impair brain development, disrupt hormones, and cause lasting harm to reproductive health.

Women exposed to lead may experience menstrual irregularities, hormonal changes, reduced fertility, and complications during pregnancy. The toxin does not stop at the mother—it crosses into the womb, threatening the health of unborn children.

Protecting Consumers: What You Can Do

To prevent and reduce lead exposure, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the public to take these life-saving precautions:

Verify before you buy: Check the FDA’s verification portal: https://verification.fda.gov.ph/Home.php

Avoid unauthorized or imitation brands—especially those without labels.

Purchase only from licensed dealers and always request an official receipt.

Beware of unbelievably low prices—if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Limit lipstick use if you are uncertain of its safety.

Keep lipsticks away from children.

Beyond Lipsticks: A Wider Battle Against Lead

The fight doesn’t end with cosmetics. This October, EcoWaste will also spotlight lead in paints and consumer goods, echoing the World Health Organization’s stance that lead is among the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern.

The battle is not simply about unsafe beauty products. It is about a system that must protect consumers—especially women and children—from toxic exposure in everyday life.

As International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week approaches, the question looms large: Will authorities finally clamp down on these poisonous products before more lives are put at risk?