The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
There are several civil society and student movements—like the walkout of UP students—that are being organized to lead protest rallies against corruption in high and low places in the country.
Some of them have already kicked off mass actions directed against the perpetrators of corruption, primarily the couple Discaya, Pacifico, also known as Curlee, and Sarah.
After the Discayas named contractors with the DPWH conniving with lawmakers in kickbacks, the public has intensified its campaign against the anomalies which they say have deprived them of their decent living and wallowed the nation in abject poverty.
Various sectors in show business have not looked away from the issue.
Indeed, many in the arts world, specifically show business, are already awake in the connection between corruption and the arts.
Why?
Because artists, not excluding movie, television, stage and multimedia actors, actresses, directors, writers, production designers, editors, soundmen, make-up artists and other creatives, are citizens of this country.
Husband of Vilma Santos
As citizens, one of our (me included in the arts of entertainment journalism) duties is to pay taxes. Taxes in the form of our everyday activities like buying daily necessities—soap, toothpaste, cellphone load etc.—which are taxed by the government through Ralph Recto, Secretary of Finance and husband of Star for All Season Vilma Santos.
These taxes go to the coffers of the government.
Where does the money and budget of DPWH come from?
Of course, from us, the people of the republic.
Anomalies in DPWH start from millions to billions of contracts with unscrupulous bidders who win in their proposed ventures (as announced by the government, local, national or regional through Philgeps—acronym for the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, a single, centralized online portal for all government procurement activities and information in the Philippines. Operated by the PS-DBM (Procurement Service—Department of Budget and Management), which serves as the main platform where government agencies post requirements for goods, civil works, and consulting services, making government procurement more transparent, competitive, and efficient), one of them, flood control projects.
As the Discayas admitted in the hearings of both the Senate and Congress, lawmakers and other public servants receive percentages from their projects otherwise, they couldn’t get them.
And it’s only DPWH.
How about the other government agencies where taxpayers also bring in money for projects as profitable sources of corruption?
Anyway, showbiz people are tired and impatient about the solution to these rampant corrupt practices of politicians.
Protest marches, though, come in all forms, shapes and sizes.
Vivian Velez and Chris Millado
Two showbiz groups are mounting rallies on September 21, 2025. One is being called by Vivian Velez, a certified Duterte diehard, who has been posting and now singing a different tune in her social media outlets,–a rally billed Reporma Pilipinas (Reform Philippines) at the People Power Monument in EDSA.
The other one is being organized by Chris Millado, multimedia actor, arts teacher, cultural worker, social activist, and former VP and Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) who once defied patronage politics in his turf, called on the Filipinos to act collectively against corruption. Both coincides with the 67th commemoration of the declaration of martial law.
According to Vivian, it’s not about “DDS, kakampink or BBM. It’s about Filipinos uniting against corruption.”
Wait!
However, there are show people saying that Vivian had called on them to join a rally on September 13, 20205 at the EDSA Shrine. “Ang sabi ni Azenith Briones, may rally rin daw si Vivian sa September 13, 2025. Pero ang sabi ni Azenith, hindi siya sasama roon. Sasama raw siya sa (She said Vivian had her own rally. But according to Azenith, she wouldn’t join her. She said she will join the Luneta rally),” informed an actress who requested anonymity.
Meanwhile, Chris whipped up an interesting copy: “Sawa ka na ba sa baha? Galit ka sa kurakot? Tara sa (Are you tired of floods? Are you angry with corruption? Let’s go to) Luneta…”
Mae Paner, also known as Juana Change yelled: “Bilyon ₱ipol (Billion People) March! Bahain ang (Let’s flood) Luneta! Tayo ang Solusyon (We are the solutions!) I will be present! At ako ang solusyon (I am the solution!) Please make your own artworks! Let a billion flowers bloom!”
Not two or three but many simultaneous mass movements are expected. Netizen Malou Tiquia shared to Jay Sonza this message: “Puntahan po natin lahat. Magkita man lang at magkamustahan. Isang ang ating bansa…Di kulay, Pinas! Meron rin pong mga lokal rallies sa Bulacan, Pampanga, Cebu atbp lugar (Let’s explore them all. Let’s see each other and catch up. We only have one country. Multicolored Philippines. There are also local rallies in various parts of the countries).”