Manila Standard - 2024 March 6 - Wednesday

PCG, China ships collide

Chinese also water-cannon supply ship, hurting 4 Pinoys on board

By Rey Requejo, Vince Lopez, and Macon Ramos-Araneta

C`HINA Coast Guard vessels caused two collisions with Philippine boats and water cannoned one of them, leaving four Filipino crew injured during a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea, the National Security Council said.

The incidents happened in waters around Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly Islands.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it told Chinese em-

bassy deputy chief of mission Zhou Zhiyong that the “aggressive actions” of the China Coast Guard and other vessels were “unacceptable”.

Senate orders arrest of Quiboloy, Padilla disagrees

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel Cruz

Cha-cha opponents may change minds via more

Inflation rises to 3.4% in Feb., food big

THE country’s inflation rate in February picked up to 3.4 percent from 2.8 percent in January on higher

beverage and transport prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday. “This brings the national average inflation from January 2024 to February 2024 at 3.1 percent. In February 2023, the inflation rate was high-

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Reconnect with roots, Fil-Aussies told

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Marcos on Tuesday urged Filipinos in Australia to reconnect with their roots by visiting the Philippines and experiencing the administration’s “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign.

“Let us always remember that the adage that is true, that home is where the heart is. So, cherish your Filipino identity because in that way you remain connected to us, to the Philippines, no matter where you are,” President Mar-

CHED OK with foreigners fully owning schools

COMMISSION on Higher Education chairman Prospero De Vera on Tuesday said his agency is in favor of amending the 1987 Constitution to allow full foreign ownership of schools.

The proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution are embodied in Resolution of Both Houses No. 6.

Aside from education, full ownership is also being sought for public utilities and advertising.

Facing the subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, De Vera acknowledged that opening the control and administration of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to foreign nationals would facilitate universityto-university linkages between local and foreign universities and will also increase foreign student enrollment.

“But more important, we are happy that this is being discussed because it allows us to reopen discussions on the framework for higher education, particularly on how to improve quality in higher education, how to ensure that our Philippine universities are competitive, and the kind of interventions and policies that the government must put in place to ensure access to quality higher education,” De Vera said.

The Korean Chamber of Commerce-Philippines, meanwhile, rallied behind the proposed constitutional amendment.

KCCP president Hyun Chong Un told the fifth hearing of the Committee of the Whole House of Representatives on Resolution of Both Houses 7 that his group welcomes the planned liberalization of Philippine education.

He said more Koreans and foreign students would come to the country if there are foreign schools operating here.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Deputy Director General Rosanna Urdaneta meanwhile said the agency supports the proposed amendment to allow foreign participation in higher-level Technical Vocational Education and Training.

She noted that is a source of skills, knowledge and technology needed to drive employment and productivity. Urdaneta also noted the importance of foreign investments in providing state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, as well as expertise from foreign trainers. Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

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the pressure to change the Senate leadership came from the House, has yet to sign the manifesto, along with fellow majority bloc members Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Francis Escudero, Robin Padilla and Cynthia Villar. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros from the minority bloc and independent senators Alan Cayetano and Pia Cayetano also have yet to sign the statement of support for Zubiri.

“We have heard about [Sen. Marcos’ claims], but we can’t interfere [in the affairs of the Senate]. It’s like in a household, it’s their house, why should we interfere? The one who claimed that the rumors came from the House – I don’t know where the person got that,”

cos said during a meeting with the Filipino community in Australia.

“Before I end, let me invite you again to visit the Philippines soon and see for yourself the new Philippines, Ang Bagong Pilipinas. That’s what we’re

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It ordered the Chinese vessels to leave the vicinity of the reef “immediately”, the department said in a statement.

“China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission,” the NSC said in a statement.

“The systematic and consistent manner in which the People’s Republic of China carries out these illegal and irresponsible actions puts into question the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue and lessening of tensions.”

The China Coast Guard, however, said it “took control measures” against Philippine ships’ “illegal intrusion” in waters around the shoal.

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the West Philippine Sea. The House of Representatives is solidly behind his decisive leadership and unwavering commitment to safeguarding our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Romualdez.

The leader of the over 300-strong House of Representatives issued the statement on the heels of the collision incident Tuesday morning between a PCG vessel escorting the rotation and reprovisioning operation of the AFP with a bigger Chinese Coast Guard ship. The Philippine vessels were on their way to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre

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sworn or to testify before this investigation. This committee requests the Senate President to order his arrest so that he may be brought to testify,” Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality chairperson Risa Hontiveros said.

Senator Robin Padilla, however, opposed the ruling of the panel.

“With all due respect, I object to the

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Maybe they will be swayed by the arguments they will hear in the coming weeks and months,” said Angara.

House Deputy Majority Leader for Communications and ACT-CIS partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo said.

“Besides, they should be the ones talking among themselves. Do not involve us here because we don’t care if they change leadership. They can do anything they want and we don’t care about that. Let them take care of their lives – they are grown up, they are also old,” he added.

House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo Bongalon of Ako Bicol party-list added: “There was a senator who said that we are just congressmen, that we are just party-list representatives. So, I guess with that... maybe we don’t have the ability to interfere in the internal matters of the Senate.”

“So despite this political drama, my only appeal is to just focus on the legislative agenda. I hope that the Senate will handle its internal matters appropriately,” Bongalon said.

promoting. That’s what I’m fighting for,” he added. President Marcos is in Australia to participate in the Australia-ASEAN Special Summit. Mr. Marcos also encouraged FilipinoAustralians to embrace and celebrate their heritage, passing on their love for the Philippines to future generations.

He urged them to teach the younger Filipinos about the country, its heroes, and its beautiful tourist destinations.

“Bring them back to the Philippines so they can see what you’re talking about,”

Malacanang has yet to react to the incident as of press time, but foreign governments were quick to condemn China’s actions.

President Marcos is currently in Melbourne for the four-day ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson condemned China’s “dangerous maneuvers” in a post on social media platform X, saying they “endangered lives, resulted in injuries, and damaged (Philippine Coast Guard) vessels.”

Luc Veron, the EU envoy to Manila, said on X he was “troubled” by China’s efforts to target “Philippine vessels engaged in crucial resupply missions.”

In a statement, the Japanese Embassy in Manila said: “Japan reiterates its grave concern on the repeated dangerous actions in the SCS... Japan will continue to stand with the Philippines and cooperate with like-minded countries

in Ayungin Shoal to deliver supplies to Navy personnel stationed on the ship (see banner story – Editors).

In his keynote address at the Lowy Institute in Melbourne on Monday, President Marcos said the Philippines will continue to upgrade the capabilities of the PCG and pursue the modernization of the AFP, in line with his stand that the Philippines shall never surrender “even a square inch” of its territory and maritime jurisdiction to any country.

“The House pledges its full cooperation in the legislative process to ensure the timely implementation of measures to strengthen the Philippine Coast Guard and modernize the AFP to bolster our country’s defense posture in the face of emerging challenges,”

decision of the committee to cite Pastor Quiboloy in contempt,” Padilla said.

While Hontiveros noted Padilla’s objection, she noted that only a majority of the members of the committee may reverse or modify a contempt order within seven days.

“The majority of the members of the committee have seven days to formalize the objection to the ruling of the chair to hold Pastor Quiboloy in contempt,” she said. “[But] my call for the other members of the committee is to uphold the rul-

Meanwhile, lawmakers at the House of Representatives allayed fears of some business groups on proposals to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution, saying they should attend hearings on Charter change and

Comelec:...

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“If you are to conduct a national plebiscite, there are a lot of logistical problems, because you must not only consult Filipino voters in the country but also Filipinos abroad,” Comelec chairman George Garcia said.

Garcia said the poll body can conduct a plebiscite, but “we can’t do it if there’s

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ning a fever. She has been put on a course of antibiotics and the doctors are confident that this will relieve her fever,” President Marcos said in a statement.

President Marcos said, referring to the younger Filipinos in Australia. Inspired by the achievements of Filipinos abroad, the President reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the lives and livelihoods of every Filipino, regardless of their location. He assured the Filipino community in Melbourne that the Philippine economy is thriving with robust growth, optimistic forecasts, and record highs in employment, tourism, and manufacturing. Australia is home to at least 408,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent.

to maintain the peace and stability in the region.”

The BRP Sindangan, along with a sister ship, had been deployed to support the military chartered Unaizah May 4 and Unaizah May 1 boats carrying replacement soldiers and supplies to Ayungin Shoal where Filipino troops are stationed on a grounded Philippine navy vessel, the BRP Sierra Madre.

Four crew on board the Unaizah May 4 were injured when two China Coast Guard ships simultaneously fired water cannons at it, shattering the windshield, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement. It said a China Coast Guard vessel also caused a “minor collision” with the Unaizah May 4, which turned back to shore without delivering its cargo.

The Unaizah May 1 was able to unload its provisions, which the troops on the BRP Sierra Madre depend on for their survival.

stressed Romualdez, who is part of the President’s official delegation to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. President Marcos revealed that earlier this year, he approved the updated acquisition plan of the AFP called ReHorizon 3, in line with the country’s Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept.

Under the defense plan, President Marcos said Philippine forces must be able to guarantee, to the fullest extent possible, Filipinos, Philippine corporations, and those authorized by the Philippine government, unimpeded and peaceful exploration and exploitation of all natural resources in areas where the country has jurisdiction, including within its exclusive economic zone in accordance with international law.

ing of contempt to pave the way for the Senate president to have Quiboloy arrested for the purpose of making him appear at the hearing,” Hontiveros said.

Apart from Hontiveros and Padilla, the other members of the Senate committee are Senators Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, Imee Marcos, Raffy Tulfo, Christopher Go, Grace Poe, JV Ejercito, and Mark Villar. Ex-officio members are Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III.

express their misgivings about the efforts.

Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman maintained that business groups expressing apprehension about economic amendments to the Constitution should attend the congressional hearings.

going to be national and local elections and barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.”

“We are pressed for time. We don’t have enough time to prepare for the two elections in 2025. And so, the conduct of the plebiscite before the year ends, based on my opinion, is too short a time for the Commission on Elections,” he added.

However, the Comelec chief said the agency will obey Congress should it

“She is in good spirits, has no difficulty in breathing, and is resting well. I thank the Filipino public for their concern and prayers,” he added.

President Marcos is currently in Australia to participate in the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit

#ANONGBALITA

Umamin din! PM defends Singapore pact with Swift

SINGAPORE struck a deal ensuring Taylor Swift played the citystate but nowhere else in Southeast Asia, the country’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong admitted Tuesday while defending the secretive arrangement that drew flak from Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Pop icon Swift is halfway through a run of six sold-out shows in Singapore, the only city in Southeast Asia to feature in her blockbuster Eras world tour.

The star’s schedule has sparked controversy in the music-mad region, with Singapore accused of throwing cash at Swift to stop her from appearing in other locations. House ways and means panel chair Rep. Joey Salceda earlier asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to make the Singaporean Embassy in Manila explain the alleged exclusive deal the rich citystate made for the concert tour.

Bezos dethrones Musk as world’s richest with $200b

AMAZON founder Jeff Bezos took back his spot as the world’s richest man on Monday, dethroning Elon Musk on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Bezos’ net worth stands at $200 billion, according to the tracker, surpassing the Tesla chief’s $198 billion. Musk, who also heads X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX, has seen his riches fall by more than $30 billion as Tesla’s share price has dropped 25 percent in recent months.

Adding to Musk’s woes, a court in January approved the annulment of his enormous Tesla compensation agreement, worth $55.8 billion and originally struck in 2018.

French

‘Spider-Man’

Alain Robert climbs Makati tower anew

ALAIN Robert, a 61-year-old urban climber who has been nicknamed “the French Spider-Man,” displayed his climbing prowess at the GT International Tower in Makati City yesterday.

He reached the 47th floor of the country’s 10th tallest building before he was arrested by Makati City police. This was the second time that Robert scaled the Makati building, which has a height of 712 feet.

In 2019, he managed to reach the 43rd floor of GT International Tower before he arrested.

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er at 8.6 percent,” the PSA said in a statement.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said despite the uptick, the higher inflation remained within the government’s 2024 target range of 2 percent to 4 percent, a statement echoed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The BSP said it is also consistent with its expectations that inflation will likely remain within the target range in the first quarter of 2024 due largely to negative base effects. Given the current trend, BSP said the interest rates will likely remain unchanged over the near term.

decide to conduct the plebiscite separate from the midterm polls.

“On the question of whether the plebiscite and elections could be done simultaneously or not, that is a legal issue and a political issue which the Comelec cannot interfere with,” Garcia said.

“The Comelec will always respect the decision of our political departments—the executive and legislative departments of government,” he added.

Earlier, Senator Marcos broke the news that the 94-year-old former first lady was hospitalized after bouts of coughs and feverishness.

The senator said the family would prefer to “take precautions,” adding: “We brought her to the hospital for close monitoring.”

Makati-Taguig territorial quarrel worsens with filing of criminal raps

Senate panel cites relevance of natural gas

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

DEVELOPING the country’s natural gas industry is critical to driving investments that will enhance national energy security, reduce electricity costs and create more jobs for Filipinos.

The Senate Committee on Energy Technical Working Group (TWG) issued this observation during a meeting on Senate Bill No. 2247 seeking to promote the development of a “comprehensive, and integrated legislative policy that aids in the rapid development of the Philippines’ natural gas sector.”

Lawyer Gareth Tungol, special legal counsel of Senator Raffy Tulfo, said developing the country’s natural gas industry will open up a larger market share for investors as government policy shifts towards clean energy.

Tulfo underscored the urgency of the bill’s passage as he cited the critical need to extend the life of the Malampaya field which provides about 40 percent of the country’s natural energy needs since 2001.

The TWG also noted that the bill added “priority” dispatch for indigenous natural gas to encourage more investments in the development of indigenous gas resources.

“When it comes to using fuel for gasfired power plants, my gas will come first...we are prioritizing Filipino gas first,” Tungol said.

“I think that’s the best driver of our investment because instead of investing on importation, they should invest on facilities, and infrastructure,” he added.

Samal gets P1-m aid from Makati

By Butch Gunio

SAMAL town in Bataan has received P1 million financial assistance from its sister-city of Makati.

Samal Mayor Alex Acuzar and municipal treasurer Emilia Dela Rosa received the check from Makati Mayor Abigail Binay in simple ceremony held in Makati recently.

Acuzar thanked Binay for the financial aid to be used for assistance to Samal residents who were victimized by typhoons Egay and Falcon.

Aside from financial assistance, Makati also conducts disaster preparedness training for personnel of its sister-local government units.

Meanwhile, Mayor Acuzar also launched Dalaw Barangay 2024 to bring government services closer to the people.

The 10th episode of the program was held in Brgy. East Daan Bago on Monday headed by Acuzar and Sangguniang Bayan members led by Vice Mayor Ronnie Ortiguerra.

Earlier, free legal consultations were held by lawyer-councilors Tony Roman and Jomar Gaza in some Samal barangays.

By Joel E. Zurbano

MAKATI City government employees have filed charges of illegal detention and grave coercion against Taguig City Mayor Laarni Cayetano and other city officials and personnel following a standoff at the Makati City Park and Garden situated in the villages now under Taguig’s territorial jurisdiction.

Cited as respondents in the complaints were Mayor Cayetano, city administrator Jose Luis Montales, Maria Theresa Veloso, Danny Cañaveral, and several John Does, who introduced themselves as personnel of the Taguig City government during the confrontation.

Three counts of illegal detention and one count of grave coercion have been

lodged against the Taguig officials at the Office of the City Prosecutors in Taguig.

Three complainants charged that they were harassed and detained against their will by several Taguig personnel who claimed to have acted on orders of Mayor Cayetano.

They said three separate incidents occurred repeatedly on March 1, 2 and 3, 2024, all in the vicinity of the

Makati Park and Garden.

One of them stated that on March 1, Friday, several men arrived in front of the park, introduced themselves as personnel of the Taguig government, chained and padlocked the gate, and blocked all entrances to the park while he and his coemployees were still inside. The group warned them not to attempt to get out, while prohibiting entry to the park.

Another employee complained of being illegally detained for one day on Mar.

2 at the Makati Park Amphitheater, while another complainant charged that the following day, around 6:30 am, a Taguig patrol vehicle arrived and removed the tarpaulin installed earlier by Makati City, replacing it with a new one stating a closure order from Taguig on the basis that the facility had no business permit.

SC a irms DOE powers over oil industry during emergencies

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court (SC) has declared that the Department of Energy (DOE) has the authority to take control of the operations of the oil industry as directed by the President, particularly in times of emergencies.

In a decision penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the SC upheld the constitutionality of Section 14 (e) of Republic Act 8479, or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.

The said provision empowers the DOE to temporarily oversee the operations of the oil industry under specific circumstances, such as in times of emergencies.

The SC ruling was promulgated on February 21, 2023 but made public only last Mar. 4.

The SC decision arose from a petition for review filed by then former executive secretary Leandro Mendoza, the late DOE chief Angelo Reyes and the DOE-DOJ Joint Task Force assailing the 2013 ruling of the Court of Appeals that had deemed the provision unconstitutional.

The case stemmed from an executive order issued by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Oct. 2, 2009 directing oil industry players to maintain the prices of their petroleum products in the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng which wreaked havoc on Luzon, leaving almost 1, 000 fatalities, 700 injured and 84 missing. Finding Arroyo’s order prejudicial to oil companies, Pilipinas Shell filed a petition before the Makati Regional Trial Court, arguing that the executive order was “unreasonable, oppressive, and invalid delegation of power to the Executive.”

The lower court granted Pilipinas Shell’s plea for the issuance of a temporary restraining order on Nov. 13, 2009.

Iloilo trailblazes PH waste-to-energy quest with P2.3-b deal

ILOILO City—The country’s first wasteto-energy project will start construction here this year under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Last March 1, the city government and Metro Pacific Water (MPW), a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of Metro Pacific Water Investments Corporation (MPWIC), forged the contract for the construction of a state-of-the-art Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF) in this city.

The deal was handed over to the MPW on Dec. 19, 2023, after the local government decided on the competitive challenge with no other bidders joining in.

“This outcome marks a historic milestone for us—building one of the country’s most technologically advanced waste recovery facilities only here in Iloilo City,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.

Treñas presided at the contract ex-

change ceremony, along with MPWIC president and CEO Andrew Pangilinan, Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) chief operating officer Rob Cabiles, and MetPower Venture Partners Holdings, Inc. (MVPHI) president and CEO Jose Maria Madara.

To be erected on a three-hectare property in Barangay Ingore, La Paz district, the P2.3-billion ISWMF will handle 475 tons of waste per day.

The facility can produce up to 3.5 megawatts of power to augment the 10 megawatts for the desalination plant, which can produce additional water supply at a lower cost for city residents.

The city government will also get a share of the power generated from the facility.

The project represents an important building block in establishing Iloilo City as a major investment hub.

Camp Karingal cops set to plant 1m trees in Quezon City

By Rio N. Araja

THE Quezon City Police District on Tuesday launched its Project Green Camp

The project was in line with Mayor Joy Belmonte’s ecological initiatives to up-

environmental laws, QCPD director Brig. Gen. Rederico Maranan said.

The mayor lauded the entire QCPD for becoming the first police unit to

transform its area into a green camp in Metro Manila.

Upon her arrival at Camp Tomas Karingal in Barangay Sikatuna, Belmonte was surprised to see the camp’s greenery transformation.

Maranan said the initiative is anchored on one of the Philippine National Police’s core values, “Makalikasan.”

Since last year, members of the QCPD have grown various fruit-bearing trees

Laguna to hold 8-day Anilag fest

By Roy C. Tomandao

CALAMBA CITY—From its impressive comeback in 2023, Anilag Festival 2024 promises to open with a bang as Laguna province, led by Gov. Ramil Hernandez and provincial officials ushers in the annual festivity with the theme, “Tuloy-tuloy ang saya. Tara na sa Laguna.”

“It’s all systems go with all preparations in place to make this year’s festival even more exciting, bigger, bolder and brighter,” Hernandez told Manila Standard.

The festivities will take place on March 10-17 with the capitol grounds and the Laguna Sports Complex becoming more colorful during the period, Hernandez said “In acknowledging and remembering

why we birthed Anilag, we are reminded of that fine balance of hope and despair,” Hernandez added.

The Anilag Festival was conceived as a celebration of hope, optimism, and resilience in the face of challenging events, while also promoting tourism, in line with “Love Laguna” tourism program of Laguna 2nd District Rep. Ruth Hernandez.

The lawmaker said cultural presentations such as Sayaw Laguna, Anilag arts and music festival with hot air balloon exhibition would make the festivities more exciting. The Voice of Laguna, Himig Laguna song-writing competition, Binibini at Ginoong Laguna, Mr & Mrs Laguna, Pinakamagandang Lola and That’s My Lolo pageants were expected to further enflame the excitement.

and ornamental plants, as well as vegetables inside the camp.

Maranan said they support Belmonte’s advocacy of environmental awareness and the importance to protect the environment.

The project has the theme “Million Trees Begin With One” to symbolize, he added. Another activity under the project is the implementation of solid waste seg-

regation and management practices, embracing the Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle (3Rs) concept.

The mayor planted a guyabano tree near the camp’s grandstand as a gesture of here unity with the police’s project.

At least 166 police officers or the socalled green cops had been sworn in to oversee the green project not only at Camp Karingal but in all 16 police stations in the city.

PIONEERING

Agencies told: Implement P500 discount to seniors, PWDs

By Maricel V. Cruz

LAWMAKERS are urging concerned agencies to implement by the end of this month the P500 monthly grocery discount for millions of senior citizens and persons with disability.

This came during a meeting of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. Deputy Majority Leader and Erwin Tulfo of ACT-CIS party-list followed up on the promise the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) gave to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez last week on the increased discount.

The present discount is P65 a week or P260 a month. This would go up to P125 a week or P500 a month.

Tulfo said he attended the Speaker’s meeting with DTI Undersecretary Carolina Sanchez and would like to in-

quire from the implementing agencies “how we are doing.”

He said Sanchez’s commitment was to effect the increase in the grocery discount on basic food items, meat and agricultural products by the end of this month.

DTI’s Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau director Marcus Valdez of informed the committee that the DTI is now coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for the implementation of the increased discount.

“We confirm the promise made last week and the timeline,” he said.

On the other hand, Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs and concurrent for Legislative Affairs Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra said public consultations are scheduled to be held on March 11 and 12 before the increased discount is given.

‘Low-priced rice should be for consumers’

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said he wished that the low-priced rice the National Food Authority (NFA) reportedly sold to certain traders should have been offered to consumers in public markets.

House Deputy Majority Leader for Communications and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said Romualdez conveyed this “wish,” adding that Romualdez also noted that had the NFA sold the rice to the public, thousands of consumers

would have benefitted.

He said the NFA apparently sold the rice at the low price of P25 per kilo.

“They should really be responsible for that. While our countrymen cannot afford to buy (rice)... at P30, P40, they will drop

them to P25, isn’t that insulting?” Tulfo also said. Tulfo called for accountability and eventual punishment for those responsible for the sale.

Tulfo said he and his colleagues are interested in finding out why the NFA sold the rice to traders who re-bagged it and sold it to their customers, instead of selling it in public markets.

House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo Bongalon of Ako Bicol Partylist supported Tulfo’s call for accountability for those behind the sale, but suggested

that private persons involved should be held accountable as well. This developed as House leaders on lauded the administration’s strong resolve in going after erring officials of the NFA in light of the preventive suspension of 139 officials and employees of the agency over an alleged disadvantageous transaction involving the sale of rice buffer stock. Some lawmakers also favor the restructuring the mandate of the NFA, citing efforts from past Congresses to study the proposal. The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF)

meanwhile urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to review the Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) to effectively exercise it mandate and a deeper probe into the rice disbursement and price fixing issue at the NFA.

Former Agriculture secretary, now FFF chairman Leonardo Montemayor said that the RTL removed the palay and rice price stabilization functions of the NFA and effectively disallows it from selling subsidized rice to the public, such as through the KADIWA outlets, unless there is a calamity.

MIAA warns airport pest control contractors: Shape up or ship out

By Joel E. Zurbano

Shape up or ship out.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has initiated a meeting with housekeeping and pest control service contractors and gave an ultimatum to perform according to the terms of their contracts or face being banned from future project biddings. The meeting held Monday was attended by terminal administrators, service contractors, and health experts from the Bureau of Quarantine and MIAA Medical Team to review the current state of sanitation services in four terminals. Terminal administration groups have been instructed to deploy more inspectors to monitor and supervise the work of contractors and re-evaluate the effectiveness

PhilHealth chief vows better, more responsive health benefit packages

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

PHILIPPINE Health Insurance Corp.

(PhilHealth) president and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. on Tuesday assured President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. that PhilHealth members and their beneficiaries can expect better and more responsive health benefit packages.

“We have laid down many enhancements which can be felt by beneficiaries,” Ledesma said, adding that this will include lower hospital bills.

Finance

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Department of Finance (DOF) is proposing a ban on disposable vapes citing concerns over safety, lack of regulations, and possible tax evasion.

DOF Secretary Ralph Recto said that most disposable vapes sold in the Philippines are unregistered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and avoid paying excise taxes.

“I think we should ban disposable vape products. Most if not all disposable vape products are unregistered with DTI and do not pay excise tax-

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said the processing of end-ofservice benefits (ESB) for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East is now the duty of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Ledesma announced that the 30-percent increase in most of its case rate packages already took effect for all admissions starting Feb. 14, 2024. This was the first time that an acrossthe-board increase was implemented since the all case rate scheme was launched in 2013.

He noted that the 30% increase in case rates will restore substantial coverage affected by health inflation.

Ledesma noted that the PhilHealth’s benefit committee has recently approved

the enhancement of the Z Benefits for breast cancer effective in March 2024.

He also highlighted that the agency enhanced several benefit packages after 13 years without changes, including:

High Risk Pneumonia, from P32,000 to P90,100, or a 182-percent increase;

Acute Stroke Ischemia from P28,000 to P76,000, a 171-percent increase; and

Acute Stroke Hemorrhagic from P30,000 to P80,000, a 111-percent increase.

He said the Z Benefits package for colon and rectal cancers were also recently

enhanced, allowing patients with metachronous colorectal tumor to re-avail of the package for colon and rectal cancer.

Ledesma said PhilHealth also revised the policy on select orthopedic implants, which allowed beneficiaries to avail of a maximum of two Z Benefits packages, regardless of laterality for procedures that were done on different dates, or on the same day, within the same confinement period by patients with single or multiple injuries that requires more than one implant.

of current housekeeping and pest control standard operating procedures in light of the increasing volume of people and changing conditions inside the terminals.

The MIAA is set to revise the Terms of Reference (TOR) for service contracts, imposing stiffer and higher penalties for liquidated damages. Contractors will be required to submit weekly and monthly commitments of work to be done and establish an immediate response mechanism through close coordination between contractors and MIAA management.

The airport chief expressed disappointment over recent sightings of pests and insects in Terminals 2 and 3 but clarified that the ultimatum was to remind contractors about the accountability clauses in their service agreements with the MIAA.

SC nullifies rule on traffic violation receipts, licenses

By Rey E. Requejo

The Supreme Court (SC) has nullified the provision in 15 traffic ordinances in Metro Manila allowing the issuance of traffic violation receipts known as the Ordinance Violation Receipts (OVRs) and the confiscation of drivers’ licenses by traffic enforcers.

es,” Recto said. A disposable vape is a non-rechargeable device that comes precharged and pre-filled with e-liquid. Unlike a rechargeable mod, disposable vapes do not require recharging or refilling. He estimates that if they complied with regulations, their price would be much higher than the current market range of P122 to P439 per device. Recto also expressed concerns that disposable vapes are designed to be attractive to minors, potentially leading them to vaping habits.

In an advisory, the DFA said the task has been formally transferred to the DMW on Feb. 4, 2024.

“Effective 04 February 2024, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will handle all new End-of Service Benefits (ESB) applications, claims, and remittances for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the

In a 41-page en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Benjamin Caguiao, the SC granted the petition for review filed by various transport groups seeking the reversal of the Court of Appeals’ (CA) decision dated Dec. 7, 2012 and resolution dated Oct. 3, 2013, which declared the assailed ordinances as legal and constitutional.

The 15-member bench held that the said ordinances are invalid for violation of Republic Act No. 7924 or the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Law which gives the agency the exclusive power to come up with policies concerning traffic in the metropolis and to coordinate and regulate the implementation of all programs and projects concerning traffic. Section 5 of the said law mandates the MMDA to “install and administer single ticketing system…and confiscate and suspend or revoke driver’s licenses in the enforcement of such traffic laws and regulations…” “All told, the Court thus declares as invalid the common provision in the said traffic codes or ordinances of the LGUs in Metro Manila empowering each of them to issue OVRs to erring drivers and motorists.

Middle East,” the DFA said. The department said for OFWs in the Middle East whose employment has recently ended, or beneficiaries or

PBBM IN ASEAN-AUSTRALIA SUMMIT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. takes part in a ritual smoking ceremony by a Wurundjeri Elder alongside other heads of state as part of a formal welcome from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the ASEAN-Australia Summit in Melbourne on Tuesday. PPO

Manny Palmero

NITAS

In the photo are: Stanley Ng, Philippine Airlines president and COO; NITAS President Angel Ramos Bognot (left); and Catherine Uy Dela Pena, Crown Regency Director of Corporate Sales.

NFA corruption: A rotting scandal

IN THE annals of governmental ineptitude and corruption, the recent revelations at the National Food Authority stand as a putrid testament to the depths of depravity that certain individuals will plumb in pursuit of personal gain.

The stench of malfeasance emanating from this once-respected institution is suffocating, and the perpetrators of this heinous betrayal of public trust must be held accountable with the full force of the law.

The report, like a dagger plunged into the heart of decency, exposes the sordid machinations of NFA Administrator Roderico Bioco and his cohorts in the despicable saga of rice sales to favored traders. Assistant Administrator Lemuel Pagayunan, a lone voice crying out against the darkness, bravely brought forward evidence of Bioco’s collusion in the sale of 75,000 bags of NFA rice, totaling a staggering P93.75 million, to select cronies under the guise of disposing “deteriorating stocks.”

But what Pagayunan uncovered was not mere negligence or mismanagement; it was a calculated conspiracy to defraud the Filipino people.

Bioco, like a kingpin of a criminal syndicate, issued memoranda authorizing the sale of rice unfit for consumption, but rather treated and perfectly suitable for the market. The audacity of this deception is breathtaking in its contempt for the very citizens it purports to serve.

Furthermore, the revelation that these transactions were conducted without the approval of the NFA Council, the governing body mandated by Presidential Decree 4 to oversee such matters, adds another layer of criminality to this sordid affair.

Bioco and his accomplices, including former Assistant Administrator John Robert Hermano and NFA Region 4 Regional Manager Alwin Uy, flouted established procedures with brazen impunity, thumbing their noses at the rule of law.

Editor’s Note: There was no immediately available comment from Bioco, Hermano and Uy as the paper goes to press.)

What is perhaps most galling is the complete absence of remorse or accountability on the part of these malefactors.

Instead of acknowledging their wrongdoing and facing the consequences, they sought to cover their tracks by pre-selecting buyers and bypassing any semblance of transparency in the sale process.

The notion that the best interests of the Filipino people were even a fleeting consideration in their minds is laughable; their only concern was

—“—

The rot within the NFA must be excised with surgical precision, and those responsible must be made to answer for their crimes

fattening their own wallets at the expense of the nation’s most vulnerable.

In the face of such egregious misconduct, the call for swift and decisive action is deafening.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco

Tiu Laurel Jr. must not only launch a thorough investigation into these allegations but also ensure those found guilty are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Anything less would be a betrayal of the public trust and an invitation for further abuses to go unchecked.

The time for half-measures and empty promises is over.

The rot within the NFA must be excised with surgical precision, and those responsible must be made to answer for their crimes.

The Filipino people deserve nothing less than justice, and it is incumbent upon the authorities to deliver it swiftly and unequivocally.

In the words of Leigh Bardugo, an American writer and novelist, “Darkness resides in us all, a shadow waiting to consume the light. It’s a battle we wage every day, fighting against the monsters within.”

But let it be known that the monsters lurking within the halls of power will not prevail, not so long as there are those among us brave enough to shine a light into the darkness and demand accountability. The time for reckoning is at hand, and woe unto those who would dare to stand in its way.

Above-normal temperatures for March-May due to El Niño —UN

GENEVA, Switzerland—The warming El Niño weather phenomenon that peaked in December was one of the five strongest ever recorded, the United Nations said Tuesday, predicting it would produce above-normal temperatures from now to May.

Though El Niño is now gradually weakening, its impact will continue over the coming months by fueling the heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said.

Therefore “above normal temperatures are predicted over almost all land areas between March and May.” the WMO said in a quarterly update.

El Niño, the large-scale warming of surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, typically has the greatest impact on the global climate in the year after it develops, in this instance 2024.

It is a naturally occurring climate pattern typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.

The weather phenomenon occurs on average every two to seven years, and episodes typically last nine to 12 months.

Conditions oscillate between El Niño and its generally cooling opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between.

“There is about a 60 percent chance of El Niño persisting during MarchMay and a 80 percent chance of neutral conditions in April to June,” the WMO said.

There is a chance of La Nina developing later in the year, but the odds

are currently uncertain, the WMO said.

WMO chief Celeste Saulo said the record temperatures recorded over recent months were exacerbated by the El Niño effect. But it needed to be seen in the context of a climate being changed by human activities.

Concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide—were chiefly to blame, Saulo said.

It can also cause severe droughts over Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America and northern South America

“Every month since June 2023 has set a new monthly temperature record —and 2023 was by far the warmest year on record,” she said.

“El Niño has contributed to these record temperatures, but heat-trapping greenhouse gases are unequivocally the main culprit.

“Ocean surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific clearly reflect El Niño. But sea surface temperatures in other parts of the globe have been persistently and unusually high for the past 10 months,” Saulo added.

“The January 2024 sea-surface

EDITORIAL

Resolving maritime disputes

THE Philippines holds the magnetic compass when it called for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes with China, which has been harassing the former’s vessels on humanitarian missions in the West Philippine Sea.

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said that much this week during the 2024 ASEAN-Australia summit in Melbourne where he unleashed a simple but unmistakable message to China to “stop harassing us.”

We agree with Manalo in seeking international and regional support, while closely monitoring the upcoming US election next November for its potential impact on US-Philippines relations and regional stability.

Manalo made it loud when he said the Philippines was “committed to a peaceful resolution of disputes” with China through “peaceful means” —even as Chinese research vessels have been spotted in the Philippine Rise, clearly within the Philippines’ 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf.

Tuesday, the Philippine Coast Guard said one of its ships was damaged in a collision with a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission to Filipino troops on a remote outpost in the South China Sea.

It was the latest incident in waters around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands where the countries have contesting maritime claims.

Chinese coast guard and other vessels undertook “dangerous

—“—

This is where we feel diplomacy is just a call away – to ensure peaceful relations among nations

maneuvers and blocking,” leading to a collision that resulted in “minor structural damage to the PCG vessel,” Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a post on social media platform X. We endorse Manalo’s defense of the Philippine government’s policy of publicizing Chinese maneuvers in contested maritime territory— including the recent passage of warships near Scarborough Shoal, underlining that “It’s merely trying to inform the people of what’s going on.” “And some countries or one country at least has some difficulty with that,” he said, adding, “But our simple explanation is if you would stop harassing us and, and perhaps

WE HATE doing this, i.e., casting aspersions on government line agencies whose tasks are vital to protecting national sovereignty and the public interest.

But we are convinced some of our public officials deserve censure for sleeping on the job, doing nothing amid assaults on the national economy by hostile business forces out to pick the pockets of unsuspecting Filipino investors.

Journalists, after all, are duty-bound to be watchdogs against corruption and iniquities in public service.

We refer in particular to the National Telecommunications Commission and the Anti-Money Laundering Council which appear to have manifested outright indifference to the illicit presence in the Philippines of crypto giant Binance.

Over the past year or so, Binance has been acting as a cryptocurrency exchange without establishing a presence here, or obtaining the required licenses from regulators.

The grapevine has it that Binance illegally amassed billions of pesos from the domestic investment market.

That is big money, untaxed as it is, in any language, and we have yet to hear from pertinent authorities if they are doing anything about it.

Or, do they prefer to look the other way? Your guess is as good as mine.

Binance does not even deny violating money laundering laws and regulations.

This was admitted by no less than its founder.

Indubitable proof is the over $4 billion fine slapped by a US federal judge on Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao following his admission that he violated the country’s antimoney laundering and other financing laws.

temperature was by far the highest on record for January. This is worrying and can not be explained by El Niño alone.”

The current El Niño developed in June 2023 and was at its strongest between November and January. It hit a peak of around 2.0 degrees Celsius above the 1991 to 2020 average sea surface temperature for the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean.

performing other actions, there wouldn’t be any news to report.”

Philippine officials have repeatedly said the Philippines is committed to a peaceful resolution of disputes “through diplomatic means, or peaceful means,” but insisted “this will not be done at the expense of our national interest.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, also in Melbourne on Monday, said the Philippines would push back when its sovereignty and maritime rights are ignored.

Speaking at a Lowy Institute forum, the President said he was committed to working with Southeast Asian nations and China for a long-delayed code of conduct in the South China Sea anchored on international law.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea which includes the West Philippine Sea as its territory, sweeping aside claims from a host of Southeast Asian nations.

Scarborough Shoal – a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the disputed South China Sea – has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012 – but the 66-yearold President Marcos has said the Philippines will not cede “one square inch” of territory.

This is where we feel diplomacy is just a call away – to ensure peaceful relations among nations which may include negotiating trade deals, discussing mutual problems like the maritime issues, implementing new policies and tackling disputes.

We hope diplomacy will eventually win over the bullying tactics of some.

Sleeping on the job

The penalty was said to be the largest ever imposed against a money services business and was “commensurate with the severity of Binance’s criminal conduct.”

—“—

The SEC has publicly banned Binance, categorically declaring that it has no authority to operate as a crypto exchange

It might do the AMLC good to simply read the news. As US District Judge Richard Jones in Washington said: “Binance profited from the US financial system without playing by its rules and, as a result, criminals used the exchange to move hundreds of millions of dollars of stolen funds and illicit proceeds.”

While the Securities and Exchange Commission has come up with a supposed “ban” on Binance, this has not been enforced.

Our agencies will remain the laughing stock of these cryptocurrency companies and no one will take the Philippine government seriously as long as the “ban” remains unimplemented. That cryptocurrency exchanges are regulated by the SEC and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas here is undisputed. Yet Binance, and a number of other unregulated crypto exchanges are operating in plain sight, easily downloadable by Filipinos as mobile apps, and blatantly holding public events to attract Filipino users. We see ads and posters of unregulated crypto exchanges like CoinEx, KuCoin, BitGet, and ByBit everywhere.

That made it one of the five strongest El Niño events ever. El Niño events are typically associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia. It can also cause severe droughts over Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America and northern South America.

The WMO says the last El Niño was in 2015-2016.

These companies market heavily to Filipinos despite having no presence here whatsoever.

What happens to Filipino investors should these companies suddenly close, which has happened many times before?

Remember FTX? Barely two years ago, FTX was the second biggest global cryptocurrency exchange. Yet it collapsed in a matter of days, taking with it billions of dollars in investors’ money.

Imagine if FTX launched a marketing campaign here. Do you think Filipinos would stand a chance?

The SEC has publicly banned Binance, categorically declaring it has no authority to operate as a crypto exchange.

That should have been enough for the AMLC, NTC, and others to follow suit. Yet still no action.

Our efforts pale in comparison to another country with similar circumstances—Nigeria.

Authorities there enjoined local telecommunications firms to restrict access to Binance, with several executives arrested and its current CEO summoned by Congress.

In contrast, not even a slap on the wrist in the Philippines. What is going on here, anyway?

Nigeria, like the Philippines, was included in the Financial Action Task Force Grey List in February 2023.

By December 2023, they were already being commended for their efforts to exit.

Meanwhile we are way past our January 2023 FATF deadline.

No surprise why we’re still in the Grey List, despite the order of the President himself to prioritize our exit.

This should be a wake-up call for the NTC, the AMLC and other government agencies to do the right thing under pain of losing their jobs.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

From 2020 to early 2023, the world was affected by an unusually protracted La Nina, which lasted for three years.

It was the first so-called triple-dip La Nina of the 21st century and only the third since 1950.

But its cooling effects did not stop the nine hottest individual years on record all being from 2015 onwards.

The WMO has urged drastic greenhouse gas emissions cuts to combat climate change. AFP

PCC, Australian counterpart share competition practices

By Othel V. Campos

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Canberra to strengthen cooperation on competition advocacy and enforcement.

PCC chairperson Michael Aguinaldo and ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb signed the MOU on Feb. 28, 2024, which aims to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences and best practices on competition law and policy.

PH stocks slump on higher inflation, track US market

PHILIPPINE stocks ended lower Tuesday on higher-than-expected February inflation and the decline in US markets.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index dropped 46.21 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 6,905.46, while the broader all-shares index went down by 14.68 points, or 0.41 percent, to 3,604.27. Philstocks Financial Inc. research analyst Mikhail Plopenio said the market declined as investors digested the February inflation data, which came in at 3.4 percent, higher than January’s 2.8 percent.

“This also broke the 4-month declining trend in inflation,” Plopenio said.

“Wall Street’s decline overnight spilled over to the bourse as well, amid profit taking after S&P and NASDAQ reached record highs last week,” Plopenio said.

Market turnover reached P4.8 billion, as foreign buying continued to boost the market with overseas buying reaching P308.8 million.

Meanwhile, Asian markets largely fell on Tuesday after China set an ambitious five percent annual growth target and Wall Street shares dropped ahead of the release of key US economic indicators.

Tokyo finished flat, a day after Japan’s benchmark Nikkei index hit a record high, closing above 40,000 points for the first time.

Wall Street retreated on Monday as investors locked in profits after recent rallies fueled by tech optimism.

In China on Tuesday, leaders set a 2024 growth target of five percent, in line with last year’s GDP gains but well off the double-digit expansion that for years drove the world’s second-largest economy.

At the National People’s Congress, an annual rubber-stamp legislative session, the focus this week will be on China’s struggling economy, which is beset by a prolonged property sector crisis, record youth unemployment, and a global slowdown that is hammering demand for Chinese exports.

“Beijing is setting a status quo GDP target in a down market to project confidence and slow the downward economic spiral,” Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, told Bloomberg.

“Without major consumer-centric stimulus or market liberalization policies, foreign businesses in China will continue to face challenges.”

Jenniffer B. Austria with AFP

“The MOU will further solidify the strong bilateral ties between the Philippines and Australia and will enable the PCC to contribute to the effective enforcement of their respective competition laws,” Aguinaldo said.

The MOU encourages technical assistance and capacity-building activities between the two agencies, as well as coordination and cooperation on cases of mutual interest, subject to confidentiality and legal requirements.

Aguinaldo thanked the ACCC for its ongoing support to the PCC since its establishment in 2016, specifically its assistance in finalizing Philippine Competition Act rules and regulations, secondments of personnel under the Competition Law Implementation Program (CLIP) and regular capacitybuilding activities.

Cass-Gottlieb commended the PCC

for its achievements in promoting fair and competitive markets in the Philippines.

“The ACCC is proud to be a partner of the PCC in advancing the common goals of consumer welfare and economic development,” she said.

She expressed confidence that the MOU will foster closer collaboration between the two agencies.

The PCC is the Philippines’ primary competition authority responsible for enforcing the Philippine Competition Act. The ACCC is Australia’s independent statutory authority that administers the Competition and Consumer Act of 2010.

AEV earned P23.5b driven by power business in 2023

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) said Tuesday net income dropped 2 percent in 2023 to P23.5 billion from P24 billion in 2022 in the absence of one-time gains and lower contribution from banking business.

Core net income, which excludes non-recurring net gains of P1.4 billion, reached P22.1 billion in 2023, or 8 percent higher than a year ago.

Power business remained the biggest contributor to the group’s net income in 2023, accounting for 67 percent, followed by financial services at 18 percent.

Income contributions from infrastructure, food and real estate strategic business units (SBUs) were at 6 percent, 5 percent, and 4 percent, respectively.

“Building on our resilience and steady core performance, we are ready for another exciting phase of growth and innovation. Our acquisition of Coke’s bottling operations with our partner Coca Cola European Partners accelerates our diversification into the consumer market. And the recently announced investment of AboitizPower in gas projects with Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and San Miguel Global Power diversifies our energy mix as we transition to cleaner energy. We are confident that 2024 will be a transformative year for AEV and its business units,” said Aboitiz Group president and chief executive Sabin Aboitiz.

AEV’s net income more than doubled to P5.5 billion in fourth quarter alone compared to P2.7 billion reported in the same period in 2022.

Income contribution of Aboitiz Power Corp. to AEV in 2023 rose 28 percent year-on-year to P17.3 billion. On a stand-alone basis, the core net income of AboitizPower grew by 29 percent in 2023 to P32 billion in 2023, from P24.8 billion in 2022.

AC Logistics, Glacier Megafridge to build cold storage facility in Panabo City

GMAC Logitech Refrigeration Corp.

(GMAC), a joint venture of Ayala’s AC Logistics Holdings Corp. and Glacier Megafridge Inc., is set to build a cold storage facility in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

AC Logistics said in a statement Tuesday the planned cold storage facility would have a capacity of 11,798 industrial pallet once it becomes operational by the first quarter of 2025. The facility is expected to cater to

local food producers, manufacturers, importers, institutional food service and quick service restaurant clients. This will also triple GMAC’s capacity to 17,000 industrial pallets by 2025.

“This is the second cold storage facility that GMAC will build and operate following the first facility in Cagayan De Oro which opened last year and there are other plans to develop cold storage facilities in several locations in the country as a

RCBC aligns sustainability framework with global standards

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) said Tuesday it amended its Sustainable Finance Framework to align with current global standards.

RCBC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the new framework follows the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Guidelines on Eligible Blue Projects and the International Finance Corp. (IFC) Guidelines for Blue Finance.

“We remain to be a catalyst for positive change through responsible finance which can help contribute to the protection and restoration of our planet’s invaluable ecosystems.

The amended framework also reinforces our support in addressing

societal needs toward sustainable development,” RCBC president and chief executive Eugene Acevedo said. He said it was also updated to align with latest developments from the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) on Green Bond Principles, Social Bond Principles and Sustainability Bond Guidelines, as well as with the Loan Market Association (LMA), Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) and Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) Green Loan and Social Loan Principles.

It continues to conform to the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) Green Bond, Social Bond

and Sustainability Bond Standards. The framework was amended under the supervision of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) Singapore Sustainability Solutions Group APAC and a second party opinion has been issued by Sustainalytics, affirming the alignment of the bank’s Sustainable Finance Framework with relevant principles and market practices.

The bank said its updated Sustainable Finance Framework remains aligned with the four pillars of sustainable finance: use of proceeds, project evaluation and selection, management of proceeds and reporting. Jenniffer B. Austria

demonstration of our commitment to ensure food safety and preservation,” said AC Logistics president and chief executive and GMAC director Rene Almendras. GMAC opened its first storage facility in 2023 in Tablon, Cagayan de Oro City.

The Davao cold storage will be located within the ANFLO Industrial Estate, a PEZA-registered special economic zone in Davao del Norte that is owned and operated by Damosa Land Inc.

The 63-hectare industrial park, equipped with modern facilities and logistics support that serve agriindustrial operations, is ideal because of its proximity to the Davao International Container Terminal. GMI is a technology-driven company which has been in the cold storage and logistics industry since 2005 serving importers, food processors, manufacturers and food and beverage retailers. Jenniffer B. Austria

Subic solar power project adds 72-MW capacity to Luzon grid

By Alena Mae S. Flores

EMERGING Power Inc. said Tuesday an additional 72 megawatts of solar energy capacity from its subsidiary Jobin-SQM Inc. (JSI) is now connected to the Luzon grid and commenced energization.

EPI said in a statement the expansion brings JSI’s installed and operational solar power capacity to 172 MW, making it one of the largest in the country coming from a single solar power generation plant. JSI’s renewable energy generation asset is located in a contiguous area in Mt. Sta. Rita situated within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales.

“The additional capacity is using

the 580-watt solar PV panels, thereby optimizing the generation capability within the available land area. The panels are arranged in a sprawling layout housing 14 medium voltage (MV) stations,” the company said. It said the expansion project also includes the installation of a compact state-of-the-art substation.

The substation has smart features supporting advanced communications and remote operations control functions including faster response time in case of technical incidents.

The new substation servicing the 72-MW expansion connects via a new transmission line to the existing substation servicing the 100MW solar plant.

DIGITAL COMMERCE.

GLOBIS HUB. GLOBIS University, Japan’s largest business school, launches its sixth global hub, GLOBIS Manila, with an inaugural event led by president and founder Yoshito Hori. Started in 1992, GLOBIS established itself as the largest business school in Japan, with a global presence spanning the United States, Europe, China, Singapore, Thailand and now the Philippines. The event unveiled the institution’s commitment to the Philippine market and introduced its pre-MBA program, now accepting enrollees for its April 2024 term.

DIGITAL AGRICULTURE. Officials from PLDT Enterprise and Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp. sign a landmark partnership to revolutionize connectivity in rural farming, ensuring innovation and sustainability for the agroindustry. Signing the agreement are (from left) Charoen Pokphand IT department heads Adrian Dela Rosa and Raymark Oconer, assistant vice president Park Kitchaichankul, PLDT Enterprise vice president and enterprise revenue group head Jay Lagdameo, assistant vice president and customer relationship management head for Luzon Dennis Magbatoc and customer relationship management business head for North Luzon Rex Gongora.

BoC collection hit P70.6b, topped February target

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Tuesday it collected P70.601-billion revenues in February 2024, up from P63 billion in the same period last year.

“Preliminary reports showed that the bureau exceeded February 2024 revenue goal by generating a surplus of 6.64 percent, or P4.393 billion over the target of P66.207 billion,” the agency said in a statement.

Data showed, however, that the February figure went down from P73.3 billion the agency collected in January. BOC is in charge of collecting import tariff.

“From year-to-date, the BOC’s collection grew by an impressive P10.444 billion, or 7.82 percent compared to 2023 collection in the same period. This notable increase highlights the BOC’s commitment for excellence and dedication in enhancing its collection performance,” the BOC said.

It said several factors contributed to the surge in BOC collection, including the agency’s higher assessment rate due to improved system of determining the customs value of imported goods.

“Through enhanced strategies and technological advancements, the BOC has optimized its procedures and trade facilitation efforts,” it said.

The BOC said it also bolstered its

NDC, Bistro Group sign 25-year lease for Makati property

THE National Development Company (NDC), an investment arm of the Philippine government, said it signed a 25-year commercial lease with TBG Shared Services Inc., the operator of 23 restaurant brands in the Philippines including TGI Fridays, Hard Rock Cafe and Texas Roadhouse.

The long-term commercial lease covers a vacant lot owned by NDC along Kamagong Street, Makati City and will become the site of TBG Shared Services’ new corporate head office.

“Kamagong St. is an integral part of our company’s history. We established our roots in this space in 1994 and it has been our home since. It was a testament to the growth of The Bistro Group for nearly 30 years. We find this an ideal location for some Bistro restaurants that we will open at the ground level in the near future,” said TBG president Jean Paul Manuud.

The hub will consist of up to five floors of office space, along with planned commercial spaces at the ground-floor.

NDC general manager Anton Mauricio said the lease represents a professional business partnership and model of cooperation between the private sector and the public sector. A state-owned enterprise, the NDC is the government’s investment arm undertaking vital projects on its own, or in joint venture with the private sector. Othel V. Cam-

HIGH-LEVEL

border protection and anti-smuggling campaign. The agency participated last month in the World Customs Organization Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific, reflecting the bureau’s drive to further strengthen its anti-smuggling capabilities.

Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, during the BOC’s 122nd anniversary, reiterated the bureau’s mission to meet revenue targets while emphasizing its impact on the Filipino people.

“The BOC’s target to raise P1 trillion this year is not a mere ledger entry to be submitted to the government. Rather, it will fund a spreadsheet of programs, including the solutions to the problems that you yourselves encounter every day,” Recto said.

BIR Commissioner Bienvenido

Rubio affirmed the agency’s role in revenue generation. “We remain committed to our mission of excellence, fiscal responsibility and service to the Filipino people. As we continue to innovate and adapt to evolving challenges, the BOC is poised to achieve even greater milestones in the future,” he said. Vito Barcelo

Petron’s net income

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL refiner Petron Corp. said Tuesday it posted a consolidated net income of P10.1 billion last year, or 51 percent higher than the P6.7 billion reported in 2022 on the back of a 13-percent increase in sales.

The company said in a statement it delivered a combined sales volume of 126.9 million barrels, up from 112.8 million barrels sold in 2022, fueled by its wide presence and effective volume-generation strategies in the Philippines and Malaysia.

It said the significant growth in its jet fuel and liquefied petroleum gas

jumped

51%

to

(LPG) sales backed by higher production at its Bataan and Port Dickson refineries drove the group’s strong volume performance.

“Our strategy to capture the economic resurgence and minimize external pressures played a key role to our success. While challenges remained, our company managed to deliver significant improvements in high-demand sectors. We are committed to strengthen these efforts, among other initiatives that will not only solidify our recovery but will also take us further ahead in nation-building,” Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang said.

P10.1b in 2023

Petron sold 79.5 million barrels under its Philippine operations in 2023, higher than 2022’s 68.5 million barrels.

The company fortified its leadership in the retail, industrial and LPG markets supported by the sustained economic recovery and Petron’s effective marketing strategies. It noted the more than 50-percent growth in jet fuel which cornered about 80 percent of the market in 2023. Domestic LPG sales rose 26 percent year-on-year on the strength of Petron’s LPG brands, Petron Gasul and Fiesta Gas.

DOJ, industry group vow to address legal issues hampering BPO industry

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) and key stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to fostering competition, driving innovation and addressing legal issues within the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry.

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) in collaboration with the DOJ-Office for Competition discussed justice issues in the sector in a recent forum.

“As an industry, it is to our collective advantage to contribute to resolving these issues that hinder our growth,” said IBPAP chief policy officer Celeste Ilagan. “Failing to address these challenges

DITO rated top mobile network in 2023 Ookla awards

DITO Telecommunity clinched the leading mobile network spot in the Philippines at the Ookla Speedtest Awards 2023.

Ookla, the global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights and pioneer of the world-renowned Speedtest and Downdetector platforms, said DITO achieved a rating of 3.6 based on comprehensive data collected from July 1 to July 31, 2023.

DITO chief executive and president Eric Alberto and chief revenue officerconsumer Evelyn Jimenez received the award from Ookla chief executive Stephen Bye at the Ookla Booth during the

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on Feb. 27, 2024.

“After conducting an in-depth analysis of consumer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest, DITO has been named the Top Rated Mobile Network in the Philippines by Ooklaʼs Speedtest Awards,” said Bye.

“This award is given to mobile network operators that demonstrate exceptional ratings in comparison to other major mobile networks in the market for Q3-Q4 2023. We are thrilled to acknowledge DITO for this achievement, which is the result of their unwavering focus on delivering

a superior network experience to their customers,” said Bye. The Top Rated Award, bestowed on top providers, is determined by users who complete tests on Speedtest.net or via the Speedtest applications on Android and iOS devices. Consumers are prompted to “Rate Your Provider” on a scale of one to five stars. Each survey response associated with the test results is subjected to the same data quality filtering and sample construction applied to the Speedtest Fastest Awards to ensure the data is accurate and reflects consumer behavior.

Meralco seeks ERC approval for 1,800 MW of supply with lower rates for consumers

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said Tuesday it filed for approval with the Energy Regulatory Commission three separate power supply agreements (PSA) covering 1,800-megawatt baseload requirement that would save consumers about P11 billion.

Meralco and Excellent Energy Resources Inc. filed a joint application with the ERC for approval of their PSA that is seen to save consumers nearly P7 billion.

EERI won the bid to supply 1,200 MW to Meralco out of its 1,800 -MW requirement following a competitive selection process or bidding

held last year. EERI was awarded the PSA for its offer of P7.1094 per kWh (total delivered levelized cost of electricity, VAT inclusive). EERI will supply Meralco from its 1,275-MW combined cycle power plant in Ilijan, Batangas City. Meralco and EERI submitted the PSA for approval to the ERC after executing it on Feb. 5, 2024. The parties said that given a certain set of assumptions, the annual effective rate under the Meralco-EERI PSA is P6.0417 per kWh (at plant gate, VAT exclusive).

Alena Mae S. Flores

jeopardizes our target of creating 1.1 million jobs by 2028 and generating $59 billion in export revenue,” she said. Both entities underscored the importance of promoting a legal framework that deters illegal practices and encourages healthy competition within the industry.

“The government’s support to the IT-BPM sector is unwavering, However, adapting laws and regulations to the evolving cyber landscape is crucial to enable continued innovation,” said DOJ Undersecretary Geronimo Sy.

DICT Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue highlighted the need to improve existing policies to address the changing landscape.

ACEN, Marubeni investing in BESS projects in Australia

ACEN Australia, a unit of ACEN Corp. and Marubeni Asian Power Singapore signed an agreement for the joint development of battery energy storage systems in Australia with projected investments of around Au$250 million.

The 50-50 partnership involved a 200 megawatt/400 megawatt-hour BESS in New South Wales targeted for completion by 2025, with a potential for expansion.

The signing ceremony for the agreement took place at the Philippine Business Forum held in Melbourne on Monday and was presented to the President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.

David Pollington, ACEN Australia managing director, said the agreement shows the collaborative efforts of Marubeni and ACEN to promote the sustainable supply of renewable energy in Australia.

“ACEN has a bold strategy to help Australia transition to a clean energy future, and we are excited by this partnership with Marubeni. Battery storage will play a critical role in bringing renewable energy projects to life and clean electricity for Australian homes and businesses,” Pollington said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Jr. (sixth from left)

Biado’s secret to his US success? His wife Niecky always by his side

By Randy Caluag

SINCE trying his luck in the United States’ billiards scene during the pandemic in 2021, Carlo Biado’s wife Niecky has always been on his side.

This steadfast partnership reached a pinnacle on Monday when Biado clinched the title of the 2024 WPA Predator World 10-Ball Championships at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. After securing a 3-1 victory over Naoyuki Oi of Japan in the finals, Biado took a moment to express his gratitude to his wife.

“My wife is a wonderful gift. She is always there, everywhere I go. I wanted to thank her for supporting me,” Biado shared with reporters as he held his trophy and the champion’s purse, a substantial $75,000 or P4.2 million. After acknowledging his opponent and the cheering crowd, including a small group of Filipinos, Biado presented the Predator trophy to his wife and draped

the gold medal around her neck, a symbolic gesture of appreciation.

“Ano pa nga bang mahihiling ko?

Lahat ng ito ay inaalay ko sa’yo Panginoon. Maraming salamat sa gabay at pagbibigay sakin ng lakas sa bawat laban ko. Sabi ko nga, my wife is a gift for me. She guides and supports me in my journey. I owe you big time Bebs! And to my kids, lahat ng ito ay para sa inyo,” the 40-year-old expressed on his official Facebook page.

Niecky played a pivotal role in Biado’s decision to try his luck in the US in 2021, urging him to explore new opportunities amid the absence of significant billiard events in the Philippines.

Four months after arriving in the US, Biado emerged victorious in the US

Open Pool Championship, a testament to his wife’s persuasive instincts.

“Eventually, I followed her advice and proved that she’s really my lucky charm,” Biado acknowledged in a previous interview with the media.

Biado recognizes that luck, while crucial, must be complemented by hard work.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, learning, sacrifice, and most of all love of what you do. Don’t stop dreaming. Dreaming is one of the best feelings in the world; then make it happen,” added the 2017 World 9-ball champion. Prior to his world 10-ball conquest, Biado achieved a runner-up position in the Las Vegas Open, culminating in a fantastic week for the Filipino ace.

Eala climbs to career-best no. 166 in WTA rankings

By Peter Atencio

ALEX Eala continues to rise in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings.

The 18-year-old Eala, who won over Nastasja Mariana Schunk, 6-0, 6-3, to barge into the second qualifying round of the W75 Trvana International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Slovakia on Monday, reached another careerhigh of no. 166 in the world.

With her new rankings, her total earnings rose as well, now pegged at $200,708, or roughly P11.242 million.

The Filipina tennis sensation, who was at no. 176 last week, got nearer to earning a slot in the 32-player main draw round of this $60,000 tournament.

Eala, who is set to meet Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus, moved up by 10 points in the live rankings

after she reached the singles’ quarterfinals of the W50 Trnava event last week.

More points were earned after she and Turkish partner Zeynep Sonmez fought their way to the doubles’ semifinals as well.

Last week, she earned 430 points after she got past North Macedonian netter Lina Gjorchrenka, 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinals, before bowing to Belarusian Anastasila Gureva, 2-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3).

In the doubles, Eala and Somnez fought their way to the semis after defeating Czech player Aneta Kucmova and Russian Ilona Ghloroale, 5-7, 6-3, 10-5. So far, Eala picked an additional pot of more than $1,300 from her campaign.

Meanwhile, the 198th-ranked Shymanovich turned back Nina Vargova, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4, to set a clash with Eala.

Hora rules Go For Gold Criterium Race Series 1

Junior Altas vs. Red Robins, Staglets battle Squires in semis

By Dennis Abrina

AFTER finishing the elimination round with an 8-1 card, the no. 1 Perpetual Junior Altas are now preparing for the Final Four against no. 4 Malayan School (Mapua) Red Robins on Sunday in season 99 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan City. This is the first time since 2010 that the Las Piñas team has entered the semifinals, with a twice-to-beat advantage to boot.

The Junior Altas-Red Robins’ game will take place at noon, while Letran Squires (No. 2) and SSCR Staglets (No. 3) face off at 2:30 p.m.

The Altalettes of coach Joph Cleopas hope to enter the finals for the first time in 40 years since joining the league in 1984 and make a mark in the history of the University of Perpetual Help.

Cleopas will bank on his players, MVP contender Amiel Acido, who had averages of 17.6 points, 10 boards and 4.1 assists per game in the elims, JD Pagulayan (14 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.37 assists), Mark Gojo Cruz and center LeBron Daep, along with point guards Regie Ayon, Icee Callangan and Muntinlupa native Jamal Diaz.

Perpetual is expected to have an interesting semifinal battle against the team that handed the Junior Altas their lone loss in the season.

Coach Yong Garcia will fight with his players Lawrence Mangubat, Sean Salvador, Jonalance Masiglat, Nico Mulingtapang and Aki Valina of Mapua, which defeated the Junior Altas with a score of 72-71 on February 25, 2024.

On the other hand, no. 2 defending champion Letran Squires duels with the no. 4 San Sebastian College-Recoletos Staglets in other semis game at 2:30 p.m.

Coach Allen Ricardo of the Intramuros squad will lean on Moses Manalili, Jovel Baliling, Jolo Navarro, Daniel Padilla, George Diamante and Justine Hugo, while coach Juan Miguel Martin of Staglets will rely to Jhun Penaverde, Ruvic Danag, Kit Bonus, Rion Porcadas, Ben Jimenez and Angelo Herrera.

Dutchwoman, Turk shine in kiteboarding ICTSI finale

IN A dazzling display of skill and athleticism, Mariska Wildenberg of the Netherlands and Turkey’s Ilhan Aykurt emerged as standout performers, showcasing their awe-inspiring kiteboarding prowess in the final leg of the ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour at the Aqua Resort in Bulabog Beach, Boracay over the weekend.

Wildenberg, a prominent qualifier for this year’s Worlds and Europeans, and Aykurt captivated both spectators and judges with their remarkable tricks, spins and flips as the dynamic duo clinched the top honors in the Freestyle event, marking the conclusion of an exhilarating Season 9 that unfolded across premier kiteboarding venues in the country.

``Quality races have significantly decreased here in the Philippines. We want to bring them back starting with this criterium series,’’ said Go For Gold founder Jeremy Go. Kim Bonilla raced in the women’s junior and open categories and won both with the sprinter from Team Bikexzone/Champbullies getting the better of her veteran teammate Jermyn Prado in the open.

Bonilla topped the open in 49:06.07 before Prado arrived (49:24.62) followed by Althea Campana (50:28.12) to complete the podium. Bonilla ruled the junior race early in the day by clocking 40:24.48 ahead of Maria Michaela Mandel (41:06.54) and Roselle Suarez (41:06.64). Go For Gold reigned supreme in the men’s junior with the duo of Marvic Mandac (36:38.52) and Mac BJ Arellano (36:42.67) pulling off a 1-2 finish before third-placer Josiah Nudo (36:43.04)

The competition featured a diverse range of disciplines, underscoring the versatility and adrenaline-fueled excitement inherent in kiteboarding. With fierce competition across the board, kiteboard athletes demonstrated exceptional talent, pushing the boundaries of the sport to new heights.

Wildenberg continued to make waves by dominating the women’s side of the Masters division, while Stefan Vance claimed the top spot in the men’s category. The duo also reigned supreme in the Foil Racing class, displaying their expertise and dominance in various kiteboarding disciplines.

Local talent Dilbert Bayog and Triina Trei of Estonia, on the other hand, flashed their aerial prowess in the Hangtime category, staying airborne for remarkable durations. Bayog secured victory with an impressive 6.44 seconds, while Trei took the ladies’ crown with a gravity-defying 5.5 seconds.

Alex Eala

Phil Navy Standard’s young recruit Esteve Hora (middle) hoists the championship trophy and P41,000 cheque after besting 78 other topnotch riders in the rst Go for Gold Criterium Race Series at the Iconic New Sacobia Bridge in Clark eld, Pampanga.

Second from left is Go For Gold founder Jeremy Go.

Magene, SPN Cycle, Booster C Energy Shot, Hytera, Cycles and Brew and Royce Hotel aims to bring back the animated local atmosphere in the sport.

checked in.

Lago of Go For Gold wasn’t far behind either, .21 seconds back. With over 400 cyclists who partici-

pated in 10 different categories, the kick-off leg of the three-leg race series supported by Go For Gold, Scratchit,

Carlo Biado presented drapes his gold medal around the neck of his wife Niecky. (Predator Pro Billiard Series)

Malykhin cherishes 3-division supremacy

AFTER growing up in the small industrial city of Kemorovo, Russia, Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malyhin can now call himself the king of the world after he made history at ONE 166: Qatar this past Friday, 1 March.

By beating Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder, Malykhin did something that no one else in the history of mixed martial arts has done – he now holds three different World Titles simultaneously in the heavyweight, light heavyweight and middleweight divisions.

It’s an achievement that remains surreal for Malykhin, even after achieving it.

“It’s difficult to express with words how I feel right now. I come from a very small town back in Russia and my friends here can witness that. Being not only a three-division champion but also a father, it’s an absolute honor. I don’t have the words to express it,” he said.

For the jovial Russian, he wouldn’t have been able to reach this position without his ever-supportive wife Anita – who also stands as his manager – at his side.

In fact, “Sladkiy” thanked her for believing in him since he was a nobody in mixed martial arts.

“It’s very hard to believe that together with my wife, when I started this dream, we moved to Thailand. And she was the person that sold everything she had because she believed in me. She believed in my dream,” he said.

Scientists develop mathematical model to optimize elite athletes’ performance

PARIS—Scientists have developed a mathematical model that promises to optimize training for competitors in 400-metre and 1,500-metre athletics events, according to a study published Tuesday.

Japanese, Samanodi show way with 69s

DAVAO—Ozeki Kakeru recovered from a quadruple bogey on No. 15 with a birdie on the 17th, saving a 69 and share of the lead with Kuresh Samanodi at the start of the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates here Tuesday. Both spiked their three-under cards with eagles but Kakeru missed seizing early control with that “7” on the par-3 15th, ruining what could’ve been a flawless start for the Japanese, who dominated the challenging layout with a blistering six-under card after 14 holes. That featured birdies on Nos. 1, 7, 9 and 14 and an eagle on the par-5 No. 12. But he hit a couple of errant shots on the par-3 15th, leading to a 7 although his late birdie kept him in step with Sumanodi, who rode on a fiery eagle-birdie-birdie run from No. 7 to fuel his drive for one of the coveted 30 berths in this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Kakeru, a first timer here with a previous tournament win in 2018 back home, expressed satisfaction with his performance, labeling it the “best score here.” Sumanodi, meanwhile, yielded a stroke on the 12th against a run of pars to produce a 32-37 for an early share of the lead with the Japanese, a stroke ahead of amateur Drew Proctor of the US, who also flourished with a bogeyfree four-under card after 10 holes, only to surrender a shot on the 12th. Though he regained the stroke with another birdie on the 17th, Proctor hobbled at the finish, double-bogeying the par-5 18th to slip to solo third at 70.

The model is based on performance data gathered from elite athletes including Olympic 1,500 metres champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, Dutch world indoor 400m world record holder Femke Bol and Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith at the 2022 European Championships in Munich.

“We wanted to understand what was happening at the physiological level in a 400 metres, which is a sprint, and a 1,500 metres, which is the first

endurance race,” Amandine Aftalion, co-author of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, told AFP.

Thanks to new technology of GPS sensors placed under athletes’ jerseys, researchers were able to trace with precision the speeds of each athlete, with their position indicated ten times per second.

They integrated equations calculating physiological variables

—energy expenditure during exercise, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2), running economy and motor control—in other words the role of the brain in the process of movement such as motivation, which has a role in the delay in action.

The data was later examined by scientists from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) who observed how they influenced the speed of the champions.

“Thanks to the quantification of costs and benefits, the model provides instant access to the best strategy so that the runner ‘performs’ in an optimised manner,” the CNRS said in a statement.

The study shows the importance of a rapid start in the first 50 metres, for

reasons linked to the speed of oxygen consumption, or that of less deceleration at the end of a 400 metres.

The simulations notably explained the performance of middle distance runner Ingebrigtsen by his ability to quickly reach his maximum oxygen consumption (VO2), and to maintain it throughout the race.

A particularity which allows the Olympic champion “to run at a greater pace than his competitors throughout the race, even though we see him start less strongly,” explained Aftalion. The model could lead to performance support software so that coaches can “refine the racing strategy in relation to the physiological profile of the runner”, the researcher concluded. AFP

Kazakhstan grabs 2 golds in Asian age-group swimfest

CAPAS, Tarlac—Kazakhstan pocketed two gold medals, while China got one in the mix free solo event of the 11th Asian Age Group Championships artistic competition at the New Clark City Aquatic Center here Monday night.

Karina Magrupova ruled the junior category with a score of 404.0525 points. Thailand’s Patrawee Chayawarak (330.9342) took the silver and Uzbekistan’s Ziyodakhon Toshkhujaeva (328.1150) settled for the bronze.

Kazakhstan’s entry in the 13-15 category, Dayana Jamanchalova registered the highest score of 233.5386.

China’s Ya Dai (233.1047) and Uzbekistan’s Sabina Makhmudova (200.5405) placed second and third, respectively.

Filipino Antonia Lucia Raffaele of Bacolod City scored 114.8200 to finish 12th among 14 entries.

In the 12 and under category,

China’s Yutong Xing captured the gold medal with the score of 200.0355.

The silver medal went to Uzbekistan’s Elizaveta Kasatkina (196.6779) while Singapore’s Yi Jia Isabella Lim scored 194.4735 to secure the bronze medal.

The Philippines’ Zoe Lim, also from Bacolod City, ranked 11th among 14 entries with a score 99.0298

The free duet event in the three categories will be held Tuesday night.

In water polo, Japan clobbered Sri Lanka, 47-3, for its second straight win in the women’s division.

Skipper Shoka Fukuda had seven goals while Mirae Ohmae and Sa kura Sobajima chipped in six goals each.

In other matches, Thailand downed Singapore, 19-8, and China defeated Uzbekistan, 19-11.

Thailand, China and Kazakhstan sport identical 1-0 records.

PH bets Antonia, Zoe show grace in artistic swimming

CAPAS, Tarlac—Antonia Lucia Raffaele and Zoe Lim, both neophytes in an Asian level competition, showed classy acts that wowed a small Filipino crowd here, but their performances in artistic swimming were overwhelmed by rivals from traditional superpowers in the 11th Asian Age Group championships at the New Clark Aquatics Center on Monday night.

The 13-year-old Antonia, a student at St. Scholastica’s Academy in Bacolod City, gracefully finished her routine under Sinatra’s New York, New York. Still, the technical judge’s standard proved too high for the young Filipina as she scored 114.8200 to finish 12th among 14 participants in the girls’ 1315 class solo free.

Kazakhstan’s Jamanchaluva Dayana edged out Dai Ya of China by a hairline as she scored 233.5386 against her rival (233.1047) to clinch the gold medal. Uzbekistan’s Makhmudova Sabina got the bronze with a score of 200.5405.

“It’s a great experience. Participating in this kind of high-level competition

is already an achievement that’s why I expressed my gratitude to coach Giella and to the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI),” said Antonia.

Her friend and long-time swimming companion Zoe Lim, who performed ahead of her in the girls’ 12-under class, was lovely on her routine off Mambo Italiano tune, but her best was good enough for 11th place (99.0298) in the event dominated by Chinese Xing Yutong with a score of 200.0355.

Kasatkina Elizaveta of Uzbekistan got the silver medal at 196.6779 while Singaporean Lim Isabella Jia Yi took the bronze at 194.4735.

“I’ll just try my best and enjoy these chances of competing against the best in Asia.,” stressed Zoe, a 12-year-old Grade schooler at the St. John’s Institute.

Artistic swimming coach Giella Sanchez said she is very proud of Zoe and Antonia’s performances, despite the lack of experience and training, particularly exposure to both local and foreign competitions.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway (right) edges out Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia (left) in the Men’s 3000m during the 2023 Prefontaine Classic and Wanda Diamond League Final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Scientists have developed a mathematical model based on performance data gathered from elite athletes, including Ingebrigtsen. AFP

Anatoly ‘Sladkiy’ Malyhin

Gold medalist Yutong Xing of China (center) is shown with silver medalist Elizaveta Kasatkina of Uzbekistan (left) and bronze medalist Yi Jia Isabella Lim of Singapore during the awarding ceremony of the artistic swimming mix free solo 12-and-under event of the 11th Asian Age Group Championships (AAGC) at the New Clark City Aquatic Center Monday night. With them is Local Organizing Committee President and CEO Joseph ‘Jojit’ Alcazar. AAGC photo

Antonia Lucia Ra aele (left) and Zoe Lim

“They both started with me when they were 3 years old (in our learn to swim program, WeSwim Aquatics), and they started competing in swimming (competitive) when they were 6 years old. But their artistic swimming training started when they were each 9

years old (Zoe) and 10 years old (Antonia). Antonia joined the Singapore Invitational Artistic Swimming Championships back in 2019 and both did several Online / Virtual Artistic Swim competitions during the pandemic (2021 - 2022),” said Sanchez.

Heart Evangelista makes runway debut at Paris Fashion Week

By Nickie Wang

HEART Evangelista made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week, opening the show for Vietnamese designer Phan Huy on March 2.

Wearing an elegant, sheer tube peplum gown with a plunging V-neckline, the style queen exuded elegance as she sashayed down the runway with confidence at the show’s opening, held

at the historic Maison de L’Amérique Latine, located at 217 Boulevard SaintGermain in Paris.

Heart’s dress was from the Tam Giang Lagoon Collection, which, according to Huy, draws inspiration from the serene waters of Central Vietnam.

Heart’s hair was elegantly styled and slicked back for her runway debut, and her accessories remained minimal, with only perfectly coordinated black gloves.

ARKING

Mtwo years of bringing joy and entertainment, BingoPlus celebrated its anniversary with a grand event on March 1 at the Grand Hyatt Manila.

Attendees were treated to a red-carpet experience, followed by a main program filled with performances, good food, and exciting prizes.

The show was impeccably styled by Steven Doan, Chief Brand Officer of Phan Huy.

“Small girl, big dreams,” Heart wrote in an Instagram post showing herself alongside towering models.

“So grateful for everything. Work hard, never step on others to get ahead, focus on your goals, and enjoy each process, good or bad. And one day, little by little, you shall be living your

dream,” the five-foot-two actress and fashion icon added.

Apart from opening Huy’s collection, Heart attended various fashion shows, donning creations by renowned designers such as Hermès, Alexander McQueen, Manolo Blahnik, Giambattista Valli, YSL, and Louis Vuitton, among others.

The Paris Fashion Week began on Feb. 26 and concluded on March 5

The evening commenced with an exclusive press conference featuring BingoPlus President Jasper Vicencio and DigiPlus Interactive Corporation President Andy Tsui. It was followed by a red carpet event where stars walked down the red carpet in their glamorous

By Angelica Villanueva

ACTRESS Liza Soberano showed support for her boyfriend, actor Enrique Gil, in his latest film, I Am Not Big Bird. The Lisa Frankenstein star said that she went straight to the cinema to ensure she didn’t miss watching the film.

“Went straight to the theaters from the airport last night to watch I Am Not Big Bird,” wrote Liza in an Instagram story post tagging Enrique.

“Congratulations @enriquegilrz!! The movie had me

NICKIE

affair

SINGAPORE said Monday its grant to Taylor Swift for her concerts in the city was nowhere near as high as speculated, following media reports that the superstar was offered millions of dollars per gig.

Around 300,000 people from Singapore and around the region are expected to attend the six sold-out shows that began March 2 – but some neighbors were not happy about being left off The Eras Tour

Some, including reportedly the Thai prime minister, have said that

Swift was paid millions to keep her from performing anywhere else in the region.

“There has been some online speculation as to the size of the grant. I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated,” Singapore’s culture minister Edwin Tong told parliament.

“Due to business confidentiality reasons, we cannot reveal the specific size of the grant or the conditions of the grant.”

Tong added that the “economic benefits to Singapore are assessed to be significant and outweigh the size of the grant”.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha

Thavisin had reportedly said, citing a concert promoter, that Singapore offered Swift up to $3 million per concert if she did not play anywhere else in Southeast Asia.

A lawmaker in the Philippines also criticized Singapore, reportedly saying this was not “what good neighbors do”.

Tong played down the role the grant may have played in convincing Swift to perform only in Singapore.

“Promoters of top artists will do their own calculation and assess where they want to perform and for how long,” he said, citing Singapore’s location and infrastructure as key factors. AFP

Comedian and TV host Vice Ganda is one of the brand endorsers that graced the event

Power

Mark

(left) and Jona (right) steal hearts with a soulful duet Heaven

(left) and Marco Gallo make hearts soar

NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

dancing her way to stardom.

Her flawless movements are redefining fashion spreads, as evidenced by her captivating portfolio showcasing her stylish, playful poses. Seeing a ballerina strike a pose, fully limber in jeans, isn’t an everyday occurrence, but Anya transcends the expectations.

dance blossomed early, nurtured by gymnastics

Glazing Life

Glaiza Lee

AThe stylish movements of Anya Alindada

and blossoming into lessons in jazz and flamenco. Ballet, however, captured her heart. “Growing up immersed in ballets, musicals, and plays, I knew dancing was my dream and passion,” she recalls. “I started ballet at seven and by ten, I was determined to make it my career.”

At 14, competition beckoned. Anya participated in a competition in Japan (2019) and attended masterclasses with international artistic directors. This led to a scholarship at the Melbourne Academy of the Arts’ European Masters Intensive, further propelling her journey.

her artistic journey through the school’s Professional Graduate Program. While dance remains her primary focus, she’s gracefully carving space for fashion.

model,” she shares, “and photographers seem drawn to our dance abilities and ability to strike unique poses.”

Currently a freelance model seeking representation, Anya thrives in a competitive environment. “Being both an artist and a model is exciting,” she says. “Modeling has even influenced my style, both on and offstage.”

The pandemic brought online competitions and continued auditions. Finally, her dream came true - acceptance into the ENBS full-time program. “ENBS was always one of my dream schools,” she beams, “and even now, it’s surreal.”

“Modeling is a recent venture,” Anya explains. “Two years ago, my school’s artistic director connected me with Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, founders of the renowned British fashion brand Preen. They needed dancers for London Fashion Week, and I was among those chosen. It was an incredible experience.”

This exposure ignited a new spark. “The joy I felt during the show made me consider modeling,” she reveals. “But with a fulltime ballet schedule, it had to wait. So, I collaborated with fashion students to gain experience. Now, with graduation behind me and the professional program offering more flexibility, I can explore it further.”

Now a 19-year-old London resident and recent ENBS graduate, Anya continues

Encouraged by her artistic director, Anya embraces both worlds. “Ballet dancers often

After recovering from an injury, Anya plans to return to dancing soon. London may be her second home now, but she’s open to where her ballet journey takes her. One dream, however, stays constant: “I yearn to return to the Philippines and establish a school,” she confides. “I want to guide and empower aspiring Filipino dancers, helping them reach prestigious schools and companies worldwide. That support is something I wish I had received. Filipinos are incredibly talented, and I want to help showcase that talent to the world.”

Celebration of language, culture, and creativity

FTER watching Harukana

Receive!, a sports-themed anime about a young girl who learns about beach volleyball, I have wanted to visit Okinawa, Japan. The anime features different places in Okinawa, including Gushikawa Beach where the protagonist and her friends would play beach volleyball.

Japan’s southernmost prefecture, Okinawa is an archipelagic place with own history as an independent kingdom and a distinctly subtropical climate. It is also known as the birthplace of karate. During the recently concluded Nihongo Fiesta, I was able to watch a karate performance called Bu no Mai. A creative dance based on the motif of karate, it emphasizes defense without any weapon and is unique to Okinawa, a place that places great importance on peace.

The karate performance was part of the Ryukyu Buyo, an event organized by The Japan Foundation, Manila to promote the Okinawan dance to the Filipino people. Originating in the Ryukyu Kingdom period, Ryukyu Buyo was mainly performed on a stage to welcome envoys from China. The dancers would wear vivid costumes decorated with Okinawa’s unique dyed fabric called Bingata, and their graceful dancing to the melody of Sanshin (three-stringed lute), Fue (flute), Taiko (drum), and other instruments.

For the JFM event, six graduates of Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, the only university in the world dedicated to the

EREHWON Center for the Arts founder and chairman Rafael R. Benitez was conferred the Philippine Golden Leaf Presidential Award for his exceptional contributions to the Philippine arts and cultural scene, as well as for the significant impact of the Erehwon Center for the Arts in nurturing and promoting artistic talent.

The awarding took place at the 2nd Philippine Leaf Awards Tertulia at Parangal 2024 at the Metropolitan Theater Manila, on Feb. 8.

The Golden Leaf Presidential Award was also conferred on Erehwon’s Chief Artistic and Cultural Director Anton Juan, for his “groundbreaking work in theater, film, and literature, which has effectively challenged convention, and enriched

Several dancers wear costumes crafted using Bingata, a unique dyed fabric from Okinawa

inheritance and development of Okinawa’s traditional and new arts., performed the Okinawan traditional dances.

The six graduates formed a special group for the performances in Manila – namely dancers, Kiyoko Higa-san, Satoru Arakakisan, and Sachiko Isa-san, and musicians Hiroya Yokome-san, Hiromichi Yokome-san, and Miho Toyozato-san

The group performed Yotsutake, often presented to welcome guests from abroad during the Ryukyu Kingdom period. The dancers would clink four pieces of bamboo (like castanets) in their hands to purify the place and express happiness upon meeting their guests.

For their next performance, one of the dancers performed Agechikuten, a classical dance performed by men. It is a celebratory dance that joyfully praises the blessings of nature and depicts scenes such as the twin-leaved pine trees growing so beautifully enough to embrace rocks and celebrate blessings from heaven, such as rain and dew. The dancer holds fans in both hands and dances valiantly.

The third performance, the Higasa Odori, is a dance that gracefully expresses the beauty of a woman in love. Holding a parasol in her hand, the dancer wore a kimono in a way that was unique to Okinawa.

where nine finalists from all over the Philippines showcased their talents and skills in communicating their thoughts in Japanese.

This year’s Grand Champion was Jacob Fuentebella (Bulacan), a UP Diliman graduate who is currently working as a Korean Account Associate, he talked about his language learning journey from Korean to Japanese, in his speech People-to-People Connections

Through Foreign Language Studies

Erina Sotoya (Cebu) won second place with her piece Irreplaceable Person, where she shared her memories with her father and how those shaped her deep appreciation for present connections.

Third placer Anferee Tizon (Taguig), a 4th year BA Communications student at Adamson University, reflected on his personal journey on friendships and how the lessons he learned shaped his current perspective and attitude towards people, similar to how his taste for coffee has changed with his speech Not All Coffee Tastes Bitter

To put the spotlight on the Okinawan vocals, the musicians sang “Kotobuki no Mai,” a song of celebration, and “Kurushima Kuduchi,” which expresses the brightness and resilience of the Okinawan people. The latter song depicts the beautiful scenery of Kurushima Island and the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa.

Rukyu Buyo was part of the Nihongo Fiesta, which aims to foster deeper connections between Japan and the Philippines. It provides a fertile ground for the flourishing community of Nihongo speakers and enthusiasts, welcoming individuals from all walks of life, from eager language learners to seasoned professionals, to take part in an immersive arts and cultural experience unlike any other.

One of the highlights of the Nihongo Fiesta 2024, the 51st Nihongo Speech Contest,

A Special Jury Award was given to Niño Raphael Mesajon (Davao), a Grade 12 student from Philippine Nikkeijin Kai International School, for his speech Truth Beyond First Sight, which talked about how his perspective changed during a visit to a Lumad community, leading him to question the true meaning of living a good life.

The contestants were judged according to the following criteria: Content (originality, organization, and impact), Delivery (voice and manner), and Language (appropriateness and correctness).

The recipient of the Grand Champion Award will join the Study Tour hosted by the Japan Overseas Enterprises Association, with airfare sponsored by the Japanese Association, Manila, Inc. and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc.

our cultural tapestry with powerful visuals and thought-provoking writing.”

The Erehwon-produced and Anton Juandirected Bayan Bayanan: Letters from Home received the Philippine Leaf Award for Outstanding Musical Ensemble, as well. Bayan Bayanan, a play adapted from the original script written by multi-awarded playwright Bienvenido Noriega, was transformed into a musical and presented by Erehwon at the Cultural Center.

The Philippine LEAF Awards is a prestigious award-giving body founded in 2017 that aims to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of Filipino artists in the fields of live entertainment, performing arts, fashion, and festivals.

Ballerina Anya Alindada’s modeling journey began during the London Fashion Week

The awardees with Presidential Golden Leaf awardees Rafael Benitez and Anton Juan (fourth and fifth from right)

The music accompanying the dancers utilized instruments such as the ‘Sanshin (three-stringed lute,’ ‘Fue (flute),’ and ‘Taiko (drum)’

From left: Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines President Shigeru Shimoda, Speech Contest Grand Champion Jacob Fuentebella, and Japan Foundation Director Tsutomu ‘Ben’ Suzuki

The Nihongo Fiesta features a ‘Bu no Mai’ performance as part of the ‘Ryukyu Buyo’

Anya Nicole Alindada, the only Filipina graduate of London’s prestigious English National Ballet School (ENBS), isn’t just Anya’s love for