BusinessMirror September 30, 2023

SHIFTING SANDS, CHANGING LIVES

BOTOLAN, Zambales—In a coastal barangay here, three roads approaching the sea abruptly come to a dead end. It didn’t use to be like this, village chief Celso Dagsaan told the BusinesMirror last Wednesday, as he

This has been going on for years,” Dagsaan said, referring to the coastal erosion that gnaws away at the barangay surge after surge after surge during stormy weather, with each push-and-pull dragging land back into the sea.

That’s why we have been putting up a wall of boulders to protect us from the sea. But even this may not be enough,” he lamented.

See those kids out there?” he said, pointing at six girls playing on the seastrand. “That’s where the barangay fish landing port used to be. And somewhere close by was the plaza.”

We were standing some 20 meters from the end of the road where he parked his tricycle, below the high tide mark where the wet sand starts sloping down steeply into the water. Dagsaan said this very spot was where the coastal road connecting the three streets stood. Coconut trees lined it, he recalled.

And there,” he said pointing some 15 meters into the sea, “that’s where a big house owned by an American used to be. But you can’t see it anymore; the sea has claimed it.”

Disappearing land

DAGSAAN’S village wasn’t named “Bangan” for nothing. In the Zambal dialect, it means river mouth or estuary, a place where the river meets the sea. “Estuary” came from the Latin words aestus (the

the turmoil of the sea’s ebb and flow and the roiling current of the nearby Bucao River that drains from Mount Pinatubo.

O ver time, Dagsaan said, rising tide has taken out almost onethird of his barangay’s land area. This is characteristic of what are considered as high-energy coasts, where waves are powerful for a significant part of the year and the rate of erosion far exceeds the rate of deposition, or the dropping on the shore of materials carried by the sea.

Dagsaan observed that when the Bucao River with its lahar debris rampages downstream during typhoons, the churning river current meets the equally surging sea head-on. This violent union sends river current and sea waves crashing into Barangay Bangan, scour

ing the coast, and eating away at the land.

It’s true that erosion has been reducing our land area, but I noticed that people here only began

losing houses when they began building concrete bungalows,” Dagsaan said. “When people had houses simply built on wooden stilts, the sea only surged past

through under them and they were hardly damaged,” he observed. The village council had long requested for a seawall or a spur dike to direct the force of Bucao River away, but the project seemed daunting even then. “When Ruben Torres was still congressman [sometime between 2001 and 2004 when the former Labor Secretary who hails from this town represented the Second District of Zambales], we proposed the construction of a seawall here, but [Torres] told us he can’t use all of these funds for just one barangay,” Dagsaan recalled. That’s how big the needed funding for the project already was at that time.

Recently, a foundation donated 20 truckloads of armor rocks, but Bangan needed more, the village chief pointed out.

“It’s good that a company built a jetty nearby and this has somewhat deflected the water of Bucao River, but still the surging sea is a big problem for us. What we really need is a seawall,” he added.

Continued on

Story & photos by Henry Empeño

stood where the black asphalt dropped to gray sand.

In some areas of Zambales, so much fate— and fortune—depends on the ever-changing shore

CLAMSHELL excavators dig up river sand along Bucao River while a suction hopper dredging vessel operates at the river delta to open up a pilot channel for efficient water flow. HENRY EMPEÑO

BANGAN village chief Celso Dagsaan stands at the boulder wall protecting the barangay from surging waves. HENRY EMPEÑO

A VENDOR peddles trinkets to tourists at Liwliwa, a surfing community in San Felipe, Zambales. HENRY EMPEÑO tide) and aestuo (boil), and this village sitting on sandy shore had suffered both

A TACO joint painted in eye-catching colors stands out among beachfront establishments in Sitio Liwliwa, a surfing community in San Felipe, Zambales. HENRY EMPEÑO

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA seen taking a selfie with Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov (right) and Italian physiotherapist Antonio Guglietta on their way to training in Hangzhou could be a sign that the world No. 2 and Asia’s best pole vaulter has his eyes locked on the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games.

SHIFTING SANDS, CHANGING LIVES

Continued from A1

Today, Dagsaan said that Bangan is being used by some people as an example of why a dredging project of the Zambales provincial government shouldn’t be, with claims that dredging has caused coastal erosion in the Botolan area.

“ That is so far from the truth,” Dagsaan pointed out. “Years and years before the dredging project, we already suffered from coastal erosion. It started in 1972, when we lost the barangay plaza.”

In fact, Dagsaan said, around 300 meters of Bangan’s coast has been lost to the sea, and a total of 162 houses have been destroyed since the 1980s.

Choked rivers, surging sea

THE dredging program being undertaken by the Zambales provincial government was precisely designed to rehabilitate the river systems in Zambales, which were silted by sand and other debris ejected by Mount Pinatubo in 1991, said Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., who was formerly Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“Our river rehabilitation program is validated by local observation and experience, and more important, it is based on science. We have to do this for everyone’s sake,” the governor had stressed.

Ebdane also stressed the recent floods caused by typhoons “Egay” and “Falcon” merely “provided compelling reason for the provincial government to intensify dredging operations,” and pointed out that most flooding occurred in barangays when tributary rivers emanating from the Mount Pinatubo area overflowed.

Thus, it is crucial that these areas which are natural catchbasins for sediments should be dredged immediately as more rains are expected, so that we can create bigger drainage areas that will convey river water to the sea more efficiently,” he explained.

A ccording to experts who studied the development of technologies to utilize materials ejected in volcanic eruptions, some 11 billion cubic meters of volcanic materials were ejected by Pinatubo blasts from 1991 to 1994. The eruptions filled nearby valleys with pyroclastic materials, but rains over time brought these pyroclastic deposits into river systems around Pinatubo.

Two-thirds of the total volume of deposits—about 7.3 billion cubic meters, went down to Zambales lowlands through major tributary rivers that drain from the Pinatubo area: Bucao in Botolan, Santo Tomas in San Narciso, and Maloma in San Felipe.

Ebdane said that following floodings due to silted waterways—capped by the

ince during typhoon “Odette” in September 2013—consultations among local government units and national government agencies to seek solutions resulted in the formulation in 2014 of the Zambales River Rehabilitation Program.

Then in October 2019, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued Department Order No. 13-2019, which rationalized dredging in heavily silted river channels of Bucao, Maloma and Santo Tomas in order to arrest the degradation of river systems due to the continuous flow of sediment from upland areas and restore their natural state and water flow, Ebdane added.

Engr. Domingo Mariano, head of the Zambales Provincial Engineer’s Office, said the dredgers are doing “pilot channeling” so that river water would flow more efficiently into the sea. This involved the use of suction hopper dredgers, which have powerful pumps and engines that enable dredging of sand, clay, sludge and even gravel from the sea bed.

These, however, cause the noise and vibration that people near the project site complain of. But Mariano explained that suction hoopers are needed to soften the depositional areas where fine sand, silt and pumice from Pinatubo have hardened over the years.

“ The river deltas are now very shallow because of the deposits. So we need to create a pilot channel; otherwise

the river mouths would remain choked and rivers would overflow during heavy rains,” he added.

Adelina Correa, a member of Bangan’s village council, agreed that there is much misconception about the dredging program. They’re saying that it depletes ‘our’ sand; yet, in our case, the problem is erosion. You can also hear some people complain about noise and vibration from dredging, and that’s quite true. But the council is okay with this project because it helps the barangay a lot in terms of its finances.”

In San Felipe town, heavily silted waterways perennially brought floods, said Marites, a tourism personnel manning a control checkpoint to a seaside resort area.

The river is choked by debris, that’s why there is flood,” she told me, as I asked for directions to the seaside sitio of Tektek, where river dredging was ongoing.

“Dredging project is just okay, as long as there’s not much noise at night,” said John Esmelo, a 45-year-old fisherman who lives near the mouth of the Bucao River in Botolan. Dredging a fortune ESMELO lives in the village of Porac just across the Bucao River from Bangan, the village that suffered much from coastal erosion.

Porac is considered the host barangay for the dredging project here in Botolan because it is here where sand dredged from the Bucao River delta is loaded onto barges that deliver them to reclamation projects in Manila Bay.

From Porac, you can also see dredging vessels that suck sand from the huge underwater triangle of volcanic materials that jutted out into the sea from Bucao River.

A s host barangay, Porac has been getting a fair share of revenue from the dredging project, along with the host municipality, and the provincial government. This was what Gov. Ebdane has described as “manna from heaven,” the debris ejected by Pinatubo that is now benefitting local communities and has become the cornerstone of the Ebdane administration’s program for financial self-sufficiency.

According to Botolan Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane, the municipal government received P30 million as municipal share from dredging operations in Botolan last year. This helped the town address its budget deficit and set aside P55.36 million for various projects this year, Ebdane said.

Porac barangay captain Romeo Ange -

on geohazards at the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR Region 3, the coastline of San Felipe has been growing into the sea by as much as 300 meters since 1977 up to 2015. Th is is because of coastal accretion, which happens when additional layers of matter like sediments gradually accumulate over the years. In the case of San Felipe, accretion is the result of the build-up of lahar deposits from the Maloma River north of the municipality, as well as the Santo Tomas River just south of the town proper.

Salac said that sediments come down from the river, then the tides move them along the shoreline. In a survey held in October 2021, just after the Habagat or southwest monsoon rains, an additional 100 meters of growth was observed in San Felipe.

Salac warned, however, that despite the gradual build-up, the coastal situation in the area is still considered “high energy.” At the time of Amihan winds, or the northeast monsoon, the coastline may still erode, he pointed out.

Growing problem

THE growing accretion has created a unique problem for San Felipe, Zambales. Mayor Hart Jeresano said that while more and more business has come to town in the form of beach resort operation, feuds emanating from land claims have given him serious headache.

Jeresano said the town’s business licensing office has registered close to 300 resorts as of this year, and more are coming. Citing town records, the mayor counted a total of 42 resort businesses in 2019, or before the Covid-19 pandemic; 52 in 2020; 77 in 2021; and 136 in 2022.

By September this year, the list has totaled 298, with most of them being beach resorts with accommodation, or cottages, lodging houses and camping sites. The rest include coffee shops, restaurant-bars, and a few retail sari-sari stores.

The problem with this, the mayor hastened to add, is that most are operated by illegal settlers.

les said that in his 13 years as village chief, it was only now that they have made significant improvements in the barangay because of additional funds from their share of dredging revenue.

He said that from their annual internal revenue allotment (IRA) of P4 million in the year 2020, their share grew to P5 million in 2021 when the dredging allocation was first received.

In 2022, this further grew to P6 million. And while Porac’s IRA slid down to P4.8 million this year, a report from the Treasurer’s Office indicated that Porac, along with Bangan, will receive a 30-percent share of the P38.5-million barangay’s share for April to May 2023, or P5.8 million for just two months.

A ngeles said that the first time they received dredging allocation last year, they bought and distributed one-half cavan of rice to the 1,214 families in the barangay, most of whom are fisherfolk. For this they spent P1.4 million out of the P2.43-million allocation.

For the second tranche of dredging revenue, they spent P2 million out of the P7.6-million fund—this time for one whole cavan of rice for each family in Porac.

The rest, they spent for improvement of the barangay hall, said treasurer Janice Yambao: P1.08 million for streetlights; P70,000 for curtains, window blinds, and doors; and P1.9 million for a van for use as barangay service vehicle.

In Bangan, the allocations were used almost in the same manner, said treasurer Margie Fulgar: 73 solar streetlights with built-in CCTV system; a passenger van for the barangay; and food assistance for residents consisting of one cavan of rice, a huge improvement over the 2 kilos dole-out they managed from regular IRA before the dredging project.

Bangan, Kagawad Adelina Correa said, is home to more than 550 families, mostly fisherfolk, whose livelihood from the sea is seasonal. When fishermen can no longer go out to the sea because of the weather, the village council had to buy rice and other foodstuff to sustain them.

Building land

IF the ebb and flow of tides caused land to disappear in Bangan, Botolan, the opposite happened in Barangay Santo Niño, San Felipe town, where the beach community of Liwliwa is thriving on its growing sandy shores. According to Carlos Salac, an expert

You see, the coastline has grown by about 300 meters, but this is unclassified land owned by the State. You can’t have this titled to anybody because it is still part of public domain and not alienable,” Jeresano explained.

He added that some people have been showing up with tax declarations supposedly for the property they occupy, but these documents soon turned out to be fake.

People, most of them from Manila, have been snapping up beachfront properties here at P9,000 per square meter even without papers. Imagine that?” Jeresano said. “Then there are cases when the claimants quarrel among themselves over areas and boundaries, and then sue before the court.”

Those who are placed at the most disadvantage are the native residents in the area, mostly fisherfolk, who were edged out of the land simply because they cannot afford a legal battle, he added.

Jeresano said that if truth be told, all business operators beyond the coastal road at Liwliwa are illegal settlers, who have stayed on simply by reason of occupancy.

“I think it’s the DENR that should resolve these cases because it is within their jurisdiction, and not of the local government unit,” Jeresano said. “But the sad part is that the illegal settlers act faster than the government could.”

The mayor said that in face of the overwhelming influx of settlers in the area, the municipal government had them apply for a business permit, pay the regular fees, but with a written understanding that the permit did not constitute proof of possession, only a regulatory requirement.

Jeresano said that some of the operators intimated to him that they knew their business don’t have much leg to stand on legally. “So, they just do what they can to recoup their investments fast, before the law could catch up with them.”

Life goes on

JUST before sundown that Wednesday afternoon in Barangay Bangan, the menfolk came down the surf to meet boats that have returned from fishing in the municipal waters. Pulling at the outriggers, the men hoisted the boats up the waterline, up to the dry area of sand just before the boulder wall, where they would be unreachable by tide at night.

A long the beach, the girls playing by the water have left, leaving the area to the distant black hulk of a barge that was broken down in half one day by a violent sea. At the sand where the coastal road lined with coconut trees used to be, a family of four was heading home: the baby on top of his father’s shoulder. Life goes on along the constant yet ever-changing shore.

CHILDREN play at the site of the old fish landing port that was lost to coastal erosion in Barangay Bangan. HENRY EMPEÑO

BANGAN fishermen bring their boats to safety at day’s end. HENRY EMPEÑO

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Inflation may have breached 6% mark in September–BSP

By Cai U. Ordinario

EXPENSIVE oil and electricity prices as well as the depreciation of the peso may have caused inflation to breach 6 percent mark in September, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

In its month-ahead inflation forecast, BSP said inflation could have averaged 5.3 to 6.1 percent in September.

In August, inflation averaged 5.3 percent. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/09/06/augustinflation-swells-to-5-3-on-price-spikes/)

However, BSP noted that lower rice and meat prices could contribute to downward price pressures for the month. It can be noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. set a nationwide price cap on rice this month. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/09/02/ pbbm-sets-nationwide-cap-on-rice-price/)

“Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” BSP said in a statement.

The BSP disclosed that it intends to raise interest rates anew in its next meeting and maintain this rate until the end of the first semester of next year.

BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. had announced that the Monetary Board decided to maintain its key policy rates for the fourth consecutive month this year.

BSP’s Target Reverse Repurchase (RRP) Rate was maintained at 6.25 percent. Accordingly, the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were retained at 5.75 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.

When asked whether the BSP is considering hiking rates in November, Remolona said, “Well, honestly, yes.” (Full story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/09/22/bspkeeps-rates-but-signals-a-hike-in-november/)

Remolona also went on to say that the expected rate hike in November would not be the last as conditions may merit more than one rate hike.

Remolona said the central bank is considering a rate hike in November as mounting inflationary pressures are bound to increase in the coming months.

Remolona said while Thursday’s vote to maintain policy rates was unanimous; the vote was “pretty close between hiking and not hiking.” (Full story: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2023/09/22/bsp-chief-hints-atpossible-rate-hikes-until-next-year/).

ADB unlocks $100B in fresh funding to boost regional growth in next 10 yrs

THE Manila-based multilateral development bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), decided to expand its funds to enable it to mobilize financing to help the region face crises in the next decade.

In a statement, ADB said these efforts would unlock $100 billion in new funding to help Developing Member Countries (DMCs) to overcome “overlapping, simultaneous crises.”

The reforms were introduced by updating ADB’s Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF). They expand the bank’s annual new commitments capacity to more than $36 billion—an increase of approximately $10 billion, or about 40 percent.

“Our decision today is part of ADB’s response to the call for multilateral development banks [MDB] to do more with our resources and faster,” ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said.

“These resources will help the region manage a complex set of overlapping crises, address gender inequality, and provide for basic needs in the context of the existential challenge of climate change. This extra lending power will be extended and leveraged further by renewed efforts to mobilize private and domestic capital and maximize the impact of our work,” he explained.

The expansion will optimize ADB’s prudential level of capitalization, while maintaining its overall risk appetite. The reforms also create a Countercyclical Lending Buffer to support ADB developing member countries (DMCs) facing unexpected crises.

The measures, which will enable ADB to provide up to $360 billion of its financing to its DMCs and private sector clients over the next decade, are designed to ensure ADB maintains its AAA credit rating and its ability to provide DMCs with funding at low cost and with long maturities.

The reforms will also help safeguard ADB’s AAA credit rating by introducing a recovery plan to prevent capital erosion during financial stress. ADB’s capital adequacy framework is reviewed every three years. Cai U. Ordinario

Saturday, September 30, 2023

BSP: Hot money posts $153M inflow in August

HOT money posted its third consecutive month of inflows despite an increase in gross outflows in August, according to data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The data showed transactions on foreign investments registered with the BSP, through authorized agent banks (AABs) or hot money, recorded net inflows of $153 million in August 2023.

This exceeded the $86.29 million-worth of outflows posted in August 2022. However, the data for August 2023 was smaller compared to the net inflows worth $962 million in July 2023.

BSP said hot money gross

outflows reached $1.3 billion in August, 109.5 percent or $673 million higher than the $614 million posted in July 2023.

“The US remains the top destination of outflows, receiving $762 million or 59.2 percent of total outward remittances,” BSP said. The data also showed that $1.4 billion registered investments for the month are lower by $136 million or a growth of 8.6 percent compared to the $1.6 billion recorded in July 2023.

BSP said majority or 74.2 percent amounting to $1.1 billion of registered investments were in Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) listed securities.

“Most of which were investments made in banks; property; holding firms; food, beverage and tobacco; and transportation services,” BSP said.

The remaining were in Peso government securities worth $372 million or 25.8 percent of the total and in other instruments, which represented less than 1 percent of the total.

Investments for the month mostly came from Japan, the United Kingdom, United States, Luxembourg, and Singapore with a combined share to total at 88.9 percent.

Year-on-year, registered investments in August 2023 are higher by $649 million or 82 percent than the $792 million recorded in August 2022.

Gross outflows increased by $409 million or 46.6 percent higher than the gross outflows posted in August 2022 at $878 million.

The $153 million net inflows in August 2023 were a reversal from the $86 million net outflows record -

ed for the same period a year ago.

“Year-to-date transactions—01

January to 31 August 2023—for foreign investments registered with the BSP, through AABs, yielded net inflows of $311 million which is smaller compared to the $589 million net inflows noted for the same period last year,” BSP said.

The registration of inward foreign investments delegated to AABs by the BSP is optional under the rules on foreign exchange (FX) transactions.

It is required only if the investor or its representative will purchase FX from AABs and/or their subsidiary/affiliate foreign exchange corporations for repatriation of capital and remittance of earnings that accrue on the registered investment.

Without such registration, the foreign investor can still repatriate capital and remit earnings on its investment but the FX will have to be sourced outside the banking system. Cai U. Ordinario

FCDU loans slip 0.4% to $15.4 billion in June

RISING borrowing costs and tightened credit standards caused the loans granted by Foreign Currency Deposit Units (FCDU) of banks to decline in June 2023, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Based on the latest data, FCDU loans of banks stood at $15.4 billion as of the end of June 2023, a decrease of $66 million or 0.4 percent from the end of March 2023 level of $15.5 billion as principal repayments exceeded disbursements.

The BSP also said outstanding FCDU loans decreased by about $317 million or 2 percent from the June 2022 level of $15.7 billion.

“The decline in FCDU loans may be attributed to rising borrowing costs; lender banks’ tightened credit standards due to reduced tolerance for risk and less desirable borrowers’ profile; foreign exchange volatility; and availability of other funding sources,” BSP said.

As of June 2023, the maturity profile of the FCDU loan portfolio remained predominantly medium- to long term (or those payable over a term of more than one year), which comprised 78.3 percent of the total, slightly lower than 78.4 percent from the previous quarter.

FCDU loans granted to residents comprised 61.3 percent or $9.4 billion of total outstanding FCDU loans, of which, the majority went to certain sectors/industries.

The data showed loans to power generation companies accounted for $2.4 billion or 25.9 percent of the total; merchandise and service exporters, $2.3 billion or 24.4 percent; and towing, tanker, trucking, forwarding, personal and other industries, $1.3 billion or 13.7 percent.

Gross disbursements in the second quarter of 2023 reached $14.4 billion. Still, they were 15.6 percent lower than the previous quarter’s $17 billion. This was mainly due to the decrease in funding requirements of a foreign bank branch affiliate.

Similarly, loan repayments in the reference quarter of $14.4 billion were 16.8 percent lower than the previous quarter’s $17.4 billion. These resulted in overall net principal repayment.

Meanwhile, FCDU deposit liabilities reached an all-time high of $49 billion as of June 2023, higher by about $260 million or by 0.5 percent from the end-March 2023 level of $48.7 billion.

BSP said the bulk of these deposits worth $47.7 billion or 97.4 percent of the total continued to be owned by residents, constituting an additional buffer to the country’s gross international reserves.

Year-on-year, FCDU deposit liabilities increased by $2.4 billion or by 5.1 percent from the end-June 2022 level of $46.6 billion.

Our

Time

A new Alzheimer’s patient emerges every 3.2 seconds

NCSC welcomes bill mandating companies to hire senior citizens

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

In an interview with PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program, NCSC Chairperson Franklin Quijano said the filing of the proposed measure at the House of Representatives is a “good move” and a “very welcome development.”

8972, which seeks to promote the employment of senior citizens in the country.

Under the bill, at least 1 percent of all positions in government agencies, offices or corporations shall be reserved for qualified senior citizens.

are looking for a job and they want to spend their time working. They possess the skill and the ability to work,” he said.

senior citizens, not just children, not just women, but also all age groups,” Quijano said.

ANKARA—Every 3.2 seconds, a new person is added to the more than 55 million Alzheimer’s patients worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

According to the WHO data, there are more than 55 million Alzheimer’s patients in the world, and this number is expected to rise to 139 million by 2050 due to the emergence of approximately 10 million new cases each year.

Dementia is an umbrella term for several diseases affecting memory, other cognitive abilities and behavior that interfere significantly with a person’s ability to maintain their activities of daily living.

Although age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not a normal part of ageing.

WHO said it is working very closely with member states and other relevant stakeholders to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers, while decreasing the impact of dementia on communities and countries.

As the elderly population increases worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease, which is experiencing a significant increase, raises awareness and supports those combating it every year on September 21st within the scope of “World Alzheimer’s Day.”

Anadolu compiled information about Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, known as the “7th leading cause of death.”

Alzheimer’s is a medical condition that develops as a result of the death of brain cells, leading to memory loss, dementia, and a general decrease in cognitive functions over time. It was first described by German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, and is now considered the “nightmare of the 21st century.”

The disease is characterized as a neurodegenerative condition accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms and behavioral changes, described as a decrease in daily activities and a decline in cognitive abilities, and there is no known definitive treatment method.

Global cost exceeds $1.3 trillion M O RE than 60 percent of those affected by Alzheimer’s live in low and middle-income countries, and every year, 10 million new cases are added to the number of Alzheimer’s patients.

This means that a new person is added to Alzheimer’s patients every 3.2 seconds, and as a result, it is expected that the number of Alzheimer’s patients will reach 139 million by 2050.

The current annual global cost of Alzheimer’s disease, which is currently over $1.3 trillion, is expected to rise to $2.8 trillion by 2030.

Accordingly, it is predicted that by 2030, the annual global cost of Alzheimer’s disease will surpass the current annual gross domestic product (GDP) of Italy, which is the world’s 8th largest economy.

Alzheimer’s disease is known for memory loss, dementia, and a general decrease in cognitive functions due to the death of brain cells over time. It is more commonly seen in older age.

According to a 2021 report by Alzheimer’s Disease International (AZI), it is estimated that 75 percent of dementia patients worldwide remain undiagnosed. Lack of awareness is cited as a significant obstacle to diagnosis, with undiagnosed rates reaching up to 90 percent in some low and middle-income countries.

Treatment and care

T H ERE is currently no existing treatment method to cure or alter the progressive course of dementia. In addition, numerous new treatment methods are being investigated at various stages of clinical trials.

Aducanumab was the first therapy to demonstrate that removing beta-amyloid, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, from the brain reduces cognitive and functional decline in people living with early Alzheimer’s. In 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Aducanumab under the accelerated approval pathway. Since then, there have been many misconceptions about the approval decision despite multiple publications from the FDA to explain the rationale.

Aducanumab is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, although it addresses the underlying biology of the disease. According to the FDA, Aducanumab reduces beta-amyloid plaques, which is reasonably likely to lead to a reduction in clinical decline due to Alzheimer’s disease. This could mean more time for individuals to actively participate in daily life, have sustained independence and hold on to memories longer.

In July 2023, the US FDA approved lecanemab (Leqembi) for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease. A phase 3 clinical trial found that the medicine slowed cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite this new stamp of approval from the FDA many experts are still unsure what value the drug will bring for individual patients.

Research suggests that people can reduce their risk of dementia by regularly exercising, avoiding smoking and alcohol use, maintaining a healthy diet, and controlling their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Anadolu/PNA

“We also see other things that our government should do. First of all, I hope that those who can work are covered by insurance, and sometimes those civil service laws, GSIS [Government Service Insurance System] and SSS [Social Security System] law tend to limit the coverage of the insurance. It would do well for our elderly if authorities can also look into this,” Quijano said.

“But in the meantime, with the senior citizens working, they are really happy with that. There are already a few establishments that actually hire or employ senior citizens. I hope there will be more companies that hire senior citizens,” he added.

On August 24, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, along with other lawmakers, filed House Bill (HB)

HB 8972 also mandates private corporations with over 100 employees to reserve at least 1 percent of their positions for qualified elderly.

Private corporations with less than 100 employees are encouraged to hire senior citizens.

Citing statistics that there are “lots of healthy and productive” senior citizens who wish to get hired, Quijano underscored the importance of transferring their skills, experiences and even wisdom to the next generation.

“We’re actually trying to encourage senior citizens to be more productive by encouraging enterprises to support them, both in the public and private sectors. Of course, employment is part of it and we are happy because many senior citizens

Quijano said the work schedule of hired senior citizens should be “flexible” considering that some of them prefer to work for a certain number of hours.

Employers must also compensate the senior citizens accordingly, he added.

In an effort to develop a “homegrown, age-friendly approach” benefitting the elderly, the NCSC launched on September 25 the Philippine Plan of Action for the Senior Citizens and the guidelines for Philippine Age-Friendly Local Governments, Age-Friendly Cities, Municipalities and Communities.

“With these initiatives, we hope that the whole nation and the whole government will put their movements in cadence to help not just our

A molecule inside us called ‘hope’

her science-based book “The Joy of Movement,” which shows us how we can all be more cheerful, resilient, depression-proof persons by being always active, on the go and in motion.

By Nick Tayag

The action plan and guidelines would be launched ahead of the celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week from October 1 to 7.

Over 2.8 million senior citizens have already registered at the NCSC’s online registration system.

The NCSC’s aggressive online registration campaign is part of its effort to build an updated, enhanced and reliable database of all Filipino senior citizens as it generates faster collection of data than manual registration.

Quijano said the NCSC is targeting the registration of around one million senior citizens by December.

“The attention being given by government and our nation to the senior citizens has been on the highest level that’s never been before enjoyed,” he added. PNA

JUST a short walk from where my family lives is a community all-purpose activity center. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, the place comes alive as women in their 50s, 60s and 70s arrive in body hugging outfits, and gather for their zumba dance exercise routines.

When I see some of them pass by, I espy their enthusiastic smiles and hear their happy chatter as if they’re going to a party or a festive affair. Then later, wiping beads of sweat from their faces and gulping water from their portable containers, they stream out and troop back to their respective homes. I’m amazed to see them looking peppier and more energetic and their chat louder than an hour earlier.

These ladies seem to be indefatigable and upbeat. When there’s a community activity, they’re the first to sign up or to volunteer. During Sunday services, they actively participate and lead the singing.

I often wonder: don’t they have health issues and family problems to weigh them down like other people? Why do they always look so spirited? Is it because of the upbeat music they dance to? Is it their camaraderie, the happy feeling of doing something together, which they know is good? The sense of belonging and being with kindred spirits?

Apparently, there is science behind it. A good sweat session such as zumba dancing stimulates the release of endorphins, which are neurochemicals produced in the pituitary gland that make you feel really good. Working out also triggers the production of serotonin and norphenyleph-

rine, which trick the brain to induce the feeling of pleasure, happiness, and wellbeing.

So what do we need illegal uppers for? But that’s not all the good news about our amazing bodies. Scientists have found that whenever we move a muscle (anywhere

Even homebound seniors can boost their “hope” molecules by engaging in activities that aren’t necessarily physical. When we sing our favorite songs on the videoke, we cause our mouth and throat muscles and diaphragm to contract. The same thing happens when we make a speech or casually have a talk with someone. Other soft activities may include listening to music, getting a massage, laughing with friends, or watching a favorite TV show.

When we do creative work like painting or writing, or reading a book with avid interest, or even when we solve a puzzle, the muscles of our brain secrete myokines.

these “hope” molecules. How long and how intense should the movement be to produce enough myokines? Do they work best when combined with other feel good chemicals such as serotonin, endorphins and others?

What about those who are deeply depressed and suicidal? Will massive infusion of these molecules into the bloodstream make a difference? Obviously, there’s more that we need to do research on.

I wish we could just bottle up these “hope” molecules so we can take them just like our daily vitamins. For there’s so much misery and pain in this world and many people need hope so badly.

in our body), our body produces and releases power-packed protein molecules called “myokines” into our bloodstream. These go to the brain and ward off the onset of black moods and depression. This is why they are labeled as “hope” molecules. They’re now a BIG topic of research.

And to gladden your heart further, “hope” is within everyone’s reach. Whatever your age, gender and level of fitness and conditioning, all our muscles are capable of producing these “hope” molecules. This welcome piece of information was made public by Stanford psychologist, Kelly McGonigal. In 2016, she found an obscure 2016 scientific research paper online and noticed the researchers casually using this term “hope” molecules. She became fascinated with this piece of discovery and further studying led to writing

I know someone who just stays idly at home and mope endlessly. He barely moves throughout the day. As we say in the native slang, “nagmumukmok.” No wonder he often feels moody and downcast. His muscles are not producing enough myokines.

Overall, because of their antidepressant effects on the brain, these “hope molecules” need to be explored more. Can they really help people to recover from stress and trauma?

But it seems there’s more to myokines than just their anti-depressant benefits.

They are said to help reduce inflammation when you’re sick or injured, which in turn makes you feel better.

Some rehabilitation programs are being re-designed to include physical protocols that specifically trigger the production of myokines that can help their patients recover faster from knee and hip surgeries. Maybe even stroke victims?

I’ve got a lot of questions about

So the zumba ladies in our neighborhood have been on to something after all. They’re showing us a template on how to ward off depression in old age. We all need to engage in pleasurable activities that trigger the muscles to move, preferably in the cheery camaraderie of kindred spirits. We need to walk more, laugh more and do more creative work.

Will “hope” molecules be the lasting solution to our human misery? Or are they just a kind of temporary boost as in adrenaline rush?

Personally, I wouldn’t pin my hopes too much on just “hope” molecules or feel-good chemicals if we want to make our sense of positivity and resilience truly strong and long enduring.

That kind of deeper and more holistic “hope” comes not by tricking the brain to release feel good molecules and chemicals. It emanates from a stronger, more resilient inner self that can only be built through constant exercise of our spiritual “muscles.”

Hundreds of years ago, a saintly monk arrived at the perfect balance: ora et labora. Prayer and work. Exercise the muscles through work, work out the spirit through meditation and reflection.

That way, inside you is a hope that truly springs eternal, a buoyant force that lifts you up above stress, anxiety and depression.

The National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) on Thursday welcomed the filing of a bill mandating the public and private sectors to hire senior citizens.

my sixty-zen’s WORtH

Over 2.8 million senior citizens have already registered at the NCSC’s online registration system. PNA Photo

It is estimated that 75 percent of dementia patients worldwide remain undiagnosed. PNA Photo

Editor: Mike Policarpio

Jica, Ateneo conduct 4th lecture series on Japan’s BARMM peace-building experience

The fourth Jica Chair lecture series at the ADMU Campus in Quezon City entitled “Japan’s Experience on Peace-Building: Bangsamoro’s Journey to Peace” was held on September 20.

At the event were Ambassador

Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Chief Representative Takema Sakamoto of Jica Phils. and Fr. Roberto C. Yap SJ, who is ADMU’s president.

Prof. Hideaki Shinoda of Tokyo University’s Foreign Studies was the main speaker.

Director Ryutaro Murotani of Jica Headquarters’ Governance and Peace-building Department; Senior Advisor Naoyuki Ochiai of Jica Headquarters’ Division 5-Southeast Asian Department;

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform Mohammad

S. Yacob of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM); Director Farrah Grace V. Naparan of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity; and Asst. Prof. Dr. Jennifer S. Oreta of ADMU’s Department of Political Science served as panelists.

Dr. Marie Danielle V. Guillen of ADMU’s Japanese Studies Program and University of the Philippines’ Asian Institute of Tourism was the moderator.

Koshikawa lauded Jica’s dedication through its partnership with ADMU. He noted that Japan aims to contribute to global sustainable

development through the Jica Chair and other similar initiatives.

The envoy also highlighted his country’s commitment to the Mindanao peace process since 2002, and paid tribute to former Jica president Dr. Sadako Ogata, who championed peace-building efforts in Mindanao and the ideals of human security.

He underlined Japan’s commitment to assisting the Philippines

Perpetual Help hands out diplomas to ‘Bilibid’ inmates

toward lasting development, and its view on the Mindanao peace process as a “pivotal chapter” in Philippine history.

The ambassador also praised the positive reception toward the Jica Chair lecture: “Our unwavering commitment to peacebuilding in the region is evident, [as] we are heartened by the enthusiastic participation of students and academic institutions in this dialogue.”

Five reasons to consider in getting a graduate degree

HAVING extensive knowledge of one’s field is an advantage. While this can be gained through years of experience, a key qualification that can surely boost a person’s chances of landing the job everybody else wants, and employers look for, is a graduate degree. Here are five reasons to consider in pursuing graduate studies:

Gain more knowledge and experience in the field. Deeper knowledge and specialized skills in one’s field of study are obtained in graduate studies. These help in the success of one’s career, as these qualities attract employers the most. They enhance credibility for an added degree, and makes one an industry expert.

Expand personal growth. Learning more and new things is one way of enriching personal growth. As something that we continuously do in our life, having additional education makes us see ourselves in a different light, and gives us that added confidence to take on challenges, be it in individual careers; but most no -

tably, on a personal level. It prepares one for the future you want to build for yourself.

Have the edge in work promotion. One thing is for sure: A graduate degree holds power in one’s pursuit to climb the corporate ladder. In the battle for promotions, one’s academic background is a factor employers consider. More than the loyalty and dedication to the organization, expertise in one’s field and good education might just be

the ticket to landing that coveted higher position.

Get more job opportunities. At a time where owning a Bachelor’s degree is a norm, having a graduate diploma on top of it differentiates a professional from the pool of peers in the job market. It gives employers the implication of the things one can do for the company, with the skills and knowledge they assume one already has at a glance of a resume. Having a graduate degree will open

Start-up academy launches AI training courses; top entreps lead bootcamp for local upskilling

-

EDUCATIONAL-TECHNOLO

GY (edtech) start-up 10XME

Academy has launched its 10X AI (artificial intelligence) training programs aimed to help entrepreneurs, corporate employees and students leverage on the best tools and hike their productivity 10-fold. The launch comes amid increasing recognition of AI’s potential to enhance productivity. A recent study conducted by the United States’s National Bureau of Economic Research demonstrated a 14-percent boost in issues resolved per hour with the aid of an AI-based conversational assistant. The survey also suggested that AI assistance has been beneficial to novice and lowskilled workers, enabling them to glean potentially tacit knowledge from their more experienced peers, and move down the experience curve.

I ndustry leaders also predict a competitive edge for those who can

effectively utilize advanced AI technologies, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4. The findings underline AI’s integral role in accelerating productivity and support 10XME Academy’s mission to empower professionals and businesses through AI.

“AI is disrupting many industries and forcing many professionals to either upskill or find other work,” said Bianca Azurin, founder of 10XME Academy. “Technology is the greatest equalizer, and AI tools will prove that fairly quickly.”

Azurin added that “with our courses, we want to challenge an organization’s perceived limitations, and allow them to take back their time.

We want pros and entrepreneurs to be confident using these tools to further their careers or future-proof their income.”

Value-added THE inaugural class entitled “How

to Replace your Marketing Agency with AI” program went in-depth into ways local companies can leverage on AI tools to maximize every aspect of their marketing team’s output and performance. Students will learn methods to craft effective marketing strategies, create and distribute content at scale, plus integrate AI tools into their daily operations.

The program will be led by guest lecturers from the region’s most innovative tech start-ups. Students can expect to actively participate in practical exercises and undergo all the AI tools with the main lecturer. They will also be given up to 10 times the value of their program fees in the form of exclusive tools, perks, and subscriptions offered by future partners.

Classes will be held at partner venues in Bonifacio Global City, with plans to establish dedicated 10XME Academy classrooms in the future.

WHEN Jimmy (not his real name) first entered the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) 18 years ago to serve a life sentence for a drug charge, he thought his life was effectively over. The shock of his incarceration affected him physically and emotionally. And when his disbelief wore off, it became a battle for survival.

“What I experienced every day here pushed my body and mind to the limit. It’s a battle here. And it’s really not for weak men,” he said in Filipino.

Four years ago, “Jimmy” decided to try something new for a change. He enrolled in the University of Perpetual Help-Extension School inside the New Bilibid Prison and took a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship course.

more job opportunities.

Boost earning potential. With more job opportunities come better earning potential. Employers usually consider allocating better pay to high positions. These usually require applicants with a Master’s or Ph.D degree. A higher degree may be one’s passport to apply for a potential job. Of course, demand for the right pay should correspond, knowing one’s accompanying academic background.

Learn more about Mapúa University’s graduate program offerings at www.mapua.edu.ph. It offers blended and fully online graduate programs in the fields of engineering and information technology— ideal for working professionals in the country and abroad—as they feature self-paced and own-space learning.

The university also offers joint programs which allow students to earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree simultaneously. An enrollee can begin the coursework for the latter during senior year, enabling both degrees to be earned in a shorter time.

The academy will also eventually offer immersive online classes where students get to join the live class from anywhere in the world.

Prior to the official rollout of the actual four-day comprehensive programs, 10XME Academy conducted two pilot classes to gather initial feedback on its courses. During its pioneering marketing class on July 1, more than 20 business leaders and marketers from prominent companies in the country were invited to participate. The course explored a diverse range of topics, including integrating AI into business operations, prompt engineering basics, and creating search engine optimization plans.

The first class’ attendees were Nix Nolledo of EDEN Holdings, Steve Sy of Great Deals E-commerce Corporation, Steve Benitez of Bo’s Coffee, Dean Bernales of Uniquecorn Strategies, Jen Bilango of Coins.ph, Ton Patron of DA5-Western Union and SurgePay, as well as other representatives from Ludy’s Peanut Butter, Infinix Mobile, PHINMA Properties, Pantheon Holdings, DragonPay, Ac -

Innovation, AllCare.io,

On September 20, in simple rites inside the Medium Security Compound, “Jimmy” got his diploma, along with 56 other inmates—many of them in the same program’s seniorhigh school track. He also garnered awards for academic excellence, and was tasked by his batchmates to deliver an address.

“Today is the beginning of a new stage in our reformation,” he said in his speech. “Education is the hope that springs forever. And knowledge has the power to release us from the pain, fear and sadness of our incarceration.”

With a life sentence, what can the new graduate do with a college degree?

“The whole experience has made me see that we can uplift our lives de -

spite our jail terms,” he shared. “It’s really possible to change your life. So now, I want to share this possibility with other inmates by teaching and mentoring them.”

On behalf of the other graduates, “Jimmy” thanked officials of the New Bilibid Prison and the University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta (UPHSD) headed by its chair and CEO Dr./Brig. Gen. Antonio L. Tamayo for their chance to earn degrees.

“Seeing the inmates getting their diplomas is a reminder to all of us that changing our lives for the better is possible with the right circumstances,” said Tamayo. “We hope the program will change the lives of the inmates for the better.”

First offered the collegiate extension program to Bilibid inmates in 1984 through the initiative and efforts of Dr./Brig. Gen. Tamayo as part of the university’s community work and corporate social responsibility efforts, UPHSD takes charge of the curriculum, granting of credits, diplomas and certificates. The Bureau of Corrections, on the other hand, provides the venue for the program which includes classrooms, physical facilities, grounds, library and laboratories as required by the Commission on Higher Education and the university.

“UPHSD will always be here for the inmates, and continue to support them as they seek a better life whether inside or outside [prison],” Tamayo assured.

French scouts, guides visit PHL for community-based projects

THE previous month marked the return and continuation of international solidarity work camps in the Philippines conducted by French scouts and guides after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, France Volontaires Philippines—a French institution mandated to promote global solidarity and exchange—deployed 16 scouts grouped into threes. They volunteered their time and skills to projects in various communities nationwide.

Said French scouts and guides aged 18 to 20 prepared for their respective projects for almost two years, then stayed in the Philippines for almost a month to successfully implement their projects.

Among the first group to arrive were six French scouts from Bordeaux (in the southwest of France) who— in partnership with a local foundation—conducted intercultural exchanges, arts and drawing classes, as well as a presentation about France and the French culture to at least 36 children in Tondo, Manila.

Scouts from Brittany (in the northwest of France) arrived in Bohol and assisted in the “Brigada Eskwela” at Pangangan Elementary School, where they helped in the refurbishing and beautification of the school’s classrooms and canteen, among others. PES has been a long-time beneficiary of a French nongovernment organization which primarily provided assistance in the school’s renovation to improve the learning environment of at least 300

pupils enrolled.

Further, another group of scouts from Occitanie (in the south of France) dedicated their skills in the reconstruction of two chapels in Digos City, Davao del Sur in collaboration with a local foundation, and is expected to benefit at least a combined 300 churchgoers upon completion.

Throughout their stay, the scouts and guides had the chance to interact with the Boy and Girl Scouts of the Philippines and councils for exchanges, as well as with the communities they are assigned to experience Filipino culture.

Unknown to many, the Philippines has hosted a total of at least 69 groups of scouts and students’ associations since 2014 to conduct international workcamps and solidarity projects in wide-ranging themes—most notably in construction, cultural and artistic exchanges, as well as education.

This type of volunteering is just one out of the seven volunteering schemes supported by France Volontaires, the French Embassy in the Philippines said.

THE Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) recently imparted Japan’s peace-building efforts in the Bangsamoro Region.

centure

and BreederDAO.

CHIEF Representative Takema Sakamoto (from left); Prof. Hideaki Shinoda; Asst. Prof. Dr. Jennifer S. Oreta; Fr. Roberto C. Yap SJ; Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Minister Mohammad S. Yacob; Director Ryutaro Murotani; Director Farrah Grace V. Naparan and Senior Advisor Naoyuki Ochiai EMBASSY OF JAPAN

“JIMMY” takes his pledge of loyalty to UPHSD with other graduates.

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

LUXURY WITH A GRAND VIEW REVIsITING TAGAYTAY CITY’s ICoNIC LANDmARk

Story & photos by Benjamin Locsin Layug

A generation later and now with my own family, I again made the 60-kilometer (1.5-hour) drive to this city and its notable landmark which is deeply entrenched in the history and heritage of Tagaytay City.

The hotel has its beginnings way back in 1935 when the Zamoras of Manila Hotel bought six hectares of flatland perched atop an incline along Ilong Kastila (people say it resembles a nose or ilong) from American Hammon H. Buck, the Superintendent of Schools in Batangas. Two years later, a lodge was built, its architect probably Andres Luna de San Pedro (son of renowned painter Juan Luna) who, just a few years earlier, renovated another landmark, the Manila Hotel, to accommodate a suite for Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Its contractor was probably the well-known Pedro Soichi who built the Manila Metropolitan Theater. Both were favored by Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon who was then, as I still am now, equally fascinated with Tagaytay, so much so that, on June 21, 1938, he converted Tagaytay into a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338.

Upon the lodge’s opening on October 7, 1939, Quezon frequently held cabinet meetings in its premises.

During World War II, the lodge was converted into quarters for Japanese officers. Between 1956 and 1964, Tagaytay began to be promoted as a major tourist attraction of the Philippines and Taal Vista Lodge was one of its leading attractions. In fact, it was the public viewing ground to major

as well as mild to moderate eruptions of the volcano on September 28, 1965, from 1966 to 1970 (lasting from three to 65 days), 1976 (September 3 to October 23 ), 1977 (October 3 to 4 and November 9 to 12), 1991, January 12, 2020 and July 1, 2021.

In 1973, Taal Vista Lodge, now a three-star hotel, boasted a large pavilion for dinner and dancing, a bowling alley, a golf course, a billiards hall and a horseback riding area beside the lodge. One its many regular visitors was a young man who often chose one spot in the grounds from which he gazed out and dream. That dreamer was the late Henry Sy, Sr. whose SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) would later acquire the hotel in 1988.

In 2002, he had the hotel rebuilt in the style of the original lodge and added 2 new extensions on the east side of the complex to provide 128 rooms, conference facilities and amenities.

In 2004, this reinvigorated and now first-class hotel welcomed back guests and visitors as Taal Vista Hotel. It was under this new scenario that I wanted to sample what the hotel had to offer. From its original 25 cabins, the hotel now has 264 exquisitelydesigned and well-appointed guest rooms, all offering spectacular views of verdant gardens (Mountain Wing) or of Taal Lake and Volcano (Lake Wing). All are fully-equipped with electronic entry lock, cable LED TV, IDD/NDD phone, minibar, coffee and tea making equipment and in-room safe. Wi-fi is available throughout the property. The original building now houses the hotel’s 2-hour

THE WAITING GAME Making the most of layovers

Front Desk, business center, shops, ballroom meeting rooms and the 25 Ridge Rooms.

Aside from its rooms and fantastic volcano and lake view, the building’s focal point are its four food and beverage outlets, all taking you far beyond the plate, whether al fresco or from within, as their panoramic floor-toceiling glass windows allows diners to watch, aside from Taal Volcano and Lake, the fog rolling in, the captivating sunset and, at nighttime, the stars or the pinpoint lights of fishing boats and the lakeshore towns. The blissful and breezy Veranda offers authentic local dishes as well as a variety of international dishes. Its weekend lunch buffet, featuring the hotel’s heritage cuisine, offers a collection

of Filipino favorites with a twist with a cultural dance group providing entertainment. The classy fusion of setting and landscape is a perfect place for intimate dinners and cozy get-togethers. At Taza Fresh Table, with its garden atmosphere perfect for intimate social events, you can enjoy laid-back dining with gardento-table vegetables and herbs (some locally grown in the hotel’s Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden), handmade pasta and sauces, and meats smoked in the kitchen. Both have a live cooking station and have been recently certified by Green Choice Philippines for their efforts in sustainability. During all our meals, we were also serenaded with oldies by a strings trio. We were also treated

to an in-room dining experience for dinner. Alta Ridge Bar is open from Thursday to Sunday.

The grand and iconic Lobby Lounge, with its natural motifs, is an ideal rendezvous for sinful desserts, a lazy after-dinner conversation, evening interludes and winding down moments. Its well-stocked bar offers light meals, coffee or cocktails. Here, warmed by the cozy fireplace, you can sample hot chocolate while listening to nightly piano music. The Cake Shop, a pastry shop, offers tasteful desserts such as their famous pan de coco, ensaymadas, empanadas, pan de sal as well as Spanish-style Bangus in Corn Oil.

At Rain, The Spa, we had a relaxing, one-hour Awaken the Senses

Massage. Ms. Sheena T. Pelaez also took us on a very informative onehour “A Walk Through Time” guided tour of colorful history and heritage of Taal Vista Hotel (evolution from its beginning, through the Philippine Commonwealth Period, World War II, Taal Volcano’s eruptions and up to the present), Taal Volcano and Tagaytay City. For art enthusiasts, the hotel’s walls are lined with paintings of noted Spanish-Filipino artist Juvenal Sanso (a childhood friend of Mr. Sy), other Filipino artists as well as colorful botanical lithographs. The hotel also has a free-form outdoor swimming pool, a grand ballroom, 13 well-designed and flexible function rooms, musclestretching gym, boutique (Kultura Butik) and golf putting green.

world have a travel retail business and they often offer great deals for travelers. Some even offer free samples! Check out the liquor shops and get a sniff and sip of the best single malts in the world, or perhaps some chilled champagne.

Rest, relax O TH e R t han a light nap during the flight, the wait in the airport is probably the last bit of rest you will get before a hectic travel itinerary begins. Find a sleep pod or chaise—many airports have these, and get some sleep. Don’t forget to set an alarm and give some time to freshen up before boarding your flight.

Revenge travel is indeed in full swing—and not just for those in their 20s. Whether in the Philippines or in other markets around the world, travel industry leaders are seeing a wider population prioritizing travel and experiences over buying things or investing in fixed income assets.

But no matter the demographic, the one thing that most travelers are not comfortable with is a layover—that long wait for a connecting flight at the airport. Staying for long hours in an airport can lead to boredom, anxiety and frustration.

While there are airports where one would not mind waiting, such as Changi in Singapore with the world’s largest in -

door waterfall, comfy lounges at Chep Lap Kok in Hong Kong, or shopping galore and sleeping cubes in Dubai; many of the over 15,000 public airports around the world are not designed for comfort—though airport operators have realized the importance of a positive passenger experience and have started to transform air terminals.

Direct vs connecting

F Lying non-stop, direct will always be the better choice. But these days, with elevated airfares and, in some cases, limited options for flights, travelers should not easily dismiss layover flights. Though a layover might mean disembarking, retrieving baggage, checking in for the next flight then board -

ing another aircraft, or a really long, uncomfortable wait in an airport packed with people, there are some upsides.

For one, layovers reduce the risk of missing a connecting flight—removing that tense, anxious mad dash from one boarding gate to another by allowing for more-thanample time in between flights. And these days, with flight delays and disruptions, that extra buffer may be a blessing.

Second, layover flights are usually cheaper than direct and non-stop flights. n o mads, savvy but thrifty globe-trotters and adventure-seekers don’t mind the long wait in exchange for saving on airfare.

Third, layovers, especially if these are longer than six hours, might be a chance to take in some sights or take a quick food trip. Of course, exiting the airport during a

layover will depend on the country’s visa requirements, proximity to the city and attractions and budget, among others.

What to do if stuck at the airport iF eaving the airport is not a viable option, waiting for a flight need not be a totally unpleasant situation. t ’s a matter of finding things to do to fill in the time waiting for the flight. Here are some possibilities:

Catch-up on reading

T H e S e d ays, we barely have time to read a book or even a well-researched article. Whether it’s an e-book, a kindle, or even a paperback or an actual printed magazine, use the time to read something that strikes your fancy or broadens knowledge and

insights.

Catch-up on a series

A LAy O v e R s a perfect time to binge-watch a series or movies. Streaming services have ramped-up selections to include even older T v series, and even movies from the 1980s and 1990s. Time will fly once you’re hooked to your screen.

Get those steps in

T H e ai rport is a great place to do 10,000 steps! Physical activity is a great way to boost your energy and dopamine levels— reducing anxiety while waiting.

Explore the airport

yO u never know what you will find in an airport. Many of the biggest brands in the

Write ideas down Being along and watching people can give you ideas and insights. But these may flit and flee. Write down these bits and pieces in your mind in a notebook or even your mobile device. yo u can revisit these later on. yo u never know when these might come in handy.

Catch-up with family and friends uS e t he time to say hello to friends and relatives. We’re so busy in our daily lives that it’s often difficult to make time to talk to family and friends. Once you’re chatting away or in a conversation, time will pass by really fast. Whatever it is you decide to do while waiting, make the most of the time. After all, the waiting won’t be so bad—especially if you’re jetting off to an adventure.

Alot of my childhood memories included family visits to tagaytay City, the country’s other summer capital (after Baguio City), where we enjoyed the cool and crisp (average temperature is 22.7º Celsius) mountain air and a picture-pretty view of taal Volcano from its original grand garden view deck—the English tudor Mansionstyle taal Vista Hotel.

Photos by Charo Logarta

C HANGI International Airport in Singapore

C HHATRApATI Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India

HoTEl lobby l AKE Wing

pREMIERE Suite

TAAl lake and Volcano View VERANDA

lo bby lounge

TAAl Vista Hotel

TA z A

Fresh Table

Starbucks opens 1st Community Store in the Philippines

WHEN my daughter was in high school, one of her dreams was to go to Starbucks with a laptop and study. During those days, going to Starbucks was an aspirational thing and I actually look back at those years and think how it must be so good to have such simple dreams.

I know that people my age are annoyed that teenagers hang out at Starbucks for hours, each one just nursing the least expensive drink but I always think “let them stay and relax.” There are very few places that young people can hang out in safely and Starbucks is one of those places.

To many kids, going to Starbucks and having the iconic Mocha Frappuccino is a treat or a reward.

“Starbucks is a different kind of company, staying true to our mission to nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection,” said Noey Lopez, president of Starbucks Philippines, as the company opened the Abad Santos Tondo Community Store.

This is Starbucks’ first Community Store in the Philippines. These Community Stores create environments for Starbucks partners to connect and engage with, and represent the communities they serve in unique ways around the world. There are Signing Stores dedicated to empowering the Deaf and International Community Stores that focus on providing economic opportunity in communities and creating impact in partnership with local nonprofit organizations.

In South Korea, one of Starbucks’ Community Stores aims to support descendants of national merit.

The Abad Santos Tondo Community Store supports youth education in the Philippines. A portion of every purchase store will support

Apple...

CONTINUED FROM A9

are,’’ he said, echoing one of the government’s arguments. Dominating the market helps in other ways, Parakhin said. For example, restaurants are more likely to make sure their location and hours are accurate in results on the leading search engine, while they are far less likely to bother correcting information on smaller search engines.

Experience shows, he said, that search engines need 20 percent market share to survive. Otherwise, “their quality degrades rapidly, and they disappear.’’

Parakhin also recounted his experience battling Google in his previous job as chief technology officer at the Russian search engine Yandex.

After Russian regulators required Android phones to let users choose their search engine— instead of letting Google hold the default position—Yandex’s market share rose from 30 percent to 55 percent, he said. Earlier in the proceedings, the government called a behavioral economist, who testified that Google’s default status discourages users from switching search engines, partly because they are reluctant to change ingrained habits. Last week, the founder of the search engine DuckDuckGo, which has about 2.5 percent of the search market, testified that his company struggled to compete because of Google’s revenue-sharing agreements with Apple and other companies. US District Judge Amit Mehta likely won’t issue a ruling until early next year.

If he decides Google broke the law, another trial will determine how to rein in its market power.

The Mountain View, California-based company could be stopped from paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine.

scholarships and after-school learning programs in partnership with Young Focus Foundation and AHA! Learning Center.

“We hope that this is the start of creating a positive and lasting impact on the youth within our local communities,” said Lopez.

One of things that Starbucks Community Stores worldwide have in common are murals.

In San Antonio, Texas, the store’s mural, created by local artist Alex Rubio, depicts local culture, traditions and history. Xiulin Township, Hualian, the Starbucks Community Store mural was created by two indigenous artists. In Seoul, the Starbucks Community Store in the Seoul National University Dental Hospital has a mural created by Starbucks partners.

In the Philippines, the Abad Santos Tondo Community Store features a series of murals titled “Brewing Knowledge, Blossoming Communities” by visual artist Anina Rubio. The series intertwines elements of books, indigenous flora and fauna, and the diverse wildlife from coffee-growing regions. Coffee and books are seen all throughout the mural

since Starbucks fosters community growth through education with the help of its first-ever community store in the country, said Rubio. The artist, by the way, was a former Starbucks partner. “Being a Starbucks partner taught me to be patient and kind. It also taught me a lot about customer service,” said Rubio.

The Abad Santos Tondo Community Store’s interior design and mobile furniture are thoughtfully incorporated to be easily adapted to cater to different activities and events, opening up inviting spaces for hosting future workshops, fostering both learning and connections.

Lopez said it took Starbucks Philippines a year and a half to plan for its first community store. He said they are looking to build more of it in other underserved areas in the country.

“We’re already looking at several other stores where we can do community stores as well because this is not the only community where we do business.”

The Starbucks Abad Santos Tondo Community Store is open daily from 7am to 10pm for dine-in, take-out, and drive-thru. ■

Networking boosts Yugorithm’s virtual and social media marketing businesses

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES

NETWORKING is one of the ways to build a business in the digital economy, according to Yuri Go, founder and CEO of an outsourcing company that specializes in providing virtual assistant service and social media marketing Yugorithm.

He pointed out that major referral business organization BNI played a major role in building his company into one of the leading online recruiters in the country. “BNI has been a huge part of my business’ growth as 50 percent of my new business comes from them,” Go told BUSINESSMIRRO� in a recent e-mail interview.

Furthermore, Go said he is amazed at the way BNI helps entrepreneurs especially during the fledgling stage of their business. “The support system that BNI provides is a tremendous help for small and medium business owners,” said Go, a member of the BNI Progress chapter.

Through BNI, Go said Yugorithm was able to connect with major global companies looking for local talent to beef up their workforce. BNI is the world’s largest and most successful business referral organization supporting 310,000 member businesses in over 75 countries worldwide.

In the past 12 months, BNI members have passed over 14.6 million referrals and generated over $22.4 billion in revenue via more than 13 million referrals. Aside from networking, Go said it takes a good

ABC Tech to offer laptop next year

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

LEVERAGING on the government’s thrust to digitalize education in the country, Filipino-owned company ABC Tech Ventures Inc. bared its plan to diversify its product portfolio from tablet to laptop.

The computing devices will be released in the third quarter of 2024, targeting students before the next school year begins, according to ABC Tech Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arvin Arik Carranceja.

Based on the firm’s research, Filipino students frequently broke their gadgets due to accidental dropping.

“So we concentrate on what is the best solution to that problem,” he told reporters in an interview. “We design our products to be thick for dustproof and shockproof so that even if you drop it, it will still work.”

Unlike their previous partnership with the government for their existing lineup of tablets, these computing devices will be available in retail.

“We kind of innovate them. The specs [of the processors] would be i3, i5 and i7. They are already midlevel since the design is for education. They will have little graphic cards for gaming,” Carranceja noted.

balance of technology, empathy and humanity in running a business enterprise.

Through his affiliation with the BNI, Yugorithm was able to work with companies such as Unilink Travel and Tours Inc., Do-all Metal Industries and I3 Inc.

Having worked in the corporate sector for five years, Go said he had experienced the rigors of being an ordinary employer such as huge deductions from his monthly salary being taken out of “a huge chunk of my salary, delayed salary and no money for transportation fare and meals.” Go pointed out that the hardships he experienced in life has developed his empathy and a good understanding of humanity. These experiences, according to Go, made him take care of his staff. Although Go doesn’t have a business background, he said learned important lessons from his family and friends who were running business at a certain period.

Moreover, Go said he believes cautious optimism is important in growing the budget by taking things one at a time. He added Yugorithm also made sure it delivered affordable and quality service. “Although we have a small margin, but through volume and building long-term relationships with our clients, we were able to grow,” Go said.

“Another important thing is making sure you take care of your team. Our business’ success is a credit to our hardworking team and for their care for my business,” Go explained.

He added that the upcoming laptops will use the latest Windows operating system, with an expandable RAM (random-access memory).

With students who usually have limited budget in mind, these gadgets will cost between P10,000 to P20,000 each. “We lowered the price so that the affordability will reach the capacity of the buyers,” said the CEO.

ABC Tech is now in the testing stage of its durability for six to eight months. The laptops will be produced in its China factory manned by Filipino engineers and software developers. The company expects the market to be big given the 33 million student population in the country at present. “The last SONA [State of the Nation Address] of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. revealed his administration’s target of providing one student, one laptop or tablet. So we are targeting that,” Carranceja shared

On the other hand, the firm is finalizing its development of a software program, called the “Teacher in a Box”, which will be presented to the Department of Education and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. “We know many provinces and towns that do not have Internet access. So the ‘Teacher in a Box’ is an access point with a server that even if you don’t have WiFi, you can still watch movies and videos, particularly the learning modules,” he said, while citing its wide coverage of 5- to 10-kilometer radius that can reach households.

Meanwhile, Carranceja announced his candidacy as national executive vice president for the Junior Chamber International or JCI Philippines’ national elections in the first week of September.

If ever he wins, the 34-year-old candidate revealed his objective to handle all the national programs of the organization, with focus on helping attain the United Nations Sustainable Goals. “My main goal is to align the projects of nongovernment organizations [NGOs] to the government’s,” he underscored.

YURI GO, founder and CEO of Yugorithm

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MUSK’S X IS THE BIGGEST PURVEYOR OF DISINFORMATION, EU OFFICIAL SAYS

LONDON—A top European Union official said on Tuesday that the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, is the biggest source of fake news and urged owner Elon Musk to comply with the bloc’s laws aimed at combating disinformation.

Ahead of upcoming elections, Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Meta also have more to do to tackle disinformation, much of it coming from Russia, which is using social media to wage a “war of ideas” against democracy, European Commission vice president Vera Jourova said.

Moscow’s disinformation operation “is a multimillion-euro weapon of mass manipulation aimed both internally at the Russians as well as at Europeans and the rest of the world,” she said at a press briefing in Brussels.

With elections scheduled in Slovakia and Poland in the coming weeks and a bloc-wide vote next year, big online platforms must address the risk of online meddling, she said.

The Kremlin and other malicious actors “will try to use the design features of the platforms to manipulate,” Jourova said.

She was providing an update on the 27-nation EU’s 2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation. Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Facebook and Instagram parent Meta signed up to the voluntary code last year, but Twitter dropped out after Musk bought the platform.

X is “the platform with the largest ratio of mis- or disinformation posts,” Jourova said.

An email to the company’s press team seeking comment resulted in an automatically generated reply that said, “Busy now, please check back later.”

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, released a study of six online platforms in Poland, Slovakia and Spain that found Twitter had the highest prevalence of disinformation and biggest ratio of disinformation actors.

“Twitter has the highest discoverability” of disinformation, the report said.

Jourova warned Musk that “he is not off the hook” just because his company dropped out of the code. The code has been incorporated into a strict new set of mandatory European regulations known as the Digital Services Act, which subjects the biggest online platforms, including X, to the highest level of scrutiny.

Now, “there are obligations given by the hard law, so my message for Twitter is: ‘You have to comply with the hard law, and we will be watching what you are doing,’” she said.

Under the code, online platforms agree to commit to measures aimed at reducing disinformation and have to file reports on a regular basis.

After submitting “ baseline” reports, their first six-month reports outlining how they’re living up to those promises were released on Tuesday. AP

Apple exec defends decision to make Google its default search engine on iPhones and Macs

BY PAUL WISEMAN

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—A top Apple executive defended the tech giant’s decision to make Google the default search engine on Apple iPhones and Macs, saying there was no “valid alternative.’’

Testifying in the biggest antitrust trial in a quarter century, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said Tuesday that there wasn’t “anybody as good’’ as Google at helping phone and computer users search the internet.

The US Department of Justice has accused Google—a company whose very name is synonymous with scouring the web—of smothering competition by paying Apple, Verizon and other tech companies to make its search engine the first users see when they open their devices.

Google counters that it dominates the market because its search engine is better than the competition, a position Cue supported in his testimony.

Google also argues that users can, in any event, switch to other search engines with a couple of clicks.

The antitrust case, the biggest since the Justice Department went after Microsoft and its dominance of internet browsers 25 years ago, was filed in 2020 during the Trump administration. The trial began September 12 in US District Court in Washington D.C.

Mikhail Parakhin, Microsoft’s head of advertising and web services, testified on Tuesday that Google’s dominance feeds on itself. The more searches Google processes, the more data it collects that can be used to improve future searches.

“The more data you have, the better the results

SEE “APPLE,” A8

BusinessMirror

Honor’s new trio: The price is ‘lite’

DESPITE the heavy rains last Tuesday night, there were two back-to-back smartphone launches that we just couldn’t miss. Honor was unveiling four new devices at XYLO while Xiaomi was having a livestream watch party at Manduca Taberna for the announcement of its Xiaomi 13T series. So, we had to shuffle back and forth between the two venues, which thankfully were both in BGC.

For Honor, it was about filling in the gaps of its budget lineup, and the Honor X5 Plus, Honor X6a and Honor 90 Lite hopes to entice more users to the brand with its more affordable prices. Xiaomi, on the other hand, sent some Leica love to its popular T series to make an even more formidable flagship killer. I’ll do a full review of the Xiaomi 13T Pro in the next couple of weeks, but for now let’s talk about Honor’s new smartphone trio.

■ BUDGET POWERHOUSE: Priced at P5,490, the Honor X5 Plus is a good choice for those getting their first smartphone, or people who need a reliable backup device. The X5 Plus has a 5200mAh battery that promises an incredible two-day battery life. It also features a big 6.56-inch display with Dynamic Dimming technology, designed to reduce eye strain during extended use and a 90Hz refresh to make sure that everything feels smooth and responsive touch to your interactions. You also get a 50MP dual camera setup which can take good photos depending on the lighting, and 5MP Front Camera that tries its best to make you look as fresh as you can. It has a MediaTek Helio G36 Octa Core processor that’s paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB of Storage. Honor says you can save up to 12,000 photos, 5,000 songs, or 45 movies and supports up to 1TB MicroSD card expansion storage, so you can pretty much store your entire digital life on the phone.

Meanwhile, the Honor X6a offers affordable elegance with its stylish design and a range of useful features for an enhanced user experience at P6,990. It’s about the same size as the X5 Plus with its 6.56inch display that also has a 90Hz refresh rate and Dynamic Dimming technology. You do get an extra camera lens with its triple camera system that also has a 50MP main sensor + depth camera + macro camera.

Photo quality is very similar to the X5 Plus and mainly depends on how good your lighting is. The front camera is a 5MP shooter. You also get the same Helio G36 processor and 4GB RAM but double the storage at 128 GB (expandable up to 1TB via microSD).

The device is powered by a 5,200mAh battery, which can last for up to 17.8 hours of video playback or 13.5 hours of browsing on a single charge.

Our full reviews of the X5Plus and X6a are already up our website and I’m also currently testing the Honor Pad X9, which has an 11.5-inch Honor FullView Display, six-speaker audio system, 128GB storage, and a P11,990 price tag. It even comes with a free Honor keyboard worth P2,499.

For this week, we’ll be focusing our attention on the Honor 90 Lite 5G, which the brand hopes will capture the same attention as its sold-out predecessor with its “lighter” P12,990 price tag.

■ DESIGN AND BUILD: While it may not push the boundaries of smartphone design innovation, the Honor 90 Lite 5G manages to strike a balance between style, function and ergonomics resulting in a device that is not only visually appealing but also comfortable to use.

The Honor 90 Lite showcases a boxier design in contrast to the curved rear panel and display of its sibling. This departure gives this Lite version a distinct and more conventional appearance with flat sides, a metallic-finished rear panel, and a flat display. Honor’s twin-reflex camera module design returns yet again albeit in a slightly tweaked version.

You get two color options, Cyan Lake and Midnight Black, though I prefer the more eye-catching cyan

hue as its finish is also less prone to fingerprint smudges. Despite its plastic material, the build quality is okay, but I do have to point out that taking off that silver sticker on the back of the phone was a pain and it can leave quite a sticky residue so be careful.

■ DISPLAY AND SOUND: The Honor 90 Lite has a 6.7-inch, Full HD+ 1080 x 2388 resolution, and a 90Hz refresh rate adding a heightened feel of fluidity to the user experience with smoother animations, improved touch responsiveness when navigating the device and interacting with apps. Unfortunately, to keep the price down, Honor opted for a flat, IPS panel on the front instead of a curved AMOLED panel like the one on its more expensive brother. This puts it at a disadvantage over similarly-priced phones that have AMOLED displays. Still, the display quality is relatively good. The choice of an IPS display results in more accurate color reproduction and wider viewing angles, making the device solid for various content consumption and multitasking scenarios. The display’s brightness ensures good visibility but it does struggle under bright sunlight.

Moreover, the Honor 90 Lite’s display holds a TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, a feature that’s particularly beneficial for users who spend extended hours on their smartphones.

For audio, extra volume mode can be activated for media playback and audio/ video calls, which is louder and clearer to the ears. Do note that it doesn’t have a headphone jack though, but there is an 3.5mm adaptor included in the box.

■ CAMERAS: The main reason to buy the Honor 90 Lite is definitely its 100MP camera, and for most of the time it delivers on its promise. Looking at the two oval-shaped modules, you’ll find the 100MP main shooter with a f/1.9 aperture and PDAF. The lower part is shared by the 5MP ultra-wide camera and 2MP macro camera. The ultra-wide camera was a good choice and useful but a 2MP macro lens is never good. They should have just ditched it in favor of an even better wide cam.

The camera can take great shots in brightly lit scenes and you can even compare it with photos taken by phones that cost twice as much. Images default to 25MP resolution via pixel binning and you get plenty of details and colors that pop. There is, however, a noticeable drop in quality in low light, and you might want to switch to night mode for those really dark areas—do note you need to have steady hands as you have to keep it still for about 5

seconds otherwise you’ll just get blurred images. I suggest you bring a mini tripod or a phone stand where you can lean it on.

The 16-megapixel selfie camera takes good selfies, but again you have to take note of the lighting, use the screen flash, and lower the skin filters—unless you are going for that AI sportscaster look.

■ PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY: Under the hood of the Honor 90 Lite, you’ll find the MediaTek Dimensity 6020 chipset that plays a pivotal role in delivering a smooth and efficient performance. This 7nm-based processor strikes a balance between performance and power efficiency, ensuring that the device can handle various tasks while conserving battery life.

With its combination of an octa-core CPU and a Mali-G57 GPU, everyday tasks like web browsing, social media usage, and app launching are executed swiftly, providing a responsive and snappy user experience. It’s well-suited for multitasking, allowing users to switch between apps with ease.

It runs Android 13 with Honor MagicOS 7.1 that adds smart features like Honor Share for speedy file transfers, and Scan Document for automatic text recognition in photos, boosting productivity.

FINAL WORD: The Honor 90 Lite 5G tries to live up to the reputation of its more premium sibling offering a good camera system, respectable overall performance, good battery life and a fairly nicelooking design. At P12,990, the Honor 90 Lite 5G offers a combination of premium features and a very impressive camera system, making it a compelling option for those who want an all-around device for daily use without breaking the bank. ■

By Jun Lomibao

HANGZHOU—Ernest John “EJ” Obiena could win the country’s first gold medal at the 19th Asian Games when he brings his world-class act to the Hangzhou Olympic Center Stadium in the men’s long jump final on Saturday night.

Lull before storm as Hollis-Jefferson says hello to Gilas ahead of match

HANGZHOU—The Philippines faces perhaps its first worthy opponent in the 19th Asian Games’ men’s 5x5 competition— Jordan—on Saturday but ahead of the showdown, it’s all fun for Gilas Pilipinas and their foes’ naturalized player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Hollis-Jefferson came over to hug and greet Gilas head coach Tim Cone, Justin  Brownlee and TNT Tropang Giga teammate Calvin Oftana when they ran across each other at a training facility Wednesday.

Even the TNT utility guy doubling for the national team got a warm embrace from the friendly HollisJefferson, whose Jordanian squad face the Filipinos for an outright quarterfinals berth from Group C at 5:30 p.m. at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.

The Philippines had a one-anda-half hour practice for the game against Thailand on Thursday and was on its way to the third floor elevator when Jordan’s top player showed up smiling broadly and started throwing high fives all around.

Apparently, the Jordanians were also having  team practice at an adjacent playing court in preparation for their game against Bahrain the next day, and Hollis-Jefferson seized the chance to catch up with familiar faces. There wouldn’t be much of that pleasantry in their next meeting, though, with both teams looking to sweep Group C of the preliminaries and move on, avoiding any disastrous detours in the event of a loss.

The Philippines and Jordan arranged the all-important clash between two unbeaten teams after they each dispatched their first two opponents, Bahrain and Thailand.

Nobody from Gilas, least of all Cone, is under any illusion, however, that Jordan will be a walk in the park.

Jun Lomibao

ALL EYES ON OBIENA’S BID FOR ASIAD GOLD

Obiena arrived here a day ahead of the opening ceremony for his flag-bearing chores with skateboarder Margielyn Didal and has been training with legendary coach Vitaly Petrov and his trusted Italian physiotherapist Guglietta Antonio since.

But the team has been scarce even at the sprawling Asian Games Village where the trio’s been billeted although they trained at the warmup track adjacent to the 80,000 seat main stadium.

With good vibes, it’s sure for gold,” said a confident Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on the eve of Obiena’s event set for 7 p.m. Saturday.

Barring unforeseen circumstance, Tolentino could be right with his prediction of a guatanteed gold medal. Obiena is the Asian record holder and world No. 2. His competitions this year have prepared him well for the Asian Games, especially with his Asian record of 6.0 meters which he cleared twice already,” Tolentino said. “Knowing EJ, he’ll go for his first Asian Games gold here.”

But for Obiena to punctuate his title of pole vault king of the continent, he must also break the Asian Games record of 5.75 meters set by Japan’s Seito Yamamoto in the 2018 JakartaPalembang Asian Games. Obiena was seventh at 5.45 me ters in 2018 while recovering from an ACL injury.

The 31-year-old Yamamoto, according to Japan Running News, is back to defend his title, making the event final even more interesting.

But Obiena has better numbers this season against Yamamoto, whose

best showing is 5.60 at the L’AnneauHalle d’athlétisme de Metz in France last February.

Th ree Chinese pole vaulters will also be in the field to challenge Obiena, who could end the country’s gold medal drought in Asian Games athletics since Elma Muros bagged bronze in women’s long jump in Busan 2002.

Guglietta and Obiena’s personal adviser Antonio Guglietta are hinting of an all-Obiena show.

EJ’s fine, the season has been long, but I believe EJ can find the right energy to end it in the best possible way,” Guglietta said. “If he is at his level, it will be a difficult task for his opponents to be able to stay above him.”

O biena competed in a total of 22 indoor and outdoor competitions this season and made the podium in 19 of them.

But in sport everything is possible,” he said.

L afferty has had his usual regular conversations with Obiena and is as confident of the Filipino’s victory.

He’s trying to get in the zone. He doesn’t want to disappoint the country,” Lafferty said. “Let’s let him stay focused.”

Obiena, Lafferty said, EJ the only vaulter in the Asiad field coming across 18 time zones—from the European circuit to Eugene, Oregon, for the Diamond League finals.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano also beamed with confidence.

He is a veteran. He will do what he has to do come tomorrow night’s finals in the pole vault,” Capistrano said.

EALA BAGS 2ND BRONZE, PETECIO EXITS

HANGZHOU—Alex Eala won’t be returning home to the Philippines with a gold medal around her neck but her two bronzes in tennis proved the 18-year-old has surpassed expectations at the 19th Asian Games.

E ala added a second bronze medal

to the one she clinched in women’s singles after her mixed doubles tandem with Francis Casey Alcantara yielded to the Chinese-Taipei pair of Liang En-Shuo and Huang Tsung-hao, 5-7, 3-6, in a thrilling semifinals duel at the HOC Tennis Centre Friday.

“ If overachievement is a thing then we have the potential to do more,” Eala said after the match that Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann watched. I n boxing, it was another disappointing games for Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio.

Petecio lost to rop seed Lin Yu Ting of Chinese Taipei, 4-1, in a women’s featherwright round of 16 bout also on Friday.

Lin made sure it’s Petecio who makes an early exit this time. Petecio stunned Lin in the preliminaries of the Tokyo Olympics where the Filipino went on to finish with a silver medal.

L in, almost a head taller at 5-foot-9, used her height and reach advantage over Petecio practically the entire fight.

We tried to jump the gun on each other to be able to get the tempo first,” Petecio said. “She got there first.”

PHL golfers tumble out of contention

HANGZHOU—Rianne Malixi had a pitch-in eagle to highlight a second round 70 but the young Filipina hopeful fell off the medal race in the face of her rivals’ blistering charge halfway through the women’s individual golf competitions in the 19th Asian Games Friday.

M alixi broke a birdie-bogey stint in a backside start at the West Lake International Golf Course she tamed with a bogey-free 68 in the first round with an eagle-2 on No. 5 but dropped a shot on the next before holing out with a birdie to save a 34-36.

But her six-under 138 total dropped her two spots to solo ninth, now six strokes behind Thai Arpichaya Yubol, who took charge with a flawless 65 for a 132 and a onestroke lead over world No. 2 Ruoning Yin of China, who fired a 66 after a 67, and India’s Aditi Ashok, who also carded a six-under card laced with an eagle-2, also on the fifth hole.

First round leader Saki Baba of Japan struggled with a 72 after a 65 and slipped to joint seventh at 137

Yulo’s campaign to qualify for Paris ‘24 Olympics gets going in Antwerp

By Josef Ramos

CARLOS “CALOY” YULO embarks on his world championships—and Paris Olympics journey—in Antwerp sans his long-time Japanese coach Munehiro Kugiyama on Saturday.

Yulo sees action in the qualifying round for the men’s individual allaround, floor exercise, parallel bars and vault at the Sportpaleis Arena in Belgium’s capital.

Yulo has interim trainer coach

Aldrin Castañeda, a first timer in the world championships, to oversee his campaign.  “ He [Yulo] is okay and feeling fine and he’s 90 percent ready to go,” said Castañeda, who’s been immersed in several Southeast Asian Games but never on the world stage.

“ This is a different arena. I’m stressed, so pressured, I’m feeling it both,” he said. “But not Caloy, he’s not pressured.”

I am here to support Caloy, I know he is capable here so we’re looking for some events that he will qualify for the final round like the individual all-around, floor exercise, vault and parallel bars,” he added.

C astañeda admitted Kugiyama’s shoes are so huge for him to fill.

Yulo will be up against 22-yearold Japanese Hashimoto Daiki, gold medalist in horizontal bars and individual all-around at the Tokyo Olympics, and returning Artur Davtyan of Armenia.

Yulo, 23, needs to get into the top eight in each of the apparatuses’ final to secure a ticket to Paris Games.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion expressed her confidence Yulo could make it in the individual all-around, floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.

“Caloy [Yulo] is doing very good in podium training the other day except for some changes,” Carrion-Norton said. “He is complaining that the vault is vibrating and the rings here are thicker compared to Asian [championships] and he couldn’t hold on.”

“So he will and I believe he can make it to Paris from here,” she added.

The loss denied Petecio of her first shot at clinching a return ticket to the Olympics next year as the Asian Games are a qualifier for Paris.

Now, she has to go through and the world championship for aother shot at the gold medal. We’re not done yet,” vowed Petecio, who was booted out by a Chinese opponent in the quarterfinals of the Jakarta 2018 games.

A lcantara and Eala’s path to the semifinals included victories over Nepal and games top seed Thailand in the quarterfinals.

Th at made them the first Philippine pair to win a mixed

doubles medal in the Asiad since Patricia Yngayo and Federico Deyro captured silver in the 1966 edition.

But for Eala, it was doubly significant as she joined an exclusive club of multiple medal winners in a single edition. She made it to the medal round with a 0-6, 7-5, 6-0 stunner over Japanese Kyoka Okamuraon Wednesday, a victory that ended the country’s 17-year medal drought in tennis.

She also pushed No. 1 seed and US Open quarterfinalist Zheng Qinwen of China to her limit before bowing, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, in their semis duel on Thursday. Jun Lomibao

heading to the last 36 holes of the tournament fast shaping up to be an anybody’s race.

C hina’s Xiyu Lin and Yu Liu took the third and fourth spots with 134 and 135 after 67 and 68, respectively, while Patcharajutar Kongkraphan, also from Thailand, charged back with a 67 to move to sixth at 136.

But Yubol looked poised to sustain her assault and upstage the fancied bets as the 2019 International Container Terminal Services Inc.

Manila Ladies Masters winner at Manila Golf Club produced a sterling 33-32 round that gave her the confidence and the needed momentum in what looms to be a tight, wild ending.

L ois Kaye Go, meanwhile, groped for a 76 after a 72 for a 148 as she missed the cut in individual play.

M alixi, whose local and overseas campaign is backed by ICTSI, had hoped to match or surpass her firstround exploits but missed a couple of birdie opportunities in the early going at the back before gaining a stroke on No. 15. Jun Lomibao

HANGZHOU—Daniel Patrick Caluag’s back at the Asian Games hoping to repeat his success in 2014 in Incheon where he saved the Philippine campaign with his gold medal in cycling’s BMX Racing.

C aluag vies in the event on Sunday, October 1, exactly the same day nine years ago when he won the country’s one and only gold medal at the games’ 17th edition in Incheon.

“ I remember it as if it was yesterday,” said Caluag on Friday after his second day of testing the track in this city situated 155 kms from the 19th Asian Games main hub of Hangzhou.

He was a young 27-year-old rider coming off his first Olympics in London 2012 and capturing gold at the 2013 Asian championships in Singapore—BMX racing is relatively new on the global stage having been accepted as a medal sport in the Olympics only in Beijing 2008.

I was heading to my first Asian Games, just after the birth of my daughter, Sydney,” added Caluag, who for his Incheon success was named Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

Caluag eyes repeat of Incheon 2014, targets BMX gold in Hangzhou 2022

“ I was young, motivated and hungry for success, eager to be the best in BMX and to put the Philippines on the map,” he said.

O n Sunday, he’ll be up against riders many of them a decade younger than him hoping to emerge champion on the Chun’an track—although all BMX tracks follow UCI regulations, no two tracks all over the world are the same.

C aluag flew in three days ago from the US where he works full time as a Registered Nurse like his wife and former coach Stephanie—they were frontliners during the pandemic with Caluag getting himself infected and quarantined for more than a month.

Now, as I left for the 19th Asian Games, Sydney just turned nine,” he said. “I approach it with much more confidence and understanding.”

He added: “I have nothing and I have much to gain. I am truly blessed to be able to continue to do the thing

I love—ride my BMX—at 36 years old, the oldest rider on the track.” C aluag will be racing on Sunday with fellow Filipino-American, 23-year-old Patrick Coo, who made a name for himself two years ago by winning gold at the Asian championships.

C aluag recalls his experience at London 2012.

“Heading to London to work with the esteemed Dr. Jason Richardson [former world champion and PanAm Games gold medalist], I was driven to put forth my very best effort,” he said. “While BMX was a fairly new sport to Asia, I was already considered one of the top athletes in the world in the sport. Knowing I had an advantage due to my years of experience, I was more relaxed heading into the Games.”

The start list has yet to be released by the competition organizers but Caluag said he feels relaxed ahead of the event. Jun Lomibao

DANIEL PATRICK CALUAG with the BMX gold medal he won on October 1, 2014.

ALEX EALA and Francis Casey Alcantara celebrate a point against Chinese-Taipei during their semifinal match. N ONIE REYES (CANON EOS R6)

GILAS Pilipinas’s naturalized player Justin Brownlee shares some light moment with his Jordan counterpart Rondae HollisJefferson ahead of their teams’ showdown. NONIE REYES (CANON EOS R6)

NESTHY PETECIO isn’t giving up on her Paris Olympics hopes. NONIE REYES (CANON EOS R6)

Asia’s top pole vaulter EJ Obiena does a selfie along with trainer Vitaly Petrov and physiotherapist Antonio Guglietta prior to a light training on Friday at the Hangzhou main stadium.

Multilateral WPS

patrols with US, other allies eyed

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

THE US government is steering its other allies in increasing military presence in the South China Sea (SCS) and helping the Philippines improve its capacity to deter China’s continuing harassment and coercion in the disputed seas.

Ranking officials from the US State Department, US Department of Defense (DoD), and Coast Guard made this commitment during the hearing of the US House of Representatives foreign relations’ subcommittee on Indo-Pacific Thursday in Washington D.C.

“We are strongly supportive of not just bilateral patrols but exploring opportunities for multilateral patrols with the Philippines and with other partners as well,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Lindsey Ford, said.

Recently, coast guards from Philippines, US and Japan conducted their first trilateral exercises in the WPS.

The DoD has also inaugurated the USJapan-Philippines defense dialogue. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin likewise convened the US-Australia-Philippine-Japan defense ministers’ meeting.

Ford also said that there is an ongoing negotiation between Manila and Washington for a multi-year security sector assistance road map.

The road map will enable the Philippines and the US defense departments to identify the needed maritime assets and bring these assets to the Philippines “quickly.”

“We have committed to negotiating

Bigger

By Butch Fernandez

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is endorsing calls seeking to increase current level of government subsidy provided for the modernization program for public utility vehicles (PUVs).

The senator conveyed his support for the program at a recent Senate hearing on the 2024 proposed budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). U nder the PUV modernization program, all jeepney engines should at least be Euro-4 and Philippine National Standards (PNS)-compliant.

“F rom the briefers that I read, the compliance rate right now is only at 60 percent and the allocation for the modernization for 2024 is zero. In other words, we compel them to modernize but we don’t have any support to give them in the next few years,” Gatchalian told transportation officials.

The legislator emphasized that increasing the subsidy should form part of the DOTr’s strategy to achieve at least 100 percent modernization of the country’s PUVs.

According to the transportation department, one unit of modernized PUV costs P2.4 million to P2.8 million.

GSMIA [General Security of Military Information Agreement] by the end of this year that will enhance our information and intelligence sharing that enables them to have a better understanding of what’s going on,” Ford added.

The State Department is also working “very hard” to rally support for the Philippines from its allies “to lawfully exercise, operate, fly” in the WPS.

“One of the things that we’re working on with our allies and partners is globalizing the South China Sea issue. So much of the global economy runs through the South China Sea and it’s a vital economic throughway. So, this is not just about China, this is not just about the countries in the region, it’s vital for Europe, it’s vital for us,” Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs Dr. Jung Pak said.

Guam Rep. James Moylan, member of the House subcommittee, suggested that aside from the increasing patrols, the Philippines should be added to Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)—a strategic security grouping composed of US, India, Japan and Australia.

China opposed the revival of QUAD, calling it “Asian NATO.”

“As strong of a message as joint patrols are, our show of support for the Philippines must be multi-faceted. The United States should work to update and strengthen our mutual defense pact with the Philippines, ensuring a new era of cooperation can be formalized and continue the long friendship our two countries have enjoyed,” Moylan wrote in his op-ed piece at The Hill.

PBBM halts collection of pass-through fees for vehicles transporting goods

By Samuel P. Medenilla

TO help lower the price of goods and services, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has prohibited local government units (LGU) from collecting passthrough fees for delivery vehicles on national roads, and those unfunded by Republic Act (RA) No. 7160 or the Local Government Code (LGC).

Likewise, he “strongly urged” LGUs to suspend or discontinue the collection of fees such as sticker fees, discharging fees, market fees, toll fees, entry fees, or mayor’s permit fees, imposed on vehicles transporting goods

and passing through public roads constructed by and funded through the LGC.

The said policies were issued through the President’s Executive Order (EO) No. 41, which he signed on September 25, 2023, but only took effect last Thursday after it was posted in the Official Gazette.

The President said the three-page issuance was in line with the goal of his administration to reduce transport and logistics costs to help revitalize industries.

“The unauthorized imposition of pass-through fees has a significant impact on transportation and logis -

tics costs, which are often passed on [to] consumers, who ultimately bear the burden for the increase in prices of goods and commodities,” Marcos said in his new EO.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) already issued a similar warning to LGUs against illegal collection of pass-through fees in 2018.

Marcos tasked DILG to coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and Department of Finance (DOF) to make

sure the existing ordinances of LGUs related to pass-through fees are consistent with the LGC.

The review will be done 30 days within the effectivity of the new order.

Officials or employees of LGUs, who may fail to comply with the provisions of EO 41, will face administrative or disciplinary sanctions without prejudice to other criminal, civil or other related liabilities under existing laws.

DTI and DILG were mandated to submit periodic reports to the Office of the Executive Secretary on the implementation of EO 41.

Teodoro assures Comelec of DND support for peaceful BSKE in Oct

DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) Secretary

Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. on Thursday assured the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines’s (AFP) support in ensuring that the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will be peaceful and successful.

This was emphasized by the DND chief as he signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Comelec’s Committee on Kontra Bigay on Thursday, September 28.

“We pledge to work closely with the Comelec in ensuring that this election is a success. Kapag hindi po successful itong barangay elections na ito na sinasabi na nga po natin ay foundational,

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista told the committee panel that the department would continue giving equity subsidies to all PUV drivers and operators to help them replace the old units that they currently operate. Bautista said they requested at least 1.6 billion for the program for next year.

Under the program, a portion of the fares earned by the jeepney drivers will go to the payment of a modern vehicle. Gatchalian noted, however, that at the time the program was introduced, fuel costs ranged from $20 to $30 per barrel. Fuel prices have since increased to a range of $80 to $90 per barrel due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

T he deadline for the modernization program was earlier suspended to allow individual jeepney operators to consolidate themselves into co-operatives. The deadline for consolidation has been set for December 31 this year. “It’s a step towards the right direction that we are modernizing through the co-operatives,” Gatchalian said. The transportation department also said that certain private sector groups are interested in venturing into manufacturing modernized PUVs, which could keep the cost in the lower end of the range.

THE US has backed the Philippines’ removal of a South China Sea (SCS) barrier supposedly installed by Beijing, with a Pentagon official describing the move as a “bold step” to defend maritime c laims.

The US is also committed to defend the Southeast Asian nation in case of an armed attack on its vessels in the South China Sea in accordance with a decades-old treaty, according to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Lindsey Ford.

“We have said repeatedly and will continue to say that we stand by those commitments absolutely,” she said at a webcast of a US House foreign affairs subcommittee hearing Thursday.

Tensions between China and the Philippines rose this week after Manila’s coast guard said it took out what it said was a China-installed floating barrier blocking Scarborough Shoal

SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong”

sisiklab nanaman ang internal instability natin, madidistract na naman ang AFP [if these barangay elections will not be successful, the very same elections we say is foundational, then there will be internal instability again, which will distract the AFP], for that matter, and even the Coast Guard, for what we need to do,” Teodoro said.

The Committee on Kontra Bigay, through Comelec chairman George Erwin M. Garcia, forged the MOA with the DND.

The signing was witnessed by Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand P. Maceda Jr., commissioner-in-charge of the Committee on Kontra Bigay, and AFP chief Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.

The Committee on Kontra Bigay aims to combat the deplorable practice

of vote buying and selling and calls for a collective effort to eradicate its influence on the democratic process.

Teodoro said this practice pollutes democracy and must be stopped.

Meanwhile, Brawner signed a separate MOA with Garcia, wherein the Comelec deputized the AFP for the purpose of ensuring a free, orderly and

peaceful barangay elections. The AFP chief subsequently received from the poll body a cheque amounting to P40 million as support fund for the military’s administrative, operational and logistical needs as they perform their functions relative to the upcoming elections. Rex Anthony Naval

PHILIPPINE Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon proposed to the aviation industry to create a humanitarian air system, as he pushed for Subic to be considered as a cargo or humanitarian hub in Asia.

Sharing his insights on strengthening the role of the aviation industry in humanitarian assistance at the 2023 Aviation Summit, Gordon said: “Speed is the name of the game. When people are suffering, needing all kinds of support, time is of the essence.”

Gordon elaborated that the Philippines can be the cargo or humanitarian hub for Asia to meet the logistical needs of a disaster response, including transporting aid workers. He recommended that Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) be used as a cargo and humanitarian hub not just for the Philippines but for other Asian countries. He believes that SBIA would be an ideal place to preposition goods and facilitate rapid deployment.

Gordon welcomed the aviation industry’s interest in learning how it can have a stronger role in humanitarian response as he shared that at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the PRC had to use chartered planes to have the Covid-19 testing equipment and reagents shipped to the Philippines from China.

He added that the PRC had a hard time finding planes that would deliver generators, tents, and other equipment and supplies donated for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria, through the PRC.

He said that SBIA is not operational at the moment, but it would be a wise decision to reuse it and recoup the country’s investment in building it.

The two-day inaugural summit was co-organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), and the Department of Transportation (DoTR).

Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, once again called upon the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure the timely release of necessary allowances for the country’s health-care workers, in accordance with the law considering their sacrifices and dedication throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Go r eminded DOH Secretary Teodoro

“Ted” Herbosa during a Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing on Tuesday, September 26, that some health-care workers are yet to receive their allowances.

He likewise urged DOH to implement a more efficient and streamlined process to expedite the release of allowances for healthcare workers in accordance with the law.

T he senator likewise stressed that the least the government can do is to ensure that health-care workers receive the allowances they rightfully deserve without delay. Go emphasized the importance of

in contested waters that prevented access for Filipino fishing vessels. Beijing has, however, said it removed the structure by itself, as it maintained sovereignty in the area.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. conferred with security officials in his recent order to remove the barrier, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin separately said in a local radio interview Thursday.

Asked during the hearing if the US Coast Guard is inclined to join their Philippine counterparts to deter Beijing’s “bad faith actions” in the SCS, Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson said his crew “will continue to build” Manila’s capacity to defend its sovereign rights.

“We will continue to share with them our tactics, techniques and procedures to make sure that they are ready for those types of events,” he said. Bloomberg News

continuously supporting the frontliners even after the state of public health emergency had been lifted.

Go is one of the authors and cosponsored Republic Act No. 11712, which grants continuing benefits and allowances to healthcare workers during public health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Public and private health-care workers covered by the law are entitled to Health Emergency Allowance for every month of service during a state of public health emergency based on the risk categorization.

Previously, Go expressed his gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for showing his unwavering commitment to the welfare of health-care workers. The senator specifically praised the President for urging the prompt release of the muchneeded Covid-19 emergency allowance during his second State of the Nation Address last July.

govt subsidy for PUV modernization program pushed

US says PHL took ‘bold step’ in barrier row with China

DOH reminded anew to release health-care workers’ allowances

PRC Chairman Gordon sees Subic as Asia’s cargo or humanitarian hub

Bombing at rally celebrating birthday of Islam’s prophet kills 52 people in southwestern Pakistan

By Abdul Sattar The Associated Press

QUETTA, Pakistan—A powerful bomb exploded near a mosque at a rally celebrating the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad in southwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 52 people and injuring nearly 70 others, police and a government official said.

The bombing occurred in Mastung, a district in Baluchistan province, where hundreds of people had gathered for a procession to celebrate the birth anniversary of the prophet. Muslims hold rallies and distribute free meals to people on the occasion, which is known as Mawlid an-Nabi.

Those injured in the blast were taken to nearby hospitals and some were in critical condition, government administrator Atta Ullah said. Abdul

Rasheed, the District Health Officer in Mastung, said 30 bodies were taken to one hospital and 22 others were counted at a second hospital.

A senior police officer, Mohammad Nawaz, was among the dead, Ullah said. Officers were investigating to determine whether the bombing was a suicide attack, he added.

Friday’s bombing came days after authorities asked police to remain on maximum alert, saying militants could target rallies making the birthday of Islam’s prophet.

Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked authorities to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the victims’ families.

In a statement, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the bombing and expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of lives. He said it

was a “heinous act” to target people in the Mawlid an-Nabi procession.

The government had declared a national holiday for the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, and President Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-haq-Kakar in separate messages had called for unity and for people to adhere to the teachings of Islam’s prophet.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s bombing, but Pakistani Taliban quickly distanced themselves from it. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and Nato troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

The Islamic State group has

claimed previous deadly attacks in Baluchistan and elsewhere.

Also Friday, the military said two soldiers were killed in a shootout with Pakistani Taliban after insurgents tried to sneak into southwestern district of Zhob in Baluchistan province. Three militants were killed in the exchange, a military statement said.

The gas-rich southwestern Baluchistan province at the border of Afghanistan and Iran has been the site of a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades. Baluch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but they later launched an insurgency calling for independence.

The Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.

House Republicans launch formal impeachment probe against Biden

By Farnoush Amiri, Lisa Mascaro & Eric Tucker

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—House Republicans launched a formal impeachment hearing Thursday against President Joe Biden, promising to “provide accountability” as they probe the family finances and lucrative business dealings of his son Hunter and make their case to the public, colleagues and a skeptical Senate.

The chairmen of the Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees used the opening hearing to review the constitutional and legal questions involved with impeachment. They are trying to show what they say are links to Biden’s son Hunter’s overseas businesses, though key witnesses said they do not yet see hard evidence of impeachable offenses.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, the Oversight chairman, said the lawmakers have “a mountain of evidence” that will show that the elder Biden “abused his public office for his family’s financial gain.”

Comer announced he was issuing subpoenas for additional banking records from Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James Biden. He said the panel will continue to “follow the money and the evidence to provide accountability.”

It’s a high-stakes opening act for Republicans, taking place just before a potential federal government shutdown, as they begin a process that can lead to the ultimate penalty for a president, dismissal from office for what the Constitution describes as “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The White House pushed back with statements throughout the hearing saying nothing can distract from the Republicans’ inability to govern as the shutdown loomed. Spokesperson Sharon Yang called the hearing a “baseless stunt” and said, “President Biden will always stay focused on the priorities of the American people—not these political games.”

The more than six-hour hearing came as House Republicans face scattered resistance to an impeachment inquiry from their own ranks and deep reluctance in the Senate from Republicans who worry about political ramifications and say Biden’s conviction and removal from office is unlikely.

As the hearing began, Democrats displayed a screen showing the days, hours and minutes left until the government shuts down as Congress struggles to fund the government before Saturday’s deadline.

“We’re 62 hours away from shutting down the government of the United States of America and Republicans are launching an impeachment drive, based on a long debunked and discredited lie,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel.

Raskin questioned the legitimacy of the hearing since the House has not voted to formally launch the impeachment inquiry. He said Republicans are rehashing five-year-old allegations raised by Donald Trump, who is Biden’s chief rival in 2024, during the former president’s 2019 impeachment over Ukraine.

“They don’t have a shred of evidence against President Biden for an impeachable offense,” he said.

The hearing Thursday did not feature

witnesses with information about the Bidens or Hunter Biden’s business. Instead, the panel heard from outside experts in tax law, criminal investigations and constitutional legal theory.

A top Republican-called witness, Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor who is an expert in impeachment issues, said he believed the House had passed the threshold for an inquiry but that the current evidence was

not enough for charges.

“I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment,” Turley said.

Democrats, who decry the investigation as a political ploy aimed at hurting Biden and helping Trump as he runs again for president, brought in Michael Gerhardt, a law professor who has also appeared as an expert in previous impeachment proceedings.

In detailing the reasons Republicans

say they have to impeach Biden, Gerhardt concluded: “If that’s what exists, as a basis for this inquiry, it is not sufficient. I say that with all respect.”

Still, questions remain as Republicans dig into the Biden family finances and the overseas business dealings of Hunter Biden, who has acknowledged being a drug user during much of the time under scrutiny. The president’s brother, James, was also involved in some work with Hunter.

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