Manila Standard - 2019 December 26 - Thursday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 315 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Ursula’ batters Visayas; 2 dead 16,787 seek refuge in evacuation centers, signal #3 in 5 provinces

By Rio N. Araja

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T LEAST two people died in Leyte province while thousands spent their Christmas Eve in evacuation centers when Typhoon “Ursula” (international name “Phanfone”) unleashed its wrath in Eastern Visayas Tuesday night.

THE POPE AND THE CHILD. Pope Francis began

celebrating his first Christmas Eve Mass as pontiff by placing a baby Jesus statue in a replica of a manger in St. Peter’s Basilica. Keeping with the theme of humility he has set for his new papacy, Francis carried the statue instead of an aide, and kissed a knee of the figure of the newly born Jesus. AFP

Pope Francis: God loves all, even worst of us POPE Francis ushered in Christmas on Wednesday for the world’s 1.3-billion Catholics with a message of unconditional love, saying “God continues to love us all, even the worst of us.”

“You may have mistaken ideas, you may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you,” the pontiff told crowds gathered at the Vatican for his Christmas Eve midnight mass.

The Argentinian also emphasized “unconditional” love, in a year that Next page

Arvin Monge, chief of the Leyte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said a police officer died due to electrocution when the typhoon made its second landfall in this city.

The PDRRMO was still getting more details on one typhoon-related fatality in Kananga, Leyte.

Based on an initial report, the powerful typhoon displaced at least 1,840 families or 16,787 individuals in 80 villages in15 towns in the province.

In Tacloban City, the regional capital, some 551 families or 1,507 individuals moved to evacuation centers.

Towns with evacuees were Palo, La

Paz, Dulag, Pastrana, Babatngon, Barugo, Carigara, Jaro, San Isidro, Ormoc City, Isabel, Albuera, Villaba, Bato, Baybay City, Abuyog, and Tanauan.

Affected families had to skip the Christmas traditions of “noche buena” and the last “Simbang Gabi” Mass as they took shelter on higher ground away from home.

Monge said local authorities had disseminated warnings days before the typhoon’s landfall, but most residents ignored the warning since they were too preoccupied with Christmas Day preparations.

“This is the strongest after Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in terms of wind... The rain was not that heavy, but some areas were flooded early Wednesday morning Next page

WET CHRISTMAS. Residents walk and bike through the ruins of a damaged house in Tacloban (top photo) after Typhoon ‘Ursula’ pummeled the central Philippines on Christmas Day, bringing a wet and miserable holiday season to millions in the mainly Catholic nation of 106-million people. In Iloilo in western Visayas (above), an empty passenger bus is held immobile by neck-deep floodwaters. The typhoon made landfall earlier along the towns of Guiuan and Salcedo in Eastern Samar. AFP

Army, Reds swap truce violations

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Philippine Army and the National Democratic Front/New People’s Army traded accusations of violations of the holiday truce following the death of a soldier and the wounding of six others in an alleged ‘ambush’ in Camarines Norte.

The Army said the attack was a clear violation of the agreed ceasefire, but the National Democratic Front of the Philippines denied the accusation, saying that it

Rody’s videocall wish for OFWs: Fruitful lives PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s Christmas wish for overseas Filipino workers is to have “fruitful and meaningful lives” In a special video played before distressed Filipino workers in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, the President extended his Yuletide greetings to them and took the opportunity to thank them for their hard work for their respective families, loyalty to the country, and support for the government.

“More than anything, we want you home. We want you [to] live fruitful and meaningful lives close to your loved ones,” he said in the video message.

“Maraming salamat po. Hinding-hindi ko kayo malilimutan. Maligayang Pasko at Bagong Taon (Thank you to all of you. I will never forget you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year),” he added.

Overseas Filipino workers all over the world are estimated at 2.3 million, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil exporter, is Next page

Santa delivers —US astronauts FOR decades, the Canadian and American defense agency NORAD has provided updates on Santa Claus’ international gift delivery route, but this year, for the first time, US astronauts lent a hand.

Next page

did not violate the truce.

In a statement, Fidel Agcaoili, chairperson of the NDFP negotiating panel, said the rebels only defended themselves against armed attacks.

“These were defensive actions by the NPA units involved in the face of armed attacks and sustained military operations by the AFP and the PNP [special operations unit], as attested to in separate statements issued by the Romulo Jallores Next page

Lambanog samples toxic, DOH confirms

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

OFWS IN DISTRESS. Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Chief of Protocol Robert Borje and Foreign Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola meet hundreds of Overseas Filipino Workers in distress while being temporarily housed in two separate areas in Riyahd on Monday. The 248 OFWs are being managed by the Philippine Overseas Labor office. Borje presented a special Christmas video message from President Rodrigo Duterte. Presidential Photo THROWBACK THURSDAY.

After more than 11 years and 10-million visitors, Washington D.C.’s Newseum, will close down on Dec. 31. The front page of Manila Standard—the only Philippine newspaper to be featured—on the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States forms part of Newseum’s 9/11 Gallery.

FIVE out of seven lambanog samples collected by Food and Drug Administration regulatory inspectors from several sellers in Rizal, Laguna tested positive for high levels of methanol, Department of Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo.

Domingo, officer-in-charge of the FDA, said the five samples that tested positive contained 11.4 percent to 18.2-percent methanol and were collected from Rey Lambanog, Emma’s Lambanog store and Orlando Mapa store.

“Very low levels of methanol may be present in alcoholic beverages provided they are byproducts of natural fermentation. The high levels found in the samples makes them toxic,” Domingo said.

The samples were collected on Dec. 23 and tested at the FDA laboratory.

Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a flammable and poisonous liquid.

Ingestion of 30 ml is potentially fatal.

Absorption through the skin or via inhalation may also lead to toxic effects. This is due to methanol being converted to formaldehyde and formic acid in the liver.

The FDA requires manufacturers of alcoholic drinks to secure a license to operate and to register their products so that these can be monitored regularly.

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Pope Francis:...

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has seen the Pope move to combat silence surrounding paedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church, which has been rocked by thousands of reports of sexual abuse by priests around the world and accusations of coverups by senior clergy.

Earlier this month, he removed a Pontifical secrecy rule, which critics said prevented priests and victims from reporting abuse, and in May passed a landmark measure to oblige those who know about sex abuse to report it to their superiors.

Francis will at noon on Wednesday give the traditional Christmas Day mass—his seventh—addressed to the world in front of St. Peter’s Square.

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians and foreigners converged in the biblical town of Bethlehem, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

A few hundred worshippers gathered in the church on the site of Jesus’s birth for midnight mass, attended by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Hundreds more gathered outside, watching on screens in the crisp air.

‘Special greetings’ to Gaza But fewer Christians from the Gaza Strip were in attendance than in previous years, as Israel had granted permits to just around 300 of the some 900 people who applied, said Wadie Abunassar, an adviser to Church leaders in the Holy Land.

At midnight bells rang out throughout the town, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the most senior Roman Catholic official in the Middle East, led hymns and said prayers.

“At Christmas all the world looks to us, to Bethlehem,” he said.

“Special greetings to our brothers and sisters in Gaza, with whom I celebrated Christmas two days ago,” he added.

Pizzaballa, who had to cross Israel’s separation barrier to get from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, said after his arrival that it was a difficult time but there was reason for hope.

“We see in this period the weakness of politics, enormous economic problems, unemployment, problems in families,” he said.

“On the other side, when I visit families, parishes, communities, I see a lot of commitment... for the future. Christmas is for us to celebrate the hope.”

Earlier on Christmas Eve, a few thousand people watched in the winter sun as Palestinian scouts paraded in front of a giant Christmas tree.

“The church is beautiful and it puts what we know in the Bible [in] place,” said Laneda, an American tourist visiting the site. “Everything is just very meaningful.”

French Catholics endured a sad moment as Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was unable to hold Christmas Eve Mass for the first time since 1803—after a fire ravaged its structure in April.

In the Philippines, a majority Catholic country, Typhoon “Phanfone” (“Ursula”) brought a wet and miserable Christmas Day to millions, many of them stranded at shuttered ports or evacuation centers. AFP

Lambanog...

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“For their safety and that of their loved ones, we urge all consumers to patronize only registered food and drink products registered with the FDA and sold by licensed manufacturers and dealers especially during the holidays,” Domingo said.

Domingo earlier said the number of deaths due to methanol poisoning from drinking lambanog rose to eight from the initial two earlier confirmed by the DOH. He said rushed or incorrect methods of producing the distilled palm liquor may lead to the production of methanol.

Domingo called on lambanog manufacturers to ensure that they get FDA approval for their products.

“It is important that this product is registered, checked and tested. Backyard production is really difficult because the product in not regulated,” he said.

A lawmaker, meanwhile, said Congress should review the law governing food safety following the deaths of eight people and hospitalization of 300 others after drinking lambanog.

Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones said she will file a resolution on the subject, saying that stricter regulation should be implemented in the making and selling of lambanog.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said that criminal charges will soon be filed against the backyard distillery that distributed the deadly liquor.

Last year, 15 people died in Sta. Rosa, Laguna after drinking palm wine. The liquor maker, Bossing Lambanog, was fined P1.9 million.

A report from radio dzBB said 42 patients were admitted at the Philippine General Hospital after drinking lambanog.

Seventeen were in the emergency room, 24 were recovering in the ward while one was still in intensive care, the radio report said. With Maricel V. Cruz

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Du30 urges Saudi king to visit PH P The President’s invitation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was relayed by Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Robert Borje during a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Riyadh on Monday.

President Duterte last met the king and the crown prince during his state visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2017.

During their meeting, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines reaffirmed their shared commitment to intensify cooperation.

Borje, who also serves as chief of presidential protocol and Duterte’s special envoy to Saudi Arabia, conveyed the government’s gratitude to oil-rich kingdom for ensuring the welfare of Filipinos working there.

Saudi Arabia is currently the largest employer of migrant Filipino workers and has the largest Filipino population in the Middle East. Filipinos make up the fourth-largest group of foreigners in Saudi Arabia and are the secondlargest source of remittances to the Philippines.

The government has sought the assistance of the Saudi Social Welfare Agency in the repatriation of nearly 200 distressed Filipino workers there.

Prince Faisal said he will try to accelerate the process for Saudi-born Filipino minors awaiting repatriation to the Philippines.

The prince also expressed the kingdom’s willingness to contribute to the development of the Bangsamoro Auton-

omous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as Borje invited them to invest in infrastructure programs in the region.

Prince Faisal assured the Philippine official that Saudi Arabia will contribute to BARMM’s development, a press release from the Palace said.

The kingdom played a key role in Mindanao peace initiatives in the past.

Borje is on an assistance-to-nationals mission in the Middle East and North Africa to assess the Filipinos’ condition.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday said the Philippines is finalizing three treaties with Saudi Arabia that would pave the way for the repatriation of imprisoned overseas Filipino workers to serve their sentences in the Philippines.

Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said they met Dec. 9 to 11 with the delegation from Saudi Arabia and concluded three treaties― the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement, the Extradition Treaty, and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on criminal matters between the Philippines and the KSA.

‘Ursula’...

intense rainfall.”

The eye of the typhoon was located at 70 kilometers southeast of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

Packing sustained winds of 140 kms per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph, it was moving west at 20 kph.

The typhoon brought a wet, miserable and terrifying holiday season to millions.

Tens of thousands were stranded at shuttered ports or evacuation centers at the height of the festive season on Wednesday, and residents cowered in rain-soaked homes as Ursula leapt from one small island to another for the second day.

The typhoon crumpled houses like accordions, toppled trees and blacked out cities in the country’s most storm-prone region.

Though weaker, Ursula was tracking a similar path as Super Typhoon Yolanda—the country’s deadliest cyclone on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

More than 16,000 people spent the night in improvised shelters in schools, gyms and government buildings as the typhoon made landfall Tuesday, civil defense officials said.

“It was frightening. The glass windows shattered and we took cover by the stairs,” Ailyn Metran said after she and her four-year-old child spent the night at the local state weather service office where her husband worked.

The typhoon ripped a metal window

frame off the building and dropped it onto a car parked outside, she said.

With just two hours’ sleep, the family returned to their home in Tacloban city Wednesday to find their two dogs safe, but the floor was covered in mud and a felled tree rested atop a nearby house.

The weather office said the typhoon strengthened slightly overnight Tuesday and was gusting at 195 kilometers an hour, which can knock down small trees and destroy flimsy houses.

Survivors took to social media with pictures and videos of crushed homes, buses half-submerged in brown-colored floods, roads strewn with tree trunks, and coconut and banana plants being shredded by ferocious winds.

The typhoon hit land as millions of Filipinos trooped to once-yearly clan reunions centered on the “noche buena,” a sumptuous midnight meal that is the highlight of the Catholic nation’s holidays.

More than 25,000 people remained stranded at ports on Christmas Day with ferry services still shut down, the coast guard said.

Scores of flights to the region also remained cancelled, though the populous capital Manila, on the northern section has so far been spared.

Ursula ravaged the north of the island of Cebu overnight Tuesday, and residents decamped from evacuation centers only to find their homes damaged, civil defense official Allen Froilan Cabaron said.

“They were safer at the evacuation

By MJ Blancaflor and Rey E. Requejo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has invited Saudi Arabia’s royals to visit the country as the two nations marked the 50th year of their diplomatic relations.

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as accumulated rainwater from upland flowed to populated communities after seven hours,” he said.

The majority of areas in Leyte province have been experiencing a power outage since Tuesday night as the storm’s fierce winds toppled several electric posts. Most areas have weak mobile phone signals as of Christmas Day. With the storm’s impact, the PDRRMO was proposing to place Leyte under a state of calamity within the week.

“We still have to gather more data from affected municipalities. It is very challenging due to unstable communication signals, power outages, and lack of personnel,” Monge added.

Ursula made its first landfall in Salcedo, Eastern Samar at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, before making a second landfall in Tacloban City, Leyte, on the same day at 7:30 p.m.

The region’s five provinces were placed under Storm Warning Signal No. 3 on Tuesday night as the typhoon blew maximum sustained winds of up to 150 kph.

Ursula made its sixth landfall on Wednesday in Caluya Island, Antique, at 1 p.m.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned residents in the Caluya Islands of “destructive winds and

Santa...

Army,...

From A1

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“We have obtained visual confirmation

that Santa is currently traveling south over India,” Andrew Morgan said via a video link as hefloated at zero gravity in the International Space Station.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said that the ISS was traveling at 17,000 miles (27,000 kilometers) an hour, 250 miles above Earth—providing “a great vantage point to spot Santa on his annual journey around the world.”

“NORAD appreciates the support of Colonel Morgan and the ISS team,” it added.

The agency reported that Santa and his reindeer were near Managua, Nicaragua at 0505 GMT Wednesday and had delivered more than 5.7-billion gifts after hours of giving. They took off from the North Pole at 0930 GMT Tuesday.

NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955 when a girl dialed a misprinted phone number from a department store advertisement in the local newspaper, believing she was calling Santa.

The number rang into the Air Defense Command Operation Center, where an officer was quick to realize the mistake and assured her he was Santa.

Each year since, NORAD has reported Santa’s location to millions across the globe, with noradsanta.org this year live-tracking his present-filled red sleigh pulled by nine reindeer.

Today, 1,500 volunteers help the military answer calls and e-mails from children.

US first lady Melania Trump joined the effort, listening to several children from across the United States tick off items on their Christmas lists. She reminded them to put out milk and cookies for Santa.

The US Department of Agriculture said that “Mr S. Nicholas Claus” and his reindeer had been granted a special movement permit to enter the country and were “fit for landing on rooftops.”

AFP

Command, New People’s Army, Bicol, and the Napoleon Tumagtang Command, New People’s Army, Southern Panay,” the NDFP said.

“The statements belie the malicious charges in the press releases earlier issued by the concerned units of the AFP and PNP on the incidents,” it added.

Agcaoili said that the NDFP has yet to receive copies of the SOMO (Suspension of Military Operations) and SOPO (Suspension of Police Operations) to be issued by the military and the police.

Army Commanding General Gilbert Gapay, however, said that “in light of this development, other means of peaceful resolution such as localized peace talks need to be considered.”

In his report, Gapay said that troops of the 92nd Division Reconnaissance Company were returning to their base due to the suspension of military operations when they were attacked on Sunday midnight.

He also condemned the use of a landmine in the ambush as it was a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Gapay added that a police personnel was wounded in a separate NPA attack in Tubungan, Iloilo less than an hour after the Camarines Norte ambush.

“We just hope that the CPP-NPA will not miss this opportunity by staging these senseless attacks, especially during a time when the nation celebrates the season of love, peace and unity,” Gapay said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier directed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to talk with self-exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison over the possible resumption of peace negotiations.

On Sunday, the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines declared ceasefire for the holiday season and to create an enabling environ-

The Justice official cited the need to negotiate these treaties because 91 Filipinos are currently detained in Saudi Arabia and 1,002 Filiopino workers are being investigated for various crimes.

“We saw the number of individuals detained and we made it a priority,” Perete said.

Out of the 91 detained Filipinos, one of them is serving an 11-20 years term; six of them are serving five-10 years imprisonment; and 84 of them are serving less than five years imprisonment.

Perete said since the two countries have both approved the revisions and concluded the terms in the three treaties, both parties would submit the draft to their respective principals for signing by their secretaries or ministers of justice or heads-ofstate, possibly by early next year.

“If the TSPA is approved by the principals… and eventually signed, this would allow the prisoners to be repatriated back in the Philippines to serve their sentence in the Philippines instead in the kingdom,” the DOJ official said.

centers. At least they were able to eat the Christmas Eve meal there, even if only tinned fish and instant noodles were available,” Cabaron said.

“But even with food on the table, the atmosphere would have been different because they were not at home,” Cabaron added.

“Obviously, they were unable to celebrate Christmas properly because some spent the night at evacuation centers,” rescue official Cecille Bedonia said.

At the western island resort of Coron, the beaches emptied and boat tours were suspended as Western tourists stayed in their rooms to await the typhoon onslaught later Thursday.

“Many of the tourist establishments here are closed, and some of our guests failed to arrive because their flights were cancelled,” hotel receptionist Nina Edano said.

“We’re not scared, but the ambience here is generally gloomy,” she added.

The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific cyclone belt.

As such, the archipelago gets hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing scores of people and wiping out harvests, homes and other infrastructure and keeping millions perennially poor.

A July 2019 study by the Manilabased Asian Development Bank said the most frequent storms lop 1 percent off the Philippine economic output, with the stronger ones cutting output by nearly 3 percent.

ment for the possible resumption of peace talks.

The ceasefire will last until Jan. 7.

Meanwhile, a militant lawmaker has welcomed the holiday truce between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines in preparation for the formal resumption of peace negotiations.

“We welcome the declaration of a nationwide ceasefire from both the GRP and the NDFP beginning midnight of December 23, 2019 to midnight of January 7, 2020,” ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said.

“To be able to achieve just and lasting peace, government should be able to address the roots of armed conflict which are worsening poverty for the majority of the Filipino people and intensifying culture of impunity and injustice. The resumption of the peace negotiations is a step towards achieving just and lasting peace.”

Castro said in times of worsening poverty and intensifying attacks on human rights, the possibility of the resumption of the formal peace talks is most welcome to the Filipino people who long for just and lasting peace.

“We urge the people to continue to struggle for just and lasting peace.

Voice out our support for the peace talks and our demands as the parties are set to talk about the Comprehensive Agreement on Socioeconomic Reforms,” Castro said.

The government and the Communist Party of the Philippines have declared a 15-day “unilateral and reciprocal” ceasefire from Dec. 23 to Jan. 7, 2020.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the reconstitution of the government negotiating panel for the peace talks with the CPP-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army―an official move toward the revival of the negotiations which the commander-in-chief terminated in November 2017.

The new panel will now include Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as among its members.

Rody’s...

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among the top destination countries, accounting for 24.3 percent of the total 2.3-million migrant Filipinos worldwide, the PSA poll showed.

President Duterte, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs, gave Christmas presents to the distressed workers in Al Khobar on Tuesday through their representatives, Malacañang said in a press statement on Wednesday.

“The female and male wards at the Al Khobar shelters were given care packages and special financial assistance,” the Palace said.

Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Robert Borje assured the workers that the President has “continuing concern” for the plight of Filipinos working abroad, Malacañang said.

After meeting with female and male wards at the Al Khobar shelters, Borje and Foreign Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola had a dialogue with members of the Filipino community at the International Philippine School.

Borje also serves as Duterte’s special envoy to Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

He was sent to North Africa and the Middle East to assess the situation of Filipinos in the regions. PNA

News

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

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19 prematurely released GCTA-inmates at large

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Department of Justice on Wednesday said that 19 of the original Bureau of Corrections list of 1,914 persons deprived of liberty who had been prematurely released on account of good conduct time allowance have yet to be rearrested three months after President Rodrigo Duterte’s ultimatum for them to surrender to the authorities lapsed.

Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Vincent Bainto said the Philippine National Police of the Department of the Interior and Local Government have not yet provided the DOJ with updates on the status of their search for the remaining 19 PDLs. “We have not received any feedback from the PNP or DILG. But we’ll call them up and see if they have arrested any from that 19 names that we sent to them,” Bainto said, in an interview.

President Duterte had ordered some 1,914 PDLs, who were prematurely released based on the computation of their good conduct time allowance, to surrender to allow authorities to review and re-compute their GCTA. However, the list containing 1,914 names of PDLs, who were convicted of heinous crimes and were released from year 2014, was hurriedly done by the BuCor. Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete

recalled that when the BuCor came out with the 1,914 list at that time, they did not have the luxury of time.

“We have to go back to the context under which all of this happened. An investigation was conducted by the Senate and the Senate committee required the BuCor to come up with a list, so that list was prepared and as submitted by then BuCor head [Nicanor Faeldon], contained a number of errors,” Perete explained.

Party-list solon seeks adoption of organic farming in PH

By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Wednesday pushed for the adoption of organic farming to promote food production and eliminate the degradation of farm soil that chemical fertilizers may cause.

Deputy Speaker Conrad Estrella III of Abono Party-list group said the House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture and Food has created a technical working group to consolidate the proposals that aim to strengthen and promote organic farming in the country.

Estrella, author of the proposed Expanded Organic Agriculture Act, seeks to amend Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 to enhance its efficacy as an instrument for promoting, propagating and developing not only the practice of organic farming but also other sustainable agriculture practices.

“The practice of organic farming and other sustainable agriculture practices must be geared not only towards increasing farm productivity but, as importantly, towards increasing farmers’ incomes,” Estrella said in pushing for the enactment of his bill.

“Experience, again, has taught us that increases in farm productivity do not necessarily result in higher incomes for our farmers. We have long focused our attention to ensuring that farms produce more—but we have sadly neglected the dire need of farmers to earn more and live better,” he added.

Estrella said organic farming and other sustainable agricultural practices will help the farmers to augment their income.

MIAA chief upbeat over ‘DisipliNAIA’

By Joel E. Zurbano MANILA International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal is optimistic that the DisipliNAIA project aimed to discipline air travelers and airport workers will succeed despite the absence of penalty. ¨We don´t want to impose penalty.

Even without penalties or sanctions, we should take upon ourselves our own responsibility to comply with what is required of us,” said Monreal.

DisipliNAIA aims to encourage people to become good airport citizens and to raise awareness about good manners and right conduct among all airport users—from MIAA employees and third party partners to passengers, transport services, and even to well-wishers.

On social media, the Authority observed a huge clamor for order and discipline at the airport.

Emotions hit Monreal while on the podium during his keynote speech at the press launch of the civility campaign at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last month.

“There are cases where people feel like they can do anything they want—cut lines, put up their feet on the chairs, put their bags on their chair, leave their trash around, violating the yellow line. Perhaps even without them knowing it, this sense of entitlement makes them uncivilized or undisciplined. This misuse of one’s privileged position is more commonplace than you think,” he said.

For the past three years of going around the airport and seeing what he has seen as general manager of MIAA, Monreal had always hoped to launch a campaign like #DisipliNAIA.

PUMMELED.

Trees were uprooted and left scattered on roads, lamp posts were damaged, fishermen had to secure their boats to higher grounds, and thousands were stranded at ports or told to leave their homes as Typhoon 'Phanfone' (local name 'Ursula') pummeled Tacloban, Leyte and Baybay, Eastern Samar provinces in Central Philippines on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2019. AFP

QC dad slams LTFRB for reducing ‘Angkas’ number of bikers

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Councilor Winston Castelo on Wednesday urged the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board to name its executives who brought “chaos” in Angkas.

“They should be exposed and held ac-

countable for the mess in the motorcycle for hire industry,” he said.

He raised concern that thousands of motorcycle drivers stand to lose their jobs, and that commuters would face more transport woes amid the holiday season due to an order issued by the LTFRB reducing Angkas bikers from 27,000 to only 10,000.

The LTFRB ruined all these gains,” he said.

Castelo is a former lawmaker who chaired the House committee on Metro Manila development.

He said the order from the LTFRB came without a public hearing.

“It [order] was not data-driven and

lacked the sound advice from experts and stakeholders. Thus it had suspicious conclusions,” Castelo explained. “Most importantly, the decision was made without regard to safety,” he added.

Riders of Angkas cried foul over LTFRB’s ruling to limit its drivers from 27,000 to 10,000.

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Opinion

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

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EDITORIAL

Duterte’s multifold challenges THIS column’s Person of the Year is, hands down, Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes who tried the 10-year-old Maguindanao massacre case where 58 people, including 32 media workers, were killed in the worst case of political violence in the Philippines.

They will be greater in 2020.

This judge had the guts to pen the 761-page decision finding prominent members of the Ampatuan clan guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

She sentenced them to reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment, and required them to indemnify the relatives of the victims.

Hats off to this judge who had courage where angels feared to tread.

Santa Banana, while the ruling may be partial—there are still suspects at large and must be brought to justice, she showed courage despite reports of intimidation and bribe offers.

May her tribe increase! *** The year will close a few days from now. It is time to assess what President Rodrigo Duterte has done or not done, and what challenges he will face in 2020.

He has not achieved what he has promised to do—specifically, stamp

out illegal drugs and government corruption. He will face greater challenges in the coming years.

There is, for instance, the continuing threat of the Islamic State-inspired Muslim groups like Abu Sayyaf and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters who want to make their presence known.

There is also the decades-old communist insurgency problem, which has become a major headache for the Duterte administration. The peace talks have become an on-again, offagain matter.

The problem with these peace talks is that both the government and the National Democratic Front are talking on different frequencies.

Despite an agreed holiday truce, the New People’s Army has renewed its attack on government forces.

This brings up the issue of sincerity.

The demands of the communists are something else. They want all political prisoners released—an impossibility. They also want to talk outside the Philippines with a third-party facilitator. But communism is a domestic issue!

My gulay, it is bad enough that the communists are double-faced and have no word of honor. Now they also want the government to capitulate to their demands!

Aside from these, the NPA continues to impose on businesses through their so-called revolutionary taxes.

Should government just give in?

As I said, the challenges facing President Duterte in the coming years are overwhelming. I recall that when strongman Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed martial law in 1972, his main problem was insurgency. Meanwhile, Duterte is facing multiple challenges,

Adelle Chua, Editor

Prevailing over fear

T

HE landmark decision of Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes in the Maguindanao massacre case was an important blow against impunity, but the 10year legal battle to get to that point is far from over.

On Dec. 19, five members of the powerful Ampatuan clan were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the murder of 57 people, including 32 journalists and media workers, in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao, the worst case of election-related violence and the single biggest attack on journalists in the country’s history.

Former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his brother, former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, were convicted for 57 counts of murder. A 58th death, of photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, was not recognized by the court because his body was never found.

The two brothers and three other members of the clan were sentenced to 40 years in jail without parole, but it would be folly to believe that this is where the case ends.

Those found guilty may appeal the decision, a process that could add more years to the 10-year-old case.

Furthermore, the damages that the guilty were ordered to pay to the victims’ families, may be delayed as well until the Supreme Court upholds the verdict, which could take two years if the ruling is contested by the accused.

In this time, the accused may try to sell or transfer their real estate and other properties so that these cannot be used to settle the damages.

Then of course, there are 80 more suspects still at large, many of whom are said to be the triggermen who carried out the massacre. The fact that the authorities have been unable to find them in 10 years highlights law enforcement gaps that must be filled.

All these give credence to the assessment by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism that “we still have unfinished business.”

The government, the group noted, must consider the security concerns of the victims’ families since 80 other suspects are still at large. The government must also move to preserve the assets of those who were found guilty to make sure they can be used to settle the damages imposed by the court.

Finally, journalists, too, have a duty to their fallen colleagues to remain vigilant in their coverage of the continuing story.

None of this, of course, takes away from the achievement of Judge Reyes, who in a decade of hearings considered the testimony of 357 witnesses and a case record that reached up to 238 volumes.

Her decision to accept the case when the judge originally assigned to it begged off for fear about his own safety speaks of her courage, sense of duty, and ultimately, her triumph over fear.

This is the fear that the powerful seek to sow on their political rivals, their constituents—and the press. But a free press must speak truth to power—and not be cowed into keeping silent when the stakes are so high.

Turn to A5

A Christmas gift to our teachers CHRISTMAS season is a time for giving. Perhaps, one of the most wonderful gifts our government can give this Christmas is answering the plea of our public servants, particularly our teachers, for higher pay.

Our teachers are one of the most hardworking professionals in our society. They are our second parents who provide us academic education and instill in us values from which we develop our beliefs, principles, and personality. More than that, our teachers are also significant community members and point persons in the implementation of our local programs for education. Their contribution to nation-building is undeniably significant. It is said that education is a good investment in human capital and a fair measure of a country’s economic growth. This is why our Constitution has put primary importance to the right of the citizens to education and has prioritized education programs in the annual budget allocations.

Sadly, the Philippines got the lowest mark in reading comprehension while second lowest in science and mathematics among the 79 countries which participated in a global survey conducted in 2018. The dismal performance of our students in the assessment calls for a more inclusive approach in improving the quality of education provided by our schools. It is high time that we not only focus on providing the infrastructure requirements, but also the personnel needs.

At present, the salaries of our teachers and other government workers including our equally hardworking doctors and nurses have been deemed insufficient to meet their daily needs and to have a decent amount left for them to save. Various groups from these sectors have been bewailing the

seemingly low salary for entry-level professionals and the slow rise in the salary structure. Since then, this has been pushing our professionals to seek better employment opportunities abroad, leading to brain drain in the country.

This urged the filing of House Bill No. 2509, mandating the increase of the salary of public school teachers from salary grade 11 to salary grade 13, and so on by Congresswoman Aleta Suarez. This bill was one of the 104 measures consolidated by the House Committee on Appropriations into House Bill No. 5712, or the Salary

They are one of the most hardworking professionals in our society.

Standardization Law of 2019 which mandates the increase in the salary of government workers. including that of public school teachers, medical doctors, and nurses, by January 2020. The House of Representatives approved the consolidated bill on second reading before it ended its session this year. Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 1219 was also passed which likewise consolidated similar bills on third and final reading. The said measure was marked urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Quezon province is pleased to abide with the proposed measures once passed. These laws will make equitable the salaries of these workers and commensurate to the value of their hard work. Through these measures, it is hoped that our public school teachers will be motivated to remain serving in public schools, while receiving benefits competitive with that of the private sector. For years now, we have also been supporting teachers in Quezon by Turn to A5

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After drought, floods compound Somalia’s year of climate misery

By Nick Perry AS SOMALIA withered from drought early this year, and her goats dropped dead from thirst, Maka Abdi Ali begged for rain.

When the skies finally opened, nature was unmerciful.

Unrelenting downpours in October turned to flash floods, destroying her meager home and few remaining possessions, and washing away whatever harvest and bony animals farmers managed to save during the months without rain.

"I have nothing now," 67-year-old Ali told AFP in a squalid camp on the outskirts of Beledweyne in central Somalia.

Here, 180,000 people fled the fast-rising waters in the country's worst floods in memory.

The arid Horn of Africa country has always been hostage to climate extremes. Rain is erratic, and drought a

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

feature of life.

But catastrophic weather events are occurring in Somalia with ever-greater fury and frequency, trapping millions in a near-constant cycle of crisis.

Little by little, the ability to recover is ground down, say experts.

There is no time to rebuild homes and replenish food stocks before another disaster strikes.

Impoverished and weakened by decades of war, battling an armed insurgency, Somalia is ill-equipped to cope with the destabilizing impact of double-tap environmental crises.

Aid budgets are stretched trying to respond to back-to-back emergencies.

In May, the United Nations launched a drought appeal, warning of looming starvation as Somalia faced its worst harvest on record.

Six months later, it's again appealing for help—this time for $72.5 million (65.1 million euros) for half a million victims of flood.

"There hasn't been a day this year where we haven't been talking about either drought or floods," Abigail Hartley, deputy head of office for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA in Somalia, told AFP. A new norm Among those fleeing the inundation in Beledweyne, the epicenter of this disaster, were Somalis already on the run from other climate-stricken parts of the region.

"The drought forced us to flee... now we are displaced by floods," bemoaned Maryama Osman Abdi, who abandoned her bone-dry farmland for a new start in Beledweyne.

Now, her home in ruins, she contemplates her next move.

Many had migrated to the banks of the Shabelle River—a lifeline which runs through Beledweyne—seeking water to revive their livestock, and Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Gulle City Editor Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion After...

Duterte’s...

From A4

From A4

aside from maintaining close ties with China despite the Filipino people’s distrust of our giant neighbor. *** I have written many columns on the deplorable conditions of our municipal and city jails. Inmates live in sub-human conditions. I think the food allocation per inmate is only P50 a day. The inmates have to take turns sleeping!

I am sure Duterte and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra have seen photos depicting these miserable conditions. But why are they not doing anything about these?

These jails have become a breeding ground for the illegal drugs trade. Here, drug addiction is common. I wish the President would do something about this. *** The congestion at the New Bilibid Prisons is also a cause for concern.

Two past presidents before Duterte have approved the relocation of the national penitentiary to Camp Laur, Nueva Ecija. The new location and new facilities would certainly address the current problems.

The plan is already there—all it needs is the signature of the Secretary of Justice and the President. Three firms have pre-qualified—San Miguel, DM Consunji, and Megawide. But the plan was scrapped by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. Why? Perhaps Guevarra should look at these proposals again.

Inmates have to be rehabilitated so that they can be worthy and productive citizens. *** What message is the government sending to investors, with what has been happening with Maynilad and Manila Water?

With the decision of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to cut the extension period of both firms, supposed to be until 2035, foreign investors are getting worried.

This could mean that the bank debts of Manny Pangilinan and the Ayalas could be called any moment.

If there are onerous provisions in the concession agreements, the right thing ti do is to sit down and talk! *** Two years before the presidential elections, there will be wannabes who will try to make their presence felt. At the moment, I can think of only three—Leni Robredo, Sara Duterte Carpio, and Bongbong Marcos.

I am sure there will be more than three aspirants. Will Alan Peter Cayetano be among them? What I am certain about it is that 2022 will be an interesting race.

nurture their crops.

But the river burst its banks under the ceaseless barrage of rain.

The mighty flood that followed should in statistical terms occur only once in 50 years, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

But, the UN agency noted, the river overflowed in 2019, after 2018 and 2015.

"This was different from the others.

I have never seen anything like it," Omar Dule, a 74-year-old who has spent his lifetime in Beledweyne, told AFP. The FAO, bracing for the next overflow, is repairing embankments along the river long neglected by cashstrapped authorities.

Rainfall extremes in Somalia are forecast to intensify this century, even as the region overall dries considerably, said Linda Ogallo, from the Nairobi-based Intergovernmental Authority on Development Climate Prediction and Applications Center.

"Droughts and floods are increasing, in frequency and intensity," said Ogallo, a climate scientist who specializes in Somalia's weather patterns.

It is an omen already playing out for Mohamed Osman Hashi, whose water-

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

melon and sesame fields in Beledweyne have been devastated again and again.

"In recent times, it seems to be on repeat, almost every year," he told AFP. Breaking point East Africa has endured unusually extreme rainfall since October, with torrential deluges killing hundreds across eight countries, and displacing millions more.

This month, even as water slowly receded in Beledweyne, a tropical cyclone transformed deserts in Somalia's north into seas.

Bosaso, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, received close to a year's worth of rain in less than two days.

Adding to the suffering, the FAO said Wednesday that the country had been hit by its worst outbreak of desert locusts in 25 years.

The curse—exacerbated by the exceptional rain—could spread to Somalia's main crop-growing areas.

The just-concluded UN climate summit in Madrid failed to agree on compensation for poor countries, which have least to blame for causing global warming, for weather-related disasters.

This is grim news for Somalia, which lacks the resources to cope with, or plan for, an ever-more hos-

A Christmas...

From A4

providing scholarships for post-graduate studies through the Serbisyong Suarez program. This is to augment and advance their knowledge and skills in teaching, for the ultimate benefit of our dear students.

Teachers pour their hearts into their profession. Their

tile climate.

Each blow sets back the monumental task of rebuilding a country reliant on foreign aid to support some 5.4-million people in desperate need.

To compound problems, an October study by international researchers found climate change amplifies conflict, emboldening the Al-Shabaab militants waging a potent insurgency in Somalia.

"Developed countries are more resilient. Somalia has been in crisis for years," said Chris Print, a hydrologist with the FAO and expert on Somalia's land and rivers.

"Ironically, the poorest countries are the most likely to be impacted by climate crisis."

Two months after the floods began, about 220,000 people are yet to receive assistance, the UN said.

In the fetid camps for disaster evacuees fringing Beledweyne, 100,0000 people are still unable to return home, squatting beneath tattered stick-andcloth shelters.

"If it happens again, you can bet that some people are just going to give up," Print told AFP. Driven from place to place, pursued by a ferocious climate, some have already reached the end of the road.

"We don't know what else to do," said Abdi, squatting in the dirt, surrounded by nine grandchildren. AFP

work has become their legacy. They mold us into what we are today. I personally thank my teachers who have taught me many things and inculcated in me values which help me fulfill my duties as a father, husband, and a public servant. This Christmas season, I urge our government officials to give them their due. In the spirit of giving, let us give justice to their valuable role in society and grant them a fair and rewarding pay that will allow them and their families a decent and dignified living.

Five reasons COP25 climate talks failed

By Marlowe Hood THE climate summit in Madrid earlier this month did not collapse— but by almost any measure it certainly failed.

Five years after the fragile UN process yielded the world's first universal climate treaty, COP25 was billed as a mopping-up session to finish guidelines for carbon markets, thus completing the Paris Agreement rulebook.

Governments faced with a crescendo of deadly weather, dire alarms from science and weekly strikes by millions of young people were also expected to signal an enhanced willingness to tackle the climate crisis threatening to unravel civilisation as we know it.

The result? A deadlock and a dodge.

The 12-day talks extended two days into overtime but still punted the carbon market conundrum to next year's COP26 in Glasgow.

A non-binding pledge, meanwhile, to revisit deeply inadequate national plans for slashing greenhouse gas emissions was apparently too big an ask.

The European Union was the only major emitter to step up with an ambitious mid-century target ("net zero"), and even then it was over the objection of Poland and without a crucial midway marker.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres labelled COP25 "disappointing". Others were more blunt.

"The can-do spirit that birthed the Paris Agreement feels like a distant memory," said Helen Mountford of Washington-based think tank World Resources Institute.

"The world is screaming out for climate action but this summit has responded with a whisper," noted Chema Vera, executive director of Oxfam International.

So what went wrong?

At least five factors contributed to the Madrid meltdown.

Amateur hour To an unsettling degree, the outcome of a UN climate summit— where 196 nations must sign off on every decision—depends on the savvy and skill of the host country, which acts as a facilitator.

The stars were not aligned for the chaotic Copenhagen summit of 2009 and the Danish prime minister's lessthan-deft manoeuvering did not help.

By contrast, the 2015 climate treaty was

in no small measure made possible by France's diplomatic tour-de-force.

This year, Chile's environment minister Carolina Schmidt wielded the hammer after the conference was moved at the last minute to Madrid due to massive protests on the streets of Santiago.

From Day One, when Schmidt's mishandling of a request from the African negotiating bloc mushroomed into a diplomatic incident, veteran observers worried that she was not up to the job.

For Greenpeace International executive director Jennifer Morgan, "an irresponsibly weak Chilean leadership" enabled Brazil and Saudi Arabia to push agendas destined to derail the talks.

"Chile played a bad hand poorly," noted another insider.

A marginal factor, perhaps, but not a negligible one.

Fox in the henhouse Among the nearly 30,000 diplomats, experts, activists and journalists accredited to attend the summit were hundreds of high-octane fossil fuel lobbyists.

They are collectively the elephant in the room: Everyone knows what causes climate change but it is considered impolitic within the UN climate bubble to point fingers.

Even the Paris Agreement turns a blind eye: Nowhere in its articles does one find the words oil, natural gas, coal, fossil fuels or even CO2.

"We need to engage with them," UN Climate executive secretary Patricia Espinosa told AFP when asked whether it was time to exclude such lobbyists from the room.

"There is no way we will achieve this transformation without the energy industry, including oil and gas."

But the incongruity of their participation in a life-and-death struggle to wean the world from their products has become harder to ignore.

"Is there no space free from greenwashing," asked Mohamed Adow, director of climate think tank Power Shift Africa.

"The UN climate negotiations should be the one place that is free from such fossil fuel interference."

The Trump effect On November 4, 2020—the day after US voters will renew Donald Trump's mandate or turn him out of office—the United States is set to formally withdraw from the Paris

Agreement.

It will be the second time that a Republican White House has plunged a dagger in the heart of a climate treaty nurtured by the Democratic administration that preceded it—the Kyoto Protocol was the previous one.

From the moment Trump was elected—on Day Two of COP22 in Marrakesh—advocates of climate action have played down the negative impact of the world's largest economy and second biggest carbon polluter pulling out of the Paris deal.

But the corrosive "Trump effect" was palpable in Madrid, as was the anger at Washington for twisting arms even as it walked out the door.

"There are one or two parties that seem hell-bent on ensuring any calls for ambition, action and environmental integrity are rolled back," said Simon Stiell, Grenada's environment minister.

Poor and small-island nations exposed to climate-addled weather— drought, heatwaves, super-storms, rising seas—were especially incensed at behind-the-scenes US efforts to block a separate stream of money for "loss and damage."

Rich nations have promised developing ones $100 billion (90 billion euros) annually starting next year to help them adapt to future climate impacts, but there is no provision in the 1992 bedrock climate treaty for damages already incurred.

No one, it seems, imagined that climate talks would drag on for 30 years.

The US withdrawal has also crippled the coalition that delivered the landmark Paris treaty, said Li Shuo, a senior policy analyst for Greenpeace East Asia.

"The US-China-EU climate tricycle has had a wheel pulled off by Trump," he told AFP. "Going into 2020, it is critical for the remaining two wheels to roll in sync."

China at the wheel When it comes to climate change, Beijing holds the fate of the planet in its hands.

China accounts for 29 percent of global CO2 emissions, more than the next three countries—the US, Russia, India—combined, according to the Global Carbon Project.

Its carbon footprint has tripled in 20 years from 3.2 to 10 billions tons in 2018.

The core commitment of China's voluntary carbon cutting plan, annexed to the Paris treaty, is to stabilise

its CO2 output by 2030.

Experts agree that China could hit that mark earlier and more countries are asking Beijing—ever so gingerly—to promise it will.

Granada's minster Stiell called out half-a-dozen rich and emerging economies—including China and India— for not revising their voluntary plans in line with a world in which warming does not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Failure to do so, he said, "shows a lack of ambition that also undermines ours."

"China’s emissions, like the rest of the world's, need to peak imminently, and then decline rapidly," for the world to stay under 1.5C or even 2C, according to the Climate Action Tracker, a consortium that analyses climate commitments.

But Beijing has been coy about its intentions. Going into Madrid, it hinted at a revised target ahead of COP26.

But during the Madrid meeting, China dug in its heels and—backed

by India—invoked the principle that rich countries must take the lead in addressing climate change, calling out their failure to deliver on promises made.

"Ambition of Parties is measured first and foremost by the implementation of its commitments," said a joint statement from China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

The statement said commitments made by developed countries in the pre-2020 period—especially for money and technology—must be honored.

China's lack of enthusiasm is also rooted in changes on the domestic front.

"When an economy slows, it is more difficult to be as single-minded about leadership on climate change," said WRI's Andrew Steer referring to China's position.

China is only likely to follow with measures of its own if the European Union confirms its mid-century "net zero" goal and vows to slash emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, several experts said.

"If the EU doesn't come through, we're screwed," said one observer with more than 20 COPs under her belt.

Spitting into the wind Perhaps the most daunting headwind facing UN climate talks is rising nationalism, populism and economic retrenchment—all at the expense of the multilateralism.

"The stalemate over carbon markets

is a symptom of a more general polarisation and lack of cooperation among countries," said Sebastien Treyer of the IDDRI think tank in Paris.

Street protests, meanwhile, against the rise in cost-of-living in France, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt and more than two dozen other countries in 2019 have given governments already reluctant to invest in a low-carbon future another reason to baulk.

"These cases highlight how sensitive populations are to change in the price of basic commodities like food, energy and transport," noted Stephane Hallegatte of the World Bank.

"This is the context in which most countries have committed to stabilise climate change."

Even the diplomats and activists deeply invested in the UN climate process have begun to wonder if it is fit for purpose.

Negotiations are transactional by nature, and may not be suited to an emergency situation, some noted.

"We are standing and watching our house on fire," said Steer from the WRI. "I've got a fire hose, you've got a fire hose, but I'm not going to turn mine on until you do."

But nations with the most to lose have few alternatives.

"It is the only space where poor countrieswho have done the least to pollute and yet are suffering first and worst from its destruction—have a voice," said Power Shift Africa's Mohamed Adow.

"But, sadly, it is proving inadequate."

The key to unlocking the diplomatic deadlock may lie within civil society, said Johan Rockstrom of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, who wonders whether a wave of moral outrage could push governments toward more decisive action.

"Are we approaching a tipping point where it will no longer be acceptable to shorten the lives of people with fossil fuel pollution?", he asked, noting that breathing the air in the Indian capital New Delhi is like smoking 10 cigarettes a day.

The Fridays for Future youth movement sparked by teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg saw millions of people spill into the streets demanding climate action.

If their numbers rise to tens or hundreds of millions, maybe leaders in democratic and autocratic governments alike will begin to take note. AFP

A6

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

PCSO gives P89-m aid for calamity in 4th quarter THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has reported providing P89 million in calamity assistance to areas hit by earthquakes and typhoons during the last quarter of the year.

“As of October to December, released was P89-million calamity assistance and [in] Mindanao, I turned over P3.1 million to [the] North Cotabato and Davao del Sur governors,” PCSO General Manager Royina Garma said in a statement on Tuesday.

She said as a Christmas present, the agency turned over P16 million in calamity fund to the four municipalities affected by the 6.9-magnitude quake that struck Davao del Sur last Dec. 15.

Early this week, Garma joined Senator Christopher Go in Davao del Sur for a two-day giving of assistance to the municipalities of Padada, Hagonoy, Matanao, and Kiblawan.

Additional medicines worth P50,000 was also given to Padada.

Garma had earlier said the PCSO would introduce more games in 2020 and strengthen its campaign to patronize only legitimate number games.

Their focus next year, she said, would be on sales and marketing to generate more funds to support more government projects.

The PCSO serves as the principal government agency for raising and providing funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character.

The Individual Medical Assistance Program is considered the flagship program of the PCSO, which was institutionalized in 1995 to provide timely and responsive financial assistance to individuals with health-related problems.

Aside from the IMAP, the PCSO’s other charity programs include the Endowment Fund Program, Institutional Partnership Program, Procurement of Medical Equipment, AFP/PNP Health Facilities Capability Building Project, Calamity Assistance Program, Milk Feeding Program, Integrated Health for Overall Productivity and Empowerment, and Out-Patient Services Program (Medical and Dental Services).

Garma called on the public to continue patronizing PCSO’s products asa large chunk of its revenues goes to charity programs. PNA

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE. Thick smoke made it difficult for the many firetrucks and volunteers who responded to a fire that broke out, as seen from a neighbor’s rooftop,

in a crowded block in San Andres Bukid, Manila on Christmas Day. The fire, according to witnesses, started in a house where a quarreling couple had been a problem in the neighborhood. Diana Noche

Two die in Lanao Sur ambush Z

AMBOANGA CITY—Two soldiers were killed while five others were wounded in an ambush in Lanao del Sur on Tuesday, a top military official said.

Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan Jr., the Army’s 1st Infantry Division acting commander, said the ambush occurred in Barangay Bandaraingud, Pagayawan,

Lanao del Sur at 7 a.m.

Gaerlan said the troops were on the way to the site of an ambush that happened in Barangay Bandaraingud on Monday when they were waylaid by a “scalawag soldier”, identified as Cpl. Nao Mohammad Lassam.

He was unable to divulge the identities of the slain and wounded soldiers, except to say they belonged to the Army’s 55th Infantry Battalion.

Gaerlan, who is also acting commander of the Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and

Lanao provinces), expressed his condolences to the families of the slain soldiers.

“Thorough investigation, pursuit, and manhunt operation of the perpetrator is ongoing. Our unit commanders were directed to cooperate with the friendly forces to apprehend the perpetrator,” he said.

Gaerlan also assured the best medical care for the wounded troopers for their speedy recovery.

Killed in Monday’s ambush, also in Barangay Bandaraingud, were police

MMDA’s Lim: Complimentary tickets for festival not for sale

Filipinos urged: Stay away from blasting firecrackers TO PREVENT harmful chemicals from polluting the atmosphere, a medical health expert and an environmental health advocate exhorted all Filipinos to turn away from the dangerous tradition of blasting firecrackers and fireworks.

Dr. Maricar Limpin, a pulmonologist, and environmentalist Thony Dizon both encouraged the public to ring in 2020 without generating pollutants that could put human health at risk.

“Blowing up firecrackers and fireworks generates microscopic pollutants that affect the quality of the air we breathe,” noted Limpin.

She said this posed serious health risks, particularly among children, the elderly, and persons with cardiovascular, neurological and respiratory conditions.

“Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, as well as asthma and heart attacks, are some of the negative effects of inhaling these pollutants,” also said Limpin, also secretary of the Philippine College of Physicians.

Among these harmful airborne pollutants from firecracker explosions and fireworks displays are suspended particulate matter, including PM 2.5 that can travel deep into the respiratory tract and the lungs, carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases, heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium and lead, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

She warned that exposure to these pollutants could trigger or worsen respiratory problems, including allergic or chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, laryngitis, pneumonia, rhinitis, and sinusitis.

Dizon, who is the Chemical Safety Campaigner of the EcoWaste Coalition, added that “aside from the toxic smog, the blasting of firecrackers and fireworks scatter hazardous litter on streets as well as on water bodies.”

“Spent firecrackers and fireworks are not your typical discards as these contain traces of dangerous chemicals that may contaminate the environment or cause harm to wildlife,” he said.

“In spite of their hazardous makeup, discards from firecrackers and fireworks used during the New Year’s Eve revelry are disposed of as general waste and buried in dumps and landfills,” he lamented.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

chief of Binidayan town, Executive Master Sgt. Amen Lucman Macalangan, and his driver Ramel Pangcatan.

Macalangan’s two other companions—police non-uniformed personnel Asliah Adiong and policeman, Patrolman Nasser Arafat—were unhurt.

Col. Madzgani Mukaram, Lanao del Sur police director, said the victims were returning to Binidayan from a weekly oversight meeting at the provincial police headquarters in Marawi City when they were waylaid. PNA

By Joel E. Zurbano

GOOD LUCK ENVELOPE. Rogelio Monzon, 68, readies his “ampao” envelopes—also known as red envelopes—

as cousins Yna and Neiz take turns at Lolo Elyo’s Christmas blessing. The envelopes are gifts presented at social and family gatherings such as weddings or holidays such as Chinese New Year. The red color symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits. Diana Noche

MoA for roll-out of Medical Call Service Project signed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta DOH-CALABARZON has formally signed the Memorandum of Agreement with Innove Communications Inc. for the roll-out of the Medical Call Consultation Service Project.

The MCC will properly address the shortage of medical doctors and health facilities in the identified geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the region through the use of advanced Information and Communication Technologies.

“Like what I have said, this is the time to put in order our system by means of Universal Health Care Law. With the help of a Law that will boost our primary health care to give sufficient and proper health care to our people in the community level,” said Regional Director Eduardo Janairo.

“Here in the medical call consult service, we can provide better medical treatment and care to patients of GIDAs because they will be given services in their places. They don’t need to cross rivers or walk mountains to go to the nearest hospital,” also said Janairo.

He added that the MCC would gather patient data to facilitate follow up and continuous care through the documented call consult with the assistance of the Barangay Health Worker to achieve continuity of care.

The MCC service involves the deployment of voice telehealth kits (mobile phones) with the following features and inclusions such as free calls to landline on nominated area code, broadband, KonsultaMD License,

access to 24/7 licensed Filipino doctors, medical advice and primary care guidance, medicine e-Prescriptions.

Under the MOA, Innove Communications Inc. shall provide 180 voice telehealth kits for the rollout implementation of the project, designed in two phases: December 2019 to December 2021 for phase I (80 units) and April 2020 to April 2022 for phase II (100 units.

A pilot phase of MCC, Janairo said, was conducted from February to June 2019 in 10 barangays namely Binibitinan, Libjo, Banadero in Polillo; Ungos, Capalong, Poblacion 61, Llavac in Real; Poblacion in Patnanungan; and Calasumanga and Bato in Panukulan.

It recorded a total 286 calls from various residents with cough, colds, hoarseness, edema/skin lesions/skin rash, shoulder and back pain, fever and dizziness/headache.

“We will also schedule trainings for our NDPs and midwives in order for them to be familiarize with the project and the system that we will be using for the implementation of the MCC. “ Universal Health Care guarantees Filipinos equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services as well as protection against financial risk.

It also includes assurance of member access to all levels of health care provider networks, whether accessed through health care facilities or remotely through the use of digital technologies for health was highlighted by this law.

The Medical Call Consult is a telemedicine project by the regional health office under the leadership and directive of Janairo.

CHAIRMAN Danilo Lim of the Metro Manila Development Authority reiterated that the complimentary tickets for this year´s Metro Manila Film Festival were not for sale.

“Let me reiterate that the MMFF complimentary tickets are strictly not for sale and there are no persons or groups authorized to distribute it (sic),” said Lim on Christmas Day, the first showing day of the festival.

The MMDA chief came up with the reminder days after a couple were caught selling fake MMDA complimentary passes in Makati City.

The suspects, Hanna Evangelista and Carlo Jaramilla, were caught in possession of hundreds of falsified tickets being sold online for P450 each.

Evangelista said she was just asked by a friend to sell the fake complimentary tickets online.

She claimed she got the tickets from her friend’s cousin, and admitted that she knew selling the tickets was illegal but said she wanted to make ends meet for her child.

MMDA Office of the General Manager chief of staff Michael Salalima said it was Chairman Lim who discovered and intercepted such illegal act.

“For the public to watch the eight official entries for this year’s MMFF, the MMDA and the MMFF Secretariat encourage them to only buy tickets from legitimate cinema houses,” Salalima said.

He also said that there were “security features” in each tickets that were difficult to copy and already communicated to various cinemas to intensify their campaign against fake tickets.

According to Lim, there were no individual or group authorized by the MMDA or the MMFF Executive Committee to sell or distribute complimentary passes.

“As overall Chairman of the Metro Manila Film Festival, I strongly condemn the unscrupulous and enterprising individuals who are turning the MMFF into a profitable business venture by selling complimentary tickets,” Lim said.

Lim warned anyone who would be caught selling or buying complimentary tickets, authentic or fake, that they would be dealt with accordingly and shall face the full force of the law.

Further, he warned those who have bought fake tickets from online sellers not to attempt to use those as they would surely be caught and charged criminally.

Sports Kingad extra motivated to earn shot at fly title DANNY “The King” Kingad considered 2019 a banner year despite falling short of winning a ONE Championship crown.

He hopes to build on the successes of 2019 to finally earn that shot in 2020.

He opened the year with a unanimous decision victory over Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada in January. The 24-year-old earned a spot in the loaded ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

In March, the Team Lakay product beat Pancrase Flyweight World Champion Senzo Ikeda in the quarterfinals via unanimous decision. He then edged former ONE World Title challenger Reece “Lightning” McLaren in the semifinal round through split decision.

Kingad then faced Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, who may be one of the greatest pound-for-pound mixed martial artists of all time.

The Filipino went the distance against Johnson in a thrilling battle.

The American won a unanimous victory.

Two months from that epic contest in the Japanese capital, Kingad can look back and express his admiration for Johnson and his gratitude for having fought a legend.

“The experience was very exciting, and I was really happy because I was given a chance to be a part of it. What made it extra special was that I got all the way to the finals. But unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take home the top prize,” said Kingad.

“There are a lot of people who could only dream about facing him in the Circle, but I was lucky enough to have had that chance. He is a really exciting opponent, and I learned a lot from just competing against him.”

Malixi, pal target nat’l doubles crown YOUNG Rianne Malixi seeks to cap a prolific season with another victory, this time in team play as she shoots for the National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship diadem with Precious Zaragosa beginning tomorrow (Friday) at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club.

Malixi, 12, has racked up three championships in the year about the end, including in the Philippine junior Amateur Open (stroke play), which she ruled while playing in the lower age-group division. She also won the Phl Am Open Match Play title and nipped Sophia Blanco to snare the Northern Luzon Regional plum, both at Luisita, making her one of the players to watch in the three-day tournament that drew 20 teams featuring the country’s leading and rising players in the ranks.

But the rising star from Benedictine International School, who also placed second in the WExpress RVF Cup in Canlubang and came in third in the Riviera MVPSF Amateur Championship, remains wary of their chances given the depth of the field although she expects to complement well with Zaragosa’s game in pursuit of the crown in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Wong glad to help fellow athletes

By Peter Atencio

W

USHU star and Southeast Asian Games champion Agatha Wong felt glad that her suggestion for the implementation of Republic Act No. 10699 has been acted upon.

The full implementation of the law, which is known as the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001, is expected to be put in place by March 2020.

But, as of Monday, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domago-

so has already directed all business owners operating in the city to comply with the law.

“I am surprised. I did not expect my tweet to go this viral, and my voice to be heard that much. Eh, iyung iba kong kasama, their voices were heard. Now,

I am glad that there is awareness,” said Wong in a radio interview.

The law grants 20 percent discount to all qualified national athletes, coaches, and trainers of the country on restaurants, hotels and other business establishments.

With Moreno’s order, the Bureau of Permits of the Manila local government unit sent a letter to all business owners, administrators and operators in the city to follow the Republic Act No. 10699.

“Please be informed that all business owners/administrators/operators in the

Pasaol gains important lessons from camp

Danny Kingad (right) trades blows with Demetrious Johnson during their ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix title showdown. ONE Championship

James, Davis expected to play against Clippers LOS ANGELES, United States— LeBron James is expected to return on Christmas Day to the lineup of the Los Angeles Lakers, who are coming off their most one-sided defeat of the NBA season.

James missed a 128-104 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets on Sunday (Monday Philippine time) because of

a strained chest muscle.

The defeat was the third straight loss for the first place Lakers, who are also expecting Anthony Davis to suit up on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time) when they face the Los Angeles Clippers in one of five Christmas Day NBA contests.

Davis slipped early in the fourth

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) tries to dribble past Milwaukee Bucks defender Giannis Antetokounmpo at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

quarter of the loss to Denver and his right knee bent awkwardly.

He left the game, returned for a few minutes, but then checked out for good as Denver’s lead continued to grow and the game got out of reach for the Lakers.

Both James and Davis missed team practice on Monday.

The Lakers lost to the Clippers 112-102 in the season opener on October 22.

According to multiple sources the Lakers will have their stars on the court for a Christmas Day showdown with the LA Clippers.

James and Davis are expected to play on Wednesday, league sources said. James missed a game for the first time all season Sunday with a thoracic muscle strain and discomfort in his groin. Davis tweaked his right knee during that game, a loss to Denver.

James and Davis encouraged an impromptu early-morning practice on Christmas Eve, in preparation for the Lakers’ first game against the fully formed Clippers with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George available to play.

The Lakers also practiced Monday (Tuesday Philippine time), but both James and Davis were held out of on-court participation.

The two Lakers leaders brought the team in on Tuesday (Wednesday Philippine time) so they could join their teammates in the walkthrough to prepare for the Clippers. AFP

Seahawks turn to Lynch to offset raft of injuries LOS ANGELES, United States—Marshawn Lynch, the newest member of the Seattle Seahawks, said Tuesday (Wednesday Philippine time) it was great to be back after agreeing to come out of retirement and finish the season with his former team.

Seattle, who are desperate for help on the running back position because of injuries, are gambling that the 33-yearold can still produce touchdowns—even though he hasn’t played in the league in over a year.

Asked what brought him back to Seattle, Lynch, who has shown disdain for the American media in the past, declined to explain his return.

city of Manila are directed to follow the above stated R.A. 10699 which grants a 20 percent discount to all qualified national athletes, coaches and trainers in the country,” the letter read.

Last Saturday Wong expressed hope, in a Twitter post on Saturday evening, after she and her family had dinner at a restaurant.

While there, Wong said the establishment took a while before they realized that RA 10699 existed.

Wong said she presented an identification card, which was questioned by the manager of the restaurant.

“Happy holidays,” he said instead.

“Merry New Year. Y’all have a great day. It’s a great feeling to be back.

Thank you.”

The Seahawks, who have already booked a playoff spot, have just one game left in the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.

The retired Lynch last suited up for six games with the Oakland Raiders during the 2018 NFL season. His final game in the NFL was in October of that season when the Raiders lost 27-3 to Seattle.

Lynch spent six seasons in Seattle from 2010 to 2015 after being traded by the Buffalo Bills.

Only six players on the Seahawks’ 53-

man roster were teammates with Lynch during his first stint with the team, comprising quarterback Russell Wilson, linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, wide receiver Tyler Lockett, Canadian tight end Luke Willson and running back Robert Turbin.

“He’s highly motivated to do everything you can do in this game. He really is,” said Seattle coach Pete Carroll.

“He knew he wasn’t done. He got in a situation where he was injured, and he had to rehab and all that.

“It just didn’t fit together right away.

He’s not done playing and he wants to go. This is his entrée and he’s going to go for it.”

Seattle are frantic for help at the running back position after losing C.J. Prosise with a broken arm, and Chris Carson to a hip injury.

Second-year running back Rashaad Penny had already been lost for the year with a torn ACL, and Travis Homer is the only other running back on the roster.

This is the second time Lynch has retired and then had a change of heart— first in February 2016 when he came out of retirement to join the Raiders.

He lasted two seasons with Oakland, accumulating 1,267 yards, ten touchdowns, and had 35 receptions for 235 yards. AFP

LEARNING the finer things of playing 3x3 basketball is something that former University of the East star Alvin Pasaol treasured when Stefan Stojacic held a camp in the Philippines two weeks ago.

From Stojacic, Pasaol discovered that he needed more endurance when going up against taller and heftier players from Europe.

“Malaking tulong, nandito siya para makita namin talaga ang larong 3x3.

At para maiba ang laro ng 3x3 sa Pilipinas,” said Pasaol.

Stojacic held a camp for selected players at Ronac Basketball center in Kalentong, Mandaluyong, and with the help of Chooks To Go Philippines.

The 6’4” Stojacic was one of four players who helped Serbia rule the Fiba 3×3 World Cup for the third straight time last year when the Philippines hosted the tournament.

Pasaol is among the players who are part of the national team which will see action in the 2020 FIBA 3X3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament this March in Delhi, India.

“They are really good players. They are really quality players, and they have individual skills, said Stojacic in describing the players who came at the camp, and before he left the country to go home to spend Christmas.

Stojacic added that he took a break from his other commitment, which was to help get the Chinese national team in shape of the Olympics as well.

Stojacic is best remembered when Serbia edged Netherlands, 16-13, in the men’s final last year at Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. Peter Atencio

CKSC, UST rule BEST tournaments CHIANG Kai Shek College (CKSC) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) ended their basketball year as champions in the 2019 Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training (BEST) Center Women’s Basketball Tournament recently at the Xavier School in San Juan City.

CKSC topped the 18-under competitive division by beating University of Perpetual Help System Delta, 77-48 while UST crushed San Beda College Alabang to rule the 25-under division, 64-54.

Kristine Cayabyab of CKSC and UST’s Christine Jazz Ungui were named as the Most Valuable Players in their respective divisions.

Cayabyab, 5-foot-7 power forward and currently at Grade 12, tallied 20 points to lift her side past the Altas, while 5-foot-3 guard and freshman Ungui racked up 15 markers for the Tigresses.

Meanwhile, Rich Golden Shower Montessori Center (RGSMC) was crowned as the18-under division titlist.

RGSMS squeaked past Escuela de Sophia of Caloocan, Inc., 56-42 with its 5-foot-1 playmaker and MVP Princess Mae Alabata providing the spark as she chipped in six crucial points.

“We are seeing the growth of the program as the number of participating schools increases each year,” shared the 78-year-old Nicanor Jorge, who is a former National team head coach and the founder of the Milo BEST Center.

“But it’s not all about the numbers, we have also seen an increase in the level of competition from the athletes. Before, they join for the sake of joining. But now, they really compete,” he added.

Established in 1987, the vision for the women’s program has also seen some changes after more than four decades.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@manilastandard.net sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

Dy targets back-to-back golf titles FORMER Junior World champion Jed Dy sets out for back-to-back National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship crown with a new partner but a slew of tandems likewise toughened up, guaranteeing a spirited title chase when the event is fired off beginning Friday, Dec. 27 at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club.

With Asian Games bronze medalist Bianca Pagdanganan as teammate, Dy ran away with a seven-stroke romp over Josh Jorge and Jet Hernandez last year but the Manila Golf Club bet braces for a tougher, crowded finish this time against a field ready and raring to close out the season with no less than a victory.

With Fortuna, however, Dy is assured of a solid player, who is a member of the University of Oklahoma squad and winner of a number of junior tournaments abroad.

Pagdanganan, meanwhile, is now busy priming up for her LPGA Tour debut next month, boosting her stock by winning the individual gold medal in the recent SEA Games and power the Philippines to the team championship.

But the rest of the 20-team cast in the National Doubles have also firmed up their rosters with reigning Indonesian Amateur Open titlist Luis Castro and Sean Ramos, members of the SEAG bronze medal team, teaming up with Andres Lorenzo and Gabby Macalaguim in the three-day event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, registration for the 2020 National Stroke Play Championship, set Jan. 7-10) at Riviera’s Langer course, is ongoing. For details, call NGAP at telefax No. (02) 7065926 or at Riviera Golf Club, Inc. at (02) 888-9089 or 0956-8821149 email ngap2009handicap@yahoo.com.

Sports Meralco Bolts import Allen Durham (5) barrels past TNT KaTropa defender Kelly Williams (21) while looking on are other TNT KaTropa players Roger Pogoy (right) and Ryan Reyes. PBA

Tolentino predicts 10 qualifiers to Olympics

By Peter Atencio

T

HERE could be at least 10 Filipino athletes who will qualify to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

But there could be more as many national sports associations are set to take part in Olympic qualifiers in the first quarter of 2020.

“Hopefully, we have 10 qualifiers.

That’s our target. But, its better if its more than 10,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

So far, only pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo have gained spots to the Olympiad.

The Philippine men’s water polo team will be pushing for a slot in the Olympics.

Their quest starts when they take part in the Asia Water Polo Championships this February 2020 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Qualifying to the Olympics will be their next goal after a getting a silver medal finish at the 2019 SEA Games.

Their silver medal performance behind Indonesia has assured the team of a slot at the Asian Olympic Quali-

fying meet in Kazakhstan.

The Kazakhstan meet is now considered a qualifier, with top Asian teams gathering to compete.

The top team in the Kazakhstan meet will qualify to the Tokyo Olympics.

There are a total of 12 national teams which will earn spots to the Games.

Japan, as host, has automatically taken a spot, while Serbia emerged as the no. 1 squad in the FINA World League held in Belgrade.

On the other hand, the Philippines is also joining an Olympic qualifier in 3x3 men’s basketball this March.

Bolts eager to begin showdown vs Ginebra MERALCO Bolts import Allen Durham, who helped his team muscle past TNT KaTropa in the semifinals looks forward to another blockbuster championship against Barangay Ginebra led by their import talented import Justin Brownlee.

Meralco and Ginebra battle in their third PBA Governors Cup finals in four years. The Gin Kings beat the Bolts in 2016 and 2017. Both teams were eliminated in 2018 with Magnolia eventually emerging as champion.

“It’s going to be fun. As a competitor, you want to play against the best and he (Brownlee) has shown he’s one of the best imports in the PBA year after year so definitely, it will be a battle,” said Durham.

Brownlee and the Gin Kings beat Durham and the Bolts twice but the Meralco reinforcement is confident that they can turn the tables on their tormentors this time around.

Meralco has since added big man Raymond Almazan, shooter Allein Maliksi and defense-oriented Bong Quinto.

“Almazan, Maliksi and Quinto have added to our depth compared to when we faced Ginebra in the past. They’ve made us a better team, even though Allein’s still adjusting to the team as he just joined us this conference,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

The Meralco mentor added that they match up better against Ginebra which plays an inside-out game, relying heavily on their big men Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar. I “I actually think they (Ginebra) are a better match-up for us compared to TNT (in the semis), who got shooters all over, and I think we’ll be able to use (Raymond) Almazan a little bit more as they’re a bigger team,” said Black.

“The TNT series was a tough matchup for Almazan because their big was (Troy) Rosario, he’s more of a stretch four, so Almazan had a tough time offensively and defensively ‘coz he had to stay with the import (KJ McDaniels) the whole time and Rosario can stretch out to the three-point line the entire game.”

IN BRIEF RCBC obtains ‘A’ rating from MSCI RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., the ninth-largest lender in terms of assets, is rated “A” by the Morgan Stanley Capital International because of its financial stability and sound business organization, which are key components for effective risk management.

MSCI ESG Ratings identifies environmental, social and governance risks that companies are vulnerable to. The rating agency deploys researchers and ranks companies on a ‘AAA’ to ‘CCC’ scale depending on the exposure to industry-specific ESG risks and their ability to manage those risks relative to competitors.

“Rizal Commercial Banking has robust corporate governance practices, particularly with respect to the board structure,” the MSCI ESG said in the report.

“It has also taken steps to mitigate governance related risks with efforts toward anti-corruption and anti-money laundering activities, along with whistleblower protection program for effective risk management framework,” the report said. Julito G. Rada

LandBank vows to support coops THE Land Bank of the Philippines and the Cooperative Development Authority teamed up again on the Financial Inclusion Through Cooperatives Program to provide capacitybuilding support to micro and small cooperatives in unbanked and underserved areas nationwide.

Through the FIT-Coop Program, about 220 cooperatives with more than 31,000 members from 92 unbanked municipalities all over the country will undergo financial literacy trainings to better prepare them to access formal credit assistance.

“The signing of this MOA for the FITCoop Program is a momentous and historical event―a great breakthrough in putting those in the margins into the mainstream of the development process. This will also be a great leap forward for CDA to fulfill its mandate to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments of social justice and economic development,” said CDA chairman Orlando Ravanera said.

LandBank president Cecilia Borromeo said the FIT-Coop Program was a clear display of the bank’s continuous commitment to reach the smallest cooperatives in the most far-flung areas and empower them to become catalysts for inclusive growth in the countryside. Othel V. Campos

Business Gov’t raising excise tax on oil products in 2020 E

By Alena Mae S. Flores

XCISE taxes on petroleum products will further increase in January 2020 in the third year of the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

Officials of the Oil Industry Management Bureau will meet with the oil companies to ensure their compliance with the TRAIN law, according to Energy Undersecretary Jesus Posadas.

Posadas said the oil companies should follow the standard protocol for their compliance with the higher excise tax rates for petroleum products.

He said the oil companies should first exhaust their 2019 inventories prior to imposing the higher excise tax on newly-procured products in 2020.

Only new inventories in 2020, directly imported or locally produced by refineries, are covered by the third tranche of excise tax, he said.

“That’s always the protocol. For the additional excise tax, they would have to exhaust the oil inventories first,” Posadas said.

Under the TRAIN law, an additional excise tax of P2.50 per liter was imposed for diesel in 2018. This went up to P4.50 per liter in 2019 and P6 per liter in 2020.

The law also increased the excise tax for unleaded gasoline from P4.35 per liter to P7 per liter in 2018, P9 per liter in 2019 and P10 per liter in 2020.

The Energy Department said it would monitor and inspect the retail stations for their compliance with

the law. It issued show-cause orders in January last year to oil firms for implementing the higher taxes prior to the depletion of old inventories.

“We are ensuring that our consumers do not become subjects of profiteering,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said earlier.

The agency said the level of inventories varies depending on the status of individual depots and retail outlets and product turnover.

“The funds to be raised from these collections will be invested to the people through key infrastructure projects, intensified social development and other priority projects of the government,” Cusi said.

“I hope that every Filipino will be supportive of government causes.

Also, let us remain vigilant and work together for utmost consumer welfare promotion,” he said.

EDC donates goods to earthquake victims MORE than 3,000 residents of Barangay Ilomavis in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato which was recently hit by strong earthquakes received Noche Buena packs from geothermal leader Energy Development Corp. and partners Manobo Apao Descendants Ancestral Domain of Mount Apo and the barangay local government unit of Ilomavis, Kidapawan City.

EDC employee-volunteers, youth volunteers and members of MADADMA and BLGU officials distributed packs composed of spaghetti noodles and sauce, coffee, milk, sugar, cheese, canned fruit cocktail, all-purpose cream, pancit, meat and rice in their first ever Christmas gift-giving ceremony in Kidapawan City.

“This activity that we did to somehow bring joy to these earthquake-stricken families also fortifies our strong partnership with our partner community here in Barangay Ilomavis,” said Norreen Gerona-Bautista, CSR head for Mt. Apo and Negros geothermal facilities.

Geron-Bautista emphasized the importance of Christmas through the acronym PASKO which stands for Pasasalamat (gratitude), Ampo (prayer to God to help them rise above this adversity, Smile (be optimistic despite their situation), Kugi (persevere to solve problems) and One (have a peaceful and happy Christmas as one).

DOE approves rules for ancillary reserves market THE Energy Department approved a circular adopting the general framework for the provision and utilization of ancillary or reserve services in the power grid, an official said.

Energy Undersecretary Redontor Delola said the circular was signed by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and was ready for publication.

“We’ll probably publish it in the next couple of weeks... It’s the launch of the reserves market. The policy on AS will also launch the reserves market,” Delola said.

Ancillary services, as defined in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, are services that are necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system in accordance with good utility practice and the Grid Code.

“We also put contracting caps for the reserves. We fixed the definition, identified the megawatts per type of reserve, how many percent of that should be firm contract of NGCP [National Grid Corp. of the Philippines],” Delola said.

Delola said under the draft policy, 50 percent of each reserve requirement should under a firm contract.

“Right now there are a lot of non-firm contracts. When you need it, because it’s non-firm, they will say they don’t have it,” he said.

Delola said the circular would also launch the technical working group for the ancillary reserves market.

“The new market management system is capable of handling the reserve market.

The new market is now ready to actually accommodate the reserves market,” he said.

The draft circular states that any policy or guideline relevant to ancillary services should adhere to several principles to ensure the reliability, quality and security of supply

COLLECTION EFFICIENCY. Sta. Rosa City, Laguna Mayor Arlene Arcillas (third from left) receives a certificate of achievement from Bureau of Local Government Finance executive director Niño Raymond Alvina for the city’s milestone as the number 2 in local efficiency collection. The local government unit collected P3.7 billion in 2018, surpassing the local revenues target of P2.4 billion and translating into a collection efficiency rate of 154 percent.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

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DPWH starts review of new expressway to Anda Circle

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Public Works Department said it began reviewing the proposal of NLEX Corp. to build a 5.1-kilometer elevated expressway from Navotas to Anda Circle in Port Area, Manila.

“We started reviewing it, but we’re still waiting for the full-blown proposal. It might be in the form of unsolicited proposal [or] it could be an extension of the concession agreement.

That is why we are studying it,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

NLEX said the proposed project called Harbor Link Port Access Mobility Facility would cost between P15 billion and P16 billion.

NLEX is currently building the 2.6km Harbor Link (R10 Section) which is expected to be completed by March next year.

It also started the construction of an 8-kilometer toll road linking the tail of NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 in C3 Road, Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila which would mostly traverse the Philippine National Railways track.

NLEX Corp., the operator of North Luzon Expressway and Subic-ClarkTarlac Expressway, earlier reported a net income of P4.25 billion in the first nine months, up 25 percent from P3.4 billion in the same period last year.

The company attributed the increase in the net profit to higher toll revenues in both NLEX and SCTEX and more efficient utilization of resources covering toll operations and maintenance costs.

Toll revenues during the period reached P9.6 billion, up 14 percent from a year earlier amid the steady increase in traffic and steady growth in non-toll revenues.

The average daily traffic in NLEX reached 250,992 daily entries, or 7.6 percent higher than 233,332 daily entries recorded in the same period last year.

The average daily traffic at SCTEx also increased 14.3 percent to 61,071 daily entries from 53,407 last year.

NLEX currently spans 95 kilometers or 527-lane kilometers, serving an average of 237,046 vehicles a day in 2017. It is the main infrastructure backbone that connects Metro Manila to Central and Northern Luzon.

SCTEX is a 94-km, 2x2 expressway stretching from Subic-Tipo until La Paz, Tarlac, connecting the special economic zones in Subic and Clark, Olongapo City, to Tarlac City.

DOT offers help to enhance Quezon Memorial Circle as green park

By Othel V. Campos THE Tourism Department is in talks with local officials to redevelop the Quezon Memorial Circle into a greener and more sustainable national park.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat met with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to discuss plans in enhancing the 25-hectare park as a part of the city’s tourism circuit to attract more local and foreign tourists.

“It is vital that DOT support the vision of Quezon City to preserve its heritage park. The site is home to many significant monuments, markers, museums and

gardens, including the mausoleum containing the remains of President Manuel Quezon that remind visitors of the city’s rich history,” Puyat said.

The department envisions the national park to remain a family-friendly attraction for generations. The area houses a small amusement park and green spaces for picnics.

It is also a point of convergence with the ongoing construction of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 7. An underground station of MRT 7 is being constructed in the Quezon Memorial.

Puyat also vowed to enforce the Tourism Act of 2009 which requires to have tourism establishments accredited with

the DOT before the local government can issue a business permit to operate.

This is vital in ensuring that these establishments will pass the basic accommodation and service standards set by the department, she said.

Belmonte assured Puyat that the Quezon City local government was updating its Tourism Development Plan to reflect the priorities of the national government.

“As the greenest city in the metro with the most number of parks and open spaces, we are looking forward to working with the DOT to enhance these assets in order for them to be more attractive to visitors of diverse interests,” Belmonte said.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

Creation of BARMM to accelerate Mindanao development—Dominguez

By Julito G. Rada

VICTORIA TERMINAL CITED. Victoria International Container Terminal, the Australian unit of International Container Terminal Services Inc. at the Port of Melbourne, is recognized by the world’s oldest maritime publication, Lloyd’s List, for excellence in port management and infrastructure at the recently-concluded Asia Pacific Awards 2019. Located at Port Melbourne’s Webb Dock East, VICT is lauded for investing heavily to create Australia’s first fully automated container terminal, adding over 1-million twenty-foot equivalent units annual capacity in just two years and the terminal’s commitment to delivering safer, consistent, predictable and accurate operations.

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will pave the way for the rapid development of the area.

Dominguez said the National Government-Bangsamoro Government Intergovernmental Relations Body represented the commitment of the Duterte administration and the new government of BARMM to institute innovative mechanisms and yield productive results from the consultative process, especially during the crucial transition period for BARMM. Dominguez and BARMM Minister Mohagher Iqbal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education signed the terms of reference of the joint secretariat of the IGRB as co-chairmen of the intergovernmental body.

The heads of the joint secretariat for

the national government and BARMM also signed the TOR. “The autonomous government is an exciting initiative. Many other countries are closely observing the substantial autonomy taking shape in this region, which was once torn by conflict. I am confident there will be sufficient goodwill and a large pool of talent to make this initiative a success,” Dominguez said.

Under the terms of reference, the IGRB is mandated to coordinate and resolve issues on intergovernmental relations between the national government and the BARMM through regular consultation and continuing negotiations in a non-adversarial manner.

Its joint secretariat is tasked to prepare and submit the meeting agenda to document the proceedings of the meeting, prepare the highlights of the meeting and handle all administrative requirements relative to the conduct of the meeting.

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Business

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Tokyo closes lower in thin trade; global markets flat T

OKYO, Japan—Tokyo stocks closed lower on Wednesday in thin trade with foreign investors absent for the Christmas holidays and few fresh market-moving events.

LONDON MEAT AUCTION. A butcher auctions cuts of meat as customers hold out pound notes during the traditional preChristmas meat auction at Smithfield market in the city of London on December 24, 2019. AFP

Emirates airline president to step down after 16 years DUBAI, United Arab Emirates― Tim Clark, president of Emirates, the Middle East’s biggest carrier, will step down from his position after 16 years in June 2020, the airline said Tuesday.

“We can confirm Sir Tim’s retirement... in June 2020,” a spokesperson told AFP, without elaborating.

Clark, 70, joined Emirates in 1985, when it began operations with two leased planes, and became president in 2003.

The carrier now has a whopping 271 large aircraft, including 113 Airbus A380 superjumbos and 158 Boeing 777 planes.

However, the airline in November slimmed down its purchasing plans with Boeing and cut an order with Airbus, as tough conditions force a review of its fleet.

The airline, which has seen modest

profits in recent years, signed a firm order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners worth $8.8 billion at list price―10 aircraft less than the commitment it made two years ago.

Emirates also reduced a mammoth contract for 156 Boeing 777X it signed six years ago to just 126 aircraft, amid delays in delivering the new long-range 777X. The restructuring means that the carrier now has just 156 aircraft ordered from Boeing, compared to 196 previously in both firm orders and initial agreements, an airline spokeswoman said at the time.

Also in November, Emirates signed a $160-billion firm order for 50 Airbus A350-900 wide-body aircraft, but the deal replaced a bigger commitment signed earlier this year, as it reorganizes its fleet after cutting

orders of the A380 superjumbo.

Its move to axe 39 aircraft from its total A380 orders prompted Airbus to pull the plug on the costly plane, which airlines have struggled to fill to its capacity of 500850 people.

At the time, Emirates said it would buy smaller A330 and A350 models instead in a sale worth $21.4 billion, but the deal struck in November fell well short of that.

Emirates is facing slowing economies in its home Gulf region and stagnant tourism numbers to its glitzy base of Dubai.

In the last full year, its net profit dived 69 percent to just $237 million due to high oil prices and currency fluctuations, although in November it said half-year profits nearly tripled thanks to a drop in operating costs.

AFP

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended down 0.20 percent, or 47.71 points, at 23,782.87, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.39 percent, or 6.80 points, to 1,721.42.

“Shares moved just narrowly, which is typical of year-end trade,” said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.

Investors “do not need to move now in the absence of major trading pegs,” he said.

Investors took to the sidelines as major markets abroad—in New York, Hong Kong, and London, among others—are closed on Wednesday for the Christmas holiday, analysts also said.

Global stock markets were mostly flat in quiet Christmas Eve trading on Tuesday, running out of fizz before the festive break, although the Nasdaq hit its ninth straight record close.

US investors have been in a cheery mood most of the fall as the outlook for US-China trade talks improved, reducing uncertainty, and most economic reports have been good.

In the sleepy holiday-shortened sessions, the broad S&P 500 slipped a hair, and the benchmark Dow dipped 0.1 percent, but the Nasdaq, with a 0.1 percent gain, posted another all-time high.

It was a similar picture in other major markets, as London’s benchmark FTSE 100 shares index rose 0.1 percent, while the Paris CAC 40 finished flat.

“In true Christmas tradition, financial markets saw low trading volumes and volatility,” said CMC Markets analyst David Madden.

Frankfurt’s DAX 30 had already shut for Christmas.

Trading volumes are typically light at this stage with many investors away for extended Christmas and New Year holiday celebrations.

But the sleepy session was punctuated

by some big developments.

Dow member Boeing fell 1.4 percent after reports the embattled company sent new documents to the congressional committee investigating its response to two deadly crashes.

The documents “appear to point to a very disturbing picture” about Boeing’s response to safety issues regarding the 737 MAX, an aide to the US House Transportation Committee told AFP. The company sent the documents to the committee late Monday, hours after announcing it had ousted Dennis Muilenburg as chief executive and installed Chairman David Calhoun in the post.

Shares had rallied on the leadership change.

Meanwhile, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick on Tuesday severed his last ties with the ride-hailing giant, announcing he would exit the board of directors at the end of 2019.

Uber shares gained 0.4 percent.

Investors were pausing for breath after a bumper run over the last two weeks or so.

“Investors must feel as if they were extra good this year,” said CFRA Research Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall, who noted that both stocks and bonds rose solidly in 2019.

Global equities have already enjoyed a “Santa Rally” as dealers welcomed news over the US-China trade war and Brexit, having been on a roller-coaster ride for the last 12 months.

Britain’s pro-Brexit Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a landslide election on December 12, boosting investor sentiment.

Last week, Johnson clinched parliamentary approval for the nation to depart from the European Union on January 31, dispelling Brexit uncertainty that had plagued markets for more than three years. AFP

Nissan’s third-ranking executive Uber co-founder Kalanick severs last ties to company resigns in blow to reform efforts TOKYO―The senior executive in charge of plans to revive crisis-hit Nissan has decided to quit just weeks after taking the job, sending the carmaker’s stock plunging more than three percent on Wednesday.

Jun Seki, 58, number three at Nissan, had informed them of his decision to leave and the company had accepted it, the automaker said in a statement.

Seki, currently executive officer and vice chief operating officer, is expected to become president of major electric components maker Nidec, according to a source close to Nissan.

Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer and number two at Nissan, should take the responsibility for the recovery plan instead of Seki, the

source told AFP. Struggling to rebuild itself after former chief Carlos Ghosn’s financial scandal, Nissan just started its new management under chief executive and president Makoto Uchida on December 1.

The company said Wednesday it “has been on a steady path to regain trust, restore the company’s performance and work on its business transformation, and is already seeing progress.”

“Under the new top management, Nissan will continue to focus on these key areas, which remain our highest priority,” it said in the statement.

But investors were not convinced.

Nissan shares plunged 3.09 percent to 633.4 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. AFP

NEW YORK―About a decade after co-founding Uber, Travis Kalanick on Tuesday severed his last ties with the ride-hailing giant, announcing he would exit the board of directors at the end of 2019.

Kalanick, who was pushed out as chief executive in 2017 amid revelations about the controversial business practices that accompanied the company’s stunning rise, will resign from the board of directors effective December 31 “to focus on his new business and philanthropic endeavors,” Uber said in a statement.

“Uber has been a part of my life for the past 10 years. At the close of the decade, and with the company now public, it seems like the right moment for me to focus on my current business and philanthropic pursuits,” Kalanick, 43, said in a statement released by the company.

“I’m proud of all that Uber has achieved, and I will continue to cheer for its future from the sidelines.”

In March 2018, Kalanick announced the creation of a new investment vehicle, 10100, that will focus on both forprofit and non-profit ventures. The key areas of focus for the fund include real estate, e-commerce and innovation in China and India.

Among his most recent ventures, Kalanick has developed the so-called “ghost kitchen” company, CloudKitchens, which will rent communal kitchens near population centers that can prepare food for delivery services.

Even before Tuesday’s announcement, Kalanick had taken steps to further distance himself from Uber, selling a large portion of his shares in early November.

The youthful Kalanick has been the

personification of the go-go Silicon Valley disruptor associated with visionary entrepreneurship that upends traditional businesses, accompanies by unfettered growth.

Kalanick and fellow Uber co-founder Garrett Camp got the idea for Uber while visiting Paris in December 2008 when they were unable to find a taxi.

UberCab launched in July 2010 in San Francisco. The company name was shortened in October to Uber.

The venture has grown rapidly since then, with operations in 700 cities in 65 countries at the time of its initial public offering in May. Kalanick resigned from Uber in June 2017 amid heavy pressure following a series of disturbing reports about a cutthroat workplace culture, harassment, discrimination and questionable business tactics to thwart rivals. AFP

Remote Lapland region protests offensive stereotypes, seeks share of tourism profit

By Sam Kingsley ROVANIEMI, Finald―In Finland’s remote Lapland region, the Santa Claus Village amusement park is a snowy wonderland of reindeer rides, ice castles, snowmobiles and igloo hotels where Christmas holds sway 365 days a year.

At its center, a wooden, fairytale-esque cabin houses Santa’s grotto―since the 1980s, tourism chiefs have set out to market the main town, Rovaniemi, as the world’s official home of Santa Claus.

More visitors are now coming to experience winter in the Arctic than ever before.

But Lapland is also the homeland of the indigenous reindeer-herding Sami people, who protest that some in the tourist industry spread offensive stereotypes about Sami people and seek to profit from their ancient culture.

“Almost every day there are people coming to the Sami area asking ‘Where can I

see the shamans, where are the Sami witches?’” Tiina Sanila-Aikio, president of Finland’s Sami Parliament, tells AFP. “It’s only a picture that the tourism industry has created and developed,” she says.

‘Ethically responsible’ tourism Once known by the now obsolete term “Lapps”, the Sami are spread out across the northern parts of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia’s Kola Peninsula.

Sami representatives accuse some tourism providers of pretending to be Sami when they are not, or selling products and tourist attractions portraying Sami people as magical and primitive.

Last year, the Sami Parliament issued guidelines for “ethically responsible” behavior from tour operators and visitors in order to preserve Sami culture.

“If, for example, one person refrains from wearing Sami dress because they do not want to be photographed by tourists, that is one person too many,” the proposal warned.

Husky rides, among the most popular

tourist attractions in Lapland, have also been singled out for criticism by the Sami community, which has herded reindeer across the area’s vast fells and forests for over 3,000 years.

Sami representatives claim the dogs, which are not a native Lapland tradition, distress the reindeer which freely roam the forests.

The Sami also object to the growing number of “igloo” hotels in the region, which are a non-Lapland tradition borrowed from elsewhere in the Arctic.

The parliament proposal says the igloos risk creating a “mongrel” and homogenized culture in the region, and suggests instead that tourist providers build accommodation relevant to Lapland’s history, such as the Sami “goahti”―a teepee-like wooden tent traditionally used by reindeer herders.

Every passing winter brings record visitors to Lapland including soaring numbers of Chinese in recent years, but also muchneeded revenue. AFP

Dog-sledding dogs are prepared for a tour near Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, on December 3, 2019. Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village amusement park is a snow-covered wonderland of reindeer rides, ice castles, souvenir shops, snowmobiles and igloo hotels where Christmas holds sway 365 days a year. AFP

World

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cost of UK royals in spotlight again after Queen’s bad year

MIDNIGHT MASS IN CAIRO.

Worshippers attend the midnight Christmas Eve mass at Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in the Egyptian capital Cairo in the central downtown district on December 24, 2019. AFP

IN BRIEF Notre Dame misses Christmas mass

PARIS―Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was unable to hold Christmas Eve Mass for the first time in more than 200 years―after a fire ravaged its structure in April.

With heavy hearts, French Catholics instead gathered at the nearby church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a few hundred meters away, for a service celebrated by the cathedral’s rector Patrick Chauvet.

“It isn’t the same feeling but it’s still a Christmas Mass,” said 16-year-old Juliette, who had made the 700-kilometer trip from Aix with her family. “There will be a thought for Notre-Dame tonight, that’s for sure.”

“We have been crying since April 15, and today even more,” said Danielle, a Parisian, who attended last year’s mass at the Paris landmark. However, she was lifted by the choir of Notre-Dame, who performed at the mass.

Meanwhile, workers continue to repair and rebuild the cherished cathedral.

Notre-Dame, part of a UNESCO world heritage site on the banks of the River Seine lost its gothic spire, roof and many precious artifacts in the fire, which was watched by huge crowds.

The building had remained open for Christmas through two centuries of often tumultuous history―including the Nazi occupation in World War II―being forced to close only during the anti-Catholic revolutionary period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. AFP

Indonesia bus crash death toll hits 28

LONDON―After a torrid 2019 in which the queen’s son Prince Andrew was implicated in an underage sex abuse scandal, many in Britain are again asking if the monarchy has gotten too big―and rich―for its own good.

The family’s year to forget may encourage Prince Charles, set to eventually take over from his mother Queen Elizabeth II, 93, in his purported belief that the centuries-old institution needs reform, according to royal experts.

“He wants to slim it down to a hard core of senior family members who work full-time,” said author Penny Junor, who has written several books on the royals including “The Firm”―the nickname sometimes given to the family.

“Andrew shooting himself in the foot has certainly made that an easier task,” she told AFP. The 59-year-old prince, dubbed the queen’s “favorite son” by the UK press, has been dogged by allegations that he had sex with one of American convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.

China seeks closer trade ties with neighbors

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HENGDU, CHINA—China made overtures on trade to Japan and South Korea and offered support for an infrastructure initiative as it hosted the leaders of its two neighbors this week amid strained ties with the US. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Beijing was willing to strengthen economic cooperation with Japan in third-country markets.

At the meeting on the sidelines of a trilateral summit in the southwestern city of Chengdu, Li added that China would “further open up its services industry” to Japan.

During a separate meeting on Monday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Li said China was willing to work on a rail network linking Korea with China and Europe, Yonhap news agency reported.

Li’s remarks come as China and the United States edge closer to an

initial trade agreement after imposing tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods over nearly two years in a bruising trade war that has hit the global economy.

On Friday US President Donald Trump touted a “very good talk” he had held with China’s President Xi Jinping on a deal to resolve the dispute.

However details of the so-called “phase one” deal between the world’s two largest economies have yet to be published in writing, with officials citing incomplete translation and legal work.

Meanwhile relations between the pair have been further strained

by US legislators’ support for the

pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, and their condemnation of the mass internment of Muslim minorities in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang.

Free-trade deal Li stressed on Wednesday the importance of China’s trade ties with Japan and South Korea, saying their vast volume of trade was due to the “joint protection of regional stability and peace”.

China, Japan and South Korea held a summit on Tuesday that also touched on a planned free-trade agreement between the three nations, which has been many years in the making.

Trade among the trio was worth more than $720 billion in 2018, according to a joint statement issued Tuesday night by the leaders.

The countries will “speed up the negotiations” on the agreement and “strive to realize a free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment en-

COTONOU, Benin―Benin sentenced an investigative journalist to 18 months in prison on Tuesday for comments he posted on social media, his lawyer told AFP. Ignace Sossou quoted on his Facebook and Twitter pages comments made by Benin’s public prosecutor Mario Metonou at a media event to discuss fake news on December 17.

The comments made by the official appeared to criticize the government’s attitude towards freedom of expression.

“The internet outage on [legislative] polling day on April 28 is an admission of weakness on the part of those in power,” the prosecutor reportedly said.

Sossou “has been convicted of harassment through electronic communications”, his lawyer, Prisca Ogoubi told AFP. The former French colony has typically been seen as among West Africa’s most stable democracies. But Benin has been facing a political crisis since controversial parliamentary elections in April sparked mass protests.

President Patrice Talon, a former business magnate who came to power in 2016, has been accused of becoming increasingly authoritarian and has carried out a concerted crackdown on his opponents that has driven key rivals into exile.

Last week, Benin’s media regulatory authority suspended the radio station of Sebastien Ajavon, a Beninese businessman and opponent in exile.AFP

vironment”, the statement said.

The leaders plan for the new trilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) to build on a separate, sprawling China-backed Asian trade pact, which if signed would be the world’s biggest trade deal.

That pact, called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), was meant to account for 30 percent of global GDP and loop in half of the world’s people.

But India rejected the RCEP deal at a summit in November, dealing it a major blow.

The remaining members of RCEP, which include all 10 ASEAN states plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, are aiming to sign it next year after reviewing an agreed draft text.

“Negotiations on the trilateral FTA will become more active as soon as they are able to conclude the negotiation on RCEP,” Japanese foreign ministry spokesperson Masato Otaka said Tuesday. AFP

35 civilians killed in double attack in Burkina Faso

JAKARTA—The number of people killed in a fatal bus crash in Indonesia has risen to 28 including eight children, police said Wednesday as a rescue team continued to search a river.

The bus careered into a 500-foot ravine in South Sumatra province just before midnight (1600 GMT) on Monday and ended up in a river, according to police.

Local police chief Dolly Gumara said on Wednesday another body was found late on Tuesday, adding up the death toll to 28 from earlier 27. Eight of the killed passengers were children, said Gumara.

“We have identified 27 of the killed victims and only one body is still unidentified as of today. The victim is a woman,” Gumara told AFP on Wednesday.

A local rescue team said it has evacuated at least 13 survivors and the search is still ongoing to find more bodies over fear that some might have been carried away in the river.

According to a passenger manifest, the regional bus left Bengkulu province for Pagar Alam with 27 on board but some survivors told police there were around 50 people inside when the accident happened.

“There is a possibility that there will be more victims that is why we still continue the search,” said Wednesday local rescue team spokesman Taufan, who goes only by one name like many Indonesians. AFP

Reporter jailed over Facebook post

Andrew, who strenuously denies the accusations, gave a calamitous BBC interview last month in which he unsuccessfully tried to distance himself from the late US financier.

The furious media backlash saw him subsequently promise to “step back from public duties”.

It was a grim year as well for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, the former US actress.

The celebrity couple sued several British newspapers over intrusions into their private lives, while his relationship with brother Prince William has reportedly soured—creating more tabloid gossip fodder.

The family’s tribulations led The Guardian to proclaim the firm had “lost its grip”, with royal observers predicting change will inevitably result.

The size and cost of Britain’s royal family has long been contentious, with the latest controversies renewing calls for a “rationalized structure of Windsor plc,” as The Daily Telegraph wrote. AFP

CHRISTMAS EVE PROCESSION. Children march dressed as angels during the annual Las Posadas Christmas Eve

procession on historic Olvera Street on December 24, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. Las Posadas is a nine-day Christmas tradition celebrated in Mexico and parts of the U.S. which marks Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem in search of refuge. AFP

War in Libya leaves thousands homeless in Tripoli TRIPOLI―Layla Mohammed barely had time to gather her children’s belongings before fleeing their southern Tripoli home when shelling targeted the Libyan capital’s outskirts earlier this year.

For months she moved her family between apartments as soaring rents in the crowded city exhausted her savings, eventually leaving them squatting in an unfinished building alongside dozens of other families.

More than 140,000 Libyans like Mohammed have fled their homes since April, when forces loyal to eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an assault on Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognized government.

In central Tripoli, the grey skeletons of a high-rise construction site―abandoned since 2008 due to a property dispute―now host more than 170 families.

For some, the high rises in Tarik alSekka were “a gift from heaven”, since the alternative was living in the street.

But “we live like animals―without running water, electricity, or even sewage,” said Mohammed, a mother of seven.

Her youngest son is sick with a chronic respiratory illness. “The dust will kill him,” Mohammed despaired.

“All we want is to live in dignity,” she said.

Neighbor Samira crowds her four children into a single room in a nearby building, preferring the greater warmth it affords over any sense of privacy.

She feels safe in the eight square-meter room, which thanks to a benefactor has a door and a window. “Even if it’s not ideal, at least it’s free,” she said.

Initially, Samira was determined to stay in her southern Tripoli home, even as combat crept closer over the months.

But when a rocket fell near her house the terror became too much and she fled, she said.

The buildings sheltering Samira and Mohammed are just meters from the

seat of the Government of National Accord (GNA).

But authorities have done little to help.

Mayssoun al-Diab is in charge of displacement issues for the GNA’s crisis committee but admits “the government has offered them nothing, not even moral support”.

According to her, the government was unable to find shelter for all the displaced, leaving many at the mercy of avaricious lenders.

Her committee requisitioned schools, public buildings and hotels to house the displaced, but faced with an ever-growing influx as the battle dragged on, more and more families found themselves homeless.

When term time resumed, the situation got worse. After living for months in one Tripoli school, Khairi al-Doukali said his family was “evicted alongside dozens of other families” to allow classes to restart. AFP

QUAGADOUGOU―A militant attack in northern Burkina Faso on Tuesday killed 35 civilians, almost all of them women, the president said, one of the deadliest assaults in nearly five years of jihadist violence in the West African country.

Seven soldiers and 80 jihadists were also killed in the double attack on a military base and Arbinda town in Soum province, the army said.

Burkina Faso, bordering Mali and Niger, has seen regular jihadist attacks which have left hundreds dead since the start of 2015 when militant violence began to spread across the Sahel region.

“A large group of terrorists simultaneously attacked the military base and the civilian population in Arbinda,” the army chief of staff said in a statement.

“This barbaric attack resulted in the deaths of 35 civilian victims, most of them women,” President Roch Marc Christian Kabore added on Twitter, praising the “bravery and commitment” of the defense and security forces.

Communications minister and government spokesman Remis Dandjinou later said 31 of the civilian victims were women, adding around twenty soldiers were injured.

The president has declared 48-hours of national mourning.

The morning raid was carried out dozens of jihadists on motorbikes and lasted several hours before armed forces backed by the air force drove the militants back, the army said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but jihadist violence in Burkina Faso has been blamed on militants linked to both Al Qaeda and Islamic State groups.

Leaders of the G5 Sahel nations held summit talks in Niger earlier this month, calling for closer cooperation and international support in the battle against the Islamist threat.

Militant violence has spread across the vast Sahel region, especially in Burkina Faso and Niger, having started when armed Islamists revolted in northern Mali in 2012.AFP

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

PAGCOR aids 3k quake victims in Davao Sur OVER 3,000 locals from various towns in Davao del Sur recently received relief aid from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook the region last Dec. 15.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the devastating quake left nine people dead, 111 injured, and over 124,000 in need of assistance.

PAGCOR has so far allotted over P1.3 million worth of assistance to the victims from the towns of Matanao and Padada during the agency’s relief operations, which started on Dec. 21.

Casino Filipino Davao employees headed

by Branch Manager Antonio Covarrubias assisted in the distribution of tents, hot meals, and relief packs containing water and food items. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go also helped distribute and transport relief packs from Manila to Davao.

Jimmy Bondoc, PAGCOR Vice President for Corporate Social Responsibility Group, said the agency’s disaster response team is still reaching out to as many earthquake victims as they can.

“We are steadily coordinating with our team in Davao and other government officials on how to provide the victims’ necessities as quickly as possible. Rest assured, more help is on the way,” Bondoc said.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo noted that the agency has “learned to be vigilant and ready to respond to needs of disaster victims as quickly and effectively as possible.”

“We are doing what we did when Mayon Volcano in Albay erupted and whenever calamity strikes in different parts of the country. PAGCOR is just being true to its commitment to assist victims of calamities such as this,” Domingo added.

Senator Risa Hontiveros encourages relief workers at evacuation centers in Mindanao following the latest earthquake on Dec. 15 and visits the evacuees who spent Christmas there (inset) for fear of the near-constant aftershocks that rendered their homes unsafe. Ayunan Gunting

Hontiveros lauds aid, emergency workers in Davao LAST Dec. 15, another powerful earthquake hit the province of Davao del Sur in Mindanao. Measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale, the tremor again caused so much devastation in hundreds of barangays across the region.

This was the fourth major tremor this year to hit southern Mindanao, and the calamities have displaced thousands of families who have sought refuge at their nearby barangay evacuation centers.

Many of the victims, including Jovita Atao, a 77-year-old grandmother who now stays at the evacuation center with her two daughters, would like to pick up the pieces.

But the aftershocks continue to strike, so all they can do for now is wait and live in fear, and perhaps wonder what would be in store for them in the future.

Fortunately, the rest of the country has not been blind to their plight. Many of their countrymen have come to offer relief and support to the victims. Among them is Senator Risa Hontiveros, who personally shipped in sacks of rice and other essential goods to the various evacuation centers at the affected areas. The senator also met with the victims and offered them moral support.

“Having experienced a 6.9 earthquake is no joke,” Hontiveros said. “These people have been traumatized, especially the children. It’s a never-ending nightmare because the aftershocks continue to strike.”

Nevertheless, the senator praised the local government units and the national agencies for their efficient support to the victims. She cited the first responders who did the rescue operations and gave first to aid to the victims.

Hontiveros said this kind of support reflects the compassion and resilience of the Filipino people.

While the senator intends to continue to provide relief to the victims, she said more Filipinos must also do their part and it will make the difference in providing hope for the victims. Ayunan Gunting Al-Haj

LGUs

A woman smiles in front of her home in Matanao, Davao del Sur, relief pack from PAGCOR in hand. Casino Filipino Davao employees headed by branch manager Antonio Covarrubias assisted handing out tents, hot meals, and relief packs containing water and food items, along with Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go (inset).

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Farmers in Pampanga complete KSK training program

MORE than 220 farmer-trainees of the SM Foundation’s Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training Program Batch 216 recently capped off their 12-week session with a bountiful harvest festival and a graduation ceremony on Dec. 17 and 18, respectively, in Pampanga.

Through this program, farmers were equipped with knowledge on sustainable farming technologies to help them bring food on their tables and create economic opportunities for them and their families.

Unlike the previous batches, the Batch 216 was divided into six sites, one of which was a regular KSK training site in San Isidro, Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

Four sites for TESDA-Organic Agriculture Production NC II were in Brgy.

Sto. Rosario in Sta. Ana, Brgy. Anon in Floridablanca, and Sitio Pidpid and Brgy.

Sapang Uwak in Porac, Pampanga, and one site for TESDA-Agri-Crop Production NC III was at Bamban, Tarlac.

To date, 24 trainees from Sitio Pidpid

and 22 trainees from Brgy. Anon have already passed TESDA’s assessment for Organic Agriculture Production NCII. Trainees from other sites are yet to take the TESDA test.

This batch was launched at the St. Isidore “The Farmer” Learning Center, Inc. in Sta. Ana, Pampanga last September 17, 2019.

They are the first product of the collaboration between SM Foundation, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, Pampanga State Agricultural University, St. Isidore, SM Supermalls, and SM Markets.

Since its inception in 2007, the KSK Farmers’ Training Program has trained more than 23,000 farmers and continues to accommodate more from both urban and rural communities.

Trainees of SM Foundation’s KSK Farmers’ Training Program Batch 216 show off their produce from their plots in Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

Japan, UK, PH team up for crucial coastal study

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ORACAY, Aklan—To come up with technologies that support sustainable coastal communities, science agencies from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines have crafted a framework for a multi-funder cooperation among the three countries.

The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology (DOST) convened researchers and stakeholders from Southeast Asian countries to discuss recent studies on coastal communities and brainstorm ideas for possible research collaboration.

JST, UKRI, and DOST are research funders focused on resolving global challenges, propelled by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda.

Collaboration among these institutions is encouraged, as it increases the complementarity and impact of investments in terms of research funding, people, equipment, data, and other resources, organizers said.

Enrico Paringit, Executive Director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), stressed that the cooperation between Japan, UK and the Philippines should benefit to coastal communities that face threats of climate change.

“Having a multi-lateral approach to support research initiatives is a way for us to optimize resources. There are research resources available in other countries that may be beneficial in the implementation of research projects here in the Philippines,” he said.

The multilateral cooperation focuses on sustainable coastal communities as several projects in the Southeast Asian region were identified as having a thematic focus on water, coastal communities, and aquaculture—topics that are relevant to the SDGs. One major discussion during the workshop was the participants’ experience with funding agencies that will be the basis for the development of an effective multi-funder mechanism.

JST, UKRI, and DOST will consolidate the input from the workshop and

come up with a framework for a multifunder cooperation that may take effect in the following years.

Meanwhile, a new dehydrator machine for herbal tea was developed through a project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), another agency under DOST. The machine was recently launched at Ephrathah Farms, Badiangan, Iloilo City, said PCAARRD Media Services officer Ofelia Domingo to newsmen in an orientation in Los Baños, Laguna.

Dr. Renerio S. Mucas, Associate Professor of the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U) headed the project team that developed the dehydrator machine, Domingo said.

Mucas said the machine can dry fresh leaves of guava, moringa, guyabano, and roselle flower petals at a lower energy cost. He added it uses solar energy and a backup electric heater.

Domingo said the project team has completed the phytochemical screening of the herbal tea raw materials and products. She said the team optimized the drying protocol and analyzed the shelf life of the processed tea.

In the launching event, ISAT U President Raul F. Muyong said innovation is one of their major thrusts, and the dehydrator machine is another milestone that will put them at par with the leading universities of the region.

PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development Dr. Juanito T. Batalon congratulated the university for the accomplishment and expressed support for its other proposed projects.

Domingo said more than 80 participants, composed of students, researchers, university officers, fabricators, and local media, attended the launching. With Butch Gunio

DOH IV-A, KonsultaMD ink deal THE Department of Health Center for Health Development IV-A has tapped KonsultaMD to provide free primary healthcare services to residents of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, especially those in far-flung areas who do not have immediate access to medical practitioners.

KonsultaMD is a dedicated platform where Filipinos with medical needs get easy access to primary medical care by talking to licensed, highly trained and experienced doctors anytime, anywhere over the phone on a 24/7 basis.

“The lack of human resources is a very big problem for the Department of Health. Over the years, we have made so many interventions, but it continues to persist. Most affected are those in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas [GIDA],” said DOH Region IV-A Director Eduardo Janairo.

“We must do something by making use of technology such as what KonsultaMD is offering, to address the issue of human resources in order to give access to quality service to our people,” he added.

Janairo led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement with KonsultaMD, a Globe Telecom affiliate; and Globe Business, the enterprise group of Globe, which encourages the integration of ICT and governance to improve the delivery of government services and exchange of information.

Under the agreement, DOH Region IV-A will initially make KonsultaMD services available to 80 Barangay Health Stations in the Calabarzon region, with 100 more expected to benefit from the services next year.

Each Barangay Health Station will receive a telehealth kit comprised of one mobile handset and a subscription to KonsultaMD services, which residents may use to get all kinds of medical advice from a professional doctor over the phone.

While KonsultaMD is not meant to replace the necessary face-to-face interaction between a patient and a doctor to resolve a medical issue, its doctors can give straightforward help regarding healthcare questions and concerns and information on certain

Witnessing the agreement are (from left) Lobo Mayor Gaudioso Manalo, Globe Business vice president for Sales Meanne Quiambao, Globe Business senior vice president Peter Maquera, DOH IV-A Regional Director Eduardo Janairo, Global Telehealth Inc. chief executive officer Maridol Ylanan, and Jomalig Mayor Rodel Espiritu. primary conditions like cough, fever, flu allergies, and prescribe over-the-counter medication.

Moreover, the doctors can provide health coaching and nutrition counseling, as well as read laboratory and diagnostic results.

“KonsultaMD was created with the vision of providing every Filipino affordable

and quick access to doctors whenever and wherever needed. They don’t need to travel far and spend much anymore to go to a clinic or hospital for primary medical conditions which can already be addressed by calling our doctors,” said Maridol Ylanan, CEO of Global Telehealth, Inc. which operates KonsultaMD.

Life

bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife

household

@mstandardLIFe thursday, december 26, 2019

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Merrymaking at the mall LIGHT ‘EM UP. A hundred drones appear in the night sky at Mall of Asia for the mall’s stunning drone lights show.

M

AGICAL floats with over a hundred Christmas characters, marching bands and dancers in lighted costumes, and Santa Claus himself bring holiday cheer to mall-goers at SM Mall of Asia.

The mall’s annual Grand Festival of Saturday of December, as well as yesLights showcases bright, colorful floats terday, Christmas Day. and spectacular shows, happening every The parade starts along the North Ar-

Delighting mall-goers is the bright and colorful Grand Festival of Lights parade featuring, among others, (from left) the Nickelodeon float with penguins and snowflakes, dancers with mascot Ginger, and Toy Kingdom’s magical float with toy animals and hot air balloons.

Child actress Bikbik in her cute Santa outfit with MOA’s glittering snow dancers.

cade and ends at SM by the Bay with a stunning drone show featuring 100 drones set to music, lighting up the sky.

Pariticipating floats include those from Coke Studio, Nickelodeon, PLDT, Smart, Lady’s Choice, The SM Store, SM hypermarket, and Toy Kingdom.

SM Mall of Asia’s Tram express also delight the audience.

Joining in the festivities are Santa’s magical friends, Leo the Lion, hailey the hippo, Gerry the Giraffe, Macky the Monkey, Cyril the Squirrel, Benny the Bunny, elly the elephant, hanna the

Seafood dishes, however, are best cooked on the day itself to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.

Reheat pre-cooked dishes on the day by just popping them all in the oven on the “keep warm” setting an hour or so before serving them.

“When you reheat food, its quality diminishes. But what’s great with an oven is it’s not going to dry up your dish,” exVariety is key plains Chef Lau. “Ovens are not just for When planning the spread, it’s important baking or roasting. Personally, I use my to have a variety of dishes on the menu.

La Germania oven to keep dishes hot all “Try to balance your whole feast,” ad- the time.” vises Chef Laudico. “You should have at least four or five dishes with differStick to what you know ent types of meats that complement each When preparing to host a party for a big other or that are different from each other. group, it’s best to stick with dishes that Let’s say you’re cooking a dish with a rich you’ve cooked many times in the past, sauce, a lighter seafood or fish dish will says Chef Laudico. Aside from familiarity complement that.” with the dishes, using kitchen implements To be a good host, the chef says it’s also and appliances one has been using for a good to consider that some of the guests long time makes cooking easier. might have food allergies or dietary re“I love cooking seafood,” shares Chef strictions. “The more options you offer,” Lau. “So if I were to host a Christmas he says, “the less you’ll have to worry feast, the menu will likely consist of a about not catering to your guests’ many baked fish dish that’s lightly marinated different tastes.” with fresh herbs, a drizzle of extra virhaving a cooktop with more than two gin olive oil, a bit of garlic, and citrus burner zones will allow hosts to multitask juice; roast beef in red wine sauce; fresh and cook more dishes at once. La Germa- organic greens and grilled veggie salad nia, a brand that’s been a kitchen staple of with light dressing; risotto; and a rich Filipino households for generations, has a soup,” he adds. good line of products that are state-of-theart, durable, and help owners host a delecSelf-service is the way to go table feast.

Instead of doing a family-style sitdown meal where the host or a designatCook ahead ed server serves several platters of food Chef Laudico recommends cooking per table, Chef Laudico recommends godishes that can be easily cooked a day or ing for a mini buffet set-up for reunion two before the party to lessen stress on the feast at home. day itself.

“This will encourage your guests to ac“If you’re going to cook pasta sauces, tually serve themselves and that will free you can actually do that a day before or two you up to make your rounds, socializing days ahead,” says Chef Lau. “This works for and mingling with people,” he says. tomato-based or cream-based sauces. Light Separate the savory dishes from the despasta sauces like olive oil-based ones can be serts and the drinks for a more organized done last minute as these don’t usually take flow of guests to and from the buffet table. Moreover, have a nice punch bowl as too much time and effort to make.”

A heavy meat dish like a roast beef in red a centerpiece to elevate the set-up with a wine-based sauce with roasted potatoes is touch of elegance while making it more another good candidate for pre-cooking. accessible to all.

The holidays are for spending time with friends and family. And the best way to bond with family and friends is enjoying a wonderful meal.

Renowned Filipino chef, restaurateur, and La Germania brand ambassador Chef Rolando Laudico shares a few tips to help with hosting duties for the ultimate Christmas feast.

Panda, and Sebi the Zebra.

The merrymaking at SM Mall of Asia continues with meet-and-greet sessions with Santa Claus on weekends, as he makes special appearances throughout the holiday season at the Central Atrium. Kids can whisper their Christmas wishes as they sit on Santa’s lap or they can also write down and send their list at the Santa Mail at the Main Mall drop off.

Mall-goers are also in for a special surprise as they take seflies and stories with the 60-foot MOA Christmas tree

at the Central Atrium or the 30-foot gigantic MOA Santa and reindeers at the Main Mall drop off fronting Chowking.

Making this holiday brighter, the MOA indoor lights show happens every Monday to Friday at 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday at 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Shoppers can still spread the joy for only P200 pesos. The SM Bears of Joy lets them have a cute cuddly bear to keep, while another one will be donated to make a child happy at the chosen beneficiary, Bahay Tuluyan.

Chef Laudico on hosting holiday feast

Chef Rolando Laudico believes that offering a variety of dishes is one of the keys to a successful holiday feast.

Tomato-based pasta sauces can be cooked in advance.

Lasagna roll, although a straightforward dish, offers a twist to the classic.

Life

C2

thursday, december 26, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

sHoPPing

65th The SM Store opens at Estancia Mall

L

eading department store The SM Store has recently opened its 65th branch at the east Wing of estancia Mall in Ortigas.

The three-level store spans a total of 12,700 square meters and features elegant design elements aligned with the character, philosophy, and design standards of the mall, while maintaining the shopping vibe for which SM in known.

The estancia Mall is part of the Capitol Commons group, a joint venture of SM, Ortigas, and ayala. instead of the usual bright colors, there are a lot of black fixtures, and the merchandising fixtures spacing is more aligned with high-end store design standards so the store feels more relaxed and creates an easier flow. natural stones such as marble and some custom-made metal finishes were also introduced for a more sophisticated look. Visual merchandising has a new approach in the way of pop-ups.

The store’s lighting was designed for aesthetics, as well as easy shopping, introducing a bit of drama instead of the usual flat lighting approach. Theatrical lighting creates ambiance as light levels were lowered down and spe-

and Babies. great buys for the Home await shoppers, while there is also much to discover at the gadgets and Stationery sections. Foodies, on the other hand, will love the Snack exchange section.

Uniquely Filipino fashion and home collections are available at Kultura section, while aCe express offers the latest and most innovative home improvement solutions. in addition to shopping, customers can pay their bills and exchange foreign currency and enjoy the convenience of a gift Registry in the store.

SM Prestige Card members can also relax and enjoy the services at the Prestige Lounge, a cozy and comfortable haven where elite customers can relax in luxe interiors, read the latest news, sip a cup of coffee, and avail of priority shopping services.

While in the lounge, Prestige cardholders can enjoy free internet access with Wi-Fi connections. Courteous and well-trained guest relation attendants can assist them in gift-wrapping and Heart Evangelista-Escudero, Pasig City administrator Jeron Manzareno, and Ortigas Land president and chief executive Jaime Ysmael grace bills payment services, as well as in the store reveal of The SM Store Estancia. Joining them are Felicidad Sy, SM Prime chairman of the executive committee Hans Sy, SM Retail their shopping needs. director Jorge Mendiola, and The SM Store president Chelo Monasterio. as part of its opening treat, lucky 100 cialty spots were used, which serves as give the place a romantic feel. accessories for Men, Women, and Teens. shoppers who have spent a minimum Stylish shoppers will love the store’s directional lighting for accenting merFashionable shoes, bags, and luggage of P3,000 single-receipt purchase from great mix of merchandise from the Beauty are also beautifully showcased as well nov. 29 to dec. 31 will win P10,000 chandise and displays.

The modern chandeliers in the atrium section to the latest trends in clothes and as clothes, toys, and essentials for Kids shopping money.

The newly opened The SM Store at Estancia Mall features elegant design elements such as marble and metal finishes, but still has SM’s distinct shopping vibe.

domestic living

Twinkling lights drape down along Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.

Giant lantern designed by Pampanga’s Parol King Rolando Quiambao.

Aseana City glows this holiday season PaRañaQUe’S aseana City joins the bright celebration of the holiday season with its impressive decorations.

Twinkling lights draping down the length of the streets as well as giant lanterns are giving off Pres. diosdado Macapagal Boulevard and diokno Boulevard

their very own Christmas charm. now in its second year of partnership, the Led bulbs on display are powered

by Firefly electric and Lighting Corporation, while the giant parols were delicately designed by Pampanga’s Parol King Rolando Quiambao.

With the rise of residential, commercial, and mixed-use enclaves inside aseana City, the estate’s management sees to it that every citizen not only enjoys living and working in a safe environment but is also having a festive time while walking along its pedestrians and alleyways.

PayMaya users get free Landers membership card MeMBeRSHiP superstore Landers has tied up with PayMaya to offer the latter’s users free Premium Membership card.

Ongoing until dec. 31, PayMaya users who qualify for the offer will receive an SMS containing a unique voucher code that can be used to avail of the free membership.

The SMS voucher must be presented at any Landers Superstore membership counter, together with one valid id. Users must fill out the registration form to redeem their Premium Membership card that will be valid for one year from its purchase date. a Landers Premium Membership offers a host of benefits, including access to a wide selection of top-notch local and international branded goods, participation in countless promotional activities, free haircut or shampoo and blow-dry services at Federal Barbers,

Select PayMaya users get a chance to avail of free membership at Landers.

discount at Capital Care Pharmacy, dining at Landers Central, doppio, and dough & Co., and convenient shopping at Landers online store.

PayMaya users who receive the SMS voucher but are already a member may use it for membership re-

newal. application or renewal for a Landers Premium Membership under the promo should be done on or before dec. 31. Business Memberships and extensions are not included.

Go to landers.ph for more information.

Kitchen appliances that promote health, include (clockwise from top) Philips Food Processor, Philips Avance Collection Juicer, Philips Viva Collection All-in-One Cooker, and Philips Digital Airfryer.

Heart-friendly kitchen appliances PaRTieS—which are aplenty during the holiday season—while fun, can wreak havoc on health. Overeating and consuming food with high fat and high sugar content could lead to heart disease. according to the department of Health, cardiovascular diseases, which include heart attack and stroke, are the top causes of death among Filipinos. This, however, should not dampen anyone’s spirits; by being mindful of what we consume, we can make this season not only happy but heart-healthy as well.

Health technology company Philips offers kitchen appliances that let homemakers stay heart-healthy during the holiday season and beyond.

Opt for fresh juice instead of sweetened soda that is high in harmful sugars and chemicals. Philips avance Collection Juicer HR 1871 can create up to 2.5 liters of healthy drinks in one go without the need to empty the pulp container. Clean up is easy

thanks to its QuickClean technology.

Crispy food is great as pica-pica and as a main dish, but deep fat-frying is a health no-no. Fry with 80 percent less oil with the patented Rapid air Technology of Philips digital airfryer Hd9238. aside from frying crispy food, it can also be used to grill, roast, and even bake a variety of meals.

With functions for slow cooking, pressure cooking and multi-cooking, Philips Viva Collection all-in-One Cooker is the ideal gadget for someone who loves to cook or can only afford to have a few items in their kitchen.

Make a variety of fresh dips and sauces instead of having the storebought kind that is full of fat, sugars, and preservatives with Philips Food Processor HR 7761 that comes with different accessories which has more than 28 functions. its PowerChop technology provides superior chopping results for both hard and soft ingredients.

Entertainment

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Daniel Matsunaga, Queenie Padilla

launched as faces of marketing service

By Eton Concepcion

'Changing People’s Lives' campaign is a five-part video series that features raw and unfiltered emotions of the subjects.

Touching Christmas reunion stories of OFWs with their families

C

REATIVE Programs Inc.’s (CPI) branded marketing unit Ide8 bagged the Best Branded Digital Ad recognition at the 41st Catholic Mass Media Awards for its Changing People’s Lives campaign, a five-part video series about OFWs produced for Frontrow.

Ide8 serves the ABS-CBN Lifestyle Ecosystem clients of CPI, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN and develops branded content for its clients-advertisers. Ide8 specializes in producing video content, webvertorials and supplements, which are developed in line with the goals and objectives of its clients.

Ide8 head Sharleen Soon said the triumph is a testament to the team’s firm teamwork with its clients.

“We are really thankful to have been involved in this project, which allowed Ide8 to help Frontrow produce its powerful stories of love of family and sacrifice in videos released on ABS-CBN

News site, where it has been seen over three million times,” she shared.

Besting ads from other leading Philippine brands, the winning entry featured heartwarming stories of OFWs who have spent much of their lives working in Singapore and who were granted the chance to fly back home to be with their families for Christmas.

The videos, which showcased raw and unfiltered emotions from the subjects, serve as a timely reminder for viewers to constantly appreciate precious times with family since not everyone has the privilege to be with their loved ones at all times. The series included various Christmas surprises, reuniting and bringing Kapamilyas closer especially in this season of love.

Ide8 bagged the Best Branded Digital Ad recognition at the 41st Catholic Mass Media Awards with its touching stories about OFWs and their families.

Handpainted...

From C4

The long-awaited Philippine remake of the hit Korean drama movie, Miracle in Cell No. 7 is about a mentally ill man (Aga Muhlach), who was wrongfully accused of the murder of a child.

He befriends his inmates who smuggle his young daughter (Xia Vigor), inside their prison cell. In the present time, his daughter, now a lawyer (Bella Padilla), stands before a judge in court to prove his father’s innocence.

Set in the 1940s, the historical drama movie Culion features three women played by Iza Calzado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Meryll Soriano, who are diagnosed with leprosy, which at the time is surrounded by multiple social stigmas. They are sent to Culion island, a place where people with their condition are sent to isolate them similar to being handed a life sentence.

Judy Ann Santos stars in Mindanao as a Muslim woman who needs to take care of her cancer-stricken

daughter. Meanwhile, her husband (Allen Dizon), who is a combat medic is sent on a dangerous mission to Maguindanao.

Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity is about the heist performed by a team of talented criminals led by a classy master thief, Don Robert Fortun (Vic Sotto). They plan to steal the Pearl of the Orient, which owned by Don Robert’s brother who framed him for murder.

Lastly, Sunod, is about a mother (Carmina Villaroel) who takes on a demanding call center job in an old building in Manila so that she can pay for her terminally ill daughter’s medication. However, she soon experiences strange events in the call center and is forced to uncover the sinister mysteries hidden behind the office walls.

The Metro Manila Film Festival 2019 runs until Jan. 7 in all SM Cinema theaters nationwide. Book your tickets through the website, www. smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app. You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @ SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates.

ACTRESS Queenie Padilla and commercial model Daniel Matsunaga graced the grand opening of iFuel Marawi business franchise, under the iGive Charity event of iFranchise Business Services, Corp. which recently celebrated its second anniversary in Okada Manila. iFranchise, headed by Krizzia LoyangTanabe, brought hope and cheers to the Marano people of Marawi in Mindanao who gathered to witness the launching.

The event followed the successful opening of the BBQ BREAK Restaurant in Zamboanga City, made possible by the highly trusted iFranchise company.

The Barbeque Break and Coffee Spot package promo can be availed until this December for the surprisingly low, affordable introductory price of P650,000 when it usually costs no less than P5 million to shell out for this kind of concept.

GRAND OPENING. (From left) Sultan Abedin,iFUEL Founder Krizzia Loyang, Eng. Abedin,iGIVE Ambassador Queenie Padilla, iFUEL Franchisee Shahani Abedin iFUEL Brand Endorser Daniel Matsunaga, and Marawi Vice Mayor Abdulrauf and PNP Head)

HBO award-winning comedy ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ returns

HBO Emmy® and Golden Globe®winning comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm returns same time as the U.S. on Jan. 20 at 11: 30 a.m. exclusively on HBO Go and HBO. The episode encores on the same day at 11:30 p.m. on HBO. Larry David is back—as Larry David—stumbling through one faux-pas after another in an all-new season of the award-winning, hit comedy series.

As candid, unsparing and outrageous as ever, Curb Your Enthusiasm revolves around a fictionalized, gleefully misanthropic version of David as a ubiquitous camera chronicles the private, often banal world of this (relatively) public man.

The series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-

day life—a cold cup of coffee, a stained shirt, a missing toothbrush—can precipitate a chain of misfortune to hilarious effect. To keep the narrative spontaneous, the series is shot without a script and cast members are given scene outlines and often improvise lines as they go.

Returning series regulars include Emmy® nominee Larry David (Seinfeld), Susie Essman (Broad City), Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs), Emmy® nominee Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory), Richard Lewis (Anything But Love) and JB Smoove (The Millers).

Created by Larry David; executive producers, Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Jeff Schaffer, Gavin Polone; consulting producers, Carol Leifer, Jon Hayman; producer, Mychelle Deschamps.

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast

by HBO that premiered in October 2000. The series was created by Larry David starring as a fictionalized version of himself.

What's next...

From C4

The stars of MMFF entry Culion, Meryll Soriano, Nico Locco, and Joem Bascon

iFranchise congratulated those who have availed of the promo and for those interested, can set an appointment with iFranchise. iFranchise typical marketing services provide you an outline of the specific marketing activities to take to generate leads, as well as the steps you will need to take in order to implement these marketing activities. This will cover the areas of public relations, social media, print advertising, direct mail, trade show attendance, internet utilization, and utilization of brokers and other referral sources.

It will also include specific recommendations as to media mix, lead tracking, and targeted advertising effectiveness rates (costs-per-lead and costs-per-franchise sale by media type). In essence, it will provide the entrepreneur with a detailed, step-by-step approach to franchise lead generation. Starting your business today? iFranchise is here to assist you.

Call 0916-8619-204 for fast transaction.

Who will oversee the project is less clear.

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had been due to head up the next trilogy starting in 2022 but dropped out after signing a massive Netflix deal.

A separate, planned trilogy from Rian Johnson—director of the divisive Last Jedi—remains in development.

But Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy said in a recent interview that Star Wars may even seek to move away from the trilogy format.

“I think it gives us a more open-ended view of storytelling and doesn’t lock us into this three-act structure,” she told the LA Times.

Kevin Feige, the man behind the extraordinary success of the Marvel superhero films, is set to produce a Star Wars film— but it remains at an early stage of development, she added.

J.J. Abrams, director of The Rise of Skywalker and The Force Awakens, is unlikely to be involved. He recently penned an exclusive deal with rival studio Warner Bros.

Endless set of tales If there is an undoubted bright spot on the horizon for Star Wars, it is the recently launched Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

The franchise’s first live-action TV show has proven a hit, not least due to the viral popularity of the impossibly cute “Baby Yoda”, known in the show as “The Child”.

A second season is in the works.

As Disney increasingly focuses on its own streaming platform—a direct rival to Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, with more competitors on the way in 2020—it plans further high-profile Star Wars shows.

Ewan McGregor will return as ObiWan Kenobi for one series, while the stars of hit 2016 spin-off Rogue One will also receive their own prequel show.

“As Mandalorian points out, this is just the beginning of what could be an endless set of tales told from galaxies far, far away,” Iger told AFP. “’The Mandalorian’ has given us the ability to be even a little bit more patient because we feel we’re serving Star Wars fans,” he added.

“And that gives us, I think, the luxury of being even more methodical about this.”Andrew Marszal, AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

What's next for ‘Star Wars’ after ‘Rise of Skywalker’ grand finale?

THE Rise of Skywalker dominated movie theaters this weekend. But diminishing box office returns, scathing reviews and a plot that wrapped up the space saga’s major story arcs all beg the question— what next for Star Wars?

Marketed as a grand finale to the decades-spanning, nine-film “Skywalker Saga,” the latest film hauled in $177.4 million domestically on its opening weekend.

While that would be a stratospheric figure for any other film—indeed, it was the third-biggest movie opening of 2019—it is notably less than the last two major Star Wars installments, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

Reviews were mainly negative, accusing the

movie of falling back on the same overworn Star Wars tropes.

A fear of franchise fatigue has already led Disney boss Bob Iger to signal a slowdown in releases, admitting his previous plan to produce a new Star Wars each year was “a little too much, too fast.”

Nonetheless, Iger was bullish about future Star Wars films at last week’s world premiere, telling AFP that “this is just the beginning,” with potentially “endless” more stories on the way.

“We know that fans will want another film, or another few films, and we’ll make them,” he said. “But as I’ve said for a long time about movie making, it’s really important not to make a film until it’s ready...

And don’t release it until it’s really finished and you

feel great about it. So we’re in no rush.”

New characters, new worlds Details of what is in store remain tightly under wraps and are the subject of much speculation.

Currently, no Star Wars films appear on Disney’s release slate until December 2022, to be followed by further untitled movies in 2024 and 2026.

Doug Chiang, Lucasfilm vice-president and executive creative director, confirmed to AFP he is already working on design ideas for a new Star Wars movie.

“Now that the ‘Skywalker saga’ is done, we can actually push on and discover new characters and Future 'Star Wars' films are expected to say goodbye to new worlds and new planets. So I find it really ex- familiar characters, like beloved droids R2D2 and C3PO, citing,” said Chiang.

Continued on C3 and introduce a range of new worlds.

Asia’s biggest TV event holds first awards fest in Manila

Hand-painted MMFF movie posters on display SM CINEMA makes the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) experience extra special for moviegoers this year with a one-of-a-kind exhibit that features hand-painted renditions of the featured movies’ official posters.

SM Cinema takes the holiday season and the MMFF as another opportunity to showcase Filipino craftsmanship that manifest in art and in film. Through this installation where people can see film and art intersect and allow everyone to see their movies in a whole new perspective.

Over the holidays beginning Dec. 20 moviegoers started seeing the life-size handpainted versions of MMFF movie posters at SM Cinema Mall of Asia and SM Cinema Megamall.

This year’s MMFF is featuring eight movies that are sure to bring out laughs, trigger tears and get screams from moviegoers.

Comedy movie 3pol Trobol,

F

OR the first time in its 24-year history, the Asian Television Awards (ATA) will be held in the Philippines. The 24th ATA will take place at the Newport Performing Arts Theaters at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City from Jan. 10 to 12.

Considered as the Asian TV’s most celebrated and prestigious gathering of industry professionals, the ATA has recognized hundreds of Asian actors, directors, producers, hosts and presenters, and TV networks since its founding in 1996.

For this year’s Asian Television Awards in Manila, more than 300 international delegates—acclaimed filmmakers and TV

program producers, actors and TV hosts and presenters, directors and other industry bigwigs—are expected to grace the threeday event.

The Award Ceremony, which will be held on Jan. 11, is the highlight of the 24th Asian Television Awards.

The ceremony will be hosted by Filipino personalities actor Mark Neumann, TV

Young divas Morissette Amon (right) and Jona will be featured in an after-party concert that features some of the biggest and upcoming names on the Asian music scene.

That song of the year SONGWRITING and performing acts dream of coming up with or being behind a song to be hailed as Song of the Year—that one piece hailed as the year’s best.

Logically it’s a citation that should be given to the biggest hit of the past 12 months.

But of course, there’s really no standard rule for a song to earn the tag. There’s also no formula in writing a surefire Song of the Year.

It’s simply a lucky break that gives composers bragging rights to live with.

I was an avid listener of campus radio 97.1 back in the ‘90s and I could recall few of its Song of the Year winners. Bon Jovi’s “Bed of Roses” was a runaway hit in 1993 while Extreme’s “More Than Words” lorded it over a couple of years prior to it. It was the decade of alternative rock as Eraserheads’ “Ang Huling El Bimbo” made it on top the year it became a household tune.

Huli Ka Balbon features action star and primetime king, Coco Martin as Pol, a police officer blamed for the murder of his boss, the Executive Director of the National Defense Agency. He pretends to be an illegitimate daughter of his boss to get closer to his real daughter, Trina, played by Jennylyn Mercado, in order to pass on the secret without attracting attention.

Vice Ganda partners with Anne Curtis in comedy film M&M: The Mall, The Merrier about an epic battle over the ownership of Tamol Mall between Moira and Morisette.

Romantic comedy Write About Love stars Miles Ocampo in her first leading role. A young writer teams up with a seasoned indie film writer (Rocco Nacino) to finish her story. As their relationship develops, the movie also shows the relationship of her characters (Joem Bascon and Yeng Constantino) in the love story they are finishing.

Continued on C3

Actor Mark Neumann is one of the hosts of the 24th edition of Asian Television Awards happening in Manila in January.

journalist Cathy Yang, popular Thai modelactress Ase Wang, and Singapore media personality Wallace Ang. The region’s best and most popular stars and celebrities are expected to attend the 24th ATA Ceremony and walk its red carpet.

Also attending the 24th ATA are Filipino nominees Martin del Rosario (which got the nod for his role in the digital series Born Beautiful) and Julie Ann San Jose (a Best Actress in a Leading Role nominee for her performance in the animated series Barangay 143).

Other Filipino celebrities to grace the event as presenters for the awarding ceremony include actress Diana Zubiri, star of the Asian Television Awards-nominated digital series Mystified, singer Karylle, and world boxing champion and politician Manny Pacquiao.

A concert will cap off the three-day event on January 12, 2020. Indonesia-born recording artist Anggun, Korean girl group Cherry Bullet, and Vietnamese singer Hoang Yen Chibi will headline the concert, which will also feature Filipino artists Martin Nievera, Gab and Kiana Valenciano, Jonalyn Viray, and Morisette Amon.

Tickets to the Awards Night, After Party and Concert are now available at www.ticketworld. com.ph. Ticket prices: P7,000 for VIP; P4,000 for Gold; and P3,000 for Silver. For more information, follow @asiantvawards on Facebook and Instagram.

Yeng Constantino poses beside the handpainted version of 'Write About Love' movie poster.

YUGEL LOSORATA For a time, the biggest OPM songs were from Introvoys. AfterImage scored one with “Habang May Buhay” while Parokya Ni Edgar delivered an instant classic with “Harana.”

Last decade, Aiza Seguerra’s “Pagdating Ng Panahon” was a monster of a track it could claim being the era’s biggest local draw.

The composers of these gems would all look back with sweet smiles knowing they were able to pen the tunes labeled best among bests.

The Song of the Year should go to that track you’ve heard in the airwaves and videokes even without requesting for it. The critically acclaimed may beat it on the grounds that music authorities dissected it and found it deserving. But you can’t go wrong with a 'Bed of Roses' is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, first appearing in 1992 on the album 'Keep the Faith,' then released as a single in late January 1993 and later legit hit—the people’s champ.

The Maestro Ryan Cayabyab was once became the most popular song of that year.

quoted he never ever knew which of his songs would become a hit. I also heard that the songwriter behind “Pusong Bato” got misty eyed once it was clear his forgotten piece had become everyone’s pet.

I found it amusing, too, that my sister who has been residing in California since 1996 would ask, during a recent video call, if my band (The Pub Forties) could cover that breakthrough song “Buwan” by Juan Karlos in our family reunion next year. That’s simply an indication of how a song, apparently recorded on a rush at Sonic State studio in Mandaluyong, has transformed into something.

One of the studio engineers, Brian Lotho, a studied musician who writes and play himself, told me he was amazed by the sheer beauty of the song while it was being recorded. Somehow he felt it was going to be big. But probably not as big as how it came to be.

I was informed then that Orange and Lemons never thought of “Pinoy Ako” as a game-changer until they realized how big the reality TV show it would serve.

So, for you songwriters out there, keep recording songs. Who knows it’s your song for 2020.