Manila Standard - 2020 July 27 - Monday

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Cases rising to UP experts’ danger level

By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz HEALTH officials reported 2,110 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday, bringing total infections to 80,448.

The total number of cases is just a little less than 4,600 short of the 85,000 cases estimate of UP experts by August 1.

The UP forecast represents a danger level as it will place Metro Manila under tighter lockdown

protocols, raising the level from General Community Quarantine to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.

As of Sunday, Metro Manila had the most number of new cases at 1,345, followed by Cebu province with 304, Laguan with 109, Negros Occidental with 66 and Rizal with 40.

The Department of Health said there were 39 more deaths, bringing total fatalities to 1,932.

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Full alert as SONA unfolds PNP sees no threat; 6,000 cops fan out; protesters lurk inside UP

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 153• 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Willie Casas, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte delivers his fifth State-Of-TheNation Address (SONA) Monday in a world drastically changed by a pandemic, highlighted by the 50-person limit at the House of Representatives Session Hall where he will speak.

Despite the limited attendance this year, 5,400 police officers and 1,900 members from allied security agencies will be providing security.

In an interview with radio dzBB on Sunday, PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the augmentation force will come from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the military's Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology,

SONA PREPARATIONS. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano takes the nose swab for anti-virus test administered by health workers as a prerequisite to those attending the 5th State of the Nation Address to be delivered by President Duterte at the Plenary Hall of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, At the Senate (lower photo), members of the secretariat inspect barriers that will be placed in-between seats designed to provide protection to senators and employees from exposure to the COVID-19. House/Senate photos

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PhilHealth chief plans to go on leave; senators demand probe

POCKET MONEY.

Personnel of the Depaertment of Social Welfare and Development and National Police assist thousands of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who have camped out at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The LSIs are required to undergo rapid tests for the coronavirus disease before they are allowed to return home to the provinces with a P2,000.00 pocket money from the government's “Hatid Tulong” program.

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta PHILIPPINE Health Insurance Corp.

(PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales on Sunday said he is considering going on leave due to corruption allegations hounding his agency.

In a virtual press conference on Sunday, Morales gave the statement after Senate President Vicente Sotto III

A FIRST-TERM Quezon City congressman has filed a bill seeking more benefits to government physicians to attract more doctors to the government service.

Assistant Majority Leader Anthony Peter Crisologo filed House Bill 3923, which aims to provide a minimum com-

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• Global cases breach 16-m mark • Deadliest day in Australia THE global number of coronavirus cases crossed 16 million on Sunday, more than half of them in the Americas and the Caribbean, according to an AFP tally from official sources.

The 16,050,223 cases include 645,184 fatalities with the United States the worst hit country, registering 4,178,021 infections and 146,460 dead.

Latin America and the Caribbean have recorded 4,328,915 cases and 182,501 dead followed by Europe on 3,052,108 cases and 207,734 dead.

The spread of the pandemic continues to accelerate and more than five million cases have been declared since July, which represents a third of the total number of cases since the pandemic began.

The World Health Organization says more than a million cases had been recorded in each of the last five weeks, with over 280,000 being reported on July 24 alone.

Australia suffers deadliest day of pandemic Australia has suffered its deadliest day

WORLD ROUNDUP

Extra perks sought for medics, nurses Groups decry

By Maricel Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

suggested the PhilHealth official go on leave while he is being investigated to show delicadeza.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, said the PhilHealth official should resign unless the allegations could be refuted.

“Unless he can credibly refute the allegations, which are supported by documents, he has no choice but to resign,” Lacson said in Filipino. “So

pensation of P80,000 to P90,000 monthly to the new doctors.

He says HB 3923 would apply to all physicians who are regular employees of local governments and the national government who provide service at least 40 hours a week.

The bill would also provide subsistence allowance and hazard pay to the Next page

Symbolic brooch for lawmakers FASHION-FORWARD women lawmakers are expected to wear the “Araw” brooch designed by a young accessory brand that works with various Gawad Kalinga communities during today's penultimate State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The half-sun brooch was created by the Philippine Fashion Coalition, an umbrella organization of fashion professionals, including Amina Aranaz-Alunan, president of the Fashion and Design Next page

police arrest sans warrant

THE urban poor alliance Kadamay on Sunday condemned the arrest of a community leader in Pandi, Bulacan, and the confiscation of copies of Pinoy Weekly, an independent newspaper, saying the police did both without presenting any warrants.

Kadamay said the police came in "squads" to arrest one of its leaders, Rose Fortaleza, after they "entered the occupied Villa Lois housing site to conduct illegal searches without a warrant."

“We have always said that the poor will be hit first by [President Rodrigo] Duterte's repression,” Kadamay spokesperson Mimi Doringo said in a statement.

"Is it illegal to distribute a brochure and a newspaper today? The police did not have a search warrant and there was no basis for the arrest and confiscation of our materials, but they continued. Who is Next page the criminal here?”

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PMA RITES. AFP Chief Gen. Felimon Santos and PMA Superintendent Allan Ferdinand Cusi troop the line prior to the holding of incorporation rites for the PMA Class 2024. Santos is guest of honor and speaker at ceremonies marking an important milestone in the life of the cadets of the Philippine Military Academy. Dave Leprozo

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News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Diesel price hike seen at P0.20

By Alena Mae S. Flores

“Expect fuel prices to have mix movements next week [July 28-Aug. 3]. Diesel should increase by P0.20 per liter but gasoline should have no price movement,” Unioil Philippines said in an advisory.

World oil prices settled lower last

week after uncertainty in US demand due to a weak jobs report, according to S&P Global Platts.

Global oil price sentiments have been mixed in recent weeks as countries try to cope with the impact of the coro-

navirus pandemic.

The Energy department cited a report by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which described global oil demand as “on the mend,” but the recovery differs between developed markets and emerging markets.

Analysts also have differing opinions on the effects of the production cuts of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Some analysts believe those may not result in an immediate rise in crude and oil prices due to the fragility of the global economic recovery, while other analysts are more optimistic.

A recent report by Reuters quoted In-

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Bureau of Fire Protection and the Department of Public Order and Safety of Quezon City.

He said the entire PNP nationwide will be on full alert for Monday's activities, though they have yet to monitor any threats.

Eleazar added that a security challenge during Monday's SONA is the implementation of the health guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on mass gatherings.

He said the SONA-related protests will be held inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman after the Quezon City local government did not issue any permit to the militant groups for mass gatherings along Commonwealth Avenue, the usual venue for SONA rallies.

Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government reminded the city of the prohibition on mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

In a press conference on Sunday, National Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said the NCRPO will maintain the full alert status being implemented since March following the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine.

Sinas said at least 30 bomb-sniffing dogs will also be deployed in Metro Manila including the UP campus, Senate of the Philippines in Pasay, and the House of Representatives at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

Sinas said there will be no traffic rerouting scheme along Commonwealth Ave. since protest actions are not allowed in the area.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya reminded the public to avoid mass gatherings like protest rallies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“We appeal to the rally organizers not to compromise the health and welfare of the people. We ask them not to be blind to the scientific evidence that mass gatherings are the fastest way for the virus to spread among their ranks, which can then infect their families and ultimately their communities,” he added.

As in his four previous SONAs, Duterte is set to deliver his address at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City but with only 50 persons allowed to attend the event due to the COVID-19 threat.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, however, said Duterte might deliver his SONA at the

Malacañan Palace in Manila, in case one of those invited to attend the annual event at the Batasang Pambansa tests positive for COVID-19.

Duterte is expected to tackle the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his priorities in the remaining two years of his administration.

Protest actions will proceed on Monday during President Rodrigo Duterte's penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA), an activist group said on Sunday despite a ban on mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also on Sunday, Renato Reyes Jr., secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) urged protesters to wear face masks and observe physical distancing at the protest rally, which will be held in UP Diliman in Quezon City, from 10 a.m. to noon.

“They cannot use the IATF guidelines to brush off our constitutional rights,” Reyes said in Filipino. “We'll file charges against policemen who sow trouble in our peaceful gathering tomorrow.”

“Our physical distancing measures are better than government's implementation at the Rizal Coliseum,” Reyes said, referring to the more than 9,000 locally stranded individuals who are waiting there for transportation to take them to their home provinces.

Reyes said among issues groups will protest are government's supposed failure in addressing the pandemic, its lack of economic assistance, its prioritizing of the anti-terror law's passage and ABS-CBN shutdown, and its submission towards China and the US. “The protest action is justified in the midst of the suppression of our rights. The people are mad at the policies of the government and its shortcomings,” he said.

The protest action will feature a virtual effigy this year, a first in its annual tradition, Reyes said.

“The diorama will feature the people uniting to burn the 'veerus' in Malacañang,” he said, making fun of the way the President pronounces the word “virus.”

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House will likely hold a hybrid joint session–some of the legislators in actual attendance at the Session Hall and the rest in their homes or offices through teleconferencing–with the Senate when President Duterte delivers his address.

Cayetano said the “blended” SONA would be similar to the teleconferencetype sessions done by the House, with a limited number of guests actually present and the rest attending through a teleconferencing computer application.

He said the House must adapt to the situation brought about by the pandemic since a vaccine to prevent the disease has

yet to be developed.

A House announcement said that attendees from the chamber will be required to undergo swab testing at the entrance on the day itself in addition to rapid testing for COVID-19 on the eve of the event.

Those who test positive in either of the COVID-19 tests will no longer be allowed to enter the Batasan complex.

After the morning session which starts at 10 in the morning, Montales said the Plenary Hall will be closed for disinfection. The venue will then be opened by 2 p.m. for those allowed to attend the President's SONA. Montales said aside from mandatory COVID-19 tests, physical distancing measures and other health protocols will be strictly observed during SONA day. These include wearing face masks, face shields, and other personal protective equipment at all times, putting floor markings at entrances, elevators, and places with foot traffic, providing alcohol and sanitizers, checking of body temperature, disinfection of surfaces, and submission of health declaration forms.

The passage of the proposed Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2 is among the priority legislation of the House when the Second Regular Session of the 18th Congress opens Monday.

Cayetano said the House will pass Bayanihan 2 and other fiscal measures to ensure that micro, small and mediumscale enterprises (MSMEs) and banks are provided assistance and opportunities to recover from the financial losses caused by the pandemic.

The 2021 national budget is also a priority legislation, he said.

The Budget department will propose to Congress a P4.506 trillion national budget--an amount higher than the earlier announced P4.3 trillion.

“The budget ceiling has been increased from P4.335 trillion to P4.506 trillion to provide sufficient budget support for programs, activities, and projects that will address the COVID-19 pandemic,” Budget Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo earlier said in an interview.

Toledo said the 2021 budget will be used for the procurement of PPEs (personal protective equipment) and COVID-19 vaccine when one is available, basic education programs of the Department of Education to ensure learning continuity, and programs that support information and communication technology requirements for network connectivity and digital technology.

Senators who will attend the SONA will undergo a rapid test for COVID-19 before entering the Batasan.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said

they had also submitted themselves to a swab test at the Senate on Sunday.

Those who will go with him to the Batasan are Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Senators Francis Tolentino, Christopher Go, Ronald dela Rosa, Sherwin Gatchalian and Pia Cayetano.

Sotto said he expects 18 senators will be physically present at the Senate Session Hall when Congress opens 10 a.m.

Monday.

According to Sotto, the approval of the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2, on the third and final reading will be the Senate’s top priority once session opens. It was left hanging when Congress adjourned sine die in June.

The measure provides for the country’s COVID-19 response and recovery plan and a P140 billion standby fund.

The second regular session of the 18th Congress will open a few hours before Duterte delivers his SONA. Senators said they want to hear the President talk about his plans to combat COVID-19.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said he believes the people are not looking forward to soaring oratory or even in bold strokes.

“What they want to hear is the to-do list in a wartime SONA that will spell out the battle plan against the pandemic. Specifically, they want a granular SONA, and if I may suggest, a 30-day plan on how to prevent this pandemic from reaching a dangerous tipping point, from now until Aug. 31,” Recto said.

He said this is the flatten-the-curve plan that will stabilize and reverse the spike in cases, and improve all the important numbers on the country's economic report card.

“I think that is the end-of-the-tunnel light our people have earned the right to see after enduring one of the world’s longest and toughest quarantines,” Recto said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said the President's penultimate SONA should inform the public on how the government intends to solve the most pressing problems faced

by Filipinos today starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, as infections continue to rise and spread in many parts of the country. She said the SONA should also show how the government plans to restore the economy and help the millions of Filipinos who have lost their jobs and businesses during the pandemic.

Senator Nancy Binay also said she expects the President to focus on the government’s realistic action plans on what it will do in the following months to battle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and the economy.

With Benjamin Chavez

World...

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Groups...

from the coronavirus since the pandemic began, with authorities reporting ten fatalities Sunday and a rise in new infections despite an intensive lockdown effort.

The country's COVID-19 death toll rose to 155 and the southeastern state of Victoria reported more than 450 new infections in the last 24 hours.

A clearly concerned Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said ten people aged between their 40s and 80s had died, of which seven deaths were linked to outbreaks in aged care facilities.

It is the worst loss of life from the virus in Australia since the disease first emerged.

Nokor declares emergency over suspected 1st case North Korean authorities have imposed a lockdown on the border city of Kaesong after discovering what they say is the country's first suspected coronavirus case, state media reported Sunday.

Leader Kim Jong Un convened an emergency politburo meeting on Saturday to implement a "maximum emergency system and issue a top-class alert" to contain the virus, official news agency KCNA said.

If confirmed, it would be the first officially recognized case of COVID-19 in North Korea, where medical infrastructure is seen as woefully inadequate to deal with any epidemic.

KCNA said a defector who had left for South Korea three years ago returned on July 19 after "illegally crossing" the heavily fortified border dividing the two countries.

But there have been no reports in the South of anyone leaving through what is one of the world's most secure borders, replete with minefields and guard posts. AFP

physicians assigned to far-flung areas or to the places hounded by an active insurgency.

Amid the growing shortage of nurses, meanwhile, a legislator from the Visayas on Sunday called for a new program that would provide cash bonuses and career incentives to “inactive” nurses who wish to restart their profession.

“We have thousands of nursing graduates who have not been practicing their profession. Some of them are already registered nurses, while the others never bothered to take the licensure test after graduation,” Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas said.

Over the years, Gullas says, many nursing graduates have become airline flight attendants, business process outsourcing staff or sales agents of real estate, insurance and automotive firms.

“The massive economic dislocation and job destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic might provide these nursing graduates who are not practicing their profession the chance to rethink their career paths and go back to nursing,” Gullas said.

Senator Grace Poe says doctors who brave the frontlines—with or without a pandemic—to give their services for free to where health care needs are at their direst deserve recognition and incentives.

In her Senate Bill 1715, or the Physician Pro Bono Care Act, Poe wants physicians rendering free services to indigent patients to be entitled to a tax credit to be deducted from their gross income.

“A number of doctors have taken it upon themselves to volunteer and render free health services to our people who cannot afford to seek medical attention," she said.

derees’, 71 of which, they say, are from the workers’ sector in Laguna, KMU said.

PAMANTIK slammed the PNP for forcing workers to attend ‘union seminars,’ “which is in reality a platform to recruit AFP reservists to be deployed for counterinsurgency efforts.

In Meycauayan, Bulacan, members of the Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Supreme-NAFLU-KMU were holding a meeting in the morning of July 26 when three police officers in plainclothes tried to stop their assembly.

The group quoted the police as saying that meetings were banned during the pandemic.

In Quezon City, the local union in Paperland Inc. said the police tried to enter the factory looking for its president. They left after being turned away by the security guards.

“KMU is extremely disgusted with the state’s use of police authority to undermine the freedom of workers and the poor to organize and be involved in activities concerning their socio-economic and political lives,” the group said.

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IESEL prices may go up by P0.20 per liter but gasoline prices are not expected to move this week, an oil distributor said over the weekend.

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The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also condemned the police action.

“It is totally ludicrous for the police to justify what, to our mind, constitutes armed robbery by claiming, falsely, that Pinoy Weekly is illegal and teaches people to fight the government.

“Pinoy Weekly is a perfectly legal and legitimate news organization, like all the outfits that belong to the alternative media. This incident is a very clear example of the dangers the Filipino people face from the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

The Kilusang Mayo Uno similarly condemned what the police did in Pandi, Bulacan.

The group PMANTIK also reported the forced surrender and red-tagging of workers at the Coca Cola plant in Laguna days before Duterte’s State-of-the-Union Address.

“Police officers from PNP Calabarzon presented around 131 ‘NPA surren-

Symbolic...

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Council of the Philippines, and Rajo Laurel, one of the country's top fashion designers.

Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano, president of the Congressional Spouses Foundation , Inc., said the brooch, which comes in two colors—cream and blu—signifies unity and hope.

“In the midst of this pandemic, the sun will also rise. All we need is for the government and the private sector to cooperate with each other,” she said.

“This year’s SONA is truly histori-

ternational Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol as saying the global oil markets are rebalancing, and projecting crude prices in the coming months to stay at $40 per barrel.

Here in the Philippines, the oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P0.10 to P0.20 per liter but raised the price of kerosene

by P0.15 per liter on July 21. There were no movements on diesel prices.

The total year-to-date adjustments on oil prices now stand at a net decrease of P5.07 per liter of gasoline and P12.84 per liter of kerosene. Diesel remained at a net decrease of P8.54 per liter.

cal. The backdrop is a global pandemic.

Many are suffering from economic hardship. Businesses are closing, industries are dying. Let’s use every opportunity including the SONA to join hands and support each other,” Cayetano added.

Deputy Speaker Baby Arenas, president of the Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc., said female legislators are hoping to make this year’s SONA “memorable and relevant by the simple gesture of wearing the Araw brooch.”

“I hope that the women legislators are inspired to continue working for the nation’s swift recovery and our kababayans are reminded not to lose hope and continue praying for our nation,” she said.

Cases...

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On the other hand, 382 new recoveries were reported, bring the total number of patients who recovered from COVID-19 TO 26,110.

This left 52,406 active cases in which patients were being treated or placed under quarantine.

Of these cases, 89.83 percent were mild, 9.25 percent were asymptomatic, 0.49 percent were severe and 0.42 percent were critical.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, said more than 102,000 Filipinos abroad have been repatriated since the Philippines recognized the public emergency arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

These consisted of 43,893 sea-based Filipinos (42.8 percent) and 58,626 landbased Filipinos (57.2 percent) who were stranded or lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Last week alone, 12,022 overseas Filipinos were brought home from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

In the House, a lawmaker called on senators to pass three measures that would help Filipinos adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte was referring to House Bill (HB) 6864 prescribing a ‘whole-of-society’ approach to strict mandatory safety and physical distancing protocols, HB 1248 on e-government and HB 1297 authorizing cash agents to help serve the banking needs of people in faraway villages without banks.

“Our senators could help Filipinos best adapt to the new world order by passing their own versions of these three House-approved measures, more so now when the World Health Organization (WHO) itself is bracing for a protracted pandemic and has called on countries to safeguard against what it called ‘a new and dangerous phase’ of the COVID-19 contagion,” said Villafuerte.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier there will be no return to the “old normal” for the foreseeable future, as the world is now in “a new and dangerous phase” with countries starting to reopen their societies and economies even as the virus is still spreading fast.

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far, at face value, I'd say the allegations are true because they are supported by documents.”

Morales on Sunday said the problem of corruption in the agency cannot be solved immediately even if the PhilHealth president is changed every month.

Morales said the problem involves long-term issues which also need longterm solutions.

Morales also said that he joined PhilHealth as a favor to a friend.

The retired military general was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the PhilHealth post in 2019.

The state-run health insurance company's anti-fraud legal officer, Thorrson Montes Keith, resigned last week over what he said was rampant corruption.

In his resignation letter, Keith said he opposed the mandatory PhilHealth contribution imposed on overseas Filipino workers, which he said was unconstitutional.

He also said his salary and hazard pay have been delayed since he started an investigation of some PhilHealth officials.

PhilHealth said Saturday it is prepared to undergo any investigation into alleged anomalies in the state-owned company.

PhilHealth spokesperson Gigi Domingo said the agency would cooperate with any investigation into the allegations.

Lacson said he will file on Monday a Senate resolution seeking an investigation into the alleged anomalies involving PhilHealth. Earlier, Sotto filed a similar resolution.

Lacson said his Senate resolution will focus on three major issues on alleged corruption, that is, the anomalous implementation of the interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) of PhilHealth, the questionable budget insertions for the purchase of an ICT equipment worth P734 million, and the supposed manipulation of the agency's financial statements.

Based on documents they obtained, Lacson said PhilHealth had anomalously released a total of P247 million to three hospitals in the Bicol region and another P196 million to two hospitals in Eastern Visayas, all tertiary level hospitals, only weeks after they applied through IRM, and even though they had only one COVID-19 patient.

Lacson also wants to investigate the questionable budget insertions of PhilHealth for the purchase of ICT equipment, which he said has already been flagged by the Commission on Audit.

"The description here was flagrantly inserted. DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) approved the budget for PhilHealth, but they changed it. They submitted a new list with a total amount of P734 [million]. This was flagged by COA," he said.

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Opinion

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

Isn’t it late in the day?

THROUGH the “clamor” of the League of Municipalities, speaking through its president, Narvacan mayor and former governor, congressman, and still kingpin of Ilocos Sur, Luis “Chavit” Singson, charter change is once again served on the political table.

The political and economic situations these days tell us the timing for charter change is bad.

El Chavit wants the Mandanas ruling by the Supreme Court on the issue of LGUs’ share of the total national tax intake, enshrined as constitutional fiat. As every law student knows, a Supreme Court ruling becomes part of the law of the land, and the Mandanas ruling remains hollow only because it has not been implemented.

The national government will find it most difficult to implement the ruling especially in this crisis. We are cash-strapped, period.

What the mayors through El Chavit want is like squeezing blood from stone, but enshrined in the Constitution, it binds every other successor to the president.

El Chavit and his mayors also re-posit a long-held criticism of the 1987 Constitution as too restrictive of foreign investments.

His former buddy, President Joseph Estrada wanted the Constitution revised as early as 1999, on his second year in office.

Cha-cha then was labelled “Concord” or “constitutional correction for development.” To be sure, it was not announced as platform when then Vice-President Estrada was campaigning for the presidency. Rather, it came after his visits to Asean countries, particularly Thailand, where he was impressed by the massive foreign investments pouring into the kingdom because of relaxed policies on land ownership and foreign capital.

Before him, Pres. Ramos also tried, through his eminence gris, National Security Adviser Jose Almonte, to push for constitutional revision, using “PIRMA” or people’s initiative as vehicle in 1997.

Erap thought that in 1999, when he was yet at the peak of his popularity, having won some 40% of the national vote a year before, the time was right for needed constitutional reforms. FVR and Joe Almonte in 1997 were suspected to be interested in lifting the term limit for the presidency.

The Roman Catholic Church, principally then Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin, rounded up support from all sectors to thwart the attempt to revise Cory’s Constitution. Massive anti-chacha rallies were mounted, and FVR relented.

Timing was off and too late when FVR’s Almonte pushed constitutional change, but Erap’s attempt one year into his presidency had the element of right timing.

Still, the political cardinal of the numerous church rallied the former president,

Cory Aquino, the religious, the Makati Business Club and other “oligarchs”, along with media power, to fight against any attempt to alter Cory’s constitution. The motives sprang from a condescending dislike for the incumbent president.

I was then the presidential adviser on political affairs, concurrent with being general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority, and together with then DILG Secretary Ronnie Puno, we had a “politburo” in an office in Makati to plan and operationalize a communications campaign to increase public acceptance of Concord.

I asked Pres. Estrada’s approval for a nationwide series of information campaigns, where cabinet members and/or their undersecretaries (we chose those who were skilled communicators) would preach the need for constitutional reform. Tri-media infomercials were produced.

Right after Cardinal Sin and his minions attacked Erap on the issue, we saw the September survey numbers: 70 percent were against charter change. This, despite the fact that the proponent was a highly popular president. But in December, the tide was shifting, slowly but surely. We were doing 43 percent acceptance, reversing the tide of public sentiment.

In mid-January of 2000, President Estrada suddenly surrendered, and in a press conference called at Malacanang, he withdrew the constitutional reform initiative. I was so disgusted at the move, which came all too sudden, upon the advice of his economic managers principally. Days later, in a one-on-one meeting at his office, I asked him why he retreated.

In respectful tone, I told him in a mix of Tagalog and English, “Mr. President, hindi po tayo dapat umatras. Your political detractors (I specified Cardinal Sin) have tasted blood. This may not be the end of it.” Those words became prophetic after El Chavit exploded his jueteng bombshell. The same cabal of conspirators against cha-cha managed to get Erap packing.

Fast forward to President GMA, who likewise launched a people’s initiative in 2008 through 2009, an attempt called Sigaw ng Bayan. The Senate would not budge; the Supreme Court ruled against it. Again, the suspicion was that GMA wanted to rule forever, and since the Hello Garci dark episode, her unpopularity was never reversed.

Today, El Chavit likewise floats the need for lifting term limits for local government officials, sensibly stating that three years are too short for proper governance, a proposition I am in full agreement with.

Still again, the timing may be quite off, as both Speaker Alan Cayetano and DILG Secretary Ano remarked. It is less than two years before the president’s term ends, as mandated by the 1987 Constitution. Worse, there is a pandemic that our health officials and many others cannot seem to tame. The toll on the economy and people’s livelihood has been a mortal wound.

Perhaps if Pres. Duterte launched charter change with better planning and more resolve in 2016, not necessarily for a shift to the federal system, but to revise a charter so full of flaws and inconsistencies, we would be unveiling a revised charter by now. Unlike Erap, Duterte once he resolves, is not likely to blink.

The political and economic situation these days tell us that it may be too late in the day.

EDITORIAL

Director’s cut F

ILM director Joyce Bernal promises that today’s State of the Nation Address will have a distinctly Filipino flavor.

President Rodrigo Duterte will address the nation for the penultimate time this afternoon, before a limited gathering of 50 people at the House of Representatives. Those given clearance to physically attend the proceedings will undergo stringent safety protocol. Everybody else will join virtually.

It should be interesting to see what the “distinctly Filipino” address would actually look like, and how Bernal—known for directing romantic comedies—would make this year’s show different from the two previous ones she has directed. We heard a few weeks back that she had gone far north to Sagada to shoot some scenes for the purpose, but was turned away—soundly so, if we may add—by local government officials.

One thing is for certain: Notable directors

JUDE ACIDRE THE arancel system refers to the present practice of collecting set fees for mass offerings and the celebration of the sacraments. The Spanish word “arancel” literally translates into “tarrif” and interestingly, such exactly was the intent of the First Plenary Council of the Philippines, which assembled in Manila in 1953 when it decided to continue with the said practice introduced in the seventeenth century—to impose a “church tax.” In fact, the same meeting of Filipino bishops decreed that “the edict of the Bishop whereby the parochial taxes approved by the Holy See are established will be made known to the people and a copy posted in each parochial office as well as in the sacristy, in an open place.” (Acts and Decrees of the First Plenary Council of the Philippines, 734). This practice continues to this day in many dioceses and parishes in the country.

But why was an arancel system imposed in the first place? During the Spanish regime, the Crown exercised royal patronage over the Church, and for such reason, the Church received funds and the support of the government. But because

of the distance of the colonies from Spain and the many other concerns of the colonial government, the Church had to source out alternative resources and additional revenues for it to carry out its mission— largely the income derived from church estates, supplemented by the offerings of the faithful based on the arancel system.

With the end of Spanish rule in the Philippines, so did centuries of royal patronage over the Church. The new American colonial establishment appealed to the Holy See to authorize the sale of the vast tracts of “friar lands” and perhaps in cognizance of the shift in political realities, it readily agreed to the sale. This left the Catholic Church with no other stable source of revenues but the offerings derived from the arancel system.

However, when the bishops in 1908, and later in 1958 decided to continue with the arancel system, they had three things in mind. First, that the faithful have the obligation to contribute to the Church according to their individual means. Second, that the “church taxes” should not burden the faithful and prevent them from fulfilling their religious duties. Third, that the abuse of setting too high a “price” on Church ministrations, and requiring payment over and above the fixed tariffs must be prohibited.

In fact, the arancel system was a careful attempt at balancing equity and Christian charity. Unlike the “church tax” system in

or none, presidential addresses of late have always had a distinctly Duterte flavor. This afternoon’s address won’t be an exception.

Over the past few months, hearing the President utter his stream-of-consciousness thoughts has become common fare for us.

No less than his spokesperson has chided us for not knowing better than to take his “jokes” literally.

We need some direction, all right.

At the very least, we can say we know what is inside our leader’s head.

Still, the context of today’s national address highlights the need for Mr. Duterte to communicate clearly, logically, concisely and authoritatively to the people. We watch with horror how the COVID numbers continue to spike. We tremble at how this ad-

ministration prefers law-enforcement-based solutions instead of those based on science, merit and genuine compassion.

Indeed we need a different Duterte to speak today.

We need direction, no doubt—but not the kind that Bernal and colleagues can offer.

This pandemic has drained our nation in so many aspects, materially and spiritually. We have no idea when it will end. Every day we struggle with questions on whether government officials truly have our best interests in mind. Often, we feel as though we are left to fend for ourselves.

And that’s not even mentioning those actually battling the disease or are constantly exposed to it without the requisite protection.

We hope that later this afternoon, Mr. Duterte’s speech can raise our hopes even just a little. We are desperate to hear about a decisive road map and a credible, wholistic, believable action plan that will tell us how we can get to a state better than where we are right now.

Cutting the cost of electricity I HAVE learned to accept the reality that this pandemic is not going to go away soon.

Like most households, we are constantly looking for ways to cut costs and consumption in anticipation of a prolonged economic slow down and the complex socio-economic challenges that will surely come. Adding to the anxiety in these difficult times is the rising cost of commodities that I am sure all consumers are feeling every time they go to the grocery store. This is a direct observation by my in-house price monitoring expert, my wife, who is so efficient in flagging every movement in grocery prices.

Several congressional hearings have been held to probe into the effects of the pandemic on the economy and how prices are moving since the lockdowns started. Most covered by media were the hearings that probed into the confusion in electricity bills which affected not just Meralco customers but many electricity cooperatives nationwide, which I said in an earlier column, was a case of how a faulty policy of the regulators caused unnecessary confusion for consumers and the whole power industry. As Meralco continues to handle each customer query one-on-one and billings are back to its normal cycle, disruption to meter readings can be avoided as this is a non-contact routine that can safely be done.

In the wake of this issue, another inquiry by the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability probed into the Energy Regulatory Commission and Meralco’s efforts to lower the cost of electricity so as to lighten the burden of consumers.

Meralco officials presented the action they have initiated to ensure that electricity rates are at levels that have been constant for over 10 years. Cited were the current rates which are lower than 2018 levels. Meralco also invoked the “force majeure” claim allowed in power supply contracts. This re-

Revisiting the arancel system THE FIFTH GOSPEL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Europe which applied to all faithful and paid annually or in fixed installments, or the “planned giving” or the “tithe system” in the United States which required the

It should reinforce and strengthen our duty to contribute to the Church both materially and spiritually. regular payment of a fixed contribution that approximates a tenth of one’s income to the Church, the arancel system was imposed only whenever the ministrations from the Church were needed. In fact, far from setting a fixed fee, the arancel system was originally intended to impose a cap or a ceiling on church fees. Thus, it allowed the faithful to contribute without imposing a burden for those who cannot afford while providing the Church a measure of financial stability, instead of a hit-and-miss method of financial support from voluntary offerings.

Last week, the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy released a new set of guidelines entitled “The Pastoral Conversion of the

duced fixed charges for generation capacity that would have been charged by suppliers.

This translated to P1.8 billion in savings which would have been otherwise added to the bills of Meralco’s customers.

How can we lighten the burden of consumers?

Always targeted in these kinds of investigations is the process of procuring the power that will be distributed to the electricity consumers which according to Meralco’s franchise mandate, must go through the “Competitive Selection Process (CSP)” in compliance to Department of Energy policies. The process is overseen by a third-party committee and approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). The CSP conducted in December 2019 resulted in a price cut of over P1.00/kwh resulting in cumulative savings of P4.6 billion for consumers.

A recurring issue raised is the system loss charge which I remember has been explained and even demonstrated by engineers during past congressional hearings to be an inherent reality when electricity is conducted through wires for long distances. Unlike in other countries where the system loss charge is incorporated in costs, our unbundled electricity bill clearly this cost which aside from the natural loss caused by the

Parish Community in the Service of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church” urging parishes to “outdated” models and to heed Pope Francis’ call for a spirit of “missionary evangelization”.

Although these guidelines are meant to serve as a set of non-binding suggestions for the renewal of parish life. Part of the reforms that the guidelines introduced was for parishes “not to ‘commercialize’ the sacramental life, and not to give the impression that the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, along with other ministerial activities, are subject to tariffs.”

Mainstream media quickly interpreted this as a call to stop the collection of fixed church fees, especially for mass stipends and stole fees­ —and ending the current practice of how the Church sources out its revenues.

The realization that the imposition of the arancel system has become prejudicial against the poor, who might not be able to afford something which is supposed to be free, has led the Church to assess the current practice. In fact, even before the recent guidelines issued by the Vatican, several Filipino bishops have already introduced steps to remove fees for sacramental and other church services.

In 1992, for example, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines encouraged diocese to consider tithing as a model for the stewardship of Church resources. In 2015, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan under Archbishop

distance from source to consumer, is affected by pilferage from illegal connections.

In response, the ERC ensured that systems loss caps will continue to be adjusted by electricity distributors. The cap for private utilities now set at 7.5 percent will be cut to 6.5 percent in 2021. For electricity cooperatives, a reduction to 9.25 percent from 13 percent will be implemented in 2022. As for Meralco’s franchise areas, the system loss charge is now the lowest on record at 5.42 percent set last March. This is another P50 billion in savings for consumers since 2008.

If you recall, the sudden spike in generation costs in the months of November and December 2013 sparked several allegations of market abuse and collusion by some power generators. Meralco appealed for government intervention and supported the ERC’s decision to stop the increase bringing down the generation charges to more acceptable P5.93/kwh which is a whopping P3.17 lower than the P9.10 that generators wanted to charge. This became the basis for adjusting the January 2014 charge to P6.11/ kwh from P10.22/kwh planned to be billed to consumers.

The Supreme Court recently affirmed the ERC’s order to adjust the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices in the third and fourth supply months in 2006 which effectively saved customers from paying an additional P6 per kwh on the generation charge. This was prompted by Meralco calling for an investigation by the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) on suspected cartel-like behavior. Unchecked, this would have cost consumers P9 Billion in additional pass-on rates.

As a Meralco customer, I hope that there will be more cost-cutting measures to be initiated by the regulators and the power industry especially while we are all grappling to survive this global crisis.

Socrates Villegas, stopped charging fixed rates for sacraments and sacramentals, instead accepting whatever parishioners can offer. In 2019, Bishop Ruperto Santos of the Diocese of Balanga decreed the removal of fees for funeral Masses and blessings in his diocese. In other Philippine dioceses, guidelines have also been set for the gradual removal of the arancel system.

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What to expect CROSSROADS

J.A. DE LA CRUZ

For whom the bell tolls

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Hurricane slams virus-hit Texas T

HE FIRST Atlantic hurricane of 2020 slammed into coronavirus-hit Texas late Saturday evening (Manila time), bringing heavy rain, storm surges and potentially life-threatening flash flooding.

A Seattle SWAT officer rides on an armored vehicle as police and protesters clash following the ‘Youth Day of Action and Solidarity with Portland’ demonstration in Seattle, Washington on July 25, 2020. Police in Seattle used flashbang grenades and pepper spray against protesters who set fire to construction trailers outside a youth jail. AFP

Protesters clash with Seattle police in latest outcry POLICE in Seattle used flashbang grenades and pepper spray Saturday against protesters who set fire to construction trailers outside a youth jail, amid a wave of public anger over President Donald Trump’s planned “surge” of federal agents into major cities.

The sounds of repeated small detonations rang out in the streets of the city in Washington state, and smoke rose from an area where demonstrators had set fire to trailers by a construction site for the youth detention facility, an AFP reporter observed.

Demonstrators slashed car tires and smashed trailer windows.

Police in riot gear faced off against the demonstrators, some of whom held up

umbrellas against falling pellets of pepper spray.

The Seattle Times newspaper quoted police as saying 16 people were arrested on suspicion of assault against officers, obstruction and failure to disperse.

The latest spasm of violence came after police and federal agents fired tear gas and forcefully dispersed protesters further south in Portland early Saturday, also in anger over Trump’s heavily-criticized “surge” of security forces.

The city, the biggest in the state of Oregon, has seen nightly protests against racism and police brutality for nearly two months, initially sparked by the death of unarmed African American George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota.

IN BRIEF

Malaysian ex-PM Najib to learn fate in first 1MDB trial

Tunisia interior minister named new PM TUNISIA’S interior minister Hichem Mechichi has been appointed to form the next government, the president’s office said, amid political tensions among major parties in the North African country.

The 46-year-old lawyer succeeds Elyes Fakhfakh, who resigned as prime minister earlier this month—but Mechichi was not one of the names proposed by the ruling political parties to President Kais Saied.

In a statement following Saturday’s announcement, Mechichi said he would “work to form a government that meets the expectations of all Tunisians.”

Tunisia has been praised as a rare success story for democratic transition after the Arab Spring regional uprisings sparked by its 2011 revolution.

But its leaders have struggled to meet the expectations of the Tunisian people and the already fragile economy has been battered by the closure of the country’s borders because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The disease has claimed around 50 lives and infected more than 1,400 people in Tunisia.

As well as being interior minister in the outgoing government, Mechichi has been a counselor to President Saied, handling legal matters. He has previously been chief of staff at the transport ministry and also served in the social affairs ministry. AFP

Red Bull distances itself from Thai heir THE maker of energy drink giant Red Bull has distanced itself from its Thai heir following public outrage after police dropped charges against the billionaire scion in a fatal hit-and-run case.

Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the grandson of Chaleo Yoovidhya who co-founded Red Bull and is one of the heirs to the family’s business, was accused of killing a police officer in 2012 when he crashed his Ferrari in Bangkok’s most exclusive neighborhood.

An arrest warrant came five years later, but by then he had fled in a private jet to Singapore.

On Friday, police confirmed the remaining charges against him had been dropped, including reckless driving causing death.

The decision stirred outrage among the Thai public over the culture of impunity enjoyed by the kingdom’s rich, with the hashtags #BossRedBull and #BoycottRedbull trending on Twitter in both English and Thai over the weekend.

Late Saturday TCP Group—the Thai parent company of the energy drink giant— released a statement on the “misunderstanding” over Vorayuth’s relationship with the company.

He “has never assumed any role in the management and daily operations of TCP Group, was never a shareholder, nor has he held any executive position within TCP Group,” the statement said. AFP

A MALAYSIAN court will hand down its verdict in Najib Razak’s first corruption trial on Tuesday, nearly 16 months after it began probing the former prime minister’s role in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

Najib and his inner circle are accused of plundering sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad in a mind-boggling fraud that stretched around the world.

Stolen cash was allegedly used to bankroll Hollywood hit “The Wolf of Wall Street” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and US investment titan Goldman Sachs also became embroiled in the scandal.

Anger at the looting played a large part in the shock loss by Najib’s coalition in elections two years ago after six decades in power.

He was subsequently arrested and hit with dozens of charges over the fraud.

Najib is currently facing three separate, 1MDB-linked trials, and the first finally reaches its climax this week in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

The case centers on the transfer of $9.9 million from former 1MDB unit SRC International into Najib’s bank accounts.

He denies any wrongdoing, and his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told AFP ahead of the verdict: “I feel good about the defense.”

The ex-leader, who is facing four charges of corruption and three of money-laundering in the case, insists he was ignorant of the bank transfers.

His defense team has portrayed Najib as a victim and instead sought to paint financier Low Taek Jho, a key figure in the scandal who has been charged in the US and Malaysia, as the mastermind. AFP

Portland is also a stage for the highly controversial crackdown by federal agents ordered by Trump—one that is not supported by local officials there, and which many say smacks of authoritarianism.

Civil unrest was not only confined to Portland. On Saturday, three members of a black militia were shot in Louisville, Kentucky at a Black Lives Matter protest, local media reported, citing police. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

The protest, to demand justice for a black woman who was killed by police as she slept in her home, drew members of the black militia and a rival far-right militia, with the heavily armed groups facing off while separated by riot police. AFP

The Category 1 storm was packing winds of around 90 miles per hour as it came ashore at Padre Island, the US National Hurricane Center said.

“Hanna is expected to produce heavy rains across portions of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. These rains will result in life-threatening flash flooding,” and some river flooding, the meteorologists said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or widespread damage as the winds slowed to 80 mph once the storm headed inland – with further weakening expected overnight.

But meteorologists warned a “life-threatening storm surge” could reach six feet in some areas, while the hurricane was forecast to drop up to 18 inches of rain through Monday on south Texas and Mexico.

“My Administration is closely monitoring Hurricane Douglas off Hawaii & Hurricane Hanna, which has now made landfall in Texas,” President Donald Trump tweeted.

“We continue to coordinate closely with both states – listen to your emergency management officials ... to protect your family & property!”

Damage appeared to be limited in the immediate aftermath of Hanna’s landfall, with some isolated flooding and power outages.

Images captured by CBS showed roads and a caravan park in Corpus Christi strewn with debris and downed trees, and several buildings apparently destroyed. AFP

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that the estate of the late CESAR C. ACOSTA consisting of Bank deposits under BPI Current Account No. 3080-0395-46; BPI Account No. 3219-004442; RCBC Account No. 0000001273057761 and RCBC Account No. 0000009030516163 and the conjugal share of a parcel of land covered by TCT No. N-3307771 has been extra-judicially settled among the heirs before the Notary Public Atty. Vicente C. Cruz per Doc. No. 414; Page No. 83; Book No. VII; Series of 2020.

(MStandard-July 13, 20 & 27, 2020)

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT with WAIVER of RIGHTS Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late JESUS CHONG MARTINEZ has been extra-judicially settled among his heirs WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS consisting of:  Personal Properties: • Bank of Commerce Checking Account No. 057-00-000059-2; • 170 Cumulative Convertible Stock in PLDT o SII-032816/0032563 (80 shares); o SIP-55952/0053210 (90 shares).  Real Properties: • TCT No. S-42863 (Parañaque City); • TCT No. S-42958 (Parañaque City).

As per Doc. No. 268; Page No. 55; Book No. LXIX; Series of 2019 before Notary Public ATTY. EDILBERTO F. PACINABAO. (MS-JULY 13/20/27, 2020)

Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT Quezon City Branch 40 -forBranch 138 ROMEO N. MARCIAL Plaintiff, -versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. 19-07666-CV - For Damages

SPS. DANTE ROMERO MASAMOC AND SIMEONA ESPERA-MASAMOC Defendants. x----------------------------------------x

ORDER In today’s hearing of the Motion with Leave of Court to Serve Alias Summons by Publication, both plaintiff Romeo N. Marcial and his counsel Atty. Gary S. Baluyot are present in Court.

Finding said motion to be well-taken for the reason stated therein, the said Motion is hereby GRANTED. ACCORDINGLY, let an Alias Summon be issued. Plaintiff is directed to cause the service of summons by publication, together with a copy of this Order, in a newspaper of general circulation for at least two (2) consecutive weeks, at his own expense.

SO ORDERED. Given in open Court, Quezon City, 11 October 2019.

(Sgd.) KRISTINE GRACE L. SUAREZ Assisting Judge Copy Furnished: Atty. Gary S. Baluyot Baluyot Law Office Lot 2 J.P. Ramoy St., Barangay Talipapa Novaliches, 1116 Quezon City Sps. Dante Romero Masamoc and Simeona Espera-Masamoc Block 9 Lot 4 Windsor Mansions Buhay na Tubig, Imus, Cavite 4103

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT BRANCH XL (40) – QUEZON CITY ROMEO N. MARCIAL Plaintiff, -versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. 19-07666-CV SUMMONS (Ordinary Civil Case)

SPS. DANTE ROMERO MASAMOC and SIMEONA ESPERA-MASAMOC Defendant/s. x-------------------------------------------------x TO : SPS. DANTE ROMERO MASAMOC and SIMEONA ESPERA-MASAMOC --Block 9 Lot 4 Windsor Mansions Buhay Na Tubig, Imus, Cavite 4103 GREETINGS: You are hereby required to file with this Court, METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT, BRANCH XL (40), Quezon City, located at Rm. 336, 3rd Floor, Hall of Justice, Diliman, Quezon City, within FIFTEEN (15) days after service of this Summons upon you, and serve upon the plaintiff, your ANSWER to the Complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and maybe granted the relief applied for in the complaint.

WITNESS the HON. KRISTINE GRACE L. SUAREZ/Assisting Judge of this Court.

Quezon City, Metro Manila September 1, 2019.

(Sgd.) PACIENCIA C. RODRIGUEZ OIC/Clerk of Court (MStandard - July 27 & Aug. 3, 2020)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT & EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF MANDALUYONG CITY STERLING BANK OF ASIA (A Savings Bank) Petitioner-Mortgagee, -versus-

TRIBUTE. The image of a doctor is projected on the statue of Cristo Rey monument

next to the moon in Cali, Colombia, during celebrations for the 484th anniversary of the city amid the coronavirus pandemic. The projection was held to send a message of hope and to thank the staff who are fighting on the front line against COVID-19. AFP

Rio cancels NYE celebrations THE annual New Year’s Eve celebrations which traditionally see millions of people gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro have been canceled this year as Brazil grapples with surging coronavirus infections, city authorities said.

The celebrations are “not viable in this pandemic scenario, without a vaccine,” the city’s tourism office said in a statement, noting that the world-famous Carnival celebrations, normally set for February, might also have to be canceled.

Instead, a virtual New Year’s celebration was being planned.

“There is no great reason to celebrate, with more than 80,000 deaths” from coronavirus in Brazil, an official told AFP. But later, after hotels and others in the tourism industry complained, the

tourism office Riotur backtracked and said it was seeking some kind of alternative to the big bash on the beach.

One idea being floated is to do it on several beaches.

The state of Rio de Janeiro has counted the second highest number of deaths from coronavirus in Brazil, after Sao Paulo, and its death rate far exceeds the national average.

Of the 85,238 deaths recorded as of Friday in the country of 212 million people, 12,654 occurred in Rio de Janeiro state and nearly 8,000 in the capital’s metropolitan region alone, according to official data.

The national average is 406 deaths per million residents, but in the state of Rio it reaches 733 per million, with an even higher 860 per million in the metropolitan region. AFP

Bolsonaro claims he tested negative for COVID-19 BRAZILIAN President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Saturday he has tested negative for the new coronavirus more than two weeks after being diagnosed on July 7, attributing his recovery to an unproven malaria drug.

“RT-PCR for Sars-Cov 2: negative.

Good morning everyone,” the 65-yearold tweeted, along with a photo of himself smiling and holding a packet of hydroxychloroquine, whose effectiveness against COVID-19 has not been demonstrated in clinical trials.

He did not say when he took the latest test.

Standard MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

Later, local media reported that he took a motorcycle ride through Brasilia and visited some shops, with small crowds gathering around him.

“I didn’t feel anything, not even in the beginning. If I hadn’t taken the test, I wouldn’t have known I had the virus,” he told them, according to videos played in the media.

The president, who has routinely downplayed the virus he calls a “little flu” but which is currently ravaging his country, spent nearly 20 days self-isolating at his official residence in the capital Brasilia, the Alvorada Palace.

During that time he underwent at least three more virus tests, all positive.

Three polls released this week showed the leader—dubbed a “Tropical Trump”— would win re-election in 2022, despite his controversial handling of the virus crisis.

The pandemic has exploded in Brazil, the country with the most infections and deaths from COVID-19 anywhere in the world except the United States.

The Latin American powerhouse has registered nearly 2.3 million cases of the new coronavirus and more than 84,000 deaths, and the numbers have continued to rise rapidly. AFP

FRE-MC20-1208 EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT 3135 AS AMENDED BY 4118

MA. ANTONIA SALOMON BUENAFLOR Mortgagor, x------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE Upon Extra-Judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended by Act 4118 filed by STERLING BANK OF ASIA (A Savings Bank) as Mortgagee, against MA. ANTONIA SALOMON BUENAFLOR, as Mortgagor, with postal address at Dayton 3 Unit 7-1 California Garden Square, Libertad St., Mandaluyong City and Unit A0823 8/F Sunny Ridge Residences Ph 1, JP Rizal, Brgy. Namayan, Mandaluyong City, to satisfy the mortgaged indebtedness which as of February 13, 2020 amounts to TWO MILLION ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FORTY NINE PESOS & 46/100 (Php 2,001,349.46) ONLY, inclusive of interests and penalties, the Ex-Officio Sheriff of Mandaluyong City or his duly authorized deputy will sell at PUBLIC AUCTION to the HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH OR MANAGERS CHECK and in Philippine Currency on the 25th day of August 2020 at 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter in front of the main entrance of the Hall of Justice Building, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City, the following condominium units together with all the improvements existing thereon to wit: CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO.-008-2019001933 Registry of Deeds – City of Mandaluyong LEVEL: UNIT: UNIT TYPE: UNIT AREA (SQ.M):

EIGHT FLOOR A0823 STUDIO + BALCONY 22.00

OF THE “SUNNY RIDGE RESIDENCES – PHASE 1” CONDOMINIUM PROJECT In the diagrammatic floor plan appended in the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE 2015000171 which embraces and describes the land located at MANDALUYONG CITY, with an area of (ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED TWO (1,902) Square Meter.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.”

“In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on September 1, 2020, 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter without further notice.”

Prospective bidders or buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the said real property and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Mandaluyong City, Philippines, July 20, 2020.

(Sgd.) ATTY. ERWIN N. BARATA Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Sheriff (Sgd.) ARMANDO O. DE LEON II Sheriff IV WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s Sale on or before the date of Auction Sale under penalty of the law.

Copy furnished: STERLING BANK OF ASIA (A Savings Bank) LEGAL SERVICES GROUP Third Floor, Sterling Bank of Asia Corporate Center 8004 Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan City 1500 MA. ANTONIA SALOMON BUENAFLOR Dayton 3 Unit 7-1, California Garden Square, Libertad St., Mandaluyong City and Unit A0823 8F Sunny Ridge Residences Ph 1 JP Rizal, Brgy. Namayan, Mandaluyong City (MStandard – July 27, Aug. 3 & 10, 2020)

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LGUs

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor / lgu@manilastandard.net

Navotas offers free COVID test to workers of local businesses

By Jun David

KALINGA PACKS. Staying true to its commitment to be one of the first responders during disasters, SM Foundation, through its Operation Tulong Express Program, distributed Kalinga packs to the victims of a fire in Brgy. Bagong Sikat, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Each Kalinga pack was made of food relief and basic hygiene kits.

MAYOR Toby Tiangco urged Navotas-based companies to have their employees tested for free at the city’s community testing for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Companies are encouraged to have their employees screened for COVID-19. While many are willing to comply, they are daunted by the price of the swab test kits which cost up to P8,000,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said.

“Navotas, with the help of our national government, currently provides free swab tests to our residents. Companies are welcome to avail of this program for their employees, whether they are Navoteños or not,” he added.

Tiangco said it is important to include non-Navoteño workers

Makati hits 100 percent enrollment

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE City of Makati has accomplished 100 percent enrollment for this school year 2020-2021.

“I am happy to report that Makati has achieved 100 percent enrollment for school year 2020-2021 with 77,339 students enrolled to date. We have exceeded last year’s record of 76,599 enrollees,” Mayor Abigail Binay said Friday.

“To me, this mirrors the enthusiasm and drive of our students to continue learning. To our students, know that we are behind you all the way,” she added.

DepEd-Makati Schools Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla has confirmed that as of July 22, public schools in the city under the supervision of

DepEd-Makati, from elementary to senior high school, already registered a total of 77,339 enrollees. These include kindergarten and Special Education (SpEd) learners.

She noted that the said figure does not include an estimated 2,000 enrollees in the Alternative Learning

Education System (ALS), and around 5,000 enrollees in the Higher School ng UMak (HSU), as these were still being consolidated.

According to Sedilla, enrolment in the city’s public schools will remain open until August 24, 2020 to accommodate late enrollees.

Mayor Binay earlier announced that some 2,500 teachers in Makati public schools from elementary to senior high school will each receive a brand-new laptop for school year 2020-2021. The number may go as high as 2,800 to include newly hired teachers.

On July 23, the city chief executive led the ceremonial turnover of brandnew laptops to newly hired teachers at Makati High School who are among the first batch of 280 recipients.

In June, she announced that all en-

rollees in Makati public schools from preschool to senior high school will each receive a learner’s package, in addition to the annual freebies they are receiving under Project FREE of the city government.

Likewise, both teachers and students will receive a free daily five-hour internet load for academic use.

The new learner’s package has an On-The-Go (OTG) flash drive, printed modules, and two washable face masks in a pouch. On the other hand, annual freebies under Project FREE (Free Relevant and Excellent Education) include school supplies and school uniforms. To date, the expanded Project FREE under Mayor Abby’s watch has additional items including rain gear, jacket with hoodies, reusable water tumblers, and rubber shoes, among others.

Party-list to fund Mayor Oca shuts shop behind fake virus tests PNP Camp Olivas multipurpose hall

By Jess Malabanan CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—PATROL Party-list Rep. Jorge Antonio Bustos will facilitate the funding for the construction of new multipurpose hall building of the regional police headquarters after it was recently gutted down.

Bustos, who was among the guests during the groundbreaking for the new Bayanihan Multipurpose Center, vowed to raise funds for the construction of the police building, which will house the studio of the PNP Rektang Konek Aksyon Agad (RKAA) program.

“Cong. Bustos will facilitate the funding for the construction of the multipurpose hall that will also house a state-of-the-art studio of RKAA,” said Atty. Abner Zamora ll, Patrol spokesman and chief legal officer.

The building was totally razed early this month due to faulty electrical wiring.

It was also used as the food bank of the Central Luzon Philippine National Police, where millions worth of food and nonfood items were stored and repacked for distribution in areas badly hit by disasters.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H Bello III also attended the event coinciding with the first-year anniversary of the RKAA. He presided over the awarding of police personnel and stakeholders who have contributed to the success of the PNP program.

The RKAA is a multimedia interactive program of the PNP, which enhances the image-building capability program of different government agencies by providing quick public services to the Filipino community, both local and abroad.

SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP.

Globe myBusiness has partnered with Bukidnon Faith Christian School, Inc. by providing ICT tools that secure the future of education. The school secured the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS) and the CampusLink School Management System (SMS), and incorporated them into their own Faithline system.

MAYOR Oscar “Oca” Malapitan has ordered the immediate closure of the printing shop where the fake result of the COVID-19 test was reported.

According to Caloocan Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) head Atty. Emmanuel Vergara, Malapitan immediately ordered the closure of the said printing shop located in Maligaya Park, Barangay 177, Caloocan, just next to Maligaya Elementary School,

Quezon City, after finding out that the business also does not have a business permit.

Mayor Oca assured that our City Government will cooperate in the ongoing investigation and complaints its owner may face, as well as in finding the man who allegedly produced the fake Covid-19 test result.

Malapitan warned about this illegal activity and urged the people to report such activities to the authorities.

“We are in a pandemic where we should work together. For the safety and welfare of all, may we not conduct such activities,” Mayor Oca said.

“If you experience symptoms or are exposed to a person who tested positive for Covid-19, you can call our hotline numbers posted on our Facebook page or contact your health center to receive appropriate medical attention immediately,” he added. Jun David

Maguindanao weavers get food from foundations DATU PIANG, Maguindanao—Ayala Foundation and the Macquarie Foundation of Australia have joined hands in a food assistance initiative for the benefit of communities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The relief activities kicked off in barangay Montay, Datu Piang, Maguindanao, benefiting at least 60 families. Similar efforts will be conducted in other vulnerable communities in the coming weeks.

Barangay Montay is home to many master weavers of inaul, the Maguindanao people’s art of weaving. Talented artisans, who have learned the craft over the years, FOOD ASSISTANCE. Residents of barangay Montay, Datu Piang in Maguindanao receive food packs from Ayala Foundation and Macquarie Foundation of Australia, as weave into colorful and intricate textiles assistance for communities affected by COVID-19. Food assistance is scheduled for their history, culture, and identity. distribution in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the coming weeks.

During the rainy season, Datu Piang However, the COVID-19 pandemic barangays even more than the seasonal is often made inaccessible by flooding caused by the Rio Grande. Still, the com- posed a new challenge to barangay Mon- flooding could. tay—it isolated the villagers from nearby The implementation of community munity has found a way to live with it.

because if they test positive of the virus, they could infect coworkers who live in the city.

Interested companies may contact the City Business Permits and Licensing Office at these numbers: (0921) 376 2006 and (0921) 890 7520.

Navotas sends 1,000 residents daily to Palacio de Maynila in Malate, Manila for swab tests.

Another 1,000 are tested daily at designated testing facilities within Navotas during the city’s lockdown.

The city government implemented a 14-day lockdown from July 16 to July 29 after it recorded a rapid increase of COVID cases.

Some 12,674 swab tests have been done since March, when the city recorded its first confirmed case of the disease.

Pasig lifts Landers store suspension LANDERS Arcovia City in Barangay Ugong, Pasig City was allowed to resume operations days earlier than the initially imposed 7-day suspension by the local government of Pasig City.

The suspension covered the supermarket operations only in respect to the social distancing policies imposed by the government.

In a letter dated July 24 addressed to the management of Landers Superstore, the Office of the City Administrator of Pasig acknowledged the action plan submitted by Landers to the city government.

The city government immediately acted to recognize the protocols and safety measures that are in accordance to its General and Work Guidelines which allowed the stores to open after only two days.

Landers has now further improved the store policies to ensure the safety of its members.

This swift action was established through its careful consultation with stakeholders and health and safety experts and now becomes a new standard in all of its retail branches.

“The safety and protection of our shoppers has always been our top priority. We have been implementing specific preventive safety measures from the beginning of this pandemic that has been a standard reference to retailers in the industry.

“The action plan we are rolling out today was further adjusted to the behavior and predisposition of our customers. We are happy with the changes that we are implementing and hope that our members will appreciate and comply with, and other retailers to adopt in order for all of us to collectively beat this pandemic,” said Landers Superstore president Gwen Lourdes G. Lim. quarantine guidelines restricted movement among the residents. But with the easing of quarantine and travel restrictions in the area, transportation costs increased significantly.

For weavers like Zorayda Salapudin who barely made both ends meet, having to buy thread and other weaving materials in Cotabato City to sustain their livelihood and put food on the table was a strain.

“Doble pasahe na papuntang Cotabato, pahirapan sa buhay (Fare going to Cotabato City doubled, life is hard),” Zorayda said.

This is why together with more than 60 families in the village, Zorayda was thankful to receive food packs Ayala Foundation, through a special grant from Macquarie Foundation of Australia. Each food pack included rice, canned items, and noodles.

A place with limited digital footprint, Montay used to be characterized by yearround flooding and armed conflict.

Globe powers digital education at Bukidnon school THE COVID-19 pandemic is changing the educational system by pushing teachers and students alike to adapt to new methods of collaboration and communication.

With online learning as the new norm, Globe myBusiness has partnered with Bukidnon Faith Christian School, Inc. by providing ICT tools that secure the future of education.

Through the partnership, the institution secured the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS) and the CampusLink School Management System (SMS), both of which were incorporated into the Faithline system.

This system will ease the transition to digital learning by automating manual processes and centralizing school data so it can be easily accessed by staff, students, teachers, and other school stakeholders.

“Together with Globe and Brightspace, we are able to serve our students no matter what circumstances may arise,” says

Rezia Lyndee M. Roque-Fabros, Assistant Administrator to the President of Bukidnon Faith Christian School, Inc. “Both the SMS and LMS will increase our capability to give our students quality education while ensuring that our staff are also able to deliver their lessons in a personalized and efficient manner.”

Roque-Fabros adds that this partnership will raise the bar of education and will mutually benefit the students and the school.

Faithline provides a secure digital environment where collaboration and communication grow among stakeholders, staff, students, and teachers. With Faithline, each lesson needed for the school year can be accessed by both parents and students.

Apart from access to instructional materials such as videos, texts, and PowerPoint presentations, students can also track their progress, ask questions via the discussion platform, and download materials provided on the system.

News

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A7

BuCor can handle death threats—DOJ

By Rey E. Requejo

J

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the Bureau of Corrections is very much capable of handling death threats against its personnel.

STRANDED. Locally-stranded individuals going to Caraga region line up as they were being prepared to go inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium for rapid testing before being sent to their provinces under the Hatid Tulong Program. Norman Cruz

Lawyer bewails Virus-hit Pampanga hospital closed; vice mayor infected PECO harassment By Romeo Dizon

By Alena Mae S. Flores AN Ilonggo lawyer has cried harassment following a threat by the legal counsel of Panay Electric Co. to file a disbarment case against him for investigating the alleged offshore accounts of the utility firm.

“If they want to file a disbarment case against me, be my guest. There’s no legal ground for that. This harassment from PECO means they want to cow me in fear so I will remain silent,” concerned lawyer Zafiro Lauron said.

Lauron said that as a utility firm, PECO is involved in a business “imbued with public interest and therefore must be open to scrutiny at all times by the people they serve.” PECO is the former electric distributor of Iloilo City whose franchise was not renewed by Congress after it expired in January.

“As a resident of Iloilo City, I am compelled by my civic duty to pursue any information that may appear detrimental to the interest of the people of the city. If nothing wrong is found against them, well and good. But if the company did anything wrong then they have to face the court and the people they serve,” he added.

Lauron is set to file papers in court to compel the Anti-Money Laundering Council to investigate the alleged offshore accounts of PECO that were found in documents leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

PECO has strongly denied Lauron’s allegations, adding that neither the company nor the Cacho family, as owner of PECO, has any offshore investments.

“The financial records of the company and the Cacho family are open for scrutiny by the appropriate authorities. Whatever investments the company or family may have are all above-board and compliant with law,” the Cacho family said in a statement.

Lauron, however, said that as a company that supplied electricity to the people of Iloilo City, “PECO has to account for every centavo that passed its tillers.”

Lauron urged PECO to show proof disproving the allegations “instead of shooting the messenger.”

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in Central Luzon was shut down due to lack of much needed medical supplies even as cases continue to spike with new cases involving six persons including the vice mayor of this capital city who personally admitted positive of the deadly disease on Sunday.

Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin admitted in a public statement that he is positive of the coronavirus after undergoing a Polymerase Chain Reaction test Saturday.

Lazatin, who is suffering from a minor cough but has no travel history outside the city for the last 14 days, has urged people whom he met during office hours to report immediately to the city health office for contact tracing and medical assessment.

Alvin Mendoza, a village leader of Alasas, also reported four COVID-19 cases from Havana Residence and La Primera subdivisions.

Lavernie Gopez, barangay captain of Bulaon reported a positive case in his area. Both Mendoza and Gopez are now conducting contact tracing to prevent the

spread of the disease to other residents of their respective villages.

In a public statement, the general hospital and one of the seven designated by the Department of Health as health facilities will no longer accept Covid-19 patients as of July 22 instead they were urged to go to other hospitals for treatment.

The reason behind the temporary shutdown was the lack of hospital supplies like ICU, isolation, wards beds, face mask and others to treat patients as cases continue to spike coming from different local government units in the region.

Guevarra said BuCor officials and personnel have already become accustomed to threats that they always take necessary measures to protect themselves from any threat.

“The BuCor people are accustomed to threats from inside and outside the prison walls due to the nature of their job. They have adapted and they know what precautions to take… Sanay ang BuCor sa ganyan. They coexist with the most dangerous people in the country. They are on alert 24/7,” Guevarra said in a text message.

But Guevarra admitted that he is not in a position to determine how dangerous are the death threats against BuCor personnel.

“No, I have neither personal knowledge nor access to intelligence information that would enable me to assess threat levels against BuCor personnel. They themselves can do such assessment,” the Justice Secretary said.

Guevarra issued the statement after BuCor was reported to have raised its alert level after it reportedly received threats against its officers in connection with the death of nine high-profile persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who reportedly died of coronavirus.

As additional security, the BuCor has coordinated with the local police, barangay officials and other authorities.

In a related development, the Department of Justice said it has complied with the request of the Commission on Human Rights that it be furnished with the list of PDLs who are treated at Site Harry, which was been the quarantine facility located inside the New Bilibid Prison to threat PDLs infected with COVID-19.

PHAP extends aid to health frontliners

By Macon Ramos-Araneta MORE than 1.5 million families and over 155 hospitals nationwide had benefited from the P120 million monetary and in-kind donations to the country’s COVID-19 from the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines.

As part of their corporate social responsibility, trusted medicines and vaccines providers belonging to PHAP are also volunteering in community efforts to support frontline health workers and patients impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

In-kind donations of PHAP members consist of Personal Protective Equipment sets (coveralls, N95 masks, surgical masks, surgical gloves, face shields, goggles, shoe covers), test kits, ventilators, medicines, vitamins, vaccines, personal hygiene items, disinfectants, food packs for frontline health workers, and transportation assistance for patients. Beneficiaries include government and private hospitals, charitable institutions, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), among others.

“Even as the global biopharmaceutical industry is leading the way in developing COVID- 19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, we are taking concrete actions to support the Philippine government’s COVID-19 response,” said PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla.

LOTTO IS BACK. A man tries his luck playing scratch card at a lotto outlet in General Trias, Cavite on July 26,2020. The PCSO recently announced that lotto operation will resume starting August 4. Tickets are available at 20 pesos per combination bet. JR Josue

‘Health care laws need funding’ ‘DepEd ready for

HEALTH care advocates asked Congress to ensure adequate funding for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act and National Integrated Cancer Control Act during a virtual town hall discussion on July 24, 2020.

“We cannot wait until this pandemic is completely over in order to revive the economy. With public health and the economy in the balance, the way forward is for the government to utilize the next SELLING ART. An art vendor who year’s budget to reform the country’s came all the way from San Pablo City sells health care system, strengthen social prohis framed embossed artworks in Bgy. tection, and provide the much-needed Dita. Sta. Rosa City, Laguna on July 24, 2020. PonD News Asia

SELLING ART. An art vendor who came all the way from San Pablo City, sells his framed embossed artworks in Bgy. Dita. Sta. Rosa City, Laguna on July 24, 2020. PonD News Asia

enabling regulatory environment coupled by transparency and accountability measures,” Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute, said in the online forum.

The forum was organized by ADRi, CitizenWatch Philippines, and Cancer Coalition of the Philippines.

Former Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito and the prime proponent of the UHC and NICCA while he was chairman of the Senate committee on health, expressed strong support for the fast implementation of the two laws.

GSIS office closes as workers infected THE Government Service Insurance System head office in Pasay City and its branch office in Quezon City will be closed from Monday to Wednesday this week (July 27-29) after several of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19.

“We need to temporarily close GSIS to the public to ensure the health and safety of our visiting clients and employees.

We are now thoroughly disinfecting the two offices as well as conducting contact tracing and monitoring of employees who tested positive for the virus,” GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said.

“Despite the closure, our employees will continue to work remotely under alternative work arrangements. Our members, pensioners and other clients may transact with us through our online facilities for loans and claims by emailing the required documents to the designated email addresses published in our website. Pensioners may also submit the requirements for the Annual Pensioners Revalidation (APIR) via email. We will interview them through Viber, FB messenger, Skype or Zoom after we have received their requirements,” Macasaet said.

distance learning’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian said he is “convinced” that the Department of Education is ready for distance learning once classes start on August 24.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate basic education committee, said that most of the school divisions he had talked with informed him that they are ready and capable.

However, he does not agree on reverting to face to face learning by Aug. 24 since most of the preparations by school divisions will go to waste if this happens.

He also warned that it is still dangerous to do this because anything can happen by Aug. 24.

He said face-to face learning may be possible by that time should the country’s COVID-19 number of cases go down, and if a vaccine against the disease will be available by October.

Based on an independent survey that he has conducted, he said several school divisions said that their preparations for opening of classes was “ongoing.”

“If you remember, the preparations, the framework comes from the national, DepEd, but the printing, and the preparation of the module comes from the local,” said Gatchalian.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

A8

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

GM Antonio wins Asian Seniors +50 Championship

ON TARGET. Robert Whittaker (left) of New Zealand connects with a left to the face of Darren Till of England in their UFC middleweight fight during the UFC 251 event at UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island on July 26, 2020. AFP

PSC coaching certification goes online THE Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) National Sports Coaching Certification Course is going online beginning Monday, July 27.

A project under the Philippine Sports Institute’s (PSI) Sports Education and Training Program, the NSCCC was piloted in Tagum City in 2018 and in Legazpi City and Davao City last year.

Visayas will have the first go at the online coaches’ certification, with all slots already full at 1,090 registrants.

“The present situation in the country should not deter us from continuing our programs and services to the sports community, specifically in enhancing the competencies of our coaches in the schools and the LGUs,” said PSC oversight commissioner for Visayas Ramon Fernandez.

Sports coaches of elementary and high school student teams in Visayas will be the initial batch of online learners for the course’s Level 1 modules on Sports Philosophy, Sports Pedagogy, Sports Psychology, Sports Physiology, Talent Identification, and Sports Ethics.

Lecturers will be PSC-PSI sports education dean Prof. Henry Daut, PSC-PSI sports psychology head Dr. Karen Katrina Trinidad, PSCPSI sports physiology head Prof. Josephine Joy Reyes, PSC-PSI sports specialist Prof. Luis Serafin Cosep, and Fr. Fonz Suico, CSSR. A blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning methods will be applied through the use of Google Meet and Google Classroom tools.

Passers of the Level 1 pilot staging in Legazpi and Davao are also expected to continue with Level 2 online, while a separate course curriculum for coaches of sports for the differently-abled is being planned for launch this November.

“More coaches from other regions nationwide will have the opportunity to avail of Level 1 modules later this year,” said PSI Sports Education Head Henry Daut.

Luzon will have their sessions for Region 1 and CAR from August 10 to 13, while Mindanao will have theirs for Region 10 from August 17 to 20.

Discussions to change POC bylaws continue

By Peter Atencio

D

ISCUSSIONS on changes in the Philippine Olympic Committee’s constitution and bylaws persist.

And discussions of a higher age limit was proposed following last week’s executive board meeting which ended in a stalemate.

POC board member Clint Aranas of archery and auditor Jonee Go and canoekayak were among those who voiced their opposition to the scheme which sets an age limit of 70 for POC positions.

Aranas said in a radio program hosted by

Noli Eala last Saturday that politics should not be the reason for rejecting a senior board member’s bid to seek post in the POC. “Ayoko ng age cap kasi, this should be about mental capacity, competence and integrity, and not politics,” explained Aranas.

The president of World Archery Philippines cited their national sports association as an example, stating that they have a senior citizen on the board like Jun Sevilla, whom they put in their board out of respect.

“He has the right to vote for a POC candidate, but he can’t be voted upon?” said Aranas, had the age limit been passed.

He added that the decision to set limits should come from the NSAs. Meanwhile, Go said she proposed a higher age limit of 80 because there are NSA heads who are still able to serve the POC at such an age.

Go cited Julian Camacho, who runs the NSA of wushu as example.

There’s no word yet on the issue requiring an NSA to be recognized by its International Federation (IF) for it to become a part of the POC family.

The committee, which was chaired by past president Ricky Vargas, also tackled the proposal of the removal of the position of chairman.

But this did not pass approval, even after it was stated that many National Olympic Committees all over the world do not have such a position.

The majority also forwarded a proposal on their own amendment which would remove an immediate past president from the Board.

The age limit of 70 has been imposed by the International Olympic Committee since 2016.

Brewers blast Cubs, Nats dominate Yankees LOS ANGELES, United States—Justin Smoak and Christian Yelich smacked home runs and players from both teams were hit by pitches sparking a social-distancing shouting match as the Milwaukee Brewers trampled the Chicago Cubs 8-3 on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time).

The fourth inning began with a shouting match between the two dugouts Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a home run against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning of a game at Wrigley Field on July 25, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. AFP

thanks in part to not having fans in the eerily-quiet Wrigley Field ballpark.

But with the numerous health and safety measures in place because of the global pandemic the umpires made sure the players stayed on their side of the field.

“I think this is going to be part of this season,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Both dugouts can hear each other and umpires can hear everything. There’s talking that goes on in game you never hear with all the fans here. It’s just part of the game.”

Elsewhere, Victor Robles finished with a home run and four RBIs as the reigning World Series champion Washington Nationals dominated the New Yankees 9-2 at Nationals Park.

The Nationals, who were held to just one hit in Thursday’s rain-shortened loss, had to overcome five errors and the absence of star pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

Erick Fedde started for Strasburg, who was scratched due to a nerve problem in his hand.

Fedde allowed two runs on four hits in four innings. He struck out three, walked one and threw 68 pitches to 19 hitters.

Robles finished a triple shy of the cycle and produced his second career game with at least four RBIs. The center fielder had a two-run double, and added a two-run homer in the fourth off rookie Mike King. Robles missed a chance at getting the cycle when he struck out in the eighth.

Cubs manager David Ross said not having fans means teammate chatter can be heard by the other team.

“I think if you’re in the dugout now in this environment, you’re going to expect some of that,” Ross said.

“That’s going to spark some intensity. I don’t know how it all kind of started.” AFP

NBA probes Williams over strip club visit ORLANDO, United States—NBA player Lou Williams is being investigated by the league for allegedly visiting a strip club after he left the Disney World coronavirus bubble to attend a funeral, US media reported.

The 33-year-old Clippers player was granted permission to leave the Orlando resort—where NBA athletes are living and working during the US COVID-19 outbreak—after the death of a friend’s father, according to ESPN. Williams was pictured in Atlanta’s Magic City strip club on Thursday night, holding a drink and wearing an NBA face mask, US media said.

The photo, posted on US rapper Jack Harlow’s Instagram account, was later deleted.

Williams has told the NBA that he attended a dinner there following the funeral, ESPN said.

On his official Twitter account, he tweeted Saturday: “Ask any of my teammates what’s my favorite restaurant in Atlanta is. Ain’t nobody partying. Chill out lol.”

He also retweeted praise of Magic City, and individuals defending him.

The league is trying to determine where else Williams may have been, in order to set the length of his quarantine.

Having now returned, he will observe four days isolation—with daily COVID-19 tests— and a possible quarantine extension depending on the advice of medical experts.

On Saturday (Sunday Philippine time), coach Doc Rivers, appearing visibly annoyed ahead of the Washington game, said: “I can’t say much about his trip. I wasn’t with him.”

“Obviously those (photos) came out, and that’s something we obviously don’t like to see and don’t like,” he said.

Two other players on the team, pivot Montrezl Harrell and point guard Patrick Beverley, have left the campus this week because of family emergencies, and have not returned.

The departures are likely to be detrimental ahead of Thursday’s Lakers game, which will see the restart of the season. AFP

Lou Williams (23) of the LA Clippers tries to score from underneath the goal against Orlando Magic defender Michael Carter Williams (7) during a scrimmage on July 22, 2020 at The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. AFP

FILIPINO Grandmaster Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. pocketed the top honors in the Asian Seniors +50 Championship 2020 (Final) at chess.com.

The Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro native Antonio collected seven points on six wins and three draws to win the nine-round tournament online chess championships.

Antonio scored victories over Fide Master John Duneas of New Zealand in the first round, Candidate Master Mohammed Ali MahdialKinani of Iraq in the second round, GM Tair Vahidov of Uzbekistan in the third round, Fide Master Abbas Khakpoor of Iran in the fifth round, Bahadur Chhetri Ram of Nepal in the sixth round and Nassir Wajih of India in the ninth and final round.

He split the point with compatriot International Master (IM) Ricardo De Guzman in the fourth round, GM Alexei Barsov of Uzbekistan in the seven round and GM Saidali Iuldachev of Uzbekistan in the eight and penultimate round.

“Ito pong tagumpay po natin sa Asian Seniors ay alay ko po sa aking pamilya, at sa mga kababayan natin, sa mga kapwa ko po chess player at lalung lalu na po sa mga front-liner na po natin na isinasakripisyo ang kanilang buhay para sa bayan,” said the 13-time Philippine champion Antonio, who placed runner-up to eventual champion Peruvian GM Julio Granda Zuniga in the World Seniors Championship three years ago in Acqui Terme, Italy.

De Guzman placed fourth overall with 5.5 points, the same output of fifth placer Chhetri Ram and sixth placer GM Iuldachev. GM Vahidov took second place with 6.5 points followed by third placer GM Barsov who totes 6 points. Another Filipino entry, National Master (NM) Rudy Ibanez (4 points), placed tenth overall.

Meanwhile, GM Darwin Laylo ruled the Baby Uno Chess Challenge dubbed as Police Col. Jaime Osit Santos chess championship (Individual Open To All Title Master) held at the lichess.org over the weekend.

The San Roque, Marikina City resident Laylo defeated NM Jasper Rom in the penultimate round then halving the point with NM Elwin Retanal in the final round to notch 12 points on account of 10 wins, four draws and one loss to win the 15 round swiss tournament in the event organized

by Bayanihan Chess Club headed by NM Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. and Genghis Katipunan Imperial and hosted by Police Col. Jaime Osit Santos, chief of Police of San Juan City.

Gilas Pilipinas women’s hoop team members stay in shape THE Gilas Pilipinas national women’s team was supposed to join a lot of international tournaments this year.

But because of the coronavirus pandemic, all the tournaments that they were supposed to join have been cancelled.

Despite their lack of activity this year, members of the national squad continue to prepare and will be ready to pick up from where they left off.

National coach Patrick Aquino said this in a podcast as he gave an update on the status of the national squad.

“Hopefully, they are safe, and we can get back as soon as possible,” remarked Aquino in a podcast with Charles Tiu. The national squad will be defending the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games, which they earned with their 9171 clobbering of Thailand last December at the Mall of Asia Arena.

They made it to the finals after fighting it out with Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Once in a while, we have been doing Zoom meetings, and we’re asking how each one is,” added Aquino.

Aside from the SEA Games, the nationals will also be getting ready for the FIBA Asia Cup. For their campaign next year, the Gilas women’s program will have Ella Fajardo, who will still be part of the national squad even if she made a decision to commit to NCAA Division I school Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Fajardo, who is a New Jersey resident has represented the Philippines twice.

She saw action in the 2019 FIBA 3X3 Under-18 World Cup held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and in the 3×3 Under-18 Asia Cup in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

She played with Camille Clarin, Angel Surada, and Karl Ann Pingol, and they were able to make it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup and claim the bronze medal. Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF Cavite lot prices rise—Megaworld TOWNSHIP developer Megaworld Corp. said it generated P3 billion in sales from its first upscale residential village in Trece Martires, Cavite as lot prices in the area continued to rise despite the pandemic.

Megaworld said in a statement the 18-hectare Arden Botanical Village was sold just almost seven months since its launch inside the 251-hectare Arden Botanical Estate.

The bulk of the sales were recorded during the second quarter at almost P1.4 billion covering 133 lots amid the nationwide community quarantine.

It said since starting to sell the project, it implemented two price increases, one in January and another in May, on strong demand from international and local property buyers searching for residential lots near Metro Manila.

From P23,000 per square meter in December last year, lot prices in the village soared to P31,000 per square meter in May this year, or 35 percent increase in less than a year.

“Amid the lockdown, we have booked sales from buyers in the Philippines and across the world who were looking for purposeful, more livable spaces to build a house,” said Eugene Em Lozano, first vice president for sales and marketing of Megaworld. Jenniffer B. Austria

Ingrid plans to build P566-m power line INGRID Power Holdings Inc., a unit of AC Energy Inc., is seeking an approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission to develop P566-million worth of dedicated point-to-point limited facilities to connect its 300-megawatt diesel power plant in Rizal province to the 230-kilovolt Malaya substation of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

IPHI asked ERC to grant a provisional authority or interim relief to develop and operate the connection facility so it could start construction and timely achieve commercial operations of the diesel plant.

“For IPHI to immediately perform ancillary service…connecting the diesel plant to the NGCP Malaya substation is an indispensable prerequisite,” the company said.

It said the construction of the facility, seen to provide ancillary services to NGCP amid the influx of renewable energy sources in the Luzon grid, would take about eight months and would be done in phases.

IPHI said the ancillary service procurement agreement with NGCP would only be executed once the power plant passed the certification test, thus the timely approval of the application would be crucial. Alena Mae S. Flores

Globe seeks LGU support for cell sites GLOBE Telecom Inc. is seeking the support of local government units to expand the construction of cell sites in the next three months.

The telecom unit of the Ayala Group said the government and the industry should work together to ensure that important broadband infrastructures are in place to provide connectivity at homes, schools, businesses and other establishments.

“This is where we need the help and support of the government, especially the local government units, so that we can expand our capacity by building more cell sites and towers in the next few months in residential areas,” Globe chief technology officer Gil Genio said.

“We also need to upgrade our fiber connectivity to improve further our data speeds. This is the only way we can address the growing demand not only of our customers but the public in general,” he said.

“The government and the telcos need to collaborate now, more than ever, to lay down and build the necessary infrastructures to deliver the needed connectivity as more Filipinos adapt to the new normal, which requires more e-services and e-governance,” Genio said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Gov’t, ADB sign $26.5-m loan for local tax reforms THE Philippines and the Asian Development Bank signed an agreement for a $26.5-million loan to improve the capacity of local government units across the country to raise revenues by instituting reforms in local property valuation and tax collection.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III signed the loan for the Local Governance Reform Project on behalf of the Philippine government. ADB country director for the Philippines Kelly Bird signed on behalf of the multilateral lending institution.

Dominguez thanked the ADB for continuing assistance to the government’s efforts to improve the financial management and revenue-generating capabilities of LGUs which the institution has been supporting since 2006.

“This financial assistance from the ADB for the LGRP will help LGUs close the digital divide in their respective localities as they pursue property valuation and tax reforms to generate more revenues, in step with President Duterte’s goal to modernize Philippine taxation and spell greater fiscal autonomy for our local governments,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said the LGRP aimed to improve the capability of LGUs in assessing and appraising property values to enable them to raise more revenues from real property taxes.

Among the goals of the project is the use of digital technology to implement a property valuation database and information system.

The LGRP is also expected to improve the capacity of the Bureau of Local Government Finance in exercising administrative supervision and oversight functions over the treasury and assessment operations of LGUs. Julito G. Rada

Business 3 PH airlines incurred P22-b net losses in Q2 T

By Darwin G. Amojelar

HE three biggest airlines in the country likely incurred P22 billion in net losses in the second quarter because of the border closures and community quarantine that affected the industry’s operations, an industry group said over the weekend.

Air Carriers Association of the Philippines vice president and executive director Robert Lim said the estimated second-quarter net losses of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia Philippines likely reached P22 billion following a 94-percent drop in passenger traffic.

ACAP estimated that passenger traffic slumped to 800,000 in the second quarter from 13.5 million passengers in the same period last year.

Local airlines resumed limited domestic flights on June 3 after the government relaxed quarantine measures in Metro Manila and other provinces.

Some local government units, however, are not accepting domestic flights

over worries of new COVID-19 cases in their cities and provinces.

Lim said a unified and coordinated policy by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and LGUs would be a welcome development in the industry.

“Different provinces have different assessments of their virus containment situation even if they are already in GCQ [general community quarantine].

So, some variation will remain,” he said.

ACAP, which includes AirAsia Philippines, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and their affiliates, recently discussed with senators the financial support requirements of the aviation sector in order to operate sustainably

once the community quarantine period is lifted.

ACAP earlier asked the government to provide a non-cash credit guarantee scheme to cover the banking sector’s loans and credit lines, most of which are secured with collaterals, to remove the aversion to the poor credit risk of the airline industry under the present operating environment.

The group sought a long-term facility at attractive rates or a guaranty facility to enable airlines to restructure debt to a more manageable level and give them leverage to negotiate better terms from aircraft lessors, lenders and creditors to ensure a successful recovery plan.

The International Air Transport Association said in its latest report the pandemic could cost 548,300 jobs in the Philippine air sector this year and cut the industry’s revenues to $4.48 billion.

It could also affect travel demand by as many as 28.85 million passengers from an earlier projection of 21.87 million passengers.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

B1

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, July 24, 2020

25.75 points 6,003.26

TOTAL VOLUME 1,312,354,258 TOTAL TRADES 62,279 TOTAL VALUE 2,944,263,835.11 ADVANCES 91 DECLINES 93 UNCHANGED 46

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.4110

Japan

Yen

0.009362

0.4626

UK

Pound

1.274100

62.9546

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129017

6.3749

Switzerland

Franc

1.080731

53.4000

Canada

Dollar

0.746046

36.8629

Singapore

Dollar

0.721449

35.6475

Australia

Dollar

0.709400

35.0522

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655267

131.199

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266702

13.1780

Brunei

Dollar

0.718856

35.5194

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031536

1.5582

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.4532

Euro

Euro

1.159700

57.3019

Korea

Won

0.000833

0.0412

China

Yuan

0.142776

7.0547

India

Rupee

0.013367

0.6605

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.234962

11.6097

New Zealand

Dollar

0.663100

32.7644

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033985

1.6792 Source: BSP

2020 automotive sales seen falling more than 40% to 250,000 units

By Othel V. Campos

STUDENT LOAN.

Land Bank of the Philippines and STI Education Services Group Inc. sign a P250-million term loan rediscounting line agreement under the Access to Academic Development to Empower the Masses towards Endless Opportunities lending program to finance the institution’s ‘study now, pay later’ program for students. Leading the virtual signing of the agreement are (clockwise, from upper left) LandBank president and CEO Cecilia Borromeo, STI Education Services Group executive committee chairman Dr. Eusebio Tanco, STI-ESGI CEO Monico Jacob, STIESGI chief finance officer and treasurer Yolanda Bautista and LandBank senior vice president Ma. Celeste Burgos.

PhilHealth received P26.17-b gov’t subsidy in June

By Julito G. Rada STATE insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp., which is currently hounded by allegations of corruption, received the second-largest subsidy from the government in June 2020, data from the Bureau of the Treasury show.

PhilHealth received P26.173 billion in June, trailing by P5.077 billion the P31.250 billion allotted for the National Food Authority, the largest subsidy given to state-run institutions.

Other government institutions that received substantial subsidies in June were the National Housing Authority with P7.46 billion; National Irrigation Administration, P2.45 billion; Small

Business Corp., P500 million; Bases Conversion and Development Authority, P424 million; and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, P262 million.

The subsidy of P31.250 billion for NFA was the largest given among major non-financial government corporations, while the P26.173 billion for PhilHealth was the biggest among other government corporations.

The significant subsidies for NFA and PhilHealth in June led to a 132-percent jump in total subsidies to P69.161 billion from P29.799 billion in May 2020.

Meanwhile, the Social Security System got the biggest subsidy at P51 billion in the first six months (P25.5 billion each for April and May 2020), followed

by NFA, P37.65 billion; PhilHealth, P26.174 billion; NIA, P17.833 billion; Light Rail Transit Authority, P11.151 billion; and National Electrification Administration, P11.015 billion.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a television interview on Friday that the Office of the President will conduct its own investigation into allegations of corruption in PhilHealth.

Roque confirmed that the Palace received the resignation of Thorsson Montes Keith, the anti-legal fraud officer of the agency.

He asked Keith to cooperate with Duterte’s office by substantiating claims about the supposedly rampant corruption within the state insurance agency.

AUTOMOTIVE sales are expected to drop by at least 40 percent in 2020 to 250,000 units from last year’s sales of 416,000 units as the community quarantine reduced people’s mobility across the country.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. announced the revised projection during the virtual launch of the new Toyota Vios over the weekend.

“We are now setting a target 40-percent decline versus last year. Yearly market projection is around 250,000 to 300,000 units,” said TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto.

Toyota did not provide a production forecast for 2020, although it said sales started to pick up in June and July.

Vios production is expected to be lower than in 2019, according to TMP vice president for marketing Jose Maria Atienza. The company plans to produce only 24,000 units this year, of which 14,000 units are variants of the new Vios.

Toyota has assembled more than 300,000 units of the Vios in the Philippines since the model was introduced in the early 2000s. This made the Philippines among the biggest Vios production hubs in ASEAN. Vios is the best-selling compact sedan in the country, marketed as ideal for first-time car buyers because of its reliability and efficiency.

The company said it would be hardpressed to comply with the production volume of Vios under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program of the government amid the pandemic.

CARS, the government’s most ambitious automotive incentives program involving P600 billion worth of fiscal and non-fiscal perks, requires the production of 200,000 units of vehicles/ models enrolled in the program.

“The target for CARS volume, as of now, will be actually difficult to achieve within the 2024 timeline. This COVID-19 pandemic has had sales dramatically drop this year and it will take some time for the market to really recover from original assumptions.

Sooner or later, we will start negotiations with government on CARS,” Okamoto said.

DOE plans to boost shares of renewables

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Department said it will review its policies, including the Renewable Portfolio Standards, to bring the share of renewable energy in the Philippine power generation mix to 35 percent of the total energy portfolio.

“2020 has seen a slight growth [for RE] although it’s really not that substantial...But the challenge in front of us is really to reach the target of 35 percent, and we are still a long way from the target,” Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said Friday during a webinar organized by the Clean Energy Investment Accelerator in coordination with the National Renewable Energy Board and the National Electrification Administration.

Data from NREB showed that the

share of renewable energy in the Philippine power generation mix hit a low of 21 percent in 2019 Delola said the department was looking at ways to increase the share of RE in the generation mix.

“In fact, one of the things we are studying right now is to revisit some of the policies we’ve already promulgated.

The RPS rules, does it really drive the utilization of RE? We are trying to review if the one percent increment would still be able to reach our target, or we may revisit it and probably increase it a little bit so we may be able to reach our targets,” the energy official said.

RPS sets the minimum percentage of generation to be sourced from RE sources. It is set at one percent of electricity sales allocation for distribution utilities connected to the grid.

NEW BRIDGES. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar assures that despite the community quarantine due to Covid-19 which hampered construction activities, the implementation of Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and Estrella- Pantaleon Bridge is right on schedule. A report of Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations and Technical Services Emil Sadain shows that Estrella-Pantaleon will be completed by December 2020, while the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge Project may be opened by March 2021.

B2

Business

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Fed to meet amid mixed indicators of US economy WASHINGTON―The Federal Reserve meets next week amid mixed signals on the health of the US economy, with some sectors bouncing back from the coronavirus-caused downturn and others struggling.

Retail and new home sales were among those showing growth over the last two months but the Labor Department said last week new claims for unemployment benefits had increased week-on-week after months of declines.

Analysts say the mixed indicators won’t be enough to get the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to change course, particularly not after it cut the benchmark lending rate to 0-0.25 percent in March as the pandemic hit.

“We don’t expect much to come out of this particular meeting,” said Jonathan Millar, deputy chief US economist at Barclays Investment Bank.

The two-day meeting beginning Tuesday comes as cases of coronavirus surge again, particularly in the southern and western United States, raising fears that the world’s largest economy is set for a prolonged downturn.

The Fed has offered trillions of dollars of liquidity to keep markets moving amid surging unemployment and sharp drops in activity, while warning in its “beige book” survey released earlier this month of a “highly uncertain” outlook.

Ready to help The central bankers will convene via teleconference as lawmakers in Washington negotiate over whether to extend parts of the $2.2-trillion CARES Act rescue package passed in March to blunt the pandemic-driven downturn.

The most recent Labor Department report on weekly unemployment claims was seized on by both Democrats and Republicans as they negotiate over aid.

Democrats pointed to the uptick in new claims as proof aid to the jobless is needed, while Republicans said declines in the four-week moving average of claims and the insured unemployment rate were evidence people are returning to work.

Fed officials have repeatedly called for more fiscal support to get the country through the downturn.

Mickey Levy of Berenberg Capital Markets said Fed Chair Jerome Powell would likely remain vague in any comments about the economy’s health at his press conference following the FOMC meeting. AFP

ANA LIZA ASIS-CASTRO

PSEi may fall below 6,000 points T

Green Light IF SOMEONE in the condominium building or in the community where you live is COVID-19 positive, would you like to know from management that it exists?

“Why should you know?” someone asked me. Such an absurd probe, I thought. I felt that the question showed a significant lack of common sense, empathy, and concern!

So, I reacted, “Why not?”

A friend was on a ventilator and hospitalized for more than two weeks. She almost died. She is still recovering. She said that probably she caught it from a neighbor. Would this be a good reason one should know?

We don’t have to know who the positive COVID-19 individual residing in our community or condominium building. It is a bonus if we know. Nevertheless, we need to be immediately notified as we are openly at risk of the imminent danger of getting sick that can kill us. The warning gives us the chance to be extra careful and to protect ourselves.

Awareness is most important today because on top of the COVID-19 pandemic that troubles us all, ‘China reports NEW unknown disease spreading across Asian countries deadlier than COVID-19’ according to a UK online news article. If management does not exercise social accountability, I think there will be more chaos should there be another crisis.

We already know that the coronavirus is continuously shocking our public health system. The infection is so severe.

It chooses no one whether we live in posh gated villages and premier residences or in compact and high-density urban structures.

Lack of information can unsettle the community. It is unthinkable of the number of calls or visits management may have. Suppose there are 950 houses in a village, and there is a confirmed COVID-19 whom management kept to themselves, but knowledge leaked to the community. Management may have to contend with 230 calls if about 25 percent verifies.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE benchmark stock market index is expected to drop below 6,000 points in the near-term period but will not hit recent lows as financial conditions are better today compared with previous crises, according COL Financial, the nation’s biggest online stock brokerage.

COL Financial chief equity strategist April Lyn Lee-Tan said the strength of the Philippine Stock Exchange Index was not sustainable over the near-term period because of the significant impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the economy.

She said the rising positive cases of COVID-19 could delay the full reopening of businesses, which would in turn affect the growth of the overall economy.

The government earlier said Metro

Manila may go back to a modified enhanced community quarantine if COVID-19 cases reached 85,000 by the end of this month.

Tan expects the economic recovery to be U-shaped rather than V-shaped.

The non-participation of foreign investors into the country’s stock market is also preventing the PSEi from sustaining a upward momentum.

Tan, however, does not expect the index to drop to recent low levels of around 4,600 given the country’s strong

macro-economic indicators.

COL Financial chief technical analyst Juanis Barredo said the PSEi could drop to the 5,750-5,300 level over the near term period on low volume, net foreign selling and seasonality threats that occur in August. He expects the index to hit the 6,300-point level before rising to 7,000 by the end of 2021.

Tan favors Puregold Price Club Inc., Century Pacific Food Inc. and PLDT Inc. among the pandemic-resilient sectors.

Among non-resilient sectors, Lee-Tan prefers Ayala Land Inc., Megaworld Corp., BDO Unibank Inc., Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., D&L Industries Inc. and Aboitiz Power Corp..

The PSEi last week fell 1.4 percent to 6,003.24 while the broader All Shares Index dipped 1.3 percent to 3,533.01.

Foreign investors were net sellers by P1.72 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P3.8 billion.

Indian companies struggle to lure migrant workers back MUMBAI, India―Spurning free air tickets, accommodation and higher pay, millions of migrant workers who fled India’s cities when coronavirus hit are too scared to return, with grim implications for the already crumbling economy.

Migrant laborers form the backbone of Asia’s third-biggest economy toiling in every sector from making consumer goods and stitching garments to driving cabs.

But when India went into lockdown in late March, vast numbers lost their jobs, prompting a huge heart-rending exodus back to their home villages, sometimes on foot, their children in their arms.

Some died on the way.

Mumbai’s swanky high-rises, for example, were built and largely staffed by

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

In this picture taken on July 21, 2020, workers walk near the construction site of a coastal road project in Mumbai. Spurning free air tickets, accommodation and higher pay, millions of migrant workers who fled India’s cities when the COVID-19 coronavirus hit are too scared to return, with grim implications for the already crumbling economy. AFP

By Vishal Manve

PSEi July 24, 2020

people from poorer states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, who worked as security guards, cooks and cleaners.

But as the city became a virus hotspot, around 80 percent of construction workers left the financial hub after work came to a standstill, according to the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry.

Four months on, with lockdown measures eased, some workers have trickled back but more than 10,000 building sites are lying virtually abandoned due to severe labor shortages across the city.

“We are trying our best to bring back migrant workers, even going to the extent of giving them air tickets, COVID-19 health insurance ... (and) weekly checkups by doctors,” real estate developer Rajesh Prajapati said.

“But it has not reaped any positive signs yet,” he told AFP.

MOST ACTIVE

Property giant Hiranandani Group which―unusually―continued to pay its workers during lockdown, has had more success, but has still only managed to convince around 30 percent of its 4,500 workers to stay on site.

“We looked after them, took care of their food, safety and sanitization and even had mobile creches for kids,” the group’s billionaire co-founder Niranjan Hiranandani told AFP. ‘Double whammy’ With a colossal slump in growth expected, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has steadily eased restrictions on many businesses even as coronavirus cases surge towards 1.5 million.

But analysts say firms are still staring at a bleak future due to battered finances, stalled projects and crucially, a lack of workers. AFP

‘Why should you know... Why not?’

Are there laws that direct management to notify residents?

The laws and policies mandate the reporting of communicable diseases to local or provincial health authorities. Information is vital during times of epidemic or public health concern. And for this reason, village or condominium management track who may be sick in the community. Unless there is an instituted corporate code or local government policy on social accountability to apprise residents of the ‘true state’ of the community’s public health without violating data privacy, knowledge remains in the hands of the mighty... and others left in the dark and to fend for themselves.

Equally stressed is the word, ‘true state’ of the public health of the community. The term ‘exhibits’ COVID-19 has a different definition from ‘positive’ COVID-19 because ‘exhibits’ is simply a manifestation. Thus, a person who exhibits COVID-19 may or may not be sick.

On the other hand, ‘positive’ denotes the presence or possession of the qualities of being sick. Therefore, there is a misrepresentation of the ‘true state’ of the public health of the village or building if management chooses to write an announcement using ‘exhibit’ rather than ‘positive’ if there is a confirmed case.

Unfortunately, some people consider the prescription of the law as a basis of the right thing to do. The law is their guide. Thus, if there is no law, there is no requirement to inform the community. And so, there is no responsibility to execute an awareness because the law did not tell them to do so.

This is probably why there are so many laws to make sure people would do what is conscientiously right as there are people affected if they do not.

Is it possible that there is a misunderstanding or a disregard of what the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted? The WHO said, “The whole-ofsociety approach to pandemic influenza preparedness emphasizes the significant roles played not only by the health sector, but also by all other sectors, individuals, families, and communities in mitigating the effects of a pandemic. During a

pandemic, it is important that households take measures to ensure they have access to accurate information… “ Don’t village or condominium building management represent households?

Since they are the depository of firsthand information on COVID-19 cases in the community that they manage, it is just proper and humanistic to share the precise data. And when they do, there is a guarantee for households to access information deemed correct. Unfortunately, there were situations that residents had to seek the help of public officials to get information from management, such as, to know the affected building among the cluster of buildings. The public official had to explain that disclosing the building information does not violate the IATF rules.

So, we go back to rules again. Lucky are the residents who exerted the effort to ask management and were responded to.

Good luck to the unaware.

Our struggle and the relentless effort of our public authorities is pointless if there is a weak awareness drive. This faintheartedness and disregard for the welfare of every individual is a display of godlike power. It seems like there is a need to write a public policy that directs village or building association management to announce accurate information to residents about the state of the community they administer.

Regrettably, there is a need for public policy only because of a lack of moral values and principles to protect every individual as every life is valuable. And this is the answer to the question, “Why should you know?”

Dr. Ana Liza Asis-Castro is a parttime faculty at the Management and Organization Department of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University, where she teaches in the MBA program. She welcomes comments at ana.liza.asiscastro@gmail. com.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.

Tunisian craftsman Mohamed Ghassen Nouira displays a box where he keeps samples of yarn and fabric dyed with a purple color he extracted from Murex shells at his workshop in the capital Tunis, on July 11, 2020. A symbol of power and prestige, the celebrated purple color was traditionally used for royal and imperial robes, and its production, which is part of a secret guarded so closely that it disappeared hundreds of years ago, was among the main sources of wealth for the ancient Phoenicians, and then for the Carthaginian and Roman empires. AFP

Passion for purple revives ancient dye in Tunisia

By Kaouther Larbi TUNIS, Tunisia—A Tunisian man has pieced together bits of a local secret linked to ancient emperors: how to make a prized purple dye using the guts of a sea snail.

“At the beginning, I didn’t know where to start,” said Mohamed Ghassen Nouira, who heads a consulting firm.

“I would crush the whole shell and try to understand how this small marine animal released such a precious color.”

Now, after years of trial and error—and after getting used to the foul stench—he uses a hammer and small stone mortar to carefully break open the spiny murex shells.

What happens next is part of a secret guarded so closely that it disappeared hundreds of years ago.

A symbol of power and prestige, the celebrated purple color was traditionally used for royal and imperial robes.

Production of the dye was among the main sources of wealth for the ancient Phoenicians, and then for the Carthaginian and Roman empires, said Ali Drine, who heads the research division of Tunisia’s National Heritage Institute.

The industry was “under the control of

the emperors because it brought a lot of money to the imperial coffers,” he said.

In August 2007 on a Tunisian beach, Nouira found a shell releasing a purplish red color, reminding him of something he’d learnt in history class at school.

He bought more shells from local fishermen and set out experimenting in an old outside kitchen at his father’s house that he still uses as a workshop.

Secret know-how “Experts in dyeing, archaeology and history, as well as chemistry, helped and encouraged me, but nobody knew the technique,” Nouira said.

No historical documents clearly detail the production methods for the purple pigment, Drine said.

“Maybe because the artisans did not want to divulge the secrets of their knowhow, or they were afraid to because the production of purple was directly associated with the emperors, who tolerated no rivalry,” he said.

The only clues for unearthing the techniques lie in archaeological sites and artifacts in the Mediterranean, particularly in Tyre in southern Lebanon, and Meninx, on the coast of Tunisia’s Djerba island. AFP

Entertainment

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

B3

Nickie Wang, Editor E-mail: nickie.standard@ gmail.com

GMA News airs special coverage of Pres. Duterte’s fifth SONA AMID the COVID-19 pandemic, GMA News brings to the public the special coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) via SONA 2020: The GMA News Special Coverage.

Today, GMA News provides viewers an overview of what to expect of the President’s SONA through Unang Hirit's Unang Balita in the morning.

In the afternoon, Pia Arcangel anchors SONA 2020: The GMA News Special Coverage. The special airs the speech of Pres. Duterte as he reports on his administration's accomplishments for the last 12 months. He is

also expected to inform the public of his other pertinent legislative agenda and the government’s recovery plan for the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the evening, highlights of Pres.

Duterte’s speech, as well as the biggest news in and out of Congress, will be aired on GMA-7’s flagship newscast 24 Oras and late-night newscast Saksi.

Leading news channel GMA News TV also gives viewers updates from morning to afternoon via Dobol B sa News TV's SONA 2020 Special Coverage.

Listeners can also stay updated via

GMA Network's flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB and in various Super Radyo stations nationwide, as they deliver the biggest news and latest information on the President's SONA. Filipinos from all parts of the world can also follow the special coverage of GMA News Online at www. gmanews.tv, where backgrounders, up to the minute reports, and live stream will be made available.

Updates can also be found through @GMANews accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Viber.

Sarah G is searching for ‘TikTok Idols’ IF YOU are a certified popster who can sing like Sarah Geronimo, this TikTok challenge might just be for you.

Telco service provider TNT and Sarah G. have teamed up for TNT TikTok Idols, a search for talented subscribers who can sing their hearts out and perform the hit song “Tala” on TikTok. T o q u a l i f y, simply follow TNTph on TikTok and share Sarah’s #TNTSingLikeSarah TikTok video to Facebook. Then, do your own cover of ‘Tala’ and upload it on TikTok using the official hashtag #T NTSingLi keSarah.

After all this, you may submit your entry at bit.ly/ tktkregs.

No less than Sarah G. herself will choose 20 winners based on fun, creativity, confidence, and clarity. The singer-actress will personally announce the winners on TNTph’s official TikTok account for the whole world to see.

Apart from having the op-

portunity to showcase their inner Sarah G., winners will win TNT Giga Stories 499, which comes with 30 GB (1 GB/Day) of TikTok and other social media apps plus 8 GB open access data for 30 days.

Join the fun and watch #TNTSingLikeSarah entries with Free Stories For All! For Php 99, you can enjoy 14 GB (2 GB/Day) of TikTok and other social apps plus 2 GB open access for 7 days.

For more info and updates on TNT and its promos, follow TNT on Facebook at fb.com/TNTph, at @tntph on Twitter and Instagram, or visit tntph. com.

Sarah Geronimo

Google celebrates Dolphy’s 92nd birthday ON SATURDAY, Google Philippines celebrated the 92nd birthday of the comedian, actor, producer, and philanthropist Rodolfo ‘Dolphy’ Quizon with a doodle. This illustrates the country’s King of Comedy whose charm and humor warmed hearts and made him a household name among millions of Filipinos.

Born on this day in 1928 in Manila, Dolphy’s interest in the performing arts began in his childhood when he was selling peanuts and watermelon seeds at movie theaters. Able to watch movies for free, the young Dolphy started dreaming of becoming an actor and landed his first small film role at age 19.

This was followed by years of hard work and success in film and radio before he made his big television debut with the 1960s series Buhay Artista.

Dolphy cemented his legacy in the industry with one of his most iconic roles in the family sitcom John en Marsha. The series ran through the ‘70s and ‘80s and was so popular that the

actor went on to produce nine spin-off films through his own production company, RVQ Productions. The following decade, he proved that comedy never goes out of style as he starred as single father Kevin Kosme in the classic series Home Along da Riles.

With a career spanning over six decades and more than 200 movies and multiple long-running television shows under his belt, Dolphy became one of the pillars of the Philippine entertainment industry. He also founded the Dolphy Aid Para sa Pinoy Foundation which provided scholarships to children of overseas Filipino workers.

His gift of comedy and laughter lives on among his family members and across generations and continues to inspire many comedians in the industry. Join Google in honoring the King of Comedy on his birthday by sharing a heartfelt message with the hashtag #GoogleDoodleForDolphy.

To see the actual doodle, visit google.com or google.com/doodles.

Google Philippines celebrates the 92nd birthday of King of Comedy, Dolphy, with a doodle that illustrates the comedian’s charm and humor.

GMA News will deliver the highlights of Pres. Duterte’s speech, as well as the biggest news in and out of Congress during the SONA 2020.

Proud homeliners ‘Mars Pa More’ hosts share positivity right from their homes VERY WANG

NICKIE WANG

V

IEWERS of the familyoriented talk show Mars Pa More will not miss host Iya Villania who gave birth to her third child on July 18. She only asked for a week off, which means co-host Camille Prats will not be alone delivering the kind of entertainment the program has been known for.

Beginning today, the two hands-on moms kick off their show’s week-long anniversary celebration with fresh episodes produced from their respective homes.

“I'm happy that it’s been a year and we’re still here despite the pandemic.

And it’s already a big move having to move to the main channel. For me, the mere fact that we’re still here surviving another year is already something big for the show,” Iya said of their milestone celebrating their first year on air.

“We had to think about something special to offer our viewers. We designed our new episodes not to dwell too much on the pandemic, we wanted to bring joy and spread positivity. We’re offering something different compared to what the viewers have been used to, we will make sure that our viewers will enjoy their mornings with us,” Camille shared.

Today, Camille and Iya are joined by Comedy Concert Queen AiAi Delas Alas as she gives viewers a peek at how her family thrives in the new normal.

Meanwhile, viral Youtuber DJ Loonyo takes the audience on a “walk-cumentary” on Hangzhou, China to show how things are getting back to normal from the pandemic.

Tomorrow, revel in exclusive house tours and a morning tete a tete with Glaiza de Castro as she introduces their simple yet comfortable bed and breakfast hotel and talks about her long-distance relationship with her Irish boyfriend.

Soon-to-be-dad Rodjun Cruz also opens his house and receives Feng Shui tips on how to invite prosperity in his living space and throws in a five-minute home workout to keep everyone healthy and in shape amid the closure of gyms.

Relieve stress and woes fueled by the crisis this Wednesday with funny commentary from comedian Betong Sumaya as he whips up an easy corned beef omelet dish in one of the show’s segments. Also joining in on the fun is TikTok personality Marvs who will star in a comical sketch together with viral sensation Aling Nena who is the person behind the famous lines “walang ganun, mars.

It’s about to rain “feels” on Thursday with couple Barbie Forteza and Jak Roberto spilling the beans on how they conquer relationship hiccups and maintain healthy communication in the new normal. The two will also concoct the perfect Dalgona Coffee that everyone is raving about.

On ”Pusuan Mo Mars,” a mother

‘Mars Pa More’ hosts Iya Villania (top) and Camille Prats celebrate their shows first anniversary with fresh episodes produced right from their respective homes.

Cable operators see industry collapse if EO 205 is repealed Of the 1,000 cable operators nationwide, 300 of them, including ABS-CBN’s Sky Cable, are members of the PCTA.

OVER 1,000 cable TV operators nationwide will be forced to close to the detriment of its subscribers, if the government disregards the existing executive order that allows them to operate without a franchise.

This was the reaction of a nationwide group of cable TV operators following reports that the National Telecommunications Commission has sought the guidance of Soliticor General Jose Calida on the validity of EO 205,

and COVID-19 survivor tells the heartwarming tale of love and triumph as she bravely nurses her child at the peak of her illness and shares how she overcame discrimination while on her way to recovery.

Finally, Rocco Nacino and Kris Bernal make the Friday episode extra special with their fun “quaranthings” to kill everyone’s boredom. Certified plantito Rocco gives his first-hand tips on how to become a plant enthusiast while Kris shows her easy-to-follow workouts using something as simple as a bag! Also, get to know more about a couple who still pushed through with their quarantine wedding ceremony.

Mars Pa More airs its week-long anniversary special at 8:45 a.m. on GMA Network.

which gives NTC the power to regulate the cable TV industry.

At the recent House panel hearings, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta threatened NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba that he would be cited for contempt if he insisted on upholding the EO issued by former Pres. Cory Aquino, which does not require cable TV operators to secure a franchise.

Marcoleta has questioned the continued operations of SKYcable and asked the

NTC why it has not taken action against the company after its franchise lapsed.

In a TV interview, Philippine Cable Telecommunications Association (PCTA) president Joel Dabao warned that the subscribers will be at the losing end if such move will prosper.

"Pag may mangyari sa SKYcable malamang mangyayari na rin sa aming lahat,” Dabao said. “Yung kawawang subscriber namin na kinabitan namin ng internet na wala ng ibang choice kundi sa amin at kung walang mapapanood na channel kundi galing sa amin ay mawawalan ng balita at edukasyon sa panahon ngayon na napaka-kailangan po," he added.

Dabao said that instead of securing a franchise, they get a permit per area from and are regulated by the National Telecommunications Commission, adding that cable operators tap wired television to broadcast and not airwaves.

Over the weekend, social media went abuzz after clips from a Zoom meeting that involved congressmen who opposed ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal went viral. In the meeting, Marcoleta revealed that Cordoba has sought the advice of Solicitor General Jose Calida on the matter.

Cordoba previously confirmed at the House Panel hearing on ABS-CBN’s franchise that cable TV operators were operating on the basis of the said order

by Aquino.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

B4

FOOD

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2020

By Honor Blanco Cabie

H

OLD your breath, as you savor the pizzazz and zing of Bernardo’s Habanero as it flirts with your intolerant taste buds at mealtime.

Bernardo’s Habanero, in its germinal stage, is a gourmet recipe brand that uses habanero peppers—extremely pungent, the fruit of a variety of Capsicum chinense, used in cookery—organically grown and harvested in Quezon and Isabela as its main spice.

It includes white habanero and white bullet habanero, ground from husked peppercorns, and the red savina pepper, a cultivar of the habanero chili (Capsicum chinense jacquin)—once upon a pleasant moon the hottest chili (19942006) in the world according to the Guinness World Records—which has been selectively bred to produce spicier, heavier, and larger fruit, in the fullness of time more punchy than its derivative.

Researchers said red savina habaneros scored upwards of 577,000 shu on the Scoville scale. Scoville scale is the measurement of “heat” (amount of capsaicin) from chilli peppers, named after its creator American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville (1865-1942).

The proprietor, Heracles Lord Bernardo Cabie, is himself a chili lover from his childhood years, who once had a catering business, The Artisan Table, and a food cart business, Bernardo’s Fried Chicken & Pasta, when he was not into auto interior detailing and modification geared up with his Cabie Conceptz.

Andy Lord, assisted by his wife and their three sons, does the main preparation, the weighing, and everything else before carefully placing the same in a bottle for the right net weight of 6 ounces (170 ml).

In an interview with the Manila Standard, he admitted, “I have since been a chili lover and I have wanted to have my own brand of gourmet dishes that will stand out from the rest in the market.

“Almost all gourmet dishes use purely labuyo—rimorimo among Bicolanos, silit’ sairo among Ilocanos, paktin among the Ifugaos, siling kolikot among the Visayans, and pasite among the Tagalogs. I use the habanero chili for its distinct fruitiness that goes well with any dish and adds the much needed kick for a meal memory.

“The conservative shelf life is up to four months, given that the jar is refrigerated after opening, and Bernardo’s Habanero can actually go with all kinds of food, but it’s best when used in dim sums, dumplings, congee, and ramen

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE.

The chili garlic oil of Bernardo’s Habanero is made with habanero peppers, adding a distinct fruity flavor and strong spicy kick to any dish.

Rice topped with the locally made chili garlic oil.

Hold your breath, get ready for a kick Habanero is an extremely pungent, fruity, and very hot variety of chili pepper.

apart from being perfect for fried food.”

He would not settle for less than perfect balance of what he describes as flavor and aroma plus the erotically stimulating smell of habanero which emphasizes the veneers of eastern spices perfectly blended for that oriental toothsome taste even restaurants cannot offer.

Andy Lord said he discovered chili lovers were looking for something “out of the ordinary to have their meals with.”

Sold purely online at the time being,

the variants are Mild, Spicy, Super Spicy, and, before long, Extreme (Bernardo’s Reaper)—the different bottles conscientiously addressed by Andy Lord.

Why Bernardo’s Habanero? Andy Lord, named after his paternal grandfather who in his time pampered himself in characteristic Ilocos cookery when he was not writing poetry, said, “Bernardo, because that’s my name, and Habanero, because it’s the main spice used.”

At the moment, online customers in Metro Manila and nearby towns get their shipment via Lalamove, Grab Express,

RECIPE FILES

FOODIES’ LIST

5 cake deliveries in Metro Manila CRAVING delicious, indulgent cake?

Lucky for those with sweet tooth or celebrating something special, cakes now come straight to our homes.

Cake varieties available at Cake Rush.

Fordham’s decorative cake.

Fordham Cakes

Filipino desserts with a cheesy twist CHEESE makes dishes special. Want creamier kaldereta? Add cheese. Want tastier fruit salad? Add cheese. Want more savory sandwich? You guessed it—add cheese. And as more Filipinos stay at home, more recipes are being made in the kitchen.

Popular cheese brand Eden, together with chefs Tatung Sarthou and Rosebud Benitez, shares recipes of popular Filipino desserts that are made with cheese, and can be made sans complicated kitchen equipment.

“We chose easy-to-make recipes that can be made without oven,” brand manager Kristen Mendoza said during a virtual cooking lesson via Zoom.

Chef Tatung demonstrated how to make bibingka using oven, but can also be cooked using steamer or pan, “just like how you would cook a pancake.” Chef Rosebud, meanwhile, made a special halo-halo topped with ube halaya, leche flan, and shredded cheese.

Cheesy Bibingka with Eden

Special Halo-halo with Eden Ingredients: 1 tbsp. saging na saba, chopped 1 tbsp. sweet red beans (munggo) 1 tbsp. colored jelly, cubed 1 tbsp. sago 1 tbsp. macapuno 1 tbsp. kaong 1 tbsp. nata de coco 1 tbsp. pinipig small slices jackfruit

shaved ice

brown sugar

evaporated milk ube and leche flan

Eden cheese, grated Procedure: 1. Put saging na saba, sago, sweet red beans, jackfruit, jelly, macapuno, pinipig, kaong, and nata de coco in a tall glass.

2. Add some brown sugar. Add shaved ice. Drizzle with evaporated milk. Garnish with ube and leche flan.

3. Finish off with grated Eden Cheese on top. Mix before eating.

Ingredients: 1 cup rice flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup water 2 pcs. eggs, beaten 1/2 cup sugar 2/3 cup coconut cream, at room temperature 2 tsp. melted butter 165g.

Eden Cheese, grated 2 pcs. salted eggs, sliced Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 350-degree Fahrenheit (177-degree Celsius).

2. Place a sheet of wax paper or banana leaf on a (5-inch) round baking pan (heat the banana leaf to make it pliable).

3. Mix rice flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder in a bowl.

4. In another bowl, combine water, eggs, sugar, coconut cream, and butter. Mix well.

5. Slowly pour dry ingredients over wet ingredients. Mix with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. Use a sieve to get rid of lumps.

6. Fill prepared pans with the mixture until 75 percent full.

7. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Halfway in the baking process, top the mixture with salted eggs and cheese.

and Mr. Speedy, while customers from the provinces get their orders through LBC, DHL, and Pasabay services.

Minimum purchase is one jar for retail, and a minimum of one box (24 jars) wholesale, with reseller price applicable for wholesale purchases.

To date, a maximum order is three boxes per individual/partner. The orders may be placed at www.facebook.com/ bernardoshabaneroph, andylord.cabie@ gmail.com, or 0939-938-ANDY (2639).

Some mobile reviews and reactions have poured in from well-pleased customers, giving Andy Lord “enough fuel and reason to aspire to be better every single day, and bring perfection to each jar of our products.”

One said, “Pasadong pasado.” Another commented, “Sarap!!! I’m a fan of chili garlic and so far this is the best!” while a third bubbled over “Not your typical garlic, mapapa-extra rice ka talaga sa sarap dude.”

A fourth extolled the product “Got our chili garlic oil from Bernard’s Habanero. In case you need that extra kick from your favorite dish, order your spicy chili garlic from @Bernardo’s Habanero.”

Cake Rush

Home bakery Fordham Cakes (@fordham_cakes) offers cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, and a wide range of delicious and decorative cakes. Customized cakes are also available; customers simply need to send in their design and the bakers will do their best to create it.

Note: Allot 3-5 days lead time when placing an order.

Cake Rush (cakerush.ph) is a go-to online cake shop that delivers fresh and delicious cakes from the best bakeries in Metro Manila right to your doorstep.

A wide range of high-quality cakes from various brands are available via the platform. You name it, they got it.

Note: Free same-day delivery cut-off is at 3:00 p.m. Email info@cakerush. ph or call (02) 8555-5226

Gender reveal cake from Dough It Right.

Dough It Right

Cheesecake from Buttery & Co.

The brand specializes in customized and theme cakes, from wedding cakes to birthday cakes. Fun fact: Dough It Right (@dough.it.right_cakes) has made cakes featuring Disney and Studio Ghibli characters.

Note: Place an order at least 5 days before the occasion.

Cara Mia’s gelato cake.

Buttery & Co. Grace, the owner and founder of the brand, initially started baking for fun before turning her hobby into a business. Buttery & Co. (butteryandco. com) is well-known for its sweet pastries. Bestsellers include cheese tarts, mamon, ensaymada, and cheese rolls.

Homemade cakes are also available.

Note: Daily cut-off time for nextday delivery is at 4:00 p.m. (TuesdaySunday). Place your orders 24 hours before the delivery time.

Cara Mia Cara Mia (caramia.ph) was the first to introduce Gelato Cakes in various flavors fused with elements like pie crusts, toppings, nuts, and wafers to create premium tasty cakes that are perfect for special occasions or gift-giving.

Note: The brand offers same-delivery. Call (02) 8822-1111