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DEADLY WARNING.

A Mexican man disguised as the Grim Reaper prowls the beach of Puerto Morelos in Mexico warning tourists and locals to return to their homes as the beaches are still closed to visitors in the state of Quintana Roo, on August 1, 2020 amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. AFP VOL. XXXIV • NO. 160• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Rody okays shift to MECQ

• NCR, 4 provinces under stricter lockdown; Honeylet to serve as frontliner By Joyce Pañares and Willie Casas

MECQ will take effect midnight of August 4 and will last until August 18. The lockdown protocol upgrade was part of a seven-point recommendation that was firmed up during Sunday's meeting between Cabinet officials representatives of the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Nurses Association, and the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists. Other recommendations of the Cabinet are as follows: 1. Hire additional healthcare

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine for 15 days as COVID-19 cases continued to surge, with the total breaching the 100,000 mark on Sunday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 5,032 more infections, the fourth all-time high in a row.

SERVICES SUSPENDED.

Devotees attend mass outside the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila on Sunday, AUG. 2, 2020. Bishop Broderick Pabillo said that all churches and shrines in the Archdiocese of Manila will not hold public religious services from August 3-14 in response to the medical community’s plea to revert Metro Manila’s quarantine status to the strictest enhanced community quarantine. Norman Cruz

Courts, churches brace for ECQ By Rey Requejo, Jesus Malabanan and Macon Ramos-Araneta CHURCHES under the Archdiocese of Manila as well as all courts in the National Capital Region will suspend operations for two weeks starting today (Monday) in anticipation of a possible upgrade of lockdown protocols to En-

WORLD ROUNDUP

LOCAL ROUNDUP hanced Community Quarantine. The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the shutdown of all courts in Metro Manila and other areas that may be placed under ECQ or Modified ECQ starting today to August 14 due to the

Two oil players cut prices by P0.30 By Alena Mae S. Flores OIL firms Seaoil Philippines and PetroGazz announced they will cut pump prices by as much as P0.30 per liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market. Seaoil and PetroGazz will cut diesel price by P0.30 per liter and gasoline

by P0.25 per liter. Seaoil will also reduce kerosene price by P0.15 per liter. Over the weekend, Unioil said consumers can expect pump prices to go down this week. “Expect fuel prices to go down next week (August 4 - 10). Diesel should go down by P0.10 per liter. Gasoline should go down by P0.20 to P0.30 per liter,” Unioil Philippines said. Next page

• Melbourne sets six-week curfew • Vaccine race

4,000 deaths go unrecorded in official tally—ex-adviser By Willie Casas SOME 4,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in the Philippines may not have been included in the government's official tally as many people severely ill with the disease have succumbed to it without actually getting tested, a former adviser of the task

force against the pandemic said Sunday. “My view is there are around 4,000 underreported deaths. Many of those who go to emergency rooms in our hospital, at the Philippine General Hospital and in many other hospitals, the patients would only come to the hospital already in

’Dindo’ intensifies, heads for Japan

Tropical Storm “Dindo” intensified slightly as it headed for the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Sunday. In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Dindo is forecast to move northwest and will be near the Ryukyu archipelago by Sunday night. The weather bureau also said “Dindo” is likely to exit the Philippine Area

of Responsibility on Monday morning, and “will remain far from the Philippine landmass throughout the forecast period.” “’Dindo’ may reach severe tropical storm category by Monday morning,” the agency said. The tropical storm packed maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kilometers per hour as it moved

AUSTRALIA'S second-largest city imposed an overnight curfew on Sunday to halt the spread of coronavirus cases, as South Africa's infection count topped more than half a million. Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the virus has killed more than 680,000 people and infected more than 17.5 million. Fresh clusters have been reported in countries—such as Australia—that had previously brought their outbreaks under control. Next page

Taiwan's 2 octogenarians go viral TAIWAN’S trendiest couple these days are neither young celebrities nor teen influencers—they are an octogenarian duo who run a mom-and-pop laundry service and have become an online sensation by modelling abandoned clothes. Chang Wan-ji, 83, and his wife Hsu

Sho-er, 84, have racked up nearly 600,000 followers on Instagram over the last month as their attitude-filled fashion portraits went viral. They have even been featured in the Taiwanese edition of Vogue and Marie Next page Claire.

SWABBED. Two policemen undergo anti-virus swab tests for free, joining some 500 residents and frontliners of Navotas city at the San Jose Academy covered court, following an upsurge of infections in the city.

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte OKs 2021 recovery budget RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021, with the theme “Reset, Rebound and Recover: Investing for resiliency and sustainability,” as the country weathers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

government spending on improving our healthcare systems, ensuring food security, increasing investments in public and digital infrastructure, and helping communities cope and prevail in these trying times,” the Department of Budget and Management said. Next year's budget is 9.9 percent higher than this year's P4.1 trillion “The proposed fiscal year (FY) 2021 forts towards effectively responding to spending plan. budget aims to sustain government ef- the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing It is also equivalent to 21.8 percent

of the country's gross domestic product. The DBM said the proposed budget aims to ensure food security and help "communities cope and prevail in these trying times.” Duterte approved the proposed budget Thursday last week, and the DBM has until August 27 to submit the 2021 National Expenditure Program to Congress.

Rody...

From A1

workers and form a healthcare worker reserve. The government will also enter into a memorandum of agreement with private hospitals to allow the deployment of state healthcare workers to private facilities until December 2020; 2. Give additional benefits to healthcare workers: P10,000 risk allowance for private sector healthcare workers and free life insurance under a pending bill; 3. Free accommodation and transportation as well as free and frequent COVID-19 testing for healthcare workers; 4. Require work and quarantine passes anew to minimize people going out on non-essential travels; 5. Ramp up localized lockdowns; and 6. Intensify street enforcement of guidelines for minimum health standards and procure 20 million cloth masks for the poor. Duterte said the government will seek to include the additional benefits sought by healthcare workers in the Bayanihan 2 measure pending in Congress. “We agree that you are bone-weary, I know you are tired to the bone – both the pressure and the stressful work, the uncertainty and the fear of getting COVID-19 and not having any in return,” the President said. “We are ready to consider stipend or allowances or pay. Give us time, and we will make a report, and we

4,000... From A1

serious condition because, of course, they don’t have money,” said Dr. Tony Leachon, former special adviser of the COVID-19 task force, said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo. “So, they are not recorded. But when they go through an X-ray test, it would show the patients have COVID-19 pneumonia. But again, we can’t report them [as COVID-19 deaths]),” he said, speaking in Filipino. “Some arrive in the hospital already

Taiwan’s... From A1

The couple have run a laundry for decades in a small town near the central city of Taichung. Over the years, customers have either forgotten or failed to collect reams of clothing that the couple never felt able to throw away. Grandson Reef Chang, 31, hit upon the idea of using the clothes to alleviate the couple's boredom. "My grandpa and grandma were staring blankly at the streets because business wasn't good," he told AFP. "I wanted to find something new they could enjoy doing." The pair were naturals in front of the camera. "Modeling these clothes makes me feel 30 years younger," beamed Chang, when AFP paid a visit to the store earlier this week. "Many people are telling me 'You are famous now and you look younger.'" Hsu felt so, too. "I am old in age but my heart is not ageing," she said. "I like to put on pretty clothes and go out to have some fun." It was while modeling other people's garments, Hsu came to remember that she also had many forgotten outfits in her closet which she has since rediscovered. "I even found some clothes I bought 30 years ago and I can still wear them. It's a happy surprise," she said. The couple's Instagram account—@

Local... From A1

spike in the number of COVID-19 infections. The affected courts may be reached through their respective hotline numbers, email addresses and/or Facebook accounts as posted on the website of the Supreme Court. The raffle of cases in all courts would likewise be conducted electronically or through videoconferencing. Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan,

Telcos told: Stop blame game Rio N. Araja

hope this will be included in the Bayanihan 2. I will give this to you ahora mismo, no delay,” he added. Duterte said he can understand if medical frontliners are now hesitating to work amid the health crisis as he cited the decision of his wife, Honeylet Avanceña, to volunteer as frontliner in the fight against COVID-19. “My wife has also volunteered to be a frontliner – she's a nurse,” the President said. “This is a war against microbes. Who are our soldiers? The nurses and the doctors. If you cannot go the extra mile, then I can understand you. I am very sorry, but I can understand you. But who else can we turn to?” Duterte added. On Saturday, at least 80 medical associations representing thousands of doctors signed a letter calling for a "timeout" amid the continuing surge of infections. “Health care workers are united in sounding off a distress signal to the nation—our health care system has been overwhelmed,” the letter read. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, for his part, assured healthcare workers that they are "the most important people in our fight against COVID-19." He said the Duterte administration has prioritized the health of medical frontliners, proof of which is the reduced number of COVID-19 cases involving healthcare workers, from a

high of 20 percent to 5.3 percent. Sunday's tally marks the first time more than 5,000 new cases were reported and brings the Philippines closer to having the highest number of infections across Southeast Asia, a position currently held by Indonesia with 109,936 cases. Of the confirmed cases reported, 2,114 were fresh cases, while 2,918 were reported late. In both instances, Metro Manila accounted for the most number of cases. The department reported 20 new deaths, bringing the total fatalities from COVID-19 to 2,059. At the same time, health officials reported Sunday that 301 patients recovered from the disease, bringing total recoveries to 65,557. The regions with the most number of cases were the National Capital Region with 1,577 (50 percent), Region 4A, with 786 (25 percent) and Region 7, with 299 (10 percent). In Metro Manila, the cities with the most number of cases were Quezon City, with 569 (21 percent); Manila, with 379 (14 percent); Makati City, with 339 (12 percent); Caloocan City, with 151 (6 percent); and Taguig City, 132 (5 percent). In Region 4A, Cavite accounted for 463 (40 percent), followed by Laguna, at 326 (28 percent); Rizal at 201 (17 percent); Batangas, at 113 (10 percent) and Quezon, 16 (1 percent). There are 35,569 active cases un-

dergoing treatment or quarantine as of Sunday. A doctor said on Sunday warned that the Philippines is losing its battle against the pandemic, as health care workers battling COVID-19 in the frontlines are seeking coordination between national and local governments aside from strict lockdown to address the surge. During an interview with ABSCBN's TeleRadyo, Dr. Antonio Dans of the Philippine College of Physicians said the capacity of hospitals in Metro Manila for handling COVID-19 patients is at 85 percent, much higher than the "danger zone" level of 70 percent “The overriding problem is, there seems to be no coordination from the top downwards. There are localized lockdowns, but are these being followed?,” he said in Filipino. As of last week, more than 4,500 doctors, nurses and other health care workers have contracted the disease amid the rising number of infections across the country. Aside from the lack of health care workers, the doctors' groups also urged the government to improve case finding and isolation and to ensure transportation and workplace safety. The doctors also said public behavior was also a problem because some people, thinking the situation is getting better, no longer wear masks.

CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte said Sunday Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. must stop blaming the local government units for their failure to upgrade their services. He says telecommunications companies should act now following President Rodrigo Duterte’s assurance that there would no longer be any red tape in the processing of applications for the rollout of their cell site towers. He said the two telecom companies were just using the local government units as scapegoats. “Their epic failure for years now in bringing up their services to worldclass standards has been magnified at this time of the coronavirus pandemic, when superior internet connectivity would have greatly aided national efforts to switch right away to digital technology and online transactions," Villafuerte said. “Back in 2017, I already called on these telco giants to provide better services and filed House Bill 1299 seeking to give consumers a venue to air their complaints against these errant firms.” Villafuerte was referring to his proposal in the past Congress to require the National Telecommunications Commission to come up with a comprehensive and efficient system for subscribers to report their complaints of substandard services from their respective telco providers. "I challenge these telcos to submit their applications for tower rollouts in Camarines Sur because I guarantee them that Governor Migz Villafuerte will process their permits in an expeditious manner," Villafuerte said.

severely infected, and we no longer have the chance to conduct a swab test on them. And they die there. But our diagnosis is based on the swab test.,” he added. The Department of Health (DOH) cumulative tally of COVID-19 fatalities was at 2,039 on Saturday, out of the country’s 98,232 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections. Leachon cited the most recent study by researchers from the University of the Philippines that projects the death toll to reach around 4,000 by the end of August, out of 150,000 COVID-19 cases. Leachon said the Philippines has one

of the fastest “acceleration” of reported cases of the disease in Southeast Asia, and is in fact the No. 1 in the number of active cases. Along with Indonesia, which has recorded 109,936 cases as of Saturday, the Philippines, among Southeast Asian countries, has not flattened its curve, he said, describing the status as similar to a “step ladder.” He also urged the government to take appropriate measures to prevent the country's health care system from being overwhelmed. Meanwhile, the Gabriela Women's Party on Sunday slammed the Department of

Health's (DOH’s) new mass recovery adjustment in which patients with mild or no symptoms are now considered recovered 14 days after the date of specimen collection. In a statement, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas said that "the outright data manipulation is a manifestation that the Duterte administration has no plans to end the pandemic and opts to feed the Filipino people false information to pacify growing dissent." The lawmaker also said the government should heed the call of health care frontliners to come up with a consolidated, definitive plan of action rather than tweak-

ing data and definitions to fit their preferred narrative. "Various hospitals and health organizations are already speaking out and asking for mass testing, financial aid, and livelihood for the masses in order to contain the rising cases of COVID-19. The government needs to listen to the doctors instead of doctoring the numbers,” she said. Brosas also said the government's militarist response to the pandemic has made the crisis worse as public health experts were set aside in favor of the President's close allies from the ranks of the military and police.

wantshowasyoung—is managed by grandson Reef. Chang currently only uses the Line messaging app to make free phone calls but Reef says his grandfather is keen to learn how to make the perfect Instagram post. The account first started going viral abroad and around 400,000 new fans have started following in the past week alone after major international media picked up on their success. Reef said he translates and reads out fan mail pouring in from all over the world. "We're very moved by the messages," he told AFP, "Many people are saying that 'Wantshowasyoung' is the first happy news they've seen in this dark year marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and problems in many countries," he added. The couple's worldwide fame has also prompted a few forgetful customers to pick up old clothes, while some local fans have started visiting their sleepy town to see the store. The shop is named "Wan Sho" – a combination of the middle character of their Chinese names. The couple hope to use their new social media clout to promote the concept of "environmental fashion." "Instead of following 'fast fashion' and keep buying new clothes, we hope people can see that old and second-hand clothes can be fashionable if you arrange and combine them in new ways," said Reef Chang. "This would cause less damage to the earth and the environment." AFP

World...

"WHO continues to assess the global risk level of COVID-19 to be very high," the agency said, adding that the effects of the pandemic "will be felt for decades to come." Vaccine race The pandemic has spurred a race for a vaccine with several Chinese companies at the forefront, while Russia has set a target date of September to roll out its own prophylactic. However, US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it was unlikely his country would use any vaccine developed in either nation. "I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone," he said. As part of its "Operation Warp Speed," the US government will pay pharmaceutical giants Sanofi and GSK up to $2.1 billion for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, the companies said. AFP

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and Court of Tax Appeals would continue to receive petitions and pleadings electronically. Night courts and Saturday courts shall also be suspended until August 14, the SC said. No public religious activities There will be no public religious activities in the Archdiocese of Manila starting today. Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila Broderick Pabillo said all churches and shrines under the archdiocese are reverting to the protocols under ECQ as their response to the call of medical frontliners for a “timeout” amid the ris-

ing number of COVID-19 cases. “All the churches and shrines in the Archdiocese of Manila will revert to the period of the ECQ protocols,” Pabillo said in a pastoral letter. But he said online religious activities would continue. “We will use this time to evaluate our church response to the pandemic and see how we can improve them,” Pabillo said. Routines suspended CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—The daily operational routines of the Police Regional Office 3 were temporarily suspended from Aug. 1 to 4 to disinfect the main headquarters building after 18 po-

licemen and a civilian employee tested positive for COVID-19 following a swab test over the weekend Brig. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, director of the Central Luzon PNP, ordered the policemen isolated and placed under quarantine while initiating contact-tracing to identify those who had associated with them in this regional police headquarters "Camp Olivas is undergoing disinfection and it is a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” said a police sergeant on duty at the main gate. “All entry gates have been closed. Nobody is allowed to go in and out except for essential purposes."

Hazard pay Senator Joel Villanueva has filed two bills seeking to grant hazard pay to essential personnel in the private and public sectors as a result of the risks they face during the pandemic. He said street sweepers and garbage collectors were one of the “most vulnerable with low salaries and very little protection, and yet they continue to work to keep us safe at homes.” Villanueva also filed a counterpart bill to cover government workers in critical industries, and it seeks to grant them hazard pay equivalent to 25 percent of their basic monthly salaries.

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World oil prices declined last week amid reports of continuing business shutdowns and layoffs in the United States, dampening demand amid the coronavirus pandemic. The local distributors, meanwhile, increased the price of cooking gas by P0.13 to P0.15 per kilogram on Aug. 1. “Petron will implement a P0.15 perkilogram increase in LPG prices effective at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1. Auto LPG prices will likewise increase by P0.10 per liter at the same time,” said Petron Corp., the Philippines’ biggest oil company. Petron said the latest price movements reflected the international contract price of LPG for the month of August. Phoenix also increased the price of its Super LPG brand and auto LPG at the same levels as Petron, while Isla LPG increased the price of its Solane brand by P0.13 per kilogram. On July 28, the oil companies imFrom A1 plemented a price increase of P0.10 to P0.30 per liter of gasoline, P0.25 per linorthwest at 20 kilometers per hour. ter of diesel and P0.30 per liter of keroThe center of the tropical storm was estimated 385 kilometers northeast of Bas- sene. co, Batanes, at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The price increases brought the toPAGASA said sea travel is still risky as the gale warning is still in effect over the tal year-to-date adjustments at a net seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboards of Central and Southern decrease of P4.77 per liter of gasoline, Luzon. P8.29 per liter of diesel and P12.54 per “Today, occasional rain due to the southwest monsoon will be experienced over liter of kerosene, according to the DeLuzon,” the agency said. partment of Energy. Australia's Victoria state imposed fresh, sweeping restrictions on Sunday, including a curfew in Melbourne for the next six weeks, a ban on weddings, and schools and universities going back online in the coming days. "Anything short of this will see it drag on for months and months and months," said Victoria leader Daniel Andrews. Despite a lockdown, Melbourne has continued to report hundreds of new cases daily even as other states in Australia have reported zero or a small number of cases. Many other parts of the world are struggling with much bigger outbreaks. With infections and deaths soaring, the UN health agency has warned that the coronavirus pandemic would be lengthy and could lead to "response fatigue."

‘Dindo’...

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House inquiry on Iloilo oil spill, explosion pushed A CONGRESSMAN filed a House Resolution calling for an investigation into the July 3 explosion at a power plant of AC Energy Corp. at Zone 3, Bo. Obrero, Lapuz, Iloilo City that resulted in an oil spill. Ilocos Sur First District Rep. Victor ‘DV’ B. Savellano filed House Resolution No. 1070 on July 26, 2020 to seek a legislative inquiry into the explosion that occurred in Power Barge 102 at the starboard side owned by AC Energy at 3:20 p.m. of July 3, 2020. “Although no casualties were reported, there were 30 to 40 families that had to evacuated from the area due to the foul odor experienced by the community as reported by Punong Barangay Ricardo Dino Jr. of Bo. Obrero,” Savellano said in the resolution. Initial data from the Iloilo City Emergency Operation Center showed that nearly 48,000 liters of oil was split from the power barge’s estimated content of 200,000 liters, affecting an area of 1,200 square meters. The resolution stated that while the spillage was being contained by the personnel of power barge via spill boom, a small amount of oil was identified to have escaped. Latest available report also stated that the Philippine Coast Guard and barge personnel were trying to contain the oil spill which covered an area of 300 meters. The area was cordoned by the Bureau of Fire Protection, PCG, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and City Environment and Natural Resources Office to prevent the spread of the affected area.

Win wants gov’t to adopt e-vehicles By Macon Ramos-Araneta AS THE country moves toward the promotion of sustainable transportation in a post-COVID-19 world, Senator Win Gatchalian said there is an urgent need to lay down a sound policy and regulatory framework for the adoption of electric vehicles and the sustainability of the evehicle ecosystem. The Senate Committee on Energy Chairman said that the government needs to be ready with its policies and infrastructure before the e-vehicle becomes popular in the country. Citing a 2019 data of the Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Gatchalian predicted that the cost of EVs could reach parity with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by year 2024 as batteries become much cheaper. “We have to make sure that we have the right policies, the right infrastructure, and the right incentives so we will be ready to roll out the EVs in a big way,” he said. According to the lawmaker, Senate Bill 1382 or the Electric Vehicles and Charging Station Act, which he authored and sponsored, supports the transition to new technologies, aims to generate jobs, and attract investments to grow globally competitive. While the COVID-19 crisis shows that effective public transport is vital to keeping cities running and quarantine measures have put a strain on the country’s public transport system, Gatchalian said over the long term, public transport is one investment that can create jobs quickly while reducing carbon emissions and innovating people’s access to their workplaces.

VIRTUAL.

House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD Party President Martin Romualdez (right) presides over the virtual meeting via Zoom during the monthly meeting of Lakas-CMD Party in Manila. Also joining the meeting are Lakas-CMD vice president for Luzon and Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo (center) and Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina Jr. (left). Ver Noveno

Probe on fertilizer scam sought By Rey E. Requejo

N UMBRELLA group of agriculture stakeholders have appealed to the Senate agriculture committee to immediately investigate the allegedly overpriced fertilizer supply contracts that are part of a P5.69 billion emergency procurement to help farmers weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura chairman Rosendo So said a probe on what he described as a fertilizer fund mess becomes even more crucial after President

Rodrigo Duterte himself underscored in his fifth State of the Nation Address the importance of a robust agriculture sector for the country’s economic recovery.

“How can we Plant, Plant, Plant if the fertilizer supply contracts of the Department of Agriculture are overpriced and the winning bidders are unable to deliver on their obligation on time? Farmers should have done top-dressing and should have planted by now but could not do so because the fertilizers have not been delivered,” So said. So urged Senator Cynthia Villar, who chairs the agriculture committee, to investigate why the DA approved a reference price that was higher by at least P150 than the prevailing market prices for urea fertilizer. “The supply contracts are grossly dis-

advantageous to the government. Taxpayers’ money have gone down the drain because of these overpriced urea fertilizer purchases. The DA could have done better if they just bought directly from retail outlets where prices are lower instead of bidding out these contracts,” he said. “Some of the winning bidders have also failed to deliver the contracted fertilizer. The Senate should look into this as well,” the SINAG chairman added. In May, the first contracts amounting to P1.8 billion were awarded to La Filipina Uy Gongco Corporation for Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas and Atlas Fertilizer Central Visayas.

Gambling lord eyed in PCSO exec ambush By Orlan Mauricio CLARK, Pampanga—A bigtime-gambling operator is being eyed as the possible mastermind behind the ambush-slaying of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office corporate lawyer Wesley Barayuga last Thursday. A top-notch military intelligence-investigator who is helping government probers crack the case said the hitman was a professional hired-killer “who finished the job in less than 10 seconds.” Barayuga assumed his post as corporate secretary of PCSO on January 24, 2018, and since then, had been instrumental in cleansing the roster of small-town lottery operators which replaced the illegal numbers game of jueteng in Central Luzon and masiao in the Visayas. Hours after the ambush, Barayuga’s office was sealed and cordoned off to enable probers from the Mandaluyong Police and National Bureau of Investigation to retrieve and have access to intact documents. An unimpeachable source from the Department of the Interior and Local Government also said, the contents and transcripts of Barayuga’s cellphone will be available today, Aug. 3, to help in the multi-faceted investigation of the case.

ILLEGAL. DENR workers remove illegal structures and enclosures in Km. 45 Marcos Highway in Baras, Rizal.

DHSUD chief backs pro-housing bill By Rio N. Araja HOUSING czar Eduardo del Rosario is batting for the passage of a pro-housing bill into law. Del Rosario said that he is strongly supporting President Rodrigo’s Duterte’s initiative in passing into law two key housing bills aimed at championing public welfare, especially the underprivileged. “We at Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development welcome the President’s call for lawmakers to hasten the passage into law of the National Housing Development and Rental Hous-

ing Subsidy bills, which are vital to providing one of man’s basic needs—shelter —to Filipino families, particularly those in the low-income group,” he said. “Having such legislations will make it easier for the government to carry out its housing programs nation-wide,” he added. In his recent State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte called on lawmakers to fasttrack the passage into law of the two bills. The National Housing Development bill aims to earmark funds to hasten government-led housing programs for the underprivileged.

‘East Meets West’ culinary contest set

MODULES. Self-Learning Modules worth P15 million and funded by Navotas city are readied by teachers for the opening of online classes amid the COVID 19 pandemic.

THE Irish government food board, Bord Bia, has launched its first online culinary competition, “East Meets West,” in a bid to raise awareness on the high quality, unique taste and versatility of European pork and beef among the Philippines market audience. The “East Meets West” culinary competition, which started out to be a culinary competition exclusively for chefs, has been successfully implemented in other markets.

This year, Bord Bia decided to open the competition not just to chefs but to food bloggers, foodies and culinary students as well. A group of internationally-awarded chefs, as well as representatives from Bord Bia, will review all the entries in early September. The ten participants who will be shortlisted for having the best Filipino/fusion recipes will be announced Sept. 7.

NBI nabs 2 Nigerians for illegal drugs By Willie Casas THE National Bureau of Investigation on Sunday announced the arrest of two Nigerian nationals in Imus, Cavite last Wednesday for illegal drugs. NBI Officer-In-Charge Eric Distor identified the suspects as Samuel Chukwuemera Duruibe and Mmaduamaka Vitus Okoli , alias Irvin Frank. Distor said both suspects were arrested by operatives of the NBI-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs on the strength of a Search Warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court in Imus, Cavite. The seized drugs were submitted for laboratory examination and analysis. A certification was later issued by the NBI-Forensic Chemistry Division that the specimens submitted for examination were all positive for shabu. The suspects were charged for violation of Section 5, Sec 6 and Sec. 11 of R.A. 9165 before the City Prosecutor’s Office of Imus City, Cavite. In October of 2019, the NBI-TFAID received information that Duruibe, with the other suspects, were involved in trafficking illegal drugs or shabu, mostly in the area of Cavite. Duruibe is a member of the West African Drug Syndicate operating in the Philippines.

LGUs

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

SOLAR-POWERED PLANT.

The Metro Manila Development Authority recently unveiled the Solar-Powered Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) beside the Manila Yacht Club (MYC). At the inauguration and the unveiling of the historical marker are (from left) Fr. Efren Tawagan, who officiated the blessing ceremonial, MYC Commodore Robert Lim Joseph, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, MMDA Chair Danilo Lim, and Jackie Rodriquez, immediate past president of Rotary Club of Manila. The STP can process 500,000 liters of dirty water a day from the outfalls of Remedios, Padre Faura and Estero de San Antonio Abad in Manila so that only clean water will reach Manila Bay.

DENR Region 2 commends NBI anti-logging work By Brenda Jocson TUGUEGARAO CITY—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 2 commended the operation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against illegal logging, which led to the apprehension of 13,031.91 board feet of illegally cut forest products in the towns of Baggao and Peñablanca in this province. Gwendolyn Bambalan, DENRRegion 2 executive director, led the department in recognizing the efforts of the NBI in Region 2 for their successful implementation of forest laws in the Cagayan Valley region. Seven agents were awarded with certificates of commendation during the DENR-Region 2 regional management conference on Thursday here. They were Supervising Agent Chris Mesa, Supervising Agent Julie Ann Tarona, Senior Agent Clyde Cabasag, Senior Agent Pia Hazel Soga-ang, Senior Agent Martinelli Cobsen, Special Investigator Denver Louie Cabaluna and Patrolman Jay-Ar Bartolome. Mesa assured assistance to the DENR in environmental law enforcement. DENR Undersecretary Jim Sampulna for field operations, enforcement and Muslim affairs, graced the management conference and expressed thanks for the active involvement of the NBI in DENR’s forest protection efforts. “The NBI is the most sought office and reliable entity in law enforcement. Congratulations on being the topnotch law enforcer right now,” Sampulna said, as he thanked the bureau on behalf of Secretary Roy Cimatu for helping the DENR in the pursuit of its mandate.

BARMM aid extends beyond home region By Nash B. Maulana

ANAO SUR—Coping with multiple crises means Maranao Muslim officials and residents have to squarely withstand realities of destruction from armed conflict and uncertainties caused by nature in a global pandemic.

But admirable is the Maranao trait of helping one another, even if one is far from home. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) said Governor Mamintal Bombit Alonto Adiong Jr. has dispatched relief packages to thousands of Muslim communities in northern and eastern Mindanao, and even in the Visayas, NCMF Director Jun Datu Ramos said. Governor Adiong said he was profoundly thankful for institutional aid

sent to the province by the Bangsamoro Government under Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim. One example is Nashiba Radia, a young mother of two who left Marawi City in 2017 to escape the siege there to settle temporarily among Maranao market vendors in Lemery, Batangas. Radia said she and her husband were carrying their two young children, Mohammad Reihan and Hafizah Radia, and whatever they could pick, fold and

pack of their household belongings as they escaped the Marawi siege. The young parents and their children, now five and four years old, would again experience being among thousands of internally displaced persons, as they had to move from Lemery town to Lipa City after the eruption of Taal Volcano triggered a massive evacuation on Jan. 12. For the third time the Radias were displaced, fleeing the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic and yearning to be home. However, help extended by Lanao del Sur-LGU even reached outside their jurisdiction, including thousands of Muslim communities in the Caraga Region, Cagayan de Oro City, parts of the Visayas region, and soon Iligan City, Datu Ramos said.

By Jess Malabanan CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—Daily operational routines of the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) were temporarily suspended from Aug. 1 to 4 to pave the way for a massive disinfection at the main headquarters building after 18 policemen and a civilian employee tested positive of coronavirus following swab tests over the weekend. Police BGen. Rhodel O. Sermonia, director of the Central Luzon Philippine National Police, ordered the isolation of contracted policemen and placed them under strict quarantine while initiating contact-tracing to identify those who associated with the lawmen at the regional police headquarters. “Camp Olivas is undergoing disinfection and it is on lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All entry gates have been closed. Nobody is allowed to go in and out except for essential purposes,” said a duty police sergeant at the main gate, adding transactions will resume on August 5. The main headquarters building houses the regional director office, human resources and personnel, intelligence division, operations, logistics, community relations, investigation, and comptroller offices. “Our personnel including the civilian who have tested positive are now placed on strict quarantine and monitoring and are immediately transferred to our quarantine facility. We are also establishing the contact tracing including all our Police and Nonuniformed personnel inside the camp as well as the families of those infected,” said Sermonia in a statement. He said continuous swab testing is being carried out by the Regional Health Service (RHS) to personnel who are suspected to be infected with the virus. PRO3 has more than 2,000 personnel spread to different units within the main regional headquarters including non-support units such as the RHS, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Highway Patrol Group, and Cyber-Crime Group.

Cacao, coffee plantation aids Vizcaya village By Ben Moses Ebreo

MODEL TEACHERS. Teacher Enrique Garcia (middle) in one of the seminars he attended; Teacher Argy Catolin holds his first general assembly with parents and learners last school year 2019-2020

2 Filipino teachers display passion for learning continuity THE new normal may have limited physical interaction, but in no way did it hinder the unyielding commitment and drive of those at the frontlines of education - Filipino teachers. Even if the academic community is facing numerous challenges in preparation for school year 2020-2021, countless Filipino teachers remain passionate about providing quality basic education to their students. Cagayan National High School Master Teacher Enrique Garcia remains committed to learning continuity during the pandemic. Like many others, Mr. Garcia received training through webinars for distance learning. This prepares him and many others for the potential challenges that

PRO3 closes HQ after 18 cops test positive for virus

might come during the school year. “Last April, when we were still under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), I took the initiative to come up with self-paced modules. I thought of coming up with modules because this is one way that I could help my students for the coming school year,” said Mr. Garcia. Mr. Garcia spends his time collaborating with school leaders and his fellow teachers to create efficient class programs that will help the school adapt to the new normal. He also often meets with his colleagues virtually to discuss appropriate and effective learning delivery modalities for the upcoming school year. Mr. Garcia goes the extra mile by put-

ting his students first and considering what learning delivery modality is apt for each of them. “I have to consider those who have the resources and those who have limited resources. After all, I cannot utilize a onesize-fits-all scheme. I deeply understand that my students are as diverse as the dreams their hearts have known,” he said. Teachers like Mr. Garcia exemplify DepEd’s resolve by remaining committed to delivering education amidst the pandemic. Pride of the Panay Bukidnon Tribe Argy Catolin, a teacher at Aglonok Primary School Iloilo, is a modern-day hero during these unprecedented times. Mr. Catolin is a proud member of the Panay

Filipino inventors donate to MMDA By Jessica M. Bacud IN ITS effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative (FISPC) recently donated alcohol, disinfectant spray, hygiene kits and PROBATON (Patrol Reconnaissance and Operations Baton) to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) FISPC Chairman Francisco Pagayon said: “We share in the burden and suffering that has brought grave threat to the lives of every Filipino, especially to the frontliners against this infectious virus.” MMDA Chairman and retired brigadier general Danilo “Danny” Lim expressed the agency’s gratitude for the health essentials extended by the inventors’ association. “This is our way of helping MMDA’s frontliners to fight off COVID-19 with the health essentials .The PROBATON can likewise be used by front liners in warding off stubborn individuals who refuse to strictly observe physical distancing,” Pagayon stressed.

Bukidnon Tribe, which inspired him to teach as a way to make education accessible to his kin. Even before the pandemic, Mr. Catolin has been going above and beyond to teach the students in Barangay Cahigon, Calinog, Iloilo. Due to the geographical conditions, students and teachers alike need to take a 2-hour motorcycle ride and a 3-hour walk to reach Aglonok Primary School. Nevertheless, these challenges didn’t stop Mr. Catolin. “Teaching is about inspiring others,” Mr. Catolin reiterates. He is fueled by his passion to touch the lives of his students and influence their future. (To be continued)

QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—A cacao and coffee plantation recently established in barangay Boliwao here is expected to bring economic benefits for upland villagers in this town. Mayor Dolores Binwag said the plantation was already established in a 1.367-hectare lot, which will be planted with 1,080 cacao and 1,550 coffee seedlings. The project is implemented by the FCF Minerals Corporation in partnership with the Mapalyao Watershed Association (MWA), Boliwao local government unit (BLGU) and the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO). “This is operated and managed by at least 10 initial members of the BWA (Boliwao Watershed Association). Capital build-up will be achieved because the beneficiaries will eventually return their capital to the BWA,” Binwag said. The PAO already provided the free seedlings which were already planted while the FCF Minerals Community Relations Office (CRO) also organized trainings for the 10 BWA members to prepare them technically for the income-generating project. The mayor added that Boliwao LGU will also assist in the promotion of the products, fair trade laws and consumer welfare practices. Binwag said she hopes the project will also cascade to the other 16 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) organized by the mining firm to infuse various social development programs through livelihood assistance.

DONATION.

MMDA Chairman Danilo ‘Danny’ Lim (second from left) receives the donations of alcohol, disinfectant spray, hygiene kit and PROBATON from FISPC Chairman Francisco “Popoy” Pagayon, Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI) President and FISPC Treasurer Nelson Santos, and National Press Club (NPC) President/FISPC Director Rolando Gonzalo.

Opinion ‘Sana’ A VISIBLY well-rested President Duterte announced last Friday, in a delayed telecast of his meeting with some cabinet members, that vaccines against the deadly COVID-19 are fast being developed, and relief may come as early as December. Coming as it does after a much ballyhooed SONA (I read somewhere that PCOO Sec. Andanar billed it as the most important SONA in 60 years) where anticipated prescriptions for recovery were drowned out by the President’s broadsides against “oligarchs” and Sen. Frank Drilon, beleaguered Filipinos could only exclaim: Sana. ***

Has the President’s patience with El Duque worn exceedingly thin? Here in Taiwan, the latest coronavirus “imports” came from nearby: one from Hong Kong, another from Guatemala, and four from the Philippines (returning Taiwanese). And one that could be a case of local transmission after 110 days of none, that of a Belgian national who has been here for the last two months. As usual, government authorities immediately went to work, and in less than 24 hours, all the persons who could have been similarly infected in the plane they took, including the crew, were tracked, tested, and required to self-isolate. Would that we were half as effective in testing, tracing, isolating, and treating, with our panoply of health experts led by our DOH secretary, assisted by almost everyone from the military our president could enlist, plus my friend, the over-worked BCDA’s Vince Dizon, whom Harry Roque has proclaimed one of the Covid “czars”. Again, sana. *** But Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero, the former senator with a Heart, is not assured. He wants the president to please, pretty please, sack El Duque (because) “You/ we/I deserve better po!” So that Filipinos who cannot have corpore sano until they are immunized, could at least have mens sana still. Mincing no words, Escudero flatly accused the DOH under the Duque that it is just “riding out the COVID until a vaccine is invented…it must lead in a pro-active way and not be content with merely reporting out statistics.” Then, when DOH reported a “mass recovery adjustment” of 65,265 cases—to somehow neutralize the shocking impact of a total of 98,232 cases!—Chiz rightly called it “only in the Philippines” and felt insulted, as did other senators. I have been wondering what keeps Duque from resigning. In an article written in this space months ago, I resigned myself to saying we may have to endure him until 2022. But in last Thursday’s late night briefing which was seen Friday morning, media noted that El Duque never spoke, nor was called upon to say anything, and spox

Political dynasties, term limits, party reform THE FIFTH GOSPEL JUDE ACIDRE THE introduction of American-style democracy marked the beginning of political parties in the Philippines, starting with the pro-US Partido Federalista, with the aim of enhancing political participation, as the country prepared for eventual independence. More than a hundred years following the creation of the first political party in the country, much is still to be desired in our political party system. Unfortunately, political parties have become nothing but vote-generating machineries, mostly driven by political families and their parochial political interests, bereft of any ideology or long-term program. But political dynasties are as old as Philippine politics itself. From the ancient “datu” and “maharlika” of pre-Hispanic times to the Spanish era “principalia” to American-time oligarchs, political power, for most part, has been contained within select families. This proves one thing though. Political dynasties are not the problem. Neither is imposing term limits, the solution. The truth of the matter

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

EDITORIAL

Harry did the talking on the new quarantine guidelines. So they speculated, led by my good friend, Philstar’s Edith Regalado, who always out-scoops everyone from her Davao perch, that the President’s patience has worn exceedingly thin. Edith says the silent treatment is akin to doghouse treatment. Sana. *** BSP Governor Ben Diokno allays our fears about the near future of the economy laid moribund by the virus. “The worst is over,” Ben states the day after the SONA. Of course, all our economic managers and all of government cannot be jeremiads of gloom. They have to be a reassuring voice at a time when people are stressed and depressed, which even without an SWS survey proclaiming the same, everyone knows and feels in his gut. Gov Ben tells us that after this second quarter, the economy will start picking up, just as the quarantines have been gradually lifted like a reverse striptease. “I see a hockey stick-like recovery,” said the former budget secretary of two presidents. Media, knowing that tropical heat sufferers do not understand hockey, preferred to liken it to the Nike logo “swoosh”. Ingenious symbolism in a country where every millennial dreams of owning a Nike. But what if it’s an Under Armour? You know, a U with a long sloping downward and upward swing, which is not as lifting as Nike’s upward swoosh. Because many businessmen believe recovery will be more like the upper U of the Under Armour logo, looking forward to 2022. Pwede na rin sana. Trouble is, the logo has an A, which is the opposite of the U. And it is like the present state of the economy, not only of the Philippines, but almost all of the universe. And it intersects with the more upbeat U. If the vaccine does not come by December, or if the billions of doses manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, Astro-Zeneca, BioNtech, and others are gobbled up first by a desperate Trump who even wants to postpone the November elections which he is likely to lose, vainly rushing to vaccinate all his red-neck believers. With other wealthy countries scrambling for the vaccine, which experts call “vaccine nationalism”, then woe unto us poor Filipinos. Huwag naman sana. But the President has talked to his friend Xi Jinping, and the day after his SONA, a Chinese lower official declared that the Philippines, being a dear friend, will be a priority when Sinovac and Sinopharm finally produce their vaccines. Sana naman! *** Even as we are in the realm of hoping, we are saddened by first, the death after a long bout with cancer, of our friend Tommy Joson, former governor of Nueva Ecija, whose mortal remains were interred last Wednesday. Meanwhile too, former Pres. Lee Tenghui of Taiwan, finally bade goodbye to his beloved land after 97 years, which he led through a peaceful and deliberate transition from one-party rule to democracy from 1988 to 2000. He is regarded as the architect of Taiwan’s democratic society. It was Lee who first encouraged Taiwanese businessmen to invest in the Philippines, and the bounce of Subic Bay as an economic zone right after the closure of the US naval base it owes partly to this past president.

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

is that political dynasties are simply symptomatic of an inherent weakness in our political system. Our weak political party system—that is the real crux of our country’s politics. Political dynasties are simply indicative of the many institutional deficiencies and historical shortcomings of Philippine democracy. Political reform must be achieved, therefore, not by correcting the symptoms, but rather by introducing systemic institutional change in order to shape a more positive political behavior. Therefore, for our politics to mature into a truly democratic and participatory system, the first step is to strengthen our political parties. There is an urgent need to reinforce the role that political parties play in our political system. Three critical factors are imperative: Recognizing political parties as public institutions, institutionalizing political party financing, and strengthening political participation through party membership. The first step is to reaffirm the character of political parties as public institutions, and as the primary stakeholders in the political system. Members who are elected to public office, as a result, become accountable not only to the electorate, but to the party as well. Having a two- or multi-party system is not the question. What is more important is how political parties can develop into democratic public institutions, beginning with party regis-

Villar’s candor

SENATOR drew flak for callous statements she had made after several associations of health professionals implored the government for a return to Enhanced Community Quarantine, at least until the middle of this month.

naman sa gutom ang tao." (I don’t think so. They [health care workers] should do their jobs better. We cannot close the economy because if people don’t die of COVID, they will die of hunger.)

The clarification does not make the earlier statements palatable.

Due to the record number of COVID-19 positive patients, hospital systems are overburdened and health care workers are exhausted, endangered and demoralized. Philippine Medical Association president Dr. Jose Santiago, in a press briefing held online, asked for a stricter lockdown due to “hospital workforce efficiency, failure of case finding and isolation, failure of contact tracing and quarantine, transportation safety, workplace safety, public compliance with self-protection, social amelioration.” In reaction to this, Senator Cynthia Villar said in a radio interview: "Hindi na siguro. Pagbutihin nila trabaho nila. Hindi puwedeng isara ang ekonomiya kasi kung 'di naman mamamatay sa COVID, mamamatay

Villar’s reference to the professionals’ lack of passion angered health workers and their families, as well as the general public. They took to social media to denounce Villar’s insensitivity, ignorance and arrogance, and dared her to spend even a day at the hospital just to see what they have to deal with during their shifts and afterward. The senator “clarified” her words the following day. “We have to work harder and better, but I am not referring in particular to the medical workers—our frontliners. We are referring to all of us and DOH and PhilHealth in particular,” she said. "There is so much room for improvement in the govern-

ment’s response to curb the transmission of the disease." This does not make her earlier statements more palatable. Villar has a history of making callous pronouncements. Years ago, she derided nurses working abroad for wanting to be “only” room nurses, and that they did not need to have nursing degrees or be that good at their jobs. She wanted to limit farmers' profits to P5 per kilo of palay, saying that anything higher would be too much. She belittled the value of research during deliberations on the agriculture budget. “Aanhin nyo ba yung research?” she famously said. This year, amid the coronavirus pandemic, she said middle-class workers should not receive cash assistance extended by the government. As the Inter-Agency Task Force considers the plea of the medical professionals in a supposed meeting today, everybody is aware of the delicate balance that must be struck and of the difficult decisions that must be made. Public officials who do not think before they open their mouths, or who are so detached from reality because of their privileged positions, are the ones who must be scolded and told to shape up.

Get priorities straight OPEN THOUGHTS ORLANDO OXALES AS OF this writing we have been in quarantine restrictions for 139 days. The July 30 official report of the government showed the Philippines total number of positive Wuhan (COVID-19) virus cases surpassing China’s count by 2,011 cases at 89,374. The next day, the surge in new infections in a single day hit 4,063 bringing the total to 93,354 positive cases. And the next day, Aug 1, there were even more new infections with 4,963, for a total of 98,232. At the beginning of July, University of the Philippines experts predicted that total cases would reach 100,000 by the end of August. but this has been updated to an alarmingly exponential growth of 150,000 by month’s end. Professor Ranjit Rye of the UP OCTA research team recommended to the President to either reinstate more stringent restrictions of the modified enhanced community quarantine or implement localized lockdowns while accelerating testing, contact tracing and isolation. Even more concerning is the loud clamor of medical professionals and some 40 medical groups, our front liners who are now risking their lives becoming overwhelmed with the surging number of active cases and now testing the limits of our hospitals, to revert to enhanced community quarantine restrictions and at least a 15-day “time out” from the intensifying contagion. Data shows that new cases started spiking when quarantine restrictions started to be relaxed and the increasing daily testing capacity started revealing that we didn’t really know about the extent of the infection. The front liners’ appeals were quickly rejected by Presidential spokesperson Harry

Roque, who said that the strict lockdown in Metro Manila has “served its purpose.” “Community quarantine alone, we repeat, is an insufficient response in controlling COVID-19.” “We are scaling up hospital capacity by increasing allocation of COVID-dedicated beds while hiring more doctors, nurses, and medical-personnel,” Roque said. All these troubling developments came after the President’s penultimate State of the Nation Address as if the virus were jerking the government to our real problem, the real fight which is to beat the pandemic. So much was said but very little, practically none, on a clear plan, a roadmap, that would have given some confi-

The acceleration of the country’s digital transformation should be foremost in the government’s recovery strategies. dence and hope that these stressful times need. Instead of zeroing in on needed action on the ongoing health crisis that has exploded into an economic disaster, like all his SONAs, much louder were the digressing remarks. This time, another rehash of the “oligarch” bogeys was created as a false antagonist that must be dealt with in response to some alleged “public anger” on the “less-than-ideal” mobile services of the two telcos, Smart and Globe. The President’s threat to take over the operations of the telcos was one of the most irrational theatrical stunts obviously meant to trigger a propaganda blitz to distract from the politically damaging, less than ideal handling of the ongoing crisis. It’s an idea so absurd considering the track record of the government in running projects and the

tration and operations. This includes imposing a membership quota, wherein a minimum percentage of the voters within a particular constituency is required for a party to be registered and to nominate candidates for elections.

Dynasties are simply symptomatic of an inherent weakness in our political system. Political parties must be required to introduce democratic mechanisms for internal decision-making, allowing the fullest participation of all party members, including observing democratic processes in the nomination and selection of party officials and candidates for public office, such as through party conventions. This will allow political parties the opportunity to enrich its ideological principles, expand its policy platform and accordingly train future candidates who by their collective conviction espouse the same principles and policies. Second, government financing for political parties will not only provide the minimum resources for party-building, but more importantly, it will instill public accountability among political parties, improve transparency in sourcing and spending party funds, and exact discipline over party members. By receiving subsidies from the government, for example, political parties will now be required to open their accounts and declare

all funds and donations. It also means all their receipts, expenses and revenues will be open to government audit and public scrutiny. This will also effectively reduce a party’s dependence on donors and allow a political party a significant degree of autonomy from external influence. Reducing the time and effort needed to raise funds and to solicit support, a political party can now focus on its growth and operations. Subsidies for political parties can be pegged on the number of votes received in an election, thereby instilling cohesion loyalty among party members, even when said party finds itself in the minority. Third, Filipinos need to understand and appreciate that membership in a political party is an indispensable form of political participation. One does not need to be the candidate or be content with being an ordinary voter. Membership in a political party is a concrete way of shaping our country’s political present—and future. By widening political participation through party membership, political parties can serve as platforms for political engagement, inculcating ordinary Filipinos with democratic values, knowledge and practices. As part of constituency building, parties can perform an integral function in civic education and voter education activities, including voter education and civic literacy programs. To emphasize the importance of party membership, individual voters should be required to declare their party affiliation before the election officer and such information must be indicated in their voter registration. Consequently, political parties shall be required to have an official registry of party members, that can

even larger economic disaster that this foolish move will cause. One thing that may be the best outcome of this pandemic is the sudden realization that going online for all communications and business transactions is safe, convenient, and perfect for living and working in the new normal. After decades of hesitation and bureaucratic resistance to the disruptive solutions of information and communications technology, we all know now that this is the only way to go. Indeed, the acceleration of the country’s digital transformation should be the priority in the government’s recovery strategies. Several telecommunications engineers and ICT experts have identified the lack of cell sites and inadequate digital infrastructure as the main cause of congestion of mobile services. The strategic solution is to build all these communications towers and high-speed fiber cable networks all over the country as fast as possible. The Department of Information and Communications Technology is on the right track in its move to cut the bureaucratic delays of multiple permits especially difficult in the local government level, a problem that has been raised in past administrations. A gauntlet of requirements prone to petty and not-so-petty corruption that if not satisfied, can delay one tower project by eight to 12 months. As we stand, there are 19,000 towers in the whole country, the lowest in Asia, and with the current demand, we need at least 70,000. Expanding the reach and quality of telco services to the whole population makes sound business sense—so why would SMART and Globe hold back on investing in the expansion of their networks? The benefits of digital transformation to enterprise level operations and most especially how government bureaucracy and front-line services can become very efficient and transparent with the integration of cloud-based technologies is not a new idea. All we need to do is to get our priorities straight.

be double-checked with the official registry of voters. This will put a higher premium on party membership. This also means if a Filipino is interested to run for political office, one must first apply for party membership—and must submit oneself to an internal nomination process, supervised by election authorities. This will also put an end to the absurd practices of candidate accepting nominations from more than one registered political party. Full version at www.manilastandard.net

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(www.manilastandard.net) TO THE POINT

Make vaccines a priority

EMIL JURADO

CROSSROADS

J.A. DELA CRUZ

NAKED THOUGHT CHARLIE V. MANALO

Time out on COVID response

Far from over (2)

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

Suspense surrounds Biden’s VP selection D 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)

died about by pundits and the press but EMOCRATIC EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT the favorite for the vice president slot with WAIVER of candidate RIGHTS presidential appears to be California Senator Kamala Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late JESUS Joe Biden has Harris. CHONG MARTINEZ has been extra-judicially settled among his heirs WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS consisting of: The speculation that the 55-year-old promised soon reveal his  Personalto Properties: Harris would be the choice was fueled • Bank of Commerce Checking Account No. running mate. 057-00-000059-2; further last week when Biden appeared •

170 Cumulative Convertible Stock in PLDT

at an event clutching a notepad with her o SII-032816/0032563 (80 shares); And aso theSIP-55952/0053210 suspense builds(90 over who name on it. shares).  Real Properties: Biden will choose to be on the ticket Written on the pad under Harris’s • TCT No. S-42863 (Parañaque City); • TCT No. S-42958 (Parañaque City). for November’s election, this much is name were several complimentary reAs per Doc. No. 268; Page No. 55; Book No. known—it will a woman. LXIX; Series of be 2019 before Notary Public ATTY. marks including “Talented,” “Great help EDILBERTO F. PACINABAO. About a dozen names have been ban- to campaign” and “Great respect for her.” (MS-JULY 13/20/27, 2020)

The November 3 election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent US history and comes amid a health emergency, an economic crisis and a national reckoning over racial injustice. The choice of a running mate is always one of the most important decisions a White House hopeful makes but it has added significance this year because of Biden’s age. Biden turns 78 years old on November 20 and he would be the oldest man ever to assume the office if he defeats President

Donald Trump in November. Ronald Reagan was nearly 74 years old when he was inaugurated in January 1985 for his second term in the White House. “The vice-presidential pick this year is so much more important than it normally is because people expect Biden to only serve one term,” said David Barker, a professor of government at American University. “And so whomever he picks as vice president is likely to be the next Demo-

cratic candidate for president in four years,” Barker said. Besides Harris, three other senators are believed to be under consideration— Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. Two other lawmakers also appear to be in the running—Florida congresswoman Val Demings and California representative Karen Bass—and two governorsMichigan’s Gretchen Whitmer and New Mexico’s Michelle Lujan Grisham. AFP

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.

BLAZING FIRE.

The 747 Supertanker makes a retardant drop on a ridge as firefighters continue to battle the Apple Fire near Banning, California on August 1, 2020. At least 4,125 acres have burned in Cherry Valley and about 2,000 people have received evacuation orders. AFP

(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)

TikTok sale uncertain as Trump ban looms NEGOTIATIONS for Microsoft to buy the US operations of Chinese-owned TikTok are on hold after President Donald Trump threatened to bar the social media app and came out against the sale, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Trump has pledged to get tough on the massively popular video-sharing app, which US officials have said could be a tool for Chinese intelligence—a claim the firm, owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance, has repeatedly denied.

While there has been no sign yet of the ban he threatened on Friday to impose, his words were reportedly already adding to uncertainties for TikTok. “Before Mr. Trump’s remarks, the two sides believed the broad strokes of a deal could be in place by Monday,” the paper reported on a possible TikTok-Microsoft sale, citing unnamed sources. It also said Trump’s threats and opposition to the deal had prompted TikTok to make further concessions, including adding up to 10,000 jobs in the

US over the next three years. TikTok defended itself on Saturday, with its general manager for the US, Vanessa Pappas, telling users that the company was working to give them “the safest app,” amid US concerns over data security. “We’re not planning on going anywhere,” Pappas said in a message released on the app. TikTok, especially popular with young audiences who create and watch its short-form videos, has an estimated one billion users worldwide. AFP

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

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

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

NOTICE NOTICE OF OF SHERIFF’S SHERIFF’S SALE SALE

Upon Upon Extra-Judicial Extra-Judicial petition petition for for sale sale under under Act Act 3135 3135 as as amended Act 4118 4118 filed filed by by STERLING STERLING BANK BANK OF OF ASIA, ASIA amended by by Act (A Savings Bank) as Mortgagee, against MA. ANTONIA INC. (A Savings Bank) as Mortgagee, against MA. ANTONIA SALOMON SALOMON BUENAFLOR, BUENAFLOR, as as Mortgagor, Mortgagor, with with postal postal address address at at Dayton Dayton 3 3 Unit Unit 7-1 7-1 California California Garden Garden Square, Square, Libertad Libertad St., Mandaluyong City and Unit A0823 8/F St., Mandaluyong City and Unit A0823 8/F Sunny Sunny Ridge Ridge Residences Residences Ph Ph 1, 1, JP JP Rizal, Rizal, Brgy. Brgy. Namayan, Namayan, Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City, to satisfy the mortgaged indebtedness which as of February City, to satisfy the mortgaged indebtedness which as of February 13, 13, 2020 2020 amounts amounts to to TWO TWO MILLION MILLION ONE ONE THOUSAND THOUSAND THREE THREE HUNDRED HUNDRED FORTY FORTY NINE NINE PESOS PESOS & & 46/100 46/100 (Php (Php 2,001,349.46) 2,001,349.46) ONLY, inclusive of interests and penalties, ONLY, inclusive of interests and penalties, the the Ex-Officio Ex-Officio Sheriff Sheriff of of Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City City or or his his duly duly authorized authorized deputy deputy will will sell sell at at PUBLIC AUCTION to the HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH PUBLIC AUCTION to the HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH OR OR th MANAGERS CHECK and in Philippine Currency on the 25 MANAGERS CHECK and in Philippine Currency on the 25th day day of of August August 2020 2020 at at 9:00 9:00 A.M. A.M. or or soon soon thereafter thereafter in in front front of of the the main main entrance entrance of of the the Hall Hall of of Justice Justice Building, Building, Maysilo Maysilo Circle, Circle, Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City, City, the the following following condominium condominium units units together together with with all the improvements existing thereon to wit: all the improvements existing thereon to wit: CONDOMINIUM CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE OF OF TITLE TITLE NO.-008-2019001933 NO.-008-2019001933 Registry of Deeds – City of Mandaluyong Registry of Deeds – City of Mandaluyong LEVEL: EIGHT LEVEL: EIGHT FLOOR FLOOR UNIT: A0823 UNIT: A0823 UNIT TYPE: STUDIO UNIT TYPE: STUDIO + + BALCONY BALCONY UNIT 22.00 UNIT AREA AREA (SQ.M): (SQ.M): 22.00 OF OF THE THE “SUNNY “SUNNY RIDGE RIDGE RESIDENCES RESIDENCES – – PHASE PHASE 1” 1” CONDOMINIUM CONDOMINIUM PROJECT PROJECT In In the the diagrammatic diagrammatic floor floor plan plan appended appended in in the the enabling enabling or or master master deed deed of of the the condominium condominium project project annotated annotated on on TRANSFER TRANSFER CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE OF OF TITLE TITLE 2015000171 2015000171 which which embraces embraces and and describes describes the the land land located located at at MANDALUYONG MANDALUYONG CITY, CITY, with with an an area area of of (ONE (ONE THOUSAND THOUSAND NINE NINE HUNDRED HUNDRED TWO TWO (1,902) (1,902) Square Square Meter.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Meter.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “All “All sealed sealed bids bids must must be be submitted submitted to to the the undersigned undersigned on on the the above-stated above-stated time time and and date.” date.” “In the event the public auction should not take place on the “In the event the public auction should not take place on the said said date, date, itit shall shall be be held held on on September September 1, 1, 2020, 2020, 9:00 9:00 A.M. A.M. or or soon soon thereafter thereafter without without further further notice.” notice.” Prospective Prospective bidders bidders or or buyers buyers are are hereby hereby enjoined enjoined to to investigate investigate for for themselves themselves the the title title of of the the said said real real property property and and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be. the encumbrances thereon, if any there be. Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City, City, Philippines, Philippines, July July 20, 20, 2020. 2020. (Sgd.) ATTY. (Sgd.) ATTY. ERWIN ERWIN N. N. BARATA BARATA Clerk Clerk of of Court Court VI VI & Ex-Officio Sheriff & Ex-Officio Sheriff (Sgd.) (Sgd.) ARMANDO ARMANDO O. O. DE DE LEON LEON II II Sheriff Sheriff IV IV WARNING: WARNING:

It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s 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. Sale on or before the date of Auction Sale under penalty of the law.

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

COVID-19 RESPONSE. A group of police and soldiers

patrol the Docklands area of Melbourne on August 2, 2020, after the announcement of new restrictions to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Australia introduced sweeping new measures to control the growing coronavirus outbreak in its second-biggest city, including an overnight curfew and a ban on weddings for the first time during the pandemic. AFP

UK Conservative MP arrested over rape allegations A MP and former minister from Britain’s ruling Conservative Party has been arrested after a parliamentary aide accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control, according to reports Saturday. The politician was not named but the Metropolitan Police said in a statement that it had begun an investigation. “On Friday, 31 July, the Metropolitan Police Service received allegations relating to four separate incidents involving allegations of sexual offences and assault,” said the police. “A man in his 50s was arrested on Saturday, 1 August on suspicion of rape. He has been released on bail to return on a date in mid-August.” Reports of the arrest also appeared in the Sunday Times newspaper, which said the allegations had been raised with a senior Conservative party official. AFP

SpaceX Crew Dragon departs ISS for Earth THE SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft shoved off from the International Space Station on Saturday with two US astronauts on board, beginning their journey back to Earth despite a storm threatening Florida. NASA footage showed the capsule drifting slowly away from the ISS in the darkness of space, ending a two month stay for the first US astronauts to reach the orbiting lab on an American spacecraft in nearly a decade. “And they are off!” the US space agency tweeted, with Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken set to splash down Sunday. “(They) will spend one more night in space prior to returning to their homeland, Earth,” NASA tweeted. Their proposed splash-down sites are off the coast of western Florida’s panhandle, while tropical storm Isaias is headed toward the state’s east coast. NASA opted to go ahead with bringing the pair home despite the threat of Isaias, which was downgraded to a tropical storm from a hurricane on Saturday. The agency later added the capsule was confirmed to be “on a safe trajectory.” “Now is the entry, descent and splashdown phase after we undock, hopefully a little bit later today,” Hurley said in a farewell ceremony aboard the ISS that was broadcast on NASA TV. “The teams are working really hard, especially with the dynamics of the weather over the next few days around Florida,” he said. AFP

Iran arrests head of US-based ‘terrorist group’ IRAN said Saturday it had arrested the head of a US-based “terrorist group” accused of being behind a deadly 2008 bombing in the southern city of Shiraz and planning other attacks. “Jamshid Sharmahd, who was leading armed and sabotage operations inside Iran, is now in the powerful hands” of Iran’s security forces, state television said, citing an intelligence ministry statement.

It did not elaborate on where or when the alleged leader of the opposition royalist group known as the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, or Tondar (Farsi for Thunder), was detained. Iran slammed its arch enemy the United States for hosting Sharmahd and “supporting known terrorists who have claimed responsibility for several terrorist acts inside” the country. “This regime must answer for its

support of this terrorist group and other groups and criminals who orchestrate armed, sabotage and terrorist operations against the people of Iran from inside America and spill Iranians’ blood,” a foreign ministry statement said. The intelligence ministry said Sharmahd had orchestrated the April 12, 2008 bombing in a packed mosque in Shiraz that killed 14 people and wounded 215. AFP

Five charged over cocaine in crashed plane FIVE alleged members of an Australiabased organized crime ring have been charged after hundreds of kilos of cocaine were discovered in a plane that crashed after takeoff in Papua New Guinea, police said. Australian Federal Police allege that “greed played a significant part in the syndicate’s activities and cannot rule out that the weight of the cocaine had an impact on the plane’s ability to take off.” The five, all described as mem-

bers of a Melbourne-based criminal route to Australia. syndicate with alleged links to Italian The cocaine stash, which police said organized crime, were charged with was “the equivalent of about 500,000 conspiring to import 500 kilograms of street deals,” was discovered late Friday, cocaine worth some $57 million and Australian Federal Police said. other related crimes, the police said in The five, who were not on the flight a statement. but were implicated in the smuggling The crash occurred on July 26 as the operation, were arrested in Queensland drug-laden plane attempted to take off and Victoria after the Cessna model CYAN YELLOW from a remote airstrip in Papa Lea Lea,MAGENTA light aircraft departed BLACK Mareeba Airport about 30 kilometers north of Papua New in Australia on July 26 for its mission to Guinea’s capital of Port Moresby, en Papua New Guinea. AFP

CYAN CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK

Business China’s young jobseekers in a spot despite sharp rebound ZHENGZHOU, China—Biology student Ma Jingjing wandered the hall of a job fair in central China among other young Chinese hoping to find work in an economy crushed by the coronavirus pandemic. Ma, 26, is one of almost nine million people graduating and entering the job market this year at a time of great uncertainty, an issue that has the ruling Communist Party worried to the point that President Xi Jinping has made it a priority. The world’s second-largest economy may have rebounded sharply from a historic virus-induced contraction, but its young graduate jobless rate in June was more than three times that for urban unemployment. Ma was among hundreds of young faces streaming in and out of the job fair on a recent weekend in Zhengzhou, where employers in industries ranging from real estate to manufacturing were recruiting. Like many others, the aspiring teacher is “at a loss” and wondering if she should settle for any job or hold off work for further education. “I have applied to seven or eight private schools, but only one has called me back for an interview,” she told AFP at the fair. “I’ve studied for so many years and don’t want my family to pay for further training,” she said. “I’m especially worried about my finances.” Aware of the risk that mass unemployment can spark political unrest— jeopardizing the party’s pledge of prosperity in return for unquestioned political power—the government has been making efforts to boost graduate employment via state-owned enterprises (SOEs). But poorer opportunities this year are pushing some into further studies, less ideal jobs or other options. Although China’s economy appeared to make a strong comeback in the second quarter—growing 3.2 percent on-year—analysts caution the rebound may be overestimated, with a gap re-emerging between national figures and higher-frequency data. Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics told AFP there is no doubt China is recovering, but the magnitude would determine if growth is “strong enough to re-absorb some of the labor market problems” that emerged earlier this year, such as layoffs. AFP

JEREMIAS P. ROQUE JR.

PSEi poised to trade below 6,000 T By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index is expected continue to trade below the 6,000-point level on renewed concerns over the pandemic’s growing impact on the economy.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the daily record surge in coronavirus cases in the past few days could further delay the full reopening of the economy. Local medical professionals as well as some lawmakers are asking the government to revert the status of Metro Manila to enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19. The government is set to report the

county’s second-quarter economic performance on August 6. From 0.2 percent contraction in the first quarter of the year, the Philippine gross domestic product is expected to further drop in the second quarter of the year with the closure of most businesses during the ECQ. Meanwhile, the release of secondquarter earnings results of listed companies could affect market trading this week as companies, with many of them assessing their outlook on the second half of the year. Among the companies scheduled to report their second quarter performances are Metro Pacific Investments Corp., San Miguel Corp., Ayala Land Inc., PLDT Inc. and International Container Terminal Services Inc. The PSEi last week declined 1.2 percent to 5,928.45 while the broad All Shares Index fell by 0.9 percent to 3,500.27. Foreign investors were net sellers

during the week by P2.08 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P4.22 billion. The PSEi has dropped 24.1 percent since the start of the year. Net foreign selling reached P75.1 billion year-to-date Top price gainers include First Gen Corp., which rose 13 percent to P26.95; AC Energy Philippines Inc., which advanced 10.9 percent to P2.55; and Semrara Mining Corp., which climbed 5.5 percent to P9.95. Weekly top price losers were Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., which declined 12.1 percent to P3.12; Filinvest Land Inc., which dropped 8.4 percent to P0.87; and BDO Unibank Inc., which dipped 5.4 percent to P88. Meanwhile, European stocks fell Friday following dismal economic data that chronicled the hit from coronavirus shutdowns, while Wall Street indices gained following blowout earnings from tech giants. With AFP

PSEi July 30, 2020 TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

Tourists walks down Place Jacques-Cartier in Old-Montreal, Canada on July 28, 2020. Stripped of the crowds of visitors that usually flock to its sights, from the Grand Prix to its renowned festivals, Montreal is trying to reinvent itself during the coronavirus pandemic and salvage what is left of its summer. AFP

Montreal’s tourist heart a ghost town in strange summer By Jacques Lemieux MONTREAL, Canada—Stripped of the crowds of visitors that usually flock to its sights, from the Grand Prix to its renowned festivals, Montreal is trying to reinvent itself during the coronavirus pandemic and salvage what is left of its summer. The city is spending heavily and sponsoring dozens of artistic shows in an effort to lure visitors. But despite its best efforts, the damage is all too obvious. “Look at the terraces here, they are all empty, it’s incredible,” said Sam Namour, owner of an Inuit art gallery in Old Montreal, pointing to the deserted cafes on Jacques Cartier Square. Over the past 40 years, Namour has greeted thousands of visitors to his gallery,

Green Light THE earth has been our dwelling place. It is the only place in the universe that we can call home. The story of creation and the science of evolution tells us that this world was laid first right before life was formed―that it has brought all the suitable conditions for life to happen. It has provided all the necessities to support our being where we can nurture ourselves, build our families and thrive with our fellow living beings. Among all the creatures, humans flourished and conquered the earth. We built civilizations and controlled the world’s vast resources. But as humanity progresses, our home has been ravaged by the destruction of nature–from the rise of civilization and the economic growth that goes with it. We were driven by overconsumption, surrounded ourselves with temporal material things, and embraced a throwaway culture. Because of this, we have lost our connection to the natural world. While we enjoy the tremendous benefits of human progress, we have become oblivious to the impacts of this advancement. We were blinded by our desire to overcome the limitations of nature and by our shortsightedness for survival. However, we have forgotten that this survival is a long-term, holistic pursuit. We have turned our back on our role as stewards of creation by failing to be considerate of other beings that s. I live in an urban center where most industrialization takes place. I experience the deterioration of the environment as you move around the metropolis. Here, we seldom see the stars at night nor can enjoy clear skies at day due to smog and pollution. Waste and filth are everywhere, especially on creeks and rivers. The air we breathe has become harmful and unsuitable for healthy living. Green spaces and arable lands were replaced by man-built structures. Water crises and food supply shortages have been

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

including former presidents Bill Clinton of the US and Jacques Chirac of France. But on this hot summer’s day, not a single person has entered his establishment since he opened up three hours earlier. Around 11 million tourists visit the city in a normal year, 80 percent of them from outside Quebec province, spending some Can$4 billion (USD$3 billion), said Yves Lalumiere, head of the city’s tourism board. With half of Canada’s 9,000 coronavirus deaths, Montreal and its surroundings have been hard hit by the pandemic. The city has had to cancel major cultural events that in the past drew in hundreds of thousands of visitors, including its worldrenowned jazz festival. ‘Little ghost town’ “A million tourists, tops” are expected this year, said Lalumiere, saying 90

MOST ACTIVE

percent of the revenue from that sector is at risk. Visitors have to quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in Canada, so tourists coming from abroad, mostly from France and the United States, are rare this year. “Old Montreal is dead this year,” said Namour. “In summer, Jacques Cartier Square is always full, you can’t see the ground because there are so many people there,” said Nadia Bilodeau, who runs an Italian restaurant next door to Namour’s gallery. This year, though, it is “like a little ghost town,” she said, looking out at the restaurant’s empty terrace. The business owners are just about making ends meet with support from the state. Even visitors from other parts of Quebec province are few and far between. AFP

Reflections on Laudato Si a significant concern that threatens communities. We can also feel the effects of climate change as weather systems such as typhoons have become more destructive than ever. New kinds of diseases and pandemics emerge more recently because of the irresponsible consumption of wildlife. More importantly, as we continue to progress while destroying nature, inequality grows as some members of our society are being left behind with no opportunity to thrive as well. Pope Francis called our attention to these environmental problems. He addressed his message to all regardless of faith, race and social class, as this crisis involves all of us. He focused on the importance of taking care of our common home as he challenged humanity to change current economic, political, and social frameworks on production and consumption. He lamented how we distanced ourselves from Mother Earth. He mentioned that while we destroy a part of her, we destroy a part of ourselves as well. As a man of science, I support the call of think tanks and several research communities around the globe to address the urgency of this ecological crisis. These bodies have raised the alarm about the negative impact of human activities on nature. Scientific models show that if we do not change the ways we produce and consume its resources, the world will not be able to sustain the needs of the next generation. That is why I appreciate how the Holy Father used scientific frameworks on his spiritual guidance in his message. We were used to thinking that these two contexts cannot go along with each other. It is an indisputable fact that science can help us to search for answers. But as a Christian, I see things through the lenses of sacred scriptures, traditions and teachings of the Church. These works offer wisdom learned throughout the existence of our faith. The educational philosophy of Saint John Baptist de

LaSalle also points out that every action of the members of the community must be guided by the spirit of faith–that through this, we can see the true dimension of things. My education and community involvement raised my awareness of our environmental problems. These have equipped me with knowledge on how to become part of the solution. Though, I admit that I have acted inadequately in practicing care for our environment. I tried to be mindful of how I manage my consumption through the practice of minimalism–but sometimes, I choose the easy path. Studying and discerning the Pope’s message on sustainability is an opportunity for me as I prepare to become a better business leader and a decisionmaker. As we face the challenges of this changing world, the future of doing business requires us to be more prudent in using the earth’s resources and to be careful about how these activities will affect all stakeholders involved in it. My MBA journey taught me that my actions as a manager would leave an impact and shape the lives of others. I can start by setting myself as an example in integrating the lessons of sustainability not only on a professional level but also in my personal life. I must always put into mind that this involves discipline―to make the habit more consistent so it will be engrained in my core values. I vow to use my abilities to become a catalyst to encourage everyone to care for our common home. The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. This reflection is part of the requirements of the course on Sustainable Management. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

A pedestrian wearing a facemask walks past Beachwood BBQ restaurant, open for 14 years in Seal Beach, California on July 28, 2020, but closing soon due to the economic situation around the coronavirus pandemic. This weekend, Beachwood BBQ, which had become a staple in the community, permanently shut down—yet another casualty of the carnage the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed on restaurants across the United States. AFP

Pandemic an ‘apocalypse’ for US restaurants By Jocelyne Zablit LOS ANGELES, United States―For Gabriel Gordon and his wife Lena, the small restaurant they opened 14 years ago in the coastal California town of Seal Beach was a dream project and the cornerstone of their future success. But this weekend, Beachwood BBQ, which had become a staple in the community, permanently shut down―yet another casualty of the carnage the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed on restaurants across the United States. “This restaurant launched everything for us and allowed us to have a nice life,” said Gordon, 43, who is now concentrating his efforts on another restaurant and three breweries he owns. “This is what allowed us to have a nice life and it’s heartbreaking to see it close.” According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry―the second largest private sector employer in the US―is among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with losses projected to reach a staggering $240 billion by the end of the year. “It’s such an apocalyptic time for this industry,” Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the association, told AFP. “We were the first industry to shut down and we will be the last to recover from this pandemic. “That’s because we won’t be in place until the airlines are fixed, until the hotels are fixed and until tourism is back.” As of July 10, according to Yelp, there have been 26,160 total restaurant closures across the United States, of which 60 percent (15,770) have permanently shut down. That represents the highest total business closures in the country, surpassing retail. The impact has especially been felt in major cities and regions that rely on tourism during the summer months in order to stay afloat the rest of the year. ‘Like losing family member’ “Cities like Los Angeles... depend on tourism, conventions, vacationers, honeymooners― that’s what drives restaurant traffic,” said Kennedy. “Until that’s restored, we are not going to see anything approaching normal business markets for the restaurants.” In California alone, the statistics are sobering. There were some 1.4 million people working in a restaurant before the pandemic, and over the past four months some 1 million have either been laid off or furloughed, said Sharokina Shams, vice president of public affairs for the California Restaurant Association.AFP

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

Business

DOTr signs P38-b PNR contracts T By Darwin G. Amojelar

PSE INDEX

Thursday, July 30, 2020

37.82 PTS.

5,928.45

TOTAL VOLUME

1,336,157,530

TOTAL TRADES 68,967 TOTAL VALUE 5,085,086,126.70 ADVANCES 114 DECLINES 78 UNCHANGED 47

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.2170

Japan

Yen

0.009530

0.4690

Pound

1.300400

64.0018

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129034

6.3507

Switzerland

Franc

1.096491

53.9660

Canada

Dollar

0.749963

36.9109

Singapore

Dollar

0.728067

35.8333

Australia

Dollar

0.718900

35.3821

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652872

130.566

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266681

13.1252

Brunei

Dollar

0.725426

35.7033

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.031797

1.5650

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.4011

Euro

1.179500

58.0515

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0413

China

Yuan

0.142831

7.0297

India

Rupee

0.013347

0.6569

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.235793

11.6050

New Zealand

Dollar

0.666900

32.8228

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034174

1.6819

HE Department of Transportation signed two civil works contracts with local and foreign companies worth nearly P38 billion ($728 million) for the flagship Malolos-Clark Railway Project which is financed by the Asian Development Bank. The contract signing will jumpstart the construction of a safe, affordable, reliable and environment-friendly railway connecting the northern provinces and Metro Manila and create jobs 24,000 jobs. “Signing a contract is one thing, making it happen, completing it, realizing it is another. Today, we sign a contract, all of us hold hands, and make a firm com-

mitment that as we sign together, we will make this project come true, and together, we shall achieve and we shall accomplish,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said. Tugade signed the first two contract packages, along with Acciona Construction Philippines director Ruben Eugenio Garcia and EEI Corp. chief financial officer Angel Fernandez de la

Pradilla for Package N-04 and POSCO Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. executive vice president Dong Ho Kim and vice president Sung Wook Chung for Package N-05. Contract Package N-04 of the PNR Clark Phase 2 covers the civil engineering and building works for 6.3 kilometers of the main line and 1.6 kilometers of the depot’s access line, with one underground station serving Clark International Airport. Contract Package N-05 covers the civil engineering and building works for the Clark Railway Depot, covering an overall area of 33 hectares, including the operations control center, stabling yard, workshops, training center and other ancillary buildings in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Source: BSP

IN BRIEF PH to build modular nuclear power plants THE Philippines may soon establish modular nuclear power plants off the grid, subject to the issuance of relevant legislative laws, the Department of Energy said over the weekend. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said during an international nuclear forum the government already projected the inclusion of nuclear power in the Philippine Energy Plan by 2027. He said the possibility of establishing a modular power plant in the country might come sooner, given the evolution of small modular reactors that are suitable for the offgrid or island areas following the passage of the Executive Order 116. President Rodrigo Duterte signed EO 116 creating the nuclear energy program interagency committee headed by the DOE. Its primary mandate is to study the possibility of tapping nuclear power and include it in the country’s energy mix. “This would depend on the passage of necessary legislative policies on nuclear power, which are among the bills that have been certified as urgent, and must be passed by the present Congress,” Cusi said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Meralco allocates P20b for 2021 capex POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. allocated a budget of P20 billion for 2021 capital expenditures. Jose Ronald Valles, head of Meralco’s regulatory affairs, said the company plans to file the capex application with the Energy Regulatory Commission this week. “That’s the usual load growth and reliability and network capex, and capex for smart meters to address what’s happening today,” Valles said, adding that Meralco sought approval to install 100,000 smart meters. Meralco implemented a P6.9-billion capex budget in the first six months this year, or 36 percent lower than in 2019 as a result of the imposition of the community quarantine and limited resumption of projects and operations across all sectors. Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said while power demand was slightly going up, the country’s economic growth recovery would be dependent on the availability of vaccine for COVID-19. “Hopefully by year-end…It will take us a while… because we are not first round of recipient of the vaccine,” Pangilinan said. Alena Mae S. Flores

PUREGOLD’S 32ND STORE. Noveleta, Cavite Mayor Dino Reyes Chua (second from right) and Barangay San Rafael IV Chair Ruth Samartino (fourth from left) lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Puregold Supermarket Oasis Mall. With them are Puregold executives.

Vista Land spending P25b to roll out projects this year VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc., the country’s largest homebuilder, said it plans to spend P25 billion in 2020 primarily to fund the rollout of house-andlot projects. Vista Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange about 90 percent of the P25-billion programmed 2020 capital expenditures would be spent for construction and land development, while the remaining 10 percent would be for land acquisition and payment of land payables. Vista Land said it already spent P6.5 billion in the first half. The property said it would closely monitor the situation and changes in consumer behavior as a result of the “new normal”. “We are revisiting our planned proj-

ect launches as well as the expansion program of our leasing business for the rest of the year. And as previously mentioned, we have the capacity to fasttrack construction if we deem it necessary,” said Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr. The company said it remained optimistic on the residential business as it began to see a pick-up in activity and improvement in reservation sales in the past two months. Vista Land said June reservation sales were already at about 70 percent of preCOVID level with sales in July tracking better than June. These sales were predominantly online, a positive response to the company’s aggressive shift to digital platforms for marketing initiatives.

“We are hoping that these encouraging signs in our residential business will continue. With the growing importance of staying at home, we are also seeing an increased preference for our housing products especially in the provincial areas. We are now taking advantage of Vista Land’s geographic reach, being present in 147 cities and municipalities across the country,” said Vista Land president and chief executive Manuel Paolo Villar. Vista Land in July raised $200 million from the issuance of dollar-denominated notes due 2027. The $200-million notes, which carry a coupon rate of 7.25 percent, forms part of the company’s $2-billion mediumterm note program. Jenniffer B. Austria

DTI seeks to revive MSME magna carta THE Department of Trade and Industry seeks the revival of the loan provision under Republic Act No. 9501, or the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the law expired in 2018, but there were efforts to revisit it to beef up the sources of financial assistance for small businesses affected by COVID-19. “We are working it out in the Senate and House [of Representatives] to have the new Magna Carta approved. This will be another good source of financing for micro SMEs,” Lopez said over the weekend. He said banks were obliged under the law to extend assistance to MSMEs and were encouraged to create smaller subsidiaries that provide collateral-free loans on top of the banks’ allotment under the magna carta. Under the law, commercial banks are required to allocate 10 percent of their total loan portfolio for MSMEs which comprise 98 percent of the country’s businesses. Othel V. Campos

NEW CLARK TERMINAL. The Clark International Airport New Passenger Terminal is on track to be fully operational by January 2021, with the building shell already 99.52-percent complete. A joint project of the Department of Transportation and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the new and iconic terminal is designed to triple the airport’s annual passenger capacity from the four million to 12 million.

Lawyer asks MGB to explain release of mining permit within Magat watershed A LAWYER representing a cause-oriented group asked the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to revoke the mining license of a wholly-owned British company for allegedly operating within the protected Magat watershed. Lawyer Arnel Victor Valeña, acting on behalf of the non-government organization Action for Consumerism and Transparency in Nation-Building, raised the challenge in a letter dated July 13, 2020 to acting MGB director Wilfredo Moncano.

Valeña said the entire area covered by the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement with the FCF Minerals Corp. was within the Magat watershed―a state-protected property mandated by Proclamation 573 issued in 1969. The ACTION legal counsel submitted a map indicating that FCF’s Runruno Gold Project was “clearly within the Magat Watershed where mining activities are expressly prohibited under the Mining Act of 1995 and the NIPAS [Na-

tional Integrated Protected Areas System] Act of 1992.” “Moreover, it is also a matter of grave concern that the mine tailings and other toxic materials of the Runruno Gold Project may be spilling into the Magat River and other connecting waterways,” the letter stated. Valeña said the Magat River “feeds into the Magat Dam which is the source of irrigation for agricultural lands in the Cagayan Valley, thereby threatening the agriculture and ecosystem of the basin

of the Cagayan Valley.” The lawyer also asked the MGB to immediately issue a cease-and-desist order against the FCF’s Runruno gold mining operations at the Magat watershed to avoid charges of “causing undue injury to the public and giving unwarranted benefits” to a particular private company. Magat watershed irrigates 84,984 hectares of agricultural lands in Region 2, serving 61,812 farmers and 360 irrigation associations.

URC’s income jumped 76% to P3.8b in Q2 By Jenniffer B. Austria FOOD manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. said second-quarter net income jumped 76 percent to P3.8 billion from a year ago, boosted by the strong operating performance and foreign exchange gains. URC said operating income in the second quarter of the year climbed 16 percent to P4.3 billion, driven by positive category mix and disciplined cost control amid the pandemic. Second-quarter net sales rose 1 percent to P34 billion, on strong growth in snack foods, noodles, powdered drinks, animal feeds, flour and sugar which offset the decline in sales in candies and ready-to-drink beverages. “The current uncertainty driven by COVID-19 is still evolving, but we are motivated by the fact that business results in the first half turned out better than our severe lockdown forecasts. While we have business continuity lans quickly set in motion, we were bracing for the worst due to quarantine restrictions, supply chain disruptions and fast demand shifts. Fortunately, our focus on execution and the heroic efforts of URC people and partners helped us deliver essential food and drinks to customers, consumers, communities and frontliners,” URC president and chief executive Irwin Lee said. “Managing through this crisis requires continued vigilance, agility and flexibility. While we may have weathered the first wave of this crisis, we must continue securing the here and now, while also preparing for the recovery efforts for the balance of the year and beyond,” Lee said. The strong second-quarter performance boosted the company’s first half-net income by 13 percent to P6 billion as net sales continued to hold up at P67.4 billion. First-half sales of domestic and international branded consumer foods reached P50.9 billion. Domestic revenues grew 2 percent, driven by strong growth in snacks, bakery, coffee, powdered chocolate and noodles. International revenues declined by 3 percent on negative impact of COVID-19 in Indochina. International profit in the second quarter grew by 20 percent, tapering overall decline in the first half, on buoyant sales in Oceania and cost control measures across all countries.

Pag-IBIG Fund’s earnings reached P22.8b in 1st half

TOP officials of Pag-IBIG Fund reported earnings of over P22.8 billion in the first half of 2020. Pag-IBIG Fund’s gross income reached P22.82 billion from January to June, driven by earnings from housing loans, short-term loans (cash loans) and trading gains from investment activities. The agency’s net income, meanwhile, amounted to P14.14 billion. “Coming from a record-breaking year in 2019, Pag-IBIG Fund’s performance in the first half of the year remains decent despite the impact of community quarantines implemented to fight the spread of COVID-19. We are sure to endure these extraordinary times and continue to provide social services to more Filipino workers and continue helping the government with the nation’s economic recovery under the lead of President Duterte,” said Secretary Eduardo del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and chairman of the 11-member PagIBIG Fund board of trustees. The agency ended 2019 with its highest ever gross income of P56.90 billion and net income of P34.37 billion. In the first six months, it posted P24.59 billion and P16.04 billion in gross and net incomes, respectively. It said that as the pandemic induced economic slowdown in the first few months of 2020, gross and net income declined by 7 percent and 12 percent, respectively, in the first half from the same period last year. “We had our best year in 2019 and that’s a tough act to follow with the challenge posed by this year. We have been enjoying a string of ‘best-year ever’ and we were poised to achieve another one this year, that is until the pandemic happened,” said Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive Acmad Rizaldy Moti. He said that while the pandemic caused the agency to post lower incomes from housing loans and cash loans this year, he said there were already signs of recovery in the second quarter as quarantines were either eased or lifted.

Sports

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton says British GP was ‘hardest turnaround’ SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom—Lewis Hamilton admitted his recovery on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) from a spin to claim a record-smashing pole position for the British Grand Prix had been his “hardest turnaround”. The six-time world champion had struggled to match his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in final practice and the first two parts of qualifying at Silverstone. He recovered from a rare spin in Q2, which required him to then put in a necessary lap to proceed to Q3 where, after a personal re-boot, he found the pace for his seventh pole at the English circuit. “It wasn’t a nice qualifying for me until then,” he said. “I had inconsistency with the balance of the car and I was struggling. “I got into Q2 and then I had that big snap and spin, my first for some time. Luckily, the tires were fine and I went out on another fresh set. After that I just had to compose myself again. “It was probably the hardest turnaround I’d say—Valtteri had been putting in quick lap after quick lap so to go into Q3 with a re-set, mentally, and then put in those two laps. Now, I feel great.” Hamilton said he expected Bottas to continue reducing his lap times in Q3 and knew he was under pressure. “I had that horrible spin and I felt like the car was worse that it was before we made some changes ahead of qualifying and lap by lap Valtteri was stepping it up. “I got one clean lap and then a better one. The pole lap wasn’t perfect, but it was 99 per cent—it was pretty sweet.” Hamilton smashed the track record twice to grab a record seventh British Grand Prix pole position with a stunning performance in a tense qualifying session. AFP

Kyle Lowry (7) of the Toronto Raptors glides to the hoop against the Los Angeles Lakers on August 1, 2020 at The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. AFP

Will Pacquiao battle McGregor or Crawford? By Peter Atencio

ILL eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao ﬁght former Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Conor McGregor, or will it be Terrence Crawford? Any of the two fights could materialize after McGregor accepted an offer to fight Manny Pacquiao. Or it could be Crawford, after Top Rank CEO Bob Arum talked to Crawford’s manager-trainer Brian McIntyre last week and told their camp that they would love to have a fight in November. Lately, McGregor gave a clue of a potential bout with Pacquiao. And this with an unanticipated Tagalog message on his Twitter account. “Tinatanggap ko (I accept),” said

McGregor in a tweet yesterday which amplified conjectures that he is taking on offers to slug it out with Pacquiao. This tweet came after an earlier cryptic post, “I accept,” which others said was for another fighter Khamzat Chimaev. But who his message is for still remains a mystery because he did not discuss further on his future plans. Arum recently proposed the idea of making a Pacquiao-Crawford fight happen many years ago. But this never materialized since both were previously under Top Rank. In Pacqiuao’s last fights, he defeated Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman. As for McGregor, he has fought undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his first and only boxing match. And he went down in 10 rounds via a technical knockout in 2017. McGregor has been retired since June after last seeing action in the UFC last January.

That was when he pulled off out a first-round technical knockout win over Donald Cerrone. For his next fight, Pacquiao will put the World Boxing Association welterweight belt on the line. The Pacquiao-McGregor bout has been rumored to be in the works since February this year. A showdown between Pacquiao and McGregor seems close to happening. Especially after Paradigm Sports Management announced that it has added the Filipino boxing legend to its stable. The Paradigm stable includes UFC stars McGregor, Israel Adesanya, and and even Cris Cyborg. In a statement, Pacquiao said he is proud of having partnered with the outfit. “I am proud to partner with Paradigm Sports Management and am excited for the opportunities that (Paradigm president and CEO) Audie Attar and PSM have to offer,” said Pacquiao.

Perpetual Junior Altas Spikers conduct tryout FIVE-peat National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Champion Perpetual Junior Altas volleyball team of Caviteño coaches Sandy Rieta and Jason Sapin launched a different tryout for Season 96 (2020-2021) in the midst of corona virus pandemic. Rieta and Sapin conducted the tryout by viewing video showing the skills of the student players thru Facebook account Perpetual Volleyball Junior to assess the skills of each player. This step is in compliance with the IATF guidelines of no face-to-face training. The student athletes may send their personal informa-

tion. Full name, birthdate, height, position and grade level. Junior Altas spikers remain defending champions after the NCAA Board was forced to stop the remaining games of the season due to the Covid-19 lockdown starting March 19, 2020. The Las Piñas City-based Altalettes tossers’ reign from Season 90, 91 92, 93 and 94 has produced well known student athletes like Ricky Marcos of National Team, Ej Casana and Hero Austria of Per petual Senior Altas, Noel Kampton, Louie Gamban of UP and Ivan Encila of Arellano. Junior Altas players battle the Arellano Braves in a volleyball game last NCAA Season 95. Dennis Abrina Dennis Abrina

Lowry sparks Raptors over Lakers as NBA contenders duel MIAMI, United States—Kyle Lowry scored 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lift the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors over the Los Angeles Lakers 107-92 in a showdown of title contenders Saturday (Sunday Philippine time). Lakers star LeBron James scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while Anthony Davis added 14 points, but the Lakers suffered their worst shooting performance of the season, hitting 35.8 percent from the floor making just 29 of 82 shots. “Against a couple of great guys, we came in wanting to play well and we did a good job,” Lowry said. James went 7-of-15 from the floor while his fellow starters combined for a 5-of-24 shooting effort, their combined 42 points a season low. “We just have to step up and knock them down,” James said. “When you make shots, it loosens up the defense and we didn’t do that.” The Lakers-Raptors matchup was the feature contest on the third day of regular-season games in a bubble quarantine atmosphere at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as the NBA restarts. The Lakers, atop the Western Conference at 50-15, and Toronto, second in the Eastern Conference at 47-18, are both preparing for the playoff fight to come. “Time will tell,” James said. “We’ll use these eight games to try and gear up for the post-season but it’s going to take time. Every game is an opportunity for us to get better.” Toronto took a 13-0 lead as the Lakers went 4:51 before scoring, but the Lakers rallied within 23-21 after the first quarter. “They have a great defense,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “We did some good things, just didn’t capitalize.” A 22-3 spurt early in the third quarter pulled Toronto ahead 63-50 and a 7-0 run with James on the Lakers bench in the fourth quarter sealed the victory. “We just got aggressive, wanted to go out there and get the win,” Lowry said. “We were out there doing too much talking. We just wanted to lock in and do our jobs.” The Los Angeles Clippers set a team record with 25 three-point baskets in a 126-103 romp over the New Orleans Pelicans. AFP

Todd clings to WGC lead as An, Mickelson charge

Brendon Todd of the United States plays his third shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the World Golf Championship-FedEx St Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. AFP

LOS ANGELES, United States—Brendon Todd clung to a one-stroke lead after Saturday’s (Sunday Philippine time) third round of the WGC St. Jude Invitational with South Korea’s An Byeong-hun, Justin Thomas and Phil Mickelson making a charge. Todd, trying to win his third title of a coronavirus-interrupted 2019-20 PGA season, scrambled to a one-under par 69 to stand on 12-under 198 for 54 holes at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. “I was battling my swing a little bit,” Todd said. “But I’m excited to be in this position and feel like if I can go out there and swing a little better and keep this putting momentum going, I’ll be in good shape.” An, still chasing his first US PGA victory, answered a double bogey at 11 with birdies on four of the last six holes to shoot 66 and reach 199 to join the American in Sunday’s final duo. American Rickie Fowler was third on 200 with defending champion Brooks Koepka, seeking a third straight PGA Championship ti-

tle next week, fourth on 201 and Thomas fifth on 202 after a 66. “I’ve just been playing consistently,” Thomas said. “Bodes well for next week.” Fifty-year-old Mickelson shot 66 to join a pack in sixth on 203 that included South African Louis Oosthuizen, England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick and American Chez Reavie. “I can feel my game turn around. I’m starting to play well again,” said Mickelson. “I’m starting to putt well and starting to drive the ball well and it just feels good. I think the results are going to start to slowly come back.” England’s Tom Lewis matched a course record with a 61, equaling the mark set by Jay Delsing in 1993 and tied by Bob Estes in 2001. Todd won PGA titles last November in Bermuda and Mexico after having slid outside the world rankings top 2000 in 2018, missing 37 of 40 cuts and flirting with retirement before finding his form again to make an astounding revival this season. “For me it’s just kind of hit the reset button,

go out tomorrow, be Brendon Todd and play my best,” the 35-yar-old American said. Todd, who led by two when the day began, opened with a 14-foot birdie putt, took a bogey when he missed the fairway and green at the par-4 fifth and birdied the par-3 eighth on a 22-foot putt. But he struggled with three bogeys and three birdies on the back side, the highlights being a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-4 12th and a birdie at the par-5 16th after sending his second shot into a greenside bunker. He blasted out and sank a 16-foot birdie putt only to bogey 17 and miss a seven-foot birdie putt ahead of parring the last. It was enough to hold back playing partner An, who birdied the 13th through 16th holes, starting the run with a 14-foot birdie putt and following with three more inside 3.5 feet. He also sank a clutch 10-foot par putt at the 18th. Fowler led briefly after going 3-under on the front nine but bogeys at 11 and 17 left him two adrift. AFP

Sports

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Young beats Mayor to win TIMY online chess tourney EIGHT-times Illinois, USA chess champion International (IM) Master Angelo Abundo Young capped another memorable campaign with a final round win against many-time Philippine Executive champion Dr. Jenny Mayor to capture the title in the Till I Met You (TIMY) online blitz chess tournament Friday night, July 31, 2020 at the lichess.org. The victory pushed Young’s tally to 24 points, good for the winner’s champion’s crown in this one-day event backed by Chicago-based US master Florentino Inumerable, Australia-based AGM Anji Camer, Mr. Rajakatur of Malaysia and Falco family of New York, USA. “This to encourage players that chess is for everyone regardless of age and gender, especially to our youth who should practice and study,” said the 56-year-old Young who was overall eighth-placer in the 2019 World Seniors Chess Championships in Bucharest, Romania. Arena Grandmaster (AGM) and National Master (NM) Almario Marlon Quiroz Bernardino Jr. halved the point with Arena Grandmaster Angelito Camer to settle for runner-up honor with 22 points. National Master (NM) Gerardo “Gerry” Cabellon, on the other hand edged Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Dr. Fred Paez to land at 3rd place with 19 points. Rounding up to the top 10 finishers were Noel Jay “Super B” Estacio (4th), Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Glenn Lemen (5th), Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Dr. Fred Paez (6th), Dr. Jenny Mayor (7th), Arena Grandmaster (AGM) Angelito Camer (8th), Luzelle Dacayo (9th) and National Master (NM) Homer Cunanan (10th).

Manfred says MLB season will continue NEW YORK, United States—Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred vowed Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) the season would continue even as more Covid-19 positive cases were detected and another game was postponed. Manfred told ESPN despite 20 positive tests on the Miami Marlins and multiple positives on the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, the campaign would not be stopped. “We are playing,” Manfred said. “I am not a quitter in general and there is no reason to quit now. We have had to be fluid, but it is manageable.” Rapid test results returned Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) for the St. Louis Cardinals after two players tested positive earlier for Covid-19 showed an additional player and multiple staff members could be positive as well. The new positives forced postponement of Saturday’s scheduled Cardinals game at Milwaukee and raised doubts about the status of a planned Sunday doubleheader between the clubs, including a game pushed back from Friday. The Marlins and Phillies have not played since last weekend’s completion of their season-opening series in Philadelphia. MLB announced Saturday that the Marlins will resume play Tuesday at Baltimore and the Phillies will play again starting Monday at the New York Yankees. While games will continue, Milwaukee outfielder Lorenzo Cain said Saturday he will not, sitting out any remaining games in the 2020 MLB season. The father of three young boys was the first Brewers player to sit out the season. “After careful consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided to opt out of the remainder of the 2020 season,” Cain said in a statement. “With all of the uncertainty and unknowns surrounding our game at this time, I feel that this is the best decision for me, my wife and our three kids.” Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said the club will “fully support” Cain’s decision. “Ultimately he believes this is the right thing for him to do and we understand that,” Stearns said. Asked if other players were looking at a similar move, Stearns said, “I haven’t necessarily had more conversations among our group with players on that topic over the past week.” AFP

Pumaren says Soaring Falcons will do better at Season 83 By Peter Atencio

Derek Brunson (right) connects with a right to the head of Ronaldo Souza in this file photo of their fight UFC on Fox 27 held January 27, 2018. AFP

Brunson TKOs Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night 173

By Reuel Vidal

EREK Brunson derailed the Edmen Shahbazyan hype train overwhelming the 22-year-old youngster to win by TKO in just 26 seconds of the third round at UFC Fight Night 173 at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday morning. The highly regarded Shahbazyan had won 11 consecutive fights and was hoping to become the youngest UFC champion. The comprehensive beat down at the hands of Brunson may have derailed those plans. “I had to get off social media all week. I opened my phone and then kinda glanced and turned away. No Facebook. No Instagram. Everybody was saying, ‘You’re gonna get beat up real bad,’ ” said Brunson who did not let his underdog status going into the fight affect him at all. The pair traded heavy shots in the first round as they calmly took each other’s measure. Brunson had one takedown in the middle of the round but Shahbazyan managed to wiggle free.

Brunson took command in the second by cleverly mixing boxing and wrestling to confound the inexperienced Shahbazyan. Brunson continued to throw strikes followed by takedown attempts which even when not successful forced Shahbazyan against the cage where he received more punishment with “dirty boxing” administered by Brunson while they were in a clinch. Brunson took down Shabazyan late in the round and administered vicious ground and pound. Shabazyan, clearly beaten, could not counter and simply covered up, clearly bloodied and beaten when the round ended. For all intents and purposes the fight

could have been stopped right. Referee Herb Dean called the doctor to check on Shahbazyan at the start of the final round. The doctor allowed the fight to continue. The fight, which could have been stopped in the second, was over 26 seconds into the third when the referee declared Brunson the winner by TKO after he took down Shahbazyan and administered more ground and pound. Meanwhile, Jennifer Maia defeated Joanne Calderwood via armbar submission at 4:29 of the first round. “I am very happy (to win) and I am getting better every time I go here. I feel I am getting ready for the title. I already fought the best fighters. And now I want to fight with the champion. It’s going to be a pleasure to fight her,” said Maia in the post-fight interview on live TV. A few minutes later UFC Women’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko responded via Twitter. “See you soon Jennifer Maia,” tweeted Shevchenko.

THE Adamson Soaring Falcons are determined to do better when season 83 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament comes around. The presence of Joaquin Jaymalin in their roster will give them this chance. Coach Franz Pumaren confirmed the inclusion of the Jaymalin for the coming season. The 6’2” Jaymalin used to be the Ateneo Blue Eaglets’ team skipper. He left the team after the Adamson Baby Falcons beat the Blue Eaglets in the stepladder semifinals. “I’m expecting him to grow an inch or two and he’s been under the radar because of course Ateneo’s been a solid team. Probably their rotation is still solid for sure,” said Pumaren in “The Coaches Unfiltered podcast hosted by Charles Tiu. Jaymalin normed 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 21 minutes the last time he saw action. “He can shoot. I’ve watched him, I think he’s a welcome addition on our part and I’m confident we can develop him to be better allaround,” said Pumaren. The squad will try to bounce back from their worst finish after reaching the Final Four for three straight years. Last season, the Falcons struggled to a sixth-place performance. It’s the worst finish for the Falcons since Pumaren started handling the team in 2015. The Falcons are banking on the games of main men Jerrick Ahanmisi and Jerom Lastimosa. The 6-foot-1 Ahanmisi, plays guard and is the 2018 Mythical Five member. He normed 13 points and three rebounds last season The 22-year-old Lastimosa averages 8.5 points and 3.2 assists.

Emotional Kyrgios asks players not to be ‘selfish’ SYDNEY, Australia—An emotional Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the US Open Sunday, for “the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives”, while pleading with players who attend to not be selfish and act responsibly. His decision follows fellow Australian and world number one Ashleigh Barty last week withdrawing from the Grand Slam in New York, citing “significant risks” from the coronavirus pandemic. “Dear Tennis, I will not be playing this year at the US Open. It hurts me at my core,” Kyrgios, who has consistently called out fellow competitors for not taking the virus seriously enough, said in a video posted on Twitter. “But I’m sitting out for the people, for my Aussies, for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives, for all of you.” More than 150,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States, with over 4.5 million infections since the beginning of the pandemic. The opinionated Kyrgios, ranked just 40 but a major drawcard, last month blasted the ATP as “selfish” for pressing ahead with plans for the US Open, which is scheduled to start on August 31.

He tempered criticism of organizers in a passionate letter read during the video, saying he had “no problem” with it being held, citing the need to keep people such as restaurant workers, cleaners, and locker room attendants in work. But Kyrgios had strong words for some of the top names in the game, in a veiled jab at those who took part in Novak Djokovic’s recent ill-fated Adria Tour exhibition, where there was minimal social distancing and players went nightclubbing. “Tennis players, you have to act in the interests of each other and work together,” said the Australian. “You can’t be dancing on tables, moneygrabbing your way around Europe or trying to make a quick buck hosting an exhibition—that’s just so selfish. “Think of the other people for once, that’s what this virus is about. It doesn’t care about your world ranking or how much money you have in the bank. Act responsibly.” ‘Stupidity’ blasted Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all tested positive for COVID-19 after the Adria Tour and Kyrgios has since waged a running battle with some of those who played,

including Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem, blasting their “stupidity” and risky behavior. The US Tennis Association (USTA) on Friday said they were confident in their safety plans for the event, which will take

place in a bubble quarantine setting without spectators. The tennis season has been at a standstill since mid-March due to the virus outbreak worldwide, with Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II. AFP

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios hits the ball during his Mexico ATP Open 500 men’s singles tennis match against France’s Ugo Humbert in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico in this file photo taken February 25, 2020. Outspoken Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the US Open August 1. AFP

Celtics guard Smart fined $15K Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) defends the post against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half of their game in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. AFP

NEW YORK, United States—Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was issued the first f ine of the restart of the NBA season on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) after criticizing referees in a loss Friday to Milwaukee. The NBA fined Smart $15,000 for his comments to reporters after the Celtics fell to the Bucks 119-112 in their opening games inside the league’s quarantine bubble campus at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Smart was upset after a charging call against reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks, what would have been the Greek star’s sixth foul to force him out of the game, was overturned into a blocking foul against him. “The ‘excuse’ was I was late on drawing the charge,” Smart said of what referees told him about the change, claiming he was not set with his feet in place when struck by the onrushing Bucks star.

“I think we all know what that was about. It was Giannis’s sixth foul. (Referees) didn’t want to get him out. Let’s just call that spade a spade.” The controversial call came with 88 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 107-107. The Bucks own the best record in the NBA at 54-12 and lead the Eastern Conference by seven games over Toronto with Boston third on 43-22. Antetokounmpo scored 36 points to power the Bucks to a 119-112 victory over the Celtics. The Bucks trailed by two points at the half, then built a big lead and held on in the fourth quarter to beat the Celtics in the battle between the two Eastern Conference powerhouses. The 25-year-old Antetokounmpo also had 15 rebounds, seven assists and five fouls. He almost fouled out with 88 seconds to go but after a video review the officials overturned a sixth foul call, allowing him to stay in the game and lead the Bucks to victory. AFP

Entertainment Kapamilya network goes full blast on digital space T

HREE weeks after VERY the Congress denied WANG the network of its NICKIE new franchise, ABS-CBN has restructured for a digital WANG comeback by launching “Kapamilya Online Live is the newest Kapamilya Online Live, an home of ABS-CBN’s well-loved shows online platform that livestreams that Filipinos miss watching on TV. Our its new and well-loved shows. bond with our Kapamilya is unbreakable, Offered for free and without any subscription fee on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube and Facebook pages, the network started offering a mix of current shows and classic Kapamilya programs on Aug. 1. The platform also allows viewers to catch the latest episodes of their favorite shows, which are available on-demand in the next 24 hours after their simulcast.

and we will continue finding ways to be with them and provide entertainment to Filipinos despite the non-renewal of our broadcast franchise,” Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN’s chief operating officer of broadcast, said in a statement sent to Manila Standard Entertainment. On YouTube, Kapamilya Online Live streams continuously throughout the day from as early as 7:40 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.. On Facebook, on the other

The men of 'A Soldier's Heart' led by Gerald Anderson.

hand, viewers can catch their favorite shows on regular timeslots with scheduled breaks between timeblocks. Livestreaming of shows on both platforms is available exclusively in the Philippines. It’s programing starts with Magandang Buhay, Magpahanggang Wakas, and MMK in the morning block, and continue with It’s Showtime, Love Thy Woman, and The General’s Daughter in the afternoon. On primetime, Kapamilya Online Live initially stream in its first three weeks FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano episodes that were previously aired on Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV before new episodes come out in the fourth week. Viewers will also be able to watch 100 Days to Heaven, Forevermore, Los Bastardos, and A Soldier’s Heart for the rest of the night. Every Saturday, the morning lineup features Halik and It’s Showtime, followed Wansapanataym and I Feel U in the afternoon, and Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo’s Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan and It’s Showtime sa Primetime in the evening. Kapamilya Online Live’s Sunday programming, meanwhile, includes Pangako Sa ‘Yo, ASAP Natin ‘To, and Ipaglaban Mo in the morning and Angel Locsin’s Iba ‘Yan and Be Careful With My Heart in the evening. During the simulcast of TV Patrol and The World Tonight, meanwhile, viewers will be redirected from Kapamilya Online Live to ABS-CBN News’ YouTube channel and Facebook page. For the complete programming schedule, visit kapamilyaonlinelive.com.

Proud online seller “BULAKBOL yan nung college, naging housewife at ngayon online selling ang ginawa.” Those were the words that were planted in Ghie Pangilinan's mind when she started her own online business. Her skeptics did not believe she was going to succeed. That was in 2013. Seven years later, Pangilinan overcame all obstacles and is now the founder and Chief Operating Officer of Skin Magical, one of the best distributors of beauty products in the Philippines. To date, Skin Magical has over 200 distributors and over 50,000 resellers nationwide and even abroad. “My business has really grown and I am proud to say that I started as an online seller,” Pangilinan related. “I started by selling almost everything online from toys, bags, dresses, T-shirts, and even gadgets and this was also the time when I started selling my first line of skin care products.” Pangilinan recalled that she would offer her wares by sending out private messages to her friends. None of them responded to her messages. When she decided to start her first skincare brand, she decided not to sell her products online. “What I did was that I would come up with FB posts about my skincare products and I did that on a regular basis,” she said. “I worked really hard to look for buyers for my products and it even reached the point that I would stay awake until early morning just to reply to all the inquiries that I received.” She said she encountered a lot of difficulties when she was still starting out. This, however, was her motivation to push herself to work even harder to

achieve her dreams. Pangilinan added that she also wanted to remove the notion that online selling was only for housewives. “I remembered meeting up a friend back in 2015 and I asked her if she would like to be a reseller of Skin Magical products,” Pangilinan said. “My friend said she was not interested because she had a full- time job abroad. She told me to instead ask another one of our classmates who happened to be a housewife in need of extra income.” Pangilinan only managed to earn the respect of her skeptics last year when they found out that she was able to build her own company, Skin Magical, and travel abroad. This time around, her skeptics were asking her for tips on how to succeed in her line of business. “If you are a housewife and an online seller, you should be very proud

of yourself,” she said. “You should be proud that you are working hard for the sake of your family. Everyone should work hard to achieve those dreams and we all can succeed. Online selling is for everyone.” Since then, Pangilinan has appeared several times on ABS CBN’s My Puhunan with Karen Davila to inspire and empower women to go into the online business and to make them believe that it is possible to get rich and be beautiful at the same time. She even managed to get actress Dimples Romana, well known for her role as Daniela Mondragon Bartolome in Kadenang Ginto, to be one of Skin Magical’s many endorsers and influencers. For more information on how you can be a Skin Magical online seller, visit www.skinmagicalph.com or the Skin Magical FB page.

Skin Magical founder and COO Ghie Pangilinan (leftmost) with celebrity endorser Dimples Romana (2nd from left).

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

Angel Locsin hosts 'Iba 'Yan,' a show that features the inspiring stories of ordinary Filipinos.

'Love Thy Woman' lead cast members Kim Chiu, Yam Concepcion, and Xian Lim on the set of the drama series.

Wireless wonder SOUNDS can tell stories and bring back memories. Remember how Adele singing on full volume through your headphones eased your broken heart? And anyone who has ever been on a soul-searching, solo vacation at a beach knows how the sound of waves can calm the mind. But sound has a more practical use on the side of science. Scientists can use it to measure distance, for instance. Doctors use their stethoscope to listen to the sounds inside your body, so that they can make valid, medical diagnoses. Sound is a tool. This is the idea behind the Stemoscope, a trailblazing healthcare device that allows a user to detect a wide range of sounds. Think of it like a stethoscope, but a more compact, and handy version. The device, which is no bigger than a stethoscope’s head (38 mm in diameter, 11 mm thick), can be used by doctors for distance auscultations. It transmits the sounds to a smartphone, which then processes, amplifies, and sends the sounds to the doctor’s Bluetooth earphones or wired earphones in real-time. While doctors still prefer to use the classic stethoscope, a Stemoscope can be a good supplement, most especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed the lives of many. “As doctors, we felt the urgent need to innovate. So many of our healthcare workers have lost their lives to the pandemic,” laments Dr. Jastisse “Jast” Arnaldo T. Tejada III, a cardiologist and the General Manager of SGMC Medical Equipment Importer Marketing and Services, the company that brought the Stemoscope technology into the country. “We needed to keep our doctors safe by improving the doctor’s primary weapon, the stethoscope, but without compromising the quality of care that we give our patients. Stemoscope was the solution.”

This gadget acts like a ‘wireless’ stethoscope, can record your heart rate, a baby’s heartbeat, and in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, can help save the lives of healthcare workers.

The best thing about Stemoscope is that it’s designed for distance auscultation, which ultimately minimizes a doctor’s risk of exposure to a possible COVID-19 positive patient. “Healthcare workers can now assess a patient from a safe distance of two meters,” says Dr. Jast. “Imagine the smallest stethoscope in the world with very huge features. It’s so compact you can put it inside your purse or pocket, like a Dr. James Bond!” The nifty part is that the sounds that the app detects can be recorded and saved on your smartphone. This is especially useful for immunocompromised individuals who need to go to the hospital for regular checkups. “Patients can send their recorded auscultations to their doctors via email, Viber or Messenger app, from anywhere in the Philippines. This way, they’re also helping stop the spread of COVID-19 because they’re staying right at home.” Ultimately, Stemoscope is meant for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. A professor, for instance, may use it as an educational tool in subjects where auscultatory sounds are relevant. Numerous local physicians have given Stemoscope their seal of approval, including doctors who have been directly dealing with COVID-19 positive patients at the Philippine General Hospital. Stemoscope is now available in Lazada. For more information about the product, visit their Facebook page Stemoscope Ph, or their website stemoscope.com.ph.

Summer loving feels T-REX Entertainment’s Rex Tiri has confirmed that Prime Cruz’s Ngayon Kaya that his film company produced will not be in cinemas any time soon. It will be shown in summer, only this time, in 2021, and yes, still part of the Summer Metro Manila Summer Film Festival. The pandemic prompted the good men of the MMDA to postpone plans for the festival that should have kicked off during Black Saturday of this year. Industry experts say that it’s one of the best opening dates for films to be shown in cinemas. “Not for anything else, I think by next year, we all have, not only our bearings but all our groove back. And the feelings and mindset of everyone has changed by that time. We are back to the happy chaos we are all accustomed to and by that time, the

ARIAS

ALWYN IGNACIO pandemic has ended, it is safe to go out and watching movies in cinemas for entertainment and bonding time with families and loved ones is back as an enjoyable habit,” Tiri declares. One of Tiri’s lead stars, Paulo Avelino, also serves as co-producer of this summerloving motion picture with a lot of major feels. It makes me wonder what this film has for him to gamble and invest in it.

“I've seen most of Direk Prime Cruz' works and always wanted to work with him. Upon reading the script I instantly fell in love with the characters not just because of the conflict they're going through but also because it speaks about the ‘80s, the time when we were growing up,” Avelino shares. The devastatingly beautiful millennial who is not afraid to speak her mind on issues and current events, Janine Gutierrez is Avelino’s love interest in the much-awaited romantic drama. It cannot be denied that working with the actress is some kind of wonderful experience for him, for them. “Janine, and her beauty aside, is a treat to work with, she is perfection personified. I have nothing bad to say about her work ethic and after seeing the films she has been doing lately, I can immediately tell that she is

Janine Gutierrez and Paulo Avelino starter 'Ngayon Kaya,' a film written by Jen Chuansu, from T-Rex Entertainment, is an official entry to the 2021 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival.

going out of her way to grow as an actress,” Avelino adds. Asked if he had any kissing scenes with Gutierrez in the film, Avelino declares, “I always feel awkward doing intimate scenes no matter who my onscreen partner is and I'll probably never get used to it. And I am not making you bola about this, you know. Every time I do a kissing or intimate scene, the

best preparation I could do, is to get the feel of the scene, being truthful to the emotions of my character and yes, brush my teeth.” Why should we wait for and watch Ngayon Kaya then? Paulo’s concluding rejoinder: “Ngayon Kaya speaks about our age, our youth, and will most probably make us look back and ask ourselves, and get the answers to the many what ifs.”

Life

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

RECIPE FILES

New food business ideas LOOKING for new recipes to try at home or perhaps include in your online food business venture?

FOOD

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2020

BEGINNER: The following recipes feature chocolate milk drink Swiss Miss from Universal Robina Corporation.

Swiss Miss Ice Ingredients: 1 pack Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate 180ml water 1 glass milk Procedure: 1. Dissolve Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate in warm water. Pour into ice tray and freeze for at least 3 hours. 2. Take out Swiss Miss cubes and place into a glass. Pour a glass of milk and serve. Swiss Miss Mug Cake

Samgyeopsal

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

with ‘So Ji-sub,’ ‘Hyun Bin’ and others

In partnership with streaming platform Viu, SM Megamall in July served some Korean cuisine and other treats at the Seoul Spot in Mega Fashion Hall. Soban K-Town Grill offered its Dosirak Korean Boxed Meals and Favorite Feast Barbecue Set, while Dohtonbori served its authentic okonomiyaki and donburi bowls. Also available were The Lost Bread’s Hawhaw milk-flavored ice cream, Serenitea’s milk tea beverages, and Satchmi’s fine coffee. The food pop-up also had special guests including Hyun Bin’s character from Hyde Jekyll, Me, Park Seo-joon in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, Ji Chang-wook in Love in Trouble, Park Bogum in Encounter, and So Ji-sub in Master’s Sun TV series as image pillows that

served as customers’ dining buddies and physical distancing markers. A pair of giant standees in hanbok, or Korean traditional costumes, welcomed customers, at the same time serving as a reminder to practice physical distancing and wear a mask. In addition to this creative K-dining experience, Megamall also has other areas that promote safe dining amid a pandemic, while keeping things light and fun. The Event Center has been transformed into a tropical paradise complete with inflatable flamingoes and colorful inflatable floaters that can accommodate up to 34 diners. At Mega Atrium, huge emojis—some wearing masks and others protective equipment—and Smiley Chairs provide maximum of 18 diners a fun way to dine.

Swiss Miss Mug Cake Ingredients: 1 pack Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup melted butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract vanilla ice cream (optional) Procedure: 1. Mix Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate, flour, and sugar in a bowl. Add milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir well. 2. Divide and pour batter into two microwaveable cups. Microwave in high power for 2 minutes or use steam in high heat for 15 minutes. 3. Let it cool for 1 minute then top with ice cream and enjoy.

INTERMEDIATE: Create these two recipes using quality cookware that elevates home cooking experience.

Soban K-Town Grill’s Favorite Feast Barbecue Set

OMETHING “oppa-tizing” arrived in a premier mall in Metro Manila, and it involved favorite Korean food and Korean heartthrobs.

Swiss Miss Ice

Garlic Shrimp Pasta Serves: 4-5 | Use: non-stick Beka Nomad Wok Ingredients: 500g Doña Elena Al Dente Linguine 2 tbsp. Doña Elena Pure Olive Oil 1/3 cup butter 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. red chili flakes (optional) 1/2 kilo medium shrimp, peeled with tail on 1/2 cup Doña Elena White Wine 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1 pc. lemon, juiced and zest grated 8 cups baby spinach 1/4 cup parsley, chopped salt and pepper to taste Procedure: 1. Cook the pasta according to cooking instructions on the packaging. 2. In a Beka Nomad Wok, melt the butter together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat. Stir occasionally until bubbles subside and color starts to turn light brown. 3. Sauté garlic until fragrant. Pour in the wine and let it reduce for a minute. 4. Add the shrimp and remaining ingredients. Cook until shrimp has turned pink. Toss in the cooked pasta to coat. Remove from heat and serve.

Dohtonbori’s Chicken Karaage

Zucchini Spice Muffin

The Lost Bread’s Milk and Cookies ice cream

Zucchini Spice Muffins

Dine with Park Bo-Gum pillow with Ji Chang-wook in the background.

So Ji-sub in his character in ‘Master’s Sun’ TV series.

Serenitea’s Matcha Espresso

BITES

Sweet chocolate shots IT’S sweet, it’s chocolate-y, it’s bite-sized. Mondelez Philippines introduces the new Cadbury Shots made of Cadbury Dairy Milk in chocolate ball shape. “This is the first time we are launching a Cadbury product that will be available at your neighborhood sari-sari store and for a very affordable price,” said Gicelle Medina, Mondelez Philippines’ chocolates senior brand manager. Cadbury Shots retails a P2 for 3.6 grams and P10 for 18 grams (10 chocolate balls).

Cadbury Shots

Yields: 6 | Use: Cuisinart Smart Stick Powertrio hand blender Ingredients: 1/2 cup toasted, cooked walnuts 1 pc. medium zucchini, trimmed and cut to fit the feed tube of the work bowl 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar 1 pc. large egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. table salt 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract Non-stick cooking spray Procedure: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 6-cup regular muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. 2. Insert the chopping blade into the work bowl. Add the toasted nuts and pulse until chopped. Remove and set aside. 3. Replace the chopping blade with the shredding disc. Shred the zucchini, and then remove to squeeze as much of the liquid out of it as possible (you should end up with about 2 cups of shredded zucchini). Put in a large mixing bowl. 4. Add the brown sugar and egg to the shredded zucchini, mix to fully combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups. 5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.