Manila Standard - 2020 August 10 - Monday

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‘P5b extra funds for OFWs’

Duterte steps up bid to bring them home, help the jobless

By Rey E. Requejo and Julito B. Rada

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 165• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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RESIDENT Duterte has approved the release of P5 billion more to repatriate and help overseas Filipino workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Sunday.

The Department of Finance, meanwhile, said the government is ready to spend P140 billion for an economic stimulus plan this year up to 2021.

Bello said a huge part of the funds will be released to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which undertakes the repatriation of OFWs displaced on-site due to lockdowns and closure of establishments overseas.

Aside from repatriation assistance, OWWA shoulders the cost of COVID-19 tests of OFWs upon arrival in the country, their food and accommodation in hotels while awaiting test results and the transport to their home provinces once they test negative for the virus.

The agency has so far sent home close to 130,000 overseas workers since May 15. The latest batch of 1,185 OFWs took their rides to their home provinces on Saturday, bringing the total number at 129,491 OFWs sent home and given assistance.

Other than the OWWA assistance, DOLE has been extending a one-time P10,000 or $200 cash aid to pandemicaffected OFWs, both on-site and those stranded in the country.

The department's Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program has already disbursed P2.388 billion of its P2.5 billion as of August, DOLE said, helping 267,584 OFWs. Bello had requested a P2.5 billion additional funding to augment the requirements of about 597,469 OFWs seeking government assistance.

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HIGH AND DRY. Locally stranded individuals, cramped in a container van with only an electric fan giving them ventilation, wait out quarantine controls on Aug. 9, 2020 until a ferry arrives at the Manila North Harbor to take them back to their provinces. Many LSIs have been left stranded since Manila and the rest of Metro Manila along with four provinces have been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine that has also caused the suspension of shipping operations until Aug. 18, 2020. Norman Cruz

New cases top 3,000-mark amid tighter controls

By Willie Casas FOR the 11th day running, health officials reported new cases over the 3,000 mark, as a key lawmaker said the twoweek modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces would not

be enough to reduce the daily number of new infections.

In an interview on radio dzBB, Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, chairperson of the House committee on health, said after a week of MECQ, there were hardly any changes in the number of new cases being reported daily.

To tell you honestly, it's really not enough,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino, about the two-week MECQ. “Two weeks is not enough for us to achieve the target of lowering the number of cases.”

The Department of Health (DOH) Next page

Buyers warned vs. profiteering businessmen

PhilHealth probe: No turning back amid execs' health woes

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Palace said Sunday there is no turning back on its investigation of allegations of corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), even as some of the agency's executives

said they might skip Senate hearings for “health reasons.”

In a statement, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the task force organized by the Department of Justice would proceed with its mandate to investigate the allegations.

The task force has 30 days after its Next page

• New Zealand virus-free • North Korea doles out aid

By Rey E. Requejo and Othel V. Campos THE Justice department said Sunday it will prosecute traders and businesses engaging in profiteering and adding to the burden of consumers already reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra made the warning even as he encouraged the public to report to the Department of Trade and Industry those engaging in price gouging when selling face shields and medical supplies needed in the fight against the pandemic.

“Any person who has information on overpricing may report the same to the Department of Trade and Industry, and the DOJ [Department of Justice] will prosecute violators,” Guevarra said in a text message.

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NEW Zealand marked 100 days on Sunday with no recorded cases of the coronavirus in the community but health officials warned there was no room for complacency.

There are still 23 active cases but all were detected at the border when entering the country and are being held in

managed isolation facilities.

"Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can't afford to be complacent," director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield said.

"We have seen overseas how quickly

WORLD ROUNDUP

PARTY DRUGS. Five suspects (one of them shown in the photo, center) were arrested for possession of P30-m worth of illegal drugs such as ecstasy tablets and dried marijuana bricks during a series of buy-bust operations pulled off by government agents on Aug. 8, 2020 in three towns of Pampanga.

Inset shows a law enforcer unloading marijuana bricks seized from the suspects at Clark Freeport early Sunday Aug. 9. Jess Malabanan

Sight-seeing flights to nowhere FACED with the coronavirus collapse in travelers, Taiwanese airlines have begun offering sight-seeing "flights to nowhere" on their passenger jets—including flight attendant lessons for children.

At the headquarters of Taiwan's China Airlines in

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P30-m worth of drugs seized from 5 suspects

By Jess Malabanan LUBAO, Pampanga—Government agents intercepted P30 million worth of party drugs and marijuana leaves in brick form at the Clark Freeport and in Lubao, Pampanga, authorities said Sunday.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency provincial director Joseph Samson Next page

ANTI-VIRUS TACK. A health worker from Manila's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office conducts anti-bacterial fogging inside the city hall premises on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease. The city which has been placed under MECQ along with the rest of the metropolis is one of the heavily infected urban areas.

Norman Cruz

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MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

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DOH warns plasma traders T

By Willie Casas

The department says the plasma could pose serious risks to patients who may contract transfusion-transmissible infections such as HIV, hepatitis and malaria.

The department made the reminder following increasing reports from the families of critically-ill COVID-19 patients allegedly buying convalescent plasma from

recovered patients, hospital staff, or fixers.

There were also other reports that some people were intentionally infecting themselves so that their plasma could be donated after recovery, and for which they were promised remuneration.

The department says the alleged transactions and practices are illegal, reckless

and dangerous. Those people do not only place their lives at risk, but they also put their families and communities at risk when they voluntarily get infected.

Only the Philippine Blood Center and the Philippine Red Cross in the Port Area are the certified non-hospitalbased convalescent plasma collection facilities, while the Philippine General Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Center are the only hospitals certified to collect convalescent plasma for use in their treatment protocol.

Though used for the COVID-19 treatment protocol in some local hospitals, the plasma’s effectiveness as a therapy is still being evaluated. To date, there is no

’P5b...

of economic activity.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government has the resources necessary to endure the challenge of COVID-19 and its adverse economic impact, despite the 9 percent drop in gross domestic product for the first half of the year.

In a briefing, he said the economy will improve in the second half of 2020 if all sectors work together to shore up consumer confidence and the public cooperates in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Dominguez said without continued and increased public-sector spending, especially on infrastructure, public health and social protection, the first semester GDP would have shrunk by a steeper 11.5 percent.

Government expenditures during the first semester of 2020 were up by 27 percent year-on-year, increasing to

P2.01 trillion from P1.59 trillion during the same period last year.

Among the country’s credit-rating peer group, first-semester numbers show contractions among the economies of Italy by 11.6 percent, Mexico by 10.2 percent and Indonesia by 1.2 percent.

“We are not alone in our struggles, although the unique fiscal and macroeconomic strengths with which we entered 2020 will continue to provide us with solid footing as we confront our economic challenges,” Dominguez said.

Also over the weekend, the Department of Foreign Affairs said 124,717 Filipinos abroad have been repatriated since it began bringing them back in February due to the pandemic.

The DFA said the number was reached after 8,924 overseas Filipinos were repatriated to the country last week.

Of the 124,717 Filipinos repatriated, 39.8 percent or 49,655 are sea-based while 60.2 percent or 75,062 are landbased.

Of those repatriated this past week, 3,660 were from the United Arab Emirates who were flown in on 13 special commercial repatriation flights and one DFA-chartered flight.

A total of 2,349 seafarers also arrived last week from Bangladesh, Italy, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The DFA also facilitated the repatriation of stranded Filipinos from Mongolia, Palau, and the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, through the help of foreign service posts and Filipino communities abroad.

The DFA said it is also working with the Philippine embassies in Beirut and Tehran to repatriate distressed Filipinos in Lebanon and Uzbekistan.

reported on Sunday an additional 3,109 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 129,913.

The Philippines still has the highest number of infections and active cases across Southeast Asia.

The 3,109 confirmed cases were based on test results from 82 of the 99 operational testing labs.

The DOH recorded 61 new fatalities in the country, bringing the death toll to

2,270 since the pandemic began.

The DOH also reported 654 new recoveries, bringing to 67,673 the number of patients who have recovered from the disease.

Of the 3,109 reported cases Sunday, 2,055 (66 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days (July 27-August 9, 2020). In the last two weeks, Metro Manila accounted for 992 or almost half of the total number of cases. Region 4A accounted for 320 or 16 percent, while Region 3 had 156 cases or 8 percent of the total. Repatriates accounted for 156 cases or 8 percent of the total.

As of Sunday, there were 59,970 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine, 91.2 percent of which are mild, 7.5 percent of which are asymptomatic, 0.7 percent of which are severe, and 0.6 percent of which are in critical condition.

Also on Sunday, Senator Christopher Go said the government was taking one step backward and two steps forward in its decision to revert Metro Manila and nearby provinces to an MECQ as part of its “recalibration” strategy.

Go, chairman of the Senate committee on health and demography, ex-

pressed concern over the rising number of COVID-19 infections.

On Aug. 6, the Philippines overtook Indonesia and emerged as Southeast Asia’s new coronavirus hot spot.

But Go noted that the Philippines also takes the top spot in terms of testing capacity in the region, having conducted a total of 1,643,539 tests with an average of 28,938 tests per day within the last seven days, as of Aug. 4.

By comparison, he said Indonesia conducted an estimated 908,000 tests with an average of 4,291 tests per day during the same period.

Buyers...

PhilHealth...

in PhilHealth.

The task force will have as members representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit (CoA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), Office of the Special Assistant to the President and the Presidential AntiCorruption Commission (PACC).

The investigation will include lifestyle checks on PhilHealth officials.

Duterte’s directive came after PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales admitted during a Senate hearing that about P10.2 billion of the agency’s budget was “potentially lost” to fraudulent transactions and schemes in 2019.

Guevarra said since the task force was given only 30 days to come up with a recommendation, it would zero in on alleged anomalies that are already under investigation by other agencies.

Officials of the country’ national health insurer were accused last year of conspiring with Wellmed in siphoning public funds after they approved its accreditation despite investigations into its allegedly fraudulent claims.

In August 2019, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed criminal cases against 21 officials and employees of PhilHealth in connection with the fraudulent claims for payment of dialysis and other medical treatment of members and beneficiaries.

Among those named as respondents are members of the Accreditation SubCommittee (ASC) from PhilHealth Regional Office National Capital Region

(PRO-NCR), including its branch manager.

The respondents, according to the NBI- Anti-Graft Division (NBI-AGD) are responsible in approving the accreditation of Wellmed for 2019 despite the investigation conducted by PhilHealth’s Fact-finding Investigation and Enforcement Department on the alleged fraudulent claims of Wellmed.

The NBI said they discovered that the PRO-NCR did not conduct periodic monitoring of the health care institutions such as Wellmed, as required under the National Health Insurance Act of 2013.

Furthermore, it was discovered that the ASC acted without authority in accrediting Wellmed.

The respondents, the NBI said, also gave unwarranted benefits to Wellmed in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Guevarra said the task force investigation would not only cover the most recent COVID-19-related anomalies.

Investigations and special audits into these cases were already going on even before the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

He said they have already coordinated with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and asked to be provided a copy of its initial report on PhilHealth’s irregularities.

The PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica earlier said that administratively charges are likely to be filed against 36 PhilHealth officials, while 13 of them could be charged criminally for their involvement in these irregularities.

country's first suspected virus case.

A train carrying goods arrived in the "totally blocked" city of Kaesong on Friday, the official KCNA news agency reported.

"The Supreme Leader has made sure that emergency measures were taken for supplying food and medicines right after the city was totally blocked and this time he saw to it that lots of rice and subsidy were sent to the city," it said.

Kim had been concerned "day and night" about people in Kaesong as they continued their "campaign for checking the spread of the malignant virus," the report added.

Trump extends economic relief President Donald Trump on Saturday signed executive actions extending financial relief to Americans hit by the coronavirus pandemic as polls showed a large majority of voters unhappy with his handling of the crisis.

The four measures marked a presidential show of strength after Trump's Republican party and White House

team failed to agree with opposition Democrats in Congress on a new stimulus package aimed at stopping vulnerable Americans from falling through the cracks.

"We've had it and we're going to save American jobs and provide relief to the American workers," Trump said at a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he was spending the weekend.

With double digit unemployment, disruption to businesses from social distancing rules, and persistent coronavirus spread, many Americans had been relying on relief measures approved earlier by Congress, but which mostly expired in July.

Trump said his decision to circumvent Congress with executive actions would mean relief money getting "rapidly distributed."

In reality, his measures are likely to face court challenges because Congress controls federal spending, and in any case they may add up to less money than initially appears. AFP

HE Department of Health on Sunday warned the public against buying or selling the convalescent plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients.

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Bello said with additional funding, more OFWs will benefit from the AKAP program and even more overseas workers will be repatriated and provided assistance.

Meanwhile, aside from the P140 billion economic stimulus plan, the DOF said another P40 billion in tax credits will come from the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill, which is a reworked version of the government's government's comprehensive tax reform program, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The P180 billion stimulus package also includes injecting P50 billion into the banking system, which the DOF said will have a multiplier effect that can generate about P400 billion worth

New...

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He made his statement even as an official said the Trade and Health departments will come up with technical standards for face shields and the proposed pricing for those.

Trade undersecretary Ruth Castelo said her department noticed a sudden spike in the prices of face shields as soon as the government announced their mandatory use, and initially when using public transportation.

“There should be reasonable prices of face shields. These can be bought online. There are also industrial face shields with heavy-duty features,” Castelo.

From P35 per unit, the prices of face shields have climbed to as high as P80, while some vendors have been selling them for up to P180 each.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, meanwhile, has been commissioned to produce up to 50 million reusable cloth face masks within the next four months to help protect the public against the pandemic.

A Cabinet cluster tasked TESDA to make washable face masks that will be distributed to the public for free, according to Aniceto Bertiz III, TESDA deputy director-general for partnerships and linkages.

“We’ve been tasked to mass-produce the face masks based on the required quality standards and at a cost of no more than P15 each,” Bertiz said.

The demand for face shields has been rising following the announcement by the Transport department requiring commuters to wear face shields, aside from facemasks, starting Aug. 15 as additional protection against COVID-19.

Some reports said several groups had criticized the government for imposing the use of face shields and claimed that its use against COVID-19 would be an additional burden to the poor.

The groups suggested that the face shields be given free to the public.

“It is my hope that the government could provide it [face shield] free under the proposed stimulus bill or at least at a subsidized cost,” Guevarra said.

“In the meantime, the Department of Health may set the minimum standards for face shields and let the people do it themselves, or the DTI may set a suggested retail price for those sold by manufacturers.”

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constitution to submit its findings and recommendations to the Office of the President."

Last week, the President's anti-crime commission said it submitted an initial report on its investigation and said cases were being prepared against 36 highranking and mid-level officials for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Sunday said all investigations into the anomalies and corruption in PhilHealth would be expedited, including the multibillion-peso fraudulent claims for dialysis and other medical treatment of health care company Wellmed.

“Given the limited period to submit a report with recommendations for legal action, we shall give preferential attention to the investigation of alleged irregularities that could reasonably be completed within the given time frame,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

“I will request the rest of the Task Force members to identify these ongoing investigations that may be actually expedited and completed within the period. I hope the Wellmed ghost dialysis claims case is one of them,” he added.

Guevarra made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the DOJ to lead a task force that would investigate and put an end to the corruption

World...

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the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand."

New Zealand, with a population of five million, has won widespread praise for its effective handling of the coronavirus since closing its borders on March 19.

The World Health Organization has hailed the country as an example to others for having "successfully eliminated community transmission.”

Nokor distributes aid North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the distribution of aid to the border city of Kaesong after the area was locked down last month to fight the coronavirus, state media said Sunday.

Authorities raised the state of emergency to the maximum level for the city in July, saying they had discovered the

evidence yet to show that it is effective against SARS-Cov2.

“Trading blood and other blood products, including those from recovered COVID-19 patients, is not only illegal but highly dangerous,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

“Convalescent plasma should not be for sale and should be voluntarily donated for COVID-19 patients in need.”

Republic Act 7719, also known as the “National Blood Service Act of 1994”, says all blood and blood products will be collected from volunteer blood donors only. Paid donation is not allowed, and the facilities that will pay blood donors will be penalized.

Oil prices seen mixed: Gas up, diesel down

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect gasoline prices to go up and diesel prices to go down this week due to the movement of prices in the world oil market.

“Expect fuel prices to have mix movements next week [August 11 to 17],” Unioil Philippines said in its weekly forecast.

“Diesel should go down by P0.20 per liter and gasoline should increase by P0.20 per liter.”

World oil prices have softened amid the ongoing tensions between China and the US. A possible stimulus package for US consumers also raised optimism over world oil prices, but no final agreement among US lawmakers has been reached.

The oil companies implemented a price cut of P0.25 to P0.30 per liter of gasoline on Aug. 4, P0.25 to P0.30 per liter of diesel and P0.15 per liter of kerosene.

The cuts brought the total year-to-date adjustments at a net decrease of P5.02 per liter of gasoline, P8.59 per liter of diesel and P12.69 per liter of kerosene.

Meanwhile, two oil companies have partnered with the Department of Transportation in its Free Ride Service for Health Workers Program, and will continue their fuel assistance for the bus units participating in the program until Aug. 18.

P30-m...

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said seven people were arrested by anti-narcotics agents in Lubao and at the Clark Freeport following buy-bust operations.

The suspects met with PDEA and Customs agents after a series of negotiations through phone calls and text messages.

Buyers and sellers then agreed to meet at a refilling station in San Roque in Dau on Saturday night.

In his report to PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva, Samson said a parcel containing ecstasy from The Netherlands was traced by the Bureau of Customs-Port of Clark and the PDEA Clark Interdiction Unit.

He said a separate parcel arrived on Aug.8, which led the operating teams to conduct a controlled delivery operation.

Two parcels carrying 5000 ecstasy tablets were intercepted, and those had an estimated value of P17 million.

Meanwhile, a white Nissan Urvan carrying P13 million worth of dried marijuana leaves, which were intended for distribution in Metro Manila and in Central Luzon, was intercepted by Clark Development Corporation security police near Margot Village, a community where the residents are mostly foreigners, past 4 a.m. on Sunday.

The authorities said the van exited at the Clark South toll gate of the SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway. The driver apparently avoided the checkpoint by accelerating toward the main zone area, but he was pursued by the authorities.

Sight-seeing...

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Taoyuan on Saturday, 50 children took a morning course on how to serve passengers aboard a mock cabin.

Cheng Yu-wei, who works in the fashion apparel business and enjoys traveling abroad, came with his wife and six-year old daughter to "revive that old feeling of traveling."

"Maybe it's because we have been bored for too long," Cheng said to AFP. Later in the day, the excitable gaggle of kids took to the skies in their new uniforms for a two hour flight over the island and the soaring mountain range that runs down its spine.

The flights are part of an innovative attempt by airlines to scramble up some extra cash at a time when their business has all but dried up.

Like most airlines around the world, both China Airlines and its main competitor Eva Air have had to mothball a huge chunk of their fleet as international travel evaporates during the pandemic.

The two also have a limited domestic business to fall back on.

On Saturday, an Eva A330 from Taoyuan International Airport flew over Taiwan's northeast cape, circled Japan's Ryukyu Islands before returning home via the picturesque and rural southeast coast. The total flight time was two hours and 45 minutes.

An economy seat is selling for around NT$5,288 (US$180) while business class costs NT$6,288.

The China Airlines flight lasts around two hours and will also fly into Japanese airspace before turning around to the eastern coast of Taiwan.. AFP

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US Embassy advises citizens to avoid traveling to PH

By Rey E. Requejo

REDEPLOYMENT. The Philippine Navy redeployed its personnel and several vehicles to aid the Joint Task Force-NCR’s ‘Libreng Sakay’ operations for health care workers following the implementation of Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila and four other provinces.

Low NFA rice buffer stock hit

By Willie Casas

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DVOCACY groups have raised the alarm over a recent National Food Authority’s statement that the country’s rice buffer stock is only good for seven days, especially as the country enters the typhoon season.

The NFA said it based the seven-day supply on a daily consumption of at least 33,000 metric tons. Under the Rice Tariffication Law, NFA’s role has been reduced to maintaining bufferstocks that is supposed to be bought from local farmers.

“This is alarming as the next big harvest is still in October. It pays to be pre-

pared especially with this pandemic still hovering in the picture,” Omi Royandoyan of the Nagkakaisang Grupo Laban sa RTL said during a public online forum.

During the height of enhanced community quarantine in the past months, NFA Administrator Judy Dansal said that the agency did not see a need for a buffer

stock larger than one million bags as was the practice in the last 20-30 years. But she said that the NFA’s biggest rice released happened during the pandemic.

“Since we are not out of the woods yet in this COVID-19 plus the threat of disasters is highest during this semester, our past experiences should have already given us enough lessons more or less on the definition of what a ‘sufficient bufferstocks’ should be during rainy days,” Royandoyan added.

Meanwhile, Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers, said that “the pandemic reveals the weaknesses of the RTL when it downgraded NFA’s role but continued to rely heavily on the agency

for the country’s food security during this protracted health disaster situation.

We urge the government to review the law, particularly NFA’s role and installing some form of regulation over private traders considering our present situation.

We also call on the government to provide additional palay procurement budget to NFA.” While rice imports continue to come in, private traders cannot be expected to provide lower-priced rice to local governments and other agencies that are distributing rice supplies to vulnerable people during this extended lockdown period and when climate-related disasters hit the country, Montemayor said.

THE United States Embassy in the Philippines has advised its nationals to reconsider plans to travel to the country due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The embassy made the appeal after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a level 3 Travel Health Notice for the country.

The travel health notice came after the Philippines has reported a total of 126,885 cases of COVID-19 infections, with 67,117 recoveries and 2,209 fatalities.

On Thursday, the Philippines overtook Indonesia as the hotspot of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia.

The US Embassy also strongly cautioned its citizens against traveling to the Philippines due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, a measles outbreak, and kidnapping.”

It advised tourists to refrain from visiting the Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea, due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping” as well as Marawi City due to “terrorism and civil unrest.”

American tourists have also been warned against going to other areas in Mindanao due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”

Former Iloilo power distributor slammed

By Alena Mae S. Flores DISTRIBUTION utility More Electric and Power Corp. (More Power) criticized Panay Electric Co. yesterday for allegedly continuing to confuse and deceive Iloilo City power consumers.

MORE Power president Roel Castro said it has been two years since the company extended a “reconciliation hand” to PECO to benefit consumers but the former distributor of Iloilo City has refused to cooperate.

“The relationship of More Power and PECO should not be viewed as a corporate war. More Power has nothing to do with PECO. We are here in Iloilo City not because we are after PECO but we are after the sorry state of facilities here, plagued with complaints of poor service,

customer case and high electricity rates,” said Castro.

Castro said that PECO as a public utility, should put the interest of consumers and Iloilo City above everything else.

“There are consumers involved here, if PECO look at that perspective then they really should give way. We respect and understand that what they’re going through is painful, but at the end of the day, it’s the court and the regulator that will decide on the matter, whatever and whoever is affected should respect the decision,” he said.

Castro alleged that a faction within PECO continues to resist and tries to mislead the public even if most of their shareholders have already sided with More Power.

BOC warns public vs extortionists

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Bureau of Customs on Sunday warned agency stakeholders to be wary of unscrupulous individuals using the agency to extort money.

Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero issued the warning after his men, in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation, arrested a former Customs employee during an entrapment operation in Malate, Manila.

“We will not tolerate extortion and all forms of corruption in the bureau,” said Guerrero.

The authorities temporarily withheld the name of the suspect, pending the arrest of his accomplices in the follow up operations being conducted by the Customs In-

telligence and Investigation Service.

Acting on a complaint lodged via the agency’s 8484 Text Hotline, the CIIS team was able to verify the information and conduct the entrapment operation against the man, who worked in the bureau as a non-contractual handyman in 2016.

Recovered from the suspect was a marked money used in the entrapment operation.

The suspect’s modus is to enter a negotiation with importers to facilitate the release of suspicious shipments placed by the bureau under alert.

The bureau’s Intelligence Group has invited for questioning a number of brokers, processors and importers who were victimized by the suspects to shed light on the matter.

CORN VENDORS. A couple arranges rows of corn to sell to motorists passing along Aguinaldo Highway, Barangay Lalaan 1 in Silang, Cavite on Aug. 9, 2020. JR Josue

MORE VIOLATORS. Residents, some of them not wearing face masks and not observing physical distancing, go out of their homes to ogle on a police operation conducted by members of the Cavite police, unmindful of the deadly effect of the contagious COVID-19. JR josue

Imee seeks probe on online child sexual abuse

By Macon Ramos-Araneta ALARMED over the spike in cases of child sexual abuse online since lockdowns were imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19, Senator Imee Marcos want the Senate to investigate this matter.

Citing reports from the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Marcos noted that such cases in March to May alone more than tripled to about 260,000 from a year

earlier.

She has filed Senate Resolution 487 to conduct an inquiry on why telecommunications firms and internet service providers were falling short of their duty by law to report such cases.

She also said telcos failed to install technology that detect and block the transmission of pictorial and live child pornography being sold online.

“What preventive measures have our telcos and ISPs taken to block avenues

of exploitation like online gaming, chat groups, phishing email and other unsolicited contact in social media? The government has relied more often on foreign authorities,” Marcos said.

“Europol, which is the European Union’s law enforcement agency, has already warned that sexual predators have also found their way to children via online learning applications,” Marcos added, just weeks before the country takes a big leap into online education.

CAAP probes metal debris in E. Samar

Declare Mt. Arayat as protected area

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will still have to determine whether the metal debris found in Eastern Samar last Aug. 6 is from an aircraft, spokesperson Eric Apolonio said Sunday.

“Our AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Board) will still have to investigate if the debris is from an aircraft. We cannot assume that it is a part of an aircraft because we haven’t recorded a plane crash in the recent months,” Apolonio told the Philippine News Agency.

He added that because Samar is currently on lockdown, the AAIB could not start the probe.

It would take time before our AAIB from Manila could get the LGU (local government unit) permits to go there,” he said.

Apolonio said the debris is currently under the custody of the military.

On Sunday, CAAP reported that several metal debris were found on Aug. 6 in Anuron Beach in the municipality of Mercedes, and by the shore in the municipality of Guiuan.

THE fabled mountain of Mount Arayat in Pampanga, a mystical hill in Negros Occdental and a watershed in Masbate, should be declared as “protected areas, said Sen. Cynthia Villar.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, filed separate bills to put these areas under government protection. She cited the need to amend Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act to include at least three areas in the Philippines.

“We have to put in place adequate conservation measures and appropriate management schemes to safeguard the biodiversity of ecologically rich and biologically important areas in our country so that present and future generations will continue to benefit from it,” she said.

Villar pushed for the declaration of

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Mount Arayat in Pampanga as a protected area in SB 1713. Mt. Arayat, formely known as “Bunduk Alaya” or “Eastern Mountain,” is a fabled mountain in the municipalities of Arayat and Magalang.

It has a height of 1,026 meters above sea level and is considered as an extinct stratovolcano.

Notable features include natural habitats of endemic and endangered flora and fauna; important source of water for domestic and agricultural use of the surrounding communities; clear water cascading from its waterfalls; and impressive rock formations.

It is home to 49 species of trees, 86 species of wild birds, 14 species of mammals, and 11 species of reptiles.

Also found here are threatened tree species such as Kamagong gubat, Tindalo, Kupang and Bangkal and endangered species such as Arayat Pitogo, Bitaog and Teak. The mountain is also home to the nearly threatened monkey species known as the Philippine macaque.

LGUs

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

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MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Growing hobby yields bounty of benefits GARDENING is one hobby that has become more popular during the coronavirus pandemic, with everyone advised to stay home and stay safe.

A quick search on social media will reveal a flourish of posts by “plantitos” and “plantitas” eager to show how their gardens are growing and encouraging others to discover their green thumbs.

It is more than a trend, though. Growing plants at home, especially fruit-bearing ones and vegetables, have social and environmental benefits.

To help get more people interested in gardening and raise awareness on food security, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and the Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) have co-produced ‘PLANTITO, PLANTITAS.’ Mitch Gatdula, Charlie Desales and JM Banzuela are just some of the home gardeners featured on the ‘Kalye Mabunga’ web series produced by Smart a web series called “Kalye Mabunga.” Communications and the Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI).

It can be viewed every Friday at 8 p.m. till September 25 at www.facebook.com/SmartCommunities.

The web series was produced in line with the government’s Plant, Plant, Plant campaign that encourages people to attain food security at the household level by making available healthy, nutritious food in their own homes.

It is supported by the Department of Education, Bangsamoro Development AgenCALOOCAN City Councilor Orvince cy, PLDT-Smart’s Gabay Kalikasan, and Howard A. Hernandez has urged baTV5’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. rangay officials to up the ante in their Topics covered include the kinds of efforts to prevent community spread vegetable, fruit, and herbs that thrive in of COVID-19 as society is heading todavits of complaints against Carub last

By Brenda Jocson an urban setting; garden maintenance; ward the “new normal.”

July 20 at the PPO. recycling used materials into gardening Hernandez specifically proposed In an earlier radio interview, Carub AYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Six more women vegetable supplies; and using plants for art prothat every barangay in Caloocan City defended himself, saying the applicafarmers from Villaverde town have joined 16 others in filing an tions for the loans from several agenjects – all suitable even for children. should have designated common trash estafa charge against Provincial Board Member Roland Carub As the following seasoned gardenbins or disposal areas for used face cies were processed by Cebu Co-op, ers will attest, the rewards they reap and several others with the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office here. masks, face shields, and other person“but the government procedures are from gardening far outweigh the time, al protective equipment (PPEs) as part very slow, that’s why until now the effort, and minimal investment. of the sustainable measure to protect The six women, all members of TIBIK Apart from Carub, included in the com- loans are not yet granted.”

Michelle Gatdula says that since she residents from COVID-19.

(Timpuyog Ti Babbalasang Idi Kalman, plaint are Arsenio B. Marinas -- the muNueva Vizcaya Governor Carlos went into urban farming in 2016, she “Make no mistake about it. The new an Ilocano phrase that translates to “As- nicipal agriculturist of Villaverde town Padilla and the Provincial Board or and her family have an unlimited supnormal does not mean COVID-19 is sociation of Ladies in an Earlier Sea- also in Nueva Vizcaya -- and Estrella Ma- Sangguniang Panlalawigan have yet to ply of fruits and veggies. “The gardencompletely gone. That’s why as early son”), filed their sworn statements and rinas, Nora Reyes, Rosalia Aliste, Cely issue statements on the matter. to-table approach has been great for as now, we should start setting up complaints with the PPO on August 4.

Valdez, and a certain Army and James.

Zenaida Tayaban, TIBIK Chapter us,” says the time,” the Manila-based common trash containers or designatThey are accusing Carub and officers The others are staffers of the Cebu Co- President from Barangay Sawmill in HR Manager says. ing isolated areas in barangays solely of the Cebu Multi-Purpose Cooperative op, with office address at 29 Yogad St., Villaverde town, told the Standard the When the metropolis was locked down for the disposal of used face masks, Solano Branch of swindling them of Carub Building, Brgy. Quirino in Solano, six new women farmers filed their comin March, she missed the outdoors, “so face, shield, and other PPEs,” Hernanfunds in the guise of membership fees Nueva Vizcaya, a structure owned by the plaints after hearing Carub say on Rawe created a scenery indoors that’s close dez said. in the cooperative so they could secure provincial board member’s family. dio Veritas-Bayombong on July 28 that to my heart.” Now also into ornamental A strict policy should be enforced loans from several government agenThe 16 members of TIBIK’s Amba- Cebu Co-op would release the loans to plants, she has built an “indoor jungle”. prohibiting unauthorized persons cies, which never developed. guio Chapter had filed their sworn affi- their group, which did not happen. from going to or near these disposal areas, added the councilor, who represents the federation of youth councils in Caloocan.

“We need to ensure that these used materials are kept in a specific container or area because we are unsure if they have traces of the virus. Isn’t it that we use face masks and shields to block the virus from entering our noses or mouths, or land on our faces so we’re not affected by COVID-19,” FORMER congressman Seth Frederick he said.

“Bullet” Jalosjos has filed an urgent moHe appealed to Caloocan residents tion to review at the Department of Justo cooperate and support this undertice for a kidnapping charge he is facing. taking “because the issue of protecJalosjos and his cousin Allan Jalosjos tion against COVID-19 is everybody’s were charged for the kidnapping of Rosconcern.” ita Jalosjos and Milagros Ceriales. RosMayor Oca Malapitan had earita is Bullet’s aunt and Allan’s mother. lier urged his constituents to adhere Bullet Jalosjos previously representto the proper disposal of garbage in ed Zamboanga del Norte in the House Caloocan City, and that a segregaof Representatives. tion scheme should observed in every His lawyers filed an urgent motion household and barangay. Jun David to quash information and to defer the TOP COPS. Officers and staff of the Quezon City Police District pose after they were adjudged as the Best Police District during the 119th Police Service Anniversary Celebration in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City. arrest warrant issued by a Dipolog City court on the same day it was issued, on July 29.

Judge Jose Rene Dondoyano Regional Trial Court Branch 6 in Dipolog City THE Quezon City Police District was Capital Region Police Office Director as Best Unit for their Accomplishment Meanwhile, the following individual ordered the prosecution to comment on adjudged as the Best Police District and PMGen Debold M Sinas presented the in Project Double Barrel (Numbered awards were presented to PLtCol. Terthe motion within 10 days, according to also bagged eight other unit and indi- much-coveted awards, said QCPD Di- Police Station Level) and as Best Num- esita V Escamillan as Best Junior Police an online news report. vidual awards during the 119th Police rector, PBGen. Ronnie S Montejo. bered Police Station, Commissioned Officer for AdministraThe case originates from a March Service Anniversary Celebration in Montejo said the QCPD also bagged • Recognition for the Unit with the tion, PCpl. Mark Anthony R Rigor as 2019 incident when Rosita and Milagros Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig the following unit awards: Most Number of Firearms Confiscated the Best Junior Police Non-Commiswere brought to Mandaue City by a cerCity.

• Best Unit for their Accomplishment (Police District Level), sioned Officer for Administration, and tain Isidro Colot. Allan sought Bullet’s No less than the Chief of the Phil- in Project Double Barrel (Police Dis• Payatas PCP of Batasan Police Sta- NUP Willy Meneses Santos for Best help to locate Rosita and Milagros and ippine National Police, PGen Archie trict Level), tion (PS 6) as Best Police Community Non-Uniformed Personnel (Superviwere eventually brought to Dakak in Francisco F Gamboa, and National • Kamuning Police Station (PS 10) Precinct. sory Level).

Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.

More women farmers file raps vs. BM Carub

Youth councilor pushes trash bins for masks, PPEs

B

Jalosjos files urgent motion to review case

QCPD bags Best Police District award, 8 unit and individual citations

SNAP Benguet holds virtual info drive on dams

FOR THEIR INFO. SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet’s virtual info drive starts with the distribution of flyers—with proper observance of physical distancing and protective gear requirements—and posting of links to information videos on a streaming platform.

SN ABOITIZ Power-Benguet, the National Power Corp. (NPC), and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.

(PSALM) recently conducted their annual public information drive (PID) on Ambuklao and Binga Dams and Reservoir Operations—but there was something different this year.

The information drive, now on its 9th year, deviated from the traditional physical gathering and was instead done virtually, consistent with national and local regulations on social distancing and other COVID-19 measures.

It started on August 1, with the distribution of flyers (with proper observance of physical distancing and protective gear requirements) and posting of links to information videos on a streaming platform.

The annual PID is conducted to promote safety and preparedness through greater awareness on the dam discharge warning protocol, emergency action plan, flood forecasting and

warning, and radio communication network involved in operation of Ambuklao and Binga dams and reservoirs.

The PID covers barangays Ambuklao, Dalupirip, and Tinongdan and the municipalities of Bokod and Itogon.

Safety is one of SNAP-Benguet’s core values, and together with its partners, they remain committed to this value through safety campaigns even during this unprecedented COVID-19 situation.

“Community safety is a major component of SNAP’s corporate social responsibility program,” said SN Aboitiz Power Vice President for Corporate Affairs Mike C. Hosillos.

“The videos we have produced on the warning protocol during dam discharge is our continuing commitment to our communities to enhance awareness during emergency situations. With these videos, we hope to reach a wider audience in the concerned areas and raise the level of preparedness of our communities in these events,” he added.

Opinion Let it go SO I SEE LITO BANAYO THAT report of the biggest contraction of the economy, by 16.5 percent in the second quarter when we were on varying degrees of lockdowns, came as a jolt from out of the long dark night of this pandemic.

Getting rid of some albatrosses in the current government would give the people some hope.

Everyone expected figures lower than the first quarter, but 16.5 percent was way too low. And even the most optimistic can no longer accept assurances from our economic managers that the worst is over and there would be a bounce upward by this third quarter. Truth is, these are also the “lean months” when agricultural production is down, and food prices are up due to logistical problems brought about by heavy rains, floods and typhoons.

It is good that agriculture rose by 1.6 perent in the second quarter, which should be a good sign after a long drought in agricultural performance, mostly man-made, as in caused not just

by El Nino or other climate disturbances, but by official indifference, neglect and incoherent policies. Mercifully, the President had put a new man to the task, and over the last year which was his first, policies and programs have become sensible. We can only pray that these are sustained over the long haul, especially in these difficult times.

Everything else went southwards, with manufacturing down by negative 23 percent and services by negative 16 percent. This is directly traceable to the lockdowns in the most productive regions of the country, particularly NCR and Regions 3 and 4. Now with the pandemic getting worse by the day, relief is not around the corner. Not this year anyway, and not until a vaccine is produced and available. Neither does a strong peso bring any satisfaction to people whose remittances from family working abroad have been shaved off two or three pesos to the dollar, nor would such exchange rate have much impact on inflation.

Certainly, not until the vaccine comes around would people come out and celebrate.

Until then, recession will continue to depression. *** It must be so depressing even to the

HOURS before President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivered his yearly State of the Nation Address, an unexpected scuffle happened in Quiapo’s Basilica of the Black Nazarene. Police officers were reported to have forcibly snatched protest placards from a group of churchgoers during a Mass for Justice and Peace organized by Bishop Broderick Pabillo, currently the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila.

Such “blatant display of police arrogance” was immediately condemned on social media, especially with growing concerns raised with the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law. Senator Risa Hontiveros, who was present during the mass, even threatened to file cases against the police.

But condemnation over the actions of the police was eventually drowned by expressions of disapproval saying that exhibiting protest materials during mass was simply out of place. Churches are supposedly to be houses of prayer that provide people a respite from divisive partisan po-

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

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EDITORIAL

people in the palace, especially to the President who bears the brunt of wondering how in God’s name we can give relief to a suffering people driven to hunger and despair about their immediate future.

With an economy among the most robust in Asia, a turn-around in the internecine strife in Mindanao, a military in high spirits, and the highest approval rating for all presidents since surveys became quarterly public, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte never expected this calamity to hit his government in the last two years of his administration.

Nightly, or rather daily, he must be in solitary communion with the Maker, beseeching for answers as he leads the nation in a crisis like no other in all of 75 years. Like 90 percent or more of the population who have not been through the less than four-year ordeal of the Pacific War, the dispiritedness was never like this. Even when our economic bubble and our debt payment problems overwhelmed Marcos at the same time Ninoy Aquino was assassinated, and the economy contracted by more than 10 percent, the national spirit was never this bad.

And pinning our hopes purely on the discovery and availability of a vaccine is not helping people who must suffer through the daily grind of hardships inflicted by the pandemic. Neither do they see the prospects of early relief, with small- and medium-scale businesses, the biggest collective employers, closing down one after the other, unable to withstand the severity of economic lockdowns. *** This isn’t unsolicited advice to the leadership, and it came to me last Saturday night when I was listening to the Spotify collection in my playlist where I lump music from Hollywood movies and the musicals of Broadway and West End. Maybe it would add to some measure of hope if he let go of some albatrosses in the current government. “Let it go, let it go. Can’t hold it back anymore,” says the hit song from Walt Disney’s Frozen.

If the pandemic will not yet go soon enough, it would give the public some measure of relief, or hope that things would be better managed, if the President let go of some health officials.

In truth, even these health managers may be feeling the pressure of public disapproval, and the onus of being unable to correct earlier mistakes.

Such an act of letting go will not necessarily make the pandemic go; the pestilence still lingers, and grows world-wide. Still, the feeling that “change is coming” would at least assuage public trepidation and fears, and as is the wont of the human spirit, “hope springs eternal” may yet come to the national psyche.

Make “Let it go” freeze away the rumblings of “Do you hear the people sing?” from the pathos of Les Miserables.

Fighting back for the Catholic vote THE FIFTH GOSPEL JUDE ACIDRE

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

litical posturing.

Later on, Rev. Fr. Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of Quiapo Church, explained that it was the guards and staff of the church who brought the group’s misdemeanor to the attention of the police. They already asked the protesters to hide their placards and flyers, but these requests were blatantly defied, in an attempt to get media attention to their supposedly “lighting rally.” That was when the police came in.

Ironically, the said protestors belonged to Akbayan Citizens Party, a progressive political group that has long advocated legislative measures. This group is at odds with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church on artificial contraception, divorce and same-sex marriage. Formerly the three-term party-list representative of Akbayan in the House of Representatives, Senator Hontiveros was one of the staunchest advocates for the Reproductive Health Act, even criticizing the call by a number of Catholic bishops for “civil disobedience” against the measure.

Senator Hontiveros’ presence during the said mass was, to say the least, far too removed from her anti-Catholic position during the RH debates.

It seems like that many of these progressive groups find no problem working with the Church, whenever it suits their political

Fury after the blasts “O

The police have stepped in to contain the protesters, but the situation continues to be tense. Indeed such a tragedy could not have occurred at a worse time, when people are reeling from a health crisis as well as an economic meltdown.

The events in Beirut are not far removed from us here. At least four Filipinos died and 42 were injured from the blasts. The rest of the Filipino workers there face even more uncertain days—if they had not lost their overseas jobs because of the virus, they just might do so now. And once they hurdle the long and difficult process of coming home amid the pandemic, they face prospects of joblessness in an economy that contracted by 16.5 percent the previous quarter.

We can imagine the rage and frustration of the Lebanese over a disaster that could have been prevented. Life was already difficult as it was. We commiserate with them as we are reminded that there is no such thing as an accident—the sins of negligence, ineptitude and even indecision can also have deadly consequences.

Sadly, we know that all too well in this country, too.

The explosion was caused by more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate at a warehouse at the port. The chemical is widely used as fertilizer but is also used in making explosives. Authorities are still investigating the proximate cause of the blasts, and even whether some groups are responsible.

UR own government killed us. Our own government left us to die,” a woman who occupied the Foreign Ministry building in Beirut told the BBC in an interview.

Negligence and ineptitude can have fatal consequences.

The Lebanese are expressing their outrage over two explosions, with the second immensely more powerful than the first, that occurred at the port of Beirut on Tuesday. Some 158 people died, more than 6,000 were injured, and dozens more are missing. An estimated 300,000 people lost their homes and the damage to buildings and infrastructure has gone up to the billions of dollars.

The United States Geological Survey characterized the blast as a seismic event of magnitude 3.3. It was reportedly felt in Turkey, Syria, Israel as well as parts of Europe, and was heard in Cyprus which was more than 250 kilometers away from the port.

Nonetheless, people are angry because no safety measures were implemented by the government given the presence of the chemicals, allowed to sit in the warehouse for six years.

The same woman said: “We used to be afraid, but now, we have nothing to lose.”

Prior to the blasts, Lebanon has been suffering from an economic crisis, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic which, like in most places in other parts of the world, has overwhelmed hospitals.

The ‘oligarchy’ smoke screen that highly regulated operators must “satisfy”—or else.

Relating to the President’s populist tactic of demonizing the biggest business groups, Dean Mendoza rightly pointed out that “size in competition policy is not necessarily a bad thing. If you use size to promote innovation, if you use size to promote export market growth and generate jobs, size does have its advantages, and we need some of those advantages from a development point of view.”

OPEN THOUGHTS ORLANDO OXALES ONE of the President’s most quoted digressing remarks during his penultimate SONA, an expected element every time he speaks in public, was his renewed tirades against the two telcos, threatening to “expropriate” their operations because of, “less-than-ideal service that the public is getting” and reprising his anti-oligarch theme.

In another public statement, he claimed that he had single-handedly destroyed the “oligarchs” without deploying the martial forces at his command. What an amazing and revolutionary feat that no one in the world has achieved, if it were true.

When it comes to complex political dynamics, the best source of sound analyses are always the experts. Fortunately, there was a virtual town hall discussion last Thursday organized Stratbase ADR Institute, Democracy Watch Philippines and Transparency International Philippines where an excellent panel of the country’s top political analysts had an engaging discussion on the “Continuing Political Development Toward a Better (New) Normal: Making Public Institutions Matter.”

The dean of the Ateneo School of Government, Dr. Ronald Mendoza, defined oligarchy as a small group of powerful individuals or groups that can shape society as it is in politics or in economics. A description that indeed fits political dynasties which I agree with since this concentration of political power is quite obvious in our country.

Their control on regulatory policies directly creates risks or opportunities to industry players, depending on whether one is an ally or competitor. A position of power

agenda, but are only too quick to criticize and even condemn the Church at the next opportunity. It reminds us of how the previous Aquino administration capitalized on the support of some Catholic bishops, only for President Benigno Aquino to betray the Church’s trust and aggressively push for the passage of the Reproductive Health Act, even pressuring a number of anti-RH legislators to conveniently absent themselves during the voting. Had they been present on the floor, the RH bill would have been lost.

The bishops cannot always relegate to the laity the task of leading the country’s political transformation.

Its defeat during the RH debates reveals that while the Church may exert influence on the socio-economic issues of the day, it has lost control on the outcomes of democratic politics. This was later on affirmed in 2016 with the election of President Duterte and with the landslide electoral success of administration allies in the 2019 elections, despite the prodding to the contrary of some Catholic bishops.

It seems that the time may have come for the Catholic Church to re-examine its role and participation in Philippine politics.

(sic), then that is an indication of a political market failure.”

Dr. Teehankee stated: “One president’s oligarchy is another president’s crony...This system is perpetuated in collusion with the elite of power or the political class, and in the Philippines, the political class is largely composed of political dynasties.”

“If you just target one or two families and then you ignore the others, if you don’t consider totally changing what is wrong with the structure and the system, then that is not reform, that is simply partisan politics,” said Teehankee.

So true. We have lived through the martial law years of Marcos where the ruling class of political and industrial elite were forcibly removed and taken over by his own cohort of cronies. It looks like we never learned from history and it’s happening again.

The experts clearly refute the President’s claim of defeating the oligarchy. His two targets may be the biggest business leaders, but like all of us, are subject to the laws and policies made by the political oligarchy of some two hundred families who have been in political power for at least two decades.

Dr. Teehankee articulated what I felt was the common sentiment of the esteemed forum panelists. “If the President, or even the Speaker is genuine about the dismantling of the oligarchy...then he should start in his own backyard, the House of Representatives, and start to pass a genuine anti-political dynasty law.” A law that prevents the concentration, consolidation, or perpetuation of political power by persons related to one another.

We are still waiting for a clear direction to address the raging health and economic crisis because of the coronavirus. The focus must be on real solutions and uniting the people instead of alienating the private sector who at the end of the day, will be the front line drivers who will invest, take the risk, and create jobs to save our economy from total ruin.

We are still waiting for a clear direction to address the raging health and economic crisis.

In the context of the pandemic, Dean Mendoza said: “Rather than directly address the health crisis in a timely and decisive manner, some of our leaders burn precious weeks focused on highly divisive issues: the Anti-Terrorism Law, and the failure to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.”

He warned that abuse of regulatory powers, especially in the case of franchises will attract less investments and the wrong kind of investments; those that disregard institutions, contracts, and rule of law.

Dr. Julio Teehankee, Full Professor of Political Science and former Dean of the De la Salle University College of Liberal Arts, further reinforced Dean Mendoza’s discussion saying that, “In economics, if ever there is a monopoly or an oligopoly, more often than not this is considered to be a market failure. The same can be said of our political market...If a handful of families have managed to control all elected and appointed positions, in practically all the local government positions and national

The Church is definitely not oblivious to the political realities that surround its faithful. In fact, following the election of President Duterte, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines elected as its Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, a pragmatic choice considering his warm personal relationship with the President’s family. Nonetheless, President Duterte’s relations with the Catholic Church hierarchy remained tense and controversial, with the President refusing to mince words when criticizing not only the Church leadership, but even its teachings and practices.

But what is true is that, like critics before him, the Catholic Church will definitely outlive the President, and it will continue as before to play an important role in Filipino society. What is unsure, however, is whether or not such influence will extend to the people’s political choices.

Clearly, the passage of the Reproductive Health Act signals a rethinking in the ways the Church engages with the political society. Prior to it, the Church’s role in political engagement was clear—absolute in matters of faith and morals, while remaining issue-based in terms of temporal and distinctively civil issues. Thus until then, there was never a need for a strong Catholic political presence. The situation changed with the RH law, when civil legislation, at least from the Church’s perspective, encroached on the boundaries of morality and impinged on the sanctity of human life and the stability of marriage. Sadly, despite its towering role in the restoration of Philippine democracy, the Church found itself helpless as the President and other politicians voted in favor of the RH

law in open defiance to the Church’s position.

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines presented a good rule of thumb, “that pastors have competence in the moral principles governing politics, and that laity have competence in active and direct partisan politics.” Partisan politics have the tendency to weaken the Church’s spiritual authority and because of its highly divisive nature, to damage the unity that its bishops and clergy represent.

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US begins highest-level Taiwan visit A

SENIOR member of US President Donald Trump’s administration landed in Taiwan Sunday for Washington’s highest level visit since switching diplomatic recognition to China in 1979, a trip Beijing has condemned.

Twitter, TikTok discuss potential combination TWITTER is in preliminary discussions for a possible combination with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, after US President Donald Trump said he would ban the app, calling it a threat to national security.

Trump declared Thursday that the popular Chinese video app TikTok and social network WeChat “threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

In an executive order, Trump gave Americans 45 days to stop doing business with the platforms, effectively setting a deadline for a sale of TikTok by its Chinese parent firm ByteDance.

He has also demanded that a significant portion of the sale go to the US Treasury.

Microsoft has been the primary suitor for TikTok, saying it was in talks to buy the company’s US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand operations.

The Financial Times reported Thursday that Microsoft has expanded negotiations and was now after the app’s entire global operations.

As a smaller company, Twitter would have a long-shot bid for TikTok, but the social media platform believes it would come under less antitrust scrutiny than larger corporations such as Microsoft, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the talks.

Twitter, however, would likely need the support of other investors to complete the combination.

While Twitter does allow for the sharing of videos, most posts contain short text messages and photos or GIFs. In 2012 Twitter acquired the platform Vine, which allowed users to share short videos, but shut down the service in 2016. AFP

Doves fly during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, at the Nagasaki Peace Park on August 9, 2020. AFP

Nagasaki marks 75 years since atomic bombing THE Japanese city of Nagasaki on Sunday commemorated the 75th anniversary of its destruction by a US atomic bomb, with its mayor and the head of the United Nations warning against a nuclear arms race.

Nagasaki was flattened in an atomic inferno three days after Hiroshima – twin nuclear attacks that rang in the nuclear age and gave Japan the bleak distinction of being the only country to be struck by atomic weapons.

Survivors, their relatives and a handful of foreign dignitaries attended a remembrance ceremony in Nagasaki where they called for world peace.

Participants offered a silent prayer at 11:02 am (0402 GMT), the time the second and last nuclear weapon used in wartime was dropped over the city.

“The true horror of nuclear weapons has not yet been adequately conveyed to

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

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

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

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

EIGHT FLOOR A0823 STUDIO + BALCONY 22.00

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

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

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

Mandaluyong City, Philippines, July 20, 2020.

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

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

the world at large” despite decades of effort by survivors telling of their “hellish experience,” Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue said in a speech afterwards.

“If, as with the novel coronavirus – which we did not fear until it began to spread among our immediate surroundings – humanity does not become aware of the threat of nuclear weapons until they are used again, we will find ourselves in an irrevocable predicament.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a message read by his undersecretary Izumi Nakamitsu, warned that “the prospect of nuclear weapons being used intentionally, by accident or miscalculation, is dangerously high.”

“The historic progress in nuclear disarmament is in jeopardy... This alarming trend must be reversed,” he said.

The number of participants in this year’s ceremony was reduced to roughly

one tenth the figure in previous years due to coronavirus fears, with proceedings broadcast live online in Japanese and English.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe refreshed his pledge that Japan would lead “the international community’s efforts towards the realisation of a nuclear-free world.”

Terumi Tanaka, 88, who survived the Nagasaki bombing when he was 13 at his house on a hillside, remembers the moment everything went white with a flash of light, and the aftermath.

“I saw many people with terrible burns and wounds evacuating ... people who were already dead in a primary schoolturned shelter,” Tanaka told AFP in a recent interview, saying his two aunts died.

Atomic bomb survivors “believe that the world must abandon nuclear arms because we never want younger generations to experience the same thing,” he said. AFP

During the three-day visit Health Secretary Alex Azar will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, an advocate for Taiwan being recognized as a sovereign nation who is loathed by China’s leaders.

Azar is the most senior cabinet member to visit Taiwan in decades and it comes as relations between the world’s two biggest economic powers plunge to historic lows.

In recent days, Trump has ordered sweeping restrictions on popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat and the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Hong Kong’s leader over a tough law that curbs dissent.

Washington has billed the Taiwan trip as an opportunity to learn from the island’s fight against the coronavirus and to celebrate its progressive values.

“This trip is a recognition of Taiwan’s success in combating COVID-19 and a testament to the shared beliefs that open and democratic societies are best equipped to combating disease threats like COVID-19,” a health and human services department official told reporters ahead of the visit.

Beijing balks at any recognition of self-ruled Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory and vows to one day seize, by force if necessary.

Last week it described Azar’s visit as a threat to “peace and stability,” while China’s defense minister warned against Washington making any “dangerous moves.”

As well as meeting Tsai, Azar will hold talks with his counterpart Chen Shihchung and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. He will also meet coronavirus experts and give a speech to public health students as well as alumni of a training programme with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Taiwan has become a poster child for defeating the coronavirus thanks to a well-honed track and tracing programme as well as firm border controls.

Despite its proximity and economic links to China it has recorded fewer than 500 infections and seven deaths. AFP

Port blast crater 43 meters deep —security exec THE huge chemical explosion that hit Beirut’s port, devastating large parts of the Lebanese capital and claiming over 150 lives, left a 43-meter deep crater, a security official said Sunday.

The blast Tuesday, which was felt across the county and as far as the island of Cyprus, was recorded by the sensors of the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS) as having the power of a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

It was triggered by a fire in a port warehouse, where a huge shipment of hazardous ammonium nitrate, a chemical that can be used as a fertiliser or as an explosive, had languished for years, according to authorities.

The huge blast also wounded at least 6,000 people and displaced more than 300,000 from their destroyed or damaged homes.

The revelation that the chemicals had languished for years like a ticking time-bomb in the heart of the capital has served as shocking proof to many Lebanese of the rot at the core of the state apparatus.

Demonstrators on Sunday called for renewed anti-government rallies after a night of angry protests saw them storm several ministries before they were expelled by the army.

It was a new tactic for a protest movement that emerged last October to demand the removal of a political class long accused of being inept and corrupt.

“The explosion in the port left a crater 43 meters deep,” the Lebanese security official told AFP, citing assessments by French experts working in the disaster area.

The crater is much larger than the one left by the enormous blast in 2005 that killed former prime minister Rafic Hariri, which measured 10 meters across and two metres deep, according to an international tribunal investigating his murder. AFP

RESCUE. Lebanese basketball star Fadi al-Khatib carries a wounded demonstrator away from clashes in downtown Beirut on August 8, 2020, following a demonstration against a political leadership they blame for a monster explosion that killed more than 150 people and disfigured the capital Beirut. AFP

Canadian brewer apologizes for naming beer‘pubic hair’in Maori A CANADIAN brewery has apologized for naming one of its beers after the Maori term for “pubic hair,” and not “feather” as it had intended, CBC reported.

Hell’s Basement Brewery in Alberta province launched its Huruhuru (The Feather) New Zealand pale ale two years ago, using the Maori term they believed meant feather to reflect its light citrus taste for a summer brew.

But earlier this week Maori former

TV personality Te Hamua Nikora posted a Facebook video to explain “huruhuru” was more commonly used in Te Reo Maori to refer to pubic hair, and said it would have been prudent and respectful to have consulted an expert on the language.

Brewery founder Mike Patriquin said they did not intend to offend anyone.

“We acknowledge that we did not consider the commonplace use of the term huruhuru as a reference to pubic hair, and

that consultation with a Maori representative would have been a better reference than online dictionaries,” he said in a statement to CBC. “We wish to make especially clear that it was not our intent to infringe upon, appropriate, or offend the Maori culture or people in any way; to those who feel disrespected, we apologize.”

Patriquin said the brewery intended to rename the offending brew. AFP

At least 30 dead in South Korea as rain triggers landslides, floods LANDSLIDES and flooding triggered by days of heavy rain in South Korea have left at least 30 people dead and 12 missing, officials said Sunday, warning of more downpours.

Torrential rain has wreaked havoc across the country since the beginning of the month, but nearly half of the deaths occurred in the past three days, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Since Friday more than 3,700 people

have been displaced from their homes after flooding in the country’s hardest-hit southern region.

In all, nearly 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes across the country this month, with about 4,600 of them staying at temporary shelters.

Among the victims was a man in his 80s who was found dead after he was buried in a landslide with his tractor. A 61-year-old man and a 59-year-old wom-

an were killed after their home was swallowed by a landslide.

Authorities have issued landslide warnings for 24 regions. At least 667 landslides have been reported so far in August.

More heavy rain is expected to cause further damage in flood-hit areas as Typhoon Jangmi, the season’s fifth typhoon, is forecast to strike the southern region from Monday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. AFP

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Stock market poised to trade below 6,000 S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to remain below the 6,000-point level as concerns over the impact of the prolonged pandemic on the domestic economy continue to weigh on the market.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said the index would continue to trade in a narrow range, with investors cautious about the recovery of the economy given the increase in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections.

“Moves to raise hospitality capacity and isolation zones would help appease concerns on the local economy’s ability to handle COVID-19, in light of calls to have more industries re-opened,” the brokerage firm said.

“Given this, it might take time before economic numbers reverse to positive terrain, unless strategic plans on health infrastructure support are outlined while waiting for vaccines,” it added.

The worse-than-expected second-quarter gross domestic product data is magnified by the steep decline in second quarter-earnings of listed companies.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week fell 1.4 percent to 5,846.02 after the government reported GDP in the second quarter of the year contracted 16.5 percent from a year ago.

Three out of six sectoral indices closed higher during the week, led by mining and oil which rose 5.7 percent, industrial which climbed 3.3 percent and services which added 3 percent.

Property dropped 3.5 percent, while holding

firms and financial declined 2.9 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.

Foreign selling accelerated to P8.9 billion, while the average daily value traded hit P7 billion.

Weekly top price gainers included Universal Robina Corp., which advanced 10.6 percent to P135.40, Century Pacific Food Inc., which rose 9.1 percent to P15.80, and International Container Terminal Services Inc., which climbed 7.6 percent to P103.90.

Weekly top price losers were Robinsons Land Corp., which dropped 10.3 percent to P13.80, GT Capital Holdings Inc., which declined 8.7 percent to P400.60, and 8990 Holdings Inc., which fell by 7.7 percent to P8.16.

Meanwhile, Wall Street stocks finished mixed Friday, with the Nasdaq retreating from records, following data showing the US economy adding jobs as US-Chinese tensions mount and a standoff over fresh stimulus continues.

The monthly US non-farm payrolls market report had been eagerly awaited as the first important indication of how a recent surge in infections that has sparked a second round of business closures has affected the economy.

The report showed that the US economy added 1.8 million jobs in July, far fewer than in May and June, but more than economists had been expecting.

Meanwhile the unemployment rate fell to 10.2 percent from 11.1 percent, also better than consensus expectations.

However that still leaves the unemployment rate at slightly worse than the depth of the global financial crisis in October 2009 and fewer than half of the 22 million payroll jobs lost during the pandemic have been regained.

The employment report “can fairly be labeled better than feared,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick J. O’Hare. With AFP

Making Magic ON A “normal” year, early August, for business academics (about 10,000 of us) PIA T. meant attending the Academy of Management MANALASTAS (AOM) Annual Meeting. Over the past three years, I was able to participate in the Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston meetings. I was looking forward to this year’s meeting in Vancouver, Canada. But, like most events this pandemic year, AOM, on its 80th year, has gone virtual.

From August 7 to 11, thousands of attendees from 83 countries are participating in the firstever virtual Annual Meeting by gathering online to attend hundreds of sessions, discuss academic research and attend meetings. I wish all my fellow academics a great conference, but unfortunately, I will not be with them this year.

However, I did participate in the planning and hosting of the retreat of my United Nations Principles for Responsible Management (PRME) Working Group on the Sustainability Mindset. A yearly tradition of gathering members from around the world, this retreat allowed us to meet face-to-face, rekindle friendships, and share stories of our sustainability journeys. Typically you a few days before the AOM annual meeting, this retreat was also held virtually. With the theme, Making Magic, the 2020 retreat spanned the globe with presenters sharing their work, research and interests in a nearly 24-hour, global event.

The sessions, classified as head, heart, hands, and fun, started with a sunrise welcoming ceremony in three time zones, Asia-Oceana, Europe-Africa and Americas (NY). I happily hosted the first welcoming session by welcoming members and two of my colleagues to the retreat. I opened the session with a Pope Francis’ A Prayer for Our Earth, taken from his encyclical, Laudato Si. While he wrote it five years ago, the prayer still resonates (and probably even more so today) with everyone whose lives have changed because of this pandemic. Here are a few lines from this prayer: Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.

In all, the retreat had 24 fellow members presenting 30 sessions. Some of the head sessions included Engaging students to integrate mind, body and heart, The Renaissance Mindsets: Sustainability Lessons from Past Pandemics, and Business In Nature; a new proposal for Corporate Sustainability in the 21st Century. The heart sessions covered topics on Yoga, Arts, Aesthetics and Management Education and Sound Meditation. The hand sessions featured topics like The Sustainability Mindset Toolkit and Leadership for Sustainability. Because the retreat usually ends with food, fun and fellowship, we had to incorporate fun sessions such as An Italian Aperitivo, Karaoke Night and The fun of cross-cultural connections in the classroom, connections.

Aside from the events I hosted, I was able to attend the session that promised that developing a sustainable mindset can be fun. I was attracted to this session, which promised to explore various topics around sustainability, because I am looking for new techniques to keep my fully online Sustainable Management students engaged. The session was run by Ana Simaens from her home in Lisbon, Portugal, and introduced the attendees to the use of PLAYMOBILpro, which is an innovative modeling kit for professionals that encourages problem-solving and creative thinking in the workplace. She presented how she used play in drawing out ideas and scenarios on Responsible Leadership and Education for Sustainability. The outputs of the participants were creative and insightful. The narrative that accompanied the created dioramas showed that the groups achieved some of the goals of a good experiential learning experience: applying knowledge, increased teamwork and communication and visible accomplishment.

Another session I attended was the call to establish a Student Sustainability Club. While the retreat was limited to members, this session was opened to students. It was hosted by Ayako Huang, from her home in Fairfield, Iowa. This session attended by students from the Philippines, US and Russia proposed the creation of a club for students to share their sustainability research, learning and practices. My students were excited at the opportunity to meet and network with fellow students!

To end my night (at 1 a.m. Manila time), I attended the Italian Aperitivo session that promised great conversation on food, culture and sustainability. The host, Beate Klingenberg, meet us with wine and cheese from her home in Florence, Italy. I participated with my drink of choice, Baileys on the rocks. As promised, this session did generate wonderful conversations.

I started my day early to attend Julia Storberg-Walker’s Storytelling: Equity, justice, responsibility, and ethics in the view of COVID and BLM. From her home in Virginia, USA, we shared stories of how we started on our sustainability journey. We also reflected on the challenge of bringing the burning issues of the day into the classroom.

I applaud my fellow members of the Magic Team, Isabel, Ekaterina, Julia, Beate, Ayako and Martine. I will miss the weekly meetings that brought me out of my room in Makati to meet with all of you in your rooms in the US, Russia, Italy, and Germany. We truly made magic!

Green Light

Manila

PSEi August 7, 2020

Manila ALLIED Standard ALLIED CARE CARE EXPERTS EXPERTS (ACE) (ACE) MEDICAL MEDICAL CENTER CENTER -- BUTUAN, BUTUAN, INC. INC. Standard TODAY Ochoa Ochoa Ave. Ave. Corner Corner Villanueva Villanueva Ext. Ext. Butuan Butuan City City

TODAY

TOP GAINERS

(085) (085) 815-4874/0933-051-6947/0917-703-3655 815-4874/0933-051-6947/0917-703-3655 acemcbutuan@gmail.com acemcbutuan@gmail.com /www.acebutuan.com.ph /www.acebutuan.com.ph Always Always Caring Caring with with Excellence Excellence Member of ACE Group Member of ACE Group of of Hospitals Hospitals

NOTICE OF OF THE THE ANNUAL ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS STOCKHOLDERS MEETING MEETING NOTICE OF OF ALLIED CARE CARE EXPERTS EXPERTS (ACE) (ACE) MEDICAL MEDICAL CENTERCENTERALLIED BUTUAN INC. INC. BUTUAN

DEAR STOCKHOLDERS: STOCKHOLDERS: DEAR Please Please take take notice notice that that the the Annual Annual Meeting Meeting of of Stockholders Stockholders of of Allied Allied Care Care Experts Experts (ACE) (ACE) Medical Medical Center Center -- Butuan Butuan Inc. Inc. will will be be held held on August 27, 2020, Thursday, at 8:00 in the morning; the meeting will on August 27, 2020, Thursday, at 8:00 in the morning; the meeting will be be conducted conducted via via Zoom Zoom Meeting Meeting and and Facebook Facebook Live.

Live. Kindly Kindly register register thru thru the the following following link, link, on on or or before before August August 20, 20, 2020, 2020, to to enable enable you you to to participate in in the the meeting: meeting: participate bit.ly/ACEButuanASM bit.ly/ACEButuanASM

TOP LOSERS

The The link link will will provide provide you you access access to to the the Facebook Facebook Group Group exclusive exclusive to to stockholders stockholders of of ACE ACE Medical Medical Center Center -- Butuan, Butuan, Inc. Inc. Please Please click click on on “Join Group” to register.

You will then receive a confirmation “Join Group” to register. You will then receive a confirmation email email once you have successfully registered, including the details and once you have successfully registered, including the details and procedures in in the the conduct conduct of of the the meeting. meeting. procedures The The confirmation confirmation email email will will also also contain contain a a link link and and instructions instructions for for the the online online voting voting which which will will be be conducted conducted via via Google Google Forms.

Forms. The The stockholders will receive different links, depending on your number stockholders will receive different links, depending on your number of of shares, shares, since since you you will will be be allowed allowed 1 1 vote vote per per share. share. All All votes votes will will be be cast cast via via Google Google Forms Forms and and counted counted during during the the meeting meeting on on August August 27,2020.

Voting in the election of directors may also be done 27,2020. Voting in the election of directors may also be done in in absentia through through the the above above link. link. absentia The The meeting meeting shall shall be be recorded recorded (visual (visual and and audio) audio) for for future future reference. reference.

The The Agenda: Agenda: I. I. II. II. III. III. IV. IV. V. V.

MOST ACTIVE

Call Call to to Order Order Invocation Invocation Determination of of Quorum Quorum Determination Welcome Welcome Message Message from from the the Chairman Chairman of of the the Board Board Reading Reading and and Approval Approval of of the the Minutes Minutes of of the the Y2019 Y2019 Annual Annual Stockholders’ Meeting Stockholders’ Meeting VI. Annual Financial Report VI. Annual Financial Report VII. VII. President’s President’s Report Report VIII. VIII. Ratification Ratification of of the the Acts Acts and and Proceedings Proceedings of of the the Board Board of of Directors, Directors, Officers, and and Management Management of of the the Corporation Corporation Officers, IX. Amendment Amendment of of the the Bylaws Bylaws of of the the Corporation Corporation (Sections (Sections 6 6 and and 8 8 IX. of of Article Article II II and and Section Section 6 6 of of Article Article III) III) X. X. Election Election of of the the Board Board of of Directors Directors XI. XI. Appointment Appointment of of External External Auditor Auditor for for the the year year 2020 2020 XII. Adjournment XII. Adjournment Only Only stockholders stockholders of of record record at at the the close close of of business business on on August August 7, 7, 2020 2020 (Record Date) Date) shall shall be be entitled entitled to to notice notice of of and and to to vote vote at at the the meeting. meeting. If If (Record you cannot cannot personally personally attend attend the the meeting, meeting, you you may may opt opt to to send send your your proxy proxy you to to attend attend in in your your behalf. behalf. Kindly Kindly submit submit your your duly duly executed executed proxy proxy form form with with the the undersigned, undersigned, via via email, email, at at acebutuan2020@gmail.com acebutuan2020@gmail.com not not later later than than August 24, 2020, but preferably before August 20, 2020, to enable your August 24, 2020, but preferably before August 20, 2020, to enable your proxy proxy to to register register in in the the Zoom Zoom Webinar.

Webinar. Attached Attached is is a a sample sample proxy proxy form form for for your your reference. reference. [NOTE: [NOTE: Management Management is is not not soliciting soliciting proxies] proxies] The Information Information Statement Statement and and Management Management Report Report and and SEC SEC Form Form 17-A 17-A The are available available at at the the Corporation’s Corporation’s website website at at www.acebutuan.com.ph. www.acebutuan.com.ph. are You You may may contact contact the the undersigned undersigned via via email email at at acebutuan2020@ acebutuan2020@ gmail.com, gmail.com, or or through through telephone/mobile telephone/mobile numbers: numbers: 0915 0915 735 735 5076 5076 (Globe/TM) or 0933 051 6947 (Sun/Smart/TNT), if you (Globe/TM) or 0933 051 6947 (Sun/Smart/TNT), if you have have inquiries inquiries or concerns regarding the meeting. or concerns regarding the meeting.

Very truly truly yours, yours, Very DR. DR. MARIE MARIE ANTOINETTE ANTOINETTE A. A. DELLOSA DELLOSA Corporate Corporate Secretary Secretary

(MS-AUG. 10 & 11, 2020) (MS-AUG. 10 & 11, 2020)

The author is the Graduate Program Coordinator of the Management and Organization Department of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. She is currently teaching fully-online MBA courses in Business Communication, Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics, and CSR, and Sustainable Management. She can be reached at pia.manalastas@ dlsu.edu.ph.

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

(MS-AUG. 10, 2020) (MS-AUG. 10, 2020)

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MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

Business

2 mass transits to open next year T

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PSE INDEX

Friday, August 7, 2020

56.56 PTS.

5,846.02

TOTAL VOLUME

5,267,676,425

TOTAL TRADES 71,948 TOTAL VALUE 10,922,582,225.36 ADVANCES 113 DECLINES 82 UNCHANGED 46

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.0550

Japan

Yen

0.009480

0.4650

UK

Pound

1.314800

64.4975

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129031

6.3296

Switzerland

Franc

1.099505

53.9362

Canada

Dollar

0.751484

36.8640

Singapore

Dollar

0.730353

35.8275

Australia

Dollar

0.723100

35.4717

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652872

130.136

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266745

13.0852

Brunei

Dollar

0.727696

35.6971

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.032165

1.5779

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.3570

Euro

Euro

1.187800

58.2675

Korea

Won

0.000845

0.0415

China

Yuan

0.143806

7.0544

India

Rupee

0.013353

0.6550

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238892

11.7188

New Zealand

Dollar

0.668700

32.8031

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034051

1.6704

HE Department of Transportation expects two mass rail systems in Metro Manila to be operational by 2021.

The agency said the 3.8-kilometer LRT 2 East Extension line, which will stretch from the LRT-2 end point Santolan Station to Masinag, Antipolo City, had an overall progress rate of 90.95 percent as of July this year.

Meanwhile, the Metro Transit Line 7, which runs 22 kilometers from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan is now 58-percent complete, according to the department.

Once completed by 2021, the 22-kilometer rail line would reduce travel

time between Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City from two to three hours to only 35 minutes.

The P69.3-billion MRT 7 project will have 14 stations. It is being built

by SMC Mass Rail Transit 7 Inc. under SMC’s infrastructure subsidiary San Miguel Holdings Inc. The LRT 2 East Extension consists of three packages, with Package 1 involving the construction of a viaduct, already 100-percent completed.

Package 2 which is the design and

build of two additional stations—Emerald Station in Marikina City and the Masinag Station in Antipolo City—is 96.265-percent finished.

Meanwhile, Package 3 which is the design and build of the track works and electromechanical component system, is at 68.27-percent completion rate.

Set to be inaugurated in April 2021, the extension project will cut travel time from three hours via bus or jeepney to just 40 minutes via rail transit. It is expected to increase the rail line’s current ridership with an additional 80,000 passengers daily.

The agency said that once the extension project was completed, commuters from Manila to Antipolo would have a more comfortable, convenient and better train ride experience.

Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

ERC advises Meralco to weigh CSP options THE Department of Energy wants Manila Electric Co. to explore other options in proceeding with its competitive selection process over the supply of 1,800 megawatts of electricity.

Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said Meralco asked the DOE to postpone a planned CSP in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

“They requested if they can postpone it to a later date because of the difficulty in doing the CSP process given the situation that we’re faced now,” Delola said.

He said Meralco, the country’s biggest retailer of electricity, wants to delay its CSP and start the public bidding process by October.

“What we are trying to tell them, there are mediums they can utilize to be able to proceed with the procurement. The issue that... we don’t want to happen is that deferment of the sked may delay the delivery of the power supply,” Delola said.

“So what we are trying to say is explore additional medium or other medium to proceed so we can still be able to hit the target of delivery of supply,” he said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Fitch: Telco firms set to raise 2020 capex PHILIPPINE telecommunication companies are likely to increase their capital expenditures next year due to regulatory pressure and looming competition, according to Fitch Ratings.

The credit rating agency said PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. both lowered their capex guidance for 2020 by 15 percent to 20 percent from their original targets in light of the pandemic-related supply disruption.

PLDT set a capex guidance of P70 billion from the original P83 billion, while Globe will be spending P50.3 billion from P63 billion.

“The government’s push for significant network improvements―recently reiterated

by President Duterte at the annual state of nation address―is likely to accelerate network expansion over the next few quarters,” Fitch said.

“We believe a spill-over of deferred capex into 2021 will stretch domestic telcos’ leverage profiles, as operating cash flow continue to fall behind investments,” it added.

Darwin G. Amojelar

FGen revises natural gas terminal project THE Department of Energy asked First Gen Corp. to complete an interim offshore liquefied natural gas terminal a few months ahead of schedule, or by April 2022.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said First Gen changed its plan from an onshore LNG terminal to a floating storage re-gasification unit after submitting a revised application to with the DOE. “The concept from on shore terminal, they’re going to go for FSRU so they submitted their amendments and that’s being addressed by our OIMB (Oil Industry Management Bureau),” Cusi said.

He said DOE was still reviewing First Gen’s application, including the timeline of the project.

FGEN LNG Corp., a wholly-owned unit of First Gen, in March sought a permit to build an interim offshore LNG terminal within the First Gen clean energy complex.

Rino Abad, DOE-OIMB director, said First Gen’s decision to revise its project from an onshore to offshore terminal needed additional documentation requirements.

“We wrote First Gen (last week) and we are waiting for their compliance on the additional permits,” he said, citing certifications from the Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Alena Mae S. Flores

METROBANK’S NEW BRANCH. Meaningful banking continues to thrive in the new normal with the inauguration of the new Metrobank Legazpi Marison branch in Albay. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Metrobank expanded its branch network with an aim to serve more customers in Southern Luzon. Leading the grand opening of the new branch are Metrobank area head for Bicol and Quezon province Maria Celeste Lasala (right) and Legazpi Marison branch head Carlos Rosana (second from right). With them are (from left) Marison Hotel owners Emily Uy, Johnson Uy and Daisy Uy and Bishop Joel Baylon.

Industry group warns about extinction of coconut trees

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE United Coconut Association of the Philippines Inc. expressed alarm over the near extinction of coconut trees in the country.

UCAP said many of the country’s trees were planted more than 100 years ago. It asked government regulators to immediately address and avert the collapse of the industry.

It said export earnings of locally-harvested coconuts contributed more than $2 billion yearly to the economy, making the Philippines one of the world’s top coconut suppliers.

The Philippine coconut sector also provides livelihood to about 3.5 million Filipino farmers.

Victoria Espaldon, former dean of

the University of the Philippines-Los Banos School of Environment Science and Management joined UCAP, coconut industry stakeholders and academicians in contradicting reports that single out coconut oil production as both environmental and biodiversity threats.

The articles, published online on Bloomberg Green and two other independent industry news portals, focused on the coconut industry, particularly the process of producing coconut oil, as an environmental threat which it said was worse than palm oil production.

Quoting a report from the U.K.’s University of Exeter, Bloomberg Green stated that production of coconut oil threatens around 20 animal species for every million tons made.

Espaldon said the report is “vague on

whether it is the coconut oil production itself or that landscapes are transformed to coconuts as environmental issues.”

“Coconut oil processing plants are now much improved and have been more environmentally conscious as much as palm oil production,” Espaldon said. She said wastes from coconut production like husks were being turned into big enterprises—garden media, cococoir, coco-dusts and others.

Ateneo School of Sciences professor emeritus Toby Dayrit agreed, saying, “no rain forests have been burned in the past 200 years to plant coconuts.”

He said coconuts are “pioneer species in island ecosystems, and coconuts actually promote biodiversity in barren islands and seashores where no other plants grow.”

NGCP DONATION. Power grid operator NGCP donates six sets of real-time polymerase chain reaction machines to government hospitals in the National Capital Region, as the country continues to grapple with increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. As part of its P1-billion donation for COVID-19 response and relief efforts, NGCP provides two sets each of RT-PCR machines to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Lung Center of the Philippines and one set each to V. Luna General Hospital and Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory. A complete set is composed of an ABI 7500 FAST RT-PCR machine, a desktop computer and UPS.

Fitch Solutions downgrades 2020 growth forecast for PH to -9.1% from -2%

By Julito G. Rada FITCH Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research, a unit of Fitch Group, sharply downgraded its 2020 growth outlook for the Philippines to -9.1 percent from the previous estimate of -2 percent, following the 16.5-percent contraction in the second quarter amid the COVID-19 pandemic that sent the economy crash-landing into technical recession.

Fitch Solutions said in a report the Philippine economy was set for a “painful recession” this year as the country struggles

to manage the health crisis.

“With another surge in COVID-19 cases in third quarter, the recovery in economic activity we had expected in H220 [second semester] now looks highly unlikely,” Fitch Solutions said.

It said that in a base-case scenario, the economy would gradually resume activity by year-end, although with domestic activity considerably weaker than previously assumed.

“However, by 2021, we expect the economy to recover, with a governmentled infrastructure drive, taking growth

to 6.2 percent for the year, revised down slightly from 6.5 percent,” it said.

“In our downside scenario, we see the government struggling to contain the virus and this having impacts for growth over the medium term, with less productive fiscal spending and higher levels of debt,” it said.

It said the contraction in second quarter was much sharper than the Bloomberg consensus estimate of 9.4 percent and reflected the Philippine economy’s reliance on domestic activity, particularly household consumption, as a driver of growth.

Fitch Solutions said it was expecting growth in the third quarter to show a slight improvement over the second quarter, given a better external backdrop and a slow lifting of lockdown measures.

“Nevertheless, the shock to household consumption in 2020 will prove significant, such that the economic recovery in 2021 will be softer. We expect higher household indebtedness, unemployment and damaged consumer confidence to result in an uneven recovery in domestic consumption,” it said.

FDC’s net profit climbed 24% to P7.2b in first half

By Jenniffer B. Austria FILINVEST Development Corp., the holding company of the Gotianun family, said first-half net income climbed 24 percent to P7.2 billion from a year ago on the strong performance of the banking, real estate and sugar businesses.

FDC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it achieved the strong net income growth despite the coronavirus pandemic and the 4-percent decline in consolidated revenues to P40.6 billion.

“The continuing rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the absence of a vaccine to curb the spread of the virus sets a lot of uncertainties to this day. The events continue to unfold, but we have also learned to adjust in order to lessen the impact of the disruptions brought about by the pandemic,” FDC president and chief executive Lourdes Josephine Yap said.

“We are pleased with our robust results in the first half of 2020, but we remain cognizant of the risks of a prolonged quarantine period and are doing measures to mitigate its negative impact,” Yap said.

Banking unit EastWest Bank delivered a net income contribution of P4.3 billion in the first half, up by 60 percent from the same period last year. The growth was driven by better margins from its core lending and deposit-taking businesses and higher trading gains.

The group’s real estate business composed of listed subsidiary Filinvest Land Inc. and Filinvest Alabang Inc. contributed P4.6 billion in net income to the group, up eight percent from the first half of 2019.

The improvement was boosted by the income recognition amounting to P2.9 billion of the transaction between FAI and Mitsubishi Corp. in October last year for the joint development of 17,000 square meters of prime land across Festival Mall in Filinvest City, Alabang.

Power subsidiary FDC Utilities Inc. registered a net income of P996 million, down 10 percent from the same period last year.

Revenues declined by 21 percent to P4.2 billion as volume dropped 25 percent following the contraction in the demand from customers amid the implementation of community quarantine.

Semirara’s income declined by 61% to P2.2b in six months INTEGRATED energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corp. said net income declined 61 percent in the first six months to P2.2 billion from P5.7 billion in the same period last year.

SMPC said in statement COVID-19 containment measures dragged down coal demand and electricity sales from March to June.

“We saw historic dips in prices, particularly in April when Global NewCastle coal prices reached $49.30 per metric ton, the sharpest drop in six years,” said SMPC president and chief operating officer Cristina Gotianun.

Earnings contribution from the coal business fell 59 percent to P1.8 billion in the first half on weak coal sales and average selling price.

Coal sales contracted 27 percent in the six-month period to 5.7 million metric tons from 7.9 million MT a year ago, while average selling price per MT fell 21 percent to P1,765 from P2,229.

“The decrease in spot market prices in April was also staggering. From P6.71 per kilowatt-hour last year, it plunged to P1.40 per kWh,” Gotianun said.

Power subsidiaries Sem-Calaca Power Corp. and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. recorded mixed results in the first semester.

SCPC contributed P726 million to the parent company, a dramatic turnaround from P242 million in losses during the same period last year on higher energy sales which grew 22 percent to 1,095 gigawatt-hours from 899 gWh. The company’s sales volume improved following the completion of its life extension program for units 1 and 2, which allowed the company to reduce outages by 53 percent year-onyear from 5,879 hours to 2,750 hours.

Meanwhile, SLPGC booked P236 million in first-half losses compared to P1.6 billion in earnings last year because of the combined effect of a 43-percent drop in energy sales to 489 gWh from 856 gWh and a 38-percent cut in average selling price to P2.92 per kWh from P4.73 per kWh. Alena Mae S. Flores

Sports Dustin Johnson

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

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AFP

Johnson grabs 1-shot lead at PGA Championship SAN FRANCISCO, United States— Dustin Johnson drained eight birdies to fire a five-under par 65 and seize a oneshot lead after a blistering third round performance at the PGA Championship on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time).

Johnson had four birdies on the front nine then birdied three of his final five holes to reach nine-under 201 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

It was the eighth straight round in the 60s at the PGA Championship for Johnson, who nearly chased down Brooks Koepka in the final round at Bethpage Black last year before losing by two shots.

“I putted really well,” said Johnson, who shot 31 on the back nine. “That was key. But I hit a lot of good shots to give myself some good looks because the flags are tucked. The greens are firm and fast.

So I did hit a lot of quality iron shots.”

Americans Scottie Scheffler (65) and Cameron Champ (67) are tied for second at eight-under 202.

Two-time defending champion Koepka shot a one-under 69 and is tied for fourth with American Collin Morikawa and England’s Paul Casey on 203.

The tournament is being played without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Koepka, who is trying to become the first since the 1950s to win the same major three years in a row, looked unflappable until a bogey on the 13th hole began his back nine struggles.

A stretch of three straight bogeys moved Koepka down the leaderboard but he recovered quickly with birdies on 16 and 18.

Johnson roared home Saturday, making birdie putts of 26 feet on the par-4 15th and 20 feet on the par-3 17th.

He began his round with a par but then drained a 17-foot birdie putt on the par-4 second.

Johnson made back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes before running in trouble on six, but even that bogey and a double bogey on the par-4 ninth couldn’t put a damper on his brilliant round. 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

PSC payroll system change delays allowance release

By Peter Atencio

C

HANGES in the Philippine Sports Commission’s payroll and administration system are in the works.

And these had led to delays in the release in the allowances of national athletes and coaches.

Executive director Guillermo Iroy Jr. said they are now coordinating with their depository bank, Land Bank in an effort to get things done quickly.

Iroy talked of the changes following a board meeting last Friday, and as they impose strict measures in financial structure involving national athletes and coaches, and their employees.

“We shifted systems, in coordination with our depository bank. It was one of the ways we saw to tighten up our process in connection with the payroll of employees and national team members,” said Iroy.

The changes are being done after an employee identified as Paul Michael Padua Ignacio was arrested last month by the National Bureau of Investigation for his involvement in a payroll-padding scheme amounting to P14-million.

De Guzman is attached to the personnel department of the PSC and allegedly authored the transfer of P14 million in financial assistance meant for national coaches and athletes over the past five years.

“We had to go through the details one by one to check,” added Iroy.

Board members of the PSC, led by Chairman William Ramirez, informed Senator Bong Go of the delay.

In a statement, the board said the overhaul has “affected all employees and members of the national team.”

“This was a painful but necessary action to ensure that no underhanded schemes are never done in this service aspect again,” explained the board.

The incident, according to Ramirez, was a wakeup call to them.

“In the wake of that sad discovery of a payroll padding scam by an employee, our agency while rocked to its core was also roused to further strengthen our processes at all fronts,” added members of the board.

The board added they are moving to fast track the changes they are implementing, and allowances can be made available within the week.

“We have finalized the necessary requirements for the effect of this batch’s posting under the new system,” said the board.

Uytengsu says PBA can learn from NBA restart

By Reuel Vidal THE National Basketball Association is more than a week into its successful restart and the Philippine Basketball Association—as well as the rest of the world —are watching closely not just to enjoy the exciting games but to also observe the best practices that need to be adopted in order to operate a sports league in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alaska Aces team owner Fred Uytengsu says the most important thing now is to closely monitor the NBA and pick up on what works so that the PBA can have its own restart.

“We have a lot to learn from what the NBA is doing. And I was on a call with Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum of the NBA. He explained the things that they were doing and obviously the precautions that they were doing to protect the players, the players’ families and all the allied people that were associated with it,” said Uytengsu in a recent ONE

Sports interview.

“So for me, the first step is: let’s learn.

Let’s learn from some of the best sports franchises and organizations in the world about what they do. What they can do.

What works. What doesn’t work. And then we can see how we can adopt that in our own setting with the PBA.” To limit the exposure of players to the public at large, the NBA—which used to play games in different venues all over the United States—has actually adopted the PBA method of holding its games in only specific venues. Most PBA games are held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena.

The NBA is now inside a bubble in Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. It is an isolation zone with strict rules to protect players of 22 teams from the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019–20 season.

“We’re going to see closely what the NBA does with that because they’re trying to isolate the teams that will play.

Alaska Aces team owner Fred Uytengsu (right) talks to player Vic Manuel in this file photo of a team practice at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the players that will play in one location. Not unlike what we do in the Philippines,” said Uytengsu.

“The challenge is, is it safe? Is it safe for the players? Is it safe for the game officials? For the TV production people. For the people who work in the

arena. And then, is it safe for the fans to come and watch that?”

The NBA suspended 2019–20 season last March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Jazz road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Warren paces Indiana past LA Lakers MIAMI, United States—T.J. Warren scored 39 points as the in-form Indiana Pacers inflicted a 116-111 defeat on LeBron James and his stuttering Los Angeles Lakers, who have lost three in a row as the NBA playoffs approach.

Indiana’s win ensured the NBA’s top regular-season record will belong to the Milwaukee, despite the Bucks losing 136-132 to Dallas in overtime.

“I just feel like I’m in a groove,” Warren said. “As a team, we’re in a groove, good rhythm, high energy, we come out with a lot of effort.

“We’re just together. We’ve just got to keep the chemistry hot. We just have to keep it up heading to the playoffs.”

The Bucks (55-15) won’t have the home court advantage that usually comes with the top mark.

All games are being played in a quarantine bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, due to the coronavirus pandemic that halted the season in March.

The Pacers improved to 4-1 since the restart, closing with a 13-5 run to beat the Western Conference top seed Lakers, who fell to 2-4 in the bubble and 51-18 overall.

That was despite 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from threetime NBA champion James—the only LA starter in double figures. Anthony Davis went 3-of-14 from the floor for only eight points.

“This stretch right here... it’s going to strengthen us,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

“We’re playing against great defenses.

That’s the best way to prepare you. I’m optimistic about our game overall.”

Dallas ended with a 7-0 run to force overtime at 119-119, then scored the first nine in the extra period on the way to victory.

Slovenian guard Luka Doncic had an impressive triple double for Dallas with a game-high 36 points, a career-high 19 assists and 14 rebounds.

‘It’s make or miss’ “We just keep improving,” Doncic said. “We have to keep playing like this.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brooks Lopez each scored 34 to lead Milwaukee.

Indiana and Miami, likely first-round playoff foes fighting for the fourth seed, meet Monday and Friday.

The Lakers open the playoffs against the winner of a six-team fight for the last playoff spot in the West. AFP

Bottas beats Hamilton to take 70th Anniversary pole

Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas rules the qualifying session to take pole position for the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone in Northampton. This weekend’s race will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural world championship race, held at Silverstone in 1950. AFP

SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom—Valtteri Bottas outpaced his Mercedes teammate and world championship leader Lewis Hamilton by the finest of margins on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) to claim a dramatic pole position for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

The Finn clocked a fastest lap in one minute and 25.154 seconds to beat the six-time world champion by only 0.063 in the final seconds of an enthralling qualifying session.

It was the Mercedes team’s 67th front row lockout.

“It feels good,” said Bottas who was securing the 13th pole of his career 48 hours after signing a new contract to keep him at Mercedes next season.

He added: “We have improved the set-up and the car since last week. Mentally, when you start on pole, you can only aim to win the race— and the starting point is good! It is so nice to drive this amazing car.”

Hamilton explained his unexpected ‘slip’ to second.

“I wasn’t that great, but Valtteri did a great job and he deserves pole.”

Nico Hulkenberg, standing in for coronavirus victim Sergio Perez with the Racing Point team, was third, securing his spot with an impressive performance only 10 days after receiving a late call-up while eating a pastry in a Cologne cafe.

“It’s been a crazy last week,” he said.

“Q2 was tricky and I made life hard for myself—and it is definitely going to hurt tomorrow, not having had the experience last week.”

He failed to start last Sunday’s British Grand Prix at the circuit after an engine problem.

Max Verstappen took fourth for Red Bull ahead of Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Lance Stroll in the second Racing Point, Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri and down in eighth Charles Leclerc in the leading Ferrari.

Political intrigue Alex Albon was ninth in the second Red Bull and Lando Norris 10th for McLaren.

After two days of political intrigue surrounding the Racing Point copying scandal, it was a relief for many when Q1 began with an early lap from Kevin Magnussen’s Haas to set the mark.

In windy and cooler conditions than those on Friday, the air temperature was 27 degrees and the track was 44 as Hulkenberg, Hamilton and Verstappen took over on top before Mercedes found their rhythm.

Out went Daniil Kvyat who went off at Stowe in his Alpha Tauri, Magnussen, Williams rookie Nicholas Latifi and the two Alfa Romeos of Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen.

Bottas then threw down a gauntlet at the start of Q2 with a lap in 1:25.785, more than fourtenths faster than Hamilton in second, while Ferrari were split with Leclerc fourth and the luckless Sebastian Vettel struggling to survive in 11th. AFP

Sports

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MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Vegas, Philly grab top seeds in NHL playoffs MONTREAL, Canada—Alex Tuch’s overtime goal gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 victory over Colorado on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) and a Western Conference top seed in the National Hockey League playoffs.

Joining Vegas with the preferred paths in the Stanley Cup chase were the Philadelphia Flyers, who got two firstperiod goals from Nicolas Aube-Kubel in beating Tampa Bay 4-1 to capture the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Both winners completed an unbeaten run through seeding round play in the NHL COVID-19 quarantine bubbles, at Edmonton in the West and Toronto in the East, and became the teams to beat when the playoffs begin Tuesday.

Tuch beat Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer high to the far right corner for his third goal in as many games with 16 seconds remaining in overtime to give Vegas the victory.

“I was shooting short side all game so I thought I would change it up a little bit,” Tuch said.

Colorado’s J.T. Compher equalized with 62 seconds remaining in regulation time to force the extra period, only to watch as Vegas advanced.

The Golden Knights booked a bestof-seven opening series against the 12th-seeded Blackhawks, who have won the Cup in three of the past 10 seasons.

They upset Edmonton in qualifying.

“The Blackhawks have a lot of Stanley Cup experience, a lot of top players and a world-class goalkeeper in (Corey) Crawford,” Tuch said. “So we’ve got to put a lot of pucks on the net.”

Colorado will face 11th seed Arizona, which ousted Nashville in qualifying.

Philadelphia 21-year-old goaltender Carter Hart made 23 saves to send the Lightning to their first bubble loss.

“We played really hard,” Hart said. “All the lines are rolling. All the D are rolling. We did a great job in there. We got in a lot of work. It’s showing right now.”

The Flyers, who were fourth in the East when the season was shut down, will open the playoffs against 12th seed Montreal, a shock qualifying winner over Pittsburgh after the Canadiens had the worst record of the 24 bubble teams.

Tampa Bay’s first-round opponent will be the winner of Sunday’s qualifying finale between Columbus and Toronto.

Sunday’s other games will decide the third and fourth seeds, with Boston playing Washington in the East and Dallas facing defending champion St. Louis in the West.

The Washington-Boston winner will meet the New York Islanders in the first round of the East playoffs while the loser gets Carolina in the opening round. AFP

Obiena ready for Monaco IAAF League

By Peter Atencio

Derrick Lewis celebrates after knocking out Alexander Volkov in this file photo of their fight at UFC 229 held October 6, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. AFP

Lewis destroys Oleinik at UFC Fight Night

By Reuel Vidal

I

T finally happened.

Derrick Lewis tallied the most KO/TKO in the UFC heavyweight division when he stopped Aleksei Oleinik in 21 seconds of the second round in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday morning.

Lewis posted his 11th stoppage which pushed him out of a tie with Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos to become the UFC all-time leader.

“It’s crazy. I still can’t believe that I got the most knockouts. I don’t know. It’s just a crazy feeling. All the great heavyweights before me. Seeing Shane Carwin just knocking everybody out. And watching Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez. All those guys for all these years and then seeing that they never accomplished what I did. I just gotta be really humble about it. I gotta keep on going because I still got a left in the tank,” said Lewis in his post-fight interview.

Lewis charged forward in second round and connected with a flying knee which hit Oleinik in the chest.

As Oleinik staggered Lewis threw a right hook which caught his opponent flush on the jaw.

Oleinik fell to the canvas and Lewis was on top of him immediately administered merciless ground and pound which forced the referee to stop the fight.

Lewis was in trouble in the first round when Oleinik held him by the neck and tried to force a submission. Lewis barely survived out of the first round. He said he came out firing in the second to avoid enduring another submission hold

by Oleinik.

“It was pretty tight. At first I thought there was 30 seconds left. Then I heard 40 seconds left. Then I heard 35 seconds left.

I’m like: ‘Damn.’ Then I started looking at him. Then I looked at (referee) Herb Dean and I heard the 10 second

Nano Wave Mask tested by world champions

Giannis leads NBA MVP awards race LOS ANGELES, United States— Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo was named alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and 2018 MVP James Harden as the finalist for this year’s award on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time).

Antetokounmpo, who this week helped the Milwaukee Bucks clinch top seeding in the Eastern Conference, is the heavy favorite to win a second straight MVP award ahead of four-time winner James.

The 25-year-old Greek star was also named in the NBA defensive player of the year category alongside the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Utah’s Rudy Gobert.

The Bucks’ coach Mike Budenholzer was selected as one of the three nominees for coach of the year, alongside Oklahoma City’s Billy Donovan and Toronto’s Nick Nurse.

Budenholzer and Donovan recently shared the National Basketball Coaches Association coach of the year award.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson is in the running for rookie of the year honors with Miami Heat’s Kendrick Nunn and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies.

In other categories, the Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic headlines the most improved player category alongside the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram. Miami’s Bam Adebayo is also a nominee.

Voting for all awards was based on regular season games played up until March 11, when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the league for four months, and so does not take into account performances since the league resumed inside its bubble in Orlando.

AFP

warning. Then that was it. I didn’t want to get back in that position again so that’s why I came back on in the second round and I wanted to finish him,” said Lewis.

In the co-main event, former UFC champion Chris Weidman returned to the middleweight division to post a hardearned unanimous decision victory over Omari Ahkmedov.

Weidman controlled much of the first round with his wrestling. But he gassed and yielded the second round to Akhmedov who landed several strikes and even secured a pair of takedowns.

Weidman summoned all of his resolve to take control of the fight in the third through his superior grappling to carve out the unanimous decision victory.

In other fights of the main card Darren Stewart submitted Maki Pitolo in 3:41 of the first round. Yana Kunitskaya won by decision over Julija Stoliarenko.

In the most spectacular fight of the evening Beneil Darius shrugged off two eye pokes from Scott Holtzman to connect with a vicious spinning back fist to win by “walk off” knockout in the 4:38 of the first round.

ERNEST John Obiena, who is tied with three others at no. 33 in the world senior rankings, feels positive about what’s coming this week.

The 24-year-old Obiena, who has qualified to the Tokyo Olympics, expressed his upbeat feelings after settling for a silver in Trieste, Italy last week.

Obiena will try to improve on his 5.45-meter performance this Friday in the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) Diamond League in Monaco.

“So far, to be honest now, it’s positive. These past few months, everything seems to be clicking, a little bit better than before. So, that’s really good,” said Obiena in a podcast hosted by Sports Nook PH. The 6’2 ½” Obiena said his decision to join the Trieste event was done at the last minute when he and his training partner, Rio Olympics champion Thiago Braz da Silva of Brazil decided to show up at the 13th Triveneto International Meeting.

“It was a last minute competitions that I decided to take part. Because it was in Italy, we did not need to travel much,” said Obiena.

He said he did not expect anything to come out his participation.

“5.45 meters is not that bad. We could have done a lot, to be honest,” said Obiena.

This time, Obiena said he hopes to bring out his competitive side in Monaco.

“I was a little bit nervous in competition when it started to sink in. I think I need a little more (competition) to feel that I am EJ, and feel the competitiveness,” said Obiena.

In the World Athletics men’s ranking in pole vault Obiena is no. 16th in the world. He is the highest ranked male pole vaulter in Asia ahead of Bokai Huang of China (17th place) and Seito Yamamoto of Japan (18th place).

Obiena is set to have his third appearance in the Diamond League.

His other rivals in the Olympiad are expected to be around. World record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden is expected to make his presence felt.

Last year, Obiena settled for fourth place in the 2019 Diamond League in Doha behind American Sam Kendricks, de Silva and Yamamoto of Japan.

Shown here wearing Nano Wave Masks are, from left: Sean Gibbons, MP Promotions’ President; Jeff Mayweather (Floyd Mayweather’s uncle); John Riel Casimero, WBO champion and three-division world champion; and former world champion Clarence Bones Adams.

WORLD-class athletes and champions won’t settle for any ordinary face mask during these times.

One such mask they would go for is the “Nano Wave Mask,” which suits the styles of the finest professional athletes all over the world, those who actively train at the time of pandemic.

With its first to market dynamic and filtered unidirectional valve, the Nano Wave Mask presents the best of comfort and protection for them.

Veteran international boxing matchmaker Sean Gibbons and reigning World Boxing Organization world bantamweight champion Casimero have praised and recommended the mask.

“Fantastic and great mask,” said the MP Promotions’ President Gibbons, who wore the Nano Wave Face Mask, with Casimero and boxing trainer

Jeff Mayweather, while doing their training in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States.

Doctor Chad Marthinussen and Gino Lange of African Tech Start Up, Wave Innovate are promoting the mask globally with a unique valve system that no other mask has. They are taking their Nano Wave respiratory mask all over the world with excitement and integrity.

The Nano Wave Mask has found the sweet spot between function and form, forged from state-of-the-art materials, a five layered filtration system, a valve system designed for easy breathing and talking, coming in a variety of colors as well as a full junior range for children.

For Media Inquiries, contact Scott Farrell at email Scott@nanowavemask. com or number +63 929 775 6798

Serena goes to US Open after lockdown LOS ANGELES, United States—Serena Williams said Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) she is pressi ng ahead with plans to play in the US Open despite a wave of player withdrawals from the upcoming Grand Slam event over coronavirus fears.

The 23-time Slam winner returns to tennis next week at the inaugural Top Seed Open WTA event in Lexington, Kentucky, relaunching her season after a six-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Williams, who was one of the first players to commit to the US Open despite the pandemic, said her plans remain unchanged, adding that she was tentatively planning to go to Europe for the rescheduled French Open.

“I see myself doing it all if it happens,” Williams said when asked about her schedule during a virtual press conference on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time).

“But I am not planning for the future, as tournaments got cancelled I was just like, ‘Let me just work on today and see what happens.’”

The former world number one said she has spent the past six months at her home in Florida, sheltering from the threat of the coronavirus.

Williams has a history of pulmonary embolisms which

have restricted her lung capacity, a factor which she said had prompted her to be a “little bit of a recluse” this year.

“I started social distancing in early March,” she said.

“I don’t have full lung capacity so I’m not sure what would happen to me.

“I am sure I would be okay but I don’t want to find out.

“I have like 50 masks that I travel with, I don’t ever want to be without one.

‘A little bit neurotic’ “With health concerns I am super careful with what I have been doing and everyone in the Serena bubble is really protected.

“It is cool to play tennis, but this is my life and my health, so I have been a little bit neurotic but that is how I have to be right now.”

Williams revealed that she had been practicing on her own court, built with the same hardcourt surface used at the US Open. She has also stayed fit with construction of a home gym.

“I had to make a gym and my husband made a court for me. The gym is not quite done. The tennis court is fun, I go there and it is my own sanctuary. It’s like, ‘Why haven’t I done this 20 years ago?’,” she said.

Williams, who is also scheduled to play the Western

Serena Williams hits a return against China’s Wang Qiang in this file photo taken on January 4, 2020 of their women’s singles match on day five of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

and Southern Open tune-up event in New York before the US Open, admitted that only tournament play would allow her to properly gauge her fitness. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C3

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

By Rikka Villarez

T

HE show must go on for Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival as it turns to digital screenings and virtual events for its 16th edition running until Aug. 16.

Despite the restrictions of quarantine, the indie film festival pushed through online via Facebook live, KUMU, and Vimeo on Friday vis-á-vis its traditional counterpart in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

“With the digital version now taking place, the featured films will not only be enjoyed by Filipino audiences but film aficionados in different parts of the world as well,” said CCP President Arsenio Lizaso in the opening “Cinemalaya 16: Stream of Consciousness.”

Laurice Guillen, the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. president, emphasized the importance of film in this age, “Content is a prime commodity.

It means we should continue to make films now more than ever.”

This year’s feature finalists, however, had to put their projects on hold until they find a way to shoot safely and within budget during the pandemic, according to Guillen.

“Will filmmakers need to contextualize their subject matter to the time of this imposed but necessary quaran-

Streaming consciousness Cinemalaya sets sail with its digital edition streaming on Vimeo until Aug. 16.

tine?” Guillen asked challenging aspiring film contestants next year on how they will deliver content.

Meanwhile, festival director Chris Millado discussed how our theaters,

cinemas, and streaming rooms remain dark as our country continues to look for ways to manage the effects of this pandemic and finally overcome it. “[Allow] Cinemalaya to shine hope

into the spaces where you live, work, play, and dream,” he said.

Co-produced by the CCP and the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc., the biggest indie film festival in the country

How JC gets by amid uncertain times SHTICKS JOSEPH PETER GONZALES FOR actors and entertainers, you can only consider yourself lucky to score a project these days which is why JC de Vera still feels blessed despite struggling to get by because of the pandemic and the shutdown of his home network ABS-CBN. The 34-year-old actor is part of an upcoming movie project called Escape from Mamasapano. It’s the maiden presentation of Borracho Films, the movie outfit owned by lawyer Atty. Ferdinand Topacio.

According to JC, the plot is based on true incidents that took place in January 2015.

Co-starring with him in this action-drama vehicle are Aljur Abrenica, Edu Manzano, Mikey Arroyo, Ritz Azul, Tonton Gutierrez, and Claudine Barretto.

“The film’s principal photography will officially start in August. Our location will be in Batangas and Cavite. Lawrence Fajardo is the director,” he shares in a recent interview.

Once film production is allowed, JC will be away from his partner Rikkah Cruz and their two-year-old daughter for a considerable length of time.

“I had to tell and prepare my family that I would be away as I’ll get busy shooting the

project. For one, it’s for practical reasons,” he explains.

In the current situation of the showbiz industry, JC is not ashamed to admit that he needs to work to be able to bring food to the table, so to speak.

JC de Vera with daughter Lana “Apart of course from the fact that I miss acting, I have to be practical. I accepted this movie because I have bills to pay. There’s the electric and water bill and monthly amortizations which are regular concerns of

other people as well. I just want to be true to myself,” JC points out.

For him, it has become a big factor that his family got worried about how they’re going to pay their financial responsibilities.

Although he’s been investing his earnings to secure his family’s future, the COVID-19 pandemic and the denial of ABSCBN’s franchise just made things difficult for him.

“The payables accumulated. So, what’s best to do is face the fear and continue moving forward. We just can’t let the pandemic get the better of us. We have to move forward. We have to go back to work or else, life becomes stagnant,” he ends. *** Kapamilya actor John Prats is a proud father once again. He and wife Isabel Oli are recently blessed with another baby girl whom they named Forest. Their two other children are Feather and Freedom.

What makes things different this time was that Isabel gave birth without John by her side, unlike her first two deliveries.

The actor was busy with Ang Probinsyano, which had a lock-in taping following post-ECQ guidelines for TV production.

On July 26, John posted on his social media account a photo in which he is seen holding the tiny foot of his newborn daughter.

“At last, I was able to hold you! (praying hands emoji) Hello Baby Forest! (pine tree emoji),” his caption read.

Remembering Gina Lopez

ABS-CBN Foundation pays tribute to Gina Lopez on her 1st death anniversary.

ABS-CBN Corporation and ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI) commemorate the first death anniversary of Gina Lopez with a month-long celebration of her legacy showcased on their various cable TV programs and digital platforms.

The celebration will be capped by the launch of the book, I Am Gina written by Jenie Chan. The book reveals many untold stories of her life as a missionary in Africa and India, and her struggles and victories

when she implemented landmark humanitarian programs in the Philippines.

A known environmentalist and philanthropist, Gina Lopez served the Philippine government as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. She was the managing director of ABS-CBN Foundation who pioneered important projects in the Philippines like Educational Television (ETV), Bantay Bata 163, the reforestation of the La Mesa Watershed, and the cleanup of the Pasig River.

“The encompassing message of Gina’s life and works is about love—love for children, love for the environment and love for country and humankind. Hence, the theme of this month-long celebration is Genuine Love Forever,” said Susan Afan, managing director of ABS-CBN Foundation.

In these difficult times brought about by the pandemic, it is the hope of the Foundation, that the lessons shared by the life of Gina Lopez would inspire people to never lose hope and to “trust in the Divine.”

Noon-time variety show, ASAP, will showcase a tribute for Gina Lopez through music and book readings on 30 August 2020. This will be streamed live on iWant, YouTube, and Facebook pages of ABS-CBN. Watch out for G Diaries on iWant on Aug. 16, 23, and 30 as it will showcase a compilation of their memorable stories and video clips with Lopez when she was hosting the program from 2017 to 2019.

"There’s just so much love going around and it’s because of love, she put up Bantay Bata 163, Bantay Kalikasan, Bantay Usok, and the I Love Foundation," said Ernie Lopez, Gina's younger brother who is now the host of G Diaries.

The Healing Eucharist will stream on iWant.ph, a live mass celebration dedicated to Lopez on Aug. 19, the exact date of her death anniversary.

opened with a short virtual program, with pre-recorded messages streamed live on digital portals.

For more information, check out the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).

GoDaddy has partnered with AXN Asia to produce ‘Project Go’ that will provide Filipino entrepreneurs and small business owners a platform to kick start their innovative ideas into a full-fledged business online.

GoDaddy, AXN launch reality show to jump-start Filipino entrepreneurs GODADDY Inc., the company empowering entrepreneurs around the world, has announced Project GO, a new reality show for aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs to pitch their idea to Filipino business experts and compete for the chance to receive P1 million in funding to help jump-start their venture.

The show, which is focused on the spirit of local entrepreneurship, is designed to capture the full journey from passionate entrepreneurs with a great business idea, to creating a professional online presence for their idea, to pitching the idea to receive funding to grow.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the global economy and adds challenges for micro and small businesses, participating in the digital landscape can help these ventures succeed.

GoDaddy, in collaboration with AXN, the globally known general entertainment channel owned by KC Global Media Asia, is co-producing a five-episode, new reality mini-series. Open auditions runs until Sept.

2, with the winning contestant getting the chance to kickstart their venture online with GoDaddy.

“Project GO will open opportunities for more Filipino entrepreneurs to take the next steps in pursuing their business ventures confidently during the pandemic. Working with AXN, we want to encourage Filipinos to act now and make their idea real,” shares Tina Shieh, Marketing Director for GoDaddy Asia.

“The show brings together different communities, teams, experts, tools, and knowhow to take dreams to r e a l i t y, with a

beautiful and professional-looking online presence using GoDaddy’s integrated suite of online tools,” Shieh added.

To further support the Project GO campaign, GoDaddy has activated the GoDaddy Asia Facebook page to help reach, inspire, and connect with entrepreneurs, and equip them with insights and tips to launch and manage their own businesses. These insights can help small business owners and entrepreneurs realize the full benefits of being online.

The audition process for Project GO starts with an open invitation to submit applications via www.axn-asia.com/ProjectGO. Anyone who embodies an entrepreneurial spirit, a keen business mindset, or has an existing small business, is welcome to apply.

Twenty applicants with the most compelling ideas will have the chance to pitch to a distinguished panel of mentors and established Filipino business experts via video conferencing. Shortlisted entries will be based on the following criteria: originality, marketability, feasibility, and presentation performance. Business Mentors will select the top four big ideas whose entrepreneurs will participate in the next phase of the campaign where contestants undergo rigorous digital training and coaching to prepare them for the finale.

“We wanted to reach out to individuals and businesses struggling through this pandemic. Creating Project GO with GoDaddy allows us to give opportunities to Filipinos and nudge them to rise above this crisis,” Avani Bhanchawat, Vice President, Affiliate, Media & Sponsorship Sales of KC Global Media Asia said.

“Project GO serves as an avenue for those who want to make their dreams into reality. We believe this can help to motivate entrepreneurial Filipinos to move forward with their business ideas and help support the country's recovery,” Bhanchawat continued.

Project GO is set to premiere on Nov. 19 exclusively on AXN channel.

Mario Maurer’s hit Thai romcom airs on local TV BRACE for romantic mornings with hit romantic comedy Madam Pushy and I featuring the first team-up of Thai superstars Mario Maurer and Ploy Laila Boonsayak.

Premiering today on GMA Heart of Asia, the series follows the story of Madam Pushy (Ploy Laila Boonsayak), an ambitious talent

agent and manager who searches for a new potential star as she goes against her rival Jeric (Chai Chatayodom Hiranyatithi) in the industry. Madam Pushy blames Jeric for her best friend's death and since then, vows to bring Jeric down.

With the help of her assistant, she finds

Next (Mario) in the countryside, a young man who was adopted by a childless couple. Next agrees to work with Madam Pushy to build his finances to search for his biological parents.

Madam Pushy and I airs 11:30 a.m. from Monday to Friday, 10:45 a.m. every Saturday on GMA-7.

Thai superstar Mario Maurer with leading lady Ploy Laila Boonsayak in ‘Madam Pushy and I.’

Life

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

C4

FOOD

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

DINNER FROM DRIVE-THRU. S Maison at Conrad Manila opens a drive-thru area where customers can pick up their orders from the mall’s restaurant tenants, including (from left) Paradise Dynasty’s Pork Dumpling in hot chili

S Maison’s specialties available via drive-thru

vinaigrette and Crispy Fried Crystal Prawn, and Starbucks Reserve’s coffee and other beverages.

P

Locavore’s Kanto BBQ Rib Fingers

In addition to drive-thru service, the mall also ARADISE Dynasty’s signature 8-Flavored Xiao Long Bao, Locavore’s Sizzling Sinigang, Korean barbecue from Song Do Won, and more are now available via offers a Personal Shopper service for customers who prefer to outsource their shopping to someone drive-thru at S Maison. else. Their purchases will be delivered through the

The premier lifestyle mall at Conrad Manila Hotel serves specialties from its restaurant tenants through its drive-thru service that allows customers to buy and pick up orders without leaving their vehicles at a designated pick-up point in the area.

Customers may call the restaurants directly to confirm their order or book through delivery food

apps. Contact Paradise Dynasty (8828-8333), Locavore (0917-847-2747), Song Do Won Korean Restaurant (0927-744-9988), and Starbucks Reserve (8617-8078) to order.

Once confirmed, they can then drive to S Maison’s designated point at Marina Way to directly pay the restaurants and collect their order.

MyKuya app.

With this service, customers can shop from S Maison’s fashion stores from the convenience of their home, including the latest Jordans from Titan 22 (7368-2496), hip streetwear pieces from Moressi (8771-1294), fashionable eyewear from Paris Miki (8772-2373), and beauty products from Shiseido (8772-1048).

CRAVINGS DELIVERED

Chicken inasal and more for the family MANG Inasal bestsellers now come in family size.

Available only for delivery as well as takeout are five family size variants: four pieces Chicken Inasal Paa large, in original or spicy; three pieces Chicken Inasal Pecho large; 10 sticks Pork BBQ; and Palabok good for four to five servings. Prices start at P199.

The Mang Inasal Family Size meals are available for delivery through GrabFood, foodpanda, and LalaFood.

Customers may also call a Mang Inasal store for delivery or place their orders online through Mang Inasal Facebook Messenger chatbot, Jose.

Other new items in the chain’s menu include Everyday Sarap Savers (regular Chicken Inasal with rice, one-stick Pork BBQ with rice, Pork Sisig with rice, and Palabok) and Buko Pandan Halo-Halo.

Mang Inasal delivers Family Size meals featuring its bestselling products.

Local food brand launches yogurt hotdog, gluten-free longanisa PROCESSED meat manufacturer Mekeni rolls out healthier version of hotdog and longanisa.

A healthier alternative, Mekeni GoLite yogurt sausage has 25 percent less fat than the brand’s regular hotdog, has zero trans fat, and has no artificial coloring. It’s made with chicken meat, pork fat, skimmed milk yogurt, and spices.

Cooking instructions are likewise healthy—just pour hot water into the container, wait for three minutes, and enjoy.

Another healthier alternative from

Mekeni is its gluten-free Chicken Longanisa, which goes perfectly with garlic fried rice and egg or a plain hotdog bun.

Mekeni Chicken Longanisa is available in 250g and 500g packs in major supermarkets and wet markets grocery stores

Mekeni GoLite yogurt sausage is made with chicken and skimmed milk yogurt.

Gluten-free Mekeni Chicken Longanisa

nationwide. Mekeni GoLite, on the other hand, comes in 500g packs and is available in select specialty stores.

For the list of stores selling these products, send a message to Mekeni’s Facebook page. Those who want them delivered straight to their doorstep may opt for delivery via Mekeni’s Home2Home delivery service which can be accessed through its official Facebook page or Viber community Mekeni Home2Home Delivery.

Mercato Centrale to launch online platform for vendors, customers IN A bid to bridge the gap among prod- preneurs who have unique and inuct suppliers, vendors, and customers novative concepts as well as provide amid a restricting pandemic, food delectable and diverse food choices business incubator Mercato Centrale in a comfortable environment to any announced the launch of a comprehen- food lovers, continues,” said Mercasive B2B2C (business-to-business-to- to Centrale chief executive and cofounder RJ Ledesma. consumer) online platform.

Ledesma continued, “With the help Mercato tapped leading software solutions company Multisys Technolo- of Multisys, we will continue this gies Corporation to develop and launch mission and support sellers to have an app where Mercato merchants will their own portal so that their operabe able to digitally transact with their tions can still proceed. They won’t customers and product suppliers all only have a digital space, but functional analytics as well to help them over Metro Manila.

The Mercato Centrale app will have get through and eventually grow an online shopping system with elec- their business.” tronic payment and delivery services— all in one portal.

Through the platform, small and medium food enterprises can receive orders online and track their overall performance, including their revenue, items ordered, and ratings in real-time.

Foodies, on the other hand, will be able to enjoy the best bites and gastronomic experience from their city’s finest cuisines in the comfort of their own homes, while supporting local restaurateurs, SMEs, and vendors.

Various other enterprises can also interact with Mercato vendors to sell and supply fresh meat and vegetable produce, among others.

Aside from connecting enterprises to their customers and suppliers, the online platform aims to empower micro food entrepreneurs affected by the ongoing health crisis.

“In spite of all the challenges of The Mercato Centrale app features an online shopping the current situa- system with electronic payment and delivery services, tion, our mission to allowing customers to purchase food items directly from foster budding entre- Mercato merchants.