Manila Standard - 2020 August 11 - Tuesday

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Duterte in a bind, weighs options

By Joyce Pangco Panares PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he will tap the military to enforce community lockdowns as coronavirus cases continue to surge despite placing Metro Manila and four other provinces under Modified En-

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 166• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

hanced Community Quarantine.

"Kapag hindi talaga madala, mapipilitan gamitin ang military. The military is there to enforce the communitybased lockdown (If the situation does not improve, I will be forced to use the military)," the President said in his Next page

RAIN OR SHINE.

People wait for their turn to HEADThe 'new normal' triggered by receive the second tranche the virus pandemic has sent demand of financial aid under for bicycles skyrocketing as commuters the government's Social look for a transport mode that conforms Amelioration Program (SAP) to 'social distancing' rules amid the in Cavite province on Sunday. artificial lack of public utility vehicles.

Emerito Antonio for PonD With anti-virus measures in mind, News Asia barbershops like this one in Quezon City (below) reopen after being idled for two months, oliberal general community quarantine. AFP, Norman Cruz

Month-long ECQ pushed

UP team: Stricter NCR lockdown a must; record daily cases near 7,000

By Vito Barcelo

E

XPERTS from the University of the Philippines (UP) on Monday recommended a month-long enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for Metro Manila—one level tougher than the curent twoweek modified ECQ (MECQ)—to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease.

This developed as the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported a new record-high of 6,958 additional cases in a single day, bringing total COVID-19 cases in the country to 136,638.

With 633 additional recovered patients and 24 new COVID-related deaths, the country's active COVID-19 cases—patients who are still infected with the coronavirus and are staying either at a hospital or under home Next page quarantine—stood at 66,186.

Face shield prices double, supply shortage noted

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

sengers in public transportation starting August 15.

Vendors in Divisoria, Manila's mercantile district, reported that face shields PRICES of face shields have doubled with that used to sell at P18 per piece wholesale about five days left before government were now going for P40 each. Retail pricorders their mandatory use for all pas- es have gone as high as P50 for the most

basic face shields, they added.

In the southern commercial district of Baclaran, vendors noted that their face mask supply has been dwindling, as people have been buying in bulk to resell them in their respective areas.

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16 days to okay telco tower LOCAL government units have scrambled to approve permits for cellular towers after President Rodrigo Duterte criticized their bureaucratic process.

During Duterte’s late Monday night address to the nation, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said some 1,502 applications from telecommunication firms have been approved.

These account for more than 75 percent of the 1,930 applications submitted to 80 LGUs.

Processing time was slashed from as high as 241 days to an average of 16 days.

"The reason why ang mga telco nahihirapan maski yung mga tower nila it’s not being acted upon and there are so many requirements being asked by the local government officials," the President said.

"A delay of 200 days is totally unacceptable," Duterte added.

Joyce Pangco Panares

PhilHealth corrupt officials, personnel to get no mercy PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to bring down the full force of the law on corrupt officials and personnel of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

"Itong sa PhilHealth, yayariin ko kayo. Maniwala kayo," the President said Monday night, amid allegations that the government health firm’s officials pocketed as much as P15 billion in public funds through various anomalous transactions.

"Yung mga inosente, continue work-

ing. Kung nakalusot kayo sa ibang presidente, dito sa akin sadsad talaga kayo," added Duterte.

The President has refused to fire embattled PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, but he formed a task force to investigate the corruption allegations.

The task force is empowered to conduct lifestyle checks on key PhilHealth personnel and examine their financial transactions, as well as file administrative Next page

HK police raid pro-democracy newspaper, arrest owner, sons HONG KON—Hong Kong prodemocracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested Monday and led in handcuffs through his newspaper office as police raided the building, part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent since China imposed a security law on the city.

Lai, 71, was among seven people detained on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces—one of the new national security offences—and fraud in an operation targeting his Next

ALL IN THE FAMILY. A family of farmers from Cotabato makes face shields with bamboo frames to be sold for P150 each within the Davao Region and P200 outside the region. Nonoy Jayme via Manny Piñol FB Page

Digital publishing group.

It was the latest police operation against dissidents under the sweeping new law introduced at the end of June. Two of Lai's sons were among those detained, a police source told AFP. The most serious national security crimes carry up to ife in jail.

Journalists working at Lai's Apple Daily took to Facebook to broadcast dramatic footage of some 200 police officers conducting the r a i d , Next page

House OKs P162-b stimulus package Anakpawis top

By Maricel V. Cruz leader killed in QC residence THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the proposed Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, or the Bayanihan 2, by a 242-6 vote.

The chamber, in plenary session Monday, approved House Bill 6953, which provides a P162-billion standby fund intended “to support operations and response measures to address the COV-

ID-19 pandemic.”

This includes emergency subsidy to workers, cash-for-work programs, prevention and control of other diseases, support programs for impacted sectors, and support for the agricultural sector.

The Senate earlier passed its version of the bill that provides for a ₱140-billion standby fund for socioeconomic and health programs needed to help the government

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US TOPS 5M VIRUS CASES; TRUMP RELIEF PLAN HIT Story on B2

By Willie Casas NATIONAL Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randall "Randy" Echanis was killed in Quezon City on Monday, Anakpawis Partylist confirmed.

Echanis, 72, and an unidentified neighbor were killed in a rented house in Novaliches early in the morning, the activist group said in a statement.

Next page

IN HANDCUFFS. Police lead Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai away from his home after he was arrested under the new national security law imposed by China on August 10. Over 200 police officers raided his Apple Daily newspaper offices in a deepening crackdown on dissent in the restless Chinese city. AFP

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Navy protests Chinese survey T Bacordo told an online new forum that the Chinese vessel had no clearance to survey the area, and that the Philippine Navy would be submitting a report on it to the Defense department.

"The presence of two Chinese surveillance vessels in Recto Bank has come to my attention, but right now I

think there's only one,” Bacordo said.

“We have reported this, and we have checked if they have any clearance to conduct a survey in that area, and we’ve found out there is none.”

Bacordo made his statement even as Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said President Rodrigo Duterte was only

“being realistic and practical” when he said he could not do anything about Beijing's pursuit of territory and resources in the South China Sea. When Duterte said in his last Stateof-the-Nation Address last month that he was “inutile” on the maritime issue, he might have meant that the Philippines could not address that issue militarily, Lorenzana said.

The United States, Manila’s defense ally, could not stay permanently in the Philippines to help protect its territory, he said.

"He was just being realistic and practical, that we cannot do anything," Lo-

Experts...

last two weeks.

Most of the 6,958 are from the National Capital Region (4,163), while the rest are from Laguna (400), Rizal (363), Cavite (312) and Bulacan (178). There are also 254 cases among returning overseas Filipinos.

“Our case clustering report showed that there are 380 clusters in NCR; 305 (80%) are in the communities and 34 (9%) in health facilities. CALABARZON has 174 case clusters and Region 7 with 171 case clusters – majority were also in communities,” the DOH said.

The additional cases are based on data from 74 out of 99 accredited testing laboratories.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Aug. 2 approved the recommendation to revert Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan to second most stringent MECQ from Aug. 4 to 18 after medical frontliners called for a timeout to allow the government to recalibrate its COVID-19 response efforts.

Lorenzana said the country cannot continue imposing lockdowns, as these would further hurt the economy, which suffered deepest contraction in 29 years after gross domestic product shrank 16.5 percent in the second quarter this year.

“Just yesterday, Finance Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez (III) said we must do something to open up the economy. We cannot go on imposing more lockdowns as many more people might die of hunger than of COVID-19 if people will no longer have jobs," he said in Filipino.

Lorenzana said Phase 2 of the National Action Plan to combat COVID-19 is already in place since Aug. 1 and some of its strategies include identifying areas with outbreaks and containing them.

The plans were approved by the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) and aim to prevent lockdowns of towns or cities if outbreak areas can be identified.

Lorenzana said the strategies will also minimize disruption caused by quarantine measures.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government will have to decide the difficult trade-off between the health and the economic after the 14-day MECQ in Metro Manila and four other nearby provinces expires on Aug. 18.

Roque said the final decision will depend on the recommendation of the IATF. “It would be a difficult decision to be made by the IATF because we need to balance between health and economy of the nation,” Roque said.

He added that the Palace will have to wait to assess the MECQ because its effects will not be felt immediately.

Roque made the statement in response to House committee on health chairwoman Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, who said the two-week “timeout” granted to the medical community is not enough to address the problems in the country’s health care system.

Roque said last week that a prolonged lockdown could lead to grave economic consequences. The economy plunged into a recession after gross domestic product shrank 16.5 percent in the second quarter as strict lockdowns shuttered businesses.

On Sunday, Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar called on persons with travel exemptions during the MECQ to not abuse the privilege given them.

Citing reports from police officers manning various quarantine control points, Eleazar said some of those given exemption, including the ID cards issued by the IATF, use it as an excuse to "deliberately violate" the strict quarantine rule on non-essential travel.

“They should not use this exemption to engage in travels that are not connected to their job because this is really unfair to the majority of our countrymen who are strictly abiding by the government’s prohibition not to engage in non-essential travels in this time of pandemic,” Eleazar said in a statement.

The IATF exempted from quarantine restrictions groups or workers whose nature of the job is classified as a necessity to provide basic needs and services of people required to stay home. Those given exemptions are listed as authorized persons outside residence (APOR).

To be listed as APOR, a person must be working as a front-liner in the fight against the coronavirus and working for industries permitted by the government to operate and presence outside of their communities and their travels must be work-related.

With PNA

pitals, quarantine facilities, and workplaces.

He said that even inside the house, family members should practice physical distancing and wear face masks to avoid COVID-19 transmission.

P2.4b allotted for vaccines The government has allotted an initial budget of P2.4 billion for COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

“We already prepared a budget for that, and part of the budget is for 2021.

We allocated P2.4 billion for COVID-19 vaccines,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a virtual briefing.

“But of course, it will depend on the price and how much we can procure. The budget will be increased. But that’s the initial amount that we set aside for next year’s budget,” she added.

Vergeire reiterated an earlier announcement that 20 million Filipinos, or a fifth of the population, will get the vaccine, which will require 40 million doses since the vaccine will come in two doses.

PhilHealth...

HE Philippine Navy will request that a diplomatic protest be filed over a Chinese vessel’s alleged surveying activities at Recto Bank or Reed Bank, its chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said Monday.

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In recommending a monthlong ECQ, Dr. Ranjit Rye of the UP-OCTA Research team cited the high positivity and critical care utilization rates in the National Capital Region despite a slight lag in community transmission.

“The template that we can follow is Cebu (City). In Cebu, after one and a half months of very strict quarantines, they were able to hammer down the rate of transmission,” Rye said in a GMA News report.

The NCR was already under ECQ from March 12 to May 31, but government relaxed the lockdowns to allow the economy to restart.

However, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, on Monday said Metro Manila is ready to return to the less strict general community quarantine (GCQ) as the number of COVID-19 cases is slowly declining.

"I think the trend is going down, yesterday (Sunday) there were only 3,000 new cases, down from 6,000 previously. So, I think we are ready to go down," Lorenza said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart on Monday.

In a report to President Rodrigo Duterte —who was expected to speak on the issue late Monday—the UP experts noted that the surge in Cebu "has been reversed” with only 92 new cases reported daily from the previous 176, a reproduction number of 0.54, and a positivity rate of 7%.

The reproduction number, which should be lower than 1, refers to the average number of people that one COVID-19 patient can infect, while the positivity rate should be equal to or lower than 5%, according to the World Health Organization.

“These are very positive things and if they can continue that and sustain that, we will see that Cebu will open up, its economy will open up, and it’s going to look forward to a brighter Christmas,” Rye said.

The total number of COVID-19 recoveries is at 68,159, while the total number of fatalities is 2,293.

The DOH said that majority or 83% of the additional cases were from the

Face...

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"Some buy 1,000 pieces, others 500, they would sell it too," Baclaran retailer Russell Selpan said in a GMA News report.

Last week, the Department of Transportation released a Memorandum Circular mandating the use of face shields —aside from wearing face masks—in any mode of public transportation service effective August 15.

This developed as Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said face shields would serve as additional layer of protection against the coronavirus disease, particularly in areas where some people do not observe physical distancing.

“Wherever there are a lot of people, and you can't maintain the two-meter distance, face shields can help," Año said in a television interview.

Año said the use of face shields is also encouraged not only in public transport vehicles but public areas such as markets, hos-

Duterte...

From A1

televised address to the nation late Monday night.

Speaking from Davao City, Duterte acknowledged Monday's record high number of new infections at 6,958, which brought the total number of cases to 136,638.

The President admitted he is in a quandary now as doctors and healthcare workers have recommended reverting to Enhanced Community Quarantine—the highest lockdown level—for a month to address the spread of the virus while other groups are pushing to open the economy as soon as possible.

"Ito ang dilemma ko. Gusto ng mga doktor na i-lockdown. Ito namang sa kabila, kailangan nating palabasin yung mga tao lalo na sa mga trabaho na kailangan talaga ng bayan (This is my dilemma —doctors want a lockdown while others want us to allow people to return to work)," he said.

Meanwhile, the President has volunteered to be the first to receive experimental vaccine for COVID-19 from Russia to ensure that it works and has no unwanted side effects.

"Ako pagdating ng bakuna, para

walang satsat dyan, in public, magpainjection. Ako yung maunang mag-eksperimentuhan (Once the vaccine is available, in public, I will have myself injected. I volunteer to be the first for the experiment)," the President said.

"Okay para sa akin, sabihin ko rin kay President Putin na malaki ang tiwala ko sa kanilang studies (It's okay with me, I will tell President Vladimir Putin I have great faith in their studies," Duterte added, as he thanked his Russian counterpart for assuring the Philippines of free vaccine supply once it becomes available.

"Nagpapasalamat kami. Someday, makabayad kami ng utang na loob namin sa inyo. (We are very thankful. Someday we will be able to repay our debt of gratitude.) I promise you that the Philippines and Russia will remain friends forever," he said.

Duterte appealed to Filipinos to continue observing health protocols even as countries such as Russia, China and the United States are preparing to launch their own vaccines.

"Malapit na po. Ang vaccine, they are to be distributed worldwide by September or October.... By December, we will have a COVID free December and we can enjoy this Christmas season," the President said.

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and anti-graft cases and order preventive suspension as may be warranted.

This developed as Morales’ erstwhile top aide, former Marine Col. Etrobal Laborte, will shed light on the alleged corruption schemes in Philhealth in the next Senate hearing, multiple sources said Monday.

Laborte has decided to attend Tuesday's hearing after initially withdrawing from testifying in the Senate last week, the sources said.

"The one or two new witnesses are ready to come out now after they heard the [first] hearing and the kind of excuses given," one source told ABS-CBN News in a report.

"Mabigat ang bibitawan nito. Mabigat ang mga ebidensya nito (His allegations are weighty. The evidence he has also holds a lot of weight)," the source told ABS-CBN, while declining to give more details about Laborte's expected expose.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier said Laborte "knows a lot" about the alleged corruption schemes in PhilHealth, as he was the one who flagged "discrepancies" in the budget.

Laborte has been researching alleged irregularities in the government's health corporation, and had provided documents that the Senate used in the first hearing, Lacson told reporters in an online press conference last week.

Laborte resigned as Morales' head executive assistant in July, expressing a desire to enroll in postgraduate studies.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who said Laborte has already requested for security, also told Morales on Monday that "if you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Morales had complained that the Senate leader violated his right to privacy by revealing he has cancer.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said Morales was a "guardian of integrity" during his time in the armed forces and could have been "overwhelmed" by the alleged corruption in PhilHealth.

Lorenzana said he did not believe that his fellow retired military general was involved in anomalies in the agency. Joyce Pangco Panares, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo and Willie Casas

renzana told ANC. Bacordo said sending a Philippine Navy ship to Recto Bank to check the situation there was an option, but he would leave it to the commander of the Western Command to do it. But he said he did not know yet if a vessel had already been deployed there.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has said he does not know of any permission for a Chinese vessel to survey the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, and that he only knew that there were permissions for an American and French vessel to go to that area.

ECHANIS

Anakpawis...

From A1

Former Anakpawis representative Ariel Casilao said Echanis was undergoing medical treatment and unarmed when "police forces" raided his house.

Echanis was found dead after five men were seen leaving his house, Casilao said.

In reaction, Malacañang asked everyone to wait for the results of the investigation by the authorities amid claims linking the police to the killing of the peasant leader and peace consultant.

“Let’s wait for the results of the police investigation before pinning the death of Echanis on anyone,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Echanis was a long-time consultant and a member of the NDFP committee on socio-economic reforms. He was part of peace talks with the Duterte administration from 2016 to 2017, Anakpawis said.

He was chairman of Anakpawis and deputy secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, a militant peasant organization.

Echanis was Anakpawis' third partylist nominee for the House of Representatives in the 2010 elections.

"Our anger is beyond words. This is a culture of extrajudicial killings with impunity under the Duterte regime. This is a declaratory act that national leaders of legal-democratic movement are now targeted to be killed by the Duterte regime," Casilao said.

"The entire civil society, human rights advocates and freedom fighters must totally denounce this criminal act," the former congressman said.

Calling the killing a "cold-blooded murder," NDFP negotiating panel legal consultant Edre Olalia said" "It is almost conclusory that the ruthless dark forces have struck again."

"How then can we encourage people to openly and effectively engage in legitimate causes and advocacies for social and economic reforms if you treacherously silence them?" said Olalia, also president of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers.

Because of the killing, he said the recently enacted Anti-Terrorism Law "may just be a formal legal cover if not a surplusage."

HK...

From A1

and the newspaper's chief editor Law Wai-kwong demanding a warrant from officers.

"Tell your colleagues to keep their hands off until our lawyers check the warrant," he was filmed saying.

Apple's staff were ordered to leave their seats and line up so police could check their identities as officers conducted searches across the newsroom.

At one point Lai was present, in handcuffs and surrounded by officers.

Police said the search was conducted with a court warrant which was shown to staff.

House...

From A1

deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House version of Bayanihan 2 bill also provides: • P12 billion for the procurement of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing and extraction kits, supplies and materials for COVID-19 testing, and the enhancement of the Department of Health's capacity to provide healthcare services; • P18 billion for the implementation of cash-for-work program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD);

‘Ferdie’ floods 42 Pampanga coastal villages

By Jess Malabanan CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The continuing rain brought by a low-pressure area and the southwest monsoon have flooded 42 coastal villages in Pampanga's fourth district—even as disaster officials readied their rescue equipment and personnel to help.

The low-pressure area and the tropical depression “Ferdie” inundated Macabebe, Apalit, Masantol and other areas, but the situation there were still manageable, said Angie Blanco, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

“Some villages in Masantol town were constantly being monitored due to the high tide. The water in the flooded roads were as high as three feet," Blanco said in her 10 a.m. update.

She made her statement even as the weather bureau said Monday Luzon will continue to experience rain due to “Ferdie” and the southwest monsoon, and that some areas have been placed under Signal No. 1.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said "Ferdie" was last tracked 210 kilometers west of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 70 kilometers per hour. PNA

Lawyers file 27th appeal vs. ‘terror’ act

By Rey E. Requejo

A GROUP of lawyers and journalists have asked the Supreme Court to stop the Duterte administration from transforming the state into a “repressive machine” in the name of fighting terrorism through Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

The group’s petition, the 27th received so far by the 15-member bench, seeks to declare as unconstitutional RA 11479, which was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 3 and was implemented starting July 18.

“The method by which the State seeks to repress terrorism must not be repressive in itself. Else, the State ironically transforms into a hideous principal terrorist itself in violation of the Bill of Rights,” said the group said in its petition.

The new petitioners include the Center for International Law Inc. represented by its president Joel R. Butuyan and members Roger R. Rayel, Gilbert T. Andres, Crispin Francis M. Jandusay, Kimberly Anne M. Lorenzo, Gelia Erika P. Esteban, Elreen Joy O. de Guzman, Niccole S. Carcaina, and Shawn Dustin B. Coscoluella; Foundation for Media Alternatives Inc. represented by its executive director Liza Garcia; Democracy.Net.Ph Inc. represented by its trustee Carlos Adrian A. Nazareno; Vera Files Inc. represented by its president Ellen T. Tordesillas and its journalists Meeko Angelo R. Camba, Anthony L. Cuaycong, Reiven C. Pascasio, Merinette A. Retona, Rosalia C. Revaldo, Elijah J. Roderos, Celine Isabelle B. Samson, Ivel John M. Santos and Estrelita C. Valderama; Professors of the College of Law of the Lyceum of the Philippines University Ma. Soledad Deriquito Mawis (dean), Carlo L. Cruz, Marilyn P. Cacho Domingo, Senen Agustin S. de Santos, Marla A. Barcenilla, Romel Regalado Bagares, Juan Carlos t.

Cuna and Johan Paul Alzate dela Pasion.

Chris Yeung, president of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, described the police action as "shocking and terrifying".

"This is unprecedented, and would be unimaginable only one or two months ago," he said.

Apple editor Law later sent a note to staff, seen by AFP, telling reporters to "stand by their posts" as he vowed to get the latest edition printed despite the raid.

'Prepared for prison' The security law was introduced in a bid to quell last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests, and authorities have since wielded their new powers to pursue the city's democracy camp, sparking criticism from Western nations and sanctions from the United States.

• P5 billion for the implementation of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; • P21 billion for unemployment or involuntary separation assistance to the displaced workers in health, education, tourism, culture and arts, creative industry, transportation and other sectors affected by the pandemic; • P50 billion for infusion of capital to government financial institutions; • P21 billion in support to the agriculture sector; • P21 billion in assistance to criticallyimpacted businesses in the transportation industry and for the development of accessible sidewalks and protected bicycle lanes.

News

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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Party drugs smuggled in coffee, toy packs

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

C

USTOMS agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have intercepted smuggled parcels of ecstasy pills at the Central Mail Exchange Center warehouse in Pasay City with an estimated street value of P23.5 million.

SMUGGLED ECSTASY. Bureau of Customs agents confiscated seven packages containing a total of 13,824 tablets of Ecstasy with an estimated street value of P23,500,800 at the NAIA’s Central Mail Exchange Center warehouse in Pasay City. The illegal drugs were discovered in different parcels with different consignees. According to reports, the shipments originated from Netherlands and Belgium and misdeclared as “Caffe Gondoliere Espresso Beans, Caffe Gondoliere Creme Bonen”, “Gondoliere Coffee (Arabica)”, “Granulaat”, “Snoepjes”, “Coffee DE (Espresso)”, “DE Coffee (Aroma Red) (Mocca)”; and “Fishing Bath, Energy Saving LED Light, Pillow for Kids, Disney Pixar - The Secret Life of Pets”.

OFWs hurt in Beirut blast nows 47—DFA THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said the number of Filipinos injured in last week’s deadly explosion in Beirut, Lebanon has increased to 47.

Citing report from the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, the DFA said five more Filipinos were injured in the blast from the previous 42.

“We are still thankful that the injuries sustained by our kabayayans are not lifethreatening. We also thank our embassy personnel for taking prompt action,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said.

She added that the remains of the Filipino fatalities will be brought back to the country this week along with 400 Filipinos who sought repatriation assistance from the embassy.

The massive blast reportedly triggered by ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse in the port area of Beirut killed 154 people, including four Filipinos, and injured several thousands more.

There are around 33, 000 Filipinos living and working in Lebanon, 75 percent of whom are in the greater Beirut area.

“The repatriation of our kababayans from Lebanon is free,” Arriola said.

IN BRIEF Senior Citizens partylist Rep. Datol passes away SENIOR Citizens party-list Rep. Francisco Datol died on Monday, according to an official of the House of Representative.

In a statement, House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales confirmed Datol’s death but did not give details on the congressman’s demise.

“It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Cong. Jun Datol passed away a few hours ago. We will give you the details as soon as we receive them,” Montales said.

“May he rest in peace. Our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones,” Montales added.

Datol was the sole representative of the Senior Citizens party-list in the 18th Congress.

He championed the country’s senior citizens.

As chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Senior Citizens, he also penned measures that focus on the protection of the elderly, among others. Maricel V. Cruz

Yedda: Probe online sexual exploitation of kids

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representativs’Committee on the Welfare of Children will investigate the growing cases of online sexual exploitation of children during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID) pandemic, panel chairperson and Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez said on “There is an urgent need for the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight mandate to investigate the rising incidence of OSEC in the country, look into the quality of policy implementation, and review existing and related laws to keep up with the complex-

ity of OSEC and the increasing levels of digital technology,” Romualdez said in a privilege speech.

As head of the committee, Romualdez said she intends to launch an investigation in aid of legislation and invite representatives from the Executive branch to identify and address the gaps on the speedy prosecution of OSEC cases; to ensure full accountability and compliance of internet service providers and social media and other online platforms; to assess the capacity of enforcement agencies to respond to and handle OSEC cases; and to propose stronger social protection measures that will empower victims and witnesses

P5b for OFWs to go a long way—senator

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo THE P5-billion supplemental budget the government released to the Department of Labor and Employment would go a long way in its continued effort to repatriate overseas Filipino workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Senator Joel Villanueva.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said the latest fund release, which Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III disclosed on Sunday afternoon, would allow DOLE to continue providing the one-time cash grant of P10,000 to repatriated OFWs. The fresh funds would also cover the cost of repatriation, testing, lodging and transportation to their home provinces.

“The additional P5 billion for DOLE would help in the continuing repatriation of our OFWs who have been stranded in different parts of the world,” said Villanueva.

“We also express our gratitude to our government for heeding our call for additional funding, which we have raised since May in the course of the weekly reports to Congress as provided by the Bayanihan 1 law,” he also said.

The initial funding of DOLE’s Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong (AKAP)—amounting to P2.5 billion—is nearing depletion with the agency disbursing around P2.388 billion as of Aug. 8 to over 233,000 OFW beneficiaries.

Both the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Philippine Overseas Labor Offices around the world have processed and approved 267,584 applications, according to the department.

MEGA FACILITY. IATF officials inspect the Mega Quarantine Facility at Bagong Nayong Pilipino in Parañaque City. The 525-

bed capacity quarantine site was funded by the Razon Group through its construction arm Prime Metro BMD Corporation and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, Inc. The facility is part of the government’s strategy to test, trace, isolate, and treat COVID-19 patients and save more lives. The facility will house asymptomatics and those with mild symptoms. Present during the inspection are National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon and DPWH Undersecretary for Project Management Office Emil Sadain and Prime Metro BMD Corp. CEO Jeff Gallus. BCDA Group Photo

Frontliners get free toll, subsidy from SMC

GSIS now allows online reporting of pensioners STATE pension fund Government Service Insurance System President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet on Monday that GSIS now allows online reporting of pensioners as an alternative method to the yearly personal appearance requirement or Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation.

“Pensioners may report to GSIS through Viber, Facebook Messenger, Skype or Zoom after they have emailed the requirements for APIR. This contactless method will protect them from possible COVID-19 transmission as well as ensure the continuous receipt of their pension,” Macasaet said.

Online APIR, according to Macasaet, is in addition to the other options given to pensioners to comply with the annual reporting to GSIS. The other methods are APIR via the GWAPS kiosk, personal appearance, and home visit. At present, however, home visit is suspended due to quarantine restrictions.

to report cases of abuse and exploitation.

Romualdez also voiced concern at how the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened OSEC in the Philippines given the loss of sources of livelihood of many, and the surge of online activities of minors, among others.

But Romualdez noted that even before the pandemic, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children based in the United States reported in 2018 that at least 600,000 child sexual abuse materials from the Philippines were reported to have been shared and sold online. This marks 1,300 percent increase from the previous year.

The shipments with different consignees came from The Netherlands and Belgium, and were declared as coffee beans and granules, fishing bath, energy-saving LED lights and a Disney-Pixar brand child pillow.

The authorities examined the parcels and discovered seven packages containing 13,824 tablets of ecstasy.

The contraband was sent to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for disposition and for the filing of criminal charges against the owners.

Meanwhile, the authorities have seized P81.62 million worth of marijuana in seven separate operations over the past three weeks, the Philippine National Police said Monday.

In a statement, PNP chief Archie Gamboa said the authorities also raided three marijuana farms in response to his order to step up the campaign against illicit drugs—even as PNP units worked to impose quarantine measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Drug traffickers are taking advantage of the pandemic under the mistaken notion that the PNP is more preoccupied with health concerns,” Gamboa said.

“Be warned. We will intensify our operations and will continue going after the syndicates big and small.”

The series of coffee bean smuggling has prompted officials at the airport to intensify their campaign by subjecting more parcels to rigid document profiling, x-ray scanning and physical examinations.

The field test conducted at the PDEA Chemical Laboratory have confirmed that the seized tablets were ecstasy, a party drug that killed five people during a party four years ago in Pasay City.

RAMMED. PCG personnel responds to a maritime incident involving MV Ocean Abundance that rammed and damaged about five to 10 meters of Pier 2, North Harbor, Manila at around 03:10 a.m. today, 10 August 2020. Norman Cruz

SAN Miguel Corporation’s has extended its free toll privilege and fuel subsidy for medical front liners facing an uphill battle against COVID-19 that continues to surge across the country.

SMC’s free toll program for medical front liners which began at the height of the ECQ in March has reached P53.49 million in waived fees to date.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said the program will continue indefinitely, in support of the medical community.

Some 9,260 medical front liners have availed of free toll RFID stickers, which can be used at all SMC Infrastructure-operated expressways, namely STAR Tollway, South Luzon Expressway, the Skyway system, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

The initiative started in March, when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was first implemented in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“The sense of gratitude we have for

the sacrifices and heroism of our medical front liners remains as deep and strong as it has ever been. They are our modern-day heroes. We’ve continued this program because we want to at least provide them some measure of relief and show them our support. We will continue to help them any way we can,“ Ang said.

Apart from the free toll program, SMC, through subsidiaries SMC Infrastructure and Petron Corp., has also provided free fuel to the Libreng Sakay programs of both the Department of Transportation and the Metro Manila Development Authority.

Recently, SMC extended its free fuel program for the DoTR’s free shuttle program for medical workers.

Since April 7, SMC Infrastructure has provided fuel subsidy of 3,000 liters per day for 60 DoTR shuttle buses utilized to ferry health workers to various hospitals and critical health facilities. The most recent extension is until the end of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) on August 18.

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

A4

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

HOLD THE SCISSORS. Calamba City local government operatives shut down barber shops that opened and operate around the city while still under the modified enhanced community quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ABS-CBN Photo/Dennis Datu via Twitter

P500-m sought for COVID vaccine

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE Quezon City council has been asked to set aside P500 million for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines when they are available in the market.

PH to build virology lab in Clark

By Jess Malabanan CLARK FREEPORT—A virology laboratory will rise at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac as part of the government response in addressing any form of emerging infectious deseases similar to coronavirus, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority announced Monday.

"The Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, which will be prioritizing research on infectious diseases will be hosted

by New Clark City, and this was just recently approved by the Economic Development Cluster," said Vince Dizon, BCDA president and presidential adviser for flagship projects.

The proposed project would be the country's premier research institute in the field of virology, Dizon added.

Dizon said the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) was proposed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and has been included in the administration's list of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs).

The approval of the virology institute as one of the IFPs is part of the government’s response in including new projects that will address the emerging needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Clark City was designed to be the country’s first smart, green, sustainable and resilient metropolis. The project’s Phase 1A was completed last year for the hosting of the 30th South East Asian Games.

Councilor Winnie Castelo made the appeal in Ordinance CC-333 he filed Monday as he suggested that the P500 million be included in the city’s 2021 budget.

“We have to ready the funds so that when vaccines are developed and marketed, we could immediately buy them for qualified city residents,” Castelo said.

He said the national government is al-

ceutical companies are now on their final stages of trial of their vaccines.

“We hope it will be available sooner than later so we can overcome this pandemic,” he said, noting that President Duterte has asked China to give priority to Filipinos when its vaccine is available.

He appealed to the city council to approve the proposed appropriation as soon as possible.

HPG TRIBUTE. Cpt. Mel

Hallar, (Res) PA/CSP, Security Consultant of Laperal Properties together with Rafael Laperal, representing Desiderio Laperal, and his father Oliverio Laperal Jr., hold plaques of appreciation during the 65th founding anniversary of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and 119th Police Service Anniversary. Brig.

General Eliseo Cruz (second from left), HPG director, personally thanked Cpt. Hallar, the marketing manager of Pacman Legendary Security Agency Inc., for his untiring support to the unit during the coronavirus lockdown. Cruz also recognized the generosity of Laperal Family for allowing the HPG to use their lot in Barangay San Antonio, San Pedro City, Laguna as the common impounding area of NCR and Calabarzon PNP-HPG. Also in photo are Col. Bernardo Cabagnot, Deputy Director for Administration (second row from the left), Col. Cosme Abrenica, Deputy Director for Operation, and Col. Chito Bersaluna, Chief of Staff.

Lino Santos

By Darwin G Amojelar

RIDE-HAILING service provider Angkas has partnered with the local government of Manila to provide free motorcycle taxi rides and shields to its medical forntliners during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moren”: Domagoso. received the donation of Angkas shields from Angkas Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca in the turn-over held this morning, also witnessed by Vice Mayor Dr. Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan, immediately after the flag-raising

COVID-19 Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) initiative that demonstrates active case finding strategies for the prevention and elimination of clusters.

“Active case finding” means systematic screening and clinical evaluation of patients in the community.

“In CODE,we collaborate with the national government, with local government ujnits spearheading the destruction of clusters…we will do house-tohouse campaign to be led by our health workers, do symptom check, immediate isolation of those with symptoms or those sick and massive targeted testing where swabbing would be needed,” Duque said. Willie Casas

By Willie Casas MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso on Monday revealed he copied an initiative by the Czech Republic, which intends to provide masks for all, according to a Facebook post by the Manila Public Information Office (MPIO).

Manila was able to create and distribute hundreds of thousands of face masks while also creating new jobs for unemployed sewers.

This was made possible through Domagoso's livelihood program for sewers and tailors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the program, the city government will employ sewers to create washable face masks which will be distributed to Manila residents for free, according to the MPIO. Earlier, the local government of Manila said it is ready to purchase P200 million worth of COVID-19 vaccines anytime they become available this year, after Domagoso signed on August 6 an ordinance appropriating the budget from the city’s current funds.

The newly-signed Ordinance 8659 will allow the city to buy COVID-19 vaccines when they are on the market, after the city’s treasurer certified that a P200 million fund “is already available and [has] been set aside” for the remaining months of the year 2020.

Domagoso said this meant the local government does not have to wait for the passage of the 2021 budget to procure COVID-19 vaccines.

‘Jumpers’ in Iloilo dismantled

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Angkas to provide free taxi rides and shields

Duque: Not sprint, it’s a marathon HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III has told Pasay City’s local officials that the fight against COVID-19 is not a sprint but a marathon that calls for endurance.

“It’s been five months for us battling this coronavirus disease. This is the profile of our battle. This is no longer just a sprint, it’s now a marathon, Duque said, emphasizing the importance of keeping one’s self healthy in this time of pandemic.

“We just have to recharge, re-energize, reconvene, review the plans, narrow them down, then execute,” Duque said.

The coordination meeting on August 7 with the Pasay City’s Task Force COVID was part of the National Task Force’s

ready preparing to procure the vaccine and local government units like Quezon City should do the same.

“We also have to prepare a vaccination program. I am suggesting that inoculation be free for poor residents and senior citizens,” he said.

Castelo noted that scores of countries like the United States, United Kingdom, China, Brazil, and France, and pharma-

Manila plans to provide free masks

ceremony.

Manila has six city district hospitals: Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Maynila, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Tondo, Sta. Ana Hospital, and Justice Jose Abad Santos Memorial Hospital, where Angkas bikers will be deployed to ensure that the HCWs will be brought home safe after their shifts.

“The local government unit and the cities in the National Capital Region are the key to recovering lost ground from COVID-19. Their hospitals are the hubs where the HCWs fight the battle against the virus every single day,” Royeca said.

“We believe that by providing our HCWs the services that they need steadily and consistently, and by focusing on these locations in partnership with the LGUs, we can make a difference,” he added.

The barriers or shields act as an additional layer of protection that can help prevent transmission of the virus from the passenger to the driver, and viceversa, effectively reducing both individuals’ risk to exposure.

The city of Manila has at least 1,000 health workers. It has also experienced (to date) 5,179 cases of coronavirus infections, 3,690 instances of recovery, and 236 deaths.

MORE Electric and Power Corp.

(MORE Power) succeeded in dismantling 4,000 “jumpers” or illegal connections in 42 barangays, expected to improve power situation in Iloilo City.

MORE Power initiated a crackdown on illegal power connections in the city that proliferated under the old utility Panay Electric Co. (PECO) under its “Oplan Valeria.”

Ariel Castaneda, head of MORE Power’s apprehension team said the company has streamlined connection process to make it easier for consumers.

“We’ve shortened the process even more. As soon as they pass the necessary documents from the City Engineer’s Office like the Electrical Safety Inspection Certificate and pay their bill deposit even if it’s only partial—yes, even for just P1,000—they will be installed an electric meter right away, no fuss,” Castaneda said.

He said that to date, around 1,000 residents who used “jumpers” had received regular connections and their own power meters.

A technical study by engineering firm MIESCOR on the city’s electricity distribution network indicated that there were about 30,000 illegal connections that proliferated under PECO. The high number of electricity pilferage contributed to the huge system losses incurred by PECO that reached 9.3 percent as of 2018, and the cost of this electricity is passed on to the paying regular residential, business and industrial customers.

ANTI-POLIO DRIVE. The local

government of Sta. Maria, Laguna under the leadership of Mayor Cindy Carolino (center) launched with the World Health Organization (WHO) the 'Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio' drive in the town on Monday, with WHO representative Dr. Dawit Lemma and Maria Ave Braña, Laguna Coordinator of the National Imuunization Program.

Roy Tomandao

Opinion Justice for Randy Echanis EAGLE EYES

TONY LA VIÑA “REINVENT the Pursuit of Peace” is the second installment in the trilogy of letters compiled by peace advocates former Senator Wigberto “Bobby” Tañada and Edmundo “Ed” Garcia. This short letter was written on 27 May 2020 by both Bobby Tañada and Ed Garcia in order to inspire and urge their fellow citizens to re-imagine the pursuit of peace.

He is the third peace negotiator killed by enemies of peace.

The letter lamented the four decades of peace missions and initiatives by various quarters which have largely fallen on deaf ears. Surely, after numerous peace missions, ceasefire agreements and peace negotiations initiated by administrations that have come and gone as well as various peace advocacy groups, the hostilities between the Philippine Government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines continue unabated. Thousands of innocent civilians as well as combatants have been killed, brutalized, displaced and lives wreaked by this long-running insurgency, yet the end is nowhere in sight as the two opposing forces continue to slug it out for political supremacy. Tañada and Garcia both decry the miserable failure by these efforts to convey the vital and critical message that “a permanent cessation of hostilities through a negotiated political settlement was imperative to end a fratricidal war that has been waged “in the name of the people.”

Tañada and Garcia pointed out that the failure by both sides “to grasp, however, is that we have a potential “peace team” of millions of Filipinos who aspire to live in a country at peace, and whose energies we can unleash to turn a new leaf as a people.”

Because of this, according to them, “proposed citizens’ peace agenda that had been laboriously crafted by concerted assemblies of peace advocates in the National Peace Conference and the Waging Peace gatherings were regularly conveyed to both conflict parties insisting that the time to build a just and lasting peace had come.”

In the context of the coronavirus pandemic that continues to rage around the globe, an ideological and violent warfare is an unwanted distraction. As Tañada and Garcia pointed out: “As our country confronts a vicious contagion that threatens

in the long run to break down our fragile health system. At the same time, we face an uncertain future where the livelihoods of numerous people have either been lost or endangered, pushing more people into poverty and hunger.” This unprecedented health crisis presents a unique opportunity “like never before to focus singly and wholly on addressing our people’s health concerns and our common aspirations to reduce both poverty and inequality in our midst. It offers us an “opportune moment” to heal the wounds of war.” Indeed, war must end and refocus our undivided attention, resources and collective efforts as a nation to fighting this contagion and staving off the economic fall out of this viral scourge.

From their standpoint, there is no other opportunity that will present itself to us in our lifetime. Therefore, the people must summon the wisdom and courage to pursue a lasting peace that will benefit this and generations to come. Our response to these challenges will be our defining moment, as it will demonstrate who we truly are, and who the Filipino can be, they said.

According to the letter writers, “history will be a harsh judge if we fail to take up this immense responsibility to dismantle the apparatus of war and begin to build a different mind-set at this late hour” and “Now, indeed, is the time to rewrite a different story, turn the page and never turn back.”

As I was writing this column, I received news of yet another assassination of a peace negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. According to Rappler, Randall “Randy” Echanis, a long-time peasant and activist leader, was killed at his home, allegedly by police forces. Seventy-two years old, Randy was chair of Anakpawis and deputy secretary general of KMP and according to colleagues was being treated medically and unarmed when killed.

I echo National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) president Edre Olalia, who is quoted in the Rappler article and worked with Randy on the peace talks as the legal consultant of the NDFP negotiating panel.

Olalia related the killing to the anti-terror law: "Is there no more space at all for robust dissent, protest and advocacy if it will rock the boat of the powerful and privileged political and economic rulers? With this latest apparent cold-blooded murder, the terror law may just be a formal legal cover."

Randy is the third peace negotiator killed by enemies of peace. Obviously, his death has a chilling effect on the already faltering peace process.

There is no peace without justice. But no justice, which includes accountability and overcoming impunity, is possible too without peace.

Website: tonylavina.com Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Power distribution firms must serve the public good ABOUT TOWN

ERNESTO M. HILARIO HOW do the mighty fall?

In the case of Panay Electric Co. (PECO) in Iloilo, with a loud thud, it seems, after it lost its congressional franchise in January 2019.

The downfall of the once-mighty company that monopolized the distribution of electricity service to residential, commercial and industrial consumers in Iloilo City since the American colonial period was not unexpected. It came on the heels of complaints by thousands of consumers which forced the city’s legislative body to formally request Congress to reject the renewal of its franchise.

The two chambers of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, granted the franchise to another company, More Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), after finding merit in the consumers’ complaint endorsed by their own representatives in the City Council.

A year after losing its franchise, PECO, owned by a landed clan, is now on the defensive as consumers, including civic groups, have uncovered glaring evidence that the company’s finances had been spent allegedly for the personal benefit of its owners and managers.

The consumers had also belatedly realized that they had been paying one of the highest electricity rates in the entire country for two decades.

Moreover, transport groups, the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) and the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) also discovered after conducting a discreet investigation of vehicle registration

records at the local Land Transportation Office (LTO) that the utility firm used funds allotted for service vehicles that were supposed to be used for maintenance trips of its technical employees to check or repair faulty electricity distribution wires or equipment to purchase a luxury car for the company’s chief executive officer.

They must be accountable not only to their biggest stockholders but also to consumers.

"If true, it is a clear case of a deceitful transaction which involves the money of the electric consumers,” said officials of the two Iloilo transport groups in a recent media report.

The company CEO had earlier been linked by public interest lawyer Zafiro Lauro to the registration in the year 2000 of three offshore companies in the Bahamas that shared the same address as the offshore companies of the world’s filthy rich.

PECO insists there is nothing wrong with their CEO acquiring ownership of a luxury vehicle bought from funds that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) had authorized to be spent for service vehicles. However, all expenditures of utility companies like PECO need approval by regulatory authorities because consumers pay for them through their monthly bills.

“Buying a BMW midsize sedan for personal use by its president cannot be considered economically efficient, but rather an abusive use of customers’ money who will eventually pay for it through the distribution rates of PECO,” leaders of the two Iloilo

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

B1

EDITORIAL

A

A crucial test tem was designed to fix this problem—but the system itself has been flagged by the Commission on Audit for irregularities, particularly in the planned procurement of equipment and software for P734 million, which was not contained in the state insurer’s original budget proposal.

LLEGATIONS of widespread corruption in the state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) are a crucial test for the Duterte administration’s commitment to clean government.

Are we really commited to a clean government?

President Duterte had famously said he would not tolerate even “the whiff or whisper of corruption”—not even from friends.

Now hearings at the Senate have uncovered what one public policy think tank referred to as not just a whiff of corruption, but an entire landfill.

Even PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales admitted before a Senate hearing that about P10.2 billion of the agency’s P176 billion in benefit payments could have been lost to fraudulent transactions and schemes in 2019 and that this could rise to P18 billion next year “if the right thing is not done.”

Morales, handpicked by the President to take over PhilHealth after a scandal over millions of pesos in benefit payments to ghost patients last year, said a new computer sys-

State auditors said one piece of software from Adobe, which costs P168,000, was listed as P21 million each in the proposed budget submitted by PhilHealth. They also said the budget for application servers and licenses was increased from the initial budget of P25 million to P40 million.

At the same hearings, Senator Panfilo Lacson documented the questionable release of funds under PhilHealth’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM), through which advance payments of up to three months are made to health care institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Grace Poe demanded to know why some hospitals in Bicol and the Visayas were granted hundreds of millions of pesos under the IRM—when some of them were not even accredited and had very few or no COVID-19 cases.

In response to these allegations, the President has created a task force, headed by the Justice Department, to look into the reports of corruption. The task force’s members will include officials from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. They have been given 30 days to submit their findings and recommendations.

Some quarters have suggested that the task force, and not the Senate, is best situated to conduct the investigation of PhilHealth, given the propensity of some senators toward grandstanding. But such a view overlooks the key role that legislators play—to provide oversight over the executive department’s actions. While we welcome the creation of the task force and eagerly await its findings, we believe the Senate must continue shedding light on the dark corners of government where corruption thrives.

No quick fix AS NEW cases engulf even hitherto pristine countries like Vietnam or Japan, and as our country slogs on through what is now the world’s longest lockdown, it’s sinking in among our people that we’re in for a long, long war against the virus. I personally don’t expect a vaccine to be available through this year-end into early next year.

There won’t be the kind of quick fixes that Filipinos just love.

In this protracted battle, the only way to win is to hunker down and start fighting smart. This simply means better execution.

And that includes embracing instead of dismissing appeals from healthcare professionals for more inclusion; immediately getting rid of officials “with just a whiff of corruption” in, of all places, our health financing system; and regularly communicating the science behind the lockdown, as well as our infrequent victories, to a citizenry that enjoys no livelihood, no mobility, and no light at the tunnel’s end. *** Amid all the gloom, it’ll be good to be reminded of the occasional bright spots.

The Department of Health recently released a statement showing that the Philippines has in fact done well in some key areas, compared say to Indonesia with whom we’ve been unflatteringly compared.

In terms of testing capacity, we’re now ahead of everybody else in Southeast Asia, with 99 testing labs as of August 4 doing an average of 28,938 tests a day. This works out to 1.5 percent of our population, ahead of Indonesia’s 0.34 pct. More tests helps explain why new infections kept rising, although once we exceed 30,000, we do have a right to expect the curve to start to flatten.

Just as important, our death rate is 1.8 percent of total caseload, well below Indonesia at 4.7 percent or the global average of 3.7 percent. Most of the credit for this should go to our healthcare workers and institutions, who’ve clearly proven that they deserve the bigger seat they’ve been given at the IATF table.

Looking forward, DOH singles out as a major shift in direction a renewed focus on localized, community-centered responses

transport groups asserted.

PECO is also under scrutiny after the new utility, MORE Power, started massive preventive maintenance work on the city’s five electricity substations serving each of the city’s districts to prevent massive damage to the city’s electricity distribution network that could result in a total shutdown of electricity service for the city’s almost 100,000 residential homes and businesses.

MORE Power claims that it inherited a “rotting, decrepit” distribution system from PECO and thus was forced to cut electricity service to the city by 13 hours at the most to repair or upgrade equipment such as transformers and high-voltage wires in the substations.

PECO claims the power outages were the result of mistakes made by MORE Power in the operation of the distribution system, and this is the reason why it should not be allowed to run the distribution business in Iloilo City again.

The ERC will eventually decide if PECO, indeed, is telling the truth in the way it managed the Iloilo City electricity distribution system for almost 100 years.

If proven true, the allegations against PECO underscore the need for utilities like PECO to be always transparent and accountable in all their dealings.

The Philippine Competition Act, or Repub-

FORMATION

GARY OLIVAR to support local government units. As we’ll discuss later, though, the jury is still out on this work in progress. *** For its part, the entire IATF just released its performance summary to date. Comparing the 1st quarter (March/April) with the 3rd quarter (July/August), significant increases were posted in the number of:

Fighting smart against the virus simply means better execution.

• Contact tracers, from under 5,000 to 84,000 • Isolation facilities (“LIGTAS Covid”), from 2,700 to nearly 10,000 • PPE sets, from 1 million to 3.5 million • PCR test kits, from 90,000 to 9 million The IATF also released its entire national action plan carrying over into next year. As intimated by DOH, a major focus is carrying the fight to the grassroots. Communities are to be zoned according to severity of infection risk: critical (where cases were identified in the past week) and, radiating outward, containment, buffer, and areas outside buffer zones.

Within this zoning scheme, lockdowns are to be conducted more granularly than today’s “everybody suffers” approach.

They may be imposed per barangay, per block, per block and house, per street, per house, and/or per building. Needless to say, this kind of granularity calls for highly developed data collection methods—perhaps cellphone-based—as well as a high level of

lic Act 10667, defines, prohibits and penalizes three types of anti-competitive conduct: anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions. It also created the Philippine Competition Commission which has the authority to conduct inquiries or investigations and to hear and decide cases involving violations of the law.

This law seeks to enhance economic efficiency and promote free and fair competition in trade, industry and all commercial activities; prevent economic concentration that will control production, distribution or trade, which will unduly stifle competition or lessen, manipulate or construct the discipline of free markets; and penalize all forms of anti-competitive conduct with the object of protecting consumer welfare.

Companies that are publicly-listed, and therefore owned by small stockholders, and whose income is derived from consumers who purchase their services or products, must be able to explain how they spend their money.

Since power distribution firms are imbued with public interest, they must be accountable not only to their biggest stockholders but also to consumers who are, after all, the source of their profits. ernhil@yahoo.com

competence among our barangay officials that is probably still just aspirational today. *** In the end, execution is everything, so it’s helpful to know who’re leading this charge.

The first among four “czars” is the tracing czar, Baguio city mayor Benjamin Magalong, who said that he wants to improve the current tracing ratio from only four or five contacts per potential infectious case, to at least thirty per infectious. This is the most difficult job, the one where we are most backward. Unfortunately the action plan is silent about how to improve the performance of local officials, without which Magalong will simply not succeed.

The isolation czar is DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, which tells us that the perceived solution is to just build or convert more isolation centers. But what about enforcing home quarantine—again through local officials—which eases the infrastructure pressure and casts the widest possible net even among asymptomatic cases? Again the action plan is silent on this.

The treatment czar is Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega. With the healthcare system now reaching capacity, in terms of both physical assets and health workers, we trust that Vega will reach out more aggressively to the private sector. That will include giving private hospitals more financial and operating space, such as the suggestion from Medical City chairman Eckie Gonzales to allow balance billing to PhilHealth in order to add working capital.

The testing czar, BCDA president Vince Dizon, is doing OK with nearly 30,000 tests per day. But a key challenge for him is to go beyond clinical testing for workplace decisions about individuals, and push widespread mass testing to make public health decisions. I used to think that rapid antibody/antigen tests were useless. Now I can concede that if they’re cheap enough, easily or self administered, and frequently repeated, they too have a place in the testing technology mix.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

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WFH makes sense POINT OF IMPACT

ERWIN TULFO

ECQ or GCQ? It’s our choice

EVERYMAN How the pandemic and power rates are interconnected

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Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor

Adelle Chua Opinion Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

B2

World

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11 , 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Lebanon government on brink; World vows 250m euros in aid

BEIRUT—Lebanon’s government was teetering Monday as two ministers’ resignations over the deadly Beirut port explosion threatened to snowball and protesters’ fury on the scarred streets showed no sign of abating.

The under-fire cabinet, struggling to weather the political storm, was due to meet in the afternoon amid widespread demands for an end to an entrenched political system dominated by sectarian interests and family dynasties.

Meanwhile, world leaders on Sunday pledged more than 250 million euros for disaster-struck Lebanon, conference host France Manila said, with the emergency aid to be Standard delivered TODAY“directly” to a population reeling from the deadly port

blast in Beirut.

Fifteen government leaders including US President Donald Trump took part in the virtual conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN, pledging solidarity with the Lebanese people and promising to muster “major resources” in the coming days and weeks.

A joint statement issued after the meeting in which representatives of nearly 30 countries as well as the EU and Arab League participated, did not mention a global amount.

But Macron’s office said the total figure of “emergency aid pledged or that can be mobilised quickly” amounts to 252.7 million euros ($298 millon), including 30 million euros from France. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Manila

Standard

TODAY PUBLIC INFORMATION SHEET FOR DIRECT USE AS FOOD AND FEED, OR FOR PROCESSING PROPOSAL FOR DIRECT USE AS FOOD AND FEED, OR FOR PROCESSING DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 Soybean

1.

Applicant’s Name Dow AgroSciences B.V. - Philippines

2.

Applicant’s Address 8/F iSquare Building 15 Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center Pasig City, 1605 Philippines

3.

Telephone Number/ Facsimile Number, E-Mail Address of the Applicant Tel.: (02) 637-1234; Fax: (02) 687-5114 Email Address: arun.mittal@corteva.com; bella-victoria.ermita.corteva.com

4.

Name of Responsible Officer/Authorized Representative Arun Mittal/Bella Victoria Ermita

5.

Description of the Regulated Article for Direct Use DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean was developed through conventional breeding methods combining the two single soybean events DAS-81419-2 and DAS-444Ø6-6. No new genetic modification has been introduced in this stack event. Soybean plants that contain this stack event are protected against certain lepidopteran insect pests of soybean, and are tolerant to the herbicides glufosinate, glyphosate, and 2,4-D. DAS-81419-2 expresses the Cry1F and Cry1Ac and proteins which confer protection to certain lepidopteran pests of soybean. It also expresses PAT protein which confers tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate and was used as selectable marker during the development of DAS-81419-2.

DAS-444Ø6-6 expresses the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (2mEPSPS) protein which provides tolerance to glyphosate, the aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase-12 (AAD-12) protein, which provides tolerance 2,4-D herbicides, and the PAT protein, which provides tolerance to glufosinate, herbicides.

6.

If to be imported, Country (ies) of Origin of the Regulated Article DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean will be imported from countries such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay that have authorized this event for commercial cultivation.

7.

Brief Summary of Potential Effects on Human and Animal Health and the Environment Conventional breeding is well-established as being safe, and there are no risks to human health or safety associated with conventional breeding. The use of conventional breeding to stack traits in single events is also safe. No additional safety studies should be required to assess the safety of a stacked event if the traits contained in the single events have been assessed, unless there is a plausible hypothesis for how the gene products could interact.

DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean has been obtained by conventional breeding methods. No new genetic modification has been introduced in this stacked event. The single events DAS-81419-2 and DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean have already been assessed and approved for food and feed use in the Philippines and are commercially approved. Each of these single events have a history of safe use, many years of safe consumption, and have been assessed for human and animal health and environmental safety.

The toxicity and allergenicity of Cry1F, Cry1Ac, and PAT proteins were individually and completely described from previous submissions of the DAS-814192 event which was approved by the DA Bureau of Plant Industry in 2019. The environmental safety of DAS-81419-2 has also been assessed.

The toxicity and allergenicity of the 2mEPSPS, AAD-12 and PAT proteins were individually and completely described from previous submissions of the DAS444Ø6-6 event which was approved by the DA Bureau of Plant Industry in 2019.

The environmental safety of DAS-444Ø6-6 has also been assessed.

There has never been a documented occurrence of a new toxin or allergen arising in a stacked GM product produced through conventional breeding. Therefore, there is no plausible hypothesis for how the novel proteins in DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean could interact to result in the formation of a new allergen or a new toxin.

There is also no plausible hypothesis for interaction between the proteins expressed in DAS-81419 (Bt Cry proteins) and the proteins expressed in DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean (herbicide tolerance traits). Therefore, the safety of DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean is equivalent to the safety of the single events DAS-81419-2 and DAS444Ø6-6 soybean.

Nutrient Composition studies conducted at the nine major soybean-producing regions of United States showed that the levels of key nutrients and anti-nutrients in DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 (unsprayed and sprayed with 2,4-D, glufosinate, glyphosate, or all three herbicides) soybean were equivalent to those of a nearisogenic non-transgenic Maverick soybean line (referred to herein as “isoline”) and comparable to the composition of commercially available non-transgenic soybean varieties (reference varieties) and literature values for non-transgenic soybean.

8.

Brief Summary of Potential Benefits Herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops have played, and continue to play, a central role in improving agricultural productivity and protecting the agricultural environment. Herbicide tolerant crops have enabled the widespread adoption of conservation tillage practices that preserve soil health and improve water quality.

On the other hand, insect resistant crops provide an economical and effective means of controlling insect pests. The availability of DAS-81419-2 × DAS444Ø6-6 soybean will allow growers to proactively manage pests while avoiding the development of resistance by enabling the use of 2,4-D and glufosinate herbicides in addition to glyphosate. Hence, this stack product will improve the efficiency of utilization of agricultural inputs, while improving pest management and increasing farm income. This GM maize product is not expected to drastically change current global patterns of production, consumption/utilization and trade.

9.

Countries Where Approvals Have Been Granted (for FFP; for Commercial Propagation) List of countries where the product has been approved: Countries

Food

Feed

Propagation/ Cultivation

Argentina

2016

2016

2016

Australia & New Zealand

2014†

-

-

Brazil

2017

2017

2017

Canada

2015*

2015*

2015*

Colombia

2018

2016

-

Japan

2017

2017

-

Mexico

2016

2016

-

South Korea

2017

2018

-

Taiwan

2016

2017

-

United States

2014†

2014†

2014†

*Stack Notification Letter † Refer to single event status, no separate approval was issued for the stack product The public is hereby invited to submit their comments to the BPI Director (within 60 days from date of publication) on the Proposal for the Importation of DAS-81419-2 × DAS-444Ø6-6 soybean for direct use as food and feed, or for processing Director Bureau of Plant Industry San Andres, Malate, Manila Telephone Number 404-0409 local 203 Fax Number 404-0409 local 203 E-Mail bpibiotechsecretariat@gmail.com

SPECIAL GUEST. US Health Secretary Alex Azar meets Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen (right) during a three-day visit to Taipei to promote shared democratic values and the island’s success in taming the coronavirus, in the highest level official visit from the United States since 1979. AFP

US tops 5 million virus cases; Trump hit over relief package W

ASHINGTON—The United States on Sunday reached the extraordinary milestone of five million coronavirus cases as President Donald Trump was accused of flouting the constitution by unilaterally extending a virus relief package.

The US has been hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic, recording nearly 163,000 deaths -- by far the highest of any country, ahead only of Brazil, which on Saturday became the second country to pass 100,000 deaths.

The global death toll is at least 727,288 since the novel coronavirus emerged in China last December, according to a running tally from official sources compiled by AFP.

Nearly 20 million cases have been registered worldwide -- probably reflecting only a fraction of the actual number of infections.

As around much of the globe, the small African country of Malawi on Sunday imposed tight social restrictions to try to contain the disease, shutting all bars and churches, while hot weekend weather drew crowds in Europe to the beach.

In Washington, the new virus relief package -- announced by Trump on Saturday after talks between Republican and Democrat lawmakers hit a wall -- was “absurdly unconstitutional,” senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi told CNN. Fellow Democrat and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, appearing on ABC, dismissed Trump’s unilateral measures as “unworkable, weak and far too narrow.”

But with the nation’s economy still struggling to dig itself out of an enormous hole, Democrats appeared skittish about any legal challenge to a relief package they see as seriously inadequate.

The four executive orders Trump signed Saturday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey will, among other things, defer payroll taxes and provide some temporary unemployment benefits.

The president was seen as keen to show himself taking decisive action ahead of a November 3 election that could see him ousted from office, with polls showing a large majority of voters unhappy with his handling of the crisis.

On Sunday night, Trump blamed what he called Democratic stubbornness for his being forced to take executive action.

“The Democrats were unwilling to do anything,” Trump told reporters as he boarded Air Force One to return to Washington.

“It was time to act,” he said. “We have to get money out to the people.”

- Summer crowds Democrats say the president’s orders infringe on Congress’s constitutional authority over the federal budget. AFP

‘Night fell’ under China security law HONG KONG—Teenager Tony Chung said he was walking outside a shopping mall when police officers from Hong Kong’s new national security unit swooped, bundled him into a nearby stairwell and tried to scan his face to unlock his phone.

Chung’s alleged crime was to write comments on social media that endangered national security, one of four students -- including a 16-year-old girl -- detained for the same offence that day.

The arrests were made under a sweeping new law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in late June, radically changing the once-freewheeling business hub.

Chung describes the law in stark terms.

“I think night just fell on Hong Kong,” the 19-yearold told AFP after his release on bail, the investigation ongoing.

A political earthquake has coursed through the former British colony since the national security law came into effect on 30 June.

Under the handover deal with London, Beijing agreed to let Hong Kong keep certain freedoms and autonomy until 2047, helping its transformation into a world-class financial centre.

The security law—a response to last year’s huge and often-violent pro-democracy protests—upended that promise.

Last week the United States placed sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including city leader Carrie Lam. ‘A second handover’ Despite assurances that the law would only target an “extreme minority”, certain peaceful political views became illegal overnight and the precedent-setting headlines have come at a near-daily rate.

“The overnight change was so dramatic and so severe, it felt as momentous as a second handover,” Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong lawyer who has written books about the city’s politics, told AFP. AFP

STILL ROLLING. Motorcyclists ride through downtown Deadwood, South Dakota during the 80th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on August 8. While the rally usually attracts around 500,000 people, officials estimate that more than 250,000 people may still show up to this year’s festival despite the coronavirus pandemic. AFP

Lai: HK tycoon that China loathes HONG KONG—A rags-to-riches millionaire, media tycoon Jimmy Lai is a self-styled “troublemaker” who has been a thorn in Beijing’s side for decades thanks to his caustic tabloids and unapologetic support for democracy.

Lai’s arrest on Monday under a new national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong will come as little surprise to observers, including the publisher himself, who said he knew he would be a prime target.

“I’m prepared for prison,” the 71-yearold told AFP from the offices of Next Digital, Hong Kong’s largest and most rambunctiously pro-democracy media group, in an interview two weeks before the security law was enacted on 30 June.

“If it comes, I will have the opportunity to read books I haven’t read. The only

thing I can do is to be positive.”

Few Hong Kongers generate the level of vitriol from Beijing that Lai does.

For many residents of the semi-autonomous city, he is an unlikely hero—a pugnacious, self-made tabloid owner and the only tycoon willing to criticise Beijing.

But in China’s state media he is a “traitor”, the biggest “black hand” behind last year’s huge pro-democracy protests and the head of a new “Gang of Four” conspiring with foreign nations to undermine the motherland.

‘It feels right’ Like many of Hong Kong’s tycoons, Lai rose from poverty.

He was born in mainland China’s Guangdong province into a wealthy family but they lost it all when the communists took power in 1949. AFP

Indonesia’s Mt. Sinabung blasts tower of smoke, ash into sky

(MS-AUG. 11, 2020)

MEDAN, Indonesia—Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung erupted Monday, belching a massive column of ash and smoke 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) into the air and plunging local communities into darkness with a thick layer of debris.

The volcano on Sumatra island has been rumbling since 2010 and saw a deadly eruption in 2016.

Activity had picked up in recent days, including a pair of smaller eruptions at the weekend.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths from Monday morning’s blast, but authorities warned of possible lava flows and more eruptions.

“This is an alert for all of us to avoid redzone areas near Sinabung,” said Armen Putera, a local official with Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre.

However, the crater’s alert status remained at its second-highest level.

No one lives inside a previously announced

no-go zone around the volcano.

Small communities nearby were coated in a layer of thick ash as at least one village went from day to night in a matter of minutes.

“It was like magic -- when the ash came it went from being very bright to dark as night,” said Rencana Sitepu, the head of Namanteran village, adding that some of the community’s crops were destroyed by the fallout.

“The village went dark for about 20 minutes.” AFP

Business

B3

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

China’s July inflation rate up on rising food prices BEIJING, China―China’s consumer inflation edged up in July, official data showed Monday, partly because of rising food prices from flood-related disruptions and as the country recovers from the coronavirus outbreak.

The consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of retail inflation, had been pushed up over the past year by livestock prices after China’s pig herds were ravaged by African swine fever, with the COVID-19 outbreak later hitting supply chains.

Consumer inflation has been easing since January but ticked up again in recent months, with the CPI hitting 2.7 percent last month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), slightly better than forecasts in a Bloomberg News poll of analysts.

NBS senior statistician Dong Lijuan said Monday that food prices rose 13.2 percent from a year ago, nudging the CPI up―with pork prices climbing 85.7 percent.

“With the gradual recovery of catering services, demand for pork continued to increase,” said Dong, adding that this was accompanied by floods in many areas across the country, which hit the transportation of live pigs.

Prices of vegetables rose also, affected by “unfavorable weather,” according to Dong.

Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said “floods that have swept across China since late June appear to have disrupted supply chains and production in the Yangtze River Delta, where around half of China’s agricultural production takes place.”

But Nomura chief China economist Lu Ting told AFP he expects the CPI “to resume its downtrend soon in coming months,” with the temporary disruptions fading.

In a sign of the weakness outside the food sector, core inflation, which strips out food and energy costs, came in at a 10-year low of 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the producer price index (PPI) fell 2.4 percent from a year ago in July, better than the three percent drop the month before. AFP

PSEi August 10, 2020

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS This photo taken on August 9, 2020 shows people visiting a night market in Shenyang in China’s northeastern Liaoning province.

China’s consumer inflation edged up in July, official data showed on August 10, partly because of rising food prices from flood-related disruptions and as the country recovers from the coronavirus outbreak. AFP

Stocks gain; Emperador, Alliance Global advance T HE stock market rose Monday on bargain hunting along with the rest of Asia, with investors keeping a wary eye on China-US trade talks planned for the weekend.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index climbed 84.90 points, or 1.4 percent, to 5,930.92 on a value turnover of P4.9 billion. Gainers beat losers, 125 to 74, with 45 issues unchanged.

Emperador Inc., the liquor unit of tycoon Andrew Tan, jumped 8.2 percent to P9.85, while parent Alliance Global Group Inc. advanced 4.5 percent to P5.80. Emperador is set to join the 30-company PSEi on Aug. 17 in place of Semirara Mining and Power Corp.

Nickel Asia Corp., the biggest nickel producer, surged 7.4 percent to P3.30, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. rose 4.1 percent to P730.

The rest of Asian markets mostly gained Monday ahead of the US-China trade talks this week after Washington imposed sanctions on several Hong Kong officials, further straining tensions between the superpowers.

Adding to uncertainty was US law-

makers’ inability to find common ground on a much-needed new stimulus for the world’s top economy, with executive orders signed by Donald Trump considered sticking plasters for a crippling crisis.

Washington on Friday hit a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials―including the city’s leader Carrie Lam― with sanctions in the latest salvo in a row linked to Beijing’s decision to impose a security law on the city.

The move came after the White House set the clock ticking on forcing Chinese internet giants TikTok and WeChat to end all operations in the US, as part of a diplomatic-commercial offensive analysts fear will likely worsen leading into November’s presidential election.

China slammed the sanctions as “barbarous and rude.”

On Monday, Hong Kong media mo-

gul Jimmy Lai, one of the city’s most vocal Beijing critics, was arrested under the security law, deepening a crackdown on democracy supporters.

Hong Kong edged lower with Tencent shedding nearly four percent after Friday’s five percent drop in response to the US WeChat move.

But shares in Next Digital soared 344 percent after diving around 17 percent at one point after the arrest of Jimmy Lai. Analysts said the surge was fueled by pro-democracy activists urging investors on social media to pile into the market to support the firm.

The rest of Asia was in were positive territory with Sydney 1.8 percent higher, while Seoul wa also more than one percent up.

Shanghai jumped 0.8 percent, Mumbai added 0.7 percent and Taipei put on 0.5 percent.

US regulators also last week recommended overseas firms listed in the US should be subject to local public audit reviews from 2022, which could cause Manila Chinese firms ALLIED CARE EXPERTS (ACE) MEDICAL CENTER - BUTUAN, INC. Standard to delist.

TODAY Ochoa Ave. Corner Villanueva Ext. Butuan City (085) 815-4874/0933-051-6947/0917-703-3655 AFP

Saudi Aramco profits dive 73% as coronavirus trims demand RIYADH, Saudi Arabia―Energy giant Saudi Aramco said on Sunday its second-quarter profits plunged a massive 73 percent due to sharply lower oil prices as the coronavirus crisis undercuts global demand.

The behemoth, recently dethroned

by Apple as the world’s most valuable listed company, posted a net profit of $6.6 billion for the three months to June 30 compared to $24.7 billion for the same period of 2019.

The results are in line with analysts’ expectations but stand in contrast to the losses reported by its rival energy giants, which are reeling from a drop in oil demand since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Strong headwinds from reduced demand and lower oil prices are reflected in our second quarter results,” Aramco’s chief executive Amin Nasser said in a statement.

“Yet we delivered solid earnings because of our low production costs, unique scale, agile workforce and unrivaled financial and operational strength.”

Aramco’s net profit for the first half of the year also slumped by 50.5 percent to $23.2 billion, compared to $46.9 billion in the same period last year.

The results underscore a downbeat oil market as pandemic-driven economic shutdowns crush the global demand for crude.

Five other leading oil firms―BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and Total―recently reported combined losses of $53 billion for the second quarter.

By contrast, Aramco’s results reflected its “financial resilience,” Nasser said, as the company presses ahead with a plan to pay $75 billion in dividends this year.AFP

MOST ACTIVE

acemcbutuan@gmail.com /www.acebutuan.com.ph Always Caring with Excellence Member of ACE Group of Hospitals

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING OF ALLIED CARE EXPERTS (ACE) MEDICAL CENTERBUTUAN INC. DEAR STOCKHOLDERS: Please take notice that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Allied Care Experts (ACE) Medical Center - Butuan Inc. will be held on August 27, 2020, Thursday, at 8:00 in the morning; the meeting will be conducted via Zoom Meeting and Facebook Live. Kindly register thru the following link, on or before August 20, 2020, to enable you to participate in the meeting: bit.ly/ACEButuanASM The link will provide you access to the Facebook Group exclusive to stockholders of ACE Medical Center - Butuan, Inc. Please click on “Join Group” to register. You will then receive a confirmation email once you have successfully registered, including the details and procedures in the conduct of the meeting.

This photo taken on July 31, 2020 shows a convoy of Lamborghinis on the road after leaving a showroom during a Lamborghini Club Thailand event on the way to a Pattaya luxury retreat weekend, in Bangkok.

With tourism and exports in free-fall, Thailand’s growth could shrivel by as much as 10 percent this year, dumping millions into unemployment. But in a split-screen economy there are plenty with immunity to the economic scourge caused by COVID-19. AFP

Bangkok’s family dynasties unperturbed by virus

By Aidan Jones BANGKOK, Thailand―As the coronavirus brought the global economy to its knees, Thai businessman Yod decided to buy himself an $872,000 treat―a lime-green Lamborghini.

Yod picked up the customized Huracan EVO supercar in Bangkok, a city of billionaires with a luxury economy unbroken by the crisis ripping through Thailand’s wider economy.

With tourism and exports in free-fall, Thailand’s growth could shrivel by as much as 10 percent this year, dumping millions into unemployment.

But in a split-screen economy, there are plenty with immunity to the economic scourge caused

by COVID-19.

Thailand is home to the ninth most billionaires anywhere, according to the China-based Hurun Report’s Global Rich List 2020.

Among those with deep pockets is Yod―full name Thanakorn Mahanontharit―who was undeterred by Thailand’s “crazy” supercar import taxes of up to 80 percent when he made his March purchase.

“This car makes me feel like David Beckham,” the genial Bangkok-based petro-chemicals businessman told AFP. “When you open your door everyone looks at you like you’re a superstar.”

Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini have all launched top-end models in Bangkok over the pandemic period, cars with price tags of between $750,000 and $1.2 million.

It is a bet on the wealth sloshing around Bangkok.

Millions of dollars of that cash were on proud display in the capital last week as an eye-catching 40-car convoy from the Thailand Lamborghini Club cut through the city’s knotted traffic for a day trip to a nearby resort.

Lamborghinis “appeal to a very niche audience of high net-worth individuals,” said Matteo Ortenzi, chief executive for Automobili Lamborghini in the Asia-Pacific region.

There has been “continued interest and demand (from Thailand), one of our most important markets in Southeast Asia,” he added.

Yod said his supercar purchase was the completion of a lifelong dream.

“It is a reflection of your success, it doesn’t mean I am better than you,” he told AFP. “It’s just that I work hard and play harder.”

But most Thais are in a different game.

The kingdom is one of Asia’s least equal countries.

Thailand is headed by a super-rich monarchy and buttressed by a handful of family dynasties with monopolies covering everything from beer and duty-free to convenience stores. AFP

The confirmation email will also contain a link and instructions for the online voting which will be conducted via Google Forms. The stockholders will receive different links, depending on your number of shares, since you will be allowed 1 vote per share. All votes will be cast via Google Forms and counted during the meeting on August 27,2020. Voting in the election of directors may also be done in absentia through the above link.

The meeting shall be recorded (visual and audio) for future reference.

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

Call to Order Invocation Determination of Quorum Welcome Message from the Chairman of the Board Reading and Approval of the Minutes of the Y2019 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting VI. Annual Financial Report VII. President’s Report VIII. Ratification of the Acts and Proceedings of the Board of Directors, Officers, and Management of the Corporation IX. Amendment of the Bylaws of the Corporation (Sections 6 and 8 of Article II and Section 6 of Article III) X. Election of the Board of Directors XI. Appointment of External Auditor for the year 2020 XII. Adjournment Only stockholders of record at the close of business on August 7, 2020 (Record Date) shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting. If you cannot personally attend the meeting, you may opt to send your proxy to attend in your behalf. Kindly submit your duly executed proxy form with the undersigned, via email, at acebutuan2020@gmail.com not later than August 24, 2020, but preferably before August 20, 2020, to enable your proxy to register in the Zoom Webinar. Attached is a sample proxy form for your reference. [NOTE: Management is not soliciting proxies] The Information Statement and Management Report and SEC Form 17-A are available at the Corporation’s website at www.acebutuan.com.ph.

You may contact the undersigned via email at acebutuan2020@ gmail.com, or through telephone/mobile numbers: 0915 735 5076 (Globe/TM) or 0933 051 6947 (Sun/Smart/TNT), if you have inquiries or concerns regarding the meeting.

Very truly yours, DR. MARIE ANTOINETTE A. DELLOSA Corporate Secretary (MS-AUG. 10 & 11, 2020)

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

B4

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

IN BRIEF DA signs agreement with Pampanga school THE Department of Agriculture teamed up with the Pampanga State Agricultural University to provide the agri-fishery sector with access to cutting-edge technologies that can accurately detect and effectively manage, control and contain emerging animal diseases.

“The launch of this project is both timely and relevant, as it marks a new milestone in our efforts to boost our capacity to accurately detect and effectively manage emerging animal diseases, including that of transboundary diseases, here in Central Luzon and nearby regions,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. The DA and PSAU signed a memorandum of agreement on Aug. 8 in Pampanga. “Supporting this project can help us in a big way in the future.

Let us tap the best of molecular science and all biotechnology tools available for the very problems we have in the country. Let us not waste time,” Dar said.

The project, “DNA Analysis for Accurate Diagnosis of Emerging Deadly Viruses among Agri-fisheries of Central Luzon,” with P6.4 million funding from the Bureau of Agricultural Research, will generate information that can be used by drug manufacturing industries to build custom design vaccines to control and/or eliminate different viral strains. Othel V. Campos

DOTR to expand service contracting

Business

Economy remains robust despite Q2 drop—Diokno B

By Julito G. Rada

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno on Monday assured the economy remains robust despite the record second-quarter contraction of 16.5 percent.

Diokno also dismissed as “grossly exaggerated” the negative reactions from several quarters on the second-quarter gross domestic product decline because of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the economy was fundamentally sound and strong.

“The 16.5-percent contraction of Q2 GDP does not mean that the Philippine economy is structurally weak. It is inappropriate to compare the second-quarter performance of the economy with other crises in recent Philippine history: the

1984-85 pre-Edsa 1 crisis, the 199798 Asian financial crisis and the 20072008 global financial crisis,” Diokno said in a message.

He said he remembered it vividly that in previous crises, the peso depreciated, interest rates rose, public debt-to-GDP ratio expanded, the gross international reserves thinned and the banking industry wobbled.

“In sum, there were inherent weaknesses in the economy then. I recall that in the ‘80s, the Philippines belong to

THE Department of Transportation plans to expand service contracting with the public transportation sector to meet the demand of the commuting public for sufficient supply of safe public utility vehicles once Metro Manila is lifted from modified enhanced community quarantine.

“Amid the current need to reinforce stricter safety protocols especially on our public transportation, service contracting in transportation is one of our safest bet to ensure effective and continuous service for our commuters,” DOTR Assistant Secretary for road sector Mark Steven Pastor said.

“This will also provide extra income for affected drivers and operators and help them transition once the protocols are lifted,” he said.

The DOTr proposed that service contracting of public transport be included in the budget allocation for the transport sector. “We will continue to discuss and explore the implementation of the service contracting. We are hoping for its swift resumption and expansion, especially given the success of our previous contract service arrangement along EDSA,” Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Martin Delgra III said. Darwin G. Amojelar

FOOD FOR MEDICAL STAFF.

Pledging quality food for the country’s frontline heroes, Mimi & Bros. reopens its kitchen for its ‘Road to 10,000 Strong’ food drive where it encouraged people to donate a minimum of hundred pesos per meal to feed 10,000 healthcare workers in Metro Manila who are leading the battle against Covid-19.

Known as a restaurant and watering hole for young professionals and urbanites looking for bites and drinks after work hours in Bonifacio Global City, Mimi & Bros shifted its focus at the height of the quarantine to serving medical frontliners.

GSIS allows pensioners to report via online tools GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System president and general manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said the pension fund now allows online reporting by pensioners as an alternative method to the yearly personal appearance requirement under the Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation.

“Pensioners may report to GSIS through Viber, Facebook Messenger, Skype or Zoom after they have emailed the requirements for APIR. This contactless method will protect them from possible COVID-19 transmission as well as ensure the continuous receipt of their pension,” Macasaet said.

Macasaet said Online APIR is in addition to the other options given to pensioners to comply with the annual reporting to GSIS. The other methods are APIR via the GWAPS kiosk, personal appearance and home visit. Home visit was suspended due to quarantine restrictions.

“Complying with online APIR is simple and easy. On their birth month, pensioners must email only two documents to GSIS: a letter requesting GSIS to activate their status and a photo of their Unified Multi-Purpose ID or temporary eCard, or, in the absence of both, two valid IDs. The letter must indicate the date of request and the pensioner’s complete name, address, contact number and signature,” said Macasaet.

Surviving spouses, however, have to email a self-declaration that they have not remarried or cohabited with another person.

a select group called heavily indebted countries [HICs],” he said.

He said the cause of the most recent economic episode was the strict, nationwide lockdown to save lives and allow the build-up of health facilities and testing capacity amid the pandemic.

“It is not because the economy was weak. The contraction is temporary.

The economy is robust, characterized by strong fundamentals: falling interest rates, appreciating peso making it the most appreciated currency in Asia, sound external sector with gross international reserves as high as $94 billion, low debt-to-GDP ratio which is the envy of many emerging economies and robust banking industry with good capital adequacy ratio and low net performing loans ratio,” Diokno said.

Meralco rates dip for fourth straight month in August

By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co. said power rates fell P0.2055 per kilowatt-hour in August to P8.4911 per kWh from P8.6966 per kWh due in July on lower spot market prices and the repricing of natural gas.

“This is equivalent to a reduction of around P41 in the total bill of residential customers consuming 200 kWh a month,” Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

“This month’s overall rate is also the lowest in nearly three years since September 2017,” he said.

Meralco said power rates declined by over P1 per kWh since the start of the year. The latest rate is also significantly lower than P9.5674 per kWh in August

2019.

“The decrease in WESM [Wholesale Electricity Spot Market] prices and the natural gas repricing lead to the lower generation charge,” Zaldarriaga said.

Generation charges went down by P0.2103 per kWh to P4.1241 per kWh in August from P4.3344 per kWh in July because of lower rates at WESM, the country’s trading floor of electricity and reduced charges of Meralco’s independent power producer suppliers.

WESM charges went down by P1.12 per kWh in August on improved supply in the Luzon grid and fewer plant outages.

Meralco procured 15.5 percent of its supply needs from WESM during the July supply period which is billed in August.

Cost of power from Meralco’s IPPs

decreased by P0.3284 per kWh because of lower natural gas prices as a result of quarterly repricing.

The price of natural gas from Malampaya is indexed to international crude oil prices. The significant reduction in crude oil prices in the first half was reflected in the Malampaya natural gas price in Aiugust, while the peso appreciation also contributed to reduction in IPP rates.

Meanwhile, purchases from PSAs went up by P0.2722 per kWh on lower average plant dispatch and lower force majeure claims.

Meralco continued to invoke the FM provision in its PSA with First Gen Hydro Power Corp. because of the reduced power demand in its service area during the community quarantine period.

Eagle Cement’s net income declined 92.5% to P128 million in 2nd quarter

By Jenniffer B. Austria EAGLE Cement Corp., a fullyintegrated cement company led by businessman Ramon Ang, said Monday second-quarter net profit fell 92.5 percent to P128 million from P1.7 billion in the same period last year as the lockdown in Luzon aimed to curb the pandemic affected the overall business.

Eagle Cement said in a disclosure to the stock exchange second-quarter net sales also slid by 73 percent to P1.4 billion.

“These are very difficult times, but we remain confident that the economy will recover from this pandemic and emerge stronger” Eagle president and chief executive Paul Ang said.

“The government’s steady push for the completion of major infrastructure projects and the private sector’s readiness to bounce back offer encouraging signs for our company’s prospects moving forward,” he said.

The cement firm posted a net profit of P1.3 billion in the first half, down 61 percent from a year ago after net sales dropped 44 percent to P5.9 billion.

Eagle Cement said after the weak first-half performance, business was expected to recover once

the government eased further the quarantine restrictions especially in Luzon.

Ang said the pandemic had created a highly competitive cement market that could squeeze profits.

“More aggressive strategies in pricing and marketing will be undertaken in the remaining half of the year,” he said.

The company said that despite the steep decline in profitability, it continued to enjoy a strong financial position at the end of June which would enable it to withstand any external adversities amid the crisis.

“Our balance sheet remains strong and well-capitalized and the company is well-positioned to take advantage of a rebound in the construction industry. We continue to expand our production capacity despite the pandemic, underscoring our confidence on the economy’s ability to recover once quarantine restrictions are further eased,” said Ang. Eagle Cement’s Bulacan expansion is currently underway and is slated to be completed by the first quarter of 2021. This will boost its cement production capacity by 1.5 million metric tons to 8.6 MMT a year.

The share price of Eagle Cement closed lower by 2.3 percent to P10 on Monday.

E-LEARNING PLATFORM. Singapore based e-learning platform 88Tuition’s partnership with Security Bank leads to an increase of users of the platform, especially in the Philippines. From March 30 to June 30, 2,615 parents started using 88tuition’s e-learning platform where 69 percent of children gained access to primary level topics while 22 percent linked to the secondary level. One of them is Jillian Loriega, a third grader from School of The Holy Spirit of Quezon City, who enjoys the experience using the application.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, August 10, 2020

84.90 points

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

82,955,334,368 78,935

TOTAL VALUE 4,883,570,363.67 ADVANCES 125

5,930.92

DECLINES 74 UNCHANGED 45

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.0820

Japan

Yen

0.009442

0.4634

UK

Pound

1.305800

64.0913

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129031

6.3331

Switzerland

Franc

1.095770

53.7826

Canada

Dollar

0.747664

36.6968

Singapore

Dollar

0.728597

35.7610

Australia

Dollar

0.715600

35.1231

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652801

130.204

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266745

13.0924

Brunei

Dollar

0.725953

35.6312

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.032113

1.5762

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.3644

Euro

Euro

1.178900

57.8628

Korea

Won

0.000841

0.0413

China

Yuan

0.143534

7.0449

India

Rupee

0.013329

0.6542

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238949

11.7281

New Zealand

Dollar

0.660500

32.4187

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033989

1.6682 Source: BSP

Peso advances to 45-month high of 49.01 vs. US dollar THE peso appreciated to a 45-month high against the US dollar on Monday and is poised to breach the 48-per-greenback boundary in the coming days.

The local currency closed at 49.01 a dollar Monday, up from 49.041 Friday. It was the peso’ strongest closing since it settled at 48.95 on Nov. 11, 2016. Total volume traded reached $409.3 million Monday, lower than $647.4 million on Friday.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said the US dollar “staged a bit of a rally on the back of last Friday’s jobs report and planned stimulus efforts with President Trump signing an extension to the paycheck protection plan.”

“The bounce in US dollar could slow the peso’s recent appreciation spell, however the absence of any meaningful demand for foreign currency given the stark drop off in economic activity could translate to a peso strength until import demand resurfaces,” Mapa said in an emailed response to Manila Standard.

Astro del Castillo, managing director of First Grade Finance Inc., a finance and investment company, earlier said there was a continued loss of appetite for the greenback because of the unresolved rift between the US and China.

Mapa earlier said the peso might continue to enjoy the strengthening bias as the greenback remained relatively weak given the global central bank easing.

He said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas would continue to make its presence felt in the spot market, although a breach of the 49 level might happen if import demand continued to fall rapidly and remittances bounced back to expansion.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that imports fell 24.5 percent in June to $6.6 billion while exports dropped 13.3 percent to $5.3 billion.

Cash remittances declined by 16.2 percent in April to $2.046 billion from a year ago.

The Department of Finance said the peso remained one of the most stable Asian currencies despite the rising risks heightened by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Gil Beltran said that as of July 8, the peso ranked first among four Asian currencies that maintained their value against the US dollar. Julito G. Rada

Subic Freeport Expressway’s expansion project 50% complete

By Darwin G. Amojelar NLEX Corp. said Monday the capacity expansion of the 8.2-kilometer Subic Freeport Expressway is now 50-percent complete.

NLEX said construction activities for the P1.6-billion project were in various stages of development and were expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Two additional expressway lanes, two new spans at the Jadjad and Argonaut bridges and a new tunnel adjacent to the existing one are being built to transform the road into a four-lane expressway,

which would improve traffic flow and road safety.

“By increasing the road capacity of SFEX, which traverses the provinces of Bataan and Zambales, transport of goods in and out of the Subic Freeport will be faster and easier. This would also mean that the expressway can accommodate more motorists at a given time,” said NLEX president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista.

New expressway-standard LED lights will also be installed to make night driving equally enjoyable and safe.

Bautisa said it teamed up with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to

raise the elevation of the Maritan Highway-Rizal and Highway-Tipo Road Junction and enhance its drainage system to improve flood management in the area.

Full blast works on SFEX Capacity Expansion started in September 2019 and were halted following the declaration of enhanced community quarantine in the area. Construction resumed in mid-May after the lifting of enhanced community quarantine.

The SFEX Capacity Expansion project is expected to sustain Subic’s position as a prime business and leisure hub.

Sports

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

C1

Yulo assured of continuous Japan training

By Peter Atencio

IBF super-flyweight titleholder Jerwin Ancajas (center) with Senator Manny Pacquiao (right) and MP Promotions’ president Sean Gibbons

Pangilinan reaches out to FIBA exec SAMAHANG Basketbol ng Pilipinas Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan has offered his sympathy to Hagop Khajirian, FIBA executive director for Asia and CEO of the FIBA Asia Secretariat, following the two huge blasts that rocked Beirut last Tuesday.

“It was with great sadness when I learned about the most regretful explosion in the Port of Beirut,” said Pangilinan in an emailed letter addressed to the Lebanese FIBA Asia official Friday.

Pangilinan, now on his second term as FIBA Central Board member, added: “I join the people of your city, and the people of Lebanon, in their hour of grief and suffering, and send to them our prayers and our thoughts.”

The PLDT and Smart chairman and longtime Philippine sports patron also expressed the hope “that Beirut can recover quickly and fully from this unfortunate disaster.”

He closed with his “deepest sentiments and all good wishes.”

Among the structures reportedly damaged by the massive explosions was the FIBA Asia headquarters and several national sports offices.

PSA Forum tackles 3x3, jumping rope

Trainer likens Ancajas to ‘wrecking machine’

By Jessica Luna

D

UE to his continuous training at the Naval Base in Cavite City, International Boxing Federation super-flyweight titleholder Jerwin Ancajas has gotten stronger, and bigger.

Team manager and coach Joven Jimenez likens the 28-year-old Panabo, Davao del Norte champ to a “wrecking machine,” ready to destroy his foe once they fly to the United States to train late this month.

Ancajas (32-1-2 win-loss-draw record, with 22 knockouts) has bulked up since he started training, supported by the country’s Philippine Naval force during the lockdown in Cavite.

He spent his training sessions early this year in Dipolog City, the place of one of his benefactors Big Boss Cement owner Gilbert Cruz. But despite Ancajas’ bigger physique, Jimenez said his punching power and quick movement

will even improve.

“We are maintaining Jerwin’s condition at 90 percent for the last two weeks.

He’s ready anytime. He has already peaked, but we just want to hold on to it,” said Jimenez, noting that Ancajas’ present walking weight is 135 to 138 pounds.

Jimenez, however, assured there’s no problem for Ancajas reducing his weight when fight week comes.

“Tuluy-tuloy naman ang training at hindi pa naman panahon para magpapababa ng timbang. Madaling magpababa dahil ganu’n ang ginagawa namin palagi. Mayroon kami target date na dapat ganoon ang timbang niya,” Jimenez added.

“Once we develop his power and

strength, his speed and reflexes will come up,” he added.

Ancajas’ fight was supposed to be against Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez last November 2, but it was postponed by Top Rank due to visa issues.

The second postponement came on April 11 because of the pandemic.

Top Rank, however, assured the superflyweight king of a spot when boxing returns in Las Vegas. The condition was that Ancajas must already be in the US when the boxing “bubble” is finalized.

Despite the cancellation of his fight with Rodriguez, Ancajas, however, didn’t come out empty handed last year.

Top Rank gave him a fight in Puebla, Mexico last December 7 as a co-main event of the Emanuel Navarrete-Francisco Horta bout for the World Boxing Organization super bantamweight bout.

He did not disappoint the whole Mexican crowd, as he delivered a sixthround technical knockout win against Chilean Miguel Gonzalez for his eighth IBF title defense.

THANKS to the Philippine Sports Commission, Tokyo Olympics-bound gymnast Carlos Yulo will be able to continue training five times a week.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion said this, now that more help and financial assistance is given the 20-year-old Yulo.

The release of P2 million from the Philippine Sports Commission will help Yulo keep on availing of two training halls for his workouts in Japan.

“One training hall is available for Caloy for three times a week and the other one can be used two times a week.

Now, he can keep on training for five times a week,” explained Carrion.

The assistance was approved in a PSA board meeting Friday. It was part of a P4.2-million request being allocated to the GAP. Carrion earlier lamented that there was a delay in the release of the budget.

Officials explained that the delays were the result of Yulo changes in the Philippine Sports Commission’s payroll and administration system.

The agency began imposing strict measures in its financial structure involving national athletes and coaches, and their employees this week.

This was put in place after a PSC 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.

“We issued an advisory to the national team to advise them of the delay and the cause of it. We understand that with the crisis raging, the delay is very stressful, but the corrections were also needed,” said National Training Director Marc Velasco.

Earlier, the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation has also reached out to Yulo with an additional funding of P800,000.

Vera excited with possibility of facing Buchecha Brandon Vera

A NEW sports association and the recently turned-pro tournament Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 make up Tuesday’s two-part session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association webcast Forum.

Commissioner Eric Altamirano and top player Alvin Pasaol will talk about the 3x3 side especially its planned bubble concept inside the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna by September to kick off its first ever tournament as a pro.

Meanwhile, Noel Agra expounds on the newly-established Philippine Jump Rope Association which he currently heads.

Powered by Smart with Upstream Media as webcast partner, the 10 a.m. session is presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The Forum will be shown live via the PSA Facebook page f b.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and likewise to be shared on Radyo Pilipinas 2 facebook page.

FILIPINO-AMERICAN ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera is spending much needed quality time with his wife Jessica and newborn Atreyu Timothy in Guam amid the pandemic. But ONE Championship’s recent bolster of its heavyweight division has the reigning king enthusiastic about a handful of potential matchups.

One such matchup could possibly come against a recent signing. The promotion announced last week that it had added grappling legend Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida to its ranks. The Brazilian superstar is one of the most prolific Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors in the world and is widely considered a demigod in the grappling circles.

After hearing the news of Almeida’s signing, Vera says he felt extra motivated to get right to work.

“So I had to look up the proper name, because I only know that monster as Buchecha. He is a phenomenal athlete. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to possibly meet him in the ONE Circle,” said Vera.

“And it’s not just him. ONE signed a plethora of amazingly talented heavyweights. I’m going to train right now!”

One look at Almeida’s grocery list of achievements on the mats can make anyone starstruck. The amount of gold medals and world championship he’s won is blinding.

Almeida has 128 victories and only 13 losses in his grappling career, and now, he’s making the shift to the Circle which has fans from both the grappling and mixed martial arts worlds excited.

Vera knows exactly the type of ‘monster’ he could be up against should he meet Almeida in the Circle. “The Truth” is

all praises for “Buchecha.”

“I am very familiar with his grappling accolades. He has beaten the best in the world and at any given moment, at any weight, he is one of the top two grapplers in the world against anyone. I am very excited he is making the transition to MMA,” said Vera.

“I think it is the correct progression after you win 13 World Titles in grappling. There is no one else for you to beat there.

Looking forward to watching him and maybe even competing against him.”

Vera has held the ONE Heavyweight World Title since 2015, when he captured the inaugural belt with a knockout victory over Paul Cheng. Since then, Vera has defended the title successfully on two occasions, via first-round finishes over Hideki Sekine and Mauro Cerilli.

After a failed bid at light heavyweight against Aung La N Sang, Vera is excited to get back in the Circle and continue his reign of dominance in his natural weight class.

With the possibility of facing “Buchecha” down the line, Vera is confident his jiu-jitsu can hang with the world’s best, and that his overall skills will guide him through if he works hard enough.

“It’s a very welcome challenge. My grappling and jiu-jitsu lineage is full of schools of hard knocks -- from Master Lloyd Irvin, to Dean Lister, to Andre Galvao, my catch-wrestling coach Neil Melanson, and everyone in between. I’m very confident in my jiu-jitsu capabilities,” said Vera.

Though nothing has been finalized as of the moment, the Filipino-American is expected to make his next title defense against India’s Arjan Bhullar, another worthy name in the mix. That bout could come later this year, or in early 2021.

Manuel: It’s anybody’s ballgame when PBA returns FOR Vic Manuel, the coming Season 45 Philippine Basketball Association will be anybody’s ball game.

Manuel, 33, an eight-year PBA veteran, has been spending more time training and conditioning alone in his home since the entire nation’s quarantine period started more than five months ago.

The former Philippine School of Business Administration stalwart said that due to his continuous training, he is ready for the competition anytime once the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is gone. He also believes that everybody will be on the same even playing field.

“Walang liyamado, pare-pareho lang kaming walang laro, so walang masasabing may advantage,” said the 6’4” power forward Manuel, adding that playing basketball five-on-five or the usual scrimmages is the effective and more efficient training regimen for players to improve.

“Iba pa rin ‘yung laro sa court and takbuhan, doon mo makukuha ‘yung timing.

Konting hangin lang kapag strength and conditioning,” added Manuel, who averaged 13.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22 games last Season 44.

“Our team is providing us with different conditioning programs, which we do

together in Zoom. More on strength and conditioning lang talaga,” Manuel said.

He admitted that just like everybody else, he is tired of the usual strength and conditioning sessions and wants to play actual basketball, but any contact sport is still not allowed yet by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Manuel will be supported by scorer Mike Digregorio, Jeron Teng, Abu Tratter, veteran Sonny Thoss and Maverick Ahanmisi, among others, under the tutelage of Alaska coach Jeffrey Cariaso once the season resumes, hopefully by mid-October. Jessica Luna

Vic Manuel towers against PBA competition.

Sports

C2

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

TRS gives P408k worth of donation to frontliners TUASON Racing, Phoenix Fuels and Family Mart Philippines have joined forces to provide personal protective equipment, health and food supplies to frontline health workers of partner barangays in TRS’ Race for Frontliners.

The virtual Race for Frontliners raised P408,906, which was used in purchasing PPEs and medical supplies such as masks, gloves, sanitizing agents, and gowns for healthcare workers battling the COVID-19.

Tuason Racing wanted racing enthusiasts and gamers alike to keep their excitement in motorsports alive as they wait for the reopening of the racetracks, and at the same time, help frontliners by providing them supplies they need in fighting the coronavirus.

Among the partner beneficiaries of Tuason Racing’s Race for Frontliners were Brgy. Valencia, Quezon City; Brgy. Caa, Las Piñas City; Brgy. Tatalon Dos, Las Piñas City; Brgy. Malagasang II-B in Imus, Cavite; Brgy. Tunasan, Muntinlupa City; Brgy.

Western Bicutan, Taguig City; Brgy. San Antonio in Sucat, Parañaque; Brgy. San Isidro, Las Piñas Cty; Philippine General Hospital, Armed Forces of the Philippines, PNP Maritime Group, Philippine Coast Guard, and Ospital ng Muntinlupa.

Since the start of the community quarantine, Tuason Racing quickly embraced its transition to online activities and took the opportunity to launch its motorsports programs in digital space, working closely with its partners to lend a hand to frontliners in the National Capital Region.

Partnering with companies like Phoenix Fuels, Family Mart and STET-VIP enabled Tuason Racing to raise funds through its expertise in racing.

Isolation Basketball Championship in the works

Tuason Racing turns over Race for Frontliners donations to its beneficiaries. The race was spearheaded by STET-VIP, Family Mart PH, and celebrity racers.

Morikawa wins 1st major at PGA Championship S

AN FRANCISCO—Collin Morikawa claimed his first major championship on Sunday, delivering a magical eagle on the 16th hole in a bogey-free round of 64 at the 2020 PGA Championship.

The 23-year-old American, who turned pro just 14 months ago, did the unthinkable by winning in just his second career major appearance.

Morikawa, who is ranked 12th in the world, eventually finished at 13-under 267 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

“It’s amazing. It’s been a life goal, obviously as a little kid, kind of watching everyone grow up, all these professionals, and this is always what I’ve wanted to do,” Morikawa said. “I felt very comfortable from the start.

“As an amateur, junior golfer, turning professional last year, but to finally close it off and come out here in San Francisco, pretty much my second home where I spent the last four years, is pretty special,” added Morikawa, who grew up in Los Angeles but went to college at Berkeley in San Francisco.

“It was going to take a very, very good round today, and I knew with the leaderboard the way it was looking and everyone out there, you just had to play well.”

Third round leader Dustin Johnson had

to settle for a tie for second with England’s Paul Casey. Johnson shot a 68 and Casey closed with a 66 to reach 11-under 269.

Jason Day, Matthew Wolff, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Scottie Scheffler all finished in a tie for fourth, three shots adrift of Morikawa.

Heading into the final round there were ten players within three shots of the lead. The packed leaderboard continued throughout Sunday’s round as it looked like any of a half a dozen players could emerge victorious.

When Johnson made the turn after his ninth hole he was tied with three others for the lead at 10 under. They were soon joined by others making it a six-way tie for the lead on the back nine.

Sweet 16th Morikawa put it all together in the fourth round, keeping pace with the leaders throughout then emerging from the pack late in the round.

Morikawa had four birdies, including two in his first four holes as he got off to a hot

Collin Morikawa of the United States displays the Wanamaker Trophy and the champion’s watch. AFP

start. But it was his eagle at 16 that really separated him from the tight pack at the top of the leaderboard.

On no. 16, he hit a 293-yard tee shot onto the green, landing it just seven feet from the flag stick. Morikawa made the putt to move to 13 under.

Johnson birdied his final hole, while Casey, who was trying to become the first Englishman to win the PGA in 100 years, made par there. AFP

SM Supermalls offer bike-friendly parking areas WITH more and more of us turning to biking as a mode of transportation during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, SM Supermalls has created bike parking facilities across its malls.

With organized and secure parking zones designated solely for bicycles, SM hopes to make the riding experience safe and convenient for the growing number of bike commuters, especially in communities where SM malls are located.

And the good news is that these spaces are currently free of charge.

For customers who prefer to protect their bikes from the elements, there are covered bike parking areas in SM Aura Premier, The Podium, S Maison, and SM Marikina.

For customers who enjoy the convenience of street-level parking, Mall of Asia, SM By the BAY, SM Megamall, SM BF Paranaque, and SM Olongapo Central are among the malls that offer bike parking areas near the mall’s entrance.

Bike parking at SM By The Bay

VERY few would’ve placed serious money on the Phoenix Suns becoming the last team to stay undefeated in the NBA restart. The team was far from becoming the paragon of winning consistently. The Suns were 7-8 in January, 4-9 in February, and 2-2 in March before games were suspended temporarily. Phoenix blitzing to a 5-0 slate is probably not very high on the list of possible surprising headlines to come out of the Orlando bubble. The last time Phoenix recorded a five-game winning streak was in December 2014 after defeating Charlotte, New York, Washington, Dallas, and Sacramento.

The Suns would extend the streak to six after winning against LA Lakers before absorbing back-to-back losses

Coach Justin Tan of the Mindoro Tamaraws

The Phoenix streak

FREE THROW SHOOTER NATHANIEL DELA CRUZ

Customers have one less thing to worry about when it comes to bike parking safety with on-duty guards manning and securing bike parking areas at all SM malls. Other security measures such as at SM City North Edsa require customers to register in a logbook and submit ID in exchange for a bike parking pass as an added layer of security.

With SM’s bike-friendly facilities, customers can look forward to a safe, convenient, and enjoyable biking experience. Importantly, SM aims to support inclusive mobility especially during the MECQ, and hopes to encourage more people to take up biking as a healthy and environmentfriendly alternative means of transportation beyond the pandemic, which is part of SM’s Green Movement campaign promoting clean, green, sustainable communities.

MAKE way for a modern day King of the Hard Court Tournament.

A new tournament is taking a page from the old format which became popular in the local basketball scene back from the time of great players like Philip Cezar and Ramon Fernandez.

This new One-On-One tournament will be given back to life by Justin Tan, founder of the Isolation Basketball Championship, which is set to unravel this new league as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Tan, also the team owner and head coach of the Mindoro Tamaraws in the MPBL, is upbeat that at the height of skills training and player development, this One-On-One tournament will be a good platform for players who want to hone their skills and take their game to the next level.

But Tan is giving a new twist to this tournament, making more emphasis on weight class and doesn’t pay much attention on the height factor.

“Madalas kasing sabihin kapag One-On-One, malaking factor ‘yung height,” said Tan, also a multititled coach of La Salle Greenhills boys basketball team. “Pero what people forget is weight is as equally important kasi kung ang kalaban mo matangkad nga pero kulang sa weight, babangganin lang siya ng madali ng kalaban niya.”

In the IBC One-On-One Tournament, players will be divided into five weight division classes. There will be one champion per division. Every basket can be considered as one point or two points (if basket is made from the three-point line).

There will be three rounds in the non-title fight on a race to 30 format.

The championship round will be five rounds in a race to 50.

Open to all players 18 years old and above, the tournament will have players being weighed in before the match. During the game, once a player leads by 10 points, the match a knockout. If a player leads by 30 to 50 points within three of five rounds, the win is considered a technical knockout Tan is giving a new dimension on the training habits of players and this platform could help them elevate their game to a new level.

Tan said he is also planning to invite foreign players from the United States, Europe and Asia as prize money will be at stake in the competition.

“We believe in will, skill and passion for the game, giving opportunity to players and changing the way they train,” added Tan. “Regardless of position, this game will also allow us to use not just the height advantage, but also the weight advantage.”

(New Orleans and Oklahoma City) to end the year.

But it is refreshing to see that the conversation among basketball fans has focused on a team outside the circle of title contenders (not to belittle Phoenix though, but the truth of the matter is that even if they made the 22-team NBA restart, the Suns is not a favorite to win the title). Quite expectedly, Phoenix’s five-game winning streak segues to typical points of discussion like what are they doing differently here in the Orlando bubble and how long will the streak last, among others.

Personally, this streak made me think about opportunities, not necessarily Playoff or championship opportunities for the Suns per se (at least, not right now if I am being realistic), but something that extends to Phoenix’s future transcending the 2019-20 season. I’m a sports romantic and the only thing I will cherish with

genuine delight other than watching my favorite team win the championship is witnessing an underdog story unfold and come to complete fruition. If this is Phoenix’s destiny this season, fans will surely talk about this for years to come.

The last time Phoenix made the Playoffs was during the 2009-10 season. The Suns, bannered by Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Jason Richardson, defeated Portland in the first round and swept San Antonio in the conference semi-finals before bowing to the LA Lakers (4-2).

But should Phoenix falter and reduce this streak as a mere footnote to a season that ended in an anti-climactic manner, I believe there is still something here that is of value.

For the fans, this winning streak is a promise for a renewed - or even heightened - optimism. Phoenix is showing progress, and even if they fail to

make the Playoffs this year, fans can look forward to the 2020-21 season knowing the team is getting better and better.

Whatever happens, this will be a better showing for Phoenix after a dismal 201819 season (19-63).

For the front office, this streak is an encouraging affirmation of their labors in recent years: they are moving in the right direction. Watching player movement in Phoenix centered on providing star player Devin Booker with a talented supporting cast reveals the team’s intention of becoming a legitimate contender again and this streak is a spark of life. With a little more fine-tuning, Phoenix can become formidable again.

For players looking to move to a new team next season, Phoenix could be the ideal destination. Having good players interested in joining the team is good for Phoenix. They can choose from a selection brimming with talent,

aspiration, and above all, hunger.

Phoenix remains a team without an NBA title and players chasing a ring could be enticed into joining a team shaping up as the next legitimate contender.

Most important of all is what Devin Booker takes away from this streak. If Booker is uncertain whether to stay or go, this streak is an opportunity for him to take a long hard look at this team and his role in it now and in the immediate future, and the rewards that await him should he achieve success in the tasks placed on his shoulders.

Booker’s talent as a scorer has already been established. The next step to becoming an elite player is showing mature leadership. Booker should be able to see the leadership opportunities presented to him now that Phoenix is in this position fighting tooth and nail for a coveted Western Conference playoff spot and showing true grit doing it.

Entertainment Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

C3 nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 || C3

Search Dream’ Search for the ‘Asian Dream’ SUBARU Asia has partnered with global music legend Michael Bolton to launch the first season of Asian Dream, a reality singing competition that trains the on spotlight six talented musicians from across Asia.

Over the course of seven episodes, the contestants from Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are mentored, coached, and pushed to the limits

by Michael Bolton, and his co-host, singing sensation Morrisette Amon, along with celebrity guest experts.

Across the progressive elimination format, the singers face a wide range of physical and mental challenges that will make or break them, until the final showdown. The winner will perform in the Asian Dream concert tour with Michael Bolton next year.

The contestants are mentored by the guests in the show, to hone their skills as performers and thereafter compete head-to-head in a series of challenges.

These give the contestants an opportunity to understand what is needed on the journey to become a professional singer.

The six challengers, who compete for a spot on Michael’s Asian Dream tour and a Subaru ambassadorship, are Becky Yeung (Hong Kong), Karl Zarate (Philippines), Linh Tran (Vietnam), Sasha Ka (Thailand), Poova Sri Rama (Malaysia), and Tyen Rasif (Singapore).

“We are proud to provide a unique platform and opportunity for aspiring singers to pursue their dreams. Through this experience, as they grow as performers, I hope Asian Dream will serve as a launchpad for their future success,” said Glenn Tan, guest judge and Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Tan Chong International Limited.

“As a platform that has been home to captivating reality competitions such as The Amazing Race Asia and Asia’s Got Talent, we are proud to partner with Subaru to launch this highly-an-

Look who’s eager to crash land on Philippines

The reality competition, hosted by Michael Bolton (seated) with Morissette Amon (4th from left), follows six aspiring artists from around Asia in their quest to become the region’s next music star.

ticipated show, and are always on the lookout to work with strategic partners and brands that reflect our values and vision of bringing quality content to viewers”, said Avani Bhancha-

Son Ye-jin riding a highperformance Ducati during her shoot for Smart TVC.

A

WEEK after she was officially unveiled as Smart’s latest international endorser, joining actor Hyun Bin who was presented in June as envoy of the telco’s Signature campaign, Son Ye-jin once again delighted her Filipino fans when the behind-thescenes footage of her TVC was presented to the media on Monday.

The exclusive viewing party showcased the 38-year-old Korean star in some of the memorable moments during her shoot while riding a high-performance Ducati. The BTS was followed by an interview session where Ye-jin expressed her desire to visit the country and meet her Filipino fans.

“I am really happy to shoot an advertisement for a Philippine brand. Actually, I wanted to go to the Philippines and shoot [the TVC]. And the fans who love the drama sent me messages of support on social media,” the Crash Landing on You star said explaining that the COVID-19 outbreak prevented her from doing so.

“It’s just so sad that I could not come to see all the fans in person, but I’m very thankful and happy to be able to meet them in this way,” the award-winning actress carried on.

According to Jane J. Basas, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart, Ye Jin’s appeal is undeniable among Filipinos who have been swept by the Korean wave.

“More than this, we know Son Ye-jin embodies the Smart Signature brand as it simplifies the postpaid experience so customers can make their mark in their career or passion,”

Son Ye-jin with co-star and Smart Signature ambassador Hyun Bin in an iconic scene from ‘Crash Landing on You.’

Basas said of their decision to recruit the award-winning star to be part of their growing list of endorsers.

Ye-jin, who rose to fame in romance-themed television series such as The Classic, Summer Scent, Something in the Rain, and Crash Landing On You, said that as an actress, she is always grateful for having a platform to entertain and touch the lives of others through her craft.

“I thank Smart for giving me a way to specifically reach out to my Filipino fans and inspire them to make a mark in whatever path that they have chosen. I wish to see you all soon,” concluded Ye-jin, who earned the title ‘Queen of Melodramas’ in South Korea for her string of hit series and movies.

Visit manilastandard.net for Son Ye-jin’s complete interview.

wat, Vice President, Affiliate, Media & Sponsorship Sales, KC Global Media Asia, which owns AXN. Asian Dream is produced by Refinery Media in association with

Passion Films. It premiered across Asia last Thursday Aug. 6, exclusively on AXN. The episodes are also available online at www.subaru.asia/ asiandream.

Winnable war Winnable war “THERE’S no such thing as a winnable war. It’s a lie we don’t believe anymore,” states in Sting’s iconic anti-Cold War anthem “Russians,” which features a majestic score that haunts and resonates with us until today.

Now, giving a cinematic spin to a modern-day historic war actuality is Burracho Films, with Atty. Ferdinand Topacio as its maverick. The film outfit gives a green light to Mamasapano, written by award-winning screenplay writer Eric Ramos and with Law Fajardo, as its director.

“This movie offers a synthesis of the whole incident, based on the findings of the PNP (Philippine National Police) inquiry board led by then Police Gen. Benjamin Magalong, who’s now mayor of Baguio City, as well as the House minority report and the Senate inquiry. This is the most difficult script I’ve ever written in my life,” Ramos says.

Shooting happens soon in Batangas and Cavite. Producer Topacio shares, “60 pieces of military uniforms and secured some guns and explosives that we will be using for the battle scenes. We just received word that the SAF (Special Action Force) has granted us permission to use its insignia and name on the uniforms so that they’ll look authentic.”

Topacio assures that they would follow all safety protocols during the shoot.

“Also, the cast and crew all have health insurance. The entire team will be housed in a resort with 14 cottages with

four-star accommodations,” he shares.

More than “economics,” lead stars Aljur Abrenica and JC de Vera declare the major reason why they agreed to be part of the film.

“It’s a story that needs to be told. It’s a meaningful film, “Abrenica avers. “The soldiers who were part of it must be remembered as heroes. I don’t want their sacrifices na parang mentioned lang in a book. What they did must not be trivialized. You know, we all get to sleep peacefully at night because these soldiers are doing their vocation.”

“I’m ready for anything, just so I can get back to work. The new system in filming excites me, too, especially when the details about what’s going to happen on set were explained to us,” he carries on.

JC echoes the same sentiment: “When I read the script of Sir Eric, I visualized how it was like to be in the situation...all these soldiers experience. It’s tough. And it has been five years and for most of the families na naiwan, the healing is a continuous process. We sincerely hope that this film gives them some kind of closure and that the people will not forget these brave men.”

Other stars in the movie are Edu Manzano, Ritz Azul, Tonton Gutierrez, and Claudine Barretto.

Burracho Films intends to submit the finished film, with the hope that it will be selected, to the December Metro Manila Film Festival.

Aljur Abrenica (left) and JC de Vera star in ‘Mamasapano,’ the maiden big-screen project of Burracho Films.

Netizens, forABS-CBN’ ABS-CBN’s digital shift Netizens,advertisers advertisersexpress express support support for s digital shift NETIZENS and advertisers expressed their support and excitement over what many deem as the beginning of a new era in entertainment in the country after ABS-CBN launched Kapamilya Online Live, which provides all-day livestreaming of shows on YouTube and Facebook.

ABS-CBN chief operating officer of broadcast Cory Vidanes thanked everyone for their support and assured that ABS-CBN will continue to produce world-class entertainment for Filipinos despite the challenges.

“Despite the heartbreak, we promise to continue delivering our content on other platforms and to as many people as possible. From broadcast to livestreaming, this is a new journey and a first for ABS-CBN to make a digital pivot with Kapamilya Online Live, the newest home of our well-loved Kapamilya shows that Filipinos miss. Our bond with our Kapamilya will never be broken,” said Vidanes.

Advertisers had a chance to chat with

The cast of ‘Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin,’ ABS-CBN’s first series to be launched on Kapamilya Online Live.

various Kapamilya stars at the virtual trade event and experienced Kapamilya Online Live firsthand as they were seen live on It’s Showtime.

ABS-CBN also officially announced

the Kapamilya shows to be livestreamed daily and their future offerings such as Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin, starring Jodi Sta. Maria, Sam Milby, Iza Calzado, and Maricel Soriano, which

will be the first original series to be fully launched on Kapamilya Online Live beginning Aug. 17.

Meanwhile, viewers can continue to watch new episodes of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, A Soldier’s Heart, Love Thy Woman, It’s Showtime, Magandang Buhay, ASAP Natin ‘To, and new shows Iba ‘Yan with Angel Locsin and Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan with Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo.

Various Kapamilya stars were also present at the viewing party including Judy Ann, Richard Gutierrez, Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, Yam Concepcion, Gerald Anderson, Carlo Aquino, Yassi Pressman, Paulo Avelino, Zanjoe Marudo, Arci Munoz, Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and Vice Ganda, with performances from the It’s Showtime family and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.

Its launch on Aug. 1 triggered positive comments on social media, as netizens praised ABS-CBN’s move to digital and efforts to continue delivering content to

Filipinos.

Apart from upcoming and currently airing shows, fans also get the chance to relive some of the most iconic Kapamilya series on Kapamilya Online Live, including Forevermore, Halik, Magpahanggang Wakas, Pangako Sa’Yo, Be Careful With My Heart, The General’s Daughter, Los Bastardos, 100 Days To Heaven, Wansapanataym Presents, and “Los Bastardos.

Kapamilya Online Live also allows viewers to catch the latest episodes of their favorite shows available ondemand in the next 24 hours free and without subscription fee exclusively in the Philippines.

On YouTube, Kapamilya Online Live streams continuously throughout the day from as early as 7:40 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.. On Facebook, meanwhile, viewers can catch their favorite shows on regular timeslots with scheduled breaks between timeblocks.

For the complete programming schedule, visit kapamilyaonlinelive.com.

Life

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

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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

PH ranked 4th healthiest market in a global health survey

By Steph Llarena

M

Majority of respondents from Asia and Europe believe that smiling and laughing have a lot of health benefits, with the younger generation, or Gen Z, being the happiest among other age groups.

ONTHS before the impact of COVID-19 pandemic was felt in the Philippines, the country ranked fourth healthiest in a global health survey.

The World Health Index, a ranking of healthiest and least healthy markets across the globe from data gathered in November to December last year, put the Philippines after The Netherlands (1st), Singapore (2 nd), and the United Kingdom (3rd).

Completing the list, from 5th to 10th, are Malaysia, Mainland China, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

Over 5,500 consumers aged 15-60 across 10 markets in Asia and Europe participated in the survey commissioned by the A.S. Watson Group, the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer founded in Hong Kong whose brands include Watsons.

The survey asked respondents to rate their health and share their thoughts on a wide range of health topics such as whether they smile enough.

Credible information matters

A global health survey, conducted in November to December 2019, reveals that Filipinos consider themselves healthy. (Photo by Elaine Bernardine Castro)

Meanwhile, credible information matters more than ever. When compared to the 2017 report findings, fewer people are now searching and relying on online health information, what with fake news and misinformation flooding the Internet and social media.

The 2019 survey found that consumers tend to seek health information from credible sources, with 61 percent seeing their doctors when feeling unwell and 43 percent going to stores to get over-the-counter medication.

Yet only 15 percent of respondents turn to pharmacists, one of the most underrated credible sources of health information, for advice.

The A.S. Watson Group encourages people to seek help from pharmacists who are professionally trained on healthcare. Watsons Philippines, for instance, has a strong network of 1,436 pharmacists nationwide.

“More than just dispensing medicines, the pharmacists are patient advocates ensuring that the right medication is given through review, implementation of prescription, and detection of therapeutic incompatibilities,” Watsons said in a statement.

A.S. Watson’s global health survey determines the relationship between health and happiness as well as other thoughts of consumers on staying healthy and getting credible health information.

On staying healthy

Happiness and life priorities The survey found a significant relationship between health and happiness, with majority or 91 percent of respondents believing that smiling and laughing have a lot of health benefits.

However, only 66 percent smile enough due to stress, which is fast becoming one of the biggest global health concerns—the top three are diet, weight control, and stress management.

Of the age groups surveyed, the youngest or the Gen Z smiles more and are happier than the more mature groups, Gen Y (millennials), Gen X, and Baby Boomers.

When it comes to ranking the importance of life aspects, Family and Health top the list, with 87 percent and 84 percent, respectively. Wealth (33 percent) and Love (32 percent) are the third and fourth priorities of respondents.

Malina Ngai, group chief operating officer of the A.S. Watson Group and chief executive of A.S. Watson Asia and Europe believes that “if the survey was being conducted two months later in February this year, I am sure this result will even be more pronounced with people putting family and health at the very top priority in life.”

More than half or 60 percent of those surveyed express interest in taking vitamins and dietary supplements to improve their health.

Understanding the importance of healthy lifestyle, over 80 According to A.S. Watson Group, 1 billion shoppers bought percent of the respondents believe that enough sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can keep them healthy, although 40 health products last year, while sales for health category increased 11 percent year on year as health shoppers visited its percent admit to failing to do them. stores more than 10 times per year.

In the Philippines, Watson’s health business is growing at 18 percent year-to-date, with vitamins experiencing a phenomenal 132 percent growth versus last year, demonstrating the proactive approach Filipino take in ensuring they stay healthy and protected especially in the time of a global health crisis.

Watsons call and deliver service ensures safe and convenient access to medicines and personal care essentials. Go to www.watsons/ com.ph/call-and-delivery-list-of-stores for more details.

“While most of us are not health professional who can help patients or develop vaccines, everyone can do something about their own health, simply by smiling more and keeping an active Watsons Philippines has a strong network of 1,436 pharmacists nationwide. lifestyle,” said Ngai.

5 breastfeeding Experts call for continued HIV prevention awareness perks for mothers Breastfeeding helps mothers lose weight and provides them with happy hormones.

BREASTFEEDING campaigns have always emphasized the benefits of breast milk to babies. Described as a near perfect mix of vitamins, proteins, and fat, breast milk teems with antibodies that protect babies from viruses and bacteria.

But moms also get several perks from breastfeeding, according to experts.

“The beauty of breastfeeding is that it’s just as advantageous to moms,” says Carla Victoria Espina-Castro, MD at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Makati Medical Center.

In celebration of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month this August, Dr. Castro cites what breastfeeding does for mothers: It helps you lose weight. “Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories a day—that’s roughly the equivalent of a large snack,” Dr. Castro points out.

“That’s about a pound a week or four pounds per month.”

It gives you happy hormones. According to Dr. Castro, “Breastfeeding triggers the release of prolactin (which gives mothers a peaceful, nurturing sensation) and oxytocin (which makes

moms feel a strong sense of love and bonding between them and their baby).

Oxytocin also helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and reduces uterine bleeding after birth.”

It fortifies your health. “Breastfeeding boosts your immune system, making you less prone to developing a host of conditions in your later years—type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis,” she explains.

It’s free. “Formula costs a lot and takes time to prepare,” says Dr. Castro.

It’s a unique experience. While mothers have talked about the frustration of getting their baby to latch onto their nipple and the pain that comes with nursing, much has also been written and said about the undeniable connection that mother and child feel during breastfeeding.

“Many have called it a privilege and an accomplishment,” shares Dr. Castro. “But as natural as it is, breastfeeding is also an act that a mother learns day by day.”

ANOTHER outbreak is feared to affect the Philippines: HIV cases among Filipino males are seen rising, according to latest data from the Department of Health and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).

Statistics from the DOH show that the average number of people newly diagnosed with HIV on a daily basis is 35. Furthermore, the number of HIV cases among sexually active males from January to December 2019 was pegged at 7,743 male to male transmissions.

Data show that from January 1984 to December 2019, sexual contact among men who have sex with men (MSM) is at 85 percent or 59,906, and thus was the dominant mode of transmission. This is followed by malefemale sex at 11 percent or 7,476, and sharing of infected needles at 3 percent or 2,166.

More than half (52 percent or 31,377) of men who have sex with men were 25-34 years old at the time of testing, and 31 percent or 18,555 were 15-24 years old.

These figures prompted the DOH Central Office National AIDS and STI (sexually transmitted infection) Prevention and Control Program to sound the alarm over how more young Filipino men are being infected by HIV. “The lockdown imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges and difficulties to a lot of people, and people living with HIV (PLHIV) have not been spared,” says Dr. Louie Ocampo, country director of UNAIDS Philippines.

Dr. Ocampo continued, “Early on, for example, accessing life-saving antiretroviral therapy and prevention services including condoms became difficult. It’s imperative therefore that all stakeholders work together to ensure uninterrupted access to HIV services and that we remain relentless in our drive to curb a possible second wave of the HIV epidemic in the country.”

As HIV cases among Filipino males rise, condom brand Durex calls for continued awareness and support for the LGBTQIA+ community which is the most vulnerable to the virus.

Data from the 2019 Global AIDS Report show that the population size estimate of men who have sex with men stands at 830,000, with an HIV prevalence of 5 percent, HIV testing and status awareness at 28.4 percent, and condom use at 40.1 percent. In the same study, the population size estimate of transgender stands at 190,000, HIV testing and status awareness at 36.3 percent, and condom use at 40.6 percent.

Durex stresses the importance of the use of protection. Through its No One Way Love All Ways campaign, which emphasizes that there’s really no one way to own one’s sexuality, Durex continues the fight to curb the spread of HIV in the Philippines, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The brand recently donated condoms to the Taguig City Health Office in April, which were then distributed to health centers and made available for the city’s telemedicine program. Durex is also donating P20,000 worth of products to LoveYourself for its National HIV Prevention Month activities this August.

As HIV cases among Filipino males rise, a condom brand calls for continued awareness and support for the LGBTQIA+ community which is the most vulnerable to the virus.