Manila Standard - 2020 September 2 - Wednesday

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(Story on A4) GOV'T WON'T BAN CHINESE FIRMS FROM PH PROJECTS; SANGLEY AIRPORT ON

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta MALACAÑANG said the country would not ban Chinese firms involved in reclamation activities in the South China Sea, and would not follow sanctions imposed by the United States against Chinese companies involved in construction activities in the disputed waterway.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Sangley Airport project in Cavite would continue because the Philippines did not want any country, like the

US, to interfere in its internal affairs.

In his public press briefing, Roque said: “I will be categorical: Sangley Airport project will continue. All other projects involving Chinese companies that are banned in the United States can continue in the Philippines.”

Roque said the Philippines was not duty-bound to follow US actions as the country was not a "vassal state."

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian welcomed the move, saying in a radio

The full development perspective of the Sangley Point International Airport.

Next page

Duque faces graft charges Senators also recommend criminal raps vs. 6 other PhilHealth officials

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

T

HE Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) recommended the filing of criminal charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, resigned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and CEO Ricardo Morales and other officials over alleged massive corruption in the state insurance agency.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 180• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Also to be charged are Rodolfo del Rosario Jr., senior vice president for legal sector; Jovita Aragona, senior vice president for information management sector; Calixto Gabuya Jr., acting senior manager, information technology and management de-

partment; Arnel de Jesus, executive vice president and chief operating officer; Renato Limsiaco Jr., senior vice president for fund management sector; and Israel Francis Pargas, senior vice president for health finance policy sector.

Criminal charges recommended include violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, falsification by a public officer, fraud against he public treasury and similar offenses, Next page

VOTER LISTUP. A man takes a photo of the guidelines for voter registration in Dasmarinas, Cavite, while another man fills up a form and a woman consults with a Commission on Elections worker at the Comelec offices in Arroceros, Manila on Tuesday. September 1 marked the start of the nationwide voter registration program for the 2022 national elections. JR Josue and Norman Cruz

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM SEPT. 1)

224,264

Palace defends Gierran despite lack of public health experience

By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo THE new chief of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) admitted Tuesday he has no experience with health services, having worked for 27

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

3,483 62,655

years in the National Bureau of Investigation, which he headed from 2016 to 2020.

“I’m a little bit scared… because I don’t know the operation of PhilHealth,” Gierran said during an interview on ANC. “I do not know what is Next page public health.”

ABOUT 33,000 children of Filipino workers abroad will each receive P30,000 so they can enroll in colleges and universities this school year, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.

He made the announcement in Malacañang, saying the project will be allotted P1 billion to benefit the 33,000 students.

The subsidy will be given to a college-level beneficiary who is enrolled or is intending to enroll in a Next page

ACTIVE

3,597

39

158,012

464

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

P30k tuition aid for OFW children

By Vito Barcelo

NEW

BACK IN MANILA. President Rodrigo Duterte addresses the nation after meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Diseases at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Monday night. Duterte previously spent a month in his hometown of Davao City. Presidential Photo

Sanofi halts trials of COVID-19 drug PARIS—French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Tuesday that international Phase 3 clinical tests of its Kevzara drug for serious Covid-19 cases had proved inconclusive and it was halting the trial.

The Phase 3 test—normally the last before official approval for use—"did

not meet the primary or secondary evaluation criteria compared with a placebo, and in both cases, compared with established hospital care," it said in a statement.

Sanofi said neither it nor its American partner in developing the drug, Next page

DISTRIBUTION. Faculty members of the Amado V. Hernandez Elementary School in Tondo, Manila distribute modules and tablet computers to parents of their students as part of distance learning program of the Department of Education on Tuesday. Norman Cruz

NEW

Long lockdown period to curb cases—Roque MALACAÑANG on Tuesday said a month-long quarantine period will enable local government units (LGUs) to foresee events and place strategic objectives in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in their communities, unlike with a shorter 14-day lockdown.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recommended the quarantine for the whole of September, which President Rodrigo Duterte Next page approved on Monday.

Duterte picks Cascolan as new PNP chief PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed the appointment of Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed this on

NEW

Tuesday, hours after Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Cascolan will act as PNP officer in charge once PNP Chief Archie Gamboa retires today, Sept. 2.

“I have already the name initially Next page

PNP Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Palace: Rody not for ‘RevGov’ P “The President stands by his statement that there is no need for a revolutionary government because he belongs to a constitutional government,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque was commenting on Duterte’s statement on Monday that talks about a revolutionary government should be “discussed publicly, including military.”

He said pro-Duterte groups pushing for a revolutionary government are free to publicly air their opinion.

“If there are people, sectors who have any resentment and think that there is a need for a revolutionary government to address these resentments, that’s where the public discourse on important issues in our country come in,” Roque said.

Duterte, he said, supports free speech even if the views expressed are against his.

“The President believes in free speech because, with free speech, there is a discourse on issues that affect our daily lives,” Roque said.

The Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC), a group of Duterte supporters, has been pushing for the establishment of a revolutionary government and the adoption of a new federal Constitution.

Duterte and several top officials

Duque...

even at the regional level without any hindrance from PhilHealth to ensure that government funds are properly managed and spent," the report said.

The senators proposed that PhilHealth’s IT services be outsourced to a reputable company.

They said PhilHealth should also contract out the processing of its benefits claim to avoid backlogs and massive reimbursement delays. This would simplify the reimbursement process, remove red tape, and address corruption.

While high ranking PhilHealth officials have quit their jobs, the Senate committee recommended they file courtesy resignations, starting from the chief executive officer to the regional vice presidents.

It also said PhilHealth should implement a regular reassignment of its regional vice presidents to a different region every three years. No regional vice president should be reassigned to the same region more than twice in his or her entire tenure in PhilHealth.

The Committee of the Whole, constituted July 28 to conduct an inquiry on alleged corruption, incompetence and inefficiency in PhilHealth, conducted three hearings.

During the hearings, it unearthed legal questions about the IRM, overpricing in its IT project, and the alleged manipulation of financial statements flagged by COA. Questions were also raised on the actuarial life of the fund, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said removing all the regional vice presidents could be a problem as a number of them are protected by the civil service law. Doing so would also be unfair to those who are not involved in shenanigans, he said.

But Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said it was necessary to remove all the regional vice presidents as part of a top-tobottom revamp needed to end the control of the so-called PhilHealth mafia.

Zubiri said newly designated PhilHealth president Dante Gierran, a former chief of the National Bureau of Investigation, must move swiftly to stop all the fund leaks and unnecessary loss of the people's money in the state insurance agency.

Sotto said Gierran was a good choice as PhilHealth chief, since he has a clean record and the investigative skills needed to ferret out anomalies in the agency.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, however, said Gierran cannot be a one-man army if he wants to succeed.

“He needs to have strong backup, but they should not be the boys from Taft alone.

Better to recruit alumni of NBI’s neighbor, the Philippine General Hospital. He needs to form a multidisciplinary team, without a single OJT. This is so because this manage-

ment change is akin to switching surgeons in the middle of an operation,” Recto said.

He said tens of thousands of sick Filipinos rely on PhilHealth every hour of the day.

“This P150 billion a year corporation cannot afford a pause. It is not a building which can be closed for disinfection. Gierran should multitask: ramping up service while removing the rot,” Recto said.

He added that there are outstanding professionals within PhilHealth.

“He should tap them for their institutional memory. They know how to repair the institution they love. As to new senior executives who are needed for PhilHealth’s great reset, the Philippines is the world's HR office with no shortage of talent who can be recruited.”

The Senate leader said the first to assist and oversee Gierran should be the PhilHealth board, especially the five Cabinet men there.

They should stop being missing-in-action in the affairs of an important health agency.

Sen Joel Villanueva said Gierran has two immediate tasks: get rid of the syndicates and send the mafia to jail; and improve the accountability and audit system at PhilHealth to ensure there are no ghost patients, overpayments and false claims.

“If we don’t fix the system, even if we weed out the syndicates now, a new mafia will just emerge in the future. We need system change and change in people. I am confident that former director Gierran is capable of doing this. Of course, we are here to support sound policy reforms to make these changes feasible.”

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said what awaits Gierram is high-level and deeply embedded corruption which has been perfected over time by corrupt syndicates in PhilHealth.

“He should keep his eyes open - never blink - to corruption. A piece of advice: transparency is an effective tool to prevent corruption. I hope his leadership will finally shine a light on PhilHealth which operates in the dark. He can enhance transparency by employing technology. He must oversee the upgrading of the system of PhilHealth to minimize, if not stop, corruption. He can contract out IT companies to carry out the digitization of PhilHealth.”

Drilon said it takes more than reshuffling of personnel.

“A top-to-bottom reorganization is what must be done. Get rid of the corrupt and the incompetent. We should put behind bars those who are part of the syndicates,” he said.

In the House, Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said Tuesday PhilHealth will receive P71.4 billion in taxpayer subsidy next year.

“We hope that the new leadership of PhilHealth will use the funds judiciously,”

Defensor, who chairs the House public accounts committee that is looking into fund irregularities in the state insurer, said.

He said aside from the annual subsidy from taxpayers, PhilHealth collects more than P100 billion a year in contributions from members.

“The subsidy is used mainly to cover non-contributory Filipinos like the poor, those without jobs and senior citizens. That is the mandate of the Universal Health Care Law,” Defensor said.

He urged the newly-appointed PhilHealth president to scrap the case or package rates and interim reimbursement mechanism of the agency.

He reiterated his view that the package rates “are the root of all evil and corruption in Philhealth.”

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda proposed structural reforms for the Philhealth to help its newly appointed head address longstanding issues of corruption and mismanagement in the state health insurance system.

Salceda identified four areas for reform in Philhealth. These areas are: reserve fund management, collections, claims and benefits, and governance.

Meanwhile, resigned PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales said investigators are looking at the problem the wrong way, and said hospitals and other professionals were involved in corruption, and not just the state health insurer.

"You know where the corruption is happening? They are looking... wrong way. It is at the hospitals, since it's the hospitals who are receiving the money," Morales said in an interview on ANC. "Almost all cases of fraud are in the hospitals and professionals," Morales said.

Morales said the investigation should zero in on the possible collusion between hospitals and PhilHealth officials.

“But that would only be a trickle. Most of it is in the hospitals,” Morales said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Morales also said members of President Rodrigo Duterte, who are part of the PhilHealth board, “almost never” attend meetings, depriving the agency of a strategic vision.

The PhilHealth board is chaired by Duque, and members include Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado.

"They have representatives in the board.

The principals rarely, almost never attend except for the chairman who’s the secretary of Health," Morales said.

Morales earlier resigned as PhilHealth CEO and President over health issues amid corruption investigations at the state health insurer.

grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs and aims to drive a wedge between China and regional countries," Huang said.

He also said China believes that the pursuit of an independent foreign policy "is in line with the fundamental interests of the Philippines and its people."

"I believe that any attempt to undermine the normal economic cooperation between China and the Philippines will never succeed," the ambassador said.

Roque said while the Philippines respected US’s recent ban against Chinese companies, Washington could not force Manila to enforce the same locally since “we are not a vassal state of any foreign power.”

The Sangley project, awarded last February before the pandemic struck, covers

the first phase of reclaiming land for a new airport south of Metro Manila, which is primed to decongest the old Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main gateway.

Under the project led by the Cavite province, contractors will fund the building of runways and ensuring that the airport will be able to host 25 million passengers a year by 2022.

Succeeding phases will see passenger capacity increase to 130 million annually by 2050.

The Palace official’s pronouncement gives way for Sangley Airport to resume but also for the P301.26-billion worth of infrastructures to be bankrolled by Chinese aid under the “Build, Build, Build”

program, that has been delayed by the pandemic.

Reports said the Tan-led MacroAsia Corp. disclosed to the stock exchange that the company was looking at the national government for a final decision on whether to proceed with developing the Sangley International Airport together with the Cavite provincial government and China Communication Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC).

CCCC was among the 24 companies banned by the Trump administration from buying US-made products last week for constructing artificial islands in contested waters, marking a latest escalation of feud between the US and China.

Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said 343,551 Filipino workers abroad had already been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Either they were displaced because of COVID-19 or the virus infected them,” Bello said.

“Of the total number, 341,161 were displaced, which means they were either terminated from their jobs and no longer employed, or they could not go to work because of the lockdown, hence no work no pay.”

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said at least 23.9 million learners had enlisted for the coming school year, and had already reached 80 percent of last year’s enrollment because of COVID 19 and the economic downturn.

Sanofi...

Regeneron, "envisage further clinical tests of Kevzara for the treatment of Covid-19."

Although Kevzara "did not give us the results we were hoping for, we are proud of the work done by our team," Sanofi global research head Dr. John Reed said in the statement.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic late last year in China, it has claimed more than 800,000 lives and caused huge economic damage, sparking a global race to find a vaccine and effective treatments.

Sanofi is one of many companies developing a vaccine but scientists are cautious in saying that at best, one may

only be available by the end of this year for initial use.

Meanwhile, Canada announced deals on Monday with US companies Novavax and Johnson & Johnson for millions doses of their experimental COVID-19 vaccines.

The agreements bring the maximum vaccine doses that could be made available to Canadians to 190 million, after similar arrangements were made with Pfizer and Moderna.

The population of Canada is just under 38 million.

"We've looked to sign agreements with many different companies because we really don't know who will be first to develop a vaccine, and where it will come from," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference in Montreal. AFP

Cascolan will serve a little over two months, as he will retire on Nov. 10 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

As PNP deputy chief for administration, the second-highest post in the national police, Cascolan replaced outgoing PNP chief Gam-

boa, his classmate in Philippine Military Academy Sinagtala Class 1986.

Under PNP rules, the law of succession should be followed if no replacement is appointed once the chief, in this case Gamboa, retires.

Vito Barcelo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte remains against the calls of his supporters to declare a revolutionary government, Malacañang said Tuesday.

From A1

malversation of public funds or property and illegal use of public funds or property.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also recommended to the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman do the following: • File an administrative case against Morales and SVP Dennis S. Mas, management service sector, for not implementing the board resolutions on courtesy resignations, which is clearly a neglect of duty and insubordination.

• File an administrative case against Morales and De Jesus for violating Commission on Audit rules on the period of liquidation in issuing Memorandum Circular 2020-032.

• File an administrative case against Del Rosario, and all the other officers and employees of the Protest and Appeal Review Department of PhilHealth for their failure to act and gross neglect of duties relative to the cases pending in their department.

The Senate committee wants to ensure that administrative and criminal cases are promptly filed against responsible individuals, health care institutions, and corporations.

"Filing charges against responsible individuals, health care institutions, and corporations will prove PhilHealth’s and the government’s commitment to ensure that government funds are not mismanaged and that corruption is not tolerated. Further, cases and subsequent convictions will serve as a deterrence for others with corrupt intentions," Sotto said in his 58-page committee report.

"Given the observation on the B. Braun Avitum Philippines, Inc., evidence for ghost patients must be sought... The report recommended that this can be done by retroactively matching the latest death data from the Philippine Statistics Authority," the report sai.

The senators suggested health care institutions that received interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) funds be made to liquidate those funds and return the unused amount, with a definite deadline to be strictly implemented.

PhilHealth was also directed to immediately pay the claims of private hospitals, prioritizing those which are COVID-19 referral hospitals and those with high cases of COVID-19 admissions.

It also recommended an increase in the involvement of COA in every stage of operations of PhilHealth.

Sotto noted that COAhad a hard time in auditing PhilHealth due to the difficulty of obtaining documents from the PhilHealth Central Office.

"COA should be allowed to pursue its mandate to conduct the necessary audits

Gov't...

From A1

interview that all his country's projects here would continue as planned.

"The participation of Chinese companies and individuals in domestic construction activities is legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach, lies entirely within its sovereignty," he said.

In a statement, the ambassador stressed that China is "firmly opposed" to the US State and Commerce departments imposed sanctions on some Chinese companies and citizens.

"The move by the US side, under the pretext of protecting the South China Sea,

P30k...

From A1

state university or college, or CHEDrecognized private higher education institutions in school year 2020.

“Because of the effect of COVID on the education of our children, we must help them. This is a tertiary education subsidy for the dependents of displaced non-returning repatriated or deceased [workers] due to COVID-19,” Duterte said.

He says the subsidy is a project of the Commission on Higher Education or CHED and the United Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education or UniFAST, in collaboration with the Labor department.

Duterte..

pine News Agency: “Lt. Gen. Cascolan is the new Chief PNP, PRRD From A1 signed the paper of appointment.

That’s the decision of the Presigiven to me, but I was given instructions dent, we have to respect the wisto hold the announcement,” Roque dom and the decision. Cascolan is explained during his regular press senior and qualified." briefing.

As the country's 24th PNP chief, But Ano later told the Philip-

From A1

have publicly rejected the proposal to establish a revolutionary government.

For now, the President and the government are addressing the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, Roque said.

Earlier, the spokesman said Duterte has not abandoned his campaign promise to push for a federal system of government.

Roque noted that the President is only looking at three options to amend the 1987 Constitution—Constitutional Convention (Con-Con), Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), or the people’s initiative. Vito Barcelo

Educators file 31st petition vs. ’terror’ act

By Rey E. Requejo SEVERAL teachers and professors on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to declare Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 as unconstitutional for being “violative of academic freedom.”

The SC said it would hold oral arguments on the petitions in the third week of this month at the earliest.

Solicitor General Jose Calida, representing the government, has sought the cancellation of the oral arguments, citing risks posed by COVID-19 pandemic.

In filing the 31st petitions against the anti-terrorism law, 72 members of the academe and of teachers' groups warned that they stood to suffer from the "chilling effect" created by the provisions of the law, many of which they said were "overbroad," "vague," and “violative of rights guaranteed under the 1987 Constitution.”

According to the education stakeholders, reading materials they may assign to students that may express certain advocacies or political views, class discussions and demonstrations, and researches on topics that are critical of the government may be construed by law enforcers as acts of terrorism or its related crimes.

Palace...

From A1

Aside from his long career in the NBI, Gierran is also a certified public accountant, and said he would bring to PhilHealth his knowledge of financial management, law, insurance, and investigation.

He said he would create his own management committee and examine PhilHealth's financial statements, including its fund release to hospitals, which in some instances came before a board resolution.

“My job is to restore the trust of the people in the government… I am new.

Give me a chance to lead,” Gierran said. “Don’t pre-judge me… If I can’t do my job, I’ll tell my principal.”

Gierran is replacing Ricardo Morales, who resigned from PhilHealth last week following allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

Morales said Gierran can get "technical knowledge" of PhilHealth from his staff.

"It’s going to be a learning experience, getting to know the job, know the company, know the history of the organization, know the people inside," Morales said in a separate ANC interview.

“His worry will be navigating the organization,” Morales said.

Malacañang defended the appointment of Gierran, citing his experience in management, accountancy, and criminal investigation.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said Gierran, a lawyer and who served in the government for decades, was qualified and the “best choice” to head PhilHealth.

Several sectors questioned the designation of Gierran as new PhilHealth chief because of his lack of experience and knowledgeof public health.

Long...

From A1

"It's hard to change the rules every two weeks, so now that it's monthly, it will make it stable and even more localized for LGUs, which are already implementing localized and granular lockdowns. This just ensures continuity,” Roque said.

This developed as the country’s COVID-19 cases surged to 224,264 on Tuesday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,483 new cases, marking the seventh straight day in which more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases were reported.

Thirty-nine new fatalities were reported, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 3,597.

At the same time, the DOH reported 464 new recoveries, bringing to 158,012 the number of patients who have recovered from the disease.

The new cases brings the total active cases to 62,655. Of these, 91.3 percent are mild cases, 6.3 are asymptomatic, 1 percent are severe and 1.4 percent are in critical condition.

The Philippines has tested a total of 2,459,653 individuals as of Aug. 31, the DOH said.

Meanwhile, as the “ber” months usher in the Christmas season, Roque said the IATF has also allowed 10 percent capacity in mass gatherings for religious purposes. Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas, Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

News

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A3

SC urged to resolve pleas on amparo, habeas corpus writs

Shape up, Duterte tells Customs chief

By Rey E. Requejo

P

HUMAN rights groups led by Karapatan on Tuesday prodded the Supreme Court to immediately resolve its petition seeking a reversal of the Court of Appeals decision that denied their petition for the issuance of the writs of amparo and habeas against government officials led by President Rodrigo Duterte, in light of the recent killing of community health work and political activist Zara Alvarez.

In an 11-page manifestation filed through lawyer Edre Olalia, Karapatan also pleaded the high court to re-examine its understanding of red-tagging and terrorist-labeling and to consider these as threats “to the people’s rights to life, liberty and security.”

The Human Rights group attributed Alvarez killing to her inclusion in the government’s list of “communist terrorists.”

“Her death proves that being subjected to red-tagging and terrorist-labeling constitutes an actual threat and not merely one of supposition with the likelihood of happening,” the group said.

The petitioner said Alvarez along with murdered peace consultants Randy Malayao and Randal Echanis, were branded as “communists” and “terrorists” by the Department of Justice when their names were included in the petition for proscription that it filed before the Regional Trial Court of Manila in 2018.

Karapatan said Alvarez’s name was eventually removed in the list along with numerous others but threats to her life, liberty and security did not cease.

On August 17, Alvarez was shot dead by still unidentified assailant while she was walking home in Eroreco Subdivisions, Bacolod City.

Last May 6, 2019, petitioners Karapatan, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and Gabriela filed a petition for the issuance of the writs of amparo and habeas data before the high tribunal.

Acting on the petition, the SC issued an order on May 24, 2019 directing the CA to conduct hearings and resolve the petition.

On June 18, 2019, the CA’s Fourteenth Division held a three-hour summary hearing on the petition filed by the groups, but the court justices disallowed the petitioners to present testimonial evidence and other documents to prove the allegations and incidents cited in the petition.

Alvarez was among the witnesses who were supposed to be presented by the petitioners to support their petition.

Ten days after, the appellate court dismissed the petition.

By Vito Barcelo and Joel Zurbano

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday told Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero to “shape up” as the chief executive expressed concern over the continued smuggling of illegal drugs into the country.

The President made the remark even as Customs agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport seized smuggled shipments of liquid marijuana at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City, bringing to 95 the total number of drug busts at the airport in a span of two years.

Since January 2018, the Customs-NAIA seized a total of P747.6 million worth of prohibited drugs — cocaine, shabu, cannabis and ecstasy, mostly smuggled from the United States, China and European countries.

The latest seized shipment of 62 pieces of vape juice catridges with liquid mari-

juana was misdeclared as “food flavorings” and shipped by a certain Roger Bowman from Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Customs Bureau, in close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, is now going after the consignee of the shipment identified as Dee Sy, a resident of San Juan City.

The office of Customs NAIA Port district collector Carmelita Talusan immediately turned over the contraband to PDEA officials who conducted field examination along with members of Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force, and confirmed that the vape juices contained Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol, both compounds found in marijuana.

HOPE CENTER. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (right) cuts the ceremonial ribbon to open the HOPE 4 facility

at Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH) on Monday. The center has a bed capacity for over 300 patients, and has its own dialysis center for COVID-positive patients admitted to QCGH. QCGov photo

Villar chides Carabao Center exec on budget misuse

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENAT0R Cynthia Villar has chided a top official of the Philippine Carabao Center for allocating P28 million budget for milk feeding program instead of usi ng it to boost milk production and for failing to implement the P450-million worth of dairy projects In yesterday’s hearing of “State of the Dairy Industry” conducted by the Senate

Agriculture committee which she chairs, Villar repeatedly reminded Dr. Arnel Del Barrio, PCC Executive Director, that milk feeding program is not within their mandate. She insisted that it is the job of the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

At the start of the hearing, Del Rosario told the Senate panel that PCC has allocated P28 million from its budget as it partnered with DSWD for a milk feeding

program. The initial program will be held in Region 3.

Upon hearing this, Villar asked Del Barrio— “show me where will you bring the budget, you are not supposed to feed children. They will buy from you, that’s the job of DepEd and DSWD. Villar insisted that the PCC’s job is to produce many carabaos and build many processing centers where the DepEd and DSWD can buy their milk.

IN BRIEF

Bill regulating sale of vapes, e-cigarettes okayed THE House of Representatives has approved at the committee level a bill regulating the manufacture, sale, and distribution of vapes, e-cigarettes, and other electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems.

Rep. Wes Gatchalian, chair of the trade and industry committee, said the approval of the joint committee report will now pave the way to curb the rampant proliferation of the illegal industry that sells ENDS, ENNDS, and heated tobacco products (HTPs) to minors even now when the country is reeling from a pandemic. He said lawfully-registered vape shops are losing revenue to an estimated 800 unregistered backyard stores.

“We would like to emphasize that this bill will serve to regulate, and not ban, the sale of these products,” Gatchalian said.

Since the products come in the form of electronic devices, Gatchalian said they will be regulated by the Department of Trade and Industry to protect consumers.

“Manufacturers of electrical devices intended to be used in combination with ENDS/ENNDS shall ensure that the devices they produce will comply with the applicable electrical safety standards set by the Bureau of Product Standards of the DTI,” he said. Maricel V. Cruz

Solon seeks strict regulation of biological laboratories WITH economic superpowers embarking on a frenzy to put up biological laboratories, a first-term lawmaker is calling for strict regulation in putting up such research facilities so as not to compromise public health.

Deputy Majority Leader and Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Nograles issued the call in response to reports the United States and other countries had undertaken framework agreements concerning the establishment of scientific research facilities and laboratories.

Biological laboratories, Nograles said, can pose risks to the host country as there are speculations that these facilities are handling very dangerous types of germs like coronaviruses.

“The experiments made with these virii may have caused mutations, such that it cannot be said that the present virus occurred as a result of natural means.” Maricel V. Cruz

Authorities said the importation of marijuana and its compounds, components and derivatives is still prohibited under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Customs NAIA frontliners are on 24/7 work schedule even during weekends and holidays to collect government revenue, facilitate trade, and guard the country’s border against all fraudulent attempts to bring in illegal goods into the country.

From 2018 to 2019, airport and Customs authorities were also able to arrest at least 15 foreigners for trying to smuggle cocaine and other prohibited drugs at the NAIA.

GYMS OPEN. A fitness coach teaches a client on basic workout, warm-up, and stretching at a gym in Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon

City on Tuesday. Gyms and fitness centers are among non-essential establishments that have been allowed to operate under the general community quarantine, subject to health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic. PNA

PDEA celebrates 18th anniversary

By Rio N. Araja PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency on Tuesday celebrated its 18th anniversary and promised to continue braving new challenges and beating greater odds as the country’s lead agency against illegal drugs.

Director general Wilkins Villanueva led the agency’s 18th anniversary celebration through virtual means at its national headquarters in Quezon City.

“This year marks a turning point for PDEA as we continue to thrive through adversity, stay motivated, and rise up even if the odds are not in our favor, especially in these pandemic times,” he said.

As a matter of tradition, PDEA also honored its men and women who have demonstrated exceptional service beyond the call of duty.

Under his watch, Villanueva adopted initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic: “I will never fail the President, the country and the people for the trust to lead the agency as the war on drugs continues despite the odds,” he vowed.

Meanwhile, PDEA has officially launched a Facebook page to serve as the agency’s official online communication platform in the implementation of the barangay drug clearing program.

Known as Barangay PDEA, the online campaign promotes a unique approach in mitigating the menace of illegal drugs in the country by providing updated and accessible information about the BDCP amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“The BDCP is the main framework of the agency’s anti-drug strategy that embodies a holistic and whole-of-nation approach in addressing the country’s drug problem,” PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva said.

Romualdezes provide shelters for frontliners

By Maricel V. Cruz TINGOG party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways on Tuesday said they have turned over at least 56 air-conditioned rooms, mostly made of converted shipping containers as temporary mobile facilities for medical frontliners in two Eastern Visayas hospitals.

The Romualdez couple thanked

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar for his “malasakit” (compassion) in prioritizing the special needs of medical frontliners who are battling against the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).

Based on the joint project of DPWH and the Romualdezes, the hospitals have been authorized to use the temporary mobile rooms with hot and cold showers as quarantine facilities or temporary shelters for medical frontliners.

“We thank Sec. Villar for his steadfast support to our relentless

efforts against COVID-19. These converted shipping containers will serve as possible safe quarantine facilities or comfortable shelters for our medical frontliners,” they said, adding that construction of similar mobile facilities for various hospitals in Eastern Visayas is underway.

Present during the actual turnover of mobile facilities from the Romualdezes’ offices were Glenn Capucion, lawyers Butch Corpin and Mark Reyes; and Ms. Bonita Lariosa.

HOUSE PRIORITIES. House Majority Leader and Committee

on Rules Chairman Rep. Martin Romualdez presides over the weekly meeting with members of the Committee on Rules via Zoom as they discussed priority measures including the General Appropriation Bill or the proposed 2021 National Budget. Ver Noveno

em Bu EV Joc som Ly

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

A4

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

LGUs

Nematodes in Hinatuan prove mining rehab success

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

SOIL ENGINEERS.

Earl John A. Gascon (left), Forester at HMC, says the nematodes are like a friendly army of soil engineers that will lead the way to a successful mine rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Rosemarie Macawile (right), a resident of HMC’s host barangay Talavera and a landscaping aide at the mine site, shows the healthy soil at HMC’s rehabilitated area.

‘P100k for virus-free villages’

By Willie Casas

T

HE city government of Manila has offered P100,000 to barangays with no new COVID-19 cases in the next two months or from September 1 to October 31, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso said on Monday.

In a Facebook Live message, Domagoso said the city government already allotted P89.6 million for this, as he expects all 896 barangays to meet the challenge.

“Kapag kayo po ay walang nairehistro sa amin na walang impeksyon, walang new cases in the next two months sa inyong barangay, kayo po ay magkakamit ng P100,000,” Domagoso said.

“Kapag walang naitala sa inyong ba-

rangay na new infection, kahit mayroon ngayon ay hindi ‘yon kabilang. So anything na maitala na zero from September 1 to October 31, kayo po ay makakatanggap mula sa pamahalaang lungsod ng additional P100,000 sa inyong mga budget,” Domagoso added.

Domagoso said this would not only help the city government but the national government as well in curbing

the spread of the virus.

Aside from the additional budget, he said barangay officials will also receive a plaque of appreciation from the city government in recognizing their efforts.

Meanwhile, gyms and internet cafes in Manila reopened starting Tuesday, Domagoso announced.

The mayor, however, said strict health protocols will be in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Domagoso said owners and staff are required to wear face masks and face shields at all times in Manila.

For internet cafe customers, Domagoso said they are not allowed to remove their face masks while inside the establishment.

For gym clients, the mayor said they are encouraged to wear face masks but are al-

lowed to remove them during workouts.

“Kayo po ay hinihikayat na mag-face mask pero habang kayo ay nag-e-ensayo, puwede niyong tanggalin saglit ang inyong mask, pagkatapos ng set, ikabit niyo po muli,” Domagoso said.

“Ngunit ‘yong instructor ay ‘di maaaring tanggalin ang mask at face shield,” he said.

Domagoso encouraged gym owners to require clients to book an appointment before using the facility. He added that gyms should not be overcrowded.

“Alam ko pong matagal na kayong walang negosyo at alam ko po ‘yong mga instructor at nagta-trabaho sa mga computer shop ay matagal ng walang trabaho so ito na ‘yong pagbabalik upang kahit papaano ay magkaroon kayo ng mapagharimunan sa kaniyakaniya niyong bahay,” Domagoso said.

Chavit starts empowering LGUs via digital machines

By Mar T. Supnad NARVACAN Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson, national president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, on Tuesday vowed to financially empower local government units (LGUs) all over the country through digital transformation.

This followed the successful launching what Singson called the world’s first-ever visa and multi purpose cards with automatic bank account in the Ilocos Sur municipality.

With the help of international partners, Singson said that his state-of-the-art scheme is a complete LGU solution through the advanced use of satellite and digital signal gives Filipinos access to worldwide APMs (automatic payment machine).

“All over the world walang ganyan na project na nagbibigay nang debit, visa and multipurpose cards with automatic bank account for free only in the Philippines,” Singson said.

A former governor of Ilocos

Sur, Chavit said: “I’m giving away 2 kinds of debit cards that are multipurpose and give automatic bank accounts from our International and Local Commercial Bank partners.”

The card, Chavit stressed, is a combination of an identification card and a visa card with bank account.

“The debit cards will be given out for free without them going to the bank, to help the poorest of the poor. In addition, I will be placing for free an Automated Payment Machine (APM) in all Municipal Buildings and in their Public Markets throughout the country to serve some of their basic banking needs such as - transfer money, load and pay all kinds of bills,” he said.

Singson said he had already programmed to install around 20,000 APMs nationwide after successfully setting one up in Narvacan last week.

“I already started in my town, Narvacan. Next week I will roll out the APMs in Metro Manila including big baranggays and high density areas,” he said.

HINATUAN Mining Corp. (HMC) has been invited to France for a poster presentation on a study on the presence of nematodes to prove the healthy condition of the soil in the rehabilitated area at the mine site.

Nematodes are microscopic wormlike organisms abundant in the upper soil layers that are a major component of the soil’s ecosystem. At the mine site, nematodes are like “soil engineers”— the miners’ partners in the restoration of the virility of the soil.

“Despite huge economic contributions, mining is often linked to soil degradation and one of the biggest challenges for miners is to prove the success of our rehabilitation programs in bringing back life in the mined-out areas,” explains Manuel A. Torres, Mine Environmental Protection and Enhancement manager at HMC. Hinatuan Mining spends at least P80 million yearly for rehabilitation programs.

The study by Dr. Joey Genevieve T. Martinez, DSc., Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences (CSM) at the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSUIIT) is to be presented at the International Congress on Nematology in Paris.

He used the soil environment at HMC for his academic research to prove that nematodes are ecological indicators of soil condition.

Current indicators of a successful mine rehabilitation are above ground such as vegetation. The study evaluated the effects of mining practices using soil nematodes as bio-indicators.

Some of the results of the study that will be presented to the Conference in Paris, to be attended by nematologists and scientists from all over the world, indicate that the chemical, physical and biological properties of the soil found in the ‘undisturbed areas’ at the mine site are similar to the soil found in the rehabilitated areas.

“In simpler terms this means that the condition of the soil in the rehabilitated are somewhat similar to the areas that have not been mined and this is a proud statement that says a lot about the efficiency of our rehabilitation program,” says Torres.

Engr. Francis Arañes, Jr., HMC Resident Mine Manager, says that the mining company is grateful to Dr. Martinez for choosing HMC to be the focus for his research.

Joy sets TWG to coordinate ‘Kalinga’ tack

By Rio N. Araja

IN THEIR STEPS. Mayor Juhar Dimaporo Disomimba (left) has illustrious grandfathers in former Tamparan Mayor Topaan Disomimba, Sultan of Masiu, and former Lanao Del Sur Governor Muhammad Ali Dimaporo (right), known as Mindanao’s political kingpin.

Mayor making town model Islamic area

By Ayunan Gunting Al-Hadj IN A world where political corruption and disdain towards constituents have become the norm, a young mayor is single-minded in building a community that is rooted in spirituality.

Mayor Juhar Dimaporo Disomimba of Tamparan, Lanao del Sur not only has the pedigree but the heart for public service.

Descending from Mindanao’s most powerful families, he never expected to follow the footsteps of his maternal grandfather, Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, former governor of the undivided Lanao, and his father, the late Mayor Topaan Disomimba. His grandfathers were both Datus of Masiu, a municipality in Lanao del Norte.

His paternal grandfather, Datu Palawan Disomimba, observed that his grandson had the leadership potential to become the future mayor of Tamparan.

Years passed as the younger Disomimba forgot about his grandtather’s prediction as he was im-

mersed in tabligh, a Muslim’s duty of propagating religious teachings. This scion wanted to veer away from the family’s entrenchment in politics to pursue his passion for religious service.

In 2017, his father died while serving his second term. His sister Sittie Amina took his post while Disomimba shared the responsibility by becoming municipal administrator.

Disomimba vows to continue the legacy of good governance passed on by his predecessors.

“My grandfather, Ali Dimaporo, was a great leader. There was peace and order in Lanao in the early ‘60s and mid’-70s. There was no rido (clan wars). My father was a generous and compassionate leader. Many liked him because of his integrity and hard work. Even political rivals commended him for these qualities,” he said.

Disomimba is aware that he could be compared with his grandfather and father. Unlike Dimaporo who was an ally of President Ferdinand Marcos and Topaan who was close to President Gloria Arroyo, the scion is fending for himself.

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the establishment of a technical working group (TWG) to coordinate the implementation of Oplan Kalinga.

She issued Executive Order No. 39 to create a TWG that shall work with the national government’s Oplan Kalinga and other similar programs.

The objectives of the TWG, which Belmonte chairs, are to enhance the city’s coordination with the concerned government agencies and the barangays, and to ensure that safeguards are in place prior to each implementation of the government initiatives.

Oplan Kalinga, led by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, seeks to provide isolation and quarantine facilities for possible and confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from cities and municipality that could no longer provide the same for their constituents.

The program uses hotels and other accommodation establishments in Quezon City and other localities in the National Capital Region for such purposes.

Similar efforts included those currently undertaken by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine, and the Department of Tourism catering to repatriated overseas Filipino workers.

The programs have not been sufficiently coordinated, hence resulting in situations where patients have been monitored leaving the hotels and mingling with the community, thus increasing the possibility of infection, Belmonte said.

Santiago’s ‘Bespren’ bares services amid pandemic

By Jessica M. Bacud

RFID READY. The Manila-Cavite Expressway, Cavitex C5 Link, and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway are adding more Easytrip RFID (radio frequency identification) lanes as part of ongoing efforts to do away with cash transactions by the end of the year. The conversion began with the closure of 10 modular extension cash tollbooths at the CAVITEX’s Parañaque exits; the addition of more RFID lanes at CAVITEX Kabihasnan, and the Merville and Taguig exits of C5 Link; and the opening CALAX’s Laguna Boulevard and Laguna Technopark Interchanges in Biñan City, Laguna with fully electronic toll plazas. Roy Tomandao

SANTIAGO CITY—The local government unit of Santiago City has raised its concern on the situation of its residents due to the lengthy quarantine under the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Joseph S. Tan, referred to as “Bespren” by his constituents, said the city government has implemented measures in response to the current pandemic that threatens lives across the globe.

“Together with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the dif-

ferent agencies, we came out with an Executive Order to safeguard every Santiaguenos in these difficult times,” he said.

“The city government will extend all the possible assistance to the different sectors especially those affected by this crisis,” Tan stressed.

The city government implemented quarantine measures and strategies to sustain the health aspect and developmental needs of the public, he emphasized.

Checkpoints manned by the Santiago Police Office (SCPO) along

with the Task Force Covid from the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), City Health Office, and Barangay Officials were on alert along the national roads upon entry and those going out of the city.

This is control measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease, using thermal scanning among the motorists presenting a Health Certificate, Working Pass, or travel pass before entering the city, he said.

Santiago City Mayor Joseph 'Bespren' Tan

Opinion EDITORIAL

The misgiving follows the statement of Dante Gierran, a CPA-lawyer who has strong connection to Davao City, hometown of the appointing power, where he admitted he was a bit scared, given his lack of experience in public health, or health care paid for by the government.

Gierran, who served as NBI chief since his appointment in 2016, when Duterte became the country’s chief executive, and retired in February, replaced Ricardo Morales, also an appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte, who resigned last week as PhilHealth president and CEO due to his medical condition—he was undergoing treatment for lymphoma.

Gierran, who will have to be elected

by the board of directors, has marching orders from Duterte to devote his best energy to fighting corruption in the next two years—the span left in his six-year term as President.

VIRTUAL REALITY

TONY LOPEZ

has aroused the anger of millions of Filipinos, with the nauseating nonchalance of top-level officials of PhilHealth.

And Gierran’s public admission he had no experience in public health has jabbed people’s nerves, members who have been revolted by the public demeanor, the appearing sangfroid, of officials of PhilHealth who appear to have taken members to the cleaners.

That despite, we are hopeful that despite Gierran’s lack of experience in public health, Duterte’s signature on his appointment paper will be strong and bold enough to help him knock down the red-blooded mafioso within PhilHealth—from the national office down to the regional levels.

Like Sen. Imee Marcos has said, Gierran should also scrutinize the operations of regional offices, and the legal and money trails should be cleared as well at the regional level, where allegations of upcasting payment of fraudulent claims, wholesale fake membership and other stomach-churning schemes originate.

We, like millions of Filipinos hoping for the best in PhilHealth, share the optimism that Gierran will succeed in his truly terrifying task.

We have no choice but to be optimistic.

Under Section 14 of the Universal Healthcare Law, the PhilHealth board cannot recommend a president and CEO unless the appointee has “at least seven years of experience in the field of public health, management, finance, and health economics, or a combination of any of these (fields of) expertise.”

Morales’ resignation came in the midst of investigations by Congress over the alleged methodical corruption within the state health insurance corporation, not helped any by widespread allegations of the existence of a mafia inside the agency.

We posit that the appointment of a new chief in PhilHealth does not, and cannot, instantly solve the problem that

IF THE coronavirus pandemic has done anything good—or bad—it is to expose the harsh reality that Philippine society is grossly unequal. In my estimate, only 100 families own the economy and politics of this country.

They feed on each other.

The elite owners of the economy are called oligarchs. The elite owners of government positions, elected and appointed, are the dynasties. They feed on each other.

The oligarchs bankroll the candidacies of the dynasties. When the dynasties are installed in power, they return the gesture by giving concessions to the oligarchs. Sometimes, the dynasties get to envy the oligarchs. So they proceed to destroy the oligarchs by destroying their businesses. Then the predator dynasty installs its own oligarchs.

During the Marcos regime of 20 years, these oligarchs became known as cronies—so-called because they depended on the largesse of the ruling power.

Sometimes, the ruling power becomes an oligarch himself. He builds his own businesses. It becomes a oneman show, a dictatorship that is an oligarch at the same time, a very dangerous and obnoxious combination.

How do you deal with such a political and economic hydra of Lerna? Well, kill it—either by disease or by force of arms, what you call a revolution or a revolutionary government.

In Philippine context, killing a political and economic hydra by disease is credited to God. Still, demolishing such a hydra by revolution is also credited to God, specifically to the virgin Mary. Hence, we have a monument at EDSA of a very masculine (I did not say ugly) Virgin Mary.

Sometimes, the oligarchs and the dynasties quarrel—as in the case of President Duterte maneuvering the closure for good of ABS-CBN Corporation, the media empire of one of the country’s foremost dynasties—the Lopez family. The Lopezes run six generations or more than 200 years deep, from 1800, with original Lopez (who was not actually a Lopez, Lopez being just an adopted name) Basilio Lopez of Jaro, Iloilo. So don’t expect that with the ABS-CBN shutdown, the Lopezes are gone for good.

Pandemics can also be a great equalizer. The coronavirus doesn’t give a damn whether you are rich or poor. It infects you, whatever your income or social situation.

Good thing about the Philippine coronavirus, only one-fifth of one percent (.20 percent) is infected by COVID-19. That’s 224,264 out of 110 million Filipinos. The fatality rate is also very low—3,597 out of 224,264 or 1.6 percent. For every 100 Filipinos with COVID-19, fewer than two die. So

Medical bulletin SENATOR Christopher Lawrence Go and presidential spokesman Harry Roque insist that President Duterte is fit to finish his term in 2022. They say both of them are with Duterte almost every day.

Their words are a testimonial to the President’s health, indeed. But Go and Roque are not doctors.

Only a medical bulletin from Malacanang will assure the people that our leader is truly healthy. This bulletin should be made periodically to end all speculation about the President's health, Santa Banana!

Malacanang should be grateful that the public cares about Duterte’s health.

Filipinos want their President to be healthy and strong to withstand the problems and challenges he has to face.

This should not be taken in the negative way.

Personally, at my age (I’ll be 93 years old on September 15), I can say that a man of 75 years, like Duterte, is already experiencing all the aches and pains of getting old. I was 75 when my old sickness of asthma caught up with me.

My doctors told me that I was prone to bronchial sickness, including pneumonia, “an old man’s best friend.” They prescribed about a dozen maintenance pills which I take morning and night. *** I was taken aback last Monday with a newspaper headline that said Meralco could lose its franchise because of what it did in billing its customers during the Enhanced Community Quarantine. This resulted in many complaints to the Energy Regulatory Board.

My gulay, the quarantine is precisely why Meralco had to bill its customers everything, resulting in the billings surging of consumer bills, resulting in the P19 million penalty from the ERB. Now comes a senator saying that the

TO THE POINT

EMIL JURADO penalty should be P300 million.

I don’t know how this senator came up with that number, but I believe the penalty is sufficient. The consolidation of the Meralco bills was the result of force majeure. Santa Banana, how can anybody blame Meralco when it was impossible for its meter readers to go around?

The people care about the President’s health.

The ridiculous part of it was the comparison of the Meralco franchise with that of the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN radio and television franchise. The House denied the latter because of so many charges brought against the network.

Personally, I don’t think that Meralco committed any wrong. Meralco is even willing to pay its P19-million penalty.

So, what’s the beef?

It is ridiculous to claim that the Meralco’s franchise may take the same path as that of ABS-CBN. The House denied the network’s franchise because of so many violations—in fact, the National Telecommunication Commission listed them all. The worst was the commission of fraud, and violation of the anti-dummy law when the Lopezes had dummy Channel 43 air their programs and use network towers. The NTC found that Channel 43 had no equipment for that purpose.

Recovering as one (2) CROSSROADS

J.A. DELA CRUZ IT’S now September the start of what has always been known as the “ber” months when the festive air of the Christmas season sets in. But instead of cheers of joy, we have faces of gloom. The pandemic’s spread remains unabated, affecting heavily the push for the lockdown’s easing to the more tolerable MGCQ. In the meantime, efforts to fast track our economic recovery is encountering headwinds. While Congress has passed Bayanihan 2 which

forms part of the NEDA proposed “Recovering As One” restart package, the other components ARISE and CREATE remain in limbo, waiting for the much-needed push to get it out of Congress before it is mired in the budgetary battles for the 2021 annual appropriations—otherwise known as the election budget.

And while everybody else is focused on Saving Lives While Saving Livelihoods, other sections are busy rousing public ire over the reported misuse of COVID response funds.

The allegations center on the allegedly plundered PhilHealth billions.

There are billions more in emergency procurement under Bayanihan 1, including the woolly disbursement of social amelioration funds.

So, I ask this question: Did Meralco commit any violation of its franchise? If none, so what’s this senator even talking about? *** As of this writing, President Duterte has not yet decided whether to extend the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) which the National Capital Region and some provinces nearby are now under.

Speculation is rife that the President may extend the GCQ for many reasons.

A return to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine would adversely affect the economy, which is already on its knees. The pandemic has brought the country to a recession.

Other reasons advanced by those who know is that a return to MECQ could result in the loss of jobs of millions of people, and loss of livelihood.

In fact, most of the mayors in Metro Manila have appealed to the President for the continuation of GCQ. *** Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin, after the blacklisting of 24 Chinese state-owned companies that participated in the militarization of disputed territory, said he would recommend the termination of the contracts of such companies with the Philippines.

Among those blacklisted firms is the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) which has a joint venture with Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia for the development of this Sangley Point Airport in Cavite.

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remula said that if the Sangley Point project would be affected, he would also be willing to terminate the project.

This raises the question of sanctity of contacts, Santa Banana! Can the Duterte government do it without raising a howl from the Chinese government?

So the festive mood that usually introduces the “ber” months will have to be suspended in the meantime as the public and our policy makers struggle to find ways to put into play the "We Recover As One" 76-page paper which NEDA Acting Director General Karl Chua and his staff recently issued for immediate consideration.

The report is a must-read for all.

This document is a must-read for all, especially administration critics who have been haranguing us with all kinds of asides about the government's lack of planning punctuated by their charge of rudderless leadership.

Of course, this should be mandatory reading for those in government

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

B1

Oligarchs and dynasties

Gierran’s daunting task W E SHARE the understandable apprehension of millions of Filipinos over the presidential appointment of a former director of the National Bureau of Investigation to head the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) scorched by public scandal.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

especially its media and information officers who have the principal task of convincing the public of the merits of this undertaking and ensuring that the directions and tasks proposed in this recovery plan are implemented.

So important is the need to provide the right information that the plan dedicates one whole chapter detailing the protocols for information gathering, dissemination and management.

But the report's main features should be imbibed in its entirety by those advising the Vice President and her economic team—if she even has one.

The report details a comprehensive set of measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and enable the economy to recover and transition to a new normal.

Acknowledging that a lot of changes have happened and a new environment has set in, Chua noted that the report “provides guidance as to what

why the longest and most severe lockdown in the world?

But then comes the harsh reality.

Twenty million Filipinos have lost their jobs because of lockdowns supposedly to contain the virus’ spread. One of every four Filipinos is certifiably poor.

As for the oligarchs, well, they are doing well and have managed magically despite the greatest recession in Philippine history.

The oligarchs have their so-called holding companies which are listed in the stock exchange. Listing in the stock exchange means the oligarchs have access to free money (yes, free money because selling your shares to the public is like borrowing other people’s money with zero interest). Plus you enjoy tax perks (like exemption from crippling inheritance tax when transferring wealth via the stock market).

As of today, these are the country’s top billionaires: 1) Lance Y. Gokongwei $5.68 billion; 2) Manny B. Villar Jr. $4.248 billion; 3) Iñigo Zobel $3.82 billion; 4) Enrique Razon Jr. $3.48 billion; 5) Erramon Aboitiz $3.34 billion; 6) Lucio Tan 2.43 billion; 7) Ramon S. Ang $2.29 billion; 8) Lucio Co $2.25 billion; 9) Tony Tan Caktiong $2.0 billion; 10) Herbert Sy $1.73 billion; 11) Harley Sy $1.53 billion; 12) Henry Sy Jr. $1.53 billion; 13) Teresita Sy Coson $1.497 billion; 14) Roberto V. Ongpin $1.397 billion; and 15) Hans Sy $1.33 billion.

As of today, the ten biggest family holding companies in terms of stock market value (or market cap) are:1) SM Investments Corp. (owned by the family of the late Henry Sy Sr.), P1.023 trillion; 2) JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (owned by the family of the late John Gokongwei Jr), P460.18 billion; 3) Ayala Corp. (owned by the families of Iñigo Zobel and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala), P460.18 billion; 4) Aboitiz Equity Ventures (owned by the Aboitiz family of Cebu), P270.25 billion; 5) San Miguel Corp. (owned by Ramon S. Ang and Iñigo Zobel) P241.42 billion; 6) Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (by the Salim family of Indonesia), P105.35 billion; 7) LT Group, Inc. (Lucio Tan), P91.11 billion; 8) GT Capital Holdings (the automotive and banking conglomerate of the late George SK Ty), P86.11 billion; 9) Filinvest Development Corp.

(Gotianun family), P72.64 billion; 10) Alliance Global Group, Inc. (Andrew Tan), P60.3 billion; and 11) DMCI Holdings (Consunji family), P43.75 billion.

Compared with the end-December 2019 market cap, the Sy family’s SMIC has lost 18.5 percent of its market value; JG Summit down by 20 percent; Ayala 6.5 percent; Aboitiz 6.8 percent; San Miguel 38 percent; MPIC 1.1 percent; LT Group 29.5 percent; GT Capital 29.5 percent; Filinvest 34.8 percent; Alliance Global 47 percent; and DMCI 39.5 percent.

If you think those declines in values are steep, consider the ordinary worker—he has lost his job, meaning he has lost 100 percent of his income. None of the oligarchs has been wiped out that dramatically.

It pays to be an oligarch. And a dynasty. biznewsasia@gmail.com

priority policies, programs, and projects the government can undertake to facilitate the transition not just to a new, but a better normal.”

Noting the need to enhance our ability to limit transmissions and provide health care to those needing them as a continuing priority, the report also estimates the social and economic costs of the different grades of quarantine across the country.

The lockdown has definitely stunted growth at all levels. The report also provides a set of measures, policies and programs meant to rebuild consumer and business confidence—and ensure the country’s resiliency under a new normal.

Again, we urge all those concerned to studiously look into these measures if only to ensure that any discussions on how to make the “ber” months festive yet again be on the level and redound to the public interest.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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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, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Biden fights back, bashes Trump for rising violence WASHINGTON―White House hopeful Joe Biden will ask voters “are you safe in Donald Trump’s America” with a speech Monday in the swing state of Pennsylvania where the Democrat will accuse the president of fomenting politically explosive violence.

The stakes for Biden in the Pittsburgh address couldn’t be higher nine weeks from election day.

Emerging from months of COVID-19 travel restrictions, Biden finds himself suddenly on the defensive, mocked by Trump as weak in the face of chaotic unrest combining leftist anti-racism protests, riots, deadly shootings and right-wing vigilante actions in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon.

With Trump exalting in the shift of debate from his widely panned handling of the coronavirus pandemic to his favored theme of what he calls “law and order,” Biden risks losing the momentum that has put him ahead in the polls for the November 3 election.

The simple “are you safe” question that he will put to voters seeks to reclaim control of that message.

In speech excerpts released by the campaign, Biden says Trump is the one responsible for the mayhem he is attempting to pin on the Democrats.

Trump “can’t stop the violence, because for years he has fomented it,” Biden will say.

Trump “may believe mouthing the words ‘law and order’ makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is,” Biden says.

“Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected?”

Kenosha flashpoint Trump, who for months has been trying to downplay the coronavirus crisis and talk up apocalyptic claims of anarchy under Democratic rule, will offer his own perspective Tuesday when he visits the flashpoint of Kenosha. AFP

INDIAN EDUCATION. Students listen to Government Primary School headmistress M.C. Vijaya and teacher P. Nagarani as they inform them about the e-education class times telecasted on the T-SAT Network and Doordharshan TV in Nagireddypally village of Siddipet District, some 50 kms from Hyderabad, India on September 1. The Telangana State Education Board started its alternative 2020-2021 academic year e-education system due to the coronavirus pandemic. AFP

EU joins WHO vaccine access plan CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 80-QUEZON CITY DAN DARWIN A. CACANINDIN, Plaintiff, -versus-

R-QZN- 16- 14310-CV Re : Quieting of Title

CATALINO S. FRANCIA, Defendant. x-------------------------------------------x AMENDED ORDER Pursuant to the Order dated February 12, 2020, the dispositive portion of the Decision dated July 25, 2019 is hereby amended as follows: “WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the Court resolves to grant the Complaint dated December 8, 2016 filed by Dan Darwin A. Cacanindin and declaring him as the absolute owner of TCT No. 262266 issued by the Register of Deeds of Quezon City.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, February 12, 2020

(Sgd.) RAFAEL G. HIPOLITO Acting Presiding Judge* *As per Supreme Court AO No. 237-2019 dated October 17, 2019 Issued by Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, SAJ Carpio

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 80, QUEZON CITY DAN DARWIN A. CACANINDIN, Plaintift

- versus -

Civil Case No . .

R-QZN-16-14310-CV

CATALINO S. FRANCIA, Defendant. x-------------------------------------------x DECISION Before this court is a Complaint dated Decelnber 8, 2016 filed by Dan Darwin Cacanindin (Darwin for brevity) against Catalino S. Francia (Catalino for brevity) praying that a decree of ‘quieting of title be issued declaring the former the absolute owner of Transfer Certificate of Title No. 262266 of the Registry of Deeds, Quezon City to remove the cloud of doubt as to his ownership.

As the plaintiff has no more witnesses to present, he formally offered his evidence16 which was admitted by the court in its Order dated May 21, 2019.

The Court’s Ruling The sole issue to be resolved by the court in this case is whether or not herein plaintiff Dan Darwin Cacanindin has a right over the property covered by TCT No. 262266 as its absolute owner thereby removing the cloud or doubt brought by the claim of defendant Catalino Francia before the Land Registration Authority.

Under the Civil Code, an action for a quieting of title may be brought under this circumstances: Art. 476. Whenever there is a cloud on title to real property or any interest therein, by reason of any instrument, record, claim, encumbrance or proceeding which is apparently valid or effective but is in truth and in fact invalid, ineffective, voidable, or unenforceable, and may be prejudicial to said title, an action may be brought to remove such cloud or to quiet the title.

An action may also be brought to prevent a cloud from being cast upon title to real property or any interest therein.

An action to quiet title or to remove the clouds over a title is a special civil action governed by the second paragraph of Section 1, Rule 63 of the Rules of Court. Specifically, an action for quieting of title is essentially a common law remedy grounded on equity. The competent court is tasked to determine the respective rights of the complainant and other claimants, not only to put things in their proper place, to make the one who has no rights to said immovable respect and not disturb the other, but also for the benefit of both, so that he who has the right would see every cloud of doubt over the property dissipated, and he could afterwards without fear introduce: the improvements he may desire, to use, and even to abuse the property as he deems best. For an action to quiet title to prosper, two indispensable requisites must concur, namely: (1) the plaintiff or complainant has a legal or an equitable title to or interest in the real property. subject of the action; and (2) the deed, claim, encumbrance, or proceeding claimed to be casting cloud on his title must be shown to be in fact invalid or inoperative despite its prima facie appearance of validity or legal efficacy.17

On the petition and claim of the defendant filed with Herein plaintiff Dan Darwin Cacanindin testified and when presented, he identified 9 the Judicial Affidavit dated the LRA, Catalino only submitted a machine copy of the February 16, 2019 he executed and the documents attached owner’s duplicate copy of TCT No. 296624 stating that it was derived from TCT No. 262266 but the same does not bear therein which was adopted as his direct testimony. any annotation or encumbrance whatsoever and that said In his affidavit, Darwin stated that he knows the parcel of title is already registered to another person in the name of land subject of this case covered by TCT No. 292266 with an Adolfo Bustria but pertains to a different to Lot 12, (LRC) Pcsarea of Four Hundred Sixteen (416) Square Meters located 9789 and not to the lot as claimed in the title allegedly under in Lot 4, Block 7 Capitol Hills, Batasan hills, Quezon City as the name of the defendant as contained also in the Order the same was sold to him by ElnorValmonte (Ms. Valmonte previously issued by Atty. Cabatu.21 for brevity) as shown by the Deed of Absolute Sale dated Clear from the foregoing that the defendant has not proven August 11, 2016.10 Plaintiff Darwin also stated that the title is under the name of Mover Enterprises Inc. because it is the his ownership of the parcel of land with certainty before the original owner but it sold the same to Ms. Valmonte as shown LRA and before the court who declared him in default as compared to the evidence of the plaintiff. The plaintiff has by the Deed of Absolute Sale dated November 25, 2002.11 clearly established that he is the owner of the parcel of land On August 17, 2016, as further stated in his affidavit, covered by TCT No. 262266 and that the cloud or doubt over Darwin alleged that he filed a petition for reconstitution of the ownership of the same has been resolved in his favor.

TCT No. 262266 before the Land Registration Authority WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the court resolves (LRA) as shown by the Petition for Reconstitution.12 The same, however, was held in abeyance due to another to grant the Complaint dated December 8, 2016 filed by Dan petition for reconstitution filed by Catalino on May 20, 2013 Darwin A. Cacanindin and declaring him as the absolute as shown by a Certification issued by the LRA 13 of TCT NO. owner of TCT No. 2622266 issued by the Register of Deeds 292624 registered under the name of the latter and covering of Quezon City. the same parcel of land as the same was allegedly derived No pronouncement as to the cost of suit. from the title of the plaintiff. Upon inquiry from the LRA and SO ORDERED. according to annotations or even encumbrances and in fact, said officer issued an Order dated November 2, 2016 July 25, 2019, Quezon City. affirming the same.14

In his affidavit, Atty. Cabatu stated that he is the Chief, Reconstitution Division, Land Registration Authority and as such he resolves petitions for administrative reconstitution of lost and/or destroyed original copies of certificates of title and insofar as judicial reconstitution is concerned, he signs technical reports intended for the Regional Trial Court in connection with reconstitution proceedings.

Atty. Cabatu also stated in his affidavit that a certain Catalino Francia filed for a reconstitution involving Lot 4, Block 7, Pcs-4998 and covered purportedly by TCT No. 292624 in the name of Catalino Sarto Francia sometime in May 2013. On November 2, 2016, Atty. Cabatu issued ADM. Order No. Q-1261 (2016) holding in abeyance the resolution of the said petition due to the pendency of the petition filed

by Darwin before the said office on the purported TCT No. 292266 still in the name of Mover Enterprises, Inc. and also issued ADM. Order No. Q-1260 (2016) also holding in abeyance the petition of herein plaintiff.

B

Last month, the WHO sent a letter to its 194 member countries with a request to join the programme, called COVAX, aimed at providing global access to an eventual COVID-19 vaccine.

The aim is to encourage laboratories to manufacture sufficient quantities of vaccines and make sure they are available for developing countries.

“The Commission announces a contribution of 400 million euros to COVAX to help purchase future vaccines for low- and middle-

income countries,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive.

The move came after the Commission last week signed a first contract with the British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to enable the purchase of a vaccine on behalf of the EU’s 27 member states.

In addition, Brussels is continuing to negotiate with other laboratories to reach similar agreements to secure millions of doses of possible vaccines for Europeans.

“Big thanks to the @EU_Commission for their contribution to the COVAX facility and for standing firm on their commitment to multilateralism,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong launched a mass coronavirus testing scheme on Tuesday, but calls for millions to take up the offer have been undermined by deep distrust of the government following China’s crushing of the city’s democracy movement.

The free voluntary tests are part of an at-

tempt to stamp out a third wave of infections that began in late June and saw the densely populated city reimpose economically painful social distancing measures.

But the programme has been hampered by a limited response due to the involvement of mainland Chinese testing firms and doctors -and swirling public fears of the harvesting of data and DNA as Beijing cracks down on calls for democratic reform.

Since registration began on Saturday, 510,000 people have signed up -- around seven percent of the city’s 7.5 million population.

About 10,000 people were tested on Tuesday morning, city leader Carrie Lam said, including government ministers.

“It will help Hong Kong emerge from the pandemic unscathed and is conducive to the resumption of daily activities,” she told reporters.

But health experts advising the government have said as many as five million people might need to be tested to comprehensively uncover hidden transmissions and end the current wave. AFP

IN BRIEF Mongolians protest Mandarin schooling

On the first requisite, herein plaintiff have proven that he has an interest over the parcel of land registered under TCT No. 262266 as he purchased the same from Ms. Valmonte who then acquired it from the registered owner, Movers Enterprises, Inc. as shown by the two (2) deeds of sale18 he presented and which were admitted by the court.

Anent the second requisite, the petition for reconstitution filed by herein defendant before the LRA casts a cloud or doubt on the title of the plaintiff as Catalino claims that he is the registered owner of the same parcel of land bought by plaintiff but registered under a different title, TCT No. 292624 and because of this, the LRA is holding in abeyance the petition for reconstitution filed by herein plaintiff in the said Summons was served to herein defendant, however, office until the court has resolved the issue as to who owns the same was unserved as shown by the Sheriffs Return the said property. dated January 12, 2107 which states that Catalino has not been residing in the address provided by the plaintiff for Herein plaintiff, however, asserts that the petition and about ten (10) years already.1 In view thereof, the plaintiff claim of Catalino are based on suspicious documents and filed a Motion for Service of Summons by Publication dated non-existent right. On this, the court agrees with the plaintiff February 25, 20172 which was granted by the court as stated that he has a vested right over the said property with all the in the Order dated April 11, 2017.3 rights to exercise full dominion, ownership and possession over the same to the exclusion of all the other parties19 as On October 25, 2017,4 the court dismissed the case compared to the claim of Catalino that he is the owner of the for failure of the plaintiff to comply with the Order dated said parcel of land.

September 22, 2017.5 However, the same was reconsidered on motion of the plaintiff6 as stated in the Order dated April The plaintiff has proven his ownership of the parcel of land 7 4, 2018 subject of this case and the existence of the said title through the documents he presented and admitted by the court and On April 24, 2018, the plaintiff filed a Compliance with as can be confirmed also by the statement of Atty. Cabatu that Motion to Declare Defendant in Default8 of even date praying TCT No. 262266 was based on the owner’s duplicate copy that herein defendant be declared in default pursuant to and the subject of a transaction after the June 11, 1988 fire the Rules of Court and that he be allowed to present his which is the cancellation of a real estate mortgage and was evidence ex-parte which was granted by the court in its provisionally registered under PR No. 31468 on September Order dated November 23, 2018.

12, 1991 which officer has personally confirmed with the concerned Register of Deeds.20 Evidence for the Plaintiff

The plaintiff also presented Atty. Jose Mamerto B. Cabatu15 who when presented identified his Judicial Affidavit dated February 18, 2019 and the documents mentioned therein.

RUSSELS―The European Commission said Monday it would participate in the World Health Organization mechanism to facilitate poor countries’ access to coronavirus vaccines, offering 400 million euros ($477 million) in guarantees.

(Sgd.) GAY MARIE F. LUBIGAN-RAFAEL Acting Presiding Judge 1

p. 30, Record 2 p. 38, Id. 3 p .41, Id. 4 p. 60, Id. 5 p . 58, Id. 6 Motion for Reconsideration dated January 18, 2018,p.54, ld.

7 p . 66, ld.

8 p . 68, Id. 9 TSN dated February 22, 2019 10 Exhibit “A” 11 Exhibit “B” 12 Exhibit “C” 13 Exhibit “D” 14 Exhibit “F” 15 Supra note 9.

16 Formal Offer of Evidence dat ed February 27, 2019 17 Mananquil v. Moico, 699 Phil. 120, 126-127 (2012). Italics supplied.

18 Exhibits “A” and “B” 19 p. 3, Complaint 20 Order dated November 2, 2016 (Exhibit “F’:) 21 Id.

(MStandard-Aug. 26, Sep. 2 & 9, 2020)

REMEMBERING WW2. Poland President Andrzej Duda (front left) and Polish Minister of

Defense Mariusz Blaszczak (third from right) attend an event to commemorate the outbreak of World War II in Gdansk - Westerplatte on September 1. The defense of the Military Transit Depot on Westerplatte by the Polish Army against Germany’s invasion was the first battle of the Second World War 81 years ago. AFP

Macron in high-stakes Lebanon reform drive BEIRUT―French President Emmanuel Macron pressed his “risky” drive for political change in Lebanon Tuesday, as the crisisstricken country marked its centenary while teetering on the brink of the abyss.

Macron has set an ambitious goal for his second trip to the crisis-hit country since a deadly August 4 explosion ravaged Beirut: to press for change without being seen as a meddler.

He kicked off his trip on Monday, not by visiting political leaders, but by spending more than an hour with singing legend Fairuz, who at 85 is a rare unifying figure in Lebanon.

Macron was set to tick off more symbols to mark 100 years Tuesday since French mandate authorities proclaimed the creation of Greater Lebanon.

In the Jaj forest northeast of Beirut, he was due to plant a cedar tree—Lebanon’s national symbol.

The French air force will mark the centenary in Lebanon’s skies by leaving a trail of red, white and green smoke—the colours of the country’s flag.

Macron will return for a second visit to Beirut port, ground zero of the colossal blast that killed more than 180 people, wounded at least 6,500 others and laid waste to entire districts of the capital.

He will oversee the distribution of aid from the the French helicopter carrier Tonnerre

which arrived in Beirut on August 14.

Macron will also meet with some 400 French soldiers working with the Lebanese army to clear thousands of tonnes of debris from the port, vital for a country whose food is 85 percent imported.

‘Demanding without interfering’ Macron will then begin the most sensitive and anticipated leg of his visit: difficult discussions with under-fire political leaders widely blamed for the explosion, which was caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had languished in the port for years.

Upon his arrival on Monday, Macron said his position towards Lebanon’s political establishment “is unchanged: demanding without interfering”.

For this position to be deemed credible by disenchanted Lebanese as well as by the rest of the international community, Macron must obtain swift results.

This is why on Monday evening he called for a so-called “mission government” to spearhead reforms just hours after Lebanese President Michel Aoun designated Mustapha Adib as the country’s new prime minister.

The French president said it was not his place to “approve” of the designation of Adib —a little known 48-year-old diplomat who since 2013 had served as Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany. AFP

BEIJING―Tens of thousands of people in an ethnic Mongolian region of northern China have joined rare protests and school boycotts against a new curriculum they fear will wipe out their minority culture, residents said Tuesday.

The policy change in Inner Mongolia means all ethnic minority schools in the remote region will now be required to teach core subjects in Mandarin rather than Mongolian, echoing similar moves in Tibet and Xinjiang to assimilate local minorities into the dominant Han Chinese population.

“Almost every Mongolian in Inner Mongolia is opposed to the revised curriculum,” a 32-year-old herder from Xilingol League, who gave his surname as Hu, told AFP, warning Mongolian children were losing fluency in their mother tongue.

“In a few decades, a minority language will be on the verge of extinction.”

Tensions flared across the vast grassland region bordering Mongolia and Russia after the policy was announced by the Inner Mongolia Education Bureau last Wednesday. AFP

Riot cops disperse HK protesters

HONG KONG—Hong Kong riot police used pepper spray to disperse protesters Monday on the anniversary of a notorious clash during last year’s pro-democracy rallies where officers were filmed beating people on a train.

Dozens of activists gathered outside Prince Edward subway station as night fell to chant pro-democracy slogans and lay flowers, but officers declared an illegal protest and riot police with batons and pepper ball guns arrived to break up the crowds.

Throughout the evening police stopped and searched multiple people as pro-democracy slogans were chanted.

Police said they made 12 arrests, including a 17-year-old male “claiming himself to be a reporter” and another person who possessed an imitation firearm.

Nine were arrested for unlawful assembly.

In one chaotic incident captured on film, police officers could be seen wrestling a pregnant woman to the ground and using pepper spray on others nearby.

Police said they were trying to arrest a man after crowds had “heckled” officers, and that the woman was sent to hospital for checks.

“Police are highly concerned that a pregnant woman was affected by the chaotic protest scene and send condolences to her,” the force said. AFP

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

US airlines drop change charges amid travel plunge

PSEi September 1, 2020 TOP GAINERS

REOPENED BARS. Customers have breakfast at a table placed on the sidewalk outside a cafe in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 31, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Restaurants and bars reopened on Monday in the city of Buenos Aires after six months of lockdown with tables placed in open-air spaces. AFP

TOP LOSERS

Market slumps; Puregold, JG Summit lead decliners MOST ACTIVE

T

HE stock market sank Tuesday after President Rodrigo Duterte kept Metro Manila under a general quarantine community status, dampening prospects for a swift economic recovery.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 84.94 points, or 1.4 percent, to 5,799.24 on a value turnover of nearly P6.9 billion. Losers beat gainers, 99 to 85, with 57 issues unchanged.

President Duterte on Monday night approved a recommendation enforcing a month-long quarantine in the capital region instead of the fortnightly extensions imposed in previous months.

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group shed 4.4 percent to P61.45, while Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co dropped 3.9 percent to P51.90.

NEW YORK—Major US airlines on Monday joined in the move to eliminate change fees for domestic travel in the latest concession to customers amid a bruising industry downturn.

United Airlines led the way Sunday and was followed on Monday

by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines who said they too will end steep change fees for most tickets within the United States.

American said the new policy also would apply to flights to Canada and Mexico.

“In a world that’s constantly changing, American is resolute to our purpose of caring for customers at all points of their travel journey,” American’s Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja said.

“By eliminating change fees, giving customers an opportunity to get where they want to go faster with free sameday standby on earlier flights and providing access to upgrades and seats for all fare types, we’re giving customers the freedom to make their own choices when traveling with American.”

Dropping change fees removes a consumer irritant and adds to the incentives announced by carriers.

The airline industry has been battered by a sharp decline in travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. US travel volumes have often been less than onethird of the year-ago levels in recent weeks.

Airline executives have said they do not expect air travel to return to more than 50 percent of pre-coronavirus levels until there is a vaccine that is widely available.

United Airlines said it would permit unlimited changes with no fee for new tickets issued through December 31, 2020.AFP

International Container Terminal Services we saw the trough back in March, we do Inc., the biggest port operator and owned by think we could see some turbulence over tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., declined 3.2 per- the next few months,” Tracie McMillion, cent to P101.60, while conglomerate Ayala at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, told Corp. also fell 3.2 percent to P710.

Bloomberg Television.

The rest of Asian markets fluctu“We’re entering a seasonally weaker peated Tuesday following another healthy riod, we’ve got elections on the horizon, and month for global equities, fueled by ex- also we’re entering the fall and there could pectations of cheap borrowing for years be some coronavirus escalation that also to come, while traders were turning could start to worry market participants.” their attention to the release of US jobs Hong Kong and Tokyo were flat, data later in the week. while Mumbai added 0.6 percent, a day While the Nasdaq powered to yet an- after data showed the Indian economy other record as tech firms are fired up shrank a historic 23.9 percent in Aprilby people being forced to stay home by June, which was worse than expected. the virus, the Dow and S&P 500 dipped, Shanghai climbed 0.4 percent followthough both enjoyed their best August ing news that a private survey of Chiin more than 30 years. nese manufacturing had shown a pickSigns of a new pick-up in infections up in activity. With AFP around the world and a lack of Manila any movement on a new US Standard TODAY stimulus package for the world’s top economy were also keeping buying sentiment at bay.

HEAD OFFICE: PBCOM Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street, 1226 Makati City Customer Care: (02) 8777-2266 or 1-800-10-777-2266 (Domestic Toll Free) “Following such a strong month *Email: customercare@pbcom.com.ph*Website: www.pbcom.com.ph and such a strong recovery since BALANCE SHEET (Head Office and Branches) As of June 30, 2020

Bangladesh says garment exports rebound sharply DHAKA, Bangladesh—Bangladesh’s crucial textile industry saw a sharp rebound from the coronavirus crisis in August, with exports surging nearly 50 percent as factories swung into full gear to meet orders from global retailers, officials said Tuesday.

Shipments of ready-made clothes hit $3.3 billion, up from $2.3 billion a year earlier, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said.

The garment industry is the cornerstone of the economy in Bangladesh, the world’s second largest exporter of the goods after China.

The reinstatement of canceled orders from retail titans including H&M, Primark and Walmart has revived the industry even though Bangladesh is still suffering from the pandemic, BGMEA spokesman Khan Monirul Alam Shuvo told AFP. Some companies say they are now looking for thousands of workers to cope with new orders.

The association said in April that western retailers, who normally buy around $30 billion worth of garments each year, cancelled $3.2 billion-worth after the virus forced stores to shut down.

Shipments collapsed 83 percent in April and more than 50 percent in May. “Some 80 percent of those orders have since been reinstated,” Shuvo said. “Still, we have to wait another five months to see a clear picture.”

Because of the pandemic, Bangladesh closed factories for one month from March 26. The 4,500 garment factories employ more than four million workers—about two-thirds of them women—and hundreds of thousands were laid off.

Hannan Group, which exports high-end fashion to brands such as Esprit and Casamoda in Europe, said it has recruited nearly 1,600 workers in the past two months.

“I think the worst is over. Some retailers have placed new orders and revived some old orders. We need new workers to make the shipment deadline,” Hannan chairman A.B.M Shamsuddin, whose companies employ 12,000 people, told AFP. AFP

As of March 31, 2020

ASSETS Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets - Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets - Net Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures - Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture & Equipment - Net Real and Other Properties Acquired - Net Other Assets - Net

P

1,532,166,168.58 18,882,845,703.72 2,307,528,493.25 3,123,049,613.15 3,445,850,430.62 3,343,739,694.40 62,331,854,621.40 58,046,132,431.40 4,877,672,556.00 591,950,366.00 451,805,207.64 20,152,714.54 1,313,533,942.38 529,119,689.60 5,539,326,853.90

P 2,776,503,789.68 10,111,492,197.67 1,984,838,347.84 255,691,898.15 5,055,326,674.28 14,534,151,183.51 60,541,203,943.93 2,600,000,000.00 58,685,453,037.80 744,249,093.87 455,015,774.66 20,111,166.52 1,385,037,049.35 539,452,214.65 5,534,602,587.14

TOTAL ASSETS

P 102,820,973,133.18

P 103,193,426,827.38

P

TOTAL LIABILITIES

P

83,589,022,986.78 2,548,257,870.16 2,548,257,870.16 519,243,269.74 2,358,788,185.64

P 78,260,381,693.84 8,523,154,709.26 59,765,500.00 8,463,389,209.26 545,426,638.57 2,280,043,194.44

89,015,312,312.32

P 89,609,006,236.11

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

A man waits for customers at his clothing store in New Delhi on August 31, 2020. AFP

India’s economy shrank by 24% in Q2 MUMBAI, India—India’s economic growth suffered a historic 23.9-percent decline between April and June, official figures showed Monday, as manufacturing and productivity were battered by a strict coronavirus lockdown.

The contraction was the biggest since New Delhi started publishing quarterly statistics in 1996, and the latest figures came as the country’s coronavirus cases surged past the 3.6-million mark.

The steep dip in Asia’s third-largest economy reflected the impact of a months-long nationwide shutdown that saw most industrial and manufacturing activity grind to a halt.

The decline was worse than expected, with a survey of economists

by Bloomberg earlier predicting a contraction of 18 percent.

On Monday the government warned that the figures could be revised further since the pandemic had also affected the ability to collect accurate data on economic activity.

“The entire quarter was spent in lockdown and it was a complete washout for the Indian economy,” Mumbai-based economist Ashutosh

Datar told AFP. He added that the clouds of gloom were unlikely to lift “for the next few quarters.”

“We started publishing quarterly growth figures only from 1996 and this is the worst quarterly performance on record ever since,” he said.

Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a lockdown in late March, the economy was struggling to gain traction with sluggish growth, record unemployment, and a flurry of bad loans making banks reluctant to lend.

The sudden shutdown prompted a huge exodus by millions of migrant workers who fled cities for their villages due to a lack of food and money.

Many have yet to return even as restrictions have eased, leaving factories struggling with labor shortages.

Modi had announced a $266-billion package-–10 percent of the country’s GDP–-to revive the battered economy, while India’s central bank has slashed interest rates and transferred billions of rupees in annual dividends to the government. AFP

LEONARDO B. DAYAO Vice Chairman Members PATRICIA MAY T. SIY LUCIO L. CO BUNSIT CARLOS G. CHUNG SUSAN P. CO JAIME J. BAUTISTA LEVI B. LABRA GREGORIO T. YU

P

14,278,374,781.56 2,122,894,196.84 -2,595,608,157.54

P 14,278,374,781.56 1,878,669,080.52 -2,572,623,270.81

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P

13,805,660,820.86

P 13,584,420,591.27

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P 102,820,973,133.18

P 103,193,426,827.38

P

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

P

EMMANUEL Y. MENDOZA CONRADO A. GLORIA GILDA E. PICO BIENVENIDO E. LAGUESMA

PATRICIA MAY T. SIY President & Chief Executive Officer JOHN HOWARD D. MEDINA EVP-Chief Operating Officer ALAN E. ATIENZA EVP-Treasurer

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Financial Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts Agency Accounts Others

JESUS S. JALANDONI, JR.

PRINCIPAL OFFICERS

Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings

1,232,426,386.58 972,270,505.88 109,378,234.52 1,598,600,727.16 7,794,335,784.14 1,551,848,368.67 6,242,487,415.47 266,218,578.63

P

11,973,230,216.91

P 11,311,970,809.79

1,174,458,527.68 926,441,881.84 42,701,120.09 1,756,083,957.59 7,261,356,288.57 1,453,090,916.16 5,808,265,372.41 150,929,034.02

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) 64,551,836,214.92 Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP 1,628,031,227.52 Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs 2,319,628,810.55 b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) 3.59% c. Net NPLs 946,390,716.13 d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) 1.47% e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPLs (%) 95.70% f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losses on the gross TLP to gross NPLs (%) 70.18% 9,263,899,917.95 Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses 3,469,361.81 Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) 0.01% Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) 0.00% Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises 2.11% 6.41% b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) 7.83% Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR (%) 17.29% 14.49% b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) c. Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/ 14.49%

1/

ERIC O. RECTO Chairman

JACK E. HUANG

LIABILITIES Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable: Interbank Loans Payable Other Deposit Substitutes Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

62,844,400,804.89 1,558,947,767.09

2,442,049,529.70 3.89% 1,045,830,588.69 1.66% 94.31% 63.84% 7,839,371,112.14 3,732,355.25 0.01% 0.00%

2.50% 6.78% 9.64% 16.81% 13.87% 13.87%

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) City of Makati )S.S. We, Arlene M. Datu and Patricia May T. Siy, of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief.

(SGD.) ARLENE M. DATU (SGD.) PATRICIA MAY T. SIY Controller, SVP President & CEO SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this August 14, 2020 at City of Makati, affiants exhibiting their SSS nos.

0356633451 and 0373099955, respectively.

(SGD.) ATTY. GERVACIO B. ORTIZ JR. NOTARY PUBLIC City of Makati until December 31, 2020 IBP no. 05729 - Lifetime Member MCLE Compliance No. VI - 0024312 Doc. No. 297 Appointment no. M-183 -(2019-2020) Page No. 61 PTR no. 8116014 Jan. 2, 2020 Book No. XVII Makati City Roll no. 40091 Series of 2020.

101 Urban Ave., Campos Rueda Bldg. Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City Member: Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Maximum Deposit Insurance for each Deposit P500,000.00

VICTOR O. MARTINEZ EVP-Corporate and Commercial Banking ERICO C. INDITA SVP-Branch Banking RICARDO R. MENDOZA SVP-Consumer Finance JOSEPHINE G. CERVERO SVP-Trust and Wealth Management ARLENE M. DATU SVP - Comptroller EXPEDITO G. GARCIA, JR. SVP - Transaction Banking JANE L. LARAGAN SVP - General Services JORGE ALFONSO C. MELO SVP - Legal Services MICHAEL STEPHEN H. LAO Corporate Secretary

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

IN BRIEF BDO declares cash dividend of P0.30 BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender controlled by the Sy family, said Tuesday it is declaring cash dividend on common shares in the amount of P0.30 per share for the third quarter.

BDO said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the cash dividends would be sourced from surplus profits “as of December 2019 [net of previously issued dividends less capital adjustments per relevant regulations].”

Its board of directors approved the declaration of cash dividends in its regular meeting on Aug. 29, 2020. The dividends would be payable on Sept. 28, 2020 to all stockholders of record as of Sept. 15, 2020.

The bank earlier paid out P0.30-per-share cash dividend on common shares for first quarter 2020 and declared the same for the second quarter 2020 payable on June 29, 2020 to all stockholders of record as of June 17, 2020.

The bank’s net income hit a record P44.2 billion last year on the back of sustained strength in core businesses. Julito G. Rada

BOP surplus behind strong peso—DOF FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the country’s balance of payments’ surplus and mild inflation are boosting the peso and keeping it among Asia’s strongest currencies.

The peso closed at 48.48 against the US dollar Tuesday. Data showed that compared to the Jan. 2 rate of P50.8 per dollar, the peso appreciated by 4.5 percent against the greenback.

Dominguez said the confidence in the Philippine economy and the local currency were also among the factors that raised the value of the peso.

The drop in the country’s imports compared exports during the strict lockdown imposed by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19 led to favorable BOP position, which contributed to the strong performance of the peso, Dominguez said during the recent virtual “Captain Speak” series of Maybank’s Invest ASEAN Conference 2020.

“Because we were able to tap the foreign loans first from the multilateral agencies and then later from the bond market at very favorable terms, we have increased the size of our foreign reserves. In fact our foreign reserves now is at roughly $98 billion. This is actually larger than our total foreign debt,” Dominguez said. Julito G. Rada

Meralco extends P4-b worth of discounts AROUND 2.8 million lifeline power users, representing about 40 percent of Manila Electric Co.’s customers, received nearly P4 billion in discounts in 2019.

Meralco head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said during a Senate hearing on the lifeline rate extension that 60 percent of Meralco customers subsidized the lifeline rate users and paid nearly P0.09 per kilowatthour last year. Lifeline customers are those consuming 100 kWh and below monthly.

“Subsidizing customers account for the remaining 60 percent of Meralco’s customer base and, in 2019, paid an average of around P0.088 per kWh as an add-on to their bills to fund the P4 billion discount to lifeliners.

It may be noted that the lifeline subsidy addon is subject to a 12-percent VAT,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez said lifeline customers or marginalized consumers needed support because they could not afford to pay the full cost of electric service. “Hence, there was the initial extension of the lifeline subsidy scheme.

There had also been proposals to increase the discount to certain lifeline customers,” he said.Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

Industry groups ask DA to ban all poultry imports S

By Othel V. Campos

EVERAL industry groups backed the Department of Agriculture’s decision to prohibit the entry of chicken imports from Brazil and called for a temporary ban on all imported chicken.

“It is imperative that we prioritize the health needs of the population where infections continue to increase and the fear of getting infected haunt them every day. We jointly support the action of the Department of Agriculture to temporarily ban the importation of chicken from Brazil,” the industry groups said in a statement.

“Though we appreciate this move by the Agriculture department as an effective preventive measure to ensure the safety of the Filipino people and the other nationals

who reside in our country, we as an industry urge the government to have a more aggressive stand and move for the temporary banning of all imported chicken until the world is able to cross this pandemic,” the groups said.

Among the signatories in the petition were the Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc., United Broilers Raiser Association, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc., Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc., National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.,

Bounty Group of Companies, The Philippine Eggboard Association Inc., Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, Philippine Maize Federation Inc., Local Poultry Integrator, Philippine College of Swine Practitioners, White Angel Farm Barauen Leyte, Growers of Chicken Essentials and Broiler Poultry Group.

Other petitioners are Chicken Essentials Ph Inc., Pura Agri-Ventures and Development Corp., Morales Poultry Farm, Romarcom International Marketing Corp., Paritas Trading Corp., Asia Pacific Chartering Phil. Inc., Grainman Marine Transport Inc., Philippine Veterinary Drug Association, Philippine College of Poultry Practitioners, Araco Poultry and Livestock Corp., Jairah Poultry Farm Bacolod City, Chicken Oro Inc. Bacolod City and Association of Accredited BAI Registered Laboratories Inc.

BUSINESS KITS.

The Department of Trade and Industry-Cebu Provincial Office turns over Negosyo Kits worth P10,000.00 each to 79 qualified microentrepreneurs in Mambaling and Buhisan, Cebu. Through the DTI’s Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa program, 78 microentrepreneurs from Barangay Mambaling, who were victims of fire incidents that destroyed their livelihood, and one microentrepreneur from Barangay Buhisan, whose business was affected by COVID-19 pandemic, received the Negosyo Kits in coupon form, which enabled them to avail of various merchandise items to restore or improve their business.

PLDT eyes 5G technology to boost TV5 news operations

By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Group plans to use 5G technology to boost the news operations of media unit TV5, a top executive said Tuesday.

PLDT chief revenue officer and Smart president and chief executive Alfredo Panlilio said with 5G available in its studios, TV5’s production teams, news anchors and reporters could start exploring Smart 5G-certified devices for live coverage and news gathering.

“This is part of our commitment to make the latest technologies, innovations and solutions available to our customers,” said Panlilio.

“Recently, we made Smart 5G commercially available so that our subscrib-

ers can try it out and enjoy its super-fast data service. With Smart 5G now up at the TV5 studios, we look forward to working more closely and co-innovating with TV5 to find out how we can further harness 5G together to modernize their news operations,” he said.

PLDT chief technology and information advisor Joachim Horn said “5G is a platform for you to innovate new solutions”.

“It provides you the flexibility to innovate your business with the solution you need in order to cope with the situation we are in,” Horn said.

“LTE is a one-size-fits-all network.

You have one network and you can do many things with it. But because it is one-size-fits-all, it is not very flexible.

That’s the difference with 5G,” he said.

Horn said 5G is also more flexible and “is highly customizable that makes it particularly interesting for Enterprise customers.”

Horn cited sample use cases that can analyze crowd and traffic flows using cameras. “This capability has become very relevant in the time of social distancing, to be able to—without physical contact or human interaction—to steer through crowds, avoid crowd build-up, or manage the traffic flow,” he said.

The strategy to deploy 5G has been embedded in Smart’s network planning over the past five years. PLDT’s wireless subsidiary started conducting tests with 5G in 2016.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, September 1, 2020

84.94 points

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

1,869,849,632 109,541

TOTAL VALUE 6,862,325,865.12 ADVANCES 85

5,799.24

DECLINES 99 UNCHANGED 57

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, SEPTMEBER 1, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.4830

Japan

Yen

0.009446

0.4580

UK

Pound

1.337100

64.8266

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129031

6.2558

Switzerland

Franc

1.107052

53.6732

Canada

Dollar

0.766871

37.1802

Singapore

Dollar

0.735619

35.6650

Australia

Dollar

0.737300

35.7465

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655549

128.749

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

12.9277

Brunei

Dollar

0.732923

35.5343

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032185

1.5604

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2006

Euro

Euro

1.194000

57.8887

Korea

Won

0.000842

0.0408

China

Yuan

0.146022

7.0796

India

Rupee

0.013651

0.6618

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240211

11.6461

New Zealand

Dollar

0.673700

32.6630

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034098

1.6532 Source: BSP

Cirtek bares plan to sell $33-m worth of shares

By Jenniffer B. Austria CIRTEK Holdings Philippines Corp. said Tuesday it plans to raise up to $33 million from the sale of preferred shares.

Cirtek said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the offering of up to 33 million of preferred B2 sub-series B shares by way of private placement at $1 apiece.

The preferred shares, which will be listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange, will be issued from the unissued preferred B2 shares.

Cirtek in July reissued P494 million worth of commercial paper maturing on Feb. 18, 2021. Net proceeds from the reissuance of commercial paper will be used to partially retire short-term obligations maturing in 2020 and finance working capital requirements of subsidiary Quintel USA as it takes part in the creation of 5G-enabled world.

The commercial paper was listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

Cirtek recorded a net income of $5 million in the first half, up by 118 percent from $2.3 million in the same period last year.

Revenues in the first six months fell 13 percent to $42.3 million from $48.6 million a year ago, on 25-percent decrease in revenue contribution from Quintel and the 12-percent drop in revenue contribution from its semiconductor business.

Operating revenues also went down by 18 percent to $4.6 million in the first half from $5.7 million in the same period in 2019.

The share price of Cirtek rose 0.70 percent to close at P5.74 Tuesday.

MORE Power reports improvement in Iloilo’s system loss to 6% in June

By Alena Mae S. Flores ILOILO City power distributor More Electric and Power Corp. reported a system loss of 6 percent in June, lower than the 6-5 percent system loss cap mandated for distribution utilities, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission.

“The June 2020 data with us shows this...Per the monthly report we have, MORE is only charging 6 percent SL,” ERC spokesperson Floresinda Digal said. Distribution utilities that comply with the mandated system loss cap do not charge the system loss they incur beyond the cap.

Digal said all declared system loss cap, especially the costs passed on to consumers, are verified by the regulator.

“That is subject to verification, including the amounts declared as pilferage recoveries,” the ERC official said. She said distribution utilities and electric cooperatives are not allowed to recover costs beyond the cap.

ERC chairman Agnes Devanadera earlier said the commission was strictly monitoring the compliance of distribution utilities with the system loss cap.

Under the ERC rules, DUs are required to submit system loss reports monthly which are used by the agency to monitor compliance.

ERC implemented a system loss cap of 6.5 percent on all DUs in 2018 with the aim of reducing the electricity costs passed on to consumers as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and improve services of power distributors.

“The lowering of the system loss caps is a move to bring down the power rates and help electricity consumers mitigate the impact of rising costs of commodities and services. This will encourage DUs to improve their distribution system and facilities so that they adhere to the newly-prescribed system loss cap,” Devanadera said.

MORE Power earlier questioned the claim of Koalisyon Bantay Kuryente that its system loss reached 7.1 percent.

It said the system loss it passed on to consumers was only 6 percent, clearly below the 6.5 percent cap.

The company committed to its 65,000 power customers that it would continue to bring down the system loss within three years through a P1.8-billion modernization program.

MORE Power spokesman Jonathan Cabrera said the company’s system’s loss to date is 6 percent, contrary to the claim of rival Panay Electric Co. He said MORE Power’s systems loss was expected to go down to 5.5 percent by 2021 and 4.75 percent by 2022 as the company aggressively runs after illegal connections or “jumpers.”

COASTAL ROAD. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar announces a new coastal road is now open from Rompeolas, or Sorsogon City’s Baywalk, to Barangay Balogo, providing motorists a pleasant view of the Sorsogon’s coastline. The four-lane Sorsogon City Coastal Road with a total length of 5.52 kilometers may be considered among the grandest ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects in Bicol Region undertaken by DPWH Regional Office 5 and the Sorsogon First District Engineering Office.

Lucia ‘Letty’ Gonzales, 77, dies

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Lucia ‘Letty’ Gonzales

LUCIA “Letty” Gonzales Tan, mother of LT Group president Michael Tan, passed away on Aug. 31. She was 77.

The Tan family in a statement requested family and friends to offer prayers for Mrs. Gonzales Tan who lost her battle to a lingering illness.

Lucia is survived by 86-year-old beer, tobacco and airline tycoon Lucio Tan and and children Michael and Angeline, Sharon and Edgar, John and Nancy, Cherry and Alfred, Timmy and Christine and her beloved grandchildren.

Her family described Lucia as jolly and doting mother and grandmother. She was known to be “warm, friendly and affable

spouse” of Mr. Tan. “Our mom will always be remembered for her kindness and big heart. We will miss her. May the Lord God bless her soul, as she joins Him in heaven,” her children said.

Wake will be at Chapel 3 of Heritage Park Memorial Chapel in Taguig City from 10am to 6 p.m. on Sept. 2 to 7. Interment will be on Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. also at Chapel 3 of Heritage Park.

Michael Tan, the firstborn of Lucia, is now the president and chief operating officer of LT Group, the holding company of Lucio Tan. Last year, Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr., a son of Lucio with wife Carmen, died of brain aneurysm.

Sports

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

C1

Osaka made to work in win vs compatriot

No physical contact. Naomi Osaka of Japan taps rackets after winning during her Women’s Singles first-round match against Misaki Doi of Japan on Day One at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. AFP

3 PFL teams start training in Cavite THREE of the six club teams involved in the coming Philippine Football League season will start training today (Wednesday) in Carmona, Cavite.

The four sprawling fields inside the Philippine Football Federation National Training Center will be enough to provide a training bubble for each participating squad.

The workouts will continue for a m o nt h before organizers will have a chance to seek a green light from the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerg- Mariano Araneta ing Infectious Diseases to hold a tournament in October.

“Everyone is looking forward to the resumption of training for our clubs. Hopefully, we will have it for a month before the resumption of the league itself,” said PFF President Mariano Araneta.

Araneta, along with PFL Commissioner Coco Torre, talked about the plans of the PFL during Tuesday’s weekly online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Zoom.

United City FC, Kaya and Stallions will lead the way in training.

And this will happen after a final briefing with the Games and Amusement Board on the need to observe safety and health protocols.

“It’s just a matter of reminding them of the safety of each player and the safety of the venue,” said Araneta.

During the monthlong training stint, the players, coaches and staff members will be confined at the National Training Center.

“It’s open ground. It’s not just one pitch, but four,” said Torre.

Four fields will be used by up to 20 players.

Each field can be utilized by players, in accordance to an advisory by the IATF. Peter Atencio

5 player abandons UST Growling Tigers th

By Peter Atencio

T

HE exodus of players from the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers continues after a fifth player reportedly left the team on Tuesday.

Six-foot-two small forward Ferdinand Asuncion Jr. is said to have joined the Mapua Cardinals the other day.

Asuncion, who is supposed to be on his sophomore year, is one of three players who bid his alma mater goodbye over the weekend.

Last Sunday, Rhenz Abando, who is the the Growling Tigers’ third year shooting guard, made his farewell on Twitter and on Instagram. The third player was Ira Bataller.

Earlier, CJ Cansino and Brent Paraiso were among the first to go.

The exodus of players has left the Tigers with 11 still on their roster.

Asuncion, who did not join the

Tigers when they trained in Capuy, Sorsogon, has reportedly joined the Mapua Cardinals.

Many players from the team have expressed their worries of the Growling Tigers getting sanctioned and suspended by authorities for their training camp in Sorsogon, at a time when physical activities are not yet allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases due to the spread of the coronavirus.

The departure of Abando, Bataller and Asuncion came less than 24 hours before the tripartite group of Philippine Sports Commission, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Games and Amusement Board is set to resume its inquiry

on the Growling Tigers.

The government body is looking into safety and health protocol violations that may have occurred during the Growling Tigers’ alleged training bubble in Capuy, Sorsogon.

Officials involved in the tripartite group said no decisions will be rendered yet as UST officials, though the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, will just submit a report.

IPEA officials, through Fr. Ermito de Sagon, have forwarded their findings to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Since the internal probe got underway last week, three players have left, while and top sports official of the university, Fr. Jannel Abogado, quit his post.

Cansino has joined the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, while there is no confirmation yet on the transfer of Abando to the Letran camp and on the fate of Paraiso and Bataller.

NEW YORK—Fourth seed Naomi Osaka advanced to the second round of the US Open on Monday but was made to work hard during a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victor y over Japanese compatriot Misaki Doi at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Osaka, who withdrew from the Western & Southern Open WTA final on Saturday due to a hamstring injury, showed little sign of a fitness problem after wrapping up the first set in just over half an hour.

But the 22-year-old 2018 Open champion’s composure deserted her in the second set, as a string of unforced errors crept into her game and allowed Doi to seize the initiative.

Doi raced into leads of 3-0 and 4-1 but tightened when serving for the set at 5-3—allowing Osaka to break back and get back on serve.

However the 29-year-old Doi regrouped to hold serve for a 6-5 lead and then punished a sloppy service game from Osaka to break once again and square the match.

Osaka raised her game noticeably in the third set, cutting down the errors and putting Doi under pressure on her service.

Two breaks helped Osaka into a 5-2 lead and she held serve to close out the win.

Osaka had walked onto court wearing a face mask emblazoned with the name of Breonna Taylor, the African-American nurse who was shot by police in her apartment in Kentucky in March.

Taylor’s death has become one of the most prominent cases during the summer of nationwide protests across the United States against racism and police brutality.

Osaka says she plans to wear face masks bearing the names of other victims of racial injustice throughout the tournament.

“I have seven and it’s quite sad that seven is not enough for the amount of names,” Osaka said.

“Hopefully I’ll get to the finals and you’ll see all of them.”

The fights Sangiao wants next for his Team Lakay wards PHILIPPINE martial arts pioneer Mark Sangiao isn’t just the head coach and founder of the famed Team Lakay of Baguio City, Philippines. He’s also the team’s spiritual leader, a father-figure to many of its younger members, and a guide through the often convoluted world of mixed martial arts.

Known as one of the most prolific martial arts outfits in Asia, Team Lakay is home to many great athletes and World Champions, many of whom trust Sangiao with their lives. So it certainly comes as no surprise that Sangiao has a pretty good idea of what could be next for some of his most prized pupils.

The 41-year-old veteran recently shared his thoughts on potential matchups for his wards in ONE Championship.

Here’s what he had to say.

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang is a man on the comeback trail. After a dismal 2019, wherein he dropped two out of three, the 36-yearold veteran is on the quest for gold.

The reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion, 22-year-old Christian Lee is the most wanted man in the division.

Sangiao likes the odds for Folayang against the young titleholder, should they

Coach Mark Sangiao with his Team Lakay warriors

meet in the Circle.

“The lightweight division is one of the deepest in ONE Championship. There are so many great talents, and anybody can beat anybody on any given day. But Eduard Folayang is the best of the best. He’s the former champion and he’s so hungry to get that belt back. I’ve never seen him work harder

in his career than now,” said Sangiao.

“There are a lot of great matchups to be made at lightweight for Eduard, but the one man he wants most is Christian Lee. Eduard is out for redemption, and he’s training very hard to achieve his goals.”

Where Folayang is right now in the pecking order at lightweight is debatable.

He currently sits outside of the top five in ONE’s official athlete rankings. Folayang may need a win over a big-name opponent to position himself for a shot at “The Warrior.”

Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon Another world champion on the hunt for redemption is former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon.

Belingon is a ferocious beast in the Circle, favored to decimate any man unlucky enough to get stuck in there with him.

Reigning bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes, however, remains the only man capable of taming “The Silencer.”

The 40-year-old “Flash” owns two legitimate submission victories over Belingon, and one questionable disqualification. On the other hand, Belingon has one comprehensive win over the legend.

Sangiao believes that as long as the two are in the same division, the threat of Belingon to Fernandes’ title reign will always be present.

“Kevin and Bibiano have unfinished business. I just wasn’t convinced the last they fought. Knowing Kevin, he isn’t easy to submit. There were just some mistakes that we made that cost us the fight. But I know we can correct those Turn to C2 mistakes,” said Sangiao.

Get fit @ Sunshine Place in Makati

A fitness program improves basic functional movements such as the ability to do daily activities; increases mobility and stability; fights degenerative diseases; slows down aging process and increases memory, among others.

EXERCISE helps fight the signs of and delay aging. Going to the gym for fitness program improves basic functional movements such as the ability to do daily activities; increases mobility and stability; fights degenerative diseases; slows down aging process; increases memory; and allows one to socialize with friends.

At least 30 minutes of exercise is encouraged to keep minds and bodies fit.

Among the fitness gyms in Makati is Sunshine Place’s Fitness Gym. It is managed by competent fitness coaches of Life-Care Fitness Management, Inc., sister-company carrying Life Cyclefitness exercises machines. It offers online classes: the Fitness Training Programs designed for all ages and Power Stretch specifically offered to seniors.

The Fitness Training Program is a full body workout starting with warm up exercises, main exercise regime and cool down program customized to the client’s needs. Main exercise includes the five basic work out that allows basic functional movement: Balance, Agility, Cardio, Flexibility and Strength workouts. Classes are conducted within an hour, by appointment with the Fitness Coach. Packages for One-on-One, Partner (2) and Group (3-4 pax) classes are available: The Power Stretch is a 30-minute one-on-one session with a Fitness Coach. It aims to provide more brief and lighter exercise regime specifically for seniors. At the same time, the session warms and stretches the body, reinvigorating sleeping nerves and muscles.

Fitness coaches are Danica Bautista who has a degree in Sports and Wellness Management; Danica Duka who conducts acessorybased and body weight workouts suited for elderly; Philip Gutang who has basic training in Physiotherapy for senior citizens; and Richard Olivas, an expert in body weight, accessory-based workout, weight loss and muscletoning workouts.

For details please contact T. (632) 8856-4162; M. (+63917) 801-6440, email online.sunshineplace@ gmail.com or follow Sunshine Place online at Facebook and YouTube Pages, Sunshine Place, Senior Recreation Center, Instagram @sunshineplaceph, with hashtags #sunshinep lacephonline#sunshineneverstopshining.

Sports Zozo moved as PGA Tour’s Asian swing wiped out TOKYO—Japan’s Zozo Championship, launched last year and memorably won by Tiger Woods, has been moved to California because of coronavirus restrictions, effectively wiping out the 2020 US PGA Tour’s $30 million ‘Asian Swing’, organizers announced Tuesday.

The event was scheduled to take place from October 22-25 but will now be held at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, on the same dates but without spectators.

With combined purses of $29.75 million, the PGA Tour’s three-stop Asian swing has been the highlight of Asia’s golf calendar in recent seasons.

But South Korea’s CJ Cup on October 15-18 was last week moved from Jeju Island to Las Vegas and the WGC-HSBC Champions from October 29 to November 1 looks certain to be cancelled.

The $10.25 million Shanghai tournament has been in doubt since Chinese authorities banned almost all international sports events for the rest of the year to guard against coronavirus outbreaks.

With leading players based in the US and the postponed Masters due to take place at Augusta in November, the PGA Tour “have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to invite players to compete in Japan,” a statement said.

Japan has essentially closed its borders to most foreigners in a national drive to reduce risks of coronavirus infections.

The pandemic has forced a one-year delay of the Tokyo Olympics but some professional sports in Japan such as baseball and football have started allowing limited numbers of spectators.

The nation has so far detected about 68,000 coronavirus infections, and recorded roughly 1,300 deaths.

The Zozo Championship is Japan’s first US PGA Tour event and was launched last year to great fanfare with Woods thrilling huge crowds.

The 15-time major winner led from gun to tape to record a record-equalling victory, three strokes clear of local favourite Hideki Matsuyama, with Rory McIlroy third, at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

Butler stars as Heat stun Bucks L

OS ANGELES—Jimmy Butler seized control down the stretch, scoring a career-playoff high 40 points as the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening game of their second round NBA playoff series on Monday.

Butler was a one-man wrecking crew, scoring 13 of Miami’s final 16 points in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida. He scored 27 of his 40 points in the second half.

Butler warned his teammates not to expect any passes with the game on the line.

“I told my teammates I probably wasn’t going to pass the ball. I made a couple of shots and they said, ‘That’s fine with me,’” Butler said.

In the Western Conference, Chris Paul scored 28 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder forced a decisive seventh game in their first round series with a

104-100 win over the mistake-prone Houston Rockets.

Butler is just the third player in Heat history with a 40-point game in the playoffs, joining LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

“I took it up a level in the fourth.

If that’s what needs to happen every game, I have got to do it,” he said.

Game two of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series is Wednesday in Orlando.

Goran Dragic added 27 points as he helped the Heat clamp down defensively which set the stage for Butler’s offensive heroics.

lando Magic in five games.

The Bucks came into the contest after setting a trend in the final week of the first round by staging a strike in order to draw awareness to police brutality and racial discrimination in America.

The Bucks’ actions led to the NBA coming to an agreement with players on engaging in social justice initiatives.

Butler battles After falling behind in the first quarter Miami stormed back, cutting Milwaukee’s lead to 63-60 at halftime. The Heat took a 82-80 lead into the fourth quarter and then Butler carried them to the finish line.

Butler’s 40 points came on 13-for-20 shooting and 12-for-13 shooting from the charity stripe. His previous playoff high was 36 points for Philadelphia against Brooklyn last season.

The winner will face either the defending champion Raptors or the Boston Celtics in the NBA’s final four. AFP

The fights...

Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks guards Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter in Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at the Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. AFP

SISTERON—Australian rider Caleb Ewan produced an irresistible late burst of speed to pip a stunned Sam Bennett of Ireland on the finish line of stage three of the Tour de France on Monday.

France’s Julian Alaphilippe retained the leader’s yellow jersey after the 198-kilometre stage from the Nice football stadium to the hilltop town of Sisteron in Provence.

Ewan, 26, won three stages on the 2019 Tour but started this edition on his backside after a fall on the crash-strewn opening stage.

Ewan, known as the ‘Pocket Rocket’ and standing 1.65 metres, bided his time and overtook Bennett right on the line.

The timely win gave Lotto a double boost after the team was reduced from eight to six riders on stage one when Philippe Gilbert broke a knee while John Degenkolb was thrown off the race for missing the time cut after a nasty fall.

“It worked perfectly to plan, I had to move just at the right moment. It was disappointing to lose two riders on day one, but everyone has pulled together and we’ve done quite well,” Ewan said.

“The world is watching and everyone would like to be here at this, it’s the biggest race in the world and I’m delighted.”

After a rampaging climax to Sunday’s race provided by Alaphilippe, this stage was a more leisurely run through a national park located between the Mediterranean and the foot of the Alps, winding through oak and pine-forested hills.

With around a third of the peloton nursing grazes

Team Lotto rider Australia’s Caleb Ewan celebrates as he crosses the finish line and wins the 3rd stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race. AFP

and bumps from that bruising first stage, and with Sunday’s speedy stage in their legs, the teams took it slowly before the Tour was treated to its first real sprint.

“Today was one of the few real sprint opportunities, so we weren’t going to give that up,” Ewan said after

stepping from the podium.

Superstar sprinter Peter Sagan was again in the mix and gleaned enough points from his fifth position to take the green jersey he has won a record seven times.

Sweet moments for Alaphilippe Despite the Covid-19 resurgence in France, the roadsides in this pastoral part of France were packed with fans on Tuesday.

Schoolchildren were out in force chasing the sweets and goodies thrown from the publicity caravan, which is about 70 percent smaller this year, and many were cheering home hero Alaphilippe.

“Winning yesterday really relaxed me,” said Alaphilippe. “It’s a great honour to wear the jersey and I’ll be defending it day by day.”

Tuesday’s stage features a summit finish and a tricky hill-laden route from Sisteron to Orcieres where Alaphilippe faces a real fight from British rider Adam Yates for the overall lead. Just four seconds separate the two.

“I know it’ll be interesting with Adam Yates tomorrow,” said Alaphilippe, who now surpasses former winner Geraint Thomas in days wearing the yellow jersey.

“It’s a difficult stage, I hear. I havent really studied it yet, but we’ll keep an eye on him (Yates),” Alaphilippe added.

Yates, who has signed a deal to switch to Ineos, came fourth in the 2016 Tour de France where he also won the white jersey for the best under-25 rider.

Frenchman Anthony Lopez broke a shoulder in a collision with a Cofidis team car that is being investigated, but amazingly, given how many falls there have been each day, he was just the fourth of the original field of 176 to leave the Tour so far. AFP

“As long as Bibiano is still the champion at bantamweight, Kevin will always be a threat. He’s going to beat any man put in front of him, and he’s always going to be right there at the top as the number one contender. Kevin Belingon won’t go away, and sooner or later, Bibiano’s going to have to face him again. That’s why I believe a fifth fight could happen.”

Belingon is currently ranked #1 at bantamweight in ONE’s official rankings, so the idea of a fifth showdown between the two isn’t too far-fetched.

However, Belingon may have to defeat another top contender before he earns another shot at Fernandes.

Joshua “The Passion” Pacio Reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio knows being champion means everyone is coming for you. In one of ONE Championship’s richest weight classes in terms of talent, Pacio has established himself as a legitimate and dominant champion.

But there are two men who Sangiao believes Pacio should rematch -- former strawweight titleholders Yosuke Saruta and Yoshitaka Naito.

“Like Eduard, Joshua is in one of the deepest divisions in ONE Championship. Strawweight is stacked with worldclass fighters from top to bottom. The competition is very close. But Joshua is so good, that he can really hang with the best of them. He’s at the top now, and this young man is working very hard to keep his spot,” said Sangiao.

“I think he needs to complete trilogies with Yosuke Saruta and Yoshitaka Naito.

A lot of people weren’t convinced with his victories over either, which is why I think rematches would work well in favor of Joshua closing the book on these adversaries. Joshua continues to get better and better by the day. I’m really amazed at his development, and he’s still so young.”

Saruta and Naito are actually scheduled to face each other this September in Tokyo’s “Road to ONE: 3rd TOKYO FIGHT NIGHT” event organized by Abema TV in partnership with ONE. Saruta has expressed his intention of facing Pacio if he can get past Naito. His opponent should be thinking the same.

Danny “The King” Kingad When Danny Kingad lost to reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes in 2017, it set “The King” off on a path of learning. After all, he suffered the first defeat of his professional career, in his first ever title shot, and it’s an experience Kingad says will stick with him for as long as he competes.

Sangiao believes Kingad learned more in that loss than he did in any of his wins. As a result, the Filipino star is developing at an exponential rate, and Sangiao is simply amazed at what he sees.

“Whether Adriano Moraes will remain champion after his fight with Demetrious Johnson, that remains to be seen. But whether or not Moraes is champion, Danny is ready to fight him,” said Sangiao.

A secure future for Road Warriors

THE LINK

THE Philippine Basketball Association has yet to restart its season, but the NLEX Road Warriors already made plans for their future.

On the first day of September, the Road Warriors made sure they will be able to secure their future plans on two of their most talented players—guards Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas. The two second generation players were given a three-year contract extension each by NLEX management, although terms of the deal were not revealed.

With 52 seconds left, Dragic made a clutch defensive play by stealing the ball from Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to preserve Miami’s sevenpoint lead, 111-104.

Bam Adebayo had 12 points and 17 rebounds and rookie Tyler Herro tallied 11 points for the Heat, who swept the Indiana Pacers in the previous round.

Fifth seeded Miami found a way to contain reigning NBA most valuable player Antetokounmpo, who was limited to just 18 points.

It was the Greek superstar’s fewest points in a playoff game since he was held to 12 by the Toronto Raptors in game three of the NBA semi-finals last season. He also missed eight of 12 free throws against the Heat.

Khris Middleton scored 28 points and Brook Lopez had 24 for the Bucks, who also lost the opening game of their first round series before winning four straight to beat the Or-

From C1

Ewan rockets to Tour bunch sprint win

REY JOBLE

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Ravena, son of former PBA Rookie of the Year and ex-Most Improved Player awardee Bong Ravena, had just returned and played briefly for the Road Warriors last season following an 18-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.

But the Road Warriors are giving him a chance to redeem himself and wanting him to be a part of the team’s future.

Alas, son of current Phoenix Fuel Masters coach Louie Alas, also missed a lot of games for the Road Warriors last season due to an ACL injury. Like Ravena, he also returned briefly, but the team was knocked out by the NorthPort Batang Pier in last

season’s Governors’ Cup. Now, the Road Warriors are going all in with these two superstars and the first order of business was to resign them even with the shortened PBA season still hanging in the balance.

Signing up Ravena and Alas, two of the team’s young players, would serve as an insurance for the Road Warriors, who are bound to lose two veteran cagers by the end of the season. Asi Taulava and Cyrus Baguio, two tried and tested veterans of head coach Yeng Guiao, are expected to be given a fitting exit by the squad and the Philippine Cup will serve as their final tour of duty.

Taulava is the oldest player in the PBA at 47 years old and the former MVP plans to end the season with a bang.

Baguio, on the other hand, just turned 40 last August 19. The threetime PBA champion, who won his first championship playing for Guiao 14 years ago, looks to finish his career as a champion from the same mentor who molded him.

The biggest news, however, is the re-signing of Ravena and Alas, and NLEX made sure they won’t go anywhere. The tandem could become probably the best guard combo we’re going to see in years, but unless the Road Warriors start winning a cham-

pionship in the big league, this projection could only end up as it is -- a mere projection.

But NLEX is patient enough to build its future and the strong foundation of its future lies on the duo of Ravena and Alas. After all, both of them were part of the NLEX Road Warriors’ team, which established a dynasty in the amateur commercial league.

The question is, can they continue living up to that winning tradition?

Only time will tell, but for now, the Road Warriors made the logical first step by ensuring the services of these two talented guards, who have the potential of becoming much better ball players than their fathers.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

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K-pop's BTS makes history topping US singles charts K-POP sensation BTS has become the first all-South Korean act to rule the top US singles chart, industry tracker Billboard announced Monday, with their English-language "Dynamite" hitting number one.

It is another milestone cementing the seven-member boy band's global dominance, coming hours after BTS—comprised of J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga, and V— beat American heavyweights including Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift to score the Best Pop award at Sunday's MTV Video Music

Members of South Korean boy band BTS are pictured performing from South Korea during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, where they won Best Pop.

KathNiel headlines tribute video for heroes

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla join other Kapamilya stars in a tribute video for Filipinos facing tragedies like losing loved ones in the fight against COVID-19.

A

BS-CBN has launched a tribute video for Filipinos who continue to fight, serve the nation, and care for others despite the challenges faced by the country. The video was unveiled on Aug. 31 after TV Patrol on Kapamilya Channel and Kapamilya Online Live.

Dubbed “Tinig ng Mga Nawalan,” the video features the voices of young superstars Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo, together with other Kapamilya artists from within and outside the network. Among the video’s creators and singers, including its director, are ABSCBN workers affected by the retrenchment after the House of Representatives denied ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.

The tribute bears a message of hope for Filipinos facing tragedies like losing loved ones in the fight against COVID-19, as well as the loss of jobs during this pandemic.

Also appearing in the video are artists Coco Martin, Vice Ganda, Angel Locsin, Enrique Gil, Liza Soberano, Bea

Alonzo, Karla Estrada, Jolina Magdangal, Melai Cantiveros, Jericho Rosales, Beauty Gonzales, Bianca Gonzales, Enchong Dee, Robi Domingo, Jake Cuenca, Kylie Versoza, Edward Barbers, and Alex Gonzaga, and journalists Bernadette Sembrano, Zen Hernandez, Alvin Elchico, Jeff Canoy, Chiara Zambrano, and Jacque Manabat, who have all used their voices to fight for the rights of their fellowmen and Kapamilya.

The launch of “Tinig ng Mga Nawalan” is part of the new ABS-CBN campaign “Lingkod ng Isa’t Isa,” which celebrates the grit, tenacity, and resilience of every Filipino in transcending ordeals and painful losses, while still being able to help uplift other people’s lives. It aims

How Tiktok propelled a 5-year-old lost track back to chart success

By John Mark Pineda NATALIE Taylor’s “Surrender” suddenly started making waves on music streaming platforms surprising the composer of the power of social media and other online platforms in making classics and old songs find new audiences.

“It is crazy it’s hard to grasp, you know… ‘Surrender’ has such a large audience now,” Natalie said in a recent zoom conference with some select members of the entertainment press.

Five years after its release, the ballad experienced an unexpected resurgence this pandemic enjoying a massive number of streams across digital platforms including the video-sharing app, TikTok. “This song is five years old, and so

for us, it’s just like, I mean it is really crazy to see that happen, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

We noticed that my Spotify audience was gro­wing and were like, ‘Where is this coming from?’ We had no idea. But when I checked TikTok, I saw that it has been used in so many videos,” Natalie said.

According to the singer-songwriter, “Surrender” is an emotional track, a story about “coming back together in your marriage and surrendering to each other again.”

to highlight how Filipinos become each other’s heroes in dark, challenging, and uncertain times.

Starting today, stories of everyday heroism of Filipinos here and abroad can be found on the “Lingkod ng Isa’t Isa” microsite (news.abs-cbn. com/LingkodNgIsatIsa). Everyone is encouraged to share their inspiring story via social media, use the official hashtags #LingkodPinas and #LingkodNgIsatIsa. The tribute video is produced by ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management (CCM) led by creative heads Robert Labayen and Johnny Delos Santos, with director Paolo Ramos and music and sound head Lloyd Oliver Corpuz. The music was written by Thyro Alfaro while the words are by Labayen and Des Parawan.

“Tinig ng Mga Nawalan” is also dedicated to the affected employees who have contributed to the network’s mission to serve the Filipino in the past 67 years.

“Surrender” has seen a resurgence since going viral on TikTok with over 1.5 million videos curated to the song.

The track has spent over four weeks on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart and has nearly 115 million views on YouTube worldwide. The track was used in more than 3.6 million videos on TikTok. The song has more than 115 million views on Spotify and 80 million collective views on YouTube.

Hailing from just outside Birmingham, AL, Natalie’s influences range from American legend, Patty Griffin, to classic country artists, Dixie Chicks and Jo Dee Messina. However, her “vocal training” as she calls it, comes from ‘90s R&B icons Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, and Destiny’s Child.

Singer and songwriter Natalie Taylor

Awards.

The first BTS single sung completely in English, "Dynamite" was released Aug. 21 and tallied 33.9 million US streams in just a week, with 300,000 units sold.

In securing the top spot, the song unseats Cardi B's raunchy hit "WAP" featuring fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion, a not-safe-for-work bop that held number one for two consecutive weeks.

The South's President Moon Jaein congratulated the septet, calling their latest achievement "truly

amazing."

"It is a splendid feat that further raises pride in K-pop," Moon said in a statement.

The milestone is "all the more meaningful" as the song was composed to comfort those affected by COVID-19 worldwide, he added.

BTS's achievement comes after it reached the Billboard Hot 100's fourth slot in March with its song "On." Three of BTS' albums have hit number one on Billboard's album charts, but this is their first Hot 100 top single. AFP

Iconic Ryan Cayabyab song gets modern twist PLATINUM-SELLING American DJ and producer Dillon Francis and over 30 Malibu Rum Ambassadors from the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and South Korea are launching #TheCoconutChallenge, a new dance craze that aims to get everyone on their feet while sending out good vibes.

What makes #TheCoconutChallenge even more amazing is that it’s got ties to the Philippines, as Francis remixes a classic Filipino pop tune in “The Coconut Song” by Philippine National Artist Ryan Cayabyab.

With “The Coconut Nut Malibu Remix,” Francis gives the song a fresh and modern twist, making it popular again as the foundation of this season’s latest viral dance challenge. Now that’s something for Filipinos to definitely be proud of.

“The Coconut Nut is a perfect lighthearted anthem for summer vibes, so I hope my new Malibu remix and #TheCoconutChallenge can provide a moment of reprieve while everything in the world still seems so

DJ Dillon Francis remixes a classic Filipino pop tune by Philippine National Artist Ryan Cayabyab.

uncertain,” said Dillon Francis. #TheCoconutChallenge is not just for show, too—it’s part of a bigger movement to help out businesses in need after the global COVID-19 pandemic affected them. Malibu has pledged an initial $150,000 to the National Urban League to support African American-owned businesses in the US, and also donated $1 for each #TheCoconutChallenge post from netizens in the US and Canada for a maximum contribution of $250,000.

For more information, visit: www. malibur umdrinks.com/en/thecoconutchallenge and www.youtube.com/ maliburum.

GMA Network digital news portals boost global ranking The award-winning group of GMA DELIVERING impressive numbers month after month, GMA Network’s Public Affairs maintained its spot as the online platforms GMA News and GMA second-ranked Philippine video publisher in the list at No. 18, with 107 Public Affairs remained as the Philipmillion views on Facebook and pines’ top news outlets and further 242 million views on YouTube. increased their respective worldwide Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho rankings in July.

(KMJS), the Philippines' Citing latest data from crosshighest-rating TV proplatform digital video measurement gram, is similarly provider Tubular Labs, GMA News among the mostwas up nine spots and ranked No.

GMA News and Public Affairs tallied 277 million views on Facebook and 192 million views on YouTube.

9 worldwide in the July 2020 leader board—outranking other top international news outlets such as ABC News, Fox News, and CNN. Still the number one in the country, the account tallied 277 million views on Facebook and 192 million views on YouTube.

Driving a huge number of views for the page is the livestream of 24 Oras, which continues to be the most viewed local newscast online. In addition, the Express versions of 24 Oras, Saksi, and Unang Hirit also helped reach Filipino audiences across the globe.

Further, GMA News continued to lead in Facebook engagement with an all-time high of 74 million engagements according to data from Crowdtangle.

These efforts enabled GMA News to reach 15 million followers on Facebook and seven million subscribers on YouTube. Across all platforms, the total followership of GMA News accounts has now reached 48 million.

viewed public affairs shows online along with Imbestigador, Tunay na Buhay, Wish Ko Lang, and Ilaban Natin 'Yan. GMA Public Affairs digital shows Stand For Truth, Frontliners, Fact or Fake, RTx, Survivors, The Better Normal PH, Juan Love, Quarantours, Sumbungan ng Bayan, and ECQusina also drew in a substantial number of video views.

Earlier this year, the GMA Public Affairs YouTube channel received the Diamond Creator Award for surpassing 10 million subscribers. GMA Network currently holds two YouTube Diamond Play Buttons—for GMA Network and GMA Public Affairs channels—and is the first Philippine network to achieve such feat.

All these videos and more are being premiered on the GMA News Online website, www.gmanews.tv. For more Kapuso content, follow the GMA News and GMA Public Affairs official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

FASHION FOR LESS. Ukay-ukay provides fashionistas with a wide variety, and sometimes one-of-a-kind, of apparel at rock-bottom prices. In photo are blouses sold at ukay-ukay outlets priced as low as P5 each.

Dash and flash for less cash Text and additional photos by Diana B. Noche

T

ONYA Medina is 72. When rheumatism takes its leave, she would strut at an athletic clip, and with the highest voltage, rhinestone glitters and all, into the ballroom of the mall for the regular twice-a-month Seniors’ Ball with her favorite dance instructor.

When not fluttering on a chacha or boogie on the dance floor, she would at times spend daytime with friends from high school wearing a hip-girl wardrobe— signature jeans, floaty tops, and dangling earrings whose playful brilliance competes with her hearty laughter.

Her designer handbags always made a strong statement, and like most fashionistas, she would not keep repeating herself. The handbags should match the stiletto high-heeled shoes. With no rheumatism to keep her interned inside her house, she would always be seen chrome-plated.

Tonya Medina has glamor good luck working overtime for her.

And she thanks her stars for

the ukay-ukay stalls where she gets most things exactly what she wishes for to be a fashionista at times when spending lots of cash to look and feel good may not be practical.

Ukay-ukay is a Philippine store where previously-owned apparel—thrifted clothing, bags, shoes, and other accessories—are sold at rock-bottom prices that easily fit an average person’s pocketbook.

The prices are so ridiculously low (women’s blouses, in perfect condition, can be had at P5 each) that a buyer tends to hog everything his cash can buy fast and loose, and use these items in an edgy, indigestible style mix—looking very Las Vegas.

Based on the Philippine verb

Bags from Ralph Lauren, Nine West, Kate Spade, and Louis Vuitton scored at bargain prices.

hukay which means “to dig,” and halukay, meaning “to sift through,” ukay-ukay is also English for “dig, dig” which can likewise connote wag-wag, (to dust off an item of clothing by holding one end of it and vigorously whisking it in the air to eliminate dust particles).

Other affectionate names for ukay-ukay shopping trips are SM (segunda mano), a pun on the SM chain of stores, and UK (imported from the United Kingdom).

The ukay-ukay phenomenon started in the 1980s in Baguio City, where to this day, is the shrine of such fleeting fashion. Natural calamities were frequent occurrences in those times. The Philippine Salvation Army would send used garments, hand-me-downs, cast-off clothing items, and other household goods to the refugees as charitable assistance to the victims. People’s response to the calls for help was so great.

Soon enough, traders sensed an entrepreneurial opportunity in these goods, bought them in bulk and sold to a wider public at very low prices. The initial customers were those at the low-income bracket, but as ukay-ukay became the byword for trendy, affordable clothes, the more affluent group looking for low-priced branded items would be seen rummaging at various ukay-ukay outlets.

Every stall becomes a pit stop for a fashion chance hit. There is always a fair expectation to just get lucky, find a real bargain, and if one looked hard enough, one might find a surprise, a bit flawed item but nevertheless a gem. At such a price and with some stylish dexterity, the hassle can be worthwhile.

There will be people who would turn up their noses, although circumspectly, and regard going to an ukay-ukay outlet as utterly unthinkable. All that eyebrow-raising and tsk-tsking, however, would not bother a true-blue fashionista out for some pairs of tight low-rider vanity jeans.

Despite its negative connotation, pre-loved clothes at ukayukays are one-of-a-kind (you don’t bump into someone on the street wearing exactly the same style as you do). Besides, ukay-

ukay patronage helps maintain ecological balance by recycling used clothes instead of buying new ones from the malls.

True enough, the trade has had commendable merits. They satisfy customers’ need for easy on the pocket yet trendy clothes; fashion designers troop to these outlets for new creative ideas and designs; and they also increase an LGU’s revenues and likewise provide business people a simple, low-capital yet lucrative income source.

A few kinks showed up which posted alarms in some quarters.

Clothes in thrift stores appear clean, however, it is good sense to wash them before wearing and to rid the garments of that particular ukay- ukay smell. Vinegar is the recommended cleaner and disinfectant, and iron the items on both sides. Unwashed second-hand clothes could cause dermatitis, scabies, and fungal diseases.

The commercial importation of second-hand clothes to sell at ukay-ukay stores is prohibited since 1996 under Republic Act No. 4653 to safeguard the health of the Filipino people from probable health hazards and to maintain the dignity of the nation through the prohibition of importation of used clothing and other discarded items from other nations. Because only the importation is prohibited, as soon as the shipments are cleared for entry it legalizes their sale.

The system is highly flawed, of course. There are reports of bribery within the Bureau of Customs; smuggling schemes through misdeclaration or underdeclaration are not new. But while the ukay-ukay trade is a sure moneymaker for some, it blunts further investments in other trades and slows down the development of the local textile and garments industry since it is more lucrative to engage in the ukay-ukay business with not much sweat.

Fashions come and go; ukayukay stores make sure their customers are well supplied with the latest styles from the bagong bukas boxes and let the bureaucrats worry about whatever else.

Tonya Medina, toting a Kenneth Cole bag, insists the common sense works.

SPOTTED

Ko Mun-yeong and Jo Yi-seo’s identical necklaces KOREAN dramas almost always hit three bull’s-eyes: great storyline, lovable and relatable characters, and oh-so stylish ensembles— so much so that some pieces turn into must-haves (e.g. Yoon Se-ri’s lady-boss sunglasses).

This time, however, it’s a necklace we saw in multiple occasions, in different K-dramas.

In the “morning after” scene in It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, Ko Mun-yeong dons a pretty floral off-the-shoulder dress and a pretty necklace.

The same shiny jewelry also makes an appearance in Itaewon Class, in that cute scene between Jo Yi-seo (played by Kim Da-mi) and Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon)

Jo Yi-seo (played

by Kim Da-mi) wears the rose gold Tiffany T Smile Pendant with round diamonds in episode 14.

Ko Mun-yeong (Seo Ye-ji) wears the Tiffany T Smile Pendant in IOTNBO’s episode 16.

Tonya Medina in one of her Seniors’ Night ‘UK’ find.

Bata Shoes introduces online shopping assistant GLOBAL footwear brand Bata launches its new assistance service dubbed ChatShop.

ChatShop lets customers get in touch with Bata’s friendly sales representatives who are ready to assist them with their purchase via chat through Viber.

To use the service, go to linktr.ee/bataph, select the Bata store nearest to you, then chat with its sales representative. Orders will be delivered straight to the customer’s home. To check the catalogue, go to Bata Shoes’ Instagram page.

Bata Shoes launches ChatShop, its online shopping assistance service that lets customers buy footwear with the help of the brand’s sales representatives.

where he catches her online shopping in his office. She asks him to buy her the pretty necklace she was pointing on the screen, fast forward to when Jo Yi-seo is hospitalized for working too much, she discovers the iconic Tiffany blue paper bag with the rose gold necklace with diamonds inside on her bedside table.

The necklace stars in two more K-dramas that coincidentally Park Seo-joon both appeared in as the male lead—What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and She Was Pretty.

In What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, we see Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) wearing the necklace and Lee Young-joon chatting and

having a drink on his sofa. Fans who’ve watched the show know what happens next.

In She Was Pretty, Kim Hyejin (Hwang Jung-eum) dons the sparkly piece to complement her pearl earrings and adorn her neck while wearing a printed buttondown during a The Most staff meeting.

This shiny piece of jewelry is the Tiffany T Smile Pendant which features graphic angles and clean lines. Styles include Tiffany T Mini Smile, Tiffany T Medium Smile Pendant with round brilliant diamonds in rose gold, and Tiffany T Extra Large Smile Pendant in 18k gold.