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Bay project probe set

Move backs Makabayan bloc reso to look into its cost, timing By Maricel V. Cruz, Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

HE House of Representatives will investigate the P384million project to dump synthetic white sand onto the shoreline of Manila Bay, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Das- House committee on natural resources, mariñas City in Cavite, chairman of the said the investigation will allow the

public and legislators to hear all sides of the issue—government proponents, stakeholders, as well as those who oppose the project. The move supports House Resolution 1194 filed by the six-man Makabayan bloc, which directs the chamber to inquire into “the suitability and sustainability to the Manila Bay Reclamation Program”

of the shoreline filling project spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DPWH). Those who oppose the project, lawmakers and environmental groups alike, have complained about its cost, its timing—in the middle of a pandemic—as well as health concerns over the Next page

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 188 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘ROBONURSE.’ The city government of Taguig has revealed the ‘Robonurse’, which will serve residents using the COVID-19 isolation facilities unveiled on Wednesday. The robot was created by the Taguig Robotics Team (TRT), a group of students who created the robots that went viral during the city’s ‘cyber graduations.’ (See story on A4).

Cimatu insists dolomite poses no health risk By Maricel V. Cruz

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu has defended at the House of Representatives the use of dolomite white sand from Cebu’s crushed dolomite rocks to transform Manila Bay’s shoreline into a white-sand beach. Next page

NEAR AND FAR. Workers continue to lay down the crushed dolomite used to whiten the beach at the Manila Baywalk (inset) while on the southern end of the bay near the Manila Yacht Club, a fisherman gets ready to set out for his daily catch on the waterway. Norman Cruz

ADVANCED OFFERINGS.

A family offers prayers and candles on the graves of their loved ones at the Manila North Cemetery on Wednesday, weeks before the annual All Souls Day observance by Filipinos, as Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso signed an executive order mandating the temporary closure of all public and private memorial parks, cemeteries and columbaries in the city from October 31 to November 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (See story on A4). Norman Cruz

Senate to rush ‘fighting budget’ of P4.5 trillion

DOH backs home quarantine ban, check case period for flattening THE Department of Health on Wednesday backed the National Task Force’s proposal to prohibit home quarantine for COVID-19 patients and their close contacts to prevent community transmission of the coronavirus. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the disclosure a day after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the government was planning a ban on home quarantine, and that the ban would be enforced within this week. “Based on the observations of the

National Task Force, many are on home quarantine and it’s preferred by people, but community transmission is happening,” Vergeire said. “That’s why the government prefers that those who are symptomatic be isolated.” The Department of Health is looking into 28 consecutive days, or two consecutive incubation periods of the virus, with no new infections that could be seen as a success in ridding the country of COVID-19. Next page

More virus infections seen as labs catch up, submit complete results THE Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said to expect more COVID-19 cases reported in the coming days as laboratories play catch-up because of the DOH’s stricter requirements in test

result submissions. “We may have an irregularly high number of cases in the coming days as cases from these laboratories get reported,” Health Undersecretary Maria

Rosario Vergeire said during a virtual “In the past months, we noted issues briefing. raised by the local governments that She also explained the agency’s they cannot initiate contact-tracing bestricter submission requirements for cause the COVID-19 database does not laboratories. Next page

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz SENATOR Sonny Angara, head of the Senate’s finance committee, said Wednesday the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, which he described as “a fighting budget,” would be delivered on time as they kicked off the budget deliberations. “I say this with confidence that we will meet the deadline of a well-crafted budget ready for the President’s signature long before the year ends,” Angara said. He said the COVID-19 pandemic would be the “one major macroeconomic assumption.” Angara made his statement even as the Department of Health sought a bigger budget for 2021 for its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and some aides briefed the House health committee on the agency’s proposed P203.74-billion budget on Wednesday Next page

Filipino TikTok star Bella Poarch.

COURTESY CALLS. House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (right) chats with Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez ahead of the budget briefing for his department on Wednesday, while Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (second from right) looks on. The Leyte lawmaker also received Science Undersecretary Renato Solidum and Secretary Isidro Lapeña of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (inset photos). Ver Noveno

Gov’t to deport Pemberton upon release from detention this week

By Vito Barcelo, Rey E. Requejo ing only five years of his six- to 10-year the moment he is released from prison so of commissioners issued against Pemsentence for killing a Filipino transgen- that his deportation could be carried out berton on Sept. 16, 2015 for being an and Willie Casas der woman in 2014. Immigration Commissioner Jaime THE Bureau of Immigration will deport US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Morente said he already asked Bureau Scott Pemberton, who was pardoned by of Corrections (BuCor) Director Gerald President Rodrigo Duterte after serv- Bantag to turn Pemberton over to the BI

and his immediate departure from the undesirable alien. country could be arranged and facilitated. The BI chief said that with the grant of Morente said the BI is duty bound and executive clemency to Pemberton there is mandated to implement a summary de- no more legal impediment to Pemberton’s portation order that the bureau’s board Next page

‘Rising Sun’ art sets off bashing

By Nickie Wang

FILIPINO netizens are “canceling” Korea, saying it has “a toxic digital culture” that floods the online world, all because of an innocent dance routine uploaded by a popular content creator on the video-sharing app Tiktok. Four days ago, Hawaii-based Filipino content creator Bella PoNext page

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Russia-PH virus vaccine pact eyed R

USSIA wants to partner with the Philippines in massproducing a potential COVID-19 vaccine, its envoy to Manila said Wednesday.

of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, doubted that a safe and effective vaccine against the respiratory illness could be ready for use within the year. “Based on what we know and the available data, the Philippines probably won’t have a vaccine available by December this year,” said Montoya, when asked about President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that a coronavirus vaccine could be made available by yearend. “What we see happening, if we’re talking about the Philippines, is that the earliest we can get a vaccine approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is the second quarter of next year,” he said. The Philippines currently has no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, Montoya said.

The Sputnik vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute in coordination with the Russian defense ministry, is “safe, well tolerated, and does not cause serious adverse events in healthy adult volunteers,” the Lancet report showed. “This publication itself is a testament to the safety of the vaccine... The Russian vaccine is 100 percent safe and effective,” Khovaev said. The vaccine, named after the world’s first satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, will still undergo largescale testing or Phase 3 clinical trial to assess its safety and efficacy. The Philippines and Russia have been negotiating on holding possible Phase 3 clinical trials of Sputnik V, which the Palace earlier said could start in October. Willie Casas with AFP

“We are ready to share our technology... We want to cultivate a long-term partnership, which will be beneficial for both countries,” Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev said in a virtual forum organized by the Philippine-Russian Business Assembly. “Our final aim is to produce the Russian vaccine here in the Philippines,” Khovaev added of the move, seen to further promote closer bilateral relations between the two countries. Russia’s coronavirus vaccine candidate, Sputnik V, had shown encouraging results in two small trials, according to data published in Britain’s prestigious

medical journal, The Lancet. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Tuesday it had “voluntarily paused” a randomized clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine in what it called a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness. The company, which is developing the drug alongside the University of Oxford, is a frontrunner in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine. Also, a public health expert said the Philippines may only get the COVID-19 vaccine by the second quarter of 2021. In an interview on dzMM Teleradyo, Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director

Cimatu... From A1

Solon reveals new PhilHealth COVID anomaly By Maricel V. Cruz

He told legislators late Tuesday that the use of crushed dolomite would not pose any hazards, and that dolomite had undergone a technical study negating the health risks on its use. “We are really very sure of the safety of the use of dolomite in that area,” Cimatu said during the budget briefing following the previous warnings from the Department of Health over dolomite’s possible health hazards. “Dolomite in its natural state is not a known health hazard,” Cimatu said. He said Manila Bay’s beautification project was the result of the mandamus issued by the Supreme Court for the government to clean up the area. He said there had been no complaints from several private establishments and resorts using dolomite. “The public beach using dolomite is in Dalaguete, Cebu, and for the last six years no issues or complaints had been raised there,” Cimatu said. “So I stand by this research coming from our Bureau of Mines and Geosciences. It is not listed by the Mines Safety and Health Association. “What is hazardous is the fine silica quartz in some dolomite in the form of dust that is generated during crushing and screening, not the calcium or magnesium [components].” Cimatu says the dolomite beach for the artificial rehabilitation of Manila Bay will be 100 meters wide and 60 meters deep once finished. He says the size of the dolomite sand, which has a striking white color being used for the beach nourishment project in Manila Bay, “is two to five millimeters or equivalent to 2,000 to 5,000 microns or 100 times bigger than dust, and therefore not suspended in air and cannot be inhaled.” Cimatu also said the P389 million in funds came from a specialpurpose fund under the P4.1-trillion 2019 General Appropriations Act for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay. He said the decision to use dolomite underwent a technical study by his department, adding the project was covered by a broader Manila Bay rehabilitation project that was begun with an extensive cleanup last year.

Senate... From A1 before facing the appropriations panel. The proposed budget is 27 percent higher than the Health department’s funds for this year. Senator Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, on Wednesday flagged P469 billion worth of re-appropriated and lump-sum projects un-

DOH... From A1 “Are there indications that the numbers will stop? We are not certain at this point. We’ll see. We’re still carefully studying the trends and other factors,” Vergeire said. “When we come to the point of having two incubation periods, like 28 days without any reported case, that’s when we can say we have been successful in all of these things we are doing for this response.” Meanwhile, Joint Task Force COVID Shield Commander Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday ordered a crackdown on the syndicates engaged in the falsification of medical certificates and other travel documents of locally stranded individuals. In coordination with the Philippine National Police under Chief General Camilo

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM SEPTEMBER 9)

245,143 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

3,176 55,614 NEW

ACTIVE

3,986

185,543

376

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

US-China feud set to dominate ASEAN summit HANOI—The United States-China rivalry is set to dominate discussions as the foreign ministers of 10 Southeast Asian countries begin an online summit Wednesday, with Washington’s top diplomat ready to take aim at Beijing’s “bullying” in the South China Sea. The summit comes just days after China launched ballistic missiles in the flashpoint waters as part of livefire exercises and as Washington and Beijing clash over a range of issues from trade to the coronavirus. Ministers will be joined by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for their first summit since the US announced sanctions on Chinese companies over Beijing’s construction of artificial islands in the disputed waters. The resource-rich South China Sea is claimed in its entirety by Beijing but is also contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. A fresh spat between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal— one of the region’s richest fishing grounds—also hangs over the talks. AFP

maker represents the party-list group Bagong Henerasyon said. “Once provided, a hospital or testing center then processes a reimbursement against that person’s PhilHealth account, and the money is pocketed by these unscrupulous individuals,” she continued. Herrera said no less than her brother, Quezon City Councilor Bernard Herrera, almost fell victim to the new scheme. She said the councilor received a text message from the billing department of the Pampanga hospital which processed his COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, asking for his PhilHealth account number. The councilor refused to give his account number, believing there was no need for the hospital to process the reimbursement since he personally paid for his swab test and that he did

not avail of PhilHealth’s testing benefit package at all. “This is one hospital, out of so many that are capable of doing this. The magnitude of this anomalous scheme is beyond comprehension. This is so systemic, so complicated, that it cannot have been done without complicit actions of people within PhilHealth,” Herrera pointed out. PhilHealth has set the rate of its COVID-19 testing package at P3,409 if all services for testing will be procured and provided by the testing laboratory, Herrera noted. This can be priced lower to P2,077 if the test kits that will be used are donated to the laboratory, and as low as P901 if the test kits are donated and the PCR (polymerase chair reaction) machine used for swab tests is in the budget of the testing facility. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

crushed dolomite being used as overlay to the existing black sand. Barzaga did not say when the hearings would be held, which would have to be scheduled by the House Committee on Rules, but already began defending the project. The lawmaker said that at a budget hearing Tuesday, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu was able to defend the project by presenting documents proving that it was aboveboard and had been a well thought-out part of the government’s rehabilitation plan for Manila Bay (see related story below -- Editors). However, Cebu province — the source of the synthetic white sand — had banned the extraction of dolomite from the hills of Alcoy town to prevent a repeat of the landslides in 2018 that killed 77 people, a provincial government official said Wednesday. Legal management consultant Marino Martinquilla told ABS-CBN News that Cebu officials did not give any permit and were not consulted on the dolomite mining in Alcoy, which was allowed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau under the Environment department. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who ordered a halt to the dolomite extraction on Tuesday, is hoping to avert a repeat of the landslide that claimed the

lives of limestone miners and residents in Naga, Cebu, Martinquilla noted. Garcia has also ordered a ground and aerial survey of Alcoy to determine the extent of mining in the town, he added. Barzaga said Cimatu told lawmakers during the budget hearing that the project had been conceptualized even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Bidding for the project was done in late 2019, he said, with the execution scheduled for January 2020. Barzaga said the biggest beneficiary for the project is the government through increased domestic and foreign tourism. “Projects like this are necessary investment in infrastructure since they will generate more income for the government, that will, in the final tally, be abl to give more benefits for the poor and those adversely affected by the pandemic,” Barzaga said However, Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera questioned the priorities of the government, saying: “Before we talk about the white sand, I would rather know their plans for the sewer and water treatment of Manila Bay. Having a mini Boracay is okay if it includes the water and sewage treatment, just like Boracay.” “The white sand should be secondary,” Herrera added. Earlier, the leftist Makabayan bloc denounced the project as “artificial rehabilitation” that focused on aesthetics rather than addressing the environmental degradation of Manila Bay.

They said the project might destroy not only the natural ecosystem in Manila Bay but also the source of the synthetic white sand, made from crushed dolomite. They also cited the possible health hazard posed by crushed dolomite. During the budget hearing Tuesday, Cimatu said the effort to rehabilitate Manila Bay was in response to the writ of mandamus issued by the Supreme Court to the government to clean up the body of water. The DENR is planning to cover 500 meters of the Baywalk on Roxas Boulevard with white sand under the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program. Meanwhile the Department of Health (DOH) said the crushed dolomite used in Manila Bay was too large to cause any health problems. In a statement, the department said dolomite, in its bulk state, is not a known health hazard. In its dust form, like any other dust particle, it can be an irritant that can lead to chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and coughing. “As stated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the dolomite material that is being used in Baywalk is 2-5 mm or 100 times bigger that dust, therefore does not get suspended in air. Moreover, occupational health and safety standards for workers, and precautionary measures for the containment of possible dust formation are being implemented,” the DOH said in a statement.

der the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways for 2021, which he said were unconstitutional. He said he observed a pattern wherein almost 3,000 items indicated in the 2020 General Appropriations Act were listed again with the same description under the National Expenditure Program for the next fiscal year. In the House, the committee on appropriations on Wednesday suspended the 2021

budget briefing of the Presidential Communications Operations Office over the red-tagging issue against some lawmakers. ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro moved to suspend the budget briefing of the PCOO after she took offense over the statement of Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, who is also the spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. No lawmakers objected to the motion.

The Senate began its budget briefings with the Development Budget Coordination Committee, the interagency body that determines the overall economic targets, expenditure levels and budget of the government. The DBCC is composed of the Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The government is considering closing all cemeteries on All Souls’ Day in a bid to prevent crowding as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Chief implementer of the country’s COVID-19 response Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday he would make this recommendation because uncontrolled crowding would be a big problem. Earlier, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced the closure of cemeteries in his city from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-araneta

“At any rate, we are awaiting instructions from Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra for guidance on how we will implement the deportation order,” he added. Lawyer Arvin Santos, BI Legal Division Chief, said aliens who are up for deportation are required to submit clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and

the regional trial court as proof that they have no more pending criminal or civil cases. Foreign Affairs Secretar y Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday said the Department of Foreign Affairs will be taking instr uctions from the Department of Justice on all matters pertinent to the release of Pemberton.

cial media platforms, including Twitter. But in the video, Poarch is seen sporting a tattoo with the rays of the Japanese “Rising Sun,” which drew backlash from Korean netizens, who were offended by the ink on her left arm. Most Koreans still resent Japan, which uses the rising sun image extensively in its art, for colonizing their country during World War II.

To defend Poarch, at least 200,000 Filipinos took to Twitter using the hashtag #CancelKorea after a netizen called Pinoys “short and uneducated” on Poarch’s video’s comment section. Filipino netizens also made some historical comments, noting the Philippines was the first Asian country to send combat troops to the Korean War that began on June 25, 1950.

A LAWMAKER has revealed a new anomaly with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), this time involving the reimbursement of COVID-19 swab tests already paid for personally by its members. In a privilege speech late Tuesday, Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera said a forensic audit would be needed to uncover the extent of a new modus operandi that potentially involves P29.77 billion that PhilHealth has earmarked for 10.12 million COVID-19 swab tests. “I have received numerous reports about this systematic anomaly whereby PhilHealth members who have not availed of the COVID-19 testing benefit package are asked to provide their PhilHealth identification number,” the law-

Bay project... From A1

Cascolan, Eleazar said, police commanders must ensure that the perpetrators would be arrested, charged and prevented from going back to their illegal activities. “While all arriving [stranded individuals] are being subjected to medical checks and quarantines as a matter of protocol by the receiving local government units, those who use fake medical clearance certificate and travel authority endanger the health and safety of other travelers they would be traveling with,” Eleazar said in a statement. Vergeire said as of Sept. 5, which is the latest available data, 84.9 percent of the 1,742 clusters of COVID-19 cases in the country were due to community transmission. Meanwhile, as of Sept. 6, at least 41 percent of the 167,000 beds in state-run quarantine facilities were occupied. Willie Casas

Gov’t... From A1 departure from the Philippines. Morente said it was standard operating procedure for BuCor to turn over to the BI alien convicts who have finished serving their prison sentences so they can be deported.

‘Rising Sun’... From A1 arch choreographed an 18-second dance routine to the tune of “The Banjo beat, Pt. 1” on Tiktok, where she has more than 16 million followers. A few hours later, the video gained traction and was shared on numerous so-

More virus... From A1 have the complete information, specifically addresses and contact details of patients,” she said. Because of this, starting Sept. 1, the DOH stopped accepting test results that did not include the complete address and phone number of the patient. She said this meant that there are confirmed cases per day that have not been reported yet officially, and will come out only this week. -- Willie Casas

3,176 new cases reported The Philippines reported 3,176 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 245,143 since the pandemic began, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday. The DOH also reported 70 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 3,986. There were 376 new recoveries, bringing the total number of patients who recovered from the disease to 185,543. -- Willie Casas

Cemeteries may be closed

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘SAP for displaced workers not enough’ By Maricel V. Cruz

NEW COMMANDER.

PPOSITION lawmakers on Wednesday expressed dismay over the Labor Department’s admission during budget deliberations that its funding for social amelioration programs, including the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers and COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program can only cover around 2 million beneficiaries.

Gen. Gilbert Gapay, AFP’s Chief of Staff, hands over Northern Luzon Command’s symbol to newly-installed commander, Maj. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B Burgos Jr., (left) who replaced retiring commander, Lt. Gen Ramiro Manuel A Rey, during a ceremony at Camp Aquino, Tarlac City, recently. Capt. Mel Hallar, (Res)PA-CSP, (not in photo) congratulated Maj Gen. Burgos “for his well-deserved designation and impending promotion to three-star.” He also expressed his gratitude for Burgos’s unwavering support to the men and women not only to the Reservist Unit but also to the communities and stakeholders which immensely contributed to the fulfillment of the unit’s goals of Peace, and as Servants of the People and Defenders of Southern Tagalog. Hallar said that Burgos’s exemplary and outstanding performance in the delivery of fair and honest information served as a bridge between the citizens and the AFP.

Hold 2021 bar exams in Mindanao, solon urges High Court By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo A SENIOR member of the House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to extend the conduct of the 2021 Bar examinations to Mindanao. “Since the SC has set the next exams for November next year, the court will have sufficient time to designate a city in Mindanao as an additional test venue,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said. He said the tribunal earlier announced that other than Metro Manila, where it has been administering the test for law graduates, the next exams would

IN BRIEF Ex-Speaker Fuentebella, 74, dies of heart failure FORMER Speaker Arnulfo “Noli” Fuentebella died of heart failure Wednesday morning. His passing was confirmed by his son, Camarines Sur Rep. Arnie Fuentebella in a post on his Facebook page. “With deep sorrow, we would like to inform our family and friends that former Speaker Arnulfo ‘Noli’ P. Fuentebella has passed away this morning, September 9, 2020,” the younger Fuentebella said. Arnie said his father died of heart failure after battling kidney disease for almost two years. Maricel V. Cruz

Gadon’s plea to nullify law renaming MIA to NAIA junked THE Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking to nullify Republic Act 6639 or the Act Renaming the Manila International Airport as Ninoy Aquino International Airport. SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka on Tuesday said the Court En Banc has resolved to junk the petition filed by lawyer Larry Gadon seeking to declare as null and void RA 6639 for lack of merit. “I was informed by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta that the Supreme Court during their en banc session yesterday, 08 September 2020, unanimously denied for lack of merit the petition for the declaration of nullity of Republic Act No. 6339 (An Act Renaming the Manila International Airport as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport ),” Hosaka said in a text message to reporters. In his petition, Gadon argued that the 33-year-old law was created only for the purpose of political name recall. Gadon even described the law as the shortest law in the country, with only 44 words including the title. Rey E. Requejo

be conducted for the first time outside the National Capital Region in Cebu City to lessen the cost for examinees. “For aspiring lawyers in Mindanao, taking the exams in Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, or General Santos City would mean lesser expenses compared to travelling and staying for at least a month for the pre-week bar review in Cebu City or in Manila,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said that assuming the vaccine is already available or the Covid-19 pandemic is already over by November next year, people would still be suffering from loss of jobs and income and from incurring higher amounts of personal and household

Marijuana shipment seized at NAIA-CMEC By Joel E. Zurbano CUSTOMS agents at Manila airport made a series of drug busts in two weeks that netted three smuggled shipments of liquid and high grade marijuana. The latest was the seizure of a parcel containing 533 grams of kush or highgrade marijuana worth P852,000 in Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City on Wednesday. Based on its import manifest, the parcel was declared as five pieces of clothes and was shipped from California, USA to a certain Aura Talob of Davao City. Field test conducted by the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency confirmed that the seized goods were kush marijuana. Last Saturday, Customs operatives intercepted another shipment of cannabis smuggled from Canada worth more than P800,000 and arrested its claimant identified as Kevin dela Cruz, while a shipment of 62 pieces of vape juice catridges, with liquid marijuana from Amsterdam, Netherlands, was seized on Sept. 1. The three seizures made by agents of the Customs - Ninoy Aquino International Airport brings to 97 the total number of drug busts at the airport since January 2018. Previous kush seizures of Customs NAIA this year happened on Jan. 20 when 112 grams was intercepted, June 22 (1,954 grams), and on July 15 (1,044 grams) all coming from the United States and were declared as “chocolates”, “green tea” and “streetwear,” respectively. These apprehensions and seizures are part of the continuing efforts of the bureau under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero to stop the illegal importation of drugs and other anti-social goods.

Gov’t to impose stricter traffic rules By Joel E. Zurbano THE government will impose stricter law enforcement against undisciplined and irresponsible motorists in a bid to reduce road accidents in the metropolis. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has teamed up with Police–Highway Patrol Group, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office, and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to strengthen traffic rules and regulations with emphasis on the common causes of accidents in the National Capital Region. These agencies agreed to enforce the following measure: (1) Intensify antidrunk driving and anti-distracted driving operations in Metro Manila; (2) Suspend/ revoke /cancel the driver’s license of driv-

expenses due to the health crisis. “So definitely, having the exams in more accessible and affordable places would benefit not only law graduates but their families as well,” he said. On Tuesday, the SC announced that it has set the schedule of the next bar examination on November 2021. The tribunal added that it will not conduct exams this year due to the pandemic. “By approval of the Court En Banc, the next Bar Examination will be held [in] November 2021,” stated the Bar Bulletin No. 13 signed by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the 2020 Bar Examination Committee Chairman.

Under the 2021 National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress, DOLE is allocated only 11.1 billion to continue its one-time cash assistance to displaced workers in the formal and informal sectors. “If we look at the displacement among our labor force which the Philippine Statistics Authority pegged at 4.6 million for July, the P11.1 billion will not be enough,” Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said, noting that the amount covers only around 2.15 million beneficiaries. During the budget hearing, Gaite said the Labor Department also admitted that they failed in assisting majority of workers during the first tranche of the social amelioration programs released at the onset of the lockdown. Gaite said that this should not happen again. “Our proposal is to double the budget for DOLE’s SAPs,” he said, adding that the P19.1 billion allocated to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) should augment the funding for DOLE’s SAP to benefit an additional 3.5 million workers. The Makabayan Bloc in the House where Gaite is a member, likewise welcomed the DOLE’s support to the Bayan Muna’s House Bill 7590 or the Unemployment Benefits Act of 2020 which proposes a P10,000 unemployment benefits to all involuntarily displaced workers. According to Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez, the department “supports any measure that would benefit the workers.” “Direct financial assistance would not only help the unemployed but would also pump prime the economy as it would directly increase consumer spending. We hope to work with DOLE and Secretary (Silvestre) Bello in working for more budget for these assistance programs,” Gaite said.

ers with multiple traffic violations, in accordance with the law; (3) File cases against violators of RA 10913 or AntiDistracted Driving Act; (4) Impose stiffer penalties to drivers involved in accidents with damage to government properties or at least filing of charges; (5) Set up strategic checkpoints during curfew hours, and (6) Conduct random breath analyzer tests on drivers. MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said they came up with the agreement to enforce those measures following Tuesday’s meeting at the MMDA’s main office in Makati City. He said they were alarmed by the rising number of vehicular accidents in the metropolis, particularly concrete-barrier related accidents along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).

NEW MEDICINE. MyMed Rx Plus Corporation President Jojo Soliman shows at his office in Manila Favipiravir, commercially known

as Avigan, which patent was exclusively franchised to Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical in China. MyMedRx Plus is the sole distributor of Favipiravir in the Philippines. Favipiravir will be used only in Chinese General Hospital as approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines through a Special Permit. The antiviral drug is used to treat influenza and is being studied to fight COVID19. Norman Cruz

Get traders behind mislabeling, DTI told SMC’s free toll IF THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) really intends to revive local businesses affected by the pandemic, a consumer group challenged the agency to go after erring traders who are passing off imported products as Philippine made. “Warning unscrupulous businessmen who are behind mislabeling activities is not enough,” Lokal Muna-Consumer Protection Watch, a group pushing for the welfare of consumers, local industries and Filipino workers, said in a statement. “Putting one or all of them behind bars for mislabeling will send a strong signal

that the DTI is indeed serious in its push to prioritize local products and help the economy recover from the effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” it added. The group pointed out that local industries don’t stand a chance if imported products being sold as local goods -- such as rice, chicken, cement and other construction materials -- continue to flood the market. The DTI earlier warned that erring businessmen who will capitalize on the government’s “buy local” campaign through mislabeling could face jail time and fines.

aids frontliners

SIX months since it was first implemented at the start of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in March, San Miguel Corporation’s free toll assistance to medical front liners has already reached P72.4 million and covered over 10,000 medical frontliners in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The program, which is in effect at the STAR tollway, South Luzon Expressway, Skyway system, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, regularly benefits medical frontliners— among them doctors, nurses, medical and laboratory technicians. The program will continue for those who availed of it until the pandemic passes. “It has been six months since we started the free toll program for medical front liners. Despite the worst and longest health and economic crisis we have experienced as a country, there is still much we have to be grateful for, thanks to the continued service, dedication, and sacrifices of our medical front liners,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang. “Through this program, and others we’ve implemented in the last six months, I hope we are able to show our continuing gratitude and support for the medical sector. NEW TESTING LAB. The COVID-19 testing lab which is expected to serve patients in Las We have covered almost all critical medical Piñas City has opened its doors and will start operations to help improve the country’s testing facilities. We will continue to provide them capacity and recovery rate for new coronavirus disease patients. A team of experts went to the free toll indefinitely at all our expressways, COVID testing facility of the Las Pinas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (LPGHSTC) to assess the facility and to conduct proficiency testing. Both the GeneXpert and RT- PCR and come up with other ways to extend assistance to our brave front liners nationmachine passed the assessment. The laboratory personnel also passed the proficiency exam and were found to be competent to handle the testing using the GeneXpert technology. Next wide,” Ang said. With most crucial medical frontliners week, the personnel will undergo proficiency exam in using real-time reverse transcription now covered by the privilege, SMC subsidpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing machine. Sen. Cynthia Villar, whose family donated the equipment to enable the hospital to operate its own COVID testing center, iary SMC Infrastructure has ended processing new applications for free toll for medical welcomed the development and expressed hope that similar facilities would be set up and front liners. accredited in other areas in the Philippines.

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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Taguig City presents ‘robonurses’

ISOLATION AREA. Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano and National Policy Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon (inset) lead the inspection of the city’s isolation area during the NTF CODE team visit at Lakeshore Mega Quarantine Facility, Lakeshore complex C6, Taguig City on Tuesday. The CODE team has been visiting local government units to monitor their coronavirus disease response. PNA/Avito C. Dalan

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Taguig City government on Wednesday presented its facility in Barangay Lower Bicutan where the socalled "Robonurses" or nurses made of robots would take care of people infected with coronavirus disease. The place, dubbed as the Lakeshore Hotel Mega Quarantine Facility, is a 500bed capacity structure equipped with individual sleeping quarters with partitions, bathing area, comfort room, living room, and a robotic medical staff to assist patients in their recovery process. Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano said the Robonurses developed by the Taguig Robotics Team will be integrated to minimize hazards for the city's hard-working health workers. “Amid the pandemic, Taguig has also shown that it is unafraid of technology. This time, to minimize the hazards for our health workers, we will be deploying our ‘Robonurses’,” said Cayetano. He added the medical staff would be overseeing the deployment of Robonurses as they cater to the needs of COVID-19 patients. On Wednesday, Cayetano met the members of the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (C.O.D.E.) Team headed by the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and talked about the city's COVID-19 response.

Lanao del Sur checks rebel regrouping MARAWI CITY—The provincial local government unit (LGU) of Lanao del Sur is promoting social cohesion by improving on two-way radio communication system in communities to forestall future regrouping of terrorists. Governor Mamintal Bombit Adiong Jr. said the provincial government was working on enhanced mode of “social cohesion, inclusion and peaceful community engagement” in a sustained partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Adiong said he believed the role of the local radio groups was vital in relaying relevant information to the public, especially in the grassroots level. Lanao del Sur,particularly Marawi City and Butig became convergence area for violent extremists who took the city under siege in seven months in 2017. Sultan Anshary Maongco of the Marawi Boundary Action and Radio Communication, said addressing multiple concerns involving “misinformation, disinformation, stigma and discrimination among communities affected by COVID-19,” was also associated to “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.” Licensing a two-way radio communication group is also a challenge, added Maongco. Nash B. Maulana

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Manila cemeteries closed during ‘undas’—Moreno By Willie Casas

ANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has ordered the closure of all public and private cemeteries in the city from Saturday, October 31, to Tuesday, November 3.

In a live briefing, Domagoso said he had signed Executive Order 38, ordering the temporary closure of the cemeteries over the ‘undas’ holidays to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Domagoso asked for understanding from the public, adding he issued the announcement early to give them time to visit their loved ones before the closure. The mayor said he made the early an-

nouncement to enable the surviving kin to visit the resting places of their departed loved ones during the next more or less two months the graveyards would be closed. Domagoso said the Manila North Cemetery, which contains 105,837 graves, has an estimated visitor count of 1.5 million while the Manila South Cemetery, which contains 39,228 graves, is estimated to have 800,000 visitors. In 2019, the visitors in the Manila North

Cemetery reached about half a million. However, Domagoso said that should all COVID-19 cases in the city recover by October 31 or should a vaccine arrive before the designated date, he would rescind the order. Domagoso apologized if in the process some relatives of the dead would be hurt by the closure particularly during All Saints Day and All Souls Day. He said residents of the national capital were under General Community Quarantine, which meant times there were when the residents would need to practice social or physical distance, be unruly in a thick line just to be ab le to visit the resting places of departed loved ones.

PACK FOR SCHOOL. Carmona

Mayor Roy M. Loyola helps pack about 20,000 self-learning packets containing educational materials to help students this school year 2020-2021 as part of the municipal government's Gamit Eskwela Project 2020 on Sept. 6. Students from Grade 1 to Senior High School in Carmona will be receiving the packets. Benjamin Chavez

‘QC doesn’t allow violence’ QUEZON City, the erstwhile national capital, does not tolerate “wanton violence” in its streets and will fight to protect the dignity of is people, Mayor Joy Belmonte said Wednesday. The city’s chief executive issued the statement, reacting to the nightly activity of Fr. Robert Reyes who has been lighting candles after evening Mass in San Isidro Labrador Parish in Quezon City. Belmonte said: “Quezon City shall not tolerate wanton violence in its streets. We shall fight to protect the lives and dignity of our people. “Quezon City shall and always remain a steadfast bastion of our freedoms, where the rights of its people are held paramount, and faithfully upheld.” Reyes started off with seven candles representing residents slain in vigilante-style murders, which have gripped the slums in Barangay Pinyahan since January, with the killings becoming more frequent and brazen during the pandemic, according to residents. The number has since increased to 10 with half of the murders taking place during a 4-week stretch. The priest is apparently worried there might be a possibility that people might get used to these extrajudicial killings, especially as communities grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. More than 5,500 people have been killed in anti-drug operations by law enforcers under President Rodrigo Duterte. Reyes acknowledged that some of the victims might have been linked to illegal drugs in the past. But they should have been accorded due process just the same, instead of a brutal "sentencing" In a span of 2 weeks in July, he presided over funeral Masses for Jeselyn Ordono, 39, Gilbert Paala, 46, and Jonathan Burce, 42, a former village councilman.

Las Piñas COVID testing lab in operation next week By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE COVID-19 testing lab, expected to serve patients in Las Pinas City, is now opening its doors and start operations next week to help improve the country’s testing capacity and recovery rate for the new coronavirus disease. Just like the other facilities applying

for accreditation, the Las Pinas facility needs to go through a multi-stage process of laboratory assessment. A team of experts went to the COVID testing facility of the Las Pinas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (LPGH-STC) to assess the facility and to conduct a proficiency testing.

Both the GeneXpert and RT- PCR machine passed the assessment. The laboratory personnel also passed the proficiency exam and were found to be competent to handle the testing using the GeneXpert technology. Next week, the personnel will undergo proficiency exam in using the realtime reverse transcription polymerase

chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing machine. Sen. Cynthia Villar, whose family donated equipment to capacitate the hospital to operate its own COVID testing center, welcomed the development and expressed hope that similar facilities would be set up and accredited in other areas in the Philippines.

IN BRIEF Maynilad spends P350-m for 2 Cavite plants WEST Maynilad Water Services Inc. is spending P350 million for the installation of two modular treatment plants in Cavite to produce an additional 13 million liters per day (MLD) of potable water —enough to supply the needs of 50,000 customers in the area. In a statement, the water firm said the MTPs would use ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technology to treat raw water drawn from rivers in Imus, Cavite. The installation of the MTPs, along with the laying of a discharge pipeline to connect the facility to Maynilad’s existing pipe network in the area, is targeted for completion by February 2021. Maynilad aims to install two more MTPs by the last quarter of 2021—one in Bacoor, another in Las Piñas City. “This will yield yet another 13-MLD of potable water, for distribution to the southern portion of Maynilad’s concession area,” the company said. Rio N. Araja

Orani TODA leaders get relief goods

ORANI, Bataan—Vice Governor Cris Garcia led the distribution of relief goods from the Bataan provincial government to 39 Tricycle Operators and Driver's Association (TODA) leaders in this town to help them during the pandemic. The relief goods included rice, assorted canned goods, and coffee. Dinalupihan Mayor Gila Garcia joined in distributing food aid to Orani tricycle drivers last week. Gov. Abet Garcia had attended other activity. Mayor Garcia is the president of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines Bataan Chapter. The two officials also urged tricycle leaders to always follow road regulations to avoid accidents, and to continue following the protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province. Other TODA leaders in other towns of the province will also be given relief goods. Butch Gunio

NOLCOM TURNOVER.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Gilbert Gapay (center) presides over the Northern Luzon Command Change of Command between incoming commander Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. (right) and outgoing commander Lieutenant General Ramiro Manuel Rey (left) on Monday. Jess Malabanan

Opinion A tale of two presidents P

Both, too, have had unfulfilled promises. Mr. Trump said he would build a great border wall and make Mexico pay for it. Near the end of his four-year term, his administration has built only five miles of wall where no barriers previously existed. The rest—about 300 miles—were replacement or secondary to existing wall, and Mexico did not pay for any of it. Both presidents also have spoken in glowing terms about dictators—Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both of whom have maneuvered their way into becoming presidents for life in their respective countries. To nobody’s surprise, both presidents have had good things to say about each other. In February, before the Trump administration had botched the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Duterte said his US counterpart was “a good president and deserved to be re-elected” this November. Trump, on the other hand, has been known to tout his “very

good” relationship with Mr. Duterte— who before he was elected described Trump as a bigot.

It is what it is. There are other similarities, of course. While both presidents claim to have a huge following, neither can honestly claim to be majority leaders. Mr. Duterte won the presidency in 2016 with 39 percent of the vote, a plurality, not a majority, while Mr. Trump actually lost the popular election by 3 million votes but still won by virtue of the mysterious American institution called the Electoral College. Now another similarity has emerged. Both presidents, it appears, are not shy about using their absolute power of executive clemency. Mr. Trump has used that power to commute the sentence of his friend Roger Stone, who

was convicted of seven felony crimes, including threatening a witness. In fact, Mr. Trump has granted executive clemency to 25 people charged or convicted of federal crimes, most of them well-connected people. Taking a page from Trump, Mr. Duterte has now pardoned an American soldier, Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was found guilty of killing a 26-year-old Filipino transgender woman, Jennifer Laude, whose body was found naked in a motel room, with her head inside a toilet bowl. In pardoning Pemberton, Mr. Duterte short circuited the legal process by which his early release for good behavior was being challenged by the Laude family, and even his own Justice department. Justifying his decision, Duterte said only that Pemberton had not been treated fairly, and that he had no power over where he was detained—in an air conditioned detention facility in Camp Aquinaldo, instead of a regular jail. He does not address the issue of fairness on the other side, however. Are the five years Pemberton served in his air conditioned cell enough to fulfill the demands of justice of the Laude family and the Filipino people? Although he has not uttered the words made famous by Mr. Trump who used them to describe the deaths of more than 150,000 Americans due to COVID-19, we can almost imagine Mr. Duterte shrugging his shoulders at the anger and hurt of the Laude family and saying: “It is what it is.”

The white beach of Manila THE Duterte administration should be commended for its effort to clean up Manila Bay. Since the Department of Environment and Natural Resources started the process in early 2019, much has been accomplished. Together with the help of other agencies and local government units, the bay is much cleaner now. The smell of sewer is gone, allowing the people promenading along the baywalk to enjoy their strolls. There are even people fishing and the coliform levels have continued to go down considerably, although the waters are still not safe for swimming. The City of Manila is doing its part with a team cleaning the bay of solid wastes every day. Manila is also redeveloping Manila Zoo with its own sewer treatment system so that no polluted water will discharge into the bay. As if to declare victory, the DENR is now developing a beach with white sands along Roxas Boulevard. This project, I must say, is a gesture of confidence on the part of the government that the Bay will stay clean or be made much cleaner to allow safe swimming. For people to be able to swim safely, however, coliform level must be around 250mpn/100ml. Right now, it is nowhere near that number. The project therefore is perhaps a bridge too far. DENR should wait longer until the desired water quality has been attained. Not to be a kill joy, but I am saying that more work, more money and longer time are needed to clean the bay to the level that swimming by the public would be safe. If we look at the way other countries cleaned their waterways, it took them a much longer period and a lot more money before the clean-up were completed. Tokyo Bay, for instance, took a long time before it became the way it

DUTY CALLS

FLORENCIO FIANZA is now. If we watch the updates of the many vloggers on YouTube who regularly report on the Pasig River and esteros, we could see that there are still a lot of solid waste being thrown into the Pasig River which discharges into the bay. There are also about 11 other rivers discharging polluted water into the bay from four other provinces located around it. This is the reason why there is still a considerable amount of garbage being collected every day, especially when it rains.

I hope that the project will eventually turn out to be good for the image of the country. Along the Pasig River alone, there are many tributaries occupied by thousands of informal settlers discharging sewer and garbage into it every day. This must be stopped permanently if there is even a small chance of being able to keep the bay clean. The government cannot obviously be cleaning the bay area fronting Roxas Boulevard, while other rivers and esteros discharge sewer and solid wastes into the bay every day. At a certain point in time, we Filipinos must learn how to dispose our trash properly by not throwing waste into our rivers. I do not know the ex-

act percentage of the National Capital Region with a sewer system but it cannot be more than 15 percent, which is very low given that the NCR has a population of about 13 million people. We can only imagine the amount of garbage that is not collected properly and that ends up in our rivers and, ultimately, in Manila Bay. One official from the DENR said that with the beach, maybe people will be encouraged to keep the bay clean by not throwing garbage anywhere that will eventually end up polluting it. He has a point. He should have also pointed out the beautiful sunset of Manila Bay reputed to be the best in the world that we can all be proud of and prouder still if the bay can be kept clean permanently. In spite of my serious misgivings, the project deserves a chance to be tried. The critics should hold their punches until the project is completed and then see what happens. There may be issues but the public should concentrate more on the positive things that were accomplished since the clean-up was started instead of the negatives. After all, this project was undertaken partly because of a Supreme Court order. The objectives were good. As to the medical concerns regarding dolomite, I am sure that the government agency that will eventually manage the beach will have proper protocols. I hope, however, that the DENR took everything into consideration including the fact that during typhoons, storm surges along Roxas Boulevard reaches the road. This has the potential to wipe out the beach that is being developed. The beach may not end up rivaling Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio de Janeiro, but let us hope that the project will eventually turn out to be good for the image of the country.

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Better to resign

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Slicin’ sand

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Retired generals are not superior to civilians

EDITORIAL

RESIDENT Duterte has often been compared to US President Donald Trump. Both began their ascent to power as provocative political outsiders who tapped into the aspirations of a class of voters that felt alienated by traditional politicians. Each played to his own base, often by pandering to their basest tendencies. Mr. Duterte appealed to the common tao by shocking us with his profanity, threats of violence and sexist remarks; Mr. Trump stoked the flames of racial divisions in his own country, once describing people who marched in a Ku Klux Klan parade as “good people.” He too, like Duterte, would betray a sexist attitude that demeaned women, particularly those who opposed him.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BUSINESS CLASS

RUDY ROMERO MOST presidents of the Philippines have appointed high-ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to important positions in civilian government offices upon the officers’ retirement. The appointments were made on an occasional and non-regular basis. But President Ferdinand Marcos gave, and President Rodrigo Duterte has been giving, appointments to retired high-ranking military officers to civilian positions on a basis so regular as to partake of official policy.

President Duterte should discontinue this appointment philosophy. President Marcos’ stuffing of the government with retired military officers— generals, admirals and colonels—was to be expected. Being a chief executive ruling by martial law, Marcos needed the support and loyalty of the men who had just ceased to command troops. He wanted the former commanders to be busy so they would not be involved in plots against his authoritarian regime. Mr. Marcos wanted the former generals, admirals and colonels to be where he could watch them. President Duterte's rationale for appointing military brass to important civilian positions immediately upon their retirement is made up of two parts. One part has been publicly indicated by Mr. Duterte: He likes just-retired military officers because they are disciplined and because they are not corrupt. The second part of the rationale can only be

surmised. The general idea is that Mr. Duterte, like Mr. Marcos, wants to keep the retired military officers busy so that they will not think of plotting against him. The nation's 16th President is well aware of the numerous enemies that he has created with his unorthodox, toughguy policies. The principal arguments in favor of extending the government service of retiring high-ranking military officers are that these men—and women—are well trained and disciplined, and that at age 56, the retiring graduates of the Philippine Military Academy still have close to ten years of experience and skill to contribute to public service. One of the two principal arguments against retaining retiring military officers in the government is that their appointment to civilian positions in the government deprives other qualified and experienced men and women of the opportunity to move upward in the civil service. The other principal argument has been brought to the fore once more in the controversy involving former general Ricardo Morales, who recently was pressured to resign as president of PhilHealth. Mr Morales is the latest addition to a lengthening list of former high-ranking military officers who were given important positions by President Duterte upon their retirement. Like the Chief Executive's other ex-soldier appointees, Mr. Morales will probably be charged with gross mismanagement, incompetence, and possibly corruption. The other failed Duterte appointees held leadership positions at such sensitive agencies as the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Immigration. Mr. Morales' ouster from his PhilHealth presidency should be the final nail in the coffin of the retired-generals-are-superior philosophy. Mr. Duterte should discontinue his policy of engaging retired military officers. They are not better than their civilian peers.

A sensible view OVERSIGHT

DANILO SUAREZ THE Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) recently earned the ire of many legislators and even the public for its intent to put Netflix, a popular online streaming service, under their regulatory and censorship jurisdiction. For the MTRCB, the regulation means public empowerment. For the many who have spoken, it’s unnecessary. Since the advent of the internet, information sharing across the world has become easier. It is instant. This not only involves news and general information, but also communication and entertainment. Facebook, probably the biggest social media platform today, has been one of the primary means of communication and entertainment of millions of Filipinos for more than a decade now. Meanwhile, YouTube has been a universal source of videos online. Netflix, on the other hand, is a relatively new service. It was launched in the Philippines in 2016. Since then, it has become the go-to online movie streaming platform for many, especially in this pandemic. These innovations have posed many challenges that compelled changes in the social and legal facets of our daily lives. However, these changes are admittedly hard to heed, considering that our existing laws came before the birth of the internet. The difficulty perhaps lies in the vastness, complexity, and expedience of technology. Today, you can search and view anything you like on the internet, as long as you have the device, code, or subscription. Despite this, let us not be hypocrites. Before considering regulation over legitimate movie streaming services, let us first take note of the rising incidence of online pornography and online sexual exploitation in the country during this

pandemic. While on Enhanced Community Quarantine in May, the Department of Justice noted that online sexual exploitation of children increased by 264 percent during the period of community quarantine. Moreover, there were reports on the increasing number of students engaging in illicit sexual activities online in exchange for gadgets to be used for distance learning.

So what is the purpose of the proposed regulation? While the MTRCB calls for the specific regulation of Netflix, the issues above remain unresolved. Should regulation and censorship be a top priority, it is rather odd that YouTube and pornographic sites are still running free from such government control. The leniency over these sites contradicts the demand for censorship over Netflix. So, what’s the purpose of this sought-after regulation? YouTube has self-regulatory mechanisms which allow it to delete and block inappropriate content. It can be assumed that the same goes with Netflix. The movies and television programs available and accessible via their app are commonly those in the mainstream in various countries. Hence, while there seems to be a lack of government regulation in the app, its contents may have been guaranteed to have undergone some form of screening process. Apart from this, I believe that the responsibility is also in the hands of the parents or guardians, in the case of minors. During this time of the pandemic, parents should be able to keep an eye on the online activities of children and supervise their streaming activities. While the internet serves as a very useful tool during this crisis, let us be more mindful and responsible regarding its use.

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Standard

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FIRST JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 38 Lingayen, Pangasinan

TODAY

HEIRS of MODESTO FERRER and GLORIA FERRER represented by MARYLOU F. MACARAEG, EMMA A. FERNANDEZ -GALIAN MEDIATRIX A. FERRER and MARILYN FERRER, Plaintiffs, -versusSPS. BERNARD BALDOZ, ET. AL.,

and

LEOPOLDO BERSAMINA, JIMMY ARIG, GERARDO RITUMALTA, JEPHUNNE RITUMAL TA, LORETO REQUIZO, ELGENE CABUNGASON, CHRISTIAN CAMAZO, ELMER CABUNGASON, JUAN TURAY, JR., LILIA ALCAZAR, NORCHE VELASCO, VIRGINIA FABRO, ARLAN R-EQUIZO, ROLANDO MARAYAG, ALEX MARAYAG, MANUEL MARAYAG, TERESITA PATACSIL, ARNOLD PATACSIL, RAYMOND PATACSIL, and SATURNINA BELTRAN

CIVIL CASE NO. 19709 FOR: REGISTRY of POSSESSION of REAL PROPERTY and DAMAGES

CRISANTA

Defendants. x-------------------------------------------------x TO: Lilian Pablito Romeo Sotto Mary Jane Naten Myrna Bautista Saturnina Beltran Loreto Requizo

Brgy. Paitan East Sual, Pangasinan -do-do-do-do-

GREETINGS: You are hereby required within sixty (60) days after service of this summons upon you, to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiff your answer to the Amended Complaint, copy of which is attached. You are reminded of the provision in the IBP-OCA Memorandum on the Policy Guidelines dated March 12, 2002 to observe restraint in filing a Motion to dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the answer. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the Amended Complaint.

are all of legal age and presently residing at Brgy. Paitan ‘East, Sual, Pangasinan where they may be served with summons and other process of the Honorable Court. 2.

That the plaintiffs are the heirs of the late Spouses Modesto Ferrer who died intestate on September 12, 1972 at Lingayen, Pangasinan and Gloria Ferrer who also died intestate on September 21 , 1998 at Manila, Philippines.

That the late Spouses Modesto Ferrer and Gloria Ferrer were the owners of contiguous parcels of land situated in Paitan East, Sual, Pangasinan, declared in their names under Tax Declaration, Nos. 40-0012-00429 (for Gloria Ferrer) and 40-00,12-00430 and 49-001-00045 (for Modesto Ferrer). Copies of the said tax declarations are attached hereto as Annexes “B”, “C” and’ “D” and made integral parts of this Complaint;

That after the deaths of the said Iate Spouses Modesto Ferrer and Gloria Ferrer, their heirs - herein plaintiffs, succeeded in the ownership of the said properties, paying taxes thereon and, only occasionally visiting the same due to its distance from their residences;

That the defendants helve, for several years, been illegally residing in the subject properties now owned by the plaintiffs.

That some of the defendants have at one time or another offered to buy portions of the subject propeerties from the plaintiffs while other wanted to lease other portions.

Worse, some of the defendants, have even encouraged strangers to squat and Illegally build residences in the subject properties, to the great prejudice of the piaintiffs;

That some of the defendants have blatantly attempted to usurp portions of the properties by obtaining tax declarations under their names on other portions, prompting the plaintiffs to undertake efforts to cancel the illegally-issued tax declarations;

That in the year 2016, the plaintiffs already intended to develop the properties and demanded that the defendants vacate the same;

WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court this 5th day of February, 2020. ATTY. JOBERT O. RILLERA Branch Clerk of Court REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FIRST JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 38 Lingayen, Pangasinan HEIRS OF MODESTO FERRER and GLORIA FERRER, ET. AL., Plaintiffs,

CIVIL CASE NO. 19709

-versusSPS. BERNARD BALDOZ, ET. AL.,

and

CRISANTA

Defendants. x-------------------------------------------------x ORDER Acting on the “Motion to effect Service of Summons by Publication” filed by the plaintiffs through counsel, and finding the motion to be impressed with merit, the same is hereby GRANTED. Let summons be served on defendants, Lilian Pablito, Romeo Satta, Mary Jane Naten, Myrna Bautista, Saturnina Beltran and Loreto Requizo by publication in a newspaper of general circulation. Defendants Lilian Pablito, Romeo Sotto, Mary Jane Naten, Myrna Bautista, Saturnina Beltran and Loreto Requizo are given sixty (60) days from notice or from the last date of publication within which to file their Answer to the Complaint. Furthermore, let a copy of the summons and this Order be sent by registered mail to the last known address of the defendants Lilian Pablito, Romeo Sotto, Mary Jane Naten, Myrna Bautista, Saturnina Beltran and Loreto Requizo at the expense of the plaintiffs.

10. That the defendants have resisted the plaintiffs’ and their lawyer’s oral and written demands to vacate the properties and interposed the claim that the portions they have occupied do not belong to the plaintiffs; 11. That the plaintiffs’ recourse is based on accion publiciana or the plenary action for the recovery of the right of possession owing to the fact that the period of dispossession has lasted for more than one (1) year and the demand to vacate was made last 2016; 12. That at present, the defendants have not only become emboldened in usurping plaintiffs’ rights over the subject properties, they have also started developing other portions therein, to the plaintiffs’ prejudice; 13. That in the acts of the defendants also violate the provisions of the Civil Code of the Philippines on Human Relations which state: “Art. 19. Every person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith.”

SO ORDERED. Lingayen, Pangasinan, December 19, 2019.

14. That as a result of the unjust refusal of defendants to peacefully vacate the property or desist from Insisting on their groundless claims thereto, the latter suffered actual damages amounting to P200,000.00; TEODORO C. FERNANDEZ Presiding Judge

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FIRST JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH _____ Lingayen, Pangasinan HEIRS of MODESTO FERRER and GLORIA FERRER represented by MARYLOU F. MACARAEG, EMMA A. FERNANDEZ -GALIAN MEDIATRIX A. FERRER and MARILYN FERRER, Plaintiffs,

CIVIL CASE NO. 19709 For: RECOVERY OF POSSESSION OF REAL PROPERTY and DAMAGES

-versusSPOUSES BERNARD AND CRISANTA BALDOZ, ANTONIO AND PRESCILA CABUNGASON, RODERICK AND MARISSA PANER, CRISTOBAL CABUNGASON, CHRISTIAN CABUNGASON, CRISANTO CABUNGASON, JUANITO PANER, ROBERT PANER, · JOSEPH AUSTRIA, ELIJAH LOCTONAGAN, ROLANDO AUSTRIA, RAQUEL VELASCO, NARCISA RADAM, ARCELI PANER, ARSENIO MORENO, LILIAN PABLlTO, ROMEO SOTTO, JOEL ALCAZAR, JEFFTY ALCAZAR, RUBEN ALCAZAR, JOVY ALCAZAR, ROBEL YN DELOS SANTOS, ROSITA DELOS SANTOS, ELENA ALCAZAR, LORNA MILLAMINA, RICO MILLAMINA, RENATO MILLAMINA, MERCEDES MAGTIBAY, VENANCIA VIDAL, DANILO VIDAL, ALBERTO VIDAL, ORLANDO VIDAL, FEL Y MACA ROY, NAOMI CAYETANO, GLORIA CUENCA, NORA BERSAMINA, MARY JEAN NATEN, SAMUEL RABOT, MYRNA BAUTISTA, JOVY BAUTISTA, PERLA BAUTISTA, ALICIA GARCIA, KRISTINE RAPINAN, GERALD GARCIA, ALICIA GARCIA, FERDINAND BABERA, , EDITHA GONZALES, MARIO BERSAMINA, ABUNDIO CAMBA, MICHAEL BERSAMINA, MAIGEL YN BERSAMINA, VIOLETA BERSAMINA, ROSITA BERSAMINA, WILDIE DE JUAN, LEO POLDO BERSAMINA, JIMMY ARIG, GERARDO RITUMAL TA, JEPHUNNE RITUMAL TA, LORETO REQUIZO, ELGENE CABUNGASON, CHRISTIAN CAMAZO, ELMER CABUNGASON, JUAN TURAY, JR., LILIA ALCAZAR, NORCHE VELASCO, VIRGINIA FABRO, ARLAN REQUIZO, ROLANDO MARAYAG, ALEX MARAYAG, MANUEL MARAYAG, TERESITA PATACSIL, ARNOLD PATACSIL, RAYMOND PATACSIL AND SATURNINA BELTRAN Defendants. x-------------------------------------------------x COMPLAINT PLAINTIFFS, through counsel, unto the Honorable Court, most respectfully aver: 1.

That plaintiffs Mary Lou F. Macaraeg, a resident of #1450 Sto. Sepulcro, Paco, Manila and Marilyn A. Ferrer, a resident of #35 de Asis St., Vista Verde Executive Village, Cainta , Rizal, and Mediatrix A. Ferrer, a resident of #4 McArthur Ave., Cranford, New Jersey, U.S.A., are widows while plaintiff Emma F. Galian, a resident of # 53 Dr. B. Castaneda St., Brgy. Pleasanrt Hills, Mandaluyong City, Rizal is married, and all are of legal age. Plaintiff Hills, Mandaluyong City, Rizal is married, and all are of legal age. Plaintiff Mediatrix A. Ferrer is represented in this suit by her co-plaintiffs Mary Lou F. Hills, Mandaluyong City, Rizal is married, and all are of legal age. Plaintiff Mediatrix A. Ferrer is represented in this suit by her co-plaintiffs Mary Lou F. SPOUSES BERNARD AND CRISANTA BALDOZ, SPS. ANTONIO AND PRESCILA CABUNGASON, RODERICK AND MARISSA PANER, CRISTOBAL CABUNGASON, CHRISTIAN CABUNGASON, CRISANTO CABUNGASON, JUANITO PANER, ROBERT PANER, JOSEPH AUSTRIA, ELIJAH LOCTONAGAN, ROLANDO AUSTRIA, RAQUEL VELASCO, NARCISA RADAM, ARCELI PANER, ARSENIO MORENO, LILIAN PABLITO, ROMEO SOTTO, JOEL ALCAZAR, JEFFTY ALCAZAR, RUBEN ALCAZAR, JOVY ALCAZAR, ROBELYN DELOS SANTOS, ROSITA DELOS SANTOS, ELENA ALCAZAR, LORNA MILLAMINA, RICO MILLAMINA, RENATO MILLAMINA, MERCEDES MAGTIBAY, VENANCIA VIDAL, DANILO VIDAL , ALBERTO VIDAL, ORLANDO VIDAL, FELY MACAROY, NAOMI CAYETANO, GLORIA CUENCA, NORA BERSAMINA, MARY JEAN NATEN, SAMUEL RABOT, MYRNA BAUTISTA, JOVY BAUTIST A, PERLA BAUTISTA, ALICIA GARCIA, KRISTINE RAPINAN, GERALD GARCIA, ALICIA GARCIA, FERDINAND BABERA, EDITHA GONZALES, MARIO BERSAMINA, ABUNDIO CAMBA, MICHAEL BERSAMINA, MAIGEL YN BERSAMINA, VIOLETA BERSAMINA, ROSITA BERSAMINA, WILDIE DE JUAN,

15. That because of the attendant bad faith on the part of the defendants, exemplary damages in the amount of P150,000 are also prayed for, in order to serve as a warning for others who may want to profit by the said defendants’ example;

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

World

Big blaze guts Greece’s main migrant camp THENS―Greece’s largest migrant camp on the island of Lesbos was gutted by a huge fire early Wednesday, leaving over 12,000 fleeing asylum seekers homeless, with reports that the blaze was started by migrants revolting against coronavirus isolation rules.

Firemen said the notorious Moria camp had been mostly destroyed but there were no known casualties so far, though a number of people were suffering minor respiratory problems from exposure to smoke. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said an emergency would be declared across the entire island and reports of arson were under investigation. He warned that authorities faced a “titanic” effort to shelter asylum seekers rendered homeless by the blaze, as well as track down and isolate dozens of confirmed coronavirus infections among them. “There are 35 positive cases and they need to be isolated... to prevent an outbreak among the local population,” Petsas told state TV ERT. Hundreds of asylum seekers attempted to flee on foot towards

the port town of Mytilene but were blocked by police vehicles, while others had taken shelter in the hills surrounding the camps. Refugee support group Stand by Me Lesvos said on Twitter it had received reports that Greek locals on the island had blocked fleeing asylum seekers from heading into a nearby village. “The whole camp is on fire. Everything is burning. People are escaping. Their homes in Moria are gone,” the organisation said. Administration offices, a clinic inside the camp and thousands of tents and were damaged by the fire, according to local news site Lesvospost. Greek news agency ANA said the fires had started after a revolt by asylum seekers who were to be placed in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus or coming into close contact with an infected patient. AFP

16. That in order to protect their rights, the plaintiffs were constrained to engage the services of the undersigned counsels for P80,000.00 as attorney’s fees plus P2,500.00 per hearirg as appearance fees, and will also incur P150,000.00 as litigation expenses. PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of the Honorable Court that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered in favor of the plaintiff, ordering the defendants to vacate the subject properties, and to convey full possession of the same over to the plaintiffs, and ordering the defendants to solidarily pay: a) b) c) d) e)

P200,000.00 as actual damages; P150,000.00 as exemplary damages; P80,000.00 as attorney’s fees plus P2,500.00 for every hearing as appearance fees; P130,000.00 as litigation expenses, and the costs of the suit.

Other relief just and equitable are also prayed for. Lingayen, Pangasinan this 6th day of August, 2018.

ATTY. PATRICK J.C. PEREZ (Counsel for the Plaintiffs) Roll No. 38189 IBP Lifetime Member No. 05458 MCLE Compliance No. V-0007181 PTR NO. 2415488 101 Castillo St., Lingayen, Pangasinan VERIFICATION & CERTIFICATION WE, Mary Lou F. Macaraeg, a resident of #1450 Sto. Sepulcro, Paco, Manila, Marilyn A. Ferrer, a resident of #35 De Asis St., Vista Verde Executive Village, Cainta , Rizal, and Mediatrix A. Ferrer, a resident of #4 McArthur Ave., Cranford, New Jersey, U.S.A. , widows, and Emma F. Galian, a resident of # 53 Dr. B. Castaneda St., Brgy. Pleasanrt Hills, Mandaluyong City, Rizal, married, all of legal age, with Mediatrix A. Ferrer being duly represented by Mary Lou F. Macaraeg and Emma F. Galian, after being sworn in accordance with law, do hereby depose and state: That we are the plaintiffs in this case, that we have caused the preparation of the foregoing Complaint, that we have read the same and that the contents hereof are true and correct of our own personal knowledge and information. We also certify that there is no pending suit or proceeding involving the same subject matter in the above-stated case before the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court, or any other court, agency or tribunal and that we undertake to inform the Honorable Court of any similar action or proceeding pending before any court, agency or tribunal within 5 days from the time we learn of such pending action or proceeding. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we hereby set our hands thi 31st day of August, 2018 at Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Mary Lou F. Macaraeg Plaintiff Emma F. Galian Plaintiff Mary Lou F. Macaraeg for Mediatrix A. Ferrer Plaintiff Marilyn a. Ferrer Plaintiff SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 31st day of August at Lingayen, Pangasinan.

OPEN AGAIN. A man stands on the Supertree Grove skyway at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore on Wednesday, after the popular tourist attraction was reopened to the public on Monday following closures due to restrictions to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. AFP

Trump heralds US pullout from Iraq, Afghanistan WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump will announce further troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan in the next few days, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The official told reporters traveling with the president to expect an announcement Wednesday on Iraq, and on Afghanistan in the coming days. During a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa alKadhemi in August, Trump said American troops would leave Iraq but gave no timetable. The talks between the pair came with attacks on American targets by pro-Iranian fighters on the rise and the Iraqi government facing calls to expel the roughly 5,000 US troops deployed in the country as part of anti-jihadist efforts. The US military withdrew from Iraq in late 2011, leaving a small mission attached to the US embassy. But additional American forces were deployed a few years later to support Iraqi forces in their war against Islamic State, which carried out a devastating offensive in the summer of 2014. In Afghanistan the US currently has 8,600 soldiers in accordance with a bilateral agreement signed in February between Washington and the Taliban. The Pentagon said in August that its goal was to get down to fewer than 5,000 troops as interAfghan peace talks progress. Trump previously mentioned in an interview with Axios that the White House aimed to reach 4,000 to 5,000 troops in Afghanistan by the November presidential election. Under the US-Taliban deal, all foreign troops must leave the country by the spring of 2021, in exchange for security commitments from the militants. AFP

IN BRIEF Afghanistan VP hurt in deadly Kabul blast KABUL—Afghanistan’s vice president Amrullah Saleh sustained minor injuries Wednesday when his convoy was targeted in Kabul in an explosion that killed at least six people and wounded a dozen more, officials said. In a video posted on Facebook soon after the explosion, Saleh, with bandages on his left hand, said he had been travelling to his office when his convoy was attacked. “I am fine but some of my guards have been wounded. My son, who was in the car with me, and I are both fine,” Saleh said. “I have some burns on my face and hand. The blast was strong.” AFP

UK admits to breaking EU treaty via new law LONDON―Britain will on Wednesday unveil legislation that it admits breaks international law by rewriting parts of its Brexit divorce treaty relating to Northern Ireland, sparking widespread criticism and clouding the latest round of fraught EU trade talks. After leaving the European Union earlier this year following a bitterly divisive referendum, Britain is racing to agree a trade deal with Brussels as the clock ticks down to a crunch EU summit in mid-October. An eighth round of talks began in London on Tuesday. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, whose country is the EU nation most affected by Brexit, warned that reneging on last year’s divorce pact “could seriously erode and damage political trust”.M AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business Apple set to launch 1st 5G iPhone on Sept. 15 SAN FRANCISCO—Apple on Tuesday fired off invitations to a September 15 online event expected to star the first iPhone tailored for super-fast 5G telecom networks. The typically tight-lipped technology titan revealed only that the presentation would be streamed starting at 1700 GMT from its headquarters in Silicon Valley. Copies of the emailed invitation spread quickly on social media, featuring a video-snippet version of the Apple logo in blue that unraveled into the event date. The invitation was also posted at the Apple website, where the event will be streamed. Apple has routinely held events this time of year to unveil new iPhones, and expectations are that this time around the spotlight will shine on a 5G model, with other new handsets possible as well. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said in a note to investors that a check of Apple’s supply chain in Asian strengthened his confidence in an iPhone 12 “supercycle” kicked off by the release of several new models in October. Ives saw the China market as a “key ingredient in Apple’s recipe for success,” expecting it to account for about 20 percent of iPhone upgrades in the coming year. 5G networks are touted as promising an exponential leap in the amount and speed of wireless data, enabling advances in self-driving vehicles, virtual reality, connected health and more as sensors and servers communicate instantly. Technology analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group cautioned that Apple might not have the chip technology in place for a 5G iPhone despite wanting one on the market. Apple last year made a $1-billion deal to acquire the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business, a move giving the iPhone maker more control over its supply chain. The deal came after Intel announced it was abandoning efforts to compete with modem chips for smartphones synched to 5G networks. Apple has been investing in its own mobile chips to ramp up performance and features in its devices and reduce its dependence on sector leader Qualcomm. “If you have a premium phone, I don’t see how you do it without 5G,” Enderle said. Smartphone rivals typically launch updated models before the year-end gift-giving season, which could be tempered this time around by economic disruption caused by the pandemic. AFP

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market drops on profit taking

HE stock market slumped Wednesday on profit taking, taking its cue on the rest of Asia as investors ran for the exit following another rout on Wall Street, overnight. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index sank 101.19 points, or 1.7 percent, to 5,932.84 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Losers beat gainers, 118 to 73, with 48 issues unchanged. Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. fell 3.7 percent to P29.75, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group dropped 2.9 percent to P28.30. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, declined 2.7 percent to P34.55, but AC Energy Philippines Inc., a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., climbed 6.8 percent to P3.13. Technology and energy firms, meanwhile, were among the big losers

Wednesday, while the delay of a promising vaccine trial fanned fears a fix could take longer than hoped. US traders returned from a long weekend to resume the selling that sent shudders through markets last week, as they fretted over lofty valuations of many equities that have soared from their March troughs, helped by vast central bank support. Last week’s retreat was centered on tech giants including Apple, Microsoft and Tesla—bringing the Nasdaq’s succession of record highs to a juddering halt—but analysts said the latest selling was broadening out. “We don’t know exactly if this is the bottom, there could be more volatility,” Laila Pence, at Pence Wealth Management, told Bloomberg TV. “We’re taking the froth out of the market.” Tuesday’s blood-letting in New York once again saw Apple and Microsoft in the firing line, though the standout was Tesla, which collapsed 21 percent—its worst day on record. The Nasdaq, which had risen around

80 percent from its lows this year, is now officially in correction having lost more than 10 percent from its recent high on September 2. And the red ink seeped into Asia, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Mumbai and Wellington all down more than one percent, while Sydney and Jakarta shed more than two percent. Singapore and Taipei were also in negative territory. In Tokyo, SoftBank dived more than seven percent at one point on worries about its exposure to tech giants after it was revealed the conglomerate had made huge derivative bets ahead of the latest sell-off. It pared the losses, but is still down around 10 percent this week so far. While technology firms in the region were taking a hiding, energy firms were also in the cross-hairs after oil prices suffered their heaviest losses since the early days of the pandemic. The commodity was in retreat on concerns about demand as the global recovery stutters and after the US summer holiday season—when people traditionally take to the road—came to an end. With AFP

PSEi September 9, 2020

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

TRAINS ARE BACK.

Blue Line metro trains commute over a trafficjammed street following the resumption of services after a nearly six-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic in Ghaziabad on September 9, 2020. AFP

MOST ACTIVE

China inflation slowed with lower pork prices in August “The falling CPI inflation was mainly driven by a sharp slump BEIJING, China―Chinese inflation moderated in August, data showed Wednesday, as a slowdown in the surging price of pork in pork prices on-year, thanks to a Manila high base and rising weight of pork tempered food costs. APOLLO GLOBAL CAPITAL, INC. The consumer price index (CPI) hit 2.4 percent, in line with in the CPI basket,” Nomura’s Lu Standard (FORMERLY: YEHEY! CORPORATION) TODAY Unit 504, Galleria Corporate Center, EDSA corner Ortigas Ave., forecasts and below the previous month’s reading, as pork saw Ting said. Brgy. Ugong Norte, Quezon City A national campaign to curb its slowest increase in a year, while analysts said the easing could mounting food waste in August also be attributed to a high base comparison. NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS Dong Lijuan at the National Bureau of Statistics, which re- sparked speculation that the counPlease be advised that the Annual Meeting of the stockholders of APOLLO GLOBAL leased the figures, said pork supplies had improved but noted try’s food supply outlook is worse CAPITAL, INC. will be held on 02 October 2020, Friday, 10 a.m., via Zoom application (Zoom meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85963665876?pwd=dzhDRkxqM2xzdW55 that the cost of other meats also rose, “affected by factors such than the government admits―exd3FFcS9IeCtsZz09), for the following purposes: as rising feed costs, recovery in demand, and rising pork prices.” acerbated by swine fever, the coro1. To approve the minutes of the previous Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held last The price of pork, a staple in China, has been soaring for more than navirus outbreak and this year’s 07 January 2020. a year after the country’s pig herds were ravaged last year by African heavy flooding which destroyed 2. To consider and approve the President’s Report. huge swathes of farmland.AFP swine fever, which forced the culling of at least a million animals. 3. To consider and adopt the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 The meat’s price rose 52.6 percent on-year in December 2019 contained in the Annual Report. August, a slowdown from the 85.7-percent surge in Manila Republic of the Philippines 4. To ratify all acts of Board of Directors and Management since the last annual Standard July and more than 100 percent earlier in 2020. Department of Transportation stockholders’ meeting.

TODAY CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

IN RE: PETITION FOR ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO OPERATE INTERNATIONAL NON-SCHEDULED AIR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES COASTAL AIRWAYS INCORPORATED, Petitioner. x------------------------------------------------------------x

To elect the Directors and Independent Directors of the Company for the ensuing year.

To approve the application for listing of the 247,396,071,520 common shares of APL issued pursuant to a share for share swap with certain shareholders of JDVC Resources Corporation as approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 09 October 2017, details of which are as follows: 1. Hyung Rae Doo (Korean) - 109,065,080,064 shares 2. Napoleon M. Deleon, Jr. (Filipino) - 46,224,979,304 shares 3. Lloyd Raegan C. Taboso (Filipino) - 46,471,972,000 shares 4. Daniel Chua Go (Filipino) - 45,634,040,152 shares

To approve the application for listing of the 5,140,277,777 shares issued to Joanna B. Co in relation to the exercise of the right to convert the Convertible Loan Agreement dated 20 February 2019 to common shares of APL.

To approve the conduct of a Follow On Offering (FOO) of the Company’s primary shares with authority delegated to the Board of Directors in relation to the finalization of the details thereof as well as to do all other necessary approvals in connection thereto.

To appoint the external auditor of the Company for the year 2020.

CAB Case No. EP20-2728-HEDO92020-249-0

A man walks across the street during lunchtime in the City of London on August 21, 2020 in this file photo. With the end of the summer vacations and the reopening of schools, the British government, which is trying to encourage people back to the office, was expecting a massive return to the business districts, but to no avail. Everywhere in the City of London the message is the same: “it’s very quiet.” AFP

UK eateries count cost as workers stay home By Veronique Dupont LONDON, United Kingdom—Nestled between central London’s rows of office blocks, eateries once packed with customers grabbing lunch or a morning coffee are counting the cost as the coronavirus keeps workers at home. “The City is not going to go back to normal,” said Berat, manager at Turkish restaurant Haz close to St Paul’s Cathedral, which before Covid-19 was thronged with lunchtime crowds. “People saw they can work from home... we can’t serve someone from home,” Berat told AFP as he greeted a handful of customers. He says that Haz has only 15 percent of its usual custom, although it expects the figure to rise to 30 percent next month as companies increasingly ask staff to return to the office, at least on a part-time basis. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative government are using the end of the summer holidays and reopening of schools to encourage Britons to return to the office. While no longer ghostly as was the case when Britain was in lockdown for around three months from late March, the roads around central London remain largely free of commuters.

“It’s very calm,” lamented one sandwich seller opposite St Pauls, losing out also from a lack of tourists. At a neighboring office block, the manager estimates that only 40 percent of companies renting space have returned, though she too expects an increase in the coming months. According to Transport for London, traffic on the capital’s underground railway network is 70 percent below its level before lockdown. “This will continue to be a period of change, with new ways of working needed to respond to Covid-19,” concluded this week Bank of England official Alex Brazier. Urban exodus Meanwhile, with a majority of office workers continuing to do their jobs remotely, recent data has shown a jump in the number of people seeking to move out of the capital and into less urban areas. Oil giant BP, which is slashing 10,000 jobs after the pandemic crushed energy demand and prices, is actively encouraging non-frontline staff to work from home, while it is reportedly planning to leave its historic London headquarters. AFP

Parties opposing the said applicat ion shall file its manifestation not later than the premarking and comparison of documents, on September 23, 2020 and its written opposition on or before the date of hearing, furnishing a copy of the same to the applicant or appear at the hearing with such evidence as may be proper under the premises. Failure on the part of any interested party to file their opposition on time or appear at the hearing shall be construed as a waiver of their right to be heard and the Civil Aeronautics Board shall proceed to hear and decide the application on its merits. Let a copy of the petit ion and this Notice be posted at th e CAB Bulletin Board beginning today. 03 September 2020 Pasay City, Philippines

MARIA ELBEN SL. MORO Hearing Officer

(MS-SEPT. 10, 17 & 24, 2020)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD IN RE: PETITION FOR ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO OPERATE DOMESTIC NON-SCHEDULED AIR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES COASTAL AIRWAYS INCORPORATED, Petitioner. x------------------------------------------------------------x

CAB Case No. EP20-2729-HEDO92020-250-0

NOTICE OF HEARING Pursuant to the provisions of RA 776, as amended, Notice is hereby given that COASTAL AIRWAYS INCORPORATED has filed with the Civil Aeronautics Board a petition for issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to Operate Domestic Non-Scheduled Air Transportation Services. The above-entitled case is scheduled for hearing on September 30, 2020 at 2:30 PM at the CAB Conference Room, Old MIA Road, Pasay City before the undersigned, wherein the applicant shall present relevant evidence. Pre-marking and comparison of documents to be presented during the hearing shall be on September 23, 2020 at 2:00 PM, three(3) days thereafter, Applicant shall submit the marked documents together with the scanned copy to Hearing Examiners’ Division (HED) in accordance to CAB Resolution No. 6 (BM 01-0 1-27-2016) dated January 27,2016, otherwise known as Less Paper Transaction of CAB. The applicant is hereby required to have this Notice of Hearing published at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. The Notice of Hearing and the Application shall be served, by this Office, to all concerned parties/ airlines, either by facsimile or electronic mail, in compliance with CAB Board Resolution No. 97 (2003). Parties opposing the said application shall file its manifestation not later than the pre-marking and comparison of documents, on September 23, 2020 and its written opposition on or before the date of hearing, furnishing a copy of the same to the applicant or appear at the hearing with such evidence as may be proper under the premises. Failure on the part of any interested party to file their opposition on time or appear at the hearing shall be construed as a waiver of their right to be heard and the Civil Aeronautics Board shall proceed to hear and decide the application on its merits. Let a copy of the petition and this Notice be posted at the CAB Bulletin Board beginning today. 03 September 2020 Pasay City, Philippines (MS-SEPT. 10, 17 & 24, 2020)

MARIA ELBEN SL. MORO Hearing Officer

10. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting and at any adjournment thereof. The Board of Directors has set the close of business on 02 September 2020 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting. To ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders and other stakeholders and as a precaution against the COVID-19 risk, the Company’s Board of Directors has approved on 17 August 2020 in accordance with SEC rules, to conduct a virtual stockholders’ meeting for 2020. The meeting will be held online by remote communication and voting will be in absentia. The specific procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and voting in absentia are set forth below. Stockholders who intend to attend and participate in the virtual meeting in person or through proxy shall first submit on or before 17 September, 2020 via email to apollocapital_ph@outlook. com the scanned copy of their Letter of Intent to attend and participate via proxy or by remote communication and a copy of the stockholder’s valid government-issued ID showing photo and personal details. Once validated, a registered stockholder will receive via email the proxy form and voting ballot. Stockholders must submit on or before 25 September, 2020 via email to apollocapital_ph@outlook.com their duly accomplished proxy form and/or voting ballot which shall then be validated. Only stockholders who have notified the Company of their intention to participate in the virtual meeting and have registered themselves or their proxies, will be included in the determination of a quorum. All agenda items indicated in the Notice of the Meeting will be set out in the voting ballot and the stockholder may vote as follows: a. For all items, except for Election of Directors, the stockholder has the option to vote: For, Against, or Abstain. The vote is considered cast for all the stockholder’s shares. b. For the Election of Directors, a stockholder entitled to vote: (i) may vote such number of shares owned by it for as many persons as there are Directors to be elected; or (ii) may cumulate said shares and give one candidate as many votes as the number of Directors to be elected multiplied by the number of their shares; or (iii) may distribute them on the same principle among as many candidates as may be seen fit. c. The Company’s stock transfer agent and Office of the Corporate Secretary will tabulate all votes received and will validate the results. d. Except for the Election of Directors, all the items in the Agenda for the approval by the stockholders will need the affirmative vote of stockholders representing at least a majority of the issued and outstanding voting stock present at the meeting. For the Election of Directors, the top eleven (11) nominees with the greatest number of votes are elected. Registered stockholders will receive the meeting link and password to log on to the meeting two (2) days before the stockholders’ meeting. We encourage all registered stockholders to log onto the meeting link 45 minutes before the meeting starts, to avoid any technical difficulty. The meeting will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. on 02 October 2020. The meeting shall be recorded in audio and video format and copies shall be posted by the Company in its website. The procedures for voting and participation in the meeting through remote communication are also discussed further in the Information Statement which shall be made available to the public not later than 9 September 2020 through PSE Edge and the Company’s website at http://www.apolloglobalcapital.com/. For any questions or inquiries, including request for assistance in the registration process, please contact our Office of the Corporate Secretary through apollocapital_ph@outlook.com . Very truly yours,

KRISTINA JOYCE CARO-GANGAN Corporate Secretary (MS-SEPT. 9 & 10, 2020)

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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Business

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 101.19 PTS. 5,932.84

TOTAL VOLUME 838,179,387 TOTAL TRADES 81,554 TOTAL VALUE 5,104,525,014.73 ADVANCES 73 DECLINES 118 UNCHANGED 48

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.6260

Japan

Yen

0.009440

0.4590

Pound

1.297900

63.1117

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129032

6.2743

Switzerland

Franc

1.089918

52.9984

Canada

Dollar

0.755344

36.7294

Singapore

Dollar

0.729980

35.4960

Australia

Dollar

0.720000

35.0107

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657737

129.235

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

12.9652

Brunei

Dollar

0.727326

35.3670

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.031817

1.5471

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2395

Euro

1.177500

57.2571

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0408

China

Yuan

0.146049

7.1018

India

Rupee

0.013561

0.6594

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240096

11.6749

New Zealand

Dollar

0.660900

32.1369

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034182

1.6621 Source: BSP

Bangko Sentral to start issuance of bills and bonds on September 18 By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Wednesday the bank will start the issuance of its own securities consisting of bills and bonds on Sept. 18, 2020. Diokno said in a message to reporters the issuance formed part of its initiative to shift to more market-based monetary operations. “BSP bills and bonds will be offered via auction. The auction volumes will be small at the outset, to be gradually scaled up depending on market response and consistent with liquidity forecasts,” Diokno said. He said the inclusion of securities in the standard monetary operations of the BSP provides an additional instrument for managing liquidity in the financial system and support the implementation of monetary policy under the Interest Rate Corridor framework. “The issuance of BSP securities is part of the operational enhancements to the IRC framework and does not represent a change in the BSP’s monetary policy stance. Moreover, the issuance of securities by the BSP will add to the existing supply of risk-free financial instruments in the banking system, which in turn could help in the development of the local bond market,” he said. Diokno said that for the initial offering, the BSP would auction 28-day BSP bills with an indicative offer volume of about P20 billion, subject to confirmation two days before the actual auction date. The BSP and the Bureau of the Treasury signed a memorandum of agreement in July for the linkage of the BSP’s Monetary Operations System and the BTr’s National Registry of Scripless Securities. The signatories were Diokno and National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III was also present during the signing.

LANDBANK VISA CARDS. Philippine Army personnel from Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac show off their new LandBank Visa debit cards acquired through the LandBank Digital Onboarding System—an online account opening platform that reduces the account opening time and simplifies the enrolment process for the bank’s clients.

Chinese firm gets $1.2-b Makati subway contract P By Jenniffer B. Austria

HILIPPINE Infradev Holdings Inc. of businessman Antonio Tiu said Wednesday a subsidiary signed a $1.2-billion engineering, procurement and construction contract with a Chinese company for the construction of the Makati Subway Project.

Philippine Infradev said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Wednesday wholly-owned unit Makati City Subway Inc., the corporate vehicle that will build the Makati Subway Project, signed the EPC deal with China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Co. Ltd. The EPC agreement involves the civ-

il, mechanical, electrical and plumbing works of he project. The Makati Subway Project is an 11-kilometer intra-city mass transport system with up to 10 stations that will connect key points in Makati’s two districts, with no cash out from the city government. It is expected to accommodate up to 700,000 passengers per day aboard six car trains with a capacity of about 200 people each. Philippine Infradev said the project was in line with the national government’s aggressive infrastructure program and Makati’s goal to be a digital city. It will also complement mass transport projects of the government as it would be interconnected to the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, the proposed Metro Manila Mega Subway and the Pasig River ferry. The entire project, which would cost $3.7 billion, is expected to be operational by 2025.

The company obtained the notice to proceed with the Makati Subway Project under the public-private partnership agreement with the local government of Makati in February this year. Philippine Infradev also obtained shareholders’ approval to increase its authorized capital to P10.5 billion from P1.5 billion. Philippine Infradev obtained investment deals with two Chinese companies to finance the Makati subway project. Hui Gao Investments Development Limited will subscribe to common shares representing 34 percent of Philippine Infradev’s adjusted shares capital for $102 million. Philippine Infradev subscribed to 51 million common shares in MCSI for $102 million. Hui Gao will also provide a $200-million credit facility to MCSI. Proponents of the Makati Subway earlier shelled out over P1.1 billion to pay the owners of 55 lots who agreed with the city government to use their property for the project.

SC junks order on oil companies to open book of accounts By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court stopped a Manila City regional trial court from compelling the country’s three major oil companies to subject their book of accounts for examination amid allegations of monopoly, predatory pricing and cartelization. The court, in a 27-page en banc decision authored by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, unanimously resolved to reverse the order issued by the Manila City RTC in 2009 directing the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Commission on Audit to examine the book of accounts of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Caltex Philippines Inc. and Petron Corp.. It also made permanent the temporary restraining order it issued on Aug. 4, 2009, enjoining the implementation of the orders of the Manila RTC and accordingly dismissed the petition for declaratory relief by the Social Justice

Society. The BOC, BIR and COA sought the issuance of the TRO to stop Manila City RTC Branch 26 Presiding Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. from enforcing the orders compelling them to form a panel of auditors to open and examine the books of the three oil firms. The government agencies refused to comply with the order of the lower court, saying it was beyond their mandates to conduct audit relative to antitrust violations. The SC’s 15-member bench, in reversing the lower court’s decision, ruled that it is the Department of EnergyDepartment of Justice Joint Task Force that has the sole power and authority to monitor, investigate and endorse the filing of complaint against oil companies. The RTC initially resolved to refer the case to the DOE-DOJ Joint Task Force for investigation and determination of whether the Big 3 were in violation of Section

11 (Anti-Trust Safeguards) of Republic Act 8479 or the or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998. Members of the joint task force said there was no violation of the provisions of RA 8479 committed by the oil firms. “And considering that the remedy against cartelization is already provided by law, the public respondent trial court exceeded its jurisdiction and gravely abused its discretion when it ordered the COA, the BIR, and the BOC to open and examine the books of account of the Big 3 and allowed private respondent [lawyer Vladimir] Cabigao, a certified public accountant, to become part of the panel of examiners,” the SC ruled. “Clearly, the RTC not only failed to uphold the law but worse, he contravened the law,” the tribunal said. The SC said that it is beyond the mandates of COA, the BIR and the BOC to open and examine the books of accounts of the three oil firms.

Pag-IBIG Fund gets highest rating from COA STATE-RUN Pag-IBIG Fund again earned the highest opinion from the Commission on Audit in the presentation of its financial statements, top officials announced on Tuesday. COA auditors, in a letter dated Aug. 28, informed the agency that it rendered its highest rating—referred to as an unmodified opinion—on the fairness of the presentation of Pag-IBIG Fund’s financial statements for the year 2019. “This is yet another milestone in PagIBIG Fund’s history. Consistently earning the highest opinion from COA for eight consecutive years serves as proof that Pag-IBIG Fund—the Filipino workers’ fund—is being managed properly. We have been true to our promise of upholding excellence and integrity in serving our members and other stakeholders as we heed the call of President Duterte in ensuring that public offices, especially those that provide social services like ours, are corruption-free,” said Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, chairman of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Devel-

opment and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees. From 2012 to 2017, COA rendered unqualified opinions on Pag-IBIG Fund’s financial statements and unmodified opinions for the years 2018 and 2019. Auditors use both the unqualified opinion and unmodified opinion, which are the highest opinions that COA can give to a government agency or corporation, to mean that the financial statements of a company or agency are presented, in all material respects, in accordance with applicable financial reporting frameworks. “We have been saying for several years that we have achieved our best year ever. But 2019 stands out as the most special. In terms of performance, we reached our highest ever net income of P34.37 billion. We also posted a record-high in housing loan takeout worth P86.74 billion which benefitted 95,276 borrowers, and in shortterm loans totaling P53.83 billion which assisted 2.59 million members,” said Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive Acmad Rizaldy Moti.

Meralco bares another rate cut for September By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co. announced a power rate reduction of P0.0623 per kilowatt-hour in September, which will translate into P12 savings in the monthly bill of households consuming 200 kWh or less. It said the overall rate for a typical household dropped to P8.4288 per kWh in September from P8.4911 per kWh in August. The rate is the lowest in three years or since September 2017. “We have good news to our Meralco customers because for the fifth straight month, our overall rates went down. For generation charge this is the sixth straight month that rates went down,” Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarraiga said. Meralco’s generation charge declined P0.0381 per kWh to P4.0860 per kWh in September from P4.1241 per kWh in August as the power retailer continued to impose force majeure claims. Force majeure represents reduction in fixed costs from base load supply contracts and avoided charges from the temporary suspension of midmerit contracts recently approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission. The power retailer said that because of the reduced power demand in its service area during the community quarantine period, it continued to invoke the force majeure provision in some of its power supply agreements. Meralco’s force majeure claims totaled P463 million in September, equivalent to customer savings of P0.1710 per kWh in the generation charge. Meralco said without the force majeure claims, the generation charge and the total rate would have increased by P0.13 and P0.14 per kWh, respectively. The savings from force majeure claims reached P2.4 billion for the past six months, .

IN BRIEF

WB asks DA to shift focus on specific crops THE Philippines should shift its focus on specific crops to improve the agriculture sector’s overall resilience, competitiveness and sustainability, according to the latest report by the World Bank. Eli Weiss, author of the report and a senior agriculture economist at the Word Bank Group, said the Philippines should start shifting to a more demand-driven sector, with adjusted modalities of government support, strengthened evidence-based decisionmaking and larger focus on public goods. “This will lead to a more diversified sector with strong food value chains, affordable and nutritious food, and a vibrant rural economy,” he said in a webinar organized by the World Bank. Titled “Transforming Philippine Agriculture During Covid-19 and Beyond,” the report said that transforming the country’s farming and food systems became even more important during the pandemic to ensure strong food value chains, affordable and nutritious food and a vibrant rural economy. Weiss underscored how the Department of Agriculture values rice as the country’s main staple. He said the staple accounts for about 18 percent of the total value of crops production, while the rice program gets as much as 48 percent of production support services. Othel V. Campos

Peso outperforming other Asian currencies BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the peso outperformed most Asian currencies this year. Diokno said during the Development Budget Coordinating Committee’s online briefing at the Senate on Wednesday the peso appreciated by 4.14 percent against the US dollar to close at 48.62 on Sept. 4 from the end-December 2019 closing rate of 50.64 a dollar. The local currency settled at 48.66 against the greenback on September 9. “Thus far, the peso has outperformed other regional currencies. Among the monitored Asian currencies, the Philippines appreciated the most followed by the Japanese yen, Taiwan dollar and Chinese yuan,” Diokno said. He said the stability of the peso-dollar market was due to the country’s ample gross international reserves and favorable external debt position. As of end-July, the country’s foreign exchange reserves reached $98 billion, the highest on record. Julito G. Rada

Globe unveils plan to build 900 cell sites

SKILLED WORKERS. Workers at Aboitiz Construction Inc. receive the right experience and extensive training. Aboitiz Construction plans to hire 1,200 skilled workers, including medical professionals, as it resumes construction in various project sites as the country struggles with challenges posed by coronavirus disease 2019.

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Wednesday it is building 900 cell sites across the country through partnerships with tower companies. Globe chief finance officer and chief risk officer Rizza Maniego-Eala said that the company’s partnerships with Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., ISOC-edotco, Transcend Towers Infrastructure (Philippines), CREI Philippines (CREI) and Frontier Towers & Associates had advanced to active acquisition and build phases. “The partnerships with towercos will greatly complement the company’s target in expanding its capacity and coverage throughout the country. These projects will be a catalyst for change in the industry as telcos are empowered to deploy beyond their individual capabilities in a cost-efficient manner,” Maniego-Eala said. Globe finalized a pole lease agreement with AIC, a subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group, which would increase its footprint by about 200 sites in Cebu, Davao and Subic. Darwin G. Amojelar

Sports

Heat oust Bucks to reach NBA East finals MIAMI—The Miami Heat punched their ticket to the NBA Eastern Conference finals Tuesday, beating top-seeded Milwaukee 103-94 as injured Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo watched from the bench. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic finished with 17 points apiece as six Heat players scored in double figures and Miami completed a 4-1 series victory in a bruising encounter against the league’s top defensive team. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points. Antetokounmpo—tipped to scoop a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player award this season—aggravated his sprained right ankle in the first half of the Bucks’ game-four overtime victory over the Heat. The Bucks declared him inactive less than an hour before tipoff on Tuesday. The loss of Antetokounmpo, who averaged career highs of 29.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game this season, was a huge blow for the Bucks, as they tried to do what no NBA team has done before: come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a seven-game playoff series. It’s the second straight campaign that the Bucks built the best regularseason record only to come up short in the playoffs. In 2019 they fell to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in six games in the Easter n Conference f inals. The fifth-seeded Heat will face either the Boston Celtics or Toronto Raptors for a place in the NBA Finals. The Celtics lead their series against the defending NBA champion Raptors three games to two. Butler, who added 10 rebounds and six assists and was a perfect eight-foreight from the foul line, said the Heat’s impressive 8-1 record so far in the playoffs means nothing now. “All of that is behind us now,” he said. “We’ll wait and see who we get out of Toronto and Boston and then we’ll lock in on that. “But it’s zero-zero now, we’ve got eight more to get.” The Heat trailed 28-19 after a chaotic first quarter in which they committed six turnovers leading to nine Bucks points. They trailed by as many as 13 in the first period, but settled down in the second, out-scoring the Bucks 33-18 to take a 52-46 lead into halftime. But Milwaukee, with Middleton leading the way, refused to go away. After going scoreless for more than six minutes in the third period the Bucks put together an 8-0 run to pull within five points. Trailing 73-65 going into the final period, the Bucks trimmed the deficit to four multiple times, but the Heat’s depth finally proved too much. “Obviously they missed their MVP,” Butler said. “But we knew we were going to have to get one out of the mud and I think this was the one.” Antetokounmpo said he felt “lost” as he was unable to contribute. AFP

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks’ Eric Bledsoe during Game Five of the Eastern Conference SemiFinals of the NBA Playoffs. AFP

Emerson: EJ getting more confident vs. world’s best E By Peter Atencio

RNEST John Obiena is slowly but surely becoming more conﬁdent battling the world’s best pole vaulters.

He showed this when he bagged the gold medal in the 59th Ostrava Golden Spike competition in the Czech Republic on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) with a season-best attempt of 5.74 meters against a world-class field that included world and Olympic champions. “Iba iba ang direction ng hangin nu’ng laro, pero mas handa siya at nandoon din si coach Vitali (Petrov) para mag bigay ng feedback. Mas confident siya (EJ) ngayon,” said Obiena’s dad Emerson following a long-distance chat with his son. Both the Tokyo Olympics-bound Obiena and 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France cleared the same height when action ended at Městský stadium. But since the Frenchman cleared 5.64 meters in three attempts in the countback, Lavillenie was awarded the silver medal. The 24-year-old Obiena made

Ernest John Obiena

the 5.64 meters in just two. The guidance of coach Petrov allowed the 6’2” Obiena to navigate his way across the wind-strewn-runway and into the box for his memorable second attempt. “Wind was a bit shifty, but my coach was there to give me the advice that I need,” said Obiena in an interview with the Manila Standard. Two-time reigning world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States settled for the bronze medal after clearing the height of 5.64 meters. Obiena’s training partner, reigning

Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil, landed fourth after tying Kendricks at 5.64, as he needed three attempts to get it right. Obiena’s mark was higher than what he cleared when he registered a bronzemedal worthy 5.70 meters at the Diamond League in Monaco last August. Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico lauded Obiena’s feat. “EJ Obiena’s outstanding performance in Ostrava clearly demonstrates once again that EJ and the Obiena family, EJ’s supporters, the PSC and PATAFA are doing the right things to produce noteworthy results,” said Juico. Juico said Obiena’s feat was made possible with the guidance of Petrov and Braz da Silva, a close friend whose advise is helping Obiena find focus. A few days ago, Obiena was not able to compete with many others in the International Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria after it was stopped because of heavy rains. Three weeks ago, Obiena made 5.62 meters to finish at fifth place in the 2020 Janusz Kusocinski Memorial Athletics meet in Chorzow, Poland. Back then, Obiena admitted that he got physically tired in his bid to make higher attempts.

Maharlika FC: Driven by passion THE Maharlika Football Club is a club team that’s driven by passion for the sport. Former Philippine Azkals’ booter Anton del Rosario said this after forming a team that is now set to see action in the coming Philippine Football League. The core of the team is led by former national booters Misagh Bahadoran Jerry Barbaso, and David Basa. The passion of his former teammates in the Philippine Azkals will be the heart and soul of the squad, Del Rosario believes. “It shows their love for the sport and they want to prove something,” said del Rosario during virtual press conference yesterday on Zoom. Del Rosario, who retired from the national squad back in 2014, said he formed the team following a conversation with PFL tournament director Coco Torre, who told him that the league needs more entries. Veteran national team players, like Joaco Cañas and Cameroonian Serge Kaole have also showed interest, and have signed. Brazilian-Japanese actor and model Daniel Matsuanga will also be around. For now, members of the squad will play pro bono for the squad and with wages still being discussed. The team is now undergoing training sessions at the Philippine Football Federation National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite. Roxy Dorlas is the head coach of the team, while Choy Calungsod will serve as general manager of the new club. Peter Atencio

UAAP bans Ayo for endangering athletes FOR holding training activities without getting the proper go-signal from concerned authorities, former University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers coach Aldin Ayo will be indefinitely banned from activities sanctioned by the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The Board of Trustees of the UAAP came up with a decision on Wednesday after reviewing the recommendations of the Board of Managing Directors. In a statement, officials of the BOT said the advisory “was based on the report submitted by UST, which investigated the alleged training bubble of its basketball team in Capuy, Sorsogon.” “After a thorough deliberation, the UAAP BOT ratified the decision of the BMD to ban coach Aldin Ayo indefinitely from participating, in any capacity, in all UAAP events and UAAP sanctioned-activities,” members of the board added in their declaration. The resolution to prohibit Ayo is

based on an internal report collated by UST officials following an internal investigation two weeks ago. The account, which the UST legal team submitted last week to the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Health, “showed Ayo endangering the health and well-being of the student athletes under his charge when he conducted the training during a government-declared state of public emergency intended to arrest the COVID-19 outbreak.” Since the submission of the UST report last week, Ayo has stepped down from his post as UST mentor. He was joined by assistant coaches McJour Luib and Jinino Manansala. The BOT said that the league takes note of the CHED holding its own investigation on possible violations by UST. And this will include other individuals who may also be liable in the conduct of the training activity. The decision of the BOT comes two

days after a Technical Working Group was formed by the CHED last Monday. The TWG, which will be led by CHED executive director Cindy Jaro, has been formed to draft recommendations that will make it possible for varsity players from different disciplines to resume training. Executive Director Rebo Saguisag and Far Eastern University Athletics Director Mark Molina later joined the TWG. Under the guidelines that are being crafted, workouts for student-athletes aged 21-years-and-below in general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine areas will be allowed. The formation of the TWG comes after the JAO group wrapped up its inquiry on the Growling Tigers men’s basketball team and the National University women’s volleyball squad. The JAO group has brought their findings to the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior and Lo-

Aldin Ayo—banned from all UAAP activities

cal Government, also last Monday. In the report that was submitted by UST’s legal team, the JAO group learned that UST’s Athletic Director Fr. Jannel Abogado, at first, refused to approve Ayo’s request for a training camp

in his home province of Sorsogon. According to accounts, Ayo came back a week later, with the players giving their consent “since they had nothing to do in their hometowns.” Peter Atencio

POC to finalize constitutional changes

POC president Abraham Tolentino

FINALIZING the introduction of changes in the Philippine Olympic Committee constitution and bylaws is in order. POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said this as the executive board convenes anew in a virtual meeting this weekend. The reforms being resolved when the POC execom met in the last weekend of August will be discussed again, paving the way for the staging of elections this November. “There will be an EB meeting on Sept 12. The agenda is the election mechanics for November and the amendments,” said Tolentino, who is also a congressman representing the

8th district of Tagaytay. Efforts to introduce changes in the POC constitution and bylaws finally made progress two weeks ago. An age limit of 78 has been imposed for leaders of national sports associations, who are running for elective positions. And board members who are elected will be limited to just two straight terms. After that, anyone running for a post can do so after resting for one, 4-year Olympic cycle. The alterations in the charter will take effect in the coming November polls.

The board is still discussing if leaders of non-Olympic sports bodies but regular board members can join the executive board. They are still resolving issues concerning heads of non-Olympic sports organizations if they can also be allowed to seek the POC presidency, or any position in the board. The agreement to make adjustments in the POC canon came two months after key amendments on age eligibility and term limits came under strong opposition. Still unresolved is the proposal to remove the position of chairman. Peter Atencio

Sports

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Osaka, Zverev into US Open last 4 N EW YORK—Japan’s Naomi Osaka sailed into the semi-ﬁnals of the US Open on Tuesday as Alexander Zverev of Germany booked his spot in the last four of the men’s draw.

Osaka, the tournament’s fourth seed, swept aside unseeded Shelby Rogers in straight sets to set up a match with Jennifer Brady for a place in Saturday’s final. The 22-year-old Osaka required just 1hr 20 min inside an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium to defeat the 27-year-old Rogers 6-3, 6-4. Osaka, the world number 9, said her victory was payback for three previous defeats to the 93rd-ranked Rogers. They included a 2017 loss on clay in Charleston that Osaka said had left “a

really bad aftertaste in my mouth.” “Honestly, I just felt like she had the upper hand because I’ve never beaten her,” Osaka said. “And those memories are stuck in my head so I consider this a little bit of revenge,” she added. Osaka’s dominant service game contributed to a comfortable runout for the 2018 US Open champion. She won 83 percent of points on her first serve and 70 percent on her second. In contrast, Rogers managed only 66 percent and 33 percent respectively.

Rogers hit 29 unforced errors compared to just eight committed by Osaka. Brady conquered some serious nerves to defeat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva and reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time. The American 28th seed needed just 1hr 9 min to blow away her 23rd-seeded opponent 6-3, 6-2. “Coming into the match today, honestly I was feeling like I was going to poop my pants. I was very nervous,” said the 25-year-old Brady. “I just tried to really stay calm and keep it cool as a cucumber out there,” she added. Brady is yet to drop a set and has lost only 24 games during her march to the semis, the fewest of anyone left in the draw.

Osaka said Brady would be a formidable opponent. “I think she’s a really amazing player she has the variety that I wish I had, so I’m a bit jealous,” said the Japanese. Zverev bounced back from a shocking start to oust 27th-seeded Croatian Borna Coric in four sets. ‘Hungry’ The 23-year-old German prevailed 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in 3hr 25min. He began playing more aggressively after finding himself a set down, and 4-2 behind in the second set. “I thought to myself I’m down 6-1, 4-2, I have nothing to lose at the moment,” Zverev. The German will play Spain’s 20th seed Pablo Carreno Busta for a place in Sunday’s final. AFP

Players brace for desert heat at ANA golfest PALM SPRINGS—Players at this weekend’s ANA Inspiration in California may be allowed to use golf carts as officials aim to mitigate the threat of scorching triple-digit temperatures and poor air quality. The rescheduled second women’s major of 2020 tees off at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage on Thursday after the coronavirus forced postponement from its original April 2-5 slot. The date change means players will have to contend with the ferocious late summer temperatures typical in the southern California desert enclave, where the mercury touched 120 Fahrenheit (48.9 degrees Celsius) on Sunday. With smoke from blazing wildfires also contributing to poor air quality, it has left LPGA Tour officials pondering the rare step of allowing players to use carts at Mission Hills this week. Tour officials have already granted caddies the right to use push carts or carts during tournament play. “We’re continuing to monitor both the AQI (air quality index) and the temperature very closely,” said LPGA Tour official Heather Daly-Donofrio. “If it becomes clear from our medical team ... the high temperatures and the AQI converge to a point where we feel that’s unhealthy for walking, we have not ruled out carts for players on tournament days. “In general we’ve heard from our players that they want to walk, that it’s a major championship, and of course in major championships you want to walk. “But what’s most important right now is the health and safety of our athletes and our caddies.” LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan said player safety would be paramount, as it had been all through a season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Obviously we’re going to be challenged by the heat,” Whan said. “We didn’t expect to be challenged by both heat and air quality. “We’ll keep an open mind how we can address that to make sure that in the year 2020 where health has been a priority, that we’re not going to take a backseat on health as it relates to this year.” ‘Sizzling point’ Players meanwhile are bracing for a gruelling ordeal in the desert heat. Former world number one Lydia Ko, the 2016 ANA Inspiration winner, said she had taken by surprise by the temperatures. AFP

Naomi Osaka of Japan serves during her Womens Singles quarter-finals match against Shelby Rogers of the United States on Day Nine of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. AFP

I WAS watching Game 5 of the BostonToronto game, won by the Celtics for a 3 -2 lead and keeping alive my prediction of a Celtics’ win in 6 games, and a sportscaster mentioned that three-point shots were deciding a lot of games now in the playoffs. And I remembered the conversation on the same topic I had just the day before over the phone with an old-school basketball defensive player, a real stopper of offensive players on the opposing teams. Old-timer basketball fans, including me, will remember Padim Israel, the good-looking product of Ateneo de Manila in the mid 1970s. After all, Padim was with the team that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1975 and 1976, together with the likes of then future PBA players,

WASHINGTON—A massive motorcycle rally held in the US state of South Dakota last month may have been responsible for 260,000 new coronavirus cases, according to an analysis published Tuesday. This figure, which came from a paper that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed, would represent the biggest COVID-19 spreading event documented in the US to date. The study was published by the Institute of Labor Economics and conducted by economists at the University of San Diego who studied the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which drew an estimated 460,000 people from August 7 and August 16. The analysis is a statistical approximation based on anonymized cell phone data that documented the influx in the town from non-residents and showed where they came from. The data also showed a rise in foot traffic at restaurants and bars, retail establishments, entertainment venues, hotels and campgrounds. The bikers generally did not wear masks or practice social distancing, the study said, citing media reports. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the researchers then showed that a month following the rally, cases in the county where Sturgis is located rose by six or seven per 1,000. US counties that contributed the highest numbers of attendees experienced a rise of 7 to 12.5 percent in the number of cases compared to those that did not contribute inflows. Researchers said their calculations indicated “a total of 263,708 additional cases in these locations due to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally”. A limitation of the study is that it was based on statistical methods, rather than tracking and surveying rally participants. AFP

Tour exec positive for virus, but peloton negative SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RE—Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme must leave the race and quarantine for a week after a positive COVID-19 test but all the riders were negative, organisers announced before the start of Tuesday’s 10th stage. Prudhomme, who is asymptomatic, said he had tested negative for coronavirus three times before this year’s rescheduled race started on August 29 but the positive came from the first of two in-race mass tests of riders, team staff and officials. His role as chief organiser means he attends numerous Tour-related social events, and on Saturday he shared his car with French Prime Minister Jean Castex who visited the eighth stage in the Pyrenees. Following news of Prudhomme’s positive test it was announced Castex would undergo a precautionary test, which turned out to be negative. The prime minister’s office said he and Prudhomme had worn masks “and respected social distancing” measures. Prudhomme, who has been in charge of cycling’s showcase event since 2007, told AFP: “I leave the Tour now for a week, I’m going to do what any French employee would in this kind of case.”

He added: “I’ll be watching the Tour on television, something I haven’t done for 15 years.” Prudhomme said he was not surprised the peloton was free from coronavirus, saying “the riders live like monks or soldiers, which is not the case with me”. Infections in four teams He hands over temporary responsibility of the sport’s crown jewels to former rider Francois Lemarchand, who is director of the Paris-Nice stage race. While all the riders got the green light to continue, four staff members from four different teams—Team Ineos of reigning champion Egan Bernal, Cofidis, AG2R and Mitchelton-Scott— tested positive and had to leave the Tour’s bio-secure bubble. This means those teams face expulsion should they have a second case exhibiting symptoms in the next week. Overall Tour de France leader Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic said he felt a mixture of relief and joy. “It’s just beautiful that the race can go on. For the director I wish him a speedy recovery.” During Saturday’s visit Castex had stressed the importance of the Tour being staged despite much of France

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme AFP

being on red alert with the number of coronavirus infections rising. “Living with the virus is the doctrine of the Tour and the government, but everyone must protect themselves and obey the rules so that the Tour can take place,” said Castex. “What I have seen today in the Pyrenees pleased me.”

The Tour, which normally takes place in July, was moved till later in the year to allow it to take place. The test results were announced ahead of Tuesday’s spectacular run between the two Atlantic Islands of Oleron and Re, both of which are connected to the French mainland by road bridges. AFP

Padim shares his thoughts

THE BOTTOM LINE LITO CINCO

US biker rally may have led to 260k new virus cases

too, Steve Watson, Joy Carpio, Fritz Gaston and Bambi Kabigting, another defensive specialist like Padim. He remembers the fact that I was the very first sportswriter then to do a feature on him, which is why despite the passage of time, we remain comfortable with one another, even after his retirement in 1993 after 12 seasons in the PBA in a career that started off with Crispa and had stints with Tanduay, Purefoods and Presto. Along the way, he earned a slot in the All Defensive team, was a Most Improved Player and became part of a 2nd Mythical Team in the PBA in the mid 80s, aside from earning several championships, including Crispa’s Grand Slam. And maybe that was the reason why when we talked about the current NBA playoffs, he admitted he is very disconnected with the present PBA now and follows the NBA more. Padim does not like three-point shots, saying it looks like NBA games are really more on long-distance

shooting now, with everyone wanting to shoot threes that the other aspects and skills of basketball like post plays are being forgotten, though he accepts that basketball is a shooting game. Which is another reason why even if LeBron James is his favorite player, he thinks the Clippers have a very good chance to win this year. They are 2-1 against Denver as of this writing. In fact, he is very impressed with Kawhi Leonard, who shoots more in the two-point zone or drives to the basket than take those rainbow shots. But pressed for a definite pick, he limited it to saying the Top 4 teams should be the Lakers, Clippers, Celtics and the Heat. My “untrustworthy” crystal ball told me before the playoffs started that Boston, the LA Lakers, the LA Cllppers and Milwaukee would be in the Final 4. But Jimmy Butler and the Heat made a liar out of me as they finished off the Bucks, 4-1, to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Back to Padim, whose decision to become a Christian pastor after his PBA career came as a big surprise considering his good looks and legions of female fans, we also ended up comparing his era with the current players. He admitted that present day PBA players are bigger, taller, more athletic with more stamina and have a higher level of skills. His generation’s edge, he says, is in “diskarte” or “gulang” together with being more physical. Padim is a semi-retired as a pastor, but is still available on call from time to time and is a pulpit minister evangelist with the Living World Christian Churches of Cebu International. He described his becoming a pastor as a call from the Lord and started with a hunger for the word of God, eventually becoming a desire to share and teach it. He remains happily married to actress Rio Locsin, with the marriage blessed with three daughters, all single and still living with the couple in Las Pinas.

When there is opportunity, he plays with his remote-controlled cars in a parking lot in Muntinlupa, but with the pandemic, he rarely goes out of the house. My final memory of Padim is he was a cerebral player and when I had that interview with him so many pounds and black hair ago, he was the only player I have met to have used the word paradigm, a word that a lot of his contemporaries may have a difficulty of knowing and spelling. Good to have reconnected with the guy. By the way, tomorrow, Friday, I will be turning over to the city government of Mandaluyong for its public hospital, around 100 boxes of face masks and several gallons of alcohol, thanks to people, who lent a hand, namely Michael Yulo, Atty. Rob Avenida, my kids JM and Janis, former PBA player Mike Advani, Alex Wang, Paco Catholic high school batchmates Boy Samsin, Sari Razon, an anonymous batchmate and Wendy Ann Dizon. God bless you all!

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Rising girl group on the local music block

Actress Yifei Liu, who plays Mulan in the movie’s title role, has been criticized for voicing support for Hong Kong’s police in tackling protesters.

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

Disney’s ‘Mulan’ remake faces fresh boycott calls DISNEY’s Mulan remake is facing fresh boycott calls after it emerged some of the blockbuster’s scenes were filmed in China’s Xinjiang, where widespread rights abuses against the region’s Muslim population have been widely documented. The lavish $200 million film about a legendary female Chinese warrior was already tangled in political controversy after star Liu Yifei voiced support for Hong Kong’s police as they cracked down on democracy protests last year. But the latest furor exploded as soon as the credits stopped rolling after the movie began showing on the Disney+ channel last week. Viewers spotted that Disney included “special thanks” to eight government entities in Xinjiang—including the public security bureau in Turpan, a city in eastern Xinjiang where multiple internment camps have been documented. Another entity thanked was the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department in Xinjiang.

The revelation has sparked renewed anger at a time of heightened scrutiny over Hollywood’s willingness to bow to authoritarian China. Rights groups, academics, and journalists have exposed a harsh crackdown against Uighur and Kazakh Muslims in Xinjiang, including mass internments, enforced sterilizations, forced labor as well as intense religious and movement restrictions. Isaac Stone Fish, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, said the film was now “arguably Disney’s most problematic movie” since Song of the South —a 1946 glorification of antebellum plantation life that the company has since pulled. “It’s sufficiently astonishing that it bears repeating,” he wrote in a Washington Post column. “Disney has thanked four propaganda departments and a public security bureau in Xinjiang, a region in northwest China that is the site of one of the world’s worst human rights abuses happening today.” Jerome Taylor, AFP

Young man’s classic groove THE combination of that projects him like a matinee idol from youth dynamism and the golden years, this the classy, jazzy sway of the olden days is a breakout artist actively thing of beauty when engaged in his school’s YUGEL rendered in a song. The music showcase and LOSORATA irony it presents reflects delighted crowds in the universality and occasions spearheaded timelessness of music as expression. by the Division Office of Sorsogon City. A newly released Tagalog single It’s a plus that he is likewise a consistent “Sayaw Ng Buhay” amplifies such an idea honor student leader and an advocate for in all its splendor, carried mainly by the various social causes. Here is a rising star vocal vibrancy of its young singer Vincent from Visayas primed for fame nationwide! Jao III, a pride of Sorsogon who idolizes When Vincent sings the line, “Sabay the likes of Frank Sinatra and Michael nating yakapin ang saliw ng tugtugin,” Buble. That must be strong clues as to the he rhymes words and delivers them kind of music he’s into. with passion and bliss. Then gently he Vincent shared, “My playlist contains grooves his way to the chorus, which songs of varied genres such as R&B, jazz, goes, “Halina’t sumayaw/ Sayaw ng and ballad. But I often listen to old songs ating buhay/ Sabay ang hakbang at tibok because they give me some chill vibes ng puso na para lamang sa’yo.” With whenever I’m busy or stressed.” that, only a fool can’t feel like dancing or Composed by a tunesmith with potential appreciating he’s alive, perhaps in love for greatness named Nathaniel Cabanero, with someone. the track serenades with its feel-good, easy The promising talent is well-mentored listening mood that warmly brings back by a US-based talent management memories of the sweet past. It’s a recording and production which he describes as that stands out like an antidote to the scary, “genuinely caring for their people.” chaotic atmosphere prevailing in today’s Some experts tapped for the recording pandemic-stricken reality. It is a week included arranger Jun Tamayo, backold song available on digital streaming up singer Arnie Mendaros, mixing platforms, a followup to his debut single engineering Albert Tamayo, and “Eden Rose” released last April. Safe to supervisors Reck Cardinales and Andy say this young fellow understands the call Gravito. for strong, inspiring voices. “I will devote time to fine-tuning my Supported by a big brood craft so I can create beautiful music,” of talented siblings, a father Vincent promised before heading to who loves classics, and a the studio to kick off his recording mom who can sing, Vincent career. noted, “My family allowed As it is obviously heard all over me to develop that love for the track, Vincent’s sophomore music and live in a nurturing single “Sayaw Ng Buhay” says a environment where I can play lot about his musicality and how he keyboard, piano, and guitar.” is tightly embracing the art Blessed with glowing looks of music appreciation.

Sorsogon pride Vincent Jao III sings in a jazzy groove for his second digital single “Sayaw Ng Buhay.”

POWER QUARTET. XOXO is a group of powerhouse performers composed of Lyra, Dani, Riel, and Mel.

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

OCAL group XOXO, a fourmember girl band, celebrates its first year by launching its self-titled debut single, an upbeat track that aims to empower fellow women.

Coming from the all-original singing competition The Clash, these new generation divas, composed of Riel, Dani, Lyra, and Mel, are raring to show the public their superb vocals and impressive dance moves. “It feels overwhelming that we are launching this single, we recorded it a day before ECQ and we feel that it’s a pleasant gift for the people who have been supporting our group since

we debut last year,” Riel told Manila Standard Entertainment in an online interview. “We’re kind of feel nervous, too, for the reaction and feedback that we would get from this song,” she added. The single was composed by Kiko Salazar to showcase the group’s talent and edgy personalities with its irresistible harmony. The group said they wanted the listeners to be introduced to the kind of sound they can produce while they are not performing on stage. Talking about the message that the song carries, Dani shared that they want to empower fellow women and encourage them to embrace all kinds of beauty through the song. “We want to inspire people who are not feeling good and confident with themselves, those who think that they are not perfect or they don’t fit in our society’s so-called standard. We want to show them that it is okay to be different and each of us has our own kind of beauty,” the young singer emphasized. Though the song was recorded before the implementation enhanced community quarantine, the group admitted that it was still challenging to prepare for their single’s dance choreography. “We shared some ideas on how the

whole choreography will work out based on the song. It’s a powerful song so the steps and routines should go along too. We also started practicing at home and send individual videos. It’s the new normal style,” Lyra shared adding that they were able to pull it off with the help of their choreographer, RM Cortez. Apart from celebrating their first year as a group, the girls are stoked for their first nomination in Awit Awards and for the support they are getting from their fanbase, which they call XOldiers. Mel expressed her gratitude to the people who trust and support XOXO since day one. “We have come a long way together and our experiences have strengthened our bond. We’ve been friends since our The Clash days but we became much closer when we started working as a group,” Mel expressed. The rising girl group lists Spice Girls as one of their influences. Though each member has individual idols, the Spice Girls inspires them to create an image that banks on women empowerment. From GMA Music, “XOXO,” the debut single, is available for downloading and streaming beginning today on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and other digital stores worldwide.

Maggie Wilson hosts GoDaddy’s ‘Project GO’ TV HOST and entrepreneur Maggie Wilson-Consunji is hosting Project GO, a five-episode reality mini-series produced by GoDaddy in collaboration with AXN, the globally known general entertainment channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The show is designed for Filipino entrepreneurs and innovators to compete for a chance to win P1 million in prize money to help grow their entrepreneurial business. It will feature up-andcoming Filipino entrepreneurs and showcase their innovative ideas. The shortlisted contestants will be going head-to-head for a chance to win the prize money. The pilot episode will premiere this November on AXN. As the entrepreneur behind Acasa Manila (formerly Casa Consunji), Wilson knows well the challenges of being an entrepreneur, especially now that the pandemic has impacted businesses worldwide. However, these challenge times did not deter her from staying afloat. She successfully pivoted her business, expanded her offerings, and is committed to growing her business in the future. “I tapped into my creativity to keep my business going. I ventured into producing videos, widening my range of offerings, and have been more collaborative in nature, while strengthening my presence online with the help of GoDaddy,” Wilson shares as she talks about being more flexible with how she runs her business. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed Wilson to innovate in dealing with her clients. Maggie believes that Project GO can help inspire entrepreneurs like her. “By watching the show and listening to the contestant stories, we hope it can strengthen your entrepreneurial spirit, equip you with resources, enhance your creativity and help to transform you into “entrepreneurs of today,” Wilson explains. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to be working with GoDaddy again, and I’m also excited to hear the business ideas that will be highlighted on the show.” Open auditions began on Aug. 7 and ran until Sept. 2, with people from universities, institutions, and small and mid-size enterprises all responding to the

challenge, sharing stories of how they translated their innovative and creative ideas into tangible ventures. GoDaddy’s sponsorship is designed to extend support and assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners, as they work to keep their businesses active with the current economic challenges caused by the pandemic. With 20 million customers worldwide, GoDaddy is the place people come to solidify their idea with online presence, build a professional website, attract customers, and manage their work. According to Tina Shieh, Marketing Director for GoDaddy Asia, “GoDaddy empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to bring their business ideas to life and reach more customers with a strong online presence. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting economies and lives around the world, we hope to inspire Filipino entrepreneurs through Project GO, to follow their dreams, and to continue moving forward and jumpstart their businesses.” In addition to Project GO, GoDaddy offers information to help create and manage their business online with tools and expert guidance available on GoDaddy’s website (ph. GoDaddy.com). The site has resources that provide useful tips and business guides to help a business succeed online. GoDaddy is committed to continue supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Philippines with the online tools and expertise they need to transform their business ideas into successful ventures. For more information on Project GO, visit the official show website: www.axn-asia. com/ProjectGO Maggie Wilson is familiar with the challenges of an entrepreneur, especially now that the pandemic has impacted businesses worldwide. She has managed to thrive through the times with business innovation and creative collaborations.

Life

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

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

By Steph Llarena

URS is an agricultural country, but everyday we read about the plight of our farmers— from agricultural lands being developed into industrial lots to oversupply of produce which instead of reaching their consumers end up in landfills. The once model country in agriculture in Asia is now the biggest rice importer in the world, expected to reach 2.5 million metric tons by year-end. Small wonder many farmers turn to much greener pastures and urge their children to pursue anything but farming. To lend a hand to the very people responsible for the food that we eat, Ayala Malls has partnered with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Ayala Foundation, and the Restaurant Owners Association of the Philippines (Resto PH) to launch BuyANI Fresh Produce Market. “BuyANI is geared to help Filipino farmers sell their fresh produce and rebuild their businesses as they steadily get back on their feet and push forward,” said Ayala Malls president Jennylle Tupaz. “We understand the struggles of the heroes of our agriculture industry and local restaurateurs alike. By bringing them closer to the consumers through this project, we hope we are able to help alleviate some of their difficulties and contribute positively to the industry as a whole.” Through the project, customers can shop fresh produce and regional food items directly from the people who grew them at Ayala Malls. Some of the items for sale include organic vegetables and fruits, fresh dairy products, herbs, wines, coffee, and other locally cultivated items in well-curated stalls at DA-controlled prices. “The DA hopes that with this partnership with Resto PH and Ayala Malls,

Filipino farmers first THE PASTURES ARE GREEN. Select Filipino farmers are given the chance to get back on their feet and offer their products directly to consumers through weekend caravans BuyANI Fresh Produce Market of Ayala Malls and Farmers’ Produce of SM Malls.

we can open additional/alternative markets to help the farmers and fisherfolk sell their produce/products. An assured market and decent income will encourage our farmer producers, who we refer as ‘backliners’ amidst this pandemic, to continue to produce food,” said Agriculture secretary William Dar. As awareness and patronage for organic, fresh produce are on the rise, Resto PH president Eric Teng shared, “We are very happy to be part of the BuyANI Market project because as restaurateurs, we always try to source the best high quality ingredients. The fact that we can do this, at the same time being able to fully support our hard working farmers, is truly gratifying.” The BuyANI Market will be held on September 11-13 at Glorietta, September 18-20 at Alabang Town Center,

September 25-27 at UP Town Center, October 2-4 at Ayala Malls The 30th, October 9-11 at TriNoma, October 1618 at Market! Market!, and October 2325 at Bonifacio High Street. Shoppers are recommended to follow health protocols such as physical distancing and wearing of face masks and face shield, as well as bring their own shopping bags. *** Meanwhile, SM Supermalls’ series of farm-to-table caravans Farmers’ Produce is returning this weekend at SM Mall of Asia. Organized in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Resto PH, it brings fresh fruits and vegetables straight from farmers directly to consumers. “The pandemic is far from over and Farmers’ Produce will continue with its

shoppers,” enthused Ma. Joyce C. Villota, sales officer of Munting Paraiso ni Yoly Farm. “Aside from that, this also allows shoppers to show their support to local farmers and give them the push that they need to get through this pandemic.” Customers can get fresh eggplants, cabbages, pechay, potatoes, bananas, meat and fish, dairy and coconut products, rice, seedlings, herbs, and many more at the September 13-16 caravan. On top of that, several restaurants will be selling delicious meals that were prepared using the farmers’ ingredients at pop-up booths at Farmers’ Produce. After the MOA leg, Farmers’ Produce will continue to travel to SM Megamall on September 25-27 and October 2-4, and at SM Southmall on October 16-18 and 23-25.

SALE ALERT

Parents play coach to young athletes at home

Ace Hardware September sale

Alyssa Valdez leads free volleyball sessions at Milo Champions IG Live.

PARENTS have arguably never been much busier than they are today. Moms and dads suddenly have to be the teachers, the playmates, and, most likely, the only people their homebound children have been around with for the most part of the year. Then there’s the challenge of keeping kids healthy while at home, To assist parents—especially those raising young athletes—in this regard, Milo has recently launched its Home Court campaign to provide access to the resources parents and children need to jumpstart and continue their sporting ambitions. “More than taking part in amping up their skills with online trainings, Home Court inspires moms and dads to play a more active role as coaches to their little champs,” says Nestlé Philippines vice president Veronica Cruz. It comes with online training mod-

goal of helping provide livelihood to our farmers,” said Teng. Farmers’ Produce, located at Level 1 of South Entertainment Mall, will feature various local farms including Batangas City Banana Growers Association, Cada Farmers Agriculture Association, CocoPlus Aquarian Development Corporation, Farmer Juan Ranch Corporation, HDRD Tsuiteru Food Bar, Mama Agnes Enterprises, Munting Paraiso ni Yoly Farm, QueenB Apiaries, and Sarai Fruits and Vegetables Trading. “Farmers’ Produce has given us the opportunity to sell our products beyond our farms and localities. Oftentimes, many of our products are wasted because only a few people buy them. But now, we get to bring our products to different places and sell them to a lot of

ules, remote coaching sessions, and creative solutions to equip parents as the new coaches of their children. “It’s all about being fun and imaginative with them to assist their learning and growth in their respective sports, as well as keep their champion spirit strong and nurture the lifelong character-forming values that come with it such as discipline, hard work, and self-confidence,” adds Cruz. Over the past few months, Milo Home Court has launched a series of initiatives equipping parents and kids with the help they need to stay active and healthy. The Milo Champions IG Live featured national athletes and brand ambassadors Keifer Ravena, Alyssa Valdez, Pauline Lopez, Juan and Javi Gomez De Liaño, and Coach Rio Dela Cruz leading free workout sessions for

Home Court provides parents and children access to training modules, remote coaching sessions, and creative training solutions.

their fans. It also introduced Milo Sports Clinics Online, a digital platform where kids can learn for free the fundamentals of basketball, volleyball, taekwondo, and gymnastics under the tutelage of professional coaches from the brand’s partner organizations. More sports will be introduced soon to its online clinics, including arnis, badminton, karate, tennis, and football. Suited for kids 7 to 12 years old, each 60-minute session will be made available on YouTube for kids to try out in their homes for as long as four weeks per sport. Sessions will be done in partnership with professional coaches of the Department of Education Arnis Association of the Philippines, Asuncion Badminton Center, Association for the Advancement of Karatedo in the Philippines, Children’s Tennis and Sports Management Inc., and coaches from FC Barçelona Barça Academy—all supported by the Philippine Sports Commission. “After postponing Milo Summer Sports Clinics, we’re glad that there’s still a surge of interest from parents to let their kids participate in the online version,” says Milo sports executive Lester Castillo. “We know how important it is to keep the champion journeys going which is why we are providing ways for them to still pursue their sporting dreams in the safety and comfort of their homes.”

ACE Hardware dedicates its ongoing sale to frontline workers. From today until September 30, shoppers get up to 50 percent discount and an extra 10 percent off on all items (except chemicals and batteries) for a minimum single-receipt purchase of P2,000. Some of the items available at the stores include Black and Decker Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner with HEPA filter that removes airborne viruses, smart shelves, and high quality gardening tools

ACE book shelf in espresso finish

Black and Decker Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner

like the ACE hedge shear and floral trimmer. Those who shop using their Ace Rewards Card get double points on all ACE branded items. Discounts are also available through Ace Hardware’s Call and Collect service or online at www.acehardware.ph, ShopSM, Lazada, or Shopee.

ACE floral trimmer ACE cube organizer