Manila Standard - 2020 October 12 - Monday

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

Extended session proposed Opposition buying time to review budget; Speaker to meet panel head

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A

LBAY Rep. Edcel Lagman on Sunday appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the special session of Congress for another four days from Oct. 19 to 22 to give lawmakers enough time to scrutinize and approve the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

Interviewed over Dobol B sa News TV, Lagman said this would enable the House to introduce committee and individual amendments to the spending plan before it is approved on second and third reading.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon proposed the holding of a special

session from Nov. 9 to 13 to guarantee the timely approval of the P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021.

Drilon urged the President to call for a special session of Congress on those dates to allow the Senate to debate the proposed 2021 General Appropriations Next page Act on the floor.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 220 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

'Budget before politics.' This summed up the statement issued by House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Sunday as he urged his colleagues in the lower chamber “to pass the national budget as requested by the President on third and final reading on Oct. 16.” Romualdez said he spoke to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea who reconfirmed that President Duterte’s call for a special session under Proclamation No. 1027 is for Congress to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed national budget. The President also certified it as an urgent measure, he said. Politics such as the speakership issue will be tackled after the passage of the national budget to assure a smooth transition, Romualdez said.

REFLECTION. The San Juanico Bridge, a major link between Samar and Leyte provinces, shines in kaleidoscopic colors and turns into a veritable eye candy as a result of a lighting project of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Patrick Steven

Ruling party spells out demand to Speaker: Honor the agreement

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja THE ruling PDP-Laban on Sunday urged lawmakers to honor the termsharing agreement that would have Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco replace Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as speaker of the House later this month after the national budget is passed.

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM OCT. 11)

339,341

"For the PDP-Laban, the party's stand remains unchanged for 15 months and can be summarized in three words: honor the agreement," a statement from the party said.

The ruling party said President Rodrigo Duterte, his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and the PDP-Laban leadership fully supported the gentleman's agreement brokered by the President, who is also chairman of Next page the party.

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

2,502 39,945 NEW

ACTIVE

6,321

83

DEATHS

NEW

293,075 17,057 RECOVERIES

NEW

LOCAL ROUNDUP SAVED BY THE BELLE? House Speaker-in-waiting Rep. Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque and presidential daughter Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio of Davao City meet over dinner Friday Oct. 9. Velasco is expected to become Speaker on Oct. 14 under a term-sharing agreement with the incumbent Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano of Taguig City.

Deport suspected bomber—BI CAPABILITY DEMO. Police units of Region 9 show off their beach-landing attack technique during a 'capability demonstration' witnessed by PNP chief Gen. Camilo Gascolan during a command visit on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020.

PH, China create citizens' 'fast lane' THE Philippines and China discussed over the weekend how they could speed up the entry and exit of their citizens in and out of their respective borders—if they were involved in industries considered "crucial" to both.

That was part of the agenda during Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.'s three-day official visit to China, which ended on Oct. 11. It was his first

trip there in months.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the plan had been dubbed the "fast lane for urgently needed personnel exchanges."

In a statement, the department said the program would "facilitate, with due safeguards, the movement of essential official exchanges and travel by Next page

Forecasters warn of flash floods TWO low pressure areas and the southwest monsoon caused rains over many parts of the country on Sunday.

In its early morning forecast, state weather agency PAGASA said Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao,

Next page

THE Bureau of Immigration is set to file a deportation case against suspected Indonesian suicide bomber Rezky Fantasya Rullie who was arrested in Jolo, Sulu Saturday.

The BI said Rullie has been the subject of surveillance for months.

Together with two other women— Inda Nhur and Fatima Sandra Jimlani Jama, believed to be wives of ranking Abu Sayyaf Group members—the 17-year-old Rullie was nabbed during a pre-dawn raid.

A suicide vest, bombs, and other

improvised explosive device making components were reported to have been recovered from them.

"They have been brought to the police station for documentation and filing of charges. A deportation case has been recommended to be filed against Rullie for terrorism, being an illegal entrant, and for undesirability, apart from the criminal charges that she faces," said Melody Gonzales, BI Intelligence Mindanao Task Group head.

The BI, however, clarified that Rul Next page

• Vaccine group gears up for tests • Sputnik V update up at House hearing A SUB-TECHNICAL working group led by the Department of Science and Technology is gearing up for COVID-19 phase 3 clinical trials, which are set to begin in November.

All applications for clinical trials to be conducted in the country will be submitted to the sub-technical working group, and will be reviewed by the vaccine expert panel and the ethics review committees.

After a thorough review of the clinical Next page

Brace for diesel price rise—Unioil

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONSUMERS can expect higher diesel prices this week, but gasoline prices may go down to reflect the movement of world oil prices, according to Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. “Expect fuel prices to have mix movements next week [Oct. 13 to 19]. Diesel should increase by P0.40 per liter, and gasoline should go down by P0.10 per liter,” Unioil said in its weekly price forecast.

On Oct. 6, the oil firms raised the price of gasoline by P0.10 per liter and kerosene by P0.20 per liter.

There was no price movement for diesel.

Next page

BASECO BAYWALK. Manila's engineering crewmen put the finishing touches on the Baseco Baywalk, laying the bricks and painting them to make them pleasing to the eye.

The Baywalk is part of the city's goal of having more open spaces for residents to appreciate and enjoy. MPIO

A2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

SC: Heart Center property tax-exempt

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court has invalidated the sale at public auction of 11 real properties of the Philippine Heart Center by the Quezon City government over its failure to settle its tax obligations amounting to P36.5 million in 2014.

and more for public use and public welfare than for profit-oriented services,” the high court said.

The high court said the properties of the PHC are considered public dominion devoted to public use and welfare, thus exempt from real property taxes and levies.

In the pursuit of its mandate, the PHC reported it had served 60,000 cardiology patients, performed around 94,000 radiology procedures and provided free heart surgery for 82 mission beneficiaries, among others.

Despite reporting revenues of P3.03 billion in 2018, the high court said, the PHC still operated at a loss of P504.5 million.

Thus the government annually allocates funding to the PHC and in 2018 alone it provided P888.7 million in financial assistance to the hospital.

“The hospital fees which the PHC charges are simply too meager to cov-

er operating expenses. To divest the PHC of other sources of income may, therefore, impede, if not paralyze, its operations altogether,” the high court said.

“And to allow the Quezon City government to confiscate the PHC’s properties would be nothing short of ironic, if not self-destructive, as it would kill the very patient the government so desperately seeks to revive.”

But the Court agreed with the position of the Quezon City government that the 11 properties of the PHC in the city are subject to real property tax since the PHC granted the beneficial use of these properties to commercial establishments such as Globe Telecom Inc., Jollibee Corporation and several others, but “this does not automatically validate the acts of assessing, levying and selling the 11 properties of the PHC.”

In a decision written by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, the high court’s First Division said the PHC was exempt from paying real property taxes, being a government instrumentality, as mandated by the Local Government Code of the Philippines.

The Court reversed the Court of Appeals’ ruling issued on March 15, 2016, which denied PHC’s petition on a technicality.

“Real properties owned by the Republic, whether titled in the name of the Republic itself or in the name of

agencies or instrumentalities of the national government, are exempt from real property tax,” the high said.

The high court said the PHC passed the two criteria to be classified as a government instrumentality: it performs governmental functions and enjoys operational autonomy.

It said the PHC is under the supervision of the Health department and carries out government policies in pursuit of its objectives.

“Certainly, the PHC’s functions are less commercial than governmental,

Extended...

suspended session until Nov. 16, despite an earlier commitment to pass the budget on third and final reading

by Oct. 14.

Congress created a small committee of lawmakers to accept committee and individual amendments to the budget bill, but the President called for a special session from Oct. 13 to 16 to resume budget deliberations and to avoid any delays in the bill's passage.

Lagman said the small committee deliberations should not push through because the process was not transparent.

“These committee and individual amendments should be proposed, discussed and approved in the plenary,” he said in Filipino.

He called for the reopening of the plenary deliberations on the 2021 budget since the budget proposals of four major government agencies have

not yet to be examined.

He said allocations for some constitutional and executive offices, and the state universities and colleges also have not been scrutinized.

Cayetano came under fire for delaying the budget's passage because he wanted to hold on to his position, despite a term-sharing agreement he had with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, on Sunday said he will meet with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to discuss the budget.

“Tomorrow (Monday), I will have a meeting with Speaker Cayetano on what to do-whether we continue the second reading, renew or proceed with the third reading," he said.

Leachon said in a statement.

"Besides, she believes that parties to the term-sharing agreement must be gentleman enough to comply," Leachon said.

"Non-adherence to agreement is a defiance of (her) father, as I perceive any daughter would feel, and we can’t deny it because there can be no interpretation other than that," he added.

Leachon said the photo of Velasco's meeting with the Davao City mayor “says it all.”

Earlier, Cayetano, along with his wife Taguig City Rep. Lani Cayetano, House Deputy Secretary-General Brian Yamsuan and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, met with presidential son and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte also in Davao City.

Leachon believes Velasco's meeting with Sara was intended to end to the speakership row, which he said threatens the unity of Congress and sows disrespect toward the President's wishes, including his desire that the budget be passed on time.

Another Velasco ally, Buhay party-

list Rep. Lito Atienza said the President had “strongly rebuffed” Cayetano by calling for a four-day special session from Oct. 13 to 16.

Earlier, Cayetano had suspended session until Nov. 16 in what his critics said was an attempt to sabotage the term-sharing agreement.

“Malacañang has repudiated the Speaker, who is clearly drunk with power, and has become a huge embarrassment and liability to the President,” Atienza said.

“Congressman Cayetano has betrayed the President. He has also double-crossed all the House members who elected him as speaker in July last year based on the term-sharing agreement blessed by the President no less,” he added.

Cayetano’s “highly irregular” cancellation of House sessions until Nov. 16 “had imperiled the passage of the budget bill,” thus forcing the President’s hand, the party-list lawmaker said.

Cayetano abruptly called off House sessions because he was clearly not willing to step down on Oct. 14, he said.

“Through all sorts of political machinations, congressman Cayetano has shamelessly reneged on his solemn promise – made before the President – to step down as speaker after 15 months and give way to congressman Velasco,” he added.

On Oct. 9, the President called the House of Representatives to a special session from Oct. 13 to 16, a day after he warned that he would step in to solve the House leadership dispute that was stalling the approval of the budget bill.

Since Cayetano knew he could not muster enough votes on his own to get elected as speaker in July 2019, he agreed to the term-sharing pact with Velasco with the President acting as the go-between, Atienza said.

“Anybody who has doubts about the clarity of the conditions of the termsharing should revisit the news videos of the President’s July 8, 2019 address in Malacañang, when he laid out the terms,” he said.

“The news videos are available online for all to see,” he said.

Deport...

be the daughter of two suicide bombers who killed 21 people in an attack on a Catholic cathedral in Jolo early last year. That attack was blamed on a group linked to Abu Sayyaf.

The arrest comes less than two months after a pair of female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Jolo island in Muslim-majority Sulu, which killed 15 people and wounded 74 others.

Security forces blamed the August 24 attack on the Abu Sayyaf.

From A1

“We will debate on the budget from Nov. 9 to 13. We can finish it within five to seven days and allot two weeks for the bicam,” said Drilon in an interview over radio dzBB Sunday.

He said Congress can send to Malacanang the 2021 GAA by the first week of December so that the President can sign it before Jan. 1, 2021.

Congress is set to adjourn on Oct. 17 and will resume session only until mid-November.

Last week, Congress approved on second reading House Bill 7727, or the 2021 general appropriations bill without completing the scheduled plenary deliberations, over the objections of some lawmakers.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano then

Ruling...

From A1

The statement was issued after Velasco met with Duterte-Carpio in Davao City on Friday, Oct. 9.

GMA News Online shared a photo of Velasco at a dining table having a meal with Duterte-Carpio.

Under the term-sharing agreement that Duterte brokered last year, Cayetano of the Nacionalista Party, was to serve as speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, then hand over the post to the PDP-Laban's Velasco, who would serve for the remaining 21 months.

As the deadline for the turnover approached, however, Cayetano seemed unwilling to give up his post—and his allies have been lobbying for his retention as speaker.

But Duterte-Carpio has endorsed Velasco as the next speaker "anytime this week but without interruption on the budget deliberation," his ally Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Salvador

Local...

From A1

trial applications, these will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for a final pass. The vaccine trials may begin after the FDA’s regulatory review and approval. Willie Casas 2,502 new COVID-19 cases logged The Philippines logged on Sunday 2,502 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total to 339,341, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The DOH reported 17,057 recoveries, bringing the total number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to 293,075.

There were 83 new deaths reported Sunday, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 6,321.

This left 39,945 active cases, 83 percent of which are mild; 11.2 percent of which are asymptomatic; 1.8 percent of which are severe; and 3.9 percent of which are critical. Willie Casas House seeks Sputnik V update BULACAN’S San Jose del Monte Rep. Florida Robes on Sunday said the House committee on people participation will again tackle on Monday the latest development on the clinical studies on Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine for COVID-19.

She said the meeting is the continuation of the first meeting conducted in September with the Russian Embassy on the vaccine’s development.

“Since the Philippines is one of countries that is currently studying the vaccine, we want to be given updates on its trials to give our people the information and to help to facilitate cooperation

between the two countries to ensure its availability in the country if the tests go well at the earliest possible time,” Robes said.

Robes has invited representatives from the Department of Health, and Department of Science and Technology to provide information about the status of Sputnik V’s phase 3 clinical trials. Rio N. Araja Access to virtual hearings approved The Supreme Court has allowed the public to access and watch the virtual trial proceedings for both criminal and civil cases in the first and second level courts.

In a memorandum circular dated October 9, 2020, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said the public can now join the videoconferencing hearings for both criminal and civil cases, a mechanism which was initially limited to the participation of the judge, court staff, parties, their lawyers and witnesses.

The circular allows the public to participate in the videoconferencing hearings of cases in accordance with existing circulars and guidelines.

“To further comply with the constitutional right of the accused to a public trial, and to resemble or mirror more, as far as practicable, the in-court proceedings, all videoconferencing hearings conducted by first and second level courts may be accessible to the public,” Marquez said.

Those who want to attend a videoconferencing hearing are required to send an email to the concerned court at least three days before the scheduled hearing through its Philippine Judiciary Office 365 email address. Rey E. Requejo

TV, he said “That’s what we have to decide on, and I am waiting for the guidance of Speaker Cayetano," he added.

Yap said Congress would have the ample to pass the 2021 budget bill on third reading.

The President has already called for a special session of Congress from Oct. 13 to 16 to allow the House of Representatives, which adjourned session last October 6, to finish the approval of the budget.

Section 15, Article VI of the Constitution allows the President to call a special session at any time.

The Senate leader also said the holding of a special session is a “safety net” in case there will be delays at the bicameral conference committee, which will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions Interviewed over Dobol B sa News of the budget bill.

From A1

lie will first have to face the criminal charges filed against her before being deported.

Rullie is the widow of an Indonesian militant killed in Sulu in August, the Joint Task Force for the restive region said in a statement.

Rullie, alias Cici, is also believed to

Brace...

From A1

These resulted in the total year-todate adjustments to stand at a net decrease of P4.32 per liter of gasoline, P10.71 per liter of diesel and P14.19 per liter of kerosene, according to the latest oil price monitoring of the Department of Energy.

The department last week said it planned to file a motion for reconsideration on the decision of the Court of Appeals upholding the Taguig Regional Trial Court’s issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction on the implementation of the oil unbundling circular.

The department said it had yet to receive a copy of the ruling.

“Once formally received, the DOE intends to seek a reconsideration of the

Decision, and raise the issue to the Supreme Court, if necessary,” the department said in a statement.

It said the court ruled only on the issue of the validity of the trial court's issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction.

“While the writ has prevented the DOE from implementing Department Circular DC2019-05-0008 on the unbundling of oil prices during the course of the case in the trial court, the CA decision did not rule on the validity or invalidity of the DC,” the department said.

It considers the circular vital as it believes in the objective of the law for the transparency of oil prices “at least to the government, in order to formulate better and more responsive oil industry policies.”

The department said it issued the circular to help strengthen its ability to monitor oil prices more effectively.

logistics, production and technical services."

From A1 Locsin and his entourage were received by Chinese State Councilor personnel in crucial industries, such and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in as business and trade, infrastructure, Tengchong City in the southern prov-

PH,..

KL recruiters of Filipina get 12-year jail term THE Department of Foreign Affairs says the Malaysian employers of a Filipina who had been victimized by human trafficking have been convicted in court.

The department said the Sessions Court in Malaysia found the employers guilty of violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act. The court sentenced the employers to 10 to 12 years in jail and ordered them to pay the victim RM20,000 (P232,976) in damages.

“The conviction is a big win for us during this pandemic and is the first victory for a Filipina in Malaysia,” Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said in a statement.

“This is an example of the government's commitment in protecting and promoting the rights of our workers.”

The Filipina, identified by the department only as "Courage", first escaped from her first employer due to a rape attempt. She was then employed by the now-convicted Malaysian couple.

The department said Courage was maltreated and abused by the couple using a hanger, an iron and boiling oil, among other things.

When Courage escaped from the Malaysian couple, she was found by a Filipino couple in an abandoned lot and was brought to the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Rey E. Requejo

India cases surge by 75,000 past seven million INDIA'S coronavirus cases surged past seven million on Sunday as US President Donald Trump got back on the campaign trail just nine days after announcing he had contracted COVID-19.

Governments across the globe are struggling to keep up with a sharp rise in infections and manage growing public frustration over new restrictions as the pandemic enters a second deadly wave.

Since it emerged in China late last year, it has killed more than one million worldwide, infected nearly 37 million and forced millions more out of work as the pandemic batters the global economy.

Indian health ministry data Sunday showed a rise of almost 75,000 cases, taking the total to 7.05 million – second only to the US which has recorded 7.67 million infections.

But experts say the true number may be much higher, with testing rates in the country of 1.3 billion people – home to some of the planet's most crowded cities – much lower than elsewhere in the world.

The new figures come a day after Trump rallied hundreds of supporters at the White House, jumping back on the campaign trail nine days after being stopped in his tracks by a disease his doctor says he is no longer at risk of spreading.

In Europe, the virus closed doors early Saturday on the German capital's legendary nightlife, with bars and restaurants ordered shut at 11:00 pm (2100 GMT) in Berlin under a partial curfew announced until October 31.

"This is not the time to party," said Berlin mayor Michael Muller in a message addressed to young people, who are driving new infections higher. "We can and we want to prevent another more severe confinement." AFP

Forecasters...

From A1

Caraga, and the Bangsamoro region will have cloudy skies, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, with the possibility of flash floods or landslides during times of moderate or heavy rains.

Ipo Dam conducted a spilling operation at 5 p.m. with an initial discharge of 70 cms.

Residents living along low-lying areas and those near the river bank of Angat River from Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliuag, Pulilan, Plaridel and Hagonoy were advised to take precautionary measures and to be alert for possible increase in water level. Orlan Mauricio ince of Yunnan.

The department said Locsin and Wang "engaged in a candid and indepth exchange on regional security concerns" and ASEAN-China matters, but no details were mentioned.

News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Moto taxis’ back on the road

MOTORCADE. Motorcycle riders from motorcycle ride-hailing app Angkas conducted a motorcade along Edsa in Pasay City, on 11 October 2020, hoping that the Congress would grant their 30,000-rider strong group’s appeal to be back in the street to service the riding public. Norman Cruz

Lawmaker urges SSS to address delays in elderlies’ pension

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Representative and House Assistant Majority Leader Precious Castelo, on Sunday appealed to the Social Security System to resolve the delay and confusion on the payment of pension benefits.

She made the appeal after watching a news report which showed pensioners in their 70s queueing at the SSS mem-

bers’ assistance center in Quezon City to inquire about their delayed retirement pension.

Only a few employees attended to the inquiries of the elders since SSS was on a skeletal work amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVUD-19) pandemic, she said.

“These are senior citizens should be staying home. By going out to inquire about their pension, they are ex-

posing themselves to the infections,” she said.

“Our elderly need their monthly benefit, which is barely enough for their medicines,” she said/ She said the television report quoted the agency spokesman saying that the new schedule was based on the birthday of the pensioners, who were required to register online or at any SSS office, adding that failure to do so could result in

the suspension of their pensions.

“Again, why introduce these changes amid the pandemic even if the objective is to save money by discarding the practice of issuing checks? Why expose our senior citizen-retirees to health and physical risks unnecessarily?” Castelo asked.

She called on the SSS to return to its old payment system of depositing pensions in banks.

‘Survivorship’ benefits pushed for prosecutors

HDO issued vs. Chinese, 4 Pinoys for telco fraud A PASAY City court judge has directed the Immigration bureau to issue a hold departure order against a Chinese national and his four Filipino cohorts accused of being involved in a telecommunication fraud racket.

The suspects -- Neng Shen Sy, a Chinese businessman and resident of Barangay Tambo, Paranaque City; and Mark Glenn Sy, Felisa Sy, Stephen Sha and Ronald Fesalbon -are now the subjects of a manhunt operation for syndicated estafa filed by the victim, who is also a Chinese national, before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.

“In view of the prayer of Senior Assistant Prosecutor Alan A. Mangabat for the issuance of a hold departure order against the accused, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration is hereby directed to hold the departure of the said accused to prevent them from leaving the country until further orders from this Court,” stated in the court order signed by Pasay City RTC Branch 118 Judge Rowena Nieves Tan. Joel E. Zurbano

M

ORE than 5,000 Angkas bikers took to the streets last Sunday to show their gratitude to the government after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases gave the go-signal for motorcycle taxi operations to resume.

The IAFT decision came following appeals from the riding public, Angkas riders, Cabinet secretaries and lawmakers from both the House and the Senate.

In the Senate, one of the staunchest supporters of the resumption of motorcycle taxis operation is Senate Pro Tempore, Senator Ralph Recto.

Recto said allowing motorcyle taxis to resume operations will save jobs, expand transport options “without need for government bailout.”

The senator said that motorcycle taxis will expand the transport options of millions and restore the livelihood of tens of thousands..

“This is one job-creating public service that will not cost the government a single centavo,” Recto said.

“Airline fleets are mostly grounded, and the few flying are cruising on the dangerously low altitude of funds. In contrast, motorcycle taxis are ready to ferry people to work at a moment’s notice without need for a government financial push,” he said.

Recto added that theoretically, one motorcycle taxi driver back on the road is one ‘ayuda’ recipient off the list, Recto said. “And a big chunk of the cost of gas they buy are taxes that help pay for health services.”

“They have not been asking for Christmas bonus. Their only simple wish is for the government to allow them to go back to their job so their Christmas won’t be bitter,” he added.

But Recto said motorcycle taxis should only be allowed on the road again if they will meet “stringent health and safety standards” the government will impose.

“This part is non-negotiable. If barriers, face masks and face shields, disinfected helmets are necessary to protect rider and driver, then these should be made mandatory,” he said.

By Rey E. Requejo

IN recognition of the indispensable role of prosecutors in the country’s criminal justice system, Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the grant of survivorship benefits to the members of the National Prosecution Service.

A lawyer himself, Angara took note of how retired prosecutors have no survivorship benefits unlike their counterparts in the Office of the Ombudsman or the judiciary even though the nature of their work is the same.

“Prosecutors are saddled with heavy caseloads and on top of this they face constant risks to life because of the nature of their work. The grant of survivorship benefits to the members of the NPS is but a small gesture of our appreciation of the work that they are doing in the service of the country,” Angara said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Department of Interior and Local Government has directed barangay officials and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to address the increasing number of beggars in the country’s metropolis.

In an online news forum on Sunday, DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño said that beggars should be apprehended to prevent them from possibly spreading the coronavirus.

“The law is the law. The police should apprehend these beggars and bring them to the DSWD because we don’t know if they have already been infected,” Diño.

The DILG official said the numbers of beggars grew after they were joined by locally-stranded individuals, displace jeepney drivers and several others who have lost their jobs because of the ongoing pandemic.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SC sets new rules for cases of NDs

IN BRIEF

DILG wants beggars out of city streets

A3

ART EXHIBIT. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar and Manila Hotel President Joey Lina join visual artist Kristine S. Lim in her art exhibit titled ‘Almost There’ which shows some of her masterpieces.

CHR says it rejects re-imposition of death penalty

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Higher Education on Sunday said that it remains opposed to the return of capital punishment.

“Despite formidable efforts to reintroduce the death penalty, we remain steadfast on our resolve to keeping the country death penalty free. It is not only a legal obligation but a moral duty. Death penalty is a false promise. Let us break free from death penalty. No to death penalty!,” Commissioner

Karen Gomez Dumpit said during the 18th World Day Against Death Penalty.

Dumpit is the commission’s focal commissioner on anti-death penalty.

“With the global theme, “Access to Counsel - A Matter of Life or Death,” the spotlight is on the right to effective legal representation, during all stages of arrest, detention, trial and post-trial, which is a pillar in the right to a fair trial. Without access to effective legal representation, due process cannot be guaranteed,” she said in

Marikina gets seeds, aid from Villar

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar donated 50 sacks of fertilizer and 24 packs of seeds to Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Marikina City to help establish farms and vegetable gardens in support of the city government’s goal to achieve food sustainability amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The assistance, provided through the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance, were turned over to the National TVET Trainers Academy of TESDA -Marikina City.

Perla Lucas, NTTA-TESDA Administrator, earlier sought the assistance of Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, whose advocacy is to transform vacant lots and pocket spaces into urban farms by planting assorted vegetables.

Villar said the organic fertilizers came from kitchen wastes collected from households in Las Pinas City.

The kitchen wastes were then turned over to composting and vermi-composting centers where they are converted into organic fertilizers.

The collection of kitchen wastes in the city is in line with the senator’s ongoing initiative to manage the city’s waste and at the same time, provide livelihood to residents.

“Our composting and recycling projects have transformed 70% of Las Pinas City’s household wastes into reusable resources and enabled us to save on garbage hauling services. This is very timely given the challenges on garbage collection with the ongoing restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Villar said, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Environment.

a statement.

The CHR said several studies showed that those facing execution are mostly from the country’s poor, with no access to competent counsel nor to decent education that empower them with knowledge about their rights.

Citing the National Survey on the Public Perception on the Death Penalty in 2018, the CHR said 63 percent agree that most people in death row are poor people who cannot afford a good lawyer.

THE Supreme Court has harmonized its existing jurisprudence in resolving cases involving notices of disallowance of illegally disbursed public funds and the liability of those who have participated in the transactions.

In a decision, the SC sets a harmonized and coherent legal parameters in the resolution of cases involving dispute over notices of disallowance, disapproval in audit of disbursements, issued by the Commission on Audit.

If the NDs are upheld by the SC, the rules on return should be complied within the following requirements: 1) Approving and certifying officers who acted in good faith, in regular performance of official functions, and with the diligence of a good father of the family are not civilly liable to return; 2) Approving and certifying officers who are clearly shown to have acted in bad faith, malice, or gross negligence are solidarily liable to return only the net disallowed amount and 3) “Recipients -whether approving or certifying officers or mere passive recipients -- are liable to return the disallowed amounts respectively received by them, unless they are able to show that the amounts they received were genuinely given in consideration of services rendered.”

According to the high court, if the NDs are set aside or nullified, “no return shall be required from any of the persons held liable.”

PCG CLEAN-UP.

Selected AETDC personnel and students, led by its Commander, AETDC, MGen. Ferdinand M. Cartujano, PAF, joined the Nationwide Coastal Clean Up and Mangrove Planting in connection with the 119th Philippine Coast Guard Anniversary. The said activity was held in the boundaries of Brgy. Balibago and Brgy Talisay, Calatagan, Batangas.

It was spearheaded by Philippine Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog under Commo. Tito Alvin G. Andal, PCG and also attended by members of the Philippine National Police officials, Calaca City Environment and Natural Resources Office personnel, Members of Bantay Dagat and other volunteers.

LGUs

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

A4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.

A worker wearing a face mask fixes a decoration shaped like the Eiffel tower next to others displayed for sale on a road in San Fernando, Pampanga on October 6. AFP

Caloocan dad doles out 50 plastic bins

By Jun David CALOOCAN City Councilor Orvince Howard A. Hernandez has distributed 50 plastic trash bins to 30 barangays and 20 health centers for centralized use to promote and maintain cleanliness in the communities and prevent the spread of diseases that are normally caused by filthy surroundings.

Hernandez, concurrent president of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of Caloocan City, announced that 150 more trash bins will be given to other barangays.

“Our total is 200 trash bins for hazardous wastes. We still have 150 that are set for distribution. This is just a start as there are pledges already from the private sector that they will donate more plastic trash bins as they recognize the importance of what we are doing here in Caloocan City,” Hernandez said, adding that all 200 pieces were donated by Sentinel Upcycling Corporation.

He urged households and businesses in the city to gather, segregate, and donate their plastic garbage to manufacturers engaged in recycling in exchange for plastic trash bin donations.

Hernandez noted that city folks have been encouraged to dispose of their wastes in the trash bins when they see the garbage containers in their barangays.

“The initial success of our effort is noticeable. And because the people responded positively to our call to dispose of their garbage in the centralized plastic trash bins that we placed in their vicinity, we are inspired to put up more of these in our barangays,” he said.

DOT recognizes tourism players in Mimaropa THE Department of Tourism recently feted outstanding individuals, public and private stakeholders, who provided valuable support to the national efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic despite its impact on the tourism industry.

Themed “Pink Life: Nurture, Foster and Understand Amid A Pandemic!”, the Mimaropa Tourism Appreciation and Recognition Day honored tourism players who rendered the Filipino brand of service beyond the call of duty.

“We are recognizing the tourism establishments and personalities who made great contributions to the industry and who exemplified the renowned Filipino hospitality that makes visitors want to come back,” says Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo.

She cited the regional office, which was able to assist 6,628 foreign and local tourists, and board them on 150 sweeper flights and ferries to their points of origin.

Mimaropa or Region IV-B is composed of the island provinces of Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, which are known for their terrestrial and marine biodiversity.

P’que bans cars, PUVs using bike, motorcycle lanes

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Parañaque City government has banned private and public utility vehicles from using the motorcycle and bicycle lanes along Sucat Road.

Beginning today (Oct. 12), motorists obstructing and traversing along the designated and exclusive lanes for motorcycle and bike riders will be fined P1,000 per offense.

In his directive, Mayor Edwin Olivarez ordered the city traffic and parking management office to effectively implement Ordinance 2020-23, designating the outer lane of Sucat Road (A. Santos Avenue) to Ninoy Aquino Avenue, including the guidelines and penalties of the local law.

Under the ordinance, the inner lane of the 12-kilometer avenue would be allocated to private vehicles; the center lane to delivery trucks, vans and other and long vehicles, and the outer lane would be used by bicycles and motorcycles.

The bike and motorcycle lane has blue road markings and signages in accordance with international standards.

Olivarez said all vehicles caught illegally parked along the bike and motorcycle lane will also be fined of P1,000.

He added that motorcycle riders who will traverse outside the exclusive lane will be penalized of P1,000 while bike riders will charge P500 in every offense.

Violators will be sent notices and tickets through the city’s no contact apprehension policy, which has been implemented since 2018.

QC pushes aquaculture too

By Rio N. Araja

A

PART from urban agriculture, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is also pushing for urban aquaculture to strengthen food security and ensure access to nutritious and affordable food for residents amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

Belmonte, as chairperson of the Quezon City Food Security Task Force, has signed a memorandum of agreement with Agriculture Secretary William Dar for the implementation of the urban aquaculture program.

Under the program, known as Technology Demonstration on Community Urban Aquaculture in Quezon City, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has pledged 15 aquaponic units to be placed in various communities,

including Barangay Bagong Silangan.

The partnership between the city government and the Department of Agriculture includes a training component for fast and efficient transfer of technology.

“The city will continue to look for ways to ensure the steady supply of food to our residents amid the pandemic and African swine fever (ASF),” she said.

“Aside from urban agriculture, we will engage in urban aquaculture to

ensure fish supply as an alternative to pork meat,” Belmonte added.

Meanwhile, bikers and residents in Quezon City welcomed the move by the city government to reduce fine for bicycle riders caught not wearing a helmet.

Despite the reduced fine, netizens expressed hope that bicycle riders will still comply with the mandatory wearing of helmets since it is for their own safety.

“With or without fine, bikers should follow and wear proper helmets most especially because this is for their own safety,” netizens Meanne Enriquez and Xymone Manalo wrote in Filipino on Facebook.

On Tuesday, the QC government, in a Facebook post, said the QC council heeded the call of its citizens and decided to prioritize the safety of bike riders and reduced the fine for those not wearing safety helmets.

SM DONATION. SM Foundation has donated ICU-grade ventilators to help augment hospitals’ capacity to manage severe COVID-19

cases, particularly with patients who require intubation. Among the hospital recipients are the Butuan Medical Center, Quezon Medical Center, West Visayas Medical Center, Romblon Provincial Hospital, and Southern Philippines Medical Center. To date, SM has donated almost P400 million in essential medical supplies, equipment, RT-PCR testing, and assistance to help national efforts against COVID-19.

Angeles conducts over 12k tests for coronavirus ANGELES CITY—In its continuing efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the Angeles city government has conducted a total of 2,383 free reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and more than 10,000 rapid tests.

“In the first days of the pandemic, Mayor Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin Jr. has ordered COVID-19 mass testing using the Food and Drug Administration-approved

rapid testing kits,” Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC) Officer in Charge Dr. Froilan Canlas said.

The city mayor has appropriated P88 million for swab tests, and procured 30,000 rapid testing kits, four units of ventilators, cardiac monitors, additional personal protective equipment, and facemasks for RLMMC, formerly Ospital Ning Angeles.

RLMMC was designated by the city

government as its COVID 19 center.

Based on the guidelines of the Department of Health on expanded testing coverage, individuals who are at risk and need to be tested include: suspected cases, individuals with relevant history of travel and exposure, health workers, individuals 60 years old or older, or those with existing illnesses such as hypertension or diabetes, which makes them immunocompromised. Butch Gunio

IN BRIEF

Villar promotes urban gardening in Marikina SEN. Cynthia A. Villar has donated 50 sacks of fertilizer and 24 packs of seeds to Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Marikina City to help establish farms and vegetable gardens in support of the city government’s goal to achieve food sustainability amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The assistance, provided through the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG), were turned over to the National TVET Trainers Academy of TESDA (NTTATESDA)-Marikina City.

Perla Lucas, NTTA-TESDA Administrator, earlier sought the assistance of Villar, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, in line with her advocacy to transform vacant lots and pocket spaces into urban farms by planting assorted vegetables.

Villar said the organic fertilizers came from kitchen wastes collected from households in Las Pinas City.

The kitchen wastes were then turned over to composting and vermi-composting centers where they are converted into organic fertilizers.

Rubia gives food packs to Bayangin residents MARiVELES, Bataan -- Vice Mayor Lito Rubia has given food packs to needy residents of Sitio Bayangin in Barangay Alas-asin here.

The residents thanked the vice mayor for the food assistance delivered this week, saying it is a big help to them.

“Kahit malayo kami nakarating sa amin ang ayuda,” resident Juanita dela Cruz said.

Rubia said he and other members of Sangguniang Bayan Mariveles are always willing to help the needy and reminded townsfolk to always follow LGU protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Butch Gunio

Xevera Mabalacat, Bacolor homeowners get land titles after 10 years

By Jess Malabanan MABALACAT CITY—After more than a decade, Globe Asiatique fulfilled its promised to legitimize the stay of Xevera Mabalacat City and Bacolor residents.

Certificate of Land Titles were distributed to homeowners who have fully paid their housing loans with the Home Mutual Development Fund or Pag-ibig Fund during simple rites held at the township clubhouse here over the weekend.

A total of 23 titles were awarded in Xevera Mabalacat City and five at Xevera Bacolor.

“The long wait is over... first and foremost I came here to deliver what had been promised to [home] buyers. Certificate of Land Titles are readied for distribution to fully paid buyers, these are buyers of Globe Asiatique,” said Delfin Lee, President and CEO, during a brief meeting with local media here.

Lee said the release of titles is long overdue, it so happened that it was put on hold due to issues against GA, and “I personally thanked to buyers for their patience and trust.”

He assured that GA will continue to monitor the activities in both Xevera Mabalacat and Bacolor under the new owner and management - Westchester Realty Corporation.

LAND TITLES.

Globe Asiatique President and CEO Delfin Lee (right) shows a Certificate of Land Title shortly before the start of distribution of the documents to homeowners, including one seated beside him, who have fully paid their housing loans with the Home Mutual Development Fund or Pag Ibig Fund at the Xevera Mabalacat Clubhouse on Saturday.

Jess Malabanan

Opinion The next Speaker

Perhaps a dark horse will emerge.

Those who are betting on Alan Peter or Lord Allan may have another surprise coming: Perhaps not on Wednesday the 14th, as the supposed hand-over was negotiated in the palace.

Perhaps at a more opportune time.

My prediction: a “dark horse” will emerge, and the contest will not be solely between Alan with an L or Allan with a double L. I will not foretell a timeframe either. That dark horse may emerge as the next Speaker, not necessarily this Wednesday, maybe not even before the Christmas recess. Someone respected for his experience and intellect, but not in a combative fashion. Someone who knows how to build consensus, and does it without burning bridges.

Support for leaders in this country where political parties are mere flags of convenience is a flighty thing, the numbers easily move from one camp to another, and the President, it would seem, could no longer care less who ascends the dais, provided needed legislation gets passed.

Note that Alan Peter was his vice-presidential team-mate in the 2016 elections, and has been extremely loyal to him through thick and thin, sometimes to the point of obsequiousness.

Lord Allan, upon the other hand, was rooting for Grace Poe at the start of the 2016 campaign, and moved to the Duterte bandwagon only in the last two weeks of the campaign, but somehow managed to become close to the President’s family after the elections.

In the months to come before the President’s ultimate SONA, do not rule out the possibility that the 21-month bargain may further be cut, with a “dark horse.” This forecast, if you may call it such, is pure gut feel, unlike this writer’s predicting who the next president would be in several elections past, which is the result of reading the surveys correctly, and having some kind of street-smarts. Abangan! *** Twenty-two days hence, or twenty-three in the Philippines, we should know by how many electoral votes Joseph Biden of Delaware shall have won over Donald Trump of Manhattan. If the numbers are too close, the unhinged Trump may not concede eas-

‘Fratres Omnes’

ENTITLED “Fratelli Tutti,” which means “Brothers All,” the recent encyclical of Pope Francis released during the feast of his sainted namesake, Francis of Assisi, is a straightforward reminder of how our world is losing its sense of our common humanity. It is also a fitting invitation for all to reflect on the importance of solidarity amidst the differences and divisions that exist within today’s society.

The encyclical is a radical call to examine those social structures that lead to strife and conflict to exist and persist—including capitalism, populism and the excesses of globalization—and the attitudes and values necessary in building a genuine human community.

It is not the first time that Pope Francis has delved into the political and social realities of the day, but perhaps, to date, “Fratelli Tutti” could be his strongest political statement.

In this encyclical, the Pope draws lessons from the parable of the good Samaritan—“the stranger on the road”—echoing the question which the expert of the law asked Christ himself, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).

Pope Francis writes, “The parable is clear and straightforward, yet it also evokes the interior struggle that each of us experiences as we gradually come to know ourselves through our relationships with our brothers and sisters” (FT, 69). In fact, pope concludes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

B1

EDITORIAL

ily, and in due time, the Secret Service, many of whom he infected with the coronavirus due to sheer insolence, would likely pull him out of the Oval Office bodily, and fly him to beautiful Slovenia.

If Biden and Kamala Harris get more than 300 electoral college votes and a landslide popular margin, the transition ought to be smooth.

Even now, think tanks around the world are analyzing the kind of change Biden will bring to the topsy-turvy foreign policy of the irascible Donald Trump. And one of the focal points of world-wide interest is our region, bounded by the China Sea (East and South) and the Pacific Ocean. Taiwan in particular, which just celebrated the Double Ten, its National Day, pins its hopes on strong US support of the balance that has kept cross-Strait relations peaceful.

Trump has been showing more and more signs of support for Taiwan in this election year, but some look at this not as genuine policy shift but mere electoral tactics, intended to rile China and curry American electorate favor. How, upon the other hand, would Joe Biden balance the interests of China versus the yearnings of Taiwan for maintaining its way of life, which are based on democratic liberties and the rule of law? *** Meanwhile, the New England Journal of Medicine, in a rare dip at politics, issued an editorial signed by all its editors, decrying the American government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Without mentioning the Donald or his party by name, the editorial, entitled “Dying in a Leadership Vacuum,” stated: “Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely claimed immunity for their actions, but this election gives us the power to render judgment.”

“Reasonable people will certainly disagree about the many political positions taken by candidates. But truth is neither liberal nor conservative. When it comes to the response to the largest public health crisis of our time, our current political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent. We should not abet them and enable the deaths of thousands more Americans by allowing them to keep their jobs.”

The editorial is a first in the more than 200year history of the highly respected medical publication; never before has it editorialized on politics.

The New England Journal of Medicine editorial concluded that the present leadership had “taken a crisis and turned it into tragedy, and the magnitude of this failure is astonishing.”

Trump, according to his favorite Fox News, will undergo testing live on TV Sunday night, just to prove he is no longer contagious, and would thus resume his barn-storming in the critical swing states which he is now losing to Biden even before the disastrous first debate.

Good luck! *** I woke up Sunday morning to the sad news that a schoolmate, Father Sonny Ramirez, O.P., had died on Saturday, October 10. He was also a classmate of Senate President Tito Sotto and the current Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, Atty. Hector Villacorta.

We remained good friends even after he entered the seminary after first finishing his college degree, and eventually became a priest and advocate of Catholic activism.

The immediate shock of losing another friend gave intimations of mortality, along with prayers for the eternal rest of his jolly, playful soul.

THAT Thursday night speech of President Duterte must have unnerved many of our representatives in the House. His voice was calm, not angry. His demeanor was cool, not temperamental. But the words he uttered were quite ominous: Get your act together and pass the budget. Or else.

What made everybody nervous about the “or else” warning was the presence of his military and police generals at his back, standing in attention as he spoke. Clearly, the President’s patience over the power play in the HoR had worn exceedingly thin.

And in times of crisis, such a power play can no longer be tolerated. How the President’s warning would be translated tomorrow afternoon in the bigger chamber is definitely worth watching.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

that following the example of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asks that “that we ourselves become neighbors to all” (FT, 69).

“Fratelli Tutti” speaks straightforwardly to the social, political and moral malaise of our times—including lack of truthfulness, the corrosion of civility, the deception of populism and the threat of nationalism.

In fact, Pope Francis is not afraid to ask even the difficult questions, “I sometimes wonder why, in light of this, it took so long for the Church unequivocally to condemn slavery and various forms of violence” (FT, 86). He even pointed out how “paradoxically, those who claim to be unbelievers can sometimes put God’s will into practice better than believers” (FT, 74.)

The Pope admits the unexpected emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed not only our false securities, but also our inability of nations and peoples to work together. “For all our hyper-connectivity, we witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all” (FT, 7)—and for Pope Francis, the problem is far from just superficial or structural. Instead, it is a failure that affects the very nature of human relationships. To him, it was evident that the belief of every man for himself “would prove worse than any pandemic” (FT, 36).

In “Fratelli Tutti,” the Pope takes notice that people have become intensely polarized.

Their debates, absent real listening, seem to have devolved into a “permanent state of disagreement and confrontation.” In fact, he mentioned how leaders are using “a strategy of ridicule” and relentless criticism, spreading despair as a way to “dominate and gain

O

An online challenge

N THE commemoration of the International Day of the Girl on Sunday, October 11, we learned that nearly seven out of 10 girls and young women in the Philippines have experienced harassment online. The number is higher than the global average of 58 percent worldwide.

For the study “Free to be online? Girls and young women’s experiences of online harassment,” Plan International reached out to more than 14,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 24 in 31 countries, including the Philippines.

According to the study, girls from both high- and low-income countries who use social media are subjected to various forms of online danger such as threats of sexual violence, sexual harassment, threats of physical violence, anti-LGBTIQ+ comments, racist comments, body shaming purposeful embarrassment, stalking and abusive and insulting language.

Here at home, 68 percent of respondents report the same. Worse, the incidents happen frequently (50 percent) and very frequently (33 percent), and two thirds of them said the harassment was done by someone they knew.

Before the lockdowns occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, online safety had

Girls need to be empowered to look out for themselves—even when they are indoors. been a worsening problem for social media users in general, and for girls and young women in particular. They formed part of the population least equipped to protect themselves from harm, fight or resist their abusers, or even be aware they were walking into a trap. In some instances, those who should be protecting them were the very people putting them in harm’s way.

The pandemic aggravated what was already an alarming situation.

People were forced to stay at home, with millions of workers losing their jobs and other sources of livelihood, bringing great

economic and psychological toll on families.

There was great worry about the spread of the virus. Any meaningful interaction with others was substituted by extended time in front of a tablet screen.

The global survey was done between April 1 and May 5 this year, as various countries were grappling with the initial surge in numbers of coronavirus cases, and girls and young women turned online more than ever in the absence of the opportunity to go out for face-to-face interaction with their peers.

Unfortunately, the effects of online harassment and abuse are far-reaching, staying with the victims long after they have put their devices down. The prolonged consequences affect their psychological well-being, and threaten them outside of their online persona.

Given the uncertainty we continue to face, we need to be reminded that girls and young women need help to ward off online bullies and predators. Parents and teachers can help by telling them about acceptable and unacceptable behavior online.

More importantly, girls and young women must be armed with confidence and knowledge on how to spot and avoid compromising exchanges online, so they can protect themselves and others.

Open government budget as corruption deterrent institutions and auditors. This was the focus of discussions in the most recent Stratbase ADR Institute’s virtual town hall discussion on the 2019 Open Budget Survey (OBS) by the International Budget Partnership and how the Philippines performed under its internationally accepted criteria.

On a scale of 100, the 2019 report gave the Philippines a score of 76 in Transparency (above global average of 45), 74 in Budget Oversight, and 31 in Public participation (above global average of 14). The Philippines beat its ASEAN neighbors ranking highest in Transparency and Public Participation.

IN A surprise move to obviously stop what was supposed to be a gentleman’s agreement to turn over half of the term to Presidential ally Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, together with his close supporters, railroaded normal proceedings and moved for the immediate approval of the General Appropriations Bill which was supposed to undergo several more hearings. Many congressmen protested that their objections were deliberately muted by the administrator of the online proceedings.

Senators quickly warned that this highly irregular and untimely impasse caused by the raging power play in Congress will definitely result in another re-enacted budget, with hearing schedules already too tight as it is. Exercising his executive powers, President Duterte has called a special session starting tomorrow to finish the budget deliberations.

Most citizens have a very limited understanding of the government’s budget process, entrusting this most important deliverable to government agencies and legislators. The line items in the P4.5-trillion budget now pending in Congress actually reveals the real priorities of the government and what each agency is mandated to implement. For citizens, it shows what programs and projects will actually happen beyond the political narratives. This seemingly opaque and central process of budget preparation and allocation has been subject to suspicions of built-in corruption.

There is actually a credible and independent research platform that assesses how accessible a government’s budget information is to the public, how its citizens are given the opportunity to participate in the national budget process, and the role of budget oversight control.” The Pope underscored that “Political life no longer has to do with healthy debates about long-term plans to improve people’s lives and to advance the common good, but only with slick marketing techniques primarily aimed at discrediting others.” (FT, 15) While he admits, “For many people today, politics is a distasteful word, often due to the mistakes, corruption and inefficiency of

The encyclical affirms the Pope’s enduring hope in humanity. some politicians. There are also attempts to discredit politics, to replace it with economics or to twist it to one ideology or another”—the Pope poses the question, “Yet can our world function without politics?”

In response, Pope Francis provides a timely criticism of contemporary politics, reminding us how politics is failing the poor, and that populism—“where leaders exploit fear to attain power for their own exploit a people’s culture under an ideological banner for their own personal advantage or to continue their grip on power (FT, 154)”— does not work for the common good, but instead plunges the poorest into poverty, suffering and despair.

He points out an alternative, “a better kind of politics,” one that is motivated by charity and

Public accountability can prosper only with a vigilant and involved citizenry.

Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson, Sen. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said that the Senate has tried to do its part in furthering transparency and accountability through live streams of budget committee and plenary deliberations, and availability of public documents in hard and soft copies to promote understanding of the budget and greater accountability.

“There has been incremental advances over the years, but 76 over a hundred shows there are 24 points more for improvement. So let’s discuss how we can get those 24 points and move up the ladder,” Angara said.

Dr. Francisco A. Magno, Stratbase ADRI fellow and OBS Country Expert of International Budget Partnership, presented the survey results and said that it’s very difficult to show the relationship between transparency and corruption. The results certainly provide opportunities and windows for the public to scrutinize official spending, and become a guide for planning purposes and for budget review.

Commission on Audit Chairperson Atty.

Michael G. Aguinaldo said: “Obviously, the works to change the social conditions that deprive human dignity. He urges us to rehabilitate politics as one of the loftiest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good. Politics, according to the pope, “is a force capable of inspiring new ways of approaching the problems of today’s world, of profoundly renewing structures, social organizations and legal systems” (FT 183).

The Pope had his own words directed to politicians—that they are called to serve the needs of the people; that they should work towards ambitious but realistic goals, and that they must be open to dialogue and convergence on some issues. With candor, the pope reminds political leaders that “their biggest concern should not be about a drop in the polls, but about finding effective solutions to ‘the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion’, with its baneful consequences” (FT, 188). “Amid the daily concerns of political life, the smallest, the weakest, the poorest should touch our hearts” (FT, 194) Finally, the Pope affirms the Church’s affinity to the realities of our time. Of this, he writes, “Called to take root in every place, the Church has been present for centuries throughout the world, for that is what it means to be ‘catholic’. She can thus understand, from her own experience of grace and sin, the beauty of the invitation to universal love. Indeed, ‘all things human are our concern’” (FT, 278) The encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” is the pope’s call to action. In his own words, he encourages us, “Each day we have to decide whether to be good Samaritans or indifferent bystanders.”

(FT, 69) Despite the seemingly sad and sorry

greater the transparency, the lesser chances of corruption, because you have many eyes watching, so there are greater chances of being caught, and they aren’t afraid of penalties, they are afraid of getting caught.”

He adds that the more transparent you are, the more chances you’re going to get caught.

This might then discourage you from engaging in deviant behavior.

A good point that Commissioner Aguinaldo presented is engaging in partnerships for Citizen Participatory Audit as a strategy for reform founded on the premise that public accountability can prosper only with a vigilant and involved citizenry.

Department of Budget Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel E. Avisado said that part of their agenda is to create an Inter-Agency Task Force on Fiscal Openness and to re-establish the CSO Desk to ensure that the national government keeps its commitment in actively disclosing relevant fiscal data as well as in implementing and sustaining effective fiscal transparency initiatives.

On the urgency of deploying digital solutions in government processes to ensure transparency and accountability, Secretary Avisado said that the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s budget for the National Broadband Program has been increased 200 percent and the free wi-fi program by 91 percent. The Medium-Term Information and Communications Technology Harmonization program was also allocated P21 billion to support ICT sustainability expenses, ICT support for financial inclusion and other ICT expenses under governance.

Stratbase ADRI President Prof. Dindo Manhit warns: “With such a large budget and pandemic response funds, the current level of transparency and accountability creates a threat. This issue builds upon the issue of weak institutional bureaucratic mechanisms.”

“It is only with the critical engagement and scrutiny across sectors, including civil society, business, and the academe, that we can mitigate the threat corruption poses to our democratic processes,” Manhit said. state of today’s society, the encyclical even more emphatically affirms the Pope’s enduring hope in humanity and in the promise of human solidarity.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net) NAKED THOUGHT

CHARLIE V. MANALO

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Still a numbers game

The great COVID-19 response debate

EVERYMAN

US spy planes: The monkey on our back

by Herman Tiu Laurel

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

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

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

B2

World

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Kim throws down gauntlet with huge ICBMs: analysts THE gargantuan new missile North Korea put on show at a military parade is an explicit threat to US defenses and an implicit challenge to both the current and next American president, analysts say, warning Pyongyang could test the weapon next year.

Leader Kim Jong Un watched the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) roll through Kim Il Sung square – named after his grandfather – in Pyongyang at the climax of an unprecedented night-time parade on Saturday.

Analysts concurred that it was the largest roadmobile, liquid-fuelled missile anywhere in the world, and was highly likely to be designed to carry multiple warheads in independent re-entry vehicles (MIRVs).

Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies said it was “clearly aimed at overwhelming the US missile defense system in Alaska.”

If the ICBM carried three or four warheads, he added on Twitter, the US would need to spend around $1 billion on 12-16 interceptors to defend against each missile.

“At that cost, I am pretty sure North Korea can add warheads faster than we can add interceptors.”

The missile was estimated at 24 metres long and 2.5 metres in diameter, which specialist Markus Schiller said was big enough to carry 100 tons of fuel, which would take hours to load.

It was so big and heavy that it was practically unusable, he added: “You can’t move this thing fuelled, and you can’t fill it at the launch site. This thing makes absolutely no sense at all, except for threat equation games, like sending the message of ‘we now have a mobile ICBM with MIRVs, be very afraid.” AFP

A Rohingya refugee sits inside an uninstalled sewer pipe in Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia on October 11, 2020. AFP

18 dead in Thai bus-train collision Trump ‘feeling great,’ rallies supporters PRESIDENT Donald Trump rallied hundreds of supporters for a comeback event at the White House, jumping back into the election race nine days after being stopped in his tracks by Covid-19 – a disease his doctor says he is no longer at risk of spreading.

“I am feeling great!” Trump declared as he stepped out to a White House balcony Saturday – tugging off his mask to address the crowd, most of them masked under their red “Make America Great Again” hats, but with little social distancing.

“Get out and vote – and I love you,” Trump told supporters, who chanted “USA” and “Four more years” throughout the address lasting just under 20 minutes.

Badly trailing his 77-year-old Democratic rival Joe Biden in the polls less than four weeks from election day, Trump has been counting the days until he can hit the trail again.

The White House doctor announced late Saturday the president was “no longer considered a transmission risk.”

Tests showed there was “no longer evidence of actively replicating virus” and that Trump’s viral load was “decreasing,” Sean Conley said – though he did not state that the president was virus-free.

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that, for mild or moderate COVID-19 cases, isolation and precautions can be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset, and once patients have been fever-free for 24 hours. However, the severity of Trump’s illness has not been confirmed.

Saturday’s event set the stage for a full-fledged campaign rally Monday in Florida – followed immediately by two more in battleground Pennsylvania Tuesday and Iowa Wednesday.

Biden has slammed as “reckless” Trump’s determination to rally huge crowds during the pandemic – but the president has brushed the concerns aside, insisting America has the upper hand against the virus despite a death toll of 213,000 and rising. AFP

US President Donald Trump takes his mask off before speaking from the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC during a rally on October 10, 2020.

Trump spoke publicly for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19, as he prepares a rapid return to the campaign trail just three weeks before the election. AFP

China backs Iran nuclear deal, calls for new MidEast forum CHINA’S foreign minister Wang Yi has called for a new forum to defuse tensions in the Middle East after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart where he reiterated Beijing’s support for Tehran.

Wang and Javid Zarif also reaffirmed their commitment to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, according to the Chinese foreign ministry, an implicit rebuke of the United States for abandoning the accord during their Saturday meeting in China’s southwestern Tengchong city.

Iran has been locked in an acrimonious relationship with Saudi Arabia, the other major Middle Eastern power, over the war in Yemen, Iranian influence in Iraq

and Saudi support for Washington’s sanctions on Tehran.

“China proposes to build a regional multilateral dialogue platform with equal participation of all stakeholders,” said the Chinese foreign ministry statement.

The forum would “enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and explore political and diplomatic solutions to security issues in the Middle East,” the statement added.

Wang added that support for the Iranian nuclear deal, negotiated by the Obama administration but ultimately abandoned

by Donald Trump, would be a precondition of entry to the forum. AFP

A

T LEAST 18 people were killed and more than 40 injured in Thailand on Sunday when a freight train crashed into a bus taking passengers to a religious ceremony, officials said.

The morning collision, around 50 kilometers east of the capital Bangkok, toppled the bus on its side and sheared off part of its roof.

Dozens of injured passengers were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment, said provincial hospital director Sombat Chutimanukul.

“Four are in critical condition and eight remain under observation” out of the 23 admitted to her hospital, she told reporters.

State Railway of Thailand governor Nirut Maneephan confirmed the death toll at the site of the crash to reporters.

Footage shared by a government department showed the bus edging from the road onto train tracks before a blue cargo train slammed into its side.

Early photos taken by rescue workers showed gnarled metal and debris, with bodies lying by the tracks and people’s belongings scattered around the scene.

Rescue workers lifted the injured on stretchers into nearby parked ambulances, and a crane arrived early in the afternoon to lift the vehicle off the tracks so that police could better assess the carnage.

There were some 60 passengers in the

chartered bus travelling from neighbouring Samut Prakan province to a temple in Chachoengsao, said province governor Maitree Tritilanond.

They were planning to offer yellow robes to monks – a traditional ceremony held within a month of the end of Buddhist Lent, he told reporters.

Thai premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha gave his condolences and instructed authorities to investigate the cause of the crash, a government spokesman said in a statement.

Such deadly accidents are common in Thailand, which regularly tops lists of the world’s most lethal roads, with speeding, drunk driving and weak law enforcement all contributing factors.

Thailand has the second-highest traffic fatality rate in the world, according to a 2018 World Health Organization report.

Though a majority of the victims are motorcyclists, bus crashes involving groups of tourists and migrant labourers often grab headlines.

In March 2018, at least 18 people were killed and dozens wounded when a bus carrying people returning from holiday in northeastern Thailand swerved off the road and smashed into a tree. AFP

Heavy shelling dash hopes for Karabakh ceasefire HOPES that a Russian-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan might hold were further dashed Sunday, with both sides accusing the other of intense shelling on civilian areas and escalating two weeks of fierce clashes.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said that overnight shelling by Armenian forces on the country’s second largest city, Ganja, had left seven people dead and 33 wounded including children, less than 24 hours after the halt to fighting was supposed to take effect.

Rescuers in red helmets dug through piles of debris with their bare hands in

search of signs of survivors, an AFP journalist in the city reported.

They retrieved one nearly naked body and gingerly put it in a white bag to be taken away in an ambulance while several horrified residents watched on and wept.

One witness said they were woken by a huge blast that levelled an entire square block of one- and two-floor houses in the early hours of the morning, leaving nine apartments destroyed.

“Everything I’ve worked for my entire life has been destroyed,” said resident Zagit Aliyev, 68.

The agreement to pause hostilities in or-

der to exchange prisoners and the bodies of people killed after two weeks of fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region was approved by Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in marathon Russia-brokered talks in Moscow.

The truce officially entered into force at noon on Saturday but both sides almost immediately accused each other of violations.

On Sunday, the defence ministry in the breakaway region insisted Armenian forces were respecting the humanitarian ceasefire and in turn accused Azerbaijan of shelling civilian-populated areas. AFP

Tokyo opens Olympics Pride House TOKYO on Sunday opened its first major community hub for LGBTQ people, part of a pre-Olympics project that campaigners hope will tackle stigma and raise awareness of discrimination.

Pride House Tokyo is based on similar inclusive pop-up sites set up at past Olympics, but will offer a permanent meeting space and information center, seeking to educate the public about sexual diversity and offer refuge to those suffering harassment or discrimination.

While Japan has some protections for sexual minorities, it remains the only G7 country that does not recognise same-sex unions, and many couples say they can struggle to rent apartments to-

gether and are even barred from hospital visits.

Those challenges mean spaces like Pride House, set up in coordination with Tokyo 2020 Olympic organisers, are sorely needed in Japan, activists say.

“Japan, not just in sporting circles but society as a whole – including schools and workplaces – is not friendly to LGBTQ people, and it is hard to come out,” Gon Matsunaka, who heads the project behind Pride House, told AFP. While the centre is being set up under a recent Olympic tradition, the project is officially named “Pride House Tokyo Legacy,” and activists hope its influence will extend beyond the Games. AFP

Rescuers carry away the body of a victim at the blast site hit by a rocket during the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan, on October 11, 2020. AFP

CYAN CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK

Business

Manila Manila

Standard

TODAY TODAY

B3

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market investors wary of weaker economy

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARE prices are expected to stay sideways this week on thin trading as investor sentiment on the domestic economy remains tepid.

BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said investors are waiting for signs that demand is picking up as as the government further opens up the economy.

Ravelas, however, noted that the slowdown in the inflation rate in September to 2.3 percent indicated demand remained soft and that consumption was still anemic.

“The week’s close at 5,931.61

highlights further consolidation within the 5,700/6,000 levels in the nearterm. This comes after the market failed to stay above the 6,000 level.

Expect a retest of the 5,700 levels,” Ravelas said.

While the fourth quarter is seasonally the strongest period due to holiday spending, analysts are still expecting weak economic growth due to the impact of the pandemic.

The start of the offering period for shares of Converge ICT Solutions’ P29-billion initial public offering could affect liquidity in the stock market.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week closed 67 points lower to 5,931.61 on worries that the passage of the 2021 national budget could be delayed because of squabble in the Lower House leadership.

Except for mining and oil (+12.05)

and holding companies, (+0.05 percent), other sector indices ended in the red led by property (-2.4 percent) and services (-1.59 percent).

Foreign investors were still net sellers for the week by P1 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were led by ABS-CBN Corp., which jumped 102 percent to P14.32; Da Vinci Holdings which rose 43 percent to P4.70; and Lopez Holdings Inc. which climbed 23 percent to P2.79.

Weekly top price losers included Robinsons Land Corp., which declined 3.2 percent to P14.74; SM Prime Holdings Inc., which fell 3.1 percent to P29.10; and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., slipped 2.8 percent to P63.65.

Global stocks, meanwhile, mostly rose Friday amid increased hopes for a US stimulus package following the

latest statements from President Donald Trump and rising confidence about coronavirus therapeutics.

Major US indices finished higher for a third straight session, with the techrich Nasdaq jumping 1.4 percent as the White House again shifted its stance on the talks.

Earlier, European bourses also climbed despite rising coronavirus cases in the continent.

After markets tanked on Tuesday following President Donald Trump’s abrupt move to end stimulus talks, investors have cheered his about face in subsequent days that’s seen him calling for a deal.

The White House on Friday beefed up its offer, proposing a $1.8 trillion package as Trump himself said on a radio show that he favored an even larger package. With AFP

PSEi October 9, 2020

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

Immigration standoff, pandemic hammer iconic US crab industry

By Chris Stein HOOPERSVILLE, Maryland―As crab season arrived in Hoopersville, Maryland, locals began asking where Jose Bronero Cruz was. For two decades, he’d traveled from Mexico to the remote town to pick crab meat, but this spring, he did not arrive.

Nor did any of the other foreign workers Janet Rippons-Ruark relies on to process meat from the blue crabs Maryland is famous for, exacerbating a worker shortage that ballooned into a crisis for the eastern US state’s iconic industry.

“We’ve survived Covid. But we’re in an area where there is just not local help,” Rippons-Ruark said.

A shortage of visas for foreign workers combined with disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed parts of Maryland’s crab industry this year, forcing two-thirds of the major seafood processors to scrape by on the few employees they could find, or close entirely.

A batch of visas issued at the start of

October finally allowed Cruz and other guest workers to enter the country, but amid the prolonged deadlock over immigration policy in Washington that shows no sign of abating soon, crab industry leaders fret for their future.

“Whether we’ll survive the staffing thing... That remains to be seen,” said Jack Brooks, president of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association.

Backbones of industry Blue crabs pulled from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay are perhaps Maryland’s best-known export, with the state the second-largest producer of the 2018 US harvest valued at $188.4 million, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The industry is at the mercy of weather―as well as regulations intended to protect crab habitats, but processors can also enjoy booms during years like 2020, when prices rose as the pandemic’s arrival seemed to increase crab’s popularity.

“We’re not in what you call a growth industry at this point, but we do have

MARIA VICTORIA P. TIBON, DBA

Green LiGht I HAVE just completed a teaching stint in Tokyo, Japan for a year under the auspices of the Asia-Oceania Five University Alliance (AOFUA) composed of De la Salle University (Philippines), Edith Cowan University (Australia), Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (Malaysia), Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (Thailand), and Tokyo City University (Japan). Tokyo City University, a university in Tokyo with a long history of hands-on technical education dating back to 1929, leads the alliance.

Globalization posed challenges to society at large and universities help in meeting these by the process of internationalizing by educating the youth to contribute to national competitiveness. Through activities that integrate a global perspective into its educational system, internationalization makes internal changes and external adaptation to a volatile, global and diverse environment possible.

Tokyo City University, initiated this alliance to foster globalization among their students to prepare them for life and work in an increasingly global society. Japan, through its Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, released a Global Human Resource Development Committee of the Industry-Academia Partnership for Human Resource Development Report in 2010, which highlighted the knowledge and skills deemed necessary for human resources, especially among the Japanese, to be considered “global.”

These include linguistic and communication skills, with English becoming foremost, cultural understanding and sense of identity as Japanese, and a sense of responsibility, optimism, collaboration, flexibility, and purpose. The overall goal is to develop the students as human resources who can play an active role globally. All other universities in the alliance share this common mission.

The Asia-Oceania Five University Alliance provides professors’ opportunities among the five universities to provide diversified education in English. As a professor from De la Salle University, Philippines, I taught business courses such as Global Business Theory, Career Preparation for Global Business, Global Management Culture, and Strategy to undergraduate and graduate students of Tokyo City University, mostly Japanese.

The courses are not only meant to develop English language proficiency. They also seek to provide benefits to students by giving them a wider perspective on their lives and potential careers through knowledge of cultures, making them more exposed and prepared for the global workplace.

This is my first-hand intensive experience in the internationalization of universities. If I were to describe my collection of experiences for one year in Japan, I think a mosaic would best describe it. A mosaic is a collection of many small pieces, glass or ceramic, or people or of their values that are intentionally placed together to form a whole. Each piece is separate yet integral to the whole. Each piece is distinct yet integrated.

I am a Filipina who thrived and enjoyed her experience in Japanese society. My culture is distinct, yet I blended with the Japanese way of life. Key to this rewarding experience is a good social network and sup-

MOST ACTIVE Wonn Kain processes crab at Bay Hundred Seafood in St. Michaels, Maryland on October 7, 2020. As crab season arrived in Hoopersville, Maryland, locals began asking where Jose Bronero Cruz was. For two decades, he’d traveled from Mexico to the remote town to pick crab meat, but this spring, he did not arrive. AFP

a domestic product that a lot of people want,” Brooks said.

Less desirable is the work of processing crab, which involves steaming them, cracking open their shell, removing their gills and picking out the meat for sale―a job industry leaders say few Americans want to do, particularly since workers

are employed for only part of the year.

Processors rely on guest workers from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America entering on temporary H-2B visas to extract the crabs, though migrant rights groups have also accused the industry of giving workers poor housing and insufficient health care access. AFP

The mosaic that is Japan portive friends and colleagues, who I came across in a common workplace, in the Church and events. They helped me with daily life and transitions in integrating into a new environment.

I was helped with mundane concerns to transition to a new life in Japan, such as house hunting, finding acceptable food and places for social life. Friends provide comfort in a more straightforward language: a space for humor, confidence, chat about books and films, food and drink. They are persons whom I can share concerns with, who rejoice with me in my successes and support me in my struggles.

These made my transition well and quick, including making preparations for disasters such as Storm Hagibis, which Japan is prone to.

At work, I experienced a positive and collegial atmosphere. Management and colleagues were friendly and considerate. There was fair treatment, and it was easy to establish relationships with diverse colleagues and fit in the workplace. I enjoyed my colleagues’ company, especially as we spend time together, eat lunch during breaks.

I was also able to practice skills, build good relations, and help people. My teaching skills were enhanced by adapting to the Japanese educational system, including students, level of technology, and academic orientation. I taught in innovative programs such as Knowledge Engineering, Urban Life Studies, Informatics and Environmental Studies in the university’s three campuses located in Yokohama, Setagaya, and Todoroki.

I believe I also developed myself better through people I met, friends, and colleagues alike, with whom interactions resulted in an awareness of different worldviews and developing an appreciation and respect for differences. I found a special connection with friends who make me feel complete and fill my heart with peace and security. I was myself and enjoyed the experience of being in Japan. I like flowers, going to Churches, clean facilities, efficient transportation, touristic places, both natural and manmade. I experienced all of these, and it sure brought me a lot of joy and enjoyment.

These experiences make a colorful mosaic for me, that is, Japan. I fondly look back to it as a rich collection of aspirations, pursuits, setbacks, challenges and achievements. These are the pieces of an inherent ecology of the whole. I keep a special place in my heart of minds that melded and unbreakable bonds established in my one year stay. My wish for the future is to take root, develop fully, spread and last for the benefit of faculty, students, and staff (MS-OCT.12 12&&13, 13,2020) 2020) who will take part in internationaliza- (MS-OCT.

tion programs like this.

The author is a full-time faculty member of the Manila Manila Management and Organization Department, Ramon Standard TODAY TODAYShe recently V. del Rosario College of Business. returned from a year-long stay in Japan.

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

Manila Manila

Republic Republic of of the the Philippines Philippines Standard Standard REGIONAL REGIONAL TRIAL TRIAL COURT COURT

TODAY TODAY

National National Capital Capital Judicial Judicial Region Region Branch Branch 5-FC, 5-FC, Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City City

IREESH IREESH JANINE JANINE T. T. SIBBALUCA SIBBALUCA Petitioner, Petitioner, -versus-versus-

Civil Civil Case Case No. No. R-MND-19-00734-CV R-MND-19-00734-CV For: For: Declaration Declaration of of Nullity Nullity of of Marriage Marriage

BARCLEE BARCLEE GEM GEM ANGELO ANGELO T. T. SIBBALUCA SIBBALUCA Respondent.

Respondent. x--------------------------------------------------x x--------------------------------------------------x

SUMMONS SUMMONS BY

BY PUBLICATION PUBLICATION

WHEREAS, WHEREAS, as as per per Order Order dated dated March March 10, 10, 2020, 2020, itit was was DIRECTED DIRECTED that that Summons Summons be be issued issued and and be be served served upon upon the the person person of of respondent respondent Barclee Barclee Gem Gem Angelo Angelo T. T. Sibbaluca Sibbaluca by by publication, publication, in in aa newspaper newspaper of of general general circulation. circulation.

WHEREAS, WHEREAS, notice notice of of the the following following isis hereby hereby given: given: That That “Petitioner “Petitioner alleges alleges that that she she and and the the respondent respondent were were childhood childhood friends friends as as they they both both grew grew up up in in Peñablanca, Peñablanca, Cagayan.

Cagayan. They They became becamelovers loversafter afteraashort shortcourtship courtshipbut butsubsequently subsequentlyseparated separated due dueto toaathird thirdparty. party.They Theyreunited reunitedin incollege collegebut butdespite despiterekindling rekindling their their relationship, relationship, they they persistently persistently argued argued over over the the third third party party that that initially initially caused caused their their breakup breakup as as respondent respondent continued continued his his relationship relationship with with the the said said woman. woman. Over Over time, time, petitioner petitioner became became very very anxious anxious of of respondent’s respondent’s behavior behavior who who threatened threatened her her that that she she would would not not like like to to see see how how he he gets gets jealous jealous and and angry. angry. They They eventually eventually engaged engaged in in sexual sexual intercourse intercourse which which resulted resulted to to aa pregnancy pregnancy that that he he wanted wanted to to abort. abort. Petitioner Petitioner gave gave birth birth to to their their daughter daughteron onOctober October11, 11,2008 2008after afteraadifficult difficultpregnancy pregnancyand andafter after enduring enduringthe theunpleasant unpleasantactions actionsof ofthe therespondent respondentand andhis hisfamily. family.

All All expenses expenses related related to to their their daughter’s daughter’s birth birth were were shouldered shouldered by by the the petitioner’s petitioner’s family family without without any any form form of of support support from from the the respondent. respondent. Months Months later, later, petitioner petitioner and and her her family family forgave forgave the the respondent. respondent. Thereafter, Thereafter, the the parties parties and and their their child child resided resided with with respondent’s respondent’s family family where where they they were were maltreated maltreated and and abused. abused.

On On March March 22, 22, 2013, 2013, the the petitioner petitioner was was suddenly suddenly brought brought before before respondent’s respondent’s grandmother, grandmother, who who was was then then the the Clerk Clerk of of Court Court of of Municipal Municipal Trial Trial Court Court of of the the Peñablanca, Peñablanca, Cagayan, Cagayan, and and was was forced forced to to enter enter into into marriage marriage upon upon the the latter’s latter’s manipulation. manipulation.

After After their their supposed supposed marriage, marriage, petitioner petitioner continued continued to to live live with with the the respondent respondent where where her her maltreatment maltreatment and and physical physical abuse abuse continued. continued. In In 2016, 2016, petitioner petitioner ran ran away away from from respondent respondent because because she she feared feared for for her her life. life. Throughout Throughout their their relationship, relationship, respondent respondent indulged indulged in in several several vices vices and and blamed blamed petitioner petitioner for for his hisfailures failuresand andinsecurities. insecurities.Presently, Presently,her herdaughter daughterisisbeing beingkept kept away away from from the the petitioner.” petitioner.”

That That “Lastly, “Lastly, petitioner petitioner alleges alleges that that the the respondent respondent isis psychologically psychologically incapacitated incapacitated to to comply comply with with his his essential essential marital marital obligations obligations or or understand understand the the consequences consequences of of marriage marriage and and prays prays that that after after trial, trial, judgment judgment be be rendered, rendered, to to wit: wit: 1.

1. Declaring Declaring the the Respondent Respondent BARCLEE BARCLEE GEM GEM ANGELO ANGELO T. T. SIBBALUCA SIBBALUCA psychologically psychologically incapacitated incapacitated to to comply comply with with the the essential essential marital marital obligations obligations pursuant pursuant to to Article Article 36 36 of of the the Family Family Code; Code; 2.

2. Declaring Declaring the the nullity nullity of of the the marriage marriage between between Petitioner Petitioner IREESH IREESH JANINE JANINE T. T. SIBBALUCA SIBBALUCA and and Respondent Respondent BARCLEE BARCLEE GEM GEM ANGELO ANGELO T. T. SIBBALUCA SIBBALUCA for for being being void void ab ab initio initioon onthe theground groundof ofpsychological psychologicalincapacity incapacityon onthe thepart partof of the the Respondent Respondent in in accordance accordance with with Article Article 36 36 of of the the Family Family Code; Code; and and 3.

3. Further, Further, order order the the concerned concerned Government Government Agencies Agencies to to make make the the necessary necessary changes changes in in the the Petitioner’s Petitioner’s civil civil status. status.

Other Other just just and and equitable equitable reliefs reliefs are are likewise likewise prayed prayed for.” for.”

WHEREFORE, WHEREFORE, “Respondent “Respondent Barclee Barclee Gem Gem Angelo Angelo T. T. Sibbaluca Sibbaluca isis hereby hereby DIRECTED, DIRECTED, within within thirty thirty (30) (30) days days from from the the last last issue issue of of the the publication publication of of this this Summons, Summons, to to file file with with this this Court Court and and serve serve on on the the petitioner petitioner and and her her counsel counsel his his answer answer to to the thePetition, Petition,which whichmust mustbe beverified verifiedby byhimself himselfand andnot notby bycounsel counsel or or attorney-in-fact.” attorney-in-fact.” He He isis reminded reminded of of the the provision provision in in IBP-OCA IBP-OCA Memorandum Memorandum on on Policy Policy Guidelines Guidelines dated dated March March 12, 12, 2002 2002 to to observe observe restraint restraint in in filing filing aa motion motion to to dismiss dismiss and and instead instead allege allege the the grounds grounds thereof thereof as as defenses defenses in in the the answer. answer. IfIf he he fails fails to to answer answerwithin withinthe thetime timefixed, fixed,the theCourt Courtshall shallorder orderthe theprosecuting prosecuting attorney attorney to to investigate investigate whether whether or or not not collusion collusion between between the the parties parties exists exists and, and, ifif there there isis no no collusion, collusion, to to intervene intervene for for the the State State in in order order to to see see to to itit that that the the evidence evidence submitted submitted isis not not fabricated. fabricated.

March March 10, 10, 2020, 2020, Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City.

City.

(Sgd.) (Sgd.) ATTY. ATTY. ALAIN ALAIN KRIS KRIS C. C. CONCEPCION CONCEPCION Branch Branch Clerk Clerk of of Court Court (MStandard-Sep. (MStandard-Sep. 28, 28, Oct. Oct. 55 && 12, 12, 2020) 2020)

CYAN CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK

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

B4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

IN BRIEF BSP approves digital road map

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, approved the BSP Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap 2020-2023 that charts the initiatives and strategy in advancing an efficient, inclusive, safe and secure digital payment ecosystem.

“With the launch of the Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap, we aim to hit two birds with one stone. We are securing the digitalization of payments, and increasing the number of Filipinos with access to financial services,” BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said over the weekend.

The roadmap supports the achievement of the BSP’s mandates and meet the diverse needs and capabilities of individuals and firms. The roadmap identifies two key strategic objectives.

First is the strengthening of customer preference for digital payments by converting 50 percent of the total volume of retail payments into digital form and expanding the number of the financially included to 70 percent of Filipino adults by onboarding them to the formal financial system through the use of payment or transaction accounts.

The second is the availability of more innovative digital financial products and services.

Julito G. Rada

2GO Travel offers P10 promo ticket

SHIPPING company 2GO Travel is offering P10 tickets to entice more domestic passengers to travel.

“After months of lockdown, we are giving our Filipino people a chance to visit their families in the province, and to travel to top tourist destinations in the country through our Sea You Soon!

Sale,” said Dan Fernan, 2GO vice president and head of Sea Solutions.

The company said that from Oct.10 to 16, passengers can avail a P10 one-way fare, inclusive of 50-kilogram baggage allowance, and exclusive of meals, and other fees.

It covers travel from Manila to Bacolod, Cebu, Coron, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Butuan, Puerto Princesa, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Ozamis and Zamboanga.

The sea sale also covers trips from Batangas to Caticlan and Roxas. Sailing period is from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2021.

The company said it supports the government’s initiative to promote local tourism and patronize local businesses and products to boost the Philippine economy. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business Globe gets 631 permits to build telecom towers G

By Darwin G. Amojelar

LOBE Telecom Inc. said over the weekend it secured more cellular tower permits from several local government units across the country to improve the voice and data experience of customers.

The company said after obtaining 411 permits in August, it gained 252 more in September to bring the total to 631 building permits. It was the most number of permits given by LGUs to Globe in a span of two months.

“These permits complement our aggressive builds and roll-outs as we not only increase our capacity and capability but more importantly, we make connectivity possible and accessible in areas that don’t have any access to the internet before,” said Joel Agustin,

Globe senior vice president for program delivery of the network technical group.

Agustin said Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas, Rizal and Pangasinan were the top five provinces which issued the most number of building permits. It also received permits to build cell towers in Agusan Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Maguindanao, Antique, Laguna, Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, Tarlac, South Cotabato, Isabela and La Union. Forty-seven provinces and cities also released few permits.

Globe said that aside from building permits, it also gained favorable response in Cebu, Quezon City, Makati, Davao Del Sur, Cavite, Kalinga Apayao, Romblon, Sorsogon, Sultan Kudarat and Mandaluyong and 38 other provinces and cities regarding its network rollouts.

It said it secured 84 certificates of final electrical inspection permits in the last eight weeks.

The CFEI permit is important in tow-

SMUGGLED CIGARETTES.

The Bureau of Customs-Manila International Container Port facilitates the condemnation of P70 million worth of seized smuggled cigarettes in Porac, Pampanga. The condemnation of the confiscated cigarettes is led by BOC-MICP Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service chief Alvin Enciso, along with Gerardo Macantagay, Rhoderick Yuchongco and Randolph Cabansag.

Phoenix ranks 3rd in local oil market

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. replaced Chevron Philippines Inc. as the third largest oil compny in the country in the first half.

Data from the Department of Energy showed Phoenix garnered 6.86 percent of the domestic fuel market, landing it on third place among petroleum companies in the first half, according to the Department of Energy.

Phoenix, led by businessman Dennis Uy, climbed one notch higher from its fourth place position in the same period in 2019.

Data from the DOE also showed that Petron Corp. remained the biggest oil firm with 24.88-percent market share, followed by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. with 18.25 percent, Phoenix with 6.86 percent and Chevron Philippines Inc. with 6.13 percent.

“Despite the continuing challenges of COVID-19, we are grateful for the continued patronage of our loyal as well as new customers who appreciate the value that we provide through our high-performance and high-quality yet competitively priced products and services,” Phoenix president Henry Albert Fadullon said in a statement over the weekend. Alena Mae S. Flores

Meralco says poor customers to benefit from zero charges MANILA Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, said over the weekend lifeline customers covered under the directive of the Energy Regulatory Commission will start enjoying zero distribution, supply and metering charges this month.

“The zero distribution/supply/metering charges for lifeline customers will be implemented this October,” Meralco head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said over the weekend.

ERC earlier asked Meralco to set to zero the distribution, supply and metering charges of lifeline consumers whose monthly energy consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours for one month.

“Only a TRO will stop its implementation and Meralco did not seek any TRO,” Fernandez said.

Meralco paid P19 million in penalty imposed by the ERC for violating the advisories the agency issued during the community quarantine period from March to July.

Meralco appealed the ERC directive to provide a retail rate discount to lifeline customers.

ERC has yet to resolve Meralco’s appeal.

“Pending the resolution of the motion for partial reconsideration, Meralco will implement the retail rate discount in its October 2020 billing,” the company said.

The ERC said the retail rate discount would provide temporary economic relief to more than two million lifeline consumers. It said the total discount to be provided to all lifeline consumers of around P200 million should not be charged to the non-lifeline consumers.

Alena Mae S. Flores

er builds because it is a requirement in applying for a permanent power source to fire up the cell sites or cell towers.

Globe said it plans to install at least 800 cell sites nationwide in the fourth quarter.

It said that in Metro Manila and Rizal, it would build at least 319 cell sites.

Globe said that in North Luzon, at least 100 sites are in the pipeline with Bulacan, Pampanga and Pangasinan topping the 15 provinces with the most builds.

Globe laid out a three-pronged strategy for its network upgrades and expansion, which includes aggressive cell site builds, upgrading cell sites to 4G/ LTE using different frequencies and fast-tracking the fiberization of Filipino homes nationwide.

The company earlier revised its 2020 capital expenditure guidance to P50.3 billion from the original P63 billion given the delays in the rollout during the community quarantine period. The company invested P20.9 billion in its network in the first half, or 10 percent higher than last year and representing 29 percent of gross service revenues.

CeMAP asks gov’t to investigate origin of cement brand

By Othel V. Campos THE Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines asked the government to launch a more thorough investigation on the origin of a cement brand, which the group said is being marketed as a legitimate Philippine product.

The group said it sought the assistance of the government in early 2020 to verify if cement products Union V Super and Union V Ultra were indeed manufactured in the Philippines as indicated by the labels on the company’s cement bags.

Union V Super and Union V Ultra are brands of Philcement Corp., a unit of the Phinma Group of Companies.

The case was brought to the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry on Jan. 28, 2020. CeMAP alleged a case of possible non-compliance with the Mandatory Certification of Portland Cement of DAO 17-06 against Philcement.

“This concern is in line with our commitment to work with all stakeholders in promoting consumer welfare and protection as part of our advocacy and for the safety and overall benefit of Filipino cement consumers,” CeMAP said in a statement.

It said Philcement was a legitimate importer of cement constantly supporting the call of the government to advance activities in the construction and infrastructure sector.

CeMA, however, said Philcement’s products were not compliant to the law as evidenced by recent market monitoring report that showed the products lacking PS License Number on the bag.

This was denied by Philcement which asserted its full compliance to the regulation of the DTI particularly on the guidelines cited in Department Administrative Order 17-06 or the mandatory certification of cement plants. In a statement, Philcement said it was granted the required certifications by the DTI Philippine Standard Quality Certification Mark in December 2019.

CeMAP said it observed an emerging trend of cement importers passing off their products as made in the Philippines.

PSE INDEX

Friday, October 9, 2020

-11.05 PTS. 5,931.61

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

9,155,344,606 102,725 5,628,713,909.38 119 76 43

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.3770

Japan

Yen

0.009434

0.4564

UK

Pound

1.293200

62.5611

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129032

6.2422

Switzerland

Franc

1.090275

52.7442

Canada

Dollar

0.757748

36.6576

Singapore

Dollar

0.736160

35.6132

Australia

Dollar

0.716700

34.6718

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652098

128.3005

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266588

12.8967

Brunei

Dollar

0.733460

35.4826

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032082

1.5520

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1717

Euro

Euro

1.175900

56.8865

Korea

Won

0.000869

0.0420

China

Yuan

0.147080

7.1153

India

Rupee

0.013644

0.6601

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240964

11.6571

New Zealand

Dollar

0.658400

31.8514

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034944

1.6905 Source: BSP

Senator dares Udenna to show expertise to run Malampaya gas

By Alena Mae S. Flores SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian challenged Udenna Corp. over the weekend to show its technical capability to operate the $4.5-billion Malampaya gas-topower project in northwest Palawan.

Gatchalian expressed concern Udenna Corp. would resort to having a Chinese partner to take a majority control in the Malampaya project.

“Notwithstanding the nature of transaction which is private, Malampaya is not an ordinary asset, you need tech and global connections,” Gatchalian told reporters in a virtual briefing over the weekend.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on energy, said the sale of Chevron Malampaya LLC’s 45-percent stake to Udenna was a business transaction because the latter was a “passive investor.”

He said, however, the sale of the 45-percent stake of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. would be different as Spex is the operator of Malampaya.

“If you take over Shell which is the operator, the dynamics will change.

Under PD [Presidential Decree] 87, technical know-how is required to become operator of Malampaya,” he said.

“Whoever takes over that portion of Shell should have a tech capability or at least demonstrate…They should demonstrate they can operate it competently,” Gatchalian said, adding that the new Malampaya operator should also demonstrate they can explore and develop Service Contract 38 or the Malampaya gas field.

Gatchalian said taking over the remaining portion of Malampaya would trigger the issue of energy security. “We deserve to understand whether the new owners can operate that properly,” he said.

He said Udenna has no technical capability to take full control of the Malampaya gas project.

“We have to admit Udenna itself has no capability but it has to demonstrate. They need to demonstrate they will develop or acquire capability,” he said.

He said that if Udenna would take a Chinese partner, there might be “national security concerns.”

“That’s another dimension. We have issues with China in WPS [West Philippine Sea] and that angle will come in play and might open up other issues specifically on national security,” he said.

House leader seeks probe on grants given to FDA by anti-tobacco groups A RANKING member of the House of Representatives pushed for a congressional inquiry into the acceptance of grants from anti-tobacco groups by the Philippines Food and Drugs Administration which is tasked to prepare the guidelines for the regulation of vapor products and heat-not-burn tobacco products.

House Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur Rep. Deogracias Victor Savellano and Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing also called for the suspension of public hearings by the FDA following its admission that it received funds from foreign antivaping groups The Union and Bloomberg Initiative.

The FDA held virtual public consultations on proposed guidelines for the regulation of vapor products on Oct. and on HTPs on Oct. 8. In the latest hearing, Suansing asked the FDA if they have received any funding from an international organization that an FDA official later confirmed.

Savellano, head of the tobaccogrowing Northern Luzon Alliance, then

called for a full-blown House investigation on the potential conflict of interest by a government regulatory body when it received money from foreign vested interest groups.

While the FDA initially denied receiving foreign funds, Suansing cited the grant given by Bloomberg as support to “the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Program under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drugs Administration. This includes supporting the implementation and notifications mechanisms for regulating tobacco product packaging and labeling, TAPS, tobacco product content and disclosure and illicit trade.”

Confronted by Suansing’s evidence, the FDA recanted and admitted receipt of the funds. In crafting policies with national relevance, Suansing stressed the importance of transparency and fairness.

The FDA said the NTCP which is under the Department of Health is also receiving grants for the project. The FDA received a grant from Bloomberg with regards to strengthening its regulatory functions on tobacco control.

CONFIDENCE BOOSTER. Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo says the government must spend more amid the pandemic to boost the country’s sagging confidence. Quimbo joins BDO chief investment officer Frederico Ocampo as a guest in the recent Market Sense, a monthly webinar series organized by the BDO Trust Group that combines the latest economic and market developments with seasoned expert advice to help investors take control of their investments and grow their wealth.

Quimbo is one of the principal authors of House Bill No. 6815, or the Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines bill, which was already approved by the House of Representatives.

Sports

PH athletes to resume training soon IT WILL just be a matter of time before training of national athletes resumes.

Officials of the Philippine Sports Commission made this assurance after they checked on the present condition of the four Olympic-bound national athletes, and assessed where the sports agency can still help.

And once they get a go-signal from the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases, it will only take two weeks before workouts resume.

National training director Marc Velasco said this following talks with boxer Irish Magno, who is in her hometown in Iloilo.

With facilities at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City still not available, along with the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, plans are to shirt their training to other locations.

Among them is the Inspire Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

“We already submitted a request to the IATF na kung puede pasimulan na natin ang training for Olympic athletes,” remarked Velasco.

Velasco said that athletes from noncontact sports are the only ones that are allowed.

Sports officials reached out to the many national athletes, with PSC Chairman William Ramirez making time to also connect with gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulte EJ Obiena, boxers Eumir Marcial and Magno on Zoom.

“This is nothing formal. Gusto lang namin kayong makita kasi noong nag pandemic, we were worried. I’m happy that all of you are alright and well,” said Ramirez.

Joining Ramirez were Commissioners Arnold Agustin, Ramon Fernandez, Celia Kiram and Charles Maxey, DED-FAS Merly Ibay, Acting DEDBCSSS Queenie Evangelista and PSI Nat’l Training Director Marc Velasco, together with Chef de Mission Nonong Araneta and POC Secretary General Atty. Ed Gastanes.

Obiena, who is in Formia, Italy informed the PSC that he has gained some weight during the pandemic.

Yulo, who just came back from school in Tokyo congratulated Obiena for his historic gold medal win in Ostrava Gold Spike.

Marcial told the PSC that he is set to leave for Los Angeles on Sunday to kick off his professional training, His move to Los Angeles will give him an advantage with his preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. Peter Atencio

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

C1

Alaska Aces big man Vic Manuel (87) and TNT Tropang Giga counterpart Samboy De Leon (9) battle for ball possession. Looking on are, from right: Mike DiGregorio and Abu Tratter of Alaska and TNT’s David Semerad. PBA Media

Castro, Pogoy power TNT past Alaska Aces

By Reuel Vidal

R

OGER Pogoy torched the Alaska Aces from distance all game long until Jayson Castro provided the end-game heroics to power TNT Tropang Giga past the Alaska Aces, 100-95, to kick off the resumption of the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup Sunday, October 11 at the Angeles University Foundation gym.

TNT trailed 89-92 when Pogoy drilled another three-pointer to tie the count, 92-all. TNT’s Ryan Reyes added two free throws to push his team ahead, 94-92. Vic Manuel split his charities to cut the gap to a point, 94-93, with 1:27 left to play.

Castro then took over. He converted four free throws and a layup against a

lone field goal by Abu Tratter to power TNT to victory.

Pogoy finished with 45 points, with 10 three-pointers, while Castro added 28 markers of his own.

The Aces exploited TNT’s numerous turnovers in the first period to jump out to a fat 17-point initial advantage before settling for a 30-15 advantage after

the first quarter.

The Aces led early but the Tropang Giga came storming back thanks to four three-pointers by Pogoy in the second quarter alone.

TNT ran into a maze of errors in the first quarter to end up with nine turnovers at halftime. The Aces caught up with their own turnovers and even passed the TNT total to wind up with 14 turnovers in the first half alone.

The Aces lost their big lead with the score tied at 48-all after two quarters.

The two teams continued to battle on even terms in the third with Alaska going on to post a one-point, 72-71, lead after three quarters.

Before that TNT big man Poy Erram went out of the game after he was whistled for a technical foul following a flagrant foul he committed on Alaska counterpart Barkley Ebona.

Nadal served as Eala’s tennis role model at Roland Garros

By Peter Atencio WATCHING Rafa Nadal play and practice has inf luenced the way Alexandra Eala played tennis during her campaign in the 2020 French Open’s Roland Garros Junior Tennis Championships girls singles.

She didn’t have to talk to the world no. 2 ranked men’s professional netter whenever he practiced over the last two months, but studying Nadal’s actions while he trains on the clay courts of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain is more than enough.

“I’ve been watching. You can already get a lot of tips from that. But, I have not been personally talking to him,” said Eala, who had to observe Nadal from afar due to social distancing measures that have been imposed since Spain is the second country that has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The 15-year-old Eala does see much action on clay court surfaces. But her participation in the French Open gave her a chance to improve her game on a different surface.

Because of this, the quality of her game has changed since Eala started playing in international meets three years ago.

The contrast can be seen in how she fought her way into the 2020 French Open’s Roland Garros Junior

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

Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning against Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman during their men’s singles semifinal tennis match. Nadal serves as role model for Alexandra Eala. AFP

Tennis Championships girls’ singles semifinals.

“There’s a big difference (in play) and fitness-wise. And it comforts that in a span of three years, I was able to keep going,” said Eala.

The young Eala talked about the improvements in her game during a webcast of the weekly show, “Power and Play,” of her uncle Noli Eala.

The fourth seeded Eala bowed to third seeded and hometown favorite Elsa Jacquemot of France, 3-6, 2-6, in a 64-minute contest a few hours before the show.

Jacquemot reached the finals against giant-killing Russian Alina Charaeva, who ousted fellow Russian, no. 4 Polina Kudermetova, 6-7(5-7), 6-2, 7-5).

The 17-year-old Jacquemot won the

title because of her age and experience, staging an impressive fightback to overcome Charaeva of Russia, 6-3, 6-2 to seal the girls’ title.

Seventh seed Swiss Dominic Stricker took the boys crown with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Leandro Riedl.

Jacquemot trailed by a set and down 4-2 in the second, but a steadfast refusal to lose saw her turn the tide in her favor.

Because of this, Jacquemot became the first French girl to be crowned a Junior Grand Slam champion since Kristina Mladenovic did it in 2009.

Despite her loss, Eala has already set a milestone since she has never gotten this far in a Grand Slam tournament.

And, its been a long way for her since Eala made her first finals appearance in a junior netfest in Indonesia. She lost the crown to Priska Nugroho, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6.

With organizers practicing social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic, there were no spectators around when Eala faced Jacquemot.

“I do miss the fans. I do love to have to have the fans to watch me play. But not every tournament that I will play will be as grand as the Roland Garros event,” said Eala.

During their encounter, the 18-yearold Jacquemot scored 16 points on 26 first serves, and knocked in three aces as well.

Dodgers, Braves chase end to MLB title droughts LOS ANGELES, United States—A power-hitting Los Angeles Dodgers squad and a tough-pitching Atlanta Braves lineup meet in the Major League Baseball playoffs with each trying to end a World Series title drought.

The Dodgers and Braves, both unbeaten in this year’s post-season run, open their best-of-seven National League Championship Series on Monday (Tuesday Philippine time) at Arlington, Texas.

The winner advances to the 116th World Series to face the winner of the American League Championship Series, which sends the Houston Astros against the Tampa Bay Rays starting Sunday in San Diego.

The Dodgers are trying for their third World Series appearance in four years, but they have not captured the crown since 1988, losing to Houston in 2017 and Boston in 2018.

Atlanta last won the crown in 1995 and until this year, the Braves had not won a playoff series since 2001, dropping 10 in a row.

The Dodgers produced the best record in this coronavirus-shortened campaign at 43-17, leading the major leagues with 118 home runs and 385 total runs, one better than Atlanta.

“They’re a really good team,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “Really high-pow-

ered offense. Got some good arms. Should be a good matchup. Should be a lot of good baseball. We’re looking forward to it.”

Braves star first baseman Freddie Freeman batted .341 with 13 homers and drove in 53 runs this season.

“Arguably the best player in the National League this year in Freddie Freeman – they play the game the right way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the Braves.

“Very talented.”

The Braves also feature Marcell Ozuna, who blasted 18 homers among 77 hits with 56 runs batted in, and 22-yearold leadoff hitter Ronald Acuna, who smacked 14 homers. AFP

After no new cases Patriots, Titans resume NFL practice NEW YORK, United States—New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans players returned to practice on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) after their NFL training facilities reopened following no new COVID-19 positive results from tests given Friday.

The Patriots were clear for a third consecutive day and returned to the field without quarterback Cam Newton, cornerback Stephon Gilmore or practice squad lineman Bill Murray, whose positive tests led to the shutdown.

“We’re taking it day by day, hour by hour,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “We’ve gone several days without being able to work together as a team.”

The Patriots (2-2) had their home game against Denver (1-3) postponed from Sunday to Monday as a result of the positive tests and inability to practice.

Belichick would not speculate upon the availability of Newton or Gilmore for Monday’s game.

The NFL also moved Tennessee’s home game against Buffalo, a matchup of unbeaten clubs, from Sunday to Tuesday after a major coronavirus outbreak on the Titans.

The Titans organization has had 23 positive Covid-19 tests returned since September 24, most of them among players, forcing postponement of a game against Pittsburgh to October 25 and the closing of team facilities since September 29.

“Obviously we’re going to be missing some guys, but that’s just the situation we’re in,” Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill said on Saturday.

“We didn’t choose this, but we’re living in the middle of a pandemic and this came up. We’re going to be down some guys, but it also raises a big opportunity for some guys that have been with us.”

Titans coach Mike Vrabel said players had remained engaged through Zoom meetings with coaches. He hoped to have some players back from the Covid-19 inactive list in time for the Buffalo game, but it wasn’t yet clear how many that would be. AFP

Jurickson Profar (10) of the San Diego Padres bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Two of the National League Division Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. AFP

C2

Sports

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

Sandhagen demolishes Moraes at Flash Forum

By Reuel Vidal CORY Sandhagen softened up Marlon Moraes in the first round then knocked him out with a spinning wheel kick at 1:03 in the second in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi yesterday, October 11, Sunday.

Sandhagen broke Moraes’ orbital with a kick early in the second which Sandhagen loudly announced during the fight. Moving forward Sandhagen landed a beautiful spinning wheel kick that dropped Moraes to the canvas.

Sandhagen then pounced on the fallen Moraes and administered ground-andpound before the referee waved him off to stop the fight.

The victory was swift and brutal.

Sandhagen said it made up for his disappointing submission loss to Aljamain Sterling last June 6.

“That was a big one for me. It’s not about how you come back from wins. It’s how you come back from losses. I came back from one of the most embarrassing losses I’ve ever had. I was able to show up and take out Marlon Moraes who is a monster,” said Sandhagen in the postfight interview where he showed up looking fresh and unmarked.

In the first round Sandhagen was on his toes and kept away from Moraes’ power shots. He switched freely from orthodox to southpaw chopping at Moraes’ legs and striking with his own punches from distance.

Sandhagen connected with a pair of kicks with his left leg which landed square on the right side of Moraes’ torso. He mixed up his kicks with punches and connected on Moraes head and face.

Sandhagen clearly was not going for a knockout blow early but contented himself with touching up Moraes with bruising blows to the head, body and legs.

Sandhagen was composed, calculating and dominated the fight completely.

“I was locked in the entire time. Not only just tonight. I was locked in the entire trip. I didn’t let my head go flat. It’s real easy on these trips to get distracted.

To get a little bit too restful. To get a little bit too relaxed. To run away from your fears a little bit. I didn’t do that this time. I was locked in the entire time,” said Sandhagen.

In the co-main event veteran Edson Barboza scored a unanimous decision win over Makwan Amirkhani at featherweight.

Cory Sandhagen (left) connects with a kick against John Lineker in this file photo of their bout at UFC Fight Night 150 held April 27, 2019. Sandhagen won by split decision. AFP

Aranas wants corporations in sports C

By Peter Atencio

ORPORATE sponsors need to get involved with helping the national sports association be more self-reliant and self-sustaining with their plans and programs.

Archery chief Clint Aranas said this as he continued to discuss his plans to become the next president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Aranas explained that the support that they can get from the sponsors will go directly to the NSAs. “That’s part of our mission to make the NSAs self-

reliant and self-sustaining,” said Aranas.

There are around 60 NSAs which need a lot of financial support and sponsorship for their activities.

To make it easiers for the sponsors to do, putting NSAs in cluster will make their plans easier to accomplish.

“So, if a sponsor wants to help, they can help a group of NSAs,” said Aranas.

This means, funds and any form of assistance coming from the private sector will no longer pass through the POC, and this has something with their principles involving transparency.

“That’s because you need to have that credibility so we can keep going to the sponsors to seek assistance,” said Aranas.

Their group has adopted independent candidates like Ada Milby (r ugby), as secretar y-

general and Monico Puentevella (weightlifting) as auditor.

Pearl Managuelod (muay) is running for director under incumbent POC Abraham Tolentino’s ticket.

But Aranas’ group will still support Managuelod.

They will make up the rest of Aranas’ ticket, which initially had POC chairman Steve Hontiveros of handball and Former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip Ella Juico of athletics.

Hontiveros will once again seek the post of chairman, while Juico will run for the position of first vice president.

The unblemished record of Hontiveros as a long time hand in the POC, and Juico’s good showing as head of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association has convinced Aranas to team up with the two.

Lakers, Heat set stage for high-stakes NBA Finals drama ORLANDO, United States—Survive or celebrate — the stakes are the same for the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers heading into game six of the NBA Finals on Sunday (Monday Philippine time) less than 48 hours after Miami’s riveting gamefive triumph.

Energy, adjustments, and possible injuries— most notably to Lakers superstar Anthony Davis —will be crucial as the Lakers try once again to secure the 17th NBA title in franchise history and their first since 2010.

The champagne was on ice and the confetti machines were courtside ready to spew Lakers purple and gold on Friday, but Jimmy Butler and the Heat put the celebrations on hold with a gritty 111-108 victory in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando.

They withstood a 40-point performance from LeBron James to do it, and still trail 3-2 in the best-of seven series.

“It’s win or win for us,” Butler said. “We like it this way.”

Despite Butler’s 35-point triple-double—not to mention 26 points from undrafted second-year forward Duncan Robinson that included seven three-pointers—the Lakers had a chance to seal a victory late.

With seven seconds remaining, James, swarmed

by Miami defenders under the basket, kicked the ball out to a wide-open Danny Green at the top of the arc.

Green’s three-point attempt clanked off the rim, the rebound falling to Lakers reserve Markieff Morris, who promptly threw the ball away.

“It’s a tough loss,” admitted Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who thought two poor calls put Butler on the foul line for crucial late free throws, calling it “unfortunate in a game of this magnitude.”

But Vogel was confident there would be no emotional let-down in game six.

“Our group’s fine,” he said, although physical recovery could be more of a problem.

Davis vowed he’d be “fine” for game six after aggravating a sore right heel late in the first quarter on Friday, his obvious pain sending a shudder down the spines of Lakers faithful.

He remained in the game, putting up 28 points and pulling down 12 rebounds with three blocked shots, but his mobility was clearly affected late.

The Lakers’ official injury report on Saturday listed Davis as “probable” to play in game six.

“He’s a warrior,” James said of Davis, adding that even in a limited capacity he was a valuable asset.

“Just him being out there, hobbled, just brings a lot more confidence to myself and our team.”

James and Davis need more help from their supporting cast, however, and the Lakers know it. James now has 10 playoff defeats in which he has scored 40 points – second behind the 12 of Michael Jordan.

“He steps up in big moments,” Lakers guard Alex Caruso said of James. “It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t make one more play for him either defensively or offensively to help him out, because he was giving it his all.”

‘Dynamite’ The Heat, meanwhile, are only growing in confidence. Butler is the driving force, but even with high-scoring guard Goran Dragic sidelined with a torn plantar fascia suffered in game one, Butler isn’t a one-man band.

Dragic was listed Saturday as “doubtful” for game six.

But all five Heat starters scored at least 11 points on Friday and Kendrick Nunn added 14 off the bench.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra likened Robinson, Nunn and rookie Tyler Herro to “sticks of dynamite.”

“They can go off at any time,” he said.

LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket around Jimmy Butler (22) of the Miami Heat during Game Five of the NBA Finals in Orlando, Florida at AdventHealth Arena. AFP

Can they blow the Lakers title aspirations sky high? It will be tough.

Only one team has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals—the James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

“I think it’s going to be even harder for us next game,” Butler said. “But I like our chances.” AFP

PECA to start National Execs Online Chess Championship THE Philippine Executive Chess Association, in coordination with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and Philippine Arbiters Chess Confederation, will stage the second leg of the 2020 National Executive Online Chess Championship on October 18, 2020, 7 p.m. at lichess.org.

The playing format of the tournament will be a nine-round Swiss System with a time control of five minutes plus two seconds increment for each player.

The champion will receive P10,000.

The second P5,000; third P3,000; fourth P2,000; and fifth P1,000. Top Lady, Senior (65 and above), Senior (55 and above), 2000 and below, 1900 and below, 1800 and below and Unrated will each earn P1,000.

“It will be open to all qualified members of Philippine Executive Chess Association whose NCFP Ratings are 2200 and below. Payment/renewal of PECA membership fee for 2020-2021 is required,” said PECA president Dr. Fred Paez who is also NCFP Assistant Executive Director for Southern Luzon.

The event is supported by Engineer Roderick Argel and Engineer Richard Sison of Ontario, Canada who were members of the National University High School Chess Team that won the 1985-86 UAAP Chess Championship (High School Division). Other members of the team were Dr. Alfredo Paez, Danilo Taopa, Rodolfo Panopio Jr., and Nelson Taopa. Coach is the late Prof. Victor Javier.

Meanwhile, the Far Eastern University-Edmonton reigned supreme in the Lichess Team Battle by beating Philippine Christian UniversityToronto, 145-108 last week.

Edmonton, Canada-based Team Captain Alvin “Babin Smith” Guevarra, a former member of FEU Chess Team batch 94, fielded a stronger line up as tournament MVP Sherwin Tiu proved unstoppable to lead FEU-Edmonton to victory.

With his last round wins against Genghis Imperial, Tiu finished with Arena 52 points.

Swiatek wants sustained success

Poland’s Iga Swiatek returns the ball to Sofia Kenin of the US during their women’s singles final tennis match on Day 14 of The Roland Garros 2020 French Open tennis tournament in Paris. AFP

PARIS, France—Iga Swiatek called her French Open title “a life-changing experience” and said her biggest challenge would be to try match the consistency of her hero, 12-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal.

Swiatek, 19, became Poland’s first Grand Slam singles champion with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin on Saturday.

She eclipsed the run of compatriot Jadwiga Jedrzejowska—the most outstanding Polish player of the interwar period—who finished runner-up at Roland Garros in 1939.

“It’s crazy for me because I watched Rafael Nadal lift the trophy every year and now I’m in the same place,” said Swiatek.

“I wasn’t expecting to win this trophy. It’s obviously amazing for me. It’s, like, a lifechanging experience.”

Swiatek, ranked 54, is the lowest-ranked play-

er in the modern era to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen—her first title of any sort at tour level.

She will rise to a career high of 17th on Monday after becoming the youngest women’s French Open winner since an 18-year-old Monica Seles in 1992.

Her style has been likened by three-time Roland Garros champion Mats Wilander to that of world number one Novak Djokovic, who along with Nadal and Roger Federer have combined to win 56 Grand Slam titles.

“Really I feel like I can progress in most of the things because I’m only 19. I know my game isn’t developed perfectly,” said Swiatek.

“Also I think the biggest change for me is going to be to be consistent. I think this is what women’s tennis is struggling with.

“That’s why we have so many new Grand Slam winners because we are not as consistent as Rafa, Roger, and Novak. That’s why my goal

is going to be to be consistent. It’s going to be really hard to achieve that.”

Radwanska ‘still the best’ Swiatek was only the second Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era after Agnieszka Radwanska, but quickly dismissed comparisons with the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up.

“I just feel like I kind of made history. But I still think that Radwanska, she achieved a lot because she played on the top level of WTA for, I don’t know, 12 years. I don’t even know the number,” said Swiatek.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of people who are going to compare us. But I think I have to be really consistent for the next couple years for everybody to name me the best player in Poland because still I have a lot to do.

“Still I think that’s kind of her place, you know.” AFP

Entertainment

TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS. Tom Rodriguez (center) with Lovi Poe (right) and Winwyn Marquez in a scene from the third installment of ‘I Can See You’ drama anthology, ‘High-Rise Lovers.’

Ambition encounters illicit affair in ‘High-Rise Lovers’

I

N THE world of television, people are drawn to forbidden relationships, specifically to the drama and the kind of “love” people manifest in this context. We always wait for the twists and turns, for how long the affair would last, and who would discover the affair, and in what kind of situation it would be uncovered.

And ultimately, we wait for the confrontation scene that makes forbidden love drama memorable.

Tonight on GMA Network, another mini-series under I Can See You drama anthology paints a realistic picture of marriage. Starring Lovi Poe, Winwyn Marquez, and Tom Rodriguez, the mini-series revolves around a couple whose marriage starts to dwindle when their opposing goals in life get the best of them.

Titled High-Rise Lovers, the story follows the story of married couple Samantha (Lovi) and Luis (Tom). After moving into a new condominium unit, Samantha continues to strive for a big promotion at work while Luis, an unemployed contractor, is forced to ac-

cept a renovation job for another occupant – the mysterious and sultry Ysabel (Winwyn).

“My character here is a career woman but she gets into a dilemma choosing between saving her relationship and getting the career that she wants,” Lovi told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview.

“I think, that’s one thing that everyone can relate to because I think a lot of people are having the trouble of trying to balance or juggle both. But what’s really interesting about my character is the choice she’s going to make in the end. That’s something people should watch out for,” she added.

Lovi also shares her trust in the network and her excitement to return to work prompted her to take on the project, “Even before the pandemic, safety always comes first when it comes to our production. It wasn’t a hard decision for me. I’m just really excited to see my friends and work with the whole team again.”

Winwyn, who seals her acting comeback with this project, reveals what she

finds most interesting about her character, “Ysabel is very free-spirited and she doesn’t like commitments. She just wants to have fun and ang iniisip niya ‘yung sarili niya. I think a lot of young viewers can relate to her character. But deep inside we all just want to find love.”

Meanwhile, Tom expresses how small-scale projects such as their weekly series can be of help in the entertainment industry during this pandemic.

“Natututo kaming gumapang ulit bago maglakad. It’s really a nice training wheel para we can get used to the swing of things again. So if ever they’re going to attempt to do big projects from the ground up, mas kaya siyang ma-accomplish. For me these small-scale projects, they’re a nice training ground,” the actor related.

Also starring in this third installment of the I Can See You drama anthology are Teresa Loyzaga and Kenneth “Tetay” Ocampo.

In observance of anti-COVID-19 protocols alongside the network’s precautionary measures, the cast and crew of the show underwent RT-PCR tests, lock-in tapings, and strictly practiced government-mandated safety and health protocols on the set.

I Can See You: High-Rise Lovers, which airs weeknights right after Encantadia on GMA-7, is directed

by Monti Parungao.

TO MANY, Nicole Asensio is the epitome of an “It Girl.”

With a family background that screams old rich and famous -- granddaughter of coloratura, librettist and voice professor emeritus Fides Cuyugan-Asensio and theatre artist Celia Diaz Laurel, niece of Cocoy Laurel and the daughter of singer Iwi Laurel -- one cannot help but wonder, was it more excruciating to prove that she is worth the family name?

Currently, Asensio’s two singles “Silong” and “Poblacion” are available for mass consumption, that is, on the digital universe.

These songs are a product of collaboration with top Filipino artists and sessionists, such as A.M.P. Bigband and Chito Miranda (Parokya Ni Edgar) with a short-film music video starring Cherie Gil. “‘Silong’ is a song I gave up on many times because it wouldn’t lend me an ending, it is also the only original song in my upcoming album that I did not predominantly write the lyrics for, instead I focused on the melody and being involved in instrumentation ideas with my bandmates,” Asensio said of the song.

“I first wrote the song in English, but somehow the melody wasn’t sitting in the same mind-space. It was reminiscent of classic OPM melodies from the ‘70s… so somehow it was asking for Tagalog lyrics. I asked my mom to give a quick listen and she agreed, it did need Tagalog lyrics,” she carried on.

Asensio wrote five drafts of Tagalog lyrics and was unhappy with all of them.

She reached out to a few songwriters for a writing collaboration, and none of the meetings happened. Thus, decided it was

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020

C3

It Girl Millennial‘It Girl’and music artist Nicole Asensio time to bury the song. “‘Silong’ is like a family recipe with my friends in music,” the singer said.

The creation of her second single, “Poblacion,” a homage to a place that used to be her playground and the special people in it, also took the same route to fruition.

With two songs being a product of artistic collaborations and the universe seemingly conspiring with the Muses to put the musical puzzles into place, Asensio stated in conclusion, “Life is short, unpredictable, forever changing in shape, and we are often forced to change with it, whether we’re ready or not.

Just because we are suffering now, doesn’t mean our fondest memories have to suffer, too. Our memories and our stories are where the many versions of ourselves can run free, dance with the what-ifs and maybes.”

ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel is the first in the Philippines to have 30 million subscribers.

ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel marks another digital milestone

ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel marked another major milestone by becoming the first YouTube channel in the Philippines to hit 30 million subscribers.

Also now the second most subscribed YouTube channel in Southeast Asia, ABSCBN Entertainment has also logged 38.8 billion lifetime views, ranking first among the most-watched YouTube channels in the Philippines and tenth in the world as of October this year.

“We want to thank every Kapamilya who helped us reach this milestone and those who have made it a habit to watch our programs, stars, and original offerings on the channel.

We will continue to expand our digital presence to reach as many Kapamilyas as possible and produce content that gives them entertainment, inspiration, and relief, as we continue our mission to be in the service of the Filipino worldwide,” said Richard Reynante, ABSCBN’s digital content publishing head.

ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel was also recently made available

worldwide and is now seen in 27 countries in Asia, 13 countries in South America, nine countries in Africa, eight countries in Central and North America, 12 Oceania territories, Spain, France, Greece in Europe, and Cyprus, Jordan, and Lebanon in the Middle East.

The channel carries Kapamilya Online Live, which livestreams fresh episodes of Kapamilya teleseryes and entertainment shows, public service programs, Kapamilya classics, and weekly digital talk shows.

ABS-CBN’s YouTube channels are also among the most subscribed and most viewed in the country, namely ABS-CBN News (10.4 million subscribers and 6.6 billion views), Star Music (5.6 million subscribers and 2.3 billion views), Pinoy Big Brother (3.6 million subscribers and two billion views), Star Cinema (3.3 million subscribers and 1.1 billion views), The Voice Kids Philippines (2.5 million subscribers and 1.4 billion views), and The Gold Squad (2.4 million subscribers and 204.7 million views).

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL From left: Ryan Cayabyab, Noel Ferrer, and The CompanY

Mr. C’s sweet folk song about our local fruits

IF YOU love the classics “Bahay Kubo” and “Da Coconut Nut,” then you are likely to enjoy a new song that has been recently creating buzz, called “Prutas Pilipinas.”

Music by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab, lyrics by Noel Ferrer and performed

by The Company, the song was created in collaboration with local juice brand, Locally, and aims to educate and celebrate one of the best things we as Filipinos can be proud of – our fruits.

In line with Locally’s mission of honoring our Filipino farmers and their crops, this collaboration with top Filipino music artists entitled “Prutas Pilipinas” is a contemporary Filipino folk song featuring rhymes and riddles about homegrown fruits, both known and unknown.

“We are extremely proud of this unique collaboration, and Maribel Garcia is a passionate advocate of the arts being the head of BGC’s art program as well as Mind Museum. Filipinos are of course known to love music, so we wanted to reach out to them through this medium,” says Gretchen King,

Locally Category Manager.

“Nature, music, and science come together in our song ‘Prutas Pilipinas.’

What better way to celebrate life than to sing a song about our fruits that give us life,” adds Ryan Cayabyab.

A way to spread more knowledge about something we all eat every day, “Prutas Pilipinas” not only names popular fruits, like mangoes, melons, and grapes but also more unique ones like chico, mangosteen, and dragonfruit. The song also mentions how nutritious and good these local fruits are, Locally’s way of championing what is proudly our own.

“I thought that it would be a good opportunity to start from basic fruits and expand it to a collective push for a healthy nation - para sa masigla, magaling at masayang Pilipinas. The genius of our National Artist Mr. Cayabyab, as shown in the excellent music, and the exceptional vocal quality and harmony of The Company made the song truly fun, dynamic, and meaningful,” shares Noel Ferrer.

“Prutas Pilipinas” has three ver-

sions – the first is the main song that has already been released and is quickly growing in popularity on Spotify. Set to be released soon, the second version integrates a little bit of “bugtungan” at the song’s beginning, while the third version is short and easy to memorize, made to be shared in schools nationwide through DepEd. “This song is just the beginning. We have exciting plans in collaboration with DepEd to integrate learning about Filipino fruits in the curriculum. We strongly believe that loving local and supporting our own is a culture that can be taught and encouraged at a young age. Our country produces some of the best and most amazing fruits in the world, and it’s time for all of us to know about and be proud of them,” concludes King.

“Prutas Pilipinas” is available for streaming on Spotify at this link: https:// rb.gy/yp1nc5, and soon, on YouTube. Locally juices are available in all leading convenience stores and supermarkets. For more information, you may visit @Locally_PH on Instagram and Facebook.

Celebrities lead TED global call to act on climate crisis

WITH a call to save the planet, Prince William and Pope Francis on Saturday joined activists, artists, celebrities, and politicians in a free streamed TED event aimed at mobilizing and unifying people to confront the climate crisis.

“The shared goals of our generation are clear,” William said in a video message kicking off the event, dubbed Countdown.

“Together we must protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world, and fix our climate.”

For more than five hours the second-inline to the British throne and other speakers delved in the reality of the climate crisis, the need for action, and what can be done.

Solutions posed included ways of farming that welcome wildlife as well as crops; transportation systems powered by electricity; cities designed for people instead of cars; economies that thrive by keeping the planet healthy instead of destroying it and voting for political leaders keen to end the climate crisis.

“We are living during a historic moment marked by difficult challenges, as we all know,” Pope Francis said while urging people of all faiths to unite to protect Mother Earth.

“The world is shaken by the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlights yet an even bigger chal-

This handout photo courtesy of TED shows Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, speaking at Countdown Global Launch 2020 on Oct. 10. lenge - the socio-environmental crisis.”

The Pope joined other speakers in saying the climate crisis is real and backed by science, and needs to be urgently confronted in ways that are socially just.

“The Earth must be worked and nursed, cultivated, and protected. We cannot continue to squeeze it like an orange,” the Pope said.

Countdown also focused on ways in which damage to the environment also fuels social and racial injustice. AFP

Life

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

C4

FOOD

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

COFFEE AND SUSTAINABILITY. Nespresso’s newly opened boutique in the Philippines showcases the brand’s commitment to sustainability and offering premium quality coffee.

Coffee boutique highlights commitment to sustainability

By Bernadette Lunas

W

ITH the present situation, it’s pretty uncommon to hear about a new store opening here in the country. Brick-andmortar stores are usually turning to digital platforms to reach their customers, if stay afloat.

Hence the recent opening of Nespresso’s second Philippine boutique at The Podium serves as a message of hope for other retailers struggling in these bleak, virus-ridden times.

“For us, the opening of Nespresso’s second boutique signifies hope,” said Patrick Pesengco, managing director of Novateur Coffee Concepts, Inc., the official distributor of Nespresso coffee in the country.

According to Pesengco, they “decided” to continue the construction of the store despite difficulties to provide their Club members with premium barista coffee in their homes and inspire other businesses which are likewise struggling during the pandemic.

“We are hopeful. We hope to inspire

other Podium tenants,” he said.

The store opening, Pesengco added, was also their way of supporting the economy.

“We opened this boutique because we believe it’s a small role we have to play. We will provide jobs as well as revenue for our allied partners—logistics, delivery fulfillment, sanitation, and cleaning services.”

In addition to a “message of hope,” the boutique highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Several years ago, single-serve coffee capsules, as in those offered by Nespresso and other brands, faced backlash—so much so that Hamburg, Germany even banned them—due to alleged adverse environmental issues.

Nespresso, however, clarified its coffee pods were in fact sustainable. According to an analysis by Quantis, Nespresso capsules, which are made of aluminum, have less environmental impact than plastic, and are recyclable and “upcyclable.”

“The fact that it’s made of aluminum means we are for sustainability. It costs more but it’s infinitely recyclable,” emphasized Pesengco.

Research also shows coffee capsules are more efficient in saving water—but that’s for another story.

Inside Nespresso’s 58-square meter boutique at The Podium, customers can check out the brand’s product range, from coffee grounds to machines, and the ways it champions innovation and environmental conservation.

Showcasing a calm open space, the “Wabi-Sabi” inspired store is reflective of the brand in terms of coffee quality and craftsmanship. The floor tiles, greenery, and muted coffee palette, among others were set to mimic coffee

plantations and farms.

Furnishings include tabletops made from used coffee grounds and 100 percent sourced wood from reforestation programs, and LED-powered lamps, which imitate the natural light used in the coffee plantations.

In partnership with Negrense Volunteers for Change, the store also showcases wall tiles that demonstrate how Nespresso pods can be upcycled and transformed into beautiful, high-value art pieces, which also aim to encourage customers to join the initiative by dropping off their used coffee capsules at the recycling corner of the store.

According to Pesengco, the coffee grounds from the dropped off capsules are used as compost fertilizers, while the aluminum capsules are shredded and sent to a local smelter to be turned into other useful items like Victorinox Swiss Knives, pens, and limited edition chopsticks.

“Nespresso capsules could be carbon neutral—it’s possible if everybody co- Customers can discover different coffee grounds in the aroma jars. operates, commits,” ended Pesengco.

A rewarding October

Hideo Muraoka shops at the Farmers’ Produce Market at Megamall.

John and Jing Fruits Stand sells durian fresh from Mindanao.

Megamall shoppers score farm fresh produce SHOPPERS at SM Megamall had a chance to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, locally made food products, and plants during a special weekend pop-up.

SM Supermalls brought Farmers’ Produce Market at the Mega Fashion Hall on September 25-27 and October 2-4 as part of its partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Resto PH to bring products from Filipino farmers straight to consumers.

The two-weekend sale saw a variety of highland vegetables from Benguet’s Cada Farmers Agriculture Cooperative; export quality coconut products from Quezon’s Best in Tiaong, Quezon Province; farm fresh quail and chicken eggs from Lololylalala Egg Trading in Taytay, Rizal; mango jam and dried mangoes from Granah Consumer Goods in

Freshly harvested dragon fruit from Cada Farmers Agriculture Cooperative.

Don Dairy’s fresh carabao’s milk and peach mango fruit yogurt.

Guimaras Island; and freshly picked durian, lanzones, and mangosteen from John and Jing Fruits in Davao.

Central Luzon traders also showcased their products during the fair. These included chicharon, garlic chips, and roasted cashew nuts from John N’ Mico in Pam-

panga; smoked and dried fish products from Mama Agnes Enterprises; and fruits and vegetables from L. Sanchez Farm in San Ildefonso, Bulacan and Munting Paraiso ni Yoly Farm in Angat, Bulacan.

Products from Metro Manila included Queen B’s honey and other bee products; Marc Daniel’s featured vegetarian products like tofu and chilled taho; and Don Dairy PH’s flavored carabao’s milk and fruit yogurt.

“Plantito” and “plantita” shoppers were also able to check out a range of best-selling plants from the Bureau of Plant and Industry. The Bureau also gave away vegetable seeds and seedlings to the attendees.

With 24 participating merchants, the recent fair was the biggest and longest SM Farmers’ Produce Market caravan leg yet. It will then head over to SM Southmall on October 16-18 and 23-25.

Cada Farmers Agriculture Cooperative owner Pacita Yap (middle), Esterlita Ruben, and Glenn Magalgalit show off their farm fresh produce from Benguet.

SPECIAL deals and treats await diners at an all-day breakfast restaurant this month.

Those who will get Pancake House Rewards Card this October get a free House Special Set A upon activation, 10 percent discount with every P600 worth of purchases, and free birthday pancakes on their birthday month.

In addition, diners ordering food worth P500 through Pancake House website this October, may it be for dine-in, takeout, curbside pick-up, or delivery, get a free Rewards Card.

Other ways to get the card include presenting Krispy Kreme OG Card at any Pancake House store until October 31, or presenting receipts worth P1,500 from Dencio’s or P800 from Teriyaki Boy or Sizzlin’ Steak from October 15 to November 15.

Meanwhile, Rewards Card holders get special treats on Mondays and payday weekends of this month. On October 15-18 and October 29 to November 1, the signature House Special Set A will be available for only P249,

Diners purchasing P800 worth of food items from Sizzlin’ Steak get a free Pancake House Rewards Card this month.

and the Spaghetti with Meat Sauce for only P279.

For all remaining Mondays of October, Pancake House Rewards Card holders get a free box of six Original Glazed Doughnuts for every dozen of Original Glaze Doughnuts they purchase at Krispy Kreme.

Cheska’s favorite cheese spread MOTHER of three Cheska Kramer “A good balance for the children believes experience is an amazing tool would mean there should be time for study, sports, play, nature-tripping, for learning. and serving the community. Most of all, there must be a lot of valuable time with the family where children learn first from their parents,” she shares.

She also believes that fuelling her kids Kendra, Scarlett, and Gavin with the right vitamins and minerals enables them to be their best self, no matter the situation.

Packed with strength-building nutrients such as vitamins A and D, calcium, and phosphorus, daily servings of Cheska-approved Cheez Whiz help give kids the strength to explore and experience a well-rounded childhood. It now features milkier and cheesier flavor.

Kraft’s cheese spread comes in regular and pimiento variants in jar The new and improved Cheez Whiz spread features cheesier and milkier flavor. and packs.