Manila Standard - 2020 October 17 - Saturday by Manila Standard

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Cayetano loses another post By Maricel V Cruz

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 225 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BOOTED out as Speaker, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano was stripped of another position Friday, this time as the caretaker of the First District of Camarines Sur. On Monday, Cayetano was voted out by 186 congressmen, almost three-

fourths of the 299-member House of Representatives, after he refused to honor a term-sharing agreement with now Speaker Lord Allan Velasco that had been brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2019. By Friday, Cayetano was also replaced as legislative caretaker by Rizal Next page

2021 Budget Timeline

House of Representatives transmits budget to Senate Oct. 28.

‘NEW NORMAL’ ARMY. Wearing protective masks, candidate-soldiers of the Philippine Army create a V-formation after taking their oath to serve and protect the country against a common enemy, vowing to sacrifice personal comfort and safety for the greater good. The newly graduated soldiers consisting of 20 females and 285 males will be deployed in line units of the Army’s 10th Infantry (Agila) Division. PA Photo

House okays budget in marathon session Aims to transmit $4.5-t measure to Senate on Oct. 28

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Friday night approved on third and final reading the P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021, reaffirming its commitment to pass the highest quality budget that would help Filipinos and the economy rebound, reset and recover from the adverse impact of COVID-19.

Senators need at least 2 weeks for plenary deliberations.

Last Week of c. e D Nov. of k ee W t Firs Transmittal of budget measure to Malacañang.

Capping four days of marathon deliberations, a total of 257 legislators voted in favor of House Bill 7727 or the 2021 General Appropriations Next page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM OCTOBER 9)

334,770 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

2,996 53,311 NEW

ACTIVE

6,152

DEATHS

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez are joined by colleagues and House staffmembers in celebrating the passage of the P4.5-trillion national budget bill during a marathon session on Friday night Oct. 16, 2020. Ver Noveno’s FB page

Oil-gas explorers allowed to resume work in WPS; moratorium lifted

By Alena Mae Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Department of Energy to lift

the suspension of petroleum activities and the resumption of exploration in the West Philippine Sea, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Thursday night. “I thank the President for approving the DOE recommendation.

We need to explore so we may address the country’s energy security,” Cusi said. Under Republic Act 7638 or the “Department of Energy Act of

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE House of Representatives approved on third and final reading Friday night a bill authorizing President Duterte to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses and certifications in times of national emergency. House Bill No. 7884 is principally authored by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco Next page

• People aged 15-65 free to leave home • Mall events OKd

NEW

Anti-red tape bill hurdles 3rd reading

1992”, the DOE has the authority to regulate the exploration of the country’s indigenous energy resources. “With the impending depletion of our natural gas reserve in Malampaya, it is

LOCAL ROUNDUP

NEW

275,307 1,045 RECOVERIES

President has 30 days to sign budget or make a line veto. Beyond 30 days, it lapses into law.

COCKFIGHT BAN LIFTED. The government’s COVID-19 task force has lifted the ban on cockfighting but this will only apply to areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) or lower classifications where quarantine controls are less restrictive. In a resolution it approved on Thursday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) said licensed cockpits and the conduct of cockfighting activities must follow health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Ey Acasio

PAO threatens Garin, Duque with 102 criminal raps

against ex-health chief Janette Garin, inoculated with Dengvaxia vaccine. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III PAO Chief Persida Acosta said aside THE Public Attorney’s Office on Fri- and executives of Sanofi Pasteur Inc. from Garin and Duque, former and acday threatened to file 102 new criminal for the deaths of 101 school children tive officials from the Department of Next page cases before the Department of Justice and the illness of a survivor who were

By Rio N. Araja

ByWillie Casas, OthelV. Campos, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz MALACANANG said Filipinos wishing to travel abroad considered as non-essential trip could leave the country starting October 21, as it also allows people aged 15 to 65 years to go out of their homes even during community quarantine. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said IATF-EID lifted the ban on non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos but with several requirements to meet.

News

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

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CHR slams handling of ‘Nasino’ By Rio N. Araja and Willie Casas

HE Commission on Human Rights on Friday was disappointed over how the government was dealing with the case of urban poor organizer Reinna Mae Nasino, whose child River Emmanuelle died while she was in detention and who was buried Friday.

“The CHR is deeply concerned with how government authorities are handling the case of human rights worker Reinna Mae Nasino,” lawyer-spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the case against Nasino would proceed without any hitch. “We sympathize with the accused for her personal loss, but her case is now before the court and the judicial process has to move on,” Guevarra said in a

message to reporters. Prosecutors did not oppose the request by Nasino’s counsel for a threeday furlough for her to attend the wake and burial of her deceased child. The child was laid to rest as armed guards surrounded her handcuffed mother, a week after she died of pneumonia.. River Emmanuelle, the daughter of 23-year-old urban poor organizer Reina Mae Nasino, was buried at the Manila North Cemetery past 3 p.m., one week

Oil-gas... From A1

House... From A1

the department’s position that there is an urgent imperative to resume exploration, development, and production activities within our EEZ to ensure continuity of supply of indigenous resources in the country,” Cusi said. He said a “resume-to-work” notice was issued by the DOE to the service contractors doing petroleum-related activities in the areas of SC 59, 72 and 75 in the West Philippine Sea. The activities there were suspended on the ground “force majeure” over the WPS dispute. SC 59 and SC 72 are operated by the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corp. and Forum Ltd., respectively. PXP Energy Corp. operates SC 75. Cusi said the lifting of the suspension would infuse the economy with fresh foreign direct investments and generate high-skills jobs, both of which are needed to boost economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The lifting of the suspension places the service contractors under legal obligation to put capital into the contract areas and hire Filipino engineers and technical workers to resume exploration,” he said. Cusi said he had informed Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin of the President’s approval of the DOE recommendation. Cusi said the lifting of the moratorium was arrived at in good faith and with full regard of the negotiations between the Philippines and China and Forum Ltd. and the China National Offshore Corp. “The oasis of peace that the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs envision must also be an oasis of prosperity. For this to happen, the Philippines must restart its economy using the engine of energy resiliency and security,” Cusi said in a letter to Locsin. Cusi said the lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea will not affect the ongoing talks between the Philippines and China for a possible joint exploration in the area. “It’s done in good faith because we signed an MOU together with China so saying it’s in good faith because it does not affect that MOU. It does not stop the joint development activities that we might arrive at with China,” Cusi said in a virtual briefing. Cusi said there were talks between the Philippines and China for a possible joint exploration development over the West Philippine Sea but these was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. “There is no prohibition in doing it unilaterally. We can do it and what we have done is a unilateral decision on our part to ask those licensees to start their activities in the West Philippine Sea,” Cusi said. Cusi said the move will not affect the Philippines’ claim to the disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea and said China was not informed of the latest decision. With Willie Casas

Bill (GAB). Only six voted against the measure and no one abstained. “It is an extraordinary budget for extraordinary times. There is so much at stake here: our health, the economy, jobs and livelihood, food security, the education of our children, and much more,” Velasco said. He expressed his gratitude to the President for “taking a principled, decisive leadership” in calling for the special session, which allowed House members to further scrutinize the agency budgets and to thresh out issues relevant to each department and concerned sector. “We have provided every representative the opportunity to raise issues, clarify any misconceptions, and recommend how we can make the budget truly responsive to our current and pressing needs and conditions,” he said. “Every member of this institution has something to contribute and deserves to be heard. That we can do better by listening to one another and working together, for our people deserve nothing less,” Velasco added. At the same time, Velasco said he was proud of the 2021 GAB for being “truly reflective and responsive to the needs of our people.” The agencies which received the biggest allocations were as follows: Department of Education, P754.4 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways, P667.3 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government, P246.1 billion; Department of National Defense, P209.1 billion; Department of Health (DOH), P203.1 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development, P171.2 billion; Department of Transportation, P143.6 billion; Department of Agriculture, P66.4 billion; the Judiciary, P43.5 billion; and Department of Labor and Employment, P27.5 billion. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House Ways and Means panel said P893 billion or almost a fifth of the budget is for the country’s COVID-19 response.

Anti-red... From A1 and House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Prior to the bill’s approval in the plenary session, the House was convened into a Committee of the Whole to consider and approve the measure at the committee level, setting the stage for second and third reading approval. Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero presided over the Committee of the Whole, with Pampanga Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc as majority floor leader. Earlier, Romualdez said the House has committed to pass the bill as soon as it receives the letter of certification

Local... From A1

after the child died of pneumonia. Nasino is undergoing trial for the non-bailable charges of supposed violation of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. “We remind the government that, at this point, Nasino remains to be an accused and thus, still presumed to be innocent until proven guilty,” she said. Even in detention, persons deprived of liberty must not be subjected to any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, and that it remains to be a State obligation to respect their inherent dignity and value as human beings in accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners or the Nelson Mandela Rules, she said. “We likewise extend our sympathies to the family, especially to the mother, for the death of baby River,” she said.

“As duty-bearers, we would have expected officers of the government to have put in mind the best interest of the child. The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders or the Bangkok Rules explain that ‘decisions to allow children to stay with their mothers in prison shall be based on the best interest of the children,’” she added. Before the burial, more than 20 police officers stood outside the cemetery, according to prisoner rights group Kapatid. However, it was not immediately clear how many jail and police personnel were deployed at the cemetery but photos showed several officers in uniform. The Department of the Interior and Local Government said the security arrangement was in anticipation of the large crowd that might form at the event. An official said this was “not overkill.”

Of the P893 billion, P2.5 billion will be for the procurement of anti-COVID-19 vaccines. The Department of Health, however, said the amount is P10 billion short to cover as much as 20 million Filipinos. House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante said the amount will only cover 3.9 million Filipinos. “That is just four percent of our population and way below the number the President (Rodrigo Duterte) wants vaccinated, even for free. Kailangan nating hanapan ito ng pondo,” Abante said in his turno en contra speech. ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said the chamber will transmit the budget bill to the Senate by Oct. 28, as requested by Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Senators earlier warned that submitting the money measure after that day would delay the passage of the budget bill. “We will do as the Senate president wants. We’ll find a way to give them the budget,” Yap said in Filipino, adding that newly elected Speaker Lord Allan Velasco had already committed to submitting copies of the budget by that date. With the bill’s approval, Yap said the House will form a small committee to accept, evaluate and study proposed amendments from respective government agencies. Agencies will be given until Monday to submit their proposed amendments, he said. He said the House will comply with the timeline set by the Senate but stressed congressmen cannot just simply adopt the Senate version of the budget. Meanwhile, a staunch ally of ousted speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, warned that a delay in the transmittal of the spending plan to the Senate could raise suspicions that lastminute insertions were being made by the House leadership under Velasco. Before Cayetano’s ouster, the Velasco camp accused Villafuerte of sowing discord in the House. On Thursday, Marikina City Rep.

Stella Quimbo questioned the P13 billion fund for the coronavirus health response in the Department of Health’s (DOH) proposed budget for 2021. During the House plenary deliberation on the proposed 2021 budget on Thursday, Quimbo said the DOH had already used P82 billion in total for its pandemic response under the two Bayanihan laws. She said the P13 billion allotted was too small. Zamboanga Rep. Manuel Dalipe, the sponsor of the DOH’s budget, said the proposed funding lacks over P10 billion and asked that the said amount be added to the COVID- 19 response budget of the department. The amount was for the acquisition of vaccines for 20 million people that President Rodrigo Duterte wanted immunized, he said. The DOH has set aside only a total of P2.5 billion for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. But the proposed budget was prepared before Duterte ordered the inoculation of 20 million people in 2021. During earlier House deliberations Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said P12.9 billion is needed to procure coronavirus vaccines for 20 million, adding that the government will source the remaining amount through a bank loan. In a statement, Villafuerte said suspicions about insertions in the budget were heightened by reports that former Camarines Sur congressman Rolando Andaya, a former budget secretary and his political nemesis, has been actively participating behind the scenes in the budget deliberations under the newly installed Velasco speakership. “Where is their supposed moral high ground now when the senators fret about the undue delay in the House’s submission of the final 2021 GAA bill to the Senate. All along they have made the public believe that the leadership change would ensure the immediate submission by the House of the final copy of the budget to the Senate as soon as the money measure was passed by the chamber at the end of the special session.”

tivities to spur economic or business activity. These are sale events but they would still be subject to Department of Trade and Industry guidelines on the operation of malls and shopping malls,” Roque said. Promotional events inside malls would be allowed in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

gional or provincial offices through a post-audit mechanism.

“Filipinos intending to travel abroad as tourists must have adequate travel and health insurance,” he said, adding Filipino outbound travelers must submit confirmed roundtrip tickets and negative antigen test results for COVID-19.” He also said they need an immigraPost-audit mechanism tion declaration acknowledging the Travel agencies and tour operators risks involved in traveling and a negative Antigen result taken within 24 are now allowed to operate at 50 perhours before departure, subject to the cent capacity in areas under GCQ and at full capacity in areas under modified DOH guidelines. GCQ subject to mandatory minimum health protocol. Sales, marketing events The directive took effect Friday Malls and other business establishments may now hold sales and other mar- based on Memorandum Circular 20-53 keting events to spur consumer activity issued on October 14, 2020 by the DTI. The DTI’s Fair Trade Enforcement amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (CovBureau will monitor the compliance id-19) crisis, Malacañang said. “Establishments and malls may hold ac- of industry members together with refrom Malacañang. “Upon the directive of the President and the instruction of Speaker Velasco, the House of Representatives will work on the passage of the anti-red tape measure before we adjourn the special session,” said Romualdez, chair of the House Committee on Rules, adding that the measure is in support of President Duterte’s directives for efficient coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) response. Last Wednesday, Velasco and Romualdez led the filing of HB 7884 or An Act Authorizing the President to Expedite the Processing and Issuance of National and Local Permits, Licenses, and Certifications to accelerate the country’s socioeconomic recovery and ensure an effective government response to the present health crisis.

PAO... From A1 Health, Food and Drug Administration, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and Sanofi representatives would also face multiple counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and torture. “The cases will be filed in November,” she said, without specifying the exact date. Due to the lockdown brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), she said the filing of the fresh cases had been delayed. She gave assurances that PAO was strictly observing the safety and health

Remdesivir fails tests, does little effect on patients THE antiviral drug remdesivir, considered one of the most promising COVID-19 treatments, turns out to do little to prevent deaths from the disease, according to a WHObacked study. Remdesivir, which was part of the experimental cocktail given to US President Donald Trump when he caught the new coronavirus last month, was one of several reviewed in a large study of more than 11,000 people across 30 countries. The drug “appeared to have little or no effect on hospitalised COVID-19, as indicated by overall mortality, initiation of ventilation and duration of hospital stay,” said the study posted online late Thursday. The data, which has yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, seems to contradict at least two major US studies that have shown that remdesivir can reduce the duration of hospital stays for COVID-19 patients. Washington authorised the emergency use of the medicine, made by US pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences and originally intended as a treatment for Ebola – on May 1, followed by a range of other countries and the European Union. AFP

Cayetano... From A1

The Philippines logged on Friday 3,139 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 351,750, the Department of Health reported. The DOH likewise announced 786 recoveries. This brings the total number of recoveries to 294,865.

Rep. Michael John Duavit early Friday, a few minutes before the session was suspended. Cayetano had been elected as the district’s caretaker in September following the death of the late Rep. Marissa Andaya, wife of former majority leader Rolando Andaya. Before the start of the 18th Congress, Cayetano sought to be speaker, even though he had the least number of supporters among other aspirants to the position, Velasco and now Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Cayetano, who was the losing running mate of Duterte in the 2016 elections, sought the President’s intervention to persuade the other aspirants to withdraw in his favor. Duterte brokered a gentleman’s agreement in which Cayetano would serve as speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress and Velasco would serve in the last 21 months. Romualdez was to be majority leader throughout the 18th Congress. As the deadline for the turnover neared, however, Cayetano refused to budge and had his allies cast a vote of confidence in his favor. A week later, however, 186 congressmen—including those who gave him a vote of confidence—junked him in favor of Velasco. After his ouster, Cayetano submitted his “irrevocable resignation” as speaker through a Facebook post. Meanwhile, in his final act as Minority Leader, ManilaRep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. on Friday delivered the Minority’s turno en contra and announced that he would be joining the Majority after expressing confidence in the new leadership. At the tail-end of his speech, Abante, who served as Minority Leader in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, said that he had “full trust in the new leadership in its pursuit of a legislative agenda that is not only propeople, but more importantly, responsive to the need to provide effective and sufficient interventions to control the COVID pandemic.” “And there is no better symbol of this trust than an expression of intent to join the Majority so I could be more proactive in providing urgently-needed legislation and Congressional oversight,” he added.

protocols in conducting an autopsy on the cadavers of children suspected to have died of Dengvaxia vaccine. “Our personnel are equipped with personal protective equipment, and that we ensure the cadaver has tested negative for the virus,” she said. Acosta welcomed a latest Supreme Court decision to consolidate 17 criminal charges filed against Garin; ex- and incumbent health officials, FDA and RITM, and Sanofi Pasteur Inc., and to designate a family court to handle the cases. “We have just received the Supreme Court order last Oct. 15,” she said. She thanked SC Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta for granting their request for the transfer of the venue of the cases to a family court in Quezon City.

”… to direct the Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City to cause the raffle of the abovementioned cases to a single branch of the Family Court for further proceedings within three days from receipt of the case record,” the order read. “There is no reason for the Office of the Solicitor General to file a certiorari to question the order of the MTCs to transfer the criminal cases for lack of jurisdiction,” she added. She said the High Court had spoken. In April 2019, PAO asked the Supreme Court to grant its request to consolidate and transfer to a Quezon City court several criminal cases filed before various courts in connection with deaths allegedly linked to the anti-dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia.

Mobility restrictions

Teens and young adults from age 15 up are now allowed mobility outside of homes as well as senior citizens from age 60 to 65. “Except in hotspot areas where LGUs can limit allowed age range to 18 to 65 years old. Of course, the workers or business people are allowed outside,” said Lopez. He also called on LGUs to remove or ease up curfew policies, without sacrificing enforcement of health protocols, to generate more jobs and income opportunities.

COVID updates

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19 Immigration personnel relieved J

Manila

Standard

TODAY

N O T I C E Notice is hereby given that INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL SERVICES, INC. with office address at ICTSI Admin Building, South Access Road, MICT Complex, North Harbor Manila is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Operator of Seaport under the Preferred Activities - Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs (Manila International Container Terminal - Berth 8) located at MICT South Access Road, MICT Port, North Harbor Manila on a Non-Pioneer status. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Friday the Immigration personnel implicated in the so-called “pastillas” scheme had been reshuffled.

“In view of the filing by the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] of cases before the OMB [Office of the Ombudsman] against certain BI personnel in connection with the so-called ‘pastillas’ scheme, these personnel have been relieved of their duties at the airports and were recalled to their mother units,” Guevarra told reporters. He said an internal body had initiated administrative proceedings against those involved. “At the same time, I have reconstituted the board of discipline to commence administrative proceedings against them and other BI personnel suspected of corruption, misconduct and other acts inimical to the service,” Guevarra said. The NBI earlier recommended the filing of criminal charges before the Ombudsman against 19 Immigration officers and personnel for their alleged involvement in the money-making scheme while assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. They were Grifton San Pedro Medina, Deon Carlo Albao, Fidel Mendoza, Abdulhafez dela Tonga Handjibasher, Gabriel Ernest Estacio, Ralph Garcia, Phol Villanueva, Abdul Calaca, Danilo Deudor, Mark Macababad, Aurelio Lucero III, George Bituin, Salahudin Hadjinoor, Chevy Naniong, Hamza Pacasum, Manuel Sarmiento III, Cherry Pie Ricolcol, German Robin and Jeffrey Dale Salamde Ignacio. Liya Wu, a private individual and owner

of Empire International Travel and Tours, was also recommended to be charged for allegedly corrupting public officials. In September, an NBI lawyer and his brother, an Immigration officer, were charged before the Department of Justice over their alleged involvement in extorting money from BI personnel tagged in the “pastillas” scheme. NBI Legal Assistance Section chief Joshua Paul Capiral and his brother, Immigration Medical Section officer Christopher John Capiral, were arrested in an entrapment operation after they received P200,000 from the complainant, Immigration officer Jeffrey Ignacio. The NBI Special Action Unit filed robbery/extortion and graft charges against the Capiral brothers. NBI Deputy Director and spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said agents had been investigating the Capiral brothers for more than two weeks, adding it was John who approached the NBI. Joshua Paul, in his capacity as NBI legal assistance section chief, reviews and evaluates the work of an agent. Before the entrapment operation, Lavin said the NBI flagged Joshua Paul for initially recommending that only four of the 19 immigration officers be charged for their alleged involvement in the protection racket, which allowed the entry of Chinese nationals into the country.

ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA

Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service LLY

(MS-OCT. 17, 2020)

PROTEST. Activists stage an indignation rally at the burial of Baby River, daughter of activist Reina Mae Nasino, at the Manila North Cemetery on Oct. 16. Elmer Nev Valenzuela

Luna deputy chief for intelligence N O T I C E Notice is hereby given that INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL SERVICES, INC. with office address at ICTSI Admin Building, South Access Road, MICT Complex, North Harbor Manila is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Operator of Seaport under the Preferred Activities - Infrastructure and Logistics including LGU-PPPs (Manila International Container Terminal - Berth 9) located at MICT South Access Road, MICT Port, North Harbor Manila on a Non-Pioneer status. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA

Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service LLY

(MS-OCT. 17, 2020)

JOINT Task Force-National Capital Region Chief Alex Luna on Friday was designated as the new Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In a statement, AFP public affairs office chief Jonathan Zata said the ceremony was presided by AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Erick Kagaoan at the General Headquarters Building in Camp Aguinaldo. The position was previously held by Maj. Gen. Greg Almerol, who has been appointed commander of the Tanay, Rizal-based 2nd Infantry Division. During his stint as JTF-NCR chief, Luna led troops in the COVID-19 response efforts while continuing counterinsurgency activities. He was also assigned in Eastern Samar as commander of the 801st Brigade and co-chairman of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program Committee. Luna’s expertise in intelligence operations came from his experiences in the Army Intelligence Regiment, including his designation as Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence. “I urge you to sustain the progress started by your predecessors and perform your tasks with utmost commitment and dedication. We trust in your abilities and we look forward to more accomplishments under your helmsmanship,” Kagaoan told Luna. Kagaoan also commended Almerol for his expertise, competence and high sense of responsibility. “During his stint, Maj. Gen. Almerol broadened the security perspective of the AFP by enhancing the intelligence operations that address the nation’s stability against various threats despite the challenges brought by the pandemic,” Kagaoan said.

IN BRIEF Bill seeks to increase doctors in the country FILIPINOS will have access to free medical education and the country’s human resources for public health will be expanded once the Senate ratifies the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, which was described as a “landmark legislation” by Senator Joel Villanueva. Villanueva said the approval of the Bicam report was timely as it showed that public health remained the Senate’s priority amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the pandemic had only exposed the Achilles’ heel of the healthcare system and the shrinking supply of Filipino doctors. “Imagine, we only have three doctors per 10,000 population, far from the ideal ratio of 10 doctors per 10,000 population,” said Villanueva, the principal author and sponsor of the measure. The bill sets up a medical scholarship and return service program, which grants scholarships to deserving students aspiring to become physicians. It seeks to encourage students to take up medicine and help improve the country’s doctor-patient ratio. The country needs to produce more than 80,000 doctors to meet the WHO-prescribed ratio of 10 doctors per 10,000 population. Macon RamosAraneta

Customs seize P750K smuggled ecstasy AIRPORT authorities intercepted a smuggled shipment of ecstasy at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City on Friday. The shipment worth P750,000, which came from Amersfoort, The Netherlands, was declared as “keychains” and consigned to an individual in Cebu City. The shipment was sent by a certain Jansen J.J.K. and was intended for Cebu City. A team from the Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport intercepted the shipment in coordination with elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and NAIA InterAgency Drug Interdiction Task Group following a physical examination of the package. They found 196 pieces of dark-gray, oval-shaped ecstasy tablets and 151 grams of ecstasy powder. PDEA Chemical Laboratory results confirmed that the tablets and the crystallized substance contained MDMA or ecstasy/molly. Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

LGUs

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

AFP told: Hands off madrasas A

LAWMAKER has cautioned the Armed Forces leadership against painting madrasas or Muslim schools as possible breeding grounds for terrorists. “I am a product of a madrasa where I studied for five years. I have never heard, not even once, any teaching about terrorism. In fact, we were taught not do anything bad and not to hurt other people,” Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman said. Hataman took exception to the statement of Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay that security forces are looking into the possibility of radicalization in madrasas as a possible explanation to the growing number of suicide bombers in the Philippines. “The Armed Forces should not be making general statements linking madrasas to terrorists without presenting irrefutable proof of its existence. It is dangerous and unfair, and it serves no real purpose but to unjustly put our schools in a very compromising situation,” said Hataman, a former governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. “While I also share the deep concern of the Armed Forces on the existence of Filipino suicide bombers at present, I would not go as far as to associate these terrorists to our madrasas. Our schools are institutions of peace and learning, and are not breeding grounds for violent extremists and terrorist,” he added. Hataman challenged the AFP to file appropriate cases if has proof of its claims. Otherwise, the military should refrain from making sweeping generalizations against Muslim schools as this sets a dangerous precedent. “As a parent, I am fearful of the AFP statement. What if my child studies in a madrasa? What will the students feel if their school is being investigated? I pity the children,” he said. Aside from students, teachers and school officials will so be put in danger by the “rash statements” that only fuel speculations and further discrimination against the Muslim community, Hataman said.

Pasig River ferry resumes operations By Joel E. Zurbano

ONE BIG CROC. A giant crocodile was spotted by residents in a coastal area of Simunul in Tawi-tawi province. (From the Facebook page of Grace Nuka)

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Friday announced the resumption of normal operations of Pasig River Ferry Service following a two-day suspension due to water lilies. The agency’s Clearing Operation Unit hauled a total of 1,350 cubic meter of water hyacinths. MMDA chief information officer Sharon Gentalian said the ferry is operating to and from Pinagbuhatan (Pasig) and Escolta (Manila) from Mondays to Saturdays, 6 a.m to 7 p.m. Operational ferry stations are as follows: Guadalupe, Hulo, Valenzuela, Sta. Ana, Lawton, Escolta, San Joaquin and Pinagbuhatan. Passengers are reminded to follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols such as wearing a face shield and face mask, undergoing temperature check, and filling out a manifest and commuter information sheet before each ride. The ferry serves authorized person outside residence (APOR), health workers and government employees who need to report for work free of charge while the general community quarantine status is being enforced in Metro Manila.

Leave Baseco, Isko tells criminals By Willie Casas MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Friday warned criminals not to make Baseco a haven for their illegal activities. Domagoso made the pronouncement after he and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna inaugurated the New Baseco Baywalk where he also urged the residents to inform his office should they know of anyone engaging in illegal activities within the community. Domagoso also asked the residents to inform either the City Hall or police authorities about the presence of fugitives from justice or “wanted” persons in the neighborhood, saying he is committed to providing them with a peaceful environ-

ment but would need everybody’s help and cooperation. “Ayokong pamahayan ng kriminal ang Baseco, sinabi ko ‘yan nung unang pagupo ko pa lamang. Kung meron pang nakikinig na tolongges at hahalubilo sa mga mapayapang tao, umalis na kayo rito, uubusin ko kayo rito,” Domagoso said. The mayor said the reputation of any community rests on the hands of its citizens and as such, he expects the residents to do their share in keeping their area as peaceful as possible. Domagoso said efforts to make Baseco free from criminals is now complemented by the creation of a new police precinct which is now situated right within the area.

MASTERPIECES. Ivan Dale Pantig, a Grade 12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) student of Nazareth School, shows his oil and acrylic paintings that he completed during the lockdown. PNA

Navotas insists on minors’ curfew SMC extends Tesda

Farmers spread palay to dry along the road at barangay Alapan-1 in Imus, Cavite on Oct. 16 after Typhoon Ofel battered Calabarzon. JR Josue

Lazatin releases P360K aid to fire victims in Angeles City THIRTY one families and five business establishments affected by a fire in Barangay San Nicolas received their P10,000 assistance each from the city government Thursday, four days after Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. ordered the local finance committee for its immediate release. The total financial assistance released amounted to P360,000.

Lazatin’s chief adviser IC Calaguas also said the Business Permit and Licensing Division is also set to assist the five registered business establishments for their fire insurance. Nida Estacio, one of the fire victims, underscored the quick response of the city for their food and cash assistance as well as the immediate visit of the city mayor to the gutted area.

NAVOTAS will continue its 24hour curfew for minors amid the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow persons aged 15-65 to leave their homes. “We want our children to stay safe. This is precisely why we kept them from going to school and encouraged them to attend distance learning classes instead,” said Mayor Tobias Tiangco. “Allowing those between 15 to 18 years old to go out is absurd. It defeats the purpose of distance learning and will further distract them from their studies. We cannot afford to be wishywashy with our rules. Lives are at stake,” he added. Tiangco said City Ordinance No. 2020-33 requires residents below 18 years old to stay home all the time while Navotas is under community quarantine or in any form of lockdown required by the national or local government. “We are still under general community quarantine. As long as a quarantine is in place, we will continue to uphold our 24-

hour curfew to keep young Navoteños safe from COVID-19,” he said. Meanwhile, Tiangco said senior citizens are already allowed to go out if they are APORs or have to buy essentials. “Be they 60 or 65, our seniors are already allowed to go out if needed be. But for the sake of their safety and well-being, we highly encourage them to stay home,” he said. “While it is true that our COVID-19 curve is flattening, cases can skyrocket any time, especially if we loosen up our policies too soon. We should learn from other countries that are now suffering from a resurgence of cases,” he added. Tiangco underscored that the government needs to continue strict enforcement of rules to maximize the gains it has achieved in the fight against COVID-19. “Our curve is flattening. We want to make sure that this is sustained, that when we loosen up our policies, everyone will remain safe and we will not have to go back to stricter measures. We need to be slow but sure,” he said.

training in Bulacan THE pilot batch of former Taliptip residents trainees are looking to graduate very soon from their skills training under the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority even as San Miguel Corporation vows to open the program to more Bulacan residents in the next coming months. With positive feedback coming from the initial 60 enrollees, SMC president and chief operating president Ramon Ang said SMC and Tesda have already been receiving a lot of inquiries for the succeeding batches. “We are very pleased with the reports that the initial batch of enrollees who are formerly from Barangay Taliptip are very eager to learn and are doing well in their training. Sila ay masipag at mabilis matuto. We appreciate their effort in learning new skills during the pandemic as this shows their eagerness and pride to participate in a game-changer of a project that will not only benefit them, but also the generations to come,” Ang said. Tesda provincial director Jovencio Ferrer Jr. confirmed that the pilot batch is performing well. “I see the ongoing training as effective since the graduates are equipped to become competent in their field of choice and prepared for either wage or self-employment,” he said. Arvee Vasquez, Erwin Libao, and Jojit Teodoro, students in the heavy equipment/hydraulic excavator training course, said the SMC-Tesda program will enable them to eye opportunities at the airport construction project.

Opinion Miseducating the Filipino youth? I ATTENDED public schools from elementary to college. Thus, I am a proud product of the public school system. During my time, while we were keenly aware of the class difference between us and those who were in private schools, I never felt that I was getting lower quality education than the richer ones. College was a different story. I was fortunate to have passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) and I found out that while UP is a state university, even during the mid-70s, the majority of those who were able to enter were from private high schools. It was then that I started to realize that the richer students had (and continue to have) an undue advantage over those like me.

Learning is of utmost importance and should be given all the attention it needs. This has not changed through the years. The public education system has not improved significantly. On the contrary, it has worsened, especially now. Quality education is key to overcoming the shackles of poverty. The only way that economically marginalized students will be able to compete in a dog-eat-dog society is through education. Better opportunities for advancement in life can be had by those who have acquired an education. This will enable them to go out to the world to chart their destiny. In some ways, this is a given to those with money. They already have the connections. For the most fortunate ones, they already have business empires to inherit and take over. If public education in the country does not improve, the poor will remain poor and the gap between the rich and the poor will even widen. In this time of pandemic, education is even harder to acquire. Because virtually everyone is experiencing serious economic problems whether due to business closures or slowdowns, or loss of jobs and livelihood, education from private institutions is more difficult to get. Data from the Department of Education indicate that of the 4.3 million private school students last year, only two million (47 percent) have enrolled for this school year. Moreover, 748 of 14,435 private schools have notified the DepEd that they will not be operating this year. It was predicted in May that around two million students from private schools would either transfer to public schools or drop out completely. As of late July, it was reported that more than 365,800 actually transferred

CHARLIE V. MANALO PRESIDENTIAL Spokesman Harry Roque almost succeeded in painting his boss, President Duterte, into a corner on the House speakership row, until the unexpected happened, i.e, the coup pulled by majority of the congressmen to oust the TOcurrent THESpeaker, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano. POINT Reading between the lines of Roque’s statements on the speakership issue, it is unmistakEMIL P. able that he was lawyering for Cayetano—in stark contrast with his pronouncements JURADO that Malacanang is keeping a hands-off policy on the selection process. We only have to look at the fine print to see where he stands on the issue. Talk about neutrality. If memory serves, Roque was legal counsel of former Marinduque congresswoman Regina Ongsiako-Reyes who was Lord Allan Jay Velasco’s opponent in the 2013 congressional race in Marinduque. Reyes won the balloting, but the Comelec disqualified her for being a United States citizen. Then Speaker Feliciano Belmonte defied a Supreme Court decision to unseat Reyes and install Velasco as Marinduque’s representative. But the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal eventually upheld the Comelec decision, and affirmed the High Court ruling favoring Velasco. Didn’t Roque know that under the Constitution, non-Filipinos are barred from holding elective positions in the Philippines? Or, being a lawyer, did he ignore with crass expediency

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

EDITORIAL

to public schools. With the very low enrollment turnout in private learning institutions, the drop-out rate is interesting to know. The pandemic has forced the education systems to shift to new modes of learning like online classes and modules. Middle-class families with several school children who are themselves dealing with the economic crisis have expressed difficulties because of the need to buy laptops and other gadgets for each child so they could continue learning. In addition, parents, actually mothers primarily, need to supervise their children while they are online. This means that parents (if they still have careers), have to make adjustments with their time. Our poor internet connection is another problem. The learning of our students is dependent on how good the internet connection is in their places and this results in problems. Meanwhile, poor parents of those involved in the self-learning module (SLM) system are not free from difficulties. Mothers we have spoken with said that they are asked to pick-up the modules on a weekly basis from either the schools or the barangays. Because there is no public transport, a tricycle ride costs P150 one way. This means that they need P1,200.00 a month just to do this. For those who have lost their livelihood, this is a problem. Poor mothers are also apprehensive because they should closely supervise their children’s learning. As one unschooled mother said, “How are we to teach our children if we ourselves do not know the answers to questions in the modules?” And then there are the problems in the modules themselves. The so-called errors in the modules have proliferated social media when schools began. A few are really typographical errors but others were really wrong. An owl was labeled as an ostrich; a question on time had no correct answer; a mathematical problem was solved wrongly; instead of Visayas, Panay was listed as a major island grouping along with Luzon and Mindanao; instructions were wrong; pupils were asked to identify colors when the illustration was in black and white; and that whole section on questions about cockfighting (whatever for?). While I understand that the preparations were rushed, it is incumbent upon the department to put quality assurance mechanisms before such modules were printed and distributed. A report said that DepEd had the services of master teachers, supervisors, and consultants for the modules. If true, then such “errors” are unacceptable. It is good that netizens made these public because the department can still do corrective measures. Times are very hard. Recovering from the effects of this pandemic will probably be a slow process. However, the education of our youth is of utmost importance and should be given all the attention it needs. It is only through a good education that their future can be better. Let us not miseducate our young people. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Roque spoke too soon NAKED THOUGHT

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

this proviso for his personal aggrandizement? After all, isn’t that what lawyers are for—to interpret the law in any which way to make the guilty not guilty, and vice versa? Anyway, Lord Allan Jay, son of incumbent Marinduque Governor and retired SC Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr., subsequently took his seat at the House in February 2016, shortly before the next elections. Fast forward to the just-ended speakership dispute. Recall that earlier on, Roque dropped broad hints that he stands behind Cayetano. He said the battle royale for leadership in the House of Representatives was over with Cayetano virtually holding on to the top post after the majority of the legislators roundly rejected his offer to voluntarily step down and give

He was dead wrong because the unexpected did happen. way to a transition in favor of Velasco. Cayetano and his allies bragged they had the numbers to disregard the term-sharing deal, also called gentlemen’s agreement between Velasco and Cayetano, brokered by President Duterte himself. The Cayetano faction in the House falsely claimed they had the numbers to do just that. Meanwhile, Roque was delivering the message in no uncertain terms, but without solid evidence to support the claim that Cayetano’s continued speakership during the 18th Congress is a done deal. Roque and like-minded members of the House translated that repudiation of Cayetano’s resignation bid as a “vote of

The best and the brightest E

LEVEN Filipinos made it to the Asian Scientist 100, a list that celebrates the region’s most outstanding researchers across a range of scientific disciplines. Honorees must have received a national or international prize for their work, made a significant scientific discovery or shown leadership in academia or industry.

other scientists and researchers, even though their individual names are not currently on hand. They put in the long hours and hold their work to the highest standards.

They put in the long hours and hold their work to the highest standards—unlike others in government.

The Filipinos on the list come from various institutions and scientific fields. Dr. Carlo Arcilla, Engr. Robert Dizon, Dr. Raymond Tan, Dr. Susan Gallardo, Dr. Raul Destura, Dr. Joselito Chavez, Dr. Alonzo Gabriel (✟ ), Dr. Alicia Aguinaldo, Dr. Emma Sales, Dr. Cleotilde Hidalgo and Dr. Emil Javier do all Filipinos proud, but most importantly they make contributions to humanity in their field of study without glorifying themselves disparaging others. They toil quietly with only their sharp minds, hard work, and passionate drive to make a difference. The same can be said of countless

A tragedy, then, that some people in government are ignorant about the value that scientists have in building our nation. In recent memory, a senator of the republic wondered aloud what good can be derived from research. Senator Cynthia Villar also urged medical frontliners to “do their job better” as they questioned their passion for their jobs amid the pandemic, and that Filipino nurses need not be so good because they only want to be room nurses abroad.

And then, just this week, an undersecretary of the Department of the Environment and National Resources frothed at the mouth as he chastised scientists from the University of the Philippines, who dared criticized his agency’s dolomite cover-up of the Manila Bay sands. “You have no right to criticize this project because you were paid. That’s all I can say to UP. I will repeat: You were paid,” Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said, a statement for which he was roundly criticized that he had to publicly apologize the following day. Ours is a nation that has to see science and scientists as precious allies, whose opinions must be given much weight.These are people who do not make claims easily, unless they are supported by facts. Certainly, their words carry far greater consequence than the rambling of those who believe that the positions they occupy automatically confer upon them credibility and stature. Faced against the best and the brightest, they could not be more wrong—or foolish.

Behind the fight for Speakership TO ENTICE the support of the House, Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano concocted the idea of “term-sharing” to assure himself of the Speakership. He addressed his proposal to few of the members including the President. He was elected during the opening of the 18th Congress as the 22nd Speaker on July 22, 2019 after the stormy unseating of another punk, Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez. The idea of term-sharing came about because of intense horse trading to secure the best of what the ruling administration could offer as consolation. The political formula was intended to assure he will not be stabbed in the back. It was in reality a disguised compromise that each will have his share of the bacon while he gets the speakership. It was a shrewd move that induced Lord Allan Jay Velasco of Marinduque, Martin Romualdez from the first district of Leyte and, and congressman Paolo “Pulong” Duterte from the first district of Davao City to throw their support. The only contender, considered out of line, was Benny Abante Jr. of the 6th district of Manila who garnered 28 votes. A total of 266 votes were obtained by Cayetano. It turned out the entire members of congress, including President Duterte, were taken for a ride (in the vernacular, “na-denggoy”) into supporting Cayetano based on his skewed plan. They were not aware that the proposal was only meant to pacify the ambition of Velasco. Cayetano failed to disclose the implication that it was in fact a horse trade he made before the President. Cayetano thus served as Speaker starting July 22, 2019, and it was supposed to end on June 30, 2022, until somebody confidence” in his stewardship. Encouraged by such a vote of confidence, Cayetano, his wife Lani and sister Senator Pia Cayetano, marched to Malacanang to pay tribute to the President, and perchance ask for his blessing. Reacting on the call by the Cayetanos, Roque crowed that the President is abiding by any decision the House would make on the speakership issue—with tacit referral to Cayetano. Implicitly, Roque said “Ok, the House has spoken, Cayetano stays on as Speaker.” Or words to that effect. Roque asserted that President Duterte’s hands were tied insofar as the House decision on the issue is concerned. Duterte has repeatedly vowed to stay neutral in the speakership fight between Cayetano and Velasco. Roque was obviously going overboard and appeared to be putting words into the President’s mouth. He was no longer doing his job as spokesman, or a mouthpiece of the President. He was uttering his own policy statements that could be attributed to the President. Earlier on, the Chief Executive had indicated he wanted both men to have a fair shake, and brokered the so-called “gentle-

filed a motion to divide the house to elect a new Speaker. In the meantime, he would remain there for as long as he enjoys the support of the majority. The decision of Cayetano not to honor the term-sharing badly affected his integrity. In truth, it was an empty can. His decision to renege on his promise made in the presence of the President was a slap on his face.

It’s open season for treachery. Cayetano slowly showed his true colors —that he would not budge before any pressure that threatens his power. His decision to postpone the session to November 16 violated par. 5, Section 16, Article VI of the Constitution which states that “neither House during the sessions of the Congress shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.” Suspending the session was meant to deliver a message that he is the boss when it comes to deciding the national budget. He wanted to show he has the power on who, from among his peers, can enjoy his patronage. It was a dry run that as Speaker, he does not stand as a totem pole but wields real power to make it difficult for anybody who fails to toe the line. The President, no less, warned him saying that “if you cannot solve your problem, I will solve it for you.” Cayetano’s ranting that the election of Velasco was null and void has become moot and academic. He claims to have 200 supporters but 186 solons voted for Velasco. There are 304 members and it only requires 153 votes to elect a Speaker. Interestingly, Cayetano clattered like a furious punk by rendering his “irrevocable resignation.” But to whom? In fact, this came after he was ousted by the civil men’s agreement” where Cayetano would have the first shot for 15 months, and Velasco succeeding him for the remaining 21 months of their tenure. With the deadline nearing, Cayetano exerted no efforts to conceal his desire to hold on to power, in effecting tossing out their covenant forged in July last year. Roque exalted Cayetano, saying the Taguig-Pateros lawmaker made a “very astute political move” by rushing the passage of the 2021 national budget and foiling a plan to unseat him. It turned out Roque was dead wrong because the unexpected did happen. It appeared that most of the congressmen believed that a “gentlemen’s agreement” is worth fighting for. They showed that they deserved to be called “honorable” men and women whose words can be trusted. So it came to pass that during an emergency meeting at the Celebrity Sports Club in Quezon City on (October 12), 186 pro-Velasco solons made a show of force and declared the Marinduque representative as the new Speaker of the 18th Congress. That put the shoe on the other foot. It was now Cayetano’s turn to cry foul, saying the

process of electing a new Speaker. Cayetano claims that the holding of an election outside Congress is void. He forgot he virtually closed Congress and the guards would not allow anybody to loiter the premises without permission as authorized by the Speaker. Cayetano wanted to act as little President using the derivative power of chief executive without the mandate from the people. To recall, when he ran for vice president, he was obsessed in hitting BBM hard to boost his chances of winning. His style became an embarrassment to his colleagues. His strategy to destroy Marcos ended up with him being badly bruised. As the President quipped, he made a wrong choice in selecting Cayetano as his running mate. Many political observers believe Cayetano premeditatedly boxed out BBM to prevent Duterte from nominating him as running mate. He cleverly used his party affiliation with the reincarnated Nacionalista Party created by former Senator Manny Villar, a power broker always demanding a bargain as quid pro quo. Cayetano and his handlers carefully maneuvered things. Cayetano has the natural advantage of being a blue-blooded minion of those abominable yellow dregs while accusing BBM of remaining loyal to the party founded by his father as if Cayetano holds the title to that reincarnated Nacionalista Party. Full version at www,manilastandard.net

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EU readies response on ‘Brexit’ P Speaking on BBC radio, raab added: “There’s a deal to be done, but there needs to be flexibility on both sides, energy and goodwill and political will on both sides, and the prime minister will say more (later Friday).” At their Brussels summit, eU leaders on Thursday demanded Britain compromise on fair trade rules to unblock the stalled post-Brexit negotiations, but chief negotiator michel Barnier also proposed fresh meetings in London next week. irish prime minister micheal martin said eU leaders had given Barnier “the necessary flexibility to continue with the negotiations... to ensure a comprehensive fair and free trade deal”. “That’s how we would like to see things evolve from now and in the future... to bring this to a conclusion,” he told reporters in Brussels.

rime minister Boris Johnson was set Friday to announce whether Britain will continue or cut off Brexit talks after the eU urged him to give ground to avert a potentially disastrous “no deal” at the end of the year.

responding to the warning issued at an eU summit, Foreign Secretary Dominic raab said: “We are all disappointed and surprised by the outcome of the european Council. “We’ve been told that it must be the UK that makes all of the compromises in days ahead. That can’t be right in negotiations,” he told Sky News television.

The insistence of France and other northern eU fishing nations on maintaining access to British waters has been another key stumbling block in the talks so far. Johnson had set the summit as a deadline for a deal, but is under pressure after fresh warnings that British companies are nowhere near ready for the consequences of a cliff-edge divorce when a postBrexit transition periods ends on December 31. Britain wants to reassert sovereignty over its waters and refuse eU legal oversight over any deal -- insisting it wants a trade deal of the kind the eU has signed with Canada. Brussels in turn stresses that Britain’s economy is far more integrated with the eU’s than Canada’s, and that its single market must be protected from British backsliding. AFP

Thai cops nab two activists under rare law THAi police arrested two activists Friday under a rarely-used law banning violence against the queen, after thousands of pro-democracy protesters defied an emergency decree to rally on the streets of Bangkok. The kingdom’s political elite has been jolted by a youth-led movement that has demanded the resignation of Prime minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha and issued a once-taboo call for reforms to Thailand’s powerful monarchy. ekachai Hongkangwan and Bunkueanun Paothong were among activists who crowded around a royal motorcade carrying Queen Suthida on Wednesday during a large demonstration near the capital’s government house. Bunkueanun said during a Friday morning Facebook broadcast that he was surrendering himself to police. “i am accused of trying to harm the queen,” he said. “i am innocent. That was not my intention.” ekachai told AFP by phone he had also been charged and police later confirmed he was in their custody. Both men could face life in prison under a law that has not been used for decades and punishes any “act of violence against the queen or her liberty”. it is not clear why the pair were singled out. This is the first time such a serious charge has been levelled against pro-democracy activists, many of whom have already been hit with lesser charges, including sedition and breaking coronavirus rules on gatherings. AFP

ROUND TABLE MEETING. French President Emmanuel Macron (center) speaks with (from left) German Chancellor Angela

Merkel, Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela and Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during a round table meeting on the second day of a two days EU summit, in Brussels, on October 16, 2020. AFP

Japan to release treated radioactive water to sea JAPAN will release more than a million tons of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in a decades-long operation, reports said Friday, despite strong opposition from local fishermen. The release of the water, which has been filtered to reduce radioactivity, is likely to start in 2022 at the earliest, said national dailies the Nikkei, the Yomiuri, and other local media. The decision ends years of debate over how to dispose of the liquid that includes water used to cool the power station after it was hit by a massive tsunami in 2011. A government panel said earlier this year that releasing the water into the sea or evaporating it were both “realistic options”. “We can’t postpone a decision on the plan to deal with the... processed water, to prevent delays in the decommission work of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Friday, without commenting directly on the plan or its timing. n will release more than a million tonnes of treated radioactive water from the stricken

Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in a decades-long operation, reports said Friday, despite strong opposition from local fishermen. The release of the water, which has been filtered to reduce radioactivity, is likely to start in 2022 at the earliest, said national dailies the Nikkei, the Yomiuri, and other local media. The decision ends years of debate over how to dispose of the liquid that includes water used to cool the power station after it was hit by a massive tsunami in 2011. A government panel said earlier this year that releasing the water into the sea or evaporating it were both “realistic options”. “We can’t postpone a decision on the plan to deal with the... processed water, to prevent delays in the decommission work of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Friday, without commenting directly on the plan or its timing. There are around 1.23 million tons of waste water stored in tanks at the facility, according to plant operator TePCo, CYAN which also declined to comment on the reports. AFP

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FIRST INVITATION TO BID SUPPLY, DELIVERY, INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION, TESTING AND COMMISSIONING OF FM RADIO BROADCASTING EQUIPMENT FOR BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC, COOPERATIVE, INC. 1.

Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative, Inc., intend to apply the sum of the following being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment under the contract for each item below:

Lot No.

Description

Funding Source

ABC

Cost/Price of Bid Documents

FM Radio Broadcasting Equipment

General Fund

4,980,000.00

5,000.00

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the Bid opening.

BISELCO Bids and Awards Committee now invites bids for the Supply, Delivery, Installation, Configuration, Testing and Commissioning of FM Radio Broadcasting Equipment .Bidders should have completed within three (3) years before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

4. 5.

Bidder shall offer amortized mode of payment most advantageous to the electric cooperative. Bidding schedule is as follows: ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

Issuance of Bidding Documents

October 19, 2020 after payment of 5,000 PhP

Pre-bid Conference

October 23, 2020, 2:00 at PM BISELCO Board Room

Deadline for Receipt Bids/ Opening of Bids

October 26, 2020, 2:00 at PM BISELCO Board Room

Bidding will be conducted through Public Bidding procedure using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the NEA Memo 2017-019 Revised Procurement Guideline and Simplified Bidding Procedures for Electric Cooperatives. Bidding is open to all interested bidders subject to the conditions for eligibility provided at NEA Memo 2017-019.

Interested Bidders may obtain further information from BISELC Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Secretariat at Mobile No. 09666394668 or email at biselco79@yahoo.com

Approved for Posting: (SGD.) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager

(MS-OCT. 17, 2020)

Israel’s move to okay more settlements in Palestine hit eUroPeAN powers on Friday condemned israel’s decision to approve thousands more settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, calling it a “counterproductive” move that undermines regional peace efforts. “The expansion of settlements violates international law and further imperils the viability of a two-state solution to bring about a just and lasting peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said a joint statement from the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain, italy and Spain. “As we have emphasized directly with the government of israel, this step furthermore undermines efforts to rebuild trust between the parties with a view to resuming dialogue,” they said, urging an immediate halt in settlement construction. The ministers said pushing ahead with more settlements would be a “counterproductive move in light of the positive developments of normalization agreements reached between israel, the United Arab emirates and Bahrain”. The UAe and Bahrain had in mid-September set aside decades of enmity with israel to sign a USbrokered deal to normalize ties. Western powers had hoped the deals would bring regional stability and give a boost to hopes for peace. But the Palestinians have branded the shift by the Gulf nations as “betrayal”. AFP

In BrIef Ethiopia’s HR chief takes bigger role THe last time ethiopia held competitive elections, in 2005, lawyer Daniel Bekele was arrested during protests denouncing fraud and ended up serving more than two years in prison. This time around, as the country prepares for landmark polls next year, Daniel is in a very different position: as head of the national human rights body tasked with ensuring ethiopia curbs the same authoritarian tactics that once landed him behind bars. With that goal in mind, Daniel’s ethiopian Human rights Commission is taking on a bigger public profile, denouncing recent abuses including the use of lethal force by soldiers and police against unarmed demonstrators. But its statements have drawn rebukes from lawmakers and officials in Ethiopia’s restive oromia region, highlighting challenges facing Prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s stated goal of empowering institutions. in an interview with AFP, Daniel, who was appointed last year, said ethiopia faced a “very deep human rights crisis” that shows little sign MAGENTA of abating. YELLOW BLACK “Unfortunately, the political crisis is far from getting any solution, in terms of the polarisation of politics in the country and how that polarisation is unfolding along ethnic lines, along religious lines and sadly fuelling violent conflict,” he said. “ethiopia, it seems to me, is going through the pains of transition from repressive rule to democratic rule.” Daniel inherited a commission that had scant credibility among international activists. Despite unmatched access to political prisoners, for years it did little to raise awareness about abusive detention conditions, let alone improve them, said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director for Human rights Watch. AFP

Twitter changes policy on ‘hacked’ content

COURTING VOTES. US President Donald Trump speaks at a “Make America Great Again” rally on October 15, 2020, in Greenville, North Carolina. AFP

Kyrgyzstan eyes parliamentary poll in December KYrGYzSTAN’S former and acting presidents on Friday addressed parliament to end a political crisis over a disputed october vote, which electoral authorities said could be repeated before the end of the year. Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Thursday became the third Kyrgyz president to resign since 2005, in a move that he said he hoped would spare the ex-Soviet country further bloodshed. one person died and more than 1,200 people were injured during clashes between protesters and police after parliamentary elections on october 4, which opponents say was rigged. The vote was annulled but it did not ease the threat of a power vacuum opening in the sometimes volatile Central Asian state. Speaking in parliament, Jeenbekov confirmed his resignation and said he was “clean before the Almighty and the people”. mPs applauded him as he left the room. His departure means that recently-appointed Prime minister Sadyr Japarov assumes presidential powers on an interim basis, since the parliamentary speaker refused the post.

Japarov pledged to oversee fresh parliamentary elections expected in December. He told parliament that the government is “changing peacefully, and we should be grateful to God for that. “i will make every effort to maintain foreign policy and other important vectors,” he said. But a lawmaker who spoke afterwards warned him that he would not be able to run for president as per the constitution and said it was unprecedented for a Kyrgyz official to hold both positions. “Fate gives you such a test and opportunity. We wish you the best of luck and will support you,” said omurbek Tekebayev, who was seen as driving constitutional changes after the country’s 2010 revolution. None of the lawmakers spoke out against Japarov, whose supporters have massed in the capital since the crisis began. Japarov was among several prominent figures sprung from jail during the unrest. He was serving time for hostage-taking and has been suspected of ties to organized crime, which he has denied. AFP

TWiTTer has altered its policy on hacked content after its decision to block a news report critical of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden provoked republican fury. The social media behemoth—used by hundreds of millions worldwide—said late Thursday it would in future only block stolen information which was posted directly by hackers, and label any other information of questionable provenance. Senate republicans earlier said they would subpoena Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey to testify before two different committees on why the company blocked links to an article in the New York Post alleging corruption by Biden in Ukraine. republican senator Ted Cruz called the decision “election interference,” while President Donald Trump—who trails Biden in polls 19 days before the presidential poll-decried the blockage by both Twitter and Facebook. Twitter’s legal and policy executive Vijaya Gadde tweeted late Thursday that under changes to its two-year-old Hacked materials Policy, the platform would “no longer remove hacked content unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them.” She said the social media giant would also label tweets to provide context “instead of blocking links from being shared on Twitter.” Gadde said the firm made the change to address “concerns that there could be many unintended consequences to journalists, whistleblowers and others in ways that are contrary to Twitter’s purpose of serving the public conversation.” The furor came as social media companies grapple with questions of bias and misinformation during an election campaign characterized by controversy and divisiveness. AFP

Business PSEi October 16, 2020

TOP GAINERS

Stocks retreat; Apex, Philex lead advances T

he stock market fell Friday as investors fretted about declining remittances of migrant Filipino workers that could depress household spending.

TOP LOSERS

SATURdAy, OCTOBER 17, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

The Philippine Stock exchange Index declined 39.86 points, or 0.7 percent, to 5,898.47 on a value turnover of P5.6 billion. Gainers, however, beat losers, 118 to 89, with 46 issues unchanged. Cash remittances from Filipinos working overseas slid 4.1 percent in August to $2.48 billion from $2.589 billion a year ago on lower inflows from both the land-based and sea-based workers amid the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday. The latest figure brought the remittance tally in the first eight months to $19.285 billion, down 2.6 percent from

$19.808 billion registered in the same period last year. Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co. dropped 4.4 percent to P41.40, while Metropolitan Bank & Truct Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, slipped 2.2 percent to P40.90. Apex Mining Co. Inc., however, jumped 34.9 percent to P2.09, while Philex Mining Corp. surged 20.8 percent to P5.70. President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Department of energy to lift the suspension of petroleum activities and the resumption of exploration in the West Philippine Sea. Philex, through unit PXP energy Corp., has exploration interests in the West Philippine Sea. The rest of Asian stock markets were mixed Friday, with gainers supported by bargain-buying after the previous day’s sell-off, with investors growing increasingly concerned about new lockdown measures in europe as a second wave of coronavirus takes hold. Traders were also keeping tabs on de-

velopments in Washington as lawmakers struggle to find agreement on a new stimulus for the beleaguered US economy, with a disappointing jobs report highlighting the need for action. But analysts suggested that with Democrats and Joe Biden enjoying big opinion poll leads, expectations for a clean sweep of Congress and the White house in the November 3 elections is lending buoyancy to equities on hopes they will pass a much bigger rescue package. hong Kong led gains, jumping 0.9 percent after a drop of more than two percent on Thursday, while Shanghai, Mumbai and Singapore were also in positive territory. however, Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei, Jakarta and Wellington were all down. All three main indexes on Wall Street finished in the red for a third day, hit by unsettling infection rates in the US and particularly in europe that many fear could see the return of economically painful restrictions similar to those imposed earlier this year. With AFP

MOST ACTIVE

People queue in front of a tobacco shop in Kehl, on October 15, 2020, at the German-French border before any crossing restrictions are imposed. AFP

EU leaders call on London to budge on post-Brexit deal, draw UK anger BRUSSeLS, Belgium—european leaders on Thursday demanded Britain urgently give ground on fair trade rules to unblock stalled post-Brexit negotiations, angering London and putting the fate of the talks in jeopardy. The 27 bloc leaders arrived for a summit in Brussels expressing cautious optimism but, in their written conclusions, urged the eU and its member states to step up preparations for a chaotic “no deal” exit. Their calls for urgency were balanced however by an invitation that Britain keep talking next week in London and in Brussels the week after that. “As of tomorrow I will be speaking with my counterpart David Frost. On Monday, we’ll be in London for the full week, including the weekend if necessary,” the eU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said after addressing the leaders. “That’s what I have proposed to the British team,” Barnier said. The invite comes after a warning by

Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he could walk away from the negotiations unless the results of the summit pointed to a breakthrough. The eU never recognized his deadline and in their conclusions put the onus on Johnson to rescue a deal as time runs out. In an unusually testy tweet, the UK’s Frost said he was “disappointed” by the summit conclusions, underlining that they “no longer committed to working ‘intensively’ to reach a future partnership” as had been earlier promised. Frost also scoffed at the eU’s charge that only Britain should budge, calling it “an unusual approach to conducting a negotiation.” Johnson would decide his next move on Friday, he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to take the criticism on board and after the summit underlined that it was up to the eU to make compromises too. AFP

‘No doubt’ US to deploy more stimulus to lift economy—IMF WAShINGTON—IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday she is confident the United States will soon reach an agreement to provide another cash infusion to the ailing economy. “Let’s see how quickly it would be deployed, but I have no doubt it will be deployed, because it is necessary before the end of the year,” Georgieva said during a debate on the global economy. The comments came amid the persistent gridlock in Washington between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders over how much to spend and where to direct resources to boost the world’s largest economy. Treasury Secreatary Steven Mnuchin said again Thursday that a deal is unlikely before the November 3 presidential election, but that negotiations would continue with house Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The stakes are high, with implications both for the global economy and millions of Americans facing job losses and bankruptcy. As the pandemic took hold, the US Congress in late March passed a $2.2-trillion rescue package credited with preventing a more dire economic collapse. IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told AFP that another package of a similar size could accelerate US GDP growth next year two full points above the 3.1 percent currently forecast. “Thank God the United States has fiscal space” to provide more stimulus, Georgieva said at the conclusion of the Washington-based crisis lender’s annual meeting. Pushing the package out sooner would be better since “that would provide a boost to certainty, and certainty is something we do need in this crisis.” The latest White house proposal costs $1.8 trillion, while Democrats controlling the house of Representatives have approved a $2.2-trillion bill. In an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday, Trump expressed his willingness to increase his offer, saying, “I would pay more, I would go higher.” AFP

Last night out for French cities ahead of virus curfew PARIS, France—Millions of French people prepared Friday to enjoy a last night of freedom before a Covid-19 curfew in Paris and other large cities, after officials warned that new efforts were needed to curb an alarming surge in new cases. The curfew, which aims to keep some 20 million people home from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., was unveiled by President emmanuel Macron this week as the number of new infections and deaths raised the specter of hospital overloads like those seen in March and April. health authorities reported Thursday a record 30,621 new cases in the past 24 hours and 88 deaths, and over 200 new Covid admissions to intensive care units. While the curfew has broad public support—a harris Interactive poll after Macron’s announcement found 70 percent approval—officials in several cities worried about the heavy social and economic costs of a measure set to last at least a month. The new nighttime restrictions come

into force for the first time at midnight on Friday (2200 GMT) in the capital and eight other major regional cities. Paris Mayor Anne hidalgo is pressing the government to ease the rules for theaters, cinemas and other cultural venues so that patrons can return home later, with details on the rules in the capital expected later Friday. Restaurant owners have also complained bitterly about a measure they say makes little sense given the strict social distancing rules they have already applied, and noting that groups of less than six can still gather for lunch. “I’ve never seen anything like this in the 50 years I’ve been here,” said Stain Roman, manager of La Mere Buonavista restaurant in Marseille, another city facing the curfew. She said she would close down entirely at night, as have hundreds of other restaurants across France. “What else can we do? Our employees have to be home by 9 p.m.,” she said. Marseille’s Mayor Michele Rubirola—herself a doctor—contested a

measure she said resulted from the government’s insufficient efforts to bolster hospital systems over the last few months. She said residents were paying the price “by the loss of their daily pleasures, their freedom, or through economic hardship, because the bar and restaurant industry is being hit extremely hard.” ‘Everybody home’ Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed Thursday that the curfew requires nearly all businesses would have to shut their doors, except for essential services, with “everybody home from 9 to 6.” A signed attestation or an electronic version downloaded to a phone will be needed for people walking their dogs or other exceptions, or risk a fine of 135 euros ($160)—the same as during the two-month lockdown during the height of the pandemic. That prompted the French cinemas federation to warn of “extremely serious” consequences for the sector, urging authorities to let people return later for films that end after 9:00 p.m. AFP

Hong Kong pink dolphins enjoy comeback as pandemic slows down marine traffic By Ayaka McGill hONG KONG—Rare pink dolphins are returning to the waters between hong Kong and Macau after the coronavirus pandemic halted ferries, but scientists remain deeply concerned about their long-term survival in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes. The tell-tale flash of pink leaping from the waters alerts Naomi Brennan to the presence of a local Chinese white dolphin and she jots the animal’s location into a GPS device. Conservationists like Brennan regularly board boats in the Pearl River Delta to document how the mammals, known for their eye-catching pink coloring, are faring. “Today we encountered three different groups of dolphins—six adults and

two sub-adults,” she explained. “They were engaging in a range of behavior, from feeding to traveling and socializing.” For years keeping tabs on the dolphins has been a disheartening task. The population has fallen by 70-80 percent in the past 15 years in what is one of the world’s most industrialized estuaries. But this year their numbers have bounced back—and they have the pandemic to thank. Ferries between hong Kong and Macau have been suspended since February, providing local marine scientists an opportunity to study how the mammals have adapted to the “unprecedented quiet.” “We’re seeing much larger group sizes as well as much more socializing, mating behavior, which we hadn’t really been seeing for the last five years

This photograph taken on September 20, 2020 shows a Chinese white dolphin, also known locally as ‘pink dolphin,’ swimming in the waters off the coast of Hong Kong. The rare dolphins are returning to the waters between Hong Kong and Macau after the coronavirus pandemic halted ferries, but scientists remain deeply concerned about their long-term survival in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.AFP

or so,” said Dr. Lindsay Porter, a hong “These areas seem to be important Kong-based marine scientist. for feeding and socializing. So it’s great According to Porter’s research team, that there’s this refuge for them,” added the number of pink dolphins has in- Brennan, a member of Porter’s team. creased by roughly a third in those waMegacities and shipping ters since March. The Pearl River Delta is one of the

most industrialized coastal areas on earth. As well as hong Kong and Macao, it includes Chinese mainland megacities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan, and is home to some 22 million people. And aside from heavy shipping traffic, the dolphins’ key habitat has been subjected to a host of large-scale developments, including the construction of hong Kong’s airport on reclaimed land and the world’s longest sea bridge connecting the financial hub to Macau and Zhuhai. A huge new reclamation project is also underway to build a third runway for the city’s airport. According to the WWF, there are only an estimated 2,000 pink dolphins left in the Pearl River Delta—the minimum number that conservationists believe are needed to sustain the species. AFP

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

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

Business

Gokongwei acquires Rose Pharmacy BOI advises firms to avail of perks from Bayanihan 2 By Othel V. Campos A RANGE of financial measures and incentives under Bayanihan 2 Act are now available to manufacturers in the Philippines, the Board of Investments said Friday. Under the law, manufacturers can carry over any operating loss from financial year 2020/2021 as a tax deduction from gross income over the next five taxable years. “We know that COVID-19 is still having a significant impact on the operations of manufacturers across the Philippines, and we at BOI are doing all we can to help them,” said Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo. Many qualified manufacturers will be exempt from business taxes, import duties and other fees on a range of products, Rodolfo said. Exemptions include production of medical equipment and COVID-19 related items, such as personal protective equipment and raw materials. The same relief measures will also apply to the production of equipment for waste management, including waste segregation, storage, collection, sorting, treatment and disposal services. The BOI urged manufacturers and other large businesses to take advantage of the provisions. President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act into law last month, allocating P165.5 billion to fund the government’s coronavirus response and economic recovery efforts. The law allocated P3 billion for the provision of personal protective equipment suits, face masks, shoe covers, face shields and goggles to public and private COVID-19 hospitals. It also supports investments in health and education and the infusion of capital in Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.

Grab appoints Vera Cruz as new PH country head DIGITAL technology company Grab announced on Friday the appointment of an investment executive as the new country head for the Philippines. The ride-hailing app named Grace Vera Cruz as country head for Grab Philippines, replacing Brian Cu who resigned July. Prior to Grab, Vera Cruz was the managing director of Seawood Resources, a Philippine-based investment company with a global footprint and held key positions in McKinsey & Co., CLSA Exchange Capital and Shell. Vera Cruz will focus on creating deeper synergies across Grab’s suite of services, including on-demand transport, food and mart deliveries and epayments and financial services to better serve customers, driver-partners, merchant-partners and corporate partners in the Philippines as One Grab. She will also drive ‘Grab for Good’ initiatives to contribute to the Philippines’ longer-term socio-economic development. “I am proud to be joining Grab Philippines, a company that has made a conscious effort to help our communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through GrabBayanihan. I look forward to working with the team to leverage Grab’s technology and innovation to help Filipino communities safely and sustainably recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Vera Cruz said. Russell Cohen, group managing director of Grab, said: “Working together and helping each other to overcome crisis is a hallmark of what it means to be Filipino, and I’m proud that Grab is part of the bigger community that’s helping to improve livelihoods.” Darwin G. Amojelar

By Jenniffer B. Austria

OBINSONS Retail Holdings Inc. said Friday pharmaceutical unit South Star Drug Inc. acquired 100 percent of Cebu-based drugstore chain Rose Pharmacy Inc. for P4.5 billion.

RRHI, a unit of the Gokongwei Group, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange South Star bought Rose Pharmacy from Mulgrave Corp. B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd. A share purchase agreement was signed Friday. Rose Pharmacy was established in 1952 as a family-run drugstore in Cebu City with the goal of providing quality and affordable medicines to communities. Rose Pharmacy, which has more than 300 stores across the Visayas and Mindanao, posted net sales of nearly P9 billion in 2019. “I am delighted that Rose Pharmacy will be part of our portfolio as it takes us back to our hometown in Cebu where my father and JG Summit Holdings and

RRHI founder John Gokongwei Jr. started as an entrepreneur. Mr. John also admired Rose Pharmacy for its strong brand reputation in Visayas and Mindanao,” said RRRHI president and chief executive Robina Gokongwei-Pe. “The deal also further bolsters our strategic partnership with Dairy Farm to strengthen our position in Philippine multi-format retailing. We first worked with Dairy Farm for the acquisition of Rustan Supercenters Inc. in 2018, which deepened our footprint in the premium supermarket space. Our acquisition of Rose Pharmacy yet again offers ripe opportunities for innovation through strategic synergies,” she said. The transaction is expected to strengthen RRHI’s drugstore business. Excluding The Generic Pharmacy, RRHI was operating 520 drug stores as

of end-June across the country. “Rose Pharmacy is a very strategic addition to our drugstore portfolio with its highly-regarded brand in VisMin and complementary network to Southstar Drug’s strong presence in Luzon and Metro Manila. Together, we can leverage our scale and synergies to drive wider product assortment, better customer service and offer greater value to our customers across Philippines when they need it most,” South Star Drug managing director David Goh said. Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm initially acquired 49-percent share in Rose Pharmacy in 2015. It increased its stake in the company to 100 percent in November 2018. RRHI said net income in the first half declined 4.1 percent to P1.6 billion because of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on various businesses. The group had 1,890 retail outlets including supermarkets, drugstores, department stores, DIY stores, convenience stores and specialty stores as of end-June. The share price of RRHI dropped 2.6 percent Friday to close at P65.50.

PSE INDEX

Friday, October 16, 2020

-39.86 PTS. 5,898.47

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

4,888,199,034 112,577 5,636,883,050.42 118 89 46

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.6200

Japan

Yen

0.009489

0.4614

Pound

1.290900

62.7636

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129031

6.2735

Switzerland

Franc

1.094092

53.1948

Canada

Dollar

0.756487

36.7804

Singapore

Dollar

0.735402

35.7552

Australia

Dollar

0.709300

34.4862

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652238

128.9518

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266603

12.9622

Brunei

Dollar

0.732708

35.6243

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.032041

1.5578

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2379

Euro

1.171200

56.9437

Korea

Won

0.000873

0.0424

China

Yuan

0.148699

7.2297

India

Rupee

0.013620

0.6622

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240790

11.7072

New Zealand

Dollar

0.659900

32.0843

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034802

1.6921 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF BCDA affirms legality of MTD Capital deal

STATE-RUN Bases Conversion and Development Authority on Friday affirmed the legality of its joint venture with MTD Capital Berhad for the construction of sports facilities in New Clark City in response to comments issued by the Commission on Audit. BCDA said the project is supported by the Asian Development Bank, which provided transaction advisory services “to ensure transparency and swiftness of the project.” It is cited by the legal opinion of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, which said the BCDA was well within legal and corporate charter to undertake the project through a joint venture based on BCDA’s guidelines and subject to a competitive Swiss Challenge. “Considering that the legal, financial and technical aspects of the project should be taken as a whole, it is our opinion that the choice of modality or legal framework of the project is part of the business prerogative of the BCDA in pursuance of its statutory mandate to develop and accelerate the sound and balanced conversion of Clark military reservations and its extensions,” the OGCC said. Othel V. Campos

DBP agrees to back transportation sector

BEST REGULATOR. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas receives the ‘Best Systemic and Prudential Regulator in Asia Pacific’ award for 2020 from the Asian Banker during a virtual awarding ceremony. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno (second from left) accepts the award on behalf of the institution, with (from left) Deputy Governors Chuchi Fonacier, Maria Almasara Cyd Tuaño Amador and Francisco Dakila Jr. The Asian Banker gave the award after assessing the performance of central banks and financial regulators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clark airport’s new passenger terminal set to open in January By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Friday the new passenger terminal building of Clark International Airport is expected to open by January next year. Megawide GMR Construction Joint Venture Inc. completed the construction of the new PTB in Clark in September, ahead of the original October target completion date. Megawide GMR Construction won the construction package of the Clark International Airport expansion project in December 2017 after submitting the lowest bid of P9.36 billion under a hybrid public-private partnership scheme. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade ordered the opening of the

new PTB for commercial operations by January. Once operational, it will boost Clark’s operational capacity, tripling the airport’s passenger volume from 4.2 million to 12.2 million annually. The expansion will also elevate Clark’s stature as “Asia’s Next Premier Gateway” and help decongest the passenger traffic at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque. Airlines operating in Clark include Qatar Airways, Cebu Pacific, Tigerair, Jin Air, Asiana Airlines, Dragon Air, AirAsia Berhad, Philippine Airlines and Emirates Airlines. These airlines mount flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Macau, Pudong, Incheon, Doha, Dubai, Davao, Cebu and Kalibo. Luzon International Premier Air-

port Development Corp., formerly known as North Luzon Airport Consortium, earlier signed a 25-year concession agreement with state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority for the operation and maintenance of Clark International Airport. LIPAD consists of Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd. The consortium plans to establish a new reputation for Philippine international gateway airports to ensure seamless travel in Philippine airports. The consortium’s technical partner is Changi Airport Philippines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Changi Airports International.

STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines said Friday it is working with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to come up with financial interventions to help the transportation sector get back on track after reeling from the ill-effects of the pandemic. DBP president and chief executive Emmanuel Herbosa said the assistance includes government subsidies to public utility vehicle operators to cover revenue gaps during the period when a temporary ban on PUVs were imposed as part of community lockdowns. “DBP is one with the DOTr and LTFRB in finding suitable and sustainable solutions to assist the transport sector as it steadily begins to recover from the devastating losses spawned by this pandemic,” Herbosa said. DBP is the seventh largest bank in the country in terms of assets and provides credit support to four strategic sectors of the economy—infrastructure and logistics, micro, small and medium enterprises, social services and community development and the environment. Julito G. Rada

SB Capital receives two banking awards

SECURITY Bank Corp.’s investment arm SB Capital Investment Corp. received the Syndicated Loan of the Year and the Project Infrastructure Finance Deal of the Year award from the Asian Banking and Finance Organization. SB Capital, during the first virtual Asian Banking and Finance awards night, was commended for its remarkable milestone projects which resulted in effective and highly impactful projects for Filipinos. The investment house’s initiative with HC Consumer Finance Philippines Inc., which is part of the Home Credit Group, earned the Syndicated Loan of the Year award for the Philippines by providing affordable products to underserved borrowers. “Through SB Capital’s partnership with the Home Credit Group, Filipinos who have limited access to credit can avail of a wide range of products in a safe, convenient, and affordable way,” said SB Capital president Virgilio Chua. HCPH said the recognition manifests and reinforces the confidence of the local banking industry in the business model of the consumer finance company.

BSP: Remittances likely to drop 5% at most By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno dismissed the projections of some analysts that remittances will contract this year by up to 20 percent because of the impact of the world health crisis to the global economy. Diokno, in a message to reporters Friday, reacted positively to the latest data showing cash remittances declined just 2.6 percent in the first eight months to $19.285 billion from $19.808 billion a year ago. “That is good news. That is lower than BSP’s revised forecast of negative 5 percent. Other analysts predict that OF remittances would contract by as much as 20 percent,” Diokno said. “With four months to go before the end of the year, there is a strong like-

lihood that the 2020 OF remittances would shrink by less than 5 percent,” Diokno said. Cash remittances in August fell 4.1 percent to $2.48 billion from $2.589 billion in the same month last year on lower inflows from both land-based and sea-based workers. By country source, the decline in remittances was observed from Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. These were partly offset by growth from the US, Siingapore and Malaysia. Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also declined 4.2 percent in August to $2.756 billion from $2.875 billion a year ago. Cash remittances rose 4.1 percent in 2019 to a record $30.133 billion and surpassed the conservative 3-percent growth target of the BSP.

PREMYO BONDS DRAW WINNER. National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon (front row, right) and Arden Botanical Estate sales and marketing head Rowena Espiritu (left) award P1 million and a condo unit from Megaworld Corp. to Premyo Bonds Third Quarter Rewards Draw grand winner National Power Corp. Provident Fund, represented by chairman Alexander Japon (center). They are joined by (second row, from left) Deputy Treasurer Erwin Sta. Ana, Land Bank of the Philippines Trust Banking Group first vice president Lolita Almazar, Deputy Treasurer Sharon Almanza and Deputy Treasurer Gisela Lood.

Sports

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

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

PH athletics plans Clark training camp By Peter Atencio

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters forward Javee Mocon (10) starts his drive against Terrafirma Dyip defenders Jeepy Faundo (15) and CJ Perez during their game at the Angeles University Foundation Arena Powered by Smart 5G. PBA Media

New no. 1 De Los Santos gives credit to kata coach JAMES de los Santos celebrated his rise to the top of the rankings with a 16th gold medal victory. In reaching a new milestone in his online career, the 30-year-old De los Santos took home the individual male senior honors in the Golden League EKata tournament on Thursday. Using the difficult Unsu form again, De los Santos outperformed world no. 3 Silvio Cerone-Biagioni of South Africa, 25.7-23.9 in the finals. He then thanked Japanese coach Masa Saito for his rise. “When I hit the no. 2 spot back in August 6, I was behind by nearly 3000 points to no.1. I thought to myself, “Wow that’s a big gap. How am I ever going to reach that?” I was discouraged at first, but my kata coach, Masa Saito, reminded me to take it one tournament at a time,” De los Santos wrote in his Facebook message to wellwishers. The multi-titled Cebuano turned back Murillo Alves of Brazil in the semifinals, 25.1-23.4, and moved ahead of Garcia with 8950 points. News of his rise to no. 1 came before he submitted his video presentation of his finals meet with Biagioni. “It’s a really great feeling and weird in a good way. Yesterday, as I was competing in this tournament, SportData officially confirmed at the same time that I am the new world no. 1. I was ecstatic about it, and it motivated me even more to win this tournament,” said De los Santos. Garcia, who slipped to second place with 8575 points, has been inactive for many months in the individual male seniors’ category after deciding to take his act to the individual male under-21 level. In his last campaign, De los Santos captured first-place honors in the first leg of the Euro Grand Prix and the EKarate Games 2020, where he collected 15 straight gold medals. He was not alone, as two female competitors Fatima A-Isha Lim Hamsain and Julie Marcos, who are schoolmates at Sen. Renato Companero Cayetano Memorial in Taguig City, were with him in the meet. A-Isha Lim Hamsain snared a gold medal with a 23.2-22.9 triumph over Giselle Van Rensburg of Denmark in the Shotokan under-16 female action, while Marcos got the silver medal after bowing to Keira Sanfft of Australia, 23.4-23.6. Peter Atencio

Painters clip Dyip, grab share of lead By Reuel Vidal

AIN or Shine Elastopainters earned a share of league leadership in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup with a 91-82 victory over the Terraﬁrma Dyip at the Angeles University Foundation Arena Powered by Smart 5G, yesterday, Friday, October 16. The Elastopainters faced some anxious moments but leaned on Rey Nambatac who drilled the crucial points to preserve the Rain or Shine victory. “Unang una mindset ko bounce back talaga from my bad game against San Miguel,” said Nambatac. “Aggressive ako from the start. Alam ko doon ko makukuha ang initiative ko. To be honest yung panalo namin against San Miguel, malaking bagay. Hopefully yung kumpyansa namin madadala namin sa other games.” He finished with 19 points, 3 assists, 2 assists and 2 steals to earn Player of the Game honors. Nambatac converted back-to-back baskets, the second a triple, to hike the Elastopainters’ lead to 16 big points, 82-66, with six minutes left to play. Aldrech Ramos scored on a follow-up to cap a 10-0 Terrafirma blast which cut the Rain or Shine lead to six points, 82-76. But Nambatac doused cold water on that

rally when he drilled another triple to increase the Rain or Shine lead back to nine, 85-76, with two minutes to play. With the win the Elastopainters (2 wins, 0 loss) joined unbeaten teams Phoenix Fuel Masters (2-0), TNT Tropang Giga (2-0) and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (2-0) at the top of the standings. The other teams include the San Miguel Beermen (1-1), Blackwater Elite ( 1-1), Meralco Bolts (1-1), Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok (1-1), Dyip (0-2), Alaska Aces (0-2), NLEX Road Warriors (0-2) and NorthPort Batang Pier (0-2). Nambatac faked off Roosevelt Adams then converted a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to extend the Rain or Shine lead to 10 points at halftime, 44-34. Terrafirma grabbed the lead briefly in the third after Juami Tiongson drained a jumper to peg the count at 52-50 for the Dyip. Beau Belga countered with a charity split but Roosevelt Adams drilled a

triple to hike the Dyip lead to four, 5551, with 4:39 to go in the third. The Elastopainters recovered the initiative later in the period. Sydney Onwubere split his charities to peg the count 66-58 for Rain or Shine after three quarters. The Elastopainters then kept the Dyip at bay with timely baskets. With the shot clock running out Beau Belga pushed off CJ Perez then converted a jumper and the bonus free throw to hike the Rain or Shine lead to 11 points, 77-66, with a little over 7 minutes to play. The scores: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 91— Rey Nambatac 19, Gabe Norwood 14, Javee Mocon 14, Beau Belga 14, Sydney Onwubere 8, Kris Rosales 6, James Yap 4, Norbert Torres 4, Jewel Ponferada 3, Adrian Wong 3, Mark Borboran 2, Vince Tolentino 0. Terrafirma Dyip 82—CJ Perez 26, Juami Tiongson 15, Glenn Khobuntin 12, Roosevelt Adams 10, Andreas Cahilig 7, Aldrech Ramos 6, Eric Camson 5, Reden Celda 1, Joseph Gabayni 0, Keith Agovida 0, Rashawn McCarthy 0, Christian Balagasay 0, JP Calvo 0, Jeepy Faundo 0, Quarter scores: 19-16; 44-34; 66-58; 91-82.

TWENTY national athletes and four coaches will take part in a one-month training camp that is being planned to be held this November. Officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association are working double time to make this happen as they are set to meet with the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. And with the support of the Philippines Sports Commission and officials of the Clark Development Corporation, PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico said they are keeping their fingers crossed that everything will fall into place. The training sessions were supposed to be held at the De La Salle University-Canlubang in Laguna by Nov. 1. Instead, they have adjusted their plans so that the camp can be done under a “bubble” for a month at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac. This is right before their plan to hold the National Open starting on Dec. 4 at the same venue. “Kailangang mag-adjust. Kumbaga sa baraha, we were dealt a hand and we have to deal with this and this public health emergency,” said Juico. National athletes will have a chance to get themselves in good condition when the approval for the camp is finally given. On the other hand, foreign-based national athletes will have to stay put at their current location and will not be asked to come to the Philippines at the moment, considering the many protocols currently being observed to control the spread of the coronavirus. There were plans to have a restart in the second week of August. But the preparations were delayed when Metro Manila went back to Modified Enhanced Quarantine Community protocols last August 3. Bases Conversion Development Authority Vice President Arrey Perez has confirmed to Juico the availability of the NCC facilities. The PATAFA chief said the NCC Stadium is currently being utilized as a quarantine facility for coronavirus patients. And it will soon be disinfected to give way to the preparations that will be done in time for the training activities and the staging of the National Open.

Roach trains Marcial at Wild Card TOP Olympic bet Eumir Felix Marcial has started his training at the famed Wild Card Gym Thursday afternoon in Hollywood, California. Marcial was welcomed by Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach who agreed to take the 24-year-old Zamboanganative boxer under his wings, while the Filipino boxer prepares himself for next year’s Olympic Games in Japan. Marcial did four rounds of mitts with Roach, who sees a lot of potential on the Filipino boxer. Since 2001, Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club has been the training camp of eight-division world champion and Philippine senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. On Wednesday, Marcial, a member of the 2021 Philippine Olympic boxing team and part of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions’ stable of fighters, entered through the same door to meet with the seven-time Trainer of the Year. “When Eumir walked through the door into the upstairs gym, I flashed back to 2001 when Manny (Pacquiao) first walked through the same door looking for someone to do mitts with him,” said Roach. “I felt like I was walking in Manny’s footsteps when Freddie was giving me the tour of the original part of Wild Card and telling me stories about training with Manny. To

see the Philippine flag so prominently displayed made me very proud. And working out with Freddie was a great learning experience. I cannot wait to return for our next session,” said Marcial in Filipino. After giving Marcial and MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons the cook’s tour of the top floor of Wild Card, they adjourned to the more private downstairs gym for a workout “Eumir has a lot of power and talent but we have a lot of work to do. It’s a very unusual situation working on a fighter’s professional debut knowing that we will be preparing for the Olympics after he turns professional. I really hope we can be the first to bring a world title and Olympic gold to the Philippines. That would be very special,” said Roach. Before the pandemic shut the world down, Marcial had been on a roll. He punched his ticket for the 2021 Olympics in March by winning all four of his bouts in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying tournament in Amman, Jordan. Marcial was the top seed in his division. Last December, he captured the gold at the 30th Southeast Asian Games as well as the silver medal in last year’s World Boxing Championships.

Eumir Felix Marcial unites with famed trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym to start an ambitious aim of winning an Olympic gold and become a future world boxing champion. (Sean Gibbons, MP Promotions)

Team Lakay takes up new gaming hobby STEPPING into the ONE Championship Circle takes more than just a physical herculean effort, and a display of high-level martial arts skills. It also requires mental fortitude. Which is why martial artists go to great lengths preparing their minds for battle. Some put on their favorite tunes to help fire them up before a match. Others meditate to help clear their psyche and make their minds more efficient. For some members of the Baguio City-based Team Lakay, however, mental preparation for bouts takes on an interesting new form. “I’ve been playing Mobile Legends for two years now, but I

don’t consider myself a very serious gamer. I only play this to kill time, when I’m cutting weight or waiting for hydration test results to take my mind off the hunger. But when my teammates started playing it, I got even more hooked to it,” said Joshua Pacio, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion. “I like it because it’s not just a game, it can teach you about teamwork, strategy, and sometimes patience, similar to MMA.” Pacio, along with 2-time former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, and former unified and undisputed ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, have

taken up Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, or ML, often playing together as a team or with fans on their mobile phones. They’ve also taken to game streaming, casting their sessions through Facebook in their new streaming channel, “Truth x Lakay Gaming”, which they created just recently with reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera. Fans can catch their favorite ONE superstars playing ML, and even respond to fan queries. ML is a MOBA game, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, that pits a team of five players against another team of five in a head-to-head battle

to ultimately capture each others’ bases. Each player picks a “hero” that he or she controls. Players must work as a team in order to claim victory. Belingon finds himself enamored by the game, so much so that he doesn’t want to play it too much, lest become addicted to it. “The Silencer” also apologized to fans for his gameplay. “I think it’s dangerously addictive. If you’re not careful, it can really take over your time. I try not to get too addicted to it! I’m surprised so many fans play this and want to add me. I’m still an amateur, so sorry if I don’t do well,” said Belingon.

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Webinar highlights opportunities for startups, industry in space tech I

N celebration of the World Space Week, the Department of Science and Technology— Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, the Philippine Space Agency and the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) Program showcased on Thursday various opportunities for startups and industries delving in the ﬁeld of space technology and development.

Dubbed “Start Up in Space: Opportunities for R&D and Commercialization in the Field of Space S&T Applications,” this webinar seeks to create awareness of space, enable startups, and to orient and guide individuals in preparing and submitting proposals on R&D and technology transfer through available funding mechanisms of DOST and PhilSA. DOST PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit said space technology is the new frontier that Filipino startups and industry players can conquer. “With the growing demand of space technology but only few key players in the industry, there is a need to strengthen the country's space capability and build more local and international partnerships. This is how startups and industry players come into play as they contribute to economic prosperity by creating jobs, spurring innovation, and generating competition,” he said. PhilSA Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. also emphasized the importance of value creation in the Philippines’ space sector, not

Start Up in Space Panelists during the Q&A Session.pn just in data utilization or the downstream segment, but also in the upstream segment, such as the design, manufacture and testing of satellite subsystems or components. “Obtaining knowhow in upstream space technologies and cascading them to local design and manufacturing services will help put us on a path of building stronger industries in aerospace, semiconductor, electronics, mechanical and materials, among others, that enhance our country’s global market position and competitiveness. We want to help create more high value jobs.” Among the opportunities that were presented in the webinar are the DOST

Grants in Aid (DOST-GIA) Program and the Startup Grants Program. The DOST-GIA Program provides ﬁnancial grants to higher education institutes and research and development institutes to conduct programs and projects attuned to the Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda (HNRDA). The Startup Grants Program is a partnership program with startups that need ﬁnancial support for product research and development and market validation studies. The grant covers the strengthening of the startup’s knowledge of Intellectual Property (IP), overcoming research and development (R&D) roadblocks, establishing

initial market traction, and reﬁning the startup’s business model. Through this grant, startups have access to funds for the growth of their business, access to science and technology networks like testing and R&D centers, and access to the services and facilities in DOST-assisted Technology Business Incubators (TBIs). Paringit urged the participants to take part in the opportunities presented and be a game-changer in the Philippines in the space industry. “As leader and partner in innovations in the country, we hope our startups and industry players engage us in making innovation work for the people,” he added.

Samsung launches Galaxy A-series THIS 2020, SAMSUNG launched its newest lineup of Galaxy A-series, bringing an awesome smartphone experience to Gen Z. The Galaxy A71, A51, A31, A21s, and A11 are designed to suit the dynamic and awesome personalities of today’s youth. The aspirational youth’s companion. In a time where almost everything can be accessed digitally, a device that can keep up with one’s lifestyle is important. This is why the Galaxy A71 has everyone covered with its innovative features. It sports a Quad-Camera setup with 64MP main, 5MP depth, 5MP macro, and 12MP ultrawide lens to capture vibrant details and accurate colors. Its powerful performance and longlasting 4500mAh battery ensure non-stop fun and productivity throughout the day. Through these features, passionate Gen Z individuals can conﬁdently show off their awesome selves and achieve new heights. The Galaxy A71 now comes with Galaxy S20 innovations as well. These features, like the Single Take, Night Hyperlapse, Custom Filter, Quick Share, and Music Share, can be accessed through the latest software update. These ﬂagship innovations enable everyone to make the most of their Galaxy A-series and improve the way they see and capture things. The Galaxy A71 comes with a P1000 token until October 31 that can be used towards the purchase of the phone at P21,990 or other accessories. The device is available in standout colors like Haze Crush Silver, Prism Crush Blue, Prism Crush Black,

Galaxy A21s and Prism Crush Silver. The smartphone for up-and-coming content creators. Content creation requires the right tools to be effective and appealing. The Galaxy A51 and A31, both packed with a 48MP Quad-Camera, are budgetfriendly devices that can help create interesting video and photo content. The Galaxy A51 also has a Super Steady feature that can record pro-like videos with smooth camera movements.

Mapua offers fully online engineering, IT programs MAPUA University now offers fully online degree programs that allow working students and those living in provinces to complete a premier engineering and information technology degree. The fully online degree programs include computer engineering, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, industrial engineering, computer science, and information Technology or IT, which were approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The online programs are similar to its on-campus counterparts thus the students will get the same quality of education. The Yuchengco-led university noted that unlike the regular programs, the fully online degrees are self-paced. This is ideal for working students, and adults who want to ﬁnish their bachelor’s degree. Likewise, it is applicable to students

living outside Metro Manila or in other countries who want to attain the Mapúan education. Being a digital-ready university, Mapúa will use various online learning platforms where students can access the recorded lectures, references, modules, and assessments anytime. Some of these learning tools include METIS e-textbooks, Coursera, Wiley Plus, Cengage MindTap, McGraw Connect, Aleks, and Labster, among others. Studying in a fully online program costs less as it eliminates other school associated fees such as miscellaneous fees. Students enrolled under the said programs will also be assisted by life coaches who will guide them through services relating to student concerns. Interested parties may enroll at any term of the academic year, through the Mapúa Digital Academics website at www.mapua.edu.ph/

The Galaxy A51 comes with a 4000mAh battery while the Galaxy A31 has a hefty 5000mAh battery, allowing budding content creators to never miss a moment. In addition, both the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A31 come in standout colors designed to impress everyone. The Galaxy A51, now available for only P15,990, comes in Haze Crush Silver, Prism Crush Blue, and Prism Crush Black, while the Galaxy A31 comes with a P1000 token, available for as low as P13,990, until October 31 in Prism Crush Blue and Prism Crush Black. The partner of active and driven students. The current situation calls for everyone to shift from face-to-face classes to online learning. A staple in any online student’s tools is a reliable device that can keep up with their requirements. The student-friendly Galaxy A21s and A11 come with affordable price tags and respectable specs to help students in their online classes. The Galaxy A21s, now priced at P9,990, comes with a 5000mAh battery while the Galaxy A11, now available for only P6,490, is packed with a 4000mAh battery. The Galaxy A21s and A11 also have 15W Fast Charging technology that can be used for hours of classes without any worries. The Galaxy A21s’ 13MP Front Camera and the Galaxy A11’s 8MP Selfie Lens also let students participate more confidently with clear video calls to teachers and peers while their immersive Infinity-O displays help them focus on presentations and reading materials without any struggle. To know more about the Samsung Galaxy A-series, visit samsung.com/ph/smartphones/galaxy-a-series/.

Survey shows PH one of highest in SEA online piracy A NEW study of the online content viewing behaviour of Filipino consumers, has found that 49% access streaming piracy websites or torrent sites. The levels of piracy went as high as 53% within the 25-34 age demographic. The survey commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and conducted by YouGov, found that 47% of consumers who accessed piracy sites cancelled their subscriptions to both local and international content services. The levels of piracy in the Philippines now dwarfs neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia which have both seen substantial reductions in online piracy over the last 12 months. In Indonesia a similar YouGov survey found a massive 55% reduction in Indonesians accessing piracy services with 28% of consumers admitting to accessing piracy websites compared to 63% in 2019. In Malaysia, a YouGov survey found a 64% decline in users accessing piracy sites when compared to a similar YouGov survey in 2019. In both countries a key variable for the decline in online piracy levels was the government’s proactive piracy site blocking initiative. In Malaysia more than half (55%) of online consumers noticed that a piracy service had been blocked by the Malaysian government, which subsequently influenced viewing habits with 49% stating that they no longer accessed piracy services and 40% saying that they now ‘rarely accessed’ piracy services as a result of the site blocking. A Bill currently before the Philippine Senate (Bill #497) entitled the ‘Online Infringement Act’ proposes a regulatory site blocking mechanism which would empower the authorities to ensure that ISPs take “reasonable steps to disable access to sites whenever these sites are reported to be infringing copyright or facilitating copyright infringement.” The recent YouGov survey suggests that a regulatory site blocking mechanism would be supported by the majority of Filipino consumers. When given choices of what they thought were effective measures of reducing piracy behaviour, 53% of Filipinos agree that a “government order or law for ISPs to block piracy websites” would be the most effective. Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu said, “The ill effects of online piracy cannot be underestimated. We have been an advocate of content streaming through legal sites only through our #PlayItRight program. This advocacy educates people on the impacts of online piracy and on making the right choices when it comes to online consumption.” For his part, Atty Teodoro Pascua, Deputy Director General, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said, “The wide variety of legal services in the Philippines which provide premium entertainment content are reliable and importantly are legal. The piracy alternatives fund crime groups, put consumers at risk of malware infection and are unreliable. Piracy only benefits the criminal organisations who are behind these illegal websites.” Neil Gane, the General Manager of AVIA’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) commented,

Connect with BLACKPINK on ‘TikTok Stage’ WITH the latest success of their 1st full album ‘THE ALBUM,’ BLACKPINK has announced that they will be hosting ’TikTok Stage with BLACKPINK’ event on Tuesday, October 21, 6 p.m. as part of the plan to connect with their fans in the Philippines and around the globe. For a total of 100 minutes, ‘TikTok Stage with BLACKPINK’ will be broadcasted live exclusively on TikTok through the account TikTok_Stage. They will also be hosting a pre-event challenge to give fans an opportunity to attend the live event virtually. BLACKPINK has always shown appreciation towards their fans and this highly anticipated LIVE event will give them a chance to connect with their Filipino fans and Blinks from all over the world. ‘TikTok Stage with BLACKPINK’ will not only include behind stories about their 1st full album ‘THE ALBUM’ but will also be filled with various corners throughout the program. BLACKPINK’s 1st full album ‘THE ALBUM’ has charted on various global music charts. After it’s release on October 2nd, the album charted on iTunes charts of 57 countries and broke the record of highest week album sales for K-Pop girl group in one day. Making its historic Billboard 200 debut, BLACKPINK has also hit No. 2 on the UK charts with their album. With their recent global success, ’TikTok Stage with BLACKPINK’ will be highly anticipated by fans from all over the world.

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

Smart Communications presented how the company's programs like School-in-a-Bag and the Central Visayan Institute FoundationDynamic Learning Program can help bridge the digital divide amid the new normal of education.

Smart champions PH education as sole representative at UN annual ICT summit F OR programs aimed at ensuring continuous learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, education initiatives of PLDT wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) were recognized at the opening of the Mobile Learning Week (MLW) 2020 of the United Nations Educational, Scientiﬁc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Representing the only Philippine company in this year’s UNESCO MLW, Smart Communications AVP for Community Partnerships Stephanie V. Orlino presented how programs like School-in-a-Bag and the Central Visayan Institute Foundation—Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP) can help bridge the digital divide amid the new normal of education, especially for ‘last mile schools’. The programs were featured under the MLW 2020’s “programs for effective distance learning”. “Out of the more than 47,000 schools in the country serving over 24M students, 7,144 are considered last mile schools. Because the Philippines is an

archipelagic country composed of 7,641 islands, many schools are located far from the center, accessible through difﬁcult terrain. Some children have to trek for hours or cross streams just to get to school,” she explained. These also include schools without access to electricity and have only makeshift classrooms. The School in a Bag and CVIF-DLP are initiatives under Smart’s #LearnSmart advocacy—an education program which promotes Internet for all through the use of digital technology and innovative strategies to enhance different aspects of learning. “We asked ourselves: how may we provide access to technology and to

inclusive quality education to these last-mile schools? Our answer is the School-in-a-Bag,” Orlino said. The School-in-a-Bag is a portable digital classroom that generally contains a laptop for the teacher, student tablets to access interactive applications even if offline, and a Smart LTE pocket WiFi kit which teachers can use to download additional content when they visit the city center where there is power and connectivity. “Off-grid beneficiaries also receive a solar panel and a battery charging station as power source for the devices,” Orlino added. Teachers of School-in-a-Bag beneficiary communities are also trained on the CVIF-DLP, a pandemic-resilient strategy that supports home learning and works in various delivery modalities. “It can ensure continuous education even for learners with limited to no internet connectivity and with minimal teacher and parent inter-

DICT‘s 2021 plan to boost PH telco infra, free wi-fi coverage

THE PHP18.18 billion budget being proposed by the Department of Information and Communications for 2021 will boost telecommunications infrastructures across the country and expand the beneficiaries of the government initiative for free Wi-Fi. This is the biggest budget the DICT is seeking by far to address the challenges in connectivity in the face of increasing demand for internet use and shift to digital services because of the pandemic. The DICT proposal bodes well with the recommendation of the World Bank urging the Philippines to ramp up capital expenditures to improve telecommunications services with better infrastructure and wider coverage, as it noted that government should take a lead in transitioning to digital economy. “In a society-wide digital transformation, the government itself must lead by example,” said World Bank economist Kevin Chua, lead author of the report “A Better Normal Under COVID-19: Digitalizing the Philippine Economy Now,” which was released by the World Bank and the National Economic and Development Authority. The DICT has explained to Congress that the PHP18.18 billion budget would enable it to activate a cable landing station in Baler in Aurora province and connect the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) node in San Fernando, La Union. This will enable the department to fire up four DICT nodes and 15 NGCP nodes, thereby expanding the bandwidth to nearby government clients and beneficiaries of free Wi-Fi under the National Broadband Program.

The technical rollout of DITO Telecommunity, the country’s third major player, should also help in the country’s goal of digitalization. With more than 1,000 cell sites currently being constructed and 1,200 planned base stations on air by January 2021, the delivery of favorable communications services to consumers among the country’s top telcos is expected to improve next year. Combined this with increase in capital expenditures of telco giants Globe Telecom (US$1.6 billion) and Smart (PHP70 billion) to improve their capacity and coverage, the DICT is projecting internet speed to hit 55 Mbps in July 2021. The Philippine government’s expenditure, however, still pales in comparison to other countries, according to the World Bank, with China investing US$289 billion for telco infrastructure in the last four years; Japan’s annual ICT spending of US$162 billion; and South Korea’s US$24 billion for its internet backbone. In neighboring ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Vietnam tops infrastructure development spending with US$820 million for a 23,000-km submarine cable system; followed by Thailand’s US$343 million to ensure internet broadband connectivity to thousands of villages; and Malaysia’s US$233 million to boost broadband speed and coverage. President Rodrigo Duterte has called on telco operators in the country to improve their services and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to crack the whip of local government units impeding the issuance of permits for the construction of telco towers around.

vention,” Orlino shares. Developed by Ramon Magsaysay laureates and world-renowned theoretical physicists Dr. Christopher Bernido and Dr. Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido, the CVIF-DLP Learning Activity Sheets for Junior and Senior High School are now available in DepEd Commons as a supplemental learning resource for school year 2020-2021. MLW is the United Nations’ ﬂagship event on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. It has been organized by UNESCO and its partners for eight consecutive years. The online edition of Mobile Learning Week 2020 carries the theme "Beyond Disruption: Technology Enabled Learning Futures". MLW 2020 is set against the backdrop of COVID-19 education disruption and response and aims to shine light on prospects for technology-enabled futures of learning.

DOST to roll out techs for seamless distance learning THE Department of Science and Technology on Monday, October 12, showcased innovations and tech solutions that can aid for seamless distance learning for Filipino students in the new normal. In the webinar, DOST highlighted the use of television frequencies, digital television, and other cutting-edge technologies as the best solutions to the new education scheme that will be implemented in the country. DOST PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit said that as leader and partner in innovation, the Council takes the lead in providing solutions and opportunities to address gaps in making distance learning in the new normal a success. “DOST-PCIEERD is one with the education sector in contributing to the development of innovations for a more efficient distance learning experience for our dear students. I hope that the technologies, initiatives, and programs that are underscored in this webinar will be enough to inspire you to envision a brighter, more technologically advanced education system for all,” he said. The initiative is done in response to the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte during his State of the Nation Address "to come up with an integrated program and implementation mechanism to ensure that these TV frequencies are fully utilized by government through the facilities of PTV4 for the utmost benefit of the Filipino people.” DOST- PCIEERD intends to develop a program that demonstrates and executes a community LTE network and digital TV for distance learning in remote regions with poor internet connectivity. Through the Science and Technology for a Resilient Community against the Pandemic or STRAP Block Grant, the Council will allot up to PHP 60 million to support research initiatives that is aimed at helping Filipinos to cope and manage to the new normal. Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. discussed the development and proliferation of digital datacasting through terrestrial and space segments. DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute Senior Researcher Officer in Charge Engr. Calvin Hilario discussed the development and deployment of community LTE network in the Philippines.

TECNO Mobile announces long-lasting series TECNO Mobile, the global premier mobile phone brand has announced that its hugely popular Pouvoir series will be rebranded and upgraded to POVA. Inspired by the product-first philosophy of ‘Product Over Various Ambitions’, the POVA series embodies TECNO’s forward thinking and distinct approach in delivering what actually matters to consumers. What is POVA? Building on the success and popularity of the Pouvoir family series, POVA retains key elements from its predecessor including an outstanding processor, screen, and class-leading battery life. Its super long-lasting configuration is built to optimally provide value to users, following a ‘Powering Optimal Value and Ambitions’ philosophy. POVA has also creatively adapted its product development to better fit more niche segments. By being flexible and adaptable, new POVA series ensures all users get the most out of their mobile experience, wherever they are in the world. “Today, consumers live in a digitalfirst world and demand always-on connectivity combined with a worldclass experience. With POVA, we are not only elevating the user experience with a new benchmark for cost-efficient smartphones, but are establishing a new benchmark with class-leading

From Pouvoir to POVA: TECNO reimagines the future of communications for the always-on consumer

features including a power packed battery, ﬂash charging, a turbo-charged processor, and a 6.8 inch display to bring this to life. For our users, this is an unprecedented combination, giving them an unparalleled mobile experience, making the POVA series a must have,” said Yu Yuan, the Deputy General Manager of TECNO. Born to be Powerful Aiming to continuously provide consumers with an unprecedented always-on experience, POVA

features a colossal 6000mAh battery, providing users with a standby time of 30 days, and the ability to play music for 8 days straight, on just a single charge. Equipped with reliable and easy-to-use systems that turbo-charge productivity, this mobile device undoubtedly improves image quality, mobile performance networking, power, and consumption, living up to its ‘high-performance at a valuable price range’ mantra. The Helio G80 Gaming Processor will unlock intelligent resource management in game mode, and enhanced power management for high intensity gaming. For gamers wanting a highperformance experience, POVA’s 128GB + 6GB memory with its HyperEngine Game Technology gives a seamless, lag-free experience providing dynamic performance and sustained gameplay. POVA brings unmatched quality in image and video creation, powered by its 13-megapixel focal length cameras on the rear, and 8-megapixel AI selfie front camera. All rear AI cameras are equipped with specific capabilities— depth, bokeh, AI shaping, and AI beauty—delivering an extraordinary visual experience to users while showcasing TECNO Mobile’s innovative use of artificial intelligence technologies.

Tips for small enterprises on how to choose an EDR solution By Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky THE attacks taking place on small and medium enterprises (SME) are becoming more sophisticated, meaning that they cannot be easily prevented by traditional endpoint protection mechanisms. In such cases, timely incident detection is essential to minimizing any potential negative impact. However, this challenging task cannot be done without enhanced endpoint visibility, exploring suspicious activities and understanding attack execution processes. From our experience, SMEs understand that they need to improve their security capabilities and they usually contact our sales representatives to enquire about our products. However, for an organization where its IT department is responsible for cybersecurity—as is typically the case for SMEs—translating this intention into practice can be hard.

They simply don’t know where to start. It may seem that the ideal plan is to buy a solution that combines all the high-proﬁle features at once. But what can go wrong with this approach? Will the companies be able to sift through all the data and events that modern Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions provide, as well as distinguish between false alerts and real threats?

Serious functionality involves big investments—and it’s not only about money

First of all, it is a matter of price. A Kaspersky report, ‘IT security economics in 2019: How businesses are losing money and saving costs amid cyberattacks’, shows that, on average, the share of spending on information security equates to around a quarter of an entire IT budget. This is true for both small and large companies but in absolute numbers, there is a signiﬁcant difference. Spending on cybersecurity in organizations with 50-999 employees is estimated at $267,000, while their counterparts with more than 1,000

employees spend $18.9 million on average. So, a solution intended for enterprise customers may not suit smaller businesses’ budgets. Moreover, required investments are not only monetary. Enterprise-grade products may be hard to install and integrate with existing security solutions. In an enterprise with a large IT security department, some staff can simply devote their time to this task. This can be an issue for a smaller company though, as fewer employees are responsible for maintaining the whole infrastructure.

Don’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

Of course, all these efforts are worthwhile when a new security solution benefits the company’s level of protection. But in practice, even if an SME manages to secure a budget and implement an enterprise-grade solution, without sufficient expertise in information security, it will be difficult to fully leverage the scope of functionality. First, the advanced functions may simply be irrelevant to their particular requests. For example, if a previously unknown suspicious

object is detected, some organizations that are not very mature in cybersecurity just need to know if it is malicious, or needs blocking. Meanwhile others just need a full picture of the object’s actions and background for a deep investigation. It is important to understand what an organization’s requirements are and what its existing team can work with. Depending on this, a company can decide whether they are ready to purchase, for instance, a sandbox designed for security researchers. Secondly, products which were created for security analysts are not appropriate for a “set-and-forget” approach. For example, a feature-rich EDR solution requires a team of expert analysts capable of tuning the detection logic and creating new rules to continuously improve detection levels. Without such specialists, the solution’s ability to proactively search for indicators of intrusion will not be useful. It is common in SMEs for a system administrator to manage an endpoint protection solution. But even EDR, which

Stephan Neumeier

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020

Motoring Sedans

fuel auto sales in Q3—AVID

Together, the Lexus NX and three-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Gold Medalist Agatha Wong forge ahead toward even greater triumphs.

LEXUS AND AGATHA WONG

More success awaits on the horizon

IMBLE, bold, elegant, powerful. These are only a few traits that the NX shares with Wushu athlete Agatha Wong, who, time and again, has delivered stunning performances worthy of gold medals at the SEA Games--once in 2017, and twice in 2019. It is no surprise then that as Lexus’ newest brand ambassador for the NX, Agatha is inspired by the craftsmanship and passion behind the creation of this luxury SUV. She shares the same values, work ethic, and passion of Lexus’ Takumi master craftsmen, after all. And with the NX by her side, there’s no doubt that she will push herself to even greater heights in her chosen sport. For this young Filipina athlete, the journey to reach the pinnacle of her martial art required focus, dedication, and discipline. “In Wushu, the most important trait that a person should acquire is discipline,” she shares. “Discipline is what sets a good athlete apart from regular athletes. Another trait that should be developed over the years is resilience. Resilience and discipline go hand in hand when it comes to everything in life, especially in sports.” The Lexus NX was crafted for drivers who are looking for a powerful and exhilarating crossover to drive, and who also appreciate the time, effort, and passion that was put into the construction of their

luxury SUV of choice. With the Takumi craftsmanship behind the Lexus NX, attention to even the smallest details is paramount. This is no different from the kind of control expected from Wushu practitioners at the highest level. Lexus has taken the best traits from its decades of experience building SUVs, and then condensed it into the highly focused NX crossover. It is nimble, thanks to its tuned suspension that has been tweaked for improved turn-in response and steadystate cornering. Its skin is taut, inspired by the LC 500 coupe. Elegant yet bold, the NX is sure to draw attention and turn heads, just as Agatha does each time she competes. When she takes to floor, her acrobatic movements are graceful yet powerful. It takes years of training and focus to master the patterns and to have full control over one’s body. For her, the hard work has indeed paid off. Agatha began her Wushu journey when she was 12 years old. One year later, she turned professional and began training even more extensively. She’s now 22

years old with three gold medals under her belt, and yet she’s still pushing herself to achieve even more. “I’m hungry to learn new things every day,” she adds. “As in Wushu, there are no limits to which your mind and body can comprehend a certain skill. If you want it, there’s a way. And if not, there are only excuses.” The Takumi craftsmen who build the Lexus NX to the highest levels of quality share a similar passion and drive toward improving every single time. It’s no wonder that Agatha and the Lexus NX make for an ideal partnership. For both of them, the quest toward perfection never ends, and the improvements are constant. On the NX, the latest additions are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all variants. Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS)-which is connected to the braking system to mitigate any chances of unintended acceleration if the wrong pedal is pressed while parking--will also make its debut on this luxury SUV model soon. Underneath the NX’s sculpted sheet metal is serious performance delivered by a powerful and fuel-efficient turbocharged direct-injection 2.0- liter inline-4 engine.“I never would I have imagined that I would be an ambassador of the Lexus brand, let alone be considered a part of it,” Agatha recounts. “I’m deeply grateful to be given this opportunity and I will do everything in my power to keep setting a good example to the Filipino youth… especially in the area of sports.”

Geely teases crossover

Fe Agudo

(LCV) segment, AVID recorded a 192% growth in quarter-on-quarter sales with 9,763 units sold versus the 3,349 units the previous quarter. Ford led this segment with 8,539 units sold while Suzuki held second place with 6,422 units followed by Hyundai with 5,879 units sold since the start of the year. In the Commercial Vehicles (CV) segment, AVID recorded 91% growth in the 3rd quarter with 86 units sold. The gradual reopening of the economy and resumption of key government projects was expected to spur more demand for commercial vehicles. From January to September, however, sales fell by 45.6%, from 64,274 units in 2019 to 34,977 units in the same period this year. “There will never be a return to business as usual,” Agudo said. “We are redefining the industry’s new normal--call it a better normal. Even if the customer journey has radically changed, one thing remains constant for us: the commitment to give our customers the premium value, care, and attention that they deserve, in and beyond pandemic times.”

FASTLANE

Truck Month features Ford Ranger FORD Philippines is bringing back its Truck Month this October, offering great deals to customers buying a Ford Ranger from any Ford dealership nationwide. Until October 31, 2020, customers can avail of cash discounts, all-in low downpayment deals, and free ownership package worth PHP100,000 with their purchase of a Ranger Wildtrak, XLS, or Raptor. The Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 MT is available this month with a P90,000 cash discount while the Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 AT comes with a cash discount of PHP70,000. On the other hand, the Ranger 2.2L XLS 4x2 MT is available with a cash discount of PHP89,000, effectively bringing its starting retail price to only PHP943,000. Customers can also avail of a financing offer of PHP88,000 all-in low downpayment. Meanwhile, customers who are looking to purchase the Ranger Raptor are entitled to the Ranger Raptor Premium Care Package inclusive of a free 5-Year Scheduled Service Plan, 5-Year Warranty (from 3

years), and 5-Year Roadside Assistance. The worry-free ownership package is valued at PHP100,000. “The Ford Truck Month has been Ford Philippines’ annual tradition of celebrating ownership of the Ford Ranger and making

it accessible to more customers through our wide array of great deals. The Truck Month is back this October and we look forward to serving more Filipinos who need a tough, reliable, and capable pickup truck for their work and play needs,” says PK Umashankar, president and managing director, Ford Philippines.

TMP, Denso TH: For a cleaner, safer air at PGH

LEADING mobility company Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has recently turned over to Philippine General Hospital (PGH) 20 units of air purifiers donated by Denso Thailand. These portable devices called Denso Plasmacluster Ion Generator supress

7-seater

SOJITZ G AUTO Philippines is bringing in a “Wonderfully Distinct” vehicle that will make its mark in pioneering a segment in the Philippine automotive industry, a 7-seater crossover – the Geely Okavango. The name Okavango was derived from the North-western Botswana’s vast inland delta, Okavango Delta. In 2014, UNESCO has recognized the Okavango Delta as its 1,000th World Heritage Site. It was also declared as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa. The GeelyOkavango is the coming together of the best features of an SUV and an MPV into a single 7-seater crossover. SGAP President & CEO Mikihisa Takayama said, “The Okavango is definitely a game changer for both the SUV and MPV segments – exquisite and well thought-off in terms of design, space, and technology.” “We are definitely giving our customers a luxurious, uncompromising, and “Wonderfully Distinct” ride”, Takayama added. The Geely Okavango will set it apart from current models in these segments as it will boast of the following features:

AUTO sales are zooming, fueled by sedans or passenger cars as the driving force, according to the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors. The passenger cars (PC) segment took a quantum leap of 260% in quarter-onquarter sales with 5,622 units sold in Q3 vas against the 1,561 units sold in the second quarter, the group said. Demand for sedans remain as consumers are looking for safe and affordable personal mobility, AVID data showed. Hyundai, the top contributor of passenger cars, chalked up a total of 6,244 units since the beginning of 2020 followed by Suzuki with 4,069 units and Ford with 825 units sold. Rapid digital transformation, best value promotions, and stringent health and safety protocols in automotive facilities nationwide are major factors in the recovery of consumer confidence, according to AVID. “We had to restore consumer confidence quickly and decisively so the auto industry could get back on track and bounce back strong. We aim to sustain this momentum till the last quarter of the year as we continue to reinvent ourselves, innovate, and capture our customer’s imagination. This will put us in a great position as we start afresh in 2021,” AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said. Overall sales showed a robust revival with a 212% increase in sales, from 4,955 units sold in the second quarter of the year to 15,471 units sold in in the third quarter. In the Light Commercial Vehicles

and remove airborne viruses, molds, and allergens in small spaces with limited air circulation, making them ideal for use in some of the state hospital’s rooms, and inside the cars and shuttles being used by its healthcare workers. TMP representatives Ma. Cristina Arevalo (3rd from left), First Vice President for New Mobility Business Division and NMB Supervisor Andrew Ryan Ty (2nd from left) hand over Denso Thailand’s donation to the hospital through PGH doctors (from left) Dr. Hermogenes Monroy, Dr. Dennis Serrano, Dr. Orlando Ocampo, and Dr. Esther Saguil.

Its vast interior space has a total of 19seat configurations, 42 storage nooks, and compartments including a double-layer console. All adults can seat comfortably in all three rows. High Technology It has a three-zone air conditioning that will give passengers independent AC controls in the driver, front passenger, and rear passenger seats, 360-degree panoramic camera with a best-in-class guidance system and dynamic auxiliary lines. It also has 3 driving modes – Eco, Normal, and Sport. It is equipped with a 1.5L Turbo engine that was jointly developed by Geely and Volvo which is perfectly matched to a 7-speed wet-type dual clutch transmis-

sion. It also has a Dual Variable-Valve Timing (DVVT) for a perfect balance of power optimization and fuel efficiency. And thanks to the 48V-EMS, the Okavango boasts of a maximum power of 190 Hp and a maximum torque of 300 Nm. Safety The Okavango is equipped with 6 SRS Airbags, overspeed warning, electronic stability control, hill start assist, central locking with speed-sensing auto lock, and hill descent control. From its muscular aesthetic design, the aerodynamic streamlining on the exterior, up to the modern, wide, and comfortable interior, surely, the Okavango was built for a first-class and uncompromised experience.

Safer drives, better deals at Nissan PURCHASING your dream Nissan vehicle has now been made easier with more savings and discounts on select vehicles under the company’s ‘Safer Drives and Deals’ promo that runs until October 31, 2020. Exclusive additional cash savings and discounts await customers who avail of the Safer Drives and Deals promo through Nissan Finance, powered by Eastwest Bank. Monthly offers for as low as PHP 5,457, 0% interest up to 60 months, or free amortization for up to sixteen months are available for select variants of the Nissan Patrol, Nissan

Terra, Nissan Urvan, Nissan Sylphy, Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Navara, and Nissan Almera. Customers can also enjoy cash savings for up to P 330,000 on select variants of the Nissan Patrol, Nissan Almera, Nissan Juke, Nissan Urvan, Nissan Sylphy, Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Navara, and Nissan Terra when purchasing through cash payments or bank purchase orders. Select variants of the Nissan Navara come with a free bedliner accessory under Nissan’s Safer Drives and Deals promo which is available to all authorized Nissan dealerships nationwide.