Manila Standard - 2020 October 27 - Tuesday

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‘Quinta’ displaces 1m people • 217k families in Bicol affected • 90k flee Pampanga flooding • Palace: P890m aid on standby VOL. XXXIV • NO. 235 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

P9b in rice, corn harvested before typhoon landfall

By Jess Malabanan and Vito Barcelo

O

VER 240,000 families across four regions, or nearly a million Filipinos, were forced to flee flash floods and landslides as Typhoon “Quinta” blitzed the country while crossing into the West Philippine Sea on Monday, disaster officials said.

By Othel V. Campos LOCAL farmers pre-harvested P9 billion worth of paddy rice and corn, the country’s two major staples, to avoid losing out the season’s first cropping harvest to the typhoon.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Monday that farmers from Regions CAR, II, III, IV-A, VI and VII harvest 530,593 metric tons of palay planted to 133,292 hectares just before Typhoon Quinta made a landfall.

Likewise, early harvest of corn crop saved about 109,364 MT of corn with a value of P1.31 billion, harvested from 26,910 hectares of farmlands in Regions II and VI. The DA said the farmers were quick to respond to an advisory sent by the DA regional field offices to all

More than 217,000 families, or 859,169 individuals, were affected by Quinta in the Bicol Region, with over 120,000 families displaced in Albay province alone, where the typhoon made two landfalls, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region V. This is apart from 22,579 families, or around 90,000 individuals, dislocated by widespread flooding in two coastal towns of Pampanga due to continuous rains brought about

by Quinta and typhoon “Pepito,” provincial disaster officials said in their latest update.

Calabarzon's civil defense office recorded 2,369 families, or 9,352 persons who

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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM OCT. 26)

371,630 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,607 36,333 NEW

ACTIVE

7,039

62

328,258

245

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

COVID-19 deaths breach 7k mark; 1,607 new cases

By Willie Casas and Rey E. Requejo THE COVID-19 fatalities in the Philippines breached the 7,000-mark on Monday, while the country's cumulative total of confirmed infections climbed to 371,630, the Department of Health data showed.

The DOH reported 62 additional fatalities due to the infectious disease, bringing the death toll to 7,039.

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STORM'S AFTERMATH. Residents of a village in Lopez, Quezon stand still as a flood engulfs a portion of a highway following heavy rains in the wake of Typhoon 'Quinta' on Monday. Elsewhere in the country (clockwise from top of page), a truck falls on it aside amid strong winds in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; A family crams into a tricycle while fleeing floods in Pola, Occidental Mindoro; A videograb from GMA News shows wind and rain battering Batangas City; DPWH workers try to clear tree branches that fell on Roxas Boulevard in Manila; and Philippine Coast Guard officers board a ship that ran aground on the coast of Mabini in Batangas. PIA, PonD News Asia, Norman Cruz, JR Josue, GMANews via Twitter, and PH Coast Guard

Solon: Red Cross DPWH creates graft task force G Amojelar blackmailing gov’t ByandDarwin Macon Ramos-Araneta via PhilHealth debt

By Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas

FREE BIKES. Displaced workers receive free bicycles from the Department of Labor and Employment in Manila on Monday through the Free Bisikleta (FreeBis) project.

Norman Cruz

A LAWMAKER on Monday accused the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) of blackmailing the government into paying it almost P1 billion that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. owes it.

“I seriously counsel the management of the PRC to stop blackmailing the government. Please remember that every centavo in the coffers of the government comes from every Filipino taxpayer. It is very lamentable that due to the government’s alleged failure to pay its obligation on time, it has been accused of a lot of things,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said.

Under a memorandum of agreement, the PRC has been conducting COVID-19 Next page

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday said it has created a task force against graft and corruption to investigate allegations of widespread anomalies in the agency.

“This is not only in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s stringent policy towards a clean government but also aimed at providing quality infrastructure as DPWH is one of the lead agencies steering the Build, Build, Build program,” said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

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Año: Mayors want GCQ extension the country’s capital region as COVID-19 remains a threat, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday, short of saying the extenMETRO Manila mayors want to extend the sion would be imposed only for next month Next page general community quarantine (GCQ) in or until December 31.

By Willie Casas and Vito Barcelo

COCONUT INDUSTRY RODY TO AFP, PNP: SEES ‘VCO’ AS SAVIOR STAY QUIET ON REDS NEWS / A2

NEWS / A3

A2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

‘VCO to save coconut industry’ C United Coconut Associations of the Philippines executive director Marco Reyes said in a statement over the weekend virgin coconut oil’s antiviral and anti-bacterial properties are unleashed inside the body once it metabolizes into

a derivative called monolaurin, a property that can also be found in other coco-based products from cooking oils to more concentrated volume in products like Laurin MCT oil.

Reyes said VCO is not a vaccine but

“it is like having a fierce guard dog, the moment COVID-19 or any virus gets in, you can be sure it is taken care of at the onset.”

According to UCAP, VCO is under the bracket of the consumer-rich food, health and wellness segment that has an estimated $1.8 trillion-dollar global market.

Locally, the industry employs an estimated 3.5 million Filipino farmers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology thru the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development recently revealed that VCO compounds not only reduced the coro-

’Quinta’...

yet to receive any reports on deaths connected to the typhoon.

The Palace on Monday vowed that the government would assist families affected by the typhoon, which it said wrought havoc on several provinces, forcing many to flee their homes.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Social Welfare department has prepared about P890 million in food packs and standby funds for this year's 17th storm.

The Palace official also assured affected farmers of grants and loans to be provided by the Department of Agriculture (see related story – Editors).

Flood water swelled to as high as three to five feet in some areas due to high tide and the volume of floodwater from the Pampanga River upstream, said Angelina Blanco, officer of the Pampanga Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO).

Blanco said a total of 50 villages, mostly in the province’s fourth district, remained flooded since the first day of typhoon Pepito. She said the situation was aggravated with moderate to heavy rains brought about by typhoon Quinta.

Masantol town, being situated near the mouth of the Manila Bay area, is the most affected among the coastal municipalities of Pampanga with 26 villages submerged in varying degrees.

Other Pampanga towns experiencing widespread flooding are Macabebe, Candaba, Apalit, and San Simon, all from the province’s fourth district.

Several road networks and bridges have been rendered impassable to all

types of vehicles due to soil erosion and other damage to infrastructure.

Blanco said PDRRMO is closely monitoring the flooded areas as rescue personnel and medical teams have been placed on standby alert and are ready to be deployed in areas where flood waters continue to swell.

“Those who were hit by the storm, don't worry, help will come. And the President's number one concern is really the safety and well-being of those affected. Hang in there, help is coming” Roque said in a radio interview.

Quinta made its fifth landfall over Pola, Oriental Mindoro on Monday morning and was headed towards the West Philippine Sea. Some 5,518 people were evacuated to safer ground, while 3,421 people took shelter with their relatives in areas outside danger zones, the disaster monitoring agency said.

Quinta follows tropical storm Pepito (international name: Saudel), which last week caused widespread flooding in Quezon province in the Calabarzon region, southeast of Manila.

Quinta is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility Tuesday morning.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, the eye of the typhoon was 310 kilometers west of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kms/h near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kms/h, it was moving westward at 25 kms/h.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was in effect over Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, including Lubang Island, Ori-

ental Mindoro, Calamian Islands, and the extreme northern portion of Antique.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure area was estimated at 1,945 kms east of Southern Luzon.

“This LPA may enter the PAR on Wednesday or Thursday morning but is less likely to develop into tropical depression in the next 48 hours,” the weather bureau said.

However, the Bicol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has reported that 12 fishermen are missing. They are residents of Barangay Pananogan, Bato town; Barangay Cagdarao, Panganiban town; and Barangay Poblacion District III, Gigmoto town; all in Catanduanes.

Rescue operations are now being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Also, the NDRRMC said 11 flooding incidents were reported in the provinces of Laguna, Camarines Sur, Negros Occidental, Samar, and Apayao while seven landslides were reported in Laguna, Aklan, Samar, and Apayao.

Quinta also damaged the Caraycaray Detour Bridge in Naval, Biliran.

The NDRRMC said the Department of Public Works and Highways personnel in the area have installed warning signs and assessing the condition of the bridge.

Quinta has also affected 33 roads in Cagayan, Laguna, Rizal, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Catanduanes, and Apayao.

The NDRRMC and Regional DRRM councils are closely monitoring the situation in the affected areas.

(Tuesday) and turn west-northwestward over the West Philippine Sea. Quinta is estimated to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Bicol Region, CALABARZON, Aurora, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Marinduque, Calamian Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Aklan, Capiz, and Antique.

The tail-end of a frontal system will likewise bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte.

These two weather systems will also

bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and the rest of Visayas.

As of Monday, the combined data of CAR, Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, and VIII for the area of standing crops that may be affected by Typhoon Quinta totalled to 1,247,623 hectares for rice and 174,932 hectares for corn.

Apart from farmers, the DA also advised fishermen and those with ponds and fish farms to conduct early capturing of

fishstocks. Fishers are advised to secure their bancas onshore or anchor in sheltered areas, and refrain from going to fish at sea if rough sea conditions prevail.

DA RFOs along the track of the tropical cyclone have been advised to preposition seeds for rice and corn, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry; activate DA Regional DRRM OpCen; coordinate with the LGUs, Regional DRRM -related offices and other stakeholders; and monitor possible impacts in the agri-fishery sector.

The DA said it will issue another bulletin update as soon as possible.

for the World Health Organization Solidarity Trial in the Philippines would start in December, Vergeire said.

“The WHO gave its commitment that the announcement of sites for clinical trials in the Philippines and other details will be given within this week,” Vergeire added.

Vergeire said that Russian vaccine manufacturer Gamaleya, for its part, was still in talks with a Philippine-based contract research organization, which will represent Gamaleya in the Philippines for possible local manufacturing of vaccines against COVID-19.

Earlier, the Vaccine Expert Panel under the Department of Science and Technology already cleared Chinese vaccine Sinovac for COVID-19 clinical trials.

Sinovac would still have to get approval from the Ethics Board before it gets to apply for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for a clinical trial in the Philippines.

The VEP reviews the Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the candidate vaccine, while the Ethics Board evaluates the selection for participants for clinical trials, among other safeguards that the vaccine manufacturer provided for the participants.

The Duterte administration has initially earmarked P2.5 billion for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines under the proposed 2021 national budget, an amount which is at least P10 billion short of the required funding as estimated by the Department of Health.

COVID clusters There are 2,531 clusters of COVID-19 cases as of October 25 in the Philippines, most of them in communities, DOH said.

Solon:... testing for thousands of PhilHealth members with the understanding that the state health insurer would pay the fees.

But when PhilHealth racked up close to P1 billion in arrears, PRC president Senator Richard Gordon suspended the COVID-19 testing to PhilHealth members until the organization is paid.

“The government has to check the veracity of claims made against it by any entity. Also, it has to review the legality of the agreement made by and between PRC and PhilHealth,” Barbers said Monday.

"But this should not be taken against the government and blackmail it by stopping a supposedly public and noble duty of the Red Cross, Philippine or International. The people ultimately suffer, not the government.”

To the Red Cross, he said: “Be true to your purpose and existence.”

Barbers referred to the agreement between PRC and PhilHealth “illegal”--even though the Department of Justice cleared the arrangement despite laws mandating reimbursements instead.

“Having been in receipt today of the DOJ legal opinion saying that the PhilHealth-PRC MOA is not subject to Procurement Law, PhilHealth will release payment on Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, subject to completeness of billing requirements submitted by the PRC,” PhilHealth said in a statement

Friday night.

Over the weekend, Gordon said the PRC could go bankrupt if PhilHealth fails to settle its mounting debt.

Gordon, in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday said the PRC is now facing financial constraints due to the state insurer's failure to pay its debts estimated at P930 million.

The PRC earlier this month said it would no longer accept tests chargeable to the PhilHealth, and will only complete the testing of specimens submitted until Oc. 14.

PhilHealth said it will settle its obligations for COVID-19 tests this week, to enable the PRC to immediately resume its swab testing paid for by the state insurer.

No such payment has been made as of Monday, Gordon said.

He added that PRC would cancel its chartered flight to China for the procurement of COVID-19 test kits if PhilHealth’s debt remains unpaid.

Gordon said the PRC was running out of kits.

"To replenish we need to be paid. We are waiting for payment as the Chinese always require cash payment. Because of PhilHealth’s promises to pay, we had chartered a flight to China for tomorrow," Gordon said.

"But due to PhilHealth's non-payment, we do not have the money to pay for the test kits and other equipment worth $6 million to $8 million just for this particular shipment. We will have to cancel the flight tomorrow if no payment is made," he added.

measures to address the problem of corruption, including setting up a system that requires an audit in all technical processes of projects, and geotagged photo monitoring of projects before implementation, upon mobilization, monthly progress and completion.

He also rolled out a document tracking system for civil sorks, consulting services and procurement of goods in all DPWH offices nationwide and intensified the drive to blacklist contractors

who violate government contracts.

A Palace spokesman said despite the President’s remarks, he still had trust and confidence in Villar.

A trusted aide to the President, Senator Christopher Go, said Duterte was exasperated by the government, comparing it to a pandemic “destroying our normal lives.”

Go said he would recommend the creation of yet another task force to combat corruption.

Go said the task force would employ “a whole-of-government approach” to put an end to deep-rooted, systemic corruption plaguing the bureaucracy.

He noted that the President was furious following reports of continuing and prevalent corruption in many agencies, including the DPWH, the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., and even in the agricultural sector where rice smuggling continues.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OCONUT industry stakeholders welcomed recent trials showing the strong potential of coconut oil in fighting COVID-19 that could boost the industry and the Philippine economy as a whole.

From A1

were evacuated in the region just south of Metro Manila.

In Marinduque, which is part of the Mimaropa region, Governor Presbitero Velasco said 1,882 families or 6,098 persons who lived near the shores of the province were displaced, as Quinta made its fourth landfall in Torrijos town.

Two persons were also reported dead and over a dozen others – fishermen in Catanduanes province -- were reported missing, the OCD said.

Damage to agricultural high value crops due to Pepito and Quinta is expected to increase from the P1.5 million stated in an earlier report.

Earlier in the day, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that 2,823 families in the Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Cordillera Administrative regions – representing 22 provinces total -- have so far been affected by Quinta.

Quinta, which made five total landfalls across the country but maintained typhoon strength, downed electrical posts and inundated parts of southern Luzon, forcing thousands of families to observe physical distancing as they fled its wrath during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said 1,493 families are now staying in 68 evacuation centers while 968 families are being aided outside, it added. The agency has

P9b...

From A1

rice producing regions recommending an early harvest.

The DA has yet to estimate how of planted corn crop and high-value croos were saved from the typhoon.

Based on weather updates, Typhoon "Quinta" is forecast to continue moving generally westward until its landfall over eastern coast of Camarines Sur. It will then, traverse the Southern Luzon area until tomorrow this afternoon

COVID-19...

From A1

The country reported its first COVID-19 death on Feb. 1, which was also the first fatality related to the illness recorded outside mainland China where the virus causing it first emerged.

The country's total cases climbed by 1,607 from the previous day, although Monday's figures do not include data from 16 laboratories that failed to submit their results on time.

The DOH also reported 245 additional recovered patients, or a total of 328,258 recoveries.

The active COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 36,333.

This is the 10th straight day that additional cases were below 3,000.

While the country recorded its lowest daily tally since Sept. 7 last week, it also saw the highest number of deaths recorded in the last two weeks at 132 on October 23.

On Monday morning, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they had been monitoring Mindanao.

“Yes there are an increasing number of cases in certain areas in Mindanao,” she said. However, she explained that the region could still manage its patients.

“We had a meeting yesterday with the regional task force of Region 11,” she added.

The areas with the highest number of new infections were Davao City with 90, Cavite with 88, Rizal with 74, and Negros Occidental and Quezon with 68 each.

Clinical trials Meanwhile, the Phase 3 clinical trials

DPWH...

From A1

The move comes after President Rodrigo Duterte denounced “prevalent” and “massive corruption” at the DPWH in a recorded televised address two weeks ago.

He also said no construction would begin without money changing hands.

Villar had already put in place several

From A1

navirus count by up to 90 percent, but also improved cell survival of patients with COVID-19. The findings were made after six months of initial trials.

Ateneo de Manila Science Professor Emeritus Dr. Fabian Dayrit, who is part of the team that pushed to study and test coconut’s efficacy against COVID-19 is upbeat about the initial results.

“This is one, but an important piece of the puzzle, in the fight against COVID-19,” said Dayrit.

Dayrit also conducted research trials using coconut oil as alternative treatment supplement for patients living with HIV in the late 90s and early 2000s.

GSIS offers P30k computer loan for work, classes THE Government Service Insurance System will launch the GSIS Computer Loan Program this month to assist GSIS members and their families in purchasing a computer unit for their online work or virtual classes of their children.

Under the new loan program, qualified members may borrow P30,000 to buy a desktop or laptop computer. Even members who have already purchased a computer before the program was launched may apply for the loan. They just need to declare to the GSIS coordinator in their office, called Agency Authorized Officer, the type of computer they purchased.

The payment term is three years with an interest rate of 6 percent per annum.

The amortization will be automatically deducted from the borrower’s salary.

“Alam nating lahat na marami sa GSIS members at mga anak nila na nag-aaral ang nangangailangan ng computer. Pwede ring gamitin ito para sa Wi-Fi expense ng miyembro. Halimbawa, kung bumili sila ng computer na nagkakahalaga ng P25,000, ‘yung sobrang P5,000 sa proceeds ay pwede nilang ng gamitin sa load o pambayad sa Wi-Fi expense. Wala pang isang libo ang monthly amortization kaya abotkaya ng marami.’’ GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said.

Diesel, kerosene prices rolled back, gasoline steady THE country’s oil firms rolled back the price of diesel by P0.25 per liter and kerosene by P0.15 per liter effective 6am Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

The oil firms did not move gasoline prices.

“Petron Corp. will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. on Oct. 27: P0.25/li for diesel; and P0.15/li for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron said in its media advisory.

Aside from Petron, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Seaoil Philippines Inc., PTT Philippines, Cleanfuel Group of Companies, Petro Gazz also cut pump prices.

A report by Bloomberg over the weekend revealed that oil prices declined amid additional output coming from Libya. Global oil demand has been severely dampened by the coronavirus pandemic. Alena Mae S. Flores

Año...

From A1

Speaking to Teleradyo, the Interior chief said Metro Manila mayors were also mulling further easing of business and travel to revive the pandemic-battered economy.

Meanwhile, the government is urging businesses to create staggered work shifts for their workers to comply with physical distancing measures as curfew hours were eased in Metro Manila to gradually reopen the economy amid the continuing threat of coronavirus 2019.

In Joint Advisory 20-01 dated October 22 the interior, labor, and trade departments said this was to allow more workers and buyers to contribute to the economy.

“As we gradually re-open the economy in increments mindful of the current hospital capacity threshold, local government units, where applicable, are enjoined to ease curfew hours, e.g. from 12 midnight up to 4:00 a.m. The curfew implementation shall be guided by the respective local ordinance," the joint document read.

In a related development, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, which serves as the quarantine enforcement arm of the coronavirus task force, announced it would be ordering more police on the streets of cities and towns as well as in business districts with the easing of quarantine restrictions.

Last week, Malacañang allowed motorcycle taxis to operate as the government sought to raise the capacity of the mass transport system.

Año said: “We’ve noticed our citizens are becoming cautious. Despite that more transport modes have resumed, they don’t go out as much.

“It’s because the threat persists since we haven’t flattened the curve. So anytime you can get infected.”

However, Año didn’t say if the strict lockdown will be imposed only for next month or until the end of the year.

News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A3

Recto urges more dash, body cams SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Monday called for “an accelerated program” to equip officers and patrol cars of the Philippine National Police with dashboards and body cameras.

“If food delivery guys wear them or have them on their bikes, why can’t our police officers and cars have them too?”

Recto said.

He said at the rate the PNP was buying bodycams, “it would take 100 years” to provide every policeman with one.

“Pero actually, ang kailangan lang sa ngayon ay 40,000 or even less, on the assumption that only one for every five policemen, or those who will go on patrol or operations, would be needing one. But at the current acquisition rate, 20 years pa rin ang aabutin,” Recto said.

He used as basis the much-delayed delivery of 2,600 bodycams to the PNP this year, the procurement of which began in 2017 during Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s term as PNP chief.

Recto praised Dela Rosa for championing the idea that these cameras be made police standard equipment. A bill that guides their use and funds their acquisition has cleared the Senate Committee on Public Order, which De La Rosa heads.

It was Recto and then Senator JV Ejercito who shepherded the inclusion of P5.6 billion in the 2017 national budget for police equipment modernization.

Recto said equipping police officers with body cams and dash cams “will save evidence needed to prosecute criminals.

Sabi nga nila, may resibo.

PH envoy recalled over maltreatment FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday ordered the recall of Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Marichu Mauro.

“The Philippine Ambassador to Brazil has been recalled effective immediately to explain the maltreatment of her service staff,” Locsin said in a Twitter post.

He made the statement after a viral video showed Mauro berating and mistreating her household help.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs said the household help left Brasilia on Oct. 21 and was back in the Philippines.

“The DFA is reaching out to her to ensure her well-being and cooperation in the investigation,” the agency said.

Foreign Affairs also assured the public that a thorough investigation of the issue would be conducted.

AVIGAN DONATION. Dr. Judith Zamudio (left) of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial hospital accepts eight boxes of Favipiravir (Avigan) and 24 boxes of Umifenovir (Arbidol Hydrochloride) Tablets from Japan via Fujifilm Japan’s only partner Hisun Pharmaceuticals China, which in turn nominated My Med Rx Plus Corporation as its exclusive Philippine distributor. The country recently received the anti-viral medicine Avigan, which will be part of a clinical trial in the Philippines over the drug’s potential for the treatment of COVID-19. Norman Cruz

Rody: ‘Keep quiet’ on red-tagging

By Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas

P

resident Rodrigo Duterte wants the police and military to “keep quiet” while doing their job after a general cautioned some female celebrities about their alleged association with some left-leaning organizations, Malacañang said Monday.

Duterte “has spoken through [Defense] Secretary Delfin Lorenzana when he warned police and military authorities to be very careful in red-tagging,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

Lorenzana earlier told government troops to “proceed with surveillance” on suspected communists and file charges if they found evidence, Roque told reporters.

“Secretary Lorenzana’s suggestion is, there is no need to publicize who the suspected communists are... That is the policy

that Secretary Lorenzana said,” he added.

This developed as the Supreme Court has been prodded to issue a temporary restraining order to enjoin the government from implementing the controversial Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which critics sought to be declared unconstitutional, after the AntiTerrorism Council approved its implementing rules and regulations.

In a motion filed on Monday, petitioner Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)

and its groups urged the SC justices to issue a TRO against the enforcement of the anti-terrorism law because of “a grave and immediate threat” to them following the adoption of the IRR. In the House of Representatives, the six-member Makabayan Bloc assailed the alleged “continued red tagging and surveillance” not just of its chairman, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, but the whole bloc as well.

In a statement, the progressive lawmakers said: “This intensified attack against the whole Makabayan Bloc is similar to the time of former President Gloria Arroyo when the AFP and the PNP filed trumped up charges against the Batasan 6, the case was eventually dismissed by the court.”

“They again tried to do this with the Makabayan 4 in 2018, but the court again

DENR, Justice, Customs hunting garbage exporter

IN BRIEF

By Rio N. Araja

De Lima thanks solons for pushing her release OPPOSITION Senator Leila de Lima on Monday thanked her fellow senators and the members of the committee demanding her freedom for renewing their calls to have her released from detention due to the lack of evidence implicating her in the illegal drug trade.

De Lima, who has been in jail for more than two years over the drug charges against her, expressed her appreciation for the separate statements by the Senate minority bloc and the members of the Committee for the Freedom of Leila M. de Lima demanding her freedom.

“It is clear since day one that the cases against me are bogus, invented and have no integrity altogether. Any charge of me being involved in the drug trade is an act of political persecution by a vindictive man,” De Lima said.

“I sincerely thank my colleagues from the minority bloc and allies and supporters from the Committee for the Freedom of Leila M. de Lima for recognizing these as they renewed their calls for my immediate release.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

‘Transmit anti-red tape bill to Palace ASAP’ AN official has called for the immediate transmittal to Malacañang of the bill granting President Rodrigo Duterte anti-red-tape powers during national emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic.

Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera, the bill’s co-author, says the bill will no longer have to go through a bicameral conference committee because the versions passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives are the same.

“Since the Senate and the House versions are identical, the bill may be sent directly to Malacañang for President Duterte’s signature,” Herrera said.

Like the Senate version, House Bill 7884 would empower the President to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses and certifications when a national emergency is declared in the country.

Voting 267-6 with no abstentions, the House approved HB 7884 on third and final reading on Oct. 16. Maricel V. Cruz

junked the trumped-up charges. It must be noted that the generals behind those fake charges during Arroyo’s time are almost the same ones behind these recent attacks,” the bloc said in a statement.

“When they saw that their made up cases, lying witnesses and traveling skeletons would not hold water, they pushed for the terror law, that they are now salivating to use against the opposition and critics of the anti-people policies of the Duterte administration,” they added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has junked the kidnapping and other charges filed against former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares and Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago and several others, in connection with the case filed by the parents of “missing student activist” Alicia Jasper Lucena.

TRASH HAUL. Bureau of Customs-Port of Subic District Collector Maritess Martin points to a shipment of garbage, which was foiled before exiting the Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. The shipment was intercepted through the combined efforts of the Port’s District Collector, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) and Assessment Division, with close coordination and collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The shipment arrived from the United States and was consigned to a certain Bataan 2020 Inc. and was declared as American old corrugated cartons for repulping.

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources is coordinating with the Bureau of Customs and the Justice department to file charges against the exporter and consignee of the illegal waste shipments from the United States that were recently intercepted at the Subic Bay Freeport.

On Oct. 22, Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns Benny Antiporda and Undersecretary for Special Concerns Edilberto Leonardo went to Subic to inspect the shipments.

The shipments consisting of 30 container vans arrived in Subic in mid-October under the name VIPA Inc. and were consigned to Bataan 2020 Inc. with a business address in Baesa, Quezon City.

The manifesto declared that the cargoes were “American old corrugated cartons for repulping.”

An examination of the initial five containers by Customs and the DENR revealed “prohibited materials which were illegally imported.”

Antiporda said the waste materials found in the container vans were a mix of plastic, paper and face masks, a violation of DENR Administrative Order 2013-22 or the Revised Procedures and Standards for the Management of Hazardous Wastes.

Mental health services for poor sought

By Maricel V. Cruz WITH the lockdowns and the economic woes that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 has caused, a first termer in the House of Representatives on Monday urged the government to make mental health services more accessible to the poor.

Assistant Majority Leader and Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles said “more Filipinos are afflicted by mental disorders due to the pandemic.”

The Special Initiative of the World Health Organization—Philippines, which was conducted in the early part of 2020, indicated that at least 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from one form of mental, neurological and substance-use disorder.

“Many of us are not okay and sadly, not everyone can afford mental health services. This is why the government must invest more in our people’s mental health,” Nograles said.

He said the Department of Health’s 2021 allocation for the National Mental Health Program was only P615 million, and expressed hope that the program would receive the P1 billion in additional

funding proposed by the members of Congress.

The House of Representatives on Friday last week passed on third and final reading the proposed ₱4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

“I hope there will be an increase in the budget for mental health. Our recovery from the pandemic depends on our people being of sound mind and body. We have to be healthy to face the challenges of recovery,” Nograles said.

He said additional funding could help address the barriers preventing the wider access to services.

While teleconsultations helped Filipinos overcome the constraints to face-to-face sessions, unreliable Internet connectivity, as well as the lack of information on where to seek help, had hampered the mental health response, Nograles said.

The country also has to contend with the lack of mental health personnel, with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III saying there was less than one mental health worker for every 100,000 Filipinos.

MODERN GEAR. Philippines National Police Chief, Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan leads the blessing and inspection of newly-procured equipment under its PNP P.A.T.R.O.L. Plan 2030 modernization program on Monday in Camp Crame, Quezon City. The equipment includes 7,700 units of Galil Ace 5.56mm Basic Assault Rifles, while 434 digital handheld radios will be given to the National Capital Regional Police Office.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

DAR to probe Cavite beneficiaries

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has started the validation of the status of 3,636 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Cavite to determine whether they are still the actual possessors and cultivators of the lands awarded to them.

Undersecretary for Special Concerns Office Carim Panumpang said Monday the DAR is pursuing the Certificate Of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) and Emancipation Patent (EP) validation process to determine the current situation on the ground that shall serve as the basis for any future programs.

“The task of land reform under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is to develop and improve the lands the farmers have received from the government. This validation seeks to find out the problems they are facing so that we could address them and provide them the proper support services they need,” he said.

The activity is being conducted in the municipalities of General Trias, Dasmarinas and Carmona from Oct. 18 to 30.

The DAR official said there have been reports of awarded lands that are no longer actually tilled, cultivated or occupied by the registered farmer-beneficiaries.

Under the law, beneficiaries under Presidential Decree No. 27 who have culpably sold, disposed of, or abandoned their land are disqualified to become beneficiaries under the CARP. Under Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, a CLOA beneficiary is prohibited to sell, transfer or convey the right to use or any usufructuary right over the land he acquired by virtue of being a beneficiary.

“Any beneficiary guilty of negligence or misuse of the land shall forfeit his right to continue as beneficiary,” Panumapang said.

By Willie Casas SOME 42 locally stranded individuals (LSIs), who were temporarily sheltered at the RASAC Covered Court in Sta. Cruz district have successfully returned to their respective provinces through the national government’s “Hatid Tulong” program, the Manila City Government said on Monday.

In a statement, the city government said it was made possible with help from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine National Red Cross and other agencies.

Each beneficiary was able to get P2,000 cash assistance from DSWD, while the Philippine National Red Cross facilitated their COVID-19 testing.

The Philippine Coast Guard then provided transport service from Manila to the following provinces: Zamboanga - 12 individuals; Basilan - 24 individuals; Davao - 2 individuals; Cotabato -2 individuals; Maguindanao -1 individual; Leyte - 1 individual.

Meanwhile, Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) Director Re Fugoso expressed her gratitude towards the aforementioned agencies.

“The entire MDSW thanks the national government for helping out LSIs here in Manila. This program will also help us decongest our rescue facilities and make them safer places to stay for the rest of our homeless and street dwellers,” said the MDSW Director.

In other developments in Manila: • Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Monday ordered the city engineering, social welfare and disaster risk reduction and management offices to be put on high alert as Typhoon Quinta brought moderate to heavy rains over the nation’s capital.

Domagoso ordered the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) and the Department of Public Services (DPS) to immediately declog sewers and clear garbage, particularly those in flood-prone areas.

IN BRIEF Explosives disposed in Tarlac gun range CAPAS, Tarlac—About 617 pieces of explosives seized in separate operations by the National Capital Region Police Office were detonated and disposed during bomb disposal operation at the Crow Valley Gunnery Range in this town Monday.

The items were mostly unexploded explosive ordnance (UXOs), either dud bombs and Remnants of War (ERW) and military ordnance under NCRPO custody since their recovery, said NCRPO Director Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas during an interview at the site over the weekend.

The explosive materials include explosive remnants of the Second World War, military encampment and abandoned cache of military ordnance, fired shells, artilleries and UXO, “which poses a great peril to the safety of the community,” Sinas said.

Part of the UXOs were kept in a makeshift storage area of operating units such as the District Explosive and Canine Unit (DECU) and Station Explosive and Canine Unit (SECU). This condition is highly prejudicial to the surrounding community and nearby areas, the NCRPO chief said.

Jess Malabanan

Juan S.P. Hidalgo Jr., 84 JUAN S.P. Hidalgo, Jr., award-winning Ilokano fictionist, essayist, poet, translator and editor died from old age complications on October 23 at their family residence in Tomana, Rosales, Pangasinan. He was 84.

Hidalgo, who in 1961 joined the weekly Ilokano language magazine Bannawag, circulated at home and in Ilokano communities overseas, as Literary Editor, retired after 37 years as Managing Editor in 1998.

Funeral arrangements have not been disclosed.

Credited by many writers as responsible for founding GUMIL Filipinas in 1968, the association of Ilokano writers here and abroad, Hidalgo left behind his wife Namnama (nee Prado), and their three daughters Ma. Bituen, Patricia Amor and Marie Sol. He served as GUMIL’s Secretary General from 1976 to 1982 and as either Director or Adviser in succeeding years.

Hidalgo is also credited for having guided, encouraged and trained young and old Ilokano writers to produce quality Ilokano literary works.

He was a regular lecturer or panelist of the GUMIL annual literary seminars, including the Pasnaan, the literary workshop for young Ilokano writers.

His awards included the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), the Gawad CCP Pambansang Alagad ng Sining sa Panitikan, and Pedro Bucaneg Awards for Ilokano Literature from GUMIL Filipinas.

Considered by his peers as a “prodigy in Ilokano literature,” Hidalgo published in 1969 the now classic Ilokano anthology, “Bituen ti Rosales ken Dadduma Pay a Sarita” (“Star of Rosales and Other Stories”), a collection of 20 selected short stories.

As editor and translator, he published anthologies of selected Ilokano short stories and translated a number of novels and short stories written in German or Japanese into Ilokano.

His work also appeared in various anthologies of fiction and poetry written in Ilokano and translated in Filipino, English, Bahasa-Indonesia and Niponggo.

Manila helps 42 LSIs get home to 6 provinces

‘Efficient’ construction of Bataan road hailed

QUINTA’S WRATH. (Clockwise from top) A family waits helplessly in a waiting shed as their legs are submerged in floodwaters in Oriental Mindoro after Typhoon Quinta hit the island on Monday. Elsewhere, a resident of Brgy. Old Moriones in Ocampo, Camarines Sur tries to salvage his house flattened by the storm; Fishermen in Muntinlupa City try to raise their boats to land to keep them from being damaged in Manila Bay; Children pic up plastic bottles and other waste materials floating on top of waterlilies to bring and sell at a junkshop in Rosario, Cavite; Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro surveys the height of flooding along the banks of the Marikina River; Rice stalks lay flat on a field in Albay province; A guard’s shed is stripped and blown onto the street in Occidental Mindoro; and heavy equipment try to clear a road in Cagayan province, one of 12 road sections still closed to traffic across Luzon. Erik de Castro for PonD News Asia, Norman Cruz, JR Josue, Bayan Patrollers via ABS-CBN/Twitter, and DPWH

ORANI, Bataan—Residents in the area and local newsmen alike described as “efficient” the ongoing construction of Mulawin-Tala Road in Orani town.

Department of Public Works and Highways First District Engineer Erlindo “Boying” Flores Jr. told newsmen the 3.332-kilometer-project started in February 2020 and has a target date to finish by April 10, 2021.

The district engineer said the project is 65 percent completed as of September 15 and noted the road may be finished earlier that the target date.

Local newsmen who took photos saw well-equipped and well-manned construction at the project site.

“Kumpleto sa equipment at yung tao sobra-sobra pa yata”, observed Jun Bringula of DWIZ, one of the newsmen who took photos.

Newsmen later learned the contractor of the project was Rocksteel Construction and Development Corporation. Butch Gunio

No ‘inspection teams’making rounds in Pasay PASAY City Mayor Imelda Rubiano on Monday warned owners and operators of commercial establishments against unscrupulous individuals conducting unauthorized inspections on behalf of the city government.

“I strongly advised business establishments to report individuals who conduct unauthorized inspections,” she said.

The city chief executive advised businessmen to immediately call the Office of the City Administrator at 8833-3734/88333738 to verify such inspection teams, and to seek the assistance of the Philippine National Police at 8831-7433/ 8831-7322.

Rubiano issued the statement after her office received complaints from business-

men that some individuals, purportedly representing the city government, have been “going around the city demanding for documents and insisting that they inspect establishments.”

“It has come to my attention that certain people have been representing city hall to check on their commercial or business areas. I have not authorized any such inspections unless they carry a mission order personally signed by me,” she said.

Rubiano said she had issued an Executive Order last January creating the Inspection and Compliance Report (ICR) Team to specifically conduct, assess, and inspect establishments in Pasay. Joel E. Zurbano

JOINING FORCES. As part of efforts to contain COVID-19, BDO Foundation has joined forces with Go Negosyo, hospitals, and local government units for the implementation of pooled RT-PCR testing in Makati City, Cebu City, and Mandaluyong City. Present at the virtual event were BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito; BDO Foundation trustees Evelyn Salagubang, Lazaro Jerome Guevarra and Ma. Corazon Mallillin; Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion; PCMC COVID-19 laboratory head Dr. Raymundo Lo; PSP president Dr. Roberto Padua Jr.; Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin as doctor and pooled testing consultant; and Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos, who lauded the initiative as a worthy undertaking.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

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TODAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pompeo in India to discuss China’s threats WHO reports 3rd U day of record new

S SECRETARY of State Mike Pompeo arrived in New Delhi on Monday, kicking off a four-country Asia tour that he has said will focus on the “threats” posed by China.

virus infections

SPAIN declared a national state of emergency Sunday to tackle a second coronavirus wave as the World Health Organization reported a third straight day of record new infections around the world.

France set a daily record of more than 50,000 Covid-19 cases, while Chinese officials began mass testing to cover 4.75 million residents in the far northwest after 137 new infections were discovered there.

In the United States, which has the world’s worst toll at around 225,000 deaths, challenger Joe Biden accused President Donald Trump’s administration of waving “the white flag of defeat” after his chief of staff Mark Meadows said: “We are not going to control the pandemic.”

The WHO has warned that some countries are on a “dangerous track”, with too many witnessing an exponential increase in cases, and called on authorities to take decisive action to curb the spread of the disease.

The UN agency’s figures showed that 465,319 cases were declared on Saturday alone, half of them in Europe, which it said was at an especially critical juncture with winter looming.

Covid-19 has now claimed the lives of 1.1 million people and infected more than 42 million globally.

WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for global solidarity in a future rollout of any vaccine, warning that “vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it.”

As the disease continued its relentless march across Europe, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the new state of emergency and overnight curfews across the entire country except for the Canary Islands.

Spain was the first EU member state to pass the bleak milestone of one million cases and has been joined since by northern neighbour France. AFP

SECOND WAVE. People wearing protective masks, sit inside a city bus in downtown Rome, on October 25, 2020, as the country faces a

second wave of infections to the Covid-19 (the novel coronavirus). Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte tightened nationwide coronavirus restrictions on October 25, 2020 after the country registered a record number of new cases, despite opposition from regional heads and street protests over curfews. Cinemas, theatres, gyms and swimming pools must all close under the new rules, which come into force on October 26, 2020 and run until November 24, while restaurants and bars will stop serving at 6 p.m., the prime minister’s office said. AFP

Early voting surpasses US 2016 pre-election ballots EARLY voting in the 2020 US -election has surpassed all the pre-election ballots from four years earlier, an independent vote monitor said Sunday, with nine days still to go before the November 3 poll.

Millions of Americans wary of crowded polling booths during the coronavirus pandemic and energized by an election fight that both President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden have framed as existential are smashing records for casting ballots, whether by mail or in person.

The tally by the independent US Election Project, run by the University of Florida, said that as of Sunday more than 59 million people had voted so far.

That is higher than the 57 million who voted early or by mail in 2016, according to the US Election Assistance Commis-

sion website.

So far, Democrats -- who have encouraged early voting -- have been leading the way, but whether that means Biden can breathe easy remains to be seen.

Trump for months has been claiming, without evidence, that mail-in ballots lead to fraud, and many Republicans are expected to vote on Election Day. With coronavirus cases spiking across the country, however, Michael McDonald -- a political science professor at the University of Florida who administers the Election Project -- warned that the strategy “looks all the more risky.”

“What if at least some of his voters decide not to vote? What if a polling place becomes unavailable or an election office shuts down?” he tweeted.

The Election Project has predicted that turnout this year could top 150 million in total. Some 137 million ballots were cast in the 2016 election.

Some states key to the 2020 outcome were also firmly on the path to breaking records, such as Texas, where the Election Project said Sunday that 80 percent of the early 2016 vote had already turned out.

“Folks, Texas still has in-person early voting until Friday, plus Election Day. No doubt Texas turnout will be above 2016.

Question is, how much?” McDonald tweeted.

The election in Texas, traditionally a conservative bastion which has backed Republican candidates since 1980, is under close scrutiny, with some polls showing Biden in a position to edge out Trump. AFP

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON AUDIT Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

RESOLUTION SUBJECT :

No.:2020-020 Date: MAR. 12, 2020 Adoption of the Commission on Audit (COA) Orders of Execution (COE) Management Information System (COEMIS), and Institutionalization of the COEMIS of Final and Executory Decisions at Different Adjudication Levels in COA.

WHEREAS, Section 2(1), Article IX-D of the 1987 Philippine Constitution vests in the Commission on Audit (COA) the power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the Government, or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters; WHEREAS, the COA has the power to promulgate its own rules concerning pleadings and practice before it or before any of its offices1; and in all matters, actions and proceedings originally acted upon by or appealed to it in the exercise of its quasi-judicial function2; WHEREAS, the COA has exclusive authority to promulgate accounting and auditing rules and regulations including those for the prevention and disallowance of irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable expenditures, or uses of government funds and properties3; WHEREAS, the COA prescribes the Rules and Regulations on Settlement of Accounts which cover all accounts audited, including settlement of liabilities by persons determined to be answerable for an audit disallowance, charge or decision as provided under the rules;

SUPPORT. Supporters cheer as US President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at The Villages

WHEREAS, the Commission on Audit (COA) Orders of Execution (COE) Management Information System (COEMIS) is a strategic plan initiative4 and joint undertaking of the Prosecution and Litigation Office (PLO), Legal Services Sector and the Information Technology Office (ITO), Systems and Technical Services Sector; and envisions a holistic program to: (i) establish an efficient and effective monitoring and reporting system of final and executory decisions at the different adjudication levels of the Commission; and (ii) improve the recovery and settlement of liabilities of persons liable for the suspensions, disallowances, and charges.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission Proper RESOLVES, as it does hereby RESOLVE, to adopt the COEMIS, and institutionalize the automated system of final and executory decisions at the different adjudication levels in the Commission.

RESOLVE FURTHER, that the PLO and the ITO shall initiate the issuance of the guidelines through a COA Memorandum pertaining to the installation, utilization, and data build-up of the COEMIS at the different adjudication levels, including the roles and responsibilities of the concerned officials and offices of the Commission beginning calendar year 2019.

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that PHILNEWRIVER POWER CORP. is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as Renewable Energy Developer of Hydropower Resources (3.7MW Malitbog Hydroelectric Power Project) in Barangay Omagling and Kiabo, Malitbog, Bukidnon to avail of the incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513).

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD) RACQUEL B. ECHAGUE OIC-Director Resource-based Industries Service (MS-OCT. 27, 2020)

This Resolution shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

N OTICE

Quezon City, Philippines, _______________.

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner Attested by:

1 2 3 4

Notice is hereby given that PHILNEWRIVER POWER CORP. is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as Renewable Energy Developer of Hydropower Resources (3.7MW Silo-o Hydroelectric Power Project) in Barangay San Luis and Siloo, Malitbog, Bukidnon to avail of the incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513).

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

NILDA B. PLARAS Director IV Commission Secretariat

Section 6, Article IX-A, 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Section 2, Rule I, 2009 Revised Rules of Procedure of the Commission on Audit (COA).

Section 2(2), Article IX-D, 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Goal B.3.a of the Revised COA Strategic Plan 2016-2022: Establish and implement a centralized and automated system of monitoring final and executory decisions on audit disallowances and charges from the level of the auditor, of the director, of the Commission Proper and of the Supreme Court.

(MS-OCT. 27, 2020

IN BRIEF Iraqi protesters clash with security forces DOZENS of Iraqi protesters again clashed with security forces in Baghdad Monday, a day after a rally marked the first anniversary of the start of nationwide mass antigovernment demonstrations.

Police fired stun grenades and tear gas at protesters who were burning tyres and hurling rocks on the strategic Al-Jumhuriyah bridge across the Tigris River leading to the highly-fortified Green Zone, an AFP photographer reported.

The bridge, barricaded by towering concrete walls, separates the Green Zone from Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the old and new demonstrations.

The highly-secure Green Zone, where government offices, parliament and the US embassy are located, is off-limits to ordinary Iraqi citizens.

In a repeat of last year’s demonstrations, rallies were also held in Shiite Muslim-dominated southern towns and cities.

Overnight in the shrine city of Karbala, which was a hub of demonstrations last year, protesters skirmished with riot police who eventually fired live bullets into the air to disperse them. AFP

Polo Club in The Villages, Florida on October 23, 2020. AFP

WHEREAS, the COA sees the need to provide a more efficient and systematic enforcement and monitoring of final and executory decisions at the different adjudication levels of the Commission to ensure that audit disallowances, charges, and decisions are settled or restituted promptly; WHEREAS, COA Memorandum No. 2018-003 dated March 3, 2018 provides the manual system of enforcement, monitoring, and reporting of final and executory decisions at the different adjudication levels of the Commission; and the database towards the automation of the system; and

Joined by Defense Secretary Mark Esper for the two-day visit, Pompeo will hold top-level talks following a spike in tensions between India and China since a deadly border clash in June.

India has sought US cold weather equipment as the showdown goes into the freezing Himalayan winter and officials said this could be raised when Pompeo and Esper meet India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

The world’s two biggest democracies are expected to sign an agreement on sharing geo-spatial intelligence, paving the way for the United States to ship sophisticated missile technology, officials said.

Esper will also be discussing ways to increase cooperation between the two countries’ military forces.

This could include intelligence sharing, stepping up joint exercises, and arms sales -- including possibly US F-18 fighter jets.

Pompeo will go on from India to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia, all of which have a key role in Indian Ocean maritime traffic where China has cast a greater shadow.

The secretary of state said ahead of the trip that his meetings would “include discussions on how free nations can work together to thwart threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party”. AFP

(SGD) RACQUEL B. ECHAGUE OIC-Director Resource-based Industries Service (MS-OCT. 27, 2020)

China to sanction US firms over Taiwan arms sales CHINA on Monday said it will impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, a Boeing division and other US firms involved in arm sales to Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing views as its territory.

The two US giants were involved in a recent sale of $1 billion worth of missiles to Taiwan, alongside Raytheon. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged the US “to stop arms sales” to the island.

The status of Taiwan holds potential for conflict between the United States and China, in a wider struggle for technology, security and trade supremacy.

The US State Department said last week it had approved the sale of 135 air-to-ground missiles in a move Taiwan’s defence ministry said would build its combat capabilities.

Also approved was the sale of six MS-110 air reconnaissance pods and 11 M142 mobile light rocket launchers, taking the value of the three arms packages to $1.8 billion.

Beijing insists the self-ruled island is part of its territory and has vowed to respond with force if Taipei ever formally moves towards declaring independence.

Zhao said the sanctions were “to safeguard national interests” and would apply to those who have “behaved badly in the process of arms sales to Taiwan”.

“We will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and security interests,” said Zhao, without giving further details. AFP

Japan PM seeks ‘carbon neutrality’ by 2050 JAPAN’S Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday set a 2050 deadline for the world’s third-largest economy to become carbon neutral, significantly firming up the country’s climate change commitments.

Delivering his first policy address since taking office, Suga placed the environment front and centre as Japan plays catch-up with climate pledges made by other major economies.

“We will bring the total amount of greenhouse gas (emitted by Japan) to net zero by 2050, meaning carbon neutral,” Suga told parliament.

“I declare we will aim to realise a decarbonised society,” he added, to applause from Diet members.

Tokyo had previously only aimed to achieve carbon neutrality some time in the latter half of the century, a goal that critics called vague.

But the new target was praised by activists and experts, and puts Japan on the same timeline as Europe and Britain and a decade ahead of China, which last month set a 2060 goal.

Suga did not give precise details on how Japan, a country still heavily reliant on coal, will meet the deadline but said technology would be essential.

“The key is innovation,” he said, citing examples including next-generation solar batteries.

He added that Japan would also push the use of renewable energy and nuclear power, stressing that safety would be a priority—a key point in a country that suffered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. AFP

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Business South Korean magnates pay tribute to late Samsung chief SEOUL―South Korea’s billionaire business leaders lined up Monday to pay respects to the late Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee, for decades the country’s richest and most powerful industrialist.

Lee died aged 78 on Sunday, six years after suffering a heart attack that had left him bedridden.

Under his leadership, Samsung became the world’s largest producer of smartphones and memory chips, and the firm’s overall turnover today is equivalent to a fifth of South Korea’s GDP. It is by far the largest of the chaebols, the sprawling family-controlled conglomerates that dominate business in the country.

Attendance at Lee’s mourning ritual―which runs until Wednesday― will be kept low because of the coronavirus pandemic, Samsung said.

But a series of top politicians and tycoons arrived at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul to pay tribute to Lee on Monday, including Hyundai Motor Group chief Chung Eui-sun and Korean Air chairman Cho Wontae.

“It’s very sad that a great man has passed away,” Chung told reporters, praising Lee’s leadership “across entire fields of the country’s business community.”

The Hyundai group, founded by Chung’s grandfather, is South Korea’s second-biggest chaebol.

Ruling Democratic Party chairman and former prime minister Lee Nakyon also praised the late Samsung chief for his “superb innovation that is unimaginable to an average man.”

“I want to thank him for elevating the country’s status and pride,” he said.

Other attendees included the US and Chinese ambassadors, whose countries are at loggerheads over trade and other issues.

The chaebols drove South Korea’s transformation from war-ravaged ruin to the world’s 12th-largest economy, but have long been accused of murky political ties and stifling competition.

Lee Kun-hee himself was twice convicted of criminal offenses, in one case for bribing a president, though he was later pardoned.

His son and heir Lee Jae-yong is currently being retried on corruption and other offenses linked to the scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye. he also faces a separate fraud case over company deals said to be linked to his succession. AFP

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TUESday, OCTOBER 27, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market up slightly; Converge falls T hE stock market rose slightly Monday, with gains capped by mild profit taking on select issues that rallied last week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 7.13 points, or 0.1 percent, to 6,491.19, its sixth consecutive gain, on a value turnover of P31.1 billion. Losers, however, edged gainers, 107 to 102, with 44 issues unchanged.

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc., a fiber internet service provider, sank 9.4 percent to P15.22 on its market debut from an initial public offering price of P16.80.

Megawide Construction Corp. climbed 3.8 percent to P7.84, while Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co advanced 2.9 percent to P43.75.

Dito CME Holdings Corp., the third

major mobile phone company, rose 3 percent to P6.81.

The rest of Asian markets mostly fell Monday with traders increasingly pessimistic that US lawmakers will pass a new stimulus package before next week’s election, while spiking virus cases fanned worries about the economic impact of new containment measures.

Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Mumbai, Seoul and Singapore all fell, though there were gains in Taipei and Jakarta.

Hong Kong was closed for a holiday.

Despite months of arduous talks in Washington, there appears to be little chance Republicans and Democrats will hammer out a rescue deal to help hardstrapped Americans, with both sides blaming each other for the impasse.

Analysts said investors had essentially given up hope of an agreement being made any time soon, and were now betting on Joe Biden and a Democratic sweep of Congress that would open the

way for an even bigger spending package in the new year.

“There is very limited incentive on both sides to get a deal done,” Joseph Shaposhnik, a portfolio manager at TCW, told Bloomberg TV. “The market has baked that in, has baked in the election and is looking out six months and thinking what are the odds life begins to normalise, a vaccine is introduced.”

Adding to the negative sentiment is a surge of coronavirus cases across the United States and Europe, with the World Health Organization on Sunday reporting a third straight day of record new infections globally.

The virus has now claimed the lives of 1.1 million people and infected more than 42 million around the world.

The new wave has already forced governments in several countries including Britain, Germany and France to reimpose tough restrictions to prevent the disease from spreading. With AFP

Korean Air chairman Cho Won-tae (front, left photo) arrives at a funeral hall to attend a mourning ritual for the late Samsung Electronics chairman Lee KunHee at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul on October 26, 2020. Right photo shows Hyundai Motor Group chief Chung Eui-sun (front) at a funeral hall also to attend the mourning ritual.

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Dubai introduces facial recognition on public transport DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Dubai is introducing a facial recognition system on public transport to beef up security, officials said Sunday, as the emirate prepares to host the global Expo exhibition.

“This technology has proven its effectiveness to identify suspicious and wanted people,” said Obaid al-Hathboor, director of Dubai’s Transport Security Department.

The emirate already operates a biometric system using facial recognition at its international airport.

Dubai, which sees itself as a leading “smart city” in the Middle East, has ambitions to become a hub for technology and artificial intelligence.

Both sectors will be on show when it opens the multi-billion-dollar Expo fair.

“We aspire to raise our performance by building on our current capabilities, to ensure a high level of security in metro stations and other transport sectors,” said Hathboor.

Earlier this week, under the watch of Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the city’s police used facial recognition in a simulated scenario to identify gunmen launching an attack on a metro station.

A special police unit, trained in the United States, helped

“evacuate” commuters from the station in the mock attack, before working in tandem with a control center to apprehend the suspects.

Members of the special unit will be sent to major metro stations during Expo 2020.

The six-month event was delayed by one year due to coronavirus, and is now set to open in October 2021.

It was expected to attract 15 million visitors before the global economy and transport systems were disrupted by the pandemic.

Jamal Rashed, of Dubai Police’s Transport Security Department, said the facial recognition technology will be rolled out in the coming months in all metro stations.

Other technology already in use to combat the spread of the coronavirus, such as helmets with thermal cameras and smart glasses, will also be used to identify and manage large crowds.

“It took at least five hours to identify a suspect before,” said Rashed. “With this technology, it takes less than a minute.”

But while the technology to identify individuals has simplified lives, such as being used for unlocking phones, it has also raised concerns over privacy. AFP

Abundant melon harvest sweetens Uzbekistan’s pandemic woes

By Shukhrat Khurramov VAZIR, Uzbekistan—In the giant shed of Uzbek farmer Sanat Kalandarov, a bountiful melon harvest hangs suspended from wooden beams, promising profits through a difficult winter ahead.

Kalandarov is practicing a type of storage that is centuries-old–-the shed has been in his own family for three generations–-and he is dismissive of younger farmers who are turning to refrigerators.

“Melons need fresh air to breathe,” 35-year-old Kalandarov said, indicating narrow slits for ventilation in the shed walls, which are thick enough to shield the fruits from the cold of winter and the early spring heat.

“When the days are frosty, we insulate the room. Plus, this method requires no electricity. It is very economical.”

These thick-skinned varieties of Uzbekistan’s favorite fruit–-some shaped like torpedoes, others more spherical–-are planted in May, two months after the melons that ripen in summer.

They are then stored and sold during the winter, when their value can grow 15-fold on the domestic market and even more abroad.

This year, the melon growing season has been especially good, and it is just as well.

The coronavirus pandemic hit Uzbekistan hard, just when it was on an economic upswing.

Remittances sent by migrants working abroad fell by half, accord-

PSEi October 26, 2020

A woman and a girl prepare melons to be hanged for storage in an adobe shed in the village of Vazir in the northwest of Uzbekistan on September 26, 2020. AFP

ing to a report by the United Nations Development Program published in July, straining hundreds of thousands of family budgets that depended on them.

Strict lockdowns triggered massive layoffs around the landlocked country of 33 million, with small businesses especially affected.

Kalandarov, by contrast, has been able to hire 12 people who would have otherwise been unemployed from his village of Vazir in the arid northwest of the country.

He is also planning to send his first batch of melons for export to neighboring Kazakhstan by the end of October.

“With Covid-19 and all the unemployment (it has caused), these winter melons are a lifeline,” he told AFP, not-

ing that he had 50 tons of the crop to sell in the off season.

Melon country According to the ministry of agriculture, an average of 700,000 tons of melons are grown annually in Uzbekistan on 35,000 hectares of land.

Shohruh Tolibov, an expert from the ministry, said that exports represent less than 10 percent of that total-–some of the sweetest varieties do not travel well.

But they will more than double this year and have grown five-fold over the last three years.

Such growth has been triggered by the agricultural reforms of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who broke up monopoly interests that dominated the export of fruit and vegetables and allowed

smallholders the chance to determine their own clients.

Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and Ukraine are the top destinations for Uzbek melons, Tolibov told AFP. This month, the locally-based Jahon Exim Group claimed it had overseen the first exports of Uzbek melons to Britain.

“We hope that Uzbek melons, known for their taste and health benefits, will be appreciated by local consumers,” said the company’s director Jahongir Giyasov in comments to local media.

Uzbekistan grows more than 50 types of melons.

Khorezm, a region in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya river that benefits from temperate winters, grows at least 12 and they all share a common characteristic–-deliciousness.

While other crops fail in this area, “melons grow sweeter on saline land,” said Kalandarov, whose employees feasted hungrily on some of his produce, slicing up the green-skinned bounty like sticky birthday cakes at the end of a long, warm, autumn day.

Kalandarov grew up on the melon fields, and has been growing his own fruit since he was a teenager.

But he is no longer satisfied with this work alone. Instead, his dream is the same as the avowed policy of the national government—to move from selling raw produce to products with value added.

“I have a business plan. I want to create new products—melon jam, melon conserve, dried melon. There is a big demand for these products on foreign markets,” he told AFP. AFP

Brexit negotiations no closer to a trade deal, claim insiders BRUSSELS, Belgium—Britain and the European Union are still a long way from a post-Brexit trade deal, several European sources told AFP Sunday, as both sides prepared to resume talks this week.

“The negotiations are progressing, but we are still a long way off,” said one senior European official.

Talks are to continue in London until Wednesday, then in Brussels from Thursday, said another source.

But time is fast running out.

France’s Europe Minister Clement Beaune said last week that the EU wanted to wrap up the discussions by October 31 to leave enough time for parliamentary ratification across the bloc’s 27 member states.

“We’ll give it a few days more (into November) to give a chance for the negotiations, but we need to know fairly quickly,” he told the BFM Business network on Thursday.

Talks resumed last week after Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked back from the mid-October deadline he tried to impose to get the deal done.

But neither side has budged on the issues that still divide them, such as “level playing field” provisions to ensure Britain does not try to retreat from the EU’s environmental or labor standards, state subsidies and how to arbitrate future differences.

They also need to resolve the question of access to British fishing waters

by EU vessels.

Brussels is prepared to offer London a zero-tariffs, zero-quotas deal for access to the EU market, better than the deal offered Canada—but only if Britain is prepared to accept EU standards and regulations.

British minister Brandon Lewis remained upbeat in comments to Sky News on Sunday.

“I hope and I think there are good chances we can get a deal,” he said.

“But the EU needs to understand it’s them to move as well so that we get a deal that works for the UK, a proper FTA that recognizes us the UK a sovereign nation.” AFP

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

B4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020

IN BRIEF UnionBank’s profit climbed 11% in Q3 UNION Bank of the Philippines, the eighthlargest lender in terms of assets, said Monday net income in the third quarter grew 11 percent to P4.2 billion from a year ago, driven by higher recurring income.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net interest income increased by 27 percent in the third quarter to P7.6 billion from P5.9 billion in the same period last year on significant margin improvement, while fee income increased by 18 percent to P621.7 million on account of higher service charges.

Net income in the first nine months, however, declined slightly by 0.9 percent to P8.5 billion, on higher provision for loan losses set aside this year.

The earnings performance translated into a return on equity of 11.6 percent.

“Revenues for the nine-month period grew by 33 percent year-on-year to P31.8 billion as net interest income expanded by 36 percent to P21.4 billion from the continued growth of earning assets and higher margins versus the same period last year; and non-interest income rose 26 percent to P10.4 billion due to higher trading gains,” it said. Julito G. Rada

Emperador books P5.9b in earnings

Business

PXP Energy keen on Shell’s stake in Malampaya project

By Alena Mae S. Flores

P

XP Energy Corp., an oil and gas exploration company led by businessman Manuel Pangilinan, plans to bid for the 45-percent stake of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. in the $4.5-billion Malampaya gas-to-power project in northwest Palawan.

“We are looking at it. We’ve been talking to JP Morgan who has been advising Shell on the sale of their stake in Malampaya,” Pangilinan, chairman of PXP Energy, said in a virtual briefing Monday.

Spex announced last month a plan to sell its 45-percent stake in Service Contract 38, or the Malampaya gas project.

Udenna Corp. and state-run PNOC Exploration Corp. owns 45 percent and 10 percent of SC 38, respectively.

Udenna expressed intention to exercise

preemptive rights and acquire the stake of Spex.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan said PXP Energy was preparing the work program for SC 72 (Recto Bank) following the government’s decision to lift the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea. PXP Energy received last week the “resume-to-work” notice from the Department of Energy in relation to SC 72 in northwest Palawan, while PXP’s subsidiary Forum Energy Ltd. also re-

ceived a notice for its operating interest in SC 75.

“I think in the next few weeks, we will be able to finish our work program which we will submit to DOE for approval,” Pangilinan said.

He, however, expressed concern over the actions of China once PXP Energy proceeded with the work program.

Pangilinan said they might have to look at the work program in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by the Philippines and China in November 2018.

“We do have to speak to CNOOC [China National Offshore Corp.] and our government to the Chinese government,” he said.

“The question is what will China do?

What will CNOOC do? Can we just send our oil rig without their permission or cooperation? That’s something we don’t know yet,” Pangilinan said.

LIQUOR producer Emperador Inc. said Monday net income in the first nine months rose 11 percent to P5.9 billion from a year ago on higher international sales.

Emperador said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the positive performance was fueled by strong international sales of brandy and whisky in various markets.

The company which owns Emperador Brandy and Fundador Spanish Brandy de Jerez, said it registered a 26-percent record growth in earnings to P2.5 billion in the third quarter, as overseas demand for its products surged amid the global pandemic.

“The success of our international expansion boosted company earnings, bringing stability and growth at a time when the Philippines wrestles with the impact of the coronavirus. Emeperador’s global business saw double-digit growth as it adapted well with the new consumption trends,” Emperador president Winston Co said.

The liquor firm said Fundador, Tres Cepas and Emperador brands grew consistently, especiallyin the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Greater China. Jenniffer B. Austria

MSMEs join call to boost economy EMPLOYERS may be perceived as responsible for ensuring job security for their employees, but the continued employment of the labor force is also ultimately buoyed by the consumer spending culture that has sustained the Philippine economy for decades before the pandemic.

This was disclosed by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion in support for the private sector’s call for the increased participation of consumers to reactivate the Philippine economy.

Micro-entrepreneurs and small business owners are finding renewed confidence over the improvement of the country’s economy following the relaxation of the strict quarantine. This is reflected also in the Department of Labor and Employment estimate that the unemployment rate is easing from 17.7 percent at the start of the lockdown to 10 percent by the end of the year.

Concepcion, however, pointed out that everyone has to pitch in to safely boost the recovery further.

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. founder and chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy (left) is joined by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III (center) and Philippine Stock Exchange president and chief executive Ramon Monzon in the ceremonial bell ringing that marks the fixed broadband service provider’s official initial public offering. Converge and shareholders raise about P29.1 billion ($600 million) in the largest IPO in the Philippines in peso terms.

Converge’s IPO raises P29.1b but share price sinks 9.4% THE share price of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. fell 9.4 percent in its market debut at the Philippine Stock Exchange Monday, after raising P29.1 billion in proceeds from the initial public offering to fund the rollout of its fixed broadband until 2025.

Converge ICT’s stock closed at P15.22, down from the IPO price of P16.80.

Converge ICT founder and chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy said in a virtual press briefing the company decided to push through with the IPO despite the pandemic because it would provide funds to support the company’s growth trajectory and capture a substan-

tial market share.

“We celebrate our successful IPO today as a significant milestone for the company and as evidence of our strong operational and technological capabilities. We are fully committed to building the largest fiber broadband network in the Philippines and to providing affordable and reliable high-speed internet connectivity to millions of Filipinos nationwide. Our extensive, proprietary end-to-end fiber broadband network will enable us to support the digitalization of the Philippine economy,” Uy said.

Uy said the low broadband internet penetration rate and the strong demand

P23.8-b worth of provisions pared BDO’s 9-month income to P16.6b

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest bank controlled by the Sy family, said Monday net income in the first nine months declined 48 percent to P16.6 billion from P32.1 billion a year ago because of the upfront provisions amounting to P23.8 billion in anticipation of potential delinquencies amid the pandemic.

“The bank recognizes that the pandemic difficulties still lie ahead. The delinquency problem on loans have not yet peaked, interest rate caps on credit cards will be instituted soon and there are added costs in doing business as a result of necessary precautions inherent in the bank’s operations,” the bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday.

“All of these and more are seen to put pressure on the bank’s earnings,” it said.

Outstanding loans increased 6 percent to P2.2 trillion as of end-September, driven by corporate and consumer accounts. The bank said it remained supportive of borrowing clients, ensuring continued access to their credit facilities to help them manage their funding requirements during these challenging times, notwithstanding loan payment deferments under Bayanihan 1 and 2.

Asset quality remained stable, with gross non-performing loans ratio at 1.97 percent. Meanwhile, the NPL cover settled at 138 percent.

Total provisions in the first nine months amounted to P23.8 billion, inclusive of the pre-emptive provisions in the second quarter 2020.

Total deposits grew to P2.6 trillion, on the faster growth in current account/ savings account (CASA) deposits, with almost all of the bank’s branches operational since the second quarter.

CASA ratio climbed to a new high of 79 percent. Net interest income went up by 13 percent year-on-year to P99.8 billion.

Non-interest income settled at P36.8 billion, led by fee-based income and insurance premiums with P20.2 billion and P10.9 billion, respectively.

“Wealth management remained resilient with trust volume and fees sustaining steady growth despite soft market conditions. However, some of the bank’s businesses, specifically those that rely on face-to-face interaction, are still gradually rebuilding their volumes,” it said.

Operating expenses declined by 3 percent to P83.6 billion on lower volume-related expenses.

The bank’s balance sheet remained solid with a capital base of P378.6 billion. Capital adequacy ratio and common equity tier 1 ratio were at 14.3 percent and 13.2 percent, respectively, both above regulatory minimum.

“BDO believes that its strong business franchise and robust balance sheet place the bank in a good position to leverage on a post-pandemic economic recovery,” it said.

for faster internet connection in the country during the pandemic offer good opportunities for the company to further accelerate its business.

Converge ICT co-founder and president Grace Uy said the sector had reached an inflection point with fiber broadband penetration set to at least triple in five years.

“We are uniquely positioned to continue capturing a lion’s share of this market given our pure play focus, extensive network and differentiated offering—these advantages cannot be replicated,” Grace Uy said.

Jenniffer B. Austria, Julito G. Rada

WATER LABORATORY.

Manila Water Laboratory Services is recognized as a ‘laboratory of excellence’

by Waters ERA after receiving satisfactory rating in eleven testing parameters, compared to over 300 laboratories around the globe. MWLS is also accredited to ISO 17025:2017 standards on quality management system for testing and calibration laboratories and certified by the Department of Health to Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. It is also recognized by the Department of Natural Resources as an environmental laboratory.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, October 26, 2020 7.13 PTS. 6,491.19

TOTAL VOLUME

2,720,604,199

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE

169,184 31,092,537,177.02

ADVANCES

102

DECLINES UNCHANGED

107 44

Foreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.5870

Japan

Yen

0.009553

0.4642

UK

Pound

1.305300

63.4206

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129041

6.2697

Switzerland

Franc

1.105339

53.7051

Canada

Dollar

0.761267

36.9877

Singapore

Dollar

0.736594

35.7889

Australia

Dollar

0.713300

34.6571

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655196

129.0080

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.9562

Brunei

Dollar

0.733891

35.6576

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0033

Thailand

Baht

0.031980

1.5538

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2289

Euro

Euro

1.186000

57.6242

Korea

Won

0.000887

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.149557

7.2665

India

Rupee

0.013543

0.6580

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240674

11.6936

New Zealand

Dollar

0.668900

32.4998

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034947

1.6980 Source: BSP

SM Prime’s profit fell 48% to P14.4 b in 1st 9 months

By Jenniffer B. Austria PROPERTY developer and shopping mall operator SM Prime Holdings Inc. said Monday net income dropped 48 percent in the first nine months to P14.4 billion from a year ago, even as the company reported a slight recovery from the impact of the pandemic in the third quarter.

SM Prime said nine-month consolidated sales reached P60.7 billion, down 29 percent from P85 billion in the same period last year.

“SM Prime’s core businesses, primarily its malls, showed slight recovery as the government started to reopen more industries to help the economy going in to the second half of the year. We have also implemented tighter controls on our expenses achieving a major reduction in operating expenses quarter on quarter,” SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

“Nevertheless, we continue to provide further assistance to our various stakeholders as well as to the programs led by the government in containing the spread of the virus and strengthening back our economy,” Lim said.

The company said the mall business posted sales of P18.3 billion in the nine-month period, down 57 percent from P42 billion a year earlier.

The group’s residential business under SM Development Corp. booked a 7-percent increase in ninemonth revenues to P34.2 billion from P31.9 billion in the same period last year as operating income increased 13 percent to P14.1 billion from P12.5 billion.

SMDC’s reservation sales reached P66.7 billion in the first three quarters, slightly up from last year’s P66.4 billion.

SM Prime said that with the resumption of construction of new and expanding projects, it was expecting to add more units in its inventory while continuously offering readyfor-occupancy units of 1,650 units, down from 2,292 units a year ago.

Meanwhile, the company’s commercial property business booked P3.7 billion in revenues in the first three quarters. The group’s hotel and convention center business registered P1.3 billion in revenues as it started to cater to wider market with the easing of quarantine measures in key areas in the Philippines.

“As we work together to bounce back from these challenges, SM Prime will stay committed to finding solutions to serve the ever-changing needs and aspirations of its customers, while providing growth to all our stakeholders and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for everyone,” Lim said.

Meralco’s core earnings declined 15% to P15.7b in three quarters POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said Monday it posted a core net income of P15.7 billion in the first three quarters, down 15 percent from P18.5 billion in the same period last year, as energy sales declined 7 percent.

The company said consolidated net income reached P11.3 billion in the nine-month period, down from P18.3 billion a year ago, following the recognition of Meralco’s share in the impairment of investment in PacificLight Power Pte Ltd. of P2.7 billion in the first quarter.

“This pandemic has brought about unexpected and radical change in ev-

eryday life, giving rise to complex challenges as well as new opportunities.

Amidst all the challenges, we can play a meaningful role in the lives of our customers and in helping the country get back on the road to recovery,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan said Meralco would continue to provide the most reliable and resilient network to ensure that the entire franchise is enabled for the economic upturn.

“Today, we estimate that we need to execute close to P50 billion of capital expenditures for our distribution business and generation investments. We look at this as an opportunity to cre-

ate jobs, propel business activities and stimulate consumption,” he said.

Pangilinan said Meralco was on the lookout for ways to limit the adverse impact of the pandemic while remaining steadfast in commitment to keeping the lights on to 7 million customers.

“We firmly believe that there is opportunity in every crisis and, are hopeful that we will emerge stronger than ever.

We are confident that we will surpass the P21 billion consolidated core net income guidance for 2020 provided in the first half of this year and be able to meet our committed return to shareholders,” said Pangilinan. Alena Mae S. Flores

Schools hesitant to undergo face-to-face training THE guidelines paving the way for student-athletes to train physically at the collegiate level are out.

But universities and colleges remain hesitant to undergo face-to-face training activities.

Officials of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association expressed their apprehension after proposed rules and regulations were finally crafted by a technical working group formed by the Commission on Higher Education.

For now, virtual training for student-athletes in the NCAA will do, according to Dr. Hercules Callanta, sports director of Lyceum Philippines University in a virtual Zoom meet with officials of the CHED. “We are encouraging our schools to start their training, if they are able to confirm the requirements to the school,” said Callanta.

On the other hand, some member schools in the UAAP are also into virtual training sessions, still hesitant to go into isolated training sessions and will need to review the documentary requirements.

UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag said this after getting a look at the proposals that have been forwarded to the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases.

“Hindi porke pinayagan kami ay sasali kami. And some schools are having reservations,” said Saguisag.

Also present during the online meeting were Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez, Games and Amusement Board chairman Abraham Mitra and CHED executive director and Technical Working Group head Cindy Jaro, with National Training Director Marc Velasco of the PSC. Under the proposal submitted by the TWG, activities must be done within three weeks of approval from the IATF and should take place under a bubble, limited to just 14 days. An age restriction of 15 years old and above is also set for the “bubble” training, to be organized by each member school.

The isolated facilities where the “bubble” will be put up can be inside the schools’ respective campuses if their location is under General Community Quarantine or Modified General Community Quarantine.

For a bubble to be put up, each varsity team, not just the school, is required to first submit a Collegiate Training Activities’ Certificate of Compliance, with the recommendations of both the school’s athletic director and school president. Peter Atencio

Sports

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

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020

C1

Bianca Pagdanganan tees off of the sixth hole during the final round of the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee on October 25, 2020 in Greensboro, Georgia. AFP

Pagdanganan continues rd rise in LPGA, finishes 3

W

ASHINGTON —Rookie Filipino Bianca Pagdanganan continued making waves in the LPGA with a third-place finish in the Drive On Championship, just two shots behind American Ally McDonald, who celebrated her 28th birthday Sunday by winning her first LPGA title.

The 22-year-old Pagdanganan, the world number 233 and LPGA driving distance leader in only her sixth professional start, shot 70 to finish third on 274. She still won $83,557 or P4,027,447.4.

Pagdanganan, an Asian Games champion, began making heads turn at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on October 11 when she ended up tied for 9th.

The world number 62 McDonald fired a final-round three-under par 69 to finish 72 holes at Reynolds Lake Oconee on 16-under 272 for an extraspecial birthday gift, capturing the title by one stroke over fellow American Danielle Kang.

She finished her final round bogeyless, but her flawless outing—capped by back-to-back birdies on the par-3 17th and par-5 18th— just couldn’t push her over the top.

American Mina Harigae and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda shared fourth on 275.

“It’s definitely towards the top that’s for sure,” McDonald said.

McDonald’s best prior LPGA finish was third at last year’s Shoprite Classic.

“I’ve never doubted my ability but it’s really hard to win out here,” said McDonald, her voice breaking with emotion. “I hung in there and I was really happy to get a win.”

Fifth-ranked Kang trimmed her lead from four strokes to a single shot on the back nine but settled for second after shooting 68 to finish on 273.

“It shook me up pretty bad,” McDon-

ald said. “I had to gather myself up and get my heart rate under control.

“I knew Danielle was going to put the pedal to the metal. I told myself to calm down and do what I’ve been doing, follow my game plan and control what I can.

“I was happy to hang in there and pull it out—just the resilience I have.”

Kang originally was to have been seeking a third consecutive LPGA crown in Shanghai this week befire Covid-19 wiped out the event, leading to the creation of this week’s tournament.

McDonald birdied the par-3 fourth and made the turn with a two-stroke lead over Pagdanganan and Kang.

She then sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the 10th to launch a run of three consecutive birdies that left her on 17-under with a four-stroke edge.

Kang rolled in a 10-footer for birdie at the par-4 13th while McDonald missed a five-footer for par, her lead halved with five holes remaining.

Kang curled in a tricky downhill 12foot birdie putt at the par-3 14th, reaching 15-under to pull within one with her third birdie in four holes. AFP

Lee’s mental toughness cited

By Peter Atencio THE leadership of a veteran player like Paul Lee is valuable for the Magnolia Hotshots.

Lee may not have scored much, but his inside presence is still appreciated as the Hotshots went on to deal the Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings their first loss the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup, 102-92.

“On Paul Lee, it’s all about mental toughness. Ito ang mataas sa kanya. He is our leader. Even if he does not score in double digits, okay kami. Basta, ang leadership niya ay nandoon,” said coach Chito Victolero after the Hotshots’ encounter at the Angeles University Foundation Arena in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Lee finished with 15 markers, including a long triple against Scottie Thompson to give the Hotshots a 10-point spread, 10, 99-89,

with 58 ticks left in the fourth.

Jackson Corpuz led the team in scoring with 20 points, while Mark Barroca added 15 points and Ian Sangalang submitted 14 markers and 8 caroms.

Victolero said the veterans responded well when he discussed their situation coming into the game.

“I challenged them that this is the real bounce-back game that we could do to get back in the (standings), to go back to where we could go. The veterans Paul Lee, Rafi Reavis, Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang stepped up. We just needed to enjoy,” added Victolero.

The Hotshots went on to earn their second win in six games.

The Gin Kings, with Stanley Pringle showing the way with 24 points, suffered their first loss in five outings and are behind the unbeaten TNT Tropang Giga.

Paul Lee: Veteran presence

Blackwater player tests negative for COVID-19 A PLAYERS from Blackwater Elite who was initially tested positive for COVID-19 yielded a negative result on his confirmatory test.

Philippine Basketball Association officials got this feedback following the release of the outcome of his latest RT-PCR test that he took on Sunday.

The new result came out a few days after the player tested positive on an antigen test.

“We would like to report that the RT-PCR test taken by the Blackwater player Sunday yielded a negative result,” PBA said in a statement.

This means that the player actually got a “false positive” like the referee who had a similar case last week.

The referee officiated the Blackwater-Alaska game on Tuesday night and this compelled both teams to ask for a new RTPCR test when it was initially announced on Wednesday night to have gotten a positive result.

Members of the Alaska Aces have also tested negative of COVID-19 last Sunday.

“The PBA bubble remains intact and has not been breached.

Nevertheless, we urge all participants to be extra cautious and strictly follow the protocols set for them inside the bubble,” said the league in their statement.

Peter Atencio

How to watch ‘ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX’

Eduard Folayang

ONE Championship returns to Singapore with its biggest event of the year.

ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX happens on Friday, 30 October, broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and will feature four World Title contests, for a total of six compelling martial arts bouts.

In the main event, reigning ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar will defend his middleweight world title against top contender Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder of The Netherlands.

In the co-main event of the evening, ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore will make the first defense of his world title against Iuri Lapicus of Moldova.

The card also features a long-awaited showdown between ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Vietnam and Australia, and third-ranked featherweight contender Thanh Le of Vietnam and the United States.

Last in the evening’s world title offerings is ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China taking on Singapore’s Tiffany “No Chill” Teo in a much-anticipated title rematch.

Two more compelling martial arts contests round out the show, with 2-time former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang of the Philippines taking on Australia’s Antonio “The Spartan” Caruso, and Indian wrestling champion Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat facing off against Cambodia’s Nou Srey Pov.

How to Watch Info Philippines: Watch the event on One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). One Sports will air the event on a same-day delay at 9 p.m. PHT. Additionally, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT on Saturday, 31 October.

Full Card For ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX (c) Aung La N Sang vs. Reinier De Ridder (ONE Middleweight World Title) (c) Christian Lee vs. Iuri Lapicus (ONE Lightweight World Title) (c) Martin Nguyen vs. Thanh Le (ONE Featherweight World Title) (c) Xiong Jing Nan vs. Tiffany Teo (ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title) Antonio Caruso vs. Eduard Folayang (mixed martial arts—lightweight) Ritu Phogat vs. Nou Srey Pov (mixed martial arts—atomweight)

Sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 C2 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Dodgers on brink of World Series crown A RLINGTON—The Los Angeles Dodgers, led by pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s gutsy performance, shook off a crushing defeat to beat Tampa Bay 4-2 and move within one win of their first World Series title in 32 years on Sunday.

Joc Pederson and Max Muncy homered for the Dodgers and Kershaw notched the 13th post-season win of his career—his fourth this post-season —as Los Angeles took a three-gamesto-two lead in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven championship series.

“Tonight was a grind, all the way through,” said Kershaw. “My slider wasn’t as good as it was in game one.

But I stuck with the game plan.

“To only give up two runs is huge for me.”

Kershaw and the Dodgers, who came up agonizingly short in World Series appearances in 2017 and 2018, can lock up their first title since 1988 in game six at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Tuesday.

“It is very exciting, but at same time we’ve got to win one more. I am going to keep it together for one more game,” Kershaw said.

Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award-winner whose Hall of Fame resume is lacking a World Series title, pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits.

His six strikeouts took his career post-season tally to a record 207 -- surpassing the 205 of Justin Verlander.

Perhaps his most memorable throw to home on the night, however, wasn’t a pitch, but a sharp throw to cut down Manuel Margo as he tried to steal home and thwart a Rays rally attempt.

The Dodgers insisted they were over the disappointment of game four, when a couple of Dodgers errors helped the Rays walk off 8-7 winners after being down to their last strike.

It certainly looked as if they had put it behind them when they leapt on Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow in the first inning.

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager said battling Glasnow and pushing up his pitch count would be key, and Los Angeles did a good job of it.

Mookie Betts led off with a stand-up

double and scored on a single from Seager. Seager reached second and third on two wild pitches from Glasnow and scored on a single from Cody Bellinger before Glasnow—who became the first pitcher to throw three wild pitches in a World Series game— ended the inning after throwing 34 pitches.

Pederson led off the second with a home run, clubbing a 98-mph fastball from Glasnow over the left centerfield wall to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Muncy’s towering homer off a Glas-

now fastball with two outs in the fifth put the Dodgers up 4-2.

“That one felt pretty good,” Muncy said. “(It’s) not to many times you connect right middle of the barrel. It felt really solid.”

The Rays had pulled back two runs in the bottom of the third when Yandy Diaz belted a line drive down the right field line that Betts couldn’t corral for a run-scoring triple.

Diaz scored on a single from Randy Arozarena, whose 27th hit of these playoffs gave him the record for most in a single post-season.

Kershaw kept the Rays from building any momentum, despite the aggressive efforts of Manuel Margot, who drew a walk to lead off the fourth, stole second

and reached third when the attempt to catch him at second failed.

Kershaw nailed Margot as he tried to steal home to end the inning and retired three straight in the fifth and two in the sixth before handing over to Dustin May. “It has happened to me before,” of Margot’s attempt to steal home. “I work on that with the first baseman. I just know now to step up fast and throw it.

“That was a big out for us right there.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash called it a “frustrating inning.”

“Man on third, no outs, first and third, no outs. Pop-up, strike out and then get thrown out trying to do that.

Ideally, we’ve got to find a way to get that guy in to tie the game there.” AFP

Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with teammates following their team’s 4-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Five of the 2020 MLB World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. AFP

Smart launches PH’s biggest Call of Duty: Mobile - Garena tourney MOBILE services provider Smart Communications, Inc. continues to support the local esports scene as it has launched Smart Play: Squad Up, the country’s biggest non-professional Call of Duty®: Mobile - Garena tournament.

Aiming to delight the growing number of Filipino Call of Duty®: Mobil - Garena players, Smart Play: Squad Up offers prizes worth up to P1 million and in-game items.

The tournament is open to all Smart and TNT subscribers. To join, interested participants will have to submit a screenshot of their registration to Smart Free Games For All and sign up at www.matchroom.net/ smart/squadup. Smart subscribers can register to Free Games For All via the new GigaLife App, which is downloadable on Google Play and the App Store.

Eligible teams from North Luzon, Central Luzon, South Luzon, NCR, Visayas, and Mindanao will get to represent their region and duke it out during the Regional Qualifiers and Regional Finals starting October 24 and 25. The qualified teams will then battle it out at the National Grand Finals scheduled on December 3 and 4.

Power up your game with Free Games For All One of the hottest mobile games in the world today, Call of Duty®: Mobile - Garena is a free-to-play shooter video game developed by TiMi Studios and published by Activision and Garena for Android and iOS devices.

Smart and TNT subscribers can take their gaming experience to the next level with Free Games for All,

which comes with a solid allocation of 2 GB data per day of your favorite mobile games, including Call of Duty: Mobile. With Free Games for All, subscribers can play longer with friends and watch top gamers stream their playtime on Facebook Gaming.

To avail of Free Games for All, download the GigaLife App on Google Play or App Store and choose FREE GAMES. Subscribers can also avail of the offer by simply dialing *123#, choosing FREE GAMES, then selecting their preferred GIGA Games package.

Philippines’ fastest mobile data network Smart subscribers can enjoy all their favorite mobile games powered by Smart LTE, the country’s fastest mobile network, as certified by third-party mobile analytics firms such as Ookla and Opensignal.

Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, recently named Smart as the country’s fastest mobile data network in the first half of 2020 after it achieved a Speed Score™ of 18.33, with average speeds of 15.94 Mbps for download, and 7.57 Mbps for upload, based on 2,810,963 user-initiated tests taken with Speedtest®.

On the other hand, Opensignal, an independent mobile analytics firm, reported in its April 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report for the Philippines that Smart remained ahead of the competition in terms of Games Experience.

For more details on Smart Play: Squad Up, follow Smart’s official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The cogs of a coaching carousel FREE THROW SHOOTER NATHANIEL DELA CRUZ THE funny thing about basketball fans is that they often contradict themselves, and that is the cause of their state of dissatisfaction. The hiring of new Indiana Pacers’ head coach Nate Bjorkgren is a perfect example.

A slew of veteran coaches fell short of expectations in the 2019-20 NBA season, and yet, somehow, many of them get to keep their job. Those who lost theirs will be hired by another team soon.

That many coaches keep on landing head coaching jobs despite a lackluster career as well as the lack of promise of brilliance gets fans riled up.

Try someone new, they say. Do not salvage the fading career of a coach just because he was a head coach to many other NBA teams in the past.

Allow someone new to come in. And don’t stop anyone who is headed for

the exit knowing he has given his best in his best years and all it bought him is knowing for sure he is not made to become a champion coach because of professional qualities or coaching conditions or both. Allow a carousel seat to be vacated and let someone new have that seat.

These are the sentiments of basketball fans tired of watching the same defensive sets and motion plays ran for the sake of having the appearance of coaching a team, although bereft of the deliberate and forceful intention and keenness to win again and again and again until the championship match has been won, mainly because what the coach has is not enough, or that what is left of him is probably trying his best, not to win, but to hold on, for as long as he can, to a full-time job that pays the bills, his skills as a coach now (or even before) lacking, inferior, outdated, and has neither room for improvement nor desire for inventive enterprise and exploration.

It is a fair clamor. Give teams a fighting chance. This is, after all, competitive sports. Consider hiring a coach

because of his potential, not because he has years on the job. Experience does not always translate into success.

So why is it that when Bjorkgren— an NBA head coach for the first time —got the job in Indiana, many were unenthused?

I saw/heard/read different comments from alleged basketball fans, the most common of which is this: who is Nate Bjorkgren? The question is not innocent, and oftentimes it comes as a snide comment, said with a derisive snort, spoken with an insulting tone.

I don’t know what is more appalling —the fact that you can Google anyone today and see for yourself who Bjorkgren is, or the fact that many fans have become insufferable, toxic sideline observers who love to oppose for the sake of disagreeing. They find comfort in being vexing creatures, whose first instinct is to be cynical critics of everything.

We all know the phrase “you can’t please everyone.” Now it is worse: people refuse to be, at the very least, satisfied, as if enjoying the quiet of contentment is a sin, and they will do everything to propagate this attitude

of consistently disagreeing and being ceaselessly dissatisfied, to the point that they stop making sense anymore. They don’t like it if a team hires a veteran coach for the simple reason that he is in the NBA for too long, but if they hire a first-time NBA coach, they are skeptical, preaching about how the team will crash and burn, convinced with the confidence a soothsayer can muster.

For me, I believe in meritocracy.

Hire a head coach who has proven himself worthy of another chance, and if there is no one, then hire a new head coach who has proven himself or herself worthy of a first chance.

Give coaches enough time to win.

Give him space he could use so that he can make his players see for themselves their potential as a team as well as their weaknesses and flaws and how they can end up as their worst version of themselves.

If hiring a coach is a business move, then make it matter to the business of winning.

There is a big difference between merely filling in a vacancy and fulfilling the mission to be great.

Brady now all-time touchdown pass leader LOS ANGELES—Tom Brady surpassed Drew Brees as the alltime NFL leader in touchdown passes on Sunday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed the Las Vegas Raiders 45-20.

The six-time Super Bowl champion Brady threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as he completed 33 of 45 passes for 369 yards and no interceptions.

Brady now has thrown 559 touchdown passes in his career to eclipse Brees, who has 558. Brady reached the mark with a one-yard pass to rookie Tyler Johnson with just over three minutes remaining to seal the victory.

“We’re 5-2, in a decent place, not quite at the halfway point in the year,” Brady said. “We’ve got a lot of football left. We’re going to need everybody, and we’re going to need everybody’s best. And we’re going to try to meet the challenge every week.”

Chris Godwin caught nine passes for 88 yards, including a four-yard touchdown pass in the fourth to make it 31-20, and Scotty Miller caught six passes for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown for the Buccaneers.

Rob Gronkowski caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Leonard Fournette returned from a foot injury to run for a game-high 50 yards on 11 carries in the win.

Quarterback Derek Carr completed 24-of-36 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Carr was making his 100th career start.

In Nashville, Ben Roethlisberger threw for two touchdown passes to Diontae Johnson as the Pittsburgh Steelers won the battle of the unbeaten teams on Sunday with a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Roethlisberger was 32 of 49 passes for 268 total yards as the Steelers had a productive first half, led by 20 points in the third quarter then held on for the win.

Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski had a chance to tie the game with a field goal with 19 seconds left on the clock but missed the 45-yard attempt as Tennessee dropped to 5-1 on the season.

Benny Snell also had a touchdown run for the Steelers, who are now a perfect 6-0 and are the only undefeated team in the league.

Ryan Tannehill completed 18 of 30 passes for 220 yards for the Titans, with scoring passes to Corey Davis and A.J. Brown, who had 153 receiving yards.

Elsewhere, Baker Mayfield threw a career-high five touchdowns and a franchise record 21 consecutive passes to power the Cleveland Browns to a 37-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow also had a big night completing 35 of 47 for 406 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. AFP

GAB chairman at PSA Forum GAMES and Amusements Board chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra goes on board as the lone special guest in the webcast edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

Foremost to be discussed by Mitra is the recent resolution jointly issued

by GAB and the Philippine Sports Commission clearly drawing the line between professional and amateur sports.

The session starts at 10:00 a.m.

The weekly Forum is presented

by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and powered by Smart. Upstream Media is the official webcast partner.

The public sports program is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page f b.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and also shared by Radyo Pilipinas 2 Facebook page.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESday, ocTobEr 27, 2020

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Sharing good vibes on ‘Grateful Tuesdays’ Chemist Pinky Tobiano continues to become a blessing to all the recipients of the Care and Share Program of Grateful Tuesdays. With over 500 families reached, Tobiano together with her friends from private sectors widened its reach and added more sponsors to help in this activity.

A special treat for Jeepney drivers of Barangay Masambong was celebrated during the barangay visit. They received food and gift packs spearheaded by the program host. She was assisted

by Charming Lakwatsadora Charm Aranton.

A star-studded episode took place last Tuesday, Oct. 20. Apart from Tobiano’s co-host Yeng Constantino, viewers were serenaded by the King of RnB Jay R who was also interviewed after the performance. Most Streamed Filipina Artist and the first-ever 11x Platinum Awardee Moira dela Torre dropped by the set to say hi to all the viewers of the

S

ix pioneering shows.

More than 18 hours of airtime every week. Almost two dozens stars in its stable. All these happened in just a few months of careful planning and sleepless nights.

And it is safe to say, that their hard work and collaborative efforts are slowly making an impact. I’m talking about Brighlight Productions that produces shows for Manny Pangilinan-chaired media company, TV5.

Owned by former Negros Occidental representative Albee Benitez, Brighlight made a big splash on television with six shows that feature, well, some of ABS-CBN’s biggest stars: Sunday Noontime Live, which premiered on Oct. 18 and dominated the Twitter world for hours, is hosted by Paolo Pascual, Catriona Gray, and Maja Salvador; Lunch Out Loud, a noontime variety show that aired on Oct. 19, is led by Billy Crawford and Alex Gonzaga; sitcom Oh My Dad stars Ian Veneracion and Dimples Romana; I Got You has Beauty Gonzalez, RK Bagatsing, and Jane Oineza; Sunday Kada is bannered by Daniel Matsunaga, Ritz Azul, and Mile Ocampo; and Rated Korina with Korina Sanchez.

But Benitez is not taking all the credits. he said he has a dynamic team that helps him mount all these shows that only took two months to finalize.

“Walang tulugan, I have to thank Pat P. Daza, Corrina Vistan, and Atty. Joji Alonzo. They are the tres marias who made all these things possible,” Benitez told Manila Standard Entertainment in an interview.

“It was a collaborative effort. We have a variety show, a Sunday noontime show, we have a gag show, a sitcom, and a magazine show. It’s an exciting mix,” he added.

When Sunday Noontime Live was trending online during its premiere telecast, Benitez was also in the studio monitoring the program, and the reception it was getting from the online world.

“I was there in the studio, what’s exciting about this whole thing, it became a buzz. A lot of people were talking about it. It trended,” the former congressman smiled and further said that he’s not worried about the ratings just

Rep. Alfred Vargas (left) as guest, and Yeng Constantino (right) as co-host, in Pinky Tobiano’s ‘Grateful Tuesdays’

digital show.

Congressman Alfred Vargas also visited the show and was asked about his ongoing and upcoming projects

in his district. On the other hand, siblings, Congresswoman Bernadette Herrera-Dy and Councilor Bernard Herrera sat down with Tobiano where

they shared their experiences during this pandemic.

The show highlighted the announcement of the laptop winner. For the 5th episode, the heroic and inspiring story of a teacher from Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro emerged as the winner. She shared during the interview the struggle of walking for three hours on a rocky road just to reach the school where she is teaching. her students were mainly Mangyan natives. Selfless as she is, she will be sharing the laptop she won with all the students in Pambuhan Village high School.

Grateful Tuesdays adheres to its mission of sharing blessing and good vibes through the initiative of Chemist Pinky Tobiano. Grateful Tuesdays airs every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. live on Cornerstone entertainment FB Page, Tobiano’s FB Page, Cornerstone Youtube Channel, and CSTV Kumu Account.

Brightlight’s brighter vision yet.

“It’s not going to happen right away.

People are not used to watching TV5. So, we need to educate the viewers and excite them with interesting shows. Now we are getting questions about where to watch our shows. That means, people already have this idea that there are shows that they want to watch,” he related.

On network war and talent exclusivity During a recent virtual media conference for TV5 and Cignal Entertainment, Benitez, urged the halt of network wars, sharing that “it’s time that all of us should work together. Right now, I don’t think there should be a network war.”

“Look at where the network stands right now. What are the networks that we have right now... GMA, TV5, and A2Z Channel 11, ABS-CBN and Brighlight are actually content providers. If you look at it from that angle it’s not between me and ABS, we are even sharing some of our content,” Birghtlight president and CEO explained.

Benitez also mentioned that stars should be given the flexibility and be allowed to take on work where it is available.

“If you look at Korea and the US, no one is locked in in Former Negros one network. That’s how I see Occidental it should operate in this indusrepresentative try. As long as you give work to and Brightlight people that’s all that matters,” Productions president and CEO he related.

“I think that should be our Albee Benitez with broadcast journalist landscape moving forward. Sue Ramirez for example. She is a Korina Sanchez. network artist, now she’s with us. It’s like timesharing. By December or January, ang isang line production ng ABS-CBN will be featured in our time slot. Then we have an upcoming show called Lalalove featuring their (ABS-CBN’s) Rise [Artists Studio] stars,” Benitez shared underscoring that giving displaced Kapamilya stars work is one of the main goals of Brighlight Productions.

In conclusion, Benitez shared his vision for his company and what networks should do to create a healthy and dynamic environment for artists and workers.

“In any business you really need to keep on improving. There’s always this challenge especially when there’s competition and everybody is trying to be From left: Manila Times‘ Tessa Mauricio-Ariolla, Benitez, columnist Mario Bautista, and number one. You just have to be prethe author. pared and set a goal,” he ended.

GMA signs five-year contract with FILSCAP GMA Network renews its Broadcast Music Public Performance License with the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), the official music public performing collection society in the country.

Through this, GMA continues to recognize the rights of composers, authors, and publishers to their original musical works.

GMA also previously established the Music Compliance Administration Unit under the Post Production Department’s Music Production Section.

Accredited by the Intellectual Property of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to perform the roles of a collective management organization, FILSCAP grants music users the legal permission to publicly play, broadcast, stream, or reproduce any copyrighted local and international musical compositions of its members and the members of its affiliate foreign societies.

The signed five-year contract permits the Kapuso Network in using copyrighted music on GMA, GMA News TV, its digital channels, as well as in the webcast of its programs in GMAowned or controlled websites.

ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-ibig continues to support frontliners with the help of donors and partners.

Frontliners get boost from ABS-CBN’s ‘Pantawid ng Pag-ibig’

The country’s medical frontliners continue to find an ally in ABS-CBN Foundation as they tirelessly lead the nation’s fight against COVID-19.

Through the “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig: Isang Daan. Isang Pamilya.” campaign, 133 hospitals and 26 other institutions in different parts of the Philippines have already received hundreds of thousands of personal protective equipment (PPe) that healthcare workers need in combating the pandemic and in treating the sick.

These include surgical masks, N95 masks, face shields, goggles, gloves, body suits, shoe covers, as well as alcohol and rapid test kits. Apart from these much-needed medical supplies, ABS-CBN Foundation and its donors and partners also bring food items, electrolyte drinks, medicines, and flowers for our frontliners, to also give them love and care as they risk their own safety to save other people’s lives.

Recently, “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” trooped to 16 hospitals in Metro Manila with truckloads of face masks, vitamins, and hygiene kits gathered from donations both cash and in-kind.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News that aired on “TV Patrol,” one of the beneficiaries, Dr. Maria Leonora Ulanday of Quirino Memorial Medical Center, expressed gratitude to those who are relentless in helping them fulfill their duty to the people.

“We are really thankful that there are a lot of people who support us in this journey, those who understand us, and who contribute to our needs, ‘yun ‘yung malaking tulong talaga sa ‘min. And especially ‘yung family and friends who always encourage us to go on and to fight this battle,” she said.

Among the beneficiaries of the PPE drive of “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig,” which began as early as March this year, are 96 government hospitals and 37 private hospitals. It also provided PPEs to four schools and 18 communities in NCR and different provinces.

ABS-CBN Foundation continues to knock on the hearts of individuals and organizations that can help sustain the support of “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” for our medical frontliners. Donors may course their donations through ABSCBN Foundation’s partner WeCare by visiting www.wecare.ph. Donations are also welcome via ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. bank accounts: BPI Account Number: 4221-0000-27 with Swift Code: BOPIPHMM, and BDO Account Number: 0039300-78214 with Swift Code: BNORPHMM.

FDCP leads PH delegation to Busan film festival FOUR films, one film project, and 10 production companies are among the representatives of Philippine Cinema in the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.

Death of Nintendo by Raya Martin, Cleaners by Karl Glenn Barit, How to Die Young in Manila by Petersen Vargas, and Kids on Fire by Kyle Nieva are part of the BIFF Official Selection.

Sheron Dayoc’s 6th Finger is the only Filipino project in Busan this year while 10 production companies are part of the Philippine Pavilion spearheaded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

The FDCP is also the organizer of the Philippine Cinema Night as well as the sponsor of the webinar “Screen Talk: Asian Production Bounces Back” featuring FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño as one of the speakers.

‘How to Die Young in Manila’ by Petersen Vargas is one of the local films included in the BIFF Official Selection.

“The Busan International Film Festival has been a crucial platform for the global track of the Filipino film industry. This year, the FDCP continues to be one with the BIFF in promoting Asian Cinema especially amid the COVID-19 crisis,” said Diño.

The BIFF, which runs until Oct. 30, has limited film screenings in Busan while the programs and events concurrent with the festival have been migrated online.

Life

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

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HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020

By Steph Llarena

A

10-HECTARE mangrove forest in a municipality in Batangas proves that lush vegetation is the ideal solution to common environmental problems, and that it is “Instagrammable,” too— red swimsuit optional.

Mangrove trees play an essential part in nurturing the very ground they stand on. Its roots filter the silt and sediment that tides carry in and rivers carry out toward the sea.

The roots of this salt-tolerant tree lodge themselves in the soft soil of tidal mudflats, and once established, they provide an oyster habitat and slow the flow of water. Mangrove swamps stabilize the shoreline against erosion, storm surges, and hurricanes—owing to their massive root systems that are efficient at dissipating wave energy.

LUSH LIFE. Conservationists believe that mangrove preservation—such as Hamilo Coast’s 10 hectare mangrove forest—is a sound investment due to its adaptive capacity to climate change. Mangroves provide a unique ecosystem and protect coastal communities from the impacts of tropical storms.

MANGROVE FOREST SAFEGUARDS Nasugbu coastline

VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE

Eye center offers teleconsultation, delivery service

Mangrove forest tour guests are taken on a canoe ride where they cruise beneath the canopy of leaves while learning about the crucial role of mangrove trees.

Mangroves act as marine sanctuaries for a massive diversity of fish, crustaceans, and other underwater creatures.

These habitat-forming species take refuge in mangroves’ protective nursery where they often thrive at the interface of open water and the terrestrial environment.

Conservationists believe that of all coastal ecosystems, mangrove preservation is a sound investment due to its high adaptive capacity to climate change. They provide a unique ecosystem and protect coastal communities from the impacts of tropical storms—meaning they’re not at risk of being easily washed away during storm surges.

Its vital role in the marine ecosystem

pushes Hamilo Coast further to continue its preservation of over 10,000 mangrove trees in its lush mangrove forest.

Together with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines), the seaside residential community safeguards the site—the largest of its kind in Nasugbu.

To promote and showcase the beauty of the forest, Hamilo Coast offers on-site tour that begins with a short 200-meter trek, during which guests can find posters along the path that explain the crucial role of mangrove trees in reforestation.

At the end of the trail, guests are taken on a canoe ride through the reforested area. Once everyone’s life vest is secured, tour guides will share the inspiring story of how the once empty and gray plot of land was transformed into the lush mangrove forest it is now. Pad-

dling through the cove’s salty shallow waters, they also point to endemic species of plants and birds that help keep the delicate balance in its ecology.

As they cruise beneath the canopy of leaves that block out the sun, they can feel the crisp, clean air in the forest and surrounding areas. This can be attributed to the fact that mangrove trees are carbon powerhouses—they absorb up to four times more carbon dioxide by area than upland terrestrial trees. The constant hum and buzz of wildlife also serves as a reminder that reforestation efforts encourage whole ecosystems to reform.

These underwater havens aid in the proliferation of fish in Nasugbu’s waters as well, which in turn contributes to the livelihood of the local fishing community that makes its home at Papaya Cove where the tour ends.

Lysol hand sanitizer now in stores Lysol Hand Sanitizer is made with 71 percent alcohol that’s proven effective in killing 99.9% of germs.

LEADING disinfectant brand packs the sanitizing power of its products in hand sanitizer format.

According to Lysol, its hand sanitizer contains a superior, marketing leading 71 percent alcohol that’s proven effective in killing 99.9 percent of germs. It is dermatologically tested to be safe and gentle on skin, and features a non-sticky formulation.

To use the product, the brand recommends the following steps: Take a thumbnail sized on your palm, enough to thoroughly coat every part of your hands; spread sanitizer and rub palms together; rub tips of each hand with palm of other hand; and rub hands together until they are dry.

Lysol Hand Sanitizer is available in 50ml bottle at P65 and 200ml at P190 at leading retail outlets nationwide.

LOPEZ-LED Asian Eye Institute offers alternative services and procedures that provide patients access to experts and prescriptions without going to any of the center’s eye clinics.

“Staying home is an important way to limit the spread of COVID-19, but we still need to make sure that patients receive their much-needed care for eye problems, like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration, which require regular monitoring to prevent blindness,” said Asian Eye chief operating officer Alwin Sta. Rosa.

Asian Eye offerings include video teleconsultations, electronic prescriptions, and online delivery of glasses, contact lenses, protective eyewear, and medicine. For online services and teleconsultations, patients are advised to go to bit.ly.com/AEIShop.

Dr. Amadeo Veloso, Asian Eye retina and vitreous disease specialist, reminds the public to schedule a teleconsultation as soon as possible in the following situations: changes in vision (blurry, wavy, or blank spots), eye injury no matter how minor, an increase in floaters and flashes in vision, sudden loss of some vision, or red eye or eye pain especially if it comes with headache, nausea, or

Asian Eye Institute offers teleconsultation service.

vomiting If during the teleconsultation the doctor recommends an in-clinic checkup, Sta. Rosa said, “then we refund the teleconsultation fee in favor of a by-appointment clinic checkup.”

“Teleconsultation is our way of screening patients to determine whether they truly need to leave their homes for more comprehensive checkups,” he explained.

The eye care center implements stringent safety procedure and policies, including wearing of personal protective equipment of all healthcare staff, low-touch consultations, installation of droplet shields on the slit-lamp machines that doctors use to look into patients’ eyes, and frequent disinfection of equipment and facilities.

“As part of our health protocols, we ask patients requiring surgery to undergo rapid antigen tests with results released within 15 to 30 minutes. If the patients test positive for COVID-19, we advise them to defer their surgery until they no longer have an active coronavirus infection,” added Sta. Rosa.

Webinar to tackle breast cancer prevention IN OBSERVANCE of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, an insurance provider is hosting a webinar to discuss disease prevention and care.

“Breast cancer remains a national health priority in the Philippines, and we believe that proper education and awareness on this matter is one of the best ways for prevention and recovery,” said Rahul Hora, president and chief executive of Axa Philippines.

Axa Philippines on October 31 at 10:30 a.m. will be holding “United We Fight Breast Cancer” webinar via Zoom (bit.ly/HealthConvoBreastCancer).

The webinar will feature health pro-

fessional, Andrew Sokolov, MS, RN, director for care management services at Preferred Global Health. Sokolov will discuss breast cancer prevention, updates on the disease, and how to provide support for a loved one battling the disease amid these challenging times.

Also speaking at the webinar will be breast cancer survivor Peachy Felix and her husband, Dr. Kennard Felix, chairman of the department of otorhinolaryngology at a local medical center. They will share their experience and insights as a family on how to come out stronger when faced with this disease.

Axa Philippines hosts ‘United We Fight Breast Cancer’ webinar.