Manila Standard - 2020 December 24 - Thursday

CHRISTMAS BREAK The Standard won’t have print and PDF editions on Dec. 26-27. For news online, our website http://www.manilastandard.net stays uninterrupted.

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 293 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH bans travel from Britain Fear of new COVID variant in UK triggers restrictions effective Dec. 24-31

EMPTY AIRPORT. The departure lobby of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is nearly empty on Wednesday with almost no passengers -- when it should be overflowing with holiday travelers -- as the Philippine government issued a travel ban to incoming passengers from the United Kingdom starting December 24 to 31 due to the high risk of transmitting a new strain of the coronavirus. Norman Cruz

By Willie Casas and Joel E. Zurbano HE Philippines is temporarily banning flights from the United Kingdom from Dec. 24 to 31 due to concerns over the spread of a new variant of SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), emerging in the UK.

T

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recommendation to prevent the entry of the new variant.

The more infectious new COVID-19 variant may worsen the country’s holiday virus surge if it enters the country, an infectious disease expert said Wednesday.

The new strain found in the UK is

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM DECEMBER 23)

464,004 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,196 24,984 NEW

ACTIVE

9,048

27

429,972

564

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

distinct from the G614 variant that the Philippines last recorded several months ago, said Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of the adult infectious diseases unit at San Lazaro Hospital.

Both have increased transmissibility, he added.

However, health experts across the world say that the border closures may also be too late, the New York Times reported.

EU eases border closures, WHO tackles virus strain LONDON—Europe on Wednesday began lifting travel bans on Britain put in place to contain a new fast-spreading Covid strain while WHO experts were set to meet on a response to it.

Meanwhile, in the United States,

President Donald Trump rejected a massive Covid economic relief package passed by Congress, branding it “a disgrace” as millions of Americans are suffering fallout from the pandemic.

There was however positive news

in Australia, where Sydney eased lockdown restrictions for Christmas after the country’s largest city reported a second day of new cases in the single digits.

Next page

Next page

Infection uptick looms as crowds flaunt protocols

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta SOME 4,000 new COVID-19 cases per day are “very possible” in Metro Manila after Christmas if the public fails to follow health protocols through the holidays, two academics said Wednesday.

Coronavirus infections have started to climb up in parts of Metro Manila Next page

BRISK BUSINESS. Customers start buying fireworks at a store in Bocaue, Bulacan on Wednesday even as Metro Manila mayors pushed for a ban on pyrotechnics during Christmas and New Year celebrations. Manny Palmero

Witnesses in Tarlac shooting under tight watch, may seek protection 8 senators push Dec. 20 are under tight watch by the where Philippine National Police (PNP) in the killing of Sonya and Frank

By Jess Malabanan, Rey E. Requejo and Willie Casas Tarlac police and are undergoing psy- chief Debold Sinas met and talked with Anthony Gregorio in Paniqui, Tarlac

chological debriefing by social workers, them in a closed-door meeting without may apply for protection with the Detheir parents or guardians present. partment of Justice under its Witness WITNESSES, including at least one police said Wednesday.

Tarlac police brought the two witJustice Secretary Menardo Gue- Protection Program. minor, who watched a police officer shoot dead two unarmed civilians on nesses to Paniqui police headquarters varra on Wednesday said witnesses Next page

KIDNAPPED THEN BEHEADED.

2 cops linked to beheading in Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY—The leadership of the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) has dissolved the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) after two of its personnel were found to be possibly involved in the abduction of a civilian, whose beheaded remains were later found in a town in Benguet.

“I already dissolved it. We will first review and see if the lessons that should be learned by our people are appropriate,” said BGen. R’Win Pagkalinawan, regional director of the PROCOR. Next page

Screen grabs from a video obtained by GMA News show Baguio resident Harjan Lagman being forced into an SUV by five men wearing masks -- two of them identified as members of the Police Regional Drug Enforcement Unit. A day later, Lagman’s remains were found in a ravine in neighboring Tublay, Benguet.

But this year Italy has imposed tough new restrictions over the Christmas and New Year period to stem the spread of coronavirus.

As a result, the Vatican said: “Pope Francis will deliver the Christmas message and impart the blessing ‘Urbi et Orbi’ in the Hall of Blessings in the Vatican Apostolic Palace.”

On December 26 and 27 and January

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

1, 3 and 6, the recitation of the Angelus prayer will take place in the library.

Christmas Eve mass on December 24 had already been brought forward to allow the faithful to get home by Italy’s 10:00 pm curfew.

The news came as Vatican sources said two cardinals in the pope’s entourage were confirmed to have coronavirus.

EIGHT pro-death penalty senators on Wednesday pushed for the revival of capital punishment in the wake of the Dec. 20 killing of two unarmed civilians by a police officer in Paniqui, Tarlac.

There are 10 pending death penalty bills in the Senate that have all been referred to the committee on justice.

The proposed measures were filed by eight of the 24 members of the Senate: Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Manny Pacquiao, Bong Revilla, Panfilo Lacscon, Christopher Go, Sherwin Gatchalian, Imee Marcos and Senate President Vicente Sotto III. However, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Wednesday said the death penalty will not solve the spate of killings in the country.

“I appeal to lawmakers that killings won’t stop killings,” Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said in an interview on Radyo Veritas.

Next page

Next page

Pope breaks tradition, sets Xmas message indoors

VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis will deliver his Christmas Day message indoors due to coronavirus restrictions, the Vatican said Tuesday, as two cardinals close to the pontiff tested positive for Covid-19.

The pope traditionally gives his “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and The World) message from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on December 25.

death penalty as CBCP resists it

A2

News

THURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SSS to hike rate to 13% in January

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Social Security System on Wednesday announced an increase in the monthly contributions of its members from 12 percent to 13 percent in January 2021.

In a statement, the SSS said the increase would ensure the long-term viability of the pension fund and increase the benefits to be enjoyed by it and its beneficiaries.

The full implementation by 2025 of the restructured rates and other reforms set in Republic Act 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018 would offset the financial impact of the P1,000 increase in the monthly pension of all member-pensioners which was implemented in 2017.

The premium hike to 13 percent from the current 12 percent of members’ salaries shall not exceed the prescribed maximum monthly salary credit (MSC) The higher monthly contributions could translate into their savings and safety net against the future hazards of sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, old age, death and other contingencies arising from loss of income or financial burden for them and their beneficiaries.

EU cases...

From A1

PH bans...

From A1

The new coronavirus variant has swept the UK and spurred global panic just as vaccines are being rolled out.

But the European Commission on Tuesday urged EU nations to lift travel bans imposed on Britain in recent days.

The new strain of the virus, which has also been detected in small numbers elsewhere, appears to spread more easily than other types but experts say there is no evidence it is more lethal or resistant to vaccines.

The discovery unleashed panic that led to more than two dozen countries suspending UK flights, threatening travel chaos during the holiday season.

The European Union instead urged virus tests be carried out on passengers within 72 hours before travel.

“Flight and train bans should be discontinued given the need to ensure essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions,” the EU said.

France was reopening cross-border travel with Britain Wednesday, but a negative Covid-19 test will be required.

The ban on arrivals in France has led to long tailbacks of freight lorries in southern England and has disrupted passenger travel in the run-up to Christmas.

The Netherlands also said it was lifting its ban beginning Wednesday but noted that all passengers, including EU citizens, must have a recent negative test to enter.

The World Health Organization in Europe said its experts would meet on Wednesday to discuss how to handle the outbreak, saying “limiting travel to contain spread is prudent until we have better info”.

WHO’s Europe director Hans Kluge wrote on Twitter that the organisation would “discuss strategies for testing, reducing transmission & communicating risks”.

The death toll from the virus surpassed 1.7 million on Tuesday, roughly a year after it emerged in China.

It is not known how widely the variant is already circulating, experts say, and the bans threaten to cause more economic and emotional hardship as the toll wrought by the virus continues to grow.

“It is idiotic” was the blunt assessment of Dr. Peter Kremsner, the director of Tübingen University Hospital in Germany.

“If this mutant was only on the island, only then does it make sense to close the borders to England, Scotland and Wales. But if it has spread, then we have to combat the new mutant everywhere,” he told NYT. He noted that the scientific understanding of the mutation was limited, and its dangers unclear, and described as naïve the notion that the variant was not already spreading widely outside Britain.

Also, Britain has some of the most sophisticated genomic surveillance efforts in the world, which allowed scientists there to discover the variant when it might have gone unnoticed elsewhere, experts said.

Under the IATF resolution, all passengers who have been to the UK within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, including those merely in transit, are also temporarily restricted from entering the country in the same period.

Passengers already in transit from the UK and all those who have been to the UK within 14 days immediately pre-

Vaccine can adapt

Germany on Tuesday extended its ban on arrivals from the UK -- as well as South Africa, where a similar variant has been found -- until January 6.

Health Minister Jens Spahn said that “as long as it is possible”, Germany aims to prevent “potentially dangerous virus mutations from spreading in continental Europe”.

2Fromcops...

A1 Earlier, he vowed to cooperate with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in probing the killing and beheading of Harjan Lagman, 25, of Barangay Irisan here.

Video obtained by GMA News showed Lagman being forced into an SUV by five men wearing masks, with

8Fromsenators...

A1 Pabillo said the country’s flawed justice system should not be allowed to hand down death sentences, and urged policemen not to tolerate injustices committed by their own colleagues.

Dela Rosa said the cold-blooded murders of Sonya Gregorio, 55, and her 25-year-old son Frank Anthony Gregorio at the hands of Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca might never have happened if a law reviving the death penalty had been passed.

“That rogue cop deserves the death penalty,” Dela Rosa said, referring to Nuezca.

“Who would want to kill a person if he knows he will also be killed via the death penalty?” he asked.

Dela Rosa, an ally of President

Infection...

From A1 like Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, Quezon City and Makati, as well as in neighboring Rizal province and parts of Bulacan, said Dr. Guido David from the OCTA Research Group.

“If the trend continues, it’s very possible Metro Manila would hit the 4,000 cases per day by January or February,” he told a public briefing.

His colleague, Dr Butch Ong added: “We are increasing by about a few hundreds only per day. But it could be that on Christmas; after Dec. 25, when people return to their work sites, or in January we will see higher numbers.”

The 4,000 daily new cases is the “critical limit” for placing an area under the stricter MECQ or modified enhanced community lockdown, which happened

The MSC is the determining factor for contributions and benefits based on the member’s monthly earnings.

Upon full implementation in 2025, the reforms under the SSA of 2018 would offset the adverse financial impact of the P1,000 pension increase granted in 2017.

The upgrade in the MSC cap has increased the amount of benefits that members and/or their beneficiaries are entitled to receive, such as sickness, maternity, unemployment, retirement, disability, death and funeral.

From January to October 2020, the SSS disbursed a total of P159.47 billion in social security and employees’ compensation benefits to 3.56 million members and beneficiaries, representing a decrease of 2.6 and 4.8 percent,

respectively, from the benefits released in the same period last year.

The decline is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the number of benefit disbursements from late March to May. SSS member loan releases from January to November 2020 totaled P58.03 billion for 3.20 million members, a respective increase of 54.5 percent from P20.48 billion and 76.7 percent from 1.39 million members in the same period last year.

Pension loan releases from January to November 2020 reached P3.17 billion combined for 69,813 retireepensioners, an increase of 61 percent or P1.20 billion and 11.5 percent or7,210 pensioners, respectively.

ceding arrival in the Philippines, who arrive before 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 24, will not be subject to entry restriction but will be required to undergo stricter quarantine and testing protocols.

Such protocols include the observation of an absolute 14-day quarantine period at the Athlete’s Village in the New Clark City, notwithstanding a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result.

Outbound travel to the UK will also be subject to the exit protocols of the Philippines and the UK. On Dec. 22, the Department of Health (DOH) Technical Advisory Group, the Philippine Genome Center, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office convened to discuss the reported new variant of coronavirus and later submitted recommendations to the DOH. More than 40 countries have shut their borders to the UK due to fears over the new coronavirus strain spreading 70 percent faster than others.

UK researchers discovered the variant after collecting samples from infected people in southeastern England.

Large parts of southeast England, including London, are under a new, stricter level of restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Australia, Denmark, and the Netherlands have identified cases of the variant in their countries.

On Monday, BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin said he was confident a COVID-19 vaccine co-developed by

his company would be effective against a variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in the UK. According to the WHO, laboratory studies are ongoing to determine whether these variant viruses have different biological properties or alter vaccine efficacy.

It said there is not enough information at present to determine if this variant is associated with any change in the severity of the clinical disease, antibody response, or vaccine efficacy.

“So far, this [variant] increases [the] transmission [rate] by 0.4 percent but there is no evidence yet showing that this can increase severity or virulence nor affect the efficacy of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

Duque assured the public that authorities are on full alert to prevent the strain from reaching Philippine shores, and that experts are already working to determine the comprehensive profile of the new virus strain.

Duque said initial analysis from the Philippine Genome Center at the University of the Philippines showed that the UK variant has not yet been detected in the Philippines.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, meanwhile, said it is suspending its flights to and from London starting Dec. 24, 2020 until the end of February 2021 in compliance with the government’s decision to ban travel from the United Kingdom due to a new strain of the coronavirus.

PAL has been previously serving the Manila - London - Manila route once a week.

in the dense crowd in Divisoria on Tuesday despite a Metro Manila prohibition against them venturing from their homes amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

According to a report on GMA’s “24 Oras,” shoppers were barely following social distancing rules while some were not wearing face shields.

“I’m not afraid. Just washed with alcohol before going here,” a shopper said.

“I don’t get into contact with anyone, because I think about my health,” another person said.

The Manila Police District has repeatedly reminded the public to wear face masks and face shields as well as to maintain distancing.

Around 600,000 to 700,000 shoppers go to Divisoria and Binondo each day, said the MPD Station 11.

Crowded Divisoria Police were particularly focused on Ilaya Senior citizens and minors were seen Street, where stalls were arranged in a row.

in August, when COVID-19 infections swamped hospitals, said David.

The COVID-19 uptick is “still at the early stages” and the public “can still keep it or make it go lower,” Ong said.

Ong urged the public to hold Christmas gatherings in open areas with proper ventilation, limit face-to-face conversations to 30 minutes, celebrate with only one’s immediate family, avoid going house-to-house, observe physical distancing, and wear anti-virus gear.

“This is a different kind of Christmas that we’re going to have this season... but it doesn’t mean we should not be happy,” he said.

Ong added: “The looming surge can be prevented. The reason for the season is still there—our way of celebrating it will just be different.”

bystanders unable to stop the incident.

A day later, his remains were found in a ravine in neighboring Tublay, Benguet.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Pagkalinawan said the family of the victim prefers the NBI to handle the investigation. He said he would be very much willing to provide the pieces of evidence to the NBI. He said that they were all surprised to learn that the involved personnel operated on their own without informing the office.

“I dissolved it because I don’t like what happened where the personnel operated on their own without telling their superior. That will only show that they are not being guided and they are making their own move,” Pagkalinawan said.

He said provinces have their drug enforcement units, which will do the function of enforcing the anti-illegal drugs law.

“All the other personnel have been

Rodrigo Duterte, lamented that his bill was having a hard time moving forward in Congress.

Pacquiao said he hopes the death penalty can be given another chance to hasten the delivery of justice to victims of heinous crimes.

Lacson, a former PNP chief, said police should “show no mercy” to Nuezca.

“If what’s on video tells the whole story, I enjoin the PNP leadership to show no mercy,” Lacson said.

“They should spare no effort to make sure that he rots in jail. He’s the last policeman that they need in the force,” he said.

Lacson has filed a bill which seeks to re-institute the death penalty amid the “alarming surge of heinous crimes in recent years.”

Under the proposed measure, several crimes would be punishable by

death such as treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and illegal detention, robbery with violence and intimidation of persons, destructive arson, and human trafficking.

Sotto conceded that senators are unlikely to pass a measure to revive the death penalty, but said he believes that if capital punishment is applied only to high-level drug trafficking, it might have a better chance of being passed.

Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate justice committee, has expressed his reluctance to begin the deliberations on the death penalty bills even as it was one of the priority measures outlined by Duterte in his State of the Nation Address.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also maintained his opposition to the reimposition of the death penalty.

ordered to return to their respective units,” the general said, adding the two policemen have been placed on restrictive custody pending the result of the investigation and determination of the case to be filed.

Pagkalinawan said they just got an order from the higher headquarters to subject DEU personnel to drug testing.

Police later learned that the headless remains were that of the abducted person.

Pope...

From A1 The Polish cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who oversees the pope’s charities, “tested positive for Covid-19”, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

The 57-year-old, known as “Robin Hood” for his work with the poor and the homeless, had symptoms of pneumonia and is currently under surveillance in a hospital in Rome.

Officials are still seeking to identify his recent contacts, but he is known to meet with the pope regularly.

Italian cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, 78, the president of the governorate -- effectively the chief executive -- of the tiny state of Vatican City has also tested positive, a Vatican source told AFP.

Pizarro shot behind the ear, autopsy shows THE autopsy on the remains of retired Court of Appeals Justice Normandie Pizarro, founded dead in Tarlac on October 30 after he was reported missing, suggested he was shot from the back of his ear, the National Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday.

“He was shot from the back of the right ear and (the bullet) exited on the upper left portion of head,” NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said when asked about the autopsy findings.

NBI investigators have returned to the crime scene in San Simon, Pampanga, where Pizarro’s car was found.

Agents will do another forensic investigation on the car, Lavin said.

The bureau confirmed last Monday that the mutilated remains found in Capas, Tarlac on October 30 were those of Pizarro, who was last seen leaving a hotel-casino in Pampanga seven days earlier.

The NBI had to run DNA tests because the body had missing fingers and an amputated hand.

According to the NBI, a witness claimed that three men were behind the gruesome killing.

Pizarro, who retired in 2018, is one of the more than 50 lawyers -- including judges and prosecutors -- who were killed in the Philippines since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta condemned the murder.

“I ask our law enforcement agencies to press on with their investigation so that the perpetrators of this barbaric act can be caught and brought to justice,” Peralta said earlier in a statement.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra himself said investigators were looking into Pizarro’s work at the CA among other possible motives behind the killing.

“The NBI is still investigating. But this will be solved very soon. The NBI is looking at all possible angles, and Justice Pizarro’s previous works in the Court of Appeals is surely one of them,” the secretary said.

Witnesses...

From A1 Guevarra said the DOJ has not yet received any request for witness protection from the Philippine National Police.

“But if the witnesses needed protection, they may apply directly with the DOJ WPP and we shall evaluate their application for provisional coverage immediately,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

The mother and son Gregorios were killed by Police Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca during a heated confrontation on Sunday.

After an inquest, the DOJ found probable cause to file two counts of murder against Nuezca, who has a history of criminal and administrative cases, including two homicides in 2019. Both were dismissed for lack of evidence.

Nuezca was also demoted one rank over a 2014 extortion case.

A human right advocates group CenterLaw condemned the double murder caught on video, which showed Nuezca shooting Sonya and her son Frank in the head point blank over an argument over a holiday noisemaker.

The killings, the group said, was yet more proof that “a culture of killing and unbridled violence has pervaded the ranks of the Philippine National Police.”

The group said the PNP, as an institution of peace, has failed under the current climate of widespread violence.

“The badge has become nothing more than an empty symbol of service and having a gun has only resulted in making our communities unsafe,” it said.

The 84-year-old pope, known for his love of getting close to the faithful, has been reluctant to wear a mask despite the pandemic that has hit Italy particularly badly.

During a meeting with Vatican employees on Monday, the pontiff -- he and his entourage without masks -- could not resist having a cuddle with a baby.

The Argentine is considered particularly at risk of complications if he contracts coronavirus, both because of his age and his history of lung problems.

He almost died when he was 21 after developing pleurisy, and had part of one of his lungs removed, according to biographer Austen Ivereigh.

In a recent book, “Let Us Dream”, the pope described how he fought for his life during the illness in 1957, when he was in his second year of training for the priesthood in Buenos Aires.

News

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A3

Survey: PH to keep partying for Christmas M

OST of the Filipinos polled in a survey will celebrate Christmas just as they did last year while 91 percent will welcome the New Year with hope despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Pulse Asia.

NEW TRAINS.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) officially unveils its newest train sets: three locomotives and 15 passenger coaches inside the Manila harbour center in Tondo on Wednesday. These trains are part of the PNR Management strategy of refleeting in 2018 and completes the 37 cars and three locomotives procured in 2018.

Norman Cruz

Toll holiday set US warship sails past Spratlys, angering China on Xmas, New Year—SMC

By Darwin G. Amojelar SAN Miguel Corp. and NLEX Corp. on Wednesday announced no toll fees at their respective expressways in the north and south of Manila for Christmas and the New Year.

This will be implemented in the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, Southern Luzon Expressway, Skyway, NAIA Expressway and the TarlacPangasinan-La Union Expressway in the north.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said the “toll holiday” initiative was a yearly tradition for the company to grant motorists temporary free access to the expressways to celebrate the holidays.

“From 10:00 pm on December 24 to 6:00 am on December 25, we will open all our expressways—STAR, SLEX, Skyway, NAIAX, TPLEX— for free to all motorists. We are doing the same from 10:00 pm of December 31 to 6:00 am of January 1. This is an annual tradition that we do for the benefit of motorists, especially those who have to see family in other parts of the city or have to go home to the provinces,” Ang said.

He said in the previous years, many motorists would use the opportunity to travel and spend time with family, friends and loved ones from other parts of the city or nearby provinces.

Motorists passing through NLEX, SCTEX, CAVITEX, C5 Link and CALAX will enjoy toll-free travel on Christmas and New Year.

No toll fees will be collected on all MPTC expressways from 10:00 p.m. of December 24 to 6:00 a.m. of December 25 and from 10:00 p.m. of December 31 to 6:00 a.m. of January 1, 2021.

WASHINGTON—An American warship sailed through waters off the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, in the latest challenge to Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in the region.

Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands,” the US

Seventh fleet said in a statement.

“This freedom of navigation operation... upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Vietnam, and Taiwan,” it added.

China claims nearly all of the South

China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.

The region is believed to have valuable oil and gas deposits.

Further angering those countries, and the US, Beijing has moved aggressively to build reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. AFP

The survey, released on Wednesday, said of the 2,400 adults surveyed from Nov. 23 to Dec. 2, some 55 percent said this year’s Christmas would be the same for them as the previous year, while 38 percent said this year’s holiday season would be less prosperous and 8 percent said they were expecting a more prosperous celebration.

The prevailing sentiment was highest among the residents of Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon at 60 percent each, followed by those in the Visayas at 55 percent and the residents of Mindanao at 41 percent.

More Filipinos this year, meanwhile, expect their holidays to be less prosperous with 38 percent saying they would be poorer versus 11 percent in 2019, the poll showed.

Some 91 percent of the respondents, meantime, were optimistic for 2021, while 8 percent were “ambivalent” and 1 percent said they would face the new year without hope, according to the survey.

The sentiment was most popular in Balance Luzon (93 percent) followed by the Visayas (92 percent), Metro Manila (91 percent) and Mindanao (87 percent).

The survey, with a sampling error margin of ±2 percent for national percentages, was conducted after a series of storms inundated Luzon and parts of the Visayas.

Meanwhile, Malacañang on Wednesday said it was not surprised by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that shows six in 10 Filipinos believed that their quality of life got worse compared to last year.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said 2020 has been a “challenging year” for the nation with coronavirus lockdowns “adversely affecting the socio economic condition of our people.”

Housing unveils MMFF refutes Velez raps on festival receipts 7 new projects

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is ending 2020 by unveiling seven housing projects in December.

Secretary Eduardo del Rosario spearheaded the signing of two agreements with the province of Bataan, led by Gov. Albert Raymond Garcia, and Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi.

He welcomed the partnership with the Bataan and Muntinlupa City as a positive development, noting that housing had a vital social impact on Filipinos.

“It is a social responsibility of the government to ensure that the ‘poorest of the poor’ will have the opportunity to have a house of their own that is decent and affordable,” he said.

“We can see clearly the convergence of efforts among the local government unit, the national government and the private sector so that we can build a housing project that will be gladly accepted by the beneficiaries.”

The proposed One Bataan Village is intended for more than 1,000 displaced families affected by an accidental fire that occurred in Sitio Depensa in Bataan’s coastal town of Capunitan on Jan. 29, 2019.

THE Metro Manila Film Festival organizer on Wednesday rejected the accusations of Film Academy of the Philippines director and actress Vivian Velez on the alleged non-payment of their share of the receipts from the annual festival.

Velez said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority failed to release some P82.7 million worth of proceeds from the screenings in previous years following the complaint filed by then FAP

director Leo Martinez in 2014.

The MMDA supervises the MMFF while its chairman Danilo Lim is the concurrent head and organizer of the annual event.

Velez said Martinez had filed a case against the MMDA in January 2014 with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for the release of the share, but “nothing happened to the case.”

MMFF legal chief Vic Trinidad said the case, which was filed in 2014, was archived for the failure of the FAP to pros-

ecute the case.

“Contrary to the claim of Ms. Velez, the issue was never raised or discussed with the management of MMFF,” Trinidad said.

He said what Velez constantly followed up was the release of the FAP’s share in the income.

“Instead of going to the press to pursue her claim she should have initiated the revival of FAP’s case so that she can prove her allegations in the proper forum,” Trinidad said.

POWER DOWN. Meralco workers inspect and dismantle a toppled electric post along J. Aguilar Avenue in Las Piñas City on Tuesday

night. Police investigators said a withered tree leaned on an electric post, which caused a domino effect on three others and fell on two cars and two tricycles along the busy road. No one was reported injured, but the incident caused a power outage in the area. Norman Cruz

Urban poor body gives Mind food waste over holidays—solon P18k checks for ‘Likas’ By Maricel V. Cruz

ROTARY WINNERS. Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) Immediate Past President (IPP) Jackie Rodriguez (center) jubilantly receives from the Rotary District 3810 Champion Gov. Liza Elorde (left) the Overall Platinum Champion for Club President Award and RCM for Overall Platinum Champion Club Award for 2019-2020 and several award categories during the District 3810 ‘Reign of Champions’ Thanksgiving and Appreciation Banquet at the Elorde Sports Center. Also in photo are RCM Rtn Juan Montel, Dir . Albert Alday, and RCM Foundation Committee Chair Hermie Esguerra. District 3810 has 116 Rotary Club members.

THE Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor has already provided checks worth P18,000 for the beneficiaries of the Oplan Likas program to ensure they will have a merrier Christmas, an official said Wednesday.

Chairman and chief executive Alvin Feliciano said the program was in line with the disbursement of the interim shelter fund from the Department of Interior and Local Government to eliminate the informal settlers living in dangerous areas.

“This year we distributed checks to 832 beneficiaries. We are trying to finish and share it to add help especially to those who have lost their livelihoods in this pandemic,” he said.

Moreover, the PCUP has also asked the Land Bank of the Philippines for the beneficiaries not to go directly to the Malacañang branch but to the nearby LandBank branches within their areas. Rio N. Araja

A PARTY-LIST legislator on Wednesday reminded the public to be mindful of their food consumption and avoid waste over the holidays.

AAMBIS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin, principal author of House Bill 7956, otherwise known as the Food Surplus Reduction Act, said with the COVID-19 pandemic still choking supply chains, the food and nutrition security of the country remained under threat. it was incumbent on every Filipino to ensure that no food went to waste.

Citing Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) data, Garin said food waste accounted for eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. On top of this, hunger and undernutrition continued to plague around 690 million people in the last five years.

As principal author of the measure, Garin highlighted the need to address the country’s lack of system when it came to addressing food waste. For instance, she said, food items continued to end up in dumpsites instead of being repurposed as livestock feed to help Filipino farmers.

The bill prescribes specific steps on edible food surplus distribution, as well as the formulation of a foodrelated business surplus reduction strategy to manage the redistribution and inspection of food still fit for human consumption. Local government units would also be required to sign deals with waste management and recycling enterprises to recycle inedible food waste into fertilizers or compost, livestock feed or sources of biofuels and facilitate the distribution of fertilizers or compost to farms and community gardening associations.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

A4

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

PLAYING SANTA. Officers of the Manila Police District, wearing Santa hats, distribute rolls of ham to sidecar and tricycle drivers outside the PCP Police station 2 on Dagupan St., Tondo, Manila, on Wednesday. Norman Cruz

Pasay green-lights biz openings T

By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Pasay City government gave several commercial establishments in the city the gosignal to operate in full capacity after coming up with a memorandum adjusting its rules on community quarantine this yuletide season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Mayor Imelda Rubiano pointed out that these establishments must still follow strict health protocols to be able to operate, including the wearing of face masks, face shields, temperature checks,

and hand disinfections.

“I wish to remind everybody to follow our health protocol, our E.M.I. habit E – Ensure to always wash your hands; M – Mask is a must; and I – Implement

Physical Distancing,” she said.

Rubiano said the decision to relax the guidelines was based on the agreement reached by Metro Manila mayors to amend certain regulations of the general community quarantine.

Allowed to operate at 100 percent were: Financial services such as money exchange, insurance, reinsurances, lending companies, and non-compulsory; Legal and accounting; Management consultancy activities; Publishing and printing services; Film, music and TV production; Recruitment and placement agencies for overseas employment, and other services such as photography, fashion, industrial, graphic and interior design; Wholesale and retail

trade of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles, including their parts and components; Repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles; Malls and commercial centers (non-leisure only) but “subject further to pertinent guidelines issued by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Also allowed were Non-leisure wholesale and retail establishment (mall-based or otherwise) such as mall-based government frontline services; hardware stores; clothing and accessories; bookstores and office supplies stores; baby or infant care supplies; pet shops, pet food and pet care supplies;

TMC-Clark bags gold in Asian hospital awards

By Jess Malabanan CLARK FREEPORT—The Medical City Clark has added another feather to its cap.

In addition to being ISO 9001-2015 certified, TMC Clark won the Gold Award in the Brand and Marketing Campaign category of the 2020 Asian Hospital Management Awards for its “A Safe Zone for All Patients” Campaign.

The Asian Hospital Management Awards is a prestigious ceremony which recognizes and honors hospitals in the Asia Pacific Region.

Running alongside the Hospital Management Asia conference, it is the most prominent management awards in the region. There are 13 award categories to demonstrate the innovative and progressive approach that hospitals across the re-

gion are doing to improve healthcare.

TMC Clark participated in the Brand and Marketing Campaign Category which recognizes innovative branding and marketing campaign that led to increased awareness of the hospital. This includes the use of traditional and online marketing tools to improve visibility, brand recognition and revenue.

The hospital beat 200 other entries submitted by 89 hospitals based in 16 countries in the same category. The judges for the Brand and Marketing Campaign Category were Dr. Sandhya Mudumdar from the Joint Commission International and formerly of the National University Hospital who was the chairman; Dr. Widyatusti Wibisono of the Indonesia Hospital Association, PERSI; and Dr. Mohamed Hamdy of Al Salama Hospital, Abu Dhabi.

TOP MAYORS. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (upper left) has topped an

independent, non-commissioned survey by the RP- Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMDinc) on the performance of all mayors in Metro Manila for 2020. The survey was conducted from Dec. 5 to 15 among registered voters in Metro Manila aged 18 to 70.

STILL FLOODED. A couple in Santa Ana, Cagayan wades through floodwaters

that prevail in barangays Sta. Clara, Dungeg, Marede, Parada and Casagan following heavy rainfall on Monday. MDRRMO/Rowel Legaspi

PLDT reaches out to 93-year-old woman HAILING from a small town in Peñablanca, Cagayan, 93-year-old Franchisca Taguiam has braved thousands of storms. She is among the many residents who have been severely affected

by Typhoon Ulysses. PLDT, the country’s largest integrated telco, recently reached out to Taguiam and her family as the company mobilized efforts in typhoon-hit areas.

According to Taguiam, she was with her son Romeo when the typhoon happened.

“When Typhoon Ulysses hit, we were just inside our house because the rain and wind are strong. Water started coming inside our house, that’s why I was just laying in bed because I am having difficulty standing up on my own due to old age,” Taguiam said.

Taguiam has experienced many challenges in her life, which she faced with courage and strength.

“There’s this one tragedy in my life where I lost consciousness and I badly hit my head in the pavement. I needed to have a brain surgery. But because of our extreme poverty, I had to stop my maintenance medicines,” Taguiam said.

As part of its 92nd anniversary, PLDT gave her a special package, including a cash donation to cover some of her maintenance medicines and a Noche Buena pack.

Franchisca Taguiam, 93

P’que job-order workers to get P5.6m in gifts THE Paranaque City government announced on Wednesday it is giving financial assistance to job order employees as Christmas gifts for their hard work, especially during this time of COVID-19 pandemic.

City Treasurer Anthony Pulmano said Mayor Edwin Olivarez has approved the release of P5.6 million both from general and special educations funds for JO employees who “deserve to be awarded”.

Pulmano said job order employees who rendered more than four months of service this year will receive P3,000 cash assistance.

On the other hand, those who rendered less that four months of service will receive P1,500 this week.

Pulmano said the city government has more than P3 billion savings after releasing almost P5 billion to fund different measures and programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said thousands of medical frontliners, city hall employees also deserve to be awarded for their collective and unceasing participation and contribution to the city government’s continuing efforts toward more responsive delivery of public service for the past nine months.

In September, the local government also gave barangay enforcers 20 percent incentives from the fine paid by violators of health and safety protocols as it rolled out several financial assistance measures that will benefit the frontliners.

Mayor Olivarez has prioritized the granting of incentives to city government workers and other frontliners as they continue to risk their lives and limbs in implementing and enforcing the provisions of COVID 19-related measures to ensure the safety of residents.

The city chief executive reminded residents they “should strictly comply with health protocols to prevent COVID-19 cases from soaring. Joel E. Zurbano

‘To avoid floods, cut soil erosion’ SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya—Echoing massive calls for action against flooding in Cagayan Valley, Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn C. Bambalan of DENR Region 02 pointed out that soil erosion needs to be checked.

“Refrain from using glyphosates, it kills all weeds, but it has destructive affect to the soil and vegetation,” Bambalan warned upland farmers.

While acknowledging that upland communities need support to sustainably manage their occupancy inside watershed areas, Bambalan cited the 8-year-old Forestland Management Project (FMP) as a direct action to address the problem.

“I saw newly opened clearings in the mountainsides along the way here. Please look at the activities of kaingineros. File charges [for forestry law violations] if necessary,” Bambalan asked PENRO Edgar Martin of Nueva Vizcaya.

As a leading support component to community-based forest management, FMP is DENR’s strategy that is supported by official development assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency through a loan package.

“We only have one Earth to live. As all of us saw during Typhoon Ulysses, population in Cagayan and Isabela were heavily affected floods came.

Before you cut trees, please think of the people affected in the lowlands,” the DENR executive told members of people’s organizations and LGUs attending a workshop for the operation and maintenance of completed Agro-Forestry Support Project. Abe Almirol

Dinalupihan folk Cauayan honored for digital governance get ‘noche buena’ By Jessica M. Bacud DINALUPIHAN, Bataan—With strict observance to government health protocols to avoid the spread of Covid 19 virus, Dinalupihan Mayor Gila Garcia has opted to go with house-to-house delivery of the local government’s noche buena packages to residents here.

The lady mayor said they distributed Christmas food packs to 31,717 families in 46 barangays here from December 1823.

Garcia said she hopes the noche buena packages will in a way bring the spirit of Christmas to her constituents amidst the pandemic.

The last-term mayor used to conduct yearly sectoral general assemblies filled with fun activities, songs, and dances, and of course gift giving for the Christmas celebration.

“Hindi ko makikita ngayong Pasko ang mga masasayang mukha ng aking mga kababayan habang sumasali sa mga masasayang activities gaya ng pa-raffle ng mga papremyo, sumasayaw, kumakanta, at iba pa,” said the well-loved lady mayor. Butch Gunio

CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela – The city of Cauayan was recognized by the Department of Information and Communication Technology, (DITC), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Information Communication Technology Confederation of the Philippine for two honors during the annual Digital Governance Awards.

Mayor Bernard Faustino M. Dy expressed gratitude to the three agencies for recognizing the efforts of Cauayan City in enhancing the delivery of public service through ICT. Cauayan City was 3rd Place in the Best in LGU Empowerment (G2G) Award for its Integrated Digital Twin for Disaster Resiliency Project, highlighting the use of the first-ever digital map (3D map) for mitigating the impacts of disaster through the support of Graffiquo and Smart Cities Network Limited.

The city also ranked 3rd in the Best in Customer Empowerment (G2C) Award

for its E-Patrol Complaint Tracking System of the Sumbungan ng Bayan or Constituent’s Relations Management during its first virtual ceremony held on December 11, 2020, Dy said.

San Juan City ranked first while Manila was in second place among 118 cities and municipalities who submitted their entries for the Digital Governance Awards.

Cauayan Mayor Bernard Faustino M. Dy

Opinion Christmas 2020: The basis for feeling fortunate IN THE weeks everything. and days leading The second quesup to Christmas, tion that a Filipino lamentations and should ask himself expressions of or herself during this dissatisfaction season of the Christ and discontent are child is whether he often heard across the land. Why are or she is still employed. Like all all these bad things happening? Why pandemics, this one has wiped away are we in the situation we are in and jobs across--- respecting no person, why don’t we have enough of this, respecting no region, and respecting that or the other? These are the other religion! MSMEs (medium, small and questions that one often hears being micro enterprises) have been blown asked. away, with little or no prospect of These are various ways of catego- being restarted. Furloughs, job-sharrizing the approximately 110 million ing, reduced hours, and outright laypeople who live in this country today. offs have been the order of the day.

One of these ways is to categorize Those who are still standing, emsome of them as fortunate and the ployment-wise, and are still receiving others as unforsalaries and wages tunate.

Those regularly are truwho are feeling ly fortunate. They Get down on your fortunate are are very much the looking forward exception. knees and thank the to a reasonably The third quesChild whose birth we merry Christtion whose anare celebrating. mas; those who swer is decisive of regard themwhether a Filipino selves as uncan consider himfortunate think self fortunate is their Christmas 2020 will be the sad- the sufficiency of food in the house. dest Christmas they have ever seen.

Is there food in the house for three Whether or not a Filipino belongs meals every day? A recent survey by among the fortunate can be decided Social Weather Stations on the food by the answers he gives to these ques- poverty situation in the country at this tions. If the majority of his answers time shows a sharp increase in the are positive, he can consider himself percentage of Filipinos experiencing truly fortunate; the opposite is true if no-food situations during a threehis answers are mostly negative. month period. Many, many families The prior question is, have you lost are not eating enough. Many others anyone near and dear as a result of are eating hardly at all. pandemic? There is no stronger basis If you, dear reader, have not lost for feeling unfortunate than to have anyone near or dear to COVID-19, lost a member of your immediate still have a job and are able to put family or a close relative, or a very enough food on the table for your dear friend, to COVID-19. It is not family, stop bitching and expressing possible to feel good about Christ- dissatisfaction with things as they are. mas when there is an empty place at Get down on your knees and thank the dining table or the company of a the Child whose birth we are celebratspecial friend can no longer be had. ing. You are one of the country’s forPersonal loss is the worst of losses. It tunate people. is the killer of good times. It deadens Merry Christmas, everyone.

Dampened spirit of police abuses that lead to merely a dismissal of the offending party, without proper judicial conviction.

Guilty police officers run scot-free.

This practice of committing heinous crimes and condoning such misbehavior among the police force is conTODAY is Christmas Eve. While trary to their sworn duty and values. many of us are preparing a simple This explains the public mistrust in noche buena in our own homes, there our police.

The President has assured us that he are others who are far from celebrating. Early this week, the country saw will not condone or protect Nuezca. a mother and a son mercilessly killed I fervently hope that the police and in broad daylight in front of their the courts will do the same. The befamily and a child—such a blatant havior of Nuezca has no place in law disregard for human life. The incident enforcement. I hope that the criminal case filed against Nuezca will prosparked public outrage.

The suspect, Police Senior Master ceed until justice is properly served.

Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, was assigned This way, the police can reclaim and preserve their to the Paranaque honor.

City Police Crime While the FilLaboratory and I pray for peace in ipino Christmas was not on offiour country. spirit is known cial duty when to be unfalterhe committed the ing, this incicrime. As clear as dent seems to day, this senseless killing was a double murder, a crime have dampened our joyous mood. It punished by reclusion perpetua. More is hard enough to celebrate Christmas than that, it was another story among confined in our homes, missing our the countless incidents of abuse of au- relatives and friends, all the more it thority by the police, another statistic is harder to enjoy knowing that many among the victims of police brutality. families are grieving from the loss of This is alarming. While it is unfair their loved ones this year. My Christto generalize and conclude such be- mas wish perhaps is that may these havior among the members of the po- people find peace and comfort from lice, this should instigate a reassess- the Lord. Ironic, we celebrate the ment of the values inculcated in our Lord’s nativity while many mourn the police force. The police are meant to loss of life. Nonetheless, may Christ’s serve and protect. Their badges bear birth bring hope that better days are the words, “service,” “honor” and coming, and that we will be saved “justice” which are meant to be up- from our own pains and tragedies.

I pray for peace in our country. A held at all times. Often, our police are accused of impunity given the records Merry Christmas to all.

ManilaStandard

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

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

B1

EDITORIAL

I

American failure

N THE tortuous days following the Nov. 3 US presidential elections, the world breathed a sigh of relief when it became apparent that former Vice President Joe Biden had defeated the incumbent president, Donald Trump, who over almost four years made a mockery of the American system of government.

by disgraced former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani filed and lost more than 50 lawsuits seeking to overturn the election results in various states, Trump went to the US Supreme Court, where he had appointed three of the nine sitting justices. Here, he lost too.

So obsessed has Trump been that he has not been doing the job he is fighting so hard to retain.

The relief may have been premature, though. Soon, it became clear that the loser-in-chief at the White House and his minions refused to accept Biden as the president-elect by casting doubt on the integrity of the electoral process, the very heart of American democracy, without providing a shred of credible evidence.

Time and again, Trump and his lawyers would raise his unfounded allegations of widespread fraud, a lie that his millions of followers would parrot, magnifying it in a social media echo chamber.

When his crack legal team led

Then he sought to subvert the vote in swing states in which he lost, pressuring Republican state legislators to throw out the election results in their states and appoint electors who would cast votes for Trump in the Electoral College. Again Trump lost and the Electoral College certified that Joe Biden would be the next president.

Grasping at straws, Trump is now banking on Republican lawmakers loyal to him to challenge that certification in Congress next month, a bid that will also surely fail.

So obsessed has Trump been that he has not been doing the job he is fighting so hard to retain.

In the dangerous transition period

until Biden takes office on Jan.20, the US surpassed 17 million coronavirus cases as daily infections averaged more than 200,000 a day and deaths averaged more than 3,000 a day. More than two Americans die every minute due to COVID-19 as Trump plots ways to overturn the election that he has clearly lost, and to retain a job he really isn’t doing.

Political pundits who have sought to put a positive spin on this sequence of events say that in the end, the system worked and the guard rails kept Trump from stealing the election.

A more realistic view is that this has been an American failure since Trump’s ascent to power in 2016, even though he lost the popular vote by more than 3 million votes to his Democratic challenger. The failure of the system became apparent, too, when Republicans loyal to him turned a blind eye to his offenses that led to his impeachment in 2019. The system is failing still, as Trump uses his unchecked power of pardon to let criminals who worked for him go scot-free.

Donald Trump was ethically, morally and intellectually unqualified for the presidency but enough Americans voted for him anyway.

That is a failure in our book.

Too many chiefs FOR the nth time, Malacanang gave Health Secretary Francisco Duque a pass. Lucky guy. Maybe the Palace is right that what happened with the Pfizer vaccine is no big deal. What does it matter if the vaccine is delayed for six months? It only means that the virus will kill more Filipinos. Did the effort to procure 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for January 2021 fail because Secretary Duque dropped the ball? Duque denies it and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez is insisting that there is no fiasco because the negotiations are still on.

Duque, in a statement to the press, also said that when he was given the documents, he was given no deadline and that if there was any error, it was on the side of caution. What caution?

All that he had to do was to sign a confidentiality non-disclosure agreement.

Why would it take him three weeks to sign such a document? Maybe he followed the warning of Senator Aquilino Pimentel who I did not realize is a logistics expert. Every country on earth knows that there is a mad scramble to procure a vaccine because there is a long queue for the items. It was fortunate that the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed to use his considerable clout to help us procure the Pfizer vaccine for delivery by January. Now, we are at the back of the line instead of being in front.

I would think that any delivery agreement that our officials will sign with regard to any vaccine is premised on the fact that the vaccine is safe, effective and more importantly approved for use by competent government authorities from the country of origin. So, it should not have taken Duque that long to sign that document. This is not the time to be

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

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

taking our own sweet time requesting for a lot of documents to study when almost every country that has money have been negotiating for early delivery of the vaccine when ready. Maybe the good Secretary simply forgot the old saying that the early bird catches the worm. Let us hope that this dropping of the ball – or perhaps dribbling of the ball is the better term – has nothing to do with some sectors in government favoring a particular vaccine like the Sinovac vaccine which cost $20 more than the Pfizer vaccine.

History will not be kind to those incompetent officials.

From the daily stream of reports that we are reading, it appears that the bulk of whatever vaccines that we will procure will come from China with 30 million doses. I wish however, that Secretary Galvez can come out once and for all with a statement naming the vaccines that his team has decided to buy. Pfizer and Moderna were already given emergency use authorization. AstraZeneca does not yet have authorization but already, we have an agreement to buy 2.9 million doses and Galvez wants another 20 million doses of it. Why could we not have done the same thing with Pfizer?

The fourth is Sinovac with Sputnik V from Russia being the fifth.

In a report last Monday, Secretary Galvez is in negotiations with representatives of Covovax of India to purchase another 30 million doses.

Covovax is still undergoing its third phase trials and therefore not done yet. This suggests that the vaccines will be administered by about September. What is taking them so long to make a decision? I wish however, that they will choose vaccines that the public will have confidence in. After all, it will be the people’s arms that will be injected. We must remember what happened because of Dengvaxia.

The people lost their trust in vaccines.

This is why it matters what vaccines to buy so that people will be willing to be injected.

If there were mistakes in the last ten months in the handling of this pandemic, the government cannot afford a fiasco in the vaccination program this time. Sometime in the future when this pandemic will be history, a more objective assessment will be made on how the government responded to this 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Now is not the proper time. For one, the pandemic is not yet over. The daily infection numbers are still high and continuous to kill a lot of people but this no longer seems to alarm us. We have gotten used to it and the fear factor is gone notwithstanding frequent warnings.

Everybody seems to have adjusted to pandemic life. This is why it is so important to be able to get a vaccine at the earliest possible time instead of July or August 2021 in order to save as many lives as we can. If we bungle the effort, history will not be kind to those incompetent officials responsible.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

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

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

World

Standard

B2

TODAY DECEMBER 24, 2020 THURSDAY, mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HK pro-democracy media tycoon Lai granted bail, with conditions A HONG Kong pro-democracy media tycoon detained under a new national security law was granted bail on Wednesday under strict conditions, including house arrest and a ban on social media posts.

Jimmy Lai, a vocal Beijing critic, is one of the highest-profile figures charged under a sweeping security law that China imposed on the finan-

Standard Manila

Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial RegionTODAY REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Branch 84, Quezon City IN RE: PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION OF EMILY ROSE FAST, Petitioner. x--------------------------------------------x SP. PROC. NO. R-QZN-19-18790-SP

cial hub over the summer in a bid to stamp out dissent.

He is accused of colluding with foreign countries by calling on overseas governments to sanction Hong Kong and China in response to its ongoing crackdown on pro-democracy activism in the city.

Lai, 73, was remanded into custody earlier this month by a dedicated

national security judge sitting in a lower court.

But on Wednesday, his legal team appealed to the city’s High Court, where he was granted bail by a more senior judge picked to adjudicate national security cases.

Judge Alex Lee ordered Lai to pay a HK$10 million bond (US$1.3 million) and imposed a number of other

conditions.

He must remain at home, surrender all travel documents and hold no meetings with foreign officials or foreign institutions deemed to be hostile to China.

Lai was also banned from posting on social media, issuing statements or speaking to the media.

Court rules restrict the press from

Trump says virus aid a ‘disgrace’ Manila

Standard

TODAY

P

RESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected a massive Covid economic relief package passed by Congress, branding it “a disgrace” in an act of political brinkmanship less than a month before he must leave office and when millions of Americans are suffering fallout from the pandemic.

ORDER and NOTICE OF HEARING On December 18, 2019 Petitioner through counsel, filed this verified Petition praying that after due notice, publication and hearing, an order be issued granting the Petition by declaring that petitioner has all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications for acquisition of Philippine citizenship thru naturalization under C.A. 473; and issuing an order that a Naturalization Certificate be issued and that said Naturalization Certificate be registered in the appropriate civil registry.

Brieftly, the petitioner alleged that she is a Canadian Citizen, of legal age, single, born in Langley,Canada on 3 September 1996 and presently residing at No. 85B Pingkian 1, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that the petitioner was a resident of 8835-213 Street, Langley, British Columbia, Canada; that she is a daughter of Pastor Michael John Fast and Eva Rose Wiebe who are residing in the Philippines for more than 23 years doing missionary works with the Baptist Conference in the Philippines; that at the age of 3, Petitioner and her family came to reside in the Philippines. They arrived in the Philippines on September 8, 1999 together with her parents who came here in pursuit of their missionary works. They landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on board Japan Airlines with Flight No. JL745 and Petitioner was carrying Passport No. VG891161 issued by the Government of Canada. Such fact is shown at the Certification issued by the Bureau of Immigration; that petitioner holds an Alien Certificate of Registration No. G1906013876TV with SSRN No. 1410EF1209234726 issued by the Philippine Government which is valid until June 25, 2020 and a holder of Canadian Passport No. HM689374 valid until November 15, 2026; that petitioner holds an Alien Certificate of Registration No. G1906013876TV with SRRN No. 1410EF4209234726 issued by the Philippine Government which is valid until June 25, 2020; that having resided in the Philippines at an early age, Petitioner started and completed her schooling in the country and which is detailed as follows: Pre-school – SEATS Preschool – 670 Edsa, Brgy. E. Rodriguez, Cubao, Quezon City; Primary – Gospel Light Christian Academy – Matahimik St., cor. V. Luna, Brgy. Malaya, Quezon City; Secondary – Gospel Light Christian Academy – Matahimik St., cor. V. Luna, Brgy. Malaya, Quezon City; Tertiary – University of the Philippines Diliman – Bachelor of Arts in Film – Magna Cum Laude (2013-2018); that presently, Petitioner is a freelance photographer, videographer and film maker. She is also is the official film maker for the Baptist General Conference of Canada and was assigned in the Philippines to assist the South East Asian Theology Schools, Inc. in filming lecture videos; that in pursuit of her missionary works, Petitioner teaches in Pingkian Kid’s Net (2013 to present). This is a weekly values class for local children from the ages of 3 up to 12 years old. Together with 9 other missionary workers, Petitioner teaches lessons, prepares the activities and cooks snacks for the kids of Pingkian 1 Central, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that she is also a Leader of the Pingkian Youth Ministry (2014-present). This is a weekly gathering wherein around 30 youth of the community come together to discuss the Bible in Pingkian 1, Central, Brgy.

Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that she acts as the Secretary of Pingkian 1 Neighbor Youth Association (PINYA) (2013-present) in Pingkian 1 Central, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City. This is a government-recognized association that promotes community service and involvement of the youth in local events. As a member of PINYA, she is involved in different activities like organizing Christmas presentations, holding workshops, setting up garage sales, street-sweeping, and other community activities; that petitioner likewise, is a Sunday School Teacher of the Metro Manila Bible Community (MMBC) (215-present) in 19 Col. Salgado St., Brgy. West Kamias, Quezon City. This involves teaching Bible stories and values lessons to children every Sunday; that petitioner was a member of the University of the Philippines Cinema Arts Society (UP CAST) (2013-2017) and served as Secretary; that all of the foregoing activities and membership in different organizations establishes the strong tie of the Petitioner with the Filipinos and through such constant association, she can fluently speak in Pilipino/Tagalog, learned to love and embrace the Filipino culture, customs and traditions; and that she has been residing in the Philippines for more than 20 years particularly at the address stated above and has been a law-abiding resident of Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City; that petitioner seeks to acquire Philippine Citizenship thru naturalization under Commonwealth Act No. 473 (C.A. 473) otherwise known as “ An Act to Provide for the Acquisition of Philippine Citizenship by Naturalization; that petitioner has complied with all the other formal and substantial requirements under C.A. 473 for the acquisition of Philippine Citizenship thru naturalization including age and years of residence in the Philippines; that she possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications set forth in C.A. 473; that in the 20 years of petitioner’s stay in the Philippines, she was able to establish and maintain a good reputation among her students, peers, religious group, classmates and within the community; that petitioner has never directly or indirectly disobeyed the Philippine Constitution since she believes in the underlying principles thereof; that neither did she transgressed any laws and regulations for the period of her stay in the Philippines; that since 2013, petitioner serves as the Secretary of Pingkian I Neighbor Youth Association (PINYA) in Pingkian 1 Central, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City; that not only moderate knowledge of conversational Pilipino Tagalog, Petitioner can speak Pilipino/Tagalog fluently having been raised and lived in the Philippines since age of 3. In fact, her accent and the way she pronounces Tagalog words will let one think or believe that one speaking is Filipina – not a foreign national.

She is likewise fluent in English; that she does not defend or teach necessity of violence, personal assault or assassination for the predominance of ideas that she is not a polygamist or believer in the practice of polygamy; that petitioner have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or any incurable contagious disease; that petitioner has socially mingled with Filipinos.

Her various missionary activities and membership is different organizations establishes the strong tie of the Petitioner with the Filipinos and through such constant association, she learned to love and embrace the culture, customs, traditions and ideals of Filipinos; that petitioner is a national of Canada which country grants Filipinos the right to become a naturalized citizen or subject thereof; that she believes in the underlying principles of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and undertakes to preserve and protect the same; that petitioner will continue to reside in the Philippines from the date of filing of this petition up to the time of her acquisition of Philippine Citizenship; and that upon being admitted as Filipino citizen, petitioner will renounce her allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, protectorate, state or sovereignty and particularly to Canada of which she is a citizen at present.

NOTICE is hereby given that the instant petition will be heard before this Court sitting at Room 105, Hall of Justice Building, Quezon City on JUNE 7, 2021 at 8:30 in the morning (in-court hearing) at which date and time, all persons interested and concerned may appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle, the last publication of which shall be at least more than four (4) months before the date of hearing. Petitioner is ordered to serve a copy of the Petition upon the Office of the Solicitor General and the respondents, and to submit proof of service thereof at least ten (10) days prior to the date of scheduled hearing. The respondents and/or any interested person may file opposition thereto within fifteen (15) days from notice of this Order or from the last date of publication of this Order.

The Court further orders counsel and petitioner to submit their email addresses within 15 calendar days from receipt hereof and/or send in advance to the official email of the courtindicated below.

SO ORDERED. Given this 23rd day of September 2020 at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

(Sgd.) HON. LUISITO G. CORTEZ Presiding Judge cc: Atty. LELAND R. LOPEZ Counsel for the Petitioner Block 5, Lot 14, Sampaguita St., Palmera Homes Phase II, Brgy. Sta. Monica, Novaliches, Quezon City EMILY ROSE FAST Petitioner No. 85B Pingkian I, Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, Quezon City Office of the Solicitor General No. 134 Amorsolo Street Legaspi Village, Makati City Local Civil Registrar Quezon City National Statistics Office East Avenue, Quezon City City Prosecutor’s Office 4th Floor, Quezon City Hall of Justice Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION and DEPORTATION Port Area, Intramuros, Manila

(MStandard - Dec. 10, 17 & 24, 2020)

detailing legal arguments made by prosecutors and the defense during a bail hearing.

Lai’s Apple Daily newspaper has previously reported that the bulk of the prosecution’s case against him revolves around tweets and interviews he has given to the media since the national security law was imposed in late June. AFP

ILLEGAL ASSEMBLY. Former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung (left), also known as ‘Long Hair’, convener of civil human rights front Figo Chan (center) and former lawmaker Eddie Chu (right) arrive at West Kowloon court on December 17, 2020, to face charges of illegal assembly from a protest on July 1 this year. AFP

Russia not expecting ‘anything good’ from Biden RUSSIAN Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Wednesday Moscow was not expecting “anything good” from US President-elect Joe Biden, accusing members of his future administration of “Russophobia”.

“We are definitely not expecting anything good. And it would be strange to expect good things from people, many of whom made their careers on Russophobia and throwing mud at my country,” Ryabkov said in an interview with news agency Interfax.

The interview was released days after the US accused Russia of a major

cyber attack on government agencies.

Biden on Tuesday said the attack cannot go “unanswered”, promising to retaliate once he takes office on January 20.

Ryabkov said Moscow should move to a “total containment” approach in relations with the United States, retaining “selective dialogue” on subjects that are of interest to Russia.

The deputy foreign minister said that Russia would not initiate any contacts with Biden’s transition staff, and would also not make any “unilateral concessions”.

He added that if the US continued approaching Russia as a “strategic rival” then Moscow would “treat them in a similar way”.

Referring to fresh US sanctions imposed earlier this week on 45 Russian organizations over their military connections, Ryabkov said the outgoing administration was trying to “loudly slam the door”.

“We are going from bad to worse.

This was very typical for the past four years and so far there is no feeling that this trend has outlived its usefulness,” Ryabkov said. AFP

Venezuela gov’t persecuting oil unions VENEZUELA’S vital oil industry is failing and the socialist government is feeling the pressure, and now the regime of President Nicolas Maduro is being accused of lashing out at the sector’s unions.

In recent months, several union leaders have been arrested, accused of terrorism, sharing confidential information and inciting hatred.

Venezuela is in the midst of a crippling economic crisis that it is unable to escape because its oil industry is operating at just one eighth of its capacity from 12 years ago.

Critics say the government doesn’t want anyone to know it’s to blame for the demise.

“The idea is to neutralize the oil union movement by force,” said Ivan Freites, director of the federation of Venezuelan oil workers, who has fled to neighboring Colombia.

Speaking

to AFP by WhatsApp, the 57-year-old accused the government of “political persecution.”

He slipped out of Venezuela secretly, using a false identity and by breaking through border fences put up due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“They were going to come for me,” Freites said.

On November 18, military intelligence officers arrested another oil union spokesman, Eudis Girot. They accused him of terrorism and revealing secret information.

Four days before that, Guillermo Zarraga -- a colleague of Freites’s at the Paraguana refinery, the largest in Venezuela -- was detained after an explosion at the refinery that the government claimed was a “terrorist attack.”

Union leaders, however, said it was due to failed attempts to reactivate facilities amidst a chronic fuel shortage that has seen cars lining up for days at

gas stations waiting to fill their tanks.

In January, two other union members were arrested by members of the National Guard during a workers’ assembly at the major El Palito refinery in the northern Carabobo state.

“In Venezuela the criminalization of critical opinion and social protests is a state policy, systematic and generalized,” said the human rights NGO PROVEA in a 2019 report on the persecution of unions.

‘Destabilizing action’ Venezuela has been wracked by three years of hyperinflation and has been in recession for seven years.

Citizens have faced shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine while public services regularly fail.

It is almost entirely dependent on its oil revenue but according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) it is producing just 400,000 barrels a day compared to 3.2

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late RUVENAL PABILLAR MAYOR and JOSEFINA BASA DOMINGUEZ(also known MAYOR as Josephine Basa Dominguez-Mayor) has been extra-judicially settled among their heirs WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS as per Doc. No. 423; Page No. 86; Book No. II; Series of 2020 before Notary Public ATTY. JORDAN ANDREW Q. LIM. (MS-DEC. 24/31, 2020 & JAN. 7, 2021

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PRIMITIVO VICENCIO DOMINGUEZ, SR. and NATIVIDAD BASAS DOMINGUEZ has been extrajudicially settled among their heirs, as per Doc. No. 429; Page No. 87; Book No. II; Series of 2020 before Notary Public ATTY. JORDAN ANDREW Q. LIM. (MS-DEC. 24/31, 2020 & JAN. 7, 2021

ANTI-SEMITIC. The lawyers of Stephan Balliet, Hans-Dieter Weber (right)) and Thomas Rutkowski give a statement after the verdict was spoken on the 26th day of the trial against Stephan Balliet on December 21, 2020 at the district court in Magdeburg, eastern Germany. The court handed down a life sentence to the assailant behind a deadly far-right attack that nearly became the country’s worst antiSemitic atrocity since World War II. After failing to storm the Halle synagogue on October 9, 2019, the attacker, Stephan Balliet, 28, shot dead a female passer-by and a man at a kebab shop. AFP

Trump dropped the bombshell via a pre-recorded statement made in the White House and sent out on Twitter.

It came just a day after his Republicans and the Democrats finally agreed overwhelmingly to a $900 billion bill meant to throw a lifeline to businesses and people struggling to keep heads above water.

In his address, Trump said he would refuse to accept the bill as it is and demanded changes, notably a big increase in the proposed $600 direct payments to less well-off Americans.

“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple,” he said, referring to relief checks.

Tapping into his nationalist “America First” brand, Trump also castigated measures added onto the bill during complex negotiations that would provide funding for projects benefiting US partners abroad and other non-Covid related items like the environment.

“It really is a disgrace,” he said.

“I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation, and just send me a suitable bill.”

Trump has not yet received the bill and he did not explicitly say he would not sign. If he actually vetoed the package, Congress would almost certainly quickly override that, given the bipartisan support.

In what is widely expected to be only a portion of a slew of presidential pardons and commutations issued in the dying days of the administration, the White House also announced late Tuesday that 20 people had been

3 French cops killed while responding to domestic violence THREE police officers were killed and a fourth wounded in central France on Wednesday by a gunman they confronted in response to a domestic violence call, officials said.

The suspect, a 48-year-old man known to authorities for child custody disputes, was “discovered dead” several hours after fleeing the home in an isolated hamlet near Saint-Just, a village south of the city of Clermont-Ferrand, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet.

He gave no further details on how the man died.

“Our security forces put their lives at risk to protect us. These are our heroes,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet.

The man opened fire at two officers who arrived at the house shortly after midnight after being alerted to a reported domestic assault.

One was killed immediately and the other shot in the thigh before the man set fire to the house, where a woman had climbed onto the roof.

Two further officers, responding to the scene, were then fired on and killed, according to the prosecutor’s office in Clermont-Ferrand.

Police reinforcements and firefighters were rushed to the scene, and all roads leading to the house were blocked off.

The woman was safely rescued, and was being questioned by police. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

B3

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market ends flat; Security Bank up S tocks closed flat Wednesday in lackluster trading, with gains capped by concerns over a possible increase in COVID-19 cases during the holiday weekend.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added just 1.99 points, or 0.03 percent, to 7,204.38 on a value turnover of P6.9 billion. Gainers beat losers, 138 to 90, with 43 issues unchanged.

Dito CME Holdings Corp., the the

third major mobil phone company, advanced 4.8 percent to P8.70, while Security Bank Corp., the seventh biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 4.7 percent to P138.70.

PLDT Inc., the largest telecommunications firm, rose 1.3 percent to P1,350, but BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest bank, slipped 1 percent to P106.80.

The rest of Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday following two days of selling, while investors appeared initially unfussed after Donald Trump called a new stimulus package “a disgrace” and told US lawmakers to

amend it.

Equities and oil prices have taken a hit recently as virus cases surged across the planet and a new more transmissible strain was reported in the UK, forcing governments to impose tight restrictions and lockdowns to contain the disease over the festive period.

The worrying spike in infections has overshadowed the rollout of vaccines and news at the start of the week that Congress had finally hammered out an economic rescue package worth around $900 billion.

“So much of the good news of the vaccine had been already digested and

LOCKED DOWN. A giant illuminated Santa Claus decoration stands at a shopping mall where shops are closed during Germany’s second lockdown amid the ongoing novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, on December 22, 2020 in Berlin, two days before Christmas. AFP

Virus success helps Taiwan buck global economic slump

Manila

Standard

Republic of the Philippines TODAY COMMISSION ON AUDIT

Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

RESOLUTION

By Amber Wang with Sean Chang TAIPEI, Taiwan―As the world’s economies reel from the coronavirus pandemic, Taiwan is on track to end the year clocking up enviable growth―a testament to the island’s success in halting the deadly disease.

Throughout much of the year, shoppers have thronged stores, restaurants have stayed busy, tourist attractions have remained open and factories have kept humming.

In a remarkable contrast to comparable industrialized economies, which have taken a battering, official projections forecast growth of 2.5 percent in 2020.

“That probably will be the highest in the world,” Lin Chu-chia, an economist at National Chengchi University, told AFP. For the first time since 1991, Taiwan is also set to outgrow its giant neighbor China, where the virus first emerged but has now also been largely vanquished.

The International Monetary Fund estimates China will grow 1.9 percent this year, compared with a global contraction of 4.4 percent.

Act fast Taiwan’s ability to weather the coronavirus has centered on two crucial elements.

When the virus first emerged, authorities made economically painful and unpopular shutdown decisions early on.

Borders were shut, strict quarantine measures enforced and carriers traced. As a result, Taiwan had no local infections for 253 straight days from early April.

That clean streak was broken on Tuesday when a woman tested positive after coming into contact with a foreign pilot, prompting a scramble to contain the new outbreak.

But it was because the disease was essentially defeated by the beginning of April that Taiwan’s high-tech economy was in a unique position to roar back.

For decades, Taiwan has been the world’s premier destination for computer chip and electronics manufacturing.

And at a time when vast swathes of the world were suddenly forced to work or learn from home, Taiwan’s factories were able to meet the soaring demand.

“The key drive for Taiwan’s economy is the robust export growth,” Lin said.

Exports soared to a historic high of $32 billion in October, up 11 percent on-year, with double-digit growth in major markets including China and the United States, official data showed.

November’s exports became the second highest ever, with the annual total on course to break records too. Earlier this month, Taiwan’s dollar was trading at highs not seen since 1997.

Tech titans Topping the list of a string of tech companies that registered record profits in the third quarter is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract microchip maker that supplies Apple and other international brands.

TSMC’s net profit in those three months rose by over a third onyear to $4.8 billion. Meanwhile its shares soared over 50 percent since the beginning of the year, propelling the stock market to new highs. AFP

even the stimulus bill that people had largely anticipated,” Joanne Feeney of Advisors Capital Management said on Bloomberg TV. “So some of the flattening of the market just reflects how much has already been built into the market from those two good sources of news.”

However, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei and Jakarta were all in positive territory after recent losses, while Wellington extended gains. Singapore fell.

New York stock futures dropped, though, after Trump’s outburst against this week’s stimulus agreement.

The outgoing president slammed the package as not having enough for American families and told Congress to rethink it, raising the possibility of it being held up until after Christmas.

“It really is a disgrace,” he said in a video message posted on Twitter.

“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple,” he added, referring to relief cheques being prepared.

“I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation, and just send me a suitable bill.”

OANDA’s Jeffrey Halley said: “Asia’s first reaction appears to be that President Trump is bluffing, or that even if Trump vetoes the fiscal stimulus, Congress will act quickly with the necessary votes” to override his veto.

“Given that many Congressional representatives have probably already left Washington DC for the holidays, that could be complacent. For now, markets appear to be holding off pressing the sell button until the situation clarifies.” With AFP

SUBJECT

No.

:

No. 2020-015

Date

:

January 31, 2020

Prescribing secondary documents in lieu of travel tickets and certificates of appearance, in substantial compliance with Sections 3.1.2.2 and 3.2.2.2 of Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 96-004 dated April 19, 1996, and Section 1.2.4 of COA Circular No. 2012-001 dated June 14, 2012

:

WHEREAS, Section 16 of Executive Order (EO) No. 248 dated May 29, 1995, as amended by EO No. 248-A dated August 14, 1995, states that “within sixty (60) days after his return to the Philippines, in the case of official travel abroad, or within thirty (30) days of his return to his permanent official station in the case of official local travel, every official or employee shall render an account of the cash advance received by him in accordance with existing applicable rules and regulations and/or such rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the Commission on Audit [COA] for the purpose. Payment of the salary of any official or employee who fails to comply with the provision of this Section shall be suspended until he complies therewith.”;

1.2.4

Certificate of appearance/attendance

• •

Copy of previously approved itinerary of travel Revised or supplemental Office Order or any proof supporting the change of schedule Revised Itinerary of Travel, if the previous approved itinerary was not followed Certification by the Head of Agency as to the absolute necessity of the expenses together with the corresponding bills or receipts, if the expenses incurred for official travel exceeded the prescribed rate per day (certification or affidavit of loss shall not be considered as an appropriate replacement for the required hotel/lodging bills and receipts) Liquidation Report Reimbursement Expense Receipt (RER)

• •

• • • • •

1.2.4.2

OR in case of refund of excess cash advance Certificate of Travel Completed Hotel room/lodging bills with official receipts in case of official travel to places within 50-kilometer radius from the last city or municipality covered by the Metro Manila Area, or the city or municipality where their permanent official station is located in the case of those outside Metro Manila Area, if the travel allowances being claimed include the hotel room/lodging rate

Foreign Travel Paper/electronic plane tickets, boarding pass, boat or bus tickets

•

Certificate of appearance/attendance for training/seminar/ participation

•

Bills/receipts for non-commutable representation expenses approved by the President under Section 13 of EO No. 248

•

For reimbursement of actual travel expenses in excess of the prescribed rate (EO No. 298) o o o

Approval by the President Certification from the Head of Agency that it is absolutely necessary Hotel room bills with official receipts (certification or affidavit of loss shall not be considered as an appropriate replacement for the required hotel/ lodging bills and receipts

6.75% 6.00% 5.94%

7 8 9

CHI LSC APL

6 1.01 0.102

0.3 0.05 0.005

5.26% 5.21% 5.15%

10

DWC

2.35

0.11

4.91%

TOP LOSERS 1 2

MA VVT

LAST PRICE 0.01 14.12

% CHANGE CHANGE -0.001 -9.09% -0.88 -5.87%

3 4 5 6

LOTO CIP ABG AT

2.17 137.5 10 6.31

-0.12 -7.4 -0.5 -0.29

-5.24% -5.11% -4.76% -4.39%

7 8 9

CPG CYBR DAVIN

0.46 0.365 5.8

-0.02 -0.015 -0.23

-4.17% -3.95% -3.81%

10

GEO

0.28

-0.01

-3.45%

MOST ACTIVE 1

DITO

VOLUME 55631500

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

BDO ALI BPI MBT SMPH SECB ACEN GTCAP SM

3221980 6492100 3230290 5113960 6381700 1659960 26062400 288530 151950

VALUE (PHP) 470569730 345691843 269973025 267137474 256543448 245053900 227293989 189735470 171493505 162442200

•

Certificate of appearance/attendance. In the absence thereof, Back to Office Report/Narrative Report on trip undertaken/Report on Participation addressed to the agency head will suffice. The report, duly noted by the agency head or his authorized representative, shall contain, among others, the following information: o Highlights of the training/activity; o Pictures preferably dated; o Plan of action for knowledge sharing; and o Recommendations In the case of travels of agency heads within their area of jurisdiction, a certificate of appearance/attendance shall no longer be required.

• •

Copy of previously approved itinerary of travel Revised or supplemental Office Order or any proof supporting the change of schedule Approved Revised Itinerary of Travel, if the previous approved itinerary was not followed Certification by the Head of Agency as to the absolute necessity of the expenses together with the corresponding bills or receipts, if the expenses incurred for official travel exceeded the prescribed rate per day (certification or affidavit of loss shall not be considered as an appropriate replacement for the required hotel/lodging bills and receipts) Liquidation Report Reimbursement Expense Receipt (RER)

•

• • • • •

1.2.4.2

Official Receipt (OR) in case of refund of excess cash advance Certificate of Travel Completed Hotel room/lodging bills with official receipts in case of official travel to places within 50-kilometer radius from the last city or municipality covered by the Metro Manila Area, or the city or municipality where their permanent official station is located in the case of those outside Metro Manila Area, if the travel allowances being claimed include the hotel room/lodging rate

Foreign Travel Documentary Requirements •

Paper/electronic plane tickets, boarding pass, boat or bus tickets. In the absence thereof, other documents such as, but not limited to, a certified true copy of the passport showing the dates of entry and exit, duly stamped by the Immigration Office of the country of destination as indicated in the approved travel authority and itinerary of travel; or a passenger manifest certified by the concerned airline or shipping company.

•

Certificate of appearance/attendance for training/seminar/ participation. In the absence thereof, Back to Office Report/Narrative Report on trip undertaken/Report on Participation addressed to the agency head will suffice. The report, duly noted by the agency head or his authorized representative, shall contain, among others, the following information: o Highlights of the training/activity; o Pictures preferably dated; o Plan of action for knowledge sharing; and o Recommendations In the case of travels of agency heads, a certificate of appearance/ attendance shall no longer be required provided that the travel was duly supported with travel order properly approved in accordance with Section 5 of EO No. 248, as amended.

•

Bills/receipts for non-commutable representation expenses approved by the President under Section 13 of EO No. 248

•

For reimbursement of actual travel expenses in excess of the prescribed rate (EO No. 298)

•

Narrative report on trip undertaken/Report on Participation

o o

•

OR in case of refund of excess cash advance

•

Certificate of travel completed

o

•

Liquidation Report

Approval by the President Certification from the Head of Agency that it is absolutely necessary Hotel room bills with official receipts (certification or affidavit of loss shall not be considered as an appropriate replacement for the required hotel/ lodging bills and receipts

•

Copy of previously approved itinerary of travel

•

Revised or supplemental Office Order or any proof supporting the change of schedule

•

Approved Revised Itinerary of Travel, if the previous approved itinerary was not followed

•

OR in case of refund of excess cash advance

•

Certificate of Travel Completed

•

Liquidation Report

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

Approved this 31st day of January 2020 at Quezon City, Philippines

Upon the issuance of COA Circular No. 2012-001, Section 1.2.4.1 thereof requires the submission of a certificate of appearance/attendance for local travel, without distinction as regards the position held by the concerned official or employee. Moreover, Section 1.2.4.2 of the circular requires the submission of a narrative report on trip undertaken/report on participation, in addition to a certificate of appearance/attendance for training/seminar/ participation for foreign travel; WHEREAS, while COA Circular No. 2012-001 supersedes all other circulars, resolutions, memoranda, and issuances inconsistent therewith, the circular provides the documentary

0.11 0.15 3.25

Paper/electronic plane, boat or bus tickets, boarding pass, terminal fee. In the absence thereof, other documents such as, but not limited to, a passenger manifest certified by the concerned airline or shipping company.

Revised Itinerary of Travel, if applicable

On the other hand, Section 3.1.2.2(e) of COA Circular No. 96-004 requires the submission of certificate of appearance or a copy of the report on the accomplishment of the purpose of the travel duly noted by the agency head or his authorized representative for local travel of official/employee. However, the certificate of appearance is no longer required in the case of travels of agency heads within their area of jurisdiction. In the case of foreign travel by both the officials/employees and agency heads, Section 3.2.2.2 of the same circular is silent as regards submission of certificate of appearance.

1.74 2.65 57.95

•

•

WHEREAS, COA Circular No. 96-004 does not provide for secondary documents in the event that there is failure to submit the required transportation tickets and certificates of appearance. Under Sections 3.1.2.2(b) and 3.2.2.2(b) of COA Circular No. 96-004, the presentation of a certification or affidavit of loss executed by the official or employee concerned shall not be considered as an appropriate replacement for the required transportation tickets.

However, this proscription was omitted in Sections 1.2.4.1 and 1.2.4.2 of COA Circular No. 2012-001.

ROX CPM CAB

Local Travel

Documentary Requirements •

4 5 6

Documentary Requirements

Documentary Requirements Paper/electronic plane, boat or bus tickets, boarding pass, terminal fee

IMP TECB2 IMI

Travelling Expenses 1.2.4.1

•

•

% CHANGE CHANGE 0.23 14.11% 0.07 10.29% 0.59 7.20%

NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission Proper RESOLVES, as it does hereby RESOLVE, Section 1.2.4 of Circular No. 2012-001 is modified, as follows:

Local Travel

WHEREAS, this Commission acknowledges that there are common issues and concerns affecting a number of officials and/or employees regarding unliquidated cash advances brought about by the failure to present complete documentary requirements evidencing travel completed on account of loss of plane/bus ticket and boarding pass, and/or non-issuance of certificate of appearance/attendance;

This aerial photograph taken on December 8, 2020 shows shipping containers at the harbor in Keelung. While the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic, Taiwan is on track to end the year clocking up enviable economic growth—a testament to the island’s success in halting the deadly disease. AFP

that

Travelling Expenses

•

1 2 3

LAST PRICE 1.86 0.75 8.78

WHEREAS, to facilitate the rendition of account of cash advances for travel expenses granted for official local and foreign travels, this Commission deems it fit to resolve the noted gaps between the provisions of COA Circular Nos. 96-004 and 2012-001 and at the same time identify secondary documents to be submitted as proof of travel and appearance/participation, in substantial compliance with COA Circular No. 2012-001.

WHEREAS, this Commission issued COA Circular No. 2012-001 dated June 14, 2012, prescribing the revised guidelines and documentary requirements for common government transactions, including the liquidation of cash advance for travelling expenses granted for official local and foreign travels. Section 1.2.4 of COA Circular No. 2012-001 provides: 1.2.4.1

TOP GAINERS

requirements for specific transactions only. On the other hand, COA Circular No. 96-004 provides the specific guidelines for drawing and liquidation of cash advance granted for foreign and local travel. Since there is no substantial inconsistency between the two circulars, COA Circular No. 2012-001 did not supersede COA Circular No. 96-004. However, the contrast between the documentary requirements of the circulars must be addressed to avoid further confusion among the concerned officials and/or employees and the auditors; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to the rule-making power of COA under Section 2(2), Article IX-D of the 1987 Constitution, and Section 16 of EO No. 248, as amended by EO No. 248-A, this Commission issued COA Circular No. 96-004 dated April 19, 1996, prescribing the regulations and new rates of allowance for official local and foreign travels of government personnel.

Particularly, Section 3.1.2 of the circular provides the specific guidelines and documentary requirements for the liquidation of cash advance for official local and foreign travels of government personnel;

1.2.4

PSEi December 23, 2020

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO

Chairperson

JOSE A. FABIA Commissioner

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner

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

B4

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 1.99 PTS. 7,204.38

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

29,387,682,696 117,001 6,941,478,221.39 138 90 43

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.0910

Japan

Yen

0.009650

0.4641

UK

Pound

1.336400

64.2688

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128989

6.2032

Switzerland

Franc

1.124101

54.0591

Canada

Dollar

0.774773

37.2596

Singapore

Dollar

0.748559

35.9990

Australia

Dollar

0.752100

36.1692

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655267

127.6944

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266546

12.8185

Brunei

Dollar

0.745768

35.8647

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.033102

1.5919

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0938

Euro

Euro

1.216500

58.5027

Korea

Won

0.000901

0.0433

China

Yuan

0.152837

7.3501

India

Rupee

0.013541

0.6512

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.246366

11.8480

New Zealand

Dollar

0.704100

33.8609

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035540

1.7092 Source: BSP

NGCP requests Congress to let tax-free imports of virus vaccines TRANSMISSION network operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Wednesday asked lawmakers to allow private companies to import, tax-free, doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for use of their employees.

NGCP president and chief executive Anthony Almeda said this would enable businesses to give the economy a much-needed boost in activity.

Almeda appealed to lawmakers to pass a law encouraging the private sector to provide vaccination to employees.

“With a vaccination program in place for the private sector, more businesses and industries will be able to regain some semblance of normal activity, bounce back, and put the economy on its way to recovery after almost a year of slow down,” Almeda said in a statement.

NGCP, with a 5,000-strong workforce, continues to monitor the progress and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in other countries.

“Vaccination, as well as mass testing, is focally critical in the fight against COVID-19. We need to prevent, detect, isolate, and treat. We need to jumpstart the economy now, but we need to ensure that we stack the odds against infections in the workplace,” Almeda said.

NGCP is assessing the possibility of providing its employees, including essential personnel comprised of grid dispatchers and transmission line personnel with the necessary vaccine doses as soon as it becomes available.

“We encourage our counterparts in both the public and private sectors, to be similarly pro-active in protecting their employees, so that we can keep the economy running at full speed,” Almeda said.

NGCP renewed its commitment to enforce all health and safety protocols mandated by the Department of Health and the Department of Labor and Employment to mitigate the spread of the virus in the workplace.

It also continues to help local governments, national health agencies and various communities fight the disease. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business Meralco takes full control of Global Business Power M

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ANILA Electric Co. said Wednesday wholly-owned unit Meralco PowerGen Corp. will take full ownership of Global Business Power Corp. after acquiring an additional 86-percent stake for P34.466 billion.

Meralco said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Meralco PowerGen signed agreements with Beacon Powergen Holding Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and JG Summit Holdings Inc., to transfer their respective shareholdings in GBP to Meralco PowerGen for P22.443 billion and P12.023 billion, respectively.

“With GBP’s operational experience of successfully running its own portfolio of generation assets, coupled with MGen’s own record of managing the first supercritical generation plant in the country, MGen will be better placed to focus on its plan to build its own generation portfolio, including an ambition to own at least 1 gigawatts in renewable energy capacity in five years,” said Meralco president Ray Espinosa.

Meralco PowerGen owns 51 percent of San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co., the country’s first 455-megawatt supercritical coal-fired power plant in Mauban, Quezon.

The company also plans to put up around 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects and is developing a 1,200-MW ultra supercritical coal plant in Atimonan, Quezon.

Meanwhile, Meralco said the purchase price would be paid in installments: 60 percent at closing, 20 percent six months after and the remaining 20 percent after 18 months.

BEAHI holds a 56-percent ownership interest in GBP while JG Summit owns 30 percent interest. Meralco PowerGen owns the balance of 14 percent.

As a result of the transaction, Meralco PowerGen will own 100 percent of GBP, the leading power producer outside Luzon with gross capacity of 1,091 MW. The company has assets in the Visayas and Mindanao.

GBP has almost 30 power generation facilities spread across the Visayas and Mindoro with an more than 850 MW of coal and diesel powered generating capacity and more than 1.3 gigawatts for further expansion.

The main development project is a 670-MW super-critical coal-fired plant in La Union, Pangasinan.

GBP also has presence in Mindanao through its 50-percent interest in Alsons Thermal Energy Corp. which owns 2,105 MW units through Sarangani Energy Corp. and a potential expansion project under San Ramon Power Inc The transfer is expected to deliver scale and operational synergy to both GBP and Meralco PowerGen and further enable these companies to provide ample and reliable supply of power to distribution utilities, electric cooperatives and other customers at competitive rates.

J.P. MORGAN SUPPORT.

Carlos Ma. Mendoza, country manager of J.P. Morgan, receives from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Secretary Isidro Lapena a certificate of appreciation for the company’s support to the workforce readiness agenda of the country. Bayan Academy, along with the support of JP Morgan, helps TESDA transform into a demanddriven organization attuned to the needs of future Filipino workers

Agriculture orders temporary ban on poultry shipments from Poland after bird flu outbreak

By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it issued a temporary ban on the entry of poultry and poultry products from Poland following reports of an outbreak of H5N8 or the highly pathogenic avian influenza in Nakory, Suchozebry, Mazowiekie, Poland on Dec. 1.

It said the ban was based on the report of Dr. Bogdan Konopka, chief veterinary officer of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the World Organization for Animal Health on Dec. 3.

The National Veterinary Research Institute based in Warsaw, Poland confirmed the outbreak upon assessment of affected fowls and birds from the said outbreak areas.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar ordered the the Bureau of Animal Industry to desist from issuing import permits for Polish poultry and poultry products and day-old chicks, eggs and

semen.

Dar said all incoming poultry meat shipments with sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance issued on or before Dec. 8 would be allowed entry provided that frozen poultry meat are certified to have been processed 21 days prior to the outbreak, on or before Nov. 10.

All shipments that are non-compliant with the condition will be seized and confiscated upon entry in all major ports in the country, the department said.

“All shipments will be subject to veterinary quarantine rules and regulations,” the agency said.

The order will take effect immediately and will remain enforced unless revoked in writing, the department said.

Meanwhile, the DA earlier lifted the temporary ban on poultry imports from Hungary.

This followed the report submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture in Hungary to the OIE that the country is now free from bird flu.

INAUGURAL CALL.

Pakistan International Container Terminal, a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc., welcomes the inaugural call of the newlylaunched Pakistan-United Arab Emirates service.

Jointly operated by Wan Hai Lines with Global Feeder Shipping, the point-to-point service links the ports of Jebel Ali and Karachi and uses a single vessel with a nominal capacity of 1,800 TEUs. With this service, PICT looks to further strengthen trade patronage with the Gulf market by handling increased cargo through non-vessel operating common carriers and mainline operators.

Colliers sees office vacancy rate to rise to 11.6% next year PROPERTY advisory firm Colliers International Philippines said Wednesday it expects office vacancy rate to rise to 11.6 percent in 2021.

CIP said in a year-end analysis office space take-up would hit 250,000 square meters next year, as new supply was expected to reach 632,600 sq. m.

It said for the residential sector, some 7,270 new units were expected in 2021, up by 21 percent from 6,000 units in 2020. More than 75 percent of the upcoming supply would likely come from the Bay Area as selected projects in 2020 were delayed to 2021 because of temporary work stoppage.

It said that in the retail sector, it was expecting the delivery of about 304,700 sq. m. of new retail space in 2021.

“We project vacancy to reach 13 percent as we see a rebound in consumers’ confidence and purchasing power. Lease rates should continue to drop by about 2 percent in 2021,” said Colliers head of research Joey Bondoc.

Colliers said that in the industrial space, it was looking at more active take-up in 2021 and 2022 because of manufacturing and logistics investments. It expects warehouse lease rates growing at a faster rate than land leasehold given the growth of ecommerce and online deliveries.

The firm also expects the completion of about 2,100 hotel rooms in 2021. It said the increase in hotel supply and subdued foreign arrivals due to the pandemic should keep occupancy rates at sub-50 percent levels even at the end of 2021.

Colliers believes that developers should continue to adapt to the evolving preferences of investors and tenants to survive in a property market that has been redefined by the pandemic. Othel V. Campos

Budget deficit topped P1t in 11 months as tax collections fell

By Julito G. Rada THE government’s budget deficit more than doubled to P128.3 billion in November from the P60.9-billion shortfall registered a year ago, as public spending rose 2.30 percent and revenue collection dropped 19.35 percent, the Bureau of the Treasury said Wednesday.

This resulted in a cumulative budget deficit of P1.069 trillion in the 11-month period, compared to the P409.1-billion gap a year earlier. The year-to-date deficit, however, only made up 59 percent of the revised P1.815-trillion full-year program.

Revenue collection fell 19.35 percent or P59.0 billion in November to P245.8 billion. Of the total, 96 percent or P235.9 billion was raised through taxes, while the remaining 4 percent or P9.9 billion was generated from non-tax collections.

Revenue collection reached P2.617 trillion in the first 11 months, down from P2.894 trillion generated in the same period last year. However, it breached the revised P2.520-trillion full-year target by 4 percent.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s net collection reached P191.7 billion in November, down by 17.40 percent or P40.4 billion from a year earlier.

Total BIR collection hit P1.788 trillion as of end-November and exceeded the revised full-year program of P1.686 trillion by 6 percent, but still 11.19 percent or P225.3 billion below last year’s 11-month tally of P2.013 trillion.

Customs collection went down by 13.29 percent in November to P43.7 billion after deducting the P204 million tax refund paid to claimants.

The agency’s cumulative uptake of P492.3 billion from January to November also decreased by 14.84 percent or P85.8 billion from the P578.1 billion raised in the same months last year.

IN BRIEF Globe Telecom taps Aboitiz InfraCapital

GLOBE Telecom Inc. has tapped Aboitiz InfraCapital, the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, to roll out affordable internet in key urban areas in Visayas and Mindanao through the former’s KonekTayo WiFi service.

Formerly known as KapitWiFi, KonekTayo WiFi is a fast and secure community WiFi service that aims to provide households with affordable internet. With KonekTayo WiFi, customers simply need to connect to a KonekTayoWiFi hotspot, purchase a promo and surf all day.

“Our focus is always to serve and empower Filipino families and communities, particularly those with limited resources. KonekTayo WiFi promises the affordability, accessibility and ease of use that most low-income Filipino homes need,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu. “And this partnership with AIC strongly complements our efforts to boost network capacity and coverage through infrastructure in a cost-efficient manner,” he added.

Cosette Canilao, Aboitiz InfraCapital president and chief executive, said her company is pleased to be working with Globe on this innovative project that aims to make the internet accessible to underserved Filipinos in different parts of the country. Darwin G. Amojelar

AllHome launches new retail concept AllDigital

ALLHOME Corp., the country’s pioneering one-stop full line home center, has launched a new retail concept under small specialty store format called AllDigital.

AllHome in a disclosure to the stock exchange said AllDigital, which opened its first store in Las Piñas City, is tech marketplace that offers a wide variety of gadgets―laptops, cellphones, cameras, drones, e-scooters and even collectible toys.

“AllDigital has curated the latest and innovative tech brands in the country in one store.

This is the one-stop shop for all your technology needs for your home and home office. It puts great value in offering only the best original merchandise,” said AllHome vice chairman Camille Villar.

Designed to be experience-focused, the AllDigital store allows gamers to try the newest games with its gaming nook, complete with a high-specs gaming desktop and a top-of-theline gaming chair.

E-scooters are on display and can be tested in-store while drones have a dedicated fly zone where customers can fly them safely.

Jenniffer B. Austria

City Savings issues P5-b corporate notes

CITY Savings Bank Inc. issued on Tuesday P5 billion worth of corporate notes, including P1.5 billion that will mature in three years and P3.5 billion in five years.

CitySavings’ issued the notes, which was priced at the lowest end of the pricing range, amid a favorable interest rate environment.

The bank will use the proceeds of the issue to finance asset expansion, especially loan portfolio, to extend the maturity profile of liabilities, and fund other general corporate requirements.

CitySavings was incorporated in Cebu City in 1965 as the Cebu City Savings and Loans Association. It has since expanded its branch network and business operations, establishing itself as a major player in the country’s thrift banking industry and earning a reputation for outstanding operational efficiency and exemplary performance and service to its clients.

It was acquired by Union Bank of the Philippines in 2013.

Sports

World no. 3 Eala resumes tennis training in January

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

C1

By Peter Atencio FILIPINA netter Alex Eala has returned home to her family in the Philippines after spending much of her time in Europe.

After slipping to no. 3 in the world junior rankings last November, the 15-year-old tennis phenom is taking a short break.

By January, Eala is set to resume training for the 2021 professional and junior tennis seasons in and around Spain.

“It feels so good to be home. It’s so comforting. But I now have homeworks for training,” said Eala in a web conference.

Eala is making an effort to stay fit with four to five hours of workouts daily.

Last month, Eala fell a notch down to no. 3 in the world rankings after former world no. 1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra took her sport when she reached the finals of two junior tournaments.

That was when Eala decided to play her second women’s tournament in Castellon, Spain and fell behind Jimenez.

Eala has since played in four professional events, earning her first points in a W15 rated competition in Mellila, where she reached the first round.

Eala made it to the main draw after beating Lucie Tan of France, 6-4, 2-6, 10-7, in the qualifiers.

“I’m happy with the results given the circumstances and obstacles,” said Eala, who was not able to join many pro competitions because of the restrictions and lockdown protocols imposed in Europe to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kasintseva overtook Eala after winning the junior Grade 1 netfest in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and placed runner-up to reigning French Open junior champion Jacquemot in the Villena juniors.

Overall, Jacquemot leads with 2595.5 points, with Kasintseva trailing with 2343.75 points, and Eala in third with 2148.75 points.

Diane Parry of France is in fourth (1967.5), followed in fifth by Ukraine’s Dana Snigur(1930).

“My goal was to be in the top 10, and I am now no. 3. And I am happy about that,” said Eala.

In her first professional outing, Eala pulled off a 6-1, 7-6, victory over Alba Carrillo Marin.

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets soars for a dunk during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

The Nets won 125-99. AFP

Durant ‘scary good’ in Nets debut after long injury layoff

L

OS ANGELES—Kevin Durant’s smooth-as-silk NBA return is “kind of scary for the rest of the league,” Steve Kerr, his former coach at the Golden State Warriors, said Tuesday.

Kerr coached Durant through two NBA Championship runs with the Warriors and had a court-side seat as Durant played his first meaningful NBA game since suffering a career-threatening torn Achilles tendon playing for Golden State in game five of the 2019 NBA Finals.

Not long after Durant departed for Brooklyn as a free agent, but by the time he finally suited up for the Nets on Tuesday, in the first day of the 2020-21 season, it had been 561 days since his last competitive game. “(His play) is kind of scary for the rest of the league,” said Kerr, whose Warriors were blown out 125-99.

“I couldn’t tell one difference between seeing him 18 months ago to seeing him (now),” Kerr added.

Durant meshed effortlessly with Nets star Kyrie Irving.

The four-time NBA scoring champion showed flashes of fire. He threw down a dunk that put the Nets up 18-8 with 7:20 left in the first quarter.

His 10 first-quarter points coupled with Irving’s 17 were more than the 25 scored by the Warriors in the opening period.

It only got better for the Nets, and Durant and Irving along with the rest of their starters sat out the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.

Durant finished with 22 points in just under 25 minutes, connecting on seven of 16 shots from the floor and draining all seven of his free throws.

Durant insisted there was no extra emotional element to facing his former team.

He and Warriors star Stephen Curry exchanged a warm embrace on court before the game.

“No emotions at all,” Durant said. “It’s good to see old friends, old teammates.

“But I wouldn’t say there was any emotion. I think guys came out here and played extremely hard and competed and put on a good show for opening night.”

Nets fans, however, might have been feeling plenty of emotion after watching the long-delayed pairing of Durant and Irving.

But new Nets coach Steve Nash—a two-time NBA MVP in his first head coaching job—doesn’t want to pile the pressure of expectations on Durant.

“That’s true and fair (that Durant looks good),” Nash said. “He’s done everything and he is in absolutely the ultimate position to come back from this injury.

“But we also have to give Kevin time to play NBA games and not get carried away.

“He looks amazing, he’s playing amazing, but I want to just give him breathing room and not put on too much pressure after not playing competitive basketball for 18 months.” AFP

Kingad wants winner of Johnson-Adriano in 2021 FORMER ONE World Title challenger and current no. 2-ranked flyweight Danny “The King” Kingad of the Philippines looks back on a tough year filled with uncertainty.

Like everyone else in the country, Kingad retreated indoors at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic back in early March. The experience, Kingad says, is one that has challenged him as a martial artist and as a human being.

“2020 was a really peculiar year. There were a lot of restrictions imposed at the start of the pandemic.

We’ve never really experienced anything like that before. As athletes, it was difficult to adjust to training. As a normal person, it was very difficult coping with so much uncertainty. Mentally, it has been very exhausting,” said Kingad.

“However, we’ve been able to adjust to the ‘New Normal’ since then, and we’ve since gotten back to training. I’m looking forward to a better year next year.”

Team Lakay has since returned to action, unfortunately suffering a string of heartbreaking setbacks in recent months. Although he wasn’t able to return to action, Kingad has been hit hard by the ramifications of COVID-19, and the effect it has had on his career.

Kingad was scheduled to face former ONE World Champion Kairat Akhmetov in early December, when he was pulled from the card after he had been exposed to a Team Lakay cornerman who had tested positive for the virus.

This has effectively kept Kingad sidelined since

his January victory over Xie Wei. “The King,” however, says he’s learned some incredibly valuable lessons over the past 12 months that will help him in his career moving forward.

“The biggest lesson I learned this year had to do with time management. Suddenly, we had all this free time on our hands, and there was definitely an adjustment period. Before, we would spend entire days training at the gym. Now, we’re spending more time at home, which has its advantages and disadvantages,” said Kingad.

“One, we get to spend more time with family.

However, it also requires much more focus and dedication to be able to stay in shape and train my skills.”

Kingad plans to spend the holidays with his family in Baguio City, afterwards reconvening with Team Lakay in the first week of the new year to resume training. If you ask Kingad what his goals are, it’s evident there’s only one thing on his mind.

“I’m looking to earn another long-awaited shot at the ONE World Title. I think I’m ready. I’m one big win away from getting to the top,” said Kingad.

“I have only one goal on my mind, and that’s making a run at ONE gold. I want to bring honor and glory to the Philippines. I know there’s a big matchup soon between Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes. I would love to fight the winner of that fight some time in the near future.

“I believe I’ve changed a lot since facing either of them, and they will be surprised,” he concluded.

Next, ONE Championship returns with ONE: COL-

Danny Kingad (right) on the attack

LISION COURSE II, a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium scheduled for broadcast on Friday, December 25.

In the main event, #2-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender Jamal “Kherow” Yusupov of Russia takes on #4-ranked contender Samy “AK47” Sana of France and Algeria in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown.

Dy ends banner 2020 with BRAVE CF Fighter of Year award Rolando Dy

THE year 2020 may have been challenging for almost everyone in the world, but for Filipino mixed martial artist Rolando Dy, it is a year where his prizefighting career has benefited the most.

Clearly living up to his moniker “The Incredible” with a career-defining 12 months, in which he claimed two noteworthy victories to inch him closer to a chance of vying for a world title shot in the lightweight division, BRAVE Combat Federation has bestowed upon Dy the 2020 Fighter of the Year award.

“It’s truly an honor to have this award.

This trophy is a testament of my dedication, hard work, and sacrifice to be one of the best fighters in the world. It is a very proud moment for myself, my family and my beloved country—hopefully, this is the first of many,” Dy stated.

Even among the dominant world champions, serial finishers, and other stars on the BRAVE CF roster, no one can quite match his run in 2020.

Coming off two-straight heartbreaking defeats as a featherweight in 2019, Dy took the risk and turned his attention to the weight class above.

The enigmatic Filipino’s first act of an unbelievable campaign was a shortnotice bout against Polish knockout artist Maciek Gierszewski at BRAVE CF 42 this past September.

Despite having to step up a weight class to take on a bigger and much stronger man, he was more than up to the task as he produced a sensational performance to claw his way to a hard-earned split decision win.

“I just showed in the fight last September that I am not a one-dimension-

al fighter. I was able to strike, grapple, take and defend his best shots, and dictate the tempo from start to finish,” the 29-year-old recalled. “They say I am only a striker. That fight only proved that I am a complete fighter.”

Dy’s 2020 was sent into overdrive when the promotion offered him to step in for an injured Sam Patterson in a lightweight title eliminator versus John Brewin at BRAVE CF 44 last November.

On just 14 days’ notice, Dy accepted the match and flew to Bahrain to duke it out with Brewin. He stepped on the gas pedal from the first minute and never let up over three rounds to score a clear-cut unanimous decision. It was an overwhelming display against the 2019 Breakout Fighter of the Year who was a natural lightweight and in pole position for a championship crack.

Coo, Carrion to talk about aging gracefully in web series WORLD-RENOWNED Filipina bowler Olivia “Bong” Coo and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carrion headline Philippine Sports Commission’s women empowerment web series, Rise Up! Shape Up, this Wednesday.

The eighth episode, which closes the two-month-long series, is entitled “Aging Gracefully: Embracing Life’s Golden Years,” and focuses on these two accomplished women’s healthcare and best lifestyle practices for their age.

PSC chairman William Ramirez expresses the importance of having these known sports figures show that being healthy and active in old age is possible.

“These powerful and decorated women in the sports scene make us proud of their achievements and inspire us to prioritize our health proving that age is just a number,” said Ramirez.

The sports chief also notes that “together yet apart, we Filipinos share the responsibility of keeping everyone safe,” thus, the need to showcase seasoned women in sports who rise above the limits.

PSC-Women in Sports Oversight Commissioner Celia H. Kiram said that the episode’s focus on aging women is motivated by the change in the human body’s dietary needs and physical activity requirements as it ages.

“Women need to manage their health better later in life as medical studies show that they are more prone to heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, depression and anxiety, and hormone changes. Coronavirus is still around and is an addition to the health threats present now,” added Kiram.

The episode also features Dr. Florosita Reyes, a fellow at Philippine Geriatric Medicine, who will discuss active aging and dietary tips for older women.

As a season-ender, Rise Up, Shape Up’s final episode for 2020 also looks back on the journey of the series.

C2

Sports

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

Heavyweight champ Joshua helps gyms using own money

Messi passes Pele as top scorer MADRID—Lionel Messi beat Pele’s record of goals for a single club when he scored his 644th for Barcelona in a 3-0 victory against Valladolid on Tuesday.

The Argentina forward scored Barca’s third goal when he collected Pedri’s backheel and struck the ball past goalkeeper Jordi Masip in the 65th minute.

“When I started playing football I never thought I would break any records. And even less the one I achieved today,” Messi posted on Instagram shortly after the game.

“I can only thank all those who helped me over the years, my teammates, my family, my friends and all those who support me every day.”

Messi had equalled Pele on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Valencia.

The two men scored at almost an equal rate for their clubs.

It was the 33-year-old Argentine’s 749th competitive match for Barca, meaning he has scored a goal every 1.16 games.

The Brazilian scored 643 goals in 757 matches with Santos, where he played between 1956 and 1974, or one every 1.17 matches.

“Like you, I know what it’s like to love wearing the same shirt every day. Like you, I know that there is nothing better than the place we feel at home,” Pele wrote to Messi on Instagram after the Argentine tied the record.

“Congratulations on your historic record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona. Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football. I admire you very much.”

Messi, a six-time Ballon d’Or winner, is by far the highest scorer in Barca history (Cesar Rodriguez is next on 230 goals), the highest scorer in the history of the Spanish league championship (451 goals, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311), and the player who has won the most trophies with the Catalan club (34, including four Champions Leagues).

“I see Messi happy. He is working hard, and he is a very important part of our attacking game,” said Koeman after the win.

Pele claims to have scored more than a thousand goals, counting all the matches he played, official and unofficial. AFP

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games CEO Toshiro Muto (right) is pictured on a video camera display as he speaks during a press conference following a Tokyo 2020 Olympics Executive Board meeting in Tokyo. AFP

Tokyo names new director for Olympic ceremonies T OKYO—Organizers of the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics said Wednesday they have picked a new creative director to redesign “simpler and more restrained” opening and closing ceremonies for next year’s Games.

The mammoth task will fall to advertising executive Hiroshi Sasaki, who helped produce the ceremony handing over the Games from Rio to Tokyo— famously featuring then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a character from the Super Mario video game.

Organizers said the decision to replace a previous seven-person creative team would improve efficiency as reshape the traditionally lavish and spectacular ceremonies to be “in tune with the situation.”

“The ceremonies will still be a great celebration to be enjoyed by the athletes and watching world but will likely take a simpler and more restrained approach designed to reflect the overall simplification of the Games and the potential need to still consider COVID-19 countermea-

Brandon Vera

THE BOTTOM LINE LITO CINCO I AM lucky I guess that my column date this week falls on Christmas eve, giving me a chance to share my personal thoughts on what this season has become for me.

So for this piece, allow me not to dwell on sports, but rather talk on how people can look at Christmas. When I was a kid, I would eagerly look forward to this season for the gifts and some cash I expected to receive, the more, the better.

But for so many years now, the meaning of Christmas has changed completely for me.

I have come to realize that this is the time to share one’s blessings in life, instead of how I would describe boxing as a giveand-take affair.

It was in the early 1990s when I first set

sures,” organizers said in a statement.

Sasaki replaces a team led by Mansai Nomura, a master of traditional Kyogen comic theatre who had pledged to produce ceremonies “rich in Japanese spirit.”

Sasaki designed the stripped-back event organizers held in July to mark the new year-to-go until the postponed Games.

That saw Japanese swimmer and leukaemia survivor Rikako Ikee appear in a darkened and empty stadium clutching the Olympic flame in a lantern, which organisers said was reflective of the principles that would guide the redesigned ceremonies.

“It is appropriate to make ceremonial events and programmes simpler and have them in some way reflect and respect the world’s experience of the

COVID-19 pandemic,” they said.

Speaking to reporters, Sasaki said he still remembered watching as a child the opening ceremony for the 1964 Olympics, the first time Tokyo hosted the Summer Games, and had enjoyed the traditionally lavish events opening and closing the sporting event.

“But now these flashy extravagant ceremonies are considered as too much and we must think of this time as an opportunity to change due to COVID-19, or rather thanks to COVID-19,” he said.

He conceded that he has not made much progress yet on the direction of the new ceremonies, but said they would emphasize the theme of the Games serving as the “light at the end of the tunnel” after the pandemic.

Organizers are pressing ahead with preparations for the postponed Games, announcing a new budget, test event schedule and coronavirus countermeasures in recent weeks.

But public opinion in Japan remains opposed to holding the event next year, with a majority favoring a further delay or outright cancellation. AFP

Vera is Holcim brand ambassador BUILDING solutions provider Holcim Philippines, Inc. has partnered with mixed martial arts organization ONE Championship heavyweight world champion, Brandon “The Truth” Vera, for a campaign to highlight the company’s strong legacy of excellence in helping partners build important structures in the country.

Called “Built to Excel,” the campaign will feature Vera highlighting the similarities of his path to being a champion with Holcim Philippines’ journey in establishing itself as the leading building solutions provider in the country.

The campaign will highlight Holcim Excel, the company’s flagship general purpose cement brand which is set to celebrate its 20th year in 2021. Holcim will primarily use social media for the campaign and produce materials for its trade partners nationwide.

Vera won the inaugural ONE Heavyweight World Championship in December 2015 and has held the title ever since. One of the first successful Filipino-Americans to make a breakthrough in mixed martial arts, Vera has competed against

foot in mystical Mt. Banahaw in Quezon City for a real management team-building conducted by my good friend and psychic Frank Regis. I was with Victoria Court then as VP of Operations, and it was a real eye- and mind-opening experience for me.

Since that time, I have been returning to the place with my family, friends, and other people to share the same experience, more so at the turn of the century when I retired from full time work, I started doing similar team building, leadership and values formation workshops there.

Truth is, I have done sports teambuilding for the women’s basketball teams of the University of the East, Centro Escolar University, and last year, the Foton volleyball team, described by Dindin Santiago-Manabat as the best one she has experienced.

Seventeen years ago, I started a small Christmas gift-giving to indigent kids

some of the sport’s biggest names in his nearly 20-year career.

“We are excited to work with ONE Championship and Brandon. Aside from tapping into their growing fan base which aligns with our own customers, we decided to continue this partnership due to shared values with them. Our Holcim Excel brand is set to reach its 20th year in 2021. During this period, billions of bags of this product have been used by our partners to build important structures all over the country. It’s a testament to the trust it has built in delivering excellent performance. We believe that Brandon embodies what Holcim Excel means to our partners and thrilled to have him for this campaign,” said Holcim Philippines President and CEO John Stull.

For his part, Vera said: “Many thanks to Holcim for trusting me to be the face of their brand.

I am honoured to have been chosen by a company who is known in its industry for products that stand out for their excellent performance, strength, and durability.”

Christmas time for me

there in Barangay Sta. Lucia, with just 30 kids. The number has grown to a hundred as a lot of people I had brought to Banahaw extended a helping hand. This was my way of giving back to the place that had changed my life.

There was even a time Pilipinas Superliga import and Foton player Katie Messing joined me there, bringing her own gifts for kids. Being white, tall, pretty, and friendly, she was a big hit with the kids.

Unfortunately, with the corona pandemic and all of its travel restrictions, I was forced to forego for the first time this annual Christmas event, a big disappointment for me definitely, but it has not stopped me from continuing with other gift-giving activities.

You see every year for the past many years, every December, together with former students from the Young Journalists Association (YJAM), who I brought to Banahaw, too, we make the rounds of

the streets in Makati and Manila, distributing Christmas family packs and toys to street dwellers and kids. A few years ago, I also included the Missionaries of the Poor, a shelter for special kids and abandoned seniors.

Last December 13, together with our newly started sports vlog The SWAB (Sports World And Beyond) team and UE coach Ai Lebornio, we turned over a lot of basic goods to the shelter, plus gifts for the residents.

Then a week later, we were at the NAG center in Addition Hills in Mandaluyong, turning over family packs to homeless people, who were given temporary shelter by the city government. The remaining packs and toys we turned over to a DSWD facility for abused kids, also in Mandaluyong. Proud to say my son JM and his family, Joy and Eunice, were with me there.

On December 30, we will make the

LONDON—Britain’s world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has made a substantial donation to boxing gyms as the 2012 Olympic gold medallist fears many may go out of business due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Numerous amateur gyms have been forced to shut temporarily through the lockdown and Joshua is concerned that many amateur boxers will have to hang up their gloves if some were to close permanently.

Joshua is the latest high-profile boxing personality to voice his fears following that of his promoter Eddie Hearn and Northern Ireland’s former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton.

Joshua—who retained his world title belts with a ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev earlier this month— has made his donation to clubs via the three home nations federations.

“Boxing helped shape me, both physically and mentally,” said Joshua.

“It is no secret that without boxing and the family created around my amateur gym, my life could have been very different.

“The sport has given me a lot and I want to help highlight the issues affecting grass roots clubs and do what I can to keep the lights on for those most in need.

“I am not using this as an opportunity to criticise government for its lack of funding towards boxing— these are unprecedented times— however I would like to use my platform to respectfully ask them to rethink their stance.

“Without support we will lose community hubs and potentially the stars of tomorrow.”

The funding will be distributed to clubs via England Boxing, Welsh Boxing and Boxing Scotland.

Kevin Bell, chairman of Boxing Scotland, praised Joshua for not forgetting his roots.

“It is to Anthony’s great credit that he recognises the impact of Covid-19 on amateur boxing, from loss of training among boxers to the inability to host shows that sustain clubs financially,” said Bell.

“It is also the hallmark of a true world and Olympic champion that he has proactively sought to help amateur boxing—which he acknowledges played a significant role in his career—during this ongoing period of uncertainty.” AFP

Anthony Joshua

rounds of the streets along the South Super Highway and Roxas Blvd. to give out more family Christmas packs and toys to kids.

Please do not think I wrote this to brag about what we do. I did this hoping more people could join me. This is also to acknowledge the many kind-hearted individuals who have been helping out in the past, including ex-PBA players Mike Advani, Fritz Gaston, Estong Ballesteros, Jean Henri Lhuillier and his foundation, Alex Wang, Ai Lebornio, Michael Yulo, Dilip Budhrani and Shan Bommiah, Nisha from SupportOne Manpower Services, my batchmates from Paco Catholic School, Batch ‘72, YJAM, Atty. Rob Avenida and his frat brods, and many others.

Their continued support has enabled me to do this year after year. Thanks to you people.

Merry Christmas.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

C3

GMA Network wins multiple honors at 42nd CMMA WITH a total of 17 honors received at the 42nd Catholic Mass Media Awards, media giant GMA Network remains to be the top choice for value-laden programs and special projects.

This year, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS), hosted by seasoned broadcast journalist Jessica Soho, has been elevated to the Hall of Fame for Best News Magazine.

Investigative program Reporter’s Notebook was recognized as Best Public Service Program for its “Mga Sugat ni Miguel” episode. The winning piece investigated the plight of 21-year-old Miguel who is afflicted by a mysterious condition that left his skin peeling and his body full of wounds.

The Atom Araullo Special’s “Nang Tumigil ang Mundo’” earned the “Best TV Special” award. Produced and aired during the community quarantine, the documentary featured the battle of the Philippines against COVID-19, showing how the pandemic has altered the lives of everyone here and abroad.

VERY WANG

S

Inspirational drama 'The Gift,' bannered by Alden Richards, won as Best Drama Series or Program.

Inspirational drama The Gift, bannered

by Alden Richards, won as Best Drama Series/Program.

Earning the Best Children and Youth Program was the weekly magical

anthology Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko. Airing Sunday nights, the show is hosted by veteran actress Gloria Romero and features stories filled with values and lessons.

Various programs of GMA News TV were also conferred with honors this year. Flagship newscast State of the Nation with Jessica Soho took home the Best News Program for its “Tracing the Origins of Covid-19 in PH” episode.

Midday newscast Balitangahali, on the other hand, won the Best Special Event Coverage for its Taal Volcano coverage last Jan. 13.

CMMA gave the Best News Magazine award to Investigative Documentaries.

Hosted by Malou Mangahas, the show’s winning piece, ‘Malasakit,’ tried to determine if Filipinos still care for their fellowmen.

For the Radio category, Kapuso flagship AM station Super Radyo DZBB also took home various awards. The weekday tandem of Orly Trinidad and Lala Roque in Super Balita sa Tanghali Nationwide won as Best News Program while Connie Sison's health program on radio Pinoy MD sa Dobol B was honored as Best Counselling Radio Program.

DZBB’s delivery of Serbisyong Totoo

amidst the pandemic via its Bantay COVID-19: Special Coverage likewise earned the Best News Commentary award.

CMMA also gave special citations to various Kapuso TV and radio programs.

Ako si Patient 2828, Howie Severino’s special documentary for I-Witness received Special Citation in the Best Adult Educational / Cultural Program category while Kara David’s “Manaram” episode for I-Witness was cited in the Best Public Service Program category.

GMA Regional TV’s (RTV) programs and initiatives also received Special Citation merits. These included GMA Regional TV Weekend News (Best News Program category); GMA Regional TV's Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels (Best TV Ad-Public Service), and Byaheng DO30, which airs on GMA Regional TV Channels in Mindanao (Best News Magazine Program).

For radio, earning a special citation in the Best Public Service Program category is DZBB’s Kay Susan Tayo.

Finding love in ‘Tagpuan’

NICKIE WANG

EASONED director Mac Alejandre explained that his film starring Alfred Vargas, Shaina Magdayao, and Iza Calzado is about chance encounters, crossroads, and making decisions in the process.

“It is finding yourself, finding others in yourself, finding yourself in others, and it’s about chance encounters. Crossroad siya ng buhay. Sometimes, gumagawa tayo ng mga desisyon sa buhay at ‘yung oras ng paggawa ng desisyon will lead to the proper tagpuan," Alejandre said of the film's main theme.

Set in three different locations (New York, Hong Kong, and Manila), the film was written by award-winning screenwriter Ricky Lee. Tagpuan tackles the intertwined lives of Allan (Alfred Vargas), Tanya (Iza Calzado), and Agnes (Shaina Magdayao), three individuals who are in their mid30s. The characters will find themselves entangled in a different kind of love triangle where love is not romanticized.

"The film promises something more relatable and realistic," shared lead actor and Quezon City District 5 Rep. Alfred Vargas.

In the film, he is portraying the role of a wealthy businessman who has been separated from his wife Tanya, a university professor in New York. In his journey to finding himself, he meets Agnes in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Shaina said she enjoyed playing her colorful yet very mysterious character, an overseas Filipino worker in Hong Kong who tries to make Shaina Magdayao plays a colorful yet very mysterious character named Agnes.

Ben&Ben ties up with telecom giant Smart Communications.

Shaina Magdayao and Alfred Vargas discuss a scene with director Mac Alejandre

New hope, new heights YUGEL LOSORATA

IIza Calzado as Tanya and Alfred Vargas as Allan enjoy a break during a shoot in New York.

ends meet by taking on every job possible. Her life changes after a chance encounter with Allan.

Shaina is open about being so thrilled and grateful to be part of the film project.

She said, “I’m very grateful kasi naging parte ako ng isang Ricky Lee script.

Noong maibigay po sa ‘kin ang oportunidad, I had to say yes right away. Lahat tayo may void, may loneliness. Lahat tayo we’re just trying to survive.

‘Yun po ‘yung pinaka-ino-honor ng

character ko. You can call her broken, you can call her lost.

Pero ‘di ba lahat naman tayo may ganun?“ Direk Mac reinforced the glimpse of the film Shaina gave us. He established the specific perspective it is coming from.

“Tagpuan talks about love sa point of view ng nasa age bracket na mga 30s,” he said.

“Hindi sila ‘yung mga bagong na-in love ako, nasaktan ako, anong gagawin ko? Ang mga tao dito, na-in love na, nasaktan na, sawa na sila. " Tagpuan is one of the entries in the Metro Manila Film Festival available via upstream. ph. on Christmas Day.

THIS year’s Christmas has been a virtual cancelled occasion, at least in the way we are used to celebrating the Season. Not even the annual dig at Jose Mari Chan’s classic Christmas tune could save the day for us Filipinos known for going all out, literally and figuratively, once the -Ber months begin.

It is for the same reason that we anticipate the coming year, even if, as one joke would have it, we still have the pandemic come 2021. Resilient people like Filipinos can’t be stopped from being hopeful and forging new ties as we leave this unbelievably difficult year.

Resorts World Manila, site of some classy live performances in recent years, is not missing out its capacity to deliver a grand countdown amidst the pandemic by “bringing its premium concert-going experience to viewers at home.”

The countdown to 2021 show, set at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, will feature first-rate performers, namely, Jed Madela, Jona, and Morissette, along with topnotch stand-up comedian and theater act Jon Santos. It is a virtual concert dubbed New Year. New Hope. New Thrills and touted as a “unique live online entertainment experience.”

Some industry people were provided a glimpse of it during RWM’s Noontime Thrilltime showcase held at the same venue last Dec. 15 where Jed and Jona performed and fun games were played. In support of

#PinasMunaTayo initiative, RWM sent to the homes of media friends Christmas hampers that are 100 percent home-grown, from baskets to content.

With Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Michael Williams (co-artistic directors of Full House Theater Company) at the helm, the e-show promises to be both emphatic and blazing. Tickets to the spectacle to be hosted by Jon Joven and Nicole Laurel Asensio are available on KTX.ph. Special guests include The L.O.V.E project artists who are mostly very talented performers concert fans must have not seen enough.

A holy mass celebration at 6:00 p.m. on the final day of the year will be livestreamed.

While RWM ushers in the new year in a bright tone, a collaboration borne out of deep connection is poised to bring 2021 a much-needed positivity. This generation’s definitive Filipino group Ben&Ben, which observers noted to be “continuously bridging the light and hearts of many through the magnetic symphonies they create,” has found an ally in Smart Communications which vowed to go hand in hand with right vision for the purpose of inclusive growth. With what has happened in the world, the people of Smart and the members of Ben&Ben agree that “a strong link is much-needed in the cultivation of a culture grounded on compassion and active communication."

Smart, now “harnessing the power of technology in bridging the digital divide we now deem as normal,” sees the significance of tying up with a musical act that has found fame and purpose in a world of awoken youth collectively wanting to matter more than ever. Let the music count.

Fresh record label ropes in rising, budding acts and musicians THE COVID-19 pandemic is 2020's great wrecker of plans. One would be hard pressed to find a businessman with sense to venture on such uncertain times.

Not so for the enterprising minds behind new label Blacksheep Records Manila (BSRM), who besides going against conventional wisdom, is actually bullish, and swan diving into music industry waters.

Behind Blacksheep Records Manila is longtime record executive Jaworski Garcia. Formerly a finance man-cumtalent scout from Warner Music, “Jawo or Jay,” as he's known in industry circles, is now at the helm of his own music label. And because he's from a major label, he's not only looking domestically, but outside as well.

“It has always been my dream to own a record label company that would help and open doors of opportunity for Filipino artists to be known in the global music scene,” said Jaworski.

With him on this venture is former The Youth bassist Robert Javier who will head his A&R (artist & repertoire).

“I've known Robert way back 1994 when I booked their band for a gig in our

university. When it was time to look for an A&R, I believe RJ is the perfect fit, having produced artists such as Parokya, Teeth, Francis M, and Ely Buendia.

When I asked him, he was excited at the prospect and he said that (music) is his first love and that his commitment is for the long haul,” Garcia said. Adding, “It's the perfect pair: Robert (and) Jaworski.

The Living Legend.”

For their initial salvo, Blacksheep Records released a pair of singles just this past month. Last July saw the label's debut with singer-songwriter Ethan Loukas with the excellent sounding track “Manghuhula.” Iloilo-bred Ethan turned heads last year when he made a big splash with his ready-for-the-bigtime talent for performing and built-in music artist skills. Blacksheep Records couldn't have a more perfect artist to be their banner artist. Then there's another potential hit artist with rap act Ezro who recently dropped the catchy “Di Kagandahan (Pero Mabait)” not long after. Following suit is alt-pop band trio Modern Day Dream whose lovely sounding “Sa Ulap” is likewise turning Blacksheep Records executive ears. And just around the corner are those Jaworski Garcia

young aces in Ferodina, composed of Music Hero champs guitarist-songwriter Fender Dimalanta, drummer Joaquin Rodrigo, saxophonist Brian Feliciano and bassist Steven Naguit, whom Jaworski also gained the trust of and is giving them his full commitment.

And since opening shop early 2020, The Blacksheep Records Manila roster has grown exponentially. The label has since released singles from their talented pool that includes: Young pop artist Rian, alt-rock bands Modern Day Dream, Morning After, Greyline, The Last Stanza, Outplayed, collab-band Comics, Tonkatsuki, Central Luzon's Beggar's Moon, Australian-based band FiveFifty Myth, solo alt-pop singer Terence Von Lucero and Oman based OFW New Wave band DMajors.

There's also metal bands Calebral, Black Wolf Gypsies, Hiphop rooted acts Justinne, RETALIATION, Hall of Fame Alpuerto Sisters (of Bangon Talentadong Pinoy), Central Luzon alt-rock solo singer Edwin Galang, acts from Iloilo - Khaeden Golez, Alphabadboi, alternative-novelty act Illegal Entry and indie act Kyla Miel

Camerong and Kaydee, and scene veteran and original 6Cyclemind singer Ney Dimaculangan.

And as icing on the proverbial cake, Jawo has a special project with popular 2020 breakout band Magnus Haven for an original Christmas tune called “Noel.” As for this last bit, talks are still underway but the possibility is strong that Magnus Haven could have Blacksheep Records as their label for 2021.

So, what's Jaworski got that other local labels don't? Well he's got some legit backup. “To be honest, it's hard to convince an artist to be part of our label. Some might think that I'm just a fly-by-night label who just wants to get their ideas and music.

But because of the name Vic Del Rosario, Jr., (who's behind Jaworski and Blacksheep), “and guidance from my former boss Lachmi Baviera (former General Manager of Warner Music Philippines and current head of MINT College), I was able to use all the skills I've learned and create a thing for artists to trust me.”

Blacksheep Records Manila is an affiliate label of Viva Music Group.

Life

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

C4

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020

H

OME furniture and furnishings store Our Home recently unveiled its newly remodeled store at the Entertainment Mall in SM Mall of Asia.

The store’s new look is reflective of the brand’s philosophy of helping customers create their ideal modern contemporary home, as it showcases a wide array of furniture pieces across different modern contemporary styles.

NEW LOOK. The remodeled Our Home Mall of Asia branch welcomes shoppers with a simple, chic, and easy to shop retail environment.

From ‘Scandi’ to modern contemporary Remodeled Our Home MOA branch offers a wide range of styles

Create a Classic living room inspired by the Victorian, Greek, and Roman styles with Baxter three- and two-seater sofas and Forbes center table.

Simple and sophisticated Modern Contemporary living room using Alana two- and threeseater recliner sofas, Harper one-seater recliner, Arvin center table, and Giselle shelving.

Well-lit yet warm, simple and chic, the store provides an easy to shop retail environment, incorporating creative design details and sleek modern lines.

Some of the design styles offered at Our Home include the Classic style, which is inspired by the glamorous signature look of days gone by such as the Victorian, Roman, and Greek eras. The Neo Baroque style, meanwhile, borrows heavily from the late 19th-century Baroque, Roccoco, and Art Noveau styles.

Those who prefer to fill their homes with Scandinavian style pieces can find furniture featuring natural elements and light colors. Minimalist, simple, and functional.

Also available in store are furniture items in Mid-Century style, which feature the clean lines, organic forms, and functionality popularized during the 1940s.

Furniture pieces in Modern Contemporary style are aplenty, bringing simplicity, subtlety, and sophistication to the interiors. And those who want to inject the Industrial style, which is influ-

enced by the distinct look of old warehouses, barns, industrial buildings, and churches, into their homes can likewise find pieces at Our Home.

“Our Home’s commitment to continue improving the shopping experience goes far beyond the store’s new look,” the brand said in a statement.

Some of the new services offered in store include personal shoppers who are ready to assist with browsing, selection, and payment; free interior design advice available to all customers; and bespoke services where sofas and chairs’ size, orientation, and upholstery are customizable.

Customers who prefer to shop online can expect the same services through www.ourhome.ph. In addition, Our Home has introduced contactless shopping options for customers who prefer to stay in their homes. Customers can Call and Deliver (0917-831-5260), pay online, and have their items delivered.

They can also Shop Live where a personal shopper takes them on a virtual tour of the store via video call. Curbside pickup is also available.

PayMaya offers rewards for grocery purchases TO MAKE grocery runs more rewarding, PayMaya is giving cashback for purchases made during the entire month of December.

Shoppers paying using PayMaya QR at Mercury Drugstore, WalterMart, Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, All Day Supermarkets, Super8 Grocery Warehouse, Shopwise, Amesco Drug, LCC Supermarket, Metro Retail Supermarket, Gaisano Brothers Supermarket, Gaisano Grand, Gaisano Capital, and other partner supermarkets get up to P250 cashback.

Minimum purchase of P1,000 is required to get an instant P50 cashback. The deal is offered up to five times, bringing the total to P250.

In addition, shoppers paying via PayMaya QR can also enjoy 1 percent, 10 percent, or 100 percent cash-

Shoppers using PayMaya QR for grocery purchases get up to P250 cashback this December.

back of up to P500 plus a chance to win up to P1,000,000 at the PayMayaguinaldo promo.

An elegant Neo-Baroque dining room set up.

Nicole Cordoves on life in lockdown LIKE many who were suddenly forced to stay safe at home, life for Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2016 Nicole Cordoves also slowed down.

As a busy working woman and gogetter, she admits that she was not used to being at home all the time.

However, similar to how everyone found something new about themselves as they adjusted to the lockdown, Cordoves also discovered new passions, new learnings, and likewise realized that there is so much still to be grateful for.

New life in lockdown She shares that despite being cooped up at home, the pandemic actually also forced her to upskill herself. In fact, she shares that there were a lot of things that she never thought she could do well, including cooking and gardening, and thanks to the Internet, she was able to do them.

“All that I’ve been doing since March is to learn as much as I can from a lot of rich sources online, particularly on YouTube. I never thought I would learn so much in such a short amount of time,” she shares.

The beauty queen relates, “I used to just stay on my phone or binge on Netflix when I’m not doing anything, but one good thing that came out of this pandemic is I learned to utilize the power of the Internet more and increase my knowledge on things that interest me. I am just so glad that I was able to upgrade my home Internet plan easily with the PLDT Home Super Speed Deal.”

To keep herself busy indoors, Cordoves has been putting her cooking skills to the test and trying new recipes. She also shares that she’s thankful to have a reliable Internet connection so she can watch more of her favorite YouTube content and remain productive at home—from learning how to better clean and organize her home to editing her own videos for her channel.

Since the pandemic, she also be-

came a certified halamom. She shares that she now has a corner in her room that’s filled with indoor plants that also serves as her go-to background for her Zoom calls and meetings.

“It all started with indoor plants that progressed to actually growing my own food on my balcony. Today, I harvest my own sili, sitaw, and kamatis.”

The return to Binibining Pilipinas as mentor Cordoves also kept herself busy and productive at home by mentoring the Binibining Pilipinas 2020 hopefuls with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. But due to the pandemic, adjustments to their training also had to be done where workshops were held online via

Zoom calls instead.

“It was challenging since online workshops can leave out a lot of things that are essential to public speaking like non-verbal communication, gesture, body language. So, we dedicated our modules to focus on content instead, and the girls blew us away,” she recounts.

Cordoves admits that she sees a queen in Rabiya Mateo, this year’s Miss Universe. “When I saw her preliminary interview, she immediately became my bet! She spoke so naturally while courageously sharing her own opinion. She’s already an amazing queen who can really connect with people on a real level.”

And knowing that the journey to get the crown is heavy and burdensome, she offers Mateo a piece of advice, from one queen to another: “When it gets dark, I hope she remembers that she is the light. Your destiny is in your hands, make it a beautiful and memorable one.”

Realizations “Though the pandemic is something that really brought so much suffering and heartache to millions around the world, it did however make all of us become closer together at home,” she shares.

“And with everyone being forced to stay at home for their own protection, having the right Internet connection speed is a necessary tool.”

“I need to be online all the time, so I upgraded my PLDT Home Fibr Internet with their Super Speed Promo,” she says. PLDT Home’s Super Speed Deal promo gives subscribers a convenient and same-day upgrade of up to 2x their Internet speeds for as low as P99 additional on their monthly plan.

Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2016 Nicole Cordoves has maximized her time spent at home learning new skills and discovering new passions.