Manila Standard - 2021 February 3 - Wednesday

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Gov’t pushes wage subsidy DOLE sees it better alternative than pay hike amid sinking economy

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

Terror Law gray wordings alarm rights petitioners

T

HE Labor Department will review the proposal of various labor groups for a wage subsidy in the private sector, given the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Tuesday said the proposals for a wage subsidy are better than calls for a salary increase that might drive some employers to closure.

“If we receive a formal request from the labor groups, first, we will discuss this with the concerned government agencies and explore possibilities on how we can address this proposal. It will all depend on the capacity of the government,” Bello said.

Last week, various labor groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged the government to provide workers with wage subsidies amid the economic decline brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will have an in-depth consultation with other agencies of the government especially for those who will shoulder the expenses of the subsidy such as the [Departments of] Finance, Trade and Industry, and NEDA. We need to know if the government can shoulder all of this because we are talking about millions of workers,” he added.

Bello said he submitted a wage subsidy proposal worth P20 billion for employers, but it was declined.

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By Rey E. Requejo A LAWYER-petitioner on Tuesday warned the Supreme Court that even Filipinos who are exercising their fundamental rights on social media may be considered as committing terrorism crimes under the controversial Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

During the oral arguments on the petitions assailing the constitutionality of the anti-terrorism law, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno told the SC magistrates the law was worded in a way that gives enforcers the power to infer the “intent” of undertaking protests, work stoppages and other exercises of civil and political rights.

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FOOD PRICE FREEZE TAKES EFFECT FEB. 8 NEWS / A2

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 330 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HOSPITAL WORKERS TO GET FIRST JABS

TEAR IT UP. Nuns join progressive groups as they tear copies of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and gather near the Supreme Court in Manila for a protest rally before the scheduled oral arguments on the controversial law on Tuesday. Majority of the 37 groups of petitioners sought to prohibit the implementation of the law. Norman Cruz

NEWS / A2

Duterte assures vax money, Romualdez: People have last say on Cha-cha but doubts access to supply

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Vito Barcelo and Julito G. Rada PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte assured the public the government has enough funds to pay for COVID-19 vaccines but admitted the Philippines does not have the same influence that European countries have when it comes to gaining access to these vaccines.

In his public address, Duterte said the country’s greatest disadvantage is that it is not as rich as Western countries that have already pre-ordered 80 percent of the global vaccine supply.

However, the President assured the public that vaccine doses are forthcoming.

“We have funds to pay for vaccines.

The Asian Development Bank as well as the World Bank is lending us money to

pay for the vaccines,” he said.

“Just keep your faith in government. Anyway, it's Secretary Carlito Galvez’s job to secure the vaccine,” Duterte said.

The government is hoping to secure at least 148 million doses, aside from the 40 million doses that will come from the World Health Organization-led Covax Facility, to inoculate an initial 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year.

In the President’s televised meeting with Cabinet members, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government has targeted about $1.3 billion in loan financing from multilateral lenders, which includes the Philippines’ contribution of $84 million to the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, to ensure COVID-19 vaccines for more than 70 million Filipinos.

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THE people will have the final say over any amendments to the Constitution, which must be approved in a referendum before they come into force, House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said Tuesday.

Romualdez made the statement after the House committee on constitutional amendments voted 62 against three with three abstentions to approve Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 2 filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, seeking to give Congress the flexibility to amend the re-

‘YES’ VOTE. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez voted yes for economic Charter change during the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments meeting on Tuesday, where 62 voted for ‘Yes,’ three voted ‘No’ and three abstained. Ver Noveno

‘Czars’ to press Magalong to stay

By Willie Casas SENIOR officials of the team in charge of the country's COVID-19 response programs are scheduled to meet with contact tracing czar Benjamin Magalong to persuade him to withdraw his resignation, one of them said Tuesday.

Magalong, who submitted his resigna-

tion after attending a party in Baguio City where health protocols were violated, is "irreplaceable," COVID-19 vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said in an interview on the government-run People's Television PTV. Vince Dizon, head of the country's COVID-19 testing program, himself Next page

Locsin, Roque tiff over Coast Guard act

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENTIAL Spokesman Harry Roque has virtually received an earful from Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. who told the former to just “lay off” matters concerning foreign affairs.

In his Twitter post Monday night, Locsin called out Roque after making remarks that apparently overstepping the turf of the Department of Foreign Affairs, particularly when the Palace official commented on the controversial China’s passage of a law authorizing its Coast Guard to shoot foreign vessels in Next page

NEW NORMAL. A military armored vehicle is seen along a street in Myitkyina, Kachin State on Tuesday, as Myanmar's generals appeared in firm control a day after a surgical coup that saw democracy heroine Suu Kyi detained. AFP

Soldiers were also stationed Tuesday outside the dormitories for parliamentarians in Naypyidaw, with one NLD MP describing it as "an open-air detention centre".

"We are not allowed to go outside," she told AFP by telephone, requesting anonymity for fear of the military. "We are very worried."

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday urged Filipinos in Myanmar to exercise caution and monitor the developments through reliable sources.

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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM FEB. 2)

528,853 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,583 30,368 NEW

ACTIVE

10,874

67

487,611

39

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

3 Sanofi execs arrest out over Dengvaxia row

By Rio N. Araja

Calls for Suu Kyi’s release mount YANGON—The party of Myanmar’s toppled leader Aung San Suu Kyi demanded her immediate release Tuesday, after a military coup that triggered international condemnation and sanctions threats from the new US president.

Armed troops patrolled the capital, Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi and other National League for Democracy party leaders were detained in pre-dawn raids on Monday just ahead of the scheduled resumption of parliament.

strictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

“It’s the people who will make the amendments to the Constitution. Congress will just propose the constitutional economic reforms,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said the push for changes to the economic provisions of the Constitution would complement the Duterte administration’s initiatives to speed up economic growth.

Velasco’s resolution seeks to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” into specific provisions of the Constitution on the national patrimony and

SKY DINING. Dine under the sky as you delight in the cool breeze and ‘aweSM’ view from the Sky Pods at the Sky Terrace of SM City Baguio. Enjoy a safe dining experience from morning to sunset, as The Sky Pods are open for reservation in SM City Baguio’s Facebook appointment page.

THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of three Francebased executives of Sanofi Pasteur Inc. for two counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide in connection with the Dengvaxia vaccination case.

“Considering that accused Stanlas Camart, Jean Louise Grunwald and Jean Francois Vacherand DID NOT appear on the scheduled hearing for their arraignment, Warrants for their Arrest had been issued by the court, copy furnished the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and the Embassy of France,” Branch 107 Judge Jose Bautista Jr.’s order read.

The court has set the pre-trial conference and the arraignment of the other accused on March 3 at 2 p.m.

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News

WEDNESDAY,FEBRUARY 3, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pangilinan: Price cap ‘ineffective’ “Dapat sampulan ang nagsasamantala.

Sa ilalim ng Price Act, hanggang 1 milyong piso ang maaring multa sa mga lumalabag sa batas na ito,” said Pangilinan, the former Presidential Assistant on Food

Security and Agricultural Modernization.

“Dapat i-deputize ang NBI at PNPCIDG at habulin yung mga nabanggit ni Secretary Dar na nagsasamantala,” he added, referring to the National Bureau of

Investigation and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday said the new Executive Order (EO) that imposes a price ceiling on pork and chicken products in the National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to take effect on February 8.

“The price ceiling will effectively be enforced by Feb. 8 this year by all the institutions involved,” Secretary Dar told the House committees on Agriculture and Food as well as Trade and Industry.

Congressmen also called on the DA to step up its efforts to stabilize and bring

Gov't...

this year, and to push the CREATE act that would “signal to the domestic and international investing communities that we are serious about being open for business,” he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said the economy is definitely in a bad shape, made even worse by the difficult choice between addressing health-related problems and the sinking economy.

He said a classic example is the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recommendation to the President to allow 10-year-old kids and above to go out of their homes with their parents as family activities could improve the economy.

The recommendation was later rejected for safety reasons.

On Monday night, the President said that the Philippines is “sinking deeper and deeper” and is losing P2 billion a day due to COVID-19.

The economy suffered the worst economic contraction post-World War II of 9.5 percent in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Inflation in the country continues to rise, which was aggravated by the typhoons that hit the country in the last quarter of 2020, Drilon noted.

“The question now is, what do our economic managers plan to do? The people would want to see a clear plan to address our worsening economic situation,” Drilon said.

“Failure to address it will create more serious problems: high crimes, extreme poverty, hunger, and joblessness,” Drilon said.

Drilon urged the government to be more aggressive in addressing red tape and corruption, citing a decline in the latest Corruption Perception Index wherein the Philippines slipped 115th place while

retaining its poor score of 34, with 100 points being the best.

Congress, Drilon said, should give top priority to measures that will aid the government in handling the pandemic, provide for fast economic recovery and institute fiscal discipline.

In raising the alarm against what he said were “temptations” on policy, Salceda said: “There are three things that we should not do.”

“One is to deplete the revenue base by making redundant incentives too generous, or by making unreasonable or impulsive tax exemptions. Apart from those we can clearly justify, I am averse to any more erosion of revenues, as House tax chairman,” he said.

“The second temptation is to build credit barriers. I find the tightening of rules on borrowing recently issued by the Bangko Sentral objectionable. It does not make sense to impose a one-size-fits-all restriction when you also want to attract credit. The economic sense eludes me,” Salceda said.

“If we want to protect banks from nonperforming loans, let us encourage restructuring and credit mediation. It makes no sense to restrict credit and lower interest rates at the same time,” he added.

“The last temptation we should avoid is the fear of the deficit. These are extraordinary times. The best way to protect credit ratings is not to avoid borrowing, but to avoid further economic decline.

The measure of our borrowing capacity is economic health, not debt stock,” the solon said.

“If at some point, we need to supplement social spending, we should be open to it. I would rather have high growth and high deficit than low growth and low deficit. Low growth is the enemy, because it is what drives people to poverty and hun-

ger,” Salceda explained.

Duterte said the government is doing its best to endure the crippling effects of the pandemic and expressed confidence that the mass inoculation could reverse the present economic situation.

The President made the statement in his weekly public address Monday night where he said his Cabinet is responding to the problems brought by the pandemic after the government released the nation’s recent gross domestic product (GDP) figures.

The country is losing billions in lost productivity as a result of the raging pandemic as the government carries out restrictions to contain the further spread of the virus, the President said.

The economy was doing well before the pandemic, he noted.

Citing reports from the Secretary of Finance, Duterte said “every day, until this COVID is over, every day, we are losing P2 billion intended for the Filipino people, workers. The Filipino workers would have earned that money if our economy is moving.”

“So, we are sinking deeper and deeper, but we are not alone. But we are trying our very best to keep us afloat,” he added.

The country’s economy suffered a record annual contraction in 2020, after the GDP shrank in the fourth quarter, according to the preliminary figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA data showed that the country’s GDP contracted by 8.3 percent in the fourth quarter, in contrast with the 6.7 percent growth it posted in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The Philippines’s full year GDP plunged 9.5 percent, which the PSA said, was the country’s steepest economic contraction in history. The PSA has been collecting annual data since 1947.

In a petition-in-intervention filed with the SC on Tuesday, the petitioner-intervenors Japer Gurung of San Marcelino, Zambales and Junior Ramos of Porac, Pampanga through lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers Central Luzon Chapter, asked the high court to issue a status quo ante order or temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to restrain the government from implementing the anti-terrorism law.

The two intervenors sought to enjoin the government officials and their agencies that were named respondents in the 37 petitions, from further implementing ATA pending resolution of the case against Republic Act No. 11479.

Almost seven months since the Supreme Court was swamped with petitions

challenging the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, the Supreme Court finally held its first oral arguments on the contentious law -- amid strict observance of the health protocols being implemented by the government due to the coronavirus-2019 pandemic.

Lawyers of the 37 petitioners asked the magistrates to scrap the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and instead uphold the supremacy of the provisions of the Constitution over the controversial law.

Former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Jose Anselmo Cadiz argued that Filipinos are facing “real and imminent danger” to both constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties and separation of powers.

Cadiz considered the current contro-

versy between the 1987 Constitution and the ATA as “a colossal battle.”

“Presently, the Anti-Terror Law is running roughshod over the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights,” he stressed.

“We thus come to plead with you to snatch our Constitution from the jaws of defeat and restore its primacy, against the Anti-Terror Law,” said Cadiz, who also served as Solicitor General during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. Diokno expressed apprehension the anti-terrorism law put the petitioners, many of whom are activists, at the risk of being arrested and prosecuted on mere "subjective impression" of law enforcers of what their intent was.

ing from the ADB, WB and AIIB, and taking part in the COVAX Facility; partnering with the private sector; and working with the local government units (LGUs).

Under this strategy, the private sector and LGUs will pay for their respective vaccine purchases.

“These approaches are independent of each other, but they are coordinated, so we will have enough doses to vaccinate 100 percent of the adult population,” he said.

Dominguez said that about 40 million of the population who are below 18 years of age cannot be vaccinated, leaving about 70 million adults covered by the Duterte administration's COVID-19 vaccination program.

Together with the private sector, the Philippines is expected to get a total of about 178 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, good for 92 million individuals to ensure that 100 percent of the country’s adult population gets inoculated, he said. With Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

Romualdez:...

tended anomaly by introducing an amendment that gives the legislature the freedom to amend those time-bound laws that have been enshrined in the Constitution to the detriment of the common good of the Filipinos now and in the future,” he said.

Velasco sought to liberalize the restrictive economic constitutional provisions to allow Congress to enact laws that will free up the economy to foreign investors and provide much-needed economic relief to Filipinos in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Velasco stressed foreign investment plays a crucial role in the economy by supporting domestic jobs and the creation of physical and knowledge capital across a range of industries.

“The need to attract foreign capital is critical to support our economy’s recovery from COVID-19,” Velasco said.

Velasco’s resolution has the backing of all major political parties and power blocs in the House of Representatives who have earlier signed a manifesto in support of RBH 2.

tial spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters.

"I am 100 percent sure the President would want Mayor Magalong to stay as contact tracing czar," he said.

The party last month at a hotel in Baguio City drew public ire after some participants that included celebrities were photographed without face masks and face shields even as the coronavirus pandemic lingers.

Magalong said Tuesday he would stay on as the country's contact tracing czar if President Rodrigo Duterte asked him to, but he was hopeful his resignation would not reach the level of the chief executive.

Locsin...

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

P

UTTING a cap on prices of food during a lack of supply is ineffective, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said Tuesday, as he pushed the government to go after the food price manipulators that Agriculture Secretary William Dar exposed at the Senate hearing.

From A1

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon warned of more serious consequences—including an increase in crimes, extreme poverty, hunger, and joblessness—may result if the government fails to address the sinking economy.

He called on the government economic managers to lay down a comprehensive and realistic plan to address the weakening economy.

He also urged the Duterte administration’s economic managers to throw a lifeline to the poor and the most vulnerable sectors amid these trying times.

“I agree with the President. That Philippine economy is ‘sinking and sinking.’

It is a grim reality that we have to face.

I am extremely alarmed by the continued decline of our economy and the rising inflation. Let us face it as a nation,” Drilon said.

The economist of the House of Representatives on Tuesday told the government's economic managers to prioritize three solutions and avoid what he said were “temptations” of policy in trying to resuscitate the economy that saw a record 9.5 percent contraction in gross domestic product in 2020.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said: “I don’t want to cry over spilt milk anymore. It’s the largest decline in generations. I do not want us to be distracted by any attempt to make it look better than it is, because it is bad. I want to focus on the solutions. I can see three main ones at our easy disposal.”

Those would be to roll out the COVID vaccine, to spend the 2021 budget and exhaust the 2020 budget “completely”

Terror...

From A1

Diokno, one of lawyers representing the 37 petitioners in the oral arguments, noted the law exempted these activities from the definition of terrorism, but only as long as they were "not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person's life, or to create a serious risk to public safety."

At the same time, two Aeta tribesmen, reportedly the first known to be charged with the violation of ATA, have appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the government from implementing the controversial law until it has ruled on its constitutionality.

Duterte...

From A1

Dominguez reported to Duterte that the government was ensuring that funds for more than enough vaccine doses were available to cover the 70 million adults who should be inoculated against the coronavirus.

The loans negotiated with the Asian Development Bank, World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will cover 106 million doses valued at around $1.2 billion, while the COVAX Facility will deliver another 40 million doses of the vaccine, Dominguez said.

The total of 146 million doses will vaccinate 76 million adults or more than 100 percent of the country’s adult population, Dominguez said.

Dominguez said the government is pursuing a three-pronged strategy on vaccine procurement, comprising the multilateral approach, which includes accessing financ-

‘Czars’...

From A1

said he and Galvez were set to meet with Magalong soon – no date was mentioned – to persuade the latter to stay in the Inter Agency Task Force against COVID-19.

Dizon said “We will try to convince him not to leave the national task force because we need him there.”

Magalong earlier said he might change his mind should President Rodrigo Duterte ask him to stay as COVID-19 tracing czar.

The chief executive has "nothing but praises" for Magalong, Presiden-

From A1

economy; education, science, and technology; and general provisions.

The House committee on constitutional amendments led by Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., however, excluded the proposed amendment to Section 7 of Article XII referring to the ban on foreign ownership of land.

The approval of RBH 2 coincided with the 34th anniversary of the ratification of the 1987 Charter, which Garbin described as a “living Constitution” that is “far from being perfect.”

“When the people ratified the 1987 Constitution containing limitations on foreign ownership and participation on certain economic activities, it was their desire at that time to make the limitations specific. However, the Constitution is not unchangeable,” Garbin said.

“It is about time we correct this unin-

From A1

its claimed reefs and waters in the South China Sea. “Harry, just lay off foreign affairs,” Locsin said.

“I am not listening to Harry Roque.

Love the guy but he’s not competent in this field. We do not go back to The Hague. We might lose what we won. Harry, lay off,” the DFA chief added.

The China Coast Guard law also allows coast guard personnel to demolish other countries' structures built on Chineseclaimed reefs and to board and inspect for-

down current food prices, even as they vowed to help the agency come up with the needed interventions to prevent price spikes and volatility in the future.

This came after the House Committees on Agriculture and Food and on Trade and Industry began its deliberations on several resolutions calling for a probe on rising prices of agricultural products, such as meat and vegetables.

One of these is House Resolution 1522 filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga and Navotas City Rep. John Reynald Tiangco, which sought an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the rising food prices.

eign vessels in waters claimed by China.

But Roque on Monday said the Philippines could take China anew to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to question its controversial law.

In 2016, the Permanent Arbitration Tribunal ruled that China's massive claims over the South China Sea has no legal basis. But Beijing rejected the landmark decision.

In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Locsin again clarified that “Presidential (Spokesman) Harry Roque does not express foreign policy” when the latter made a statement about the military takeover in Myanmar that resulted in the arrest and detention of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians.

PGH, Lung Center, Tala hospital staff to get first jabs EMPLOYEES of the country’s three main COVID-19 referral hospitals – the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, and the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium (Tala Hospital) in Caloocan City -- will get the first jabs of the coronavirus vaccine this month.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said all staff will be vaccinated, not just the health workers, as the country gears up for the start of its mass vaccination campaign.

“These are hospitals. We cannot single out doctors and nurses and ignore the admin staff -- if they all get sick, the doctors won’t be able to work. That’s why we want to preserve institutional safety,” Duque said.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. also said health workers and personnel of the East Avenue Medical Center will be included in the initial rollout.

The excess doses from the initial rollout will be deployed to other hospitals in Metro Manila, the DOH chief added.

“Metro Manila lang muna dahil ito naman ang epicenter. Titingnan natin kung puwede rin ang Cebu and Davao dahil dito ang mga epicenters din sa labas ng Metro Manila,” Duque said.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on second reading a bill that proposes to enhance the country’s efforts towards disease prevention by expanding the mandatory immunization program for all life stages.

Maricel V. Cruz

Calls...

From A1

The DFA said it is following with “deep concern” the situation in Myanmar after the military staged a coup that resulted to the arrest of democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians.

“The Philippine government is following with deep concern the developing situation in Myanmar and is especially concerned with the safety of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” the DFA said, in a statement.

“Myanmar has made substantial and important strides toward democratization in recent years. The Philippines has supported these efforts,” it added.

Despite the intimidation, a statement was posted on the NLD's verified Facebook page on Tuesday calling for Suu Kyi's release, as well as President Win Myint and all detained party members.

"We see this as a stain on the history of the State and the Tatmadaw," it added, referring to the military by its Burmese name.

It also demanded the military "recognize the confirmed result of the 2020 general election".

By afternoon, a party officer said they still have not had direct contact with Suu Kyi, though a neighbor sighted the defacto leader in her Naypyidaw residence.

"According to her neighbor we contacted, she walks sometimes in her compound to let others know she's in good health," NLD press officer Kyi Toe told AFP. Most of the state ministers across Myanmar have been released from detention but are under house arrest, he said.

The military justified its seizure of power by alleging widespread fraud in elections held three months ago that the NLD won in a landslide.

It said it would hold power under a state of emergency for 12 months, claiming it would then hold fresh elections.

AFP with Rey E. Requejo

3 Sanofi...

From A1

“Yes, we plan to coordinate with the French Embassy,” Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta told reporters.

Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of the Dengvaxia vaccine, maintained its vaccine was “safe and effective,” saying “no criminal charges had been filed against their officials and that the litigation was still in its preliminary stages.”

Bautista, in a Dec. 22, 2020 resolution, denied the motion to quash the information (cases) filed against ex-Department of Health secretary Janette Garin as well as those of Sanofi officers Carlito Realuyo and Conchita Santos.

He deferred the arraignment of Garin last Jan. 27 when she filed a motion for reconsideration of the Dec. 22, 2020 resolution.

Acosta welcomed Bautista’s sevenpage resolution, saying: “We already have 161 school children whose deaths were linked to the Dengvaxia vaccines, while two survivors are still fighting for their lives up to now.”

At a media briefing, she, however, clarified PAO was not anti-vaccine, and would never encroach on the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program.

News

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

No face-to-face campaigning in 2022—Comelec

BURNING ‘GRASS.’

Cordillera police chop down and burn a marijuana plantation in Bakun, Benguet, which held about P8.4 million worth of the illegal plantbased drug, on Monday. Over the month of January, the regional police have found and destroyed P58.2 million worth of marijuana plants, dried stalks, and seedlings.

Dave Leprozo via PROCOR PIO

By Vito Barcelo THE Commission on Elections says face-to-face campaigning could be prohibited for the 2022 elections due to the persisting threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they were proceeding with election preparations and how to prevent the spread of the virus, adding there would be “a change in the campaigning landscape.”

“Activities like giving out materials or going out or talking to people faceto-face for campaign purposes, that’s gonna change. Door-to-door campaigns might be prohibited,” Jimenez told the ABS-CBN news.

While it is not yet official if such prohibition will be declared, Jimenez said, the Comelec would be coordinating with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on the matter.

“But certainly there will be changes in the way people do things. In a perfect world, yes, that sort of face-toface campaigning would be strictly regulated, maybe even prohibited,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez said the Comelec may instead promote online campaigning to help ensure the safety of voters against the spread of the new coronavirus.

To prevent the possible spread of misinformation online during the usually tense and cutthroat campaign period, Jimenez said, they were planning to collaborate with various social media platforms to prevent it.

DFA: No stone unturned for slain OFW THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday vowed to seek justice for Mary Anne Daynolo, a Filipino worker in Abu Dhabi who went missing for 10 months and was found dead last January.

“UAE (United Arab Emirates) police arrested the murder suspect-a colleague of Ms. Daynolo—who confessed to crime. We’ll leave no stone unturned for justice,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.

The agency, through the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, is in coordination with Daynolo’s next of kin and Abu Dhabi authorities on the ongoing criminal investigation surrounding her death.

“The DFA extends its deep condolences to the family and assures them of the Philippine government’s continuing guidance, support and assistance in their time of grief and in the anticipated judicial process,” it said.

Daynolo left Manila for Abu Dhabi in February 2018 and was supposed to return to the Philippines in July 2020 for a vacation. She was reported missing on March 4, 2020 by one of her siblings who also work in the UAE. Local authorities in the UAE conducted a full-blown investigation that led to the arrest of the murder suspect who eventually confessed to the crime.

The suspect, a Ugandan national identified only as “Paul” and currently under police custody, was Daynolo’s colleague at the hotel they were working in.

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BOC, Coast Guard in NAIA turf war ‘Reassessment’ T needed for UP

By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Bureau of Customs has reminded the Philippine Coast Guard of its duties and responsibilities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the time of pandemic to avoid a similar situation that happened recently when a PCG officer reportedly encroached on the bureau’s functions and intimidated a female Customs officer.

In her letter to PCG commanding general Admiral George Ursabia Jr., Customs deputy collector for passenger service Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang cited the incident captured on video at the NAIA Terminal 2 where a Coast Guard personnel identified as PO2 Oidor Fiesta allegedly accosted and intimidated

Customs officer Mona Cielo Magnaye.

“The seemingly ignorant PO2 Fiesta questioned the authority of Customs personnel at the Customs Arrival Area,” said Mangaong in her Jan. 21, 2021 letter to Ursabia.

“There have been similar incidents in the past whereby PCG personnel would

encroach on Customs premises like entering the Customs Cashier’s office, which should be a sanitized area, and sometimes they [would] sit on the Customs examination table where pieces of baggage and goods under examination are placed. They would close Customs lanes, which is a violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and push baggage carts, which is prohibited by the MIAA.” Mangaoang said there were also instances when “they removed stanchions” that are placed in certain locations as agreed upon between the Customs and Manila International Airport Authority for specific reasons and purposes, adding that the removal of stanchions without authority was a violation of the MIAA housekeeping rules.

‘ATA’ DEFENDERS.

Supporting the government’s effort in addressing the anti-terror war, Jose ‘Ka Pep’ Gotia of the Liga Independencia Pilipinas (second from right) and Commissioner Melvin Mitra of the Urban Poor Commission (right) join National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon (left) on the first day of the oral Arguments of the Anti-Terror Law at the Supreme Court (see story on A1). Lino Santos

Activist fears over RA 11479 ‘unfounded’, says LIPI THE fears of those who think the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 may be used against activists are unfounded, Jose Antonio “Ka Pep” Goitia, Secretary General of the Liga Independencia Pilipinas Inc. (LIPI), said Tuesday.

“Today the petitioners challenge the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism law. They point out the 14-day detention period, the seemingly ex post facto nature of some of its provisions, the alleged vagueness of the definitions of

terrorism and other acts punishable by life imprisonment,” said Goitia as the Supreme Court heard debates on the ATA or Republic Act 11479.

“We understand the fear of those who think that this law may be used against activists. But that fear is unfounded,” he added in a statement.

Goitia said the safeguards put in by the Anti-Terrorism Council has clarified the law’s provisions and should have laid those doubts to rest.

The Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 11479, for instance, provides for a procedure and requires law enforcers to justify the use of the 14day detention period, and the law requires permission for its extension, the LIPI official said.

The constitutional guarantee against disappearances and secret prisons “is met by the requirements to inform a judge, the family and counsel of the detained,” he added.

security—DILG

THE level of security within the University of the Philippines in Diliman will have to be assessed following a reported increase in crime in its nonacademic areas, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government on Tuesday said.

In a news release, DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the influx of non-UP faculty, students and residents in portions of the UP campus that have been leased out to private developers such as UP Technohub and UP Town Center as well as the entry of thousands of informal settlers inside its property pose a problem for law enforcement.

“The non-academic areas in UP have increased through the years and crime has been increasing, thus we need to discuss ways on how we can maintain peace and order in those areas,” he said.

Malaya said officials from the DILG and UP would hold a meeting this week to discuss security within the UP property and to review their 1992 agreement.

“With the growth of the population within each campus, the current capability of the university’s police and firefighting forces must be assessed. Can they still hold on their responsibility in securing the campus?)” he said.

“Upon the request of UP, we are open to a meeting. We have to sit together and discuss this because UP is facing problems and changes. The bottomline is, and will always be, to ensure peace and security in the students and faculty of UP,” he added.

Malaya said the DILG would not unilaterally abrogate the agreement without consulting UP officials.

“Contrary to a report that came out in a broadsheet, the DILG wants to hold a dialogue with UP officials to revisit the 1992 agreement. For the record, what we said was that there is a need to review the 1992 agreement requiring the PNP to notify UP authorities before entering its campuses,” Malaya said.

Solon bats for changes to judiciary retirement law

By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader has proposed that the retirement law for the judiciary, Republic Act 910, should apply to judiciary officials given their judicial rank, salary and privileges by the Supreme Court.

Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez’s House Bill

8547 covers the court administrator, his deputy, clerks of court and other officers conferred judicial rank by the Supreme Court through resolutions.

In filing the bill, Rodriguez says RA 910 applies only to “justices of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, or the Court of Tax Appeals, or a judge of the regional trial court, metropolitan trial court,

municipal trial court, municipal circuit trial court, shari’a district court, or any other court created by law.”

However, he said every now and then, the Supreme Court, through the issuance of resolutions, grants certain judiciary officers judicial rank, salary and privileges and requests the Government Service Insurance System to have them covered by the retirement law for the judiciary.

DHSUD eyes training at State U for managers, staff

By Rio N. Araja

FREE TO PLAY. If in malls and in front of cars children are not allowed, at the Victoria Reyes River in Dasmarinas, Cavite, they can play and bathe even without protection against COVID-19 in this scene on Tuesday. JR Josue

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is eyeing a tie-up with the University of the Philippines to arm its current and incoming personnel with the technical know-how that is critical in the performance of its mandate.

Representatives from the UP School

of Urban and Regional Planning, headed by its dean Hussein Lidasan, recently presented a training program for DHSUD’s senior and middle managers and technical staff, saying that being the sole agency responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and strategies in housing and urban development, it is important for the DHSUD and its personnel to understand its man-

date and role in development planning.

Housing czar Eduardo del Rosario welcomed the partnership, especially as the department is in the midst of hiring new personnel in its central and regional offices.

“I think this is a very welcome opportunity for us to engage the professionals from the private sector so that they can help us enhance the capacity of our human resources,” he said.

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

A4

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

‘MayniLove’ unwraps; Isko: Site open to public MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso Tuesday enjoined Metro Manilans and even those from nearby provinces to come and visit the city’s open-air Valentine venue called ‘MayniLove,’ located at the Mehan Garden near City Hall, saying it will be open to the public daily, up to February 15 and admission is free.

Domagoso was joined by Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan in launching the said city government’s Valentine offering for Manilans the other night, which was also attended by project head business permit and licensing office chief Levi Facundo, city engineer Armand Andres and department of tourism, culture, and arts in Manila (DTCAM) chief Charlie Dungo, among others.

In her speech, Lacuna-Pangan said the new venue is not only meant for those who are romantically involved like spouses, partners and even those in the courtship stage, but may also be enjoyed by families, friends, and workmates.

Domagoso for his part, enjoined the visitors to heed the call of Lacuna for them to continue practicing utmost safety and the basic health protocols while visiting ‘Maynilove’ or any other part of the city for that matter. Willie Casas

Navotas lifts liquor ban, shortens curfew HANDOG PAMASKO. An official of WalterMart hands over its donations of Handog Pamasko gift packs to a representative of San Jose Farmers. The malls also

donated to the the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Baler Station, Gentri Medical Center and Hospital Inc., the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of Guiguinto, Bulacan., Plaridel Central School teachers, medical frontliners of Bulacan Medical Mission Group Hospital, and the Ateneo Center for Education (Tanging Yaman for Farmers).

Jail for fixers, Joy warns as QC collars 9 suspects

By Rio N. Araja

Q

UEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday warned fixers operating at city hall that “You’ll go to jail.”

“Sa mga fixer at iba pang gumagawa ng ilegal sa ating lungsod, mabuti pang magbalot-balot na kayo dahil may kalalagyan kayo sa aming lungsod,” Belmonte said.

“Sa tulong ng Quezon City Police District, liliit lang ang inyong mundo at siguradong babagsak kayo sa kulungan,” she added.

Belmonte reacted after the Quezon City Police District arrested nine suspects for robbery extortion, grave threats, and usurpation of authority.

Brig. Gen. Danilo Macerin said the suspects were nabbed in an entrapment operation conducted by the

Crime Investigation Section, following a complaint by a contractor identified as Augusto Caesar Foronda.

The suspects asked for P5.3 million from the victim in exchange for a government contract involving an infrastructure project.

After agreeing to the terms, the victim sought help from the QCPD, which arranged an entrapment operation that led to the arrest of the suspects.

“We laud the QCPD for its swift action that led to the arrest of these unscrupulous individuals. This should serve as a warning that Quezon City is serious in addressing criminality within our jurisdiction,” Belmonte said.

She urged the city residents, particularly businessmen, not to deal with fixers when bidding for various city projects or when applying for permits and other licenses.

She assured that the city government has hastened the processing of permits, licenses, and other documents needed for business and other transactions.

THE City Government of Navotas has lifted its liquor ban and shortened its curfew hours for adults starting Monday, Feb. 1.

Mayor Toby Tiangco signed City Ordinance No. 202107, removing the prohibition on the purchase and sale of liquor and alcoholic beverages within Navotas.

He also approved City Ordinance No. 2021-09 that changed the city’s curfew hours from 8 p.m.-5 a.m. to 10 p.m.-5 a.m.

“As promised, we are relaxing some of our policies because our COVID cases remained manageable even after the holidays. Despite an increase, the number of new cases did not shoot up as expected,” Tiangco explained.

The mayor, however, reminded Navoteños that drinking in public continues to be prohibited and minors are still under the city’s 24-hour curfew.

“Drinking in public remains unlawful as stated in Municipal Ordinance No. 2002-06. Those who will violate this rule will be meted out with the appropriate penalty,” Tiangco said. Jun David

CHAMBER DONATION. The Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (TFCCCI) thru its President Mr. Jack Uy turns over health kits – with 5,000 pieces of face masks, 2,700 pieces of face shields, 1,440 bars of soap, and 1,440 bottles of liquid disinfectants -- to the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) under the leadership of City Director PCOL Darwin S. Miranda. Also pictured are TFCCCI Officers (from right) Mr. Johnny Ngo, Mr. Steven Sy, Mr. Colai Go, and Mr. Malcom James Ching.

58 farmers in Negros Occidental get 32 hectares of land in Cadiz, Toboso

THE Department of Agrarian Reform on Tuesday said it has already distributed 32 hectares of agricultural lands to uplift the lives of 58 landless farmers identified as agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Negros Occidental North.

About 21 hectares of lands have been awarded to 10 farmer-beneficiaries in Cadiz City involving the landholdings formerly owned

by Concordia Paragat with OCT/TCT Number T-15609, covered by Lot Number Lot F14-1625-D, located in Sitio Aluyan, Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

In the town of Toboso, 48 ARBs have

been installed to 11.27 hectares of landholdings formerly owned by Albino dela Cruz / Philippine National Bank (PNB) with Title No. T-91343, identified as Lot No. 2776 situated at Barangay Bandila, Toboso.

Teresita Doromal, Cadiz City municipal agrarian reform program officer, said the properties were acquired under the land acquisition and distribution process of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) mandating DAR to redistribute government and private agricultural lands to the landless farmers. Rio N. Araja

SKILLS PROGRAM. Sta. Maria, Laguna Mayor Cindy Carolino (3rd from right) provides

welding machines for 50 persons who joined the Special Livelihood Program on Welding Proficiency, a move supported by Sanggunian Bayan members, ‘May you use and take care of this gift and have a job-life to help your family. It is for your livelihood skills and ability and knowledge,’ the mayor told recipients. Roy Tomandao

Steel beam falls, hurts 4 in Manila

FOUR people were injured on Monday afternoon after a steel beam fell on them in Blumentritt, Manila.

Three of them sustained minor injuries and were cleared to go home, while the other one underwent medical tests and is awaiting results.

The Manila Police District (MPD) is investigating the incident.

The incident took place at a construction site 20 meters away from the LRT-1 Blu-

mentritt station, according to the Light Rail Manila Corporation.

The initial police report mistakenly said the incident happened at the train hub.

Blumentritt Police precinct chief Lt. Ferdinand Cayabyab later clarified that the beam came from a foundation being built for the NLEX-SLEX connector road at the area.

NLEX Corp. said in a statement it will be “extending all possible assistance to the workers.” Willie Casas

Opinion Valid grievances

WITH more than half a million Filipinos already infected and nearly 11,000 dead, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exact a heavy toll on the nation. And even as we await the delivery of precious vaccines from abroad, the contagion is not expected to subside but even worsen with the discovery of a new virus strain that could further wreak havoc on our already overburdened healthcare system.

Our doctors, nurses, medical technologists and support staff all deserve commendation for doing everything humanly possible to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and to prevent more deaths.

But our medical frontliners have also found themselves victims of the same disease they have been trying to control.

Thus far, according to the Department of Health, some 14,393 medical workers have contracted the virus, with 83 fatalities and 303 active cases at present.

That’s not all that they have to contend with.

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) laments that there has been no significant change in their working conditions since last year. They described the government’s response to their plight as “extremely slow, numb and deaf.”

“Nothing has changed in our situation,” according to the group. Many health workers in the regions lack protective gear, public hospitals and health centers are understaffed so that health workers are compelled to work long hours. They also get low wages and suffer delays in the payment of hard-earned benefits such as actual hazard duty pay and special risk allowances. Others have had to grapple with discrimination and even violence.

Medical workers are also up in arms over the Duterte administration’s move to halt their deployment abroad. And while the rule has since been relaxed, there’s still the cap of only 5,000 medical personnel allowed to leave the country to seek better working conditions and much higher wages abroad.

“If the DOH and the Duterte administration are really sincere in (protecting) our well-being, they should not make it difficult for us to get the benefits we deserve,” according to the AHW. The group also criticized the government’s pronouncement that the public should “not be picky” when the vaccines are made available. Health workers are supposed to be on top of the government’s priority list for vaccination.

Many health workers are saying that they will not present themselves to be vaccinated until there is proof that the government can ensure their safety. What they want is a vaccine that is safe, with a high efficacy rate, and at a reasonable price, if not free, for everyone. This should be done alongside massive testing, contact tracing and proper isolation.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

B1

EDITORIAL

An independent think tank has placed the Philippines in the 79th rank out of 100 nations in their pandemic response, making it one of Asia- Pacific’s underperformers.

We have, as of end-January 2021, the second-highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, next only to Indonesia’s over a million cases and nearly 30,000 deaths.

“A year has passed, but the basic problem confronting health workers in relation to the COVID-19 issue remains,” the AHW said.

“To date, the government has not had a clear comprehensive plan on how to fight COVID-19. Health workers evaluated the DOH and Duterte administration’s one-year performance in handling COVID-19 pandemic as inefficient, negligent and a failure,” the group added.

Double standard The very rich are different from you and me. That’s what the novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald is supposed to have said once to Ernest Hemingway, who replied, “Yes. They’ve got more money.”

But not only do the rich have more money, they wield much more influence than you and me, because they can even tip the scales of justice in their favor.

Take the case of the recent birthday bash of a celebrity held in Baguio City attended by fellow celebrities and even by the city mayor and his wife.

The government’s response to the plight of healthcare workers has been deemed ‘extremely slow, numb and deaf.’

Those who attended the bash were said to have violated health and safety protocols on the mandatory wearing of masks and social distancing, with the city mayor admitting that lapses did occur during the event, and promptly handed in his irrevocable resignation as contact tracing zar. The guests were fined P1,500 each for violations of health protocols.

The lenient treatment by government of the guests in the Baguio City bash stands in stark comparison to what happened last year in Caloocan City, where six jeepney drivers who said they were going hungry and protesting the loss of income from the draconian lockdown in Metro Manila last year were promptly arrested by police supposedly for not wearing face masks and observing social distancing—the very same violations by those in the Baguio birthday bash. The poor jeepney drivers had to pay P10,000 bail for their provisional release from jail; last we checked, they still face criminal charges in court.

It’s this double standard of justice in our country—one for the rich and another for the poor—that breeds resentment and for that matter, protests and rebellion. ernhil@yahoo.com

Stabs in the back

PRESIDENT Duterte this week issued Executive Order 124 mandating a price cap on pork and chicken products for sixty (60) days in response to a week long barrage of reports of price spikes of these basic commodities coming from the Departments of Agriculture and Trade and Industry.

Though limited in duration (60 days) and area of coverage (Metro Manila), this latest executive action is another stab in the back of our already burdened agricultural producers promoted no less by the agencies who should be their main defenders in the Cabinet. The promised “balancing of interests between consumers and traders (producers?)” which this price cap is supposed to achieve is more illusory than real. In fact, this move is so tilted against the producers that one needs to ask: Why are we doing this at all?

Coming as it did after that price freeze on the same products only last November, this latest move only enhanced the view that the administration is being short sighted and is easily swayed by the (contrived) fears and passions of the moment.

Truth be told, by relying on price caps (or freezes) as a principal weapon against any price surges in basic commodities, it is signaling to one and all, especially our local producers, that henceforth they are on their own, and that the country will

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

be better off by simply importing our basic needs which are cheaper and readily available. Of course, these are cheaper and maybe readily shipped since these are from the countries which are heavily subsidizing their agricultural producers in the first place. They have to export (dump is actually the better term) their surpluses as they cannot keep these in storage longer than the next production cycle.

Price controls have the net effect of stunting efforts to take our agricultural sector to the next level.

In any event, this price cap initiative coupled with that petition to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) for these products and the reduction of their tariff to almost zero is simply unforgivable. It may ease the buildup of tensions in Metro Manila, but it will consign our agricultural sector to the margins even more. It is virtually telling one and all that whatever intended assistance coming from the government to sustain local production and ensure a modicum of food security as has long been advocated and mandated by law, may not be forthcoming at all. Or, if by any chance the promised funding, affordable supply of basic agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizer, feeds, etc) as well as the needed logisti-

Myanmar’s woes

T

HE world awakened on Monday with troubling news from Myanmar: Its military had taken control, and had declared a state of emergency for one year. The military chief has been installed in power. The ruling party’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, had been detained.

In a statement, the military said the move was prompted by election fraud.

Myanmar is no stranger to military rule; the junta reigned for almost 50 years. Suu Kyi herself spent a total of 15 years in detention, and because of her quiet resistance and the hope that she inspired among her people, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

It was only in 2011 that that military gave way to a democratic, civilian-led government. Four years later, Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy swept an election hailed by the rest of the world as fair and free.

In those past 10 years, much has happened, even though much work remained to be done. For example, the constitution guarantees that the military would have a quarter of all seats in parliament and control of the most

The climate of fear and intimidation returned overnight. powerful ministries. Suu Kyi, who was once revered as an icon of democracy, fell from grace in the eyes of the world for her failure to address the crisis besetting the Rohingya people and the violence that they faced.

Still, the people benefited much from the change. Myanmar began to attract investments and encouraged entrepreneurs among its own people.

As the country opened up and telecommunication infrastructure significantly improved, the youth were able to express themselves in

technology, the arts and other fields.

Famed spots were opened to tourists.

Alas, in the aftermath of the coup d’etat, the climate of fear and intimidation returned overnight, and people mostly stayed home, waiting to hear what was going on. The uncertainty is fueled by the disruption of telecommunication services, on which the people have come to rely.

That the COVID-19 pandemic is still a threat does not offer any measure of comfort at all.

What is happening in Myanmar is a reality that many countries, democratic or otherwise, so painfully know. It is the affairs of the select few at the top that determine what happens to the rest of us: Their infighting, interests, and even their compromises define the kind of life that the rest of the population endure. We are sure that the ordinary Myanmar citizen does not care for the egos of the generals, or what agreements they forged with Suu Kyi and the civilian leaders. Unfortunately, though, it is the people whose routines are disrupted, small conveniences are denied, and futures are made bleak.

Aerocity’s value DRIPPING with sarcasm and contempt, Inquirer columnist Solita Monsod on Jan. 30 wrote a stinging criticism of San Miguel Aerocity’s P740-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulakan town, Bulacan.

Her objections are mainly: One San Miguel Corp., the country’s largest conglomerate and biggest private infra developer, was given, by law, tax incentives to pursue the game-changing airport; two, in 50 years, the Bulacan location will sink below sea level.

Under Republic Act No. 11506, the tax privileges are: For 10 years, exemption from all direct and indirect taxes and fees related to the project, such as income taxes, value-added taxes, percentage taxes, excise taxes, documentary stamp taxes, customs duties and tariffs, as well as property taxes on land, buildings, and personal property.

“For the rest of the 50-year term, the company will remain exempt from paying income and real estate taxes until a ‘competent authority’ declares that the company has ‘fully recovered its investment cost’ ,” Mrs. Monsod sneers. Beyond the 12 percent annual rate of return, the government gets a profit windfall.

She adds: “In 50 years, that airport may be underwater. (The) airport location is sinking. In 50 years, it will have sunk below sea level…The location is susceptible to land subsidence (gradual caving in or sinking of land) of up to 8.3 centimeters per year, storm surges of 5 meters, and flooding; it is also susceptible to liquefaction, ground shaking, tsunami.”

“If the land is sinking at 8.3 cm a year, that means that in 12 years, it will have sunk by 1 meter (8.3 cm x 12 = 99.6 cm). Therefore, in roughly 37 years it will have sunk by 3 meters and 7 centimeters. The airport will be built 3 meters above sea level. So, 13 years before the government takes over the airport, it may already be underwater.”

This simple calculation, Solita points out, “does not take into account the rate of sea level rise (SLR) in Manila Bay, which is projected to be higher than the global average of 29 cm by 2050.”

“The government may have a white elephant in 50 years,” she frets.

My take: That the Bulacan airport location will sink in 12 years is pure speculation. That it will be underwater by 3 meters and 7 centimeters in 37 years is an even wilder conjecture. And assuming for the sake of argument Solita is prescient, Bulacan will be underwater by three meters in 37 years (most of us won’t be around to see that hap-

cal support are forthcoming, the same may be availed going through a tortuous bureaucratic maze.

Indeed, price caps, freezes or controls, no matter how benign or temporary these may be, have the net effect of stunting whatever efforts we may make to take our already sluggish agricultural sector to the next level.

It especially slashes on the small farmers

pen), the more relevant question to ask is: So what?

Pasay, Manila and Bulacan are on the same elevation since all of them face Manila Bay. Right now, the three areas are slightly below sea level. The present Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is in Pasay.

Sangley is in Cavite where the provincial government dreams of having a $10-billion international airport.

If it is wrong to locate an international airport in Bulacan, then the present NAIA should be relocated ASAP. Any plans to build an airport in Sangley should be scuttled. SMC’s Bulacan airport should not proceed at all. And the present Clark International Airport should be demolished too.

The world’s biggest and booming airports are built near the sea.

In 1972, during the Great Flood, Manila Bay’s waters met with Lingayen Gulf in the north at the vast plains of Central Luzon. So in a big flood, if NAIA, Sangley and Bulacan will sink, so too must Clark since the waters of Manila Bay and Bulacan spill into Pampanga.

In fact, since the coastal areas of Luzon are all sinking and the whole Luzon has plenty of active volcanoes, no airport should be built at all on the Philippines’ main island. That’s how ridiculous Solita’s argument is.

Solita also warns of a possible liquefaction in Bulacan. Liquefaction is when solid materials under the ground liquify because of a terrible earthquake and then erupt onto the ground as thick black fluid, scary, like in a horror movie.

In 1990, after a record 7.8 earthquake shook Luzon island, Dagupan, in Pangasinan, 135.7 kms from Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, the epicenter, suffered from liquefaction and terrified residents roamed the streets like zombies going nowhere. Bulacan, just 84 kms from Cabanatuan, did not show any liquefaction, meaning, its soil is more stable. I should know these things. I went to Bulacan, Cabanatuan, and Dagupan right after the 1990 earthquake.

The world’s biggest and booming airports are built near the sea. Kansai Airport of Osaka is built right on top of the sea.

That was 27 years ago and thankfully, Kansai has not sunk.

Amsterdam is two meters below sea

and small-scale producers who, by the way, make up the majority of those engaged in this sector. They are the ones who are in such dire straits, especially under this pandemic and will probably be tossed to the streets in due time if not properly and seasonably given all the assistance they deserve.

level. The city’s Schiphol airport is the 14th largest in the world in land area and passengers. I went there in 1972. It was big and impressive. I went back two years ago, AMS is even bigger and more impressive.

If it is bad to build an airport on land that Solita believes is sinking, she should write to the authorities in Kansai and Amsterdam to plead to please immediately remove those airports because they are built right on top of the sea and under sea water, respectively and could become white elephants, soon.

Meanwhile, Rep. Joey Salceda estimates San Miguel will get P50 billion worth of tax incentives—in 50 years. The P50 billion is only 6.75 percent of the P740 billion cost of the airport. For spending P6.75 for every P100 SMC spends to build NMIA, government is going to get for free—after 50 years, a first class airport sitting on 2,500 hectares of prime commercial land.

NAIA was built in 1961. After 60 years and several rehab jobs, its land of 67 hectares alone is worth P200 billion.

It isn’t inconceivable that after 50 years, Aerocity’s 2,500 hectares of prime land and its vertical infrastructure will be worth at least P2 trillion, value that goes to the government for foregoing P50 billion in taxes.

Aerocity will contribute up to 9 percent of GDP in ten years. In ten years, GDP should be P30 trillion; 9 percent of that is P2.7 trillion. In effect, San Miguel will pay back in just a single year what the government gives up in taxes in 50 years.

Since 1967, through the Board of Investments, the government has been giving away tax incentives for projects of lesser magnitude and insignificant economic importance. At PEZA zones, the government spends P200 billion more in taxes foregone than the value added of the products and services of registered enterprises. biznewsasia@gmail.com

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Taliban vows to continue jihad vs. US THE Taliban said Monday in Tehran that it will continue its “fight and jihad” if foreign troops do not withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 as agreed with the US. A delegation from the movement headed by its co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Iran’s capital last week at the invitation of the foreign ministry and met with Tehran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday.

“The staying on of troops beyond 14 months, whether American or NATO troops, means the continuation of Afghanistan’s occupation,” Suhail Shaheen, a member of the movement’s negotiating team, told reporters at a press conference.

Washington struck a deal with the Taliban in Qatar in February last year to begin withdrawing its troops in return for security guarantees from the militants and a commitment to kickstart peace talks with the Afghan government.

“We have fought occupation for 20 years. Therefore, in that case, we are forced to continue our fight and jihad,” Shaheen added.

The United States has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, down from close to 13,000 a year ago. AFP

India unveils massive 2021 spending plan INDIA unveiled a massive spending plan focused on healthcare and infrastructure on Monday, as the government sought to boost a coronavirus-ravaged economy on course for its biggest annual contraction on record.

The nation of 1.3 billion was badly hit by one of the world’s strictest virus lockdowns, with growth slumping by a historic 23.9 percent in April-June, and the economy expected to contract 7.7 percent in 2020-21.

“This budget provides every opportunity for our economy to raise and capture the pace that it needs for a sustainable growth,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told parliament in her annual budget speech.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi added: “We have presented a proactive budget... that will speed up progress in terms of wealth and wellness.”

The planned expenditure of US$30.6 billion on health and well-being schemes was more than double the equivalent outlay in the previous budget, although it included US$4.8 billion for the country’s ambitious Covid-19 immunization drive, with plans to vaccinate 300 million by July.

The health sector has long suffered from chronic underinvestment. As of 2017, the country had 0.8 doctors per 1,000 people, around the same level as Iraq, according to the World Bank.

Infrastructure was another big-ticket item in the budget, with US$76 billion -- 34.5 percent more than in the previous budget -- to be sunk into major projects, including roads and railways.

Divestments -- including of national carrier Air India and part of the government’s stake in the country’s largest insurer, Life Insurance Corporation -would help raise US$24 billion, Sitharaman said.

But the sales of both state-run firms have been on the cards, with the mooted IPO of the insurer sparking a walk-out by nearly 100,000 staff last year.

With lenders struggling with a mountain of bad debt, Sitharaman said $2.74 billion would be put aside for the next financial year to recapitalise state banks.

Social security benefits, including minimum wages, would be extended to workers in the gig economy, which has flourished amid cheap mobile data and abundant labour. AFP

G.O.P. ALTERNATIVE. US Senator Susan Collins (center) of Maine speaks alongside fellow Republican Senators (from left) Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Todd Young (R-IN),

Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Rob Portman (R-OH), after a meeting with US President Joe Biden about a COVID-19 relief bill outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday. The Republicans proposed an alternative to President Joe Biden’s massive COVID-19 relief plan, but which excludes key programs Democrats consider essential. AFP

Biden to streamline tack for 9 million immigrants W ASHINGTON—US President Joe Biden will call Tuesday for his administration to streamline the naturalization of nine million migrants, senior officials said, as part of a raft of steps aimed at rolling back the “failed” policies of his hardline Republican predecessor.

The Democratic president will sign a series of executive orders overhauling the US immigration process Tuesday, officials said, signaling a return to a more inclusive policy.

Biden is also set to order a review of all legal obstacles to immigration and integration that were put in place under Donald Trump.

“The review will likely lead to dramatic changes in policies,” according to a senior government official, saying the goal is “to restore faith in our legal immigration system, and promote integration of Americans.”

“President Trump was so focused on the wall that he did nothing to address the root cause of why people are com-

ing to our southern border,” the official said.

“It was a limited, wasteful and naive strategy, and it failed.”

In line with campaign promises, one of the orders will put in place a working group tasked with reuniting migrant families separated by Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy put in place in 2018.

That policy allowed officials to prosecute and deport adults who had entered the US illegally. Their children were then placed into federal custody.

Faced with international outcry, and even criticism from within his own party, the Trump administration was forced to scale down the policy, but hundreds of migrant children have still not been re-

More than 100m get jabs vs. COVID

UNDER TIGHT WATCH. Soldiers stand guard as troops arrive at a Hindu temple in

Yangon on Tuesday, as Myanmar’s generals appeared in firm control a day after a surgical coup that saw democracy heroine Suu Kyi detained (See story on A1). AFP

EU countries defend vaccination program THE European Union put on a brave face Monday, defending its troubled vaccination programme and insisting that renewed pledges of vaccine deliveries would make up for a production shortfall.

Pharmaceutical giants have scrambled to ramp up production and deliveries as Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks in Berlin with German political leaders and vaccine makers, while anger grew over the EU’s sluggish inoculation campaign.

The virus is known to have infected almost 103 million people so far—with

turned to their parents.

The working group will examine ways to reunite the families, officials said, without specifying whether that could allow parents or children who had been deported to return to US soil.

A second executive order echoes a similar policy under the Barack Obama administration, putting in place legal mechanisms for prospective immigrants in their home countries to apply for residency, allowing them to avoid dangerous smuggling routes.

End to ‘wealth test’ The third decree will promote the integration of migrants legally settled in the United States and make naturalization “more accessible to the more than nine million immigrants who are currently eligible to apply” for citizenship.

There will be a review of the so-called “public charge rule” introduced in August 2019 that allowed officials to refuse citizenship or green card applications to migrants receiving social assistance, such as subsidized care or housing allowances. AFP

more than 2.2 million deaths—and countries are desperate to move ahead with vaccinations and lift economy-crippling restrictions.

A new study showed that Covid-19 treatments and improved hospital care had reduced death rates in intensive care by more than a third, but warned that this progress might be stalling.

New, more contagious virus variants have also added pressure, with Lithuania on Monday becoming the latest country to detect a case of a strain that first emerged in Britain.

Britain, meanwhile, said it would in-

crease testing for a variant first detected in South Africa after nearly a dozen cases were confirmed.

Delays have dogged both the procurement and rollout of vaccines in the EU, and Merkel has come under fire for allowing the European Commission take the lead in securing vaccines for the 27-nation bloc.

But Germany’s BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer said Monday that improvements in their production capabilities would allow them to speed up supplies, pledging to send 75 million doses in the spring. AFP

PARIS—More than 100 million Covid-19 vaccines have been given around the world, an AFP tally from official sources found Tuesday.

But none of the world’s 29 poorest countries has formally started mass vaccination drives, while the richest nations have given more than two-thirds of jabs administered.

Israel leads the race by far, with 37 percent of its population having received at least one dose, while more than a fifth have already got their second.

Yet more than a third of humanity (35 percent) live in countries where vaccination has yet to begin.

After Israel, the countries that have given the most doses are in North America, Europe and the Persian Gulf.

Britain forging ahead The UK heads this group in per capita terms with shots given to 13.7 percent of its people, ahead of the US (32.2 million shots to 7.9 percent).

The European Union has been clashing bitterly with AstraZeneca over access to supplies of its vaccine, with only 12.7 million shots given to 2.3 percent of its people.

China by contrast has given 24 million shots, while India—where many of the vaccines are made—has given only four million to a tiny percentage of its vast population.

The EU’s best performing countries are tiny Malta (5.4 percent), Denmark (3.2 percent) and Poland (3.1 percent).

The UK’s nearest competitor in Europe is Serbia, which is also outside the bloc.

It has given the Chinese Sinopharm and Russia’s Sputnik V jabs to 6.2 percent of its population.

Poor left to wait With the World Health Organization lamenting that “rich countries are rolling out vaccines while least-developed countries watch and wait,” 101,317,005 jabs had been given in 77 mostly wealthy countries and territories, AFP’s count found. AFP

IN BRIEF Hong Kong leader defends ‘ambush lockdown’ tactics HONG Kong’s leader defended her administration’s use of “ambush lockdowns” on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases.

The new tactic involves authorities giving no warning of an impending lockdown, sealing off buildings where cases are detected and then ensuring everyone inside is tested, usually overnight.

But the operations have had limited success.

Overnight on Monday police cordoned off designated areas in four densely populated districts. Authorities conducted some 1,700 tests but found zero new infections.

On Tuesday, city leader Carrie Lam said the ambush lockdowns were “not a waste of manpower and money but instead well worth” the resources.

“We can’t take the number of confirmed cases as the sole or decisive standard,” Lam told reporters.

“Efficacy does not only concern recovery rate, but also prevention of the disease.” AFP

2 people killed as car bombs hit Afghan capital TWO people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul.

Attacks during the morning commute have become a favoured tactic of insurgents, who remotely detonate bombs attached to target vehicles.

Police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters two people were killed and two injured in a first blast, while a second targeting an interior ministry vehicle wounded two security personnel.

There were no reports of casualties from a third blast.

Deadly violence has ravaged the country in recent months—particularly in Kabul, with near-daily attacks against government officials, security personnel, journalists and other prominent Afghans.

Separately, a police vehicle was targeted north of Kabul in Parwan province, but the blast caused no casualties, police said.

Peace talks between the warring Taliban and Afghan government were launched in September in Qatar, but progress has been slow. AFP

New Caledonia gov’t collapses after 5 quit posts NEW Caledonia’s coalition government collapsed Tuesday after pro-independence politicians resigned over disagreements over the budget and the sale of a nickel factory on the French South Pacific territory.

The resignation of the FLNKS group -- who count five of 11 members of the executive -- means Congress will have to elect a new executive within 15 days.

The group has been tussling with the government over the sale of the Brazilian Vale nickel factory, with indigenous leaders claiming an offer by a local firm has been unfairly overlooked by the French government and the current owners.

“The members of the government (separatists) present their resignation,” said a letter filed by Louis Mapou, leader of the UNI-FLNKS group and his counterpart Pierre-Chanel Tutugoro from the UC-FLNKS (Caledonian Union).

The information was confirmed to AFP by government sources.

FLNKS leaders said that the sale of the Vale nickel and cobalt plant “gives priority to the interests of multinationals without considering the aspirations of local populations”. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Business

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TODAY

Dubai shuts bars, pubs until end of month after coronavirus surge DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Dubai on Monday ordered bars and pubs to close until the end of the month to suppress a spike in coronavirus cases, after tourists flocked to the emirate over the holiday period.

The closures, effective from Tuesday, are among a raft of steps “taken in response to rising violations of preventive measures,” authorities said in a statement.

Indoor venues, including cinemas and sports venues, will have their capacity cut by half.

Dubai’s vast shopping malls, as well as hotels, swimming pools and private beaches, must operate at 70 percent of capacity.

Restaurants and cafes are required to close by 1 a.m.

“Penalties will be strictly imposed on anyone found posing a risk to public health by deliberately disregarding preventive measures or not observing them properly,” the Crisis and Disaster Management committee said.

Dubai has sought to manage the pandemic without closing its doors, and in July reopened to tourism—an economic mainstay which has been badly battered during the pandemic.

The United Arab Emirates is also racing to roll out vaccines—administering some 3.4 million doses of vaccine to its population of about 10 million, for the second-fastest delivery after Israel.

But while masks and social distancing are mandatory, it has not prevented a sharp increase in cases in the new year after Dubai branded itself as an open, sunny and quarantine-free winter escape.

Neighboring Abu Dhabi, which has large oil reserves and is less dependent on tourism, has taken a more conservative approach, generally requiring quarantine on arrival.

Images of sports and media celebrities at Dubai’s multitude of beach clubs and cocktail bars flooded social media over Christmas and New Year.

However, guidelines for the city-state have been gradually tightened over recent weeks, with an earlier clampdown on the entertainment scene, and nonessential surgery in hospitals has been suspended. AFP

B3

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

PH, Asian stocks gain; AC Energy, Dito climb T

again Tuesday, extending the previous day’s rally.

Concerns about the social media-led retail investor battle with Wall Street hedge funds also appeared to be easing, with analysts saying the threat to broader markets would likely be limited.

However, while the mood was a lot lighter than last week, the ever-present shadow of the coronavirus, along with stuttering vaccine rollouts, continues to keep gains in check.

Joe Biden on Monday held a meeting with a group of Republican lawmakers to discuss their stimulus counter-proposal as the new president looks to push through a bipartisan deal.

The $600-billion plan backed by Republicans is less than a third of the one put forward by the White House, and includes smaller handouts and no provision for state and local governments—two issues that Democrats are likely to reject.

The talks ended with no agreement but Republican Senator Susan Collins described them as “frank and very useful.”

She added: “I wouldn’t say that we

he stock market extended its rally Tuesday along with the rest of Asia as investors got back in the saddle following last week’s global rout, with sentiment buoyed

by US stimulus hopes.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 53.12 points, or 0.8 percent, to 6,867.88 on a value turnover of P10.6 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 157 to 68, with 43 issues unchanged.

AC Energy Corp., a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., jumped 13.8 percent to P7.60, while Dito CME Holdings Corp., the third major mobile phone company, advanced 9.3 percent to P13.66.

Security Bank Corp., the seventh largest lender in terms of assets, climbed 3.5 percent to P133, but Abacore Capital Holdings Inc. slumped 11.8 percent to P1.19.

The rest of Asian equity markets rose

came together on a package tonight. No one expected that in a two-hour meeting.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki added that “while there were areas of agreement” between the two sides, Biden “also reiterated his view that Congress must respond boldly and urgently, and noted many areas which the Republican senators’ proposal does not address.”

Still, Democratic leaders said they would look to pass the president’s plan without Republican votes.

The two sides agreed to keep talks going behind the scenes.

News of progress helped support US markets, which were a sea of red last week.

All three main indexes ended up, and Asia continued Monday’s impressive performance.

Hong Kong, Sydney and Seoul jumped more than one percent, while Mumbai and Taipei put on more than two percent. Tokyo gained one percent, while there were also healthy advances in Shanghai, Singapore and Bangkok. Jakarta and Wellington both dropped. With AFP

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given to the public that an estate of the late BARON BEANCROFT UY CHUAHIONG was extrajudicially settled among his heirs as per Acknowledgement dated 26 June, 2020 of Notary Public Atty.

Sheryl B. Meneses-Macavinta with Doc No.4 Page no. 2 Book No. 2 series of 2020.

(MS-JAN. 20, 27 & FEB. 3, 2021)

Notice is hereby given to the public that an Affidavit of SelfAdjudication was executed by the only heir of the late Rene C. Mapua, namely: Diego Xavier H. Mapua, of legal age, single, resident of Alabang, Muntinlupa, over the estate of the said deceased consisting of BDO bank acts, shares of stock in ACC, CGC, CGCC, and Omni Aviation Corp., and 1 vehicle (Mazda MX5), adjudicating the said properties unto himself, per deed executed 30 Jan. 2021 in Las Piñas City before Notary Public Atty. Elmer M. Rejano, per Doc. o. 465; Page No. 94; Book No. XIX; Series of 2021.

(MS-FEB. 3, 10 & 17, 2021)

Manila

Standard

TODAY

IN TIME FOR VALENTINE’S DAY. An employee places bouquets on shelves at the Flower Plazoleta Bazzani company in Bogota on February 1, 2021, as Colombia prepares to export flowers for Valentine’s Day amid the new coronavirus pandemic. AFP

GameStop and the Challenge of Norming THE stock price of US omnichannel videogaming retailer GameStop plunged 30 percent Monday this week, 1 February, closing at $225 from its Friday price of $325. But the real story of GameStop is not just about this recent plunge. It begins earlier. To provide perspective, consider that GameStop stock was trading at $18.84 at the end of 2020 and at $4.15 about a half year ago on 3 August. Even prior to the global pandemic, the stock had been trading in the single digits with a stock price of $5.88 on 3 January of 2020.

Meanwhile, following the continued rollout of the e-yuan, China’s electronic currency and the first central bank-backed electronic currency anywhere, the Indian government is considering establishing its own central bank-backed electronic currency and potentially banning cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

In other news, an article in the Lancet, published last Friday, 29 January, explains that a key factor in the dynamics of COVID-19 spread in different countries can be explained by culture. A group of researchers led by Michele Gelfand uses Gelfand’s research on cultural looseness and the international data on COVID-19 to support a conclusion that countries that have tight cultures, i.e. countries that have strict norms and stricter punishments for deviating from those norms, are much more likely to have lower case counts and deaths from COVID-19.

This week, we talk about money, the pandemic, online communities and the challenges of managing platform businesses.

Games with Money For context, let us look at the GameStop fundamentals.

Company revenue was $7.96 billion in 2017, $8.54 billion in 2018, $8.28 billion in 2019 and $6.46 billion in 2020. Company net income was $353 million in 2017, $35 million in 2018.

The company registered net losses of $673 million in 2019 and $471 million in 2020. The company was clearly hard hit by the pandemic but it is important to note that revenues had dropped even prior to 2020.

The company which sells games primarily IRL (in real life) had been steadily losing market share to online purchases and its share price had dropped from $56 in 2013 to $12.28 at the end of 2018. On 3 January 2020, the stock was trading at $5.88.

On 4 January 2021, GameStop was trading at $17.25. The middle of January is when the games begin.

On 13 January, GameStop stock soared to 31.40, 57 percent from the previous day price of $19.95. On 22 January, Friday, the stock rose another 61 percent to $65.01 from the previous day’s price of $43.03. On Monday, 25 January, stock trading was halted nine times and the stock closed at $76.79.

The next day, the stock closed at $147.98. Wednesday, 27 January, GameStop hit an all-time high of $347.51. The stock price plunged to $193.60 on Thursday and jumped to $325 Friday before closing at $225 on 1 February.

Clearly something strange is happening here. The share price changes are not reflective of business reality. But then, that is one of the things that we know. Share prices are simply a reflection of what price people are willing to pay in the market. In the case of GameStop, the price increase can be traced to a community of over six million people on a Reddit forum called r/WallStreetBets and the ease of transacting offered by the stock trading app Robinhood.

It started about a year ago when someone in the Reddit forum argued that the stock was undervalued. The community began to push the price up. Once the stock price began to go up, other investors, including institutions began to short the stock, essentially betting that the price would go down. Enter Robin-

hood. One of the important things to know about Robinhood is that it did not make only stock trading accessible, it made options trading accessible. What are options? Well, it is those securities that allow investors to speculate on the future prices of stocks, essentially allowing them to bet that a stock price will go down. The kicker? Options trading on Robinhood is free!

In fact, so many investors bet against GameStop that Matt Levine of Bloomberg pointed out that “Short interest is 71.2 million shares while GameStop has only 69.7 million shares outstanding.”

At some point, the narrative began to be about small players punishing short sellers. They succeeded probably even beyond their own expectations. As the stock price increased, these companies ended up having to buy stock at higher prices to cover their bets. Will Daniel of Business Insider reported that GameStop short sellers had lost about $5 billion as of 26 January.

The conundrum of free access So what is the story here? One way to see this is that GameStop is simply another lesson in how out of control options trading can create unreal market situations. In fact, the global credit crisis was actually at least partially fueled by options.

But there is another even more concerning observation to be made. When markets become unrealistic, many savvy investors point to the actions of the mob, the unsophisticated investors who suddenly pile in during a bull run and panic when prices begin to go down. To address this, the stock market has put certain measures in place, including circuit breakers. Options have the opposite effect. They increase volatility. Historically, access to high-risk investments have been regulated by limiting access to high-networth individuals or simply by the difficulty of access. Robinhood changed this. Social Media, as evidenced by r/WallStreetBets, has also created what we can now see is a powerful player– arge online communities.

The story of GameStop is simply another iteration of the power of online communities. The availability of information and the ability of like-minded individuals to reinforce each other by building online communities has been seen time and again not just in business but in politics. When combined with the sheer access made available by online platforms, then we have created the possibility for great potential good—eCommerce platforms and social media have made it possible for even small businesses to access international buyers.

However, it is also possible to harness these platforms for misdeeds. Who should police these platforms? Do we rely on the individual ethics of users, or community norms and enforcement? Or should there be more? What is the responsibility of the platform owner?

As we face a world were money will flow through data lines and electronic currency will provide a paper trail of transactions, as we begin to see that the tightness of norms can truly have the power of life and death during periods of crisis such as a pandemic, the challenge of creating societal norms that enable good while preventing evil is one that we cannot afford to sweep under the rug.

The article by Gelfand et al. The relationship between cultural tightness-looseness and Covid-19 cases and deaths: a global analysis can be accessed online on https://thelancet.com.

Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@yahoo. com. Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr.com.

(MS-FEB. 3, 2021)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

BOP surplus pushes GIR to $110b T

By Julito G. Rada

HE Philippines posted a record balance of payments surplus of $16 billion and gross international reserves of $110.12 billion in 2020, amid the challenging global environment highlighted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

Data showed the BOP posted a surplus of $4.24 billion in December 2020, up from the $1.57-billion surplus recorded in December 2019.

“The BOP surplus in December 2020 reflected inflows mainly from the BSP’s

foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad, and national government’s foreign currency deposits with the BSP of proceeds from its issuance of ROP Global Bonds,” the BSP said in a statement.

These inflows were partly offset by the national government’s payments of foreign currency debt obligations, the BSP said.

“With the December outturn, the fullyear 2020 BOP surplus reached an alltime high of $16.02 billion. This level is more than two times higher compared with the $7.84 billion BOP surplus recorded in 2019,” it said.

It said the higher net foreign borrowings by the government and lower merchandise trade deficit, along with sustained net inflows from personal remittances, foreign direct investments and trade in services accounted for the favorable performance in 2020.

The BOP position reflects an increase

in the final gross international reserves level of $110.12 billion as of end-December, compared to $104.82 billion as of end-November 2020.

“The latest GIR level represents an adequate external liquidity buffer, which can help cushion the domestic economy against external shocks. This is equivalent to 11.8 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” the BSP said.

It was also about 9.5 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.4 times based on residual maturity.

The BSP expects the balance of payments to post a surplus of $3.4 billion this year.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, February 2, 2021

53.12 PTS. 6,867.88

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES

56,166,733,440 211,792 10,655,139,173.50 157 68

UNCHANGED

43

Trade Secretary and Board of Investments Chairperson Ramon Lopez announces a P1.25-trillion project approval target in 2021, after approved investments hit P1.02 trillion last year.

Foreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.0620

Japan

Yen

0.009532

0.4581

UK

Pound

1.366500

65.6767

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128989

6.1995

Switzerland

Franc

1.115076

53.5928

Canada

Dollar

0.778271

37.4053

Singapore

Dollar

0.750413

36.0663

Australia

Dollar

0.761900

36.6184

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655408

127.6242

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

12.8148

Brunei

Dollar

0.747608

35.9315

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.033367

1.6037

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0859

Euro

Euro

1.206100

57.9676

Korea

Won

0.000896

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.154603

7.4305

India

Rupee

0.013678

0.6574

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.247525

11.8965

New Zealand

Dollar

0.715600

34.3932

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035704

1.7160

IN BRIEF Razon’s Prime Infra eyes bio-refinery plant PRIME Metroline Infrastructure Holdings Corp. of businessman Enrique Razon Jr. said Tuesday it plans to put up a bio-refinery plant in Metro Manila with partners WasteFuel Global LLC, a next generation waste-to-fuel company, and Netjets Inc., the world’s largest private jet firm.

“Solid waste management remains a major problem in the Philippines, especially in urban areas like Metro Manila, which generates around 10,000 tons of municipal solid wastes per day. A bio-refinery that will convert solid waste into SAF will make a big impact in reducing solid waste and ensuing environmental and health hazards, landfill emissions, and fossil fuel use. An added bonus, it will create jobs for the local community,” said Prime Infra president Gillaume Lucci.

The bio-refinery aims to create sustainable aviation fuel from landfill wastes. At full capacity, the biorefinery will convert 1 million tons of waste into 30 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually.

WasteFuel will produce fuels that burn with at least an 80-percent reduction in carbon compared to fossil-fuel based aviation fuels. WasteFuels’ SAF has a carbon intensity of 0 compared to an average CI of 41 for alternative SAFs and a baseline of 89.4 for nonrenewable aviation fuel.

Othel V. Campos

Zuellig expanding cold chain capacity HEALTHCARE provider Zuellig Pharma Corp. said it is expanding its cold chain capacity in the Philippines to handle and distribute COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers and with different temperature requirements.

“We have ordered 10 additional ultra-low freezers, on top of the 14 already deployed through our network in anticipation of the storage and distribution demands of COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines,” said Zuellig Pharma chief business officer Jannette Jakosalem.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 officials recently visited Zuellig Pharma’s facilities in Parañaque after the task force assessed the cold storage capacity in the country with the schedule arrival of COVID-19 vaccines from various manufacturers.

“Zuellig Pharma has played an active role during the pandemic by undertaking urgent deliveries of influenza (flu) vaccines as well as conducting mass flu vaccination exercises.

We are honored and excited to engage with the Philippine government to explore ways in which we can support measures to address this current crisis and help execute the national COVID-19 vaccination program,” said Maikel Kuijpers, chief executive and area director of Zuellig Pharma.

Othel V. Campos

SM, BDO get highest honors for sustainability

Source: BSP

SM INVESTMENTS Corp. and BDO Unibank Inc. were recognized by Hong Kong-based multi-media company Asset Publishing and Research Ltd. for their performance in sustainability amid a year that put to the test companies’ commitment to environmental, social and corporate governance.

Both companies received platinum awards, the highest honors under The Asset ESG CorCYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK porate Awards 2020 for the 12th consecutive the pandemic, continuing to invest in mid-to- year for SMIC and the 11th straight year for long-term strategic projects that will significantly BDO. The Asset ESG Corporate Awards are the contribute towards a more modern and efficient, longest running ESG awards in Asia given industrial Philippines,” said Lopez. annually by research house Asset Benchmark “Moving forward to 2021, we expect that in- Research. vestments in these types of projects will intensify Companies were evaluated on a range particularly in infrastructure [road, ports and tele- of factors including financial performance, coms], water and power,” he said. management, corporate governance, social The Philippines is one of the countries to buck and environmental responsibility and invesa severe contraction in global foreign direct in- tor relations.

BOI says approved investments topped P1t in 2020, eyes P1.25t in 2021 Manila

Standard

TODAY 16th to 22nd Floors, Fort Legend Towers 31st Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634 Statement of Condition (Head Office and Branches) As of December 31, 2020 AMOUNTS

ASSETS

CURRENT QUARTER

PREVIOUS QUARTER

Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Other Assets-Net

589,312,970.10 3,783,377,440.40 890,755,104.10 1,100,458,154.87 7,973,380,928.25 3,149,232,958.12 31,080,214,183.01 1,865,693,550.00 29,247,708,654.85 388,998,526.00 422,186,547.84 572,405,293.91 1,061,833,366.61 107,636,988.60 1,006,827,582.87

759,026,326.42 5,739,772,798.11 1,110,422,121.27 690,282,724.09 7,970,866,453.05 3,182,460,032.31 32,991,401,149.46 2,010,117,750.00 30,974,129,584.70 441,607,857.00 434,454,042.24 440,419,375.42 1,078,679,409.43 104,101,588.36 995,873,209.13

TOTAL ASSETS

51,315,434,970.84

55,063,305,187.05

Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable a) Interbank Loans Payable Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

231,791,715.12 34,192,344,543.66 2,909,236,514.62 2,909,236,514.62 410,354,108.35 2,807,990,020.66

309,118,874.70 38,214,086,943.36 2,928,856,152.05 2,928,856,152.05 278,652,877.37 2,619,220,027.83

TOTAL LIABILITIES

40,551,716,902.41

44,349,934,875.31

5,505,833,769.57 162,409,465.32 5,095,474,833.54

5,505,833,769.57 112,061,708.63 5,095,474,833.54

LIABILITIES

TRADE Secretary and Board of Investments Chairperson Ramon Lopez announced a P1.25trillion project approval target in 2021, after investment applications reached P1.02 trillion last year.

“We are working hard for a V-shaped Philippine economic recovery in 2021 and are hence targeting the original 2020 pre-pandemic goal for investments,” said Lopez.

Data from the BOI showed approved investments in 2020 dropped 11 percent from the record P1.14 trillion in 2019. The BOI said it originally set a P1.25-trillion target for 2020 but this was recalibrated to P1 trillion amid the pandemic.

The BOI said towards the end of 2020, it achieved the target with the endorsement of the Department of Energy of two strategic power projects and the approval of a critical water supply and distribution project which is crucial in ensuring water security and contributing to floodcontrol.

It said while the 2020 approvals were 11 percent lower than the 2019 figures, they represented the second highest in BOI’s 53-year history.

“We thank the business community for, despite

vestment inflows which declined by 42 percent.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said FDI inflows to the Philippines increased by 29 percent.

Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo highlighted the role of investment facilitation to meet the agency’s target.

“BOI—working with other government agencies—is committed to extending support so existing businesses stay afloat and operating; and guiding new investors to facilitate their entry,” said Rodolfo.

Data showed that the BOI approved 311 projects in 2020 which once fully operational would generate 55,124 jobs. Othel V. Campos

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

10,763,718,068.43

10,713,370,311.74

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

51,315,434,970.84

55,063,305,187.05

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts Derivatives Others

1,129,184,810.18 136,320,810.05 348,264,079.85 0.00 288,138,000.00 901,695,543.68 1,773,541,057.58 627,733,846.79 1,145,807,210.79 16,110,004,340.01 1,440,947,618.31

1,218,719,650.24 230,125,836.84 94,316,078.52 13,217,069.78 0.00 2,689,814,097.59 1,689,323,451.84 588,950,156.95 1,100,373,294.89 18,141,792,837.11 1,379,167,243.29

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

22,128,096,259.66

25,456,476,265.21

Gross Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) 32,507,603,129.73 Specific Allowance for credit losses on the TLP 1,005,202,398.88 Non-performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs 1,071,459,928.53 b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) 3.30% c. Net NPLs 447,603,381.45 d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) 1.38% e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPL (%) 133.22% 93.82% f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losses on the gross TLP to gross NPL (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses 5,062,109,746.58 DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses 16,270,262.52 Ratio of DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to TLP (%) 0.05% Gross Non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables 0.00 Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivable to TLP (%) 0.00% Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises 3.33% b. 2% for Medium Enterprises 2.22% Return on Equity (ROE) (%) 1.99% Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis a. Total CAR (%) 27.02% 26.15% b. TIER 1 Ratio (%) c. CET 1 (%) 26.15% Deferred Charges not yet Written Down 0.00 Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instrument Received 0.00 Basel III leverage Ratio (BLR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations i. Capital Measure - Tier 1 10,106,976,882.86 ii. Exposure Measure 50,899,214,260.39 iii. Total BLR (%) 19.14% Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) on Single Currency Basis, as prescribed under regulations i. Total High-Quality Liquid Assets (HQLA) 16,250,790,540.28 ii. Total Net Cash outflows 8,486,169,321.05 iii. Total LCR (%) 191.50%

34,403,110,968.82 977,255,777.12

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1,172,295,845.47 3.41% 521,017,152.63 1.51% 120.42% 83.36% 4,252,266,809.74 14,605,757.11 0.04% 0.00 0.00% 2.66% 1.91% 2.50% 25.73% 24.87% 24.87% 0.00 0.00 10,079,242,071.61 56,809,412,217.21 17.74% 18,209,007,396.94 9,719,167,130.00 187.35%

I/We hereby certify that all matters set forth in this Published Balance Sheet are true and correct, to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(Sgd) ANDREW A. FALCON Chief Finance Officer (Signature over printed name)

(Sgd) OLIVER D. JIMENO President and CEO (Signature over printed name) (MS-FEB. 3, 2021)

ADB LOAN. Public Works Undersecretary Emil Sadain (center) signs a memorandum of understanding with Asian Development Bank officials for a loan request to begin the construction of three bridges crossing Marikina River—J.P. Rizal-Lopez Jaena Bridge, Marcos Highway-St. Mary Bridge and Kabayani-Katipunan Avenue Extension Bridge.

Cagayan River rehab to end illegal sand mining TUGUEGARAO CITY—Cagayan’s decades-old problem on illegal black sand (magnetite) mining may finally end with Tuesday’s launch of the Cagayan River Rehabilitation Project, institutionalizing government’s regulation while plugging the perennial flooding in the area.

The Build Back Better Task Force, a multi-agency mechanism spearheading the Cagayan River Rehabilitation Project in Lal-lo, Cagayan, kicked off the Cagayan River upkeep coinciding with the 25th World Wetlands Day. Dredging of the sandbar along the Magapit Narrows in Barangay Bangag, Lal-lo town began Tuesday with Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar leading the start of the river rehabilitation.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Armed Forces of the Philippines

Chief of Staff General Gilbert Gapay joined the ceremonial start of the dredging.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cagayan Valley director Gwendolyn Bambalan, who personally conducted site assessment of the sandbar along the Magapit Narrows a week ago, said of the 19 total sandbars identified by the BBB Task Force, the sandbars in Barangay Bangag and Barangays Casicallan Norte and Dummun in Gattaran are the priority sites for immediate dredging as these obstruct the floodwater flow to the Aparri Delta and to the Babuyan Channel as its final destination.

The government identified dredging to plug the perennial flooding in Cagayan and nearby Isabela, both earlier devastated with the release of massive rainwater from the Magat Dam in Isabela that drains down to the Cagayan River and its tributaries that had been heavily silted since.

PAL pushes ahead with retrenchment of 2,300 employees

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Airlines said Tuesday it is implementing the retrenchment of 2,300 employees or about 30 percent of its workforce in the first quarter.

The airline unit of tycoon Lucio Tan said the affected employees of voluntary separations and involuntary retrenchment would continue to be employed until mid-March 2021.

“This has been an extremely difficult and painful decision. For our colleagues who are leaving, rest assured that we are committed to support you through this transition,” said PAL president Gilbert Santa Maria.

“We extend to you our deepest gratitude for your years of hard work and dedicated service, and we will always cherish the ties you have established with the PAL family,” he said.

Prior to the retrenchment, PAL chose to implement temporary furloughs and flexible working arrangements to hold off job cuts as long as possible and ensure that its employees continued to receive salaries and benefits, particularly medical benefits at the height of the pandemic.

Frequent communication with employees kept them updated on the status of the company. The retrenchment program was communicated to employees as early as October 2020.

PAL said the retrenchment was carried out after a comprehensive system-wide review process and was part of the company’s overall recovery initiatives amid the ongoing pandemic that massively affected the global airline industry.

It said that while demand for air travel slowly returned, it was still far from prepandemic levels.

PAL operates less than 30 percent of its normal pre-pandemic number of weekly flights, held down by lowered travel demand and travel restrictions around the world and throughout the Philippines.

Sports

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

C1

Davis, James power Lakers over Hawks, fans ejected

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks fouls LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in the final seconds of the second half of their NBA game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. AFP

Panlilio expects competitive unit in Sotto-led Gilas GILAS Pilipinas is bringing a competitive unit to the final window of the FIBA Asian Cup qualifiers especially with the arrival of young NBA Filipino prospect Kai Sotto.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas made the assurance on Tuesday or about two weeks before the national team departs for Doha, Qatar for the Feb. 18 to 22 meet.

SBP President Al S. Panlilio said the 19-man Gilas pool currently in the Calamba bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy, is being pushed hard in training by coach Jong Uichico and project director Tab Baldwin. And nothing is expected to change once the 7’3” Sotto finally gets to join them in a week or so “I think this team will compete,” said Panlilio, appearing in the webcast edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum for the first time.

“We’re very happy with the way the team is developing. They’re playing hard and ready to go.”

Sotto, 18, is required to follow quarantine protocols upon arrival before he could join the team in practice.

More or less, he’ll have one week of practice with the Gilas pool before the Philippine delegation leaves three days before the tournament.

“Kaya nga sabi ko the sooner he really comes in, the better for him. He needs to understand the system they’re trying to play and run. Kumbaga sa basketball, dapat nagkaka-amuyan na kayo ng teammates mo, and you can only do that if you’re practicing with them,” Panlilio said in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Although the SBP chief considered Sotto, a member of the NBA G-League Ignite, a great addition to Gilas, he also cautioned everybody to temper expectations on the lanky Filipino big man.

“He’s improved a lot for sure, but he’s also just 18 years old. So we can’t also put too much pressure on him,” added Panlilio in the Smart-powered public sports program with Upstream Media as official webcast partner.

“He’s the future of Philippine basketball for sure, but he’s also developing as a player, as a person.”

Pole vault great joins Obiena in Berlin meet

By Peter Atencio

T

HIS time around, Tokyo Olympics-bound Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will not be alone when he competes in the men’s pole of the Internationales Stadionfest in Berlin.

Obiena’s coach Vitaly Petrov will accompany him this Friday in his stint in the world’s biggest indoor track and field tournament.

The 24-year-old Obiena, who set a new national record last Friday, went to Berlin early with Petrov, coach of the world’s greatest pole vault athteles, including legends and former world champions Sergey Bubka, Yelena Isinbayeva and Giuseppe Gibilisco, to get ready for his event, which will take place at the MercedesBenz Arena.

The disciplines to be played include the 60m sprint, hurdles, pole vault, long jump and discus throw.

Last week, Obiena was all by himself when he saw action in the 2021 Karlsruhe

Indoor meet.

Obiena was not allowed to have a companion or a coach because of coronavirus protocols and restrictions.

But he still had a great start to his 2021 campaign at Europahalle where Obiena set a new Philippine indoor mark after clearing 5.62 meters to finish fifth in the competition.

“Siyempre, he will be aiming higher (in Berlin). Pero, iyun lang nagawa niya nu’ng time na iyun (in Karlsruhe),” said EJ’s dad Emerson.

The young Obiena’s feat shattered a previous national mark he made at 5.43 meters back in 2019 at the International Pole Vault Meeting in Potsdam, Germany.

But even without Petrov around, Obiena was still able to perform flawlessly on three attempts at the heights of 5.32 meters, 5.47 meters, and in his final try at 5.62.

He was able to do everything in one go, according to the elder Obiena when he reviewed EJ’s performance, after an online discussion with his son early this week.

“Consistent na siya sa mga height na iyun. Nakukuha niya nang malinis hanggang sa 5.52 meters. Tamang-tama at nandu’n na si coach Vitaly. Mako-correct na niya iyung mga errors na na-commit niya sa Karlsruhe,” said the elder Obiena.

In Karlsruhe, Renand Lavillenie of France, who is the London 2012 Olympic champion, won the event with just three, first-time clearances at 5.62, 5.80 and then 5.88m before rounding off with a first time success at 5.95m.

Rivals Matt Ludwig and Cole Walsh of the United States settled for second and third with clearances of 5.8 and 5.72 meters.

LOS ANGELE—Anthony Davis scored 25 points and LeBron James added 21 as the Los Angeles Lakers overpowered the Atlanta Hawks on Monday to end their road trip with a hard-fought 107-99 victory.

James pulled down seven rebounds and weighed in with nine assists as well as a clutch three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 101-97 lead with just over a minute remaining at State Farm Arena.

It was the decisive blow in a game that had been halted midway through the fourth quarter after two female spectators heckled James from courtside. The women were ejected from the Arena.

Davis, meanwhile, was satisfied after a victory that left the Lakers firmly on the tail of the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz, who occupy the top two spots in the Western Conference.

“The last game of a road trip’s always tough and we didn’t want to buy into that ‘being tired, ready-to-go home’ mentality,” Davis said.

“And (Atlanta) is a good team. They were 10-9 and they came out and played like it. We dropped two already on this road trip which we hate doing, so we wanted to come out and end this trip the right way, with a victory.”

James, meanwhile, laughed off the incident that led to play being halted in the fourth quarter, revealing that the altercation began when he had exchanged words with a male spectator seated next to the women.

‘Happy fans are back’ “At the end of the day I’m happy fans are back in the building,” James said. “I miss that interaction. I need that interaction. I don’t feel like they deserved to be kicked out.

“There was a back and forth between two grown men, he said his piece, I said my piece. And then someone else jumped in and said their piece. But I don’t think they should have been kicked out.

“They might have had a couple of drinks maybe. It’s fine. It kind of got blown out of proportion... fans in the stands, just feels better,” James said.

Trae Young led the Atlanta scorers with 25 points and 16 assists, while John Collins chipped in with 22 points. Clint Capela added 16 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. AFP

Perez to SMBeermen gets PBA greenlight

By Arman Carandang THE blockbuster deal between Terrafirma and San Miguel Beer that looked inevitable since the former announced its decision to trade prized shooting guard CJ Perez last Friday finally got the go-signal from the PBA yesterday.

However, the Beermen gave away their 2022 first round pick in addition to the package the league’s most successful team earlier tendered to earn the nod of the trade committee.

In gaining the versatile playmaker from the Dyip, the Beermen in return gave up bench players Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Russel Escoto, and Gelo Alolino, plus their first-round pick in the 2020 PBA Rookie Draft.

“Masasabi ko lang, I support the trade committee (on its decision),” said PBA commissioner Willier Marcial when asked to describe the deal.

Perez, the 2019 Rookie of the Year and First Mythical Team winner, will thus join the league’s most decorated franchise already formidable on both ends with the presence of six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Chris Ross, Alex Cabagnot, Von Pessumal, and Terrence Romeo.

SMB coach Leo Austria and his Terrafirma counterpart John Edel Cardel can’t be reached yesterday for comment on the trade, although the former had earlier said the trade is beneficial to both teams.

Perez, however, will be able to join the Beermen as soon as he returns from Calamba, Laguna where he is with

the Gilas Pilipinas training in bubble at the Inspire Sports Academyin preparation for the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.

Terrafirma will be the third team for Ganuelas-Rosser, who also had brief stint with Talk ‘N Text before landing in SMB. Interestingly, Escoto returns to the very team that selected him in the first special draft in 2016. He played for three years with the Terrafirma before being dealt to NorthPort and later to San Miguel.

Alolino will likewise play for his third team in three seasons after spending a brief time with Blackwater in 2019.

In another development, Meralco is set to part ways with Baser Amer, whom it is sending to Blackwater in exchange for Mac Belo.

The commissioner’s office has yet to act on the onefor-one trade proposal.

Amer has spent all of his six years in the league with the Bolts, who selected him seventh overall during the 2015 Draft.

Amer saw action for three times in the league’s annual All-Star. He played 18 games for Meralco in the bubble where he averaged 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

The last two seasons saw Blackwater play without a reliable court general, and the acquisition of the 27-yearold Amer will hopefully solve the Elite’s problem.

Belo, on the other hand, was the top overall pick during the 2016 PBA Gilas draft. The 6’4” forward is also a three-time all-star.

CJ Perez, now a Beerman

Zamboanga excited to watch friend Fairtex at UNBREAKABLE III

Denice Zamboanga

FORMER ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion Stamp Fairtex of Thailand is back in action this week, ready to resume her quest for a historic third world title, and her good friend, the Philippines’ Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga will be watching closely to cheer her on.

Stamp takes on Russian grappling specialist Alyona Rassohyna in the main event of ONE: UNBREAKABLE III, a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore scheduled for global broadcast this Friday, February 5.

Zamboanga is excited to watch Stamp perform and will be rooting for her friend.

“I honestly don’t know her opponent.

There are a lot of good fighters in our division that will be a good matchup for her. I think she’s ready for a Top 10 opponent. That being said, I have full confidence in her abilities. Stamp is a great fighter,” said Zamboanga.

“Stamp is always hungry and trains very hard. She’s gotten a whole lot better now than before, because she always has that eagerness to improve and to win.”

Zamboanga and Stamp are former teammates at the Fairtex Training Center

in Pattaya, Thailand. After having trained together extensively, the two formed a very tight bond. They would often post videos on social media about their life and friendship outside of training.

Today, Zamboanga has since moved out of Fairtex and is now based out of Bangkok’s Marrok Force gym with older brother Drex Zamboanga and their friend Fritz Biagtan.

Despite the distance, Zamboanga says her friendship with Stamp has not been compromised.

“I always enjoyed how we laughed and had fun with each other during training.

I miss our post-workout TikTok dances and eating lots of food together,” said Zamboanga.

Stamp surrendered both her kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles last year, in a pair of heartbreaking setbacks in the ring. However, the 23-year-old has now become fully dedicated to her mixed martial arts career, where she ranks #5 at women’s atomweight.

Zamboanga, who ranks #1 in the division, is fully confident Stamp can clinch the victory. She wishes Stamp a good outcome in the fight, and asks fans to show their support for her friend.

C2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Super Bowl week kicks off as COVID-19 threat remains LOS ANGELES—The final countdown to the Super Bowl got off to a low-key start on Monday with a virtual opening night media event, as the spectre of Covid-19 hovered over the US sporting showpiece.

With just six days until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers attempt to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s championship game, players from both sides were adjusting to a new normal as a week of media activities got under way.

The Super Bowl’s “opening night” is usually played out in a crowded arena made up of fans and thousands of media against a backdrop of rock music and pyrotechnics as the teams are introduced.

Safety issues surrounding Covid-19 however made the traditional circus-like kick-off a non-starter this year, leaving the likes of Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes to instead conduct press interviews via Zoom.

Buccaneers quarterback Brady, who is preparing for his 10th Super Bowl, would normally expect to find himself in the centre of a scrum of dozens of cameras and journalists.

Instead he addressed media in front of a lone camera at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team facility.

“Crazy media day. I’m sitting here in an empty room,” Brady remarked.

“It’s very different from the other nine experiences.”

Chiefs counterpart Mahomes was similarly bemused by the contrast in surroundings, a year after being the centre of attention in Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

‘Very different’ “From last year to this year, very different,” said Mahomes.

In another departure from tradition, when participating teams arrive in the host Super Bowl city several days ahead of the game, the Chiefs are remaining in Kansas City until the weekend, when they will decamp for Florida. AFP

Sports

Japan extends virus emergency T OKYO —Japan’s government is set to approve a month-long extension of its coronavirus state of emergency on Tuesday, less than six months before the pandemic-postponed Olympic Games open in Tokyo.

An official announcement is expected later in the day, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga scheduled to hold an evening press conference.

The extension has been widely trailed by local media and officials, with government spokesman Katsunobu Kato telling reporters Tuesday morning that “it is our understanding that continued vigilance is warranted for a while”.

Eleven of Japan’s prefectures, including the greater Tokyo area, are currently under a state of emergency that runs until February 7.

The month-long extension is expected to apply to all but one of the regions currently affected, and comes despite a dip in new infections.

Japan’s virus emergency is significantly looser than the lockdowns seen elsewhere in the world, and primarily calls for increased teleworking and the closure of bars and restaurants from 8pm.

Legislation currently working its way through parliament would add enforcement measures including fines for businesses that do not close early.

The government was initially reluctant to impose the emergency, waiting until after the new year, despite an uptick in cases in December.

It initially covered just the greater Tokyo area, but was expanded about a week after it was first announced as infections spiked in several parts of the country.

Japan’s coronavirus outbreak has been comparatively small nationwide, with just over 5,700 deaths overall.

But the country’s healthcare system has become increasingly overburdened, and public support for both the initial imposition of the emergency, and Tuesday’s extension, is strong.

Suga’s government has seen approval ratings plummet over its handling of the country’s third wave of infection, which has increased doubts

Nadal pulls out of ATP Cup tie with stiff back

Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee president Yoshiro Mori speaks to the media after their video conference with IOC president Thomas Bach, at TOGOC headquarters in Tokyo. AFP

Fired-up Djokovic makes perfect start MELBOURNE—Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic got his season off to a perfect start with a battling win over hot-shot Denis Shapovalov in the ATP Cup Tuesday, but world number three Dominic Thiem crashed to defeat.

The Serbian world number one, who will be chasing a ninth Australian Open crown when the first Grand Slam of the year begins on Monday, was pushed hard before coming through 7-5, 7-5 against the Canadian on Rod Laver Arena Djokovic showed no signs of being hindered by a nasty blister on his racquet hand that troubled him at an Adelaide exhibition last week and returned 30 minutes later alongside Filip Frajinovic to play the decisive doubles rubber.

The pair beat Shapovalov and Milos Raonic 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) as defending champions Serbia took the tie against Canada 2-1 in Group A. “It was a great opening of the season.

Playing Shapo is always a great challenge on hardcourts, he is such a dynamic, explosive player,” said Djokovic, who was fired up by playing in front of a smattering of noisy Serbian fans.

“I thought we both played on a pretty high level, so I’m really pleased with the way I started the season.

“This is a great competition,” added Djokovic, who won all eight matches he contested en route to the trophy last

Munzon projected no.1 pick

about the prospects for this summer’s postponed Olympics.

Japan’s government, organisers and Olympic officials all insist the Games will go ahead this summer, and extensive virus countermeasures are being developed to keep the event safe.

But public opinion remains opposed, with around 80 percent of Japanese polled backing a further postponement or outright cancellation.

Japan has tightened border restrictions during the state of emergency, ending exemptions for athletes.

That has forced the cancellation and postponement of some sports events, including the first Olympic test event of 2021 -- an artistic swimming qualifier that had been scheduled for March. AFP

year.

“We need more competitions where we represent a team, represent our country.”

Serbia beat Rafael Nadal’s Spain in the final of the inaugural and hugely popular tournament last year in Sydney -- launched as a rival to the Davis Cup. It has been slimmed down from 24 teams to 12 this year due to the coronavirus with all matches at Melbourne Park over five days with US$7.5 million at stake, rather than the multi-city format employed in 2020.

Spain face a tough opening tie later Tuesday against hosts Australia, with Nadal up against fast-improving Alex de Minaur.

On a cool day, big-serving Raonic got Canada off to a blistering start, crushing Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in just 79 minutes to give his team a 1-0 lead, with the former world number three, now ranked 15, dropping just eight points on serve while sending down 11 aces.

It was left to Djokovic to level the tie before clinching the doubles rubber.

The Alexander Zverev-led Germany are also in Group A and play Wednesday.

Thiem tumbles While Djokovic tasted victory, US Open champion Thiem, who lost to the Serb in a gripping Australian Open final last year, got his season off to a disapIT DOESN’T take a genius to figure out that Joshua Munzon is most likely going to be the top overall pick in the coming PBA Rookie Draft.

Right after the league approved the trade that shipped Terrafirma Dyip’s top gun CJ Perez to the San Miguel Beermen for five players, it became clearer that the next order of business for the former is to get the best talent available and no doubt, Munzon is the best talent among the 97 applicants in the Draft.

Rich in playing experience -- be it in international or professional level -- the 6’4” Munzon is a notable scorer. He was a solid player while seeing action for the Saigon Heat and the Westport Malaysia Dragons in the Asean Basketball League.

He also suited up for the iECO Green Warriors, the Philippines’ representatives in the East Asia Super League ‘ Terrific 12 in 2018, then played for the AMA Online Titans in the PBA D-League.

His best moment was probably with the

pointing start.

He slumped 6-2, 6-4 to Italian world number 10 Matteo Berrettini who never allowed the Austrian to get going with his big-swinging game.

“I’m very happy obviously for myself, but in this competition we’re playing for a team, so it’s really nice,” Berrettini said. “I’m really happy with my performance.

“Playing for your country is some-

thing special.”

Berrettini was under pressure after Austria took the lead in their Group C clash when 100th-ranked Dennis Novak earned one of the biggest wins of his career, upsetting world number 17 Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-2.

It sent the tie to a deciding doubles with Thiem returning alongside Novak only to crash again, losing 6-1, 6-4 to Berrettini and Fognini. AFP

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic gives autographs to his fans at the end of group A men’s doubles tennis match against Canada’s Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov on day one of the 2021 ATP Cup in Melbourne. AFP Philippine 3 x 3 squad where he became the country’s top player, while representing the Filipinos in the FIBA 3 x 3 World Tour and for about two years, he played alongside Alvin Pasaol, Leonard Santillan and Troy Rike, boosting the Philippines’ chances of qualifying for the Olympics.

Similar to Perez, Munzon also plays the wing spot and no doubt, he’s the best scorer among the PBA hopefuls who applied for this year’s Draft.

Perez, the PBA’s scoring ace, was traded to the already talented San Miguel Beermen in exchange for forward Matt GanuelasRosser, center Russell Escoto, and guard Gelo Alolino. The Dyip will also get two first round picks -- the Beermen’s first round pick this year and the team’s first round pick two years from now.

With a center, a forward and a guard already added to their roster, the Dyip will definitely need a go-to-guy in offense and the team could exercise that option by get-

ting it in the Draft by selecting Munzon.

There are several other talented players in the Rookie Draft considered as possibly the deepest since the Class of 1989 when Benjie Paras, Nelson Asaytono, Bong Alvarez, Ato Agustin, Elmer Cabahug, Dindo Pumaren and Zaldy Realubit among others entered the PBA. Jamie Malonzo, a 6’6” forward, whose athleticism is exceptional among the other aspirants, is also worth considering, same as the other prospects from Gilas Pilipinas like 6’5” Calvin Oftana and William Navarro, although it’s not clear yet whether they will fall under the special draft for Gilas or be included in the regular PBA Draft.

Outside of the names mentioned, there’s Rike, probably the best talented big man, and there’s Pasaol, an undersized forward, but is highly regarded for his toughness and will to win. Frontliners like James Laput, a 6’10” Filforeign player and Larry Muyang from NCAA champion Letran, are also high on the list.

MELBOURNE—World number two Rafael Nadal pulled out of Spain’s opening ATP Cup tie against Australia Tuesday, complaining of a stiff lower back.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was due to take the court against Australia’s top-ranked player Alex De Minaur, but opted to rest instead as he prepares for the Australian Open next week.

“Hi all, we have decided with Team Spain and my team, to not play today the first match of the ATP Cup here in Melbourne since I have a stiff low back,” he tweeted.

Nadal added that he hoped to have recovered by Thursday, when Spain meet Greece.

Spanish number two Roberto Bautista Agut will now face de Minaur, while John Millman takes on Pablo Carreno Busta in the opening rubber.

Nadal, who is aiming for a recordbreaking 21st Slam title in Melbourne, moving him past the injured Roger Federer, played an exhibition in Adelaide on Friday, beating Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-4.

Andreescu withdraws from Aussie Open warm-up tennis | AUS | WTA | Andreescu associated with x Meanwhile, former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu’s muchanticipated return from a year-plus injury lay-off has been delayed after she withdrew from her Australian Open warm-up event on Tuesday.

The world number eight, however, remains on track to end her 15-month absence from the circuit at the Australian Open starting on February 8.

Andreescu, 20, was set to make her comeback as top seed in the Grampians Trophy at Melbourne Park starting Wednesday, but pulled out as a precautionary measure after spending 14 days in hard lockdown upon arriving in Australia.

“Following the last two weeks in quarantine, it feels so good to finally be back on the court,” she said in a statement.

“After discussing it with my team, we have decided to focus this week on training for the Australian Open and miss the Grampians.”

The Canadian has not played a competitive match since suffering a left knee injury at the WTA Finals in October 2019, halting her rapid rise after a stunning straight-sets victory over Serena Williams in the final at Flushing Meadows that year. AFP

But Munzon’s talent level is exceptional and almost every coach in Philippine basketball would agree.

Whatever is on the mind of Terrafirma is really none of my business. I would love to see Perez and Munzon play together at the same time and it would be an explosive tandem at the No.2 and 3 spots.

Instead, we won’t see a tandem who could easily put an average of 40 points per game combined, but the Dyip decided to go on a different direction. For now, Munzon is going to be the team’s future -- if he ends up at No.1.

How far can Dyip go with their new acquisitions and their future star?

One could only guess if they’re capable of going the extra mile, but if the team is bent on replacing its marquee player, Perez, the Dyip don’t need to look far beyond Munzon.

Talent, experience and will to win. What more can you ask for?

Entertainment I

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

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Rising on the P-Pop scene

N A virtual event on Friday, P-Pop fans witnessed the grand launch of BGYO, a five-member Pinoy Pop boy group composed of talented teenage singers and dancers Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate.

Initially known as SHA Boys, which first got TV audiences and netizens’ admiration as the group made the rounds of television shows, members of the P-Pop act had trained for almost two years with Korean and Filipino mentors before their grand launch.

“Throughout the training, apart from honing our skills and our craft as music artists and performers, we were able to learn the value of discipline.

We believe that discipline helped us with our journey from the very beginning until now that we are being given this big opportunity to be part of P-Pop scene,” Mikki told Manila Standard Entertainment during the

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

event attended by local and regional press.

The group’s grand launch also saw the unveiling of “The Light” music video, which already has a combined total of over 1 million views from its official YouTube channel and Facebook page as of this writing.

As the music video premiered at the launch, the group got the chance to show off their skills once more. They were introduced individually and had production numbers that complemented their individual strengths as performers. For the boys, it was a result of many hours of hard work.

“All the hard work was worth it, now

Filipino idol group BGYO was officially launched on Friday, Jan. 29. In the grand launch, the music video of the group’s debut single ‘The Light’ was also unveiled.

that I’m seeing the video for the first time,” Akira said.

For group leader Gelo, it was the culmination of their long and daunting journey. “Nakakaiyak yung Makita mo yung journey namin leading to this,” he said.

Meanwhile, fan energy for the group was strongly felt at the launch as they stormed social media with tweets that showered the five young men with praises

GMA Regional TV expands access to local news FROM the producers of the country’s award-winning and top local news programs, GMA Regional TV (RTV), comes the newest flagship local weekday newscast in Bicol — GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia.

Airing from Monday to Friday at 5:00 p.m., the pioneering unified weekday newscast brings viewers in Bicolandia the latest news and information produced by Bicolanos for the Bicolanos.

Balitang Bicolandia is anchored by Rhayne Palino, Jessie Cruzat, and Katherine Henry. They are joined by Naga-based regional correspondent Charmaine Ragiles and a wide network of stringers all over the Bicol region.

Rhayne Palino has covered typhoons and other major calamities in Bicol for GMA Regional TV Weekend News, GMA RTV’s national newscast which recently received a Special Citation for Best News Program at the 42nd Catholic Mass Media Awards. A proud Bicolana, Palino has honed her skills as a broadcast journalist, sharing stories of Bicolanos’ resilience and rich culture at the local and national levels throughout the years.

Tri-media personality Jessie Cruzat, on the other hand, started his career in broadcast journalism as a radio field news reporter and host in the Bicol region. Learning from the best media practitioners, Cruzat has developed his craft as an effective content creator, writer, and communicator—skills he brings with him as he co-anchors Balitang Bicolandia.

With her passion for storytelling, beauty queen turned broadcast journalist Katherine Henry joins the pioneering newscast as co-anchor and regional correspondent. She started her career as a travel show host and a

GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia anchors (from left) Katherine Henry, Rhayne Palino, and Jessie Cruz at their new set in the GMA Bicol Station.

TV segment producer. Hailing from Iriga City, the former Miss Bicolandia and Miss Kaogma is also a tourism advocate and is currently a Marine reservist.

Meanwhile, seasoned media practitioner Charmaine Ragiles takes on a new challenge as Balitang Bicolandia’s regional correspondent. Ragiles, who started as a writer and a correspondent for radio, is set to deliver the biggest news straight from Naga City.

“After almost two years of preparation, we are more than honored to launch our flagship local newscast in Bicol, ‘GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia,” shared GMA Regional TV and Synergy First Vice President and Head Oliver Victor Amoroso.

“Through the years, GMA RTV has been with our viewers in the regions, delivering local news from various parts of the country including key cities and provinces in the Bicol region. With the launch of Balitang Bicolandia, we are taking another step in carrying out our

#LocalNewsMatters campaign. With this unified weekday newscast in Bicolandia, we hope that we can further provide Serbisyong Totoo to more viewers and communities in the Bicol region,” he added.

GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia is the sixth flagship newscast from GMA RTV following the successful launches of local newscasts.

In 2020, GMA RTV’s local newscasts and regional morning shows recorded a combined reach of about 64 percent of all TV households throughout the country, with an estimated total of 46.8 million viewers, based on Nielsen Phils.

TV Audience Measurement’s Total Philippines data (January to December 2020).

Catch GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia weekdays at 5:00 p.m. via GMA TV-7 Naga, GMA TV-12 Legazpi, GMA TV-2 Sorsogon, GMA TV-8 Daet, GMA TV-13 Catanduanes, and GMA TV-7 Masbate.

for their talent and refreshing presence in the music scene.

With an aim to create music that resonates with the youth today, BGYO’s debut single “The Light” is a song about empowerment, hope, and self-love.

BGYO member Mikki said that they have plans to translate the song into different languages so that fans in other countries can fully appreciate it.

Golden Globe noms set tone for Hollywood's pandemic awards season THE unveiling of the Golden Globes nominations on Wednesday will jumpstart a Hollywood awards season like no other, with pandemic-related theater closures and blockbuster delays expected to boost smaller, stay-at-home movies like Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Mank.

The influential Globes are often a bellwether for any given film's success at the Oscars, but all bets are off in a year that has seen glitzy award campaign events scrapped and ceremonies postponed by Covid-19 restrictions.

Tinseltown's traditional studios held back the release of several big hitters last year in the hope of theaters reopening, so streamers including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple should fare better than ever at upcoming prize ceremonies.

Among the lead contenders are Aaron Sorkin's Chicago 7 -- a timely look at the protests, police violence and madcap trial surrounding the 1968 Chicago anti-war riots -- and David Fincher's Mank, which dives into Golden Age Hollywood with the making of Citizen Kane.

Amazon Prime has One Night in Miami, a play adaptation about Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown's friendship at the height of the US civil rights movement, and sleeper hit Sound of Metal about a rock drummer who loses his hearing.

Holding the line for Hollywood's oldschool studios almost singlehandedly is Nomadland, which swept the prizes at the Venice and Toronto festivals and is the pick of many experts for overall best picture.

The movie from Disney-owned Searchlight stars Frances McDormand adrift among a community of elderly, nomadic idealists who roam across

Documentary on ‘drug war’ an official entry to Oscars 2021 A chance to reconnect and a wish to reunite

FIPRESCI Award. It later ALYX Arumpac’s Aswang, won the International Feature a film that portrays the grim Competition Grand Prizes at aftermath of President Rodrigo the Montreal International Duterte’s war on drugs, is Documentary Festival eligible for consideration in the (RIDM), the Film Festival documentary feature category Dokumenter Jogja, the Prix du of the 93rd Academy Awards.

Film Professionel at Festival The film qualified after Traces de Vies, the Grand Prix winning the prestigious White Compétition Nouveaux Talents Goose Award at the 12th DMZ at Corsica Doc, the Amnesty International Documentary International Award at the Film Festival, Asia’s largest Thessaloniki Documentary documentary festival, which Film Festival, and the Beyond took place in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Korea in ‘Aswang,’ a docu that portrays the grim aftermath of the Duterte the Screen Competition award at the DocAviv Film Festival. administration’s war on drugs, is the Philippines’ entry to this Sept. 2020.

It recently won Best Picture “I am very grateful to year’s Oscars. at the 2020 Filipino Academy Jomari, Brother Jun Santiago of the Redemptorist Brothers, everyone who shared their lives of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS), the first time a and stories with us, and everyone else that I worked with on documentary won the award in 68 years.

In July last year, Aswang was streamed in the Philippines this film. I am happy that our efforts to shed light on how vast a problem the drug war is in the Philippines is garnering more for a limited time through the film’s official social media pages. It was also screened at the Nation section and at the attention worldwide,” says Arumpac.

Aswang follows a group of people whose fates entwine with #HuwagMatakot Halloween Fest of Daang Dokyu Film the growing violence over two years of killings in Manila. Festival in October.

"We are overwhelmed by the support we received during Among them is Brother Jun Santiago, a photojournalist and missionary brother who comforts bereaved families and makes a these screenings. We hope this encourages more conversations stand against lawlessness, and Jomari, a street kid whose parents about the issue and a change of perception among those who support this war on drugs" says producer Armi Rae Cacanindin. are in prison for drug use.

In July alone, the film has been viewed more than half a million The film draws its name from the creatures called 'Aswang' times in the Philippines. Plans are underway for additional that roam the streets at night thirsty for blood.

The production began shortly after Duterte was sworn into screenings.

To organize screenings, email activevista@dakila.org.ph. office.

Aswang premiered at the 2019 International Documentary More about the film at www.aswangmovie.com and facebook.

Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), where it won the prestigious com/aswangmovie.

Following the group’s exclusive launch, BGYO made their much-awaited appearance in ASAP Natin ‘To, where they performed their single for the first time to a larger television audience.

Fans who were unable to catch the launch have a chance to catch it as it airs and streams on Feb. 7 on A2Z at 4:00 p.m., Kapamilya Channel and Kapamilya Online Live starting at 11:00 p.m., TFC, and iWantTFC.

AFTER previously releasing two singles, “Home” and “Mr. Sun” with Wonder Records, Rendy Pandugo now comes with a new EP titled See You Someday.

Released on Jan. 29, the EP that comes with six tracks was first inspired by Rendy’s own habit of saying “See you

Indonesian music artist Rendy Pandugo

America in worn-out vans.

"Most of the contenders seem to be more intimate movies, or ones that do play well at home," said Chris Beachum of awards tracker Gold Derby.

"A lot of the 'big-screen' type movies -- thinking about a James Bond movie or the Marvel movies -- have been held back anyway. They're not even competing for this year's races."

Voted on by the 90-odd members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Globes split movies into "drama" and "comedy or musical" categories. AFP

The Golden Globes nominations signal the start in earnest of Hollywood's awards season, delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

someday” at the end of his live shows.

With a friend mentioning how it would be nice to create a song using the phrase, Rendy felt now is the right time to release it in the form of an EP, with an outro track with the same title, as an expression of how he missed his fans and the good days of performing on stage in front of the live crowd.

Not being able to meet his fans in person ever since pandemic, the album is meant as a remedy and a chance for Rendy to reconnect and be there for his listeners, as well as his wish of being able to see them again soon.

With the EP, Rendy aims to present comforting tunes that he knows for sure his fans would love, while also starting afresh in 2021. Through this EP, Rendy reintroduces himself as a singersongwriter, now with a more modern and complex music composition. With a mix of acoustic tracks, harmonious alternative pop with a touch of piano, and an emotional ballad, Rendy hopes to start over in the new year, as he reconnects with existing fans, while also introducing himself to new listeners.

The EP, mixed by Ollipop from The Kennel Sweden and mastered by Greg Calby from Sterling Sound, is a collaborative work featuring Rendy’s own best friends as the producers for some of his tracks. These producers include Teddy Adhitya for the track “Far,” Petra Sihombing for “B.Y.L”, and Enrico Octaviano for “Secret.” An exciting collaborative work that Rendy himself enjoyed and learned a lot from.

Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Wear something lucky

By Steph Llarena

I

N CHINESE culture, wearing new clothes from head to toe during Lunar New Year symbolizes fresh start and renewed hope. And if we’re welcoming a new year in new clothes, there’s nothing wrong doing it in style, right? Fashion houses celebrate the Year of the Ox with Chinese New Year collections.

Lunar New Year 2021 collections Valentino’s studs and reds

Doraemon wears Gucci

Valentino Garavani highlights its signature Roman stud in its Chinese New Year collection entitled “Pieces of Joy, A Roman Stud Special Selection.” The house’s metallic pyramidal hardware makes an appearance in shoes, bags, and accessories that come in reds and pinks and gold.

Doraemon x Gucci sweatshirt

Or maybe it’s the way around.

In celebration of Doraemon’s 50 th anniversary and Gucci’s 100 th, Alessandro Michele has dedicated the Italian house’s CNY collection to the cat-type robot from the 22nd century.

For the occasion, Doraemon, in his classic blue color over the GG motif, takes the stage of Gucci’s Lunar New Year campaign shot by Angelo Pennetta. The robot cat from the future is adorably and prominently featured in ready-towear pieces such as jackets, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and skirts; and shoes and bags.

Valentino Garavani Roman stud leather bracelet (left) and stud shoulder bag

Doraemon x Gucci small backpack

Michael Kors’ tweed twist

Michael Kors gives its most-loved bags, including the SoHo shoulder bag a tweed twist for the Lunar New Year. The special edition collection features SoHo bag in red tweed and black tweed.

Michael Kors SoHo black tweed and red tweed

Doraemon x Gucci Rhyton sneakers

Balenciaga and the Ox

An adorable illustration of ox appears on Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear apparel, while accessories feature an all-over logo print with the Chinese character for “ox” in black and white.

Clarabelle and Friends meet Kate Spade

Balenciaga Little ox hourglass top handle bag, (right) Balenciaga Little ox keyring in multicolour smooth calfskin

CK takes care of underwear

Chloé Printed lavallière silk blouse in crêpe de chine

Kate Spade New York has partnered with Disney to bring the iconic Clarabelle & Friends characters to life in an assortment of ready-to-wear, handbags, small leather goods, and accessories for its Year of the Ox CNY collection.

Inspired by Clarabelle Cow and her playful group of famous friends, the six-piece collection features classic Kate Spade New York silhouettes, all re-imagined highlighting each unique character, including Clarabelle, Minnie Mouse, and Daisy Duck.

Wearing red underwear is another Chinese New Year tradition.

Calvin Klein’s CNY Holiday collection features the red low-rise trunk featuring elastic logo waistband, 360 stretch design, and a special ox print.

Calvin Klein low-rise trunk

Chloé Mini round Daria bag

CNY Chloé

Kate Spade bag and wallet and Kate Spade sweatshirt

French fashion house Chloé injects its signature feminine aesthetic in its Chinese New Year collection composed of printed tops, accessories, and bags such as Daria Mini in denim canvas and calfskin with Year of the Ox metal pins, Mini Round Daria in grained and shiny calfskin, and Drew cross-body backpack in shiny red calfskin.

SWISS watchmaker Frederique Constant is known for stylish luxury at reasonable price point.

Expert Elias Toledo, who curates for Leon Gallery’s watch auctions, decodes the sophisticated features of the top-end Frederique Constant Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon.

“There are only 30 pieces in the world, and one is in the Philippines.

Priced at P1.9 million, it’s definitely in the collectible range, with good reason. When you get a perpetual calendar watch from other established brands, you’ll be paying P8-10 million. That’s why it’s amazing to see Frederique Constant’s version, with such complexities at a fairly reasonable price point. I think that’s the come on.”

Rainier Jacinto, marketing services manager for Philippine distributor Wizer Industries, says, “Prices start from around P50-P60,000, up to just under P2 million. It has always stayed true to its core philosophy, affordable luxury, Marco Lobregat, Frederique Constant’s brand advocate, wears Vintage Rally Healey. for both its mid-range to limited edition rience. But it somehow reinforced the watches.” values that I already had. We Jacinto in December presented have to rethink what matters select timepieces at an exclusive most. For me, it’s about living event. Pieces featured includwell, doing what I want to do. ed luxury timepieces such And focusing on the stuff that as the Classic ManufacI find valuable,” he shared. ture Worldtimer, Vintage “Just as an example, I Rally Healey, Highlife love this traveling lifeCOSC certified chrostyle that I had prior to nometer watches, and the lockdown. Then I Yacht Timer. Wizer Infigured, I could still do dustries also introduced that. So after a couple of Marco Lobregat as Fredmonths of living in Manila, erique Constant’s brand I moved to Batangas where I advocate. now live and work by the sea.

Lobregat, an entrepreneur I work from here, and I’m so Classic Worldtimer Manufacture who loves travel and the outproductive. And that’s what doors, talked about how he matters. Because I love that kind was able to still pursue his pasPerpetual Frederique Constant is available at its of life.” sion despite the challenges of Calendar mono-brand concept stores in SM Mall “It’s the reason Frederique 2020.

Tourbillon Constant appeals to me. Its bat- of Asia and The Podium and at Tempus “To be honest, things didn’t tle cry, ‘Live Your Passion,’ ech- in SM Lanang Premier and SM CDO really change much for me, in Premier. terms of my personal lockdown expe- oes my own personal mantra.”

Accessible luxury

Clothes that can adapt to the needs of the wearer are on the rise as boundaries blur between work and play, home and office, indoor and outdoor.

Transitional pieces for summer

EFFORTLESS style that blurs the line between work and leisure, home and office, indoor and outdoor is on the rise. Functional items and flexible styles that can take one from the city to the countryside or adapt to today’s work practices are favored.

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo thus launches a collection for the spring/ summer season that heavily features fabrics and textures for more active lifestyle and are easy to care and easy to integrate into everyday routine.

The new collection highlights dresses in different colors, silhouettes, and materials; wrinkle-resistant rayon blouse in various sleeve lengths and necklines;

U crew neck T-shirt made of sturdy heavy cotton cloth material made from low-count yarn and compact knit; lightweight and stretchy jeans that employ the technology from Toray and Uniqlo; improved Smart Ankle Pants with twoway stretch fabric and resin on the center pleats to help keep the pants crisp, even after washing.

Also part of the transitional pieces are the Oxford shirt made with 100 percent cotton Oxford material and special yarn; Extra Fine Cotton a basic, yet stylish shirt made of premium material; and Kando pants and shorts made of a unique material that uses a thread developed together with Toray.

Easy to care fabrics and flexible styles are highlighted in Uniqlo’s latest LifeWear collection.