Manila Standard - 2021 February 13 - Saturday

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AIR ASSETS. President Rodrigo Duterte, flanked by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (right) and Senator Bong Go, leads the inspection of PAF’s newly delivered air assets on display at

Vaccine delivery hits snag

the Haribon Hangar in Clark. The air assets consist of one C-130 H, six Blackhawk utility helicopters, six Super Tucanos, six Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicles and four Hermes 450 UAVs.

Galvez points to absence of law to pay victims; indemnity bill pressed

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

T

HE first batch of vaccines from the COVAX Facility will be delayed because the country does not have an indemnification law, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said Friday.

In the absence of such a law, Galvez said, the government will include an indemnification clause in the contract that will ensure Filipinos who experience serious side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will be compensated.

“I think the delay is only for one week,”

Galvez said in an interview on ANC. Galvez earlier told the Senate that the country could have received 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by now if the Philippines had an indemnification law which the COVAX Next page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 03 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Movie houses, parks cleared to reopen soon

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM FEBRUARY 12)

545,300 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

2,022 33,151 NEW

ACTIVE

11,495

26

500,654

333

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

He said the government response required scaling up because “the health crisis is fast turning into a humanitarian crisis.”

Findings by the Singapore-based ASEAN Studies Center showed that a majority or 53.7 percent of its Filipino

THE Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has allowed more businesses nationwide to resume operations amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF has approved the reopening of driving schools, traditional cinemas, and video and interactive-game arcades in the country.

Roque said libraries, archives, museums, and cultural centers have also been authorized to operate amid the pandemic.

Also approved is the reopening of limited tourist attractions like parks, theme parks, natural sites, and historical landmarks, he said.

The IATF, he said, has also agreed to allow the conduct of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, and limited social events at credited establishments of the Department of Tourism.

He said strict observance of minimum public health standards set by the Department of Health should be observed by businesses that are allowed to resume activities amid the pandemic.

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NEW

NEW

SAY IT WITH VEGGIES. Florist Babes Castro shows off her vegetable collection which includes a Sili bouquet for P500, Eggplant bouquet (P359/kilo) and Pakbet bouquet (P509).

Her vegan collection deviates from the usual red roses arrangement ahead of Valentines Day. Norman Cruz

Senator: Gov’t reponse to pandemic dismal; SWS debunks his claim

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

SENATOR Joel Villanueva said the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is so dismal that it needs “an immediate booster shot.”

He was reacting to a recent survey

showing that the Philippine government got the lowest approval rating for its response to the pandemic among Southeast Asian countries.

In a statement, Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, said he was not surprised by the results of the survey given the unsatisfactory

performance of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in handling the pandemic.

“It only confirms what most Filipinos feel. And the writing on the wall has been evident for all of us to see,” Villanueva in a statement.

‘Vehicle inspection a must; fee cut OKd’

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta MALACANANG said that while President Duterte had made the motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS) non-mandatory, the MVIS was still

PAY HIKE, PRICE CUT. Militant members of a youth party-list group protest in front of

Kamuning Market in Quezon City on February 12, 2021. They urge the government to give priority to salary increase of workers and reduction of commodity prices. PonD News Asia

Teen pregnancies on the rise

members -- Reps. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela; Carlos Isagani Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat of THE Makabayan party-list bloc in the Bayan Muna and France Castro of ACT House of Representatives has sought a Teachers – voiced concern over the congressional investigation on the ris- Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) latest report or 2020 ing incidence of teenage pregnancies.

In House Resolution 1571, the bloc Next page

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

required in the registration of vehicles, but the rates for the inspection would not increase.

At the same time, the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center owners have agreed to collaborate with the Department of Transportation and

Viagra makes cut flowers stand erect VIAGRA, the popular name for Sildenafil, which has been for years an across-the-board drug for males with erectile dysfunction, can make others stand up and last longer – now trending on TikTok two days to Valentine’s Day. According to Insider, the pill, an artificial compound originally synthesized and studied to treat hypertension, Next page

the House of Representatives to lower their testing fees and waive their retesting fees for the year.

In a press conference initiated by the DOTr, Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines Next page

Televangelist ‘Eli’ Soriano dies at 73

Tele-Vangelist Eli Soriano

“Ang Dating Daan” founder and televangelist Eliseo “Bro. Eli” Soriano died at the age of 73, the Members Church of God International said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness, yet with full faith in the Almighty, that we announce the passing of our beloved and one and only Bro. Eliseo ‘Eli’ Soriano – faithful preacher, brother, father, and grandfather to many,” the MCGI said.

“Up to the last moments of his life, Brother Eli was able to fulfill his Next page

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Duterte treads gingerly on China Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. acknowledged that Beijing has never been impolite in addressing the diplomatic protests even as it continued with its incursions.

“In some cases, one response addressed issues raised in several diplomatic notes.

They are never impolite in my experience,” Locsin said in a Twitter post.

Specifically, the Department of Foreign Affairs protested last year the following issues: China’s aiming of a fire-control radar against a Philippine naval vessel; unlawful radio challenges against Philippine air and maritime assets patrolling Philippine waters, legitimately; maritime scientific research (MSR) by Chinese vessels in Philippine waters without consent; and China’s presumptuous establishment of two “new districts” (Xisha and Nansha) in

the South China Sea. Manila also issued a note verbal to China dated January 27, 2021, becoming the first country to lodge a diplomatic protest against China’s Coast Guard Law. “While enacting a law is a sovereign prerogative, the geographic area of coverage of China’s claims directly poses a threat to the conduct of Philippine legitimate activities in the West Philippine Sea, which, if unchallenged, is acquiescence,” the DFA said.

“The Philippines strongly opposed any application of China’s Coast Guard Law beyond the limits of China’s maritime entitlements under international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Award on the South China Sea arbitration,” the department added.

advance payments to vaccine manufactures for COVID-19 vaccines.

Some LGUs have raised concern that they cannot proceed with vaccine purchases because the procurement law bars them from making advance payments.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday said his bill will not give LGUs precedence over the national government in terms of vaccine procurement.

Zubiri was reacting to criticism of his bill, which aims to facilitate vaccine purchases by LGUs. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said he thinks the national government and local governments can work together under certain protocols to ensure nonpoliticization of the equitable access to vaccines, particularly for lower income sectors.

Zubiri said LGUs must still follow the national government’s lead.

“LGUs still need to follow the national guidelines for vaccine deployment set by the Department of Health and the National Task Force against COVID-19,” Zubiri said.

“So no one should fear inequitable distribution. Whether through the national government or the LGUs, our front liners will still be prioritized for vaccination,” he said.

Vaccines purchased by LGUs would augment the supply of the national government, he added.

Also on Friday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado raised the need to increase the 15 percent limit on advance

payments on contracts for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. This will ensure the timely and efficient implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination plan, he said. The existing authority only allows advance payment of up to 15 percent in exceptional cases such as the procurement of goods during a state of calamity.

He added that the government is experiencing difficulties in negotiating with various pharmaceutical companies due to the limitations imposed by existing laws.

In other developments: * Senator Christopher Go said President Rodrigo Duterte may get vaccinated in public to boost public confidence in vaccines, if his physician approves. Go said that he has discussed public vaccination with Duterte, who is open to the idea if his physician permits it. As public servants, Go added that he and Duterte are willing to serve as examples to get more people to trust in the vaccines. * The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said half of the 10,000 Chinese COVID-19 vaccines that will be received by the Presidential Security Group through a compassionate special permit (CSP) will be given to the wives and close contacts of the soldiers. * FDA Director General Eric Domingo said the US company Moderna might apply for emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccines next week but their supply won’t be available in the Philippines until the middle of this year.

(VICOAP) President Iñigo Larrazabal said: “In the same way that we responded to the first call of the government about road worthiness and made the investment without hesitation, we continue to believe that this is a good and worthy program.”

In Malacañang, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said private motor vehicle inspection centers agreed to “operate at a loss” by lowering their inspection rates and suspending the collection of reinspection fees for a year.

In the Senate, Senator Grace Poe said “Appeals are good but decisive action is better,” as she called on the leadership of the DOTr and LTO to officially suspend the implementation of their issuances on the privatized Motor Vehicle Inspection System immediately pending thorough review and stakeholder consultation.

Poe, chair of the Senate Public Services committee, said the fees were set by the Department and LTO’s own issuances.

“It is the department’s own Depart-

ment Order 2018-019 which stated that the “DOTr, through the LTO shall issue guidelines for Authorization of PMVIC which shall include… inspection base fees,” said Poe. Further, the senator noted that in a subsequent Memorandum Circular 2019009, the DOTr itself said that “inspection fees shall be determined after public consultation conducted by the DOTr in coordination with LTO and LTFRB”.

“A temporary suspension of fees only begs the question: Why do motorists need to shoulder the burden of the new system?”

The President had ordered the suspension of the implementation of the MVIS following complaints of some solons and sectors regarding its expensive charge on the yearly vehicle registration.

But Roque said private motorists still have to submit an emission clearance or MVIS when registering their vehicles. “ While the President said that the Motor Vehicle Inspection should not be implemented, private vehicle owners should still submit either the emission clearance or the MVIS,” he said.

The Palace official welcomed the operators of private motor vehicle inspec-

tion centers for going with the rate of P600, the same as the emission test.

“For P600,while there is a pandemic, your vehicle will be subject to 73 roadworthy inspection checks,” he said.

The Department of Transportation on February 11 urged private vehicle inspection centers to lower their fees.

The implementation of the MVIS has faced criticism due to supposed malpractice, calibration errors, and other undesirable occurrences.

In a statement, the PMVIC said “we have as a group agreed to lower our fees during this pandemic. The new fees are as follows: P600 for light vehicles; P500 for motorcycles; and P300 for public utility jeepneys.

“We understand fully that given today’s economic climate, many Filipinos are struggling financially. Many have lost their jobs while others are struggling to change industries. We understand that the added cost of vehicle inspections will be difficult for many.”

While acknowledging that MVICs are not mandated for vehicle registration, Larrazabal said, “Our work in PMVICs goes beyond compliance and regulation. This is about saving lives.”

surprised some TikTok users.

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This has been described by some as an effective flower power.

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vow to the Almighty that manifests in his love to serve the brethren.”

The Christian organization did not state Soriano’s cause of death.

Soriano previously hosted religious programs “Ang Dating Daan,” “Itanong Mo Kay Soriano” and “Truth In Focus.”

ment response to prevent young girls from being pregnant and falling in the trap of “intergenerational poverty.”

Gatchalian also warned that the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to further increase the number of adolescent pregnancies.

He cited experiences from past calamities and disasters.

The Makabayan Bloc said in the resolution that teenage pregnancy was a major health issue, especially for the marginalized sector who have little to no access to family planning methods, health services and other relevant information about reproductive health.

“Minors who are pregnant or who are caring for their newborn babies face

worse circumstances amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as reproductive health services and basic social services are inaccessible due to pandemic limitations and age-specific restrictions on mobility,” the resolution reads.

In seeking a congressional probe, the group calls for a review of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law to assess “hardships in implementing an age and development-appropriate sexuality education and other important government programs” provided under the law.

Quoting the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP), Gatchalian said 23.5 percent of teenage girls in Eastern Visayas got pregnant when Ty-

phoon Yolanda struck.

He believes that curbing the surge of adolescent pregnancies requires reproductive health education with a grassroots approach, which will mobilize schools and barangays in reaching out to girls and their parents.

Keeping girls in schools, Gatchalian said, is the best strategy to prevent teenage pregnancy, where they can access information and sexuality education.

The senator also emphasized the role of parents as health educators in shaping young people’s attitude and behavior. Parents need to be capacitated in terms of effectively talking to their children about sexuality and reproductive health issues.

Republic Act 10354 or Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 calls for an age-appropriate and development-appropriate reproductive health education, which aims to build knowledge and skills on protecting one’s self from teen pregnancy, sexual abuse, gender based violence, and responsible teenage behavior, among others.

The lawmaker recently filed Senate Bill No. 1985, which seeks to institutionalize and establish the Parent Effectiveness Service Program in every city and municipality. The program aims to assist parents and parent substitutes in building their skills and knowledge to provide quality care during the critical stages of children’s development.

By Joyce Pangco Pañares and Rey Requejo

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he cannot afford to put up a brave front against China despite repeated incursions and provocative actions in the West Philippine Sea.

“I am walking on a tightrope, actually. I cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China because, well, we are avoiding any confrontation – a confrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time,” the President in his speech during Friday’s inspection of newlydelivered air assets at the Air Force City in Pampanga.

He also expressed concern as tensions between Washington and Beijing mounted over the South China Sea issue.

“I hope they will understand that we are

the nearest to a theater of war. The battle would be submarines and aircraft carriers and all. We will be dragged into that. I do not want to participate in any adventure of that kind, if I can help it,” Duterte said.

“I am not against the Chinese, neither am I pro-American. I am just a Filipino government worker working for the interest of my country,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it has sent 60 diplomatic notes to China protesting its various actions and behavior in the disputed South China Sea waters for the past five years.

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Vaccine...

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“The reopening and further expansion shall be subject to the issuance of the implementing guidelines which will provide for the operational capacity, and oversight of the appropriate regulatory agency and the concerned local government units where these businesses or industries are located,” he said.

The IATF-EID’s latest decision came after President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern over the current state of the economy.

The country’s economic team is calling for the further relaxation of quarantine rules to revive the economy.

During the Laging Handa briefing, Roque said the IATF has decided to give more sectors the chance to operate since there is no increase in the COVID-19 attack rate and utilization rate.

Duterte on Monday vowed to take necessary steps to ensure that the economy remains afloat.

Starting Feb.15, religious gatherings will also be increased from 30 percent to 50 percent of capacity in areas under general community quarantine, Roque said.

Relaxing of restrictions for religious gatherings comes before the start of the Catholic Lenten season on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17.

“Specifically, religious gatherings in GCQ areas shall be allowed up to 50 percent of the seating or venue capacity,” Roque said.

For the month of February, areas under GCQ are Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas province, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Iligan City. The rest of the country is under a modified GCQ. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles has said that the existing health and safety protocols would be followed in the observance of Ash Wednesday.

“The same rule implemented last year should apply this year because our health and safety protocols remain in effect,” Nograles said.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Friday released guidelines on the resumption of faceto-face classes, limiting these to medical and health-related courses in areas with low COVID-19 cases.

Schools in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified general community quarantine (MGCQ)— the two lowest levels of restriction— will only be allowed to resume physical classes if they have following courses: Medicine, Nursing, Medical Technology, Medical Laboratory Science, Physical Therapy, Midwifery, and Public Health.

Facility, led by the World Health Organization, requires.

Two bills seeking to establish an indemnification fund for vaccine-related injuries have been filed by Senators Nancy Binay and Ramon Revilla Jr., but the Palace said it has no intention to certify either of them as urgent.

In a televised press briefing, Roque said that certifying proposed measures as urgent does not guarantee quick passage into law by Congress.

“The effect of certification of bills as urgent is we do away with separate days for approval on second and third readings,” he said.

A bill certified by the President as urgent can be approved by Congress on second and third reading on the same day.

In Binay and Revilla’s bills, the indemnity fund will be subsidized by pharmaceutical companies that supply the government with vaccines for public immunization programs.

The proposal also provides that vaccine makers should reserve 1 percent of the contract price for the fund which will be deposited with the national treasury to be ultimately earmarked to compensate those who sustain “vaccine-related adverse events.”

Roque, meanwhile, said the Palace is counting on Congress to amend the government procurement law to allow local government units (LGUs) to make

Viagra...

From A1 can make cut flowers stand up and last a week longer than they would otherwise.

Scientists have known since 1999 that Viagra can extend the lifespan of cut flowers, but this fun fact recently

Teen...

From A1 data on the rising pregnancies among minors aged 10-14.

“In 2019, some 2,411 girls considered as very young adolescents aged 10 to 14 gave birth, or almost seven every day.

This was a three-fold increase from 2000, when only 755 from the said age group gave birth,” the commission said.

“Overall, the number of Filipino minors who gave birth in 2019 increased to 62,510, which was slightly higher than the 62,341 minors in 2018.”

In the Senate, Senator Win Gatchalian called for a more aggressive govern-

Military chief lauds Army commander

‘Vehicle...

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ARMED Forces chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana has lauded the appointment of Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino as the new acting commander of the Philippine Army.

“Well (he served in) Sulu and now he is the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) commander so as far as the experience is concerned he has a high level of expertise in peace and security efforts,” Sobejana told reporters Friday.

Sobejana also believed that Faustino, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988, would do well as acting Army chief.

When asked about Faustino’s designation as acting PA chief, he said this was because the former only had less than one year remaining in military service.

“Because he has less than one year remaining in the military service, by law it should be (a) year,” Sobejana said.

This designation will remain until Faustino’s retirement, he added.

“Until retirement for now, we will know if there would be other jobs that we would be given to him. We will know later,” Sobejana said.

Senator:...

From A1 respondents were dissatisfied with the Duterte administration’s handling of the health crisis at home, which has led to more than 541,000 infections and 11,401 deaths to date.

Among those surveyed are Filipinos in the policy, research, business, civil society and media communities and the results showed that the Philippines had the lowest approval rating for their government’s response to the pandemic among Southeast Asian countries.

“That is not the kind of news that desperate and discouraged people would like to hear. One aspect of pandemic management is that you dispense hope that will boost the morale of the nation,” he said.

Villanueva said that mitigating the impact of rising food prices and dwindling supply essential food products in the market should be the immediate concern of the IATF managing the effects of the pandemic.

The Philippines has remained the region’s second-worst hit by the pandemic. Its neighbor Indonesia which has the highest number of cases at 1.17 million and nearly 32,000 deaths, yielded a 50.4 percent disapproval against 24.1 percent approval and 25.6 percent neutral.

In contrast, Vietnam had the highest approval rating among its citizens at 96.6 percent, followed by Brunei at 93.9 percent and Singapore at 92.4 percent.

Villanueva said funded government programs designed to mitigate the ill-effects of the pandemic should be implemented immediately and their budget spent.

Gauging from the slack on government spending in the 2021 national budget, Villanueva lamented that that “there seems to be no sense of urgency on the part of the agencies concerned.”

Villanueva also urged the government to “speed up vaccine delivery because telling people that it will be completed by 2023 is a big letdown for them.”

In contrast, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released Thursday said most Filipinos believe the worst of the COVID-19 crisis is over.

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4 registration centers to open in Metro Manila

DRAGON DANCE. A group of kids mimics the dragon dance, a tradition during the Chinese New Year celebration, with improvised costumes along Ongpin in Binondo, Manila, on Friday. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the dragon dance performance in the streets of Binondo was called off.

FOUR overseas voting registration centers in Metro Manila will be open starting next week to accept applications for registration in connection with the May 2022 national and local elections.

In a Facebook post, the Commission on Elections encouraged Filipino workers abroad who will be out of the country from April 10 to May 9, 2022, to register to participate in absentee voting for next year’s polls.

These registration offices are at the following areas: • Office for Overseas Voting Registration Center, ground floor, Palacio del Gobernador Building, Intramuros, Manila; • Department of Foreign Affairs Aseana, Parañaque City; • MARINA satellite office in SM Manila; • POEA Main Office in Ortigas Ave. and EDSA, Mandaluyong City.

The Comelec said qualified Filipinos (18 years of age and above) may register as overseas voters.

For those already in the host country, they may register at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate near them.

“Filipinos who are already overseas can also register at the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate in their area,” the Comelec said.

CHR: Stop use of child soldiers

By Rio N. Araja

A

S THE Philippines joined the celebration of the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers or Red Hand Day, the Commission on Human Rights on Friday joined the call for a stronger action to stop the practice of using child soldiers.

“It is appalling that, even up until this day, children are being recruited as soldiers in areas of armed conflict,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.

“The trend is a cause for concern as children are continuously victimized for

different reasons. Some are forced and abducted, while others are deceived or made to believe that joining an armed group is a chance for a better life. In the field, children in armed conflicts also fulfill different roles—on the frontlines, acting

SC rules on serial womanizing A RULING by the Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and granted the annulment of the marriage sought by the wife of an admitted serial womanizer.

In a decision dated February 8, the court’s 13th Division set aside the ruling of the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 10 and declared the marriage null and void.

In ruling for the nullification of the marriage, the appellate court said “contrary to the finding of the RTC, Marilyn was able to establish the juridical antecedence of Henry’s psychological incapacity or that it has been existing prior to their marriage.”

In certain cases, the court said, psychological incapacity could be traced back to a psychologically unhealthy childhood due to a pathogenic family.

The petitioner, Marilyn, testified that when they were younger and long before they got married, her husband, Henry,

“exhibited flirtatious behavior towards her and that they had a sexual relationship while he was then simultaneously dating another girlfriend.”

The two met while in college and both their parents disapproved of the union, which eventually resulted in three children.

On their wedding day, Marilyn saw one of their female guests crying, whom she later learned was Henry’s former girlfriend.

Henry admitted that despite having a relationship with Marilyn, he continued to have a sexual liaison with the crying lady.

Once, when she caught her husband on the way out of a motel with another woman, Henry defiantly defended his action saying, “What’s wrong with having sex with another woman? I’m sick of having just you around!”

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE. A shopper and his son take a picture for a souvenir in Chinatown during Chinese New Year.

Port hailed for accomplishments

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Bureau of Customs-Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport was again recognized when it intercepted P2 billion worth of illegal drugs and other smuggled items in 2020.

NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan received the Plaque of Recognition presented by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Undersecretary Antonette Tionko, and Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero during the bureau’s 119th anniversary held in Manila South Harbor on Feb. 8.

This was the third time the port was given such an award since 2018.

Records showed that the Port of NAIA seized a total of 44 shipments of shabu, ecstasy, marijuana and other prohibited substances worth P1.73 billion at the airport in 2020.

Collector Talusan attributed their accomplishment in apprehending drug shipments to her men and the continuing support of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.

“This was the result of our intensified campaign on dangerous contraband and anti-social goods at the airport in 2020 in compliance with the directives and programs initiated by Commissioner Guerrero,” she said.

as spies, lookouts, messengers, couriers, or running errands. Due to the involvement of children in armed conflict, most of them end up with physical disabilities, while others die or are seriously injured in crossfires.”

De Guia says the CHR has monitored and is continuously investigating cases of children in situations of armed conflict.

“We have noted cases allegedly perpetrated by the New People’s Army where children are being harmed, killed or seriously injured in armed battles, among others. We strongly condemn these acts,” she said.

She says the use of child soldiers vio-

lates the very core of International Humanitarian Law that prohibits the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and hostilities.

“We remind all groups—State and non-State alike—that the use of children as soldiers is a war crime. This reprehensible act robs the young of their childhood and the chance to have a better life,” De Guia said.

She called on the government to step up its efforts to enforce pertinent laws, such as Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act; RA 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes

Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity; and RA 11188 or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act. These laws are in line with the government’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

“In the end, while there is a higher obligation from the government to ensure respect and protection of everyone’s rights, groups and individuals also bear the duty to protect them at all times and in all situations,” De Guia said.

Urban poor set Feb. 15 meeting

By Rio N. Araja THE Presidential Commission on Urban Poor is set to hold a national urban poor assembly on Feb. 15 throughout Luzon via a zoom meeting for accreditation purposes.

As part of the agency’s accreditation caravan, a national urban poor assembly will be held on Monday with the participation of urban poor leaders from various urban poor organizations in Luzon.

Chairman and chief executive Alvin Feliciano will spearhead the comprehensive virtual conference to be streamed live on the PCUP’s official Facebook page.

Despite a slight delay in the conduct of the assembly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he vowed to motivate those involved UPOs to take part in the virtual assembly.

“It is a big challenge when the pandemic hit our country but now in 2021, we have many plans to improve and re-establish the state of the urban poor sector. And this includes widespread accreditation plus the acquisition of NUPA with urban poor organizations, we will build it gradually,” Feliciano said.

More than 300 UPOs from various provinces in Luzon are expected to participate and are ready to become legitimate organizations to enable them to avail themselves of the immediate access to government services.

PCUP said the event is also a preparation for the coming elections for leaders at the city or municipality, provincial, regional and national levels of all accredited UPOs.

RECOGNITION. The Philippine Coast Guard conducts a recognition ceremony for the

Coast Guard Officer’s Course Class 27—2020 “Alpha” composed of 45 males and six females at the PCG regional training center in Bagac, Bataan, on Thursday.

Bill empowering squatters hailed

By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Friday hailed the recent passage of a bill that empowers Informal Settler Families or squatters by giving them a voice in the development of resettlement housing programs intended to benefit them.

Party-list Rep. Naealla Bainto Aguinaldo said House Bill 8248’s imminent enactment would provide significant improvements to the 29 year-old Urban Development and Housing Act. Aguinaldo, in filing her bill, seeks to amend the UDHA as the measure includes provisions that require the participation of program beneficiaries via the formation of beneficiary associations that the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and local government units are mandated to work with in the formulation of a “People’s Plan.”

“The goal here is to give the beneficia-

ries a say in the housing projects intended for their use,” said Aguinaldo, vice chairperson of the House committee on housing and urban development.

“It only makes sense since the beneficiaries will be the ones living in these homes and in these communities, and their input is critical if we want the relocation and resettlement initiatives to succeed.”

The People’s Plan is a plan that will be formulated by the beneficiary-association in coordination with the implementing LGU that conforms to the LGU Comprehensive Land Use Plan and includes community health, sanitation and security plans.

It also includes non-physical development components such as self-help housing cooperative, livelihood, self-help development, capability-building as well as a system of allocation of housing units that will promote and protect the welfare of the elderly, people with disability and children.

Bill exempts elderly from parking fees, coding

By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader has pushed for the exemption of senior citizens from paying parking fees and the government’s number coding scheme.

Through House BIll 8599, or the “Free Parking and Coding Exemption for Senior Citizens Act,” Deputy Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas said he hoped to provide senior citizens with

“simple economic benefits that would reward their great contributions to our country’s development.”

Vargas, head of the committee on social services, noted that his bill was filed in the 17th Congress but remained pending at the committee level.

“Nevertheless, the clamor for more benefits for Filipino senior citizens persists,” he said in the bill’s explanatory note.

The measure proposes free parking in

all establishments for vehicles registered in a senior citizen’s name.

The number coding exemption, meanwhile, would apply to vehicles where a senior citizen is either the driver or passenger.

Vargas said while the government’s efforts should be focused on protecting vulnerable sectors such as the elderly from COVID-19, it should also prepare for the post-pandemic recovery where greater mobility should be encouraged.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

LGUs

MMDA backs People’s Market

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority gave its full support to the construction of the People’s Market in Parañaque City, a permanent home for illegal vendors who have been a perennial problem in the area of Baclaran for half a century now.

“We shall help in the realization of this project – in terms of coordination, providing legal and technical assistance, and even research – all for the welfare of the vendors not only in Baclaran but in other areas,” said MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. Abalos on Friday joined Mayor Edwin Olivarez and other city government officials in the site inspection and groundbreaking ceremony of the P150million project.

The MMDA chief believes the Baclaran People’s Market (BPM) will provide formal livelihood, employment and economic opportunities not only to the marginalized constituents of Parañaque but also to those living in neighboring cities.

“It is also the hope of the MMDA that this project will help in addressing the perennial traffic problems in the area,” he said.

The project will be funded by the city government after it turned down a private-public-partnership proposal of a private construction firm.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Sister-city pact revival eyed

By Willie Casas

M

AYOR Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has expressed his willingness to revive a sister-city agreement between Manila and Moscow.

Domagoso issued the remark during a meeting with Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov on Thursday.

Domagoso said the agreement will help boost the tourism, culture, arts and investments in the nation’s capital.

“This is good for us, for tourism, arts, culture, and investment. I’ll be happy to sign and exchange things and we always welcome things that we can learn and duplicate as what we are trying to do nowadays,” he said.

“The only thing needed here is the signature of the mayor of Moscow, and the Mayor of Manila,” he added.

In response, Pavlov said Moscow could not wait to open its doors once again after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is true that Moscow can really share these many things to you, but due to the pandemic, I understand that we can’t open our museums, open our theaters to our citizens,” Palvov said.

Department of Tourism, Culture, and Arts of Manila Director Charlie Dungo said the last time the agreement was signed was still in 1997 or 24 years ago.

2 most wanted nabbed by PNP

MASK UP. The pet dogs of a pedicab driver are seen wearing face masks and face shields in Binondo, Manila on Friday. According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence that animals can transmit the novel coronavirus to humans. Norman Cruz

336k Caloocan residents to get inoculated first

By Jun David ABOUT 336,446 residents in Caloocan have been identified as belonging to the Priority Eligible Group A for COVID-19 vaccination, Mayor Oscar Malapitan said.

First on the list are health workers in health centers and public and private hospitals; contact tracers; barangay

health workers; senior citizens; indigent population; and uniformed personnel.

Malapitan said those belonging to Priority Group A make up 19.58 percent of the city’s total population of 1.7 million.

The city government targets to produce 481 teams to vaccinate 100 people per team per day.

The city currently has 165 vaccina-

tion teams and 54 vaccination sites, according to the Caloocan City Health Department.

At least 780,207 people or 45.2 percent of the city’s total population belong to Group B. These include teachers, social workers, government workers, essential workers, persons with disabilities and overseas Filipino workers.

In total, 1.1 million people aged 17 and above or almost 60 percent of the total population are targeted to be vaccinated by the city government before the end of the year.

About 50 percent of the vaccine will come from the national government and the remainder will come from the city government’s purchase of vaccines such as AstraZeneca.

AUTHORITIES arrested two most wanted persons (MWP) in separate operations in Occidental Mindoro and Zamboanga del Sur, the Philippine National Police said on Friday.

In a statement, PNP chief, Gen. Debold Sinas said murder suspect Lersan Odon alias “Michael” was arrested by members of the Police Regional Office – Mimaropa and local police in Barangay Magbay, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro at around 9 p.m. on February 10.

Odon is listed as the top 6 MWP in Calabarzon and has a warrant of arrest issued by a Laguna court in 2018.

Based on initial investigation, Odon fled to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro and used the fake name Zander Rivera Odon, working as a backhoe operator at the Busuanga River Quarry.

Meanwhile, Fenel John Chavez was arrested in a manhunt by the Iligan City police and the PNP Anti-Kidnapping group in Ramon Magsaysay, Zamboanga del Sur on Thursday.

Chavez is listed as the top 7 MWP of the Iligan City Police Office and is the subject of an arrest warrant for murder issued by an Iligan City court in 2004.

PNR Clark Phase 2 now 27.8% complete THE second phase of the massive NorthSouth Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, also known as the Malolos-Clark extension of the NSCR, is now 27.79 percent complete according to the Department of Transportation.

“The 54-kilometer PNR Clark Phase 2 segment, which will run from Malolos in Bulacan to Clark in Pampanga, now stands at 27.79 percent overall progress rate, as of 31 January 2021,” the DOTr said in a Facebook post on Friday.

So far, it said pre-construction activities for the project are ongoing such as site inspections at the Clark International Airport and Apalit Station with actual groundbreaking for the project projected by May this year.

“Once partially operating in 2022, travel time between Bulacan and Pampanga will be

trimmed down to just 30-35 minutes, from the original 1 hour and 30 minutes,” the DOTr said.

The project, it said, also features the country’s first “Airport Express Service” that will reduce travel time between CRK in Pampanga and Makati City to a one-hour-train ride from the usual two-hour drive.

In September, all five civil works contract packages for the Malolos-Clark extension of the NSCR have been awarded to both local and international contractors.

The PNR Clark Phase 2 is the northern segment of the 147-kilometer NSCR which will run from Clark, Pampanga all the way to Calamba, Laguna.

The NSCR will have 37 stations across 26 local government units in three different regions.

SEEING TRIPLE. Three men in Spiderman costumes pose for a photo along Ongpin St. in Manila in a socially-distanced celebration of the Lunar New Year. PNA

QC patient with UK strain tests negative

By Rio N. Araja A COVID-19 patient earlier detected with the UK variant and who stayed in Quezon City has now tested negative with the virus, Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

She said the patient will continue to stay at the Hope quarantine facility.

“He was also reswabbed and as of yesterday (Thursday), I’m happy to report to the public that he tested negative,” she told the

CNN Philippines in an interview.

She said the patient was asymptomatic.

“But currently, he is still in our facility awaiting instructions from our City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit,” she added.

She said the city government plans to file a complaint against the Baltic Asia Crewing manning agency next week for not reporting that the patient, an overseas worker, had COVID-19.

Opinion The longest day MANY might not be aware of this, but Congress might have elevated itself to the status making it at par with the gods as it is the only body on earth which could effect a time freeze.

Early this week, Ben Rosario of the Manila Bulletin asked Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez about the possibility of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco violating the Constitution when he failed to include the impeachment complaint filed by Ed Cordevilla against Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen within 10 session days after its filing.

Under the impeachment rules provided in the 1987 Constitution, the Speaker is required to put the complaint in the Order of Business ten session days after Cordevilla, secretary general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Government, filed the complaint against Leonen last December 7.

My friend Gadon says that the periods set for processes like impeachment can be easily frustrated.

However, Rodriguez, according to Rosario, avers the regulation ten days given to Velasco to put the impeachment complaint in the OB has not been violated as “many of their previous sessions were only suspended and not adjourned,” meaning a session started last month, could still be considered to be active even after month as long as it is only suspended, or counted to be only as one session day even if it has lasted more than 24 hours, the number of hours in a day.

Thus, a suspended session in Congress could qualify as an entry to the Guinness Book of World Record for being the longest day. And only Congress can break their record anytime they wish.

But this of course, is contested by lawyer Larry Gadon, who assisted Cordevilla in the filing of the impeachment complaint.

According to Gadon, Congress’ apparent inaction on the impeachment complaint against Leonen indicates “the Speaker appears to be leaning towards favoring” the SC Associate Justice.

Gadon explains that under the House Rules of Procedure, an impeachment complaint duly endorsed by a member of congress must be acted upon within 10 days from its filing and referred to the appropriate committee within

ON FEBRUARY 6, 1964 at 3:05 in the morning, General and President of the First Philippine Republic Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy passed away after 489 days of being confined at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. Heneral Miong, as he was fondly called, was almost 95 years old then.

Then President Diosdado Macapagal proclaimed a 20-day period of mourning and renamed the armed forces headquarters from Camp Murphy to Camp Emilio Aguinaldo as we now know. The body of the General was then brought to his historic residence in Kawit, Cavite, then to the Metropolitan Cathedral for a requiem mass on February 14. The following day, Hen. Miong was in the House of Representatives (HOR) for Necrological Services.

Here, Justice Sabino Padilla, a close friend of the General, House Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, Senate President Ferdinand E. Marcos, and President Macapagal spoke about the gift to the nation that was Gen. Aguinaldo.

The body was then brought to the Malacañan Palace where many people paid their last respects to President Aguinaldo. He was bought back to his Kawit home where he was laid to rest. Apparently, the General wanted to be buried under the balcony of his house where the Philippine independence was declared but the Malacañan burial committee and the family changed this because of lack of space.

During the necrological services at the HOR, Justice Padilla paid tribute to Hen. Miong and said Rizal and Aguinaldo were the

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021

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EDITORIAL

three days thereafter.

“Obviously the 10 days and 3 days period are supposed to be calendar days and not session days as complicatedly interpreted by Congressman Rufus Rodriguez (as in) in all government offices and all regulatory agencies, commissions, all levels and branches of the judiciary, periods mean calendar days,” says Gadon.

“It is absurd to interpret periods in the House as meaning session days and that a set of continuous session days are lumped and counted as one day and that suspensions of sessions cannot alter the counting,” he adds.

If it is so, Gadon says, then the periods set for processes like impeachment can be easily frustrated.

“I’m certain that the framers of the Constitution did not have that kind of intent of the law,” the lawyer says.

Further, Gadon stresses that “pending matters should have precedence over new business more so that the impeachment is an important business.”

“The process of impeachment is laid down in the Constitution hence showing its great importance,” he points out.

Going by Rodriguez’s interpretation, Gadon says, if a session starts Monday and each day is suspended and called the following day and continues up to Friday, then the Monday to Friday with intervals of daily suspension is counted only as one day.

“What kind of interpretation of period is that?” Gadon asks.

A time freeze maybe. Or a state of suspended animation.

Gadon insists each day the House is in session should be considered as one calendar day.

Actually, this is not the first time Congress had used this line of reasoning to sit down on an impeachment complaint against an SC justice.

In 2012, Congress “violated” the required 60 session days to resolve impeachment complaint against then SC Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, and justified its action by resorting to the “session suspension alibi.

This was admitted by no less than the Majority Leader that time, Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales.

According to Gonzales, suspending sessions instead of adjourning them was part of the strategy to delay the expiration of the prescribed 60-session day period required of the Lower Chamber to resolve an impeachment case.

In del Castillo’s case, it spent more than 84 session days before resolving the complaint, if suspended sessions will not be counted as a continuing session.

I think it is high time that this issue is settled once and for all by the final interpreter of the law, the Supreme Court itself, as I believe this has already gained the status of a justiciable controversy.

And maybe my friend Atty. Larry Gadon can again initiate the move.

The gift that was Aguinaldo “Aguinaldo was one of the greatest men ever produced by the Malayan race. The people will forever remember him as a symbol of our revolution for freedom and independence at the turn of the century. The people will enshrine him in history and in their hearts unto eternity.”

— President Diosdado Macapagal

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

real pillars of Philippine independence. While Rizal set the course of independence, he said that Aguinaldo was the leader who aroused the consciousness of the people into realizing such a course. Justice Padilla said, “Aguinaldo with his telescopic vision, was endeared in the hearts of his fellowmen. His humility and uncompromising concept of freedom and welfare of the people added greatly to his stature both as a soldier and a statesman.”

Speaker Padilla said that Aguinaldo gave his life to the ways of peace and conciliation without losing sight of the basic objective of liberty. He added that, “In war and in peace, Aguinaldo epitomized the nation’s commitment to freedom and the development of his country in concert with free nations. Like Rizal, Aguinaldo saw the dawn of freedom break but more than this, he saw its fulfillment as fully as he realized the increasing responsibility on the part of the people who would get the utmost rights, rewards, and benefits.”

His greatness was best seen from the eyes of the ordinary people.

Senate President Marcos described Aguinaldo as a true soldier, a symbol of liberty and democracy. He said, “He was the true soldier indeed, and a living symbol he was, he watched his own people pilloried him, his land confiscated, but he bore them with dignity, for he was a soldier, a true soldier of an era gone.” He said that Aguinaldo was the leader who broke the path for Asian nationalism of the twentieth century. “For while Rizal was the prophet, while Bonifacio organized the Katipunan, while Mabini built the political frame, there was only one leader, and that leader was Aguinaldo.” Marcos added that General Aguinaldo moulded with his hands and watered with his blood the first republic established by a brown people.

For his part, President Macapagal called Gen. Aguinaldo as the Father of the Revolution. He said that the ideals of freedom and democracy that Aguinaldo and other revolution-

A

Food security plan

FOOD security summit is timely in the face of soaring food prices and the stillunderdeveloped agriculture sector. It is an occasion to revisit the farm sector that has underperformed in preCOVID-19 times compared with the rest of the economy.

Past and present administrations have identified the problems besetting Philippine agriculture.

and fishermen as well as corporate stakeholders have not received government support, or a form of subsidy, to make Philippine agriculture competitive. VietThe summit hopefully will lead to the namese and Thai farmers, in contrast, crafting of an improved National Food Se- have obtained state subsidies or incentives curity Plan to make the Philippines more that partly explain their farming proficienreliant on domestic production, and give cy and success in aqua-culture. Vietnam farmers and fishermen increased income. and Thailand are now major fish producThe plan should make the country’s agri- ers and rice exporters in Asia.

Past and present administrations have culture sector efficient, competitive with identified the problems besetting Philippine the rest of Asia and more diversified.

The Philippines, sadly, has not devel- agriculture. One of the foremost deficiencies oped a modern agriculture sector. Farmers of the sector is poor post-harvest facilities.

Fishermen, farmers and poultry raisers quickly dispose of their produce and harvest to traders or middlemen at lower prices to prevent staleness. Post-harvest facilities such as cold storage are not enough to keep their produce fresh.

A national food security plan is a long time coming. Malacañang wants to achieve a “vision of a food-secure and resilient Philippines with prosperous farmers and fisherfolk, and where consumers have continuous flow of food and producers have continuous productivity, unhampered movement of agricultural commodities, accessibility and price stability.”

The food security plan should also discourage cartels or syndicates that raise prices of commodities. The Philippines should freely import agricultural products, especially meat, if local producers cannot meet the demand in times of a supply disruption, as in the case of rice, to keep prices low.

Karma caused by smoldering arrogance THE Trump administration came in with smoldering arrogance in wanting to change the international political landscape that mankind collectively built without him looking back that he has only four years as President with an extra bonus of four years for the Americans to judge him how he fared in his governance.

There was exuberance that he wanted to turn the world upside down. He wanted America to be the first, not minding that the world will not follow all what it wants.

He bombed Syria with 50 cruise missiles on suspicion it used poison gas against its civilian population while the US is agitating the Syrians to get rid of Assad. He wanted to change the rules on trade by imposing tariff on countries he naively think of giving the US a bad deal in trade; ordered his country to withdraw from such important world organizations; from the Paris Accord on climate change, the WHO, from the proposed multilateral trade of the Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific agreement; close its border with Mexico and tightened immigration; ordered the killing of Iran’s top general Qasem Soleimani, recognized Jerusalem as the new capital of the Western-conceived Jewish state of Israel; and attempted to revoke the one-China policy US policy since 1972.

Trump wanted to change the world not knowing that the US is a co-passenger and transient in a world that lives on cooperation and shares what is common to mankind.

When the ominous signal showed he will be defeated, his first impulse was to cry he was cheated, the same reason voiced by people with narcissistic arrogance, which is to deny that the curtain is about to fall on him. Maybe he did not directly instigate his red neck followers to ransack the Capitol Hill but definitely his conduct as sore loser was telling that the gathering could break loose. His horde of fanatical supporters stormed and ransacked the so-called “citadel of democracy” causing death to three protestors and to a police officer.

It was an embarrassment to the bigots for freedom and democracy seeing how their capital turned upside down that the democrats now want to punish politically unkempt Trump as quickly as possible. ists espoused have remained, embedded into our national being, permeating our every act as a nation. He added that while Jose Rizal and Marcelo H. del Pilar were the precursors of the revolution that Andres Bonifacio started, it was Aguinaldo who gave it body and substance.

Touching on the Aguinaldo-Bonifacio controversy, Macapagal said that when rivalry for leadership arose between Bonifacio, the initial leader of the revolution, and Aguinaldo, the successful military leader, “it became inevitable for the success of the revolution that one of the two rivals should predominate. It would have been disastrous to the revolution to have two competing leaders.” The president added that the greatness of Aguinaldo’s heroism cannot be enhanced by paeans of praise.

This is very true because while researching for this piece, I went through many reports about Hen. Miong’s demise. Tributes and praises from well-known personalities and politicians abound but what struck me most were the pictures showing ordinary folks paying their last respects to their beloved General and President.

One picture showed the grief-stricken 85-year-old Felipe Fernando as he stood by the coffin of the late General, his commander in the revolution. Fernando was Hen. Miong’s supply officer in San Mateo. Many surviving

In an unprecedented move, the Democratic Party headed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California moved to impeach the President for the second time. Note that on December 18, 2019, the 116th US Congress impeached Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

On February 5, 2020 the Senate acquitted Trump on both counts. The votes were 52-48 on the first count and 53-47 to acquit on the second count. The votes were sharply divided along party lines. Mitt Romney became the first senator to vote for impeachment and voting to convict him “guilty” on the first count.

From a purely legal standpoint, the case against Trump has become moot and academic.

The second impeachment occurred on January 13, 2021, one week before Trump’s term expired. The 117th US Congress adopted one article of impeachment against him for “inciting to insurrection,” alleging that Trump incited the January 6 storming of the US Capitol.

Now that the US Senate is about to decide whether President Trump shall be convicted for his alleged crime of insurrection, none of these people who want the blood of Trump to be shed could recall that when the marauding followers of Black Lives Matters were chanting in the major cities of the US to ransack, loot and burn down business establishment, nobody from among the authors seeking his impeachment dared to secure the arrest of those economically disenfranchised blacks lording it over in the streets to seeking to empty the stores of anything of value to them.

There are many questions on the propriety of impeaching the former President. The great majority of the legal scholars are one in saying that Trump is most likely to get an acquittal.

Those that believe in his acquittal in his first impeachment was evidently based on party loyalty which means that his fate was decided by the majority of the members of the Republican Party who controlled the Senate and remained loyal to him. This explains why many political analysts are one in asking just how can the Senate convict an impeached former President when he is no longer in office, much that the veteran revolutionists did a vigil for the General. There were pictures of them lining up and saluting as they view Hen. Miong’s body.

One report said that some revolutionists were weeping unabashedly in public. Hen. Miong’s comrade-in-arms also saluted when his bier passed them by. This gesture speaks volumes about how they considered the General.

Since the General was already almost 95 years old when he passed, it is safe to say that the surviving veterans were much younger than him. It is possible that many of them did not have the chance to fight side by side with the general BUT it was evident that they knew and understood their shared heroism.

There was also a picture of one of the General’s household assistants wailing in front of the coffin. The grief was palpable from the image.

Most evident in the pictures were the throngs of people that accompanied Gen. Aguinaldo as he was transferred from place to place. There were crowds everywhere he was brought.

Despite the many years that Gen. Aguinaldo was vilified, people continued to respect and love him. This they again showed when he passed on. While it is nice to hear tributes from officials, Hen. Miong’s greatness was best seen from the eyes of the ordinary people.

Truly, Aguinaldo was a gift to the Filipino people. His and the other revolutionists’ her-

basis for his impeachment connotes that he remains in office which is not the case.

Impeaching the President, even when he is no longer in office, remains logically plausible because US laws on this issue treats impeachment proceeding as a political and not a legal issue. Besides, there is an underlying reason why the Democrats want him out of US politics for good, and the only way to keep him out of the race is to convict him. It seems that the democrats are bent in using a crowbar to keep him out of the race. Remember, he was quoted saying he might just run again for president in 2024 banking on the 74 million votes he garnered which is more than enough to de-establish the gamut of a double-dealing US policy.

Political thinkers who owe their loyalty to the Republic tried their best to conceive of a scheme to convince Vice President Mike Pence to take over the presidency from the outgoing President who was defeated in his re-election bid to Joe Biden using the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution. This can happen if the President is sick or disabled for a short time. It could also happen until the end of the President’s terms, if the President died, resigned or is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

Technically, the Democrats cannot remove him from office because the charge in the second impeachment states that he incited the public to insurrection on January 6, 2021 and for which he was impeached on January 13, 2021. From a purely legal standpoint, the case against Trump has become moot and academic, much that the conviction is to implement the punishment which cannot be done because the person is no longer in office.

Many doubt it very much whether the Senate can summon the former President to shed light or testify about the riot that took place at the Capitol Hill. Remember, Trump in this case is being summoned to appear before the Senate for his impeachment, and he cannot be a witness against himself. It would be equally ludicrous when one is sought to be impeached when the office no longer belongs to him.

There is no showing Trump ordered them to ransack the nest of his political enemies. Maybe the Democrats wanted to use the footage of the video showing how, in one instance, he instigated the public who were more emotional in obeying to the exaltation on what many considered a political charlatan. rpkapunan@gmail.com oism is enough reason to take pride in being Filipino. It is my hope that the present generation sees this. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

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US acquires 200m new vaccine doses U

S PRESIDENT Joe Biden announced plans to vaccinate most Americans by the end of July with the help of 200 million newly acquired doses, as the country’s inoculation campaign kicked off a new phase in drugstores and supermarket pharmacies, some of which will offer shots as of Friday.

SAFE FOR THE ELDERLY. A member of a mobile vaccination team fixes a plaster on the arm of an elder resident of the ‘Geschwister Cluss’ nursing home after a COVID-19 vaccination in her wheelchair in Ludwigsburg, southern Germany on February 12, 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. AFP

IN BRIEF China censor bans BBC World News for Uighur report CHINA’S broadcasting regulator has banned BBC World News, accusing it of flouting guidelines over a hard-hitting report on Beijing’s treatment of the country’s Uighur minority.

The decision came just days after Britain’s own regulator revoked the licence of Chinese broadcaster CGTN for breaking UK law on state-backed ownership, and provoked angry accusations of censorship from London.

Thursday’s move will do little to improve relations between the two countries, which have been increasingly strained by China’s introduction of a security law in Britain’s former colony, Hong Kong.

London’s decision to offer millions of Hong Kongers a pathway to British citizenship has only further infuriated Beijing, which has accused Britain of behaving with a “colonial mentality”.

London has also angered Beijing by banning Chinese telecoms group Huawei from involvement in its 5G network after the United States raised spying fears. AFP

Haiti judge accused of alleged coup plot freed—lawyer A HAITIAN Supreme Court judge who was arrested on charges of taking part in an alleged coup plot has been released from prison, his attorney said Thursday.

Judge Yvickel Dieujuste Dabresil “was just freed” and has returned home, his lawyer Marc-Antoine Maisonneuve told AFP. With Haiti in another political crisis as protesters take to the streets to denounce President Jovenel Moise, Dabresil was among 23 people arrested over the weekend on suspicion of an “attempted coup.”

The protesters say Moise’s term ended Sunday but the president insists he has another year in office.

Moise has been ruling by decree for a year because there is no parliament right now. Legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed.

Judge Dabresil’s status has been a source of confusion for the past few days.

His lawyers had said he was released Wednesday from prison on the outskirts of the Haitian capital but remained under judicial supervision. AFP

Alabama inmate wins last-minute execution stay AN ALABAMA man convicted of murder 30 years ago was granted a last-minute stay of execution Thursday, after the US Supreme Court ruled that barring his priest from being by his side during his death was unlawful.

Willie Smith, 52, was convicted of the 1991 killing of a 22-year-old woman in Birmingham, the most populous city in the southern state, after robbing her at gunpoint at an ATM. Smith’s lawyers over the decades have challenged his death sentence, arguing he has a below-average mental capacity.

As the execution date approached, lawyers filed a fresh slew of appeals challenging the fact Smith’s personal chaplain would not be allowed in the death chamber for security reasons and challenging protocol changes prison authorities adopted because of Covid-19.

Smith had asked that his pastor be by his side during his execution, to ease what he called the “transition between the worlds of the living and the dead”. AFP

Biden faces ‘serious dilemma’ in Afghanistan US PRESIDENT Joe Biden faces “serious dilemmas” in Afghanistan as a deadline to withdraw troops nears and the Taliban show no sign of ending their bloodshed, a top US official warned.

The new US leader has ordered a review of the deal Washington cut with the Taliban last year, which promised the withdrawal of all foreign forces by May 1 in return for security guarantees from the militants and a commitment to peace talks with the Afghan government.

The talks are progressing painfully slowly, but scarcely a day goes by without a bomb blast, attack on government forces, or a targeted assassination somewhere in the country.

“Violence level remains very, very

high... which is shocking and deeply disappointing,” a senior US State Department official told AFP this week on condition of anonymity.

“It is unquestionably damaging the atmosphere for any kind of a settlement of Afghanistan’s conflict.”

The Taliban routinely deny responsibility for the attacks -- and many are claimed by the rival jihadist group Islamic State -- but Washington has no doubt who is to blame.

“In our view, the Taliban are responsible for the vast majority of the targeted killings that we have seen,” the official said, adding they had created “an ecosystem of violence”.

“It is clearly intended, I think, to demoralise citizens... to add to doubts that

people have about their government and to add to the aura of inevitability of (a Taliban) victory,” he added.

No US combat deaths in a year The new Biden administration, he said—which was committed to upholding the deal despite the review—now faced “serious dilemmas”.

If Washington decided to keep troops on after the deadline, US forces faced coming under attack once again -- following a year without a single American death in combat.

But if the US pulls out as scheduled, it leaves the fragile Afghan government at the mercy of a determined insurgent force that could result in fresh carnage that would be impossible for the world to ignore. AFP

Even as the Biden administration inked deals to acquire “100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines” and Covid-19 cases fall in Europe, the World Health Organization warned against rash reopenings, in a sobering reminder of the long global battle ahead in taming the pandemic.

“The decline in cases conceals increasing numbers of outbreaks and community spread involving variants of concern,” said WHO Europe director Hans Kluge.

“At this point, the overwhelming majority of European countries remain vulnerable,” he added, pointing out the “thin line between the hope of a vaccine and a false sense of security.”

More than a million cases are still registered every week across the 53 member states in the UN agency’s European region, which includes several Central Asian countries.

With the latest vaccine purchases, the United States -- the world’s hardest-hit country with more than 470,000 deaths -- is on track “to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July,” Biden said, meaning enough inoculations for all eligible people.

He made the announcement Thursday after touring the National Institutes of Health near Washington, with a million previously acquired vaccine doses already headed to around 6,500 drugstores and supermarket pharmacies.

The US immunization campaign got off to a shaky start in December, and even as recently as Thursday, Los Angeles moved to temporarily close five major inoculation centers including its giant Dodger Stadium site, due to vaccine shortage. AFP

ICC to elect members of crime tribunal THE International Criminal Court’s member countries are set to elect a new chief prosecutor for the war crimes tribunal on Friday, a gruelling job whose current holder is under US sanctions.

Four candidates from Britain, Ireland, Italy and Spain are vying to replace outgoing prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who has led controversial probes into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Afghanistan.

Britain’s Karim Khan is said to be in pole position ahead of Carlos Castresana of Spain, Ireland’s Fergal Gaynor and Italy’s Francesco Lo Voi, according to British media reports.

The ICC’s member states have failed to reach a consensus despite several attempts in recent weeks, and will now vote on the new prosecutor at the United Nations in New York.

Gambian-born Bensouda is due to step down in June after nine years in one of the most challenging jobs in international justice, with a mixed record of success at the Hague-based court.

Whoever becomes the court’s third prosecutor since its formation in 2002 will be taking on a bulging file of difficult cases at a tribunal whose legitimacy is constantly under attack.

‘Unacceptable’ sanctions British lawyer and human rights specialist Khan has been a defence lawyer in several ICC cases, including for late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s son Seif al-Islam.

Khan recently headed a UN special probe into Islamic State group crimes and called for trials like those of Nuremberg of Nazi leaders.

Spain’s Castresana, a judge by training, previously headed a UN panel combating crime and corruption in Guatemala, but resigned in 2010 alleging “systemic attacks” by power-hungry officials. AFP

Protesters on scooters and farmers riding a tractor with a poster of detained Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi attached to the front take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Thongwa, on the outskirts of Yangon, on February 12, 2021. AFP

US, EU accuse Russia of blocking Pandemic seen to impact on solution to Ukraine problem Catalonia polls THE US and Europe on Thursday accused Russia of blocking any solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The remarks came during a UN Security Council video conference convened

by Moscow to mark the sixth anniversary of the so-called Minsk II accords, agreed in February 2015 to end the war in the Donbass region.

“Russia must immediately cease its aggression in eastern Ukraine and end its occupation of Crimea,” said US diplomat Rodney Hunter.

“We call on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, cease its support for its proxies and other armed groups, and implement all of the commitments it made under the Minsk agreements.”

A joint declaration condemning ongoing instability in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions was issued by European members of the Security Council, as well as Germany, which along with France co-sponsored the Minsk accords between Moscow and Kiev. AFP

Belgium emerges with strategic role in the battle vs coronavirus A SMALL country with an outsize reputation in research and pharmaceuticals, Belgium has emerged with a strategic role in the world’s battle against the coronavirus.

The drugs giants racing to develop and produce new vaccines at scale in record time are international, but many of their global supply chains intersect here.

In 2019, before the pandemic, Belgium accounted for 13 percent of EU biophar-

maceutical exports and 10 percent of research investment, with just 2.5 percent of the European Union’s population.

Biopharma—the extraction of a drug product from a biological culture—is used in the production of many of the vaccines that governments are rushing to secure.

In Wavre, just outside Brussels, British multinational GSK already produces an adjuvant to be used in future vaccine

candidates from France’s Sanofi and Canada’s Medicago.

Now, it is also leaping into the production of a promising jab from German startup Curevac, which is in clinical trials and could be approved in the EU by May. “We’re putting part of our production capacity at the service of other companies in order to move more quickly,” GSK Vaccines managing director Patrick Florent told AFP at the plant. AFP

MORE than three years after a failed bid to break away from Spain, Catalonia goes to the polls Sunday for an election that Madrid hopes will unseat the region’s ruling separatists.

But Sunday’s vote could see a high level of abstentions as Spain battles a third wave of the pandemic, with regional authorities ramping up restrictions to slow soaring case numbers after the Christmas holidays.

And in a highly-controversial move, people with the virus as well as those in quarantine will have the right to cast their ballots in person in the last hour before voting closes at 1900 GMT in the wealthy northeastern region, home to 7.8 million people.

Of the 82,000 people who have been asked to help staff polling stations on the day, nearly 31.000 have asked to be recused, despite pledges they will receive full protective suits.

One is Rodrigo Sanchez, a 53-yearold banker whose wife has cancer and was due to go for a chemotherapy session just three days before the vote. AFP

Business Markets, oil prices down in Asia but bitcoin nears $50,000 HONG KONG—Markets fell in Asia on Friday in holiday-thinned trade with investors awaiting developments in US stimulus talks, while bitcoin hit a new record as it crept towards $50,000.

Oil prices also retreated from their 13-month highs after investors were given a reality check on expectations for demand this year, despite expectations the global economy will see a strong recovery.

Equities across the planet have rallied this year on the back of vaccine rollouts, falling infection and death rates, and optimism US President Joe Biden will push through most of his $1.9-trillion rescue package.

Hopes for his spending deal were given a boost Thursday by news that first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell less than estimated last week.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit new records again, though the Dow was marginally lower.

With most of Asia closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, business was limited. Tokyo and Wellington were all in the red, while Sydney was also hit by news of snap lockdown in Melbourne.

But Axi’s strategist Stephen Innes said: “With vaccination rollouts on turbo boost and the current lockdown abatement doing what it is supposed to do by taming the virus spread, there is a solid chance that reported COVID-19 cases could shift close to zero in the second quarter.”

He added that Biden’s fiscal package and a planned infrastructure program that is in the works would provide a “double lift off. As a result, the economic mood music should attune higher in March, and the recovery could be set to surge in the second quarter.”

Bitcoin continued to hit new highs, peaking at $48,930 Friday, having been given another boost after MasterCard and US bank BNY Mellon moved to make it easier for people to use the cryptocurrency. AFP

France to scrap expansion plans for Paris airport PARIS—The French government has decided to cancel a planned expansion of the country’s biggest airport, Paris’s Charles de Gaulle, a minister said in remarks published Thursday.

Barbara Pompili, France’s environment minister, told Le Monde newspaper that boosting the airport’s capacity was not in keeping with efforts to fight global warming.

The government had therefore asked airport operator ADP, in which it owns a majority stake, to scrap the current project “and present a new one, more consistent with its objectives concerning climate change and the protection of the environment.”

ADP said the move was “one of the outcomes of the COVID-19 crisis” and said it would now begin “a period of reflection” about the airport’s future role.

The decision comes a week after a court held the state had failed to take sufficient measures to halt climate change, a first in France.

The now defunct plan called for the construction of a fourth terminal by 2037 to boost the airport’s capacity by 40 million passengers per year.

Pompili called the project “obsolete” because it no longer corresponded to the government’s environmental policy and the needs of “a sector in full transformation towards the green aircraft of the future”.

The plan, with an estimated cost of between seven and nine billion euros ($7.5-10.9 billion), had already run into resistance from environmental activists and local politicians as well as from the national environmental agency, which said it fell short in terms of climate protection.

Le Monde said the government did not want the next project to focus on any extension of capacity.

“We will always need planes, but we must move towards a more reasonable use of air travel, and reach a reduction in the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Pompili said.

A sharp fall in air passenger numbers following COVID-19 restrictions worldwide recently prompted Transport Minister JeanBaptiste Djebbari to say that boosting the airport’s capacity now seemed like “an audacious bet.” AFP

B3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

FLOWER INSPECTION. US

Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists inspect flowers for foreign pests or diseases in the Avianca Cargo Warehouse at Miami International Airport on February 11, 2021 in Miami, Florida. As Valentine’s Day approaches, Miami International Airport receives 89 percent of all US flower imports by air–a total of 240,162 tons valued at $1.1 billion in 2019. In 2020, the peak season from January 1 to February 15 alone brought 1.1 billion stems through MIA. Despite the pandemic, MIA expects a similar number of imports this year. AFP

British economy shrank by a record 9.9% in 2020 L ONDON—Britain’s economy shrank by a record 9.9 percent last year on the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic despite managing strong growth in the second half, official data showed Friday.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak said the economy had suffered a “serious shock” from the COVID-19 global health crisis.

The data came one week after the Bank of England forecast economic recovery on the back of Britain’s successful ongoing vaccines rollout.

“Over the year 2020 as a whole, GDP contracted by 9.9 percent, marking the largest annual fall in UK GDP on record,” the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Gross domestic product grew 1.0 percent in the fourth quarter or three months to December, after an upwardlyrevised third-quarter expansion of 16.1 percent, it added.

The data has sparked hope that Britain could avoid a much-feared doubledip recession, despite the new strict lockdown that has been in place since January.

“Today’s figures show that the economy has experienced a serious shock as a result of the pandemic, which has been felt by countries around the world,” Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak said in reaction to the data.

“While there are some positive signs of the economy’s resilience over the winter, we know that the current lockdown continues to have a significant impact on many people and businesses.

“That’s why my focus remains fixed on doing everything we can to protect jobs, businesses and livelihoods,” he said, adding he would set out further support measures in his upcoming budget on March 3.

The ONS said the economy also grew 1.2 percent in December alone, on the back of looser virus restrictions in parts of the country in the run-up to Christmas.

“Loosening of restrictions in many

parts of the UK saw elements of the economy recover some lost ground in December, with hospitality, car sales and hairdressers all seeing growth,” said ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics Jonathan Athow, adding that virus testing-and-tracing also boosted output.

“The economy continued to grow in the fourth quarter as a whole, despite additional restrictions in November.

“However, GDP for the year fell by nearly 10 percent, more than twice as much as the previous largest annual fall on record,” he noted.

Despite two successive quarters of growth in the second half of last year, the economy remains 7.8 percent smaller than its pre-pandemic level.

Much of the UK re-entered lockdown in early January to curb a variant COVID-19 strain that was deemed more transmissible, with restrictions similar to initial curbs imposed in late March last year.

Friday’s data came one week after the Bank of England updated its outlook, citing the impact of Britain’s rapid vaccines rollout. AFP

PSEi February 11, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

DAVIN

8.98

2.08

30.14%

2 3

VUL DWC

3.53 6.81

0.76 0.91

27.44% 15.42%

4

GPH

11.3

1.22

12.10%

5 6

DIZ NI

10.38 2.98

1 0.23

10.66% 8.36%

7

TBGI

0.46

0.035

8.24%

8

PAX

2.38

0.18

8.18%

9 10

FJP T

3.28 1.46

0.23 0.1

7.54% 7.35%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1

MFIN

3.05

-0.49

-13.84%

2 3

UPM PA

0.01 5.1

-0.001 -0.43

-9.09% -7.78%

4

ABA

1.23

-0.1

-7.52%

5

IMP

1.9

-0.15

-7.32%

6 7

ALHI JGS

7.77 64.6

-0.57 -4.1

-6.83% -5.97%

8 9 10

CEU PHA HOUSE

6.64 2.97 7.45

-0.39 -0.16 -0.32

-5.55% -5.11% -4.12%

MOST ACTIVE 1

FGENG

VOLUME 51,585,130

VALUE (PHP) 5,571,301,013.00

2 3

DITO AGI

70,354,600 57,961,300

1,237,244,740.00 632,767,742.00

4 5

PHA SM

199,211,000 557,330

613,345,400.00 595,050,545.00

6 7 8

APL ACEN BDO

1,656,280,000 392,866,840.00 42,474,800 336,336,082.00 2,651,980 285,268,185.00

9 10

VUL SECB

86,137,000 1,853,710

272,906,370.00 234,736,256.00

Young Singapore chefs serve up hope for street food’s future

By Catherine Lai SINGAPORE—After the pandemic torpedoed his chance to work at a Michelin-starred New York restaurant, Lim Wei Keat returned to his roots by becoming a Singapore street-food chef cooking local fare.

The 25-year-old is among a growing number of young street-food vendors— known as “hawkers” locally—fueling hopes that a new generation will preserve the city-state’s culinary traditions.

Singapore is full of open-air food courts offering a wide variety of cuisines influenced by the Southeast Asian nation’s ethnic Chinese, Indian and Muslim populations.

Even after the city-state ballooned into an affluent financial hub, the hawker tradition lived on, and remains a central part of everyday life for many.

The United Nations recognized this tradition as “intangible cultural heritage” in December, describing the centers where hawkers toil as “community dining rooms” that bring together people from diverse backgrounds.

But many chefs are heading toward retirement—their median age is 59—and young Singaporeans often shun the trade, stoking fears that hawker traditions and their delicious dishes could be lost.

Lim stumbled into becoming an apprentice hawker, only choosing to do so as he could not take up an internship at a US restaurant last year due to coronavirus travel curbs.

But he feels he has found his true calling.

“Local dishes would disappear if young people did not take over stalls or learn (to cook) these dishes,” Lim told AFP.

This photograph taken on January 7, 2021 shows hawker apprentice Lim Wei Keat (center, in red) preparing a dish at a chicken rice stall in Singapore.

Lim is among a small but growing number of young Singaporean street food vendors, or “hawkers,” fueling hopes that a new generation will preserve the city-state’s culinary traditions. AFP

He got the apprenticeship through government initiatives aimed at safeguarding the street food culture, which has helped dozens of younger chefs join the trade.

‘This flavour will disappear’ Hawkers usually focus on just one or two dishes, from fried rice noodles and turnip cake to curry puffs. Lim chose an ever-popular traditional favorite— Hainanese chicken rice—and likes to cook it the old-fashioned way.

“I love chicken rice, so why not start with something that I love and I’m

passionate about?”

His mentor, 61-year-old Neo Cheng Leong, has been selling the dish for 30 years.

He makes it from scratch every morning at his stall, cleaning the chicken, poaching it at just the right temperature, then cooking the rice in chicken broth, with ginger and scallion-infused oil.

Cuts of the tender meat are served with a plate of the resultant fragrant rice with garlic chili sauce and sweetened soy sauce, all for just Sg$3 ($2.3).

His two sons, both in their early 20s,

are studying at university and have no interest in taking over the stall after seeing how hard their parents worked for three decades, said Neo. “If I don’t teach (apprentices) then this flavor will disappear from Singapore,” Neo told AFP. Once Lim has completed his government training program—which includes two months of training under Neo, and cooking for a panel of judges— he can rent a stall at a heavily subsidized rate for 15 months.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ AFP

Brexit disruptions hit half of Britain’s exporters to the European Union, says survey LONDON—Half of British businesses exporting goods to the European Union are experiencing difficulties due to Brexit, a UK trade body said Thursday.

In a survey, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) found 49 percent of exporters were finding it “difficult” or “very difficult” to work under the new rules and called for the government to help.

Among manufacturers, who are highly dependent on the EU market, an even higher figure of 52 percent described the situation since Brexit took full effect in January as “very difficult.”

The survey questioned 1,000 mostly small- or medium-sized

businesses between January 8 and 31, including 70 exporters of goods and services.

Business owners said they faced higher costs and administrative red tape, as well as delays and confusion over which rules to follow.

“Trading businesses—and the UK’s chances at a strong economic recovery— are being hit hard by changes at the border,” said Adam Marshall, the BCC’s director-general.

While the UK and the EU eliminated some trade frictions in their divorce deal, the arrangement is far less beneficial to Britain than membership in the bloc’s single market.

The free trade agreement was reached late last year, but officials left “businesses in the dark on the detail right until the last minute,” making it hard for them to get ready in time, said Marshall.

For some firms these concerns put their future in doubt, he warned, urging the government to do all it can to reduce hassle at the borders.

The BCC said the situation could get worse if the UK sticks to plans to introduce additional checks on food and plants in April and full customs checks on imports in July.

The Road Haulage Association recently estimated that exports to the EU via British ports had fallen by 68 percent in January

compared with last year.

It cited the effects both of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.

The British government has long warned that Brexit would bring short-term upheaval.

British exporters are now required to show a large amount of documentation to prove their goods can enter the European single market, which is proving costly and time-consuming and clogging up border crossings.

The boss of sports fashion retailer JD Sports, Peter Cowgill, told the BBC on Tuesday that Brexit had proved “considerably worse” than he expected.

AFP

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

B4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021

PSE INDEX Thursday, February 11, 2021

-91.14 PTS. 6,991.01

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

22,920,353,778 156,366 15,090,510,481.69 95 131 44

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.0400

Japan

Yen

0.009563

0.4594

UK

Pound

1.383700

66.4729

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128996

6.1970

Switzerland

Franc

1.123596

53.9776

Canada

Dollar

0.787464

37.8298

Singapore

Dollar

0.753920

36.2183

Australia

Dollar

0.772100

37.0917

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

127.4372

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266617

12.8083

Brunei

Dollar

0.751089

36.0823

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.033445

1.6067

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.0799

Euro

Euro

1.212000

58.2245

Korea

Won

0.000905

0.0435

China

Yuan

0.155419

7.4663

India

Rupee

0.013738

0.6600

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.247402

11.8852

New Zealand

Dollar

0.721300

34.6513

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035679

1.7140 Source: BSP

BSP: Depositors benefit from new ATM fee method

Business Lufthansa Technik moves to retrench 300 employees

By Othel V. Campos

A

IRCRAFT maintenance provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines said Friday it will lay off 300 employees in a rightsizing program to reduce its workforce by 20 percent to 2,700.

Lufthansa Technik said in a statement it reached the decision after a careful study and consideration of the company’s state of finances that reeled from the effects of the pandemic, both on the local and global aviation industry.

It said the rightsizing program, similar to other programs implemented in the past year, aimed to secure the fiscal health of the company to tide it through the critical period. It said the program would be temporary until the industry fully re recovered.

“As a maintenance, repair and overhaul provider for aircraft, the significant fleet reductions announced by various [customer] airlines with some already in bankruptcy proceedproceed ings have a direct negative effect on LTP’s business,” said Lufthansa Technik president and chief executive Elmar Lutter.

The program will be implemented in two phases—first by voluntary separation and retrenchment, in the event the first option fails to meet the target retrenchment number. The

package will be consistent with regulations on separation of employees set by the Department of Labor and Employment, it said.

The company said it took extraordinary measures to provide employment and aid to employees even at the start of the pandemic. These measures included flexible work arrangements that provided equal opportunity for employees to share in available work, provision of additional and advanced leaves to help secure employees’ finances and provision of tools to secure employees’ health such as face masks and vitamins.

Lutter said that apart from the annual physical examinations accorded to all employees, the company also extended health care program to include the care of the mental health of employees.

“Employees are provided with a facility to privately book sessions with expert counselors. Throughout this difficult period, employees were regularly updated on the business situation and provided context for every management decision.

They were also provided a venue to easily share sentiments, concerns, and suggestions through a dedicated helpline,” he said.

He said the company’s commitment to the welfare of employees would continue even after separation. Qualified employees affected by the rightsizing program would have the option to enroll in the Salute Program that is designed to keep skills and authorizations current.

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday the implementation of the acquirer-based ATM fee charging of banks beginning April will benefit the public as it entails transparency and give consumers the option to choose the banks that satisfy their needs.

Starting April 7, banks will adopt acquirer-based ATM fee charging, which is one of the requirements of the Bangko Sentral for lifting the moratorium on ATM fee adjustment implemented in 2013.

A cardholder is currently charged by his/her bank the same ATM fees for transacting at other ATM terminals. With ABFC, a financial institution can set ATM fees for non-customers, while continuing to offer free ATM withdrawal and balance inquiry services to customers.

“The method is more advantageous to the transacting public as it promotes transparency and empowers consumers to choose the financial institution that satisfies their needs in terms of fees and quality of service,” the BSP said.

It said the new scheme would allow financial institutions that deploy ATMs to be reasonably compensated for servicing non-customers, and this also incentivizes them to set up more ATM terminals, which widens the reach of banking services in the country.

“Providing ATM services entails cost, including the counting and transporting of cash and its loading in ATMs; using electricity; providing security; and other expenses to operate and maintain said machines. BSPsupervised financial institutions are required to employ safeguards to ensure that their clients can safely and conveniently use ATMs,” the banking regulator said.

ATM withdrawal fees range from P10 to P15, which has been the case for more than seven years. By April 7, ATM withdrawal fees are expected to range from P10 to P18.

The BSP said it would review and approve all requests for ATM fee adjustments and consider the reasonable cost for ensuring the reliability and security of ATM services.

EDC taps French firm to transform plastic wastes into housing materials

By Alena Mae S. Flores GEOTHERMAL power producer Energy Development Corp. said Friday it teamed up with Plastic Flamingo of France for its plastic-to-shelter project as part of its mission to achieve a regenerative and decarbonized future.

“We knew that there’s always a way to do more, to have less waste, to have better environmental impact—which led to our desire to have zero waste in EDC. Our bigger hurdle came last year when we started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and realized that all those food and grocery deliveries and items ordered online that came in layers of bubble wrap have resulted in accumulation of plastic waste in our employees’ respective houses,” said EDC corporate support functions head and assistant vice president Regina Victoria Pascual.

“This led to our search for a partner that can help us manage our personal plastic waste and convert them into sustainable products,” she said.

EDC said the Philippines was the world’s third biggest polluter with 2.7 million metric tons of plastic wastes generated annually based on the report by McKinsey Center for Business and Environment in 2020.

EDC, the country’s largest renewable energy power producer, said it found it necessary to help in eliminating plastic waste materials towards a regenerative and decarbonized future.

PLAF is a French social enterprise with a pilot project in the Philippines that aims to develop a solution to fight marine plastic pollution in emerging countries.

EDC signed an agreement with PLAF to realize the company’s aim of plastic-free, and eventually, zerowaste company.

Pascual said waste management is nothing new for EDC as the company has been releasing sustainability reports since 2010, following the Global Reporting Initiative that includes how it manages hazardous and nonhazardous wastes.

IN BRIEF

DBP obtains capital infusion of P12.5b

PORT OF SUBIC AWARD. Bureau of Customs Port of Subic district collector Maritess Martin (second from right) receives a plaque of commendation from Finance Secretary Carlos Domiguez III and Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero for her outstanding performance that resulted in the revenue collection of P28,677,000, with a surplus of P3.38 billion or a 13.4-percent positive deviation on its collection target in 2020. The Port of Subic was also commended for its significant contribution in the achievement of the BOC’s collection target.

JG Summit teaming up with NielsenIQ to offer personalized shopping service

By Jenniffer B. Austria JG SUMMIT Holdings Inc. said Friday it teamed up with NielsenIQ, a global measurement company, to offer consumers a more personalized shopping experience.

JG Summit through unit Data Analytics Ventures Inc. and NielsenIQ will use Advanced Analytics Platform to provide customized and relevant product offers to Robinsons Rewards loyalty members.

“We are very excited that NielsenIQ’s best-in-class and robust analytics platform will equip us to make stronger, relevant and more responsive marketing and merchandising recommendations to our network of partner suppliers,” said Robina Gokongwei Pe, president and chief executive of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. “Through this collaboration, we will be able to enhance the development of products and services to meet the needs of Robinsons Rewards members. The partnership also strengthens collabora-

tion and our relationship with our supplier partners, so we succeed and grow together while we serve our shoppers better,” she said.

The partnership, a first in the Philippines, will provide insights about market demands and transactions to help improve shopping experience.

Through data-driven decisions, DAVI said the platform would lead to identifying the right price, promotional campaigns and product assortment to provide better value for Robinsons loyalty members.

“To widen our understanding of the swiftly changing Filipino consumer behavior, we have to go deeper into shopper insights. Through loyalty data, we are able to understand the spending habits of our shoppers and connect the dots to identify new programs to enrich our customer’s lives. These insights can immediately be acted upon through personalized campaigns tailored for specific individuals,” said Jojo Malolos, chief executive of DAVI.

LANDBANK LOAN.

Mahinog, Camiguin Mayor Rogerio Acle (left) and Land Bank of the PhilippinesCamiguin branch manager Adrian Lloyd Tan (right) sign five loan agreements worth P50.3 million to finance the local government’s construction and improvement of infrastructure projects and the purchase of two units of heavy equipment.

Rakuten Viber gets Globe myBusiness for online food job

By Darwin G. Amojelar RAKUTEN Viber said Friday it tapped Globe myBusiness and GCash for a safe and efficient way to order food online through QR codes.

“We’re extremely excited to roll out this new feature on Viber, especially now that people are still encouraged to stay at home amid the ongoing pandemic. With QR codes, both our FoodPH partner merchants and their customers are now able to seamlessly transact with each other. As we’ve made the experience as convenient as possible, it encourages customers to support local businesses and order their food from MSMEs,” said David Tse, senior director of Rakuten Viber.

“And we’re proud that we’re doing this with Globe myBusiness, which is the country’s leading partner for MSMEs, and GCash, which is the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines with at least 30 million subscribers. Our Viber users deserve no less,” he said.

The QR codes have been first made available for merchants on FoodPh, Viber’s own food directory.

Under the partnership, FoodPH merchants can make online food orders more convenient for buyers. To receive payments, they can simply send GCash QR code to customers, who can easily scan the code using the GCash app to pay for orders.

New FoodPH merchants can get their own GCash QR code upon signing up, while existing ones can do the same via a link that’s provided to them via the bot.

Maridol Ylanan, head of marketing and strategy at Globe myBusiness, said her company has always been committed to providing entrepreneurs with digital solutions and know-how to help them succeed in their ventures.

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Friday the P12.5-billion capital infusion into Development Bank of the Philippines will provide additional funds for the state lending institution’s COVID-19 response programs.

Dominguez said in a statement these include extending low-interest, easy-to-pay loans to the transport, healthcare, education sectors along with micro, small and medium enterprises and other affected industries.

He said the DBP would act as a wholesale bank that would buy the loans of smaller banks, cooperatives and other institutions to free up more credit for the benefit of other industries that need to recover from the pandemic-induced impact on the global economy.

Under the P12.5-billion appropriations approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, the fund will be allocated as P5 billion for the transportation sector with 68 transport cooperatives as beneficiaries; P2 billion for healthcare assistance to 20 hospitals ; P500 million for 17 schools; and P5 billion for 230 MSMEs and other businesses. Julito G. Rada

UPSI to build power line for Bataan project

UNIVERSAL Power Solutions Inc. is seeking the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission to develop dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facilities to connect the 40-megawatt Bataan integrated renewable power facility hub-battery energy storage system to the Luzon grid.

“In order to provide ancillary services as a regulating reserve and contingency reserve to the Luzon grid in 2021, there is a need for UPSI to commence operations in 2021…The construction of the dedicated facility project is a pre-requisite for the testing and commissioning, and ultimately, the commercial operations of the Bataan R-HUB BESS,” UPSI said in its application.

UPSI will connect its point-to-point dedicated transmission facility via the Bataan 69 KV Substation of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

“A provisional authority is thus urgently needed to enable UPSI to achieve the target commercial operations date of the Bataan RHUB BESS by July 2021 and provide ancillary services to the grid,” the company said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

GOMO SIM gains access to GCash app

GOMO, the game-changing telco brand, is providing more ways for users to get their SIM faster to start enjoying GOMO’s no-expiry data and provide innovative ways to access the internet.

Customers can now use the GCash app to buy 5G-ready GOMO SIM through the GCash GLife section. From Feb. 8 to 14, new users can purchase a GOMO SIM with 30GB of ‘noexpiry data’ for P299 through a GCash exclusive promo. Those who purchase through the app can also enjoy free delivery.

GCash may also be used by existing GOMO subscribers to purchase additional ‘no expiry’ data.

Another option for customers who want to get their GOMO SIM right away is purchasing GOMO through GrabMart. GOMO GrabMart store on the Grab app will allow users to get 5G-ready SIM card delivered in as short as an hour in select areas in Metro Manila. Customers can also enjoy free delivery with the code GOMOFRDEL. The GOMO GrabMart store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Sundays.

Grab charges a service fee of P40 depending on the delivery area.

“With GOMO, we make things simple so that we can do more awesome things,” said Eric Tanbauco, head of GOMO. “And now, we’re expanding our channels to reach more people, so they can enjoy GOMO’s services.”

Sports The cancellation of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers is a disappointment for Kai Sotto, who left the United States to suit up for Gilas and missed a chance to play with his Team Ignite in the first days of the NBA G League season.

Melbourne orders COVID lockdown, but Aussie Open to go on sans fans MELBOURNE—More than six million people were ordered into a snap, five-day lockdown Friday to contain a new coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s second most populous state, forcing the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne to shut fans out.

The lockdown across Victoria state from midnight (1300 GMT) was ordered out of fear a small outbreak of the “hyper-infectious” UK strain of the virus would undo Australia’s so-far successful battle to contain the pandemic, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said.

It dealt another blow to the year’s first Grand Slam, which started three weeks late to allow international players to quarantine and had already welcomed tens of thousands of socially distanced fans in the biggest crowds seen in tennis since the pandemic.

Under the lockdown restrictions, people will only be allowed to leave their homes for a limited number of “essential” activities like shopping and exercise, and public gatherings were prohibited. Face masks are mandatory when outside the home.

It was a devastating setback for residents and businesses who underwent a similar lockdown in and around Melbourne for more than 100 days late last year in a successful effort to contain an earlier outbreak that infected thousands and killed about 800.

Small business owners were all the more distraught as the measures come over the Valentine’s Day weekend, when they were counting on big profits to help recover from the earlier lockdown.

“These restrictions are all about making sure that we respond appropriately to the fastest-moving, most infectious strain of coronavirus that we have seen,” Andrews told a hastily organised press conference Friday after the number of cases linked to a quarantine hotel at Melbourne airport rose overnight.

“I am confident that this short, sharp circuit-breaker will be effective,” Andrews said. “We will be able to smother this.”

Australian Open director Craig Tiley gave assurances that the tournament would continue, with players deemed essential workers exempt from lockdown, competing in a “bubble form”. AFP

FIBA qualifiers cancelled due to rise in virus cases

By Peter Atencio

F

OUR of the five group stages of the FIBA-Asia Cup qualifiers won’t be happening next week after organizers called off the entire third window of the Asian Basketball Qualifiers on Friday when the Qatari government reimposed a series of coronavirus-related restrictions.

The Asian Executive Office of the International Basketball Federation made known of its decision to the Saudi federation, which first issued a statement in Arabic on Twitter.

This will be the second time that the third window won’t go on as scheduled after the Philippines did not push through with its hosting of the FIBA-Asia Cup qualifiers last January.

Officials of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas have been notified of the decision by FIBA Executive Director for Asia Hagop Khajirian.

“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas regrets to inform everyone that the final window of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers, scheduled to start on Feb. 17, in Doha, Qatar, will not be pushing through,” said SBP president Al Panlilio in a statement.

Most of the qualifiers in Groups A, B, C and E, which were supposed to be held in the State of Qatar, have all been af-

fected, including those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Syria, Iran.

The winners of the qualifers will clinch slots to the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup that will be held in Indonesia in August.

The Gilas Pilipinas national men’s team was supposed leave for Doha, on Saturday after spending time training under a bubble in Calamba, Laguna.

This will also be a disappointment for 18-year-old Kai Sotto, who left the United States to suit up for Gilas and missed a chance to play with his Team Ignite in the first days of the NBA G League season.

Since Feb. 2, Sotto, who is aiming to become the first pure-blooded Filipino to make it to the National Basketball Association, has also spent time in quarantine since arriving in the Philippines to join Gilas.

Gilas was supposed to have a game on February 18 against Korea.

“The SBP is saddened by the development especially because we know the kind

of work that our Gilas Pilipinas Men’s pool has done in Calamba. The players and coaching staff have all sacrificed so much in this process as they’ve been apart from their families to represent the Philippines against South Korea and Indonesia. We were looking forward to seeing them perform because we know that a lot of Filipinos draw inspiration from them as well during these difficult times,” said Panlilio.

The restrictions that were implemented by the Qatari authorities involves education, leisure and business activities, including closing indoor swimming pools and theme parks and restricting restaurant capacities.

The decision was made known after it was first announced that the country is fighting a new surge of COVID-19 infections.

The Qatari federation, which organized the qualifiers, have already sent an apology to the Saudi Federation for the cancellation.

Authorities said they are currently meeting on the decision to postpone and will determine the date and time when the third window will resume.

The scrapping of the schedule comes a week after the qualifier games between Hong Kong and Guam that were supposed to take place in Manama, Bahrain on February 19 and 21 have also been postponed due to restrictions imposed by the Bahrain authorities.

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

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021

FEU nails Top 10 finish in Kasparov chess meet UNDERDOG Far Eastern University bucked all odds as it eked out a Top 10 finish in the super strong Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup that was recently done online.

Darry Bernardo, a member of the national para chess team that finished fifth in the FIDE Olympiad for People with Disability last year, paced the Tams by scoring eight out of nine on Board 4 that was highlighted by his shock win over International Master Harshit Raja from University of Missouri A. FEU’s team A, which also consists of Jeth Romy Morado, Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano, John Merill Jacutina and alternate Kristian Glen Abuton, actually finished tied for seventh with Greece’s National Technical University of Athens A, the United States’ St. Louis University A and Russia’s Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology A with 6.5 points apiece.

But the reigning UAAP champion ended up just 10th after tiebreakers were applied.

It was a strong performance, nonetheless, for a team that competed without a titled player and ranged against a field headed by the US powerhouse University of Texas at Rio Grande A, which blew away the opposition with a ninegame title sweep.

UTRGA was led by two Grandmasters in Vladimir Fedoseev and Sanan Sjugirov, who combined for 15 points in the tournament that was participated in by 571 chessers including 17 GMs, 11 IMs, 16 FIDE Masters, one Woman GM and four WFMs spread from 125 teams from 24 countries across the globe.

“We are so fortunate despite of the pandemic that the FEU Sports programs continues especially in Chess.

We owe our success to FEU management,” said national women’s and FEU coach GM Jayson Gonzales, who thanked FEU chairman Aurelio R. Montinola III and athletic director Mark Molina for their support.

Gonzales said his team will see action in the FIDE World University Online Chess Championship slated Mar. 13 to 27.

University of Missouri A placed second with 7.5 points, Texas Tech University A third with seven and University of Texas Dallas A, a team coached by Filipino GM Julio Catalino Sadorra, fourth with seven points.

Indonesia’s Gunadarma University was fifth while England’s University of Cambridge was sixth each with seven points.

Osaka shows gentle touch to set up Muguruza clash

A butterfly lands on Japan’s Naomi Osaka as she plays against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur during their women’s singles match on Day 5 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

MELBOURNE—Naomi Osaka had to deal with a butterfly landing on her nose Friday but was otherwise little bothered as she breezed into the last 16 of the Australian Open and a showdown with last year’s runnerup Garbine Muguruza.

The third seed, champion in Melbourne two years ago, gently carried the insect intruder to safety at the side of the court before closing out an easy 6-3, 6-2 victory over Tunisian 27th seed Ons Jabeur in 1hr 18min.

Japan’s Osaka, who has dropped just 13 games in her opening three matches, is great friends with “free spirit” Jabeur and said playing against her on John Cain Arena was “really fun”.

But she wasn’t happy with how she performed.

“I felt like I wasn’t playing that well, like my unforced error rate was probably really high today,” she said. “But I’m really happy with how I fought.”

Osaka will face an entirely different style of play when she meets two-time Grand Slam winner Muguruza for a place in the quarter-finals.

“For me I feel like Ons is a very different player, but that’s just judging from the matches I’ve watched of Muguruza,” she said.

“I think Ons is definitely more of a free spirit, and

I think for me Muguruza might be a bit more like my taste. Like she’s not as unpredictable as Ons is.”

Osaka added that she was excited to finally play the Spanish 14th seed, having watched her win Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon a year later.

Muguruza, who lost in the final to Sofia Kenin a year ago, beat Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas 6-1, 6-1 to set up the fourth-round clash.

“I’ve practiced with her once, but it was on grass, and I was younger,” she said.

“But I just remember being really impressed by her, and for me, I’ve watched her win Wimbledon and win the French Open when I was younger, and I’ve always wanted to have the chance to play her. So for me, this is really exciting.”

When they do play on Sunday, it will be in front of an empty stadiums after it was announced Friday that Melbourne would go into five days’ lockdown from midnight to try and stamp out a fresh coronavirus cluster.

“I feel like while I’m here, I’m really embracing the crowd,” said Osaka, but added that with no fans to spur her on she would instead just “focus within myself”. AFP

Trail Blazers stun Sixers again; Heat win LOS ANGELES—Damian Lillard drained a pair of crucial late free throws and Robert Covington made a clutch defensive play with three seconds left as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia 76ers 118-114 on Thursday.

With three seconds to go Portland was ahead by two points, 116-114 when Covington stole the Sixers inbound pass. A foul by Philadelphia sent Portland to the free throw line.

Lillard sank both baskets to put the game out of reach as the Blazers defeated Philadelphia for the second time this month.

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Lillard finished with 30 points and seven assists and veteran Carmelo Anthony had a throwback game for Portland, coming off the bench to score 17 of his season-high 24 points in the fourth quarter.

“I didn’t play much in the third quarter. I was cheering my teammates on. I just waited until my number was called,” said Anthony.

The 36-year-old shot nine-of-15 from the floor and made four of five threes. His two late free throws broke a 114-114 tie and set the stage for Covington and Lillard to finish it off.

“I started feeling good and the bas-

ket got big,” Anthony said. “I try to play the right way and take advantage of my opportunities.”

Joel Embiid had 35 points and nine rebounds as the 76ers lost for just the second time in their past eight games, with both those defeats coming at the hands of the Trail Blazers.

In Houston, Jimmy Butler’s tripledouble of 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists propelled the Miami Heat to a fourth straight victory, a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets to open a seven-game road trip.

Butler registered his 10th career triple-double and his sixth with the Heat

—surpassing Dwyane Wade for the second most in Miami history.

Max Strus came off the bench to score 21 points and Bam Adebayo finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat, who trailed 53-47 at halftime before rallying in the second half.

Miami dominated the third quarter, outscoring Houston 28-10, but then allowed the Rockets to pull within three late in the fourth in front of a pandemic-limited crowd of 3,200 in Texas.

“I think we just stuck with it, got some stops when we needed to, some quality buckets,” said Butler. “That’s how we pulled this one out.” AFP

Damian Lillard

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

T

Tech & Gadgets

From farm to fork, digital tools to propel PH recovery

HE digital economy plays a key role in the Philippines’ economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, says Cielito Habito, Chairman of Brain Trust: Knowledge & Options for Sustainable Development, Inc.

At a recent economic briefing of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), the former socioeconomic planning chief pointed out that digital economy is the only major sector to see growth during the public health crisis other than agriculture and banking.

“COVID-19 simply sped up what many believed to be the natural and inevitable direction of business and the economy well before the pandemic hit. Artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and blockchain usher in completely new ways of producing, processing, marketing, transporting, buying, and consuming products and services,” he said.

Habito also recognized the importance of digital tools in uplifting agriculture as they boost productivity and efficiency.

The former Ramos cabinet secretary advocates agriculture as an inclusive mechanism in helping the economic rebound.

He explained that as an industry, agriculture is prevalent across all regions of the Philippines and is strongly interlinked with the rest of the economy. He also cited the rise in farming productivity after decades of stagnation as more open trade appears to have encouraged the government and producers to invest in competitiveness.

“Agricultural productivity has been on the rise after decades of stagnating,” says Habito. “I’d like to think this is because we have opened up our agricultural sector, to more opened trade, which has impelled in investments and greater productivity, both on the part of government and on the part of producers themselves.

It’s also strongly linked to the rest of the economy, that’s why think about agricul-

SHOPEE, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, is officially launching Shopee Loyalty, a brand new in-app program that delivers a more rewarding shopping experience for users. With Shopee Loyalty, users can enjoy a range of exclusive perks, vouchers, and deals every month when they shop more with Shopee.

Proponents of the briefing of the Management Association of the Philippines.

ture and industry interface through agribased industries. Think about the agriculture services interface with agritourism, and of course how digital tools are now helping agriculture become more productive and more efficient. So again, there is that strong linkage all across. The digital economy also helps foster accelerated agriculture and agribusiness growth. The application of digital tools improves the value chain all the way to finance to field to fork, meaning from production to consumption. Of course, it requires substantial public and private investments, in upgrading and widening our connectivity.”

But he warned that embracing digital economy requires substantial public and private investments in upgraded and widened connectivity, or else it will only widen the digital divide. “We have to capitalize on it and enhance it and make it inclusive for everybody,” adds Habito.

Present in the same online forum to take her oath as MAP member, Catherine Yap-Yang, First Vice President and Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart, said that PLDT, the country’s largest integrated telco, and its wireless arm, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), are taking on this challenge, leveraging their leadership in connectivity solutions to help restart the economy.

“Our Company spurred entrepreneurship, creating new opportunities in the COVID-19 disruption. These could not have happened without the unrelenting commitment of our people to carry on with the network upgrades, repairs and installs, despite mobility challenges posed by the lockdowns. The investments we put to work over past decade to strengthen our network infrastructure and improve customer experience have put us in a prime position to deliver a service

that has become essential in economic recovery: digital connectivity.”

This year, PLDT has earmarked between P88 billion and P92 billion for capital expenditures to further improve customer experience, at par with the world’s best.

PLDT and Smart’s investments have been paying off. Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, hailed the two telcos as the Philippines’ fastest fixed and mobile networks in the second half of 2020.

PLDT is accelerating the expansion of its fiber infrastructure reaching more than 429,000 kilometers as of December last year, the most extensive in the country. This fiber infrastructure also supports Smart’s 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G networks, which now cover 96% of the population, and available in 95% of the country’s cities and municipalities.

XTREME With LG, style and safety begin at home dating ideas on Valentine’s Day MAKING time for your loved ones especially this time of pandemic is priceless, and if in case you are living away from them, you might find it challenging due to restrictions. A lot of celebrations were canceled during the past year, prioritizing our own and our loved ones’ health. This 2021, while we haven’t marked an end to this pandemic, Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to get nixed. Dating at home is not just about binging Netflix and ordering takeout. Stay away from the usual and be creative! Refresh your dating routine and try one of these ideas to spice up your relationship, making the affection more intimate with useful appliances from XTREME Appliances.

CHALLENGE COOK OFF If the way to each other’s heart is through the stomach, then impress each other in the kitchen! Ditch that old cookbook, search for the best vlogger chef to learn with and prepare a meal using the newest XTREME Home Gas Range Pro. You can bake, cook, and roast with this sophisticated matte black cooking range. To keep the atmosphere ventilated and odor-free, don’t forget to make use of the XTREME Home Rangehood.

It has a charcoal filter for better recirculating rangehood.

PLAN A VIRTUAL DATE Celebrating Valentine's Day away from each other? Explore YouTube Fiesta via web and connect the HDMI cable from your device to the XTREME S Series Smart TV for better viewing and audio experience. On YouTube Fiesta, you can communicate with your loved ones while watching virtual travel tours. Mind that the 4K Ultra High Definition resolution is a plus! In addition to that, why not take the virtual date to another level by preparing a local cuisine from your target destination. Use the XTREME Home Induction Cooker with 6 different cooking programs such as fry, deep fry, braise, soup, porridge, and hotpot. Then, have it delivered to your loved ones for a better tourist experience!

CHILL AND MIX DRINKS Be creative and build a mini bar in your bedroom, living room or terrace.

End the day of love with cuddles and great wine or champagne chilled and stored in our 1.8cu ft. XTREME Home Single Door Refrigerator. Showcase your talent in mixology by creating special cocktails for your loved ones with the use of our handy and quality XTREME Home Blender.

More reasons to shop with Shopee Loyalty Program

AS WE start the New Year, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still loom heavily.

Even if vaccines have been announced, distribution is still murky at best. However, in a bid to rejuvenate the economy, lockdown restrictions have been slowly loosening up.

Restaurants are offering more dine-in options, malls have been opening up, and businesses are adding more office days. This attempt to attain some semblance of normalcy is understandable, but one still has to be responsible. Wearing masks, social-distancing, and washing hands are simple tasks that still need to be done on a daily basis to curb the spread of the virus.

This responsibility of actively safeguarding yourself and your family from risk of infection starts at home. Even when living with extended family, social distancing must be maintained as much as possible.

Outside clothes must be left outside, then straight to the laundry. One of the most effective ways of minimizing your risk while at home is to utilize steam technology. CDC guidelines discovered viruses may survive on surfaces, including clothing, for days, with Health.com recommending washing clothing if you have been

AI DD FRONT LOAD WM

around people who are not adhering to social distancing guidelines.

But washing your clothes in water isn’t your only weapon against germs.

Steam is not only natural but extremely effective in eliminating the harmful bacteria allergens on your fabrics.

It is one of the most efficient ways of staying healthy is eliminating the bacteria and germs that stubbornly cling to clothes. LG Electronics, one of the

foremost technology innovators in the world, harnessed the power of steam in order to help make households pathogen free.

LG’s wide range of washers and dryers, with the AI DD FRONT LOAD WM, RC09VHP2V - Heat Pump Dryer in particular, uses the power of steam to your advantage. LG washer’s Steam+ function uses high temperatures to remove germs, pet hair, and mold that could lead to health problems down the line, so it’s a dream for those suffering allergies. With a press of a button, you can add steam to selected cycles to open up fibers and assist in removal of common household allergens.

This works hand in hand with the Allergy Care function, which reduces 99.9% allergens, such as house mites that can cause allergy or respiratory issues. Improve your quality of life by keeping an allergen-free environment. Adding these extra safety measures ensures that your home is free from potentially harmful germs or bacteria that you may have come into contact while you were outside.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SHOPEE LOYALTY Shopee Loyalty is an in-app program where users can earn and claim exciting rewards every month when they shop on Shopee. The membership is free and consists of four tiers. Shoppers can unlock higher tiers and enjoy bigger rewards by completing a certain number of orders within a month.

Shopee Loyalty is easily accessible with a single tap from the Shopee home page. On the Shopee Loyalty page, users can: • Track their Shopee Loyalty tier progress for the month • Discover various tier and reward milestones • Redeem eligible vouchers that are refreshed monthly, including free shipping vouchers and special birthday vouchers.

“We are excited to bring more joy and reward Shopee users better with Shopee Loyalty.

Shopee has seen online shopping grow in importance for Filipinos in the past year, as more people turn to Shopee for their needs, from groceries to entertainment.

Shopee Loyalty gives users more ways to save and have fun with Shopee as they shop online more, together with our in-app features, membership clubs, and shopping campaigns that users enjoy regularly. We look forward to helping users unlock more value with Shopee in the future,” said Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines.

On February 15, Shopee users can also look out for exclusive free shipping vouchers from 12:00 MN to 2:00 AM and 12:00 NN to 2:00 PM for all purchases made with ShopeePay. To learn more about Shopee Loyalty, visit https://shopee.ph/m/ shopee-loyalty-education Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Users can experience a new level of value and engagement via Shopee Loyalty, with rewards including vouchers and exclusive deals to be unlocked every month

Globe launches game-changing Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi GLOBE keeps on reinventing the world of its customers as it recently launched another game-changer in home prepaid WiFi devices that promises to make the customer online experience a lot better.

The newest addition to Globe’s roster of go-to prepaid WiFi devices is the Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi

(HPW) LTE-Advanced which is a CAT 7 modem. It supports the 5Ghz band - the fastest in the country at present, as well as provides coverage at a longer range through the 2.4Ghz frequency.

“It has always been our aim to provide uninterrupted connection and faster internet speeds to our customers. With this new HPW modem, the bar for home prepaid broadband service is raised a notch higher,” said Globe’s Darius Delgado, VP for Broadband Business.

Customers may now enjoy reliable connection and high-speed internet for just P1,999 without having to worry about monthly bills. This is most important during the current situation where almost everything and everyone was pushed online to work, study, play, and get entertained.

Customers may also choose from a wide range of budget-friendly HomeWATCH and HomeSURF offers that come with bigger data allocation to keep the family’s daily productivity going. Under HomeSURF99, Globe At Home users can have 10GB worth of data for

five days for only PhP99. With its free 1GB data per day refreshed and replenished daily for five days, users can send messages through Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Viber, stream YouTube videos and shop online via Lazada and Shopee on top of the 5GB open access data.

Other promos include HomeSURF199 which gives subscribers 30GB data for 7 days and HomeSURF599 which gives users 60GB of data in total, valid for 30 days. HomeSURF999 has 100GB of data consumable for 30 days while Globe’s premium plan, HomeSURF1499, has a whopping total data of 150GB good for 30 days.

HomeSURF is available to all Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi users through the Globe At Home app downloadable via App Store, Google Play or Huawei AppGallery. Apart from the Globe At Home app, subscribers can also avail of the same promos through GCash, dialing *143#, or through Globe Share-APromo, and via their favorite retailers.

For more information, visit https://shop.globe. com.ph/globe-at-home-prepaid-wifi-lte

Tech & Gadgets

Better connectivity helps businesses thrive in pandemic W ITH better connectivity, many businesses attempted to innovate during the pandemic in an effort to stay afloat. It was also an opportunity to reexamine their business purpose.

Amazing Playground, a local business specializing in apparel used social media to study how their products can better serve customers, and at the same time find a sustainable way to maintain their business.

Thanks to technology and the portunity to create a new line of prod- with a line of face masks that mirror availability of a reliable internet, ucts. Using retazos from their original the same unique style of its clothing Amazing Playground found an op- clothing line, the company came up line.

Amis Tumang, Owner of Amazing Playground

“Right now we’re doing better online. Through online connectivity, nagkaroon kami ng plans (we now have plans) to expand. Like now, for example, we’re trying to have a branch in Las Vegas. Unlike before, kung ano lang ang malalapit na areas (whichever areas are near), ‘yun lang nag nagiging market namin (that’s our only market). Now it becomes wider. Without connectivity, I guess maraming opportunities na mawawala (there will be a lot of missed opportunities),” shares Amis Tumang, Owner of Amazing Playground.

According to global data from Hootsuite and WeAreSocial, 80.2% of the Philippine population has adopted e-commerce in their lifestyle.

Globe maintains its momentum in improving its network and upgrading its sites to build a #1stWorldNetwork, putting up new sites in both urban and rural areas, to give more customers access to connectivity whilst improving internet experience.

The company strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs. For more information, visit www. globe.com.ph.

SAMSUNG Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: Pro creators’ most epic smartphone Yet THE Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G represents Samsung's newest innovations in the smartphone landscape. From its groundbreaking hardware to its ultra-intelligent software, the device promises to be an epic smartphone that professional creators can rely on.

Content creators, photographers, and videographers alike can take advantage of these features when creating content: Shoot with Director’s View—the feature allows creators to choose angles and control their shots like a creative movie director. It also has the Vlogger View tool to record from multiple camera lenses simultaneously. To use this feature, go to camera, tap “more” on the shooting modes list, and click Director’s View.

Capture with 108MP camera for the unmatched picture quality—For an epic digital photo album, use the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s multi-camera that includes the 108-megapixel lens. Its advanced re-mosaic process and 12-bit HDR functionality make images rich in details and hues to reveal even more shots within.

Film moments in exceptional clarity with 60fps—Videographers can now shoot super smooth videos with the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G's lenses that record in 4K at 60fps. They also have an option to shoot in 8K. Videos stay polished even

in low light as the camera automatically adjusts the frames per second from day to dusk. Plus, its Super Steady feature makes the device like an action cam as it delivers a smooth clip when on the move.

See colors the way it is intended to be seen—Producing content does not stop at taking photos and videos. Fortunately, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has a Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display that supports a refresh rate up to 120Hz even at WQHD+ quality for the most vivid and clearest screen for the most epic viewing experience when reviewing outputs. It delivers stunning visuals even in sunlight due to its 1,500 nits with 100% color volume for accurate and realistic color.

Take epic photos and videos all day —The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has an epic 5,000mAh battery that outlasts the day to help creators shoot longer. With the Super Fast Charging technology, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G can have more than 50% energy in just 30 minutes when plugged in.

Meet the fastest chip in a Galaxy smartphone—The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is packed with the most powerful 5nm process technology, with a 20% faster CPU, more than 35% faster GPU, and over 2x faster AI processors to ensure everything you do runs faster than ever.

Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Experience precision at your fingertips—With the first S-Pen for S Series, get an entirely new level of precision editing and retouching at your fingertips.

Simply use an existing compatible S Pen from the Galaxy Tab S7, or get a new S Pen with a Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G case.

These are just some of the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G features that make it the most reliable smartphone creators can take advantage of today. The most epic device yet is now available in Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Stores, Samsung. com, Authorized Online Partners and telco partners, Globe and Smart, at P69,990.

Customers can choose between 2 bold colorways in a frosted haze finish,

Phantom Black and Phantom Silver, and come in 256GB with 12GB RAM. Epic freebies worth up to P6,900 await those who will purchase this device, including 12 months Samsung Care+ and a 25W Travel Adapter until February 28, 2021.

There are also other promos available like flexible payment terms up to 24 months at 0% interest with participating bank partners, the “Trade up, Save up” promo that allows customers to trade in their old smartphone to enjoy discounts and additional tokens up to P10,000 on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, an additional 5% off when you buy two (2) or more Galaxy S21 Series 5G units, and a free first month installment when using a PNB credit card.

5 reasons to fall in love with the My Home Credit app ITS THAT exciting time of the year again as January quickly rolls into February, and our Christmas decors get (finally) put back in the closet to make way for— you guessed it—Valentine’s decorations. Yup, V-day is not really just a day, it’s something that we hopeless romantics celebrate all month long. And if you’re in the mood to wear red this February and happen to be a savvy shopper as well, you might just fall in love with an app that quite literally has red all over its name.

Home Credit, the global consumer finance leader that has served over seven million customers in the Philippines already, has rapidly grown its mobile presence in recent years. Its My Home Credit app, free to download at the Google Play store, has found its way into the smartphones of 1.7 million customers who use the app regularly, and this number continues to skyrocket in the new normal.

Why did close to two million people fall in love with the My Home Credit app? Read on and you might just fall in love yourself: It’s new-normal-proof. As a financial services app, it’s got all the basics covered, and more—if you have a Home Credit loan or credit card, you can conveniently check your account status, pay your monthly Home Credit dues via the app, or even pay for your other bills such as utilities or buy load if you have a Home Credit card. Don’t have a Home Credit loan yet? Not a problem—you can get pre-approved for a loan right inside the app with a few taps on the screen. Signing up to the app is fast and safe as well, using advanced security and identification tools.

Close to two million people have fallen in love with the My Home Credit app.

All these features make the Home Credit app more than ready for your financial needs in the new normal.

It makes online (and physical) shopping a breeze.

Speaking of new normal, online shopping has grown by leaps and bounds since last year, and we’ve become best friends with our suking delivery man who brings in our latest purchases. If online shopping is your thing then you’ll love Home Credit’s in-app Marketplace, showcasing a wide variety of gadgets from leading brands such as Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Asus and Xiaomi, that you can get pre-approved for and avail

from Home Credit at affordable installments.

Prefer to do your shopping the “old school” way?

The My Home Credit app lets you shop in stores in a uniquely safe way, as Home Credit card users can simply keep their credit cards in their wallets and use QR codes via the app to make purchases at partner stores. It’s cashless, contactless shopping for greater peace of mind when outside your homes.

It has loads of useful content—and games, too. Itching to buy a new phone but not sure which one to get?

Thinking of getting an AC, but worried about electricity consumption? Home Credit makes those hard choices just a little bit easier, as it contains product reviews, consumer tips, how-to guides, and other useful articles, right inside the app. Need a break from all that reading? Enjoy a quick game of Ant Smash, check your daily horoscope and more fun activities, without leaving the app!

Get discounts from thousands of partners. We Pinoys can’t resist a great deal, whether it’s a buy 1 take 1 promo at the grocery, unlimited Samgyupsal at the mall, or getting a good “last price” from your favorite online seller. With the My Home Credit app’s SMILE program, you get irresistible discounts from thousands of retail partners all over the country—everything from shoes, eyewear and sporting equipment to beauty treatments to all kinds of food and beverage promos.

And the most awesome deal of all is that you don’t even need to have an existing Home Credit loan to enjoy these discounts—all you need to do is register in the app, scan the code in the participating store for your chosen deal, and the discount is all yours!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021

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Inspiro enables remote workforce of 3,000 agents with Windows Virtual Desktop WITH Microsoft Technology, Inspiro quickly transformed to empower employees and continue providing the highest standard of service Inspiro, the outsourcing specialist, recently joined hands with Microsoft to integrate cloud-based desktop services and servers into its operations, providing their remote workforce with innovative tools to continue delivering excellent customer service throughout the pandemic.

With COVID-19, the company was faced with the urgent need of enabling their existing employees to work remotely. In addition, they also needed to expand their workforce by an additional 2,000 to 3,000 agents to meet growing customer needs. But at the time, their IT infrastructure lacked the capacity to support the necessary changes, with most of their machines and devices running on physical servers and lacking a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

To quickly ensure business continuity, Inspiro looked to other options, such as desktop-as-a-service (DaaS), which would enable their agents to use company-issued devices or personal devices for work.

After evaluating viable scenarios and providers in the market, Inspiro opted to engage Microsoft and their Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) solution, a Microsoft Azure-based remote desktop to enhance operational capacity. In addition, they also chose Microsoft Teams for employee communication, collaboration, and engagement.

Inspiro chose Microsoft after a threemonth evaluation of available cloud providers due to the ease of provisioning, operation, and DaaS maintenance.

"We chose Microsoft Azure because it is more cost-effective, offers our company more flexibility and scalability, and provides our agents with more productivity while using WVD," said Mark Mistal, Chief Information Officer, Inspiro.

"We used Microsoft Teams as the primary communications channel during the deployment and implementation phases of the engagement. Microsoft also provided Teams training and support to Inspiro employees to strengthen remote collaboration", added Mistal.

ePLDT Operations Center fortifies cybersecurity, IT management ePLDT, the industry-leading enabler of digital business solutions in the Philippines, introduces “eOC” or ePLDT Operations Center to further strengthen the cybersecurity of business operations and fortify the holistic IT management of enterprises today.

With the expertise of ePLDT’s existing Security Operations Center for cybersecurity, combined with its Managed Operations Center (MOC) for IT uptime management & monitoring, eOC ensures the IT resilience of companies and help them elevate efficiency.

Its expertise and global best practices for both cybersecurity and IT, adaptive platforms and knowledge bases, safeguarded by the Philippines’ leading data center operations, assures business owners who are obsessive-compulsive that its critical business operations are well taken care of.

Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups says that “the group assures that enterprises are safeguarded because ePLDT is also obsessivecompulsive in providing only the best services for our customers. eOC will definitely address all these issues as it brings together all your needs in an affordable package designed especially for your business.”

With the shift to digital technology brought on by the global health crisis, there has been an increase need to heighten cybersecurity and protection for business owners, especially with remote work as the new normal. ePLDT Operations Center is able to provide these solutions, with globally-aligned practices and the country’s foremost subject-matter experts ensuring safeguards are in place and the complexities of businesses are simplified.

The Security Operations Center (SOCaas) monitors and analyzes cyber security incidents through a combination of the right expertise, processes, technology, and threat intelligence. SOCaaS provides 24x7 threat visibility, prevents false positives and allows faster detection, while its response option minimizes the damage caused by a cyber security incident and stops it from spreading.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021

Motoring

Maxus revs up foray into auto market

By Othel V. Campos

A

C MOTORS, a units of the Ayala Group of Companies, has launched the Maxus D60, a compact van which is expected to drive up company sales to at least 1,000 units in 2021.

Company director for digital solutions Jun Cajayon said the new Maxus D60 with its sub-compact features for sports utility vehicle (SUV) pricing will add to the brand’s volume driven-models which are the top three variants of G10, G50, and the pick-up model T60.

“Our aim for this year is actually a thousand units in sales or five (5) times our sales in 2020. We’ve accumulated a total of 200 units in the past months. And the price positioning would be that of an SUV but with the price of a sub-compact SUV,” he said in a briefing that followed the virtual launch held February 5, 2021.

The unit’s price point, which is a little over P1 million, has already factored in the added taxes under the provisional safeguard duties on imported vehicles, Cajayon said. The brand was able to bring in the first batch of units before the safeguard measure took effect.

The D60 is Maxus first offering for an SUV. AC Motors believe that the model is to the liking of Filipinos because of the

“cross-over” style and the model’s excellent performance.

For the year, Maxus plans to introduce 5 new models including the D60. A second model will be launched by mid-year and the 3 models are being negotiated to be brought in, but the brand assured it will exert all effort to beef up Maxus models in the Philippines.

AC Motor president Antonio Zara expressed confidence in the capability of the local automotive business especially the commercial vehicle segments like pickups, vans and trucks to recover in 2021, despite the added provisional safeguard duties.

“Over the past 5 years commercial vehicles grew from 25 percent of total industry to 24 percent in 2020. Technically, the new Maxus we are introducing is not a commercial vehicle since it is intended for passenger use. It has, however, a very strategic role in improving the viability of our Maxus dealer network to support our continued expansion plans,” he said.

JUN CAJAYON, General Manager strikes a proud pose with the Maxus D60.

The brand is also working out new dealer proposals in five strategic areas to add to the brand’s existing 8 dealerships in Alabang, Bacolod, Cahayan de Oro, Cebu, Iloilo, Mandaluyung, Quezon City and Taguig.

Maxus, introduced in 2019, is a China brand with over 125 years of British history. It has brought in 5 models and promised

What every parent must look out for when hitting the road AFTER a hard week of deadlines and meetings, it’s nice to get out and get away from it all with your family in tow. But when you have children, this isn’t as simple as getting everyone in the car and taking off to parts unknown.

From packing their essential foodstuff and other provisions to strapping them neatly and safely into their car seats, children have specific needs when it comes to car travel. So, here are some pointers to make sure you have a great family trip while keeping everyone safe at all times.

Choose the Right Car Safety starts with the car. When purchasing a vehicle for family needs, pay attention to details like crash ratings and safety equipment. Just because a vehicle has a lot of space doesn’t mean it’s suitable for family use. Look for vehicles with safety ratings like the ASEAN NCAP aka the “New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia”.

Some vehicles that have scored perfect 5-star NCAP ratings include the new Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Corolla Cross, Toyota Rush, and Toyota Hiace Super Grandia.

You should also look for vehicles with multiple airbags up to the backs rows. Vehicles like the Toyota Rush come with 6 airbags across all variants, with most variants of the Toyota Vios equipped with industry-leading 7 airbags. Also look for vehicles with proper seat belts especially for the middle seat in the back row. For your little ones’ child seats, look for vehicles with ISOFIX. ISOFIX is an internationally standardised car seat fitting system. It automatically locks your car seat – or car seat base – onto two metal clips (ISOFIX fixing points) between the vehicle seat of your car. Having active safety technologies like anti-lock brakes and stability control are also a bonus.

Having standard features you’d expect every modern vehicle, especially if they add comfort and convenience to family travel, is more than just an advantage. Cupholders and pull-out trays may not seem like much, but

to bring more as the brand gains local support.

“The Maxus brand strengthens the commercial vehicle line-up of AC Motors’ distributor business. It fits well in complementing our other brands,” Zara said.

AC Motor holds the distributorships for auto brands such as Kia, Volkswagen and Maxus.

Isuzu extends win streak to 21 years

they are key when it comes to keeping the youngins fed and hydrated while in transit.

Also, large door and trunk openings help heaps for family use, specifically for easy entry and exit and loading big items. Younger couples will be first to attest that considerablesized openings are handy when their littles ones are sleeping and need to alight the vehicle.

Pick the Right Car Seat Car safety doesn’t end with the car. With Republic Act 11229, a passed law which details the Special Protection Child Passengers in Motor Vehicles, car seats are now mandatory. Gone are the days that having kids at the shotgun seat is, at worst, frowned upon.

Also, getting a car seat based on your little one’s weight is as outdated as ever.

A car seat with rear-facing capabilities should be put in consideration for children below 100 to 105 centimeters (which is about 3’5”). It would be prudent to get a combination stroller-carrier-seat system if you’re expecting. This allows you to safely move a securely strapped infant from stroller to car easily. Over time, once your child can hold their head upright, a more upright rear facing car seat with proper side bolsters and head protection can be used.

On the other hand, once your child hits 70 centimeters (2’4”) and upwards, you can gradually migrate to a forward facing chair and then to a booster seat. Even if they’re old enough to buckle themselves into a regular seatbelt, the shoulder strap is often dangerously high up for older children. A booster raises them up so that the shoulder strap goes correctly over their chest.

Install Child Seats Properly Child seats need to be securely strapped down to work properly. A loose seat puts the child in danger of hitting their head or getting thrown out of their seat resulting in more serious injuries. Strap them in tight and correctly.

This may leave dimples in the seat cushions, but safety is more important than aesthetics.

Hardworking Hyundai vehicles on a roll

Take note as well that ISOFIX attachments shall soon be replaced by its i-Size counterpart. However, before you fret, this mainly means that the i-Size regulation will standardize dimensions and anchor positions of the ISOFIX. Your ISOFIX child-seat system will not become obsolete.

Drive Defensively This should go without saying, but actively avoiding accidents is the best safety practice of all. Maintain a safe following distance from the car in front of you, by counting at least two seconds from when the car in front of you passes a roadside marker to when you pass it. This gives you time and space to stop in an emergency.

If the vehicle is a large one that you can’t see around, fall even further back, as they may have large blind spots.

Buckle Them Up From Start For children, routine is a must. You have to get them used to using their car seats, even for short trips. Once you start allowing fidgety children to unbuckle themselves or ride in your lap, they’ll get used to that, and will be harder to coax into their seats when you get on the open road.

Take Rest Stops Sitting in a car for hours at a time can be difficult for adults, let alone children. Taking a rest stop to allow them to stretch their legs and work off excess energy will help keep them quieter and more relaxed on the next leg of the journey.

Keep Them Entertained To ensure they don’t do anything dangerous, keep your children entertained with light music or conversation. Letting them watch videos on their devices on longer trips can serve as helpful distractions. If you’re going to put them on devices for a while, time their use as to avoid motion sickness or dizziness. Be sure to pack an emergency kit for the kids in the car, with water, snacks, toys, and rudimentary first aid supplies.

LUCK is in the air with the Year of the Ox. For those in business, this means the promise of prosperity for those who exhibit the Ox’s characteristics for success--patience, strength, industriousness, trustworthiness, and intelligence. Hyundai trucks and buses have what it takes for better journeys ahead. Even better, you can get them with great deals as Hyundai welcomes the Chinese New Year.

Let Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) help you change your luck for the better with its Year of the Ox promo. From February 12 to March 15, the official Philippine distributor of Hyundai vehicles, offers huge savings on its hard-working fleet of trucks and minibuses.

For light-duty trucks, P140,000 off on the HD65/65X cab and chassis and P280,000

THE year 2020, difficult as it may have been across the entire automotive industry, did bring a silver lining for Isuzu Philippines Corporation.

IPC, the exclusive assembler, importer, and distributor of brand-new Isuzu commercial vehicles (CVs) and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in the country, has once again come out on top in the joint sales report of the Truck Manufacturers Association Inc. (TMA) and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (CAMPI) covering the period from January to December 2020.

TMA AND Campi dater showed that IPC sold 2,322 units of its N-Series light duty trucks, cornering the top spot in Category III with a 53% market share. It also led Category IV by selling 1,064 units of its F-Series medium-duty trucks, for a 38% share. It was no different in Category V, where the C&E-Series heavy-duty trucks lorded over the competition by selling 320 units for a 35% share. Combined, IPC’s overall commercial vehicle (CV) sales in Categories III, IV and V accounted for 3,707 units, or 45.2% of the market share.

For its 2020 sales performance where it swept all truck sales categories, IPC has now become the Philippines Number 1 truck brand for 21 consecutive years and Number 1 in Light-Duty truck sales for 22 consecutive years.

off on the HD36L Maxculado cab and chassis; a P200,000 cash discount on the premium COUNTY to set your shuttle business on track; and, for those looking for massive, heavy-duty support for construction, logistics, or other heavy industries, a hefty P480,000 discount on the XCIENT dump truck and tractor (6- and 10-wheeler; cab and chassis).

Stay strong with the HD36L Maxculado Built with high-capacity chassis and made even more durable with its new ladder frame that features heavier gauge steel, the HD36L Maxculado helps you muscle up any business that requires a good deal of heavy lifting.

This may be a light-duty truck, but its serious muscle and performance will give your operations a boost. The added stabi-

IPC also showed fast sales recovery on the 2nd half of 2020, which can be attributed to the consistent demand on trucks, brought about by the increase on logistics delivery service and essential goods delivery, especially in areas with travel restrictions.

One result of this, is the outstanding performance of the Isuzu Traviz under the Category II Cab & Chassis segment, selling a total of 2,503 units, capturing 20% share on its first year in the market.

IPC leadership in the truck market is commanded by its strong brand reputation of providing durable and reliable products. On top of this, IPC strives to provide the best ‘customer solution’, fitted to their needs – analyzing their business processes and requirements prior to recommending the best truck.

By being the ‘responsible partner’, IPC does not just supply world-class vehicles and treat our customers as mere clients, we treat them as partners. Their growth is essential to IPC’s growth, hence, we provide total support to our customers nationwide with great products and aftersales support,” said IPC President, Hajime Koso.

On the other hand, Isuzu’s best-selling pick-up, the D-MAX, and the mu-X SUV, has also produced healthy sales numbers, with the D-MAX selling 3,346 units—a 12% increase from 2019 sales, while the mu-X sells a robust 1,681 units.

lizer bar increases front-end rigidity and improves steering stability while the enhanced front suspension and shock absorber makes for uncompromised protection of vehicle and cargo. Complementing the sturdy build is the new more fuel-efficient 2.5-liter diesel engine that gives 130ps power output and 26kg-m torque, further optimized by mating it to a six-speed transmission that delivers 53% more torque than its predecessor and makes for a more effortless drive.

Work hard and smart with the HD65/65X Engineered to make light work of heavy duties, the HD65/65X is a hardy vehicle built with heat-treated, web-strengthened, ultra-rigid super frame that make for the superior performance and safety of Hyundai HD trucks.