Manila Standard - 2021 February 20 - Saturday

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MGCQ nationwide looms

Palace: Rody may go with mayors, task force; expert bucks premature shift

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

RESIDENT Duterte could put the entire country under the more relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) on Monday next week to revive the economy that has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Palace said Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque the President has yet to decide on the matnoted that the Inter-Agency Task Force for ter on Monday next week. the Management of Emerging Infectious “We expect that since both IATF Diseases (IATF) has also agreed to the and Metro Manila mayors have sought Next page easing of quarantine restrictions, but said

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM FEBRUARY 19)

557,058 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,901 32,440 NEW

ACTIVE

11,829

157

512,789

537

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

VOL. XXXV • NO. 10 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Touchdown: NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Martian soil

Patients cleared of Cebu variant with mild signs

AFTER seven months in space, NASA’s Perseverance rover overcame a tense landing phase with a series of perfectly executed maneuvers to gently float down to the Martian soil Thursday and embark on its mission to search for signs of past life.

“Touchdown confirmed,” said operations lead Swati Mohan at 3:55 pm Eastern Time (2055 GMT), as mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena erupted in cheers.

The autonomously guided procedure was in fact completed more than 11 minutes earlier, the length of time it

ALL of the COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas that showed two mutations of the virus exhibited only mild symptoms and have been discharged from quarantine, health officials said yesterday.

“All the cases in Central Visayas with the 2 mutations of concern – E484K as well as the N501Y – exhibited only mild symptoms and have been cleared from their quarantine,” said Philippine Genome Center executive director Dr. Cynthia Saloma.

Department of Health Central Visayas regional director Dr. Jaime Bernadas said they would heighten the case surveillance in the areas where the mutations were detected.

The N501Y mutation is also found in the UK coronavirus variant, which has been associated by experts with higher transmissibility.

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Workers’ wage subsidy lacks funds—DOLE

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has asked for more funds for wage subsidies this year for workers who lost their jobs or suffered a loss in income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an online press briefing, Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said the 2021 national budget does not provide for such a wage subsidy, which will run for about three months.

In the same press briefing, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said that 1.6 million Filipinos have yet to return to jobs that they held before the pandemic.

Tutay said they based the budget of the subsidy program on the average wage of workers in different sectors.

The amount, he said, would be between P7,000 and P11,000 a month for Next page

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This NASA photo shows the first images from NASA’s Perseverance rover as it landed on the surface of Mars on February 18, 2021. NASA said the Perseverance rover has touched down on the surface of Mars after successfully overcoming a risky landing phase known as the “seven minutes of terror.”“Touchdown confirmed,” said operations lead Swati Mohan at around 3:55 pm Eastern Time (2055 GMT) as mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory headquarters erupted in cheers. The autonomously-guided procedure was completed more than 11 minutes earlier, which is how long it takes for radio signals to return to Earth. AFP

Chief Justice says Marcos may file a motion for reconsideration

By Rey E. Requejo

CHIEF Justice Diosdado Peralta Jr. on Friday said former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. could file a motion for reconsideration of the decision of the Supreme Court, acting as Presi-

dential Electoral Tribunal, unanimously dismissing his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

Peralta stressed that Marcos might appeal the PET decision as part of his right and legal remedies.

The Marcos camp has not decided yet

AURING’S EFFECT.

The first tropical storm to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility “Auring” has yet to make a landfall, still hovering over the ocean in fact, but it has caused big waves and damaged property in coastal areas of Surigao del Sur. Contributed photo

on whether to file a motion for reconsideration because he has yet to receive a copy of the tribunal’s ruling.

According to Peralta, the copy of the decision has not been released to the public because the other SC justices have yet to submit their written opinions.

Vaccine czar makes a plea: Weak ‘Auring’ still a threat to Caraga Have patience

By Rio N. Araja

WEATHER disturbance “Auring” weakened into a tropical storm and began moving westward on Friday at 2 p.m.

It is forecast to make landfall over the eastern coast of Caraga region on Sunday morning, with possible re-intensification into a severe tropical storm likely prior to landfall.

Meanwhile, Regions V (Bicol) and IV-B (Mimaropa) in southern Luzon are facing risk for possible flooding and rain-induced landslides.

Rain from the northeast monsoon or “amihan” and the approaching severe tropical storm Auring (international name ‘Dujuan’) will raise such risk in these areas, noted Philippine Atmos-

ERC tells Meralco: Refund users P13.8b

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Friday it has ordered the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to refund P13.885 billion or an equivalent of P0.1528 per kilowatt-hour to customers over a period of 24 months or until the amount is fully refunded.

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The chief magistrate declined to discuss the reasons for the dismissal of Marcos’ election protest, citing confidentiality of court deliberations.

Marcos lawyer and spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said they wanted to know if

SIMUL-VAX. The slogan spelled out in big, bold letters says it all in the tee-shirt worn by a resident of Pateros who joins the simulation activity to determine how prepared the town is when the mass vaccination rolls out, with local and national officials led by Secretary Carlito Galvez, vaccine czar, in attendance. Joey Razon

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pheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Edgar dela Cruz.

“However, further intensification into a typhoon within the forecast period remains less likely as of this time,” PAGASA said.

“Auring” will likely weaken while crossing the archipelago due to significant terrain interaction and dry air intrusion from the northeast monsoon.

As of 4 p.m., the center of “Auring” was estimated at 405 kms east southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It was moving westward at 15 kms per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 105 km/h.

Pinay artist wins Uniqlo grand prize A GRANDDAUGHTER of acclaimed artist Mauro Malang Santos bagged the grand prize in the UTGP2020 Grand Prix global shirt design contest of Uniqlo.

“I want to thank Uniqlo for giving artists Next page

By Macon Ramos-Araneta VACCINE czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday called on the public to be patient amid some delays in the arrival of vaccines due to a limited global supply and other factors.

“Our negotiation with COVAX facility is still ongoing and we are hopeful that they

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Tailored suits out, pajamas in Instagram of illustrator SUITS and tailored shirts are out, sweatpants and pajamas are in: remote working is changing work clothes habits, and while vaccines may bring back

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Tyler Feder

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Another high-profile inmate dies improved protocols for handling deaths inside the country’s prisons.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had acknowledged that the existing protocols at the prison were “somehow inadequate.”

The move followed the reported death of nine high-profile inmates, including drug convict Jaybee Sebastian, allegedly due to COVID-19.

Sebastian, who was one of the witnesses in one of the illegal drug trade cases filed against opposition Senator Leila de Lima, died on July 17, 2020 and was immediately cremated.

BuCor initially refused to confirm the death of Sebastian and the eight other high-profile inmates, prompt-

ing speculation that they were actually freed or summarily executed.

Reports showed that Sebastian, along with eight other high-profile inmates namely Benjamin Marcelo, Zhang Zhu Li, Jimmy Kinsing Hung, Francis Go, Jimmy Yang, Eugene Chua, Ryan Ong, and Amin Imam Buratong, were reportedly succumbed to COVID-19 last year.

Their remains were immediately cremated at Panteon de Dasmariñas Public Cemetery in Cavite.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the committee on justice and human rights and the Blue Ribbon committee, had said the deaths of high-profile convicted drug lords detained at the NBP could have been faked.

lera Administrative Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who has long pushed for an easing of quarantine restrictions, said the shift to MGCQ could not wait until COVID-19 vaccinations start as people would go hungry.

On the other hand, a former health adviser to the government, Dr. Anthony Leachon, said Metro Manila was not ready for a shift to MGCQ in March.

He cited the narrow margin 9-8 in the votes cast by Metro Manila mayors favoring the MGCQ. “We can’t afford to have surges to overwhelm our health care system,” said Leachon, former adviser of the National Task Force on Covid-19.

“Economic depression is the most compelling reason for this decision driven by NEDA and DTI, but I feel we need to protect our people first and impose MGCQ at the proper time,” Leachon said.

He said the shift to an MGCQ could be done when the vaccination program starts in three to six months.

He added that selective easing of restrictions could be done in cities or towns with fewer COVID-19 cases.

New COVID-19 cases are hovering at 1,800 to 2,000 cases a day, Leachon said, and the reproduction number of cases in the Philippines was greater than 1.0, which meant there is a propensity for transmission.

He also cited threats of new variants such as B117 and the South African variant.

the country by March.

The UN agency emphasized that prolonged school closures have long-term devastating effects: learning loss and inequalities, increased number of dropouts, a surge in cases of violence and abuse, and mental distress due to the lack of interactions.

Gatchalian also took note of the University of Warwick in England’s assessment that schools do not appear to play a big role in spreading coronavirus.

He said researchers found out that the absences incurred by teachers and pupils matched infection rates in the wider community, with no evidence that schools were a major driver of cases.

“If we scrutinize experiences and studies in other countries, we can see the possibility of safe opening of classes while implementing health protocols like physical distancing, wearing of face masks and regular hand washing,” said Gatchalian.

Meanwhile, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said the early approval of the COVID-19 vaccination program bill would go a long way to ensure the unhampered distribution of vaccines to Filipinos across the country.

Angara, the sponsor of Senate Bill 2057 as chairman of the Committee on Finance, said the bill covers various aspects of the implementation of the government’s vaccination program—from the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines

to the inoculation of the population.

“Contrary to the perception of some people, this measure is more than just establishing an indemnification fund, but it is also for the peace of mind of our local chief executives who, in their decision to procure vaccines, are all after the well-being of their constituents during these difficult times,” Angara said.

“The bill will provide legal cover to the LGUs, many of which have intimated to us their concern about possible adverse findings by the Commission on Audit and even graft cases that may be filed against their officials,” Angara added.

Exemptions will be granted to the LGUs from the legal requirements and prohibitions under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, the Local Government Code (LGC), and other related laws during the state of calamity due to the pandemic.

One such prohibition under the LGC is the making of advance payments for goods not yet delivered.

Based on a survey conducted by the League of Provinces of the Philippines, 70 LGUs are prepared to spend over P13 billion to purchase and administer vaccines-- P4.39 billion from the 32 provinces and P8.72 billion from 38 cities and municipalities.

three months.

She said the department’s request to the Department of Budget and Management would cover from 25 percent to 75 percent of workers’ monthly wages.

This would translate to a budget of P62 billion to P188 billion, she added.

Meanwhile, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Friday reiterated the House of Representatives’ support for the national government’s efforts to fight COVID-19 as it is prepared to tackle the Bayanihan 3 or the proposed P420-billion stimulus package proposal to help

the economy recover from COVID-19.

Velasco said this support has been manifested a number of times with the passage of the 2021 national budget, which includes a P72.5 billion allocation for vaccine procurement, as well as the Bayanihan 1 and 2.

“We are even prepared to pass the Bayanihan 3, which proposes a P420 billion fund for the implementation of much-needed COVID-19 response and recovery interventions, including a P25 billion budget for COVID-19 treatment and vaccines,” Velasco said.

He added that they are also working on a bill to provide an indemnification fund that some vaccine manufacturers require.

Bayanihan 3 allocates P108 billion

for additional social amelioration to affected households; P100 billion for capacity-building for affected sectors; P52 billion for wage subsidies; P70 billion for capacity-building for agricultural producers; P30 billion for internet allowances to teachers and students; P30 billion for assistance to displaced workers; P25 billion for COVID-19 treatment and vaccines; and P5 billion for the rehabilitation of areas affected by recent floods and typhoons.

Under the measure, each household member will receive P1,000 regardless of their economic status. On top of this, a P1,000 allowance will be provided to each student and teacher, and P8,000 for every displaced worker.

a nice short for Zoom calls,” quipped stylist Sascha Lilic.

Many workers who have already returned to offices notice a new relaxed vibe.

“I saw someone wearing just their socks when they walked through to get something from another department,” recalled Deanna Narveson, a journalist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“I think I’ve been dressing slightly more casual myself,” added Narveson, who nevertheless makes sure she puts on “real clothes” when working from home.

According to employees at several companies, the casualness has happened by itself without management or HR teams intervening.

“Shorts and T-Shirts at the Pentagon

was pretty new,” said Matt Triner, boss of IT consulting firm Hunter Strategy, which the US government has contracted to do several projects.

The relaxation of dress codes in the professional world was already under way long before the pandemic, with the tech sector and start-up generation leading the way. AFP

the PET dismissed the election protest in its entirety or only a portion of it.

Rodriguez insisted that their third cause of action—the annulment of 2016 election results for vice president in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Maguindanao— might proceed independently from the manual recount and judicial revision.

But Peralta pointed out that “all issues were tackled” in the PET’s decision.

The SC Public Information Office also issued a statement stating that the justices dismissed the “entire electoral protest” for lack of merit.

However, Peralta declined to comment on the possible impact on the protest should Marcos push through with his plan to run for public office in the 2022 national elections.

rainfall that will increase the possibility for flooding and landslides,” dela Cruz said.

He said Bicol and Mimaropa have been receiving light rains but will likely be wetter when “Auring” affects these areas amidst the amihan.

PAGASA weather forecaster Chris Perez is also not discounting the possibility of amihan and “Auring” affecting southern Luzon this weekend.

The combined effects of both weather systems can bring moderate with at times heavy rainfall, he said.

“Auring” was spotted 535 km eastsoutheast of Surigao del Sur province’s

Hinatuan municipality as of 10 a.m.

Friday and packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near its center aside from gustiness of up to 115 kph, PAGASA said then in its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin.

PAGASA said the storm might generally move northwestwards while traversing Region XIII (Caraga), the Visayas and Mimaropa this Sunday (Feb. 21) and Monday (Feb. 22).

Light to moderate with at times heavy rain is possible this weekend over Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Masbate provinces in Bicol as well as parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, PAGASA said.

By Joel E. Zurbano

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ONVICTED car thief Raymond Dominguez died inside his cell at the New Bilibid Prison Friday morning.

Bureau of Corrections officials said it appeared that Dominguez died of natural causes around 6:20 a.m.

“But we will wait for the medicolegal report,” said BuCor spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag said.

Dominguez was one of the high profile NBP inmates found positive for coronavirus disease last year but he had recovered. He was tested twice positive for COVID-19.

Chaclag said Dominguez was imprisoned in April 2012 serving his jail term of 17-36 years for a car theft case in 2010.

Dominguez was also indicted in 2011 for the killing of Venson Evagelista, the son of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) president Arsenio Evangelista.

In July 2020, the Department of Justice and the BuCor vowed to implement

Patients...

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MGCQ...

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But Saloma sait it is still too early to say whether the mutations confirm the presence of a possible Philippine variant of COVID-19.

“Whether we have an emerging Philippine variant or not, that remains to be seen,” she said.

“That’s always a possibility in different countries around the world that is why we’re conducting genomic biosurveillance,” she added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the experts have yet to confirm whether the mutations detected in Central Visayas would have significant public health implications.

“We do not have enough data yet for our experts to determine the implications of the mutations,” Duque said.

DOH Central Visayas spokesperson and chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche earlier said the mutations were found in 37 of the 50 samples from patients in Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu province that underwent genome sequencing.

Majority of the samples – 29 out of 50 – had “co-occurence” of the two mutations, she said.

The country earlier recorded 44 cases of COVID-19 with the more transmissible UK variant.

Earlier this month, a British minister in charge of vaccine deployment said there are now around 4,000 variants of the novel coronavirus around the world and vaccine makers must improve their shots to combat the new strains.

“All manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca and others, are looking at how they can improve their vaccine to make sure that we are ready for any variant – there are about 4,000 variants around the world of COVID now,” British Minister Nadhim Zahawi said.

“It’s very unlikely that the current vaccine won’t be effective on the variants especially when it comes to severe illness and hospitalization,” he added.

the imposition of MGCQ in the country, perhaps the President might also agree,” Roque said.

Roque made the announcement following the news that Metro Manila mayors would recommend the transition to an MGCQ by March.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDE) earlier proposed to place the country under MGCQ by March to improve the economy, which suffered heavily in the past several months due to lockdown.

Apart from Metro Manila, other areas under GCQ in February are Cordil-

Pinay...

From A1 an opportunity to share their works on a global scale. I am so happy and honored that they chose me and my design,” said Isabel Santos, whose artwork entitled “A Fortune in Jewels Kept in Your Safe” won first place in the 15th UTGP. The competition, which had the theme “Draw Your World,” was held in partnership with the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

French artist Amandine Leforestier secured second place with her work, “Feline Flowers” while German artist Melissa Holstein took the third spot with “Contact-Wire.”

Tailored...

From A1 some formality, old-school office attire should emerge from the pandemic far less starched and strict.

“For the last year, everybody has just been dressed from the waist up, wearing

Touchdown:...

From A1 took for radio signals to return to Earth.

Shortly after landing, the rover sent back its first black-and-white images, revealing a rocky field at the landing site in the Jezero Crater, just north of the Red Planet’s equator.

More images, video of the descent and perhaps the first sounds of Mars ever recorded by microphones are expected in the coming hours as the rover relays data to overhead satellites.

US President Joe Biden hailed the “historic” event.

Dacera’s phone to undergo NBI forensic test

Vaccine...

From A1 will fulfill their commitment to bring us the 44 million doses here in the first and second quarter,” he said in Filipino.

Earlier, the delivery of the first batch of vaccines from COVAX was delayed because the Philippines has no indemnification law to compensate those who might suffer serious side effects after being given the vaccine.

But on Friday, Galvez cited instead the tight global supply, saying the Philippines wasn’t the only one having a hard time buying vaccines.

He said out of some 130 countries, 32 have yet to receive any COVID-19 vaccines.

Originally, some 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines were scheduled to arrive this month and meant to be used for the inoculation of health care workers.

While waiting for the vaccines to arrive, the government should prepare for the opening of classes in areas with a low number of COVID-19 cases, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday.

In this way, Gatchalian said the students and employees can prepare themselves after staying at home for almost a year.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has recommended pilot face-to-face classes in low-risk areas in

Workers’...

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“Today proved once again that with the power of science and American ingenuity, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility,” he tweeted.

Key to the successful landing was 33-year-old Filipino-American Gregorio Villar III, who was the NASA Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) Systems Engineer of the Mars 2020 Mission. ““There are other Filipinos who worked on Perseverance as well. Not just me,” Villar said in interview on ABS-CBN Teleradyo on Friday.

Villar said he became fascinated with math and science when he was a high school student in Baguio. AFP

Weak...

From A1 Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was raised over Southern Leyte, the southeastern portion of Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao City, Camiguin, the eastern portion of Misamis Oriental and the eastern portion of Bukidnon.

“If amihan combines with ‘Auring,’ there’ll be a higher chance for more

By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday said the National Bureau of Investigation would conduct a digital forensic examination on the cellular phone of flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera who died in January 1, 2021 after checking into a Makati City with friends on Dec. 31, 2020 to celebrate the New Year’s eve together.

Guevarra stressed the results on the NBI examination would then be submitted to the investigating prosecutor next week.

He believes that the results of the NBI’s digital forensic examination of Dacera’s cellular phone might be of great help in the resolution of the case, although Makati City prosecutors’ office had concluded its preliminary investigation.

“The NBI expects to finish this (examination of the cellular phone) by early next week so that its report could be submitted to and considered by the investigating prosecutor in the resolution of the case,” the Justice Secretary said in a text message to reporters.

The Office of the City Prosecutor conducted preliminary investigation on rape with homicide complaint filed by the Philippine National Police against 11 persons, in connection with Dacera’s death.

Dacera was found unconscious last January 1 in the bath tub of her room at the City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati City where she celebrated the new year with her friends. She was rushed to the Makati Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival.

Last January 8, Guevarra directed the NBI to conduct its own investigation and “if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate charges against all persons involved and found responsible for any unlawful act in connection therewith.”

ERC...

From A1 It was Meralco that sought the approval to implement the refund as the actual rate Meralco was able to collect was higher than the computed average rate ERC determined in the approval of the interim rate. The refund rate of P0.1528 per kWh will be reflected as a separate line item in the bills of customers during the refund period.

“The commission approved Meralco’s prayer for the issuance of a provisional authority in order to allow their customers to immediately enjoy the benefits of the proposed refund and provide immediate rate relief especially during this time of pandemic,” said ERC chairperson and chief executive Agnes Devanadera.

It said that except for authorizing the refund, all other allegations, assumptions, and computations made in the application were subject to the agency’s extensive evaluation and pertinent rules.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US turns over Hercules to PH Air Force

VAX BOOKLET. (From left) Pateros Municipal Mayor Miguel Ponce III, National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer, and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Centers for Health Development assistant director Maria Paz Corrales and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr., show the COVID-19 Vaccination Monitoring Booklet of Pateros, during a visit at the AMC Gym in San Roque, Pateros on Friday.

Officials seize Taiwan-bound snakesp ackage

By Joel E. Zurbano

Peralta: All 5 justices qualified to replace me

CUSTOMS agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have intercepted a shipment of snakes and other wildlife species bound for Taiwan.

Port of NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan said the shipment of two cobras, eight pit vipers and 15 sailfin lizards concealed in bamboo chimes and lanterns was discovered at the DHL Warehouse last Thursday.

The exporter identified as Adrian Lim, a resident of Pasig City, declared the package as “souvenir items”, which was consigned to a certain “Ryan Su” of Taiwan.

Talusan’s men intercepted the shipment with the help of personnel from the agency’s Environmental Protection and Compliance Division, X-Ray Inspection Project, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and DHL in close coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The seized cobras, pit vipers, and sailfin lizards were immediately turned over to the DENR main office in Quezon City for proper handling and disposition.

The authorities are now conducting further investigation and case build up against the shipper and co-conspirators for illegal wildlife trade.

“Port of NAIA remains vigilant not only in the interception of illegal drugs but also in illegal wildlife trade,” said Talusan.

Late last year, the Port of NAIA won a legal case against a trader responsible for the smuggling of 757 pieces of spiders at the airport.

In a decision dated Nov. 20, Judge Allan Ariola of the Pasay Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 48 found Jesse Camaro guilty of violating the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act or Republic Act 9147 and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

By Rey E. Requejo

TIEZA says 35 projects to be done this year

PDEA warns the public against fake narcotics agents

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority is upbeat about completing 35 construction, rehabilitation and development projects this year, Chief Operating Officer Mark T. Lapid said.

Lapid said these projects would be of great help to improve the country’s tourism infrastructure. He assured TIEZA would work hard to achieve its goal of completing them this year.

Among the projects eyed for completion in 2021 are Phase 2 of the Boracay Water Drainage, which has a total bid cost of over P778.8 million. The project is 57.95 percent complete as of December 2020.

TIEZA is also working to complete the construction of the Sewerage and Waste Water Facility and Boardwalk in Oriental Mindoro.

Also included in the list of projects to be completed this year are the rehabilitation of Club Intramuros in Manila, which is so far 17.34 percent complete, as well as Phase 1 of the Assets Rehabilitation Plan along Victoria St. in Intramuros. The project’s scope includes architectural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical works.

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HIEF Justice Diosdado Peralta said Friday the five most senior justices of the Supreme Court were qualified to succeed him when he retires next month.

“I’ve worked with them for so many years and I believe that all of them are qualified; otherwise they should not have been there for a long, long time. They have already gained the experience needed to lead the judiciary,” Peralta told reporters in a chance interview.

He was referring to Associate Justices Estela Perlas Bernabe, Marvic Leonen, Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Alexander Gesmundo and Ramon Paul Hernando.

Peralta also said the Judicial and Bar Council, a constitutional body tasked to vet nominees and applicants to various

courts in the judiciary, had discussed on Thursday the proposal of the high court to exempt the five most senior justices from mandatory public interview and submission of clearances, medical examination results and documentary requirements.

However, the chief justice refused to disclose other details of the meeting.

“That will be announced later,” he said.

Peralta on Friday revealed his plans to return to teaching when he retires, saying it “holds a special place in my heart.”

Peralta, who earlier told his colleagues in the Supreme Court of his intention to retire one year ahead of his mandatory retirement age of 70 on March 27, 2022, said he will retire without regrets knowing fully well that he did all he could for the law, the judiciary and for the country.

Peralta decided to retire on March 27 at age of 69, or one year ahead of the mandatory retirement age for judges and justices.

“I think I did my best and I hope that whoever will replace me will continue with the programs that I have started and will introduce other innovations so that there will be better access to the courts,” he said.

The seven-member JBC earlier extended until February 26 the submission of applications for the post of chief justice, the most coveted position in the judiciary.

SIMULATION EXERCISE.

The Wallace Air Station Medical Infirmary spearheaded the COVID-19 Vaccination Simulation Exercise at the Wallace Air Station in San Fernando, La Union, in preparation for the arrival of the vaccines this year.

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday warned the public against fake anti-narcotic agents.

Director general Wilkins Villanueva reacted to the recent killing of two suspects allegedly involved in kidnap-for-ransom activities in a shootout with the police in Botolan, Zambales.

“The slain suspects reportedly belonged to the same group of men and

women who wore PDEA uniforms rushing to arrest a man in Ususan, Taguig, on Feb. 4, 2018. The incident was caught in closed circuit television footage,” he said.

Such incident was not the first time certain persons usurped the identity of PDEA to perpetrate illegal activities, he noted.

The unauthorized wearing of PDEA uniforms or insignia is punishable

under the Revised Penal Code, Villanueva says.

He says PDEA follows the standard operating procedures in conducting legitimate anti-drug operations.

“Our operations are always coordinated with the local police and the conduct of search operations are always armed with search warrants issued by court,” he said.

Rio N. Araja

THE United States has turned over the first of two C-130H Hercules aircraft to the Department of National Defense led

by Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, which is intended to strengthen the logistical capacity of the Philippine military, particularly the Philippine Air Force.

During the turnover ceremony on Thursday, Chargé d’Affaires John Law, alongside representatives from the US Embassy in the Philippines’ Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group, handed over the C-130H aircraft to Lorenzana and the PAF leadership.

The transfer of the aircraft worth P1.54 billion ($32.2 million) to the PAF was made possible through the Foreign Military Financing grant program aimed at strengthening the Philippine military’s logistical capacity for military and civil support operations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and the distribution of COVID-19 supplies.

The C-130H Hercules is capable of a maximum payload of 19,000 kilograms, with a flying range of more than 1,900 kilometers.

The 220 Airlift Wing at the Philippine Air Force Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base in Cebu will own and operate the aircraft.

“The C-130 is a proven aircraft and has demonstrated its reach and capability to deliver COVID-19 supplies across the country over the past year. We hope this additional aircraft will continue to be a steady workhorse for the Philippine Air Force for years to come,” Law said in his speech.

The US, as a longstanding ally of the Philippines, continues to provide support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines through grants and expedited sales of arms and munitions to assist with urgent logistical and HADR requirements, bolster long-term AFP modernization goals and buttress maritime security and counterterrorism efforts. Rey E. Requejo

Groups encourage people: Call for revolutionary govt

By Rio N. Araja VARIOUS groups belonging to the People’s National Coalition for Revolutionary Government on Friday called for a people power protest by going to the streets for a revolutionary government.

At a news conference in Quezon City, Abner Malabanan, PNC secretary general and Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee spokesperson, urged the Filipino people to invoke their sovereign will to push President Rodrigo Duterte to “establish a revolutionary government pending the ratification of the amendment of the Constitution.”

“We are the employees (not Congress) because we are the taxpayers.

The power must emanate from us,” he told the Manila Standard.

The groups are set to stage a twoday Araw ng Pagbabago on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22 simultaneously across the country.

Those from Metro Manila would converge in Mendiola, Manila, for two days.

Malabanan called on the people to go outside the streets and to show the President the force of the people through people power while the President has one-year-and-a-half left in office.

Dutchman ordered to leave by Immigration

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration has ordered the deportation of a Dutchman for engaging in political activity in the country as the bureau reiterated its warning to foreigners against joining political rallies.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente reiterated the prohibition following the issuance of an order to Dutchman Otto Rudolf De Vries to leave.

According to Morente, the Bureau received reliable information from government intelligence sources that De Vries was engaged and was actively participating in several protest rallies in the country.

Meanwhile, Immigration agents arrested an American long wanted for a string of felony cases in the United States.

Morente identified the fugitive as John

Dalton Daclan, who was arrested in Moncada, Tarlac.

Morente said he ordered Daclan’s arrest at the request of US authorities who informed him about the latter’s criminal records in the US, particularly in California where he had been charged for various offenses.

Records reveal that De Vries was on a permanent resident visa under Section 13 of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

“There are no exemptions,” said Morente.

“Foreign nationals, regardless of their visa type, may not engage in partisan political activities.”

The bureau confirmed that an order cancelling De Vries’ permanent visa, as well as requiring him to leave the country had been signed in November 2020.

NEUTRALIZATION. Troops neutralize an explosive found in Shariff Aguak,

Maguindanao, after a citizen informed the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion that a suspected IED was in place in Barangay Satan by unidentified men.

News

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

QUEENS IN A ROW. The three reigning queens of #Miss Philippines Earth, Roxie Baeyens (Miss Philippines Earth), Shane Quintana Tormes (Miss Philippines Fire), and Gianna Llanes (Miss Philippines Water) attend the launching of ‘Project OK’ in Atimonan, Quezon. Project OK is a campaign promoting an eco-friendly environment by practicing the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) to lessen the consumption of plastics.

UN leadership lauds BARMM achievements

By Nash B. Maulana UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General António Guterres has acknowledged what he said was significant achievements made by the leadership of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao during the last two years.

Gustavo González, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, delivered the UN Secretary-General’s message during his visit to the BTA on Wednesday February 17, 2021, saying “the UN remains committed to the success of the Bangsamoro Transition.”

“This is the moment where the close working relationship between BARMM and the UN is fundamental. Today, with all the challenges that we have had and with the support of the UN, I believe that we can be part of this transformation of the history of the Philippines,” González quoted UN Secretary-General Guterres, as saying.

The visit to BARMM by González’s delegation to deliver the UN Secretary-General’s Message coincided with the 52nd of the BTA Parliament’s Regular Session.

González said the UN is a “global community of knowledge” and that this assembly of nation-states “has participated in hundreds of ‘peace processes.”

“This experience, this knowledge is at your disposal. So I strongly encourage you to seize this opportunity and make the most of what the UN can offer,” Gonzalez told the Parliament.

IKEA Philippines to open branch in Pasay City

By Joel E. Zurbano HOME furniture manufacturer and seller IKEA Philippines is set to open a new branch in Pasay City to provide job opportunities to city residents hardly affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Mayor Imelda Rubiano made the announcement Friday after IKEA officials paid her a courtesy call and discussed various ways on how the business firm and the local government could work together and create more opportunities for the city and its people.

“We are happy to announce that IKEA will hire at least 500 residents to become their employees for their new branch here in Pasay,” she said.

The city government stated that the new IKEA Pasay will be the biggest branch anywhere else that the world’s top home furnishing retailer has ever opened.

Mayor Rubiano said she was grateful to IKEA for choosing Pasay as one of its bases of operations, even as she expressed hope that it could be the start of the city’s full recovery and return to normalcy.

DAR validates Yulo estate for distribution

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Department of Agrarian Reform is now conducting land validation in Milagros town, Masbate with the aim to distribute the remaining 303 hectares of the Yulo Estate to landless farmers.

“The results from this validation will tell us if the DAR can put the entire area under the agrarian reform program. Only then can we proceed to process the land for distribution to agrarian reform beneficiaries,” Bicol regional director Rodrigo Realubit said.

The validation came about after a meeting of Realubit with Philippine National

Police Brig. Gen. Bart Bustamante. Realubit to discuss the expansion of the land distribution program in Masbate province, particularly the remaining 303 hectares of the Yulo Estate in Milagros.

He said the land could be distributed to farmer-beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

The PNP pledged to assist DAR in the

validation process up to the possible distribution of the remaining “CARPable” areas covered by the estate to the landless farmers.

“We are grateful for the PNP’s help.

We really need them to assist us in keeping the peace when we talk to the farmers and landowners,” the DAR official said.

The 1,372-hectare Yulo Estate is divided into two parcels of agricultural lands in Barangay Matagbac with 1,019 hectares and in Barangay Sawmill with 261 hectares.

Based on DAR’s records, 1,069 hectares have already been distributed to CARP beneficiaries in 1998 and 2002.

MOTORCYCLE PROTEST.

Lalamove motorcycle riders from Manila, Cavite and Laguna hold a protest ride from Quirino Grandstand to the Senate on Friday to call on legislators to act on their concerns, specifically the company’s 20 percent commission rate despite the lowbase fare promos and monthly bag rental fee.

Norman Cruz

Isabela solon wants STL operation in her place stopped

By Maricel V. Cruz A LEGISLATOR on Friday demanded the immediate suspension of the small town lottery (STL) in Isabela.

Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy V explained that no less than a former Supreme Court justice identified the legal infirmities in authorizing private corporations to con-

duct small town lottery operation in the provinces, and with employees of these authorized agent corporations contributing to the surge of COVID-19 cases in Isabela.

He pointed out that “suspending STL operations in Isabela is the prudent thing to do given all the points that were raised in the hearing held last Wednesday by the

House committees of Games and Amusement and Good Government and Public Accountability.”

“STL operations constitute a public health threat, and the numbers illustrate this point; of the 601 individuals in Cauayan that have contracted COVID-19, 188 or 31 percent are employed by STL ops,” revealed Dy.

Police seize P1.2m shabu in buy-bust

By Joel E. Zurbano POLICE arrested five individuals and seized more than P1.2 million worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation Thursday afternoon in Makati City.

Arrested were Larry Cavero, 57; Christopher Benigay, 41; Joseph Romuel Peña, 35; Dante Dela Dingco, 63, and Mark Vispo, 39, all residents of Barangay Cembo, Makati City.

Metro Manila police director Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said operatives of the Makati City Police Station conducted the entrapment along Caimito Street in Barangay Cembo around 3:30 p.m.

Danao said one of the policemen acted as a poseur buyer who negotiated with the suspects and bought shabu worth P500.00.

“Upon consummation of the (illegal drug) transaction, the poseur buyer gave the pre-arranged signal and from then and there, the team immediately arrested the suspects,” said Danao.

Recovered evidence from the suspect were 11 plastic sachets containing 186 grams of shabu, a mobile phone, a pouch bag, a scissor, drug paraphernalia and the P500 bill used in the entrapment.

The authorities are now preparing for the filing of criminal charges against the suspects who are now detained at the Makati City police detention facility.

Danao said the suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and Direct Assault on a Person of Authority.

He commended the Makati City police in conducting the successful operations, which he said, for the benefit of Metro Manila residents.

“We will continue to conduct operations in Metro Manila to curb illegal drugs in our area. We will not stop acting on the complaint of our countrymen,” said Danao as he encouraged the community to report criminal activity to police stations.

Pineda hits Sanggunian councilors

By Orlan L. Mauricio MALOLOS CITY—February, the socalled month of love and hearts, was indeed red and fiery in this capital city of Bulacan.

On its 80th regular session on January 18, a group composed of councilors Francisco Castro, Enrico Capule, Mikki Soto, Kirk Nicolas, Edgardo Domingo, Niño Bautista and ABC pres. Dionisio Mendoza asserted its majority status, convened and went into session without the presiding officer, Vice Mayor Len Pineda.

Bautista, a lawyer, assumed the chair as presiding officer.

In just 12 minutes, the group, calling itself “7up in Action” and closely identified with City Mayor Gilbert Gatchalian, passed the city’s Annual Budget (City Ordinance 02-2021); a new Internal Rules of Procedure (City Ordinance 07-2021); and the city’s Annual Investment Program (08-2021).

Normally, the deliberation for the annual budget takes several weeks, sometimes months, before it is approved.

Vice Mayor Pineda told Manila Standard: “Noong mga oras na iyon, nasa opisina lang ako. Wala naman akong advice kay Sanggunian Secretary Cristy Gutierrez na hindi ako makakadalo. Nang may nagtext sa akin na nagse-sesyon na ang grupo, dali-dali akong pumanhik at pumasok sa session hall pero minadali pa rin ni Konsehal Bautista ang kanilang maniobra sa pagpasa ng tatlong ordinansa.”

“Simple courtesy could have goaded Gutierrez to alert and call my office to say that there is already a quorum. But she did not do that,” he said.

DA-BFAR to help backyard hog raisers in QC THE Department of AgricultureBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has offered an alternative livelihood to backyard hog raisers in Quezon City affected by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

“This is to address the displacement of livelihood and prevent the spread of ASF considering that it apparently first broke out in these communities,” DA Undersecretary for Agri-Industrialization and for Fisheries Cheryl Natividad-Caballero told the Philippine News Agency on Friday.

The urban aquaculture project for ASF-affected hog growers would provide alternative livelihood and additional income at the same time help ensure continuous local food supply in highly urbanized cities like Quezon City during this pandemic, she added.

The group, along with the Quezon City government on Friday introduced urban

aquaculture as alternate livelihood to 60 identified ASF-affected hog raisers in Barangays Bagong Silangan and Payatas whose deserted pigpens have been converted into fish tanks suitable for fish culture.

The project aims to give out some 10,000 pieces of hito and 9,000 pieces of tilapia fingerlings to 60 identified ASFaffected hog raisers in the mentioned areas.

DA-BFAR said the fish tanks will be stocked with fingerlings and will be equipped with a recirculating aquaculture system to filter out waste and provide more dissolved oxygen in the water in order to maintain the water’s good quality essential to the health and growth of the fish.

The urban aquaculture project is part of the key strategies under the “OneDA” approach initiated by DA Secretary William Dar.

DISADVANTAGEOUS BIDDING. The Power for People coalition appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the ongoing bidding between Meralco and power plants whose terms of reference are “clearly at a disadvantage.” Norman Cruz

Opinion Wanted: more women in politics vote than men in our past elections. For instance, for the 2016 elections, there were 28,052,138 (51.6 percent) women registered voters and 26,311,706 (48.4 percent) males.

Women voters’ turn-out has been higher by about 4 percent than males in the 2010, 2013, and 2016 elections. Female voters who voted averaged 50.63 percent of total number of voters. In 2016, 82.68 percent of women registered voters trooped to the polls to cast their votes.

The sad thing is these numbers do not translate to more women running for office, and eventually, elected. According to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), from 1998 to 2016, there were only 16.1 percent to 21.44 percent women candidates.

For the 2019 national and local elections only 20.16% of candidates were female.

Moreover, the Gender & Elections, an official COMELEC publication indicated that from 1998 to 2016, only an average of 18.18 percent of FEMALE CANDIDATES win in elections.

Only a fraction of the total number candidates are women, and only a fraction of these women candidates actually win in elections. Indeed, Philippine politics remain to be heavily dominated by men. This is also an important reason why passing pro-women legislations is way more difficult than others, and why women’s needs and rights are significantly sidelined.

To correct the situation and fulfill the provisions of the BPA, the Constitution, and the MCW, there is an urgent need for Congress to pass a law that will increase women’s participation in politics and in political parties.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Women and Gender Equality (HOR-CWGE) has recently passed at Committee level a bill that aims to promote women’s political participation and equitable representation in political parties. This bill provides incentives to political parties which have women’s development agenda and internal policies to achieve women’s substantial participation and equitable representation.

This important bill carries provisions that mandate a 40-percent gender quota in political parties’ decision-making structures, as well as in the number of candidates that political parties will field during elections. This means that both men and women are protected in terms of representation as neither can occupy less than 40 percent of positions in the parties and as candidates during elections.

Political parties are also mandated to have a Women and Gender Development Agenda. This is important because we need the political parties and especially its women members to understand women’s rights and gender issues. The Agenda will form part of the political parties’ programs.

Another important provision of the bill is the creation of the “Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund.” This fund will provide incentives and support accredited political parties in implementing their Agenda and funding the campaign of their women candidates.

The bill still has a long way to go as it still needs to navigate the senate and the plenary deliberations in the HOR. Still, the passage of this bill is in fulfillment of the country’s international obligations and the mandates of the Constitution and MCW. As the BPA says, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved without a substantial number of women occupying seats around the table where decisions are made.

ACCORDING to the United Nations (UN), for women to make a difference in society, there is a need for a critical mass of at least 30 percent of women working for such change.

The Beijing Platform of Action (BPA) from the United Nations Conference on Women is unequivocal in its provision on the critical importance of equitable and substantive participation of women in among others, politics. The BPA says, “Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.” The Philippines is a signatory to the BPA. In the country, Section 14, Article II (State Policies) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and ensures the fundamental equality before the law of men and women. Additionally, Section 14, Article XIII (Social Justice and Human Rights) makes it an obligation of the State to provide facilities and opportunities for women that will enhance and enable them to realize their full potential in the service of the nation.

The country still has a way to go as far as women’s political participation goes.

Republic Act No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW), the country’s law that serves as the framework on women’s human rights also has pertinent provisions. Section 11 states that, “The State shall undertake temporary special measures to accelerate the participation and equitable representation of women in all spheres of society particularly in the decision-making and policy-making processes in government and private entities to fully realize their role as agents and beneficiaries of development.” Lastly, Section 11 (e) provides incentives to political parties with women’s agenda. It also encourages the integration of women in the leadership hierarchy, internal policy-making structures, appointive and electoral nominating processes of political parties.

Some will say that the country has already achieved these since we already had two women occupying the Presidency. We have a woman vice-president, and VP Leni Robredo is not the first. Having women candidates during elections is no longer unheard of.

However, we need to understand that both women presidents came into power under exceptional circumstances. Former Pres. Corazon Aquino was elected because of the death of her husband Ninoy Aquino, and the EDSA people power revolt. ExPres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s first term was because of the impeachment of then president Erap Estrada as she was then his vice president.

More importantly, if we look at the data, we will realize that the country still has a way to go as far as women’s political participation goes.

Data from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) show that more women register to vote and more women actually

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Making peace with nature is possible, if we start now

By Inger Andersen Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme EVEN amid a pandemic, 2021 can go down as the year we made peace with nature and set the planet to healing.

As COVID-19 upends our lives, a more persistent crisis demands urgent action on a global scale. Three environmental crises— climate change, nature loss, and the collapse of nature, and the pollution of air, soil and water add up to a planetary emergency that will cause far more pain than COVID-19 in the long-term.

For years, scientists have detailed how humanity is degrading Earth and its natural systems. Yet the actions we are taking— from governments and financial institutions to businesses and individuals—fall far short of what is needed to protect current and future generations from a hothouse Earth, beset by mass species extinctions and poison-

ous air and water.

In 2020, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced that, despite a dip in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the pandemic, the world is still headed for global warming of more than 3°C this century.

This month, the Dasgupta review reminded us what UNEP has long warned: the per capita stock of natural capital—the resources and services nature provides to humanity—has fallen 40 per cent in just over two decades. And we know that a staggering 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air.

Finding answers to such daunting problems is complex. It takes time. But experts have developed solutions. The economic rationale is clear. And the mechanisms and institutions to implement them are already in place. There are no more excuses.

This year, the UN will bring governments and other players together for crunch talks on climate action, biodiversity and land degradation. COVID-19 has

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

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The longer wait

ILIPINOS have to wait a little longer for relief from fears of contracting the novel coronavirus and for the achievement of so-called herd immunity. We are told the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines will be delayed.

We have stretched our patience for most of the past 11 months—do we have a choice to be a little less forgiving?

Let us just remember those who bungled their jobs. countries of the world have done so.

Nations both richer than and poorer than we are have rolled out their vaccination programs. Results in terms of less grim COVID numbers are expected in the next few weeks, if they have not started showing already.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. has outlined the government’s targets: Secure at least 148 million vaccine doses and inoculate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos within 2021.

The operative word is “targets.”

We can only look on with envy at other countries that have begun inoculating their citizens. It cannot be said that only the most prosperous

How exactly we can get from where we are now to this ideal state remains hazy.

Given this rather distressing layout, all we can do is to continue what we have been doing for the past 11 months: practice the basic health protocols to slow the spread and thus protect ourselves and the others against COVID-19.

We have gotten used, anyway, to wearing face masks and face shields, to keeping a safe distance from the next person, to avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated places, and to washing our hands often.

And with 2021 shifting the gear to the country’s favorite pastime— the national elections in May next year— let us have a good memory for the politicians and posers who have bungled their critical jobs.

What the US bases really mean under the the VFA BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN THE US was stunned when President Duterte suddenly demanded the restoration of the visa of Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa if it wants to continue the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). It was stunning and awfully childish, much that the US would easily accede to that outlandish demand, not to say of it as a cheap quid pro quo for our sovereignty.

The US knows that its stay in the Philippines is far beyond the bases; that continued access in the now-contested waters of the South China Sea is far more important than in keeping them. US claim of the Philippines as a former colony is a fact of history. What it is now fighting tooth and nail is to make its presence in the SCS incontestable, using the strategic location of the Philippine archipelago to anchor some kind of dominion over its vast mineral resources.

Qualitatively, the issue has evolved beyond seeking to maintain US presence in the SCS but in asserting that its flag can continue to fly across the Philippine archipelago, playing the role of secondary dominion to ward off littoral countries having claims in the vast resources in the South China Sea. This also explains why Filipinos continue to demand their dismantling; that their continued presence under the expanded cooperation agreement now serves as a historical marker that US colonialism is here to stay.

One must recall that it was President Marcos who first demanded the removal of the US bases. He was diplomatic and civil, beginning by seeking to reduce the term from 99 to 25 years, which former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos suspected that, if the US delayed these summits and complicated their preparation. Again, this is no excuse for inaction. These summits must show that the world is finally serious about tackling our planetary emergency.

To guide decision-makers toward the action required, the UN has released the Making Peace with Nature report. The report pulls together all the evidence of environmental decline from major global scientific assessments, with the most advanced ideas on how to reverse it. The result is a blueprint for a sustainable future that can secure human well-being on a healthy planet.

Our environmental, social and economic challenges are interlinked.

Our environmental, social and economic challenges are interlinked. They must be tackled together. For example, we cannot achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending poverty, by 2030 if climate change and ecosystem collapse are undermining food and water supplies in the world’s poorest countries. We have no choice but to transform our economies and societies by valuing nature and putting its health at the heart of all our decisions.

If we did this, banks and investors would stop financing fossil fuels. Governments would shift trillions of dollars in subsidies to nature-positive farming and clean ener-

is allowed to extend the stay much longer, it might give them the right to own the area by prescription similar to what it did to occupy their base in Guantanamo, Cuba.

Marcos succeeded in reducing the stay of the bases from 99 to 25 years and the number from 23 base camps to just two. The government was also able to collect more than 700 million USD in military and economic assistance, an amount no administration has surpassed this to date.

What role will the Senate play to meddle in what is supposedly an exclusive power of the President as chief executive?

Note that it was on September 16, 1966, during Marcos’ state visit to Washington, that a joint communiqué was issued, setting the stay of the US bases in the Philippines to 25 years. The negotiation over the US bases covered a wide range of issues but had for its ultimate objective the removal of the bases.

The areas of Clark and Subic were reduced; tax and import duty on goods brought in by US servicemen were imposed; a collective bargaining agreement for Filipino workers in the bases was concluded.

Eventually we demanded jurisdiction over the bases although the US never truly gave up the issue of criminal jurisdiction for US servicemen accused of committing crimes in this country.

Problems remained even after the return of the US bases. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) concluded gy and water. People everywhere would prioritize health and well-being over consumption and shrink their environmental footprint.

There are signs of progress, but the problems are escalating faster than our responses. We all need to not step up, but leap up, in 2021.

The number of countries promising to work towards net-zero emissions stands at 126. The ask is for all countries to deliver stretched nationally determined contributions ahead of the climate COP and immediately kickstart the transitions to net-zero. At the climate COP, governments must also finally agree on the rules for a global carbon trading market. The USD 100 billion that developed countries promised to provide every year to help developing nations cope with the impacts of climate change must finally flow.

As we also seek to agree an ambitious post-2020 biodiversity framework that ends fragmentation of our ecosystems, the ask is for us is to feed the world without destroying nature, felling forests and emptying our oceans.

We can create an amazing economy by moving to circular economic systems that reuse resources, reduce emissions and weed out the chemicals and toxins that are causing millions of premature deaths – all while creating jobs.

Addressing our planetary emergency is a whole-of-society effort. But governments must take the lead, starting with a smart and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that invests in the right places. They must create opportu-

during the abominable Noynoy Aquino administration gave the US wider access in choosing their bases. Today, they have five military bases, mostly built and sequestered from camps used by our soldiers and are mostly facing the South China Sea. Although President Duterte cited the problem of rent, he did not however mention that the Philippine government is practically shouldering payment for the consumption of water and electricity in the US bases.

The stay of the bases as embodied in Section 25, Article XVIII of the 1987 Constitution ended in 1991. The American-installed government never acknowledged that historic achievement of Marcos much that it was an embarrassing sequel in US history. It was not the explosion of Mount Pinatubo that caused the withdrawal of the US bases as many would insinuate but the date set in the Marcos-Johnson agreement.

The return of the bases initially under the guise of visiting forces had a different political objective from of the Cold War. Securing the interest of the Philippines remains a camouflage to make it appear we owe it to them why we remain free.

Former State Department Secretary Hilary Clinton already spelled out that the US may not come to protect the Philippines in the event of conflict with China in the South China Sea, but only if its own interest is directly affected.

It is on this basis why President Duterte is justified in demanding payment of rental.

Senator Panfilo Lacson and Vice President Leni Robredo wasted no time branding the President’s demand for rental payment as an extortionist stance. Common sense will tell that a person must pay rent for use of a place not owned by him, unless the US servicemen are treated like dogs quartered just outside our gates.

Full version on www.manilastandard.net nities for future industries that generate prosperity. They must ensure that transitions are fair and equitable, creating jobs for those who lose out. They must give citizens a voice in these far-reaching decisions, even if it is virtual.

We can do it. The pandemic has shown humanity’s incredible ability to innovate and respond to threats, guided by science.

In the three planetary crises of climate change, nature loss and pollution, we face an even greater threat than COVID-19. This year, we must make peace with nature and, in every subsequent year, we must make sure that this peace lasts.

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First death hits anti-coup movement

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ANGON – A young protester died Friday, more than a week after being shot in anti-coup demonstrations in Myanmar, offering a fresh source of anger inside the country as international pressure grows on the generals who seized power.

Much of the country has been in open revolt since troops deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, with disparate strands of Myanmar society uniting to protest against a return

to military rule.

Security forces have steadily stepped up the show – and use – of force, by deploying troops against peaceful protesters, and firing tear gas, water

cannon and rubber bullets.

A rally on February 9 in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw turned violent when police fired rubber bullets at demonstrators, though doctors at the hospital later told AFP that at least two people had been critically wounded by live rounds.

Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who turned 20 last Thursday as she lay unconscious in a hospital bed, was shot in the head. A doctor confirmed her death

Friday, adding that her body will be examined.

“As this is a case of injustice, we will keep the (cause of death on) record... we will look for justice and move forward,” said the doctor, declining to be named.

Overnight former colonial power Britain announced sanctions against three generals for “serious human rights violations” over their roles in the junta’s security forces.

Freezing their assets and imposing travel

bans, the UK also said it was beginning a review to stop British businesses working with the military.

Canada sanctioned nine Myanmar military officials and accused the junta of engaging “in a systematic campaign of repressions through coercive legislative measures and use of force.”

“Canada stands with the people of Myanmar in their quest for democracy and human rights,” said foreign affairs minister Marc Garneau. AFP

Australia, Facebook in talks over sweeping news black out SYDNEY – Australia and Facebook held high-stakes talks Friday after the social media giant sparked global outrage by blacking out news for its Australian users, as Canberra insisted it wouldn’t back down on a new law that would force the tech firm to pay for journalistic content.

From Thursday, Facebook has blanked out the pages of media outlets for Australian users and blocked them from sharing any news content, rather than submit to the proposed legislation.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he had spoken with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday to find a way out of the showdown, and that negotiations would continue over the weekend.

“We talked through their remaining issues and agreed our respective teams would work through them immediately,” Frydenberg said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also urged Facebook to “move quickly past” what he called threatening behaviour

NOT JUST ANOTHER STATISTIC. Grave diggers wearing protective suits bury a COVID-19 victim at the Alto de Sao Joao

cemetery in Lisbon. Last month, Portugal suffered the worst rate of coronavirus infections in the world and has been under a general lockdown since Jan. 15. AFP

4 Chinese troops killed in clash with Indian forces BEIJING – China’s military on Friday named four soldiers killed in a brawl with Indian forces last year, the first confirmation of deaths by Beijing from the border clash that also killed at least 20 Indian soldiers.

The Chinese soldiers “sacrificed themselves” during the June confrontation in the contested Galwan Valley border area with an unnamed “foreign military,” the defense ministry said.

India and China fought a border war in 1962 and have long accused each other of seeking to cross their frontier – which has never been properly agreed – in India’s Ladakh region, just opposite Tibet.

In mid-June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a brutal, high-altitude border battle in the Galwan valley in one of the deadliest clashes between the two sides in recent decades.

Beijing at the time acknowledged that the clash had resulted in casualties but did not confirm if any Chinese soldiers died.

Battalion commander Chen Hongjun and three other soldiers have been given posthumous awards, the defense ministry said.

It blamed the battle in June on “foreign troops blatantly violating the consensus reached with us and crossing the line to set up tents.”

It said Chinese troops were able to drive their adversaries away in a “significant victory,” and that the other side “ran away with their heads in their hands, abandoning numerous border-crossing and injured or dead personnel.”

Beijing and New Delhi later sent tens of thousands of extra troops to the border.

The two sides said last week they had agreed to “disengage” along the border area.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the agreement would “substantially restore the situation to that existing prior to commencement of the stand-off last year.” AFP Manila

Standard

TODAY

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that CATHAY LAND, INC., with office address at South Boulevard, SFGC, Brgy.

Inchican, Silang, Cavite, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOl) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-Cost housing project (Berkeley Suites) with a capacity of 281 residential units on a Non-Pioneer status with project site at Brgy.

Inchican, Silang, Cavite.

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

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-FEB. 20, 2021)

and “come back to the table.”

He said his government’s worldfirst legislation to force Facebook and Google to pay Australian media for news content published on their platforms was garnering interest from leaders around the world.

“People are looking at what Australia is doing,” he said, noting that he had already discussed the situation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canada’s Justin Trudeau.

The legislation, called the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, was approved this week by the lower house of parliament and will be debated beginning Monday by the Senate, which is expected to adopt the law by the end of the week.

Facebook has defended its dramatic response to the law, saying the legislation “fundamentally misunderstands” the platform’s relationship with media organizations and that it had no choice but to bar news content from its services in Australia. AFP

Malaysian news site hit with huge fine amid press freedom fears PUTRAJAYA – A leading Malaysian news site was fined $120,000 Friday over readers’ comments that criticised the judiciary, sparking concerns about worsening press freedom and claims the case was a bid to bankrupt the portal.

Concerns have been growing that independent media outlets are under attack in the Southeast Asian nation since a scandal-plagued coalition seized power without an election last year following the collapse of a reformist government.

Malaysiakini, a popular portal that has made a name for itself by reporting on the misdeeds of the ruling elite,

and its editor-in-chief Steven Gan, were accused of contempt of court in a case brought by the attorney general last year.

The case related to five readers’ comments posted under an article that were critical of the judiciary, which authorities say had eroded public confidence in the courts.

A panel of judges at the country’s top court ruled that Malaysiakini was guilty of contempt and ordered the site to pay a 500,000 ringgit ($120,000) fine by Wednesday. Prosecutors had sought a fine of 200,000 ringgit.

Gan – who could have faced a jail term

if convicted – was cleared, but he criticized the decision as “uncalled for.”

“The hefty fine against us is really an attempt not to just shut us up – but to shut us down,” he told reporters at the Federal Court in the administrative capital Putrajaya.

Following the ruling, the portal changed to black and white as a mark of protest and launched a fundraising drive to cover the fine.

The site has faced continual attacks since it was founded in 1999, ranging from police raids to criminal prosecutions, and has so far managed to survive every challenge.

Human Rights Watch accused the Malaysian government of “attempting to bankrupt Malaysiakini with an outrageously excessive fine.”

“This decision is a blatant violation of freedom of expression and media freedom, and should be quashed,” the group’s deputy Asia director Phil Robertson told AFP. “The result will certainly be a significant chilling of freedom of speech in Malaysia.”

Judge Rohana Yusuf, delivering the verdict, said freedom of expression must remain “within the bounds permissible by law. AFP

IS claims killing of 4 Tunisia soldiers, beheading – SITE

REDEMPTION SONG. Musicians perform outside the British embassy during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 19, 2021. AFP

TUNIS – The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the February 3 killing of four soldiers in a rugged region of central Tunisia, SITE Intelligence Group reported.

The US monitor of jihadist groups said late Thursday that the soldiers were killed in three blasts ignited by its fighters near Mount Mghila and that a “spy” was beheaded separately by IS. The defense ministry announced the losses the same day, saying the soldiers in “a military unit tasked with carrying out a combing operation of Mount Mghila looking for terrorist elements were killed by a mine” explosion.

Mount Mghila, near the border with Algeria, is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, which is considered a hideout for jihadists.

Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said the incident “will not stop us from pursuing our efforts to fight and defeat terrorism.”

IS also said in its Al-Naba digital newspaper that jihadists executed a spy for the army on December 20 near Mount Selloum in the Kasserine region, also central Tunisia.

Authorities said at the time that the victim was a 20-year-old man named Oqba al-Dhibi, identified on local radio as a shepherd tending his flock when he was attacked.

Tunisia has seen a surge in radical Islam since veteran president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in the country’s 2011 revolution.

Dozens of members of the security forces have since been killed in jihadist attacks. AFP

Indonesia volcano erupts, spews lava JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Mount Merapi, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted on Friday, belching out fiery red lava.

The volcano, close to Indonesia’s cultural capital Yogyakarta on Java island, had already spewed lava almost two dozen times over the two last days and caused hundreds of minor volcanic quakes, according to a report

by Indonesia’s geological agency.

“This morning, lava avalanches were observed seven times,” the agency said, with the lava travelling up to 700 metres to the southwest.

However, an official warning over the status of the volcano was unchanged at its second highest level, where it has remained since November last year.

Nearby residents were told to avoid the area within a five-kilometer radius of the crater and were warned about the lava as well as airborne volcanic material.

Last month, the volcano spewed huge clouds of smoke and ash that billowed down its sides.

Mount Merapi’s last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of around 280,000 residents from surrounding areas.

That was its most powerful eruption since 1930, when around 1,300 people were killed, while another explosion in 1994 took about 60 lives.

The Southeast Asian archipelago nation has nearly 130 active volcanoes. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

TERRIBLE BEAUTY. Lava flows down from the crater of Mount Merapi as seen from Kaliurang, in Yogyakarta on February 19, 2021. AFP

Business Bitcoin’s rise sparks fears of big bubble LONDON—Bitcoin has enjoyed a record-breaking week after electric carmaker Tesla and Wall Street finance giants sparked a goldrush for the world’s most popular virtual currency, but bubble fears persist.

Investors and mega-corporations alike have been wooed by dizzying growth and the opportunity for profit and asset diversification.

The unit blasted past $50,000 on Tuesday following a week in which Tesla invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and vowed customers could use it to buy vehicles and both New York bank BNY Mellon and credit card titan MasterCard announced plans to support bitcoin.

The cryptocurrency then vaulted higher, topping $52,000 on Wednesday after investment fund giant BlackRock also confirmed a push into the booming sector.

Yet this week’s astonishing ascendancy of bitcoin has sparked renewed fears of a big bubble which the market had last experienced four years ago.

‘Riding the crypto wave’ US software firm MicroStrategy meanwhile announced plans on Wednesday to sell convertible bonds in order to buy more bitcoin, raising eyebrows in some quarters.

“Suddenly it feels like 2017 again when everyone wanted (to) ... ride the crypto wave,” warned OANDA analyst Craig Erlam.

“If companies’ fundamentals are going to become closely tied to movements in bitcoin because they have suddenly become speculators on the side, we are going to be in bubble territory before you know it.”

The unit had previously hit the headlines in 2017 after soaring from less than $1,000 in January to almost $20,000 in December of the same year.

The virtual bubble then burst with bitcoin’s value then fluctuating wildly before sinking below $5,000 by October 2018. AFP

Malaysians get appetite for drive-in dining CYBERJAYA, Malaysia―Motorists parked beside the Padi House restaurant chain wave their hands out of their windows to signal to waiters, who come to take their orders that will be eaten on the spot.

Lockdown-weary Malaysians have jumped at the chance for an unusual eating-out experience allowing them to enjoy restaurant food despite coronavirus curbs― in-car dining.

The Southeast Asian nation is struggling with a virus resurgence that last month prompted officials to re-impose restrictions, including a ban on dining inside restaurants.

To get around this, the chain― which serves a mix of local and Western fare in the city of Cyberjaya outside Kuala Lumpur-- came up with a plan to bring their menus and meals to car-bound customers.

“We serve the food on proper plates for (people) to dine in their car like they are dining in a restaurant,” Chong Kar Yan, the company’s social media marketing manager, told AFP. Their first drive-in dining site, in a car park beside one of their restaurants, proved such a hit they have now opened a second at another outlet in the city.

“I do feel safer eating in a car compared to a restaurant because we do sanitize the car,” said customer Narinderjit Singh, when AFP made a visit to one of the incar dining sites.

“I sit at home throughout the day, I work from home―this gives me the opportunity to go out.”

Officials recently relaxed rules, allowing people to dine inside restaurants again, as the number of daily cases declined.

But Padi House will continue offering in-car dining, an option welcomed by customers who remain worried about the virus.

Malaysia is still recording close to 3,000 cases a day and several deaths.

“The good thing about this is that you’ll reduce your interaction with other people, so that you can avoid COVID-19,” said customer Ahmad Yunus Faeez. AFP

B3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks recover; Ayala, SM Investments climb

S

TOCKS bounced back Friday on prospects of a more lenient quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila starting next month, fueling hopes for a speedier economic recovery this year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rallied 76.77 points, or 1.1 percent, to 6,926.41 on a value turnover of P9.6 billion. Losers however, beat losers, 116 to 98, with 41 issues unchanged.

Nine Metro Manila mayors are in favor of putting the National Capital Region under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) in March, one more than the eight who wanted to retain the stricter GCQ. Nickel Asia Corp., the biggest nickel miner, advanced 4.1 percent to P5.85, while conglomerate Ayala Corp.

climbed 3.1 percent to P797.

Basic Energy Corp. surged 8.6 percent to P1.27, while SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group rose 2.8 percent to P1,065.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed Friday as fears that the global recovery will fire inflation continued to niggle investor sentiment as they faced up to the fact that interest rates will not be kept at record lows forever.

All three main indexes on Wall Street ended in the red, and Asia followed suit, though early heavy selling was tempered later in the day by traders buying the dip.

Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok were all in the red. But Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Jakarta all saw gains.

The rollout of vaccines, falling infection rates and the prospect of another mammoth US stimulus have sent equity markets to all-time or multi-year highs in recent weeks, with focus firmly on

the long-term outlook.

The rally has been underpinned by vast financial support from central banks around the world, particularly the Federal Reserve, as well as huge government spending.

But while there is light at the end of the tunnel and people look forward to the easing of social restrictions and a return to some level of normality, the recovery has its downsides.

Focus has turned from the optimistic view of an economy back on track to the expected ramp-up in prices that will likely force central bankers to tighten ultra-loose monetary policies, including hiking interest rates.

US Treasury yields have rallied to their highest level in around a year as inflation expectations surge.

“With large-scale stimulus amid recovery from the COVID-19 shock, investor attention has focused on potential impacts from rising rates and inflation,” said Stephen Innes at Axi. With AFP

PSEi February 19, 2021

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

REG PRIM

3.5 2

0.5 0.25

16.67% 14.29%

3

MHC

0.59

0.06

11.32%

4

PHA

2.9

0.27

10.27%

5 6

MA BSC

0.011 1.27

0.001 0.1

10.00% 8.55%

7

CROWN

2.2

0.17

8.37%

8 9

ABA PX

1.24 4.74

0.07 0.24

5.98% 5.33%

10

CHI

5.8

0.28

5.07%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

VUL GEO

2.95 0.53

-0.57 -0.07

-16.19% -11.67%

3

DWC

4.64

-0.57

-10.94%

4 5

TFC LODE

48 1.63

-4.6 -0.14

-8.75% -7.91%

6

LFM

35.5

-2.9

-7.55%

7

PMPC

5.65

-0.45

-7.38%

8 9 10

OPMB ARA OV

0.013 1.36 0.014

-0.001 -0.1 -0.001

-7.14% -6.85% -6.67%

MOST ACTIVE This picture taken on February 9, 2021 shows a couple eating dinner in their car outside the Padi House restaurant in Cyberjaya, outside Kuala Lumpur. Lockdownweary Malaysians have jumped at the chance for an unusual eatingout experience allowing them to enjoy restaurant food despite coronavirus curbs—in-car dining.

AFP

1

PHA

VOLUME 209621000

VALUE (PHP) 574000620

2 3

ACEN SMPH

71756000 15706700

571112873 562393320

4 5

SM APL

432240 1551270000

459494805 436043800

6 7

BSC DITO

346095000 21781600

425986950 388705522

8 9

MBT ALI

7308920 7749200

368528636 301595945

10

VUL

87688000

270296960

Market for homegrown edible flowers blossoms in Tunisia

By Kaouther Larbi TABARKA, Tunisia—A Tunisian entrepreneur growing edible flowers says she is surprised by the appetite for her homegrown product in the North African country and hopes to see a “new culinary culture” bloom.

Sonia Ibidhi, a 42-year-old journalist, turned to organic farming of the niche but in-demand product “out of love” for working on the land.

Among the flowers she grows are borage, a blue star-shaped flower that tastes like cucumber, chive flowers—purple blossoms with a flavor similar to onion—and nasturtiums, bright yellow to orange flowers with a radish-like taste.

“I thought the flowers would be for export and of no immediate interest to the local market, but I’ve been surprised by the growing demand, in particular from some top-end hotels,” she said.

After bringing back 42 seed varieties from France, Ibidhi began planting around a dozen types of flowers.

She said she chose the mountainous Tabarka region in the country’s northwest for its humid climate and abundant fresh water, and now uses her own seeds.

“I do something that I love, that is beautiful and colorful,” she said proudly.

She said she hoped her flowers would spark “a new culinary culture in the country.”

Tunisians already use certain flow-

ers in their traditional cuisine—some sweets feature dried rose petals, while lavender is an ingredient in a spice mix used in couscous recipes.

But fresh flowers, which can be used for dishes from soups to salads as well as teas, are a novelty.

‘Culinary journey’ In a luxury hotel in Gammarth, an upscale northern suburb of the capital Tunis, chef Bassem Bizid uses nasturtiums for his fish tartar and accompanies other dishes with a flower-leaf salad or a sorbet garnished with fresh violets.

Clients are “very satisfied to discover something new”, he said.

The hotel’s master chef, Italian Alessandro Fontanesi, said that during the

novel coronavirus pandemic, the flowers went beyond introducing a new look and flavor.

“Not only are we using a rare Tunisian product, which makes the plate more attractive and adds a special taste, but it can take our clients on a culinary journey,” he said.

Ibidhi launched her business in 2019, after four years of planning.

As well as needing to do an “enormous” amount of paperwork, she said she had to repeatedly explain to the forestry department “what edible flowers were for.”

She sold her car to help finance the business, and later received a grant from the African Development Bank,

she said.

She now pays the state 1,400 dinars (around $520) annually to lease five hectares (12 acres) of land.

But Ibidhi now fears seeing her business wither.

As well as edible flowers, she has planted a large quantity of strawberries, selling both the fruit and the leaves, which can be used for herbal teas.

But the authorities say growing strawberries is in breach of her lease agreement.

Ibidhi said she risked a large financial loss were she to uproot them.

“My flowers have become my world,” she said. “I will fight tooth and nail for my project.” AFP Sonia Ibidhi, a 42-year-old journalist turned to organic farming, poses with pots of nasturtiums in the greenhouse of her small farm where she produces edible flowers, in the northwestern Tunisian coastal town of Tabarka, on January 28, 2021. AFP

Battle of the bases: Dubai, Riyadh head for corporate showdown DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Modern infrastructure and a business-friendly attitude have made Dubai the regional base of choice for international companies, but Riyadh’s remarkable rise has woken a longsleeping heavyweight competitor.

The wealthy Gulf emirate has made opening businesses as easy as ordering a meal, in a region choking with bureaucracy, helping it attract around 140 headquarters in three decades, far more than any other Middle East city.

While Dubai’s business environment flourished, Riyadh, the capital of the biggest Arab economy, floundered thanks to ultra-conservative policies, security threats and corruption.

The young Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman

sought to end all that when he came to power in 2017, and now the city surrounded by sand dunes is enjoying a relative boom, drawing new businesses from restaurants to tech startups.

“Our target is to have Riyadh become one of the topten largest city economies in the world,” the 35-yearold de facto leader said in January.

But despite the big salary packages and contracts that are drawing expats and foreign firms to Riyadh, the city’s lack of attractions, a no-alcohol policy and other disincentives has slowed the shift.

Saudi officials have said the kingdom accounts for less than five percent of the region’s Hqs—even though it’s the biggest Arab economy and offers the

“lion’s share” of business and contracts.

To change the status quo, Saudi this week heaped pressure on foreign companies to move their Middle East headquarters to the kingdom, saying it will stop signing contracts with firms with hubs in other countries from 2024.

The surprise move is a direct challenge to Dubai and threatens a heated open race between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—neighbors, allies and competitors.

“I do not think this is the intention, but it is how it works out in practice, as Dubai tends to be the default location for international companies’ regional HQs,” said Steffen Hertog, associate professor at the London Musk School of Economics and Political Science. AFP

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

B4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, February 19, 2021

76.77 PTS. 6,926.41

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

16,370,346,688 168,268 9,562,072,556.95 98 116 41

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.4050

Japan

Yen

0.009464

0.4581

UK

Pound

1.398000

67.6702

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128987

6.2436

Switzerland

Franc

1.116445

54.0415

Canada

Dollar

0.788830

38.1833

Singapore

Dollar

0.754148

36.5045

Australia

Dollar

0.776700

37.5962

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652379

128.3884

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

12.9070

Brunei

Dollar

0.751315

36.3674

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.033322

1.6130

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.1793

Euro

Euro

1.209200

58.5313

Korea

Won

0.000903

0.0437

China

Yuan

0.154112

7.4598

India

Rupee

0.013778

0.6669

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.247525

11.9814

New Zealand

Dollar

0.722000

34.9484

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035847

1.7352 Source: BSP

Cebu Landmasters unveils P4-b office, hotel development

Business 2 SMC firms submit best bids for 20-year supply to Meralco

By Alena Mae S. Flores

E

XCELLENT Energy Resources Inc. and Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd., both controlled by San Miguel Corp., submitted the “two best bids” for Manila Electric Co.’s 20-year, 1,800-megawatt supply contract.

Meralco’s third-party bids and awards committee for the competitive selection process identified the two companies with the best bids of the six qualified offers it received.

“Pursuant to Section 5 of the Instructions to prospective bidders, the aforesaid bidders with the best bids will now undergo post-qualification within seven days from date hereof. Thereafter, the TPBAC shall issue respective notices of award in favor of those who satisfactorily passed post-qualification,” the five-man committee said in a notification of best bids Friday.

The committee said the two bidders with the best bids submitted the lowest cost offers, after having been pre-qualified through a detailed evaluation of their document submissions.

EERI offered a levelized cost of electricity of P4.1462 per kilowatt-hour, while Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. sub-

mittedP4.2605 per kWh. Both are significantly below the LCOE reserve price of P5.2559 per kWh. “We hope to serve our country to the best of our ability,” SMC president Ramon Ang said, when asked to about the company’s aggressive bids.

EERI offered to supply Meralco 1,200 MW from a natural gas-fired power plant, while MPPCL offered to supply 600 MW from a coal-fired power plant.

Mariveles Power Generation Corp., Atimonan One Energy Inc. and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co. qualified as “possible next best bids,” with LCOEs of P4.3321 per kWh, P4.6338 per kWh and P5.2500 per kWh, respectively.

St. Raphael Power Generation Corp.’s LCOE of P5.4426 per kWh failed to meet the reserve price.

The opening of the qualified bid prices was observed by representatives of the Department of Energy.

“The TPBAC managed the CSP in full compliance with all rules and regulations issued by the DOE. The terms of reference were reviewed and approved by the DOE, and all contracts that will result from the bidding process will be subjected to regulatory proceedings and evaluation by the ERC,” TPBAC chairman Ferdinand Domingo said.

The TPBAC was assisted in its evaluation by experts from Leidos, a global engineering firm that provides independent engineering advisory service to clients in various energy markets around the world.

MRT-7 PROGRESS.

By Jenniffer B. Austria CEBU Landmasters Inc., a leading real estate developer in the Visayas, launched Friday a P4-billion mixeduse office and hotel tower in Cebu.

CLI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Master Tower Cebu would be an iconic tower with prime office and retail spaces and a five-star luxury hotel.

Sofitel Cebu City will be operated by multinational chain Accor, a world-leading hospitality group headquartered in France.

“This project is the culmination of our learnings as a full-line developer catering to a range of markets in one of the most dynamic regions of the country,” CLI chief executive Jose Soberano III said.

“We want to build this project for Cebu, to show our positive outlook for this growth city,” he said.

The luxury hotel will have 195 guest rooms, a grand ballroom, two restaurants, executive lounge, meeting rooms, roof deck, swimming pool, gym and spa.

Soberano Masters Tower Cebu is part of CLI’s growing hotel portfolio in partnership with a number of global hotel chains that are expected to significantly contribute to its revenues in the next three to four years.

“We are optimistic that the hospitality industry will bounce back particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao where there is high potential for more international hotel players and tourism demands for quality hospitality experiences,” he said.

The groundbreaking of the Masters Tower Cebu on a 2,840-squaremeter property within Cebu Business Park is slated for the second quarter of 2021 while completion date is targeted by 2025.

Meanwhile, the tower’s office spaces from the 8th to the 12th floor of the building will cater to the needs of growing office sector in Visayas.

CLI is aiming for the building’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification.

Master Towers Cebu was designed by global architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in tandem with one of the country’s top architects GF Partners and Architects.

Work on the Metro Rail Transit Line7, another massive, game-changing, privately-funded infrastructure project of San Miguel Corp., crosses the halfway mark, with civil works now 51.73-percent completed, and electrical/mechanical (E&M) works 55.31-percent done.

BPI Investment says managed assets topped P200-b amount BPI Investment Management Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of the Philippine Islands, said Friday it breached the P200-billion mark in total assets under management by the first week of February.

BIMI said in a statement total assets under management reached over P202 billion in early February.

BIMI president Martin Enrile said 2020 was a landmark year as it nearly doubled its business amid the pandemic with a 96-percent growth.

This was due to the assumption of the PAMI Mutual Funds from Philam Asset Management Inc. in January 2020 and strong inflows from retail investors.

“Our long history of prudent fund management has allowed BIMI to grow its retail business by 24 percent.

BIMI’s solid performance amidst market volatility and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic is a testimony to our hardearned reputation of providing stable investment outlets under various market conditions,” said Enrile.

BIMI cements its market leadership as the largest mutual fund management company in the Philippines, growing from 35-percent market share in the mutual fund industry in 2019 to 54-percent market share as of end-2020.

“We look forward to the rest of 2021 with much optimism. As vaccines begin to find their way to the general population and consumer mobility goes back to pre-pandemic levels, we look forward to a gradual restoration of economic activity,” Enrile said.

He said backed by an institution that saw all kinds of crises in its 169year history, BIMI was well-poised to take advantage of a more favorable investment environment with fortified sales resources, system upgrades, timely marketing activities and product launches suited to the rapidly changing needs of the investing public.

IN BRIEF

Digitalization helps Filipinos, says Diokno

MRT-7 exceeds 50% construction progress, Start-up company seen to start operations by December 2022 commits to resolve contractors’ claims

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SAN Miguel Corp. said Friday it expects to start the full operations of Metro Rail Transit Line by December 2022.

“Our progress for the MRT-7 project as of January 2021 was about 54 percent. We have already completed a significant amount of civil works, including the installation of bored piles, girders, foundational works on stations, and we have been installing rails or tracks. At the same time, E&M works have also advanced significantly,” SMC president Ramon Ang said.

Ang said that for the project’s elevated section, some 6.2 kilometers of the target 13.5 km. was completed while for the at-grade sections, 4.8 km. of the target 6.9 km was finishd. About 1.5 km. of the 1.9-km. tunnel portion was done.

“Given our progress today, and all the major milestones we’re expecting this year and the next, I think we’re confident we can achieve full,

complete operations by December next year, with our first test run scheduled for June next year. By then, I believe we would be recovering already from the impacts of COVID-19,” Ang said “Our economy will be on the way up, and people will be resuming their lives in the next normal. MRT-7 will be ready for them, to help make commutes faster, to boost our economy, and bring growth to more areas,” he said.

Ang said the factory acceptance testing of an initial six trains or 18 cars was scheduled for April in South Korea.

San Miguel purchased the trains from South Korea Hyundai Rotem, with the country’s national rail manufacturer Korea Railroad Corp. serving as its adviser.

If the trains pass the tests, which will be witnessed by KORAIL officials together with SMC and Department of Transportation representatives, the first batch of trains will arrive within the year, he said.

MODERN TRUCKS. Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai trucks and buses in the Philippines, fulfills another round of modern public utility vehicle turnover activities to Bacoor City, Cavite. Hyundai Trucks and Buses Alabang delivered15 units of HD50S Modern PUV Class 3 to the Magnificat Transport Cooperative, a group that aims to provide the commuting public with a safe, reliable, efficient, and environment-friendly transport system. Attending the turnover ceremony are Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla (fourth from right) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 4 Director Renwick Rutaquio (fifth from right).

STARTUP company Revolution Precrafted said Friday it is committed to expeditiously resolve company issues and fully cooperate with authorities to address the complaints lodged by suppliers and contractors with the National Bureau of Investigation.

A spokesperson for the Philippine startup, founded by its chief executive Robbie Antonio, said settlement discussions were in progress with company stakeholders.

“We are fully cooperating with the authorities on this and we are committed to address these issues with our contractors and suppliers,” said Revolution Precrafted director and corporate secretary Michael Bilgera.

Revolution Precrafted was working on several projects as a supplier of designer homes to landowner-developers when the pandemic struck, affecting its sales, collections, and operations. The firm said it was unable to collect receivables from landowners, which in turn limited its ability to pay contractors and suppliers.

“Like many companies, we were not exempt from the market challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic that significantly affected our sales, collections and operations,” said Robbie Antonio.

“Nonetheless, the company sincerely assures its stakeholders that it will honor all legitimate contractual obligations with its partners and suppliers, and only ask for some time consideration to resolve its issues. In parallel, we will also work in earnest to collect what is due the company,” he said.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Friday government’s efforts to push for financial technology and digitalization even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year helped Filipinos during the onslaught of the global crisis.

Diokno said in his online BSP Ulat Para sa Bayan that digitalization was among a few things that helped Filipinos continue with their daily lives during the pandemic.

“It is a good thing that the country had been gradually embracing financial technology even before the pandemic hit. For me, it prepared us for the worst,” Diokno said.

Citing latest available data, Diokno said in 2020, the volume of PESONet transfers surged to 15.3 million, up by 376 percent year-onyear while the value of PESONet transactions increase by 188 percent to nearly P951.6 billion—equivalent to about 5.3 percent of the gross domestic product.

The number of payments made through InstaPay reached 86.7 million, up by 459 percent year-on-year. The transactions were valued at P463.4 billion, which was a 340-percent increase from a year ago. Julito G. Rada

Kickstart invests $2m in Transcelestial TRANSCELESTIAL, the company building the future of Superfast Global Internet Distribution, entered the Philippine market with $2-million strategic investment from Kickstart Ventures under Ayala Corp. Technology Innovation Venture Fund.

This is the first publicly announced investment by Kickstart Ventures from the recently announced $180-million ACTIVE Fund which is supported by Ayala Corp. and subsidiaries AC Energy, AC Industrials, AC Ventures, Bank of Philippine Islands and Globe Telecom.

The fund seeks to invest in Series A to D startups globally and has four investment themes focused on the future of transactions and transfers, work and human capital, resource allocation and availability, and property, homes and community life.

“The team at Kickstart have been fully aligned with our goals of solving the last mile and global bottlenecks in internet distribution. We could not have asked for a better partner to help us not only work with Globe in Philippines but also advise us on bringing our current and future products to solve some of the challenges in the archipelago nation,” said Rohit Jha, chief executive of Transcelestial. Darwin G. Amojelar

NEO buildings get 5-star certification GREEN office developer NEO achieved clean energy citations, including net zero carbon energy, with 5-star certifications under the Advancing Net Zero Philippines program that verifies a development’s net emissions.

Net Zero energy is defined as “the conservation and optimization of the energy use in projects, and the use of the renewable energy for the project’s remaining operational energy demand.”

Aboitiz Power Corp. powered NEO’s entire portfolio of renewable energy.

NEO chief executive Raymond Rufino expressed the group’s firm resolve to continue its climate conservation measures.

“The severity of our current climate crisis requires a commensurate response and commitment from real estate owners, developers, and managers: net zero. This is a difficult and ambitious commitment for NEO as we are a real estate company based in an emerging market. However, we firmly believe that we can and must play our part in this global collective effort,” Rufino said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Nets hammer depleted LA Lakers; Bucks stumble again LOS ANGELES—James Harden scored 23 points as the Brooklyn Nets blew away a depleted Los Angeles Lakers in a one-sided showdown between the Eastern and Western Conference heavyweights on Thursday.

With Kevin Durant sidelined with a hamstring strain, Harden shouldered the offensive burden as the Nets extended their winning streak to five games with a 109-98 victory at the Staples Center.

Harden added 11 assists and five rebounds while power forward Joe Harris added 21 points after making six of seven three-point attempts.

Kyrie Irving, returning after missing Tuesday’s win over Phoenix with back stiffness, finished with 16 points as the Nets notched up their fourth straight win on the road.

The Lakers scoring was led by LeBron James with 32 points. James’s scoring display saw him tick off another statistical milestone, with the 36-year-old passing 35,000 career points.

The Lakers—already missing Anthony Davis—were hit by another high-profile absentee on Thursday with the late withdrawal of Dennis Schroder, who was ruled out due to Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

The Nets improved to 19-12 with the win to remain in second spot in the Eastern Conference, one game back from the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers remain second in the Western Conference on 22-8, 2.5 games adrift of the Utah Jazz.

Nets coach Steve Nash praised his team’s improvement in the past week, which has come in the wake of a run of games where they conceded 120 points or more, including a thumping loss to the Detroit Pistons on February 9.

‘Tastes sweet’ “That was a low for us,” Nash said of the Pistons loss.

“And it did provoke some conversations, and a re-dedication to what we’re trying to do. I’m proud of the way they’ve responded since then. We’ve taken care of business.

“But it’s more important that we’re progressing. It also tastes sweet when you come out West and win some games.”

Nash however said the Nets would not be reading too much into Thursday’s win over the reigning NBA champions.

“I don’t think we’re getting too carried away,” Nash said.

“It’s two teams that didn’t have full rosters. I think we played a solid game.

It’s a good win on the road. But it’s super early in the season and we’ve got a lot of room to grow. It’s just a little milestone for us.”

Elsewhere Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks slid to a fifth straight defeat with a thumping 110-96 home loss to the Toronto Raptors. AFP

Sports

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

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket against Wesley Matthews of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Veterans to make up PH squad to Vietnam SEAG

By Peter Atencio

A

DELEGATION of seasoned veterans will make up Team Philippines when it sees action in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam late this year.

That’s because the medalists of the previous staging of the games will comprise the majority of the delegation.

Chef de mission and commissioner Ramon Fernandez of the Philippine Sports Commission said the veterans are being prioritized for inclusion to the national delegation.

“It’s the medallists, the gold, silver and bronze medallists, who will be the priority,” said Fernandez.

Initially, the national contingent will

POC president Bambol Tolentino

PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez

be composed of 560 athletes, which was the executive board last Thursday. decided following a meeting between It was also decided that the athletes Philippine Olympic Committee president will be competing in 520 events in 38 Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and of the 40 sports in the biennial meet, set

Djokovic peaking at right time in Melbourne MELBOURNE—Eight-time champion Novak Djokovic said he was peaking just at the right time Thursday after ending the dream run of Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev to reach his ninth Australian Open final.

The 33-year-old Serb, showing no ill-effects from an abdomen injury sustained in the third round, overwhelmed the 114th-ranked Karatsev 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 53 minutes to reach his 28th Grand Slam final.

“This is the best I’ve felt in the entire tournament,” said Djokovic, who hit 30 winners and 17 aces.

“I could swing through the ball. No pain. The best match so far.”

He added: “Couldn’t be better timing for me to play my best tennis.”

Djokovic, 33, who has never lost an Australian Open final, is one win away from his 18th Grand Slam trophy, snapping at the heels of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are on 20.

In his way will be fourth seed Daniil Medvedev or Nadal’s conqueror Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth seed, who play their semi-final on Friday.

“I’m going to take the popcorn and enjoy it,” he said. “I absolutely have zero preference.”

“I’m ready for the toughest match of the tournament... both of these guys are in great form,” he added.

“Medvedev is playing extremely high quality. He is the player to beat.

“Tsitsipas produced some phenomenal tennis against Rafa.

“He’s definitely going in the right direction. He has no holes in his game.”

Djokovic remained cagey over his injury, which he first

suspected being a torn muscle, saying he would only reveal its extent after the final.

But he said he planned to resume training on Saturday, after being unable to practise between matches because of the injury.

“I am surprised the way I felt tonight. I think it surpassed my greatest wishes,” he said.

“I just have... this pretty good ability to recover fast.”

Butterfly battle Moving sharper than he has since he was injured while playing Taylor Fritz, Djokovic lifted his intensity in his best performance of the tournament.

Karatsev, however, wasn’t disgraced after becoming the first man in the Open era to reach a semi-final on his Grand Slam debut, and just the second qualifier to do so at the Australian Open after Bob Giltinan in 1977.

His magical run included wins over eighth seed Diego Schwartzmann, 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov, but came up short against the ultimate test.

A wary Djokovic had predicted Karatsev would come out aggressively and he proved right with the underdog undaunted in a free-wheeling approach.

Aside from being briefly menaced by a butterfly as he prepared to serve, Djokovic wasn’t rattled and his defensive mastery suffocated Karatsev in the eighth game.

He subsequently clinched the first set with an ace and then put the foot down to break to love.

Karatsev wouldn’t go away, almost wiping away Djokovic’s advantage before the eight-time champion held serve in a see-sawing 10th game and celebrated with gusto.

By Rey Joble IN THE past, basketball careers of women players usually come to an end as soon as they’re done playing in college.

They would bank on their educational accomplishment and basketball stops from there.

That is until the Women’s National Basketball League put up a sanctuary for these cagebelles, who have a chance to make a career while continuously playing the game they loved.

Such is the case for the former La Salle cagebelles, who saw an opportunity to become the first batch of lady ballers to have a play-for-pay experience as professional basketball players as beginning

from November 21 to December 2.

Tolentino said the number could still be reduced as they are basically entries by numbers that have been taken down from discussions with the various national sports associations early this week.

Many international sporting events have already been suspended because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions have been imposed.

But Vietnamese organizers have shown determination to organize the event, along with the 11th ASEAN Para Games.

“The basis of selection primarily hinged on those athletes who won medals (of any color) in the 2019 SEA Games that we hosted,” said Tolentino.

So far, the Philippines’ preparation for the biennial meet has been slowed down by restrictions imposed to control the spread of the pandemic.

And the PSC is still trying make venues available for training.

FEU online Youth Chess Education resumes

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts after a point against Russia’s Aslan Karatsev during their men’s singles semifinal match on Day 11 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

Despite some service struggles, Djokovic was not to be denied to record his first straight-sets victory since an opening-round romp against Jeremy Chardy. AFP

La Salle cagebelles find new sanctuary in WNBL

New lease on life for La Salle cagebelles

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this year, they will relish that experience while playing in the WNBL. “It’s a dream come true for women’s ballers,” said Camille Claro, picked second overall in the first WNBL Draft. “After college, you now have something to look up to and we now have a professional league. Before, after college, parang end na ng basketball career mo (as a lady baller) and thankful kami sa WNBL.” Claro is the other half of the “Splash Sisters”, a moniker coined for her and fellow Lady Archer Khate Castillo, for their ability to make buckets from beyond the arc.

Castillo is happy to be reunited with Claro in the WNBL as they will play both for the Glutagence Glow Boosters. “‘Yun naman talaga ‘yung pinapangaap

ng mga Pinay ballers,” added Castillo, a member of the gold medal winning Philippine women’s basketball team in the Southeast Asian Games in Manila. She was selected third overall in the recent WNBL Draft.

Another former La Salle stalwart, the burly but shifty Snow Peñaranda, was drafted by Pacific Water.

Now working as a fitness instructor, Peñaranda’s prayers were answered when a league of their own for the women ballers was created.

“Pinagpi-pray talaga namin ‘yan,” said Peñaranda, the bruising forward. “Nandito na kami, first step na ito, so hindi na namin ito palalagpasin. Ipapakita namin sa buong Pilipinas na kayang maglaro ng basketball ng mga babae.”

THE country’s top chessers, headed by Olympiad veterans Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna and International Master Paulo Bersamina will be the lecturers when Far Eastern University hosts its monthly online seminars on Saturday (Feb. 20) and Feb. 27.

Open to all aged 11 to 17 years old, the seminar will tackle and study the games of the great players from the past as well as the present (8:30-9 a.m.), contributions of Filipino chess heroes (9:45 to 10:45 a.m.) and the concepts and principles (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.).

National men’s team coach Eugene Torre, Asia’s first GM, will make a special participation, to talk about his journey and inspire the attendees.

Also attending the lecture as lecturer is Woman FIDE Master Michelle Yaon.

“As what Martin Luther King said, the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education,” said Gonzales, who heads the organizing Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence.

The event, which is backed by FEU chairman Aurelio Montinola III and athletic director Mark Molina, will culminate in a minitournament slated at 10 a.m. on Feb. 28, which is exclusive to attendees of the seminar.

To register, kindly fill-out the link below: https://forms.gle/o3nczEe2FiqGFT8s7 or message organizers in its official FEU Chess Team Facebook page.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

Tech & Gadgets JG Summit partners with modern HR tech platform Darwinbox

Google launches updates in Meet, Drive, Classroom for enhanced online learning G OOGLE announced updates to its education tools during its first-ever virtual Learning with Google event. Among the highlights of the global live stream is the next era of G Suite for Education—now called Google Workspace for Education—which comes in four distinct editions: Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals as a free tier and then Google Workspace for Education Standard, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Google Workspace for Education Plus.

With millions of Filipino students nationwide placed on distance learning, the reliance on online education tools is no longer just about availability, but also how closely they suit the different needs of each kind of learner.

Google Workspace for Education houses Google products like Classroom, Meet, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat and many more in one place. In this new phase, learning tools that aid in teaching, learning, connecting and sharing will be more accessible from anywhere, using any device.

Users of Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals (formerly the free edition of G Suite for Education) will not see any changes apart from the new name and features such as offline mode, improved mobile grading, roster sync, better pictures of homework, Classroom add-ons, and student engagement tracking in Google Classroom.

Meanwhile, Google Meet will now give teachers more control during sessions with the new “end meeting for all” and “mute all” features, as well as allowing multiple moderators

in calls to make it easier for teachers to partner with others in facilitating classes. A new screen recording tool is also coming this March, enabling teachers and students to record lessons and reports in real-time.

The paid editions of Google Workspace for Education expands on security and learning tools. For example, the Security Center in Google Workspace for Education Standard offers greater visibility tools such as advanced audit logs and advanced mobile management which make online learning more secure.

The Teaching and Learning Upgrade, on the other hand, enhances instructional impact through advanced communication capabilities in Google Meet, as well as features that enrich class experiences and tools that guide critical thinking and academic integrity with originality reports.

For institutions looking for the ultimate comprehensive solution, Google Workspace for Education Plus (formerly G Suite Enterprise for Education)

provides tools with advanced security, better analytics, and enhanced teaching and learning capabilities.

Existing users of Education Fundamentals and Education Plus will start to see the new edition names and the upgrades in their admin consoles automatically. The new editions of Education Standard and Teaching and Learning Upgrade will be available starting April 14, 2021.

Google Workspace for Education continually expands its offerings and product capabilities to augment online learning experiences. In the last year alone, dozens of free features such as hand-raising in Google Meet, rubrics in Classroom and grammar suggestions in Google Docs were made available, along with new premium offerings to expand advanced security controls and enhance collaboration tools.

Visit the website for complete information on the new Google Workspace for Education editions.

5 tips in designing gallery wall around your Devant TV STYLING a small home can be a challenge, but that shouldn’t stop you from making your living space as beautiful as you want it to be. It all starts with choosing the right pieces to suit your space.

When you live in a condo, apartment, or tiny house, every square inch matters, including your walls! A good way to make the most out of your vertical space is by creating a gallery wall where you can display your favorite photos, paintings and posters. One of the best spots to place this is on the wall around your TV. Decorator and Home Stylist Elle Uy shares these 5 expert tips for designing a gallery wall around your TV. Choose a theme for your frame gallery.

Decide on the type of frame gallery wall you want on your wall.

Visualize the arrangement, and take a photo of it for reference.

Mark the spaces on your wall, then install your frames.

Enjoy your hard work while watching your favorite movie or TV series.

In a small home with limited wall space, a 43-inch TV makes an awesome centerpiece for a gallery wall. Ideal for condo living, it is the perfect size for a great viewing experience. There are various 43” TVs to choose from, each with its own set of features and

These decorating tips are perfect for small spaces, with a Devant 43” condo TV as the centerpiece!

functions to suit your needs and preferences. Check out these three space-saving 43” TV models from Devant.

Devant 43DT001 43” Digital LED TV The Devant 43” Digital LED TV delivers brilliant picture quality with a full HD 1920x1080 resolution. With a wider

Cybersecurity experts identify threats as work-from-home becomes norm RESTRICTIONS brought by the COVID-19 pandemic lurched businesses towards the digital space, and as work-from-home continues to be the norm, there is also an increased awareness in cybersecurity. Enterprises both big and small are faced with cyber threats, and the need to adopt security measures is more critical than ever.

“Almost 97% of Asia Pacific organizations made changes to their policies to shift for remote working. All of a sudden we went from business continuity planning to execution,” Kerry Singleton, Managing Director for Cybersecurity Cisco APJC, reported during the fourth episode of the tech company’s webinar series, Navigating the Shift.

The series goes on a deep dive on the pandemic’s impact across industries, and in this episode titled Cybersecurity Today: Addressing the New Threat Landscape, Singleton, along with other experts in the field, examined changes in the cybersecurity landscape as businesses went online.

“There are a lot of breaches happening.

There were breaches early [in 2020] and it increased with remote work,” GIAC Information Security Expert DefCon Black Badge Raymond Nunez observed. The former Security Consultant of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) mentioned that these include SMS- and voice-based phishing, also known as smishing and vishing. While automated spam filters

are available in emails, SMS and voice services rely on users to determine scams.

Nunez also reported breaches due to weak credentials in user accounts, stating that attackers are still able to penetrate organizations using passwords as easy as “1234”. This shows a certain level of vulnerability currently present among the online community, including businesses that could be negatively impacted as workfrom-home is foreseen to be here for the long haul.

“I’ve spoken to customers across the globe. They’re all thinking about how do we return to work, and a common theme that I’m seeing is that they are going to leave a percentage of their workforce working remotely,” shared Singleton. He pointed out that a few large tech companies in the US have even gone for a 100% work-from-home policy.

The remote setup had employees bringing home their workstations, taking devices out of the protection of cybersecurity systems found inside offices and leaving them vulnerable to threats.

“The threats are not getting any smaller —they're getting bigger and more maverick,” Emmanuel Caintic, Assistant Secretary of DICT, commented. “Now more than ever is the time to invest in your network security. It’s an insurance and it doesn’t cost much. It’s actually more expensive to remediate after an attack.”

viewing angle of 178˚/178˚ horizontally and vertically, more people can join in on the viewing fun from anywhere across a room. Its invisible speakers provide better design without sacrificing audio quality, and down firing technology offers surround sound to the entire room.

Devant 43” Digital LED TV specs include: Full HD 1920x1080, Built-in ISDB-T Receiver, HDMI Input, USB Input, 60Hz Vivid Motion.

Devant 43STV103 43” Smart TV Accessing your favorite apps is easy on the Devant 43” Smart TV. The TV displays high-definition pictures, with an image resolution of 1920x1080 that is equivalent to 2 megapixels. Its built-in ISDB-T Receiver enables the TV to receive and decode digital broadcasts or high-definition signals from local TV networks.

This TV also runs the Vidaa U Operating System, giving you the ability to watch life’s greatest moments on your TV screen. You can also look for additional apps through the Vidaa Store, an HTML5-based storefront of exciting apps that are all optimized for TV. Among the available apps are Netflix, the world’s leading subscription service for streaming movies and TV shows, and the video-sharing site, YouTube.

Devant 43” Smart TV specs include: Full HD 1920x1080, Vidaa U Operating System, Vidaa Store, YouTube, Netflix, Built-in ISDBT Receiver, Anyview Cast, Vidaa Art. Devant 43UHD201 43” Smart 4K TV A Devant 43” Smart 4K TV lets you

Jayant Paleti, Co-founder, Darwinbox

ONE of the Philippines’ largest and more diversified conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings, Inc. announced its move to digitalize HR in partnership with new-age HR tech platform provider Darwinbox. In a bid to reaffirm the company's commitment towards providing the best experience to its employees, JG Summit bared its plan to completely digitalize its HR processes to empower their employees and the organization to always be future-ready.

Post the pandemic, it became clear that digital is a critical lever for every organization to lead and compete. With HR transformation now on the front burner and HR itself turning into a major center for innovation, JG Summit was on the lookout for the best tech partner to realize their vision. On exploring the market and closely evaluating several global solutions, JG Summit chose Darwinbox for its new-age technology, supreme agility and expertise in solving for Asian Enterprises.

“We believe that going digital is the way forward and we are happy to have partnered with new-age and innovative HR solution provider Darwinbox, the human capital management solutions provider of choice of Asian conglomerates and multinational corporations in the region for their digital transformation initiatives. Their mobile-first and futuristic platform will play a critical role in bringing the digital agility and experience we intend to offer our employees,” said Lance Y. Gokongwei, JG Summit President and CEO. As JG Summit pursues its ambition to solidify its position among the largest conglomerates in the Philippines, Mr. Gokongwei believes that digitalization will be a key enabler to the company's success in delivering its Purpose as a business - that of having an unrelenting commitment to provide its customers with better choices, creating shared success with its various stakeholders. The conglomerates’ digitalization strategy started two years ago, but the pandemic turbocharged this effort.

"We fully recognize that no organization can exist without its people. Our people are central to all the processes in our organization and we can only succeed through their collective and individual contributions. With Darwinbox we will be able to deliver and fulfill this to help us achieve our HR goals faster and smarter," Gokongwei said.

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Global Mobility Service is representative case in Asian Development Bank report GLOBAL Mobility Service Inc., a Finance-Technology startup which provides IoT-based fintech services for financial inclusion to the world's 1.7 billion poor and low-income people who cannot afford to own a car, announced that its efforts have been featured in a report published by the Asian Development Bank titled “Asia Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Monitor 2020—Volume III: Thematic Chapter—Fintech Loans to Tricycle Drivers in the Philippines” The study identified that fintech services help tricycle drivers improve their living standards and social welfare as well as support the development of country’s local economies. It also emphasized the importance of fintech services for self-employed people (drivers) in surviving the post-COVID-19 or “new normal.”

The report discussed the case of GMS's fintech services for financial inclusion, which have enabled the company to solve social issues left behind in the analog era through digital transformation and provide finance to poor and low-income people who had so farno access to financial services.

ADB Report Summary: • Through fintech, financial institutions will be able to provide finance to poor and low-income people who had so

GMS Philippines president and CEO Kazumasa Nakashima

far no access to financial services.

• Fintech illustrated by GMS's selfdeveloped technology enables financial institutions to monitor vehicles accurately and ensure that loan and lease payments are made on time.

• The IoT based fintech service can track work behavior on self-employed people (drivers) and has a potential to build further credit scores and bringa better life for drivers.

With the widening disparities caused

by COVID-19, there is a growing need for GMS's services. GMS, together with its partner companies, financial insti-

tutions, and finance companies, will continue to provide services that enable people who are willing to work hard to improve their lives through finance.

GMS will continue to promote truly sustainable business in Japan and in countries part of ASEAN by creating economic rationality while solving social issues such as poverty, considered to be one of the most important issues of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

GMS is a fintech startup working for financial inclusion by creating credit for the 1.7 billion poor and low-income people in the world. By analyzing vehicle data (driving status, speed, etc.) collected by the MCCS, an IoT device equipped with technology to remotely control vehicles, and financial data (payment status, etc.) obtained in conjunction with financial institutions, GMS visualizes the creditworthiness of drivers and create opportunities to utilize financial services such as loans and leases for those who are unable to qualify for conventional credit screening. As of October 2020, GMS has raised a cumulative total of 5.6 billion yen in recognition of its business model of addressing social issues by creating job opportunities for poor and low-income people in Japan and in ASEAN countries (Philippines, Cambodia, and Indonesia).

Tech & Gadgets

PH jumps to 86 in global mobile internet speeds th

T

HE Philippines’ mobile internet speed broke the top 100 as it jumped to 111th to 86th spot in January 2021 from the same period last year, according to a report obtained from global internet testing leader Ookla.

The latest data from Ookla— a web service that provides free analysis of Internet access performance metrics —revealed that the Philippines' ranking in terms of mobile internet speeds is up by 10 spots from December, even beating Russia, Malaysia, Peru and Jordan.

Ookla's Mobile internet speed test covers 140 nations.

Ookla revealed that the local telco space recorded an average download mobile internet speed of up to 25.77 megabits per second (Mbps), while the average upload speed, meanwhile, was at 6.29 Mbps.

The steady climb was also noted in December, when the Philippines saw its ranking up by 14 spots in the same category.

For the Fixed Broadband, the country kept its 100th spot out of 175 countries last month.

Download speed was at 32.73 Mbps in January, while upload speed reached 31.64 Mbps.

The government has been assisting telcos in their network buildup through the strict implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act or the Republic Act 11032.

The government has cut the processing of securing permits for the deployment of towers, with the National Telecommunications Commission reporting

that in 2019, a monthly average of 63 permits were issued for Globe and a monthly average of 50 for Smart. However, the average monthly number of permits issued on July to December 2020 rose by 552.65% (348 permits) for Globe and 194.33% (97 permits) for Smart.

The fast-tracking of the issuance

of permits resulted in an increase in building cellular towers. From July to December 2020, a total of 2,939 additional towers/physical sites were built.

The country has a total of 22,834 cellular tower/sites to date with Globe having 10,395, Smart and DITO having 10,079 and 2,360 respectively.

All-day performance smartphone vivo Y31 packs impressive gaming specs GAMING, particularly mobile gaming, unsurprisingly saw a dramatic jump in 2020 with people looking for ways to cope with the lockdowns. With the growing demand and changing needs of today’s mobile gamers, vivo introduces the gem that is in Y31: an all-day smartphone with a powerful processor, longer battery life, and smart design that is easy to hold.

All-day gaming and general entertainment is guaranteed in the latest vivo Y31.

It runs on the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 662 octa-core processor and in Android 11 with the FunTouch OS 11, which has more than enough power to support extended gaming.

Worry-less gaming is also guaranteed with vivo Y31’s longer battery life.

The new smartphone is powered by a 5000mAh battery that supports several hours of exhilarating game time, and complemented with an 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM storage capacity. Collectively, these features make seamless and lag-free transfers possible from one game app to the next.

Recharging the vivo Y31 is also favorable for every active gamer. It is equipped

with the 18W fast charge which fills it up with power faster than most mid-range mobile phones.

With its lightness, the new smartphone is an ideal handheld device for all-day gaming. The phone’s 8.36mm slim form makes the advisable gaming hand positions easy to follow. With ring and middle fingers against the back of the phone, index fingers curled over the top corners, little fingers aligned under the bottom of the device, and the thumb free to interact on the screen, the vivo Y31 is designed with every gamer’s success in mind.

Further adding excitement to each game is vivo Y31’s 6.58-inch FHD (Full High Definition) and Halo FullView™ display for an immersive gaming experience.

Aside from its game-perfect specs, the vivo Y31 is also packed with a stunning 48-megapixel main camera which is supported with a 2-megapixel bokeh camera and another 2-megapixel macro camera.

In between mobile game tournaments, one can document the rest of life’s selfieideal pleasures with the phone’s 8-megapixel front camera.

It’s always ‘Game face on!’ with the powerful gaming specs of the vivo Y31.

Running on the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 662 octa-core processor and with a longer-life and fast-charging battery, the new smartphone elevates your gaming experience for a friendly price of P12,999.

From ‘Mobile Legends’ to ‘Call of Duty’, the newly-launched vivo Y31 is provisioned to propel your gaming experience to new heights for a friendly price of P12,999.

For more details about this new

smartphone, you can visit https:// www.vivoglobal.ph/phone/vivoY31/ or follow vivo Philippines on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Visit the official vivo store on Shopee and Lazada.

PH tech startup aims to connect the world with one app

By Peter Paul Duran CABANATUAN CITY— This tech startup is aiming high to connect 4.66 billion internet users in around the globe.

And according to its founder, this ambitious goal starts its humble journey in this bustling rural city.

“This application can impact the

world, it can change the way we consume and use social media an the internet. Buong mundo and magbe-benefit.

I’m so happy na magaganap ito sa probinsya,” said FRM Group CEO Falwell Manzano during the recent launch of their super app NextGen. Manzano said his omnichannel mobile app was conceived with the objective of unifying almost every useful

application currently available in the market.

The company also says that the conception of the application came from the demand for a better application that “could simplify one's life."

Manzano said he wants to remove the complexity of purchasing subscriptions to various applications just to obtain its premium services.

FRM Group CEO Falwell Manzano (fourth from right) and wife COO Ruby Gladys Mari are flanked by the tech team behind NextGen.

"We want to simplify the user interface for the public as well as remove the complexity of shifting from one application to another as NextGen can do so with just a swipe," Manzano explained.

NextGen will function like a folder of applications and will have what most applications offer, from music, to social media services as well as hotel bookings and a buy and sell platform.

This, along with other functions will be united through a single account, removing the need to remember a lot of passwords for different accounts from various applications.

FRM Group also said that NextGen will be available for download both in IOS and Google Playstore in the coming months.

While the application is still on its initial phase, Manzano aims to accomplish at least 300,000 downloads with the same number of users for its first year.

In the future, Manzano and his team plans to further innovate and enhance their app by acquiring partnerships with various institutions such as banks and hotels to further expand the use case of NextGen.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

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NBA, Smart launch league’s official digital PH destination THE National Basketball Association and digital services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) on Thurdday announced the relaunch of NBA.com/Philippines, the league’s official digital destination in the country.

The announcements build on the NBA and Smart’s existing partnership to provide Smart subscribers with access to NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service, and NBA.Smart, Smart’s overthe-top service that livestreams NBA TV Philippines, a localized version of the NBA’s dedicated 24/7 channel.

The online NBA destination will offer Filipino fans access to game highlights, stats, standings, scores, schedules and more. In addition, NBA.com/Philippines will offer localized content, including recaps and analysis from its roster of sports reporters and basketball personalities, as well as a weekly podcast titled “NBA Hype Squad,” which will feature discussions hosted by local influencers about the latest league news. As part of Smart’s promotions, the network will provide its prepaid and postpaid subscribers access to editorial content on NBA.com/Philippines without incurring data charges.

“We’re excited to partner with Smart and relaunch NBA.com/Philippines as we continue to expand our digital footprint in the country,” said Ramez Sheikh, NBA Asia Head of Global Content and Media Distribution. “Through our redesigned destination, fans will be able to connect with their favorite teams and players through instant access to NBA news and original content.”

“This is a huge milestone not only for Smart, but also for Filipino fans who now have a dedicated new platform to follow their idols, stay up-todate on games, and engage with fans who share the same passion for hardcourt action,” said Smart President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio. “NBA.com/ Philippines bolsters our line-up of NBA offerings for Smart subscribers, which embodies our “It’s all here” campaign tagline and reflects our commitment to bringing the world’s premier basketball league closer to fans nationwide.”

Smart users can watch the 2020-21 NBA season by subscribing to NBA League Pass, which is offered in monthly and 3-Game Choice packages at P485 and P85, respectively. NBA League Pass provides the most comprehensive live and on-demand access to an entire season of NBA games in high-definition with live stats and additional camera angles including NBA Mobile View, which delivers a closer shot of the action optimized for viewing on mobile devices.

Additionally, Smart prepaid customers can watch the livestream of NBA TV Philippines by subscribing to Smart’s data packages by dialing *123#, choosing GIGA VIDEO 99 and registering their mobile and ticket number on NBA. Smart. GIGA VIDEO provides 1 GB for watching videos on NBA League Pass, YouTube and Cignal Play as well as 2 GB of additional data per week.

Smart subscribers can visit www. smart.com.ph and follow Smart’s social media accounts on Facebook and @ livesmart on Instagram and Twitter for more details on promotions and services.

5FromTIPS...

C2 see every on-screen detail in ultra high definition, with an image resolution of 3840x2160, equivalent to 8.3 megapixels. This TV runs the Vidaa U Operating system, where you can access your favorite video content providers, download fun apps, or simply watch live TV. It also runs the VEWD App Store, an HTML5-based storefront of exciting apps, all optimized for TV. This TV is HDR compatible for an expanded contrast ratio and color palette that offers a more realistic and natural image. With its built-in Bluetooth function, you can easily send the audio of your TV to an external speaker without using any cables. The Devant 43” Smart 4K TV is equipped with Anyview Cast, which allows you to wirelessly sync your mobile devices to your TV. You can also view anything from your gadget on your TV screen through Anyview Cast’s screen mirroring function.

Devant 43” Smart 4K TV specs include: Ultra HD 3840x2160, Vidaa U Operating System, VEWD App Store, YouTube, Netflix, HDR Compatible, Bluetooth Function Bonding at home is truly more meaningful with Devant. To find out more about the #SpaceSaver43 Condo TV, as well as other products, check out the Devant Flagship store at (https://bit.ly/ DevantLaz9) LazMall and (https://bit. ly/DevantShp9) Shopee Mall.

Devant products are also available in leading appliance stores nationwide.

Follow Devant on Facebook (www. facebook.com/devant.tv), Instagram (www.instagram.com/devanttv), and Youtube Devant Official Channel for the latest updates.

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

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BU Dhabi, UAE —Eighteen-yearold Frenchman Pierre-Louis Chovet is the hot favourite to clinch the 2021 F3 Asian Championship Certified

by FIA title as the series prepares for the seasonclosing triple-header at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit from February 18-20. The Pinnacle Motorsport driver has so far won six of the 12 races, three from pole position giving him a 100% conversion rate.

Guaranteed to give the young pretender a run for his money though is China’s Zhou Guanyu with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema.

The 21-year-old 2021 Alpine Academy driver won the opening two races of the season before a DNF in Race 3 dealt a blow to his title aspirations. Since then, however, nine consecutive double-digit points scores put him just 32 points adrift of Chovet in the driver classification.

Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd.’s Jehan Daruvala has endured a season of mixed fortunes so far, but remains in mathematical title contention ahead of the final round.

The 22-year-old won three of the six races in Rounds 2 and 3 at the Yas Marina track, all from pole, so is expected to be a force to be reckoned with when the championship returns there this week.

Along with the championship title comes 18 coveted FIA Super Licence points, with the runner-up taking 14, and the final point awarded to the ninth-place finisher in the Driver Classification. That means there is plenty to fight for even for those no longer in championship contention.

Currently fourth and fifth respectively in the Driver Classification are 3Y Evans GP’s Isack Hadjar, who took five podiums

New player in car industry raises prices

F3 Asian Championship prepares for title decider after seven podium finishes. The reigning French F4 champion leads team mate Reece Ushijima by 14 points in the Rookie Cup standings, but both drivers should watch out for Turkish esports ace Cem Bolukbasi.

The BlackArts Racing driver has taken six Rookie Cup podiums so far this year and trails Iwasa by just 26 points ahead of the final round.

The fourth season of the F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA has exceeded all expectations, pitching new talent just emerging from the ranks of karting and F4 against experienced FIA F2 drivers, potentially on the brink of F1 breakthroughs, with intriguing results. As the series prepares for the final showdown on the stunning F1 Yas Marina Circuit, three more fascinating encounters lie ahead.

F3 Asian Championship in action at Yas Marina Circuit of Abu Dhabi.

in nine races, and Ferrari Driver Academy Swede Dino Beganovic, who notched up four podiums in the first three rounds with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema. Having completed their championship stints as planned, both drivers bowed out ahead of Round 4, so will drop down the leaderboard by the end of the season. Beganovic

A JOHNNY-COME-LATELY in the auto market, Legado Motors, Inc., the official distributor of GAC Motor in the Philippines, has announced an increase in the prices of its whole vehicle line-up effective March 1.

The price increase is being carried out after the Bureau of Customs released a Customs Memorandum Order stating the directive of the Department of Trade and Industry to add more tariff rate on imported vehicles, the company said.

Most of the car companies have an-

was replaced by Spaniard David Vidales in Round 4, and the 18-year-old immediately impressed with a second-place finish in Race 12.

3Y Evans GP’s Patrik Pasma, currently sixth in the standings, is definitely a driver to watch after a strong performance in Round 4, which saw the 20-year-old Finn

take victory in Race 11 and a podium finish in Race 12.

Hitech Grand Prix Red Bull Junior Driver Ayumu Iwasa sits seventh in the overall driver standings ahead of team mate Roy Nissany, and leads the Rookie Cup having scored his maiden class win in Race 10

nounced their respective price hikes as a resut of the additional tariff imposed on imported autos.

Starting March 1, Legado Motors, Inc. said it will set a P78,000 price increase on its current vehicle line-up -- the GA4, GS3, GS4, GN8, and the GS8.

With barely a month left before the implementation of the price increase, customers may still avail of the vehicle models at their current prices, Legado Motors said.

Pierre-Louis Chovet

FASTLANE

Hino boosts ties with J&T Express PURSUING its commitment to provide comprehensive logistical support for the fast shipment and safe delivery of products across the country, Hino Motors Philippines (HMP), the exclusive distributor of Hino trucks and buses in the country, entered into a strategic partnership yet again with J&T Express Philippines.

The continued partnership between the two leading brands in the local transport and logistic industries allows Hino to broaden its market further and J&T Express Philippines to grow its fleet operations with a total of 202 units of Hino trucks. The signing ceremony, which was held at Hino Motors Philippines’ headquarters in Calamba City, Laguna on February 3, was graced by HMP Chairman Vicente T. Mills, Jr., Vice President for Sales Oliver Dela Cruz, Hino Paranaque President Edward Tan and J&T Express Philippines Chief Executive Officer Dean Ding. Strict compliance with health and

safety protocols was observed during the event.

“We at Hino Motors Philippines are glad to support the government’s efforts in reviving the country’s economy by providing mobility channels to local businesses such as J&T Express. Having worked with J&T Express last November, we know that they give their full trust and confidence in us as their partner. J&T Express and its partners can be assured of a quality and reliable mobility service that offers Total Support to its partners and customers wherever they are in the Philippines. We have always been passionate in moving people and goods safely and efficiently, and have always been a reliable partner to small and medium business owners. This 2021, we are committing to connecting even more Filipino entrepreneurs to their customers,” shares Hino Motors Philippines Chairman Vicente T. Mills, Jr.

‘Live the Ranger life’ A REFRESHED lineup of Ford Ranger ariants has just been unveiled in a virtual launching that coincides with the US-based automaker’s promotional campaign ‘Live the Ranger Life.’

“Our new Ford Ranger lineup will allow us to continue building on our leadership in the pickup segment in the country,” says PK Umashankar, president and managing director, Ford Philippines. “The new Ranger is set to deliver on its promise of functionality and capability while enabling the diverse needs and lifestyles of our customers.”

The new Ranger wears a bolder look and new design elements, giving it a stronger impression and tougher stance on the road.

The new Ranger Wildtrak variants feature a new eye-catching trapezoidal shape grille with Saber accents, reflecting the Ranger’s brand of unmatched design. Complementing this bolder look are painted gloss black wheels and gloss black accents on its front grille, lower bumper, rear bumper, fog lamp bezel, exterior mirrors, fender grille, sports bar with Saber insert, roof rail, and tailgate handle, as well as new ‘Wildtrak’ decals on the side door and a 3D ‘Wildtrak’ decal on the tailgate.

Exclusive on the 4x4 Wildtrak as an optional offer for customers is the power roller shutter, a load compartment accessory which is an original equipment from Ford. It is fully automatic with three power buttons located in the dashboard, remote key and pick-up bed for easy access and comes with power tailgate lock.

Meanwhile, the Ranger XLT variant comes with a new front grille with chrome accents and exterior gloss black accents on the

front grille, exterior mirrors, door handles, and fog lamp bezel.

Ranger XLS variants, on the other hand, come with a new front grille.

Bringing the Ranger’s values and persona to life, Ford also unveiled the new ‘Live the Ranger Life’ philosophy, aiming to highlight and celebrate the many ways that the renowned strength and engineering capabilities of the Ranger reflects and support its customers’ personal goals and drive in life, centered around five (5) guiding values: Up and Over—There’s no challenge we don’t tackle head on.

When we see a mountain range we want to go over, not around.

This is true of our truck, users, Ford and partners.

Can’t Help But Help—We are doers. We pitch in. When people need help or assistance we’re always there. On the building site, helping friends or loved ones, or our dealers within their local communities.

Where There Isn’t a Path, Carve One—We are the truck that redefined the category. We don’t wait for others to lead. We have a vision and objective and we’re fearless in what we need to do to achieve our goals.

Bring Others Along the Journey—It’s great to work hard and achieve recognition, but even better to share it with those who mean the most - our family and friends.

We Make Our Own Fun— There’s no such thing as all work and no play. And when it’s time to play, we know how to make the most of those opportunities. Our truck is awesome and fun to drive

HMP signs a partnership deal with J&T Express Philippines for the 202 units of Hino trucks. FROM LEFT: HMP Vice President for Sales Oliver Dela Cruz, J&T Express Philippines Chief Executive Officer Dean Ding, HMP Chairman Vicente T. Mills, Jr. and Hino Paranaque President Edward Tan.

Victory Liner’s Caloocan shop : ISO re-certified THE Caloocan maintenance shop of heritage transportation company Victory Liner Inc., (VLI) has once again been recertified for ISO 9001:2015, making them one of the only bus transport companies with an ISO-certified maintenance depot. The ISO 9001:2015 is an international standard dedicated to Quality Management Systems (QMS). The audit was conducted last January 12, 2021 by world-leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company SGS. The recertification, awarded by SGS Philippines Inc., means that Victory Liner has successfully demonstrated the ability to consistently provide services that meet not just customer needs, but regulatory requirements as well, for another year running.

At the Caloocan maintenance shop, all VLI buses undergo periodic schedules of preventive maintenance. Rigorous checks and well-planned preventive maintenance

systems ensure that passengers are riding in well maintained and properly disinfected units. All these form part of the company’s safety protocols during this pandemic. Drivers and conductors feel safe when driving the bus, knowing that the occurrence of a breakdown in the middle of a journey is highly unlikely.

At the Caloocan maintenance shop, all VLI buses undergo periodic schedules of preventive maintenance.