Manila Standard - 2021 February 22 - Monday

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‘Vaccine first, MGCQ later’ Rody's ally, other senators urge caution amid surging MM cases

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rio N. Araja and Willie Casas

ENATORS urged caution Sunday amid a push by some government officials to ease quarantine restrictions, even as researchers pointed to data showing COVID-19 infections spreading faster in Metro Manila than in the rest of the country.

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Despite calls from economic officials to place the entire country under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Senator Christopher

VOL. XXXV • NO. 12 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Go said he believed vaccines need to be rolled out before further relaxing quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila and other areas with a high incidence of COVID-19 cases.

“Times are so dangerous. The life of every Filipino is important… We can earn money but life cannot be bought with the money we will earn,” he said.

Go said he is open to relaxing quarantine protocols in the coming months once the national vaccine program has begun.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also counseled caution.

In a close 9-to-8 vote, Metro Manila mayors said they would recommend dropping to an MGCQ by March to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) as a way to revive the Next page economy.

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

Next page

(AS OF 4 PM FEB. 21)

561,169 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,888 26,238 NEW

ACTIVE

12,088

20

DEATHS

NEW

522,843 9,737

’Auring’ fury sends families fleeing homes

RECOVERIES

NEW

Robredo strikes back at Marcos, eyes 2022 run

THOUSANDS of families in the Visayas and Mindanao have fled their homes ahead of tropical storm “Auring's” projected landfall, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Sunday.

A total of 3,162 families or 10,911 individuals were pre-emptively evacuated in Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga, according to the NDRRMC's latest report.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains in place over several areas in Mindanao and in Eastern Samar where Auring, international name “Dujuan”, is expected to make landfall by Sunday evening or Monday morning, PAGASA said on Sunday afternoon.

Auring continued to maintain its strength as it began to move northwestNext page ward of the Philippines.

Heavy rains brought about by Tropical Storm Auring (Dujuan) caused massive flooding in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur, according to Gov. Ayec Pimentel, who showed photos of flooded houses near a swolen river. Forced evacuation has been ordered and rescuers went to work to get residents to higher ground, although some tried to resist. Pimentel's FB page; Tandag SRU

DOH confirms 18 new cases of UK variant

By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH), the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the UPNational Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) on Sunday confirmed that 18 additional UK variant cases of COVID-19 have

been detected.

In a statement, the DOH said the new cases brought the total number of UK variant (B.1.1.7) cases in the country to 62.

The DOH also reported that local mutations N501Y and E484K were both present in 29 of 50 samples taken from

Region 7 (Central Visayas).

Thirteen of the B.1.1.7 cases were from returning overseas Filipino workers who entered the country between Jan. 3 and Jan. 27, 2021. All of these cases are now tagged as recovered and the DOH is investigating compliance with o isolation

UN condemns Myanmar regime YANGON—A lethal attack on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar sparked fresh UN condemnation of the country's new military regime on Sunday, as mourners held a funeral for a young woman who became a national symbol of resistance to the junta.

Authorities have gradually ratcheted up their tactics against a massive and largely peaceful civil disobedience campaign demanding the return of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Saturday marked the deadliest day so

By Rey E. Requejo

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director Reildrin Morales said.

In a television interview, he said about 442,000 hogs have already been culled to stem the spread of the ASF disease.

“But I'd like to add that several of the places previously affected by ASF have not recorded a fresh case in the past 90 days,” said Morales, who is the executive Next page

Novak on Cloud 9 at Australian Open PEERLESS world number one Novak Djokovic demolished Russia's Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to win his ninth Australian Open title and extend his record-breaking reign at Melbourne Park Sunday.

Djokovic overpowered the fourth seed 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in front of 7,400 fans on Rod Laver Arena to end the Russian's unbeaten run at 20 matches.

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Filipinos in US warned against ‘hate campaign’ ALL Filipinos in the United States have been urged to exercise caution and vigilance after the US Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin on the socalled “heightened threat environment” in America following the January 21 inauguration of President Joe Biden.

ASF afflicts 2,361 barrios—task force SOME 2,361 barangays across the country have been affected by the African swine fever, Task Force on Swine Diseases

Next page

VICE President Leni Robredo said the refusal of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to accept defeat in the 2016 elections “casts a doubt on the integrity” of democratic institutions in the country.

She said the refusal of her opponent in the vice presidential race five years ago to accept the decision of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal “This is unfortunate because this is not just between the two of us. This is not just a Marcos vs Robredo fight.

If you destroy our democratic institutions, you destroy our country,” the Vice President said during her weekend radio show.

The Marcos camp earlier argued that the Presidential Electoral Tribunal's

Next page

FRESH WHIFF. Farmers unload fresh crops as La Trinidad, Benguet experiences a dipping cold temperature of 7.9 degrees on Sunday. In Baguio City, the mercury dips at 9 degrees but still way off record low at 6.3 degrees in January 1961. Metro Manila also cools down at 19.3 degrees owing to amihan. Dave Leprozo

UA plane engine catches fire A UNITED Airlines plane suffered a fiery engine failure Saturday shortly after taking off from Denver for Hawaii, dropping massive debris on a residential area before a safe emergency landing, officials said.

A video shot from inside the aircraft—which had

231 passengers and 10 crew onboard – showed the right engine ablaze and wobbling on the wing of the Boeing 777-200, its cover entirely missing as the aircraft flew over a barren landscape.

There were no injuries on the plane or on the ground, Next page authorities said.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Bangon aid plan assured of funds He said a third cash subsidy for the income amid the loss of jobs and the inflafamilies hardest hit by the global econom- tion in food prices. ic turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic The government recently reported was "necessary to help boost household P452 billion in unused funds from the

2020 national budget and P204 million in its unobligated cash balance, he said.

The proposed cash aid’s budget would be sourced from the unused and unobligated funds under the 2020 and 2021 General Appropriations Act. “Imagine if we inject P200 billion into the economy now, that would pump-prime it,” Villafuerte said.

“That money will circulate to buy necessities and to be used for livelihood and businesses while we wait for the COVID-19 vaccine for our mass immunization program.”

Villafuerte said the high unemployment rate and escalating prices of food and other basic commodities underscored

the need for the House of Representatives to immediately approve the BPP bill.

On Friday, the Department of Labor and Employment asked for more funds for wage subsidies this year for the 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 did not provide for such a wage subsidy, which would run for about three months.

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

With the high number of cases, she said, the country's response should be urgent.

Meanwhile, Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo on Sunday urged the government to come up with a number of indicators to determine the readiness of a particular area to be placed under an MGCQ. In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, she said while she supports a proposal to reopen the economy, the government must address “how it should be done.”

“There are provinces that are COVIDfree for such a long time, but there are cities, especially in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, that have more increasing cases,” she said.

The Marikina lawmaker suggested to the government to adopt a set of indicators to identify which area could be placed under MGCQ. “There must be automatic indicators, meaning to say, if cases in a local government unit surpass a certain number of cases per population, automatically, that cannot be under MGCQ. It should be stricter,” she said.

Researchers from the University of the Philippines who have been tracking the pandemic said Saturday that daily Department of Health (DOH) reports showed a slightly upward trend in Metro Manila.

The OCTA Research Team said while the overall trend in the Philippine was flat, the reproduction number in Metro Manila increased to 1.13 in the past week.

A reproduction number of one or high-

er is an indication of the continuous transmission of the virus.

The researchers said Metro Manila averaged about 430 new COVID-19 cases daily for the last seven days, a 16 percent increase from the previous average of 370 new cases a day.

Some local government units even reported spikes in COVID-19 cases.

“This increase may be due to the Chinese New Year or Valentine’s day effects.

It cannot be ruled out that a SARS-Cov2 variant is involved in the sudden spikes,” the OCTA report said.

OCTA Research has warned of a surge in COVID-19 cases should authorities ease quarantine measures following the National Economic and Development Authority’s proposal to place the Philippines under an MGCQ. Particularly noteworthy were the number of cases in Pasay City, which had nearly doubled, putting it in the high-risk category and leading to a localized lockdown.

It also said that while the upward trend in Cebu has slowed slightly, the city has still reported an average of 192 new cases per day in the last seven days.

“Its reproduction number was 1.54, confirming that the rate of spread of COVID-19 decreased very slightly,” OCTA said.

“The upward trends in some LGUs in NCR and Cebu indicate that the pandemic is not yet under control, as the DOH un-

dertakes to conduct more bio-surveillance testing in areas of concern,” the researchers said.

The country reported 1,888 new infections Sunday, bringing total infections since the pandemic began to 561,169.

The DOH reported 20 new fatalities, bringing the death toll from COVID-19 to 12,088.

The total number of recoveries also climbed to 522,843 after 9,737 more patients recovered from the respiratory illness.

This left 26,238 active cases that are undergoing treatment or under quarantine.

Earlier, the DOH, University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center, and the UP-National Institutes of Health confirmed that 18 additional UK COVID-19 variant cases had been detected.

In a statement, the DOH said the new cases brought the total UK variant cases in the country to 62.

Worldwide, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 111 million people and caused over 2.46 million deaths since it first emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The United States remains the most badly affected country with over 28 million infections and over 497,000 deaths.

India follows with 10.99 million infections. Brazil ranks third with 10.1 million infections but is second in terms of deaths with over 245,000 COVID-19 fatalities.

es or returning overseas Filipinos.

Meanwhile, the Center for Health Development Central Visayas has been notified of the additional cases found with mutations and an investigation is now underway to aid in curbing transmission.

Case investigation and contact tracing for these new detections have also been jointly initiated by the DOH through the Bureau of Quarantine, Centers for Health Development, and regional epidemiology and surveillance units (RESU), in close coordination with concerned LGUs, local health offices, local epidemiology and surveillance units, and law enforcement authorities.

The DOH, UP-PGC, and UP-NIH are preparing to submit these new findings to the World Health Organization and the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influen-

za Data (GISAID) to aid in the ongoing global effort to track and study new and emerging genomic changes in the SARSCOV-2 virus, which vaccine manufacturers may use to to recalibrate vaccines and ensure efficacy against COVID-19.

The DOH said Saturday it was not ruling out the possibility that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas could have been caused by the two recently detected “mutations of concern.”

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the recently detected mutations were most probably a factor in the increase in the number of cases in Cebu.

On Friday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it was still difficult to attribute the rising COVID-19 cases in the region to the new coronavirus mutations.

DOH Region 7 on Thursday said the

mutations E484K and N501Y were detected in 37 of 50 samples from Cebu that were sequenced by the Philippine Genome Center. Of these, 29 cases had both mutations.

In their latest report, OCTA Research said the number of new cases in Cebu City rose by 30 percent from the previous week to 123 new infections daily from Feb. 1 to 7.

Meanwhile, the positivity rates in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu remained above 10 percent. The World Health Organization’s benchmark is 5 percent or lower.

Last week, the DOH Epidemiology Bureau noted a “steep” uptick of COVID-19 infections in Cebu province and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue but said the increase was not translating to a high healthcare utilization rate.

it to them,” she said.

Meanwhile, Robredo said she is open to the possibility of gunning for the presidency in the national elections next year.

“I know I have an obligation at the national level. I know there are people who are urging me to run, at least our allies are urging me to run for president.

So to me that is the default,” she told GMA News in a separate interview.

“The circumstances can still change.

Perhaps the earliest I can make a decision is in September, just before the filing. But right now I am open to anything. Wherever I am needed, I will go there,” she added.

’Auring’...

NDRRMC. Two roads and one bridge remain impassable in Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao, it added.

The Philippine Coast Guard monitored 4,246 passengers, drivers and cargo helpers stranded in different ports across the country due to “Auring.”

As of noon Sunday, 75 vessels, a motorboat and 1,804 rolling cargoes were stranded in Northern Mindanao, Northeastern Mindanao, the Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Bicol.

The local government of Calatrava, Romblon, has announced a suspension of work on Monday.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has provided initial relief stockpiles and standby funds worth P1.2 billion, Malacañang said in a statement.

The Department of Health has prepositioned P19.5 million worth of medicines, medical supplies and health kits in its Centers for Health Development, it added.

By Rio N. Araja

C

AMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte said Sunday the funds for the proposed Bangon Pamilyang Pilipino assistance program to provide low-income and vulnerable households with P10,000 in cash assistance are available under the unused appropriations and unobligated funds in the national budget.

’Vaccine...

From A1

But Zubiri said he sided with the eight mayors who voted against easing restrictions because new, more transmissible variants of COVID-19 are already in the country.

He said Metro Manila would be more vulnerable to the new variants because of its dense population.

"So far, our contamination rate is less than 2,000 people [a day] but if we will suddenly open, there might be a surge," Zubiri said.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said if restrictions are to be eased, these should be done so slowly in densely populated areas.

Face-to-face classes, he said, should reopen only in areas where there are no or very few COVID-19 cases.

The President's economic team earlier proposed that the country be put under an MGCQ to revive its ailing economy.

The more relaxed community quarantine will allow industries previously prevented from operating to resume or reopen.

But Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday questioned the proposal, saying the country still lagged its Asian neighbors in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which have not even arrived yet. Even Rwanda in Africa has already begun vaccinating its people, she said.

DOH...

From A1

protocols and the contact tracing done for these cases.

Three other B.1.1.7 cases are from the Cordillera Administrative Region, two of which, both 12-year-old males, are connected to the original cluster from Samoki, Bontoc, Mountain Province. The third case, a 41-year-old female, is connected to the first La Trinidad cluster. All three cases are now tagged as recovered and all close contacts have completed quarantine following immediate contact tracing and isolation to swiftly contain transmission among the Bontoc and La Trinidad clusters.

On the other hand, two cases are currently being verified if these are local cas-

Robredo...

From A1

dismissal of his poll protest does not include his third cause of action, which seeks to annul election results in three provinces in Mindanao.

Marcos lawyer and spokesperson Vic Rodriguez their third cause of action might proceed independently from the manual recount and judicial revision.

Robredo, however, said Marcos owes his supporters an apology for feeding them lies for the past five years.

“His propaganda that he was cheated – the people who believed him, he owes

UN...

From A1

far in more than two weeks of nationwide street demonstrations after two people were killed when security forces fired upon a rally, while a third man was shot dead in Yangon overnight.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the use of "deadly violence" against the crowd in Mandalay.

"The use of lethal force, intimidation & harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable," Guterres wrote.

Security forces in the country's second-largest city had attempted to raid a shipyard and detain port staff on strike to protest against the army takeover.

Medical rescue workers said troops used live rounds and rubber bullets against a crowd of people who had started flinging rocks in an effort to stop the arrests.

"Two people were killed," said Hlaing Min Oo, the chief of a Mandalaybased volunteer emergency rescue team.

Another 30 were wounded, with half of the injuries from live rounds, he added.

A graphic video circulated on Facebook showing a teenaged victim, splayed on the ground and bleeding from his head as a bystander placed a hand on his chest to feel for a heartbeat.

State media made no mention of the deaths but blamed demonstrators for the affray and said protest leaders had been detained.

"Some" protesters had been injured by security forces, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported, along with three soldiers and eight police officers.

In a separate incident on Saturday, a 30-year-old man was killed in Yangon while patrolling the neighbourhood as part of an initiative to guard against nighttime arrests of activists.

Tin Htut Hein's sister-in-law said he had been shot dead by police.

"His wife is now heartbroken," she said. "They have a four-year-old son."

Large crowds had returned to the streets of Mandalay on Sunday, undeterred by the previous day's violence, with rallies also staged further south in Yangon.

In the capital Naypyidaw, a funeral service was held for a young protester who died Friday after being shot in the head during a rally last week.

Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who turned 20 last week as she lay unconscious in a hospital bed, has since become a potent symbol of the campaign against military rule.

A large motorbike guard of honour accompanied her funeral procession, alongside vehicles adorned with floral wreaths and large photos of the grocery store worker. AFP

From A1

The Office of Civil Defense in Bicol on Sunday placed the region under a blue alert status in view of the anticipated effects of “Auring”.

OCD Bicol spokesperson Gremil Alexis Naz said the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is currently focused on the storm’s possible effects.

Under the blue alert status, Naz said, all local DRRMCs have been told to closely monitor and coordinate in their respective areas of responsibility.

“Auring” storm has affected a total of 1,410 families or 5,475 people in 40 villages in Northern Mindanao and Caraga, the council said. Of this figure, some 1,297 or 5,054 people are staying in 37 evacuation centers.

Strong winds and rainfall also damaged 44 houses in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, according to the

Filipinos...

From A1

In an advisory posted in its website, the Philippine Consulate General’s office in Los Angeles urged all Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in Southern California, Southern Nevada and the State of Arizona to be vigilant and exercise precautions following a “heightened threat environment” across the US. “Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objection to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,” the consular advisory said, citing a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin issued by the US Department of Homeland Security.

The NTAS bulletin takes effect from January 27, 2021, to April 30, 2021.

“Filipinos and Filipino-Americans are therefore advised to exercise vigilance, take safety precautions, avoid areas of protests, heed local government bulletins and carry emergency and medical contact details,” the consulate said.

On January 6, 2021, hundreds of proDonald Trump rioters stormed the US Congress building on Capitol Hill that resulted in the death of four people and forcing lawmakers to evacuate to safety, including then Vice President Mike Pence.

The US Department of Homeland Security has raised concern that a range of issues that motivated Domestic Violent Extremists will remain through early 2021 and some may be emboldened by the Jan. 6 insurrection in the US Capitol to target elected officials and government facilities.

Among the issues that may drive the so-called DVEs to carry out violence includes anger over the COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results and the police’s use of force.

WORLD ROUNDUP

Vaccine doses exceed 200m, says AFP tally THE number of coronavirus vaccine doses administered worldwide passed 200 million Saturday, an AFP count showed, as wealthy G7 countries pledged to more than double aid to support access for the less well-off.

With 45 percent of injections so far among the rich club – which accounts for just 10 percent of the global population – the G7 on Friday said its aid to projects like the World Health Organization's Covax now amount to $7.5 billion.

The increased pledges from the US, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada came as permanent UN Security Council member Britain showed a draft resolution to other countries on the global body, calling for wealthy nations to share doses with poor and war-torn states.

Australia starts mass vaccination Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout began Sunday, with top officials among a small group receiving the first jabs a day before the vaccination programme starts in earnest.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was injected with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at a medical centre in Sydney's northwest, in what the government said was an effort to boost public confidence in the vaccinations.

Jane Malysiak, an aged care resident and WWII survivor in her 80s, was the country's first person to receive the vaccine, followed by health care workers and other officials. AFP

ASF...

From A1

director of the National Meat Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture.

He said the government has already distributed at least P1.3 billion to help hog raisers recover from the highly disease that has resulted in a decreased supply of pork and an increase in market prices of pork and pork products.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan said insurance must be given to hog-raisers as they continue to battle the effects of ASF, which he likened to being the “Covid of pigs.”

He said cash assistance and insurance, which would also necessitate reporting of ASF, would be more useful to ASFaffected hog-raisers.

According to stakeholders in Pangasinan, hog-raisers are asking for stricter animal quarantine inspection, investigation of possible new sources of ASF, an inter-agency task force to focus on the containment of ASF, and insurance protection.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, for her part, called on the DA to focus on scaling up the still limited efforts toward the prevention of ASF, saying the “runaway infection spread” has been the major contributor to the soaring pork price in the country.

UA...

From A1

"I can honestly say I thought we were going to die at one point – because we started dropping altitude right after the explosion," passenger David Delucia told The Denver Post.

"I grabbed my wife's hand and said, 'We're done.'"

Delucia said his stepdaughter tweeted the online video, which was shot by another passenger.

"Flight UA328 from Denver to Honolulu experienced an engine failure shortly after departure, returned safely to Denver and was met by emergency crews as a precaution," United Airlines said in a statement.

"The majority of customers originally on UA328 are currently on their way to Honolulu on a new flight," it added, saying those who did not wish to travel immediately had been provided with hotel accommodation.In a recording of the distress call obtained from the website LiveATC, which broadcasts air traffic communications, the pilot requested emergency permission to turn back to Denver. AFP

Novak...

From A1

In winning a third straight Australian Open for the second time, the Serb claimed his 18th Grand Slam title to move within two of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who have 20 each, while denying Medvedev his first.

Rarely has a player been so dominant at a single tournament with the Serb's record-extending ninth title moving him past Federer's eight at Wimbledon but still a long way behind the 13 Nadal has won at Roland Garros.

But it was a rollercoaster ride to get there, with Djokovic dropping five sets en route to the final and battling an abdominal injury that nearly forced him to pull out after the third round.

News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

A3

NSA defends use of funds for Davao

By Rio Araja AMID the tirades of the Makabayan bloc in Congress on the P1.58-billion counter-insurgency funds, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Sunday defended anew the inclusion of Davao City in the Barangay Development Program (BDP), of which several of its barangays would need development after being placed under the influence of the New People’s Army for over decades.

Esperon, the vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC), said the presence of the NPA has long beenan unwanted force that continues to impede the development of Mindanao, including the Davao region and Davao City.

“The fact remains that there are numerous isolated and remote barangays within Davao City. Hence, with the large land are of Davao City, there still a need for development and infrastructure for the growth of the city,” he said.

The government has identified 822 villages cleared of NPA threats to be included in the BDP to be carried out by the NTF-ELCAC. The program shall provide each barangay a P20-million socio-economic development package.

For Davao City, Esperon pointed out that the city is in need to school buildings to replace the Salugpungan schools which were operated as NPA training centers. There are 55 Salugpungan schools in the entire Davao Region.

Esperon denied supposed “general’s pork,” stressing that the BDP is envisioned with the end goal of bringing development to conflictprone communities in order to stop the NPA recruitment.

“It is our hope that through the BDP, vulnerable communities will no longer find themselves helpless against the conditions that forced them to have faith in the CPP-NPA and to join the communist armed insurgency,” he said.

“By transforming former areas of conflict, we are now one step closer to our collective aspiration as Filipinos for sustainable grassroots development and lasting peace,” he added.

CLEARED ROADS. This sidewalk is again free for pedestrians to use after the MMDA Task Force Special Operations and the local governments in Metro Manila teamed up to clear public streets of parked vehicles, including those illegally parked and obstructing the flow of traffic.

MMDA photo

Congress to pass 2 bills to hasten vax rollout H

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

OUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Sunday assured the public that a bill on establishing an indemnification fund for people who would suffer adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines would be passed.

“We welcome the President’s certification on the measure. The approval on second and on third reading this Monday’s session is a top priority,” he said.

“Congress is doing everything to expedite the process of ensuring safe and affordable vaccines for Filipinos,” he said.

“The proposed law will help speed up the procurement process and implementation of COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.

The President has certified as urgent

House Bill No. 8648 that would authorize local government units to directly buy COVID-19 vaccines from the manufacturers without a public bidding.

House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco filed HB No. 8648 or the proposed Emergency Vaccine Procurement Act of 2021with Romualdez, and Minority Leader and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano as co-authors.

Meanwhile, the Senate hopes to finish today (Monday) Senate Bill No.

HIDDEN ‘SHABU.’

Senator seeks safety nets for learners

Customs officials at the Port of Clark show a reading from the scanner that revealed the presence of methamphetamine or ‘shabu’ inside an air fryer imported from Sha Alam, Malaysia. The illegal drug was concealed in two plastic packs weighing 1,000 grams total with an estimated value of P6.8 million.

Customs teams then arrested the package’s claimant in Cebu City.

BOC Photo

By Macon Ramos-Araneta APART from the need to hasten learning recovery following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, learners’ continued access to safety nets adds urgency to the safe reopening of schools, Senator Win Gatchalian said on Sunday.

The lawmaker explained that other than providing education, schools also offer different programs to support vulnerable learners.

For some learners, the school-based feeding program is their only source of nutritious meals in a day. Schools also have healthcare programs such as immunization and deworming, while learners at risk of violence and abuse—which already on the rise amid pandemic—can access child protection programs.

Social interaction in the school setting would also benefit the mental well-being of learners, many of whom remain confined to their homes since the lockdowns.

By allowing the resumption of limited face-to-face classes, learners can receive better guidance from their teachers, Gatchalian reiterated.

2057 or the vaccination bill, which seeks to hasten the procurement and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines after the President certified it as urgent.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, sponsor of the bill, and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said they did not expect a bicameral conference committee to expedite passage of the bill.

He said they can just adopt one version of the bill-either the version of the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Zubiri said Senate Bill No. 2057 is actually their priority bill, which will be tackled first hour on Monday.

He said they have no other agenda for that day except the vaccination bill so they can finish it.

Senate Bill No. 2057 also seeks to protect local executives making advance payments for their vaccine purchases from lawsuits.

Charter change economic bill wins backing

AKO Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin on Sunday said he would sponsor before today’s plenary session the economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

“This is our chance to accelerate the country’s economic recovery from the devastating effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” he said.

He said he is hoping that the Senate would give economic constitutional amendments a chance and allow the people to decide through a referendum if they would support the constitutional changes or not.

He rallied support for Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s Resolution of Both Houses No. 2, which is up for plenary debates this week.

Voting 64-3 with 3 abstentions, Garbin’s committee on constitutional amendments adopted RBH 2 authored by Velasco that seeks to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the 34-year-old Charter by inserting the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to specific provisions of the Constitution -- five amendments to Article XII (National Patrimony and Economy), one amendment to Article XIV (Education, Science and Technology) and one amendment to Article XVI (General Provisions).

The measure prescribes a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the Constitution, requiring a vote of threefourths of all the members of Congress, each house voting separately.

On the other hand, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte maintained that the House leadership must call off altogether its twice-postponed plan to open plenary deliberations on the latest Charter change initiative to allow legislators focus their time and attention on helping Malacañang ensure the speedy and successful rollout of its COVID-19 vaccination program. Rio Araja

Maynilad plugs De Lima lauds US solons for calling for her release 22,500 leaking pipes in 2020

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

OPPOSITION Senator Leila M. de Lima is grateful to US Senators Ed Markey, Richard Durbin, and Patrick Leahy for renewing their call for her immediate release and full exoneration following her acquittal in one of her three drug charges.

Leahy is US Senate President ProTempore, second only to US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is concurrently the US Senate President. Durbin is the US Senate Majority Whip.

Both Leahy and Durbin are the ranking officials of the Democratic Party after President Joe Biden, Harris, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

De Lima thanked the three US lawmakers for vouching for her innocence amid the “bogus” drug charges against her and for their continued concern on her plight.

“It is clear that the charges against me are Duterte’s brainchild, and the three honorable US Senators are well aware of this as they know that the cases against me are bogus and manufac-

tured,” she said.

“I thank them not only for recognizing these facts, but also for their steadfast resolve to ensure that I get the justice that I deserve. To Senators Leahy, Durbin, and Markey, thank you for your continued trust and support for our shared causes for human rights, justice, and democracy,” De Lima added.

In a joint statement, the American senators welcomed the acquittal of De Lima on one of the “trumped-up” drug charges filed against her, but they maintained this was “clearly not enough.”

Pasay locks down 33 barangays as COVID infection rate doubles

GREENLAND FARM. Farmers gather their harvest from the new Greenland Farm in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. It is the first urban vegetable farm under the Buhay sa Gulay initiative of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Agriculture, and the Quezon City Government. The farm aims to promote urban farming and yielded 700 kilos of veggies in its first harvest. Manny Palmero

THE Pasay City government has locked down 33 barangays and one business establishment as it recorded an average of 44 new COVID-19 infections per day this week, according to the OCTA Research Team’s latest report on Saturday.

In a statement on Saturday, the city’s public information office said it has placed select barangays and an establishment on lockdown as part of the local government’s “control and containment strategy” against the coronavirus disease 2019.

OCTA has noted Pasay’s rate is nearly double the daily increase of 23 COV-

ID-19 cases the past week. Between January 30 and February 5, Pasay confirmed only around 18 infections daily.

City Administrator Dennis Acorda said Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano wants localized lockdowns for barangays with three or more COVID-19 cases.

Several personnel of the city government will augment the Philippine National Police and barangay to enforce health protocols.

Rubiano announced last February 9 that she herself tested positive for the virus and is now in isolation. With Joel E. Zurbano

By Othel V. Campos WEST Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. has plugged 22,500 pipe leaks in 2020, bringing total leaks repaired to almost 300,000 since its re-privatization in 2007 when it inherited one of the oldest pipe networks in Asia.

In a statement, the water company spent around P189 million in 2020 alone to repair pipe leaks, most of which were found on secondary and primary lines in Quezon City, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa.

“Notwithstanding pandemic-related restrictions, we continue to deploy field personnel to sustain our leak detection and repair activities. The more leaks we are able to repair, the more we can improve water pressure in the pipelines,” said Maynilad chief operating officer Randolph T. Estrellado.

Some of these leaks were not visible aboveground, requiring the use of state-of-the-art technology—such as the Sahara mobile leak detection system—to isolate and detect before repairs could be implemented.

The Sahara system accurately detects leaks, pockets of trapped gas, and structural defects in water lines, and Maynilad is reportedly the first Asian water utility company to use such technology.

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Cop kidnapped by 10 gunmen at Manila post

News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

By Willie Casas

CRUSHED.

A woman lies lifeless under an 18-wheeler truck at the corner of Quirino Highway and Mindanao Ave. in Quezon City on Sunday after she attempted to overtake the truck and make a U-turn while on board a motorcycle with her daughter, eyewitnesses said. The girl survived the incident, but told investigators her father had recently just passed away too. `

P9m in illegal items seized DOH-Calabarzon opens vaccine center, new lab

By Willie Casas THE Department of Health in Calabarzon has opened the Center for Vaccination and Clinical Laboratory located at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor City, Cavite.

“I commend the STRH family for continuously implementing development and reforms for the improvement of its services. We have to be prepared always to face the challenges in our health care system,” DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said during the blessing and inauguration of the facilities.

The construction of the STRH Vaccination Center and Clinical Laboratory started last October with a budget of P30 million.

Janairo added that the vaccination center will be used initially for the coming COVID-19 vaccination but will eventually expand to accommodate animal bite and routine immunizations.

Among the guests who witnessed the blessing and inauguration were Bacoor City Mayor Lanie Mercado Revilla, Assistant Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco, STRH Medical Chief Ruby Ephraim Rubiano, officials from the Bacoor local government, and staff of DOH-CALABARZON and STRH. The STRH also celebrated its 2nd Year Foundation Anniversary.

By Joel E. Zurbano

G

OVERNMENT agents raided a warehouse in Paranaque City and seized illegally imported items worth P9 million, including Chinese medicines believed to be used to treat persons infected with the coronavirus.

Alvin Enciso, chief of the Manila International Container Port - Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, led the raiding team at the facility situated along Sunrise Street in Barangay Tambo on Friday.

“We will need to do inventory, but most of the goods are Lianhua Qingwen which is used as medicine for COVID-19,” Enciso said.

The team also found various Chinese cigarettes, food items, and other ille-

gally imported goods worth P9 million.

The CIIS men with the help of the National Bureau of Investigation - Special Action Unit conducted the raid based on the Letter of Authority (LOA) signed and issued by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

“The LOA was served and explained to the representatives of the warehouse,” Enciso said, adding that they already completed the hauling of the “prohibited goods” from the warehouse.

Guerrero, for his part, said they always make sure to follow the rules in every operation. “They (representatives) have a right to know the basis on which these goods are being seized.”

The seized goods are placed and secured at the Customs bureau premises, where an inventory will take place today (Monday).

Customs Deputy Commissioner Raniel Ramiro commended the CIIS team, saying it strengthens the bureau’s campaign against illegal smuggling and the proliferation of prohibited items in the country.

The Food and Drug Administration had approved the use of Lianhua Qingwen produced by one of China’s renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) manufacturers, Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

ASSISTING FARMERS.

About 142 families of qualified coconut farmers in San Fernando, Camarines Sur sign to receive P3,000 in cash and P2,000 in grocery items from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) through San Fernando Mayor Fermin Mabulo.

PCA Photo

A MANILA police officer who was stationed alone at a post in Binondo was kidnapped by 10 armed men on Saturday.

CCTV footage acquired by the Manila Police District (MPD) showed the gunmen rushing Corporal Alan Hilario.

The MPD shared the footage, which will be used in an investigation, with GMA News.

“We see in the CCTV that more or less 10 black, hooded male suspects who took him. This was planned,” MPD District Director Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco said.

Witnesses said the suspects, who were armed with various weapons, jumped out of two vehicles and rushed Hilario. A witness said the armed men pointed a gun on the victim, who was then dragged inside one vehicle. There was no shouting, with the act done silently and fast.

In the CCTV video, the suspects seemed to be looking for something, as they searched the compartment of Hilario’s motorcycle before fleeing.

Hilario joined the Philippine National Police in 2014. He has no bad remarks on his record except for one administrative case.

The kidnappers have yet to contact Hilario’s wife, Marifrance Gaspar, who appealed to the suspects to bring her husband back.

The family of the victim expressed their confusion over the kidnapping.

Cristalyn, Hilario’s sister, said Alan was alone in the station when the incident happened.

Francisco, meanwhile, said the matter was being investigated, and Hilario’s commander was being questioned.

BARMM keeps COVID in check through facilities COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has relatively low incidence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to other regions, officials said over the weekend.

Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM interior and local government minister, said the region has a total number of 4,403 COVID-19 cases since the dreaded pandemic struck the world last year.

Sinarimbo, also BARMM spokesperson, on Friday briefed representatives of international humanitarian agencies at the Regional Incident Command Center here during the Second BARMMMindanao Humanitarian Team Meet.

BARMM has 153 reported COVID19-related deaths with only 153 new cases thus far, Sinarimbo told the delegates, mostly representatives of United Nations agencies.

Gathered were representatives of the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), UN Development Programme (UNDP), Accion Contra El Hambre, Planning International, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the UN Office on the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Nash B. Maulana

Fernandez hits Meralco ‘monopoly’ Solon: Send students to Singapore to learn English LAGUNA Rep. Dan Fernandez on Sunday hit the monopoly in power utilities by distribution firm Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and the failure of the Energy Regulatory Commission to lower electricity rates.

He lamented that after 20 years of implementation of Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA Law), “it is very sad to note that the country’s power utility sector remains under the control of the so-called chosen few and monopolized by the oligarchs.”

Fernandez said achieving the main purpose of the law, which is to lower the cost of electricity, “seems to be far from becoming a reality.”

In a privilege speech, he questioned

the manner on how Meralco conducted its competitive selection process (CSP) for the supply of 1,800 megawatts covering over 20 years.

“What is happening to us is alarming, especially in the energy sector. Twenty years ago, RA 9136 or EPIRA Law was created to ensure that Filipino consumers would benefit from this law. But after 20 years of EPIRA Law, the power rate for the Filipino masses continues to be high and still tortures them,” he said.

“We always hope for the best for the Filipino people, for the Filipino families. Pero paano po natin gagawin ang bagay na ito kung ang mismong kababayan nating Filipino ay siya nating kalaban sa pagbibigay ng tumpak at tamang serbisyo?” Rio N. Araja

Group to oversee Davao projects DAVAO CITY—The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will formally organize on Wednesday the Davao del Norte Infrastructure Monitoring and Advisory Group (IMAG) to oversee major infrastructure projects, including the P20-billion Davao CitySamal Island Bridge.

MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the organization of the Davao del Norte IMAG was agreed upon during the meeting on Thursday between

MinDA, Governor Edwin Jubahib, and project engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) involved in the Davao-Samal Bridge project.

“The Davao del Norte IMAG will be the first of the monitoring groups to be organized in the different provinces of Mindanao to monitor the progress and development of key infrastructure projects, many of which have suffered delays,” Pinol said Sunday.

By Rio N. Araja CEBU Rep. Eduardo Gullas wants Filipino students to eventually match the English proficiency of their peers in Singapore, who have been excelling consistently in global reading, mathematical and scientific literacy assessments.

“This should be our long-term goal – for our elementary and high school students to at least equal the English reading and comprehension skills of their counterparts in Singapore,” he said in a statement.

Gullas is an educator, being the presi-

dent of the University of the Visayas.

“Our children deserve every opportunity to learn and grow so they can achieve the highest standard of living for themselves,” he said.

“We have to align their schooling with the demands of the global reality where English is not only the common language, but also the language of business and technology,” the solon added.

As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic is over, Gullas urged the Department of Education to send a small group of Filipino teachers to Singapore for a three-

month immersion in the former British colony’s school system.

“In fact, millions of middle-class families in China, South Korea and other countries have been investing a lot of money to prepare their children in English as a second language – even hiring them English-speaking nannies and online tutors – to assure them a superior quality of life,” he said.

“DepEd has to find out for itself exactly what Singapore is doing – that we are not doing here in our public school system,” Gullas noted.

PAROLA FIRE.

A bevy of fire trucks try to put out a huge fire that hit a residential area at Gate 20 of the Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila on Sunday morning.

RAHA Volunteers photo

Opinion The daughter FOR THE first time in Philippine political history, the daughter of an incumbent president is seen as a highly probable successor, or so the tale of the surveys indicate.

Inday Sara Zimmerman Duterte, mayor of Davao City, former vice-mayor to her father who served as mayor of the southern capital for the longest time before getting himself elected to the presidency in 2016, is now being primed as successor to the father in the forthcoming election of 2022.

She is now serving her second three-year term out of a possible round of nine years, and could opt to run again for mayor, which hardly anyone in her city would dare challenge.

But supporters of the Duterte brand, loyalists of one of the most popular presidents in contemporary Philippine politics, are egging the daughter to succeed her father.

Continuity is their battle cry, and as early as the beginning of the year, clamor has been shown by posters and calendars being distributed emblazoned with the words “Run, Sara, Run.”

All eyes are on Inday Sara Zimmerman Duterte.

A caravan of white vans recently toured the northern provinces of Luzon, organized by supporters in red, white and blue t-shirts proclaiming themselves as “Inday Sara Duterte Ako” or ISDA, part of the effort to convince the president’s daughter and feisty mayor to throw her hat into the electoral ring for 2022.

Billboards and tarpaulins have sprouted in many places, including the national capital region, asking her to run, some of them with the sub-text “SaMa tayo sa Pagbangon.” The subtext suggests a tandem, whether Sara-Mark, as in DPWH Secretary Mark Vilar, or even Sara-Manny as in the Pacman. Although the latter at first glance seems to defy traditional geographic balance, both being from Southern Mindanao, the nationwide awareness of the Pacman as “Pambansang Kamao” cuts through all regions.

Her toughness is vivified in resurrected video clips of her dealing strong punches at a court sheriff who ejected squatters despite her orders during her first term as mayor of Davao. Her political skill was demonstrated when she “ejected” Davaoeno Pantaleon D. Alvarez from his seemingly secure perch as speaker of the HoR on SONA day itself in 2018. That has left an open wound in her relations with one of the president’s original staunch supporters.

There has been speculation last year about a Sara-Bongbong tandem, a geographically balanced team from the deep south and the extreme north. Solid Mindanao plus Solid North. But the very recent unanimous Supreme Court ruling against the son of Ferdinand Marcos would make a team-up unlikely, despite the fact that Mayor Inday Sara’s husband, lawyer Mans Carpio, is from the same province as the Marcoses, the same town even—Paoay.

The recent Facebook page float of former DND Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro has likewise fueled speculations that he might be looking at a vice-presidential run, in a teamup with Inday Sara.

The mayor however quashes these seemingly orchestrated initiatives for her to run as balderdash, even to the extent of stating that she is a possible candidate for president far into the future, “2034 if at that time there is something I can do to help the country.” And two weeks back, she even warned against scammers soliciting funds for her presidential run.

One has to consider that she is a doting mother with young kids, and although at 42

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

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EDITORIAL

she is constitutionally qualified, as a mother, her children’s well-being and motherly care must naturally be an important consideration, despite the responsibilities of public service as mayor of the country’s largest city by area.

Maybe this is one reason why President Duterte himself has been saying, publicly and privately, that he does not approve of his daughter being his elected successor. “She is my daughter. I want to spare her from the burdens of highest office,” he reiterated in a recent closed-door meeting with his original political supporters.

So without the President’s go ahead, where is the clamor coming from, and who are orchestrating the same?

No less than the presidential legal counsel has publicly sponsored a Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022, with the president himself running as his daughter’s vice-president. While there is no legal or constitutional bar to that, it is not likely that the president would agree.

Mindful of his place in history, Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not one to bite into a political experiment that smacks of dynastic perpetuation on a national scale. That it happened in Davao City and in other local government units does not automatically mean you can juxtapose the same upon the entire nation.

In 2014, a ragtag team of barangay officials from Davao City started a movement to persuade their city mayor to run for president. They called themselves the MRRD, or Movement for Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The times called for a strong leader who possessed the political will to effect profound changes in the ailing body politic. By early 2015, they were joined by a motley group of non-Davaoenos, from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, Bacolod, Quezon, even the Ilocos, who felt that Duterte was the right answer for the call of the times.

The rest is history. Despite bouts of hemming and hawing, Duterte finally answered the genuine clamor, and sneaking from behind with calculated yet stealthy purpose, he triumphed big-time against known brands as Roxas, Poe and Binay.

Can the tactical template of 2015 be replicated in 2021?

Street smart Filipinos would smugly snicker—“bumenta na iyan.”What worked in 2015 until 2016 may not be replicable this time around.

Yet, the incumbent is highly popular, and survey after survey measuring performance approval and trust have been unprecedentedly high through the past four years and a half.

This gives encouragement to the Inday Sara supporters to ask her to run, and be the immediate successor of her father.

Indeed, early surveys indicate an overwhelming support for her in Mindanao, as high as 57 percent. But the numbers differ in NCR and balance Luzon, and although she is leading among the Cebuano-speaking provinces, the Ilonggo votes which remained faithful to native son Mar Roxas in 2016, remain aloof.

Over-all, the similar tale of many surveys give her a lead of some 5 to 7 points over Isko Moreno of Manila and come-backing Bongbong Marcos of the Ilocos. Though Manny Pacquiao is still farther off in the race, he seems to be determined, answering what he privately describes as a calling from the heavens.

There is the incumbent vice-president, Leni Robredo. And Ping Lacson, who seems determined to go for the top post after three terms as senator. Count in Grace Poe who shows no sign of interest yet, and of course former speaker Alan Cayetano. And others who keenly await the crucial numbers by mid-year.

And then there is Bong Go, the assistant who has become senator and spearheads a nationwide Malasakit program, whose supporters also press upon him to go for the presidency if the incumbent does not indeed and at the end, allow the daughter to run.

All eyes are on the presidential daughter. If she declares, there are likely to be fewer contestants to the throne that her father will vacate come June 30, 2022. In the last presidential elections, five serious contenders vied; in previous elections, as many as seven or eight.

Even as the nation awaits the roll-out of the vaccine, the political pot simmers.

Life and death I AM going to die.

That is what the ashes strewn on my head on Ash Wednesday means. But that is what these months of the coronavirus pandemic have over and over again reminded me. That one day I will have to come to terms with my mortality.

In the last 12 months, I can count more than 20 people personally close to me—family, friends, relatives, and colleagues—who have died, many without the comforting rituals of mourning and grief.

“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Never had these words struck me with their starkness—of how there will be a time before our birth, and a time long after death. The truth that, as the Scriptures say, “there is a time to be born, and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2)” is same for all of us.

Lent begins with the imposition of ashes, a striking reminder of our own fragile existence—a reality which we have faced these past months. The last year has been one of loss. Many have lost their money, others even their jobs. We have gone through a year without hugs and handshakes. Schools, businesses and churches have closed down while hospitals have been operating beyond their capacity.

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Some have suffered illness from the infection.

Many displaced from their familiar routines and others isolated for weeks in their homes.

The last year seemed to many of us a perpetual Lent—during which we patiently wait for what seems to be an elusive time for society to resurrect itself once more.

This season of Lent confronts us with an even more important question, “Knowing that one day you will die, how do you want to live?”

Our traditional Lenten observances have been marked by prayer, penance and purification, and it is no surprise that we have associated it with suffering and death—realities that we have come face to face in many ways during this pandemic.

The last year seemed to many of us a perpetual Lent.

Suffering and death, however, also point out to us the opposite reality of life. While we may have to die one day, however today, we live.

This is what the words tell us, “Believe in the Gospel.” These words powerfully remind us that hope is on the horizon.

This pandemic has claimed more than 2 million lives worldwide, and in that context, death has become unusually too redundant, to a point that it does not give us the same horror that it used to.

The more frightening prospect for some, it seems, is that we will have to continue to live,

Kids with kids

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LARMING statistics were released last week at a press conference jointly held by the Commission on Population and Development and the Philippine Legislators’ Committee for Population and Development.

The number of young Filipinos below the age of 18 being sexually initiated is increasing, girls much faster than boys.

Those engaged in risky sexual behavior do so without protection, making them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.

Nine percent of women between the ages of 15 and 19 are already mothers or are pregnant with their first child.

Forty-seven out of 1,000 births occur among women between 15 and 19. Among women in this age group, 3.6 percent experience violence during their pregnancy.

As of 2019, 171 babies are born to minors every day. And that is just the beginning.

Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III emphasized a more worrisome development: Pregnancy is increasing among very young adolescents between 10 and 14 years old, with seven live births occurring every day among children in this age group. The number has more than doubled from 1,116 in 2008 to 2,411 in 2019.

And who are the fathers? Generally older men. Two out of three fathers to these babies born to children are older than 20.

The grim numbers carry sad stories at best, and horrific ones at worst.

We cannot imagine how the sex could be consensual—what horror stories lie beneath these numbers?

Too-early parenthood compromises the future of these children and their offspring.

These young mothers are almost always compelled to drop out of school, dashing any hopes of higher education and the opportunity to earn better, much less build a sustainable and satisfying career. They will be forced to rely on other family members or take whatever means of earning comes their way. Nutritional and educational decisions regarding their children will be determined not by what is best for these babies, but what their meager budget can allow. What will happen to households led by minors?

Conditions are made worse by the COVID-19 that exposes people to health risks, restricts their movements and further limits their opportunities.

Despite the passage of the Reproductive Health Law, intended segments of the population are not able to fully realize its benefits. For example, the Supreme Court has restricted the access of minors to reproductive health and family planning services— they can only do so with the consent of their parents, even if they themselves are already pregnant or parents. RH education remains uneven in many places, and may be missing in geographic areas where they are most needed.

The burden lies not on any one agency, branch or section of government. All sectors of society—national and local government, schools, parents, teachers, and the media have a role to play in ensuring young women are aware of the consequences of their actions, and of the options they have all the time.

Children themselves need guidance and care from their elders. If they are forced by circumstance to take care of their own babies at a time when they can hardly even take care of themselves, they will be consigned to a life of hardship, with the pattern likely repeating itself with their children and their children’s children, making youth no longer a promise but a sentence.

Healthy people, healthy economy A NEW alliance of health advocacy groups has launched UHC Watch to push for the total implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law envisioned to transform the country’s health care system.

As convenor, I am honored to be part of a growing coalition uniting to be a positive force to ensure the full realization of universal health care for all Filipinos.

The event was hosted by the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) with various representatives from civil society, the government, and the private sector which also marked exactly two years since the UHC Act was signed into law. UHC Watch is a convergence of civil society groups: CitizenWatch Philippines, Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, Health Justice, and Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3).

Stratbase ADRi Executive Director Paco Pangalangan, in his opening message, said he looks forward to the effective implementation of population-based and individual-based health services, greater access to health technologies by improving government procurement mechanisms such as pooled-procurement, and the standardization of health information systems for the efficient delivery of health services.

Undersecretary for Health Policy and Systems Development Team Department of Health Undersecretary Dr. Mario C. Villaverde said: “The Universal Health Care Act addresses fragmentation issues in service delivery through the integration of local health systems. To this end DOH issued the policy on integration of local health systems into province wide and citywide health systems.”

President of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations Ms. Ma Fatima “Girlie” Garcia-Lorenzo said, “We need to go beyond knee-jerk responses and activate well established systems to cope with the increased demand for health service. We also see the need to strengthen social entitlements and safety nets as part of a universal service that become accessible to the most vulnerable.”

BK3 Convenor Louie Montemar emphasized that cost is the consumer’s top concern, “Though there is Maximum Retail Price is now implemented, which helps lighten the out-of-pocket purchase of medicines, other

amidst the recurring adversity and lingering uncertainty. Confronted with the experience of death like never before, a question more worth asking is how we will continue living our lives in the coming months and years.

We all have to keep wearing masks and observing physical distancing in order to save lives. We have to starve profit from our businesses or adapt to the new normal of doing things—in order to keep living. In a way, our daily lives and routines have been shaped by the power of death in more obvious ways than many of us have ever experienced.

Death is far from being a problem to be solved; rather, it is a mystery to be endured. These days, as we are thrust too often into this towering and terrible truth that death is all around us and coming for each of us, Lent reminds us that while death awaits us, despair is not inevitable.

Saint Benedict in his Rule reminds his monks to “day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” But in doing so, he taught

ways of expanding access to most consumers who cannot even afford to buy medicines such as pooled procurement should be prioritized.”

Former Secretary of Health and Health Justice Philippines Board Member, Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan, said that although the Philippines has shown significant improvements our health care system is still dealing with inequities and new challenges that threaten the health of its population while Filipinos continue to suffer a heavy financial burden from health spending.

Cancer Coalition of the Philippines President Paul Perez said that health emergency preparedness should be part of a vision to build a healthy Philippines. He cited WHO data that reported investments in preparedness would only cost US$ 5 per person annually, whereas the cost of this pandemic is already over US$ 11 trillion emphasizing that preparations should start now.

Addressing the health crisis first will be the big push to restarting the stalled engines of our economy.

Prime proponent of the UHC law, former Senator JV Ejercito said, “We must persistently reminder government fulfill its mandate to deliver the programs of these laws. The success of our health programs will foster a productive workforce that will help push the country’s economic momentum and recovery.”

A study from KPMG shows well managed investments in health care positively impacts the economy because of the increased productivity of a healthier workforce and increased life expectancy. It shows that for middle income countries, increasing the average life expectancy by one year could potentially increase the country’s GDP per capita by 4 percent.

International studies have estimated healthy workers increase labor productivity by 20 to 45 percent in the medium to long-term.

A well implemented UHC will revitalize the private sector to drive our economic recovery by creating jobs and pay the taxes that the government needs to finance public services and invest in priority infrastructure projects.

With UHC we hope to finally realize health

them to accept the reality of their mortality in order for them to avoid the senseless task of living merely to keep themselves alive but instead live a life of purpose.

This year has both taken a toll on us and - hopefully - given us new insights into what is important, what can be let go and what is essential. That is why in embracing the fragility of our own existence, we turn to things that really matter, asking ourselves, “Who are we, and what is our life for?”

In our acts of penance, we invited to examine our life’s purpose, without the distractions that come from the fleeting pleasures of this world. In our almsgiving, we are challenged to build a society that is shaped by meeting our needs and not feeding our greed. In our prayer, we are asked to remember that in the end, God alone, is in control.

While Lent begins with a simple reminder that we will die, it must end with a stronger resolve in us to live more meaningful lives.

Let this Lent remind us, that in the midst of our own pain and suffering, our hope endures.

care equality and rights, leading to eventually end the risk of medical bankruptcies or economic catastrophe. We hope to see quality services in every health care facility of the country and nurture a culture of disease prevention that starts from early childhood to senior care, from vaccination, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle.

The best technologies must be utilized to empower our healthcare institutions with digital solutions for pooled procurement of health technologies to maximize limited funding resources. The digital transformation of our health ecosystem will ensure transparency, efficiency, and accessibility of healthcare services Very soon, the government will be working on the next budget call for the 2022 National Expenditure Plan. Ensuring that there is adequate funding of all health laws to progressively realize the vision of Universal Health Care will be one of the focuses of UHC Watch.

I believe that only through a whole-of-society strategy can we move past these unprecedented times and that addressing the health crisis first,will be the big push to restarting the stalled engines of our economy.

Only with healthy people can we have a healthy economy.

MAIL MATTERS Senator Lacson is not questioning the President’s right to ensure that the US fulfills its VFA obligations WE WISH to set the record straight regarding some points made by Rod Kapunan in his column in the Feb. 20, 2021 issue of the Manila Standard—including his claim that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson branded as an “extortionist stance” President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that the United States will “have to pay” if they want the Visiting Forces Agreement done.

Senator Lacson already made it clear that he is not questioning the President’s right to ensure that the US fulfills its obligations in the agreement. His point is that the President could have done so in a diplomatic and civil manner, considering the US is a longtime ally and the VFA may affect our long-term national interest and security.

There should be no room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding since the last thing we can afford to lose is the balance of power that our allies, including the US, can provide to suit our national interest and territorial integrity.

On the other hand, Art. VII, Sec. 21 of the 1987 Constitution is clear on the participation of senators in voting for or against the ratification of a treaty or an international agreement, which the VFA is. Official records will show that without the 18-5 vote of the Senate on May 27, 1999, the VFA would not have been valid and effective. Also, there is a pending petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a ruling on the need for Senate concurrence in ending treaties such as the VFA. All that being said, all citizens of this country have the right to express their views on issues, especially those that concern our national interest. No less than our Constitution guarantees that.

We hope this helps clarify matters.

Thank you.

Joel Locsin Media Relations Officer Office of Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

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World

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

UN Security Council slates meeting on global warming

H5N8 is lethal for birds, but it had never before been reported to have spread to humans. AFP

Biden’s nominee vows to go after Capitol raiders PRESIDENT Joe Biden’s attorney general nominee pledged Saturday to depoliticize the Justice Department and to vigorously prosecute the Donald Trump supporters who attacked the US Capitol.

In testimony prepared for his confirmation hearing on Monday and Tuesday, federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland indicated he wants to remove the taint of political interference left on the department by Trump.

He said that if confirmed, he would reaffirm “policies that protect the independence of the department from partisan influence in law enforcement investigations (and) that strictly regulate communications with the White House.”

He also promised to create clear guidelines for FBI investigations, amid allegations that the agency strayed deeply into politics in investigating Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and then Trump in 2017-2018.

In an apparent reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, Garland also said that enforcing equal justice for people of color remains an incomplete and “urgent” task, 150 years after the Justice Department was founded following the Civil War. Minorities still face discrimination in housing, education and the jobs market, and suffer more than others the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, Garland said in his statement.

“The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the Department’s Civil Rights Division, with the mission ‘to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society,’” Garland said. AFP

THE UN Security Council will hold a summit of world leaders Tuesday to debate climate change’s implications for world peace, an issue on which its 15 members have divergent opinions.

The session, called by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and conducted by video-conference, comes just days after the United States under President Joe Biden formally rejoined the Paris climate change accord.

Johnson, whose country now holds the Security Council’s rotating presidency, will address the forum, as will US climate czar John Kerry, French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the prime ministers of Ireland, Vietnam, Norway and other countries, diplomats say.

The meeting will serve as a test for US-China relations, one UN ambassador said on condition of anonymity, alluding to one of the few issues where the two big powers might agree. But this is not a given.

Russians detect first case of H5N8 avian flu in humans R USSIA said Saturday that its scientists had detected the world’s first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of avian flu from birds to humans and had alerted the World Health Organization.

In televised remarks, the head of Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, said scientists at the Vektor laboratory had isolated the strain’s genetic material from seven workers at a poultry farm in southern Russia, where an outbreak was recorded among the birds in December.

The workers did not suffer any serious health con-

sequences, she added. They are believed to have caught the virus from poultry on the farm.

“Information about the world’s first case of transmission of the avian flu (H5N8) to humans has already been sent to the World Health Organization,” Popova said.

There are different subtypes of avian influenza viruses.

While the highly contagious strain H5N8 is lethal for birds, it had never before been reported to have spread to humans.

Popova praised “the important scientific discovery”, saying “time will tell” if the virus can further mutate.

“The discovery of these mutations when the virus has not still acquired an ability to transmit from human to human gives us all, the entire world, time to prepare for possible mutations and react in an adequate and timely fashion,” Popova said.

The WHO confirmed on Saturday that it had been notified by Russia about the development.

“We are in discussion with national authorities to gather more information and assess the public health impact of this event,” a spokesperson said.

“If confirmed, this would be the first time H5N8 infects people.”

WHO stressed that the Russian workers were “asymptomatic” and no onward human-to-human transmission had been reported.

People can get infected with avian and swine influenza viruses, such as bird flu subtypes A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) and swine flu subtypes such as A(H1N1).

According to the WHO, people usually get infected through direct contact with animals or contaminated environments, and there is no sustained transmission among humans. AFP

Prince Charles visits father in London hospital Prince Charles

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 115, PASAY CITY MARLYN M. SAPLAN-TANAKA, Petitioner, - versus -

CIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-19-05129-CV FOR: Judicial Recognition of a Foreign Divorce

MITSUYOSHI TANAKA, THE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF PASAY CITY, and PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY, Respondents. x----------------------------------------------------x

AMENDED ORDER A verified petition for “Judicial Recognition of a Foreign Divorce” filed by petitioner through counsel praying that an Order be issued granting the petition and recognize the Foreign Divorce between Marlyn M. Saplan-Tanaka and Japanese National Mitsuyoshi Tanaka and directing the Office of the Civil Registrar of Pasay City and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to annotate the Recognition of Divorce on the National Indices of Marriages or in the Certificate of Marriage between the parties if the same was registered in the PSA .

In her petition, petitioner alleges that she is a Filipina, with residence address at 103 Nagsaing, Calasiao, Pangasinan and Mitsuyoshi Tanaka, a Japanese National whose last known address is at 2-101, Iwakuni, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Pref., Japan; that they were married on December 17,2003 in Pasay City and this marriage was registered with the Local Civil Registrar, Pasay City; that on June 22, 2018, the marriage between petitioner and Mitsuyoshi Tanaka was dissolved by virtue of a mutual divorce thereby terminating their matrimonial relationship and capacitating Mitsuyoshi Tanaka to remarry under the Japanese Laws; thus, petitioner prays to declare her as validly divorced by her Japanese Spouse so she can remarry under Article 26, paragraph 2 of the Family Code.

Vatican’s real estate a source of income and scandal PRESTIGIOUS addresses in Paris, London and Geneva and 3,000 properties across Rome: the Vatican has revealed more details of its real estate empire, a source of income -- and scandal.

Nunzio Galantino, who was brought in two years ago by Pope Francis to centralise the Vatican’s assets, says he is tired of “sensationalist” stories about the riches of the papacy.

“When people say that most real estate in Rome belongs to the Catholic Church and the Vatican, it’s simply not

true,” the bishop, who heads the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), told AFP. Yet the extent of the properties held by the Vatican are still eye-watering, while the management of one particular London development sparked a major scandal in the heart of the Catholic Church.

The investments date back to 1929, when the Vatican City State was founded as an independent territory in a deal with Italy that included compensation for lands seized from the

Likewise, let copy of this Order be furnished the Office of the Solicitor General, the City Prosecution Office, Pasay City, the Office of the Civil Registrar Office, Pasay City and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

SO ORDERED. Pasay City, Metro Manila, 02 February, 2021.

(Sgd.) EDILWASIF T. BADDIRI Presiding Judge G/F HALL OF JUSTICE BUILDING, F.B. HARRISON ST., PASAYCITY OFFICE OF THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR G/F PASAY CITY HALL BUILDING, F.B. HARRISON ST.. PASAYCITY PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY 17TH FLOOR, CYBERPOD CENTRIS ETON THREE, EDSA, QUEZON CITY MARLYN M. SAPLAN-TANAKA 103 NAGSAING, CALASIAO, PANGASINAN MITSUYOSHl TANAKA 2-101, IWAKUNI, IWAKUNI CITY. YAMAGUCHI PREF., JAPAN

(MStandard - Feb. 22, Mar. 1 & 8, 2021)

former Papal States.

Among the church assets taken was the huge Quirinale palace, once home to 30 popes but now the residency of the Italian president.

Then pope Pius XI decided to use the money to invest in property, including abroad, “to ensure the freedom and independence of the Church”, Galantino said.

APSA has for years managed 737 properties in the heart of Paris, around the boulevard Saint-Michel, Odeon or the Champs-Elysees, covering almost

BRITAIN’S Prince Charles visited his father Philip in hospital on Saturday as the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II receives precautionary treatment after falling ill this week.

Charles, the heir to the throne, was seen entering the rear entrance of the King Edward VII hospital in central London, wearing a face mask. He left after about 30 minutes.

Prince Philip, who turns 100 on June 10, was admitted on Tuesday. Sources say his admission was not coronavirus-related, and that he remains in good spirits.

The duke of Edinburgh, as he is formally known, is expected to remain in hospital into next week for observation and rest.

He was able to walk into the hospital unaided after arriving by private transport rather than ambulance, a source said at the time.

Both Philip and the queen received first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in January.

Charles visited the hospital the day after Buckingham Palace confirmed that his younger son Prince Harry and Harry’s American wife Meghan had permanently quit as working royals.

Queen Elizabeth ordered the duke and duchess of Sussex to relinquish their honorary titles and patronages, a year after they stepped back from frontline duties. They now live in California. AFP Charles was the first member of the

Rockets hit Iraq base after clash with IS

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that the hearing of the petition is on March 23, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. All parties interested may appear and show cause why the said petition should not be granted. Let the copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three consecutive weeks at the expense of the petitioner.

ETB/shiela COPY FURNISHED: OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL 134 AMORSOLO ST..

LEGAZPI VILLAGE. MAKATI CITY RTC-OCC, PASAY ClTY ROOM 301. 3RD FLOOR, HALL OF JUSTICE BUILDING, F.B. HARRISON ST.. PASAYCITY ATTY. HENRY B. SALAZAR JIMENEZ BAROQUE & SALAZAR LAW OFFICES UNIT 250, VALERO PLAZA, NO. 124 VALERO STREET, SALCEDO VILLAGE, MAKATI CITY OFFICE OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR

“We should watch how the Chinese position themselves with the Americans,” this ambassador said.

Traditionally, the ambassador said, “you know that the Russians and the Chinese will immediately say (climate change has) ‘nothing to do’ with the council’s issues.”

Today, however, “the Chinese are more liable to be slightly open to that discussion,” which “leaves the Russians pretty much on their own.”

Russia does not see climate change as a broad issue for the Security Council to address. Moscow prefers dealing with climate questions on a case-by-case basis, diplomats told AFP. Tuesday’s meeting “will be focused on the security aspects of climate change,” a second ambassador said, also on condition of anonymity.

Some non-permanent members of the council including Kenya and Niger have clearly expressed their concerns about climate change’s impact on national security. AFP

In London, the Vatican has 27 properties—among them addresses in New Bond Street. AFP

Four rockets hit the Al-Balad airbase north of the Iraqi capital on Saturday, the military said, as security sources told AFP a local contractor for a US company managing Iraq’s F-16s was wounded.

The attack came hours after Iraqi security forces raided an Islamic State hideout in the plains of Tarmiyah, with clashes leaving five jihadists and two pro-government fighters dead, according to the Iraqi military.

F-16s at the Al-Balad airbase were backing the ongoing Tarmiyah operation against IS sleeper cells at the time of the rocket attack, two security sources told AFP. There was no immediate claim of responsibility and it was not clear

whether the rocket attack was linked to the anti-IS operations.

Al-Balad is around 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of Tarmiyah.

A local army source told AFP that Katyusha-style rockets were fired at Al-Balad.

One of the rockets hit a part of the base hosting employees of Sallyport, the US contractor charged with maintaining the F-16 aircraft purchased from the US in recent years, the security sources said.

“An Iraqi contractor sustained moderate injuries,” one of the sources said.

Another rocket hit a runway, without disrupting the take-off and landing of aircraft, while a third hit near-

B3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market cautious, awaits less rigid quarantine rules

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARE prices are expected to trade sideways with a positive momentum during this shortened trading week as the government considers further relaxation of quarantine measures.

Majority of Metro Manila mayors last week voted in favor of placing the National Capital Regional under the more relaxed status of modified general community quarantine.

Analysts said the move would further open up the economy as Metro Manila had been under the stricter general community quarantine status since June last year.

But concerns about the delay in the arrival of vaccines are dampening investors’ confidence.

“While authorities have reassured that statutory requirements are being addressed and the delay will be ironed out, delays impair public confidence,” research team from online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

“We maintain that market sentiment ultimately longs for vaccine rollouts; and so long as the national vaccination program remains trailing its peers in the

region, valuations may likely on hibernation mode,” it added.

Analysts see the immediate support of the benchmark index at 6,850 and the resistance at 7,050 to 7,100.

Investors are still worried about rising inflation rate due to surging global oil prices.

Positive earnings report and the outlook for 2021, meanwhile, could also provide investors insights on how corporate would recover from the impact of the pandemic.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week closed at 6,926, down 64 points, or 0.92 percent, week-on-week due to delays in the arrival of much needed COVID-19 vaccines.

Most sectors ended in red led by property which declined 3 percent, and services which dropped 1.4 percent. Mining and oil rose 3.1 percent percent while financial added 1 percent. With AFP

Lessons from Start-Up: Just Start DID you watch the KDrama Series Start-Up? It was an IVY DELOS REYES inspirational, practical and giddy kind of series that tackled the endeavors of venturing and starting up a business, plus the romantic and comic story of the leads, Do-San and Dal-Mi. Also, have you been scrolling the posts and updates on the social media and even in the news itself about the small businesses that are rising due to the recent happenings of the pandemic?

Putting the stories of the Startup Series side-by-side to the reallife situation of rising startups in the country, here are three things they have in common.

Started on not the most ideal of circumstance Dal-Mi and Do-San started from the bottom, meaning they did not have many resources when they decided to establish their business but instead started with both goal and grit. Same with the current small business risk-takers nowadays. Most started during this lockdown, and some started with no to very little capital. This teaches us that we do not need a perfect time to start; we just need to have a reason for starting and a goal to keep us going.

Challenges come along the way As the story progressed in the series, hurdles came along the way. Business is a complex, solution creation process. There will be challenges not only in the business and professional world but also in personal and relationship situations. Most struggle with cash flow, capital, bogus customers, rude dealings, and others in real-life. These challenges are a test of resiliency and character.

However, these challenges will allow the startups to grow as long as they stay focused on the goal, whether it’s for personal vision, to provide for the family, or to create change and impact in this world.

There is always growth As the series concluded, the characters showed so much growth in almost all aspects of life. Growth does not just manifest in profit but also in life, physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects. One has to acknowledge each milestone and take opportunities that come along the way. Because no one could definitely tell what lies ahead, but just by taking the time to see the now and the point where one has started, one would see how much progress one made. I will not spoil the whole series, watch it yourself and enjoy the thrills of this great KDrama!

As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it.” If you are still struggling at that starting point, just think of the one thing that sparks within you and start with that. Be like Dal-mi, who started without a clear map of where she’s going. She just had that reason for doing it, and along the way, because she moved forward without regrets, she created the life she never knew was possible.

If you took that fateful first step, along with other start-up businesses that saw its start during this very uncertain time, you too, could have been one of the enterprises that skyrocketed during this pandemic. Be bold because you would never know the vastness of the ocean if you’ve never ventured past the shore. You’ll never realize how wonderful the journey would be with waves and dolphins that would accompany you along the way. One just has to take that first step to journey in the vast ocean of opportunity.

Indeed, reflecting the overall situation of uncertainty and the shift to a new or next normal, take that leap of faith! If not now, then when? As Young Sil challenged Ji Pyeong, “so be brave and just swing the bat. You could be called out, but you can also hit a home run.”

Green LiGht

The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. This article is part of her blog for the course on Leadership, Ethics, and CSR. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.

Standard TO HOLDERS OF COMMON SHARES OF Manila

TODAY

LOPEZ HOLDINGS CORPORATION

All holders of shares of common stock of LOPEZ HOLDINGS CORPORATION (“LPZ”) (the Common Shareholders and the Company, respectively) are hereby notified that FIRST PHILIPPINE HOLDINGS CORPORATION filed a tender offer report (SEC Form 19-1, including any and all of its annexes, exhibits and schedules) on 4 December 2020 as amended on 20 January 2021, 16 February 2021, and 22 February 2021, and as the same may be further amended in the future, with the Company, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) (the “Tender Offer Report”). The Bidder is prepared to acquire through a public and voluntary tender offer (the Tender Offer), subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer as stated in the Tender Offer Report, a minimum of 908,459,782 common shares of the FPH’s parent company, LPZ representing approximately 20% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of LPZ and up to a maximum of 1,430,824,156 common shares of LPZ representing approximately 31.5% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of LPZ (“Tender Offer Shares”) from all the Common Shareholders of the Company (though the Ultimate Parent has agreed not to tender its common shares into the Tender Offer at the tender offer price (the Tender Offer Price) of Three Pesos and Eighty Five Centavos (P3.85) per common share Background on the Tender Offer First Philippine Holdings Corporation (“FPH” or ”Bidder”), intends to conduct a tender offer (“Tender Offer”) to acquire a minimum of 908,459,782 issued and outstanding common shares representing approximately 20% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of LPZ and up to a maximum of 1,430,824,156 issued and outstanding common shares representing approximately 31.5% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of LPZ, from all the Common Shareholders of the Company (though the Ultimate Parent has agreed not to tender its common shares into the Tender Offer).

FPH originally intended to acquire up to a maximum of 2,069,273,361 common shares representing approximately 45.56%, of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. However, to remove the risk of LPZ falling below the required minimum public ownership and dispense with the need to pursue its petition for a voluntary delisting, the Bidder decided to reduce the maximum number of shares to be acquired from the Tender Offer to 1,567,093,124 issued and outstanding common shares representing approximately 34.5% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of LPZ. An Amended Tender Offer Report was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to reflect such changes on 20 January 2021.

On 21 January 2021, LPZ withdrew its petition for voluntary delisting of its 4,629,532,611 common shares from the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

To address concerns and the risk that LPZ may still fall below the public ownership requirement, the Bidder decided to further reduce the maximum number of shares to 1,430,824,156 issued and outstanding common shares representing approximately 31.5% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of LPZ. A Second Amended Tender Offer Report reflecting such changes was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 16 February 2021.

Tender Offer Process - For Non-Certificated or Scripless Shareholders Tendering Shareholders whose shares are lodged with the PDTC who wish to offer all or a portion of their common shares for sale to the Bidder, must instruct their brokers (Participating Brokers) to accomplish and submit, on their behalf, the duly accomplished Application to Tender Shares (the Application), together with all the requirements stated therein to the Tender Offer Agent, and instruct their Participating Broker to electronically transfer their shares to the Tender Offer Agent for receipt by the Tender Offer Agent prior to 12:00 pm on 8 March 2021 in order to participate in the tender.

All the tendered and accepted Tender Offer Shares will be purchased by the Bidder via a block sale through the facilities of the PSE, subject to the approval of the PSE, on or around the Cross Date, unless the Tender Offer Period is extended with the prior approval of the SEC. In this case, the block sale for the Tender Offer Shares (subject to approval of the PSE) will be on or around the eighth trading day after the end of the extended Tender Offer Period.

Delivery of each required document in relation to the Tender Offer to the Tender Offer Agent shall be deemed made only upon actual receipt thereof by the Tender Offer Agent. The Bidder or the Tender Offer Agent reserves the right to require presentation or submission of any additional documents for the purpose of, among others, enabling the Bidder or the Tender Offer Agent to determine from any Tendering Shareholder (or any person acting on its behalf, including any Participating Broker) the validity, eligibility, and acceptability of any common shares in the Company tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer.

Hence, Tendering Shareholders are strongly urged against tendering at the last minute to allow sufficient time to correct any deficiency in their application (or any document submitted in support thereof). Tendering Shareholders are also urged to indicate their telephone numbers in their respective Application Forms to allow the Tender Offer Agent to inform them immediately of any deficiency in their applications.

In addition: If you are a CORPORATE SHAREHOLDER, please submit the following: 1.

Certified true copies of the SEC Registration, the latest Articles of Incorporation and By-laws of the shareholder or equivalent constitutive documents thereof.

1.

Two (2) valid identification cards containing the photo and specimen signature of the shareholder.

2.

A notarized Secretary’s Certificate substantially in the form prescribed by the Bidder setting forth resolutions of the tendering shareholder’s Board of Directors authorizing the tender and sale of the Company’s shares and designating the signatories for the purpose.

2.

For shareholders acting through an attorney-in-fact, a duly notarized Irrevocable Power of Attorney substantially in the form prescribed by the Bidder (N.B. Endorsement of stock certificate/s must be made by the shareholder himself).

3.

Copy of the latest General Information Sheet (GIS) filed with the SEC or any equivalent documents thereof and certified as a true copy of the original by the Corporate Secretary or equivalent persons having official custody of corporate shareholder’s records.

3.

Two (2) duly accomplished signature cards containing the specimen signature of the shareholder and verified by his broker (the name of the broker and the broker’s signatory must be specified) or officer of the bank (the name of the bank and the bank’s officer must be specified) where he is maintaining an account.

4.

Two (2) duly accomplished specimen signature cards containing the specimen signature of the Applicant’s designated authorized signatories and verified by the Applicant’s Corporate Secretary or equivalent person having official custody of corporate shareholder’s records.

4.

Two (2) copies of valid IDs of the bank’s signatory is also required.

5.

Photocopy of two valid IDs of the authorized signatory/s certified as true copy of the original by the Corporate Secretary.

The Tender Offer shall be subject to the terms and conditions attached as Exhibit A of the Tender Offer Report, and the fulfillment of the following prerequisites (“Tender Offer Prerequisites”): (i)

(ii)

In the course of the Tender Offer, a minimum of 908,459,782 issued and outstanding common shares representing approximately 20% and up to a maximum of 1,430,824,156 issued and outstanding common shares representing approximately 31.5% of the total issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company shall have been (a) validly tendered (which means offered for sale to the Bidder) by the Company’s shareholders (“Tendering Shareholders”); (b) eligible for or otherwise capable of being purchased by the Bidder; and (c) accepted for purchase by the Bidder.

The Bidder shall have obtained all organizational, contractual, and regulatory approvals, consents, and authorizations for the acceptance and purchase by the Bidder of the Tender Offer Shares before the expiration of the Tender Offer Period.

(iii) Each of the Tendering Shareholders shall have obtained all the required approvals and authorizations to enable it to transfer the common shares to the Bidder before the expiration of the Tender Offer Period, and such Tendering Shareholder is not aware of any objection, adverse claim, dispute, or notice concerning such Tendering Shareholder’s right to tender and transfer the Tender Offer Shares. (iv) In the sole determination of the Bidder, no material adverse change in or affecting the business, operations, property, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company shall have occurred.

If you are an INDIVIDUAL SHAREHOLDER, please submit the following:

If you have lost your share certificates: Common Shareholders who have lost their share certificates are required to submit (1) a notarized Affidavit of Loss in the form prescribed by the Bidder, (2) Affidavit of Publication executed by the publisher of newspaper of general circulation attesting that the affidavit of loss and the details required under Section 72 of the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines have been published in a newspaper of general circulation in the place where LPZ has its principal office once a week for at least three consecutive weeks, and (3) an applicable surety bond in an amount of twice the closing price per share of the LPZ shares as of the date of execution of the affidavit of loss, multiplied by the number of shares covered by each lost stock certificate, which bond shall run for a period of one year.

Originally, there were other prerequisites pertaining to the delisting of the common shares of the Company. Since the voluntary delisting of the common shares will no longer be pursued, these prerequisites will no longer be imposed by the Bidder. The prerequisite that the Philippine Competition Commission render a decision that the Tender Offer is exempt from notification or clearance was fulfilled on December 16, 2020.

1.

Copy of SEC Registration or any equivalent constitutive document of the Common Shareholder certified as true copy of the original by the Partnership Secretary or equivalent person having official custody of the partnership records.

The prerequisite that the extension of the Tender Offer Period to 8 March 2021 be cleared by the SEC was fulfilled on 19 February 2021 (see discussion on “Tender Offer Period” below).

2.

In the event any of the Tender Offer Prerequisites is not met, the Bidder may, upon notice to the SEC and shareholders of LPZ, withdraw the Tender Offer by providing written notice of withdrawal of the Tender Offer on or before Settlement Date. The Bidder also reserves the right to waive any of the Tender Offer Prerequisites, as may be allowed.

Copy of the latest Articles of Partnership or equivalent constitutive document of the Common Shareholder certified as true copy of the original by the Partnership Secretary or equivalent person having official custody of the partnership records.

3.

Notarized Partnership Resolution authorizing the sale of the Common Shareholder’s LPZ common shares, designating signatories for the purpose and indicating the specimen signature of the signatories, substantially in the form prescribed by the Bidder.

Pursuant to Rule 19.9.5 of the implementing rules and regulations of the Securities Regulation Code, in the event that the Tender Offer Shares (following acceptance by the Bidder of the Applications from Tendering Shareholders) exceed 1,430,824,156 outstanding common shares representing the maximum outstanding common shares sought by the Bidder, all Tender Offer Shares shall be scaled back on a pro rata basis and rounded down to the nearest share. Provided that, the Bidder may (at its sole discretion) accept, purchase acquire all the Tender Offer Shares provided that, in the Bidder’s determination, such acquisition would not breach or would be reasonably likely to cause a breach of any legal or regulatory restrictions applicable to the Bidder or the Company.

Tendering Shareholders whose Tender Offer Shares have been scaled back or otherwise adjusted shall be notified of such fact by the Tender Offer Agent on or before the Settlement Date and Tender Offer Shares that are not accepted and acquired by the Bidder due to such scale back shall be returned by the Tender Agent to the relevant common shareholder. The Philippine Depository & Trust Corp. (“PDTC”) transfer and upliftment fees incurred arising from the return of Tender Offer Shares occurring due to a scaled-back as described here, shall be for the account of the Bidder.

Copies of the Tender Offer Report (SEC Form 19-1, including any and all of its annexes, exhibits, and schedules), are available at the PSE Electronic Disclosures Technology portal (http://edge.pse.com.ph), company disclosures section for FPH. Any Common Shareholder who wishes to secure a copy of the Tender Offer Report may likewise do so at the office of the Tender Offer Agent or download a copy from www.fphc.com.

The Tender Offer Price The consideration for the Tender Offer Shares shall be Three Pesos and Eighty Five Centavos (P3.85) per share (the Tender Offer Price), payable by way of credit in the nominated bank account or by check as hereafter provided.

The Tender Offer Price does not include customary selling charges amounting 0.621% of the total transaction value (excluding broker’s commission, which shall be for the Tendering Shareholder’s account), and shall include the following Selling Charges Type of Fee

% of Value of the Transaction

Stock transaction tax

0.600%

Fees payable to the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines

0.010%

PSE transaction fees

0.005%

SEC fees

0.005%

Stock Investment Protection Fund

0.001%

After deducting the Selling Charges from a Tendering Shareholder’s account, the net Tender Offer Price is estimated to be Three Pesos and Eight Hundred Twenty Six Centavos (P3.826) per common share.

If the Tendering Shareholder will lodge its shares through the Tender Offer Agent, other fees such as lodgment fee and EQ trade transfer fee (as applicable) will be for the account of the Bidder. If the Tendering Shareholder will lodge its shares through a different PSE authorized broker, other fees such as lodgment fee and EQ trade transfer fee (as applicable) will be for the account of the Tendering Shareholder.

The selling broker’s commission, including value added tax, shall be payable by the Tendering Shareholder, subject to mutual agreement between the Tendering Shareholder and the broker.

BDO Unibank Inc. has confirmed that the Bidder has sufficient resources, including cash, which are available to satisfy full acceptance of all of the Tender Offer Shares that may be tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer.

The Tender Offer Period The Tender Offer started at 9:00 am on 22 January 2021 and shall end on 8 March 2021 (from the original end-date of 19 February 2021).

As of date hereof, 170,627,922 shares have been deposited by stockholders of LPZ for the Tender Offer.

The closing date of the Tender Offer was initially intended to be on 19 February 2021.

On 15 February 2021, the Bidder submitted a request for extension of the Tender Offer Period to 8 March 2021 to give the investing public time to digest the changes in this Second Amended Tender Offer Report and to make a decision on whether or not to participate in the tender based on the revised parameters and information that may be provided in this Second Amended Tender Offer Report. On 19 February 2021, the SEC issued a letter stating that the request to extend to 8 March 2021 was consistent with the requirement of Rule 19.9.1.2 of the implementing rules and regulations of the Securities Regulation Code.

During the Tender Offer Period, any Tendering Shareholder of the Company may offer all or a portion of their common shares in the Company for acceptance by and sale to the Bidder in accordance with, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Tender Offer.

If you are a PARTNERSHIP, please submit the following:

Acceptance The Tender Offer Agent will accept an Application on behalf of the Bidder on the condition that the Tendering Shareholder has been certified by the Stock Transfer Agent as a Common Shareholder of the Company at any time during the Tender Offer Period and that the signature/endorsement on the stock certificate(s) submitted matches the signature on file with the Stock Transfer Agent or with the Company, if such is available. If a Tendering Shareholder does not have any signature card on file, or the signatures on the certificates and on the Application differ from the signature on file with the Stock Transfer Agent, the Stock Transfer Agent shall certify the same to the Bidder. The Bidder shall exercise its sole and reasonable discretion to accept or reject the Application. The Tender Offer Agent shall rely on the signature affixed on the Application and on the validated endorsement of the relevant stock certificates. Neither the Bidder nor the Tender Offer Agent shall be required (nor are they expected) to make further inquiries into the authenticity of the signature. A Tendering Shareholder shall hold the Bidder, the Tender Offer Agent, the Buyer Agent, their respective officers, directors, agents, or advisers free and harmless from any and all damages that may arise or result in the Bidder’s/Tender Offer Agent’s acceptance of the Application.

Applications received after the end of the Tender Offer Period shall be rejected, unless the Tender Offer Period is extended by the Bidder, upon prior approval of the SEC. Tendering Shareholders whose Applications have been rejected, in whole or in part, shall be notified of such fact by the Tender Offer Agent on or before the Settlement Date.

Settlement The consideration shall be payable within ten (10) business days from the lapse of the Tender Offer Period (the Settlement Date). Should the Settlement Date fall on a day other than a business day, the payment of the relevant consideration shall be made on the next business day.

On Settlement Date, the Tender Offer Agent shall provide the payment by way of credit to a nominated bank account or check in the amount of the total Tender Offer Price in the name of either: (i) each selling broker which delivered the scripless shares of its tendering clients (scripless shareholders), or (ii) the Tendering Shareholders that have delivered certificated shares directly to the Tender Offer Agent.

Checks shall be available for pick-up at the Tender Offer Agent’s office beginning Settlement Date up to thirty (30) days thereafter. Checks not claimed shall be mailed or delivered to the Tendering Shareholders, at their own risk, to the registered address indicated in the Application Form.

When collecting payment, the Tendering Shareholders shall present the Shareholder’s Copy of the Application as well as a proper identification document (e.g., driver’s license, passport or company I.D. with photograph and signature). Duly authorized representatives of Tendering Shareholders shall be required to present either a duly notarized secretary’s certificate for corporate shareholders or a duly notarized special power of attorney for individual shareholders.

Withdrawal Any or all of the Tendered Shares may be withdrawn by the relevant Tendering Shareholder any time during the Tender Offer Period, but only up to 12:00 pm of 8 March 2021, by submitting a written request for the withdrawal of the relevant Tendered Shares to the Tender Offer Agent, together with a copy of the Tendering Shareholder’s Copy of the Application issued by the Tender Offer Agent. For a withdrawal to be effective, the written notice of withdrawal must be timely received by the Tender Offer Agent at the address(es) set forth herein.

The written request for the withdrawal of any Tendered Shares must specify: (i) the name of the Tendering Shareholder and (ii) the number of Tendered Shares to be withdrawn. If the stock certificates evidencing the Tendered Shares have been delivered to the Tender Offer Agent, the serial number of such certificates must likewise be indicated in the written request for tendered shares. The Bidder has the right, in its sole discretion, to determine the validity of the written request.

Any Tendered Shares that are withdrawn in accordance herewith shall be returned in the same form they were received to the PDTC Participant (if previously lodged with the PDTC Participant) or to the Tendering Shareholder (if previously certificated), as the case may be, within thirty (30) business days from the end of the Tender Offer Period. The cost of returning the Tender Offer Shares shall be borne by the Tendering Shareholder making the withdrawal.

Tendering Shareholders are advised to read the Application Form, the Tender Offer Report (including in particular the Terms and Conditions of the Tender Offer appended as Exhibit A thereof) as filed by the Bidder with the SEC, PSE and the Company. For queries, please contact the Tender Offer Agent at the contact details set forth below. Copies of the Application Form and the Tender Offer Report may also be obtained by Common Shareholders, free of charge, from the following: BDO Securities Corporation Address:

Tendering Shareholders who previously tendered their shares are permitted to withdraw such tendered shares at any time while the Tender Offer Period remains open.

The accepted Tender Offer Shares are intended to be crossed through the PSE eight (8) business days after the close of the Tender Offer Period or on 18 March 2021 (“Cross Date”), subject to any extension of the Tender Offer Period with the approval of the SEC.

Tel No.: Fax No.:

20F BDO Corporate Center, 7899 Makati Avenue, Makati City +63 2 8840-7080, 8840-7000 +63 2 8878-4156

For inquiries on the Tender Offer, please contact any of the following personnel of BDO Securities Corporation through their telephone numbers and email addresses provided below:

Subject to the confirmation of the PSE that the parties may proceed to consummate the Tender Offer and the approval by the PSE of the crossing of the Tender Offer Shares, the sale and purchase of the accepted Tender Offer Shares shall be settled on the tenth (10) business days after the close of the Tender Offer Period or on 22 March 2021 (“Settlement Date”).

Ms. Janet Amora +632 8840-7000 local 41115 amora.janet@bdo.com.ph Ms. Michelle Gaspar +632 8840-7000 local 32104 gaspar.michelle@bdo.com.ph

Tender Offer Process - For Certificated or Scrip Shareholders Tendering Shareholders holding stock certificates who wish to offer all or a portion of their common shares for acceptance and sale to the Bidder should, within the Tender Offer Period, (i) submit their original stock certificates to the Tender Offer Agent or a stockbroker accredited by the PSE for authentication by the Stock and Transfer Agent or the Company, and subsequent lodging with the Philippine Depository & Trust Corp. (PDTC), and (ii) after such lodgment, comply with the procedures set out in the immediately succeeding subsection (For Non-Certificated or Scripless Shareholders).

Yours truly,

If the Tendering Shareholder does not have a trading account with a stockbroker accredited by the PSE, it/he/she must open such an account with the Tender Offer Agent or such stockbroker within the Tender Offer Period.

The Board of Directors FIRST PHILIPPINE HOLDINGS CORPORATION

Mr. Donald Buensuceso +632 8840-7000 local 33667 buensuceso.donald@bdo.com.ph

(MS-FEB. 22 & 23, 2021)

:

B4

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

B4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

IN BRIEF PH mobile internet speed ranking rises THE Philippines’ global mobile internet speed rankings in January 2021 climbed 86th spot from its 111th rank in the same month in 2020, according to data from an Ookla report.

For fixed broadband, the country’s average download speed was recorded at 32.73 Mbps. The country retained its 100th ranking in the fixed broadband global average category.

Additionally, compared to December 2020, the Ookla January 2021 results saw a 4.1-percent increase from 31.44 Mbps (fixed broadband) and 14.53 percent from 22.50 Mbps (mobile).

After President Duterte’s mandate to advance improvements in telco services to ensure the country’s internet speed and quality keep up with our Southeast Asian neighbors, the government had been closely monitoring telco’s performance.

Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said his agency would continue to coordinate with the National Telecommunications Commission to help ensure the telco’s roll-out plans are complied with in a timely manner. Darwin G. Amojelar

Toyota launches Innova upgrade

LEADING automotive manufacturer and distributor Toyota Motor Philippines launched Saturday the 2021 update of its best-selling Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the Toyota Innova.

As one of TMP’s locally manufactured vehicles, the Innova remains the preferred car of generations of Filipino families because of its dependable, spacious and comfortable make.

“The introduction of the New Innova could not have been timelier as the current situation has allowed us to appreciate moments shared with our families and loved ones,” said Toyota first vice president for marketing Sherwin Chualim.

“As we slowly go back to the roads to rediscover the happiness of traveling together, it is important to have a car that can keep us safe, while providing power, comfort, luxury, and style. The new Innova has all that and more,” he added.

The Toyota Innova is manufactured in Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The updated model is now available in all of Toyota dealerships across the country since the launch. Othel V. Campos

Sitel Group names HR vice president SITEL Group, a global leader in end-to-end customer experience products and solutions, announced the appointment of Pamela Donato, a veteran HR executive and BPO professional, as its new vice president for human resources for the Philippines, and Australia and New Zealand.

Donato brings with her over 20 years of HR experience. She has led the HR and organizational development of top financial and business process outsourcing companies in the Philippines. The breadth and depth of her experience have provided her with a wide perspective and insight into HR best practices, policymaking, stakeholder management and strategy development and execution.

Prior to joining Sitel Philippines, Donato was the regional HR lead for a leading BPO covering the Philippines and Malaysia. She is also currently an officer of the HR Council of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Sitel Group,” Donato said. “The company is doing incredible things and there is still tremendous potential. I look forward to being an empowering leader and working with the amazing teams at Sitel Philippines to further develop our end-to-end HR initiatives and implement strategies focused on employee engagement, training and development and inclusion and diversity.”

Business

BOI readies incentives in PH innovation sector T

By Othel V. Campos

he Board of Investments is set to grant incentives to projects that generate and commercialize patented technologies under the 2020 Investment Priorities Plan.

Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo signed Memorandum Circular 2021-001on Feb. 9, 2021, which identified the commercialization of “uncommercialized patents” as one of the projects falling under the “innovation drivers” activity.

Uncommercialized patents refer to invention patents, utility models or industrial designs that have been granted

patent or are registered at the intellectual Property Office of the Philippines but have not delivered economic returns, through means of a spin-off company, licensing or sale.

“The express promotion of patent creation and commercialization, no less than by the biggest investment promotion agency in the country, is a landmark development that will further IPOPHL’s push for Filipinos to harness IP for inclusive business and technological growth,” said IPOPHL Director-General Rowel Barba.

He said the incentives would reinvigorate filings activity, help the Philippines climb higher in the global innovation index and fulfill the goal to transition to a knowledge-based economy.

The 2020 IPP also recognized innovation and technology support offices as “innovation centers” or a community of

entrepreneurs and researchers helping find breakthroughs and alternative solutions to address industry challenges.

An ITSO can be a university, college or research center that partners with IPOPHL, that offers access to patent and scientific and technical databases, assistance in using patent databases, training in patent claim drafting and advice on intellectual property management, among others.

ITSOs played a big part in driving utility model and resident-patent filings in 2019, in turn contributing to the Philippines’ hike in the 2020 GII ranking.

IPOPHL has 83 ITSO-partners to date.

The IPP’s expansion of IP-related activities is one of the fruits reaped from IPOPHL’s August 2019 memorandum of agreement with BOI. Its objectives include incentivizing IP-generating activities.

NGCP CABLE DAMAGE. The

Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project may extend beyond the adjusted December 2021 target completion following the damage on several portions of its fiber optic cable connection. The submarine cable no.1 portion of the MVIP’s Dapitan-Santander 350-kilovolt high voltage direct current line between Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte and Santander, Cebu, which was completed Nov. 15, 2020, was found to have been damaged in several locations.

Meralco to follow P13.8-b refund, shift to performance scheme

By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co. welcomed the provisional approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission on the P13.885billion refund that will bring relief to consumers amid the pandemic.

“Meralco hopes to put the PBR [performance-based regulation] mechanism back on track, that we appreciate the provisional approval and that we will follow the order as this will provide much-needed relief to our customers,” Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco vice president for corporate communications, said.

PBR is an internationally-accepted methodology that uses projections of operating and capital expenditures to enable the regulator to evaluate facility investments to meet customer require-

ments and prescribed service levels.

It has a performance incentive scheme by which the regulator provides incentives and penalties to the utility to compel to be more efficient and reliable.

ERC directed Meralco over the weekend to refund P13.885 billion, or P0.1528 per kilowatt-hour, to customers over 24 months or until the amount is fully refunded.

“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.

The ERC said the provisional authority was limited to the refund of the

amount sought by Meralco.

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

ERC also directed Meralco to reflect the refund as a separate line item in the bills of customers. It said the refund was without prejudice to the outcome of the final evaluation of the application after completion of both technical and legal proceedings.

Meralco, in its application, sought the ERC’s confirmation of its actual weighted average tariff against the ERC-approved interim average rate to determine if there are any over or under recovery.

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

SECLandmasters to roll out Cebu onlineP4-b filing of unveils office, annual financial hotel development statements, GIS

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launched Friday a P4-billion mixeduse office and hotel in Cebu.

THE Securities and tower Exchange ComCLI said a disclosure to theitstock mission saidinover the weekend will exchange Tower Cebu would soon allowMaster companies to submit reporbe anrequirements iconic towerthrough with prime office torial a newly deand retail spaces and a five-star luxveloped online submission tool. ury hotel.

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LEED (Leadership will in have Energy and The corporations to subEnvironmental Design) gold certifimit a copy of its submission of email cation. addresses and cellular phone numMaster Cebu wasGIS designed bers or itsTowers accomplished using by global architectural firm the 2020 version, as required bySkidSEC more, Owings Circular and Merrill Memorandum No. in 28,tandem Series with one of the country’s top archiof 2020. tects GF Partners and Architects.

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All Day Supermarket of Villar Group expands network with 1st Cebu store ALL Day Supermarket, the grocery chain owned by the Villar Group, is set to open its first store in Cebu province before the end of the month.

All Day Supermarket will open at Starmall Talisay in Talisay City—a bustling Cebuano commercial hub.

The opening of the new store completes the unique AllValue retail ecosystem in Cebu, pioneered by sister brand AllHome.

“We are extremely happy to complete the Villar Group’s AllValue ecosystem in the city of Talisay. AllDay provides the community with the best possible supermarket experience,” said Manuel Villar, chairman of AllValue Holdings Corp., the parent company of All Day Supermarket.

“Soon, the market of Talisay will come to experience the convenience and synergy of having everything you need for your home and family in one-stop,” he said.

All Day Supermarket brings its own brand of refreshing and beautiful supermarket journey to an established residential hub.

The community of Talisay can expect the freshest market finds and unmatched international product

line-up—hallmarks of the All Day Supermarket experience.

All Day Supermarket president Benjamarie Serrano said the opening of the Talisay store is the chain’s first for the year and will kick off an aggressive push to expand its store network.

“Our opening in Talisay is the first of many in 2021, and we are truly excited to bring an elevated grocery experience not only to Cebu, but to many more locations this year,” Serrano said.

Established in 2014, All Day is a proudly Filipino-owned supermarket, mini-mart and convenience store chain that aims to provide Filipinos an upgraded, refreshed and worldclass grocery experience.

All Day Supermarket opened 27 stores, including locations in Molino, Kawit, Las Pinas, Libis, Taguig, Sta. Rosa, Pampanga, Global South, Naga, Iloilo, General Trias and Tanza, Evia, Starmall Alabang, Malolos, Dasmarinas, North Molino, Imus, Salawag, Dona Manuela and Cabanatuan and 79 convenience store locations all across the country.

Jenniffer B. Austria

MODERN TRUCKS.and Hyundai Asia Resource PPE SHOWCASE. The Philippines unveils unique advantages in COVID-critical personal protective equipment medical fulfills another round of modern utility vehic supplies manufacturing during a Japanese business event. The Board of Investments, in partnership with the Japan Hygiene public Products delivered15 units of Modern PUV Industry Association, organized an online briefing with JHPIA members to promote investment opportunities inHD50S the Philippines for Class 3 to public with the a safe, reliable, efficient, and environm manufacturers of PPE, hygiene products and medical supplies based in Japan. The webinar showcased competitive advantage Lani Mercado-Revilla from right) and of the Philippines as a manufacturing base for companies, not only from Japan but also fromMayor neighboring markets such (fourth as Taiwan, Rutaquio (fifth from right).

South Korea and Malaysia.

Metro Pacific unit opens new lanes of Subic Freeport Expressway

By Darwin G. Amojelar NLEX Corp. said over the weekend it completed the P1.6 -billion capacity expansion of the 8.2-kilometer Subic Freeport Expressway that will accelerate business activities and flow of goods and services between the economic zones of Clark and Subic.

“This fresh Metro Pacific Tollways infrastructure investment will improve

mobility, accelerate the country’s economic recovery and more importantly, support the logistics and supply chain we urgently need. Around 10,000 motorists daily will benefit from this new road,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

The DPWH and NLEX opened the expansion project to the public on Feb. 19.

NLEX embarked on the P1.6-billion expansion project to increase the express-

way capacity from a single two-way carriageway to a double carriageway with dedicated lanes in each direction. A total of 16.4 new lane kilometers, two new bridges in Jadjad and Argonaut and a new tunnel were constructed.

The company also installed international standard LED lights, raised the elevation of the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo Road junction and enhanced the area’s drainage system.

Sports

PSC stresses importance of physical activity PHILIPPINE Sports Commission’s (PSC) Rise Up, Shape Up weekly web series underscored the connection of physical activity to cardiovascular health in its 13th episode which aired via live streaming on Facebook and YouTube, Saturday.

The episode titled “Don’t Break My Heart: Women’s Physical Activities to Ensure a Fit Heart” discussed the factors which make one’s heart physically and psychologically healthy and strong. It also featured tips on improving cardiovascular health for non-athletic women.

“Sports is primarily an activity that requires physical exertion, with our muscular system engaged. We move with them, stretch, run, and jump. Our athletes undergo intense training to make sure that their muscles can endure the intensity of their sports. But we often forget another muscle that also needs TLC, which is our hearts,” said PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram who is in charge of women in sports initiatives.

“Physical fitness and cardiovascular health are closely related so this episode puts a prime on taking care of our hearts in all aspects. After all, its function fuels us to move and do our daily tasks.” Kiram added.

National coach Divine Escala spearheaded the virtual exercises in strengthening one’s heart. Coach Escala was behind the success of the Philippine soft tennis team in last year’s 30th Southeast Asian Games which bagged 7 gold and 2 bronze medals.

On the other hand, Dr. Cristine Catindig-Santelices shared the physical activities for non-athletic women and the limits of the heart in high-intensity activities. She is currently a consultant at Manila Medical Hospital and Manila Doctors Hospital and also a board member of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Society of the Philippines.

Lastly, Ms. Nenuca Fe Canlas, a registered psychologist and is presently connected with the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department of the College of Education of De la Salle University, Manila addressed the management of moods and emotions to keep our hearts balanced and well-loved.

PSC’s Rise Up, Shape Up is a weekly web series streamed via Facebook and YouTube on Saturdays at 10:30 AM. For more information on Rise Up, Shape Up, visit its official Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/riseupshapeup and YouTube page https://www. youtube.com/riseupshapeup.

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler (22) glides to the hoop against Los Angeles Lakers defenders LeBron James (23) and Marc Gasol during their game at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Vargas: Paalam, Petecio can make it to Olympics

By Peter Atencio

E

VEN if the world qualifying tournament for boxing has been cancelled, the Philippines still has a chance to send two more boxers to the Tokyo Olympics.

And officials of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) are betting that Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio can make it even if they don’t throw a single punch.

The pair could join early boxing entries Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno, to the Olympics.

ABAP president Ricky Vargas believes that Paalam and Petecio will still be able to go to Tokyo because of their status in the world rankings and the distribution of 53 allocated slots to all four member continents.

“Ike-claim na namin ito,” said Vargas during a discussion at the weekly program, “Power and Play,” on TV5.

Paalam is world ranked no. 12 in in the men’s 54-kg class and is no. 2 in Asia. Petecio is world no. 2 in in the women’s 57 kg. category, and is also the second highest ranked Asian.

This after the International Olympic Committee Boxing Taskforce decided to cancel the World Qualifying Tournament and to postpone the European Qualifiers last week.

The ABAP chief said the International Boxing Association (AIBA) is currently talking to member countries about this possibility.

During its discussions with the ABAP, AIBA officials said the ranking and quota system are useful at this point.

The ranking system, according to AIBA, was compiled on the basis of key tournaments of past years.

But, it does not take into account youth competitions and young boxers born in 2001-02 could be deprived of the chance to compete at the Games and fulfill their dream.

The AIBA still believes that a qualification tournament would be a more objective

way to qualify for the Olympics.

But, since the schedules of the qualifiers have already pushed back by the date of the schedule of the Tokyo Olympics, ABAP executive director Ed Picson believes that the distribution of the 53 allocated slots for the Olympics will give Filipino boxers a better chance.

AIBA is now in discussion with member nations.

The world qualifier was originally scheduled for May 2020 in Paris but was postponed for this year because of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Two other uncompleted qualifiers, those of the Americas and Europe will push through, but had to be moved back to May and June, respectively.

At the moment, Paalam and Petecio are among several boxers who are training under “bubble conditions” at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

They are set to leave for Thailand for a joint training camp late this month.

Also in Laguna are Magno, Rogen Ladon, Ian Clark Bautista, Mario Fernandez, Aira Villegas and others.

The BTF is scheduled to make the official announcement of those who will be qualified for Tokyo in March.

Osaka grows from shy youth to champion MELBOURNE, Australia—Naomi Osaka, who swept to her fourth Grand Slam title in as many major finals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Jennifer Brady on Saturday, has made a rapid and at times uncomfortable climb to the top.

The 23-year-old’s zen-like mentality and increased gravitas on and off the court have elevated her alongside Serena Williams to being the one of the most recognizable female athletes on the planet.

But it is her unceasing politeness away from the battlefield, coupled with the on-court steel that runs through all champions, that makes her stand apart.

“Do you like to be called Jenny or Jennifer?” she almost timidly asked Brady before embarking on her winner’s speech on Saturday.

It was typical of Osaka, who also gave a deferen-

C1

tial bow to Williams after knocking out her idol and 23-time Grand Slam champion in the semi-final.

New queen Osaka will rise to number two in the world when the new rankings are released next week after a polished campaign which will reinforce the belief that she has taken over as the new queen of tennis.

It’s a far cry from a year ago when a rattled Osaka felt the strain of expectations as her Australian Open title defense fell apart with a shock loss to a 15-year-old Coco Gauff in the third round.

“She looked very nervous to me, she was under pressure, and she only looked like that because she was not expressing her feelings,” her coach Wim Fissette said.

Weeks later, Osaka was embarrassed as she won just three games

against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in a Fed Cup tie.

“There’s just a lot of stuff that happened there, surrounding that time, that it really made me think a lot about my life,” she said.

“What is the reason, I am playing tennis to prove stuff to other people or am I playing to have fun because I enjoy it.”

But things turned during the pandemic, when Osaka gained new perspective and became a vocal leader in the fight against racial injustice in the United States.

Her increased presence as a campaigner for social justice has fuelled Osaka on court and she now possesses a 21-match unbeaten streak after Saturday’s final, a run that included winning last year’s US Open title for the second time. AFP

Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with the 2021 Australian Open winner’s trophy at the Government House in Melbourne on February 21, 2021, following her victory in the women’s singles final of the tennis tournament. AFP

Butler, Heat beat struggling Lakers in NBA finals rematch LOS ANGELES, United States—Jimmy Butler and Kendrick Nunn combined for 51 points as the Miami Heat defeated reigning league champions the Los Angeles Lakers 96-94 on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time), in a rematch of last season’s NBA finals.

Nunn finished with 27 points and Butler had 24 and eight rebounds for the Heat, who have won six of their last nine contests.

Bam Adebayo tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds and Duncan Robinson added 11 points with 10 rebounds.

This was the first meeting between the two teams since the Lakers defeated the Heat four games to two for their recordequaling 17th league crown in October in Orlando, Florida.

The Lakers have now lost three of their last four games.

They were without injured all-star forward Anthony Davis, who sat out his fourth straight game with a right Achilles tendon injury, and guard Dennis Schroder, who missed his second straight game due to the NBA’s Covid-19 restrictions.

The Lakers got 19 points from 36-yearold LeBron James, who shot just seven of 21 from the floor.

Kyle Kuzma had 23 points, Montrezl Harrell finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 11 points.

After both teams struggled to score in the fourth, Butler made two clutch free throws with 12 seconds left.

Miami led by as much as 15 points in the first half and by halftime were ahead 59-52.

The Lakers took a 66-63 lead in the third before the Heat jolted back to life and went on a 13-0 surge for a 76-66 lead with just over three minutes left in the quarter.

Elsewhere, Terry Rozier hit the game winner at the buzzer, capping a game-high 36-point performance as the Charlotte Hornets returned from an unexpected break to beat the Golden State Warriors 102-100.

The Hornets hadn’t played since Valentine’s Day after two games were postponed because of Covid-19 measures.

Rozier shot eight-for-11 on three pointers and finished with his fourth consecutive 30-point outing.

P.J. Washington scored 15 points and Miles Bridges had 10 for the Hornets, who shot 20-for-40 on threes and outscored the Warriors 60-39 from threepoint range. AFP

Garcia says healthy Yap can still lead Elasto Painters

Two-time PBA MVP James Yap (18) of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters tries to dribble past Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok defender Paul Lee. PBA

RAIN or Shine Elasto Painters veteran James Yap, has not been playing anywhere near the form which had him winning two Philippine Basketball Association MVP awards.

Age and minor injuries seemingly have taken their toll on the 39-year-old veteran.

But Rain or Shine Elasto Painters coach Caloy Garcia believes that Yap may not be as good as he was before but he still has enough left on his tank to help the Elasto Painters become legitimate threats in the league if he can only return to full health.

“The best way for James to be effective is to manage his health condition. If you keep James healthy, he can make big contributions to the team,” Garcia said in a published report.

“In fact, we made some special plays for James

and even made some adjustments on how we’ll run our patterns. Kaya malaki pa rin talaga ang contribution niya. The biggest factor here, of course, is the age because as players get older, you really need to manage their health condition.”

Yap, who was late in joining his team in the PBA Philippine Cup bubble tournament, was far from his usual productive self.

“Sa bubble tournament, James had difficulty catching up to be in shape kasi nga ang tagal nating walang ensayo. Tapos he came from Italy pa so when he returned, he had to be quarantined for two more weeks. And maigsi lang yung tournament and halos everyday yung mga laro kaya nahirapan rin siya makuha yung game shape niya,” said Garcia.

Things will be different in the coming 2021 PBA Philippine Cup. Yap will have more time to

prepare with his teammates.

“This time, mas nakapag-prepare si James. He works hard in practice. So we expect him to play better this season kasi he appears to be in better condition now,” Garcia said.

Other than Yap Rain or Shine has numerous other weapons in its roster.

There are young players Rey Nambatac and Javee Mocon who have earned the trust of coach Garcia after coming through with clutch performances when needed most.

Then there are veterans Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga and Jewel Ponferada and Mark Borboran who powered the Elasto Painters to the Quarterfinals of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup where they lost to eventual champion Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.

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Sports

MONDAY, FEBUARY 22, 2021

Froome’s comeback bid slated at UAE Tour PARIS—Chris Froome will be part of a top-drawer line-up as the four-time Tour de France winner gets his second injury comeback rolling when cycling’s first major race of the season, the UAE Tour, starts on Sunday.

The reigning Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, Quick Step’s rising star Joao Almeida and the winner of the UAE race last year, Adam Yates, should feature strongly in what is likely to be a tight struggle in the seven-stage event.

This race was cut short last year by a COVID-19 outbreak among the teams, making it one of the first international sports events to feel the effects of the pandemic.

Twelve months on, stringent measures are in place to prevent a recurrence, with staff and riders accommodated in different hotels.

Froome’s quest to get back to the top has seen him leave Ineos and join Israel StartUp Nation after he failed to make the cut at the British team for the Tour de France last season.

The Israeli team allowed 35-year-old Froome to undergo intense rehabilitation work away from the rest of the squad at a specialised athletic performance centre in Santa Monica, California.

“The hard-yards of my rehab are behind me but I’ll be continuing it for the remainder of my career,” said Froome, who has been doing four two-hour sessions most weeks for the past two months.

Froome seemed fully focussed on Saturday, mentioning the Tour de France several times.

“I’m not at all the favourite here. This is my first race with ISN and I’m here to start my progression towards the Tour de France,” he told a pre-race press conference. “This is the beginning of my campaign to be ready for the Tour de France.”

Pogacar the man to beat At just 22 the Slovenian all-rounder Pogacar, who produced an outstanding rookie performance to seize victory in France last year, will be a watched man with his UAE Emirates Team under pressure to deliver on home soil.

Pogacar is a star in the UAE with his image emblazoned on the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.AFP

Golf tour starts new season at Eagle Ridge

R

IDING the crest of its successful re-start in a pandemic-hit year, the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. penciled a two-stage tournament for the Philippine Golf Tour and the Ladies PGT next month to usher its 2021 season with accent still on the safety and health of the players and all the personnel involved.

The Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite, the country’s largest golfing facility with four championship courses, will host the March 9-12 (ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge) and March 23-26 (ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship) events at the Aoki and Norman layouts, respectively, both being spruced up to championship condition for a true test of golf.

Like in its first two-tournament bubble marking the resumption of both tours at Riviera’s Couples and Langer courses late last year, strict health protocols will

be imposed for the duration of the twin events with the men and women of the tour eager and ready to slug it out coming off a three-month break.

“As much as we wanted to provide opportunities for our pros, we have to ensure that it will be safe and responsible to resume our tour,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of the organizing PGTI. The Games and Amusements Board actually endorsed the staging of more pro tournaments right after the first Riviera tournament last November, cit-

ing the PGTI’s strict compliance with the Dept. of Health-Philippine Sports Commission-GAB Joint Administrative Order with regard to the government’s health and safety guidelines.

But the PGTI and the sponsoring ICTSI had wanted that all safety measures are in place before resuming the circuit with the pros hopeful to get back into the full swing of things by the second or third quarter of the year with the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The guidelines were sent to all the players a couple of days back, outlining and detailing the various procedures to be implemented during the upcoming two-tournament run, including the mandatory RT-PCR saliva testing.

Registration is ongoing with the PGTI expecting around 85 players in men’s and ladies sides to participate. Deadline for listup is on March 2 at 5 p.m.

The PGTI has again tapped the Bay-

Moe Chulani

Ronda PH holds tribute ride for late chair Chulani Tony Lascuña ran away with a four-shot victory over Ira Alido and Rupert Zaragosa in the ICTSI Riviera Invitational at Couples

Burns leads PGA at wind-hit Riviera LOS ANGELES—Sam Burns clung to a two-stroke lead over England’s fast-closing Matthew Fitzpatrick when darkness halted Saturday’s wind-hit third round of the US PGA Genesis Invitational.

Burns closed with back-to-back bogeys to stand on 10-under overall with five holes remaining when sunset halted play with 23 golfers—including 11 of the top 14 on the leaderboard—needing to finish their third round at cold and blustery Riviera Country Club.

“You’re getting wind you’re not used to seeing here,” Burns said. “Even when it’s downwind it was pretty hard to get the ball to stop on the green. Not a lot of opportunities out there.”

World number 149 Burns matched the 36-hole Riviera course record at 12-under par 130 to lead by five when the day began, then had to wait out a wind delay of three hours and 54 minutes before starting his round.

“Pretty long day,” Burns said. “The course is playing tough. We did a good job of trying to put it in the right spots.”

The American, chasing his first PGA title, still led by five strokes until the final half hour of play, when he made a three-putt bogey at the par-4 12th and missed a seven-foot par putt at the par-4 13th.

Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, sank a 22-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th and stood on eight-under with one hole remaining.

“It was great,” the Englishman said of his round. “In and out because of the high winds. Went out to make some birdies early to kick start my round and just hung

pack on seven-under with fellow Americans Max Homa and Wyndham Clark. Johnson, the reigning Masters champion, and Homa had five holes remaining. Clark had three.

“Conditions were tough all day,” said Johnson.

“Greens were firm and fast. The wind was blowing all day. It was a tough test. It played fine. It was fair. It just played tough.

“I played pretty good, a couple bad bogeys but in these conditions it’s very difficult. I feel like I’m playing pretty solid. I’m going to have to go out and shoot a good number tomorrow.”

Wind brings safety woes Gusting high winds caused unsafe and unplayable conditions, blowing balls off greens and toppling equipment.

“We got into a situation of player safety,” tournament director Steve Rintoul said. “Safety of our volunteers and everybody else out there on the golf course was our primary reason for shutting things down.

“We had a piece of communications equipment fall down very close to some players on the 14th tee, which really makes us as a committee step back and say maybe we need to go ahead and suspend now because it gets really more dangerous out there and that was ultimately the decision.”

It was the first time wind had caused unplayable conditions to suspend a tour event since the second round of the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews.

Burns avoided dropping a shot at the par-3 sixth when Sam Burns of the United States lines up a putt on the his drive went into the rough near a wall. He punched out 12th green during the third round of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, within four feet and made the putt.

His tee shot at the par-4 eighth soared left of the cart California. AFP path and led to a bogey but he birdied the par-4 10th, onto it on the back nine really.” blasting out of a greenside bunker to three feet and World number one Dustin Johnson was in a third-place making the putt. AFP

Finding the good on any given Sunday THE COACH MIKE OCHOSA MANY say that sports provides valuable metaphors for life.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY The first Sunday of February is earmarked to be Super Bowl Sunday. It is when after the National Football League has played its full season the top two teams outmuscle each other for the coveted Lombardi Trophy.

Pandemic or not, this day is a destiny set for football supremacy. Feb 7, 2021.

Even as fans waited for the yearly event to begin, other occasions were transpiring.

BEGINNINGS OF A MUTINY On Feb 1, 2021, a week before the Super Bowl, the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military began their coup d’état. The democratically elected National League for Democracy, the ruling party of the country, was deposed. The days that followed saw tens of thousands of demonstrators fill up

leaf Hotel in Cavite as its official hotel although players are allowed to use personal cars but strictly to the hotel only. Shuttle buses will be provided to and from hotel to the golf course. Face masks and face shields must also be worn inside the bus.

Although romps marked the Riviera bubble—with Tony Lascuña running away with a four-shot victory over Ira Alido and Rupert Zaragosa in the ICTSI Riviera Invitational at Couples and Alido scoring a breakthrough with a nine-stroke triumph over three rivals, a spirited chase is expected in both Eagle Ridge events.

Same with the Ladies PGT with Princess Superal and Pauline del Rosario, who split the Riviera titles in tight fashion, bracing for another faceoff with an eye on the likes of Chihiro Ikeda, Daniella Uy, Cyna Rodriguez and Abby Arevalo, among others.

the streets to protest the hostile takeover.

Democracy was challenged anew.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC GOES SILENT Two days before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs game kicked off, Christopher Plummer died in his home at age 91. Plummer, who played the dashing and debonair Captain Von Trapp in the now classic “The Sound of Music” was reported to have died due to a blow to his head caused by a fall. The “Sound of Music” told the story of escape of the Von Trapp family from the Nazi regime. It was a very entertaining piece of work, but never truly depicted the real tale of the escape. Plummer reportedly had a personal dislike for the movie despite its phenomenal success.

DECEIT, DISTRUST AND ESPIONAGE On Feb 5, 2021, Sergey Maximishin, the doctor who treated Alexey Navalny died. Navalny, a staunch critic of Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, was poisoned in August of 2020. He was brought to a Russian hospital where Maximishin was one of its senior doctors. A relatively incomplete news report about the incident said that the 55-year-old doctor’s cause of death was a sudden heart

attack. The circumstances surrounding his demise raised suspicion of foul play.

FORTUNATELY, INSPIRING STORIES ARISE As the sporting world was focused on the yearly festivity that the Super Bowl has become, viewing it from a broader standpoint, lined up against all these incidents, makes it seem mundane and unimportant. Nonetheless, it shares the banner space as it receives the same amount of media exposure. Amidst the news of death, rebellions and espionage, the narrative that sports provide is authentic, relatable and mercifully inspiring.

And even if arguably sports competition unearths the worst in humans, it more frequently underscores the good and uplifts spirits.

The competition was fierce going into the game. Statistics were compared, strategies reviewed and the player’s characters were scrutinized. Yet, after a very physical battle, the spirit of reconciliation moved. The game was physical and competitive to a point that words were said and expletives were spoken.

Apparently, Brady lost his temper and went after Tyrann Matthieu, the Chief’s safety.

After the game, the now seven-time Super

Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady sent Mathieu an apologetic text. Though he did not acknowledge the gesture, Tyrann also did not allow the controversy to escalate, choosing to simply walk away from it.

Essentially, the subtle message is that amidst the chaos, rivalry, spoken invectives in games and competition, there is always a possible resolution in spite and despite of the outcome.

APPLYING SPORTSMANSHIP, CAMARADERIE, RESPECT IN REAL LIFE It would be uplifting if Plummer, before passing, retracted his disdain for the movie that arguably made him a star.

The military generals of Myanmar could have opted to “sort things out” instead of choosing the path of insurrection.

Trust, fair play and transparency could avert the controversies that surround the Russian government. Who knows, it may even have prevented Dr. Maximishin’s death.

Sadly, in the world, there is trouble, misunderstanding and imperfections. But in our collective desire to find the good in every man, we can turn to sports to find the muchneeded metaphor to deal with life’s challenges and the world’s problems.

THE TALE OF SUPERBOWL SUNDAY The tale about the two quarterbacks gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday gained world-

THE Ronda Pilipinas yesterday held a tribute ride that started and ended at the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jose, Tarlac for its late chairman Moe Chulani.

It was solemn event, dubbed “A MeMOErial Ride, A Ride for Moe,” that was attended by Chulani’s brother Ravinder, close friend and Ronda co-founder Dino Araneta and past champions Jan Paul Morales, Ronald Oranza and George Oconer.

Approved by both the InterAgency Task Force and the local government of Tarlac, the tribute ride was participated in by teams from Navy-Standard Insurance, 7-Eleven, Go for Gold, Army-Bicycology, Tarlac, Placido Valdez’s developmental team and executive friends like Jeremy Go, Quin Baterna, Wilson Cheng and Roland Cunanan among them.

“This is for Moe,” said Ronda project director Bernadette Guerrero.

Under Chulani’s leadership, Ronda has staged a total of 10 multistage races starting in 2011 that produced some of the best cyclists in the country today including last year’s champion Oconer.

Ronda organizers have deferred holding a race this year due to the pandemic.

But organizers announced there will be qualifying races late this year for the main event set February next year.

wide attention. Tom Brady, the Buccaneers’ quarterback, at 43 years old was aiming for his 7th Super Bowl win. Also out to make history for himself was Patrick Mahomes, quarterback of the Chiefs. Mahomes is 18 years younger than Brady and was going for back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

Upon winning no. 7, Brady showed us that perseverance is a true factor for success and that age is truly just a number. Mahomes laid out plainly that a loss is not the end of everything, there will always be a next time.

Super Bowl Sundays remind us that a win and a loss will be forgotten in time, what will remain are the memories that reveal the good in all of us. *** Mike Ochosa is an avid sportsman. He has written for various broadsheets and on line publication providing his thoughts and insights on various sports. He is a freelance TV boxing analyst having sat ringside in 14 of Pacquiao’s fights and for various international sports networks as well. He was President of Punchout Boxing Club and is currently President and Program Director of Philippine Habagat Baseball.

Follow him on social media: Website: mikeochosa.com; FB: https://www. f a c e b o o k . c o m /c o a c h m i k e o c h o s a /; IG:@coachmike.O; Twitter account, https://twitter.com/mikeochosa

Entertainment s

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

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Arjo Atayde, Elijah Canlas, Alden Richards among FDCP’s FAN2021 honorees

(First row, from left) Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, GMA Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the GMA Chairman and CEO; Nessa Valdellon, First VP for Public Affairs; (2nd row, from left) Oliver Amoroso, First VP and Head of Regional TV and Synergy; and Gigi Santiago-Lara, Senior AVP for Alternative Productions.

TV station for the young and young at heart VERY WANG

G

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

NICKIE WANG

MA Network has taken a bold step to rebrand its second freeto-air channel. Beginning today, GMA News TV, which is known for its award-winning news and public affairs programs, is having a fresh new look as GTV.

Carrying the tagline “the news you trust and new shows to love,” GTV stays true to the network’s commitment to Serbisyong Totoo with a full roster of credible news programs from the award-winning teams of GMA News, GMA Regional TV, and DZBB. Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, GMA Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the GMA Chairman and CEO, said that rebranding their news channel was a product of their goal to reach a wider audience especially the millennial and Gen Z viewers who are more into diverse kind of entertainment.

“We would like GTV to be known as a channel for the young and the young at heart,” Gozon said.

Although the channel flaunts a fresh new look, viewers can still catch the live telecast of Super Radyo DZBB’s hottest reports and commentaries in Dobol B TV as well as Connie Sison and Raffy Tima’s midday newscast Balitanghali.

GTV likewise simulcasts GMA’s flagship news program 24 Oras, anchored by GMA News pillars Mel Tiangco, Mike Enriquez, and Vicky Morales.

Meanwhile, the channel’s primetime newscast State of the Nation (SONA), bannered by Atom Araullo, and Maki Pulido, provides depth and context to the headlines.

Local news reports continue to be accessible to more viewers via the GMA Regional TV Strip and GMA Regional TV Weekend News, which feature the Network’s award-winning local news programs across the country.

Alongside its newscasts, GTV offers fresh programming options for both the young and young-at-heart.

This was kickstarted by the high-rating primetime series The Lost Recipe headlined by the fresh loveteam of Mikee Quintos and Kelvin Miranda in a fantasy-romance that provides viewers a new taste of Pinoy drama.

Adding magic to everyone's Saturday viewing habit is “My Fantastic Pag-ibig,” a collection of rom-com tales set in present times but infused with fantasy elements and showcases today’s most promising

young loveteams.

The all-original comedy game show Game of the Gens, hosted by Sef Cadayona and Andre Paras, fuses singing, dancing, and playing games among competitors from different generations.

Chef JR Royol gives a peek into the fascinating process of food preparation in the weekly cooking show Farm To Table.

Upcoming GTV offerings include the charming story of Heartful Café, starring Julie Anne San Jose alongside David Licauco; the much-awaited on-screen tandem of real-life couple Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos in the romancemystery mini-series Love You Stranger; and FLEX, which will be bannered

by Gen Z stars Mavy Legaspi, Lexi Gonzales, Joaquin Domagoso, and Althea Ablan.

On GTV’s Happy Hour strip, Vicky spreads positivity in news magazine show Good News while multi-awarded documentarist Kara David takes viewers on an gastronomical adventure featuring Filipino food in Pinas Sarap.

Helping viewers manage their finances better in the new normal is Susan Enriquez in Pera Paraan. Gabbi Garcia, on the other hand, brings the latest trends in IRL through the stories and experiences that audiences encounter every day. More travel adventures in the new normal also await viewers in the award-winning travel and adventure program Biyahe ni Drew hosted by Drew Arellano.

Well-loved public affairs and lifestyle shows continue throughout the week.

Join Kara anew as she reports on various issues facing the country in Brigada.

Susan answers the questions of every Juan in iJuander while Tonipet Gaba explores how dining has evolved in the “new normal” in Pop Talk. Dishing out fun, food, and adventure are Solenn Heussaff and Gil Cuerva in Taste Buddies.

Further, sports fans are sure to watch out for the coverage and airing of the upcoming NCAA seasons.

With GNTV currently holding the second spot as the most watched channel after GMA (according to Nielsen Urban TAM’s Jan. 1 to Feb. 16, 2021 ratings data), GTV is slated to complement main channel GMA’s strong nationwide reach.

GTV is available via free-to-air, cable, satellite, and on GMA Affordabox and GMA Now as well as other digital receivers.

GTV’s exciting programs also air abroad via the Network’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International.

Pauline Mendoza reclaims what’s rightfully hers in ‘Babawiin Ko Ang Lahat’

WITNESS a soul-stirring tale of a young woman whose perfect life is upended by the ghosts of the past in the form of her father’s first family in Babawiin Ko Ang Lahat.

Featuring Pauline Mendoza in her first starring role in a television series, the drama premieres today on GMA’s Afternoon Prime.

Pauline Mendoza is elated to tackle the lead role in the afternoon soap ‘Babawiin Ko Ang Lahat.’

Pauline, who acknowledges the gravity and pressure of topping the bill, expresses her gratitude to GMA for entrusting her the lead role, “The pressure is always there since this is my first time to be given such opportunity. I’m very thankful for that. Mas na-challenge talaga ako dito kasi bawat eksena sobra ‘yung binibigay kong emosyon para sa character ni Iris.”

The actress also entices viewers on what to look forward to in this series, “Every character goes through a different kind of emotional journey. All of us are excited to see the series, too, because of the many colorful characters that we’re tackling in this drama.”

Born in comfort, Iris (Pauline) was raised like a princess, beloved by her parents – Victor (John Estrada) and Christine (Tanya Garcia-Lapid) – who would do anything and everything to protect her, including from their own past. When Victor’s old flame Dulce (Carmina Villaroel), together with her two children Joel (Kristoffer Martin) and Trina (Liezel Lopez), comes barging in their lives unannounced and begins to take everything away that Iris holds dear to her heart – the young man she is interested in, the wealth that is rightfully hers, and the father she loves – she soon realizes that she must shed her innocence and learn how to fight against her own half-blood relations to regain the most important thing in her life: her family.

Playing important roles in the life of Iris Salvador are Neil Ryan Sese, Dave Bornea, Therese Malvar Tanya Gomez, Gio Alvarez, Manolo Pedrosa, Jett Pangan, Jenine Desiderio, and Charee Pineda.

This original series, created by the GMA Entertainment Group, is headed by SVP for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, VP for Drama Redgie A. Magno, AVP for Drama Cheryl ChingSy, Senior Program Manager Anthony R. Pastorpide, and Executive Producer Nieva S. Magpayo.

The drama is a product of the visionary minds of Creative Director Aloy Adlawan; Creative Head Dode Cruz; Creative Consultant Des Severino; Concept Proponent RJ Nuevas; Headwriter Glaiza Ramirez; writers Anna Aleta Nadela and Christine Novicio; and brainstormers Jason John Lim, Patrick Ilagan, and Meryl Bunyi.

THE Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has named the 60 honorees and special awardees for this year’s 5th Film Ambassadors’ Night (FAN) as well as the performers for the online event taking place on Feb. 28.

The FAN’s 5th edition will be held in support of the NCCA’s National Arts Month. It is going to be streamed online for free at 8:00 p.m. exclusively on the FDCP Channel.

Receiving the recognition in the Actors category are Alden Richards for Hello, Love, Goodbye, Elijah Canlas for Kalel, 15, Cristine Reyes for UnTrue, Ruby Ruiz for Iska, Louise Abuel for Edward, Isabel Sandoval for Lingua Franca, Lovi Poe and Allen Dizon for Latay, and the cast of Kaputol led by Cherie Gil, Alfred Vargas, Angel Aquino, and Ronwaldo Martin. Dingdong Dantes and Arjo Atayde are the television awardees who made it to the FAN 2021 Actors list.

Meanwhile, leading the FAN 2021 honorees are the A-Listers, filmmakers Rafael Manuel and Lav Diaz. A-Listers pertain to those who bagged awards in prestigious A-List international film festivals as declared by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

Rafael Manuel was awarded the Berlinale Shorts Silver Bear Jury Prize for Filipiñana at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany while Lav Diaz won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director for Lahi, Hayop (Genus Pan) at the 77th Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

The Feature Films category has six honorees: Sunshine Family by Kim Tai-Sik, Write About Love by Crisanto Aquino, Latay (Battered Husband) by Ralston Jover, Pan de Salawal by Che Espiritu, Lingua Franca by Isabel Sandoval, and John Denver Trending by Arden Rod Condez.

The honorees in the Directors category are Maria Diane Ventura for Dein Fabre, Mallorie Ortega for The Girl Who Left Home, and Derick Cabrido for Clarita.

The FAN, an annual event spearheaded by the FDCP since 2017, recognizes Filipino film industry creatives, artists, filmmakers, and films of various formats that gained recognitions from established

international film festivals and awardgiving bodies in the past year.

“Philippine Cinema continues to thrive amid the pandemic because Filipino filmmakers and artists did not allow the global health crisis to derail them from sharing our stories to the world.

Through the Film Ambassadors’ Night, we celebrate their efforts and laud their achievements,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

The FAN has other categories such as Short Films, Documentaries, Creative Awards, and Special Citation. The two Special Citation recipients are veteran television and film director Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio and the late filmmaker and International Film Festival Manhattan co-founder Gerry Balasta.

This year’s FAN will also bestow special awards to pay tribute to the invaluable contributions of film industry stakeholders who continuously work for the betterment of Philippine Cinema.

Cinemadvocates is a special segment of this year’s FAN to laud individuals and groups that tirelessly champion the welfare of film workers and the development of the industry. Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso, Lockdown Cinema Club, InterGuild Alliance, Dingdong Dantes, and Angel Locsin are the FAN 2021 Cinemadvocates.

The FAN is supported by the CCP through the participation of its resident symphony orchestra, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO). The PPO will perform in various production numbers alongside the country’s premiere performers such as Bamboo, Tres Marias (Bayang Barrios, Cooky Chua, and Lolita Carbon), Bituin Escalante, Beverly Salviejo, Karla Gutierrez, Lawrence Jatayna, and The Pogi Boys.

A special number featuring Ice Seguerra, Juris Fernandez, Princess Velasco, Sitti, Richard Poon, Kean Cipriano, and Duncan Ramos will also take place.

For the complete list of awardees, visit fdcp.ph.

Screen stars (from left) Alden Richards, Arjo Atayde, and Elijah Canlas are among the honorees in this year’s edition of FDCP’s Film Ambassadors' Night.

New docu paints disturbing picture of Woody Allen A NEW documentary series on the HBO network, Allen v. Farrow, paints a damning picture of Oscar-winning director Woody Allen, particularly regarding his alleged sexual abuse of young adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow.

Even if the four-part series contains no major revelations, it seems certain to further sully the already battered reputation of the aging New York filmmaker.

Respected documentary directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering delve into Allen's past, using testimony and legal documents—some not previously seen —to dig deeper than anyone before them.

Dylan Farrow has accused Allen of sexually abusing her in August 1992, when she was only seven years old -- an allegation he has always denied.

The documentary draws a line between the alleged abuse of Dylan and Allen's relationship with the adoptive daughter of his then-partner Mia Farrow, Soon-Yi Previn, who is now his wife.

More generally, the series examines his attraction to young girls. The documentary cites court documents and testimony indicating that Allen had sexual relations with Soon-Yi while she was a minor.

Sixteen when they met, she is now 50; Allen is 35 years her senior.

On top of those disturbing elements, Allen v. Farrow details Allen's supposed penchant for manipulation—in particular of the press—as he sought to undercut the damaging accusations and discredit Mia Farrow.

The film strongly implies that he might have successfully derailed the two official investigations into the matter, neither of which resulted in charges being filed. AFP

Woody Allen, seen at a news conference in San Sebastian, Spain, in July 2019, is the subject of a devastating new documentary about the sexual abuse allegations against him.

Life

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

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FOOD

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

A healthy spread for 2021 T

O SAY that last year was a particularly difficult one would be an understatement.

As if the pandemic and the unprecedented disruptions it wreaked on our lives were not enough, I found myself confined at the hospital on Dec. 24, hours before Christmas Eve, for elevated carbon dioxide level caused by an undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. The normal range was at 30 to 40

BETTER BUTTER. A plant-based butter alternative, SAGANÀ is made from 81 percent pure, non-hydrogenated coconut oil, 15 percent water, and 1.5 percent salt, which makes it ideal for vegans, gourmands, flexitarians, and the lactose-intolerant.

mEq/L (milliequivalents per liter), and I I was discharged on Jan. 4, was to lose was hitting 110 mEq/L. The long-term weight—the weight of about a regularsolution, according to the seven doc- sized person, that is. tors who monitored my condition until So imagine my pleasant surprise when my good friend Bess Howe messaged me about a plant-based butter spread made from pure coconut oil.

A healthy alternative to butter? It was music to my ears that were aching from hearing admonitions on how I should avoid this and that food and how I should eat in strict moderation.

SAGANÀ coconut spread presents an easy choice for those looking to commit to a healthier lifestyle, which usually tops one’s list of New Year’s resolutions that are, more often than not, quickly forgotten come February.

This plant-based spread is made from 81 percent pure, non-hydrogenated coThe coconut spread has conut oil, 15 percent water, and 1.5 perthe consistency and flavor cent salt, with the consistency and flaof table butter, sans dairy. vor of table butter. A suitable alternative for vegans, gourmands, flexitarians,

and even the lactose-intolerant, it has all the goodness of butter despite being completely dairy-free.

I tried it on pan de sal while my mom used it to sauté broccoli, and we both could not distinguish any difference from the regular table butter. It can be substituted 1:1 in any recipe that calls for butter, and no one will be the wiser.

SAGANÀ coconut spread does not contain a blend of vegetable oils and is non-hydrogenated, with zero trans fat. Hydrogenated vegetable oil undergoes processing to enhance its taste, texture, and shelf life, and it is this process that forms trans fats, which are bad for the health.

Originally produced for the export market, and proudly Philippine-made, SAGANÀ coconut spread uses coconut oil supplied by a single source in Southern Luzon and sent straight to the manufacturing plant. SAGANÀ is a Swiss-Filipino social enterprise that responsibly sources from and works with smallhold-

er farmers, cooperatives, and like-minded, accountable organizations that strive to employ sustainable practices, helping them create a positive social impact and protect the environment as they achieve the highest premium quality to obtain for them higher earning rates.

Compared to dairy butter, this plantbased alternative takes 70 percent less water to produce and emits up to 50 percent less carbon dioxide in the process, making it a better choice for the environment, too.

If, like me, you would like to start the year right by making that switch to healthy, natural, and more sustainable alternatives, SAGANÀ coconut spread may be the best option for you.

It is available at P255 for 225g brick through www.saganacoconutspread. com.ph and in select specialty grocery and vegan stores in Metro Manila.

I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.

CRAVINGS DELIVERED

GoodAh!!! delivers its hearty Filipino comfort food including (from left) crispy pata, sisig, and bangus ‘25 hours’ a day.

Filipino comfort food available ‘25 hours a day’ “I LOVE to cook. But sometimes, I can’t be bothered to do anything in the kitchen, especially since I live alone,” shares Ray, a digital marketing creative who’s been working from home since March of last year.

“Ironically, I find it more tiring sometimes because the line between your work and your personal life blurs. When I feel like that, I just usually get food delivered.”

Virtual assistant Grace, on the other hand, shares that when she’s having food delivered that is “special but familiar,” she orders in Filipino cuisine.

Homegrown dining establishment GoodAh!!!, which prides itself on be-

ing “open 25 hours” (which it says, refers to exceeding beyond customers’ expectations) and popularizing the now ubiquitous “tapsilog” back in the ‘80s, offers a variety of hearty Filipino comfort food available for delivery.

The GoodAh!!! Altanghap menu includes silog varieties, barbecues, and local viands like sinigang and bistek.

The Lugaw and Noodles menu features goto, arroz caldo, and mami. Its Pampalamig choices include halo-halo.

For Sharing menu includes classics like kare-kare, crispy pata, herb chicken, and more.

“The food we serve exudes how Fili-

pinos prepare food with passion,” shares Chef Marq Martinez, who’s in charge of GoodAh!!!’s menu. “It is Filipino comfort food at home, at any time of the day, without having to turn on the stove.”

The chain’s Sucat, Bicutan, Timog, and Granada branches are offering delivery via GrabFood and foodpanda. More information are available at GoodAh!!!’s official Facebook page.

“Filipino food is synonymous with homey plates of joy. Our customers no longer need to worry about prep and cooking because they can have a taste of comfort with just one call,” says GoodAh!!! president Tim Yang.

The chain’s For Sharing menu includes sinigang and kare-kare.

Thai rice Royal Umbrella now in PH THAI rice brand Royal Umbrella brings three of its signature products to the Philippines.

Royal Umbrella is a brand of premium Thai Jasmine Rice (Hom Mali) exported to more than 100 countries around the world.

According to the brand, the grains are carefully selected from the best rice fields and processed under stringent procedures to ensure the highest international standards developed by C.P. Intertrade (CPI).

Established in 1979, CPI sustainably trades numerous products from food to

raw industrial materials.

Now available in supermarkets nationwide are Thai Hom Mali Rice (Royal Umbrella Red), a high quality Jasmine rice harvested only once a year; Thai Jasmine Rice (Royal Umbrella Green), which features light Jasmine fragrance and soft and sticky texture once cooked; and Fragrant Rice (Royal Umbrella Orange), an affordable fragrant rice with soft texture.

The aforementioned products are available at SM, Rustan’s, Robinsons, Puregold, and Shopwise, and online via LazMart. Prices start at P350.

Thai rice brand Royal Umbrella brings to the Philippines its three signature products, the Thai Hom Mali Rice, Thai Jasmine Rice, and Fragrant Rice.

Manila St. premium ‘dirty’ ice cream in Ube Halaya flavor, best eaten on its own or used in various desserts such as ube bubble tea pancake and ube French Toast. (Photos by @ scrumptious_munchies, @nineteenpointfive, @nutellasum, and @eatwithmeidi on Instagram)

Pinoy ‘dirty’ ice cream in Sydney WHEN Filipino chef-couple Michelin covered and fell in love with gelato-makGalang-Dapo and Chester Dapo moved to ing. Her husband, meanwhile, learned Sydney, Australia, they planned to intro- the ropes in the United States. duce Filipino flavors to their new home.

For their initial batch, the couConsidering the competitive market, ple only made 20 tubs of ice cream, the chefs knew it had to be of top qual- which was followed by a few more ity to be recognized. batches after friends With sweet memories urged them to continue of happy childhood in on their venture. the Philippines enjoySoon enough, Manila ing “dirty” ice cream, St. grew a following from and with their combined fellow Sydney-based kaculinary experience, the bayans who longed for couple came up with a nostalgic taste of their Manila St. homeland. Then came Manila St. is a super curious locals who found premium Filipino “dirty” comfort in Filipino flaice cream brand. Its Ube vors. Through fellow Halaya and Cheese Milk chefs-t u r ned-f r iends, flavors are dense and restaurants and cafés, Chef Michelin Galangheavy, made with the social media posts, vlogs best available ube, milk, Dapo founded Manila St. in and features, their proSydney, Australia. and cream cheese ingreduction expanded to 500 dients sourced from the containers per hour— Philippines, New Zeanow inside their very land, and Australia. own workshop.

Chef Michelin took formal culinary “I love how customers appreciate studies at the School of Hotel, Restau- food you create for them. It gives me rant, and Institution Management of the a sense of pleasure and fulfillment. Ice De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde cream in general is a comfort food, it Manila and at Le Cordon Bleu Sydney. brings us together regardless of our But it was during her stint in an Italian culture and background,” enthused restaurant in the Philippines that she dis- Chef Michelin.