Manila Standard - 2021 March 4 - Thursday

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2 variants blamed for upsurge Octa Research warns of more deaths, new cases if mutations unchecked

By Willie Casas and Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE continued increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila might be due to the spread of the UK and South African variants of the coronavirus, researchers from the University of the Philippines tracking the pandemic said Wednesday.

The Philippines has detected its first “We think what drives the increase six cases of the more transmissible is the UK or the South African variSouth African COVID-19 variant, in- ant...We still lack evidence because cluding four local cases in Pasay City we have only conducted few genome and two returning Filipino migrant Next page workers from Qatar and United Arab Emirates, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 22 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM MARCH 3)

582,223 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,783 35,056 NEW

ACTIVE

12,398

20

534,778

330

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

Vax drive forges ahead with new doses arriving

V FOR VACCINE. Dr. Arturo

Dela Pena, St. Luke’s Medical Center President and CEO (sitting, foreground) makes a V sign while holding an empty vial as the first person at the hospital to be vaccinated with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during a ceremonial rollout on Wednesday, with vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez (standing right) looking on. Dela Pena is a survivor of the coronavirus disease and was inoculated with CoronaVac, witnessed by Galvez Jr., tracing czar Vivencio Dizon, and Taguig Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano.

Manny Palmero

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Willie Casas and Rey E. Requejo A TOTAL of 487,200 doses of COVID 19 vaccine from AstraZeneca will arrive in the country at 7:30 p.m Thursday, Senator Christopher Go said Wednesday.

Go, chairman of the Senate committee on health and demography, said the Next page

Gov’t farms out 600,000 doses nationwide Rody: Sino trip BIG TEST. Some 17 million

doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, shown in this file photo, which the Philippines has procured may become ineffective if the country fails to contain the more contagious South African variant, biology professor Nicanor Austriaco of OCTA Research Team said Wednesday.

‘Shorter summer break’ draws flak; DepEd pulls back

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas EDUCATION Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio on Wednesday said he was withdrawing a proposal to shorten the summer break to two weeks after drawing fierce criticism online.

On Tuesday, the Department of Education adjusted the current school calendar to address learning gaps among students, moving the last day of classes to July 10 from June 11.

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By Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas, Rio N. Araja, Alena Mae S. Flores and Maricel V. Cruz THE government intends to distribute all 600,000 Sinovac vaccine doses to different hospitals across the country within the first week of March, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday.

The country began rolling out its vaccination program on Monday using shots from Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech, which arrived on Sunday.

The 11 hospitals where the vaccines were deployed so far were able to inoculate 2,793 as of Tuesday evening, said Galvez.

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DISTANCE TEACHING.

A registered teacher wearing a face mask and shield against COVID-19, and using a white board speaks in front of a computer as she and dozens other teachers (inset) conduct teleconferencing with struggling students at a local governmentsanctioned online tutorial class in Taguig City on Wednesday. AFP

PH calls for Suu Kyi release

fitting gesture for donation

By Vito Barcelo MALACANANG said Wednesday President Rodrigo Duterte might visit China this year or before his term ends to personally thank Chinese President Xi Jinping for the 600,000 doses of Sinovac-made CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccines donated to the Philippines.

The Chinese government donated 600,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine to the Philippines and the President wants to personally thank President Xi Jinping for the Sinovac Biotech vaccines which arrived last Sunday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President might visit China at the end of the year when everything had settled down.

It was not yet clear whether this year or in 2022 but Roque said Duterte intended to make a short visit to China to just shake hands with President Xi Jinping and to personally thank him for this donation.

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By Rey E. Requejo

CLOTHESLINE BARRICADE. Protesters make a barricade across a road with ‘longyi,’ a traditional clothing widely worn in Myanmar, during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on Wednesday. AFP

THE Philippines has called for the immediate release of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ousted and detained after the military seized power through a coup d ‘etat on February 1.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. made the call as he appealed to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during its Informal Ministers Meeting on regional and international issues on Tuesday to support the restoration of status quo in Myanmar or a situation prior to the military takeover of the government.

“Our call is for the complete return to the previously existing state of affairs: with respect to the preeminent role of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; alongside the Army her father created for the protection of the people he led to freedom and the country he gave them at the cost of his life. This is what is needed,” Locsin said.

“And the first step should be for the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and subsequent dialogue among the parties involved in their country’s destiny,” he added.

The country’s top diplomat stressed that ASEAN members should Next page

Alden Richards in dream project with Bea Alonzo Story on C3

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COA flags PhilHealth ACR scheme

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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HE Commission on Audit has flagged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for expediting reimbursements without safeguards against improper payments.

used to augment the Reserve Fund,” it added.

PhilHealth’s mechanisms to prevent and detect improper payments were “deficient and underperforming due to the deficiencies in the design and performance of controls, insufficiency of human resources, and inadequacy of strategy to mitigate the effects of the first two problems, state auditors said.

“From March 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, a total of 878,876 claims should have undergone medical prepayment review (MPR) but only 252,408 claims were reviewed. Of the remaining 626,648 claims, 443,162 claims were paid by PhilHealth despite not undergoing MPR,” the commission said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go yesterday urged PhilHealth to ensure continued access to quality

healthcare while exerting all efforts to unburden Filipinos, as bills deferring the PhilHealth contribution hike passed the committee level.

The Senate Committee on Health and Demography, chaired by Go, approved on the committee level proposed measures that seek to postpone the scheduled increase on the monthly contribution rates of the state health insurer.

“When the [Universal Health Care Act] was crafted, no one knew that a pandemic would hit us. Although the increase in PhilHealth contributions ensures sufficient funding for the health care of its members, it is only reasonable and equitable to postpone incremental premiums due to the bad economic conditions caused by [the crisis],” said Go.

State auditors, in a performance audit, said PhilHealth’s all case rate (ACR) payment scheme failed to put in place mechanisms to detect and prevent improper payments.

COA conducted the audit covering the scheme’s initial implementation in 2011 until June 30, 2020.

Under the ACR system designed to incentivize health-care institutions (HCIs) to be more efficient, PhilHealth pays all claims using a case rate or a fixed rate for each covered case or disease.

“If the case rate for a specific treatment is lower than the actual cost, the HCI will try to be more efficient in the costing of the treatment. On the other hand, if the case rate is higher than the actual cost, the HCI gets to keep the difference as a form of ‘efficiency gains,’” COA stated.

It said PhilHeath was “remiss” in conducting an annual or periodic review of the system to determine whether the case rates reflect actual costs.

“This was not done, and any savings from such adjustments could have been

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SC: Condonation doctrine not valid after 2016

government received a letter about the scheduled arrival of the vaccines.

The vaccines were supposed to arrive on March 1.

Go said he and President Rodrigo Duterte will witness and receive the tvaccines at the Villarmor Air Base in Pasay City.

Go, also a former presidential aide, said the vaccines came from the World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility. He said this was good news for medical frontliners, who could now choose between the Sinovac vaccine from China or the jobs from AstraZeneca.

The Palace said it was confident that the government’s vaccination program against COVID-19 would not be interrupted by supply problems.

In a radio dzBB interview, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said aside from the AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX Facility, 1 million more doses from China’s Sinovac Biotech would be arriving soon.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday said the Philippines will buy 1 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine worth P700 million within the month.

Roque also said that vaccine doses from the COVAX Facility, which were supposed to arrive on March 1, would arrive within the month.

Meanwhile, amid a call from health workers to see the clinical trial findings for the Sinovac vaccine from China, the Department of Health (DOH) said only the Chinese company had the right to publish its findings.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to release the late-stage clinical trial data that China’s Sinovac Biotech submitted to the agency, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

Thousands of Sinovac doses are now being rolled out across the country as the only available COVID-19 vaccine.

“The FDA doesn’t have any authority at all to publish data that are not theirs. These data that have been submitted to them were a requirement submitted by the manufacturer, but the FDA does not own this data,” Vergeire said in a briefing.

Vergeire said government and immunization experts were able to study Sinovac’s unpublished data before recommending the vaccine for health workers despite its lower efficacy of 50.4 percent in the said group.

By Rey E. Requejo THE doctrine of condonation can no longer be invoked by elected public officials as a defense in administrative cases if they have been re-elected on or after April 12, 2016, according to the Supreme Court.

The high court made the clarification in a recent decision, which affirmed the Court of Appeals’ ruling that dismissed the administrative cases against Lucilo Bayron, former mayor of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, and his son Karl Bayron.

The SC said the “condonation doctrine” that used to extinguish the administrative liability of an elective public official once re-elected to the same post cannot be availed by officials who were reelected on or after April 12, 2016.

The high court said the doctrine, which was abandoned in 2016, is prospective or enforceable upon finality of the decision.

Court records showed that the administrative complaint was filed against Lucilo, who won as mayor in 2013, for engaging the services of his son Karl as project manager

for Bantay Puerto-VIP security task force with a monthly salary of P16,000 from July 2013 to December 2013.

The Office of the Ombudsman found both father and son administratively liable and it consequently ordered their dismissal from the service in 2016.

Lucio won in the 2015 recall elections in Puerto Princesa and he was re-elected mayor in the May 2016 local elections.

The petitioners assailed the ordered of the anti-graft body dismissing them from service before the Court of Appeals, which ruled against them.

Pope Francis to lead mass for PH’s 500th year

‘Cha-cha fate up to people to decide’

By Maricel V Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE fate of economic Charter Change being pushed in the House of Representatives will be decided by the Filipino people, and not by the members of the Senate or the House of Representatives.

This was among the points highlighted during the ongoing plenary debates on Resolution of Both Houses Number 2 (RBH 2), as the chamber’s lawyers took center stage, with Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin, Jr. addressing several issues raised by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate and Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla.

In response to questions from Remulla, Garbin said that while the Constitution granted Congress the right to propose amendments, “it is the people who have the power to ratify.”

Remulla agreed and stressed that “the job of Congress is to propose amendments and those who would ratify these are the people.”

According to Garbin, this precept “is based on their power of ratification and based on the principle that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authorities emanate from them.”

Remulla had earlier expressed apprehensions that the inaction of the Senate on proposals to amend the Constitution would be tantamount to senators unilaterally deciding on the fate of the economic Charter amendments.

Remulla pointed out that proposals to amend the Constitution were also discussed during the terms of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and President Benigno Aquino III, but these were also not acted on by the Senate.

Zarate for his part was wary that unlike the House, “some political amendments can be discussed and even proposed in the Senate.”

POPE Francis will lead the Filipino community in Italy in the quincentennial or 500th annual celebration of Christianity in the Philippines, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Wednesday.

Quoting Fr. Ricky Gente of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Rome, the CBCP said the celebration will be highlighted with a Mass to be officiated by Pope Francis

at St. Peter’s Basilica at 10 a.m. (5 p.m. in Manila) on March 14.

Also joining the mass are Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the pope’s vicar for Rome.

Only a limited number of people will be allowed to attend the mass in person at the basilica due to COVID-19 restric-

tions, CBCP said.

After the mass, Pope Francis will also lead the traditional recitation of the Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square.

In an interview on Teleradyo Wednesday, Fr. Greg Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, said the mass will most likely be in Italian, but some Filipino songs may be used during the mass.

2Fromvariants...

A1 sequencing in that area,” Guido David of the OCTA Research Group told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

The country could reach 665,000 total cases and 14,000 deaths if it is unable to curb the spread of the disease, the OCTA Research group warned Monday.

The DOH on Wednesday confirmed that four of the cases with the South African variant are residents of Pasay City.

DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Alethea De Guzman said the Pasay cases include a 61-year-old female, a 39-year-old male, and a 40-year-old male.

De Guzman said Pasay was classified as a “critical risk area” due to the spike in cases in the city.

Pasay logged 12,452 cases with 10,616 recoveries and 168 deaths as of March 2, with 91 percent of its barangays affected by COVID-19.

The DOH said the city’s two-week case growth rate was 386 percent while the average daily attack rate of COVID-19 increased to 24.7 per 100,000 population.

Despite this, Pasay’s health care utilization remained low at 46 percent.

De Guzman credited Pasay City officials for stricter lockdowns and active case finding so that those who are infected can be moved to an isolation facility to minimize the risk of further transmission.

The DOH said that out of the 3,044 samples that underwent genome sequencing, 0.2 percent tested positive for the South Africa variant and 3 percent or 87 samples had the United Kingdom variant.

Both variants are linked to increased transmissibility but there is no evidence yet that they can cause more severe forms of the disease.

De Guzman said the South Africa variant has a mutation that causes increased transmissibility and another mutation that has a potential effect on vaccine efficacy.

De Guzman said the government was still tracing the travel history of four Filipinos who recently tested positive for the South African variant of COVID-19.

The new COVID-19 variant was first detected in Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa in October 2020.

It was seen to have the N501Y mutation in the spike protein, making it more efficient at gaining access to human cells to replicate.

Pasay City Mayor Imelda Rubiano said three patients infected with the South African variant have already recovered but will still have to undergo further tests as part of their efforts to fully contain the spread of the virus.

“I just want to inform the public that the three patients infected with the South African variant have already recovered from the disease but we will not stop our contact tracing efforts,” she said.

Members of the Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, are reportedly set to meet on the situation in Pasay City.

COVID-19 cases had hit a plateau during the previous three to four weeks but this was interrupted by a spike in infections in the last two weeks, the DOH said.

De Guzman said the number of cases in the country from Feb. 14 to 27 was 13.72 percent higher than the figures from Jan. 31 to Feb. 13.

In contrast, the national case growth rate between Jan. 17 and 30 and Jan. 31 to Feb. 13 was only -4.37 percent.

But officials could not say if changes in the school calendar would shorten the summer break.

The DepEd moved the start of School Year 2020 to 2021 from June to October so schools could prepare for distance learning, which was implemented after in-person classes were banned due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, students would be allowed to stay in school for at most half

a day only under the proposed pilot test of face-to-face classes, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said Wednesday.

Speaking in yesterday’s Senate committee on basic education chaired by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Malaluan said the general rule will be a maximum of half-day only for face-to-face classes.

“Our decision is for learners to take… their lunch at home rather than at school because it’s in the setting of taking their meals that some of the risks are increased,” said Malaluan, who is spokesman for the department.

“So, the students will have to go home—if their schedule is in the morning, to have their lunch at home or those that are coming for an afternoon schedule should have already eaten their lunch at home,” he said.

He also said a maximum of 20 students would be allowed per class depending on the size of a classroom.

Only 16 students will be allowed inside a smaller classroom.

Furthermore, Malaluan said a maximum of 50 schools per region would be allowed to participate in the pilot run. He said only one class per grade

level in a small school can hold faceto-face classes: a maximum of three classes per grade level in a medium school, and up to five classes per grade in a large school.

Noting the quality of distance learning remains hounded by challenges such as the lack of adequate preparation, as well as expensive and unreliable information and communications technology (ICT) services, Gatchalian has renewed his call for localized limited face-to-face classes to hasten learning recovery.

He said Filipino learners could not be left behind any longer.

The government is urging the public to consider getting vaccinated to protect them from getting the virus that could lead to various illnesses and even death as soon as they are given the opportunity.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the remarks due to a recent survey that many Filipinos were not inclined to get a COVID-19 vaccine due to safety concerns.

However, Roque said the vaccines were safe, adding the government was very transparent when it came to the process of vaccination programs.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte encouraged the public to participate in the national vaccination program of the government instead of being afraid of the vaccine.

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“We don’t know but perhaps before his term ends in 2022,” Roque said.

“Before he says goodbye to government service, he wants to visit China and thank President Xi,” the Palace spokesman said.

On February 28, the Philippines welcomed China’s donated 600,000 doses of Sinovac-made CoronaVac vaccines, the first vaccines to arrive in the country.

The Philippines is the only country to receive the China-donated vaccines through a military plane.

stand ready to extend help to the people and government of Myanmar.

“The rest of ASEAN must stand by Myanmar,” Locsin said.

Myanmar has plunged into turmoil since the military seized power and detained government leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi on Februray1, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.

Myanmar, diplomatic sources told AFP, as security forces have steadily stepped up their use of violence against anticoup demonstrators in the Southeast Asian nation.

Authorities fired live rounds and tear gas at protesters again on Tuesday, leaving at least three people critically injured as international pressure has grown since the military’s February 1 ouster of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The UN meeting would be behind closed doors at 1500 GMT (11 p.m. in Manila) under London’s proposal, the sources said, as were the Council’s discussions a day after the coup.

Soldiers and police have steadily

stepped up their use of force, deploying tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets and, increasingly, live rounds after weeks of mass protests.

Sunday was the bloodiest day since the military takeover, with the United Nations saying at least 18 protesters were killed across the country. AFP independently confirmed 11 deaths.

The coup has triggered massive protests among Suu Kyi supporters demanding her immediate release from detention.

“Indeed, more than ever we should help all the more. Our appeal is not from the outside but from inside what we claim is one family: a family first of peoples and not of governments; feeling

the hurt in one of its members,” the Foreign Affairs secretary said.

“In the Philippines, we have a saying: the hurt of the small finger is felt by the whole body. Myanmar is not a small finger but a big part of the two hands that together make up the family of Asean 10,” Locsin added.

Suu Kyi has survived 15 years of house arrest between 1989 and 2010 as she led a democracy movement against the military, which has ruled for much of the past six decades.

The democracy icon faces charges of illegally importing six walkietalkie radios and of violating a natural disaster law by breaching coronavirus protocols.

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London’s call

Meanwhile, Britain has called for the UN Security Council to meet Friday on

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From A1 “Our target for the end of the week is to deploy almost 600,000. Our target for this week is to dispatch, distribute all doses to the different regions,” Galvez said.

He said the initial demand allocation set was for 202,182 individuals in Luzon, 51,140 for Visayas, and 94,540 for Mindanao. Each person is supposed to receive 2 doses.

Those in excess of 600,000 would be filled in by the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine when it arrives, he said.

Galvez was among the first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Philippine General Hospital on Monday. He said he did not experience any side effects and the pain on his shoulder was gone.

However, he said 12 individuals who received the vaccine experienced “very minor adverse effects” and 154 others were “deferred” after a medical screening.

The Philippines has logged 580,442 total coronavirus infections as of Tuesday, after 6 straight days of more than 2,000 new cases.

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OFW domestics to deploy to UAE anew

By Vito Barcelo

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HE Department of Labor and Employment says the government will resume the deployment of Filipino workers to the United Arab Emirates after both countries signed an agreement that would protect Filipino household service workers in that country.

FIRST JABS. Health frontliners from the San Lazaro Hospital receive their first dose of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during a ceremony inside the hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Wednesday. Norman Cruz

DOH extends measles vaccination drive to March 7

By Willie Casas WITH the Department of Health continuing to provide services and health programs to address the other health concerns of the nation outside the COVID-19 pandemic, the department has also extended the Measles, Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA) until March 7 in order to reach the target population of 95 percent.

The DOH reported that as of 1 March

IN BRIEF Cigarette-making gear worth P131m seized THE Bureau of Customs seized cigarettemaking machines and counterfeit cigarettes worth P131 million in a raid of two storage facilities in barangay Balagtas in Orion, Bataan.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said one of the first storage facilities was found to have cigarette-making machines and other materials such as rolling paper, foil and plastic packaging estimated to be worth P84 million.

Another warehouse yielded 1,262 master cases of fake cigarettes of various brands such as More, Two Moon, Seven Star, Winston, Fort, Mighty and Marvel.

The confiscated items were valued at P47 Million. The seized items were transported to the Customs facility in Manila for inventory.

“As the economy begins to fully recover from COVID-19 the bureau remains committed to combat the proliferation of fake and smuggled items and protect the interest of legitimate businesses nationwide,” Guerrero said. Vito Barcelo

2020, 83.7 percent or 4,269,423 have been vaccinated against Measles and Rubella, while there were 3,939,677 or 82.4 percent of the national target have been vaccinated against Polio.

In Luzon, Region III had the highest coverage of Measles and Rubella vaccination, with a total number of 881,789 or 91.1 percent of vaccinated infants and children ages 9-59 months old, while 1,026,404 or 90.6 percent ages 0-59 months old were vaccinated for oral polio.

In the National Capital Region, there

were 873,532 or 85.7 percent who have received measles and rubella vaccines.

Region IV-A reached 79.2 percent or 1,031,342 of the total coverage in Measles and Rubella, while 79.1 percent or 1,205,345 were vaccinated against polio.

In the Visayas, 87.7 percent or 579,319 infants and children in Region VI had been vaccinated against measles and rubella, followed by Region VII with 78.5 percent or 544,047, and Region VIII with 78.3 percent or 359,394 total coverage.

tions for specific provisions to ensure the safety and well-being of HSWs, includes the right of the domestic worker to take at least eight continuous hours of sleep every night; The right of the domestic worker to take a break that is paid, outside the residence of the employer at least one full day every week; the right of the domestic worker to keep his/her passport or identification documents and the employer is not allowed to hold them; the employer shall allow the domestic worker to have and use of cellular phones and other communication devices and the employer is prohibited from confiscating them; opening of bank account under the name of the domestic worker for the payment of salary; and allowing the domestic worker to cook her or his own food.

Another significant achievement in the JCM is the agreement on the conversion of tourist/visit visa to working visa. As agreed during the JCM, POLO will be notified when a visit visa is converted to an employment visa for a Filipino domestic worker.

The Philippines reiterated its position to deploy the workers through the legal channel and the conversion of tourist visa to working visa is therefore not recommended since this may lead to illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons.

The UAE delegation in the JCM is headed by Saif Ahmed Alsuwaidi, undersecretary of Human Resources and Emiratisation

QC waste-for-groceries tack starts

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has spearheaded the launch of a plastic waste trading program allowing residents to exchange their recyclables for groceries.

She tasked the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department to supervise the trash to cashback program, the city’s initiative in partnership with Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies or BEST that trades recyclables into environmental points which in turn could be exchanged for basic commodities such as rice, eggs and vegetables.

“The program’s main objective is to promote to our QCitizens the importance of recycling and proper waste segregation. Kapag dinala nila sa ating Trash to Cashback kiosk ang kanilang recyclable materials, pwede nila itong ipalit sa grocery,” Belmonte said.

A My Basurero Eco-Community or MBE-C kiosk has been set up at the QC Hall Risen Garden where employees can exchange their recyclable waste (plastic, paper, and metal) to environmental points, which could also be traded for groceries. It will soon be rolled out in barangays.

Interested traders have to create and register their email to BeepXTRA Philippines, BEST’s Cashback Loyalty Platform partner, to earn EPs. Apart from groceries, EPs could also be used in bXTRA food deliveries. A complete list of partner stores and establishments could be accessed through bXTRA.com.ph and bXTRAoutlet.delivery.

EPWMD head Andrea Villaroman said talks are under way with the city’s Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office for the registration of micro and small businesses as partner merchants of bXTRA.

Caloocan sets Mar. 15 as Frontliners’ Day THE City Council of Caloocan on Wednesday approved an ordinance declaring march 15 every year as Frontliners’ Day in the city as proposed by City Councilor Orvince Hernandez.

Hernandez aired his optimism as the city council will start plenary deliberation of the Proposed Ordinance No.11-146 Series of 2021, entitled “An Ordinance Declaring March 15, 2021 and every year thereafter as Caloocan City Frontliners Day, providing funds therefore and for other purposes.”

“I am confident that the city council will approve this proposed ordinance. I’m sure my colleagues won’t reject a simple but fitting recognition to our frontliners who have been sacrificing a lot, even putting their very own lives on the line, to provide essential and life-saving services to our people in this time of the pandemic, especially during the enhanced community quarantine period,” Hernandez said.

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan has expressed support for the proposed ordinance, which Hernandez authored and was co-authored by Councilor Vincent Ryan R. Malapitan and Majority Floor Leader Edgardo N. Aruelo.

Under the proposal, considered frontliners are: • Doctors, nurses, hospital staff • Pharmacists, drug store attendants • Barangay officials and employees, health workers, social workers, and tanods • Police and military personnel, security guards, traffic enforcers • Supermarket store staff, market vendors, food establishments and services • Motorcycle delivery riders • City government officials and employees • Emergency response personnel Jun David

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said during the conclusion of the two-day Joint Committee Meeting in Manila that it was agreed the country would resume the deployment of workers to the Emirates effective at the end of the month. Deployment of HSWs to the UAE has been suspended since 2014.

The Labor department hailed the agreement as a milestone in the government’s efforts to further protect Filipino workers.

Philippine delegation head Undersecretary Claro Arellano said the new deployment will now be covered by a Unified Employment Contract that provides stringent measures to protect Filipino HSWs pursuant to the directives of President Duterte.

The same provisions were in the standard employment contract being used in Kuwait.

Under the unified contract, both the employer and the Foreign Recruitment Agencies and the Philippine Recruitment Agencies are bound by joint and solidary liability should anything happen to the Filipino workers.

“We are grateful for the cooperation of our counterparts,” Arellano said.

The four-party contract, which becomes an addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation with Annex Protocol on Domestic Workers, incorporates the President’s instruc-

ARMY DONATION. Major General Greg Almerol, Commander of the Philippine Army

2nd Infantry Division (left), receives sacks of Mindoro rice worth P50,000, rubbing alcohol worth P50,000, and Lola Remedios Food Supplement worth P144,000 from the officers and staff of the 407th (ARALD) Transport Battalion-Armed Forces of the Philippines Affiliate Reserve Unit-Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Command (AFPARU-AFPRESCOM) headed by its Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Antonio Acuña (Res) and Cpt. Mel Hallar, Army Reservist and Vice-President for Marketing of the Blackwater Security Agency, during the turnover at Camp General Mateo Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal. Lino Santos

BEACH CLEANUP. Officials of different government agencies led by the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) collect beach trash during the coastal clean-up at the Las Piñas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area on Wednesday in celebration of World Wildlife Day 2021. Norman Cruz

Taguig kicks off 1m COVID jabs drive

By Joel E. Zurbano THE City of Taguig has begun administering its first COVID-19 vaccines, kicking off its 2021 Recovery Program that aims to inoculate one million residents.

Health care workers were among the first batch of residents who received the CoronaVac vaccines at the TaguigPateros District Hospital, the first local government-run hospital to be given the vaccine.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano thanked the national government and the members of its COVID-19 task force for giving the city 300 doses of vaccines from China-based Sinovac.

“We expect a second shipment soon primarily for our healthcare workers as they are the ones on the frontlines of this battle. We also thank the Chinese government and the World Health Organization and its Covax facility for the initial supply of vaccines with a goal of vaccinating all our health workers within the first quarter of 2021,” said Cayetano.

The city government is rolling out a P13.5-billion budget this year, including the P1-billion fund intended for the pur-

St. Luke’s opens search for medical scholarship grantees THE St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation Inc. has announced the opening of its search for Full Five-Year Medical Scholarship Grantees starting Academic Year 2021.

The program is open to all Filipino students who wish to pursue but cannot afford the expensive medical education in the country for them to fulfill their dreams of becoming excellent doctors someday.

The grant provides a 100-percent funding for the tuition, laboratory, miscellaneous and other school fees as well as yearly book allowances that will cover the student’s full Doctor of Medicine Program at the St. Luke’s

Medical Center College of Medicine – William H. Quasha Memorial (SLMCCM-WHQM).

The SLMCCM-WHQM is acknowledged as one of the country’s top medical schools with a 100-percent passing rate record for its first-time taker graduates in the Professional Regulations Commission Physician’s Licensure Examination consistently since 2009.

Established in 1994, SLMCCMWHQM aims to produce future doctors by catering to students with strong desire to develop into exceptional physicians and leaders of the medical profession. It boasts of innovative medi-

cal and scholarship education system drawn from its long years of providing top notch academic and training facility and faculty.

The school is noted to be among with the most subjects in basic and clinical research that continuously produce graduates primed towards specializations in pursuit of excellent healthcare and world-class technology.

Application forms are now available at http://www.stlukesfoundation.org. ph while queries may also be coursed through email address #slmcfoundation@gmail.com# or tel. no. 8723-01-01 ext. 3823.

chase of COVID-19 vaccines to protect its residents from the deadly disease.

Cayetano says the local government is committed to have vaccines available for its one million citizens and is working closely with the national government and various vaccine suppliers.

“Together with the national government supply, we are complementing this with the local government unit’s orders so we have a good portfolio of vaccines available to our citizens,” he said.

“The worldwide supply shortage makes this challenging but as we wait for the bulk of vaccines to arrive, we believe we can continue Taguig’s road to zero campaign and to stop the spread of the virus in our community.”

Taguig remains to be one of the cities with the lowest number of active cases with nine cases per 100,000 population and has the lowest case fatality rate in Metro Manila at 1.51 percent.

“While we wait for more vaccines to arrive, let us continue to be vigilant, wear masks, wash hands regularly and keep our distance. Let us work together to keep our community and our families safe and healthy,” said Cayetano.

Manila

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Standard

TODAY COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (CA) for the confirmation of the ad interim appointments of the following officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), namely: 1. Mr. CHRISTIAN LUNA DE JESUS

Career Minister

2. Mr. DEAN JASON NEPOMUCENO ARRIOLA

Foreign Service Officer, Class I

The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions in thirty - two (32) copies of the above ad interim appointments to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 8834-2713, 8831-1824, 8831-0527, 8832-9830, 88342706 and 8551-1989.

3 March 2021.

HECTOR A. VILLACORTA Secretary (MS-MAR. 4, 2021)

A4

News

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

SUPER DELTA.

This handout photo courtesy of the US Air Force shows the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron ‘Thunderbirds’ and the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, debut the Super Delta formation consisting of six F-16 Fighting Falcons and six F/A-18 Super Hornets over a C-130J Super Hercules at Naval Air Facility El Centro on March 2, 2021. This is the first time the demo teams performed the formation which grew out of joint training opportunities held in 2020 and 2021. AFP

CHR hails women rights defenders during pandemic THE Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday cited the role of women in defending human rights while addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Women and girls have shown courage and leadership in responding to the [health] crisis in various fields,” said Commissioner Karen Gomez Dumpit, the focal commissioner for Gender and Women’s Rights.

“In the Philippines, women human rights defenders address not only the challenges brought about by this crisis but also continue to call for accountability; resisting impunity and misogyny; and continue the fight against systemic barriers to gender equality,” she added.

The CHR dedicated this year’s celebration of the National Women’s Month to all women who continue to stand at the frontlines in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and in the face of rampant human rights violations.

The commission’s theme is ‘Women Can: Courage and Leadership for Gender Equality in a COVID-19 World’ which is aligned with that of the Philippine Commission on Women – “Juana Laban sa Pandemya: Kaya!”

Dumpit stressed how the pandemic has worsened the struggles of women, especially those confronted with inequality, exclusion and other forms of human rights violations.

“As we celebrate Women’s Month, the Commission calls for gender justice in the government’s COVID-19 recovery plan, including vaccine rollouts. We remind the government to ensure that measures are adopted to ensure that women and girls and sectors facing multiple vulnerabilities are prioritized,” she said. Rio N. Araja

Binay: Proper waste disposal needed amid vaccine rollout TO AVERT any harmful health risks, Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, local government units and the private sector to ensure the proper disposal of medical wastes as the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines began Monday.

“I’m worried about the LGUs. Do they have a local vaccination plan and a comprehensive medical waste disposal plan?” she said.

“Without a local vaccination plan, these concerns could get out of hand, and we should be anticipatory rather than reactive regarding what threatens to be an environmental and public health hazard,” Binay added.

In filing Senate Resolution No. 656, Binay said a concrete plan on the proper handling and management of COVID-19 vaccination medical wastes must be put in place.

Proper handling, storage, collection and disposal of the wastes shall be followed to ensure protection of the environment and the general public, she added.

While the Department of Health has issued interim guidelines on vaccine waste disposal, Binay said a comprehensive implementable plan is still necessary.

“We are dealing with infectious medical wastes here, magnified in millions of used vials. These medical wastes cannot just be thrown away, taken by garbage trucks and dumped anywhere since this would elevate public health risks,” Binay said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

DOJ chief tells Trillanes: Battle far from over

By Rey Requejo

I

T IS still too early for former Senator AntonioTrillanes IV to celebrate his legal victory before the Court of Appeals over a bid to revive the rebellion case against him, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

Guevarra said while the appellate court may have sided with Trillanes in overturning the decision of a Makati City over his role in the 2007 Peninsula siege, the same CA ruling upheld the proclamation of President Rodrigo Duterte revoking the amnesty granted to the former senator.

“I have not received a copy of the decision. I have neither discussed the government’s move with the Solicitor General

but based on what has been reported in the media, the same decision of the CA upheld the validity of the proclamation revoking the amnesty granted to Senator Trillanes,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

“If this is so, it opens a number of legal options to the government, and if I may say, the battle is certainly far from over,” he added.

In setting aside the order of the Makati

RTC, the CA said the Justice department failed to comply with the procedural rules in assailing the validity of the dismissal of the rebellion case.

In the 59-page decision, the CA’s Sixth Division, through Associate Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr., sustained the validity of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572, which revoked the grant of amnesty to Trillanes by former President Aquino.

The proclamation was what paved the way for the lower court’s granting of the motion of the Department of Justice for the reopening of the rebellion case and the issuance of an arrest warrant and hold departure order against the former senator.

BLOOD DONATION.

A supermarket staff of SM City Masinag participates in the blood donation drive of SM Foundation and the Philippine Blood Center.

The program encourages people to donate blood despite the pandemic with the implementation of health protocols and proper donor screening.

Manny Palmero

Prepare for lockdown ‘baby boom’—Nograles THE “baby boom” that is expected this year as a result of lockdowns imposed in 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19 and the need to prevent hospital-acquired infections prompted a lawmaker to call on local governments to do away with their “no home birth” policy.

An estimated 214,000 “lockdown” babies are expected to be born this year, projections made by the University of the Philippines Population Institute and

the United Nations Population Fund indicate.

“I think the no home birth policy infringes on women’s fundamental right of choice,” Deputy Majority Leader and Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles said.

“There were a lot of reports on mothers about to give birth forced to go to hospitals or birthing centers despite their fear of getting infected by COVID-19 and lack of transportation due to fear of

penalties to be imposed on them if they do so. What local governments should do is to provide support, not penalties to the mothers,” he added.

Home births, he said, “could prove an effective alternative to women who have difficulty accessing hospitals and other healthcare facilities, as well as a means to address the continued strain on health institutions due to the ongoing pandemic.”

Maricel V. Cruz

Lorenzana tells military retirees to ‘be patient’

By Maricel V. Cruz DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday urged retired military and uniformed personnel who have raised concerns about their 2018 pension differentials to be patient as the government needs to prioritize funding for COVID-19 response.

Lorenzana made the appeal at the sidelines of his courtesy call to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco at the House of Representatives.

“I would like to remind our pensioners who are demanding to receive their arrears in 2018 to be more patient and to give us more time because COVID has depleted our funds and we have to spend more for our COVID response. We still have to buy vaccines so we might not be able to sustain (paying the arrears),” he said.

Lorenzana made the appeal amid the issue on the P20 billion slashed from the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF) for retired uniformed personnel under the 2021 General Appropriations Act. The Department of Budget and Management had originally proposed P172.9 billion for the PGF to partially fund the payment of the 2018 pension differences for military and uniformed personnel.

However, in the final version of the GAA, the amount was reduced to P152.9 billion or a difference of P20 billion, thus affecting the payment of the 2018 pension differentials.

House Committee on Appropriations chairman Eric Yap said the P20billion was in fact a buffer fund, which the DBM, the House and the Senate all agreed to realign in favor of budget items meant to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including the procurement of vaccines and personal protective equipment of medical frontliners.

Lorenzana believed “there’s no harm done” with the delay in the payment of the 2018 pension differentials.

De Lima seeks dismissal of contempt case OPPOSITION Senator Leila de Lima and her legal counsel, Boni Tacardon, have asked the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 205 to dismiss the contempt case filed against them by the prosecution in relation to one of the drug cases she is facing.

In their comments filed separately on March 1, De Lima and Tacardon said the court should “outrightly dimiss their [prosecution] petition” because their statements did not constitute any clear and present danger or imminent threat to the administration of justice.

“In the words of the prosecution themselves, what they only fear is that the said ‘statements’ will ‘pursuade, influence, intimidate, incite perception and sentiments of their colleagues and other government officials, including the trial court judges,’” Tacardon said.

The statements being questioned by the prosecutor involved the testimonies of a financial investigator from the Anti-Money Laundering Council and a digital forensic examiner from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency who both reaffirmed under oath that De Lima was not involved in any suspicious transaction that would link her to the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

De Lima said her lawyers’ out-ofcourt statements are an essential exercise of her constitutional right to a public trial considering the severe restrictions on access to her hearings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Per the standards laid down in jurisprudence, the out-of-court statements of respondents consisting of a fair and accurate report of the proceedings in herein respondent’s public trial in a criminal case are allowed, not only by virtue of the guarantee of free expression and free publication, but more importantly, by virtue herein respondent’s constitutionally guaranteed right to a public trial, which not even the courts can deprive her of,” De Lima said in her comment.

Billboard ban during typhoons pushed THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 7174 or the proposed Bawal Billboard Tuwing Bagyo Act which prohibits the active use and display of commercial billboards during typhoons.

This developed as CIBAC Reps. Eddie Villanueva and Domingo Rivera lauded the bill’s passage. The measure got 205 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and four abstentions.

“We are thankful to our colleagues for putting this bill in the legislative priority list of the chamber. Our country is visited by not less than 20 typhoons every year and so the use of billboards should be regulated and mitigated as these pose a threat to general public safety during storms,” said Villanueva, a deputy speaker and one of the principal authors of the bill.

HB No. 7174 mandates that all advertising materials shall be automatically taken down by the billboard operator within 12 hours from an official announcement and/or release of a typhoon signal number 1 bulletin or any significant weather disturbance by the state weather bureau.

The bill prescribes the prohibition to be effective for the entire duration of the typhoon.

It covers tarpaulin-based billboards that need to be taken down and electronic-based billboards that shall be switched off.

“We acknowledge that billboards provide important benefits not only to promote specific businesses but more so as a mark or sign of a developing economy.

However, we shall not compromise public safety especially during typhoons,” Villanueva said. Maricel V. Cruz

PROUDLY NATIVE PORK. Marinduque State College launches several pork

products from native pigs bred in its own farms at the School of Agriculture in the Torrijos Campus. The product range includes tocino, longganisa, smoked and marinated tapa, crispy pata and the all-time favorite lechon. This is a significant milestone in the multimillion DOST-PCARRD funded national research and development program, headed by Prof. Arnolfo Monleon, for Philippine native pigs. The brand, called Markaduke, comes at a time when supplies of pork products in the country have diminished due to the African Swine Fever. Chito Mandia and Jay Morales

Opinion No completely free enterprise economies left socialism figured as a AFTER four years political issue. Believof Donald Trump ing that socialist philosin the White House, ophy is not far removed candidate Joe Biden from communist philosand his Democratic ophy, many Americans Party had a host to continue to believe that throw at the Resocialists are milder publican Party: Bad economic policies, abuse of presidential versions of communists. Since the 1920s, power, destruction of America’s stand- When Nikolai Lenin and his communist ing in the world, questionable behavior comrades took power in Russia and betoward America’s enemies, ignorance of gan confiscating all private property and the workings of the U.S. governmental collectivizing that country’s farms, Amersystem, dishonesty, corruption, contempt icans - and especially the Republicans toward the anti-climate-change move- and other conservatives - have nurtured ment and, in 2020, unwillingness to ef- a story antipathy toward communism and any political philosophy calling for State fectively deal with the health crisis.

By contrast, the Republicans had only intervention in the workings of society. one issue to throw at Mr. Biden and his Candidates for public office thought to Democratic colleagues: Socialism. The be well-disposed toward socialism have Democratic Party was a socialist par- experienced defeat at the polls.

The most prominent victim of anti-soty, Donald Trump and the Republicans charged, and Joe Biden and his people cialist prejudice was Henry Wallace, who would lead America down the socialist lost to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1944 Presidential election. The excessroad to perdition.

Vote for the likes of Joe Biden and Sen. es of Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the early Bernie Sanders and you will wake up 1950s were directed principally against as citizens of a socialist U.S., thundered suspected communists in America, but Donald Trump and his fellow Republi- suspected socialists - they were derisively called pinkos cans.

- were not spared Was being sofrom the McCarcialist a valid thyian wrath.

Republican camRepublicans and Those Ameripaign issue against other Trump-type cans who have a the Democrats? strong abhorrence Had Joe Biden and Americans probably of socialism - espehis fellow-Dembelieve that socialism cially the Republiocrats become a cans - continue to party of socialists is essentially antilabor under the imin the mold of the democracy. pression that today socialist parties of there are societies Western Europe, that are completely Australia, New free-enterprise and Zealand, and Japan? Most important of all, is being so- do not partake of State intervention in one cialism-oriented akin to being infected form or another.

That impression is, of course, false; with a COVID-19-type virus? The answer to these and similar questions is a there is no country in today’s world that is not socialistic to one degree or another. definite and emphatic No. The Republicans closed the Demo- Given the skewed distribution of wealth crats’ alleged socialistic sentiments as its and income in most countries today point of attack against Joe Biden and his with the poor classes accounting for a party because they had no choice; there disproportionately small percentage of a were no major chinks in the Democrats’ country’s wealth and income - governpolitical armor. The outgoing Obama ments have no choice but to try and readministration had left behind a healthy dress the imbalance with programs such economy, a powerful military, respect be- as national health care, free tuition, minifitting the leader of the free world, strong mum wage legislation, subsidies and outdemocratic institutions and general do- right grants. Many Western welfare states provide womb-to-tomb benefit programs mestic tranquility.

Donald Trump and the Republicans for their citizens.

Republicans and other Trump-type could not effectively attack the Democrats on any of those points. So they Americans probably believe that sochose to hit the Democrats on what they cialism is essentially anti-democracy. thought would be their weakest point: Nothing could be farther from the truth, The socialistic ideas of the Democratic of course. Many of today’s wealthiest Party’s progressive way. Unfortunately countries are democratic socialist societfor the Republicans, the pro-socialism ies. Before Republicans decide to again use socialism as a campaign issue, they charge did not resonate with the voters.

The 2020 election was not the first should ask the British people what they U.S. national political exercise in which think of their National Health Service.

Safe and effective choices lives of the people, and today, we heavily rely on this science to take us out of this pandemic alive.

Yet, when we speak of science, we also need to speak of accuracy, effectiveness, and reliability. The vaccines from which we depend on and which are being deTHIS week, the country marked the veloped by pharmaceutical companies start of its vaccination program against worldwide are strictly required to meet COVID-19. This is the culmination of these qualifications. In such a pandemic, our sacrifices and efforts to survive this apart from the promptness of the cure or pandemic—the light at the end of the tun- solution, we need to first and foremost nel, the magic potion, likened to a pan- consider its safety and efficacy against the disease. acea for all ills. I Understandshare the public ably, there are excitement on the We have survived other significant availability of the factors that must vaccines. Howthe pandemic up be taken into ever, we need to to this point. Let’s consideration remain vigilant in procuring the ensure that we as we await its vaccine needed effects on the inremain healthy as we by the public. For tended herd imgradually revert to a one, handling is munity. important.

BeThe health COVID-free life. fore entering into and safety of the any agreement, people are alwe must secure ways the primary first the capability consideration in all the policies and recommendations to store these vaccines so as to prevent implemented by the government in our spoilage. The costs may come in second combat against COVID-19 pandemic. or third. Nonetheless, efficacy should be Worldwide, scientists and health pro- at the very top of the list.

Studies on the vaccines are ongoing. fessionals are in solidarity in encouraging everyone to get vaccinated against There have been patterns already estabCOVID-19. Truly, science has, for a lished that serve as basis in determining long time, proven to help improve the the quality of these vaccines. Due dili-

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

B1

EDITORIAL

I

Wishy-washy posturing

N THE wake of growing violence against civilian protesters by the military rulers of Myanmar, the Philippines has called for the immediate release of the detained civil leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a complete return to the country’s existing state of affairs.

The declaration by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. During an informal meeting among foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday was a significant departure from its initial reaction to the Feb. 1 coup in which it said it would not “interfere” with the military takeover in its neighboring country.

In fact, less than three weeks ago, the Philippines refused to back an international call by the United Nations seeking the same objective—to free Suu Kyi-citing the importance of “sovereignty and territorial integrity.

That move put the country in the same club as China and Russia, which veered away from a UN Human Rights Council resolution urging the Myanmar junta to free Suu Kyi. “As a sovereign country in a world of sovereign states, the Philippines cannot stress strongly enough the primacy of national internal efforts towards democratic reforms, and never by the imposition of foreign solutions whether in regional or multilateral contexts, includ-

ing through this Council,” the Philippine statement read.

But the bloody events of Sunday clearly showed that the military leaders in Myanmar were not interested in “internal efforts toward democratic reforms.”

Since the Myanmar military’s February 1 takeover, at least 21 people have

The regional bloc has shown no backbone in dealing with issues of oppression since its founding in 1967. been killed in a bloody crackdown that seeks to quell weeks of unrest. Soldiers and police have opened fire on civilians who gathered in the thousands to call for the restoration of democracy.

On Sunday, security forces security forces opened fire and made mass arrests as they sought to break up protests against the military’s seizure of power, and a UN human rights official said it had “credible information” that at least 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded.

That would be the highest single-day death toll among protesters who are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1

coup. About 1,000 people are believed to have been detained Sunday.

“Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement referring to several cities, adding that the forces also used tear gas, flashbang grenades and stun grenades.

In calling for the same things that the earlier UN resolution sought, Locsin made the distinction between outside interference and an appeal “made from the inside” – referring to Myanmar’s membership in the ASEAN. “Our appeal is not from the outside but from inside what we claim is one family: a family first of peoples and not of governments; feeling the hurt in one of its members. In the Philippines, we have a saying: The hurt of the small finger is felt by the whole body. Myanmar is not a small finger but a big part of the two hands that together make up the family of ASEAN 10,” he said.

But he made no mention this time of sovereignty or territorial integrity or “the imposition of foreign solutions whether in regional or multilateral contexts.”

To nobody’s surprise, the ASEAN members who discussed the coup Tuesday failed to find a breakthrough to get Myanmar back on the path to democracy. The regional bloc has shown no backbone in dealing with issues of oppression since its founding in 1967.

Sadly, our own wishy-washy posturing fits right in.

Bartering our nurses IN AN attempt to walk back their disastrous idea of trading our nurses for 600,000 doses of vaccines, one labor official suggested that the intention was simply to get the vaccines here where we will do the vaccinations ourselves before allowing the nurses to leave the country.

He should tell that to the marines. It is too late. The damage has already been done even if the original intention was not to trade in humans. It is obvious that whoever thought of this scheme was unaware of the extreme sensitivity of this issue to European Union countries especially the two countries selected. Germany and the United Kingdom together with France are major voices when it comes to championing human rights among the 27 countries of the European Union.

Treating human beings as commodities in exchange for goods is never a good policy. It does not only cheapen us as a people but also shows what kind of country we are. The UK ambassador predictably shot the proposal down and Germany did not even bother to comment. I do not think any country would want to be perceived as trading in human beings because that is what the proposal came to be understood by everyone.

In these kinds of situations, it is always more advisable to simply negotiate with both countries rather than be mercenary.

For one, are we really that poor that we cannot buy the needed COVID-19 vaccines for Filipinos? Look at Afghanistan, a country much poorer than us which has been at war for decades. It has already started vaccinating frontline workers way ahead of us.

In addition, limiting the deployment of health workers to 5,000 a year also infringes on the right of citizens to travel.

Keeping them here and paying them destitution wages is also bad economics. If allowed to work overseas, they can bring gence demands that we ensure the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. We have options. Sinovac vaccines have been deployed in selected COVID-19 hospitals already. Vaccines from AstraZeneca are reportedly expected within the month.

Sinopharm has reportedly filed for emergency use authorization with the FDA. Meanwhile, Pfizer is expected to deliver by the second quarter of the year and talks with Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are still continuing.

When the lives of the people are at

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

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

dreams? Forcibly keeping them here is therefore tantamount to a prison sentence and grossly unfair. Since we have the funds, we should be hustling and scrambling harder instead of offering to barter our health workers. It is simply in poor taste.

We all know that the export of our nurses is just part of a much bigger problem that started much earlier. This is the

policy of exporting our people to work overseas so that they can send back much needed foreign currency needs to be reviewed by the government for the purpose of eventually phasing it out. Yes, our workers send a lot of money but at what cost? Broken families, family members left behind turning to crime and drugs, domestic helpers getting maltreated and killed are just part of the many stories we often read in the papers. It is the problem encountered by our domestic workers, however, that should concern us the most.

This is because of the difficulty of monitoring compliance to their signed labor contracts.

We should start phasing out the sending of domestic helpers. The sooner the better.

We can start this by stopping the deployment of new domestic helpers to the middle east and no longer renew those whose contracts are about to expire. The simple rule of thumb that we should use is never to send our women to countries to work as domestic helpers if those countries treat their own women as second-class citizens or if the women in those countries do not have rights themselves.

We should just concentrate on allowing our professionals, construction workers, seafarers and other technical people to work overseas. They are easier to monitor. After all, we are now classified as a middle-income country about to graduate to a higher category. This means that we are no longer that poor.

We should build on this and stop making it appear that we are so poor. Eventually, we should get to the stage when our women will no longer go overseas to work as indentured servants.

It looks, however, that instead of a phaseout, we are signing new labor agreements so that we can send more of our women to work in the Middle East.

It’s sad.

stake, the right to information must be upheld, and the individual’s rights to his or her own health must be protected. With this, I urge the FDA to ensure that the vaccines approved are all proven safe and effective and to provide us with the relevant and truthful information that we need to make knowledgeable decisions on the vaccines. Due diligence should not stop at issuing approval but should continue with monitoring and studying the impact of such vaccines. I also call on

the national government, particularly the health department, to strengthen their information drive on the available vaccines in the country at the grassroots to dispel any fear or doubt, and correct any fake news circulating against the vaccines. Lastly, we also have to be diligent on our own and continuously comply with the health protocols. We have survived the pandemic up to this point. Let’s ensure that we remain healthy as we gradually revert to a COVID-free life.

their families with them and send back money to those family members left behind. The government therefore will have less headaches; it does not have to educate their children or have to support the elderly family members left behind. Another further reason is that there are not enough jobs for all the nurses left behind.

We all want to improve our status in life.

So, anyone who wants to travel abroad to work to improve his or her economic wellbeing should be allowed without any limitation. That is the reason that these people took up nursing in the first place.

Why should the government hinder people from fulfilling their cherished

Treating human beings as commodities in exchange for goods is never a good policy.

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

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

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

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

B2

World

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Youngest Hong Kong protester, only 16, sentenced for rioting HONG KONG—A Hong Kong teenager became the youngest person so far to plead guilty to rioting during 2019’s huge pro-democracy protests on Wednesday, as he admitted throwing a petrol bomb at police when aged just 14.

The judge accepted advice from the city’s correctional services and sent the 16-year-old boy to a detention centre, an alternative to prison for young offenders.

The period of detention will be decided by the correctional services, with a minimum duration of one month and a maximum of half a year.

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was 14 years old at the time of his arrest in November 2019.

He was convicted of rioting and arson after pleading guilty and admitting throwing a petrol bomb towards the police under the instruction of others.

“The court must make a balance between society’s interests and helping young offenders,” District Judge Ernest Lin ruled, as he sent the boy to a detention centre.

More than 10,000 people have been arrested in relation to the massive demonstrations that upended the city for more than half a year in 2019—about 40 percent of them students.

Huge crowds turned out week after week calling for greater democracy and police accountability.

The protests became increasingly violent as each month passed, with police left to battle demonstrators as authorities refused any major concessions.

Since then, Beijing has overseen a widespread crackdown in Hong Kong including the imposition of a sweeping national security law that has outlawed much dissent. AFP

WOMEN POWER. Sahrawi women soldiers parade during the celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the declaration of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SDAR), at a refugee camp on the outskirts of the southwestern Algerian city of Tindouf on Wednesday.

AFP

US brings forward vaccine goal to May

W

ASHINGTON—The United States will have enough Covid-19 vaccines for its adult population by the end of May, President Joe Biden said Tuesday, while Brazil’s troubles deepened as it registered its highest 24-hour death toll.

The two countries have the largest number of deaths in the world, with 515,000 coronavirus fatalities in the US and 255,000 in Brazil, with both counting the cost of mixed public health advice on masks and other measures.

The state of Texas took the contentious step Tuesday of lifting its mask mandate, despite dire warnings from US health authorities against states rolling back steps taken to restrict the spread of the pandemic.

Biden announced a major deal for pharma giant Merck to produce the vaccine shot developed by its rival Johnson & Johnson, hailing the accord as “the type of collaboration between companies we saw in World War Two.” “We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May,” said the US leader -- who previously targeted late July to amass sufficient doses to inoculate all Americans.

“That’s progress. Important progress.

But it is not enough to have the vac-

cine supply,” Biden said, stressing that a huge effort still lay ahead to administer the vaccines once acquired.

Texas drops masks Biden’s remarks came moments after Texas governor Greg Abbott lifted a state mask mandate and authorized businesses to open the state “100 percent.”

“Now is not the time to let up,” warned the president, calling on Americans to keep social distancing and wearing masks, even as new coronavirus cases fall and more are vaccinated.

In Iraq, Pope reaches out to top Shiite cleric VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis, on a historic trip to Iraq, will on Saturday hold a hugely symbolic meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, seeking to deepen his cautious dialogue with Muslim leaders.

The 84-year-old pope will visit the top Shiite cleric at his home in Najaf, the shrine city where Imam Ali, the fourth Islamic caliph and relative of the Prophet Mohammed, is buried.

Sistani, 90, is never seen in public and rarely accepts visitors, but the Argentine pontiff, always happiest among the faithful, favours direct encounters.

Francis has long hailed the power of inter-religious dialogue, symbols of peace and tolerance, without dwelling on the theological subtleties advanced by his predecessor.

Benedict XVI, who resigned as pope eight years ago, provoked years of cool relations with the Muslim world when in 2006 he quoted criticisms of the Prophet Mohammed by a 14th-century Byzantine Christian emperor.

Two years ago in Abu Dhabi, Francis and leading Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, signed a document on “human fraternity for world peace”.

They made a joint call for freedom of belief, although what stands out from that trip—the first by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula -- was the image Manila Standard of the leader of the world’s 1.3 million CatholicsTODAY embracing a Sunni imam.

Sunnis account for almost 90 percent of the world’s Muslims, Shiites 10 percent—the majority in Iran and Iraq. In Iraq, the population is 60 percent Shiite and 37 percent Sunni. AFP LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the estates of Spouses ELIGIO S. EGAÑA and ESTELITA PATRICIO EGAÑA who died intestate on March 18, 2018 and April 25, 2013, respectively, have been extrajudicially settled by and among their legitimate and sole heirs as per Doc. No. 9719; Page No. 45; Book No. 619; Series of 2021 of ATTY. REY C. LADAGA, a Notary Public for and in the Municipality of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

(FEB. 25/MAR. 4 & 11, 2021)

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given to the public that an Extrajudicial Settlement has been executed by the heirs of Jose Fabricante namely: Ma. Venuza C. Fabricante, Joven C.Fabricante, Joanna Joyce C. Fabricante, Jona Mae C.Fabricante, Jeffrey C. Fabricate, all of legal age, per deed on Nov 10, 2020 before Notary Public Analyn Giba-Cinco, Per Doc No. 90, Page No.19, Book No. 1, Series of 2020.

(FEB. 18/25/MAR. 4, 2021)

Abbott said he was lifting the restrictions in Texas because of the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and better testing and treatments.

“For nearly half a year, most businesses have been open either 75 percent or 50 percent and during that time, too many Texans have been sidelined from employment opportunities,” he said.

“Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills... This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100 percent,” he said to cheers from his audience. AFP

IN BRIEF India’s top judge told to quit over rape talk

ASHEN SKY. Mount Sinabung spews ash during its eruption as seen from Namanteran village in Karo, North Sumatra on

Wednesday. AFP

Russia: US ‘playing with fire’ by imposing sanctions MOSCOW—Russia warned Wednesday it would “rebuff aggression” after the United States slapped Kremlinlinked officials with sanctions over the poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Washington on Tuesday imposed penalties in a coordinated action with the European Union as US intelligence concluded that Moscow orchestrated the near fatal poisoning of jailed Kremlin critic Navalny in August.

“We will continue to systematically and resolutely defend our national interests and rebuff aggression,” Russian

foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding Moscow would react on the basis of “reciprocity and not necessarily symmetrically.”

She accused the United States of “trying to cultivate the image of an external enemy” as a way to distract attention from domestic problems.

“We urge our colleagues not to play with fire,” she added in a statement published late Tuesday.

The targeted sanctions announced Tuesday signal a harder line from US President Joe Biden and add to a series of penalities the EU and the United States have im-

posed on Russia since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Echoing comments made by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier Tuesday, Toronto van attacker Zakharova said that Russia will respond faces 10-slay verdict in turn to the penalties.

“We will react on the basis of CYAN the MAGENTA TORONTO, YELLOW Canada—ABLACK Canadian man who killed 10 people by ploughing a van principle of reciprocity and not necesinto pedestrians in Toronto will learn sarily symmetrically,” she said. whether his actions were criminal or owed Navalny was flown to Germany for to an autism spectrum disorder when a treatment but he defiantly returned in judge delivers her verdict on Wednesday.

January, only to be arrested and then Alek Minassian pleaded “not crimisent to a penal colony after spurring nally responsible” due to his autism specmassive rallies through his allegations trum disorder (ASD) for the April 2018 of corruption by Putin. AFP attack that killed eight women and two

At least 10 people perish in South Sudan plane crash JUBA, South Sudan—At least ten people, including the two pilots, died when a plane crashed at an airstrip in South Sudan’s Jonglei state, the region’s governor and the airline said.

The airline said all aboard the commercial plane died late afternoon Tuesday when it took off from the airstrip at Pieri on a return flight to Juba.

It could not give a specific death toll, saying up to 24 people could have been on the flight.

“It was with great shock and horror to receive the news of the plane crash (HK-4274) of South Sudan Supreme Airline,” Governor Denay Jock Chagor said in a statement sent to AFP Wednesday.

“Ten people including the two pilots lost their lives,” he added.

Ayii Duang Ayii, director of South Supreme Airlines, told AFP Wednesday that it was “not clear how many people” were on board the flight.

“But the first information communicated to us was that there were 11 people on board,” the director said. AFP

MUMBAI—India’s top judge was facing calls to resign on Wednesday after telling an accused rapist to marry his schoolgirl victim to avoid jail.

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition demanding Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde quit after he told the government technician at a hearing: “If you want to marry (her) we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail.”

Bobde’s comments sparked a furor and prompted women’s rights activists to circulate an open letter calling for his resignation that has secured more than 5,200 signatures, campaigner Vani Subramanian said.

According to the letter, the man is accused of stalking, tying up, gagging and repeatedly raping the girl before threatening to douse her in petrol, set her alight and have her brother killed.

“By suggesting that this rapist marry the victim-survivor, you, the Chief Justice of India, sought to condemn the victimsurvivor to a lifetime of rape at the hands of the tormentor who drove her to attempt suicide,” the letter said.

India’s abysmal record on sexual violence has been the focus of international attention since the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus sparked nationwide protests.

Victims are regularly subjected to sexist treatment at the hands of police and courts, including being encouraged to marry their attackers in so-called compromise solutions. AFP

PAINED EXPRESSION. Australia’s attorney general Christian Porter speaks

during a press conference in Perth on March 3, after he outed himself as the unnamed cabinet minister accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. He denied the charges. AFP

men, and injured 16 others.

He admitted to planning and carrying out the attack, leaving his state of mind at the time as the only issue considered during his trial, which heard expert testimony from several psychiatrists.

“This is about a person who committed mass murder who happened to have ASD, not that the ASD made him commit murders,” Crown attorney Joe Callaghan told the court on the last day of the trial, in December 2020.

“He always had an understanding, an awareness -- more than awareness -- that from society’s perspective, his choice to kill was wrong.”

Minassian’s mother has said he suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that includes impaired social interactions or communication.

Defense lawyer Boris Bytensky said in his closing arguments that Minassian’s ASD left him incapable of discerning right from wrong and making a rational choice when he decided to target bystanders on a Toronto streetscape bathed in spring sunshine in one of Canada’s most horrific attacks.AFP

Business

B3

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market gains for 4th straight day PSEi March 3, 2021

TOP GAINERS 1

APVI

LAST PRICE 25.1

% CHANGE CHANGE 4 18.96%

2 3 4

FJPB EVER ECP

4.22 0.103 7.45

0.52 0.009 0.65

14.05% 9.57% 9.56%

5 6 7

ABG MAHB OV

7.57 3.2 0.014

0.57 0.24 0.001

8.14% 8.11% 7.69%

8 9 10

MAH BCOR PHN

3.12 4.63 11.86

0.21 0.3 0.74

7.22% 6.93% 6.65%

S

HARE prices rose for the fourth straight day Wednesday as the government ramped up its vaccination drive against the coronavirus disease.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 23.22 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,942.76 on a value turnover of P34.1 billion. Losers, however, beat gainers, 125 to 101, with 40 issues unchanged.

DITO CME Holdings Corp., the third major telecommunications firm, rallied 4.4 percent to P15.72, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest creditor in terms of assets, advanced 3.3 percent to P88.80.

Basic Energy Corp. climbed 6.3 percent to P1.18, but Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group fell 4.4 percent to P53.25.

The rest of Asian markets rose Wednesday following the previous day’s losses but investors remain on guard over a possible correction as concerns about asset bubbles and a surge in inflation continue to play against progress in fighting coronavirus.

Asian investors brushed off a Wall Street retreat to push higher Wednesday, with Hong Kong rallying 2.7 percent while Shanghai added two percent, with Seoul, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok all more than one percent up. Tokyo, Singapore, Wellington and Jakarta also rose.

Sydney was given extra support from

data showing the Australian economy grew more than expected towards the end of last year.

News of more vaccines coming on line and being rolled out, the expected passage of Joe Biden’s stimulus package, slowing infection rates and easing lockdowns are contributing to the narrative that the global economy will see a burst of activity from the second half of the year.

But reflation expectations are causing a headache for investors, who fear the spending boom will send prices rocketing and force the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates—removing a key pillar of support for equities over the past year.

And this anxiety, compounded by a 12-month rally that has pushed equities

Canada’s economy shrinks by a record 5.4%

TOP LOSERS 1

SFIP

LAST PRICE 2.1

% CHANGE CHANGE -0.49 -18.92%

2 3 4

PA AR LRW

4.2 0.0046 1.95

-0.75 -0.0008 -0.31

-15.15% -14.81% -13.72%

5 6 7 8 9 10

PMPC TCB2A KPH RLT LAND WPI

6.04 0.7 4.66 0.3 0.93 0.57

-0.79 -0.09 -0.59 -0.03 -0.09 -0.05

-11.57% -11.39% -11.24% -9.09% -8.82% -8.06%

MOST ACTIVE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

AR DITO PHA APL BDO BSC ICT ACEN TEL SMPH

VOLUME 215454000000 73373200 341643000 1471950000 3139130 272218000 2006220 29901200 162810 5624100

VALUE (PHP) 1252075000 1094776758 1072687230 372345880 341537550 320460840 241884502 213811278 211539770 208124360

US to impose anti-dumping tax on 18 countries WASHINGTON—The US Department of Commerce is preparing to tax aluminum sheet exporters from 18 countries after determining Tuesday they had benefited from subsidies and dumping.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent body, must approve the final decision by April 15 to impose anti-dumping or countervailing duties, a department statement said.

The investigation, launched under Donald Trump’s administration, had been requested by nearly a dozen US aluminum alloy manufacturers, including Arconic and Aleris Rolled products, which felt they were being harmed by competing imports at lower prices.

President Joe Biden’s administration determined that imports from Germany in particular ($287 million in 2019) benefited from dumping ranging from 40 to 242 percent.

The same is true for aluminum alloy sheets from Bahrain ($241 million), which the administration said benefited from pricing below the cost of production or the local market of 83 percent.

Imports from India ($123 million in 2019) have benefited from subsidies for 35 to 89 percent, according to the US investigation.

In October, the Trump administration indicated that it had already begun to levy preliminary duties in the investigation.

The other countries concerned are Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey.

“If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD or CVD orders,” the department said in the statement, referring to anti-dumping or countervailing duties orders.

According to the statement, 559 orders on various imports are currently in effect to “provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.” AFP

to record or multi-year highs, has jolted markets recently.

Last week’s sell-off came on the back of rising US Treasury yields, an indication of rising interest rates, and while the bond market has steadied this week traders remain cautious.

Hopes for a quick bounce back were boosted Tuesday when the White House said it would have enough shots to immunize every adult by the end of May, two months earlier than first thought.

But “so are the market’s inflation expectations,” said Axi strategist Stephen Innes. “And despite vaccine optimism trying to provide a booster shot to risk sentiment, it could prove to be a double-edged sword when inflation kicks in as expected, more so if it then forces the Fed’s hand.” With AFP

DANGEROUS. European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders presents a table of dangerous products as he addresses a media conference on the Safety Gate rapid alert system for dangerous products at the EU headquarters in Brussels on March 2, 2021. AFP

Sri Lanka offers strategic deep-sea port to India, Japan COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Sri Lanka will offer a strategically located deep-sea port to India and Japan, an official said Tuesday, as the island seeks to balance traditional ties against China’s rising regional influence.

The government last month abruptly pulled out of an agreement with Delhi and Tokyo to jointly develop the partially built East Container Terminal, located next to a $500-million Chineserun container jetty within the capital Colombo’s sprawling port.

But Colombo reversed course Tuesday, offering the West Container Terminal (WCT), which is yet to be built and located on the other side of the Chineserun jetty known as the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT).

“The discussions to develop the WCT will be only with India and Japan,” government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters in the capital.

Rambukwella said the cabinet de-

cided Monday to allow India and Japan to have an 85-percent stake in the West Container Terminal—the same terms China was granted when building the CICT. It’s unclear how Tokyo and Delhi will divide their majority stake in the port.

The government said the Indian High Commission in Colombo has “approved” Sri Lanka’s latest offer.

There was no immediate response from India’s foreign ministry in New Delhi, and a government spokesman said Japan has yet to respond to the new proposal.

The government blamed trade unions calling for local instead of foreign development for last month’s abrogation of the East Container Terminal, which will now be completed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Colombo is located in the Indian Ocean between the major hubs of Dubai and Singapore, meaning control of its

ports is highly sought after.

Two Chinese submarines berthed at the CICT—which started operations in 2013—in 2014, sparking concerns in India which considers neighbor Sri Lanka to be within its sphere of influence.

Since then, Sri Lanka has refused permission for further submarine calls.

In December 2017, unable to repay a huge Chinese loan, Sri Lanka allowed China Merchants Port Holdings to take over the southern Hambantota port, which straddles the world’s busiest eastwest shipping route.

The deal, which gave the Chinese company a 99-year lease, raised fears about Beijing’s use of “debt traps” in exerting its influence abroad.

India and the United States have also expressed concerns that a Chinese foothold at Hambantota could give Beijing a military advantage in the Indian Ocean.

AFP

OTTAWA, Canada—Canada’s pandemic-hit economy contracted 5.4 percent in 2020, its worst plunge on record, despite a strong rebound in the final three months of the year, the national statistical agency said Tuesday.

In the fourth quarter of last year, the economy beat expectations by growing 9.6 percent, amid higher government spending to help Canadians weather coronavirus restrictions as well as increased investments in business equipment and housing.

In 2019 GDP grew by 1.9 percent.

“Canada’s economy ended an extremely challenging 2020 on a surprisingly upbeat note,” commented BMO chief economist Douglas Porter, adding that the nation had “clearly dealt with the second wave (of COVID-19 outbreaks) and its related restrictions much better than generally expected.”

And early signs point to continued strength this year as COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out and the economy reopens in stages, he said.

This presents, he commented, “a nice mirror image to last year’s deep dive. It’s not precisely a V-shaped recovery, but it’s very close.”

In response to the data BMO raised its 2021 growth forecast a full percentage point to 6.0 percent—a rate not seen since 1974. The Bank of Canada has predicted 4.0-percent growth this year.

From October to December 2020, according to Statistics Canada, new home construction and renovations as well as real estate sales jumped, while residential mortgage debt “expanded significantly.”

Businesses bought more machinery and equipment, but their investments in non-residential buildings fell in the fourth quarter, amid weak demand for office buildings and shopping malls.

Many Canadians started working from home at the onset of the pandemic and public health officials ordered most retailers to close temporarily to slow the spread of COVID-19. As a result, online shopping suddenly became more common. AFP

How beers and Vikings gave Bluetooth technology its name

By Helene Dauschy STOCKHOLM, Sweden—One of the best-known modern technologies owes its name and logo to a Viking-era king with a bad tooth: a quarter century ago, two engineers hatched the idea for the moniker “Bluetooth” over beers.

At the end of the 1990s, Sven Mattisson, a Swedish engineer working at telecom group Ericsson, and Jim Kardach, an American employed by Intel, were among those developing the revolutionary technology.

In 1998, at the dawn of the “wireless” era, the two men were part of an international consortium that created a universal standard for the technology first developed by Ericsson in 1994.

But prior to that, they had struggled to pitch their wireless products.

Intel had its Biz-RF wireless program, Ericsson had MC-Link, while Nokia had its Low Power RF. Kardach, Mattisson and others presented their ideas at a seminar in Toronto in late 1997.

“Jim and I said that people did not appreciate what we presented,” Mattisson, now 65 and winding down his career at Ericsson, recalled in a recent interview with AFP. The engineer, who had travelled all the way to Canada from Sweden for the one-hour pitch, decided to hang out with Kardach for the evening before flying home.

“We received a lukewarm reception of our confusing proposal, and it was at

In this file photo taken on April 15, 2002, an employee of Japanese electronics giant Toshiba displays a prototype of the Bluetooth wireless communication headset, weighing less than 100g, which enables a user to control computers by speech, at the company’s laboratory in Tokyo. One of the most famous modern technologies owes its name and symbol to a Nordic king of the Viking era with a blue tooth: a quarter of a century ago, the idea of the name “Bluetooth” was born in the minds of two engineers. AFP

this time I realized we needed a codename for the project which everyone could use,” Kardach explained in a long account on his webpage.

‘Chauvinistic story’ To drown their sorrows, the two men headed for a local Toronto bar and ended

up talking about history, one of Kardach’s passions.

“We had some beers... and Jim is interested in history so he asked me about Vikings, so we talked at length about that,” said Mattisson, admitting that his recollection of that historic night is now

somewhat foggy.

Kardach said all he knew about Vikings was that they ran “around with horned helmets raiding and looting places, and that they were crazy chiefs.”

Mattisson recommended Kardach read a well-known Swedish historical novel about the Vikings, entitled “The Long Ships.”

Set in the 10th century—“a chauvinistic story” about a boy taken hostage by Vikings, says Mattisson— one name in the book caught Kardach’s attention: that of the king of Denmark, Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson.

Unification An important historic figure in Scandinavia in the 10th century, the king of Denmark’s nickname is said to refer to a dead tooth, or, as other tales have it, to his liking for blueberries or even a simple translation error.

During his reign, Denmark turned its back on its pagan beliefs and Norse gods, gradually converting to Christianity.

But he is best known for having united Norway and Denmark in a union that lasted until 1814.

A king who unified Scandinavian rivals—the parallel delighted those seeking to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.

And the reference to the king goes beyond the name: the Bluetooth logo, which at first glance resembles a geometric squiggle, is in fact a superimposition of the runes for the letters “H” and “B,” the king’s initials.AFP

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

B4

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

IN BRIEF

NTC ordered to assign frequencies to NOW

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority ordered the National Telecommunications Commission to assign mobile frequencies, including 5G, to NOW Telecom Co. for its cellular mobile telephony service operation.

ARTA said in an order issued on March 1 that under Section 10 of Republic Act No. 11032, NOW Telecom’s application or request for assignment of certain frequencies for the exercise of its CMTS provisional authority is “declared complete and is now deemed automatically approved by operation of law.”

ARTA ordered the NTC, through Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, to comply with the order immediately and submit proof of compliance within three days from receipt of the order.

NTC’s failure to act on NOW Telecom’s application for more than a decade, according to the ARTA, is a violation of RA 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018, which seeks to increase efficiency in government service by reducing processing time, eliminating red tape, simplifying requirements and procedures and expediting both business and nonbusiness transactions with government.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Investment pledges hit $2.5b in 2 months

INVESTMENTS filed with the Board of Investments reached $2.5 billion in the first two months, up 156 percent from $976.48 million registered in the same period last year.

Trade Secretary and BOI chairman Ramon Lopez announced the figures during the first Manila Forum of the Association of Philippines-China Understanding.

Lopez said the Philippine manufacturing sector output, as measured by the Purchasing Manager’s Index, improved to 52.5 in February, the highest in 25 months.

“We’re already seeing signs of economic recovery as we push for the gradual and calibrated reopening of our economy. Despite our GDP falling to -9.5 percent in 2020, we saw diminishing declines in the latter quarters of last year—from a record-low -16.5 percent in the second quarter to -11.5 percent in the third quarter and -8.3 percent in the fourth quarter.

Growth is seen quarter-on-quarter as our GDP grew by 8 percent from 2nd to 3rd quarter, and 5.6 percent from 3rd to 4th quarter,” Lopez said. Othel V. Campos

Metro Pacific eyes P12-b profit this year

INFRASTRUCTURE conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. said Wednesday it expects core net income to reach P12 billion this year before returning to pre-pandemic level by 2022.

Metro Pacific president and chief executive Jose Ma. K. Lim said 2021 would be a transition year for the company and earnings recovery would depend on how the domestic economy bounced back from the impact of the pandemic.

Lim said the toll road and railway business would continue to be affected by the pandemic this year because of reduced mobility.

He said power and water businesses were expected to recover faster this year, with the onset of the dry season.

Metro Pacific said net income fell 80 percent in 2020 to P4.75 billion from P23.85 billion in 2019 as the contraction in the domestic economy brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in reduced toll road traffic, reduced light rail services and decreased commercial and industrial demand for water and power.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business Chinese company eyes joint venture with Philex A

By Jenniffer B. Austria

MAJOR Chinese mining company expressed interest in teaming up with Philex Mining Corp. to develop the $1-billion Silangan copper and gold project in Surigao del Norte province.

Philex chairman Manuel Pangilinan said several Chinese mining firms expressed interest in becoming a strategic partner of the company for the Silangan mine, including the major Chinese min-

ing company which he did not name.

Pangilinan said he was expecting to get a clearer indication on the partnership next week.

Philex Mining said in 2019 it would earmark around $750 million for the development of the Boyongan ore body of the Silangan mine and appointed J.P. Morgan for equity investment and Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group Inc. for project financing.

Pangilinan said the development of Silangan mine could be funded partially by borrowings and the rest through equity infusion by the new partner.

“Some $700 million is required to bring Silangan mine to fruition. We will raise money from debts and balance will

be equity from the new partner,” Pangilinan said.

Philex Mining already spent P17 billion for pre-development works on Siliangan mine.

Located in Surigao del Norte province in Mindanao, Silangan is a largescale project composed of three ore prospects—Boyongan, Bayugo and Kalayaan.

Based on latest estimates by Philex, the mine has 571 million tons of mineral resources.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan said Philex Mining was also studying the possibility of extending by another two years the Padcal mine in Benguet province.

TOP MANILA TAXPAYER. Asian Terminals Inc. is recognized by its host local government, the historic City of Manila, as its top tax contributor for fiscal year 2020. ATI is named the city’s top real property taxpayer and third highest business taxpayer.

ATI assistant corporate secretary Maila Reyes and senior accounting manager Marissa Pinca (second and third from left) receive the plaque of appreciation from Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan (left) and City Treasurers Office officer-in-charge Ma. Jazmin Talegon (right) in ceremonies coinciding with the 100th founding anniversary of the City Treasurers Office.

PH gov’t warned against NGOs banned by India CONSUMER groups warned the Philippine government against non-government organizations such as those linked to Bloomberg Philanthropies that were banned by India for providing grants to lobby for local policies.

They issued the statement after India banned more than 14,500 non-government organizations over the past five years, including four groups that received foreign grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies of US financial billionaire Michael Bloomberg, which are reportedly involved in tobacco control lobbying.

India canceled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act licenses of these NGOs for acting against India’s national interests, misreporting donations and lobbying against an established economic activity which raises multiple economic and social concerns.

The Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines Inc., Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association and Vaper AKO, consumer and advocacy groups promoting tobacco harm reduction and a science-based approach to legislation, made the warning following the admission from the Food and

Drug Administration that it received grants from The Union and Bloomberg Initiative during a public hearing on vape and heated tobacco products on Oct. 8, 2020.

The Union and Bloomberg Initiatives are promoting a prohibitive approach on tobacco control policies. The acceptance of the grants from these organizations raised questions on foreign interference with local policies and possible conflict of interest on the part of the FDA as they were tasked to craft regulations for e-cigarettes and HTPs.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, March 3, 2021 23.22 PTS. 6,942.76

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

221,532,024,966 196,838 34,094,304,354.72 101 125 40

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.5710

Japan

Yen

0.009375

0.4554

UK

Pound

1.395700

67.7905

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128916

6.2616

Switzerland

Franc

1.093374

53.1063

Canada

Dollar

0.791703

38.4538

Singapore

Dollar

0.751823

36.5168

Australia

Dollar

0.781800

37.9728

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652027

128.8116

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266617

12.9499

Brunei

Dollar

0.749008

36.3801

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.033025

1.6041

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.2245

Euro

Euro

1.209300

58.7369

Korea

Won

0.000889

0.0432

China

Yuan

0.154536

7.5060

India

Rupee

0.013652

0.6631

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.246488

11.9722

New Zealand

Dollar

0.728600

35.3888

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035930

1.7452 Source: BSP

Pag-IBIG posts P31.18-b profit despite COVID PAG-IBIG Fund posted a net income of more than P30 billion in 2020 for the fourth consecutive year despite the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, its top executives said during the 2020 Pag-IBIG Fund Chairman’s Report held online on Wednesday.

“I’m happy to report that our net income reached P31.18 billion last year, marking the fourth consecutive year that Pag-IBIG Fund’s net income surpassed the P30-billion mark. PagIBIG Fund’s strong showing despite the pandemic is a testament of how well the Filipino workers’ fund is managed,” said Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario who heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees.

“As we continue to support the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for government agencies to provide more social benefits to more Filipinos, we are giving back P29.40 billion, around 94 percent of our net income, to members in the form of dividends,” said del Rosario.

Under Pag-IBIG Fund’s charter, the agency is required to declare at least 70 percent of its annual net income as dividends which shall be credited proportionately to its members’ savings.

The Pag-IBIG Fund board approved to declare 93.68 percent of earnings— more than what its charter requires and the highest in the agency’s history—to extend the most benefit to its members especially during these difficult times, del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said with the move by the board, members would enjoy a higherthan-expected return on their Pag-IBIG savings. He said that the year 2020 dividend rate for the Pag-IBIG Regular Savings will be at 5.62 percent, while the Modified Pag-IBIG 2 (MP2) Savings will be at 6.12 percent.

Renewable energy to sustain our people, our business, our world

By Peter Paul Duran THE ardent push for green energy has been in motion since the start of the millennium.

Though it proves progress for the movement has seen rough terrain, the slow and steady rise in renewables continue to pave the way for a greener future.

Compared to global energy consumption, renewable energy promises so much but too few have made the shift as a majority of the world’s population, governments, and industries still rely heavily on finite energy supplies such as fossil fuels.

In a report from Our World in Data, the global demand on resources like crude oil and coal made up 80% of the total global energy consumption back in 2016. During this year, only 10% were consumed from biofuels while nuclear and renewable energy such as hydro, wind, solar, and geothermal, made up 5% respectively.

In the Philippines, renewable energy shares a mere 10.54% of the primary energy sources as of 2019. This has taken a dip since 2012 where it was at 14.99% as per Our World in Data on BP Statistical Review of World Energy done in 2020.

However, due to the negative impact fossil fuels and other exhaustible energy resources have had on the populace and the environment, especially how it has tremendously worsened global warming, the perception and patronage of renewable energy has changed drastically in various states and territories as of late.

Renewable energy (RE) now plays a major role in world economies, not only because it offers an infinite source of energy, but also technologies that make renewable energy cheaper have been made available.

Corporations or business establishments whose average consumption during the last 12 months has reached a minimum of 500 kW can now lower their carbon footprint by buying power directly from Retail Electricity Suppliers that provide clean, reliable, stable power like EDC’s BacMan Geothermal Inc.

Exciting times are upon us as the transition towards the fastest-growing energy source is gaining traction.

Even third-world countries such as the Philippines can reap the benefits of driving down carbon emissions while catapulting economic growth in the process.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says that by 2040, renewables are expected to make up 45% of the global electricity generation output.

The likely rise in renewable energy consumption will come from Water (hydropower and hydrokinetic), Wind, Solar (power and hot water), Biomass (biofuel and biopower), and Geothermal (power and heating).

The Philippines has always been blessed with an abundance of renewable

energy resources, even geothermal power which is only present in countries near the Pacific Ring of Fire.

According to the Department of Energy, RE is an essential part of the country’s low emissions development strategy and is vital to addressing the challenges of climate change, energy security, and access to energy.

But the move to decarbonize our economy does not only involve the government. The journey towards a greener future starts with individuals and institutions focused on one goal: merging sustainable development with the environment in mind.

In fact, the building with the world’s first EDGE Zero Carbon certification can be found in Metro Manila.

Arthaland Century Pacific Tower

in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, has been recognized by the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corp.

(IFC) for projected savings of 45 percent in energy, 64 percent in water, and 34 percent in embodied energy in materials.

Coca-Cola, on the other hand, has established a holistic sustainability practice: their whole value chain, from manufacturing to distribution, has systems in place reducing their environmental impact.

According to its website https://www. energy.com.ph/shift-to-renewableenergy, they are only two of the many firms that have partnered with the Philippines’ geothermal leader and premier renewable energy company, Energy Development Corporation

(EDC), to do good for their businesses and for the planet. Most of these firms are now powered by geothermal or Geo 24/7, which provides far more benefits than both fossil fuel and even other renewable energy sources with its ability to provide clean, reliable, stable baseload or 24/7 power. EDC has been harnessing power mainly from geothermal sources for over 40 years now.

In truth, any power customer designated by the ERC as part of the contestable market, or those that have an average monthly electricity consumption of at least 500KW, can now purchase electricity directly from licensed Retail Electricity Suppliers like EDC. This benefit of having a Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA), thanks to the Department of Energy (DOE), allows these so- called contestable customers to decide which electricity suppliers to source power from. The establishment of RCOA is mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).

This means that qualified power consumers can now take concrete steps not only to lower their electricity cost but more so to lower their carbon footprint as their contribution to fighting climate change by simply choosing where to buy electricity.

Soon, even customers with an average power consumption of at least 100KW will also be able to power their business better with low carbon renewable energy like geothermal once the DOE gives the green light for the Green Energy Option Program.

According to EDC, by using clean, reliable, cost-competitive renewable energy, “you can create a better future for your business and for our planet.”

It might just be your first important step to a decarbonized world.

Sports

Hamilton: 8th F1 title not sole factor in future LONDON—Lewis Hamilton said Tuesday that winning a record-breaking eighth world championship in 2021 would not be the determining factor in whether he quits after the season.

The attempt to land a drivers’ crown that would move the 36-yearold Briton above Michael Schumacher to become the most decorated driver in the sport’s history will go hand-inhand with the issue of his future in Formula One. “I’ve made a really important decision in my mind, that I don’t want that to be the deciding factor,” Hamilton said in a conference call at the launch of the Mercedes car for 2021.

“I got into racing because I loved racing and I think that’s got to always be at the core of what I do. If all you’re going for is accolades, if all you’re going for is titles, I feel like you could potentially lose your way.

“Of course it’s the ultimate dream, but I don’t think that’s necessarily going to be the deciding factor whether to stay or keep going.”

Hamilton denied that a one-year extension to his contract had increased the possibility that the upcoming season could be his final one in the sport.

“I am in the fortunate position where I have achieved most of the stuff that I wanted to, so there is no real need to plan too far into the future.

“We are living in an unusual period of time. I just wanted one year, then we can talk about if we do more and keep adding to it by one if we have to.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insisted that despite seven successive constructors’ titles the team had the “same fire, hunger and passion” as when he arrived in 2013.

The Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance builds on the solid base of its predecessor but includes considerable aerodynamic changes alongside improvements to areas as such as the suspension, cooling system and power unit.

It will be seen on the track for the first time in pre-season testing in Bahrain on March 12. The season-opening Grand Prix takes place on March 28.

“Every year we reset our focus and define the right objectives,” said Wolff in a statement to mark the launch of the new car.

“That may sound simple but it’s damn hard and is probably why there are no sports teams out there with seven consecutive titles.

“So many things can happen and it’s very natural to get used to success, and therefore not fight as hard for it. But this team has not shown any of that.”

Wolff said Hamilton and Finnish team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who underlined Mercedes’ dominance by finishing second in the 2020 drivers’ standings, always have new challenges which keep them motivated. AFP

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Fil-Aussie swimmer nears Olympic qualifying times

By Peter Atencio

F

IL-AUSTRALIAN Luke Gebbie is set to join more Olympic qualifying meets in Australia following outstanding performances in the State of Victoria.

Gebbie’s bid to make it to the Tokyo Olympics was revived after he moved within range of two Olympic standard times during the recent Victorian Open Swimming Championships, held Feb. 20 and 21.

The 24-year-old Gebbie, who holds four Philippine records, did this when he took home a gold, two silvers and a bronze medal against the best in the Australian swimming scene.

Gebbie logged clockings that are close to the qualifying B times in the Tokyo Olympics when he claimed the silver in the men’s 50-meter freestyle event and in snatching a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle.

He moved close to the OST qualifying time of 22.67 seconds when he finished the 50-meter freestyle in 23.39 seconds, behind winner Andrew Lauterstein’s 22.77 seconds.

Benno Negri rulled the 100-meter freestyle in 50.52, followed in second

by Gebbie’s clubmate Jack Gerrard (50.95).

Gebbie landed third place for the bronze, logging a time of 51.27 seconds, which is close to the OST-B time of 50.03 seconds.

“My one (meet) last week was (the) Victorian state championships and I actually surprised myself, even with little rest,” said Gebbie in his talks with Phil-

ippine Swimming Inc. president Lailani Velasco.

Velasco added that Gebbie is scheduled for more meets, including the 2021 Australian Nationals this April.

Gebbie’s gold-medal finish came when he outpaced Hamish McDougall in 55.83 seconds in the 100-m butterfly.

McDougall settled for second in 56.54 seconds.

It was the first time for Gebbie to try the butterfly sprints.

“I don’t ever train in butterfly, but I am getting close to the Philippine National record,” added Gebbie.

His second silver came when Gebbie checked in at 25.27 seconds in the 50-m butterfly, behind teammate Gerrard’s 25.24 seconds.

Meanwhile, two members of the national swimming team, James Deiparine and Remedy Rule, will go for Olympic qualifying slots on Thursday.

Deiparine and Rule will take part in the four-day TYR Pro Swim Series at the North East ISD Blossom Athletic Complex in San Antonio, Texas.

do told ONE Championship in a recent interview.

“My striking will be a lot better than his. I’ve been working a lot more on my striking in this camp. I want to be the one pushing the pace. I want to be controlling where the fight goes, and just look to break him down.”

Having lost three of his last four contests, Abelardo is in dire need of a victory to resuscitate his career. After taking care of business against rising talents Ali Motamed, Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg, and Daichi Takenaka, Abelardo fell to top bantamweights Shoko Sato, Troy Worthen, and Fabricio Andrade.

Abelardo says he’s learned a lot from those setbacks, and wants to show how things will be different for him this time around.

“With the losses, it’s something you really have to learn from. For me, it’s something I never want to go through again. This time, I’ve had a lot more preparation going into this fight. I feel a lot more confident, and ready physically

Mark “Tyson Fairtex” Abelardo (right)

and mentally,” said Abelardo.

“In my last fights, I wasn’t there a hundred percent. I wasn’t physically in the best condition that I can be. This time, I’ve made some adjustments, trained a lot

harder, and I’ve had more time to prepare.

Preparation is key coming into this fight. I definitely feel ready. I’ve just been working a lot these past six weeks, getting my conditioning as good as I can.”

Aoki, Norman spruced up for PH Golf Tour return THE Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club will be more than ready to test the men of the tour’s shotmaking skills and mental toughness when it hosts the twostage Philippine Golf Tour and Ladies PGT events starting next week.

The Aoki layout will stage the first twin tournaments on March 9-12 for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge while the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship will be played March 23-26 at the Norman side with the PGT offering a total purse of P2 million and the 54-hole LPGT tournament staking P400,000.

Tony Lascuña edged Japanese Ryoma Miki by one to rule the last Aoki-hosted event in 2016 with the same kind of fin-

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

British driver Lewis Hamilton (center) and Finish driver Valtteri Bottas (right) pose with the Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance car during a launch event in Brackley, central England. F1 world champion Mercedes unveiled its new car for the 2021 season. AFP

Fil-Kiwi Abelardo looks to break down Urrutia HARD-HITTING Mark “Tyson Fairtex” Abelardo has his sights set on a decisive victory this Friday night.

The 29-year-old Filipino by way of New Zealand, currently living and training at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand is confident he can take care of business against American opponent Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia when the two lock horns.

Abelardo and Urrutia go head-to-head at ONE: FISTS OF FURY II, a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore scheduled for air this Friday, March 5.

The Pinoy-Kiwi fighter promises to put on a show for the fans, as always, and put Urrutia through the paces.

“I feel like Emilio is a dangerous fighter. He’s a high-level jiu-jitsu brown belt. He’s got heavy hands, and some good wins against good opponents. But I feel like his style is something I can match. He likes to brawl. I like to brawl, too. So I’m looking to put on a show, and hopefully the fans will enjoy it,” Abelar-

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

ish expected in the upcoming 72-hole tournament and the 6,990-yard layout, designed by Hall of Famer Isao Aoki, reaching top condition in time for the championship.

“The two courses are actually ready to host the PGT/LPGT as early as last December,” said Boy Blue Ocampo, golf manager of the country’s biggest golf complex, which boasts of four championship courses, the two others being the Faldo and Dye layouts. “Despite the stigma of the pandemic that has infringed limitations in the maintenance of most courses, the ERGCC’s four layouts have managed to live up to its patrons’ expectations.”

According to Ocampo, both courses have stepped up their playability preparations coming into the weeks of the event with a mini-tine aeration done to soften the greens surface.

“They were rolled over, groomed and finely sanded, offering a tricky challenge both in maintenance and playability,” said Ocampo. “Cultural works are currently being done to get them to blend more consistently. Green speed is targeted at no less than 10 in the Stimpmeter reading.”

That should also put premium on the bidders’ putting aside from shotmaking, guaranteeing a spirited chase for top honors in both the PGT and LPGT sides

which are expected to be bannered by the four winners – Lascuña, Ira Alido, Princess Superal and Pauline del Rosario – of the two-tournament bubble at Riviera in a pandemic-hit season late last year.

The fairways widths of both courses are retained at 40-50 yards and are being mown at 16 mm with the current height of cuts for all grasses adjusted to ERGCC’s prevailing local growing conditions.

Both events, along with the succeeding tournaments of the ICTSI-sponsored circuit this year, will be held and conducted under strict protocols in consonance with the government’s safety and health measures.

Fil-Australian Luke Gebbie

Scribes honor PBA teams with President’s Award DESPITE the challenging times, PBA teams remained committed to their players and personnel as far as duties and obligations are concerned.

The all-out support of the 12 ballclubs eventually led to the successful staging of the Philippine Cup bubble in Clark, Pampanga, thereby aborting what could have been a possible cancellation of the league’s 45th season.

For their financial sacrifices and deep love for the game, the PBA Press Corps will be honoring all member teams of Asia’s pioneering pro league with the President’s Award in its virtual Awards Night set on March 7 at the TV5 Media Center.

The ‘Heroic 12’ is composed of Barangay Ginebra, TnT Tropang Giga, Meralco, Phoenix, San Miguel, Alaska, Magnolia, Rain or Shine, NLEX, Blackwater, NorthPort, and Terrafirma.

Together, they will share the limelight with Bulakan, Bulacan Mayor and 1995 MVP Vergel Meneses, the 2019 Presidential awardee of the group that covers the PBA beat.

The hour-long program presented by Cignal TV, will be hosted by Rizza Diaz and Carlo Pamintuan. It will be shown on PBA Rush on March 8.

Two major awards will be announced, namely Outstanding Coach of the Bubble and Mr. Executive, leading to the awards rite.

Aside from the President’s Award, previously named were Justin Chua (Top Bubble D-Fender), Calvin Abueva, Chris Ross, Mark Barroca, Christian Standhardinger, and Chua (All Bubble D-Fenders), RJ Jazul (Mr. Quality Minutes), CJ Perez (Scoring Champion) Barangay Ginebra-Meralco Game 5 semis (Game of the Bubble) and the quintet of Aaron Black, Arvin Tolentino, Roosevelt Adams, Barkley Ebona, and Renzo Subido (All-Rookie Team).

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Sports

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

PH sports Hall of Fame awardees finalized soon THE Philippine Sports Commission is one step closer to naming the fourth batch of enshrinees for the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame when the review committee meets the selection committee Friday to present their shortlist.

“We asked the expertise of our notable sports media friends and form the review and evaluation committee, for they are the timekeepers of the sports scene and have covered the great achievements of our Filipino athletes,” said PSHOF 2020 Selection Committee chairperson and PSC chairman William Ramirez.

In a series of virtual meetings, the Review and Evaluation Committee comprised of Joaquin Henson of Philippine Star, Eduardo Andaya of People’s Tonight, Lorenzo Lomibao Jr. of Business Mirror, Eriberto Talao of Manila Bulletin, Eduardo Catacutan Jr. of Spin.ph, Jose Antonio of People’s Journal, Reynaldo Bancod of Daily Tribune and Prof. Theresa Jazmines of the UP College of Mass Communication, took thorough deliberations on the accomplishments and credentials of the 44 nominees and screened it to come up with a shortlist.

Among the criteria for nomination followed was that nominees should be a gold medalist in any Southeast Asian Games, or at least a silver medalist in any Asian Games or Asian Cup, or regional games or at least a bronze medalist in any Olympic or World Games; or a titleholder or World Champion in any professional or amateur sports competition.

Athletic performance should have a wide, historic and unprecedented global impact, should have unquestionable integrity either local or abroad, before and after the event, and non-conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.

“We also consider not only the accolades, but also the timeless inspiration and stories behind every nominee.

At the end of the day, we want our future generation to live by the stories of our inductees,” explained Ramirez.

Jenel

Lausa’s road to redemption begins at BRAVE CF 47 Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets shoots the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

Joker’s 50th triple-double fuels Nuggets past Bucks

L

OS ANGELES—Nikola Jokic bagged the 50th regular-season triple-double of his career as the Denver Nuggets halted the Milwaukee Bucks’ fivegame winning streak with a 128-97 drubbing on Tuesday.

Serbian star Jokic dominated a onesided encounter at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum as Denver never looked back after taking the lead midway through the first quarter before romping to victory.

Jokic’s ninth triple of the season included 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while Jamal Murray added 24 points for the visitors.

The Nuggets improved to 20-15 with the win while the Bucks fell to 21-14 following the loss to remain third in the Eastern Conference.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks scorers with 27 points, but the

home side were always struggling to get in the game after conceding a 37-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Elsewhere Tuesday, Kemba Walker scored 25 points as the Boston Celtics rolled to a third straight win with a 117112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Walker’s points tally included six three-pointers as the Celtics all-round offensive game subdued a Clippers team jolted by the sudden withdrawal of Kawhi Leonard shortly before tip-off at the TD Garden.

Paul George led the scorers for Los

Angeles with 32 points while Reggie Jackson—a late replacement for Leonard—added 25 for the visitors.

Six Celtics players finished with double-digit points tallies, including Jaylen Brown with 18, while Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard added 14 apiece.

The Clippers suffered a blow earlier Tuesday when Leonard was ruled out after complaining of back spasms.

‘Fresher’ Celtics Boston improved to 18-17 with the victory, leaving them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference table. The Clippers fell to 24-13 with the loss and remain fourth in the West.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens expressed satisfaction at the way his team had responded after a rocky spell preceding their current winning streak when they lost three games on the bounce. AFP

Senator endorses Kouame’s naturalization SENATOR Joel Villanueva endorsed at the Senate the grant of Filipino citizenship to Ateneo standout Ange Kouame, who is being eyed by Gilas Pilipinas as its naturalized player for the upcoming 2021 FIBA Regional Qualifiers.

Villanueva, who suited up for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers team that strung together four consecutive championships in the UAAP in the 1990s, credited the work ethic of Kouame, the first foreign player to win Rookie of the Year honors in the collegiate league in 2018.

“Naturalization and the grant of Philippine citizenship to Kouame would surely brighten the colors of our flag and send the Filipino athlete flying high,” Villanueva said in a speech Tuesday sponsoring a bill to grant citizenship to Kouame.

“As a Filipino, a former member of the national team and a basketball enthusiast, it is my honor to support the granting of Philippine citizenship to Mr. Kakou Ange Franck Williams Kouame,” said Villanueva, who also suited up for the country’s youth squad in 1994.

Villanueva said Kouame not only

Column on life AS YOU read my piece today (March 4, 2021), I will be celebrating the first day of my third life. Either that or this will be the final piece of my long and not so illustrious sportswriting career spanning more than four decades.

Last Saturday afternoon, together with my wife Marissa, I went to Makati Medical Center for a treadmill test to determine what was causing the heart palpitations I had been feeling the last

dominated the basketball scene but also “captivated the admiration of many Filipinos, both young and old.”

He recalled the time when Ateneo won the UAAP championship and Senator Richard Gordon “was flashing all these pictures” showing court celebrations and fans and supporters of UST Growling Tigers, UST’s UAAP team where Villanueva played, were sad in the background.

“It was painful Mr. President,” Villanueva said in his speech in jest.

“Nonetheless, this Growling Tiger is willing to give an assist to the sponsor who is a Blue Eagle cheerleader so he can slam-dunk this bill,” Villanueva said of Gordon, who was once a member of Ateneo’s Blue Babble Batallion.

Kouame, according to Villanueva, “has embraced the Filipino culture and tradition and our people and has made the Philippines his home.”

Kouame is a 6’10” center from Ivory Coast who currently plays for Ateneo but is being recruited to play for the Gilas Pilipinas.

According to Villanueva, Kouame has committed to play for the Philippine team in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.

Ange Kouame

two months whenever I exert some physical efforts including walking around our village in Taguig.

You see I have always thought of myself as a healthy, no-maintenance taking senior citizen. It turned out I was being more optimistic than factual.

I could not even finish the early stages of the treadmill test and asked them to stop the machine, as I went down from it. I was asked to rest and sit on a chair and that was when I got scared because of the concern on the face of the lady doctor, more so when she told me I had to see a cardiologist immediately and would not allow me to leave the hospital anymore.

Then, I was brought into the Emergency Room for a mandatory swab test. While waiting for a room to be available, the waiting took more than 24 hours and I was exposed to the raw side of hospital life seeing other patients being brought in, some of them struggling for life and a few losing the battle.

That was the longest 24 hours I have experienced in my life, not a wonderful one at that, with all sorts of tests, 2D echo, ECG, bloodtests, etc. happening at various times. Good thing my daughter Jemi arrived to be with me. Sunday before lunch, my cardiologist Dr. Paul Quetua gave me the initial findings -- I had to undergo an angiogram to determine the extent of the blockage in

my arteries after which I was given the three possible scenarios, namely it can be treated with medicine, do an angioplasty or the dreaded bypass depending on the damage.

We also thought of transferring either to the Philippine General Hospital or Philippine Heart Center, where costs are significantly lower than at the Makati Medical Center, but the waiting lists in both hospitals were just too long and Janis could not secure a room there. And we had to make quick decisions because of my condition.

That same night, I finally got transferred to a regular room with an angiogram set at 9 a.m. the following day.

The test was relatively quick, a bit painful but the worst pain was when the doctor told me that the only real solution to my condition was a quadruple bypass, and our family had to decide real quick about the matter, factoring in the high costs involved.

My family, actually only my son JM was there, and was firm about going all the way without thinking initially of the costs, estimated between P1.5 and P2M telling me my life was more important than money. That was the time I shed tears of joy and sadness.

Earlier, I already posted in my FB page about my situation with regular updates and was overwhelmed by

SEEF DISTRICT, Bahrain—Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa knows his upcoming bout is absolutely essential for getting his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career back on track.

The 32-year-old Concepcion, Iloilo native will be strapping on four-ounce gloves for the first time in nearly three years as he is set to square off with Afghanistan’s Rahmatullah Yousufzai in his promotional debut at BRAVE CF 47: ASIAN DOMINATION in Bahrain on March 11.

Lausa made headlines when he surprisingly announced his return to the sport this past February and signed an exclusive multi-fight contract with BRAVE Combat Federation.

Spending most of his time away from MMA inside the boxing ring, Lausa is determined to make up for lost time by marking himself as a contender in the promotion’s talent-filled flyweight division.

“I aim to win my debut fight and the next fights after that. I dream to continue winning and bounce back from the setbacks that I experienced,” he stated.

“Being in the MMA world once again puts a big smile on my face. I am grateful for the opportunity that BRAVE CF has given me.”

It has been a tough stretch for Lausa, who has gone 1-3 since he last set foot inside the cage. Undeterred, the hardhitting Filipino is staying positive and plans to use the lessons he learned in those defeats.

“I believe this my second chance to prove myself in the mixed martial arts industry. This is also a chance for me to substantiate that I have definitely learned from my shortcomings in my past MMA fights,” he said.

However, a difficult test awaits him in his first assignment under the organization’s banner. The man standing in his reentry to the winner’s circle is Yousufzai, an undefeated prospect who owns a pristine 4-0 slate with two knockout wins.

The Afghan warrior left a lasting impression in his maiden BRAVE CF appearance last September, knocking out Abdulmanap Magomedov in 42 seconds.

His statement-making victory over the Russian earned him the 2020 BRAVE CF Knockout of the Year award.

Lausa will need all the confidence he can muster against a hungry opponent in Yousufzai, who is targeting a huge boost in his own stock with a triumph against the Filipino.

Having done his homework on Yousufzai, “The Demolition Man” expects nothing less than an unrelenting grind from a guy who can spell trouble in the stand-up department like him.

“I have seen his fights and I have read articles about him. He is a good fighter,” Lausa mentioned. “We are both strikers, so he will probably strike with me. But at the same time, I don’t want to underestimate his ground game, so I am also preparing for that aspect.”

the outpouring of prayers, encouraging words, all the way to offers of financial assistance. Believe me, it was a real good feeling to get all those positive affirmations giving me a needed boost as I was devastated when first told about the need for a quad bypass.

There was a non-stop flow of messages from different people in my life, family and friends, colleagues in the sporting world, high school batchmates, former co-employees, clients and former members of a youth group in Mandaluyong.

Now, more than ever, I decided to give it a good fight.

If you ask me why I said it is my third life, 16 years ago, just before the SEA Games we hosted here, I underwent another major operation to drain the blood clot from my brain because of a concussion I suffered earlier.

Attending physician was Dr. Willy Lopez, father of national triathlete Kaye Lopez. Ironically, I was supposed to leave for Subic that day to cover the events being held there and ended up watching the games live from my hospital bed, also at the Makati Medical Center. Now, I hope the wonderful team of doctors, nurses, orderlies and other staff who took care of me here will not make me a liar and make this a self-written obituary.

My heartfelt thanks to all, you know who you are and you are too many to name individually. Enough said.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

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Regine Velasquez stuns viewers in ‘Freedom’ concert

Presented by PLDT, and produced by ABS-CBN Events and IME, ‘Freedom’ served as an intimate affair featuring Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid entertaining her devoted fan

TINA TURNER

bids farewell to fans with emotional new docu MUSIC legend Tina Turner is the subject of one of the most successful biopics ever made but she tells the makers of a new documentary there's much more to her story.

Tina by Oscar-winning directors Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin premiered Tuesday at the Berlin film festival. It traces Turner's six-decade career as an unlikely triumph over abuse and discrimination.

Paired with the musical about her that had its Broadway premiere in 2019 until the pandemic shut it down, the film is billed as the 81-year-old Turner's farewell to her legions of fans.

The documentary includes emotional interviews with the singer in which she recounts her childhood of grinding poverty picking cotton in the Tennessee fields, her singing debut with violent husband Ike Turner, and her lonely years even as the world's top female rock star.

Friends weigh in including Oprah Winfrey, I, Tina biographer Kurt Loder and Angela Bassett, who was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Turner in the 1993 blockbuster What's Love Got to Do with It. Turner was famously critical of the movie, refusing to watch it for several years and rejecting her depiction as a "victim" in it.

In the documentary, she explains that the reason she decided to come forward in the 1980s about her years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by Ike was that even after the split, interviewers insisted on asking her about their partnership.

The documentary also spotlights the obstacles Turner had to surmount to become a stadium-filling sex symbol as a Black middle-aged woman. It includes a shocking interview in which a record company executive is quoted using racist and misogynistic slurs to explain why he wanted to drop her from the label in the early 1980s.

"I had a dream: my dream is to be the first Black rock'n'roll singer to pack places like the (Rolling) Stones," she said.

Given the rigid race-linked radio categories of pop and R&B in America, Turner and her Australian manager Roger Davies decided she should relaunch her career from Europe.

Turner got the last laugh with her 1984 album, Private Dancer, which sold millions of copies worldwide and included her first major solo single "What's Love Got to Do with It," a song she says she "hated" at first until she "made it my own."

Tina is screening out of competition at the 71st Berlin film festival, which runs until Friday. AFP

audiences with songs that bared Regine’s beautiful range and exceptional artistry.

The concert, produced by ABS-CBN Events and IME and presented by PLDT, also brought to life her astonishing “Himala” duet—one of the show’s major surprises—with rock royalty Bamboo.

Regine’s #FreedomConcert, which became one of the top trending topics on Twitter for hours on Sunday night, also presented her rendition of several OPM hits such as The Juans’ “Istorya” and Ben&Ben’s “Leaves” and of own songs ‘”Bukas Sana” and “Tanging Mahal.”

She also gave a beautiful rendition of Madonna’s “Crazy For You,” which she dedicated to her husband of 10 years, Ogie Alcasid, and a touching performance of

“Make You Feel My Love” featuring the voice of their son Nate.

She closed the one-night show with a wish. “I realized that we all want freedom from fear, financial difficulties, anxiety, depression, a lot of things. But there’s another kind of freedom,” she said, citing her hope for the “truth” for all the viewers.

Filipino audiences worldwide got to watch Freedom: Regine VelasquezAlcasid Digital Concert via ABS-CBN’s various platforms ktx.ph, iWantTFC, TFC IPTV, and SKYcable PPV. The show’s stage direction was led

by Paolo Valenciano, TV direction by Frank Mamaril, and musical direction

by Raul Mitra.

ALDEN RICHARDS

in dream project with

BEA ALONZO V IVA Films, GMA Pictures, and APT Entertainment seal their partnership to co-produce the Philippine adaptation of the Japanese drama Pure Soul Soul,, from which the hit Korean movie A Moment to Remember was also adapted in a contract signing ceremony held on Tuesday, March 2.

From left: Viva Communications Inc President and COO Vincent Del Rosario, GMA Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes and APT Entertainment Inc. CEO and President Mike Tuviera

For the first time ever, the Filipino audience is set to witness the muchawaited pairing of two of the country’s biggest stars: Asia’s Multimedia Star Alden Richards and New Generation’s Movie Queen Bea Alonzo.

Present during the contract signing ceremony from Viva Communications Inc. were President and COO Vincent Del Rosario, Viva Artists Agency President Veronique Del RosarioCorpus, and Senior Vice President for Content and Production Valerie Del Rosario.

Representing GMA Network were GMA Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, First Vice President for Program Management Jose Mari Abacan, Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier Cruz, and Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions

Gigi Santiago-Lara.

And for APT Entertainment Inc., in attendance were CEO and President Mike Tuviera, COO and CFO Jojo Oconer, and Vice President for Production Operation Camille Montano.

Also present during the contract signing was Bea’s manager Shirley Kuan.

Vincent Del Rosario teases the viewers on what to look forward to in the reimagining of the story that captivated hearts in Korea and Japan, “The script is largely based on the Japanese series pero ‘yung nuances ng culture ng Pinoy, sineed maigi ng writer so local moviegoers could appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, Gozon-Valdes expressed her excitement in bringing the project to life, “Finally, this is now a reality, we’re very very excited. It’s going to be a very nice film since we’re having both Alden

and Bea in it. We feel that this project is perfect for the both of them.”

Tuviera likewise shared his enthusiasm to begin producing the highly-anticipated film, “Napakalaking chance to be a part of a project like this, I’m sure the people want to see Alden and Bea together.

Gusto talaga namin maramdaman ng tao ‘yung pagka-big screen niya, ‘yung concept ng kwento, ‘yung characters, importante sa amin na maexperience ng tao ‘yun in its full glory talaga, in a theater. We’re making the film as a theatrical experience.”

The film follows the journey of a young couple whose relationship will be put to the test when the woman is diagnosed with early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. It is a story that will test how much love can withstand and show how it can triumph in the midst of pain, fear, denial, and acceptance.

Entrusted with such a meaningful

GMA’s prized possession Alden Richards is teaming up with Bea Alonzo in a big-screen project for the first time.

role, Alden feels grateful to once again showcase his versatility on the big screen, “It’s my first remake, and there’s always comparison. What we wanted as actors is to do our own take on how we understood the role. Ang ganda ng material, sobra. Kung babalik na ‘yung cinemas, it’s really for it. Mas dama mo ‘yung istorya.”

On the other hand, Bea shared, “I’m excited na makakapag-trabaho na kami this time. We’re very happy na nag-inject sila ng Filipino culture doon sa script.

We are working around the parameters of what Korea wants us to do, of course, to also maintain and respect the original form of the movie. It’s going to be a little different from the original title but we will make sure that it’s going to be a good one.

It’s going to be extra challenging and also very inspiring.”

This dream project is set to make the Filipino audience fall in love once it hits the big screen soon.

Para kay Ely B YUGEL LOSORATA

Tina Turner, shown here performing in Paris in 2009, is the subject of a new documentary that premiered Tuesday at the Berlin film festival.

ASIA’S Songbird Regine VelasquezAlcasid gave an intimate yet explosive live performance at the Freedom digital concert, which streamed worldwide last Sunday.

“Ang feeling ko I’m just singing to one person,” said Regine, calling the muchawaited concert “a more personal one” and very different from her previous online shows while addressing the thousands of Filipino viewers who tuned in from different parts of the world.

Freedom’s repertoire—which includes Billie Eilish’s “When The Party Is Over,” TWICE’s “Heart Shaker,” Elton John’s “Brooklyn Yellow Brick Road,” and Britney Spears “Hit Me Baby One More Time”—was indeed distinctive, surprising

THE other week I tackled topnotch screenwriter Ricky Lee’s deep passion for music as I delved into the playlist of one master storyteller whose scriptwriting workshops affect writers’ lives, including mine. This time, it’s about his connection to a musician whose career and talent changed the landscape of the local band scene for good.

Back in the day when Lee was teaching film in UP, he encountered a student who would become his assistant and therefore a frequent visitor at his house. The boy’s name: Ely Buendia.

“I think part ng early immersion niya ay sa collection ko ng mga plaka noon,” said the writer of numerous classic screenplays and holder of various trophies. “I have an immense collection of vinyls and laser discs. I think

inspired ang pangalang Eraserheards ng pelikula ni David Lynch with the same title, na meron akong laser disc noon.”

That sounds like a detail the chief singersongwriter of alternative rock pioneer Eraserheads would nod to. Buendia’s association with the scriptwriter behind the Nora Aunor-starrer Himala and other movie gems like Moral and Karnal was best manifested when he drew the illustration for Lee's scriptwriting manual Trip To Quiapo.

“Siya rin ang gumagawa ng mga poster ko noon to announce my free workshops,” Lee added.

The hitmaker behind some of the greatest Filipino songs had been vocal about wanting to lead a career in filmmaking and that it was his original plan before music got in the way. He directed through Bang Bang Alley and Waiting Shed.

The ace film writer himself could vouch for Buendia’s competence as a moviemaker. “Ely is a very good filmmaker, too, aside from being a musician,” he said. “I hope he does more films.”

Eraserheads’ concept album Fruitcake

Rock icon Ely Buendia drew illustrations for Ricky Lee's classic scriptwriting manual ‘Trip To Quiapo.’

came along with storyline and illustrations.

Safe to say Buendia had a big hand on that.

While no popular musical work had been attached to Ricky Lee, music has played a crucial role in the way he does things. He became a novelist with the release of Para kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin). That was followed three years later by one titled Si Amapola sa 65 Na Kabanata, a copy of which he gave me with the dedication, “Maraming salamat sa pakikipagkaibigan.”

Asked if he ever thought of retiring, he argued, “I don’t think I will ever retire

from writing. I am a writer so if I stop writing, I stop living na rin.”

He argued, “Mahalaga pa rin naman ang awards. Pero mas mahalaga sa akin ang awards na natatanggap ng workshoppers ko. I’m okay kasi bahagi ako noon. Parang part din ng fruits of my labor.”

On his routine, he said, "Sabay-sabay ako kung magsulat. As in, minsan sa isang umaga, I would write the first draft of a script, then the storyline of another script, then some notes on a third script.”

That’s prolific, passionate writing which appears to me like how Buendia wrote all those hits.

Life

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

C4

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021

BUDGET-FRIENDLY UPGRADES. A design expert posits that upcycling, repurposing, and repainting update furniture and furnishings in the most cost-effective way.

Redesigning home on a budget

S

Interior design expert shares practical tips

PENDING most of our time at home has made us assess what is missing or what needs to be done, according to design expert Katherine Anne Correa.

The interior designer with a mas- and are easy to install. I actually did a ter’s degree in Architecture, however, whole plan using this type.” believes that redesigning living spaces to make them work for their resiUpdate furniture dents does not have to burn a hole in Refurnishing does not equate to purthe pocket. chasing new furniture, Correa points out. Old wooden chairs may be repaintFirst thing to do is declutter ed or reupholstered with bright colors Before embarking on any home re- to refresh their look, while night tables designing project, identify first which may be constructed out of a pile of old items can be disposed of or can be up- hardbound books. cyled and reused.

“Use an upcycled bottle and add dried “When you rearrange and fix your flowers as an accessory or wrap some space, it feels rejuvenating. Somehow fairy lights around it—this will serve as we feel like we enhanced some parts of your bedside lamp,” she suggests. our lives. This is actually therapeutic,” For those who think they need new furshares Correa. niture pieces, Correa recommends visiting flea markets or thrift shops first. “The items Then repaint are second-hand but are a lot cheaper,” she notes. “There are a lot of good buys if you (or put on wallpapers) A repainted wall or wall accent re- know what you are looking for.” freshes the look of the space. But for less intensive work and less expensive Finish the project option, Correa suggests wallpapers. with accents “There is a lot of wallpapers that is While there are plenty of home acless expensive,” she notes. “You can cents available in the market, the most buy sticker options that are affordable cost-effective option, Correa asserts, is

By Steph Llarena HOME workspaces weren’t given much highlight until majority of office-bound employees started working from home, leading to a spike in office furniture and accessories sales.

Although many companies are slowly sending their employees back to the office, the WFH setup is seen to remain an option for jobs compatible with remote work to mitigate the spread of the highly transmissible virus.

To help home-bound workers efficiently accomplish their daily tasks, the SM Stationery section at The SM Store offers a range of desk accessories and storage systems in a variety of colors—ideal for those who like to color-coordinate.

There are three-layer desk drawers in geometric designs, metallic mesh organizers, notebooks and journals, paper holders, adjustable laptop stands, non-slip leather pads, and LED touch

Interior designer Katherine Anne Correa suggests decluttering first before starting any home project to identify which items can be disposed of or upcycled and reused. Painting walls or using wallpapers, meanwhile, refreshes the look of the space.

doing-it-yourself.

“DIY projects always make for reasonable and affordable home décor. Accentuate with personalized crocheted or handwoven bedspreads and throw pillows. You can also buy traditional weaves such as inabel or inaul.”

For those who prefer something a bit

Dressed up desks

A color-coordinated work desk with three-layer desk drawers, paper holders, and light with phone stand (ideal for virtual calls) available at SM Stationery.

lamp with pen holder or phone stand, able in stores, online at www.smstationamong a couple more others. ery.com.ph, and via the #143SM CallThe aforementioned items are avail- to-Deliver service.

more crafty, Correa suggests exploring découpage or the art of decorating an object by blending recycled colored paper cut-outs, special paint effects, and art elements. “You can use old books, paint it over with a polyurethane finish and hang it on your shelves.”

Not a fan of too many knickknacks? Go

for a large mirror instead. It’s an aesthetic and functional piece that also creates an illusion of a bigger space. “This is a trend now and a lot of different styles of mirrors have been coming out in the market,” observes the chairperson of the Interior Design Program at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

SHOPPING GrabMart delivers Globe at Home products CUSTOMERS in immediate need of home Internet products can now order and have them delivered on the same day via Grab.

With Grab and Globe at Home partnership, shoppers can purchase Globe At Home Prepaid Wi-Fi (P999), LTEAdvanced (P1,999), and Xtreme Prepaid Wi-Fi (P1,999) on GrabMart. The products can be delivered within a 10-kilometer radius from where the customer is.

Those who make a minimum purchase of P900 can avail of GrabMart’s Unlimited Free Delivery Promo, which runs until March 31, using the code UNLIFREEDEL upon checkout.

“We decided to partner with Grab because of the shopping convenience it offers. Customers can order our budget-friendly Internet solutions right in the comfort of their homes.

All they have to do is browse through

GrabMart offers same-day delivery of Globe at Home Prepaid Wi-Fi products available on its platform.

GrabMart and choose the package that suits their needs,” said Darius Delgado, vice president and head of broadband business at Globe

From left: Pink notebooks and organizers, blue desk organizers for papers and pens, and silver laptop stand with seven-level adjustable height.

Anne Curtis donates baby essentials to moms in need FIRST-TIME mom Anne Curtis offered thousands of moms relief as she donated baby care essentials to families in need.

Anne and her daughter Dahlia, in partnership with Huggies, donated a total of 1,166 Secret sANNEta gift packs to mothers and babies at the Philippine General Hospital and Philippine Children’s Medical Hospital.

Each red bag contains one pack of Huggies Dry Pants, one pack of Huggies wipes, two packs of Kleenex Facial Tissues, one roll of Kleenex bathroom tissue, and one Hugsy stuffed teddy bear.

The donation was part of last year’s buy one, get one promo wherein every purchase of one case of Huggies Dry Pants came bundled with one gift pack. Huggies and its endorsers Anne and baby Dahlia promised to match every pack given to donate to the aforementioned partner hospitals, with a goal of raising 1,000 packs.

Anne Curtis and daughter Dahlia led the donation of baby care essentials to mothers and babies in need.

Pinoy-made e-commerce platform VeMoBro ends its first sitewide sale with a nine-day giveaway.

VeMoBro offers post-sale giveaway FILIPINO-made e-commerce platform VeMoBro ends its first-ever sitewide sale (3.3) with a post-sale giveaway on March 4-12.

After a full day of exclusive sales and promos on Wednesday, which included flash sales, P300 off, BOGO (buy one, get one) deals, and free shipping, the homegrown digital shopping and selling platform is giving up to P10,000 worth of

prizes during the nine-day post-sale event.

“Our platform was created with the convenience of our customers in mind and through our 3.3 sale, we hope to better communicate our commitment to emphasizing excellent digital shopping services by giving our customers a safe and hassle-free shopping experience,” said VeMoBro chief executive officer Vergil Bargola.